EVENTS/NEWS The airline that brings New Zealand together.

Events

EASTERN BOP

Whakatāne Touch - 34th Annual Touch Tournament

January 8th and January 9th www.whakatane.com/events/whakatane-touchtournament

The largest touch club tournament in New Zealand attracts top sportsmen and celebrities from all over New Zealand and abroad. This year marks the Whakatāne Touch Association Charitable Trust’s 34th annual touch tournament - made up of 72 teams and a maximum of five grades: men’s open, men’s restricted, women’s open, women’s restricted, mixed grade, and old boys +35 years. Over 1000 players and 70 referees are involved in this much anticipated event.

KĀPITI COAST

Arts Whakatāne 2021 Summer Arts Festival

January 2020 - March 2021 www.artswhakatane.co.nz

Arts Whakatāne has another busy summer schedule for 2021 with everything from a night owl cinema to a dance carnival, the National Youth Brass Band, a Waitangi Day Reggae Festival, the Molly Morpeth Canaday Painting and Drawing Exhibition, and the always popular sculpture symposium and Jazz in the Park. Check out the website for all the details and plan a summer getaway. .................................................................

Ōtaki Kite Festival

February 6th and 7th 2021 www.otakipromogroup.nz/kite-festival Fun for all the family, this free event brings together kite fliers from all around New Zealand. Spectacular kites of all shapes, sizes and styles thrill those viewing from the beach, above the dunes and the Pavilion roof, so expect to be delighted by the sight of massive inflatable kites, stained glass window and bug kites, through to tiny fluttering seagull kites. Bring your own kite and join in the fun! WHANGANUI

CHATHAM ISLANDS

Bayleys Whanganui Vintage Weekend

January 23rd - January 25th 2021 www.whanganuivintageweekend.nz

Bayleys Whanganui Vintage Weekend is about celebrating the very best of every era, be it magnificent machinery, fabulous fashion, beautiful buildings, magical music or fantastic fare, this weekend has it all and then some! Our DC-3, Kaitaia, will flying down for the weekend offering scenic flights above Whanganui, so this is a great opportunity to learn about the history of this grand old dame and have a unique, unforgettable experience. Accommodation and flights are selling fast, so get in quick to visit Whanganui for Vintage Weekend.

Artist Open Studios showcases Whanganui creatives

March 19th - March 28th 2021 www.openstudios.co.nz From humble beginnings Whanganui’s Artist Open Studios has gone from strength to strength to become New Zealand’s largest, longest running and most diverse arts trail event. Held over two weekends, the event opens the doors to studios throughout the district to give a unique glimpse into the world of a huge variety of artists.

Chatham Islands Racing Carnival

December 27th, 31st 2020 and January 4th 2021 www.facebook.com/chathamislandjockeyclub

The Chatham Islands Racing Carnival has been run every New Year holiday since 1875 at the island’s racecourse. Now in its 145th year, making it one of NZ’s oldest horse races, this is the event that – possibly – stops an island.

Auckland’s Eden Park

AUCKLAND Summer 2020/21 www.edenpark.co.nz New Zealand’s national stadium has a great line up of events this summer. Dec 2nd to 6th Powerade G9 – The conversion of Eden Park to a nine-hole golf course offers the unique opportunity to hit a holein-one from the highest stands of the 117-year old stadium. Players can win a share of prizes, including the coveted G9 Yellow Jacket, and half a million dollars thanks to Donaldson Brown!

Dec 5th An Eden Park Christmas

Come along to the Park’s free annual family festive celebrations on the Outer Oval. Entry is free!

Dec 18th BLACKCAPS vs Pakistan

Support the Blackcaps in the 1st T20 against Pakistan! Gates open: 5.30pm

Mar 5th BLACKCAPS vs Australia

Support the Blackcaps in the 4th T20 against Australia. Gates open: 5.30pm

Mar 26th BLACKCAPS vs Bangladesh

Support the Blackcaps as they take on Bangladesh in the 2nd T20. Gates open: 5.30pm

36th America’s Cup

March 6th - March 21st www.americascup.com The 36th America’s Cup Match will be held from 6th to 21st March 2021 and will see the defender Emirates Team New Zealand racing against the winner of the Prada Cup, the Challenger Selection Series, with the winner being the first team to score seven points. The 2021 event will be preceded by the America’s Cup World Series, with the Christmas Race taking place in Auckland from 17th to 20th December. The Auckland Race Village is situated in the heart of Auckland and Emirates Team New Zealand’s HQ will be centre stage at the former Viaduct Event Centre so come along and be a part of history!

News

Air Chathams welcomes ATR-72 to the Chatham Islands

Air Chathams has welcomed the ATR 72 aircraft on to the Chatham Islands to mainland New Zealand route. The ATR, which will be based on the Chathams, will operate daily scheduled flights to mainland NZ cities including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The introduction of the ATR will mean a significantly improved customer experience for residents and visitors and increases capacity with up to 68 seats. Upgrading to a more modern aircraft will enable Air Chathams to provide a more secure service and the ATR is more fuel efficient, quieter and longer than the Convair 580 and was first introduced to the Air Chathams fleet in 2019. The aircraft was officially welcomed to the island at a ceremony on 24 October by the community and guests including Chatham Islands Mayor Monqiue Croon, MP for Rongotai and Chatham Islands Paul Eagle, Air Chathams CEO and Founder Craig Emeny, CFO Marion Emeny and ATR Captain Matthew Emeny.

Whanganui Businesses Recoup Lockdown Losses

Whanganui & Partners says that strong consumer activity post-lockdown has meant the same amount has been spent with Whanganui businesses since February as over the same seven-month period last year. Consumer data from Marketview shows, for the week ending 6 September, spending in Whanganui was up by 15.2% compared to the same week last year. Spending nation-wide for the same period was up 5.8%. Gaelle Deighton, interim CE of economic development agency Whanganui & Partners, says the district has seen strong growth in spending every week since the lockdown ended. “On average, every week since lockdown has seen an 11.2% increase in spending compared to the same week last year. This substantial increase has meant that the spend we lost from the beginning of February, when COVID began to impact tourism and supply chains, has been made up post-lockdown. On paper, the past seven months look the same as those seven months in 2019.” Deighton says it’s important to recognise that not every sector has experienced the same recovery. “Sectors like tourism, hospitality and transportation were more affected by the lockdown, and it’s going to be a longer recovery for these businesses. There’s support available through Whanganui & Partners, and I encourage businesses still feeling the effects to access all the resources available to them.” Deighton says the high-performing economy bodes well for the future of the district and the underlying resilience of the district’s businesses. “Data shows that our economy is on the right track. We’re seeing month-onmonth records broken in consumer spend, visitor spend and house values right now. We’re currently on track to see our highest ever annual consumer spend, which is amazing considering the significant interruptions to business this year,” Deighton said. “More than ever, Whanganui is viewed as a desirable place to visit and live, and our businesses are feeling the benefit of that. Our job at Whanganui & Partners right now is to help our businesses adapt, pivot and grow so all of our sectors are feeling the benefit of the strong economy.” Businesses that need support with the effects of COVID-19 are encouraged to contact the team at Whanganui & Partners or for more information visit www.whanganuiandpartners.nz/sme