North Canterbury News: March 24, 2022

New residents welcomed
By DAVID HILL
An initiative to welcome new residents in
Pegasus following the 2010 and 2011
earthquakes has been given anew lease
of life.
The Waimakariri District Council’s
community team has joined forces with
local Lions groups, community residents’
groups and local real estate agents to
reinvigorate the welcome bags and to
distribute them in avariety of ways to
ensure new residents feel welcome.
The welcome bags initiative was first
established after the earthquakes, when
there were large numbers of people
moving into the district from
Christchurch ‘‘who weren’t connected
with our local communities’’,
Waimakariri District Council community
development facilitator Martin Pugh
says.
‘‘A collaborative group of local
community stakeholders came up with
the idea of welcoming these new
residents by providing local resources
and afriendly interaction with alocal
community member to enhance people’s
sense of connection to their new home,’’
he says.
‘‘These welcome bags, as they were
aptly named, have been astalwart in
many of our communities for welcoming
new residents to the district since this
time.’’
Since then various community groups,
schools, businesses and local leaders
have given out welcome bags to people
who move into the district.
Arecent change in the process and
funding for the bags provided achance
for the welcome bag distributors and
users to sit down with the community
development team ‘‘and talk about how
Buckets of welcome ... Welcome buckets
from the Pegasus Residents Group are
available at the Pegasus Community Centre.
PHOTO:SUPPLIED
these could continue to be used to
welcome new residents to our district’’,
Martin says.
‘‘What became apparent is that each
community present had their own
thoughts on how they could welcome
their new residents.
‘‘This meant that specific communities
could customise the welcoming of their
new neighbours based on their
community.’’
The Pegasus Residents Group, for
example, has adopted awelcome bucket.
If you are keen to welcome new
residents to your neighbourhood or be
involved in the welcome bag project for
your neighbourhood contact Martin Pugh
on 021­567544.
Plenty to offer at Woodend
Woodendmay not seem like adestination,
but it is familiartomotorists as State
Highway1passes throughthe middle of
town.
It has two distinct areas, the township and
the beach settlement and it is handyto
beaches at Waikuku and Pegasus.
If you are lookingfor achange of scenery,
why not pop out for astroll on the wide,
open sandy beach,where you can take adip
or haveasurf. The Owen Stalker playground
is popularwith children and you can stop off
there for afamily picnic.
Whileintown there are plentyofwalking
and cyclingtracks to explore, and if you’re
really keen, you could cycle out from
Rangiora via the Rangiora­Woodend cycle
trail.
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, check
out the range of earteriesinthe town,
includingWoodend Bakery, which is
popular for its deliciouspies, fresh
sandwiches, cakes and savouries.
Foodiesare spoilt for choice, with the
Grub Hub Cafe, 79 Impresso Cafe, which is
pet friendly, the Three Llamas Gourmet
Coffee House and Jax Kitchen at Woodend
Tavern.
If you need to stay the night, there is the
Pegasus GatewayMotel, Wayside Motels
and Woodend Beach Holiday Park.
Just up the road is Ravenswood New
World, Pegasus township and Waikuku.
Enjoy astroll or ride aroundPegasus
Lake, Te Kohanga Wetlands or head out to
the beach and then hit the driving range or
have around at the Pegasus Golf Course.
If you are looking to dine out in Pegasus
there are plenty of offerings, including The
Good HomePegasus restaurant,the Flat
White Cafe and Bar and the Bunker Bar
and Cafe.
Waikuku offers boutique shopping, an
idyllic sandy coastlineand it is where the
braided Ashley Rakahuri River meets the
Pacific Ocean, with the least modified
estuary in Canterbury.
Dine out at the Brick Mill Cafe, the Office
Cafe and the Waikuku Beach GeneralStore.
Waikuku also offers surfinglessons, the arts
and you can stay at the Waikuku Beach
Holiday Park. Go to visitwaimakariri.co.nz/
our­towns/for moreabout Waimakariri’s
towns.
WAIKUKU, PEGASUS, WOODEND NEWS
North Canterbury News, March 24, 2022
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