Is Queenstown getting hospo'ed out?
Australasian culinary legend Sean Connolly's about to open the doors to Pavilion Bar & Kitchens, at Queenstown Central, a massive hospitality hub to boast two restaurants, a soft-serve ice cream station, an indoor and outdoor bar and capacity for almost 300 seated diners.
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Techday NZ
27-05-2025
- Techday NZ
Vertiv opens new Sydney HQ with customer experience centre
Vertiv has officially opened its redesigned regional headquarters in Bella Vista, Sydney. The facility now serves as the national head office for Vertiv across Australia, with the company stating that the upgraded building demonstrates its commitment to investing in the nation's growing digital economy. The company's new workspace features flexible office areas, collaborative zones, and modern amenities, and includes the Vertiv Customer Experience Centre, described as the first of its kind in Australia. The Vertiv Customer Experience Centre provides customers, partners, and stakeholders with access to the company's technologies and subject matter experts, allowing direct engagement with various infrastructure solutions. The centre is positioned as a focal point within the upgraded headquarters, offering hands-on demonstrations of how local solutions are helping to address global infrastructure challenges, such as edge computing and hyperscale requirements. Australia's data centre sector continues to experience significant growth, a trend driven by rising demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence applications, and the expansion of hyperscale infrastructure. According to forecasts cited by Vertiv, investment in Australian data centres is set to exceed AUD $26 billion by 2030. Sydney plays a central role in this expansion, functioning as a communications hub with more than twelve subsea cable connections linking Australia with Asia, North America, and other regions. Vertiv's headquarters in Bella Vista adds to the organisation's regional footprint, which extends to cities such as Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Auckland. Andrew Whall, Vice President of Operations for Asia and General Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Vertiv, said, "Australia and New Zealand are core markets for Vertiv in the Asia-Pacific region. This new space enables us to better serve our customers and partners, while fostering innovation and rapid response from our local team." The Sydney-based Vertiv team includes more than fifty professionals in roles spanning engineering, sales, technical support, and administration. The new headquarters is intended to function as an anchor for Vertiv's broader Australasian operations, supporting both existing and emerging digital infrastructure requirements. "We're excited to welcome our customers and partners into this new chapter," Whall added. "Whether supporting hyperscale growth, enabling edge computing, or delivering resilient services, Vertiv is here to power and cool the infrastructure behind Australia's digital future." The opening of the headquarters was marked by a launch event attended by Vertiv customers, partners, and staff. Paul Churchill, Vice President and General Manager for Vertiv Asia, joined Whall in officially cutting the ribbon and inaugurating the office. Guests were able to tour the Customer Experience Centre and engage directly with local staff, highlighting the occasion as a significant milestone in Vertiv's investment efforts within Australia and New Zealand.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Christchurch to host Supercars in three-year NZ double-header
New Zealand will stage two Supercar rounds for the next three years after Christchurch was confirmed as the first-ever South Island venue. A revamped Ruapuna Raceway will host rounds of the Australasian touring car championship from 2026-28, along with Taupō, which has extended its deal for the same period. It will be the first time New Zealand has staged two rounds in the same season, with Supercars chief executive Shane Howard hailing the work of numerous bodies to bring racing to the club-run Ruapuna venue, 15km west of Christchurch. Howard said the government, Christchurch City Council's economic development agency and the Canterbury Car Club worked together to present a financially-sound vision. "This is an incredibly exciting day for Supercars and for fans across New Zealand," Howard said. "Christchurch is a motorsport city, and Ruapuna is a circuit with huge potential. This is a passionate community with a proud history, and we are thrilled to bring Supercars to the South Island for the first time. "Since Supercars' first visit to New Zealand in 2001, more than 2.3 million fans have attended championship events across the country and we're thrilled to be bringing a second event to the country that makes up 20 per cent of our total audience. "We know what Supercars means to New Zealanders. This is going to be a two-week celebration of Kiwi motorsport that will rival any on our calendar." Ruapuna Raceway will undergo a multimillion-dollar upgrade ahead of the event, including track resurfacing and a rebuilt supporters' lounge. Canterbury Car Club has already raised nearly $1 million toward the first stage of development. Club president, Lewis Low said he was proud the club had been added to the Supercars calendar. "This is a dream come true for our club and for motorsport fans right across the South Island. It's the result of years of hard work from our dedicated volunteers and supporters, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome Supercars to our home," he said. "Ruapuna has a proud grassroots heritage, and this investment will help us transform the venue into a world-class facility that can deliver an unforgettable experience for fans, teams and drivers alike." Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the announcement was significant. "For more than 20 years Supercars Championship events have played an important role showcasing our beautiful country to an international audience and I'm thrilled the South Island will now be part of this from next year," she said. "I'm pleased that with this investment from our Major Events Fund, New Zealand's strong relationship with Supercars will continue in Taupo and extend to include Christchurch, with all the benefits that brings." Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger expected the event in Ruapuna would "inject millions into our local economy - from tourism and hospitality to local jobs and infrastructure". More than 67,000 fans were attracted to the event at Taupō International Motorsport Park last year, resulting in 22,000 visitor nights and $5.8 million in visitor spending. Taupō District mayor David Trewavas was delighted to receive confirmation for three more years. "The Supercars event has already proven to be a huge success for our community - it brings energy, visitors, and international attention to our district," Trewavas said. "To see it grow into a two-week New Zealand celebration alongside Christchurch is fantastic for the whole country."
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Felton Road keeps ‘winery of year' title
Felton Road winery, Bannockburn. Photo: supplied I'm delighted to report that the winner of the 2025 Real Review New Zealand Winery of the Year is Felton Road Wines from Bannockburn in Central Otago. Felton Road Wines has been in the top 10 every year since the inception of the award (its lowest placing was sixth) and becomes the first winery to be a back-to-back winner as they also took out top spot last year. Congratulations to all the team. The Australasian online wine review platform, The Real Review, boasts 10 staff across four countries with the New Zealand arm now headed by Stephen Wong MW, assisted by Jane Skilton MW and Dr Jo Burzynska. They annually publish a classification of both Australian and New Zealand wineries and their wines, distilled from the more than 10,000 wines that they taste and review each year. In 2018, they founded their Winery of the Year Award and last week published their 2025 winners. The judging criteria not only includes the outright quality of a given wine over the preceding year, but also the winery's track record over 10 years or more, the wine's ageing potential and market performance, stewardship of their land and more. This year, The Real Review initiated a new set of awards recognising best sparkling, white, red, rose and sweet wines of the year along with best vigneron and rising star winemaker/s categories and I'm also delighted to report that Central Otago pulled off a trifecta of wins. The trophy for sparkling wine of the year went to Quartz Reef for their 2017 Quartz Reef blanc de blancs methode traditionelle brut. The trophy for white wine of the year went to Prophet's Rock for their 2022 Prophet's Rock cuvee aux antipodes blanc, while the trophy for red wine of the year was awarded to Doctors Flat for their 2021 Doctors Flat pinot noir. It is always exciting to see Central Otago wineries making the news, and I can say from experience that these are three superlative wines. Best rose went to Te Whare Ra for their 2023 Te Where Ra S.V 5182 rose, while the sweet wine category went to Astrolabe for their 2022 Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard late harvest chenin blanc. The vigneron award went to Anna and Jason Flowerday of Te Whare Ra, while the rising star award went to Simon Sharpe and Lauren Keenan of A Thousand Gods. 2022 Astrolabe Sleepers Vineyard Kekerengu Coast Albarino Price RRP $30 Rating Very Good to Excellent Perfumed nose, gum, honey, white flowers florality, wisps of citrus and salinity, mango and marmalade with air. The nose hints at something fatter but the palate travels a lighter, cooler, crisper path mirroring that salinity on the nose, adding a seasoning of spice and creaminess while grilled nuts/ almond join later. The nose says hedonism, the palate calls out for food. 2024 Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Grüner Veltliner Price RRP $24 Rating Excellent Engaging and floral, notes of lime zest and ground pepper are joined by peach and spice aspects, a touch of lanolin later. Fruit sweetness leads with accents of pineapple, pear and peach lifted by lime, ripe yet dry. The texture is a star here, silky, creamy, a lovely mouthfeel while the flavours carry long on the finish. Lots of interest, this just really works. 2024 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Marsanne Roussanne Price RRP $39.99 Rating Excellent A peppery, quality, dry honey, initially vinous, more about the whole, but really fleshes out with air adding white flower florals, jasmine, seasoned with pepper. The fatness and richness in the mouth is matched by freshness, fruit pastille notes contrasted by a little bittersweet quality, with a wonderfully long, dry close. Fascinatingly different, inherently food-friendly.
