Growing up gay is not for sissies. Wanaka’s Michael Metzger knew this in 1970s rural Otago, and he knows it still holds true, so he is gratified his one-man play, The Changing Shed, about overcoming the long-term effects of bullying, is touching a chord.Michael’s ‘day job’ is business writing, but he has managed to complete a Masters degree and PhD in the past seven years. “I had a corporate career but retained an interest in theatre,” Michael told the Wanaka App. “I went back to university and did my masters then my PhD - it’s amazing what you can do from Wanaka.”His childhood memories, woven together with the present-day experience of training for and running a marathon, formed the creative component for his PhD, and The Changing Shed is the theatrical result.Michael practiced some of the on-stage challenges at Wanaka gym The Fit Collective.Michael presented a 20-minute excerpt from the play at the UNESCO Cities of Literature Short Play Festival in Dunedin in 2019, which was nominated for Outstanding Performance at that year’s Dunedin Theatre Awards. The Dunedin Fringe Festival this coming weekend will be the first public performance of the full-length work.After struggling during the first year of his PhD to work out what he should focus on, Michael hit on the idea of exploring his experiences at school, and “it just all came together”.“I was what you’d probably describe as an effeminate boy - not interested in doing traditional boys’ activities. I stood out,” he said.The consequences were being bullied and excluded“I missed out on the opportunity to enjoy physical activity, but I was so terrified of the changing shed and that whole experience that I avoided sport as much as possible.”“The changing shed is an unregulated space. It’s designed for privacy - there’s no supervision, so you end up with a Lord of the Flies scenario, where boys will be boys - and boys can be horrid.Michael on stage.“That’s why the changing shed has become the central metaphor of the piece,” he said.Michael has been heartened by the reaction to the play. People find it moving, and he has even received emails from strangers about it. “I have interesting conversations with people afterwards. I feel it is touching a chord.”His reading for his PhD highlighted that homophobic bullying remains an issue in schools.“I would love to perform it in a school gym for 15 to 17-year-olds,” he said. “When you’re at school it’s your entire world and it feels like it will never end. It isn't forever, and if you survive it you have the opportunity to find your community.”After missing out on sport at school, later in life Michael (now in his 50s) did a couple of marathons in Queenstown and got involved in a running group.“People came together on the course and supported each other - it was a very different experience of sport.” He believes the overlay of the marathon experience in the play brings a hopeful element.The show has been a three year process, and while Michael wrote, directed, produced and will perform in it, he said he has had a lot of input from others along the way.Wanaka gym The Fit Collective has been “wonderfully supportive”, he said, and provides a space for him to practice some of the technical on-stage challenges such as boxing and running while talking.“I’m the crazy guy who runs on the treadmill talking all the time,” he said.There are four opportunities to see The Changing Shed at the Dunedin Fringe Festival.PHOTOS: Jordan Wichman

A Lake Hāwea landscaper has won New Zealand Young Landscaper of the Year.Tama Ritter, operations manager for Queenstown landscaping company Southern Landmarx, collected his award at the Landscapes of Distinction Awards in Christchurch over the weekend.Southern Landmarx directors Jaye and Joe Nutting paid tribute to the “hard work and determination” Tama showed in winning the national title.“We’re all extremely proud of him after he came to us seven years ago knowing nothing about landscaping, but he’s worked his way up from an apprentice to the top,” Jaye said.Tama, 28, said he loved the transformative effect of landscaping and the variety of the job.“I love landscaping because it isn’t just one skillset, it’s such a wide variety of work. Each project has new and interesting challenges. “You take a ‘blank’ landscape around some awesome houses and then the visual aspect of what we add is huge. It’s like dressing the house so it’s shown off to its full advantage, maximising the landscape and its surrounds.”Tama said the competition, which included a day of practical tests, a speech and interviews, up against 12 other competitors, was “a bit nerve wracking and daunting.”He won two Outstanding Achievement awards in Career Development and Communications before being named the overall winner at the gala dinner presentation.“It was such a surprise to hear my name being called out and it still hasn’t really sunk in, to be honest,” he said. “But I see it as confirmation of how far I have come in the industry, and it’s the cherry on top of all the hard work over the years.”Southern Landmarx won two gold medals in landscape construction and landscape horticulture for its Clutha River Views entry, as well as a silver for design. It also earned a gold medal in landscape construction for its Dunstan Vista residence along with two silvers for design and horticulture.The annual Landscapes of Distinction Awards, hosted by the Registered Master Landscapers New Zealand, showcase the very best in professional landscaping practices in the country.PHOTO: Supplied

In a remarkable show of stamina and skill, four local golfers played 72-holes (four rounds) in one day to raise over $4,300 for St John recently.The four women, Nora Hastings, Nikki Shaw, Wendy Borrius Broek, and Suzie Baillie, teed off at 6:45am on Sunday morning (February 28) with glow-in-the-dark golf balls, and 10 hours and 15 minutes later finished the last of 72 holes.The conditions were perfect, they said, and they thanked their caddies for keeping up their spirits, and enabling fast play, as well as the many supporters who joined them in the last round to give them “a great boost when we needed it most”. They also thanked the Wanaka Golf Club’s pro shop team who assisted with tee bookings and advised other players of the challenge, “allowing us to pass a number of groups on the course with ease, including those playing in a match; thank you all for letting us play through”.Prior to this big day the four women had played 54 consecutive holes just for fun but were overwhelmed by the support they received from club members, friends and family when they proposed the 72-hole challenge as a fundraising effort.They said they were touched by the support as well as the amazing contribution everyone made to the Wanaka St John.PHOTO: Supplied

A nurse with a passion for family support and postnatal care has been appointed to the role of mental wellbeing navigator for the Central Lakes area, which includes both the Queenstown Lakes District and Central Otago District.Lisa Gear has taken on the newly created role following a career in mental health, paediatric and neonatal nursing.“I have seen first-hand the real challenges that some people can experience navigating their way to the services that are available to them,” Lisa said. “When this position was advertised, I could immediately see the value of it and was keen to make a difference in this area.”The mental wellbeing navigator role was established by the Central-Lakes Wellbeing Recovery Group, which formed following the COVID-19 lockdown to provide a connection point for agencies seeking to support the community.A number of initiatives have been established in the past year in the area (including the Kia Kaha Hub and health improvement practitioners working in general practices), but the group also identified the need for a role that could help ‘join the dots’. The role’s aim is to help build awareness of the services that are available, and connect people with the support they may need.“COVID-19 has challenged us all, and Central Lakes has been specifically impacted by the disruption to our economy and international communities,” Central-Lakes Wellbeing Recovery Group chair Adell Cox said. “We are excited to have someone with Lisa’s experience join us in supporting this part of New Zealand through this challenging time in our history.”The mental wellbeing navigator role is a two year position, reporting to Central Lakes Family Services. It has been made possible by funding from Central Lakes Trust, Wakatipu Greatest Needs Fund, Community Trust South and Lotteries New Zealand.

A Mount Aspiring College (MAC) Year 13 student has made a splash with an opinion piece on the school’s new mufti guidelines, which was published on national news website The Spinoff this week.Nevada Wolfgramm, 17, wrote the column “to start a conversation” about the mufti guidelines, which were put in place this year for Year 12 and 13 students.In the column she questions the need for the new guidelines; debates the notion of modesty and what that means for both girls and boys; and talks about how being censured for breaching the dress code has been shaming.Following a three-year uniform review, and because the new MAC uniform was not available at the beginning of this year, senior students can wear mufti this year for this last time. The new mufti rules ban shabby or worn-out jeans, brief shorts, “see-through, low-cut, halter, thin-strapped tops on dresses or as separates, or revealing a bare midriff”, and singlets with gaping arm holes.The rationale given by the school is that while the policy “is designed to respect an individual's autonomy, individual dignity and right to freedom of expression”, students must “respect that MAC is a learning institution with a diverse range of students and staff, and must take that into consideration when making clothing choices”. Nevada had already written most of her opinion piece after being told off for breaching the dress-code previously.“The reason I wrote it is because I wanted to start a conversation - and that needs to include students too,” she told the Wanaka App.Nevada believes the mufti rules should be open to discussion. She believes the current rules are about “covering up the female body”.“There are maybe one or two rules that affect boys,” she said.She is also aware of a female teacher who has told a few girls their clothing is distracting boys. “Most of the clothes I wear are not very provocative but I still get dress-coded all the time,” she said. When she has been censured, it has mostly been because part of her stomach is visible.“If you can’t give me an adequate reason as to why I should dress modestly, then I won’t. I’m not in a professional environment - I’m at school. I’m not getting paid to be here, and I don’t have a choice of another school to go to.”“I can’t tell you where the line is - I’m 17-years-old. I just don’t want the line to be where we have to wear a full shirt and pants in 30 degree weather.”Nevada said clothes have always been an important part of her life, and she is thinking about studying fashion after school.“I think talking about this stuff will always be a big deal for me, I’m super, super passionate about it.”She said the school should want to encourage students to think critically and push boundaries, which will help prepare them to go out into the world.MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said, while privacy law precludes the school from commenting on individuals or individual situations: “Critical thinking skills are something I really value as an important part of education.”“...given that society has certain unwritten expectations and narratives around dress code and gender, critical thought in this area is something to be valued. Inquiring into issues, from all perspectives in a respectful manner is a good thing,” she said. Because the school serves the whole community it is conservative in its approach to matters such as dress code, Nicola said, “mostly from a health and safety perspective as well as supporting a generally tidy standard of dress”. “There are a large number of subjects available for students which have different health and safety requirements in terms of dress, and our general statement around dress code needs to ensure that we cover all subject requirements.”Nicola said the school has a concerns and complaints policy in place if a member of the community wishes to raise an issue, “... and this process helps to ensure that there is a process for dialogue to take place”.Nevada has also been interviewed by MORE FM, which will be aired tomorrow (Monday March 1) around 10am.Read Nevada’s Spinoff article here.PHOTO: Supplied

Former Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Joshua Perry has successfully campaigned for changes to improve the process for housing modifications for people with disabilities. As a result of his petition to the government, the Ministry of Health is introducing monitoring for applications for housing modifications that have not been completed within six months of a service request being submitted.Joshua, who has cerebral palsy, waited over two years for modifications to his Dunedin home to make the bathroom suitable for his needs. He required a new door, and a wheelchair-accessible shower, toilet and basin for the safety of himself and his carers, and called the modification process “convoluted and slow”.A health select committee report released earlier this month in response to Joshua’s petition thanked him for “bringing this important issue to our attention”.The Ministry of Health provides funding for housing modifications to eligible people with physical, sensory, intellectual, or age-related disabilities who meet certain criteria but in Josh’s case, even after enlisting the support of Dunedin MP Michael Woodhouse, the process took more than 24 months, 13 steps and at least five forms.“We agree the housing modification process needs to be more streamlined, with a focus on ensuring the system is faster and easier for people with disabilities to use and navigate,” the committee said.As well as introducing monitoring for applications, the Ministry of Health will now also work with housing assessors and equipment and modification service providers to ensure disabled people are kept up to date with progress on their housing modifications. The committee agreed and endorsed Josh’s view that the changes should go further: asking that the six-month timeframe is calculated from the service user’s rather than assessor’s point of view. It also encouraged the ministry to keep in contact with Josh and other affected parties.Josh said that after he began his petition, others contacted him about how they had been affected by the inefficient housing modification process, and emphasised that this was a nationwide issue.Josh is an advocate for people with disabilities: He hopes to be an MP one day, and he is the CEO of Enabling Love, an inclusive dating service that caters for people with disabilities.PHOTO: Supplied

Four Wanaka golfers plan to play four rounds of golf in one day, to raise money for Wanaka St John.Nora Hastings, Nikki Shaw, Wendy Borrius Broek, and Suzie Baillie recently played 54 holes (three rounds), taking 10 hours, just for fun.“For our next challenge we decided to raise money for the community and Wanaka St John's seemed the perfect fit,” Suzie said. The women will tee off at 6:00am at the Wanaka Golf Club, light permitting, on February 28. “Each round will take anywhere from three to four hours which means it's going to be a very long day,” Suzie said.She said the women were excited and a little apprehensive, but raising money for St John will motivate them to keep going.“It will be a physical challenge, especially when it comes to maintaining a good level of golf. This will be even more difficult in rain or windy conditions. We may find the mental aspect to be even more taxing, especially if we have too many unexpected and undesirable shots,” she said.Suzie said the four women had been “overwhelmed” by the positive response they have received so far from the golfing community, friends and family. “People have been very generous offering refreshments, their golf equipment, and even volunteering to push our trollies for a round or two,” she said.“We want the focus of the day to be fun. Good, steady golf will be a bonus. It would be awesome if people got inspired by our little adventure and any donations would be much appreciated.” If people wish to contribute to Wanaka St John there are donation boxes at the Golf Club, or they can make a payment directly online (02 0673 0003935 00 - reference 72 holes challenge).PHOTO: Supplied

Long-time Luggate resident Cec Anderson was farewelled by family and friends last month, after a long illness.More than 300 people attended her funeral at the Upper Clutha Presbyterian Church on January 27, and almost 500 people have watched it online - testament to Cec’s generosity and popularity.“She was an amazing person and she gave a lot back to the community and her friends,” her friend Jill Taylor told the Wanaka App.Cec was described as “always giving”, and great fun. Born in Oamaru in 1953, she moved to Wanaka as a young woman. She married Rod Anderson in 1972 and they moved to Luggate, where they have lived ever since.Cec and Rod had four children, and later four grandchildren, whom Cec was very involved with.Cec loved horses and was involved in rodeo.Cec worked as a landgirl, a rousie, in the office at Luggate Timber, and as a real estate agent.She was very involved in the shearing industry and rodeo.“She loved rodeo and was involved over many years,” Cec’s friend Helen McCarthy said. “She volunteered as a timer and travelled around the country.”As part of her varied volunteering, Cec also dedicated a lot of time to the Upper Clutha community. She was on the Luggate Community Association, and was a founding member of the Alpha Club, including some time as president.She coordinated the Luggate Community Association planting initiative, which encouraged people to plant - and water - trees along Luggate Creek.Cec was also the driving force behind planting daffodils along the Luggate Creek, and she was a great flower gardener, Rod said. She loved the mountains and lakes in the area.Because of Cec’s love of pearls, people were asked to wear pearls to her funeral.“It was surprising how many did,” Rod said.Rod said he and his family have received hundreds of messages from people who remembered Cec fondly.PHOTOS: Supplied

A new Wanaka area recreation manager will join the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) team later this month.Allan Wainwright will take up the reins for the newly created role on February 22. He will be responsible for the operational management of Wanaka Recreation Centre (WRC), as well as developing council’s range of sport, recreation and wellbeing programmes across the wider Queenstown Lakes district.QLDC sport and recreation manager Simon Battrick said Allan’s previous experience in managing facilities and working with different community groups would be a real asset.“Allan is a passionate and energetic individual who has spent more than 16 years in the sports, community and recreation sector around Auckland and Bay of Plenty,” Simon said.“He’s regularly up before dawn to play squash, and loves running and mountain biking so I know several members of our team are looking forward to putting him through his paces on our local trails.”Allan’s previous roles include managing Papamoa Sports and Recreation Centre and Lynfield Youth and Leisure Centre; working for Skills Active as a team leader for the Northern region; and a period as national manager for extra-curricular childcare provider, School’s Out.Most recently, Allan managed Katikati Community Centre from where he also led the COVID-19 welfare response coordinating a range of local community groups and partners.“This is an amazing opportunity in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Allan said. “My wife Gabriela and I both love the outdoors and are eager to explore the magical surrounds of the district.”Allan is looking forward to contributing to the rec centre and council’s district-wide sport and recreation provision.“Wanaka Recreation Centre is such a valuable asset for the local community.”I’ve already seen how it brings people together and helps them keep fit and active, and I’m looking forward to adding my own experience to the mix,” he said.PHOTO: Supplied

John Masters has been giving away cooked sausages for 15 years. He does it as an act of love.Every Saturday night John sets up his barbeque near the intersection of Ardmore and Helwick streets, sizzles up sausages between the hours of 10:00pm and 12:00am, and gives a grilled sausage to anyone who wants one.“It's kind of an odd thing to do, to set a barbeque up on the streets when most people are heading home, and most people are going to bed," John said, adding that he's found that from 10:00 to 12:00 people have time to stop for a chat.  "They are going between pubs, wandering the streets, wondering what to do next. People are attracted to the sausage sizzle, so they approach me," he said.John says he feels he’s not naturally a great communicator. “I'm not a great talker, but I do listen, and I give people time."An electrician by trade, John has been barbequing and giving away sausages in Wanaka for the past eleven years. It’s something he "feels called to do."  Before moving to Wanaka, he lived on Waiheke Island, where he got the idea for the sausage sizzles, and put it into practice for four years before moving south.A scene from the Saturday night sizzles. PHOTO: SuppliedWhile John provides the consistency - and is the one commonly called 'the sausage sizzle man' - he's supported by a dozen others with the same desire to help people.  John and his support crew normally give away about 50 sausages or hash browns a night, allowing them to talk to 50 or 60 people.  He doesn't want a big thing made out of the sausage sizzles, so John maintains a low profile, but he admits that it's not unusual for people to leave in tears because they've been able to share what they are thinking. “I think a lot of the conversation at the pub is very shallow, and then they get to talk to us and it goes a bit deeper."John is a man of faith. "I never used to believe in God but one morning in Waiheke God woke me up, revealed himself to me and encouraged me to go out into the streets and show his love to people. “I sometimes wonder why he chose me, and the only thing I can think of is that maybe he knew I would actually go and do what he asked me to do."When John and his wife travelled to Kaitaia and back in a caravan, he gave away sausages during that trip too. They stopped in the small towns along the way and set up the barbeque even though the streets were sometimes deserted.  John said that if he only had had one meaningful conversation with one person, it would be worthwhile.After three years grilling sausages in Wanaka, John started travelling to Queenstown as well, on Thursday nights. "I felt like this was needed there too."  Even though Queenstown and Wanaka don't have as many overseas visitors as previous years, John says he is giving away just as many sausages now as he was before.He has found that getting something for free is "quite an odd concept for people". People are more than happy to pay and don't understand why sausages and hash browns are being given away.John said the reason is "very simple".  "You're giving away a 50-cent sausage, but people feel like you're giving them a hundred bucks."This humble act of charity immediately removes barriers. People may be shocked at first, but they tend to trust more and start opening up.  "There are a lot of young people out at that time of night. They are out there to party and get drunk, and sometimes they end up spending two hours just talking to us."John buys the supplies himself but regularly receives financial support from local churches and other people keen to help out.He loves doing it, but admits that “it's still hard to do”.  "I'm actually not a night person. I'm a morning person. At 10:00 at night, there are times I want to just go home and flop into bed, but I don't. I go out, and at the end of it I'm so glad that I did because of one particular person I talked to where it made a difference."

The Wanaka Filipino community has rallied together to support local couple Jhufel and Rita Mangubat in their time of need.After having stereotactic radiosurgery on January 14, Jhufel suffered a brain hemorrhage and was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital. He is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, at a cost of $8000 a day.Jhufel has worked at Wanaka New World for nearly five years on an interim Visa while awaiting a Work Visa. On the day following his first surgery, Jhufel found out his Visa application was denied. He and his wife are now responsible for the full cost of all of his medical treatment. The couple’s flatmate Liezelle Ferrer is helping them face the challenge of finding the money to pay the hospital bills.(From left) Johanson, Mark, Daimler, Liezelle, and Jay“It's really bad timing,” Liezelle said.Liezelle recently helped organise a three-day sausage sizzle raising approximately $1800. She has printed and distributed posters explaining the tough situation the Mangubats find themselves in.Other friends and family also got to work trying to raise money. They have a Givealittle page, a Facebook page, and Rita's sister started a Go-Fund page in Australia. So far they have raised nearly $30,000.Combined fundraising has raised almost $30,000.Liezelle is gratified by the huge show of support they are receiving. “A lot of people are helping,” she said.She said one woman at a sausage sizzle at Wanaka New World realised she didn't have her wallet, so she returned to the customer service desk the next day with an envelope of cash.  Liezelle is also impressed by how willing people are to help spread the word. A few have told her that they have shared her post on the Upper Clutha Trading Post site, and "one guy from QLDC asked me for one of my posters so that he could put it up in the office".If you would like to help, visit the Givealittle page here.PHOTOS: Supplied

It’s not uncommon in this town to come across someone with more than one job, but running three businesses simultaneously and being contracted to provide services for a fourth sounds … exhausting.Not so for Verity Lawrence, who seems positively energised by her full and diverse work programme.Verity is qualified as an interior architect, a sailing instructor and a yoga teacher and recently established Wanaka’s first design library for professionals involved in the industry of construction and interior design.While her professional career in interior design has been her primary focus since she completed her four year qualification in 2007, she has turned her hand to many employment opportunities, from event management to visitor accommodation. She spent 10 years in Greece, where amongst other things, she established an English-Greek advertising newspaper, similar to Wanaka’s The Messenger.When a youngster loses confidence, the sailing coach has to bring the boat home. PHOTO: Jeannine TuffinBorn in 1983 in Dublin, Ireland, Verity’s first trip to New Zealand was in 2012 when she worked for a year in a Queenstown backpackers, catching up with her twin sister who lives there, and spending a lot of time in the local Bikram yoga studio.She returned to New Zealand in 2014 when she was offered work managing high-end Cavit & Co’s furniture and furnishings retail showroom in Arrowtown and spent three years there as their interior designer.Her heart, though, yearned to be back on the water. An enthusiastic sailor “pretty much my whole life”, she contacted several local sailing clubs but only the Wanaka Yacht Club (WYC) responded and, after a couple of years as part-time volunteer coach, she was offered the role of senior sailing coach.Verity says the young sailors are “amazing - so enthusiastic”. PHOTO: Dillon CharlevilleIt was this role and a desire to further her independent career in interior design which saw Verity relocate to Wanaka in 2017.Verity said she’s been a sailing instructor for over 20 years and learned to sail in a similar environment to Wanaka, where conditions on the lake can swiftly change.“Sailing in Wanaka is always challenging; it keeps me on my toes and it means I can never go into a day of teaching with a fixed plan. You have to adapt.” She said the WYC reminded her of her old club in that it was a community: everyone gave each other a hard time on the water but got on well, and students wanted to be there to learn - it wasn’t just a babysitting service.Yoga and sailing retreats combine two of Verity’s passions. PHOTO: Supplied“The kids are amazing here. They’re very enthusiastic and so polite, and their parents are so involved,” she said. Verity said the sailing environment really appeals to some kids. She remembers she didn’t enjoy school but flourished at her local sailing club, and she’s very aware of those types of kids who come to the club.“You could be that nerdy kid in school who loves the tactician’s role or you could be the jock who just loves to go fast, there’s something for everybody in sailing.”She also reckons the WYC is “100 per cent on the right track” expanding its younger membership, boys and girls equally, and encouraging more women to take up sailing.Verity (left) and business partner Penny Calder at their Design Library in Wanaka. PHOTO: Wanaka App“Working for the yacht club is amazing, and there’s so many women at the club now - it’s brilliant.” A spin off of her success as the WYC sailing instructor was the ability to combine sailing with another passion, yoga, something she’s long dreamed of achieving.  Two years ago she started her first one-day, or weekend “yoga-sailing retreats” in collaboration with the yacht club. She averages about six people on each course, usually held a couple of times a year, and says they seem to attract yoga enthusiasts who have never sailed before.Verity teaches vinyasa and yin yoga classes in Luggate and the yin classes, a slow-paced, relaxing, therapeutic style of yoga, are packed, she said.All these different roles have actually provided her with an unexpected bonus for her interior design career - a mini network of previously unconnected people. She now has clients she met through yoga classes or a sailing lesson. And her professional career has taken another leap forward with the establishment of the Architecture + Design Library in partnership with fellow local designer Penny Calder.Design centres are mostly in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and professionals in a small town like Wanaka have to depend on visiting reps or ordering samples online, which is far from ideal, she said.Establishing a design centre here was the solution. Suppliers have space to display their products, from fabric to tiles, carpet to hardware, and designers can become library members and borrow the samples via an app.Verity said Wanaka is stacked with independent interior designers, many operating from the kitchen table at home with a few boxes of samples. In contrast, their library offers choice with a growing sample library, and with eight desks, private offices and two meeting rooms, it also provides a professional base to bring clients. The business opened its doors on Frederick Street last October and is already attracting likeminded independent industry professionals. Ultimately, they would like to host a variety of professionals, including landscape designers, engineers and draughts-people.  “We want to have it so that you have all these independent people working together who can also collaborate together.”So, is Verity a workaholic, or just really focused and well organised?“I’ve tried to have just one job because I got sick of people asking me what I did and when I told them it was like when are you going to get a real job,” she said.“But I’ve decided this is how I like to do things, to have multiple interests. I could have a really stressful day designing but then I’ll go teach the kids on the water, or I’ll teach yoga, so I’ll end my day in a calm place. “It’s crazy but it works for me, and people don’t find it odd here [in Wanaka] which is really nice.”

It’s a new era for the Luggate Community Association (LCA) as its chairman of the last five years, Graeme Perkins, steps down to make way for the new chair, Dave Hawkins.At the LCA’s annual general meeting last weekend Graeme announced his retirement from the key role, saying he would still serve on the committee.“I've thoroughly enjoyed my time as chair for the past five years….There have been big issues in that time: the new Luggate Hall, the Wanaka Airport development, growth pressures, water, sewerage and roading issues, but I feel as a group we've made good headway,” he said.He said the Luggate community has established a good working relationship with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.“I feel we now have a reputation for 'getting things done'.”Graeme said he was looking forward to a break from being at the helm and he anticipated Dave Hawkins “will do a great job for Luggate”.Dave, who has lived in Luggate since 2012, has been an LCA committee member for almost as long and has been involved in a number of community projects as well as managing the bookings for the Luggate Hall. He was voted in as Graeme’s replacement, despite not actually attending the AGM.In a message to the community, Dave said he had a case of “the man flu” and didn’t want to spread it amongst the LCA members.He thanked Graeme and LCA treasurer Adrienne Taylor, who also stepped down, for their “years of sterling work” and said he would be happy if he “managed to achieve half of what they have”.Dave also thanked the “stalwarts who have put their hat in the ring for another year” but added it was encouraging to see a few new faces joining the LCA committee, “especially some of our younger residents as it is the future of our village that we are working to improve”.He said the LCA would continue to focus on the big issues, such as the new Luggate Hall and potential airport development and also chip away at the smaller goals, some of which have come to fruition last year, such as improving residents’ safety with footpaths and lowered speed limits.But he also wanted to hear from more younger residents in the community.“I really want to get younger people more involved in what’s going on here because what we’re doing is stuff that really is going to affect their lives,” he said.The LCA’s first meeting under new leadership will be at 7:30pm next Thursday (January 28) at the temporary Luggate Hall and all residents were encouraged to come along.In his message to the community Dave said: “If you have any suggestions for things you would like to see happening in Luggate let the committee know. But better still, join us and get your hands dirty and get involved.”PHOTO: Supplied

Not all teenagers were up seeing in the New Year at midnight: 17-year-old Meg McLaughlan was tucked up in bed early last night (Thursday December 31) having spent five days swimming the lengths of Lake Hāwea and much of Lake Wānaka.Meg has approximately 18kms of Lake Wānaka left to swim today, and she hopes to arrive at the Wanaka lakefront by midday.The Dunedin competitive swimmer was inspired to tackle the 80km swim after watching a friend swim Queen Charlotte Sound twice this time last year.“I thought - what can I do? Something like that? - and it sort of went from there.” Meg swims Lake Hāwea.She chose to raise money for the Otago Southland branch of the Cancer Society, as “cancer is something that affects most families”.Meg has already raised almost $5,000 via her Givealittle page.It took three days for Meg to swim the length of Lake Hāwea, including a very windy first day.Teenager Meg McLaughlan“Each morning I’ve been getting in the water around 6:30am,” Meg said. Her parents have been with her the whole time, with either her uncle or brother driving a support boat.“The past couple of days have been really good and flat, like being in a pool. Being bored has been the hardest part,” Meg said.Meg has been swimming competitively for about four years, and while she has a lot of experience in the pool she has never attempted anything like this.As of last night, Meg was feeling “pretty tired”, and when the Wanaka App spoke to her about 7:00pm she was about to head out for another hour’s swimming to shave some distance from her last day of swimming on New Year’s Day.She was hoping for good weather for her final day. “I haven’t really been looking at the weather - that’s mum’s job,” she said.PHOTOS: Supplied

Local athlete Tanya Louise has ascended the equivalent of Mt Everest - and then some - after summiting Roys Peak as many times as she could within 24 hours on Saturday (December 12).Tanya called her epic effort the ‘Peak of Possibility’, using it to raise funds for Shine, a domestic violence service provider which played a part in her own personal history.Tanya achieved eight full laps of Roy’s Peak, the approximate equivalent of 120km and just over 10,000m of vertical ascent, finishing in just under 24 hours.Tanya told the Wanaka App she climbed about 1000m more than Mt Everest, therefore “another Roys Peak on top of Everest.”“That was well beyond what I thought I could achieve,” she said.Tanya at the base of Roy’s Peak. PHOTO: Supplied“I genuinely had the best time,” she said, adding it wasn’t until the seventh lap that she started feeling the pain, and realised she “didn’t want to do another one”.Tanya had plenty of support during her challenge: Local trail legends Mal and Sally Law joined her for the first lap, and Brook van Reenen for the second and the final lap. Tanya had only the fourth lap by herself.Each lap took about 2.45 hours to complete, including 10 minutes or so in the aid station for her to eat some food.“It feels a bit like a dream,” Tanya said. “All those people that supported were so amazing - even people climbing the trail were so supportive.”Tanya has been fundraising for Shine for more than a year.“I wanted to raise money and raise awareness,” she said. “I used Shine myself when I left my husband six and a half years ago. They were an amazing support for me and my children.”Tanya said Shine is not well known as an organisation, and while not all of its services are available locally, its free national helpline (0508-744-633) is.“People tend to keep out of other people’s business,” Tanya said, adding that sometimes we do need to get in other people’s businesses and ask questions.People can call Shine if they are worried about people around them.So far Tanya has raised more than $2,000 for the organisation, $1,000 of which came from Saturday’s event and the other $1,000 through previous fundraising. She may not reach her goal of $5,000 soon, but plans to eventually: “It might take a few more mountains though.”Tanya, who has a three year running plan, said her next event will be the Northburn 100 mile race in March. It will be the final of her four South Island 100 mile races, collectively called the Southern Season Miler Challenge. If Tanya completes Northburn she will be the first woman to complete all four races.Donate to Shine here.

The Mount Aspiring College (MAC) show jumping team has won the Secondary Schools’ Showjumping Championship for Otago/Southland, which took place on Sunday (December 6).MAC’s equestrian teams have usually performed well at the event, which is held in Gore each year, but their team win came as a surprise nonetheless.Despite knowing they had ridden well individually, the red sash for the overall team winners wasn’t a given, and the whole team was “ecstatic” when the riders learned of their victory, MAC team coordinator Bernie Hewson said. The team from Blue Mountain College, in Tapanui, was placed second overall.The annual event attracted 12 teams from throughout Otago and Southland for the one day championship which comprised three rounds each for senior riders (jumping at 95cm), intermediate riders (75cm-85cm), and junior riders (65cm).Each round required slightly different approaches; Two phase (where the rider jumps one round smoothly and, if it’s a clear round with no faults, immediately jumps a second round against the clock); Instant jumpoff (the rider clears the fences in the first part of the round then carries on to jump the remaining fences against the clock); and Speed (fastest ride, sometimes taking tighter turns, or a different track to optimise their time). MAC’s team of six riders, all from years 7 to 11, and seven ponies had all scored individual placings in the three rounds of jumping, some even being placed on all three rounds, Bernie said.Team captain Carter Hewson, riding Blockbuster, scored the most points over three rounds in the 95cm class and his twin sister Montana, riding Que, was awarded second highest points in the same class. Bernie attributed the riders’ success to their solid equestrian skills.“We’ve got a really skilled bunch of kids,” she said. Montana, for example, won placings on a horse she had borrowed only 10 days before the champs.“It takes a lot of skill to ride well when you haven’t had the time to build a relationship yet with your horse,” Bernie said. The team comprised Carter Hewson (16), Montana Hewson (16), Bella Edwards (13), Aryn Henderson (13), Sophie Fountain (12) and Lily Cousins (12). The team’s red sash as overall winners will go on display at MAC.MAC physical education teacher and equestrian team manager Nikki Cameron-Small said the team’s win was a fantastic achievement, but the manner in which the students conducted themselves was outstanding. Montana was given recognition for kindness towards her horse and supporting her fellow riders.“I was very proud of the students and how they supported each other,” Nikki said. “The equestrian team has had an impressive year and we are looking forward to building on this momentum in the future.”  MAC’s equestrian team also forms part of the Hāwea-Wanaka Pony Club, which offers coaching and a fun learning environment for all abilities. PHOTO: Supplied

The Southern Lakes Arts Festival Trust has announced the appointment of Sophie Kelly to the role of festival director for the 2023 Festival of Colour in Wanaka.Sophie replaces Philip Tremewan, who has programmed every Festival of Colour arts festival, as well as the off-year Aspiring Conversations ideas festival, since their inception in 2005.A Nelson-based dedicated arts advocate with an extensive background in event curation and management, Sophie is the former festival director of Nelson Arts Festival, Summer Events programme and Opera in the Park, as well as festival director of Upsurge Bay of Islands Arts Festival and project manager of Te Ramaroa Light Festival. She is also the current manager of Nelson’s Adam Chamber Music Festival.“I feel incredibly privileged to be taking on the role as artistic director of the 2023 festival programme. I have an enormous amount of respect for the wonderful work Philip and his team have done in establishing and running this much loved festival, and am really looking forward to spending time in such a spectacular region and getting to know the community,” Sophie said.Philip said he was thrilled with the appointment.“I’ve loved working in Wanaka over the years. The town has a huge sense of ownership of the festival and people so much enjoy the roll-out of shows over the festival week.“And I’m delighted to be passing the torch on to Sophie. She’s such a good friend and colleague and we’ve spent many weeks together over recent years, hunting out festival shows in Edinburgh and Adelaide, and checking out arts markets in Brisbane and Auckland.”Philip will stay on to programme the 2022 Aspiring Conversations festival of ideas.Sophie will be in Wanaka throughout the 2021 Festival of Colour (April 12-18) to take part in the running of the festival.

Snow Sports NZ has announced its new CEO.Nic Cavanagh, who has worked at Snow Sports since 2012, has been selected for the top job.He replaces former CEO Jan Shearer, who resigned in October after three years in the role.Nic has previously held the role of campaign and logistics manager and is currently the high performance director, a role which he will continue to hold alongside the position of CEO.“We are really thrilled to have Nic take on the role,” Snow Sports NZ board chair Jacqueline Cheyne told the Wanaka App.“The organisation has some exciting opportunities as well as challenges coming up and we are absolutely confident in Nic’s leadership abilities, particularly in these unprecedented times”. Jacqueline is also a recent addition to Snow Sports, bringing with her 18 years of experience in financial audit, sustainability and assurance related professional services at Deloitte.Despite upcoming challenges, Nic said he is looking forward to fronting the Snow Sports NZ team.“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead Snow Sports NZ as we head towards the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said. “I feel very privileged to be working with such dedicated staff who are totally committed to ensuring our New Zealand athletes take on the rest of the world and win.”While COVID-19 restrictions had thrown up some significant challenges around qualifying for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Nic said he was confident Snowsports has “the plans and strategies in place to ensure our team is safe and are able perform to their potential”.Snow Sports NZ is the national sporting organisation representing the interests of adaptive snow sports, alpine ski racing, cross country skiing, freeskiing and snowboarding. Its purpose is to lead the growth and success of competitive snow sports in New Zealand. PHOTO: Snow Sports

A local man has been honoured for dedicating a quarter of a century to volunteer work as a firefighter.Matt Anderson has received a Gold Star medal from the United Fire Brigades Association (UFBA) for 25 years of service to the Luggate Fire Brigade at the Annual Service Volunteer Fire Brigade Awards. Matt didn't have dreams of being a fireman, he said, but his father asked him to go along to a practice one night to make up numbers and he was quickly hooked. "I don't think I ever stopped going,” Matt said.Nor has he ever missed a practice or training session. Since starting in 1995, he has had 100 per cent attendance. Matt credits this with an understanding family and understanding employers.  "I've had different jobs, but I've always been in the fire brigade before I had a job."Matt with his family, after receiving the award PHOTO: SuppliedMatt admits to being "pretty nervous" on the awards night at the Lake Wanaka Centre a few weeks ago, but that was because he knew that he'd have to get up and do a speech, and that's "certainly out of my comfort zone".  The award itself hasn't changed much for Matt. It did give him cause to look around at the younger members of the team and realise: "Crikey! There are people in our brigade who weren't born when I started."Matt, a born-and-bred Luggate resident, joined the brigade when he was 16-years-old. Being part of the team offers "good camaraderie" and an opportunity to meet people whom he normally wouldn't have met.  While the fire brigade was formed to extinguish and control fires, members are also called to motor vehicle accidents, and often assist on medical calls. Matt doesn’t see any of this as a chore. "It's not a duty looking out for other people. I look after them. They look after me. It's how the world works."He has never been asked to rescue a kitten from a tree, but Matt did attend a call where a puppy had locked itself inside a car by jumping on the door locks. After assessing the situation and realising the dog was not in stress or danger, the brigade called the Automobile Association.Matt has just been made deputy chief of the brigade, an honour and title he felt a "little reserved" about getting because his dad, Rod Anderson, is the fire chief.  "When we go out in the firetruck, we do have a pretty good understanding of each other. We know how to communicate without actually talking. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I think it's a very good thing."Matt lives in Luggate with his wife, Lucille, and two children, Will and Dot.