Queenstown Lakes District councillors used last week’s meeting to farewell chief executive Mike Theelen, marking his final appearance at the council table after 10 years in the role.The meeting was his 142nd since taking over in February 2016.Mike, who announced last August he would not seek reappointment, has worked under three mayors and four councils during his tenure.Mayor John Glover noted Thelen’s four decades in local government, including post-earthquake recovery work and his decade leading Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) through rapid growth and Covid-19 disruption.“Even in the short time I’ve worked alongside Mike I’ve seen the high regard he is held in,” John said.“Mike’s first council meeting took place on Feb 24 2016.“Ironically the first public speaker who introduced himself as a Glenorchy business owner was me.“Mike has served as chief executive during Covid…The change the organisation had to make during that time was significant.”Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said Mike had always made himself available to councillors.“I’ve always appreciated your open door and your willingness to always take a phone call, even at odd hours,” he said. “I appreciate the manner in which you’ve undertaken the job.”Councillor Cody Tucker said he had learned a lot from Mike, who had built a strong culture among QLDC staff.“The legacy you leave behind is not only in the work that is there but also the team as well,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the service to our district in the last ten years.”Friday (February 13) will be Mike’s final day on the job.QLDC strategy and policy general manager Michelle Morss has been appointed interim chief executive while recruitment for a permanent replacement continues.PHOTO: QLDC

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) science teacher Sarah Graham loves an excuse to learn new ideas and skills.She recently accomplished that and more at a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) camp for teachers. Sarah was one of around 30 educators who took part in the School to Skies/Seas teachers’ live-in camp hosted by the Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The six-day camp, held at Devonport Naval Base and RNZAF Base Auckland, offers teachers of Years 5 to 13 students insight into the world of the NZDF.“This has been the best week of professional development I have experienced,” Sarah said. “I am really excited to take what I learnt over the six days and share it with my students.” During the camp participants were given hands-on experience in the maritime and aviation industries, designed to provide them with new educational tools and ideas, as well as demonstrate career opportunities for their students.Sarah near the open ramp of a C-130J Hercules in flight, which she said was “amazing” to experience.Sarah took part on a colleague’s recommendation. “I have an interest in military aviation. I also love any excuse for an adventure and learning new skills,” she said. “My brother is in the army reserves, my uncle is ex-army and I have cousins in the air force.” She said she was impressed with the variety of choices for careers. “There’s the opportunity to work in a number of different roles, and they have the ability to change trades, to pursue new pathways.“You’re getting paid to train and study, and there are travel opportunities all around the world.” During the camp the teachers visited HMNZS Aotearoa, the navy’s maritime sustainment vessel and largest-ever ship, and were taken for a flight in a C-130J Hercules. “The Hercules flight was amazing and such a privilege. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” The days were long - 6am to 8pm - but it was worth it, Sarah said. “I am very grateful for the access we have been afforded, and the behind-the-scenes views have been incredibly eye-opening,” she said.PHOTO: NZDF

Two Wānaka athletes will lead the New Zealand Team into the opening ceremony at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning (February 7), after snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and freeski athlete Ben Barclay were named flag bearers.The pair were announced as Ngā Pou Hāpai Tāne and Wahine during a special team gathering at New Zealand Lodge in Livigno, led by NZ Team chef de mission Marty Toomey (Wānaka) and attended by teammates, friends and whānau.“I feel very honoured to be selected as flag bearer, this is incredibly special,” Zoi said.“To share this with Beano (Ben) who I’ve spent a lot of my career with, not only on my snowboard but off it too, is special … I’m proud to be sharing this moment with him.”Ben said wearing the kākahu was a powerful experience.“It’s an honour to wear the kākahu and be chosen as a flag bearer alongside such a good friend as Zoi. To lead the team into the opening ceremony is a privilege for both of us,” he said.“When the kākahu was put on our shoulders it gave me a bit of a shiver, it’s an honour that not many people get to experience and to carry that forward throughout this Olympic experience will be incredible.”NZ Team Chef de Mission, Marty Toomey presented the kākahu (cloaks) to Zoi and Ben.“These two are not only incredible athletes, but incredible human beings,” he said.“Both Zoi and Ben embody the leadership qualities we value in the New Zealand team. They work hard, they stay grounded and they lift the people around them.”Marty presented Zoi with Te Hono Ki Matariki, while Ben received Aroha Atu Aroha Mai.The opening ceremony for the 2026 Olympic Games takes place today (February 7) at 8am (NZT).NZ Team Winter Games schedule.PHOTO: Supplied

This week will mark one year since the disappearance of young Argentinian tourist Hector Gaston Artigau at Mount Aspiring National Park. On Thursday February 6, 2025, Hector set off on a day hike along the Rob Roy Glacier Track.He is believed to have fallen into the canyon, which led into a river, and has not been seen since. Police Search and Rescue (SAR) teams extensively searched the canyon, river, and surrounding areas. “Police have exhausted all available lines of enquiry…, but sadly Hector has not been found,” Police Otago Lakes Central Area Commander Inspector Paula Enoka told the Wānaka App this week. “At this stage, the disappearance of Hector remains an open investigation and we continue to appeal for information that may help us understand what has happened to him.”The search for Hector was “unquestionably the most difficult operation we have undertaken", Wānaka SAR swiftwater/canyon team leader Roy Bailey said last year.Wānaka SAR's swiftwater/canyon, sub-alpine and incident management teams - with the assistance of Aspiring Helicopters - spent nine days trying to recover Hector’s body from the canyon.The effort involved more than 800 volunteer hours, Wānaka SAR chair Raewyn Calhaem said.“Sadly, while the victim's pack and several other articles were recovered, the search could not locate his body, which is believed to be trapped in one of the deep pools in the canyon,” she said.Anyone with information about Hector’s disappearance should contact Police either online or over the phone (105), and quote file number: 250212/2832.Read more: Search for Hector ‘most difficult’ SAR operation yetPHOTO: Supplied

Hāwea teenager Elizabeth Pell is taking the next step in her dance career, starting at London Studio Centre later this year.After receiving offers of study at three of London’s top dance schools, she recently visited all three, eventually selecting London Dance Centre for its versatile training which focuses on a dancer’s chosen pathway: in her case contemporary dance.“The other two institutions were also extremely good but were focused on a narrower area of dance, and I decided that the broader opportunities would be better for me,” Elizabeth said.Elizabeth, now 17, has been dancing since she was two, but only returned to the idea of pursuing it seriously at 16.“When I was little I always imagined continuing dancing but slowly lost my passion as I got older and gave up on the idea,” she told the Wānaka App. “It wasn't until I was 16 when I decided to pursue my dreams and look at furthering my dance training after finishing school.”Since then she has put in the time, sometimes committing up to 12 hours a week at Centralpoint Dance Studios, with a schedule that included private lessons, teaching younger dancers and preparing for competitions.Practice and choreography continued at home: “I never do things half-hearted”.She also choreographed Onstage Wānaka’s production of Blood Brothers last year, which she said was an “awesome experience”.Centralpoint Dance Studios said it had been a privilege to work alongside and support Elizabeth in Wānaka.Her selection to the three dance schools was “a true testament to her commitment, artistry and determination”.Elizabeth will begin her three-year degree in professional dance performance at London Studio Centre in September.She hopes to go on to work in teaching and choreography alongside performance.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka residents will have the chance to hear musician sisters Jackie and Katrina Bristow perform at an upcoming concert at Paddons Paddock.Katrina lives in Wānaka full-time and Jackie is here when she isn’t in Nashville or touring.The local concert is part of a wider tour to celebrate the launch of Jackie’s new Album, GOLDMINE.She releases its first single, ‘Let It Rain’, which features both Jackie and Kartrina, on February 4. The song marks the pair’s first-ever recorded duet and the ‘uplifting Americana track’ was co-written with California-based songwriter Rosa Pullman.“It felt like the perfect duet for us,” Jackie said. “There’s something very special about sisters singing together - a connection that can’t be created any other way.”Jackie and Katrina first stepped onto a stage together at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards when Katrina was eight and Jackie was 11. Their childhood was spent traveling throughout the South Island in the family’s old Ford Falcon, performing at festivals, rodeos, and country music competitions with the unwavering support of their parents.“It was an incredible time in our lives,” Jackie said. “We were surrounded by a vibrant community of young singers and musicians. Those years shaped us.”They went on to spend over a decade in their youth touring and performing together as The Bristow Sisters.The Wānaka concert, on March 1, is one of a series of live shows taking place around the lower South Island with Mark Punch.Find more information on the tour and new album and book tickets here.PHOTO: Shantelle Dawn

A senior member of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) executive leadership team has been appointed as interim chief executive.Michelle Morss has been at QLDC for ten years and been general manager strategy and policy for the past three.QLDC mayor John Glover said her appointment “ensures the organisation and community have consistency and stability while work continues to recruit a chief executive”.He said the appointment (the decision was made by councillors last week) followed a robust process led by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ). “The most important decision that this council will make is to appoint the substantive replacement for Mike Theelen,” John said.“Michelle brings the knowledge and experience needed to lead the organisation as it faces the reforms and challenges over the coming months pending that appointment, and it is wonderful that we will have an interim who can hit the ground running.” Michelle has been a leader in the development of the regional deal, the Spatial Plan and the Destination Management Plan. She has been a key member of the Emergency Operations Centre for a number of years and is currently the district’s recovery manager.  “It’s going to be a busy period as we work on the development of the Long Term Plan, the establishment of the Water Services CCO and understand the implications of a broad range of central government reforms for the sector,” she said. John acknowledged Mike Theelen for ten years of leadership and service at QLDC, including “his commitment to public service and in particular his belief in the purpose of local government”.“His retirement marks the end of a significant chapter for QLDC and I am sure will open a new one for Mike and his family,” he said. Recruitment for a chief executive is expected to begin in the coming months, led by the QLDC CEO relationship and recruitment committee. Read more: Next step for appointment of interim council CEO

A Wānaka woman who won a $4,200 cubby house, slide and swing set in a Wānaka App/McKay Brothers Building and Renovations Christmas competition has passed the prize straight on to the people she works for - expectant grandparents who had quietly hoped to win it themselves.Lynne Gerrard, who entered the McKay Brothers Building giveaway on a whim, said she was “pretty blown away” when she got the call to say she had won.“I enter a lot of competitions and never win anything,” she said.“I really didn’t expect it.”She had entered the draw while with her employers Shane and Tracey Gibson, who are preparing to welcome their first grandchild. Tracey mentioned how much she would love to win the play set, and Lynne made a promise on the spot.“I said, ‘I’m going to enter that draw too, and if I win it I’m going to give it to you’,” Lynne said. “Today is delivery day, and I think they’ll get a lot of pleasure out of it.”Tracey said the gesture had left her overwhelmed.“We’re just full of gratitude for Lynne’s generosity,” she said. “We’ve got one grandchild on the way and hopefully there’ll be more. Our family is growing, with our two older daughters moving back to Wānaka, so this means a lot.”The Cubby Slide and Swing Set built by McKay Brothers Building. PHOTO: McKay Brothers BuildingThe competition was run by McKay Brothers Building and Renovations, whose director Joe McKay said the idea came from his own children’s Christmas wish list.“I asked my kids what they wanted for Christmas and they said a swing set, so I built one,” he said. “I’m a big fan of Christmas. To be able to do something like this and make another family feel that much joy, if I’ve got the capability, why not?”The play set was built by Joe and donated with support from several Wānaka businesses including Mitre 10 MEGA, Art of Architecture, and Lakeland Contracting.

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.