From Trash to Treasure

On October 19, 2014October 19, 2014 By Portobello EditorIn Dunedin, New Zealand, Otago, Otago Peninsula, Peninsula, Portobello, Portobello Community IncLeave a comment

Sunday 19th dawned bright but fresh for the Portobello Hawk & Hurl held at Portobello Domain and once again the event was well attended. There were plenty of bargains, a fair bit of cheek and a significant amount material saved from landfill on the day. Many people have things they no longer want or can use and by bringing them to the Hawk & Hurl they can see those things transferred to a new owner for re-use. It’s a great place to pay $10 for a child’s bike, buy recycled building materials, cheap furniture, tools and every other weird thing you can imagine. The other great initiative of the event is the scrap collection. Portobello Inc. will take any scrap metal off people’s hands and use the proceeds for the community group we’re working for. This year our proceeds from the Hawk & Hurl are going to the Portobello Toy Library as they look to relocate to new premises at the Portobello Domain pavilion. The Otago Peninsula have many generous people who support their community and a special thanks goes to Dave Murphy Fencing who supplied a truck for all the recycled metal. Thanks Dave, that man deserves a beer! To all the residents who donated goods and scrap as well the team from Portobello Community Incorporated for working on the day many thanks for your efforts and we’ll see you again in February 2015. (Click on the pictures to see full size)

Getting behind the skate park.

Everyone gets a bargain

Even the kids get in on the action

Great building supplies

Nothing like a snarler!

Spring cleaning Jackie?

Playcentre Survey

On August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 By Portobello EditorIn Dunedin, New Zealand, Otago, Otago Peninsula, Peninsula, Portobello, Portobello Community Inc, Public Notices4 Comments

Like many community organisations membership ebbs and flows with generational change, community needs and population fluctuations. Presently, the Portobello-Broad Bay Playcentre is struggling for families with children to get involved and play an active part in this important pre-school organisation. Currently our local Playcentre has less than 10 families, and if the roll does not improve the Peninsula may lose Playcentre for good.

Currently, the Portobello – Broad Bay Playcentre is gathering information from the community about what families really need so that the organisation can try to make changes that will both serve the community and make Playcentre more sustainable.

There is a survey being distributed around the community with a stamped and addressed envelope that allows people to provide information to the group on the current Playcentre. If you’re a parent, caregiver or grandparent and have children or know someone who might be interested in Playcentre take the time to give the group some feedback. The survey is available at the, Peninsula Medical Centre (Portobello), Portobello Store, Toy Library or by letter box drop. If you have any questions or would like to get involved with Playcentre you can email Rachael at bergersen_01@hotmail.com or call her at (03) 4780 4781265. Give your support to our local Playcentre.

Riding High to Success

On June 22, 2013June 24, 2013 By Portobello EditorIn Dunedin, New Zealand, Otago, Otago Peninsula, Peninsula, Portobello, Portobello Community IncLeave a comment

Peninsula teenager Raphael Kammlein-Cutler from Hooper’s Inlet has been confirmed for the New Zealand Downhill mountain biking team to represent NZ at the IUC World championships in South Africa this year. Raphael has also been selected as one of 3 mountain-bikers and 5 other top junior cyclists from other cycling disciplines as a member of an excellence in sport NZ Team Academy programme at the Sport Otago High Performance Centre.

In June, July and August he and fellow junior downhiller, Lawrence Cawte from Rotorua, will be based in Morzine (France) for training and racing IXS Swiss/European cup and world cup races in Europe with the aim to build up for the world championships. Raphael was overall under 19 winner of the Down-Hill Southern Series on the tough Clyde, Signal Hill, Queenstown and Cardrona tracks. He was also the winner of the NZ Open in Christchurch and gained a second place in the second round of the NZ National Cup Downhill series on the exposed and muddy Bluff Hill track.

Raphael has had his share of injuries, with a couple of bad falls in training and a broken hand meant he missed most of the national series. He had only a week to prepare for the Oceania’s in Tasmania where a bad fall brought home the need to do more work on his recovery. Now back into training and supported by former Olympian Kashi Leuchs and Greg Leov at Bike Otago, Raphael has been focussed and determined to show the selectors he can make it in international competition.

Raphael achieved a very pleasing 4th placing in the Junior Elite at the IXS Swiss cup race at Morgins and was fastest NZ junior at the 2013 World Cup race. He’s enjoying a little less pressure and more fun as he and 7 other Kiwis, race in the IXS European cup race in Austria before returning to Morzine. While based in Morzine the team will train, ride and eat down-hill as they prepare to wear the New Zealand jersey at round 3 of the World Cup Downhill in Andorra and the 2013 World Championships at Pietersmaritzburg, South Africa. A great achievement Raphael, we look forward to hearing more from your events with the Kiwi team.