Latest news with #KingCountry
RNZ News
13-07-2025
- RNZ News
Te Kūiti Holiday Park closes after running at $30k loss each year
Te Kūiti Holiday Park will close on Monday. Photo: Waitomo District Council After six unsuccessful years, Waitomo District Council is calling time on the Te Kūiti Holiday Park, which will close on Monday. Council chief executive Ben Smit said the holiday park, which was built before he started at the council, was an unusual asset for a council to own. However, Waitomo owns two - it also owns and operates the Marokopa Holiday Park. Te Kūiti Holiday Park opened in April 2019 and Smit said it only ever attracted around 200 to 250 visitors a year and never covered costs. "It never really had a heyday," he said. The facility cost about $45,000 a year to maintain and operate, and only raised revenue of around $13,000, meaning ratepayers in the small King Country town were subsidising the facility by about $30,000 a year. The decision to close the facility was determined at Waitomo District Council's monthly council meeting on 27 May. Shortly after the decision, Mayor John Robertson posted online that the decision was an example of council acting decisively. "The Te Kūiti Holiday Park has been a drain on rates ever since it opened in December 2018. "Hardly used for the purpose it was built, sometimes used inappropriately, it cost a packet to build and has been consuming over $30,000 per annum of ratepayer money to operate," he said. He didn't think the council should be running holiday parks and posted the council was hoping to lease the coastal Marokopa Holiday Park out to a suitable operator. Smit said the district served freedom campers well, which might be part of why the holiday park was under-utilised. "[Several locations offer] a really good environment for campers to stay, so there's no real drive for them to use the Te Kūiti Holiday Park." In a statement the council said the motorhome dump station near the holiday park would remain operational. It also said planning was underway to relocate the Te Kūiti bathroom and kitchen facilities to the Marokopa Holiday Park to replace ageing facilities there. Other assets from the closed holiday park would be repurposed elsewhere. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
NZ's Largest Sheep Dog Trials' Record-Breaking Support Of The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter
Press Release – Greenlea Rescue Helicopter This year saw a record-breaking $36,000 raised entirely for the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, bringing the total raised by the event over the three years to an outstanding $86,798. New Zealand's largest Sheep Dog trial event – Bayley's Sheep Dog Trials – kicked off on the 25th June to raise vital funds for the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter. From June 25th – 28th, this highly anticipated event attracted talented handlers and over 300 sheep dogs to the Fibre Fresh National Equestrian Centre in Aratiatia. Competitors came together in support of the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and the life-saving service it provides for visitors and the community of the Central Plateau and Lakes Region 24/7, 365 days a year. Now in it's third year, the event is continued with the perspective: 'they are there for you when you need them the most… Time to repay the favour'. This year saw a record-breaking $36,000 raised entirely for the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, bringing the total raised by the event over the three years to an outstanding $86,798. Competitors were tasked with the challenge of instructing their dog to herd a group of sheep through a challenging course featuring nine obstacles, before finally guiding them into the final yard – all within 12 minutes. The competition was close this year, but Sheena Martin and her dog Shau took the top spot with an impressive final score of 98. 19-year old Holly Bird and her dog Jude were the winner of this year's 'Judges Choice' award, winning a Stihl Chainsaw package courtesy of Blackhills Fencing who have been long-standing supporters of the trials ever since it's inception in 2023. The Bayley's Shield was also on the line this year. The Waikato team challenged the current title holders – King Country – resulting in a head to head on Saturday morning. It was another close challenge but the King Country Team were able to defend the shield, coming away with 429.5 points and Waikato with 419.5. Along with many trials, this four-day event also had a number of other activities on offer including food trucks, auctions, retails stalls, and some incredible raffles. One of these raffles included a fantastic kids' motorbike valued at $3,000 donated by Huka Honda. This went home with one lucky winner – Colin from Hawkes Bay. Other raffle and auction items included: Greenlea Premier Meats Vouchers Greenlea Rescue Helicopter Hangar Tour Ārepa Drinks Supermarket hampers donated by Pak N Save Taupo Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew members, Adam and Bondy came along to support the event on Friday and Saturday. They spoke to the crowd about how invaluable community support like this is for the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, allowing them to always to be there on what is often the worst day of someone's life. Both were deeply impressed with the level of skill on display, and moved by how the community rallied together so tremendously, with plans already made to return next year. 'It's a true privilege to return to the Bayley's Sheep Dog Trials and be part of such a generous and supportive community that champions the work we do. Huge thanks to David and Sue Schaw, the amazing team at Bayley's Real Estate Taupō, and everyone who lent their support. Congratulations to all the well-deserved winners.' – Bondy, Greenlea Rescue Helicopter Air Crew Officer. 'This is a first for me, to be part of this great fundraiser and I already look forward to being part of it again next year.' – Adam, Greenlea Rescue Helicopter Pilot. The pair were joined by Peter, a past patient of the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter who shared his story demonstrating how life-changing it was having the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter there after a tractor accident left him fighting for his life. Event organiser and driving force behind the event, David Schaw also understands the impact of the service on a personal level. After being involved in an on-farm incident, David experienced first-hand how the skill and response time of the rescue helicopter makes a critical difference. Much of the event's growth and outstanding success can be attributed to David's commitment to making each year more impactful than the last. 'Support the rescue helicopter today — you never know when you might need them.' – Dave Schaw. The unwavering support of the Bayley's Sheep Dog Trials each year goes to show the special significance this event holds with residents of the Central Plateau and Lakes District, especially the rural community with the understanding that the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter is often the difference between life and death for many patients. In 2024 alone, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was tasked to 90 rural or remote missions to provide life-saving care to patients in urgent need. This is among the 534 total missions attended by the rescue helicopter in 2024 and with every mission costing an average of $9,500, it's community support like this that makes the life-saving difference. A heartfelt thank you to all those who came together to make this event such a success including sponsors, attendees, competitors, and especially event organisers David and Sue Schaw, and the hard-working team at Bayley's Real Estate led by Yvonne Westerman. The fast response of the rescue helicopter and its highly trained crew ensures the patients receive the best care as quickly as possible. Because you never know when you'll need us… Donate to your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter at
RNZ News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Tom Phillips and family likely to be 'moving quite regularly' in cold bush, says hunter
The Phillips children during an earlier birthday celebration. Photo: Supplied The oldest missing Phillips child will celebrate yet another birthday on the run today, but an experienced bushman says it is likely to be a miserable day. Jayda Phillips, who turns 12 today, has been missing along with her siblings Ember, 9, and Maverick, 10, since December 2021, when they were taken by their father Tom Phillips to an unknown location - though police believe they are still in the King Country, near where they went missing. Ken McCann is a highly experienced hunter and current secretary of the Central King Country branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. He said the King Country bush in winter is a cold and wet place which makes your bones ache. "With all the rain we've had and now we are into sub-zero temperatures with very wet bush, it's extreme cold. I certainly would not like to be camping in the bush at the current time," he said. This is the fourth winter the father and children have been missing. "I really feel for those kids if they are stuck in the bush through this sort of weather, it would not be a pleasant experience," said McCann. Having learnt to hunt at 8-years-old, McCann knows what it is like to be in the bush as a child. He said if you were planning to be hunting or camping at this time of year, you would need a very good set-up. "You'd want a really good tent, you'd want to get off the ground as much as possible, you'd really want to put your camp in a clearing where you'd get some sunshine to dry things." The Phillips are thought to be nearer to coastal King Country in Marokopa , rather than the central King Country. "You still get a lot of rain but get a bit more wind and things dry a bit better, but it's still very unpleasant," said McCann. He said it is pretty taxing trying to survive in the bush anywhere in the area during winter, especially without the sun to navigate by. "If it's really cloudy and clagged in then it is a lot harder to move around and keep your own internal bearing as to where you are heading. If you are in the fog and it's low cloud in the bush, it's not a pleasant place." Police and private investigators have repeatedly said they think someone is helping Phillips , both to evade police and to move around. McCann said it has crossed his mind several times why no hunters had stumbled across the family. "I'm picking that they are moving quite regularly," he said. Police told RNZ yesterday that the Phillips investigation is still active, but there were no updates available. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Phillips and family likely to be 'moving quite regularly' in cold bush, says hunter
The Phillips children during an earlier birthday celebration. Photo: Supplied The oldest missing Phillips child will celebrate yet another birthday on the run today, but an experienced bushman says it is likely to be a miserable day. Jayda Phillips, who turns 12 today, has been missing along with her siblings Ember, 9, and Maverick, 10, since December 2021, when they were taken by their father Tom Phillips to an unknown location - though police believe they are still in the King Country, near where they went missing. Ken McCann is a highly experienced hunter and current secretary of the Central King Country branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. He said the King Country bush in winter is a cold and wet place which makes your bones ache. "With all the rain we've had and now we are into sub-zero temperatures with very wet bush, it's extreme cold. I certainly would not like to be camping in the bush at the current time," he said. This is the fourth winter the father and children have been missing. "I really feel for those kids if they are stuck in the bush through this sort of weather, it would not be a pleasant experience," said McCann. Having learnt to hunt at 8-years-old, McCann knows what it is like to be in the bush as a child. He said if you were planning to be hunting or camping at this time of year, you would need a very good set-up. "You'd want a really good tent, you'd want to get off the ground as much as possible, you'd really want to put your camp in a clearing where you'd get some sunshine to dry things." The Phillips are thought to be nearer to coastal King Country in Marokopa , rather than the central King Country. "You still get a lot of rain but get a bit more wind and things dry a bit better, but it's still very unpleasant," said McCann. He said it is pretty taxing trying to survive in the bush anywhere in the area during winter, especially without the sun to navigate by. "If it's really cloudy and clagged in then it is a lot harder to move around and keep your own internal bearing as to where you are heading. If you are in the fog and it's low cloud in the bush, it's not a pleasant place." Police and private investigators have repeatedly said they think someone is helping Phillips , both to evade police and to move around. McCann said it has crossed his mind several times why no hunters had stumbled across the family. "I'm picking that they are moving quite regularly," he said. Police told RNZ yesterday that the Phillips investigation is still active, but there were no updates available. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
