Southern View: March 13, 2025

16 th March 2025
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025
connecting you with your neighbourhood
www.starnews.co.nz
Entries now open
www.city2surf.co.nz
World stage beckons for
young robotics team
• By Jack Ward
TEAM DOT BOT is taking its
robotics talents to the United
States.
The team from St Mark’s
School – made up of year 6 and
7 pupils Quinn Rudkin, Zaia
Ormandy, Violet James and
Leo Davey – has been invited to
represent New Zealand at the International
SeaPerch Challenge
in Washington DC in May.
It comes after winning the
primary school division at the
NZ Aquabots nationals.
Teacher and coach Christy
Yonetani said it was an extraordinary
opportunity.
“It means the world to us.
“Our tamariki appreciate that
this is a once in a lifetime opportunity
and they are so excited to
be taking their engineering skills
to the global stage.”
To get to the US, the DOT
BOT team needs to raise
$40,000.
The journey started last year
with a free build day organised
by the Ministry of Inspiration
where pupils from primary
schools across the country created
and tested their first remote
operated vehicle (ROV) built
from new and recycled parts.
Team DOT BOT won the
Christchurch regionals, earning
a place in the finals Auckland in
December.
DOT BOT is an robot
designed to navigate underwater
obstacles and challenges.
Yonetani said the aqua robot is
required to perform tasks during
the competition.
“Students need to think like
engineers, designing, testing,
and improving their ROV to
perform tasks which simulate
real-world marine conservation
tasks, such as collecting coral
samples and removing invasive
species.
“They worked after school and
on weekends rebuilding DOT
BOT multiple times to create
their best version.”
SeaPerch is an underwater robotics
challenge with this year’s
theme being coral restoration.
Fifty middle school (11-13
year-old) teams, including
teams from all over America
and China, Egypt, United Arab
Emirates and Brazil, will attend
the competition.
Yonetani said the project was
an enriching experience for the
kids and herself.
“They are learning about
engineering, physics and environmental
conservation
“Their drive to learn more
is astonishing, when you give
kids the chance to challenge
themselves, it’s been incredible
to see their teamwork, resilience,
and dedication through this
Aquabots journey.
NATIONAL WINNERS:
Quinn Rudkin, Zaia
Ormandy, Violet James,
Leo Davey with their
aquatic robot DOT BOT
at the national Aquabot
competition. The team has
been invited to compete at
the International SeaPerch
Challenge in Washington
DC in May. ​
“I’ve been paid back hundredfold
by the students.”
The pupils were also keen to
share their knowledge with other
kids wanting to get involved in
STEM projects.
• To get Team DOT BOT
to Washington, donate
at https://givealittle.
co.nz/cause/fromnational-champions-tointernational-dreams
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Thursday March 13 2025
DELIVERERS WANTED!
Are you honest, reliable and over
the age of 11? Why not earn money
and get fit doing it. Get in touch
with your interest today:
deliveries@alliedpress.co.nz
022 016 9739
Please include your name, address and contact details
Your local community newspaper
connects neighbours in the following
suburbs
Spreydon • Hoon Hay • Hillmorton • Cracroft
Cashmere • St Martins • Somerfield
Sydenham • Addington • Waltham • Opawa
Beckenham • Huntsbury • Woolston
22,300 readers every week
NEWS
Jack Ward
Ph: 021 913 566
jack.ward@starmedia.kiwi
ADVERTISING
Annabel Judd
Ph: 021 457 469
annabel.judd@starmedia.kiwi
NEWS Ph 379 7100
GENERAL INQUIRIES Ph 379 7100
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Ph 379 1100
www.starmedia.kiwi
what’s on
Mini Estuary Fest
Saturday, March 15, 9am-2pm
Mt Pleasant Community Centre
The estuary festival is back, this time
in a fun, mini-format. Discover the
beauty and importance of the estuary
through interactive displays, crafting
activities, and expert-led sessions.
Learn about the estuary’s unique
ecosystem, get creative with hands-on
projects, chat with experts and see live
estuary animals up close, explore the
estuary’s surroundings and hear from
environmentalists. Go to estuary.org.
nz for the programme.
Mahjong
Thursdays, 1-3.30pm
Christchurch South Mahjong Club,
60 Vincent Pl
Would you like to learn to play
Mahjong? We will teach you. It’s
not difficult – it’s fun. For more
information contact Noel 03 322 8636
or email noelandhazel@xtra
Wā Pēpi-Babytimes
Thursdays, 11-11.30am
South Colombo, 66 Colombo St
Meet others in the community and
join the relaxed, fun group for interactive
songs, rhymes, and books that
will delight and develop your baby
or toddler. Perfect for 0-2 years. All
whānau and caregivers welcome. Free,
no bookings required.
Kids Gaelic Athletic Association Training, Sundays, 10.30amnoon,
29 Domain Tce, Spreydon. Kids GAA training has started up
again. Football and hurling on offer, it is the same format as last year, all
welcome, just bring a water bottle. There’s a range of ages, with the kids
split into groups. A bit of a warm-up and a chance to get to know the other
kids, followed by skills training and then a mini game to round it out.
Cashmere Club Working Bee
Saturday, 9am-3pm
88 Hunter Tce, Cashmere
The Cashmere Club will be holding a
working bee from 9am-3pm. Morning
tea and lunch provided, as well as two
$50 club vouchers to giveaway. Helped
needed with gardening, weed whacking,
hedge and edge trimming, water
blasting, furniture repairs and painting.
If possible bring trowels, brooms,
garden bags or wheelbarrows, cutting
tools and garden gloves.
St Patrick’s Community Day
Sunday, 11am-2pm
29 Domain Terrace, Spreydon
Get ready for a fun-filled, familyfriendly
celebration of all things Irish.
Hosted by the Christchurch Irish
Society. Activities include bouncy
castles, Irish dancing and food trucks.
Bring along a picnic mat, water bottle
and sunscreen.
JP Clinic at Spreydon Library
Today, 10.30am-1pm
Spreydon Library
A Justice of the Peace will be
available to witness signatures
and documents, certify document
copies, hear oaths, declarations,
affidavits or affirmations as well as
sign citizenship, sponsorship or rates
rebates applications. There is no
charge for this service.
WANT YOUR COMMUNITY
EVENT FEATURED HERE?
Email all info to
jack.ward@starmedia.kiwi
by 5pm each Monday
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Thursday March 13 2025 3
Feedback sought on garden proposal
• By Jack Ward
THE DREAM OF establishing
a new community garden in
Addington has moved a step
closer to becoming reality.
The city council has opened
the Addington Park Community
Garden lease proposal for
public consultation, marking
significant progress for the
project.
Addington Farm, the group
spearheading the initiative, has
applied to lease the south-east
corner of Addington Park to
create the new garden.
Since 2018, Addington Farm
has operated a community garden
on Parlane St, with a vision
to foster a network of gardens
and gardeners.
The initiative has supported
the local community by hosting
working bees, workshops, and
distributing produce to locals
and Addington School.
Garden manager Wilby Le
Heux said there was excitement
about the proposal reaching this
stage.
“We believe this will be really
impactful,” he said.
“Locals have expressed their
positivity about (the garden)
because it will allow whānau to
put kai on the table.”
As part of the proposal,
Addington Farm also plans to
build a storage shed and walk-in
chiller, as well as renovate part
BLANK CANVAS: The south-east corner of Addington Park is the proposed area for the Addington Park Community Garden.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
of the existing
changing room
to create a multiuse
space with an
activities room,
meeting room,
kitchenette, and
office.
Additionally,
the city council
will upgrade the
Wilby Le
Heux
currently closed toilets as part
of the development.
The improved facilities aim to
address safety concerns raised
by local residents and park users
regarding anti-social behaviour
in Addington Park.
The lease area will not impact
recreation in Addington Park,
Le Heux said.
“We hope the community garden
and the block will complement
the sporting clubs and add
one more element to the space.”
Le Heux said the proposed
area is fertile for planting crops.
“Really exciting news from the
soil testing is that the area is good
soil for growing.”
Le Heux hopes the project
will get the wider community,
particularly younger people,
involved.
“We want to have a kai
garden to get kids excited about
vegetables and eating healthy.
“It will mean people have places
of belonging in their community
– learning how to grow kai and
connect with each other here in
Addington.”
The Waihoro Spreydon-
Cashmere-Heathcote
Community Board will make a
final decision on the lease in June.
• Public consultation on
the community garden
proposal closes on March
18. To have your say go
to letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/
addingtonlease
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4
Thursday March 13 2025
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Thursday March 13 2025 5
Plum roll, please
If there is one thing
worth celebrating about
the end of summer, it’s
the glut of plums and
their many and varied
uses – including these
two sweet treats, writes
Penelope Maguire
Black Doris plum
ice cream
Nothing says late summer
quite like a bowl of home-made
plum ice cream, eaten outside,
under a blanket, as the evenings
get crisper and the sun says good
night earlier.
Ingredients
800g fresh plums
¼ cup (50g) sugar (adjust to
taste)
250ml cream
395g sweetened condensed milk
Method
1. Make the plum puree:
Halve the plums, remove the
stones, and place in a saucepan
with a cup of water and the
sugar. Simmer over low heat
for 10-15 minutes, stirring
occasionally until the plums
are soft and their juices have
released. Taste and add a little
more sugar if needed.
Remove from heat and let cool
slightly. Press the plums through
a sieve to remove the skins, or
mash well with a fork for a more
rustic texture. Set aside.
2. Make the ice cream base:
In a large bowl, whip the cream
to soft peaks. Gently fold in the
condensed milk until mixed
well.
3. Pour the cooled, mashed
plums into the mixture and fold
through until evenly swirled.
4. Transfer to a 2-litre
container and freeze for at least 6
hours, or overnight, until firm.
You can also churn this if you
have an ice cream machine or
freeze in a jelly mould and slice
to serve.
5. Scoop the ice cream into
bowls and serve with extra plum
puree if you have it and melted
chocolate.
Enjoy!
Plum, almond and
cardamom cake with plum
cream cheese icing
This is a beautifully spiced,
moist and gluten-free almond cake
with bursts of juicy plum and a
silky plum-infused cream cheese
icing.
Ingredients
Cake
225g butter, softened
1 cup + 2 Tbsp (255g) sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
1 cup + 2 Tbsp (135g) gluten-free
flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1½ cups (180g) ground almonds
3 tsp ground cardamom
2 cups (400g) ½ chopped fresh
plums
Plum cream cheese icing
and decoration
5 fresh plums, chopped (dark
fleshed ones work best)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
150g cream cheese, softened
75g butter, softened
2 cups (225g) icing sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp lemon curd to top (if
desired)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Grease and line 2x 23cm cake tins
2. With an electric whisk, beat
the butter, sugar, and vanilla until
pale and thick.
3. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating well after each addition.
Don’t worry if the mixture splits.
4. Add the gluten-free flour,
baking powder, salt, ground
almonds and cardamom until
just combined. Fold through the
chopped plums.
5. Pour the batter into the
prepared tin and bake for 45-50
minutes, or until the centre
springs back when lightly pressed
and a skewer comes out cleanly.
Cool completely.
6. Make the plum puree:
While the cakes bake, place the
chopped plums, sugar, and water
in a small saucepan. Simmer over
a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until the plums are
soft and jammy.
Blend or mash to a smooth
puree, then set aside to cool.
Reserve 3 tablespoons for
decorating the cake.
7. For the icing: Beat the cream
cheese and butter until smooth.
Add the icing sugar and beat until
fluffy. Fold in the remaining plum
puree until evenly mixed.
8. Ice and decorate: Spread the
icing over the cooled cake (you can
either make this a layer cake or
wrap and freeze the second cake
for up to 3 months), then drizzle
the reserved plum puree over the
top, with lemon curd if desired.
Swirl it lightly with a knife or
skewer for a marbled effect. And,
as always decorate with edible
flowers.
9. This cake is best served with
a cup of very strong coffee or
freshly brewed loose-leaf tea and
shared with friends. It makes an
especially impressive celebration
cake when layered and iced with
the hot pink icing.
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Thursday March 13 2025
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Thursday March 13 2025 7
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9
10 11
391
SUDOKU
Every row, column and box should
contain the digits 1 to 9.
WordBuilder
WORDBUILDER
291
6
Y D E
L O P
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 Good 16 Very Good 20 Excellent 24
Solution 290: ant, ante, are, art, ate, aunt, ear, earn,
eat, era, NATURE, near, neat, net, nut, ran, rant, rat,
rate, rent, ret, rue, run, rune, runt, rut, tan, tar, tare,
tarn, tau, tea, tear, ten, tern, true, tun, tuna, tune,
word.
tuner, turn, urea, urn, ute.
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 20 Excellent 24
25 26
27 28
29 30
31 32
33 34
Across
1. Desert plant (6)
5. Soundly defeat (6)
10. Area of fruit-growing land (7)
11. Associate (7)
12. Departs (6)
15. Customer (6)
16. Fugitive (7)
17. Ill (4)
18. Charges (4)
19. Type of hard stone (7)
20. Con trick (4)
22. Musical composition (4)
25. Besotted (7)
27. Subtle difference (6)
28. Almost (6)
31. Worry excessively (7)
32. Large padded footstool (7)
33. Group of seven (6)
34. Walk with long steps (6)
Decoder
Down
2. Antiquated (7)
3. Merchant (6)
4. Foam (4)
5. Print error (4)
6. Not often (6)
7. Open and honest (7)
8. Lots (inf) (6)
9. Free of charge (6)
13. Highest (7)
14. Wealthy business person (7)
15. Water bottle (7)
20. Icecream dish (6)
21. Paua, to non New Zealanders (7)
23. Geometric shape (7)
24. Adage (6)
25. Actor’s notes (6)
26. Drink of the gods (6)
29. Girdle (4)
30. Swimming attire (4)
Crossword
Across: 1. Cactus, 5. Thrash,
10. Orchard, 11. Partner,
12. Leaves, 15. Client, 16.
Runaway, 17. Sick, 18.
Fees, 19. Granite, 20. Scam,
22. Opus, 25. Smitten, 27.
Nuance, 28. Nearly, 31.
Agonise, 32. Ottoman, 33.
Septet, 34. Stride.
Down: 2. Archaic, 3. Trader,
4. Suds, 5. Typo, 6. Rarely, 7.
Sincere, 8. Oodles, 9. Gratis,
13. Supreme, 14. Magnate,
15. Canteen, 20. Sundae, 21.
Abalone, 23. Pyramid, 24.
Saying, 25. Script, 26. Nectar,
29. Belt, 30. Togs.
WordBuilder
DEPLOY, doe, dole, dope,
dopey, dye, eld, led, ley,
lode, lop, lope, loped, lye,
ode, old, pled, plod, ploy, ply,
pod, pole, poled, yelp, yodel.
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
www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz

8
Thursday March 13 2025
Walk, Run, Fun!
ENTER YOUR
WORKPLACE
TEAM TODAY
16 th March 2025
• You can choose the distance that’s right for you, 6km or
12km along the beautiful Otakaro trail.
• The 12km route now incorporates the completed
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