825 days ago

Former Queenstown principal and councillor Mel Gazzard remembered as a 'man who got things done'

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

From reporter Debbie Jamieson:

Mel Gazzard enjoyed hosting visitors, but he could barely sit still chatting for 20 minutes, son Nick said.

“He was just always doing stuff. He didn’t slow down. He was definitely an inspiration for how to live a retirement,” he said.

It was while he was busy fitting a new mast to his yacht Applejack on Sunday that the 77-year-old died of a suspected heart attack.

A former commodore of the Wakatipu Yacht Club, he was preparing for the annual Donald Hay Classic regatta between Kingston and Queenstown, to be held in February, Nick said.

Born in Otautau in Southland, Gazzard and wife Sylvia were teachers who lived and worked all around the South Island and in Australia. But it was Queenstown that captured their hearts when they moved there in 1987.

Gazzard became the principal at Queenstown Primary School, remaining there until his retirement in 2005.

“He just genuinely loved working with kids. He had a passion for getting the best out of them. He knew the name of every kid who came through the school,” Nick said.

There were many. Under his leadership the school roll grew from 200 children to 500.

Many students may remember him for his collection of about 75 colourful ties, which started with a Winnie the Pooh tie gifted by an American school dad.

Queenstown was the perfect environment for an active man who loved the outdoors.

“He was always dragging us around skifields, jet-boating up rivers, climbing mountains and hills. We had a very active childhood,” Nick said.

Until recent years when he had problems with his knees, Mel ran for 30 minutes at 6.30am every day.

“That was every day of the week. He even went on Christmas morning, in the snow or frost, always in his shorts. He might wear a hat in winter.”

He continued skiing and snowboarding with his grandchildren and had a trip planned into the mountains this weekend, Nick said.

Gazzard was also a stalwart of the Wakatipu Rugby Club, including serving time as the president, despite not playing himself since he was a schoolboy.

He just enjoyed being involved in the community, Nick said.

“He was just that kind of guy. They needed a person, so he just stepped into the role. It was the same when he became commodore at the yacht club. That was what he did.”

After retiring from work he served three terms on the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Former mayor and councillor Vanessa van Uden said he was always one of the highest polling, if not the highest polling councillor at the table.

“Everybody knew Mr Gazzard. He’s such a part of this community,” she said.

At the council table he was a wise head and gave a lot of time and energy to making things work for the community, she said.

Current Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult said he knew Gazzard well, particularly because of his role as principal at the school Boult’s children attended.

“I would describe him as the loveliest bloke you could ever meet. He was just a nice man,” he said.

About two months ago the men caught up at the final of the Central Otago premier club competition, when Wakatipu beat Cromwell.

Once retired, Gazzard and Sylvia spent time boating, fishing and travelling through Europe and America.

“When I look back over the years at all the things we’ve done it’s been quite amazing. We’ve been so lucky,” Sylvia said.

Gazzard did not enjoy being centre stage, preferring to get things done without making a fuss.

“He loved his family. They were the most important thing to him,” she said.

Nick said his father was proud of the way he lived his life.

“He built two houses, was always active and just tried to be a decent human being.”

Gazzard is survived by Sylvia, sons Nick and David, and grandchildren Arnica, 16, and Remus, 15. A funeral date is yet to be set.

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More messages from your neighbours
15 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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7 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 62% Summer
    62% Complete
  • 36.5% Winter
    36.5% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1503 votes
4 days ago

Worst Xmas ever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.

Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...

Share your Christmas mishaps below!

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