A community-owned charitable trust which supports a wide range of local initiatives has three new trustees.Otago Community (OCT) trustees are responsible for managing funds of more than $285M and distributing funding for the benefit of communities within the region each month.In just the past couple of months they have provided funding to Wao Aotearoa to deliver its 2023 Wao Summit and Winter Games NZ Charitable Trust to go towards the cost of running the 2023 Winter Games.Recent funding of $15,000 from the OCT will support playground development at Te Kura O Take Karara.OCT has also supported Wānaka Musicians Incorporated with funding for Stars in Your Eyes, and local primary school Te Kura O Take Karara with a grant to go towards playground development.Read more: Funds granted for education, sportsOCT chief executive Jemma Adams welcomed new trustees Carole Adair (Dunedin), Robyn McLean (Dunedin), and Fraser McKenzie (Oamarau), who she said were well-positioned to help the trust “to continue making a positive impact in the region”.“We are pleased to have three new trustees appointed to the trust and look forward to their contribution,” Jemma said. “We believe the skill sets and knowledge each will bring to the table will be an asset for the trust”.The new trustees replace Diccon Sim and Malcolm Wong who stepped down at the end of August.“I wish to thank Diccon and Malcolm for all their hard work and the significant contribution both have both made to the trust over the years,” OCT chair Andy Kilsby said. OCT’s objective is to assist community projects that make a ‘significant and positive contribution to Otago communities.Find more information about the trust and funding opportunities here.

A 16-year-old Wānaka dancer has been selected for a prestigious performance showcase in New York City.Hunter Cranfield, who dances with Centralpoint in Wānaka, recently attended the week-long Broadway Dreams programme in Rust, Germany, with dancers from all over the world. At the end of the week, he was singled out as the only dancer selected to represent Broadway Dreams Germany in New York for the organisation’s international premier event.Hunter told the Wānaka App he has been dancing for eight years.He said the programme in Germany, where he got the chance to learn from top Broadway actors, directors and choreographers, had been an “amazing” experience.“I also got to meet so many like minded people that love to dance,” he said.  Broadway Dreams was founded in 2007 and it is a non-profit arts education organisation known for its immersive, mentorship-driven training model. The programme acts as a bridge between the Broadway community and the next generation of theatre artists. Its founder, fellow New Zealander Annette Tanne, is eager to bring talented Kiwi youngsters to experience the performing arts scene abroad. The event in New York, which Hunter will attend in November 2024, will provide even more opportunities for the promising young performer.It is attended by top Broadway directors, casting agents, theatre companies, venue operators and composers who scout for new talent.Hunter said he is excited to build further connections in the industry and learn more from all the professionals. “I would love to dance professionally once I have finished school and continue my training to enable me to do this,” he said.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka mountaineer Guy Cotter put pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions to good use by writing his memoir: ‘Everest Mountain Guide – The remarkable story of a Kiwi mountaineer’.Guy told Wānaka App podcast The Outlet that in a way he had been writing the book for over 30 years.“I'd kept diaries of all my expeditions wherever I first went there in 1992,” he said. “And through Covid, I had a bit of time on my hands. So I figured, well, rather than do nothing, I'll just complete some projects that I've been wanting to do for a long time.” Writing the book was one of them, but it wasn’t a case of him sitting in a quiet study near Wānaka writing for hours. While he started writing during the early days of the pandemic, the rewriting and editing process lasted much longer.‘Everest Mountain Guide – The remarkable story of a Kiwi mountaineer’.“I'd find myself in a hotel room in Punta Arenas at the bottom of South America between expeditions or Kathmandu or whatever, or in a base camp somewhere trying to rewrite a section and then getting it back [to my editor].”Guy said his motivation was to provide some background information about what goes on on Everest.“Everyone's got an opinion about what happens on Everest, but people aren't all aware of all of the detail and all of the backstory and what it really is like on the mountain. I wanted to fill some of those gaps.”One thing he particularly wanted to include were the events of 1996.Guy owns Adventure Consultants, which has been based in Wānaka for more than 25 years. The business was established by Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1992, and Guy guided on its first commercial expedition to Mt Everest in 1992.“A lot of people will know about what happened in 1996 with the passing of Rob Hall and Andy Harris and Doug Hanson, Yasuko Namba, Scott Fischer… I wanted to ensure that there was a preamble to that and that the build-up to ‘96 showed that ‘96 wasn't just an isolation,” he said. “I also wanted to focus on what happened after that, what it was like for me to take on the mantle of running Adventure Consultants…”Adventure Consultants downsized after the arrival of Covid-19 and the border restrictions, but the company relaunched globally in 2022 and has been based in a temporary office upstairs in Wānaka’s Spencer House Mall since June this year.Read more: Wānaka business goes global againGuy said there is “a huge amount of drama on a peak like Everest every year” and his book covers much of it, but he also looks at wider issues.“[I try] to give a rounded view of what's going on on Everest rather than just the dramatic headlines we hear all the time,” he said. ‘Everest Mountain Guide – The remarkable story of a Kiwi mountaineer’ is due to be released on October 13.Details have yet to be confirmed for a Wānaka book launch.PHOTOS: Supplied

Jill Checketts of Wānaka, representing 50 Squadron (Alexandra) Air Training Corps, took out the 2023 Alexandra Blossom Festival Senior Queen crown at a special event at the Alexandra District Club on Tuesday (September 19). Nominees Angela Pratley (Combined Lions Clubs of Clyde & Districts) and Linda Leckie (Alexandra Senior Citizens) were named runners up and will ride next to Jill on the Contact Energy float in Saturday’s Alexandra Blossom Festival Grand Parade (September 23).Head judge and Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan said judging was a difficult decision as all the candidates were deserving of the crown, however Jill’s 24 years of supporting young people through Air Training Corps was too big to dismiss. Jill said she was “very honoured and humbled’’ to win.“The other contestants were amazing and everybody in this community does so well - they don’t just do one thing,” she said.“They do so much for everybody and it doesn’t matter what your walk of life is, you have a mutual interest in being the best you can be in this wonderful place.’’ The Senior Queen has been a fixture in the Alexandra Blossom Festival since 1996, with the crowning the first official event of the festival week.PHOTO: Shannon Thomson/Alexandra Blossom Festival

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students Richard Denyer, Oscar Goodwin, and Matilda Metcalfe competed in the national Smokefree Rockquest final held in Auckland on Saturday (September 16).Smokefree Rockquest is Aotearoa New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music youth event.To reach the final, the musical trio ‘Spoken’ entered two original songs in the regional competition, filmed three original songs for the next round, and performed a further two original songs in the final.Principal Nicola Jacobsen said everyone at MAC was incredibly proud of Matilda, Oscar and Richard.“Reaching the final ten in the nationwide Rockquest competition is an exceptional achievement and testament to their commitment, passion and hard work.“This achievement also reflects the dedication of our head of music Mat Doyle who provides extraordinary support to our students.”Vocalist and keyboard player Matilda Metcalfe said reaching the Rockquest final was an incredible opportunity for the trio.“We feel so privileged to have made the final of the competition and to be given a platform to reach a broader audience and gain the wider recognition we have worked so hard for.”Drummer Oscar Goodwin agrees. “I’ve been part of this competition since I was in Year 8 and it’s always been a dream of mine to make the national final.“It was great to be on stage and meet all the other musicians at the event and it’s such an awesome way to end our time at school.”Bass player Richard Denyer said making the final of the competition was the result of years of hard work, hours and hours of practice and meticulous songwriting.“The songs we write are a fusion of all our musical personalities because each of us has different taste in music which makes for an interesting dynamic because we always bring different ideas to the table.” MAC head of music Mat Doyle said making the nation’s top ten is a testament to their dedication, passion, and hard work.“Spoken's success serves as an inspiration to all our students, showing them that with passion and perseverance, they can achieve great things.“We are so thankful to have events such as Smokefree Rockquest to provide our students with opportunities to share and present their craft and to open doors for them.”View one of Spoken’s original songsWatch their live performance at Rockquest here.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka’s inaugural Pride Street Party was better than organisers hoped for with a strong community turnout at Saturday’s (September 9) event.The celebration at the Lake Wānaka Centre featured everything from live music and DJs to spoken word and poetry, a craft market, food and beverage stalls, a ‘living library’, and an information market with LGBTQI+ resources.  “This is better than I envisioned it,” event spokesperson Ollie Harcus said. “The community have really come together both from a rainbow perspective and our allies, so it has been absolutely amazing.”Ollie is a founding member of Out and About Wānaka, a burgeoning group of LGBTQI+ locals and allies.He said the idea for the pride event came from a desire to support local rainbow youth. It quickly picked up steam with a range of community groups supporting the initiative.“Our agencies, St John, FENZ and the police have all really stepped up and gone, you know what, we want to be a part of it,” Ollie said.A range of community groups supported the event.Ollie said the event was about bringing people together and removing any negativity around the rainbow community.A stage at the entrance to the Lake Wānaka Centre became the focal point with drag queens among the light-hearted entertainment provided.“It was incredible to see the love from the community and you know, just bring that negativity down and go, do you know what, that was an epic day. These are some epic people.”Money raised from a raffle and silent auction on the day will provide financial assistance to support Kahu Youth and Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College’s rainbow programmes.In addition to the Pride Street Party, Out and About has longer-term goals to become a charitable trust that supports the local LGBTQI+ community, Ollie said.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has appointed Dr Leslie Van Gelder as the chair to the Climate Reference Group (CRG).The CRG is an independent panel of experts who advise the council on climate and biodiversity related issues and developments and help deliver the Climate Action Plan (CAP).  Leslie is a Glenorchy resident and the co-chair of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary, and chair of both the Glenorchy Heritage and Museum Group and Glenorchy Dark Skies Sanctuary Group.She has served on QLDC’s Vision Beyond 2050 Steering Group, Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group, and Economic Diversification Advisory Group.“The Climate Reference Group is such an outstanding group of people who deeply care for this place and our future,” Leslie said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we can amplify the work that’s already taking place in the district and finding more opportunities to work together in a cohesive, strategic, and impactful way.”Councillors unanimously approved Leslie’s appointment at a council meeting late last month.She replaces the previous chair, former Wānaka resident Bridget Legnavsky, who relocated to the United States. Mayor Glyn Lewers said Leslie was an “excellent fit” for the role.“With Dr Van Gelder’s leadership, I look forward to receiving the group’s continued independent advice and guidance that’ll help ensure QLDC best navigates what is a complex, complicated, and multi-generational set of issues,” he said. Members of the Climate Reference Group include Dr Chris Cameron, Rev Evelyn Cook, Amanda Robinson, Alec Tang, Dr Barrie Wills, Eleanor Trueman, Dr Jim Salinger, Dr Lyn Carter, Tony Pfeiffer, Victoria Crockford, and Sydney Telfer.PHOTO: QLDC

Council boss Mike Theelen has received a pay rise bringing his salary to more than $415K. The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) CEO’s salary increased by a little over $30K to $415,321.09 after the Chief Executive Performance Review Committee recommendation was approved by councillors last week.The pay rise marks an increase of eight per cent (including a KiwiSaver contribution of three percent), significantly more than the two percent raise he received a year ago. Mayor Glyn Lewers said the remuneration package reflected Mike’s strong leadership during “unprecedented times of change for local government”.His remuneration is now $415,321.09. PHOTO: Wānaka AppNational level changes affecting the council include the affordable water services programme, the Resource Management Act review, and the Future for Local Government review.“Council is also facing an extremely challenging environment with increasing costs, insurances and borrowing rates, while trying to balance the effect of rates on the local community during a cost of living crisis,” Glyn said.Those factors, in addition to significant building defect claims and planning and delivering for current future communities add up to a “massive” job,” Glyn said.He said Mike and his team are guiding elected council “with skill and valuable experience”.“He is a true asset to this council and the district.”Mike was previously the Christchurch City Council's general manager of strategy and planning, and led the council's recovery team after the Canterbury earthquakes.He joined QLDC as CEO in February 2016.

Ngurrawaana the film, directed by Kieran Satour, is this year’s winner of the Monster Children Short Film Awards (MCSFA), presented by Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT). Kieran (of Garuwa), along with producer Ramona Telecican, editor Rah Dakota, cinematographer Ryan Andrew Lee and photographer James Evans created a short film which explores a Yindjibarndi man’s journey back to his homelands and shows how being back on country helps First Nations people find their spirit and power amongst their ancestors. For the awards a shortlist of five directors were asked to provide a treatment concept incorporating the theme of ‘Regeneration’ to be filmed in Wānaka.“All five responses were incredible,” LWT said in a statement, “but it was Kieran’s deeply considered response to the subject that made the difference.” During the process of making Ngurrawaana it was important to be able to share Yindjibarndi culture in an authentic and nuanced way, Kieran said.  “I am humbled to be the winner of MCSFA 2023 and am even more excited to see the Yindjibarndi story reach a bigger audience via Ngurrawaana’s win. “I want to thank the Yindjibarndi for trusting me to make the film with them, especially Juluwarlu CEO Lorraine Coppin, her son Wimiya Woodley, his partner Iya Ware and his father Michael Woodley.  “In the same vein as our process with the Yindjibarndi, the kaupapa for our film in Wānaka was always going to be a First Nations first approach that centres around Kāi Tahu experience, worldview and perspective”.  The calibre of talent made it both exciting and difficult for to choose a winner, LWT marketing and communications manager Gizelle Regan said.“After an extraordinary response to the theme of regeneration special mentions need to go out to the runners up Kauis Potter, Tom Morales, Jason Tran, and Tim Brown who have each won $1,000 in cash as well as a $500 Sony hardware voucher.” Kieran and his team have won a $10,000 cash prize, $10,000 worth of film hardware from Sony, and production budget to direct a short film, on-location with local crew and Monster Children Films, supported by LWT and partner Film Queenstown Lakes.  Watch the winning entry here and keep an eye out for the Wānaka based film due for release before Christmas.  

Central Otago Heritage Trust's (COHT) oral history programme has been boosted by a $11,430 grant from Central Lakes Trust (CLT) in the August funding round. The oral histories recorded by the trust have included local personalities like Snow Farm co-founder Mary Lee and former Tarras School principal of 25 years Noelene Pullar.  COHT oral history manager Carolyn Squires said the stories are considered to be a shared taonga (treasure) and essential to have recorded, preserved, shared and celebrated on an ongoing basis. The programme preserves “our unique history shared through the spoken word, and make these available for the public to enjoy and listen to on our website,” Carolyn said.The CLT grant will support the project for another two years, through to July 2025.Currently there are 84 oral histories in the collection, and 12 are available online for anyone to listen to, (including residents of Hāwea, Tarras, Cardrona and more).Interviews are carried out by volunteers, and the project aims to collect 30 oral histories a year. Each oral history can involve 16 or more hours to complete, covering preparation, pre-interview meetings, recording and editing. So far volunteers have spent 2,160 hours working on the oral histories. Carolyn said COHT OHP currently has a full quota of volunteer interviewers but they do need assistance from someone who has expertise in using software to edit audio content. The collection of interviews cover a wide range of topics including farming, viticulture, health, dance and community engagement. “We are interested in collecting more oral history recordings on the stories of different ethnic groups across Central Otago [too].”For more information contact [email protected] or visit the OHP website.PHOTO: Central Otago Heritage Trust 

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) year seven students Lachlan Manson and Charlie Burgess have won premier awards at the 2023 Aurora Energy Otago Science and Technology Fair.Lachlan (Lachie) Manson won the Premier University of Otago Centre for Sustainability award for his project entitled ‘Snot vs Glass’ that looked at how didymo compared with pink batts as an insulation material.Charlie won an Otago Institute for Arts and Science mātuaranga Māori award for his study of the Māori wind instrument pūrerehua.Lachie said the inspiration for his project was to find an alternative to pink batts insulation.“Didymo is a type of algae and it’s a pest in our rivers so I wanted to see if it could be used for something more environmentally friendly,” Lachie said.Lachie’s prize-winning project.“I discovered that using dried didymo as insulation achieved temperatures that were only one degree cooler than using pink batts.“This was warmer than I expected and means didymo could work as insulation while also helping to clean our rivers.”Lachie said the most exciting part of the project was harvesting the didymo at the Hāwea River.“We went to the river and ripped the didymo off the fence and put it into buckets which was really fun.”Charlie said he wanted to understand the relationship between the length of a pūrerehua cord and the sound it produced.“When you swing a pūrerehua, it makes a whirring sound.Charlie with his prize-winning science board.“I researched what length of string was likely to make the loudest noise and I found out it was 60cm.“When I tested three different lengths of string and measured the decibels on an app, I discovered that a 60cm cord did produce the loudest noise.”Both students said they enjoyed doing their science projects for the Science Fair and would like to do it again in the future.“The main thing is to try your best and not give up halfway through the project,” Lachie said.MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said it was wonderful to see students being recognised for applying the scientific method to conduct their own research and document the results.“Each year, every year seven and eight student creates a science board based on their own research and it’s amazing to see the variety of topics they choose to explore.“We place a strong focus on scientific literacy at the college so it is wonderful to see our year seven students embracing science with such passion and creativity.”The 2023 Aurora Energy Otago Science and Technology Fair seeks to foster science and technology in the Otago region, with this year’s event attracting 298 entries representing 23 schools in Dunedin and across Central Otago.PHOTOS: Supplied

Local woman Rachael (Roo) Stanford has received a life-affirming boost from the Upper Clutha Hospice Trust as she faces ongoing treatment for cancer. Roo, a former ski patroller at Treble Cone, was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer at the age of 37; she was the mother of a two year old and a six week old baby.Roo and her husband Neil’s children are now three years old and six years old, and the family continue to face “horrendously expensive” treatments.“To say it has been a difficult journey is quite the understatement,” Roo told the Wānaka App.“I was literally days off death when I finally got diagnosed. “But I battled hard, and miraculously went from being absolutely riddled, to being almost cancer-free two years later.”Unfortunately what happens with chemotherapy is that the cancer builds drug resistance, she said.“I’ve become resistant to all the funded drugs, and the next drugs are unfunded,” Roo said.“Now it’s started growing again. It’s quite scary.”She has had 62 rounds of chemotherapy - the most rounds staff have seen at Dunstan Hospital, Roo said.The fortnightly chemotherapy wipes her out for a full week, she said.The Upper Clutha Hospice Trust helped support the family recently when Roo was in Christchurch undergoing heavy radiation treatment.However, the family is “scrambling to access the unfunded but promising new drugs available”.“We’re really struggling financially, I haven’t worked for three years and the costs of treatments are astronomical.”Roo said the family had received so much support from their friends that they couldn’t expect more support from them.Her friends have made a new Givealittle page and have encouraged her to reach out to the Wānaka community for support.“There are still several treatments available ,and we are holding hope that one of these new drugs will smash this once and for all. I’ve completely amazed all the doctors so far, and outlived my prognosis by years. I plan on continuing to do so.”PHOTO: Camilla Rutherford

Andy Kilsby has been appointed as the new chair of the Otago Community Trust, a philanthropic trust which supports many local organisations and initiatives.His appointment coincides with the departure of the trust’s long-serving chief executive and the appointment of new financial advisors.Andy said he looked forward to helping OCT achieve even greater impact in the community.“The OCT has already set the stage for long-term success,” he said. “Under new leadership we aim to continue to grant with impact and foster growth and prosperity for the communities of Otago.”The trust has granted more than $210M into the Otago region since its inception in the mid ‘90s. Last month alone it approved over $340,582 in grants, with $35,000 going directly to Wānaka-based organisations.Andy said he aims to enhance community partnerships and drive long-term change across various areas in Otago.He has extensive managerial and governance experience in tertiary education, not-for-profit and finance sectors.He has implemented successful programmes and initiatives supporting youth development at the Dunedin-based Malcam Trust (now Southern Youth Development) and the Otago Polytechnic, where he previously held long-term leadership positions.Andy currently serves as the regional lead for the Otago Regional Skills Leadership Group.He thanked outgoing chair Diccon Sim for his services.Under Diccon’s guidance, the OCT reshaped its strategic priorities and launched the Tamariki and Rangatahi Fund, an initiative that has the potential to be a game-changer for youth in the region, he said.The Otago Community Trust is a philanthropic organisation which applies its trust funds for charitable and other purposes which are of benefit to the community. PHOTO: OCT 

A dramatic early morning accident has resulted in Wānaka man Clayton Hope being airlifted to Dunedin Hospital with crush injuries.NZ Police said emergency services were called to a home on Weatherall Crescent in Wānaka early this morning (Wednesday May 24).Fire and Emergency New Zealand spent about two hours freeing Clayton.Wānaka lawyer Janice Hughes told the Wānaka App that Clayton, who is her husband, had left the house early this morning for his usual 5am start at Wānaka New World. After driving his truck through the gate at the top of their steep driveway, he stopped the ute and exited it to close the gate behind him.Unfortunately the handbrake appeared not to have engaged properly and the truck began to slide backwards towards the gate.Janice and Clayton have learned their ute is the same width as the entrance to their home. PHOTO: SuppliedHe ran to the truck and tried to get into it, but as he was halfway into the truck it dragged him towards the entryway of their home and crashed through.Clayton was left trapped between the truck and a brick garage fire-wall.Janice awoke to a crash and thought it was an earthquake until she heard the truck horn, which Clayton had managed to access.She entered the living room to find water rushing through the room, a strong smell of gas, and debris everywhere.Clayton was trapped and calling for her to get him out but she couldn’t help him. While on the phone to emergency services she started to panic about the smell of gas, concerned the underfloor gas heating could ignite.“I managed to find out where to turn off the gas and turned it off, and turned off the water,” she said.“By the time I’d done that the St John people had turned up. They were amazing.”The wait felt like aeons, she said.“I was quite stressed out as you could imagine.”To free Clayton, emergency services eventually had to get a generator to power a tool to cut through the firewall.Clayton stayed conscious the whole time. “He’s actually really fortunate. Yes, he’s got crush injuries, but he’s not dead,” Janice said.“The house is damaged, the truck is munted. But we’ve got a great community".Emergency workers trying to free Clayton Hope this morning. PHOTO: SuppliedJanice flew to Dunedin Hospital in the rescue helicopter with Clayton, and meanwhile Phil Smith (who built their house) arrived at their address, secured gas lines and began to organise insurance and so on. Another friend arrived to organise the couple’s pets.“We are super grateful for all of the community people who literally turned up and helped do all sorts of things,” Janice said.“Also super apologetic to the neighbours who we woke up with the rescue helicopter.”Janice said Clayton is in good hands and getting checked out at ICU.“For all the negativity we hear about the health system we couldn’t fault anyone. They were there in a heartbeat, they were all amazing and caring.“We live in a quite rural and remote community and without those services we would really struggle.“I take my hat off to them.”Janice said she has learned their entrance way is exactly as wide as their ute. She also had advice for anyone whose vehicle rolls away on them.“If a car starts to slide, just let it go,” she said.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka resident Lynette (Lyn) Milne has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for service to the arts in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.Lyn’s work helping to advance the careers of young classical musicians has spanned many decades and has included everything from organising performances and national concert tours to helping establish long-standing music scholarship programmes.Her appreciation for classical music - and a desire to provide opportunities for the deserving musicians - fuels Lyn’s work.“For me it’s about giving these young kids opportunities,” she told the Wānaka App. “We've got the talent, but we just haven't got enough opportunities for them.”“Any doors that we open for these New Zealand musicians, they're just so grateful - and they give more than they get.” Lyn and her husband Keith were living in London in the late 1970s when her passion was first sparked.Lyn and her husband, Keith.She was working at the Royal Over-Seas League, a non-governmental organisation with an arts division that supports the career development of artists in a range of disciplines, including music. “The musicians do a lot of training, and then they step out into the world, and it's daunting for them,” she said. “They needed CDs; they needed performance opportunities; they needed guidance; and that was very much what the [League] offered.”“So it was quite a revelation for me to see.”During that time Lyn developed a passion for classical music - and she wants more New Zealanders to give the genre a chance.“I don't want Kiwis to be intimidated by it. I think it's a mistake, because it's a lot of fun,” she said. After being immersed in the Royal Over-Seas League for five years, she went on to have other adventures in Europe, but upon her return to New Zealand, Lyn got a call from the Royal Over-Seas League asking her to become their New Zealand director.The first thing she did was organise for some young musicians to perform at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.“And it was so easy. I just found these amazing young musicians and they all just said ‘yes, yes, yes’. And all the delegates from overseas absolutely loved having them, and the musicians loved it.“That kicked me off - I realised then that these young musicians, like the ones in the UK, they want to be seen, they want to be performing and they want to be giving. This is what they've trained for. “So my 25 years in that role was kicked off with that thought in mind.”While she was working for Royal Over-Seas League in New Zealand, Lyn received a phone call from Barrie Petman, a successful Yorkshire entrepreneur.“He indicated to me that he wanted to help young New Zealand musicians,” Lyn said. “Now that's a pretty amazing phone call to get.”Lyn and Keith came up with three proposals, all of which Barrie accepted, and which they went on to help establish and run. These include the Pettman National Junior Academy of Music (a music scholarship that provides extensive training, performance opportunities and competition preparation); the ROSL-Pettman Chamber Music Scholarship (which provides one chamber ensemble each year with a trip to the United Kingdom to experience professional music life and explore possibilities for postgraduate study); and the Pettman DARE scholarship (a unique nine-month programme of practical experience and academic development).“They are still running now, helping our young musicians get more experience, more exposure and even international experience for some of them,” Lyn said.“Barrie Pettman opened a huge door for many of them and they grasped the opportunity and blossomed.”Lyn’s passion has not waned with time: When she and Keith made the decision to move from Canterbury to Wānaka a couple of years ago, she quickly established an artist in residence programme at the Aspiring Lifestyle Village.And just last year she launched the Magic Carpet Music Trust with musician Rakuto Kurano, which has already delivered 28 concerts in rural communities across New Zealand with young musicians performing.“Sometimes they've never ever toured before,” Lyn said. “And that's what we're about. Really getting them out of the rehearsal room onto the stage and getting them touring. Showing them what can happen for them.”Lyn said she wants to see more support for classical musicians from both benefactors and audiences in New Zealand.They’re the most humble, talented, gifted people - there aren’t enough superlatives to describe these musicians to me,” she said.“With their music they open up our worlds, but we have to help open up our worlds for them too.”PHOTOS: Supplied

Wānaka resident Arthur Sutherland has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to outdoor education in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.“This award is an exciting but humbling experience,” he said. “I’m honoured to be singled out.”Arthur has dedicated 45 years to outdoor education in New Zealand since his initial involvement with the Ministry of Education in 1975.Since his teenage years he has enjoyed the challenges of the outdoors and in 1978 he helped establish the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre, in Lewis Pass. Arthur has served on its governing trust, the North Canterbury Alpine Trust, for 45 years and is its current secretary.“Outdoor education provides students and adults with the opportunity to learn about themselves; teamwork; decision making; leadership; risk management; [and] the natural and cultural environments that they live and move in…,” he said.As a teacher at Kaiapoi High school in the mid-1970s Arthur led the delivery of the school camp programme, including the first camps held at the Boyle River centre, and held the position of director of the Adventure School, during which time the school was awarded the national title for outstanding Outdoor Education programme in 2003. Arthur was awarded a Rotary International Foundation Study Award which resulted in nine months study at Eastern Washington University, in the United States. His studies led to the development of the industry Risk Management Scheme and the delivery of professional development courses for teachers, as well as the (then) Department of Education’s draft booklet for the Risk Management Scheme for education outside the classroom (EOTC). He was a member of the Ministry of Education’s steering group which produced the EOTC guidelines ‘Bringing the Curriculum Alive’ in 2009 and also served as an executive member of Education Outdoor New Zealand between 2004 and 2010, when he received the Supreme Award for contribution to Outdoor Recreation and was made Life Member in 2003. Arthur received the Outdoor New Zealand’s Special Executive Award in 2016 for his service and the Peter Allen Award from the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre in 2018.“I’m fortunate to have been actively engaged in contributing to the education of the young and the not so young and to have been supported by my wife Robyn (Sutherland).”As a young adult, Arthur spent many holidays exploring Mt Aspiring’s high country wilderness and later returned to Wānaka with his family who learned to ski at Treble Cone and the Snow Farm.“Robyn and I enjoy our day trips to ski and/or snowshoe. The road, the facilities, the open space and the quietness are all outstanding features. It is so great to see the many school groups using the Snow Farm.”Reconnecting with friends in Otago and Southland brought Arthur and Robyn back to Wānaka and they retired to live here permanently three years ago. Arthur is also the secretary for the Hāwea Bowling Club and volunteers his services to Challenge Wānaka.PHOTO: Robyn Sutherland

Wānaka’s Robyn van Reenen has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the arts in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.Robyn has been well known in the Otago art community since 1982, and since 1992 has coordinated and managed the Wānaka Autumn Art School.Robyn told the Wānaka App it was “quite a buzz” being recognised for her work.“It’s a real honour but I also appreciate not just the person that nominated me but quite a number of people who do quite a lot of work behind the scenes.”The Wānaka Autumn Art School was started by artist Peter Mitchell in 1990, and Robyn began organising it in 1992 with Dennis Schwarz, who Robyn was quick to acknowledge as having a role “less conspicuous but not less important”.“The idea was we were a small community and it would be really good to bring in more expertise,” she said.The school is held annually at Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College campus and offers some 16 courses in visual, performing, craft and writing arts. It has attracted upwards of 200 students each year, with notable artists from throughout New Zealand and Australia attending to teach.Robyn retired from coordinating the art school at the end of last year, having only missed one - in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions.“We never thought when we started in 1992 we’d still be doing it 30 years later. “I went this year and just loved this year and loved being in a class and not thinking about the rest of it.”Robyn believes creativity is “hugely important” in communities.“It’s so important, whatever your interest, to do your utmost to pursue it. Doing research behind projects is good for your brain, and it is always hard to turn down working with exciting colours.”She also credits the Upper Clutha environment not only for attracting tutors and students, but also for helping spark creativity.“It was a huge help that autumn is a spectacular time of the year to come to a spectacular place.”The art school has been a major part of Robyn’s life, in particular the constant search for tutors.“I always looked for someone who is a good teacher.“Sometimes I’ve found them in strange circumstances. I might be at a social occasion and talking to someone; they’ve been to a class with this person - it appears completely out of the blue.“We’ve hardly ever had local tutors because it’s been such a great opportunity to bring people from all over the country and overseas to Wānaka.”The art school has attracted some excellent tutors, such as Marilyn Webb, Roger Hall, and Fiona Farrell, and despite getting “quite nervous” about asking well known artists to contribute, Robyn was seldom turned down.“For some of them what they were paid was a pittance compared to what they earned as an artist, and for some of them it was a fortune.“One thing that always stood out for me when I was asking people in the early days was [photographer] Andris Apse. He said people had helped him on his journey, and he saw this as an opportunity to help other people.”Robyn felt “quite a big obligation” to do her utmost to meet students’ expectations. “People save up for it, it’s their annual thing they are going to do each year.“It was successful from early on, but I was always conscious that if some things weren’t working out you need to change them.”Robyn has built a range of skills over the years, but the one she singles out as most important is being able to listen.Demand for the annual classes remained constant as the Upper Clutha community grew, Robyn said. “It was never boring; always new people coming, seeing people finding their feet, seeing them at the end of the week with big smiley faces.”Book binding has been her favourite class to attend. A tutor offered the class in 1993 and “thirty years later I still like making books,” she said.Robyn’s other arts involvement include serving as the Wānaka Arts Society secretary (1982 - 1985) and being a founding member of the Wānaka Patchwork Club from 1982. She remains a member of the Upper Clutha Community Arts Council and was chair from 1997 - 2022, instrumental in awarding financial assistance for arts projects. Robyn is also a member of Central Otago Outside the Square (COOTS), a group of textile artists exhibiting biennially and promoting textiles in the art world. She has taught courses on quilting and book binding, and she served on the National Association of New Zealand Quilters’ Committee between 1996 and 1998 and the National Quilt Symposium Committee between 1997 and 1999. Robyn was also a committee member of the Queenstown Lakes Creative Communities Grants between 2018 and 2021.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Lake Hāwea resident Colleen Carr has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.Colleen has been active in the Lake Hāwea community for 24 years with community organisations, fundraising and events.She is a familiar face at community events, and when the Wānaka App visited her last week she and husband Errol were working hard on community newsletters and activity planning at the dining room table.The couple moved here in 1998 after 22 years in Sydney, where Colleen taught at private girls’ schools. She started out doing some volunteer work, then Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College (MAC) found out about her MA in special education and asked her if she would teach.“I loved MAC,” Colleen said.She took over the extension programme, Rutherford, taught English, and became “very involved” in coaching and administration for netball.“I like to be involved and active,” Colleen told the Wānaka App, and anyone who knows Colleen knows that is an understatement.She has organised quiz nights, village dinners at the community centre to celebrate volunteers and at mid-winter, as well as Christmas picnics. In her ‘spare time’ you may find her weeding the community centre garden.The Hāwea community 24 years ago was “mostly old people”, Colleen said, but an influx of young families began to change the face of the township, and Colleen was concerned many of them did not have family support here.She set up three outreach groups: Hāwea Hangouts, for families; the Wise Ones, for the over 60s; and Haere Mai for people from various cultures who have settled in Hāwea.The Friday evening group for families offers a monthly barbeque and activities for children; Haere Mai offers social events and ESOL lessons, and can attract as many as 60 people to an international dinner.Colleen established a monthly village meet and greet, particularly encouraging new residents to get involved in the community. She entered Hāwea in the Community of the Year event a few times, once placing third nationally. “Great things were happening here,” she said.Colleen retired from MAC about seven years ago, but she’s not one for sitting back and watching the world go by.She has started a local bike group - the Peripatetic Pedallers; and is well known locally for organising the popular annual Town Vs Country Waitangi Day sports contest between Hāwea Flat and Lake Hāwea. The town vs country event has taken a break the past year or so because of Covid-19 but Colleen hopes to find someone who can take over its coordination. An extrovert, Colleen had a happy childhood as the youngest of her family in small-town Ngapara (near Oamaru).“My mother valued community,” Colleen said. “The village brought me up.”She believes that a healthy community flows from “lots of activities which people engage in - which gives a sense of belonging”.“Our theory is, it doesn’t matter how many people come, we make sure they have a good time.“Once they start to get involved, they get to know people. We’ve really been seeing that with our older people now, they’re really supporting each other.”As the Hāwea community grows, Colleen is continuing to welcome newcomers - most of whom continue to be young families.She has concerns about the township’s infrastructure keeping up with growth, but adds: “That has nothing to do with the people”.“We’ll be more than happy to welcome them.”Colleen has been involved with the Lake Hāwea Community Centre committee since 2010 and during that time has held the positions of chairperson, deputy chairperson, and secretary.She has been a member of the Foreshore Management Group since 2010, working to enhance the lakefront reserve, has organised clean-ups around the town, and has undertaken gardening on a voluntary basis around the Community Centre, Hāwea Bowling Club, and other areas. Colleen has also been a member of the Upper Clutha Lions for 22 years.

A newly appointed mental health wellbeing navigator will support mental health initiatives for Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes communities over the next year. Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group has appointed Ella Hitchcock to the role.She will work closely with agencies and networks to help co-ordinate an overall picture of needs and mental health service capacity, facilitate connections, and work collaboratively on wellbeing initiatives, Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group chair Adell Cox said.In addition she will connect people with the support available here.“Ella brings a fresh perspective and real insights into the difficulties our young people are facing,” Adell said. “This will be particularly helpful as we focus on rolling out initiatives like the Youth Mental Health First Aid Programme.”Adell said the impacts of Covid-19 have amplified some of the pre-existing challenges the region faced, as well as bringing new ones, which is why Te Hau Toka has extended its support of the navigator role. “There’s been a lot of great mahi so far but there’s still a lot to do to help our communities recover,” she said.“Our primary goal is to keep people well before they get to the stage of needing acute clinical care so promotion, prevention and early intervention are key.“We need to keep the spotlight on why it’s so important for people to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing and encourage them to seek help early so that they receive the right supports to get them back on track.”Having someone who can navigate the system and act as a connector has proven to be really helpful, she said. Ella, who has a double degree in law and health science, said she was passionate about working alongside communities to improve their health and wellbeing.“I also want to find opportunities to create meaningful, equitable and sustainable change in this space, from grassroots prevention to national policy.” The Mental Wellbeing Navigator role will be funded by the Te Hau Toka group and work out of the Central Lakes Family Services offices across the region.PHOTO: Supplied