Martinborough Golf Round up 

As winter makes her presence felt, we can feel encouraged that the days will be getting lighter, and only 62 more days until Spring!!  The golf has been good through June and not many days have been rained off.  The course is looking supreme and the recent logging efforts have opened up new vistas all around the course….although the crosswind on 6 can now catch you out in a nor-wester!

Tournaments first up –the Martinborough Kindergarten Ambrose tournament raised in excess of $11k, Gloagy & Kate Patterson took over the reins this year and they did a great job!  The winners on the day were the Butcher, the Builder, the Plumber and the Farmer…..or for those of you who don’t know the formidable Ambrose team – Scott Reid, Shane Hartnell, Nige Malneek & Craig Colton.   

In mid June we held the Ngahau Trophy & Grandparents Tournament – despite the name it was a well-attended event with barely a walking stick in sight….  The winners of the Ngahau trophy (Committee members) were Trevor Hawkins and Mary Desbonnet.  Top Grandma was Mary Desbonnet and winning Grandpas were Trevor Hawkins and Phil Eberlein. Non-grandma Karen Shaw & Non-Grandpa Bevan Sweeny. … Continue Reading

Regional Council Notes

This month sees the start of the process for the local government elections with nominations opening on 19 July.  It’s quite a long procedure as voting papers are not delivered until 20 September with voting closing on 12 October.  Despite the length of time people have to consider their options and cast their vote, interest generally in local body elections has steadily declined.

This is a pity really as most people have contact with their local council on a daily basis, simply through the basic services they provide like the roads, footpaths, rubbish collection or water supply.  If you add in things like parks, amenities, consenting, flood management and public transport then you realise just how much local government is involved in our daily existence. For that reason alone people should make the effort to vote. … Continue Reading

South Wairarapa Neighbourhood Support 

Each month Neighbourhood Support NZ have a national campaign to help bring awareness to different aspects of what Neighbourhood Support is about.  

This month the campaign is ‘Inclusive Communities’. We’re celebrating the diverse array of people who call New Zealand home. Regardless of our different faiths, abilities, cultures, nationalities, ages, orientations and even genders – we want to make sure that our communities are safe and welcoming for all.

There’s many ways to take part! From hosting a multicultural potluck where each attendee brings a dish from a country of their choice to coordinating a fundraiser that benefits refugees or our elderly there are thousands of ways big and small to make our households, neighbourhoods, schools and businesses even more inclusive. It could even be as simple as learning from a neighbour how to say ‘hello’ in their native language or ensuring local footpaths are accessible! … Continue Reading

South Wairarapa Rebus Club

BLACK HOLES

Our local speaker at the 24 May meeting of the South Wairarapa Rebus Club was eminent astronomer Richard Dodd, a club member, explaining ‘black holes’ in the vernacular. Richard retired to Martinborough some years ago as Director of the Carter Observatory in Wellington.

Richard named the first person to identify the possibility of a ‘dark star’ as John Mitchell, a clergyman, who suggested in 1783 that a star with 500 times the diameter of the sun would have an ‘escape velocity’ exceeding the speed of light so it would shed no light. The name ‘Black Hole’ is credited to Prof. Robert Dicke who, in the early 1960s, reportedly compared the phenomenon to the notorious Black Hole of Calcutta. … Continue Reading