What's On Southland & South Otago

WHAT'S ON SOUTHLAND 

• Longford Intermediate 50th Reunion 1972 - 2022 is being organised for Friday 8th & Saturday 9th April 2022. Reconnect with old friends and reminisce about your school days at Longford. Open to all former students, staff, PTA & BOT members. Registration forms available from Longford Intermediate School, our Facebook Page (search for Longford Intermediate School 50th Reunion) or email: [email protected] 

• Due to the uncertainty around COVID, the Menzies College 50^th Reunion Committee has made the decision to postpone its Reunion. It was moved that a new date of Waitangi Weekend 2026 will be the celebration of 55 years of Menzies College. We thank everyone for their support and refunds will be redistributed to bank account in due course. For more you can email [email protected], or phone Julie 0274454719.

• Clutha Council reminds people that standard Summer Mode water restrictions are in place. Stage one restrictions mean watering your garden can only take place from 8pm in the evening until 8am in the morning - not during the day. Watering systems and sprinklers may be used during 8pm to 8am, but should not be left unattended and you must ensure the water is not being used wastefully. Council saying while some of the district's water schemes had plentiful sources, restrictions were required during times of high demand because the treatment plants and pipe capacity of schemes restrict the amount of water that can be delivered to consumers. Other tips for conserving water include:

  • Report water leaks in council pipes and fittings to your nearest council office, or call 0800 801 350 outside of business hours.
  • Fix drips and leaks in your own plumbing and outdoor troughs etc.
  • Water the garden in the early morning or evening, and only as necessary.
  • Don't leave water running unnecessarily.
  • Showers are more economical than baths.
  • Use a bucket to wash the car.

• NZTA advise for Invercargill some maintenance and re-sealing work on Tay St (also SH1). From Mary St to approximately 270 Tay St – about 100 metres. The work will shut road to all traffic for 11 days from TUES 11 JAN. Detours will be well signposted. The closure safety for staff.

• Winton Mitre 10 Twilight Ambrose Tournament is on FRI 28 JAN, Tee off at 2.30pm. Come and join the fun at the Winton Golf Club. Teams of 3 with at least 1 handicap golfer. $25.00 entry per person. Free BBQ on course and light food supplied in clubhouse. Great Prizes for all. Entries to [email protected] by Monday 25th January, or enter on the day. NB Non handicapped - Men will play off a 24 handicap & ladies will play off a 36 handicap. 

• POSTPONED FUTURE DATE TBC Annual Ken Milne Classic Event returns to Balclutha SAT 29 JAN, 10am start from Clutha Rugby Clubrooms. The Ken Milne Classic is triathlon/duathlon/recreational walk/run event that remembers a local legend, Ken Milne. Ken coached the local premier rugby team and as pre-season training the team would swim 800m of the Clutha River, Bike 20km on the Road to Kaitangata and finish with a 5km Run. This is now the event course and has been for over 10 years. Ken encouraged anyone and everyone to get out and have a go and this is what the Ken Milne Classic is about! Unfortunately, Ken passed away in 2012 following his battle with cancer, but his legacy lives on in the annual event. The event is run by volunteers and 100% of profits go to the local community. Profit over the years have gone to organisations such as Women's Refuge, Cross Recreation Centre, Rescue Helicopter, St John Ambulance. Find more and sign up here. 
  

• Southland Steam Engine Club is hosting a Mini Open Day ahead of its open weekend on SUN 30 JAN. 1-5pm, just $5 per adult with under 16 free. Traction engines in steam with your chance to steer or drive one. Steam boilers operating. Your chance to come and check out what the club is all about. All welcome no vax pass required. 

• Te Anau Waitangi Day Festival is on MON 31 JAN until MON 7 FEB. While the commemorations will be different, there is still a great deal on offer to help mark this important day in our nation's history. Most of the activities and small-scale events can be enjoyed for free. Places at some of these events are limited, so we encourage people to plan and book. For more information, check out the full programme on our website www.teanauwaitangiday.co.nz and follow us on Facebook. Programme highlights include: Evening performance by critically acclaimed artist and storyteller Marcus Winter, also known as the 'Sandman' - a mesmerising combination of light, sound, and sand to tell stories and share knowledge about Te Ao – Māori. Also a mixed-media art competition and exhibition, a cultural and historic cruise package on board Faith with Fiordland Historic Cruises, Ron Bull and Ngā Hau E Whā kapa haka performers, spot the Treaty Scrolls scavenger hunt, film screenings of Moana and Cousins at Fiordland Cinema, Raranga harakeke (flax weaving) workshops with local weaver Des Cooper, opportunity to paddle a waka with Te Piritahi-a-rua Waka Ama from Invercargill Waihopai on Lake Te Anau and more. Email i[email protected] 

• Shakespeare is back in Queens Park WED 2 - SUN 6 FEB from 6pm. A Plague o' Both Your Houses: Shakespearean Treatments for a Troubled World. A promenade suite of performances based around Shakespearean treatments of health and medicine. Discover some of the customs, characters and chaos that could be found in Elizabethan England and reflect on just how far have we come in 400 years...
  Assemble outside the "Steans Centennial Winter Gardens" in Queens Park for information about where the scenes occur. (Your vaccine pass will give you access to these spaces). Best parking is via Queens Drive entrance or carpark near Cheeky Llama. The scenes will be on repeat, so you can begin your journey any time until the event ends, which is approximately 90 minutes after the start time. Allow around 30-40 minutes for your promenade. At the end of your journey around the scenes, enjoy some music and reflection in the Chinese Gardens. On Sunday, Feb 6, there will be an additional concert opportunity in the New Zealand Native Garden (access from Queens Drive) to celebrate Waitangi Day, with all NZ music. More on that can be found on the separate event listing. Find all details on FB. 

• Good luck to Cole Wells, Eru Weeds, Braydon Clifford and David Gower tackling 24 hours on the boards in the historic Wohelo Station woolshed (Hancox Farm,high in the hills of West Otago) Waitangi weekend for the Shear4Blair event. They aim to shear more than 9500 lambs, donating their wages to the Southland Charity Hospital. They’ll shear 12 two hour runs, starting at 6am on SAT 5 FEB morning, finishing at 2pm on SUN 6 FEB afternoon. Cole's no stranger to the challenge with his first 24-hour event in 2015 at Tarras to raise money for prostate cancer research, where his tally was 952 lambs. In 2020 more than $50,000 was raised for Shaun Bradley, who was suffering with stage four Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. No official records would be set because the lambs would be belly-shorn prior to the event. Covid-19 restrictions mean there will be limits on the number of people that are allowed in the woolshed during the event, so they’ve organised a livestream so spectators can watch, and hopefully donate to the charity hospital as well.

• Te Anau Sandfly Cafe Lake Swim is on SAT 5 FEB. 1900m swim in the stunning lake Te Anau. Registration Opens 9am on the lake front beside the Real Journeys building. Entry Fee is $30. Race Briefing at 9.30 then all Swimmers will be transported to start line by boat for a 10.00am Start. Wetsuits are compulsory. Please present your vaccine pass at race briefing

• The Niagara Bluegrass and Roots Festival returns to the Catlins Waitangi Weekend SAT 5 - SUN 6 FEB. Featuring Valley Bluegrass, Melissa and the Dr, The Purple Hayes, The Port Hillbillies and more. At the Niagara Falls Cafe. $15 entry, $20 for two days. Kids under 14 free. $10 camping available. Noon start. 

• Models Over Mandeville returns to the Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre in Mandeville Waitangi Weekend SAT 5 and SUN 6 FEB. From 10am-4pm each day come along to witness a wide range of model aircraft in action. Enjoy a coffee at Miss Cocoa. In the museum learn about some of the country's early aviators and see the wide range of fully restored aircraft, most of which from the 1920's and 30's. Large collection of de Havilland that can actually fly. Scenic flights on offer. 

• Models Over Jacobs Town is also being held Waitangi Weekend SAT 5 - SUN 6 FEB at Gore Model Aircraft Flying Strip. There will be camping available. Planes will be flown off the strip and they have permission for helicopters to be flown over the road directly opposite the field. There "maybe" the normal BBQ available Saturday night. Cost will be $10 a day or $20 for the weekend. Donations are also welcome.
  This event is not open to the public but friends of the pilots are welcome. For more Pete Salmond 027 208 9031. 
  

• West Otago Theatre gearing up for their 2022 production of The Phantom of the Opera. Synopsis is WED 9 FEB at 7:30pm, followed by auditions the weekend FRI 11 - SUN 13 FEB at the West Otago Community Theatre. Track them down on Facebook for more. 

• Southland Honda Track Day as a fundraiser for local rider Cormac Buchannan is on THURS 10 FEB. With the Burt Munro Challenge cancelled this year we are running a stand alone track day in conjunction with the Southland Motorcycle Club. All proceeds will be going towards Southland’s own International up and coming road race star Cormac Buchanan in his quest to take on the best young talent in the world at the 2022 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. At Teretonga Raceway, Sandy Point, Invercargill. On hand to pass on tips and pointers is Southland Honda's own racer Jeremy Holmes. 5 classes: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, Ladies only & Race. BBQ Lunch provided. All bikes and brands welcome. Proper safety gear required. Vaccine Passport required for entry into Teretonga. PRE ENTRY ONLY - NO DAY ENTRIES. Find more here. Also to find more out about Cormac head over to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cormacracing

• Diablos Caravan is an evening of virtuosic acoustic guitar performed by three of NZ's finest players on a huge 62 date nationwide summer tour. Featuring the talents of Doc Sanchez, Jimi Kara and Luke Flanders and joined by a host of guest guitarists as the tour winds its way around the country. On at Gore's Little Theatre on THURS 10 FEB, 7pm. Its been a tough year for musicians, venues and events, so Diablos Caravan are bringing this world class show to as many regions of the country as possible this summer. A performance not to be missed! If you love acoustic guitar and supporting live music then please come join the Caravan for an unforgettable evening of original Flamenco, Blues, Latin Jazz, Country and everything in between! Tickets from Under the Radar or SBS St James Theatre. 

• The Schick 3X3 Cup will feature 20 NBL franchise teams from across New Zealand descend on ILT Stadium Southland from THURS 10 - SAT 12 FEB. 10 men’s and 10 women’s, with two national titles up for grabs. Olympic sport meets entertainment, gather your crew and lock in a Courtside VIP or Legends Lounge experience now! Affordable FAMILY FUN, family passes with an activation zone included for the kids! 3 day passes can treat fans to 70 games and ONE HUGE PARTY! Find more by getting in touch with the venue or Ticketek. 

• The Southland Steam Engine Club is hosting their annual open weekend SAT 12 and SUN 13 FEB. Your chance to drive or steer a traction engine. There will be kids activities, 'harvest hour', 'Grandmas Kitchen', see a cow being milked in the purpose built walk through cowshed. Let the club take you on a journey back in time, separate the wheat from the straw, mill the grain to make flour, milk the cow, separate the cream, churn the butter, cook pikelets and scones on the coal range for you to sample. Dragline in action along with wooden mill, chaff cutter and vintage machinery displays. Come and enjoy a day of WORKING DISPLAYS. BBQ lunch available to purchase, along with drinks and iceblocks. A great family day out. $10 per adult, under 16 free. 748 Pioneer Highway, Brydone. A Vaccine Pass is required for anyone over 12 years old to attend the event. More here.

• Regional Ford Gore Golf Classic is on SAT 12 - SUN 13 FEB. Playing Conditions: Pairs, Saturday 18 hole 4BBB nett, Sunday 18 hole combined individual nett. Any combination - Men, Ladies or Mixed teams. Ladies receive 2 extra strokes. Maximum course handicap: Ladies 40, Men 36. The winners will receive the Ron & Margaret Bishop Memorial trophy. The best Sunday gross will receive the Henderson trophy. Prize-giving 7pm Sunday. Draw will be published at: www.goregolfclub.co.nz. Entries close Monday 7th February 2022. [email protected] or 027 441 4349. 

• Mandeville Fly-In and Steam Festival is on SAT 19 and SUN 20 FEB, running 10am-3pm. Always held the 8th weekend of the year on the anniversary of the first cross-country flight in NZ between Invercargill and Gore on 20 Feb 1914. See aircraft in flight or maybe take a ride yourself! Waimea Plains Railway steam train rides on the 1878 Rogers K92 offer too (aprox every 20min) as well as traction engines, displays, car displays and more. Just $5 for adults on the gate with plenty of parking. 

• Waikiwi Music Club presents a Valentines Concert on SUN 20 FEB at Corinthian Centre on Esk Street, supporting the Southland Charity Hospital. 1pm start showcasing artists from the club with resident backing band Back n' Business. Guest artists Marie Haslemore, Dave Reid and former Gold Guitar winner Arun O'Connor! Tickets just $10 from Fiona on 027 636 7648 or the Invers Workingmen's Club reception. 

• Forest Hill Trail Run is on SAT 19 FEB. Run through the Forest Hill Reserve and private farm land, views galore on this trail. Check out the Facebook or Instagram pages for more and to register, or email [email protected] 5km walk or run, also 15km & 25km options. Fundraising for Lochiel School sports equipment. Food, coffee and more for sale. Will also have set up a kids hub for all the mini supporters - so a real family day out and activities for all.

• CANCELLED Inner Wheel Balclutha is hosting its "Clear the Clutter for a Cause" Charity Garage Sale on SAT 26 FEB at Stirling Athenaeum, 9am-1pm. Now accepting donations of sell-able clothing, books, toys, appliances, furniture, home decor, linen and more. Donated goods gratefully accepted and can be left at Hewitt’s Tractors, 118 Clyde Street. Sausage sizzle, coffee and raffles on the day. Thanks to Balclutha Scouts for co-hosting the event. All proceeds to the Community. Bring cash as no EFTPOS available. For more contact Beatrice 4181085 or Rowena 4181340 / [email protected] 

• Lumsden Lions are hosting a 4WD Trek on SAT 26 FEB across North Range, Stag Valley, and White Hill Wind Farm. Assemble 483 Sutherland Road at 9am (North Range Woolshed). Fundraiser for a helipad in Lumsden servicing Northern Southland. Adults $50, up to 15yrs $25 and under 5's free. BBQ included at the conclusion. Bring your own lunch, water and warm clothing. For more and to register email [email protected] 

• Come hang out on the banks of the river for the On the Fly Mataura River Festival SUN 20 MAR, 11am til 3pm. Celebrate fly fishing and the elusive brown trout. Have a go casting a line and lean how to tie flies. Master chefs will be on hand to show how best to cook up your catch. Plenty of kids and adult entertainment and competitions with prizes to be won. Entry is free. 

• British Bike Day is on SUN 20 MAR at Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre in Mandeville 10am til 1pm. Free admission and all motorcycle makes are welcome. Prize giving at 12:30pm.