North Canterbury News: December 14, 2023

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Learning anew culture
By JOHN COSGROVE
Speaking adifferent language,
eating different foods and trying
to understand the subtle nuances
of aforeign culture was all part of
the plan for 14 Canterbury
students visiting Japan recently.
Three of the students taking
part in the latest Christchurch/
Kurashiki Sister City Exchange
Programme came from Rangiora
High School while their tour
leader lives in Loburn.
For all it was their first time to
Japan and they quickly
discovered it is acountry and
culture vastly different from New
Zealand.
For Rangiora Year 10 student
Sam du Toit (14), his host mother
Akiko was very fluent in English
as she had completed the exact
same exchange programme when
she was younger.
‘‘She helped me so much by
translating the culture, and what
to say and do.’’
Each day while attending the
Okayama Junior High School,
Sam had to wear his high school
blazer, despite the 35 degree
heat.
‘‘It was boiling hot. Each
morning Iwas driven to anearby
train station, then after the train
trip Itook abus to get to the
school, which was about the same
size as Rangiora.’’
He found his classmates were
often studying at ahigher level
than he was at school.
‘‘They were at crazy levels of
study on some subjects, probably
two years ahead of me, but the
students and the teachers were
all very friendly,’’ he said.
He says he was prepared for
students happily cleaning the
class rooms and school area each
day.
Drummer boy ... Sam du Toit (14), learns the Japanese drums during his
student exchange trip to Kurashiki.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Fellow student, Pearce Conole,
aged 15, attended the much
smaller Funao Junior High
School, only afew moments walk
from his host family in Kurashiki.
‘‘The smaller classes helped
me alot with the language and
culture.
‘‘They also made it easier for
me to study the mythology of
Japan, which is why Icame on
this trip,’’ he said.
Bella Ealam­Smith (14)
attended Fukuda Minami Junior
High School.
The 28th annual trip was
organised by the Christchurch
Kurashiki Sister City Committee
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and sought to foster relationships
between both cities.
Group leader Carol Burdon of
Loburn, undertook her first trip
to Japan to retrace the footsteps
of her eldest son Alex who had
completed the same trip in 2019.
‘‘I wanted to see and
experience what he had done
there.
‘‘It is an amazing place and I
learnt alot more about the
country and its culture.
‘‘We had avery well behaved
and very respectful group of
young people, as all wanted to get
something out of the
experience,’’ she said.
People have asay on the future
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
More than 550 people have had
their say on Canterbury’s future.
Environment Canterbury has
been engaging with communities
around the region through
summits, webinars and surveys as
it works on anew Canterbury
Regional Policy Statement.
Regional planning manager
Andrew Parrish says the public
engagement programme came to
aclose earlier this month.
‘‘This is apowerful and longlasting
piece of collaborative
work, aimed at meeting the
outcomes our communities have
said are apriority for them.
‘‘The issues are complex and
we are grateful for the timeand
energy participants were
prepared to invest to give us the
information we need to move
forward.’’
Participants were invited to
express their views on three
themes ­climate change, land use
and biodiversity, and water and
coast.
Mr Parrish says there was a
good response across the region,
with arange of age groups
participating.
‘‘We now have awealth of
information from the community
which we are collating and
processing.’’
The regional council will now
work with the 10 Papatipu
Rūnanga to agree to apolicy
direction, as it continued to work
on the new regional policy
statement and aclimate action
plan. Anew Canterbury Regional
Policy Statement needs to be
notified by the end of next year.
Public interest journalism
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The North Canterbury News, December 14, 2023
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Project progress
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Progress is being made on
some key Kaikōura projects.
The Kaikōura Link
Pathway is due to be
completed by the middle of
next year, while connections
to the planned Vicarage
Views sub­division, works at
Wakatu Quay and footpath
maintenance are all
progressing, Kaikōura
District Council chief
executive Will Doughty says.
Ashared pathway linking
the town centre with the Point
Keen seal colony is taking
shape, with the concrete
sections along the Esplanade
due to be completed by
Christmas
Landscaping options will
be completed in the New
Year.
An anticipated increase in
walkers and cyclists has seen
the board walk from Jimmy
Armers beach to Point Kean
widened.
‘‘This action has been
completely funded by the
Tourism Infrastructure Fund
to accommodate increased
tourist numbers and to
promote safety,’’ Mr Doughty
said.
Work is being tendered for
more sections as each stage is
completed, with the project
on track to be completed in
June.
The western development
project is progressing with
the shared pathway along
Ludstone Road to the
proposed Vicarage Views subdivision
entrance expected to
be complete before
Christmas.
The work includes
embankment works and asoil
nail installation under the
KiwiRail bridge, widening
and trenching on Mt Fyffe
Road, and cable installations
for Mainpower and Chorus.
The project has been made
possible by funding from
Kāinga Ora’s Infrastructure
Acceleration Fund.
Site preparation is under
way for the proposed Wakatu
Quay redevelopment, made
possible by a$9.8 million
grant from the Provincial
Growth Fund in 2019.
As the lead developer, the
council will make provision to
borrow up to $800,000 in next
year’s 2024/34 Long Term
Plan.
Further Geotech work is
under way to allow detailed
design for the site to
completed early next year.
Access to the wharf will
remain open to pedestrians
over the summer holiday
period.
Footpath maintenance was
atop priority in the 2021/31
Long Term Plan and work is
continuing to progress.
Programme:
New footpaths have been
completed along Beach Road,
Esplanade, Churchill Street
and Kiwi Street.
More work is planned in the
new year along Beach Road
and the Esplanade.
Public interest journalism
funded through New Zealand
on Air.
New signs for Kaikoura
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Kaikōura has some bright,
new signs ready for the
summer.
The Kaikōura District
Council and Te Rūnanga o
Kaikōura have collaborated
to come up with new
‘‘Welcome to Kaikōura’’ signs.
The new signs have been
created by Matt Moriarty,
from Canyon Creative, ready
for another busy tourist
season.
Mayor Craig Mackle
installed the first sign on
Tuesday morning at the top of
the Okarahia hill, just south
of Kaikoura, on State
Highway 1.
New signs will also replace
the existing signs to the north
of Kekerengu and on the
Inland Road, past Greenburn.
AKaikōura District Council
spokesperson says the new
signs are the same size as the
old signs, being 2440mm by
1220mm, with alandscape
orientation.
‘‘We are excited to see
these new signs installed that
highlight the raw nature and
rugged beauty of our district’’
The new signs cost $25,000,
with funding from the
council’s economic
development budget.
Indy Stringer Lucy Asher Becky Blay Lucy Paterson
Jade Lamont Mia Montgomery Dylan Fern
Jacob Adcock James Ha rison Arthur Haldane
Je s Haldane Joel Ha ris Riley Slemint Alex E lerm
ailPax O’Dowd
Waikuku Beach Surf
Life Saving
Under 14 Junior National Surf
Lifesaving Cham
H d T h r
Thank you to our athle
Indy Stringer sponsored by
Kaiapoi Aluminium Joinery Ltd Ali Ham
sales@kaj.co.nz Ph 03
Lucy Asher sponsored by
Harcourts Holmw od Property Management
heather.andersen@harcourts.co.nz Ph 03 35
Becky Blay sponsored by
Scope Resource Management Ltd Ga ry Blay
scope.resm@gmail.com Ph 027 696
Lucy Paterson sponsored by
Michael Stopforth Contracting Ltd Michael Stopf
admin@stopforth.co.nz Ph 027 436 29
Lucy
Utilities Infrastructure Ltd Harley Hayw o
harley@utilitiesinfrastructure.co.nz Ph 021 0 2 8281
Jade Lamont sponsored by
Pegasus Fencing & Maintenance Ltd Phil Lamont
pegasusfencing@outl ok.co.nz Ph 021 108 98 9
Mia Montgomery sponsored by
Clevermedkits Peter Montgomery
peter@clevermedkits.com Ph 021 3 7 4 0
Dylan Fern sponsored by
Adcock Contracting Ltd Geo f and Kate
g adcock@gmail.com Ph 021 436 3 4
Jacob Adcock sponsored by
Adcock Contracting Ltd Geo f and Kate
g adcock@gmail.com Ph 021 436 3 4
James Ha rison sponsored by
Qtec Fire Services NZ Ltd Jasmin Pilkington
jkpilkington@outl ok.com Ph 027 413 9108
Thomas
Day Bros Painters Bre t Day
Arthur Haldane sponsored by
W odsman Fires Pete Ha ris
pgha ris@xtra.co.nz Ph 021 320 740
St Patrick’s Kaiapoi Rarotonga Cul
Nine Kaiapoi children are about
to embark on a trip of a lifetime to
SouthIslandSecondarySchoolsNetballTournament:
Dunedin-Monday3 rd – Thursday 6 th September
Pictured from left:
sponsoredbyVetlife Culverden.
d by Moriarty ShearingLtd.
at Hanmer Springs.
trical.
therineDalmer sponsored by Waiau Supermarket.
f sponsoredby Artisan Spa, HanmerSprings.
Proudly sponsored by
rams.
St Patrick’s Kaiapoi Catholic Primary
School is taking nine Year 7 and 8 pupils
and two adults to the Cook Islands in
term four to learn abou the local culture
and do some community service.
“This is our second trip and what we’ve
identified is the opportunity to do an
overseas trip like no other,” says teacher
Pax O’Dowd, who wi l accompany the
pupils to Rarotonga.
“It’s like school camp, where the
students wi l have some fun, but it’s Raro
style and it’s an opportunity to give back
the local communityand an opportunity
to learn what we share in common
as Pacific communities as we l as our
di ferences.”
Pax wi l be joined on the trip by parent
and Board of Trustees member Angela
Although the Cook Islands is o ficia ly
a part of New Zealand and uses New
Zealand do lars, life is very di ferent on
the islands and local schools do not
have the same resources.
As we l as fundraising for the trip, Pax
s he school has been fundraising to
rt Nukutere Co lege, a Year 7 to 11
in Rarotonga, which St Patrick’s
ilt a relationship with.
rs trip last year was an
nity to see the lay of the land. We
- Head Teacher
t ven Cheney Electrical
Billie Bradley
quickly realised the school doesn’t have
a lot and in the last few years they had a
fire burn down some of their classrooms
and to date, nothing has been rebuilt
due to a lack of funding.”
The St Patrick’s contingent plans to
take some resources for the school and
is seeking support from the local North
Canterbury community.
A number of local sports organisations
have agreed to donate sports equipment
and local businesses have given some
Pax says the group is also liaising with
communitygroupsinRarotonga to do
some volunteering, planting and clean
The group wi l be staying a the
Rakahangahostel, which is named after
one of the islands, and is like a marae,
admin1@morgan-po lard.co.nz
03 349 8228
www.morgan-po lard.co.nz
Dylan Hamblyn
“It’s very basic, but communityfocused
and everybodypitches in with cooking
and cleaning.
“They are wonderful hosts and are quite
proud of their country and are rea ly
happy, humble people.”
The pupils said they were looking
forward to visiting Rarotonga and
meeting their new penpals at Nukutere
Co lege, who they have been
co responding with in the lead up to the
A.A. Drainage
021 533 201
Pupil Mason Robsonsayshis penpal
‘likes taro’, a popular vegetableinthe
bhworks@xtra.co.nz
027 432 7698
son Robson
Pacific Islands.
His classmateCaleb Spence says he
has been to Rarotonga before and is
looking forward to returning.
“I’m exciting to see the beach. It’s pre ty
hot at 30 degreesmost of the time and it
Their classmatesare looking forward to
learning about Cook Islands culture and
meeting their penpals.
They have been busy fundraising and
co lecting stationery supplies and books
to take to Nukutere Co lege and packing
The Cook Islands is a co lection of
Caleb Spence
Royce Ellis
Plastering Ltd
Interior plasterers
theroc@xtra.co.nz
027 407 8928
Emily Evans
brooktrucks@xtra.co.nz
03 313 6361
www.brooktrucks.co.nz
Max Oberndorfer