48th Martinborough Fair
WHAT: Community fund-raiser
WHEN: Eight (a.m.) till late 1 March
WHERE: Crowded town centre
Inaugural Sunflower Festival
WHAT: PYO sunflowers, River walk
WHEN: 15 – 16, 22 – 23 February
WHERE: Ruamahanga Farm … Continue Reading
By Martin Freeth
South Wairarapa farmers resumed their cull of canada geese this summer _ but bird numbers are ever-increasing and so is the damage they cause to water quality, pasture and other species.
Canada geese are not officially a pest but their extraordinary faeces output can overburden waterways and land with nitrates, phosphorous, e-coli and other bacteria, and they are voracious eaters of grass and feed crops. Four geese are said to eat the equivalent of one sheep each day; they are also depleting nature’s food supply for all other bird species.
Kumenga Farm owner and cull co-organiser Mike McCreary says contractors and volunteers shot some 3,000 geese on and around Lake Wairarapa between Christmas and New Year, after not organising anything 12 months earlier. For years previously, 12 or so farmers had grouped together to organise an annual cull while the birds were in moult and mostly on the ground (late December).
Such has been the growth in the canada geese population since 2022, this summer’s cull had around 30 supporters, all contributing towards the approx. $30,000 cost. But McCreary told The Martinborough Star flock numbers are still expected to bounce back and spread further into the
Wairarapa and throughout New Zealand. … Continue Reading
Financial liquidation of the contractor has halted the 14-crossing pedestrian lighting contract in the three southern towns, Councillor Aidan Ellims has told The Star.
“Council awarded a tender to MMS Group for the pedestrian crossings across the District to be upgraded with new lighting,” he wrote.
The underground light cabling and new lights contract was reportedly worth some $500,000. … Continue Reading
Martinborough golfers say it’s hard to believe that just over 12 months ago they were still in the old clubhouse _ “and now we have a spectacular new building.”
“To get where we are today has meant a huge fundraising effort and amazing support from members: we couldn’t have done it without them,” said committee member Emily Loughnan.
The club extended a huge thanks to Holmes Construction who managed to bring the building in ahead of schedule and under budget, kept in line by fastidious project manager John Thompson.
Fundraising will continue for quite some time to cover the full cost of the build while sponsorships from businesses will be an additional focus. Major sponsorship deals have recently been signed with P&K and The Orchards in Greytown.
The new era brings a new look with a modern logo and a different management structure. … Continue Reading
Martinborough golfers say it’s hard to believe that just over 12 months ago they were still in the old clubhouse _ “and now we have a spectacular new building.” “To get where we are today has meant a huge fundraising effort and amazing support from members: we couldn’t have done …
We start at the end of the month, when the annual Baabraa Trophy between Martinborough and Eketahuna was fought out on a glorious Sunday in Martinborough. A field of 70 played a stableford round and the average stableford points for the two clubs were calculated. Eketahuna scored an average …
September has been an up and down month weatherwise for golfers, some beautiful early spring days followed by cold and rain. Thankfully for the important days the weather has mostly come to the party. Early in the month the Cotter Rosebowl was successfully defended at Carterton by Martinborough’s team of …
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