Welcome to the May edition of Hamptons Happenings. It has been a month of massive milestones for the team here at Hamptons ITM, starting with a historic weekend at Ruapuna that put Christchurch firmly on the global motorsport map, and it is also a month of bittersweet goodbyes as we wish one of our true originals the very best for his next adventure on the West Coast.
In this issue we:
- Recap the high-octane action of the ITM Christchurch Super 440 and celebrate the Kiwi drivers who dominated the track during this historic debut.
- Congratulate Rachel on officially graduating with her Bachelor of Arts: and find out how “witchcraft and the dead” actually helped her understand local construction history.
- Celebrate local architectural talent as Lana Bonnett (partner of our own Alex Erickson) takes out a top design honour for a project right in our backyard.
- Share a fond (and humorous) farewell to Craig Harris, a Hamptons ITM legend who is trading the trade counter for a gold pan and a build of his own.
ITM Christchurch Super 440 — What a Weekend!
Christchurch well and truly delivered as Supercars made history at Ruapuna Raceway, with the ITM Christchurch Super 440 marking the first-ever Supercars Championship event held in the South Island, and what a debut it was.
Across 17–19 April, thousands of fans packed Ruapuna for three action-packed days of world‑class racing, entertainment, and family‑friendly fun. The event formed the second half of the inaugural Supercars ITM NZ Double Header, following the Taupō Super 440 the week prior, a huge moment for New Zealand motorsport and for ITM’s long‑standing partnership with Supercars.
The racing more than lived up to the hype, with Kiwi drivers starring on home soil.
Young gun Kai Allen claimed his maiden Supercars victory in the opening Christchurch race, a milestone moment that had the crowd buzzing.
Matt Payne then put on a masterclass across the weekend, securing multiple race wins and thrilling the home fans with dominant pace around Ruapuna.
The fight for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, awarded across the Taupō and Christchurch rounds, was a major talking point and added extra intensity right through to Sunday’s finale.
As proud members of the ITM network, we loved being part of this landmark event. ITM’s naming rights across both Super 440 rounds highlight the brand’s ongoing commitment to supporting major events and connecting with communities right across Aotearoa.
A few of the Hamptons crew even found themselves soaking up the atmosphere trackside over the weekend, great racing, great crowds, and a fantastic buzz around the whole event.
With Ruapuna’s Supercars debut now firmly in the history books, this weekend has set the bar high for what’s to come. If this inaugural event was anything to go by, Supercars in Christchurch has a very bright future.
Well done, Christchurch, and well done ITM!
Hats Off to Rachel
We love a milestone moment, and this one deserves a proper round of applause. A couple of weeks ago, our very own Rachel O’Brien Hamilton officially graduated from university, attending her graduation ceremony and putting the final full stop on a long, winding, and impressively varied academic journey.
We’ll let Rachel herself tell us about her studies:
“I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, minoring in Psychology. My study journey was long and varied, with many twists and turns along the way. At the beginning of this round of study, I set out with one simple goal: just to finish the degree. I ended up finishing my degree in two and a half years, earning only A to A+ grades on all my Anthropology papers.
I loved Anthropology for the immense variety of topics we studied. One of my favourite courses was Witchcraft, Magic, And The Dead. This course was an enrapturing tour through fascinating cases of modern-day witchcraft in Gambaga, Ghana, the magical practices they involve (I’m still shaken by that chicken video!), and a mix of historical and contemporary practices for handling death.”
Learning about the history of Christchurch’s cemeteries has especially informed my growing understanding of the construction industry, as they hold many secrets about how planning decisions were made in early Canterbury.
Learning about Christchurch Heritage was a highlight of my studies. I had the privilege of learning directly from Heritage New Zealand in the process of putting together a full (mock) heritage report.
This called for an immense in-depth investigation into sixteen Hereford Street in order to prove its Heritage Status. After many sleepless nights and hours poring through century-old documents, obsessively comparing 1870’s gables – feeling like Tom Hanks in The Da-Vinci Code – I managed to determine a narrow 3-year period in which construction occurred.
By constructing a rich timeline demonstrating the property’s significance (murders and all!) I was able to prove that it should be heritage listed, develop knowledge of heritage construction, and earn my degree!”
Local Talent Takes Top Architecture Honour
We’re proud to share some great news from close to home. Lana Bonnett, partner of our very own Alex Erickson from the Hamptons ITM trade counter, has been named a winner of the NZIA Canterbury Emerge Pavilion Competition, alongside fellow architect Rosa Hill of Nott Architects.
Their winning design was selected for its clear, buildable approach and strong alignment with the values of the Climate Action Campus, where the pavilion will be constructed at 180 Avonside Drive, just around the corner from Hamptons ITM.
The pavilion features a modular timber structure with an exposed frame, celebrating handson making, sustainability, and learning through construction. The jury praised the design’s inclusive layout, cultural grounding in Te Ao Māori, and its thoughtful response to the local ecological context of the Ōtākaro wetlands.
In addition to a $1,000 prize, Lana and Rosa will now take their concept through to reality, designing and building the pavilion on site — a fantastic achievement and one we’re delighted to celebrate.
Congratulations, Lana and Rosa — we’re proud to be surrounded by winners.
Craig Harris – A Fond Farewell to a Hamptons Original
Last month, we bid a fond farewell to Craig Harris — long‑standing Hamptons staff member, salesman extraordinaire, and all‑round good bloke.
Craig was genuinely loved by customers and colleagues alike and will be remembered most for his intense honesty, often delivered with passion, conviction… and occasionally a pointed finger. You always knew exactly where you stood with Craig — and for many, that was precisely why they trusted him so completely.
Describing Craig isn’t easy — mainly because he refuses to fit neatly into any box. He’s a car‑racing, golf‑playing, practical‑joking, motorbike‑riding, fancy‑dressing, ice‑skating South African — which pretty much says it all. In short, Craig never followed the script — he rewrote it, usually with flair.
Craig’s sense of humour is the stuff of a true Hamptons legend. Nowhere was this more evident than at a Hamptons Christmas party, where he decided it would be a great idea to present each team member with a picture of the cartoon character they reminded him of. Some staff members are still processing that moment… and others may still be in therapy.
Don, however, was somewhat chuffed — Craig believed he bore a striking resemblance to Virgil from The Thunderbirds, and wore the comparison like a badge of honour.
While Craig loved a laugh, he took his work incredibly seriously. It has been said that Craig was up and working before the early bird had even thought about the worm! Craig’s work ethic was second to none, and his reputation in the building and construction space made him a highly sought‑after problem solver and trouble‑shooter.
After completing his time at Hamptons, Craig leaves behind a legacy of honesty, laughter, hard work, and more than a few unforgettable moments. He made an impact not just through what he knew, but through how he showed up — authentically, unapologetically, and always with heart.
Craig now heads into a well‑earned lifestyle change, swapping sales targets and site visits for a very different kind of project — building his own home on the West Coast. In a twist that feels entirely on‑brand, Craig will be experiencing the building industry from the other side for a change. No doubt the standards will remain high, the opinions strong, and the honesty unwavering.
When he’s not building, Craig plans to spend time panning for gold in the mountains — because if anyone was going to leave Hamptons to chase gold on the West Coast, it was always going to be Craig.
Craig, thank you for everything you brought to Hamptons — the energy, the expertise, the laughs, and the honesty (even when it came with a pointed finger). You will be missed — but never forgotten.
Best wishes,
David, Wendy, Don & Tracy, and the rest of the team at Hamptons ITM
