News in brief

Carols at the Cathedral

Christmas songs echoed the hushed sanctuary of the Christ Church Cathedral for two concerts by two of the city’s decorated music forces earlier this month. The Nelson Cathedral Choir and the NBS Nelson City Brass hosted Christmas at the Cathedral to ring in the festive season to the masses.

Waka Abel Tasman experience for Te Pouahi

Fifty tamariki and five kaiako from Nelson Central School’s Māori medium immersion akomanga (class), Te Pouahi, celebrated the end of the school year with a trip to Kaiteretere last Monday for a Waka Abel Tasman experience. Attending parent Simon Stewart says it was a great way to finish off the year. “Getting out adventuring, exploring the beautiful area and stopping and discussing the stories of the landscape - it was really awesome to see it through a kaupapa Māori lens.” Tamariki also walked over to Little Kaiteretere for a swim. “They really loved it; they were pumped but pretty exhausted by the end of the day.” Erina Tye also attended the trip with her son. “For us, the experience was awesome and really inclusive of Māori culture and values. It wasn’t just physical, but holistic too, which made it pretty special.”

Cadillac ride down the runway

A 1953 Cadillac Eldorado cruised down the Nelson Airport runway on Sunday with its lucky passengers enchanted by the “money can’t buy” experience. Sharon and Ian McGuire with family visiting from Australia were chaperoned in the classic vehicle that was provided by the Nelson Classic Car Museum, after the Nelson couple won the coveted prize at August’s Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Nelson Tasman charity auction. BBBS matches children and youth with adult volunteers to help them build their futures and reach their potential. The organisation’s programme director Tracee Neilson says the McGuires had been long-time BBBS supporters, and their $1200 successful bid almost equated to the cost of pairing a young person with a mentor.