Sun Views
thewanakasun.co.nz
Correction
On October 26, we incorrectly reported that Harcourts won the Rotary Club’s Duck Race held on October 21. It was in fact Harcourts Property Management that won the race with their duck “Louie”. We strive for accuracy at the Wanaka Sun and if you see something you feel is incorrect, please contact us on journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz.
Luggate (Red) Bridge repair works REPORTER S STAFF editor@thewanakasun.co.nz Travel disruption is expected next week for people who use the road between Wanaka and Tarras, State Highway 8A. Repair work on the Luggate (Red) Bridge from Monday, November 6, will require a day’s full closure to enable the scaffolding to go in place, followed by work at night to minimise disruption to road users. “Repair work on the 102-year-old bridge, which crosses the Clutha River, will take up to a fortnight to complete. The works involve replacing damaged structural beams and handrail repairs,” said John Jarvis, senior network manager, NZ Transport Agency. The cost of this work is around $68,000. The bridge will be closed for the first day at the start of the works on Monday, 6 November between the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm for scaffolding to be installed. Detours will be in place via Camp Hill Road. Drivers will be re-directed with temporary
detour signage. The repairs will then be completed at nights over a two week period again with detours in place during the hours of 8pm to 6am on weeknights Monday to Thursday. The bridge will also be opened on the hour every hour for drivers who are happy to wait or time their journey for the top of the hour overnight. At the end of the project, around mid-November, the bridge will again be closed during the day to allow removal of the scaffolding, with the same detour in place via Camp Hill Road. “People will need to build in extra time on their journeys as delays can be expected for the duration of the project,” John said. The Transport Agency thanks everyone for their patience and for taking care while this important safety work on the Red Bridge is completed. Check the web page www.highwayinfo.govt.nz, phone the Transport Agency’s 0800 4 HIGHWAYS info line or check www.facebook.com/nztasouthisland
Sponsored by
This week’s Giveaway...
GREBE DIARY 7
A $50 Alchemy voucher is up for grabs!
October 29 2017
I finished last week’s diary on a somewhat mournful note with not a lot happening in grebe-land, but that all changed this week when I took a couple of days off in Dunedin and returned to a flutter of grebes. Late Wednesday the birds on nest four laid their first egg, but a check on Sunday by Archie and Jack revealed only a single addition to the clutch. A late check on October 28 indicated that there were mating pairs on rafts 2,3,4,5,14 and a singleton on 6. In earlier diaries I have been puzzled as to who or what were laying single eggs and then abandoning them on nest platforms. Was it grebe, mallard or scaup? A literature search suggested that of all the waterbirds that bred in the vicinity of the marina, that it was the smallest of all that laid the largest egg and that surprised me. This is Papango, or NZ Scaup, Black Teal or more familiarly known as Aythya novaeseelandiae. Given that this bird weighs in at 650 grams the weight of the egg is an eye-watering 78 grams, that’s 12 percent of its body weight and within a week when laying, it will create a clutch of eggs weighing almost half its bodyweight. Over the last two weeks we (Jack, Archie, Toby, Josh, Mathew, Michael, Ben and Tom) have searched the scrub and cover on the lee side of the marina, specifically looking for the nest of a scaup so that we
THE WANAKA SUN
The perfect place to support local, relax, experience great food and enjoy the lakefront atmosphere with a pal.
WEEKLY GIVEAWAY PHOTO: supplied
could measure any eggs we may find. I must say I was delighted this last Wednesday to find that a scaup had the temerity to lay an egg on a grebe raft. (1st on the left above, 2nd is grebe, 3rd domestic hen and 4th a starling’s egg). Amazing what a scaup laying an egg on a grebe raft can achieve!!! – John Darby PS. I added the starling’s egg because I think the colour beautiful-but then why do starlings lay an egg this colour?)
Open 8am -10pm everyday
Visit our Wanaka Sun Facebook page to enter now!
THURSDAY 02.11.17 - WEDNESDAY 08.11.17
Would you like to promote your business here? Contact us to book your spot, spaces limited. For bookings call 03 443 5252 www.thewanakasun.co.nz
PAGE 11