Rob Withers and Alan Lowen Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
People in the small farming community of Staveley in Canterbury are hoping their newly upgraded ice rink can stand up to global warming after locals pitched in to pay for a new refrigeration system.
They've been sharpening up their ice skates and dusting down their curling brooms for another season of winter sports on the rink, which has been attracting skaters and curlers since 1951.
It's hoped the upgrade will mean the community gets three full months out of the ice from now on.
Rob Withers of the Staveley Hall Society, which manages the ice rink, says $1.4 million was raised for the refurb - half of that from local donors.
"We had volunteers that did 4000 hours of community work for us too, and a lot of them were local farmers," Withers said.
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Ice skating has always been part of Withers' life. He was born and bred on a nearby farm.
"'We were lucky as kids. My father was a skater and taught us to skate and, yeah, we just wanted to keep it going."
The shady rink is surrounded by native bush and looks towards a snow-skiffed Mount Somers. In a shelter near the ice, a huge fire keeps people warm.
Cooking marshmallows is an après-skate must for most of the younger skaters, and long wire spikes with wooden handles are provided.
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
The rink is large enough to accommodate a proper game of hockey and it's proving popular with kids.
"On a Monday afternoon after school, we've got 20 children getting coached for ice hockey, which is going to start next week."
On Tuesday and Thursday it hosts the Windwhistle Curling Club and on Friday it's a learn-to-curl night. The weekends are the busiest, though.
People come from as far afield as Christchurch and Ashburton to don boots and get on the ice.
When Country Life popped in, about 150 people were at the rink.
A child falls over and gets up, smiling. It's the first time she's been on ice.
An elderly man does elegant twirls nearby.
"We need to cater for families and I think, just looking out there now, you can see people are very happy," Withers said.
He organises special rink-nights for the local community, too.
"We open the shed up for them to use the curling stones and ice skates and there's no charge. It's a payback for our community, who have put so much into this."
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
