Santa has once again made his pre-Christmas appearance in Motueka, and the local MenzShed has ensured that he got here safe, sound and with jingle bells on.
For the past decade, Santa’s little College Street helpers have quite literally dusted off the big man’s sleigh, checked its magical tyres, tinkered with its bubble machine and shined up a fresh batch of tinsel.
During the Motueka New World Starlight Christmas Parade, half a dozen MenzShed elves walk alongside the sleigh, keeping excitable little hands and feet at a safe distance as Santa makes his way along High Street.
Organisation chair Mark Jones says they like to give the North Pole workshop a helping hand as a service to the whole community, “which the parade certainly is”.
“Everybody loves Santa, and the smiles that we get from doing it is worthwhile every year, without question,” he says.
Love Motueka coordinator Claire Hutt reckons the MenzShed team deserves a “massive shoutout” for their contribution to the festive season.
“They get behind it every single year,” she says.
