Blenheim Sun December 12 , 2025

December 10, 2025 | LOCAL PEOPLE - LOCAL VIEWS - LOCAL NEWS

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Seeds of change

Selmes Garden Charitable Trust’s Ryan

Hodson, Vanessa Wall and Caleb Redshaw

with some of the young native

trees and flaxes they’ve helped nurture.

Photo: Paula Hulburt.

Story page 3.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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2

Wednesday December 10, 2025

The Blenheim

Abandoned

boat moved

to Havelock

Giving the

gift of joy

The abandoned fishing boat Golden

Lea is now in Havelock after a

successful refloating operation.

Marlborough Harbourmaster Jake

Oliver said the Golden Lea was

refloated on Monday and towed to

Havelock.

“The team has secured her and

they will reattend and work on

moving her further up the beach,”

he said.

There were no environmental

concerns, but the boat is being monitored

with preparations to manage

any oil spills.

The Scottish-built fishing boat ran

aground in the Mahakipawa Arm

in Pelorus Sound in October after

dragging anchor in strong winds.

The vessel has previously been

subject to two abatement notices for

staying in the same location for over

60 consecutive days, a breach of the

Marlborough Environment Plan.

Another abatement notice was

issued in October by the Council’s

Consents and Compliance Team in

relation to the vessel’s unconsented

occupation of the coastal marine

zone.

When the owner did not relocate

the vessel himself, the Harbourmaster

exercised his right to do so.

People are being asked to stay away

from the vessel to allow the team to

work safely during its disposal.

A huge thank you to all our wonderful readers

who donated gifts for the Foster Hope Christmas

gift appeal this year.

So many beautiful gifts were dropped off to go to

foster children across Marlborough. From games

and books to sports clothes and teddies, readers

showed the spirit of Christmas, giving generously

to help ensure no child goes without a gift.

Foster Hope Marlborough coordinator Leonie

McLauchlan picked up the presents on Friday and

said she was grateful to everyone who had helped.

The Golden Lea refloated. Photo: Supplied

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The Blenheim

Planting the eco-sourced

seeds of change

By Paula Hulburt

A much-loved Marlborough charity

has unveiled inspiring plans for

growth.

The team at Selmes Garden

Charitable Trust have launched

their vision for the future.

Plans, which would hopefully see

the Trust become self-funded, come

after the closure of the popular garden

centre to the public in August.

Development Manager Nicki

Stretch said the Battys Road site,

currently used by the Trust’s commercial

nursery, Trees for Marlborough,

had a lot of potential.

An organic produce garden, a

fruit tree grove, a mushroom cave,

a pocket food forest, craft area

and a safe and an inclusive family

orientated outdoor space featuring

a café are on the wish list.

The projects would help build a

stronger, more inclusive community

as well as boosting employment

opportunities for people with physical

and intellectual disabilities,

Nicki explained.

“It will be a safe space for a wide

range of people to be themselves

and find purpose,” Nicki explained.

“…we are looking at employment

opportunities and within the next

three to five years, I’d like to see

us employing a great number of

people.”

“We educate others to help grow

a more inclusive society.”

About 50 people gathered at the

centre on International Day of Persons

with Disabilities to hear about

the Trust’s hopes for the future.

Helping tackle youth unemployment

for those with disabilities in

the region is also key, Nicki said.

School leavers with both undiagnosed

and diagnosed intellectual

disabilities needed a steppingstone

to help transition into the workforce.

“Over the last little while, I’ve

been finding out what people

want. The transition from school

to what’s next, it’s a big hurdle,”

she said. “There’s 15 per cent youth

unemployment and people with

intellectual disabilities find it six

times harder.”

A proposal to help school leavers

would see closer bonds across

hospitality and horticulture, with

students learning new skills in a

safe environment.

Other plans include selling vegetables

to the community in a similar

way to food box subscription

services.

Chair of Selmes Garden Charitable

Trust Mike Sinclair said the

possibilities ahead were promising,

not only for the Trust, but for the

wider community.

Nursery Manager Xander said it

had been a time of change, but the

team had navigated it together.

“Selmes has been on quite the

journey…it’s been a bumpy ride,

but we have ideas, bold ideas, about

where we’re going.”

Nursery manager Xander outlines some of the plans for the

Selmes Charitable Garden Trust. Photo: Paula Hulburt.

Vanessa Wall and Caleb Redshaw in the potting shed caring for

young plants. Photo: Paula Hulburt

Wednesday December 10, 2025 3

inbrief

The Sun

Weather record

It has been the warmest November

ever recorded according to the latest

figures released from the metrological

data centre at Grovetown. The mean

monthly temperature of 17.3°C was

the warmest November that has been

recorded. There were eight days with

maximum day time temperatures

above 25°C. The warmest day was

on 8 November 2025 which reached

29.8°C. Other than a few cooler nights

in early November the minimum

temperatures have also been well

above average. The coolest morning

was on 16 November 2025, which

recorded 6.1°C.

Swift moves

Congratulations to the winners of our

Taylor Swift tribute ticket giveaway.

Katrina Lange and Emily Wilson both

won a double pass each to see Taylor,

A Tribute to the Eras of Taylor Swift at

the ASB Theatre on Friday 19 December.

Tickets are available but selling fast.

Book now at asbtheatre.co.nz

Race winners

Pure Team 7 Rab crossed the finish

line at Shelley Beach last Thursday,

winning the the One NZ GODZONE

Chapter 12 race in a finish time of 6

days, 2 hours and 15 minutes. Sophie

Hart, Chris Forne, Simone Maier and

Sam Clark were welcomed by a large

crowd of friends, family and supporters.

Team captain Chris Forne described the

race as the toughest one to date. Rab

was the only team to finish the entire

613km course, except for not climbing

Mt Stokes on the stage 7 packraft and

trek due to a weather call directive by

race officials.

2022-2025

Solar Panel Installers

4


inbrief

The Sun

Whangamoa Saddle

Resilience work on SH6 over the

Whangamoas has wrapped up for

the year, ensuring the busy route is

more able to cope with heavy rain

events. Since late September crews

have worked on three separate sites

on the critical transport link between

Blenheim and Nelson. It followed

similar work earlier in the year to bolster

the highway between Hira and the Rai

Valley.

Tree company branches out

Trees for Marlborough have unveiled

a new initiative, Gift a Tree / Donate a

Tree programme. The concept offers a

simple and meaningful way for people

and businesses to make a lasting

difference. Every tree gifted or donated

not only helps restore whenua but

also supports inclusive employment

at Selmes Garden Charitable Trust.

Visit treesformarlborough.org to find

out more.

Picton Pavillion

Port Marlborough Pavilion, is to

transition back to Council governance.

The move will ensure the facility

continues to run efficiently and

sustainably into the future as

a well-established community

facility Council’s Manager of Parks

and Open Spaces Jane Tito said.

“The transition reflects a planned

administration change to ensure longterm

sustainability and consistency

with Council’s community facilities

framework.” The Pavilion was built in

the early 2000s, and the Endeavour

Park Pavilion Society gifted the

completed building to Council, which

leased it back to the society.

The Blenheim

A truck load of talent on

right road for raffle success

By Paula Hulburt

The chance discovery of a

hidden talent is helping a local

business raise money for charity.

Builders Smith & Sons in

Redwoodtown are raffling a

handcrafted Humvee, created

from Rimu rescued from a Blenheim

kitchen renovation job.

Created by Neil Brownridge,

father-in-law to Smith & Sons

owner James Hill, the unique

carving is up for grabs through a

raffle raising money for community

kitchen and café Crossroads.

James said Neil, a former court

bailiff based in Ashburton, took

up carving after he retired.

“He had not done it before yet

has made some really nice pieces.

“Everything is handmade, he

uses a wee scroll saw and cuts

everything himself before he

sands it by hand.

“This not a kitset with glue

holding everything together.”

James said he came up with

the idea of asking Neil to create

a one-off design to help a local

charity. The sculpture has already

got a lot of interest.

“We wanted to make a difference

as it’s important to give back

where you can and Crossroads

does a great job, especially at this

time of year.

“Every dollar raised will be

donated to Crossroads Marlborough,

an amazing organisation

that supports our community in

Smith and Son’s James Hill holds the handcrafted Humvee up for auction to raise money for Crossroads.

Photo: Paula Hulburt.

so many ways.”

Because of its small parts, the

vehicle is not intended as a toy but

as a special display piece.

The truck can be viewed at the

Smith & Sons office on Cleghorn

Street. To buy tickets head to the

Smith & Sons – Marlborough

(Blenheim) Facebook page and

comment “in”. Tickets will be allocated

once payment is received.

There are 500 tickets available

and the winner will be drawn on

31 December or before if tickets

sell out earlier.

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The Blenheim

Orchestra win music to their ears


inbrief

The Sun

By Paula Hulburt

Two young musicians have seen

off competition from hundreds of

other hopefuls to gain places in a

prestigious national orchestra.

Felix Huang, 12, and Michaela

Arlidge, 15, have been named

as the newest members of the

New Zealand Secondary Schools

Symphony Orchestra (NZSSSO)

The pair, tutored by Elizabeth

Turnbull, impressed judges who

said the standard of playing this

year was outstandingly high.

Elizabeth, former Head of Strings

at Trinity College of Music, London,

said both students had worked

hard for their success.

“It is quite an achievement; I am

proud of them. They work hard,

take it seriously and get all the

benefits that a musical education

gives.

“I’m just as tough on them as on

my college students, they don’t

get any different treatment as they

have plenty of potential.”

Felix, who earlier this year was

awarded the Queen Elizabeth II

Music Award for piano and violin

said he started playing the violin

at 7 years old.

The Bohally Intermediate pupil

practiced for about an hour each

day on the violin and on the piano

and added he thought he was well

prepared for the audition.

“I was a bit nervous waiting to

find out though,” he said. When

not practicing or performing, Felix

enjoys chess, loves maths and plays

Violinist Felix Huang, tutor Elizabeth Turnbull and violist Michaela Arlidge. Photo: Paula Hulburt

on the computer with friends.

Michaela, a student at Richmond

View School, also enjoys maths,

only began playing the viola two

years ago after first playing the

violin. She said the instrument’s

low strings appealed to her.

The pair each prepared and

uploaded a YouTube audition for

the judging panel. The recording

had to be unedited and recorded

in one sitting. After auditioning

they had to wait a month to hear

if they were successful.

When the results were uploaded

to the NZSSSO website early one

morning at the end of November,

there was plenty to celebrate.

“The majority of people who

get in are from the big centres

like Auckland, Wellington and

Christchurch,” Michaela explained.

“I was shocked when I

saw my name as I expected it to

be near the bottom, but I was in

the middle.”

The NZSSSO is widely recognised

as a significant training

ground for young players aspiring

to membership of the New

Zealand Youth Orchestra and

ultimately to a career as a professional

musician

Felix and Michaela face an

intensive coaching and rehearsal

regime next year at a six-day

residential course in Christchurch.

The course culminates in 2 public

performances.

Both young musicians began

their music lessons in Blenheim

with Linda Lloyd. Felix has recently

gained his associate diploma

from the ABRSM, the exam board

of the Royal Schools of Music, and

Michaela is about to sit her Grade

7 exam.

Both benefitted from their initial

orchestral experience in Upbeat

(the brainchild of Linda Lloyd) and

have progressed on to play in the

Marlborough Civic Orchestra and

StringTalk, Elizabeth explained.

While it’s too early to say whether

Felix or Michaela will go on to

enjoy careers in music, both are

open to the idea.

“I also quite like the idea of

musical engineering,” Michaela

said. “I like the visual arts, maths,

statistics, music, drama and English

so I have lots of choice and lots

of time yet.”

Sporting prowess

Congratulations to Anru Erasmus who

has been selected for the NZ U18 Boys

Sevens Squad. The Marlborough Boys’

College student helped them reach

the top eight for the first time in the

college’s history and is also their first

NZ U18 Sevens representative.

Community hero

The Marlborough Multicultural

Centre’s Cultural & Sports Events

Manager, Marcelo González, has been

recognised with the 2025 Campbell

Gill Bayley’s Community Heroes

Award at the 2025 Marlborough

Sports Awards. The Community

Heroes category honours individuals

whose volunteer work, leadership,

and commitment to social wellbeing

make a meaningful difference in the

community. Huge congratulations

Marcelo.

Power boat club day

Lake Argyle is closed this weekend

as the eagerly anticipated power boat

club day gets underway. The entire lake

is closed to all swimmers and public

vessels on Saturday 13 and Sunday

14 December 2025 between 8am and

5pm. A speed-limit uplifting is also in

force, only for vessels involved in the

event.

All your community news

now also on the

Blenheim Sun Facebook page

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The Blenheim

Caroline della Porta oversaw the creative process,

working with Lily Holdaway, Annmaria John, Ryan

Annan, James Alviar, Ashley Farihi and Aroha

Cherrie to paint the new mural. Photo: Supplied.

Eye catching art a team effort

Young artists have brought a new

mural to life, brightening up a once

dull fence with an eye-catching

work of art.

The new youth mural now gracing

the fence alongside the Marlborough

Art Society carpark was

unveiled on Friday following 10

weeks of work.

Award winning Marlborough

artist Caroline della Porta oversaw

the creative process, working with

Lily Holdaway, Annmaria John,

Ryan Annan, James Alviar, Ashley

Farihi and Aroha Cherrie.

Celebrating the unveiling with the

artists, family and friends, Caroline

paid tribute to her fellow artists.

“It was a joy to work with each of

you,” she said.

She thanked each artist for showing

up in their free time, being

receptive to new ideas and techniques,

respecting and supporting

each other in the spirit of ‘many in

body, one in mind’.

Caroline also thanked Marlborough

Youth Trust for the workspace

and Marlborough Art Society for

the opportunity.

It is hoped the mural, painted with

the theme, A Sense of Community,

will be the first of many to go up.

It was a collaborative effort, “seven

really good artists with amazing

creative brains,” said Caroline.

“We began by brainstorming,

then free drawing what each person

liked best. Our creative team

consisted of two landscape artists,

one pattern designer, two portrait/

people artists and one bird artist.

“Naturally, their styles were

unique, and the result is that we

represented different artistic approaches

and techniques. Each

artist had a designated space on

the mural, edging on one another’s

work.

“All contributed to the creative

journey and the resulting mural is

an amazing combination of styles

and strengths of each artist, including

abstract, landscape, portrait,

nature, environment, and various

design concepts.

“It’s a beautiful piece that will

intrigue passersby and create

conversations.”

The president of the Art Society,

Carolyn Costley, thanked the

artists and Caroline for the finished

mural and said the Art Society

was pleased and proud of their

achievement.

Grandmother’s return to yes

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Marion’s knees had started

making decisions for her. And

those decisions seemed to always

be a ‘no’.

No to coffee with friends. No

to the Saturday market. No to the

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“It wasn’t dramatic,” Marion

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Nothing ages you faster than

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“The ‘used to’ was the scary

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She’d tried various approaches

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Then a friend mentioned Koru

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“I was highly sceptical,” Marion

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She keeps Koru FX on her

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Marion beams. “Your world can

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The Blenheim


Gymnast’s prize a

takeaway surprise

By Kat Pickford

On a packed Saturday night at

the local takeaway, the last thing

anyone expected was an awards

ceremony.

Gymnast Clara Watt who was

busy filling orders, looked up to

see the out-of-town judge who

scored her just hours earlier –

holding a silk sash.

The talented 14-year-old had

won first place in Ruby (recreational

and regional competitive

grades), despite fears she had

placed last.

Clara said she left the Blenheim

Gymnastics Club in a rush to

clock on to her shift at the Renwick

fish and chip shop before

finding out her scores.

“I was expecting to come last,”

she said.

“When Rachel came in it was

pretty funny, but a little bit stressful

– Saturday is our busiest

night of the week, the phone was

ringing and people were waiting

for orders – but everyone was

really understanding and said it

was fine.”

Training at the Blenheim Gymnastics

Club for seven years,

starting in Grade 2 when she was

just six, the Marlborough Girls’

College student was “shocked”

and “excited.”

The prize was presented by

Rachel Gordon from the Nelson

Gymnastics Club, who stopped

in on her way home after helping

at the competition.

Clara’s coach of four years,

Renée Ashby, said it was wonderful

to see Clara’s hard work

pay off.

“At 1.7 metres, she’s not a natural

– her feet basically sweep the floor

when she swings on the high bar.

But she’s a smart gymnast; she’s

always thinking about the ‘why’

behind the moves.”

As well as the physical strength

and coordination gained through

years of training, Clara has picked

up valuable life skills along the

way, she said.

Her natural leadership stood out

at the club, and she was shoulder-tapped

to help with coaching

about three years ago – a role she

plans to continue next year, between

part-time work and school.

“It was a cool full-circle moment,”

Clara said. “My coaches

have been amazing, so it’s nice to

give back and help others on their

gym journeys.”

Blenheim Gymnastics Club

president Kate Webb says former

gymnasts made great coaches, as

they have an innate understanding

of the movements and a genuine

passion for the sport.

ABOVE: gold iN the gyM, gold at the couNter: clara Watt

celebrates her gymnastics win while working at renwick takeaway.

About 230 gymnasts are currently

enrolled at the club, with

another 140 children aged five

to eight on the waitlist. The club

would love to offer more classes

but is limited by space and a

shortage of coaches, all of whom

volunteer their time.

“There’s a fine balance between

group numbers and making sure

we can get through all participants

in a timely manner,” Kate said.

The club became sole tenants

of the council-owned building in

Opawa Street in the mid-1980s.

More than 40 years later, it has

outgrown the space and is in

urgent need of a larger, fit-forpurpose

facility. The club is in

discussions with the Marlborough

District Council to explore partnerships

and find a viable solution.

Next geNeratioN

stars: Blenheim

gymnastics coach

renée ashby’s dedication

to the sport

is clearly rubbing

off at home – two of

her three children

are following in her

footsteps. greta

Foote, 11, won first

in ruby (competitive

grade), and

brother Monty, 6,

came first in gym

Fun.

Photos: Supplied

Relax and Entertain in Style and Comfort

CHRISTMAS SALE ENDS

31 DEC

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8


The Blenheim

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

This week we caught up with some students from Picton School

to discover what they are looking forward to this Christmas

I am looking forward

to getting my presents.

I’d like a robotic dinosaur

as I have one, but

it doesn’t work.

Heinrich, aged 7

I like the holidays as

I get to see my family

and go to Shelley

Beach. The water’s

pretty warm.

Finley, aged 6

I am looking forward

to spending

time with my family.

I have one sister and

four brothers and we

play lots of games.

Māitai, aged 6

I’m excited as I like presents.

I also wish this Christmas

that it would be easier

to learn to ride my bike as

it’s pretty fun.

Frank, aged 7

Brought to you by...

Debbie Webster

Franchise Owner Blenheim

I like going on my bike in the sun and I’d like

dog key chains for Christmas. We leave a carrot

out for the reindeer. Amelia, aged 7

To sell what you love, talk to someone

who loves where you live.

I’m going to my

nan’s house to open

presents. I’d like an

electric trainset as

I’m back into trains

now. I was into old

cars but it’s trains

now.

Mahko, aged 7

I’m going up north to stay

with family for Christmas,

we get the ferry and have

fun doing handstand

competitions.

Cruze, aged 7

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The Blenheim


No swimming at Spring Creek

Divers asked to eye invasive species

With work underway on upgrading flood

protection for Spring Creek, a popular

section of the river near the Ferry Bridge

is closed for swimming.

The river and the area immediately

below the bridge will be hazardous for

all swimming and recreation activities

during construction of the new stop

banks due to large machinery operating

in and on both sides of the river.

“This is not a decision taken lightly,”

Group Manager Infrastructure and

Services Richard Coningham said.

“It is for the safety of the public and to

allow us to progress this important flood

control work for the protection of the

Spring Creek community.

“Council apologises for any

inconvenience as we know how popular

this area is. “

The upgrade to two primary sections of

stop bank along Peninsula Road near the

township is needed to prevent the banks

failing.

The stop banks were damaged in the

2016 Kaikōura earthquake and 2021 and

2022 floods. While repairs have been

carried out, they remain vulnerable.

The repair and resilience work in Spring

This popular swimming area near the

Ferry Bridge is now closed due to the

Spring Creek stop bank construction

project

Creek will be funded by Council and

the Government’s Kānoa regional

development fund. The project cost is

$22.5M with $13.8M funded by Kānoa

and the remainder by Council.

The contract for the project was awarded

in early November to Taylors Contracting

Co Ltd and is on track for completion in

June 2027.

For information about the stop bank

project go to: www.marlborough.govt.

nz/services/river-management/currentprojects/spring-creek-stopbank-project

Divers are regularly up close and

personal with marine wildlife.

This means the dive community

is well-positioned to help combat

one of the most serious threats to

our coastlines.

There are more than 200 nonindigenous

marine species in

New Zealand, but only about 10

are considered harmful. It can be

easy to mistake friendly natives

for pests. Mediterranean fanworm,

for example, can look very similar

to some of our beneficial natives.

Still, the native exists in balance

Native sea grass in the Marlborough Sounds

with the local ecosystem, while

the pest species has the potential

to change the places we love

forever.

Council’s Senior Biosecurity

Officer, Hayden Nott, encourages

divers to make a report even

if they aren’t 100 per cent sure

it’s a pest. “We’d rather have a

misidentification than have a

pest left to spread. If you find

something suspicious, take

a photo and report the exact

location at report.mpi.govt.nz or

by calling 0800 80 99 66

Kids get clued up on safety

Hundreds of year five and six

Marlborough students have learned

about safety in a wide range of scenarios

at a Clued Up Kids event.

More than 650 students from 11 schools

across the region participated in the

event.

Council’s Nautical and Coastal team, as

well as the Emergency Management

team, joined a range of local

organisations to share skills and safety

messages with the children, covering

boat, water, road, rail, fire, cyber and dog

safety, as well as emergency first aid, oral

health, and mind wellbeing.

Clued Up Kids has been held at

Brayshaw Park since 2006 and has

provided thousands of students with vital

safety skills for life. Students at this year’s

event were very engaged in the various

stations, with plenty of positive feedback

received.

Students at the Nautical and Coastal station of Clued Up Kids, where they learnt

about boat and water safety.

10


one on one

with the Sun

The Blenheim

Finding the joy in connection

Twenty years ago, a church service specifically for people with

disabilities stared in Blenheim. Two decades on and Joy Club is thriving.

Paula Hulburt went along on the club’s special birthday to find out more.

The sound of laughter spirals above

the stain-glass into the airy roof space

above the altar. There are smiles of

delight, of pride and of pure happiness.

It is a Thursday afternoon, and

Joy Club at St Andrew’s Church is in

full swing.

People have gathered to mark not

only the last meeting of the year

but to celebrate a special birthday.

The mood is one of celebration as

Santa hats sparkle under the lights

and Christmas finery is out in force.

The sun streams through the stained

glass, dropping slivers of colour on

the happy congregation.

St Andrew’s lay preacher Marion

Rowe stands with a smile, ready to

begin the service. Taking place on

the first Thursday of each month, Joy

Club is led alternately by Marion and

fellow lay preacher David Clode.

It was David, alongside Minister

Johanna Warren who first started

Joy Club. Now living in Whangarei.

Johanna travelled to Blenheim to be

there for the milestone anniversary.

She is remembered and stops to talk,

to lay a gentle hand on a shoulder as

she passes, promising to catch up

after the service.

“I remember when we had 11 people

and now, we’ve grown to between

28 and 30 people,” David explained

as he addresses the congregation.

“There’s a lot of people to thank, all

the people who have done the work

over the years.

“It’s great we can all come together

to be here.”

Clapping in time to the hymns,

proud voices sing out in gusto and it is

easy to see how the club got its name.

There is a tangible sense of belonging,

shown in a myriad of ways.

Each person who stands to help

share the story of the birth of Jesus is

thanked with an enthusiastic round

of applause. Heartfelt congratulations

greet the speakers as they return to

their seats. Here, there are genuine

Members of Joy Club celebrated 20 years since the very first service.

Photo: Paula Hulburt

friendships, love, and support.

“Who would have thought that

would still be going strong all these

years later,” Marion smiles. “Three

of the original members who attended

that meeting remain involved, one

being my mum who is 92.

“It’s great we can all

come together to be

here.”

“Some years ago, the numbers

dropped in attendance and a trial

of afternoon services followed by

afternoon tea was a great success, and

we have enjoyed increased attendance

since.”

Marion joined 11 years ago to help

David as his cerebral palsy progressed.

The pair share services, each

taking a turn to lead. The benefits are

clear to see, Marion enthuses, with

many strong connections forged over

the years.

“We are well supported by IDEA

Services and connections have been

made stronger since they decided to

also hold their kapa haka practices in

the church hall.” The kapa haka team

are in church and proudly stand to perform.

Their enthusiasm is infectious

and the display is greeted with smiles

as they show off their talents.

Marking the end of the service, people

head towards the hall for a special

Christmas afternoon tea, complete

with a cake made to mark the Club’s

20 th birthday.

Seats are scraped back and places

chosen as everyone sits. Voices call

out across the table as friends catch

up. Outfits and jewellery are admired,

and the excited chatter gets louder

when the cake is spotted. Amy from

IDEA Services stands and the talk

abates.

Being there for such a special day

is a pleasure, she says. “It’s truly

wonderful to be celebrating 20 years

Minister Johanna Warren cuts the Club’s 20th birthday cake

with Lay Preacher David Clode. Photo: Paula Hulburt

of Joy Club. Two decades

of community in a safe and

welcoming environment where

you can enjoy the kai and get

spiritual needs met.

“It has provided comfort and

joy; friendships have been

formed where everyone is

valued. Joy Club brings people

together in a meaningful way.”

David and Johanna cut the

cake together to a respectful

silence. The importance of

the moment is recognised and

celebrated. Cheers ring out

as the first slice is cut before

talking begins again.

“I may not be here in another

20 years,” Marion says as she

hurries towards the kitchen

to help, “but hasn’t it been

wonderful.”

Contact Joy Club via Marion

Rowe on: 021 026 17890

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The Blenheim


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12


The Blenheim

Blenheim aviator combines passion

for firefighting with military service

Firefighting is a passion for a Blenheim

man serving in both the local volunteer

fire brigade and as an Aviation Rescue

Firefighter in the Royal New Zealand Air

Force (RNZAF).

Aircraftman Jesse Blake, 20, has a

passion for firefighting and growing up

in Blenheim, Base Woodbourne was

always close by.

“I always wanted to be in the military

or a firefighter, so I was able to tick off

both of those with the Air Force,” he said.

A volunteer firefighter for three years,

Jesse joined the Royal New Zealand Air

Force as an Aviation Rescue Firefighter

a year ago.

Reflecting on how he first got involved

in firefighting, Jesse said he found

volunteering fun.

“Not just going to calls, but the technical

aspect behind it, and the techniques used

with all the gear.”

Born in Blenheim, Jesse is grateful for

all Marlborough has to offer.

“It’s not far away from anything you

need. Christchurch is just there, a lot of

people passing through from Picton. It

also has any outdoor thing you want to

do, like fishing, hunting and camping.”

Recently Jesse was part of Exercise

Tūhono Rangi, a joint exercise between

the RNZAF and the German Air Force.

More than 50 German Air Force personnel,

five aircraft, and over 70 RNZAF

personnel participated.

Aviation Rescue Firefighters on

Exercise Tūhongo Rangi covered the

real-time fire risk while also conducting

simulated scenarios and working closely

with aviation fuel specialists.

The firefighting section also conducted

simulated scenarios involving RNZAF

security forces in response to simulated

crashes away from the air field.

“It’s really cool because we’re working

with rifles and webbing and figuring

out how to transition to fighting fires as

you need to wear different equipment,”

Jesse said.

Connecting with the German Air Force

and finding common ground on Ex

Tūhono Rangi, Jesse discovered one of

the Germans was a volunteer firefighter

in Germany.

“They were showing us pictures of

their homeland and one of the guys

came back with a firefighting patch on

his uniform. He was interested in what

we do and how we use our firefighting

trucks.”

Looking towards the future, Jesse said

he hopes to be part of a deployment to

Antarctica.

“There’s quite a lot from my trade that

gets to go down there so I want to be

one of them.”

For those wanting to join the trade,

Jesses said you had to put in the effort.

“You just have to get in there and run

with it. When they say jump, jump as

high as you can. Take every opportunity

you can.”

Aircraftman Jesse Blake during Exercise Tūhono Rangi at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. Photo: Supplied

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appropriate appointment.

Virtual appointments are safe and effective for many health

concerns and have been successfully treating thousands of

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From 01 April 2025 Marlborough General Practices will

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Ph 03 520 6200 | 22 Queen St, Blenheim | www.marlboroughpho.org.nz

The Blenheim


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14


The Blenheim

River rubble to be removed

Up to 3000 cubic metres of rubble

will be removed Taylor River in a

bid to reduce the risk of further

flooding.

Dredging of a 150m stretch of

the river between the Alfred Street

bridge and the SH1/rail bridge

begins on 5 January with tidy-up

works to be completed by March.

Preparatory work will start this

side of Christmas on a project

to improve the flood carrying

capacity of the Taylor River near

Blenheim’s town centre.

Council will be prepping the

work site from 19 December which

includes removal of the Crinoline

Bridge footbridge with full-scale

dredging works planned to start

after the festive break.

Rivers and Drainage Engineering

Manager Andy White said the

dredging was required to remove

a build-up of sediment in the river

caused by several weather events.

This would create more flood

capacity as part of Blenheim’s flood

control system, he said.

“Dredging of the Taylor River

was approved in Council’s Long

Term Plan with priority given to the

section downstream of the road/rail

bridge to ensure the flood carrying

capacity of the river. This has been

done in two phases with the first

phase completed ahead of the June

2025 weather event.

“This work played a significant

role in the safe conveyance of floodwaters

through the town during

The Taylor River will be dredged from early January with preparatory work beginning before Christmas including the removal of the pedestrian

bridge near the Quays.

that event. We are now poised to

continue the project between the

Alfred Street bridge and the road/

rail bridge.”

Following the dredging, Council’s

Parks and Open Spaces will

start redecking the boardwalk on

both sides of the river from the

south side of the road/road bridge to

The Quays and from Alfred Street

to the canoe ramp by the Boathouse

Theatre.

Council’s weedcutting programme

will also continue. Three

weedcuts are done every year in the

Taylor River/Lower Ōpaoa mainly

throughout the warmer period.

The November weedcut has just

been completed and the next one

scheduled is January which will

focus downstream of the dredging

area.

Council needs to do the dredging

work in January due to the

requirements of the Marlborough

Environment Plan, suitable weather

and low river levels.

A purpose-built amphibious

excavator will be craned on to the

site for the first time, and this will

operate within the river channel,

loading silt into small trucks on

the northern side. Gill Construction

is the contractor carrying out the

works.

“These machines are used in river

works around the world and are

particularly suited to the Taylor and

Ōpaoa river systems,” Andy said.

“We are expecting the excavator

to remove around 2-3000 cubic

metres of material. For safety

reasons, the entire work area will

be fenced off and closed to public

access during the project.”

The Taylor River Shared Users

Path will be closed on both sides

of the dredging area. The area to

the north side as far as the Ōpaoa

Loop Confluence by the Boathouse

Theatre will also be closed for the

stockpiling of silts and once dry

these will be removed.

“For the public’s safety, we ask

that they keep out of the areas identified

and use alternative routes.”

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The Blenheim


The Mitre 10 Mega Children’s Choir is always a crowd pleaser.

RIGHT ON CUE: Kevin Moseley leads the Marlborough

District Brass Band at the 2024 event.

Christmas in the Park 2025

Blenheim’s Christmas in the Park is one of

those magical events that captures the heart

of the Marlborough community every year.

As December gets underway, anticipation

builds for the free, family friendly concert

and the countdown is almost over, with just

three sleeps left until the fun begins.

Head to Pollard Park after the Blenheim

Santa Parade and pick your spot to enjoy an

evening of top-notch local talent all set to

welcome in the festive season. For many, this

calendar highlight has become an annual

must, with people returning gain and again.

From the moment you step into Pollard

Park, you’re greeted with a kaleidoscope of

laughter, and music. The park transforms

into a hive of festive activity with plenty

on offer to enthral and entertain. There is

always something new on offer to keep

everyone happy, no matter how many times

you’ve been.

The main stage is the heart of the night,

showcasing an impressive lineup of local

talent. The Mitre 10 Mega Children’s Choir,

local singer Emlie Mackay, 12, and the

Harvest Band are among those appearing

this year for lots of Christmas festive fun.

There will be food vendors and face painting

on site and much more to enjoy.

Each performance adds a unique flavour to

the event, celebrating the diversity and creativity

of the Marlborough region. There’s

something so special about hearing familiar

Christmas songs sung under the open sky,

surrounded by neighbours and friends. The

open space lends itself perfectly to dancing,

so make the most of the opportunity and

have fun!

Blenheim’s Christmas in the Park is more

than just an event; it’s a celebration of

connection. For many locals, it marks the

beginning of the holiday season, a night to

pause and appreciate the magic of togetherness

that defines this special time of year.

POPULAR EVENT: A good crowd turned out to last year’s Christmas in the Park, and organisers

say this year will be bigger still.

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16 Wednesday December 10, 2025

The Blenheim

Picton turned out in force to

celebrate all the fun of the

Picton Santa Parade. From

familiar favourites such as

Harold the Giraffe and of

course Santa, there was

plenty to see and smile at.

Photos: Anne Gaelle Photography

Picton Santa Parade

Cheryl and the

2Dayz Kitchens Team

wish all their clients

and customers a safe

and happy Christmas

and New Year.

We will be closing 5pm Monday 22 December 2025

and reopening 9.00am Wednesday 14 January 2026.

Phone 5784 788

www.2dayzkitchens.nz

19 Nelson St, Blenheim

Wishing you a very

Merry Christmas

Hardy-Jones Clark

LaWYEr S – NotarY PuBLi C

We wish you a safe

and happy festive season

We will be closed from 5pm Tuesday 23 December and

reopening at 8:30am on Monday 12 January, 2026 at

our new premises located at Level 2, Youell House,

1 Hutcheson Street, Blenheim

03 578 5339

Level 2, Youell House, 1 Hutcheson St, Blenheim (from 2026)

Email reception@hjc.co.nz www.hjc.co.nz

Merry ChristMas

We would like to thank you for your support over 2025

and hope you have a fantastic Christmas and New Year.

All the best from Shane & Kylie

www.harristraining.co.nz

We will be closed from

December 23, reopening

January 14 2026

121 Mahers Rd, Kaituna

Phone 027 519 8282

www.davidwraightcottages.co.nz

Thanks to all of our existing

& new clients for your

support in 2025

Merry Xmas to all and

look forward to new

inquiries in 2026

P.S we are open for

services during Christmas

P: 027 700 6647

E: wayne.wiffen@icib.co.nz

www.icib.co.nz

Merry Christmas to

all our customers.

Thank you for

your support

during 2025.

Hours: Dec 24 and Dec 31 8am-3pm

We are closed Dec 25, 26 & Sat Dec 27, Jan 1,2 & Sat Jan 3.

Normal hours are 8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri. 8.30-12.30 Saturdays.

527 Old Renwick Road, Blenheim. Phone: 03 578 0468

Website: www.kiwiseed.co.nz

The Blenheim

Picton Santa Parade


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Marlborough

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Wishing you and your

families a very merry and

safe Christmas.

Thank you for your support this

year and keeping it local. We look

forward to seeing you in 2026.

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027 226 2932 or 03 578 2430

www.thespiderman.co.nz

WISHING ALL OUR CLIENTS A

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Closing 4:30pm on the 19th of December

- returning on the 12th of January.

A tech will be on call all of the non Stat days

SERVICES LIMITED

Locally Owned and Operated

Phone: 579 2921

21 Redwood Street, Blenheim

www.forklifthireservices.co.nz

18


The Blenheim

Strong vocational pathways

MBC Gateway and Trades Report 2025

By Jared Bell,

Head of Careers and Transition

In 2025, Marlborough Boys’

College has continued to deliver

strong vocational pathways support.

This approach encourages

students to explore employment

and study opportunities in six

major industries: Manufacturing

and Technology, Construction, and

Infrastructure, Creative, Primary

and Services Industries, and Social

and Community Services.

For MBC students this has included

a good representation across the

Top of the South Trades Academy

(TOTSTA) courses, as well as

strong numbers on the Gateway

Program. Both programmes involve

Year 12 and 13 students,

usually completing one day per

week of ‘out of school learning’,

gaining hands-on work experience

in their chosen fields. This year’s

Gateway programme has involved

a whopping 88 students and over

100 different work placements.

A special thanks needs to go to

Darlene Purdie for the immense

amount of work she has done

in facilitating these placements.

In summary, 33 students have

received apprenticeships, while

many others have gained employment

opportunities a result of their

placement. Apprenticeships have

included those in; heavy diesel,

electrical, flooring, forestry, panel

and paint, engineering, carpentry,

drain laying, joinery, civil works,

transport and logistics, farming.

Further to this there have been

another 15 students completing

TOTSTA trades courses in Automotive,

Aeronautical and Mechanical

Engineering a Manaaki Tāpoi

Cultural Tourism courses.

The results achieved through

both these programmes have again

been excellent. Not only have

these students received practical

opportunities, but they have also

completed theory papers related

to their chosen industry, meaning

many have achieved upwards of 20

credits towards their NCEA Level

2 and 3 Qualifications. An example

of this being through attending an

industry standard two-day Health

and Safety course with ‘The Learning

Place’ or ‘Industry Training

Solutions,’ to help get them more

work ready.

As mentioned above, some

students have achieved apprenticeships

and offers of full-time

employment, while others are

going on to study tertiary courses

at the likes of ARA and NMIT

Polytechnics. Automotive students

for example may choose to pursue

a Level 3 pre-trade certificate with

NMIT or alternatively go straight

into the industry where they can

begin a Level 4 apprenticeship, under

the guidance of their employer

and Industry Training Organisations,

such as MITO.

Another key cog in the success

of these students is the ‘MBC

Driver Education program.’ This

includes 110 students in Years

12-13 who are doing a ‘Careers

Development’ class. Each class

completes a 20-hour driver education

unit regardless of whether

they have a drivers license or not,

with the overall goal of helping the

students become more ‘confident

and knowledgeable’ drivers. Unlike

a defensive driving course, the

program allows the students to gain

valuable credits towards NCEA

Level 2 & 3. In addition to this 20-

hour course, the careers staff have

assisted many more students across

the school to gain their Learners

Driver’s Licence.

While we wish to celebrate the

success of all our learners, there

were two major award winners

in the vocational studies areas.

The first of these went to Year 12

student Chase McWhirter, who

was recipient of the ‘CATE Marlborough

Vocational Excellence

Award,’ This esteemed award

comes with a prize of $500 and

sits alongside the Dux Litterum,

as one of our premier academic

awards. Chase has excelled in his

vocational classes at school, which

has included completing more than

(L-R) Chase McWhirter, James Dwyer.

James Dwyer, Gateway

Student of the Year.

30 related credits related to his agricultural

placement. Chase has also

been part of the Gateway program

and was placed with Meadowbank

Farms. Chase’s feedback from

the placement was all marked as

‘Excellent,’ with his employer

commenting that; “He’s always

keen to learn and work hard and it’s

been great to see Chase grow with

confidence over his time here”.

Chase has now been accepted into

the Future Farming program, and

he will be working for Fernvale

Genetics down at Tapanui.

Our other significant award is the

‘Gateway Student of The Year.’

This went to James Dywyer who

has been on a Gateway placement

at Laser Electrical. His employer

comments stated “He was a very

good worker, good at communicating

and always on time. Showing

a lot of initiative”. James has

since secured an apprenticeship

with Thompson Electrical, which

will see him become a qualified

electrician.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge

the outstanding work

of the careers staff at Marlborough

Boys College as it would not be

possible to achieve these great

results and create so many practical

working opportunities for the

students without their dedication

and support. The team of Tracy

Quigley, Gareth Pugh, Adrienne

Kircher, Nigel Timpson, Darlene

Purdie, Aimee Pickles, Hemi

Priestley and Jared Bell have all

made valuable contributions to

the pathway development of these

young men.

Careers

Department

Message of Thanks

Marlborough Boys’ College wishes to convey our sincere thanks for your

company’s support of the Gateway Programme in 2025.Without the support of

the businesses below, this initiative would not exist. The opportunity to provide

young rangatahi with quality work experience is something special. Once again,

a big THANK YOU and we at MBC look forward to a continued association.

Darlene Purdie, Gateway Liaison, Marlborough Boys’ College

Marlborough Boys’ College wishes to convey our sincere thanks for your

company’s support of the Gateway Programme in 2025.Without the support of

the businesses below, this initiative would not exist. The opportunity to provide

young rangatahi with quality work experience is something special. Once again,

a big THANK YOU and we at MBC look forward to a continued association.

Darlene Purdie, Gateway Liaison, Marlborough Boys’ College

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The Blenheim


Rates cap puts future infrastructure

projects at risk - Marlborough mayor

By Kira Carrington

LDR Reporter

The Government’s proposed

rates cap could put future core

infrastructure projects at risk,

says Marlborough mayor Nadine

Taylor.

The Government has proposed

capping rates rises at

a target range of 2% to 4%

per year across all general and

targeted rates, excluding water

charges and non-rates revenue

such as fees and charges.

Minister for Local Government

Simon Watts said the

proposal was “about stopping

the runaway rate hikes” that

had impacted families and

those on fixed incomes.

Councils would have to start

factoring the cap into their

planning from 2027, with the

full cap coming into effect in

2029.

Nadine said no-one, including

her, wanted to see rates rises

like the ones of recent years,

with Marlborough’s increase

this year at 8.61%.

“Those rates rises we’ve had

have been very much outside

of council’s control,” she said

“Local government inflation

isn’t measured against things

like butter or mince, things that

households buy. It’s measured

against steel and bitumen and

the cost of building a bridge.

“Those costs have essentially

just gone crazy in the last few

years.”

Nadine said that while she

understood why water charges

were exempted from the rates

cap, with $413m of infrastructure

investment needed in the

next 10 years, she didn’t understand

why roading was not

also exempt.

“Many councils across the

country are looking at a bell

wave of renewals in roading,”

she said.

“A lot of those renewals are

around quite expensive items

like bridges ... that roading is

key infrastructure should be

treated the same as water.”

Nadine added without exemptions,

councils would struggle

to fund road renewals under

the cap.

Under the proposed cap,

councils would need to apply

to a regulator to raise rates beyond

the cap, which would only

be granted under exceptional

circumstances such as natural

disasters.

Nadine said uncertainty

around funding and exemptions

meant councils could be reluctant

to take on new projects.

“The one that springs to my

mind immediately is the homeless,

the issue that we’re seeing

rising here in Marlborough.

“We will struggle to consider

to take on any more obligations

... where the community is very,

very keen for us to take a lead,

we just won’t be able to.”

LDR is local body journalism

co-funded by RNZ and NZ On

Air.

Marlborough mayor

Nadine Taylor said that

council may struggle to

renew key infrastructure

such as roading under

the Government’s

proposed rates cap.

Photo: Supplied.

Wishing you a festive season

full of connection and

kindness.

Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year.

www.nurtureathome.co.nz

PH: 027 300 8656 | marlb@nurtureathome.co.nz

Wishing you

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local cleaning experts

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CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11

12 13 14

15 16 17

18

19 20 21 22

430

SUDOKU

Every row, column and box should

contain the digits 1 to 9.

WordBuilder

WORDBUILDER6

330

S E I

N N A

330

6

N N A

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

How words or beginning with a capital are

from many the words six letters, of three using or more each letters, only

allowed. There's at least one six-letter word.

including once? plurals, can you make from the six

TODAY

letters,

No Good words

using 14 each

beginning Very letter Good only 17 with

once? Excellent a capital

No 20 foreign

are

words

allowed. Solution or words 329: There’s able, beginning alb, ale, at alee, with

least anele, a capital

one bale, are

allowed. six-letter

BALEEN, There's ban, bane, at bean, least bee, one been, six-letter bel, ben, word. eel,

word. elan, ENABLE, lab, lane, TODAY lea, lean, lee, nab, neb.

Good 14 Very Good 17 Excellent 20

letters, including plurals, can you make

Solution 329: able, alb, ale, alee, anele, bale,

BALEEN, ban, bane, bean, bee, been, bel, ben, eel,

elan, ENABLE, lab, lane, lea, lean, lee, nab, neb.

23 24

25 26

Across

7. Shoeless (8)

9. Keg (6)

10. Sieve (4)

11. Flawlessness (10)

12. Save from danger (6)

14. Outside (8)

15. Muse (6)

16. Death (6)

19. Southern English county (8)

21. Weeping (6)

23. Neutralise, offset (10)

24. Constructed (4)

25. Hat/country (6)

26. Benevolence (8)

Decoder

Down

1. Spite (6)

2. Warmth (4)

3. Entire (8)

4. Missing (6)

5. Brotherhood (10)

6. Explode (8)

8. Objective (6)

13. 100th anniversary (10)

15. Recommendation (8)

17. Thrilling (8)

18. Assault (6)

20. Teeter (6)

22. The habit of going unclothed (6)

24. Monastery resident (4)

Crossword

Across: 7. Barefoot, 9. Barrel, 10. Sift, 11. Perfection, 12. Rescue,

14. External, 15. Ponder, 16. Demise, 19. Somerset, 21. Crying, 23.

Counteract, 24. Made, 25. Panama, 26. Kindness.

Down: 1. Malice, 2. Heat, 3. Complete, 4. Absent, 5. Fraternity, 6.

Detonate, 8. Target, 13. Centennial, 15. Proposal, 17. Exciting, 18. Attack,

20. Seesaw, 22. Nudism, 24. Monk.

WordBuilder

Ani, anis, anise, end, inane, inn, inns, ins, INSANE, nan, nans, nine, nines,

san, sane, sea, sen, senna, SIENNA, sin, sine.

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

Sudoku

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The Blenheim

Picton Santa Parade was a huge success

with people gathering to make the most

of the parade itself and to enjoy all the

fun on the foreshore afterwards.

Photos: Anne Gaelle Photography


Out &

...with The Sun

your local paper

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Adah, Tania, Malachi, Ag, Neriah and Selah.

Surf lifesavers Careon Rattray, Ruby Marshall, Hannah Gilhooly and Adam

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The Blenheim

Let '

s

Chat

with

Lisa Duncan Photography

Leanne Hayes

Vanilla Hayes

• Are you a dog or cat person?

Definitely a dog AND cat person. We have both and they are

very much part of the family.

• What’s your favourite snack?

I’m loving the summer fruit at the moment - especially apricots

and strawberries.

• What would you buy if money was no object?

Everything!! I’d build a full-size all-weather football pitch for

my husband, buy a plane for one son, and a Lemur sanctuary

for the other, and then a fully gluten free fish and chip shop for

Blenheim.

• Savoury or sweet?

Savoury, can’t go past anything potato-based or some good

cheese.

• The shop you can’t walk past is…?

Any supermarket it seems - pretty much my second home trying

to feed teenage boys right now.

• If you could board a plane tomorrow where would

you go?

To visit some good friends that live in Scotland and England.

• What’s the best thing you can cook?

My homemade sausage rolls disappear pretty quickly.

• Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I’m up with the sun but borderline narcoleptic in the evening.

• What’s your favourite colour?

I’m fully behind the colourful dopamine dressing trend, but

green is a firm favourite.

• If you had to choose another job what would it be?

A full time body combat instructor

• What is your favourite place for coffee or lunch?

Kaiaka never disappoints.

gardening this week

Gardening matters: By Wally Richards

As Christmas approaches it is

a busy time in the garden for

many, early planted crops are now

being harvested or coming towards

maturity.

The first ripe tomatoes are picked

and salad crops should also be

ready to use about now.

Yesterday I had a long chat over

the phone with an 86-year-old

male gardener who spends much

of his day in the garden where he

obtains peace and pleasure, weather

permitting.

He told me how superior the taste

of his vegetables are.

The reason being is that he grows

his plants naturally with animal

manures and homemade compost

and compost tea.

The plants are not forced to grow

faster with high applications of nitrogen

as seen in commercial crops.

This means the vegetables create

their own natural defense systems

against disease and pests, and take

in all the minerals provided such

as Ocean Solids, Fish Fertiliser,

BioPhos, Unlocking Your Soil,

Calcium & Health, and Magic

Botanic Liquid.

Vegetables grown commercially,

grow on dead soil which means no

soil life, microbes and earthworms,

because the heavy use of man-made

fertilisers has killed the soil life.

When vegetables (and other

plants) grow without heavy chemical

protection, they rely more on

their own built-in defenses.

These natural chemical defense

systems are what give you excellent

health protection when you eat the

vegetables that are grown naturally.

Your body takes in these non-nutrient

natural chemicals which are

used by your immune system to

likewise protect you.

We talked about days gone by

like in the 50’s and 60’s where most

of the vegetables were grown by

market gardeners that were mostly

Chinese.

What they used was real blood &

bone from freezing works that they

purchased in ton bags.

(This is different to the blood &

bone that is generally commercially

available today which is very little

blood and likely no bone flour

instead a lot of chalk) Real unadulterated

blood and bone is very dark

in color and has a distinct odor.

Many people will recall back then

(50’s, 60’s) when you purchased a

cabbage and cooked it, it would

stink the house out. That was the

sulphur from the blood used to

grow the cabbage that caused the

smell.

Cook a purchased cabbage today

and you would not even know it was

cooking without looking.

People were far healthier back

then and slimmer.

Our food chain has now had very

little goodness and too many poisonous

chemicals, which is a major

factor in people’s health today.

Make food your medicine because

that’s what our bodies need to

function perfectly.

The cheapest and best way to obtain

all the goodness that vegetables

can contain is to grow your own.

To get the goodness out you

need to put the goodness into the

growing medium and that is done

by adding a little of Wallys Ocean

Solids, Unlocking Your Soil, Bio-

Phos and Neem Tree Powder - just a

pinch of each into the planting hole

or spread across a growing bed.

Spray plants once or twice a week

with Wallys Magic Botanic Liquid

with Mycorrcin added.

Then with ample sunlight and

non-chlorinated water, you can

grow some health, naturally.

Sun Weather Today 13-30 Thursday 9-23 Friday 8-20 Saturday 9-20 Sunday 9-25 Monday 12-24

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Owners

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and sales with us.

Our newspaper is the BEST

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Ph 577 7868 | Email: simon@blenheimsun.co.nz - katrina@blenheimsun.co.nz - rebecca@blenheimsun.co.nz

The Blenheim

Bad news!

To my many family members and friends who

think I’m going to kick the bucket soon, I have

got some bad news. I’m not going anywhere.

I have been told that there is no red wine up

there. Dick Mortimer.

txt talk with

Great service

Mag n turbo a huge thank you for all your help with my Demio on

Sat 6th Dec, fantastic friendly service.

Nice feature

The corrugated iron feature on the road to

Havelock the horse and plough with the gent

also. It was heart warming to see it. Maybe a

few around would be nice.

The Sun

Re: Baffling Spark TV Ad

My take on it is, a mother (the one driving) is

travelling through life with her daughter (the

car representing their lives) and when the

daughter decides to go on her adventures

(OE maybe, and this is where the car splits in

two) her own phone (obviously with another

provider) has unreliable service, so the mother

lends her phone to her daughter so she can

keep constantly in touch.

When the daughter returns (this is where the

car joins up again) she is so in awe of Sparks’

wonderful service, she switches providers!


Talk of the week

Rosie McAllister

What a beautiful rendition

of “My Redeemer Liveth”

by Rosie McAllister on

Friday night! Glorious!

Very best wishes for your

study next year and for

what surely must be a

great future!

Beauty and the Beast

First time at the Boathouse, warmly welcomed,

good seating, great seating, loved the show,

beautiful singing and interaction with the

audience.

Well done to the crew, actors, and organisers.

I enjoyed the local talent and look forward to

more wonderful shows.

Weeds by Raupo

The gardens at Seymour Sq look magnificent

but the river weed by Raupo is sufficient for

the ducks to walk on it. Our only visible natural

asset for SH1 traffic to look at and, well, it looks

like a stagnant pond!!! Where’s Weed-e?

Lovely gift for loyal customer

New World, you gave me a lovely and unexpected

surprise when shopping on thursday

by presenting me with a giftbox of x4 peanut

butters for being a loyal customer.

I also was given a stick of butter, a calendar and

a shopping pad.

I will be back!

Still smell the chlorine

Merry Christmas to you all at the Blenheim

Sun and thank you for your text platform. I

will stop talking about the chlorine added to

the Blenheim water in October when I can no

longer smell it in the water. I don’t smell it in

Christchurch or Wellington water for example.

Why here? Is the concentration OTT.

RE: New vape shop

OMG!! control your teenagers!! Unbelievable

you say what you have it helps us adults stop

smoking! Mind your own business plz.

Put the phones away, kids

I drive past a rural bus stop with about 6 or

more high school students at 8am and all are

glued to their phones, put down the phone’s

and have a conversation with each other, as

a rural kid I loved that time at the bus stop

catching up with everyone and playing games.

Our children are loosing their social skills.

Re: Bluebridge taking over our

ferries

Sure, taxpayers would save money if we

handed Bluebridge monopoly control of Cook

Strait crossings. Those same taxpayers would

then be gouged every time we needed to get

over with vehicles and freight. Privatisation of

publicly owned services ALWAYS results in all

of us paying more and more and more. We

need to retain and grow public ownership to

keep costs down.

Re: Housing

How more entitled can you be? What about

us who work hard and can only afford to

buy a smaller house for our families, should

government supplement us so we can buy a

bigger one?? This logic is wild.

Re: Our water

Well done, telling, advocating people, even

young people this column to drink booze?

What is the matter with you.

Grass verges

Why do councils insist on having grass verges?

They are ugly, and a waste of space that could

be used for shared bike/walk paths. They

create a lot of greenhouse gasses by having to

mow them and are a waste of money.

Russian Oil

I see that Z was found to be buying oil through

India that actually came from Russia. So much

for NZ supporting Ukraine, just makes a

mockery of our stand against Russia.

Blenheim water

The only reason texts regarding Blenheim’s

water continue to get published is the left

leaning media taking side with those not in

favour and promoting it’s woke ideology on us.

Movie recommendation

Saw “Nuremberg“ movie at Events Cinema

advance screening. Powerful and top acting. A

top movie in amongst usual trash films. Timely

movie to remind people.

Hats off to Them

I was invited to a bowls club with the view of

joining, after we watched some bowls we went

to the clubs bar for a cold drink, on entering I

was asked to remove my hat, a club rule, we

sat near this one table that were using what

you would call colorful language, which

surprisingly nobody questioned, although

the people using this language had removed

their hats .

Diversion gate

Can anyone tell me why is the Gate to the

Diversion still closed. Rang Council to ask why 8

weeks ago. Said would ring back. Still waiting!

Fountain

Why isn’t the fountain in front of Raupo going

for summer so far? Is it because of the weeds

being overgrown or more council budget

issues?

Thank you and

drive safe

We’ve had a family

member involved in a

crash this weekend gone

on a rural country road

and I’d like to take time to

thank the public who were

first on the scene and the

emergency services that

arrived soon after.

From our family to yours

thank you very much, and

a note to everyone, keep

safe on our Marlborough

roads, bad things happen

in the blink of an eye

when it involves a motor

vehicle

Footpath extension

from Summerset

It would be great if they

extended the footpath

from Summerset around

to Westwood. Make it a

lot friendlier for people in

wheelchairs, walkers and

prams!

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.

Got an important issue to share with Marlborough? Text your thoughts to 027 242 5266

GR LAWRENCE LTD

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all our

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Thank you for your support in 2025.

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Ph 0800 080096

or 021 264 8235

steve@premierpainting.co.nz

ExcEllEncE in

AutomobilE

DEtAiling

• Professional Exterior &

Interior Detailing

• Upholstery Shampooing

• Buffing & Polishing

• Pick up & delivery

30+ Years in the

Automotive Industry

Ph Aaron 027 256 0808

aaron@carspa.page

carspa-detailing.com

We are dynamic

team of experienced

electrical, solar

and heat pump

experts based in

Marlborough.

www.sulex.co.nz

Ph 03 577 8539

office@sulex.co.nz

YOUR ELECTRICAL NEEDS,

OUR EXPERTISE:

Trusted in Marlborough Since 2001

Domestic Residential

Commercial Industrial

Security Alarms & CCTV

Commercial Appliances

Irrigation Electrical

Offgrid Solar

Thermal Imaging

General Servicing

03 579 4445

office@cmelectrical.co.nz

www.cmelectrical.co.nz

On call after hours service available

SERVICES LIMITED

Casual or

Long Term

Rentals

Maintenance &

Repair Services

Locally Owned

and Operated

Phone: 579 2921

21 Redwood St, Blenheim

www.forklifthireservices.co.nz

GARAGE DOORs

GARAGE DOOR

SYSTEMS

• Sectional Doors

• Roller Doors

• Tilt Doors

• Commercial

Doors

• Gate Systems

• Garage Door

Openers

41 Grove Road

BLENHEIM

Ph 578 8251

info@dominatorblenheim.co.nz

GATEs GATES

Classic

Gates

ENGINEERING

MARLBOROUGH

POWDERCOATING

See the experts for:

Sandblasting

Powdercoating

Gates, Fencing

Furniture

Pool Fences

6 Nelson St, Blenheim

Ph/Fax 578 0374

a/h 021 838 550

PROMOTE

YOUR

BUSINESS

Advertise

on the sun’s

Trades &

services

pAge

CAll us todAy

577 7868

for detAils

lOuvREs & MORE

• Custom design

outdoor louvres

• Automated louvres

with rain sensors

• Manual & automated

outdoor blinds

• Outdoor heaters &

LED lighting options

• Louvre shutters

• Timber & iron fences

• Pool fencing

• Decks

• General landscaping

Grant (Spud) McLeod

email: grant@

louvresandmore.co.nz

027 540 4412

MOBIlITy sCOOTERs

CONTACT

CONTACT

EV EAST MARLBOROUGH

EV 0272503299

EV EAST EAST MARLBOROUGH

0272503299

paul@eveast.co.nz

paul@eveast.co.nz

www.eveast.co.nz

www.eveast.co.nz

0800 61 41 21

0800 61 61 41 41 21 21

MOvING / sTORAGE

pluMBER

sOlAR

TREE CARE

vINEyARD

Blenheim’s only locally owned movers!

Local, National, International

Moves and Storage

Let us help you get to where you want to be!

Phone us on 03 579 5154

www.marlboroughmoving.co.nz

BLENHEIM

TRUSTED

PLUMBERS,

GASFITTERS AND

DRAINLAYERS

WHETHER YOU NEED

GAS, DRAINAGE OR

PLUMBING SERVICES,

WE HAVE

GOT YOU

COVERED.

Call Steve today

021 625 378

Slash your

power bills

• Premium Solar

Systems to suit your

home, lifestyle

and budget

• Finance available.

Buy now, pay later

Jono Underwood

Local Business Owner

021 869 808

0800 00 33 55

harrisonssolar.co.nz

Tree Removal

Height Reduction

Trimming/Thinning

Branch Chipping

Hedge Trimming

Line Clearance

Stump Grinding

Mulch Supplies

Fully Insured

FREE

QUOTES

Ph. 03 578 0083

(Lance) 021 361912

cts@xtra.co.nz

Vineyard

Post & Plant

remoVal

ELAG is our innovative,

custom designed and

patented grapevine

removal and chipping

attachment.

Call Matt 027 268 8061

or email

elag@mgcontracting.kiwi

for a free quote.

The Blenheim

Classifieds Advertising Ph 03 577 7868

Public Notices


Public Notices

White rice

By George Elder

Have you heard

of Beriberi? It was

a common disease

in

Asia which caused weak

muscles, paralysis, nerve damage, difficulty

walking, swelling in the legs, and

heart failure. Thankfully nowadays this

is a rare disease except in some parts of

South East Asia.

No one understood that it was caused by

a shortage of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and

a major contributor was the dietary change

from brown to white rice, produced when

rice has the brown husk polished off it to

make it white and fluffy. Other causes

can be poor diet, chronic alcoholism, and

diseases that reduce the absorption of

thiamine in the diet. It wasn’t until 1912

that the disease was linked to the nutrient

loss from polished rice.

The refining of rice has many benefits,

as it removes the natural oils that cause it

to spoil (go rancid) and so it extends the

shelf life indefinitely. It is also favored by

consumers as it simplifies cooking and

produces a light fluffy rice. But there is a

price to pay for this convenience.

Polishing rice removes 60% of the iron,

85% of the niacin (Vitamin B3) and

90% of the thiamine (Vitamin B1). The

brown outer husk of natural rice contains

these nutrients including the nutrient

rich embryo and the bran which makes

up most of the fiber. Today, to improve

nutrition, some white rice is “enriched”

with sprayed-on synthetic vitamins.

However, this does little to restore the fiber

Public Notices

or to return all the nutrition removed by

the processing, such as the antioxidants.

The loss of the fibre and nutrients

increases the glycemic index (GI) of

the rice making it a higher risk food for

Type-2 Diabetes. The brown outer husk

slowed down the digestion of the rice and

reduced the glucose spike caused by the

arrival of an easily digested carbohydrate.

Without this coating, white rice is digested

quickly triggering an urgent response by

the body to manage the resulting toxic

glucose spike.

The rate that glucose arrives into the

blood has a big impact on the level of

insulin required. If the glucose arrives in

a sudden spike such as a white rice meal

or when you drink a sugar sweetened

beverage like a cola, the level of insulin

rises dramatically compared with a lower

level required for a slow glucose release.

This spike can increase tissue damage and

the accumulated risk for Type-2 diabetes

and may help explain why rates of Type-2

diabetes are rising so fast.

This change is mirrored with refined

white flour, which loses 80% of its fiber

and 70% of its iron. Some enrichment

returns a portion of these nutrients but it

is not the same as its natural state. Using

brown rice and true whole grain flour may

help overcome these deficiencies.

Get free nutrition guidance or my book

at www.takebackyrhealth.com. Seek

professional medical advice before dietary

changes, particularly if on medication.

George Elder, Author, Health Coach,

Diploma in Nutrition. ‘The best thing

you can do for your health is eat better’.

Rotoiti

Power Boat Club Day

Lake Argyle

Between 8am and 6pm on

13 and 14 December 2025

Maritime New Zealand has reserved

Lake Argyle for Testing and Tuning

Club Days for Rotoiti Powerboat Club

members and affiliates. For safety

reasons the lake will be closed to all

other water-borne users, including

waterskiers. Spectators and

shore-based anglers are asked

to speak with a Marshall for safe

locations.

For further information, call Wayne

on 027 433 3663.

MARLboRough

“The heavy work

done for you”

Clothing Alterations:

by Lynette

Atkinson-Parker

For your sewing requirements

Phone 03 578 1010

or 027 578 1010

Quality Service Guaranteed

Holiday Closure

Our office will be closed from 4.00pm,

Monday 22nd December and will re-open

on Monday 12th January 2026 at 9.00am.

Phone messages will be checked periodically

during this time. We wish everyone a safe

and happy festive season.

FuRnituRe

Moving

ReLocAtion

stoRAge

FReight &

distRibution

ph: 027 211 1908 / 03 577 7222 A1contracting.co.nz

Locally owned family business

txt

talk

Text your

thoughts to:

027 242 5266

Want to

advertise

your

Phone

5777 868

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Under the Marlborough Electric Power Trust Deed of Trust notice is given

that on Monday 23rd March 2026, an election will be held for three (3)

trustees of the Marlborough Electric Power Trust under the First Past

the Post electoral system by postal and online voting.

The Marlborough Electric Power Trust was established by Deed of Trust

dated 28 April 1993. The Trustees hold the share capital of Marlborough

Lines Limited in trust for the company’s electricity consumers.

The Trust Deed provides for three of the six Trustees to retire on the

1st of April each second year.

Call for Nominations

Nominations are therefore invited from the public for three positions on the Trust.

Candidates must have a principal residence in the area served by Marlborough

Lines Limited and be eligible to hold office under the terms of the Trust Deed,

copies of which are available on our website mept.co.nz, or at the offices of

Blenheim Accounting Ltd, 36 Maxwell Road, Blenheim.

Each candidate must be nominated on the nomination form available during

normal business hours:

• by accessing www.mept.co.nz;

• by phoning 021 1200 737 to have one posted out;

• or from the offices of Blenheim Accounting, 66 Seymour St, Blenheim.

Completed nomination papers can be lodged to our email address enquiries@

mept.co.nz, completed online, or posted to Marlborough Electric Power Trust,

PO Box 1025, Blenheim 7240, but must be received no later than

5pm Thursday 22nd January 2026.

A non-refundable fee of $120.00 is required to be forwarded with each

nomination, along with a candidate profile statement and photograph for

sending out with the voting papers for consumers.

Brenda Munro

Returning Officer

news tips

Send your tips to news@blenheimsun.co.nz

72 High Street,

Phone 03 577 7868

26


URGENT

services

Urgent Care Centre: Wairau Hospital

Grounds. Entry off Hospital Rd, Blenheim,

8am-8pm daily. Phone (03) 520 6377.

Ambulance: Urgent 111. Non urgent 578

0797.

After Hours Chemists: Springlands

Pharmacy: Monday - Friday 8.30am -

6pm. Saturday 9m - 5pm. Sunday closed.

Public Holidays - phone us to be advised.

Community Care Pharmacy: Within the

Blenheim Warehouse, open 7 days 9am-

6pm. Closed on Public Holidays.

Lifeline Marlborough: 0800 543354, 24hr

helpline.

Women’s Refuge and Sexual Violence

Support Centre Marlborough: Crisis

line number phone 0800 refuge or

03 5779939.

Victim Support: 0800 VICTIM (0800 842

846)

Alcoholics Anonymous: 0800 AA WORKS

- 0800 229 6757.

Citizens Advice Bureau: Free, friendly,

confidential advice. Mon - Fri 9.30am -

4pm. Phone 578 4272.

Wairau Hospital: Hospital Visiting Hours:

Daily 2.30pm - 8pm, children under 12

may visit parents only.

Maternity Ward: 10am-noon, 4pm-7pm.

Children's Ward: Daily 10am-8pm. Visiting

at all times is subject to the discretion of

the nurse in charge of the ward.

Emergency Dentist: Contact Wairau

Hospital 5209999.

Picton:

Ambulance: Urgent 111. Non-urgent 579

4870.

Chemist: Picton Healthcare Pharmacy. Ph

573 6420 Mon -Fri 8.30-5.30pm, Sat 9-2pm.

Medical Centre Pharmacy, Ph 928 4265,

Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm

Golf

Results

Picton Golf Club

Sat 15 Nov-American S/F-Ian

Aldridge 60, Jeff Pascoe 59, Wayne

Pratt 55, Ali Baxter 54, Frank Burns

53.

Tues 18 Nov- Grandmothers

Tourn-Overall Winner Kaye Keys

Nett 66, Div 1 Judith Batty 35,

Maria McConway 34, Lin Stone 32,

Div 2Julie Rosie 39, Ellie Gillies 36,

Wendy Avery 35 on c/b Sue Lang

35, Div 3 Judy Jones 36, Bridge

Byrne 33, Margaret Frisken 32 on

c/b Maureen McKenzie 32.

Thurs 20 Nov S/F-Hiram Taylor

42, Don Latimer 41, Jock Mannington

40, Brian Carver 39,Ian

Aldridge 39, Jerome January 38,

Aaron Wilson 38, Alistair Holt 38.

Fri 21 Nov 9H S/F-Liz Taylor 21,

Don Latimer 20, Maria McConway

19, Mary Butler 19, Margaret

Frisken 19.

Thurs 4 Dec S/F-Don Latimer 38,

Ali Baxter 37, Robert Lopez 36,

Mark Ivamy 36, Leigh McGlenn 36,

Aaron Wilson 35, Gary Aldridge 35.

Fri 5 Dec 9H Ambrose-Chris

Duckworth, Pam Low, Judy Jones

23.2, Don Latmier, Pauline Murphy,

Vicki Eastgate 26.5, Sue Lowe,

Lynn Pawson, Margaret Frisken

29.8, Anita McCaffrey, Sue Latimer,

Joyce McClelland 30.

Sun 7th Dec Xmas/Meaters

Ambrose-A Wilson, H Taylor, R

Courtney 60, M Keenan, J January,

I Molly 61.5, A & R Erasmus, P

Norton 63.7.

BURN, Taylor Grayson:

25.09.1995 - 03.12.2025 The Burn family’s

hearts are broken to announce the sudden

passing of Taylor. Precious and dearly loved

by his parents, Rob, Carolyn, and brother

Declan, Alice, his Aunts and Uncles, and extended

Family and Friends. Messages to the

Burn family c/- PO Box 9 Blenheim 7240

or www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz The celebration

of Taylor’s life will be held at the

Queen Charlotte Yacht Club in Picton TO-

DAY, Wednesday 10th December 2025. All

are welcome to join his family and friends

by the sea at 2 pm. The service will be livestreamed

and can be viewed on the Cloudy

Bay Funerals website. “Taylor, we love you

forever… Sail free!”

Cloudy Bay Funerals

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

COLLINS, Douglas Banks

It is with deep sadness that we announce the

passing of Douglas Banks Collins on Saturday

22nd November. Much loved brother

to Keith and Ian (dec) and Myriel Hobbs

(nee Collins), uncle to Clinton, Janine, Brian,

Douglas, Stephen, Raymond, Deanne,

Craig, Owen and Ron. A true gentleman and

gifted artist, Doug passed peacefully and

suddenly at his home in the Marlborough

Sounds. Doug was a valued and cherished

member of the local Grove Arm community,

contributing to school and community

fundraising events through the gifting of

his artwork. He will also be remembered

for his lifetime devotion and contribution to

his beloved scout movement and his iconic

character letter boxes, spread throughout the

Sounds and Marlborough district. A memorial

service will be held when appropriate,

with details being sent to those close to him.

HOLDAWAY, Tracy Lee (née Smart):

On 2nd December 2025 peacefully at Hospice

Marlborough, aged 66 years. Dearly

loved wife of John and a much-loved mother

of Kathrine, Suzanna and Richard. Loving

Grandmother of Jack, Emma, Tommy,

Jonny & Bodhi. Messages to the Holdaway

family, c/- PO Box 9, Blenheim or www.

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz Special thanks to

the wonderful staff at Hospice Marlborough.

A private service and cremation have been

held

Cloudy Bay Funerals

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

REECE, Graeme Leonard:

Passed away peacefully at home, surrounded

by family on Sunday 7th December 2025,

in his 70th year. A loved husband and friend

of Lesa for 23 years. Father of James, Sean,

Beverley and Dan, Kylie and Andrew, and

Matthew. A loved grandfather to all his

grandchildren. A special uncle to Relley and

Wayne and his nieces and nephews. Loved

by all his friends and family who knew him.

A big thanks to all the emergency services

who attended to Graeme. Messages to the

Reece family c/- PO Box 9 Blenheim 7240

or www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz In accordance

with Graeme’s wishes, a private cremation

has taken place.

Cloudy Bay Funerals

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

Visit us online at

blenheimsun.co.nz

Death notices

DUNKINSON, Sandra Margaret:

Passed away suddenly in Palmerston North,

on 01 December 2025, aged 53. Dearly loved

daughter of Irene and the late John Dunkinson.

Much loved sister of Wendy Edwards,

Trish Fuller and Morris Dunkinson. Loved

by all her nieces and nephew, great nieces

and great nephew. Messages for the family

may be sent to C/- of Dunkinson Family, PO

Box 110, Blenheim. A private family service

has been held.

Wanted

PENNylaNE Records always buying records.

Excellent prices paid, 430 Colombo

Street, Sydenham, 366 3278, open 7days

7”, 45’s, singles, eps records wanted, any

amount top prices paid. Pennylane Records

430 Colombo Street, Sydenham ring Dave 021

222 6144, 7 days.

Garage Sale

GaraGe Sale

7A Ward St, Springlands

Sat 13 th - 9am to 12noon

• King Mattress, excellent condition

• Household items

• Spa pool, 4 person, near new with

cover • New washing machine

• 1/2 Pack of 250x45 H3 Timber

• New electric flymower

• Small cabinets • Occasional chairs

• Artwork / gel nail kit • Shelving

• Small dog kennel with run

• BBQ x2 • Pink Batts x2 bags

• Wall heater • Coloursteel flashing

••• And much, much more •••

Text 021 0757 135 to buy early

DoWNsiziNG sale, most items

$5 and under. Friday 12th and

Saturday 13th December. 8.30am

onwards. Taylor Pass Rd.

saTURDay 13 and Sunday 14

December 9am - 4pm. 70 Hillcrest

Ave, Witherlea. Camping, fishing,

and hunting gear, household

items.

EsTaTE bUsTERs

A queen bed, single bed, queen

headboard with 2 matching bedside

cabinets and low dresser.

2 matching bedside tables, 3X

2seater couches, glass hall table

with matching mirror. Cane

outdoor table and chairs, glass

topped coffee table, stereo unit,

43 inch Samsung TV. 7 piece

outdoor setting, fridge/freezer,

clothes drier. Set of RV tyres

and rims, 205/702 R15 Le Mans.

Lounge suite, cream and beige

with 2x 3 seaters and 2x one seater.

Kitchenware etc. Everything in

excellent condition. Saturday 13th,

Elmwood Ave. Signs out 8am.

Book your space now in

our next (by 5pm Monday)

Garage Sale Column!

Phone 5777 868

The Blenheim

Personal

021-0592664 pretty Asian sexy curvy body

busty 40D, good services no rush.

asiaN sexy busty good services best deep

tissue relaxing massage ph 021-2398399

FoR the older gentleman. Newly established

here, ph 02102228031. Hours 10am-9.30pm

only. No text.

For Sale

WhEElbaRRoW, concrete mixer, 25 terracotta

roof tiles, copper boiler complete, planer

and saw bench. Phone 0274172154.

Public Notices

DoUblE Glazing - Beat the rush with Marlborough

Glass. Stay warm, dry, and healthy

with Retro-fit Double Glazing for your Timber

and Aluminium Windows. DON’T DELAY -

TALK TO US TODAY FOR A FREE MEASURE

AND QUOTE! Ph 578-5374.

MisTlEToE Lodge No. 6 Notice of intention

to dissolve the Druids Mistletoe Lodge no. 6

Blenheim. Any debtors or accounts for payment

please contact the secretary/treasurer,

R J Cresswell ph. 035785831 before the 31st

Dec 2025.

MaRlboRoUGh hUNTiNG & FishiNG

Come down to Marlborough Hunting

and Fishing for all your outdoor needs.

46 Main Street, Blenheim ph 03 579 1600

ChRisTMas PRESENTS – Want something

different, unique or wacky, thousands to

choose from. Crystal, porcelain, gold/silver

jewellery, 70’s 80’s records, N.Z. art, gardening

tools, thousands of NZ Books (hunting,

regional NZ & Maori etc), old toys, collectables

and the unusual. Gift Vouchers available.

JUST BROWSING, 26 Battys Rd. Open 10am

to 4.30pm Mon to Sat. Always buying. (03)

5775402.

Community notices

Multiple Sclerosis &

Parkinsons Society

Xmas Raffle

Results drawn on 8 December

2025. 1st prize ticket: 16005 - Eric

Bemont. 2nd prize ticket: 16223

- Kian Brookes 3rd prize ticket:

16411 - Jenny Scott Thank you to

everyone who bought a ticket or

gave a donation. Most appreciated.

Share your

community events!

Community Noticeboard is

for non-profit organisations!

For $10.00 + GST you can publish up to 25 words.

EXCLUDES: AGMS, sporting notices or special

meetings. All notices must be pre-paid. Call into

our office at 72 High St.

In Memoriam

Remember your

lost loved one on their

anniversary.

The deadline is Monday 5.00pm. Please contact the Sun for

further details. 72 High Street, Blenheim, email

office@blenheimsun.co.nz or phone 577 7868.

The Blenheim

Thursday

Tai Chi & Qigong,

Redwoodtown Hall 10am Beginners,11am

Advanced. “Live Stronger for Longer” $5 with

Nancy: 572 2884, text 027 572 2881 lasfronteras@

xtra.co.nz

Picton table Tennis

for adults. 10-12pm. Port Marlborough Pavillion.

$5. Morning tea included. Ph: Helen 021 1034050

Marlborough Museum

- Brayshaw Heritage, open Tues/Thurs/Sundays

11-3pm. Cost of entry $10, children free.

Older Persons Seminar

– Held on the 4th Thursday of each month,

10am-1pm, St Christopher’s Anglican Church. A

seminar for people ages 65+, with a guest speaker,

entertainment and light-hearted fun. Morning tea

and lunch provided for $6.

Marlborough Camera Club

- meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month at

St Mary’s Community Centre, Maxwell Rd at

7pm. Workshops are held on the 4th Thursday

of the month. Everybody with an interest in

photography welcome.

Cancer Society Marlborough:

Women partners of men living with cancer

Support Group - Coffee and connecting. Peer

support for women partners of men living with

cancer. Every third Thursday of the Month 1:30

pm - 3:00 pm. Cancer Society Rooms, 76A Maxwell

Road, Blenheim.

Picton Poets

– Held the 4th Thursday of the month, 10.30-

11.30am, Picton Library, all welcome. Phone Lyn

021 129 4342.

Keep U Moving

- Gentle indoor walking exercise for seniors.

11.30am-12.30pm $3.00. St Christopher’s Church

Hall, 92 Weld St. Ph 0273852333 or donna@

stchristophers.co.nz

Social Badminton Club

- 9am-11.30 Thursday mornings. Simcox Stadium,

Battys Road. $6. All adults welcome. For more

details phone Cathy 021 503 348.

Ulysses Retreads Group

-11am at Brayshaw Park every Thursday. Ride to

various destinations for lunch. Bring your laughing

gear, a thermal to wear and a story to share.

Library Book Club

- 6.30pm-8pm Marlborough District Library. We

meet on the last Thursday of the month. Simply

bring a book to recommend to other members,

and enjoy listening to other member’s (including

librarians) book picks.

Picton Library Book Club

- 6.30pm-8pm - Picton Library and Service Centre.

Join us in meeting new people and chatting

about books. We meet on the first Thursday of

each month. To register email pictonlibrary@

marlborough.govt.nz.

Knit and Natter

- Marlborough Library from 10am. Come along

and join the friendly group of social knitters upstairs

in the library each Thursday morning. Bring

along your knitting project and/or get inspiration

from other knitters. No need to register.

Company Café

– Picton Library 10.30am Thursdays. Pop in

and spend a while with us chatting, chilling

and relaxing. Tea, coffee and snack provided.

Everybody welcome.

Blenheim Nightriders

- Weekly, local, off-road bike rides 10-40kms

for fitness, social and safety. Meet at the library,

leaving 8pm for approx 2hrs. No fee, super casual.

More info on Facebook, Blenheim Nightriders

group or contact info@ridethewhale.co.nz

Friday

Blenheim Family History Group in Picton

- At Picton Library on the 1st and 3rd Friday of

the month, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Need help with


what’s on in marlborough

Watch this space. The What’s On section is getting a makeover.

If you would like a community minded event published that is not currently on the page please email office@blenheimsun.co.nz.

your family history research? Meet members of

the Blenheim Family History Group. Contact Helen

0210390106.

Marlborough Vintage and Farm Machinery

Society

- Brayshaw Heritage Park, open weekdays 10.00 am -

3.00 pm and Saturday mornings. For further details

contact Gerard (Secretary) 022 039 2460.

Classic Coffee

– Weekly at Connect Marlborough, 3 Beaver Road.

9am-12pm. A group of mainly retirees who enjoy

connecting with others in the same stage of life but

if you are younger or still in the work force, don’t let

that stop you!

Link Board games and Puzzles

– 1pm-4pm Nativity Lounge, Church of the Nativity,

76 Alfred Street. A time of board games and afternoon

tea. No strangers here, only friends we have not met.

Gold coin donation is appreciated. Transport to and

from Link can be arranged if needed, phone 5783909

Tunes 4 Tots

– every Friday during term time 9.30am-10.30am. Music,

play and morning tea for 0-6 year olds. Donation of

$3 per child/$5 per family. Nativity Church, 76A Alfred

Street. For more information contact 5783909

Play and Learn

– Blenheim Library 9am-12pm during term time. No

cost. Care-giver led play-based learning for children

under 5. Books, toys, games, puzzles and activities

available for use.

Pickleball

– Blenheim Indoor Sports Stadium, Battys Road.

6pm-8pm. $6 per person, equipment available. Great

family exercise.

Saturday

Brooklyn Croquet Club Whitehead Park

- Doubles 1pm - 3pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays.

All Welcome. Mallets available GIVE IT A GO.

Redwoodtown Market

- 8am-12 noon, Cleghorn St. Supporting Marlborough

Food Bank. Variety of stalls. Something for everyone.

Marlborough Quilters meeting

- every 2nd Saturday of the month at Marlborough

Vintage and Farm Machinery, Brayshaw Park. 10am

- 4pm. Learn quilting or bring your own projects.

Sewing Machines available. Newcomers welcome.

Liz 0212067382.

Blenheim Chess Club

- Meets at Table Top Café, Scott Street, every Saturday

10am – 1pm. All welcome.

Ulysses Club

- Every Saturday, coffee at The Runway Café, Woodbourne,

10am. Depart The Runway at 10.30am.

The Blenheim Rotary Club Boot Sale Market

- 8am till midday. Blenheim Railway Station Car Park.

Marlborough Artesian Craft Market

- Cnr Market Street & High Street, 9:00am - 2:00pm

Stallholders include local artisans both casual and

regular attendees as well as visitors from around the

country. Entertainment area for kids.

Sunday

Marlborough Museum

- 11am-3pm every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Adults $10, children free. The Museum celebrates

an inspiring collection of items which tell the story of

Marlborough and its people.

Marlborough Farmers’ Market

- 9am-noon. Marlborough A&P Showgrounds. Fresh

produce from your local farmers. Tasty line up of

fresh and seasonal, gourmet and artisan produce and

products that this region has to offer.

Picton Rail and Sail

- On the Foreshore - mini train rides and mini yacht hire

to sail on our pond every Sunday 11am-3pm. Only 20

cents per ride/yacht hire!

Blenheim Bonsai Group

- Islington Gardens, Rowberry Road on the 2nd Sunday

of the month 1pm-3.30pm.

Marlborough Tennis Club

– Social Tennis. 3pm-5pm Parker Street. Non Members

$2. All welcome. Contact 027 578 6436 for information.

Ulysses Social Ride

- Sunday rides are now by WhatsApp under Marlborough

Ulysses lets ride. All rides are weather dependent.

Lego Club

- Picton Library@ 1-4pm. Marlborough Library

@10am-4pm, Come along each Sunday afternoon

to build a Lego kit in the Library. Each week there

is an assortment of kits to choose from to build in a

designated area. Everyone is welcome to have a go.

This free activity is great fun for the whole family!

Marlborough Vintage Car Club Museum

- 1:30-3:30pm, Brayshaw Park, Arthur Baker Pl,

Blenheim. Other times by arrangement. Ph Ross

0272122902. Donation appreciated. New members

welcome

Monday

Renwick Museum and Watson Memorial Library

- High Street, Renwick. Open daily 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Free admission. Volunteers present Monday 10.00am

– 2.00pm to assist with any research or information.

Contact David Ph: 022 106 3685.

Picton Senior Citizens Club

– Meets every Monday, 1.30pm at Union Parish Church

Picton. Housie, raffles and all sorts. Ph Sandy 5738324

Target Rifle Shooting Summer Shoots

– Athletic Park range, 7.30pm visitors welcome, all gear

provided. Cost $10. Ph 02102464417 or 021667746

Care and Share craft session

- Run at Nativity in conjunction with Green Prescription.

Every second Monday until December 9:30-11:30

am. For anyone who loves doing crafts, a place to

create, chat with like-minded creatives, share ideas,

learn new crafting skills and make friends. For more

details contact Nativity office 578 3909 or Green

Prescription at the PHO. Free.

Table Tennis

- every Monday at the Tua Marina Hall, Tua Marina

6.00pm - 8.00pm $5 per person. Contact Janice 027

422 9095

Marlborough Stamp Collectors Club

- 34 Arthur Baker Pace. Phone 021 157 3496 for more

information.

Rotary Clubs in Blenheim

- Monday & Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm. Rotary is a

world-wide service club for men and women, doing

great things in your community. For further details

phone Kevin on 0211 738 784.

Blenheim Scottish Country Dance Club

- Every Monday at 7.00pm at St Andrews Church Hall,

Corner Alfred and Henry Street, Blenheim. Come and

try it! You don’t need a partner. For information ring

Heather 02102587325.

Whitehead Park Bowling Club Redwoodtown

- Monday afternoons from 12.30pm to 3pm. All

welcome. Contact Mike 572 4013 or John 577 5295.

Beginners Line Dancing

- Senior Citizen Hall, 172 High Street, 2:00-3:00pm &

6.00-7.00pm. Come along and enjoy the music, make

new friends, have fun and learn to dance. You don’t

need a partner. All welcome men, women and children

over 12. The first lesson is free for new beginner’s then

$7 per class. For information phone Judith 5787554 or

0212341095. We will finish classes on December 8th

and recommence for 2026 on January 26th.

Tuesday

Picton Table Tennis

- for adults.10-12pm. Little Theatre, Picton. $5 Morning

tea included. Ph: Helen 021 1034050

Pilates @ Nativity Church

- 76 Alfred St, 9-9.45am. $10 per person.

Pilates @ Connect

- 8 Beaver Rd, class at 10.45 followed by a cuppa, $5

per family.

Brooklyn Croquet Club Whitehead Park

- Doubles 1pm - 3pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, and

Saturdays. All Welcome. Mallets available. Give it a go!

Marlborough Bereavement Group

- meets 2nd Tuesday of every month (except January)

from 10.30am til noon in the Savvy Bar of the Scenic

CHRiSTMAS iN

MARLBOROUGH

THiS WeeKeND

Blenheim Christmas Parade

– Saturday 13 th December, 3pm-5pm.

Begins with a meet and greet with

Santa and a pre parade concert from

3pm in the town centre. Parade begins

at 3.30pm following the usual route,

starting at Blenheim School.

Mitre 10 Mega Marlborough Christmas

in the Park

– Saturday 13 th December, 5pm-7pm,

Churchill Glade, Pollard Park. Bring a

picnic or buy from food vendors onsite.

Seddon Christmas Fair on the Green

– Sunday 14 th December, 9.30am-

4.30pm. Features an Artisan market,

food trucks, local musicians, Kids Zone

with face painting and Christmas craft,

petting zoo, Santa’s Grotto and Santa

photo!

Hotel in Alfred Street for a cuppa and a chat (buy

your own beverage). Phone 0274389024 for more

information.

Friendship Club Marlborough

- Semi Retired or Retired. Meet 4th Tuesday of the

month 10am at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Maxwell

Road. Speakers, outings all in Friendship, Fellowship

& Fun. Les McKay 5778307 or 021463922.

Table Tennis

- Blenheim Indoor Sports Centre. Table Tennis

session every Thursday, 6.30pm - 8.30pm, $6 per

person to be paid at front desk.


Blue Brothers – Men’s exercise and comradery - FREE

exercise and peer support - Every Tuesday -10 am

Stadium 2000, Kinross Street, Blenheim.


Breast Cancer Support Group - Peer support and

connection in a safe welcoming space. Every second

Tuesday of the Month 7pm - 8pm at the Cancer

Society Rooms, 76 A Maxwell Road, Blenheim.

Marlborough Museum

- 11am-3pm. Adults $10, children free. The Museum

celebrates an inspiring collection of items which tell

the story of Marlborough and its people.

Marlborough Tennis Club

–Social Tennis Parker Street. Every Tuesday 8.30am to

midday. Morning Tea at 10am. Non Members $5. All

Welcome. Contact 0275786436.

Lions Club of Havelock

- Providing community service in the Pelorus area.

Meeting every 3rd Tuesday, at Havelock Hotel.

Inquiries to Ian Cameron phone 574 2558.

Knitters and Spinners

- Picton Library and Service Centre from 10.30am.

Bring your morning tea along and current project

to work on. Share your ideas, skills or simply enjoy

time with fellow creators. There’s no need to book

a spot, simply turn up on the day.

Cheeky Monkeys

- Marlborough Library. Join one of our sessions

of fun and creativity for children under five years

old. Session 1 at10am to 10.45am or Session 2 at

11am to 11.45am. Sessions include stories, songs and

simple fun craft. No need to register, just come along.

Picton Line Dancing

– The group will take a well-deserved break but will

restart on Tuesday 3rd February at 10 in the Anglican

Church Hall, Picton.

Renwick Arms Country Club, Card Section

- 1pm Redwood Tavern, Cleghorn Street. Meet and

play EUCHRE. Beginners are welcome to learn and

play. $7 Ph Christine 0272077631.

27

Pencil Pals

- meets at Connect, corner of High Street and

Beaver Road every Tuesday 1.00 to 3.00pm.

Come and join Sydney and Issie to practice

your drawing skills and enjoy the company of

like-minded people. Sydney 0211568398; Issie

0204668008.

Wednesday

Tai Chi & Qigong,

Wairau Valley Hall 10am with Nancy, 572 2884,

text 027 572 2881, lasfronteras@xtra.co.nz

Nia Dance

- Want to be fit without pain and with fun? NIA

empowers people of all shapes, size and level

of fitness. Every experience can be adapted to

individual needs and abilities. Step into NIA and

positively shape the way you feel, look, think and

live. Every Wednesday 9-10am at 207 Oakwood

Lane. Corinne 0273245757

Marlborough Community Singers

– All welcome whether completely new or an

old hand. No audition. Held at REAP, 6.30pm-

8.30pm. $9 casual. Ph Amanda 022 642 4805.

Senior Citizens Club Blenheim

– Every 2nd an 4th Wednesday of the month.

2pm, Senior Citizens Clubrooms, 172 High Street,

Blenheim. An entertaining afternoon including

a guest speaker, Housie, and afternoon tea

provided. All welcome. Ph Shirley 0210388616.

Digital Drop-in

– Every Wednesday 10am-12pm Marlborough

Library. Bring your device and staff will be happy

to help you with questions you may have about

using your smartphone or other device.

Pickleball

– Blenheim Indoor Sports Stadium, Battys Road.

1pm-3pm. $6 per player. Equipment can be

provided. Great exercise for all.

Blenheim Probus

– First Wednesday of the month, 10am Lansdowne

Hub. For retired or semi retirees looking

for fun, friendship and fellowship. Ph Anne

5787046, 0226353919.

Genealogy Drop–in

– with the Blenheim Family History Group.

Marlborough Library, Wednesday afternoons

1pm-3pm. No appointments needed.

Cancer Society Marlborough: Live Stronger

- Women’s exercise, peer support and wellbeing

for women living with cancer. Wednesdays 6pm

- 6:45 pm. Well & Good, 1 Grove Road. Blenheim.

Cost $5 members, $10 casual.

Lions’ Club of Blenheim

- Like to know more about the Lion’s Club?

Meet on the1st and 3rd Wednesday of the

month. For more details Contact Delphine Lee

029 942 5004.

Picton Mahjong

- Marina Cove Club Room, 53 Waikawa Road,

Picton at 1pm. Phone Adrianne 02102591639 or

Kaye 0211312331 for more information.

Whitehead Park Bowling Club, Redwoodtown

- 9.30am to 12noon. Mixed roll – ups, all welcome,

contact Bob 577 9436. Summer timetable

starts October.

Blenheim Rock N Roll Club Nights

- 7.30-9.30pm: Top of the South Rock n Roll

Club, club nights at the Blenheim Bowling Club,

bring comfy shoes and water. Great music, have

fun and exercise at the same time. Phone Erin

0272341709.

Picton Scottish Country Dance Group

- 7.30pm at Picton Little Theatre. Beginners

welcome. First night free. No partner needed

just a pair of soft soled shoes. Phone Lynda on

0212600860 for further information.

Marlborough Vintage Car Club

-1:30-3:30pm, Brayshaw Park, Arthur Baker Pl,

Blenheim. Other times by arrangement. Ph

Ross 0272122902. Donation appreciated. New

Members welcome.

maka

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Providing quality care and education for

children aged 3 months - 5 years, Omaka is a

space for children to grow, explore and flourish

as unique individuals, through a child-led, nature

play based environment, where children are

given the wings to fly.

OPENING MID 2019

Providing quality care and education

Visit www.omakaelc.nz

28


The Blenheim

Stuart Smith

MP for Kaikōura

Supporting our

local communities

Amberley Electorate Office

103a Carters Road, Amberley

03 314 7441

Blenheim Electorate Office

22 Scott Street, Blenheim

03 579 3204 or 0800 STUART

stuart.smithmp@parliament.govt.nz

Authorised by Stuart Smith, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Blenheim Sun December 12 , 2025

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