Inspiring stories, real news and the hard questions

Talk about seasons and events! In this issue #14 of Coaster’s Weekly we take a look at what is happening here on the Coast over the next few months.

Of course, whitebait season kicked off recently – a major time for the Coast and lovers of the delicacy, for which we are renowned.

And on the event front, we have a full schedule of amazing community attractions coming up for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021 – subject maybe to the South Island returning to normal and having all Covid 19 restrictions lifted.

AgFest happens on 13-14 November 2020. 15 to 20 thousand people are expected to turn out to make this one the best ever. We talked about AgFest in the last issue of Coaster’s Weekly.

The Westport Trots take place on 26 and 28 December 2020, followed on the 30 December 2020 by the Reefton Trots. And the racing theme continues with the Kumara Races on 9 January 2021 on the community-repaired track! And two of the most iconic Coast Events follow – the Buller Marathon is run on 13 February 2021 and the Hokitika Wild Foods Festival on 13 March 2021. And then in mid 2021 we have the South Island Ute Muster – numbers are limited for this so get your booking in now.

Here is my take on all the wonderful events coming up on the Coast in the next few months:

Coaster’s Weekly would like a bit of help doing our interviews. If you have some time on your hands, and feel you would like to be involved with Coaster’s Weekly, drop me an email at  admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz and we can talk.

The Coaster’s Club is of course the vehicle by which we can all stay connected so I would encourage you to join up. I know we can’t always agree on all things, but we can agree that we all want the best for the Coast and the people whose lives and history are intrinsically tied to this wonderful place.

Here’s how you can be part of the Coaster’s Club:

• Follow us on Facebook: The Coaster’s Club
• Follow us on Twitter: The_Coasters_Club
• Subscribe to our You Tube channel and see dozens of videos that don’t get published anywhere else.
• Receive our newsletter, The Coaster’s Weekly like 33,500 others do and keep connected! Go to www.thecoastersclub.co.nz and enter your email address in the panel on the home page. Subscribing to Coaster’s Weekly is as easy as that!

Thanks again for your on-going support. If you have a story you think should be told in Coaster’s Weekly, or you know of a couple of characters we really ought to talk to, please let us know.

Bruce Smith

Coast Events

Here it comes! The South Island Ute Muster

This magnificent event is coming to Hokitika on 10 and 11 July 2021.

It will be the second year the event has been held around the stunning Hokitika area on the West Coast of the South Island, NZ.

The Ute Muster, based on similar events in Australia, is an adrenalin overload and delivers excitement and some eye candy for Ute connoisseurs.

Our first Ute Muster took place in 2018. Over 200 utes and their drivers took part. Get yourself comfortable and take a look here to see what it is all about:

For information on the 2021 South Island Ute Muster email admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz

We based our Ute Muster on similar events held in Australia where they do these things so well.

We have four clips for you to view. Enjoy.

Deni Ute Muster 2015

Caboolture Ute Muster 2006

Deni Ute Muster 2014

Deni Ute Muster 2017

Coast Events

What’s happening on the Coast?

Greymouth Motorcycle Street Race
Sunday October 25, 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

AgFest 2020
Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Ride the Wilderness
Saturday 14 November 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Horse racing
Westport Trots
Saturday, 26 and Monday, 28 December, 2020
Reefton Trots
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020.
Kumara Races
Saturday, 9 January, 2021.
Follow the link for all information.

Buller Marathon, Half Marathon and Walk
Saturday 13 February 2021.
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Hokitika Wild Foods Festival
Saturday, 13 March, 2021.
Follow the link for all information and tickets.

South Island Ute Muster
10 & 11 July, 2021
For information on the 2021 South Island Ute Muster email admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz

For inclusion on these pages please email details of your event and website link to: admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz

West Coast Fishing – An industry of opportunity

Young Skipper seizes his opportunity

Chase Saunders-Loder

At the age of just 22, Chase Saunders-Loder from Motueka become one of the youngest fishing boat skippers in New Zealand, when he skippered his first boat in October 2015.

Saunders-Loder is one of the youngest ever to graduate with a skipper’s ticket from the International Maritime Institute of New Zealand at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

He says it took a bit of belief in himself to be in charge of fishermen nearly twice his age.

In 2020, he is 27 and has a bright future ahead of him in the fishing industry.

We get the chance to go on board the Resolution ll and meet Chase in person.

This video of the Resolution ll Crossing the Greymouth Bar in August 2016 was taken by BJ Hunter, Landscape Artist. NZ. It illustrates the skill and attention required when crossing the bar.

Following the Skipper on Resolution ll. On the bridge!

For those that like a good clean engine room, this one will blow you away.

A look through the galley and then it is back on deck where all the action takes place at sea:

Breaking News

Stewardship land on the Coast is our single biggest issue

We look back on the issue in this clip by Bruce Smith.

For the Coast the issue is that we believe rates should be paid on stewardship land by DOC.

If DOC paid rates on Stewardship Land, the rates burden on Coast ratepayers would be lessened.

Currently only 16% of Coast land is rated. And opening stewardship land on the Coast to mining and other industrial pursuits will provide access to resources which have the potential to save this country, economically speaking. Stewardship land has been ‘locked up’ for 32 years now. It is time to independently evaluate this situation and determine what portion of stewardship land should be given over to production and what portion should be added to the National Park estate.

Shane Jones offers his support to the stewardship land debate.

Shane Jones helps highlight the issue and brings the debate to the forefront. He offers his, and NZ First’s, views to Coasters in clip.

Prime Minister changing her view on Stewardship land?

It seems the Prime Minister’s position has now changed from her original “no more mining on conservation estate” to suggesting that stewardship land should be classified differently to normal DOC managed land. Click the photo below to link to the article where she speaks to the issue here along with Resources Minister, Megan Woods.

This issue won’t go away and Forest and Bird and other extreme greens are singing the “we want it all again’, song. They need to go. Whatever Government we get after 17 October, the matter of stewardship land will not go away until its reclassified by an independent body.

Aratuna Freighter’s Update

Aratuna Freighters – they keep on trucking

Aratuna Feighters was started from humble beginnings by the Havill family in1985 with only one truck & trailer.

It has developed along some interesting paths and today runs a diverse mix of general and rural freight, fuel and Fastway Couriers. Today Monique and Andrew Havill manage this multi-million dollar, Greymouth-based business.

In 1989, the company received distribution rights for BP and a tanker truck and trailer unit was put on the road. Double shifting, the truck covered the work previously done by tankers out of Nelson. The petroleum distribution work has now grown to include three truck and trailers units and eight tanker drivers based in Greymouth. The fuel is marketed, delivered and sold by Aratuna Fuels.

In 1992, the Refrigeration side of the operation started with the acquisition of Polar Express (one truck and trailer) and Trans Alpine Refrigeration Ltd (one line haul unit). This side of the business was expanded further in 2001 with the purchase of Williams Transport.

Since July 2003, Aratuna Freighters has opened a second ‘rural’ yard based in Hokitika. Their team of skilled drivers run three stock units, six bulk units and a curtain side bulk truck. The Hokitika office is run by Rural Manager, Bill Millar, alongside rural assistant and sales rep, Ngawai Tahi.

Another major milestone in the growth of the company was the securing of the Mainfreight, Dailyfreight and Owens Franchise for the entire West Coast area. This service started with one truck and now has four units painted in Mainfreight colours, crossing the mountains every day to Christchurch and South Westland. Their yard manager, Jamie McGeady, runs the day-to-day logistics team.

Bringing freight to the Greymouth Port

Aratuna Freighters of course is responsible for bringing a lot of the freight to the port and this week Managing Director, Andrew Havill, asks Bruce Smith to come to the site of the big upgrade at the slipway in Greymouth.

A 20m high building will allow 200 ton boats to be serviced and he is excited. It was cold folks but Andrew did not seem to notice !

For a quote on freight, fuel or other services provided by Aratuna Freighters, you can call the company’s toll free number 0800 756 666. If you have a rural enquiry, please call the Hokitika team on 03 756 8012.

of words, pictures and the arts

Steve Gwaliasi – Bonz ‘n’ Stonez Jade Carver

Steve Gwaliasi founded Bonz ‘n’ Stonez in 2000 in Hokitika.

Steven has been involved with jade after being introduced to it while working on a gold claim in 1988. Newly arrived from the Solomon Islands, Steven worked on a digger and would often uncover pounamu boulders in the course of his work.

He went on to complete a jade carving course and abandoned the mining for a career as a jade carver.

Steve’s own work reflects his strong cultural heritage, merging in transition with the heritage of his ‘new’ home. His work displays strong lines and beautifully sculpted curves. He is well known for his kapkap  – where Pounamu is used in conjunction with mother of pearl or obsidian.

In this video we talk with Steve and find out how to sign up to carve our own piece of jade or bone.

What did you do in your gap year?

Here, Bonz ‘n’ Stonez features in the amazing video showing 365 kiwi activities – one for each day of the year. Day 117 and it is carving with Steve:

Ever wanted to carve your own greenstone, bone neckless or ornament but never knew how to start or where to go?

This Gypsy Films feature introduces you again to the team at Bonz ‘n’ Stonz and the invitation to join them on the path to bring your own design to life for you to treasure for many years.

Chat around the Fire

The Rights of Coasters

Peter Haddock

Lasting relationships are built over time and Peter Haddock is a fourth generation Coaster who knows that relationship is the key to getting this done.

He protects fiercely the rights of Coasters to determine their own future where access to resources are a fundamental right for Coasters. He talked with the Coaster’s Club last year, just prior to the local body elections, and shares his vision for the Grey district and the West Coast at large.

Meet Peter Haddock:

Bruce Smith