In 2025, the Town of Bridgewater identified Alexandra in the Central Otago District of New Zealand as a “climate twin” and struck up a pen-pal relationship of sorts. Mayor Ted Flory has corresponded with Central Otago’s Mayor Tamah Alley, and the two have shared in the joys, quirks, and connection of small-town life.
Mayor Flory received a letter from Mayor Alley last month, and we wanted to share it with you. In it, Mayor Alley expressed her joy at taking a virtual tour of Bridgewater via Google Maps and recognizing the similarities of life on the river. While we were experiencing bone-chilling cold here in Bridgewater, Alexandra was in the midst of a “rubbish summer” with cooler-than-usual temperatures and lots of rain. Mayor Alley invited Bridgewater folks to visit and ensured that any visitor from Bridgewater would get a warm welcome and tour of the local spots. She congratulated Donna and Larry Barber on their being honored with the ABLE Award. In light of our Big Block of Cheese Day, she also shared a recipe for the local delicacy Cheese Rolls (also known as Southland Sushi).
You can read Mayor Alley’s letter and find the recipe for Cheese Rolls on our website!
Photo above is a view of the skyline of Alexandra, NZ by Sebthedev – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119148859.