Our Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) student, Hanna, is regularly attending Rotary meetings and spoke to those present last week.  Hanna is from Nynashamn, Sweden (60km south of Stockholm) and is sponsored by the Nynashamn Rotary Club.  Hanna is staying with Rotary and Rotary ‘Friends’ families for a year and started at Wakatipu High School and the end of July. 

President Ross has negotiated an agreement with the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce that extends the Club’s membership of the chamber to all of our members at no additional cost to us as individuals.

Members of the Rotary Club of Queenstown now have access to all Chamber of Commerce functions as Chamber members and the membership cost is included in our current Rotary Club subscription.

Where an event or training seminar includes a cost to all attendees, Rotarians will be charged the same as Chamber members.  This also extends to include staff of members.

It is hoped that Rotarians will take advantage of this opportunity to attend Chamber functions of their interest.

The Chamber logo will now appear on all Bulletins same as is afforded our 'Club Runner' sponsors.

Sunday 23 June saw our annual ‘Duck Race’ held on Horne Creek with proceeds this year to ‘LDart’ (Lakes District Air Rescue Trust) to help fund our new Queenstown based dedicated rescue helicopter.

A fine sunny winter’s afternoon realised a good following from the public and the support and attendance of many club members.

Congratulations go to this year’s prize winners:

1st - Public Bar and Kitchen (down on the Steamer Wharf).

2nd - Canyon Swing

3rd - Crombie Lockwood (insurance brokers)

The ‘Best Dressed Duck’ was the Craigs Investment Partners entry - ‘Boris Johnson’ (of the English Parliament)

Small ducks (public sales) were eagerly followed down the creek by kids of all ages to the finish line at creek's entry to Lake Wakatipu.  This year's winners were Fiona and Tim, a visiting couple from Brisbane, who generously re-donated their prize (a Shotover Jet Ride for 2) back to our Club to be auctioned off as a further fundraiser.

Total funds raised will be close to $8,000.

A huge thanks to all of our corporate sponsors, our wonderful locals and tourists alike, and to our Rotarians who assisted.  A special thanks to the people of Mitchell Mackersy Lawyers for their hard work in again managing duck sales.

Our Sponsors:

A Womans Touch Cleaning Services, Anderson Lloyd, Aotea Souvenirs, Bennie Boys, Body Sanctum, Brandland, Brazz (also In-kind sponsor – prizegiving venue & snacks), Canyon Swing (also Prize Sponsor), Central Dry Cleaning, Colliers, Craigs Investment Partners, Crang Civil, Crombie Lockwood, Dart River Adventures (also Prize Sponsor), Designa Tiles, Five Peaks Accounting, Heritage Queenstown, KJet (also Prize Sponsor ), Lindsey Topp, M Developments, MacTodd, Markhams, Max Raft, Millbrook (also Prize Sponsor), Mitchell Mackersy, Pak’N Save, Provisions, Public Kitchen (also Prize Sponsor), QAC, Queenstown Print, (also In-kind sponsor – design & print), Rilean Construction, Scenic Circle Hotel, Shotover Engineering, Shotover Jet, Strongbox Wealth Management, TravelSmart  Treecare Southern Lakes, VetEnt Frankton, Wikki Wikki, Woodlot Properties.