Kaikoura - a whale of a tale

Dan Hutchinson

“Whale, starboard!” cries the spotter as passengers scurry to their seats. The powerful catamaran surges into life, bounding over the low, choppy swells towards the prize.

Before long 30 eager faces are leaning over the railing, pointing cameras rather than harpoons at a recuperating sperm whale, only partly visible above the water.
Having spent over an hour in the impossible depths of the Kaikoura Canyon, the living submarine, dubbed “Big Nick” now sucks in oxygen, occasionally expelling vapour and stale air from its massive lungs.
Impervious to the little creatures on the surface, the 40-tonne giant sinks head first, offers its tail fluke into the air in a single flamboyant gesture and then disappears into its dark realm hundreds of metres below.
Whales have long been a part of the history of the small South Island, east coast town of Kaikoura and one can still find evidence of this on shore at Fyffe House or the nearby whaling station which still stands after 162 years.
Nowadays, people come from far and wide, drawn by a reliable population of adolescent, male sperm whales. Other whales, including orca, pilot whales, southern right whales and other species can be seen from time to time also. The nearby 1600m deep Hikurangi Trough is something of a whale motorway running along New Zealand’s east coast, linking the cool South Pacific with the warmer waters further north.
Kaikoura also has the advantage of the Kaikoura Trench which drops sharply to over 1000m just a few kilometres from the main harbour at South Bay and linking with the Hikurangi Trough.
The geography, the currents and the plentiful fish stocks attract sperm whales all year around, giving visitors as close to a guarantee of a sighting as nature can offer. At this time of the year the annual humpback migration is also taking place along the east coast of the South Island.
The waters off Kaikoura are something of a fitness centre where adolescent male sperm whales build up their energy and strength before heading to breeding grounds in warmer, northern waters.
There seems to be something slightly mystical about being close to a whale and there is barely a whisper from the group heading off the coast aboard the Whale Watch Kaikoura boat the Whakatere. Whakatere is the Maori name for the legendary giant squid which is thought to dwell in the darkness of the Kaikoura Trench. Major submarine filming expeditions have taken place in the canyon but have so far failed to turn up what would be the first footage of giant squid in their natural environment.
The anticipation of whale sightings is enough for out group though and people scramble for the exits whenever the boat stops to view a whale. There are more than enough viewing areas for everyone.
The sea off the Kaikoura Coast is not often flat and those prone to motion sickness would be well advised to take preventative measures. Whale Watch Kaikoura uses three identical 18m catamarans which are more stable than single hull craft and trips are cancelled at short notice if the weather is unsuitable.
Whales are the superstars of the Kaikoura Canyon but when it comes to putting on a show, large pods of dusky dolphins are equally as impressive while huge wandering albatross patrol the skies above.
Other firms in Kaikoura specialise in dolphin or seal trips, including swimming with these friendly creatures, although Whale boats will stop to take in the dolphins if time allows.
To really appreciate the scale of the world’s largest birds, it pays to take a separate albatross tour, where bait is used to lure the giant birds in close. These birds are an amazing spectacle looming large on wingspans of up to three or even four metres.
You do not have to be an ardent bird enthusiast to appreciate the albatross, but for those who are there are dozens of other birds to check out, including the Huttons shearwaters which only breed in the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges.
Kaikoura is an eco-tourist’s dream and one of the country’s most popular attractions is absolutely free. The Point Kean Seal Colony is a five minute drive through Kaikoura township where an exciting landscape and a good population of New Zealand fur seals ensures plenty of photo opportunities. While seals are friendly in the water, do not be fooled by their cuddly exterior as they will give quite a bite to those approaching too close on the rocks.
Kaikoura township has a population of 3200 people and archaeological findings show humans hunted moa on the peninsula 900 years ago. Maori legend has it that Maui planted his foot on the Kaikoura Peninsula to steady himself as he fished up the North Island from the sea. Kaikoura wasn’t discovered by European settlers until Captain Cook mistook it for an island in 1770.
The town thrives on a busy summer tourist trade so there is no problem finding accommodation in the winter months. There is a range of land and sea based activities to keep a person occupied for some time including kayaking, tours of the impressive Maori Leap Cave, fishing tours, scenic flights and many others.There are a range of walks including a popular half day hike around the Kaikoura Peninsula or the more demanding mountain climb to commanding views atop Mt Fyffe.

Kaikoura - a whale of a tale

by Dan Hutchinson

“Whale, starboard!” cries the spotter as passengers scurry to their seats. The powerful catamaran surges into life, bounding over the low, choppy swells towards the prize.

Before long 30 eager faces are leaning over the railing, pointing cameras rather than harpoons at a recuperating sperm whale, only partly visible above the water.
Having spent over an hour in the impossible depths of the Kaikoura Canyon, the living submarine, dubbed “Big Nick” now sucks in oxygen, occasionally expelling vapour and stale air from its massive lungs.
Impervious to the little creatures on the surface, the 40-tonne giant sinks head first, offers its tail fluke into the air in a single flamboyant gesture and then disappears into its dark realm hundreds of metres below.
Whales have long been a part of the history of the small South Island, east coast town of Kaikoura and one can still find evidence of this on shore at Fyffe House or the nearby whaling station which still stands after 162 years.
Nowadays, people come from far and wide, drawn by a reliable population of adolescent, male sperm whales. Other whales, including orca, pilot whales, southern right whales and other species can be seen from time to time also. The nearby 1600m deep Hikurangi Trough is something of a whale motorway running along New Zealand’s east coast, linking the cool South Pacific with the warmer waters further north.
Kaikoura also has the advantage of the Kaikoura Trench which drops sharply to over 1000m just a few kilometres from the main harbour at South Bay and linking with the Hikurangi Trough.
The geography, the currents and the plentiful fish stocks attract sperm whales all year around, giving visitors as close to a guarantee of a sighting as nature can offer. At this time of the year the annual humpback migration is also taking place along the east coast of the South Island.
The waters off Kaikoura are something of a fitness centre where adolescent male sperm whales build up their energy and strength before heading to breeding grounds in warmer, northern waters.
There seems to be something slightly mystical about being close to a whale and there is barely a whisper from the group heading off the coast aboard the Whale Watch Kaikoura boat the Whakatere. Whakatere is the Maori name for the legendary giant squid which is thought to dwell in the darkness of the Kaikoura Trench. Major submarine filming expeditions have taken place in the canyon but have so far failed to turn up what would be the first footage of giant squid in their natural environment.
The anticipation of whale sightings is enough for out group though and people scramble for the exits whenever the boat stops to view a whale. There are more than enough viewing areas for everyone.
The sea off the Kaikoura Coast is not often flat and those prone to motion sickness would be well advised to take preventative measures. Whale Watch Kaikoura uses three identical 18m catamarans which are more stable than single hull craft and trips are cancelled at short notice if the weather is unsuitable.
Whales are the superstars of the Kaikoura Canyon but when it comes to putting on a show, large pods of dusky dolphins are equally as impressive while huge wandering albatross patrol the skies above.
Other firms in Kaikoura specialise in dolphin or seal trips, including swimming with these friendly creatures, although Whale boats will stop to take in the dolphins if time allows.
To really appreciate the scale of the world’s largest birds, it pays to take a separate albatross tour, where bait is used to lure the giant birds in close. These birds are an amazing spectacle looming large on wingspans of up to three or even four metres.
You do not have to be an ardent bird enthusiast to appreciate the albatross, but for those who are there are dozens of other birds to check out, including the Huttons shearwaters which only breed in the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges.
Kaikoura is an eco-tourist’s dream and one of the country’s most popular attractions is absolutely free. The Point Kean Seal Colony is a five minute drive through Kaikoura township where an exciting landscape and a good population of New Zealand fur seals ensures plenty of photo opportunities. While seals are friendly in the water, do not be fooled by their cuddly exterior as they will give quite a bite to those approaching too close on the rocks.
Kaikoura township has a population of 3200 people and archaeological findings show humans hunted moa on the peninsula 900 years ago. Maori legend has it that Maui planted his foot on the Kaikoura Peninsula to steady himself as he fished up the North Island from the sea. Kaikoura wasn’t discovered by European settlers until Captain Cook mistook it for an island in 1770.
The town thrives on a busy summer tourist trade so there is no problem finding accommodation in the winter months. There is a range of land and sea based activities to keep a person occupied for some time including kayaking, tours of the impressive Maori Leap Cave, fishing tours, scenic flights and many others.There are a range of walks including a popular half day hike around the Kaikoura Peninsula or the more demanding mountain climb to commanding views atop Mt Fyffe.

Pine time to leave me

by Dan Hutchinson

An ambitious plan to eradicate wild pine trees from the inner Queen Charlotte Sound has received another major boost.New Zealand King Salmon has donated $10,000 to the project on top of $102,000 received from the Lottery Grants Board and the Biodiversity Condition Fund.The eradication of wild pines is the key project of the recently formed Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust.Trust chairman Andrew Macalister said the Sounds community were very keen to see wild pines removed from the area to improve the landscape and allow for regeneration of native plants.He said it was a very large project that would need Government assistance if the whole of the Marlborough Sounds was to be covered by the project.However, the Trust had set its sights on 2600ha of wilding pine infestation in the inner Queen Charlotte Sound with an aniticpated budget of $130,000 this year.Contractors would make their way by foot through the infested area, drill holes in the trees and inject poison.By leaving the trees standing, re-growth was limited by the shadow of the dying tree.New Zealand King Salmon General Manager Aquaculture, Stewart Hawthorn says the initiative is a good fit with the company's strategic values. "We are an important part of the Marlborough Sounds community and within our vision we seek respect for our sustainable commercial success.“Actively participating with the community by assisting its growth, widening its resources and improving its features is a part of advancing that vision.""The wilding pines campaign reflects the passion many in the community feel about ensuring the naturalness of the Marlborough Sounds. As a user of that naturalness, it's good that we can give something back," Mr Hawthorn said Mr Macalister said it was important to make a success of the first eradication programme, scheduled to start at Labour weekend, as that would encourage further investment in the project."It seems the community agrees wilding pines are a scourge of the Sounds and that a response to this problem is long overdue."

Mr 4 Square in person

Spring Creek Four Square owner Allan Withers celebrates a half century of involvement with the brand. Photo Dan Hutchinson


by Dan Hutchinson
Fifty years ago Allan Withers’ mum wanted him to settle down and get a real job – he did and is still involved with the same company.
Now owner of the Spring Creek Four Square, Mr Withers has had half a century of involvement with the firm – starting off as a pricing clerk in Timaru in 1958.
Maybe chance or maybe his lifelong involvement with the brand has even made him look like the Four Square man, something that is not lost on his colleagues at head office as they acknowledged his 50 years with the brand last Thursday.
Either way, he personifies the store. His dry wit and customer focus make him a popular figure on the junction.
He started his working life as a teenager in the highly paid job of potato and carrot picking in South Canterbury.
It was not uncommon to earn up to 60 pounds a week in the fields – a giddy figure in those days and even more so for a young man.
“But Mum was not too happy with that. She wanted her boy to settle down and get a proper job.”
It was his mother who arranged the interview at the Four Square warehouse and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I went down to five pounds a week but that was life. I had a job, a permanent job.”
He moved to the Four Square Head Office in Christchurch in 1962 where one of his first jobs was to manually adjust all the prices for decimal currency.
“That was a huge job; there were no computers in those days.”He later moved into the buying section and transferred to Blenheim in 1968, for what was meant to be a three year stint.
“My family was from here and I liked it so I resisted moving back.”
He was heavily involved in opening the first New World supermarket in 1977 where Farmers now is.
Supermarkets were a relatively new phenomenon in the 1970’s. Previously the Four Square stores catered for grocery needs with about 2000 of them around the country.
“The town and whole district had many, many Four Square stores. Sadly, as supermarkets grew smaller ones closed down which was inevitable.”
In 1980, Mr Withers’ wife passed away and he decided on a change.
“I had my eye on this site for a number of years so I purchased the property and the 100-year-old shop that was on it at the time.”
His son Adrian came to work at the shop at that time too and is still there today, carrying on the strong family tradition.
“I have seen the area grow and develop, children having children. It is a nice feeling that they all come back and see you,” Mr Withers said.
He built the new Four Square store in 2002, installed a larger car park and provided for the reconfiguration of the busy Rapaura Rd, State Highway 1 intersection.
The old store was right on the highway’s edge, as a result of the road being realigned some time ago.
Four Square is now part of the Foodstuffs co-operative, something Mr Withers said was unique in the global supermarket scene.
Volume was very important in the grocery trade and the shareholder/supermarkets that own Foodstuffs can command the same prices as their competitors.
The benefits of the cooperative also extend to staff training and ensure young people entering the industry have a clear career path.
At the end of the day the basics of good prices and good service is what keeps the smaller format of stores like Four Square going.
The stores are also thriving in rural areas where travel distances and fuel prices are becoming more of an issue for customers.
Traditional post office services like motor registration and road user charges are also proving a boost to rural retailers, as is Lotto.
Coupled with good, local service, the Four Square format is thriving in rural and semi-rural areas.
Mr Withers also operates a bakery at the Four Square and offers prices as cheap as anywhere on basic items like milk and bacon.
“People tell us we are cheaper than the supermarkets in town. We can’t be as cheap in all areas because we don’t have the volumes.
“I think we give the public a good deal and that is reflected in the way they support us and it is also a strategic site.
“We have put the emphasis on pricing and service and so far we are holding on. We have good support and good staff. The public have confidence, not just with me but with the staff,” Mr Withers said.
Mr Withers still does six and a half days a week up to 12 hours a day but plans to “ease off” at some stage in the future. He says he can never claim to have had nothing to do.Until then he plans to do what Four Square has always done “look after the locals”.

Heavenly pigeon post

By Dan Hutchinson
Joan Webb has completed the ultimate tribute to her late husband and legendary Marlborough pigeon racer Noel Webb by winning the same prestigious titles.
The mission was completed this year when she won three championship ribbons at the South Island Championships run by the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Cage Bird Association in Blenheim in July.
Mr Webb had bred a respected flock of pigeons and was aiming for his third consecutive top of the South Island Pigeon Trophy before he died four years ago.
“I inherited 54 pigeons so I said ‘I will race them’,” Mrs Webb said.
Last year she won the Top of the South Island Pigeon Trophy and over the weekend birds won three Championship ribbons.
She has now reduced the number of birds she has to 22, having bred birds for other racers.
“I have had to cut back because I have achieved the dream.”
She likened it to Possum Bourne’s wife Peggy who also took over the legacy of her successful husband.
“That’s what I have done, competed in the races until I achieved what he had won.”
It was touch and go as she prepared the birds for the competition late last week.
“I didn’t even get time to wash their feet. I had some exciting family news and then suddenly realised I had to get the birds there on time.”
She won New Zealand Championships for best blue or black chequer homer and best homer that has flown between 650km – 799km. She won a South Island Championship for best homer that has flown between 250km and 349km.
She said the birds were like athletes, averaging 70kmh in racing and the carbohydrate content in their feed was adjusted depending on how far they had to race.
Mrs Webb would continue to be involved in pigeon racing but to a lesser extent now that she has achieved her tribute.

Long odds of the law

by Dan Hutchinson

Luke Radich has swapped the glamour of the gallops for the long odds of the law, returning to Blenheim after seven years as Trackside’s frontman.
The 32-year-old Marlborough man has returned to his roots, taking up a position with the family firm Radich Law, set up by his father Peter and sister Miriam.
It is not the first time he has worked for the family firm after finishing law school 10 years ago, having started off at Radich Dwyer.
In 2000 he saw an advertisement for a presenter for Trackside and thought he would give it a go.
“It sounded like something I would be interested in. I had no broadcasting experience but I was always a very keen racing follower.”
He said it came about in a slightly unusual fashion as he sent away his CV and video before heading off on his OE.
“They got back to me a few weeks later when I was in Egypt in an internet café and wanted an audition and interview that weekend.”
So he waited at the Frankfurt Airport and caught the next available flight out. He did his interview and audition, got the job and then finished his World trip before returning to start his new career.
“It was not something I thought I had a natural ability to do and something I didn’t ever get really good at. I got up to a passable standard but it took a lot of hard work. Once you do it enough you are not nervous or anything.”
He said it took several years before he felt confident in what he was doing.
His bosses obviously saw if differently and he fronted most of the domestic racing and several overseas races where coverage from New Zealand was warranted.
His interest stemmed, oddly enough, from his childhood days when his favourite afternoon programme was cancelled.
“I really liked Olly Olsen and was cross that it wasn’t screening that day because something called The Melbourne Cup was on that channel instead. I had no idea what the Melbourne Cup was but watched it and soon became interested.
“Dad had horses but he was never really into racing, he just liked riding.”
He now has shares in several horses including the successful four-year-old pacer Veecmee that has won eight races. It was entered in the 2008 Harness Jewels at Cambridge last weekend.
He co-owns the horse with two local brothers John and Peter Forrest.
Luke said he enjoyed his time with Trackside but there was a limit to how far a person could go in racing commentary in New Zealand so he decided to brush off the old law books.
Eighty percent of his commentary was done from the studio in Wellington with occasional trips to the big meets around the country.
“I could have continued to do it forever and it would have been enjoyable on one level but not very fulfilling.
“It is like with any job, the most difficult thing about leaving is leaving the people you get to know. I made some good friends there.”
The highlight of his tenure with Trackside was commentating on the Cox Plate at Mooney Valley in 2005, a race won by Makybe Diva.
He did some legal work for the Racing Board and said getting back into law had not been as hard as he thought it would be.

A rare beer experience

NOT EXTINCT: Josh Scott is at the forefront of a craft beer revolution with his rapidly expanding Moa Beer Company. Photo Dan Hutchinson

By Dan Hutchinson
Something strange is brewing right under the educated noses of Marlborough’s finest winemakers.
At first glance, there is nothing overly suspicious about the building, aside from a giant metal Moa standing guard outside.
In the same neighbourhood as Cloudy Bay Wines and Allan Scott, it could be just another winery, except it isn’t.
Sure there are stainless steel tanks everywhere but the bottles rattling along the conveyor are suspiciously small, the smell is not fermenting grapes but hops and there are other, more exotic smells of berries and spices.
Winemaker and owner of Moa Beer, Josh Scott is clearly in his element as he discusses the finer points of his rapidly growing craft brewery.
By day, Josh is the group winemaker for the family business Allan Scott Wines but by night he is chief taster for his pride and joy.
Like many craft brewers in New Zealand, Josh is on a mission to convert the mass-produced lager swilling heathens into beer snobs.
“Right from a very early age, I have been interested in alcohol.”
He remembers clearly, his first wine epiphany – a Muller Thurgau from Montana.
“I remember smelling apples in it and I was hooked.”
The 27-year-old alcohol aristocrat worked in the family vineyards and winery in his youth. Straight after high school he did the Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.
He then spent a couple of years in Loire, France – the home of sauvignon blanc before moving to the wine regions of California for a further two years.
His palate had become accustomed to the craft beers overseas and when he returned he found there was a very limited selection to choose from.
“There was nothing here so I decided to make it myself. The whole concept is a wine maker’s idea of beer.
“We are trying to educate people that there are different flavours and there can be some snobbery in it.”
With five people employed full-time, including an experienced brewer, Josh’s involvement is now one of oversight and, in his own words “chief taster”.
The brewery has produced close to 100,000 litres of beer this year and production could be expected to double next year.
Josh said he wants to make Moa the largest craft brewery in New Zealand and is investing in technology to that end. It is perhaps the only craft brewery in the country with a fully automated bottling line.
The brewery now makes seven different beers entirely from New Zealand ingredients.
The domestic market is still the major base for sales with increasing volumes being exported to the United States, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and China.


As group winemaker for the family business – Allan Scott Wines, just across the road, Josh has a busy schedule


in the shadows the vines and chateaus of Marlborough’s most famous wine making Nestled within Marlborough’s most famous wineries

practical winemaker, Josh has been around wine all his life, so it was natural for him to pursue a career in the wine industry. He has a Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production from NMIT, and has worked vintages in France as well as in California’s Napa Valley before returning home to Allan Scott Wines.
Apart from his duties here he is also involved in the winemaking processes at the other group wineries and in 2003 he established the Moa Beer Company making a bottled conditioned (Méthode Traditionnelle) pilsner style lager. Outside work, Josh plays representative rugby and enjoys outdoor pursuits of hunting, diving and skiing. He is also a keen competitor in multi-sport events.

By Dan Hutchinson
If there is such a thing as a citizen of the World then self-styled “permanent gypsy” Michael Seresin would fit that bill.
Mixing movie making and wine is a bit like landing and taking off at the same time – one keeps you grounded and the other shifts a person all over the World.
Michael Seresin is back in Marlborough for a break over summer – Christmas at his home in Waterfall Bay and regular sorties around the Seresin Estate Vineyards.
He has cut back on his commitments in recent times – no longer doing endless commercials and focussing instead on feature films and the wine business.
As a cinematographer, Michael has been involved with the biggest names in the business and has an impressive list of credits.
He has just finished filming on ‘All Good Things’ starring Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling and is taking a breather back home, if you can call it that.
He certainly doesn’t identify with a particular place and since he left Wellington 40 years ago he has travelled the World, occasionally popping back to his country of birth.
Michael left university in Wellington in 1963 and went to work as a PA at Pacific Films. He left New Zealand in 1966 to pursue a career as a freelance camera assistant in Europe, initially going to Rome “on a flimsy pretext”.
“There was just something I liked about the lifestyle, food, wine and just how they lived.”
After eighteen months in Rome and London, he graduated to lighting camera status and by 1968 was working alongside his future BFCS partners; Bob Brooks and Len Fulford.
From 1970 he combined commercials work with shooting movies, becoming a director of photography for Harold Becker, Adrian Lyne and Alan Parker, on films such as "Bugsy Malone", "Midnight Express", "City Hall", "Angela's Ashes", "Harry Potter - The Prisoner of Azkaban" and most recently ‘All Good Things’.
He has five adult children living in London and New York.
His grandson spent the Christmas with him in Waterfall Bay and got an unusual present – two Arapawa Island goats that have now made themselves quite comfortable in their new home.
He enjoys the history and hundreds of years of culture associated with Europe and the UK and admits to a bit of a “love-hate” relationship with New Zealand.
“The food is truly appalling which is sad. There are little towns in California that have been transformed by the grape industry but here, we stick with safe, boring food. We are pretty conservative with our food.”
As an example, he cited a woman who sells fresh fish off a boat in Picton. She is only allowed to sell for a few hours every week, which he finds extraordinary compared with other seaside villages around the World, where fresh fish from the wharf is the norm.
He doesn’t really have a place he calls home.
“I like the landscape here but culturally I feel like a fish out of water.
“I don’t grieve for places and say ‘oh, I wish I was at Waterfall Bay’. I love the Old World – Britain, France, Italy, Europe.
“I like that we are not hide bound by tradition here.”
Seresin Estate was purchased and planted in the early 1990’s and it was not long before Michael built up a dislike of the chemical culture prevalent in vineyards both here and abroad.
He observed the vineyards in Tuscany where the only thing growing out of the ground were grape vines.
“A lot of guys are putting too many chemicals on.
“The soil and the land is not just a medium for chemicals and if you can make wine without it, why not?”
Just a year after purchasing the vineyard he made the decision to produce grapes without any chemicals and the estate is now renowned for its organic and bio-dynamic production methods.
“It is tough but New Zealand has sold itself as a clean, green land and green is not just a colour.
“It is not so tough now. They used to do it because they had to but if I used a little bit of weed killer now I think half the staff would walk.”
He is still deciding what he will do this year movie-wise and therefore where he will make his home but he does have a couple of good options.

THEY ARE HONOURED: Marine farmer Jim Jessep and his wife Fran were both recognised in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. Photo Dan Hutchinson


by Dan Hutchinson
A Queen’s Birthday honour for Marlborough’s marine farming maestro Jim Jessep is a timely shot in the arm for an industry in which people are positive but struggling to survive.
Mr Jessep said the award was as much about recognising the industry as it was for him personally.
“I spent a lot of time on industry matters but I got a tremendous lot of support from participants in the industry. I really do regard this as recognition of our industry, this is a great industry for Marlborough.”
He said people in the industry at present were optimistic about the future but returns were “pretty awful” thanks to the high exchange rate.
“People are in survival mode at the moment.”
He said there was a lot of work going into improving production efficiencies at the processing plants to improve returns, markets were strong and people were optimistic.
One challenge facing the industry at the moment was new legislation that has effectively seen the development of new farms come to a grinding halt.
Mr Jessep still has 13ha of marine farms in the Marlborough Sounds but retired from executive roles with the various industry bodies several years ago.
He was confident that there was willingness by the Government and the industry to make the new aquaculture legislation work or for it to be changed to allow for development.
Mr Jessep’s MNZM (Member of the NZ Order of Merit) recognised his contribution to the Marine Farming industry and the wider Marlborough community over the past 25 years.
He was president of the New Zealand Marine Farming Association for 10 years, chairman of the Mussel Industry Council for three years and a member of the Aquaculture Council for more than 12 years.
He has been dealing with major threats to the industry virtually since he bought his first 3ha farm in Fairy Bay 25 years ago.
The industry collapsed shortly after he started when its main market – a pill for arthritis was withdrawn from the US pharmaceutical list.
He has also survived toxic algal blooms, moratoriums and the corporatisation of the industry.
Mr Jessep’s award was part of a Queen’s Birthday double surprise for the Jessep family with his wife Fran winning the Queen’s Service Medal for decades of service to various Marlborough community organisations.
Mrs Jessep has served the Marlborough community in a number of capacities over the past two and half decades.
She received the Queens Service Medal for her work in the local community that includes 10 years as Marlborough President for the National Council of Women.
She has also spent 10 years on the council of the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Marlborough Safer Community Council Community Housing Network, Marlborough Boys College and the Marlborough Community Grants Scheme.
She is still serving as the only Blenheim representative on the Canterbury Community Trust.
For Mr Jessep, his recognition is the icing on the cake for a job that he has been truly passionate about for 25 years.
He hails from a traditional farming family of four generations but he and his brothers decided to sell up and do other things.
Mr Jessep admits he never really had a huge interest in traditional farming but farming the sea was a different story altogether.
“Even in the middle of winter at 3am in the morning getting ready to go out to the farms, I looked forward to the day. It was the people in the industry and I just liked being on the sea.”
When Mr Jessep started marine farming 25 years ago, the industry was producing about 4000 tonnes of mussels, largely for use in arthritis treatment pills.
Nowadays, the industry produces more than 80,000 tonnes of mussels, having overcome several, near-fatal blows.
The drama started shortly after Mr Jessep bought a 3ha farm in Fairy Bay in Pelorus Sound when the US Food and Drug Agency decided the benefits of mussels for arthritis treatment were unproven.
The industry took a decade to get back on its feet, marketing its product as a premium food to chefs and foodies in New Zealand and abroad.
In 1992, the industry suffered its next big blow with a bio-toxin bloom shutting down the industry for six weeks and placing the entire industry in jeopardy.
“We were not even sure we had a future anymore.”Through his time in the industry, Mr Jessep has been instrumental in dealing with industry issues and steering the farmers through endless bureaucracy.

Retiring - locked and loaded

Gary Ching closes the door on 28 years as a Blenheim locksmith. Photo Dan Hutchinson

by Dan Hutchinson
Gary Ching has closed the door on 28 years of locking people out and letting people in.
Gary Ching Locksmith has been the face of everything safe and secure in Marlborough and there would be few people in the region who have not heard his radio jingle.
Last month he handed over the reins of his well-known Blenheim-based business to former police officer Tony Sampson, who has elected to keep the same well-known brand.
For Mr Ching, selling up is not exactly the end of an era as he remains president and secretary of the Australia and New Zealand Locksmith Association.
A master builder for 10 years, Mr Ching switched to the locksmith business in 1980 during a downturn in the construction industry.
What followed was a steady increase in business on the back of a purely mobile service. “It has been very, very good to us over the years. We must have done something right because we have never been quiet and there have not been many complaints.”
Four years ago, he set up the shop on High Street to sell products direct to the customer.
“It used to be a TAB but now when you go in there, we guarantee you come out a winner.”
Mr Ching and wife Doreen are lifetime Blenheim locals and have seen whole new generations coming in as customers.
“We see kids that our children went to school are now coming in as out customer and a lot of the kids today hear the jingle on the radio and you hear them singing it out loud.”
Mr Ching said the business has been hugely satisfying and he liked to think he had established a strong brand.
“”Years ago when I started it everyone remembered Rex Wyatt as the locksmith. I hope now when people think of keys they think of Gary Ching. I even have keys on my bowls.”
He is planning to spend more time at the Blenheim Bowling Club now that he is retired and it is also an opportunity to visit the children, who live in Australia, more often.
The security industry had changed a lot over the years but Mr Ching said the best home protection still came down to good locks on the doors and windows.
“The best home security is to keep people out. When people are outside the house, the public can see them.”
He won’t miss the call outs at odd hours to people locked out of their homes and vehicles or for the odd police officer locked out of their vehicle, for that matter.
However, the best part of the job has been giving people peace of mind so they know they can go to sleep at night and feel safe.
“Little old Blenheim is not little old Blenheim anymore. You can’t leave a brick wedged in the door at night to let a draft through the house.”
His parting advice to people is “make sure you have a spare key”.

The terrified student

Ashley Love didn’t let a 30-year absence from school stop him from becoming an engineer. Photo Dan Hutchinson

Dan Hutchinson
Four years ago Ashley Love picked up his text books, tried to read them and then put them aside. His dream of becoming an engineer could have ended right there.
So when his work mates gathered in the board room at Aotearoa Seafoods, a huge table loaded with celebratory savouries and slices, the moment was sweet.
He could reflect back on a three and a half year journey that started hopelessly and ended with the National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics in Mechanical Engineering.
Ashley turned 50 two weeks ago and says he never had any ambition to further his studies when he left school.
“Once I left school, or effectively got kicked out, all I wanted to do was work at the freezing works and make big money and reading was not part of my life at that time.
“It is a thing you shouldn’t lose, but for years and years I didn’t do any reading.”
His working life revolved mainly around fishing boats with all of his land-based jobs ending in redundancy, until he went to work for Aotearoa Seafoods.
He started off on the mussel harvesters but his break came four years ago during a three week shut down period in the Marlborough Sounds.
He and the other crew came into the Riverlands factory to do other tasks, tying knots and odd jobs around the factory.
During a smoko break he was asked to come and help out with some maintenance work in the factory and later learned they were advertising for an apprentice.
“I asked (the manager) how old the apprentice needed to be, he said ‘I suppose it doesn’t matter’ and that was it, I was in.”
It was not until later that the enormity of the task hit him.
“When Nick said ‘yeah” it just went bang, this is really involved. I was terrified.
“When I received the first of the books from the Polytech, I took a look at them and then left them sitting in my shed for four months.”
His boss asked him when he was planning to start and that was when he explained the extent of his literacy issues.
The company arranged for Robin Robb from Literacy Marlborough to assist Mr Love with his studies and she has been there three days a week ever since.
In total, Ashley has chewed through almost 100 text books and says motivation was never an issue once he confronted his reading and writing problems.
Robin says men are notorious for not reading or writing once they left school.
“They find it a big barrier. The jargon (in text books) is enough to put people off.”
She said Ashley overcame the biggest hurdle by simply getting started and admitting there was a problem. From there, he was destined for success.
Aotearoa Seafoods ceo Sam Hobson said there was a real shortage of engineers and the cost of course fees, training and leave for courses was an investment.
“At the end of the day he was committed to doing it. Irrespective of how the company got involved, it comes down to the individual’s own determination.
“This is the sort of thing that gives me a buzz … this is the people side of the business,” Mr Hobson said.

Green toed gardening

Pollard Park gardeners have put their foot in it, quite literally, with a new cryptic message in the display bank.
Up close, the white and green plants look like nothing in particular, but take a step back and the age of global warming is hard to ignore.
Marlborough District Council gardener Julie Murphy said all the gardeners have an input into what goes into the display bank’s winter and summer display.
Some years it is faces and objects or simple messages but this year, they decided to go with something a little more cryptic.
“Just to see if people would understand it. Out of everyone who looks at it, it is definitely the younger generations who know what it means straight away.”
The display would survive until about Easter when it would again change with the seasons.

Working for a future

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Kim Sweeney makes another batch of patties at Blenheim Foods with owner Mark Witchalls looking on. Photo Dan Hutchinson


by Dan Hutchinson
When Mark Witchalls bought a successful business eight years ago, the first thing he did was convert from automation to a labour-intensive production line.
A job that used to take one person supervising a machine now requires four people on a production line and the business has thrived.
Blenheim Foods, now based in Rapaura, is the biggest supplier of patties to takeaways around the country.
The highly successful business uses a different formula to the normal cost-cutting, mechanised systems of his competitors.
Mr Wichalls wanted a business that could provide employment to people with disabilities, particularly people over 40-years-old who had been out of work for long periods of time.
He had found that many of these people had not benefited from more progressive work placement policies in recent years.
By converting Blenheim Foods he has provided meaningful employment to people with their wages subsidised by the Government depending on their level of physical or mental disability.
The business has been so successful that Mr Witchalls has been asked by the Ministry for Social Development to come up with a similar pilot employment scheme on a larger scale for Marlborough with a view to a national programme.
There is an estimated 300 people in the region that would benefit from similar work placement and training.
Mr Witchalls said there was often a lot of work required to bring a person up to speed in the work force, especially if they had never worked before.
“We had one guy who hadn’t worked for five years and he couldn’t even stand. It took six months to get him to a point where he could work for a whole day. If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
He said the new scheme, called the Marlborough Work Fit Trust, would initially revolve around the Marlborough District Council’s Tuis to Town project. That project revolves around sourcing, propagating and planting suitable plant species.
Long-term unemployed disabled people over 40 would be the focus of the intake and they would learn health and safety, gain NZQA qualifications, gain a driver’s licence if possible and other things vital to everyday employment.
Workers who take part in the project will also work on propagating the required plants to attract tuis to town and the planting as well.
“It doesn’t cost you anything to employ someone with disability and they never want to take a sick day. They have got to be dead not to come to work.”
His own business has continued to thrive under the new model and as well as having “hand made” patties his customers also appreciate that he is doing something for the community.
Mark and his wife Shelly, a chef, formerly ran the Punga Cove in the Marlborough Sounds, and were founding partners of The Mussel Boys restaurants. But they sold the restaurant and started planning differently for the future when their daughter Emily was diagnosed with severe autism.
“I sold up so we could get into a situation of working with Emily and whoever was out there.
“We tried to find the simplest operation we could in Blenheim to provide a form of employment and we found Blenheim Foods tucked in a back street.”
Mark employs four part-time workers at Blenheim Foods and he has adapted the operation to make the work easier and safer.
Pictures are used instead of written instructions for the pattie-making process and he has done away with some machinery.
A big hopper, from where they poured the pressed ingredients into the hot plates is gone and the mixtures are now ladled by hand into the moulds.
Mark says business is growing. The downturn has encouraged many people to go back to their Friday night fish and chips, rather than more expensive fast-food options.
“We are working six days to keep up.”
Shelly owns Shelly’s café next door to the factory and she gets a hand with the dishwashing and grounds from Mark’s employees.
“The point of that is that they get to socialise and it gives the other staff and the public the opportunity to become familiar with people with disabilities,” Mark says.
He understands the reluctance of some employers to take on people with disabilities. “The biggest thing with employers is that they don’t want to take on any more problems.
“They want somebody who is going to turn up on time and do the job they want.”
He acknowledges that it is not always easy and it was initially a matter of “taking a deep breath and learning tolerance”.
However, his workers have proved to be committed and focused employees.
“If employers concentrate on what these staff can do and not what they can’t do, the sky is the limit.
“They are incredibly honest. They force you to make decisions that sometimes you wish would go away.”

Mountain of a tale

by Dan Hutchinson
When a howling gale blew Robert Farnell’s pack off the top of a mountain 23 years ago, he assumed he would never see it again.
Mr Farnell was climbing Mt Bounds with two friends – Colin Griffiths and Murray Chapman on a cold, windy June day in 1985.
He took his pack off at the summit, staked it into the snow with his ice axe and was preparing to take a photo of the next peak along.
“I was ready to get the pinnacle in the viewfinder and a humungous gust came along. When I looked around, the pack was gone.
“There was a steep chute that seemed to go forever and I didn’t even think of going after it. Luckily the ice axe was not too far down.”
He made his way down the mountain and over the years, the lost pack became a distant memory and was soon forgotten altogether.
Last year, Grovetown man Doug Hislop, president of the Marlborough branch of NZ Deerstalkers Association, was traversing the line of mountains on a goat culling exercise when he spied the top of a pack sticking out.
“I carefully removed it from the gravel with the thought that someone’s shoulder blades might still be in it, luckily not.”
He searched through the pack for some identification and found ‘R. Farnell, Blenheim’ printed on a pair of leggings.
He cut the name off the leggings and wrapped it around an old emergency kit he also found inside and brought the package out with him.
“I didn’t know what he (Mr Hislop) was talking about when he rang up and then suddenly I remembered,” Mr Farnell said.
Mr Hislop retrieved the rest of the pack and its contents on a trip to the area earlier this year and it now sits as a memento in Mr Farnell’s shed.
The contents of the pack were almost all intact, except for a flask that had fallen out. His sandwiches were still recognisable and a pair of “brand new”, woollen socks could still be worn today.
“He is a really nice guy and I appreciated that he had taken the time to bring out the pack.”
The lost pack was covered by insurance and Mr Farnell has given the replacement pack to Mr Hislop as he no longer needs it.
The trip up Mt Bounds (2000metres) was one of many the trio completed in the eighties.

Horses for Courses - John Gould

Fast paced hobby

Successful hobby harness racing owner John Gould knows what it is like to beat the odds.
At his home in a Marlborough vineyard near Blenheim, John talks horses and harness racing and just a little bit about the broken neck that made his own set of wheels necessary.
Getting John to agree to a story was no mean feat in the first place – he prefers to operate outside the limelight and let his horses do the talking.
And talk they have. Earlier this year one of his biggest successes, Mach Banner, owned with partners, sold for more than $150,000.
That horse is already paying its new owners back in spades but John still gets a sense of pride out of watching his former horse cross the line first.
He says the money sounds big but in reality it is a matter of “selling the fast horses to pay for the slow ones.”
“Some people have fast cars or jet boats and some have high maintenance wives. I have race horses.”
He tries to get other investors involved in buying horses too and currently has an interest in about six horses, with other partners.
“I might own a leg of one and a tail of another but I am trying to bring locals into the industry.
“I am always open to bringing people into it and the more people you get involved, the merrier.”
He said the key thing for budding horse enthusiasts to remember was to be a good loser and not get too wound up when things don’t go well.
“When your horse wins you have a photo on the wall but if you lose, you still have your horse. You just have to take your wins with your losses and don’t get upset when your horse loses.
“There is nothing more exciting than being on course or watching on Trackside, your own horse winning a race.
John says a lot of people involved in race horses don’t even gamble and they found they could spend a lot less by owning a share in a horse, than by gambling on the races or lotto.
“There is more enjoyment and excitement out of owning and the memories last longer and a lot don’t bet because they can’t afford both.”
He has personally owned or had shares in about 30 winners including Ludachris, another horse that sold for good money last year.
John has had a lifetime association with horses, prompted by his father Dick Gould (alias ‘Captain’) who was a jockey in Christchurch.
John bought his first trotter when he was 22 years old and his former wife Jan Gould was a leading female driver in the central region.
At one stage John had 18 trotters and pacers and he had a race track built on his Dillons Point Rd property, near Blenheim.
John has been in a wheelchair since he broke his neck diving into the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, Australia in 1979. He hit a submerged tree stump.
“I don’t have any hang ups about that any more and sometimes I even forget to ask people if somewhere is accessible before I turn up.”
He said now that more people were using mobility scooters around town, the issue of accessible footpaths and kerbs was being addressed.
His accident, in the days before ACC compensation, forced him to set up a video and cassette store in Queenstown to make a living.
He had been a chef prior to that and started his working life as a ladies hairdresser.
He moved to Marlborough in 1987 and set up and ran a video and cassette store for a short while in central Blenheim.
The Dillons Point Rd property is still home but the commercial value of the land means it is now used for vineyards, more than horses.
He describes himself as “more of a battler” in the industry, is a member of the Marlborough Harness Racing Club and is passionate about getting people involved in the local industry.
He heaps praise on fellow harness racing stalwarts in Marlborough including president of the Marlborough club Dean Hunter and NZ president Pat O’Brien.
“The local club here is operated very well and Pat has been a fantastic supporter of harness racing and they have kept it alive in Marlborough.”
John’s horses have continued to do well, including two second places at Waterlea (21 June, 2009) last weekend with Cardinal Huff, second at Nelson with Holiday Lover and a win with Ell Raisor at Addington.
John says he is always ready to talk to anyone interested in the industry or who wants to be a partner in a horse.