Western News: July 10, 2025

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Alana Powell
Ph: 027 535 6583
alana@starmedia.kiwi
Marathon to feed school children
FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING
Alana Powell
Ph: 027 535 6583
alana@starmedia.kiwi
BY GEOFF SLOAN
Driven by a desire to ensure
no child goes hungry at school,
Corban Harding has completed
a gruelling 24-hour marathon
around South Hagley Park.
Harding ran 3.6km laps
around the park for 24 hours on
Saturday, covering 179km and
raising more than $17,620 for
the Full Bellies trust.
"I chose this charity because,
as a child, I was fortunate to
never have to worry about
where my next meal would
come from."
The trust helps families in
need by making and delivering
nutritional food to schools not
covered by the Government's
school lunch programme.
Harding volunteers at the
charity one to two mornings a
week.
“I would hate to see any child
feel embarrassed or anxious
about when they will eat next. ”
The Star, January 23, 2025
The 25-year-old freezing
worker from Redwood took
up running last year after he
stopped playing rugby, joining a
social running club.
His desire to keep pushing
his limits soon turned casual
running into serious training,
The Star, January 23, 2025
and he set targets along the
way. "I created some challenges
Corban Harding crossing the finish line after his 24-hour endurance run around South Hagley Park and volunteering at the Full Bellies Trust.
to push me both physically and
mentally."
Harding ran 100km around
his neighbourhood in December
to test himself.
“I thought, what could
challenge me more?"
He took on the 12km CORDE
City2Surf in March and
achieved his goal of running
the Christchurch Marathon in
under three hours in April.
He said running non-stop
around South Hagley Park
for 24 hours was his most
ambitious second goal.
"The first 100km was okay,
but then I fell into a hole."
He said support from his
crew, family, friends and
supporters helped him push
through the pain.
He started feeling better
in the last four hours of the
endurance run.
"I'm just so grateful to
everyone who helped me.
I didn't think I would get
anywhere near the money we
raised." Harding will soon start
FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING
Annabel Judd
Ph: 021 457 469
annabel.judd@starmedia.kiwi
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Jenny Wright
Ph: 021 220 3484
jenny@starmedia.kiwi
training for his third
starnews.co.nz
goal –
the Queenstown Marathon in
November.
"I want to really just enjoy it
and take in the things I have
accomplished so far."
•Donations to the Full Bellies trust
can be made on Harding’s Givealittle
page: Givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/24hrun-for-full-bellies-charity
starnews.co.nz
The Star, January 23, 2025
starnews.co.nz
The Star, January 23, 2025
starnews.co.nz
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The Star, July 10, 2025
starnews.co.nz
Diverse roll reflection of the changing
BY EVA KERSHAW
Twenty-five years ago 87% of
people in Christchurch identified
as European.
But today that number has
fallen more than 10% – with 76%
now claiming European ethnicity
in the latest census.
While this figure is still much
higher than Auckland’s sub-50%,
the numbers beg the question
of whether Christchurch is
changing.
It appears with increasing
immigration, certain parts of the
city have been flipping the script.
At Riccarton High, European
students make
up only 27% of
the roll. The rest
of the school’s
1150 students
span 77 different
ethnicities,
making the
school one of the
most diverse in Neil Haywood
the country.
When Neil Haywood became
the principal just over 10 years
ago, the ratio of European to
non-European students was
almost even. The aftermath of
the earthquakes is what “really
changed the pattern”.
“Particularly those immigrants
coming in for manual jobs, we
noticed after a couple years that
they were starting to bring their
families into Christchurch from
overseas,” he said.
Protecting and promoting
culture within the classrooms
At Riccarton High, European students make up only 27% of the roll. The rest of the school’s 1150 students span 77 different
ethnicities, making the school one of the most diverse in the country.
PHOTOS: FRANK FILM
is a central focus at Riccarton
High. Alongside Easter, King’s
Birthday and Matariki, the
school celebrates events like
Moon Festival, Philippine
Independence Day and Buddha
Jayanti (or Buddha Day). Friday
Jum'ah prayers are carried out
on site, and parents can opt to
receive school letters in their
native language.
Riccarton was also the first
school in New Zealand to employ
a fulltime cultural diversity
facilitator in 2018 – a role which
Haywood says
is “absolutely
essential.”
Dr Tisi
Sharnali has
been the school’s
cultural diversity
facilitator for
four years. Her Dr Tisi Sharnali
job is to support
the school’s multi-cultural
population – particularly those
students and their parents who
are immigrants.
While they are technically
domestic students, they
often share similar needs to
international students navigating
a completely new school system.
“These students, they are
arriving with not only language,
but many other needs,” she said.
“(If) their parents have
experienced trauma in their
country, they have generational
trauma.”
While students are supported
to succeed in the New Zealand
school system, she said it is
important that de-culturalisation
does not occur.
“The way we work in
Riccarton... we support the
migrant students to get New
Zealand education knowledge,
but we don’t devalue their
knowledge,” Sharnali said.
In dance classes, teacher
Monique Dixon holds a ‘trip
around the world’ unit, where
students hop between moving
bamboo poles or don a pair of
wellington boots to learn cultural
dances from around the world.
“We do tinikling, we do
gumboot dance from South
Africa, and we do some Pacifica
dance as well,” saids Dixon.
Drama teacher Charles Grubb
said theatre and performance
can be used as a way of
improving students’ english, as
his students read aloud from a
play script of How Maui Slowed
The Sun.
In the second week of June,
the school organised a food
stall event for International
Languages Week, in which
students organised groups to
cook fish balls, punjabi samosas,
buko pandan, fried bread and
prawn crackers.
“Our focus is to educate [about]
those languages through food,”
said Sharnali.
Haywood said it is a privilege
to work in a school that
embraces culture, where he
learns something different from
students every day.
“I just love coming to this
environment each day because
it’s different. Just to school
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starnews.co.nz The Star, July 10, 2025
face of Chch
yourself and be a lifelong learner
yourself as an adult.
“Each of us, depending on our
background, brings with us a
degree of unconscious bias. It’s
really important that we break
those biases down.”
Students echo this sentiment.
“We’re friends, and it doesn’t
matter if you’re another culture,”
a female student said.
“Just because you move to a
country doesn’t mean you have
to lose your culture, your values,
and your customs,” said another.
Sharnali is excited to see the
Ministry of Education running
a pilot programme based on
Riccarton High’s model in
order to fund part-time cultural
diversity facilitator roles for
several other schools throughout
the country.
”It’s an amazing position,
“The way we work in
Riccarton... we support
the migrant students
to get New Zealand
education knowledge,
but we don’t devalue
their knowledge.”
Dr Tisi Sharnali
Riccarton High School
cultural diversity facilitator
it’s a unique position, and it’s
absolutely essential,” Haywood
said.
Said Sharnali: “Nothing can
stay the same all the time,
everything has its time to change
and (develop).”
- Frank Film
Steps towards walkable city
Riccarton High was the first school in New Zealand to employ a fulltime cultural
diversity facilitator in 2018.
How can Christchurch become
a truly walkable city?
That’s what the first
Christchurch Conversation of
the year will consider. It will
also look at how this could
help make it a more vibrant,
sustainable and liveable place
tro live.
Presented by Te Pūtahi
Centre for Architecture
and City-Making, ‘Steps to a
Walkable Ōtautahi’ will be held
on Tuesday from 6-7.30pm in
the TSB Space at Tūranga.
The session will include
quick-fire presentations, a
panel discussion and Q&A
session with contributions
from Carina Duke from
Living Streets Aotearoa, Abley
transport engineer Jeanette
Ward and Health New Zealand
– Te Whatu Ora physician Dr
Anna Stevenson.
Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture
and City-Making director
Dr Jessica Halliday said improving
the walkability of Ōtautahi
is key to creating the best city
we can. “All of us use footpaths
as we move around the city.
Studies show that increased
walkability means greater happiness,
lower carbon emissions,
improved health, increased
local spending and cheaper
infrastructure.
“This Christchurch
Conversation explores the
benefits and barriers to
walkability in Ōtautahi
and asks what we can do to
enhance walking in all areas of
our city.”
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The Star, July 10, 2025
starnews.co.nz
PHOTO:
ARCHERY WORLD
From creating bionic arms
to a sharp shooting archer
BY AMY RIACH
Creating bionic arms and
articulating prosthetics is
what occupies most of Julia
Harrison's days.
But she has another string to
her bow, which is fast propelling
her onto the international
archery stage.
Harrison, 25, has returned
from Singapore as part of the
New Zealand team competing at
the Asia Cup Leg 2 competition,
where she shot against Olympic
archers.
“Shooting arrows on the same
targets as Olympic athletes is
awe inspiring,” Harrison said.
“It just makes me so excited to
keep getting better.
“Coming away from the Asia
Cup, I was a bit disappointed
that my performance didn’t
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
reflect the work I was doing in
training.
“But it really highlighted what
areas of my practice need more
work.”
Harrison is now preparing for
the World Archery Oceania Cup
in Fiji in October.
“(The Asia Cup) definitely
identified how I will prepare for
a better performance in Fiji.”
Harrison will be the only
archer from the South Island
competing in Fiji.
But she has no plans to quit
her day job.
Archery and her job, as a
TASKA developer specialising
in myoelectric hand prosthetics,
actually have a surprising
amount in common, she says.
“They both require so much
focus, and analytical thinking,
and consistency.”
It is her first job in the health
tech industry and “feels very
meaningful”.
“Getting to see the people
who use our tech so happy,
getting back to what they love,
and gaining capability, is so
special.”
Harrison’s job is also funding
her archery – it is paying for
competitions and international
travel.
“It’s not cheap to compete
internationally. The cost is in
the thousands for travel, accommodation,
and equipment,” she
said.
Harrison started archery at
Burnside High School after she
read The Lord of the Rings, and
fell in love with fantasy novels
and the “magic” of archers.
“I was such an avid reader.
You always come across the
elves that do archery, and I
thought that was so cool!”
Harrison’s mother Shuying is
a talented athlete herself, who
ran for her province in China
when she was Harrison’s age.
She has managed to convince
her father, Tony, to join in on
the fun too, and after driving
her to training at the Christchurch
Archery Club, he “made
the most of his time, and picked
up a bow and arrow”.
She trains three days a week,
for six hours at a time.
“Archery is a very meditative
sport. You have to be so
focused, it’s a real moment of
peace.”
For Harrison, that focus and
consistency is the most important
part of her training.
“Even in competitions, I try
to focus less on the score, and
more on how consistent I’m
feeling,” she said.
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starnews.co.nz The Star, July 10, 2025
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The Star, July 10, 2025
starnews.co.nz
Huanui – the pathway to a new future
BY MEGAN BLAKIE
A digital fantail called Huanui
– meaning road or pathway –
features on a newly launched
website that shares communitybased
stories of the 11km long
City to Sea Pathway.
The online pīwakawaka is
the mascot of communityled
regeneration group Avon
Ōtākaro Network. It introduces
itself to trail walkers
and cyclists on the website
ww.avonotakaronetwork.org/
explore-the-otakaro-greenspine
Huanui offers stories and
information for people to
read as they explore the trail
through the former red zone,
which the network hopes will
be rebranded as the ‘Green
Spine’. The information is
given in bite-size chunks and
is listed under five categories
of interest: A heritage trail, the
re-photography project, city
landmarks, community spaces,
and environmental restoration
projects. There is also a few
suggestions of refreshment and
toilet stops en
route.
“Huanui
interacts with
trail users in
a friendly way
and shows them
what to look out
for along the
Green Spine trail
that runs from
Peter Beck
the CBD to New Brighton,” said
the network’s patron Reverend
Avon Ōtākaro Network spokesperson Hayley Guglietta shares with Riverlution Eco Hub staff and volunteers stories about the
community petition that led to native plantings and ultimately the Green Spine trail.
Peter Beck.
“There are loads of fascinating
and sometimes little known
stories and information about
locations along the trail, including
what was there before the
Canterbury earthquakes, what
projects and activities are happening
now, and ways you can
get involved in Green Spine
enhancement. All you need is a
mobile phone to refer to as you
walk, scooter or cycle the trail.”
A printed brochure containing
a map and key trail
information is also available
from selected city council
libraries. It contains a QR code
and a URL by which people
can access the network’s more
detailed trail information and
stories.
A key instigator of the regeneration
concept of turning the
red zone green by replanting
riverside land and building
a riverside pathway was the
network’s co-founder and first
co-chair, the late Evan Smith.
Smith was instrumental in
generating community participation
in his vision. A petition
to Parliament in support of the
idea garnered more than 18,500
signatures and was delivered to
Wellington by the mayor of the
time, Sir Bob Parker.
Smith died in August 2020
but lived to see the establishment
of a co-governance board
for overseeing the development
of the project. Members of the
board include representatives
of the council and Te Rūnanga
o Ngāi Tahu. Discussion about
the continued inclusion of community
group representatives is
ongoing.
“I think the community is
keen to remain involved in
decision-making for the further
development of the trail,” said
Beck.
“I was a city councillor when
the petition was presented to us
and then went to central government.
The groundswell of
resident support was amazing.”
The city council has spent
the past year overseeing the
building of trail infrastructure,
which is being undertaken by
construction company Corde.
Construction work on the trail
is due to be completed in late
2026/early 2027.
Regeneration of the
wetlands and bush is,
however, anticipated to take
decades. The re-photography
project, which Avon Ōtākaro
Network incorporates into
the trail, encourages people
to take photos of the changing
landscape. This aspect of the
trail is intended to be a record
of the regeneration process.
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starnews.co.nz The Star, July 10, 2025
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The Star, July 10, 2025
starnews.co.nz
Driven to help people who are homeless
BY GEOFF SLOAN
An estimated 7000 people are
homeless in the city but one
unsung hero is doing her bit to
bring that number down.
The Ministry of Housing and
Urban Development figures
on homelessness include
people living without shelter,
in temporary accommodation,
or in uninhabitable housing,
of which there are 41,000
nationwide.
Orange Sky volunteer Megan
Bowie helps people without
homes trying to survive.
"They are often marginalised
and struggle just to exist.
Yet they do it with dignity and
humour."
Bowie started volunteering
at the charitable organisation a
year ago.
"I saw some advertising and
thought it was such a cool
service."
Orange Sky operates vans in
Christchurch, Auckland and
Wellington fitted with a free
shower and laundry facilities
for people experiencing homelessness
or doing it tough.
"The service offers people
dignity."
Bowie said some users arrive
with only the clothes they're
wearing.
"They'll have a shower, and
we'll take their clothes and
wash them. They'll put on a
robe and sit around, and once
their clothes are dry they'll
put them on and head on their
way."
Megan Bowie started volunteering at Orange Sky a year ago.
She said they see a lot of people
living out of cars.
"With less social housing
being available, it's just setting
people up to fail," she said.
Bowie was homeless herself
after leaving a bad situation in
Christchurch during the early
2000s. She found herself sleeping
rough.
Bowie said the experience of
carrying around a backpack
with everything she owned in it
and not feeling safe has never
left her.
"We're talking weeks, but
it was certainly challenging.
Trying to find a quiet spot to
sleep, and hoping you weren't
going to get disturbed was
pretty scary."
The Sydenham resident then
trained as a mental health
nurse.
"In my job I see a lot of
people, and one of the chronic
issues they have is really low
self-esteem."
She said her availability
varies because she is a shift
worker at a care home, but she
volunteers as much as she can.
"There's certainly been times
when I just wanted to give up,
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
but I have amazing people in
my life telling me to keep going,
you can do it."
She admits to being a talker,
but said sitting around and
listening to people is a big part
of what they do.
"We're not counsellors or
anything, we're just their
mates."
She said it is nice to be able
to touch base with someone in
need.
"I have a desire to let other
people know they matter,
they're worth the effort."
Being a registered nurse came
Our Great
Volunteers
CALL TO ACTION
Do you know someone
doing valuable work in the
community? Send their details
in 200 words or less to
geoff.sloan@starmedia.kiwi
in handy sometimes.
"I saw someone a few months
ago and noticed something on
their leg. I said to myself that
doesn't look too good. I was
pretty sure it was cellulitis."
The man had no phone and
could not afford to see a doctor.
Bowie arranged for him to see a
doctor at the hospital. She said
the following week he came
back to show her his antibiotics
and thank her.
Bowie said skin infections,
ulcers and poor nutrition were
common ailments among the
homeless.
•Anyone interested in
becoming a volunteer at
Orange Sky can apply online at
orangesky.org.nz/volunteer
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starnews.co.nz The Star, July 10, 2025
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HEART
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starnews.co.nz The Star, July 10, 2025
Warming winter meals made easy
Winter doesn’t have to mean
higher bills or food waste,
write the folks at Love Food
Hate Waste
Winter is the season of comfort
food and cozy nights — but
it can also be a time of rising
power bills and tighter household
budgets.
The good news? You can
warm your belly and your home
without cranking up the heat
or emptying your wallet. A few
simple tricks in the kitchen could
make all the difference.
Here’s how to keep costs down
without giving up any of the comforts
you love.
One of the best ways to cut
costs is to embrace the magic of
batch cooking.
By making a big pot of something
hearty – like vegetable
soup, chicken curry or lentil stew,
you can feed your whānau for
multiple nights while only using
your appliances once.
Meals like these are perfect for
using up seasonal winter vegetables
such as pumpkin, kumara,
leeks, cauliflower and carrots,
which are not only affordable but
also filling and nutritious.
When it comes to saving power
in the kitchen, low-energy appliances
like slow cookers and
pressure cookers are your best
friends.
A slow cooker can gently simmer
a meal all day using less
power than a lightbulb, while a
pressure cooker cuts down cooking
times dramatically.
Both are ideal for softening
tougher cuts of meat or making
the most out of what’s in your
pantry or fridge.
To make meal prep even easier,
try preparing ‘dump bags’.
Simply chop and portion out
all your ingredients such as diced
vegetables, spices, sauces, and
meat into a resealable freezer
bag, label it, and freeze. Then, on
busy days, you can just ‘dump’
the bag straight into the slow
cooker or pressure cooker and let
it do the hard work.
For best results, transfer the
bag from the freezer to the fridge
the night before to defrost safely.
It’s a brilliant way to save time,
stretch your grocery shop further,
and prevent fresh produce from
spoiling in the fridge.
One of our favourites is a
Moroccan chicken stew – full of
warming spices, tender chicken,
and hearty winter veges – perfect
for a cozy, no-fuss dinner.
It’s also not just about what you
cook, it’s how you cook it.
Popping a lid on your saucepan
while boiling, using your kettle to
heat water before pouring it into
a pot, or cooking multiple meals
in the oven at once are all simple
tricks that reduce your electricity
usage.
And if you’re turning the oven
on, make it count, roast extra veg
for tomorrow’s salad, or pop in
a tray of stale bread to toast into
homemade croutons.
These small changes don’t just
save power, they help you make
the most of every dollar you
spend on food.
Winter doesn’t have to mean
higher bills or food waste. With
a few smart habits, you can stay
cosy, eat well and keep your wallet
happy.
Moroccan-inspired
chicken stew
Ingredients
500g boneless skinless chicken,
cubed (or use other meat)
2 onions, sliced
300g chopped vegetables (e.g.
carrot, kumara, pumpkins)
50g dried apricots, raisins,
sultanas or prunes, halved
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 heaped tsp each ground
cinnamon and cumin
Salt and pepper
Method
Dump bag preparation
1. Place the cubed chicken,
sliced onions, chopped vegetables,
dried fruit, tinned
tomatoes, spices, and a pinch
of salt and pepper into a large
resealable freezer bag or airtight
container.
2. Label the bag with the
recipe name, the day’s date, and
instructions: “Defrost overnight
in the fridge before cooking".
3. Freeze flat for easy stacking.
Cooking instructions
Slow cooker method (after defrosting)
1. Empty the defrosted dump
bag contents into the slow
cooker.
2. Add 100ml water or stock.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or
high for 4 hours, until chicken is
cooked through and vegetables
are tender.
4. Adjust seasoning if needed
before serving.
Pressure cooker (instant pot) method
(after defrosting)
1. (Optional) For extra flavour,
heat a dash of oil in the pressure
cooker on the saute setting.
Brown the onions and chicken
for a few minutes.
2. Add the remaining dump
bag contents and 100ml water or
stock.
3. Seal and cook on high pressure
for 12 minutes. Allow for
natural release of steam for five
minutes before manually releasing
the pressure.
Serving ideas
Serve with fluffy couscous, rice,
roast potatoes or warm flatbread
for a comforting winter meal.
Cooking tips
• Double the quantities to make
two dump bags at once.
• You can swap in chickpeas
and lentils for a vegetarian
version.
• Add a handful of spinach or
frozen peas at the end for extra
greens.
• For more inspiration and recipe ideas,
visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz or
check out @lovefoodhatewastenz on
Facebook and Instagram
VOTE 2025 - PŌTI 2025
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CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10
408
SUDOKU
Every row, column and box should
contain the digits 1 to 9.
WordBuilder
WORDBUILDER
308
6
G E A
A M N
11 12
13 14 15 16 17
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
allowed. There's at least one six-letter word.
once?
TODAY
Good 10 Very Good 14 Excellent 18
letters, including plurals, can you make
from the six letters, using each only
No words beginning with a capital are
allowed. There’s at least one six-letter
Solution 307: eel, elm, eth, heel, helm, HELMET,
hem, lee, let, meet, melt, met, mete, meth, tee,
word. teem, the, thee, them, theme.
Good 10 Very Good 14 Excellent 18
18 19 20
21 22 23 24
25 26
27 28
Across
1. Financial supporter (7)
5. Military store (7)
9. Arguments (5)
10. For the most part (9)
11. Closeness (9)
12. Artist’s frame (5)
13. Lariat (5)
15. Strong hostility (9)
18. Excessively fat (9)
19. Lukewarm (5)
21. Simple (5)
23. Fierce (9)
25. Landslide (9)
26. Legal defence (5)
27. Unlimited (7)
28. Radical (7)
Decoder
Down
1. Attack (3,4)
2. Feeling unwell (3-6)
3. Popular fast food (5)
4. Make a copy (9)
5. Friendship (5)
6. Person made to take the blame (9)
7. Building fasteners (5)
8. Faithfulness (7)
14. Articulate (9)
16. Arbitrate (9)
17. Perform unprepared (9)
18. Green vegetable (7)
20. Regardless of (7)
22. Fragment (5)
23. Concentrate (5)
24. Incantation (5)
Crossword
Across: 1. Sponsor, 5.
Arsenal, 9. Tiffs, 10. Primarily,
11. Proximity, 12. Easel, 13.
Noose, 15. Animosity, 18.
Corpulent, 19. Tepid, 21.
Basic, 23. Ferocious, 25.
Avalanche, 26. Alibi, 27.
Endless, 28. Extreme.
Down: 1. Set upon, 2. Offcolour,
3. Sushi, 4. Replicate,
5. Amity, 6. Scapegoat,
7. Nails, 8. Loyalty, 14.
Enunciate, 16. Intervene,
17. Improvise, 18. Cabbage,
20. Despite, 22. Shard, 23.
Focus, 24. Chant.
WordBuilder
Age, amen, gam, game,
gean, gem, gen, mag, mage,
man, mana, MANAGE,
mane, mange, mean, meg,
mega, men, nag, name.
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