It’s two years to the day since Remarkables Park’s arts and cultural hub Te Atamira launched a huge fundraising campaign to convert a paddock at the rear of the purpose-built facility into a dynamic outdoor space, aiming to raise $850,000, helped along hugely by Central Lakes Trust, Remarkables Park Town Centre, Remarkables Park Ltd and Reset Urban Design.
The first stage of the project’s now finished — at a slightly lower cost.
It’s involved landscape architects Reset, project manager TSA Riley and Queenstown Landscaping, along with a host of other local businesses and groups, and includes a small pump track, outdoor seating, shaded areas, a dedicated space for a raku kiln, sculptures, a bike stand, balance balls and a harakeke garden.
The latter’s creation has been led by Level 4 tauira students from Ngā Mahi ā Te Whare Pora, in conjunction with Southern Institute of Technology and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa — Te Atamira comms and marketing manager Rachel Cunningham says Sunday’s opening, at 10am, will be led by those students.
They’ll also use the occasion to honour the late Roka Ngarimu-Cameron, an internationally-recognised artist and tohunga raranga (master weaver), who was instrumental in the garden prior to her death in June, aged 76.
Straight after the opening, from 10.30am, Te Atamira’s holding an all-day community carnival, with action galore. Free to attend, there’ll be craft stations, face painting, food and coffee trucks, games, and raffles, proceeds from which will go towards ongoing development of the space.
There’s also a full line-up of entertainment scheduled, including Turn Up The Music, Silk & Circus, a Korean dance group, Highland dancers and the Remarks Dance Crew, a community ceilidh, kids’ rave, belly dancing and performance from Dance QT before DJ Frothy hits the decks for the last half hour, from 3pm.
"It’s going to be a busy day," Cunningham says, "but a great occasion".
