Kia ora Wānaka. Here are this week’s doings from our community.

Police have been busy out and about patrolling and keeping our roads safe. We continue to have a range of daily driving complaints. Often these are tourists to our fine country who are less than used to our roads and the vehicle they have just picked up.

Please continue to report these incidents but do also take a moment to give them space. Some complaints we receive are of vehicles tailgating, flashing lights on high beam and doing unnecessary passing manoeuvres. When these vehicles are stopped police are often handed New Zealand driver licenses with Wānaka addresses. Just relax, Wānaka will still be there even if it takes you five minutes longer.

The speed limit is the speed limit, and this also applies going downhill or up. I have heard many excuses in my time for speed, including having a baby, but driving up or down McDougall or Gunn roads still requires 40Km/hr. There should be a pedal in between your legs called the brake, feel free to use it.

The fishing analogy shooting into a barrel unfortunately rings true for Wānaka police when it comes to catching drink drivers. Many Wānaka drivers still can’t seem to get their heads around that a taxi ride home or having a sober driver is cheaper and safer than the alternative.

Take a moment to let this math sink in, punishments range from a $200 fine and 50 demerit points to a date over the hill at court. Court would more than likely mean a day off work, six months of disqualification and a monetary fine of at least $400. There would be an extra cost applying for a limited work license on top of all of that.

We had four drink drivers in one-night last week and the next morning a driver crashed into the shiny new armco barriers on Cardrona Valley Road, saving them from rolling down the hill. They blew well over the legal limit and elected bloods. Once the blood result of this comes back, I’m sure they will be reading the above paragraph and adding up the costs.

Fortunately, they were not hurt.

If you did some waiting in lines of road work traffic in the valley over the past couple of weeks while these barriers were installed, you probably helped save a life there.

Wānaka police continue to catch our sticky-fingered thieves or people that use documents for dishonest purposes. I agree the price of Kumara isn’t the cheapest, but this doesn’t mean you can steal to satisfy your palate or have adventures on our slopes at the expense of others.

A local couple fell to an online scam. The computer wizards posed as the New Zealand Police Cybercrime team. This was not the case, and their bank account was drained nearly $100,000. Fortunately, their bank thought it didn’t look right so stopped the transaction. A good lesson all round of what these techno-scumbags are doing.

As the days grow longer, and the temperature warms the desire to get out and into our backyard grows. Please be aware of snow melt leading to rising streams and rivers. With the changeable weather, one minute the sun could be out and the next a snow flurry accompanied with negative temperatures is rolling through. Be prepared, have a plan and let others know what you are doing.

Police and other agencies conducted a search and rescue avalanche exercise several weeks ago. Thank you to all involved especially those who volunteered time and resources.

There are some pretty amazing people (and dogs) in our local community who have a special set of skills to help keep us all safe in the mountains. We have solid procedures in place for when one of these does occur but also took away some good lessons from the exercise.

The Wānaka community held a Pride event over the weekend. It was well supported and great to see an expression of colour, art, performance and people feeling safe to be who they are. Congratulations to those who organised such an inclusive event. We look forward to next year.

Related: Community comes out to support Pride Street Party

I’m still undecided who I will vote for so please don’t kick over the political signs. If you are passionate about a particular Party join them rather than bringing down the opposition. It's wilful damage, we will find you!