Gutters, footpaths and water pipes

The Red Cone Brigade marched onto Jellicoe St recently as contractors dug out 200-plus meters of old gutter and replaced it. 

Lines of Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s pet punch-bag guided cars, utes, trucks, log haulers, buses, camper vans slowly (30 kph) through the work zone, as workers, diggers and trucks laboured under the hot sun.

From the other end of the country, a special diamond-shaped purple sign _ originally from Southland _ warned drivers: “Please slow down, my DAD works here.”

Earlier, street works saw major footpath extensions and new gutters adorn one side of Easther, Regent and Malcolm streets, about a kilometer of extra concrete.

A council question which asked who should pay for Martinborough’s expanding urban footpaths and gutters drew 140 local submissions.  … Continue Reading

Hot, cool and high quality vintage in 2024

By Joelle Thomson

Vintage is a loaded word in any wine region at this time of the year, let alone one that is having

an exciting lead up to harvest after two challengingly rainy years.

“It feels like we can be more in control of this harvest, which feels very much like 2016 and 2020

where we had great power and concentration in the wines,” says winemaker Wilco Lam, chair of the Wairarapa Wine Region.

Lam predicts an early harvest with the first picking to begin between 8 and 10 March.

“We will probably look at picking Pinot Noir in the next 12 days or so,” he said, when interviewed for this story on 29 February. … Continue Reading

Fire and Emergency says powerless over long grass hazard

By Ray Lilley 

Long grass is a key feature in incidental fires which have sparked across the dry, dusty, drought-hit Wairarapa since before Christmas.

Despite repeated warnings late last year, and a current fire ban, some locals warn that uncut long grass poses a huge fire danger – and the fire service is apparently powerless to take action against landowners with such grass. 

Why? No proof of an “ignition source,” a key requirement for the brigade to legally step forward.

With tinder dry conditions continuing across the region, there are reports of rural locals deeply concerned about uncut long grass.

One farmer, who did not want to be named, reported that despite several neighbours trying for over a decade to get a neighbour to cut their long grass, it remains a full one metre high, including on boundaries and around buildings.  … Continue Reading

How Well Do We Know People in our Community?

Michael Bing talks to Lyle Griffiths

Michael was raised in Auckland, attending St Peters College where he loved playing both

cricket in the summer months, and rugby in the winter.

But there were always connections to Martinborough. 

“My father had relatives here, and as children we used to return frequently to help Robert Bing with the fruit and vegetable store and the Fish and Chip shop. 

As children we thought there was little about Martinborough that was enticing. But we did enjoy roller blading down the main street.

When I was about to marry Chloe, a position for a pharmacist opened up in Martinborough.

Chloe flew down, was interviewed, and won the position. Our wedding took place shortly

after, and for our honeymoon we cruised the Baltic sea visiting Russia, and Scandinavia. It

was magical. … Continue Reading