Bay Harbour: August 22, 2018

Wednesday August 22 2018
NATURE:
Mt Pleasant
School
pupils
Tim (left),
Katherine,
Matthew
and Felix
learn to
plant trees
at Drayton
Reserve.
MT PLEASANT School pupils
Katherine, Matthew, Tim and
Felix all have a passion for
nature.
The year 8 pupils are part of
the Primary Years Programme
Exhibition, in which they work
together to conduct a ‘superinquiry’
into real life issues or
problems.
The group is focused on
helping native birdlife thrive.
After doing some research,
they teamed up with David Bryce
who helps run planting sessions
at Drayton Reserve.
The regular sessions are run
by volunteers. They are a great
way to spend time with family
SCHOOLS
Mt Pleasant pupils
launch project to
help birdlife thrive
and help improve local flora and
fauna.
The pupils said they wanted to
take action because they believe
people are starting to take the
environment and birdlife for
granted.
They said that according to the
Department of Conservation,
more than 25 million native birds
are killed by pests every year,
causing New Zealand to have one
of the highest extinction rates in
the world.
To combat this, the group
is also supporting Predator
Free Port Hills by using pest
traps around Mt Pleasant
School.
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
SUMNER athlete John
Hellemans reckons triathlons
can be addictive and harmful.
But he still plans to be on the
start line at the 2018 ITU World
Triathlon grand-final on the
Gold Coast next month.
The world-class triathlete and
coach has just published a new
memoir, in which he explores
some of the tough choices endurance
sports athletes have to
make.
In the book Never, Ever Give
Up? he talks about the social
and physical toll of sports like
triathlon.
Hellemans emigrated from the
Netherlands to New Zealand in
1978. He has combined a career
in general practice and sports
medicine with competing and
coaching in triathlon for nearly
40 years.
“Each year, there was something
new in triathlons relating
to training techniques, race
options, equipment or rule
changes. I loved the dynamic
development of this novel sport,
it kept me interested,” he said.
As his sporting career progressed
and he juggled it with
his family and medical practice
commitments, he began to realise
the significant personal cost
that triathlons can have.
“It’s a very addictive thing.
From a sports medicine perspective,
it can be too much and it
can be harmful – socially in
Late night Lyttelton Tunnel closures
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 15
Hellemans explores ‘addictive’
triathlons in latest book
PHYSICAL TOLL: John
Hellemans book Never, Ever
Give Up? looks at the social
and physical toll of sports
like triathlon.
•The book is on sale at Take
Note Ferrymead.
regards to your relationships
with friends and family, as well
as physically.”
The memoir, published by
Canterbury University Press,
recounts his adventures as a
young doctor in Blenheim and
tells how he was captivated by
the relatively new sport of triathlon
while watching a television
broadcast of the 1979 Les Mills
New Zealand Ironman Championship
in Auckland.
He went on to win six national
titles and represented
New Zealand at several world
championship events and the
1990 Commonwealth Games.
As an amateur, he has won
eight age-group world championship
titles. In October 2013,
at the age of 60, Hellemans
made the decision to compete
in the Hawaiian Iron Man, long
considered the ultimate test in
triathlon where, in excruciating
heat, he found himself staggering
and miserable – but he did
not give up.
“Life used to be about surviving
and meeting basic needs. For
many of us, the modern western
life is too cushioned, so we challenge
ourselves to suffer in other
ways. Endurance sport strips
you bare and you are confronted
with yourself. That is part of the
attraction. But at a certain point
it’s about realising this suffering
may not be good for me.”
An exercise-induced cardiac
event in 2015 brought the message
home again.
But he’s not ready to give
up just yet: The Gold Coast is
calling.
From Sunday 26 August, you’ll
need to plan your travel around
late night tunnel closures.
These are essential to both install
and test a new fire protection system
inside the tunnel.
Work on this $28.7 million project
is expected to be completed early
next year.
Traffic lane closures are timed
for late night/early morning on
the lightest tunnel traffic days of
the week, ie Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday.
TUNNEL
CLOSED
11pm to 4am
Sunday 26 August
Monday 27 August
Tuesday 28 August
The tunnel will open to
traffic for 10 minutes on
the hour on these
nights.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Real-time traffic information for the Lyttelton Tunnel area is available
at www.tfc.govt.nz
• A three-month look ahead schedule of tunnel traffic lane closures
can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/lytteltontunnel/lyttelton-tunnel-lane-closures.pdf
• Emergency access will be maintained through the tunnel at all times.
• For more information about the Lyttelton Tunnel fire protection
upgrade, go to www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/lyttelton-tunnel/
• Find up-to-date information on road conditions, delays and
closures at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Check the Transport Agency’s official Twitter @nztacwc and
Facebook facebook.com/nztasouthisland pages.
• For traffic and travel information, call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS
(0800 44 44 49) to speak to one of our team.