Bremner Bay swimmers can now check weekly water quality results before taking a dip, thanks to a new community-led testing programme running until the end of summer.The newly formed Bremner Bay Catchment Group has begun sampling at the beach every Tuesday. After the samples are sent to Christchurch’s Hill Labs for testing, the results are published online and accessible via QR codes at the bay so locals and visitors can see when it is safe to swim.Group member Murray Gifford said the project aimed to give people practical, up-to-date information, fill a gap in existing monitoring, and improve awareness of issues affecting water quality.Samples are taken from two locations (the middle of the bay and the nearby stormwater drain which flows directly into the lake) and early testing is already demonstrating the importance of the old adage to avoid swimming for 24-48 hours after heavy rain.After a recent rain event, E. coli levels by the stormwater drain were above 2,000 - far above the 260 E. coli per 100ml considered safe for swimming. Even in the bay itself, readings rose to almost 1,500, before dropping below the safe swimming threshold a couple of days later.The testing gives swimmers timely guidance on water safety, while also showing how everyday actions affect the bay - and how the community can contribute to the group’s vision of a cleaner and safer Bremner Bay.People can use the QR code on signs on the beach to read the latest water quality testing results before heading into the water.The drain collects runoff from a wide area above Bremner Bay, “right up to the ridge, up Aubrey Road, Hikuwai, Forest Heights and so on”, Murray said.All sorts of waste can end up in the stormwater system, eventually reaching the lake. Murray said there was a recent incident where polystyrene balls from a bean bag entered the system and were left strewn across the beach.The newly-formed group is “about providing education”, Murray said, but “a long-term goal could be to get some treatment of the stormwater before it enters the lake”.The Bremner Bay Catchment Group was formed through WAI Wānaka’s Urban Catchment programme, with support from the Otago Catchment Community and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). QLDC parks officer Nina Rongokea said it was “a great example of community action protecting freshwater and keeping people informed”.To check the latest Bremner Bay water quality testing results, use the QR codes at one of two signs at the beach, or click here.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Police have named the person who died after becoming trapped under a vehicle in Wānaka earlier this week.He was 85-year-old David Simmers, a long-time Wānaka resident.Emergency services were called to a Roche Street address on Monday morning (January 5) following reports of a single-vehicle crash.Despite efforts by emergency responders, David was unable to be revived and died at the scene, a Police representative said.David had volunteered with the Upper Clutha History Society (UCHS) since 2007 and in June he was awarded a life membership award for his extensive contributions.UCHS committee member Jo Wilton said he would be deeply missed."The UCHS Wednesday morning volunteers that gather in the Wānaka Library will never feel quite the same without David’s quiet smiling presence, who for decades was the first to arrive - retired farmer there for an early bird - and start tackling his current task,” Jo said.“Humble, genuine, totally reliable, dedicated to the preservation of history and an absolute gentleman to the end.”David’s wife Jenny died in 2018. Her death notice lists the couple as having three children and ten grandchildren.His death has been referred to the Coroner.PHOTO: Upper Clutha History Society

Dr Caroline Oliver has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the New Year Honours list for services to cancer research and the community.The Wānaka scientist is not only a clinical biotechnologist who has contributed to a groundbreaking approach to cancer treatment, she is also a dedicated volunteer who has devoted hours of her time within the Wānaka community, and before that in Auckland.When she first saw her honour nomination letter in the mail, with a Crown insignia on the envelope, Caroline (who owns a distinctive Porsche roadster) thought it was a speeding ticket, she told the Wānaka App.“I am honoured,” she said, “but I won’t be curtseying to anyone.”Caroline explained that her Christian faith, an important part of her life, “says everyone is equal”. However, she was reassured by the fact the MNZM is a New Zealand honour, and her biotechnology colleague told her “of course you’re going to say yes”.Caroline’s work for Kode Biotech, in collaboration with Auckland University of Technology, has led to the development of a personalised immunotherapy treatment for cancer. Read more: Profile - Caroline OliverHer work has been published in prestigious international journals. Kode Biotech Ltd won 2015 New Zealand Innovator of the Year for Cancer Immunotherapy. “I’m blown away with [the impact of it] really,” she said. “It’s going to change the world.”Outside her research, Caroline’s contributions to the community have been diverse, ranging from volunteering with the Salvation Army Family Store and sewing for refugees, to active involvement with Aspiring Rotary and youth organisations such as Brownies, Guides, Keas, and Cubs.She held several voluntary positions at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Auckland and was the elected People’s Warden between 2005 and 2018. She has been a team leader for Mainly Music in both Parnell and Wānaka, and a teacher aide teaching science at Hāwea Flat School.“I wanted the children to see that anyone can be a scientist,” she said.She was elected President of the Royal Society Te Apūrangi Wānaka branch between 2021 and 2023, and continues with organising its monthly events.“I’ve got to be busy - what am I going to do if I’m not busy? I just take opportunities when they come up,” she said.Caroline is enthusiastic about the benefits of volunteering. “People should see how good it is.”She has lived in Wānaka for eight and a half years and says she loves the fact that people recognise each other in the street and “call out hello”.The next step for Kode Biotech is for the technology to be marketed in New Zealand, and Caroline said she is looking forward to seeing its promise come to fruition.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Former Hāwea resident Douglas (Doug) Brenssell has been awarded the King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to the community in the New Year’s Honours List.Doug, who now lives in Oamaru, contributed to the Hāwea community through various organisations for 25 years.His nomination was “a good shock”, he told the Wānaka App.“I’m very proud and grateful of the opportunity to be involved in the community. You don’t go out and volunteer in the community and try and make a difference and sit there with your hand out for recognition.“You do it because you want to help people.”Doug has been a committee member and caretaker of the Lake Hāwea Community Centre since 2003, and in 2011 was a key member of the group which raised funds and actioned the extension of the centre. He has been a committee member of the Hāwea Community Association since 2006. He has been the founding organiser of the Hāwea District Anzac Service, and helped develop and maintain the Anzac memorial area and monument beside the lake. Doug said while he has enjoyed everything he got involved in, one of the things he is most proud of is the growth of the Anzac service.“It was the year of the first Contact Epic [2008],” Doug said. “[Race director] Aaron Nicholson gave me the opportunity for a quick Anzac service. We hastily got the word out there. I had a flag and flagpole and a rope - that was about it.”About 60 people turned up on the peninsula that first year, and the event has grown each year since.“I went back this year and there were close to 1,200 people. Who would have thought that when we started in 2008?“We put passion and commitment and dedication to it, the people are all very proud of it. So special for our wee community.”Doug has been groundsman for community events, including the Waitangi Day Challenge community sports competition and the 2019 Otago Goldfields Cavalcade. In recent years Doug has been the Hāwea Flat School caretaker, where his dedication and his distinctive uniform of shorts and a high-vis vest inspired annual ‘Dress Like Doug’ days.Doug retired at the end of 2024 but is now working as caretaker at his grandchildren’s school in Oamaru two days a week.“I missed the kids, and it was an opportunity to make a difference.”He has been on the committee of the Hāwea Picnic Racing Club, and was a founding member of the Hāwea Domain Board in 2020. He was a founding member of the Upper Clutha Community Patrol, and a member of the Volunteer Fire Brigades of both Heriot and Lake Hāwea for 27 years. Doug was recognised with the inaugural Hāwea Volunteer of the Year award in 2012.He volunteered for the Department of Corrections for more than 10 years, supporting those with community work sentences. This work was another highlight for Doug, he told the Wānaka App. “I absolutely loved that - did it for close to 12-15 years,” he said.“I met some lovely people, who obviously made a mistake and the man or the lady in the high seat said ‘you have to go and see Doug’.“We did a lot of things in the community that people weren’t aware of; we achieved a lot and sometimes had a lot of fun.”Doug said having had two ‘heart children’ - children with childhood heart conditions - has had a big impact on his philosophy of life.“To go to Auckland and think you’re the most special people in New Zealand; and walk into the heart ward in Greenland hospital and there’s nine other babies there - you realise you’re not alone,” he said.“We got help, our children survived, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some beautiful parents and the terrible sadness of them losing their children.”Doug believes you get out of life what you put into it, and “you’ve got to look at the big picture”.Being awarded the KSM has been “the icing on the cake”, he said.“Sometimes I’ve still got to pinch myself,” he said, adding that he planned to keep the official paperwork from Government House in his glovebox of his ute in the expectation of being ribbed by his mates about its existence.PHOTOS: Supplied

The Upper Clutha community is paying tribute to John Allandale Lee, CNZM, remembering a man whose contribution helped shape the district over many decades.John died peacefully at age 89 on Sunday evening (December 21), with his family by his side, a joint statement from the Lee family, the Snow Farm, the Cardrona Distillery, and Cardrona Alpine Resort said.John was the second-generation farmer of Waiorau, in the tough alpine climate of the Cardrona Valley’s Pisa Range. John Lee in 2016 with then Governor-General The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, receiving his Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and Tourism.In the late 1960s, the population of Cardrona was in decline, and as things were looking bleak, John got creative – all with the goal of bringing life back to the valley.In 1971 he and his wife, Mary, bought Mt Cardrona Station, and spent the rest of the decade developing a ski area there. Cardrona Alpine Resort opened to the public in 1980, and 45 years later is now New Zealand’s biggest ski area.John and Mary’s next major project, the world-class cross-country skiing facility at Waiorau, Snow Farm, opened in 1990 after 19 years of hard graft in the face of many road blocks. John and Mary (centre) on opening day at Cardrona Alpine Resort in 1980.The Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds came to life during the development of Snow Farm in 1984. The Lees then supported their youngest son Sam in the development of freestyle skiing and snowboarding mecca, Snow Park, in the early 2000s.  John was instrumental in saving the Cardrona Hotel from ruin, and his decision to sell it to the lowest bidder to ensure proper restoration set the historic building on its path to the success it has today. John hanging bras on the Cardrona bra fence.Along with Mary, he was also a proud supporter of the foundation of the Cardrona Distillery.From helping to re-establish the Cardrona Valley as a destination in its own right, to the bustling Wānaka ski industry, to the cheeky Cardrona Bra Fence – John’s legacy is extensive. Many in the Cardrona and Wānaka communities can trace their careers, homes and livelihoods back to John’s passion to bring a vibrant life to this area, the joint statement said.John is survived by wife Mary, children Rachael, Joanna and Sam, and grandchildren Louis, Regan, Olivia, Anton, Hana, Matthew, Archie, and Heidi.John Lee (left) skiing at Cardrona.A private ceremony for the Lee family will be held today (Wednesday December 24). A public celebration of John’s life and contribution to the community will take place at 2pm on February 7 at the Cardrona Distillery.PHOTOS: Supplied

Four local snow sports athletes have been selected for the finals of the 63rd ISPS Handa Halberg Awards.Snow Sports NZ said the Kiwi snow sports athletes and their teams “have once again punched far above their weight on a global scale”.“We are so proud of each and every one of them for their achievements,” the organisation said.The local snow sports finalists are Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (Wānaka) - 2degrees Sportswoman of the Year; Luca Harrington - ISPS HANDA Sportsman of the Year; Finley Melville Ives - Sky Sport Emerging Talent Award; and Hamish McDougall - Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year.Alice Robinson of Queenstown has been named as a finalist for the 2degrees Sportswoman of the Year.The Halberg Awards have announced 32 finalists across six categories, in a year “that has celebrated passion, determination, and inspiring moments”.Find the full list of finalists here.The winners will be announced on February 16, 2026 at the 63rd ISPS Halberg Awards in Auckland.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka resident Peter Duncan, 88, has become what the University of Otago believes to be its oldest PhD graduate.Peter graduated on Saturday (December 13) with a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, and was acknowledged by the university for his “lifetime of learning”.He told the Wānaka App that while younger scholars “look upward and outward to a world they may wish to change”, he also “looked inward to almost 70 years of experience”.His education has included teachers college, university, and the work community - for example, helping build the Roxburgh Dam, working in the office of former Prime Minister David Lange, and advising US education leaders.Peter said his experiences in the United States evoked questions he wrestled with for most of his career, including how to move away from traditional whole-class, one-size-fits-all teaching toward managing each student’s individual learning needs.To help him find the answers, he began his PhD in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic by distance from Wānaka (his home since the 1990s, and before that as “a summer kid … until the late 1950s”).His doctorate - Teachers’ Reflections of Changed Beliefs and Practices - follows the impact of early literacy development on teachers and how that shaped their students and careers through the following decades.Working on his thesis was “an incredibly satisfying experience”, he said, and it was “very easy” to spend up to eight hours a day, and often longer, reading, writing, and thinking.“The story in this research I had sat on for more than 20 years. With time, the unbounded support of my wife, and encouragement from my potential university supervisor, I began the journey. From that point on there was no conscious balance between life and study; one became the other.”And while his PhD is completed, Peter has been talking to colleagues about collaborating on academic papers and possibly a book. He hopes his research will have an ongoing impact.“Our young people were once among the best readers and writers in the world as measured in international comparative testing up to the early 90s,” he said. “My study suggested that if teachers had the opportunity to change their teaching beliefs and practices through a three-year school-based mentorship programme that developed their subject knowledge about literacy development, improved their instruction skills, and changed their classroom practices in ways that they could reach every student, literacy outcomes improved - in some schools significantly. “Today, we might well reflect on the factors that influenced those outcomes.”He told the Wānaka App that while people often think of lifelong learning as continuing to learn in formal situations, learning can be adapting to a changing environment as we age.“If we are able, what we can do is be open to the changes we have to face, think about how we can adapt to them and in that sense take on this new learning. That is the real value of being open to new learning in your 80s.”PHOTO: Supplied/University of Otago

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) celebrated the achievements of its junior students at its 2025 junior awards ceremonies on Thursday (December 11, Years 7 and 8) and Friday (December 12, Years 9 and 10). Principal Nicola Jacobsen said the awards recognised the academic, artistic, cultural, sporting and service achievement of junior students. “It’s wonderful to come together as a school community and celebrate our junior students and the many ways they excel and contribute to the life of our college and our community.“We are committed to academic excellence and continue to focus on the core skills of literacy and numeracy, as well as offering a range of subjects to prepare our junior students for their senior learning pathways, and life beyond school. Highest academic achievers Year 8 (L-R): Edie Yandall, Mia Reardon, Tenki Watanabe, Bill Dobson, George Cruden, Emily Boswell, and Tyla Sherger (absent: Rhys Brugman).“We also place a strong emphasis on our values which represent what we stand for as a school community and inform how we treat ourselves, each other and our environment. “I am very proud of our junior students and thankful for the support they receive from their families and whānau, and our local community.” The best all round student awards went to Bruno Blampied and Charlotte Crosbie (Year 7), Bill Dobson and Edie Yandall (Year 8), Arlo Waddington and Alice Chaly (Year 9), and Ivy Craig and Amber Gemmell (Year 10). Academic awards for the highest achievers in each class went to: Caley Clifford, Charlie Baumgren, Elsie Baker, Zuzia Wick, Lola O'Regan, Isaac Wood, Caleb Wilson (Year 7); George Cruden, Rhys Brugman, Mia Reardon, Tenki Watanabe, Emily Boswell, Tyla Scherger, Bill Dobson, Edie Yandall (Year 8); Malcie Cervelli, Finn Butland, Sam Davis, Nadia Thomas, Charlotte Taylor, Ford Mills, Chloe Chisholm (Year 9); and Laila Telfer, Amber Gemmell, Bess Wilson, Bella Wright, Blanka Lewis, Mackenzie Smith, Elsie Parsons, Merryn Foster (Year 10). Highest academic achievers Year 9 (L-R): Charlotte Taylor, Nadia Thomas, Malcie Cervelli, Ford Mills, Sam Davis, Finn Butland, Chloe Chisholm.The ceremonies featured waiata performed by Te Mākahi o Tititea (MAC’s kapa haka group), and performances by MAC student bands ‘Arrhythmia’, ‘Instant Referral’, and ‘Stranger Danger’, and the MAC Orchestra and Junior Band. MAC thanked prize sponsors Wastebusters, Racers Edge, Integrity Homes, and Mitre Ten MEGA.Highest academic achievers Year 10 (L-R): Laila Telfer, Blanka Lewis, Bess Wilson, Amber Gemmell, Bella Wright, Mackenzie Smith, Merryn Foster, (absent: Elsie Parsons).PHOTOS: Supplied

Three people have received Special Honours List New Zealand Bravery Awards for their roles in a dramatic rescue at the mouth of the Rees River in Glenorchy - which took place less than a week after a Wānaka man died in the same location while trying to save his son. In January 2023, 48-year-old Linkin Kisling, also known as Leroy Kaaho, entered the fast-flowing river after his 10-year-old son. The boy was rescued but his father did not re-emerge. His body was recovered the following day by the Police National Dive Squad. Six days later, on January 19, another young boy was pulled by the current on the Rees River into the lake, triggering a second rescue in almost identical conditions. This week, three people involved in that second rescue were recognised with New Zealand Bravery Medals (NZBM).Off-duty police officer Sergeant Harshad (Harry) Ghodke, holidaymaker Susan Burke, and Australian physiotherapist Jonny Young (who died during the rescue attempt) were all honoured for their actions.Sergeant Harshad swam out to the boy as he was dragged into deeper water by a strong undertow. Exhausted and struggling to keep both himself and the boy afloat, he instructed the child to lie on his back and attempted to return to shore for more help.Jonny saw Sergeant Harshad returning without the boy and decided to swim out to assist. He reached the child and began pulling him towards land, but the pair were separated in the current and Jonny became fatigued.Susan then swam out to the pair, reaching the boy - who by then was floating calmly on his back - and bringing him safely to shore. As she returned, onlookers shouted that Jonny had gone under. She and two others attempted to locate him, diving repeatedly despite exhaustion, but were unable to find him, and his body was recovered the following day.The citations state that Susan “ensured the rescue of the young boy” and continued searching “to the limit of her ability”, while Sergeant Harshad’s actions “addressed the immediate panic of the boy”, helping to keep him alive long enough for help to arrive. Jonny’s posthumous award recognises his “selfless bravery”.The New Zealand Bravery Medal recognises acts of bravery and is awarded primarily to civilians.PHOTO: Unsplash

Long-time Hāwea resident Dick Cotter, 98, was celebrated by Movember NZ for being the country’s oldest Movember participant this year.Dick was one of 11 men from Lake Hāwea who helped raise more than $1,500 for Movember NZ.Movember is an annual, global event which encourages people to grow moustaches (or fundraise in other ways) during November to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.Movember New Zealand is the local chapter - and money raised each year funds research, treatment and awareness programmes for its key focus areas.Last month, the Hāwea Community Movember team committed to four weeks of moustache-growing and fundraising. “Their efforts, combined with the generosity of families, friends, and the wider community, raised an impressive $1,572.20,” the Hāwea Community Association (HCA) said in its latest newsletter. Ten of the 11 members of the Hāwea Community Movember team, including Dick Cotter (centre, back).“We are absolutely thrilled with this result.“Dick’s dedication, humour, and magnificent moustache captured hearts both locally and across the country.”The campaign wrapped up in true Hāwea style, the HCA said, at the community meet and greet last Friday (December 5) at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre.“The final evening was a fantastic celebration, with each team member presenting their carefully cultivated 'mo' for community judging,” they said.“Laughter, applause, and plenty of moustache admiration filled the room as votes were cast for three fun categories.”PHOTOS: Supplied

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College’s (MAC) school board has reaffirmed its commitment to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.“The board, college leadership and staff stand united in their affirmation of Te Tiriti,” a joint statement from principal Nicola Jacobsen and presiding board member Niamh Shaw said.“We believe that giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is fundamental to the fulfilment of our school vision of being an inclusive and sustainable learning environment that inspires our students to be.”MAC is now among more than 1,300 New Zealand schools which have publicly reaffirmed they will continue giving effect to Te Tiriti.It follows the government’s decision earlier last week to remove schools’ obligations to give effect to Te Tiriti.Nicola and Niamh said the school’s board, leadership and staff are united in their affirmation of Te Tiriti. PHOTOS: SuppliedEducation minister Erica Stanford said the treaty was the Crown's responsibility, not schools’.In their statement Nicola and Niamh said that “the college’s commitment to Te Tiriti is already woven into everyday life at the school”.“It represents that when our community and our school do well, we all do well.“Te Tiriti also underpins our values, and supports the sense of identity, wellbeing, and access to equitable educational opportunities for all our students.“We honour Te Tiriti through our recognition of te ao Māori, including the teaching of te reo Māori, the celebration of Māori performing arts through Te Mākahi o Tititea (the MAC kapa haka group), our annual house haka competition, and our observation of tikanga (protocols and customs).“We are proud that our students can share in the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Māori culture and heritage, and we believe that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

Upper Clutha locals will feature in an upcoming portrait exhibition at Te Atamira which celebrates the creative talent of the Queenstown Lakes District and beyond.  The Artist features 20 portraits by multidisciplinary artist Julia Holden.  Eleven artists from varied fields - mostly local to Queenstown and Wānaka - stood as a living canvas for the creation of their portrait.Members of Wānaka band Powder Chutes, which formed when the members were all students at Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College, feature in the exhibition.Other portraits include ‘The Vintner’ featuring Duncan Forsyth of Mount Edward Wines, ‘The Jeweller’ featuring local jewellery designer Jessica Winchcombe alongside others including architects, a breadsmith, a sculptor, a composer and more. Well-known comedian Tom Sainsbury from Auckland also took part.  Te Atamira director Ruth Heath (formerly executive director of the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour) said the body of work “shines a light on the people in our everyday lives who make meaningful contributions to our world, often in ways that go unrecognised or taken for granted”.“We’re delighted to present such an engaging portrait exhibition at Te Atamira, one that breaks with tradition and challenges perceptions of what a portrait can be, and who we consider to be an artist,” she said.Building on a body of eight works begun in Dunedin in 2024 and a self-portrait recently housed in the NZ Portrait Gallery as part of their exhibition Me: Artists Paint Themselves, the new works completing the collection to be exhibited are the result of Julia’s two-month residence at Te Atamira between August-October 2025.   The exhibition opened on Friday (December 5) at the Manaaki Nui gallery space at Te Atamira (Remarkables Park, Frankton).IMAGE: Supplied

Hāwea Flat resident Alan Keen grabbed $2,140.31 worth of groceries in the New World Three Parks Grocery Grab competition this morning (Thursday, December 4).​Randomly selected from 1,088 entrants in the annual event, Alan entered at the last minute after prompting from his wife, Tracy. “I got a call from [New World Three Parks co-owner] Dean [Bartley] and he said I’d won. I felt very excited and a little bit nervous,” Alan said. He said the two minutes he had to race around the store went “very quick”. “Everything is a blur. I had a plan; it didn’t go to plan,” Alan said.​Alan, who works as a project manager for NZ Post, said he and Tracy have called Hāwea Flat home for nearly 10 years. The couple donated part of their winnings to the Upper Clutha foodbank run by Community Link, with the rest earmarked for family Christmas celebrations. New World Three Parks matched the haul's value with its own donation to the foodbank.​“The objective is to support Community Link; it’s great for the winner to get the value of shopping, but really it is about helping out Community Link,” Dean said. “Community Link is special and we want to give back where we can.”Community Link representative Lindsey Schofield said the support from New World Three Parks is “amazing”. “The donation that New World Three Parks is making will help us support families doing it tough,” Lindsey said. “Its really going to help us make Christmas a lot happier for a lot of families.”The New World Three Parks Grocery Grab marks the store's anniversary while boosting the local food bank at Christmas time.PHOTO: Wānaka App

The 2025 Hato Hone St John Wānaka Service Awards Ceremony was held earlier this month at the Wānaka Districts Club.The event honoured volunteers and paid staff for their length of service and contributions. In attendance were ambulance officers, first responders, Therapy Pets volunteers, area committee members and youth leaders, cadets and their parents. “We are fortunate to have so many incredible and long standing volunteers and ambulance operations staff in our community,” St John Wānaka area committee chair Dell Taylor said. Grand Prior Award recipients Blake Cotton-Everitt and Amelia LatchfordThis year's ceremony recognised service milestones including five, 10 and 45 years, as well as the prestigious Grand Prior's award for St John Youth. The awards were presented at the ceremony by Knight of the Order of St John, Ian Rae, assisted by Ann Shepherd, Commander of The Order of St John.One incredible long-standing member of the Order of St John, Marion Furneaux, was recognised for 45 years of service and received a standing ovation from everyone attending the ceremony.The two recipients of the Grand Prior's award - the highest accolade for cadets in the St John Youth Programme - were Amelia Latchford and Blake Cotton-Everitt.Presentation to Marion Furneaux. From left: Marion Furneaux, Ian Rae, and Ann Shepherd. It requires the cadets to participate in multiple compulsory badges, gain their level two first aid certificate, undertake 100 hours of community service, and other opportunities such as cadet leadership training.This is a significant achievement for the two cadets and shows the commitment and hard work they put into the programme as well as the community, Dell said.Amelia and Blake are both in leadership roles within the division, assisting in running the division and the curriculum. They are great role models to the younger cadets and penguins, she said.  The ceremony took place on November 14.PHOTO: St John

Wānaka’s alpine community is in mourning following the death of local mountain guide Thomas Vialletet and his client on Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday evening (November 24).Thomas, an IFMGA-qualified mountain guide, and his client died following a fall near the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook at approximately 11.50pm on Monday, the NZ Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) reported. The pair were part of a team of four, including two guides and their two clients, who were completing a grand traverse of Aoraki/Mount Cook.The other two members of the party were successfully brought down unharmed from the summit ridge.NZMGA president Anna Keeling said Thomas was a respected and valued member of the NZMGA. “[He was] an integral part of our guiding community,” she said. “NZMGA’s focus is now on those most affected, and our priority is supporting the family, including [his] partner and children, as well as our wider guiding community during this extremely difficult time.”Thomas was the co-owner of Wānaka-based guiding company Summit Explorers with his wife Danielle. The pair have two young children.Aoraki Mt Cook PHOTO: Wānaka AppWhile some national media reported that Wānaka Search and Rescue’s (SAR) Alpine Cliff Rescue team was involved in the rescue, Wānaka SAR chair Raewyn Calhaem confirmed that was not the case.“There was a misunderstanding and I believe that the helicopter came into Wānaka to collect a member of the Aoraki ACR team,” she said.“Although not part of SAR, Thomas was well known and respected with the guiding and mountaineering community in Wānaka. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.”Mountain Safety Council (MSC) chief executive Mike Daisley said this time of year is the busy mountaineering season, with many climbers heading into the mountains.“Recent fine weather has drawn many mountaineers to the high alpine, with multiple guided and recreational teams summiting Aoraki/Mount Cook over the past week,” he said.“Current conditions on the mountain are considered ideal for mountaineering, with firm overnight snow conditions and well-filled glaciers following early spring snowstorms.”In December 2024, three climbers, including two guides from the United States and Canada, died while climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook. Their bodies were never recovered.“These mountaineering fatalities are a reminder of the high-consequence environment of our alpine mountains, especially our highest peak,” Mike said. “Mountaineering has very little margin for error. Even the most qualified professionals cannot eliminate all risk.”NZMGA says a formal investigation into the incident will take place in due course.“There will be an opportunity for the NZMGA to understand and share more about what happened in this tragic accident,” Anna said.Both MSC and NZMGA offered their sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, and the wider alpine and guiding community.A givealittle page has been created to support Thomas' partner, Danielle, and their two young children.

There are three new faces on the Central Lakes Trust (CLT) board following its recent election.Lake Hāwea resident Dave Currie, CNZM, Dr Chris Phoon, and Neil Gillespie have been newly elected to the board.They join re-elected trustees Kathy Dedo - who is also the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) deputy chair - and Trudi Webb.The CLT also has three appointed trustees: Linda Robertson, Kathy Grant, and Simon Flood.“We’re excited to welcome our new trustees to the board,” CLT chair Linda Robertson said.“Their fresh perspectives, combined with the experience of our re-elected and appointed trustees, will strengthen our ability to deliver on CLT’s mission.”CLT operates as a charitable trust that offers financial support for charitable initiatives with the goal of improving the lives of local residents and creating lasting positive impacts in the region.Each month it distributes grants to a range of community organisations and not-for-profits.Kathy, who said she felt incredibly privileged to be re-elected, said the mission was to “enhance assets and enrich lives”. “This means making wise investment decisions to maintain and grow our portfolio - this takes more of our time than granting does,” she told the Wānaka App. “This in turn enables us to support community groups and projects that enrich lives throughout the region.”Linda said the new board was a “fantastic team committed to supporting vibrant, resilient communities across our funding region".All three of the new trustees bring extensive leadership and governance expertise to the table, she said. Dave Currie has held prominent roles including Chef de Mission for New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic Teams, executive director of the Halberg Trust, and manager of the Black Caps. Dr Chris Phoon contributes significant governance experience through his involvement on national and international surgical committees and he is a founding member of the Mahu Whenua Traverse.Neil Gillespie, an Otago Regional Council councillor, has a wealth of local government knowledge with over 27 years’ experience on community boards and council, Linda said.The voter return percentage for the election was 20.45 percent.PHOTOS: Supplied

Tributes have been flowing for long-time Wānaka GP Dr Dennis Pezaro, who died on Sunday (November 16), aged 83.Described by his family as a “devoted country GP for 60 years”, Dennis has been remembered by locals as a welcoming doctor who offered wisdom along with health care.In a speech he gave in 2014, Dennis said he believed “that everyone I met had something in their life, of great worth, to be respected, treasured, enjoyed, and that the healthcare interaction was to facilitate this core of their being, whether with laughter or tears, medicines or hugs, tea or whisky”. Dennis moved to Wānaka, with his wife Olwyn, in 1973 as the town’s only GP, working initially in cooperation with the practice and hospital in Cromwell.His practice grew quickly.“He worked six days a week and on the seventh day he worked as well,” a long term friend of the Pezaros told the Wānaka App.Dennis was “on every committee”, they said.He became very involved in Wānaka life and community projects, including the development of Treble Cone and Cardrona skifields.Wānaka Medical Centre supplied all the early medical services on the skifields and the GPs were granted early recognition as partial radiologists to take x-rays.Dennis has said they “developed significant experience and some expertise in acute trauma”. “On the worst weekend before wrist guards were invented we set 20 broken wrists and my own experience is of reducing about 80 dislocated shoulders and about eight dislocated hips.”Dennis joined the executive team of the NZ Medical Association in 1992 and was chair from 1995-6.He is survived by Olwyn, and his family Sarah and Andrew, Avi, and Kit; Carmel; Daniel and Carolyn, Zac and Aria.A memorial service will take place in the New Year.Note: Some information has been provided by Upper Clutha resident historian Ken Allan from notes of a speech Dennis gave in 2014.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka’s Sam Harper (17) achieved a rare feat on Saturday (November 15) at the Luggate Cricket Ground, scoring a double century (233 runs) and taking five wickets for the Wānaka Cricket Club in its win against Queenstown Coronet.Sam’s 233 (not out) came off just 126 balls and his bowling conceded just one run finishing with figures of five for one.“It [batting] felt good and I was definitely seeing the ball well,” Sam said. “I was pretty happy with it.”Sam said it was the first time this season he’d been asked to bowl, being called on when Queenstown were cruising in its run chase. Despite his “tired legs”, Sam’s bowling stint, in partnership with team mate Will Anderson (4/11), changed the match resulting in a 180 run win.Sam scored 121 for Otago against Auckland at the national under 17 tournament earlier this year.Team mate Jono Homer, who batted with Sam for much of his innings on Saturday, said it was a pleasure to watch.“He was playing all the shots and when someone's in that form you don’t want to stop them facing,” Jono said.“It was pretty noticeable in preseason just the way he [Sam] was hitting the ball - it was just a different sound to everyone else batting.”In just three matches this season Sam has scored a 70 ball hundred and a 19 ball fifty to go with his double century.In a post on social media the Wānaka Cricket Club said that “to have a game like that at any age is almost unthinkable, let alone for a 17 year old”.Earlier this year Sam captained the Otago U17 cricket team at the national tournament where he was one of the top five batters at the tournament scoring a century against tournament winners Auckland.PHOTOS: Supplied

Wānaka author Shirley Deuchrass has learned “a lot” about the subject of her latest book: the native long-finned eel.Shirley, who has written biographies, history and fiction, said as a grandmother of 12 her latest books have focused on children.Mark and the Monster Eel is a picture book for three to seven year olds about a boy who is scared of eels because his sister tells him they will eat him.“I believe that the story is worth publishing, for two reasons,” Shirley told the Wānaka App.The book’s colourful illustrations are by MAC student Amber Leslie. IMAGE: Supplied“Because kids are scared of something and it creates an opportunity for teachers and parents to say ‘what are you scared of?’; and the other thing is we’re losing our native long finned eel in leaps and bounds.”Shirley said not enough is known about why the number of native eels is declining, but in her view there is one obvious culprit.“It certainly doesn’t help that we have two dams [Clyde and Roxburgh] in this area,” she said.She explained that the eels breed just once, at the end of their lives. The mature eels swim to the Tongan Islands to lay their eggs. When hatched, the larvae float back to New Zealand and the tiny eels (elvers) swim upriver.While eels can slither past obstacles in their quest, dams are too challenging.Mark and his Grannie. IMAGE: SuppliedContact Energy runs a native fish management programme to assist fish migration pathways - including eels. The elvers are collected and transported past the Roxburgh and Clyde Dams, before being distributed into lakes and rivers.Some mature eels are moved in the opposite direction, but most are lost to the dam turbines, Shirley said.This is the “adult story” underpinning Mark and the Monster Eel, she said, and it’s one she hopes more people will become aware of.The book is illustrated by Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Amber Leslie, who worked with Shirley to bring her vision into colour.“The really cool thing is I managed to get a student in her last year at college to do the art work,” Shirley said. “She’s a clever girl.”Mark and the Monster Eel book will be launched at Wānaka Library at 4pm on Wednesday November 26.