“For a lifestyle block, miniature cows do a good job eating the grass and there’s less pugging,” Anna said. “We definitely breed for cuteness, aiming for compact belted Galloways or the white ones with black ears, noses and eyelashes. “There is a good market for miniature cattle.”Anna Campbell, left, with her black and white miniature Galloways. Eleanor started the tradition of everything being black and white when she had her small house built. “When I got two pigs, silkie chickens and dogs all in black and white, it became a thing that we always had black and white animals,” she said.

The North Otago school produced two new Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit — Richard Kennett and Sandy Pasley. "I am really grateful for all the huge number of the people who have supported me throughout my career." She could not remember whether the two were in the same year at school but did remember Mr Kennett and his brother. Mr Kennett, a Glenorchy resident, has spent the past 50 years contributing to conservation projects around the Wakatipu Basin. He was the senior non-police representative on the search and rescue incident management team in the Wakatipu Basin, through which he had contributed to numerous significant search and recovery field operations.

PHOTO: ODT FILESDouglas Brenssell, who received the King’s Service Medal, has been active in the Hāwea community for the past 25 years. "That’s not what it’s about, it’s about doing things for the betterment of the community and helping people." He has also been a committee member of the Hāwea Community Association and Hāwea Picnic Racing Club as well as a founding member of the Hāwea Domain Board and the Upper Clutha community patrol. Mr Brenssell spent 16 years as part of the Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade, also serving as chief fire officer. In 2012 he was the recipient of the Hāwea Volunteer of the Year award.

All Saints’ Church vicar Canon Dr Michael Wallace is pictured with the historic church, which marked its 160th anniversary last year. Photo: Brenda HarwoodAll Saints’ Anglican Church is not only a beautiful historic building housing a vibrant church community, it is also the oldest place of continuous worship in Dunedin. Leading the All Saints’ community and associated organisations is All Saints’ vicar Canon Dr Michael Wallace, who is proud of the church’s 160-year history. A historic image of All Saints’ Church, taken in 1867, shows the church standing proud in the then open ground of Dunedin North. Photo: Brenda HarwoodAll Saints’ and the Dunedin North Parish are working to restore the historic church, with support from Heritage NZ and the Dunedin City Council.

You might have seen that the government delivered early Christmas presents in rates capping, local government reorganisation and Resource Management Act reform. We’ve unwrapped them over the summer, and there’s going to be a lot of change headed our way this year. But it’s not, and that brings me to the water reforms and what it means for our district. As we’ve seen on Wear St recently, repairing and replacing some of our oldest pipework is a challenge. The government’s rates cap won’t include water charges, and we know water charges are going to rise in the next decade.

Photo: suppliedDunedin para-ice swimmer Francois Lambrechts has secured a trifecta of Guinness World Records. The local athlete has been officially recognised for his 1km and 500m para-ice swims undertaken in 2024, in addition to his existing para-ice mile record. Lambrechts said the 500m record was previously held by his ice swimming friend Marc Boutin. New Zealand athletes hold several International Ice Swimming Association world records. While ice swimming was not recognised as an Olympic sport at present, he was hopeful that it would be in the future.

Queenstown Bike Fest co-organiser Emmerson Wilken has a go at the log race during the 2024 event. PHOTO: ODT FILESStarting tomorrow, Queenstown Bike Festival is back full noise after the brakes went on last year. Co-organiser Emmerson Wilken says in ’24 they decided to run the 10-day fest every two years, so last year they only held the still full-on three-day McGazza Fest. Though many of the bike fest’s highlights are during McGazza Fest — from next Friday till Sunday — the first seven days are also jam-packed. scoop@scene.co.nz● The bike fest programme’s at queenstownbikefestival.co.nz; more on McGazza Fest in next week’s Mountain Scene.

PHOTO: ODT FILESIt's still summer, but Queenstown’s about to host 43 games of competitive ice hockey. This year there are six A grade teams, eight B grade teams and three from a new C grade. Organiser Colin McIntosh says the new grade "opens it up to the players who were wishing they were on the ice the previous years, but weren’t quite at the level". "The rosters look stacked with talent and every game in every grade is going to be competitive and impactful on the final standings," McIntosh says. All games are free to watch at the Queenstown Ice Arena — the A grade final’s at 12pm on January 25.

During the holidays I came across an interesting article published on September 20, 2019 by One Earth on sciencedirect.com entitled "Re-defining Sustainability: Living in Harmony with Life on Earth". Instead of simply trying to reduce harm, sustainability must mean living in harmony with all life, recognising that we are part of Earth’s living system, not its masters. What does living in harmony with all life mean? It simply means living with the Earth with respect and co-operation rather than control and exploitation. For example:Farmers can learn more about treating soil and biodiversity as living systems that support their families, stock, and livelihoods, rather than inputs to be used up.

The slip in the Dart Valley. PHOTO: ODT FILESA slip on a section of track in the Dart Valley has severed the popular Rees-Dart tramping circuit for the second time in 11 years. Department of Conservation (DoC) Whakatipu operations manager David Butt says the slip’s opposite Slip Stream, about two hours’ walk from the road end north of Paradise. Trampers can still access the upper Dart Valley by walking from the Rees Valley road end, or by walking the challenging Cascade Saddle route from the Matukituki Valley. They can also walk from Chinaman’s carpark at the Dart Valley road end as far as the closed section before returning.

Mark ‘Horse’ Schultz, left, and Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson reunited in Queenstown this week after the latter determined to find his old mate whom he’d pledged to drink this bottle with, 30-plus years ago. PHOTO: ODT FILESIn October 1995, Queenstowner Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson, then a part-time coach driver, had a long session on the wines with fellow driver Mark ‘Horse’ Schultz, whom he’d bump into around the country. Ferguson says every few years he’d see the bottle gathering dust then try without success to locate Schultz online. The old mates caught up by phone and then, this week, in person, along with the undrunk bottle of wine — Schultz was visiting Queenstown before walking the Greenstone Track. Schultz, 60, tells Ferguson, 67: "I remember you vividly writing [the date] on the label.

Recently-deceased Maureen Thomson in Queenstown with her second husband, the late Bill Thomson. Before moving to Christchurch in about 1996, Nelson-raised Maureen Thomson lived in Queenstown for about 25 years after earlier stints in Invercargill and Alexandra. For a long time she brought up six children — Dale, Desley, Sandra, Tony, Glen and Craig — by herself after her first husband, Bill Smith, left her. Her community work included making weekly lunches for Senior Citizens Association members and organising entertainment for children, and she was also a carer for much-loved doctor’s widow, Molly Anderson, who lived to 103. Maureen was one of the first local people awarded a civic honour in ’93 for her voluntary community service.

Wakatipu High School. PHOTO: ODT FILESSix more talented Wakatipu High School students have been given Kate Moetaua Foundation scholarships, which continue the legacy of the much-loved WHS teacher, who died in 2018. Kate’s daughter Anika says the calibre of applicants for the 2025 scholarships was "outstanding" and this year’s recipients are "exceptional". Winners last year in sport are Katie Battrick (hockey), Hugo Bogue (cricket) and Charlie Manser (rowing). In the arts, recipients are Lena Ibe (dance), Haru Kuroe (music) and Joe Leyden (musical theatre).

From left, event convener Linley Carter, winner Joel Hasselman and Frankton brigade senior station officer Paul Halstead, whose brigade was the fundraising tournament’s main beneficiary. PHOTO: ODT FILESConsidering last Sunday’s 36th Altrusa International Queenstown Charity Golf Tournament mostly fundraised for the Frankton volunteer fire brigade, there couldn’t have been a more fitting winner. The overall winner, at Queenstown Golf Club’s Kelvin Heights course, was Frankton Golf Centre teaching pro Joel Hasselman, who’s hugely appreciative of the brigade’s efforts in putting out the fire which gutted its pro shop last month. Over the years the Altrusa tournament’s raised $200,000-plus for many local causes. Attracting a field of almost 100 players in challenging weather, Sunday’s tournament raised at least $12,000 for the brigade, and also a donation to junior golf’s Futures Whakatipu programme.

from left, John Sanders, Kate Hamilton, and Bruce Patton. Sanders, 71, has been involved on and off for about 50 years and latterly provides about half of the sheep on display every year. He says his life membership’s also a credit to his late wife Mary-Liz Ford-Sanders whose experience in A&P shows stretched back to her days in Australia where she was a life member in Ballarat. He also donated a trophy in the wool tent in memory of his wife this year. "Now we’ve got to find people to step into that sheep role, otherwise we’ll lose that and it will be a devastating situation."