Year 12 Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Mikayla Botting was awarded first place in the New Zealand Lions Young Speechmaker Contest district final in Gore last weekend.Mikayla - along with Xander Maguire (year 13), Ruby Smith (year 12), and Dani Maguire (year 12) - each presented a five-to-six minute prepared speech, and a one-to-two minute impromptu speech (with one minute's preparation).Mikayla won the event from a field of 18 students from across Otago and Southland, delivering a powerful speech on global gender equality, with a focus on the injustices faced by women in Afghanistan."I chose the protection of equality as my speech topic as it is a very important message to be speaking on in our current world climate,” Mikayla said. “My speech centres around women and girl's rights in Afghanistan and how their equality is destroyed.”She said the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan has “continuously gone unnoticed”, which is “heartbreaking”.From left: Colleen Carr from the Wānaka Upper Clutha Lions Club, Ruby Smith (Y12), Xander Maguire (Y13), Dani Maguire (Y12), Mikayla Botting (Y12), and Joanne Waide (MAC head of learning area English).“This shaped my speech into a plea for awareness, that we all need to remember how lucky we have it in New Zealand and remember how important it is to protect equality. It is equality that protects diversity. It is diversity that allows for human connection." Mikayla said she had undertaken months of research for the competition.“The impromptu speech was scary, but I gained valuable experience from it,” she said.Mikayla will proceed to the national final in New Plymouth on August 2, along with students from Southland Girls and Central Southland who placed second and third respectively.PHOTOS: Supplied

Twenty-three Wānaka Snowsports Club (WSC) members have each been awarded $500 - taking the amount the club has distributed to year 2-8 “grassroots athletes” to $165,000 since 2013. The money will be deducted from the cost of the young athletes’ 2025 snowsports programmes at Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone Ski Area this season.WSC executive committee member Bonny Teat said many aspiring young snowsports athletes applied for the club's 2025 grassroots programme, following an “amazing northern hemisphere” season for local snow sports athletes - which included a Crystal Globe, X Games’ medals, World Championship medals, Freeride top spots and FIS alpine medals.The club celebrated recently with a pizza party at the Cardrona-Treble Cone headquarters, where members heard from alpine athletes Mathilda and Isabel Watterson and freeride athletes Eva Small and Nico Burrowes, who had all travelled to the northern hemisphere this past season.The speakers were joined by MCs Harry Rowden and Aiden Fitzpatrick, who had both competed in freeride events in Europe.Coach Peter Legnavsky also introduced the new alpine head coach Grant Stockman, as well as Sam Lee (freeride head coach) and Matt Lister (alpine U16 coach).The 2025 recipients of the grassroots awards are: Max Blatch, Jackson Blatch, Elliot Blatch, William Beech, Patrick Beech, Eneko Mazet Brown, Kobi Small, Silas King, Caspar King, Izaac Wu, Axel Chandler, Jimmy Dolan, Kiri Dolan, Dylan Hedley Dunbar, Otto Walshe, Lachie Stevens, Emmie Wyatt, Charlise Wyatt, Spencer Bunbury, Hazel Hardman, Sam Millar, Harriet Millar, and Nico Burrowes.The list includes two snowboarders, six alpine ski racers, seven freeskiers and eight freeride skiers.“Some of the young athletes have aspirations to represent New Zealand like many previous grassroots recipients and others who wish to get enough skills to enjoy our beautiful mountain environment with their families and friends,” Bonny said.Bonny said the regular WSC functions are open to family members, and the next function will be open to the public (from 7pm on Saturday June 21 at Apres, 50 Cardrona Valley Rd). She said this will be an opportunity to meet successful athletes; freerider Ben Richards, freeskier Ben Barclay, alpine athletes Mathilda and Isabel Watterson, and freeski coach Hamish McDougall, who will share footage and talk about their experiences in the northern hemisphere. PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka organisations have received more than $1M in grant support from Central Lakes Trust (CLT) in its last two funding rounds, with around a dozen local groups benefitting from funding.Most of the funding in April and May went to multi-year operational grants, CLT chief executive Barbara Bridger said."We believe in building long-term relationships with our grantees, and offering multi-year grants towards operational costs is one way we support that,” she said.“Multi-year grants provide greater certainty around funding and enable more confident long-term planning for organisations."Seven Wānaka organisations received operational grants totalling more than $800K.WAI Wānaka received $125,000; Wānaka Search and Rescue received $55,000; Community Link received $192,606; Food for Love received $123,934; Kahu Youth received $267,509; M!NT received $45,290; and Wānaka Riding for the Disabled received $12,840.Local groups also secured project grants during the same period.Snow Farm NZ received $42,000 for its base building ablution and water facility; Tarras School received $35,000 for its playground update; and the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust received $97,466 for its new Hāwea River trail. Read more: Progress on river track upgradesWānaka Tennis Club also received $35,000 for its court resurfacing and clubroom upgrade; Youth Search and Rescue Trust received $40,000 for equipment for its new Wānaka branch; and Onstage Wānaka received $19,080 towards its upcoming Blood Brothers production.Read more: Funding to support busy tennis club  Across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, more than $8M was granted in the two funding rounds.PHOTO: Supplied

A Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) band took first place in the band category at the Central Otago Regional final of Smokefreerockquest on Saturday (June 14).The ‘Superficial’ band members - Alex Kettle, Tommy Cotter, Harrison Eastwood, Archie Bruce, and Jayden Robertson - will now film a 15-minute music video to be considered for the national top 30, with the goal of reaching the Smokefree Rockquest National Final in Auckland this September. The band is following in the footsteps of MAC band ‘Spoken’, which reached the national finals in 2023.Forty-seven MAC students took part in the event at the Lake Wānaka Centre along with student bands from across Central Otago.Kasey Brooks from ‘Third Party’ received the Musicianship Award. PHOTO: Gareth HodgesMAC co-head of arts Mat Doyle said the students had been rehearsing for months to prepare for the event, with many of them performing songs developed as part of their NCEA coursework.Other MAC musicians were recognised with awards at the regional final: Juno Gerlach ('Juno') received the ZM Lyric Award; Kasey Brooks from ‘Third Party’ received the Musicianship Award; and ‘Superficial’ also won Best Use of Electronic Assistance.Juno Gerlach ('Juno') received the ZM Lyric Award. PHOTO: Gareth HodgesSmokefreerockquest is New Zealand's live, original music, youth event which gives young musicians the opportunity to perform live in a professional setting. The event aims to motivate young musicians to strive for success, to realise the opportunities available in music careers, and to encourage their peers to support original New Zealand Music.Full results of the Central Otago Regional Final 2025:Band category:1st – Superficial – MAC2nd – Stolen Rings – Dunstan High School3rd – 10:37 – Wakatipu High SchoolSolo/duo:1st – George Newhouse – Wakatipu High School2nd – Mala – Wakatipu High SchoolAdditional Awards:Best Vocalist – Singer from Offshore (Cromwell College)Musicianship Award – Drummer from Bad Haircuts (Cromwell College)Musicianship Award – Kasey Brooks from Third Party (MAC)Best Song – Little Road – Wakatipu High SchoolZM Lyric Award – Juno (MAC)Best Use of Electronic Assistance – Superficial (MAC)

Two-time Winter Olympic Games medallist and Wānaka resident Nico Porteous has announced he’s stepping back from Olympic competition and will no longer compete in freeski halfpipe.The 23-year-old is New Zealand’s most successful male snow sports athlete and leaves the sport as one of the most decorated halfpipe athletes in history.“I’ve loved representing New Zealand,” Nico said. “Wearing the fern and competing for my country has been the most incredible experience and I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved.“This wasn’t an easy decision to make but I’m excited to do something new and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities.”Nico said he is not retiring from skiing - he plans to maintain his level of skiing and remain active in the sport through filming, product development, and other competitive events.“I still love skiing and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport.“Ultimately, I’m ready for something new. What that looks like I’m not exactly sure but over the past few seasons I’ve enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design.“There are also other events, like Natural Selection Ski, that I’m keen to explore. I’m open to new opportunities and excited to see what the next chapter looks like.”Nico made history for New Zealand in 2022, landing a right and left double corked 1620 combination to win Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games.Nico backcountry skiing on his home turf. PHOTO: Miles Holden/ Red BullFour years earlier, he stomped a stunning run to win bronze as a 16-year-old at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.His career highlights also include two X-Games gold medals, a World Championship title, and five World Cup medals - and he is widely credited with helping to drive the progression and creativity of freeski halfpipe and inspire a new generation of Kiwi snow sports athletes.“What I’ve achieved wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing team of people behind me. He thanked his family, sponsors, Snow Sports New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ.Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Nic Cavanagh congratulated Nico on his career and acknowledged his significant contribution to his sport.“On behalf of Snow Sports NZ I would like to thank Nico for his contribution to his sport - not just the countless titles, podiums and medals, but also for his creativity, his passion and his unwavering commitment,” Nic said. “The legacy Nico will leave on both the freeski halfpipe and wider snow sports community is nothing short of monumental and will endure for generations to come. The entire team at Snow Sports NZ wishes Nico all the best and we can’t wait to see what he does next – it will undoubtedly be great.”

Four football-mad boys have each dribbled a football for a combined 40 kilometres to raise money to provide kids in the Pacific with food.The four Te Kura o Tittea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) year 7 boys - Ben Jurczyluk, Thaddeous Foster, Ethan Collins-Mckeown, and Liam Koehler - undertook the ambitious challenge on Saturday (June 14). The boys started at the Outlet boat ramp, and each dribbled a football to Wānaka; twice around Pembroke Park, and finally into a goal to mark the 10km mark.Their efforts were part of the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge, raising funds to help families in the Pacific region farm climate-smart crops and plant mangroves so they can feed their children in a changing climate.“The boys smashed their challenge and had lots of fun along the way, footballs ending up in all sorts of challenging places to extract with feet,” Ethan’s mother Liz said.The boys had lots of fun along the way, and had to extract the footballs from all sorts of places. “There were some tired 11 year olds [on Saturday night].”The boys are just $200 off their goal of $1,500. People can support the cause here.The boys’ efforts were supported by the Wānaka Football Club.PHOTOS: Liz Collins

A Lake Hāwea athlete’s life-long interest in multi-sport adventure has led him to explore the Wānaka origins of the sport: The Alpine Iron Man event.In 1980, a collection of skiers, mountaineers and canoeist were helicoptered to End Peak, where they skied down until the snow ran out, ran downhill with skis strapped to steel-frame packs, and paddled leaky canoes through the freezing Motatapu River to the finish, “where they became the world’s first multisport athletes”, Matty Graham told the Wānaka App. “It was [a] tough, chaotic, and totally unique event that started what we now know as multi-sport and adventure racing.”Matty said his early love of multi-sport grew from watching the Coast to Coast athletes from his childhood home on the West Coast.A poster for the second Alpine Iron Man event. PHOTO: SuppliedA degree in physical education and many multi-sport adventures later, he took on the 40th Coast to Coast race wearing and using gear from 1983 (the first year of the event). His exploits are captured in ‘The Old School Coast to Coast’, filmed by Deane Parker and Dylan Gerschwitz.Deane and Dylan are teaming up with Matty again for a new film about the Alpine Iron Man, the brainchild of Robin Judkins - who went on to create the Coast to Coast event.“The Alpine Iron Man wasn’t just ahead of its time - it was completely outside of it,” Matty said.“I think this is a piece of history that needs to be captured and a worthwhile story that needs to be told.” The event took place annually for a decade in different locations and courses around the lower South Island.Wānaka’s Sandy Hazeldine at the start line of the 1980 Alpine Iron Man event. PHOTO: The Southland Times.Now, more than 40 years later, Matty plans to head into the hills to retrace the original course and capture the story behind it. “We’re not trying to recreate the race - health and safety would never allow it,” he said.“We’re trying to capture this piece of history that underpins all modern multisport and adventure races around the world. These sports have shaped my life to a great extent personally and professionally as I know they have for many others as well.” Matty said the planned documentary “aims to immerse viewers in the spirit of the Alpine Iron Man, through interviews with original participants, recreations of key segments, and investigate how this event was the catalyst for multisport and adventure racing around the globe”. The film will also celebrate an era “when rules were loose, people made things happen, and adventure was everywhere”, Matty said. The filmmakers have launched a Givealittle page inviting those who love multisport, adventure racing, mountain culture, and a good old kiwi yarn to chip in and be part of the journey back in time. All donations will support the film crew cost, archival work, and interviews of those who helped create this slice of Kiwi history, Matty said.

Wānaka food charity Food for Love is asking the community for support after a huge increase in demand. Nominations for Food For Love’s volunteer-led service - which delivers fresh, home-cooked meals to people navigating challenging times - have increased by more than 144 percent in the past two years.“We want to continue to help everyone who is referred to Food For Love, but with nominations growing so quickly, we need help,” Food for Love general manager Jodie Stuart said.Food for Love might receive a nomination when someone is recovering from surgery, grieving the loss of a loved one, living with dementia, struggling with the challenges of aging, recovering from an accident, and the like.“We attribute the huge growth we have seen to a range of factors, including rapid population growth, more locals knowing who we are and what we offer, as well as a lack of other services that can support the community with meals,” Jodie said.“Behind every nomination is a story - it could be a neighbour recovering from chemo, a mum in the NICU with her baby, a family facing sudden loss, or a loved one with mental health struggles.”To help meet the growing need, Food For Love is asking locals for support.“By making a donation to Food For Love, you are helping us show up for those who need it most,” Jodie said.This June, Food For Love has added an extra incentive to get in behind their organisation, offering the chance to win a trailer load of dry firewood for donations made during the month. Everyone who makes a donation (no matter how big or small) will go in the draw to win a trailer load of dry firewood, with the winner set to be announced on July 1.People can donate to Food For Love (account number: 06-0943-0840857-00) using their full name as the reference; DONATION as the particulars, and using the code FIRE.

Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) won the Southland/Central Otago Regional Showquest Competition at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill on Monday (June 9).The MAC team was also awarded Excellence in Dance, Recognition in Music, and Recognition in Art; and year 13 student Mila Culpitt was named Whetū Rangatahi (Star of the Show). MAC's piece - ‘Wahine Toa’ - was a journey through the history, resilience and leadership of four pioneering women representing the past, present and future of Aotearoa. “We chose the Wahine Toa theme because we wanted to honour the powerful women in New Zealand’s history who fought for justice and equality,” MAC team co-leader Grace Thomas (year 13) told the Wānaka App.MAC team co-leaders Grace Thomas (front left) and Mila Culpitt (right).“Telling the stories of four pioneering wahine (women) was our way of showing that the journey towards equity is something we all share. We wanted to connect the past with the present, and remind everyone that the steps we take today are built on the courage and unity of the women who came before us.” Showquest is a nationwide performing arts competition in which students present original stage performances combining art, music, dance, drama, culture and technology. The creation and execution of performance pieces is entirely student-led.MAC’s cast and crew comprised 58 students from years 7 to 13, and included experienced dancers as well as students performing on stage for the first time. The Showquest team was led by Grace and Mila.Mila Culpitt, who was named Star of the Show.The pioneering women were performed by Ruby Keene (Kate Edgar), Olive Sinclair (Dame Whina Cooper), Hannah Gillespie (Dame Jacinda Ardern), and Mila Culpitt (Kate Sheppard); the choreographers were Olive Sinclair, Mila Culpitt, Hannah Gillespie, Mikayla Duncan, and Holly Fitzgerald; and the stage manager was Kate Wilkes. Students were supported by MAC drama teacher Lisa Clough and arts coordinator Joanna Hewson-Williams.The performance included original dance choreography across five types of dance: contemporary, lyrical, neo-classical, hip hop and jazz, as well as student-produced music, voice-overs, visuals and lighting. Mila said it was a highlight watching as the performance came together.“I really enjoyed participating in Showquest because our performance was meaningful and powerful, shining a light on the strong women who have paved the way for us today,” Mila said.Fifty-eight MAC students were involved in creating and performing the winning show.“It also brought our school community together, uniting juniors and seniors and creating a new community of people that all share the same love for dance.” Grace said the team grew in confidence and together they turned their vision “into a performance we could all be proud of”. A video of MAC’s performance will be submitted for judging in the national (online) final. PHOTOS: Supplied

Opening up the conversation about the ‘D-word’ - death - is behind the latest collaboration between local women Liz Maluschnig and Su Hoskin.Liz and Su have run the local Death Cafe since 2019, offering space for a conversation about death with the view to making the most of life. More recently, they have begun offering a service to the community called Final Acts of Kindness, which offers guidance and support to people whose loved one has died or is dying.“The people who love you most are the people who will care for you the best,” Liz told the Wānaka App. “We want to make every part of the death process personal and meaningful to the loved one and their family… people don’t realise you can go from the deathbed to the grave or the crematorium without a professional involved.” This approach takes planning, however, she said. “There’s a lot to know about so you need to be prepared.”She gave the example of a local man who died recently, with a “very loving” funeral where “his community of friends gathered together and everyone contributed something to help fulfill his wishes”.It was “a Rolls Royce service” at a low cost, she said.“That’s why we run the Death Cafe, so people can start talking about the D word without being squeamish, especially preparing for death and doing things alternatively or sustainably .”This weekend (Sunday June 8) Liz and Su are bringing a ‘Death without Debt’ seminar to Wānaka.The seminar will be led by Fergus Wheeler, one of the people who set up the Death Without Debt movement in New Zealand. He will talk about funeral planning, wills, powers of attorney, probate, advance care plans, and more.Su and Liz will talk about how people can keep their loved one at home during and after death, how they can take care of their body, make their own coffin, and even make a shroud. People can also do the related paperwork themselves, and use their own car to transport their loved one.“We’re just saying - hey, there’s a different way to do this,” Liz said. “This is not for everybody. I imagine it would only be two percent of people. Some people just like to do things differently.”She said a DIY funeral is more sustainable, eco-friendly, and natural, as well as being lower cost. The average price of a funeral in New Zealand is over $10,000 (and higher in Wānaka) but a ‘Death Without Debt’ funeral could cost closer to $2,000. Death without Debt will take place at the Wānaka Community Hub on Sunday (June 8) from 11am - 3pm. The Death Cafe takes place monthly, with the next scheduled at 3.30pm at Edgewater on June 16.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Wellington-based photographer Nick Netzler will return to Wānaka later this month to share an exhibition he has created following an eye-opening experience with WAI Wānaka.Nick travelled to Wānaka earlier this year as part of Creative NZ’s Pacific Arts Nature Residencies, where Pasifika photographers capture the stories of New Zealand’s rural communities, and he says he was struck by Wānaka landscape and how the community looked after the land and its resources.“This was a whole new experience for me. As someone from urban Wellington, spending time with WAI Wānaka and their community really opened my eyes,” Nick said.“I was surprised by how familiar it felt, like working with whānau. The way we came together and valued the environment felt very natural for me from a Pasifika worldview.”Nick’s residency was one of two in the 2025 pilot, and WAI Wānaka partnerships lead Michaela Blacklock said the organisation was thrilled to be involved with the debut.“This has been a fantastic initiative and opportunity for WAI Wānaka,” she said. “To have Nick spend time with the team, in action, seeing and learning what we do and documenting it visually, is exciting.”Nick said the experience was “a big learning curve seeing how hands-on and practical the work is to keep the waterways healthy and flowing”.“I was in awe of the beautiful Wānaka landscape and the community’s efforts to protect it.”Nick will be back in Wānaka on Thursday June 19 to present a digital photography exhibition and give an artist talk about what he learnt during his time with WAI Wānaka.The event will take place at the Wānaka Community Hub from 6.30pm.Light refreshments will be provided before Nick’s presentation, WAI Wānaka said.It’s free to attend but attendees are asked to RSVP - by emailing [email protected] - to keep track of numbers.PHOTO: Nick Netzler

Queenstown resident and former mayoral candidate Nik Kiddle has announced he will run for mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) later this year.Nik contested the mayoralty unsuccessfully in 2019 against incumbent Jim Boult, following his opposition to Boult’s bed tax proposal.Nik was a member of a tax equity lobby group which said the proposed levy (five to ten per cent applied to visitor accommodation in order to help fund tourism infrastructure in the region) would have disastrous consequences for accommodation providers’ profits.The former owner of Villa Del Lago now says it’s time for “big improvements” at QLDC, starting at “the top”.“New leadership is vital to rebuild a trusted well functioning team,” Nik said.“The mayor must return to forging consensus among elected representatives and opening up the council’s administration to community led views.“No more back room deals, no more selling out to drive corporate profits. Transparency and information sharing must become the new norm. Care with ratepayers’ money must dominate decision making and prioritisation must deliver first on core business.”Nik said while QLDC rates have been increasing there has been “a deterioration in the quality of life here”. “This council has got us into a great deal of trouble over sewage, transport and housing. Productivity is suffering. Neighbourhoods and the environment are suffering. All these issues need fresh leadership to drive improved outcomes.”  Nik said QLDC’s relationship with central government also needs to be improved. “We’ve got a golden opportunity now to grab new resources. But we need a leader focussed on options that exist, instead of peddling a pipe dream of new law so council can tax business turnover.“This must be our focus now without distractions over outdated complex ideas. Current leadership is mired in the past and needs to be swept aside to achieve success.” He criticised a lack of compliance with regional standards, and public transport decisions which “fail to take account of our district’s unique needs, whether it’s school buses or miles of traffic cones, traffic jams and drawn out roading ‘improvements’.”  “We can do way better. The best strategy to improve our council is to vote for change and ‘tick Nik’,” he said.Glenorchy resident and Shaping Our Future executive officer John Glover announced in April that he will contest the mayoralty. Read more: John Glover to contest mayoraltyLocal body elections will take place from September 22, 2025.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka’s Ellesse Mote Andrews has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours for services to cycling.Ellesse (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu) is a world champion cyclist and four-time Olympic medallist. She became the second New Zealander to win three medals in a single Olympic Games, and now ranks as New Zealand’s sixth most successful Olympian. Ellesse grew up in Luggate and attended Wānaka Primary School and Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC, where her mother Angela taught music) until her final two years when she attended St Peter’s in Cambridge.“It was the right move for me and my family, but I was always gutted not to be a MAC survivor of all seven years,” Ellesse told the Wānaka App.Ellesse said she loved growing up in Wānaka, where she was “exposed to so many amazing sporting opportunities and amazing people along the way”. “I also loved my creative side and have so many amazing people in the community who played a part in influencing that side of my life too. Coming back to Wānaka feels like I’m coming home - the most special memories and very special people.”Ellesse set a new world youth record at the 2017 Junior Track Cycling World Championships and was recognised with the Halberg Emerging Talent Award. She went on to win three gold medals and a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and two golds and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. Ellesse Andrews in action. PHOTO: Cycling NZIn 2023, Ellesse became the first New Zealand female sprinter to claim a world title, winning gold at the World Championships. She was recognised as Cycling New Zealand Road and Track’s Female Track Cyclist of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and has been a top-five finalist in the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year category for three years running. “It is so special to be receiving this honour,” Ellesse told the Wānaka App this week. “But I think it’s important to acknowledge the amount of people who have influenced me in my cycling journey. I want to say thank you to all of them too as I would not be where I am today without them.”Through her role in the Athlete Leaders Group, Ellesse has been an important advocate for her teammates, and a key driver of applying tikanga Māori to Cycling New Zealand’s programme. She has given back to the community through speaking engagements, mental health awareness campaigns and voluntary roles at community events, including Cambridge’s Cycling Festival.Ellesse (centre) with her parents Angela and Jon at the World Champs in Italy, 2017. PHOTO: SuppliedSport and recreation minister Mark Mitchell said the 2025 Honours List recognises “the outstanding depth of talent, dedication, and leadership across New Zealand’s sport sector”.“My congratulations to all our sportspeople honoured this year. Your contributions continue to shape New Zealand’s sporting legacy and inspire us all,” he said.

Next month, Tanguy Nissou will take on a challenge to give back to Wānaka - the place he’s called home as a ‘working-holiday local’ - by biking over 600km to Christchurch to raise funds for local not-for-profit group WAI Wānaka.“The landscapes of Aotearoa, from the mountains to the rivers, have shaped so much of who I am,” Tanguy said.“Now, I’m taking on a big challenge to give back.”He’s not doing it the easy way - Tanguy will be riding an old, classic bike, without any specialist gear.“It will just be me, my legs and the open road,” he said. “It’s a reminder that sometimes, the simplest way is the most meaningful and that real change often comes through grit, resilience and connection to the land.”Tanguy has chosen to support WAI Wānaka because of its work protecting water health in the Upper Clutha, and he hopes to raise $5,000 via a Givealittle page. “WAI Wānaka empowers local communities to understand their environment, recognise their impact and take meaningful action to care for the lakes, rivers and land in our region,” Tanguy said.“They work with farmers, landowners, businesses, schools and volunteers to help build a future where ecosystems thrive and biodiversity can be restored.” WAI Wānaka CEO Cat Dillon said the organisation was honoured to be the recipient.“600kms is no easy feat, even on a high-spec bike, let alone a classic,” Cat said. “We love this idea, and why he’s doing it.”Tanguy plans to leave Wānaka the weekend of June 7-8 and hopes to arrive in Christchurch a week later.“This ride is about more than just the distance,” he said. “It’s about showing that with determination and collective effort, we can protect the precious natural resources that make Wānaka and the wider region so special.”Find Tanguy’s Givealittle page here.PHOTO: Supplied

The winners of the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival’s annual book awards have been announced ahead of next month’s festival, which will run from June 20-24 in Wānaka.Euan Macleod and Craig Potton have been selected as the winners of the premier prize, the 2025 Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year award, for their book ‘Look Out’. Look Out is an artistic collaboration that celebrates the sublimity of New Zealand’s Southern Alps by the two well-known New Zealand artists and friends; a painter and photographer respectively.“We have both gotten more than we will ever know from the Southern Alps and even at our advanced ages we find ourselves at Aoraki, in the throne room of the mountain gods, with the same awe, amazement and joy of the sublime that we have felt from our first trips there so long ago,” Craig said. “It was our hope that our art might convey something of that connection to the mountain wilderness and [the festival’s] nod to our book has vindicated that hope.”The Mountain Book Competition covers literature on the world’s remote places, and tales about people and their adventures. Submissions were invited for two categories: Mountain and Adventure Narrative for stories and accounts about specific adventures (non-fiction); and Mountain and Adventure Heritage for guidebooks, coffee table or picture books, history books, analyses, reflections on culture, environments or ethics and advocacy.The Heritage Award went to ‘Kahurangi’ by Dave Hansford - a book that celebrates the biodiversity of Kahurangi National Park, Northwest Nelson and Golden Bay.Judge Marjorie Cook said Dave was “simply a wonderful natural history writer”.“His first sentence, his first scene - detailing a paleolithic orgy of creatures forever fossilised in the act of getting it on - is startling and memorable… This book is big, meaty, dense and packed with knowledge and great images and photos.”Meanwhile, the Narrative Award went to Andrew Fagan for his book ‘Swirly World: Lost at Sea’, which Marjorie said was “a love story to a boat not much bigger than a bathtub, in which Fagan attempts to circumnavigate the globe”.“[It] weaves together past and present sailing adventure stories while having another go at ‘living the dream’, this time on a potent ocean of doubts”. Both Dave and Andrew will be guest speakers at next month’s festival, which will feature a wide range of events celebrating adventurous sports and lifestyles.Read the full 2025 New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival programme here.PHOTO: NZMFF

A young cross country skier with Olympic dreams has some key goals this winter as he weighs up his future in the sport. Lewis Briscall (16) spent two weeks training with the UK cross country ski team in Norway this past December, and he returned there alone to train in February.“My dream would be to compete in the Olympics and just follow my dream as far as I can,” Lewis told the Wānaka App.Lewis was introduced to cross country skiing at the Cardrona Valley’s Snow Farm - New Zealand’s only cross country ski area - at the age of 10. He took to it like a duck to water and became a regular feature speeding along the trails.Lewis Briscall (right) at the beginning of last year’s Snow Rake race. PHOTO: Wānaka AppUnlike fellow local cross country skier Campbell Wright, a biathlete, Lewis prefers to ski long distances with no rifle on his back.“I love being on the beautiful ski trails where there are no crowds,” he said. “You just get in a flow state and time kind of flies by… It’s just a great feeling.”Lewis met a coach in the UK cross country ski team when he was in London a few years ago; which led to the opportunity to train with the team in Norway.He worked hard to save the money to get there, and when he got to Sjusjoen he was taken aback by the popularity of the sport in Europe.“In Norway it was like playing rugby in New Zealand. Everyone was out on the ski track - all ages, all abilities, just going out for an afternoon ski.”Lewis is up-front about the challenges for young cross country skiers in this country, where there is nothing like the support and pathway to success provided in Europe and North America.Campbell now skis for the USA ski team, and Lewis as a British passport holder also has the potential to ski for the UK.“I would love to stay with New Zealand,” Lewis said. “I don’t think anyone would want to have to switch to another country on the other side of the world in order to be able to follow their dream just because there isn’t the same support in their home country.”He would love to see more young people take up cross country skiing, and more support for cross country athletes with international ambitions.“It’s not just about me, it’s about the whole next generation of skiers,” he said.Lewis is now roller skiing to keep fit while he waits for the Snow Farm to open. He plans to stay in the Southern Hemisphere this winter, with a goal to compete in the Snow Farm’s annual marathon event (the Merino Muster), the Kangaroo Hoppet (Australia’s cross country marathon), and the Australian nationals.At last year’s Merino Muster Lewis wasn’t old enough to compete in the main 42km race, but he won the 21km Snow Rake race in a time of 53:28:95. This year he plans to compete in the full marathon.“I don’t think coming first against Jessie Diggins [USA’s gold medal winner who trains at the Snow Farm] is possible,” he said.But, he said, his goal is “to come in the top five overall”. 

Locals have submitted their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic to phase two of the national Royal Commission of Inquiry (Covid-19 Lessons), which focuses on vaccine mandates, vaccine safety, and lockdowns.Members of the public were able to submit to the inquiry until late April, with one such submission coming from Wānaka resident Chelsea Norman.Chelsea’s submission was on behalf of her sister Amanda Jade Smees, who died of sudden cardiac arrest on January 4, 2022, 17 days after taking her second Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine.“I want everyone to hear Amanda’s story,” Chelsea told the Wānaka App.Amanda (42), who worked as a barista in Wānaka, had to be double vaccinated in order to keep her job because of the government’s vaccine mandates.“Amanda was genuinely afraid and scared to get it,” Chelsea said in her submissionHer death from sudden cardiac arrest just over a fortnight after her second vaccination in January 2022 came as an enormous shock to her family, including her two school-age children (12 and 15).The autopsy delivered on September 15, 2022, attributed the direct cause of death to sudden cardiac arrest, with an antecedent cause of myocarditis and caffeine toxicity, and the underlying condition of “Post Covid-19 vaccination period”.Her death was flagged in November by the Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board as a possible fourth death in New Zealand linked to the vaccine because it was determined that Amanda had myocarditis at the time of her death.“From here I wanted this documented on Amanda’s death certificate as her cause of death. It was incredibly important to me and our family.”Chelsea’s regular inquiries to the Coroner received “the same generic response”, that the Coroner was still waiting to hear from the pathologist, and they were still testing tissue samples.Then in December 2024 she received an email from the Coroner’s Office informing her that a formal inquiry would not be opened as Amanda’s death appeared to be from natural causes - despite the Covid vaccine having already been identified as a factor.The family was devastated, Chelsea said, and she was determined that Amanda’s death not be “swept under the carpet”. She replied to the Coroner that Amanda was a fit and healthy 42-year-old mother who had died as a result of the vaccine, and that the family planned to take action.On January 8, 2025, she received an apology from the Coroner’s Court.Amanda’s death certificate, issued in March 2025, reflects the original autopsy. It lists the direct cause of death as sudden cardiac arrest, with the antecedent cause as myocarditis and caffeine toxicity, and the underlying cause “Post Covid-19 vaccination period”.“No one should have been forced into getting the vaccine,” Chelsea said in her submission.Chelsea said she felt that no one had been held accountable for her sister’s death.She said she believed others in New Zealand had been harmed by the vaccines and had “absolutely no recognition”, but given Amanda’s family did receive that recognition: “I know she would want her story told.”Phase two of the Covid inquiry began in November 2024. Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden said it was “important that New Zealanders tell the inquiry about their experiences so we can be better prepared as a country for any future events”. “I look forward to seeing the final report and recommendations delivered to me in February 2026,” the minister said.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka resident and businessman Craig Gasson has announced he will run for Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), saying he “believes it’s time to bring private sector thinking to local government delivery”. Craig said he will run for the Wānaka-Upper Clutha ward in the local government elections later this year.Craig is the general manager of Tapped Wines, which delivers New Zealand wine to bars and restaurants in reusable stainless steel kegs. He has lived in Wānaka for 24 years and has two young sons.He told the Wānaka App he has had “a successful career in the wine industry spanning Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand”. Craig said he is passionate about Wānaka “as a great place to live and do business and wants other likeminded people to consider offering themselves for election”. “Wānaka has attracted an energetic, talented population with diverse skillsets brimming with great ideas, but these people don’t necessarily think about putting themselves forward for public office,” he said.“I want to help change that.”  He said he would like other people in the community to “also step up and help bring about a change in what we can expect from our local authority”. “Ultimately, we will all get the representation we deserve. There is such a wealth of skill, knowledge and experience in this town that is largely untapped. My aim is to engage this resource to help make Wānaka an even better place to live.” He invited anyone who wants to share their “thoughts, vision or ambition for QLDC or the Wānaka-Upper Clutha ward” to contact him via [email protected] or LinkedIn.“I have the energy, commitment and drive to be a passionate advocate for this community. I’ll be working hard not just to earn your vote, but to keep earning it every day if I’m fortunate enough to succeed in being elected.” Local body elections will take place from September 22, 2025.PHOTO: Supplied

Otago Fish & Game has announced Cole Briggs as a new Fish & Game officer based in Central Otago - a role that sees the former professional cricketer swapping ‘Aces’ for spades and pads and pitches for waders and riverbanks.Cole played 43 professional matches for the Auckland Aces and spent seasons with clubs in the Netherlands and the UK but, while cricket took him around the world, it is New Zealand’s rivers, wetlands and wildlife that have long held his heart.“Sport has given me so much - discipline, resilience, and the ability to connect with people from all walks of life,” Cole said. “Now I’m looking forward to applying those same qualities to the environmental world, protecting the activities and wild places that shaped me.”Raised fly fishing the Tongariro River during holidays with family in Tūrangi, Cole brings a lifelong love of the outdoors and a strong conservation pedigree - his grandparents were early environmental advocates in South Africa, helping spark his own path into science and stewardship.Now living in Albert Town, Cole is spending his spare time exploring the Clutha River, learning the ins and outs of his new fishing backyard, and exploring his interest in New Zealand birds of prey.He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Auckland and he has worked in research and environmental monitoring, with projects ranging from studying polystyrene pollution in waterways to analysing the environmental footprint of building materials.“Being out in nature, working with sports fish and game birds, and helping people connect with these special places - that’s what drew me to Fish & Game,” Cole said.His role includes everything from ranging, access improvement, creel and spawning surveys to hatchery support, electric fishing, and event-based angler engagement. Operations manager Jamie Ward said Cole brought a dynamic mix of scientific knowledge, public engagement skills, and energy to the role.“Cole’s already hit the ground running — his first week included opening weekend of the duck hunting season. He’s a great fit for Otago and for the anglers and game bird hunters we serve.”