Talent in New Zealand

Posted by on 11 March 2010 | 0 Comments

The last fortnight has left me little time to smell the roses. Between meetings in Invercargill and Wellington, I have not been at home much.

However, I ensure I make time for the really enjoyable times of attending community functions and I have had several memorable ones in the past few weeks.

I joined a group of celebrity walkers, including Dame Susan Devoy, on the Hump Ridge Track event and I always enjoy being able to walk the boardwalks along the ridges. Between the breathtaking scenery out to sea one way and towards Fiordland the other and the stunning flora, it is just awe-inspiring. Just as amazing is the work the local trust does to maintain and look after the track. The boardwalks protect the flora, such as the white gentians that are in flower, and the lodges are so clean and tidy.

We are truly lucky to have this track in our backyard and I encourage every Southlander to walk it.

I also was proud to hand over the new cemetery memorial sign to the Fortrose Cemetery Trust from the Tois Tois Lions Club, which, together with Southland District Council staff and members of the trust, had worked hard to create the sign. The sign and map, housed in a shelter, names everyone that is known to be buried in the cemetery and identifies where they are, so descendants and interested people can visit their graves. It also includes a history which tells of some of the several shipwrecks in the area.

People turn out in force on a cold day to the opening and it shows the importance of keeping history alive. It also shows how valuable our service clubs, like Lions, and volunteers are to the fabric of our communities.

I opened the Borland Experience Convention for the Lions recently as well and through how appropriate it was for the service organisation to have its conference at the lodge as club members have contributed so much to it. The lodge is a fantastic facility for young and old.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet's performance of From Here to There was magnificent. I always enjoy watching the talent we have in this country and this show was no exception, with its three different but brilliant acts.

Southland District Council hosted the Zone 6 local government meeting recently with a good attendance from councils from Waitaki south. The big discussion was on waste management, with Timaru talking about its three-bin system and Dunedin discussing its mixed council-business system. There were lots of questions and lots of learning as we are just starting on this journey.

Finally I completed in the gumboot throwing at the Cancer Society's Relay for Life last weekend - I had been practising by imagining people's faces as targets, isn't that a bit bad!!!