Notable news around Marlborough

Feather in his cap
Marlborough conservationist Andrew John received a Forest & Bird Old Blue award recognising two decades of leadership in preserving nature in Top of the South.

Andrew chaired Forest & Bird’s Marlborough Branch for 20 years, including a period in which the group faced disbandment. He and his wife, Dianne, have lived 25 years at Ngākuta Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound.

Branch Secretary Helen Braithwaite praised Andrew as “quietly spoken but passionate about native conservation and a great communicator, especially with children”.

In 2020, Andrew was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to conservation and education. Forest & Bird announced the Old Blue honour on Saturday.

Wait, what?
Along with acclaim for sunny days, Marlburians now have notoriety for foggy brains. Uber lists Blenheim as New Zealand’s “most forgetful city” based on its annual Lost & Found Index.

“While Auckland recorded the highest total number of lost items overall, Blenheim stole the crown for most forgetful on a per-trip basis, with roughly one item lost for every 25 rides,” the ride-share company declared in an announcement released on Tuesday.

Whangārei and Invercargill placed second and third – “proving that forgetfulness is not just a big-city habit”.

Help for Hospice
Rapid Relief Team NZ donated $9,840 to Hospice Marlborough to fund new equipment at its Wairau Hospital centre, RRT announced on Tuesday.

The contribution covered the cost of “a new system to support the safe and dignified movement of immobile patients” installed in a new bathroom suite at the hospice facility.

RRT is the charitable arm of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

Open house
Riverlands Cob Cottage, an iconic structure from the 1860s, has an open house scheduled for Sunday which will allow visitors to see recent revitalisation efforts.
The cottage will be open 11am to 3 pm. Marlborough Historical Society members have refreshed the building and its grounds over the past few months.