Wanaka Sun | 11 - 17 February 2021 | Edition 1013 by Wanaka Sun

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INSIDE THIS WEEK Views: Page 13 Jobs: Page 15 Sport: Page 16

In Otago.

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Roys Peak Too many selfies.

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Before and after pictures of the flood damage repair works on the bank of Clutha River in Albert Town. The flood damage repairs started in October 2020 and were completed in early February. While the work has primarily focused on repairing flood damage and stabilising the steep slope, the lower access track has been widened, raised, and levelled. More on Page 2.

Frustration over Mt Iron clearance consent Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

t Iron residents voiced their frustrations with Council resource consent requirements for vegetation clearance at a fire risk meeting held in Wānaka on Tuesday, February 2. The Mt Iron red zone of 374 properties and 255 buildings is surrounded by a heavy fuel load of native manuka and kanuka scrub. The FENZ Get Fire Safe at the Interface recommendation was to clear 10m of kanuka on either side of a property and 30m downhill, which directly contravenes the resource consent and district plan rules that apply to Mt Iron subdivisions. Under Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) indigenous vegetation protection requirements, resource consents must be sought to clear more than 50m2 of kanuka from a property. Richard Campion (QLDC Team Leader - Resource Consents Wānaka) said QLDC and FENZ were investigating ways to reach a balanced solution to this “complicated and

complex issue” that would allow residents to meet FENZ guidelines while still ensuring the special biodiversity and amenity values of Mt Iron were protected. In the meantime, residents wishing to begin vegetation clearance were advised to reach out to FENZ for technical support and speak with a planner/resource consent officer. QLDC Councillor, Wānaka Community Board member and Hidden Hills resident Niamh Shaw, said: “Although I understand how the RMA enabled it at the time, arguably the subdivisions on Mt Iron should never have been consented in the first instance. To be fair, hindsight is a brutal master; but people should not be living on the northern slopes of Mt Iron on large sections hosting thriving, highly flammable indigenous vegetation. “And yet we are; and, importantly, we choose to live here. I don’t think anyone is claiming it is not our own personal responsibility to keep our families and neighbours safe. We just need to be supported to do so, and empowered to reasonably

mitigate risk.” This was one of the key issues to come out of the two-hour meeting, which covered a four point plan to address the fire risk at Mt Iron readiness, reduction, response and recovery. Immediate actions for residents were to create a household emergency plan, assemble and maintain emergency contacts, and look at other FENZ Get Fire Safe at the Interface guidelines such as clearing undergrowth; thinning vegetation; clearing spouting/gutters; use of fire-resistant cladding and fencing materials; and ensuring there are no fuel sources in the immediate vicinity of the property. A response planning meeting between the community associations, FENZ, QLDC and Emergency Management Otago was to be arranged, and investigations into improving signage and community awareness for the fire risk at Mt Iron, as well as options for community wildfire alarm systems, were ongoing. “I am hopeful we will have more practical responses for the next meeting,” said Shaw.

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PHOTO: Supplied

QLDC Councillor Niamh Shaw: “People should not be living on the northern slopes of Mt Iron on large sections hosting thriving, highly flammable indigenous vegetation.”

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Albert Town flood damage works completed Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Flood damage repair works on the bank of Clutha River in Albert Town have been completed. Heavy rain in December 2019 and February 2020 caused flood damage to the bank of the Clutha River just upstream of the SH6 bridge in Albert Town. Flood damage included collapse of a section of the shared path into the river and slippage on the steep slope above this pathway. The Otago Regional Council (ORC) has undertaken works to reinstate the rock buttress and reshape and stabilise the steep slope to the upper terrace. Approximately 3,000m3 of rock was used in the works. The rock buttress which provides access for paths managed by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has been reinstated as part of the works. These works provide riverbank protection, reducing the risk to the state highway bridge and to properties on the terrace adjacent to the riverbank. They also reinstate the track along the river that is used by hundreds of people on a daily basis. The track along the river edge also links to other well used trails in the area. The flood damage repairs started in October 2020 and were completed in early February. While the work has primarily focused on repairing flood damage and stabilising the steep slope, the lower access track has been widened, raised, and levelled. This access will be used for future maintenance of rock lining along the river edge. ORC Manager Engineering Michelle Mifflin said the overall risk of future flood damage has been reduced by stabilising both the riverbank and the slope directly above it. “We’re really pleased to see this repair project has come to completion. A large excavator was needed to do the difficult task of placing rock in the fast-flowing river. “We understand that the temporary closure of the area during the construction was an inconvenience to the local community. Thank you for being understanding through the course of this project.” While the major civil works have been completed, landscaping using native vegetation is still to be done in conjunction with QLDC. There will also be regular ongoing monitoring of the rocky riverbank and the slope above it.

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Masons Donate $10,000 for Marine Rescue Centre Pat Deavoll

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The Masonic Lodge, Wānaka has made a $10,000 donation to Coastguard Wānaka Lakes (CWL) to go towards the proposed Marine Rescue Centre. “Full design for the Rescue Centre should be completed early March after which CWL will apply formally for funding from the two community trusts and hopefully will be able to start construction later this year,” said CWL president Jonathan Walmisley. “CWL was most appreciative of this donation as it allows the project to continue and demonstrates the depth of support within the Wānaka Community for the Marine Rescue Centre and the local Coastguard Unit,” he said. Secretary of the Masons Gordon Girvan said; “How did we raise this money? We have 25 car parks around the lodge which we sell to clients and the money we raise we give to the community. We have 25 parks at $1000 a throw. Every year we give away $20,000 a year. “So far this year we have given a $5000 scholarship to the Mount Aspiring College, $10,000 to the Coastguard, and $3500 to the Wheels for Dunstan Trust.

“We had a discussion and decided Coastguard Rescue was a good cause that needed some assistance.” CWL operates out of a building on the showgrounds, but with Wānaka becoming more traffic-congested the additional time to get through town to launch the rescue boat meant a successful rescue became less likely, Walmisley said. "Every day we are not on that side of the lake means we are taking too long to deploy. We need to be able to launch within 20 minutes of a call out. "We have been discussing the project with the council for over four years. A purposebuilt rescue centre on the foreshore seemed the feasible solution," Walmisley said. Last year the CWL received the go-ahead to build from the QLDC which issued it with a 33year lease for the centre at a site, selected by the PHOTO: Coastguard Wānaka Lakes Wānaka Community Board (WCB), above the Master of the Masonic Lodge, Wānaka, Alex Davis Scout Den on Eely Point Reserve. presents President of Coastguard Wānaka Lakes The building would comprise a single storey Jonathon Walmisley, with a cheque for $10,000 to go 220m2 structure to house the rescue boat, a towards the new Marine Rescue Centre. member’s room, a storage area and the harbour Walmisley likened the coastguard to St master's office. John and Fire and Emergency. He said CWL The building would be hidden from Lakeside averaged 20 operations and helped about 22 Drive by trees and shrubs. people a year back to shore.

Wānaka businesses to be surveyed on confidence Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Wānaka Chamber of Commerce is encouraging all local businesses to contribute to the annual business confidence survey to provide greater insights into the local economy. Supported by the wider Southern Lakes Business Response Group, which formed in 2020 to coordinate the district’s response and recovery to the impacts of Covid-19, the survey aimed to gauge business confidence across the district. Ignite Wānaka Chamber of Commerce Executive Officer, Naomi Lindsay, said: “We have anecdotal stories of the challenges our business community is experiencing, but we need to hear from many more businesses and more regularly to paint a more complete picture of business needs. "The Southern Lakes Business Recovery Group (BRG) was formed in quick response to the economic challenges facing the Queenstown Lakes District business sector, to ensure local businesses have easy access to essential information and support services. “ At a time when businesses were under enormous stress, the BRG played an integral role, disseminating a huge amount of information and getting it out in a concise and timely fashion.

And it has proved an effective platform where we can collaborate, share information, resources and come together collectively to support our district's businesses,” Lindsay said. "It is now important as we look to the future, and what this might look like for the region, to take a coordinated approach to best help our business community transition. We continue to meet weekly to share ideas, information and continue to collaborate on communicating key information to businesses as one source of truth and in turn advocate to local and national government agencies on behalf of our businesses. We have received a lot of great feedback from businesses about the group and especially the quality and timeliness of our business communications. “In regards to the survey it simply depends on what comes out of it. Currently we have mixed anecdotal evidence on the local business community's level of business confidence, labour force challenges -or otherwise-so we are simply trying to get a more robust picture of the challenges and also better track trends to be able to advocate in areas that business needs us to. That will depend on what the survey says and will be used in conjunction with anecdotal evidence. Ignite conducts the survey annually (except for last year due to Covid) and it presents an

PHOTO: QLDC

Ignite Wānaka Chamber of Commerce Executive Officer, Naomi Lindsay.

opportunity to sense-check how businesses are doing and where and if they are confident to invest in their business and therefore our local economy in the future period,” Lindsay said. The survey was open to all businesses in the Southern Lakes District and closes at 5 pm on Friday 12 February 2021. It is planned to be a quarterly initiative to ensure regular data is captured and with it the ability to track trends and predict future business states. The information gleaned from the surveys will enable the Wānaka Chamber of Commerce and Lake Wānaka Tourism to “better advocate for and support the Southern Lakes businesses, as well as provide insights into future capability building of businesses.”

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Job insecurity features strongly in QoL survey Pat Deavoll

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Many people in the Queenstown Lakes District have an “overwhelming sense of job insecurity” because of the impacts of COVID-19, according to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) 2020 Quality of Life Survey (QoL) results released last week. This likely added to a decline in people’s overall sense of wellbeing and for some “lessened their confidence and ability to speak up for themselves while others were on edge wondering what their future held” the results said. And the amount of working people in the 25–39-year age group who sought help with mental health increased significantly compared to previous years. The QoL study encompassed cultural, social, economic and environmental aspects of wellbeing. Similar to previous studies in 2018 and 2019, the survey covered a range of topics including perceptions of tourism, income, housing, transport and community connections. This year included additional questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on peoples’ employment, health and resilience. The findings confirm much of what was already known regarding the impact of COVID-19 QLDC Chief Executive Mike Theelen said. Theelen said the high levels of participation

showed people were keen to tell the Council about their experiences of life in the district. “I’d like to thank all those who took the time to complete the survey. The development of good longitudinal data is very important and will enable Council and other public agencies to target areas of growing need,” Theelen said. “While the focus of the study has traditionally been to collect data on the wellbeing of communities, the most recent one had a particular focus on the impact of COVID-19.” In terms of the impact of COVID-19 on individual employment, 30 per cent had temporarily reduced hours while 34 per cent said someone in their household had temporarily reduced hours. Similar percentages were seen for temporarily reduced pay. 15 per cent of respondents had their employment ended and 18 per cent said someone else in their household had their employment ended. However, only 6 per cent said they were still unemployed, suggesting the majority of these people had subsequently found work. Key findings from the 2020 survey include: • Overall quality of life was rated as extremely good (32 per cent) or good (49 per cent) which is on par with previous years’ findings. 16 per cent said their quality of life was average and 3 per cent poor and extremely poor.

• 29 per cent of respondents who rented said they would need to move in the next 12 months. The main influence was affordability, which increased from 3 per cent (2019) to 26 per cent (2020). • Levels of disposable income remained on par with 2019 findings, with 32 per cent of respondents saying they had sufficient disposable income and 48 per cent saying they had some. • Working status changed significantly in several areas, including self-employment which increased from 18 per cent (2019) to 22 per cent (2020). At the same time, the number of students increased from 1 per cent (2019) to 4 per cent (2020). Respondents who reported they were not currently employed amounted to 6 per cent where previously this had been less than 1 per cent. QLDC Senior Policy and Performance Advisor Katherine Davies, who managed the study, said the information would help build an overall picture of the district’s wellbeing. “The study continues to prove a vital piece of the data puzzle that we have been building for the last three years. However, this data now gives us a baseline for recovery and helps inform our discussions with the central government,” Davies said.

PHOTOS: Supplied

29 per cent of respondents who rented said they would need to move in the next 12 months.

Six per cent of people in the district are still unemployed since COVID-19.

Research predicts doom for Queenstown businesses Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

New research released on Tuesday shows Otago and Southland are among the four regions expected to be most negatively affected by Covid-19. The research, commissioned by the Treasury on “The Effects of COVID-19 on the Regional Economies of New Zealand” predicts that the South might not start to recover from the economic shock caused by the pandemic until after 2025. “In broad terms, the biggest declines are expected to occur in areas that have a relatively high dependence on international tourism: Otago (down 4.8%pa) and West Coast (down 3.6%pa), the research said. “Comparing 2025 employment levels with 2020 levels reveals the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and matches up with our projections of employment by industry. The likelihood that international tourism does not fully recover within the forecast horizon means that total employment in 2025 in West Coast and Otago is expected to be just 1.5 per cent and 1.8

per cent respectively above its 2020 levels,” the report said. Queenstown's shops, restaurants and tourism operators could be boarded up by the time overseas visitors can return to the tourist resort, according to Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult. Boult said the research came as no surprise, and businesses in Te Anau, Wānaka and Queenstown were all hurting. "Events in Australia and closer to home in the past couple of months have put paid to any hopes of a trans-Tasman bubble in the short term and there are some long faces around town," he said to the NZ Herald. Although the report predicted Queenstown's GDP could rebound with a 6.4 per cent increase between 2022 and 2025, Boult feared many businesses might not survive to share in the region's recovery. Broken down by regional council area, Otago was predicted to experience a 3.3 per cent drop in GDP from March 2020 to 2022 — the highest in New Zealand. It was also predicted to bounce back strongly with a 3.4 per cent GDP rise from 2022 to 2025, although that was dependent on overseas visitors

PHOTO: QLDC

Mayor Boult: The research came as no surprise, and businesses in Te Anau, Wānaka and Queenstown were all hurting.

returning to the region. Reducing the data to territorial authority showed the impact on the South in starker detail – the anticipated 24.8 per cent drop in the Queenstown Lakes district's GDP was far and away the highest in the country. Tourism accounted for 56 per cent of the region's economic activity before Covid-19, the report said. Boult said domestic tourism had been a

welcome confidence booster for Queenstown, but after an initial surge in business, visitor numbers had dropped away to near nothing after people had returned to work. The Mackenzie district ranked second with a 19.8 per cent fall, and Southland was eighth with 2.9 per cent. Invercargill city's percentage drop was expected to be 2.7 per cent and Central Otago's was 1.4 per cent.

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Mount Aspiring College NCEA achievement Upper Clutha non“The college already utilised multiple online Joanna Perry network solution the platforms (including google classroom) well before lockdown, so the transition to learning first in New Zealand Wānaka’s only secondary school, Mount Aspiring from home was perhaps for most students easier newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

College (MAC), has recorded significantly higher than average National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) results for 2020, despite a disruptive year that included six weeks of Covid-19 lockdown. Students surpassed the national average pass rates across all levels and scored higher than the median pass rates for comparative decile 10 schools. The biggest improvement on last year could be seen in NCEA level 3 results, for which the school reported an 88 per cent pass rate against a decile 10 average of 80 per cent and a New Zealand average of 71 per cent - a sizable increase on the last two years. Asked what the reasons behind MAC’s success in a year where many schools and students may have struggled might be, new MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen provided her immediate observations:

as they are already used to using google classroom and the like. Overall, It would be fair to say that the students, their families and the teachers have demonstrated superb resilience - and this combined with only one lockdown [compared to two in Auckland, where a significant portion of decile 8-10 schools are], having an alreadyestablished online learning environment as well as passionate educators knowing how to support their students online contributed to these results.” Jacobsen believed these results were a benchmark for even higher achievement. “I am thrilled to see such strong academic results, and excited to start a new chapter with MAC. My vision is very much focused on student-centric learning and I look forward to working with the MAC community as we strive to positively develop and empower our young people,” Jacobsen said.

PHOTO: Supplied

The solarZero system aims to provide non-network power using solar energy and battery power two thirds of the time, and fall back on the grid around one third of the time.

Joanna Perry PHOTO: Andrew Miller

Principal Nicola Jacobsen: “I am thrilled to see such strong academic results, and excited to start a new chapter with MAC.”

Philip Tremewan’s last hurrah Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Philip Tremewan has been at the forefront of Wānaka’s Festival of Colour as director since its inception in 2005. After this year's Festival in April, he is stepping down, handing over the reins to Sophie Kelly. And this year's Festival has been the trickiest yet, as he and his team have had to negotiate Covid-19 and all the hassles this has brought. “It was a tricky year,” he said. “The big difference was that usually, I’d be travelling to look at festivals in Australia and the big one in Edinburgh – it’s a massive festival. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has 2500 different shows every day. It is the grand-mama festival of them all. “Usually, we bring over one or two shows from Edinburgh every year. It’s a long way to bring shows from Europe – but we bring oneperson shows and we share them with other festivals.” But none of that was going to happen this year, he said, so he had been focusing intensely on New

Zealand work. The way it happened, he finishes one festival and is on to planning the next one. He was thinking about what shows he would bring in well before Covid-19 hit. “A lot of it is around collaboration,” he said. ”Can we get someone else to share the cost? This time around it was quite different. The Dunedin Arts Festival had to cancel last year because of Covid-19 and they had asked if they could line up with us. “So this year a lot of the work we show is going to go across to Dunedin.” With the festival, as well as construct a programme Tremewan has to get the funding. A lot of local businesses were knocked back by Covid-19, he said, and he had to look elsewhere. “About 25 per cent of our income is from ticket sales and that means a lot of chasing up of other funding to make the thing work. “So even during the lockdown, we were working away talking to people about shows they were cooking up. And people come to us some timethere is a brand-new show this year that asked if they could use us as a

PHOTOS: Supplied

The Festival of Colour: about 25 per cent of income is from ticket sales and that means a lot of chasing up of other funding to make the thing work.

Philip Tremewan: The big difference was that usually, I’d be travelling to look at festivals in Australia and the big one in Edinburgh.

test-bed. Wānaka first and then the big city afterwards.” The real stakeholders in our festival are from the community, Tremewan said. These people are putting tens of thousands of dollars into the festival. And a lot of these have been there from the start, making it happen. “Has the festival grown? It has

got a little bit bigger and longer and has more shows in it than ever. It’s pretty substantial now, and has a range of work and some top-quality companies- we are delighted. “This is my last festival and I am handing over to Sophie Kelly. I will do one more Aspiring Conversations and then exit gracefully into the sunset.”

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The Upper Clutha will be host to the first non-network solar power solution introduced in New Zealand. Eric Pyle, director, public affairs and policy for solarcity NZ told the Wānaka Sun that solarZero - a new utility business model which uses a combination of solar panels, battery storage and smart control to enable customers to switch to non-network alternatives when the load on the grid increases - had been selected for roll-out in Wānaka due to the rapid growth in development in the area. SolarZero’s partnership with Aurora Energy was announced last month after Aurora went out to tender for new ways to provide cost effective electricity to the fastest growing regions across their energy network. The successful model was based on a wireless solution established in Brooklyn, USA ten years ago and was designed to defer the need for a transmission upgrade as the demand on Aurora’s network lines increased, whilst helping to provide a sense of how the system would work in a New Zealand context. The solarZero system aims to provide non-network power using solar energy and battery power two thirds of the time, and fall back on the grid around one third of the time. A smart control monitors household energy usage to provide sufficient power at peak times without overloading the network. Pyle said that there were 4,000 batteries now in the market, and solarcity hoped to install 150-200 solarZero systems a year for developers and existing home-owners. Neil Cowie, CEO solarcity, said: “Globally, solar, batteries and smart control - which are collectively known as flexibility services - are increasingly recognised as being key to an efficient power system that supports the electrification of the economy. This project is right up there nationally and internationally.” Solar power solutions such as SolarZero’s ‘grid for good’ would be key to helping New Zealand reach its target of 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

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Roys Peak an overreplicated social trend

PHOTO: Supplied

Vanessa Hoggard, who goes under the stage name of Rosa Alyana, is a finalist in the Miss Pin Up of the Year pageant.

PHOTO: NewsHub

There are nearly 70,000 photos on Instagram under #RoysPeak, many with the iconic raised hands pose.

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

A new social advocacy campaign to encourage Kiwis to share something new while travelling around the country has been launched by 100% Pure New Zealand. In the campaign video, comedian Tom Sainsbury leads a fictional “Social Observation Squad” on a mission to get Kiwis sharing creative pics of their domestic travels via #DoSomethingNewNZ, rather than copying often-replicated social media trends. And one of the key examples is what Sainsbury calls the “Summit Spreadeagle” of our own Roys Peak. There are nearly 70,000 photos on Instagram under #RoysPeak, many with the iconic raised hands pose. In 2018, a tweet went viral, showing a long line of people waiting to take a photo at Roys Peak. "We noticed that the same pictures or poses kept coming up, time and time again, no matter the location," Bjoern Spreitzer, Tourism NZ's domestic manager said. "There are so many incredible things to do in New Zealand, beyond the social trends.

“We want to continue the momentum of our domestic campaign by encouraging Kiwis to do something new in New Zealand – this can mean new tourism experiences, but we also want them to share something new on social media as well.” The tongue-in-cheek video called "Travelling Under the Social Influence," has Sainsbury patrolling the country's top tourist spots for people taking clichéd photos. "I've been alerted to a situation that's been happening a lot lately," Sainsbury says in the video. "People have been seeing those photos on social media and are going to great lengths to copy them." The comedian approaches a couple taking photos at the top of Roys Peak and asks them to stop. "I've seen all this before. We all have," he tells them. "This summer we're clamping down on anyone travelling under the social influence." Sainsbury encourages the couple to "share something new." The new call-to-action is part of New Zealand's long-running "Do Something New" campaign, which is aimed at inspiring more domestic tourism and rediscovering "our backyard with new eyes" while international visitors are restricted due to COVID.

Wānaka beautician finalist in Miss Pin Up of the Year Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Wānaka beautician and hairdresser Vanessa Hoggard has made it into the finals of beauty pageant Miss Pin Up New Zealand and is relishing the chance of being the winner when the votes are counted on April 10. Miss Pin Up New Zealand (think Marilyn Munro) was in its ninth year and aimed to “encourage women of all shapes and sizes to feel confident, step out of their comfort zone and to show their inner and outer beauty through the art of pin up.” The finalists will strut their stuff on the catwalk on April 10 in Wellington, showcasing daywear, beachwear and evening wear. Australian born Hoggard, who goes under the stage name of Rosa Alyana said she “loves vintage and pin up” but had never immersed

herself in the culture until she decided to enter the competition at the beginning of the year. “I decided ‘well no time like the present’ so went for it! Rosa Alyana as my pin up name and this was chosen for me as Rosa represents my Eastern European heritage and Alyana means bright light, joy, glamour and sexiness. “I love the vintage and pin up culture for its cuteness and boldness- it can make a woman go from ordinary to extraordinary in the blink of a set of false eyelashes. “The clothes are gorgeous, the style simply divine, the music you can’t help want to sing along and dance to and it can give any woman confidence she never knew existed but should always exude as she is forever fabulous.” Hoggard said winning the competition would mean “a whole new chapter in my life, proving to myself that I can do anything.”

Spruce up leaves spring sparkling Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

The Wānaka Community Spring on Lakeside Road is sparkling once again after an open community working bee held by the Community Springs Trust on Sunday, January 31. Director Richard Windelov said that the group removed 800kg of stones from the heart-shaped pond and basin - which, once clean, revealed the ‘healing spirals’ designed by Windelov seven years ago for the water to spiral down into the pond. The community-funded and owned resource was designed to honour the water of Wānaka and its many springs, as well as to support the ecosystem of the lake. The removal of the stones, thrown in by wellintentioned wishmakers over the years, also revealed some 40-50 young native fish using the pond as a hatching ground. Parks and Reserves officer Diana Manson, who is providing support and guidance on the project, said these fish were likely koaro (galaxias brevipinnis), which can travel as far as 400km inland and climb as high as 1300m. Windelov hoped this discovery would prevent further stones being thrown into the pond. Windelov said that, over the course of the day, a number of locals stopped by to tell him that the spring was one of their favourite things about Wānaka, and even - on three separate occasions that the spring water had helped to heal heal their or members of their family’s gut issues, which were agitated by tap water. “This is a fantastic resource for the community,” said Windelov, who led a ceremony at the end of the working bee to honour the “Lady of the Lake”

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PHOTO: Richard Windelov

Once clean and emptied of stones, the basin revealed the ‘healing spirals’ designed by Windelov seven years ago for the water to spiral down into the pond.

with crystal singing bowls, invocation, gratitude and Karakia. Windelov hoped to continue the reinvigoration and expansion of the spring over the coming months, once the appropriate permissions were granted by Council. In the meantime, he hoped that members of the community would take ownership of caring for and keeping the spring clean. “The more love and energy people can put into it, the better it will be for everyone,” he said. To get involved as a ‘friend of the spring’, contact Richard Windelov on 022 560 1133 or email richsiwindelov@gmail.com. THURSDAY 11.02.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.02.21

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General Manager appointed for Lake Wānaka Tourism

PHOTO: Wānaka Sun

Aaron Nicholson, chairman of Wānaka Search and Rescue.

Quiet summer for Wānaka SAR Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: LWT

Barke has been in the acting GM role since August 2020.

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

The board of Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) is pleased to announce Tim Barke as the organisation’s General Manager. Mat Woods, chair of the LWT Board, said the role was highly sought after and “we saw an extremely high calibre of candidates apply from around the country. “Given the importance of this role, we undertook a very thorough and robust

recruitment process to ensure that we engaged the right person, for what is a very critical time for tourism. “We’re confident that Tim will be able to guide the organisation and industry through these challenging times and set a clear direction for the future.” Barke has been in the acting GM role since August 2020 so his start date is effective immediately, and the LWT team looks forward to having him onboard in this permanent capacity.

Wānaka Search and Rescue is having a quiet season with only three callouts over the December-January period. Aaron Nicholson, chairman of Wānaka SAR said there had been three locator beacon call-outs in January, all within the Central Otago area. “There was one on January 13 in the Mt Alta area,” he said. “A lone tramper fell about 6 metres and injured his leg. He activated his beacon and the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCC) contacted us and we responded. Anything involving a locator beacon ultimately ends up with them and they call a rescue helicopter. In our patch, that’s Aspiring Helicopters who call us and we get the job done.” “The next call-out was on January 16 in the Olivine Mountains,” Nicholson said. “A party of trampers had got themselves in over their heads. There was some bad weather coming in and they weren’t prepared to carry on. They activated their beacon and we picked them up by helicopter-

fairly straight forward. No one was injured but potentially a good call for people to bail before they got into trouble. There was no drama.” “The last one was in the Albert Burn on January 23 – a single female set off a beacon hired from DOC. She had a dislocated knee. She was picked up and given medical attention at the Wānaka Medical Centre where she was put back together nicely.” SAR was expecting a busy summer but has been pleasantly surprised at how quiet it had been, Nicholson said. “It has been the quietest Christmas and New Year we’ve ever had. Normally we would be in the double figures by early January. I don’t know why this is. Apparently, there have been plenty of people out and about in the hillsthe huts have been chokka. Maybe the fickle weather has kept people at bay? Or that there are no tourists around who usually make up 40 per cent of our work. “I've always thought that Kiwi’s push the boundaries a bit more and come unstuck. But they haven’t seemed to.”

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Father and daughter take on charity drive

PHOTO: Supplied

The Craig family treat Little Heart Day as a reminder of Ida’s condition and a chance to “talk very openly and honestly with Ida and her big brother Henry about her condition.”

Little Heart Day Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Supplied

Frazer first participated in the event in 2019, and this year is joined by 17-year-old MAC student Maddi, the youngest person on the trip.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Local dad-and-daughter duo Jarrod and Maddi Frazer, otherwise known as Team Lake Wānaka, will join 59 other teams to drive a classic Mini the length of the country next month in aid of children’s charity KidsCan. The Pork Pie Charity Run, inspired by the iconic Kiwi film ‘Goodbye Pork Pie’, has become a popular event for Mini enthusiasts in New Zealand and internationally. Teams in Minis of all kinds will make the 3,000km journey from Paihia to Invercargill over six days from March 26. This year, the 60 spots available sold out in seven minutes. Frazer first entered with his almost 40-year-old Mini in 2019, and this year is joined by 17-yearold MAC student Maddi, the youngest person on the trip. “We know it’s going to be a memorable six days, a lot of travelling obviously, but a whole heap of fun,” said Frazer. Last year’s event raised $290,000 for KidsCan, a charity designed to provide essentials to Kiwi children affected by poverty so they can participate in learning and have an opportunity

for a better future. Team Lake Wānaka hoped to raise $5,000 for the charity this year through sponsorship, fundraising events and bucket-shaking in New Zealand towns of all sizes along the way. “We make a lot of noise,” said Frazer, adding that with numerous breakdowns along the way, decorated cars and a Cook Strait ferry almost full with Minis, their efforts would not go unnoticed. KidsCan CEO and Founder Julie Chapman said the Pork Pie Charity Run was one of her favourite events on the calendar. “The people we meet along the way never fail to support and encourage us and their generosity is amazing. “I’d like to thank all the participants in advance, as I know they’re out there fundraising. Every dollar raised will go towards helping Kiwi kids by providing them with the basics, so they can be in a better position to learn,” she said. To support Team Lake Wānaka and get updates on their New Zealand adventure, visit their GoFundraise or Facebook page - and keep an eye out for their Mini around town, with a QR code for donations. https://porkpie2021.gofundraise.co.nz/page/ Jarrod-91491969.

Tomorrow, Friday, February 12, is ‘Little Heart Day’, New Zealand’s recognition of international CHD Day (congenital heart disease). For the past five years, Heart Kids - the only notfor-profit organisation that provides support to children born with heart conditions and their families through life - has marked the day by raising awareness of the 12 New Zealand babies born each week with a congenital heart defect. A CHD affects 1 in 100 children and is the most common serious birth defect and the number one cause of death for infants and newborns in New Zealand. On Little Heart Day, thousands of people around New Zealand will be wearing red and holding bake sales, movie nights and other events. Wānaka local Arna Craig, who ran the Auckland marathon to fundraise for Heart Kids in 2019, said their support had been like “grandma’s hugs” when her two-year-old daughter Ida, who has multiple heart defects, was in Starship Children’s Hospital for almost three months at just nine months old.

“They are like a heart family for us; they stepped in and made us feel comfortable in an environment where it was very hard to be, especially when it was all so dramatic and sudden,” she said. “They deal with this every single day, and every case is completely different. To have that experience when you have been thrown into the deep end was quite incredible.” The Craig family treat Little Heart Day as a reminder of Ida’s condition and a chance to “talk very openly and honestly with Ida and her big brother Henry about her condition,” which will mean multiple surgeries for Ida throughout her life. “We always do a social media post about her condition to raise awareness and talk about what she’s been through, and that Heart Kids are there for her for life - not just in hospital,” she said. Craig said that within their circle of friends, Ida’s condition had opened eyes to CHDs and how common they were. Heart Kids had also connected the Craigs with other local families who had been through the same experiences, and even shared the same surgeons. To find out more, go to: www.heartkids.org.nz or text HEART to 2427 to make a $3 donation.

I am not a person, I am a vessel Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

A Wānaka artist is expected to defend a charge of assault at a judge-alone trial in April. Jane Louise Kellahan (49) appeared in the Queenstown District Court last Tuesday, a day after a voluntary appearance during which a judge issued a warrant for her arrest despite her being in the courtroom. Jane Louise Kellahan denied “being a person” and refused to go to the dock, telling Judge

Russell Walker she “wanted to see her name in writing..” Judge Walker said; “It’s clear it’s you.” Kellahan, who is charged with assault in Wānaka on January 3, claimed to have acted in self-defence She claimed;” I am a vessel” and "I’m a living being on the land." Judge Walker entered a plea of not guilty and told Kellahan the matter would go to a hearing at which the complainant would give evidence. Judge Walker remanded her on bail until the trial on April 28.

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Share the love with Food for Love

GREBE DIARY 10 February 7, 2021 Even though it’s more or less the end of the grebe breeding season, things still seem to be hectic. Nest 10 hatched two chicks on the 27Jan and nest 12 three on the 28. The RC (Robinson Crusoe) nest has fledged a further three chicks and nest 5 two chicks. Nests 2, 3 and 13 have yet to hatch, though note I did not include nests 3 and 13 as prospective breeders in last week’s diary. Nest 2 has just two eggs, due to hatch Feb 14. A clutch of two is a rarity and these I think are new breeders. Note that the original pair had fledged three chicks just eighteen days prior to these birds laying the first of their two eggs, making it unlikely that these birds were returning to breed for a second time. The bird on nest 3 is off the nest more often than not and thus far I have only seen one bird in attendance, suggesting it’s an ambition unlikely to be fulfilled. Similarly, nest 13 fledged three chicks on the 5 January, I collected an infertile egg on the 12, there were two birds present on the 22 Jan, but no eggs. I need to get out in the kayak to find out what nest 13 is up to. Meantime, the Hawea birds have shown that they still have three chicks that are tearing around all over the place, but only with a single adult. A bird continues to spend most of the day on the original nest site in the ANZAC lagoon. There is circumstantial evidence that it is a female because it appears that there may be a single egg in the nest.

Food for Love are seeking new volunteers for their committee.

Joanna Perry

PHOTO: John Darby

Another visit in the kayak is needed. I spent some time examining the gizzard of the deceased grebe recovered in Hawea using a microscope. It was in amazing condition given that the bird had been dead for at least four weeks. Not surprisingly the contents were dominated by macerated feathers, but in among this was some plant material, equally broken into minute particles. I had hoped to find some evidence of fish remains, but this was not to be. Reference to the plant material jogged my memory to a comment by a Massey University staff member a couple of years ago. A dead grebe had been found in the Lake and referred to me. It was clearly underweight at 600g, so I asked the Department of Conservation if it could be sent to Massey University for a necropsy. The results came back that the bird was carrying a heavy worm burden and that its death was most likely caused by the large number of parasites. The report also noted “green matter” in the

gizzard.[ JD1] Up until then I had not come across any records that suggested that grebes may feed on plant material! I meet some very interesting people when working at the Marina. More recently a gentleman travelling the country photographing our wildlife. He told me of “a dance of grebes” further north and his description was sufficient to encourage me take a day off Wānaka and have a look. What I found is the subject of the photo that heads this Diary. The concentration of nests was far higher than anything I had previously seen, either in Wānaka or Lake Hayes (my other study area) some of the nests were barely two metres apart. I have since been informed that this is how you are likely to see them in Europe. I spent over two hours watching these birds tending some twelve to fourteen nests. At no stage was there peace in this little lagoon, the squabbling was continuous. Brexit? – By John Darby

PHOTO: Supplied

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Food for Love, a registered local charity caring for members of the community in Wānaka, Hāwea, Albert Town, Luggate and Queensbury, is seeking volunteers to expand its committee. The voluntary organisation’s main purpose is to provide home-cooked meals for nominated families or individuals in need of a little extra help. “When people are struggling or facing a crisis for whatever reason, getting a meal on the table can be a big challenge,” said founder Rebecca Sarginson. “In our communities we see struggles with cancer, mental health and physical illnesses, separation and divorce, injury, poverty, new babies and the elderly. “Food for Love has never turned down a nomination and feels privileged to be able to help in the provisions of nutritious meals cooked with love and

understanding. The recipients of our meals are unanimously thankful and grateful for our help. It is a humbling experience meeting these people.” The last year and the unexpected changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in increased demand for support from Food for Love - who are now receiving 20-25 nominations per week - and in turn, the organisation is looking for some like-minded people to join the committee. There are some specific roles to fill, including media coordinator, grant funding and stock control, as well as spaces for general committee members. Those keen to find out more were invited to the next meeting at 5.30pm on February 17, at the offices of Mighty Efficient, 3 Frederick Street, Wānaka. Confirm your intention to attend to: contact@foodforlovewanaka.com.

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NATURE by Forest and Bird

Drain the swamp When I was a child I remember stopping beside the road when driving from Dunedin to Lake Hawea and looking out across some bald pasture as my grandfather proudly told me how he had ‘broken in’ this area of ‘useless swamp’ by ploughing it with a team of Clydesdales. At the time it seemed like a heroic undertaking and I imagined him and his team of horse’s knee deep in mud as they ploughed the bog under. My grandfather was a man of the times, and in those times that is what we did: we drained swamps to make ‘productive land’. And closer to towns and cities we did even worse: wetlands became our dumping grounds, euphemistically called landfill. The disastrous erosion of the rubbish dump near Fox Glacier recently and the estimated 100 other dumps close to rivers and the coast that are at risk of such erosion is a testament to how little we valued wetlands and what we chose to do with them. We show such distain for wetlands that even their names are derided in everyday language and popular culture: ‘going to the bog’ is not visiting a beautiful wetland, ‘swamp fever’ is a name given to several terrible diseases none of which derive from wetlands, and to ‘drain the swamp’ is equated with cleaning up and clearing out. Although our words may not hurt them, our physical assault on wetlands in Aotearoa New Zealand has ‘broken their bones’, with about 90 per cent of freshwater wetlands already lost. This is a damming statistic for a country that unreasonably extols its own virtue for conservation, and when

we compare ourselves to other developed nations; despite assertions from their politicians that they would drain the swamp, the USA has only lost about 50 per cent of their wetlands. But who really cares? Perhaps they are just wastelands that need draining and ploughing? Not so! Wetlands might not be valued but that does not mean they are not valuable. Peat wetlands – waterlogged areas where plant material does not fully decompose so peat accumulates – have been described as our climate change secret weapon because they are super carbon sinks; Aotearoa New Zealand’s peat wetlands are more powerful than tropical forests at absorbing carbon. Globally peat wetlands cover only about 3 per cent of earth’s land surface yet hold twice as much carbon as all of the world’s forests combined. Carbon capture and storage is just one of the so-called ecosystem services that wetlands provide. Acting like giant sponges that absorb and store water, they are also the most cost-effective solution to flood and drought protection while also cleaning and filtering our water. In addition to such direct benefits to our wellbeing, wetlands support biodiversity such as a significant proportion of our native birds while providing excellent nurseries for our commercial fish and endangered native fish. To coincide with World Wetlands Day on February 2, Forest & Bird is calling for the Government to develop a national wetland restoration plan to compliment the established

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goal of swimmable rivers. Forest & Bird believes if we save all remaining wetlands and restore a similar amount on top of that, getting us somewhere near 20 per cent of the original wetlands we once had – hardly a radical or unrealistic goal – there will be great gains for our wellbeing and our climate goals. Chronic flooding in lowland areas like parts of Southland exasperated by climate change will require some radical decisions. Our current model is to live in and farm on floodplains and maintain relatively bald pastoral and arable land that accelerates runoff in their catchments. We then build bigger and bigger flood protection to manage the resultant flooding. A better model might be to restore some river floodplains to the vast flax, sedge and copper tussock wetlands that were once there, and allow catchments to revegetate in native forest and tall tussock. Not everywhere, but in enough places to reduce the huge and sustained impacts of the increasingly severe weather events that climate change will bring. Although most wetlands in this country were destroyed for agriculture, farmers are now not only recognising the ecosystem services that wetlands provide but are finally responding to community demands for clean and healthy wetlands and waterways in which to swim, fish and gather kai. Through partnerships like Living Water between DoC and Fonterra, farmers are beginning on the path to sustainably using our water resources. This approach might be new to most farmers, but Tangata Whenua have much traditional knowledge derived from a long history of sustainably harvesting from wetlands. Combinations of such science-based solutions and traditional knowledge

PHOTO: Steve Attwood

Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/ Sinclair Wetlands near Milton, an example of a restored wetland developed by a collaboration between farmers, the local community and iwi.

offer hope for the future. Exciting locally initiatives like Wai Wānaka are also making a difference by harnessing science, rallying the community and engaging with stakeholders to protect the health and wellbeing of our lakes and rivers. This group and volunteers from local organisations like Te Kakano and Forest & Bird are restoring wetlands like the Glendhu Wetland Wildlife Reserve to restore them to their former glory and usefulness. It is with groups like these that you can get involved and not drain the swamp. I would like to think if my grandfather was alive today and knew what we now know, his heroic efforts would be in rewetting and restoring wetlands because that is what is required from the women and men of these times. So next time you go to the bog, sit there and enjoy it for the wonderful and incredibly useful place a wetland really is. Ross Sinclair is on the local committee of Forest & Bird and is in a deep state of anxiety about draining the swamp. – By Ross Sinclair

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Cromwell gets first peak at McNulty House

PHOTOS: Joy Bennett

The auction was held in the grounds of the house and raised in excess of $8,000.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

A charity auction held by Harcourts Cromwell on Sunday gave the community a chance to see inside the newly restored McNulty House before its official opening next month. Postponed from March 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the auction - featuring goods, services, tours, wine and special excursions donated by local businesses - was organised by Harcourts as part of a sponsorship appeal for the McNulty house restoration project, which has been ongoing since July 2020. McNulty House, built between 1868 and 1875, was purchased by Old Cromwell Inc after the death of Frank McNulty in 2012 with the help of the Cromwell Community Board, Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust. The property had been in the hands of the McNulty family since 1935. Over the last six months, it has undergone a major renovation, including earthquake strengthening for public use, removal of the lowered ceiling, and restoration of the fireplaces, doors, flooring and wallpaper. The project was estimated to cost around $750,000. Peter Bennetts, Harcourts Cromwell manager, said the auction - which was held in the grounds of the house and raised in excess of $8,000 had proved to be a “fabulous event” with “good numbers and beautiful weather.” He added

PHOTO: Supplied

The engine is powered by steam pressure from a boiler, which is fired by petrol that is vaporised into a gas form and fired into a burner plate to heat the water into steam.

Otago’s first car appears in Alex Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

In attendance was Dr Anne Cowie (McNulty), visiting her former family home. The property had been in the hands of the McNulty family since 1935.

that he was “thrilled with the support from the community,” who were also able to enjoy looking around the house for a gold coin donation. Helen Scoles, Old Cromwell Inc chairperson, expressed her wholehearted thanks to Bennetts and his team for seeing the fundraiser through, which was a “great help to the fund.” McNulty House is due to officially open to the public as part of the Cromwell Heritage Precinct in March 2021.

A very rare 1901 car has made an appearance in Alexandra as part of the ‘We Drove Here Exhibition at the Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, which opened last weekend. The steam-powered ‘Locomobile’ was the first car to arrive in Otago, imported into Dunedin by Thomas Kempthorne, founder of drug and fertiliser company Kempthorne Prosser. The car is owned by the Kempthorne Locomobile Trust, formed in 2003 to organise the rebuilding of the vehicle, using as many of the original components as possible. With plenty of help from local Dunedin engineers and businesses, plus vintage car club members, this piece of motoring history is now in full working order. The engine is powered by steam pressure from a boiler, which is fired by petrol that is vaporised into a gas form and fired into a burner plate to heat the water into steam.

Brian Budd, museum and gallery manager, said: “We are very fortunate to have been able to borrow the Kempthorne steam driven Locomobile for this exhibition and acknowledge the generosity of the Kempthorne Locomobile Trust for its support and generosity.” Budd added that attempts were made to secure the first car to ever arrive in Alexandra, a Humber owned by the late Bob Turnbull. It is understood the car is now owned by an anonymous person in Christchurch. He said, “despite being unsuccessful in tracking down the Humber, we are extremely pleased to have the first car to arrive in Dunedin, if not Otago, which will be on display with others in the Central Stories Museum foyer.” Other vehicles on display include 1913 and 1940 Indian motorbikes, along with a Mark II Ford Escort BDA Rally Car kindly on loan from Cromwell’s Highlands Motorsport Park Museum. ‘We Drove Here’ is showing at Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery from February 6 to March 28.

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HIKING COLUMN

Isthmus, finally Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Max De Roy

‘SIX ON THE DOT’ reimagines what art can be in a time of immense social, political, and technological change.

Electric atmosphere at Max De Roy exhibition Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Local artist Max De Roy’s ‘SIX ON THE DOT’ exhibition closed on Tuesday after running for a week at 123 Ardmore Street. De Roy said that the opening night last week had an “electric atmosphere” which left him “speechless.” “After removing the curtains put up to hide the works from being seen before the exhibition opening, the room was quickly filled with the crowds of people who had been patiently lining up outside. “It was standing room only, and the flow was continuous. It was truly humbling to see so many people, I could barely make my way around everyone to talk with them properly,” he said. De Roy sold one painting on opening night,

and since then has sold three more of the collection, a synthesis of pop art printing and classical oil painting. “The exhibition would not have been possible without the generous support of Universal Developments, thank you so much. Thank you also to Maude Wines and Jools Hall for sponsoring the opening night drinks,” said De Roy. De Roy was anxiously preparing to move himself - and his studio - to Wellington for the next stage of his career this weekend. He will be studying Design for Stage and Screen at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. “I have not paid much thought to the move and start of university because of how busy I have been in the last few months, it has all come around rather quickly,” he said.

With a long weekend full of sunny, dry days, I had no choice but to quit my procrastinating and head for Isthmus Peak on Sunday. This has been a long time coming - I’ve been meaning to get to it for almost two years - and, of course, it did not disappoint, although the phrase ‘no pain no gain’ has never been truer. We set off on the 16km out-and-back at about 7am, and I wouldn’t have wanted to start much later. By the time we reached the end of the first steep incline away from the road, we were already damp and down to our base layers. As the popular opinion goes, this is a much more pleasant hike than Roys Peak - which stands at a similar 1,000-and-something metre elevated gain - because of the variation. After the initial clamber through the forest, there’s a pleasant walk through farmland before the inevitable, unending switchbacks begin. And just when you think you might give up if you have to struggle your way up to one more false peak, the summit appears at the end of a spectacular undulating ridgeline and you find yourself plopping down on the grass with smug satisfaction. Once we had filled ourselves up with views

PHOTO: Joanna Perry

Just when you think you might give up if you have to struggle your way up to one more false peak, the summit appears at the end of a spectacular undulating ridgeline.

of both lakes and more mountains than I could count (and sandwiches) we headed back down. This was almost as much of a challenge as the way up thanks to the steep, sometimes rocky paths, my shaky legs and the growing heat. There were a handful of people with us at the summit, and although we passed a few brave souls still sweating their way up in the first half of our descent, after that we saw no one but sheep. I would have questioned the sanity of anyone setting out after 11am, but then again we did also see people biking and and even running the track, so what do I know? The fiveish hour round trip followed by a pint, a swim and a nap was more than enough for me for the rest of the weekend.

PHOTOS: John Taylor

The 16th annual Hāwea district Town v Country Challenge was held on Waitangi Day. Colleen Carr said because Waitangi Day fell on the Saturday of a long weekend this year a lot of people were away, so there was a slightly pared-down sports programme and a few less than usual ‘Top Town’ challenge events. “‘Town’ won the Challenge quite convincingly, which was a surprise as ‘Country’ usually wins when they are the hosts for the event [at Hāwea Flat School]. ‘Town’ were happy to take the winners podium however – and the tally of wins over the 16 years now stands at ‘Town’ 9, ‘Country’ 7. We look forward to lots of fun and healthy competition next year,” said Carr.

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Nico Porteous out for a month Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Wānaka skier Nico Porteous is out of action for at least a month after a skateboard accident last week has left him with a broken bone in his foot. The news comes days after Snow Sports NZ communications manager Britt Hawes said Porteous and snowboarding star Zoi SadowskiSynnott were in “particularly strong form” for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games - now less than a year away - following their success at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado at the end of January. Porteous claimed a historic gold in the superpipe event (the first Kiwi ever to do so), and SadowskiSynnott a silver and bronze in the Slopestyle and Big Air events. The pair also made history at PyeongChang 2018, winning New Zealand’s first Winter Olympic medals in 26 years at just 16 years old. After his X Games win, and speaking on his Olympic preparation, Porteous said: "As of right now I'm feeling really good, I'm on cloud nine, just came off the best day of my life pretty much. But I've just got to keep my head down and keep working. My next year of preparation looks very similar to what I am currently doing, training and focusing on being the best skier I can be." Porteous said that his injury was “minor” and he did not expect it to affect any upcoming competitions or his qualification for Beijing. The New Zealand Team for Beijing 2022 will be made up of up to 20 athletes led by Chef de Mission Marty Toomey.

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PHOTO: Peter Wilson

From left: Tom Malcolm, Murray Finn, Richie Muir, and Simon Nyhof.

Wānaka Bowling Club men’s championship titles decided

PHOTO: Snow Sports NZ

Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott made history at PyeongChang 2018, winning New Zealand’s first Winter Olympic medals in 26 years at just 16 years old.

“We’ve got a lot of really talented snow sports athletes competing across the alpine and freestyle disciplines and we also have some exciting ice athletes working towards qualification, so we’re expecting a diverse and solid team,” said Toomey. “We were on a site visit in 2019 and the venues were almost ready to go so we’re looking forward to fantastic facilities come Games time. “The aim is to build on what we achieved in PyeongChang and grow winter sports in New Zealand.”

Men’s Open Fours Championship After the preliminary rounds just two teams were left in the 2020-2021 Men’s Fours Championship: • Richie Muir (s), Simon Nyhof, Murray Finn, Tom Malcolm (unbeaten with 2 lives) • Ewan Miller (s), Derek Hope, Robin Griffiths, Frank Ruddiman (1 life) These two teams played each other on Friday 5 February in extremely hot conditions that saw spectators looking for a shady place to watch the game from. Ewan Miller’s team was quickly into their work and after 5 ends led 7-3 after playing some accurate draw bowls and supporting each other extremely well. At that stage things were looking good for them. This pricked Richie Muir’s exceptionally experienced team into action and they only lost one of the next 8 ends played to lead 19-8. With only one end to be played, the match was conceded by team Miller. Congratulations to Richie Muir’s team whose collective experience and skill proved too much for Ewan Miller’s team who after their good start

seemed to lose their confidence and accuracy. They must, however be commended for never giving up. They continued to build some good ends only to have a pin point draw shot or smashing drive by the opposition reverse the situation. Although any team can be beaten on the day it was always going to be difficult for Team Miller playing against what is known as ‘the dream team’ - but they gave of their best and that’s all you can ask. Men’s Junior Singles Championship In bowls a ‘junior’ is a bowler who has had 1-5 years’ experience. This year’s final was played on Monday 8 February by Frank Ruddiman who was unbeaten with 2 lives and Alister Moore who had one life remaining. The ‘first to 21 points game’ was evenly poised at 6-6 after 5 ends but Frank Ruddiman won the next 7 ends to lead 19-6. Alister Moore won 3 more ends to make it 20-11 but Frank closed the match out after 17 ends to win 21-11 and win his first club title after being runner up last year. – By Peter Wilson

l l a b k c i k l league

Happy D ay

socia

What’s kickball? Think baseball or rounders but instead of a bat you kick a dodgeball that’s rolled towards you. No previous experience needed.

who Nine players per team Mixed women and men Varied abilities and ages, 16+ encouraged

when

where

Outside at Wanaka Rec Centre (or inside if it’s wet)

cost

$225 per team All gear provided

Mondays 6.00-9.00pm 22 February-29 March

bookings

wrc@qldc.govt.nz 03 443 9334

tr y

Phone: 03 443 8000, Top of Helwick Street, Wānaka OPEN: MON-SAT 8AM TO 6PM • SUN 10AM TO 6PM PAGE 12

hi ng

@QLDCSportRec

THURSDAY 11.02.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.02.21

qldc.govt.nz/recreation

THE WĀNAKA SUN

Sun Views

thewanakasun.co.nz

EDITORIAL

Showtime: go see the sheep while you can Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

I was talking to the livestock manager of the Wānaka A&P Show (March 12-13) and they were saying sheep and wool entries were up in previous years. I was pleased to hear this as having been raised on a North Canterbury sheep farm, I like sheep, they interest me. But I know this resurgence isn’t a general phenomenon as sheep numbers have been declining in the Upper Clutha, which is prime sheep country, for the last 50 years. After a bit of Googling, I discovered this phenomenon isn’t just confined to our region or New Zealand as a whole: it is worldwide. So this editorial is dedicated to the sheep and the sheep farmers that were. As kids growing up on the farm in the ’60s, we were taught that New Zealand had 60 million sheep - that's 20 sheep for every Kiwi. It was a statistic we were proud of, hillsides dotted with white sheep were iconic to New Zealand, and tourists came from far and wide to experience this phenomenon. But having peaked at 70 million in 1982, last year sheep numbers slipped below 28 million for the first time in 75 years. The decline is mirrored by the foremost players in the game, Australia and China. Australia's sheep numbers dropped from 170 million in 1990 to 72 million in 2017. The world's largest sheep flock, in China, peaked at 152 million in 2005. Today it's 110 million. In the 1940s, the United States had about 50 million sheep; today, it has less than 6 million and declining. So what is the reason behind this? In New Zealand an obvious reason is the rise and rise of dairy conversions – we all know about that. Then there's the consolidation of farms because sheep farmers are struggling for an economy of scale. There is diversification into other things like

PHOTO: Interest.co.nz

Sheep numbers have been on the decline in New Zealand for the last fifty years.

beef and grain. Subdivisions and urban sprawl gobble up the land. There is tenure review. And some sheep farming land has been converted to conservation estate. On the global scene, there's been environmental degradation of the marginal country sheep are run on, and the carrying capacity has dropped. This is happening, especially in China and Patagonia. But the number one, the most fundamental reason for the decline in sheep numbers worldwide is that the international wool industry has been in decline for 40 years. Wool has been superseded by cheaper, synthetic fibres. Get this. Wool accounts for just 1.3 per cent of global fibre production and synthetics 61.4 per cent. That's not counting cotton, silk etcetera. Since 1990 the value of New Zealand's exports of raw wool and wool products has declined from $1.3 billion a year to $700 million and on many sheep farms meat has replaced wool as the primary profit maker. But it's not all bad news. The productivity of the sheep farmers that are left keeps on increasing – they are producing the same amount now as when there were with twice as many sheep. The industry is doing a whole lot better on a whole lot less. So, which of these factors applies to the decline in sheep in the Upper Clutha? I suspect it's a combination of subdivision and development taking up the land and forcing sheep up into the hills, and the tenure review process which has forced them back down again. There is no room for them anymore.