Southern images: October 09

HAPPY FACES: Clowns Logan Foley, 12, and Calaie Soper, 11, at the Kids Expo.

BONZER BOUFFANT: Sandy Grant finishes off her dog Nadal's hairstyle with a little hairspray at the Southland Kennel Association dog show at Kennington.

JOIN THE CLUB: Brooke Hughes, 13, and Anna Ellenden, 10, having some fun at the Kids Expo.

GREAT RESPONSIBILITY: Four-year-old Phoenix McKay makes a great Spider-Man at the Kids Expo at Stadium Southland.

STEPPING OUT: Pam Norman, of Gore, shows her dalmatian at the Southland Kennel Association dog show at Kennington.

AROUND AND AROUND: Taylor Ballantyne, 7, and Katy Bryan, 10, get into the swing of things at the hula-hooping record attempt at the Kids Expo.

TRY THIS AT HOME: Hula-hooping sensation Americus Wilson, 7, shows her skills during the mass hula-hooping record attempt at the Kids Expo at Stadium Southland.

SWING OUT SISTER: Sticky TV stars Kanoa, centre, and Sam joining in the mass hula hooping record attempt at the Kids Expo at Stadium Southland.

CROWD-PLEASERS: The New River Primary School kapa haka group wowed the crowds at Southland's largest Maori-based festival, Nga Putangitangi.

WINNING IN STYLE: Ria Wikio, from Arrowtown's D'or Hair Stylists, won the national Hairdressing Apprentice of the Year award in Wellington.

COOL PERFORMANCE: Members of the Wakatipu High School jazz band Best Served Chilled perform at the Southland Secondary Schools Jazz Festival in Invercargill.

DOOR POLICY: Travellers Leanne Hudson and Ryan Sage camp outside Michael Hill Jeweller on Esk St, Invercargill. The pair, who hail from England and Australia respectively, secured first place in the queue for the shop's sale in the hope of getting a $500 diamond engagement ring for only $1.

SOFT OPTION: Antonette Bell-Booth, 5, right, and sister Francesca, 6, look through items at a garage sale organised by the Pacific Island Advisory and Cultural Trust to raise funds for the tsunami relief fund.

CHOO-CHOO: Fletcher Blomfield, 4, of Invercargill, holds his ears while Mainland Steam operations manager Michael Tolich directs people off the tracks at the Invercargill train station. The train came from Dunedin to celebrate 130 years since the start of building of the Otago Central Railway from Wingatui to Cromwell.

AWESOME: William Haywood, 5, from Cliften, Tuatapere, was a proud little fisherman when he caught this 2.9kg monster in the Kids Gone Fishing event at the Te Anau Manapouri fishing contest at Labour Weekend.

PRIZE CATCH: Graham Sinclair from the television show Gone Fishing with an estatic Bruce Spencer, who won a $30,000 boat in the Te Anau Manapouri fishing competition in Te Anau at Labour Weekend.

THE MAIN EVENT: James Bath, left, and Sean Bath, both 4, enjoy the Southland Transport Truck Parade as it passes through the roundabout on the Bond and Stead streets junction, in Invercargill. About 140 trucks took part.

ALL'S WELL: Baz Macdonald, of Verdon College, and Taylor Barrett, of Southland Boys' High School, getting into character ahead of their trip to London, where they will perform at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

JAMMING: One of Britain's finest jazz pianists Neil Cowley hams it out on Queenstown's grand lady at the Village Green during the ASB Jazzfest.

GOOD SPORT: Limehills Primary School teacher Hunter Murray has been nominated for a national award by pupils Taylor Graham, centre, and Joe Robins.

HOT COUPLE: Jason Mesnick, aka The Bachelor, visited Queenstown with girlfriend Molly Malaney this month as part of an eight-day tour.

HIGH OCTANE: The St Lawrence String Quartet rehearsing at Invercargill's Civic Theatre. From left, Geoff Nuttall and Scott St John on violin, Christopher Costanza on cello and Lesley Robertson on viola.

IT HAS TO WIN: Southland Boys' High School budding chefs Connor Monaghan, left, and Brendon Baucke with the dish they hope will win them the International Secondary School Culinary Challenge, to be held in Tahiti.

LITTLE BIG JUMPER: Invercargill's Josh Burnett, 8, gets some expert coaching from New Zealand BMX coach Ken Cools in Invercargill.

FLYING THE FLAG: Royal New Zealand Navy lieutenant commander Nigel Finnerty presents Jellicoe Sea Scouts Group Leader Dave McIntosh and sea scout Rebekah Chainey, 13, with a pennant representing the Naval Recognition award at Awarua Bay.

DRAGGIN' LADY: The winner of the classic drag competition at the Wanakafest was Aaron Whale, of Wanaka, as Miss Diagnosed.

PLUCKY PLUNGERS: Taking a dip in the hot tub after bravely completing the polar plunge during the Wanakafest are, from left, Mariana Hight, 11, Finn Bilous, 10, Oban Hansen, Melanie Telford and Alex Booker, all 9, Emma Smith, 7, Lucy Bird, 9, and Caitlin Roberts, 8.

JAZZING IT UP: Best Served Chilled soprano saxophonist Danielle Voschezang, New Zealand's foremost jazz drummer Frank Gibson and Queenstown saxophone legend Nigel Hirst ham it up on Queenstown Bay beach, ready to enthral the crowds at the ASB Queenstown Jazzfest.

BAGS OF POTENTIAL: Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand executive officer Sue Patterson sorting through 150 registration packs in the leadup to the opening of the National Young Performer Awards. About 135 nominationshad been received for the awards, with the country's top young performers vying for their share of a $40,000 prize pool. It is the first time in 25 years the awards have been held in Invercargill.

WOODWORK ON SHOW: Southland Woodworkers Guild members John Lightfoot, left, and Maurice Caughey prepare for an exhibition opening at Invercargill's City Gallery, showcasing the creative efforts of the guild members.

PARTY TIME: Stags locks David Gannon, left, and Josh Bekhuis have fun with Spikers Club members Taylor Ballantyne and Ben McMaster, both aged 7, from Winton, during the club party at Rugby Park, in Invercargill.

CREATIVE MINDS: Lawrence Milne works on his artwork at Creative Space in preparation for an exhibition featuring the creative efforts of people with intellectual or physical disabilities at City Gallery, in Invercargill.

GET READY AND GET THRU: Environment Southland councillor Neville Cook and Invercargill city councillor Thelma Buck promote Disaster Awareness Week at South Invercargill New World. The pair, who are also Southland Civil Defence representatives, were spreading the message to the store's customers to prepare themselves for a natural disaster and ``Get Ready and Get Thru''.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Simon Daly with Cheryl Mouat, left, and her mother Marilyn Mouat at Mitre 10 Mega. Mr Daly was a demonstrator at Build a Cure Ladies Night for the Breast Cancer Research Trust.

POISE IN POSE: Imperial Russian Ballet Company dancers take part in a ballet class before a performance of Swan Lake at the Civic Theatre, in Invercargill. The was part of an Australasian tour, with the ballet company taking the classic story to Dunedin tonight and 28 other centres throughout New Zealand and Australia between October 8 and November 29.

BLOOMIN' LOVELY: Michael van Eeden checking his new season tulips near Roslyn Bush.

WE ARE FAMILY: Nine little ducklings all following mum at Anderson Park in Invercargill.

SPECIAL ADDITION: Invercargill family, from left, Aria Emms, 1, Delaney Mafile'o, Joel Emms and Jada Emms, 3, with their new cat, which they picked out from the SPCA. The family was one of many who got a cat during the SPCA cat sale, organised to try to find homes for some of the 35 adult cats at the shelter.

BRIGHT WAY OUT: Retro skiers, from left, TJ Burke, Jim Winfield and Hartley Smith enjoy the last day of the season at the Remarkables skifield.

PINK RIBBON APPEAL: Taylor Peterson, 6, and Jesse Paterson, 9, give a donation to Pink Ribbon collector Lea Ahokava in Invercargill. The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation's annual Pink Ribbon Street Appeal was held to raise money for the charity.

HI PETE: Toddler Jack Alabaster, 10 months, of Alexandra, meets Peter Rabbit during a storytelling and activity day in Alexandra Library to mark the end of the school holidays.

HARLEY-HOOPER: Balance, agility and co-ordination were shown off by Sharvae Te Huia-Goodman, 5, on a Harley-Davidson displaying her hula-hoop skills in Wachner Place. The event was organised to promote this month's Kidz Expo 2009, when an attempt will be made to set a world record of 2300 Southlanders hula-hooping simultaneously for two minutes.

WETA ENGINE: Kieran Cressy, 3, and his brother Sam, 5, check out a giant metal weta called Springer at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. The sculpture is part of an exhibition of pieces called Hatched Metals Meet Animalia. The creations, by Dunedin artist Chris Meder, are made mostly from old car parts, and include birds and insects.

SAY IT WITH ART: Artist Janice Gill, formerly of Southland.

A GIANT LEAP TO AUCKLAND: Invercargill dancer James Luck is jumping for joy after earning a place at the Apollo Theatre School in Auckland.

AID FOR SHANADE: Kathryn Casey (left) and Sue van Schreven from Orphans Aid International. Their second-hand shop in Tay St will donate all its proceeds from the day's trading to Shanade Tallentire, 7, who has an incurable brain tumour.

PUNCHING BAGS ALL IN A ROW: Southland boxing team members, from left, Manaen Pohl, Renata Karena, Colin Aukram (manager), Sloan Aukram, Russell Newton (coach) and Simon Dowling at their final training session in Invercargill before the start of the National Boxing Championships in Rotorua.

CLASSIC: Dave Brown, of Classic Car Developments, in Invercargill, with the D-series Jaguar replica he has built and is sending to a buyer in England. It is a replica of the original 1955 car.

WHAT MATES ARE FOR: Stags rugby players, from left, Jamie Mackintosh, Robbie Robinson and Fai Mika, look at the gear on the back of Mackintosh's ute that has been collected to send back to help Mika's home village in Samoa.

FLOATING BY: Delayne Ryan, left, and Shantal Henigan, both 9, of Bluff, at the Bluff Pool Party.

TOO QUICK: Paul Caughey sprays growth retardant on a wheat crop at Gladvale Farms at Oreti.

WORKIN' LIKE A DOG: Southland Dog Training Club members Glenyse Pearse with dog Flirt, Jean McClymont with Jamie, Lyn Clearwater with Tip and Caroline Rain with Pepper break from training for the New Zealand Dog Trial Association competition at Labour Weekend. They have all won a spot in the South Island team for the competition in Mosgiel, which includes the disciplines of obedience, agility, trial and "rally-o''.

ISLAND COOK-UP: Southland Cook Island Council chairman John Tamariki share some of the tasty treats on offer with twins Kylah and Aaliyah Talamahina, 7, at a fundraiser for victims of the Samoan earthquake and tsunami. The "Cook Up'' at the Pacific Island rooms in Invercargill raised $2130.50

COURT ACTION: Invercargill court manager Alister Frengley surveys building work inside the courthouse, part of a $10.5 million upgrade in which a second storey will be added and two new courtrooms will be created.

SPLASH COMING: Courtney Shelton, 12, throws Mary-Ellen Roderique, 4, in the air at the Bluff Pool party on Saturday.

CHOICE: Southland netballers Kendall McMinn, left, and Ashleigh Smith celebrate being named in the New Zealand under-21 netball side at the weekend. It was the first time the pair have been selected in the team and they join fellow Southlander Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit in the squad.

TORRID TUSSLE: Southland goal attack Natalie Avellino comes under pressure from Otago's Emma Moynihan, left, and Louise Thayer during the national netball championship semifinal at Stadium Southland. Southland won 46-45.

FOOT DOWN: A determined Sophie McMurdo, of Southland, puts in the effort at the start of her time trial in the under-15 girls section of the Junior Tour of Southland.

STILL BLOOMING: Adelaide Hawkins, who has been exhibiting at the Winton Flower Show since she moved to Winton 15 years ago. She is pictured with her first prize certificate for this Saffron Queen rhododendron. Mrs Hawkins, 87, said every year was as good as the last, or better.

'OFFICER' OLIVER: School's out and so are the police. Oliver Mandenko, of Blenheim, talks with Senior Constable Mike Hore in Esk St, as Invercargill police increase their presence on the city streets during the school holidays. Sergeant Brock Davis said beat staff were patrolling the city on foot throughout the break to avert any problems caused by an influx of school students in the central business district. Typically, police dealt with an increase in disorder-type offending and shoplifting during holidays, he said.

DAY FOR SAMOA: From left, Joanna Hodgson, Jackie Paterson, Alister Murray, Lagi Kuresa, Pat Meehan and Victoria Curry at the Invercargill City Council's dress-up day to raise money for the Red Cross Samoa appeal.

HEROES: Gen-i Supermums' Chrissy Barfoot, left, and Alison Slyfield with proud four-year-old sons Harris Barfoot and James Slyfield at the Cure Kids $10 Challenge finish line in Queenstown.

HEAD TO HEAD: Co-convener Daphne Batt admiring blooms of daffodils as entries started arriving for the annual Winton spring flower show. Growers from all over Central Southland, Invercargill, Te Anau and as far afield as Waihola turned up with their immaculate blossoms for the Winton Garden Club's 27th show.

FULL FORCE: Drummond Rural Fire Force volunteers, from left, Trevor Tidey, Dick McFarlane and station fire chief Jim Ford have a new place to hang their hats with the officially opening of their new station. After four years planning it took only 18 months construction before the forces fire response vehicle and all of their equipment could be housed inside. The $70,000 cost was covered by the Southern Rural Fire Authority and labour was provided by the force's 15 volunteers.