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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Gore photographer's shot recognised
Bob Smith's photo of Boston George Setefano, 17, performing kapa haka at last year's Matariki celebrations in Waimumu, has been selected as part of the Four Nations Photographic Challenge. Photo: Bob Smith A photo of a Blue Mountain College head boy doing kapa haka during last year's Matariki celebrations has been chosen as part of an international photography competition. Bob Smith's photograph of Boston George Setefano (Ngāti Porou) has been chosen, alongside 80 other images from New Zealand, for the Four Nations Photographic Challenge. The black-and-white photograph was taken in Waimumu in 2024, and Mr Smith said he was beyond surprised to have been selected. "I couldn't believe my eyes when the announcement came out," he said. The life member of the Gore Camera Club said he had entered in previous years, but never heard anything back. "Eyer in with the pretty top photographers in the country," he said. Glenda Rees, also from Gore, has a shot selected as well. Blue Mountain teacher Arrhae Gawky Eales, who runs the kapa haka group Boston is the CAI (leader) of, said it was a privilege to see this photo of him. "I think I could write a book on this young man," she said. "Boston has helped lead the way for young Māori to be proud to be Māori." The cultural group is called Te Atka Kapa Haka Abhor, and is part of Te Atka Māori Charitable Trust. Mr Smith said the photos are sent to an independent association to be judged and the winners will be announced in September. The competition includes photographers from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Canada, and the Photographic Society of New Zealand is this year's host.
Otago Daily Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Students striving for solo success
This is part two of the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association series profiling Otago students who compete in individual sports. In this edition, we highlight a new group of talented individuals, each with their own journey and motivation behind their success. Trinity Catholic College Izabella Luna Christofoletti (15) Sport: Jiu jitsu. Highlight: Training and competitions, including the King of the South regional competition. My highlight was fighting people taller or bigger than me and actually being able to beat them in the first fight and the final round. I have won two golds and two silvers in my last competitions and have been competing against bigger and taller people than me with better physical and technical strengths. Training: Monday to Thursday, sometimes Fridays if competition classes. Sporting dream: To become a professional. Motivation: To strive to be better at the sport and become a great fighter in the future. Blue Mountain College Dylan Rawcliffe (14) Sport: Speedway. Highlight: Winning my first title recently at Riverside Speedway in Invercargill. Training: It's more doing prep work on your car, which I do all myself, checking tyre pressure and set-up etc. Motivation: I grew up watching my dad do speedway, so I wanted to do it as well. I really want to go to the NZ Titles in Ashburton next year, so I need to be able to qualify. Dream: Going to America to race sprint cars in the International class. Logan Park High School Levi Milner (14) Sports: Athletics and volleyball. Highlight: Winning the 200m final at Otago championships in 2025. Training: I train with the Hill City Athletics Club. During athletics season I train 2-3 nights a week with the club. We have club night once a week and I have long jump and high jump training two other nights. I also play other sports, football and volleyball, and training for them also keeps me fit for athletics. Dream: To play volleyball at a professional level or to race at a national level for athletics. Motivation: Every time I lose, it makes me want to race more and more to get better — it's a challenge. Columba College Elizabeth Dearden (16) Sport: Diving. Highlight: Getting to compete internationally in the 2025 Dubai International Aquatics Championships against competitors from five other countries, including the Russian Olympic team, where I was able to place fifth and sixth in my events (1m and 3m springboard). Another highlight was winning three medals at the New Zealand championships this year, coming first in the 1m event, first in the mixed synchronised diving event with my longtime diving partner Archie Vorgers, and third in the 3m event. Training: My squad trains with two-hour pool sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, where we work on strength training, perfecting and maintaining skills, as well as learning more difficult dives. On Thursdays and Saturdays we have group weight training in the gym to strengthen our dives, as well as personal gym sessions on other days to work on individual skills. Dreams: To continue training and competing to the best of my ability, and to hopefully compete in more international competitions such as the World University Games. I would like diving to allow me to travel around the world, and connect with others who share my passion. Motivation: I am most motivated by the friends I have made in my squad who encourage me to be better, and have supported me through all the ups and downs of diving. I am also highly motivated by my aspirations of further international competitions where I can compete to a high standard, potentially even at the world junior competitions or the World University Games. Finally, I want to be a role model to the younger divers that I coach, and encourage them to do their best and see where diving can take them. Cromwell College Levi Casey (12) Sport: Squash. Highlight: Winning Oceania junior championships. Training: Three to five days of training a week (solo sessions). Dream: Play professionally and play in the top 10 in the world. Motivation: Watching Paul Coll from New Zealand play at all the big PSA events, seeing how much he's achieved and wondering if I could do the same. Mount Aspiring College Eva Small (15) Sport: Freeride skiing and mountain biking. Highlight: Competing at the freeride junior world championships earlier this year. Training: Participating in team sports really helps me to keep fit. I go for runs quite a bit because it helps me with both sports. Dream: To compete in the Freeride World Tour one day, competing with friends and travelling the world at the same time. For mountain biking, it would be really cool to go to the junior downhill world cup. Motivation: I love the challenge of freeride skiing. Each run is an opportunity to improve my skills, whether it's dialing in my technique or gaining confidence in tricks. In Wānaka, the community for mountain biking and skiing is so good. There are always people to push you, and I can still enjoy the sports without being too serious. Queen's High School Eve Kelleher (15) Sports: Triathlon, cross-country, athletics, cycling, duathlon. Highlight so far: Second place at the New Zealand secondary schools triathlon, competing in Nelson at the South Island secondary schools athletics with personal bests in 3000m (first), 2km steeplechase (third) and 4x400m relay (first) and finishing third in 1500m, and finishing fourth in the three-day Tour of Southland event. Training: Swimming three mornings a week, two netball trainings and a game, two running speed sets, a morning bike, an easy run and either a long ride or a cycling race on a Sunday. Dream: To some day represent New Zealand for triathlon and hopefully go to a world championships event, or maybe even the Olympics. I would love to train overseas when I am older. Motivation: I love training hard and competing. I want to do well and be the best I possibly can be in all the sports that I compete in. I know this requires hard work and dedication, but training with like-minded friends makes it enjoyable. My parents also encourage me and are always willing to travel all over New Zealand to help me achieve my sporting goals. My main inspiration is my cousin Anika Thompson. She represents Ireland in athletics and has just recently become the European under-23 champion in the 10km and came third in the 5km. Otago Boys' High School Henry Hodgson (16) Sports: Orienteering and triathlon. Highlight: Fourth in the New Zealand orienteering sprint distance championships. Training: I swim five times, bike three times and run three times per week. Dream: Getting selected for the New Zealand team for the junior world orienteering championship. Motivation: With orienteering, I am keen to explore new territory, always wanting to make no mistakes. With triathlon, I have to get up early to swim, and am motivated to do this by my determination to do well in all of my races. Jonty Smith (17) Sport: Golf. Highlight: Senior A pennants for Balmacewen B52s, captain of OBHS golf team. Training: Personalised golf training plan seven days a week. Dream: To be selected for US college golf or play for Otago at the interprovincial championships. Motivation: My motivation comes from the people who support me like my family and people around the golf club, and wanting to achieve my goals. Noah Kitto (16) Sport: Saloons racing. Highlight: Winning Zealand speedway competitor of the year. Training: Practice runs at Waldronville. Dream: Winning a national title in the streetstocks competition. Motivation: Being the best I possibly can be, and improving my results in each competition.
Otago Daily Times
07-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
'He's been through leukaemia twice': Family mourns death of young man on Stewart Island
Jock Davies. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A young man who twice survived cancer has died in a tragic hunting accident on Stewart Island. It was reported yesterday that Jock Davies, 21, was in a hunting party of nine on the South Lords River hunting block and was believed to have been shot and died at the scene. A family spokesperson declined to confirm any of those details and said they were just focused on grieving together. "We're not confirming anything ... We just, as a family, are looking after each other and moving on and grieving in the way that best we can. "From that side, we don't want to put anything out in the public at this stage." The former leukaemia patient was from Tapanui, Otago, where his family is well known. Clutha district councillor John Herbert described the loss as "bloody horrible", saying Mr Davies' death was especially cruel after all he had endured. "He's been through leukaemia twice," Mr Herbert said. "To have that happen, and I don't know the circumstances, but it's just bloody horrible. No family should go through that. What he's been through, what they've been through. It's not fair." Mr Davies was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2013, and the cancer relapsed in 2018. When the cancer recurred, the then 14-year-old stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for three months and received a bone marrow transplant. Mother Sarah Davies said in 2023 that she had been fundraising for the cause ever since her son was diagnosed. She is a teacher at Blue Mountain College, and her husband, Pete, is the deputy principal. She has organised the school's head-shaving Wig Wednesday fundraiser for the Child Cancer Foundation since 2016. "They're a family that have done so much for that school and so much for this community," Mr Herbert said. It was an "absolute bloody tragedy" that had taken place. "On behalf of the council and the community board, our absolute heartfelt condolences go to the family," Mr Herbert said. "He was a bloody good guy." The family spokesperson said they were still grieving and, therefore, unable to comment further on what occurred on Saturday. "They just want to get through the next week or so and make sure that everybody, all their friends and family, are looked after and do anything before they publicly make a statement," the spokesperson said.
Otago Daily Times
07-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Family grieving young man's death
Jock Davies. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A young man from a small Otago town who twice survived cancer has died in a tragic hunting accident on Stewart Island. It was reported yesterday that Jock Davies, 21, was in a hunting party of nine on the South Lords River hunting block and was believed to have been shot and died at the scene. A family spokesperson declined to confirm any of those details and said they were just focused on grieving together. "We're not confirming anything ... We just, as a family, are looking after each other and moving on and grieving in the way that best we can. "From that side, we don't want to put anything out in the public at this stage." The former leukaemia patient was from Tapanui, where his family is well known. Clutha district councillor John Herbert described the loss as "bloody horrible", saying Mr Davies' death was especially cruel after all he had endured. "He's been through leukaemia twice," Mr Herbert said. "To have that happen, and I don't know the circumstances, but it's just bloody horrible. No family should go through that. What he's been through, what they've been through. It's not fair." Mr Davies was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2013, and the cancer relapsed in 2018. When the cancer recurred, the then 14-year-old stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for three months and received a bone marrow transplant. Mother Sarah Davies said in 2023 that she had been fundraising for the cause ever since her son was diagnosed. She is a teacher at Blue Mountain College, and her husband, Pete, is the deputy principal. She has organised the school's head-shaving Wig Wednesday fundraiser for the Child Cancer Foundation since 2016. "They're a family that have done so much for that school and so much for this community," Mr Herbert said. It was an "absolute bloody tragedy" that had taken place. "On behalf of the council and the community board, our absolute heartfelt condolences go to the family," Mr Herbert said. "He was a bloody good guy." The family spokesperson said they were still grieving and, therefore, unable to comment further on what occurred on Saturday. "They just want to get through the next week or so and make sure that everybody, all their friends and family, are looked after and do anything before they publicly make a statement," the spokesperson said.
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
It's all just a bunch of ‘Nunsense'
In the director's chair for West Otago Theatrical's upcoming production of "Nunsense" is Marné Hendricks. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A West Otago school teacher is taking her first shot at directing grown-ups in the upcoming production of black-comedy musical Nunsense. Blue Mountain College teacher Marné Hendricks said she chose the 1985 musical for her directorial debut with West Otago Theatrical for its relatively small cast and because she had seen it done before. She said she was musical director for a production of Nunsense previously, from behind the scenes she saw what she would have done differently were she sat in the chair. "That was were I got my vision," she said. The show opens June 21 at the MLT Community Theatre in Tapanui, with a cast of 12. There are five leads playing nuns and seven supporting, also mostly nuns, bar one father. The story begins when the lead nuns find out their chef has accidentally poisoned the other 52 residents of their convent with a tainted vichysoisse. The nuns then scramble to come up with the funds for the 52 burials and a musical fundraiser with hilarity ensues. "From the first line you're going to be laughing," Ms Hendricks said. Forty years on from, Dan Goggin's original run of the show, West Otago's will be the "mega-musical version", as published in 2011. This version was a remake of the original by the same author featuring additional songs, lines and characters. This is Ms Hendricks' first time directing a "main show", as she calls it, outside of school and she said she was finding directing adults very different than directing students. At school, she said she simply told the children what to do, but in this production she wanted the actors to develop their own character and have more freedom, while still maintaining her authority as the director. The show is being choreographed by last year's Mary Poppins, Kayla Wilcox, who is taking time out of her own performing schedule to teach the tap-dancing nuns. Ms Hendricks said the production had been lucky to rehearse in the theatre, and everything was on track for next month's opening. The sets were also being worked on, she said, but there would be "no spoilers" about what they looked like, as they contained a twist integral to her take on the show. Tickets for the show are available online at iTicket or at Ideal Print in Tapanui.
