What's On Southland & South Otago

WHAT'S ON SOUTHLAND

• Organisations with projects that could get young people more active are urged to apply to Tu Manawa Active Aotearoa for funding. Active Southland is administering the fund which has more than $1mil to distribute over the next three years. There are two categories - under $10k projects/initiatives, and those over $10k. Get in touch with Active Southland for details. 

• Balclutha Genealogical Society is hosting its Monthly Meeting on THURS 5 AUG, 7.30pm, at Public Library, John St, Balclutha.Doors open at 7.00pm for research. Topic: Show and Tell- A family heirloom. Everyone welcome. Enquires Ruth 418 2621.

• Riversdale School, the Community Baths Committee and the Lions are hosting a Quiz Night to raise funds for the pools heating upgrade project. At Riversdale Community Center FRI 6 AUG, doors open 6:45pm for a 7:30pm start. $20/team of four. Children welcome. Raffle tickets available and some great auction items up for grabs! Cash bar only (no EFTPOS). Courtesy vehicle available. 

• Northern Southland College Young Farmers Club is holding a Quiz Night on FRI 6 AUG at NSC Hall, 7pm start. $20 for a team of 4, with great prizes up for grabs and raffles available. Raising funds for club clothing and charity. For more and to register get in touch with Kate on 0274 839 464 or email [email protected] 
  

• Gore Musical Theatre presents "Chicago" on stage at SBS St James Gore from FRI 6 - SAT 14 AUG. Tickets from the venue or iTicket. More here: https://www.hokonui.co.nz/whats-on/gore-musical-theatre-chicago/. 

• Southland Multicultural Trust is hosting a Women's Self-Defence Course on SAT 7 AUG in the Supper Room at Scottish Hall, 112 Esk Street. Running from 9am-4pm, you will learn about using your body language and voice, victim/attacker mentality, relationships, situational awareness, self-defence techniques and more. Course delivered by Becs Amundsen. For more and to register email [email protected] or phone 027 214 9296. The course is free.

• The Bunnings NPC season for Southland Stags kicks off this SAT 7 AUG in a Battle of the South vs Otago in Dunedin, 4:35pm kick off. Curtain raiser Otago Spirit vs Waikato at 2:05pm. Tickets from Ticketek. 

• The third annual Meridian Hydro Half Marathon sees more than 400 runners set to take to the beautiful Lake 2 Lake trail on SAT 7 AUG. The event is coordinated by the Fiordland Trails Trust as one of its main fundraisers of the year as it continues its work maintaining, enhancing and developing the multi-use trails. This year the Meridian Hydro Half Marathon will also encompass the Mitre 10 Te Anau 10k event, which sold out within weeks. There are still spaces available in the half marathon event, and organisers are encouraging people to get out and give it a go. Information can be found at www.fiordlandtrails.nz.

• Saints All Male Choir presents Don't Stop Me Now - A Tribute to Fallen Stars, Dead But Not Forgotten. At Ascot Park Hotel on SAT 7 AUG, doors open 7pm for 7:30pm start. Featuring Brendan Mason, Holly Muirhead, Kylie McGinnis Bryan Townley, Lyndsay Moffatt, Ryan Isaacs, Bonnie Turner, Jo Ward, Daniel Monteath and Jack Townley. MC James McRobie. Costumes encouraged. $50 per ticket includes supper. Tickets from the venue. 

• Southland Boat Show is back at ILT Stadium Southland on SAT 7 and SUN 8 AUG. On Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 10am-4pm. Adults $10 on the door, kids under 15yrs $3. Find more information on Facebook or www.southlandboatshow.co.nz. 

• Southern Indoor Charity Dog Trials are on the weekend of SAT 7 - MON 9 AUG in the Agricentre at the Southern Field Days site. First started back in 2016 the event has raised over $33k over that time. Spectators welcome to witness this awesome event that raises money for Southland Hospice. Bring cash as no EFTPOS. Silent auction will boast heaps of awesome products from the amazing sponsors. Southland Hospice will be running the morning and afternoon teas (good hearty smokos). Come and see these very talented trialist doing what they do best. Over 130 dogs, 8am start each day with 60 dogs on average featuring so estimated finish 5pm. 

• Southland mothers and whānau affected by pregnancy and infant loss are the focus of a Maternity Memory Garden planned for the grounds of Southland Hospital. The Maternity Memorial Garden givealittle page raised $1,830 in the first five weeks, with donations continuing to grow, and the Maternity Memory Garden Project Facebook page has over 300 members – and more are welcome. Maternity ward staff have been fundraising within the hospital, with a bake sale on 5 July that raised $1,529.00, plus raffles and more. Members of the public are invited to show their support by attending the Maternity Memorial Garden Jingo Night at the Waikiwi Tavern on MON 9 AUG at 6.30pm.  Sara says the generosity of local businesses in donating prizes for the Jingo night have ‘moved me to tears”. All proceeds from the night will go towards the Memorial Garden, and any surplus will be used to purchase additional resources and equipment to support bereaved families on the Maternity Unit, and for the provision of memory boxes.

• South Otago Theatrical Society presents "Dream are Free" on stage at the George Street Theatre from THURS 12 - FRI 20 AUG. Tickets are sold out. More here: https://www.hokonui.co.nz/whats-on/south-otago-theatrical-society-dreams-are-free/. 

• 12th Annual Clinton Young Farmers Quiz Night is on FRI 13 AUG at the Clinton Community Centre, 7pm start. $50 per team of 4-6 people, includes supper platter. Cash bar and raffles on offer. Please bring cash, no EFTPOS available. All proceeds to the Cancer Society supporting Daffodil Day. RSVP to Bayley on 021 022 72650.

• After an extremely successful Catlins Coast Rally last year, which marked the twentieth edition of the event, the Eastern Southland Car Club will run a rallysprint event in the area on SAT 14 AUG. The event, supported by the Rosebank Lodge, will utilise some of the great roads previously used for the rally, forming a loop of around 8.5 km. Competitors will fight it out over three runs in each direction, with the fastest time in each direction added together to determine the result. The pit area for the event will be on Puerua Church Road, off Romahapa Road. The Rosebank Lodge Catlins Rallysprint is supported by the Clutha Licensing Trust and the Clutha District Council while the club appreciates the support of landowners in the area. The South Otago Car Club will run their Catlins Inn Rallysprint on the day following the event, Sunday 15th August, meaning it will still be a great weekend of motorsport action in the area.

• Josh Tosh and Trix of Dipton are among three kiwis to be the first to enter the Cobber Trans-Tasman Heading Dog Challenge from 16 AUG - 5 SEPT. They will be up against 9 Aussie dogs. They will wear GPS collars to track their movements over the course of the challenge. The dogs will be scored on their speed, distance and duration of work per day. You can follow the performance of your favourite dog at www.cobberchallenge.com.au. 

• St Peter's College Basketball is hosting a movie night on THURS 19 AUG at the SBS St James Gore. Premiere of Aretha Franklin "Respect". Tickets just $20. Proceeds to the team to attend AIMS Games in Tauranga. To purchase tickets contact Jayne on 027 497 0051. 

• Former Ireland Coach, now World Rugby's high performance chief Joe Schmidt will join referee Craig Joubert at the Mossburn Community Centre on FRI 20 AUG at 7pm. The pair will look back on highlights from their international career as part of a fundraiser for the Hawthorndale Care Village in Invercargill. 

• The Gore and District Memorial RSA invites return service personnel from the Rohdesian conflict to present day of the Otago Southland region to a welcome home dinner. The event will be held in the function room of Gore RSA from 1pm on SAT 21 AUG. The dinner will feature guest speaker Chief of Army Major General John Boswell. For more information touch base with Aaron Horrell 027 252 0878 or [email protected] Further information to follow on Facebook. 

• Vintage Car Club of NZ is hosting the Daffodil Rally for Cancer on SUN 22 AUG. It's the Vintage Club's National Day and across the country hundreds of vehicles will be on the road or on display raising money for local Cancer Society. The Gore Rally starts from Gate 2 at the A&P Showgrounds. Assemble at 1pm, first car away at 1:30pm. All car clubs and public welcome, entry $10 per car. All proceeds to the cause. For more and to register call John Tremaine on 027 432 0197 or visit www.vcc.org.nz. 

• The Hokonui Moonshine Festival Committee in partnership with the Hokonui Heritage Centre Trust invite you to celebrate an important milestone in Southland's grain spirit tradition. Join for a book launch, distillery unveiling, food + spirit match and fundraising event on WED 25 AUG at Maruawai Centre, 6pm. Featuring author and McRae decedent Bill Stuart. Guest MC John Gordon, Southland broadcaster and author. The Thomas Green alongside Jude Taylor will serve up tasty nibbles. Also featuring Central Otago wines and craft beer, followed by spirit tasting. The evening will feature impromptu auctions, raffles and sales tables. Tickets $80 from the St James or iTicket.  

• Applications for round two of the Southland and Fiordland Regional Event Funds are now open. A total of $472.500 remains available for events in the region after $287,500 was allocated in the first round in March. The funding, administered by Great South, is part of the Government’s post COVID-19 Tourism Recovery package.One of the key criteria being to attract visitors from outside of the region, this was an opportunity to create something new and unique. Anyone with an existing event they would like to add value to or a new event in mind should get in touch. Applications will be assessed by an independent panel. Applicants have until 31 August to submit their applications for this funding round, with a decision due early September. For more information, or to apply for the Southland or Fiordland Regional Event funds please visit https://greatsouth.nz/regional-events-fund.

• The search is on to uncover talented young individuals in agriculture, with applications for the 2022 Zanda McDonald Award now open. The trans-Tasman award provides an opportunity for young Kiwis and Aussies working in agriculture to fast track their careers and personal development, through an impressive prize package that puts the winner in the passenger seat with some of the biggest and best agriculture operators across Australasia. Now in its eighth year, the annual Award recognises those who are passionate about agriculture, wanting to make a difference in their sector, and looking to take their career to the next level. The prize includes a fully personalised mentoring trip in Australia and New Zealand, $10,000 worth of tailored education or training, media coaching, and a wide range of opportunities that help advance their future in the ag sector. Some travel for the mentoring trip takes place in a privately chartered Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, enabling the winner to reach diverse and remote agricultural operations on either side of the Tasman.  The prize isn’t just reserved for the winner, with all finalists having access to mentoring opportunities, media training and other benefits. Applications are open to individuals aged 21 – 35 years, who live and work in the agriculture sector in Australia or New Zealand. Entries close on Tuesday 31^st August 2021. For further details and to apply online, visit www.zandamcdonaldaward.com

• Southland Football is hosting Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM), aka Nanogirl, for two speaking engagements on THURS 2 SEPT - one for the south’s junior footballers and one for the corporate and business sector. Dickinson will deliver a presentation at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill at 3.30pm entitled ‘Empowering Our Young Stars to Dream Big” for those involved in junior football, while later in the evening from 5.15pm she will deliver an address on Technology and Innovation in Business at Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill. The Junior Football presentation is free to junior members while the Transport World event will see 250 tickets available from the Southland Business Chamber (southlandchamber.co.nz) at a cost of $60 per head. Complimentary nibbles will be served on arrival and a cash bar will operate.

• Otago Southland Secondary Schools Cross Country Champs are on FRI 3 SEPT at Captains Bridge Road, Tapanui. Race track will be aprox 8-12km long and will be family/intermediate ability. Riders complete as many laps of the course as they can in 1 or 1.5hrs. The winner is the first home after the clock stops with the most laps. Entry online from sporty.co.nz. Brought to you by Gore and District Motorcycle Club. Entries close FRI 27 AUG. For more contact Morgan on 027 312 2855. 

• Dressage Southland is hosting a fundraising Evening with Helen Christie. This will be an opportunity to hear from a chief eventing stewart of the Tokyo Olympics. On SAT 25 SEPT at Gore Town and Country Club, doors open 7pm. Ticketing details to come. Cash bar with silent auction running for the night.