Author: Ian Maxwell

This week the team was out and about raising funds for the Community Workshop. Thanks to Cadrona we had four daily ski passes as prizes for our raffle. We also had help from the Cadrona fairy’s – two great personalities who channeled folk to purchase a ticket. The fairy’s day job is welcoming people to…

This week the MenShed team delivered our third Doggie Stick Library. This new library is located along the shore of Lake Hawea. Each is intended to promote a smile – especially with regard to the classic titles each library contains We have had some great feedback from dog walkers and walkers concerning the two libraries…

Fabricate is an important element of the Wanaka Community Workshop. Fabricate is our textile workshop. It comes with a range of sewing machines, materials, tools and equipment. Most important are the people – people with the ideas, the skills and the drive to get stuff done. Recently Fabricate celebrated two years of operation. Clare and…

The MenShed Team have been building cycle stands from recycled timber since the formation of the Wanaka Community Workshop. They are now found in households across the Upper Clutha. Recently a family sought small versions of the cycle stands for their kids bikes. We had not even thought about kids bikes! Clearly we were stuck…

Classic snow sports equipment relied upon simple materials, especially wood. Recently the MenShed team completed work to refurbish a snow sledge. The steel runners were cleaned off and repainted while recycled timber was used to create the platform. The owner will use the sled for a few runs before it becomes a key display item…

There is snow on the hills and the fingers are numb after a morning bike ride to the Workshop. Must be time for the mid year Christmas lunch! The Wanaka Community Workshop is not just about making stuff. It is also about wellbeing, getting folk together to learn, share stories and views. Food always play…

It’s great when we get a chance to learn new things, especially if it involves some new peice of kit! This week the MenShed team benefited from a visitor. In town for four weeks he spotted the opportunity to volunteer at the Workshop. He did not just bring his experience and skills but a nifty…

A few months back the MenShed team built a few wooden stools. They were a project designed for folk new to woodworking to test their skills. The chairs then went to artist Chrissi Weeks as a subject for her children’s art classes. This week they came back. A splash of color within the Workshop. A…

Volunteers at Fabricate have been busy creating a range of yoga bolsters. A yoga bolster is an accessory popular among practitioners of the art. The bolster is used to provide comfort, support poses and increase stretching during restorative postures and deep breathing exercises. Our bolsters are full of fabric processed by our shredder. Funded via a…

Over the last couple of years the lilliput library network serving the Upper Clutha community has expended. Many of the small libraries have been built by the MenShed team. While the team are great at building they are not so great at painting. To overcome this for some of our projects we partner with local…

Its great to welcome folks new to Wanaka. The town is gearing for the Winter season and we are welcoming visitors and seasonal workers alike. Its even better when, before the ski season commences in earnest, they drop into the Workshop to see what they can do for our community. We are always delighted to…

In Wanaka we all love winter – skis and snowboards abound. Perhaps the simple art of sledging is less popular than it once was. This week the MenShed team completed the repair and renovation of a classic snow sledge. The steel frame was found in the back of a garage it was dropped off by…

Feels like winter is now well on its way. Its not only humans who feel the effects, the tiger worms at the Wanaka Community Gardens slow down as well. This time around the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop aim to make life for the worms just a little easier with new accommodation. The…

Its great to reinforce the value of recycling. Using timber and materials donated by our local construction sector this week the MenShed team completed a run of “tidy’s” for our local Primary School. The “run” was quite large, enough for three classes of kids. Each “Tidy” is a simple wooden box. Each will provide a…

Grow Wanaka is our district’s community garden – and more – teaching folk how to grow food in the dry and the cold. The garden and the people who volunteer to create and manage it are significant assets for our community – get to the Outlet and have a look for yourself. This week the…

Every so often the “kid” emerges from our MenShed team members. What emerged this week was a toy garage. Something for the grandchild to play with. Built from recycled timber and modelled from a photograph found on the web lets hope the toy lasts for years. That said the 2 year old for which it…

The network of small informal book exchanges serving communities across the Upper Clutha continues to grow. Called Lilliput Libraries each is managed by a local community group, business or household. The MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have used recycled materials to build many, most have two doors but some, slightly smaller, have a…

Recently the principal of one of our local primary schools paid a visit to the Wanaka Community Workshop. It seems there was trouble when the kids were using sticky tape. I am sure each of us have struggled to find the “end” on the roll or managed to turn the tape such that it simply…

The MenShed team like to think of themselves creating good stuff. But that is nothing compared to what others create building on the foundation we have provided. This week taking advantage of a sunny autumnal afternoon a corn hole board was being recreated as art. Some paint, inspiration and skill can make a real difference.…

This week the MenShed team completed production of a run of large “double end” traps. Each trap contains not one but two DOC200 mechanisms. The traps are built tough – stainless steel and with features to ensure hat Kea and Weka cannot find their way inside. The traps need to be tough – they are…

The generosity of the Upper Clutha community never ceases to amaze. This week the team at Fabricate have been busy working through recent donations of cloth and textiles. The material is in demand being upcycled and used as raw material to create new items of clothing as well as blankets and throws. With winter imminent…

The MenShed team this week delivered a pantry to the Aspiring Beginnings Early Learning Centre. At the Centre the kids are learning the grow vegetables. The pantry will enable the vege’s to be displayed to Mum’s and Dad’s who can pick them up and continue the learning at home by creating meals with their kids.…

Wanaka hosts visitors from around the world. Many are here for weeks or months seeking work to support their journey. Van’s are popular among visitors given that they provide both transport and accommodation. The Wanaka Community Workshop is increasingly attracting visitors seeking to use the facilities and tools to refurbish and upgrade their vans. With…

Much of our work at the Wanaka Community Workshop is undertaken with powered tools and equipment. These rang from large table saws through sewing machines to small tools such as drills. The safe use of electricity is associated with a annual check – this involves testing the machine then attaching a tag indicating all is…

This week the Wanaka Community Workshop hosted the Repair Revolution. The Repair Revolution is a program managed by Wastebusters. It provides an opportunity for people to bring along household items to be repaired and returned to use. Repair is a more sustainable and cheaper alternative to disposing the item and purchasing a replacement. The Wanaka…

The MenShed team gather at the Wanaka Community Workshop every Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The team spend most of their time together building projects which meet the needs of community agencies across the Upper Clutha. However the team also enjoy each others company. At every session we take the opportunity to share some kai and…

Recent weeks have seen the MenShed team re-cycle a host of wooden planks previously used for scaffolding in our local construction sector. The planks have reached the end of their useful life as scaffolding. They are perfect for creating outdoor tables and seating. The design is reflective of what the Vikings may have created –…

Every so often a project walks in the door at the Wanaka Community Workshop. This time the project involved a couple of toy cots. Both were suffering from the impact of a six year old using them as a bed – joints pulled apart and a few broken elements. Thanks to the skills of a…

The MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are currently busy producing a range of DOC 200 traps. Each is destined for a local business or community group who will deploy the traps to protect endangered species from pests such as stoats and rats. The traps are designed to kill pests yet ensure inquisitive birds…

With the creation of a foundation for our metal work table the capacity of the Wanaka Community Workshop to undertake welding and light engineering took a step forward this week. The relocation of our work table to a more convenient location adjacent to the Workshop comes shortly after our initial training in the use of…

Teaching kids about the value of plants and the practical aspects of growing food is something we should all encourage. This week the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been completing two large “seedling tables” for a local school. The tables will provide the foundation for kids getting their seeds started before the…

The wood workshop and Fabrication, our textile workshop are the two key elements of the Wanaka Community Workshop. That said the MenShed team who normally spend their time in the wood workshop are keen to establish a capacity to undertake light engineering. A table suitable for working with metal has been built. This week the…

The Wanaka Community Workshop is itself a community. It is an important outcome that members enjoy each others company, are valued and are able to contribute. This week following a training session focused upon light engineering and welding the MenShed team got together for lunch. Sharing kai is a great way to catch up and…

Upper Clutha is know for outdoor sports but we know the arts are key to the great lifestyle we in our community enjoys. Over recent weeks the MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have designed and built a series of mobile stages. The stages will be used by students at Mt Aspiring College for…

It is great kids across the Upper Clutha are active. Our district is crammed full of outdoor opportunity. From time to time even the most active need to take a break. This week the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop completed three solid and rather rustic seats to provide a resting opportunity for kids…

The Fabricate and MenShed teams at the Wanaka Community Workshop this week completed a joint project resulting in the production of popular Corn Hole Game sets. “Its great to work on a project together” said Sue, a volunteer from Fabricate. “Each game set comes with eight throw bags filled with clean river”. The game sets…

The Wanaka Community Workshop is a busy place. In order to get stuff built the Workshop is equipped with a wide range of tools. It may surprise folk but from time to time the Workshop is untidy – messy even. This week members of the MenShed team are working to put things right. New shelving…

Across the Upper Clutha families and environmental groups are working hard to manage down predators that threaten our iconic wildlife. Much of this work relies on effective trapping. The MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are supporting this work building traps – lots of traps. Over recent weeks our store of traps has reduced…

Given the popularity of our initial Doggie Stick Library the MenShed team have completed a second. The new Library is located adjacent to the lakeside track leading to the Wanaka Tree. The library has already featured on social media. Given the number of folk taking photo’s of their library with their dog or just selfies,…

Every year the Upper Clutha community hosts thousands of overseas visitors. Many are long term visitors to New Zealand who convert vans in order to freedom camp throughout the nation. The Wanaka Community Workshop regularly hosts such travelers who are seeking to upgrade their vans with beds, storage, kitchen and toilet facilities. Summer is our…

This week the team at the MenShed have been busy building corn hole game boards. We built our first board over a year ago. In response to demand from households, firms and community groups our team has been regularly producing corn hole game boards. Its a great game and its always satisfying seeing folk enjoying…

Wanaka is busy – hosting an average of 18,000 visitors daily during our peak visitor season. Many of our visitors are kids who have been making great use of the Beach Toy Library located on the lakefront near the Water Sports Facility. As a result a number of the wooden toys built by the MenShed…

Every so often the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop get the opportunity to support local business. The funds raised go toward meeting our operational costs such as electricity. The Upper Clutha is home to a highly regarded wine sector. Minaret Peak is a long standing wine grower of our region. This week the…

Over the last couple of years the MenShed team operating from the Wanaka Community Workshop have built Lilliput Libraries. Today these libraries serve local communities throughout Wanaka as well as Lake Hawea and Luggate. This week the most recent addition to the network is ready to open. The lilliput library is located within the Wanaka…

This week members of the MenShed welcomed kids participating in the holiday program managed by the Wanaka Recreation Centre. We had prepared for the visit by fabricating components of wooden crates ready for assembly. The kids used a simple jig to complete the job with some precise (and not so precise) hammering. Its great to…

The Wanaka Community Workshop is part of our community here in Upper Clutha. We often see real evidence of the support of our community through the donation of building materials, plant and equipment. This week members of the MenShed team have collected (and will soon sort) power and hand tools, equipment as well as a…

Summer across the Upper Clutha is hot and dry. Dry for humans and dry for dogs. A keen cyclist visiting the region decided to do something about the problem. Do something for the dogs who accompany their owners when biking the trails in Sticky Forest. The stand was quickly created using recycled materials at the…

This week the Workshop welcomed the crew from MINT. While MINT are regular users of the Workshop their December visit was special – a get together with a Christmas focus. With the support of MenShed members this month’s project was a “organic” Christmas Tree largely build from driftwood collected around the lake shore. The crew…

This week members of the MenShed team were invited for morning tea at Kids First – a pre school located at Hawea Flat. Recently the team delivered a second mud kitchen for use by the kids as play equipment. The two mud kitchens (one with a stove!) followed a couple of built up gardens where…