Category: Uncategorized

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 first quarter of 2023 has been busy, very busy at the Wanaka Community Workshop. MenShed Throughout the period the MenShed team came together to work on a range of community projects every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Attendance totaled 332 representing 1,162 hours of volunteer effort – 7.2 full time equivalents over the period. No…

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…

Schools need to be organised and the busyness of a primary school meant the cardboard boxes that were being used by Estelle and the team at Take Karera Primary School were frequently wearing out. We offered to help out and have now made 40 x 4 litre Small Parts Boxes, 2 x Compartment Lego Boxes,…

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…

Volunteering is a way of life across the Upper Clutha. Many people across our community contribute through giving their time to activities which make our community strong – culture & arts, sports & recreation, spiritual, the natural environment and others who just need a helping hand. Volunteer South is a local agency which works to…

Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust is a Wānaka non-profit organisation that is making a difference for our natural environment. The Trust eco-sources seeds from the Upper Clutha area, raises seedlings in their nursery, and then facilitates community-based native planting and habitat restoration. They do a great job. This week the MenShed Team made a small contribution…

Christmas is a time for family and friends together. This week the team who regularly get together at the Wanaka Community Workshop 2023 met at the workshop to celebrate Christmas. Wellbeing is important for all. While we love designing and building stuff for our community we also enjoy each others company. Christmas is a time…

Plunket has long been New Zealand’s largest support service for the health and wellbeing of children and their families. From their Clinic in Wanaka, Plunket’s serves families across the Upper Clutha. This week the MenShed team completed a book shelf for Plunket. Built of re-cycled materials the book shelf is a small contribution to aid…

Never let it be said MenShed team are not versatile. This month the Wanaka Community Workshop was transformed to host Re-fashion – a fashion show cut differently. With the support of Queenstown Lakes District Council, Wastebusters Wanaka and Fabricate led the transformation. The aim was to show what can be achieved with recycled and upcycled…

The Wanaka Community Workshop regularly hosts Kahu Youth – in particular the team known as Grounded. Grounded are youth who are focused on improving our natural environment. The team are aiming to enhance recycling at Mt Aspiring College – Te Kura O Tititea. To achieve this the team are building two depots to locate at…

Jim Bob has been a resident of Wanaka throughout much of his life. Being a builder there are few places across the Upper Clutha which have not benefited from his skill and experience – houses, shops, community and farm buildings. Today the MenShed team benefits from Jim Bob’s skill – and his stories! This week…

Some 18 months ago the Wanaka Community Workshop was a new element in our community. Its great therefore that the Workshop can now play a role in welcoming new members to our community. The Workshop enables folk to practically establish themselves in their new home. They may involve creating some furniture or storage units. Workshop…

Over Easter Weekend our community hosted Wheels on Wanaka – a significant event dealing with everything on wheels. In order to aid folk getting around the large site in Three Parks a shuttle bus service is provided. The MenShed team supported the event by converting wooden pallets into seating for each of the bus stops.…

The Wanaka Community Workshop is also home to Wanaka Backyard Trapping – well at least their trap library. The trap library permits members of Wanaka Backyard Trapping to borrow various types of traps targeting pests such as stoats and rats. Each week members get a chance to learn how to best use the traps. This…

Thanks to the Wanaka and Districts Lion Club, the Wanaka Community Workshop have commissioned a range of new tools – battery powered drills, wood clamps and hand tools. The Lions Club and its members play a key role in ensuring our local community remains strong and vibrant. Through their support the MenShed team operating from…

The Upper Clutha is home to a couple of night time avian predators – the native Morepork or Ruru and the Little Owl. The Morepork can be heard (and sometimes seen) in bush areas within the built up areas of Wanaka. Little Owls can be seen around dusk and dawn on the edge of bush…