Ashburton Courier: October 14, 2021

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
NEWS
Ashburton Courier, October 14, 2021
5
Nimble Noel’s ready to run
MICK.JENSEN
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Noel Morriss is yet to be beatenina400m
race at the SouthIsland Masters and he
hopes to keep that record in tact when he
runs this Sunday.
The 71­year­old is competinginthe
70­75 age group category, and will run in
the 100m,200m and 400m events and has
plenty of medals from previous games to
inspirehim.
He enjoyed his firstSouth Island
Masters runningcompetition in 2010
when he raced in the 60­65 age group.
Noelhas aspringinhis stride and has
also tackled long jump in the past.
He is of slightbuild,weighs just 54kg
and is as fit as aflea.
Noelsays he’s quick off the start line,
but doesn’t like using starting blocks.
‘‘I’vealways had abit of dicky back, so
I’m not convinced Ican alwaysget up and
out of the blocks.’’
Fromastanding start he can run 100m
in 14 seconds,200m in 29.9 seconds and
400m in aminute 14 seconds.
‘‘I’vealways been arunner right back to
my school days at Hampstead School,’’ he
says.
‘‘I also played masters football with the
Mid CanterburyFossils for 20­odd years
until afew years ago.’’
Noeliscompetitive and likes to win his
races.
An injury kept him fromrunningfor a
coupleofyears, but he bouncedback last
year and won all three of his races at the
South Island Masters in Timaru.
He enjoys the camaraderie of the
games.
‘‘I see the same faces coming back year
after year and I’ve madesome
friendships.’’
He signed up for a12week membership
at the EA Networks Centregym as abuildup
to the upcoming games and had been
following his own training programme.
Left:NoelMorriss onthe start line, above:
Noel with hismedal haul from the 2020
South Island Master Games.
‘‘I’m really looking forward to aroad
trip to Blenheim with my wife Kay and
we’ll stay up there for afew days after the
racing has finished,’’ he says.
Noel has competed at previous games in
Nelson, Timaru and Dunedin.
The South Island Master Games runs
from October 15­25.
Natural world through amicroscope
MICK.JENSEN
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Visitors to the Ashburton Art
Gallery have beenimmersing
themselves in the natural
world and looking at it from a
microscopic perspective.
Theexhibition, called
Microscopic Worlds:OnThe
Importance of Small, brings
together 3D images of local
water samples, plants, insects,
spidersaswell as everyday
itemstaken with scanning
electron microscopes at the
UniversityofCanterbury.
Thehighly magnifiedimages
are presented as printed
media and on large­screen
monitorsand used to
introduce and educate visitors
to the microscopic world.
Printed images include a
spider’s headmagnified55
and 80 times, a‘‘hairy’’
spider’s footmagnified1300
times andaweb magnified
3330 times.
Ashburton Art Gallery
collections and exhibitions
assistant Hannah Crichton
prepares to look under the
microscope.
Thereisalso an insight into
flies, mosquitoes, sand­flies,
butterflies andfleas.
For an entry chargeof$2,
visitors to theexhibition are
given 3D glasses and a
catalogue to helpthem
understand theimages.
Historic microscopes from
the Cotter Medical History
Museum are alsodisplayed,
highlighting how microscopes
have developed through the
years.
The exhibition is
accompanied by two
experienced science
educators, Kerry Swanson and
Neville Petrie, from
Interactive Exhibition
Services, whoalternate and
share their science knowledge.
Mr Petrie said microscopes
helped people see much more
than the naked eye.
The exhibition was aimed at
all agesand his explanations
were tailored to the agegroup.
He said daily samples of
pond water from the nearby
Ashburton Domain were taken
and analysed by visitors under
the microscope.
Worms, larvae, spider mites
and other life had been spotted
and matched with
identification sheets that were
on hand.
He said visitors had been
excited by what theyhad seen
in the exhibition and had
commentedonhow it had
opened up their eyes to the
natural world.
Microscopic Worlds runs
until October 23.
IN BRIEF
NEW DATEFOR RELAY
The CancerSociety will hold their
RelayFor Life in Ashburtonon
February19, 2022.
The event, now to takeplace at
the Ashburton Showgrounds, was
postponed from itsoriginal datethis
weekend due tocovid restrictions.
RelayFor Life committee
chairperson Lester McLeansaid the
committeewas excitedtoconfirm a
newdate and venue.
‘‘It is an ideal timetoregister a
team by heading to the Relay For
Life websitewww.relayforlife.org.
nz’’, he said.
ART DISPLAY
Localartist JenniferHarrison has an
upcoming exhibitionofher latest
worksatthe McAtamney Gallery in
Geraldine.The artistpaints
abstracts and has astudio on
Burnett StreetcalledColliding
Colours.
The exhibitionruns from October
20 to November 20.
RIVERMONEY
The South Canterbury Braided
Riverwill create 12-14 jobsayear
for fouryearsaspart of $2.95 million
investment in weed and pest
control, and re-establishingbird
habitat on islands on the Ashburton,
Waitakiand Stour rivers. The
funding is also supportingthe
restoration of the Opihi River
lagoon, controlling geese numbers
in the Rakaia Rivercatchment,and
managingarange of predators on
the upper Rangitata River.
GLOWEVENT
New dateshave beenset for the
Ashburton Glowinthe Parkevent.
Ashburton DistrictCouncil is
partneringwith EA Networks to run
the three-night light show,which
celebrates the electricity cooperative’s
100 years in business.
Thelightshow, whichwill be a
free,community event, will be
staged in the Ashburton Domain
from April8-10.Itwillinvolve 13
differentlight installationsand a
fireworks display.
SKIFIELD DEATH
Aman whodied afterhewas found
unresponsive at theMtHutt skiarea
at the weekend has beennamed as
Rupert Smith, 41.
An investigationinto the
circumstances of his death is
ongoing. Mr Smith, fromWanaka,
was skiing on an intermediate
groomed trailatthe timeofthe
incident.~NZHerald
NEWSEASON OUTDOOR ARRIVING DAILY
Burnett Street,Ashburton l Phone (03) 308 5269 l www.redmonds.co.nz
2422826