CBD by Miranda Spary
I was hoping to write this column without mentioning any idiocies but honestly $250 million for traffic lights and other nonsense???? - with that amount of money we could have at least 100 electric buses buzzing to every part of the Wakatipu, with toll booths in and out of Queenstown that would solve the parking AND traffic problem, and we would probably have spare change to build a brilliant arts and culture centre. Really, WHO dreams up this madness? I’d love to know and I would call the men in white coats to take him (I’m sure it’s a man) away.
A propos of strange male thinking, I’m thinking of buying a new calendar - I’ll fill it in with what actually happened instead of the ever wrong one that tells me what was meant to happen. My husband is to blame for the constant change - it makes life extremely exciting, if exhausting. He’s away for a week and I tried my darnedest to sadden my face and say “I’ll miss you” at the airport, but it came out as “I need a break, anyway!” and apparently I skipped away far too cheerfully.
Easter has been full of surprises, not least seeing what an Easter egg hunt with only little girls looks like. Nobody cried or pushed or even seemed particularly keen on getting the most eggs. They danced and laughed and shared their eggs if someone didn’t have so many. We were always a very boy heavy household, and this was our first experience of a girls only hunting expedition.
Easter’s also been a surprise catching up with so many friends who’ve been a big part of the Queenstown landscape. The Gardos family bought the NOMAD building in Earl Street when it was first built. In 1956 Nick Gardos swam across the Danube to escape the Communists and ended up being sent to Australia where he was made to build fences out in the desert. He kept telling the Oz govt that he was better at officey type work, and finally they agreed and he became an enormously successful property developer there, and then in QT. He was a lovely man and it was great to see his son Rob here. Also back in the Basin are Rémi and Mania Galosso - a wonderful fun couple (he put the undersea internet cable (I’m sure there’s a more accurate description of it than that) to USA and Australia) - fingers crossed they’ll be back here for good.
As for good, I went to a meeting facilitated by Amanda Woolridge. It was for the community arts and culture strategy. My heart sank when I saw the sign saying it was a hui - I had too long dealing with the Ministry of Education with their endless huis, and not enough educational info, but this one was efficient and some great ideas came out. I started learning Te Reo in 1990 first because it was compulsory as a teacher, and then because I really enjoyed it, but I do think there’s not enough consideration given to people who DON’T speak it, and to people who don’t have time or courage to try learning a new language. New Zealanders are spectacularly weak in learning other languages, and as a trading nation, I wish all our young people would learn even a little about the languages of our trading partners. As for the arts and culture website which has the completely forgettable title of TE WAHI TOI (it’s not going to be able to be guessed by very many as the way to find out what fun cultural happenings are on this week in the district) BUT everyone who wants more happenings do please go to the letstalk.qldc.govt.nz and tell them quickly (19 April is cutoff) what you think should happen on the culture front.
By the way, I do love men but they are most unusual creatures…
