Blenheim Sun: June 06, 2024

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June 5, 2024 | LOCAL PEOPLE - LOCAL VIEWS - LOCAL NEWS 

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Fight for 

Trinity’s 

Life 

By Chris Valli 

A Spring Creek grandmother’s fight for her granddaughter’s 

health continues to be a realm of emotions notwithstanding 

the lack of accountability from specialists. 

Lynn Hankey and husband Graeme left Blenheim in 

their motorhome on Monday, March 18, cycling and 

walking her way to her granddaughter Trinity Hutchins 

in Hawkes Bay. 

Continued on page 2. 

While Spring Creek grandmother Lynne Hankey 

says they are grateful for the treatment Trinity is 

currently receiving, ‘it does not change the fact that 

this should never have happened in the first place’. 

“Trinity desperately requires nutritional support or all 

this becomes just a temporary bandaid. Her system 

is so far out of whack she is retaining fluids instead 

of them flushing her system as they are meant to.” 

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2 

Wednesday June 5, 2024 

How to 

reach us 

The Sun 

‘Do not accept nothing is wrong’ 

Simon Byrne 

Sales Manager 

simon@blenheimsun.co.nz 

Katrina Whiteside 

Sales Consultant 

katrina@blenheimsun.co.nz 

Rebecca Sampson 

Sales Consultant 

rebecca@blenheimsun.co.nz 

Chris Valli 

Journalist 

news@blenheimsun.co.nz 

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in Marlborough. 

Continued from page 1. 

Trinity has abdominal vascular compressions 

(AVC) a rare condition that causes excruciating 

pain and vomiting during and after eating and 

drinking. Adding to the complications, she 

now has scurvy, a disease caused by a serious 

Vitamin C deficiency. 

The specialists Lynn refers to is the New 

Zealand National Intestinal Failure and 

Rehabilitation Service (NIFRS), designed to 

improve outcomes for patients of all ages with 

intestinal failure (IF). The NIFRS is a national 

service provided by Auckland District Health 

Board on behalf of the Ministry of Health. 

Doctors and specialists had recorded on 

Trinity’s records that it was a mental health 

issue and would not provide her any medical 

assistance, including nutritional supplements. 

Lynn says the scurvy has been a result of 15 

months of no nutritional support and Trinity not 

being able to hold down anything she eats. It 

was picked up by her primary care giver when 

he noticed signs of it and decided to run a blood 

test to check her Vitamin C levels. 

“This turned out to be a lot more complicated 

for the hospital to arrange as we understand 

that special funding needs to be approved 

through Pharmac which can take weeks so 

they brainstormed and have been able to offer 

a multi vitamin infusion which will also boost 

her low B vitamins as well,” she says. 

Lynn says NIFRS removed her TPN (total 

parenteral nutrition) from her and claimed that 

she had never been sick. TPN is indicated when 

there is impaired gastrointestinal function and 

contraindications to enteral nutrition and is 

supplied via a portacath. 

On hospital recommendations, Trinity has 

continued to take as much food as she can orally 

but the excruciating pain and endless vomiting 

continues and she is now severely malnourished. 

Lynn suggests some health professionals 

just aren’t listening to their continued fight. 

“Is it a result of those working in our system 

PAYING THE ULTIMATE PRICE: Trinity was admitted to Auckland Hospital last year for internal 

bleeding which specialists claimed she was ‘doing to herself’. 

being under such tremendous pressure just 

trying to cope with the emergencies that flood 

their corridors constantly? Or is it a result of 

the fact that it is much easier to label a person 

with psychological issues and pass them off? I 

know Trinity is paying the ultimate price, our 

family is paying the price. Whatever the cause, 

it desperately needs to change, and that change 

needs to happen fast.” 

Lynn and Graeme have had to use ‘most 

of their retirement fund’ supporting Trinity 

obtaining private medical care and says there 

is nothing else they can do, unless they ‘get her 

to Germany’. 

With no government funding available, the 

cost of the lifesaving treatment in Dusseldorf, 

Germany for Trinity is $180,000. The pioneering 

genius is German Professor Doctor Sandemann. 

Recently, a ‘wonderful family’ who were in New 

Zealand at the time when Trinity’s story went 

viral, returned home and started following her 

journey on social media. They approached Lynn 

and Trinity’s Mum Anna for approval to organise 

a Fundraiser in Germany, with support from 

Alex and the team from “Kinderherzaktionen” 

a beginning of their amazing International 

support. 

Recently a German couple, made a ‘mind 

blowing donation’ that has the family ‘still 

reeling and rather speechless’. They can now 

see the light at the end of a very long and dark 

tunnel,” “We have now gone from the halfway 

mark to two thirds of this massive fundraising 

effort to save Trinity’s life,” says Lynn. 

Lynn says the impact of the Blenheim Sun 

had brought awareness and understanding to 

Trinity’s plight. 

“It breaks your heart; it’s a matter of keeping at 

it and fighting for our granddaughter,” she says. 

The Give a Little page is www.givealittle. 

co.nz/cause/health-system-fails-our-18-yearold-save-a-life 

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Wednesday June 5, 2024 3 

inbrief 


Thomas Andrews, winner of the Kawasaki KGX90 quad bike from 

Marlborough Motorcycles with Ben Webb. 

The crowd turned out in force 

on Sunday for the weigh-in and 

prize-giving the annual Woodbourne 

Tavern Pig & Deer Hunt 

2024. Marlborough turned on 

some great weather, perfect conditions 

for hunting and enjoying 

a well-earned cold one or three 

at the Woody afterwards. 

Competition was fierce, and 

Co-owner and event organiser 

Stacey Goodwin says the entries 

were as good as they’ve ever 

been with 547 entries in the 

Open category, 115 entries in 

the Young Guns category, and 

a whopping 201 entries in the 

Whippersnappers category. 

The grand prize, a Mitsubishi 

Triton ute with all the bells and 

whistles supplied by one of the 

events major sponsors, The 

Motor Company, was won by 17 

year old Black Hebberd. 

The Kawasaki KGX90 quad 

bike, kindly supplied by another 

major sponsor, Marlborough Motorcycles, 

was won by Thomas 

Andrews. 

Results: 

Hare category 

Cooper Collins brought home 

the heaviest hare at 4.454kg, 

followed by Charlie Butt 2nd 

heaviest 4.256kg, and Rafa Macfarlane 

3rd Heaviest 3.976kg. 

Rabbit category 

Evie Townley brought home 

the heaviest rabbit at 2.088kg, 

followed by Eyliah Collins 2nd 

heaviest 2.062kg, and Polly Bell 

3rd heaviest 2.024kg. 

Possum category 

Jack McLean brought home 

the heaviest possum at 4.91kg, 

followed by Ruby Reed 2nd 

Blake Hebberd (red hoody), winner of the Grand Prize, a Mitsubishi 

Triton ute from The Motor Company takes the stage along with, from 

left: Nev Gane from Marlborough Hunting & Fishing, the Woody’s Stacey 

Goodwin, Graeme Sidey, Ben Webb, and The Woody’s Rowan Ingpen on 

the microphone. PHOTOS: Kaylene Hollard. 

Pig & Deer Hunt an epic event 

heaviest 4.656kg, and Isobel 

O’Sullivan 3rd heaviest 4.53kg. 

Pig category 

Chris Parnwell landed the 

heaviest pig at 96.5kg, followed 

by Richard Taylor 2nd heaviest 

87.5kg, Aubrey Tai 3rd heaviest 

74kg. Scott Gardner picked up 

the prize for Best Tusks, and 

Alicia McLeod picked up the 

prize landing the pig with the 

average weight for the class of 

43.529kg. 

Deer 

Eli Taylor landed the heaviest 

deer at 147.5kg, Scott Downing 

2nd heaviest 120kg, and Troy 

Frost 3rd heaviest 118.5kg. Troy 

Frost also picked up the award 

for the Best Head, and Connor 

Jackman tied with Fletcher with 

the average weight for the class 

of Kopua 69.46kg. 

Pigs 

Four hunters were tied for 1st 

place: Honor Mckenzie, Louie 

Patchett, Mila Pyers, and Holly 

Shadbolt all landed pigs with 

the heaviest weight of 51.5kg. 

Layken Norris took out the prize 

for average weight with 38.4kg. 

Goats 

Jack Musson brought home 

the heaviest goat at 38.8kg, Jack 

Willetts 2nd heaviest 38.2kg, 

Millie Stewart 3rd heaviest 

37kg. Max Dollimore tied with 

Cordt Horrell for the prize for 

Average weight 23.0kg. 

The team and management 

at the Woodbourne Tavern 

extent a heart-felt thank you 

to all participants, sponsors, 

spectators and supporters for 

make this year’s Pig & Deer 

Hunt and epic event. 

Special guest for 

Masqerade Ball 

A special guest for Cure Kids 

Masqerade Ball later this month is Ben 

Barrington from Shortland Street. 

Ben has been on the show for nine 

years, playing the hotshot plastic 

surgeon Dr Drew McCaskill. Other TV 

/ film credits include: The Brokenwood 

Mysteries, The Almighty Johnsons, 

Offspring, Outrageous Fortune, and 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The 

Witch and the Wardrobe. 

Ben is delighted to come to Blenheim 

to support the Cure Kids Masquerade 

Ball. 

Grab your tickets today.https:// 

www.eventfinda.co.nz/.../cure-kids.../ 

blenheim 

Matariki Night Market 

Whitehaven’s Matariki Night 

Market is on at the Vines Village 

Saturday 22 June 4.30pm – 7.30pm. 

A fun evening for all. Explore the Vines 

Village vendors, night lit gardens with 

local producers and stallholders, live 

music, fire dancers, poi demonstrations, 

face painting, and a special treasure 

hunt. It will be an amazing encounter 

around every corner! 

Art of Wellbeing Workshops 

Free art workshops are available 

on Wednesdays in June to support 

members of the community to create 

art for the annual Art of Wellbeing 

Exhibition for Mental Health Awareness 

Week. Caters to all skill levels. 

Care Marlborough, 26 Percy Street, 

12.30pm - 2pm, Wednesday June 5th, 

12th, and 23rd. For more info please 

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email admin@carem.nz 

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4 


inbrief 


Marlborough Gymnastics 

Championships 

On Friday, June 14, the annual Schools 

Gymnastics Festival will be held at 

the Marlborough Lines Stadium from 

9.30am – 11.30am and 12noon – 2pm. 

Children attending have spent a 

full term training for the event. It is 

spread over the day, with one grade 

in the morning and two grades in the 

afternoon. 

Meanwhile, on Saturday 15 (8am 

– 7pm) and Sunday 16 (8am – 3pm) 

June there will be the Marlborough 

Gymnastics Championships with over 

400 competitors from mainly the South 

Island. There is a door entry fee to cover 

overheads for the event. 

BootSale Market 

The Blenheim Rotary BootSale Market 

is on every Saturday 8am – 12pm at 

the Blenheim Railway Station Carpark. 

Everyone welcome. 

No booking required, just turn up and 

choose a site. $5 per site. 

No sales of alcohol, guns, gin traps or 

children! 

Farmers Market 

The Marlborough Farmers Market 

is on every Sunday 9am - 12pm at the 

Marlborough A&P Showgrounds rain 

or shine. 

Come down and support your local 

growers and producers and help them 

support you in your local community. 

A huge range of stalls, and live music. 

Vocal workshop for 

music enthusiasts 


A vocal workshop for keen music 

enthusiasts to ‘find their voice’ 

conducted by Blenheim musician 

Tom Knowles and MC/singer 

Jackie Clarke is on offer in August. 

The workshop on Sunday, August 

25 is the day after the Stars in 

Your Eyes charity event. After 

recent auditions, the 10 contestants/ 

groups have been confirmed for the 

Creative Kids Trust fundraiser for 

Saturday August 24. 

Tom says he is ‘really keen’ on 

helping locals discover their voices, 

the untapped potential and pushing 

boundaries of what’s possible, 

playing with different styles and 

techniques, and playing with vocal 

tricks to imitate and impersonate 

our favourite stars. 

Tom, a former Stars winner in 

2010 as Meatloaf, says the event 

was epic and was fun seeing so 

many faces you wouldn’t usually 

see out there doing their thing. 

“If I was to do it again I’d probably 

do a John Farnham - You’re 

the Voice, or Jack Black, or David 

Bowie. I love playing crazy characters 

so a Ziggy Stardust or someone 

dramatic would be fun.” 

The Wellington based musician 

is currently working hard on a new 

Matariki Spectacular with four 

Māori drag queens, The Tiwhas, 


NO TIME FOR INHIBITIONS: Blenheim’s Tom Knowles, a previous winner of Stars in Your Eyes as Meatloaf, 

says this year’s contestants need to look at their stars smallest details like mannerisms, vocal inflections 

and the way they interact with a crowd. RIGHT: Lieke Tegels won as Lady Ga Ga singing Bad Romance in 

the 2019 show. 

performing in Wellington and 

Auckland through June and July. 

He says he is the sound designer, 

guitarist and vocalist backing 

them up and it’s heaps of fun. 

“It’s a wild ride and I’ve never 

had so many laughs making a 

show before. They are stars,” he 

says. 

Following the spectacular, he 

will release some new indie rock 

music he has been sitting on for a 

few years that he made with fellow 

Marlburian, Josh Logan. 

“This is a new direction for my 

music and will be released under 

the name, Tommy Knowledge. 

There’s a really cool music video 

up our sleeves too starring some 

well-known faces in New Zealand 

so I am pumped to put this out 

there.” 

As for what advice Tom would 

give to the Stars contestants? 

“To have as much fun as possible. 

Remember there will be 

a great audience cheering you 

on the night so the more fun 

you’re having the more fun they 

will have,” he says. “Study your 

person. The smallest details like 

mannerisms, vocal inflections, 

way they enter the stage, way 

they interact with a crowd all help 

shape the performance. This is no 

time for inhibitions, this is a time 

where you can be whoever you 

want to be, so go for it.” 

If Sun readers or local businesses 

would like to sponsor Tom for the 

workshop contact Liz @ 021 547 

593 or email liz@creativekids. 

org.nz 

The Stars in Your Eyes 2024 

line-up is; Evelyn Duncan (Florence 

Welsh), Angeline Forlong, 

(Christina Aguilera), Tristan Gregory-Hunt, 

(Dave Koz), Phillip 

Johnson (Zac Bryan), Natalie 

Joubert, (Duffy), Rowan McKay-Simpson, 

(Mark Knopfler), 

Peata Panoho, (Avril Lavigne), 

Kim Weatherhead and Matt Allcutt, 

(Lady Ga Ga and Bradley 

Cooper), Amber Wright (Dolores 

O’Riordan), Courtney, Jo, Emma 

and Lucy (B*Witched). 

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“A sense of connection, ownership” 

inbrief 



A Seddon mural painting project 

is doing more than just brightening 

up the town; it’s uniting the 

community in a vibrant display of 

creativity and collaboration. 

Project Manager Corie Boley, 

alongside Seddon local Charmaine 

Hammond, is spearheading the 

final stages of the mural project. 

Together they have been organising 

designs, raising funds, and 

galvanising community support. 

Collaborating with talented Marlborough 

artist Vasu Singh and 

enthusiastic youth, they’re all 

collectively bringing new life to 

Seddon through the visual arts. 

The Blenheim Police Prevention 

Team initiated this inspiring project 

in 2020 with a vision to make the 

pathways safer and more inviting 

for everyone. Charmaine Hammond 

stepped in to coordinate with 

Seddon School, Preschoolers and 

Marlborough artist Joan Clark to 

assist the students with the murals. 

Today two bridge underpasses in 

Seddon are the canvases for these 

community masterpieces. The SH1 

Bridge boasts an enchanting underwater 

scene filled with mermaids, 

crabs, eels, sea turtles and even 

a yellow submarine. Meanwhile, 

the railway bridge features vibrant 

local flora and fauna, inspiring 

messages and colorful representations 

of the stunning Awatere 

Valley landscapes. Participants 

from Marlborough Youth Trust, led 

by Seddon local Maxine Anderson 

UNITING FOR A COMMON GOAL: From left to right; Heather Turnbull, Vasu Singh, Lyricks Caldwell , Elisha 

Wyatt , Lee Tepuia, Maddox Holdem, Necco Busby-Gray, Kane-Kawiti Rapana, Charmaine Hammond, 

Corie Boley, Lottie Savage, Zavia Epiha , Max Sweeney, Makayla Reihana, Xavier-Rae Caldwell. 

Sweeny, have been involved in 

this artistic endeavour as well. 

Corie emphasises the significance 

of the project: “It instills a 

sense of connection, ownership 

in our youth. They can take pride 

in their contributions, knowing 

they’ve made a lasting positive 

impact on their community. 

We’ve replaced uninviting walls 

with beautiful art, cleaned up 

rubbish, and revitalized the local 

environment,” he says. 

The project has garnered widespread 

support from Seddon 

School, Marlborough Youth 

Trust, Blenheim Police Prevention 

Team, Marlborough District 

Council, Awatere Valley Trust, 

The Lions Club, Guthrie Bowron 

and Mitre10 Mega Marlborough. 

It has also brought together people 

from diverse cultural backgrounds 

including RSE workers 

from Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua 

New Guinea and Thailand. Along 

with individuals from Germany, 

Japan, Scotland, the Middle East, 

India, America and New Zealand. 

Corie says transforming a neglected 

area into a welcoming 

space for everyone has been 

incredibly rewarding. 

“Seeing our diverse community 

unite for a common goal fills my 

heart with joy. The positivity and 

love invested in this project and 

over the last four years speaks 

volumes about our community’s 

openness and acceptance. 

This mural project stands as a 

testament to Seddon’s vibrant 

spirit and the power of coming 

together to create something truly 

beautiful.” 

Kindling Wood 

Alzheimers Marlborough has great 

value bags of kindling wood available 

again this year. Priced at just $5 per bag, 

you will be saving money and supporting 

the important work that Alzheimers 

Marlborough carries out in our 

community. The kindling can be picked 

up from Alzheimers Marlborough, 

8 Wither Road, 9am - 3.30pm daily. 

If anyone has sacks left over from last 

year, we would love to get them back. 

Alzheimers Marlborough, keeping you 

warm this winter. 

International Languages 

Week 

Welcoming Communities and the 

Marlborough Multicultural Centre are 

encouraging locals 

to join them at the 2024 International 

Languages Week event on Wednesday, 

June 12. 

International Languages Week, held 

from Monday, June 10 – Friday, June 14, 

is an annual event to promote language 

and culture from around the world. 

Young New Zealanders have exposure 

to a huge number of international 

languages – more than 160 languages 

are spoken in our country. 

Marlborough is a diverse community 

of people with 17 percent of 

Marlborough residents born overseas 

(2018 census data). 

news tips 

Send your tips to 

news@blenheimsun.co.nz 

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6 


Sun readers have their say... with the WORD on the Street. 

In recent years, podcasts have become a practical medium for information sharing. 

What’s your podcast recommendation? 


Alana Jamieson 

Dunedin 

The Girls Uninterrupted and 

Kiwi Yarns. I also like Between 

Two Bears. 

Anastasia Shumqo 

Blenheim 

On Purpose with Jay Shetty 

is one worth recommending. 

Kim Robson 

Dunedin 

NZ Crimes are really interesting. 

Kirsty McGaul 

Bath, England 

The British History podcast 

is fantastic and something 

different. 

Margaret McKenzie 

Dunedin 

The Girls Uninterrupted. 

Tom Knowles 


I love Song Exploder and 

McCartney, a life in lyrics. I 

also found NZ Wars: Stories 

of Wairau amazing to learn 

more about Blenheim. 

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Letters 

Letters on issues of community 

interest are welcomed. A maximum 

of 150 words please. 

They must be signed and a street 

address provided to show good 

faith, even when a nom de plume is 

provided for publication. 

The editor reserves the right to 

IRD claim via AI 

Dear Editor 

Had an interesting chat with IRD’s 

artificial ingenuity recently. I’d rung a 

couple of weeks prior to claim the tax 

refund due on the donations we make to 

a children’s charity – who had kindly let 

me know we could make that claim, not 

that IRD would have made if known – so 

I needed form IRS526. 

On that prior phone call I had struck, 

shock horror, an actual human who’d 

promised to mail out the form. Anyway, 

it hasn’t happened so AI went through 

all of my personal information to make 

sure I was me. Then the machine told 

me it would make a voice-print so that 

any future contact would have that 

authentication on file. Fact is of course, 

to the editor 

abridge letters or withhold letters from 

publication. 

Email them to news@blenheimsun. 

co.nz or present to our office at 72 

High St. 

Please note that your name and 

street address MUST be provided 

with emails. 

that my voice can be copied perfectly 

thanks to Microsoft’s VALL-E which 

can clone my voice from just a 3 second 

clip. I gave up. If we ever get the refund 

it will be added to what we give to that 

charity. We live in hope. 

Slight change of subject: the ‘local’ 

paper to which I was subscribing gave 

me the choice of having automatic bank 

payments or, for paying over the counter 

via humans, to be charged an extra $5 per 

month. Nah. I cancelled the subscription 

I’ve had since forever, and rely on truly 

local free news. Its working fine, thanks 

‘Sun’. 

W. Holvey 


Infrastructure 

We hear and read a lot about infrastructure. 

Nobody seems to be talking about an ageing 

or a future falling population. 

As we people grow older, we use infrastructure 

less and what is needed are hospitals and 

care facilities. (Blenheim will soon have eight 

of the latter!) 

Japan is in trouble as nearly a third of 

the population is over 60 and there are not 

enough taxpayers to support them. Hundreds 

of schools are closing and houses are empty. 

China’s population, along with that of many 

other countries, may halve by the turn of 

the century. 

Meanwhile our debt is growing, and is 

now equal to $90,000 for each household, 

while interest is around $70 each week. Our 

trading has been in the red for 10 years, the 

last two to the tune of $62 billion. Many of 

our taxpayer trained workers are going to 

Australia for higher money which is available 

from their trading credits from the likes of 

coal, gas, lithium and other minerals, some 

of which we have not, or are not allowed to 

mine. Any pay demands met will be paid 

with borrowed money. 

Face up to it. A falling population will have 

to pay off the present growing debt, let alone 

for fancy new infrastructure. We are a poor 

country, living on borrowed money and 

borrowed time. 

John Vile 


9 Tremorne Ave, Blenheim 

Tel: 577 8600 

Visit us online at 

blenheimsun.co.nz 

Electricity charges 

Our local MP(s) need to run spreadsheets 

on our power accounts providers, which are 

made up of distribution and generation. 

Thankyou Marlborough Lines for our 

discounts and unit reductions overseen by 

MEPT as we as consumers are shareholders. 

Max Bradford stopped us ever being shareholders 

also in power generation. 

No doubt the generation companies will 

tote out the increases in all costs and network 

assets but an inquiry into production costs, 

management, would give some balance to 

charges. 

Who’s overseeing generators/providers? 

Where’s the balance that we see with our 

local distribution company? 

David Kerr 

Kaituna 

Arthur 

Jo Lorraine Debby 

GREAT HAIR DOESN’T 

HAPPEN BY CHANCE, 

IT HAPPENS BY 

APPOINTMENT. 

BOOK 

NOW: 

Txt - 027 437 0671 

CALL - 03 5795470



New library art gallery building takes out awards 

Bumper Winter Events Guide out now 

Te Kahu o Waipuna - Marlborough’s new 

library and art gallery building - won three 

awards at the Master Builders Association 

Commercial Project Awards held in 

Wellington on Friday. 

Te Kahu o Waipuna won: 

• Gold Award Winner and Category Winner 

in the Tourism and Leisure Category 

• Value Award Winner in the Commercial 

Projects $10M to $25M Category 

Mayor Nadine Taylor said she was proud of 

the people and teams who contributed to the 

building project. 

“It was an honour to be at the awards night 

representing Marlborough - it goes to show 

we have exceptionally talented people here 

who can go up against the best in New 

Zealand - and win!” 

“This is a well-deserved accolade for 

Robinson Construction, APL Property, 

Davidson Group, Warren and Mahoney, 

the Council and art gallery teams and the 

sub-contractors involved in designing and 

constructing the building.” 

The Master Builders Association awards set 

the benchmark for commercial construction in 

New Zealand and celebrate collaboration and 

innovation across the building industry. The 

awards recognise the people behind the 

construction project as well as the building 

itself. 

Luke van Velthooven, APL Property; Mayor Nadine Taylor; Mark Watson and Phil Robinson, 

Robinson Construction and Maighan Watson, Project Manager, Marlborough District Council, 

celebrate at the awards night 

If you want to know what’s on in 

Marlborough this winter, look no further 

than the Winter Events Guide. 

Regional Events Advisor Samantha 

Young said the guide was now available, 

showcasing Marlborough events from 1 

June to 31 August. “This is the biggest 

Winter Events Guide ever, which is 

heartening considering the tough time 

many of our events have had these past 

few years,” Mrs Young said. 

“Our events sector has shown a lot of 

determination and creativity in the face of 

challenges,” she said. 

“You only need look to the inaugural 

Pride Wairau Festival this June as a 

great example of a new event and 

Marlborough’s celebration of Matariki 

also continues to grow with an array of 

events and a programme due out soon 

as well.” 

“We also have long-standing favourites 

like the Marlborough Book Festival 

bringing top contemporary authors to 

Blenheim. One of Council’s community 

events - the Southern Jam Youth Jazz 

Festival – will have live performances at 

venues around our region.” 

“Our bumper guide shows it’s a great 

time to support these fantastic events 

on offer.” 

Printed copies of the guide are available 

from Council offices, libraries, iSITEs and 

the ASB Theatre. An online version is 

also available, promoted via social media 

and Stuff. 

Winter Events 

Pick up your copy from 

Marlborough District Council 

FOLLOW-ME.CO.NZ 

Winter event highlights include: 

• Inaugural Pride Wairau Festival from 14 

to 23 June around Blenheim 

• Matariki featuring several events 

around the region in June 

• Marlborough Book Festival 2024 from 

25 to 28 July with sessions at ASB 

Theatre Marlborough and Marlborough 

Library (tickets go on sale in June) 

• Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival 

2024 from 7 to 10 August with the 

Grand Finale concert held at ASB 

Theatre Marlborough on 10 August 

For more information go to: 

www.follow-me.co.nz 

Queen Charlotte Drive repairs update 

Marlborough Roads recovery works on 

Queen Charlotte Drive are progressing with 

six sites already completed and another six 

under construction. 

A mechanically stabilised earth wall, near 

Cullen Point on Mahakipawa Hill, was started 

in February and Marlborough Roads Manager 

Steve Murrin said this was one of the more 

complex sites of the recovery project. 

“To construct the wall the crew had to 

stabilise the road before digging down 

through the soft ground until firm foundations 

were found,” he said. “They will then build 

back up by layering a mesh product between 

layers of good soil to create a stable wall for 

the road to be reinstated on.” 

Along with the wall construction and road 

reinstatement, drainage improvements are 

also being undertaken, scheduled to be 

completed mid-year. 

“Another significant site we’re working on is 

the installation of a large precast concrete 

box culvert near Moenui Road,” Mr Murrin 

said. 

The culvert is 1.5m by 1.5m in diameter, more 

than 18m long with an anchored concrete 

beam to support the road shoulder, as well 

as a reinforced embankment to increase the 

stability of the road. 

Sites already completed this year include 

four retaining walls and two H-pile walls at 

A large retaining wall at Aussie Bay under 

construction, March 2024 

Momorangi and Aussie bays, and two railway 

iron walls near the Grove Jetty. 

“A number of the sites are incorporating 

railway iron to build retaining walls, which 

is both cost-effective and good for the 

environment as we are reusing an existing 

material,” Mr Murrin said. 

A second retaining wall at Aussie Bay is 

also being constructed using H-piles, a steel 

product used when railway irons can’t be. 

Crews are also busy near Governors Bay 

with slope stabilisation and road realignment, 

which will restore this section of road to two 

lanes. 

Get ready to register your dog 

It’s that time of year again when your 

four-legged friend needs to be registered. 

The dog registration year runs from 1 July 

2024 to 30 June 2025 and all dogs over 

three months old must be registered. 

Forms will be sent to owner’s last known 

address at the beginning of June. Please 

contact Animal Control if you don’t receive 

yours. All dog registration fees need to be 

paid by 1 July; after 31 July late penalty fees 

will apply. 

The annual fee for category one (a nonworking 

dog, desexed and microchipped, 

with no infringement notice for the past 

two years) is $65 a year. Category two 

(non-working dogs which do not meet 

category one criteria including menacing 

dogs) is $96 and the dangerous dog 

category is $144. There is also a category 

for old dogs for those over 12 years of age 

(as of 1 July 2024) at $48. Working dogs 

are $23 per dog for the first and $12 for 

each extra working dog if there are more 

than 10. 

Contract Manager Animal Control 

Jamie Clark said it was the dog owner’s 

responsibility and a legal requirement to 

ensure their dog was correctly registered 

with the local authority. “Your dog must 

wear a current registration tag to ensure it 

can be identified. Only one person can be 

the registered owner of a dog and if you 

are under 16, the dog must be registered 

under a parent’s or guardian’s name at the 

address where they are kept most of the 

time,” Mr Clark said. 

If you are registering your dog for the 

first time you will need to complete the 

registration form either at Animal Control 

or in person at Council’s Customer 

Service Centres in Blenheim or Picton. 

Alternatively, people can pay online using 

online dog services. 

Please let Animal Control know if the 

ownership of your dog changes, your dog 

leaves the district, you have a change of 

address, or your dog has died. If you have 

any questions, please contact Animal 

Control on Ph: 03 520 9033 or email 

animalcontrol@xtra.co.nz 

For more information go to: www. 

marlborough.govt.nz/services/dogs-andother-animals/dog-registration

8 


one on one 

with the Sun 


Ballroom Blitz to 

dazzle Blenheim 

Australian dance professional Aric Yegudkin is the choreographer of the high-energy 

Ballroom Blitz New Zealand tour which hits Blenheim in just under a fortnight. Aric took time 

out from his busy schedule to talk to Chris Valli about the revival of Ballroom Dance. 

Remember a certain pandemic that put a 

hold on events circa 2020/21? The Marlborough 

landscape from an arts perspective was 

bleak, financially and holistically. Online 

dance videos in the lounge, Tik Tok going 

mad and families doing anything to stay 

active, socially connected and embracing 

their creative lens. 

Marlborough’s $23 million ASB Theatre’s 

role is to promote the arts, and affordability 

for local people is a bottom line. Cost. Money. 

Affordability is an apt word, especially in a 

cost of living crisis and how one chooses to 

live within one’s means and or budgeting 

constraints. Which brings the ‘ultimate 

dance dilemma’ – cost of ticket versus a 

bloody good night out for dance enthusiasts 

and those who appreciate the performing 

arts? 

Post pandemic and a plethora of productions 

have graced the ASB Theatre from 

local musical theatre and dance productions 

to national tours. There is another wee gem 

on the horizon and a sip of all things dance 

in the Sauvignon variety, if you will. 

On June 16, a Blenheim audience has the 

opportunity to witness the ‘ultimate dance 

extravaganza’ at the ASB. 

Acclaimed Australian Choreographer and 

three-time Dancing with the Stars champion 

Aric Yegudkin directs the sensational new 

show Ballroom Blitz which embarks on a 

whirlwind national tour across 12 centres 

all over New Zealand from May 28 to June 

16, 2024. Twelve first-class dancers will be 

accompanied by an electric live on-stage 

five-piece band and two vocalists to bring the 

moves in the ultimate dance extravaganza, 

presented by Base Entertainment. 

Aric, comes from a Ukranian background 

and talks passionately about Dancing with 

the Stars Australia, where he strutted his 

stuff to victory in his first season with Ada 

Nicodemou from Home and Away. He then 

grabbed another win in 2015 alongside 

Emma Freedman and even held the record 

Winter Events 

for the highest scores in DWTS Australia 

history. 

Ukrainian dance is a huge part of their 

culture. So how did someone who came to 

prominence on Australian television, get the 

dancing bug? 

“I was always impersonating Michael 

Jackson at parties from the age of five. When 

I was eight years old, there was a ballroom 

dance class at a church hall down the road 

so my mum decided to take me.” 

“I was really inspired 

to create a story that 

brought the art of 

ballroom dancing into the 

modern era” 

“At high school they had me perform at the 

fashion parade and the crowd went off. So 

they got me back every year,” Aric recalls. 

It seems more people than ever are familiar 

with iconic dances like the Cha Cha thanks to 

the Dancing with The Stars television format. 

Ballroom Blitz spins traditional ballroom 

dance and mixes it with cutting-edge choreography 

with the result, a mesmerising 

display of skill and passion performed to 

a soundtrack that includes favourites from 

Buble, Desree, Elvis, Dua Lipa, and Sam 

Smith to name drop. 

Aric’s artistry takes centre stage guiding 

the audience on an awe-inspiring spectacle 

where rhythm meets romance and passion 

ignites the dance floor. Audiences will be 

‘transported to a world where every step 

tells a story’ (visions of the iconic dance 

sequence from Mary Poppins musical) and 

every move ignites the senses. 

When asked how dance made Aric feel 

on a holistic level he believes it’s all about 

a connection. 

“When I dance I feel most connected to 

myself. I really enjoy the music and the 

movements in my body that organically 

happen,” he says. 

Ballroom Blitz is produced by Anthony 

Street along with kiwi-born musical director 

Hayden Baird who plays the saxophone and 

flute in the live band. 

The cast features Dancing with the Stars 

(DWTS) winners and superstars including 

Shae Mountain, a talented kiwi-born star 

who razzle-dazzled audiences when he 

teamed up with NZ comedian Laura Daniel 

on Dancing with the Stars in 2019. 

The show features breath-taking costumes, 

lighting and stage design fused with 

heart-pounding music by the live band. This 

show will set the stage on fire as the dancers 

create moments of pure enchantment and 

deliver a testament to the world of dance. 

“I was really inspired to create a story 

that brought the art of ballroom dancing 

into the modern era,” says Anthony Street. 

“Working with Aric and Hayden we have 

been able to create something that we feel 

is truly beautiful and will leave audiences 

inspired and excited to learn more.” 

As for if he will have any time to enjoy the 

finer aspects of the Marlborough landscape 

Aric says ‘hopefully…..depends how much 

the show needs me’, he says. 

The show is billed as a breath-taking fusion 

of elegance, energy, and mind-blowing 

ballroom dance. The dancers are ready to 

remind a Marlborough audience that the 

possibilities are limitless when it comes 

to dance. 

Pick up your copy from Marlborough District Council 

FOLLOW-ME.CO.NZ 

Acclaimed Australian Choreographer Aric 

Yegudkin directs the show Ballroom Blitz 

which embarks on a whirlwind national 

tour. The Blenheim show is on Sunday, 

June 16 at the ASB Theatre at 7:30pm.



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10 



Havelock Lions fund bus shelter 

The Havelock Lions Club 

says locals saw the need for 

the bus shelter for both locals 

and tourists and many 

donations were given. 


Seven years of fundraising and 

‘working tirelessly’ has resulted in 

a bus shelter in Havelock 

Havelock Lions spokesperson 

Ally Morriss says they were 

thrilled Marlborough District 

Council Manager Dean Heifford 

accepted an invitation to visit 

Havelock and the need for a shelter. 

“Our Lions Club undertook to 

raise money to contribute to this. 

It was hoped the shelter would 

be in place within 18 months, 

forgetting NZTA would need to 

grant approval as it was on a main 

highway. The work also needed 

to fit in with work programmed 

around the Four Square and the 

township work, but we never 

guessed this would take so long,” 

she says. 

Ally says they had noticed a 

young overseas traveller from 

Germany waiting for the bus from 

Nelson, standing in freezing wind 

and rain, quite distressed. 

“We called him inside to warm up 

by a heater while one of us made a 

hot drink for him while the others 

watched out for the bus,” she says. 

“He was so thankful to have shelter 

and warmth, holding his hot drink 

in his cold hands.” 

All Lions were grateful, Ally 

says, for the great support of the 

Havelock Community who got 

behind the 2018 Easter Book Fair 

as quality used books were given 

by the public. 

“It was an enormously successful 

time as locals saw the need for 

the bus shelter for both locals and 

tourists and many donations were 

given, along with holding a raffle,” 

she says. “Prior to the Easter 

Book Fair the owner of an empty 

shop had allowed us to sell books 

for a month and this gave us the 

start to the fundraising and it was 

a thrill that within the year we had 

the $5,500 required.” 

Havelock Lions Club has supported 

the Havelock Community with 

building the medical centre and 

recent projects including the outside 

BBQ, the shade sail, and assistance 

with the outside gym and pétanque 

court near the pavilion. 

“We would like to meet up with 

any potential members who are 

interested in serving and working 

in our Lions Club to the benefit 

of our community. We annually 

assist locally with funding a 

student to Outward Bound and 

six primary students to a holiday 

camp,” says Ally. 

If Sun readers are interested 

in joining, contact Membership 

Chair Debby Upsall for more 

details. 

Ph 0272 232 348 or email her on 

debby@anakiwa.co.nz 

for Hot 2 for Drinks 1 

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This voucher off the be 

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to 

redeem. 

redeem. 

This voucher must be brought in to redeem. 

The Marlborough Stroke Club was 

recently presented with $500 by Harcourts 

Marlborough. 

MSC Secretary Vyvienne Dunlop 

says the donation was very welcome 

and added to the Pete Carpenter Wellness 

Fund to be used to support stroke 

survivors in the Marlborough community 

in their rehabilitation recovery. 

The dedicated fund subsidises members 

for physical rehabilitation with a 

neurological physiotherapist at Well 

& Good, speech therapy with Anna 

Moore Music Therapist as well as 

sponsoring personal trainer sessions at 

the Stadium. 

“We are so humbly grateful to the 

business community and general 

public for their generosity and ongoing 

support, without which we would not 

be able to offer the support to stroke 

survivors that we do,” says Vyvienne. 

Harcourts Rural/Lifestyle Sales and Marketing 

Consultant Martyn Birch with Marlborough Stroke 

Club President Jill Scoble and Vyvienne Dunlop. 

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‘Take time on how we fill 

those big shoes’ 


The Southern Jam Youth Festival 

scheduled in August will still go 

ahead, after the death of Rodger 

Fox last week. 

Rodger Fox, 71, was synonymous 

with big band jazz and was a judge 

at last year’s Southern Jam Youth 

Jazz Festival held in Blenheim. 

Pure Events Marlborough Events 

Manager Katrina Lange knew 

Rodger for 20 years and says 

many will be reeling from the 

news of his death. She says her 

heart goes out to his family and 

close friends, and the many students 

he had such an influence on. 

“He was such a tireless, dedicated, 

passionate jazz performer 

and educator, whose involvement 

in our event and for the many 

musicians and music-lovers he’s 

helped shape, Rodger will remain 

in our hearts and music forever,” 

she says. “Southern Jam will 

go ahead as Rodger would have 

wanted but we will take time on 

how we will fill those big shoes.” 

The jazz legend founded the 

Rodger Fox Big Band in 1973 

and toured extensively here and 

overseas, playing at international 

jazz festivals including Montreux, 

Monterey and New Orleans. 

The Christchurch-born musician 

also taught at the New Zealand 

School of Music in Wellington. 

Rodger was only 18 when he 

began playing with a dance band 

in the Wellington/Porirua area. 

He was a winner of the ‘Tui’ 

(Aotearoa Music Awards) for New 

Zealand Jazz Recording of the 

Year in 1981, 2000 and 2012, and 

a finalist in 1984 and 2001. 

He had split his time in Palmerston 

North and Wellington and 

taught at the New Zealand School 

of Music at Victoria University as 

a senior lecturer. 

The last time he performed on 

stage in Blenheim was pre Covid 

where he did some concerts with 

pianist Michael Houstoun. 

When the Blenheim Sun spoke 

to Rodger in August 2023 he said 

there were several people over 

the years that came to the jazz 

scene via Marlborough Boys’ 

College and especially into the 

Brass Band. 

“It’s a healthy scene which filters 

into other genres of music,” he 

said. 

David Bremner has been the 

principal trombonist in the New 

Zealand symphony orchestra for 

LARGER THAN LIFE: “Rodger Fox was a tireless, dedicated, passionate jazz performer and educator”, Pure 

Events Marlborough Katrina Lange (inset) says “Southern Jam will go ahead as Rodger would have wanted 

but we will take time on how we will fill those big shoes”. 

more than 20 years and says it’s an 

incredibly sad time for the music 

industry. 

“So many rock bands, jazz musicians, 

classical artists have all had 

inspiration from Rog in the early 

part of their lives.” 

David says Rodger was a “driving 

force” in music with boundless 

energy, particularly when it came 

to educating and inspiring the next 

generation of musicians. 

“Everyone knew that when they 

went to the New Zealand School 

of Music, they were going to have 

some kind of connection with 

Rodger Fox. That was a huge inspiring 

thing for students to go and 

be part of, he was a great champion 

of New Zealand music.” 

Rodger was made a Companion 

of the New Zealand Order of Merit 

(CNZM) in 2022. 

The Southern Jam Youth Jazz 

Festival has a gala concert at the 

ASB Theatre on Saturday, August 

10 from 7pm – 10pm. 

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12 



Stitching up another epic Fabric-a-brac 

It’s time to save the date and start 

sorting out your sewing stash ready 

for Fabric-a-brac Marlborough 

2024. 

Fabric-a-brac is a market which 

brings together sewers, quilters, 

crafters and other fabric fans to 

buy and sell vintage and modern 

fabric and sewing supplies with 

the proceeds supporting Hospice. 

This year’s Marlborough event 

will be held on Saturday, August 

17 at Connect Blenheim on the 

corner of Beaver Road and High 

Street, running from 10am till 

1pm. Stallholders will be selling 

their collections alongside Hospice 

Marlborough who will be selling 

all donated materials. Stallholder 

applications are now open and the 

Hospice Shop in Redwoodtown is 

accepting donations of all sewing 

related items. 

“Fabric-a-brac brings out fabric-a-holics 

from far and wide 

looking for inspiration for their 

next project,” says Tracy Johnston 

the Fabric-a-brac Marlborough 

coordinator. “We love that interior 

designers, upholsterers and sewing 

store owners also get on board 

donating fabulous fabric to support 

the event. It has also become the 

perfect place for family to sell or 

donate a loved one’s treasured 

collection knowing it is going to 

appreciative new homes. This 

means we have the ultimate combination 

of old and new treasures 

on offer.” 

Fabric-a-brac events fundraise 

for their local Hospice. In 2024 

the event will be held in ten locations 

around New Zealand. To 

date, the event has raised over 

$161,000 for Hospices across New 

Zealand. Fabric-a-brac Marlborough 

has raised over $19,000 since 

it started in 2021. 

The Fabric-a-brac Marlborough 

event is run and generously supported 

by volunteers and businesses 

who contribute their time and 

resources to help maximise the 

fundraising potential of the event. 

Connect Blenheim continue to 

provide the venue free of charge, 

Signs Now Picton is printing posters 

and Flooring Xtra Blenheim 

has stepped in to help sort and 

measure all the fabric donated to 

the Hospice Shop so it is ready for 

sale on the day. A team of volunteer 

bakers will also be putting on 

their pinnies to bake and serve at 

the pop-up café at the venue. This 

allows every dollar earned from 

the pop-up cafe, stallholder fees, 

gold coin donations, raffles and 

sales of fabric on the Hospice tables 

to go directly back to Hospice 

Marlborough. 

Hospice Marlborough welcomes 

the funds raised from the event. 

Events and Engagement Lead 

Leigh Somerville says with a 

funding shortfall of $850,000 this 

year, they simply couldn’t continue 

to provide the specialised palliative 

care services the region deserves, 

free of charge, without the generous 

support of our community 

and fundraising partners like the 

awesome Fabric-a-brac team. 

Fabric-a-brac Marlborough coordinator Tracy Johnston is collecting lots 

of fabric for the event at the Hospice Shop in Redwoodtown. 

“We truly appreciate all the hard 

work and effort that goes on behind 

the scenes, and we’re eagerly 

gearing up for, and looking forward 

to another epic Fabric-a-brac event 

come August,” says Leigh. 

Donations of fabric and sewing 

supplies can now be dropped off 

at the Hospice Shop in Redwoodtown 

until August 10 during their 

opening hours, Monday-Friday 

10am – 4pm and Saturday 10am 

to 1pm. 

To book a table to sell your 

stash visit https://fabricabrac.com/ 

marlborough/ 

Band winning streak continues 

Aimee Moore and Robin Randall 

with the trophies. 

Just seven weeks after returning 

victorious from the 

Australian National Brass Band 

Championships the Marlborough 

District Brass Band has 

returned victorious from the 

Nelson Marlborough West Coast 

Brass Band Championships held 

in Greymouth last weekend. 

Marlborough’s clean sweep 

saw them achieve winning 

points in the sacred item, own 

choice test, and stage march 

competitions as well as the 

30 minute light entertainment 

competition, thus earning the 

Marlborough Band overall top 

band in the Region. Percussionist 

Aimee Moore was awarded 

Best Soloists in the Entertainment 

Section for her rendition 

of Czardas on xylophone with 

band accompaniment. 

Individual soloists also fared 

well against some strong competition 

from members of bands 

from Nelson, Motueka, Westport, 

Greymouth & Rangiora. 

Marlborough solo placings were: 

Ariel Rofe and Luke Riley 

taking 1st and 3rd places respectively 

in the 15 years & Under 

Air & Variation 

JP Moynihan and Charlie 

Youngman placing 1st and 2nd 

in the 18 years & under Air & 

Variation 

JP Moynihan and Ariel Rofe 

taking 2nd and 3rd places in the 

18 years & under Slow Melody 

Jack Banks and Logan Ready 

winning 1st and 2nd in Intermediate 

Air & Variation 

Jack Banks, Jonty Zydenbos, 

and Clynton Payne placing 1st, 

2nd & 3rd in the Intermediate 

Slow Melody 

Graham Moseley taking home 

3rd place in both the Premier Air 

& Variation and Slow Melody 

competitions. 

Tala Natapu and Robin Randall 

placing 1st and 2nd in 55 

years and Over Air & Variation 

and Slow Melody Competitions, 

with Denis Teeling also taking 

3rd place in the Slow Melody. 

Marlborough small ensembles 

won both the Junior and Open 

Ensemble events. 

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14 



Grey Power 

Marlborough 

The Association for people 50+ 

Wishing all our members a 

special merry Christmas 

and a happy new year 

From the 

Phone 03 578 4950 or visit our website on 

President’s www.greypowermarlborough.co.nz Desk 

Well, there’s no getting around it – winter is 

settling in. And you have probably already 

noticed that your Winter Energy Payment 

started on the 1st of May. This is a great 

initiative and one that I hope will survive 

changing governments when they come into 

power. We’ve reprinted (with our thanks to 

the Office for Seniors, MSD) a full summary 

of this programme. 

Of national interest, the Federation’s Annual 

General Meeting (AGM) is set for the 18th – 

20th of June in Wellington. This year I will 

be attending as Zone Director, with Graeme 

Faulkner and Annie Percy attending as the 

Marlborough delegates. There are some 

interesting remits being put forward which 

our committee have looked at and decided 

how we will vote. The roles of National 

President (see below) and Treasurer will 

be voted on at this AGM. If there are any 

questions members would like us to put 

forward at the AGM, please email or ring 

the office and they will pass these onto me. 

Email: office@greypowermarlborough.co.nz 

or phone 03 578 4950. 

The Grey Power Federation President, Jan 

Pentecost, resigned from her role in March 

this year due to personal reasons. Federation 

Vice President, David Marshall, has taken 

over her role until the Federation AGM. We 

wish Jan all the best as she moves into a different 

phase of her life. Jan 

dedicated 16 years to 

the Federation board; 

10 as Federation 

Secretary and 4 as 

Federation President. 

Many thanks, Jan. 

Gayle Chambers, 

President, 

June 2024. 

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Advocating for people 50 + 

MARLBOROUGH 

Keeping your home warm 

this winter 

Two good ways to heat your home 

efficiently and economically this winter 

are heat pumps and wood burners. 

Here are a few tips on heat pumps 

(from Grey Power Pulse Energy) and 

wood burners (from NZHHA). 

For starters, make sure your home 

is properly insulated. If it isn’t, see 

if you are eligible for a Warmer Kiwi 

Homes grant. 

Heat pumps: About 1 in 4 New 

Zealand homes now use heat pumps. 

While heat pumps are the most efficient 

form of electric heating, some 

models are notably more energy-intensive 

than others. The good news is 

there are a number of things you can 

do to help your heat pumps function 

more efficiently and keep your power 

bill down over winter. 

• Only turn your heat pump on when 

you actually need it. It’s a common 

Unique... 

Because we 

understand 

that everyday 

life is. 

myth that it’s more efficient to keep 

your heat pump running all the 

time. 

• Avoid using ‘Auto’ mode. This setting 

requires more power than other 

heating modes as it makes the heat 

pump continuously switch between 

heating and cooling to maintain a 

steady temperature. 

• Remember to regularly clean both 

the indoor and outdoor filters of 

your heat pump. 

Wood Burners: Well operated, modern 

wood burners are energy efficient, 

produce low levels of air pollution and 

use one of NZ’s most renewable forms 

of energy – wood! They are designed 

to heat more than just a single room, 

are carbon neutral, and are one of the 

cheapest forms of heating. 

Use your Wood burner right. 

• For kindling, use small pieces of 

On-call positions available 

Presbyterian Support are on the 

lookout for Wonder Women and/or 

Supermen to help out in our day programme 

for seniors. We are looking 

for people to be part of our on-call 

casual relief team as programme 

facilitators and cooks in the Totara 

Day Programme (PSUSI) here in 

Blenheim. This pool of people will 

be on-call to help cover staff on 

leave. 

You will need to have the following 

superpowers: 

• Enjoy working alongside our 

group of awesome seniors (65+). 

• Be able to deliver an interesting 

range of activities to the group. 

• Be prepared to work as part 

of a small team delivering the 

programme. 

• Experience cooking basic, nutritious 

‘home-cooked’ meals 

and snacks. 

• A sense of humour. 

• Be available for on-call work. 

• If you can leap small buildings 

in a single bound and can fly that 

would be useful to! 

light, dry wood. If need be, some 

old newspaper and/or firelighters 

will ensure your fire starts first time. 

• Use only dry, seasoned firewood 

from a reputable supplier. It may 

cost more per cord but you will use 

less of it to get more warmth into 

your home. 

• Go outside and check your chimney 

– you will see smoke when 

it’s first lit, but once the fire is well 

underway and hot, you should just 

see a shimmer of heat. 

• Don’t damp the fire down when 

you go to bed, as this increases 

the smoke as the fire smoulders. 

Modern compliant units won’t allow 

this anyway. 

• Clean and/or empty the firebox 

regularly and ensure you get your 

chimney swept at the end of each 

winter. 

If this sounds like you, we would 

love to hear from you. 

Tricia Dawson, Manager 

PSUSI – Blenheim 

22 Alfred Street Blenheim 

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Grey Power 

Marlborough 

The Association for people 50+ 

Wishing all our members a 

special merry Christmas 

and a happy new year 

Winter Energy Payment 

Phone 03 578 4950 or visit our website on 

www.greypowermarlborough.co.nz 

The Winter Energy Payment 

started on Wednesday 1 May. The 

payment is to help with the cost 

of keeping your home warm and 

dry, and other costs over winter. 

If you get NZ Super or Veteran’s 

Pension, you will be entitled to 

get the Winter Energy Payment 

all winter, from Wednesday 1 

May until Tuesday 1 October. The 

payment is made automatically, 

you don’t need to apply. 

When you received your NZ 

Super on Tuesday 7 May, it will 

have included a part Winter Energy 

Payment. Your first full Winter 

Energy Payment will have been on 

Tuesday 21 May. 

Couples and people with dependent 

children will get $31.82 a 

week. Single, and widowed, people 

will get $20.46 a week. Couples 

will receive a combined payment 

Advocating for people 50 + 

which is made to one person in the 

couple – unfortunately we can’t 

split it, but we can switch it to the 

other person’s account. Please get 

in touch if you want to do so by 

calling the seniors line on 0800 

552 002. 

If you are overseas 

If you are overseas during this 

period, or you are already in another 

country on Tuesday 1 May, 

you can keep getting the Winter 

Energy Payment for up to 28 days 

(or four weeks). You must tell 

MSD if you’ll be away for more 

than 28 days, otherwise you could 

be paid incorrectly. If this happens, 

you may be required to pay some 

money back. 

The easiest way to let MSD 

know about your travel is using the 

‘Overseas travel dates for NZ Super 

or Veteran’s Pension’ online form 

or giving them a call on 0800 552 

002. You will also need to tell the 

Ministry of Social Development 

(MSD) when you return, so your 

payment can be started again. 

If you don’t want to get it 

If you get NZ Super or Veteran’s 

Pension, you’ll receive the Winter 

Energy Payment automatically. 

If you wish, you can opt out by 

either completing the ‘Stop or 

Restart Winter Energy Payment’ 

online form, available from 3 April 

onwards, or contact MSD. 

If you’ve opted out in the past and 

want to get this payment again, you 

can fill in the same form, or contact 

us on 0800 552 002 (Mon-Fri 7am- 

6pm and Saturday 8am-1pm). 

Reprinted with our thanks and 

with the permission of the Office 

for Seniors, Ministry of Social 

Development. 

MARLBOROUGH 

Use That Discount Book 

Like most of us, cleaning 

windows is one of my least 

favourite jobs and I never 

seem to get the result I 

want. I decided to get them 

cleaned by professionals in 

the hope I would at last be 

satisfied. Going through our 

discount book, I found two 

listings and chose KH Window 

Cleaning. Their quote 

was acceptable, the work 

was scheduled and done in 

a timely manner, and the 

windows look amazing. In 

fact, I had a comment from 

a friend saying, ‘how did 

you get your windows to 

look like that’. The original 

quote was $185.00 for 

the whole house, inside 

and out, and with the 10% 

Grey Power discount I paid 

$166.50 - $18.50 savings. 

When I found out that Harrisons 

Carpet & Flooring 

were offering Grey Power 

discounts nationally, I felt it 

was time to replace our tired 

looking vinyl in the kitchen. 

Harrisons offer 20% off carpets 

and flooring and 30% 

off window treatments to 

Grey Power members. The 

quote showed the original 

price and then the Grey 

Power discount which in my 

case came to $240.00. 

All in all, the saving to our 

household was $258.50 for 

these two services. Just 

these two discounts paid for 

our joint membership for 6 

years. Use that discount 

book! 

Gayle C. 

Office Snippets 

• If your membership dues for Grey 

Power Marlborough are overdue, 

it is not too late to pay. Please pay, 

or should you wish to discontinue 

membership, let us know as soon 

as possible. This is helpful for 

planning our budgets. 

• If you joined Grey Power Marlborough 

during January or February 

and do not have a yellow 

Discount Book, please pick one 

up or contact the office. 

• Please let us know any address, 

email, or telephone number 

changes so that we can stay 

connected when necessary. 

• The latest Discount Book is now 

available to view on our website, 

greypowermarlborough.co.nz 

• If you are a Facebook user, come 

and join our page, Grey Power 

Marlborough, where we share 

news, Grey Power press releases 

and community events that we 

believe to be relevant to our 

members. 

• If you have any spare jam jars 

with lids, please consider dropping 

them off to the St John’s shop 

in Springlands as they are wanted 

for marmalade. Thank you. 

Grey Power Electricity 

Grey Power Electricity, the major sponsor 

for Grey Power, is offering NEW customers 

$150 off their first month’s electricity bill. 

You need to join online, through the greypowerelectricity.co.nz 

website, and use the 

promo code “GPE150OFF”. The offer ends 

on 30 June. There are terms and conditions 

on the website, including that if you change 

electricity provider within a year of this 

offer, the money will need to be repaid. 

Remember, if you are a Grey Power Electricity 

customer, you are required to keep 

your membership of Grey Power Marlborough 

current to access the discounted 

electricity rates. 

Events: 

Heartland Cancer Talk: 

Monday 17 June 2024 10am to 12noon, at 

Community Hub Connect, 22 High Street, 

Picton, Prostate Cancer Support & Prost- 

FIT with Murray Eyles. For more information 

contact Marlborough@cancersoc. 

org.nz, Cancer Society Marlborough, 76a 

Maxwell Road, Blenheim Central 03 579 

4379 0800 CANCER (226 237). 

Falls Prevention: 

Thursday 4th July 11.30 - 1.30pm Picton 

Community Hall, 7 Wairau Road Picton. 

Friday 5th July 10.30 - 12.30pm St Andrew’s 

Church, 5 Henry Street Blenheim. 

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16 


The Sun



Farmers vs Parliament clash 

draws a crowd 

Farmers and politicians clashed 

on the sports field recently with the 

fixtures drawing a huge crowd and 

raising a significant sum of money 

for charity. 

The rugby and netball games, 

organised by Federated Farmers, 

were played at the famous Ngatapa 

Sports Club, Gisborne, in memory 

of the late Parekura Horomia. 

“What we saw was the very best 

of rural New Zealand,” says one of 

the event’s organisers, Federated 

Farmers meat & wool chair Toby 

Williams. 

“The sun was shining, the whole 

community turned up and helped 

out, and we raised a huge sum of 

money for a great cause.” 

The event raised almost $300,000 

in cash donations, with all funds 

going directly to local farmers 

still refencing their properties and 

recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle. 

“When you combine that with the 

value of the tractor we gave away 

and vouchers for the runners-up, 

there’s half a million dollars going 

into the local farming community,” 

Toby says. 

The Federated Farmers rugby 

team lost 20-12 to the Parliamentary 

side in what was an incredibly 

competitive and physical game. 

“This wasn’t just a bunch of 

old boys and politicians running 

around the park,” Toby says. 

“There were definitely a few 

ring-ins on the Parliamentary side, 

with bodyguards, security officers 

and former professional players all 

lining up and running the ball hard 

into contact. 

“You’ve got to give it to the politicians 

though. Agriculture Minister 

Todd McClay is a pretty handy 

player in the backline, pulling off 

a man of the match performance. 

“It turns out Todd’s not just quick 

to cut red tape for farmers. He’s 

pretty quick down the right wing 

too. Labour MP Peeni Henare was 

The Federated Farmers rugby team lost 20-12 to the Parliamentary side in what was an incredibly competitive 

and physical game. 

like a rampaging bull every time he 

got his hands on the ball, and former 

Agriculture Minister Damien 

O’Connor was a real menace at the 

breakdown.” 

On the netball court, Federated 

Farmers found more favour, pulling 

off an upset victory and toppling 

the visiting Parliamentary side 

33-16. 

The event’s other organiser, Federated 

Farmers board member 

Sandra Faulkner, says the day was 

just what the local community 

needed to bring everyone together. 

“Some of our farming families 

are still really hurting after the cyclone. 

Across the district, farmers 

still have hundreds of kilometres 

of fencing left to do,” Faulkner 

says. 

“They packed their boots, left 

the politics in Wellington, and really 

showed up for our community 

when we needed them.” 

Faulkner says the event was about 

much more than just sport. 

“It was an opportunity to acknowledge 

and celebrate how much 

our local farming families have 

achieved over the last 18 months. 

Federated Farmers are still here, 

working hard with them.” 

Chipping towards 

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18 



‘Invested in future of 

wine industry’ 

Bragato Research Institute and 

WinePro will collaborate in presenting 

WinePro, a new wine industry 

event, taking place on June 25 – 27 

in Blenheim. 

WinePro is a three-day showcase 

and selling event that embodies the 

latest market trends. Developed by 

the company that runs the acclaimed 

WineTech event in Australia, Wine- 

Pro will bring together the latest 

innovations and offerings from the 

New Zealand wine industry, all conveniently 

housed at the Marlborough 

Lines Stadium 2000. 

The state of the art Research Winery 

opened in February 2020 at the 

Marlborough Research Centre in 

Blenheim. They partner with industry 

and other research organisations 

to set the national research agenda, 

trial world-first technologies, conduct 

commercial trials, and connect 

educators and students to science 

and industry. 

This partnership aims to bring together 

the collective expertise of both 

organisations and provide a platform 

to showcase innovations and discuss 

topics and challenges facing the New 

Zealand wine industry. 

Jeffrey Clarke CEO of BRI says 

they are invested in the future 

success of the New Zealand wine 

industry, and the joint event collaboration 

with WinePro represents a 

chance to bring to New Zealand 

a brand new type of event for 

the sector. 

“We look forward to developing 

an engaging and worthwhile 

programme that appeals to a 

wide cross-section of the industry,” 

says Jeffrey. 

Gary FitzRoy, the organiser of 

WinePro, emphasised the importance 

of engaging the entire 

industry in shaping the event. 

He expressed his enthusiasm 

for BRI’s participation, saying 

a key ingredient for WinePro 

is involving the whole industry. 

“Their (BRI) expertise and 

knowledge will be invaluable in 

creating an event that addresses 

the real issues faced by our 

industry. Moreover, we have 

had so much local support from 

industry who wish to volunteer 

to build on the overall event 

success and we are in conversation 

with other representative 

bodies. We firmly believe that 

their contributions will add great 

value to this new peak event for 

the New Zealand wine industry.” 

Gary FitzRoy, organiser of WinePro, emphasised the importance of 

engaging the entire industry in shaping the event. He expressed 

his enthusiasm for BRI’s participation, saying a key ingredient for 

WinePro is involving the whole industry. 

If you can think it, we can help you make it. 

Talk to an ITM sales rep today and let’s get it underway. 

41 Holdsworth St, Blenheim | 03 578 3049 

operations@blenheimitm.co.nz



Applications open for 2025 

Rabobank Grad Programme 

Applications for the 2025 

intake of the Rabobank 

New Zealand Graduate 

Programme are now open. 

The 18 month-long programme 

offers university 

graduates with an interest 

in agri banking the opportunity 

to begin their 

careers with New Zealand’s 

only specialist food and 

agribusiness bank. 

Six graduates from around 

the country will be selected 

for the programme, where 

they will gain experience 

and be given career development 

support, within the 

bank’s Country Banking 

division. 

Announcing the opening 

of applications, Rabobank 

New Zealand general manager 

for Country Banking 

Bruce Weir says the bank 

officially launched its Graduate 

Programme in 2021 

and more than 35 graduates 

had now been employed as 

part of the programme. 

“As a food and agri banking 

specialist, Rabobank is 

well aware of the need to 

continue to attract energetic 

and talented young people 

into roles across the agri 

sector,” he said. 

“Alongside our client 

council network, we have 

a really strong focus on 

creating more pathways 

for young people within the 

industry, and the Graduate 

Programme is one of the 

key initiatives we undertake 

to support this objective.” 

Applications for the programme 

close on Wednesday 

19 June 2024 and the 

new intake of graduates 

will begin the programme 

early next year. 

Rabobank New Zealand General Manager for Country Banking Bruce 

Weir says the bank officially launched its Graduate Programme in 2021 

and more than 35 graduates had now been employed as part of the 

programme. 

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20 



An Arvida Proud Living to Well bring Community you this puzzle page 

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 9 

10 11 

351 

SUDOKU 

Every row, column and box should 

contain the digits 1 to 9. 

WordBuilder 

WORDBUILDER 

251 

6 

M A B 

E L G 

12 13 14 15 

16 

17 18 

19 

20 21 22 23 24 

How many words of three or more letters, 

How including many plurals, words can you of make three from or the more six 

letters, using each letter only once? No foreign 

words or words beginning with a capital are 

from allowed. the There's six letters, at least one using six-letter each word. only 

once? TODAY’S GOAL 

Good 16 Very Good 25 Excellent 34 

Solution 250: ail, air, alb, aril, bail, bar, blur, bra, 

brail, bur, BURIAL, burl, lab, lair, liar, lib, lira, rail, rial, 

word. rib, rub. 

letters, including plurals, can you make 

No words beginning with a capital are 

allowed. There’s at least one six-letter 

Good 16 Very Good 25 Excellent 34 

25 26 

27 28 

29 30 

31 32 

33 34 

Across 

1. Perfect world (6) 

5. Small packet (6) 

10. Surgical pincers (7) 

11. Romantic (7) 

12. Bottom of the ocean (6) 

15. Higher in rank (6) 

16. Considered (7) 

17. Implement (4) 

18. Vend (4) 

19. Decree (7) 

20. Arrears (4) 

22. Excludes (4) 

25. Order to appear in court (7) 

27. Intelligence (inf) (6) 

28. Extreme fear (6) 

31. Staying power (7) 

32. Oblivious (7) 

33. Hold together (6) 

34. Scabbard (6) 

Decoder 

Down 

2. Twister (7) 

3. Favour (6) 

4. Too (4) 

5. Kill (4) 

6. Shut (6) 

7. Controversial, inflammatory (7) 

8. Counteract (6) 

9. Relating to the stars (6) 

13. Deceitful (7) 

14. Traditions (7) 

15. Navigation instrument (7) 

20. Cease (6) 

21. Swagger, boastfulness (7) 

23. Side by side (7) 

24. Filter (6) 

25. Try, struggle (6) 

26. Staid (6) 

29. Nemesis (4) 

30. Swear (4) 

Crossword 

Across: 1. Utopia, 5. 

Sachet, 10. Forceps, 11. 

Amorous, 12. Seabed, 15. 

Senior, 16. Reputed, 17. 

Tool, 18. Sell, 19. Dictate, 

20. Debt, 22. Bars, 25. 

Summons, 27. Smarts, 28. 

Terror, 31. Stamina, 32. 

Unaware, 33. Cohere, 34. 

Sheath. 

Down: 2. Tornado, 3. Prefer, 

4. Also, 5. Slay, 6. Closed, 7. 

Emotive, 8. Offset, 9. Astral, 

13. Devious, 14. Customs, 

15. Sextant, 20. Desist, 

21. Bravado, 23. Abreast, 

24. Screen, 25. Strive, 26. 

Sedate, 29. Bane, 30. Cuss. 

WordBuilder 

able, age, alb, ale, amble, 

bag, bagel, bale, balm, 

bam, beam, beg, bel, bema, 

blame, elm, gab, gable, gal, 

gale, GAMBLE, game, gel, 

gem, glam, gleam, lab, lag, 

lam, lamb, lame, lea, leg, 

mag, mage, male, meal, 

mega. 

Sudoku 

DECODER 

Each number represents a different letter of the alphabet. Write the 

given letters into all squares with matching numbers. Now work out 

which letters are represented by the other numbers. 

All puzzles copyright 

T H E P U Z Z L E C O M P A N Y 

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There , s 

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THE WOODY PIG & DEER HUNT 2024 

the crowd turned out in force on Sunday for the weigh-in 

and prize-giving the annual Woodbourne tavern Pig & Deer 

Hunt 2024. Marlborough turned on some great weather, 

perfect conditions for hunting and enjoying a well-earned 

cold one or three at the Woody afterwards. 

Out & 

...with The Sun 

your local paper 

AbOut 

Have an event ? 

Contact 03 5777 868 

Britanny Patchett with son Beau enjoy the festive atmosphere as 

they await the prizegiving. 

A massive crowd gathered in the Woodbourne Tavern car park for 

the for their 2024 Pig & Deer Hunt prizegiving. 

‘MC Woody’, Rowan Ingpen presides over 

a sea of people as he prepares to address 

the crowd. 

Marlborough Division Two Rugby. 

Photos: Tasman Community Rugby. 

Harlequins flanker Sitiveni Dakunimata (left) and Stefan Noa in action against Pelorus at 

Lansdowne Park recently. 

Rex Webster is presented with a spot prize - a day trip into the sounds for a hunt, all 

expenses paid - kindy donated by the team at Marlborough Solar. 

Students of MGC are polishing off their original compositions and prepping for the 

Smokefree Rock Quest. It has been 16 years since Smokefree Rock Quest was last held in 

Marlborough and this year it’s being held in Marlborough due to such a large number of 

students from MGC entering the competition. The students have been humbled by the 

support and kindness from their peers and teachers in the lead up to their competition. 

Tickets are on sale now, $15 for students and $25 for adults - Friday 14 June, 7pm. 

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2024/smokefree-rockquest-tangata-beats-marlborough-final/blenheim/tickets 

Learning Village is a programme for MGC students who have English as a second language, 

or for those who have little or no English language skills. It's an accelerated learning 

program so that students have every opportunity to learn. From left: Bianca Schiavi, 

Argentina; Anna Sofia Betancur Lopez, Colombia; (Toni Brooks, teacher aide), Sara Hope Da 

Silva, Brazil, and Isadora De Matos Pego Ferreira, Brazil. Anna says the classes have helped 

her develop her English further because 'I can study in my own time and according to 

my level of English. We practice reading, writing and speaking through videos, activities, 

games and random conversations'.

22 



5 minutes with... 

ElizabEth VawtEr 

Marlborough 

Academy of 

Music violin 

tutor 

• Are you a dog 

or cat person? 

I’m definitely a dog 

person. 

• My friends would 

say I am… 

That I’m a good person to talk to. 

• The best advice I ever received was? 

Fake it, till you make it. One of the leading pieces of wisdom 

when playing the violin in the orchestra. 

• What would you buy if money was no object? 

A private education as an equine chiropractor. 

• Local coffee haunt? 

None – I don’t spend much time in cafes 

• Favourite takeaway? 

Burleigh pies – nothing can beat a good pie. 

• The shop you can’t walk past is...? 

Any op shop. Also any equestrian shop or luthier. 

Exclusive 

Interview! 

Marlborough power 

bills to increase in 2025 


Inflationary pressures could 

see household electricity bills in 

Marlborough rise by an average 

$15 a month next year if Commerce 

Commission proposed prices are 

confirmed. 

The commission regulates prices 

and performance standards for 

national grid operator Transpower 

and local lines companies, and has 

just released draft decisions for 

feedback. 

Commissioner Vhari McWha 

says the higher prices were necessary 

to fund investment in the 

electricity network. 

“We’re conscious that for consumers 

to get the electricity network 

they need, more investment 

is required. That’s why we’re 

proposing to increase the amount 

of revenue Transpower and local 

lines companies can earn.” 

She says some of the spending 

the companies wanted approved 

has not been allowed for, and the 

commission has looked to spread 

out other spending programmes 

to ease the pressure on households. 

“Without the commission’s proposal 

to slow revenue recovery, 

consumers could be looking at 

price increases of around $25 per 

month.” 

Marlborough Lines Commerical 

Manager Scott Wilkinson says 

last week’s draft price decision 

applies to non-exempt Electricity 

Distribution Business (EDBs). 

However, exempt EDBs tend to 

mirror non-exempt EDBs price 

increases as all EDBs are generally 

facing the same cost pressures. 

“Without increasing revenue 

allowances, EDBs wouldn’t be 

able to meet rising costs, and 

undertake the required investment 

in their networks to support decarbonisation 

and electrification and 

have a network that is resilient to 

natural disasters,” says Scott. (The) 

Commerce Commission considers 

EDB expenditure requirements, 

and decide what they think is 

appropriate and allowable revenue 

over the five year DPP (default 

price period). Without smoothing, 

it would likely result in a larger step 

change,” he says. 

Consumers in Auckland, Wellington, 

and at the top of the South 

Island would face $10 average rises, 

those in Christchurch, Invercargill, 

the lower and central North Island 

and the Bay of Plenty $15, and 

those in Otago, East Coast, South 

Canterbury, and Northland $20. 

McWha says the raises reflected 

the cost of borrowing, cost of materials 

and inflationary pressures. 

“It also recognises that assets built 

last century - many in the 1960s 

and 1970s - need to be maintained 

and replaced. Electricity networks 

also need to grow and adapt to 

meet population growth and new 

demands, such as the increasing 

electrification of transport and 

industrial process heat.” 

The draft decisions cover 16 lines 

companies. The others, which are 

community owned, are not price 

controlled, but McWha says they 

were likely to mirror the rises 

applied elsewhere. 

The regulated companies cover 

about 80 percent of households and 

the estimated price increases vary 

between $10 and $20 a month in 

the first year, with further rises in 

subsequent years. 

• What’s the most thoughtful gift you’ve ever 

received? 

An amazing card from my friend on my birthday that was 

very special. 

• Where is your happy holiday place? 

Flying U Ranch in Canada, nothing can beat getting chucked 

on a horse and given free reign. 

• Favourite programme or series currently 

watching? 

I just rewatched some of the Hunger Games and those are 

always fabulous. 

• What’s one thing on your bucket list? 

I really want to make a living as an equine massage therapist 

or chiropractor, preferably in Europe. 

Marlborough Lines Commercial Manager Scott Wilkinson says without increasing revenue allowances, 

Electricity Distribution Business (EDBs) wouldn’t be able to meet rising costs, and undertake the required 

investment in their networks to support decarbonisation and electrification and have a network that is 

resilient to natural disasters. 

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Tax Cuts 

The new coalition has been getting a bit of 

a bashing on social media etc, but I for one 

would like to see what the next twelve months 

bring. God willing, with no natural disasters, I 

reckon we’ll be in a better place than we are 

now. Tax cuts will help - a very sensible budget 

will do the rest. When they fix this country, 

the Greens and their mates will have to find 

something else to bleat about. 

Sun 

Keep up the great work. This paper continues 

to grow and keep our community informed 

and alive. 

Simple 

Winter is often the grumpy season. Have some 

thought for others. Often struggling with 

things we know nothing about. 

A smile or compliment can brighten someone’s 

day so much. 

Roads 

Terrible car accident up north. 5 people gone 

in a blink. Take care people, cars and roads can 

be lethal. Not always our friend. 

RIP to those people. 

Corporate greed 

I’m getting tired of hearing about record 

profits made by banks, power companies, 

supermarkets during a recession and the 

worst cost of living crisis we’ve seen in a while. 

Where’s their social conscience? 

They should be made to tighten their belts 

like the rest of us. 

Flying 

With all this sudden news of flights experiencing 

bad turbulence does anyone have 

any remedies for anxious flyers? Or meds that 

actually work? 

txt talk with The Sun 

New Roundabout 

Wow can’t believe it, the new roundabout that no one wanted 

already has pot holes in it and it’s only being 3 to 4 weeks fully 

operational 

Why Keep it Secret 

I’ve just attended the Why Keep it Secret 

seminar. Thank you MDC and Grey Power. So 

very informative, and interesting. Thank you 

also to the speakers who were there. You’ve 

sparked some discussions at our place! 

To Wave Or Not? 

Some food for thought for Paywave/Tap ‘n Go 

users. The associated charges are in the criminal 

category & worse, where these charges 

are ‘absorbed’ by retailers, such charges are 

passed back to ALL consumers by increasing 

product prices. 

And of course, there’s the hassle associated 

with the loss/theft of Paywave Activated cards. 

The simple solution - de-activate/don’t use the 

paywave facility and simply take one second 

to enter the PIN. 

Lack in good 

Just thinking to myself when I read NZ news 

on the Herald and Stuff, there’s very little ‘good 

news’. Sad state of affairs or do they just like 

the sensationalism? 

Charities 

I don’t mind giving to charity, and I often do. 

But I do object to being accosted as I enter 

the supermarket. It seems these days that 

charities are using highly trained sales teams 

who must surely be on a commission, such 

is their determination to extract your hard 

earned money from you. If you break stride as 

they step out from behind their little table and 

into your path, you are done for. Out comes 

the iPad and the sales spiel. Before long you’re 

being shoe-horned into a monthly payment 

plan for goodness sake! 

This not only turns me completely off that 

charity, but also the supermarket. I don’t mind 

the ones who simply greet me, I’ll put my hand 

in my pocket for them. But these highly trained 

sharks that are employed these days.........one 

was still yelling at me as I went through the 

second set of doors automatic doors today. 

He actually said, and I quote, “I’ll get you on 

the way out!” 

No thank you! 

Got an important issue to share with Marlborough? 

Text your thoughts to 027 242 5266 

To replies re tailgaters 

The Road Code advises you must be able to 

stop in half the clear distance ahead. One of 

the most common vehicle crashes, is a nose to 

tail. On the open road when doing the speed 

limit allow 5 or 6 car lengths to the vehicle in 

front. Then if that vehicle stops or slows you 

have ample reaction time to avoid a collision. 

Paper bags 

I know the reasoning behind using paper 

bags over plastic but oh I miss them. So much 

easier to use and to dispose of. Some of these 

paper bags don’t even last the distance home, 

particularly where groceries are concerned. 

Monocultures 

Tony Orman is dead right and our district 

planners need to take heed. 

White Heron 

‘Rare visitor’ indeed. We live at Rarangi and 

have spotted a white heron a couple of times 

recently. Must be seasonal or migratory. Such 

a beautiful majestic bird, especially when 

they take flight. So much strength and lift in 

those wings. 

CBD 

Redwoodtown hub this is a great busy little 

precinct. Just hope the CBD can stay alive and 

thriving too. 

Crossings 

Why do people just step out without looking, 

like they’re bullet proof. Nearly bowled someone’s 

child who ran out. Came out of nowhere. 

I wasn’t moving very fast but still screeched to 

a halt. The mother rushed across after the child 

giving me the death stare! Not my fault lady. 

Brunch at Raupo 

Consistently great. Went in Sunday. They were 

busy. But the service was top notch, and the 

food was just as good as always. The only place 

that does Eggs Benedict with cubes of salmon 

filet, lightly pan fried. Not cold slimy pieces of 

smoked salmon like most other places. 

Talk of the week 

Pig & Deer Hunt 

Wow!! What an amazing event 

this year. It’s usually awesome 

but this year was next level. 

Well done to all the hunters, 

and well done to our beloved 

Woody team, 

You guys rock! 

MAD off to Worlds 

Well done Immy, Sam, Icey, 

and Filimoe’ulie! I’m sure you’ll 

do Marlborough and New 

Zealand proud! 

Many thanks 

To all who helped when my 

husband collapsed in Charcoal 

on Friday night. He is out of 

hospital and well. 

Many Thanks. 

We welcome your texts on 

027 242 5266. 

Limit to 70 words please. 

We reserve the right to publish at our 

discretion. Please note the opinions 

expressed are not necessarily those of the 

Sun management. 

Love our Locals 

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24 Wednesday June 5, 2024 


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Unions reject governance change 


Provincial Unions rejected New 

Zealand Rugby’s governance 

change proposal last Thursday voting 

for a second proposal, backed 

by a group of PUs, instead. 

NZR’s voting members, the 26 

Provincial Unions and the New 

Zealand Māori Rugby Board, were 

asked to vote on two proposals. 

Proposal one, which was backed 

by the NZR board and essentially 

adopted all the recommendations 

from last year’s independent governance 

review, failed to get the two 

thirds majority vote required, with 

31 votes for and 59 against. 

Proposal 2, which was put forward 

by a group of provincial unions and 

would guarantee provincial union 

representation on the NZR board, 

also failed to get the 67 percent 

majority it needed with 69 votes for 

and 21 against. 

So for now the status quo essentially 

remains. 

However, the politicking is likely 

to continue for the next couple of 

months ahead of the NZR annual 

general meeting on 26 July, when 

the matter will be voted on again. 

The Chairman of the Tasman 

Rugby Union Baz Henare was 

approached by the Blenheim Sun 

Newspaper for comment. However, 

deadline commitments didn’t allow 

for Baz to comment for this edition. 

In May, New Zealand Rugby put 

forward Proposal 1 to be voted on. 

Proposal 1 essentially adopted the 

recommendations from last year’s 

independent Governance Review, 

led by David Pilkington and known 

as the “Pilkington Report”. 

Under the plan the current NZR 

board would be replaced by an 

independent board of nine members 

to be selected by an independent 

expert appointments panel. 

This was a major backdown from 

NZR’s initial proposal put forward 

in March. 

New Zealand Rugby Players Association 

(NZRPA) chief executive 

Rob Nichol at the time said the 

new direction was “excellent and 

outstanding, hopefully the game 

can get in behind it”. 

The NZRPA originally commissioned 

the Pilkington Report, 

which found NZR’s current governance 

model was “not fit for purpose 

in the modern era”. 

At present, the board is made up 

of nine members, three of whom are 

elected, three appointed, and three 

nominated. One of the members 

is automatically appointed as the 

NZR representative on the New 

ALL ABOUT THE GAME: Rowena Duncum, spokesperson for the unions behind the second proposal, says 

the new system would ensure a modern and independent Board, which has experience and empathy for 

the 150,000 people who play and run the game across the country. She says everyone who cared about 

community rugby would commit to the democratically chosen proposal. 

Zealand Māori Rugby Board. 

Aside from the main concession 

in the board reapplying, NZR’s new 

proposal will establish an initial 

Appointments Panel. The panel will 

either confirm board members for 

the balance of their terms or consider 

them against other possible 

candidates. 

Proposal 1 was up against another 

proposal (proposal 2) put together 

by a group of Provincial Unions 

(PUs) including Wellington, Auckland, 

Canterbury, Hawkes Bay, 

Bay of Plenty, North Harbour and 

Northland. 

Proposal 2 essentially guarantees 

Provincial Union on the NZR board 

by demanding three of the nine 

directors have previous experience 

on a provincial union board. 

The majority of the NZR board, 

the Super Rugby franchises, the 

New Zealand Maori Rugby Board, 

the NZRPA and some provincial 

unions are expected to vote for an 

independent board. 

However, before today’s vote, 

David Pilkington, the chair of the 

review panel, wasn’t confident 

proposal 1 would win out, believing 

it would be scuppered by the PUs 

who wanted to retain the status quo. 

‘Someone with 

intestinal fortitude’ 


Public submissions to the MDC 

Long Term Plan 2024 – 2034 closed 

on May 13 with 350 submissions 

received. One of them wasn’t from 

Phil Welch. 

However, the Witherlea resident 

submitted his own proposals about 

Blenheim, ‘a year ago’ and believes 

his ideas proposed to the Marlborough 

District Council could be seen 

to be ‘reasonably substantial’. 

One proposal was on Pollard Park, 

‘a wonderful asset for Blenheim 

residents and a jewel in our crown’. 

Phil suggested there should be large 

promotional signage on Nelson 

Street (initially off Grove Road/SH1 

and at the Middle Renwick Road end 

by Boyce Street). 

“We know it’s there, yet visitors 

never get to see it,” he says. “Many 

small to medium towns have parks 

and seating readily available as 

travellers cruise the country, such as 

Amberley, Cheviot and Geraldine. 

We have a minuscule sign on Nelson 

Street which many would miss, thus 

missing a premium local attraction.” 

Phil says another proposal was the 

High Street Bridge and the west end 

of High Street being an ‘absolute 

eye-sore’, and as an entrance to the 

CBD from Springlands, embarrassing. 

“With rickety wooden framework it 

should be removed. There’s unpainted 

fences and ugly concrete which 

has been left to deteriorate,” he says. 

“I received and appreciated a 

reply from the Mayor indicating it 

would be on the agenda for 2028 

but that was then five years away 

and, accepting there would have to 

be a relatively minor traffic inconvenience, 

a quick fix would not have 

been difficult in the interim.” 

From an aesthetic/foot traffic lens, 

Phil says given the shift by many 

CBD businesses to Westwood in 

recent times and the ‘potential 

depletion of foot-traffic as a result’, 

there is an opportunity to create 

a town centre vibrancy or serious 

consideration to converting Market 

Street to foot traffic only, with the 

exception of vehicle deliveries and 

emergency vehicles when required. 

“Having said this, we have to accept 

that Councillors are merely the 

elected representatives and not the 

‘doers’,” he says. “They can come up 

with ideas, or show support for what 

others may consider worthwhile, but 

everything costs money and we all 

know that the major decisions and 

the workings of Council come not 

from Councillors but from behind 

closed doors by those employed - not 

elected - to call the shots.” 

Mayor Taylor says it’s great to see 

such strong interest in the future of 

Marlborough and added she ‘looked 

forward to the public hearings and 

robust discussions with councillors’ 

before deciding on final recommendations. 

LTP hearings are timetabled for 

June 10 - 21 with councillors considering 

submissions in the week 

beginning June 24. 

‘A sanctuary where 

people feel at ease’ 


Wairau Hospital’s Paediatric 

Department has been given a 

splash of colour, brightening 

visits for children. 

Vibrant wall decals inspired 

by flora and fauna, story books, 

colouring books and wildlife 

posters are now in place thanks 

to a ‘Pain Reduction through 

Distraction’ project. 

The project aims to alleviate 

stress often felt by children 

and their whānau in hospital 

environments and provides a 

distraction as they wait for and 

receive treatment. 

Donna Addidle, Service Manager 

ED, Ortho and RMO, led 

the project and says it has already 

made a difference: “The department 

has been brought to life, 

and is now a sanctuary where 

people can feel at ease, often at a 

difficult time. 

“Support from The Care Foundation 

and our community helped 

to make this project possible.” 

Decal designs highlight local 

mountains, forests, plains and 

coastal landscapes, creating a 

calm and soothing environment, 

and creatures such as geckos, 

king shags, giant land snails 

and great spotted kiwis appear 

throughout story books and play 

activities. 

As part of the project, paediatric 

areas in the emergency department 

and radiology department 

at Wairau Hospital, and inpatient 

and outpatient departments at 

Nelson Hospital will also be 

enhanced with decals, creating 

connection between paediatric 

services across the region. 

If Sun readers would like to 

support the project, visit thecarefoundation.org.nz/ 

to make 

a donation. 

Vibrant wall decals inspired by New Zealand’s flora and fauna are now in place at Wairau Hospital’s 

Paediatric Department thanks to a ‘Pain Reduction through Distraction’ project.

26 Wednesday June 5, 2024 


CLARKE: Raymond Jason (Jason) On 

27 May 2024 at Wairau Hospital, aged 53 

years. Loved Dad of Celiece (Christchurch) 

and Laurence (Auckland). Loved Poppa of 

Talan and Carys. Brother of Arthur, Roy, 

Reg, Dayna, Tegan and Alfred. Messages 

to c/- PO Box 9 Blenheim 7201 or www. 

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz In accordance with 

Jason’s wishes a private cremation has taken 

place. 

Cloudy Bay Funerals 

03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

HALLIDAY: Raymond Harvey At home 

Saturday June 1st, 2024 Beloved husband 

of Ardell, loved father & father in law of 

Rachel & Richard Marfell, Benedict & Lisa 

Halliday, the late Philip Halliday. Loved 

grandfather of Samantha Marfell, Hugh 

Marfell, John Cook, Mary Halliday Cook, 

Kate Halliday, James Halliday Great grandfather 

of Isaiah and Charlie Cook. Messages 

to 130 Dog Point Road, Blenheim 7272. A 

Funeral Service for Raymond will be held at 

St Mary’s Catholic Church, Maxwell Road 

on Friday 7 June at 11.00am followed by 

interment at the Fairhall Cemetery. The service 

will be livestreamed and can be viewed 

on the Cloudy Bay Funeral Services website 

www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz 


03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

TAU’ALUPE, Lisa Gemma (née Sanft): 

Passed away on Sunday May 26, 2024, at her 

home. Aged 37 years. Much loved daughter 

of Sue and Paul, and loved step-daughter of 

Jo. Loved sister of Mark and Minnie, Kelly 

and Aaron. Naughty but loved granddaughter 

of Nana BB. A special friend to Nicole. 

Mum to her beloved dog, Tank. Messages 

may be sent to the Sanft Family, 8 Gibbons 

Place, Grovetown, Blenheim 7202. In lieu 

of flowers a donation to Marlborough Four 

Paws would be kindly appreciated and may 

be made to a/c 02-0600-0312016-000 Ref. 

TAU’ALUPE. In accordance with Lisa’s 

wishes a private celebration of her life has 

been held. 

T: 03 578 4719 

E: sowmans@funerals.co.nz 

W: www.sowmans.co.nz 

MORGAN: Garry Stephen On 31 May 

2024, peacefully at home with family at his 

side, aged 67 years. Dearly loved husband of 

Kristine and a loved father and father-in-law 

of Peter and Caitlyn (Sydney) and Tim and 

Emma (Cundletown NSW). A loved stepfather 

and father-in-law of Tristan and Annette 

Ward (Sydney); Aaron and Sacha Ward 

(Nelson); and Matt and Yohanna Ward; and 

an adored Grandad. A loved brother of Dennis 

(West Coast) and brother-in-law of Ross 

and Susan (Christchurch); Barry and Linda 

(Matamata); Rob (Ashburton); Jane and 

Jim (Nelson). Messages to 6 Boyce Street, 

Renwick 7204. In lieu of flowers, a donation 

to the Marlborough Hospice (Acc. No. 

03 1369 036520700 Ref: Morgan) would be 

appreciated or may be made at the service. 

Our heartfelt thanks to the caring staff at 

the Marlborough Hospice, Dr Laura Steen 

and the Oncology team. A celebration of 

Garry’s life will be held at the Springlands 

Chapel, Cloudy Bay Funeral Services, 15 

Boyce Street on Friday 7 June at 2.00pm 

followed by private cremation. The service 

will be livestreamed and can be viewed on 

the Cloudy Bay Funeral Services website 

www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz 


03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

Death notices 

TANTRUM: John Stuart On 31 May 2024, 

at Ashwood Park Retirement Village, aged 

90 years. Dearly loved husband of Brenda 

Oldfield and formerly the late Helen Tantrum. 

A loved father, grandfather and great 

grandfather. Messages to 6C Adams Lane 

Blenheim 7201 or www.cloudybayfunerals. 

co.nz In accordance with John’s wishes, a 

private cremation will take place. 


03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

TABER: GARY “GDOG” Aged 65, passed 

away on Wednesday May 29, 2024, at 

Wairau Hospital, due to a stroke. Adored 

husband of Eileen and the loved brother of 

Marina and brother-in -law and sister-inlaw 

Bryan and Linda and brother-in -laws 

Danny, Michael, and Charles. Beloved uncle 

of his nieces Nikki and Laura and great 

nephews Beauden and Harry and great niece 

Esmay and nieces Janine, Adele and nephews 

Lee, CJ, Rory, Andrew and Daniel. 

Messages to the Taber family c/- PO Box 9 

Blenheim 7240 or www.cloudybayfunerals. 

co.nz In lieu of flowers, a donation to Life 

Flight Trust (Acc. No. 03 0578 0048481 08 

Ref: Taber) or NZ Flying Doctors ( Acc. No. 

03 1702 0403570 00 Ref: Taber) would be 

gratefully appreciated or may be made at the 

service. A service to celebrate Gary’s life 

has been held. The service was recorded and 

details may be accessed on the Cloudy Bay 

Funeral Services Website. 


03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

Acknowledgements 

MCGIRR; Annette Mary John, Catherine, 

Philippa, Kelvin, Angus and families would 

like to thank everyone for their Love, Kindness 

and Support, during Annette’s long illness 

and recent passing. It has been a great 

comfort to us all. Please accept this as a personal 

Thank you. 

Community Notices 

The Marriage Course 

7 sessions to strengthen your relationship. 

Nativity Hall, Wednesday 12 June @ 7pm. 

Contact Nicci 02102572940 or onexy4xx@ 

xtra.co.nz 

Public Notices 

AGM 

Queen Charlotte Yacht Club 

Sunday 16th June 2024, 1pm 

For further information please 

go to www.qcyc.org.nz/about-1/ 

governance-policies 

All apologies to the Secretary 

Alzheimers Society 

Marlborough 

AGM 

Monday 17 th June 2024 

5.30pm for light refreshments 

with AGM starting at 6.30pm 

8 Wither Road, Blenheim 

Phone 03 577 6172 

ROBERTS: Elizabeth Jill (Jill) On 1 June 

2024, peacefully at Ashwood Park Retirement 

Village, aged 88 years. Dearly loved 

wife of the late David and a much loved 

mother and mother-in-law of Hilary and 

Robert Drew (Bermagui, Australia); Cathi 

Roberts and Mark Black; Jonathan and 

Cathy. Messages to c/- PO Box 9 Blenheim 

7240 or www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz 

Heartfelt thanks to the staff at Ashwood Park 

for their wonderful care. In lieu of flowers, a 

donation to Alzheimers Marlborough (Acc. 

No. 02 0600 0112284 00 Ref: Roberts) 

would be appreciated or may be made at the 

service. A celebration of Jill’s life will be 

held at the Springlands Chapel, Cloudy Bay 

Funeral Services, 15 Boyce Street on Thursday 

6 June at 1.30pm followed by private 

cremation. The service will be livestreamed 

and can be viewed on the Cloudy Bay Funeral 

Services website. 

txt 

talk 


03 578 2004 F.D.A.N.Z. 

Ryan 

Lawnmowing 


Renwick 

Picton 

Phone/Txt 

022 322 6515 

Text your 

thoughts to: 

027 242 5266 

In Memoriam 

CATTERMOLE: Michelle Amelia, 

14.05.63 - 07.06.96 There are no tomorrows 

for us to share but yesterday’s memories will 

always be there. Remembered with love today, 

tomorrow and tomorrow. Mom, Dad, 

Debra, Yvette, Damian and families. 

Watt, Edith Annie 

(Ward) 06.06.2004 

Watt, Stanley John 

(Builder) 

(Picton) 25.11.2020 

Watt, 

(IRD) 

Wairau Bar 

(Blenheim) 

Allison Stanley 

(Ally) (21 yrs) 

21.12.1982 

Loved to bet on the horses, 

the TAB or on the course 

the trotts, the gallops 

Kaikoura, Addington, Riccarton 

Reefton, Richmond, Nelson, 

BM/Marlborough 

Remembering 

Eddie & George Landon-Lane 

Onamalutu Domain 

& 

Jim Athelston 


Love Christine 

For Sale 

Firewood 2.5m3 farm mix: old man pine, 

gum, macrocarpa, oak $250. Delivered in 

Blenheim. 027 597 0492. 


For Sale 

Pine, 3cu/m $230 Macro 3 cu/m $280. No 

texting, no computers. 0273267416 

6 cubic meters dry firewood. buyer to collect 

$400 0275166335 

Beautiful 

lawns and 

gardens 

By your 

local 

expert. 

• Residential mowing 

• commeRcial mowing 

• Ride on mowing 

• hedges & PRuning 


Clothing Alterations: 

by Lynette 

Atkinson-Parker 

For your sewing requirements 

Phone 03 578 1010 

or 027 578 1010 

Quality Service Guaranteed 

• all woRk guaRanteed 

Call 0800 454 654 

or book online 

www.jimsmowing.co.nz 

• gaRdening / sPRaying 

• section clean-uPs 

• Rubbish Removal 

• gutteR cleaning 

Franchises 

Available 

REDWOODTOWN SCHOOL 

GARAGE SALE 

Saturday 8th June 

8am - 12pm 

Sausage Sizzle | Raffles | Lucky Wheel 

Paper Plane Competition | Plants & Baking 

Fundraising to support our schools tamariki 

Redwoodtown School Hall, 90 Cleghorn Street 

Get yourself a bargain! 

Redwoodtown School 

parent group 

Sun Babies 

Vadillo NaVarro: Mila 

Born May 16, 2024 

Weight 3.48kg 

Hospital Wairau 

Andrea and Santiago are proud to announce 

the arrival of Mila Vadillo Navarro on 16 May 

2024 at 3.41pm, weighing 3.48kg. 

Thank you to midwifes Amy and Sue at 

Wairau hospital and all the maternity ward!


Wednesday June 5, 2024 27

28 



$979,000 

$999,000 


Blenheim2 

4 2 2 1 

3 2 2 2 

2 

Lot 124 Rose Manor, Blenheim 

Lot 116 Rose Manor, Blenheim 

for sale 

With four spacious bedrooms, two bathrooms and a generous living 

area, this home is perfectly appointed for growing families wanting the 

warmth and style of a new home. The open plan living, kitchen and 

dining area creates a spacious central hub that integrates nicely with 

the outdoor entertaining area and the garden. With an internal access 

double garage, quality fixtures and fittings throughout, and a great 

location close to schools and amenities, this home really presents good 

value for money. 

Rose Manor is proving to be a popular development on the Northern 

edge of the Blenheim township. The subdivision has been thoughtfully 

designed with reserves, street lighting and landscapes, along with 

covenants to protect your investment. Bordered by grape vines and 

with a relaxed English feel, easy access to schooling and recreational 

activities, Rose Manor provides a lifestyle choice for families and retirees 

alike. 

dwelling size section size homes 

2 2 

179 m 700 for m sale 

for 

more features. This stylish home combines a practical floor plan with attention to detail 

to maximise functionality and lifestyle. With three double bedrooms and 

Close to Local Amenities spacious living areas, this home is perfectly appointed for growing 

families wanting the warmth and style of a new home. Showcasing the 

Boundary Fences best in modern fixtures and fittings, the kitchen and bathrooms are all 

designed to combine functionality with flair and comfort. An internal 

Godfrey Hirst Flooring access double garage and storage throughout the home to keep things 

tidy and secure makes family living even easier. 

Driveway and Patios Included 

Rose Manor is proving to be a popular development on the Northern 

LED Lighting 

edge of the Blenheim township. The subdivision has been thoughtfully 

designed with reserves, street lighting and landscapes, along with 

10 Year Registered Master Build Guarantee 

covenants to protect your investment. Bordered by grape vines and 

with a relaxed English feel, easy access to schooling and recreational 

Open Plan Living 

activities, Rose Manor provides a lifestyle choice for families and retirees 

alike. 

dwelling size 

192 m 750 m 

2 2 

more features. 

Close to Local Amenities 

Boundary Fences 

Driveway and Patios Included 

10 Year Registered Master Build Guarantee 

Open Plan Living 

Smeg Appliances 

Separate Lounge 

Walk-in Pantry 

section size 

homes 

for 

sale 

A Home and Land Package is a section and home combination 

with finance options available. 

A Turn Key home is an all-inclusive package that only requires 

Special T&C’s 10% apply deposit. to this package. 

bringing you more 

03 544 7873 

mikegreerhomes.co.nz 

bringing you more 

03 544 7873 

mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Blenheim Sun: June 06, 2024

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