Cambridge News | November 6, 2025

Charlotte leads board

Could a Kit Kat solve it?

By Chris Gardner

By Chris Gardner

New Cambridge Community Board chair Charlotte FitzPatrick wants to build a bridge between the community and Waipā District Council.

“I have an interest in community relations and engagement. I run my business here, live in Cambridge, my kids go to school here,” she said after being elected on Friday.

FitzPatrick, who topped the board election poll, is director of communications and public relations company Belle PR which she founded in Cambridge in 2021 after working for two years as the council’s communications and engagement manager.

“We need to convene as a group and set our collective vision and goals

for the next three years,” she said.

The board will seek significant input into the council’s reset Cambridge Connections project, annual and long-term plans.

“We need to take the community on that journey,” FitzPatrick said.

The board’s first meeting will be December 4.

Earlier in the day Waipā mayor Mike Pettit named former community board chair and top polling Cambridge ward councillor Jo Davies-Colley as his deputy.

Pre-empting a question from Pirongia Kakepuku Ward Councillor

Clare St Pierre about a Cambridge mayor and deputy, Pettit said:

“The deputy mayor’s position was something that, like the mayor and Māori ward positions “goes across the district”.

“It is not from one area; it never has been. I’ve chosen someone I have got absolute faith in, hasn’t been on council before, but has shown absolute leadership and dedication to the district and that dedication has really come in the form over the last three years of turning up to council meetings when this person did not need to, at that point did not represent the district, represented a town within that district, so these things get noted,” Pettit said.

St Pierre wanted to know Te Awamutu and the southwestern rural area would still have access and the ear of those at the top.

“How are you going to make sure that those communities won’t be left out in the cold by not having direct representation in those two top influential roles?”

Pettit said he had always promised to put the best people in place for the district.

Where they lived was “very second to me” to their ability.

“I don’t think there’s been a mayor across this side of the district for 24 years – the job is 60,000 wide at this time and it is across the district.”

After the meeting both Pettit and Davies-Colley told The News they would make an effort to get into rural Waipā and meet with community members.

Davies-Colley said St Pierre’s question was fair.

“The focus now for me is less about Cambridge and more about the Waipā district,’ she said. “I am very honoured. My focus is going to be supporting the mayor the best way I can. I am excited to get to work.”

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit is offering to give anyone who can identify the source of the mystery explosions in Cambridge a Kit Kat.

The News has received several letters from residents who have been woken by the explosions as far back as 2017.

“I’ve not heard any big bangs, “said Pettit. “We are out of town. If the wind’s blowing right, we hear the fire siren. I don’t know what it is. Is it it underground? Is it above ground? Is it ground shaking? Or is it a boom? I don’t know. I’ll give whoever can find it a Kit Kat.

“I hope it’s not a health and safety thing, but it’s so obviously real. It’s been going back to 2017; there’s something happening somewhere. But no one to have found anything seems bizarre. “

Deputy mayor Jo DaviesColley said she had been woken by the bang a couple of times.

“It’s like metal on metal,” she said. “It’s a very loud noise.”

Waipā District Council has received no reports of loud bangs.

Armchair theories abound from Karapiro Hydro Station to Whitehall Quarry. Mercury communications and community engagement manager

Continued on page 3

Election dominates stats

Our online breaking coverage of the local body elections dominated last month’s Cambridge News web statistics with nearly a quarter of all visits going to the constantly updated page.

Our home page was second followed by our catch up with new mayor Mike Pettit in third, Cambridge’s High School’s new

uniform was next rounding out the top five was a breakdown of roadworks ahead.

Other election coverage, including an interview with new Waikato mayor Aksel Bech, our front page wrap up of how important special votes would be and Roger Gordon’s success in the Cambridge ward, made the top 10.

There clearly is still an interest in the fate of Cambridge’s Water Tower which sandwiched those stories online.

Editor Roy Pilott said the web statistics proved Good Local Media’s decision to prioritise election coverage both in print and online was the right one.

“On election day the team was in Cambridge, Te Awamutu,

Kakepuku, Tamahere, Ōtorohanga and Piopio to talk to three new mayors, one who was returned and one who was not.

“And then in print four days later, our analysis was spot on with them and our columnists.

I’m proud of what we achieved in Election 2025,” he said.

It’s your business

Good Local Media’s two monthly business publications in Waikato and Bay of Plenty – out this week - both feature young entrepreneurs making their mark in regional competitions.

There has been a lot of korero in the media around the impact of social media on young people and appropriate protections.

After dealing with a recent report, I want to highlight the associated problem of harmful digital communication. It can be emotionally damaging for someone who becomes the target of nasty, false or threatening posts online. This can happen through social media, public forums or large group chats.

A bumper 40-page edition of Waikato Business News has four Sacred Heart College students using their nous and a grandmother who can sew to come up with an awardwinning strap for a popular

repeated, targeted online harassment.

If you are a victim of such online behaviour, immediately report to Netsafe. The Netsafe.org.nz website also has detailed information around keeping ourselves safe online. For criminal offending, also report to police.

sandal.

Cambridge’s Phil Mackay writes on what the new councils around the region will be looking to achieve over the next three years.

Plus, we are celebrating finalists in the Waikato business awards, the best of Hamilton’s city centre retailers and look ahead to the opening of the new world-class regional theatre.

Bay of Plenty students swept up at Waikato University’s Case Competition, former National Party leader Todd Muller joins our stable of columnists and there is an historic shift in leadership at the regional council.

Bay of Plenty Business News also features the return of cruise ships to Tauranga and the ever popular Out and About photo feature. Read online goodlocal.nz

The Harmful Digital Communication Act 2015 aims to prevent and reduce the impact of such offending. It outlines criminal offences for causing serious emotional harm though online behaviour. This may be sharing sensitive personal facts about a person online, threatening, intimidating, or menacing posts, being indecent or obscene towards or persistently harassing someone, making false allegations encouraging others to send a message to an individual to cause that person harm (for example, bullying/ threatening), making a false allegation, inciting or encouraging an individual to hurt themselves or belittling someone for their skin colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Of note, this applies to when an individual is targeted, not an organisation.

Practical examples include sharing an intimate photo or video of someone without their consent, spreading false information that damages someone’s reputation and

Keeping with online matters, we continue to get reports of sextortion. This is where a scammer initiates contact with a person online using a fake profile and chats with them to build a false sense of trust.

Early on, they move the conversation to requesting intimate photos, sometimes offering their ‘own’ first. Once received from the victim, the scammer then demands payment with the threat of releasing the photos publicly.

While such scams can affect any age group, victims are frequently young people who delay telling anyone due to embarrassment. The easiest way to avoid this? Do not send intimate photos. Once they are off your phone, you lose all control over how they are used, where they appear or who views them.

Only respond to chat requests from people you know in real life. If unavoidable, do your due diligence. Put the profile picture into a google image search, check how old the profile is and whether it has friends and activity indicative of being a real person. If in doubt, disengage and block.

Car attraction

Organisers of the two-day 125th jubilee at Cambridge Golf Club next week have secured a new car as a prize for the first golfer to get a hole in one at the par three elevated eighth hole at the tournament on Saturday.

Bydder’s job

Cambridge based Andrew Bydder has picked up the deputy chair’s position of the Finance and Assurance Committee announced by new Hamilton mayor Tim Macindoe. Macindoe, who named Geoff Taylor as deputy mayor, also gave the City Delivery chair’s position to Sarah Thomson, who he beat to the top job.

LIM changes

Land Information

Memorandums (LIMs) issued by Waikato District Council will now include more detailed information about natural hazards and climate-related risks. The change follows national updates to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and new regulations that set out what councils must include in LIMs about hazards such as flooding, erosion and land instability.

Key positions

While women have been voted out of office in Waipā, Waikato and MatamataPiako districts and from Waikato Regional Council, in the Bay of Plenty, its regional council has elected Matemoana McDonald as its first woman and first Māori chair. Glenn Dougal is deputy chair.

Christmas parade

Cambridge’s Christmas parade on December 7 will have the theme “A Sporty Christmas” to acknowledge the town’s sporting heritage.

Parade manager Vicki Ewing said entries were now open for the parade, which had a near record number of floats in 2024.

Councillors seek court delay

By Chris Gardner

Waikato Regional Council is asking the Environment Court for time to commission an economic impact study before ruling on a water quality plan change.

A quartet of new regional councillors, including Waipā King Country Ward members Garry Reymer and Liz Stolwyk, took their concerns Plan Change One could cost the region $5 billion to the council’s first meeting last week resulting in a motion from second term councillor Ben Dunbar-Smith.

The plan change before the Environment Court includes a widesweeping set of rules for agricultural land use to improve freshwater quality in the Waikato and Waipā river catchments.

It will apply to around 10,000 properties and 1.1 million hectares.

Council chief executive Chris McLay was directed to instruct legal counsel to ask the court for two to three months to enable a new economic impact assessment on the implementation of the plan change to be prepared.

The motion was seconded by Gary McGuire who was concerned farmers were being unfairly targeted.

The motion was passed following an impassioned plea from new councillor Keith Holmes who said Waikato Regional Council had not followed the directions of the court

to supply complete data on the economic impact on the region.

“Incomplete data, as a governor I cannot accept,” he said. “The anger and frustration of ratepayers in the Waikato catchment has been very, very high.”

There had been no governance over the plan change last triennium, Holmes claimed.

Fellow councillor Tipa Mahuta, who was also part of the previous council, took exception to his claim.

“You are part of the Waikato Regional Council today,” she said. “We need to fix this. I do have political oversight – I just elected a chair and a deputy. I am pro river, I am not anti-farmer.”

Councillor Dunbar-Smith told The News it would be “wonderful” to get an economic impact of the implementation of Plan Change

One prior to the final decision being arrived at by the court.

Work on the economic impact had been done in 2016, but the figures were now nine years out of date.

“It’s been a long, long process, for Plan Change One,” he said.

Work done by immediate past president of Waikato Federated Farmers president Holmes suggests the plan change could cost the region $5 billion.

“Is that true or is that not true, it would be wonderful to know,”

Dunbar-Smith said.

Reymer, who campaigned on

stopping the plan change, described Holmes’ approach as ballsy.

“He made some pretty strong statement,” he said. “

Reymer was elated with the passing of the resolution at the council’s first meeting.

“I think it was huge, whether we achieve anything or not,” he said. “The message to management was pretty strong. The region is not happy and there’s a lot of angst out there.”

Stolwyk said councillors would establish a subcommittee to consider Plan Change One as they awaited a

court decision.

“It’s a very difficult position that we have found ourselves in,” she said.

Holmes told The News after the meeting he was delighted: “We got the resolution across the line.”

“we got the resolution across the line”.

Councillors, who will soon attend a Plan Change One workshop, heard the court had already ordered 5500 instructions to council staff on the plan change.

Talks planned on homeless issue

By Chris Gardner

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit is offering to meet Cambridge Chamber of Commerce chief executive Kelly Bouzaid to discuss people sleeping rough in the town centre.

Bouzaid wrote to council acting chief executive and strategy manager Kirsty Downey and regulatory services manager Wayne Allan last month concerning “rough sleepers” in Jubilee Gardens and Lake Street.

“We believe that a framework is needed to ensure our town centre remains safe, welcoming, and fit for purpose for

residents, businesses, and visitors alike,” Bouzaid said.

Pettit told The News he would be happy to talk to Bouzaid.

“As a community we need to own the problem and we need to own the solution,” he said.

Pettit said he was not interested in kicking the can down the road, but taking a multi-agency approach.

Downey told The News, in statement, tthe council was aware of the chamber’s concerns.

“While we can’t comment on specific individuals, these situations are often complex and vary widely — from people experiencing genuine

housing challenges to those who have chosen alternative lifestyles,” she said.

“Council’s focus is always on balancing community wellbeing, public safety and individual circumstances.

“Council staff and enforcement officers continue to engage with relevant agencies, including police and social support services, to ensure the right support is offered where possible.”

Downey said the council had bylaws that address nuisance or obstruction in public spaces that were limited in scope and not designed to “move people on.”

“Enforcement options are generally restricted to cases where an actual offence has occurred,” she said.

Could a Kit Kat solve it?

Continued from page 1 Lawrence Gullery said there was no work occurring at Karāpiro Hydro Station that would create a loud noise that people in Cambridge would be able to hear.

“No work is happening at the station at the moment.” Fletcher Building corporate affairs advisor Camryn Smart said Whitehall Quarry was not responsible.

“All loud operations at the quarry must be complete before 4pm,” Smart said. NZ Transport Agency media manager Natasha Utting was also curious to hear of the cause – and Waikato Regional Council was none the wiser.

Cameron of the Clements

By Viv Posselt

At first glance there might seem to be a world of difference between running Scotland’s prestigious Scone Palace and its iconic 8000ha estate and running the recently opened 29-bed Clements Hotel in the heart of Cambridge.

Yet there are also similarities, and it is those that attracted canny Scot Cameron Kellow to the role of Clements Hotel manager.

History is one of those, he said …“walls that have stories to tell”.

Both venues seek to set an exceptionally high bar in terms of quality, and integrate naturally with the community they are part of.

“This is a real passion project for me. I absolutely loved what I did in Scone, but I’m delighted to have found something in New Zealand that has its own unique history.

I hope to be able to achieve many of the same outputs here,” Kellow said.

Scone Palace (pronounced Scoon) is one of Scotland’s prized heritage destinations. For centuries it was where Scottish monarchs were crowned, seated upon the legendary Stone of Scone, aka the Stone of Destiny. The current palace, which rose from the ashes of a former abbey and was completed in 1807, is the ancestral seat of the Earls of Mansfield.

The Clements Hotel history is considerably shorter but also has fire in its story. The original Masonic hotel built by Archibald Clements (hence its name) in 1866 was the first commercial building in Cambridge. Fire destroyed it in 1911, paving the way for a new hotel, larger and grander, that opened a year later.

So, while the scale may differ vastly, Kellow’s commitment and focus is similar. He was at Scone for just over a year, overseeing the delivery and growth of the palace and gardens, separate luxury and self-catering accommodation, events, a racecourse, lodge hotel and an approximately 8000ha estate which had him dealing with farming, forestry and renewable energy projects.

“The Clements has a smaller footprint but is equally special. It has its own rich history in this community… that is where the attraction lay for me.”

Once Kellow and his Kiwi wife decided to raise their young family in New Zealand, he joined Capstone Hotel Management and was approached to lead on the setup, launch and continued operational delivery of the Clements Hotel.

Since coming on board, he has worked closely with Clements’ owners Gerry Westenberg and Jo Pannell. He shares their enthusiasm,

loves the different spaces it offers, the mix of restored Edwardian and striking boutique luxury, and teased interest in the soon-to-be opened speakeasy, and the addition of three more suites in the transformed original horse stables.

He said the hotel had been busy since opening on August 1, hosting numerous private dinners, around seven conferences and some 15 meetings in its first eight weeks. The dining spaces and lawned outdoor area have been almost continuously packed, he said.

He has enjoyed sharing stories from its past… the retention of the old staircase and the tale of the old farmer who returned the missing posts out the front of the hotel.

Kellow was a kitchen hand during his teens before going to Glasgow Caledonian University where he got a BA (Hons) in entertainment and events management.

His work experience has included the planning and implementation of events across the United Kingdom. It was during a spell based in London that he met his wife; the pair moved back to Scotland in 2017 where Kellow contracted to the Cultural Trust in Perthshire before joining the Scone estate.

He says he is delighted to be part of the Clements - “the people here are wonderful”.

The value of Brands

By Peter Nicholl

The issue of brands has been in the news recently.

Two signifcant New Zealand entities have taken a markedly different approach to the value of their brands.

The Fonterra Board recommended to their farmer shareholders that they sell their brands, such as Anchor and Mainland, to a French company that is the largest dairy company in the world.

The Anchor brand has been with the New Zealand dairy industry for a long time – 139 years in fact. It was founded by Henry Reynolds at Pukekura, just outside Cambridge, in 1886.

The board said the consumer brand part of their business was making a lower return on capital than the other two main areas of their business, ingredients and foodservices, so they wanted to sell the consumer part of their busines and focus on the more profitable areas.

Peters for example described it as utter madness and economic self-sabotage. A former governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Allan Bollard, was a little more circumspect but he also doubted it’s wisdom. I share his doubts.

My doubts increased when I read a story about the All Blacks. You may wonder what links the All Blacks and Anchor dairy products.

The link is that the New Zealand Rugby Union sees the All Blacks as a brand – and believe it is a valuable brand.

The All Blacks brand is based on two critical factors – the history, legacy and mystique of the team and its incredible test winning record (76.7 per cent).

One of the reasons the All Blacks v Ireland test match last weekend was played in Chicago and not Dublin was it is part of the promotion of the All Blacks brand in the United States.

The NZRFU establisghed New Zealand Rugby Commercial to grow and expand the brand.

There are some aspects of this deal I don’t understand. First, I find it surprising that a French dairy company believes it can extract more value out of these brands than Fonterra given that a large part of the value of the brands comes from New Zealand’s image of being a clean, green place. Second, Fonterra said they wanted to sell the brands and use the capital in the other more profitable parts of their business.

It’s board member Richie McCaw said “what’s unique about New Zealand rugby, and the All Blacks at the top of it, is it is a team, a game that everyone feels like they’ve got a stake in”.

In fact, they are going to pay out a large chunk of the capital from the sale (around 75 per cent) to their farmer shareholders. The average payout could be around New Zealand $400,000. It’s not surprising that a majority of the shareholders voted yes.

Some commentators have been very sceptical and critical of the deal. Winston

New Zealand rugby thrives on an egalitarian principle with people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all cultures playing rugby – and being in the All Blacks. But for the brand to be successful, the All Blacks have to continue to be successful.

The Rugby Union seems to understand –and value – their brand.

Maher in the chair

Warren Maher was elected chair of Waikato Regional Council at the new council’s first meeting last week.

He was the sole councillor nominated for the role held for the last three years by Pamela Storey, who lost her seat at October’s elections.

Maher said there was a real desire around the table to move the council forward...

“we have some amazing staff, some amazing people on the ground delivering incredible mahi for the region. We want to carry that forward”.

He noted the need for unity and balanced decisionmaking around the economy, social and cultural values, and the environment, for the benefit of the Waikato region.

Mich’eal Downard (TaupōRotorua) won an election to be deputy char, beating former deputy chair Kataraina Hodge (Ngā Tai ki Uta) nine votes to three.

Betsy’s blessing

By Chris Gardner

Betsy Reymer was excited to attend the swearing in of her son and daughter-in-law as regional councillors last week.

Reymer, 91, of Te Awamutu, beamed proudly from the public gallery as her son Garry Reymer and daughter in law Liz Stolwyk were sworn in.

Asked how she felt about having two politicians in the family, she said: “very excited.

“I hope that they keep in good health, keep going, and achieve whatever they aim for. I hope they achieve something.”

The new Waipā and King Country ward members have pledged to prioritise finding a way to pause

on the council’s Plan Change One before it costs the region $5 billion and some farmers their business.

The calculation came from immediate Waikato Federated Farmers past president and new Waihou ward member Keith Holmes.

Councillors were given two minutes to speak before signing their pledge.

Holmes cheekily asked chief executive Chris McLay if he could use the time other councillors had not spoken for but was told to keep his remarks to two minutes.

Holmes spoke of the irony that a country built on risk had become risk averse.

“Most of us are in New Zealand because we were running away from something,” he said.

“Our ancestors took huge risks to build New Zealand into the brilliant county it is. We have forgotten what it is to take risk. We find it very difficult to make decisions. We went from a can-do society. We are in a can’t do society. We have got to get back that can do society.” Holmes seconded Robbie Cookson’s motion to elect Warren Maher chair of the council. Maher, a second term ThamesCoromandel councillor, was unanimously elected. Mich’eal Downard was elected his deputy.

Waikato District Council's team of 2025

New Waikato district mayor Aksel Bech says affordability has to improve and transparency and accountability increase.

Speaking at the swearing in of the council – which also included three new councillors, Grant Coombes (Newcastle-Ngāruawāhia)

Endine Dixon-Harris (Tai Raro Takiwaa Māori Ward) and Fabio Rodrigues (Tuakau-Pōkeno), he said empowering communities and giving them a genuine voice at the table was the foundation for a future where every community thrives.

“That must be our way forward.” Bech who is based in Tamahere returned to the council table as Mayor having missed out on a bid for the chains three years ago. He previously served as deputy mayor.

“Local government is complex and change is difficult, but we are up for that challenge and the mahi begins today,” he said.

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St Peter's duxes named

Angus MacGillivray is St Peter’s School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) dux for 2025 and Sinali Kuruppuge has won NCEA dux award.

He hopes to head to the University of Melbourne next year to begin a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in physics or chemistry.

Angus has lived in Cambridge his whole life and is a former St Peter’s Catholic School student.

A passionate musician who sings and plays the drums, he has been a performing arts ambassador and drama captain during his time at high school.

He was top of year 13 IB theatre arts this year and also studied mathematics, English, physics, chemistry and Spanish.

Angus advises other students to take a balanced approach to school and life.

“Know what you need to do to achieve your goals and always try your best, but remember that not everything needs to be perfect,” he said.

“And don’t neglect the rest of your life for school. It is important to continue being social, doing what makes you

happy, and giving yourself plenty of time off and breaks.”

After beginning the year at St Peter’s School’s deputy head girl, Sinali Kuruppuge has finished on a high, winning the 2025 NCEA dux award.

An all-round achiever whose interests include dance, debating, public speaking, cricket and social football, she studied English, geography, history, mathematics (statistics and probability), and physical education this year and was top of year 13 theology and philosophy.

She also won the Jenkinson Family Trophy for NCEA Level 3 Overall Excellence in Arts and Humanities.

Sinali was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and lived in Melbourne as a toddler before moving to New Zealand with her family in 2010. Her father Sameera is a banker, her mother Dr Hiruni Senanayake is a GP, and her younger brother Akain is deputy head boy at Southwell School.

The driven student is hoping to study law in Sydney next year.

“I have always been passionate about using my voice –through public speaking and debating throughout school - to bring about change, develop strong arguments, and support

others,” she said.

“Alongside this, I have found that my strengths lie in writing, analysing, and interpreting different sources and perspectives.

“I realised that in any profession, you have the opportunity to serve others, but it was important to me to choose a path where I could do that effectively. Combining my passions and skills, I soon discovered that studying law would give me a platform to drive meaningful change within communities, support those who need it, and advocate for justice.”

And their promixe accessits are…

St Peter’s School’s 2025 NCEA proxime accessit is Aveline Pearson-and Riley Isaac Mueller was named the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) proxime accessit .

Aveline Pearson plans to tackle a conjoint degree at the University of Auckland next year – a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology and Bachelor of Laws.

“I’d love to pursue a career that combines psychology and law, potentially something in policy, advocacy, or mental health law,” she said.

“I’m interested in working somewhere that allows me to make meaningful change.”

Aveline was top of NCEA year 13 mathematics (statistics and probability), health studies and history this year, and also studied psychology and biology.

She said volunteering had been a meaningful part of her school life. While at St Peter’s, she has tutored younger students, visited the Refugee Outreach Centre at St Paul’s,

organised a clothes drive for Kids in Need and taken part in the Relay for Life.

“High school taught me that the best thing you can do is stay true to who you are,” she said.

“It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but real confidence comes from knowing yourself and following your own path, even when it looks different from others.”

Isaac Mueller thought of his mother, Tracy, who died when he was three years old, when he was named St Peter’s School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) proxime accessit for 2025.

“I felt satisfied that I did something to make my mum proud,” he said.

“To me it felt better knowing how well I’ve done by my parents rather than any internal gratification.”

Isaac was top of year 13 IB history and environmental

systems and societies this year. He also studied English literature, psychology, Japanese and mathematics (analysis and approaches). During his time at St Peter’s he was a year 8 Thornton prefect, academic ambassador, chapel prefect, Enviro-Club treasurer and a member of the prem debate team.

He recently won a Top Achiever Scholarship from the University of Auckland, where he plans to study law in conjunction with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Japanese next year.

Isaac said his father had been the biggest contributor to his academic success.

“I’ve always admired his determination in everything he does and he raised me to work hard, be independent, and remain intrinsically motivated,” he said.

“I’ve also seen firsthand the sacrifices he’s made to get me to St Peters, so I don’t think I could do anything but work hard.”

Hannah - from ducks to dux

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Hannah Goodwin was named dux of Cambridge High School at senior prizegiving last Thursday evening, just moments after her long-time friend Emily Drake received the runner-up award, proxime accessit.

Hannah, 18, said winning the school’s most prestigious academic prize had been a long-held ambition – but she had been surprised by how it felt.

“I thought I would be a lot happier,” she said.

“But I’ve realised that really, I don’t want to be defined by my academic ability. I realised it’s way more important to be recognised for being a good person who helps and cares for others.”

Originally from Wellington, Hannah moved to Cambridge with her family in 2017. Her father Nick is an associate pastor at Raleigh Street Christian Centre and her mother Jo is a primary school teacher. She has a 15-year-old brother, Theo.

Hannah came first in year 13 physics as a year 12 student in 2024 and was top of English, history and geography this year.

She also won a Lions Club of Cambridge community service award, the Jamie Moore Cup for library service, and a Cambridge High School Educational Trust Award. Her interests include reading, writing, playing the cello,

acting, directing plays, debating, netball, hockey, cricket, philosophy, theology, history and politics.

Next year she will head to the University of Auckland to begin a Bachelor of Arts degree.

“I am not particularly sure what I am going to major in, but I’m interested in areas such as politics, philosophy, history, and linguistics,” she said.

“I have zero idea where I will end up or what I will do. I am going to study for the sake of learning and developing my ideas and knowledge, but not for the career opportunities.

“I think it’s important to have an informed and well-developed understanding of the world and of ourselves.”

Hannah said her main ambition was to find work that helped people and created a positive impact on others.

Emily, 17, said receiving proxime accessit just moments before Hannah won dux was “so perfect”.

“Hannah and I have been debating in a team together for the past three years called the Buffleheaded Ducks,” she said.

“I guess Hannah’s now a buffleheaded dux.”

Originally from England, Emily migrated to New Zealand in 2013 with her father Matthew, an anaesthetist, mother Sarah, twin sister Harriet, and younger sister Annabelle, now 14. The family moved to Cambridge in 2021.

This year Emily won top of year 13 classics and mathematics with statistics. She was awarded the C A Moroney Science Scholarship, and a Cambridge High School Educational Trust Award. Slightly intimidated by “how close adulthood is”, she plans to begin a Bachelor of Science degree doubling majoring in neuroscience and physiology at the University of Otago next year.

“I love learning and all things science,” she said.

“These courses offer such a range of papers across things like psychology and zoology, anatomy, which means I can experience a large range of scientific study that interests me and hopefully discover what I want to pursue in greater depth.

“There are still so many subject areas I haven’t discovered – I want to see where study takes me before I plan for a particular career.”

In her spare time, Emily enjoys baking, music, judo, badminton, walking and swimming.

She said studying consistently throughout the year had been crucial to her academic success.

“I never wanted to feel like I hadn’t tried as hard as I could,” she said.

“Knowing that you have done the best you could do, no matter how good it is, is the most important thing to me. I think that drive to prove myself, to myself, was what helped me do so well academically.”

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Hornet nest fears raised Letters…

By Chris Gardner

Leading Waikato beekeeper Sarah Cross is angry with the Government’s response to the arrival of yellowlegged hornets in New Zealand.

Biosecurity New Zealand has found five yellow-legged hornets, including three queens, in the Auckland suburb of Glenfield.

A single hornet can kill between 25 and 50 honeybees in a day.

“All beekeepers are concerned,” said Waikato Beekeepers’ Association member Cross.

“We are concerned that they are only just finding yellow-legged hornets now. How long have they been in New Zealand and why has nobody noticed?”

The Ministry for Primary Industries is asking the public to keep a lookout for the hornets and their nests. The

hornet has distinctive dark legs with bright yellow tips and is much larger than common wasp species seen in New Zealand.

The Ministry says the nests created by queen hornets in spring can be the size of a tennis ball and may appear within a couple of days.”

“The Government does not seem to be doing very much at all,” Cross said.

Ōtorohanga beekeeper Natalie Southgate is among those concerned.

Fearing the incursion may be widespread, many beekeepers have begun building their own hornet traps.

Cross’s criticism followed comments from conservationist Brad Windust who called the response “hopelessly inadequate” and warnings from Comvita chief executive Karl Gradon who said the incursion could devastate the honey industry.

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Vote regret

I am surely one of the most disappointed voters in the Waikato Regional Council elections

I have read that there are four newly elected councillors who do not believe farmers should be fencing waterways, mapping contaminant loss or reviewing good management practices to protect and clean up waterways, and to protect our collective ground waters for future generations

Emotive, exaggerated messaging from Federated Farmers, once again pushes the “don’t make us responsible for any pollution” messaging.

When I was farming in the 1980s to 2000 the then government was attempting to get farmers to fence waterways and plant native species to clean or clear waterways, and subsidising it. Here we are 45 years later, head in the sand greed keeping farmers from taking responsibility to do the right thing

The person I voted for on the regional council certainly won’t get my vote again and I will tell that person that in private. Grow up rural New Zealand Aotearoa. Start thinking about more than your back pocket, start backing conservation and environment and get with the plan

Alice Hicks Cambridge

Well said

Thank you, Peter Carr, for highlighting in Cambridge the appalling lack of maintenance on the Victoria main street buildings, some both sides actually. They are an eyesore!

The architecture is such a mismatch that we have to live with but at least a clean and repaint would help keep our town fresh and cared for.

Quite a number of buildings already have used black and white when being upgraded. So, landlords keep up this black and white colour coordination scheme.

In addition to the eastern side retail shops on Victoria Street Peter spoke about, the corner buildings HelloWorld and the Deli sorely need a repaint as well and the Empire Street Deli veranda and wall art is so outdated.

Martinborough, another small town, adopted a coordinated colour scheme and it makes such a difference. For Cambridge, pots of black and white paint landlords please.

And, yes, a massive appreciation of the work done by the Waipā Council gardening-parks team for our beautiful town flowerbeds, so well maintained.

Jan Walker St Kilda

A Shabby-Chic life..?

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

Sitting at my desk for inspiration to write this weekly piece, I’d hit a wall. That’s rare since I usually have draft outlines in advance, without sitting contemplating for ages. Ordinary life-things often provide a spark but nothing that floated my boat would come to mind. Sitting lost hazily in thought, I was jolted back to earth conscious that a faint ‘tap,tap,tap,’ sensation going on near my left leg had escalated to become intolerably distracting.

The ordinary event occurring under my nose - more literally under my desk, was our cockatiel in full ‘destructazoid’ mode. Sliding the roller chair back, I discovered that this precocious pet who had been having free-range ‘house time’ was perched on my leg busily pecking along moulded edging of the antique mahogany desk! Her shredding beak had covered the floor in wood splinters and there were more tell-tale slivers all over my trouser leg.

That promptly ended bird’s out-of cage excursion. The desk is a bit of a family heirloom.

I began contemplating repair job measures and costs… would it need restoration or could I just pass the look off as a ‘shabby chic’ piece of furniture? It’s avant-garde to re-purpose furniture with pleasingly old and slightly worn appearances. I’ve admired many nicely done items that have been given ‘signs’ of age with wear and tear, or ‘distressed’ finishes to create a look that reflects old-world furniture, without necessarily being genuine period stuff. A phone call from an older friend disheartened by confronting personal issues interrupted my musings. The talk with him got me thinking about how for so many

people, young and old alike, life reaches points where like my desk, it needs a refresh. Maybe they haven’t necessarily been ‘pecked’ away at, but too many become jaded with circumstances and begin reflecting the signs of age and wear or tear, without necessarily even accumulating an abundance of years. With furniture, a bit of dinging-up and damage to provide the distressed look is acceptable, but it does nothing for us flesh and blood humans. If your life is currently in need of a bit of a fix up, a re-purposing upgrade, or maybe a more thorough overhaul, I certainly don’t want to trivialise your difficulties or the pain that might be accompanying your present circumstances, but can I offer two things that have lifted my faith and courage in tough times?

Firstly identify and engage in healthy activity that ‘replenishes’ you. Life can be full of depletion at many levels and it’s common to ‘run dry’. Imagine a car deploying all its accessories while the motor is not running - the battery flattens rapidly without a generator or alternator replenishing it. You can’t continue on ‘empty’.

Secondly ‘be thankful.’ If that sounds annoyingly glib, pause to reflect on things you have in life to be grateful for. Redirecting focus on what we do have, rather than what we don’t have, changes our outlook - like the guy complaining he had no shoes - until he saw someone without feet. An old poem goes, “Two men looked out from prison bars; one saw mud, the other saw stars”. May God lift our vision enabling us to see with gratitude.

My first eruption

By Janine Krippner

This week I have been learning about how ice shapes the seafloor, a new concept for me. Part of my job is recognising patterns deep below our oceans, interpreting what caused them, and then understanding if those processes are still happening, or are likely to happen again soon. The patterns caused by ice in the sediments and rock that make up the bottom of our oceans are beautiful and complex. They tell stories spanning thousands of years, or even more if we look below the surface. So how does this happen?

Most of us probably don’t tend to think much about icebergs down here in New Zealand, unless we are pondering the disastrous voyage of the Titanic in 1912. We also sometimes see in the news when enormous chunks of ice detach through calving from the Antarctic ice sheet, or when discussions of our changing climate are brought to the forefront. When an iceberg forms and becomes a solitary chunk of floating ice, it is then carried by wind and water currents where it can slowly melt or break apart into smaller chunks. This process might be quick, or last decades for the larger ones. The shapes and sizes are diverse, from expansive flattopped “tabular” giants to small growlers and “bergy bits”. Yes, that is a technical term, and perhaps my new favourite. We have all seen the sort of inspirational posters that point out that most of an iceberg’s mass is below the surface. What we see above the water is only about 10 per cent of the total volume. Sometimes these massive structures scrape along the seafloor, leaving scars, and as this happens, sand,

mud, and boulders are pushed aside to form ridges.

Some areas are covered in crisscrossing scours (also called gouges or furrows) from where the bottoms of many icebergs (the keel) ploughed through the seabed.

These scours can be kilometres long, on the order of tens to hundreds of meters wide, and meters deep. This is a significant process across the seafloor, especially when you think of critical infrastructure like cables across the seafloor at high latitudes where these processes still take place today.

Scientists who study these patterns can learn about past ocean and climate patterns, uncovering the clues left behind long ago by these fleeting, icy giants. Some of the more interesting scours can be spiral shaped where currents carried the icebergs in circular motions, and others form lines of pits where an iceberg was lifted up and down by tides, puncturing the deep sediments.

Understanding how deep the ocean was at a particular location and time allows an estimation of how large an iceberg was. Scientists have found evidence of “megabergs” scraping along the seafloor down to 1 km water depth.

To think that icebergs are the final part of the long, slow journey of glacial ice that formed potentially many thousands of years prior, floating across the ocean and becoming part of the global water cycle.

Most never leave a trace that we are aware of, while others have scribbled their signatures in deep waters for us to uncover.

Quarter century celebrated

Cambridge’s wheelchair athlete Maioro Barton has completed his 25th New Zealand Wheelchair Basketball season playing for Waikato.

He told The News that halfway through 2024 he was asked to fill in as coach until the end of that season.

“Following that, I was asked to coach again for the 2025 season, and decided that our club needed to rebuild,” he said. “I entered them into the second division of the New Zealand Wheelchair Basketball season. It’s been a long season… starting in February with a six-week business house social league, then into pre-season training before going into the season.”

The team won the division

Tournaments were played in Nelson (March), Palmerston North (April), Tauranga (May), Whangārei (June), Hamilton North Island Championships, and Hamilton Juniors (July), Auckland/Pukekohe (August), Christchurch, and a 3x3 Championships in Christchurch (October).

Barton said the Waikato club entered players into the Whangārei, Hamilton, Auckland and Christchurch tournaments, with some individuals entering the Palmerston North and Tauranga tournaments.

Barton was one of two Cambridge-based players for the club. The other is Robert Stubbs, who was playing his first season.

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TUESDAY 3:20am, Shed fire, Macky Access Road, Te Awamutu 6:12am, Cardiac arrest, Gillies Street

2:56pm, 2 car MVA, Waikato Expressway

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

11:21am, Building alarm and evacuation, Victoria Road

THURSDAY

9:55am, Cardiac Arrest, Bryce Street 1:09pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Ruakura Road

10:48am, Building alarm and evacuation, Coleridge Street

11:56pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Hautapu Road

FRIDAY

5:57pm, Smoke in the vicinity, Aspin Road

SUNDAY

10:12am, Cardiac arrest, Te Miro Road

FRIDAY 8:42am, Building Alarm and evacuation. Maungatautari Road

3:52pm, Building alarm and evacuation, Wilson Street

MONDAY

SUNDAY 3:53am, Medical assistance, Karapiro Road

5:26am, Building alarm and evacuation, Hannon Road 7:15am, Building alarm and evacuation, Wilson Street

Rifleman’s Le Quesnoy legacy

Three of the Kean boys from Southland served in Europe during World War One but only two came home.

Private Denis Kean fought in Gallipoli and then, in 1916, was wounded at Ypres on the Western Front. After being wounded a second time at Passchendaele in 1917 he returned home to New Zealand.

Denis’s younger brother Private Jack Kean was wounded in the Somme and older brother, Rifleman Peter Kean, was wounded at Messines in 2017.

All three brothers posed for a photo while on leave in London in June 1918 – it was the last time they would be together.

“They would have enjoyed meeting each other in London while on service leave. It would have been special,” says Peter’s great nephew Steve Tritt whose grandmother, Walterina Mary Kean (known as Lily), was Peter’s little sister.

“Jack was badly disfigured when he was shot in the face during the Somme advance. He returned home, married late in life at 50 and had two children. Sadly, Peter went back to the Front and was killed during the Liberation of Le Quesnoy on November 4, 1918.”

SteveTritt has documented Peter’s life during war time in a story he has written for his children, grandchildren, and their children.

“Rifleman Peter Martin Kean never made it inside the ramparts [of Le Quesnoy] and never heard the cheering crowds,” writes Steve.

“He died outside the walls, on the day of the liberation. It is believed to be in front of the ramparts sometime after 9am. It is possible that he was seriously wounded and taken to an aid station, which might explain why he is buried at CWGC Cross Roads Cemetery, grave IF28, at Fountaine-au-Bois, which was a site chosen to gather up and concentrate the scattered dead from the small cemeteries and churchyards that mark the route of the final advance.”

The telling of Peter’s story has also revealed a connection to a Le Quesnoy local. The name Peter Kean was familiar to Te Arawhata Museum Director, Elizabeth Wratislav, after uniform items labelled with his name were displayed in a popup exhibition by the Le Quesnoy History Society.

The great grandfather of Le Quesnoy resident Christian Basuyau found the items including a drink bottle, D-shaped mess tin, webbing belt and gas mask bag labelled ‘23/799 P. Kean’.

Christian is the secretary of the Le Quesnoy history society and the items are

displayed in an exhibition space at the Centre Lowendal, a short distance from Te Arawhata.

“How incredible, after more than 100 years, it is to see the items that Peter carried into battle and to know they are being well looked after, on display, and telling their own story,” says Steve.

“On their own they are remarkable, and with the family story added, it’s just unbelievable serendipity.”

For Christian the objects are much more than just military equipment. “They carry the memory of a man who came from far away to defend a land that was not his own,” he says. “In their humble way, they also symbolise the bonds that unite people separated by thousands of kilometres but brought together by history. I like to think that it was this idea that inspired my greatgrandfather when he found them at the end of the fighting.”

Peter was 37 when he died and posthumously received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Steve remembers the words of Private Bashford in Christopher Pugsley’s book: Le Quesnoy 1918 New Zealand’s Last Battle, where he said, “From the first days of war until the last, men will die, and to those concerned an equal misfortune, and yet there must be more sympathy for those who so nearly finish the course, but fall at the last fence.”

The Kean family has a rich Irish history.

“In 1981 we attended a Kean family wedding in Gort, County Galway. It was fantastic to meet cousins and other relatives,” remembers Steve.

Peter and Lily’s dad, Denis Kean, was born in 1838 in County Galway and left in

1857 for the Australian Goldfields in Ballarat. When gold was found in New Zealand he was part of the Dunstan gold rush in 1862 and later worked the Shotover River and Gabriel’s Gully.

When land became available for settlement via the Deferred Payment Plan in 1875, Denis secured 80ha and bought an adjoining 80ha in Otaraia, about 70km northeast of Invercargill.

Denis’s wife Maria Josephine Corcoran, who was also Irish, had 13 children between 1878 and 1896 though five died either at birth or were stillborn.

Peter was born on 30 October 1882 and was the second eldest. Maria died in 1896 aged 40 when Peter was just 14.

Following the death of his wife, Denis Snr and oldest daughter Margaret cared for 10-month-old Jack, Denis (two), Lily (three), Julia (five), Maria (10), and Kate (12). As a 14-year-old Peter worked with his father on the farm.

The family farm was sold in 1908 and

Denis moved to Waikaka, also in Southland, where he died aged 72 in 1910.

Before the war, Peter worked as a farm labourer at Wedderburn Station, located on what is now known as the Central Otago Rail Trail. When he went to war, he was much older than traditional soldiers, says Steve.

“I’m not sure what motivated him. He wasn’t married so I can only assume, for him, it was an adventure like it was for so many.”

Peter, a Rifleman with the 1st Battalion N.Z.R.B., 7th Reinforcements, first saw action at Masah-Matruh on the Western Egyptian Front on Christmas Day in 1915. After heavy fighting with the New Zealand Division in the Armentieres sector and the Somme he was in good health. However, on June 7, 1917, while

taking part in the Messines battle, he was wounded in the right shoulder.

As Peter’s death notice in The Ensign on Monday November 25, 1918 documents:

“After spending some months [recuperating] in England, he returned to France and joined his comrades in helping to stem the German advance towards Amiens. He again took part in the British advance from Hebuterne and was present at the captures of Gommecourt, Cambrai, Bapaume, Serre and Prussieux Ridges. “He finally was killed at Le Quesnoy on November 4 when that town was stormed and captured by the New Zealanders, this being the last battle in which the New Zealanders took part prior to the signing of the armistice with Germany.”

“I knew about Le Quesnoy long before I knew that great uncle Peter fought in the liberation of the town,” says Steve.

His sister-in-law Cath Mitchell and her husband Warwick travelled with military historian Herb Farrant, the founder of the Trust behind Te Arawhata, on numerous tours to the Western Front battlefields including, Le Quesnoy. Steve followed the progress of Farrant’s museum project and the conversion of an historic mansion house, which was the local gendarmerie headquarters, into Te Arawhata with a visitor experience by Wētā Workshop.

“It is a wonderful triumph of perseverance,” says Steve of the museum which opened in 2023 after Farrant first proposed the idea in 2000.

A visit to Le Quesnoy

Steve Tritt spent some time working at Waipā District Council . Because of his family connection through Peter and working at council, Steve and his wife travelled to Cambridge’s sister city Le Quesnoy in 2018 for the centenary of the Liberation.

“We paid our way and went with the council delegation to the commemoration. It was a fantastic honour to be more than just a spectator especially because that deep family connection with Peter.”

“I loved walking through the town with everyone. It was surreal to be standing outside the walls, with the French and New Zealand officials, where Peter had died 100 years before. That’s when I thought of Peter who died outside the walls, he didn’t make it into the city, and he did not celebrate with the locals.”

At the official dinner in Le Quesnoy on November 4, 2018 – which was also Steve and his wife’s wedding anniversary – they remembered, and celebrated, by raising a glass of Champagne to Peter. “Knowing Peter’s story gives a historic point of reference for my family, my kids and their kids. These days fewer people have a direct connection with the war, so keeping family stories alive is important.

“So documenting Peter’s story offers a personal connection with one of the world’s most significant events and hopefully means that family coming after, will know about it and remember it.”

Double for Donovan

By Jesse Wood

Cambridge’s Hugh Donovan collected two golds at the South Pacific Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships over Labour Weekend.

every week even when I don’t feel like it. I also keep my fitness and strength up through boxing classes which has helped a lot,” Donovan said. “I train three days a week in Brazilian jiu jitsu and get cardio work in most days.”

got,” Donovan said.

“When I’m in the middle of a match, I’m so focused I can’t even hear the crowd shouting. I love how our club feels like a big community. Everyone supports each other and it’s awesome having your teammates cheering you on.”

Donovan, a year 10 student at St Peter’s School, competed in both gi and nogi divisions for his age and orange belt category in Auckland.

The 15-year-old won all four of his matches - three by submission and the other won decisively on points.

“I’ve been putting in a lot of effort at the velodrome with my club this year, so getting that result made it all worth it,” he said.

Coached by Jeremy Janny and David Donovan, he has trained several times a week all year to develop his strength, fitness and technical skill.

Donovan has spent five years under the tutelage of Janny, a black belt from Cambridge Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In that time, he has won gold medals at the New Zealand nationals and North Island competitions. He believes dedication is the secret to his success so far.

“Turning up to training

Donovan also helps teach two classes each week – 5-7-yearolds and 8-13-year-olds.

His successes qualifies him for international competitions next year.

“There’s an Oceania competition coming up in the Gold Coast in June 2026 and I also have my eye on the world championships in Tokyo in September 2026.”

Others trained by Janny also won medals in Auckland.

Whangamatā youngsters

Danny Wills and Freja Ryall won a gold and silver respectively. Tairua had three medallists. Zara Smith gained bronze while Gareth Beatson and Dylan Curtin took home gold in the adults’ competition.

Donovan says he grateful for the support from his club.

“I like the intensity of rolling at competitions - when it’s a real match, it’s game on and you have to give it everything you’ve

Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust

Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust

Opening hours: 8.30am - 12pm Thursday & Saturday Christmas Pop Up Shop now open

For all your Christmas decorating come and see our pop-up shop. We have a great selection of all things festive, trees, lights, baubles, tinsel and all sorts of festive tableware at very reasonable prices. Come and visit us at 26 Vogel Street, Cambridge or check our Facebook page for weekly specials.

We accept donations of goods in clean, working condition. Pick up of items can be arranged by calling 027 693 7953. Pick up times: Tues, Thurs & Sat between 8am - 12pm.

The Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust gives out Grants monthly to many organisations.

The grants approved for September totaled $59.5 thousand.

These grants supported local a Sports club, Local social services Christmas charity, Roto-oRangi Hall Fund, Cambridge Primary school, St Peters Catholic school and youth sport.

Applications are open all year round on a monthly basis so if your club, organization or sporting individual has a project that we may be able to help with let us know.

To apply please email: cambridgegrants@lionsclubs.org.nz for an application form.

Every 2nd Sunday of the month. Cambridge Memorial Park (Rugby Grounds) Open from 8.30am - 1pm

Come along to enjoy the many market stalls selling a variety of goods.

Food caravans and entertainment. For stall bookings contact: cambridge@lionsclubs.org.nz

Stalls priced from $20

St John Cambridge Health

WEEKLY ADVERTISING DEADLINES

Across 1. Competent (4)

4. Pressing (6)

8. Tropical disease (7)

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10. Bean protein (4) 11. Bludge (8)

13. Matter-of-fact (9) 17. Disengage (8)

Bucket (4)

Japanese dish (5)

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Last week

23. Procedure (6) 24. Pong (4) Down 2. Bankrupt (inf) (5-2) 3. Bring in money (4) 4. Alone (13) 5. Garden footwear (8)

Man-made fabric (5)

Small stream (5)

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14. Sham or pretence (7) 15. Bend (5) 16. Hint (4)

Across: 1. Defer, 4. Oppose, 8. Smitten, 9. Avian, 10. Run-in, 11. Traipse, 12. Madden, 14. Random, 17. Narrate, 19. Organ, 21. Tease, 22. Proverb, 23. Strain, 24. Sense.

Down: 1. Discriminate, 2. Feign, 3. Retinue, 4. Ornate, 5. Plaza, 6. Slipped, 7. Interminable, 13. Dormant, 15. Amorous, 16. Weapon, 18. Arena, 20. Glean.

ORGANISATION NAME

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CHRISTMAS PARADE FLOAT ENTRY

Sunday 7 December 2025, at 2.00pm

Please complete the following in BLOCK letters and tick where applicable:

‡ FLOAT Dimensions _____________ long by ____________ wide by ____________ high

‡ WALKING No. of Participants _____________________________________________________

‡ OTHER No. of Participants ___________________

‡ Please describe e.g. Cycling/Marching/Animals _______________________________

‡ SOUND Do you intend to have music/sirens etc? Yes No

Tell us great things about your club/group/school/business

(This information will be used to introduce your float/organisation on the day)

All floats and participants must be decorated or costumed appropriately

(The only exception to this rule can be the vehicle driver)

A SIGN WRITTEN VEHICLE IS NOT A FLOAT

As this float's official representative I hereby sign that I/we have read and agree to adhere to the Christmas Parade Terms & Conditions/Health & Safety Plan regulations attached and understand that the Lions Club of Cambridge and Parade Management shall under no circumstances be liable in contract, tort or otherwise to compensate us or any other party for any loss, injury or damage arising directly from the event. Entry at own risk. Organisation _______________________________________

(Note: this person must accompany float on the day) PLEASE TICK ONE ‡ Business Entry - $40 Administration Fee Enclosed

‡ Club/Organisation/Society/School Entry (no fee)

Thank you to all our sponsors and volunteers. Without your help and commitment this community event would not be possible.

14 Anzac St, Cambridge. Ph (07) 827 7533.

Hours: Mon – Sun 7.00am – 9pm

Majestic sunsets, lifestyle luxe!

The true essence of this barely-lived in, designer property lies not just in its wraparound vista of Maungatautari mountain, fiery red sunsets and lush farmland, but in what lies beyond the electric gates and boardwalk entrance. With four bedrooms spread across two wings, and ducted heating and cooling throughout this 271sqm (more or less) home, it offers luxury at every turn. By night, feel your inner calm creep in as spectacular sunsets light up the master wing. A third bathroom off the big, carpeted double garage is handy for those using the adjoining third garage as a gym, games room or shed. The owners have gone all out, there's even attic stairs here to access roof storage and wiring for a car charger in the fully insulated garaging area. Call to view today! bayleys.co.nz/2351003

Karapiro 835 Buckland Road

38 hectares, multi titled holding, possibilities

This versatile 38-hectare (more or less) property lies midway between Matamata and Cambridge. Held in three titles being sold as one, this is a rare opportunity to secure a unique landholding nestled in the rolling hills of Hobbiton. The three titles are arranged as follows:

• 8.0 ha bare land – ideal for boutique farming, equine use, or development.

• 8.32 ha lifestyle block with three bedroom home, one-bed unit, sheds, yards & bore water.

• 22 ha grazing with 5 ha in regenerating natives, haybarn & stables. Live, Farm or Entertain - 835 Buckland Road delivers on every level. bayleys.co.nz/2400924

4 2 3 3

Auction (unless sold prior) 11am, Tue 18 Nov 2025 Lakewood, Unit 1, Block C, 36 Lake Street, Cambridge View by appointment Karen Rutherford 027 279 5930 karen.rutherford@bayleys.co.nz

SUCCESS REALTY

Modern Family Living Near the River

21 Ihimaera Terrace, Leamington

- Spacious open-plan kitchen, dining & lounge opens to a sunny patio.

- Kitchen features a large walk-in pantry and generous bench space.

- Four double bedrooms provide plenty of room for everyone. Open Homes Saturday 12 - 12.30pm & Sunday 2 - 2.30pm

- Set on a beautifully landscaped 9,090m² (more or less) section.

- Five-bedroom, two-bathroom home well-appointed kitchen to twin lounges and inviting outdoor living areas.

- The standalone secondary dwelling (built in 2021) offers two bedrooms, full kitchen, laundry, and its own private setting.

- Separate

and four well-kept paddocks and park like grounds all set on 2.4ha (6 Acres) more lor less.

- Tucked quietly off the roadside, this feel-good home offers privacy.

Three of the bedrooms are thoughtfully positioned downstairs with the largest having ranch slider access to the north facing deck.

- Warm and welcoming open-plan living area, flowing seamlessly to a north-facing patio and deck.

- 3 good-sized bedrooms - master with walk-in robe & ensuite.

- Chattels include - a heat pump, SmartVent, and eco panel heaters.

71 Taylor Street, Cambridge

- There’s room for everyone with three bedrooms, including a master with ensuite, dedicated office, plus a separate lounge.

- Open plan living flows effortlessly to the large sun-soaked deck.

- Private section sets the scene with generous off-street parking.

Open Home Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

$399

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Market Appraisal

as per the last proof sent. Advertising supplied in completed form (finished artwork or camera ready), deadline is Tuesday midday prior to publication day. Public holiday weeks, all deadlines move forward one working day. Cancellation deadline is one week prior to publication. If cancellations are received after the cancellation deadline, then full charge applies. All other publications and products see separate booking and deadline sheet. Advertising setting is free for up to two proofs, further changes will incur a production fee. Advertising copy set by Good Local Media Ltd is the property of Good Local Media Ltd and for use in Good Local Media Ltd publications only. If used elsewhere charges will apply, pricing available on request. If supplied ready to print, copy is owned by the advertiser. Publication day is Thursday for urban

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RATE CARD: Rates are based on advertising space only and are over a 12-month period starting from the date the first ad publishes. Rate bracket e.g. 6 insertions, 12 insertions etc. chosen allows ad sizes to vary within the rate bracket. If the number of insertions chosen is not met then a bulk charge will be applied at the end/cancellation of your schedule based on correct rate reflective of the number of ads published e.g. if you have chosen the 12 insertion rate and only publish 6 insertions, the bulk charge will be the difference in price between the 6 insertion rate and 12 insertion rate multiplied by the number of ads published. You pay the rate reflective of the number of ads you actually publish.

ARMSTRONG, Clinton

Ronald – Passed away on Tuesday, 21st October 2025, aged 76 years. Loved father to Jason and Tristan. A private family farewell is to be held. Messages to the Armstrong Family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Clinton's online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz

BOLT, Peter Bruce –Passed away on Wednesday 29 October 2025 after stoically enduring an illness. He is loved and fondly remembered by his family. Loving husband of Yvonne Johnston. Loved father and father-in-law of Derek and Bronwyn, Mike and Carol, Tim and Jemma. Adored grandad of Liam, Lexi, Kaes, Ruby and Zoey. A memorial service to celebrate Peter’s life will be held at Woodside Estate, 132 Woodside Road, Tamahere today, Thursday 6 November at 12:30pm. Communications to Peter’s family C/- 91 Coleridge Street, Cambridge 3432.

JOHNSON, Bernard Alan – It is with sadness we announce the passing of Bernard. Passed away peacefully on Sunday 2 November 2025 in Te Awamutu, aged 91 years. Wing Commander, Royal Australian Air Force. Served 1951-1975 as Navigator and Fighter Pilot. Distinguished Flying Cross USAF, Mention in Despatches RAAF. Bachelor of Economics, Commerce and Arts. Qualified Chiropractor UK, Retired to Cambridge, New Zealand. He will be loving remembered by his cherished wife Elizabeth and all those whose lives he touched. A service to celebrate Bernard’s life and honour his memory will be held at Alexandra House Chapel, 570 Alexandra St, Te Awamutu on Tuesday, 11th November at 11am followed by private cremation. All communications to the Johnson family, PO Box 137, Te Awamutu 3840.

Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ

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Notice of Draft Karāpiro Lake Domain Reserve Management Plan and Draft Karāpiro Lake Domain Masterplan

PURSUANT TO SECTION 41(6) OF THE RESERVES ACT 1977, Waipā District Council invites submissions on the Draft Karāpiro Lake Domain Reserve Management Plan and Draft Karāpiro Lake Domain Masterplan. The draft plans can be viewed at waipadc.govt.nz/karapiroreview or at a Council office or library.

The draft plans cover Karāpiro Lake Domain, the Council owned local purpose (esplanade) reserve on Maungatautari Road adjacent to the start of the 2km rowing course and the Council administered recreation reserve on Pukekura Island at the southern end of the domain.

The draft reserve management plan sets a clear vision for the domain and provides a framework to guide management and development decisions, including what activities can take place, where they can occur and how supporting infrastructure will be developed. The draft masterplan visually maps out proposed development areas and articulates key design principles to achieve the reserve management plan vision.

The draft plans have been informed by earlier engagement with mana whenua, lessees, adjoining landowners, key stakeholders and the community.

The public and interested organisations are invited to make formal submissions on the draft plans. Submitters will have the opportunity to speak to their submission at a public hearing, which is anticipated to be held in February or March 2026. Share your thoughts:

Submissions can be made online at waipadc.govt.nz/karapiroreview, or emailed to haveyoursay@waipadc.govt.nz with ‘Karāpiro Lake Domain RMP and Masterplan’ in the subject line.

You can also write to us at Waipā District Council, Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu 3840.

Feedback closes at 5pm, Tuesday January 20, 2026.

BRICK/PAVER LAYER and Landscaper/ Planter required for local one-off job. Quote required. Ph 021 834 248.

general farm skills. Ph or Txt 0274 781783

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