Back in Feb/Mar 2012, the new NBUS service was introduced to Nelson.
The NBus operation is operated by SBL Group on behalf of Nelson City Council.
This new initiative saw a fleet of brand new 13.5-metre-long 50-seater low floor wheelchair friendly buses introduced to Nelsonians, and travelers alike, and quickly gained good support.
New services were introduced and along with increased frequency during busy times, the hours of operation also were extended.
Here’s a brief video on the new service;
The video also talks about the new “hail & ride” service ( offered on selected local neighbourhood routes ) serviced by smaller buses, and also about the much anticipated user operated “bike carriers” that are mounted on the front of the new units.
In the old days, 90% of buyers would come into a real estate office and ask, or in more recent times search, for a desired property starting with / based on the number of bedrooms they wanted.
Times, they are, a changin’……
Get ready for the age of the retiring baby boomer. Get ready for the professional couple without children for who, the number of bedrooms isn’t quite as relevant as it was 15 – 20 years ago.
What they are looking for is a lifestyle location, within a lifestyle destination, and then comes the number of bedrooms and those other things……..
Today’s standard real estate search doesn’t appear to cater directly to that.
pick your desired location based on what "lifestyle" you want...
Enter the “lifestyle search”, in the instantly very easy to read “heatmap” format.
After over 2 years in development, their USA site has gone live in a Beta way.
But trying to explain it rather than just using it….its a bit like trying to tell you about a picture in 1,000 words. So no, in this case, its definitely best to testdrive the real McCoy for yourself.
A great service to the local community is the weekly infopaper, “Live Nelson” that our Nelson City Council produce.
If you’re currently not residing locally then you may not have heard the news that Nelson is about to star in its own “hometown story” NZ produced movie, with production slated to commence August 19th 2011.
The movie “Kiwi Flyer” and story is based around our famous annual Nelson Trolley Derby held down Collingwood St.
Its been confirmed that Australian actor Vince Martin, the Beaurepaires man, will play the villain. You might only remember him from the tire co.’s TV adds, but he’s also been in Sons and Daughters, Home and Away, and alongside Tom Hanks in Cast Away, as pilot Al. The movie will be produced by Tim Sanders (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Whale Rider, Perfect Creature).
Street
Date
Time
Nelson streets closed for Kiwi Flyer movie shoot
NILE STREET EAST, from Trafalgar Square East to Sussex Street,
Monday 22 August 2011
7:30 am until 6:15 pm
SUSSEX STREET, from Nile Street East to Selwyn Place
Monday 22 August 2011
7:30 am until 6:15 pm
BROUGHAM STREET, from Rutherford Street to Trafalgar Street
Saturday 20 August 2011
7:30 am until 6:15 pm
MARSDEN VALLEY ROAD, from Sanctuary Drive to the quarry
Saturday27August 2011
7:30 am until 6:15 pm
The Nelson City Council has also advised local residents of streets closed for the filming….more info on that over here.
The movie follows the story of 12-year-old “Ben”, who obviously wants to win the annual trolley derby race, but courtesy of some Australian intervention (read “baddies”) he has some challenges to get past to achieve his dream.
Above is a video of a scene that I’ll sure will never ever be repeated again. In 2010, just prior the new multi-million dollar Ruby ByPass being officially opened to car traffic, a great event was held when Trolley’s were allowed on the scene for a day of fun. The Nelson Mail reported on the events here.
Walk Nelson
And now for some further good news! Walk Nelson & Bike Nelson are now being offered from the Nelson City Council.
Don’t forget,with NCCs target of working toward a future of sustainable transport, you can also visit this council webpage here and download your very own “shared pathways” printable map.
Sunshine at Stake
Lastly it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t get a chance to mention something about the sunshine would it?
Seven months gone, five to go, and the sunshine capital of New Zealand for 2011 will be revealed.
After all the unseasonal variations thrust upon provincial NZ so far in 2011, certainly the volume of precipitation, it was still good to see the updated figures published in the Nelson City Councils weekly “Live Nelson” paper.
Around New Zealand, plus here in Nelson, May is the month we celebrate the special thing that is the ubiquitous “Rescue Helicopter.”
In our local case, Summit have sponsored the local Summit Rescue Helicopter Service for some years now.
This time, though, its different.
To celebrate this and the helicopter services of 20 years of community care and help, a special type of fundraiser has been organized.
Entitled the “20 Summits for 20 Years.” its aim is to involve even more locals than last year.
And the relevance of what the event is about shouldn’t be easy to pass up on all the hikers, mountain bikers, trampers, climbers, etc that live locally.
Local and NZ Multi sport champion & 2010 Adventure Racing World Championships Runners up Team Captain, Nathan Fa’avae is the Summit Rescue Helicopter Service Ambassador, and he explains;
Together with the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust, we’ve created the 20 Summit Challenge, to celebrate the Trust’s 20 years of operation. This is designed for everyone. Whether people are regular or professional hikers, families keen for a good walk in the outdoors, sports clubs wanting a way to get fit, or businesses wanting to take their team out together, this is a chance for locals to acknowledge the incredible work the Summit Rescue Helicopter has done in our region for 20 years, and to help raise funds for this valuable community service.
I’m challenging you to complete all 20 Summits by the end of 2011.
Imagine above from Nelson City Council (Click to go to their site directly)
And just in case you needed to be reminded that we are surrounded here by National Parks, the list of 20 Events covers;
Centre of NZ, Grampians, Mt Arthur Fringed Hill, Richmond Lookout, Wither Hills, Marsden Valley, Parachute Rocks, Mt Duppa, Cable Bay, Sharlands Hills, Ben Nevis, Mt Robert, Third House, Gordon’s Pyramid, Abel Tasman, Fringed Hill, Tantragee, Mt Lodestone and Dunn Mountain
Again in case you weren’t familiar with some of these spots, including aforementioned “peaks” hopefully some of these links will assist.
Spread out over (“….you need recuperation time?”) the next four months to give everyone an ideal opportunity to work around other events in their lives, its really a great effort by all involved…..and overall the money raised is going to such a good cause, one that any local will tell you so.
Last year over $70,000 was raised locally, both by collectors like myself on the day and other local events, so the bar has been set to be well and truly raised in 2011.
Nice to see that our branch in Stoke contributed the most per capita, and collected the highest per staff member.
In 2011 too, like 2010 I’ll be looking out for you on the streets of Stoke later in the month with my collectors bucket!
Along with major sponsor Summit Real Estate, and supporting sponsors,
the overall programme wants all local residents to feel invited to help fundraise by walking, hiking or biking together through our beautiful region, perhaps to see something on your own back door step that you’d just never had the time for.
This time, now there’s an excuse, and a good one.
Step up to the plate, take the challenge, and to all those that finish all 20 events in 2011, as the website here explains, you’ll get one of these fantastic shirts too.
To keep up to date with the various events progress, you can log on to the Facebook page here too.
Did you know you can actually track the Summit Rescue chopper live? Head on over here to see for yourself.
Although I only found out about this today courtesy of the flyer in my inbox, it seems the Nelson Mail beat me to the punch in getting the word out. (a case of “May the 4th be with you“)
