Restricted trading hours for bars and a well-behaved crowd for Warbirds Over Wānaka helped reduce police work over Easter weekend, Wānaka Police reported this week.Warbirds was the main event for the weekend, generating large crowds around Wānaka. “On the whole a very well behaved crowd with no offences reported over the three days,” Sergeant Kim Chirnside said.“Most complaints were in relation to traffic and parking and the likes, which are part and parcel of an event that size.”He said police were very pleased with the behaviour of the crowd, and alcohol was consumed responsibly. Rabbit Pass 1, Trampers 0A group of four trampers on the Rabbit Pass circuit activated their personal location beacon “after reassessing the difficulty of a descent,” Kim said.They were retrieved by rescue helicopter on Friday.While not commenting on the specific situation, Kim said a lack of research and resilience to find an alternative solution demonstrated by some trampers was “a broad theme”.“It continues to frustrate police and rescue staff the lack of awareness people have over their abilities… Sometimes it’s a lack of research, some of it’s a lack of resilience to be able to say ‘well, I’ll go back’,” he said.Burnout car impounded A vehicle was impounded after doing burnouts in the Dungarvon carpark (near the skate park) on Sunday evening at 7.30pm.“It was a very busy time, a packed carpark, and the skidmarks are visible,” Kim said.“It was an out-of-town driver and he will have to return back here to go to court and his car has been taken.”Other incidentsThere were reports of damage to property at the Lake Hāwea Tennis Club over the weekend.“Some seats have been vandalised,” Kim said.While a member of the Hāwea Community Association said on social media that at least one of three young people caught on security cameras had been identified by a parent, Kim said at this stage the police hadn’t been provided with names. “We will follow up that information if they have it. We will be looking into it.”A raft of about five drivers had their licences suspended in the last seven days due to excess demerit points.“It’s a good reminder from police that demerit points do catch up with drivers who continue to offend… and they lose their licence for three months.”Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. It is written by the Wānaka App based on a weekly meeting with Wānaka Police.After a “pretty cruisy week” for Wānaka police, the past weekend got busier with two events at Glendhu Bay, Constable Harmanjot Singh says.There were “no concerns and no issues” with either the Ripe and Magicland events, Harmanjot said, and “everyone was well-behaved”, however checkpoints around Wānaka from Friday to Sunday identified seven drivers heading home who had been drinking.“People [are] making bad decisions to drive after having a few drinks… it’s not safe for them or other road users,” he said.Fraud cases continue“We’re still getting reports of fraud, whether it’s [Facebook] Marketplace or just people receiving phone calls with the callers pretending to be from their banks,” Harmanjot said.“We advise that if they are receiving phone calls from banks, hang up and visit their banks to clarify any concerns or issues, without giving any details out or accessing their accounts while on the phone.”On Marketplace people can say they are based in Wānaka but can be anywhere in the world, he said.Police advise buyers to look carefully at the seller and the product before making any deposits, he said.“Choose a safe public place, the library or somewhere you can meet that person to confirm that item is legit.”He said there have been incidents in the past where people have paid a deposit on an item, then gone to an address to find it doesn’t exist or the residents don’t know anything about it.Tracking the fraudsters down can depend on how the buyer had made the transaction, he said.“If it’s a NZ bank account it gives us some hope to track down that person but if it goes via Paypal or overseas it’s really hard for us to track.”Easter preparationThis weekend there will be a lot of people in town, and “the traffic will be manic”, Harmanjot said.“Be patient and plan ahead if you want to go away or are coming into Wānaka.He said there will be extra police staff on duty, including a road policing team from Queenstown, a prevention team, and the frontline public safety team. Some staff will be at Warbirds Over Wānaka and others will be spread around town, he said.Other incidentsHarmanjot said there was no further update on the unexpected death in Hāwea a few weeks ago. The matter was still under investigation by the local CIB, he said.Go deeper: ‘Unexplained’ Lake Hāwea death under investigationA crash near Luggate in the early hours of Friday morning (March 22) resulted in one person being taken to hospital for a precautionary check.Harmanjot said there have been a number of driving complaints reported to the police station up to two or three days after the events occurred.“If it's safe to do, report it at the time on *555 so it can be dealt with in a timely manner. If it’s two or three days old, we will still act on it but it’s better at the time it’s happening.” He said the driver could be intoxicated, or driving a rental car, and a delay of a few days can make it hard for police to go back and ascertain driver details.Harman said there are still staff shortages at the police station front counter and people should drop any found property at the drop in box.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Introducing the latest recipients of the Kahu Youth Trust Educational Scholarships.Kahu Youth Trust Chair, Randal Dodds, proudly awarded four deserving individuals the Kahu Youth Trust Educational Scholarship. These scholarships aim to provide a vital financial stepping stone for youth in our community to pursue their dreams and achieve career fulfilment. Among the recipients are Jasmine Edwards, embarking on her hairdressing apprenticeship journey, and Benjamin Hawkins, pursuing his Electrical Pre-Trade at Otago Polytechnic. Also receiving scholarships are Khedrup Dorjee, setting his sights on NZSIA Level 2 Ski Instructing, and Ruby Burke, delving into Photography and Media Design at Otago Polytechnic. At Kahu Youth Trust, our mission is clear: to empower ALL youth in the Upper Clutha to live their best lives. Through safe spaces, mentoring, after school clubs, drop-in sessions, holiday programmes and a variety of engaging programmes, we provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.  We understand that the journey to success often requires financial support, which is why our scholarships target those who have been out of school for at least six months, seeking to further their education and career prospects. Whether pursuing university degrees, polytechnic courses, or trade studies, we aim to ease the financial burden and encourage our youth to reach their full potential. This is especially important during our current cost of living crisis.  The Kahu Youth Trust Educational Scholarship isn't just about funding—it's about investing in the future of our community. By nurturing talent and providing opportunities, we believe in equipping our youth with the tools they need to thrive in their chosen paths. Join us in celebrating these remarkable individuals and their bright futures they're destined to create. Applications for the next round of scholarships will open in November 2024. Visit kahuyouth.org for more info.Paetara Aspiring Central35 Plantation Road, Wānaka 

The Upper Clutha community sent a resounding message to health officials on Wednesday evening (March 20) with a 400-strong turnout of people at a meeting about local health services.The meeting, organised by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board and facilitated by board chair Simon Telfer, featured panel members Dunstan Hospital clinical director Jonathon Wills, Te Whatu Ora Southern chief medical officer David Gow, Aspiring Medical Centre GP Dr Fiona MacLean,Te Whatu Ora Southern group director of operations Hamish Brown, and Hato Hone St John Central Otago area operations manager David Baillie.“The turnout blew senior health officials in attendance away – they couldn’t stop commenting on it,” Simon told the Wānaka App.“The purpose of the meeting was to physically show an engaged community – with over 400 people and standing room only in the auditorium we achieved that in spades.”  Read more: Medical services ‘under strain’ subject of public meetingSimon put a range of questions to the panel around the themes of urgent and after hours care; accessibility, mental health, and Dunstan Hospital; concluding with quick fire questions gathered from audience members during the evening.The Lake Wānaka Centre auditorium began filling up by 6.30pm on Wednesday night. PHOTO: Wānaka AppJonathan Wills said the health situation in Wānaka keeps him up at night; while David Gow said it “weighs heavily on my mind”.They acknowledged there was no town of a similar size to Wānaka that is as far from a base hospital. Dunedin Hospital is at least a three and a half hour drive from Wānaka.“I think we need central funding and the powers that be to recognise what has changed in this town,” Hamish said.“It’s about building services and building a workforce to deliver those services. It’s not about building a big hospital immediately.”A major challenge (also a national one) was the lack of a workforce, David said.Signs of progress: Commitments, new developments While the meeting was intended to make the community’s concerns and expectations clear to health officials, some tangible commitments were made: Te Whatu Ora Southern group director of operations Hamish Brown committed to put after hours care in place by winter, and said he would try to get Wānaka’s health designation changed from rural to urban, which would open up alternative funding streams.James Reid, a representative of Wānaka’s Gordon family, also announced plans for the development of a health hub adjacent to the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.Read more: Plans unveiled for ‘health hub’Simon Telfer said panel members were also keen to see a community health lobby group formed “and to start meeting with them and to hold them to account”.Community members Monique Mayze and Lucy Middendorf, part of a small group of people forming a lobby group advocating for changes to local healthcare provision, said a steady stream of people signed up after the meeting to learn more.Panel members voiced their concerns and frustrations about current health services, in particular after hours and emergency care. PHOTO: Wānaka App‘It’s time for decision makers to take our concerns seriously’Monique said the large crowd was “a strong indication of the depth of concern in the community about this issue”. “We really appreciate the willingness of the panel members to share their insights and experiences and it's clear that they share many of the same frustrations as members of our community.“We believe there has been a lack of political will to make the changes necessary to improve health services provision in our community and to plan for the future. It's time for decision-makers to start listening and taking our concerns seriously. We will be communicating with the many people who shared their contact details with us … and outlining our next steps shortly.”Some locals, including those working in the health sector, appeared unconvinced by the assurances made on stage.“The community bears the cost daily of the glacial pace of progress,” a long-time local health provider told the Wānaka App after the meeting.A retired resident expressed the frustration acknowledged by some panel members: “We need to know [officials] acknowledge [the issues] but we need to know what their plan is, rather than the waffle… It is just so frustrating - they know the population has soared here; what are they damn well doing about it?”PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. It is written by the Wānaka App based on a weekly meeting with Wānaka Police.Unruly stag parties has been an increasing trend in Wānaka, Senior Sergeant Darren Cranfield says.“We had three different groups in town last week, all causing problems,” he said.“There were a number of assaults related to these groups.”Each group was around 10 people, and the unruly behaviour was “always associated with alcohol, that’s the problem”, Darren said.“Our advice is don’t get confrontational or approach people if they are disorderly or offending: Call the police.”Darren said it’s unusual for Wānaka to have so many stag parties.“It’s more of a Queenstown theme but it appears to be on the increase… Just stay in Queenstown for your stag drinks.”Fake firearms and car skids“As usual we get multiple calls of kids doing skids in their cars at different places around the town,” Darren said.There was an incident this past week where someone confronted people in a vehicle doing skids, and the two parties were “at loggerheads”.“What I’d suggest is just try to obtain a rego plate rather than confronting them yourself. “Call us straight away if you can or you can pass the information onto us at a later stage. There’s no use putting yourself in harm’s way if there’s a group of people.”There have also been two incidents involving imitation firearms, he said.The first was someone with a wooden replica firearm in downtown Wānaka, and the second was “some children doing anti-social behaviour again with an imitation firearm”.“Our advice to parents is if your children are going out playing cowboys and Indians, or whatever they play, make sure they’ve got some basic rules in place so the kids are behaving and not intimidating or harming,” he said.Multiple accidents on Crown RangeDarren said there were more than three motor vehicle accidents on the Crown Range this week.“Another reminder for the locals: it’s a high risk area for us for crashes,” he said.“A common theme is overseas tourists that go to our lookout spots and come back out on the wrong side of the road because that’s how they drive overseas. “Just be mindful that if you’re coming around a corner there may be a vehicle on your side of the road,” he said.Darren said a variety of factors cause crashes on the Crown Range.“It can be inattention. Speed isn’t normally a big one up there because you can’t get too much speed. The conditions determine how you should be driving.”Beware of cattle, deer on roadsDarren said people travelling near Boundary Creek (south of Makarora) have reported loose cattle on the road.Motorists should be aware that The Roar is approaching, he added.“Be mindful if you’re travelling early morning, late evening. A lot of deer start coming down from The Roar around all those areas with bush.“There will be a big increase in that in the next week or two,” he said.Wānaka police are short staffed this week and Darren apologised for any delays at the station as a result.  Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Proceeds from last weekend's (Mar 15 - Mar 17) Hirepool Charity Golf Classic Trilogy tournament held at Wānaka Golf Club will support the community work of local charity Food For Love.A combination of auctions, raffles and other fundraising activities during the three day event has raised $39,000 for the charity which provides meals for families and individuals facing challenges in their lives.“We were blown away by the support of local businesses, with over 90 businesses donating prizes to us for our raffles and auctions,” Food For Love general manager Jodie Stuart said."The support from our volunteers, the community and the golfers in the tournament was phenomenal also. The immense support we received is reflected in the amount of funds raised."Winners of the men's division one (from left) Tony O’Regan, Ray Grubb, Bill Hunter and Marc Simmonds with Brendon Ross from Hirepool.Jodie said the funds raised will allow Food For Love to continue to provide meals to support people living in our community when they need it most.Fifty-eight teams consisting of four members (232 players) contested the tournament playing a different format on each day. Scores were then tallied to determine the winners.“We are very pleased with how it went,” organising committee member Marc Simmonds said.He said Food For Love did a ‘fantastic job’ and even a freezing southerly front that interrupted the tournament on Friday didn’t dampen spirits.The annual charity tournament has been running since 2004, raising close to $500,000 for community organisations.Previous organisations that have benefitted from the tournament include the M!NT Charitable Trust, the Upper Clutha Hospice Trust, the Wānaka Fire Brigade’s Road Crash Rescue team and the Upper Clutha Children’s Medical Trust.Food For Love is a charitable organisation which provides a free home cooked meal to people in need in the Upper Clutha. In 2023 Food For Love prepared and delivered more than 8,000 meals. Recipients are generally going through a challenging time, such as an illness, bereavement, relationship or financial difficulties and are nominated by someone in the community.Find out more about Food For Love here.Results from the Hirepool Charity Golf Classic three-day tournament March 15-17, 2024:Ladies’ Division winners Tania Waghorn, Donella Fleming, Felicity Clark and Margot Hewitt Mens’ Division 1 winners Marc Simmons, Ray Grubb, Bill Hunter and Tony O’Regan Mens’ Division 2 winnersMike Bylsma, Huw Davies, Glen Clarke and Ross Hammond. PHOTOS: Kaye Brake

Crimeline has changed. It is written by the Wānaka App based on a weekly meeting with Wānaka Police.An influx of visitors to Wānaka for the Wānaka A&P Show meant additional police resources were engaged last week.Constable Kiriana Flannery said additional road policing and impairment teams (the ‘Booze Bus’) travelled to Wānaka to ensure a good police presence.“It’s more of a prevention thing,” she said.“We don’t generally expect any issues … it’s a good event and very family orientated.”Kiriana said police were aware of a person at the Show taking a security vehicle for a joyride after being removed from a bar due to intoxication on Friday March 8.This resulted in the person's employer, an exhibitor at the show, losing its liquor licence and being unable to serve alcohol to its guests on Saturday March 9.On Friday and Saturday evening police dealt with some intoxicated people making “poor decisions”, trying to get into bars and some minor disorderly behaviour.On Saturday night police were called to a private address in Wānaka where approximately 150 youth had gathered for an 18th birthday party.Kiriana said the party was under adult supervision but that numbers attending had swelled.“We did have to separate a fight that broke out,” Kiriana said.The Booze Bus was active over the weekend with more than 600 drivers tested for alcohol. One person tested positive in the ‘low range’, receiving an infringement ticket.Search & RescueWānaka Search and Rescue (SAR) were called to an incident at Brewster Hut where a person was winched into a helicopter from a ‘high risk’ area.Kiriana said the person was cold and wet but not suffering from any injuries.SAR also conducted an extensive search when a person was reported missing by a friend while tramping the Gillespie Pass Circuit in Mt Aspiring National Park.The person was found travelling back in their vehicle.Vehicle damageA vehicle was damaged in the New World Three Parks car park in what Kiriana described as an unprovoked attack. The victim was sitting in their car when a person hit the vehicle with an item causing damage to the vehicle.Kiriana said the people were not known to each other and the incident is under investigation with CCTV footage being reviewed.CrashPolice attended a crash involving a motorbike and car on State Highway 6 near Wānaka Airport last week. The motorbike rider suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital where they are in stable condition.See also: ‘Unexplained’ Lake Hāwea death under investigationCall 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Two New Zealanders have been killed while skiing in Japan, authorities have confirmed.A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were part of a group of six backcountry skiing in Hokkaido when an avalanche hit.The Japan Times reports the pair were taken to hospital and were later pronounced dead.A third person, also a New Zealander, was injured.The New Zealand Embassy has spoken to the person and has offered consular support as well as the families of those who died.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said following the avalanche, Japanese police had confirmed that two New Zealanders have died.The avalanche hit three people in a group of six around 10am local time on Monday, the Japan Times reported.It occurred at an elevation of about 650-700 metres on the northern slope of the 1900 metre high mountain, the report said.Mt Yotei is in the Hokkaido region, which is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders.PHOTO: RNZ123RF

More than 44,000 people attended the Wānaka A&P Show over the past weekend, show organisers say.Organisers of the show were thrilled with the turnout, particularly with the mix of town and country gathering to celebrate New Zealand’s rural roots.“It’s always exciting to see people connect as they explore and stroll around the event,” Wānaka A&P Show general manager Jane Stalker said. “It brings a fun, vibrant buzz to the two-day event and creates a real community feel.The annual Jack Russell Race was won by 15-month-old Fred from Southland. PHOTO: Supplied“This truly comes down to the people who attend and make the show their own.”The 2024 show hosted a entertainment line-up of nine different acts, including headliners the Topp Twins, as well as Adam McGrath from the Eastern, singers Barry Saunders and Jackie Bristow and entertainer Lieutenant Lou. The traditional equestrian and livestock events were also a highlight of the show, along with 513 trade exhibitors and the much-loved Jack Russell race. The Topp Twins performing. PHOTO: SuppliedMore than 90 Jack Russells competed in the quirky race, with Fred – a 15-month-old Jack Russell from Southland – taking out first place.  “The Jack Russell Race is always entertaining to watch, as crowds line the Main Ring and passionately cheer on their favourite canine,” Jane said. “The Show also attracted some exceptional talent in the various livestock and rural competitions this year, which provides an opportunity to show non-rural folk the many wonderful aspects of New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Wood chopping at the Rural Village on Saturday. PHOTO: Supplied“Overall, it has been another sensational Show, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended and helped to produce the event. We had more than 270 volunteers this year, which is fantastic.”    The Wānaka A&P Show is one of New Zealand’s largest agricultural and pastoral events.Local rider Zoe Innes jumps a double clear round to earn fourth in a round-the-ring event. PHOTO: Wānaka App Next year’s Wānaka A&P Show will be held on March 7-8, 2025.

Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.The new senior sergeant for Wānaka Police will be taking over in about a month’s time.Senior Sergeant Fiona Roberts is based in Wānaka but currently works in Dunedin.She is “very experienced”, Acting Senior Sergeant Darren Cranfield said, having worked in the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and as an Armed Offender Services (AOS) commander, among others. The week that was Local police say disorder events, drink driving, drivers licence suspensions and SAR callouts have taken place in the Upper Clutha over the last week.Wānaka Police Constable Harmanjot Singh said there was also an incident where a child under 12 was left home alone for a period of around six hours and said it served as a reminder that it is an offence to leave children under this age alone.Police attended and provided guidance and education to the parents, who had recently moved to Wānaka from overseas and had not been able to secure childcare.“We understand but at the same time the safety of the child is paramount,” he said. Constable Singh said there were a few disorder events on Friday and Saturday night in the Wānaka CBD “mostly youth and alcohol” which police were able to manage. He said Wānaka Police were “still catching people making the bad decision” to drink and drive with two arrests for drink driving in the past week. There have also been a few drivers licence suspensions and Constable Singh said motorists not using their seatbelts was “one of the major infringements” driving down people’s demerit points and leading to suspended licences. “Lots of driving complaints” have been made, mainly on Cardrona Valley Road, which “continues to be a hotspot”, Constable Singh said. A car accident where the single occupant vehicle rolled towards the top of the Crown Range did not lead to injuries, but it serves as a good reminder to the public to adhere to the weather conditions “especially between Cardrona and the summit and then again going downhill”.Go deeper: Car rolls on Crown RangeActing Senior Sergeant Darren Cranfield said Wānaka SAR has been busy with multiple jobs in the last week, including a couple of “beacon jobs” in Mt Aspiring National Park and “some canyon jobs” on Friday. “A big thank you to our volunteer SAR group - they really do a great job,” he said.Preparing for the A&P ShowWānaka Police are now gearing up for a busy period with the Wānaka A&P Show taking place on Friday and Saturday (March 8 and 9). Darren said road policing and impairment teams were travelling to Wānaka for the event and there will be a police presence at the show during both days. He sought to remind show visitors that “it’s a family event, not a booze up”.He also said anyone drinking should ensure they have a safe way to get home as there will be very limited taxis. To prevent issues that have come up in previous years with out-of-town taxis charging high fees, taxi users should confirm a price before they leave and double check that the price quoted is per trip rather than per passenger. He also asked show visitors to be respectful of security at the show.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

The finish line is in sight for the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s Fulton Hogan team working on Wānaka’s new Mt Iron roundabout.The last major detour for the project has involved losing the westbound lane of SH6 into Wānaka, allowing crews to focus on completing the final leg of the project. All the other sections of the roundabout, including driving from Wānaka to Luggate, are unaffected by this detour. Open for Wānaka A&P Show and Easter weekends The detour that started on February 19 will continue until Friday March 22, but two lanes will open temporarily for the Wānaka A&P Show weekend (March 8-10).The lanes will be fully open in time for Easter’s Warbirds over Wānaka airshow.“This is always a busy time for Wānaka and we’re doing what we can to help make sure things run smoothly,” NZTA said in a statement. Ballantyne Road will be open to two-way traffic for show weekend (March 8-10). Riverbank Road south will remain closed to all traffic other than residents and businesses. “With the Mt Iron Roundabout also open this should help keep the increased traffic moving,” NZTA said.During Easter weekend the intersection will be open as normal from midday Thursday March 28 to Tuesday April 5.  “Please note the surface will be compacted gravel and we’ll have a maintenance crew on standby in case any upkeep is required. Please follow all signage, reduced speed limits and take extra care over this busy time.” Find detour maps here.In the coming weeks construction work on the roundabout will continue, culminating with the sealing of the two Luggate lanes of SH6.Workers will then put the finishing touches to landscaping and drainage on the road shoulders. Waka Kotahi expects the roundabout to be completed by the end of April 2024. Ballantyne Road roundabout updateConstruction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Ballantyne and Riverbank Road is progressing as planned, and work has been completed to widen the road, with further earthworks along Riverbank Road south underway. Work to improve drainage in the area and trenching to upgrade the underground services has also begun.Queenstown Lakes District Council said it is aware of “some frustration” since the new detour was introduced, adding the council appreciates “it can be challenging during these construction projects – especially when there is so much going on in Wānaka to improve the roading network”.QLDC is aware of “some frustration” with the Ballantyne Road roadworks. PHOTO: Wānaka App“Thank you for bearing with us so far. We’ll continue to work closely with affected businesses to support wayfinding signage to ensure customers know how to find you. This signage will be rolled out over the coming days. “The council said it is working on improvements to traffic movements at the Golf Course Road intersection.

Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.Wānaka police have had “a busy week”, according to constable Kiriana Flannery.Police were kept busy with a range of long term and short term incidents, and staff also farewelled their senior sergeant, Chris Brooks, who has been transferred to Christchurch.“We apprehended a shoplifter this week on 11 various shoplifting charges between Mitre 10 and New World,” Kiriana said.“That had been ongoing for quite a few months. That person was caught up with, and arrested, and charged and will appear in Queenstown District Court.”The person was not a local, she said.Four or five locals have lost their licences for three months this past week, with “a bit of an increase” in drivers with too many demerit points, she said.“People need to be aware it only takes three infringements within the two year period and they’ve already hit 100 demerit points.”Following last week’s crash involving a truck and a car of tourists, there have been two more crashes this week where people were lucky to escape with no injuries. One accident took place on Cardrona Valley Road, and the other was a “truck versus a motorcycle” on Domain Road, Hāwea.Both crashes took place in “high speed zones”, Kiriana said, and “given the circumstances they could have been a lot worse”.There was a fire on Monley Lane on Friday night (February 23). “At this stage we’re calling it suspicious. We have a little bit of evidence but don’t know the full circumstances yet. We do have CCTV and are working through that for that area.“The fire was quite big, it burnt out five rubbish bins and a few pallets and a whole heap of recycling out the back of Four Square and Wanafusion. It was lit between 11 and 11.30pm.”Fire services were called, and there were a lot of people at the scene, Kiriana said.“If anyone has any further information or saw anything that night can they come in [to the police station],” she said. Information can be provided anonymously online or by calling 105.There was also a search and rescue operation yesterday, when a 22-year-old male from overseas was airlifted from Mt Aspiring after breaking his ankle. Read more: Climber airlifted from Mt AspiringPolice also want to remind people they can call 105 for non-urgent reporting such as lost property. “It’s really quick to do,” Kiriana said.Farewelling Chris BrooksSenior sergeant Chris Brooks has left the Wānaka station after two years in the top job.He told the Wānaka App he was being transferred to Christchurch, to a high risk custody unit.Sergeant Darren Cranfield will be acting senior sergeant until a new senior sergeant is appointed.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. The report is now written by the Wānaka App, based on a weekly police media briefing.Wānaka Police say a burglary, a car accident and two search and rescue call outs took place over the past week.The burglary took place at the Northbrook Retirement Village last Thursday (February 15), detective Shaun McClinktock said.Two “brand new” outdoor dining chairs were stolen from the exterior of the property but the perpetrator did not appear to have entered the house. Police are investigating the matter.Shaun said a driver was lucky to avoid any injuries in a car accident on McKay Road on Tuesday (February 20).A tourist was driving their rental vehicle on the short gravel road that connects the Luggate-Tarras Road and Kane Road, “going too fast”.“They lost control and collided with a truck and ended up in a ditch on the side of the road,” he said. He said it was “very similar circumstances” to an accident which took place on Domain Road earlier this month.In that incident, the driver left the sealed section of road and lost control on the gravel. While the car flipped there were only minor injuries. Shaun said Wānaka Police wanted to remind the public that the speed limit for driving past a stationary school bus is 20kph.He said with roadworks there is a lot of traffic on Ballantyne Road but drivers should be aware there are still school buses stopping to pick up kids.There will be some extra patrols in the area, he said. Shaun said there had been a couple of search and rescue (SAR) incidents in the past week.One person sustained a back injury after a paragliding incident.The person was competing in an event on Friday night (February 16) and the accident happened off Buchanan’s Peak in Mount Aspiring National Park, he said.SAR was also deployed on Sunday night (February 18) after trampers were late returning from a trip to Brewster Hut. The trampers were able to make their way back to the hut but it was unclear whether that was before SAR arrived or with their help.Shaun thanked SAR, a volunteer-run organisation, for attending the incidents. There is still a lot of lost property at the police station and more dropped off there every day.If the station is closed, anyone with items to drop off can put them in the dropbox located outside the main doors, which is emptied daily.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.Police “core business” of attending mental health and family harm incidents has continued this week, according to Wānaka senior sergeant Chris Brooks.Chris said two mental health incidents on Tuesday evening (February 13) were “complicated and took a long time”.There’s no mental health team in Wānaka and police are required to keep people safe until such services are accessed.  Chris said “it feels like” mental health incidents have increased over the past few years. Police also attended a couple of family harm incidents this past week, he said.Family harm covers everything from a couple arguing because there's not enough food on the table to serious violence, he said, and the police are called to “try and stop anyone getting hurt”.Chris said he could not comment on news this week that NZ Police has proposed a managed withdrawal from what it called “non-crime social problems” such as family harm and mental health.Due to a lack of other social services, police have been forced to step in when it came to family harm, mental health, and child protection calls, NZ Police said in a brief to incoming police minister Mark Mitchell.More than half of its family harm investigations did not involve an offence being recorded, NZ Police told the minister.Chris said Wānaka police have been called to a range of family situations, including a child refusing to go to bed.Chinese New YearWānaka has been busy this week with extra tourists on holiday for the Chinese New Year.“Chinese New Year definitely brings a lot more calls to service on the road,” Chris said.He said this involved the “usual road stuff” such as drivers crossing the centre line.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.Family harm continues to be reported in the Upper Clutha, and a few cases were dealt with in the past week, Wānaka Police senior sergeant Chris Brooks says.This included a middle-aged man from Queensbury who was arrested on multiple charges after an Armed Operation Squad (AOS) callout. Road policing has become a major focus for Wānaka Police, Chris said.A combination of a busy summer season, the approach of Chinese New Year, and the general resurgence of tourism to New Zealand generally mean that road policing now takes up a lot of police time.Recently, police have been focused on a few key tourist routes including the Cardrona Valley and the Crown Range.Chris noted that it’s hard to get the right messaging about road rules across to one-time visitors - and emphasised the role locals can play in contributing to a safe driving experience for all. “What’s important is the people who go through every day to model good behaviour for the other good drivers to copy,” he said.“If you drive through every day and you’re cutting all the corners and you have a tourist following you, they're going to think it’s okay.”The upcoming Burt Munro motorbiking rally has added a significant number of motorbikes to the road, plus other weekend visitors contributed to the particularly heavy traffic over the last week, Chris said. Wānaka Police has also been doing a “fair bit of work” in the Lindis of late, Chris said.“A lot of people have been reporting drivers on the wrong side of the road or passing on blind corners,” he said.Wānaka Police also provides staff to monitor the Haast area and other tourist routes where there are a lot of visiting drivers but relatively few local police. A crash took place on Domain Road in Lake Hāwea last week when a driver left the sealed section of road and lost control on the gravel.The car flipped but the driver had only minor injuries, Chris said.Over the last week Chris said the police had been dealing with some “mental health” cases, another thing he said takes up a lot of police time.Wānaka Police also issued a reminder that there is a lot of lost property at the police station and more dropped off every day.If the police station is closed, anyone with items to drop off can put them in the dropbox located outside the main doors, which is emptied daily.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.Wānaka Police attended a “disorder event” on Saturday evening (January 27) where a group of 20-30 young males were fighting.Senior sergeant Chris Brooks said the group on Ardmore Street dispersed when police arrived and no arrests were made.Road policing has taken up a good portion of police time this past week.A police operation in the area involving an unmarked police vehicle looking for people not wearing seatbelts on Tuesday (January 30) was “quite successful”, Chris said.There were 13 infringements for not wearing seatbelts.“Some of those people who have been issued with fines were also driving commercial vehicles. This is not cool,” he said.“Please wear your seatbelt. If you wear your seatbelt you won’t get so hurt if someone crashes into you.”Police continue to pick up drink drivers, he added, and there were six infringements for mobile phone use while driving on the same day. “Some were commercial vehicles, [people] on their phones while driving a heavy truck and trailer unit for example,” he said.Senior sergeant Brooks said police have been doing some work around Kane Road, where they have been “picking up some pretty high speeds”.“Please drive carefully,” he said.“We’ve taken some drivers licences off some young people recently. That’s because they were collecting too many demerits from poor driving [speeding]. We take their drivers licence off them and it’s suspended. If they then drive without their licence we can take their car.” Local police have also been assisting at some serious accidents on state highways, such as around Omarama.Heavy traffic volumes on the Lindis Pass are also taking up police time.“Most of the calls for service are people failing to stay in their lanes,” he said, adding that it could be an overseas driver forgetting what side of the road they should be driving on or someone taking shortcuts going through the bends.“That’s why you need to wear your seatbelt. You don’t know who’s coming around the bend,” he said.Other incidents: SAR, shooting, shoplifting There have been a couple of search and rescue jobs in the past week which were resolved without much police involvement, senior sergeant Brooks said. These included people walking after dark and getting lost.“Please make sure you give your intentions to a friend, you know where you’re going and you’re prepared for the weather,” he said.There have been “quite a few” reports of shoplifting during the past week, senior sergeant Brooks said.“We continue to take it seriously, and treat it as a priority, to support our retailers. Added up, it’s a cost to the retailer,” he said.Reports of 15-20 shots heard recently around the Studholme Road area were reported to police on Tuesday (January 30). This may have been someone shooting rabbits, he said, but it would “be good to hear from anyone who has any information on that”.Roadworks on Cardrona Valley Road have caused delays for motorists but senior sergeant Brooks reminded people to look out for road workers, who are local “mums and dads”.Local police were alerted to, but not required to attend, a helicopter crash at Mt Hyde on Monday evening. Read more: Two people unhurt in helicopter crash near WānakaCall 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.

Riding e-bikes around in the sun would be a dream summer job to many and two lucky people are being paid to do just that.A listing for an ‘e-bike rider’ posted by Waste Management New Zealand (WMNZ) attracted 73 applicants and two working holiday visa holders are now e-biking around Wānaka and Queenstown.It’s not quite as simple as enjoying the sun - the two employees have the task of monitoring and reporting on rubbish bins around the towns. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has a contract with WMNZ for the delivery of solid waste services.QLDC media and channels advisor Sam White explained that the monitoring takes place “to ensure bins don’t overflow as well as checking for any maintenance needs such as cleaning or repairs”.The reporting helps the council understand demand patterns and service level requirements.This helps with planning and service scheduling: “the aim being to reduce collection vehicle movements and servicing costs”.WMNZ operations manager Sean Cronin said the seasonal monitoring and reporting roles have been part of WMNZ’s summer services since the company started its collections contract with QLDC in 2019.“The role is a seasonal position over the busier summer months in both Wānaka and Queenstown,” he said. He said just a few Kiwis applied for the role and the “vast majority” of applicants were visitors on working holiday visas.PHOTO: Wānaka App

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.

Police have released the name of the man whose body was located deceased in Lake Wānaka on New Year's Eve.He was 32-year-old Codey Jervis, a New Zealand national residing in London.Police would like to speak with anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Wānaka’s Mount Aspiring Road near Ruby Island Road or the nearby lake track between Waterfall Creek and Edgewater Hotel in Wānaka, who spoke to or saw Codey between 9:30pm on Saturday December 30 and 7:30am Sunday December 31.He is described as an athletic caucasian male, wearing a light blue top underneath a dark coloured jacket, dark coloured pants and white sneakers.Police would also like to speak to anyone who may have found or moved any clothing or personal items on the beachfront or surrounding area at Waterfall Creek between December 30 and January 1.Information can be provided to police by calling 105, referencing file number 231231/9558.