Rock garden sprouts festive tree
Truck drivers working on the highway between Blenheim and Kaiko¯ura will celebrate Christmas a little differently this year.
For the few roadworkers stuck on site over the silly season, a small Christmas tree in the middle of a rock garden near Ha¯puku, about 15 kilometres north of Kaiko¯ura, is a reminder of home and family.
The rock garden is the pride and joy of North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery skilled labourer Suzy Ruddell, who says her ‘‘soft spot’’ for the truckies motivated her to bring some Christmas cheer to the work site.
Ruddell started the garden outside her shipping container office near Ha¯puku, where she monitors truckies dumping landslide debris at a stockpile.
Truckies had been bringing her rocks ever since she put a couple outside her office for health and safety purposes, Ruddell said.
‘‘I just dragged two or three of the bigger rocks over to stop trucks coming right up to the door. The guys saw it and started to bring me more, every night.
‘‘I spend a minute or two each day placing new rocks.
‘‘I love it. They spot a rock they think I would like, and they bring it in for me. And they notice when I’ve moved something around, or what’s new.’’
Ruddell is one of several roadworkers who will not get home over the holidays, and she is fairly sure Santa Claus will not be able to make it down the coast.
‘‘So the tree is just to bring Christmas a bit closer, and the idea that we will be able to go home again soon,’’ she said.
‘‘It was only $10 out of my own pocket but it’s special, you know?
‘‘I get quite emotional about it because these guys, they all live miles away from their homes and they all talk about their families, kids, wives, all the time.’’
Two road fatalities
A person died after crashing 10 metres off a Banks Peninsula cliff yesterday. Emergency services were called to the crash near Akaroa at 1pm. And earlier yesterday a person died and another was seriously injured after a car and truck crashed near Lake Tekapo about 7am. The deceased person was the driver of the car, police said. The driver of the truck was flown to hospital with serious injuries.
Euthanasia bill progresses
A bill legalising voluntary euthanasia passed its first hurdle after Parliament voted to send it to a select committee by 76 to 44 in a conscience vote on Wednesday night. David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill would allow for a New Zealand citizen or resident over the age of 18 and suffering from either a terminal illness likely to end their life within 6 months or a grievous and untreatable medical condition, to choose an assisted death. It would require fully informed consent, an assessment by two doctors and potentially a third specialist followed by rigorous checks and extensive documentation. The public will have a say at the select committee stage.
Exodus from party
The Opportunities Party is facing a The truckies also brought kid you not,’’ she said. mass exodus as leader Gareth Ruddell paua shells for the rock ‘‘I have to be a bit hard and firm Morgan and three others step down. garden, and a former fisherman on them but I’m a bit soft on the The same day Morgan announced his returned from a weekend back inside.’’ resignation as leader, deputy leader home with a woven rope mat he It was Ruddell’s soft spot for the Geoff Simmons also stepped down, made for her office doorway. ¯ withOalong truckies that prompted her to buy ha¯riu candidate Jessica
They also brought biscuits and the Christmas tree at an op-shop in Hammond-Doube and Waitaki coffee, to make up for when they Kaiko¯ura, which was now the candidate Kevin Neill. Neill called the raided her supply on their breaks. centrepiece of the rock garden. party a ‘‘dictatorship’’, run by Morgan,
‘‘Sometimes they thrash the The highway, shut by the and said he could not work in a party hell out of my coffee and sugar. earthquake in November 2016, that did not have open, transparent
‘‘But they bring me all sorts, I is due to reopen today. discussions.