2102 days ago

Featherston Booktown cancelled

Piers Fuller Reporter from News of Wairarapa

It is with great disappointment that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest guidelines from the NZ Government – and following extensive consideration by the Featherston Booktown Board of Trustees, Featherston Booktown has decided to cancel the 2020 Festival scheduled for 7-10 May 2020.
In making this decision, the Featherston Booktown Board are putting the health and safety of the Featherston community, writers, volunteers, audience members and other guests above all other considerations.
Featherston Booktown Operations Manager, Mary Biggs, says she is sad but grateful to the Board of Trustees for making this very hard decision.
"We want to keep our Featherston community, our writers and visitors safe and well. An enormous amount of work has been done to get to this point, so it’s disappointing that the Programme launch can’t go ahead on the 31st March and that we can’t celebrate the artefact of the book at our Festival in May.”
Featherston Booktown would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused – but hope that in making this call when we have, any inconvenience will be minimised.
The Featherston Booktown Board of Trustees is considering rescheduling the festival to later in the year – or holding it in another form - but this will depend on Government requirements regarding crowd sizes and events.
“We shall continue to monitor the situation and advise the public on our decisions about the Featherston Booktown Festival,” said Chair of the Featherston Booktown Board, Peter Biggs.

More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’

If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.

Image
3 days ago

Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”

We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?

Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.

Image
Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
  • 41.7% Yes
    41.7% Complete
  • 33.5% Maybe?
    33.5% Complete
  • 24.8% No
    24.8% Complete
588 votes
24 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.

Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.

Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?

Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!

Image