Wānaka Community Workshop News
Uniform stands for MAC
This week the MenShed team visited Mt Aspiring College. We took with us two mobile stands designed to hold school uniforms which the team has recently completed. The Upper Clutha is fortunate to have such a great school at the center of our community. The MenShed team were delighted to be able to contribute to…
Refashion denim
This week Fabricate was part of the team supporting Wanaka Wastebusters and their Refashion event. Refashion is all about re-using and upcycling clothing rather than simply buying more. Given the huge adverse impact on the earths natural environment arising from the production and disposal of clothing, Re fashion has an important objctive. The team spent…
Sandpit in action
The Wanaka A&P Show is an iconic event for our community. The MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop made a few contributions to the 2025 show. They included various signage boards placed about the venue to guide and inform visitors. However we were most proud to see the sandpit in action in the Plunket…
Donation of tools
The MenShed team at the Wanaka Workshop are humbled by the donations we regularly receive. Most donations are of materials such as wood & plywood, screws & nails. We really appreciate these as they are the basis of many of our projects we create for schools, community and environmental groups across the Upper Clutha. However…
Stands for uniforms
This week the MenShed team at the workshop completed a couple of mobile stands for Mt Aspiring College. Built from recycled materials the stands shall be used to store pre-used uniforms which the school sells. The team used their skills to design the stands only using a couple of photographs as a guide. They look…
Trays underway
The MenShed team craft a range of items – some large, some small. This week we have been working on a number of wooden trays. They come in various sizes depending on their use. They test our skills. Created from recycled materials the trays are intended for use by schools and households.
Good for the soul
Every so often the team escape from the Workshop and go walk about. This time we visited the region around Roxburgh. Shingle Creek Collectables opened for us and a number of us left with new treasures. Next was coffee and cake at The Store is downtown Roxburgh. It is a real shame the town and…
New line of planter box’s
Recently the MenShed team welcomed the donation of a pallet of wooden offcuts from a local fencing project. After some thinking about how best to upcycle the offcuts the team are now busy crafting a range of outdoor planter box’s. A few will be used to enhance the front yard of the Wanaka Community Workshop…
Hawea beach toy library
This week the MenShed team delivered a beach toy library to Scotts Beach, Lake Hawea. This is our third toy library – the other two are at Roys Bay and Bremner Bay of Lake Wanaka. They have proved popular with kids. Mum’s and Dad’s have added to the toy collection over time. Our newest toy…
Fabric sales
Fabricate, the textile shop at the Wanaka Community Workshop, has extensive holdings of fabric. Much has been gifted by local residents but our ability to store and use the material is limited. In response this week the Fabricate team held a sale – a first for the Workshop. The sale had three great outcomes. Material…
Henry joins the team
The MenShed team met at the Wanaka Community Workshop on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The regular crew love to welcome new members – our skills vary but we all learn together. Over recent weeks Henry has joined us – he is currently repairing the seat that serves the Albertown bus stop. The seat was originally…
Making the most of produce
The MenShed team have been busy this week crafting Herb Raising Trays for Grow Wanaka. Built from non treated timber recycled from our local construction sector the Trays shall form an element of the WAO Harvest Festival. The Festival is being held in mid March at the community hall in Luggate. The Festival is a…
fabricate FABRIC SALE
De-stash our Cache SATURDAY 15th FEBRUARY 12.00 – 2.00 15 GORDON ROAD We need more room! Find fabric for your next project. Donated fabrics – all new – mostly shorter lengths @ $3 /m or fill a shopping bag for $10. Plus patterns, zips, buttons and more.
Working with partners
The team at the Wanaka Community Workshop love working with our community partners. Recently the team supported the Friends of Bullock Creek when they celebrated World Wetland Day. Bullock Creek is a great example how people with passion and skill can make a difference. Not only is it a great place to visit the natural…
Cycle Racks
This week the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been busy upcycling construction waste into a range of cycle racks. Each rack is customised to hold cycle wheels and tires of different widths. While some racks are already in service within homes across the Upper Clutha, we have others in store that may…
Garlic dryer
Volunteers with the MenShed team often do not just volunteer with the Wanaka Community Workshop. They volunteer for a range of other groups. Knowing there was a need as the harvest season approaches, this week the team completed a garlic drying rack for Grow Wanaka. Its great to work with other groups to the benefit…
For a song
This week the MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are working on a new project – ukelele stands for the Hawea Flat Primary School. All kids love music and we really appreciate the opportunity to create stands for a full class set of instruments. With a photograph and a ukelele as a guide the…
Bramwell Scaffolding
The Wanaka Community Workshop survives only because of the support and generosity of the community across the Upper Clutha. Thanks to Bramwell Scaffolding the Workshop recently received timbers previously used in our local construction sector. The MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been upcycling the timber to craft a range of outdoor tables.…
Pram returns
With the application of some TLC (tender loving care) the team at the Wanaka Community Workshop will soon have a classic toy pram back in service. The project has involved some light engineering as well as just the right textiles. A new generation will soon enjoy experience the joy just as their grandmother did.
Wood for plastic
Last year the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop placed a couple of beach toy libraries on the shore line of Lake Wanaka. They have proved popular with younger kids who access toys to play in the sand. Over time the library’s receive new toys which are deposited by parents. They toys also get…
Back to the future
Many families are fortunate to care for items passed down from their forebears. Every now and then the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have the opportunity to repair a loved item that has suffered some damage. The work is always unusual and tests our skills. We enjoy it. It’s great to be able…
Cool Pool
The Albie Tavern has been part of the Upper Clutha community for years. Recently the Albie approached the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop to solve a small problem – could we supply a solution that would enable pool tables to be used for other purposes? In response we designed wooden covers for the…
Hard at it
Toward the end of 2024 the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop assembled a large new BBQ for Community Link. The BBQ itself had been donated by our local Wanaka Mitre 10. Community Link use the BBQ to provide free meals each Wednesday from the Community Hub in McDougall Street. Actually the team went…
Gym work
Over recent weeks the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been completing a series of ramps. The ramps are designed to make access to the equipment at Wanaka Gymsports easier. We love working on projects which make life a little better for people across the Upper Clutha.
Christmas & wellbeing
With Christmas almost upon us the team got together recently for a shared meal. Wellbeing is important to each of us. Wellbeing is a key rationale for the Wanaka Community Workshop. The opportunity to meet, talk and work shoulder to shoulder getting stuff done lies behine all that we do at the Workshop. Getting folk…
Teeny Tiny House
Wowa, the play house is done! Over recent weeks the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been busy creating a play house for the kids who attend the Hawea Flat Play Group. It’s perhaps the largest, certainly the heaviest, project we have done thus far. Built from recycled and donated materials the play…
Brilliant Libraries
Thanks to the kids attending art sessions led by Chrissy Wickes we now have three brilliant lilliput libraries. Built by the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop the three libraries were a little drab. Built from recycled materials they their presentation was pretty ordinary. However with the application of imagination and color they now…
A seat in the sun
With summer well on the way, the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been working on infrastructure – infrastructure with which to make the best of warm sunny days. Thus far the work has resulted in a couple of picnic tables. Each table is built of recycled timber, timber which would otherwise have…
Moving plants
Its great to see happy faces. This week the MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop delivered a couple of mobile stands for pot plants. The stands enable large pot plants to be moved about. They are simple in design but bring delight to the gardener.
New transport for Santa
The snow is almost gone and Christmas is nearly here. This week the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop have been lending Santa a hand with his transport. A new sleigh for Santa is coming together at the Workshop. Built from recycled materials the sleigh is light enough for flight yet sturdy for the…
Thank you!
This month, we celebrate four years of Wānaka Community Workshop. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, we’ve transformed from a humble idea in 2020 to a thriving hub of creativity, learning, and connection. Together, we’ve created a place where people can learn new skills, make intergenerational connections, and help shift towards a circular…
Play box’s
Its great to see stuff made by the MenShed Team at work in the community. With summer nearly here, kids are out and about. For them we have placed a few toy box’s – outside the Recreation Centre in Wanaka and lakeside at Roys Bay and Bremner Bay. When placed we “seeded” the box’s with…
Lilliput for Hawea
Our regions latest lilliput library has been erected outside Kids First pre school at Hawea Flat. The library was built by the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop from materials recycled from our local construction sector. Thanks for our local artist Chrissy Wikes and attendees of her art classes, the best part of the…
A helping hand
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop welcome volunteers willing to give a helping hand. Many of the volunteers who turn up for a day or two are from overseas. They may be between jobs or just passing through and want to contribute to the community of Upper Clutha.…
Busy with toys
Christmas is coming. Like the elves, the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are building toys. Each is built from wood upcycled from our local building industry. All the toys have wheels and come in various shapes and sizes – from trains, trucks and cars. The toys are simple and sturdy. Look out for…
Hawea play kitchen
The MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop love working for kids. This week the team are completing a couple of projects for the Hawea Play Group. A play stove and kitchen tub will join a play table that we delivered recently. Our next project for the Hawea Play Group will be a new play…
Produce crates
Despite the odd snow dump, spring has sprung. In response across the region gardeners are clearing off the frost cloth and getting their seedling in the earth. The MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are preparing too. For us it means building wooden crates to collect, transport and display all that garden produce expected…
Work experience
In all our lives we experience challenging times. For most of us the time between school and getting your first job is a challenge. We all need a helping hand at such times. Once a week, over recent weeks, the MenShed team have been hosting Lachlan who is soon to leave high school. A few…
Wheels at Wanaka
Wheels at Wanaka is an iconic event hosted within our Region. It draws people from throughout New Zealand and overseas. Wheels however is more than an event. Wheels is a charity which supports a wide range of local community groups including the Wanaka Community Workshop. Over recent weeks the MenShed Team at the Workshop have…
Fresh faces
It is always great to welcome new faces to our MenShed Team. Some folks are just passing through our region and want to contribute and met a few locals. For others this is their first visit to the Wanaka Community Workshop of what becomes many. Our new volunteers want to get stuff done. In response…
BBQ for the HUB
Community Link is an agency that ensures people in need of support across the Upper Clutha are connected with those who can help. In addition Community Link operates a range of services such as our Foodbank, transport to our local hospitals and Meals on Wheels. Community Link operates from The Hub in McDougall Street. Thanks…
Day out at the Museum
Every now and then the volunteers at the Wanaka Community Workshop take a day off. Previous days have involved trips into Central Otago. This time we stayed local visiting the Wanaka Transport and Toy Museum. The Museum houses a great collection – many of us found examples of our first motor vehicle among the collection.…
Hawea mud kitchen
The Hawea Play Group is a great community organisation. Based at Hawea Flat the Group serves Mum’s and Dad’s across one of our fastest growing regions in the Upper Clutha. Recently the MenShed team at the Wanaka Community Workshop has partnered with the Hawea Play Group in replacing play equipment. Built from recycled materials a…
Shelving for an MP
Miles Anderson, our local Member of Parliament, recently opened an electorate office in Wanaka. The MenShed team were delighted to be asked if we could help with some furnishing for the new office. This week the team delivered some shelving. The bookcase was built from recycled materials which had been donated to the Wanaka Community…
Doggie gates
The MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop are proud to work alongside community groups across the Upper Clutha. Recently the Team completed building and installing “doggie gates”. Their design enables dogs to easily pass rabbit proof fences established as part of a project by Wai Wanaka. The project is all about enhance native plantings…
Back in action
Each of us can recall their best childhood toy. Some of us are fortunate to be able to pass their best toy to their child or grandchild. Even better should their child or grandchild also love it. This week the MenShed team had the opportunity to undertake some running repairs to a large Tonka Toy…
Heavy duty stand
The MenShed team often respond to small projects and repairs sought by local residents. The projects are often just a bit unusual or commercial alternatives are not readily available. This week Gillian finished a pot stand – a stand that could cope with a 50 kilo pot and plant. The heavy duty stand also needed…
High load
We are fortunate at the Wanaka Community Workshop in having a decent sized trailer. We regularly use the trailer to pick up wood and construction materials donated to the workshop as well as deliver completed projects. Members can also borrow the trailer. This week members used the trailer to transport a load from Albertown to…
Home for Ruru
The team at the MenShed regularly construct traps for the removal of unwanted pests. We also build accommodation for animals, insects and birds we wish to see more of. This week the team were working on nesting box’s for owls. The Upper Clutha is home to a couple of night time avian predators – the…
Riding Bridge
Riding for the Disabled is an organisation that has long played a key role in communities across New Zealand. Wanaka is no exception. The MenShed Team at the Wanaka Community Workshop this week completed a bridge for use by horses and their riders. Built to a specified design the bridge provides an obstacle intended to…
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