Otago, and Wanaka in particular, had plenty to cheer for last week when two young athletes won bronze medals at the Winter Olympics.
What a thrill to see first Zoi Sadowski-Synnott become not only the first winter Olympian to win a medal since 1992 but also claim the crown of New Zealand’s youngest medallist at 16 years of age.
Her claim as the youngest medallist lasted a short few hours until Nico Porteous screamed down the men’s halfpipe, putting down an "insane" run to also claim bronze. The baby of the team admitted to a severe case of nerves before his medal-winning display. There were a few nerves in Wanaka and the rest of the province at the same time.
Since Annelise Coberger won a silver medal in the slalom at the 1992 Games in France, hopes have always been high for more New Zealand medals.
The Winter Olympics team put its case for high performance funding, was listened to, and so the games began.
In one of the halfpipe events, New Zealand had four entries, and three finalists until injury unfortunately took the chance of competing away from Byron Wells. His brother Beau-James stepped up and was fourth in the event.
It is easy to rush to assumptions of the latest medal success being the start of a new era. Watching the Games showed just how perilous events on the ice and snow can be. A single misstep can mean the evaporation of all hopes of a medal.
But the success of the two Wanaka youngsters shows what can be achieved when nerves are put aside. What a fearless and courage-filled display we saw from all of the Kiwis. Success can breed success and bringing home two medals will surely mean a flood of recruits to the rinks and slopes in coming years.
And another thing
When you step up on to a golf tee and look down the fairway, the sense of space and distance makes you feel you could hit the ball over the horizon.
You wind up for a huge swing. And either botch the shot or miss the ball completely.
Dunedin businessman Peter Graham wants to replicate that sense of invincibility for golfers, but on sea rather than land. His proposal offers the ultimate water hazard.
Mr Graham is offering a hole-in-one challenge on Otago Harbour. His plan is to use a small reserve south of the Vauxhall Yacht Club, from which customers can fire off golf balls at a 12m-by-8m pontoon floating 95m out into the harbour. Anyone scoring an ace would win $10,000.
Accompanying the challenge course would be a kayak and bicycle-hire facility at the reserve, and a coffee and food van.
Mr Graham fronted up at joint Otago Regional Council and Dunedin City Council consent hearing last week. He gave assurances that, as a Vauxhall resident and sailor, he wanted the operation to be safe and respectful of the environment and other harbour users.
However, it was seen as a sub-par proposal by submitters at the hearing. When advertised, it had attracted 25 submissions, including 15 against and seven in favour.
Opponents outlined several concerns, prominent among them the pontoon’s position in a prime rowing lane, the persistent noise of golf balls being struck and safety fears from stray balls.
Watercooled Sports owner Craig Latta also wanted to know what 28,000 golf balls a month would do to the harbour’s environment and appearance, and said their retrieval would be difficult, as most would sink. But Mr Graham said they would be collected and not left to slowly rot on the harbour floor, because they were an important business asset.
Visitor attractions need to be tailored to suit the kind of tourists that an area primarily attracts. Dunedin is a magnet for people who love heritage, wildlife and a magical and relatively pristine environment.
This might be a good idea in Queenstown. But in Dunedin, golf would be better left an onshore activity.
