Country hospitality
sunnews
inbrief Tarras School garage sale
PHOTO: wanaka.tv
Caroline Harker You don’t need to be a farmer to enjoy dog trials, according to Alpha Burn Station owner Vicki McRae. She is keen to see more locals at the national championships at their farm in Glendhu Bay. The event runs until Saturday June 3. “You can have a meal in the tent and you might even get a free whiskey,” she said. “Breakfast is available from before dawn and there’s a barbecue at 4pm.” And then there are the actual trials. “There are four different events and you can drive to them all so you don’t even have to get out of your car. There’s the herding, the zigzag, the straight hunt where the dog has to take the sheep straight up the hill, and the long haul – where the sheep have to come straight down,” she said. One event which sounded entertaining was the Bench Class. “It’s for the best looking dog,” Vicki said. That event was held yesterday.
Only three locals have qualified for the nationals; Vicki’s husband Don, their son Duncan, and Tarras farmer PL Anderson. “Don says only seven dogs get a prize here,” Vicki said. “We have the Wanaka dog trials in March and there are lots of
Mount Iron Drive,” Vicki said. “We were very sad to lose that course.” Holding the dog trials is a big job for the McRaes and their team of volunteers. “My daughter-in-law Allanah is doing all the smokos for the judges and there are two or three other local girls in
The camaraderie is amazing. This is the real farming thing. prizes then.” Local or national, dog trials are a very social event for farmers. “The camaraderie is amazing,” Vicki said. “This is the real farming thing. Not like the show – my husband says that’s all run by girls now. Here you get dog trial people of all ages, all talking about dogs and farming.” This is the first time the nationals have been held at Alpha Burn Station. They used to be held on Mount Iron. “We got built out by
the kitchen. We’ve got 63B caterers doing the meals, the Wanaka Collie Club is running the bar, and you’ll find me in the tea tent filling up the hot water urns.” So if you want to take part in a real rural get-together Alpha Burn Station is the place to be. “The public are more than welcome,” said Vicki. Pictured from left are: Allanah McRae, Vicki McRae, Jo Scurr, Annie Gillespie and Issi Anderson.
Fire-fighters wanted A fire brigade open day at Lake Hawea is also doubling as a recruitment information day with four volunteers being sought. Doug Brensell, the township’s chief fire officer said the brigade has 20 places allocated for volunteers, with only 16 places filled. Volunteers who are accepted will undergo training with the brigade as well as completing a seven day recruits’ course covering firefighting and first aid. The open day will also feature a kitchen
fire demonstration showing the perils of unattended cooking and two electricians will be present to perform free electric blanket and heater checks. The day is part of a national pre-winter safety campaign for reducing fire hazards. A free all day barbecue is being held along with a kids’ fire-fighter dress up and a colouring competition. The open day is being held at the Lake Hawea brigade house on Sunday, June 3 from 10am to 4 pm.
The Friends of Tarras School (FOTS) are hosting a giant garage sale at the Tarras Hall on Sunday June 10. The event will help raise funds to pay for the school’s second fulltime teacher as well as assisting with funding for other school activities. Tarras School has around 20 students currently enrolled and relies mainly on income from books about Shrek the famous hermit sheep of Tarras, to fund its second fulltime teacher. The garage sale coincides with the first anniversary of the merino sheep’s death. The original book is now a Booksellers NZ Platinum bestseller. Group chairperson Tui Willson said a fun day is planned with refreshments available, a playground for children, pony rides and some serious cash bargains to be had. The sale, which will include vintageware and quality secondhand clothing, begins at 10am.
House tour for primary school A house tour, including a visit to a New Zealand House of the Year, is being used as a fundraiser for Wanaka Primary School this weekend. Ten houses in the Wanaka area have been put forward with interested parties able to travel to each one independently. Following the visits, a wine tasting will be held, a presentation on kitchen design and a talk on sustainability. Tickets are available from Wanaka Primary School.
PHOTO: supplied
Drum roll for Wanaka muso Tyler Bailey, 12, from Wanaka entered the recent Cromwell Battle of the Bands as a solo act, playing drums to Working Man by the band RUSH and Enter Sandman by Metallica. Playing to backing tracks that had the drum track removed, Tyler was given a special mention by the judges and third place for his efforts. PHOTO: supplied
Thursday 31 May to Wednesday 6 June 2012
Page