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Southern View: December 18, 2025

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alana@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />

FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING<br />

Annabel Judd<br />

Ph: 021 457 469<br />

annabel.judd@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />

Polluted stream<br />

gets new life<br />

breathed into it<br />

FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING<br />

Jenny Wright<br />

Ph: 021 220 3484<br />

jenny@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />

The Addington Brook renewal<br />

project has been completed,<br />

marking<br />

The Star,<br />

a major<br />

January<br />

step<br />

23, <strong>2025</strong><br />

forward<br />

for one of the most polluted<br />

waterways in Christchurch.<br />

Spring and stormwater-fed<br />

Addington Brook winds through<br />

industrial land in the city’s southwest,<br />

before passing through<br />

South Hagley Park and flowing<br />

into<br />

The<br />

the<br />

Star,<br />

Ōtākaro-Avon<br />

January 23, <strong>2025</strong><br />

River.<br />

Previously, the brook faced<br />

several challenges within the<br />

park including slumping banks,<br />

limited drainage capacity, poor<br />

biodiversity, and blockages<br />

caused by trees.<br />

In some areas, the narrow<br />

waterway The Star, was January difficult 23, <strong>2025</strong> to distinguish,<br />

with a three-metre-high<br />

drop creating a hazard for pedestrians<br />

and cyclists using the park.<br />

With the renewal now complete,<br />

the city council says<br />

ongoing benefits will include:<br />

• Flattened and stabilised<br />

banks The that Star, improve January 23, drainage, <strong>2025</strong><br />

enhance waterway health, and<br />

increase park safety;<br />

• New native riparian strips<br />

which protect against erosion<br />

and filter contaminants;<br />

• New ecological habitat for<br />

eels and fish, providing shelter<br />

from predators and resting spots<br />

during storm flows;<br />

• 500 new trees which will<br />

allow for a range of tree species<br />

of various ages and heights along<br />

the waterway;<br />

• A renewed pathway along the<br />

top of the southern bank, perfect<br />

for walkers;<br />

• New access points to the<br />

waterway at select, gently sloped,<br />

grassed locations for easier identification<br />

and use;<br />

​In two to three years, the<br />

area will be flourishing as<br />

trees and plants become more<br />

fully established, a city council<br />

spokesperson said.<br />

“The project team will continue<br />

monitoring and maintaining<br />

the site and will carry out additional<br />

planting during next year’s<br />

season to ensure the landscape<br />

thrives.”<br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

Once among the most polluted waterways in the city, Addington Brook has been transformed by the city council’s renewal project.<br />

PHOTOS: CCC<br />

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Happy holidays<br />

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03 332 4004<br />

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Shop 2, 73 Centaurus Road,<br />

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Merry Christmas<br />

Wishing you and your families a<br />

safe and relaxing festive season<br />

Tracey McLellan<br />

Labour List MP based in Banks Peninsula<br />

Tracey.McLellan@parliament.govt.nz<br />

Authorised by Tracey McLellan MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington


The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

Restoring history: Decades-long<br />

​BY GEOFF SLOAN<br />

For 26 years, Dag Guest<br />

has poured time, skill and<br />

determination into restoring<br />

one of the rarest warbirds in<br />

existence – a World War 2 de<br />

Havilland Mosquito 98.<br />

“It’s a very historically significant<br />

aircraft,” he said.<br />

More than 7700 Mosquitos<br />

were built from 1940-1950,<br />

serving in multiple roles from<br />

fighters to bombers. Only about<br />

30 are left worldwide and just<br />

five are still capable of flying.<br />

Guest is one of about 30<br />

volunteers at the Ferrymead<br />

Aeronautical Society, a group<br />

dedicated to preserving New<br />

Zealand’s aviation history at<br />

Ferrymead Heritage Park.<br />

He leads a team of four volunteers<br />

to restore Mosquito<br />

HR339, the last surviving<br />

aircraft operated by No 487<br />

Squadron RNZAF and the only<br />

surviving Mosquito flown by an<br />

RNZAF squadron during WW2.<br />

The de Havilland Mk VI Mosquito<br />

flew 31 combat operations<br />

between <strong>December</strong> 1944 and<br />

May 1945.<br />

“It saw action over Germany,<br />

and it was severely damaged by<br />

flak while attacking a train during<br />

operation Clarion, forcing it<br />

to belly-land at an emergency<br />

airfield,” said Guest.<br />

After extensive repairs,<br />

HR339 returned to No 487<br />

Squadron in April 1945, continuing<br />

its service.<br />

Dag Guest with the fuselage of Mosquito NZ2328, which he is combining with the wings of Mosquito HR339 to form a single<br />

aircraft. Inset – NZ2328 in service with the No 75 Squadron RNZAF.<br />

In 1948, it was flown to<br />

RNZAF Ohakea near Palmerston<br />

North and later written off after<br />

it was involved in a taxiing accident<br />

at RNZAF Wigram.<br />

It was sold to a Banks Peninsula<br />

farmer in 1952, who cut it<br />

into pieces small enough to fit<br />

on his small truck and transported<br />

it back to his farm at<br />

Pigeon Bay.<br />

The remains were spotted<br />

by members of the Aviation<br />

Historical Society in 1972 and<br />

retrieved by Ferrymead Aeronautical<br />

Society volunteers.<br />

Guest is a former aircraft<br />

engineer and a furniture maker.<br />

Yet advice from around the<br />

world was there was no way the<br />

master craftsman could repair<br />

that much damage – and not to<br />

bother trying.<br />

“Well, that was like a red rag<br />

to a bull to me. I like a challenge,”<br />

said Guest.<br />

The restoration project combines<br />

the fuselage of another<br />

Mosquito, NZ2328, with the<br />

wings of HR339 to make a single<br />

aircraft to static display<br />

standard.<br />

“It’s taken me 26 years to<br />

repair the fuselage. It was very<br />

badly damaged, particularly<br />

around the starboard cockpit<br />

area,” said Guest.<br />

However, after more than a<br />

quarter of a century, the project<br />

doesn’t look like being completed<br />

anytime soon.<br />

“The structural repairs are<br />

extremely complicated. As far<br />

as we know, there’s only one<br />

other person in the world who's<br />

tackled wings as badly damaged<br />

as ours.”<br />

But that doesn’t faze the energetic<br />

73-year-old.<br />

Born in Bradford, England,<br />

Guest became known as ‘Dag’<br />

after enlisting with the Royal<br />

Naval Reserve Air Branch at age<br />

17.<br />

“I walked into a Royal Navy<br />

mess with the initials D.A.G on<br />

my kitbag. Someone just said<br />

you must be Dag, and the name<br />

stuck.”<br />

It was used so much he had it<br />

changed to his legal name.<br />

Guest went on to train as an<br />

aircraft engineer with the Royal<br />

Navy. He left the navy in 1978<br />

after for 10 years.<br />

“After I left the navy, I worked<br />

for an American company in<br />

the Middle East. Unfortunately<br />

I got caught up in the January<br />

1979 Iranian Revolution and<br />

was trapped there for a while.”<br />

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starnews.co.nz The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

effort to rebuild WW2 Mosquito<br />

The Iranian Revolution saw<br />

the US-backed shah overthrown<br />

and an Islamic Republic<br />

established, led by Ayatollah<br />

Khomeini, who had returned<br />

from exile.<br />

Guest said after he was evacuated<br />

to America, he retrained<br />

and got further qualifications<br />

and a job working on Bell<br />

helicopters.<br />

In <strong>December</strong> 1979, he came to<br />

New Zealand on holiday.<br />

“I was broke and needed to<br />

work, so I got a six-month work<br />

permit and got a job as an aircraft<br />

maintenance engineer at<br />

Christchurch Airport.”<br />

When his work permit ended,<br />

he applied for permanent<br />

residency. Two years later, he<br />

married a New Zealander.<br />

When asked how his wife<br />

Carol feels about the amount of<br />

time he devotes to his long-term<br />

labour of love, Guest said she<br />

was very supportive.<br />

“She puts up with it, and<br />

treats it as a good reason to<br />

send me out of the house.”<br />

In 1984, Guest changed<br />

careers and opened a handmade<br />

furniture business at<br />

Ferrymead Heritage Park.<br />

He joined the aeronautical<br />

society six years later.<br />

“I had my furniture business<br />

in the park, but when I moved<br />

it out I joined the aeronautical<br />

society so I could still have<br />

access to Ferrymead.”<br />

The park is home to a<br />

significant collection of 10 fixed<br />

A self-taught woodworker, Guest crafts high quality furniture when he is not working on rebuilding the largely wooden<br />

Mosquito fighter-bomber.<br />

PHOTOS: GEOFF SLOAN<br />

wing aircraft, ranging from a<br />

Vickers Viscount airliner with a<br />

94ft wingspan, to a de Havilland<br />

Vampire jet fighter and a<br />

Lockheed Hudson light bomber.<br />

The aircraft represent New<br />

Zealand’s civil and military<br />

history of aviation from WW2<br />

to the present day. The park<br />

also boasts one of the largest<br />

collections of helicopters in<br />

New Zealand, with seven<br />

complete or near-complete<br />

aircraft.<br />

The society welcomed the<br />

former aircraft engineer turned<br />

woodworker with open arms.<br />

Guest said it “gently nudged me<br />

towards the Mosquito”.<br />

It was an ideal fit, as the WW2<br />

de Havilland Mosquito was<br />

famously constructed primarily<br />

from wood, earning it the<br />

wartime nickname “Wooden<br />

Wonder”.<br />

It was constructed of plywood<br />

and balsa wood, along with<br />

spruce for spars and ash for<br />

framing, which minimised<br />

the use of metal which was a<br />

scarce commodity in wartime<br />

Britain.<br />

Guest said they could easily<br />

have sped up the restoration<br />

process by installing metal<br />

plates to repair the aircraft,<br />

“but that just wouldn’t look<br />

right.”<br />

He still runs his Halswellbased<br />

hand-made furniture<br />

business, but after semi-retiring<br />

earlier this year has been able<br />

to spend a lot more time on the<br />

Mosquito’s restoration.<br />

“With the progress we're<br />

making now, I would hope that<br />

the wing would be together in<br />

five years, but it may be more.”<br />

He said if all goes to plan,<br />

the Mosquito may be ready for<br />

public display in about 10 years.<br />

“Provided I don’t go<br />

doolally, I’d like to keep<br />

going until it’s finished<br />

. . . to get the airplane<br />

together and on display.”<br />

Dag Guest<br />

“But that all depends on if we<br />

get a new building.”<br />

He said a bigger display space<br />

would be needed when the<br />

wings are reunited with the<br />

Mosquito’s fuselage.<br />

“We’d like to be able to raise<br />

the money to house the Mosquito,<br />

along with the vampire<br />

and Lockheed Hudson – but<br />

that’s just a pipe dream at the<br />

moment.”<br />

He said the uncertain future<br />

of Ferrymead Heritage Park<br />

was also a worry for the society.<br />

However, he remains unfazed<br />

by the scale of the rebuild.<br />

“Provided I don’t go doolally,<br />

I’d like to keep going until it's<br />

finished. What we want to do is<br />

get the airplane together, and<br />

on display.”<br />

Any donations of money<br />

or parts to help complete the<br />

project would be gratefully<br />

received.<br />

• Visit givealittle.co.nz/org/ferrymeadaeronautical-society<br />

Watering<br />

is fine in the<br />

morning time<br />

Watering your plants in the morning<br />

when the sun isn’t out and the<br />

wind’s died down is the best time.<br />

Let’s use water like we oughta<br />

INF8314 – Nov <strong>2025</strong><br />

ccc.govt.nz/WaterReporter


The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

Marine hotels offer<br />

new insights into<br />

harbour’s health<br />

Deep beneath the surface of<br />

Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour,<br />

tiny invertebrates are offering<br />

vital clues about the marine<br />

environment’s health.<br />

Earth and marine scientist<br />

Joyce Yager knows this better<br />

than most. She is passionate<br />

about studying the invertebrates<br />

that call Lyttelton Harbour home<br />

and sharing her findings with the<br />

wider community.<br />

Yager has created multiplatform<br />

“marine hotels” made<br />

from ceramic tiles, stainless<br />

steel, and rope.<br />

Suspended at different<br />

points around the harbour,<br />

the structures have become<br />

popular hangout spots for a<br />

wide variety of invertebrates.<br />

Together with a small team of<br />

volunteers, Yager monitors the<br />

marine hotels by periodically<br />

removing them from the water.<br />

They record which<br />

invertebrates have settled in,<br />

providing insights into the<br />

overall health of the harbour<br />

and its diverse ecosystem.<br />

Yager said she wants the<br />

harbour to be safe for both sea<br />

creatures and humans for many<br />

years to come.<br />

“We think a lot about how<br />

we’re impacting birds and<br />

marine mammals in Lyttelton,<br />

but maybe not so much the<br />

smaller organisms.<br />

“What I hope is people start<br />

thinking about animals they’ve<br />

probably never heard of in the<br />

harbour and how what we’re<br />

doing on land impacts some of<br />

these other marine animals,” she<br />

said.<br />

Marine hotel residents<br />

have included polychaete<br />

worms, bryozoans, sea squirts,<br />

gastropods, bivalves, fish,<br />

decorator crabs, and a variety<br />

of other crustaceans.<br />

The monitoring process is<br />

detailed. Tiles are removed,<br />

placed in trays with seawater,<br />

and photographed on top and<br />

bottom, noting the “floor” of the<br />

hotel.<br />

Using observation sheets,<br />

volunteers record dominant<br />

species, estimate coverage<br />

percentages, and track the<br />

presence of common organisms.<br />

From there, data can be<br />

processed for diversity metrics,<br />

including what proportion<br />

of the hotel’s population is<br />

native, endemic, introduced or<br />

invasive.<br />

Data is collected over time,<br />

including if sea creature<br />

communities in marine hotels<br />

change seasonally, what<br />

happens if the water heats up<br />

Joyce Yager constructing ‘marine hotels’, made from ceramic tiles, stainless steel and<br />

rope. The hotels are suspended at points around Lyttelton Harbour and periodically<br />

removed for monitoring to reveal what has taken up residence (pictured right).<br />

suddenly, if the same organisms<br />

dominate at each hotel site,<br />

and do the same organisms<br />

dominate all year long.<br />

Individual organisms are<br />

photographed and uploaded<br />

to iNaturalist, making<br />

the observations publicly<br />

accessible.<br />

Occasionally, the project has<br />

led to the discovery of species<br />

not previously recorded in the<br />

harbour.<br />

Local schools are also<br />

involved, adopting their<br />

own marine hotels as part of<br />

curriculum-integrated learning.<br />

For example, Governors<br />

Bay School pupils carried out<br />

an inquiry into conservation<br />

and habitats through a ki uta<br />

ki tai (mountains-to-the-sea)<br />

perspective.<br />

They explored local sites such<br />

as Living Springs, learned about<br />

restoration projects, conducted<br />

water quality sampling,<br />

and monitored the coastal<br />

foreshore.<br />

During these activities, pupils<br />

made connections between land<br />

use, historical practices, and the<br />

health of the harbour.<br />

Schools participate in the<br />

marine hotel programme<br />

through the national<br />

Enviroschools initiative,<br />

linking hands-on science with<br />

environmental education.<br />

Tips for a Safe Summer and Festive Season from Kō whai Vet<br />

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and at<br />

Kō whai Vet Clinic, we want to make<br />

sure your furry family members join<br />

in the merriment safely. The holidays<br />

bring an array of festive foods and<br />

decorations that can pose potential<br />

hazards to our pets. Here’s a reminder<br />

of some things to look out for to keep<br />

your four-legged friends healthy and<br />

happy throughout the Christmas<br />

celebrations and summer season…<br />

Chocolate: Keep Dogs Away from the<br />

Dark Side<br />

While chocolate is a delightful treat for us, it contains<br />

theobromine and caffeine that can be highly toxic to<br />

pets. The darker the chocolate the higher the levels of<br />

these substances. Keep all chocolate goodies, including<br />

decorations and gift wrappings, out of paws’ reach to<br />

prevent accidental ingestion.<br />

Christmas Cake: Not Such a Merry Christmas Treat for<br />

Pets<br />

Raisins, commonly found in Christmas cakes, can be<br />

harmful to dogs, leading to kidney failure.<br />

If your festive spread includes fruitcakes, ensure they are<br />

stored securely, and keep a watchful eye on your pet to<br />

avoid any unwanted snacking. Fresh grapes can be equally<br />

harmful.<br />

Christmas Lilies: A Blooming Catastrophe for Cats<br />

While the beauty of lilies enhances our homes during the<br />

holidays, they are highly toxic to cats.<br />

Ingesting any part of the plant can cause kidney failure.<br />

If you suspect your cat has come into contact with lilies,<br />

contact your vet promptly.<br />

Christmas Decorations: Pretty, but Potentially Perilous<br />

Ornaments, tinsel, and festive lights can attract the<br />

attention of playful pets. Ingesting these decorations can<br />

lead to choking or intestinal blockages. Keep a watchful<br />

eye on your furry friends and consider pet-proofing your<br />

decorations.<br />

Christmas Ham and High-Fat Foods: A Recipe for<br />

Tummy Troubles<br />

While it’s tempting to share your festive feast with your<br />

pet, over-indulgence in high-fat foods like Christmas ham<br />

can cause tummy upsets or even lead to a nasty bout of<br />

pancreatitis. Stick to pet-friendly treats and avoid giving in<br />

to those pleading eyes at the dinner table.<br />

Barbecue Meats with Bones: A Choking Hazard<br />

While indulging in a festive barbecue, it pays to keep half<br />

an eye out for crafty canines hoping to snaffle a sneaky<br />

snack from the feast. Cooked bones can splinter or pieces<br />

of bone can be swallowed whole and can cause serious<br />

internal injuries or blockages in your pet’s digestive<br />

system. Corn cobs and kebab skewers are another<br />

barbecue hazard so dispose of bones and other<br />

leftovers safely and monitor your pet during outdoor<br />

gatherings.<br />

Onions and Garlic: Could All End in Tears<br />

Onions and garlic, common ingredients in many<br />

meals, contain compounds that can damage a<br />

pet’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Ensure all<br />

leftovers are kept away from inquisitive noses to<br />

avoid accidental ingestion.<br />

Hops for Home Brew: Not for Furry Friends<br />

For those enjoying home brewing, be aware that<br />

the hops can be toxic to dogs. Ingestion can lead to<br />

increased temperature, rapid breathing, and even death.<br />

Ensure brewing supplies are stored securely away from<br />

pets.<br />

Grass Seeds: A Pesky Problem for Paws<br />

Everyone loves getting out for summertime walks, but be<br />

sure to check your dog’s coat for grass seeds when you get<br />

home. Pay particular attention to paws and ears where<br />

these pesky seed heads have a habit of penetrating.<br />

The team at Kō whai Vet Clinic wishes everyone a Merry<br />

Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to<br />

welcoming you and your furry companions in good health<br />

in the coming year.<br />

May your holidays be filled with joy, warmth, and the<br />

delightful presence of your beloved pets.<br />

Stay safe and have a Pawsitively wonderful Christmas!<br />

P.S. We will be closed for the Christmas and New Year<br />

long weekends but otherwise available for all your<br />

pets needs (including any unfortunate mishaps that<br />

may occur!)<br />

Consultations • Surgery & Diagnostics • Locally Owned & Operated<br />

122 Opawa Road, Opawa, Christchurch. Ph: 03 337 5445<br />

Visit our website: www.kowhaivet.co.nz<br />

WE ARE OPEN:<br />

Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 6:30pm,<br />

Saturday, 9:00am - 12:00pm


starnews.co.nz The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

Creative dream for derelict stables site<br />

BY KEES CHALMERS<br />

A plan to turn an abandoned<br />

historic building into a haven for<br />

artists is taking shape.<br />

Te Puna Auaha Trust chair<br />

Paul Dietsche and conservation<br />

architect Tony Ussher want<br />

to transform the derelict former<br />

Lyttelton Borough Council<br />

Stables on Donald St, Lyttelton,<br />

into a functional creative hub<br />

for artists, musicians,<br />

designers<br />

and community<br />

groups.<br />

“For Lyttelton,<br />

with such a strong<br />

arts community, I<br />

think it’s a really<br />

easy fit,” Dietsche<br />

said.<br />

“If we can get Paul Dietsche<br />

that space up and<br />

running, then we can get some<br />

really talented people in there<br />

doing some amazing things.”<br />

Dietsche said the idea came<br />

after repeatedly seeing Facebook<br />

posts from local artists searching<br />

for workspace.<br />

"I’ve been looking at that building<br />

for quite a while and saying,<br />

‘wouldn’t it be amazing if something<br />

was done with it’.”<br />

The heritage building, built<br />

in 1914, was severely damaged<br />

in the 2011 earthquakes and<br />

became unsafe to occupy. It has<br />

remained empty and unused<br />

since.<br />

Last year, the city council<br />

tasked its development agency<br />

ChristchurchNZ with finding<br />

a way to repair and reuse<br />

A community initiative is looking to restore the Lyttelton Borough Council Stables to its former glory by turning it into a<br />

haven for local artists.<br />

the stables and<br />

develop the site.<br />

At a Te Pataka<br />

o Rakaihautu<br />

Banks Peninsula<br />

Community<br />

Board meeting<br />

in August 2024,<br />

ChristchurchNZ<br />

development partnership<br />

manager<br />

Tony Ussher<br />

Amanda Healy outlined a range<br />

of possibilities for the site, including<br />

hospitality outlets, visitor<br />

accommodation, an entertainment<br />

venue, community spaces<br />

and terraced housing.<br />

However, a ChristchurchNZ<br />

spokesperson confirmed last<br />

week the agency has not worked<br />

on the project for the past year.<br />

Dietsche said he does not<br />

think the agency’s plan would be<br />

a good fit for Lyttelton.<br />

“It all sounds very nice, but<br />

who’s going to be able to afford<br />

to be in there?<br />

“Is it going to be actual local<br />

artists or is it just going to be too<br />

expensive.<br />

“If we, as a community, don't<br />

get into it and activate it, then<br />

it's probably going to be something<br />

that isn't necessarily a<br />

good fit,” he said.<br />

Dietsche and Ussher presented<br />

their proposal to the community<br />

board on Monday last week,<br />

seeking support for the plan.<br />

Said board chair Lyn Leslie:<br />

“It’s early days, but it’s a fantastic<br />

community initiative.”<br />

She asked city council staff<br />

to determine if any remaining<br />

funds from the 2013 Lyttelton<br />

Master Plan could be used for<br />

the project.<br />

Dietsche has requested the city<br />

council carry out basic remediation<br />

on the building and provide<br />

a full geotechnical report on the<br />

site.<br />

The next step is to file an<br />

online expression of interest<br />

in the stables site with the city<br />

council, followed by a detailed<br />

proposal with estimated costs.<br />

If the project progresses,<br />

Dietsche is confident funding<br />

can be found, suggesting a<br />

model similar to the communityled<br />

rebuild of the Governors Bay<br />

jetty could be used.<br />

The development would also<br />

house Lyttel Creators Space, a<br />

youth initiative led by Dietsche<br />

and Lyttelton Harbour Business<br />

Association chair Sabrina<br />

Saunders.<br />

It aims to equip young people<br />

aged 15-25 who are not pursuing<br />

tertiary education with life<br />

skills, mentorship and clear<br />

career pathways.<br />

“It will give young people an<br />

opportunity,” Dietsche said.<br />

“Those who are not able to<br />

go on to university, or if high<br />

school wasn’t really for them –<br />

they still have the abilities but<br />

don’t have the tools to activate<br />

them.”<br />

Dietsche and Ussher have<br />

spent the past two years engaging<br />

with local creatives, who<br />

are enthusiastic about having a<br />

centralised workspace.<br />

“There’s a lot of momentum<br />

and the timing just seems to be<br />

right for this sort of project,”<br />

Dietsche said.<br />

The Seafarers’ Centre has also<br />

expressed interest in using the<br />

stables site.<br />

A temporary portacabin on<br />

Norwich Quay has served as the<br />

Seafarers’ Centre since 2015,<br />

after its original building suffered<br />

earthquake damage.<br />

Centre chaplain John McLister<br />

said the current facility is no<br />

longer adequate, with about 350<br />

people visiting each month.<br />

“(The city council) owns<br />

a port, and one of the vital<br />

services seafarers need when<br />

arriving in this port is a<br />

Seafarers’ Centre,” he said.<br />

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The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

Desiree Moot’s Christmas and Lego House includes a cake and gingerbread<br />

themed kitchen and walk-through grotto.<br />

Christmas house sparkles for a good cause<br />

​BY GEOFF SLOAN<br />

Desiree Moot has spent the past<br />

17 years transforming her home<br />

into a Christmas wonderland,<br />

opening the doors to the public<br />

each <strong>December</strong> to raise money<br />

for charity.<br />

This year, she is again fundraising<br />

for Hope Alive<br />

Healthcare in the Philippines,<br />

supporting women living in<br />

poverty.<br />

Her oldest daughter is a nurse<br />

and has been volunteering in<br />

the Philippines for the past six<br />

years, along with her husband.<br />

Hope Alive<br />

Healthcare is a<br />

free pregnancy<br />

clinic and birthing<br />

centre serving<br />

impoverished<br />

Filipino families,<br />

particularly<br />

young, underprivileged<br />

mothers. Desiree Moot<br />

“Because over<br />

there, if you don’t have money,<br />

you can't get into the hospitals,”<br />

said Moot.<br />

She is aiming to raise $5000<br />

for the non-profit charity.<br />

“We’ve never made that<br />

amount before. We raised $1500<br />

last year and $2500 the year<br />

before that to send to them.”<br />

The Casebrook resident<br />

said her Christmas decorating<br />

started off innocently enough.<br />

“It was a just small collection<br />

going down the hallway into<br />

one room, but each year it just<br />

kept getting bigger. Pretty much<br />

it’s the whole house and property<br />

now.”<br />

Moot said this year’s display<br />

is be the biggest yet, with a<br />

walk-through grotto, 10 Christmas<br />

trees, 11 different themed<br />

areas, a hallway covered in<br />

jigsaw puzzles, and a village<br />

with a train running through<br />

it. She said the kitchen is cake<br />

and gingerbread themed, while<br />

there will be photo opportunities<br />

among the teddy bears in<br />

the dining room.<br />

Moot’s Lego displays have<br />

proved popular over the past<br />

three to four years, she said.<br />

“That’s pretty much to draw<br />

the men in as well, and the children<br />

who naturally love Lego.”<br />

The Lego displays include a<br />

Harry Potter themed bedroom,<br />

and builds taking up the whole<br />

garage.<br />

“I leave it set up all year<br />

round. It’s too big a job to take it<br />

all down,” she said.<br />

Moot starts planning and setting<br />

up in October.<br />

“Every year, I make sure I<br />

rearrange everything and display<br />

it all different,” she said.<br />

“I love Christmas. I love<br />

colour.”<br />

The Christmas and Lego<br />

House at 11 Tullamore Pl,<br />

Casebrook, is open to the public<br />

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starnews.co.nz The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

Youth programmes to return<br />

after fundraising success<br />

Shoreline Youth Trust will relaunch its<br />

programmes for term 1 and 2 in 2026<br />

after a successful fundraising campaign.<br />

The trust, which has been providing<br />

services to youth for 24 years, was<br />

forced to shut down its operations in<br />

April after missing out on funding from<br />

donors.<br />

Shoreline operates Fuse, an afterschool<br />

and holiday<br />

programme at Matuku<br />

Takotako: Sumner Centre,<br />

and Lightswitch, a free<br />

counselling service for Te<br />

Raekura Redcliffs School.<br />

Alicia Mallo has been<br />

hired as its part-time<br />

manager and will recruit<br />

two youth workers to<br />

facilitate the trust’s<br />

programmes.<br />

Trust chair Chris Jansen said it<br />

has diversified its income streams to<br />

Alicia Mallo<br />

continue its services. Previously it relied<br />

solely on philanthropic funding.<br />

Based on feedback from a six-month<br />

community consultation, the trust<br />

has decided to change its after-school<br />

sessions for year 7-9 students to be on a<br />

term-by-term enrolment model, where<br />

families pay to register their children for<br />

each term.<br />

The after-school programmes will also<br />

no longer be run as an open session where<br />

young people can ‘cruise in and out’.<br />

Fuse programmes will also continue<br />

two days a week to offer lunchtime<br />

leadership programmes at Redcliffs and<br />

Sumner schools.<br />

It is now contracted by the schools,<br />

where previously the services were free.<br />

“We are looking forward to working<br />

closely with teaching staff and the<br />

After shutting its doors in April, Fuse’s after-school<br />

and in-school counselling programmes will return<br />

for term 1 next year.<br />

community to continue to be a positive<br />

change for our children,” Mallo said.<br />

“We hope to inspire young people to<br />

believe in themselves, embrace their<br />

individuality, and become active, caring<br />

members of our community.”<br />

Jansen said the trust has secured nine<br />

months of funding and is now seeking<br />

funds for the remaining three months of<br />

2026.<br />

The trust is also looking to approach local<br />

businesses in early 2026 for sponsorship<br />

opportunities.<br />

Mallo thanked the families and schools<br />

that took the time to provide feedback,<br />

donate their time to deliver flyers and turn<br />

up to meetings to show support.<br />

The first after-school session will be held<br />

on February 11.<br />

• To register for term 1 of Fuse’s after-school<br />

programme, go to events.humanitix.com/<br />

term-1-fuse-sign-up<br />

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The Star, <strong>December</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />

starnews.co.nz<br />

CROSSWORD<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6 7<br />

8 9<br />

10 11<br />

12 13 14 15<br />

16<br />

17 <strong>18</strong><br />

19<br />

20 21 22 23 24<br />

25 26<br />

431<br />

SUDOKU<br />

Every row, column and box should<br />

contain the digits 1 to 9.<br />

WordBuilder<br />

WORDBUILDER<br />

L M D<br />

U E O<br />

6<br />

331 331<br />

U E O<br />

words of three or more letters,<br />

How many words of three or more<br />

including plurals, can you make from the six<br />

letters, using each letter only once? No foreign<br />

How words or beginning with a capital are<br />

from many the words six letters, of three using or more each letters, only<br />

allowed. There's at least one six-letter word.<br />

including once? plurals, can you make from the six<br />

TODAY<br />

letters, No Good words using <strong>18</strong> each beginning Very letter Good only 22 with once? Excellent a capital No 26 foreign are<br />

words<br />

allowed. Solution or words 330: There’s ani, beginning anis, anise, with<br />

at least end, inane, a capital<br />

one inn, six-letter inns, are<br />

allowed. ins, INSANE, There's nan, nans, at least nine, one nines, six-letter san, sane, word. sea,<br />

word. sen, senna, SIENNA, TODAY sin, sine.<br />

Good <strong>18</strong> Very Good 22 Excellent 26<br />

letters, including plurals, can you make<br />

Solution 330: ani, anis, anise, end, inane, inn, inns,<br />

ins, INSANE, nan, nans, nine, nines, san, sane, sea,<br />

sen, senna, SIENNA, sin, sine.<br />

27 28<br />

29 30<br />

31 32<br />

33 34<br />

Across<br />

1. Shade (6)<br />

5. Calm (6)<br />

10. Pilot (7)<br />

11. Friendly (7)<br />

12. Rotate (6)<br />

15. Selection (6)<br />

16. Consistency, feel (7)<br />

17. Sudden hard pull (4)<br />

<strong>18</strong>. Accomplishment (4)<br />

19. Strategies (7)<br />

20. Be unsuccessful (4)<br />

22. Seep (4)<br />

25. Serving dish (7)<br />

27. One level of a building (6)<br />

28. Trader (6)<br />

31. Greed (7)<br />

32. Crush underfoot (7)<br />

33. Deadly (6)<br />

34. Artilleryman (6)<br />

Decoder<br />

Down<br />

2. Point of view (7)<br />

3. Beginning (6)<br />

4. Uncommon (4)<br />

5. Summit (4)<br />

6. Platitude (6)<br />

7. Feverish (7)<br />

8. Boggy (6)<br />

9. Flaw (6)<br />

13. Legitimately (7)<br />

14. Law (7)<br />

15. Fractured (7)<br />

20. Financial (6)<br />

21. Seclude (7)<br />

23. Overshadow (7)<br />

24. Edible part of a nut (6)<br />

25. Die (6)<br />

26. Take back (6)<br />

29. Hades (4)<br />

30. Male deer (4)<br />

Crossword<br />

Across: 1. Colour, 5. Pacify, 10. Aviator, 11. Amiable, 12. Swivel, 15. Choice,<br />

16. Texture, 17. Yank, <strong>18</strong>. Feat, 19. Tactics, 20. Fail, 22. Leak, 25. Platter, 27.<br />

Storey, 28. Dealer, 31. Avarice, 32. Trample, 33. Lethal, 34. Gunner.<br />

Down: 2. Opinion, 3. Outset, 4. Rare, 5. Peak, 6. Cliché, 7. Febrile, 8. Marshy,<br />

9. Defect, 13. Legally, 14. Statute, 15. Cracked, 20. Fiscal, 21. Isolate, 23.<br />

Eclipse, 24. Kernel, 25. Perish, 26. Regain, 29. Hell, 30. Stag.<br />

WordBuilder<br />

Demo, doe, dole, dome, due, duel, duo, eld, elm, emu, led, leu, lode, loud,<br />

ludo, meld, mod, mode, model, MODULE, mold, mole, moue, mould, mud,<br />

mule, ode, old.<br />

DECODER<br />

Each number represents a different letter of the alphabet. Write the<br />

given letters into all squares with matching numbers. Now work out<br />

which letters are represented by the other numbers.<br />

All puzzles copyright<br />

T H E P U Z Z L E C O M P A N Y<br />

www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz<br />

Sudoku

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