Wānaka’s ‘marathon woman’ Victoria Taylor has ended her consecutive daily marathons after being struck down with a bad case of influenza.Victoria’s last run day - and her 498th consecutive daily marathon - was Monday July 29, leaving her just two days off her next target of 500.“I’ve been badly knocked down by influenza,” Victoria said.“I ran through Covid two months ago and that was hard.”Victoria began running consecutive daily marathons on March 13, 2023 to raise awareness for mental health. At that time her goal was to break the women's world record of 151 daily consecutive marathons.“The whole motivation behind it in the first place, I was doing it because a loved one died from suicide, so I was wanting to do it to raise awareness for mental health,” she said. “I figured if that happened to the nicest person I knew something needed to be done about it.“The run went on a lot longer than planned … I was just taking it day by day. Sickness could have knocked me out at any time, I was aware of that.”Victoria said her history in sports conditioned her both physically and mentally to manage the marathon challenge but it did come with many sacrifices.“There was a lot of sacrifice to be doing it for that long,” she said. “I didn’t have time to be having a social life or anything, or spending extra money. I was too busy running.”Carbohydrate-based foods like pasta were a staple in her diet and “quite a bit” of chocolate helped settle the sugar cravings.Victoria said she set several world records during the 498-day effort, including the most consecutive daily marathons by a woman, the first woman to run consecutive daily marathons for a year, and the most marathons pushing a pram (on 221 occasions Victoria completed the marathon pushing her son in a pram).“Running a pram marathon is hard,” Victoria said.“The actual prep to make that happen to ensure Brax [her son] was happy and content the whole time I was running was just about as hard as running the marathon. “It was a mission.”The next goal for Victoria is to complete her personal trainer certificate and she said she has been approved (by Guinness World Records) to run across Australia.Read more:‘It’ll be the hardest thing I’ve ever done’: Wānaka woman to attempt record-breaking runWānaka woman's marathon effortPHOTO: Wānaka App

The move to a new premises will allow long-running local food charity Food for Love to right-size for increasing demand.Food for Love has gone from preparing and delivering 1,700 meals a year in 2020-2021 to over 9,000 meals in the last financial year. Its new space on Gordon Road - which it will be operating out of by August 12 - has plenty of room for its cooking and storage needs, an office space, and even room for a volunteer lounge. Food for Love announced its move in an email to volunteers.“We are so excited and can’t wait to share this new space with you all,” Food for Love said in the email.It gave a “heartfelt thank you” to its previous landlord, as well as the people who assisted with negotiations, contracts, insurances, budgets and logistics and made the move possible.Food for Love, a registered charitable trust, was created in 2016 and its mission remains the same as it was then - to provide home-cooked meals for families or individuals going through a hard time, regardless of whether the need is financial or personal. At its recent annual general meeting, it said an average of 180 meals were made each week, the majority of which are given to new parents (28.6 percent) and those suffering illness (22.9 percent), post surgery (18.2 percent) and injury (13.9 percent).Its total expenses for the last financial year exceeded $185k.Most of its income is derived from grants and donations as well as fundraising efforts partnering with local businesses, organisations and events, such as Mitre10, the Wānaka Business Chamber, the Wānaka A&P Show and the Hirepool Trilogy Golf Tournament.Central Lakes Trust gave a grant of more than $98k to the charity last year. Food For Love is a registered charitable trust. Find out more here.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Former Wānaka resident Hank Bilous has made his directorial debut with ‘The War On Style’, which will tour around New Zealand as well as Sydney and Torquay in Australia. One of New Zealand’s top freeskiers, Hank finished the 2020 Freeride World Tour with multiple podium finishes. He took a hiatus from skiing to finish his nursing degree and more recently he has been working as a registered nurse in the emergency department of a small North Island community.Hank said ‘The War on Style’ is inspired by his love of skiing, nursing and other interests like surfing, but it’s not specifically about any of those things.“It is really about the idea that any technical skill gives you the opportunity to express yourself and that self-expression part, really, is worth striving for,” he said.“I hope the audience can apply that concept to their own life.”Watch the trailer:Creating the film was “a real test of the concepts explored in the film in my life personally”, Hank said. “Writing a script, co-producing and directing were all new skills to me before we started this project.” ‘The War on Style’ was filmed and edited by Chris Maunsell and Sam Wave created the original score and songs.“Working [with Chris and Sam] on this project has really solidified the idea for me that collaboration is much better than competition,” Hank said.‘The War on Style’ was filmed in Wānaka, Dunedin and Gisborne.The New Zealand tour for ‘The War on Style’ will begin on July 30 and the Wānaka screening, which will be presented by Hank, will take place on August 21.Tickets and more information are available here.PHOTO: Supplied

In the latest episode of The Outlet, we dive into the trailblazing journey of Amy Eason, who recently became the first woman to referee a Central Otago premier men's rugby game. Amy's story is not just about breaking barriers but also about resilience, determination, and the power of goals. This episode offers a wealth of inspiration for anyone facing adversity in their endeavours, especially women pursuing roles in sports.Amy shares humorous anecdotes about the challenges referees face on the field, including the idea of consulting their phones for the latest rules. Despite these challenges, Amy's passion for refereeing remains strong, and she continues to work hard to improve her skills.Listen to The Outlet Wānaka.

The new chair of Wānaka Search and Rescue (SAR) says the outgoing chair has left the organisation well prepared for the future.Raewyn Calhaem has stepped into the chair role this week, replacing Bill Day, who spent around five years as chair, first until the end of 2022, and more recently coming back at short notice after his successor Aaron Nicholson had to leave due to illness.“Bill was a visionary, an ideas man and a safe pair of hands,” Raewyn told the Wānaka App.“He has left the group in an exceptional position.”Raewyn said she was also happy to report that Aaron was now back on board, serving as the incident management team coordinator on the SAR committee. Wānaka SAR members, pictured during a training exercise, are “exceptionally skilled”, Raewyn said. PHOTO: Geoff MarksWānaka SAR is one of the busiest SARs in the country and it is entirely volunteer-run.Its specialist teams - comprising bush, river, marine and alpine - undertake search and rescue operations in Mt Aspiring National Park and the Wānaka Lakes area.There are approximately 90 Wānaka SAR members and 70 active members at any given time.Raewyn has five years experience on the Wānaka SAR committee and she said the members were “exceptionally skilled” at what they do.In the past 12 months search and rescue call-out numbers reached pre-Covid levels again for the first time, she said.Wānaka SAR members’ efforts were highlighted at the annual AGM and awards event on Tuesday night (July 9).Raewyn said SAR members are recognised with awards in five year increments and on Tuesday “there were a number of people who received awards for 20 years of service”.“That shows what a great group it is and how good the culture is.” She also thanked Wānaka Police for the “fantastic teamwork” between the two.Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts attended the AGM, which celebrated the “great work” Wānaka SAR does in the community.“To all the members who received certificates last night, a big thank you from Police for your efforts and contributions spanning many years,” she said.Fi gave a special mention to Wānaka Police Senior Constable Phil Vink, who was presented with a 10-year appreciation certificate for his services to Wānaka SAR.She also thanked both Bill and Raewyn.“Thank you Bill for all that you do. You are an infectiously positive man who is so well thought of by the group,” she said. “We are very much looking forward to working with the new chair Raewyn Calhaem and continuing our great relationship.”Learn more about Wānaka SAR here.PHOTOS: Supplied

A new group of creatives and organisers within the Upper Clutha region has named themselves Creatives of Wanaka (CoW). The group was formed following a hui led by Three Lakes Cultural Trust and QLDC in May.Read more: Ambitious new strategy for the arts in Queenstown LakesThe group aims to connect local creatives from every culture and arts background within the Wānaka region.“We are lucky to be part of an incredible region which draws in musicians, artists, innovators, writers, producers and performing artists,” CoW director Andrea Beryl said.CoW director Andrea Beryl PHOTO: Supplied“Add in to that the promoters and event managers and it seemed a no-brainer to connect these creatives for the benefit of the community.”Three meetings in, the group has plans in place to deliver a Fringe-style event (TaokaWānaka) to be held in and around the Lake Wānaka Centre next December 2025.“Unifying different representatives from every arts background is a tremendous opportunity,” facilitator Lynne Christie said. “We’d love to welcome any creatives and arts supporters to connect with CoW.”Wānaka Pride’s Ollie Harcus said the planned event was “a chance to link all the arts in a phenomenal place and show the community and the world the talent that is right in their front yard”.The next Creatives of Wānaka meeting will be held at the Wānaka Community Hub Meeting Room on August 7, at 6pm. Anyone wanting to communicate with the new group can do so via email ([email protected]).

A local man has set up a range of social activities - including a run club - aimed at creating a “safe community” for locals.Builder’s apprentice Tim Douglas started ‘After Laughter’ in 2022, organising a few events during that first year.“The idea for After Laughter came from seeing the mental health struggles of my friends, family, and myself,” he told the Wānaka App.“I noticed that people are often shy about discussing mental health, even though it's an issue for over a quarter of Kiwis.”Without any formal mental health qualifications, Tim decided the best way he could help was “creating a safe community for people” by organising events that people would want to attend, using them as a way to spread a message.“I wanted to focus on those who haven't dealt with mental health issues themselves because, in my experience, the stigma usually comes from people who don't understand what it's like, making it difficult for those struggling to talk about it.” Tim said people who haven't faced mental health challenges often don't learn about the topic on their own.“Whether it's music, art, sports, or any other distraction locals are into at the moment, I wanted to get everyone together. These events became a space for people to meet new friends, discuss how to have those tougher conversations, and support each other. “As a result, I've created a little community of regulars and it’s been incredibly fun and rewarding to do.”Last year one of Tim’s friends trained for and ran the Queenstown Half-Marathon, and told Tim how much it helped with their mental health. That led Tim to the idea of setting up a run club which would take people “from couch to marathon” by November.Tim said the “saviour” of the run club was the help and support of friends Alice and Fionn from the outdoor lifestyle store Heatwave.  “In a sport which can often be intimidating, we wanted to create a really open and supportive environment where people didn’t feel like they had to be at any specific level to join.”Eighty-four people have already signed up for the run club, Tim said.“We’ve got runners from all stages in their journey and ages from about 20 to 60. It really is such a cool opportunity to be able to work with everyone.”There are other After Laughter social events planned for the next few months, including yoga, a group hike, and more. Events so far have included a Heatwave Alleycat race and a group gym seminar put together by Pure Performance. Rhyme x Reason and Bao have also offered membership deals and the Queenstown Marathon has offered 20 percent off entry. Tim said he hopes that everyone involved in the run club will achieve their goals, “whether it’s breaking a time, meeting friends, trying something new or even overcoming a current battle they are having”. “At its core, the run club is something people can rely on, it’s a welcoming and supportive space and we’ve made it clear we’ll be there for members rain, snow, shine, whatever gets thrown at us,” he said. Find more information about After Laughter here, or on Instagram @afterlaughter.nz and @it's.heatwave. The website is afterlaughter.co.nz, and people can sign up for the marathon here. PHOTO: Supplied

A local man has completed the trip of a lifetime, cycling a huge 6,500km all the way from Nairobi, Kenya to Cape Town, South Africa. Seventy-three-year-old Tony Harris and his son Richard returned to New Zealand earlier this month after completing the cross-country epic with Tour D’Afrique.On the 50-day trip they biked an average of 130km each day with the shortest travel day coming in at around 80km and the longest at 220km. Just ten rest days broke up the routine, which usually saw the bikers on the road by 6.30am.Some of the elephants Tony encountered on ‘Elephant Highway’ in Botswana.Africa is home to some of the earth’s most stunning landscapes, and the trip transited everything from lush rainforests to endless savannahs and soaring mountains.“The average daily ascent was 800m but that ranged from almost zero to 2,000m,” Tony said. Botswana was Tony’s favourite of the seven countries he travelled through, and a highlight was biking along the country’s famous ‘Elephant Highway’ and seeing elephants, giraffes and zebras.While Namibia’s arid desert landscapes were stunning “the sand in Namibia is never going to be a biker’s friend”, Tony said, citing the long stretches of dry sand as some of the toughest of the trip.Locals they met during the journey helped keep the riders’ spirits high.“The local people often seemed like they were expecting us,” Tony said. “In some places the whole school was out on the side of the road. The kids were just so excited.”“They jumped up and down and waved and ran alongside us.”Locals were excited to see the riders as they passed through rural areas.Tony said the Tour D’Afrique staff, who provided food, water, medical support and much more “couldn’t have been better”, but the riders still lived simply, spending their nights camping.“We had a number of what they call ‘bush camps’ which are basically right out in the bush but sometimes those bush camps consisted of a soccer field and a school and we would camp on the sports fields,” Tony said.Tony slept well, tired from the physical challenge, the “intense focus” of the long days on the bike and the many concerns - from navigation to punctures and the fear of bodily or mechanical failure.He said emotions that developed during the long days could be very intense.“When you are extremely tired, small things become issues which are really only issues in a tired man’s head,” he said.Arriving in Cape Town after so many weeks on the bike was a surreal feeling, Tony said.He was “dangerously close” to the end of his tether by that time but seeing the city, first in the distance, then getting closer and closer, came with a huge sense of accomplishment.One of many ‘bush camps’ during the trip.Tony said the trip came with a “whole lot of soul searching” and he has returned with a different perspective.“You reset your values to some extent - it happens for you.”After being home for a few weeks, Tony is getting used to being back in a normal routine - and starting to think about his next adventure.“I was warned it would become addictive and at the time I couldn’t believe it,” Tony said.“Now I’m all for trying something along those lines again.”PHOTOS: Supplied

Red Frog volunteers, a regular sight at Wānaka’s New Year events, are being celebrated this week as part of National Volunteer Week (June 16-22).The young volunteers have been on hand across New Zealand since 2008, helping people stay safe at various events and festivals by offering ‘chill-out’ zones, free food and water and first response teams.Last year, through a range of programmes and activations, 350 Red Frogs volunteers helped safeguard more than 275,000 young people. In Wānaka alone the Red Frogs attended three nights of New Year’s events in the CBD, and two nights at the Cardrona Valley’s Rhythm & Alps festival.Red Frogs volunteers handed out more than 3,000 pancakes in the Wānaka area while safeguarding young people last year.Red Frogs NZ national director Ray Thomson told the Wānaka App the volunteers supported 28,000 young people in Wānaka during that period, contributing 793 volunteer hours.They had 8,820 interactions with young people, and provided extra care and support to 69 of those.Forty-eight kilograms of Red Frog lollies (which the volunteers are named after) were handed out, he said, as well as 5,817 cups of water and more than 3,000 pancakes.“The Red Froggers themselves are the key to the organisation's ability to serve young Kiwis for the past 16 years,” he said.“Red Frogs volunteers are the backbone of what we do. They can flip thousands of pancakes for hours on end, hand out litres of water without complaint, rack up thousands of steps walking people to safety and their vomit-catching skills will put any ninja to shame.”National Volunteer Week’s theme this year is Whiria te tangata, which means ‘weave the people together’.“That's what Red Frogs volunteers do. Without them our work would not be possible,” Ray said.PHOTOS: Shannon Thomson/Red Frogs NZ

A Wānaka teenager who was gifted a set of golf clubs worth $5,000 is already using them “nearly every day”.Monty Brown (16) missed out on a major prize by millimetres during this year’s New Zealand Open but his sportsmanship was rewarded a month later.His attempt in the ‘Closest to the Pin’ fundraiser initiative at the New Zealand Open was just 830mm from the pin until he was beaten to the prize in the last ten minutes of the day.His grace in missing out on the $5,000 prize was noticed by Craigs Investment Partners, who teamed up with golf club supplier Ping and the Wānaka Golf Club Pro Shop and last week they presented Monty with a brand new set of Ping clubs.Monty told the Wānaka App the new clubs are “definitely” a big improvement on his old clubs.The keen golfer picked up the sport around two years ago.He now plays at Wānaka Golf Club two or three times a week and he is currently aiming to get his handicap of 15.1 down to “single digits” by the end of summer.Monty told the Wānaka App he was attending the New Zealand Open for the first time when he came across ‘Closest to the Pin’ and thought to himself “let’s give this a crack”.Even though he didn’t win, Monty said he was stoked with his result, and he was “blown away” when he was given the new clubs a couple of months later.Monty said it would be “pretty cool” to go pro one day, but for now golf is “just for fun”.Craigs Investment Partners adviser Paul Gardner said through the company’s support for the Closest to the Pin and a second New Zealand Open Initiative, Birdies for Charity, $25,000 was raised for Cure Kids and the Wakatipu Community Foundation.“Craigs also wants to recognise up-and-coming young Kiwi golfers in their journey to the top, and supporting Monty is one way we can do this given his achievement and attitude on the day.”PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka snow sports stalwart Mary Lee has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to snow sports and tourism in this year’s King’s Honours List.Mary and her husband John Lee developed Cardrona Ski Field, Snow Park, the beginnings of the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground, and the Snow Farm - New Zealand’s only dedicatedNordic/cross-country ski area.Mary told the Wānaka App she was proud to be involved in the foundation of the ski areas and Nordic sports in New Zealand and was honoured to be recognised.“It has been and still is a very rewarding journey,” she said.The honour had “rekindled a truck load of wonderful memories” from the partners who helped Mary and John realise their dreams to “all the wonderful people we have met”. There had been plenty of challenges along the way too, but Mary said those were “a distant memory”.Mary Lee in action during the Snow Farm’s annual Merino Muster. PHOTO: Garrick CameronWhile Mary credits the support of family, friends, and the Nordic skiing community in the success of the Snow Farm, she (who embodies ‘perpetual motion’) may have been the perfect person to help develop and introduce the sport of Nordic skiing to New Zealand. A keen alpine skier from a young age, she was inspired to become a physiotherapist as a teenager by her volunteer work with disabled children. She told the Wānaka App she had never tried Nordic skiing until John began developing the Pisa area.“It’s a special sport,” Mary said, recalling an afternoon in those early days on what is now The Snow Farm. She stopped skiing and looked at the view, and thought: “This is such a mind-blowing, relaxing mental health day.”It was a learning experience developing the Snow Farm, Mary said, and while the international Nordic instructors were expert skiers, their approach of taking beginner skiers to the top of the Pisa on the first day often meant it was also their last day of Nordic skiing.“This is where my physio training kicked in and with John, we tackled the challenge of getting return visits,” Mary said.Nordic skiing took “a lot longer” to be accepted as a sport than the couple had anticipated. A youth trip Mary organised to Australia’s World Loppet ski race helped grow awareness and was the foundation for the Waiorau Nordic Sports club and subsequently the Nordic Youth Development group. The Lees also founded Biathlon NZ and the Wānaka Biathlon club. Building the lodge at the Snow Farm was a huge achievement, Mary said, and it attracted international athletes (who still come to the Snow Farm to train each winter). Mary also worked hard to have the Snow Farm’s Merino Muster race (established in 1995) accepted by the traditional Nordic countries, and it is now one of 20 Worldloppet races in the world.From 1987 to 2008, Mary managed and developed Snow Farm, and she continues to take on voluntary roles. Her efforts have provided employment opportunities and attracted national and international ski tourists, with trails providing off season business. Mary said she always saw her role as “behind the scenes”, but she developed something of John’s visionary perspective over the years working beside him.The Lees sold Snow Farm in 2008 and formed the Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust to ensure it remained a recreational area in perpetuity. Mary remains New Zealand representative for the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and director and secretary of the Merino Muster. She founded Snow Girls, a cross country skiing and social network for women of all ages. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 the Snow Farm was left without international ski instructors and Mary was asked to mentor members of the Snow Girls as instructors, which enabled her to implement her own ideas to promote skiing with the local women. In 2022 Mary was the first person to receive the NZQA Snowsports Instructor Award – Cross Country Skiing Level 4. Mary continues to be motivated by the young skiers in the Snow Farm youth programme. She said a big challenge is promoting the sport (which has a low injury rate compared to other winter activities) for the younger generation. “Nordic sports are not just for retired alpine skiers,” she said. Mary also volunteers with SeniorNet and the Cardrona Heritage Trust, and recently completed a marathon (throughout May) with her two-year-old grandson Archie, to raise funds for the Heart Foundation.John Lee was appointed a Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and Tourism, in 2016. In 2021 Mary received the John Fitzharris Award for Service to Sports. Mary said the honours complete the circle for their family legacy, giving the couple’s grandchildren “a greater understanding of the partnership John and I had to establish the ski areas and other projects”.

Well-known Wānaka resident Ralph Feagan has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community in the King’s Birthday Honours List.Ralph Feagan, ONZM, JP, has volunteered in the Wānaka and West Coast communities since 1973 in a range of capacities, including 40 years with the fire service.He told the Wānaka App he thought hard about accepting the honour before agreeing. “I carry it for all the people I’ve been involved with all these years,” he said.Ralph’s motivation for community service is “the old story”, he said. “It’s the people, the people, the people.”Ralph said while he was a rebel who didn’t listen much to his parents, his father’s message (and role modelling) that “you’ll get more pleasure from giving than taking” stuck with him.Ralph modelling the fire brigade’s mini tractor.Ralph volunteered with Franz Josef Volunteer Fire Brigade for 22 years, becoming chief fire officer from 1977 to 1996, and initiating the formation of a Rural Fire Party. He “saw the need” in the small but growing town, where the nearest fire station was “663 bends in the road” away in Fox Glacier. He and wife Lyn also ran the local supermarket where their staff would expand from about eight in the off-season to almost 50 during peak season.While Ralph always planned to retire to Wānaka (he grew up in Milton and spent his summers here since he was six-years-old), Lyn wasn’t so keen. Ralph moved here first while Lyn kept running the supermarket, and - not one to sit around - Ralph took over ferrying people between Wānaka and Queenstown in a Toyota Hiace van. The service took off (becoming Wānaka Connections) and Ralph was kept busy for the next few years before the Franz Josef store sold and Lyn joined him in Wānaka.His contribution to the tourism industry dates back to the 1970s: he was on the Westland Promotion Board for three years, and four years each with West Coast Tourism Development and West Coast Tourism Council. He was also director of the South Island Promotion Association from 1987 to 1994. He has also been chair of Lake Wānaka Tourism, and has served for 17 years with the Wānaka Fire Brigade. After 22 years with the Franz brigade he took a “nine year break” doing victim support before joining the Wānaka brigade.He’s been brigade secretary since 2013, and has been involved with the United Fire Brigade Association as president of the Central Otago Fire Brigade’s sub-association from 2021 to 2023 and became senior vice president of the Otago/Southland Gold Star Association in 2023. Ralph has volunteered with a range of other organisations including the New Zealand Fighter Pilots’ Foundation Trust, Wānaka Airport, Upper Clutha RSA, the Wānaka A&P Show, and Food for Love.  He was a Westland District Councillor from 1989 to 1995 and a civil defence controller for Franz Josef from 1979 to 1995. When the Wānaka App met Ralph this weekend he was weeding the garden at the fire station, saying “If I don’t do it no other bugger will”.“I’ll do it as long as I can. I’ll get booted out eventually,” he said.Ralph spoke about the “absolutely bloody amazing” job done by local emergency services, who all work well together - with families as a very important part of the team.“We have a wonderful mix with female and male members in the brigade in which all are very highly skilled in protecting our community,” he said.The highlight of his time in Wānaka, he said, has been helping bring NASA to the airport.“I bent a lot of number 8 wire doing it,” he said. Ralph’s role at Wānaka Airport began when he was employed to do 10-15 hours of maintenance a week, and ended up becoming the airport operations manager for 12 years. Around 10 years ago NASA contacted then-Queenstown Lakes District councillor Jude Battson. Jude phoned Ralph, saying: “I’ve had a weird phone call from space.” She gave NASA Ralph's contact details, which sparked a long process to bring the space agency to Wānaka as part of its balloon programme (which provides high-altitude scientific balloon platforms for scientific and technological investigations, including fundamental scientific discoveries that contribute to our understanding of the universe).Wānaka is now one of just seven NASA balloon launch sites in the world.Ralph recalled an early clandestine visit from three NASA engineers who he showed around then remained in touch with. He and Lyn were also hosted by NASA on a memorable USA trip in 2019 where they were treated as VIPs. Ralph also acknowledged the late Sir Tim Wallis was a “great mentor” whom he always enjoyed spending time with.“It’s been a great ride,” he said.Ralph acknowledged the “pivotal” support from his family, saying they “always understood” his community service, despite him missing school events, meals, and more.“Without that family support you can’t do it.”Ralph received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and was awarded Westland District Council Person of the Year in 1996.This is the first time appointments have been made to the “King’s Service Order” (formerly the Queen’s Service Order), acknowledging the new sovereign.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

James (Jim) Boult (CNZM) has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government, tourism and the community in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list.The former Queenstown Lakes District mayor has led and advocated across a range of roles and organisations over a 40-year period.He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015.Jim was elected as mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2019. In April 2022 he confirmed he would not stand for re-election later that year. During his five-and-a-half years in the role of mayor he led a series of projects to bolster the district.They included an initiative to provide affordable homes; a $2 bus transport scheme; a government working party for freedom camping; a bed tax proposal as a solution for funding the infrastructure needs of 3M+ visitors per year; and other infrastructure and transport changes. During the Covid-19 pandemic he led the implementation of funding and support for migrants without homes or work; establishment of the Queenstown Greater Needs fund for the medical needs of migrants; and the the Economic Recovery and District Diversification taskforces.Jim also worked with central government on initiating shovel-ready projects and establishing the Major Events fund, and chaired the Otago Lifelines Programme for natural disaster readiness and the Metro Mayors section of local government. Jim is a patron of the Child Cancer Foundation, Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and Whakatipu Rowing Club, and the chair of the Canterbury Museum Working Party.This is the first time appointments have been made to the “King’s Service Order” (formerly the Queen’s Service Order), acknowledging the new sovereign.PHOTO: QLDC

What happens when a scenic winter adventure turns into a fight for survival?In this gripping episode, we sit down with Ken Wylie, who recounts the day he was caught in a devastating avalanche 20 years ago.Ken takes us through the critical moments before the disaster, from the overlooked morning meeting to the ominous "wumpf" sound that signalled impending doom.His vivid storytelling brings to life the harrowing experience of being swept away by the avalanche, his struggle to stay afloat on the snow, and the moments of awareness before he passed out. This life-altering event has since driven Ken to dedicate his career to teaching avalanche safety and risk management.Listen to The Outlet Wānaka.

Wānaka filmmaker Finlay Woods has won the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival’s (NZMFF) Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for Best NZ-Made Film for his film Terra Incognita.The film follows a crew of world-class skiers led by Freeride World Tour competitor Craig Murray as they attempt to ski new lines in the Southern Alps and experiment with pack horses to access ski touring.“It feels great to receive this recognition for the film after all of the work put in by so many people,” Finlay said. “And for it to be from the NZMFF is really special - I spent so many of my younger years going and being inspired by the films in the festival.”Terra Incognita (which translates to terrain unknown) explores the realities of pushing into some of the most remote places in the country and the triumphs and tribulations of those endeavours.“For us the goal of Terra Incognita was to explore new places in the Southern Alps,” Craig said, which was a “transformative and educational process”.“We experienced a range of places, weather and conditions as well as sharing a ride of emotions with many great people. In some ways I think our motivation and positivity created our own luck. “More than once, when a plan completely fell through, another unexpected opportunity would arise.”Finley and Craig extended a “massive thank you” to all the people who helped make the film possible.Another 18 awards were granted in a range of categories and the Grand Prize was awarded to French director Hugo Clouzeau for his film, ‘Nuptse: Touching the Intangible’, which follows three climbers who are dreaming of opening a new extreme route on the legendary south face of Nuptse, a wall approaching 8000m in the heart of the Himalayas. Those films and several dozen more (whittled down from a record 241 entries) will feature at this year’s NZMFF, which will take place in Wānaka from June 21-25, in Queenstown from June 27-28 and online in July.Find the full festival programme at the NZMFF website or at Paper Plus.PHOTO: Supplied

Retiring Warbirds Over Wānaka Community Trust chairman John Gilks says he’s thrilled to have been in the role for the event’s most successful airshow in its 36-year history.The 2024 airshow saw the Easter weekend’s Saturday and Sunday both sold out and a record crowd for the practice day on Friday (March 29-31).  An estimated 8,000 people also attended the free community airshow at the lakefront on Good Friday.John said after leading the organisation for the past ten years it was hugely satisfying to be able to put on such an amazing event this Easter, especially given the last two airshows had to be cancelled because of Covid-19.“Leading into this airshow I was confident there was a lot of pent-up demand but with any major outdoor event there are still a number of things that can go wrong at the last minute,” he said.“But everything came together so well for this year’s airshow – an amazing line-up of aircraft, record crowds and perfect weather.”Read more: ‘Best Warbirds ever’: Organisers blown away by feedbackJohn said the final financial situation won’t be known until the end of the organisation’s financial year in September, however it’s looking likely Warbirds will be in a strong position to put on another airshow at Easter 2026 and beyond.“It’s a great position to be in but it would not have been possible without the help of the many funding organisations, sponsors and individuals who supported us during the past six years,” John said.“Without that funding Warbirds would not have survived. We hope we were able to repay that support by staging the most successful airshow in the event’s history.”Paul Moodie of Wānaka will replace John as chairman.Paul Moodie PHOTO: SuppliedThe 2024 airshow was Paul’s first as a member of the board and he says his vision for the future is pretty simple: “Warbirds needs to continue to deliver a top-class international event which delivers significant, positive benefits for our community.”PHOTO: Wānaka App

A local Hato Hone St John cadet has been selected to travel to Hong Kong in July to compete in the Asia Pacific Regional Youth First Aid Competition.Lily Wilson (17) is one of just ten members of St John Youth from around the country to be selected for the competition, where she will test her skills in high-stakes scenarios.St John competitions test competitors' ability to respond to emergency situations and Lily said the Asia-Pacific competition is slightly different to the ones in New Zealand.“They have a nursing and ambulance team and focus on trauma and patient care and things like that,” she said. Lily has been involved with St John since she was six; she says it has had a big influence on her plans to study nursing when she finishes school this year.As part of the two-week trip to Hong Kong Lily will also get the chance to participate in St John Hong Kong’s 140th birthday celebrations, which will include visiting cultural sites and other activities. Lily has been involved with St John Youth since the age of six and it has become a huge part of her life. She is the South Island Cadet of the Year 2024, a major achievement and responsibility within the organisation, and the first time a Wānaka cadet has received the honour.“I get to attend a lot of the events across the South Island,” Lily said. “That can be investitures, where we ‘invest’ people into the Order of St John. There’s also competitions and regional camps.“When I’m not travelling I get to keep in contact with a lot of the young people in the organisation and help the other cadets.”In April she competed at the national St John annual competition as a team leader for one of the South Island teams; her team was tested by responding to scenarios including a car crash and a bus that was on fire, among many others.Lily’s team was crowned champion team at the competition and she was named champion team leader.The camaraderie and the learning opportunities within St John are what keep Lily interested and she says she expects to have a lifelong involvement with the organisation.“I’ve met some of my closest friends within the organisation which is really cool,” she said. “I’ve also found so many leadership opportunities and places to grow my skills.”Lily is in her last year of school this year and she plans to study nursing next year.“St John has shown me that I really like caring for other people.”“I can see myself working on the ambulance in the future possibly as a volunteer and see myself continuing with the Youth Programme in a leadership role. ”The local St John has run its youth programme for 15 years. Find more information about it here.PHOTOS: Supplied

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

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