A multi-service response to the scene of a New Year’s Eve motor vehicle accident in the Waioeka Gorge in which a car went down a bank near Opato Bridge.
A multi-service response to the scene of a New Year’s Eve motor vehicle accident in the Waioeka Gorge in which a car went down a bank near Opato Bridge.
Bad weather nearly put paid to a New Year’s Eve rescue but the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter managed to push through, flying to the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the Waioeka Gorge.
After that early-evening accident the team carried out a technical rescue, winching their patient up the bank the vehicle had veered over.
However, weather conditions impacted much of their work over the official holiday block, which the Ministry of Transport measures as being from 4pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on January 3.
Over that period the team had to turn down five missions – two on Boxing Day, two on New Year’s Day and one on January 2.
December 26 was notable because it was one of the wettest Boxing Days on record, the team’s duty pilot said.
“On the other days, mission requests came in at times when night and weather challenges combined,” he says. “We just have to make the safest decision in response to the conditions we are faced with at the time.”
Despite those challenging conditions the team successfully completed seven reportable missions over the nearly 10 days of the official holiday period.
The schedule started with a Christmas morning callout to a trauma at Tokomaru Bay – flying the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. It continued with:
December 25, 3.30pm: Transferred a patient who had suffered a serious medical event from Gisborne to Waikato Hospital.
December 28, 12.30pm: Responded to a motor vehicle accident at Muriwai. Patient transported by Hato Hone St John to Gisborne Hospital.
December 28, 5.30pm: Transferred a patient who had suffered a serious medical event from Gisborne to Waikato Hospital;
December 31, 6pm: Responded to a motor vehicle accident in Waioeka Gorge, winching up their patient before flying them in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital;
January 3, 4.30pm: Dispatched to a medical event at Ruatōria, a mission they repeated at 10pm that night. Both patients were flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.
Elysha Memon is a big fan of the art activities happening at Gisborne's H.B. Williams Memorial Library. She is pictured with her children Alia, 8, and Rafi, 3.
Library holiday programme ‘a lifesaver’
“It’s an absolute lifesaver,” one mum says about the summer holiday programme which started on Monday at the H.B. Williams Memorial Library.
With different arts and crafts and activities happening every weekday until January 24, parents and caregivers have somewhere to take the kids for something fun to do these school holidays.
“Gisborne is lacking in terms of things to do on wet weather days, so this is just great,” says Elysha Memon, who is a big fan of the free programmes.
“It gets us out of the house when we can’t go to the beach and the kids love it.”
It is also a chance to meet other people and make new friends.
Camilla Sthory, Hagan Davoren and Sienna Davoren make personalised bookmarks at the summer holiday kids' programme at the H.B. Williams Memorial Library.
On Monday, children made personalised bookmarks and over the week there will be everything from origami to Pirate Day on Friday where the kids will be creating all things “piratey”.
The programme will finish with a story writing workshop for children 8 years and over, which will feature a mini story walk display.
Isla Green enjoyed making a selection of bookmarks at the public library's holiday programme on Monday.
A reading challenge with weekly spot prizes will also be run over the month. Children need to read for 15 minutes, then tick an icon and submit their entries. The goal is to tick all eight icons and read for two hours.
Go to the H.B. Williams Memorial Library website for a full programme of activities.
Puketoro Station inland from Tokomaru Bay opens its gates on Wednesday for the McNeil family's ninth annual on-farm sale. Shane Scott from Central Livestock is pictured on the job at a previous sale.
Another popular Puketoro Station sale predicted
The McNeil family from Puketoro Station inland from Tokomaru Bay will hold one of the most eagerly awaited stock sales in the region on Wednesday when they stage their ninth annual on-farm sale.
The yarding includes 5250 sheep - 2000 two-tooth Perendale Romney cross ewes, 2500 5-year Romdale ewes, 500 5-year Coopworth ewes and 250 Romdale mixed-age ewes.
It will also feature 1200 Angus cattle - 850 15-month-old steers, 300 15-month heifers, and 40 9/10-year-old cows with calves at foot.
The popular sale always draws a big crowd.
“McNeil Farming is proud to be able to offer buyers an outstanding line-up of ewes, steers, cows and calves,” said auctioneer Shane Scott from Central Livestock.
“On larger lines, the sheep and cattle will be offered in reasonably sized run-out or unit loads. They come off the high country at the foot of Mount Hikurangi, and buyers can have confidence in the ability of stock from Puketoro Station to shift well.
“Those who travel to the sale will enjoy top-notch hospitality.”
Firefighters were called out at around 5.30am on Monday to put out a car on fire in Matotokitoki Valley Rd. The sedan was well alight when the fire crew arrived. "We believe the vehicle had been abandoned and set on fire," a senior firefighter said. In 2024, the brigade responded to "considerably more" car fires than in previous years, the senior firefighter said.
