Latest news with #LabourWeekend
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Games, dinner to celebrate ORL centenary
David Reedy. File photo: Linda Robertson Otago Rugby League turns 100 this year. That is a lot of candles to blow out and they might not have any breath left after the feature event on the calendar this year. To celebrate the milestone, the Otago Whalers will host the New Zealand Universities team on Labour Weekend and an Otago-laden Scorpions side will play the New Zealand Universities women's side. Both matches are at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Otago Rugby League chairman Rod Bannister said there would also be a formal dinner which would provide an opportunity to acknowledge their new life members. Long-serving coach David Reedy and rugby league historian Carey Clements were recently made life members. "David's been involved in rugby league, not only as a player but in a coaching capacity for a long, long time," Bannister said. "And, he is still heavily involved now ." He has handed over the reins of the Whalers to Dallas Wade and has moved into coaching women this year. Clements is a rugby league trainspotter. He has lived in Wellington for the best part of two decades but his roots are in Otago and he remains an authority on Otago Rugby League. "If there's anything you need to know about [Otago Rugby League] he is your man. He doesn't miss a beat. "Plus he's on the board of New Zealand Universities, who's helped put together this game initially." Bannister said the men's premier grade competition would get under way on July 19. The women's competition was still a work in progress but four teams were confirmed for the men's competition — University, Alhambra-Union, Kia Toa and South Pacific. All games will be played at Montecillo Park. Bannister is hopeful another two teams will confirm their participation. The structure of the national competition has changed. The premiership has been abandoned in favour of a conference-based format. The Whalers will play in the southern section alongside Canterbury, Southland, Aoraki and Wellington. The winners will face the winner of the northern section in the grand final.
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Team project helps keep kids sun smart
Fairlie's Village Green playground is getting a makeover in order to make it safer for summer. Located on the corner of Main Rd and Talbot St, the playground has had a new safety fence put in place and will have much-needed shade sails installed before the end of the year. While the safety fence was a Mackenzie District Council-led initiative, the shade sail project was made possible by concerned parents with the help of several South Canterbury organisations. Parent Claire Dann said natural shade used to be provided at the playground by surrounding trees. "One got removed for the skate park and another came down in a really bad wind. So, that left us with no real natural shade around the playground. "In 2021 another mum, Hiltje Boysen-Anderson, started the project after being there with her little ones and realising you just couldn't get any shade, especially with babies that want to be on blankets. "She started looking for ways we could get some shade sails and I joined in as well to see if we could get something happening." The pair reached out to the likes of the local Cancer Society and Plunket to see if they would help with funding. "She [Hiltje] reached out to a local Cancer Society member and they were like 'this is right up our alley, we could help with some funding', so that was a great start. "Then we talked to the local Plunket group as they have a play session there once a week with lots of mums with under 5s. "They thought it was a cool thing to support as well, so we had the beginnings of a project." Plans for the shade sail were drawn up pro bono by Felipe Silva Valves, of Timaru architectural design firm Silva Studio, and were presented to the Mackenzie District Council and approved. The Fairlie Community Board then helped with the remaining funds and the support poles for the sails were installed by local builders at the end of May. Ms Dann said it was great to see so many different people and organisations join forces to make the project happen. "That's what small communities are often about, people chipping in. It's definitely been a team project. "We also have Allan from Kotuku Saddlery, he has donated the canvas for them and has put up a lot of shade sails. "He'll get those done up by springtime and that's when it will all start to look like something. "We're kind of aiming for a Labour Weekend to Easter Weekend kind of time frame for the sails to be up for." She said the sails would be hugely important for the area. "It's been really noticeable, last summer wasn't fabulous. "When we've had hot summers it's been hard for local families with young ones to go down to the playground. "It's just really hard to keep them sun smart and protected when they're always ripping their hats of and stuff like that," Ms Dann said. "I think having some shade protection is really going to help the local community and obviously it will be an asset for any visitors passing through as well. "Once those shade sails are up around October we'll have a little do and a little party to celebrate because it has been a couple of years in the making."
NZ Herald
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
State Highway 2 Otoko Hill restoration work could be completed by Labour weekend
Recently completed work at Site G on Otoko Hill included the use of shotcrete (a type of sprayed concrete) and soil nails (reinforced steel bars installed in pre-drilled holes) to repair an underslip to strengthen the roadside. State Highway 2 on Cyclone Gabrielle-ravaged Otoko Hill is planned to be fully restored to use by Labour Weekend while other SH2 and SH35 repairs are scheduled for completion mid-2026. Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec) project lead Richard Bayley told the Gisborne Herald the 'stretch target' for completing Otoko Hill
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Woodhill Forest Gears Up For Iconic Off-Road Racing Showdown
Press Release – Auckland Offroad Racing Club AUCKLAND, NZ – The rugged trails and sand tracks of Woodhill Forest will thunder to life this Sunday, 1 June, as the fifth round of the 2025 New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship rolls into action. Hosted by the Auckland Offroad Racing Club, the event will bring together the North Island's top off-road racers for a day of high-octane endurance and skill in one of the most celebrated fixtures on the national offroad racing calendar – the Landscape Yard Woodhill 100. Now in its fifth round of a six-round national series, the championship sees drivers accumulate points across three of six regional rounds – three held in the North Island and three in the South. The top contenders will ultimately face off for national honours at the Championship Final, held at TECT Park, Bay of Plenty, over Labour Weekend. This weekend's event is more than just a race. The Woodhill 100 is New Zealand's longest-running one-day off-road endurance race, tracing its origins back over four decades. Held in the dense and unpredictable terrain of Woodhill Forest, northwest of Auckland, the race is regarded as a cornerstone of the sport. Competitors must complete 160 km of punishing track, navigating multiple laps of shifting sand and treacherous gravel in a test of mechanical durability, physical resilience, and raw speed. The race attracts an elite field of purpose-built vehicles, from unlimited-horsepower Pro1 race cars to mighty Thunder-trucks. For most, it's a quest for championship points. For a few, it's about glory—winning outright and claiming a place in the storied history of this prestigious event. Among those chasing legend is six-time Woodhill 100 winner Tony McCall. Known for his relentless driving style and fierce competitiveness, McCall's decades-long rivalry with fellow six-time winner Ian Foster has become the stuff of off-road folklore. Now, McCall returns to Woodhill chasing a record-breaking seventh title—one that would place him alone at the top of the all-time leaderboard. 'It's not just another race,' says race organiser, Donn Attwood. 'For racers like Tony, it's personal. It's obsession. Winning the Woodhill defines their careers.' Also returning is #193 Daynom Templeman, who clinched his third Woodhill title in 2023 and is known for treating the grueling 160 km like a sprint. With cars pushing upwards of 700 horsepower, competitors must fine-tune their machines for the punishing dual nature of sand and gravel. Sand destroys drivetrains; gravel demands razor-sharp handling and braking, especially on the infamous Coast Road – a 4km straight that ends in a high-speed right-angle turn. Keeping your head while all others are losing theirs helps a lot, but also the Mechanical attrition is brutal—only half the starters finished in 2024. Preparation is paramount. Qualifying, too, is critical. Last year, McCall (#157) claimed pole position after laying down the fastest time from the eighth qualifying run. Before the main event, spectators will be treated to the Landscape Yard Junior Enduro – a 30-minute timed battle on a shortened junior circuit. With the crowd lining the track and roaring support, New Zealand's youngest off-road racers will demonstrate their emerging talent, pushing KiwiTrucks to the limit in an all-out sprint that is as thrilling as the main race itself. The Auckland Offroad Racing Club, formed through the merger of the Auckland Buggy Club and Western District Offroad Racing Club, continues to build on a proud legacy. The ABC was born in the Muriwai dunes and was known for its legendary sand enduros, while WDORC created the original Woodhill 100, a race that remains the crown jewel of the championship calendar. The Woodhill 100 is more than a race—it's a proving ground, a tradition, and a rite of passage for those who dare to conquer it.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Woodhill Forest Gears Up For Iconic Off-Road Racing Showdown
AUCKLAND, NZ – The rugged trails and sand tracks of Woodhill Forest will thunder to life this Sunday, 1 June, as the fifth round of the 2025 New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship rolls into action. Hosted by the Auckland Offroad Racing Club, the event will bring together the North Island's top off-road racers for a day of high-octane endurance and skill in one of the most celebrated fixtures on the national offroad racing calendar – the Landscape Yard Woodhill 100. Now in its fifth round of a six-round national series, the championship sees drivers accumulate points across three of six regional rounds – three held in the North Island and three in the South. The top contenders will ultimately face off for national honours at the Championship Final, held at TECT Park, Bay of Plenty, over Labour Weekend. This weekend's event is more than just a race. The Woodhill 100 is New Zealand's longest-running one-day off-road endurance race, tracing its origins back over four decades. Held in the dense and unpredictable terrain of Woodhill Forest, northwest of Auckland, the race is regarded as a cornerstone of the sport. Competitors must complete 160 km of punishing track, navigating multiple laps of shifting sand and treacherous gravel in a test of mechanical durability, physical resilience, and raw speed. The race attracts an elite field of purpose-built vehicles, from unlimited-horsepower Pro1 race cars to mighty Thunder-trucks. For most, it's a quest for championship points. For a few, it's about glory—winning outright and claiming a place in the storied history of this prestigious event. Among those chasing legend is six-time Woodhill 100 winner Tony McCall. Known for his relentless driving style and fierce competitiveness, McCall's decades-long rivalry with fellow six-time winner Ian Foster has become the stuff of off-road folklore. Now, McCall returns to Woodhill chasing a record-breaking seventh title—one that would place him alone at the top of the all-time leaderboard. 'It's not just another race,' says race organiser, Donn Attwood. 'For racers like Tony, it's personal. It's obsession. Winning the Woodhill defines their careers.' Also returning is #193 Daynom Templeman, who clinched his third Woodhill title in 2023 and is known for treating the grueling 160 km like a sprint. With cars pushing upwards of 700 horsepower, competitors must fine-tune their machines for the punishing dual nature of sand and gravel. Sand destroys drivetrains; gravel demands razor-sharp handling and braking, especially on the infamous Coast Road – a 4km straight that ends in a high-speed right-angle turn. Keeping your head while all others are losing theirs helps a lot, but also the Mechanical attrition is brutal—only half the starters finished in 2024. Preparation is paramount. Qualifying, too, is critical. Last year, McCall (#157) claimed pole position after laying down the fastest time from the eighth qualifying run. Before the main event, spectators will be treated to the Landscape Yard Junior Enduro – a 30-minute timed battle on a shortened junior circuit. With the crowd lining the track and roaring support, New Zealand's youngest off-road racers will demonstrate their emerging talent, pushing KiwiTrucks to the limit in an all-out sprint that is as thrilling as the main race itself. The Auckland Offroad Racing Club, formed through the merger of the Auckland Buggy Club and Western District Offroad Racing Club, continues to build on a proud legacy. The ABC was born in the Muriwai dunes and was known for its legendary sand enduros, while WDORC created the original Woodhill 100, a race that remains the crown jewel of the championship calendar. The Woodhill 100 is more than a race—it's a proving ground, a tradition, and a rite of passage for those who dare to conquer it.
