Onlookers cheered as many courageous people in crazy costumes with wacky flying contraptions lunged themselves into the icy depths of lake Wakatipu as part of the annual Birdman competition, a traditional highlight of the Queenstown winter festival.

Among some of those attempting to fly were a pair of astronauts in a cardboard Nasa spaceship, a possum pixie, a winged black and red Canterbury bike avenger, a roofed long-drop, a somersaulting carrot, a pink suited group of boys with a pink 'loaded hog' cardboard hang-glider, a classic birdman covered in red, orange and green feathers (stuck on with golden syrup), a rubber glove balloon man, and a brilliantly crafted lion red two man by-plane.

It was an amusing event to watch as competitors hauled their carefully constructed flying machines up onto the runway, leapt boldly into the air and landed a few metres out in the freezing water, their contraptions mashing to pieces, body paint, feathers and attachments all floating away as they swam like crazy to the shore in fear of hypothermia. Although none of the prospective bird-people flew any great distance, it was an impressive display of creative costumes and construction, and a very fun and lively event to watch.

The only downfall of the competition were the shocking radio presenters who amused themselves by hitting on all the female competitors, telling lame jokes and insulting most of the other competitors for being either British, gay, or overweight.