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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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 />
from Friday until <strong>December</strong> 24,<br />
7.30-11.30pm.<br />
Entry is $2.50 a person, cash<br />
only.<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