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Otago Daily Times
10-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Retracing steps of a 19th-century rambler
Three keen walkers are exploring historic Dunedin, following in the footsteps of a 19th-century rambler and writer. Pete Strong, Chris Taylor and Kes Fairchild, all of Dunedin, are re-creating walks described by Peter "Pakeha [sic]" Thomson (1823-79) in his Otago Daily Times columns. Mr Taylor said he had been given a publication of the columns compiled by Mr Thomson's great-granddaughter, Mary Skipworth, of Auckland. They were a fascinating record of the city, although some detective work was required to replicate the walks, Mr Taylor said. Following in the footsteps of Dunedin rambler Peter Thomson (1823-79) are sales consultants (from left) Pete Strong, Chris Taylor and Kes Fairchild, with Mr Taylor's dog, Wolfred. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN He had retraced Mr Thomson's Ross Creek walk, following a path out of Dunedin described as "via the barracks". "[I] started doing some research and found out that the barracks are not army barracks, they were immigration barracks and I think were located approximately where Otago Boys' High School is now." Ms Fairchild had completed Mr Thomson's Water of Leith Walk and Mr Strong had hiked up Signal Hill. Mr Thomson detailed his walk from the Octagon to Signal Hill in an 1864 column Wanderings about Dunedin, observing how "wonderful" it was the inhabitants of North Dunedin managed to live in such "a hot-bed of fever". He skirted the edge of now-reclaimed Pelichet Bay and continued up the hill, telling his readers to pause and take in the view near the present-day lookout. "All Dunedin lies at our feet, set like a picture in a frame, by the water and the hills around it." Mr Taylor said it was a "special" feeling retracing Mr Thomson's walks and the group planned to complete more. A photo of Peter Thomson, taken about 1860, shows him dressed for one of his rambles with a sturdy stick, a plant press under his arm and a vasculum on his back for carrying delicate specimens. PHOTO: NOELINE COTTAM The trio had documented their ramblings online as part of an interest project through their workplace Taylor & Strong at Nidd Realty. "[The publication is] just such a fantastic resource for people all over Dunedin to understand what was happening back in the mid-1800s ... we'd love to share that if we can."
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: There and back again at OBHS
CLIVE RENNIE Educator, sportsman When Clive Rennie retired to Whanganui he did not have to pay the man who cut his lawn. The two men had crossed paths before. Mr Rennie was the deputy principal when the man attended high school as a boy. Back then, the boy once brought a backpack full of fireworks to school and a classmate threw a match into the bag, setting them off in the classroom. "He was sent to Clive to get caned," Mr Rennie's wife, Ann, recalled. "But Clive just shut the door and laughed with him and said, 'Are you having a bad day, Sean?' "That was their little joke — and Sean never charged us to cut our lawns." Mr Rennie had an impact on students, because he always treated them fairly, Mrs Rennie said. The long-serving rector of Otago Boys' High School died peacefully at home in Whanganui on May 17, aged 80. Born in Dunedin on October 27, 1944, to parents Kathleen and John Rennie, Mr Rennie attended Mornington Primary School before going on to study at Otago Boys' High School. He left school when he was 15 to work at Mitchell's International Tours — but he soon decided there was no future there for him, Mrs Rennie said. Six months later he was back at school, at Kaikorai Valley High School where he re-sat his school certificate and was accredited university entrance. He started studying accountancy at the University of Otago, but as a young man Mr Rennie dreamed of representing New Zealand as a football player. He decided to pursue a physical education qualification so he could get fit and follow his sporting dream. He achieved both — Mr Rennie earned a physical education qualification and, in 1967, a spot on New Zealand's national football team, now known as the All Whites. He suited up against Scotland and the then reigning English League Champions Manchester United. The match against Manchester United was humbling. "But they were his idols and he absolutely loved meeting all the guys," Mrs Rennie said. Mr Rennie met his wife on a blind date as they attended a nursing graduation in Dunedin. His future wife was not planning on going: she did not have a partner and she did not want one as she had travel plans. Nevertheless, about three weeks after they met the couple were engaged to be married. "He was very up front, no game playing, just very open and honest, and yes, he was a good person," Mrs Rennie said. On May 4, 1968, at St Enoch's Union Church, in Alexandra, the couple were married. Mr Rennie went on to graduate from Massey University in 1982 with a bachelor of education. He went on to be deputy principal at Whanganui High School from 1986 to 1991. He served as principal at Rangitikei College in Marton from 1991 to 1997, at Mountainview High School in Timaru from 1997 to 2000 and then at Otago Boys' High School from 2000 to 2014. He was the first old boy to hold the position. Otago Boys' assistant principal Anne Gorman said Mr Rennie had a significant impact on the school. He was a friend, an avid reader and "very good with people — very approachable". "He was a leader in the sense that he brought people together," she said. Mr Rennie served on the New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Association Council for many years and was chairman from 2007 until retiring in 2014. Council chief executive Garry Carnachan said Mr Rennie was a strong leader and a "really strong chairman". He was "absolutely passionate about sport", and secondary school sport in particular, Mr Carnachan said. "He just understood the difference it made in young people's lives and in their education — that it was a really good tool for engaging young people in their schools, for creating school culture and for developing character, that it made a massive difference to young people's lives," he said. Southern Football chief executive Dougal McGowan served as Mr Rennie's deputy rector at Otago Boys' for five years but counted him as a very close friend. Mr Rennie was wise, a great storyteller and a natural mentor, Mr McGowan said. He was someone who did not suffer fools, but he was open to challenges and was willing " to give people an opportunity and a second chance". "He was really keen for every young man to find his place in the world, whether it was in sport, whether it was in academics, whether it was in the arts," Mr McGowan said. "He really wanted everybody to find that love or passion that would ignite that flame of learning and passion for life." Mr Rennie was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for his services to education and sport in 2015. He came out of retirement to take on the role of rector at a primary school and a secondary school in Kaikoura, and then, Oamaru's Waitaki Boys' High School for one year, in 2016, after placing his name on the Ministry of Education's emergency principals list. He was the beloved husband and best friend of his wife Ann, the loved brother of Glenys and the late Lyn. He was the much-loved father and father-in-law of Kirsten and Rob, Nicky, Christopher and Tina and Matthew. He was also the loved and adored Pop of Bella, Lula, Jula-May, Alfie, Maggie, Alexandra and Maximus. — Hamish MacLean
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Show to fundraise for dance champs
Rasa School of Dance crew Allies (back row, from left) Safera Wintrup, 17, Ruby Martin, 14, Lisa Wilkinson (dance school principal), Dannielle Veenvliet (coach), Toby Paris, 15, and Amber Woods, 14; front row, from left: Maya Satake, 18, Emily Aubin, 15, and Charlotte Cardno, 17, are putting on a fundraising show at Otago Boys' High School auditorium tomorrow night. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON A Dunedin dance school is calling on the community to help them get to the "Olympics of hip-hop". Rasa School of Dance crew Allies qualified for the World Hip-Hop Dance Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier this month. However, it is going to cost about $45,000 to get the seven dancers and their coaches to the United States for 10 days, and the school is putting on a show at the Otago Boys' High School auditorium to help fundraise for the trip. Dance school principal Lisa Wilkinson said there was no way they were going to fundraise that much money, but they were hoping to get as much as possible to lessen the load on parents. Some parents had already taken out loans to send the children to the competition. Tomorrow's two-hour show will include "heaps of hip-hop", tap dancing, kapa haka and a sneak preview of the Allies routine for the world championships. Allies coach Danielle Veenvliet previously told the Otago Daily Times the world championships were the "Olympics of hip-hop". "It's a really an amazing platform for the best of the best in the world to accelerate their career," she said. The crew leaves on July 22.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Fundraiser for ‘Allies' heading to world finals
Rasa School of Dance will present a fundraising showcase this weekend, to support their "Allies" team to travel to the 2025 World Hip-Hop Championships in Arizona, United States, later this month. The performance, which will feature the Allies crew and friends will be held this Sunday, from 5pm at the Otago Boys' High School auditorium. Bookings via Rasa is the only South Island dance school representing New Zealand at the world championships, with the Allies crew coached by Danielle Veenvliet set to compete against thousands of dancers from 55 countries. Rasa School of Dance co-director Lisa Wilkinson said it had taken 10 years of hard work and dedication to get to this point. "We have been entering the Allies crew into competitions for 10 years now and we are so excited to be chosen to represent team New Zealand," she said. A major fundraising effort was under way, with the goal of raising the $45,000 to cover the main expenses for the team.
Otago Daily Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
NZ crews in the medals in Lucerne
The New Zealand women's four claim bronze at the Lucerne round of the rowing world cup. PHOTO: ROWING NZ New Zealand rowers collected the set at the second world cup regatta in Switzerland yesterday. All four New Zealand crews picked up medals in Lucerne, including Logan Ullrich, who registered his maiden single sculls win. The men's pair and double both claimed silver while the women's four nabbed bronze. Ullrich has made rapid progress. Two weeks ago, he failed to qualify for the A final at the opening world cup regatta. Ullrich, who won an Olympic silver medal in the four last year, has switched to the single and after just six races at the international level, he has won gold. "I've dreamed about this for years," he told World Rowing. "I didn't think it would come this quickly in my sculling career. I'm just blown away." Coach Mike Rodger was also stunned by Ullrich's rapid rise. "He's phenomenal," Rodger said. "You've got to remember he hasn't really rowed a single at all, but because he's so green, he just takes everything in, listens and makes the changes." Former Otago Boys' High School student Ben Mason teamed up with Finn Hamill and they again showed their ability to attack over the second half of the race to win silver in the men's double. The duo had only raced together three times but are now being talked about as one of the crews to watch ahead of the world championships in China in September. Men's pair Ben Taylor and Oli Welch were pipped by Romania's experienced combination of Florin Lehaci and Florin Arteni, the European champions, and had to settle for silver. One of the highlights of the racing over the weekend was the progress of the women's four in winning bronze. They have had a disrupted start to their campaign with bow seat Juliette Lequeux, from the Otago University Rowing Club, unable to row at the Varese round of the world cup because of illness. Lequeux said they had stepped up on their row in the heats. "We fell apart a bit in the last 750 on Friday," Lequeux said. "We decided to sit on our rhythm the whole race today. After our start, we sat one split lower than Friday and it just felt easy because we did it all together." — APL
