South Wairarapa Rebus Club

Joe Howells.

By David Woodhams

Members attending our October meeting heard a fascinating address from Joe Howells, one of the principals of Green Jersey Cycle Tours based in Martinborough. While Green Jersey, with 700 cycle seats available for hire, is larger than any other Cycle Hire company in New Zealand, the bulk of their hire market is Martinborough Wine Tourism; when it comes to real touring in Aotearoa NZ, there are Cycle Tour operators that are substantially larger than Green Jersey. Pre-Covid, Green Jersey had organised tours to the south of France with on-the-ground support from Velorizons, a cycling organisation in France with a similar philosophy to their own. In return, Green Jersey had supported French tours to NZ but there has been no business either way since the outbreak of Covid in early 2020.

Their French business was initially a small-scale endeavour to generate some business over the quiet NZ winter months. It became something they really enjoyed doing. In the NZ winter of 2019, Joe spent almost four months touring in France and UK. Green Jersey are now taking bookings for their cycle tours in France for 2023 and are looking forward to the prospect of reciprocal business from Velorizons.

The main Green Jersey French tour is 16 days riding from Bordeaux City to Sète, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean, a distance of 750 km, taken at 50 to 75 km per day. All meals and accommodation are booked ahead, luggage transfer and bicycle hire are included in the cost. Often the route follows canal paths, particularly the Canal de la Garonne, opened in 1856, from Bordeaux to Toulouse and the Canal du Midi, opened 1681, from Toulouse to Agde. Together they link the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, avoiding the hazardous 3000 km sea journey for freight through the Straits of Gibraltar. … Continue Reading

Regional Council notes

By Councillor Adrienne Staples

The local government elections are done and dusted and most councils have settled into the work at hand for the new triennium.  It would be great to predict smooth sailing for the next three years but sadly it feels like stormy seas ahead if what is on the Regional Council work programme is anything to go by.

Like it or not, New Zealand feels like it is in a state of low-key unrest and this certainly manifested itself in the local government elections.  In the Greater Wellington Region, we have five new mayors out of eight, with two retirements and three defeats indicating that many people were not happy with the status quo.

The trouble is that much of what makes them unhappy is not actually local government’s own doing but a reaction to central government’s direction of travel on local government matters.

Which ever way you look at it, our current government is hell bent on local government reform.  They are doing this by stripping councils of the functions they carry out rather than examining what our modern society needs from the local government system then designing the structure around those needs. … Continue Reading

RECYCLING DAYS

Wednesday 14th December glass

Wednesday 21st December wheelie bin

Thursday 29th December glass

Thursday 5th January wheelie bin

Wednesday 11th January glass 

Wednesday 18th January wheelie bin

Thursday 26th January glass

Wednesday 1st Febuary wheelie bin 

NEWS FROM FIRST CHURCH

By Pam Colenso

May these be the gifts your Christmas brings –

Peace, Gladness, Good Health and Love

This last year has been memorable in many ways, we still had and have the lasting impacts of Covid-19 and the effects this has had on us, and the community, these have been long and varied.  

We at First Church have been able to hold several events over the last year, these have included the Autumn Mini Market, Mini Book Fair, Preloved High Fashion and High Tea evening and the Annual Kirk Fair.  All the funds raised from these events have gone to the work of the church.  It is fantastic to see the whole church family and friends working together to enable these to happen. Thanks to all who donated goods, and to the customers so necessary to the successful result.

We are already in the planning stages for next year and ask if you are having your annual decluttering or downsizing over the holiday period, and have items you no longer use, then we would love to have these for our fairs next year. Please contact Ronnie on 06 3069277 to arrange for collection.

First Church is holding a Community Christmas Day Lunch from 12 – 2pm in our church hall.

• Do not be on your own – if you are an individual, or a couple, come and join us for lunch, great food, and joyful company.
• All faith traditions are encouraged and welcome
• Fabulous food – 3 course meal, plus tea and coffee.

Only a certain number can fit into our hall, so phone Carol 0210712049 or Shari 0276364579 if you would like to come along, love to see you there. … Continue Reading