Kaitangata BLACK GOLD TRAIL RESULTS-14.11.09 & 13.12.09 - 13/12/2009

Kaitangata Black Gold Trail Downhill -13.12.09-Results available in Downloads section.

Kaitangata Black Gold Trail Results 14th November 2009 available in Downloads section

To order photos for Kaitangata Black Gold Trail -14.11.09 -go to Links.

Trust Power Clutha District Community Awards 2009 - 21/09/2009

KAITANGATA BLACK GOLD continues to raise the bar and move forward by winning the Sport and Leisure category at the Trust Power Clutha District Community Awards 2009

The Awards were announced and presented on Monday 21 September at a function at the Rosebank Lodge in Balclutha.
Organisations were nominated in five different categories and individual civic awards were also presented.

Sport and Leisure:

Winner: Kaitangata and Districts Community Inc.

The events organised by the Kaitangata & Districts Community Inc are really raising the profile of this community, not only locally, but on a national and even international level.

The Bob Scott Memorial Hill Climb rally sprint is so popular that entries increased from 45 in 2007 to 61 last year. A huge voluntary effort is needed to run this event, including road development and preparation and marshals on the day.

The Black Gold BMX track was largely built by volunteers, with many hours invested in planning, preparation and working bees. The official opening of the track was enjoyed by 500 people, and the facility has been well utilised since.

The Black Gold Trail Event is a mountain bike cross country race and cross country run. The event was first launched as solely a Mountain bike event in 2007, and included 37 competitors in the downhill, and 102 competitors in the cross country! The event was so successful that in 2008 it was expanded to include a cross country run, and due to the demand, the downhill section was moved to a separate date and is now a standalone event.

The volunteer hours needed to get these events off the ground are astounding. Thirty volunteers are required on the day, and then there is approximately 200 hours spent in the planning stages, including course development, preparation and maintenance. Approximately 270 hours are invested by marshals on the day, and many hours are dedicated by the South Otago wood turners club to make the trophies.

This year’s event has already had a registration of a team of ten from Sydney. This year’s trail has been expanded to include both bike sections, a half marathon, and a duathlon. It sounds like a brilliant event, so mark 14th November in your diary!

Kaitangata Black Gold Summer Wine Interview - 16/09/2009

Members of the Kaitangata Black Gold Summer Wine group were recently interviewed on Radio NZ Sounds Historical Programme.
This programme  aired on Sunday the 20th of September .

Dancing With Our Stars - 18/05/2009

Source: Otago Daily Times
Dancing with our stars

By Glenn Conway on Mon, 18 May 2009


Clutha's stars shone brightly on Saturday night as they tangoed, waltzed and line-danced their way into the hearts of a full house that officially launched the district's week for women in glitzy style.
The Dancing with Our Stars event, Clutha-style, had all the pizzazz and glamour of its television counterpart and a crowd of more than 350 loved every minute of it.
Ten local celebrities have spent the past few weeks rehearsing their moves with dance tutors, and those combinations took to the floor, as Jason Gunn would say, to show off all they had learnt.
Not only did they receive a warm welcome, all 10 pairs collected thousands of dollars for their nominated charities.
The evening had a star-quality feel to it with dancers Candy Lane and Jonny Williams, from the television series, Dancing with the Stars, performing two demonstration dances, one at the start and one at the end of the night.
The dance celebrities had little, if any, dancing experience before the show.
The pool of talent ranged from Clutha Mayor Juno Hayes and his deputy, Hamish Anderson, to former Otago rugby forward Richard Knight, a local pharmacist, youth worker, and a bank manager.
Those taking part were: Project Clutha chairwoman Sarah Andrew and Kevin Polaschek (rock 'n' roll), Clutha deputy mayor Hamish Anderson and the Big River Line Dancers (line dancing), Balclutha community constable Tom Taylor and Monique Elleboode (ceroc), Balclutha pharmacist Ngaire Taylor and Robyn Gardner (Showtime jazz), Kaitangata and Districts Promotions co-ordinator Jean Proctor and Grant Vicary (rock 'n' roll), Clutha Mayor Juno Hayes and Rachel Ferguson (waltz), youth worker Daniel Maze and crew (hip hop), clerk Trudy Cochrane and John Stanway (ceroc), former rugby player Richard Knight and Rachel Ferguson (tango) and bank manager Cindy Holmes and Lorraine Mclean (tap dancing).

McCROSTIE WINS SECOND BLUFF HILLCLIMB - 08/03/2009

 McCROSTIE WINS SECOND BLUFF HILLCLIMB

Duncan McCrostie of Kaitangata retained the title he won last year when he took victory in the Bay View Hotel / Pub Charity Bluff "where the journey begins" Sealed Hillclimb on Saturday 7TH MARCH 2009.

McCrostie repeatedly laid down the fastest times throughout the day in his Mitsubishi EVO, bettering his mark on every run to record a time of 1 minute 00.733 seconds on the final attempt. McCrostie already held the record for the hill but this year's course featured several changes so he can now claim the record for the new course as well.

McCrostie was happy with the win which also gave him the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge title for the second consecutive year. That title is presented to the driver who records the fastest combined time from both the Kaitangata Promotions Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb held last October as well as Saturday's event.

"It's all good," said McCrostie at the conclusion of the event. He acknowledged a rear spring change had made the car better this year and said the onIy real problem was light rain that affected the second run for most of the competitors.

The 2007 champion and last year's runner-up, Glenn Frew of Outram, was second again this year in his Mitsubishi EVO. Frew spent the entire day in second place and saved his best run until last when he recorded a time of 1 minute 01.176 seconds. However he could not quite head McCrostie off. Tim Cook of Christchurch, runner-up in the National Hillclimb Championship and a former National Junior Clubsport Champion, was third in his Mitsubishi EVO in his first appearance at the event with a time of 1 minute 03.672.

Winton driver Brent Cross was fourth in 1 minute 05.063 seconds with Dave Wilson of Ashburton fifth in a Toyota Celica GT4 and Gore driver Andrew Graves next in his Mitsubishi EVO.

The top ten was rounded out by Gordon Beeby of Timaru, Phil Winter of Dunedin, Mosgiel's Chris Hey in the first two-wheel-drive car home and Quentin Doig of Dunedin. Several other good performances were recorded, including that of Winton driver Darryl Batt who had his Subaru RX Sti in the top ten until the final run.

Competition was also exciting in the various class battles. Hey won Class C for 2 wheel-drive cars of 1601cc and over in his Nissan powered, turbocharged Toyota MR2 ahead of Murray Marshall of Kaitangata in a Nissan Bluebird Turbo and Invercargill's Chris Lange in a Ford Fiesta ST150. Carter Strang of Wallacetown near Invercargill took Class B in his Toyota Levin from Craig Cormack of Gore in a similar car. Jeremy Dawson of Invercargill was third in a Toyota Starlet. Paul Goatley of Balclutha took Class A from Gore's Kevin Laird in a Suzuki Swift while Laird's father, Roger Laird, used the same car to grab third in the class.

As the first three placegetters are not eligible for class prizes Class D for 4-wheel-drive vehicles went to Brent Cross from Dave Wilson and Graves.

McCrostie received $500 for winning the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge while the Class winners in the Challenge - Chris Hey, Carter Strang and Kevin Laird each won $100.

The hillclimb utilises the road to the summit of Bluff Hill (Motu Pohue), a road that climbs to a height of 264 metres above sea level. The cars now start in Pearce Street and encounter a tight right-hander just metres after the start. They then climb through a steep twisty section before a long uphill straight interrupted by two chicanes. That section is followed by another steep, twisty section of road that takes the cars to the finish line.

Changes to the course met with wide approval. A new corner at the bottom of the hill created a great new spectator area while the reconfigured chicanes met with approval from the drivers.

Forty-seven entries contested the hillclimb, a record for the event.

The Bay View Hotel/Pub Charity Bluff "where the journey begins" Sealed Hillclimb is a joint project between Bluff Promotions, the Eastern Southland Car Club and the Southland Sports Car Club. It forms a part of both the Southland Sport Car Club's Speed Championship and the Eastern Southland Car Club's Club Championship.

Lindsay Beer

Bluff Publicity/Promotions Officer

021 351 499

Winners - BAY VIEW HOTEL / PUB CHARITY BLUFF
"where the journey begins"
SEALED HILLCLIMB

1.6km course

2006 - Ross MacKay (Ashburton) Mitsubishi EVO - 1 minute 03.403 seconds

2007 - Glen Frew (Outram) Mitsubishi EVO - 59.895 seconds

2008 - Duncan McCrostie (Kaitangata) Mitsubishi EVO - 59.188 seconds

1.8km course

2009 - Duncan McCrostie (Kaitangata) Mitsubishi EVO - 1 minute 00.733 seconds