Month: March 2022

  • Restoring a gold rush relic

    Restoring a gold rush relic

    Visiting one of the regions antique stores Alan spotted a hand forged pick – a relic of the gold rush. He considered the tool deserved a new life. Using equipment at the Wanaka Community Workshop Alan cleaned and brushed up the steel. He then turned and shaped a new handle. Good as new!

  • Hands to the tools

    Hands to the tools

    ​Te Kakano is a Trust which operates a Wanaka community based native plant nursery. It specialises in propagating plants originating from our local Upper Clutha region. The plants raised are then used for native habitat restoration around the region. In this the Trust works with local community groups, schools, organisations and businesses in a hands…

  • Working with the Garden Club

    Working with the Garden Club

    At the Wanaka Community Workshop the MenShed team were recently joined by members of the Wanaka Garden Club. The Club is planning a get together for their members in late March. The get together will held at the Workshop. One of the objectives is for members of the Garden Club to assemble seed box’s within…

  • Toys for a great cause

    Toys for a great cause

    M!NT is a group of local parents in our community who are supporting children and young adults with intellectual disabilities. Jude who works with M!NT as their ambassador dropped into the Wanaka Community Workshop recently. She shared her idea with supporters of the MenShed that they could make “something” to be sold at an upcoming…

  • Reducing waste by re-use

    Reducing waste by re-use

    A key objective of the Wanaka Community Workshop is to reduce waste. The key means by which we achieve this is by re-using and re-purposing material that would otherwise be dumped. Recently volunteers dismantled wooden racks which once held products at the now closed Mitre 10 shop off Reece Cresent. This work took many hours.…

  • Monitoring insect populations

    Monitoring insect populations

    Insects are a key part of our ecosystem. They are pollinators, they deal with waste and they are food for a host of animals. Given these benefits its important to monitor the extent and diversity of insect populations. This week the team from the Mens (and womans) Shed completed six insect monitoring stations for WAI…

  • Paint store for the workshop

    Paint store for the workshop

    At the Wanaka Community Workshop we use recycled materials, materials which would otherwise have been disposed of. Wood products such as timber and plywood as well as screws, nails and bolts are an important part of this. However we also reuse paint and stains which would otherwise have been disposed of. We need to store…

  • Lilliput Libraries

    Lilliput Libraries

    Reading is important. Important for society as a whole. Important for us as individuals. Its also fun. Encouraging reading is a key mission for Wanaka Library. Part of this is making it easy for folk to access books. With a great book collection at the library and on line, our librarians are working to complement…