Latest news with #Whanganui-based
NZ Herald
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Jeweller Frances Stachl takes top prize at Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review
Whanganui-based jewellery maker Frances Stachl has scooped the top award at the 2025 Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review. Stachl won $10,000 and a solo exhibition at the Sarjeant Gallery for her piece Lost and found in translation. Translations of 'You and I are earth'. (A phrase from an English earthenware plate,
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Single And Video Signals Good Time Ahead For Reggae Band NLC
NLC No Limits Crew - Latest News [Page 1] NLC Drops Soulful Te Reo Māori Single For NZ Music Month The Whanganui-based musicians are well known for their fusion of reggae with elements of soul and dub woven with te reo Māori and English. Their latest offering goes one step further; an original song recorded totally in te reo Māori, called Ko au ... More >>
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NLC Drops Soulful Te Reo Māori Single For NZ Music Month
Award-winning New Zealand reggae band NLC is about to drop a new single just in time for the final week of New Zealand Music Month. The Whanganui-based musicians are well known for their fusion of reggae with elements of soul and dub woven with te reo Māori and English. Their latest offering goes one step further; an original song recorded totally in te reo Māori, called Ko au ko au. The song was written by NLC's lead singer Baz Muir and translated into te reo Māori by well-known television presenter and entertainer, Te Hāmua Nikora. Muir said the single is the band's fifth recorded waiata in te reo Māori and he's excited to be able to finally share it during NZ Music Month 2025. He said Ko au ko au is a song about "living in a silent life'. 'It's a thought-provoking song that touches on those times in your life when you feel that you can't speak about all of the challenges you might be facing. 'It's about encouraging people to make a change, to have the courage to speak about their insecurities. 'We want this song to help people understand that speaking to others can help them find their identity. After all, everyone has their own special identity that makes them unique.' The new song was made with the support of NZ On Air and is being released on May 26, 2025. It will be a stand-out feature among the group's impressive catalogue of work produced over the past decade.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Whanganui submitters support greater investment in public transport
'That would mean almost 60% of our population would be within a 400m walk of a 20-minute-frequency route,' he said. 'Crucially, we don't have to wait long for this. 'We are planning to implement this network in the next financial year [2025/26].' Whanganui currently has one high-frequency route; Te Ngaru The Tide. Earlier this year, Tonnon said the high-frequency network would cost the average-rated household in Whanganui $95 a year. At present, they pay about $55 a year for public transport. Last November, Horizons councillors voted to keep $400,000 in its draft 2025/26 budget for Whanganui public transport despite no matched funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. A final vote is required before Horizons' annual plan is officially adopted in June. Previously, Whanganui-based Horizons councillors Alan Taylor (for) and David Cotton (against) have been split on the increased investment. Tonnon told district councillors the new network would benefit their council by reducing long-term roading costs. The new network would mean 'removing more bus stops than we're putting in', he said. 'However, we will need to install around 25 bus stops in the next year. 'In theory, we [the district council] have $50,000 in the general pool for bus infrastructure and $15,000 for cleaning. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. 'I would suspect that, to do this work and to recognise the value it has to our city, we will need to double that in the next year.' The $50,000 allocation had been diverted to roading projects in recent years, Tonnon said. 'That's maybe understandable when we had a network which wasn't really designed to get a lot of people on the bus. 'That is changing, and we are a long way from best practice.' Speaking to the Chronicle, Tonnon said there were 15 buses in use in Whanganui and the high-frequency network would use the same number or slightly less. 'We are going to be getting more out of them,' he said. 'Nothing is over the line yet, but signs are positive.' The district council's annual plan will be signed off in June following deliberations on May 28 and 29. Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Whanganui dragon boat racer Anne Kauika heading to Germany for world championships
'I'm feeling really excited about going and competing, I have quite high expectations,' Kauika said. 'In Thailand we had a good campaign and came home with three silver medals. I'm not saying we are going to hit the podium; there are a lot more teams and a lot of unknowns, but I think that is the exciting thing. 'You know that you are going to leave 110% out there and you trust those around you because that's what they are there for - we'll see how it plays out.' Kauika moved from her birthplace of Wairarapa to Whanganui 33 years ago. She has been doing waka ama since 2008 and decided to add dragon boat racing to her arsenal four years ago. 'I just went for my first paddle and that was me,' Kauika said. Joining the world of dragon boat racing felt natural for her. 'The dragon boating is just fresh, challenging, there's different people and different places to go to, but mainly I love racing,' Kauika said. 'I think dragon boating is exciting because of the number of people that are in the boat and everyone has to paddle in time - it is so synchronised. 'I feel like I have a connection with water through being on a boat, not in it.' Training can be challenging as there is no recognised Whanganui-based dragon boat club, meaning Kauika often travels to Waikato or trains on her own. 'Motivating yourself to get out there is sometimes hard, you have to re-jig things to make the most of the time you do have,' she said. Kauika said her job at the Whanganui District Health Board was flexible which allowed her to dedicate time before, during or after work to train. She said participating in F45 training had helped her on her journey. 'F45 has got me to the fitness that I haven't ever got to before. I know that if I can't get on the water to train, I can work just as hard, if not harder, at F45,' she said. F45 Training Whanganui has helped Kauika fundraise for the world championships and she is nearly at the $10,000 mark. Kauika's family is holding raffles and other forms of fundraising to make the trip possible. The first Black Dragons training camp will be held May 24-25 in preparation for the world championships.
