More Marlborough people are packing up to move to Australia for what they see as a better lifestyle and more money.

Statistics NZ figures show 385 people left Marlborough during the year to June 30 heading for Australia with the intention of staying long-term. That is more than any year since regional statistics were first recorded in 1992.

The permanent and long-term migration data is based on people saying they intend to leave the country for at least 12 months.

During the same 12 months, 76 Kiwis returned from Australia to Marlborough, and 110 returned to the province from other countries.

A Marlborough couple moved south of Perth with their children, aged 7 and 9, three years ago because they "weren't going anywhere fast" financially in Blenheim.

Wendy Brenssell, 40, said it had been a difficult decision to leave, but she and husband, Mike, who drove trucks from Picton to Christchurch, were told he could earn more in Australia.

"When you've got two young kids you have to put money first," she said.

Mr Brenssell, 42, moved to Western Australia first to test the waters and make sure the information they had been given was correct.

It was – and the family followed about nine months later, Mrs Brenssell said.

Her husband got a job as a long-haul driver making about $100,000 rather than the $40,000 he was earning in Marlborough, and he had since started working in a mine.

They have bought a property in Australia, but have kept their home in Blenheim to give them an option to come back in the future.

Their new home in is a town about the same size and population as Blenheim with property sizes and rates also about the same, she said. But the family got better government family payments, healthcare benefits and more tax back at the end of each year.

"We're better off financially – we don't have to watch every dollar like we did in Blenheim."

Their lifestyle was also better, she said. "Mike does two weeks away and one week at home [for his job], so when he's home he gets to spend time with the kids. That's invaluable to them."

Another Marlborough couple moving to Australia say the better income and lifestyle are behind their move, although they plan to come back eventually.

Kevin "KC" Columbus, a builder, will be following wife Robyn, a nurse, later this month after she found a job as an agency hospital nurse and moved to the Gold Coast five weeks ago.

They have both lived in Blenheim for more than 40 years and had always talked about travelling, he said. Building work was drying up and their two adult daughters had left home, so the time was right.

He did not not have a job lined up but had some contacts. Mrs Columbus was earning more in Australia than she had in New Zealand.

They have decided not to sell their home in Blenheim. "We're not cashing up and moving over. We'll come back home; this will always be home," Mr Columbus said.

THINKING OF MOVING?

Have you gone to Australia and decided to return to New Zealand? We'd like to hear about your experience. Email mailbox@marlexpress.co.nz

- The Marlborough Express

Why are we moving to Oz?

Record 385 leave Marlborough in last year

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 01/08/2011

Supplied

MOVING ON: Kevin and Robyn Columbus have lived in Blenheim for more than 40 years, but Robyn has already gone to Australia and Kevin will be following her.

Lure of Australia

A young Blenheim family are joining an increasing number of Marlborough people leaving New Zealand for Australia.

Tane and Deborah Brunt, along with their children, Joshua, 7, Joseph, 5, Anna-Maria, 4, and Ella-Rose, 7 months, will leave Marlborough, with plans to arrived at Port Macquarie, north of Sydney, in October. They will spend time with family in Auckland and Rarotonga on the way.

Data from Statistics New Zealand show 385 people from Marlborough left for Australia permanently or long-term in the year ending June. It is the highest figure since regional statistics were first recorded in 1992.

Mrs Brunt, a junior doctor at Wairau Hospital, in Blenheim, and Mr Brunt, a lawyer at Blenheim law firm Wain & Naysmith, have lived in Marlborough for about four years and are packing up after spending longer in the region than they first expected.

Both did their degrees in Auckland and moved to Blenheim for a few years of experience.

Dr Brunt, who has worked at the hospital for almost three years, did not apply for the state bonding scheme that places new graduates in hard-to-staff areas for up to five years because she did not think the family would be in Blenheim that long. They were looking for a new adventure, a different lifestyle, a chance to pay off debt and for more work experience, she said. All the children were excited about moving.

"The money is attractive ... but lifestyle is very important, too. We don't want to be slaving our guts out, even when you're making the mega-bucks."

Other hospitals around Australia offered more money, but the environment was not right for the children, she said.

Dr Brunt will take up the role of senior house officer at the Port Macquarie hospital, which is slightly larger than Wairau Hospital, and would get to work in other areas of medicine such as intensive care, not available at smaller hospitals in New Zealand.

Mr Brunt will need to apply for a practising certificate in Australia to work as a lawyer and would be a stay-at-home dad until he found a job.

It was a difficult call to leave Marlborough, but they could always come back if they did not like Australia, Dr Brunt said.

Neither had been to Port Macquarie, but had been told of good suburbs and schools by friends in the area.

"We're just going to rock up and do it, otherwise we wouldn't do anything," she said.

Blenheim couple Claire O'Keeffe and Trent Lindsay are also packing their bags, leaving on Saturday to work in Perth before travelling the rest of the world.

Miss O'Keeffe, office administrator, operations and events co-ordinator for the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, said the couple were not sure what to expect in Perth, but will be looking for jobs.

She was unsure what she wanted to do for a career, and an overseas experience was calling.

"When you finish college there's not many opportunities here in Blenheim so you have to move somewhere else."

- The Marlborough Express

Family off to Port Macquarie

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 01/08/2011

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

A NEW CHAPTER: Deborah and Tane Brunt and their children, Ella-Rose, 7 months, Anna-Maria, 4, Joshua, 7, and Joseph, 5, are moving from Blenheim to start a new life in Australia.

Motorbike rides invigorate bikers

Riding a motorcycle is good for the spirit, Wendy Champion says.

It's even better when you are doing it socially with more than 160 other people in Marlborough.

Mrs Champion is a member of the Marlborough branch of the New Zealand Ulysses Club, which is for people over 40 and with an interest in motorcycles.

She often rides her sky-blue 2011 Harley Davidson 883cc with other members and said her favourite route was from Murchison and down the West Coast.

Drivers travel through areas without really experiencing them, she said.

"When you're on a bike, you can smell the environment you're going through. When you're driving, you're on autopilot."

"It's good for the spirit. It sings to my soul and I feel invigorated by it."

The Marlborough branch meets at Shelly's cafe on Rapaura Rd at 10am on Saturdays for a coffee and a catch-up.

Meticulously cared-for motorcycles of all shapes, sizes and vintages line the outside of the cafe. The club organises rides around Marlborough and the country on Wednesdays and Sundays.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 01/08/2011

SIMON WONG/Marlborough Express

CATCHING UP: Marlborough Ulysses Club members Wendy Champion, Lorraine Brasch, Jill Newman, Jo de Reeper, Nicky Bright and Megan Lawson.

Cherubs grows across the road

Cherubs Childrenswear shop on Wynen St, Blenheim, has outgrown its old store and from today will be trading from a larger storefront across the road.

Owner Lynda Butt said after setting up the family-run business on the original site two years ago, it was "time to spread our wings".

The new store is 140 square metres and will allow the business to sell new lines of stock.

A gift fair in Auckland later this month will be an opportunity to talk to more suppliers and to pick up more lines of stock, she said.

Friends and family helped shift the store when it began packing up on July 22 and the process had been "smooth sailing", if exhausting.

The store closed on Wednesday and was scheduled to reopen at 9am today.

Cherubs used to open at 10am, but the new hours will be 9am to 5pm.

The new store, which was an art gallery, needed minimal work except for a lick of paint, some electrical work, new shelving and a new counter was put in, Mrs Butt said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 01/08/2011

SCOTT HAMMOND/Marlborough Express

GROWING: Cherubs Childrenswear owner Lynda Butt has moved the store across Wynen St, Blenheim, so the business can continue to expand.

New rules will boost used-car prices - dealers

Working-class people will be hit the hardest when changes to the emissions standards for second-hand cars occur next year, a Blenheim car dealer says.

From January 1, Japanese imports will have to conform to the Japan 05 emissions test, which is tougher than the Japan 02 standard. This means most cars manufactured before 2005 will be non-compliant.

Richard Bateman, of Richard Bateman Motors, said it would be too costly for many to upgrade their older cars to newer, emissions-compliant vehicles in one go.

Most of his customers were buying cars from the early 2000s and in the $10,000 price range, but none would be compliant under the new standards. It was good to get the older cars off the road, but it needed to be more affordable for people. A more gradual upgrade to compliant cars would make it easier for drivers, he said.

Vehicles he was purchasing were already 10 to 15 per cent more expensive in the lead-up to the change, but he did not know how much prices would increase next year.

"Until we start buying things in the new market, then we'll know [how much prices will increase]. As cars start to run out we're going to see those prices increase."

Importers, who say the changes will hurt consumers, have published figures from a submission to Transport Minister Steven Joyce appealing for a delay.

Mr Joyce has refused and played down the impact of the changes.

The figures show a sharp price difference between the cost of some models that can be imported under the new rules, and those that do not comply. Based on retail prices, the oldest BMW 3 series which can be imported from next year costs $10,000, or 59 per cent, more than the 2004 model, which does not comply.

For the popular Subaru Legacy station wagon, the retail price of the oldest compliant models, manufactured in late 2003, is at least 17 per cent more than cars that will be excluded.

Imported Motor Vehicle Dealers Association chief executive David Vinsen said the figures showed a "step change" in the price of models that accounted for about 30 per cent of used imports. The rule changes would force up the price of cars already in New Zealand because no additional older stock would be brought in.

Used-import numbers could plunge by about 50 per cent next year, because consumers would not be willing to pay the new prices, Mr Vinsen said. Average used-car prices could increase by "thousands of dollars".

Proponents of the changes say although prices could rise next year, several factors could be behind it. New-car sales fell during the recession, dropping 26 per cent between 2008 and 2009 and causing a shortage of quality new cars.

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More recently, New Zealand importers have had more competition when buying used cars in Japan from Chinese and Russian traders. The Japanese tsunami in March has also hit production and destroyed thousands of existing vehicles, squeezing supply.

Mr Joyce said car sales were more aligned to the strength of the general economy than any rule changes, and arguments being used by importers were the same as the last time new standards were introduced in 2008.

"On balance, it's unlikely to be as significant [an increase] as the used-car guys say."

Transport Ministry sources said the figures from by Mr Vinsen were correct, but largely irrelevant. Fresh stocks of used imports accounted for only a fraction of the 3.2 million cars on the road in New Zealand, so a change should not hit prices materially because there was no shortage of supply. Consumers were increasingly using alternatives such as Trade Me to car dealers, and importers could buy old cars before the change.

AA spokesman Mark Stockdale said the changes could lead to higher prices, but they would mean safer, more efficient cars on the road. "There comes a time when we have to bite the bullet and upgrade our fleet."

BY THE NUMBERS

Number of cars in the New Zealand light-vehicle fleet - 3.2 million
Average age of New Zealand light-vehicle fleet - 12.7 years
Number of used cars imported in 2005152,488 Number of used cars imported in 2009 - 68,757
Drop in new-car sales between 2008 and 2009 - 26 per cent
Increase in price of average 3-litre car sold at Turners Auctions at the start of 2011, despite fuel hike - 6 per cent

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:31 01/08/2011

Move started with hunt for chair

Cheryl Greer walked into a surplus office equipment auction two months ago looking for an office chair, but walked out with the lease to a building.

This weekend, the Alyssums and Balloons owner, her five part-time staff, friends and even some customers are moving thousands of items of stock about 100 metres along Queen St into the former Century 21 Blenheim building.

The store, which has been at 41 Queen St for about 14 years, will be closed from noon tomorrow and reopen on Wednesday.

Since she signed the lease, Mrs Greer and her staff have been working nights and weekends to repaint and recarpet the new premises and her husband has built a storeroom. They have moved a lot of stock into the new storeroom to make moving day as easy as possible, as well as fitting in a pre-planned three-week holiday.

It will still be a big weekend moving everything from the existing shop, much of it delicate and breakable. They will load everything in to boxes and have borrowed trolleys from Trents Wholesale in Stuart St. Not everything will be wrapped.

"We're going to take the risk. There are a few things which will be bubble-wrapped, like glassware, so they don't chip."

She hoped the stock would be moved by Sunday night ready to start displaying it around the new store, ready for reopening on Wednesday.

The new store front would be more open and light, she said.

It was also slightly bigger and had a better layout.

A kitchen had been installed, so the store could continue to give cooking demonstrations.

"Not a lot of people know we do those," she said.

The business will also have a shorter name. "We're dropping the Balloons. It was an ideal opportunity to do that. People know we sell balloons and they just know us as Alyssums anyway."

Customers and staff have been excited about the move and some regulars have even offered to help on the big day, she said.

As for the chair that Mrs Greer wanted at the auction – she never got it.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 29/07/2011

MOVING DAY: Alyssums and Balloons in Queen St, Blenheim, will take up residence further along the street. Owner Cheryl Greer and staff will be busy during the weekend making the move

New judge urges young lawyers into provinces

Newly appointed Family Court judge Michael Turner, from Blenheim, encouraged young lawyers to work in the provinces rather than be attracted by the bright lights of the cities, just as he did 25 years ago.

Judge Turner made the remarks during a swearing-in ceremony at the Blenheim District Court yesterday when he addressed friends, family, police and fellow lawyers for the first time sitting on the bench.

Provincial centres often struggled to retain lawyers because they were drawn to the cities, he said.

The rewards of the job went beyond monetary gain and provinces offered a different lifestyle from cities.

"The benefits are the human side – getting to know other practitioners and often being seen by clients as `their' lawyer".

Young lawyers should consider moving to the provinces for a few years and hopefully stay there, he said.

Judge Turner's advice has come from personal experience.

He moved to Blenheim in 1985 after being admitted to the bar in Auckland in 1979 and working as a staff solicitor at private firms there for about five years.

He began work in Marlborough as a partner at Blenheim firm Wisheart Macnab and Partners, and left the practice in 1996 to set up sole practice as a barrister.

Becoming a district court judge was "the pinnacle of my career" and he eagerly awaited the challenge ahead of him, he said.

He praised the support and help from his family, fellow lawyers, court staff and police.

Judge Turner will spend the rest of the year in Wellington before becoming a judge in Invercargill next year.

He follows other Marlborough lawyers into the judiciary. Craig Thompson was appointed principal Environment Court judge in 2009 and Brian Dwyer as an Environment Court judge in 2006.

Deputy Solicitor-General Matthew Palmer said Mr Turner's appointment related to the confidence fellow judges, the public, lawyers and the Crown had in his integrity, skills and judgment.

Family Court judges must deal with human emotions with patience and understanding, and Judge Turner's experience would make him ideal, he said.

Lawyer Murray Hunt, representing the Marlborough branch of the Law Society, said Judge Turner was held in high regard and would be missed.

"Those who know you have no doubt in your ability," he said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 27/07/2011

SCOTT HAMMOND/Marlborough Express

SWORN IN: Blenheim lawyer Michael Turner reads the oath of allegiance as he is sworn in as a Family Court judge by executive judge Ian Mill during a ceremony in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

New judge urges young lawyers into provinces

Newly appointed Family Court judge Michael Turner, from Blenheim, encouraged young lawyers to work in the provinces rather than be attracted by the bright lights of the cities, just as he did 25 years ago.

Judge Turner made the remarks during a swearing-in ceremony at the Blenheim District Court yesterday when he addressed friends, family, police and fellow lawyers for the first time sitting on the bench.

Provincial centres often struggled to retain lawyers because they were drawn to the cities, he said.

The rewards of the job went beyond monetary gain and provinces offered a different lifestyle from cities.

"The benefits are the human side – getting to know other practitioners and often being seen by clients as `their' lawyer".

Young lawyers should consider moving to the provinces for a few years and hopefully stay there, he said.

Judge Turner's advice has come from personal experience.

He moved to Blenheim in 1985 after being admitted to the bar in Auckland in 1979 and working as a staff solicitor at private firms there for about five years.

He began work in Marlborough as a partner at Blenheim firm Wisheart Macnab and Partners, and left the practice in 1996 to set up sole practice as a barrister.

Becoming a district court judge was "the pinnacle of my career" and he eagerly awaited the challenge ahead of him, he said.

He praised the support and help from his family, fellow lawyers, court staff and police.

Judge Turner will spend the rest of the year in Wellington before becoming a judge in Invercargill next year.

He follows other Marlborough lawyers into the judiciary. Craig Thompson was appointed principal Environment Court judge in 2009 and Brian Dwyer as an Environment Court judge in 2006.

Deputy Solicitor-General Matthew Palmer said Mr Turner's appointment related to the confidence fellow judges, the public, lawyers and the Crown had in his integrity, skills and judgment.

Family Court judges must deal with human emotions with patience and understanding, and Judge Turner's experience would make him ideal, he said.

Lawyer Murray Hunt, representing the Marlborough branch of the Law Society, said Judge Turner was held in high regard and would be missed.

"Those who know you have no doubt in your ability," he said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 27/07/2011

SCOTT HAMMOND/Marlborough Express

SWORN IN: Blenheim lawyer Michael Turner reads the oath of allegiance as he is sworn in as a Family Court judge by executive judge Ian Mill during a ceremony in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

Where there's a wool there's a way

hey're a long way from fashion capitals of Europe, but a 169-year-old European menswear cloth company has come to an Awatere Valley station to film a promotional video showing clients where they source their wool.

Luxury cloth brand Dormeuil, based in France and England, has been filming at Haldon Range, near Seddon, the company's only source of New Zealand merino wool.

Marlborough farmer Dick Bell owns the 1350-hectare station which carries 5000 merino sheep.

Commercial director of the family-owned business Frederic Dormeuil said clients were more discerning and wanted to know the processes the company goes through to make the fabric from start to finish.

"The client is very demanding. They want to know that as a manufacturer we're controlling the process as much as we can."

The only way to get the answer questions from clients about how some of their products were made was to get to know the people on the farm, he said.

Mr Bell said the relationship between the two companies began when he approached the cloth firm about 15 years ago.

Seventy-five per cent of the wool produced at the farm is sent to Dormeuil.

Each of the 5000 sheep is on a database, which records the genetics of each sheep and the quality and quantity of the wool they are producing.

This allows him to better control the quality of the wool and to explain how best to handle the wool while it is processed.

"We're using old fashioned stockmanship with new technology."

Mr Dormeuil said both companies were innovators and described the relationship between the two as a marriage.

Out of that marriage came a cloth named Jade which has greenstone fibres in the wool – an idea which Mr Bell challenged the company to produce after talking with a jade sculptor.

Mr Bell said the company was "gutsy" to develop the idea into a workable material.

Prime Minister John Key wore a specially tailored suit made of the cloth to the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 28/07/2011

Scott Hammond

TOP NOTCH: Shown with fabric that has been handled by royalty are Frederic Dormeuil (right) and Dick Bell.

Teenagers chase licences

Marlborought 15- and 16-year-olds have been brushing up on their driving skills before the driver licensing system changes next week.

Regent School of Motoring chief instructor Rod Hill said the school holidays had been busy with a many teenagers "chasing licences" before the minimum age for a learner licence increases from 15 to 16 on Monday.

Marlborough AA says it has also been dealing with a rush of teenagers trying to get their learner licence.

The changes have been designed to improve road safety. Other measures include reducing the alcohol limit to zero for drivers under 20, from August 7, and more stringent restricted licence testing from February next year.

Mr Hill said the holidays had been busy with pupils eager to get their learner licence to avoid a longer wait.

Another group of students were working toward their restricted licences before testing becomes more strict. To pass, drivers would need skills equivalent to about 100 hours of tutored driving, he said.

Most young people going for the test may have done 10 to 12 hours of driving, so it was a quantum leap, he said.

Christianna Stewart, 16, will be sitting her restricted licence next month and is confident of passing. She lives in Renwick and needs her licence to get to work and outside activities.

She "freaked out" when she heard the minimum age was going up and decided to get her learner's licence when she turned 15. "If you're prepared and you pass it the first time you don't have to worry," she said.

Marlborough AA district manager Sally Wright said they had been dealing with a rush of young applicants for learner licences. "It's been crazy here for the past two weeks, even though most of these children could have gone for their licence a month ago."

She apologised for delays, but said they could do only 11 learner theory tests a day.

The law change will catch out 15-year-olds who already hold their learner licence. They will have to wait until they turn 16 1/2 to apply for their restricted licence, although they can apply for an exemption to sit the test at 16.

"You have to pay for an exemption to have the six months dropped off, but it will not be granted to anyone with a speeding ticket or conviction," Mrs Wright said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 28/07/2011

Students look to jazz up the music scene

Twenty bands, 15 schools, four days, one CD and a whole lot of jazz.

The Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival in Marlborough begins on Wednesday next week, with secondary schools from throughout the South Island filling the region with smooth grooves.

For the first time in the festival's nine-year history, a compilation CD with a track from each band will be recorded and sold as a memento.

The CD will be recorded during the competition phase of the event at the Marlborough Boys' College hall by Blenheim recording studio Hear No Evil.

Marlborough 4 Fun event organiser Tash Twidle said the project received funding from the Creative Communities scheme run through Creative New Zealand.

"[The CD] gives the students something to work toward, and they will be subsidised so they can buy it for their families or send it to people overseas who weren't able to make it to the event."

Money raised from sales will go into running next year's event.

Hear No Evil director Luke Bowman said he was happy to support Marlborough artists.

The company, which was set up about two years ago and employs four people, has the ability to work outside its Hammerichs Rd studio and record in most situations.

The festival begins with each band having a masterclass with the New Zealand School of Music and Rodger Fox, and also includes the band competition and public performances in Blenheim and Picton, finishing with a gala concert on Saturday night at the Marlborough Boys' College hall.

The gala concert will feature performances from the competition winners, the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra, and an all-star band made up of members from different schools.

The boys' college hall was bigger than the Marlborough Civic Theatre, which hosted the concert last year, Ms Twidle said. "It's important for the playing students to hear their peers play. We couldn't fit them in the theatre last year."

The bands would also perform for primary schools around Marlborough, with the aim of encouraging a new generation of musicians, she said.

The CD will cost $10 from Marlborough 4 Fun.

Tickets to the gala concert cost $35 for adults and $20 for students and senior citizens.

They are available from the Marlborough Civic Theatre, New World Blenheim, Take Note in Picton and TicketDirect Tasman.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 25/07/2011

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

FOR ALL TO HEAR: Marlborough Girls' College head girl Lily Sullivan plays the saxophone for Luke Bowman, director of the Hear No Evil recording studio. The Blenheim company will record performances by bands during the Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival next week. The resulting CD will be sold to the public.

Fewer luxuries as food bills rise

Giving up on cheese and butter, switching to frozen vegetables and making luxuries a distant memory – those are among the measures Blenheim people are taking to fight a rising food bill.

The Marlborough Express spoke to shoppers yesterday outside at a Blenheim supermarket to see how they were coping with food prices that have increased 7.4 per cent in the year to June. Fruit and vegetables had the largest impact on food prices, rising 12.2 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand.

While some of the increase is down to seasonal factors, many shoppers reported prices were up across the board.

Leah Morgan, of Blenheim, said that with a household of five people they used to get their weekly shop done for about $160 but in the last two months it's closer to $200.

"We never get fresh vegetables, we buy frozen because it's cheaper. Most of the things we buy are on special – if you're not doing that it would be crippling." She said it was difficult to eat healthily with high food prices.

"To go in and buy a pack of pies instead of salad is cheaper; it's way too dear to be healthy."

One grocer the Express spoke to said the situation has been exacerbated by natural disasters and bad weather hampering the growth of some vegetables, including tomatoes, in the past several months causing food prices in supermarkets and grocery stores to increase. Tomatoes, for instance, are up 56.9 per cent, capsicums up 43.7 per cent and cucumbers up 35.6 per cent on the same time last year.

Benge & Co Green Grocers owner Colin Benge said the January floods in Queensland and poor weather in New Zealand last month have seriously affected the supply of tomatoes in particular.

June had very low sunshine hours meaning tomatoes did not ripen, he said.

"These guys [growers] can't produce enough and their costs are rocketing. They're still putting in what they normally would, but not getting the required volume."

Blenheim chef and Marlborough Farmers' Market chairman Chris Fortune said families were better off buying produce which was seasonal such as pumpkin, cabbage and potatoes because it

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 22/07/2011

Resistance to compulsory iPads

Queen Charlotte College, in Picton, will not be making tablet devices such as iPads compulsory for students.

Queen Charlotte College principal Tom Parsons said the decile 4 school will instead consider increasing the wireless internet capacity of the school.

This would allow students who already have internet-capable devices such as netbooks, iPads and smartphones to use the network.

Students using the wireless network would free up more of the school's computers for other students, he said.

Orewa College, a decile 9 state-integrated school in north Auckland, has told parents that year 9 students will need an iPad 2 or similar device as part of their stationery from next year. The iPads sell for between $799 and $1289, depending on memory size and its ability to connect to the 3G cellular networks.

Mr Parsons said requiring students to own the hi-tech devices for school would create an unlevel playing field.

"Could we make this compulsory? We could, but we wouldn't."

Through operational funding, the school has one computer for every four students, which are free for students to use between 8am and 5pm on weekdays.

Outside those hours the Marlborough District Library in Picton sometimes reserved computers for students.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 21/07/2011

School of four an Outback adventure

Two former teachers from Blenheim will be returning to their profession in an unconventional classroom – the Australian Outback.

Former Marlborough Girls' College teacher Kathryn Nicholls and her husband Wayne, who taught at Marlborough Boys' College, will spend the next couple of months teaching children who live on a cattle station about 300 kilometres south of Darwin, in the Northern Territory.

The couple are volunteering through Australian organisation Volunteers for Isolated Students' Education, which helps teach students in rural Australia.

They leave on Monday and will return to Blenheim in September.

The couple know little about the family they will be living with, except that there are four children aged between nine and 17 who help run a large cattle station called Ebenezer Waters.

"They have a music room and the mother wants assemblies on Fridays, but with four kids I don't know how you can do that," Mrs Nicholls joked.

She had looked up the property on Google maps, but could not see any buildings. "We zoomed in and zoomed in, but we couldn't see anything. It must be a big property."

They will live with the family for free in exchange for teaching the children, who study by correspondence. The children will continue to work with their parents on the station while they study.

This is not the first time teaching has taken the couple outside the country. Both spent a year on a teacher exchange in the Northern Territory in 2000 and also taught at the Marlborough Boys' College international school in China for three years.

"We were looking for another adventure and this is it," Mrs Nicholls said.

The volunteer organisation pays for teaching resources and getting the couple to their destination once they are in Australia.

Mr Nicholls said they would have weekends free to explore, but hoped they could get involved in working on the station. "We're hoping to become part of the family very quickly," he said.

He did not know if it was common for New Zealand teachers to volunteer for the organisation, but said the only problem they had applying was finding someone to look after their dog, Jack.

A friend had agreed to live in their house and care for Jack while they were away, he said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 19/07/2011

SCOTT HAMMOND/Marlborough Express

ON THE ROAD: Former teachers Wayne and Kathryn Nicholls, from Blenheim, will be volunteering to teach in the Australian Outback.

Fur seals 'pests', teen told police

A Renwick teenager who bludgeoned 25 seals to death near Kaikoura last year told police he thought they were pests.

Jason Trevor Godsiff did not give police any other explanation, according to the police summary of facts heard in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

Godsiff, 19, stood in the dock as a first offender but left with two convictions after admitting wilfully ill-treating the protected seals at Ohau Point, near Kaikoura, and possessing an offensive weapon.

Godsiff used a galvanised pipe to kill the seals, eight of whom were pups as young as a few days old.

He will be sentenced on September 13.

Beside Godsiff stood Jamaal Peter Roy Large, a 36-year-old driver from Wairau Valley, who faces the same charges. He has not entered pleas and will appear again on August 8. Judge Michael Behrens released both men on bail.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said the men worked together as builders and had known each other for some time.

The summary of facts said the men were driving towards Blenheim in Large's ute after working on a salmon farm at Waiau, in North Canterbury, on November 26.

It was getting dark when they stopped at Ohau Point, a spot popular with tourists and people from the region because of the seal colony there.

Godsiff put on a headlamp on and walked towards a group of seals, carrying the pipe, the summary said.

He then struck the seals, before continuing his journey to Blenheim.

Department of Conservation workers who examined the scene later found that most of the dead seals had been struck around the head.

Other, live seals had injuries suggesting they had also been hit.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 13:00 19/07/2011

New Zealand teen admits killing seals for 'being pests'

A New Zealand teenager has pleaded guilty to killing 23 seals and seal pups with a metal pipe because he thought they were pests.

Jason Trevor Godsiff attacked the seals while he was on his way home from work on a building site near Kaikoura on South Island.

He stopped at a seal colony and bludgeoned the animals to death.

The 19-year old, who will be sentenced on 13 September, was convicted of wilfully mistreating protected animals.

Another man, 36-year-old Jamaal Peter Roy Large, faces the same charges but has not yet submitted a plea.

Staff from the department of conservation found the battered seals, including newborn pups, at the bottom of a 30m (100ft) cliff.

"This is a callous and cowardly attack on seals, especially newborn pups, unable to defend themselves against someone striking them with a bat or similar club-like object," the department's regional manager Dave Hayes said at the time.

Fur seals are protected in New Zealand and anyone caught harming them faces six months in jail and heavy fines.

The seal colony stretches 2km (1.2 miles) on the east coast of the South Island.

More on This Story

Related Stories

• NZ seals killed in 'callous' act 06 DECEMBER 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC

Related Internet links

• Kaikoura guide
• NZ Department of Conservation

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The seals were clubbed to death in what conservation staff called a callous, cowardly attack

19 July 2011 Last updated at 04:58 GMT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14196406

Spellbound

Blenheim teenager Gwen Burney has spent half her life enthralled by the world of boy-wizard Harry Potter and his friends, Ron and Hermione.

So when the 15-year-old sees the final instalment of the movie franchise tonight she will leave the cinema with mixed emotions. "It's going to be strange. The feeling that nothing else is coming out – it's kind of the end of it."

However, her interest in the Potter world is not likely to wane as the final credits roll on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. "This will be with me for the rest of my life," she said.

Gwen and her family have been watching the other movies leading up to today's release and they will be seeing the movie together tonight. Gwen will see the movie again tomorrow with some of her friends.

She began reading the seven-book series at the age of eight, and cannot recall how many times she has read them. "In the 50s. They're just gripping – you can't put them down once you pick them up."

Top Town Cinema manager Duncan Mackenzie said the movie was one of the most anticipated of the series.

Other movie franchises would find it difficult to emulate the global success of Harry Potter. "There's nothing else out there despite the best efforts of movie companies to create a franchise like Harry Potter."

Each movie has proved a sure-fire hit for both cinemas and audiences alike and the final instalment would be no exception, he said. "[Harry Potter] has been a magnificent performer from a business perspective, but the most important measure is audience satisfaction. They've kept people coming back and you can't do that unless you're doing it right."

- The Marlborough ExpressSIMON WONG

Last updated 16:07 14/07/2011

Enthralled: Gwen Burney, 15, has been caught up in the world of Harry Potter since picking up the first book at age 8. The last of the Harry Potter film franchise opens today and for many it will be the end of an era.

Great memories of Marlborough

Fairhall School pupils have said farewell to a South Korean exchange student who has been a classmate for 18 months.

Min Ji Kim, 11, flew back to Seoul yesterday with her older brother and sister, who have been exchange students at Marlborough Boys' and Girls' Colleges.

Min Ji arrived at the start of 2010 with the intention of staying at Fairhall School for a year to improve her English, but her parents wanted her to stay longer.

The siblings are returning during the school holidays in South Korea, and Min Ji will continue her schooling in Seoul when the new term starts in mid-August.

During her farewell at the end of the second school term on Friday, Min Ji said she had mixed feelings about leaving behind friends, teachers, her host family and the Marlborough scenery to go home.

The siblings stayed with the same host family.

Principal Steve Crockett said Min Ji had become more confident since she started at the school and her English had improved significantly.

"It's been a experience for her learning about our culture, and we've learned a lot about hers as well," Mr Crockett said.

Min Ji was awarded a Principal's Quality Award for her effort and growth as a student at a prizegiving ceremony at the school on Friday.

Mr Crockett said the school had hosted several international students in the past.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 18/07/2011

SIMON WONG/Marlborough Express

HEADING HOME: Min Ji Kim, 11, second from left, enjoys the last day of the school term with Room 8 on Friday. She has returned home to South Korea after spending 18 months at Blenheim's Fairhall School as an exchange student.

From Renwick with love

Pupils from Opawa School, in Christchurch, have received a much needed boost in the form of nearly 250 care packages from Renwick School.

Renwick School deputy principal Robyn Lyall said the 238 shoe boxes were decorated as care packages by students and staff and filled with games, lollies, toys and letters.

Pupils helped pack the boxes on to a truck on Monday. They arrived at the earthquake-hit school the next day and were distributed to pupils on Wednesday.

The school chose Opawa because it was close to the centre of Christchurch and a similar size to Renwick School.

The cargo was transported free by husband and wife David and Helen Birchfield, who run D and H Furniture Movers, based in Riwaka, near Motueka.

Opawa School principal Grant Stedman said the packages were greatly appreciated by the 388 pupils and staff. The feedback from parents and students had been positive. The delivery was a morale booster for the pupils.

"For the children to know there are others in a school outside Christchurch who care about them and who have taken the time and effort to do what they've done is just great."

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:59 15/07/2011

Earthquake respite for some pupils

A group of pupils from Kaiapoi Borough School will get a brief respite from the stress of aftershocks thanks to the Picton and Blenheim branches of Westpac bank.

Kaiapoi school is one of many damaged by the series of earthquakes in Canterbury.

The trip for 20 pupils to the Chipmunks Playland in Christchurch is the Marlborough response to The Big Chip In for Christchurch, a national event running today by the bank.

Messages from customers and staff will also be sent to Christchurch.

The event encouraged people and businesses to dress in black and red and do small things for the people of Canterbury, like calling friends and family or sending flowers.

Westpac Blenheim branch assistant manager Carly Deller said staff were contributing for the pupils to get in to Chipmunks and for their food.

The school was chosen because it was badly affected after the earthquakes, she said.

Principal Ash Maindonald said news of the trip lifted the spirits of staff because it showed people were thinking about them.

"I went into the staff room after I got the call [from Westpac] and everyone thought it was lovely and encouraging."

A class of the youngest children had been chosen to go on the trip, probably early next term, he said.

The almost 500 pupils at the school were dealing with the earthquakes and aftershocks in different ways, he said.

Staff at the Picton and Blenheim Westpac branches are wearing specially made red-and-black shirts today to support the cause.

People are also able to buy items from Christchurch businesses today through the Facebook page facebook.com/bigchipin.

Video messages of support can also be uploaded to YouTube or posted on the facebook page and will be joined by other messages from well-known New Zealanders.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 12:57 15/07/2011

Whale freed from craypot tangle

BEN CURRAN/Marlborough Express

DoC staff in the earlier attempt to rescue the young humpback. It had entered Tory Channel after days of travelling up the east coast from Kaikoura entangled in rope and a buoy.

Entangled humpback in Tory Channel

The race is on to disentangle a juvenile humpback whale from a craypot line after it was seen in Tory Channel this afternoon.

Department of Conservation spokeswoman Trish Grant said the whale was seen by ferry captains in Cook Strait mid-morning today and again in Tory Channel about midday.

Special equipment and members of a team trained in whale disentanglement have arrived from Kaikoura to try and free the whale before darkness fell, she said. Members of the team from Blenheim were also travelling to the site.

Two vessels, a 5.3 metre inflatable NAIAD and an 8.5 metre catamaran, have just left Picton to find the whale.

Disentangling whales is a slow process which can take several hours and requires good sea conditions and plenty of light.

It was not safe to continue the rescue operation after dark and the team will abandon the rescue if night falls and they have not freed it, she said.

The mammal was large and unpredictable and the cray pot line and buoy were restricting its movement which was likely to make it distressed, she said.

A team conducting a Cook Strait Whale Survey were tracking the whale until the team from Kaikoura and Blenheim arrive by boat from Picton.

The whale was first seen off Kaitorete Spit, Banks Peninsula on June 27 and DOC had appealed

to the public for sightings.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 14:59 08/07/2011

Department of Conservation

Spotted: The whale making its way north with the craypot line and buoy wrapped around its tail.

Turner to be family judge

Blenheim barrister and crown prosecutor Mike Turner has been appointed a Family Court judge by Attorney-General Chris Finlayson.

Mr Turner said he was looking forward to the new challenge.

"I'll be sad to leave [Blenheim], but balanced with that is the challenge of the career ahead. I've made a number of good friends in the area and I'll be keeping in touch with them."

Mr Turner has been a staff solicitor at the Auckland firms, Cairns Slane and Holmden Horrocks and Co, and a partner at Wisheart Macnab and Partners in Blenheim from 1985.

He left the practice in 1996 to set up sole practice as a barrister in Blenheim in criminal, family and civil law. He was appointed to several roles including senior youth advocate in the Youth Court.

He was admitted to the Bar in 1979 after graduating from Auckland University.

Lawyers wanting to become judges file an expression of interest and are interviewed by judges when a position become available.

The judges then make recommendations to the Attorney-General who decides who takes up the role.

Mr Turner will be sworn in at a ceremony on July 26 at the Blenheim District Court, which will be attended by judges from Wellington and Nelson. He made his last appearance as a barrister about two weeks ago.

He will later move to Invercargill after spending the rest of this year as a judge in Wellington. Mr Turner was to appeal Blenheim man Kevin King's manslaughter conviction at the Court of Appeal in Wellington in September, but the case will now be reassigned. He did not know who would take over.

Mr Turner will work in the family, criminal and civil courts.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 08/07/2011

Mike Turner

Red strips move 'successful'

It may seem like a simple idea, but the thick red strips such as the ones that cross State Highway 1 at Spring Creek are making the region's roads safer, according to Marlborough Roads.

Manager Frank Porter said the strips known as speed thresholds leave drivers in no doubt the speed limit is about to change as they enter populated areas.

The thresholds were installed at both ends of the SH1 entrance and the Rapaura Rd entrance to Spring Creek about six weeks ago, and signal the change to a speed limit of 70kmh.

The speed limit through Spring Creek was changed from 80kmh to improve safety at the intersection with Rapaura Rd which has been the scene of many traffic crashes.

Marlborough Roads is still investigating more options to make the intersection safer.

The strips have also been installed at the Riverlands entrance of Blenheim on SH1.

"It's a good way of achieving awareness and it does seem to be very successful," Mr Porter said.

Marlborough Roads has not done a speed survey at Spring Creek since the strips were installed, but held a focus group of randomly selected people.

Feedback was positive with participants saying the strips were very noticeable and there was no way drivers could miss the change in speed, he said.

Wairau Valley, Rai Valley and Renwick were possible candidates, but Marlborough Roads had no firm plans or budget for the work.

Those areas were considered stretches of road where excessive speed was a risk, he said. The speed thresholds are a new option for the New Zealand Transport Agency and were being rolled out throughout the country, he said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 08/07/2011

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

SLOW DOWN: Red strips painted on road entrances to Spring Creek aim to reduce the accident rate at the State Highway 1-Rapaura Rd intersection.

arnie #1 02:02 pm Jul 08 2011

As usual the transport agencies are away behind the rest of the world on this and also it is time they put more speed readers in that flash you to slow down as you enter a slower speed zone and you don't react quick enough. They are very effective overseas. (edited)

Three options for pool

The Marlborough Boys' College board wants to know what parents think they should do with the old school pool.

Principal Wayne Hegarty said the outdoor pool needed upgrading and the board of trustees could not decide what to do with it.

The options are to close the pool, upgrade it to the minimum required standard or raise funds to modernise it.

Estimates varied widely for upgrading the pool, which would include new changing sheds and a bigger filter system, he said. Only a limited number of students could use the pool at once without overloading the filtration system.

If the school closed the pool, the students would use the pools at Marlborough Lines Stadium.

The board discussed the future of the pool on Thursday and were split between the three options, Mr Hegarty said. They decided it would be best to get comments from parents and students and set up a consultation subcommittee.

No date had been set for the feedback.

The college would continue to use the new stadium pools regardless of which option was chosen so it could do pool-based sports and programmes throughout the year.

The college pool is usually used only during term one and was convenient to have because classes could go for a quick swim after physical education classes and before their next class, he said.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 07/07/2011

What should the college do with the pool?

Close it

Upgrade it to the minimum required standard

Raise funds to modernise it

I have another idea and I've emailed it to mailbox@marlexpress.co.nz

Call to fast-track upgrade

Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty wants the college to be fast-tracked for a ministry computer network upgrade as it works to earthquake-strengthen parts of the campus.

It would be "common sense" for the ministry to upgrade the school's electrical infrastructure as part of its School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP) while the college starts the process of redeveloping parts of the school, he said.

"The walls are going to be stripped off and it's just common sense they'll [the ministry] do it at the same time."

The college would eventually get the upgrade, which is for all state-integrated schools, but it would save the ministry having to come back and strip the walls again, he said.

The SNUP programme gives schools a subsidised upgrade of their internet speed and cabling infrastructure so they can use ultra-fast broadband.

According to the ministry website, the upgrade includes the cabling with a 20 to 25-year warranty, extra power outlets in classrooms and backup devices for the school server.

The ministry pays for 68 per cent of the upgrade and project management costs, according to the website. The upgrade does not include computers or laptops.

Mr Hegarty said the school already had cabling infrastructure that was installed under previous principal John Rodgers, which was "one of the things which contributed to our financial woes".

The infrastructure gives the school faster internet download speeds, runs computer applications faster and also provides the school with wireless internet.

However, the school could not take full advantage of the existing infrastructure until more power outlets and switches were installed, he said.

"It's like we've got a Rolls-Royce engine running a Mini."

Where the college can put computers is restricted by the number of power outlets, and more plugs would mean more options to place computers around the campus, including breakout rooms between classes and in computer pods, he said.

Mr Hegarty has made submissions to the ministry about fast-tracking the upgrade, but said he had not received a response yet.

Parts of the college are being redesigned to incorporate new technology and resources, while areas are realigned and strengthened to meet ministry earthquake standards.

Staff members have met with the school's architect, Tim Barton, to discuss ways to improve the school, which could include a central area for faculty and taking down some stairwells and

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 13:00 07/07/2011

Rare treat for visiting heron

A kotuku, or white heron, has been turning heads on Taylor River in Blenheim.

The heron was seen feeding on small eels near the Monro St entrance to the Taylor River reserve yesterday.

The rare wetland native bird has come from Okarito on the West Coast, from a colony of about 100 birds.

Phil Bradfield, Department of Conservation south Marlborough biodiversity manager, said it was quite possible it was the same heron that visited Blenheim last year.

"They usually hang around until September, and then they head back down to the coast to start laying their eggs."

It was not unusual for the herons to feed in residents' ponds and clean up goldfish.

"Put nets over your ponds if you are worried, but also feel privileged a native and very rare species has come to visit you for a day or two," Mr Bradfield said.

The herons disperse throughout New Zealand from early June They feast on small eels, small fish, frogs, shrimps and, occasionally, small birds, Mr Bradfield said.

- The Marlborough Express

Last updated 13:00 07/07/2011

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

EELICIOUS: This eel put up a struggle before it became a mid-afternoon snack for the white heron visiting Blenheim.

New boss at the Express

MICHAEL BERRY

Last updated 11:55 04/07/2011

Vanessa Watson

Farewell to Roger Rose

1 of 21

Reporters Ian Allen, Simon Wong, Rob Macintosh

Marlborough Express Advertising manager Vanessa Watson has replaced Roger Rose as general manager of the Express almost 30 years after joining the company as a receptionist.

Mrs Watson was the advertising manager from 1994 until today, when she was announced as the general manager, starting the role immediately. Mr Rose retired on Friday, ending a 30-year leadership of the paper.

"I feel like I've had a long apprenticeship under Roger," Mrs Watson said. "He's always been very supportive and encouraging of his managers."

The 45-year-old mother-of-two adult children was excited about her promotion and hoped to further the Express' reputation for punching above its weight.

"We're the smallest daily newspaper in the Fairfax group, but we're always regarded as innovative and bold, and we want to continue that.

"It's a privilege to be given this opportunity to lead the team, especially during these times of rapid change for the media industry.

"In both online and print, the Express is committed to this province as its main news provider, and we will continue to build on our proud history of resilience and innovation."

Fairfax southern region general manager Andrew Boyle said Mrs Watson was an impressive leader and was experienced in sales, marketing, sponsorship, and pre-press.

"She has a clear vision for the Marlborough team, and I am very confident that she will move the business forward. I also look forward to her contributions to the South Island management team."

In 2007, Mrs Watson was awarded the Fairfax Maggie Maxwell Leadership Award, which recognises outstanding leaders across the Fairfax New Zealand organisation.

- The Marlborough Express