
Hard work overcomes adversity
John Campbell works under the wing of plumber Richard McCullough. PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR John Campbell’s clients love him so much they bake him scones while he works – to the consternation of his boss, plumber Richard McCullough. “The customers are really nice to us, really...

Final whistle blows for referee stalwart
Wai-Bush referee icon Baden Whale died on Thursday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED Humble man left a great sport legacy CHRIS COGDALE chris.cogdale@age.co.nz The Wairarapa-Bush rugby community is mourning the sudden death of refereeing icon Baden Whale, at the age of 83, on Thursday...

Kiwi care package stuck
Alan Fielding with the bumper box of treats he organised as a gift for Tony Hudgell, 6, who lives in the United Kingdom. PHOTO/FILE GRACE PRIOR grace.prior@age.co.nz A package sent from Wairarapa man Alan Fielding to a young boy, who has been raising money for Evelina...

Whareama fire: 30 years gone in under 30 minutes
Firefighters at the Langdale Rd property. PHOTOS/JOHN LAZO-RON Fire crews did ‘great job’ JOHN LAZO-RON john.lazo-ron@age.co.nz A family from Whareama have lost everything after a large blaze burnt their home completely to the ground on Thursday afternoon. Four fire...

Experts oppose justice bill
Criminal justice advocate Sir Kim Workman with his book, Journey Towards Justice. PHOTO/FILE Public submissions will soon close on a bill which proposes demerit points for young offenders, but experts say it might not be the best approach. The Oranga Tamariki [Youth...

‘No trains for two years’ – rumour busted
PHOTO/FILE No intention for extended shutdown JOHN LAZO-RON john.lazo-ron@age.co.nz Wairarapa train commuters can breathe a sigh of relief after rumours circulating about a possible two-year bus replacement service to the capital have been shut down by KiwiRail. For...

Truck flips at crash hotspot
The truck flipped in Waingawa at about 6.45pm on Wednesday. PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR TOM TAYLOR tom.taylor@age.co.nz A truck travelling north on State Highway 2 skidded and flipped upside down at an intersection in Waingawa, between Carterton and Masterton, on Wednesday...

Sisters hang up aprons
Three sisters, left to right, Pam Dick, Vicky Pope, and Margaret McIntosh. PHOTO/PHIL BRAZIER KAREN COLTMAN karen.coltman@age.co.nz At 11amon Wednesday, the Dish Cafe cabinet was full of homemade baking, the coffee machine was steaming, and conversations hummed for...

Found, after 36 years
Jillian Hammond with her long-lost ring. PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR TOM TAYLOR tom.taylor@age.co.nz Thirty-six years ago, Jillian Hammond was trimming a macrocarpa hedge on the family farm in Ponatahi when she took her gloves off to brush a spider off her head. In removing the...

Trust House rents rise
Trust House chief executive Charles Kaka. PHOTO/FILE KAREN COLTMAN karen.coltman@age.co.nz Rent is increasing for tenants in 239 Trust House properties, effective from March 22. It is the first increase in more than two years. A one-bedroom flat goes up by $10 a week,...

Restrictions to escalate
Water restrictions are escalating in South Wairarapa. PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM From 5pm yesterday, Featherston and Greytown residents are being asked not to use sprinklers, irrigation systems, or unattended hoses, and to use hand-held watering devices only to water their...

Visitor spending boosts Wairarapa
Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park. PHOTO/FILE KAREN COLTMAN karen.coltman@age.co.nz At least $47 million more was spent in Wairarapa in 2020 than the previous year. Spending increased 10.7 per cent on 2019, according to Paymark’s latest statistics made public on...

Driver licence delays
Drivers face long wait times for practical tests at VTNZ Masterton. PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR Long delays for keen drivers TOM TAYLOR tom.taylor@age.co.nz Burgeoning Wairarapa drivers hoping to gain driver licences this summer face minimum wait times of two months for their...

Glass, ashes, and courage
Beads for the Child Cancer Foundation.PHOTOS/SOUMYA BHAMIDIPATI Shirlee Wilton has been working with glass for 10 years. Her specialty is making glass beads. She talks to SOUMYA BHAMIDIPATI about lampwork, the Child Cancer Foundation’s ‘Beads of Courage’ programme,...

Heartfelt send-off for ‘Queen Manukura’
Everlyne Chase [Kaiarahi Maori o Pukaha] and Pukaha kiwi head ranger Jess Flamy embrace in a hongi after sending-off Manukura. PHOTO/JOHN LAZO-RON JOHN LAZO-RON john.lazo-ron@age.co.nz A little white kiwi was given a send-off fit for a queen, as hundreds packed the...