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local PeOPLe • local VIeWs • local neWs

Wednesday. May 13, 2026

blenheimsun.co.nz

Marlboroughsrural

internetprovider

0800 003176

Run day at atime

Page 6

Seeing pink

Page 17

Bear necessity

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proudly local & t rusted in Marlborough since 2002

Matilda magic!

Blenheim MusicalTheatre’s much anticipated

production of Matildathe Music openstonight

at Whitehaven TheatreMarlborough.

Review page 4.

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Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

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We’re here tohelp

Advertising:

Sales Manager

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021 706 936

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021 201 8590

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027 260 5112

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Editor:

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027 280 1885

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Phone: 5777 868

72 High Street, Blenheim

www.blenheimsun.co.nz

Follow the Blenheim Sun on

Fieldday delight

Marlborough’s favourite read.

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The Blenheim

Multiple Sclerosis arelief

after years of worry

Blenheim woman Judith Allen is one of

5000 people in New Zealand living with

Multiple Sclerosis(MS). AheadofWorld MS

DayonMay 30,she talkstoPaula Hulburt

abouther symptoms andthe struggle forthe

correctdiagnosis.

For Judith Allen, aneventual diagnosis of

Multiple Sclerosiscameasarelief.

Dealingwithsymptomsranging from tunnel

vision,extreme fatigueand asense of viewing

the world two-dimensionally, Judith says it

wasaterrible time.

But 30years ago, it took araft oftests,

including two lumber punctures and two

MRIscans fordoctors to discover thetruth,

sheexplains.

“Itwas very scary, Ididn’tknowwhatwas

happening tomeand began towonder ifit

wasall in my head.The dayIwasdiagnosed,

Icamehomeand Iwas so happy.”

The average age for diagnosis inNew

Zealand is34years old. Women are three

timesmorelikelytobediagnosed than men.

Judith believes her symptoms started two

yearsbeforeshe wasofficiallygiven aname

forher worrying health issues.

“I’d go forawalk most nights aftertea and

Inoticed one foot sounded different on the

footpath.I’d trip over little pebbles.

“I didn’t think much about it as you don’t

go running tothe doctor for every twinge,

butitgot worse.”

Her GPtentatively diagnosed arthritis but

Judith’s symptoms, and her concerns both

grew.“I’dgotobed at nightand just bawl my

eyes out, Ididn’tknowwhatwas happening

to me.”

It wasadoctor shewas seeing foracupuncture

who encouraged her to get asecond

opinion, sheexplains. Followingmorescans

andtests,aspecialist at Wairau Hospital broke

thenewstoher that shehad MS.

“I didn’t even know howtospell it [multiple

sclerosis],Judithlaughs. Akeenreaderwitha

passionfor murder mysteries, Judith says she

knows alot ofpeople with MSthrough her

speciallytailoredexerciseclasses.

Onehundred andthirty-four newcases are

diagnosedeveryear. Symptoms aredifferent

foreverybody, dependingonwhich partof the

brain, opticnerve or spinal cord is affected.

Symptoms and their progression are variable,

Judith explains. “Iget absolutely

exhausted,” she says. “It’s not just ago to

bed tiredness, and Ican’t control mybody

temperature.”

Forsome people, symptoms may bemore

consistently present, steadily progress and

change in severity over time.Judithdoesall

shecan to keep exacerbationsatbay.

“I go to exercisesclasses at theWeldStreet

BowlingClubasIwant to stay flexible.

“Keeping flexiblematters andIalso do Tai

Chi. Iwantmywhole body to be as flexibleas

possible.It’snot just aboutthe physical wellness

now, it’s also aboutmentalhealthtoo.”

ContactMarlborough Multiple Sclerosisand

Parkinsons Society onmmss@xtra.co.nz or

call:03578 4058 to findout more abouthow

they canhelp.

JudithAllensaysshewasrelievedtofinallyget

adiagnosis of Multiple Sclerosisafter months

ofunexplainedsymptoms.Photo:PaulaHulburt.

Wednesday May 13, 2026 3

inbrief

The Sun

Floodrescue

Six people were rescued from their

vehicles after becoming stuck in

floodwaters on SH6nearCanvastown

on Friday. The main road between

Blenheim and Nelson was closed on

Friday afternoon and reopened by

mid-morning onSaturday. Rescue

teamssuccessfullylocatedthestranded

travellers andtookthemtosafety.

Ambassador visit

The Ambassador of the People’s

Republic of China to New Zealand

His Excellency DrWang Xiaolong has

made his first visit to Marlborough,

hosted by Mayor Nadine Taylor who

said it was her great pleasure to

host the Chinese Ambassador. “As

an exporting region itisimportant

Marlborough isoutward looking and

internationally connected. Visits like

this are awonderful opportunity to

buildonour existing relationshipsand

strengthen our wine, tourism, people

andeducationconnectionswithChina.”

Thepipes arecalling

Marlborough Pipe Band are

celebrating asuccessful season. With

members inCanterbury and Nelson,

location is no barriersoifyou areina

band that is notcurrently competing,

or just wanttojoinateamdetermined

to take theirsuccess to thenextlevel,

email marlboroughpipeband25@

gmail.com or phone/TXT Joe Latimer

on 021716260.


4

Wednesday May 13, 2026

inbrief

The Sun

The Blenheim

Review:Matilda theMusical

Dancestar

Congratulations toMarlborough

AcademyofDance’stalentedperformer

IceywhotookthirdplaceatTheAustralia

DanceCrewChampionships(ADCC)Hip

Hop Championships and qualified

for Worlds inSydney. The dance

competition that brings together the

bestcrewsfromAustralia,NewZealand,

Asiaand Africa.

Pink breakfasthelp

BreastCancerFoundationNZurgently

needsmorepeopleinBlenheimtoget

involvedwith theirannualPinkRibbon

fundraiser.ThroughoutMay,and even

into June, Pink Ribbon Breakfasts

are held around the country toraise

funds for breast cancer education,

research, and support services. Each

year,around130womenacrossNelson

Marlborougharediagnosedwithbreast

cancer, and Pink Ribbon Breakfasts

help fund vital support, research and

education.Formoreinformationandto

registertohostaPinkRibbonBreakfast,

visitpinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz

Stop bank update

Acommunity meeting isplanned

for Wednesday 20May to update

Spring Creek residents on progress

with the Peninsula Road stop bank

project. Members ofthe community

are invited to attend from 7.15pm at

the Spring Creek Community Hall on

Ferry Road. Mayor Nadine Taylor will

open themeeting at 7.30pm.She will

be joined by councillors, Council staff

andcontractors.

Retired, butnot slowing down

Liz retired last November. She

hatesthatword.

“It sounds like you’re winding

down,” she says. “I’m not winding

down. I’m just doing differentthings.”

At 71, her weeks are fuller than

they were when she was working.

Pickleball three times a week.

Bachata dancing. Looking after

relatives.Coffeewith friends who’ve

known her for decades. Her former

colleaguesjoke that sheseemsbusier

now than sheeverwas at work.

“I found it frighteningatfirst,”she

admits. “Not knowing what Iwas

going to do with my time. But now

I’vegot more intereststhanhours.”

The only thing that needed sorting

washer sleep.

Liz has always been anight owl.

Herhusband is asleep by ten, but she’s

still up at midnight, and sometimes

later. It’s just how she’s wired, and

she’smadepeace with that.

But asshe got older, the sleep she

did get wasn’t giving her what she

needed. She’d wake during the night

and lie there, mind ticking over. The

hoursshe managedfeltthin, likethey

weren’tquite reachingher.She’d get

up in the morning feeling like she

hadn’treally rested at all.

“I tried other things,” she says.

“But Ijust didn’t like them. You’d

feel drowsy the next day and Igave

them away.”

That groggy feeling was worse

than the tiredness. She wanted

somethingthatworkedwith herbody,

not something that left her sluggish

andfoggy.

Blenheim MusicalTheatre

By SarahNathan

Oneofthe worrieswithtop billing

large-scale musicals isthat, when

transferredtoasmallerstage,some

of themagic is lost.There is no such

problem here. BMT’s production

of Matilda is ariotous and joyous

celebrationoftheatre.

Based onthe beloved book by

RoaldDahl, with musicand lyrics

by Tim Minchin, Matilda tells

the story of an extraordinarily

intelligent little girl born into a

spectacularly awful family. When

Matilda finally starts school, her

worldchanges dramatically.

From the opening moments, this

production sweeps us into Matilda’s

world. BMT has benefited from

investing inthe high-quality set,

costume and technical resources,

and production values are impressive.

The dynamicset workshard

andthe crew even harder to deliver

aseamless and magical audience

experience. Asalways with BMT,

the production isunderpinned

by atalented live orchestra. Itis

aparticularly unique score that

delivers allsorts of musicalquirks

andtricks, expertly guided by Vocal

&Musical Director,RobertTucker.

Director Liana Bell brings her

collective leadership style tothe

production-allowing forcharacter

interpretation that is fresh but sits

well within the creative vision.

Casting isinspired, and weare

Thenshesawanadinthenewspaper

forKoruSleep.She wasn’t expecting

miracles,but shewas curious enough

to try.

“It didn’t work straight away,”

Lizsays. “But of course,itdoestake

time.You’ve got to give these things

achance.”

She stuck with it, letting her body

adjust.After afew weeks, something

shifted. She was falling back asleep

more easily when she woke during

the night. The hours started to feel

likeactualrest.

“The beauty of it is, having togo

to the bathroom during the night, I

truly spoilt with the standard of

localtalent.

As Matilda’stimid teacher, Miss

Honey, Anne Vawter perfectly

captures the character’s sweetness

and vulnerability. Her exquisite

vocalpuritypairedwithemotional

authenticity resultsinanexceptional

performance.

As the horrifically entertaining

Mrs Wormwood, Camilla Piper

isadazzling feastfor theeyesand

ears.Her comictimingand physicality

are mesmerising, and every

moment crackles with energy.

Special mention goes to Sara

Bishell, as Mr Wormwood. The

counter-gender casting lands well,

adding alovely layer of absurdity

and gleeful unpleasantness to the

hilariouscharacter,towhich Itake

my hat off(ajoke that will make

senseonceyou’veseenthe show).

Andthenthere is thelegendthat

is Miss Trunchbull, arole that

requires enormous comicprecision

balanced with genuine menace.

Rhys Hingston delivers both,

paired with impressive vocalchops.

Thereisarefreshing subtlety to his

interpretation with the possibility

that Trunchbull may have analmost

thoughtful side.

At thecentreofitall of course is

ourhero, Matilda, played on review

night by12-year-old Alice Kingi.

Alice brings her personal brand

of spark, warmth and quiet determination,

creating aMatilda who

can fall straight back to sleep without

even thinking about it.”

That wasfive yearsago. She’sbeen

taking Koru Sleep ever since.

“You’ve got to listen toyour own

body,” she says. “Give it time to

work.That’swhatIdid.”

Liz still doesn’t sleep eight hours.

She never has. But the four or five

hours she gets now actually feel like

sleep.

“Even though Ionly get four to

five hours, Istill feel as if I’ve been

asleep,” she says. “I wake up fresh

andI’m good.”

Always read the label and take asdirected. If symptoms persist contact your healthcare professional. Koru Nutrition, Christchurch

Alice Kingi brings her personal brand ofspark, warmth and quiet

determinationtothe role of Matilda. Photo: Supplied.

is instantlylovable andaccessible.

Hersensitive renditionof‘Quiet’ is

oneofthe most touching I’ve seen.

Twoseparate casts of the child

players are necessary with such a

demanding production, and Iwas

fortunatetoalsosee thealternative

cast perform. The ‘other’ Matilda

is played by AddisonCampbell, 11,

who gives the most astonishingly

faithful portrayal ofthe original

‘West End’ Matilda. You will fall

in love with them both.

The entire child ensemble deserves

enormous praise for the

sheer scale of what they accomplish.

Sharp comic timing, emotional

honesty and remarkable

Fresh enough for pickleball. Fresh

enough for dancing. Fresh enough

forthe full, busylifeshe’s built since

stepping away fromwork.

Five yearson, Koru Sleep is part of

her routine. She takes it on holiday.

Shenotices when shedoesn’t have it.

“Thishas been thebestone,really,”

shesays. “Brilliant.”

Some people expect retirement to

mean slowing down. Liz expected

more from herself. She just needed

hersleep to keep up.

“Sleep is my best friend,” shesays.

Andafter fiveyears,she meansit.

Advertisement

professionalism are bought to the

stage. They arethe epicentreofthe

show,and your heartwilljustburst

watching each individual hilarious

andenergetic performance.

The wider ensemble performance

throughout the production

is outstanding. Thechoreography,

directed by Elly Molloy, isfast,

intricate and demanding and the

company rises magnificently to

thechallenge.The ActOne finale,

‘Bruce’, is an absolute triumph,

tightly executed and overflowing

with joy.

This is an outstanding achievement

from Blenheim Musical

Theatre. Yousimply must seeit.

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The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 5

Rest home residentspush

forurgentfinancialchanges

By PaulaHulburt

Rest home residents are being urged

to continue the campaign for urgent

financial reform andfightfor theirown

money.

TheRetirementVillagesAct 2003 review

is scheduledtogobeforeparliament

inJunethisyear.

Aproposal toensure operators pay

back resident capital within 12months

is not acceptable, warns Residents’

AssociationNationalVicePresident Di

Sinclair.

Sheadded currentresthomeresidents,

the very people who fought so hard for

change,willmissout.

Speaking with residents atRedwood

Care Centre andVillage on Monday,Di

saidthe cliff-hangerclausewas thewait

time forcapital to be repaid,oncearesidenthas

died or movedout of avillage.

“We had asked for amandatory payback

timeframe and we got one, the

proposed law will gift operators 12

months to sitonresidents’money while

they attempttorelicense aunit.

“In ashock move, the Government

decided these new rules won’t apply to

anyresidentcurrently living in avillage

–unlimited wait timeswillcontinue, for

everypersonthatfoughtfor change.”

Concerned Redwoodtown residents

heard The Retirement Villages Act is

nearly 23 yearsold,written forasector

that no longer exists in itsoriginalform.

The time for change was now, Di

said,urgingresidents to sign theonline

petition calling for afull repayment of

residents’ moneywithinthree months of

theagreement ending.

“Wechose to move into avillage,and

the vast majority ofresidents remain

happywiththatdecision. Villageliving

itself is notindispute.

“Whatisindispute is theimbalance of

powerbetween operatorsand residents.

Until that imbalance is addressed,

fairness for residents will always be

conditional—notguaranteed.”

Shesaidretirementvillageshad grown

bigger, more complex and vastly more

profitable. Aseven year wait for fair

and modern protections was “basically

adisaster” shesaid.

“When the Government announced

National Vice President

of the Retirement Village

Residents’ Association Di

Sinclairaddressresidentsat

RedwoodCareCentreand

Village. Photo: PaulaHulburt.

changes inDecember 2025, residents

were led tobelieve that real reform

had finally arrived.…basically, it was a

disaster forthe 56,000 residentslivingin

villages around NewZealand.”

Di added claims from Minister Tama

Potaka that there was no appetite for

retrospectivechangewerewrong.

“For four years Ihave travelled the

country, metwithresidents,and listened

to their experiences. The message has

been unanimous: withoutretrospectivity,

this packageisano deal.

“It isinadequate, it is unjust, and it is

unacceptable.”

“Unlimited repayment delays will

continue,and theverypeoplewho fought

forreformwillbethe ones locked outof

it.Thatisnot reform -itisexclusion.”

New

beginnings

Aftertwoyearsofuncertainty,itwasachanceto

commemorate anew

beginning and honour

thepastasmembers of

Blenheim BowlingClub

and Marlborough RSA

joinedtogethertomark

anew era.

The new addition, including

anoffice and

RSAmemorabilia room

was officially opened

on Friday by Marlborough

RSA President

Sandy Snell, immediatepastPresident

and

Blenheim BowlingClub

Greenskeeper John

Capill, Marlborough

Mayor Nadine Taylor

andBlenheimBowling

Club President Lloyd

Gallop.

Addressing apacked

club room, Mayor Nadine

said the moment

wasanimportantonein

Marlborough’shistory.

Photo: PaulaHulburt

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6

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

Aheart of

gold

By PaulaHulburt

Ayoung Marlborough boy with abig

heart ismaking great strides, raising

moneyfor charity.

Twelve-year-old Louis Guthrie started

running 100km at the beginning of the

month to raise vital funds for the Heart

Foundation.

Now the Bohally Intermediate School

pupil isgiving others arun for their

money, coming third out ofmore than

13,000 people in thenationalcampaign.

Louissayshedecided to raisemoney for

the HeartFoundationbecause hasfamily

friends whose babies have had heart

conditions butthe main drivewas deputy

principal KerryWilkin.

The Bohally Intermediate Teacher

developedaheartissue afew yearsago.

“He plays football with useveryday

and refs matches. He is someonewecan

always go to when we need help.”

Deciding on what to do forhis school’s

Maximising Potential goal, the Year 8

student said initiallyhehad hopedtorun

afullmarathon. MumKateGuthrie says

they had torule that out as although he

was capable, hewas still too young, not

yet at theminimum ageof16years old.

Signinguptorun 100kmbythe endof

May instead, Louis has already raised

more than $3800. “I hopedtoraise $450

so it’s been goingreallywell,”hesays.

Withmorethan40kmalready achieved,

Louisisconfidenthewillmeet

his goal.

“I like to run and Itry to

do it everyday.WhenIget

alittlebit tired, Ijustthink

about why I’m doing it

andthathelps.”

The keen golfer, who

also raises money for

Life Flight byselling

eggs from his freerange

hens, says ultimately,

he would like

to be aprofessional

sportsman.

“Mydream is to play

the Masters at Augusta.”

The Marlborough

School Cross Country

champion,who also plays

basketball and touch rugby,

can easily tackle 10km

at atime, Kate explains.

Louisalsocamethird in the

SolarPower NZ Skedaddletrail,

beatingadultstothe podium.

“He’sapretty modest kidthough,

and Idon’t thinkherealisesjusthow

amazingitiswhathe’sdoing forthese

charities,”Katesays.

‘I’m really proudofhim.”

To donate to Louis fundraiser, visit

www.mymarathon.co.nz/fundraisers/

louisguthrie/mymarathon-2026

LouisGuthrie startedrunning 100kmat

the start of May toraise money for the

HeartFoundation. Photo: PaulaHulburt.

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The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 7

‘Uninhabitable’ senior housing

unitsfinallyset fordemolition

By Kira Carrington

Blenheim senior housing units

that have sat empty for almost

adecade are finally set to be

demolished, with residents saying

it’s abouttime.

MarlboroughDistrictCouncil has

putout atenderfor thedemolition

of five units at the council’s 26-

unit senior housing complex on

Blenheim’s Andrew Place.

Acouncil spokesperson said that

theunits hadbeenprogressively vacatedoverthe

last eightto10years

aftertheywereruled uninhabitable

duetonatural ground slumping.

“These properties wouldnot meet

today’sHealthy HomesStandards,”

they said.

Aresident, who LDR agreed notto

name,saidthey’dstopped believing

the council would ever demolish

the empty units, as rumours of

aplanned demolition had been

swirling since they’d moved in

sevenyears ago.

“Tell mesomething that we

[don’t know]... we’ve heard it so

many times, we’rewaiting foritto

happen,” theresidentsaid.

Councillor David Croad, chairperson

of the housing for seniors

sub-committee, told LocalDemocracy

Reporting last Tuesday that

the council had determined years

agothatthe cost to remedy theunits

was“just notviable”.

Butthe councilhad also struggled

to justifydemolishing them.

Ademolition proposal was consideredin2020,

butthe unitswere

found tohave asbestos, which

substantially increased the cost of

demolition.

Anotherresident, RollandMauke,

said he was more concerned that

twopreviouslyoccupiedunits were

still vacant two months after the

previous tenant movedout.

“These ones areall inhabitable, so

people canliveinthere ...and they

don’tdoanything. It’s just sitting

empty,”hesaid.

“Wehavealotofpeoplecoming

through looking and asking because

people have problems with

gettingaccommodation.”

There were 26people onthe

waitlist for senior housing at the

endofJanuary.

David said the previous tenants

of thevacantunits hadbeenthere

forseveral years. Refurbishments

would need totake place before

theunits couldbere-let.

Without central government

funding, thecouncil couldnot afford

to buildnew units, he added.

FiveseniorhousingunitsinBlenheim’s AndrewPlaceseniorscomplexareslatedfordemolitionafterstanding

emptyfor almost10years. Photo: Kira Carrington/LDR

Thecouncil also typicallyrented

out its senior housing ataprice

lower than market rental rates,

so the income from those houses

wouldnot coverthe cost of buildingnew

homes.

But with the contractor market

currently “better than it’s been ...

post-Covid”, Davidsaidthe councilhad

decidednow wasthe time

to move forward with demolition

as “weshouldn’t just leavethemto

deteriorateany further”.

He said thecouncil hadnoplans

to sell the land, and had not

given uponredeveloping the

unitsaspartoftheir aspiration to

future-proof their senior housing

portfolio.

“We still have an eye onthe

future,[and] we’d love to do something

tomodernise, but none of

that is in play at this pointintime.”

Tendered offers were due to

close onJune 4with the council

expecting the demolition would

take place before the end ofthe

year.

LDR islocal body journalism

co-funded by RNZand NZ On Air.

Virtual After-hours

Primary Health Care 24/7

Marlborough Primary Health is partnering

with Practice Plus to provide virtual

afterhours health care inMarlborough 24/7.

To access primary health care after 5pm on weekdays, all day

at weekends and public holidays, simply phone your General

Practice and you will be connected with ahealth professional

who will talk toyou about your symptoms and help book an

appropriate appointment.

Virtual appointments are safe and effective for many health

concerns and have been successfully treating thousands of

people every year all over Aotearoa New Zealand. Prescriptions

can beemailed directly toyour nearest pharmacy for collection.

From 01 April 2025 Marlborough General Practices will

have virtual appointment options through Practice Plus

for after-hours care.

Tūhonotia te Hapori: Connecting Communities to Wellbeing

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


8

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

Sun readershavetheir say... with theWORDonthe Street.

Matildathe Musicalopens tonight, if youcould seeany

musical in theworld what woulditbe?

KelsiTeeling,

Blenheim

Iwould go andsee Matildatosee

andcheer thelocal talent.

Broughttoyou by...

Debbie Webster

Franchise Owner Blenheim

SamTeeling,

Blenheim

I’ll choose Matildatosupport local.

Anna Casey,

Gold Coast

I’d love tosee Mama Mia for the

really cool atmosphere of this musical.

GedCasey,

Nelson

Isaw Cats afew years ago in

Auckland andIwould seeitagain

as it wasabsolutelysuperb!

To sell what you love, talk to someone

who loves whereyou live.

JanetCasey,

Nelson

I’d love tosee The Sound of Music.

We hadfourkidsand it brings

back some lovely memories as it

remindsmeofabig happyfamily.

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Rugs are

the best

way tobring

a colourful

autumn

to your home

Opening hours vary-please

phone to check before you visit

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Phone 0274 086 191

Allyourcommunity news

nowalsoonthe

Blenheim Sun Facebook page

Letters

Lettersonissuesofcommunity interest

arewelcomed. Amaximum of 150words

please.

They must be signed and astreet

address provided toshow good faith,

even when anom de plume isprovided

forpublication.

BeingSocial

Avery talented &lovely

whānau, apleasure working

with youall!

Michelle Lavender

Prayerstoall involved

and wishing

the person

on the mobility

scooter aspeedy

recovery.

DianeKirkwood

People crossing

DON’T look before

they walk,run,shuffle,

cycle, scooter,

mobility scooter

across.

ChristineBrown

to the editor

The editor reserves the right to

abridge letters or withhold letters from

publication.

Emailthemtonews@blenheimsun.co.nz

or presenttoour officeat72HighSt.

Please note that your name and street

addressMUSTbeprovidedwithemails.

Congratulationstothe Pinheiro family,

we wish youand allthe cast of Matildathe

Musicalthe very best foropening night.

So proudofyou guys.Awesome

family.Goodluckand

have fun.

BronwynBrown

Ihave amobility

scooterand Iget scared

to crossthe crossings...

seen afew near misses

myself!!! Ihope this

person is alright!!!

KaaraWalker

Great work Pinheiro

family

Drew Jelena Manson

Apersononamobilityscooter hasbeentaken to hospital

with moderate injuries afterbeing hitbyacar.

So sad toread this,

my friend got hit by a

carand shenever used

her mobility scooter

afterthat. it really gives

them such afright.

WendyReynolds

Indian Free Trade

Agreement

Dear Ed

Iamdeeply concerned at what

National,Act andLabourhavesigned

up to with the Indian Free Trade

Agreement. It is surprising that they

did not first discuss with Winston

Peters,who is theircoalition partner

and whose vast experience and

position as Foreign Minister could

have brought about abetter deal for

NewZealand.

Large scale immigration atatime

when our health system and infrastructure

are underenormousstrain

does not benefit either kiwis or

immigrants. Immigration,UNDRIP

and the Paris Climate Accords have

no place insuch anagreement. A

straight TradeAgreement wouldhave

been sufficient but why add these

clauses? It is surprising that David

Seymoursignedanagreement which

includes UNDRIP. How does this

line up with hisTreatyBill? Toolate

to backtracknow thedealissigned.

Thepublicdeservesafull explanation

as to how this will work for the

benefit of everyone.

June Auret

Marlborough

ArtDevine

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ART. DEVINE@NZSIR.COM

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The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 9

New modelling shows reduced threat

Council’slatesthydrodynamic models

indicate areduced risk from predicted

sea level rise and coastal flooding in the

Lower Wairau Plain, thanks to improved

modelling techniques.

The Sea Level Rise Modelling and Lower

Wairau Hydrodynamic Assessment,

created by EarthSciences NZ (formerly

NIWA) for Council, marks asignificant

step forward in Marlborough’s climate

change adaptation efforts. Moving

beyond previous static, or ‘bathtub’,

models, the new modelling simulates

water interactions with river channels,

lagoons, stop banks, and coastal barriers,

providing amore accurate understanding

Chinese Ambassador visits

The Ambassador of the People’s Republic

of China to New Zealand His Excellency

Dr Wang Xiaolong has madehis first visit

to Marlborough, hosted by Mayor Nadine

Taylor.

Marlborough has ahighly successful sister

region relationship with Ningxia, China,

established in 2017.

MayorTaylor saiditwas her great

pleasure to host the Chinese

Ambassador.

“Asanexporting region it is important

Marlborough is outward looking and

internationallyconnected. Visits likethis

are awonderful opportunitytobuildon

our existing relationships and strengthen

our wine,tourism, people,and education

connections with China,”she said.

Council’sGroup Manager,Strategic

Management Neil Henry said the

purpose of the visitwas specifically to

showcase Marlborough’s wine industry

to the ambassador.“It provided achance

to update him on the success of the

Marlborough wine region partnership in

wine consultancy,winetechnology and

wine education.”

The ambassador was accompanied by

Consul General Madame He Ying who

hasvisited previously, along with Third

Secretary Wang from Chinese Embassy

inWellington and ViceConsul Cui and

Ferry consultation now open

of potentialflooding and supporting

better risk management and planning.

The assessment, reported to lastweek’s

Environment and Planning Committee,

shows that while the central and southern

WairauPlain remain vulnerable to even

minor sealevel rises,the potential

flooding is less widespread than

previously believed.

Thestudy also identifies where

overtopping of flood protection features

mightoccur and notes asignificant

increase in risk of 1.8 to 1.9 metres of

sealevelrise.Importantly,the modelling

confirms that coastal storms can elevate

river levels, emphasising the need

ChineseAmbassador Dr Wang Xiaolong

(left) and Consul General MadameHe

Ying duringtheir recent visit, with Mayor

Nadine Taylor andSaint ClairSenior

Winemaker Kyle Thompson

Vice Consul Li from Chinese Consulate in

Christchurch.

Saint Clair Family Estate Senior

Winemaker Kyle Thompson was one

of several in the hosting party and

spent acouple of hours describing the

winemaking process in the winery as well

as conducting atasting and vineyard visit.

for coordinated river and coastal

management.

Council will use the improved

information to inform policy,

spatial planning, consenting and

infrastructure investment, in line

with national guidance and adaptive

planning approaches.This work is

part of the Council’sClimate Change

and Adaptation Action Plan, initially

adopted in 2020 and recently updated

to steer Marlborough’s climate

initiatives through to 2028.

Council and Earth Sciences NZ

are also examining the potential

impacts of predicted sea-level rise

on groundwater levels in the Lower

Wairau Plain. Groundwater levels

are higher on the lowerplain, and

Council manages adrainage network

tokeep the levels low and support

land productivity.The results of this

investigation are also expected this

year.

Avideo of the committee presentation

and Earth Sciences report is available

on the Meetings sectionofCouncil’s

An indicative sample from thenew

simulatedSmart Maps

website.Updated information

including simulated SmartMaps will

be available on Council’swebsite later

this month.

For background information on

Council’sClimate Change and

Adaptation Action Plan, visit:

www.marlborough.govt.nz/

environment/climate-change

Public consultation is open until 19

May for the public to have their say

on whether Council should loan$110

million to Port Marlborough for its share

ofPicton’s infrastructure required for

the Government’sferry replacement

programme.

This week there are three ‘drop-in’style

public meetings at:

• Picton: Port Marlborough Pavilion, Wed

13 May,1-3pm

• Picton: Port Marlborough Pavilion, Wed

13 May,6-8pm

• Blenheim: Lansdowne Hub,Thu 14

May, 6-8pm

Representatives from Council, Port

Marlborough, Ferry HoldingsLtd and

Marlborough Roadswill be thereto

answer questions.

The online form is the quickest and

easiest waytomakeasubmission. Go to

links.marlborough.govt.nz/haveyoursay


10

Wednesday May 13, 2026

one on one

with the Sun

The Blenheim

Keeping calm

and carrying on

By PaulaHulburt

Pointing to the cover of his latest

book, Blenheim writer Ron Crosby,

is matter of fact as he revealsone of

the soldiers depicted was killed just

hoursafter thephoto wastaken.

Hisgazelingers on theglossyfront

cover, Corporal Douglas Grant,

captured foreverrunning towardsthe

BritishCouncil Compound as flames

took hold.

Keep Calm -Weare Coming: The

NZSAS inaction inAfghanistan,

2009–2021 is Ron’s tenth book.

The acclaimed historian and former

barrister gives an as-it-happened

account offour major engagements

undertaken by New Zealand special

forces (the NZSASregiment) during

deploymentsinAfghanistan.

“A VBIED had exploded,” Ron

explains, “and Corporal Grant was

runningstraighttowards theattacked

compound. Some hours later ashe

racedunder firetomakecontact with

aKiwi strike force outside toassist

in recovery of three British Council

civilians, he wassadly shot.”

After years of earning the trust

of New Zealand special forces and

operatorsand retellingtheir realities,

the vernacular ofwar comes easily

to Ron, as does his readily apparent

respectfor thoseheinterviewed.

The dedication atthe front ofthe

bookhas been made in memory and

recognition ofCorporal Grant who

died on 19 August 2011.Underneath

is another name, Lance Corporal

Leon Kristopher Smith, who along

with another NZSAS operator had

courageously entered over the high

wall compound and, despite being

underfire,recovered Dougie Grant.

“Heprovidedimmediate aidtoCorporalGrant,onlytobekilledhimself

afew weeks later, Ron explains.

While acknowledging the sadness,

Ronsayshis task is to help preserve

their memories; to acknowledge the

many acts of braveryand courage.

“Really, my role is just trying to

capture memories and feelings,” he

says.

Readers are taken onajourney

-fromthe attacksatthe Indian Guesthouse,

theIntercontinentalHotel and

the British Council in2010 -2011,

to the Kabul airport uplift ofKiwi

document holders.

Ron’swords pay tribute, simply in

the retelling, ofhow small, highly

trained teams saved many lives in

horrendously dangerous circumstances.

Histalentfor nuance perhapsunsurprisingfor

aretired barristerwho was

amember ofthe Waitangi Tribunal

for 13years. “Iread asmuch asI

couldabout theNZSAS,not that there

wasmuchinNew Zealandavailable,”

Ron explains. “I became aware that

physically andmentallytheyhad to be

outstandingcharacters, whichindeed,

they were.”

“Really, my role

is just trying to

capturememories

andfeelings”

Interviewing these NZSAS regiment

menand women, Ronneededto

establishtrust.“Thegreat majority of

initialinterviewswould be questions

coming my way asthey ascertained

what kind of blokeIwas,”Ron laughs.

“We’d find similar values and

asense of humour. Among their

[NZSAS] tenets are the pursuit of

excellence, anunrelenting sense of

discipline, humility and humour

which are all values Icertainly hold

in high regard.”

Ronwas admitted to theBar in 1971

aftergaining aBachelorofLawswith

HonoursfromAucklandUniversity.

In 2002 he formally retired asa

partner ofthe law firm Gascoigne

Wicks but continued asaconsultant

foranother fiveyears finally retiring

at the end of December 2007 to

concentrateonwriting.

Married toMargy, who is of Te

Rarawa/Te Aupouri descent, the

After years of research and interviews,

Blenheim based writer Ron

Crosby, has published his tenth

book, Keep Calm -Weare Coming:

TheNZSAS in action in Afghanistan,

2009–2021. Photo: PaulaHulburt

couple have threeadult children,

alleducatedinMarlborough,and

eightmokopuna.

With his latest book now published,Ron

hopestospend more

time in thebackcountryandwith

family,especiallyhis grandchildren.

“Margy always jokes that

if Iwant toget one ofthe grand

children to sleep, Ishould give

them oneofmybooks to read!”

Ron was engaged bythe NZ-

SASTrust.Seventy-five percent

of all proceeds made from the

book’s sale will go to theTrust.

Keep Calm -Weare Coming:

TheNZSAS in action in Afghanistan,

2009–2021 is available

in shops and online and can

be ordered through orders@

bookreps.co.nz

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The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 11

ADVERTISEMENT

John Bertrand Collectables

Buying inBlenheim and Picton

Next Wednesday 20th May

Once again, the gold and collectables buyers

from Wellington company John Bertrand

Collectables are visiting Blenheim and Picton next

week. Mr Tony Grant from the company says, “If you

are downsizing or wanting to disposeofthings because

they no longerserve anypurpose to youoryour family

bring them in”. “Next week will be agreat opportunity

to have any items you want tosell assessed by our

buyers” said MrGrant. Particularly wanted are Gold

and Silver (in any of its forms) and Collectables such

as Coins, Banknotes, War

Medals, OldWind-up Watches

and other interesting Small

Collectables.

“We are keen buyers,

especially ofthe items inthe

list below” said Mr Grant.

“Nothing is too small for our

consideration. We are just as

happy buying 1item aswe

are buying 1,000 items” he

said. The buyers will be in

Blenheim and Picton next

week. (see details below). As

Tony Grant points out “Ifyou

areindoubt about anyitems

you may wish to sell, bring

them along for an instant

appraisal.”

Mr Anthony (Tony)

W. Grant

Fellowofthe RoyalNumismatic

Society of NewZealand Incorporated

Director and Buyer

John Bertrand (Collectables) Ltd

Author of the John Bertrand

NZ Coin &Banknote Catalogue

Gold &Silver

At Very High

Prices

Overthe last couple

of years, we have

seen a sharp increase

in the price of precious

metals. The gold price in New Zealand

is still at historically high levels. So, gather

up all your unwanted items and make an

appointment to see the buyers. Tony Grant

says “We can buy gold items in all forms,

including Jewellery(Rings,Chains,Brooches

etc.), Coins (Sovereigns and the like),

Alluvial (River Gold), virtually anything,

even Gold Teeth! We also need all Sterling

Silver including Cups, Tea Services, Cutlery

and OldCoins”hesaid.

Some Big Dollars in Early Banknotes

Early New Zealand Banknotes dated

before 1932 are currently fetching

big money! This is according to Mr Tony

Grant, author of the John Bertrand New

Zealand Coin & Banknote Catalogue.

Mr Grant is in Blenheim and Picton

next week on a buying trip for John

Bertrand (Collectables) Ltd and would

be very keen to see any of these issues.

“We will pay at least $300 for any

undamaged TenShilling or One Pound

Interesting Small

Collectables Wanted

The buyers from John Bertrand

(Collectables) Ltd, visiting Blenheim

and Picton next week, are happy tolook

at any interesting items, for example

vintage pocket and wristwatches such as

Rolex, Men’s Omega, Breitling and gold

watches etc. Also wanted, pre1950’spicture

postcards, Maori and Pacific artefacts, old

fountain pens and other small antique or

historical items.

“If you have something unusual which

you would like tosell, please bring it into

one of our venues, we would like the

chance to at least have alook at it” said

Tony Grant, buyer for the Company. “We

will consider anything which may be of

interest toacollector” hesaid.

banknote from a New Zealand trading

bank dated 1932 or before.

Denominations of five pounds and

higher would be worth from $700. “Any

banknote dated prior to1900 would be

worth at least $1000” said MrGrant.

Also purchased are any Reserve Bank

of New Zealand pre-decimal issues,

especially 50 Pound notes. All overseas

banknotes are also wanted, especially

early Pacific Island issues.

C

D

Collectors Need WarMedals

urrently, throughout NZ and the world there isabig

demand by collectors for war medals. These cover all

wars right through from the New Zealand Land Wars and

the Boer War, to the First and Second World Wars and the

later KoreaandVietnam conflicts.New Zealand Servicemen

and Women first served overseas in the Boer WarinSouth

Africa around 1900 and the war medals awarded for this

service are needed by the buyers, asare any other Medals

from earlyNew Zealand and the NewZealand Wars.

General service medals from both the First and Second

World Wars willalsobepurchased, but as can be imagined

these were awarded in fairly large numbers. “If agroup

of medals has any special award for bravery such asthe

MilitaryMedal,MilitaryorFlying Cross or other medalsfor

Distinguished Conduct or Meritorious Service, these can

add great value toagroup” stated Mr Tony Grant, buyer

for John Bertrand (Collectables) Ltd. “Many families have

old medals, some dating back toearly Imperial days, that

they are not sure what to do with. These are better off in

the hands of collectors who will look after them. We will

be happy tolook at any war medals whatsoever, just bring

them in to venues”hesaid.

OldCoins CanTossUpaRarity

oyou have abunch of old coins sitting around in

your drawers and cupboards? Youjust never know

what rarities may be lurking there.The advice from Tony

Grant from John Bertrand (Collectables) Limited is to

“bring them inand let ushave alook”. “No need to sort

anything out just bring them in‘as is’ and please don’t

clean them! We can go through coin accumulations

and collections fairly quickly” he said. The buyers are

particularly keen to purchase pre-1946 New Zealand

Silver Coins and World Silver Coins.“In any event we will

buy All Coins,” said Mr Grant.

JOHN BERTRAND (COLLECTABLES) ARE BUYING NOW!!

OLD GOLD

•Unwanted Jewellery or Broken Rings

•Gold Chains

•Gold Watch Cases

•Alluvial (River) Gold

•Dental Gold

•Gold Coins

•Gold Racing &Trophy Cups

COINS

•All Gold &Silver Coins

•Gold Sovereigns

•Gold Half Sovereigns

•NZSilver Coins 1946 &Before

•Also wanted NZ &World Coins after 1946

•Australian Silver Coins to 1963

•English Silver Coins to 1946

•NZ1935 “Waitangi Crown”

•USA Coins up to 1964

•Old Collections &Accumulations of World Coins

•Modern Collector’s Coins &Sets

•NZReserve Bank Sets

*No Pennies or Halfpennies Please*

BANKNOTES

•NZ&Australian “Trading Bank”Notes pre1932

(e.g. Bank of New South Wales, Bank of NZ etc)

•Reserve Bank of NZ Pre-Decimal Notes

•Any £20, £50 or £100 Notes

•Hong Kong &Malayan Banknotes

•Australian Pre Decimal Notes

•Australian “Star” Notes

•Early Fijian and Samoan Banknotes

•NZTraders Promissary Notes (1840s)

•NZGovernment Debentures

•NZBanknotes overprinted for

use inFiji, Cook Islands etc

•Postal Notes

•All other World Banknotes

WE WANT

TO BUY –

CASH-IN

NOW

GOLD &SILVER

•Racing Cups

•A&P Show Cups

•Sports Cups

•Presentation Keys &Trowels

•Show Pieces

•Sterling Silver Tea Sets

•Sterling Silver Cutlery

•Scrap Gold &Silver

*No EPNS or Silver Plated items Please*

WRIST &POCKET WATCHES

•Gold &Silver Pocket Watches

•Any Rolex Watches

•Omega Gents Watches

•Any Breitling, Jaegar Le Coultre, Vacheron &

Constantin, Patek Philippe, or IWC Watches

•Moon Phase Watches

•Chiming or Alarm Watches (Pocket or Wrist)

•Military Watches

•Divers Watches

•All other pre 1950s wind up watches

(parts value only)

*No Quartz or Battery Operated Watches Please*

TOKENS

•NZ&Australian “Tradesmen’s” Tokens

•NZTransportation Tokens

•Railway Passes

•Tram Tokens (not Dunedin Tramways)

•Presbyterian Church Communion Tokens

•Bread Tokens

•Theatre, Cafe, Discount Tokens etc

•Any other tokens relating to early New Zealand

COLLECTABLES

•Albums &Accumulations of Pre 1920s Postcards

(used or unused)

•Old Fountain Pens

•Small Chinese &Japanese Antiques

•Maori &Pacific Artefacts

No item too small for

our consideration

JOHN BERTRAND (COLLECTABLES) LTD

OUR BUYERS ARE IN YOUR AREA

NEXT WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY

REDWOODTOWN

Wed 20 May

Community Centre Hall,

Corner Weld &Cleghorn Streets

9amto10.30 am

WAR MEDALS ETC

•The New Zealand Wars &Boer War Medals

•1st World War Medals

•2nd World War Medals, Stars etc

•Orders and Decorations

•Korea &Vietnam Medals

•Antarctic orother Polar Medals

•Fire Brigade Medals

•Lodge Medals

•Shooting Medals

•Military Badges and all other

Military Medals

•Gold returning Fob Medalsor“Tokens of Honour”

from residents of small town New Zealand

HISTORICAL MEDALS

•A&P Show- Gold, Silver &Bronze Medals

•Commemorative Medals &Medalets

•Prize Medals (Gold &Silver)

•Sports Medals (Gold &Silver)

•Life Saving Medals

•Shipwreck Medals

•Coronation Medals

•etc, etc, etc

BLENHEIM

Wed 20 May

St Andrew’s Church Hall,

5Henry Street

11.30 am to 1pm

John Bertrand (Collectables) Limited

T: 04 232 9832 •E:info@bertrand.co.nz

Level 1Harcourt’s Building, 215 Main Road,

Tawa, Wellington 5028

PO Box 323, Wellington 6140

PICTON

Wed 20 May

Holy Trinity Church Hall,

Nelson Square

John Bertrand The Trusted Name In Numismatics Since 1965!

2pmto3.30 pm

NO

APPOINTMENT

NECESSARY

Please note: If you sell

anything to us, suitable ID is

required. Please also bring

your bank account details

for the deposit of funds for

larger purchases.

Membersofthe Australasian Numismatic

DealersAssociation and the New Zealand

Numismatic Dealers Association


12 Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

Teddyand Train Family

FunDay

Teddies galore, miniature train rides and

some very happychildrenmadeNurture@

HomeMarlborough’sannualTeddyandTrain

Family FunDay ahuge success.

The sun shone and there were plenty of

smilesand gigglesaschildren, families and

carers gathered last Tuesday atBlenheim’s

Brayshaw Park.

From teddythemedcookies andentertainment,crafts,stalls,andameetandgreetwith

Betsythe Bear,there waslotstokeeppeople

of allagesentertained.The miniaturetrain

rideswereapopular attraction,withplenty

ofyoungstersmakingthemostofthechance

foraride.

Photos:Paula Hulburt

Arlo Dowling with his rabbit

Floppy at Nurture atHome’s

teddybearpicnic.

ABOVE: Hazel with her Paw Patrol

bear.

LEFT: Olivia andKimberly.

Kate Reedy-Webb andson Alex with Jess thedog at theteddy

bear’s picnic.

Karcin andEsmefromKidzKindy at thepicnic.

Emilla Downey with herChristmas Bear.

ABOVE: NurtureatHomeminiature trainridetreat.

LEFT: GraceYeardleyatthe picnic.


The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 13

M a r l b o r o u g h


14 Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

CommunityLaw Marlborough

Te Ture Umanga mō te IwiWhānui

P: 03 577 9919 |0800 266 529

www.commlawmarlb.org.nz

14 Market Street,Blenheim

Proud to supportHospiceAwareness

Hospice

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Hellomylovelies.

It is all very exciting now with Hospice

AwarenessWeekwellunderway.Goodthing

I’ve been here tokeep aneyeoneveryoneand

pointapaw in theright direction.Idon’t know

howthey’dmanagewithout me!

Allthishardworkcertainly makesagirl a

bitpeckish butpleasedon’t fret,Imake sure

toshowuplikeclockworkeverydaytocollect

my treats.These lovely people whoworkso

hard wouldbedisappointedifIdidn’tshowup

formyregular rounds of yummies!

Anyhow,backtoAwareness Week,it’sall

happening here. Throughout this week we

have more lovely volunteers out and about

across the region collecting donations and

sellingraffle tickets.

Ilovethe chance to winaprize andthere

are plenty onoffer, from beauty vouchers

to massagetherapy.Now,obviously Idon’t

need abeauty voucher, it’s hard toimprove

on perfection,orshouldthatbepurrfection,

butamassagesoundslikesomething abusy

girl like me couldbenefitfrom.

Our Open Day is today, Wednesday,

and everybody iswelcome. Come along to

Hospice Marlborough at Gate 2, Hospital

Road and meet some ofthe team, find out

what services and care weprovide and

discover more about volunteering. There’ll

alsobeburgers!Thekind-heartedcrewfrom

Rapid Relief will beselling their legendary

burgersand coffees, with allproceedsbeing

donated toushere atthe Hospice. Yum…

burgers.

Proud tosupport

HosPice AwAreness

Sausages are also afavourite subject of

mine and tomark the end ofour special

Awareness Week wewill beholding a

sausagesizzleatBunningsonSunday17May.

Such abounty ofdeliciousness, Ican smell

them now. Ihopesomeone savesmeabit;I’m

boundtobebusykeeping theteamontrack.

I’ve been keeping mypaws busy, helping

prep for our wonderful Fabric-a-brac

event. Even though it is in July, westill

need donations. Think anything sewing and

fabric, ifyou’re having aclean out and find

things you nolonger need inthe sewing

department,dropthemtoour HospiceShop

in RedwoodtownorPictonand just mention

it is for Fabric-a-brac. Mention that Lexie

sent you, you’ll be well looked after.

This eventisheldonSaturdayJuly18from

10am-1pm at Connect Blenheim (corner

of Beaver Road and High Street). There’ll

be fabric galore, plus food (more food!) and

Baristacoffeefor sale.

Speaking of drinks, and while I’m not old

enough to partake, Imusttellyou aboutan

incredible collaboration wehave launched,

with RootsDry Gin.

This hasbeenaworkinprogress, andwe

aresoexcited to have it offthe ground.Iam

litereally rubbingmylittlepawstogetherin

glee!WehavejoinedwithRoots to produce

aLimited Release Hospice Marlborough

RootsDry Gin, anditisnow forsale. Head

to theHospice MarlboroughFacebook page

or websitetofind thelinkand you’ll be able

to purchase yourstoday.

Chartered Accountant

Proudly supporting

Hospice AwAreness

• Kitchens

• Laundries

• Wardrobe

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The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 15

Hospice

Awareness Week - May 11-17

Hospice

is not a

building; it is

aphilosophy

of care

RAising AWAReness...

“Most peopledon’tknowabout Hospice untilsomeone they loveneeds theirservices”

Each purchase supports vital specialist care in

our community, offering comfort, dignity, and

compassiontothosewhoneeditmost.When

youshare thisginwithfriendsandwhnau,

you’re not just raising aglass, you’re

honouring the present, celebrating

meaningful connections, andgiving

back to theplace we call home.

We’rethrilledabout working

withRootsandareverygrateful

forall thesupport.Havealook

at thelabel andsee if youcan

spot afamiliarand,dareIsay it,

beautiful face.

Well, that’s it for this

month, please support us

this Awareness Week, every

donation helpsuscarefor people

in ourcommunity whoneedusthe

most. Oh,did Imention theburgers?

Andsausages….?

Untilnexttime, stay gorgeous,

Love Lexie

Stuart Smith

MP forKaikōuraElectorate

Proudtosupport Hospice

AwarenessWeek

Blenheim Office

22 ScottStreet

Ph 03 5793204

Authorised by Stuart Smith, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.


16

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

ABOVE: Godwitsabout to land.

LEFT: Pied Stilts wading in theshallows.

Havelock Lions new

Bird Viewing Hide

Awatershed eventinthe history

of Havelock Lions transpired

on 28 April, 2026. Wehad done

all the preliminary work for the

project tobuild aBird Viewing

Hide, consulted on the best site

on the Marina Mole, got all the

consents we needed andthanksto

Anna Bensemann who prepared

theapplication,havethe Resource

Consent. We were ready tohold

apublic information meeting

to seek the consent Havelock’s

consenttogiftHavelockwiththe

Bird Viewing Hide. This is to be

our 60 th birthday present toour

community.

Our President, Siobhan Skinner

outlined ourreasons forthe build:

•Itwillenhance locals’interest

when they use this popular

walk, enabling them tosit for

afew minutes and enjoy the

panorama before them.

•Itwillbeapoint of interest for

visitors to Havelock if it is well

advertised and sign boards

refurbished.

•Itwill offer schools the opportunity

to bring classes to the

Mole to observethe bird life.

The enthusiastic listeners also

heard from Trish and Linton

Brown. Trish spoke of the 25

different varietiesofbirds shehad

seen at the site, and David Lightfoot,the

architectexplained that it

will be establishedadjacenttothe

public walkway. Access from the

track will bevia atimber ramp/

boardwalk into the structure.

It will serve afunctional need

to facilitate birdwatching over

Marlborough Sounds and will

contribute to theenjoyment of this

public area.

It will be establishedonpiles and

will be in dark recessivecolours so

will notlimit peoples’ enjoymentof

the immediate area and hopefully

will addtoit.

TomLennon, thePropertyManager

at Port Marlborough confirmedPortMarlborough’s

support

forthe Hide andAnnaBensemann

also spoke.

Therewas spontaneousapplause

when Heather Graham, the Small

TownsProject Managerannounced

that theCouncil hadmadeagrant

of $25,000 from the Small Towns

Projects fund towardsthe $69,000

cost of theproject.Later an anonymous

donor donated afurther

$10,000oncondition that theHide

wasbuilt by Labour Weekend.

Donationsare welcomed andcan

be paid to LionsClubofHavelock

Charitable Trust

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The Blenheim

SpeAK up, STAnd TOgeTher, STOp bullying!

Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora

Pink shirt day

Friday 15 May 2026

Thinkingpink andmakingpositivechange

By PaulaHulburt

Wednesday May 13, 2026 17

DaViD Boon

accountant Limited

69 Cleghorn St, Blenheim |027 579 3341

Part of the Redwoodtown Village

david@dbaccountant.co.nz

Proud to support

Pink Shirt Day

Proudly supporting Pink Shirt Day

marlborough

taxis

2022ltd

03

577 5511

The anti-bullying message isgetting

throughbut more stillneeds to be done.

MarlboroughYouth Trustisgearing up to

mark Pink ShirtDay on Friday 15 May, with

memberssteppinguptohelp.

Manager Maxine Sweeny says while she

believes celebratingdiversity andinclusivity

is helping, the battle against bullies isstill

ongoing.

“It’s sometimes asurvival mechanism,”

shesays. “Ifyou do it [bullying] to someone

first then there’s the mindset that itwon’t

happen to me.

“The minute youdon’t fit into thebox,you

suddenly become targeted.”

Pink ShirtDay is aboutreducingbullying

by celebratingdiversity in allits formsand

supporting schools, workplaces, and communities

to be safe,supportive, welcoming,

andinclusive.

It is aday Aotearoa comestogethertotake

astand againstbullying. Runbythe Mental

Health Foundation of NewZealand (MHF-

NZ), thecampaignstarted in 2012.

Youth worker, mentor and coach Lee

Tepuia says it’s important that people are

accountable for their actions, especially

thosetargeting others.

“You need to keep people accountableas

to why they’re being abully. Youneed to

talk with them andfind outwhy.

“To me, if someone’s being abully and

Marlborough Youth Debate presents

CommonGround,agenerational debate on

May22, 2026,atMySpace on 18 Kinross

Street from 6pmto7.30pm. Live Qand A

sessionand free snacks.Opentoall.

AGardenofVoices

Monday to Friday at MySpace. Open to

all youth in the community from 3pm to

5pmorother timesbyarrangement.

Youth Week 2026 T-ShirtDesignComp:

TheMarlboroughYouth Trustteamare hoping forplentyofpinkshirtsonshowinthe

communityastheygearuptomarktheannual anti-bullyinginitiative.Photo: PaulaHulburt.

finding someonetotakeitout on that shows

alack ofawareness. It’s about recognition

andthe thoughtprocess aboutwhy they are

doingit. It comesfromsomewhere,but they

can’talwayssee where.”

Marlborough Youth Trust are not only

highlighting Pink ShirtDay butalsogearing

up to celebrate Youth Week 2026 with a

T-shirtdesigncompetition andagenerational

debate.

Membersofthe MarlboroughYouth Debate

Club will be pitting their oratory skills

againstapanelofinvited speakers,including

Kaikōura MP Stuart Smith, Labour Party

candidate Matt Flight and Marlborough

Boys’College PrincipalJarrodDunn.

Submit adesign that issimple, high contrastand

embodiesthe theme“Ourvoices

matter and wedeserve to be heard –Taringawhakarongo!

Ki te reoongā taiohi!”

Join the Pink Shirt Day movement to

Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, MauriTū, Mauri

Ora –Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop

Bullying!

Manager Marlborough Youth Trust

Maxine Sweeney

They’remixingthingsup, Maxine explains,

whichshouldmakefor aheateddebate.

“We’re going tospin itaround with the

adults arguingfromthe youthpoint of view

andthe youthtakingheadult side.”

As part of widerYouth Week celebrations,

MYTare also encouragingyoung adults to

leavetheir mark.AGarden of Voices mural

needsartists to addapersonal touch, Maxine

explains.

“Itcould be aflower –anythingthatrepresentsyourpersonality

andvoice.”

www.marlboroughtaxis.nz

Proudly supporting

Pink

Shirt

Day

Together we create aculture

of kindness andrespect

Phone 03 578 0119

5Stephenson Street,Blenheim

Free call

0800 733 843

Proud tosupport

Pink Shirt Day

at Women’srefuge, we providethe

support andinformation youneed

when dealingwithfamily violence in

yourlife. Oursexualviolencecrisis

support specialists areavailable 24/7

forwomen.

Getintouch (03) 577 9939

Proudtosupport

Pink ShirtDay

121MahersRd, Kaituna

Ph 027519 8282

www.davidwraightcottages.co.nz

Stuart Smith

MP forKaikōuraElectorate

Proudtosupport

Pink ShirtDay!

Blenheim Office

22 ScottStreet

Ph 03 5793204

Authorised by Stuart Smith, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.


18 Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

Mother’s Day Competition

it’s official, Marlborough

mums are the best!

Ahugethank youtoeveryonewho wroteinand emailedustotelluswhy they love theirmumssomuch.

Fromplaying boardgames to readingstories andsteppinginwhentimes aretough,our mums are

always therefor us.Wehad so many wonderfulmessages, pickingour winnerswas no easy task!

Aheartfelt thankyou to allwho took thetimetowrite andcongratulations to ourprize winnersand to

ourgenerousadvertisers,you helped make Mother’s Dayextra specialthisyear.

AndrewSilvawrotehow hismumwasthebest

becauseshegave himlotsofcuddles,winning

heraspecial Lottoprize pack from Redwood

Village Lotto and some delicious Makana

Confectionstreats.

Izzy Morton from MayfieldSchooltoldusabout herlovelymum,Mel,

whohelps herwhenshe gets sad, givesher lots of cuddlesand support.

Izzy’s beautifullettersaw hermumwinagenerousgiftbasketfromFour

Square Spring Creek.

Iasamina Ifopo wrote to tell us how her mum Rebecca is

fantastic, terrificand awesome, tuckingher in at nightwith

love in hereyes. Iasamina’s beautifulletterwon hermum a

gorgeouscollectionofgoodies from Cerise,

Laura Layton, pictured here with mum

Sharon and son Thomas, won her mum a

portrait sessioncourtesyofHelen Nickisson

Photography after telling us how her mum

wasalwaysthere forher,helping hertolearn

to sparkleagain.

AmiraIeremia,picturedherewith

brother Nico, told us how good

her mum is at readings stories

and that she was the best mum

in the world, winning her mum

avoucher for the very delicious

goodiesatBocky BooGelato.

FlorencePorter’s wonderfullywrittenletter

praisedhermumHeatherforherkindness,

yummy foods and how much she loves

Heather, winningagenerousvoucherfrom

Blenheim’s BockyBoo Gelato.’

When Wade Williswrote abouthis wife Stephanie,

he gave plenty of heartfelt reasonswhy sheshould

winabeautifulgifthamperfromUnichemPharmacy

in Springlands. Stephanie, who lives with chronic

illness, cares for the couple’s non-verbal, autistic

daughter andher love,strengthand dedication to

thefamilynever waivers.

A BIG THANK YOU THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS WHO

HELPED MAKE OUR MOTHER’S DAY COMPETITION A SUCCESS!

spring creek

Redwood

Lotto


The Blenheim

Wednesday May 13, 2026 19

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20 Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

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WORDBUILDER

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11

350

A O T

T P E

12 13 14

15 16 17

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word.

Good 14 Very Good 18 Excellent 24

18

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23 24

25 26

Across

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The Blenheim

MarlboroughFarmer’sMarket

Mother’s DayMarket

Mother’s Day was full of sunshine and smiles asfamilies

madethemostofthebeautifuldayvisitingtheMarlborough

Farmer’sMarketand RootsGin ShackatVines Village.

Photos Anne Gaelle.

Out&

...with The Sun

your localpaper

Wednesday May 13, 2026 21

AbOut

Have an event?

Contact035777 868

Lisa andMaisieWilliamswith herhandpainted pot.

Autumn,Darcy andLaura Dalziel.

Lisa Pearce with hermum WendyGamble.

Kael,KC, Richel andKaela Meneses.

Lainiana andIowaneVasole.

Gabrielle Pedersen from Little Faces painting with Raphaella

Scott-Villacroux.

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22

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

Lets

'

Chat

• Areyou adog or catperson?

Dog.

• What’s your favourite snack?

Chocolatefondue with apples,bananaand strawberries.

• What wouldyou buyifmoney wasnoobject?

Ahouse with aview, swimming pool, suana and spa, and a

personal chef.

• Celebrity-wise whowould be at your dream

dinner party?

Notreallyacelebrity butStevenBartlettfromthe Diaryofthe

CEO. Ituneintohis podcasts alot.

• Savouryorsweet?

Savoury.

with

SarahLee Whyte

Hairstylist&FounderofSirah Hair Studio,

parttimecellardoorhost&tourguide

• Theshopyou can’twalkpastis...?

IKEA -sogladit’sfinallyinNZ.

• If youcould boardaplanetomorrowwhere

wouldyou go?

JapanorItaly.

• What’s thebestthing youcan cook?

Creamy mushroom,chicken andleekpasta.

• Areyou amorning person or anight owl?

Nightowl.

• What’s your favourite colour?

Lilacpurple.

• If youhad to choose anotherjob what woulditbe?

Real Estate Agent.

• What is your favouriteplace forcoffee or lunch?

My house forcoffee andmymum’s placefor lunch.

gardening this week

Leaves androbbers: By WallyRichards

Iwas asked byareader recently

what is best waytouse leaf fall from

deciduoustrees whichishappening

rightnow.

In the past, people that had small

woodlotswould make achicken wire

hammockstrungbetween twotrees

at waisthigh.

They wouldgatherthe fallen leaves

in autumn and place them into the

hammock.

Theretheywould be left to ageand

change to ‘leaf mould’, avaluable

gardening nutrient and growing

medium.

The best method toutilise fallen

leaves is to collectand spread over an

area of lawn whereitdoesnot matter

with arotary lawn mower, catcher

on, run over the leaves chopping

them andthe grassup.

Stuff the collected material into

black plastic rubbish bags while

spraying it with Mycorrcin asyou

go.

Also sprinkling calciumhydroxide

over thematerialasyou stuff thebag.

Once full tie offthe bag and then

with anail punch alot of little

holes all over the bag to aerate the

contents.

Standthe bags in asunny situation

andevery week or twoliftthe bags

andgivethemashake.

Thematerialinsidewillbebreaking

down and rewarding you with

rich leaf mould to use inyour

containers or gardens.

It is free,doesnot take much time,

and the result is some of the best

growing medium you could ever

hope for.

Now for our other topic which I

have called ‘Robbers’ in that plants,

shrubs andtrees will stealgoodness

youapply anywhere near them.

Raised gardens sitting on the

ground will be ruined by trees that

are many metres away asthey find

outabout your createdfertile raised

garden.

Howtheyfind outisfromthe Mycorrcin

fungithatattachthemselves

to thetree’sroots andspreadout over

great distances gathering food and

moisture to feed thetree’sroots for

exchangeofcarbohydrates.

This wonderful relationship betweenplantsand

fungican increase

the plant’sgathering zone by 800%.

NowwhenalotofMycorrcin bring

goodness from acertain area, the

plantsaysthere must be agoldmine

of food over thereand Iwantmore.

So feeder rootsare sent outinthat

directionand once at thesourcethey

multiply into amassoffibrousfeedingroots

filling theareatowithina

fewcentimeters of thetop of thesoil.

Your raised garden is afteraseason

uselesstogrowany qualityvegetables

andmostifnot allthe nutrients

arestollen.

The offending plant will have

grown much bigger thanks toyour

efforts.

Thus any raised garden must be

placedonaconcrete padabout 5-6

cm thick.

Butonthe otherhand, we canuse

apileofgoodness to benefit aplant

or tree bymaking arich source of

goodness next to whereitisgrowing.

An email this week from my

friends at Land of the Lotus in

Whangarei (https://landofthelotus.

nz/) prompted me to write onthis

aspect.

The email said: Thanks for your

informative newsletter asalways,

butIwouldsuggest youtry heavily

mulchingupyourbananas forwinter.They

are one ofthe few plants

that can benefit from agood thick

pile oflawn clippings etc infact

as Ialways say, treat them like a

compostheap!

The heat generated helps keep

them growing, and they are gross

feeders. For the home garden, the

best way ofplanting bananas is to

create ashallow pitand around the

raisedlip plantthe bananasleaving

anorthfacingopening foraccess.

Fill the pit with all your garden

waste and watch those bananas

grow.It’scalledabanana circle and

is ahandy wayofhidingyourcompost

heap andmakinggreat fruit.

Cheers andkeepupthe good work

that frostprotectionstuffisworking

well!

Ihaveseveral varietiesofbananas

Ihave purchased from Land of

The Lotus growing in100 litre

containers made from 200 litre

plasticdrums cutinhalfplusanother

banana growing nearby inopen

ground.

If you have alook onTradeMe

for empty 200 litre drums for sale

you may find some inyour neck

of the woods selling from $25.00

upwardswhich makesthemacheap

long-lasting containerfor bananasor

fruittrees when cutinhalf.

Bananas Isee can be grown in

most areas ofNew Zealand with a

care against frost damage by using

Wallys Spray onFrost Protection

monthly while frosts are apossibility.

Even damaged byfrost Ihave

foundtheywillrecover andproduce

more pups. Incontainers Isimply

add chicken manure to the top of

the growing medium along with a

bit ofFruit and Flower power now

andthen.

Apastuse of kitchenscrapswas to

digatrench in thevegetable garden

andplace thescrapsintoone endof

thetrench, covering over as yougo

till thetrenchisfull.

Then plant vegetables ontrench

soil and start another trench alongside.

Agreat and easy way of using

kitchen scraps tobest advantage.

Alittlehydratedlimeapplied occasionally

as youfill.

So to usethe method of ourfriends

from Land of The Lotus youcould

say out from afruit tree, berry

fruiting or citrus;bythe drip line dig

aholeand putall your kitchenscraps

andorganic wasteintothe hole as a

feeder source forthem.

Likewise on vines such asgrape

and passion fruit all heavy feeders

make aholeabout half ametre from

thetrunk anddispose of thewastes

into that.

All good stuff and free which is

even better.

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The Blenheim

Overstayers

I’ve only just learned that wehave approx

20,000 overstayers inNew Zealand. Omg. If

they arenot prepared to leaveontheir own

accord,thentheyneedtoberemoved.

Speeding

Ioften come roundthe corner by Lansdowne

Park onto New Renwick Road, which is now

50km all the way past Summerset, only to

have othervehiclescomeroaring up behind

me because they still want to do 70km. The

speedlimit waschangednearly4years ago!

Allfor CliffordBay relocation

Looking sensibly tothe future, the ferries

should locate to Clifford Bay where there is

roomto grow.Shorterdistance, less time/fuel/

emissionsfor most heavyinter island freight.

SH1roadconditionwouldbeimproved(think

Weld’s Passandthosebigtrucks).Basically,less

stress on everything andeveryone. Picton will

becomeabeautifultouristholiday destination

withoutuglyfreight andvehicle hassles.

Toofar left

If it wasn’t bad enough for TV1 news and

Breakfast tobepolitically biased, then what

aboutbringinginanother frontpersonwho

was aflat mate of aformer PMnow living

overseas?About timeTVNZ CEOwas replaced

with someonewho canstayinthe centre of

politics. Nowonder their ratings are hitting

rock bottom.

So-calledfuelshortage

Amazingeverything slowly butsurelycreeping

up. Watch what won’t come down after

the so-called fuel shortage. But note all the

nice newutesand vehicles that belong to the

companies. Also note theamountbeing used

on weekends. Great perks for workers. not

good forconsumers.

txt talk with

Defecating doginmydriveway, Pitchill Street

Whose-everdog it is,pleasedon’t letituse my driveway as itstoilet.

Imightbetempted to leaveitagiftofchocolate.

QueenStreetbirdpoo

Aftergoing into theMDC office andemailing

photos of themessonthe QueenStcrossing, I

am pleasedtosee that this area hasnow been

cleaned. Iwas told it is thejob of Marlborough

Roads to keep ourstreets clean. It wouldbe

nice to know whythisisnot doneonaregular

basisinstead of requiringacomplain to have

acceptable standard of presentation of our

town centre forbothlocalsofvisitorstoenjoy.

Re:Afarcry

Totallyagree,the CTIcontestantslive in luxury

comparedtoSurvivorcontestants.OnSurvivor

they need their wits about them and don’t

seem to have so many crying festivalseither.

Re:Redwood Street reseal

Totallyagree.ConsideringuptilnowRedwood

Streethasmostlyhadgoodworkcompletedin

thepast, this lotleavesalot to be desired. Like

goingoverjudder bars now. What happened

to rollingitflat oreventakingprideinthework

youdo? Notproud of that!

Abig thank youtoLaser

Electrical

Thetwo ladies at FrontDesk,awelcome smile

andchat.Thejobwasnotaneasyoneforthem

butweare elated to have it allgoing again.

MAGA mistake

Sadly I’ve succumbed to what Blenheim is

notedfor,talking aboutpeoplewhenthey’re

absentfromtheir club.

Living in Blenheim for awhile now and a

member at alocal club,lastFridayIjoinedthe

club of divulgers,which ItoldmyselfIwould

neverbecome.

Idivulgedthatthisone member wasaDonald

Trumpsupporter,I’m nowhoping my selfishness

will noteffect theirclubmembership.

The Sun

Love thyneighbour

Thanks, whinging neighbours, you wonder

why your rates are through the roof? You

wasted 10 MDCman hours moaningabout a

fire. Theoutcome is notwhatyou wouldlike

buttoo bad, we areheretostay.

Re:PublicHoliday needed for

ANZACDay

Personally,myanswerisYES.Evenifitfalls on

theweekend. Some people arestill working

andwouldappreciateaday offwithfamilyand

friendstorememberthe people whoserved.

I, myself am retired and still feel it’s agreat

ideahavingthe extraday to observe. Plus,it

givespeopleachancetogoawayfor acouple

of days break.

WhaleTrail

Iagreethatthecycletraillooksgoodandcould

bean assettoour region.Willbeinteresting to

seewhatlevel of useitreceivesfromnow on

to evaluate whetherall thetimeand money

spentwas worthwhile.

News

Ihavetoagreewith thepersoncongratulating

our free papers, particularly this one the

‘Sun’, afterthe MarlboroughExpress stopped

printing paper newspapers, you guys have

filledinthatgap.

Very proudofyou,and grateful.

Morning news presenter

Howcan we getthatawful female presenter

off TVOne. It is justas well we have radionews

andgoodpresentersinthe evening. Nobody I

speaktolikes herbut Chrisisgreat.

Just curious!

If ourcouncil is spending heapsofour money

on upgrading sewer lines everywhere atno

extracosttoaffected properties,Iwonder if

they wouldconsiderdoing thesamefor our

non-existingsewerlineonNewRenwick Road

at Burleigh.Iholdmybreathwithtongue in

cheek.

Wednesday May 13, 2026 23

Talk of theweek

Grateful

Very grateful to NewWorld

customer whohandedin

my twolostplastic cards.

Thank you.

Thank you

Iwould liketothank

thelovelyfemalestaff

member at Harvey

Norman Photoshop for

herwonderful help this

Monday,the 4thMay,at

1pm. Imadeaphotobook

forawee girl.Itwas all

very overwhelmingasI

hadn’t done it before.But

thelovelystaffmember

navigatedmethrough,

helpingmedoacutewee

book. Excellentservice,from

Harvey Norman.

Awesome

What an absolutely

awesomevenue theWine+

Food experience is.

If youhaven’t been yet, you

must.Marlborough’s best

is showcased and available

fortasting.

Paired with thesuperbOak

&Ivy restaurant next door,

youhavethe makingsofa

memorable evening.

We welcomeyourtexts on

027242 5266.

Limitto70words please.

We reservethe righttopublish at our

discretion.Pleasenotethe opinions

expressedare notnecessarily thoseofthe

Sunmanagement.

Gotanimportant issuetosharewithMarlborough? Text your thoughts to 027242 5266

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The Blenheim

Classifieds Advertising Ph03577 7868

Wednesday May 13, 2026 25

Golf

Results

Blenheim Golf Club

April 229hole net medal Dawn

Walker 40 Bernice Arnold 4018

hole MedalElaineBrown 77

April 23rd Par Stuart Parker 4

Stuart McLagan 2Ytsma Gary 1

Don Lamond 1Guido Bertogg 1

9hole Stableford Dave Horrell 22

George Addis 20Paul Crosbie 18

DavidWaters18

April25th4BBBStablefordAdam

Hurring +Hendrik van Dyk 48

Sam Rainbird +Norbert Thaler 47

Ryan Windleburn +DougShaw45

RayHerd+Ross Agnew44Andre

Tewhiu +Doug Russell 44 Bob

Tapp +Nigel Smith43

April27thMixed 9holeStableford

John Burns 21Darren Simpson 20

Graeme Parker 20 Sam Rainbird

20 Yvonne Hore 19 Dean Ormsby

19 Dave Horrell 19Dave Menzies

19 Chis Currie 18 Georg Addis 18

Clarry Neame 18Don Lamond

18 Jenny Adams 18 In Hatcher 17

Vickie Lane 17 Jenny Evans 17

BrianBurgess 17 NigelSmith 17

April2918holestablefordJudith

Batty 30Vickie Lane 309hole

stableford Chris Currie 21Bernice

Arnold 18 Yvonne Hore 13

April30th9holeStablefordDean

Ormsby 21 David Waters 20Bob

Tapp 20 Ian Hatcher 20 April 30th

Nett Medal Stuart Parker 69Buck

Asplet 69 Rachel Bell 70 Colin

Pitkethley 71 Reg Reid 71Grant

Flynn71GraemeParker71

May 4th Mixed 9hole Stableford

Jenny Adams 21 Elaine Brown 20

BarryMosley20MikeMcConnell

20 Debra Nicholls Ann Walker 19

Dean Ormsby 19 In Hatcher19Ida

Beets-Huchshorn19DawnWalker

19 George Addis 18Jenny Evans

18 Don March 18 Ray Herd 17

Yvonne Hore 17 Don Lamond 17

DanCrawford17

May 6th LGU Medal Nett Judith

Batty 73Elaine Brown 74 9hole

Nett MedalJenny Adams32Chris

Currie 34 BerniceArnold34

May 7th Stableford Reg Reid 46

DonLamond41Tom Bainbridge 40

Tere Poa 39Grant Flynn 38Jason

Giblin 37 9hole Stableford Dean

Ormsby 21 Panni Swann 20Paul

Crosbie19

May 9th Nett Medal Karandeep

Shahi 70Jan Cronje 70 Andrew

Stowell 71Warren Ingram 72

TomBainbridge 72Sam Rainbird

73 Desz Campbell 73 NTP 3/12

Sowmans Andrew Stowell 9/18

JanCronje

Public Notices

MARLBOROUGH

COMMUNITY FOODBANK

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday,May 21,2026 at 1.30pm

SalvationArmy Rooms, HenrySt, Blenheim

OutofZoneVacancies

TheBoard of Trustees advisesthat20Year7

outofzonevacancies have become available

at BohallyIntermediateSchoolfor the

enrolmentofthe 2027 Academic year.

Becausethe Board operates an enrolment

scheme,itisrequiredtofill anyvacantout of

zone places by ballot when thereare more

applications than places available.

This is necessaryfor allout of zone

students includingthose currentlyinour

contributingschools.

Themap canbefound on ourwebsite.

Theboard is prepared to receiveapplications

fromWednesday 20th Mayuntil 4pmFriday

24th July.

TheballotwillbeheldonThursday30thJuly.

Families will be notifiedFriday31stJulyvia

theemail address provided.

Enrolmentdetails canbefound

on ourschoolwebsite

www.bohally.school.nz

Mā te whiritahi, ka whakatutukiaingā

pūmanawa ātāngata

Together weaving the realisation of potential

TheRiverlands School BoardofTrustees has

determined thatthereare 9out-of-zone

places availableatthe new entrantlevel for

Cohorts 5to8during Terms3and 4 of 2026.

AtRiverlands School,weare committed

to nurturing everylearner’s strengths and

aspirations through connection, collaboration,

andhigh expectations.Wewelcome inquiries

from families who wishtojoinour inclusive

and supportivelearning community.

If the number of applications exceeds the 9

places available, aformalballotwillbeheldin

accordancewith the Education and Training

Act 2020.

Formoreinformation, to request an

enrolmentpack,ortoarrange aschool

tour:

• Phone: (03) 578 7077

• Email: office@riverlands.school.nz

• Address: 21 School Road,RD4,

Blenheim

• Website: www.riverlands.school.nz

Please get in touch with our school office for

further details on the enrolmentprocess

Thedeadline forapplications is May27.

Public Notices

Situations Vacant

DELIVERERS WANTED

Get fit with part time work delivering

newspapers and mailers into letterboxes.

•Regular weekly work

•Noexperience necessary

•Weare alocally owned company

•It’s easy, we drop the newspapers/mailers toyour door

Email: deliveries@alliedpress.co.nz

Include your name, address, email, phone number

OR SCAN THE

QR CODE

TO APPLY


26

Wednesday May 13, 2026

URGENT

services

Urgent Care Centre: Wairau Hospital

Grounds. Entry offHospital Rd,Blenheim,

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

Ambulance: Urgent111. Non urgent 578

0797.

After Hours Chemists: Springlands

Pharmacy: Monday -Friday 8.30am -

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

Public Holidays -phoneustobeadvised.

After Hours Chemists. Phone number is

035782271

Community Care Pharmacy: Within the

Blenheim Warehouse,open 7days 9am-

6pm. Closed on Public Holidays.

Lifeline Marlborough: 0800 543354, 24hr

helpline.

Women’s Refuge and Sexual Violence

Support Centre Marlborough: Crisis

line number phone 0800 refuge or

03 5779939.

Victim Support: 0800 VICTIM (0800 842

846)

Alcoholics Anonymous: 0800 AA WORKS

-0800 229 6757.

Citizens Advice Bureau: Free, friendly,

confidential advice. Mon -Fri 9.30am -

4pm. Phone 5784272.

Wairau Hospital: Hospital Visiting Hours:

Daily 2.30pm -8pm, children under 12

mayvisit parents only.

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

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

at all times is subject to the discretion of

the nurse in charge of the ward.

Emergency Dentist: Contact Wairau

Hospital 5209999.

Picton:

Ambulance: Urgent 111. Non-urgent 579

4870.

Chemist: Picton Healthcare Pharmacy. Ph

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

Medical Centre Pharmacy, Ph928 4265,

Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm

In Memoriam

Remember your

lost lovedone on their

anniversary.

The deadline is Monday5.00pm.Please contact the Sun for

further details. 72 High Street,Blenheim, email

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

txt talk

Gotanimportant issueto

sharewith Marlborough?

Text your thoughts to:

027242 5266

ANDERSON, Margaret Alison (Fowler):

It iswith heavy hearts that we saygoodbye.

Margaret passed away peacefully on 7th

May surrounded byher family after avery

long battle with cancer, aged 81, at Bethsaida

Retirement Village. Dearly loved and

cherished wife ofJohn for anamazing 63

years. Much loved Mum and Mother in-law

ofGreg&Tina,Sara&Chris. Adored Nana

to Kayla, Tessa, Stephen, Nicholas, Bradley

and Samara. Wonderful and treasured

Great Nana to Manaaki. Best friendofAnne

Daines. We wouldliketothank theamazing

staff atBethsaida and Hospice for the wonderful

care and respect you gave Margaret

in her final weeks. Aprivate cremation has

taken place, and amemorial service will be

held at alater date. Messages toAnderson

Family 124 Scott Street, Blenheim, or via

Cloudy Bay Funerals website www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz.

FLETCHER, Helen Christine (Chris), nee

Harp:

Sadly passed away while returning from yet

another amazing adventure inAfrica, living

life tothe fullest atage 78. Loving wife to

the late Colin. Loving mother toMark and

Michelle.Adored mother-in-law toRachael

and Paul. Loving grandmother toHarrison

and Bella. Cherished sister to Bill and Carol

and loving aunt. In lieu offlowers, donations

to the Marlborough Hospice Trust,

via their website, would beappreciated, or

may be made at the service. All messages

to the Fletcher family c/- POBox 9Blenheim

7240 or via www.cloudybayfunerals.

co.nz Aremembrance gathering tocelebrate

herlifewillbeheldatthe Springlands Chapel,

Cloudy Bay Funeral Services, 15Boyce

Street, Blenheim, on Wednesday, the 20th

of May, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Incelebration of

Chris’s vibrant spirit, colourful attire isencouraged.

The service will be livestreamed

and can be viewed on the Cloudy Bay Funeral

Serviceswebsite.

HAMILTON née Mortimer,Lynnette:

Died atDumfriesRoyal Infirmary on Thursday2nd

Aprilaged86yr.Dearly lovedmother

ofLachlan &Fraser.Atreasured sister of

Robyn Clarkand thelateThoraMurrell, Reece

Mortimer, Rona Howell, Dawn Brownlee

andTerry Mortimer. Forthosewho knew

her the service can be viewed from Friday

24 April 2026 to 24 May 2026 at Dumfries

Baptist Church https://www.youtube.com/

live/p6tgAmDUvAI SCOTLAND.

SCHIMANSKI, ValerieAileen (Val):

Passed away peacefully at Wairau Hospital

on Saturday, May 02, 2026 aged 87 years.

Dearly loved Wife of John and a loved

Mother and Mother-in-law of Glen and

Andrea, and Kim and Julian Aloved Nana

of Melissa, Matthew and Ben. All messages

to the Schimanski family, c/- PO Box 9

Blenheim, 7240 or www.cloudybayfunerals.

co.nz. Inaccordance with Val’s wishes, a

privatecremationand servicehas been held.

Death notices

LocallyFamilyOwned

FDANZ ph 03 578 2004

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz

LocallyFamilyOwned

FDANZ ph 03 578 2004

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz

LocallyFamilyOwned

FDANZ ph03578 2004

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz

POPE, Clive Collinson:

1955-2026 Passed away peacefully at

home onSunday, May 10, 2026 surroundedbythe

love of hislifeJill andhis brother

Brent. Loved byall who knew him. Messages

to the Pope family, C/- PO Box 9

Blenheim, 7240 or www.cloudybayfunerals.co.nz.

Special thanks to all atHospice

Marlborough and the nursing staff who

cared for him at home. Donations to the

Marlborough Hospice Trust via their website

would beappreciated. Asper Clive’s

wishes aprivate cremation will take place

and acelebration ofhis life will be held at

the Springlands Chapel, Cloudy Bay Funeral

Services, 15Boyce Street Blenheim

on Wednesday 27 Mayat2pm.

LocallyFamilyOwned

FDANZ ph03578 2004

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz

POWER, Faith Helen:

Passed away peacefully at Hospice Marlborough

on Thursday, May 7, 2026, aged

75 years. Dearly loved Wife of Patrick.

Loved sister toGloria, Beverly, and Colin.

Loved Mother and Aunty. Cherished Nana.

Ahuge thank you to the Hospice Marlborough

staff. Inlieu offlowers, please make

adonationtothe Hospicevia theirwebsite.

All messages tothe Power family, c/- PO

Box 9, Blenheim, 7240 or https://www.

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz. A service for

Faith will be held at the Springlands Chapel,

Cloudy BayFuneral Services,15Boyce

Street, Springlands, Blenheim, on Wednesday,

May 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM, followed

by Private Cremation.

LocallyFamilyOwned

FDANZ ph03578 2004

cloudybayfunerals.co.nz

WALLACE, Jack Frank:

Oneofour local RSEworkers passedaway

on May2,2026, in Blenheim. Ourthoughts

go out to Jack’s family and loved ones. A

farewell for Jack will be held at Sowman’s

Mayfield Chapel onWednesday, 13May,

2:00pm.

www.sowmans.co.nz

03 - 578 4719

We’ll handle the details so you can focus on

what truly matters.

Unique farewells, arranged with love.

The Blenheim

Wanted

DRy offcUTs for alog burner. Approx

30cm. Will take anything aslong asdry and

right size. Phone 035784942.

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

amount top prices paid. Pennylane Records

430Colombo Street,SydenhamringDave021

222 6144, 7days.

PENNylaNE Records always buying records.

Excellent prices paid, 430 Colombo

Street, Sydenham, 366 3278, open 7days

flyiNG NUN RECORDS /tapes Will pay

$1000 Pin Group, Coat, Suburban Reptiles

Sat Night pc $1600 Anything by25cents,

Gordons, Builders, Clean, Mainly Spaniards,

Playthings, Toy Love or any other Flying Nun,

80s alternative, punk bands etc Pennylane

Records Dave 021 222 6144

For Sale

KiNG single mattress.Lovelyclean condition.

7years old. Make anoffer. Phone 5705858

Personal

aRE yoU TEmPTED GENTlEmEN?

Hours 10am till 7pm. Phone 02102228031,

no txts.

Public Notices

DoUblE Glazing -Beat the rush with Marlborough

Glass. Stay warm, dry, and healthy

with Retro-fit Double Glazing for your Timber

and Aluminium Windows. DON’T DELAY -

TALK TO US TODAY FOR AFREE MEASURE

AND QUOTE! Ph578-5374.

maRlboRoUGHHUNTiNG &fisHiNG

Come down to Marlborough Hunting

and Fishing for all your outdoor needs.

46 Main Street,Blenheimph03579 1600

Clothing Alterations:

by Lynette

Atkinson-Parker

For your sewing requirements

Phone 03 578 1010

or 027 578 1010

Quality Service Guaranteed

news tips

Send your tips to

news@blenheimsun.co.nz


The Blenheim

what’s on in sunny Marlborough

Wednesday May 13, 2026

27

Monday

PokemonTrading andGameplay

–TabletopCafé, ScottStreet. 4pmComealong

andtrade cards, getout your battle decksand

have trainerbattle.

Picton Senior Citizens Club

–Meets everyMonday,1.30pmatUnion Parish

Church Picton. Housie, raffles and all sorts. Ph

Sandy5738324

Rotary ClubsinBlenheim

-Monday&Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm.Rotary

isaworld-wideserviceclubformenandwomen,

doing great things in your community. For

furtherdetails phoneKevin on 0211 738784.

Blenheim Scottish CountryDance Club

-EveryMonday at 7.00pm at St AndrewsChurch

Hall,CornerAlfredand HenryStreet, Blenheim.

Come andtry it!You don’tneed apartner.For

information ring Heather02102587325.

BeginnersLineDancing

-Senior Citizen Hall, 172 High Street, 2:00-

3:00pm &6.00-7.00pm.Comealong andenjoy

themusic,makenew friends,have funandlearn

to dance. Youdon’t need apartner.All welcome

andchildrenover12.Firstlessonfreethen$7per

class.For informationphone Judith 5787554or

0212341095.

Care andShare craftsession

-Run at Nativity in conjunctionwithGreen Prescription.EverysecondMonday

untilDecember

9:30-11:30 am. For anyone who loves doing

crafts,aplace to create,chatwithlike-minded

creatives, share ideas, learn new crafting skills

and make friends. For more details contact

Nativity office 578 3909 orGreen Prescription

at thePHO.Freeevent.

Marlborough Stamp Collectors Club

-34ArthurBaker Pace. Phone 021157 3496 for

moreinformation.

Rotary ClubsinBlenheim

-Monday&Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm.Rotary

isaworld-wideserviceclubformenandwomen,

doing great things in your community. For

furtherdetails phoneKevin on 0211 738784.

U3aBlenehim

-Every 2nd Monday ofthe month held at

Cloudy Bay Funeral Services Rooms,15 Boyce

St,Springlands,2pm.Keeping thematurebrain

active.Ann 0204 1440 371.

Tuesday

Hobbies, Clubs and Groups

Friendship Club Marlborough

-SemiRetiredorRetired.Meet4thTuesdayofthe

month10amatStMary’sParishCentre, Maxwell

Road.Speakers,outingsallinFriendship,Fellowship&Fun.Les

McKay5778207 or 021463922

LionsClubofHavelock

-Providing community service in the Pelorus

area. Meeting every 3rd Tuesday, atHavelock

Hotel.InquiriestoIan Cameronphone5742558.

Knitters andSpinners

-Picton Library and Service Centre from

10.30am. Bring your morning tea along and

current project to work on. Share your ideas,

skills or simply enjoytimewithfellowcreators.

There’s no need to book aspot, simply turn up

on theday.

Picton Line Dance.

Anglican Church Hall,10-11.30. Cost $7.Beginnerswelcome.

Formoreinfo-Carol021-2125252

or Raewyn 021-715484.

RenwickArmsCountry Club,CardSection

-1pm RedwoodTavern, Cleghorn Street.Meet

and play EUCHRE. Beginners are welcome to

learn andplay. $7 Ph Christine0272077631.

PencilPals

-meets at Connect, corner of High Street and

Beaver Road every Tuesday 1.00 to3.00pm.

Come and join Sydney and Issie to practice

your drawing skills and enjoy the company of

like-minded people. Sydney 0211568398; Issie

0204668008.

Wednesday

Senior Citizens Club Blenheim

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

2pm,SeniorCitizensClubrooms,172HighStreet,

Blenheim. An entertaining afternoonincluding

aguest speaker, Housie, and afternoon tea

provided. Allwelcome.PhShirley 0210388616.

BlenheimProbus

–First Wednesday ofthe month, 10am LansdowneHub.For

retiredorsemiretireeslooking

for fun, friendship and fellowship. Ph Anne

5787046,0226353919.

Lions’ Club of Blenheim

-Liketoknowmoreabout theLion’sClub? Meet

on the1st and3rd Wednesdayofthe month. For

moredetailsContactDelphineLee0299425004.

PictonMahjong

-Marina Cove Club Room, 53 Waikawa Road,

Pictonat1pm.Phone Adrianne 02102591639or

Kaye 0211312331 formoreinformation.

Blenheim Rock NRollClubNights

-7.30-9.30pm: Top of the South Rock nRoll

Club,clubnightsatthe Blenheim BowlingClub,

bring comfyshoes andwater.Great music, have

fun and exercise atthe same time. Phone Erin

0272341709.

Picton Scottish CountryDance Group

-7.30pm at Picton Little Theatre. Beginners

welcome. First nightfree. No partnerneeded

just apairofsoftsoled shoes. PhoneLynda on

0212600860 forfurther information.

Picton Cribbage Club

–PictonLibrary.Wednesdays1pm-3pm.

Marlborough VintageCar Club

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

Blenheim. Other times byarrangement. Ph

Ross 0272122902. Donation appreciated. New

Members welcome.

Thursday

Marlborough Camera Club

-meetings on2nd Thursday ofthe month at

St Mary’s Community Centre, Maxwell Rdat

7pm.Workshops areheldonthe 4thThursday

of the month. Everybody with aninterest in

photographywelcome.

Picton Poets

–Held the 4th Thursday ofthe month, 10.30-

11.30am, Picton Library, allwelcome.Phone Lyn

021 1294342.

UlyssesRetreadsGroup

-11amatBrayshaw Park every Thursday. Ride

to various destinations for lunch. Bring your

laughing gear, athermal to wear and astory

toshare.

Marlborough CommunitySingers

–Allwelcomewhethercompletelyneworanold

hand. Noaudition. ThursdaysatREAP, 6.30pm-

8.30pm.$9casual. Ph Amanda 022642 4805.

LibraryBookClub

-6.30pm-8pm Marlborough District Library.

We meet onthe last Thursday of the month.

Simply bring abook torecommend to other

membersandenjoylisteningtoothermember’s

(including librarians)bookpicks.

Picton LibraryBookClub

-6.30pm-8pm-Picton Libraryand ServiceCentre.

Join us in meetingnew peopleandchatting

aboutbooks.Wemeetonthe first Thursday of

each month. To register email pictonlibrary@

marlborough.govt.nz.

Knit andNatter

-Marlborough Library from 10am.Comealong

and join the friendly group ofsocial knitters

upstairs in thelibrary each Thursday morning.

Bring along your knitting project and/or get

inspiration from other knitters. Noneed to

register.

Blenheim Nightriders

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

forfitness, social andsafety. Meet at thelibrary,

leaving8pmforapprox2hrs.Nofee,supercasual.MoreinfoonFacebook,BlenheimNightriders

grouporcontact info@ridethewhale.co.nz.

Friday

Blenheim FamilyHistory GroupinPicton

-PictonLibrary on the1st and3rd Friday of the

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

family historyresearch? Meet membersofthe

Blenheim Family HistoryGroup.Contact Helen

0210390106.

Marlborough Vintageand Farm Machinery

Society

-BrayshawHeritagePark,openweekdays10.00

am -3.00 pmand Saturday mornings. For

further details contact Gerard (Secretary) 022

0392460.

Saturday

Marlborough Quilters meeting

-every 2ndSaturdayofthe monthatMarlborough

Vintage and Farm Machinery, Brayshaw

Park.10am-4pm. Learnquiltingorbring your

own projects. Sewing Machines available.

Newcomerswelcome.Liz 0212067382.

Blenheim ChessClub

-Meets at Table Top Café, Scott Street, every

Saturday 10am –1pm.All welcome.

UlyssesClub

- Every Saturday, coffee at The Runway Café,

Woodbourne, 10am. Departing The Runway

at 10.30am.

Sunday

UlyssesSocialRide

-Sunday rides are now by WhatsApp under

Marlborough Ulysses lets ride. All rides are

weatherdependent.

MarlboroughVintage CarClub

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

Blenheim. Other times byarrangement. Ph

Ross 0272122902. Donation appreciated. New

memberswelcome.

BlenheimBonsaiGroup

-Islington Gardens, Rowberry Road on the2nd

Sunday of themonth 1pm-3.30pm.

Boatbuilding

Exhibition

Friday 15th May, Picton Heritage and

WhalingMuseum, 9London Quay,Picton.

10am onwards, free entry. Part of the

MarlboroughHeritageFestival.Explorethe

history, craftsmanshipand storiesbehind

boatbuilding in Picton andthe Sounds.

TheMarlborough

ArtSociety Members

Autumn Exhibition

Marlborough Art Society Gallery and

Studio, High Street, Blenheim. Free entry

into this eventshowcasingmembers-only

creations across multiple mediumssuchas

painting,sculpture,drawing,photography

and mixed media. Runs 19th May to31st

May, 10.30am- 4.30pm daily.

Rotary Blenheim South

MammothGarageSale

andBook Fair

15th and 16th May 9am-5pm, 17th May

9am-1pm. Waterlea Racecource, Linton

Street entrance. Come along and grab

yourself abargain–China,glassware,brica-brac,

sports equipment, kitchenware,

furniture, tools books and plenty more.

Proceeds from the sale gotowards community

projects.

COMING UP

Pink RibbonYoga

Picton

22 May, Port Marlborough Pavillion, Endeavour

Park, Picton. 9.15am-10.45am.

This classisopentoall levels andisamix of

Hathaand Vinyasastyles. Come andhave

fun, wear alittleoralot of pink andjoinin

forbreakfast afterclass at Le Cafe,Picton.

$15cashordonations over $15.


28

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Blenheim

SummersetBlenheim

Open Day

SummersetBlenheim’snew villagecentreisofficially open! Thoughtfully designed to

be thevibrant heartofthe village, it offersresidents andtheir families arange of resortstyleamenities

to enjoy. Theseinclude aresidentbar,abeautifullyspaciousloungewithan

entertainmentarea, an exercise room,acafé,and alibrary.

“MovingintoSummerset Blenheim whileIcould, notwhenIhad to,was thebestdecision.

Ifeelsecure, supported, andstill independent, with awelcoming communityand plenty to

do.Myfamilyseeshow much I’mthriving. If you’re consideringamove, don’twait!” ALLISON,

RESIDENT AT SUMMERSETBLENHEIM

We know that moving to aretirementvillage is abig decision.Sowhy notcomealong

to ourOpenDay,and seefor yourself whyresidents love theSummerset life.

Love thelifeyou choose.

OpenDay

Thursday 14 May, 10am -2pm

Summerset Blenheim

183 Old Renwick Road, Blenheim

03 520 6042 |summerset.co.nz/blenheim

Images are indicative and village centre renders are artist impressions only. Homes sold under licence to occupy, subject toavailability.

Summerset does not offer rental accommodation. Care subject to eligibility.

SUM9458_FP

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