Harder than you may think

By Ava Rickey
Heaving myself onto my bike I groan inwardly, dread filling my body. I am already pitying my poor legs,  predicting torture on the ride up. Nevertheless I start biking through the Featherston Rimutaka incline entrance and begin my arduous journey. To begin this, ah, wonderful ride, we (the Wills family, Amanda Draper and myself) are immediately hit with an uphill slope *Sigh*. Although the slope was very small, it wasn’t a great first impression to our ride. The start carry’s on like that, up and down, up and down.
Moving off my bike I pull it over a small mound of landslide debris and shimmy back on to the seat to have to hop off again on a bridge. Riding along the stony dirt path, we have to shelter under overhanging branches to get away from the glaring sun. … Continue Reading

Inner Wheel

Well, the Martinborough Fair is over for another year. Our food received high praise from the Rotarians, firemen and policemen on duty for both days, although their waistlines might have suffered a little. Thanks go to Fresh Choice for their generous donation of food, and Pinehaven for selling us stone fruit at a reduced rate. Our last meeting was marked by the inductions of two new members, Alma Parr and Beryl Tupu, and a great speaker. … Continue Reading

Kahutara welcomes Yuhui

Kahutara school has welcomed Yuhui Gao, its’ fourth visiting Chinese teacher under Victoria University’s —– scheme. Yuhui graduated from Shandong University majoring in English Business language and having been selected ‘Outstanding Student Cadre’ at the university. Following her year in New Zealand Yuhui plans to return to university to do her Master’s degree from where she hopes to be employed by an offshore company’s Beijing office.

Yuhui has two younger sisters and lives with her family in Shijiazhuang Town where her father is a businessman. While designated a town it has a population equal to all of New Zealand’s. Understandably she has found her first two weeks lonely, but says “I’m getting used to it – it’s OK”. Shijiazhuang Town is close to Shijiazhuang city which has a population of 10.7 million about an hour and half travel to Beijing. … Continue Reading

Kay steps down

I would like to thanks everyone who in the last few years have supported me in arranging the Christmas parade her in Martinborough.

I now find it is time to ‘call it a day’ and my sincere wish is that somebody her in the township is prepared to ‘take over’ where I ‘left off’.
The Martinborough Christmas Parade is a wonderful opportunity for the people of our township to come together as a community to begin the Christmas Festivities, it is a time of great joy.
There are many people who have assisted me, in so many ways, to make this event a success each year. So I say a big ‘Thank You’ to you all for the generosity of your time and fellowship. Without all the assistance you have so kindly given me it would have been an impossible task.
Sincere thanks to all , Kay Mills

And on behalf of everybody: we thank you Kay all your work has been greatly appreciated by young and old.