Things are continuing to flourish in Queenstown.

The mid-scale ‘Holiday Inn Express & Suites’, which boasts 277 rooms in the City Centre, is being refurbished to become ‘voco Queenstown’ – part of IHG’s premium portfolio.

The move targets high-end tourism, with the hotel running at around 90% occupancy for nine months of the year.

Hotel Council Aotearoa Strategic Director James Doolan told Mike Hosking that it’s normal to think about renovating and repositioning every seven to ten years, but upgrading to the next level is an encouraging sign.

He says central government’s increased investment in event attraction and destination marketing has allowed private businesses to invest in their assets.

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New Zealand's Winter Olympics team is halfway towards a goal of returning the country's biggest medal haul at a Games.

Luca Harrington has leaped from 11th to claim bronze with his final run in the freeski slopestyle at the Milan-Cortina.

The 21-year-old joins Zoi Sadowski-Synnott who bagged silver in the snowboard big air and has her preferred slopestyle event to come.

Alpine skier Alice Robinson and freeski halfpipe world champion Fin Melville Ives are also yet to compete.

Sadowski-Synnott told Mike Hosking it’s definitely the best Winter Olympics team they’ve had yet, and she’s so inspired by all her teammates.

She says they’re feeding off each other’s energies, and she gets inspired watching everyone else reach and achieve their goals.

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Housing instability remains a major barrier for many in the Salvation Army's State of the Nation report.

The key findings show child poverty and material hardship are rising, cost of living remains high, and unemployment's increased.

It's found unaffordable rents and rising homelessness are disrupting education, employment, and wellbeing.

Salvation Army Analyst Paul Barber told Mike Hosking 25% of people's incomes in rent is considered affordable, but this isn't the case for many.

He says some people are paying up to 40% of their incomes on rent.

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