Party time down south

By STEVE HART

There will be mountains of fun at this year's winter festival at Queenstown's Coronet Peak.

This is the 28th consecutive year the festival has been held and more than 30,000 people are expected to take part in or watch the 10-day event.

Tagged as "the Southern Hemisphere's ultimate winter party" by its organisers, Destination Queenstown, the festival has something for everyone and most of the events are free to watch.

However, you'll need to buy a ticket to catch Cold Power on the opening day, July 12, when Queenstown's ice rink becomes the battle ground between ice hockey teams Canadian Moose and the New Zealand Ice Blacks.

The Mooses are called the Harlem Globetrotters of ice and have a killer instinct - expect lots of blood-curdling action.

The Lindauer festival parade on Saturday, July 13, is a free event for the whole family - downtown Queenstown will come alive as thousands of people line the streets to watch brightly coloured decorated floats weave along the streets.

After the parade, prepare for a night of excitement at Earnslaw Park and around Queenstown Bay with a free firework display marking the official start of the festival. Music will come from live bands.

Snow-sculpture artists from across the world, including a Japanese team, will create temporary works of art at the entrance to Coronet Peak from 10am on July 14. You can watch the artists free as snow is fashioned into objects, both real and imagined, over three days.

Judging of the best will be held on July 17 - the same day as the Ansell Big Air. This is a breathtaking event where top snowboarders and ski jumpers use ramps to defy gravity with moves and tricks such as rodeos, mctwists, and alley oops. The action starts at 1.30pm. It's free to watch and the final starts at 5.30pm.

On the festival's final day you can take to the slopes, watch 50 or so dogs and their owners during the Coronet Peak Dog Derby and enjoy the carnival atmosphere as clowns, live performers and barbecues add to the fun atmosphere.

www.nzski.com

www.winterfestival.co.nz

* Ph: 0800 4 queenstown