Rabbit poison drop successful Major rabbit eradication work in the Wanaka area last year has been hailed a success, with land reassessments showing a significant drop in numbers of the pest on 90 percent of the sites. PAGE 2
Whisky, history and perfume A Wanaka woman is planning to build a whisky and perfume distillery and a museum at Cardrona. Desiree Reid’s proposal was advertised for public submissions last week. PAGE 5
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Seventeen prams, and several more children and parents, gathered in Paper Plus Wanaka on Tuesday morning to raise funds during the Upper Clutha Plunket annual appeal week through a Pushchair Challenge. Paper Plus owner Chris Lumsden made a donation to Plunket for every pram to fit in his shop.
National finals for Te Kakano PAGE 3
Feeling lucky PAGE 8
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Threat to indigenous vegetation Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun
Inspiring athletes PAGE 24
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A full ecological assessment of a piece of south Hawea Flat land on the Clutha River, which was ploughed last month, is now “critical” according to local Forest & Bird committee member Anne Steven. “So far it’s been a litany of disasters,” she said. Forest & Bird went to the Environment Court about the issue and the court has ordered farmer Dugald Innes to “cease and not recommence the clearance of indigenous vegetation”; and not
to “water, irrigate, over-sow or top-dress recently cleared areas of indigenous vegetation”. Anne said a proper assessment
been ploughed, the vegetation is still there,” she said. “It is also important to survey the insects, lizards and birds which use the
The site is also likely to be nationally important for its landscape values, and an assessment of effects seems warranted in this regard also. cannot be carried out until the spring because of the nature of some of the plants. “Notwithstanding the fact that the land has already
area as a seasonal habitat.” W he n Du g ald I nnes started ploughing the land last month, Forest & Bird contacted the council
suggesting the land contained threatened indigenous species and should not be ploughed without consent. The organisation also wrote to Queenstown Lakes District Council CEO Adam Feeley describing the ploughing as “unlawful indigenous vegetation clearance”. The council’s General Manager of Planning and Development, Marc Bretherton, said council investigated the situation as soon as it was made aware of Forest & Bird’s concerns. Story continues page 2..
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Digitising paper Fourteen grants, totalling $315,150, were approved by Central Lakes Trust at its latest funding round, taking the total funding approved by the Trust so far this financial year to more than $6 million. “This is highest amount the Trust has ever approved after 11 months of its financial year and reinforces our ongoing commitment of making our community a better place. It also helps to illustrate the positive impact that Central Lakes Trust has on so many community-based projects and services,” CLT Chief Executive, Paul Allison, said. The National Library of New Zealand received a grant of $13,995 to microfilm and digitise Cromwell Argus publications from 1869 through until 1948. The project is part of a three-year collaborative initiative between CLT, the National Library and the Hocken Library. Argus will be made freely available on the National Library website (Papers Past) once digitised. “The Argus was the first newspaper known to have been established in Cromwell, and is described in G H Scholefield’s Newspapers in New Zealand as “for many years a healthy country paper,” Sharon Dell, the Hocken Librarian, said. “It will be of particular interest to researchers interested in social history and the commercial and agricultural development of the Central Otago region. I believe digitisation of this resource will foster heritage studies in Central Otago for generations to come and I look forward to partnering with Central Lakes Trust and the National Library to complete this project”.
Threat to indigenous vegetation ... Continued from page 1 “A site visit on Thursday [February 20] confirmed that no breach of the District Plan had occurred. Acting on the information available and in accordance with legal advice, there was no basis for issuing any form of enforcement proceedings prior to the weekend,” he said. “When site-specific ecological advice was obtained on Monday [February 24], the land owner was contacted to advise that an ecological report and possibly resource consent would be required. At this point the council became aware that the site had been ploughed.” Further to council’s response, Forest & Bird went to the Environment Court to stop further cultivation of the land (590ha). The QLDC has now declined to speak to the media on the topic. When the Wanaka Sun
PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
asked Marc Bretherton for an update, it was told by council Senior Communications Advisor Michele Poole “an application for an enforcement order is before the court, therefore QLDC will not be making further comment.” Landcare Research’s Dr Susan Walker has investigated the situation and concluded that due to the indigenous
vegetation on the site and council rules about clearance, it should not have been cleared without resource consent. She said a person “without specialist botanical knowledge would not usually be capable of locating and identifying these [indigenous] species on the site”. However, she said, “given there is published evidence for the presence of these
species on the land”, council not having this information, is not evidence the species are not there. Susan also noted the land “covers glacial outwash terraces and younger river terraces of different ages, of known high importance both for biological diversity and landscape; was identified as a Recommended Area for Protection in the 1980s; is plainly a ‘National Priority’ for biodiversity protection under three of the four criteria set out by MfE (2007) in the document Protecting Our Places; [and] the site is also likely to be nationally important for its landscape values, and an assessment of effects seems warranted in this regard also.” The indigenous species found at the site include Leptinella serrulata, Raoulia parkii,Rauolia beauverdii, Dichelachne crinite and Carex breviculmis and the rare Pimelea pulvinaris .
Rabbit poison drop successful Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun Major rabbit eradication work in the Wanaka area last year has been hailed a success, with land reassessments showing a significant drop in numbers of the pest on 90 percent of the sites. But Otago Regional Council Environmental Services Manager, Martin King, has warned landowners not to be complacent about ongoing rabbit control work. He said rabbit numbers had “exploded” during the past two or three years, due to the warmer winters providing a year-round food source and the diminishing
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effectiveness of the rabbit calicivirus disease (RCD). These factors meant rabbit numbers could increase again very quickly, he said. The poisons Pindone and 1080 were spread, using a quad bike or helicopter, on about 8000ha of land in the Wanaka area last winter. Most of the sites were at Queensberry, however, poison was also dropped at Glendhu Bay, Mount Barker Road, Dublin Bay and Hillend Station, along with pockets of land around the Wanaka Airport, Stevenson’s Road and Damper Bay. Martin said the results of the eradication work had been “exceptional” at Queensberry
in particular, where previously some sites had rated five or six on the Modified Maclean Scale. A rating of up to three was acceptable to the regional council. The Modified Maclean Scale was derived from two techniques used to assess the level of rabbit density on a site. It was developed by a member of the Wairarapa Pest Destruction Board and a scientist at the now disestablished Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The scale ranged from one to eight. A rating of one indicated no rabbits or signs of rabbits could be seen; four meant there were groups of rabbits, along
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with heaps of rabbit faeces five to ten metres apart; and eight indicated large numbers of rabbits could be seen over the whole area, with three or more heaps of rabbit faeces less than five metres apart. Martin said landowners whose neighbours were not undertaking any rabbit control work – even through rabbit proof fencing – were particularly vulnerable to a re-infestation of rabbits. Ongoing rabbit control work was carried out on most larger landholdings, but the owners of smaller blocks were often less aware of the need to control the pest, Martin said.
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Hundreds have say on sport facility Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun
PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
National final for Te Kakano Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun Te Kakano Aotearoa Trust chair Stu Thorne and nursery manager Andrew Penniket (pictured) are going to Invercargill for the Trustpower National Community Awards final. Winners from 25 regions will compete for the Supreme Award which will be decided by the regional winners (50 percent) and an independent judging panel (50 percent), later this month. Te Kanano won the Queenstown Lakes District Regional Award last year. Each regional winner will make an eight-minute presentation on their group or activity. Te Kakano’s will be done by Andrew. “The trust was formed by a group of like-minded people led by Nick Mills six years ago. The nursery was set up on land owned by Jill and John Blennerhassett. More than 50 species have been grown from local genetic stock.” Andrew
said his presentation will feature some key volunteers including Bill Brooker and Geoff Wilson, members of Andrew’s family (“volunteering is compulsory for them”) and Andrew’s dog Otto, the “pest control officer.” Te Kanano’s main focus is on plantings around the foreshore of Lake Wanaka. Andrew said volunteers have planted more than 4000 natives between Stoney Creek and Waterfall Creek. “It’s very exciting to go there now and see how big some of them have grown, and to see birds in trees we’ve planted,” Andrew said. There are also Te Kakano projects at the outlet of the Clutha River and at Glendhu Bay. “Another aspect of the trust is our focus on education,” Andrew said. “We encourage school groups to come along and get involved. We have also made a document about how to set up nurseries which is available for other groups to use.”
Last year the supreme winner was Kaibosh from Wellington New Zealand’s first dedicated “food rescue” organisation. It bridges the gap between businesses willing to donate surplus food and the charities that need it. Two part-time drivers collect donated food in a refrigerated truck; and more than 50 volunteers sort, weigh and allocate the food to charities, depending on need. In the past 12 months, Kaibosh redistributed more than 42,000kg of surplus food (120,000 meals). Finalists competing against Te Kakano for this year’s Supreme Award include the Taupo Model Railway Club, Nelson’s Sport Fishing for Youth Charitable Trust, the West Coast Historical Society, and the Far North’s Kio-rahi Akotanga Iho – a group which aims to get children enthusiastic about sport through playing traditional Maori games.
A public survey on what should be included in stage one of Wanaka’s sport facility has attracted more than 200 respondents. The facility steering group, chaired by Duncan Go od, also met with more than 30 sport and community groups last month to discuss whether their priorities had changed since earlier consultation, given discussions about the sport facility began about a decade ago.
“We’ve talked to everyone, from those who would be users of the facility, to those who wouldn’t, to cover all bases. Everyone from curling, to basketball and netball.” The steering group was meeting as the Wanaka Sun went to print yesterday, to discuss the responses. It would collate the submissions over the next fortnight and prepare a recommendation on what should be included in stage one for the Queenstown Lakes District Council to consider at its
March 18 meeting. Duncan said, as expected, the aquatic centre had generated the most comments. Views remained divided on whether a new aquatic centre should be built as part of the sport facility, at the Three Parks development, or whether the existing swimming pool on Plantation Road should be upgraded. At this stage, the council was not planning to include an aquatic centre in the $17 million first stage of the sport facility. It had intended to use rates, development
contributions and grants from funding agencies to pay for the sport facility. However, the Government was reviewing the rules around how development contributions could be spent. If the rules changed, the council would consult the public on whether the shortfall should be funded by rates or the plans reduced, during its annual plan process. Construction of the sport facility was expected to begin later this year and be completed by the end of 2016.
Social work service back Community Networks is now offering social work services again, thanks to a grant from the Central Lakes Trust. The trust had a permanent social worker until last year, when it could no longer get funding for the position. Now one or more social workers will be employed on an as-required basis. Manager Kate Murray said the service will cost less than the previous full-time position. Advertisements have been placed for social workers who may be interested. “The plan is to use Gaye [Thompson – who held the position previously] but we will need a pool of people as she won’t always be available,” Kate said. “We might get applicants with specialist skills such as working with younger people, or advocacy.”
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“No immediate risk” identified at primary school Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun A consultant appointed by the Education Ministry to step in at the troubled Wanaka Primary School says he sees “no immediate risk to student engagement, progress and achievement outcomes.” Independent governance facilitator and mediator, Cleave Hay, of Dunedin, was appointed by the ministry in January to take over governance of staff and employment matters from the school’s Board of Trustees, and to provide the board with advice on governance, communication and processes. The intervention occurred after the board chairperson Richard Cubie resigned in December. He said in a letter to the board members, which was sent anonymously to the Wanaka Sun, that he could not continue in the position as some parents of children at the school were being disenfranchised and the board was being threatened and destabilised. Cleave Hay was appointed to prepare a report for the ministry on any issues at the school and how they might be resolved. In the school newsletter this week, he wrote that he had completed the “scoping period” and had sent his first report to the ministry. The newsletter included an excerpt from the executive summary of his report.
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“Wanaka Primary School has long been recognised as a high performing school with very strong leadership, staff and programmes; a safe and effective learning environment for its 500 plus students and staff. “This, in my opinion and observations, is still the case and I see no immediate risk to student engagement, progress and achievement outcomes. “The board of trustees, principal and all staff are focused on the students and ensuring they
parents of children at the school had not been treated fairly. “There are some disaffected parents but not a disaffected community. A school of this size will always have issues to handle, but must ensure there are open paths of communication and restoration to bring resolution. “The work of the LSM (Limited Statutory Manager), board of trustees, principal, staff, parents and whanau this year is to ensure the school
school community being held to ‘ransom’ with threats made to the Board of Trustees, the withholding from the Board of Trustees of essential public information, the deliberate destabilisation, by intervention, of the governance work and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees. This is exactly what has happened…” In January, principal Wendy Bamford told the Wanaka Sun that any problems at the school
There are some disaffected parents but not a disaffected community. A school of this size will always have issues to handle, but must ensure there are open paths of communication and restoration to bring resolution. are well equipped for their future.” The summary of Cleave Hay’s report commented on the school’s board, which early last month appointed Wanaka police officer Mike Thomas as its new chairperson. “Recent breakdowns in relationships at governance level are in need of all parties working together to reestablish an environment of trust. There are issues at the board table but I do not consider them irreconcilable if all persons commit to correct process and relationships with their shared vision for the students.” Cleave Hay also referred to claims that some
remains a great place for the children to learn.” Richard Cubie remained a board member. In his resignation letter to the board, dated December 10, he said: “I believe that some parents, who have raised ongoing concerns or complaints, have been treated in a way as to impugn their integrity as parents. There has been a refusal to work in a conciliatory, empowering way, with continuing support for them… parents, caregivers and whanau have a right to be heard. “Furthermore, it is not within my experience in education to have encountered a whole
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were “definitely a board issue. “Up until the last board election, the board had been innovative, futurefocussed. There were no issues. “With the new board, there were some hiccups, mostly around breaches of governance processes and protocols, around policy, procedure and communication. “They required continual reminding to stick to appropriate governance protocols and procedures at full board level.” Cleave Hay’s part-time role at the school would be reviewed within a year of his appointment.
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inbrief Grant for bowling green The Central Lakes Trust has approved a grant of $60,000 to the Cromwell Bowling Club, to enable it to replace its natural surface green with an artificial surface and to reinstate the green surrounds. “The speed of the new surface will remain constant, despite any fluctuations in temperature and weather conditions,” club treasurer Les Wilson said. “The new surface will also be an excellent advertisement to get more people using the facility, both bowlers and other groups including youth and the disabled.”
Whisky, history and perfume IMAGE: SARAH SCOTT ARCHITECTS
Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun A Wanaka woman is planning to build a whisky and perfume distillery and a museum at Cardrona. Desiree Reid’s proposal was advertised for public submissions last week. The single malt whisky distillery, which would also produce vodka and fruit liqueur, would be built on 3.5ha of land between Cardrona Valley Road and the Cardona River, 2km south of the township. The site, which was currently a paddock, was near the corner of Cardrona Valley Road and the road to the Snow Farm, opposite the entrance to Cardrona Alpine Resort. The three buildings, totalling 700sqm, would be clad in schist and corrugated iron. Desiree, who is 35, grew up in Mosgiel but spent her summer holidays in Wanaka. A Nuffield scholar with a first class honours degree in business, she was introduced to whisky while managing a gastro pub in Chelsea, London, at the age of 21. Desiree told the Wanaka Sun building a distillery and museum that fitted in with the Cardrona landscape was
of utmost importance. “I really want to be sensitive, because it is such a special, beautiful place to a lot of New Zealanders.” Desiree would purchase the land from Cardrona Valley Farms if her application for resource consent was successful. Resource consent had been granted for other developments in the area which had not yet been built. These included a wastewater treatment plant and disposal field for the Mount Cardrona Station Special Zone which, if developed, would include houses, visitor accommodation, shops, and community and education facilities, and a gondola to ski areas on the Pisa Range. The complex had been designed by Sarah Scott Architects (proposed development from Cardrona Alpine Resort access road pictured). It would comprise three buildings around an open courtyard. The museum building would be 6.8m high, 25m long and 10m wide, with a footprint of 252sqm. It would be built on the western side of the courtyard. It would display the Cardrona Historical Trust’s memorabilia and house a reception area, shop, tasting room, kitchen,
office and bathroom. The distillery, on the southern side of the courtyard, would be 8m high, 22m long, 12m wide and 264sqm in size. On two floors, it would house the fermenters, stills, a grain silo and a water cooling tower. The third building, on the eastern side of the courtyard, would be a 6.4m high, 20m long and 10m wide bond store. Totalling 200sqm, it would house the finished products. All the buildings would be clad in local schist stone with grey corrugated iron roofs, except the bond store which would be clad with “liquid rust” coloured corrugated iron. The buildings would be obscured by trees and plants, designed by landscape planner Ben Espie, and the courtyard would include a formal garden. The distilling process would involve the production and storage of highly flammable liquids. Up to 60,800 litres of alcohol would be kept in the bond store and up to 1500 litres of diesel would be stored on the site. Cardrona Valley Farms had agreed to supply the complex with 60,000 litres of water a day, from an existing
water take from Clay Bank Creek. The water would be stored in four tanks, which would provide water for fire-fighting. Wastewater and stormwater would be treated on site and used for irrigation. Earthworks totalling 1370 cubic metres would be required. Desiree said the perfume, from roses grown in Nelson, and the whisky would be produced using traditional methods, with the latter made by Scottish distiller Fiona Stewart, who had worked at the Glen Moray distillery in Scotland. The stills would be made by fourth-generation coppersmiths in Scotland. “This has been a really long time of research and getting it right, more than a two-year journey.” Desiree was also eager to provide a museum in the valley, before knowledge of its interesting history was lost. Public submissions on the proposal close on March 28. Cardrona Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Barrie Morgan said the group would discuss the plans at its meeting next week. His personal opinion, however, was that it was a “great idea.”
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District Plan review needed Wanaka Community Board Chair Rachel Brown is looking forward to the review of the District Plan, particularly in relation to rural development. “A lot of the Hawea community is anxious because things seem to be happening so fast,” she said. “It comes down to the District Plan, which is under review. There is an important conversation to be had regarding if and how we are going to manage rural development. People want to have that conversation.” Rachel said the increasing intensity of farming is of concern to some people. “Also, a lot of kanuka has gone from along the banks of both [Clutha and Hawea] rivers in the last few months.” Council District Plan Manager Matthew Paetz said a time-frame for the District Plan review will be presented at the council’s April meeting. “It will include a comprehensive review of rural policies,” he said. “We will be looking at it from all angles. There are a lot of complex issues in this district that we need to grapple with.” Matthew said he would like to make the plan into a more accessible document.
Frisbee golf tri-nation competition Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun Local woman Jes Guy, along with Frisbee golf player Akira Kuroe and course designer James Smithells,
took to the frisbee golf course in the Queenstown Gardens last week with NZ Open competitors, professional golfers Australian Jake Higginbottom, Shuhei
Soga (Japan) and New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, for a trinations competition. The three two-person teams played five holes with Jes and Ben winning, and Japan
and Australia tied for second. Pictured are Akira Kuroe, Shuhei Soga, Jes Guy, Jake Higginbottom, James Smithells and Ben Campbell. PHOTO: JODY LOGAN
advertise in the P 03 443 5252 E marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz or advertising@thewanakasun.co.nz
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sunnews
Classic car appreciation Price rises for a day at the show
Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun The first Sunday of the month in Wanaka is heaven on earth for classic car lovers. For the past year, 20 to 40 owners of vintage cars have gathered at the Warbirds and Wheels museum at the Wanaka Airport, to admire each other’s pride and joy and talk about cars. The monthly event - called Cars and Coffee - was part of the nationwide Petrolhead Sundays. Warbirds and Wheels Manager Ed Taylor said classic car enthusiasts from throughout Central Otago attended the event and it had attracted car owners from as far afield as Timaru and Invercargill. People from the Bay of Plenty had also popped into the Christmas meeting, while on a road trip in their classic cars. Ed said the makes of vehicles which had been displayed at the event included Ford, Packard, Buick, Bugatti, Lotus, Morris, Austin, Sunbeam, Lamborghini, Porsche and MG, among others. “The beauty of this
Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
type of event is that it’s not about how flash or rare your car is. It’s more about a love of cars. Car people love their vehicles and love talking to other people who share the same passion.” Among the regular attendees was Wanaka man Neil Webster (pictured) who owns a rare, 88-year-old Sunbeam Wyman Saloon, which had a unique wooden upper body with a fabric cover. Neil, who owned a bed and breakfast on Anderson Road and was a software engineer, said a register of this make and model
of vehicle showed it was the only one of its kind in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Canada. The car had a fan on the radiator which indicated it was a “colonial model” which was built in the United Kingdom for export. The cars built for domestic sale did not have fans on the radiator, he said. Records showed the car arrived in Waimate in 1945, before being owned by a Christchurch resident and then, from 1965, a person in Palmerston North. Neil bought it three years ago
from a man in Blenheim. The car had been stored in a garage there for a decade, since the owner had had a stroke and become unable to drive it. Neil said 70kph was the vehicle’s upper speed limit. He usually only took it for a run to attend the Coffee and Cars meeting. However, he had taken it to Alexandra’s Blossom Festival in September and was planning to attend next month’s Arrowtown Autumn Festival. The Coffee and Cars event is held on first Sunday of every month, from 8.30am.
The price of a day pass to the Wanaka A and P Show has increased 50 percent this year, to cover rising operating costs and to contribute to funding to extend the Upper Clutha A and P Society office at the showgrounds. A one-day pass to the show will cost $15 this year. A two-day pass will cost $20, on a par with last year’s entry fee of $10 a day. Show coordinator Jane Stalker said all major A and P shows now charged $15 a day. It was “good value”
given it was a full day’s worth of a wide variety of entertainment and was cheaper than going to a movie or the local rodeo. The entry fee was last increased eight years ago and the cost of running the A and P show, which was one of the South Island’s largest, had risen markedly since then. Setting up the showgrounds for the event, freight costs, providing facilities such as toilets, and security were among some of the largest expenses. Jane said organisers aimed to make a profit from the show, to improve future events, to
donate some community grants, and to go toward extending the existing show office on the showgrounds. They were currently talking to the Queenstown Lakes District Council about the expansion plans and would focus on the project following this week’s show. The details and cost of the expansion were not yet known, Jane said. The 77th annual show will be held tomorrow and on Saturday. It usually attracts about 400 competitors, 400 trade exhibitors and a crowd of 30,000 over both days.
inbrief Community House design underway Sarah Scott Architects has been chosen from a number of local firms to begin work on the design of the new Wanaka Community House. Sarah and her team are working on concept designs, using comments and information provided by previously identified user groups. The project team wants to hear from any other potential users of the facility who would like to have some input. A public workshop will be held in a couple of months when the concept plans are ready. The project team includes the St Columba’s Working Committee, the Bishop, the Alpine Development Community Trust, Community Networks and Sarah Scott Architects.
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Nikki Holmes: Feeling lucky
PHOTO: CAROLINE HARKER
dawn service (“I’m an RSA member”) to cycling or running considerable distances every day. “You need to do a multitude of different things to be able to live here,” she said. “Every day we feel very lucky.” She said driving the bus has been a great way to get to know people. “I love it. Wednesday is music day and we sing in the bus on the way home.”
Old friends laugh at her being a bus driver. “I’m basically a country girl,” she said. “I grew up in the rural sticks of Worcester.” Nikki has always been passionate about conservation. One of the first things she and Jonathan did when they moved to Hawea was convert their home to solar power. Excess power is fed back into the grid. “We
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Wanaka Wastebusters’ newest board director Nikki Holmes brings a huge range of experience to the role - from military police detective work in Europe, to leading the Conservation Engagement Group for the Department of Conservation (“the best job in the world”) in Wellington. Nikki and her husband Jonathan moved to Hawea 18 months ago after leaving their highpowered city jobs to fight Jonathan’s testicular cancer. When he was sick, Nikki promised Jonathan she would do Challenge Wanaka with him. He recovered so she had to fulfill her promise. “He did the full, I just did the half,” she said. “It was fun but I won’t be doing it again.” Nikki now drives the Hawea school bus, does some driver-guiding work for a local adventure tours company, coordinates Hawea’s new neighbourhood support group, and does a myriad of other things, from helping organise the Hawea ANZAC Day
send an invoice to Contact Energy every month. I love that.” They also plan to have an electric car which they will plug into their solar panels. Another idea is to set up a local produce trading post. “I had 18 kilos of raspberries this season and I traded them with my neighbours. So many people end up with a glut of things – it would be great to trade with each other.” Nikki said her new role at Wanaka Wastebusters is a good fit with her sustainable lifestyle. She hopes her work experience in the government sector will prov id e a g ood background for the role. As well as working for DOC, she worked for Housing New Zealand and the Health and Disability Commissioner. She also worked on the KiwiSaver Programme and the Weathertight Homes Tribunal Project. Now she’s keen to get involved with the local affordable housing trust. For some people, all that seems like so much going on that nothing will be achieved with Nikki, one gets the feeling she’s just warming up.
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Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun
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sunnews
Makarora Primary cycling for technology Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun The entire Makarora Primary School roll of 12 cycled from Waterfall Creek, around the Lake Wanaka waterfront and down the Clutha River track to Albert Town last week to raise money to buy iPads for the school. Teacher
Rhian Nicholl said the children were sponsored by their families and friends and raised about $50 each. “Our two five-year-olds were only going to bicycle as far as the Dinosaur Park but they wanted to carry on,” she said. “They all knew what the money was for.” School administrator Nigel Nicholl said the school already had two iPads
and last week purchased another six. “Our goal is to get four more so we have one for each child,” he said. While they were in Wanaka, the children visited the Warbirds and Wheels, and the Transport and Toy museums and the climbing wall. They stayed at the Albert Town Lodge.
Live high, train low philosophy Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun The Snow Farm is becoming increasingly popular with international athletes wanting to get an edge on their competitors by living at altitude. Snow Farm Lodge manager Steve Gould said they have more athletes up there this season than ever before. “It really got going in the summer of 2012,” he said. “It’s really popular with triathletes, and now we’re getting enquiries from Australian netball and rugby teams, and the Crusaders.” The Bike New Zealand Paralympic team (pictured) is currently in residence, preparing for a high altitude race in Mexico next month. While that team is training on the mountain, Steve said most athletes at the lodge like to “live high and train low.” In a typical day, resident triathletes might drive down to Wanaka for a couple of hours swimming and up to four hours cycling, and then return to the
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mountain and do a couple of hours running up there, he said. “It’s one of the better places in the Southern Hemisphere to altitude train because you can live at 1600m and be down at 300m in 30 minutes. That’s unique because our mountains are so steep.” Steve said the quiet roads and good running trails also make Wanaka a popular choice. Lack of space at the swimming pool can be a problem and this
season Steve has been trialling a temporary four lane 25m pool up the mountain. “We’ve had a few teething problems but it’s going to be good,”he said. “But we’re pushing hard for a new aquatic centre in town.” The elite squad from the NZ triathlon team is returning to the lodge today for a second bout of altitude training before the first round of the triathlon world series, which is being held in Auckland
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next month. The team includes Nicky Samuels (Steve’s wife), Andrea Hewitt, Kate Mcilroy, Ryan Sissions, Tom Davidson and Tony Dodds. Head coach Greg Fraine is coming with the team. Other athletes currently in residence include Oska InksterBaynes, who is also night manager at the lodge, and Julian Matthews – the NZ 1500m champion – who has already qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. The rest of the team will be named in April and Steve expects his wife Nicky will qualify. “She’s the second-ranked Kiwi in the world, and in the world top 14 overall,” he said. Nicky won the off-road world championships in Hawaii last year. Also at the lodge are two top non-federal triathlon coaches with international teams – Joel Filleol, and Darren Smith who runs the world famous “D Squad.” The lodge is owned by the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground, which is managed by Shaun Gilbertson.
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Youth art competition Youth entries are open for the Wanaka Arts Society Easter Exhibition (April 17-21). The society has $100 to award to the best entry from a student in years nine to 13. Entries can be in photography, drawing, illustration, sculpture, woodcrafts, creative fibre, quilting, ceramics, pottery, printmaking, embroidery or painting and the entry form should be lodged by Thursday, April 3.
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Weather highs and lows Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun Wanaka did not experience any weather highs or lows this summer, according to NIWA, but other parts of the region did. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research released its summary of the 2013-14 summer season yesterday. Wanaka’s mean maximum temperature this summer was 22.8 degrees Celsius, compared to the summer average of 23.1 degrees. The mean minimum temperature was 10 degrees, while the summer average was 10.1 degrees. The largest difference was in rainfall – Wanaka received just 92.6 millimetres of rain this summer, compared to the season’s average of 154 millimetres. And it rained on 17 days, while the average number of rain days was 19. Overall, the Queenstown Lakes District received just 50 to 80 percent of its normal rainfall;
PHOTO: NIKKI HEATH
temperatures were below normal by between 0.5 and 1.2 degrees Celsius in parts of Central Otago; the number of sunshine hours was near normal, or within ten percent of the normal amount; and, by the end of summer, soils were “extremely dry” for most inland areas of the South Island. Extremes in the region included the country’s highest temperature this summer being recorded at Clyde on February 20, when the mercury reached 35.7 degrees Celsius. Earlier in the season, during the
first week of December, a warm northerly air-mass ahead of an approaching trough resulted in several unusually hot days in some inland areas of the South Island. One of these was Clyde, which had four consecutive days during which the temperature was at least 29.9 degrees Celsius. Ranfurly had its fourth wettest summer since records began in 1943. It received 260 millimetres of rain during December, January and February, which was 171 percent of its normal rainfall.
The Central Otago township also experienced its fourth lowest summer day temperature since records began in 1975, when on February 24 a temperature of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius was recorded. And on February 28, snow fell at Cardrona Alpine Resort and the Remarkables Ski Area. Strong wind also caused several incidents in the region during summer. On January 2, a car was blown off the Luggate to Cromwell road; in Queenstown on January 17 a Poplar tree was
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blown over, destroying a corner of the Lakeside Motel, crushing a car and damaging other vehicles; on January 23, strong winds created problems for firefighters battling a blaze in Clyde and caused power cuts for residents in both Clyde and Cromwell; and a scrub fire near Cromwell on February 27 spread quickly due to high winds and burnt 50 hectares before it was brought under control. (Pictured, Lake Wanaka at its lowest level this year, 276.7m above msl).
sunnews
All sorts relay for life Caroline Harker Wanaka Sun Aspiring Allsorts Relay for Life team members Alison Stretch and Jenny Park (pictured) were selling raffle tickets at the supermarket on Monday to raise money for the Cancer Society. The team is also selling tickets to a Picnic in the Park on Sunday (March 9) where food will be prepared by former Masterchef contestant Suzanne Drummond. The Aspiring Allsorts team will join other relay teams at Cromwell Raceway on March 15-16 for the relay event. “We’re called Aspiring Allsorts because our team is made up of all sorts of people from all walks of life and all sorts of experiences relating to cancer,” team
Troop benefit from Bear Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun
PHOTO: CAROLINE HARKER
memberRaewynRobertson said. “Money raised in Central Otago will provide services to local people, as well as accommodation for
them when they are having treatment at the Daffodil House in Dunedin,” she said. The raffle is made up of
$660 worth of donations from local businesses. See sunspots for details.
When Bear Grylls was in the area to film the television series “Get Out Alive” last year, he took some time out to visit the local scout troop at its Eely Point den. Bear donated gear, including tents, sleeping bags,
hammocks, head torches and basic GPS units, to the troop before he left Wanaka. Scout leader Matt Dyer said the troop regularly use the equipment but, until a recent trip to Lake Ohau, they hadn’t used the tents. “We usually carry our lightweight tents for tramping trips, but on this occasion we
had the opportunity to use [the heavier tents] and they stood up well in the wind and rain,” Matt said. Pictured on the Hopkins Valley at the north end of Lake Ohau before tramping in the Huxley Valley last month are scouts Rory Irwin, Andrew Hay, Tom Scott and Joe Strawson. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Excellence recognised at local firm Local accountants, Findlay & Co of Wanaka, Queenstown and Christchurch, were awarded the 100% Cloud Award 2013 by online accounting software leader Xero, at an awards ceremony in Auckland last month. Partners Scott and Wayne Findlay said “we are honoured to have been amongst the best accounting minds in the country and recognised for our commitment to cloud accounting software. We’re extremely proud that, like many of our clients, as a smaller player in the industry, we are up there with the big guns.” In addition to the award the company was a finalist for the Marketing Innovation Award and the Xero Accounting Partner of the Year. The awards recognise and celebrate organisations for the outstanding and innovative provision of Xero services and corresponding delivery of high quality marketing.
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Kayak champs head to Hawea Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun New Zealand’s best kayakers, including Olympians Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones, will compete in national championships being held at the Hawea Whitewater Park this month. Central Otago Whitewater spokesperson Dale Norbury said the New Zealand Canoe Slalom Championships, from March 28 to 30, would be the first time a national slalom event had been held on the two manmade waves, which opened last year. Competitors would have to negotiate several upstream and downstream “gates” which would be hanging over the rapids, with the fastest kayaker named the champion. It was a skilled sport, with a kayaker who touched or missed a gate incurring varying time penalties, Dale said.
PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
At the same time, the New Zealand Open Freestyle Championships would be held, on March 29 and 30. Dale said kayakers in this event – including the current women’s world champion, Claire O’Hara from the United Kingdom - would perform “rodeo style tricks” in small plastic play-boats. The moves included
the “McNasty,” “Space Godzilla” and “Phonics Monkey,” and points were based on how difficult they were. About 120 kayakers were expected to compete in the canoe slalom and freestyle competitions. The Hawea River would be flowing at about 65 cumecs per second for the events, compared to the average summer
flow of around 10 cumecs per second. The New Zealand Secondary Schools Freestyle Championships would also be held earlier in the week, on March 26. Members of the public were invited to watch the events, with vehicle parking and viewing areas accessible from the CamphillRoadbridge near Hawea Flat.
sportbrief Cricket: Koford Cup final for seniors The Albion Seniors had an eight-wicket win over Blacks Hill on Saturday. Blacks Hill scored 139 for seven with Sasha Hill batting 67 and Albion’s Gareth Tate bowling four for 36. Albion replied with a score of 140 for 2. Joe Cotter contributed 53 and Richard MacLeod hit 33 not out. Albion face Blacks Hill again this Saturday in the Koford Cup final at Alexandra. The Albion Senior Reserves played Alexandra away last weekend. Albion was 116 all out. Mike O’Connor scored 42. Alexandra scored 119 for 2 to take the win, with contributions from Joe Anderson, 53, and Jack Jackson, 41. The Reserves play for the third place spot this Saturday.
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sunnews
crimescene Driving dark, drunk A grey coloured Kona mountain bike with a pink grip was stolen from Kowhai Drive in Wanaka. A necklace was stolen from Chapter 5. Footage from CCTV is assisting police in catching the thief. Boy racer activity has been reported at the junction between Gladstone Road, Grey’s Lane and Kane Road, and tyre marks have been sighted on the road. A young learner driver, transporting her friends home after a party in the early hours of Sunday morning, lost control, left the road and rolled the vehicle in a paddock. The three young occupants received minor injuries. On Sunday at 4.38am, Constable Peter Reed apprehended a 19-year-old drink driver outside the Wanaka Police Station driving in the dark with no lights on. She blew 714 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and now faces a court appearance. Her driving licence has been suspended. Last Monday at 5.22pm, a tourist pulled out of the junction at State Highways 6, 84 and Riverbank Road. He turned right into the right hand lane, and then pulled into the left hand lane hitting a Toyota Hilux which deviated on impact and scraped a van at the Riverbank Road junction. “Great driving from the Hilux driver prevented the occupant of the electrical van becoming seriously injured,” Constable Reed said. “This particular junction is hazardous. Be careful when you negotiate it.”
Father and daughter on the water Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun Father and daughter waterskiers from Wanaka have qualified for the New Zealand Waterski Championships. Gerald Harraway and his 11-year-old daughter, Meg, will compete in the event, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf at Easter. Meg, who had been
waterskiing since she was seven years old, qualified for the national championships by coming first in her age group, of ten to 14-yearolds, at the Canterbury Slalom Championships last month and again at the Wanaka Waterski Open last weekend (pictured). She will compete in the junior girls slalom category at the national championships, while Gerald had qualified
for the senior men’s slalom. In waterski competitions, first place went to the skier who got furthest through the course of buoys, on the shortest rope length, while skiing at the maximum speed for the category they were competing in. The annual Wanaka Waterski Open was held in Paddock Bay on Saturday. Lucy Wickstrom won the novice junior category, while
Jeff Bruns won the novice senior category. In category two, Meg Harraway won the junior competition and Warren McHardie won the senior competition. Tane Gibson won the category three juniors and the senior category was won by Greg Size. The open category winner was Chris Brown. More results page 20 PHOTO: SUPPLIED
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sunsport
Local athletes picked for place Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun Forty-one teams will compete in the 2014 GODZone adventure race. Many of the leading contenders in the 500km plus race are in form and race director Warren Bates said his money is on several teams to be jostling for a podium finish. “I don’t think I really need to explain why Seagate are the favourites to win,” Warren
said. “My only real question at this stage is whether any of the other top five teams will
with Richard Anderson, Simon Bowden, Jo Williams and Bob MacLachlan.
I don’t think I really need to explain why Seagate are the favourites to win. get close enough to be within 12 hours of them.” Local athletes feature in one of Warren’s top picks: Team R&R Sport Torpedo,
“They look like they have what it takes this year, having improved greatly over the past two events,” Warren said. “Jo Williams would grace any top
adventure team in the world and they have great team spirit, which can often be overlooked by other teams.” Experienced adventure team Kathmandu XT is also rated, as are Team Orion and American team Checkpoint Zero. Teams, will arrive in Kaikoura today in time for tomorrow’s registration at the Kaikoura Memorial Hall. The adventure course will remain a secret until just before the race gets underway this weekend.
New date for New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open organisers have announced the 2015 tournament will be held from March 12 to 15. The event took place at The Hills (pictured are golfers on the 18th hole) and Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown last weekend, organisers have hailed it “a huge success,” confirming a crowd of 20,000 attended over the four days – about 25 percent more than last year’s tournament. “We’re really pleased with the official numbers,” Tournament Director Michael Glading said. It was the first time a national open had been held in this format, running over two courses and including a pro-am competition. The event has been “very well received” by players, amateurs, celebrities, volunteers and attendees, with “outstanding” feedback already. “We’re already looking forward to the 95th NZ Open,” he said. PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
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sunsport
Gold medal chances Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun
Coaches get coached Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun Otago’s Brodie Hume (left) looks on as Upper Clutha Rugby Club junior coaches practice the new scrummaging laws, under the guidance of regional development officer Jason Macdonald (rear) and Otago coach Phil Young (front). The three were in Wanaka on Tuesday holding the compulsory Small Blacks coaching course, which was attended by all the junior team coaches. Junior rugby president
Dean Millar said the club has 30 junior coaches and 15 teams, and the club works to maintain high coaching standards through ongoing training. The next training day will be on March 29, with coaching tips from former Highlanders captain John Leslie. Brodie, Phil and Jason also held a session with the under-14 and first XV squads and coached the boys through some drills. Meanwhile, there was a good turnout for the Upper Clutha Junior Rugby registration
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
day last Wednesday, with more than 200 players in the underfive to under-16 level signing up. There will be an open day for the under-seven to under-13 teams on Saturday March 15 at the rugby grounds (10am to 12pm), with late registration welcome. Dean said he expected about 30 more players to sign up on the open day. The junior season starts with a sevena-side tournament in Alexandra before the school holidays.
Attitude Pictures Ltd (APL) has been awarded the host broadcast rights in New Zealand for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). APL will stream 44 hours of free coverage and highlights packages from March 7 to 16, as well as athlete profiles on New Zealand’s three Winter Paralympians Adam Hall, Carl Murphy and Corey Peters, who are all based in Wanaka for the Southern Hemisphere winter season, via its new web platform. Alpine skiers Adam Hall and Corey Peters will be the first to compete at the Games. Their first event is men’s super-G this Sunday, March 9, from 7pm. They are both back in action on Tuesday, March 11, for the first run of the men’s supercombined from 6.30pm, and on Wednesday, March 12, for the second run
THURSDAY 06.03.14 - WEDNESDAY 12.03.14
PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
from 12.30am. Adam’s last competition is the men’s slalom from 1am next Friday, March 14. Corey will also compete in the slalom and he will finish his Paralympic campaign with the giant slalom the following day (March 15) from 6.30pm. Para-snowboarding will feature for the first time in the Paralympic programme with Wanaka’s Carl Murphy (pictured) competing in
the snowboard cross next Friday (March 14) from 7pm. The content will also be made available on demand after the event has been live streamed. Adam is ranked first equal in the world in slalom and will defend his title in this, his third, Paralympic Games. He competed at the Paralympics in Torino, Italy, in 2006 and in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010 where he won gold in the standing
slalom. For Corey and Carl (ranked number 1 in the world), this will be their first time competing in the Paralympic Winter Games. More than 600 athletes from 44 countries are expected to compete at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in 72 medal events across five sports – alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling.
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sunsport
Young athletes on track Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun The Aspiring Athletics team was dominant across a number of distances at the Otago Children’s Athletics competition in Dunedin last weekend. Several titles were won by the young athletes in their age group competitions. The results from local athletes included: Seven-year-old Millie East was third in the 80m, 100m and 200m sprint races and the long jump. Henry Bowring, also seven, was second in the 60m, 80m, 100m and 200m sprint races and 13th in shot put. Nine-year-old Abby East won the girls 60m, 80m and 200m sprint, and was second in the 100m sprint and long jump. Georgie Bruce, also nine, was third in the 100m sprint, fifth in 80m sprint and long
jump and fourth in shot put. Abby teamed up with Henry, Millie and Georgie for the 4x100m relay and they came third. Ten-year-old Caitlyn O’Brien was second in the 800m run and 1500m run. Jack East, 11, won the 100m, 200m, 400m sprint and was second in the 55m hurdle. Sam Knight, 11, was fifth in the 200m sprint with Ryan Smack seventh. Sam was also third in high jump and long jump, fifth in discus, sixth in the 100m sprint and eighth in shot put while Ryan was sixth. Fergus Read, 11, won the high jump and long jump, was fourth in the 100m sprint, fifth in the 55m hurdle and 14th in discus. Ryan, Sam, Fergus and Jack came second in the 4x100m relay. Nico Bowering, 12,
won the long jump, was second in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprint races and the 1500m run. Twelve-year-olds Liam Condlifee and Ollie Williams-Holloway were joint third in the high jump. Ollie was also fifth in the 100m sprint, sixth in the long jump, seventh in the 200m sprint and eighth in discus. Flynn Brown was 11th in long jump and sixth in the 1500m run. In the 12-year-old 4x100m relay, Jack East teamed up with Ollie, Flynn and Nico to win the race. Sammy Burke, 14, won the 800m run and was fourth in the 400m sprint. Ned WilliamsHolloway, 14, won the long jump and the 200m sprint, and was second in the 400m sprint, discus throw and high jump.
MAC runners compete The Mount Aspiring College athletics competitions are underway and will continue until Wednesday March 12. Pictured competing on Tuesday is Year 9 student Phoebe Young PHOTO: ANDREW MILLER
Finn on top Junior park and pipe athlete, Finn Bilous, won the freeski halfpipe 13 to 15-year-old division in Breckenridge on Sunday. Competing in the USASA Rocky Mountain Series, the Lake Hawea teenager scored 85.67 in a run which included a large mute, cork 900, alley-oop flat 540, flair, left 540, right 720 and switch alley-oop cork 540. New Zealander Miguel Porteous was in second place with a score of 76.67 and skier Payton McElhiney (USA) was third with 72.33. Miguel’s brother, Nico Porteous, won the ten to 12-year-old division scoring 92.33, with Americans Dylan Ladd second with 83.67 and Liam Bruno third with 80.33.
Oska takes title Wanaka’s Oska Inkster-Baynes won the 5000m title at Canterbury athletics championships in Timaru on Saturday. Oska is preparing for the 5000m at the New Zealand championships in Wellington on March 28, and is currently undertaking altitude training at the Snow Farm Lodge.
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BOARD HAVING TROUBLE WITH PIRATES? SIMPLY PUT A COUPLE IN CAGES AT YOUR GATE AND LET THEM ROT, THIS WILL KEEP OTHERS AWAY FOR MANY WEEKS. OH PLEASE QLDC CAN WE HAVE WHEELIE BINS FOR OUR RECYCLING. SOME OF US ARE TIRED OF RUNNING AROUND ON WINDY DAYS CLEANING THE STREETS. TRIP TO THE DENTIST IN WANAKA. CHECK UP AND CLEAN, NO XRAY. OUT IN UNDER 20 MINS. COST MORE THAN $170. HAVE I BEEN RIPPED OFF? THANK U 2 THE KIND PERSON WHO PUT OUR SHOES AND CLOTHING 2GETHER AT BREMNER BAY LAST WEEK. MUCH APPRECIATED AS WE HAD FORGOTTEN THEM PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ARE A GREAT ANNOYANCE 2 THOSE OF US WHO DO IN REPLY TO THE CYCLIST THAT WASN`T GIVEN WAY TO...I ALWAYS GIVE A WIDE BIRTH TO CYCLISTS CAUSE SOMETIMES I WEIGH UP TO 44 TONNES, CAN YOU IMAGINE THE MESS I`D BE IN IF I HADN`T BRAKED HARD TO AVOID HITTING, KILLING A CYCLIST WHO DIDN`T GIVE WAY AT SHORT CUT RD LUGGATE!!! SCOOTER SAFETY SESSIONS COULD BE IMPROVED BY INCLUDING INSTRUCTION OF HOW TO WEAR A HELMET...SO THAT IT FITS THE HEAD CORRECTLY AND COVERS THE FRONTAL LOBE. IF FOREST AND BIRD CARE SO MUCH ABOUT A FARMERS PADDOCK MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT WHEN IT WAS FOR SALE! HOW ABOUT A GREAT BIG WOODEN SEAT ON THE GRASS PIECE OUTSIDE THE ICE CREAM SHOP. YOU’RE SPECIAL, YOU’RE LOVELY, YOU’RE GETTING OLDER, PERHAPS WISER, AND I STILL LOVE YOU (PROBABLY BECAUSE I’M SPECIAL AND LOVELY). HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIG XX WEDNESDAY’S CHILD IS FULL OF WOE, THURSDAY’S CHILD HAS FAR TO GO… JUST SAYING (UNLESS OF COURSE SHE IS BORN ON WEDNESDAY WHICH WILL BE INCONVENIENT BUT SHE’LL BE LOVELY ANYWAY LIKE YOU, NOT LIKE HER DADDY)
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE TEXT BOARD AND IN THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ALONE AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE WANAKA SUN.
EDITORIAL A&P shows are as kiwi as number eight wire and, with the Upper Clutha one on this week, it is bound to be well attended by young and old. In fact, organisers are expecting over 30,000 people. There’s something for everyone at the show, from ferris wheels to flat whites. The stalls sell just about everything you can imagine a farmer might want, from tractors to gumboots, and there is usually plenty for the non-farming community to purchase too. Book lovers can get a stack of old library books for a gold coin donation and there’s usually something great for bargain hunters – one year it was merino boxers for $5 a pair. The “most unusual pet” competition is often entertaining and the Jack Russell Race is always a crowd pleaser. Equestrian fans are well catered for and the home industry section can be interesting, although how home baking is judged without tasting it is a mystery. So get down to the showgrounds on Friday or Saturday and enjoy the rural roots of our community. If, after a visit to the show, you’re looking for more entertainment, head to Albert Town for the National Finals Rodeo.
Barking up the wrong tree I’m struggling to find too many Upper Clutha residents that don’t think an improved pool complex which also incorporates a great learner facility is the number one priority for the sporting future of our community. Indoor courts a close second. Yet, unbelievably, stage 1 of the three parks plan, projected to cost a staggering $16.8M, does not even include a pool. The recent online survey started with an artist’s impression of the new 3 parks facility, implying that the co-location plan was a foregone conclusion. Co-location of facilities is ideal, but when you weigh up priorities, would you put it before having a new pool at all in the next decade? Or worse would you put it ahead of the pool actually getting used heaps? Its not just about whether the facility would eventually be nice, it’s also about whether swimming itself would be the winner. I am a very frequent pool user the world over and have never seen such an insanely good ratio between size of population, amount of usage, and standard of swimming. The grass roots level here is the healthiest I have ever witnessed. Partly because residents here are amazing, but also because the pool is usually open for swimming and is near the schools. It simply won’t work as well if it is another drive for parents. I could cite scores of UK examples where councils have “regenerated” their facilities and are proud of the architecture, yet the pools have become underused “leisure pools” where swimming itself is a minority activity and the standard of swimming atrocious. The gaping void left by these councils’ actions has been filled by thriving private health clubs where the pools are always open for lane swimming, the atmosphere vibrant, and the users healthy. Three Parks Stage one too expensive, in the wrong location and doesn’t include the number one priority. Roger North Wanaka
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Response to texts Text: I’m concerned about the strong smell of raw sewage that often wafts from the lakefront drains of Hawea. Was this issue addressed before our new water bores were put in along the lakefront? I doubt it. Maybe the council is hoping a bit of extra chlorine in the water will dampen our sense of smell and we won’t notice. QLDC responds: QLDC has not received any reports of sewage smells on the lakefront at Hawea. If people report this kind of smell and the specific location straight away, we can investigate. The bores are 30-40m deep and draw water from an underlying gravel aquifer. The aquifer is connected to the lake 200-500m out from the shore. The bores are in no way connected to the waste water system.
Guidelines for letters and texts to the Wanaka Sun The Wanaka Sun no longer accepts letters or texts that directly respond to the author of previous letters or texts. If you wish to reply to another letter or text, stick to the topic involved and try to advance the debate so that other readers might join in the discussion. Correspondents should not engage in recriminations against earlier correspondents. Letters of fewer than 200 words and texts of fewer than 25 words are preferred. Letters or texts may be edited for clarity, length or legal reasons.
write to the editor Let the community know your views, email your letter to: editor@thewanakasun.co.nz *200 words or less
Letters can be sent to editor@thewanakasun.co.nz with “Letters to the editor” in the subject line, or can be posted to PO Box 697, Wanaka 9343. Texts can be sent to 021986786. The Wanaka Sun cannot acknowledge receipt of letters or texts. The Wanaka Sun reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters or texts without explanation.
Issue 651 Thursday March 06, 2014 Free delivery to Wanaka, Wanaka surrounds and Cromwell urban and rural mailboxes, PO boxes in Makarora, Cromwell, Haast, Wanaka, Albert Town, Hawea. Distributed to motels, hotels and cafes plus businesses in the Wanaka central business district and to drop boxes in Wanaka and Cromwell.
Phone: 03 443 5252 Fax: 03 443 5250 Text view: 021 986 786 Text classified: 022 0786 778 Address: Upstairs Spencer House, Wanaka Postal: PO Box 697, Wanaka Editorial manager: Ruth Bolger editor@thewanakasun.co.nz Journalists: Jessica Maddock journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz Caroline Harker newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz Production: Adam Hall production@thewanakasun.co.nz Advertising: Amanda Hodge advertising@thewanakasun.co.nz Jake Kilby marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz Accounts: admin@thewanakasun.co.nz Printed by: Guardian Print, Ashburton Delivered by: Wanaka Rowing Club Published by: Wanaka Sun (2003) Ltd Distribution: 9500
Southern Scenes & Stewart Island 8 day Coach tour Contact: kim@centralbus.co.nz or 0800 487 488
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LAKE HAWEA GOLF RESULTS 2.3.14. Medal, LGU, & Putting. Men 0 - 15. 1st Tony Arscott. 75 - 9 - 66. 2nd. Kahu Vincent. 74 - 7 - 67. 16+ 1st. Peter Hart. 80 - 16 - 64. 2nd. Colin Hanson. 87 - 22 - 65. Ladies.1st. 108 - 38 - 70. Putting. Kahu Vincent. 26.Two’s. Kahu Vincent. Nearest pin no 1. Gerry Browne. no 5 Peter Recordon. WANAKA BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS. Mt Barker Pairs. North/ South:-Michael Chman-Smith, Peter Recordon 61.30%1. Errol Kelly, Ena Leckie 60.40%2. Gerarda Herlihy 59.70% 3. East/West:- Kate Coe, Karolyn Macandrew 61.70%1. Marion Coburn, Allayne Gray 61.50% 2. jan Cunningham, Jan Wynn-Williams 59.90% 3. Friday Bridge 28 February. North/South:Maureen Hawke, Madeline Reveley 64.58%1. Lyla & Bryan Hensley 63.14% 2. Sherril Harries, Ena Leckie 62.98%3. East/West:- John & Judy Cook 61.06% 1. Joy Baxter, Barbara Waterworth 57.05% 2. Lyn Howson, Betty Swift 56.05%3 Junior Championship Pairs 1. North/ South:-Denise Bruns, Ann-Louise Stokes 55.83% 1. Lynne Clay, Michael Metzger 55.00% 2. Noeline Goldsbrough, Heather Wellman 53.75%3. East/West:- Janette Gillies, Bridget Rennie 60.00%1. Jason Benton, Lynne Fegan 60.00% 2. Val & John Wormald 51.25% 3.
Free text message classifieds from the Wanaka Sun
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WANAKA WATERSKI OPEN RESULTS: Novice junior category: first: Lucy Wickstrom, second: Sophie Thompson, third: Isabelle Keeling. Novice senior category: first: Jeff Bruns, second: Andrew Conijn, third: Gary Tweedy. Category two juniors: first: Meg Harraway, second: Olivia Dingle, third: Kristy Brown. Category two seniors: first: Warren McHardie, second: Steve Joint, third: Jason Searl. Category three juniors: first: Tane Gibson, second: Cody Gibson, third: Blake Hamilton. Category three seniors: first: Greg Size, second: Riley Gilbert-Burn, third: Jamie Pow. Open category: first: Chris Brown, second: Gerald Harraway, third: Grant Brown.
*20 word limit, standard network rates apply, deadline Tuesday 4pm, text message only.
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CURIOUS ABOUT LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE? 20 min Introductory Treat $15 with Maryann, A&P Show by Gate 2. Ph 021 1101160, 4436463
CARGO BICYCLES to transport kids and stuff!Come and check out what is possible, 34 Anderson Rd, Good Rotations Bicycles
DETOXIFICATION. DO it once., do it professionally with Holistic Healthcare . Free BioPulse detox treatment with appointment for March 4435991 EXPERIENCED HOMEOPATH and Healer at Wanaka Wellness Centre. Visit www.intelligenthealth. com for details or call Linda on 0211468041 for an appointment.
CARPET PIECES. Secondhand. Both 3mx3m approx. Different piles. Both a shade of brown. At cromwell. 50 dollars each. 034453325-0279257161
GENTLE YOGA connecting movement with breath, & You. 9:30 EA WEDS. 557 Aubrey Rd. $12 classes. Mats available. Jen 0220974596
CURTAINS, FULLY lined, pencil pleat, Stripe 2 tone taupe, floor length, house lot. Phone Vicki 021748582 HORSEHAIR MATTRESS single size. JanSport metal frame multiday pack. Solid timber desk with plan drawer. Call 4436463.
HU SONG at Wanaka Wellness Centre this thursday 6th March 5.30pm to 6pm All welcome! Gold coin donation Ph 4437388 www.eckankar.husong.org
FOR SALE. Oak welsh dresser with backing and shelves. Light mahogany carving or dressing table. King size bed and mattress in good condition. 443 9355.
LAKE HAWEA Sports Massage Deep Tissue Trigger Points Neuromuscular Phone Marlene on 03 4436919
FOR SALE-HUGGIES Dry Nites PJ Pants or Pull Ups Boys Jnr $5 Pkt or 3 Pkts $10 Ph Txt Debs 0273066120
LYN BROWN BOWEN and JSJ Practitioner treating out of Wanaka Wellness Centre. For appts/info pls ph Lyn 4437388 www.naturalhealthwanaka.co.nz
GOLDEN LEMON butter from Pirate Pickles at the Wanaka farmers market, 3-6PM every Thursday Pembroke Park
MASSAGE THERAPY. Neuromuscular therapy and sports massage. Robyn Clements Dip massage ph 027 678 7731
HOUSE FOR PRIVATE SALE ideal rental investment, holiday house or first home. View on trademe #693764472 (no agents thanks).
MASSAGE THERAPY. Sports-,Deep tissue,Relaxation-,Pregnancy massage. Effective and rejuvenating. Ursula Krebs, Dip. Massage Therapist CH/ NZ. Phone: 027 6602271.
KING SINGLE Bed Tattersfield Backmaster Elite Torquezone (new condition) - txt 0274544229 ($500)
NATUROPATH,HOMEOPATH HERBALIST & Massage Therapist, qualified & registered,15yrs experience. For consultations call Sarah Chrisp 0224253899 or sara.naturopath@gmail.com PRENATAL GENTLE YOGA. Connecting with the miracle inside you! Weds 7pm at 181 Cemetery Rd Hawea. $17 classes. Jen 022 097 4596 QUARTZ CRYSTAL singing bowl sessions for deep relaxation/energy balancing. 1.30PM each Mon. $25 pp. 181 Cemetery Rd HAWEA Jen 022 097 4596 RECONNECT WITH a sense of deep peace and love for FREE! View 15 min film The Message at WWW. LIVING-PRESENCE.ORG SPIRITUAL HEALING. Empowering and enabling you to heal your body and life. Robyn Clements ph 027 678 7731 WANAKA WELLNESS integrated natural healthcare centre. The ambulance at the top of the cliff. Wanakawellness.co.nz 4434668 WWW.EUTOPIAWANAKA.COM MASSAGE shouldn’t be a luxury when it’s a necessity. Call or text 0221979171 YOGA IN HAWEA! Gentle movement with breath instruction. 181 Cemetery Rd ea Mon, Tues & Thurs at 9:30AM! $12. Jen 022 097 4596 LAMININE SUPER healing food of the 21st century. Listen to http://www.healingsuperfood.com/phyllisinterview.mp3 Helping everybody at every level. Jan Rockliff 0276 412 019, Sonia Hunt 0212 487 771, Jodie Rainsford 021 356 343 LYMPHATIC CLEARANCE (MLD) Support immune system, relieve lymphoedema, swelling, pain. Gentle therapeutic treatment. Ph Maryann 443 6463, 0211 101 160
NEED A little help on those hills? Try an electric bike! Rent or buy at Good Rotations Bicycles Wanaka 034434349 NEW CHALKY Digits clothing! The new autumn range available exclusively in MT Outdoors on Dunmore Street. All you Chalky addicts get in here quick!!www.mtoutdoors.co.nz
LOCAL SINGER/SONGWRITER Anna van Riel is going for NZ on air creative funding for a music video. LIKE www.facebook.com/annavanrielmusic and help get Wanaka artists on music tv. WANAKA TOY Library is looking for committee members. Be a part of this great service to babies and toddlers. Ph 021 540 395 WORK IN Progress is a year long course held once a month at the Wanaka Wellness Centre. For more information call Linda on 0211468041. YR 12 student available for babysitting. Experienced with references and St.John certified first aider. Call Aoife Baker on 0210755677 or 4436492
WHY SPEND time working on your accounts when you could be building your business? Call Accounts Office 443 5300.
thanks NORTHLAKE DUATHLON would really like to thank major sponsors Radio Wanaka, Northlake, GJ Gardner, Derek Direen, Ray White, Envy Design, Print it and Mediterranean, Market Wanaka. THANKS TO the awesome crowd that supported Anna van Riel’s Wanaka album launch at the Nook last month and helped raise $500 for the Wright family. A truly fantastic night x
wanted
rent TWO BEDROOM house, sunroom, three garages, large section for rent long term near schools available mid March call Richard 0212737797
services
ACAPPELLA WOMEN’S choir seeking a conductor. Please make enquiries to Kirsty at 0272005111. BIKE TRAILER wanted, (for towing a small child) if you have one that no longer gets used I’d love to buy it from you.Phone/text Sita 02102781263
AFFORDABLE ACCOUNTING services, IRD & GST returns. Call Accounts Office 443 5300
HOUSE RENTAL needed from now until Easter for 1 careful tenant and 2 cats please contact Amanda 021 680 110
BUYING OR selling a business? For professional sales marketing brochures or business plans, call Alison on 021 0275 9199 office hours.
TWO BED apartment/house in Wanaka wanted to rent from February. Please call Antony on 022 614 9192.
CARPET AND Upholstry Cleaning. To get it done properley call Jae Services. We will take care of it. 443 1150
WANTED - House swap this winter. Fancy a week in Auckland at the stunning Cheltenham beach? 10 mins to Britomart (Auckland Central) on the ferry. Stunning 3/4 bed villa (with car!) on beach front street (Rata Rd). Anytime late July - August. Call Mary on 021 615 007
CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE restoration – for all motorcycle maintenance. Tyres, oil, batteries, chains and brakes. Top brands, top service, pick-up and delivery. Contact John Holgate 0274322917 CRITICAL ILLNESS insurance that pays you a lump sum while living, get a quote online www.bradleynuttallsouth.instantcover.co.nz
WANTED OLD straight skis from 1970.s. Call Chrissy 0276231515 WANTED TO buy: Exersaucer in good condition. Please call or text 021402984
NOW’S THE perfect moment for Sherpa midweight springwear. Actually made in Nepal and highly effective. You will love it. www.mtoutdoors.co.nz
DRIVING LESSONS available. Call Nicky at Aspiring Drivers to book your lesson and become a confident and safe driver. 0210607310
what’s on
MTOUTDOORS ON Dunmore St has the best selection of approach shoes in Wanaka. La Sportiva, Salewa, Salomon. www.mtoutdoors.co.nz
FREE BUDGET ADVICE at Community Networks Wednesday 12 March.For appointments call 4437799.
‘COMMUNICATE FOR LIFE’ two day Personal Development course. Learn invaluable life skills in this award winning course. March 22/23 www.yourlifeliveit.com | jodie@yourlifeliveit.com
ORGANIC EXPRESS. Wanaka’s online fresh fruit and vege store. organicexpress.co.nz
GREEN CLEAN! Want a bit of help to get your home sparkling? Organise me using earth friendly products & smile! $30/hr 0220974596
ORGANIC PRODUCE - support all your local growers in the one place. organicexpress.co.nz PROACTIVE GYM membership 36 months 15.95 pw I’ll pay half transfer fee. 021809054 STEEL IS real, ride a Surly! Available at your local Surly dealer Good Rotations Bicycles, 34 Anderson Rd www.goodrotations.co VEGE BOXES, juice boxes and staff fruit boxes all available at organicexpress.co.nz BEAUTIFUL CHINA tea cup bird feeders, great for attracting wax eyes and bell birds to your garden. Make the perfect presents $25 ph or txt 021 680 110
notice BIRTHDAY PARTIES!! Hawea Playgroup is available 2 hire, only $30/4hrs. Great location with sandpit, Wendy house n toys galore. Call/txt Tina 021 021 45117.
YOGA FOR your well being. Small classes in a peaceful setting. Contact Jill at 443 7655 or jillmidgley@gmail.com for more information.
CONNECT WITH passed loved ones 19 Mar 7-9PM in Arrowtown with experienced psychic medium Miriana Fowler. Details & $30 tickets at 022 097 4596!
employment
FREE- PANASONIC tv 20 inch,good working order,ph 4435727 or 0274483367
EXPERIENCED BABYSITTERS Required. Work your own hours + great pay! 20yr+, own car, be well presented, clean criminal record. Send resume with referees to info@babysittingwanaka.com.
FREE VISITOR attraction... Beautiful Cromwell Heritage Precinct.Cafes,artisans,exquisite handcrafted jewellery.Lakeside on Melmore Tce,Cromwell.10am-4pm daily.
THE CLEANERS Wanaka is looking for a casual part time cleaner. Please interested contact 02102224341 / thecleanerswanaka@gmail.com
HORSE GRAZING/AGISTMENT use of facilities & riding area including all weather arena. On site owner close to Wanaka. Happy to discuss Juliat@ihug. co.nz 0275091972
For FREE listing text your advert to
INLAND REVENUE are at Community Networks Wednesday 12 March 9am - 1pm,For help with personal or business tax,child support,student loans or family tax credits call 4437799 to make an appointment. JP SERVICES at Community Networks Tuesdays1pm and Fridays 10.30.For appointments call 4437799 LEAD LIGHTS /stained glass windows, lampshades and decretive mirrors designed and made to suit individual needs. restoration welcome. Phone 443 5530 for more info. LONG TERM business visa application professional assistance from someone who has been through the process. Call Alison on 021 0275 9199 PAYROLL ADMINISTRATION, employment contracts and IRD returns, affordable accounting services, call Accounts Office 443 5300 PLUMBER-CALL 0274483367
BRENDAN
BK
Plumbing
ROOF PAINTING new,repaints an coloursteel.all work guaranteed painting in wanaka 35 years ph Wayne 4431715,0272240662 TERRA SERVICES: Earthmoving, tree transplanting, hard landscaping, section clearing. $75/hour, travel costs may apply. Steve 022 176 2748 VINTAGE CAR restoration, mechanical & electrical, MOTOR HOME & CARAVAN repair and restoration. Steve Rumore 443.8854 or 022.176.2748
AFRICAN DRUM & DANCE WORKSHOP, 14th March. Come join Koffie from Ghana for an exhilarating evening workshop and learn traditional African rhythms and dance. 6pm at Dance Wanaka. For bookings & info call 0226 522 779 or 0210 268 0964. LALALAND WANAKA. Great drinks on our outdoor deck with lake views. Open daily 4pm – late. Level 1, 99 Ardmore Street PICNIC IN the Park tickets are available from Alison Stretch (442 8150) or Raewyn Robertson (443 1103) $20 per person or $50 for a family. Cancer Society fundraiser. Food is being prepared with the help of Masterchef contestant Suzanne Drummond. DUNEDIN HEALTH and Spirit Festival 29-30 March!! Check out fantastic offerings and events especially for KIDS on the Saturday at www.healthandsprit. co.nz HAWEA PLAYGROUP, Mon Tues Thurs 9.30am12.30pm, funky playground, wendy house, arts’n’crafts, friendly buzz, everyone welcome, find us on Facebook (-: JAZZ QUARTET at A&P Show: Pip Harker will be performing at the A&P Show with Dom Stayne, Mark Wilson and Ned Webster. Friday 1230-130 and 3-4.33pm. LANDSCAPE PAINTING workshop with Wayne Edgerton Mar 14-16th. $150. Limited spaces. For details phone Willemina on 4437923. LOOKING AFTER YOUR WELLBEING. Workshop for NFP organisatìons & their volunteers, Wednesday 12 March 9.30-12.30am. Call 4437799 to register. WANAKA FARMERS Market on Pembroke Park every Thursday from 3-6 pm
WANAKA WINDOW CLEANING professional, friendly, efficient service. Enjoy those mountain views. High, awkward windows a specialty. Paolo 021 0572505/ 4432420
02 20 786 778
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transport specialist
THURSDAY 06.03.14 - WEDNESDAY 12.03.14
TREE SERVICES
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CONCRETE CUTTING
THURSDAY 06.03.14 - WEDNESDAY 12.03.14
On all situation vacant advertising.
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or advertising@thewanakasun.co.nz
E marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz
trades&services
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P 03 443 5252
employment
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sunsport
Inspiring athletes at duathlon Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun One hundred and forty children, aged five to ten years, competed in the first annual Northlake Duathlon on Sunday. Hailed as an “absolute success” by organisers and parents, the event raised $2300 for Wanaka and Hawea Flat primary schools to assist with the purchase of new sports equipment. Co-organiser Sally Currie said her favourite moment of the day was watching the five to sixyear-old children on their bikes charge up the big hill at Northlake chasing the lead athlete, event host Braden Currie. “They gave him a run for his money and almost all of them made it to the top of the hill on their bikes. Amazing,” Sally said. The run-bike-run event was held at Northlake subdivision and a post-race slip and slide, pictured, was enjoyed by the competitors. In the girls aged five to six category, Caoimhe Heath was first, Nicola McKay was second and Lola Richie was third. Jack Scot was the first of the boys, with Cody Gemmell second and Kezik Magill third. In the girls aged seven to eight
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
category, Amelia Wikstron was first, Emilie Nicholson was second and Fiona Hunt was third, and in the boys category Roman Ally was first, Lachy McKay was second and Tam Simpson was third. In the girls’ nine to ten-year-
old age group, Scarlett Norman won, with Emily Findlay second and Samara Goodall third. Red Simpson won the boys’ race followed by Hugo Cochrane second and Lukas Schafer third. “We will most certainly be
running the event next year,” Sally said. “We enjoyed every moment of organising the event and the day. The energy from the volunteers, the sponsors, the parents and the kids was infectious. Everyone was loving it.”
Double finalist in excellence awards Staff Reporter Wanaka Sun The Audi Quattro Winter Games NZ has been shortlisted for both the event excellence award and the award for
PAGE 24
commercial partnership in conjunction with Audi NZ at the finals of the 2014 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards. Games Chief Executive Arthur Klap said it was a tremendous recognition
of the efforts of everyone involved in the third biennial event. “The Games is an extremely ambitious project and we set high standards so to be a finalist in two categories shows
that we are on track to becoming world leading in winter sports,” he said. “It is also pleasing that the quality of the partnership we have established with Audi has been recognised. This is a real boost for all
concerned as we focus on our planning for the Games in 2015 and 2017.” The winners will be announced at a special awards night in Christchurch on April 14.
THURSDAY 06.03.14 - WEDNESDAY 12.03.14