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NEWS<br />
2 The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>January</strong> <strong>30</strong>, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Build customers,<br />
sales &profits with<br />
<strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong>’s<br />
best read<br />
newspaper<br />
Thursday, <strong>January</strong>24, 2019 Issue 8<strong>30</strong> | www.ncnews.co.nz<br />
news<br />
Robyn Bristow<br />
Managing Editor<br />
027 312 1581<br />
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@ncnews.co.nz<br />
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getintouch<br />
Editorial<br />
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Rhodo business changes hands<br />
By ROBYN BRISTOW<br />
Marina and Craig Shearer<br />
were told RhodoDirect would<br />
neverwork fromtheirproperty<br />
near Waiau. Other growers told<br />
them rhododendrons were out<br />
of fashion.<br />
Twenty years on,the couple<br />
have sold their flourishing<br />
business that has taken on a<br />
life of its own,and 10,000<br />
rhododendrons are being<br />
relocated to WestMelton<br />
wherenew owners Lisa and<br />
Stephen Williams are excited<br />
aboutcontinuing the<br />
RhodoDirectjourney.<br />
Lisa and Stephen are keen<br />
gardeners with abroad<br />
knowledge in horticulture and<br />
agriculture.<br />
Marina saysRhodoDirect<br />
has growntoo big for them,and<br />
because 90 percentofits<br />
business is outside of the<br />
Hurunui district, it needs to<br />
move closer to freight firms in<br />
Christchurch, withbulk freight<br />
carriers refusingtogotothe<br />
Waiauproperty.<br />
‘‘We end up with huge freight<br />
billscartingrhodos out of<br />
Waiau,’’ Marina says. ‘‘So our<br />
out of control hobbybusiness<br />
Pair mark 60th anniversary<br />
From Page 1<br />
‘‘I later found out Ihad beenaccepted<br />
because of my training in the thensecret<br />
GreenSatin navigational aid,<br />
whichended up being fitted in the<br />
Valiantsthat dropped that test bomb<br />
in Maralinga.’’<br />
He went back to England, but found<br />
himself returning DownUnder to look<br />
up Janet. When he gotback to<br />
England, the pair were secretly<br />
engaged, but nothingcould be said<br />
untilhehad written to her father to<br />
ask for permissiontomarry.<br />
‘‘Mumsaved and saved. Her parents<br />
said she could go to England by boat,<br />
as longasshe had the return fare in<br />
the bankathome, in case things didn’t<br />
work out,’’ Sue says. ‘‘The rest is<br />
history.’’<br />
The couplelived in acaravan<br />
initially,travellingaroundRAF bases<br />
with theirdog. Then, Peter leftthe air<br />
forceand joined IBM, training staff in<br />
fixing the big mainframecomputers.<br />
Then,in1978, thecompany senthis<br />
wholefamily to New Zealand for three<br />
months, so that he could work withthe<br />
team in Wellington.<br />
‘‘We loved New Zealand. It’sso<br />
differentfrom England. The people<br />
Make the Switch,<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong><br />
Be delightedwith your hearing again<br />
Are you curious about your<br />
hearing and need ahearing<br />
test? Do youwear hearing<br />
aids? Do you have ACC<br />
approved hearing aids?<br />
here are our kindofpeople,’’ Janet<br />
says.<br />
So, whenPetertook early<br />
retirement from IBM, they packed up<br />
the dog,the cat, and 10 of his classic<br />
Triumph motorbikes, andcame to<br />
make Rangiora their home.<br />
Janetattributes their shared<br />
passion formotorbikes as being partof<br />
the gluethat hasheld the pair together<br />
so tightly for so long.<br />
‘‘It’s about cooperation between<br />
people, and accepting other people’s<br />
ways of thinking and whatthey’re<br />
interested in, separately and<br />
together,’’she says.<br />
Peteragrees wholeheartedly.<br />
‘‘We’d go on these bigbike outings<br />
and end up at apub somewhere. The<br />
otherguys had to get back to their<br />
wives, butmine was always rightthere<br />
with me,’’hesays.<br />
‘‘And, throughout my career, Janet<br />
was always most supportive as well.’’<br />
Even today, the pairbounceoff each<br />
otherwith energyand vitality, and<br />
shareaquirky,sparklingsense of<br />
humour. It’s thosesorts of traitsthat<br />
will stand them in goodsteadwhen it<br />
comestomeeting or bettering Peter’s<br />
parents’ anniversary record of 71<br />
years.<br />
We do itall and it’s easy to<br />
make the switch! Wecan’t<br />
wait to welcome you to<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong>’s Vera<br />
Setz Hearing family.<br />
•Hearing Tests •Hearing Aids •ACC Certified •<br />
•100% privately owned &operated •<br />
Make the switch today<br />
Call 03 423 3158<br />
Amberley |Rangiora |Hanmer Springs |Cheviot<br />
End of an era ... Marina and Craig Shearer have sold RhodoDirect.<br />
is being handed over to Lisa<br />
and Stephen, who we hopewill<br />
be supported by the<br />
communityofWest Melton. We<br />
knowitwillbeeasier to<br />
manage withfreightdepots on<br />
their doorstep.’’<br />
Marina and Craig toiled in<br />
the early days settingupthe<br />
online business. It was early<br />
daysonline.But Marinahad a<br />
background with Clear<br />
Communications and knewthe<br />
capabilities of having a<br />
business online. They ignored<br />
the dire warnings of other<br />
growers and launched online.<br />
The business struck achord<br />
withNew Zealanders.<br />
‘‘Wehave created alarge<br />
followingoffans all overNew<br />
Zealand. Theyare activeon<br />
our Facebook page and many<br />
havetocome to visitthe<br />
Hurunui for the solepurpose<br />
of purchasing rhododendrons.<br />
‘‘Webelieve thatwehave<br />
filled seats at cafesand beds in<br />
motels with visitors travelling<br />
fromall overNew Zealand to<br />
visit us in spring.’’<br />
Rhododendrons becomea<br />
collectable item, she says.<br />
‘‘You have never got them all.’’<br />
And the belief the shallowrootedplantsneed<br />
to be<br />
planted in acid soils is amyth.<br />
‘‘Filling ahole with peat and<br />
addingregularacid fertiliser<br />
can work in unlikely garden<br />
areas.’’<br />
The trick to growing<br />
rhododendrons, she says,is<br />
water,water, water.<br />
‘‘While theyneed afreedraining<br />
soil,theymust not be<br />
allowed to dry out. Astressedlooking<br />
rhododendron cannot<br />
be revived.’’<br />
With the garden shut, the<br />
end of an era nearsfor Marina<br />
Proudly 100% Kiwi owned and operated<br />
Animals helped<br />
From Page 1<br />
The group that went to Australia included avet<br />
and trainee vet,along with volunteers<br />
experienced in animal disaster management,<br />
international humanitarian aid,paramedicine,<br />
animal control, wildlandfirefighting, and<br />
technical animalrescue.<br />
They spent time in Bundanoon in New South<br />
Wales, Bateman’s Bay, and Nelligan, handingout<br />
supplies and advice, and helpingburntanimals.<br />
‘‘At the Wild2Free kangaroo sanctuary in<br />
Bateman’sBay, home to dozens of wild and handreared<br />
kangaroos, we foundClover, one of the<br />
sanctuaryowner’s favourites,’’ Sarah says.<br />
‘‘Shehad significant burns, which had become<br />
infected by maggots. Our vetstreated her and<br />
gave her painrelief, andatdusk, she came back<br />
with 20 of her kangaroo friends to be fed.<br />
‘‘They had to fightoff the hungry cockatoos who<br />
were scoffingtheir dinner.’’<br />
It was adifferent story in Nelligan. ‘‘Along with<br />
our vet and darter, KarenViggers, we found<br />
kangaroosand wallabies, with theirjoeys, either<br />
moving slowly and showing signs of greatdistress<br />
or leaningbackontheirtails, trying to relieve the<br />
pressure on their burnt feet. Karen deemed them<br />
too injured to treat and save.<br />
‘‘Having to put animals down, meetingpeople<br />
who havelost everything ...was heartwrenching<br />
and hard to get your head around.’’<br />
2095268<br />
and Craig. ‘‘Youcan still buy<br />
off us until the end of<br />
February,but as the weeksgo<br />
by therewill be less and less to<br />
buy,’’ Marina says.<br />
‘‘Weare not puttingour feet<br />
up, though. Iamworking<br />
fulltime as acoach/speaker,<br />
and Craigwill continue<br />
farming.’’<br />
Visit RhodoDirect for its last<br />
hurrah on February 8and 9.<br />
Picktheir brainsfor the last<br />
timeand takehome apieceof<br />
nostalgia beforetheirgates<br />
close.<br />
Kaiapoi Lodge<br />
Residential Care<br />
Nursing Home, Hospital and<br />
Respite<br />
Person Centred Care,<br />
Care that’s built<br />
around you<br />
6Cass Street, Kaiapoi<br />
Ph 03 327 7235
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