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New general manager for Ignite Wānaka
New general manager for Ignite Wānaka

07 February 2023, 9:33 PM

A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry has been appointed to the position of general manager for the Ignite Wānaka Chamber of Commerce.In an email to chamber members Glenn Peat announced his own appointment saying that he has a “real passion for engaging, networking and creating positive change”.“I believe that I have the experience to contribute positively to the Wānaka business community,” he said.“My excitement towards this role is to assist in engaging, developing our business community through professional leadership and the opportunity to create positive change.”Glenn is currently the group general manager for the Taco Medic restaurant chain and will continue in that role. Prior to moving to Wānaka in 2018 he managed leading brand hotels in China and India.“We are delighted to have someone of Glenn’s calibre take on this role to help the board refine and deliver its strategy to support the local business community,” Ignite Wānaka board chair Jo Learmonth said.“We are excited about our plans for 2023 and look forward to having Glenn become a recognised face within our business community.”The organisation’s general manager role has been vacant since March 2022 when the former general manager Naomi Lindsay resigned to pursue her own business ventures.Glenn said he looks forward to working with the Ignite Wānaka board to provide opportunities for business growth and success, through strong advocacy, training and networking both within and outside of the region.PHOTO: Supplied

New GM for Southern Cross Hospital
New GM for Southern Cross Hospital

05 February 2023, 9:28 PM

The new general manager at Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital Queenstown, Tim Capill, started in the role late last year.Tim, who began his career as a nurse, came to the hospital from Swedish medical device company Senzime, where he was sales director for the Asia Pacific region. He has experience in healthcare and medical industries, and has held senior leadership positions in New Zealand, Australia, and the Asia Pacific region.“We’re thrilled to have someone of Tim’s calibre take the reins at our very special hospital,” Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital Queenstown chair Andrew Blair said in a statement to media.“He brings to the hospital team great strengths in commercial and general management and a passion for customer experience and patient care. “I’m confident he will continue to enhance Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital’s reputation as a provider of quality treatment and patient care.”Read more: New Queenstown hospital improves local access to health careTim said he was excited about the opportunity.“I’m looking forward to working with the team and clinicians to retain the special culture already in place and support the hospital to grow and serve the needs of the region’s residents,” he said. Andrew also acknowledged the dedication of current general manager Judith Kissel, who led the development and opening of the hospital during the past two years.Southern Cross CLT Limited is a 50-50 venture between the Central Lakes Trust and Southern Cross Healthcare Limited. Southern Cross is New Zealand’s largest independent healthcare organisation and Central Lakes Trust is a charitable trust supporting the Central Lakes area by granting funds for charitable purpose. The joint venture forms part of the CLT’s social impact investment portfolio. PHOTO: Supplied

Death of ‘a special colleague’
Death of ‘a special colleague’

22 January 2023, 9:36 PM

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) property and infrastructure general manager Peter Hansby has died after a short illness.Peter had a 35 year career in engineering and infrastructure, and was described by QLDC acting chief executive Meaghan Miller as “a special colleague and, for many, a true mate”.“Our thoughts and condolences are with Pete’s family at this time,” she said.Peter has been a contractor, a consultant and a client within the infrastructure environment. He held a number of roles with QLDC from 1994 to 2004 including consents engineer and roading engineer. He was a Civil Defence Local Controller and a valued part of the team that responded to the 1999 floods. In 2004 Peter worked for City Care Limited for Christchurch City Council and became the Southern regional general manager. He was appointed emergency response manager for City Care following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, a period in his career that he recently said prepared him for any future challenge no matter how big. Peter took on a short but critical stint with Aecom as director of the Christchurch re-build in 2013 and started his current role back with QLDC in November 2014 as infrastructure general manager, extending his responsibility to later becoming property and infrastructure general manager.Meaghan said Peter was a tireless campaigner for improving the way people lived, worked, travelled and played in the district and was a key member of the Kā Huanui a Tāhuna Project Alliance Board. “He was an enormously respected and valued member of the QLDC executive leadership team,” she said. “If there is one small comfort we can all take from Pete’s loss it is that his legacy can be seen right around the district in the multitude of projects he was very proud to deliver. He was passionate about his work, passionate about the Queenstown Lakes District and enormously proud of his family.”PHOTO: Supplied

New event manager for Warbirds
New event manager for Warbirds

10 January 2023, 2:36 AM

Warbirds Over Wānaka’s (WOW) new event manager has a lifelong connection to aviation. Andrena Davis is a plane junkie, a licensed pilot and regular airshow attendee, making the experienced event manager and photographer a perfect fit for the role.She replaces Mandy Deans, who has retired after 14 years.“Mandy has left big shoes to fill but I’m very excited about taking on the challenge of bringing together a fantastic airshow at Easter 2024,” Andrena said.“I have a passion for getting things done and thrive on seeing an event come together with attendee experience my number one priority.”Andrena’s passion for aviation was first sparked after a ride in her father’s glider as a child.She went on to take flying lessons before gaining her pilot’s licence with the Otago Aero Club.Andrena grew up in Dunedin and spent most of her childhood holidays in Wānaka so she is familiar with the area, WOW general manager Ed Taylor said.More recently she has been based in Wellington and the Wairarapa where she has worked as a professional photographer and in event management, including working on the Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow.Ed Taylor said he was looking forward to having Andrena on board as WOW gears up for its 2024 airshow.The last Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow was in 2018 and both the 2020 and 2022 events were cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. “We are already in the early stages of planning for the next airshow which by all early indications is going to be a huge event,” he said. “By the time Easter 2024 rolls around it will have been a long six years between airshows and we know there is plenty of pent-up demand for our event from around New Zealand and overseas.”The 2018 airshow attracted 55,000 visitors over three days from both New Zealand and overseas and injected around $42M into the regional economy. PHOTO: Supplied

Marty Toomey appointed Chef de Mission for 2026 Winter Olympics
Marty Toomey appointed Chef de Mission for 2026 Winter Olympics

06 January 2023, 2:38 AM

Wānaka-based Winter Games NZ CEO Martin (Marty) Toomey has been named to lead the New Zealand team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.This is the second time Marty has been named Chef de Mission for the Winter Olympic Games having overseen the campaign and team environment at Beijing 2022.“It’s great to be able to feel like you’re representing the country and trying to create an environment that allows athletes to really shine,” Marty told the Wānaka App.“We know they are incredibly capable so it is about creating an environment that makes sure the pressures and the size of the Olympics doesn’t become a burden for them.”Marty said his role will involve a lot of planning, putting the team structure together and recruiting the support team.“This [announcement] is the start of the process,” he said.“It’s really a lot of planning; looking around at all of the different event venues, putting in place the health team and all the support for the team.”The Winter Youth Olympics are in South Korea in 2024 and Marty said he would be taking a close look at that as well as travelling to Milan and Cortina to see how the venues are coming together for the 2026 event.“The more information you can share, they [the athletes] go in forewarned and because of that it allows them to do what they are incredibly good at,” he said.“I love seeing them actually succeed.”Marty said he hopes the 2026 Olympic team will be bigger than the team that attended Beijing with up and coming athletes getting to qualification level and joining a number of seasoned Olympians.New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) CEO Nicki Nicol said Marty is equipped with impressive leadership qualities and has shown he knows how to lead teams at the highest level of sport.The New Zealand Team Chef de Mission champions the needs of athletes inside complex and high-performance Games environments. The role ensures the New Zealand Team promotes athlete mana, wellbeing and performance at all times throughout the Games, NZOC said in a statement.The Milano Cortina Olympic Games will take place February 6-22, 2026, across two cities, Milan and Cortina, in Italy.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka band joins music legends at summer concert
Wānaka band joins music legends at summer concert

03 January 2023, 2:35 AM

The Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert is back for 2023 with a popular Wānaka band joining the international heavy hitters set to perform.The annual summer concert, organised by Greenstone Entertainment, is one of the premiere musical events in Queenstown Lakes with concertgoers and performers travelling from far and wide to attend.Next year’s concert-goers will not only experience “the incredible music of our four international artists, but also the amazing local talent we have right here in New Zealand,” Greenstone Entertainment CEO Amanda Calvert said.Emerging Wānaka Rock Band Powder Chutes will be the opening act for the concert, playing ahead of ZZ Top, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Stone Temple Pilots and The Angels.Powder Chutes’ debut EP, recorded at North Otago’s Studio Sublime with Steve Harrop and Tom Havard, dropped in January 2022 to critical acclaim, and it was streamed 100,000 times within six months of being made public.Band members Archie Orbell (drums), Clarke West (guitar), Henry McConnell (vocals), and Otis Murphy (bass) combine youthful exuberance and riff-driven grunt to create their signature groove-fulled grunge sound.Listen to their music here.Band member Clarke said it was a huge honour to be selected for the Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert.“To say we are stoked and thankful for the opportunity is a massive understatement,” he said. “We would definitely have been in the crowd for this concert regardless, so to be chosen as the local support act has got us totally fired up.”Amanda said Greenstone Entertainment has always made an effort to support promising young musicians.“It has been a long-standing tradition of ours to showcase local up and coming talent at our shows, and to give them an opportunity to perform in front of tens of thousands of people which they may not otherwise get the chance to do,” she said.The Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert will take place at the eponymous vineyard on February 11, 2023.“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone along for an awesome afternoon of live music entertainment,” Amanda said.Find more information and book tickets here.A limited number of local tickets are also available from only $159 (plus booking fee) by visiting Gibbston Valley Winery, Queenstown iSITE and Wanaka iSITE, Amanda said.PHOTO: Supplied

New chair for ORC
New chair for ORC

27 December 2022, 2:30 AM

A seven-term councillor at the Otago Regional Council (ORC) has been elected as the new chair.Dunedin-based Gretchen Robertson won the role of chair with seven votes, ahead of councillor Kevin Malcolm who received five votes.Gretchen, who has served on the council since 2004, has a degree in ecology and experience in a range of freshwater science roles. She said she is passionate about creating a fair, science-based knowledge foundation which delivers strong environmental bottom lines.The success of the next three years depends on the all ORC councillors banding together, Gretchen said.“I am here, not as an individual, but part of a team,” she said. “Together we are the leaders of the Otago Regional Council to manage environment, resource and transport planning issues for the third largest region in New Zealand by area.”The ORC is responsible for the sustainable management of the Otago region’s natural resources - land, water and air. PHOTO: Wānaka AppLast week’s annual report highlighted the heavy workload ahead for the ORC.It includes the setting of critical policies and rules to protect Otago’s water, land and air, ongoing environmental monitoring to better inform decision-making, and responding to numerous types of environmental incidents. “There will be ongoing pressure to balance the affordability of ORC’s work programmes with continued need for robust frameworks to regulate the use of our natural resources, while also achieving ‘on the ground’ results through operational activities,” ORC interim chief executive Pim Borrem told the councillors at a recent meeting.At the first meeting of the new triennium, Gretchen urged councillors to work together.“We need to be open to new understandings of others, be willing to work together and to have fun.” she said. “This will take time, to focus on relationships, starting with our own team, then extending to key external relationships. “We will only sustain relationships if we are trustworthy and deliver.”Councillor Lloyd McCall was elected as the ORC deputy chair.The ORC is responsible for the sustainable management of the Otago region’s natural resources - land, water and air.

Support to help reconnect Upper Clutha seniors
Support to help reconnect Upper Clutha seniors

24 December 2022, 2:23 AM

More help is on the way to increase social connection and mental wellbeing support for senior residents in the Upper Clutha. The Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group and the Champion for Older Persons Group have joined forces to bring Wānaka a 12-month programme which supports ‘active ageing’, social participation and healthy lifestyles - and encourages seniors to feel connected and involved in their local community.Community Networks/LINK is one of 10 organisations which makes up the Champions for Older Persons Group and manager Kate Murray said the organisation’s priority group was those aged 65 and older. “Covid-19 has left a significant number of this age group feeling increasingly isolated, lonely, vulnerable, and anxious about venturing out while we have others who are already active in the community but are seeking more opportunities to engage,” she said. Community Networks/LINK manager Kate Murray said Covid-19 has left a significant number of residents over 65 isolated, lonely and vulnerable and the new programme plans to help address this.Funding, which is being provided by Te Hau Hoka, will allow for a broad programme designed to reach as many seniors as possible. “Initiatives are often limited because of financial constraints so with this funding we can better promote existing events and programmes as well as planning some great new events and activities - some in the person's own home, and some out in the community,” Kate said.The funding will support ongoing events like monthly lunches, independent living seminars, and the library’s digital drop-in sessions as well as one-off events like dinner and/or dance events and social outings which can be repeated if successful.  It may also assist with scoping work on a senior-focused “playground” to help older residents maintain fitness and enhance mobility as they age, Kate said. Another area of focus will be on increasing companionship and connection and growing the number of older people being visited, by expanding the home-based connection and support volunteer visiting service and building on other volunteer initiatives including Food for Love, Meals on Wheels, Age Concern, and the library’s ‘My Book Bag’ service. “Our aim is to create more opportunities for personal interaction, connection, enjoyment, learning and fun which will reduce loneliness and isolation,” Kate said. “The net effect will be an improvement in older people's wellbeing, enabling them to stay happily in their own homes and feel connected with their communities.” The Champion for Older Persons Group also includes Age Concern, St John, Aspiring Enliven, Wānaka Medical Centre, Alzheimer’s Society, Volunteering South, Queenstown Lakes District Council and Food for Love. Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group Chair Adell Cox said she was really impressed by the shared vision and collaboration of the Champion for Older Persons Group. “It’s a wonderful initiative to help boost wellbeing opportunities and connections for seniors.” PHOTO: Supplied

Investing in our young people
Investing in our young people

22 December 2022, 2:19 AM

Mount Aspiring College Te Kura o Tititea (MAC) principal Nicola Jacobsen says she is proud of the MAC school leavers who received scholarships on Tuesday (October 25) to assist with the costs of higher education. Thirteen MAC students were among 50 students from across the region who received $2,500 each from the Central Lakes Trust for training beyond high school.“At MAC, our aim is to inspire our students to be creative, curious, courageous and compassionate and all of our scholarship recipients exhibit these qualities,” Nicola said. “Among our scholarship recipients we have young people who aspire to study primary education, design communication, engineering, health science, and to enter the defence force.”MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said she was proud of all the recipients of the CLT scholarships. PHOTO: MACThe MAC recipients included Kimiya Byrne, Will Collins, Toby Davies, Harry Gilbertson, Isla Henderson, Carter Hewson, Lucy Laws, Daisy Orbell, Layton Osnabrugge, Ella Parker, Rory Read, Hayden Watson and Matai Wells.CLT deputy chair Kathy Dedo said the higher education scholarships programme had been running for 16 years, during which 634 young people had been supported.Students from the five high schools in the CLT region were eligible to apply through their school and the selection criteria considered various factors including the applicant’s academic record, all-round qualities and achievements. “Each and every one of them should be applauded for their efforts, they have done exceptionally well,” Kathy said. “There are few better investments we can make in the future success of our community and this region, than to invest in our young people.” Recipients received their scholarships at a special award ceremony held in Cromwell on Tuesday.Nicola thanked the CLT for the financial support to help recipients embark on the next stage of their lives.“We are very grateful to the Central Lakes Trust and all the community organisations and individuals who contribute so much to helping our students fulfil their aspirations, offeringthem opportunities across the full spectrum of activities both in the classroom and beyond,” she said.

Change of guard at art school
Change of guard at art school

20 December 2022, 2:15 AM

After 30 years of organising Wānaka’s Autumn Art School, Robyn van Reenen and Dennis Schwarz are hanging up their clipboards.The long term organisers were at the Mount Aspiring College campus each day last week, coordinating activities at the annual art school, which took place in spring after being postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions.When the Wānaka App attended the school’s open day on Friday (October 14), classes were buzzing with people talking about how much they had learned during the week.“The best thing has been hearing people enthusing about what they’ve learned,” Robyn said.”I’ve loved it, and I’ve made good friends.”Dennis SchwarzThe art school was set up in 1990 by Peter Mitchell, and Robyn and Dennis took over the organisation in 1992.“Robyn makes it all happen - all we have to do is show up,” said artist Laetitia Campe, who took part in the painting with cold wax class this year.Robyn estimates about 4,000 people have been through the school, and about 400 tutors.Some people have attended every year, and their names have become familiar to Robyn even though she may not know what they look like.Patience and diplomacy are required to coordinate the art school, she said. There may have been some occasions in the past 30 years when artistic temperaments have resulted in some drama, but Robyn is far too diplomatic to comment.Robyn with artist Laetitia Campe.Stepping down was bittersweet, she said.“It’s still buzzing away in my head. I’m always looking for potential tutors.”She plans to attend the school next year as a student, having attended classes each year except the first year and this year.“I’ve nearly always done book binding, but there are lots of things I’d like to do.“Painting classes are always popular. You could probably fill the whole school with painting classes.”Dennis said he will miss the “general vibe” of planning the school, but he also plans to attend classes in the future.Long term team member Susan Manson said Dennis’s “can do” attitude has saved the day many times, as has his efficiency with the art school’s accounts.Susan is half of the new organisation team, with Liz Hawker, and they have plans to upgrade the school’s booking system, which was designed in the 1990s, and take “a fresh approach” in general.The art school will continue to be held in autumn, when people are not as busy as they are in spring and when Wānaka’s autumn colours provide inspiration for the arts, especially painting and photography, Dennis said.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Bridget Legnavsky new CEO at Tahoe ski resort
Bridget Legnavsky new CEO at Tahoe ski resort

16 October 2022, 3:09 AM

Former Cardrona Ski Resort and Treble Cone general manager Bridget Legnavsky has announced she is moving to California (USA) to take up a chief executive role at Sugar Bowl Resort.Bridget has lived in Wānaka for 30 years and is a former chair of Ignite Wānaka, the deputy chair of Mount Aspiring College board, chair of Queenstown District Council’s climate reference group, and is involved in industry transformation planning in the tourism sector.Bridget will move to California with her husband Peter and their children Gustav and Zora.“We all feel really sad about leaving,” Bridget said. “This is how we’ve lived our lives. I’ve been here 30 years, Pete’s been here 20 and the kids only know this place.”The opportunity to experience working in an international setting and stepping up to a CEO role was too much for Bridget to pass up.“It’s a massive step up for me,” she said.“There is a lot of development planned for the resort and leading that in another country will be a real challenge.”Sugar Bowl is the closest resort to San Francisco.Connection to Wānaka will not be lost and Bridget says it will always be home.“We are keeping our home here and Pete will be back to run the training programme at Cardrona in the winter,” she said.Sugar Bowl is an independently owned ski resort in Tahoe, Northern California, and was home to the state’s first chairlift.Sugar Bowl board chair David Tunnell said it was clear Bridget is a born leader and will bring a new perspective to the resort.The Legnavskys leave Wānaka on Thursday October 13.PHOTO: Supplied

Local sustainability changemakers celebrated
Local sustainability changemakers celebrated

13 October 2022, 3:05 AM

New Zealand’s top sustainability organisation has shone a light on three Wānaka-based groups or individuals by naming them as finalists in this year’s awards.Wao co-founder Monique Kelly is a finalist in the ‘sustainability superstar’ category at the Sustainable Business Network’s (SBN) Sustainable Business Awards (SBA).“The SBN awards are the preeminent recognition of action towards a sustainable future by businesses, organisations and non-for-profits in Aotearoa,” Monique told the Wānaka App. “I am really humbled to be selected as a finalist alongside some incredible superstars.”Monique said the news was a surprise to her as her team had submitted a nomination on her behalf.“For myself, I feel like this is premature as there is so much more left to achieve yet. My list of what needs to be done still weighs heavier [than] what's been accomplished so far and I am really conscious that this has been a team effort and not just about one person.”“What I am really proud of is the movement we have helped create, along with others, in mainstreaming sustainable thinking. It's no longer a fringe idea, it's become central to all decision making and planning.”The other Wānaka finalists include WAI Wānaka, a water advocacy group, which is a finalist in the ‘regenerating nature’ category, and Anna Van Riel, who is a finalist for the ‘change maker’ award for her environmental advocacy work as ‘Waste Free Wanda’.SBN chief executive Rachel Brown said all 71 finalists show what is possible in a more sustainable economy.“[They] are all playing a crucial role in actively addressing the urgent issues of our time, including the climate emergency and our nature crisis,” Rachel said. “Our awards have been running for 20 years and continue to prove that our small nation can make a big difference to these challenges.”The winners for all SDA will be announced at a ceremony at the end of November. The ceremony will be held in Auckland and broadcast online.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka teen selected for prestigious cycling team
Wānaka teen selected for prestigious cycling team

11 October 2022, 2:59 AM

Wānaka’s Carter Guichard (15) has achieved a New Zealand road cycling first with his selection to a world junior reserve road cycling team.Carter’s selection to the AG2R under 19 team follows an impressive 2022 season where he recorded ten wins in his grade including the national road series CHB tour in Hawkes Bay and stage wins at the Tasman Tour. He also recorded wins and placings in highly competitive races in France during the European summer.“Joining the AG2R under 19 development team is a dream come true for me,” Carter said.“It’s a privilege to be selected, and I need to continue to get results.”The squad Carter is joining forms part of the AG2R-Citroen World Tour team in France.AG2R-Citroen is one of the oldest teams at the highest echelon of pro peloton, with an impressive roster of top level riders, including Tour de France stage winners Ben O’Connor and Bob Jungels, U23 World Champion Benoit Cosnefroy, and Olympic gold medallist Greg Van Avermaet.The junior team has selected 20 riders aged 16 and 17 from around the world, with a mix of French riders alongside overseas riders from Belgium, Norway, Australia - and now one from Wānaka.Carter will continue as a student at Mount Aspiring College in 2022 and race with the New Zealand based Southern Junior Development team under the guidance of AG2R. He will return to race in Europe with AG2R U19 from April to August next year.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka local leads national campaign #ItsMyMove
Wānaka local leads national campaign #ItsMyMove

09 September 2022, 3:31 AM

A national campaign to address the disengagement of young women from sport and physical activity is being led by Wānaka local Luciana Garcia.Luciana is the Sport New Zealand women and girls lead and has been involved in developing the campaign’s strategy, creative development, resources, and content.“We have lots of national and international research that tells us during late teen years girls disengage from sport and physical activity at a steeper rate than boys,” Luciana said.“There is lots going on in young women’s lives, and when they find themselves in environments that are stressful, they don’t feel supported or safe and they feel judged for how they look or how good they are, many times they choose to step aside and disengage from this type of activity. “For many young women this is the case with competitive sport or structured ballet or dance classes.”   Luciana said the campaign is focused on encouraging and motivating young women to explore and engage in physical activity in a way that is fun, joyful and meaningful for them.Originally from Uruguay, Luciana moved to Wānaka in October 2021 after 11 years in Invercargill where she held various roles including community sport manager and general manager for regional sport trust Active Southland. She represented Uruguay in synchronised swimming and says sport and active recreation have been a big part of her life. “I completed a Bachelor of Physical Education in Uruguay and then moved to Spain to do a Master of High Performance and Talent Development,” she said. Luciana said the nature of her role means working remotely from Wānaka “works fine”.“I travel to our Wellington and Auckland offices often, but I’m lucky that the team at Snow Sports NZ has welcomed me into their office here in Wānaka as I really enjoy being around people,” she said.Luciana said that the world is very different now for young women than the one she grew up in. “If you are a provider of physical activity [sports club, school, council facility, community organisation, fitness business owner, active recreation provider] take the time to understand the young women you want to work with,” she said.  “Give them an opportunity to lead their own experiences and value what they have to say.  “Think about the environments you create and facilitate, how are they impacting their confidence and self-esteem?” Find out more about the #Itsmymove campaign here. PHOTO: Supplied

Living with hope
Living with hope

02 September 2022, 3:28 AM

Taking life one day at a time has been a helpful approach to dealing with cancer for local man Andrew Thompson, who spoke to the Wānaka App on the eve of the Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Day appeal.The Wānaka resident was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2020 and bluntly told he would be “dead in a year”.After an emotional evening, Andrew decided: “I’m going to roll with hope, even if there is no hope.”“I said I’ve tried the despair thing. It gives you nothing.”Andrew is an occupational therapist (OT) who works with people with chronic pain and head injuries, so he already knew that mental outlook plays a role in health outcomes.Andrew “We’re taught that what happens to your body just happens to your body. But how we think about our lives can also influence our bodies.”As soon as he was able to undertake voluntary work after his diagnosis, he did. He also got back to his OT work in August 2020.Despite the prognosis for people with pancreatic cancer being around 12 months, Andrew has mostly thrived for the past two and half years. He continues to go snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and doing things with his kids.The doctor’s told him he’s an outlier - a statistical anomaly.“For some reason or other it’s not happened to me yet,” he said.“The term cancer is such a powerful, emotive word in our society and often has many negative connotations.“I have a few mantras I say to myself to bat it all away. I have a faith in a higher power, a belief that we’re spiritual beings. If you look at research on whether a belief system helps, it does.”Andrew has had “some proper ups and downs” too, including losing about 17kg before having an operation which enabled him to build up some nutrition and start chemotherapy.At the end of September 2020 an important health marker was high and Andrew’s doctor told him: “it’s just a matter of time”. Andrew spent the weekend praying and crying, and the following week his health marker dropped significantly.In April this year he started to lose weight again and has suffered stomach pain. He has gone back into chemotherapy and started to put weight back on.“I refuse to let it dominate my life. Bugger that,” he said.Andrew continues to focus on family, taking care of his usual clients, and voluntary service.“I’m certain I’ve grown from it. I’m more open to other people, less judgemental, more accepting. I listen to my 16-year-old daughter now.“My approach is to lead with hope even when there seems to be none, and this gives me courage and relative peace of mind.”Andrew will be at Mitre 10 today (Friday August 26) from 11.30am to 12.30pm collecting for the Cancer Society Daffodil Day appeal.The Cancer Society helped his wife in the early days, he said, and it offers access to a psychologist or someone to talk to.Andrew has also raised money for the society by taking part in the Relay for Life in March last year; he also jumped out of an airplane in May to fundraise. Donations to the Cancer Society help fund vital research, education and a range of support services for the one in three New Zealanders affected by cancer.You can also donate online.PHOTOS: Supplied

Lifetime of service recognised
Lifetime of service recognised

22 August 2022, 5:12 AM

A life serving others has been recognised with the awarding of a Paul Harris Fellowship Award to Coastguard Wānaka Lakes (CWL) president Jonathan Walmisley.The award was bestowed on Jonathan by the Rotary Club of Wānaka for his contribution to the community and to the Rotary organisation.“The members of the Rotary Club of Wānaka acknowledge the wonderful leadership, dedication and contribution that Jonathan has brought to the local Wānaka community and for the contribution he has made to the Rotary Club of Wānaka,” Rotary Club of Wānaka president Richard Wallace said.Jonathan joined CWL in 2012 as secretary and became the unit training officer and president in 2014. Jonathan Walmisley PHOTO: Wānaka AppHis knowledge and expertise saw him teaching and upskilling coastguard crews and skippers around the country as well as serving on national and regional coastguard boards.In 2014 he was named Coastguard Volunteer of the Year and nominated as a Kiwibank New Zealander of the year.Jonathan has been the driving force behind a number of CWL initiatives to improve local services but his biggest challenge was finding a home for the unit from where it can train and store equipment.In 2019 the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) issued CWL a 33-year lease for a base building at Eely Point and granted resource consent in 2020.Under Jonathan’s leadership fundraising was completed through the Otago Community Trust, Central Lakes Trust, Coastguard New Zealand and local fundraising efforts. Construction of the building is now underway.“It has been a long four years to get to this point, but we are now making real progress in ensuring we have a permanent coordination centre with effective communications which will enhance the safety of all lake users and our coastguard volunteers,” Jonathan said.Born in Greece, Jonathan grew up in North Africa and Turkey due to his father’s role as a director of the British American Tobacco company.He finished his education in 1970 at St Edward’s School in Oxford and began training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Jonathan served in the Armoured Engineers and obtained his Civil Engineering qualifications at the Royal School of Military Engineering.He went on to become a chartered engineer with the Engineering Council of the United Kingdom and served in military engineering and training, and later in logistics.Jonathan led a 20-person team carrying out disaster relief in El Salvador following the 1986 earthquake and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his efforts.He became Commanding Officer in the 48 Field Squadron England and took part in active service tours in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Cyprus and short stints in Norway and France during his 28-years in the British Military.Jonathan met his New Zealand wife Dorice while she was on her OE. They married in 1990 and arrived in New Zealand in 1998.His first job was as campus manager with the Southern Institute of Technology in Christchurch with the campus growing to four times its size when he left in 2002.A position of chief executive officer followed in 2002 at Telford Rural Polytechnic and nine years later he became the director of the Telford Division at Lincoln University. That same year (2011) Jonathan and Dorice moved to Wānaka.It was in 1905 that an American, Paul Harris, founded the Rotary Organisation. An award in his name, the Paul Harris Fellowship Award is recognition for outstanding work and contribution both to Rotary and to the community.Jonathan continues to serve the Upper Clutha community in his role as president of Coastguard Wānaka Lakes.

Designer rethinks waste
Designer rethinks waste

09 August 2022, 6:51 AM

In her latest collection, local designer Ruby Urquhart continues to illustrate how waste products can be transformed into beautiful, useful things, instead of going straight to landfill. No New Material Needed (NNMN) is a collection of puffer jackets made from salvaged and second-hand products: the majority of the materials come from tents discarded after Rhythm and Alps music festival. Ruby has combined materials from tents and decommissioned parachutes with second-hand cotton lining to create the new collection, which will launch at Wānaka store 56Rocket next weekend.Ruby salvaged abandoned tents from Rhythm and Alps and combined them with materials from decommissioned parachutes and second-hand cotton to create the jackets.“Now the tents have become loud, fun and cosy jackets,” Ruby said, “but I can't help but think about the other 10 skips full that got thrown out the years that I was collecting them.”Ruby, who grew up in Wānaka and is currently based in Christchurch, studied art at The Learning Collection and was a painter before starting her business Broken.  The second collection from the 27-year old’s emerging brand continues to build on its founding ethos - that no new material is needed because so much that already exists is thrown out every day.“As it goes with most of the materials I collect, it took time for a good use for the tents to reveal itself,” Ruby said.Ruby collected the tents for two consecutive years before the idea to create puffer jackets with them came to her. Then came the long process of finding complementary materials and the intricate work of creating the garments.The collection will launch at 56Rocket in Wānaka on July 23 before select pieces are sent to Wellington to feature at boutique store The Service Depot.The final collection features a mix of unique ‘one off’ jackets as well as some simpler styles which will be available in a range of sizes.Ruby is proud of the end result, in which 98 percent of the materials are salvaged: “The only new component is the zip.” Still, she says she’d rather the tents had been taken home and reused by their owners: “The best use for a tent is as a tent."Ruby’s first collection under Broken transformed bike tyres’ inner tubes into handbags and NNMN, similarly, gives new life to waste.They both build on Broken’s overarching goal: “We are aiming to reduce the demand for new materials being produced by reusing materials that would otherwise go into landfills,” Ruby said.Collections like this, Ruby hopes, will help connect people to the life cycle of the things they buy, own and discard.Broken’s latest collection, No New Material Needed, will launch at 56Rocket at 18 Dunmore Street on July 23 with opening drinks and nibbles from 6pm-8pm.  The collection will remain in-store until July 25 before select pieces are sent to Wellington to be featured at boutique The Service Depot. PHOTOS: Ruby Urquhart

Wānaka’s Luxembourg link
Wānaka’s Luxembourg link

14 July 2022, 11:38 PM

Wānaka officially has its first consulate now that a Wānaka resident has been appointed as Honorary Consul for Luxembourg.Frauke Oddone, who lives in Far Horizons, has just recently received the approval of the New Zealand Government for her appointment.“I am very excited and motivated,” Frauke told the Wānaka App. “I have many ideas for what we can do for our region.”Frauke and her Italian husband travelled to New Zealand in 2013 and fell in love with the South Island. The following year they began planning to move to New Zealand to retire, and were granted visas in 2019.She still can’t believe their luck: They flew to New Zealand the day the borders closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, on March 20, 2020.The couple had planned to fly here in April but while watching the pandemic take hold they accelerated their plan by a month.“It was just incredible timing,” she said.Frauke has more than enough qualifications for the role of Honorary Consul. A chartered accountant, she spent the past four years of her career as chief strategist for KPMG Luxembourg.Luxembourg’s population is around 600,000, Frauke said, which allows its inhabitants to “get to know one another” and network with government, business, and technology.Luxembourg is a landlocked country bordered by Belgium, Germany, and France, and at 2,586 km2 it is one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe. It was one of the founding members of the European Union.Yet Frauke appreciates the similarities between Luxembourg and her new home of New Zealand.“New Zealand is a very dynamic, small, entrepreneurial country where you can achieve something quickly - there are not so many layers of bureaucracy.“We see the same dynamic: Small is beautiful.”The request signed by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg to consider Frauke for the role of Honorary Consul was officially approved in March by the Embassy of New Zealand in Brussels and the Government of New Zealand.“It was a nice surprise,” she said. “I didn’t expect the New Zealand government would accept the consulate being based in Wānaka.”Frauke is enthusiastic about the opportunities to promote Otago goods after the free trade agreement signed by prime minister Jacinda Ardern in Brussels last week. She said she hopes for a “stronger exchange” between the two countries.Luxembourg has one of the biggest turnovers of cargo flying into Europe, and it serves as a clearing house for Western Europe.“I am very excited about reconnecting and I can see big opportunities between the two countries, in start-up, fresh exchange, and digital.”She said when it comes to the ‘green agenda’, “there are many good ideas here and a strong dynamic in Europe.”“I’m hoping to connect some more dots and try to make New Zealand more visible to Europe.”Frauke is flying back to Europe next week for the first time in two and a half years, and plans to meet some of the representatives of the Luxembourg government which promote the #GoInternational Agenda, the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwis she knows who head large businesses in the Grand Duchy.“Luxembourg is in the centre of Europe and has such an international culture,” she said.“There will be some ideas I can pick up in Europe and bring back to the community.”Frauke and her husband do a lot of hiking and “enjoying nature” around Wānaka, and she is equally enthusiastic about Otago’s agriculture, wineries, and tourism.“People in Luxembourg are very keen to go overseas. That can be revitalised.“And the Grand Duke might be interested in coming to Wānaka.”PHOTO: Wānaka App

Simon Telfer to stand for Wānaka Community Board
Simon Telfer to stand for Wānaka Community Board

12 July 2022, 11:34 PM

Business advisor and active transport advocate Simon Telfer has announced he will stand for the Wānaka Community Board (WCB) at the October local body elections.“The Wānaka Community Board has an opportunity to reclaim its influence and respect. To lead our town in a future focused, positive and inspiring way,” Simon said.“We need more energy on the board to champion initiatives on behalf of Wānaka, rather than just reactively responding to whatever is presented by [Queenstown Lakes District Council] QLDC staff. “If elected, I will bring a fresh energy and a proactive attitude to the board, plus a track record of both working with, and challenging, QLDC.”Simon has acted as a director and advisor to privately owned businesses across New Zealand for the past 20 years.Since 2016 he’s served as a Bike Wānaka committee member, lobbying for the QLDC to purchase Sticky Forest from its Maori owners. He also leads Active Transport Wānaka’s advocacy to build a network of safe cycleways, including Aubrey Rd, Lakeside Rd, Ballantyne Rd and the SH84 underpass to date.In 2020, as part of QLDC’s Covid-19 recovery, Simon chaired the district wide Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group which helped to re-imagine a diversified local economy and better community wellbeing over the medium and longer term. Simon said he is committed to ensuring QLDC gives Wānaka its fair share of resources and prioritisation.Some of his priorities are ensuring people are at the “heart” of the Wānaka town centre redesign; constructing a network of safe and protected cycleways as quickly as possible; supporting local businesses; and empowering local volunteers. “The next three years will see significant decisions around the future of Wānaka Airport, creation of the Mt Iron Reserve and rejuvenation of our town centre.  He said he believes he is well placed to represent the community and contribute meaningfully to these discussions. “I have an ‘environment first’ approach to further airport development, balanced with a need for the Wānaka community and businesses to have good connections with the rest of the country,” he said.Simon lives in Wānaka with his wife, Jo Shearer, and two daughters who attend Mt Aspiring College.Find more information on Simon here. PHOTO: Supplied

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