Stephen (Steve) Shaw (Ngai Tahu) has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and hockey in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.Steve said the award came as a surprise and was “really quite humbling”.“I was quite overwhelmed by it - I have no idea who put my name forward,” he said.Steve has volunteered as an urban firefighter for more than 35 years, beginning with the Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade from 1987 to 1997, at which point he transferred to the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade. Steve also held leadership roles in the Central Otago Hockey Association between 2006 and 2013, refreshing the organisation with a community focus, and was instrumental as board chairman in the formation of Southern Region Hockey Inc. Volunteering was something he did without really thinking about, he said.“You have to be involved with things. I didn’t feel like just sitting on the outside of some of these things.”Steve’s family is “quite proud” of the recognition and he said it is for them as well.“Largely it is about the sacrifices they made on the way through.“When you are in the fire service, you are totally immersed and your family is too.”He said the award was for them, and all the people he has ever worked with - “without them there is none of it, whether fire and emergency or hockey”.Since 2017, Steve has led the Fire and Emergency Central Otago-Lakes Peer Support Team, which conducts defusing sessions following traumatic events and provides one-on-one support to firefighters experiencing personal psychological issues and trauma. Steve also held leadership roles in the Central Otago Hockey Association between 2006 and 2013, refreshing the organisation with a community focus, and was instrumental as board chairman in the formation of Southern Region Hockey Inc. In 2010 Steve was made a Life Honorary Member of the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade, and a Life Member of the Central Otago Hockey Association.

Word spread quickly in the small Naseby community on Wednesday (May 31) that the township had moved a step closer in its long campaign to achieve certification as a Dark Sky Community.That step came about when the Central Otago District Council (CODC) voted unanimously at its meeting that Plan Change 22 be notified, providing for the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the night sky in Naseby from the adverse effects of lighting associated with development. Community group Naseby Vision began the process back in 2015 or 2016 when some forward-thinking locals started thinking about the possibilities of the town’s dark skies, Naseby Vision chairman Craig Grant said.The group realised Naseby’s skies were darker than Tekapo in the McKenzie basin, he said. Aoraki McKenzie is one of two Dark Sky Reserves accredited with the International Dark-Sky Association, along with the Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, which was certified in January of this year. Naseby would become New Zealand’s first Dark Sky Community on receiving certification.The CODC decision means the Plan Change will be notified publicly, as required after the Reserves Management Act, with the aim of putting protections into the Central Otago District Plan.Craig said dark sky certification would be something for the community to be proud of.“It would be great at putting Naseby on the map more,” he said. “Naseby is known for its recreation, its curling and its luge, and mountain-biking - if we get this, it will give people another reason to come to Naseby.”Fellow Naseby Vision member Jill Wolff has been involved with the campaign since the beginning, and said the CODC decision was “fantastic news”.“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “There’s a lot more involved than we thought it would be.”Jill hoped that getting certified as a dark sky community would be just the beginning for New Zealand, and especially Central Otago.“It’s consolidating what we already know about Naseby, that the skies are that dark, and protecting the night sky for the future,” Jill said.Paul Bishop runs Night Sky Tours in Naseby and sees the council decision as “a significant milestone”.“It will certainly give Naseby the recognition it deserves as a great place to see a dark night sky,” he said.Paul said more than 650 people had taken his tours and he hoped to launch basic astrophotography tours and private tours later this year.

An unplanned outage that affected much of Alexandra last night is suspected to have been caused by high winds causing power lines to clash, tripping a circuit-breaker.The power went out to 1,340 Aurora Energy customers at 8:48pm yesterday, and was restored by 10:29pm.Aurora Energy customer and engagement manager Lisa Gloag said the 24/7 fault crew investigated the power outage yesterday evening and suspect the high winds caused the power lines to clash, which resulted in the power outage. She reminded people to stay clear of fallen power lines or damaged electrical equipment and treat them as live at all times.

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has scheduled the controversial removal of wilding pines at the Half Mile Recreation Reserve for next week (Tuesday June 6) but opponents have mounted a last-minute legal challenge to that plan.A letter from special counsel Kristy Rusher of AWS Legal was sent to the council on Tuesday and presented in person by Bridge Hill resident Chris Winter in the public forum of yesterday’s council meeting (Wednesday May 31).The letter refers to the council’s duties under the Reserves Management Act 1977, and specifically section 42 of the Act, which states that trees on a recreational reserve shall not be cut or destroyed unless under specific circumstances. Whether the council can argue that one or more of those circumstances have been met is yet unknown, as CODC communications support Mary-Jo Tohill said the letter was only received on Tuesday so no response was yet available.The letter also points to a section that states: “the administering body shall not proceed with the cutting or destruction and extraction except in a manner which will have a minimal impact on the reserve and until, as circumstances warrant, provision is made for replacement, planting, or restoration …”The counsel argues that council authorised removal of the wilding pines in question in advance of finalising a restoration plan, and is therefore in breach of several of its statutory obligations under the act. It is also stated that no provision has been made for the protection of the schist gecko population resident within the reserve.Kirsty requests the council confirm by 5pm next Wednesday that the removal of trees has been suspended, failing which an application for an injunction may be filed with the High Court, incurring additional expense.For now, the reserve will be closed to the public from today (Thursday June 1) until June 25 as notified, and it remains to be seen if felling of the wilding pines will commence on Tuesday (June 6).The Central App will follow any changes to the plan closely.

Interest in a self-defence class for women held in Cromwell on Sunday (May 28) was so intense that a second class has been planned for August 6, with possibly more to come targeted at specific groups of women.Organiser Ali Glover said she was inspired to put together the class because she was worried about one of the young women she works with at her day job at Vinpro in Cromwell.“She’s been working in a pub at night and said the guys sometimes come right up to her and she feels really uncomfortable.”Ali suggested her colleague take a self-defence class but couldn’t find any in the area targeted toward women when she looked, so decided to set one up with help from local sponsors.Highlands Motorsport Park provided the venue and morning tea and will do so again in August, Cromwell Lions Club sponsored the first class and the Cromwell Rotary Club will pick up the tab for the second, and Ali’s employer Vinpro paid for advertising.The instructor was Greg Dorn of Real Self Defence, who is an acupuncturist and yoga teacher as well as being skilled in many martial arts.Greg explained to those present that he had been assaulted at age 14 so started lifting weights and learning martial arts when he was 18.He said he found that he would still “freak out” in tricky situations and realised that memorising techniques didn’t really work. “An assault is different from fighting,” he said, adding that women are more likely to be sexually assaulted or mugged than men.Complex techniques like those taught in martial arts training are saved in the frontal cortex of the brain, he said, but when we panic we start thinking with our “monkey brain” - a lower level of thinking where responses are mostly automatic. Once in terror, we revert to the “lizard brain”, where no thinking is possible and we often revert to a loop of actions that make little sense.  “monkey brain” and can not remember that training, and terror sends us even deeper, into our “lizard brain”.Self-defence instructor Greg Dorn demonstrates to Margaret Haberfield how to erect a ‘fence’ against somebody invading her personal spaceHe stressed that violence was a last resort that could be avoided through situational awareness, avoidance, trusting one’s gut feelings, and de-escalating situations.If violence was unavoidable, one’s mindset was more important than techniques, he said.“We change from being prey to predator.”In an interactive and physical seven-hour class, he guided the women present from theory to practise, explaining what to watch out for and how to minimise risk, before having participants practise hitting and being hit, and how to react quickly to attacks.He ran through a range of scenarios, from a drunk, overly-friendly male at a social event through women-on-women attacks to assaults involving a knife, where all you could do was try to escape.In a series of one-on-one drills, the women partnered and took turns at being the attacker or attacked, learning simple manoeuvres to fight back or break from a hold, while always stressing the idea was to get away as quickly as possible.The women also had the chance to wallop Greg while wearing padded mitts, to make them more comfortable with seriously hitting another person.Class participant Hannah practises hitting instructor Greg Dorn, in an exercise designed to make participants comfortable with striking another personHis constant advice was to not try anything too complicated, saying most self-defence books and videos on YouTube were “total tosh”.“The important thing is to practise the basic stuff,” he said.Speaking after the class, he said much of what the students take away is confidence and empowerment, and the knowledge that there are many ways they can defend themselves if needed.“One of the girls from a previous class said she knows the possibilities now,” he said.Participant and young mother Nicola Warren said she enjoyed the class and learned a lot from it.“I liked the fact that he went into the psychology of it, that reacting in the first few seconds is key,” she said.Organiser Ali also took part in the class and said she was really pleased with the way it went.“It definitely was worth it.”She is hoping to facilitate classes for other groups such as high school students and nurses.Anyone interested in enrolling in the second class on August 6 can email Ali at [email protected]

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has asked for feedback about what to plant at the Half Mile Recreation Reserve, with felling of the wilding pines there due to start next week.Passions have run high over the proposed removal of the pines, with those who oppose the invasive pinus radiata pitted against nearby residents who say the trees provide a buffer from wind and highway noise; a habitat for birds and lizards; and an area for relaxation, sport and exercise.The area became popular with people further afield after Bridge Hill residents Christine and Neville Ridd created a popular Christmas Trail in the reserve last year that was enjoyed by many locals and visitors, and has continued to be updated to mark occasions since. The issue also divided community board members, with the Vincent Community Board in January agreeing to the removal of the pines but in a staged approach. The CODC at its March 8 meeting was equally divided on whether stage renewal was permitted under the council’s Wilding Conifer Control Policy, and mayor Tim Cadogan used his casting vote to decide staged removal was not allowed under the policy.The council’s options for replanting also raised objections, particularly the suggestion of planting poplars as a short-term shelter belt, leading to the current call for feedback on what to plant, ready for when the restoration project moves into the planting phase in about a year’s time.CODC community experience group manager David Scoones is looking forward to getting more feedback from the community.“We have a plan in place to get planting from mid-2024 on this beautiful site, to show off its natural landscape and historic features, and to protect and create more habitat for special creatures like the lizards and native birds. There are some key aspects of the landscape plan that people will be able to provide feedback on, and get involved in.“While there were some initial ideas about the types of species, we would like to hear your feedback. For example, Kowhai and Hoheria are some of the varieties of shade trees that have been suggested and we’re keen to hear what people think of these varieties or any other ideas they might have that would also provide a similar amenity to the reserve,” he said. “We realise and acknowledge that although we will be ensuring that the felling crew will leave the site tidy, it’s not going to look pretty for a while, and this is where we need to keep an eye to the overall vision for this reserve and be realistic about Rome not being built in a day.”The council has approached community groups it has previously engaged with over the past two years, for a personal drop-in with key staff members.“We’re also looking at ways people can engage online through the Let’s Talk Half Mile project page, so they can list their plant preference. That way we can get a good consensus of opinion,” David said.“We’d also like to reassure the public that a lot of thought and planning has gone into the felling operation, and site safety. Naturally, some people might feel strongly about the operation, or experience a sense of loss.”The reserve would be closed in June for public safety, he said, with all work undertaken to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act.“With the wilding conifers being felled there is further thought and ideas coming from the community about how the reserve can be used into the longer term and we look forward to sharing these once we’ve compiled them all.”

Central Otago applicants for this year’s annual community grants from the Central Otago Masonic Trust received almost $12,000 of the $18,240 total, with the remainder going to organisations in Wānaka, Hāwea, and Wakatipu.Secretary/treasurer Rory Butler said there were 14 requests this year for grants totalling $41,000, which was considerably beyond the trust’s budget.The annual grants, for which applications end on March 31 each year, came from Masonic funds, Rory said.“Members of the lodge in the past have invested wisely over the years and it is the interest on that.”The Central Otago recipients this year were:Alexandra Athletics, $6,000 for a set of hurdles for the junior athletes; Alexandra Air Training Corps, $2,800 for kitchen equipment;Clyde School, $1,800 to buy and install stepping logs; andCromwell Youth Trust, 1,390.43 for a desktop computer.

Three members of the Cromwell Community Board have put their names forward for two seats on the Cromwell Town Centre Project advisory board, with board chair Anna Harrison saying this shows the importance of the project to the community.Board member Mary McConnell had been appointed to the advisory board at their community board’s inaugural meeting in November, but has since indicated she is unable to continue in the role due to other commitments.Central Otago District Council (CODC) properties and facilities manager Gareth Robinson informed the board at its meeting last week of the possibility of having two community board members join the advisory board, as the project was so complex.Anna advised that board deputy chairman Bob Scott had indicated his interest in joining the group, but he was overseas last week and had sent his apologies. Fellow board members Wally Sanford and CODC councillor Sarah Browne also expressed their interest and put forward their cases.Cr Neill Gillespie argued the optics of selecting Sarah, saying her being a councillor also might lead to the perception the project was being run by the council and not the community. He also supported Wally, saying he was actually elected, giving him more of a mandate to be there.Wally was elected, with the second appointee to be considered at the next meeting on June 20.Bob said today (May 26) that although he had no particular town planning skills, he was very aware of what the town needed.“The reason I said I thought I should go on there is that I know the other members have a lot of other commitments and I have more time to dedicate to the project,” he said.Sarah said she had expressed her interest back in November but stood down and endorsed Mary for the position because Mary was “purely community board”.“Looking back now, I don’t think it matters. Being able to be available and involved and ready is more important right now.”She added that her working in the field of architecture was an added bonus.“If we are going to add a person it would be really helpful to have someone who is technically astute.”Anna said she welcomed the interest of all three board members.“It shows that we have great people who are really keen to be involved in shaping our town and making sure we get this right,” she said.

School children in Central Otago will benefit from the latest round of funding announced by the New Zealand Community Trust on Wednesday (May 24), with grants supporting the salaries of those who teach them.IceInline Central Inc received a grant of $5,000 to cover salaries of skating and curling instructors. That amount was only partial payment of the salaries, IceInline manager Bill Roxburgh said, but would subsidise costs for school children.“We only charge schools $10 for ice time, equipment hire and coaching. That will help reduce the school costs,” Bill said.The Southern Zone of New Zealand Rugby League received a total of $10,314.41, some of which will have an impact on the game in Central Otago. The Southern Zone covers the whole of the South Island.The amount included salaries for the Southern Zone general manager and the capability and event manager.

Central Wormworx owner Robbie Dick has had his lease extended by the Central Otago District Council but still feels his business is on borrowed time, with council able to cancel the lease with six months’ written notice.Robbie and his wife Rosanna operate a worm farm on about one hectare of land that is part of the council’s Plan Change 18: Cromwell Industrial Zone Extension, under which 52ha of land would be rezoned from rural to industrial. Robbie was concerned last year when a neighbour was offered an early lease extension and he was not, but the Cromwell Community Board on March 22 voted to extend the lease with additional rights of renewal, with a final expiry date of June 30, 2024.The lease carries a cancellation clause, however, that states after the renewal date of July 1, 2024, either party may cancel with no less than six months’ notice.The couple started the worm farm 23 years ago at a cost of $47,000, with half a tonne of worms. They have already had to shift premises once in that time and have been on the current site for 20 years.Central Wormworx owner Robbie Dick with worm castingsRobbie said there is a one- to two-year downtime attached to any shift, as the land and irrigation is first prepared, the worms moved carefully and then given time to re-establish and breed up again.“When we first started, we were 15 months without any income at all. It’s all outgoings at the start.”The operation sells worms for domestic worm farms, which have been subsidised for Queensland Lakes District Council residents by 50 per cent “for years and years”, Robbie said.Another popular product is worm castings, also known as vermicast or vermicompost, a nutrient-rich compost that is a byproduct of the worm’s digestive tract. “We sell a lot of the castings,” he said. “Some go as far as Blenheim to grow blueberries and grapes.”The business also assists in waste minimisation, taking apple pulp from growers in Roxburgh and paunch grass - the undigested grass in the stomachs of sheep and cattle - from abattoirs.The site is educational as well as practical, Robbie said.“We have a lot of schoolchildren and garden clubs come here. The schoolchildren have studied a lot about worms before they come and ask some very good questions.”He said he was getting too old to start over, and is looking at other options, which could include selling or handing over management.“I’m 76 and have had two knees, two hips and a shoulder replacement, and now my back is not so flash either.” He is adamant that the worm farm should continue, with or without him at the helm.“You can understand some of the councillors as the land value is going up,” Robbie said. “But you have to look after the environment as well as the bank manager.”

Members of the Vincent Community Board (VCB) voted unanimously on Friday (May 19) to recommend the Central Otago District Council (CODC) fully fund from rates a $400,000 grant requested by IceInline Central Inc to build a roof over its ice rink.The recommendation was in keeping with feedback received from the community that asked them to chooses between four options: Fully rate funded over 20 years, with an expected $3.91 rates increase for Vincent ratepayers over 20 years; 50/50 rate funded/reserves ($2.57 per annum over 20 years); fully grant funded ($1.23 per annum lost interest revenue); or no funding (hence no cost).Of those options, 111 respondents supported full funding from rates, 22 preferred funding split between rates and reserves, 34 wanted funding to come from grants, and 12 did not support any funding.Thirty-three of those in support of funding commented, with council staff identifying three main themes: expressions of general support for the roof, most citing the valuable asset it would be for the community; the ability for the roof to extend the season for ice sports and prevent cancellations due to poor weather; and the benefits to the larger community, with events held at the ice rink drawing more people into town. The 11 comments opposed to any funding focused on a general desire to cut spending and a concern that the funding should be the responsibility of IceInline, not ratepayers.VCB chair Tamah Alley asked CODC business support group manager Saskia Righarts to confirm that IceInline would be paying 28 per cent of the cost, which Saskia confirmed.One comment, from a Cromwell resident, stated: “This has taken 20 years to come even close to completing an asset that will benefit the whole region economically. Get it done already.”Board members echoed that sentiment, with Dr Roger Browne saying the project had been “hanging around for so long”.“It would be great to see it finished,” he said. I think we would be very proud to see a roof over the ice rink.”The board’s recommendation will be considered by the council at their next meeting on May 31.

The venues are booked, fundraising is going well and entries are coming in to fit the grand design for the WoolOn Creative Fashion Awards 2023 - a wearable art event with a strong Central Otago flavour. WoolOn began in its current format in 2004 and was initially a key event of the Alexandra Blossom Festival, held each September.In 2016, WoolOn cut its ties with the festival to become a major event in its own right, attracting national and international entries.The last event was held, with great success, in 2021 with the last year’s plans unravelling because of Covid-19 uncertainty.This year, with a new energised committee, WoolOn is set to return to Central from August 11 through 13.Committee member Claire Becker is overseeing sponsorship and funding for the event, which is expected to cost just upwards of $100,000. Combined grants from the Cromwell and Vincent Community Boards amount to $9,990, Central Lakes Trust granted $14,000, local sponsors are coming onboard and applications are in to other funders.A colourful cape by Lauren Judd won the Accessories section in 2021. PHOTO: Lisa Hill Photography”We are delighted at the progress so far,” Claire said.The Canyon at Tarras Vineyards is a major sponsor of the event and will again host the gala-style runway show and announcement of winners, although this year that will be divided into two shows on the Friday and Saturday evenings.Committee member and design liaison Jamie Richards said those in attendance would vote for their own favourites, with a People’s Choice award given each evening.Sunday’s events would be held at Central Stories Art Gallery and Museum and across the road at th Alexandra Community House and would involve groups and individuals throughout the community.Titled ‘The WoolOn Community Expo - a celebration of wool’, the day would feature educational workshops with local craftspeople who work with wool, video of the previous evening’s runway shows, a market for wool products, and talks from the competition judges about the winning garments.Entries are open until June 3 and Jamie, a professional fashion designer for 23 years who sells through her Clyde store Margaret Wray, is happy to help those entering where she can.“They can come to me if they want advice on construction or their fibre content,” she said.Organisers are also open to approaches to anyone with wool-working skills they would like to share with the community during the Sunday expo.WoolOn is essentially about the community, Claire said.“Personally I see this as an event and an opportunity that promotes wool generally and any promotion we can do around wool is good for our community and the environment.“We have had great community support. People really are interested and want WoolOn to be part of their annual calendar.”

Visitors to Alexandra Library between 11am and 1pm on a Thursday are likely to see a group of women bonding over yarn and patterns, often knitting tiny singlets, delicate cardigans or elaborate fairisle or cabled jumpers in children’s sizes.The weekly meeting is known as Yarn Together, and brings interested parties together to share stories and their skills with each other, with many also contributing to the Knitting for Plunket and Communities Project, crafting warm garments to be distributed in the community.The garments are beautifully crafted by skilled knittersThe project was started by Christchurch woman Barbara Aitken in 2009 under the umbrella of the Kiwi Family Trust to fill a need she saw in the community.“I knew a few Plunket nurses and I’d been a nanny and I met up with people and their children were in acrylics and they didn’t have any warm clothes or blankets,” Barbara said.The project had only a few knitters when it began, mainly staff from the trust.“I started in Christchurch and it blossomed, and now we have knitters all over,” she said.The Alexandra group came into being because the daughter of knitter Robyn McGregor was part of a knitting group in Christchurch, and Barbara asked her if Robyn would be interested in starting a group here. That was at least eight to 10 years ago, Robyn said, and they asked if they could meet at the library, a central spot that sometimes attracts other knitters or crocheters to join them.Robyn & Barb:Robyn McGregor hosts Barbara Aitken during a visit by the Knitting for Plunket and Communities national project coordinator to Central Otago“This is the core group that meets at the library but there are other people out there in the community who come and pick up wool and knit it,” she said.The wool is provided by Barbara who seeks funding from local organisations to buy it, and the garments are gifted within the area.“If we get funding in an area, we keep it in that area,” Barbara said. “We try to buy locally as well.”Robyn Marshall, who also knits with the Alexandra group said initially the garments they made were for Plunket but it had grown.“We drop it off at Community House and the ladies there allow people from different agencies to come and pick it up and take it to the families they know who need warm clothes.”This was the main objective of the project, said founder Barbara, to help keep children and babies warm when many people are struggling.“Every year, there is always need, but last year started to get a little harder for people and this year I think winter will be harder.”PHOTOS: The Central App

For a journalist who has been following the journey of Forest Lodge Orchard and its owners for some time now, the dilemma is which of the newsworthy aspects of the business is the most notable. Is it the story of the young couple, Mike and Rebecca Casey, who returned home to New Zealand from Sydney and set up a cherry orchard with no previous horticultural knowledge, but also no preconceptions of what was and wasn’t possible?Or their decision to plant using the upright fruiting offshoots system, a trellised system that allows more trees per hectare and also simplifies training, pruning, crop load management and harvesting? Or perhaps the conversion of a sprayer from being powered by the power take-off (PTO) stub shaft on a diesel tractor to become fully electric, and the conversion of a tractor to electric to pull the sprayer, making it the first fully commercial electric foliar sprayer?Loxley Innovations founder Duncan Aitken with Blue.E2, a tractor he converted from diesel to electricAll these stories and more were shared at an open day at Forest Lodge on Saturday (May 20) attended by about 50 people, many of whom already use solar power in their homes or workplaces, others who were growers or vineyard owners curious about how the Forest Lodge lessons could translate to their operation.The most significant part of establishing the operation was Mike and Rebecca’s decision to go fossil-fuel free, electrifying their orchard, home, vehicles, and orchard equipment. That decision brought them in contact with other like-minded people, and the hive of innovative minds shared their ideas and solved challenges with ideas that combined technical expertise and ingenuity with the Kiwi No. 8 fencing wire mentality.Orchard manager and business partner Euan White converted the sprayer, Loxley Innovations founder Duncan Aitken converted the tractor, Mike wrote a computer programme that buys and sells electricity to the grid at the most profitable times, and Fruitminder chief executive Seb Chapman is developing software that will give invaluable data for managing the orchard.“Seb is essentially building software that allows us to track every tree in this orchard,” Mike said.Mike Casey with the Toyota Hilux pickup he is converting to electricElectric frost-fighting fans were imported from South Africa, although they are used there with a diesel generator powering the electric motor, whereas Forest Lodge runs them solely on electricity.In another first for New Zealand, currently on route from California is the orchard’s Monarch Tractor - the first to be sold outside of the United States. Fully electric, driver-optional, data-driven, modular, low maintenance, fast charging, and weather-resistant, the Monarch may answer those farmers who think electric vehicles are fine for city slickers, but pointless on a farm.Mike sees the label New Zealand Zero (which the Forest Lodge cherries are marketed under) as the cornerstone for NZ's climate-conscious agriculture movement, and holds frequent open days for interested parties at which he is happy to answer all and any questions.Read also: Growing cherries without a jerry can in sightAll the technology they are using is available, Mike said, but using it the way Forest Lodge Orchard and NZ0 does requires radical changes in business behaviours.Euan agrees, indicating the converted tractor and sprayer, and electric golf carts that are the workhorses of the orchard.“That tractor is one of one,” he said. “That sprayer is one of one. But the golf carts have been around for years. Electric water pumps have been around for years.“Bringing it all together at the same time in the same place is the radical part.”Another project Mike is working on is the electrification of a Toyota Hilux - the quintessential country pickup. He is streaming the conversion on Tik Tok and has a massive following among the Australian four-wheel-drive community, he said. Check out his progress as electricorchardist on the platform.PHOTOS: The Central App

The amount of information that can be gleaned from historical remains is quite astounding, says Southern Cemeteries Archaeological Project co-director Dr Hallie Buckley.“All of our biological tissue holds our stories inside.”Hallie and co-director Dr Peter Petchey have been excavating gold-rush era cemeteries in Milton, Lawrence, and Drybread, at the northern end of the Manuherikia Valley. The archaeological aspect of the project will be completed today (Saturday May 20), when the remains of 11 people will be reinterred at Drybread Cemetery, which is still an active cemetery.One of the 11 was an infant, one a child, and of the remaining nine people, five were Chinese. The reburial will take place at 1pm today, with an Anglican service by the Rev Penny Sinnamon, and a Chinese service by Les and Maisie Wong.The local Chinese had been very supportive of the cemeteries project and incredibly invaluable colleagues, Hallie said.One of the questions she and Peter were trying to answer as part of the project was whether immigration to New Zealand brought the promised better life to the people whose remains they looked at.The answer was probably not for the first generation or two.“We know that times were pretty tough back then.“We found very high levels of dental disease, lots of people died of infectious diseases, there were pretty significant traumatic injuries.”There was quite a difference between the experiences of the European migrants and the Chinese, she said.“The Chinese suffered a lot of stress as children, but when they came to New Zealand, their diets improved.”Conversely, those who came from Europe experienced a depleted diet in New Zealand, indicating the strained supply lines of the time. Hallie and Peter will attend the reinterment today, as will members of the Drybread Cemetery Trust, Central Otago Heritage Trust and community members, whom Peter made a point of thanking.“Hallie and I are very grateful to the local community for their help throughout,” he said.

Central Otago Premier rugby sides are over the midseason hump and preparing for the bumpy competitive descent towards the season-ending final. A glance at the table tells the season's story so far. The Upper Clutha Rams were faultless in the first round, with the slightly wounded Cromwell Goats sitting in second place, followed by 2022 champion side Wakatipu Premiers, who now seem to be finding the precious form that eluded them early in round one.   Cromwell Goats club captain Russell Decke admits the side has had a “couple of lapses” but is tracking well heading into the second half of the competition. The two losses have come to the sides that seem to present the greatest threat, Wakatipu Premiers and their lakes district neighbours, Upper Clutha Rams.“We're going alright; we've just had a couple of lapses here and there; the boys are pretty happy with being second in the competition at this stage of the season,” Decke said. He believes the competition is one of the better seasons there have been in a few years, with enough surprises to keep the supporters interested. “Anyone can beat anyone on the day,” he said. “Wakatipu looks like they're on the comeback; they're always a beast.“And we’re watching the Alexandra boys; they’ve had a really good season.” This weekend the Cromwell side will be hoping for “no lapses” as they head through the gorge to take on Arrowtown at home.“Arrowtown are always a tough prospect on their home turf. We’ll need our supporters on the sideline this Saturday,” Decke said.Round two week one draw. Kick-offs at 2.30pm Saturday (May 20) 

A group of Masters of Planning students from the University of Otago are researching the potential positive and negative impacts of a proposed airport for Tarras.The primary aim of the research is to assess the impacts of a busy new international airport in Tarras, focusing on the effects on rural amenities and rural production in the area and subregions by exploring and recording the viewpoints of residents and community members. The students said they have no views or vested interest in the potential airport or region. The survey is purely academic and a part of their academic programme.The survey questions are comprehensive, ranging from what participants value most about Tarras, how supportive or otherwise participants are of the proposal for an airport in the area, and what infrastructure would need to be added to the site to sustain an international airport.Anti-airport lobby group Sustainable Tarras spokesperson Suze Keith said the group is pleased to see the interest in the Tarras airport proposal by the Otago University planning students. “We are looking forward to reading their report in November,” she said.     The students said no material that could personally identify those that complete the survey will be used in any final reports at the study's conclusion.  The questionnaire has four sections with optional questions that the students say should take 5-15 minutes to complete. After the process, a copy of the research results will be provided to the Central Otago District Council, which has yet to formulate any official stance on whether the proposed airport should or should not proceed.The survey can be found here.

The first planting of an olive grove in Central Otago on an orchard basis was in the mid-90s, says Central Otago Olive Growers member Steve Clark, but an exceptionally severe winter that year destroyed the tender saplings. Despite the setback, growers at the time were confident that the Central Otago climate that helps produce award-winning wines could also produce superb olive oil, as both come from fruits closely aligned in European climes.Steve attended the first annual general meeting of Central Otago Olive Growers (COOG) in August 1999, and was also one of the almost 50 current members of COOG at a community pressing day at Pisa, Cromwell, on Saturday (May 13).Olivia Morris stokes a brazier early on Saturday morning. PHOTO: Tracie BarrettIt was a cold start to the day but blazing braziers were welcome beacons of warmth until the sun burned off the inversion layer, and warmth was supplied internally by pumpkin soup (even better with a drizzle of olive oil), home baking and pizzas made on site in a gas-powered portable pizza oven.Raff Agalliu provided freshly made pizzas aided by his son Charlie (12). PHOTO: The Central AppThe event, which was held for the third subsequent year at the home of Steve Morris and his wife Olivia, is an opportunity for those with just a few or even no olive trees to learn about the harvest and pressing process. Those with trees bring their olives to contribute to the community pressing and will get a commensurate share of the oil, while those without can help harvest the trees on the property and go away with a bottle of last year’s Community Day blend, which won a silver medal at the 2022 New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards. Steve and Olivia won a gold medal for their own oil, sold under the label Ollie’s Oils, and fellow COOG members and neighbours Sandy Black and Jocelyn Robinson also took gold for their Dunford Grove oil.About 70 people attended on Saturday, including children and dogs, with 555kg of olives put through the onsite press. Steve Morris, who also runs the press, said last year’s medal, in the Boutique Intense - Blends category, came as a surprise, especially as the olives came from trees all over the region. Olivia said people love the story of the Community Day oil.“We were at the Arrowtown Autumn Festival three weeks ago and people might have slightly preferred the taste of other oils but they wanted to support the Community Day,” she said.Two of those who heard that story at Arrowtown were Charlie Muschamp and Beth Lazenby, both of Wānaka. The two young women attended the pressing day on Saturday wanting to learn all they could while there.“My life goal is to be an olive farmer one day,” Charlie said.“We were interested in the process, how the olives grow and how they are processed,” Beth added.The COOG members were happy to share that knowledge with the women and everyone else who attended, and to sign up a few new members in the process.

The pupil-maintained gardens at Alexandra Primary School are literally award-winning but the rewards they give to the children go far beyond that, says APS principal Fiona Mackley.The Food Forest, which was one of 10 winner’s nationwide in the inaugural Keep New Zealand Beautiful Kai Garden Competition late last year, is being joined by a sensory garden that is a work in progress, as are extensive plantings of native plants and trees around the school.“The gardens have been so purposeful,” Fiona said. “They have given our learners real purpose in nurturing and in improving our school’s natural environment.“It’s all thanks to our kaitiaki – gardener Dani Dunn. She’s been such a positive influence on our APS family.”Dani is quick to pass the praise back to the children, and is happy to let them take the lead in guiding visitors around the garden also.Ellena Graves (11), left, and Alyssa Longman (10) recall when the herb area was bare schist rockTy Ussher (9) was happy to show off the pumpkins the school is selling to the community, with money going back into the gardens, and to sift through looking for the best and biggest for a customer.Older children Ellena Graves (11) and Alyssa Longman (10) recalled years gone by as they pointed out herbs growing near some Central Otago schist.“I remember when those were just rocks,” Alyssa said. “When I was in Year One, this was just muddy ground.”Both girls said they help with their gardens at home and have learned a lot in the school garden.Aided by kaitiaki – gardener Dani Dunn, Ty Ussher (9) plants alpine strawberriesEllena, who is also a member of the environmental group, said her family recently moved house. “We’re just getting our garden going this year at our new house.”Alyssa said her Nana had just moved to a farm property and she was helping with a garden that her dad had built.The girls said the vegetables grown in the food forest go to the school’s Food Forest Cafe, where they are given to other children.Kaitiaki – gardener Dani said they hope to be able to supply some food to community groups next season.The children’s pride and enjoyment in their work is obvious, even those of few words.Asked what he thought of the garden club, Jackson Crossan (7) gave a reply that was succinct but clear: “Sick, bro!”