Hauraki Coromandel Post Year in Review: March 2022

Coromandel Distilling Company owners Daniella Seuss and Paul Schneider say cheers to winning the award of the World's Best Classic Gin. Photo / Alison Smith

Bay of Plenty Times is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in March:

Coromandel Distilling Company owners Daniella Seuss and Paul Schneider say cheers to winning the award of the World's Best Classic Gin. Photo / Alison Smith

Gin made in a tiny distillery in Thames using plants foraged from the Coromandel was awarded the World’s Best Classic Gin

Against huge distilleries operating for generations, Coromandel Distillery’s Awildian dry gin - described as “a lingering finish - so interesting and well balanced” - was selected by a panel of international judges at The World Drinks Awards.

“We still can’t quite believe it ourselves,” says Paul Schneider, who co-owns the New Zealand company with partner Daniela Seuss. “We just pinch each other.” Their two flagship gins, Awildian Coromandel Dry Gin and Coromandel Mānuka Gin, both won best in the country and went against the best in the country around the world.

Schneider and Seuss have lived in the small New Zealand town of Thames for 15 years, and were scientists and conservationists that launched the company in 2017.

Forget Me Not shop and firefighters in Paeroa on February 23. Photo / Kathy Bland

Paeroa showed how resilient its community-minded businesspeople really are after a fire ripped through in late February.

Forget Me Not op-shop owner Sue Turner had already secured a new shop at 80 Normanby Rd, Paeroa, and had tentative plans to reopen on March 28.

She said she’d been “heavily overwhelmed” by donations from the community of goods, and had kitted out a new site with all that she needed after purchasing from an op-shop that was closing down in Matamata.

“I’m not prepared to lay down, because a lot of people appreciate the help we give the people through the shop,” said Turner.

Stu Goldsworthy at home in Whangamata with some of his vehicles. Photo / Alison Smith

“My hit is adrenaline, cars and bikes.”

Stu Goldsworthy believes he “burned out” whatever gland produces nerves when a human races at 300km/h.

Stu holds a New Zealand land speed record, achieved in 2019 on his H2R Kawasaki with a speed of 351km/h at the six-kilometre-long Goudies Rd near Reporoa, which is set up for land speed attempts.

The construction company director has lived in Whangamatā for eight years and says he tries to go under the radar.

But he lives no ordinary life, and while his 1969 Camaro or his Harley-Davidson motorcycle might blend into the Beach Hop town, his Lamborghini doesn’t.