Arts+Culture

Aotearoa Surf Film Festival highlights local film

by Jess Allen

The 11th annual Aotearoa Surf Film Festival took place in Queenstown and Wanaka last week. The event celebrated the best of surf culture and cinema, as well as connections to the environment. A curated selection of local and international surf feature films, documentaries and short films were showcased, and one in particular showed off some of what our region has to offer.

Absent Without Leave was directed by Kiwi, Fin Woods, and includes some highly-regarded surfers, who came to do a tour around South Westland. The surfers featured included Harrison Roach, Nate Zoller and Parker Coffin. They jumped in two old Land Rovers, packed up a few motorbikes and headed out to explore Otago and the West Coast for two weeks. They visited Purakanui Bay and met Blair, a pilot and surfer who took them on a bush plane to a secluded beach. They soon hit our beautiful district.

Our stunning mountain-scape is on display as the team ride motorbikes and camp in a remote area. Next up was the Hawea River Wave – a favourite among locals and a bit more of a unique surfing experience. The purposebuilt whitewater park is at Camphill Bridge and features two different waves – the smaller wave is bouncy and soft, which is super fun on shorter boards and it’s easier to perform spins and tricks. The bottom wave is bigger, steeper and has more power – it’s recommended for more experienced riders.

Matthew McClurg is the tour manager for Aotearoa Surf Film Festival; he says that there is a strong surf culture in Queenstown and Wanaka, which is why they wanted to bring the tour here despite our lack of ocean.

“There are so many people here that still have an interest, particularly in the outdoors and surfing,” says Matthew.

“I think surfing, skiing and snowboarding all go pretty well together. I live in Dunedin and we spend most of our winter weekends in Wanaka skiing and I know that many people from Wanaka do the same with Dunedin to get surf. I guess they cross over pretty well and it’s cool to be able to go to places that appreciate a different kind of event as well. I think sometimes you get all the mountain-related stuff and then maybe not so much of other things.”

Submissions for next year’s Aotearoa Surf Film Festival open in Winter 2023, around mid-year. Matthew would love to see some more Kiwi film submissions.

“The more Kiwi films we get submitted, the more it actually does become Aotearoa’s surf film festival. It’s great to tour the country and see all the places that put these films on. Our goal is to make it predominately New Zealand films, and we need people to be making films to make that happen,” says Matthew.

A panel of four judges will decide this year’s winning film, which will be announced at the final stop of the tour in Auckland. The winning filmmaker

Art News

US two new national monuments in the American Southwest Both sites contain examples of Indigenous art including petroglyphs and pictographs.

The United States has designated two new national monuments in the American Southwest, President Joseph Biden announced last week, designations that will provide additional protections to areas in Nevada and Texas that are home to Indigenous art, including pictographs and petroglyphs. The move will protect more than half a million acres of land in southern Nevada that contains a large section of what’s known as the Spirit Mountain area, or by the Mojave name Avi Kwa Ame. The region is one of the largest contiguous wildlife corridors in the US, rich in biodiversity and contains “sacred lands that are central to the creation story of so many [Native American] tribes that have been here since time immemorial”, Biden also designated the Castner Range in Texas as a national monument, more than 50 years after residents of nearby El Paso first began appealing for safeguards for the area located at the Army base Fort Bliss.

Safer junctions on the way

By Paul Taylor

Work begins this week to improve the safety of two busy junctions on Queenstown’s Hawthorne Drive

Traffic lights and raised pedestrian crossings will be installed at Red Oaks Drive, outside Wakatipu High School and Frankton Library, and Cherry Blossom Drive, near New World supermarket, connecting Remarkables Park and The Landings.

QLDC infrastructure boss Tony Avery says the $1.2 million project will make the road safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

“We’ve seen significant growth around the Frankton area over recent years along with changes in the way the Hawthorne Drive area is used,” Avery says.

“There’s a real mix of things happening out there, from the high school and library to a range of recreational opportunities and accommodation options.

“These intersections are currently very busy so introducing the lights at Red Oaks and Cherry Blossom Drive will reduce the risk of an accident and vastly improve the safety for all road users. Furthermore, raised tables will reduce vehicle speeds and create a more pedestrian friendly environment.”

Work is expected to take two to three months to complete, weather dependent. Drivers can expect reduced speed limits, narrow traffic lanes and potential delays. There may be lane closures required at times, this will be communicated well in advance, by the contractor Downer.

It is joint funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Meanwhile, a new roundabout for the dicey from State Highway 6 to Howards Drive, which leads to both Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country subdivision, is taking shape.

On Thursday, councillors agreed to sell 4150m2 of the 14.6-hectare 516 Ladies Mile to Waka Kotahi for the project. QLDC paid the $13.8 million for the whole property back in 2019. Waka Kotahi will buy the land through the Public Works Act, although there’s no price agreed yet.

Roughly half of the 29 trees planted by the late Bill Walker, who owned the Ladies Mile property, will be chopped down to make way for the roundabout, while a dozen other younger trees will be relocated.

Walker tended the oak, cherry, beech, ash, maple, sweet chestnut and horse chestnut trees for 25 years before his death in 2014. They were threatened with the chop back in 2016, as they are only metres from high-voltage power lines, but were saved through a community campaign and trimmed back instead.

Two native trees will be planted for every one removed, as per QLDC’s tree policy.