The plumbers have landed!

THEY are used to plumbing the depths, but on Saturday night they scaled new heights.
The team from Mike Bates Plumbing took the Supreme business award at the Wanganui 2006 ABN AMRO Craigs Business Awards and also won the Ucol service business excellence award and the ACC ThinkSafe workplace safety award.
A third-time entrant in the business awards, the Wanganui plumbing company which employed 35 people including six apprentices, has been in business in the region for over 25 years.
Last year the company won the Ucol service business excellence award for the first time and in 2004 were highly commended in the same category.
But a toe in the water wasn't enough, and last year Mr Bates laid down the challenge that he would take the supreme spot at the 2006 awards.
Mr Bates said the company worked hard over the past three years, and they were going to cherish the award.
"I am going to work really hard and win it next year as well."
A close encounter with an alien kind greeted the best in business as guests entered through a stargate into a completely blacked out Memorial Hall.
UFO lights hung in the black of outer space and green aliens occupied some of the seating for the 400 guests, at tables on which the glassware sparkled like stars.
The winners walked a red carpet and the Toscana Trio entertained throughout the evening against a starlit backdrop.
The awards were Wanganui's new Chamber of Commerce president Bronwyn Paul's first official engagement. Ms Paul said she would focus on two things during her leadership.
"We need to increase the chamber membership, and Wanganui needs more business.
"One person cannot do it alone, but a community as a whole can achieve that."
Wanganui branch director of ABN AMRO Craigs, Hamish Mackay, said businesses had to undergo a vigorous process of self-examination ? past, present and future ? during the awards' process.
In essence, he said, ABN AMRO Craigs' sponsorship of the awards was gratitude to business.
"After 13 years doing business in Wanganui it's an ideal opportunity to give something back to the community."
Classic Hits radio announcer Greg Lincoln MC'd the night with his livewire comments about the debonaire who were dressed to impress and made an audible note to himself not to give another award to Multiplex's Gary Vinnell, who took out two categories: leisure and tourism and innovative, and a special category award, contribution to the community.
Throughout the evening guests were served fine cuisine by Essence Catering: an entree of spiced pork in Asian flavours with avocado and pineapple salad, crispy noodles and a sesame vinaigrette; peppered eye fillet of beef on garlic and chive potato mash, saute capsicums and bearnaise sauce or seared salmon on a sticky rice cake with bok choy and citrus dressing.
Iced chocolate marquis with mocha fudge ice cream and sprinklings of hazelnuts sweetened the palate before comedian Raybon Kan entertained with his, at times, sardonic wit.
In an evening of out-of-this-world fantasy, the real winners were Wanganui businesses whose excellence and hard work were recognised at the third annual business awards.