
Film feast for two-wheel devotees
Eight inspirational short cycling films will be shown in Arrowtown and Glenorchy as The Big Bike Film Night dismounts in Arrowtown and Glenorchy this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Each year I set out with just one goal — to bring together the best short cycling films from around the world for our audiences, celebrating the fun, the adventure and inspiration that bikes enable," Taupo-based curator Brett Cotter says.
This year's batch includes a film featuring Queenstown mountain biker Ben Hildred tackling the local 50km Coronet Loop — last month he notched up one million vertical feet on Queenstown's Ben Lomond in just 100 days.
The film night's now in its 11th year.
Tuesday's screening's at the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall at 7pm and Wednesday's at Glenorchy's The Headwaters Eco Lodge at 7pm — tickets via bikefilmnight.nz
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NZ Herald
13 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Neurodiverse artist Yaniv Janson invites Rotorua to create community masterpiece
Internationally recognised Raglan-based artist Yaniv Janson is bringing his Abstract Acrylics exhibition to Rotorua this weekend. The neurodiverse artist is also hosting a free Community Canvas workshop, where locals can help paint a giant collaborative artwork. Once complete, the piece would tour schools and community spaces. Janson, who has

NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
All Blacks v Argentina: Kendrick Lynn - the Kiwi helping the Pumas plot the All Blacks' downfall
After transitioning from playing to coaching in Lyon, Lynn returned home to link with the Highlanders in 2023 alongside southern All Blacks Ethan de Groot and Fabian Holland. Helping plot the All Blacks' downfall one year later was not on his radar. 'It was amazing to be a part of. That was a huge result,' Lynn recalls of the Pumas' triumph in Wellington. 'I always thought it would be great to coach internationally but never thought Argentina would be an option. It's very different, very unique, in that the vast majority of the team play in Europe. 'Felipe has done really well in establishing core values with how we behave. That really helped us have that season last year. 'It's certainly different being a Kiwi coaching against the All Blacks. It probably felt the most strange in the lead-up to the game but once you're into it, it's your role and I'm doing everything I can to help the Pumas win. It felt great. 'It was really good to back the win over the All Blacks up and beat the Springboks and we had a really good performance in Aussie, where we had a record score [67-27] against them but our next level is being able to do it game after game. We had ups and downs. Every time we beat the top guys we lost the next game.' The Pumas' struggles for sustained success were, indeed, illustrated by their one-sided loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park - yet their victory the previous week was no aberration. Three times in the past five years – in Western Sydney, Christchurch and Wellington – the Pumas savoured similar success. Their last frontier, though, is to achieve that feat at home, with the 21-21 draw in 1985 in Buenos Aires against Sir Brian Lochore's All Blacks the closest in 16 attempts. One reason the Pumas start heavy outsiders in Cordoba and Buenos Aires in the next two weeks is that they must prove they can cope with a level of expectation and pressure they are not burdened by on the road. 'If we can rise to the occasion at home, it would be huge for the team and the country,' Lynn said. 'Rugby in Argentina is in an interesting spot. There was a rocky period five or six years ago but now it's moving in a positive direction. Amateur rugby is thriving. The club scene is awesome. 'What we did last year, the style of play we're trying to bring in, will keep growing that. To beat a team like the All Blacks at home would back up what we did last year and solidify what we're trying to achieve as we build in the next few years.' To target the All Blacks and continued improvement in the Rugby Championship, the Pumas rested many of their frontline European-based players from their July series. Results reflected that strategic approach as England, missing many of their incumbents selected for Lions duties, won both tests in Argentina. 'We made the conscious decision as a staff to give those top players a rest in July. With the unique situation of them playing in Europe, they don't get rested compared to Super Rugby or in Ireland. We don't have any control of how much the guys are playing. 'We knew it was going to be a tougher series against England but we need to be blooding more depth. Performance-wise it wasn't great, but long-term it was positive. 'These guys are now going to be coming back fresh – we've had 11 guys who had time off, a little mini preseason – and now it's a matter of getting them up to international footy speed.' Kendrick Lynn on the attack for the Highlanders in 2011. Photo / Photosport Lynn follows a well-trodden path of Kiwis immersing themselves with the Pumas. Sir Graham Henry and David Kidwell, the latter joining the Highlanders as defence coach next season, are other high-profile New Zealanders to coach against the All Blacks. Before accepting the Pumas attack coach role, Lynn spoke with former head coach Michael Cheika to ensure he would fit in. 'Culturally, the Pumas are used to having a foreign coach. The language is fine because their English is really good. My Spanish is a work on. I got a tip from Michael Cheika to watch Nachos. He reckons that's how he learned with English subtitles. Because I can speak French I can pop in and out of that if I need to as well. 'Argentina in a lot of ways can be everyone's second favourite team. They've had that underdog status in the past. They've been capable of pulling off big performances and they play a style of rugby people enjoy so I wanted to be part of that and see what I can do to keep growing it. 'With a lot of 25, 26, 27-year-olds who have played together a lot, especially for the Jaguares, there's potential to keep improving.' Stylistically, the Pumas can hurt any team in multiple ways. Loose forwards Pablo Matera, who won a Super Rugby championship under Robertson at the Crusaders, and Marcus Kremer are among the world's best breakdown exponents. Defensively, the Pumas have proven difficult to penetrate, too. But it's their creative, open, attacking intent that appealed to Lynn. 'There's certainly an element of unstructured play the Argentinians really enjoy which is playing fast, keeping it alive, running into space. It's harnessing that. We're really strong on the guys being brave and freeing them up so they can have a crack. 'It's about giving them the detail they need in the international game to break down defences, understanding how we play and their roles and getting them to that stage where they can look up and play whatever is in front of them to get that Argentinian flair. 'The good thing about the team is they're capable of emotionally getting up. We're working on making sure we can get that right balance between being in the right emotional headspace to rip right in but not let it go over where it can lead to ill-discipline or errors.' Treading that fine line balance could determine whether the Pumas break their last glass ceiling against the All Blacks. All Blacks v Argentina 9.15am, Sunday For live commentary join Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Or catch the ACC commentary on their iHeartRadio stream. Live updates: Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of The Rugby Direct podcast.


Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Programme ‘quite a ride'
Versatile, Wellington-based conductor Brent Stewart has returned to Dunedin this week amid preparations for the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra's "Amalia Plays Piazzolla" matinee series concerts. The two concerts, to be held on Saturday from 5pm and Sunday from 3pm at King's & Queen's Performing Arts Centre, will showcase a programme ranging across more than two hundred years. Stewart, who last conducted the DSO during the "Synthony" concert in Christchurch last year, which fused electronic dance music and classical music together, is thoroughly enjoying working with the orchestra again. "We are preparing a fascinating programme for this weekend's concerts, from Nathaniel Otley's extraordinary new work to one of Mozart's greatest symphonies — it's going to be quite a ride," Stewart said. Opening the concert, Otley's piece — the rising tide: these former wetlands , inspired by the environmental changes in South Dunedin — required orchestra members to adopt a range of unusual techniques to bring the composer's vision to life. "We are bringing Nathaniel in to all of our rehearsals of the piece, to give support, feedback and answer the musicians' questions," Stewart said. "He has a lot of very specific requirements for sounds, including using quarter tones, specific timbres, tongue slaps, fingernails on the timpani, unusual bowing techniques and even incorporating sculptures. "It can be quite challenging, so we are doing a lot of workshopping in rehearsals, which has been fascinating." Otley himself would participate in the performance, controlling sample sounds alongside the orchestra. "This piece has been Nathaniel's main focus for this year, so we really want to honour his amazing work by giving it the best possible premiere performance." The orchestra will then be joined on stage by leading New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall for a performance of Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires , arranged by Ukrainian composer Leonid Desyatnikov. Written in 1970, the piece is described as a tango-infused answer to Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons, which includes "quotations" from the original work. "I am lucky enough to work with Amalia quite regularly in Wellington, and she is a prodigious talent. "It is impressive how quickly she can learn music by heart and her ear is amazing," Stewart said. There were moments throughout the piece where the orchestra section leads would play with Hall in a kind-of string quartet formation, and there were many high-spirited moments throughout. "It's one of those pieces where you can see the players really enjoying themselves — it's groovy, uplifting and very accessible. "I think we are in for a very special performance of this really fun and interesting work." During his last visit to Dunedin in 2023, Stewart conducted the DSO in a performance of Mozart's Symphony No. 41 , so it is fitting that on his return he will conduct another brilliant late-career masterpiece — Mozart's Symphony No. 39 . "Mozart's final three symphonies, which he wrote in a great flurry of activity, are considered among his greatest. "The Symphony No. 39 has a great sense of dance running through it, and will be a lovely way to round out the concert." As a freelance conductor, working on developing his career, Stewart is working with a range of musical organisations, including as musical director of Orpheus Choir in Wellington, NZ Secondary School Choir, Orchestra Wellington, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, NZ Opera, NZ Ballet and the DSO. He was recently named the NZ Opera Friedlander Foundation Associate Artist for 2025. "I am having a very busy year, which is great and gives me opportunities to continue building my relationships with musical organisations here and overseas," he said.