Wanaka Sun 26 February - 4 March 2015

inside:

PAGE 16

PAGE 4

PAGE 12

PAGE 4

Hawea Flat to Worlds

Flash Gordon delivers

Get on the mic

Old bikes gather

Plans for substation withdrawnAurora Energy has withdrawn its application to the council to build a substation near the Hawea River whitewater park. PAGE 3

A new Volunteer Fire Force will soon be established in Hawea Flat, following the large grass fire in early January. PAGE 2

THUR 26.02.15 - WED 04.03.15 WANAKA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

New fire unit for Hawea Flat

A c o r o n e r h a s m a d e s e v e r a l recommendations to improve the safety of State Highway 6 on the West Coast, following the deaths of two tourists who were swept into the Haast River in 2013.

Coroner David Crerar has found Canadians Connor Hayes (25) and Joanna Lam (24) died on September 10 when their campervan was struck by an avalanche of trees, rocks and other debris and swept off State Highway 6 near Diana Falls down

a steep bank into the Haast River.Unusually heavy rain at the time

caused two slips in the area.Ms Lam’s body was found ten

days later, 55km from the wreckage of the campervan, on a beach near the Haast River mouth. Mr Hayes’ body was not found.

The pair was en route to Wanaka and a search was launched when Ms Lam, an ultrasonographer, did not contact her prospective employer.

A post-mortem revealed she had suffered head, chest, spine and limb injuries and Mr Crerar found it was likely Mr Connor died from

the same injuries.Following an inquest in February

and November last year in Greymouth, M r C r e r a r h a s e n d o r s e d t h e recommendations made by an engineering consultant hired by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to investigate the accident.

The NZTA said it had already i m p l e m e n t e d s o m e o f t h e recommendations.

They included installing gates on State Highway 6 “at points where there are adequate routes to retreat from such barriers in safety.”

The NZTA said road gates had been

installed on Haast Pass and would be used when it was necessary to prevent drivers from using the road due to adverse conditions.

Mr Crerar also recommended “variable message signage” boards be installed near the Haast and Makarora townships to update travellers on State Highway 6 on road conditions.

The NZTA said these signs would be installed in both locations in April.

Story continues page 3...

Changes to SH6 following accidentStaff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Twelve-year-old Meg Harraway (pictured) won the girls’ section and was placed second overall at the Otago Southland Secondary Schools Championships, held near Millers Flat on Sunday. Story page 9.

THURSDAY 26.02.15 - WEDNESDAY 04.03.15PAGE 2

Highway improvements

Plunket needs your help

Longer library hours

Safety improvement works at the Nevis Bluff on State Highway 6 between Cromwell and Queenstown will continue through until Friday, March 27. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes on weekdays between 8am and 5pm until Friday March 6, subject to weather conditions. The work involves tidying up following recent rock stabilisation work and completing routine tasks associated with the safety management programme for this site. From Monday, March 9, until Friday, March 27, the focus will shift to rock bolting work, which is expected to cause minimal disruption for road users. No work will be carried out on Otago Anniversary Day on Monday, March 23.

Wanaka volunteers are needed for next week’s Plunket Appeal.The national “Bear Hug Appeal” will take place from March 2 to March 8 and volunteers are needed to help man collection stations around the town.If you would like to help, you can contact us at [email protected] or call the Plunket rooms. We also need volunteers to help put up/take down the Plunket tent at the Wanaka Show and people to man the tent over the two days of the show.

From Monday the Wanaka Library’s open hours will increase.The library will be open from 9am until 5.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 9am until 7pm on Thursdays; 9am until 5.30pm on Fridays and 10am until 5pm on Saturdays.The previous open hours were 10am until 5pm on Monday to Saturday.The open hours at the Queenstown Library are also increasing and the Queenstown Lakes District Council is planning to consult the residents of other communities in the district on whether their library open hours are adequate.

sunnews

Staff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

aimee WilSon

Wanaka Sun

inbrief

New fire unit for Hawea Flat

Trip into the Nevis Valley The Cromwell Rotary Club organised a trip into the Nevis Valley recently for its Returned Services Association friends.Organiser Derek Whelan said this was the fourth year the trip had been held.Several stops were made at historical sights followed by lunch at an historic crib in the Nevis Valley. After lunch they took a short drive to the lonely Nevis Cemetery. Here RSA members held a service at the grave of their comrade Charles Risk (Otago Mounted Rifles) and Cromwell RSA president John Morton read the ode, which was followed by a short silence.The group is pictured having lunch at the historic crib.

PHOTO: TOMMY PYATT

Wanaka will host the first round of New Zealand’s “Pint-sized Plays” competition this weekend.

L a u n c h e d b y Remarkable Theatre in Queenstown three years ago, the event attracts entries from all over the world.

P r o d u c e r D a v i d Cantwell said the aim of the short plays was to

introduce a new audience to the entertainment of live theatre.

He said once the entries are shortlisted to the best 10, they are then performed in front of an audience, who vote for the best.

P i n t - s i z e d P l a y s originated in Tenby, and the winning New Zealand script will be entered into the next competition in Wales.

David said the New Zealand competition will

have three rounds this year – one in Wanaka, the next in Arrowtown and the finals night in Queenstown.

“All three audiences vote for their favourite play and the voting is amalgamated, and a n o v e r a l l w i n n e r i s a n n o u n c e d i n Queenstown on the final night.”

The Wanaka event will be held at Gin and Raspberry this Sunday at 7pm.

in Pint-sized plays

A new Volunteer Fire F o r c e w i l l s o o n b e established in Hawea Flat, following the large grass fire in early January.

Three fire brigades, several helicopters and a “bucket brigade” of around 80 people helped contain the fire, which destroyed a sleepout and threatened several houses.

Hawea Flat resident Vanessa Hammond said the fire highlighted both the risk to the community and the gap in rural fire services.

The nearest VFFs are in Tarras and Makarora.

“It can take half an hour for an appliance from Hawea (town) to get to Hawea Flat, because a lot of people might be working in Wanaka, and they have to get out here and then form a crew…”

Vanessa said during the January fire, they were lucky there was a full irrigation ditch nearby which locals used as a water source until the fire crews arrived.

The community is holding a public meeting to form a VFF committee on Wednesday, March 11, at the Hawea Flat Hall.

“We need 12 crew members, three crew leaders and committee members,” she said.

C r e w m e m b e r s attend one training day in Clyde to attain a unit standard, then fortnightly (summer) or monthly (winter) evening training sessions.

Crew leaders attend additional training.

Vanessa said all crew members carry pagers, but there is no roster system.

“In the event of a fire, it is up to each member to decide whether they can join the attending crew.”

Training and protective e q u i p m e n t w i l l b e provided by the Otago Rural Fire Authority.

However, the VFF will need to fundraise for the

actual appliance and its garaging.

Vanessa said VFFs are run like clubs, with controllers and training officers.

“They are very social and community-focused. Anyone can join. You don’t have to actually live in Hawea Flat,” she said.

Anyone who would like to join the committee, volunteer to be a crew member, or find out more is welcome to attend the meeting.

Representatives of the Otago Rural Fire Authority will attend to answer questions.

T h e m e e t i n g starts at 7pm.

Locals involved in Pint-sized plays

THURSDAY 26.02.15 - WEDNESDAY 04.03.15 PAGE 3

Aurora Energy has formally withdrawn its application to the council to build a substation near the Hawea River whitewater park.

The Dunedin City Council-owned electricity distribution company applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council last year to build a large substation beside the carpark for the whitewater park.

The substation was necessary to provide a reliable electricity supply to the dairy farms and new houses in the area, the company said.

A u r o r a E n e r g y ’ s plans were publicly notified, with all except three of the submitters opposing them.

The submitters’ main concerns were the impact the substation would have on the visual and recreational aspects of

the area.T h e c o u n c i l -

appointed independent c o m m i s s i o n e r w h o heard the submissions, Jane Taylor, agreed and recommended Aurora Energy f ind a more

appropriate location.Earlier this month

Aurora Energy announced it had found a new site, where the substation would not be visible from the river or the whitewater park.

The site is 500m west of the Hawea River and

bounded by Camp Hill Road about 70m to the north and Kennels Lane to the south.

The closest house is about 500m away.

Aurora Energy withdrew its application for the

original riverside site last week, after the council granted land use resource consent for the second site.

Construction of the substation would begin later this year.

It would comprise a switchyard building,

support s tructures , transformers, cables, walls and fences, plus 1 .8km of new 66kV transmission lines to the substation and a new 11kV transmission line across Camp Hill Bridge. After earthworks, the site will be 1m higher than the existing ground level and the tallest elements of the substation will reach 9m in height and about 0.4m in diameter.

Derek Todd, general m a n a g e r o f a s s e t management for Delta, of which Aurora Energy is a subsidiary, said the conditions of consent included planting to screen the substation.

“We are pleased to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to the local community and recreational users, while meeting our statutory requirement to provide secure electricity supplies in the Hawea area into the future.”

Wanaka’s sports facility and swimming pools at Three Parks are back on the agenda for today’s Q u e e n s t o w n L a k e s District Council meeting.

A t a m e e t i n g i n Q u e e n s t o w n t h i s afternoon, councillors will be asked to increase the budget for stage one of the sports facility by $500,000, to $13.9 million.

More than half of the increase is due to the addition of six floodlights and their associated infrastructure to light

the outdoor artificial multisport turf.

The remainder of the increase is the change from fluorescent lights in the main sports hall to LED lights; the inclusion o f m e c h a n i c a l r o o f dampers, and additional materials which have b e e n i d e n t i f i e d a s necessary as the design of the sports facility has progressed from preliminary to developed.

Councillors will also be asked to approve unbudgeted expenditure of between $150,000 and $200,000, to enable preliminary design of the proposed new swimming

pools to be developed by the end of June this year.

In recent months the council has carried out an expressions of interest process, to find a main construction contractor for stage one of the sports facility.

I t r e c e i v e d n i n e submissions which were evaluated on non-price attributes.

Councillors will this afternoon be asked to give council officers authorisation to proceed t o a c l o s e d t e n d e r process with the top three submitters, in order to confirm the main construction contractor.

If the main contractor is appointed in May this year, stage one of the sports facility will be on track to open in July 2016.

It will include two courts, changing rooms, storage, an outdoor artificial multisport turf and car parking.

After a long community d e b a t e , c o u n c i l l o r s decided in December to build new swimming pools at Three Parks in 2016-17, alongside the new sports facility.

They agreed to include $11.8 million in the draft 2015-25 long-term plan for the pools.

sunnews

Plans for substation withdrawnStaff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

Staff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

Sports facility back on the agenda

Changes following accidentContinued from page 1...

He also recommended the NZTA continue its review of the need for communications infrastructure along State Highway 6.

The NZTA said it had installed repeater stations near Diana F a l l s t o i m p r o v e communication in the Haast Pass area and it would “continue to review the adequacy o f t h e e x t e n t o f communication coverage provided on State Highway 6.”

M r C r e r a r a l s o r e c o m m e n d e d t h e N Z T A i m p r o v e t h e e x i s t i n g S t a t e Highway Emergency P r o c e d u r e s a n d Contingency Plans, the Cross-Boundary Co-ordinating Procedures

and consider further e m p h a s i s i n g t h e hazardous weather and road conditions which could affect remote state highways in the pamphlet and website advice given to overseas drivers, which the NZTA has agreed to do.

T h e p o l i c e t o l d t h e i n q u e s t t h e 2 0 0 4 V o l k s w a g e n campervan, which belonged to Bee Free Motor Homes Ltd in Nelson, did not have any mechanical defects w h i c h c o u l d h a v e caused or contributed to the accident and Mr Crerar said there was no evidence of failure b y a n y i n d i v i d u a l or organisat ion to prevent the tragedy.

He also said “there can be no suggestion that Joanna Lam or

Connor Hayes were irresponsible.

“ T h e d e a t h s o f J o a n n a L a m a n d Connor Hayes were a result of the tragic coming together of a number of events, the absence of any one of which could have resulted in a totally different outcome.

“The debris f low w h i c h c o u l d h a v e swept the campervan from the road into the Haast River was unable to be predicted. The site had never been identified previously as presenting a hazard of this nature. It was o n l y t h e e x t r e m e rain event…coupled w i t h a l r e a d y s a t u r a t e d t e r r a i n , which provided the c o n d i t i o n s w h i c h allowed this slip to occur.”

We are pleased to arrive at a solution that is acceptable

to the local community and recreational users, while meeting our statutory requirement to provide secure electricity supplies in the Hawea area into the future.


sunnews

Staff RepoRteR

Wanaka SunLauRa WiLLiamSon

Wanaka Sun

Get on the mic at Outspoken

L o c a l a n d v i s i t i n g wordsmiths will get the chance to take the stage this Sunday as part of the Outspoken Festival of Words and Storytelling Open Mic.

While poems will be on the agenda, it’s not just about poetry. Outspoken Festival representative Liz Breslin explained al l forms of spoken word will be welcome, including storytelling, comedy, rap, rants and any combinations thereof. “Are you a secret poet? Do you have a joke you want to share? It’s all about fun,” she said, adding that the open mic was open to all ages and a great chance for children to have a go at performing.

“Open mics are a really good opportunity for people to play with their own words. We’ve purposely put i t in the relaxed setting of

Amigo’s, so people can feel comfortable to come along and share, laugh and even show off a little,” she said.

Speakers will be given a five-minute time limit and the audience will vote for their favourites. The winner will walk away with a $50 Amigo’s voucher and join the Wanaka team for “The Other Challenge Wanaka” the following week. The Challenge will pit a team of Wanaka s p e a k e r s a g a i n s t a team from Dunedin in

a series of spoken word challenges, a sort of Town vs Country for writers.

Open Mic performers can s ign up on the night or email [email protected] for more information, Liz said. Admission to the event is free.

Meanwhile, in what must be a first for the town’s recycling centre, poet David Merritt is spending this week in residence at Wanaka Wastebusters, delighting s h o p p e r s w i t h h i s

upcycled poems presented in toast-sized books made using a vintage stamp set, discarded banana boxes and old book covers. He’ll be performing this Saturday evening as The David Merritt Poetry Experience on site at Wastebusters.

Pictured: Annabel Wilson performed at the Legends of the South show that opened the Outspoken Festival and she will also be on stage at the Open Mic this weekend.

PHOTO: ELLIOT STEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: TIM BREWSTER

The sound of thunder on a cloudless Monday heralded the arrival of over 70 vintage motorcycles in Wanaka this week.

The group was part of 170 bikers converging from across the country for last weekend’s 24th annual New Zealand Vintage Car Club’s motorcycle rally based in Cromwell.

The bikes ranged in age from a 1911 King Dick through to early examples of 1980s machinery, with many of the bikes showing strong evidence of extensive restoration.

T h e g r o u p ’ s f i r s t outing to Tarras saw s o m e p a r t i c i p a n t s suffer the ignominy of being collected by the ever present back-up van. Trevor Lightfoot of Christchurch had the expensive misfortune of a valve dropping into the bore of his 1928 BSA. He spent the rest of the day as a sidecar passenger attached to a 1953 BSA Goldflash owned by another enthusiast from

his hometown, Lyndsey Saunders.

R a l l y o r g a n i s e r John Martin said the participants included six from Australia, as well as a Dutch and a British visitor. The response had been positive with participants saying the rally “was one of the best they had attended,” helped by the warm sunny conditions.

Nineteen trophies were awarded in a range of categories including a

time trial, field tests, best restoration, overall winner and for the best hard luck story.

Following a coffee and meal at the Warbirds and Wheels café, the group headed to “the end of the tarseal” on Mount Aspiring Road, before returning to Cromwell over the Crown Range, John said.

As well as the day trip to Wanaka, the club also travelled to Gore and Ranfurly.

Old bikes gather


sunnews

P 03 443 5252

E [email protected]

or [email protected]

advertise in the

Police received a number of driving complaints this week, most relating to failure to keep left or passing without 100m of clear visibility throughout the passing movement.

There were two crashes on the Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Road during the week. One involved a vehicle driving into the back of another that had stopped, while a pedestrian walking on the side of the road was hit by the wing mirror of a passing van, sustaining a minor injury. The driver of the van was charged with careless driving.

There was a theft of petrol from a service station. Police are following up with the registered owner.

Police are following up on leads relating to an assault in one of the central business district bars at about 2am on Saturday involving two groups. Anyone who can assist in identifying the parties involved is asked to call the police.

A tractor near West Wanaka had water poured into its diesel system, causing extensive damage.

A solo female tramper who was crossing Rabbit Pass activated her beacon when she was blown over by high winds and was unable to continue. She was uplifted and taken to Cameron Flat.

crimescene

For non-emergency advice or assistance from Wanaka Police call 443 7272. You can also find

us on Facebook. In an emergency always dial 111. To provide information anonymously, call the

organisation CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111

Visiting Syrian refugees was the most disturbing experience in the career of World Vision chief executive Chris Clarke, he told a group in Hawea last week.

Mr Clarke was in town giving a talk about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and sharing experiences from his recent trip to the Middle East, where he visited Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Iraq.

He described the experience as “the most challenging, yet inspiring trip I have ever taken.”

The humanitarian crisis in Syria will soon enter its fifth year. The conflict has displaced 6.5 million Syrian children - and worldwide refugee numbers sit at 51 million.

Mr Clarke is no stranger to conflict and humanitarian crises, having spent a lifetime working in health management, both in New Zealand and in England, and working with organisations

throughout Europe. He became the chief executive

of World Vision New Zealand in January 2013.

Amanda Murray, vision partner manager for the Lower South Island, introduced the talk with a statement that is certainly true in New Zealand and arguably even more so in Central Otago.

“We are so lucky to live in this beautiful place, but we are sheltered from the realities of the lives of others throughout the world,” she said.

Mr Clarke said that “absence of fear and freedom” was something he never truly appreciated before his trip.

He visited refugee camps with tens of thousands of people living in them.

One camp manager told him that on a single day he had 25,000 refugees arrive at his camp, many of them starving and traumatised.

Many of the refugees travelling from Syria to Lebanon had done the trip on foot, with only the

clothes on their backs, and sometimes with only an hour’s notice that they had to leave.

“I asked these people how long they thought they’d be out of Syria for and they said ‘two months, maybe’.”

He said a lot of these people were educated professionals who described pre-conflict lives which were similiar to those of many New Zealanders.

“Like we might, they knew the fighting was going on but didn’t think it would reach them. Up to four years on, these people are still living in camps, struggling to feed themselves and their families,” he said.

Mr Clarke was struck by the sense of hope that many still held on to after so long.

“The resilience of these communities is absolutely profound,” he said.

World Vision has just won the award for Best Transparency in a not-for-profit organisation, awarded by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

“The idea that the money doesn’t get there is a bit of an urban myth - we can assure you that 82 cents out of every dollar gets to the people that need it.” The rest goes on costs associated with running the company.

He urges people to remember these displaced people and the ongoing challenges they face: “Let their voices be heard and make sure these kids are fed.”

Other ways people can help is by encouraging nations to meet their commitments to supply food, encourage them to use their role in the United Nations Security Council for good and to promote awareness of the ongoing conflict, he said.

“When we went to visit these people we thought they would be asking for money, for soldiers. But what they said to us was ‘Tell people about us - don’t let us be forgotten’.”

To donate or to find out more about World Vision’s work for Syrian refugees, visit worldvision.org.nz/syria.

World Vision CEO visits HaweaMaddy Harker

Wanaka Sun

Guardians of Lake Hawea inspectionThe Guardians of Lake Hawea held a lake inspection by boat on Friday, February 20.

Seven of the nine Guardians, along with invited guests from Contact Energy, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), the Wanaka Community Board, the Hawea Community Association and three long-term residents of the township embarked on Colin and Joy Hansen’s boat and enjoyed a windless sunny day cruising around the lake.

En route the group heard stories of the history of the lake, such as the gold mining in Long Valley; the construction of the roads alongside the lake and the response to subsidence of part of the road; something of the Maori occupation before Europeans arrived and tales of the development of the high country stations surrounding the lake. It was enlightening to have Jerry Burdon of Glen Dene and lifelong residents Mike Cotter and John Taylor, who each provided information. Some of the stories, for instance the episode when Ian Sarginson fell into the lake

during the epic building of his road to the Dingle valley, had a mixed effect on the audience - to Sarge’s consternation, the rescuer had neglected to save his tobacco from a drenching during his submersion.

The need for an adequate crushed rock boat-launching ramp at The Neck (and the hope that Contact Energy will assist with its formation) and various boating hazards, such as the semi-submerged trees at the mouth

of the Hunter valley and several valleys on the eastern side, as well as fences entering the lake and erosion at various points were noted, and Don Robertson, a marine scientist, explained the need for a full scientific study of the lake, its water and the organisms inhabiting it. Such a study has not been done for any of the three main lakes in the district and with luck, a proper integrated study will be financed and conducted in the future. The

Guardians of Lake Wanaka, which is a statutory authority, is looking into the means of establishing such a project. It is hoped that Contact Energy’s foreshore management plan will acknowledge these varied matters.

Many thanks are due to Colin and Joy Hansen for allowing the use of their boat and for their hospitality on board, as well as to those who contributed information. Everybody learned something of value from the day and came away realising the magnificence of Lake Hawea, and with renewed commitment to ensuring the long-term health of its waters, shorelines, rivers, vegetation and fish life.

Pictured, on the rear deck, Dennis Hughes, Rachel Brown, Jerry Burdon, Don Robertson, Sam Ashworth (obscured), and seated, Alison Brown, Dick Cotter, Barbara Chinn (obscured) and Daniel Druce.

- BarBara CHinn,CHairperSon of tHe

GuardianS of Lake HaWea.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED


diningguide

Lone Star Wanaka

perfect for partiesGot a kid’s birthday coming up? Starting in March, you can email [email protected] and we can arrange the desserts to be hand-delivered by our Lone Star fairy, Elsa, or a super hero for children’s groups of 10-plus.

And, as a lways, we have free drink and desserts at our restaurant for the little ones along with our playground, toy box and colouring in sheets and pencils. Take the hassle out of birthdays and let us do it for you.

Functions, events and celebrations - we have you covered here too! Any celebration or occasion is welcome - simply get in touch a n d w e ’ l l l o o k after you.

The restaurant can

comfortably seat 80 guests, while two separate and free to hire function rooms (one upstairs and one downstairs) can cater for another 160 people.

We a lso of fer a popular set menu.

Car-parking is not a problem at the Lonestar Wanaka, or, if you don’t want to drive, we offer a c o u r t e s y c o a c h t o c o l l e c t y o u r group and take you home safely.

WANT TO BE PART OF OUR MONTHLY DINING FEATURE?Running once a month, the Wanaka Sun dining feature focuses on the wonderful

dining options available through Wanaka, Cromwell and the surrounding areas.

- 8cm wide x 5cm high advert in full colour- One free ‘feature’ article on your establishment- A3 posters displayed around town

- Promotion through social media- Distribution to homes and businesses across Wanaka, Hawea, Cardrona, Luggate, Tarras, Cromwell and surrounds

For more information or to book, contact Jake Kilby on 03 443 5252 or [email protected]

For just $70 + GST per month, receive the following:


sunnews

Many tr ibutes have been made for Wanaka m a n S t e v e C o m b e who tragically died in a helicopter crash on February 19, 2015.

S t e v e , h i s w i f e Stephanie and young son Alexander emigrated to New Zealand in 2003 after Steve had finished serving in Iraq as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Marines.

Stephanie recalls why the family decided to come to New Zealand:

“After the experience of war - with him in the thick of it and me at home with our first child, Alexander, who was only a few months old - our experiences led us to be convinced that ‘you only live once,’ so we decided to follow our dream. So we did. Neither of us had ever been to New Zealand so with a typical ‘go for it’ approach we just arrived - no house, no job. Steve has aunts, uncles and cousins in the North Island, so we started there but the

mountains were calling, so down to Queenstown we came.

“Reality hit rather soon when we found out how difficult it was to get a job flying. The first step was to convert his British licence to an NZ one, so he selected Wanaka Helicopters as the best flying school to come to. So started our love affair with Wanaka. Once we arrived, there was no way we were leaving.

A strong, enthusiastic runner and lover of the outdoors, Steve’s sense of fun and adventure saw him enter a number of events, occasionally in

fancy dress, including a star role as the superhero W o n d e r W o m a n i n Challenge Wanaka as a fundraiser.

His strong faith and involvement with the local community saw him become instrumental in a number of charitable fundraisers, including $10,000 for orphaned children in Papua New Guinea, the High Five-O Challenge for mental health and f ly ing a helicopter or manning the BBQ for the Holy Family School galas.

His sense of adventure also sometimes backfired, including when he broke

his leg running over Mount Iron “one more time” in the evening. He had rolled off the path and was out of sight with no mobile phone. Eventually someone heard his cries for help and he was rescued.

“Faith, family, helping others, outdoor pursuits. Any sort of fun you could have on a mountain, Steve would love it, especially if it was with his family.

“He loved life; he lived it at full pitch, with faith and a passion. We now know why - he had to fit in so much into so few years.

Steve is survived by his wife Stephanie, his sons Alexander, 12, and Joseph, 7. His immediate family members are parents Richard and Helen and sister Trish, who all live in Herefordshire, England.

A memorial service for Steve will be held at Wanaka Presbyterian Community Church C e n t r e o n T e n b y S t r e e t a t 1 1 a m o n Saturday, followed by a r e c e p t i o n a t Corbridge Downs.

Tim BrewsTer

wanaka sun

Steve Combe 24/11/1972 - 19/02/2015

PHOTO: SUPPLIED


advertise here...

farmingnewsA monthly column by Kim Reilly of Federated Farmers, on issues affecting the Upper Clutha’s rural community…

The Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy recently classified the drought affecting pretty much the whole East Coast of the South Island, from Dunedin to Marlborough, a medium-scale event.

This declaration would have come as absolutely no surprise to anyone living in these areas. But for the most part, farmers are well prepared and are dealing with this event as best they can. Extreme weather events are undesirable but they’re a reality of farming.

Even in times of serious drought though, there is no inundation of cash or bailing out of farming businesses.

For most farming families, very little additional assistance is actually available other than advice and support. If anyone is really struggling to put food on the family table, there is the ability to apply for WINZ assistance, roughly equivalent to the unemployment benefit.

The reality is that a lot of farmers will continue to face the consequences of the drought well into 2015. It knocks the stuffing out of people, animals and the land. So what the drought’s classification does do is activate a co-ordination of industry information, events, support and advice.

It also highlights the counselling and support the Rural Support Trusts offer in times of adverse events through their Rural Assistance Program. The Otago Rural Support Trust are there to help and can be contacted on 0800 787 254.

Those of us in the primary industries are pulling together to ensure we regularly touch base, share information and co-ordinate

responses and events.There are a few key messages

we’d like to get out to all landowners within affected areas, whether you’re running a large scale high country farm or a small lifestyle block.

Most importantly, have a plan – one that goes beyond the now and takes you right up into spring. Secondly, source your feed. If you usually winter stock off farm, talk to your grazier. If you normally take on stock during winter, make sure you have sufficient feed to get stock through. It may help to talk to a Feed Advisor, to make sure your feed budgeting is sufficient.

Federated Farmers offers a service to connect farmers needing grazing and supplementary feed with those who have it available. You can find out how to access this information through calling the 0800 DROUGHT line (0800 376 844).

The drought serves as a timely reminder for New Zealand to get

smarter when it comes to water storage. Of all the water that lands in our country, we currently only store a fraction.

Federated Farmers is calling for Government to invest in New Zealand’s future, by putting more money into alpine water storage infrastructure. Partnering with irrigators and making these investments now will ensure we’re not so vulnerable next time a drought event hits.

It’s a no-brainer. Drought events hit our regional and national economies hard. The 2013 drought cost the national economy about $2 billion.

Having decent alpine-fed water storage keeps rivers flowing, which is good for fish, good for the environment and good for the economy.

- By Kim Reilly, FedeRated FaRmeRs

south island Regional Policy manageR

Looking beyond the drought

PHOTO: CAROLINE HARKER

sunnews

PHOTO: CAROLINE HARKER


Wanaka favourites Arma Del Amor have not only reached their $10,000 Kickstarter campaign goal, but have exceeded that goal by a third.

The pair, made up of Wanaka locals Martine Harding and Danny Fairley, gave thanks on their Facebook page for the support: “You helped us make our goal, even going above and beyond! We are frothing and can’t thank you enough.”

The electro-soul duo created a campaign on Kickstarter to help fund the final stages of producing their debut album, which they have been working on in various set-ups throughout the country over the last year.

K i c k s t a r t e r i s a crowdfunding platform w h e r e i n d i v i d u a l s and groups have the opportunity to donate to creative people who require funding support for new initiatives.

Arma Del Amor hoped to raise $10,000 for their album and the Kickstarter campaign was set up to run for a month.

Within three days over half of their goal amount was raised and they reached their target after only two weeks. With Kickstarter, you only receive the money pledged if you reach your goal, but the site enables individuals and groups to continue donating beyond the goal for causes they believe in.

In the end, Arma Del Amor, with the help of family, friends and the community, raised just over $13,300. To put it in perspective, overall success rates for Kickstarter campaigns sit at only 44% and to surpass that significantly is very rare.

Danny said he was overwhelmed by the support. “It’s a special feeling having your goals and dreams recognised and cradled to life by your family, friends and

community. Thankyou, thankyou, thank you.”

Martine was equally pleased: “I wasn’t sure if it would go the whole way and it did! I’m really excited to embark upon the next stage of the journey.”

The pair is now able to finish their album in a professional recording studio in Wellington. Once they’re done, Danny and Martine will embark on their first national tour, adding new drummer Ricky Simmonds to the live shows.

sunnews

Maddy Harker

Wanaka Sun

Kickstarter Success for duo

PHOTO: PEIRS HARDING

Record first day sales Business was brisk for the 2015 Southern Lakes Festival of Colour on Monday, the first day of public ticket sales. The day set a sales record for the festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Several shows had sold out by Tuesday and additional shows for The Bookbinder and Anzac Eve by Dave Armstrong had been added to meet demand. “We’re obviously delighted that the programme we’ve put together this year is proving so popular. Initial feedback from ticket-buyers is that they like the wide variety of shows and the top class performers we’re bringing to the region from within New Zealand and around the world,” general manager Lindsey Schofield said.

inbrief

Water-ski wahineIt has been a successful year to date for a young Wanaka water-skier.Twelve-year-old Meg Harraway (pictured) won the girls’ section and was placed second overall at the Otago Southland Secondary Schools Championships, held near Millers Flat on Sunday.The previous weekend, February 14 and 15, she won the junior girls’ category at the Canterbury water-skiing championships, held on Lake Crichton near Dunsandel, where she also made the open women’s final.Meg’s next competition will be the Wanaka Water-ski Club’s annual tournament, being held in Parkins Bay this Saturday, February 28. Local water-skiers will compete against athletes from Southland and Canterbury in the three-round slalom event.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED


PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Scholarship winnersMAC hostel attacks Deans Bank

sunnews

MACmonthly

At 6.30 on a typical Thursday evening in W a n a k a t h e M o u n t Aspiring College hostel students set out on a m o u n t a i n b i k i n g adventure on the Deans Bank trail. The trail runs upstream along the Clutha River from Albert Town and loops back down again to the same spot. The group split into three when leaving, according to their skill level. The group I was with took a detour on the way, into Sticky

Forest. We rode the trail Venus – a fast, narrow and flowing track. The first corner claimed the first victim of the ride. No sympathy was shown as he was told to walk home while we continued on our ride.

The next stage of our adventure was along the Wanaka side of the Clutha River. This trail is on a very narrow track with stunning views of Lake Wanaka tempting you to take your eyes off the

track. After a short while the trail flattens out for easy riding. However, there is the odd section with rows of jumps which were a great mix up for everyone.

After this warm up, we finally reached the Deans Bank trail. The first half was mainly uphill but still really smooth to ride. The riding was great for all levels which made it enjoyable for all. We then headed back downstream into an awesome section of riding.

Everything fitted together really well. There were countless big corners that made the track feel super-fast. The trail finishes before you know it and the first thing that came to mind was whether I had time for another lap. Unfortunately I didn’t, but to anyone who says it is not an epic track, you need to go and ride it just one more time.

- By Sam Keeling, year 13 media StudieS

On Thursday February 5, Mount Aspiring College held its annual House Day during which students from years 7 to 13 gathered in their houses (Barker, Iron, Pisa, Roy) at various meeting spots around Wanaka to have friendly whanau competitions.

After a shared lunch with their whanau teacher and members, students made their way up to the college for the inter-house tug-of-war. This is a warm welcoming for new students and hostellers.

This year the tug-of-war was moved into the gym

due to drizzly weather. The competition was fierce and was eventually won by Barker house which was rewarded with the house shield. As for the new Year 13 house leaders, they have taken over the role with strong commitment, showing pride for their

houses and supporting others. House Day was full of positivity and smiles from students and teachers which I am sure will continue throughout the year.

- By Hana eviSon

Tug-o-war time

New students in town

Young locals pursuing careers in agriculture and healthcare are the recipients of this year’s Upper Clutha A&P Society scholarships.

The society, which runs the annual Wanaka Show, selects two scholarship winners a year who each receive $1000 for three years toward tertiary education which has a connection with the show.

This year’s recipients are Lachlan Woods, 18, and Alannah Stalker, 17.

Lachlan started his first year at Lincoln University this month, studying toward a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture).

“I want my future career to be in the New Zealand primary industries. My interests

are farm management and rural finance.

“ W i n n i n g t h i s scholarship means I won’t have to work part-time during uni, so I can maximise what I’ll get out of the course.”

Alannah has competed in equestrian events at the Wanaka Show since she was four years old and her mother, Jane Stalker, is the show coordinator.

A l a n n a h , w h o hopes to be a future president of the society, wil l begin studying toward a Diploma in Enrolled Nursing at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology following this year’s show, after which she will commence a Bachelor of Paramedic Science at Massey University in Wellington.

“ W i n n i n g t h i s

scholarship means that someone is giving me more of an opportunity for what I want to do with my career. It’s given me the extra drive to do well.”

T h e s c h o l a r s h i p recipients are selected by the society’s president and treasurer who first interview each of the applicants.

The society offers the scholarships in the hope the recipients will eventually return to the Upper Clutha area and use the skills they have gained to benefit the industry and the community.

T h e s o c i e t y a l s o makes other community donations. Its total contribution last year was about $85,000.

This year’s Wanaka Show will be held on March 13 and 14.

Staff reporter

WanaKa Sun

Something for everyone at showEverybody gets something out of the Upper Clutha A&P Show, according to event co-ordinator Jane Stalker.And every year it gets bigger and bigger, with trade displays now taking over much of Pembroke Park.The March 15 and 16 event will have more than 450 varied trade exhibitors and food stalls.There will also be some new highlights, including a “Z-Zone” for children of all ages, where there is a play area with food, drink and shade.Jane said the show catered well for all ages and it was a great “buzz” for the organisers to see the large crowd which attended and the looks on their faces.“The show is for every person – they all get something different out of it.”This year the Rt Hon David Carter, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister for Primary Industries, will officially open the show.The “Golden Lamb” event will also be a highlight, where farmers from around the country compete for the title.This year’s judges are gold medallist canoeist Lisa Carrington, food columnist Lauraine Jacobs and chefs Graham Hawkes and Reon Hobson.Pictured with Jane (centre) are other members of the show’s organising team, Bronwyn McCarthy (left) and Louise Carney.

PHOTO: AIMEE WILSON

You don’t need to spend more than a few days in Wanaka to discover just how incredible this busy little town is.

On January 28, 30 Year 13 students travelled south to move into the Mount Aspiring College hostel. And it didn’t take them long to settle into their new home.

Students stem from across the country to take up the opportunity to live in Wanaka, some not even having visited before. So what is it that makes this action-packed town so appealing? Most are drawn to the thrill of activities like rock-climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, tramping and, of course, skiing and snowboarding in winter. They get the chance to attend a high school which balances academic subjects with a range of fast-paced outdoor pursuits.

And whether it be picturesque landscapes and views, the bustling hub of the village — full of popular cafes and decadent ice-cream shops - or the opportunities for outdoor action and sports,

there’s something for everyone in Wanaka. Or maybe it’s the tight-knit community and friendly locals that make out-of-towners feel so at home in Wanaka. Whatever it may be, this town is undoubtedly an exciting place to spend your last year of school.

I n c o m p a r i s o n t o some of the hosteller’s hometowns, the majority hailing from Auckland, there are some vast differences to be observed. Most appreciable is the fact that you can get almost anywhere by foot or bike.

Wanaka has everything you need — a Paper Plus, a petrol station, the Salvation Army and nothing unnecessary like a McDonalds. It’s the lack of fast-food chains, the people radiating health and fitness and the clean picture-perfect image that makes this place so attractive. And there are no traffic lights, or even traffic, which is a huge plus for people who have moved from a big city.

The hostellers have arrived in town and it’s certain they are going to welcome all opportunities

with open arms, making their final year one not be forgotten. So if you, like the hostel students, are new to Wanaka, it’s time to take up those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and become aware of all that this town has to offer. Or perhaps you’re a local who needs a friendly reminder to appreciate the beauty and character of this environment. Either way, it has been established that Wanaka is someplace truly special and a welcoming home for all.

- By taylor HaWcridge,


TXT MESSAGE

BOARD

TXT THE WANAKA SUNTXT THE WANAKA SUN

sunviews

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.

CYCLISTS SHOULD NEED TO PASS A ‘SAFETY

AND BEING CONSIDERATE’ TEST BEFORE

BEING ALLOWED ON PUBLIC ROADS, JUST

LIKE MOTORISTS. AS FOR ROAD TAX... YEAH,

THAT TOO.

MANY THANKS TO ALL THE KIND PEOPLE WHO

OFFERED ASSISTANCE WHEN MY CAR BROKE

DOWN AT THE TOP OF LITTLE STREET ON

SATURDAY, ESPECIALLY MATT FROM NUMBER

19 AND GREGORY.

TO THE OWNER OF THE ROAMING DOG THT

GOT N2 MY BLUE RUBBISH BAG ON MONDAY,

THANX MATE. GR8 START 2 MY DAY!

ONE HOUSE ON FIFTY ACRES, BRILLIANT. 475

SQUARE METERS PER HOUSE IS RIDICULOUS.

THESE SUBDIVISIONS LOOK LIKE NAPPY

ALLY. WHERE IS UPPER CLUTHA ENVIRON

SOCIETY?

CYCLISTS ARE MOVING A GREAT DEAL MORE

QUICKLY THAN WALKERS AND DOGS. WHAT

HAPPENED TO THE KEEP LEFT RULE?

What is happening on our roads? The past summer has seen an unprecedented amount of bad driving causing tragedies and carnage across the country.Here in the Southern Lakes, the scenery and tourist attractions are a magnet for overseas visitors who, unfortunately, seem to be the cause of much of the damage.The crashes are just the tip of the iceberg.Talk to any local person and you’ll be regaled with anecdotes about near misses, vehicles running stop signs while the driver is fixated on the GPS or filming with their tablet, dodgy overtaking and just being generally oblivious to any other road-users.A petition for overseas drivers to be tested before being allowed to drive in New Zealand seems to have received a lukewarm response from politicians, despite gathering more than 30,000 signatures and what appears to be a weekly occurrence of fatalities.Road barriers, more signage and ‘keep left’ arrows will only do so much. The reality is we are getting a large number of travellers who have very little experience driving in conditions like New Zealand’s, with a 100kph open road limit on two-way roadways.Even if the most conservative estimate of projected numbers of foreign visitors is applied, we’re going to be getting a lot more.Until things improve, the only practical response seems to be to get your passenger to start filming if possible, dial *555 and, if you can, swipe their keys and hand them to the nearest police station.

EDITORIAL

WRITE TO THE EDITORLet the community know your views.

Email your letter of 200 words or less to: [email protected]

Issue 702 Thursday February 26, 2015

Phone: 03 443 5252 Fax: 03 443 5250 Text view: 021 0849 0001 Text classified: 022 0786 778 www.thewanakasun.co.nz

Address: 5 Gordon Road, Wanaka Postal: PO Box 697, Wanaka

Editorial manager: Aimee Wilson [email protected]: Jessica Maddock [email protected]

Caroline Harker [email protected] Production: Adam Hall [email protected]

Advertising: Janine Taylor [email protected] Julius [email protected]

Accounts: Anita Hill [email protected]

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.

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.

Letters can be sent to [email protected] 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.


sunsport

LAKE HAWEA GOLF CLUB RE-SULTS 22.2.15 Hidden Partners 1sT Rick Johnston 41/Dennis Costello 41/82 2nd Bronnie Ste-venson 43/Dick Sullivan 35/78 3rd Lynn Stewart 40/Chris Mor-row38/78 4th Gerry Browne 41/Bryan Burgess 36/77 Penants Presidents Grade Lake Hawea bt Queenstown 4 ½ to 1 ½Closest to the pin no 1 Kahu Vin-cent Hole in one No 15 Red Ste-venson

WANAKA BRIDGE CLUB RE-SULTS. Bronze Championship Pairs 2. North/South:- Alan &

Denise Bunn 59.24%1. Pam Millar, Carol Orbell 56.38%2. Noeline Goldsbrough, Heather Wellman 54.38%3. East/West:- Lawrie & Margaret Stenhouse 64.54%1. Noeline Turner, Shelia White 60.60%2. Jeanette Gillies, Maureen Hawke 59.51%3. Fri-day Bridge 20February. North/South:- Daphne Stewart, Mag-gie Stratford 66.19%1. David Brewer, Lynne Fegan 60.74%2. Bryan Hensley, Elle Johnston 56.89%3. East/West:- Joy Baxter, Linda Sutton 67.31%1. Caro-lyn Grey, Dorothy McDonald 63.62% 2. Gabby Marshall, Claire

Romeril 62.98%3. Mt Barker Pairs 2.(Handicap) North/South:- Mur-ray Pryde, George Wallis 55.58% 1. Fran Holmes, Margaret Newell 55.34%2. Lesley Davies, Mark Har-ry 54.52%3. East/West:- Charles Kiewiet, Beaton Marr 61.75 % 1. Kate Coe, Tommie Munns 57.57%2. George Foreman, Noe-line Raffills 54.28%3.

TARRAS GOLF World Travellers Wanaka Stableford-Jan Gibson 45 points, Annabel Spiers 43, Adri-enne Rowley 41, Maire McElrea 40, Chris Illingworth 39, Barbara Kane 38. Two’s-Adrienne Rowley

sport results

Wanaka tackles GODZone

Hawea Flat freeskier Finn Bilous is one of five Wanaka-based athletes who have been chosen to represent New Zealand.

F i n n ’ s s e l e c t i o n means he will compete at the FIS Freestyle Ski Junior World Ski C h a m p i o n s h i p s i n Valmanenco, Italy, from March 24 to April 1. He will join Wanaka freeskiing brothers Beau James Wells and Jackson Wells.

Local snowboarders Corrah Phillips and JJ Rayward have also been selected for the FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships in Yabuli, China, from March 6 to 16. Al l athletes have been selected to compete in halfpipe and slopestyle.

Snow Sports New Zealand selects athletes for the teams based o n d e m o n s t r a t e d capability, through results or video evidence, to qualify for finals at the Junior Worlds. The

competition also gives young athletes a chance to test themselves against the rest of the world in their age group.

A t l a s t y e a r ’ s championships, the New Zealand team achieved a podium result in

each sport and Beau-James claimed New Zealand’s first Junior World Championship t i t le . He also took sixth place in halfpipe at last year’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Double nets freeskier top spotWanaka freeskier Byron Wells took first place in the halfpipe at the Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open in Colorado last weekend. Thirty competitors fought it out in heavy snowfall in the same halfpipe used for the X Games Aspen. Byron qualified in second place from two qualifying runs with a well-executed, but low-key, run. “It’s not how I’d normally ski and I was only getting about a quarter of the amplitude I was getting at X Games, but the pipe was running really slow and no one was going big,” he said.He took it up a notch for his winning run, attempting a trick combination he has never tried before - a double 12, followed by a right nine, left 10, switch alley-oop five, switch seven and alley oop five. Byron was the only competitor to opt for a double in the slow conditions, a risk that paid off, putting him at the top of the podium. The Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open is a gold level Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) event and an International Ski Federation (FIS) NorAm.

PHOTO: TOMMY PYATT

PHOTO: TOMMY PYATT

PHOTO: CATHERINE PATTISON

Staff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

Staff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

Four Wanaka-based teams and a number of other local individuals ensure there will be no shortage of competitive manoeuvring, camaraderie and good natured trash-talking over the days and nights of this year’s GODZone event.

In its fourth year, the race starts in Wanaka for the first time, with competitors typically given the route they will trek, paddle, cycle and mountaineer just a couple of hours before the starting hooter this Saturday morning.

Over 50 four-person teams will start the event, with two serious professional contenders in Kiwi-based Team Seagate, who are the 2014 Adventure World Racing Champions, as well as the globally first-ranked Spanish/Brazilian team Columbia Vidaraid.

O n c e u n d e r w a y , the event will be the culmination of months of hard slog and outdoor missions exploring the

mountains and rivers of the area.

O n e o f t h e m o r e experienced Wanaka teams, Torpedo 7, made up of Richard Anderson, Simon Bowden, Bob McLachlan and Jo Williams remains unchanged from last year’s GODZone in Kaikoura in which they were placed second.

Team navigator Richard said after finishing second by a considerable margin at last year’s GODZone, his team’s goal is to keep the gap to the front-runners as close as possible throughout the race.

“ T h e r e a r e m a n y variables which can influence the end results,

so a little lady luck is always appreciated. Given the 2015 GODZone race is being held in our home town, I hope with the support of our community and families we can deliver a top result,” Richard says.

Another local entrant, the Breen Homes team, is believed to be setting a world precedent with a family of four competing together in a multi-day adventure race.

Parents Keith (52) and Andrea (50) both still hold the record for the fastest Coast to Coast performances and have partnered up for the GODZone with their two sons Charlie (18) and

Craig (16), with Craig the youngest competitor in the history of the event.

Two other teams which have entered the race with some strong local knowledge of the area are the Haast Eagles, made up of Kris Mayen, David Cowie, Olympic skeleton racer Katharine Eustace and Dan Cullen, and Vistalite Central with Darren Clay, Don Reid (whose wife Fiona will compete in a Queenstown-b a s e d t e a m ) , M i k e P l i m m e r a n d A m i e Manning.

Along with a number of other experienced New Zealand teams will be several Australian entrants a n d r e p r e s e n t a t i o n from Japan for the first time through team Real Discovery.

Pictured: Wanaka’s Torpedo 7 Adventure Race Team (behind f r o m l e f t ) R i c h a r d Anderson, Simon Bowden ( f ront f rom lef t ) Jo W i l l i a m s a n d B o b McLachlan will be joined by three other local teams on the Wanaka start line this Saturday.

Hawea Flat to Worlds


sunclassifiedsemployment

notice

notice

notice

Look out for our door to door collectors and donations tables around town. Cute bunny ears, stickers and balloons available with donations.

We urgently need volunteers for either door to door collections or for an hour slot at our tables at New

World, Paper Plus and NZ Post. Please contact Claire Perkins on 021595944 or email Claire.

[email protected]. Thanks for your support.

Plunket Appeals Week 2nd to 8th of March

employment


20 word limit - deadline Tuesday 4pm - standard network rates apply

02 20 786 77802 20 786 778For FREE listing text your advert to

For FREE listing text your advert to

sunclassifieds

body & mindMETAMORPHIC FOOT massage facili-tates healing flow throughout the body’s meridians. Subtle yet profoundly relax-ing. Temporary clinical session rate $25. Jennifer Rumore 022 097 4596

ARE YOU drawn to experience your own inner essence more deeply? Enjoy a Soul Centered Energy Healing clini-cal session. $25 temporarily. Jennifer Rumore 022 097 4596

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION! The flame in your heart is the beginning of a fire that will transform the world. www.living-presence.org/?page_id=61

GENTLE YOGA with Jennifer Rumore. Tues, Weds in Wanaka 9:30AM, Thurs Hawea 9:30AM. $12 classes & all wel-come! 022 097 4596.

LYMPHATIC CLEARANCE: Support immune system, relieve lymphoedema, swelling, pain. Cleanse. Gentle relax-ing therapeutic treatment. Mon - Fri. Ph Maryann 03 4436463, 021 1101160

RELAX WITH LOMI LOMI MASSAGE: Therapeutic Hawaiian - calming, flow-ing, nurturing. Peaceful surroundings Mon-Fri. Ph Maryann 03 4436463, 021 1101160 Aloha!

MASSAGE THERAPY. Sports-,Deep tissue-,Relaxation-,Pregnancy mas-sage. Effective and rejuvenating. Ursula Krebs, Dip. Massage Therapist CH/NZ. Phone: 027 6602271.

$55 MASSAGE - your first massage at The Body Garage is just $55. To book in call 0212078486 or email: [email protected]

PREGNANCY PILATES - suitable for 2nd/3rd trimester. Stay strong, flexible and healthy throughout your pregnancy. Call/text 0212078486

CHANGING YOUR mind can change your life. Chris Jacques Clinical Hypnotherapist (Dip.Clin.Hyp.) Ph:443 4008, 0274 903 022

INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE by Sarah Millwater Dip IIHHT. Relaxing seated treatment massaging head, neck, shoulders & pressure points 4435267 / 021 059 5639

TAEKWONDO FOR all age from 5 , new ragistrarion start . Come join us. First week free . Have a look. Contact 02040152714 www.facebook.com/wanakataekwondoclub

MASSAGE VOUCHERS make great gifts! Available at In Balance Therapeutics. www.wanakamassage.co.nz. Phone or text Sally 0274875942 to arrange a voucher

MASSAGE THERAPY from a physio at In Balance Therapeutics. Skilled and knowledgeable. Phone or text Sally on 0274875942 for an appointment

HOT QIGONG at Hot Yoga Fusion. Come and enjoy deep relaxation for body and mind rejuvenation. Friday 7.15pm. Contact: James 027 528 0396 [email protected]

for saleREMOVAL FROM Lake Hawea. Weatherboard cottage and bunkroom linked by 25m2 polycarbonate covered deck. Total 84m2. Inspection / offers ph 443 4565

for saleBEAUTIFUL CHINA tea cup bird feed-ers, great for attracting wax eyes and bell birds to your garden. Makes the perfect present. $25. Phone or text 021 680 110

ENTERPRISING MAC student offering $20 banana boxes of fine macrocarpa handsplit kindling. Ring or text Nicholas. 022 097 4596

STANDUP PADDLE boards & accesso-ries for sale!!! Call Miles @ Alpine SUP 021 1858001

SYLVANIAN FAMILIES and PLAYMOBILE fully stocked at your local toy store, Transport & Toy Museum SH6 open daily!

noticesPLUNKET APPEALS Week 2nd to 8th of March. LOOK OUT for our door to door collec-tors and donations tables around town. Cute bunny ears, stickers and balloons available with donations.

REGISTRATION IS now open for YAMI - learn from the pros how to build a career in the music industry - www.yami.nz

DONATIONS KINDLY received. Please drop into the store or for larger items phone the Salvation Army Family Store on 03 443 5068

TOUR SPAIN with Julie Le Clerc May /June Small Group Fantastic Itinerary More information Email [email protected] or local call 443 9425

WANAKA PRIMARY School ‘Op Shop’ open Tues & Thurs - 12 midday to 4pm. Use Koru Way entrance, off Totara Terrace, alongside the steps.

CENTRAL OTAGO @ HEART, Supporting Heart Kids Through Life, AGM, Wednesday 18 March, 7pm, Golden Gate, Cromwell. Contact: Cate 0211133877

WANAKA SALVATION Army Family Store Opening Hours - Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9.30am-4pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

BUSINESS NETWORKING International. The Wanaka chapter of BNI meets weekly at 7am Tuesday morning. Great networking opportunity to grow your business. Contact Rudy for information 027 703 4037

servicesALWAYSBORING LTD – Established Properties needing new or replac-ing sewer/water/power? USE the Trenchless Way – Minimal disturbance to landscapes/driveways ph Callum Weir 021 447 393 Certifying DRAIN LAYER www.alwaysboring.co.nz

WILSON’S PEST Control & Window cleaning. Spider & Fly treatments. Do it once, do it well. Licensed & Accredited. Call anytime 03 443 6652 or www.wil-sonservices.co.nz

HAVE YOUR next PRIVATE function at Eden Bar, Great Deals, always a relaxed place to be. Ph027 2802809 for enquiries.

FUN FUN fun! Come try the original Surly Fatbike. Rent or demo. Good Rotations, 34 Anderson rd, Wanaka, www.goodrotations.co, 034434349.

services LEKKIE SUMMIT motor kit selling quick! Want to electrify your bicycle? Come and see us! Good Rotations, www.goodrotations.co, 034434349.

SMARTMOTION E-BIKES now avail-able at Good Rotations, your local electric bicycle specialist. 34 Anderson Road, Wanaka, www.goodrotations.co, 03.4434349. Tuesday-Friday 12-6pm.

SEWING REPAIRS and alterations. Most things can be repaired. Phone Sue 0272472181

NEED A portable chiller trailer for your function or wedding? Come and speak to us at Wanaka Liquor Centre. 1 Ardmore Street. Ph 03 443 1466

SPIDERS & Flies: call Jae Services for a free quote. We’ll take care of it. 443 1150

SPEAK WITH Confidence public speaking course begins March 26th. Constructive, supportive, fun. Contact Lee Ball: 027 333 4909, [email protected] or www.leeballcommunications.nz

servicesWHO’S BEEN to Archangel or Bannock Brae? There are lots of fabulous lo-cal wine stories that we want to share with you! www.wanakawinetours.com WINETRAIL (946387)

BEYONDORGANICNZTOUR.COM SEE how you can grow an orchard with organics and permaculture. More info Ben Elms 0210786747

WWW.EASYVISA.CO.NZ FOR resi-dency applications contact your Wanaka immigration adviser 03 443 8386 [email protected]

DRIVING LESSONS available. Call Nicky at Aspiring Drivers to book your lesson for professional driving instruc-tion. 0210607310

DIGGERS MAKE short work of your OUTDOOR PROJECTS! Call TERRA SERVICES for good, fast, efficient per-formance. Rave reviews! Steve Rumore 027 222 6600

CARAVAN OR TRAILER CUSTOM DESIGN, FABRICATION, REPAIR, RESTORATION. Put Steve Rumore’s skill, experience, & passion to work for you! 027 222 6600

WANAKA FURNITURE Design bring-ing your furniture designs to life, from Shaker style kitchens to stunning free standing pieces contact www.wanakaf-urnituredesign.co.nz 021 067 9615

WANAKLEAN DOG - Grooming, clip-ping and bathing. Right here in Wanaka! Call Emily on 0275110282 to make an appointment.

DON’T BE left chasing your tail this summer! Avoid disappointment, make your appointment at Wanaklean Dog today! Call Emily 0275110282

FLAT HEAD CAFE for cold local beer and wine, great coffee and friendly staff. SH6 open 7 days.

ARE YOU IN OUR LOCALS BOOK YET?? Incredible future savings when you visit Wanaka’s Transport & Toy Museum.. Open daily!

WANAKA DISTRICTS Club, for afford-able family dining and great bar prices. Join for just $20 per year.

THREE CHAIRS Hair Salon February special with Stephanie. 1/2 head of foils and cut $100. Ph 443 5898

WANAKA WINDOW CLEANING pro-fessional, friendly, efficient service. Enjoy those mountain views. High, awk-ward windows a specialty. Paolo 021 0572505/ 4432420

NEW SECTION? Our compost is re-ally good! And it’s made right here in Wanaka!! Greenwaste + Landscape Supplies (by Wastebusters) “

VASECTOMYS AVAILABLE here in Wanaka with Dr Simon Brebner at Aspiring Medical Centre. Ph 443 0725 for an appointment to discuss.

STORAGE: BOAT, CARAVAN, CONTAINER ANYTHING. Uncovered, cheap. Lake Hawea. Ph 443 6684.

BRA PROFESSIONALLY fitted 200 siz-es so you will get a perfect fit - Beautiful design NO underwire private appoint-ment ph 443 9425

servicesPROSTHESIS (BREAST form) lo-cal fitter Registered with Ministry of Health and will take care of your claim Appointment phone 443 9425

WANT YOUR colours done? Always look your best? Book an appointment with experienced Colour Consultant 4439425

WANAKA PHARMACY is your local pharmacy. We’re the big pharmacy at the top of Helwick Street - open until 7pm every single day. Ph 443 8000

wantedWE URGENTLY need volunteers for Plunket Appeals Week 2nd to 8th of March for either door to door collections or for an hour slot at our tables at New World, Paper Plus and NZ Post. Please contact Claire Perkins on 021595944 or email [email protected]. Thanks for your support.

RETIRED US couple looking to rent apt/house for 5 months (Nov25-Apr15). [email protected]

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED. The Salvation Army Family Store, Wanaka requires your help. Please enquire at our store or phone 03 443 5068

WE NEED help occasional or regular to cross Wanaka primary students at Kings drive roundabout crossing point. Kirsty 0272005111 [email protected]

CLEAN SUPERMARKET BAGS re-quired, please drop these into the Wanaka Salvation Army Family Store

CASUAL WORK WANTED by 23-year-old graduate, until August. Lots of ex-perience: cleaning, babysitting, office work, hospo, general household help. Please text or call Maddy Harker on 0278740573.

WE NEED help on Mt Iron walking bus. Occasional or regular. Social fun and active, school days. Kirsty 0272005111 [email protected].

what’s onFRIDAY, SATURDAY cruise out at Eden Bar, Live Music, Free Bar-snacks, $5 handles $6 house wine, see you there.

LALALAND LOUNGE Bar Wanaka. Open daily from 4pm – 2.30am. Upstairs, 99 Ardmore Street.

ROTARY EVENT – “Dam to Pub Quest for Gold Cycle Race” Sat 21st March ’15 – To enter go to www.racewithrotary.co.nz

EDEN BAR, Jam Nite every Thursday. Play the in house instruments or your own. $5 tap beer from 7pm.

BEYONDORGANICNZTOUR.COM COMING to Wanaka 5/6 April. Growing orchards with nature. Ben Elms 0210786747

NZ JETSPRINT Champs Easter Saturday 4th April Gates open from 11am. Oxbow Adventures Aqua Track 995 Wanaka Luggate Highway. Details Facebook Wanaka Jetsprints

PINT SIZE Plays Play writing com-petition returns to Wanaka. Gin and Raspberry Bar Sunday March 1. Audience decides the winner


trades&services

sunclassifieds

DESIGN INTERIORS

to lease

employment

employment

employment

notice

notice

commercial property

SPACE TO LEASE

Storage Space up to 86m2

Office Space 80m2

Available NOW in Gordon Road

For more info and viewing call

027 246 7835

WANAKA ARTS

SOCIETYBecome a

member and support our

efforts.

$20 Adults and $5 Youth. You will receive

our newsletters, discounts, listings

and the opportunity to exhibit up to four

framed and four unframed works in our two annual exhibitions at Easter and Labour

Weekend. Entries are now open for

upcoming exhibition – April 2nd. Info and entry forms available at Wanaka library or

www.wanakartsociety. Entries close

19 March

employment

SALES REPRESENTATIVE REQUIREDThe Wanaka Sun prides itself on delivering quality local stories to Wanaka and the surrounding areas.

We are currently seeking a Sales Representative to grow and maintain our existing client base. If you love working with a fun team and possess the following skills then this is the position for you.

The hours will initially be 20 hours but will grow.

The successful applicant must have the following attributes:Proven sales backgroundSelf motivated and results drivenDrive and enthusiasm to win new businessOrganised and able to multi-taskSystematic with a good attention to detailExcellent written and verbal communication skillsTeam orientated with a good sense of humourAbove all outgoing and enthusiastic

Please apply with a current CV to:

John Alldred20 Meadowstone Drive, Wanaka [email protected]

notice

employment

Call 03 443 5252

with all advertising

FREE colour & design


sunsport

Challenging swim stage crucialStaff RepoRteR

Wanaka Sun

Flash Gordon deliversLocal milkman John Gordon put in an outstanding effort in the Challenge Wanaka half-iron distance, competing in the 60-64 year old category for the first time. John turned in a time of 4.53, more than forty minutes ahead of his closest rival and was placed eighth overall which would have seen him stand on the podium in every age category. He finished with a blistering 1:34.07 in the half-marathon final leg, almost a minute quicker than multisport legend Richard Ussher who was placed third overall.John is competing in the Taupo Ironman event in early March and, if he continues his good form, could qualify for the World Championships in Hawaii in October.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Setting the tone for the day with a record-breaking swim, Christchurch athlete Dylan McNeice then held off a record-breaking cycle leg by Wanaka’s Dougal Allan to win his third Challenge Wanaka, with Gina Crawford reclaiming the women’s title and her sixth win after placing second last year.

McNeice held off a strong challenge from Allan, finishing just under three minutes ahead, in a time of 8:37.14. A “pretty disappointing swim” from Allan saw him leave the water in 42nd place, 17 minutes behind McNeice’s time of 45:33. Allan said he had been training hard in the pool and expected a much better result. “I still have no idea. I felt strong and was enjoying it.”

Allan’s next event on the

calendar is the Mototapu Xterra, after which a new job as the strength and conditioning coach for Snowsports New Zealand, which involves travelling, may prevent him from defending his Contact Epic mountainbike title in April.

There were also some strong results from Wanaka athletes recovering from last week’s Coast to Coast - Braden Currie came fifth in Challenge Wanaka and Jess Simson was second in

the Lake Wanaka Half, just a week after both won the men’s and women’s longest day events in the famous multisport race. Simone Maier, the fourth woman home in Challenge Wanaka, was runner-up to Simson in the Coast to Coast last weekend, while Challenge Wanaka course record-holder and Coast to Coast race director, Richard Ussher, was the third man in the Lake Wanaka Half.

Albion handle pressureAlbion seniors enjoyed a big win over Queenstown at home in Luggate last weekend, in what was considered a crucial game. Albion batted first, scoring 223/9 with Ryan Wheeler scoring 65, Danny Edwards 40 and Tom Myles 30. Then in reply, Queenstown was bowled out for 166 - Tom Myles lead the way with the ball, taking 3/15; Alex Todd 3/31 and Ryan wheeler 2/20. The team will travel to Poolburn next week for a must-win game to defend the Koford Cup the following week in Alexandra.

Red’s hole-in-oneA lively time was had at the Lake Hawea Golf Club last weekend, after local identify Red Stevenson scored his first hole-in-one.Red has been playing golf for ten years and his effort on the 14th par three hole during a pennants match against Queenstown was his first ace.“There was a bit of celebrating afterwards.”

Wanaka Sun 26 February - 4 March 2015

Documents

Transcript of Wanaka Sun 26 February - 4 March 2015