Floating, motorised spa pools: Queenstown's newest tourism proposal
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
Two men behind a plan to bring floating spa pools to Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu are yet to sample the soak themselves.
Civil engineer Jake Allen and aero commercial manager Michael Hawley learnt about the spas from a friend in Europe and thought it was a great idea for Queenstown.
“I think it will be pretty amazing sitting in one of the most beautiful locations in the world under the Remarkables,” Allen said.
They have formed Soak Industries Ltd and applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council for resource consent to operate five of the motorised spa pools from Frankton Marina.
The application is being vetted and Allen said they were working closely with the Queenstown Coastguard and harbour master to ensure the spas would be as safe as possible.
That might yet require passengers wearing a life jacket belt, he said.
“We’re getting more comfortable with the idea. We don’t think it will affect the experience much.”
They were intending for passengers to be allowed two standard drinks while on board, excluding the designated skipper who would be required to be sober.
They would purchase the “high spec” pools from the United States, each costing a “large portion of a house deposit”, especially once GST, duties and shipping costs were included, Allen said.
The pools were recently approved by the US Coastguard and were considered “unsinkable”, weighing about 640kg without being filled with water, he said.
About 850mm of the spa sat underwater and 300mm above the surface.
Between two and six people would be permitted in each spa at any one time for up to 90 minutes.
They were 4m long, electrically powered and could travel up to 5 knots within an area about 1.8km long and 600m wide.
They would operate between 8am and 8pm and guests would not be allowed to access the foreshore at Frankton Beach.
A safety boat would be based at the marina and be available by radio and/or phone at all times, being only minutes away.
The water would be heated by propane or wood with a built-in saltwater cleaning and UV filtration system, meaning no water would be discharged into the lake.
The application was still be vetted by the council, but the men hoped to be operating by the end of 2023, Allen said.
“It’s a bit of an adventure.”
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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