Q
29 Nov - 5 Dec
LOCALLY OWNED SINCE FOREVER
No 879
LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN
FE
T
AT BU UR S E IN IN E SI SS D E
The Biggest Show on Earth ignites our internationalness
Queenstown has always had an international feel from both our visitor and our resident populations. That was sadly lost to a large extent over the last two years and although there are plenty of international accents within our local community, the cultural diversity of Queenstown was definitely another casualty of Covid. Until now. It has taken the biggest sporting show on earth, the Football World Cup, to really wake up our European and South American immigrant populations and showcase our international flavour. It is a welcome return to “normal” to hear the excited football chitchat in a multitude of languages and accents around town. In local bars and restaurants, on construction sites, or any workplace in our district you will hear them, our fantastically diverse community. Appreciated more so than ever before after two years of stalled immigration and the resulting labour shortage. French, German, Spanish, English, Welsh, Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican, American, Polish, Danish, Dutch, Japanese and I suppose I must mention Australia. I never thought I’d say it, but I have a newfound appreciation the value our Trans-Tasman cousins bring to Queenstown too. They even managed to win a game of soccer shock horror. Although our own national football team haven’t made the big dance, no surprise there, many of our community are in full celebration mode as they follow the fortunes of their birth counties. The enthusiasm is infectious. It warms my heart with hope we will be a truly international town again when I see Japanese locals dancing in the street following their epic win over Germany. Relief from our Argentinian locals who bounced back from that loss to Saudi Arabia to beat Mexico. And let’s not forget our big Brazilian population who have really embraced Queenstown for the past decade, have added so much to our life force as a community by building a big slice of South American culture here in the far south of New Zealand. Good luck and good to have you living here in Queenstown my international neighbours. We are a melting pot of imports from all over the world and that is what makes Queenstown so special compared to other New Zealand towns, who seem to suffer from homogenised milk syndrome – all the same and boring. But not us, not Queenstown. We are alive with the buzz yet again and despite all the ongoing challenges, it feels good. And this good feeling should not be forgotten if ever someone dumb in the future suggests we should pull up the drawbridge and keep others out. Queenstown cannot survive on a life raft alone. We need connectivity not just in cyberspace but person to person rubbing shoulders in Rees Street.
The official opening of the new $20 million Queenstown Marina was held Thursday evening. Iraj Barabi, Mayor Glyn Lewers and Alan Kirker did the honours. See the story on page 25 and more images on page 8.
Scott Stevens - scott@qmg.co.nz
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