703 days ago

Pegasus Beach fire

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

130 residents have been evacuated overnight from Woodend Beach Holiday Park due to a large bush fire in the area.

The fire started at Pegasus Beach on Wednesday 2 November and due to the high winds it swiftly headed south towards Christchurch.
The Woodend Holiday Park is currently in the direct path of the fire and therefore residents were evacuated. As of this morning, 200 hectares of land has now been damaged in the blaze.

Twelve trucks and 50 firefighters remain on the scene and were doing everything they could overnight to slow the fire’s progress, including using heavy machinery to create firebreaks. There had been no known loss of homes or other property however the fire is still active as of 9am this morning and the smoke can be detected as far as the Port Hills.

What you need to know:
- The fire is parallel to the beach from Pegasus Beach towards Woodend Beach and public should avoid this area
- Waimakariri Civil Defence and Police are assisting residents and have set up a hub for evacuees at Woodend Community Centre
- There will be an update for residents at the community centre at 10am

Further updates will be in the comments below this post.

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More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Addictive Eaters Anonymous

The Team from Addictive Eaters Anonymous - Christchurch

Does the way you eat make you feel depressed or low?

Has life stopped feeling good and lost its meaning? Don’t know how to stop stress, or comfort eating? Does your eating cause you to feel listless or numbed out? Does your relationship with food make you feel isolated from family, friends and loved ones?
Find out how AEA members have used the Twelve Step programme to overcome the low feelings associated with addictive eating and go on to live joyful, positive lives.

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12 days ago

Kalle

The Team from Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi

"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."

"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’

I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.

I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.

I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.

I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.

We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.

I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.

I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."

- Kalle

View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......

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10 hours ago

$50 garden centre vouchers!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Our winners this week have won $50 to spend at a local garden centre.
Congratulations to:

Cassie Arauzo from Cockle Bay

Elizabeth Williams from Hillcrest

Luke Shamy from Hornby

Mitchell Hopping from Wallacetown

Get in touch with our helpdesk team here if you're on this list! If you're not a winner, check back next week just in case.

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