The Star: March 05, 2026

Thursday, 5 March 2026 | Christchurch’s best read and largest circulating newspaper 

15 MARCH 2026 

www.city2surf.co.nz 

Close encounter of 

the lightning kind 

BY DANIEL ALVEY 

Sunday night was just like 

any other for Julia and Harry 

Orpwood, then “all hell broke 

loose”. 

About 9pm, their house was 

struck by lightning, leaving a 

large hole in a window. 

The strike was one of 

19 across Christchurch 

and Selwyn on Sunday, 

accompanied by heavy 

rain. 

Julia was in the lounge 

scrolling on Facebook while 

Harry was in the bathroom 

getting ready for bed. 

“I was just sitting there, 

then all hell broke loose 

outside. The flash was huge,” 

she said. 

Said Harry: “It was like 

someone dropped a bomb.” 

At first, Julia thought 

something electrical had 

gone wrong with the house 

on Tancreds Rd, Lincoln. 

But with the power still 

on, she realised it was 

lightning. 

“I think my husband 

was more frightened than 

me; I just didn’t know what 

the hell was going on,” she 

said. 

Harry said it was “pretty 

frightening”, comparing it 

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“With what’s going around 

the world at the moment, I 

thought holy s**t have they 

sent one over here? Because 

it was that loud – it was 

unbelievable,” he said. 

The strike also spooked the 

family’s pets. 

“The cat was outside, 

she came running in. The 

rottweiler wanted to go 

outside, the jack russell was 

just shaking,” Julia said. 

Their second cat stayed 

asleep. 

Julia sent a message to 

her family group chat, 

saying their house had 

been struck. 

It was only when her 

daughter-in-law Tanya called 

to check if they were okay 

that they noticed the large 

hole in the window a couple 

of metres from where Julia 

had been sitting. 

“It was just that much 

racket we didn’t hear it 

break, and the curtain 

stopped the glass,” she said. 

Metservice meteorologist 

Lewis Ferris said several 

of the 19 strikes were 

cloud-to-ground, which 

are often louder than 

cloud-to-cloud strikes. 

Julia Orpwood inspects the broken window at her home 

after it was struck by lightning about 9pm on Sunday just 

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2 | The Star, March 5, 2026 starnews.co.nz 

inside 

Ratepayers asked for more cash............................3 

‘S**t, I hope he’s not inside’................................... 4-5 

River nose what’s what .............................................5 

Is your local dairy on display?............................ 10-11 

‘Argy bargy’ hospital orderly sacked.......................12 

The way we were.....................................................15 

‘Borderline torture’ bootcamp ................................19 

Title in Sydenham’s sights.......................................21 

Motoring..................................................................25 

Classified...........................................................26-28 

Gig guide.................................................................31 

 

letters 

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on the issues affecting life in 

Canterbury. 

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news 

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great things to do 

this weekend 

Canterbury Brit & Euro Car Show 

Saturday, 10am to 3pm 

The inaugural Canterbury Brit & Euro Car 

Show will have more than 800 fabulous 

cars on display. Free to public, there will 

be a festive atmosphere with food, music and 

so much to see. Car parks, including disabled 

parking, will be available off Harvard Ave for 

$10. All welcome. 

Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram 

Ferrymead 

Heritage 

Park Night 

Market 

Saturday, 4-8pm 

The family friendly 

market supports the 

preservation of the heritage park and education. 

There will be a mix of food stalls, crafts, music 

and fundraising. 

Ferrymead Heritage Park 

Canterbury Museum collection tours 

From Saturday, 10-11am 

Go behind-the-scenes at Canterbury Museum 

on a free public tour of its temporary 

collection. 

Visitors will get a 

sneak peek into the 

museum’s ongoing 

redevelopment 

and see the many 

treasures waiting in 

the wings, ready to 

be displayed when 

it reopens. Book a tour at events.humanitix.com/ 

canterbury-museum-collection-store-tours 

Canterbury Museum collections storage facility, Hornby 

Hagley Hole in One launch 

Friday to Sunday, 10am to 8pm 

There will be big prizes to win at the Hagley 

Hole in One opening. All profits go back into 

The Yarns Men charity. Everyone is welcome 

to go along for a for a hit. 

North Hagley Park, Rolleston Ave 

Guinea Pig Show 

Saturday, 

10am to 2pm 

Bring your guinea 

pigs to the first show 

of the year. There will be 

purebred, breeding, junior, 

senior and novice shows. 

St Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, 

Harewood Rd 

ST CHRISTOPHER’S 

CHURCH BOOK FAIR 

FRI 6 TH & SAT 7 TH MARCH 

Two halls full of fantastic books! 

WARREN HALL - Great selection of Books $2 or 6 for $10 

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starnews.co.nz 

NEWS The Star, March 5, 2026 | 3 

Donors dig deep to cover 34-year-old’s cancer treatment 

BY KEES CHALMERS 

An initiative to fund treatment 

for a father battling an 

aggressive form of brain cancer 

is nearing its goal. 

More than $41,000 has been 

donated to Henri Kerr and his 

family in two weeks. 

The bid to raise $50,000 for 

Kerr’s treatment was covered 

by The Star last week when the 

total was about $25,000. 

The 34-year-old from Heathcote 

is on the chemotherapy 

drug, bevacizumab, which 

helps slow down tumour 

growth and has allowed him to 

stop taking the powerful steroid 

dexamethasone. But bevacizumab 

is not funded in New 

Zealand by Pharmac for brain 

cancer and costs Kerr $2682 

every three weeks. 

Said his wife Anna Sheehan: 

“It’s just been so crazy and 

very overwhelming over the 

weekend after the story was 

released. We are totally blown 

away, really, we never thought 

that amount of fundraising 

was possible. People have been 

so kind, not only donating but 

reaching out with really lovely 

messages, people who are in a 

similar situation or experiencing 

the same thing.” 

Their friends and family 

started a Givealittle page two 

weeks ago to help Kerr, Sheehan 

and their three-year-old daughter 

Noa. 

Eighteen months ago a large 

tumour was found on Kerr’s left 

partial lobe. 

“We were just so shocked, a 

large tumour was the last thing 

I thought. It felt like being hit by 

a bus,” said Sheehan. 

Two days later, the tumour 

was removed and further tests 

revealed it was a highly aggressive 

and fast growing primary 

brain tumour. 

Then late last year an MRI 

scan showed another tumour 

and radionecrosis from 

the radiation therapy. They 

removed a large amount of 

treatment effect and a small 

tumour. After the surgery the 

doctors recommended he start 

taking bevacizumab. 

Their friends have also 

organised a concert on March 

27 at The Loons, Lyttelton, to 

continue fundraising for Kerr’s 

treatment. His mother Bjorg 

also sells baked goods from 

a stall outside her house on 

Bridle Path Rd every Saturday 

to raise money for her son. 

•To donate towards 

Kerr’s treatment, go to 

givealittle.co.nz/cause/ 

brain-storm-for-henri 

Henri Kerr and his daughter Noa in 

hospital. 

Do you want 

to pay for 

these projects? 

BY DYLAN SMITS 

Ratepayers are being asked 

whether they want to help plug 

a $40-$45 million funding gap 

to restart work on the Christ 

Church Cathedral restoration. 

Consultation opened on 

Friday, as part of preparations 

for the city council’s next longterm 

plan, seeking feedback on 

contributing more ratepayer 

funds to the cathedral’s 

restoration. 

Any city council contribution 

would affect future rates 

increases. A 7.96% rise is 

already proposed this year. 

The cathedral funding 

dilemma comes at a time when 

the city council is also seeking 

public feedback on three 

other major heritage projects 

– the Arts Centre, Canterbury 

Museum and the Provincial 

Chambers. 

The city council estimates 

completing restoration work 

across the heritage sites, 

including the cathedral, would 

cost about $290m from all 

sources. 

The Star is asking readers 

today if they want to fund the 

projects. 

Christ Church Cathedral 

Reinstatement Ltd needs 

$90-$95m to complete a scaledback 

first stage of the cathedral 

restoration. 

The first stage would see the 

western end of the building 

reopened, including the 700- 

seat nave, entrance way and 

bell tower. 

CCRL is confident it can 

secure about $50m of the $90- 

$95m, including $7m previously 

committed by the city council, 

$20m from the sale of the 

Cardboard Cathedral, and $20m 

from private philanthropists 

and other donors. This leaves 

the $40-45m funding gap for 

ratepayers. 

The full cathedral restoration 

was previously estimated to 

cost up to $219m but has not 

been revisited since work was 

halted 18 months ago. 

About $88m has been spent 

to date, including $25m from 

taxpayers, $33m from insurance 

and $10m pledged by the city 

council through a targeted rates 

levy, of which $3m has been 

spent already. 

CCRL will not relaunch its 

fundraising until a funding 

pathway is secured from the 

city council or Government. 

Ongoing maintenance costs 

for the site are about $1m a 

year. 

HAVE YOUR SAY Should 

ratepayers fork out more money 

for the Christ Church Cathedral 

(above), Provincial Chambers 

(left), Arts Centre and Canterbury 

Museum restorations? Send your 

views to dylan.smits@alliedmedia. 

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4 | The Star, March 5, 2026 NEWS 


Mate’s fear: ‘S**t, I hope he’s 


That was the immediate 

thought John Hill had when he 

went to drop tomatoes off to his 

friend’s place and found it in 

flames. 

The Lake Terrace Rd house 

in Birdlings Flat was engulfed 

by fire and black smoke was 

pouring out of it. 

"I thought, ‘s**t, I hope he’s 

not inside’,” Hill, 72, told The 

Star 

But fear quickly turned to 

relief – his friend was outside 

making a futile bid to fight the 

fire with a bucket of water. 

Hill joined in, helping his 

friend battle the blaze, which 

started shortly before 4pm 

on Thursday, with the bucket 

which they filled with water 

from a duck pond on the 

property. 

But any remote chance of 

beating the fire evaporated 

when the pond ran dry. 

“That was hopeless, but still I 

tried,” he said. 

It took five to 10min for the 

fire to tear through and destroy 

the house. 

Fire and Emergency NZ said 

the blaze was caused by a 

damaged lithium ion battery 

pack. 

Hill said his friend had been 

charging power tool batteries in 

a bedroom. 

The home owner declined to 

talk to The Star 

Hill, who lives around the 

John Hill went to visit his friend in Birdlings Flat and found flames coming from his house on Lake Terrace Rd. 

corner on Hillview Rd, said 

before he arrived his friend 

had tried to fight the fire with 

a water blaster before the 

property’s power went off. 

The home owner was injured 

when a window blew out and 

pieces of hot glass and fire 

caught onto his left arm. 

A nurse who lives nearby 

treated the burns with 

ointment. He was also checked 

over by Hato Hone St John. 

Budgies and cockatiels in the 

house perished. 

Another Lake Terrace Rd 

resident saw the smoke and 

called the fire service. 

Four crews from the 

Little River Volunteer Fire 

Brigade were called to the 

blaze, with cover from Lincoln, 

Wigram, Spreydon and 

Redwood. 

Akaroa fire chief 

Mark Thomson said it 

took about three hours to 

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get the fire under control. 

It flared up again at 7.22am 

the next day, despite being 

extinguished and firefighters 

keeping watch on the property 

overnight. 

Hill said his friend 

had been sitting in his 

living room watching TV 

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not inside’ 


River nose what’s what 

when he smelled smoke. 

He went to have a look in 

one of the bedrooms and saw a 

curtain had caught fire. 

He then tried to put it out 

himself. 

"Just a few minutes later the 

bloody 

panes were going out 

the bedroom back windows and 

out the roof,” he said. 

Hill said his friend 

had owned the Birdlings Flat 

house since the 1970s. 

He was in shock as they both 

watched the fire destroy his 

home. 

Hill, who has lived in 

Birdlings Flat for 15 years, is 

now feeding his friend’s ducks 

and chickens – and ensuring 

people stay off the property. 

A prison detector dog stopped 

a range of illegal drugs and 

contraband material from 

getting into Christchurch Men’s 

Prison. 

River was recently checking 

items entering the prison when 

she came across a brown paper 

bag that appeared to contain a 

fan for a prisoner. 

But River indicated there was 

more to the fan than met the eye. 

The bag was x-rayed and 

narcotics were found concealed 

inside it. 

When prison staff unscrewed 

the fan, they found a range of 

contraband material, including 

1.68g of methamphetamine, 2.4g 

of marijuana, 11.73g of tobacco, 

a cell phone and a charger. 

The discovery has been 

reported to the police for 

further investigation. 

River's handler Christian Swift 

told the New Zealand Herald he 

was very proud of his mate. 

“It is a truly remarkable find 

and River did an amazing job 

at leading us straight to the 

source,” Swift told the Herald. 

“Drugs can create dangerous 

situations for staff, and prevent 

prisoners from engaging in 

rehabilitation, education and 

employment opportunities. 

“Mobile phones can be used to 

commit further offences while 

behind bars. 

“Many prisoners go to 

extreme lengths to get 

contraband behind bars, so 

our highly trained detector 

dogs are a critical part of our 

work to improve public safety 

River works as a detector dog at 

Christchurch Men’s Prison and recently 

uncovered a stash of contraband 

including methamphetamine, marijuana, 

tobacco, a cell phone and a charger 

concealed inside a fan. 

and the safety of our work 

environments.” 

Swift said River loves “bursts 

of zoomies at home” as a reward. 

Zoomies are sudden, intense 

bursts of energy in pets, often 

characterised by running in 

circles, chasing tails, or skidding 

across floors. 

River and Swift are one of 24 

detector dog teams at prisons 

across the country. 

The talented dog has also won 

the Department of Corrections’ 

body pack search title twice in 

2023 and 2024. The competition 

involves finding concealed 

contraband on a person. 

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Cool down post-City2Surf 

with exclusive pool deal 

Take the opportunity to cool 

down after the FreshChoice 

City2Surf with a special two-forone 

deal at selected pools on the 

day. 

Anyone finishing the 6km or 

12km fun run on Sunday March 

15 will get two entries for the 

price of one, simply by showing 

their bib or finisher’s medal. 

The City2Surf caters for all 

fitness levels, offering a 12km 

course starting at Latimer Square 

and a 6km option starting at 

Porritt Park. Both routes follow 

the City-to-Sea Pathway along 

the Avon River, finishing at New 

Brighton’s Rawhiti Domain. 

All entrants will also receive 

a free Celsius drink at the finish 

line. Live entertainment will 

run throughout the morning, 

followed by a prizegiving at 

noon. 

This year, City2Surf is 

partnering with Hato Hone 

St John as its official charity, 

raising funds to support frontline 

crews responding to medical 

emergencies. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

After City2Surf, show your bib or 

medal at the following pools and enjoy 

a special 2-for-1 swim offer, only on 

March 15: 

• Graham Condon Recreation and Sport 

Centre 

• Jellie Park Recreation and Sport Centre 

• Matatiki Hornby Centre 

• Taiora QEII Recreation and Sport 

Centre 

• Te Pou Toetoe Linwood Pool 

• Te Hāpua Halswell Centre 

• Waltham Pool 

After the FreshChoice City2Surf, participants can access a special two-for-one deal at selected city council pools. PHOTO: GETTY 

Funding cuts blamed for 

Evans Pass Rd inaction 


Heathcote Ward city councillor 

Nathaniel Herz Jardine is calling 

for action on Evans Pass Rd after 

a serious crash late last month. 

The crash, involving a car and a 

cyclist, happened near the intersection 

of Sumnervale Dr and 

Evans Pass Rd about 5.30pm. The 

cyclist sustained serious injuries. 

At the end of last year, Sumner 

residents Jason Irvine, Paul Bimler 

and Ian Skelton addressed the 

Waihoro-Spreydon-Cashmere- 

Heathcote Community Board 

about safety concerns on the 

road, particularly vehicles and 

cyclists descending Evans 

Pass Rd at high speed. 

Irvine asked the board 

to consider installing a 

speed camera at the bottom 

of the 2km hill to 

deter speeding. 

The stretch of road leading 

into Sumner recorded 

four serious crashes and 

12 minor crashes last 

year. Following residents’ 

concerns, the community board 

issued a memo to city council 

staff requesting advice on possible 

safety improvements. 

After the recent crash, Herz 

Jardine followed up with council 

staff and was told a traffic 

engineer was investigating safety 

improvements at the intersection. 

Once a report is completed, 

Herz Jardine plans to conduct a 

site visit with residents to identify 

where improvements could be 

made. 

Nathaniel 

Herz Jardine 

He also raised residents’ concerns 

with the New Zealand 

Transport Agency after the community 

board meeting. 

NZTA director of regional relationships 

James Caygill said in 

January there were no plans for 

a fixed speed camera on Evans 

Pass Rd, but the agency would 

consider suitable locations for 

mobile speed cameras. 

An NZTA spokesperson said 

its position has not changed following 

the latest crash, but will 

continue to engage with the city 

council, police and the community 

on safety in the area. 

Herz Jardine said his frustration 

was directed at central 

government over its decision 

to cut NZTA funding 

for permanent cameras. 

A proposed 800-camera 

network, estimated to cost 

$2.5 billion, was scaled 

back to 250 cameras at 

an estimated $1.667b in 

November 2024. 

“The central government 

really needs to understand 

that it’s a priority for people, that 

we need decent funding,” he said. 

“The best they (NZTA) can do 

is say maybe we can get a temporary 

camera in there at some 

point, but we can’t say when or 

for how long.” 

Herz Jardine said he would 

continue to push for a speed camera 

on Evans Pass Rd but it would 

require sustained pressure from 

residents on central government. 

“Otherwise we’ll be waiting 

around for another accident.” 

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Stallholders’ market grumbles 

BY DYLAN SMITS 

Riccarton Rotary trustees have 

taken up interim management 

of one of the city's most popular 

markets after some stallholders 

have grown frustrated with 

recent changes. 

The club, which owns the Riccarton 

Sunday Market through 

its charitable trust, is having a 

barbecue meeting with stallholders 

after the market on Sunday 

to discuss their concerns. 

The market at the Riccarton 

Park racecourse has been operating 

since 1989. 

At least eight stallholders 

have stopped turning up to the 

market over the past few weeks, 

unhappy over invoicing changes 

and the new monthly car boot 

market which has started at the 

market site. 

Riccarton Rotary Charitable 

Trust trustee Renee Walker 

acknowledged the concerns of 

some stallholders and said the 

trustees want to have more conversations 

with them about how 

to address any problems. 

She is leading the interim 

management. 

Disgruntled stallholders have 

spoken to The Star on the condition 

of anonymity saying the 

new invoicing system is costing 

them more and the car boot 

market is unfair to permanent 

stall holders due to the $10 price 

to rent space. 

Said Walker: “There are a 

few individuals who have had 

Some stallholders at the Riccarton Sunday Market are not happy with some changes. 

conflict with each other. I think 

you're hearing probably from 

those individuals.” 

“Our management staff were 

getting drawn into personal disputes, 

and I think that was quite 

taxing on staff as well.” 

She did not want to comment 

further on the nature of the personal 

disputes. 

It comes as the market manager 

resigned four weeks ago, 

leading to the Rotary trustees 

taking on a more hands-on 

role in managing the market 

temporarily. 

Walker said applicants for 

the manager role will be interviewed 

next week. 

Central to the concerns of 

some stallholders is a new contract 

signed late last year which 

changed the invoice payments 

for renting stall space from 

every four weeks to weekly. 

Previously if a month had five 

Sundays, stallholders only had to 

pay for four. 

This effectively raised costs for 

stallholders, with some also feeling 

they felt pressured to sign 

the new contract from market 

staff. 

Walker said communication 

on the new invoicing could have 

been better at the time which 

caused some “angst” among 

stallholders. 

"We're probably just charging 

the way we should always have, 

but it was a change in accounting 

systems that highlighted it,” 

she said. 

However, she does not believe 

stallholders would have felt 

pressure to sign the contract. 

“We run a pretty compassionate 

system, so we do have 

people that are in arrears, and 

we always work with them to 

make sure they can stay at the 

market.” 

More recently some stallholders 

have been opposed to the 

new monthly car boot sales 

taking place next to the main 

market, where space can be 

rented for $10 – far less than the 

more than $50 permanent stallholders 

are paying a week. 

Walker said stallholders have 

differing views of the car boot 

market with some believing it 

brings more business to the permanent 

stalls. 

“I think what we need to make 

sure going forward is that those 

people that are coming to the 

car boot sales are not regulars. 

They should be people that are 

coming to try it out, or coming 

to sell excess things from their 

homes. 

“What the market exists for 

is to put money back into the 

community through rotary 

projects. In the last year, we've 

put $30,000 from the market 

back into community projects.” 

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BY GEOFF SLOAN 

Former All Blacks captain Sam 

Whitelock’s Harewood property 

sold under the hammer for $2.45 

million on Tuesday. 

The Johns Rd home 

attracted competitive 

bidding before being 

purchased by Eric and 

Louise Wunderink, who 

said they were delighted 

with their multi-milliondollar 

acquisition. 

The 30,648sq m 

property features four 

bedrooms and two 

bathrooms at one end, 

with generously sized living, 

dining, and kitchen spaces at the 

other. 

The Bayleys Real estate agent 

for the sale was Sam Whitelock's 

brother, Adam. 

Adam is a former Crusaders 

midfielder who played 55 games 

for the franchise after debuting 

in 2009. 

Sam Whitelock 

He retired in 2017 after 

spending three seasons with 

French club Bayonne. 

The sale follows Sam and his 

wife Hannah selling their 833ha 

Hawke’s Bay farm, Riverbank 

Station, late last year. 

The couple, who have 

three children, had been 

living and working on 

the farm, which they 

purchased eight years ago 

for $8.5m. 

The farm featured 

significant infrastructure 

improvements, including 

three houses, and had a 

rateable value of $15.3m 

at the time of sale. 

Sam Whitelock retired from 

professional rugby after 153 All 

Blacks test matches in June 2025. 

The Whitelocks’ parents are 

dairy farmers in the Manawatū, 

and despite selling Riverbank 

Station, Sam has indicated he 

plans to continue his farming 

career in the Manawatū region. 

Sam Whitelock’s house on Johns Rd, Harewood, was purchased by Eric and Louise Wunderink, below. Whitelock’s real estate agent 

brother Adam Whitelock sold the house. 

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The Star, March 5, 2026 | 9 

GARAGE SALE 

GET 2 

FOR



Exhibition a celebration of Kiwis’ 

Artist Harriet Millar has taken on 

the unique challenge of painting 

a series of Christchurch dairies 

and displaying them in an 

abandoned dairy she is sprucing 

up. Dylan Smits reports 

Go overseas and ask someone 

where the dairy is and you’ll 

likely be met with a blank stare. 

But Harriet Millar – originally 

from Wirrall, near Liverpool – 

has come to appreciate the role 

dairies play in everyday Kiwi life 

over the past 20 years. 

“Together, these paintings tell a 

quiet, recognisable New Zealand 

story. Not of spectacle, but of 

everyday belonging,” she said. 

In search of a fitting venue 

for her work, she has leased 

the abandoned Cranford St 

Dairy, which closed in 2021 after 

business slowed and carparks 

were removed. 

“I just thought what an 

interesting idea it would be to 

show off the dairy paintings in an 

actual dairy.” 

The exhibition opens on Friday, 

March 27, from 5-7pm at the 

former shop on the corner of 

Cranford and Westminster Sts. 

"I’ve already had lots of interest 

on social media so I hope I can fit 

everyone.” 

It will then run every day from 

10am-2pm until April 2. 

“The building still has an old 

counter and shelving and even 

some art deco style windows, so I 

think it’s a great setting.” 

Harriet Millar showing off her dairy artwork in the abandoned Cranford St Dairy she has leased as an exhibition space. 

The 53-year-old hopes to 

transform the dairy into her new 

art studio after the exhibition. 

So far she has painted 10 

dairies and plans to paint at least 

seven more before the exhibition. 

Preparing the long-vacant 

dairy space has been hard work 

since she received the keys 

last week, especially while also 

raising her five children. 

“We’re taking the graffiti off 

and we’ve removed all the plastic 

sheets on everything. Then 

there’s painting and giving the 

place a big, deep clean.” 

Friends and family will help 

her get the space ready over the 

next few weeks. 

The dairies she has painted 

include the Springfield 

Millar says Springfield Discounter in St 

Albans is “quite ugly on the surface, but 

it has these lovely geometric shapes to 

paint.” 

“Rather than relics 

of the past, dairies 

remain living sites of 

cultural exchange, 

where migration 

histories, labour, and 

neighbourhood routines 

intersect.” 

Harriet Millar 

Discounter in St Albans, Opawa 

Dairy, Sue’s Takeaway and 

Convenience in Yaldhurst, the 

Bower Ave Dairy in North New 

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in Hillmorton and Clyde 

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love for their neighbourhood dairy 

Millar photographed each dairy 

before painting them at home. 

She said the series was inspired 

by the way almost everyone has 

a personal story tied to their 

neighbourhood dairy. 

“That might be a $1 bag of 

lollies you bought as a kid or 

someone’s first pack of cigarettes. 

Then there’s the late-night runs 

for milk which save your day.” 

Millar works in oil and acrylic, 

and typically paints natural 

landscapes, flora and fauna. Her 

pieces feature substantial layers 

of paint and bold brushstrokes, 

with hints of unexpected colour. 

She selected the dairies based 

on how well they come out in 

painted form. 

“The one near Abberley Park 

(Springfield Discounter) looks 

quite ugly on the surface, but it 

has these lovely geometric shapes 

to paint and the lighting worked 

well,” Millar said. 

“When I showed the finished 

painting to the owner, he 

started crying which was quite 

touching.” 

Millar finds the history of 

dairies and their place in New 

Zealand society fascinating. 

The Ugandan owner of the 

abandoned Cranford St Dairy she 

now leases bought it in the early 

1970s after Indians were forced 

out of the country under the Idi 

Amin regime. 

He was the first Indian- 

Ugandan refugee in the South 

Island. 

“Rather than relics of the 

past, dairies remain living sites 

From top left, Sue’s Takeaway and Convenience in Yaldhurst, Clyde Road Dairy in Bryndwr, Opawa Dairy, the Bower Ave Dairy in North New Brighton and Lincoln Road 

Convenience in Hillmorton all feature in Millar’s upcoming exhibition. 

of cultural exchange, where 

migration histories, labour, 

and neighbourhood routines 

intersect,” Millar said. 

New Zealand dairies are a 

retail marvel considering the 

dominance of the supermarket 

duopoly, she said. 

“Its survival is not accidental. 

Increasingly, it is sustained 

through family-based ownership 

and labour, most visibly 

within New Zealand’s Indian 

communities, whose involvement 

has reshaped the contemporary 

dairy landscape.” 

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Just ‘boys argy bargy’, says sacked orderly 

BY BRIANNA MCILRAITH 

It was a bit of claimed “banter” 

and “boys argy bargy” that saw 

orderly Lionel Caffell suspended 

and then eventually fired from 

his Christchurch Hospital job. 

But what blew any chance of 

reinstatement was that Caffell 

later went into the hospital drunk 

and threatened to burn his former 

boss’ house down. 

After losing his job and facing 

financial hardship, Caffell turned 

to the Employment Relations 

Authority (ERA) in an attempt to 

get his job back. 

A recently released decision 

by the ERA detailed how a young 

orderly at the hospital was asked 

to cover another worker’s shifts 

for a few weeks in the interventional 

radiology (IR) department, 

where Caffell had worked for 20 

years. 

While working together in the 

department, two alleged incidents 

occurred between the pair, 

leading to complaints about Caffell 

and his dismissal. 

The first was that he forcefully 

stabbed the young orderly in the 

chest with a pen while warning, 

“don’t you ever talk to my girls 

like that, only I can say things like 

that”, referring to their female 

colleagues. 

The second was later that day, 

Caffell punched and pushed him 

during what Caffell described as 

“banter”, “boys argy bargy”, and 

“play fighting”. 

During the alleged latter 

An orderly at Christchurch Hospital was fired after allegedly attacking a colleague. 

He later made drunken threats about his boss. 

incident, Caffell was said to have 

told the young orderly, “don’t you 

ever f***ing talk to me like that 

in front of people again”, and 

threatened t0obeat him up. 

Days later, the orderly provided 

photos of bruises allegedly resulting 

from both incidents. 

His complaints were investigated 

by Evan Calder, Caffell’s 

overall manager at Christchurch 

and Burwood Hospitals, who 

decided on summary dismissal. 

Caffell told the ERA Calder 

allegedly disliked him because of 

past workplace disagreements. 

Calder denied any personal animosity 

but said Caffell could be 

“very confrontational”. 

According to the decision, after 

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) 

suspended Caffell on pay, he was 

invited to an investigation meeting, 

which he attended with a 

union representative. 

At the meeting, Caffell was 

shown silent security footage of 

the incidents. 

Caffell and his union representative 

gave verbal feedback at the 

meeting, and he later provided 

written feedback, maintaining 

the interactions were banter, he 

did not intend harm, and any 

punches were without force. 

He also questioned whether the 

bruising could have been caused 

by the pen. 

Calder had identified three 

other employees visible in the 

footage and spoke with them, but 

what they told him – including 

in two written statements – was 

not disclosed to Caffell before his 

dismissal. 

The witnesses’ accounts suggest 

they viewed the interaction 

as play fighting or did not see 

anything requiring intervention, 

though one mentioned 

events occurring behind them 

and another recalled laughter 

between Caffell and the 

complainant. 

Caffell had no prior disciplinary 

history during his long 

tenure. Affidavits from three 

IR employees, including a team 

leader, supported his performance 

and described him as an 

effective and valued orderly. 

The final decision to summarily 

dismiss Caffell came via a letter 

on October 6, 2025, stating he 

was in breach of his employment 

obligations. 

After his dismissal, he attended 

his leaving drinks at a nearby bar. 

Following the party, he went 

to the hospital and spoke to his 

orderly colleagues while drunk. 

He made verbally abusive 

statements about what he 

thought of Calder firing him, 

what he thought of Calder and 

that he wanted to “burn his 

house down”. 

However, when turning to the 

ERA, Caffell expressed a desire 

to return to his job, applying for 

interim reinstatement. 

Caffell told the authority when 

he made the comments about 

his former manager, he was 

very drunk and upset and would 

never say those things sober. 

Authority member Antoinette 

Baker said in her ruling Caffell 

had an arguable case that HNZ’s 

decision to end his employment 

was unjustified. 

“Caffell has a serious case that 

he was unjustifiably dismissed 

with a focus on the sufficiency of 

the investigation and the non-disclosure 

of what witnesses said to 

the investigator,” she said. 

But HNZ submitted there were 

problems with reintegrating 

Caffell, given his behaviour postdismissal 

which included him 

strongly disparaging his former 

manager, to others in the orderly 

team when drunk. 

Baker found it was reasonable 

for HNZ to be concerned about 

Caffell’s behaviour. 

“On balance, I am persuaded 

that there is more detriment to 

HNZ in relation to its concerns 

about Mr Caffell’s ongoing obligation 

of loyalty to his employer, 

particularly based on his post-dismissal 

conduct.” 

The application for interim 

reinstatement was unsuccessful. 

Caffell declined to comment, 

and an HNZ spokesperson said 

they could not comment on 

individual employment matters. 

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14 | The Star, March 5, 2026 starnews.co.nz



The Way 

We Were 

The most significant “first” 

by a woman in Christchurch 

brought about the equal 

opportunities that followed – 

many of which we now take 

for granted. 

Suffragist Kate Sheppard’s 

activism led to women in 

New Zealand getting the 

vote in 1893, making NZ the 

first country in the world to 

establish universal suffrage. 

In 1933, another Cantabrian 

achieved a NZ first: Elizabeth 

McCombs became the 

first female member of 

Parliament, when she won 

the by-election for Lyttelton. 

McCombs was 

photographed by The Star 

during an election night 

radio broadcast outside 

Warners Hotel in Cathedral 

Square. She is pictured with 

FIRSTS BY WOMEN 

Henry Edmund Holland, D.G 

Sullivan and an unnamed 

broadcaster. 

Other firsts to appear in 

The Star include Di Fisher 

becoming the first woman 

firefighter in Christchurch 

in 1989. A decade earlier, a 

dejected Jenny Dillard also 

appeared. Her bid to join the 

brigade had failed after the 

Fire Brigade Union of Canterbury 

voted against allowing 

women into the service. 

Joanna Rivers was 

photographed on the job in 

1985 after becoming the first 

woman apprentice electrician 

at the Post Office. 

Meanwhile, Tanya 

Merchant (below) became 

the first female aircraft 

maintenance engineer with 

Air New Zealand in 1992. 

Jenny Dillard failed to join the fire service in 1979 after the brigades untion voted against allowing women into the service. 

Di Fisher (centre) became the first woman firefighter in Christchurch in 1989. Above right – Linda Cusack, Jane Holton and 

Carol Banks joined the Christchurch Transport Board as bus drivers in 1979. 

Elizabeth McCombs 

became NZ’s first female 

MP in 1933. 

Right – Joanna Rivers 

was the first woman 

apprentice electrician at 

the Post Office in 1985. 

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A Bridge of 

Friendship, 

A Road 

Forward 

He Ying 

Consul General 

of the People’s 

Republic of 

China in 

Christchurch 

Momentum 

building to 

brand Lyttelton 


What should Lyttelton’s identity be? A 

hippy paradise, a port town or a hub for 

art and culture? 

The Lyttelton Harbour Business 

Association is aiming to answer that 

question at its next Bizz Buzz Night 

meeting on Tuesday. 

The idea branched from its most 

recent Bizz Buzz, where property 

developer Alex Wang spoke about 

being approached by vape and liquor 

businesses asking to rent out his 

new building on London St. The new 

apartment block building, which 

replaced the old Harbour Light Theatre, 

has space below for businesses or 

community use. 

Said business 

association chair Sabrina 

Saunders: “He knew 

that’s not what Lyttelton 

needed or wants to be 

known as, so he turned 

them away.” 

“This next meeting 

Sabrina 

Saunders 

is a conversation of 

what do we want, what 

businesses do we want in 

the area, what do we want Lyttelton to 

be in five to 10 years?” 

Eruption Brewing co-owner Steve 

Leftly says Lyttelton should use what 

makes the town unique. 

“I see Lyttelton as a top visitor location 

with a real thriving creative hub of 

artists and a totally different vibe than 

what’s going on through the tunnel,” he 

said. “I guess it’s just a matter of projecting 

that it’s got it’s own village feel.” 

Leftly is supportive of accelerating the 

process for getting Lyttelton Museum 

back up and running. 

“That’s a real cornerstone asset of the 

history of Lyttelton and its formation. 

We’re really interested in trying to drive 

that forward somehow,” he said. 

Said Saunders “We're coming into an 

election year, we want to be able to have 

a voice to go to the politicians and say: 

This is where we're struggling, this is 

where we could use some help,” she said. 

"Council's going towards their longterm 

plan strategy not this year but the 

year after and it's important for us to 

have these conversations so that we can 

voice our needs.” 

Dead Video store worker, Bells, grew 

up in Lyttelton and said it is a place for 

people with “niche” interests to hone 

their skills. 

“People have come to Lyttelton to 

Bells from Dead Video said Lyttelton is a place 

for people with niche interests to express and 

hone their skills. 

PHOTO: KEES CHALMERS 

practice their art forms, whether that’s 

setting up a really specific hobby store, 

Japanese/Māori fusion food at Super 

(restaurant). It’s all really specific and 

done well by local people,” she said. 

"I feel like our brand is just local.” 

The owner of the Super restaurant on 

Norwich Quay, Sahni Bennett, said one 

of Lyttelton’s strong points is residents 

do not worry about how the town is perceived 

by the rest of the world. 

“I think it’s a really solid platform for 

people to nurture their individual selves 

without being pulled in the direction of 

any kind of norm, because there is no 

norm here,” Bennett said. 

She would like to see more short-term 

accommodation and more investment 

in Lyttelton Harbour's 

marine life. But she does 

not want “awful copy 

and paste” houses built. 

Super front of house 

worker, Sofia Heke, is 

a fashion designer and 

would like to see more 

support for local artists. 

Sofia Heke 

"Everyone’s always 

saying it would be nice 

to turn something into a 

dedicated space,” she said. 

Heke was also against the gentrification 

of Lyttelton. 

“I wouldn’t like the idea of modern, 

yuck apartments. I would hate for it to 

become a town that’s really expensive to 

live in,” she said. 

Saunders believes Lyttelton is a melting 

pot of various things and it should be 

embraced. 

“It’s (Lyttelton) growing, I feel like it's 

got a buzz around it.” 

•The Bizz Buzz meeting will be held 

at Eruption Brewing on London St at 

7pm on Tuesday 

South Island Chinese New Year Festival: A New 

Chapter in Cultural Exchange and Cooperation 

This year marked my fourth Chinese New Year on 

the South Island. Compared with previous years, the 

celebrations were especially vibrant and dynamic. 

Across the Island, lanterns illuminated city streets, 

festive decorations adorned public spaces, and a 

diverse range of Chinese New Year events brought 

together Chinese visitors and local communities 

in shared celebration. In laughter and goodwill, a 

meaningful cross-cultural dialogue unfolded. 

As Chinese Consul General in Christchurch, my 

colleagues and I organized a series of events under 

the theme “Celebrating Chinese New Year Together.” 

We joined members of the Chinese community in 

celebrating the festival while extending our sincere 

New Year greetings to friends across New Zealand. 

From the Chinese New Year reception for local 

Chinese to activities for overseas Chinese students, 

from guiding visiting student groups to the Rewi 

Alley Memorial Museum to hosting the movie 

screening “A Safe and Peaceful Chinese New Year 

Together”,we sought both to provide a sense of 

belonging for our local Chinese friends and to plant 

the seeds of friendship in the hearts of the next 

generation. 

A particularly memorable moment was the cultural 

showcase that brought the elegance of Suzhou 

gardens into the Consul General’s residence. Nearly 

one hundred New Zealand guests experienced the 

refined aesthetics of Jiangnan culture — “Though 

man-made, it stands as if born of nature.” Through 

garden art, music, and visual storytelling, guests 

discovered not only the beauty of southern China but 

also the shared aspirations of our two peoples for 

harmony and a better life. Cultural dialogue of this 

kind transcends language and brings hearts closer 

together. 

The Chinese New Year is not only a time of 

celebration; it is also an opportunity to deepen 

practical cooperation. Together with leaders 

from the South Island’s political and business 

communities, we co-hosted the 2026 China–New 

Zealand Business Forum at Christchurch Town Hall 

under the theme “Predictability and Partnership: 

Advancing Resilient and Sustainable China–New 

Zealand Economic Cooperation”. The forum gathered 

representatives from both countries to explore 

expanded collaboration. Discussions covered policy 

coordination, AI applications, aviation connectivity 

and cooperation related to the Hainan Free Trade 

Port. Broad consensus was achieved, further 

strengthening the platform for bilateral cooperation. 

The inauguration of the South Island branch of the 

New Zealand China Chamber of Commerce marked a 

new stage of institutionalized economic engagement 

in the region. In this setting, festive celebration and 

forward-looking partnership converged. 

Across the South Island, Chinese New Year festivities 

were equally impressive. Christchurch hosted its 

third consecutive Happy Chinese New Year Festival 

at Victoria Square, where lantern corridors glowed, 

cultural performances captivated audiences, and 

tens of thousands gathered to enjoy the fireworks. 

In Dunedin, the celebration was elevated into a full 

“Chinese Cultural Festival”, featuring lion dances, 

Sichuan opera face-changing, and performances by 

local musicians. Beneath brilliant fireworks, local 

residents and members of the Chinese community 

sang and danced together, reflecting a spirit of 

inclusion and shared joy. 

The Chinese New Year has become an important 

bridge for people-to-people exchange. It has also 

made the South Island a popular destination for 

Chinese travelers during the Chinese New Year 

holiday. This year, visitor numbers from China 

reached a recent high. While appreciating New 

Zealand’s natural beauty and distinctive culture, 

Chinese visitors engaged closely with local 

communities, fostering mutual understanding and 

friendship. Such person-to-person interaction 

remains the most enduring foundation of China–New 

Zealand relations. 

Cultural exchange builds trust among peoples; trust 

among peoples sustains long-term cooperation. The 

scenes of celebration across the South Island this 

Chinese New Year stand as vivid examples to the 

vitality of China–New Zealand people-to-people ties 

and to the steady progress of our comprehensive 

strategic partnership. The dedication of the Chinese 

community has allowed Chinese culture to flourish 

here. The shared experiences of local residents and 

visitors alike have deepened mutual respect and 

recognition. And the joint efforts of stakeholders 

from all sectors continue to translate friendship into 

tangible cooperation. 

The Year of the Horse symbolizes optimism, 

determination, and vitality. In the year ahead, may 

we embrace this spirit, further deepen cultural 

engagement, and continue to strengthen our bonds 

of friendship. With our collective efforts, China New 

Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership will 

advance with greater stability and substance. 

This advertisement is paid for by the Chinese Consulate


Hornby restaurant offers more 

choices and familiar favourites 

Thousands of Christchurch families 

will have fond memories of enjoying 

the tasty food and friendly vibe of 

Valentines buffet restaurant, which was 

located for many years in the central 

city. 

A New Zealand-wide franchise 

operation, the business went through 

many changes over the years, then 

with new owners taking over the 

company six years ago, it gained a new 

momentum. 

A third franchise was set up in 

Auckland, its Rotorua restaurant 

reopened, and in July 2019, Valentines 

Christchurch opened at a new location 

– Chalmers Street, Hornby. 

As company director Ron Lal 

explains, Valentines has a rich history 

in Kiwi culture and they wanted to 

retain that feeling of nostalgia, but with 

some new concepts added to the mix. 

“We wanted to offer our customers 

a new experience that’s up with the 

times, and with a modern twist on 

hospitality. 

“Customers have a lot more choice 

of food now,” he says, “for example you 

can choose your own meat, which will 

be cooked individually for you. We 

offer a big selection of dishes, seafood 

and desserts, and of course there are 

the familiar favourites that the children 

love, like the chocolate fountain and an 

endless supply of ice-cream. 

“We want to wow the customers and 

at the same time we want to create that 

nostalgic Valentines feel.” 

The Valentines tradition of a free 

meal for a customer on their birthday 

has been upgraded to a celebratory 

birthday treat and, of course, with the 

famous birthday song being sung by 

staff, too. 

Families are also invited to take 

advantage of the school holiday special 

from time to time. During the holidays, 

one child under the age of eight gets 

a free lunch if accompanied by a full 

paying adult. (T’s & C’s apply.) 

Valentines has always been seen as 

a 100 per cent family restaurant, a 

tradition that the new Valentines team 

is keen to continue, but Valentines is 

also a restaurant for everyone, from 

families to couples, to friends getting 

together to celebrate a special occasion. 

Situated in the heart of the Hornby 

shopping precinct, not only is 

Valentines the ideal place for people 

from the Hornby community to enjoy 

tasty food and a warm, friendly vibe, it 

also employs local staff, who are treated 

well and therefore enjoy working there 

and giving their customers the best 

possible service. 

Valentines is open seven days a 

week, from 10am till late. 

Outside the buffet times they also 

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SPORT The Star, March 5, 2026 | 19 

Hiking up the Port Hills carrying the heavy jerrycans was hard work for Lincoln University players including Louis Treasy, Angus Reeves and Lachie McCarthy 

‘Borderline torture’ bootcamp 

pushes squad to their limit 

BY SAM COUGHLAN 

A hard pre-season is a rite 

of passage for sports teams, 

amateur and professional 

alike – and Lincoln University’s 

rugby squad endured one of 

the toughest imaginable as they 

build towards the Metro season. 

The Rams’ 60-man wider 

squad were put through their 

paces at an overnight militarystyle 

camp, led by personal 

training instructors from Burnham 

Military Camp. 

Head coach Matt MacDougall 

described it as “borderline 

torture”. 

“They got thrashed on the field 

and had a big swim circuit for 

a couple of hours, some team 

connection activities then went 

to sleep. Woke up pretty much 

straight away and they did a 

big 20kg jerrycan walk down 

the side of the motorway on the 

walking track. 

“Up again at half past five and 

got into the ice baths, then out 

the back of Governor’s Bay on 

the hills with the jerrycans, holding 

them above their heads,” 

MacDougall said. 

“We were trying to put them 

under pressure and give them 

unrealistic tasks, stuff they 

would never ever do to get them 

to practice operating under pressure, 

not turning on each other 

The pre-season military-style camp was the idea of Lincoln University head 

coach Matt MacDougall. Right, Brooklyn Dalgety exchanges high-fives with his 

teammates after completing the camp. 

PHOTOS: CLARK PITHIE 

and not bickering, trying to keep 

calm so that we can hopefully 

transfer that onto the field.” 

Prop Zach Parkin took part 

and said it was a “little bit of a 

culture shock”. 

“It’s sort of weird when you 

haven’t slept at all and people 

are making you do stuff you 

don’t want to do,” he said. 

“There are highs and lows. 

Sometimes you’re feeling all 

good and then the next minute 

you’re feeling pretty dark about 

what they’re making you do.” 

MacDougall said the idea 

stemmed from his time 

coaching the First XV at 

Marlborough Boys’ College in 

2019. 

“They were an amazing team, 

but they always lost when the 

pressure came on. They just 

couldn’t handle the pressure 

when the big schools would 

start to tighten the screws.” 

He ran a similar camp with 

that side and was pleased with 

the response, prompting him to 

replicate it in his second year in 

“We advance their rugby 

tenfold without even 

touching a rugby ball.” 

Matt MacDougall 

charge at Lincoln. 

Strength and conditioning 

coach Jarrad Choat had a contact 

at Burnham, and the plan developed 

from there. 

“There was no doubt (last 

year) we were probably the most 

talented team in the competition, 

but the average age of our 

team was 19,” MacDougall said. 

“We advance their rugby tenfold 

without even touching a 

rugby ball. The game’s not complicated, 

but when you get under 

pressure, you do silly things. 

METRO PREMIER RUGBY ROUND 1 

(2.30PM, APRIL 11) 

• University of Canterbury v Belfast, 

Ilam Fields; 

• New Brighton v Sumner, Rawhiti 

Domain; 

• HSOB v Christchurch, Bob Deans 

Field; 

• Linwood v Marist Albion, Tane 

Norton Park; 

• Shirley v Burnside, Burwood Park 

“If we can put them through 

tasks they genuinely think are 

unachievable, and they come out 

the other side of that, when the 

tide’s turning against them in a 

game that’s nothing compared to 

what they’ve been through.” 

Parkin said the experience 

ultimately brought the group 

closer together – and he was 

relieved when it ended. 

“When you do something s**t 

with your mates or you’re in a 

s**t situation, you end up being 

a lot closer than you actually 

think you might be afterwards, 

because you’re in something 

pretty horrible together. Someone 

said it’s like trauma bonding. 

“After we finished, heaps of 

boys were laughing and having 

a good time together, like this 

is insane, it feels insane. Then I 

went home and slept,” he said. 

Crossing codes and building connections 

Linwood take a unique approach 

to pre-season, running shared 

training sessions with the 

Linwood Keas’ rugby league 

team. 

The tradition 

started last year 

and continued 

this season. 

“There was 

maybe 80 to 

100 out on the 

field, with good 

numbers across 

both codes,” 

said head coach 

Brendan Nolan. 

Brendan Nolan 

“It’s something that's just been 

nurtured. Andrew (Auimatagi, 

Keas head coach) coaching 

at St Thomas, he has a good 

understanding of the rugby side 

of it and same with the other 

coaches they have. They’ve either 

played rugby or are coaching 

rugby players who are playing 

league now.” 

Nolan said the club tended 

to focus more on fostering 

connections between players 

than any work on the rugby field 

in pre-season. 

“We need to connect first 

before we can layer into strategy. 

It’s massive for us. 

“We have waiata, haka, 

Samoan hymn, and we actually 

have the fathers come down to 

some of the trainings, just of their 

own accord, and we make sure 

we acknowledge them as well.” 

Burnside are going a step further 

in crossing 

codes, playing the 

Hornby Panthers 

in a league match 

this weekend for 

their first hit-out. 

Head coach Willie 

Brown said it 

was a good way 

to ease into competitive 

play while Willie Brown 

keeping things 

enjoyable. 

“It’s good for contact confidence, 

because it’s just reps on 

reps of tackling and running, 

without the technical aspects of 

scrums and line-outs. 

“It’s just a bit of fun, and to 

be fair, these days the boys will 

watch more league than they do 

rugby anyway, so they can have a 

bit of fun and have a first taste of 

league.” 

Following the match last year, 

halfback Joel Lam made the decision 

to switch to league where he 

played for the Panthers before 

going to Australia to represent 

Souths Logan Magpies. 

Lam later returned to Burnside 

and rugby union after being 

selected to represent Samoa last 

year. 

Players from the Linwood Bulls and 

Linwood Keas shared a pre-season 

cross-code training session. 

PHOTO: LINWOOD KEAS RLFC


SPORT 

Miya top amateur at open 

Canterbury golfer Yuki Miya claimed 

the Bledisloe Cup for top amateur at 

the New Zealand Open at Millbrook. 

Miya led the tournament at the 

halfway stage but finished tied for 

19th at 10-under after shooting twoover 

across his final two rounds. 

Fellow Canterbury amateur Cooper 

Moore missed the cut after rounds 

of four-over and two-under. Kiwi pro 

Daniel Hillier won the title, finishing 

at 22-under for the tournament. 

Canterbury clinch touch title 

The Canterbury under 21 mixed 

touch side won the title at the 

national championships in 

Upper Hutt at the weekend. The 

team beat Manawatū 11-6 in 

Sunday’s final after earlier beating 

Marlborough 8-7 in the semi-final. 

Canterbury’s two open mixed 

teams finished fifth and sixth in 

the senior competition, playing 

each other in their final game with 

Canterbury Red beating Canterbury 

Black 12-6. 

They said it 

“Oh mate, that 

is the second 

best day of my 

life behind my 

wedding last 

week.” 

– Kiwi golfer 

Daniel Hillier, 

who won the NZ Open just 

eight days after marrying his 

partner Siobhan Weaver 

Career-best form 

sets Twyford up for 

national champs 


With new personal bests 

and her first national title 

secured, Canterbury runner 

Rosa Twyford is heading to 

the national track and field 

championships in Auckland in 

top form. 

The 23-year-old will contest 

the 1500m on Saturday and the 

800m on Sunday – events in 

which she has made significant 

improvements this season. 

Her 1500m best dropped 

from 4min 17sec to 4min 14sec 

en route to winning at the Sir 

Graeme Douglas Invitational 

last month before, less than 

a week later, her 800m best 

dropped from 2min 7sec to 

2min 3sec at the Canterbury 

championships. 

“It’s always the goal, every 

season to get a PB, so I’m glad 

that I’ve done it early,” Twyford 

said. 

“Now I can just focus on 

racing and results, trying to win 

titles.” 

And titles have followed. 

Twyford won gold in the 

national mile last month – her 

first New Zealand title – and 

has also claimed victories 

at the Potts Classic and the 

International Track Meet. 

At last year’s nationals she 

"It's always the goal, every 

season to get a PB, so I'm 

glad that I've done it early. 

Now I can just focus on 

racing and results, trying 

to win titles.” 

Rosa Twyford 

finished third in the 1500m to 

earn her first national podium 

and said she was keen to add to 

her tally. 

“It’s definitely a goal, I would 

be pretty stoked to be able to add 

even one of them, I definitely 

want to give it a good crack. 

“The 800m is my favourite 

event, so I’d love to get that one, 

but I’ll be happy to be racing and 

be up in medal contention,” she 

said. 

Twyford’s race strategy differs 

between the two distances. In 

the 1500m she prefers to sit in 

the pack and rely on a late kick, 

while in the 800m she is comfortable 

taking the lead. 

“For the 15, I like to keep 

people in front of me, plan who 

I want to sit behind, and then 

leave it to a kick at the end,” she 

said. 

Rosa Twyford is in good form ahead of the national championships in Auckland this 

weekend. 

PHOTO: MICHAEL DAWSON/ATHLETICS 

“In the 8, I’d prefer it just be 

fast, and knowing what fitness 

I’m in, I’d be confident enough 

taking it out.” 

More than 60 senior Canterbury 

athletes will compete 

at the national championships, 

with several in medal 

contention. 

Olympic champion Hamish 

Kerr will contest the high jump 

in his first meet of the season, 

while fellow Olympic medallist 

Tom Walsh headlines the shot 

put. 

Sprinter Tiaan Whelpton will 

continue his pursuit of becoming 

the first New Zealander to 

break 10 seconds for the 100m 

after running a wind-assisted 

10.01sec in Christchurch 

recently. 

National 3000m champion 

Tillie Hollyer will line up 

against Twyford in the 1500m, 

while Ethan Smolej will attempt 

to defend his 800m title. 

The national championships 

start today at Trusts Arena in 

Auckland and finish on Sunday. 

Twyford said she is likely 

to round out her season 

at the Australian Athletics 

Championships in Sydney from 

April 9-12, with a couple of local 

meets beforehand. 

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Sydenham’s 

Mitch Gardner 

believes his 

side have a 

strong chance 

of winning 

the Metro 

two-day title. 

PHOTO: KEVIN 

CONGDON 

Title in Sydenham’s sights 


Sydenham captain Mitch 

Gardner believes his side are in 

the “driver’s seat” in the Metro 

two-day cricket competition 

with two rounds to play. 

They currently top the table, 

four points ahead of Heathcote, 

and will play sixth-place Lancaster 

Park on Saturday. 

Gardner was confident his 

team would be able to keep 

winning games after beating 

Old Boys by eight wickets, when 

Matt Tromp (50 not out) and 

Aarush Bhagwat (47 not out) 

took charge to chase down 134. 

“It can be quite tough to get 

outright results, but we do 

have a couple of games where 

we back ourselves to at least 

win some first-innings points,” 

Gardner said. 

“We probably are in the 

METRO TWO-DAY POINTS 

Sydenham 72.25; Heathcote 70.36; 

St Albans 58.05; Old Boys 56.49; 

Burnside 54.47; Lancaster Park 

42.62; East Shirley 26.88; Riccarton 

25.55 

ROUND 6 (10.30AM SAT) 

Sydenham v Lancaster Park, 

Sydenham Park; 

Heathcote v Old Boys, Heathcote 

Domain; 

East Shirley v St Albans, Burwood 

Park; 

Burnside v Riccarton, Burnside Park 

driver’s seat in terms of that 

there are teams chasing us, but 

a lot can happen in the next 

four weeks.” 

He said Lancaster Park would 

pose a threat after they beat 

East Shirley, with opener Scott 

Duggan scoring 128 not out. 


“They have quite a young 

team at the minute in a bit of 

a rebuild phase, but they still 

have some experienced players 

like (Duggan) and Theo Van 

Woerkom, Michael Davidson 

if he's around. These guys are 

match winners and bring that 

winning mentality to the young 

fellas in their team.” 

Heathcote dispatched Riccarton 

by seven wickets on 

Saturday and play Old Boys this 

weekend. Old Boys, alongside 

St Albans and Burnside, are 

not out of the reckoning yet if 

Sydenham or Heathcote slip up. 

Burnside, who beat St Albans 

by eight wickets, play bottomplaced 

Riccarton at home, while 

St Albans meet East Shirley at 

Burwood Park. 

All games start at 10.30am on 

Saturday with the second day 

set to take place next weekend. 

Semi-final seedings on 

the line at Wilding Park 

BY DIANE KEENAN 

Top-of-the-table Cashmere 

and Elmwood meet in the 

final round-robin match of 

the premier men’s tennis 

competition at Wilding Park on 

Saturday. 

Both teams have secured the 

top two spots for next week’s 

semi-finals, with Burnside Park/ 

Sumner confirmed in third and 

Mid-Canterbury, which has the 

bye this week, in fourth. 

Saturday’s clash is significant, 

with the loser likely to face a 

Burnside Park/Sumner side 

now back to full strength under 

coach Remi Feneon. Elmwood 

lost to Burnside Park/Sumner 

by one game on countback 

when they met two weeks ago. 

Burnside Park/Sumner plays 

bottom-placed Bishopdale this 

weekend. In the other match, 

Edgeware faces Te Kura Hagley, 

with both teams out of play-off 

contention. 

Cashmere is likely to be 

without top player James 

Meredith due to injury but still 

has a strong line-up including 

brothers Matt and Tim 

Meredith, Harry Weeds, Tyler 

Leonard and veteran Johnny 

McHarg. 

Cashmere had a clean sweep 

against Te Kura Hagley last 

week. Tim Meredith was pushed 

to three sets by Te Kura Hagley 

junior Ray Xu, runner-up in the 

NZ Tennis 18u championship. 

Xu and club coach Hugo 

Nurse-Strang also made Weeds 

POINTS 

Men: Cashmere 136, Elmwood 132, 

Burnside Park/Sumner 111, Mid- 

Canterbury 100, Edgeware 75, Te 

Kura Hagley 63, Bishopdale 56. 

Women: Te Kura Hagley 134, 

Edgeware 112, Elmwood 74, 

Cashmere 73, Bishopdale 64, 

Waimairi 47. 

and Matt Meredith work hard 

for their doubles win. 

Elmwood recorded a solid 

win over Bishopdale, with Elliot 

Darling, Tom Batt and Jamie 

Poole winning their singles 

matches and honours shared in 

the doubles. 

Batt and Darling lead the 

individual player rankings, 

followed by Tim and Matt 

Meredith. 

In the women’s competition, 

Te Kura Hagley finished top of 

the round robin, with the young 

Edgeware side second. Both are 

guaranteed semi-final spots on 

March 14. 

This week’s quarter-finals 

will see third-placed Elmwood 

taking on bottom-placed side 

Waimairi, while Cashmere faces 

Bishopdale. 

Elmwood’s default last week 

gave Cashmere a win, while 

Bishopdale lost five matches to 

one against Te Kura Hagley. 

Second-placed Edgeware, a 

team of juniors, beat Waimairi, 

also featuring juniors, to 

finish the early part of the 

competition on a high. 

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SPORT 

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15 MARCH 2026 COMMUNITY FUN RUN | 12KM OR 6KM WWW.CITY2SURF.CO.NZ 

Less than 2 weeks to go! 

It is time to look forward to the event and start planning the day. The start for the 12km is at 9am, 6km starts at 

9.45am. Are you planning to roll out of bed at 8am, have a quick coffee and toast and hurry to the start? Or do 

you get up at 6.30am to have a decent breakfast, leaving you plenty of time for the digestion and to get ready 

to arrive at the start in plenty of time? I suggest that this week on the Wednesday or Saturday, you actually 

practice your race day routine so it is familiar to you on the day. You won’t know what the weather will be like 

until a couple of days before so don’t worry about that now, just be prepared for every weather condition. 

This is Christchurch autumn with all its unpredictable weather patterns from a warm nor’west day, to snow! 

So find some gloves, a hat, a polypropylene top and a jacket in case you need these. And don’t forget the 

sunscreen. Your training this week is still solid with the last long run on the Wednesday as the taper to freshen 

up the legs starts in the weekend. If you feel a bit underdone don’t fall into the trap of doing “catch up training”. 

That is putting in some extra sessions or going a bit longer and harder than indicated. You take a risk of injury 

or excessive tiredness and it is too late to have much of an effect anyway, so relax and stick to your plan! 

WEEK 9: Plan the plan 

LEVEL MONDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY 

Beginner 

12km Jog/Run 

Intermediate 

12km 

Jog/Run 

6km 

Walk 

6km/12km 

45 min 

Jog 

50 min 

Easy Jog 

45 min 

Jog 

6km 30 min 

12km 60 min 

(both warm up, then 

every 5mins walk at 

a vigorous intensity, 5 

mins light in between) 

75 min 

Jog 

60 min 

with 5x 2 mins Z3 with 

2 mins rest in between 

50 min 

Jog 

6km 40 min (mod) 

12km 75 min (mod) 

75 min 

Brisk Walk 

50 min 

Jog 

60 min 

Walk 

6km 35 min (light) 

12km 60 min (light) 

65 min 

Jog 

80 min 

Jog 

60 min 

Jog 

6km 25min 

12km 105min 

(alternate 5 min light/mod) 

To achieve this goal you need to develop 

some awareness around the basic 

requirements of exercising for health and 

fitness. First and foremost this has to do 

with 3 key principles: 

1. How often do you train? 

To improve your level of health and 

fitness you will need to aim for 4 sessions 

per week. 2 or 3 sessions per week will 

only maintain what you have and 

1 session per week is definitely not 

sufficient. 

2. How long are your sessions? 

The duration of your sessions will 

generally build towards between 30 and 

50 minutes with one longer session of 

60-80 minutes. 

3. What is the right intensity to train at? 

The good thing about the programme 

is that all your runs will be done 

at submaximal pace, also called 

conversation pace. That means a pace 

where you can still talk. If you can’t talk 

you are going too fast and you are likely 

to come to a grinding halt sooner or later. 

This programme and accompanying 

information are written as a guide only. If you 

are concerned about your health at any stage 

please undergo a health check with your GP. 

TRAINING 

PROGRAMME 

WEEK 9 

TIP 

A normal breakfast before you take 

part in an endurance event is taken 

2-3 hours before the event. It should 

consist mainly of slow release 

carbohydrates, also called foods 

with a low glycaemic index. 

Low GI foods include oatmeal 

(rolled oats), skim milk, most fruits 

(except grapes, watermelon and 

banana’s), nuts and whole meal 

bread. In the 2 hours before the 

event you don’t need much. You 

can sip on a sports drink or have 

a banana if you feel hungry but 

you don’t want to start with a full 

tummy and the right breakfast will 

keep you going till the finish. 

The nutritionists at Sports Clinic 

can assist with your nutrition if 

necessary. 

On behalf of the team at 

Sports Clinic 

www.sportsclinic.co.nz 

SPORTS 

CLINIC 

GET RACE-READY WITH SPORTS CLINIC 

FOR YOUR STRONGEST CITY2SURF YET. 

SPORTS CLINIC HELPING YOU STAY RACE-READY 

WITH PHYSIO, PODIATRY, MASSAGE THERAPY AND CHIROPRACTIC. 

Proud 

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FEATURE 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

Five decades on and still raising the bar 

At just 15 and with his whole future 

stretched out ahead, Murray Turnbull 

did what tens of thousands of Kiwis did 

in the 1970s and joined an apprenticeship, 

little knowing that it would go on to 

spark a life-long career. 

Murray went into furniture finishing 

and restoration and, as luck would 

have it, he was a natural. In fact, he 

was so good, that in 1978 Murray was 

announced the proud winner of the Wattyl 

Award for best furniture finishing 

apprentice in New Zealand. 

After scooping the award, Murray 

left his apprenticeship at 19 and spent 

a decade honing his craft and building 

his skillset working for others, where he 

learned that not only was he good at the 

work, but he also had a real passion for 

it. 

In 1988, he and his wife Monique 

decided the time was right to strike out 

on their own and build up their own specialist 

finishing business: MF Turnbull, 

and what began as a modest local operation, 

has grown into a long-standing and 

trusted name in Christchurch, with a 

team of 23 dedicated staff. 

MF Turnbull works closely with architects, 

designers, joiners and builders, 

with a team of highly skilled craftsmen 

who pore over every detail to ensure a 

job is done flawlessly each and every 

time. 

Twenty years later, in 2018, Murray 

launched a division of MF Turnbull 

- Kitchen Renewal, providing a far 

cheaper and more sustainable alternative 

to kitchen renovations by giving 

a high-quality new finish or colour to 

make it look brand new. 

With more than five decades of experience 

under his belt, Murray has seen 

it all over the years. He’s navigated 

economic ups and downs, changing technologies, 

and the ever-evolving needs of 

the customers, but he and his team have 

remained consistent in one key area: 

quality. 

The company has built its reputation 

on smart solutions, honest advice, transparent 

pricing, and standing behind a 

job well done, and it’s this straightforward 

approach that has helped it stand 

the test of time. 

These days, Murray and the team 

at MF Turnbull use cutting edge tools 

and innovative new materials, but the 

skills and craftmanship behind each job 

remain the same. 

BEFORE 

“We have some really great technology, 

but the skills don’t change,” Murray 

said. 

As you might expect from someone 

who began their career like Murray did, 

he appreciates the value of an apprenticeship 

and has been proud to train 

others in the industry. 

“Most of the guys I’ve got working with 

me have done apprenticeships with me,” 

he said. “I’ve got people that have been 

working with me for 30 years.” 

Murray is also committed to continuing 

training up future generations and 

still trains apprentices today, giving 

them a pathway into a career that could 

last a lifetime, just like his. 

To find out more about what makes 

MF Turnbull stand out from the rest 

head to www.mfturnbull.co.nz, call 03 

365 2519 or pop into 46 Mowbray St, 

Waltham, Christchurch. 

AFTER 

These are a before and after from a kitchen in the OGB building. We 

re-painted the bottom black with new black toe spaces for the client. 

Crafted to Protect. 

Designed to Inspire. 

Made in New Zealand. 

Finishing Perfection. 

MF Turnbull is home to 

a state-of-the-art spray 

applied coatings facility 

in Christchurch. 

For more than 60 years, Mirotone has been a trusted name in high-performance 

timber and specialty coatings, proudly made in New Zealand and used across 

domestic, architectural and commercial applications. 

From kitchens, furniture and vanity units to pre-finished panels, flooring and 

mouldings, Mirotone coatings are engineered to protect, enhance and endure. 

Whether applied by spray, roller, curtain coating, vacuum coating or dipping, 

there is a solution designed to integrate seamlessly into your process while 

delivering a premium finish. 

Mirotone’s comprehensive range includes timber, metal and glass coatings, 

intumescent fire-retardant systems, and advanced UV-cure technologies 

- all developed to meet modern performance demands without 

compromising aesthetics. 

Backed by local expertise and decades of industry knowledge, Mirotone partners 

with manufacturers, joiners and designers to deliver coatings that perform 

beautifully in the real world. 

Mirotone 

New Zealand Made Timber & Specialty Coatings 

40 Wickham Street, Bromley, Christchurch 

0800 346 474 | mirotone.co.nz 

Superior Finishing Solutions 

As specialist finishers, MF Turnbull take pride in 

transforming ordinary surfaces into stunning works 

of art, enhancing the beauty and durability of joinery 

and furniture. We offer a variety of finishes, from clear 

lacquers to vibrant colors and stains. 

We make kitchens look new again. 

M.F. Turnbull Kitchen Renewal 

will bring your kitchen back to life. 

Refurbish your kitchen, 

renew your home. 

Repainting your kitchen can give your home 

a more modern look and feel for a fraction of 

the cost of replacing your existing cabinetry 

or completely renovating your kitchen. 

A new finish or a new colour could be 

exactly what your kitchen needs. 

46 Mowbray Street, Waltham, Christchurch. 

Phone: 03 365 2519. 

mfturnbull.co.nz | kitchenrenewal.co.nz


MOTORING The Star, March 5, 2026 | 25 

Dark Horse rising 

Ford delivers most 

potent Mustang yet 

Motoring with Bob Nettleton 

The American car industry are 

masters at creating muscle cars 

with thunderous, powerhouse 

V8s, and one of the best is the 

Ford Mustang coupe. 

The Mustang has cemented 

its place in US performance-car 

history alongside other all- 

American high-performance 

luminaries such as the 

Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, 

and the Dodge Challenger. 

When the first-generation 

Mustang took the automotive 

world by storm in 1964, it was a 

genuine game changer, offering 

an affordable and accessible 

high-performance coupe for the 

masses. 

Sixty years after its debut, 

the all-new seventh-generation 

Ford Mustang has arrived, and 

it is the most exhilarating yet. 

Included in the range for 

the first time is the Dark 

Horse – the first new Mustang 

performance series in 21 years. 

It comes locked and loaded with 

the most powerful performance 

ever offered from a new 5.0- 

litre V8. 

There is plenty to like about 

the unmistakable modern 

chiselled looks of this car 

to complement its heritageinspired 

design. 

The upper grille shape 

is influenced by the first 

version, while the Tri-Bar 

LED headlamps continue the 

originals models classic lighting 

signature. A redesigned roof 

profile makes it easier to get in 

and out of this beast. 

Three versions of this latest 

Mustang are available here 

with the $92,990 Fastback 

GT the first model out of 

the starters gates, with the 

convertible a $12k option. 

Rounding out the range is the 

Dark Horse auto that gallops 

into buyer contention at 

$114,990, and there is $116,990 

six-speed manual for those that 

fancy one. 

Providing the large and 

strong heartbeat for this 

current Mustang is the fourthgeneration 

Coyote V8 engine. 

Its active-valve performance 

exhaust system enables the GT 

Fastback to deliver 362kW at 

7250rpm and 567Nm of torque. 

The Dark Horse produces 

the same amount of torque but 

brings another 11kw of power 

to the performance table. 

The system’s delivers a 

custom-V8 sound with the 

ability to close the valves to 

dial back the amount of noise. 

Rating out of 10: Performance 8, Handling 8, Build Quality 6, Comfort 6, Space 5, Styling 8, Fuel Economy on 

road test average consumption 14.5L/100km, Value for money 6, Safety, ANCAP crash rating – not tested 

Price: $114,990 

Overall points out of 10: 7 

This extra urge has been 

unlocked by Ford’s new dualfuel, 

high-pressure direct 

injection and low-pressure port 

fuel injection – delivering more 

concentrated low-end torque, 

high-rpm power, and improved 

fuel efficiency. 

A solid prod of the throttle and 

the motor flies. This demands 

plenty of vigilance from the 

driver and extensive use of the 

cruise control and speed alert 

on the open road, to travel on 

the right side of the law. 

For all its heavy duty 

performance, the engine happily 

potters along in ‘chill mode’ in 

city traffic. 

One thing built into the 

Mustang from day one is its 

distinctive, deep and rumbly 

exhaust note. God bless 

America! 

There isn’t a lot left on the 

automotive planet these day 

possessing such an addictive 

sound track, and even fewer, 

as vehicle manufacturers 

move at lighting speed toward 

electrification. 

A 10-speed automatic with a 

wide ratio span is the prefect 

gear-changing buddy for this 

mighty motor and the architect 

of its sharper throttle responses 

and quick fire gear changes. 

Everything is done at pace 

in this car and that includes 

swift, and well-considered gear 

changes. 

The cabin is no space capsule 

with rear seat space tight and 

not overly accessible. With the 

low slug seating position I found 

myself looking up and over 

the dash, even with seat height 

adjustment maxed out. 

The steeply raked roofline 

means rear visibility isn’t as good 

as it could be either. The back 

seats are cramped and not a 

space where adults would want 

to spend at lot of time, but okay 

for smaller children. 

These are the compromises 

that come with high performance 

two door USA made coupes, but 

haven’t stopped it becoming a 

world top seller in its class. 

A modern, interior has a 12.4- 

inch digital instrument cluster 

that can be customised to show 

different animated designs on the 

centre stack. Settings are easily 

adjustable by swiping the graphic 

to rotate the car virtually. 

This digital instrument cluster 

flows seamlessly into a 13.2-inch 

centre stack behind the same 

piece of integrated glass, angled 

towards the driver. Together, they 

create a fully immersive digital 

experience mimicking a fighter 

jet cockpit – but in a real-world 

sports car. 

In-vehicle entertainment is 

laid on by the latest B&O sound 

system, pumping out through 12 

speakers and a subwoofer, not 

the canine variety. 

Safety is well covered, with 

dynamic stability control, 

front and side airbags, and a 

performance brake package all 

standard. 

Autonomous emergency 

braking with pedestrian 

detection is included, along 

with adaptive cruise control, 

lane-departure warning and lanekeeping 

assist. 

A standout feature for night 

driving is the auto-levelling 

headlights and automatic high 

beam, both of which reduce 

driver workload after dark. 

Stopping power is quick and 

decisive thanks to the excellent 

19-inch Brembo six-piston front 

brakes – true showstoppers in 

every sense of the word. 

The Mustang Dark Horse 

benefits from unique chassis 

tuning, larger rear sway bars and 

heavy-duty front shocks. 

Steering response and grip 

are further enhanced by a 

K-brace, improving handling and 

feedback. The adaptive shock 

absorbers monitor wheel and 

tyre movement up to 1000 times 

per second, striving – and largely 

succeeding – to deliver optimal 

traction across a variety of 

driving surfaces. 

The Mustang dazzles 

with razor-sharp handling, 

communicative steering and 

impressive road-holding agility. 

The biggest downside is a noisy, 

unyielding ride below 70km/h 

in urban driving, amplified over 

rough road surfaces. This car 

prioritises exceptional power and 

handling, and ride comfort takes 

a back seat. 

That low-speed abrasiveness 

won’t bother Mustang faithful, 

who will see it as an integral part 

of the car’s character. 

West Coasters 

Are you living off the Coast and would like to 

keep up with the local news and events? 

We have new digital editions available for subscription. 

Scan here 

WOF 

only $70 

• Courtesy cars 

• Oil changes 

• Full mechanical repairs 

• Brake & clutch repairs 

• Transmission flush service 

• Tyres & batteries 

• Petrol & diesel servicing 

digital.greystar.co.nz


CLASSIFIEDS 

Your guide to our LOCAL & TRUSTED 

Trades & Professional Services 

landscaping 

25 Years experience 

• Landscape construction and 

garden maintenance 

• Residential & light commercial 

• Garden makeovers 

For a proFessional job call 

ross legg 027 222 0388 

email revivelandscaping23@gmail.com 

TRADES & SERVICES 

A CARPENTER Licensed 

Building Practitioner no. 

100981. All carpentry & 

building repairs & 

maintenance. 

Alterations & property 

upgrades. Laundries / 

bathroom / kitchens 

replaced. Specialising in 

replacement of all rotten 

timber, fascia boards, 

windows, windowsills 

etc. John Sandford, Ph 

329 4616, mob 027 518 

9598 

johnsandford2@gmail.c 

om 

AAA HANDYMAN 

licensed carpenter LBP, 

all property and building 

maintenance, repairs, 

bathroom/shower 

installations, with free 

quotes. 03 387 0770 or 

027 245 5226 

ciey@xtra.co.nz 

ARBOR-TEK Complete 

Tree Care, Tree 

maintenance, felling, 

hedges, shelterbelts, 

stump grinding, 

powerline clearing. No 

job too big or small. Call 

03 349 7143 


ARBORIST qualified. 

Copper Beech Tree 

Services. Tree removal, 

pruning, height 

reduction, hedge 

trimming, shaping, tree 

planting, firewood. Free 

quote. Contact Angus 

Edwards 027 259 6741, 

copperbeechtreeservice 

s@gmail.com 

To advertise: Phone 379 1100 or email star.class@starmedia.kiwi 


BATHROOM TILER wet 

area waterproofing, 

underfloor heating, soap 

boxes, old to new, for 

best results, call Devon 

on 021 375-888 or 03 

329 5511 

BEST BATHROOMS Full 

renovation specialists, 

LBP builder. Free quote, 

all building property 

maintenance. Ph 387- 

0770 or 027 245 5226 

ciey@xtra.co.nz 

BRICK & BLOCK LAYING 

All restoration work and 

new work plus 

foundations. Ph 342 

9340 or 021 853 033. 


PLUMBER 

NEED A PLUMBER? 

• Father & son Plumbing Business with 

over 40 years experience. 

• Specialising in Bathroom Alterations, 

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• We do all small jobs. 

Call us now for fast friendly service. 

Get your problems sorted out 

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THOMSON & SON PLUMBING 

Previously Elite Plumbing Christchurch 

Phone Eugene now 

Phone 03 377 1280 | Mobile 021 898 380 

WINDOW TINTING 

tintawindow 

advanced film solutions 

99% uv block 

fade protection 

heat control 

reduce glare 

25 Years Experience 

privacy films 

frosting designs 

non-darkening films 

Workmanship Guaranteed 

Lifetime Warranties on Most Films 

UV 

block 

Free Quotes Canterbury and Districts 

03 365 3653 0800 368 468 

BUILDER - 

LICENSED 

Available for 

alterations, additions, 

repairs, decks, 

bathroom alterations, 

aluminium window & 

door replacements. 

Free quotes. Over 30 

years in industry. 

Prompt, reliable, 

quality workmanship. 

Ph Ian on 

021 350 509. 

BUILDING AND property 

maintenance. No job too 

small. 40 years 

experience. Ph 027 497 

8322. david.cartwright@ 

xtra.co.nz 

CARPET LAYING Exp. 

Repairs, uplifting, 

relaying, restretching. 

Phone John on 0800 

003 181, 027 240 7416 

jflattery@xtra.co.nz 


FENCING 

Quality timber fencing - 

gates & repairs. Timber 

decking. Ph Ryan 027 

951 8892 

GARDENER 

AVAILABLE 

for weeding, pruning, 

regular garden 

maintenance, rubbish 

removed. Experienced 

& qualified. 

Ph Richard 

0274 918 234 

GARDENING 

Lawns, weeding, pruning 

and garden clean-ups. 

Call Phil 021 661 246 

CHIM Chim Chimney HOME SERVICE 

Sweeps - We'll sweep Artificial Grass Laying, 

BRICKLAYER George your logburner's flue, Kitset Assembly, All 

Lockyer, Governors Bay. check firebricks, baffles, general property repair & 

UK trained with over 40 airtubes and controls. maintenance, Painting. 

years exp. Smaller jobs We sweep coal-ranges Phone George 021 053 

& brick repairs preferred. and any sized open fire. 8655 

No job too small. 027 We quote and undertake 

684 4046 E: repairs, flue extensions 

georgelockyer@xtra.co. 

and install cowls and House & Garden 

nz 

bird netting. 0800 224 Property services Ltd 

464 www.chimchim.nz Tree & hedge trimming 

BUILDER New builds, EDWARDS TREE 

Gardening 

alterations, decks, SERVICE, qualified Landscaping 

fencing. 30 years in the arborist, tree removal, Gutter cleaning 

trade has given me pruning, Shaping, hedge All aspects of 

ability to build to a high trimming and spraying. 

property maintenance 

standard. Free quotes. Phone 021 0220 8323 CALL us 03 260 4499 

Ph Brent 027 241 7471. ELECTRICIAN A prompt CALL us 021 405 277 

& reliable registered INDEPENDENT 

BUILDER Semi-retired. electrician with 24 years CARPETS - Huge 

Available for bathrooms, experience for all selection of quality 

decks, small projects residential and carpets at unbeatable 

and all repair work. Ph commercial work, new prices to suit every 

027 326 6114 or housing and switch home. Expert advice. 

brentew@outlook.com. board replacements. Visit us today! Call now 

Excellent work. Great Phone Chris 027 516 03 388-6643 or 027 827 

rates. 

0669 

3360 

Need Junk cleaned up Fast? 

Household Junk | Green Waste 

Garage/Shed Clear-outs | Full Property Clean-ups 

Fast. Local. Reliable. 

Find out more, call 027 614 6368 


JCM DIRECT TYRES 

provides quality tyres, 

both new and used, 

expert fitting, and fast, 

reliable service. Trusted 

to ensure your vehicle’s 

safety and performance 

with reliable products 

and professional care. 

8c Birmingham Drive - 

call 03 343-0099 

LANDSCAPING Paving, 

Lawns, Irrigation, 

Decking, Fencing. Kanga 

& small digger services. 

Check out Squire 

Landscaping on 

Facebook. FREE 

QUOTES. Ph Arthur 347- 

8796, 027 220-7014 

Edwin 027 220-7154 

LAWN MOWING Tom's 

Mowing - cutting the 

east side of 

Christchurch. Ph 021 

120 1069 

PAINTING Interior / 

Exterior, Roofs, Decks, 

Fences. For a 

competitive quote ph 

John 0272 242 831 

30 years + experience 

Older house 

restorations: 

no problem! 

Quotes: FREE! 

Rates: Reasonable 

Paint supplied at 

trade price! 

NO JOB TOO SMALL 

Light industrial also 

Roger Brott 

Painter & Decorator 

021-1966-311 

PAINTING 

Indoor / Outdoor, over 

30 yrs exp, same day 

quotes, ph Steve 021 

255 7968 

ROOF 

PAINTING 

Competitive rates 

Rope n Harness 

certified 

39 yrs experience 

Owner operator 

Exterior - Interior 

Painting 

Phone Mason on 

021 233 0378 

Email: 

mason.wairau@ 

gmail.com 

Website: 

masonwairau.com 



ROOF 

PAINTING 24/7 

Rope & harness 

a speciality, 

no scaffolding 

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30 years of 

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experience. 

FREE QUOTES 

20% OFF other 

roof quotes 

Exterior staining, 

exterior painting, 

water blasting. 

Moss and mould 

treatment $300. 

Phone Kevin 

027 561 4629 

PAINTING Exterior 

experts. Roof painting. 

Ph Paul 022 191 7877 

www.swedekiwipainting. 

co.nz 

EXTERIOR 

PAINTING 

Ph Paul 022 191 7877 

swedekiwipainting 

.co.nz 

PLUMBER Friendly, 

certified local expert in 

plumbing, gas & 

drainage. Guaranteed 

top-quality work. Call 

Waterloo Plumbing 022 

630 7639 

PLUMBER Highly 

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Exceptional service. 

Ready to help with all 

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Call today! MJ Plumbing 

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H2O SOLUTIONS 

Renovations, New 

Houses, Hot Water 

Cylinders, Kitchens, 

Bathroom Upgrades, 

Laundries, General 

Maintenance, Water 

Filters. Phone Mark 027 

869 0026 

PLUMBER Do you need 

a reliable plumber? 

Quality and timely 

services. No job too big 

or small. Phone V 

Plumbing Ltd. 022 351 

4125 


PREMIUM TYRES offers 

top-quality new and 

used tyres, wheel 

alignments, vehicle 

servicing, WOF's & Oil 

changes. Trusted for 

reliability, affordability, 

and fast service across 

Christchurch, 222 

Linwood Ave, PH 380- 

5020 


THE ROOF 

SPECIALISTS 

CANTERBURY LTD 

Established 2005 

Protective coatings 

10 year guarantee on: 

Faded coloursteel 

Tiles & iron 

Decramastic 

Phone NOW 4 FREE 

Roof check & report 

Scott McKenzie 

022 044 3008 

INSECT SCREENS, 

BLINDS AND SECURITY 

DOORS 

Custom made security 

doors, also flyscreen 

windows and doors, and 

stylish blinds. Quality 

you can trust. We also 

repair existing Screens 

and doors etc. 

Canterbury Blinds and 

Screens. Ph 03 3589237 

for a free quote. 

SPOUTING CLEANING 

Spouting unblocked, 

cleaned out & flushed 

out. Call Greg 03 384 

2661 or 027 616 0331. 

TEAM TURF 

For all your artificial turf 

requirements. 

Residential or 

commercial. 

teamturf.co.nz 

Christchurch installers. 

Grow Landscape 

021 034 5504 

Have you 

got a load of 

rubbish 

that you want 

tidied up? 

Phone 

0800 473 563 

Email 

hlschch@gmail.com 

STUMP GRINDING & 

small tree removal. Tony 

0275 588 895 

COUNTRY TOUCH 

WINDOW 

CLEANING 

Honest, Reliable 

Professional Operator 

We cover all of 

Chch plus Lincoln, 

Prebbleton areas. 

Regular window 

cleaning or one off 

cleans our specialty 

Ph or Text 

022 068 9009 

Window Cleaning 

Specialists 

TILING 

Floor & walls. 

Kitchen & splashback 

specialist. 

No job too small. 

35 yrs exp. 

Free quotes 

Ph 0274 833 887 

TREE SERVICES Free 

quotes 20+ yrs exp. 

Tree, hedge or shrub - 

reduction, shaped or 

removed. Ph/text Paul 

The Branch Manager 

027 431 4720 

TREE SERVICES 

Pensioner discounts. 

Tree & hedge reduction. 

Professional advice. 

Stump grinding and 

branches chipped. Txt or 

ring Andrew on 027 20 

44 949. 

TREE SERVICES 

Specialist tree pruning & 

shaping. Also hedge 

trimming and garden 

tidy-ups. Ph Hugh, "The 

Little Green Groomer" 

021 275 5445 

TREES FOR 

CANTERBURY: 

Specialist Native Plant 

ROOFING AND GUTTER 

REPAIRS. 25yrs 

experience. Licensed Garden Centre. Trees, 

Practitioner. Ph: CANdo Shrubs, Groundcover. 

Roof n' Gutter 027 237 Supporting your 

9431 

community and the 

environment. 42 

Charlesworth St, 

Woolston. Phone: (03) 

982 1028 



WANTED 

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 

A+ ALL whiteware 

wanted. Same day 

service, cash paid for 

freezers, fridges, 

washing machines, 

ovens. Also buying 

furniture & h/hold 

effects. Anything 

considered. Ph Dave 

027 66 22 116 

A1 ALBUMS, old photos, 

postcards, coins, gold, 

bank notes, badges, 

medals, jewellery, 

watches, china, crystal, 

books, furs, vintage 

clothing, paintings, 

furniture, estates & 

downsizing. Etcetera 

Antiques, 194 Edgeware 

Rd, 385 5117. 

ALL JAZZ Records 

wanted: Kiwi and 

overseas artists, Blue 

Note, Prestige, Riverside, 

ECM, Verve, Impulse, 

CTI, Milestone etc; top 

prices paid for good 

titles. — Please phone 

Dave 021-222-6144, 


days. 

ANY VIDEO GAMES 

wanted play station, 

xbox, nintendo, sega, 

atari, vintage etc 

Pennylane, Sydenham, 

Christchurch, 7 days, 

021 222 6144 

CASH PAID 

for jars of old coins and 

bank notes, also old 

silver bars. Ph Carlos 

0275 296 560. 

ELECTRIC 

LAWNMOWER Morrison 

1400w. 16m of flex. Ph 

027 598 4405. 

GIG POSTERS wanted 

by local and overseas 

bands. Excellent prices 

paid especially for hand 

pulled or silk screen 

posters. Will pay $1000 

for Suburban Reptiles 

Sat Night. Any amount. 

Dave 021 222 6144, 

Pennylane Records, 

Sydenham, Christchurch, 

7 days 

MILITARIA Any country, 

swords and helmets, 

uniforms, badges, 

medals, memorabilia, 

WW2 or earlier, Ph 021 

035 0882 

MUSIC TAPES wanted 

by local and overseas 

bands, especially Flying 

Nun, Xpressway, Onset 

Offset Failsafe, Private 

press, etc any amount, 

excellent prices paid. 


222 6144, Sydenham, 

Christchurch, 7 days.


CLASSIFIEDS The Star, March 5, 2026 | 27 

WANTED 

OLD TOYS, Models & 

Trains. Tri-ang, FunHo 

Matchbox, Dinky, 

Hornby, Meccano, 

Marklin, Corgi etc. Ph 

027 604 1816 

toymodelcollectors.co.n 

z 

PENNYLANE RECORDS 

always buying records. 

Excellent prices paid. 

430 Colombo Street, 

Sydenham, 366 3278, 

open 7 days 

TOOLS, Garden, garage, 

saw benches, lathes. 

Cash buyer. Phone 355- 

2045. 

BOATS & ACCESSORIES 

WINDSCREENS 

Perspex cut to size 

and shape. 

Fab Plastics 

Ph 366 3634 

BOOKS 

BOOKS, STATIONERY 

cards, gifts - Paper Plus 

New Brighton has it all. 

Friendly local team, 

great prices, supporting 

this community. 72 

Brighton Mall, New 

Brighton. Phone 03 388 

1809 

ENTERTAINMENT 

DELICIOUS all you can 

eat buffet at Valentines 

Hornby - Fresh seafood, 

roasts, desserts and 

great service for the 

whole family! 7/11 

Chalmers Street Hornby 

- PH 0800 VAL BUFFET 

FOR SALE 

PERSPEX, poly 

carbonate and other 

plastics cut to size and 

shape. Fab Plastics 

phone 366-3634 

GARAGE SALES 

GENERAL HOUSEHOLD 

sale including some 

furniture & collectibles. 

Sign out at 8am. 

Clarendon Terrace, 

Woolston. 

GARDEN SUPPLIES 

A THICK LAYER OF 

BARK keeps the 

moisture in, the weeds 

out & looks great in your 

garden beds. I will 

deliver and lay it for you. 

Call Hugh "The Little 

Green Groomer" 021 275 

5445 

PERSPEX Cut to size, 

clear and tinted sheets 

available. Suitable as 

replacement panels in 

your glasshouse or as a 

windbreak. Fab Plastics 

366 3634. 

HEALTH & BEAUTY 

MASSAGE, Asian male, 

30s, male to male 

massage, older men 

welcome. Text / phone 

021 0270 7228. 

FEET FIRST PODIATRY 

provides expert foot 

care, 

offering 

personalised treatments 

for pain relief, injury 

recovery, overall foot 

and lower limb wellness. 

Unit 2B, 355 Riccarton 

Road. Ph 03 348-7910 

www.feetfirst.co.nz 

HEALTH Boost your 

wellbeing at Marshall’s 

Health & Natural 

Therapy. Quality health 

supplements, herbal 

dispensary, natural 

skincare, and expert 

naturopathic advice. 

Visit us today for a 

healthier, happier you! 

Marshalls Health & 

Natural Therapy. 101 

Seaview Road, New 

Brighton. Ph 03 388 

5757. Shop instore or 

online: 

www.marshallshealthsh 

op.co.nz 

0800 77 80 80 

www.pickapart.co.nz 

direct 

cremation 

(includes committal) 

$2,200 GSt 

inclusive 

0800 27 28 29 

www.mainlandcrematorium.co.nz 

HEALTH & BEAUTY 

MASSAGE Full body 

sensual massage for 

mature ladies only. 

Relax, refresh your body 

with the sense of touch. 

Ph or text 027 251 4660. 

MOBILE Toe Nail Cutting 

Service by Registered 

Nurse. $50. Phone 022 

281 6647 

PUBLIC NOTICES 

FUNERAL DIRECTORS 

CAR REMOVALS 

$$CASH PAID$$ 

CARS, VANS, UTES & 4X4 WANTED 

NZ OWNED AND OPERATED FOR 24 YEARS 

We use world class vehicle depollution systems 


WEDDING CELEBRANT 

NZCA. Your special day 

your way. Established. 

Call Angela 021 077 

1218. 

CARS WANTED 



STAMP AND 

POSTCARD FAIR 

The Philatelic Centre 

67 Mandeville Street, 

Riccarton 

Saturday 7th March 

9am-12pm 

Buying and Selling 

Phone 027 635 4957 

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT 1991 

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL 

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATIONS 

FOR RESOURCE CONSENTS 

Details of the applications for resource consent listed below may be examined during 

normal office hours at the Reception Counter of the Council’s Civic offices, 53 Hereford 

Street, Christchurch, or the Council’s website (refer link below). 

Submissions must be made in writing on Form 13 or similar and will be received at any 

Council Office until 5.00pm on Friday, 27 March 2026. 

The submission form is available on the Council’s website or at any Council Office. 

Submissions may be made online, or emailed to resourceconsentsubmissions@ccc.govt.nz , 

or posted to: Resource Consents, Christchurch City Council, PO Box 73013, Christchurch Mail 

Centre, Christchurch 8154. 

A copy of the submission must also be served on the applicant via their address for service 

below. 

Address: 25 Westminster Street, Mairehau, Christchurch 

Consent sought: Land use consent 

Proposal: The demolition of a defining building in a Residential Heritage Area. The 

construction of two dwellings on the site, which is also within a Residential Character Area. 

Applicant: Wenborn Developments Limited 

Applicant’s address: C/- Wilkie + Bruce Architects, PO Box 25-141, Christchurch 8011, 

Attention: Alec Bruce 

For service: alecb@wilkieandbruce.co.nz 

Reference no: RMA/2025/2613 

Website link: letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/RMA20252613 

The application includes an assessment of environmental effects. 

Please contact Shana Dooley, telephone 03 941 7146 if you have any questions 

about this application 

Dated at Christchurch this 25 February 2026 

Mark Stevenson 

Head of Planning & Consents 

Want to 

make an 

impact in 

the South? 

Advertising Account 

Executive (03 Magazine) 

Location: Christchurch 

Full-time Permanent 

SITUATIONS VACANT 

03 Magazine, the South Island’s premier lifestyle publication, is on the 

lookout for a sales superstar to become part of our team and help drive the 

growth of our well-loved, well-recognised and well-respected publication. 

As part of Allied Media, New Zealand’s largest independent media company, 

03 Magazine delivers a premium, free lifestyle publication with a strong 

South Island focus, broad universal appeal, and extensive distribution across 

the South Island, setting it apart in the market. 

Our headquarters are in Christchurch, but with a nationwide client base, 

this role offers flexibility for candidates based locally or elsewhere. If you’re 

passionate, proactive, and bring proven sales experience, we’d love to hear 

from you! 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate: 

• A proven salesperson – bringing expertise and intelligence from previous 

roles (experience from within a publishing environment would be 

beneficial) 

• A confident self-starter – building on an established client base while also 

generating new business. 

• Personable and engaging – building and maintaining long-term 

relationships with clients/potential clients· 

• Creative – thinking outside the box to solution sell and create advertising 

solutions that will wow clients. 

• Marketing savvy – be across current advertising trends and insights. 

• Connected – know what is happening and who to contact. 

• Deadline driven and unflappable – working within production schedules 

and efficiently under pressure. 

• Organised and flexible – planning skills are essential, as is expecting the 

unexpected 

• Determined – to succeed and work to targets and budgets. 

• A team player – collaborating with the team to grow the success of this 

magazine. 

What we offer: 

• A generous remuneration package 

• The opportunity to sell a high-quality well-recognised product 

• A flexible hybrid work environment with the support/resources of an 

established media company 

• Great team culture – be part of a close-knit magazines team who work 

hard and love what they do 

• Work remotely or join us in Christchurch (relocation assistance provided) 

• Additional opportunities to cross-sell on our diverse stable of publications 

More about Allied Media: 

As the country’s largest independent media company, we deliver trusted 

local journalism and engaging content across 24 newspapers, five 

magazines, major local events, and a growing digital network. But our 

strength lies in more than just what we publish it’s in the people behind the 

scenes. From journalists and editors to designers, developers, videographers 

and marketers, our team brings stories, campaigns, and experiences to 

life across print, digital, and events. Our flagship publication, the Otago 

Daily Times, is New Zealand’s most trusted news brand (AUT’s Trust in 

News research), and our digital platform, odt.co.nz, continues to reach new 

heights. At Allied Media, we’re proud of our deep roots, and we’re just as 

excited about the future. Join us and be part of a team that’s keeping the 

South informed, inspired, and connected. 

How to apply: 

If you believe this role is a good fit for you, please apply via SEEK or reach 

out to Charlotte Smith-Smulders charlotte@alliedmedia.co.nz for a 

confidential discussion . Applications close Friday 20 March 2026. We will 

get in touch if you are shortlisted for this opportunity. 

alliedmedia.co.nz/careers 

ADVERTISE YOUR 

BUSINESS HERE 

Phone for further details 

(03) 379 1100

WHAT'S ON 

AT HORNBY CLUB 

Pavilion Café Opens 8am daily 

Legends Bar Opens 10am daily 

Reception Open from 9am daily 

Members 

Happy Hour! 

4.30pm - 6.30pm 

TUES, WEDS, & THURS 

(10% off members price) 

CHASE THE ACE! 

THURSDAY 6.30PM 

$2750 

CRACK THE CUBE! 

FRIDAY 6.30PM 

$1000 

1 x Key 

Chalmers Restaurant 

Wednesday to Saturday: 

A la Carte from 5pm 

Sunday: Buffet from 4.30pm 

live music 

FRIDAY 6PM 

LEGENDS BAR 

X-FILES 

DUO 

SUNDAY 3PM 

PAVILION 

GAZZA 

The Barleyshakes are back 

BREWED in Ireland and 

distilled in Australia, the 

Barleyshakes - Alan & 

Kristin - are a Celtic duo 

with worldly inuences, 

combining intense energy, 

beautiful harmony and 

driving dance rhythms in 

their live performances. 

ey bring together Irish 

tradition, storytelling, and 

upliing rhythms to create a 

performance that feels 

energetic, welcoming, and 

full of life. 

Barleyshakes are back in 

Christchurch and join Irish duo Sionna at 

Micky Finns above the Rockpool, 85 

Hereford Street this Saturday from 

6.30pm-9pm. 

Look forward to lively Celtic melodies, 

dynamic guitar, stunning ddle, and 

plenty of heart. Entry is free. 

SUNDAY 

15 

MAR 

ST PRACTISE DAY 

The official St Patrick's Practise Day 

PM 4 

4.30 

PM 

ROLLICKIN' LIVE SING-A-LONG with 

DnD Duo 

(JOJO & MARK) 

O'Neill School of Irish Dance 

"The greatest Beatles show in the world." – LA Times 

THE FAB FOUR 

TE RADAR MC | BEN HURLEY 

CORI GONZALEZ-MACUER 

AIMÉE BORLASE | IT’S THAT MAD GUY 

THURSDAY 19TH MARCH 

MADSEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS 

THE 

BUDDY HOLLY 

SHOW 

FEATURING 

JOHN KEMPT 

Tickets $30 

from the Club 

SATURDAY 21 MAR, 7.30PM 

Come on down! 

17 CARMEN RD. PH. 03 349 9026 

WWW.HORNBYCLUB.CO.NZ 

e internationally acclaimed Beatles 

tribute, THE FAB FOUR, is touring and 

plays the Christchurch James Hay eatre 

on Sunday 29th March. 

is exceptional tribute band, that 

includes Tyson Kelly (the UK’s answer to 

John Lennon), is renowned for delivering 

awless, note-for-note renditions of all the 

classic hits that made e Beatles 

legendary. 

With their Emmy Award-winning 

performance, e Fab Four stands out for 

its remarkable authenticity and attention 

to detail, bringing the essence of e 

Beatles to life in every show. 

From the early days of Beatlemania to 

the later, more experimental phases of 

their career, e Fab Four covers it all 

with stunning accuracy. eir dedication 

to replicating the iconic sound and look 

of John, Paul, George, and Ringo ensures 

that each performance is a true 

celebration of e Beatles' music. 

Whether you're a lifelong fan of e 

Beatles or someone who has just 

discovered their incredible music, this 

tribute act offers an unforgettable 

experience that will captivate and delight. 

e Fab Four’s show is not just a 

concert; it’s an immersive journey 

through the timeless hits that shaped a 

generation. e band’s remarkable ability 

to recreate the magic of e Beatles' 

performances, complete with authentic 

costumes and arrangements, makes this 

tribute act a must-see event. Don’t miss 

the opportunity to witness a performance 

that so perfectly captures the spirit of e 

Beatles. 

Make plans to experience e Fab 

Four and enjoy an evening lled with the 

memorable music that has dened the 

rock genre. Tickets on sale at 

Ticketmaster. 

www.aj-entertainment.com

WHAT’S ON 

GIG GUIDE 

Thursday 5 to Wednesday 11 March 2026 

ADDINGTON BAR, 291 Lincoln Rd: 

Saturday 8pm - Live music. 

ARMADILLOS HALSWELL, 29 Ensign St: 

Thursday 8pm - DJ Chick Karaoke. 

ARMADILLOS BECKENHAM, 155 

Colombo St: Tuesday 7pm - Quiz. 

ARMADILLOS ISLINGTON, 670 Main 

South Rd: Sunday 3pm - Lino. 

A ROLLING STONE, 579 Colombo St: 

Thursday 7.30pm - Battle of the Bands 2026 

National Champs - CHC Heat 1 feat 

Paperwaves, Tam Duugi, Choey G, CyberManic 

& more, tix $16+BF from eventfinda.co.nz or 

$20 door sales. Friday 8.30pm - The Mule, 8- 

piece party band with horns, playing all your 

funk, soul, rock, RnB & reggae favourites for 

dancing, koha entry. Saturday 9.30pm - Jack 

Swallows presents Gender Bent Glow Party, a 

queer dance party for Pride feat gogo dancers & 

performances, Mapmaker on decks, and special 

guest Nocturness (Tamaki Makaurau), tix start 

$25+BF from humanitix.com, gold coin 

fundraiser coat check (BYO bag). Monday 7pm 

- Believe It or Not Quiz, table bookings 03-377- 

4787, doggos welcome too, free entry. Tuesday 

7pm - Inner City Jam with host Tyler Robbins, 

open mic & jam slots, all ages and abilities 

welcome, great community feel, instruments 

provided, bands welcome, free. 

AVONHEAD TAVERN, 120 Withells Rd: 

Friday 7.30pm - Live music. 

BILL'S BAR, 1 Halswell Rd: Thursday 7pm - 

A&J Karaoke. Friday 7.30pm - DJ Chic. Sunday 

6pm - A&J Karaoke. 

BRIDIE'S BAR, 401 Worcester St: Friday 

4pm - Elevators duo. Saturday 3pm - Raisin 

Tooth. 

CASHMERE CLUB, 50 Colombo St: 

Saturday 7.30pm - Mainland Big Band. 

Wednesday 7pm - Quiz Night. 

CHATS BAR, 251 Travis Rd: Friday 7pm - 

Titanic. Tuesday 7pm - Quiz. 

CHCH CASINO, 30 Victoria St: Friday 

5.30pm - String Theory; 9pm - The Edition. 

Saturday 5.30pm - Hemi Porter; 9pm - Giant 

Poppies. 

CHCH FOLK MUSIC CLUB, Irish Society 

Hall, Domain Tce: Sunday 7.30pm - Open 

Mic Night. Sunday 15th Mar, 7.30pm - The 

Hummingbirds. Sunday 29th Mar, 7.30pm - Dr 

T & the Dangerous Women. 

COASTERS TAVERN, 1 Daniels Rd: 

Saturday 8pm - Live music. Wednesday 7pm - 

Quiz. 

DARKROOM, 336 St Asaph St: Thursday 

7pm - Lads On Tour Cabaret SOLD OUT. 

Friday 730pm - Little Fang; The Charlotte 

Sometimes; Cherry Red. Saturday - Steampunk 

Fish; Swamp Meet; Phatsak. 

FAT EDDIES, 1/76 Hereford St: Thursday 

4.30pm - The Suite; 8pm - Live Band Karaoke; 

11.30pm - Jinx! Friday 4.30pm - Citrus & Milk; 

8pm - Roger Roger; 11.30pm - House of 

Groove. Saturday 4.30pm - Peaches Duo; 8pm - 

The In Crowd; 11.30pm - Third Junction. 

Sunday 2pm - Ananda Massa; 5.30pm - Stephen 

McDaid. Monday 6pm - Caitlin Bradley. 

Tuesday 7pm - Quiz; 9.30pm - Marcel Bramao. 

Wednesday 8.30pm - Jack Bubb. 

GOOD TIMES COMEDY CLUB, 224 St 

Asaph St: Thursday 7.30pm - Late Night Knife 

Fight. Friday 6.30pm - Jack Ansett ‘Work in 

Progress’; 8pm - A Damn Good Comedy Show. 

Saturday 8pm - Big Laughs! Premium Comedy 

Showcase. www.goodtimescomedyclub.co.nz 

HORNBY CLUB, 17 Carmen Rd: Friday 

7pm - X-Files Duo. Sunday 3pm - Gazza. 

Sunday 15th Mar, 4pm - St Practise Day. Friday 

20th Mar, 6pm - Awesome Source. Saturday 21st 

Mar, 7.30pm - Madsen Promotions presents The 

Buddy Holly Show feat. John Kempt. Sunday 

29th Mar, 3pm - Ian Mac. 

MACKENZIES, 51 Pages Rd: Wednesday 

7pm - Karaoke with Brent Love. 

MAK BAR, 1276 Main North Rd: Saturday 

8pm - Live music. Sunday 3pm - Live music. 

To add a listing, contact 

Jo Fuller 03 379 7100 or 

027 458 8590 

jo.fuller@alliedmedia.co.nz 

MICKY FINN'S, 85a Hereford St: Thursday 

7pm - Bandit Queen tribute to The 

Decemberists. Friday 7pm - King & I; 10pm - 

Four +1. Saturday 7pm - Sionna & the 

Barleyshakes; 10.30pm - The Uncovered. 

NEW BRIGHTON CLUB, 202 Marine Pde: 

Saturday 28th Mar, 6.30pm - Lino. 

OLD LEITHFIELD HOTEL, 730 Old Main 

North Rd, Leithfield: Friday 7.30pm - The 

Party Singers. Sunday 2pm - String Theory. 

QUEENSPARK TAVERN, 60 Queenspark 

Dr: Friday 7pm - Sharkey’s Karaoke. 

RACECOURSE HOTEL, 118 Racecourse 

Rd: Friday 7.30pm - Awesome Source. 

RICHMOND CLUB, 'The Borough', 75 

London St: Friday 7pm -Simmer. Saturday 

7pm - Sign of the Firebird. Sunday 3pm - 

Robbie Drew. 

ROSE & THISTLE, 24 Main North Rd: 

Friday 8.30pm - Annalea & Junior. Saturday 

8.30pm - Shameless 2. 

SHARKEY'S BAR & CAFE, 96 Hoon Hay 

Rd: Friday 7pm - DJ Brent Love. Saturday 7pm 

- Karaoke. Sunday 4pm - Open Mic. 

SPACE ACADEMY, 371 St Asaph St: 

Thursday - Rever EP release tour. Friday - 

Marsha & Velveteen Aotearoa tour. Saturday - 

Majozi. Sunday - Feelings with No Broadcast. 

Monday - Guitar Wolf. spaceacademy.co.nz/live 

TAI TAPU HOTEL, 780 Old Tai Tapu Rd: 

Saturday 1pm - Live music. Sunday 1pm - Live 

music. Wednesday 7pm - Quiz. 

THE BOG, 50 Victoria St: Thursday 7pm - 

Quiz. Friday 6pm - Willie McArthur; 10pm - In 

the City. Saturday 7pm - Josh Braden; 11pm - 

Spektrum. Sunday 5pm - Neil Alexander. 

Monday 6pm - Sionna. Tuesday 7pm - Jameson’s 

Night. Wednesday 6pm - Sionna. 

THE CHURCH, cnr Worcester & 

Manchester Sts: churchpub.co.nz/this-week 

THE CRAIC, 84 Riccarton Rd: Friday 10pm 

- Willie McArthur. Saturday 9.30pm - Karaoke. 

Tuesday 7pm - Quiz. Wednesday 10pm - 

Karaoke. Friday 13th Mar, 10pm - Ryan Ferris. 

THE DUX, 6 Poplar St: Thursday 7.30pm - 

Fiona & the Glow. Friday 8pm - D’Sendantz. 

Saturday 1pm - DJ Big Rig; 7.30pm - Troika. 

THE EMBANKMENT TAVERN, 181 Ferry 

Rd: Thursday 9pm - Carpathia. Friday 7.30pm - 

Open Mic. Wednesday 9pm - Carpathia. 

THE FITZ2 SPORTS BAR, 77 Stevens St: 

Friday 7.30pm - Cruzen Karaoke. 

THE LITTLE FIDDLE, 132 Oxford Tce: 

Thursday 9pm - Topia. Friday & Saturday 9pm - 

DJ’s. Sunday 4.30pm - Irish Sess; 7pm - Live 

music. 

THE MILLER BAR, 308 Lincoln Rd: Friday 

9.30pm - Hazel Brown Trio. Saturday 9.30pm - 

Mimic. Sunday 6pm - Karaoke with Lance. 

Tuesday 7pm - Quiz. Wednesday 7pm - Karaoke 

with Lance. 

THE MUD BAR, 174 St Asaph St: Friday, 

Saturday, Sunday - DJs & live bands. 

THE PAPANUI, 310 Sawyers Arms Rd: 

Friday 13th Mar 6.45pm - Eddie Simon. Sunday 

15th Mar, 2pm - St Patrick’s Day Early feat. 

Malarkey & the O’Neil School of Irish Dance. 

THE RICCS, 280 Blenheim Rd: Friday 

7.30pm - DJ Chick Karaoke. Saturday 7.30pm - 

The Party Singers. 

THE ROCKPOOL, 85 Hereford St: 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9pm - DJ's. 

THE SIDELINE SPORTS BAR, 331 

Stanmore Rd: Thursday 7pm - Jam Night 

with Ritchie Gillies & Nick Buchanan. Tuesday 

7pm - DJ Chick Karaoke. 

THE TURF, 6 Inwoods Rd: Thursday 7pm - 

Live Music. Tuesday 7pm - Quiz. 

WUNDERBAR, Lyttelton: Thursday 7pm - 

Day We Ran. Saturday 9pm - Your Reward EP 

launch party. 

RESTAURANT & CAFÉ 

‘Famous for our roasts!’ 

$6 

$1 POOL TABLES 

FANTASTIC MENU 

kiwi classics 

amazing thai 

FUNCTION ROOMS 

85a Hereford Street 

www.therockpool.co.nz 

$12 

BREAKFAST 

Two free range eggs, 

bacon, sourdough bread, 

Vivace coffee 

BRIDIE’S famous 

SMASHIES 

BURGERS 

$15 

CHEESEBURGER 

FIRECRACKER 

BBQ BACON 

$6 

MURPHY'S 

PINTS 

EVERY SINGLE DAY, 

ALL DAY LONG! 

MURPHY'S 

PINTS 

EVERY SINGLE DAY, 

ALL DAY LONG! 

FAMILY FRIENDLY 

GREAT KID’S MENU 

ACTIVITIES ROOM 

KID’S MEALS 

ALL MAINS INCLUDE 

A FREE 

ICE CREAM 

SUNDAE 

FROM ONLY 

$13 

SENIOR'S SPECIAL 

LUNCH & DINNER 

$29 

TWO COURSES 

Soup/Roast or Roast/Dessert 

The 

RACECOURSE HOTEL 

& Motorlodge 

118 Racecourse Rd, Sockburn, 

Christchurch. Ph 03 342 7150 

www.racecoursehotel.co.nz 

THE WEEKEND LINE UP 

THURSDAY 7pm-9pm 

bandit queen 

"the decemberists tribute” 

FRIDAY 7PM-9PM 

KING & i 

10pm-2am 

FOUR +1 

SATurday 6.30pm-9pm 

SIONNA & the 

barleyshakes 

10.30PM - 2.30AM 

THE UNCOVERED 

BRIDIE’S BAR 

WHAT'S PLAYING 

EVERY 

TUESDAY 

7PM 

FRI.4PM-7PM: 

ELEVATORS 

DUO 

SAT.3PM: 

RAISIN TOOTH 

OPEN FROM 7AM MON-FRI & FROM 8AM SAT/SUN 

GREAT MENU | 18 MACHINE GAMING ROOM 

BRIDIE'S BAR & BISTRO | 401 WORCESTER ST 

PH (03) 260 0325 | WWW.BRIDIES.CO.NZ

Save Big on these pre-registered Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV’s limited availablilty 

and colour choices, available now from only $51,990 Drive Away Price. 

CHRISTCHURCH MITSUBISHI 

386 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch 

Tel 03 379 0588 | chchmitsubishi.co.nz 

*Available while stocks last 

CHRISTCHURCH NISSAN, 392 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch 

Ph: 03 595 6820 www.christchurchnissan.co.nz 

christchurchnissan.co.nz

Scan here for 

Thursday, 5 March 2026 

Christchurch’s best read and largest circulating newspaper 

NEW 


“Actually it’s less than 2 weeks to go 

enter now dont miss out!” 

SCAN TO 

ENTER 

OR GO TO 

WWW.CITY2SURF.CO.NZ

BE IN TO 


Stay for prizegiving at noon — your unique 

bib number could score you one of these fantastic prizes! 

House of Travel 

return flights for two to 

the Sydney City2Surf 

10 x $200 

Brooks shoe 

vouchers 

Garmin Sports 

Watch Giveaway 

valued at $3394 

Thermatech 

Prize Packs 

Sports Clinic 

Prize Packs 

FreshChoice Prize 

Packs 

Christchurch 

Casino Prize Packs 

FreshChoice 

Prize Packs 

Spot prizes for 

Best Dressed Team and 

Best Dressed Individual! 

2-for-1 Pool Offer 

Show your bib or medal at selected pools. 

Check pool availability here: 

https://recandsport.ccc.govt.nz/visit/centres/ 

Offer only available on 15th March 2026 

FOR 

ALL 

BIB COLLECTION 

If you entered before March 2nd and chose the courier option, 

you will receive your bibs sent to you as requested. 

For all other entries you will need to collect your bib from our collection location: 

Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre 

Moorhouse Avenue door entrance, upstairs on Level 1 

(use carpark off Moorehouse Avenue, between Selwyn and 

Antigua Street) 

Thursday 12th March 10am – 6pm 

Friday 13th March 10am – 6pm 

Saturday 14th March 9am – 5 pm 

WWW.CITY2SURF.CO.NZ 

TEAM ENTRIES can be picked up now, until 5pm Wednesday 

11th March – at The Star offices, 359 Lincoln Road, Addington. 

After the 11th March - TEAM ENTRIES can be picked up from 

Parakiore Sports and Recreation Centre at the Bib collection area.

The Star: March 05, 2026

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