Colin Monteath has been named the recipient of the Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year 2024 for his book Erebus The Ice Dragon: A Portrait of an Antarctic Volcano. The $2,000 grand prize is awarded in the NZ Mountain Book Competition as part of the long-running NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival. The Nankervis/Bamford prize is awarded to the book that brings the mountain experience into the hearts and minds of the reader.Accomplished photographer and writer Colin Monteath has 32 seasons in Antarctica under his belt and made the first descent into the inner crater of Erebus. The book weaves together history, science, art and adventure, supported by images Colin has taken over his lifetime of working in the region.Colin will be speaking at the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wānaka on Monday June 24. The Heritage Award goes to Desmond Bovey for his book Tongariro National Park: An Artist's Field Guide. The judges described Desmond’s book as “magical, detailed and pretty, with immense value as a guide and companion for mountain walkers and nature artists”. Victoria Bruce took out the Narrative Award for her book Adventures with Emilie: Taking on Te Araroa Trail in 138 Life-changing Days. Victoria took on the ‘Long Path’ with her seven-year-old daughter and her book is an honest story of complex post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and how her outdoor challenges helped her to face her past and forge a new direction in life. Victoria will also be a guest speaker during the festival in Wānaka.  "Reading through this year's Mountain Book Festival entries was a pleasure, narrowing down a list of finalists was hard yakka,” head judge Laura Williamson said.“Every book stood out in its own way. In the end, the winners stood out even more, each approaching our wild places and the people who explore them in new and profound ways.”The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wānaka from June 21 to 25, in Queenstown June 27 to 28, and films will be available to watch online in NZ and Australia throughout July. The festival’s literary events include guest speakers, author readings, book signings and book launches. The full festival programme will be launched on May 21.

The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) has announced the appointment of Queenstown finance professional Kate Skeggs as a trustee.The long running local trust’s award-winning housing programmes provide affordable housing for low-to-middle income earners in Queenstown Lakes. It has helped hundreds of people into secure, long-term housing since it was created in 2007.Kate said she is thrilled to be joining the QLCHT team.“Having lived in the Queenstown Lakes for most of my life, I have seen significant changes in the housing market, and am passionate about enabling residents to have access to decent, affordable housing with security of tenure,” she said.“The trust is developing in complexity and scale, and I look forward to contributing to its continued growth.”Kate has been part of the local business community for many years. She is currently a wealth management adviser with Jarden, providing investment advisory and management services to clients. Prior to Jarden she had an extensive career with Bank of New Zealand and she recently served seven years on the board of Invest South, Community Trust South’s private equity fund.Kate replaces long-serving trustee Joanne Conroy, who has recently retired from her position after nine years serving on the QLCHT board.QLCHT chair Richard Thomas said the trust is delighted with Kate’s appointment and acknowledged Joanne’s contribution to the board. “We owe our appreciation to the valuable contribution from Jo, who [has been] a trustee since 2015,” he said.“As an experienced director and property professional, Jo also served as chair of QLCHT’s finance and audit committee and was a valuable member of the board.”“While we’re sad to see Jo leave, we look forward to utilising Kate’s strong background and capability in finance and her commercial acumen.”PHOTO: Supplied

Waitaki MP Miles Anderson shared breakfast and a range of long-standing local concerns with Wānaka business owners yesterday morning (Monday April 29), followed by a chat with the Wānaka App.Miles told the Wānaka App the biggest adjustment he’s facing now (just six months into the job) is “getting used” to parliament. He has plans for a Wānaka electorate office in Spencer House Mall, which he hopes will be open by June.But while he’s getting used to the new routine, there are thorny issues waiting for his attention. Attendees at the Wānaka Business Chamber breakfast raised issues around infrastructure funding, immigration and employment needs, the lack of vehicle licensing facilities, and access to health services.Wānaka is the largest community in the Waitaki electorate, Miles said, and he’s surprised at some of the gaps in service here.Public/private health partnerships Miles was unable to attend a meeting in Wānaka last month which raised concerns about health services in the Upper Clutha, but ironically the same day (March 20) he met with health minister Dr Shane Reti in Wellington, along with Queenstown Lakes major Glyn Lewers, Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan, NZ First list MP Mark Patterson, and Southland MP Joseph Mooney. The group has been working on a public/private partnership proposal which will, if approved, “address the bulk of all the health issues” in the district, Miles said.“Because it’s not about building a big building, it’s about utilising everything that’s here,” he said, adding that, for example, maternity services could take place in Wānaka, surgery in Clyde, and renal services in Naseby - using existing staff.Joseph Mooney has been leading the project with the help of Queenstown business management consultant Helen Foot.The group has another meeting with Shane Reti next month, to supply more details on the project first presented in March. He said the group has not been working with Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora.“If the minister approves it he’ll take it to the health authorities,” Miles said. “We want the concept to be approved by September/October.”Miles said the pressing issue for Wānaka of after hours care (which currently is supplied by local GPs only until 11pm) is an issue faced by other communities in the Waitaki electorate.However, he said: “I think it’s ridiculous an area as large as this has to funnel toward Dunedin or Invercargill to get the health services that people get a lot easier in other centres.”Miles told the Wānaka App he would apply pressure on Te Whatu Ora to its commitment made at the Wānaka health meeting to extend after hours care here by winter.“But I don’t know where they’re going to magic up GPs from - that’s the problem.”PHOTO: Wānaka App

Lake Wānaka Tourism general manager Tim Barke is moving on after four years in Wānaka’s top tourism job.Tim told the Wānaka App he will take on a new role in Taupo as general manager of Poronui Station, a role which “lines up amazingly” with what he has done in the past and his family’s interests.Tim told the Wānaka App he’s witnessed a great deal of change in Wānaka’s tourism sector in the past four years. “When I started, tourism [was] booming to the point where communities were feeling pressured, under-resourced (particularly with infrastructure) and in some cases feeling ‘pushed out’ of their own home,” he said.When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 that all changed.Uncharted territory“The borders were closed and tourism had been effectively shut down with no idea how long it would be before we could try and restart,” he said.The LWT team worked with community and national organisations to support businesses. The Covid-19 pandemic was “uncharted territory” for tourism. PHOTO: Wānaka App“It was an incredibly difficult and stressful time for businesses, trying to make decisions on how much to invest (taking on extra debt in many cases) just to stay alive in the hope things would come right soon,” he said. “This was uncharted territory and I don't think anyone expected it to go on as long as it did.  Often when there seemed to be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ it turned out to be yet another ‘train’ to take a hit from. The net effect is many businesses are still under stress working to dig their way out of the financial hole they found their balance sheets in.”When the borders finally reopened, Tim said there was “a massive and palpable feeling of relief”, then work began to try and rebuild. “There is still a long way to go for many businesses, but optimism has returned - with a healthy dose of cautiousness,” he said.During this period LWT took the opportunity to re-evaluate both its role and the visitor industry itself.The organisation undertook community consultation and worked with Destination Queenstown, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), Ngai Tahu, and the Department of Conservation.With what they learned, LWT utilised government funding and came up with a district wide Destination Management Plan, ‘Travel to a thriving future’. Read more: New tourism plan adopted for districtWhere to now?Since travel restrictions have been lifted Tim says many people have reevaluated their lives and decided that Queenstown Lakes is a great place to live.“Our population was growing fast before, but it feels like it has accelerated since Covid,” he said.The resurgence in tourism must be well managed, Tim said. PHOTO: Wānaka App Domestic travel has also seen a resurgence, helping bring “welcome, life-saving revenue back into our businesses and community”.Tim added a note of caution, however, saying that growth comes with risks.“If we get it wrong and the growth is not planned and managed, we could end up in the same position that we were prior to the pandemic with communities negatively affected rather than feeling the benefits that visitors bring.”That makes implementation of the destination management plan so important, he said. “Fortunately, we know what we need to do (as outlined in the plan) and there is huge support for it, so we are well placed to create a prosperous, resilient future for our communities, the environment and places we operate and live in and our businesses as well.”Tim said he leaves LWT in a “good place”.“I'm very proud of where we have got to and where I can see Wānaka and Queenstown Lakes getting to into the future. I feel I am leaving at a time where we have the momentum to continue down this path, with many places around the world watching what we are doing and asking to learn from our successes... and from what we don’t get right.”

Wānaka Police senior sergeant Fi Roberts says new constable Katrina Johnstone brings a varied skill set to the role that is “just magic”.Katrina was interested in joining the police force when she left school but she was advised to get some life experience by working in a different industry first, and her interest in working with children made teaching a natural choice.Her time as a teacher included a period working at local high school Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College, which means she will be a familiar face to some local families.After a “really enjoyable career” in education Katrina decided it was time for a change and she entered the police force.That new career has now brought her back to Wānaka and Fi says Wānaka Police is lucky to have her. “Those transferable skills she has, especially with youth, are just fantastic,” Fi said. “She’s a living, breathing example of exactly what we are after.”Outside of work, Katrina likes running, socialising with friends and spending time with family.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A public hospital half an hour’s drive from Wānaka, no gaps in after hours health care, and easy access to GPs: Wānaka’s new lobby group has set some clear goals for the Upper Clutha and the group’s founding members mean business.Health Action Wānaka (HAW), has received a “strong and positive response” to its launch, with an increasing mailing list of subscribers and many community members getting in touch to offer their knowledge, experience and skills, Monique Mayze (a communications practitioner and Food for Love board member) told the Wānaka App.The other HAW steering committee members are Lucy Middendorf (local business owner and Community Networks board member), Nicky McCarthy (dietitian and Food for Love board member), retired GP Brigid Loughnan and social worker Heather Clay.The group was formed to provide a community-led voice to ensure the people of the Upper Clutha receive “the health services they deserve both today and in the future”, as members of the Upper Clutha community step up pressure on officials to improve access to local health services.HAW founding members attended last month’s meeting to discuss the pressure on local health services (organised by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board), which filled the Lake Wānaka Centre.Read more: Community sends resounding message to health officials“Our steering committee is embarking on a 'discovery phase' of engaging with stakeholders across the system, including meetings with representatives from Central Otago Health Services, WellSouth and Te Whatu Ora,” Monique said.“We want to better understand the community's needs, the barriers to delivery, and what different stakeholders in the health system are willing to do to help meet the needs of our community.”The group’s website outlines its short and long term goals. Within six months, HAW wants delivery of extended (6pm to 8.30am) publicly funded after-hours healthcare for the community; and the opening of Wānaka's primary birthing unit in Albert Town.Read more: Renovation work begins on future Wānaka primary birthing unitWithin 12 months, the group wants a publicly funded blood-collection centre established in Wānaka so locals no longer have to pay for blood tests that people in other locations can access for free; increased resources to reduce wait times to see GPs; improved access to mental health services; and increased ambulance services to manage demand - especially during periods with high numbers of visitors.Within ten years, the group wants to see a fully publicly funded hospital built in Cromwell to service Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes’ growing population.Monique said these objectives are based on HAW’s current understanding of the community's needs and the healthcare system and they may change over time in response to community feedback and further research.To gather information to lobby for these goals, HAW is asking people to get in touch and share their stories about barriers they've faced when seeking healthcare services.People can visit the 'Resources' page of HAW’s website to access a google form where they can submit their story (anonymously if they wish).PHOTO: Wānaka App

Senior sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts started in her role as Wānaka’s top cop on Monday (April 8), and said it was “great to be here”.Fi has worked in the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and as an Armed Offender Services (AOS) commander, among others, and has a home base in Wānaka.“I’ve been part of this group for a long time [so] there will be a brief settling in period. I’m absolutely grateful to be here, [it’s] a great station full of really hard working people. “I’m here to stay: get used to the face,” she said.“If you see me then please make yourself known. Everyone’s welcome at the station - hopefully as visitors.”When not in uniform Fi enjoys an outdoor lifestyle, including diving, fishing, and hunting. She is currently learning how to fly a helicopter.Her sidekick spaniel Walt is also pleased to be full-time in Wānaka, and has issued a warning to the rabbits at Sticky Forest: “Watch out.”Wānaka police has two sergeants, Darren Cranfield and Kim Chirnside, and 16 full time employees (mainly sworn officers). There are also a few authorised officers on staff, Fi said.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A group of 14 senior Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College (MAC) students are preparing for a life changing three week trip to Nepal.Hikes up Mt Iron five days a week for the past seven weeks have been just part of the preparation for one of the group, year 13 student Harriet Sargood-Ross.“I have never left New Zealand before and I knew this would be an experience of a lifetime that will show me how people in different countries live and how New Zealand is just a small part of the world,” Harriet told the Wānaka App.The trip involves two days of rafting and canyoning near the border with Tibet, four days in a village homestay doing community service, seven days trekking in the Langtang Valley and a few days to finish exploring Kathmandu.MAC outdoor pursuits teacher and trip coordinator Dan Cullen said the trip will provide an opportunity for personal growth for the students, as well as the opportunity to “experience and gain perspective of what life is like in a country that is very different to New Zealand and Wānaka”.“Nepal was chosen as New Zealand has a special connection that goes all the way back to 1953 when Ed Hillary climbed Mt Everest, and students from our college also have a special connection having completed charity work in the Khumbu valley with the Hillary Foundation,” he said.On a previous trip in 2019, MAC students built a stone wall around a school and painted several classrooms.Wānaka also has important connections with Nepal through companies such as Adventure Consultants, Dan said.“Nepal has amazing and challenging trekking through the Himalayas and provides opportunities for our students to give back through community service while in a village homestay. “By trekking through the Langtang Valley, we are able to provide work and income for the villages that were hit hard by the earthquake in 2015.”The students have worked hard to prepare and raise funds for the trip, Harriet said.“Just leaving New Zealand is fun for me but I’m also really looking forward to all the community service we will do as I want to help as much as I can, to spend time with the local people there, and to see how they live.”The students will leave New Zealand for Nepal this Friday (April 5).PHOTO: Supplied

Local woman Holly Deaker is the proud owner of a brand new Haines Hunter boat valued at $70,000 after winning second prize in the Coastguard New Zealand Summer Lottery.Holly was presented with the new boat yesterday (Thursday March 28) after being informed of her win when Coastguard New Zealand phoned her in February“I thought it was a scam at first,” Holly said. “I’d almost forgotten that I’d bought the ticket and I fully didn’t remember what type of boat it was either.”Holly said she purchased the ticket online and that it was the first time she had bought a ticket in the Coastguard lottery.“It’s quite a cool way to be in to win something. Obviously you never expect anything out of it but still support them [Coastguard] as well,” she said.This will be the first boat Holly has owned however she has plenty of experience on the water having been a commercial jet boat driver. “I actually used to drive jetboats commercially, but this is obviously a bit different,” she said.Coastguard Wānaka Lakes (CWL) president Jonathan Walmisley said he was delighted to present a major lottery prize to a Wānaka winner.  “It’s fantastic to have a local winner because it proves you can win outside Auckland,” Jonathan said.“For us it is fantastic that local people support Coastguard.”Jonathan said CWL sold 1,100 tickets locally, which were priced at $10 each, and that CWL receives $7 from every ticket sold.“That is a significant part of our annual fundraising,” he said.“For us it is running costs, we reckon it is costing at the moment between $3,500 and $4,000 per month to run our unit; the boat the building and everything.”Jonathan said that despite the windy weather this summer CWL had one of its busiest years for non-urgent assists where boats had broken down.“So people still need to be careful about making sure their boat is fit for purpose before they go out,” he said.Holly said she is hoping to take her new boat out on the lake this Easter weekend.“Hopefully there is some [summer] left, fingers crossed,” she said.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Allan Kane is stepping down as Central Otago Health Services Ltd chair, marking the end of a challenging and rewarding era.He joined the board 12 years ago, serving 10 of them as chair.As he prepares to step down, Allan said he looks back at his time fondly, knowing how valuable the organisation is to the many people it serves.Because of Central Otago Health Services Ltd, Dunstan Hospital still exists, after having been in the firing line of potential closures across the country in the 1990s.It was decided if the community could find a way to undertake ownership of the hospital it could continue to offer a range of services.Incoming Central Otago Health Services Ltd chair Richard Thomson. PHOTO: SuppliedCentral Otago Health Inc was formed and the rest is history.Allan said while there had been numerous highlights during his time as chair, one in particular stood out.“Just to have continued to maintain a high level of compassionate care that Dunstan has always been known for,” he said.He said the arrival of Covid-19 and the following four years had been among the most challenging aspects.“I think the team has responded significantly as an organisation. I think we can be very proud of how we maintained services over that difficult period.”Allan, a farmer, is happy to be stepping down knowing the service is in good hands, which now includes Richard Thomson at the helm.Outgoing Central Otago Health Services Ltd chair Allan Kane. PHOTO: SuppliedWhile it will generally be business as usual, Richard hoped the coming years would see even more valuable services offered at the hospital.He said that meant bringing more specialists to the district from Dunedin for regular appointments.Dunstan Hospital has specialists visiting most days of the week from Dunedin Hospital, with some making the trip with Mainland Air so they can provide longer clinics.Those frequent flyers often include specialists from medical oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology, elderly health and general surgery.Richard said many other specialities could be added to that list.The visits mean fewer patients need to drive to Dunedin for their appointments, which takes time and costs money.“I think health is made up of a lot of different pieces ... we need to look outside of our own patch to see how we can facilitate more services closer to home in our region,” Richard said.A CT scanner, which was funded largely by the Central Otago community, also means people don’t need to go to Dunedin for diagnostic services.A patient transfer vehicle valued at $180,000 is also on order for the district, which is funded significantly by community donations.Richard (who has a background in psychology, but now owns a retail business) hoped more donations would be made so further services and equipment could be funded.Overall, he was looking forward to his new role and working alongside a team of invaluable people.“It is the staff here that makes this hospital and health services association ... what they are, and we are incredibly fortunate with the quality of staff we have here.”

Flying in the skies above Wānaka as part of Warbirds Over Wānaka this weekend will be a very special experience for Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130 Hercules co-pilot Flight Lieutenant Angus Knox.“I’ve had a connection to Wānaka my entire life and my parents now live there in our long-term holiday home. It’s a special place to me,” the 31-year-old said.Angus is set to co-pilot a C-130H (NZ) Hercules on the fleet’s final airshow before the aircraft are retired early next year.“As a pilot, I haven’t had a chance to land a Hercules there yet, so I’m excited about that as it’s always a really special place to fly,” Angus said.“I’ve only been flying the C-130H for a couple of years but it’s a special aircraft to fly, with such a big flight deck. There’s heaps of camaraderie with the crew and it’s really special to be a part of history with the aircraft type, and it’s a privilege to stay until the end of an era.”Angus said he’d wanted to be a pilot since his childhood, and follow some family footsteps into the Air Force.Flight Lieutenant Angus Knox (right) and Flight Lieutenant Ben Pickering will both co-pilot Hercules frames in the fleet’s final Wānaka outing.His uncle flew for No. 42 Squadron and the RNZAF’s aerobatic display team the Red Checkers; the predecessors to the modern-day Black Falcons.“I was working as an agriculture consultant, but I’ve always had an interest in flying and decided it was time to change, so I joined the Air Force in 2017. My uncle was in the RNZAF, and my granddad served in World War II as well, flying Mosquitos as a night fighter based in the UK,” he said.Angus’ family will come along to support him flying in his first airshow.“When you’re flying you’re not really aware of the crowd, but the flying itself is really exciting and I know my family will be there watching,” he said.Every current RNZAF aircraft type will be seen at Warbirds Over Wānaka this weekend, subject to availability.Some will carry out flying displays, while others will be on static display for the public to get up close to. Some will be working to provide transport support to the biennial event.The Air Force Heritage Flight will also be at Wānaka, including a recently restored P-51 Mustang in its first public flying display.Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb said airshows like this supported the preservation of New Zealand’s aviation past and present.“They provide an opportunity for the NZDF to display its aircraft capability, showing how it can support the people of New Zealand. Domestic airshows and display activities enable the NZDF to inspire, educate and engage with the communities they serve.“Not only do they allow for the demonstration of skills and capabilities of the NZDF, they also support the preservation of the NZDF’s history,” he said.A new RNZAF P-8A Poseidon will also be seen in action for the first time, demonstrating a simulated raft drop with a low pass down the airfield.As part of its final airshow outing, the retiring fleet of Hercules will also be celebrated with a Formation Thunder flypast, handling display, the RNZAF’s Kiwi Blue parachute display and a lakefront flare drop that promises to be spectacular.Warbirds Over Wānaka will take place from Friday March 29 to Sunday March 31. PHOTOS: Supplied

When the Wānaka Business Chamber launched a Wānaka version of the popular Monopoly board game in December (2023), it may have been an Englishman who was the most excited.Neil Scallan (54), who lives near London, is the Guinness World Record holder for the most monopoly sets of different kinds collected, and just before Christmas he approached the Wānaka App seeking a copy of Wānaka Monopoly.“My favourite part is finding rare sets from abroad that I would most likely never get,” Neil said.“I now have 4,033 different sets.”Neil said he was an avid traveller before putting his money into becoming a Monopoly set collector. He began collecting more than 20 years ago while on a trip to New Zealand.“I have been to Wānaka actually, had a flight in an acrobatic plane,” he said.“I love aircraft … we did many loops over the lake, it was an amazing flight but I forgot to buy the T-shirt.”Monique Aitcheson of Paper Plus Wānaka and NZ Post helps Wānaka Business Chamber general manager Glenn Peat post the Wānaka Monopoly Board to Neil Scallan. PHOTO: Wānaka AppWānaka Business Chamber general manager Glenn Peat said more than 2,600 Wānaka Monopoly sets have sold since becoming available mid December.“There was a lot of interest for last minute Christmas gifts,” Glenn said.“Hopefully we’ll get a second wave of people coming to town and wanting the board.”Profit from the sale of the Monopoly games goes to the Wānaka Business Chamber to be reinvested back into the development of the chamber, he said.The Wānaka Monopoly Board is available to purchase at selected retailers (Paper Plus Wānaka, Mitre10 Mega Wānaka, The Camp Lake Hāwea) and online.

For 30 years, the closest Justine and Geoff Ross had come to cows was two cowhide chairs in their Auckland living room.But that didn't stop the couple behind the successful 42 Below vodka business from buying a high-country station at Lake Hāwea and embarking on a new way of farming.The station isn't just carbon neutral, it's carbon positive.They detail the struggles, even outright hostility as well as the triumphs and deep satisfaction from having a dream, and the courage to chase it in their new book, Meet You At The Main Divide: A Family's Story Of Life On Lake Hāwea Station.When she first set eyes on the property it was a “hard no” Justine Ross tells Jesse Mulligan (RNZ Afternoons), but a trip to the back country on the property changed her mind.“There's a stream there and we sat there as a family and had a bit of a picnic, and I just couldn't believe it, it was unfathomable and it still is really, that we could actually own this piece of land.”Geoff, despite years in the marketing game in Auckland, felt the pull of the land strongly, he says.“I thought I'd suppressed it after being in Parnell and the agency worlds, but it was always there actually and after a couple of trips down here for recreation, the pull finally got the better of us.”Their first year on the property wasn’t plain sailing, Justine says, but gradually the family settled into life on the farm. They were also driven by a desire to do something tangible for the climate, Justine says.“Geoff was part of Pure Advantage, a lobby group for the business case for the environment, which does amazing work.“And I've been involved with Greenpeace, there was just so many factors pointing to having the need to do something significant about what we believe is the existential threat that our planet is facing.”Having made their money “selling booze” they wanted to leave a more wholesome legacy, she says.“A legacy that's really about what we believe in, to become climate advocate people through farming was just a no brainer for our whole family.”They acknowledge they met some resistance to the way they planned to farm at the outset, Geoff says.“It was probably at a ram sale, the first ram sale I went to actually and the subject of climate change came up, over smoko.“And there was a sense of resistance at that point. But it's amazing how much that's changed in the last few years.“And in fact, the last ram sale I went to, now the conversation is that the climate is definitely changing.”Seasoned farmers from the region know better than anyone how the climate has changed, he says.“One of the drivers for coming here, with a lot of discussion in the media was around farming as a problem in climate change, I guess what we wanted to disprove that and show that farming can be part of the climate change solution.”Being a carbon positive farm means they sequester twice the amount they emit, Geoff says.“We emit largely through our stock and tractor hours, we emit 2500 tonnes of greenhouse equivalents every year. So, it's a big number.“But thanks to a lot of that bush, a lot of the plantings, we’ve planted 22,000 trees, a lot of the regenerating gullies and and steep faces which have little farming value, because we've protected that, it's sequestering 5500 tonnes.”Country Calendar featured them last year, and they copped some pretty virulent online burns, being called ‘Instagram farmers’ and ‘five-minute farmers’.“I mean, all those things are true. In many regards, we are, we've only been here six years, so in many contexts, it's a short period of time.“But there is often a case for fresh eyes. And if you look to other sectors, to use an obvious one like air travel, Air New Zealand don't always hire pilots to be the CEO, they often have expertise and experience from other sectors to drive that business forward.“Farming, as in all sectors, has got to keep the change reflex, we've got to have fresh eyes, we've got to keep looking to what our customers are doing.”“And whilst I can't claim to be an expert with a team of dogs, hopefully there's some skills from what Justine and I've learned, maybe on the market facing side, that can be useful to farming,” says GeoffAnd it’s not all soft and fluffy, hard economics lie behind the farm strategy, he says, the farm turns a profit.“When you're in marketing, you spend a lot of time speaking to your customers and finding out what they want and then looking at what you can offer and then searching for your competitive and ideally a unique competitive advantage.“And New Zealand has many particularly in farming, and I don't think they've been articulated or potentially heard well enough.”And if they are ‘Instagram farmers’ there are hard-headed reasons for that, they say.“There's 50,000 farms in New Zealand, if each of those had as we do for instance 1000s of followers for our Instagram, from countries around the world, let's say in New Zealand each farm had 2,000 followers, that's a 100 million people worldwide listening to the great work that New Zealand farmers are doing,” Geoff says.It's the way they find business, says Justine.“We connect with those clients is through Instagram. So, if that makes us Instagram farmers, we’ll take it.”PHOTOS: Lake Hāwea Station

Wānaka’s Brian Kreft was shocked when he received a phone call recently telling him he had been awarded a Distinguished Fellowship by New Zealand’s Institute of Directors.Wānaka has been home to Brian for 38 years and his links here are strong.His family has owned Paper Plus for more than 35 years and his support for local businesses is well known.“It was something I never expected,” he said.“Firstly I was flattered; secondly I’ve had a degree of luck in my time, but it was obviously recognised by my peers that I’ve done things the right way,” he said.The Distinguished Fellowship is the highest accolade from the Institute of Directors.Institute chief executive Kirsten Patterson said Brian showed exceptional business leadership and commitment in establishing an ethical oversight regime at the New Zealand Stock Exchange. He was instrumental in establishing the Market Surveillance Panel of the NZX, now known as the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal.Obviously a hard worker from early years, Brian attributes his start in business to ‘Mac’ Tulloch (of Tulloch Transport, Gore) who loaned him the money to buy a milk run.Brian, the milk run lad, rented quarters backing onto Tulloch’s.“When I got a job at Forsyth Barr, he paid me back the interest I’d paid over that year, saying ‘For someone who’s prepared to work so hard - you deserve a start in life’.” Brian is now retired as an investment banker, and a testament to his principles, care and professionalism was the fact that he never had to tout for work; people came to him.PHOTO: Supplied

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) celebrated the service and achievement of its senior students at its 2023 Senior Awards ceremony on Wednesday (November 1) Awards included Dux (Matilda Metcalfe), Proxime Accessit (Eve Flint) and Best All-Round Student (Jessie Winter), in addition to a range of other awards recognising sport, academia, Duke of Edinburgh, Students in the Community, cultural awards and more.Next year Matilda plans to undertake a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and Music at Massey University; Eve will study Engineering at the University of Canterbury; and Jessie will study Health Science at the University of Otago.MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said the awards recognised student achievement across a range of disciplines and underlined the many opportunities open to students. “We pride ourselves on being a place for all students to grow and be proud of who they are, and encourage our students to not only make the most of the curriculum opportunities available, but to get involved in all aspects of school life,” she said.“We want every MAC graduate to leave our school equipped with the skills and self-knowledge they need to contribute to the common good and flourish in a complex world.”In addition to the presentation of awards, the awards ceremony included a number of special performances, including a haka pōwhiri performed by Te Mākahi o Tititea (MAC’s kapa haka group), the leavers’ band, the classical group, the jazz combo, and the award-winning musical trio ‘Spoken’. “Observing our senior cohort of 2023, I feel very confident our students will go on to make a positive contribution to our society,” Nicola said.“I am very proud of our senior students and thankful for the support they receive from their families and whānau and our local community.”The college’s new head students and committee leaders were announced at the event with Tom Sides, Zavier Taylor, Lottie Hunt, and Daisy Sanders named head students for 2024. All awards:Year 11Highest achievement: Izzy Foskett (music and level 2 physics and mathematics with statistics), Lucy Liddell (agriculture, science and food and nutrition), Sophia Lyon (art design and Spanish), Joseph Combe (spatial and product design), Archie Bruce (English), Mila Culpitt (mathematics with statistics), Sam Beale (outdoor pursuits), Sam Wilson (music technology), Jessie McNeil (event and entertainment technologies), Minka Brooks (art painting and photography), Cody Brett (mechanical engineering), Oskar Sharpe (computer studies), Ryan Stembridge (drama), Cholula Brown (mathematical modelling), Monty Brown (woodwork), Midori Osnabrugge (economics and business), Amelia Latchford (geography), Lucy Maibach (Te Reo Māori), Grace Thomas (history), Harry Oxley (mathematics with algebra), Isaiah Chin-Nyika (physical education).High achievement: Xander Maguire (science), Abby Jago (food and nutrition), Jessie McNeil (outdoor pursuits), Mikayla Botting (mathematics with algebra), Minka Brooks (science), Cormac Lee Smith, Arlo Mackay (mathematics with statistics), Eli McArthur (spatial and product design), Lucy Radford (physical education), Joe Rowley (English and science), Ryan Stembridge (English), Joseph Combe (economics and business and English), Tommy Cotter (mathematics with algebra), Zeph Foster (woodwork), Dan McKean (English and level 2 Mathematics with calculus), Olivia Shore (English), Midori Osnabrugge (science), Sophia Lyon (economics and business), Chantel Thurston (art painting and photography), Lexi Brown (mechanical engineering).Year 12Highest achievement: Amy Benson (music, chemistry and Spanish and level 3 English andmathematics with calculus), Zoe Laws (history and psychology), Josh Moody (level 3 physics), Annika Massey (mathematics and statistics), Lily Jarvis (agriculture), Millie East (physical education), Oisin Corbett (spatial and product design), Ella Sarginson (food and nutrition and mathematics with statistics), Emily Schmidt (business), Anton Jones (computer studies), Noa Hunter (tourism), Suki Leigh (drama), Lewis Turner (economics), Tawa Wolfe (music technology), Nat Warburton (photography and woodwork), Jaime Olley (gateway), Aryenyo Emasu (painting), Sacha Swanson (Te Reo Māori), Tivi De'Souza (health), Mackenzie Hall (event and entertainment technologies), Tom Sides (English), Henry Allison (mechanical engineering), Bryne Bloxham (outdoor pursuits), Abbey Pedersen (art design and geography).High achievement: Taylah Jones (mathematics and statistics), Will Miller (outdoor pursuits), Neve Brugman (psychology), Finn van Maren (physics), Tai Treadwell-Burke (biology and chemistry), Henry Allison (woodwork), Lena Pollard (biology), Bryne Bloxham (physical education), Abbey Pedersen, Ollie Baldwin, Annie Wells, Ben McMurray (English), Josh Moody (biology and level 3 English), Zoe Laws (English).Year 13Highest Achievement: Matilda Metcalfe (visual art design and music), Caity Curtis (spatial and product design and event and entertainment technologies), Olive Kirk (geography and mathematics and statistics), Cuba Pavlovich (visual art painting), Oscar Goodwin (music technology), Lily Ashe (health), Thomas Benson (outdoor pursuits), Sam Caumette (visual art photography), Daniel Clark (pathways), Grace Gillies (psychology), Jackson Duguid (computer studies), Libby Frazer (drama), Annelise Wedgwood (materials technology), Sebastian Rhind (business and enterprise), Melia Brett (biology), Nina Lee Smith (Spanish), Isabella Soper (physical education), Bradley Gendall (economics), Carter Sidwell (mathematics with statistics), Zara Beeby (Te Reo Māori), Eve Flint (chemistry), Oliver Cohen (woodwork), Haylee Jermyn (tourism), Ruby McLachlan (food and nutrition), Olivia Wood (history).High achievement: India Yule (mathematics and statistics), Lucas Buick (chemistry), Aimee Caesar (outdoor pursuits), Ajay Quirk (business and enterprise), Carter Sidwell (outdoor pursuits), Zara Beeby (biology), Eve Flint (physics), Olivia Wood (English).Special academic awardsThomas Benson (history), Dan McKean, Anton Jones (science and technology scholarships), Jackson Duguid (mathematics scholarship), Blake West (workshop workmanship), Pieta Craig (outdoor pursuits scholarship).National achievementsCam Anderson (mountain bike).International achievementsCarter Guichard (road cycling), Cam Melville Ives (snowboarding), Clarke West, Otis Murphy (music), Sylvia Trotter, Fin Melville Ives, Lucia Georgalli (skiing).Premier Sports Awards Lucia Georgalli (girls’ sports), Fin Melville Ives (boys’ sports).Service awards Ally Paterson, Annalise Millar, Bradley Gendall, Carter Sidwell, Coco Smith, Cuba Pavlovich, Elise Tomkins, Emma Lamb, Estelle Gellatly, Eva Humphreys, Eve Bretherton, Freja Malmo, Georgia Chrisp, Georgie Gillespie, Haylee Jermyn, Hazel Murray, India Yule, Isabella Soper, Jackson Duguid, Jemma Brake, Jessie Winter, Jordan Stevens, Jorja Liddell, Kynan Marsh, Laura Watkins, Lewis Inder, Lily Ashe, Maddie Parkin, Melia Brett, Milly Lewis, Molly Rodger, Oliver Cohen, Paige Gawn, Pippa Raffills, Ruby McLachlan, Sakiko Saka, Sam Parry, Sara Jewell, Sebastian Rhind, Sienna Jones, Sophia Hay, Tayla Doran, Sam Caumette, Oscar Waddington (students in the community – special recognition), Cuba Pavlovich, Milly Lewis, Isabella Soper, Paige Gawn (house spirit), Hazel Murray (special recognition - sustainability), Carter Sidwell, Lily Wickham, (whole-hearted contribution), Lachlan Davison, Melia Brett, Thomas Benson, Emma Lamb (special recognition), Elise Tomkins (student council recognition).Duke of Edinburgh International AwardsZavier Taylor (bronze), Chloe Murray, Elise Tomkins, James Watson, Lily Wickham, Lucy Radford, Nico Pettit, Oisin Corbett (silver), Aimee Caesar (gold).

The death of Wānaka’s Sir Tim Wallis made national news last month, and while there has been much coverage of his aviation crashes, they are a side note to his extraordinary story. “Who’s counting?” Sir Tim’s son Jonathan Wallis said about those incidents at his father’s funeral at Wānaka Airport on Saturday (October 28). “From [Sir Tim’s ] perspective they were no more than mishaps. They were pioneering times.”Sir Tim's wife Prue told the Wānaka App she was "amazed that Tim died quietly in bed at home after a lifetime of living dangerously"."He’s left a very big gap in our lives."Jonathan described his father as having had “a quintessentially unnatural life”.Sir Tim had “a strong sense of independence, a wild charisma, a desire to live life to the full, and uncapped enthusiasm for everything deer and aviation,” he said.“He touched so many lives in so many ways.”A West Coaster, Sir Tim (who died on October 17, aged 85) was a businessman and aviation entrepreneur. He pioneered live deer capture from helicopters, and helped establish deer farming as a significant New Zealand industry. His love of World War II fighter aircraft (which dated back to his schooling in Christchurch in the 1950s) led to his finding and restoring warbirds, and establishing an Alpine Fighter Collection and the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum.He founded the Warbirds Over Wānaka airshow in 1988.In 1994 he was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to deer farming, export, and the community. Jonathan said Sir Tim shaped his course through life through “a combination of making interesting choices, taking bold chances, and navigating good and bad luck”.Some of that bad luck included a 1968 crash while flying a Hiller UH 12E, in which he broke his back. It left him with a partly paralysed left leg.Despite the injury, his son Toby told funeral attendees on Saturday that Sir Tim never complained, had an “outstanding resistance to pain”, and inspired his four sons to follow in his footsteps. Toby outlined stories of his extraordinary childhood with brothers Jonathan, Matthew, and Nick, and the “hero” of a father who taught them everything from camping, hunting, fishing, and diving, to flying.Jonathan said: “Growing up with our father was a magnificent adventure”.In 1996, when Sir Tim crashed his Spitfire Mk XIV while training for an upcoming Warbirds Over Wānaka show, he was seriously injured and no longer able to fly.As part of his rehabilitation he was thereafter cared for by nurses, three of whom stood up at his funeral on Saturday.“We’ve never met anyone with the strength and determination to match Tim’s,” nurse Hilary Smith said.He liked to live life on the edge, she said, and his motto was “active body, active mind”.Jonathan said his father was resilient to trauma and adversity, but the brain injury he suffered in 1996 may have shielded him from the full impact of the loss of sons Matthew and Nick, both of whom died in 2018 in separate helicopter accidents.His father was “sensitive, with tremendous empathy”, who instinctively liked people, Jonathan said.“He kept our feet on the ground and our boots dirty.“Tim’s was a life well lived and loved and we’ll never forget him.”Following the funeral on Saturday was an RNZAF flyover before Sir Tim was taken on his last flight in his own helicopter.His ashes will eventually be spread in the mountains he loved, from Fiordland to Mt Aspiring National Park, as far north as the Dingleburn.The Wallis family has invited donations in Sir Tim’s memory be made to the NZ Spinal Trust, St John or the M!nt Trust.Read more: Sir Tim Wallis: An ‘exceptional man’ has diedPHOTOS: Supplied

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has appointed Wānaka-based Jacqueline Cheyne to the board of directors for Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC).It has also reappointed existing director Simon Flood for a second term.Mayor Glyn Lewers confirmed that councillors agreed unanimously to adopt the QLDC governance subcommittee’s recommendations at a meeting on October 19. Jacqueline, who Glyn said was an experienced business and governance professional, was the subcommittee’s preferred candidate for the vacant directorship, and members also recommended Simon was reappointed for a further standard term of four years. “With all details now finalised I’d like to formally congratulate Jackie and Simon on their appointment and reappointment respectively,” Glyn said. “As well as Jackie’s business acumen and current directorships, I’ve been particularly impressed by her expertise in understanding and managing climate risk. “This aligns with our own climate action commitments and the district’s destination management plan that aims to achieve regenerative tourism and a carbon zero visitor economy by 2030.” QAC chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said she welcomed Jacqueline to the board. “Her extensive governance experience and expertise in sustainability, climate risk and adaptation will be valuable as we progress the important planning and infrastructure projects we have ahead of us.”Jaqueline said she was “delighted” to be joining the board of QAC. “This is a critically important asset for the district and I look forward to working with my fellow board members in continually strengthening the airport’s role in facilitating resilience and sustainable visitor management, as well as providing a welcoming experience for our customers,” she said. Jacqueline fills the vacancy created by the resignation from the QAC board of Anne Urlwin in February. All shortlisted candidates were interviewed by the subcommittee and then resolved to recommend Jacqueline for the position at its meeting on September 7.PHOTO: Supplied

The McCaw family may have plans to move south.Richie and Gemma McCaw are building a large riverside home in the Upper Clutha.It’s not their first foray into local real estate - Richie previously built a holiday home in Wānaka with Versatile Homes, for whom he was an ambassador.The couple also got engaged in Wānaka in 2016 and they were married here in 2017.Architectural plans show the new house near Hāwea will have plenty of room for the family of five, whether it becomes their permanent home or holiday house. The master, complete with walk-in-wardrobe, office and ensuite, will make the most of the site’s views of the Hāwea River. There will also be three bedrooms connected by a shared bathroom, presumably for their three daughters. A fifth bedroom on the north side of the house, labelled as a guest room, will feature a private ensuite.The 325 sqm home will also feature a large open plan kitchen, living and dining room, a library and three large decks, two complete with outdoor fireplaces and the third with an outdoor kitchen. A separate 150sqm garage will have a storage room, room for boats and cars, as well as a ‘training room’, fitting for the former All Blacks captain and the Black Sticks team member. It will sit on a 12,670m2 site.The house, designed by award-winning Christchurch architecture firm Sheppard and Rout Architects, will be built to passive house standards. “The development is considered to be of high design quality and will maintain and enhance the residential amenity values of the area,” they said. PHOTO: QLDC

Mental health campaigner Glen Thurston is encouraging people to join him on a climb of Corner Peak at Lake Hāwea tomorrow (Friday October 27).The climb marks the first anniversary of Glen’s 2022 campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues in the construction industry. At that time he climbed the mountain every day for 53 days to highlight the average number of suicides by construction workers each year.More than 270 people joined Glen to summit Corner Peak (1,683m) as part of that campaign and he is inviting the public to join him again tomorrow.“I'm going to do an annual climb, a one off,” Glen said.“It was such a success [last year] and a lot of people missed out.”Glen said that getting people out on the mountain and achieving something “pretty epic”  resulted in a lot of healthy conversations about mental well-being.“I really just want to keep that conversation going because there were lots and lots and lots of conversations during and after,” he said.“I want this to be part of people's normal life, having these conversations with their friends, going for walks up in the hills with their friends.”Glen’s goal is to see a culture change where mental health is prioritised and ingrained in business through training and health and safety plans.“I continually get people reaching out, asking where to go, who do they need their friend to turn to, sort of things like that,” he said. “I can only do so much, so the more people within the community that get the training or the education or understanding about mental health, the more people there are going to be for others to turn to.“Something really needs to change and I don't believe it's in throwing money at services. It's in educating everyday people. That's where we're gonna make change in this whole pandemic.”If you wish to join Glen and climb Corner Peak tomorrow he will leave from the Timaru Creek car park at 6am. “It's not going to be a race. It's just going to be a good cruisy day,” Glen said.Facts about the climb:An ascent and descent of Corner Peak is a return trip of around 17kmThe elevation gain is 1,570mFurther details can be found here.PHOTO: Supplied