ISSUE 6/AUTUMN 2010
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The Tsunami • Local News • Our Kids • Surf Nationals
Living and breathing Wainui professing her love for the place where she lives.
rateable valuation,” she says. “It has been disconcerting to see values eroding with vendors securing
Living and breathing the beach, is how she puts it. Separating her passion
difference, and I believe Bronwyn Kay Agency did that this summer. “This is where I live. I have owned
sales at prices far removed from their
three
properties
at
Wainui,
from
valuations.
absolute beachfront, to the Moana Road
for Wainui Beach as a place to live, from
“At the Bronwyn Kay Agency, we have
Wainui Beach as an area of real estate
also noticed the time our properties
potential, is impossible to do.
took to sell reduce to between 35 and
“As a seller I understand the needs
“I’ve lived here since 1986. My
45 days. We, and the sellers of course,
of the vendor to sell a property and
children grew up here. I live and I breath
were pleased with the quick turnover
come away feeling that a fair deal was
this place. So how could I not have a
and the prices achieved. This, in turn,
achieved. As a buyer, I understand
passionate concern about how the
is now giving purchasers renewed
how potential buyers must balance
business of real estate impacts on our
confidence to once again invest in
their financial plans with their emotions
community”
Wainui property.”
when it comes to realising the dream of
highway and back to semi beachfront again on Wairere Road.
To this effect, Bronwyn is proud of
Bronwyn says there has been a
recent results on behalf of clients who
recent flurry of sales in our beach
“Finding the middle ground where
have recently sold their properties at
community, which has seen the list
each party comes away feeling good,
the beach.
a beachside lifestyle.
of houses on the market suddenly
feeling they received a fair deal, is what
“Since August last year we have sold
reduced. From a slow market with a
I love about this business. There is no
nine properties in the Wainui area, all
lot of choice for buyers, the situation
satisfaction in knowing one side has
with favourable results, where both the
has suddenly somersaulted with fewer
out-played the other.”
seller and the vendor have walked away
properties to choose from. Buyers are
Bronwyn Kay Agency is actively
with a sense of fairness. This has to be
now having to actively seek property for
seeking new listings at Wainui due to
good for all of us in the community.
sale at Wainui.
the high volume of recent sales.
“Our most recent sales have seen prices achieved much closer to seller’s expectations. “We
have
not
marketed
these
properties with any sense of panic,
So, as they say in real estate, now is a good time to be selling.
“If you’re in the market to buy or sell, we would really love to talk to
Bronwyn has no hesitation in urging
you. Call me, I’m the lady with the local
potential vendors to “come and see me
knowledge and the passion for property
first”.
in your area.”
rather the opposite. And as a result we
“I’m the lady with the passion,” she
have helped reverse a trend that saw a
says. “I am in this business to make a
agency limited
www.bronwynkay.com
Bronwyn Kay has no hesitation in
Call 0800 BRONWYN
agency limited MREINZ
Shed 1, 60 The Esplanade, Gisborne 4010, New Zealand p +646-869-0088 I f +646-869-0089 I e info@bronwynkay.com
LICENSED UNDER THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS ACT 2008
869 0088
widening gap between selling price and
BeachLife | 3
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contents
M A G A Z I N E Delivered free to every home from Sponge Bay to Makorori.
main event
..................................
6-7 Chilean earthquake-generated tsunami sparks major alert at our beach.
PUBLISHED AND PRINTED BY Design Arts Ltd ..................................
community news 8
PUBLISHING EDITOR Gray Clapham 90 Moana Road, Okitu Wainui Beach, Gisborne Phone 868 0240 Fax 867 7010 ..................................
New community group logo. Issues aired at meeting with Council. Community picnic. Money presented to cycleway trust.
community forum 9-11 Community group report. Danger at the Oneroa Road-State Highway 35 junction. Call to
slow down the highway. How to survive when cycling into town. Former local boy Jon van Wyk reminisces on his good old days. Local sprinter on sports scholarship.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Heidi Clapham ..................................
beach news
CONTRIBUTORS Kelly Ryan, Cory Scott ..................................
12-15 Tsunami Bar latest. Play area popular. Cycleway update. School hangi. Third Summer Slam. Makorori surf parks bought by Council. Mini housing boom at the beach.
ALL LETTERS, ARTICLES & CORRESPONDENCE TO info@wainuibeach.co.nz ..................................
beach babes 16
ADVERTISING Gray & Sandy Clapham Phone 868 0240 Fax 867 7010 info@wainuibeach.co.nz ..................................
More babies – Vanya, Emma and Huia show off their new-borns.
beach life 18-29 Australian surfboard blank maker visits local shaper. Weddings. Birthdays. Wainui nippers. First Light Makorori Longboard surfers classic. Local school gets glowing report. Amber Dunn’s look at sand movement on Wainui beach.
COVER: Makorori Firstlight Longboard Surfing Classic junior event finalists Ben McCulloch, Max Neutroski, Sonny Brown and Patrick Cranston.
beach people 30-37 Ila Robertson’s eventful life overseas. Young German’s call Wainui home. Last wave for Salty Dog. Ben Hutchings returns to live at Sponge Bay. Three local kids chase football dreams. Goodbye to John Moxley. Isobel Coulston’s wonderful interest in genealogy.
beach history 38-40 An eyewitness account of the tsunami of 1947 which wrecked the Tatapouri hotel and ripped away the Pouawa bridge. Glory days when camping was allowed at Makorori.
surfing 42 Historical photographs and assistance courtesy Tairawhiti Museum
P I L AT E S
•
MASSAGE
•
Wave Rave with Kelly Ryan: Surf stories, results and what the groms are up to.
All BeachLife pages can be viewed online at www.wainuibeach.co.nz REIKI
•
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GENERAL MENSWEAR & SUIT SPECIALISTS
lotusstudio@xtra.co.nz
Collier’s Menswear is a Wainui Beach owned local business.
Phone 863 1087
BeachLife | 5
main event
Tsunami alert creates day of drama at beach
The centre of the bay at Wainui crept quietly in and out several times during the day of the Chilean earthquake tsunami. Despite the civil defence alert and warnings to keep off the beach, Wainui remained a popular venue for surfers and recreational walkers throughout the day. SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 28 and a stunning day dawned with the sunrise at Wainui Beach. Then rudely, the promise of a last tribute to a long hot summer was shattered by the fast spreading news that a potentially devastating tsunami was heading our way. The magnitude and the source of the earthquake that spawned the threat – 8.8 magnitude and off the coast of Chile – stacked up to create a tsunami alert of life-threatening probability. First fears were that the tsunami would hit local beaches at 7.59am. However the first surge arrived at 8.20am and measured just 40 centimetres. It was hardly noticeable. Earlier reports of less-than-life-threatening
surges from the Chathams had allayed fears that Gisborne was to be inundated. The day turned into a coastwatcher’s field day, with dozens of quietly dramatic ebbs and surges to be observed as the disturbed waters of the Pacific oscillated around our shores for several hours like water in a bath tub. The most dramatic scenes were at beaches where the underlying reefs were alternately covered and uncovered as if the tide was changing every 10 to 15 minutes. At times, the centre of Wainui bay emptied out dramatically to reveal seldom visible sandbars. Winifred Street resident Linda Coulston watched the level of the sea in the bay rise and fall at least six times. She contacted the New Zealand Herald and as a result a photo she took Laser Electrical thanks the many homeowners at appeared on the front Wainui Beach who have supported and trusted page of the national paper the next morning. our electrical and air-conditioning services At the Pines and north of the surf club, ELECTRICAL large areas of usually • Domestic submerged jagged reef • Commercial became exposed during the ebbs and was AIR CONDITIONING covered again by the • Mitsubishi surges. • Fujitsu Wainui lifeguard Jeremy Lockwood said while the sea appeared Phone 868 6720 flat, there were strong www.laserelectrical.co.nz currents under the
6 | BeachLife
surface associated with the tsunami. Lifeguards were given the onerous task of asking people to move off the beach for their own safety. However, even at the height of the warnings before 8.00am, and during the entire day as the tsunami warnings remained in place, Wainui Beach on such a nice day was irresistible to many. Joggers jogged, walkers walked and surfers surfed throughout the civil defence alert. Linda Coulston said right from 7.30am, when the tsunami alert was at its peak, she observed numerous groups of people, including families with children, watching the sea from the sand dunes along Moana Road. “I couldn’t believe it, at that stage no one knew what was coming.” At Stock Route a Gisborne Boardriders Club veterans’ surfing contest continued despite the alert. Local surfing identity Dave Timbs observed the surf from his home overlooking Stock Route and was one of those who eventually went out surfing. “I was woken by an overseas call that there had been a big earthquake in Chile and there was a chance of a tsunami here. I know from swell forecasts that the only tsunami we might get at the southern end of Wainui Beach would be from an underwater landslide just off the coast – and then we would have very little warning – or from an earthquake in Chile which could produce a serious tsunami. “So at 1.30am I watched BBC news and
main event checked out the internet. It looked like we had until at least 7am before the Chatham Islands would be affected, so I set my alarm for 7am and went back to sleep. “When I awoke the Civil Defence website said the first tsunami pulse should arrive at 8.30am and that the Chathams had earlier recorded a 0.4m pulse. We were off the hook,” Dave decided, “and not in for too much.” So after 8.30am, all the local surfers and the Gisborne Surfriders Club contest competitors hit the water and surfed until the onshore winds picked up later in the day. “From the accounts of surfers I’ve met who were out surfing off an island in Indonesia when a major tsunami came through, it seems if you are far enough off the shore and the surge is a relatively small one, then it is quite safe to be surfing in such a situation.” The general feeling amongst the surfing fraternity was that they had acted responsibly. They had listened to the warnings, monitored the arrival and size of the surge at the Chathams, watched the arrival and size of the surges at Wainui and then decided there was little to no danger of a rogue surge of life-threatening size hitting the local beach. While fascinating because of the unusual nature of the surges, the actual effect of the tsunami here was minimal – this time. Surfers and residents were also aware that Wainui is often pounded by waves higher than three metres. Beachfront houses along Moana and Wairere Roads are built on sites that are approximately 10 to 13 metres above mean sea level – about the height of a four storey building. It would require a wave of over 10 metres to reach front door steps. Okitu storekeepers Gary and Maryanne Quinn and family were amongst those who decided it was prudent to get to higher ground – heading for the safety of Winifred Street – at least until the threat had passed at 9.00am. Linda Coulston said when she was awoken by news of the impending tsunami around 7.30am, there were already at least 100 cars parked along the heights overlooking Wainui from Winifred Street. While the Okitu Store was late to open that morning, the Wainui Store was open as usual, staff reporting a busier than normal morning with regulars and sightseers from town queueing for coffee. BeachLife publisher Gray Clapham and his wife Sandy, along with Tessa and Sean McCormick, Debbie Wooster and Chrisse Robertson were awoken before dawn by a civil defence warden and urged to make a hurried evacuation from a weekend camping site at Kaiaua Beach, north of Tolaga Bay on the Sunday morming. “The man told us the tsunami was going to hit the coast at 7.30am. It wasn’t till we were able to get radio reception up on the highway we realised that there had been no real need to panic – but for a while we were fizzing as we rushed to dismantle the beachside camp site.”
Ten tides in one day
The photos above were taken just minutes apart. The sea ebbed and surged at around 10 minute intervals exposing seldom-viewed reefs at the Pines section of the beach. Later the group witnessed several “quite New Zealand. However, GeoNet says numerical dramatic” ebbs as Turihaua bay drained out to simulations of the likely effects of the tsunami on expose large areas of reef for ten minutes or more New Zealand predicted measurable waves with – then be covered again as a sheet of water crept amplitudes of between 0.2 and 1 metre along back to totally submerge the reef, with 0.5 metre much of the eastern coast. “mini-tsunamis” rolling up the beach with each Historical accounts suggested that the largest surge. This cycle repeated itself for several hours. waves would arrive between 6 and 12 hours after At least one diver could be seen taking advantage the initial arrivals – this was most evident at of the “low tides” way out on Pouawa reef. Gisborne. In the wake of the alert, GeoNet reported that The secondary larger waves were due to tsunami surges hit Owenga Wharf on the Chatham reflections of the tsunami from other parts of Islands east coast at 7.25am and again at 8.10am. the Pacific arriving in New Zealand later than the At Gisborne, the first surge was reported in the direct waves and adding to the activity currently harbour at 8.20am. Geonet says waves of nearly under way. See story and photos of the 1947 two metres (peak to trough) were observed on local tsunami on page 40. Chatham Island and at Gisborne. The unusual sea level activity continued at all recording sites for at least 24 hours after Gisborne’s biggest range of framed the first arrivals. photo prints & artworks The magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Chile resulted from the oceanic Nazca plate being thrust under the South American plate. The earthquake generated a tsunami which propagated west-north-westward across the Pacific Ocean. The largest waves were 57 Gladstone Road • Phone 867 4305 • jeffos@clear.net.nz not expected to hit
MERCADOS
Picture Framing & Laminating
BeachLife | 7
community news
Issues aired at meeting with Council
THIS IS OUR RESIDENT’S association new brand name and community logo. It was designed by Sanne Effmann, a German graphic artist who has moved to live in our community. The logo represents the group’s core values of protecting and respecting both our land and sea environments. The group is officially known as the Wainui/Okitu Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc, but will be more informally known as Wainui Okitu Community. See page 27 for Sanne Effmann’s story.
Picnic brings people together THE FIRST OKITU-WAINUI Community Group picnic and barbecue day was held on a warm late summer’s Sunday afternoon in March. After being postponed from the Sunday of the tsunami scare, an enthusiastic gathering of about 60 adults and around 30 children wandered down to the Wainui Surf Lifesaving Club during the afternoon bringing picnic food and drinks along with meat for the two BBQs in operation. Apple bobbing and lolly scamble games were popular with the small children while the parents relaxed in conversational groups catching up with friends and neighbours. Bill and Mike Brown entertained with guitar and song while Craig Jenkins organised a wheel-of-fortune in which 40 prizes, donated by local business people, were raffled. Nearly $1000 was raised and this will be presented to the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust. Community Group chairperson Norman Weiss says the idea was to promote a community dynamic, to get people interacting and to have a “bunch of fun” which could only be healthy for the community. He says, while its not confirmed, there was talk of maybe a mid-winter “pot luck” dinner gathering at the Wainui School Hall.
STORMWATER DRAINAGE into the Wainui Stream, the need for more public toilets, exotic tree removal, road repairs, speed limits and the cycleway were all issues discussed with mayor Meng Foon and GDC officers at a public meeting in March at the school hall. As a result of concerns voiced about the use of the Wainui Stream for drainage from new developments GDC chief executive Lindsay McKenzie has proposed a special meeting to be organised to discuss the whole issue of stormwater drainage and the general catchment situation at Wainui. Resident and community group representative Virginia Gunness of Pare Street raised the issue saying: “Stormwater is spewing on to our beach. It is a safety hazard. We don’t want this pollution coming on to our beach.” Group chairperson Norman Weiss said better monitoring of the stream and its waterflow during winter was crucial. Concern was also raised over the Council’s care of beach access ways at Wainui. Resident Mary Graham said rubbish bins were often
overflowing during summer and BeachLife editor Gray Clapham suggested the need for public toilets at the Schools access. The mayor said he would see what could be done about rubbish collection but thought more toilets for Wainui would be unlikely. The speed limits along Sponge Bay Road and along SH35 were discussed briefly. A Wairere Road resident brought up the issue of Norfolk Pines in a council reserve shading her property. Mayor Foon said it was too late to talk about Norfolk Pines being removed after a protest last year, which included the mayor, put a handbrake on GDC’s reserves management plan policy to remove all exotic trees at Wainui. After recent consultations with residents, exotic plantings in Lysnar Reserve, other than the Norfolk Pines, were planned to be removed this year. The cycle and walkway concept was discussed with the consensus that unless funding could be found outside of council it was unlikely to proceed anytime in the near future.
Group gives funds to cycleway trust
Wainui Okitu Community chair Norman Weiss, Craig Jenkins and treasurer Chris Charrington show the cheque for $945 before presenting it to Dick Coates of the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust.
A CHEQUE FOR almost $1000 from money raised in raffles at the Wainui Okitu Community picnic day has been presented to the Gisborne Walk and Cycleway Trust. The Trust now has around $10,000 in the kitty which stands as a show of commitment from the community for the concept of a cycling and walking track between Wainui and
the city. The money was originally raised when the community had a target of around $80,000 to help fund the project at an earlier stage. Trust chair Dick Coates says the money will remain in the trust as efforts continue to make the cycle and walkway happen one way or another.
Supporting the Wainui–Okitu Community 8 | BeachLife
Please email your thoughts and opinions to info@wainuibeach.co.nz
Community Group gets into action OUR NEW COMMUNITY logo, along with our motto, “beach voice for beach people,” pretty much says what the local rate payers and residents association is all about. We are about helping to create a greater sense of community here at the beach while providing a vehicle through which our community can have more say, particularly with the Gisborne District Council, in what happens out here. Our first community event was held on Sunday 21 March, after being postponed twice, first by the tsunami warning and then by the weather. We had a glorious sunny day and a good turnout for the community picnic and barbecue at the surf club. We had our first general members’ meeting just before the picnic. The main thing that came out of that meeting was that members wanted the Association to make a submission to the Council’s annual plan. Our submission states that the Association is a major stakeholder in the affairs of the Wainui Okitu Community. As such, the Association wants the Gisborne District Council to involve us at the early planning stages of projects that may affect our community and our beach either directly or indirectly. You can read the entire submission and lots of other interesting things on our website (www. wainuibeach.org.nz). There has been a suggestion to form a sub-group within the Association, consisting of members who own or operate a business in Wainui/Okitu. Council seem to look more favourably on business people than on ordinary homeowners when it comes to stakeholder consultation. There are a lot of beach business people out here and there might be many benefits that would come from joining our energies in a group dynamic. Our Association has been in existence for only six months, and already our membership has grown to 109. That’s about 20% of the households in the community. Many of you say you have intended to join up, but just have not gotten around to it yet. It’s easy to join. There are joining envelopes at both dairies or you can join online by making a direct deposit to ANZ Bank a/c 01 0641 0215837 00. It only costs $10 a year per person. If you join on-line, then please email your details to our treasurer, Chris Charrington at chris@gisborne.net.nz. The Association’s AGM is coming up in June. Think about standing for one of the Committee positions – chair, treasurer, secretary and three committee members. If you want more information about what is involved or have any suggestions for us, then please email us at info@wainuibeach.org.nz.
beach forum
Troubles at the on-ramp and a call to slow down the highway BACK IN 1994 BEACHLIFE Magazine identified a potentially dangerous situation at the junction of Oneroa and State Highway 35. This was not long after the highway had been moved to bypass Wairere Road. It’s interesting to see that this subject has come up again, prompted by recent fears expressed by the Gisborne Road Safety Action Group, claiming failure to give way to logging trucks at this intersection is putting drivers and their passengers at risk of having a serious accident, In the December 1995 issue of BeachLife we noted that traffic coming off the Oneroa Road give way often underestimated the speed of the faster traffic on the highway, causing drivers to take evasive action to avoid accidents. A GDC roading spokesperson responded saying that there was “no evident justification to change the give way sign to a stop sign at the junction”. He said there were strict national criteria governing the placement of stop or give way signs on highway junctions that were based on visibility. That was then, this is now. And now we have the “Wall of Wood” and the daily, and nightly, convoy of loggers travelling at maximum speed along the highway at a rate of often more than one a minute. The New Zealand Transport Agency has responded to the local road safety group’s concerns saying a safety review of the junction was now underway. The agency says an average of 4491 vehicles a day, including 346 trucks, pass the intersection each day. It compared this to a similar junction on the Napier Expressway which carries 23,000 vehicles a day. It says visibility at the Oneroa junction was good, so traffic engineers would need to ascertain if there were other issues. Yes, there is another issue, and it’s the main cause of the problem. Drivers leaving Oneroa Road are, for some reason, compelled to keep proceeding even when they can see vehicles coming down the highway. Okitu residents travelling to town observe and react to this phenomenon daily. And it’s been going on since 1994. It’s not that the residents of the “south end” are collectively suicidal or totally arrogant – there is a certain “softness” in the design of the junction which suggests to drivers that there is some sort of “merging lane” operating. There is something about the way Oneroa Road blends into the shoulder of the highway that compels drivers not to stop but to edge along the shoulder inside the white line until it is safe to pull out into the main stream. Some drivers amble along inside the white line on the edge of the seal for hundreds of meters. A stop sign at this junction will really irritate the residents of the south end of the beach, having
to stop every time, even when the way is clear. The answer might be to stop treating the intersection as if it’s the Ellerslie on-ramp and actually give way to traffic hoofing it down the highway. To do this, maybe the Transport Agency engineers need to reconfigure the intersection to take away this “merging lane” compulsion effect. There’s also a faction out in our community who would like to see the 100km/h speed limit between Okitu and Sponge Bay reduced to a constant 70km/h, which might reduce the danger at this intersection and others. This seems like a fair request. For those people living alongside the highway it must be a daily nightmare. The stop-start 70kmh, then 100, then 70 again through the Wainui-Sponge Bay area is erratic. Make it 7okmh all the way I say. Life is about people, not cars. There are others who would like to see the speed along Moana Road reduced to 50km/h and I believe this is a fair request too. This is our village after all and not just some remote straggle of homes beside the highway out in the back blocks. We try to live life at an urban pace along Moana Road and I believe we have every right to be protected from the logging trucks and other fast moving traffic as the people along, say, Ormond Road in Gisborne do. Logging trucks travelling at any speed are daunting. When you get three or four in convoy barrelling down Moana Road at 7okm/h it’s a horror show. A local petition calling for a 50km/h along Moana Road was rejected by Transit New Zealand in 2008. Instead they erected those big “threshhold gateway” 70km/h signs. At the time the authority said one of the main tests of suitability for imposing a speed restriction on a section of highway is “if there can be a realistic expectation of observance”. Well, BeachLife reckons there could be and should be. The moment you drive over Makorori hill and hit the houses at Okitu you know you’re back in “town”. It’s obvious you have entered an urban area. It might be a pain for the logging truck drivers to have to slow down to 50km/h for a couple of kilometres while they drive through our village and it might inconvenience the forestry company’s harvesting schedules by a few minutes a day. We quietly, albeit begrudgingly, accept that the loggers must pass through our community to get their logs into town. We would like some respect shown in return. Transit New Zealand (which is now Transport Agency) said at the time of the rejected petition in 2008: “It’s not the end of the equation. Things do change and we will keep monitoring the situation. It’s not a matter of sticking to some rule book on this. We have to use commonsense.” Maybe it’s time for commonsense – and another petition? GRAY CLAPHAM – BEACHLIFE PUBLISHER
NORMAN WEISS – COMMUNITY GROUP CHAIR
BeachLife | 9
beach forum
Please email your thoughts and opinions to info@wainuibeach.co.nz
Neil’s tips for cycling survival Local lawyer Neil Weatherhead is a regular figure on SH35 cycling to his office in the city. He has been pedalling the route for 30 years and here offers some cynical advise to those of us who are mourning the demise of the cycleway project. OKAY, SO IT IS DISAPPOINTING that the cycleway is a dead duck. But I reckon there are a few pikers out here using it as an excuse not to get on their bikes. There is an element of risk no matter how we travel on the road. Lots of people all over the world cycle on much busier roads. The majority of drivers are pretty good and considerate. Anyway, if it’s any comfort to you big girl’s blouses, if there is a fatality or serious injury for every so many thousands of cycle miles, then the 30 years I have been doing it (add in the years spent biking to school and to varsity in Christchurch) must mean the odds are rapidly shortening against me. So relax. Enjoy the ride and let me do the worrying – and permit me to proffer a few pointers and pearls of wisdom about cycling between Wainui Beach and Gisborne city. • There will always be a head wind. Get used to it – it’s an immutable law of nature. That stiff north-wester you battle into in the morning will be an equally stiff sea breeze or southerly on the way home. On a rare occasion that north-wester will have strengthened by the time you head home and you will fly home. Enjoy that moment of bliss, it will be a long time before the next one. In any event, as you come around the left hand bend by the hill at the end of the straight you are likely to be greeted by a northeaster. • You look silly enough in your cycle helmet so don’t make it worse by dressing up in fluoro and lycra. Its not the Tour de France and dressing up like a garish plastic flower doesn’t make you cycle any faster. • The 100mm-wide white line on the left hand side of the road is not the cycle way. You don’t need to ride along it. There is anything from 2 to 3 metres of seal to the left of it. Keep to the edge of the seal. • Any handy tradesman’s tools – screwdrivers, chisels etc – that may have fallen off the back of a ute should be left on the side of the road. Longevity gives me first dibs on them. • On those occasion when you set out feeling good, legs pumping furiously and feeling really pleased with your efforts, some cycling club geek will glide passed you legs barely moving. In the blink of an eye they will be 200 metres down the road and around the next corner. Don’t despair, they probably wont be seen dead on a bike at your age. However, 10 | BeachLife
if the roadside joggers start passing you, it might be time to reconsider your mode of transport. • No matter what flash compound – such as Kevlar or whatever – your tyres are made of, you will get a flat tyre. It will happen in one of two situations. It will happen the day you have a lot to sort out at the office. You will have made an early start and been going over in your mind how you will deal to that mountain of work. About half way to town a tyre goes flat. As you ponder whether to carry on walking or go home and get the car some kind Wainui-Makorori person will stop and offer to take you and your bike whichever way you want to go. • Or it could happen at the end of that busy day. You stayed late, got the work done, it’s the middle of the year and after dark. You head off and halfway up Wainui Road the bitterly cold southerly with icy rain sets in. Then the tyre goes flat. With numb hands you fumble for your mobile only to find the battery is flat. Start walking. • Driving a car in and out of town all these years deceives you that the highway is flat all the way. Wrong. Heading into town – apart from a slight decline at the Wainui end of the straight – its all uphill until about the Rutene Road-Huxley Road intersection and to the same point coming back the other way. • While the majority of vehicle drivers are great it still leaves the other ghastly 49%. You will be amazed at how many airheads have been let loose on the road. They will be yapping on their phone, texting, lighting a fag, changing the CD (sometime all at once) – real multi-tasking, but they will fail to see you. • Invariably when you come off the Gladstone Road bridge heading into the city and a vehicle behind wants to turn left into Customhouse Street they will come around your outside and cut across in front of you into Customhouse Street. I usually give them a cheerful two finger greeting and hope they glanced in their rear vision mirror. However, if some beefy truckie stops and wants to know what your problem is, you are on your own. Well, with all this, why do I do it? That’s right, its good for my health and fitness and its got a green tinge. Your smaller carbon footprint will mean you come over all smug and self righteous so you wont feel so bad when after you get home you jump in the car to go a few hundred metres down the road to get the milk and bread or plan your next holiday to Bali or Tahiti. Time to go and dig out that bone-rattler from the depths of the garage, wipe the dust and cobwebs off, oil the chain, pump the tyres up and get on your bikes. NEIL WEATHERHEAD
Fast running earns Tom a sporting scholarship YOUNG WAINUI athlete Tom Smith has started a sports scholarship at Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate School, where he will be encouraged and coached to realise his dream of becoming a record-breaking New Zealand sprint athlete. At age 13, he is already one of New Zealand’s fastest runners over 100 and 200 metres. In Hamilton, Tom will be trained and mentored by Gary HenleySmith, who ran in the men’s relay in the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games. His training partner will be another promising, teenage sprinter, Blake Gordon, who also has a scholarship to the school. Tom says students have to play a summer and a winter sport at the collegiate. He has chosen soccer and athletics and is also keen to give rowing a try. Classes go until 3.30pm each day and then scholarship athletes spend three hours on their sports. Their day finishes around 8.30pm. Tom was originally turned down when he first applied for the scholarship last year. But St Paul’s reconsidered after seeing him run at the North Island Colgate Games and the North Island Secondary Schools tournament recently. At the Colgate event, Tom won gold in the 13-year boys 200 metres sprint and silver in the 100 metre race, finishing just 0.1 of a second behind Blake Gordon. At the North Island Secondary Schools’ meeting Tom won silver medals for the junior boys 100 and 200m races. In Gisborne, Tom had been coached for just under a year by well-known Gisborne athlete, Jim Trowell. Despite leaving Gisborne Boy’s High School after only one term, Tom is already in the school’s record books after breaking two junior sprint records at the athletics day earlier this year. His record-breaking runs came only days after winning medals at the Ocean Athletes national under-14 surf lifesaving championships. Tom is the son of Jane and Andrew Smith of Murphy Road.
Jon’s memories of Stockroute glory days OUR FAMILY ARRIVED at Wainui in the summer of 1975 from Brisbane via Auckland with our parents Wim and Hettie. I was five at the time, Robbie was just three. Richard as born in 1977, Nisha in ‘78 and Chris in ‘81. We all went to Wainui Beach School. After living next door to the Collier boys on Moana Road for a couple of years, we moved to our own place at 15 Murphy Road with the Bodle family on one side and the Ferris family on the other. It was a time of idyllic fun for me and my brothers Robbie and Richard – making friends and treading the well-worn path to Wainui Beach Primary School. I made pocket money mowing lawns for everyone in the neighborhood, buying my first old surfboard for $20 from a garage sale at Okitu. My first surf is still an embarrassing memory. It must have been all of two-foot and I was freaking out. John Gisby and Teddy Colbert were out the back and took pity on me showing me how to paddle and ride whitewash until I gained more confidence. One day in 1980 Dad came home with the news that the big place on the corner of Pare Street had sold and a family with three boys was moving in. I went straight over and met the Atsalis brothers unpacking their stuff and getting ready to go for a surf. We all became good mates and surfed together as often as we could. Both Kosta and Dominic were very strong surfers. Kosta had a huge backhand re-entry, and Dominic excelling in left-hand breaks, dazzling everyone with his 360s. The Atsalis parents, Pat and Nick, used to take us surfing at Makarori and they became second parents to many of us Wainui teenagers, as well as Callum and Margie Ferris. Some of my best memories are eating Pat’s famous lasagne with Kosta and Dominic on their balcony after a long Saturday morning session at Stockroute, watching lines of perfect surf along the horizon and enjoying the after-surf glow of dried salt on sunburnt skin. The Lewin brothers and Phil Allen lived near ‘No Access”. Peter Ritchie’s family arrived to Pare Street around this time. Many were the mornings that we would all be late for school after surfing clean Stockroute and then cycling into the city with sandy feet, salty hair and stupid grins on our faces thinking about the waves we had just ridden. John Lewin excelled in all kinds of surf and would charge anything. His stocky appearance and aggressive style earned him the nickname ‘Bulldog’ and it was awesome to watch him and Peter Ritchie competing for the best set waves, with Phil Allen usually on the next wave behind. John Lewin and I would often ‘excuse’ ourselves early from school during early the autumn-winter season to go and surf the
Former Wainui Beach local Jon van Wyk came across the BeachLife Magazine website recently. Catching up with the history and the news he was so overcome with a wave of nostalgia, he was prompted to write and share his own recollections of life at Wainui from 1975 to 1990. He currently works as an educational consultant in Hong Kong.
Jon van Wyk with young students in Hong Kong.
Island, often with a strong south swell all to ourselves. I remember wishing I owned a waterproof camera on many occasions, as John fearlessly took 8-foot drops with a calm smile on his face and a wide arc of spray coming off his trademark, deep bottom turn. During the middle to late 80s, the surf at Wainui suffered from the El Niño effect and there were often little to no waves during the summer months. In 1986, Murray Robertson from the Wainui Beach Surf club ‘head-hunted’ Dominic Atsalis, Mike Lewin, Darren Emerre and myself, to train in a surf canoe for the regional surf life saving championships. We were so fit from surfing that we managed to finish a good 50 metres away from the next boat and won the title. Murray was keen for us to continue as clubbies, but the allure of the waves was too strong and we went back to surfing as soon as the next swell arrived. By the time I left to go to University and become a teacher in 1987, the neighborhood was packed with young Ferris, Carters, Gunness and Rasby kids. It was awesome to come back from university and watch Damon Gunness, my brother Richard, Marc Ferris along with Christie and Jamie Carter take their first surfs together in front of Stockroute, with Mum begging me to go and watch them and make sure they didn’t drown. By that time a lot of the ‘townies’ were beginning to move out in increasing numbers and the lineup began to feel crowded at times, especially when the banks at Stockroute and Cooper Street were working. ‘Rogernomics’ and the economic downturn of the mid-eighties had a big effect on Wainui as well as everywhere else in New Zealand,
and by the time Mum and Dad decided to leave Wainui in late 1990, housing prices were at a low and the economy was not worth talking about. It was a sad day when I got the news that they were leaving, but there was some consolation in the news that the folks had decided to move to Noosa Heads, Queensland Australia, which is also a ‘surf mecca’ of sorts, and has a much warmer climate. We got the news then that the new owners of our place were the Quinn family and they had kids that were into surfing as well. I stayed to work as a teacher after finishing my degree in 1991, leaving Gisborne in 1997 after completing a stint at Gisborne Boys’ High School. I currently work as an educational consultant in Hong Kong. The thing about Wainui that stays in my mind apart from the times we had in the surf, is the sense of family and belonging we had with everyone in the area. Everyone knew each other and helped out with all kinds of stuff. There was a well-established sense of respect for the older locals and there was always a ride into town available if you needed one. Teddy always stopped to pick us up when we were hitch hiking, even though sometimes we had to give him gas money if he was on empty. The last time I visited Wainui, back in 2001, the surf picked up the day I arrived and I was just in time to walk down to Stockroute and see Razza pull off a huge air in front of the old Kraznich house. Sitting there on the bank, I looked over and saw Carl Ferris with his wife and it was like I had never left. Hard to believe I had become one of the older guys watching the surf that I used see from out in the lineup when I was younger, but there you are, the circle always continues with the next generation. My brother Robbie is now based in WA with a family, running his own building business and doing really well. Richard, Chris and Nisha all live near my parents in Noosa; Richard is a computer engineer, Nisha is a teacher and Chris is a bridge inspector for the government. Kosta and I are still best mates, he moved to Noosa after coming over for a holiday to see us and decided to set up shop there. He is now one of the most successful painters in Noosa. No matter where I travel in the world nowadays, I will always appreciate the privilege I had of growing up in Wainui. I hope to be back there one day soon. JON VAN WYK
BeachLife | 11
beach news
Bar business still viable and open to any offers THE TSUNAMI BAR on Oneroa Road remains closed but the door is still open for anyone interested in restarting the popular local bar and restaurant business, says owner Guy Rutledge. “We have had an offer to buy the business that has been put on the backburner for the moment over immigration issues. While this offer may or may not materialise, we remain open to any suggestions as to how the business can be restarted. We will do all we can to assist anyone willing to give the business a go.” It has always been acknowledged that the local bar and brasserie would best suit a young couple willing to work in the business, rather than employing staff. Rutledge is ever hopeful there is such a couple, or business partnership, willing to take on the task. “There is an excellent lifestyle business waiting for the right people who can realise the potential of a great little restaurant and bar by the beach.” Apart from a “good dusting” and restocking, the bar is ready to go at a moment’s notice, with all chattels still in place. These include a new kitchen, new bar facilities, furniture and top sound system installed only four years ago.
Kiwanis John Martin, Bob Twigley and John Stevens try out the $5000 dolphin and whale rocker Gisborne Kiwanis raised funds for last year. It is hoped more equipment can be bought for the local playground.
Okitu play area a relaxing haven THE NEW CHILDREN’S playground at Okitu has been a popular place this summer and, if fund raising efforts continue to be successful, there will be more play equipment on the way. Okitu resident Ailsa Sheldrake has been working with Gisborne District Council to develop a new play area near Pines as well as upgrade the existing one. The trees and bush area has been cleared, new swings, seating and a picnic table installed, old play equipment recycled and the road has been closed for safety, with council funds. A dolphin and whale rocker was the last piece of equipment installed thanks to a big effort and $5000 from Gisborne Kiwanis, with local resident John Martin a prime motivator.
Ailsa says the playground has been well received with people enjoying the sheltered spot, taking in the sea view and eating their fish and chips from the Okitu Store while their children play on the equipment. Ailsa hopes to raise a further $50,000. The first $10,000 will be spent on a play boat and, in the long term, a climbing structure similar to a ship’s rigging and crow’s nest configuration to continue with the beach theme. The play boat concept is designed for toddlers aged from 0 to 2. She thanks the Kiwanis, Mann Family West Foundation, Aitkens Concrete, Jenny Allen from Gisborne District Council and other members of the community who have contributed to the project.
Cycleway idea flounders as opportunity just missed A GLIMMER OF hope for the resurrection of the Wainui to Gisborne cycle and walkway was extinguished recently when Gisborne just missed the shortlist to become a New Zealand walking and cycling model community. A total of 22 communities applied, four made the shortlist and Gisborne was fifth. Hastings, New Plymouth, Taupo and Nelson would now go through to a further round from which grants would be made. Gisborne councillor Kathy Sheldrake, as a member of the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust, expressed her extreme disappointment at the decision. It had been an opportunity to obtain funding for the Wainui cycleway and other projects that missed the 2009-12 national land transport programme. Letters of support accompanying the application showed there was clear community 12 | BeachLife
support for the concept, including forestry companies. Forestry company Hikurangi Forest Farms supported the need for the cycleway saying it has in excess of 160 logging truck movements per day using State Highway 35 passing through Wainui. It fully supported initiatives to improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians who use the region’s roading infrastructure. General manager – forests, Paul Ainsworth, says the creation of walkways and cycleways in the Wainui area, where a high concentration of heavy transport units pass through this busy coastal residential area, would be a good safety initiative. On behalf of the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust, chairperson Richard Coates spoke of the 13 year vision of creating a 1.5km
cycle and walkway track between Sponge Bay and Wainui. He said the Trust has been setup to assist with the project and had $9,000 in funds. The Wainui Okitu Community recently added an extra $945 to this account. Talk in the community is that the cycleway must go ahead somehow, even if just the Oneroa to Sponge Bay section is built as “Stage 1”. Suggestions have been made that it could be achieved in 5oom stages with fundraising targeted at funding one section at a time. There is even a suggestion that with project management by a consultant or GDC engineer that the stages could be built with community “working bee” labour, with resident tradespeople donating use of heavy machinery and providing materials at trade prices.
beach news School hangi a sell out event FOR THE SEVENTH year running Wainui Beach School hosted a hugely popular hangi evening on Friday, February 26. Over 450 hangi meals were pre-ordered and over $3000 was raised for general school funds. Coordinated by the originators of the hangi fundraising concept, Linda and Daren Coulston of Winifred Street, the hangi was a combined effort by many parents, families and friends of the school. School principal Nolian Andrew said the school really appreciated the effort put in by everyone involved and thanked the community of Wainui-Okitu for supporting the fundraiser. She hands out special thanks to Daren and Linda, to Hamish and Cher Walton from Pak’nSave who donated much of the food, to Don and Sher Green as well as Marc and Valerie Ferris for offerings of wild pork. Jeff and Anna Thorpe donated pork also and Richard Scholefield of B5 Station at Whangara contributed sheep meats. Fenn Refrigeration again donated the use of a mobile chiller and Paul Cornwall, principal at Motu School, organised a load of manuka firewood to fire up the hangi. Hangi helpers were Patrick Brass, Chuck Ngaira, Steve Grace, Carl Ferris, Marc Ferris, Fred Brockob, Scott and Craig Wilson.
Third Summer Slam goes off
Having a great day at the Boardroom third Summer Slam were Kale Henstock, Ben McCulloch, Jack Thorpe, Luca Peta and Brie Ryan.
THE 3RD ANNUAL PRIMO Boardroom Summer Slam was another massive success with over 250 school children from primary to high school taking part. The December day kicked off at 7am on Northern Makorori beach with perfect little waves for the learners and inexperienced surfers. The aim of the day was to provide a fun time out for the whole family and to try and get as many kids as possible stoked on surfing – which organisers Tom and Hayley Dalton believe they achieved. “It was great to see so many new kids out there giving surfing a go and also to see the experienced surfers out there as well, we will definitely see more top New Zealand surfers coming from Gisborne in the future,” reported Hayley. “We had $8000 worth of spot prizes and giveaways on the day which included two
surfboards from the Boardroom, Lost clothing and accessories – plus an underwater camera supplied by Mitchell’s cameras, as well as DVS shoes and Sequence Surf shop vouchers - as well as free Primo drinks and BBQ lunch for all contestants.” The winners of each division were: Primary Division – 1st Ben McCulloch; 2nd Luke Peta; 3rd Jack Thorpe; 4th Cale Henstock. Intermediate Division – 1st Korbin Hutchings; 2nd Jack Virtue; 3rd Malachi Scammell; 4th Calin Sampson. Girls Division– 1st Ashley Donaldson; 2nd Jasmine Smith; 3rd Honey-Lee Blakeney; 4th Eden Phillips. High school Division – 1st Jakob Kohn; 2nd Adam Grimson; 3rd Johny Curle; 4th Patrick Cranston . A “Primo Boardroom Summer Slam” video clip of the day can be viewed on Youtube.
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beach news Land access to Makorori surf bought by Council TWO POPULAR SURFING break car park areas at Makorori are now owned by the people of Gisborne. The council has bought the seaside parcels of land known as “Red Bus” and “The Creek” from Ferris family members. The council paid $715,000 to buy the land and will carry out any development of the car parks jointly with the NZ Transport Agency. GDC chief executive Lindsay McKenzie said the titles have been issued to the council and the balance of the payment made. The negotiations with the Ferris family who owned the land were extended because of a hearing in the Maori Land Court. Council purchased 0.3715 ha at the “Creek” and 0.4209ha at “Red Bus’. GDC’s Terry McMillan says it’s intention is to leave the car parks as they are. NZTA are planning to improve the entrance and exit to the “Red Bus” car park by creating a turning bay for traffic coming from Gisborne. The “Creek” car park entrance has good visibility in both directions, so will be unchanged. The initial discussions with the owners and the highway authority were in response to safety concerns after several near accidents involving cars turning into the parks. There were also some concerns over the long-term public access to a very popular recreation site, Mr McMillan says. A long term lease option was explored but was not acceptable to either party.
“Maka Point” lookout really needs loving attention THE INFORMAL CAR park and ocean lookout overlooking Makorori Point is dangerous, an eyesore and an embarrassment – and it’s really time whoever has control of it did something good with it. This sensational vantage point, overlooking a world famous surf beach, should be a recognised as a national reserve and treated with great respect. Despite the fact that daily hundreds of people pull into the car park to check the surf or to admire the view, it has no significant status and is often a favoured spot for illegal rubbish dumping. Some creative landscaping, a viewing deck with seating, some sealing of the gravel surface could all help make this less of a “gravel dump” and more of a scenic lookout. Surely the NZ Transport Agency needs to take a good look at how this internationally-important scenic viewpoint can be improved for both safety and aesthetic reasons. OPINION OF THE EDITOR
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beach news
Tree removals will open up ocean views
Building of the first homes in the Sponge Bay Estate are well-underway.
Properties sell, $5-million building spree at the beach AS WAINUI, ALONG with the rest of the world, limps slowly through a recession, a small building boom is evident in our coastal community. Several new houses are being built and some major renovations are underway. Gisborne District Council building permit records reveal nearly $5-million worth of current and planned building activity between Sponge Bay and Wainui, since September 2009. Nearly $4-million is associated with new homes being built in the area. The biggest project being a $1.8-million, three-storey dwelling, being built on the beachfront at 33 Wairere Road. Other new homes are currently underway at 25 and 30 Sirrah Street, 20 Wairere Road and in the new Sponge Bay Estate. An application to build a new home at 29 Lloyd George Road has recently been lodged. Most noticeable is the construction of the first house in the Sponge Bay Estate development. Other permits are being processed and it will be interesting to watch this subdivision take shape over the next few years. Well-known local sportsman, Ben Hutchings and his wife Chrys, returning to Gisborne after 20 years in Australia, are building the first house in the estate. Wainui local, Dion Williams and wife Nicola, are just starting a new home there as well. More detail about this on page 30. Sections in Sponge Bay Estate are selling for as low as $99,000. See Harvey’s advertisement on page 43. Other building activity includes a mix of major and minor renovation work to existing homes amounting to nearly $1-million. This includes the construction of the new library, a PE shed and the relocation of the
dental clinic at Wainui Beach School. In real estate, over 30 houses have sold in the Wainui area since March of 2009. Around a dozen homes have changed hands this year. Generally, properties are selling below valuation. Only a couple of sales have realised prices near or above rateable valuation (RV). In the last three months property sales have averaged prices $66,000 below their RV. However two recent sales on Murphy Road have seen RV gaps shrinking. The latest falling short of RV by a mere $13,500. This could be interpreted as an indication that the market showed a slight improvement as summer came to an end. It also marks the selling up of a long list of properties – mostly off the beachfront – many of which had languished on the market for many months. Properties with absolute beach frontages, and therefore higher asking prices, have been slower to move of late. At the time of going to press, there were at least eight absolute beachfront properties, and a small number of “off-the-beach” listings, remaining for sale at Wainui. A heartening side-effect of the property market “recession” can be observed in the number of “local” people buying homes “at the beach”. A new “affordability” has seen a number of homes being bought, and built, by the children of Wainui families and by former Wainui people returning home – as well as Gisborne families moving to the beach. It’s also interest to note how many of the people buying homes at the beach have strong associations with the sport of surfing. Which brings to mind the absolutely brilliant quote made by Noel Craft in BeachLife’s “History of Surfing” story in Issue 2: “If you want to know where the best real estate is, just follow the surfers home.”
THE SEA VIEWS OF several homes along Moana Road will be greatly improved this winter. A number of exotic trees along the Lysnar Reserve will have been removed by the time summer arrives again. Affected trees include willows, Norfolk Island hibiscus, Moreton Bay fig, palm trees and pampas grasses. Dead or dying trees will also be removed and some native trees will be thinned or removed in the case of over-crowding. A few Norfolk Pines will have their lower branches lopped. The work will restore views for many Wainui Beach residents especially those along Moana Road south of the “Chalet” and north and south of the “Whales Grave”. Some of these residents have gradually seen their sea views disappear over the last 20 years as planted and self-sown trees have grown unimpeded. Terry McMillan, community facilities manager at Gisborne District Council, says that long term most of the exotics and plant pests will be removed from the reserve. Specimen pohutukawa trees will be maintained and nurtured and sand-binding grasses will be planted along the fore dunes. “We will be removing self-sown trees and shrubs. Where practicable they will be replanted on the Makorori headland. Along with the pruning and tree removal this will give room for the many native trees and Norfolk pines to grow and develop.” Over the past two years a number of requests have been made to Council to remove or prune trees at Wainui. The WD Lysnar and Wainui Beach Reserves Management Plan, which Council adopted in 2008, called for the establishment of a tree advisory committee. The committee which is made up of Council staff, a Department of Conservation representative and an arborist, met in March to review these requests. The requests were assessed in accordance with the management plan criteria. Most of the requests were agreed to by the committee who also recommended better control and management of vegetation for the longterm benefit of the reserve and all users.
BeachLife | 15
beach babes
ABOVE: A sweet little girl and first born baby for Emma Greaves (Knox) and Steve. Ava Jennifer Margaret was born on Friday, March 26.
ABOVE: Meet Maui Mills-Brown, born on March 4 this year in Sydney. A son for Vanya and Chris, a brother for Princess Sivanah and a grandson for Bill and Trish Brown of Wairere Road.
We love our beach babies! RIGHT: Born at the beach – a homebirth in Grandma Erika’s Wairere Road lounge on Wednesday, February 3 – was Moana Erika Rose Holden-Judd. A daughter for Huia and Greg and a sister for Matua.
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Head coach Greg Meade Phone 867 0698 Teach your child a core skill that can potentially save their life! 16 | BeachLife
beach life
Heir to surf blank business visits beach A FIRST-EVER VISIT to Wainui Beach by surf industry leader Darren Burford went by largely unnoticed in late February. In fact the majority of surfers wouldn’t even recognise the name Burford, although it has been one of the most influential in the surfing industry for well over fifty years. Darren is the son of Don Burford, the founder of Burford Blanks, a Gold Coast-based business which supplies polystyrene foam blanks for the making of surfboards world-wide. At its busiest time three or four years ago, the Currumbin business was pumping out 400 blank surfboards a day. Today, still employing 26 staff, they have eased off to around 250 per day. Darren Burford – 43 years old, a former Australian representative pro skate boarder who grew up in the surfboard industry – says he began work in the family factory from as far back as he can remember. “I basically left school on a Friday and went to work in the factory on Monday,” he said. His dad Don, now 65, and mother Glenice still work in the business. Don Burford, as a shaper, had a well-known surfboard brand in South Australia in the 1950s and 60s. In 1974, when Darren was a toddler, the family moved to the Gold Coast to specialise in making blanks and supplying fibreglass products to the rapidly expanding surfboard industry. Darren says today 60% of their blanks are used in Australia and the other 40% is exported to Hawaii, Europe and New Zealand. Darren is a low-key sort of guy: “Most surfers are not really aware of us, I guess we like it that way. We are suppliers to the trade. There’s nothing glamorous about blowing blanks. We work in a factory surrounded by 44-gallon drums and forklifts where we make petro-chemicals and then mix them together in pre-shaped moulds where the chemical expands to form the polystyrene foam blank shapes. “However there is a lot of skill involved, there are so many variables – it’s like making bread.” The names who supply surfboard blanks to the
Local surfboard maker Ray Dalton talks surfboard technology with Darren Burford, manager of one of the world’s leading foam blank manufacturers, Burford Blanks, on a recent visit to Wainui Beach.
world of surfing is a small and exclusive club. The list includes Barry Bennet of Bennet Foam in the US; Surf Blanks Australia owned by Midget Farrelly, the Burfords and – up until four years ago – Gordon Clarke of Clarke Foam in California. When Clarke Foam shut its doors controversially in 2005 it commanded over most of the world’s need for 600,000 surfboard blanks annually. Burford Blanks at the time resisted the temptation to gear up to fill the gap and instead has concentrated on protecting its “no.1” reputation for supplying top quality product. The recession and the proliferation of machine shaped PU Surfboards, made from styrofoam and epoxy, out of China have seen the world GISBORNE’S LEADING INSURANCE BROKERS demand for polystyrene foam blanks reduce • Commercial • Livestock dramatically over the • Farm • Medical last five years. • Domestic • Forestry Commenting on the • Marine • Liability debate and research • Life • Superannuation into finding a serious “green” alternative to polystyrene, Darren says “such a product hasn’t yet been invented. “Every venture down that path has led to 163 CARNARVON STREET • PHONE 867 9811 a wall – the product office@e-h-insurances.co.nz just isn’t good enough to replace the petro-
chemical “recipe” that creates polystyrene foam.” Most top surfboard makers in Australia use Burford foam exclusively, citing its consistent whiteness and cell density. Ray and Tom Dalton of the Wainui-based boardmaking business, “The Boardroom”, have been using Burford Blanks since 1981 when Ray was introduced to Don Burford through his association with “Pipedream Surfboards” at that time. A family friendship grew from the business association with Ray watching young Darren grow up in the industry. In the ‘80s Darren was a hardcore skateboarder, competing in California and Europe, until a serious accident and resulting leg injury ended his career at age 21. Darren also surfed as a youngster – with Palm BeachCurrumbin classmates Ross Clarke-Jones, Tony Ray and Craig Pitchers, all members of the local crew. Today he is factory manager at the Burford complex and a family man married to Robyn with children, Jensen (8) and Brooke (4). Over the years, Ray Dalton has often suggested Darren should come over to check out Wainui Beach and a recent 21st birthday invitation to Auckland provided Darren with a 24-hour gap to finally make it down to Gisborne. A day out on Ray’s fishing boat, a barbecue fish dinner and the full moon rising over the surf at Wainui Beach are all great memories Darren Burford took home from Gisborne.
BeachLife | 17
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ABOVE: Long-time Wainui Surf Club member Justin Martin, son of Gary and Shona Martin, married Amy, daughter of Roly and Jenny Kent, on Wainui Beach this summer, attended by Hayley Warman, Jordyn Romana, Nathan Teutenberg and Mark Muir, with flowergirls Alessandra And Isabelle Evans. The couple live in Tauranga.
Let us know of your wedding plans so we can include your wedding photographs in a future issue of BeachLife! LEFT: Wonderful weather and a gathering of their dearest friends made the marriage of Leigh Brunsdon and Stuart Potter perfect in every way. Leigh, the daughter of the late Wayne Brunsdon and Liz Brunsdon – formerly of Wainui Beach, and Stuart, son of Richard and the late Titari Potter of Whakatane, were married at Wainui Beach and had their reception at Hinetamatea Marae at Anaura Bay. Their children Jovan, Zara and Taj were very much a part of the wedding party. PHOTOGRAPH BY DIANA DOBSON/THE BLACK BALLOON
Diana Dobson | wedding photographer p: 867 6118 m: 021 222 0145 e: diana@blackballoon.co.nz w: www.blackballoon.co.nz 18 | BeachLife
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Makorori hilltop wedding
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE PAGE: Makorori girl Rae Wells and Andrew Black came home form several years overseas together to marry on the Makorori-Wainui headland on January 8. Rae, daughter of Gail and John Wells, lived at Makorori since age 6, and is currently a teacher at Gisborne Intermediate. Andrew, a telecommunications engineer with Colvins, is the son of Olwyn and Graeme Black of Matawhero. Rae’s attendants were (from left) Vicki Taylor, Emily (Tee) Beetham and sister Sharon Durno. The groomsmen were bestman Lance Hambling, Tim Colvin and Adam Jones. The couple are living in Darwin Road.
ABOVE: Matthew Mackintosh married Kristina Stinson from Tokoroa on February 20 on Makorori Beach. Matt’s Dad is Ian Mackintosh of Douglas Street and Kay Toon. Kristina’s parents are Maria and Bill Stinson of Tokoroa. PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOEBE GANDER/BEAUTIFUL DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOVE: Chester and Marilyn Haar of Douglas Street celebrated the wedding of their youngest daughter Kylie to Brad Kirby on 6th March 2010 at Waikanae Beach. Kylie, Brad and their two year old son Jack live in Motu. Okitu residents may remember Kylie serving at the Okitu Store when Marilyn and Chester owned it several years ago. PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOEBE GANDER/BEAUTIFUL DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
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Boys to men ...
ABOVE: Local boys Jay Papworth, Wayne Morpeth, Damon Meade and Jared Drummond all celebrated their 30th birthday around the same time this summer with a combined party at Shed 3 on the Wharf.
30 Somethings ...
COMBINED 7OTH: Phil and Miriam Allan of Murdoch Road celebrated a combined 40th (his) and 30th (hers) on January 23 at the Fishing Club with a big crowd of friends and family.
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OPPOSITE PAGE: In 1984, local kids Dane Simpson, Heidi Clapham, Jared Drummond and Jay Papworth had been playing in the Simpson’s front yard. Gray Clapham took a photo of the kids on the Simpson’s front stairs. The photograph became an icon, with each family keeping a copy through the years. This summer, and 26 years on, the kids all turned 30, prompting the parents to persuade the kids to get together to re-enact the famous photograph. Dane is working locally at Sequence Surf Shop, Heidi is a business management graduate retraining as a journalist and is currently assistant editor of BeachLife, Jared is a town planner at Margaret River Shire in Western Australia and Jay is orchard manager for the Dodgshun’s citrus orchard at Pouawa.
PHONE 868 5383 Mobile 0274 576 664 terrytaylor@xtra.co.nz
89 Customhouse Street Gisborne WasteTRACK compliant operator
beach life Mike celebrates 60 years
ABOVE: Mike Holmquist celebrated his 60th birthday in the company of his wife Fiona and a large group of friends at their Wairere Road home in April. Mike, who was born in Los Angeles in 1950 and grew up in San Fransisco, first came to New Zealand on a surf trip in 1972, where he spent time at Mahia. He returned for good in 1978 and married Fiona Cummings. They bought a house along Moana Road, then in 1984 bought the old Gibson family home at 17 Wairere Road. They have a son, Mats, who is currently undertaking a degree in surveying at Otago University. Mike has been a school teacher at St Mary’s primary school for the past 16 years.
26 years on, the kid are going strong
5
YEARS
IS REAL
COMMITMENT
Five years in business. We have survived. Survived all catastrophes. Divorce, breast cancer, recession, earthquake, tsunami. Beaufoy is now an established Gisborne brand. It’s my maiden name. Emma Beaufoy was my great great grandma, an early farming pioneer in the Matawai district. There is a book written about her. She was a survivor too. After five years it’s time to take Beaufoy in a new direction. What we have identified is that women still want to look great, even in a recession and are happy to spend, so long as it’s exclusive and value for money. Gone are the days of selling $600 dresses. We now offer boutique fashion at affordable prices. We want to offer lots of choice, lots of cool new labels that wouldn’t otherwise be available in Gisborne. Labels that are fun and edgy – quality fashion from innovative New Zealand and overseas designers. Designers like Vaughan Gleason, Robyn Mathison and Claire Bloom. Also new to the store is Ed Hardy, a label worn by Madonna, Fergie, Britney and the Beckhams. Plus, Thrive by Thunderpants is back in town, offering larger sizes up to 24. I really want to thank all the people who shop at Beaufoy and enjoy the clothes we bring to town. Thanks also to my stalwarts, Trish McLean and Jenny File, who have been with me since the start, who are passionate about fashion, give expert advice and love helping the women of Gisborne dress up for every day and special occasions. YVONNE.
60 gladstone road ~ 867 7339
Nippers show top beach skills
ABOVE: Rising Wainui stars, Jasmine Smith (left) and Julia Sykes, at the start of the 12-y-o girls’ diamond event at an interclub Ocean Athletes and Nippers carnival held at the local beach in January. LEFT: Two names to watch out for on the beach in the future are Jack Virtue (left) and Jacques Klavs. Both boys, particularly Jack Virtue, who won all all his races on the day, are evidence of the Wainui club’s tradition of turning out top board paddlers. TOP LEFT: Wainui under-9 competitor Louis Birkhead puts in a sprint as he clears the water in his malibu board race.
ABOVE: Abbey Logan shows good wave skills and a good deal of courage as she rides the shorebreak in to win the 11-y-o girls malibu board race. 22 | BeachLife
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ABOVE: Watch this face! Wainui’s 12-y-o Jasmine Smith is showing exceptional early water skills. BeachLife predicts she will be a big name in the surf life saving arena before too many more summer’s have gone by. Stella Smith and Bella Collier prepare for their next event.
ABOVE: Ashley Donaldson, Jasmine Smith and Julia Sykes watch the progress of their team mates in the diamond race.
ABOVE: George Zame powers up the beach at the end of an under-9 boys’ malibu board race. BeachLife | 23
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ABOVE RIGHT: Makorori First Light Longboard Surfing Classic open men’s finalists prepare to hit the water. From left – James Tanner, Peter Varey, Mick Williams and Daniel Proctor.
ABOVE LEFT: Legends line up for the over-50s final. From left – Tommy Swann, Larry Foster, former New Zealand champions Ben Hutchings and Chris Ransley.
LEFT: Stalwarts Sam Tanner and Jane Pitkethley check the action in the water.
RIGHT: Checking the action were husband and wife entrants Tim Madsen and Michelle Franks who have recently moved to a new home in Moana Road.
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First Light longboarders have another great gathering The annual First Light Makorori Longboard Surfing Classic drew a large and competitive field again this summer with local surfer James Tanner defending his title to take the open men’s championship two years running. The aging of the longboarding fraternity is becoming evident with over-subscribed entries in both the 0ver-40s and 0ver-50s divisions. 84 surfers competed in small waves at Makorori’s Red Bus with Okitu local and former New Zealand surfing champion Chris Ransley winning the over-50s. Lysnar Street surfer Scott Pitkethley won the over-40s, Jane Pitkethley winning the women’s division and Wairere Road local, Sonny Brown, winning the junior division.
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ABOVE: Lea Brassy from France, Jane Pitkethley, Gina Samson and Caroline Ryan prepare for the women’s final. RIGHT: Brent Simpson and Kerry Clarke catch up on the beach.
ABOVE: Open champion James Tanner of Douglas Street with his winner’s trophy at the prize giving.
ABOVE: Expatriots visiting home for summer, Chrissy and John Minogue with Guy Midford and Graham Breckell. BELOW: Madamoiselle Matilda Hegarty.
ABOVE: Now living in Wellington, Kerry Clarke catches up with former Douglas Street neighbours Bill and Trish Brown. BeachLife | 25
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School report has the whole community smiling THE EDUCATION REVIEW OFFICE presented Wainui Beach School with an absolutely glowing school report in February, confirming what the local community was already confident of – that here at the beach we have one of the best primary schools in the country. “I actually couldn’t have written a better report myself,” says Wainui School principal Nolian Andrew. “The students continue to experience consistently high quality teaching and learning within a family-like atmosphere – a sense of belonging and care for others is highly apparent,” the ERO report quotes. “Students take part in a wide variety of sporting, cultural and academic activities, often using local resources and community expertise within the beach locality. “The attractive school environment has many murals, mosaics and sculptures produced by students in art groups with local artists. Classrooms are vibrant with high quality resources and displays that engage and support learning.” The report says students appreciate the inclusive school culture in which diversity is celebrated with staff committed to students experiencing New Zealand as a bi-cultural nation. Acknowledgement and promotion of all students’ understanding of te reo me nga tikanga Maori is integral to school practices. All parents are strongly encouraged to be active participants in their children’s learning and in all aspects of life, the report says. Student-led conferences are effectively used to share detailed information about achievement and progress. The Review Office found Wainui students to be self confident, self-managing and empowered to take responsibility for their learning, with most students achieving at or above national expectations in literacy and numeracy. The report says staff use well-thought-out approaches to meet the needs of each student.
Dental clinic to have new life as beach bach
RAINBOW ROOM ON THE MOVE: A piece of Wainui School history was trucked away in February. The original school dental clinic, which had long been replaced by a mobile schools dental service, was removed and is being given new life as a beach bach. Schools are able to have only so many square metres of building depending on how many children they have. To allow an extra 20sqm to be added to the new school library the old dental clinic, which was serving as a storage shed, had to go. The cheapest option for the school was to give the clinic away with the recipient paying for all the removal and clean-up costs. Greg and Sue Klavs have taken the former clinic where it already commands an elevated site in Lysnar Street.
“The whole child is considered, including the strengths and life experiences they bring to learning. Teachers are highly motivated about providing the best possible programmes for all learners. They skillfully adapt the curriculum for those who need support and for those who require extension.” “The principal, senior managers and staff model highly-effective team work, as they successfully share strengths to benefit students’ learning. Shared guidelines, consistency of practice and collegial support amongst staff ensure Greenslade Rd – Raglan each teacher meets these expectations. This dynamic coastal landscape inspired our name and inspires our Teachers make the architecture. A modernist response to the South Pacific lifestyle. most of their individual strengths to make a 45 Wairere Road, Wainui Beach positive difference for Phone 06 868 9381 Fax 06 868 9380 students.” info@pacificmodern.co.nz www.pacificmodern.co.nz Principal Andrew is obviously very pleased with the report: “I am really proud of the great
Redefining the art of coastal living
pacific modern architecture
26 | BeachLife
team we have at Wainui Beach, the teachers, trustees, Friends of Wainui (parent support group) and parents. “All of these groups are doing their best for the children and working together to get the best results. As a team we are always looking at ways to improve and do better. “This ERO report is an opportunity to take a little bit of time to celebrate our success and be grateful that we have such a wonderful school community.” “Wow! What a great ERO report,” is the reaction from Ian Ruru, chair of the Wainui School Board of Trustees. “The Education Review Office conducted another very thorough examination of every aspect of the school and they have reported back with very favourable results. Like most exams, there was considerable pressure on Nolian and her staff but they rose to the challenge to showcase our students and their achievements. “Based on student and staff performances to date, the Board of Trustees were quietly confident that the ERO would see our school in a positive light. This proved to be the case and affirmed that our children are receiving the best educational opportunities in the region. Ka mau te wehi! Kia kaha!”
Splash of paint and new takeaway menu at local store
Store girl Izis Weatherhead with Okitu Store fresh fruit icecreams. SUMMER’S FADING, winter’s coming and, like the changes of the seasons and weather patterns, we to have had some changes at the Okitu Store. After four years we were very aware that the outside of the store has needed some much needed TLC, so it now has a new coat of paint to tie in with the new signage. It was a family affair with many members brushing up on their painting skills between changing nappies and feeding Cooper. We still have a bit to do and some pot plant holders to fix after a slight mishap with a truck but things are looking brighter! The gardens and courtyard have had a makeover, thanks to Jenny Virtue who did a great job. The 2010 Surfing Nationals were also held at Makarori from April 1st to 5th in perfect weather, with great waves and some brilliant surfing. It was also the perfect time to launch our new takeaway brochure. Yes, we have always offered takeaways but we never really marketed them until now – so make sure you check out our Mighty Quinn Burger among other mouth watering choices. A big congratulations to all the local surfers who achieved some great results during the surfing nationals. There’s obviously some awesome young, local talent coming through. Along with physical changes at the store we also experienced several staff changes and I thought I’d update you on some of our staff that have moved on. Daisy Saipani is now the mum of two beautiful girls and living in Wellington with her partner Peter. Ellyce Stehlin has just completed her final year at Auckland University, completing a Bio Medical Engineering degree. She has just received a scholarship to do a PhD to develop a miniature, wireless-powered, fully-implantable pressure sensor to monitor conditions of heart failure. This is in conjunction with Auckland University and a Bioengineering Company in the USA. Danielle O’Leary has been travelling around Hong Kong, Thailand, and various parts of Australia while experiencing work in the fashion industry and is currently back in Gisborne. Karly Shields is currently in her fourth and final year at Canterbury University undertaking a degree in Civil Engineering.
Emma Shields is currently in her third year at Otago University, completing a Bachelor of Science degree and majoring in Human Nutrition. Katy Humphris is in her first year at Canterbury University, starting a Bachelor of Science degree with a view to continuing on to a Bachelor of Teaching degree. Amanda Humphris is on an AFS Student Exchange in Costa Rica for a year and returns Jan/Feb 2011. Kaatemihi Harrison is going to try her hand at nursing at EIT in the June semester. Most of our younger staff are still with us and working hard at achieving their NCEA Levels. Then, of course, there is our own mixed brood. Maz is the ambassador for Quiksilver New Zealand, Jay is back in Gizzy and back on the WQS (World Qualifying Series) surfing tour, Holly is on the Big OE in London, Kimberley and Karyn have been chilling out over the holidays. Gary and I are off to Bali in June for a family wedding and much needed rest from the summer madness at the store! Change is all good, take it positively – come and check out our store and takeaway changes. MARYANNE
WINTER HOURS Monday to Saturday: 7.00am to 7.00pm Sunday: 7.30am to 7.00pm
Phone 06 867 7013 BeachLife | 27
beach life
Storm-built sandbars are our frontline protection
Amber Dunn has a Master of Science degree. Her thesis was “Coastal Erosion at Wainui Beach” and has published several papers on the subject. Here she continues a discussion on the natural sand movement at our beach. shoreline and involves sand moving off and on to the shore. During storms the process involves the movement of sand away from the shoreline (offshore). After the storm the sand moves back towards the shore (onshore). It is also known as the “cut and fill cycle”. The offshore movement of sand – the shifting of sand from on the beach (and sometimes dunes) – is an essential process on all beaches. Surfers respect this sand shift because it is responsible for making Wainui Beach a surfer’s playground. It should also be respected by beachfront dwellers for it represents natural coastal protection. During storm events, sand is taken from the shoreline (beach and dunes) out into deeper water to create offshore sandbars. The sandbars then force the storm waves to break releasing enormous amounts of energy. From the breakpoint on the sandbar and where the wall of white-water rolls towards the shore (the surf zone) the wave energy is dissipated so that little energy arrives at the shore. With increasing wave heights the sandbars form further offshore in deeper water and grow wider and longer. Sometimes, multiple bars form. The volume expansion of the bars is reliant on sand taken from the seafloor, the dry beach and, sometimes, the dunes. The formation of sandbars under the water and the breaking of waves on them means the maximum destructive power of the waves is not felt at the shoreline. Sandbars, therefore, are dumping grounds for wave
WAINUI BEACH IS a pile of sand between Makarori and Tuahine headlands. The sand lies in three main areas – in the dunes, on the beach, and under the water on the seafloor. The full extent of the beach, the true beach, is therefore a layer of sand starting from the dunes and extending offshore for kilometres beneath the water surface. This concept is significant. It indicates that the dry, sandy strip of the “beach” as we commonly know it, represents only one part of the whole or true system. We can not put definite boundaries on the true beach system. The sand in the dunes, beach and on the seafloor is designed to move. It should be of no surprise that dunes and beaches are temporary, moving structures. Sometimes this movement goes unnoticed. At other times it moves rapidly creating major headaches. At Wainui Beach, these headaches are associated with storm caused erosion. This article focuses on understanding storm erosion and why sand moves. It looks at the basic process of cross-shore sand movement OFFSHORE and explains the purpose SAND BARS and importance of the offshore movement of sand during storms – the shifting of sand from the dry beach to be deposited offshore. RIP CURRENT Understanding this process is a must to all EROSION FROM those who enjoy beachfront WAVE ACTION living, those with addictions to riding waves and those passionate about the coastal environment. This prominent rip current at Wainui led to serious erosion of the foredunes along Wairere Road in the 1950s – note the large First let’s look at what dark patch of water signifying a “hole” or deep water extending from the beach out to the breaker zone. The break in the we call cross-shore sand sandbank protection system allowed storm waves to break closer to the beach and resulted in the erosion of the dune. movements – the “cut and fill” cycle. The natural movement of sand is governed by waves and currents and has two main energy, the place where the destructive force of waves is released. With styles – cross-shore (on and off the beach) and long-shore (along the most of the wave’s energy released at the breakpoint and in the ball of beach from one end to the other). white-water that rolls towards the shore, the erosive power of the waves This article only discusses cross-shore sand movement as it is most is small at the shore. relevant to “erosion” at Wainui. To those of us who live adjacent to beaches and upon sand dunes, Cross-shore sand movement occurs when waves arrive parallel to the this natural offshore movement of sand should bring solace – for it is a 28 | BeachLife
beach life natural defence strategy that protects coastal developments. Our level of comfort is directly related to the volume of sand we can see in front of our houses. Total comfort comes when there is a large volume of dry sand in front of houses and it exceeds the sand “cut” volume demanded during large storms – there is enough sand to build the offshore bars. Here at Wainui Beach not all of the beachfront has enough “sand in the bank”. There are times, naturally, when sandbars don’t form, or have large gaps in them. During storms, these gaps are created by rip currents. Rips generate large changes in the shape of the shore because they can effectively rearrange sand offshore. Their characteristic features are a channel of deep water stretching from the beach to beyond the breakpoint, a lack of breaking waves offshore (due to the absence of a sandbar) and large convex-shaped deviations in the tide line. Rips shift sand from the beach along the shoreline and in the process leave large holes, called rip embayments. During storms, rip embayments become the cause of greatest beach and dune erosion as the clear channel of deep water provides a path for storm swells to reach the shore without breaking first in the protective sandbars – rips are places where waves reach the shore with all their destructive force still intact. Therefore, the changes to the shoreline near rips can be frightening. Wainui is most-often dotted with rips and some of our worst erosion events can be linked to their destructive action. The most disastrous erosion occurred in July 1955 when one house nearly fell into the sea on the immediate north side of the School Reserve. The main cause of this erosion was undoubtedly rip current dynamics, due to the localised nature of the erosion. Some of us may recall the total collapse of the old concrete seawall at Stock Route in 1995. A persistent rip current sat opposite Stock Route for weeks and, through the power of the storm waves, effectively stripped the beach of its total sand cover and proceeded to attack the concrete seawall until it disintegrated And more recently in July 2009, a large rip embayment gnawed away at the shoreline near the School Reserve and lowered the beach to levels unseen since July 1955 – it exposed the willow fascine stakes used to protect the shoreline in 1955! These are examples of shoreline changes near rip currents and examples of beach changes when sandbars don’t form. There are also times when sandbars can’t form, or are prevented from forming. Sand dunes have and can be artificially separated from the beach by coastal engineering structures such as seawalls, revetments or rip-rap (dumped rocks). In these situations, access to the reservoir of sand in the dunes is blocked off, or barricaded in, and can’t assist in offshore sandbar formation. This means, under some storm conditions, the size of the offshore sandbar may not be able to match the size of the incoming
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storm waves. That is, the ability of the sandbar to filter out storm waves and break them offshore in deep water is impeded and the natural defence mechanism of beaches is weakened. Engineering structures, such as seawalls and revetments, are designed to protect coastal land and in the process prevent dune sands from moving. However, we now know the sand in the dunes is designed to move. It is in knowing these concepts that we then realise we are on a collision course with Mother Nature if we try to stop the movement of the sand. And, it is for this very reason that the decision to engineer a shoreline becomes an extremely difficult one. What the world’s leading coastal scientists are telling us is the best decision can only be made when there is an in-depth understanding of the beach system, including knowing the leading causes of the erosion hazard.
Examples of the give and take of beach erosion – the top photo was taken in July 2009 when a rip embayment and a prolonged storm took most of the sand from this middle section of the beach. In March 2010, the bottom photo shows the sand back in place with a 6o metre stretch of beach between the sea and the dunes.
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Career, travel and now engagement in London
Wainui girl Ila Robertson and fiance Tim Daniels in Dubrovnik, Croatia. LOCAL GIRL ILA Robertson has topped off an eventful life so far with the announcement of her engagement to long-time partner Tim Daniels in London recently. Born at 29 Moana Rd, Okitu, on 12 May 1978 to well-known locals Chrisse and Murray Robertson, Ila pretty much grew up around the Wainui surf club and on the beach at Pines. Ila went off to Wainui Beach School from 1985, then Ilminster in 1990 and Girls’ High from 1992 to 96 “My best friend was, and still is, Emma Knox – we lived opposite each other on Douglas Street when my parents bought their first house there,” Ila says. After school Ila went on to Victoria University where from 1997 to 2000 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography.
She then went to Auckland University where from 2001-2002 she obtained a Masters in Planning degree to further pursue her chosen career path in town planning. “I met Tim through mutual friends in 1998 at the Law Ball in Wellington and we have been together ever since. Tim was studying at Law School when I met him. He is one of seven boys and he grew up in Masterton. His parents are Ken and Colleen Daniels. “When I moved to Auckland Tim stayed in Wellington for seven months finishing his Masters before moving to Auckland. We lived right by the Sky Tower for four years. When someone asked Tim once why he moved to Auckland he said ‘for love’”. Ila worked for a planning consultancy called Harrison Grierson in Auckland from 2003 to 2005 and Tim worked at a couple of law firms
from 2001 to 2005 as a research librarian. The couple travelled to London in 2005. “We tripped about quite extensively on our way here through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Nepal – the highlight was Nepal where we completed the Annapurna Circuit which involves a month trekking that goes through the highest trekking pass at 5417m. “We have also travelled extensively through Europe whilst here. We are off on a mountain biking trip in Iceland in May this year, we holidayed in Malta in March and are planning a trip to Turkey in Summer – and I am hoping to run either the New York or Berlin marathon in November. “We have together taken up an adventure sport called ‘open water swimming’ where we go on holidays and undertake open water swimming treks in exotic locations. In 2008 we swam around the Greek Cyclades Islands and last year we swam the coast of Croatia. “The slogan of the company that runs the tours says, “Ferrys are for wimps, lets swim”. They have a website at www.swimtrek.com. The photo I emailed through was taken after the swim trek in Croatia in Dubrovnik. “We live in Greenwich old town, right by the Cutty Sark and the Naval College, opposite Greenwich Park which is a Royal Park. “Mum (Chrisse) is coming over to live with us for six months later this year for travel and work which will be fab.
“At the moment Tim works as a research librarian at a law firm, Clifford Chance, and I am the applications manager at the London borough of Tower Hamlets working in the planning department. “I manage a team of twelve planners. It’s a really exciting borough as we have part of the Olympic site, Canary Wharf and Tower of London in our jurisdiction. We have over 50 conservation areas, over 2000 listed heritage buildings, and two world heritage sites. “The borough is really diverse with over 100 languages spoken and it has one of the highest population densities in London. There is also a lot of deprivation with some of the poorest wards in the UK located next to one of the biggest financial districts in the world – Canary Wharf. “We have a very high housing target set by the Mayor of London to build 43,000 new homes by 2025. It’s an exciting place to work and we daily face modern challenges in how to shape places and communities. “We hope to come back to New Zealand next year via South America. The plan is to get to married on the sand dunes in front of mum’s house on Moana Road in January of 2012, hopefully, with a very relaxed BBQ reception at the surf club with family and friends. “We are planning on settling in Auckland, but spending every summer at Wainui with our (future) kids, maybe eventually retirement at the beach.”
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20 years experience in cleaning industry 10 years in carpets & upholstery
beach people
German family trade big city for beach life BY HEIDI CLAPHAM WHILE MANY YOUNG people leave Wainui to find themselves a place in the world – a number of foreigners find Wainui has everything they are looking for. German couple, Sanne Effmann and Sven Intemann from Hamburg, who discovered Wainui Beach eight years ago on a backpacking trip around the world, loved our beach so much they have returned to live here permanently. They finished their travels, went back home to their lives and careers in Germany but couldn’t forget Wainui and the friendly people they met. “We fell in love with Wainui and couldn’t stop thinking about it,” says Sven. Six years later, wanting to give themselves and their young daughter a better life, the couple made the decision to pack up and come half way round the world to start new lives at Wainui Beach. 16 months ago Sanne, Sven and daughter Jade (pronounced Yada), now four-years-old, said farewell to both sets of parents, brothers and sisters to relocate 18,000km from home. The internet, and Skype particularly, has made it easier to regularly keep in touch with the folks back home. Technology also allows Sanne, who is a graphic designer, to continue doing work for advertising agencies back in Germany where she worked on global brands including Bacardi Rum, Fosters, Adidas, Volkswagen and Cisco. Sven is an exterior plasterer who back home had his own business painting and plastering. Before their trip to New Zealand, they lived right in the middle of Hamburg. A typically busy European city they had to drive everywhere and deal constantly with rush hour traffic. However, every weekend they would pack up their campervan and drive to the ocean to go surfing and windsurfing, often driving five hours to surf beaches in Denmark. But now the couple have traded in the big city lifestyle for the quiet life at Wainui. “Life is more simple here.” says Sven. They both say if they had stayed in Hamburg they could perhaps have lived a more material life, able to afford more things – but Wainui offers everything they need. They love living close to the ocean, they think the natural qualities of New Zealand are amazing and both say how “nice the people are here”. They think it’s a “great place to bring up kids” and they even like New Zealand’s “isolation”. In Hamburg they didn’t know their own neighbours. On their first visit to Wainui, Sanne and Sven formed great friendships with other international Wainui residents, whom with they
Sanne, Sven and Jade with the Wainui logo Sanne has created.
remain firm friends today – and they have environment. recently enjoyed getting to know people in the The family are in the process of becoming Lloyd George road neighbourhood where they residents and hope to be able to build or are renting a house. buy here in the future. Most of all they look Sanne’s appreciation of the community forward to the day daughter Jade can walk aspect of Wainui recently motivated her to down the road to Wainui Beach School. design the winning logo for the newly formed Wainui Okitu Community Group. She saw the call for a community logo in the last issue of BeachLife and responded. Her design was chosen and is now the “flag” of our community. Sanne says the design represents graphic design ✚ corporate design & communication logo design & relaunch web design print design ✚ quality the land and the sea, enclosed in a Sanne Effmann . 60 b Lloyd George Road . Wainui . Gisborne 4010 circle which signifies m 021 154 58 24 . office@dieambulanz.de our need to protect and care for our
local design
with imported experience.
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beach people
Last wave for Salty Dog RAYMOND ALAN HAWTHORNE A.K.A. “Salty Dog” 9th March 1943 – 26th December 2009. Funeral held in Evans Chapel, Tuesday 29th December 2009 at 2pm. RAY HAWTHORNE, AFFECTIONATELY known in the local surf scene as “Salty Dog”, came to live in Gisborne in 1970. For many years, and up until the time of his untimely death in December, he lived along Moana Road at Wainui Beach. Ray was special to the local surf scene as he was considered the “oldest” active surfer around the local beaches. Testament to this distinction was the huge turn-out to his funeral on December 9, where surfers representing all ages arrived to pay final respects. Greg Robertson of Makorori, commented how great it was to see the likes of modern surfing’s young starts – Maz Quinn, Bobby Hansen, Blair Stewart and others – showing up for the final farewell for the “Old Salt”. On Waitangi Day this year Ray was honoured posthumously by the local surfing fraternity by being included as a “Lost Legend” at a local contest held annually in memory of surfers who have met untimely deaths. Ray was born in Palmerston North on 9th March 1943, the third child and only son of “Chappie” and Agnes Hawthorne. He had two elder sisters, Velma and Shirley, and a younger sister Jan. He grew up in a farm cottage at Massey Agricultural College, which later became Massey University. His father was a sheepfarmer, employed by the college and was instrumental in the development of the Drysdale and Perendale sheep breeds. Ray’s education began at Tiritea, a small country primary school near the college farm. He then
32 | BeachLife
went on to Palmerston North Intermediate and Queen Elizabeth College. Ray’s sisters say he gained a reputation in the family for being a bit of a mischief-maker and for a tendency to have a go at what ever took his fancy. By his late teens he was skilled as a tyre serviceman and had jobs with Reliance Tyres and then Firestone. At eighteen, he hit the road
mecca for wave seeking surfers from all over New Zealand and Australia. He moved in to flat with a few with other nomadic surfers and quickly became entrenched in the local groove. Later he moved over to Noosa Heads in Australia for a short time, where he lived amongst the expatriot Gisborne surf community there and also spent a time living in Sydney. On his return to Gisborne, Ray was
Ray “Salty Dog” Hawthorne with Anne who he married in October of 2008.
for Hamilton on a motorbike in convoy with some mates. He continued working in the tyre business in Hamilton. He had his 21st birthday back in Palmerston North but from Hamilton, he cast his eye eastward to the surf beaches of the East Coast. Ivan Paterson remembers Ray from the Palmerston North days. He says he was a quiet guy, a little older than the rest, who was one of a large contingent of Palmy surfers who travelled in groups to surf the Wairarapa coast in the late 1960s. In 1970, aged about 27, Ray packed his worldly belongings into his Hillman Minx and headed to Gisborne. He drove into town to find Gisborne the
employed as the head cleaner at the Kaiti freezing works, supervising a large group of night-time cleaners. He worked at GRC for 16 years, up until the time of its closure and then went on to work at Juken Nissho for 9 years. For a time he groomed the pool tables at the Cosmopolitan Club and was part-time cleaner at the Tsunami Bar in its day. In recent years he was self-employed as a house painter. Ray played a bit of rugby for the GRC team in inter-freezing works matches and also played a few games as lock and line-out man for YMP. But Ray loved snooker and pool games best and was renown as a skillful and cunning opponent in pub pool competitions, chosing to travel with his own favourite pool cue. He often won the Thursday night derby at the local bar and was a deadly serious competitor. As good friend Bill Brown said at the funeral: “If you were Ray’s partner and you were playing well, he would buy you a beer all night. But if you were playing badly he wouldn’t even talk to you.”
beach people He was a cool guy, he loved people and people loved him. BILL BROWN Ray also loved to surf and to hang about with other surfers. He could be observed most days at Makorori Beach holding fort in the carpark between surfs with the likes of Bob Hansen and Bill Brown. He was great mates with Gordon Sutton, Tom Swann, Teddy Colbert, Kim Poulsen, Bondy Morton and many others. As a younger man, he was one of many surfers around the town that could at best be described as “keen”. As he got older, and being one of the oldest surfers in New Zealand, he was able to enter senior agegroup contest divisions. At New Plymouth in 2001 he won the New Zealand Over-55 national surfing title thus achieving surfing’s “legendary” status. It was at age 64 in 2005, that Ray’s longstanding life as a bachelor boy came to an end. While playing pool one night at the Tsunami Bar he was introduced to Anne Diehl who had come to live in Gisborne in 2004. Anne, the daughter of local musician Maureen and the late Tony Potroz, fell for the craggy old pool shark – and the feeling was mutual. They married on October 10, 2008. Bill Brown and Bondy Morton were the groomsmen and the wedding was celebrated by one-and-all at the Tsunami Bar. It was only a few months later, in April of 2009, that a hip x-ray revealed Ray had advanced bone cancer as a result of undetected prostrate cancer, for which Ray had shown none of the usual symptoms. Five months later, the day after last Christmas, Ray died aged 66. In the wake of his death Anne, an enrolled nurse and experienced caregiver, questioned Ray’s treatment at Gisborne Hospital and as a result Tairawhiti District Health has indicated changes will be made in the area of palliative care. Anne is very sad to have lost her new husband in such a rapid fashion. She says Ray treated her like “the Queen” and told her he had waited for her all his life. But Anne says it was heart-warming to see the huge crowd of friends who turned up at Ray’s funeral and gave her many kind words of support. Ray’s mates are also missing “Salty Dog” with his wry humour, good nature and straightforward, genuine outlook on life. As Bill Brown said: “He was a cool guy – he loved people and people loved him.”
Salty on surf watch at his beloved Makorori Beach.
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beach people
“Bondi” Benny looking for a new home beach
It’s all about family at the end of the day. Home to spend time with the grandchildren after 20 years in Australia are Ben and Chrys Hutchings with Zac, Korbin, Little Ben, Luke, Kayla and Sky.
BY HEIDI CLAPHAM SAY HELLO TO YOUR new neighbours. Surfing and surf lifesaving legend Benny Hutchings and wife Chrys are returning to retire at Wainui – and they are the first to build a home in the new Sponge Bay Estate development. Benny and Chrys have decided to make Gisborne home again after 20 years living and working in Australia. Lately, their main focus has been to return to Gisborne to to spend quality time with their grandchildren. Chrys says they are both “pretty much” retired now and looking forward to being in their own home where the grandkids can easily come to visit. Benny still spends every minute possible in the surf, so it’s the best of both worlds buidling a home close to Wainui at Sponge Bay. In a few months they will be moving home for good but not before one last “easy winter” in Cabarita south of the Gold Coast, their home for the last ten years. They have completely sold up in Cabarita and are now looking forward to spending the rest of their lives in Gisborne. Benny, originally from Sydney’s Bondi Beach, discovered Gisborne in 1968 on a New Zealand surf trip with Bob Rasby. He is now a household name in both New Zealand and Australia as a surfer, surfboard maker, ironman lifesaver, flatwater kayak coach and for his general, all-round, big personality. Benny’s Gisborne connection was cemented when he married Chrys Sutton, sister of surfer Glen Sutton – another Gisborne family greatly 34 | BeachLife
involved over the years in Gisborne’s surfing, surf lifesaving and swimming scenes. From 1981 to 1989 Benny was New Zealand’s kayak coach, taking the squad to the Moscow Olympics in 1984, where New Zealand won a fist-full of gold medals. He was headhunted for the job of Australia’s kayak coach in 1990, prompting the couple’s move back to Benny’s hometown of Sydney. In his kayak coaching career Benny has attended seven Olympic games and numerous World Championship games. He has been Australian Coach of the Year and NSW State Coach of the Year a number of times. Since 2000 he has taken a backseat, part-time role with the Australian squad, semi-retiring after the Beijing games. He’s spent many a winter surfing in Bali and has informally coached keen young clubbies while spending summer’s back in Gisborne. Now Benny is looking forward to spending lots of time in the water with his Gisborne grandchildren and Chrys is also looking forward to landscaping their new home. The grandchildren belong to Cory and Angela Hutchings, and Jason and Debbie Hutchings. Both families live at Wainui Beach. Cory is another household name, possibly regarded as one of the best surf lifesavers New Zealand has ever produced, and brother Jason (also a former New Zealand ironman champion) has been involved in the sport since a nipper. Cory and Ange’s children are Korbin 12, Sky 10, Luke 7 and Zac who is 2. Jason and Debbie’s children are Kayla 9 and ‘little’ Ben who is 7. Chrys says that as a surfer, ‘Grandpa
Ben’ is still “ripping it up” – with a friendly competition going on with grandson Korbin to see “who’s gets the most photographs taken”. Ben begrudgingly concedes that the younger Hutchings is moving ahead in the race, particularly while the big man is recovering from a shoulder injury from a “horrendous wipeout” at Midway during big surf recently. While spending quality time with his own grandchildren, Benny also gives time to many other young sports-people of Gisborne. Although a hardcore Midway Surf Club member in his day, he now offers his coaching services to young clubbies despite which club they belong to. Recently he has been coaching promising Wainui lifesaver, Oliver Puddick, assisting Wainui Surf Club coach, Dion Williams. Off the beach and out of the surf there has been a friendly battle going on between Benny and Dion. The Hutchings and Dion (and wife Nicola) have been locked in a humorous race to see who would be the first to finish building in the new Sponge Bay estate. Dion is cousin to Cory’s wife Angela. Chrys says, “we’ve known Dion since he was kneehigh to a grasshopper – now we’re going to be neighbours”. Ben, known in Australia in the early days as “Bondi Benny”, has one dilemma in making the move to the new subdivision. He’s not sure whether his new “home beach” will be Wainui or Sponge Bay. He’s even considering The Island, a surf break he has revelled in for most of his life in New Zealand. Whatever beach it is, Benny Hutchings, a living legend in Gisborne’s surfing culture, will surely be welcome.
beach people
Kids leave beach to chase football dreams THREE YOUNG WAINUI athletes have recently left Wainui for Auckland to further their sporting and educational careers. All have left behind family, school mates and that friendly Wainui beach community that all were born into in order to pursue greater dreams and goals and the allure of a big city. All three are talented footballers (soccer players) for the local region and have represented Gisborne in representative sides as well as Central Federation Football teams over a number of years. Oliver Tilley and Talya Calcott are both Year 12 students this year while Christian Gray is a Year 9 student. Christian Gray of Lloyd George Road, the youngest at 13 years old, has represented Poverty Bay in football and cricket. He has also been selected for the New Zealand Football National Talent Centre this year as well as the Northern Districts Cricket primary school development squad and received the MVP player for the under 13 PB team at the national tournament 2009. He has been accepted into Auckland Grammar School as a third former and is boarding at Tibbs Hostel with 120 other boys from 3rd to 7th form. The school has 500 third formers and 2400 students in the school in total. There are 50 different sports being played at Grammar and 27 soccer teams last year alone. Christian says he is going away for the “opportunities and challenges it presents”, and that he aims to make the All Whites one day. His other sporting interests are volleyball, cricket, rugby, touch, athletics (long jump), and basically all sports. In the first week at Grammar he has been selected for the junior athletics long jump team. He grew up going along to watch dad Roger play and train for Wainui Sharks since he was 5 years old and was allowed to join in at training as a 9 year old. Christian’s favourite position is midfield; his favourite player Fernando Torres and favourite team Liverpool. Talya Calcott, daughter of Margot and Richard of Tuahine Crescent, has headed off to Epsom Girls Grammar School (EGGS) for the 2010 calendar year to chase educational and football challenges. From as early as 12 years old she was identified as one of the top female players in her age group. From this age she has been involved in all Gisborne Representative and Central Federation Football teams including Girls Under 13, 15, 16 and 17 teams. Epsom Girls Grammar, a public school of 2100 pupils is one of the top secondary school girls premier football teams in NZ and they currently have 12 soccer teams which play in a Wednesday evening competition as well as in a women’s club competition on a Saturday. Talya has been ask to trial for the Three Kings women’s team, the top Auckland Woman’s football side. During the January holidays she also trialed for the NZ Under 17s woman’s team. She is a natural right footed attacking midfield-wing, her favoured position. Talya’s other sporting interests are surfing and tennis. She was 2nd in New Zealand in a Grom Surfing Contest while still at Intermediate, however she sacrificed a surfing passion for her greater love, football. Her ultimate goal is to represent her country in the New Zealand women’s football team (Football Ferns). Oliver Tilley, son of Christine Gunness and Julian Tilley, is 16 years old and is going to Mount Albert Grammar (MAGS). Oliver believes that by him leaving Gisborne, this will give him more opportunities in sports, especially football. He has represented Gisborne in the Under 12, 13, 14 and 15 representative football sides with an all round ability including goal keeper, central defender and also as a striker. He also has made the Central Federation Football team for the last two seasons – firstly as goal keeper and then as a centre back. Last year Oliver was voted the MVP of his team for the tournament.
Christian Gray, Talya Calcott and Oliver Tilley are attending secondary schools in Auckland in order to pursue promising sporting careers.
The MAGS football side is the top New Zealand premier secondary school football team. Kevin Fallon is the coach and Oliver is looking forward to working with him and pushing himself to the best of his abilities. His aim is to make the Mount Albert Grammar 1st X1 and also possibly to gain a New Zealand age-group trial. His other passion is tennis and he hopes to play more junior tennis while in Auckland.
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beach people
One of nature’s true gentlemen JOHN “MOX” MOXLEY – a legend in the local a dream and bought a beautiful 2006 Lexus wool industry and a Wainui identity for over 40 GS300. He loved to drive, a legacy of the many JOHN HUNTER MOXLEY years, died on Good Friday this year at age 72. years he drove back and forwards between 6th July 1937 – 2nd April (Good Friday) 2010. Born and bred in Gisborne, John Moxley Gisborne and Hawkes Bay for the regular sales Funeral held at Holy Trinity, was a popular man of strong character and an at the Napier Wool Exchange. On his 60th Monday 5th of April at 1.30pm. example of a type of New Zealand male that birthday, his sons chipped in and bought a set may be a vanishing breed. and the following year married Nola Duggan, of personalised number plates, emblazoned A man of provincial passion he was a Central Otago girl, who had come north to “4MOX”, which took pride of place on the dedicated to his job, loyal to his friends, mad work in Gisborne. Son Michael was born in Toyota Wyndham he owned for many years. about rugby and definitely “one of nature’s 1960 and Peter 18 months later in 1962. In 1968 the family returned to Gisborne from true gentlemen”. In the very early ‘60s the family moved to Tolaga Bay, renting a house in Pare Street at Born in Gisborne on July 6, 1937, he was the Tolaga Bay, where John was the manager of the Wainui, as John started a new job as Area Wool middle child and only son of Vera and Walter Sheepfarmers Woolstore, beside the long wharf Manager for Williams and Kettle. This was a job Moxley of Tukura Road. at the southern end of the bay. he held until his retirement. Walter was the local manager of During this time, John realised an Smith and Smith Glass. Vera was a ambition to be an auctioneer. With a “corsetier” who worked for Adairs booming voice and a quick head for department store. For many years, figures, he became famous in the local most of the young women of Gisborne wool industry for his auctioneering made appointments with Mrs Moxley skills and quick-witted good humour. for the fitting of their first brassiere. At one stage, after 25 years as an John is survived by his two sisters, auctioneer, he was credited with selling Sue (Treadwell), who lives in Taihape over $1-billion worth of wool. and Michelle (Matthews), who lives in The family built a new home on Wellington. a section in Murphy Road in 1973, The young “Mox” was educated at but John and Nola separated in 1979. Kaiti Primary, Gisborne Intermediate A year later he met up with an old and then Gisborne High School. At friend from school days, Cherry Warren high school he was a prominent (Kane), who had also left a marriage competitive swimmer who won many and had moved back to Gisborne from local trophies in his day, including the Hawkes Bay and was working at Adairs local Harbour Race at age 14. as a beauty consultant for Elizabeth Swimming gave John a strong Arden. She later sold Southern Cross physique and at 15 years old and 5 travel insurance and worked for 2ZG in foot 10 inches in height, he weighed 15 advertising sales. stone. In 1953 and 1954, even though The two moved in together and he was perfectly built for the front row, formed a loving partnership which he was fleet of foot enough to play on stood fast until John’s recent death. the wing for the High School 1st XV. As a couple, they were known for He stayed on the wing throughout their social generousity and in their “Going, going – gone!” Long-time Wainui resident and skilled wool his rugby career playing as a retirement, regularly kept in touch with auctioneer John Moxley in full flight at an auction in 1988. representative for Manawatu in 1956. a wide range of friends. He played rugby for HSOB in Gisborne up until Here the family stayed until 1968. John Son Michael says his father was an “absolute age 22 with a stint on the wing for Poverty Bay formed a long-lasting rapport with the many gentleman” who believed in old fashioned in 1959. farmers and workers he dealt with on the East values. He was a man with a loud “bark”, but He was also a competitive tennis player Coast, buying wool for his employers from as his bite was never vicious. He expected other and generally a lover of all sports. In later far north as the Waikura Valley. The wool was people to show similar good etiquette and life he was an ardent armchair sportsman, stored at the woolstore, railed out along the would seldom “suffer a fool”. particularly keen on rugby with a thorough now historic Tolaga Bay pier to be loaded onto A man of strong opinion, Cherry says there knowledge of the rules of the game. Many coastal trading ships bound for export. were three ways in the Moxley household: a test match gathering at the Moxley home During his time at the Bay, John showed “The wrong way, the right way – and John’s would be punctuated with Mox’s passionate his ability to get on with all walks. He would way.” interpretation of proceedings. often drive into the village for a loaf of bread While a sociable man who loved company, He was a keen follower and supporter of or two while his woolstore workers prepared and was always ready with the gin bottle in the local Boys’ High 1st XV, helping organise a luncheon feast of mussels, paua or crayfish times of need, Michael says he never saw his reunions and for many years regularly picked collected from around the Tolaga wharf. father “worse for the wear”. up a carload of “old boys” to transport to the During this time, a Volkswagen Beetle was John leaves behind his two sons and four Rectory Field for home matches. the company car and he became renown for grand children – Emma, Molly, Matthew and On leaving school in 1954, John went to his “low flying” dashes into the Gisborne head Rose. Massey University to gain a Wool Diploma. On office. A passion for cars and driving remained Cherry intends to remain living in the family his return to Gisborne in ‘57 he took on a job until his last days. Just last year, after being home in Murphy Road. with Gisborne Sheepfarmers as a wool classer diagnosed with a form of leukemia, he realised 36 | BeachLife
beach people
Isobel believes in yesterday
Winifred Street’s Isobel Coulston (88) shares her passion for genealogy and interest in family histories with her 8-year-old grand daughter Lucy Coulston. Isobel was recently awarded for her many years of tireless work researching old school records in this district for the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.
BY HEIDI CLAPHAM WHILE MOST OF us are thinking about what tomorrow brings, Isobel Coulsten of Winifred Street loves to immerse herself in yesterday. As part of her big interest in things historic, Isobel is currently busy with an ongoing local project researching and archiving old school admission records in the Gisborne, East Coast and Wairoa areas for the New Zealand Society of Genealogists. The work she does for the society is all voluntary and just recently her efforts were recognised with a merit award for her long service to the Gisborne branch. Isobel has been a member of the local genealogical group since 1982, including a period as chairperson between 1988 and 1991. The award says Isobel has continued to give “so much to genealogy” and has been “an inspiration to all members of the Gisborne branch”. At age 88, Isobel works long and hard with fellow team members, Dot McCullough and Warwick Ingoe, delving deep into this district’s educational history. Isobel describes the work she undertakes as ‘a permanent job’ and ‘absolutely time consuming’. The team travels all over the district to visit the schools, many of them in remote parts of the East Coast and out as far as
Lake Waikaremoana. Their task is to locate old documents – often stored in lofts, some even discovered in trash heaps, and often so ancient they need to be handled with extreme care. Many of the records are from schools long closed, with their records passed on to neighbouring schools. Scrawled in writing across these books are names, admission dates, departure dates and general notes. Invaluable information for people researching their family history. The information is photocopied, then sent to Auckland where it is inputted and stored in the New Zealand society’s head office archives. When finalised, the data is prepared in book form and presented back to each school involved. The project has been going on for over 10 years, with 136 schools in the area so far investigated. Along the way Isobel and the team have been able to uncover and observe many interesting historic influences and socioeconomic trends from the records. For example, many pupils from Omaru Mutu School (just before Opotiki) left school to join Te Kooti’s rebellion in the 1850s, while others left to follow the prophet Rua Kenana to the independent religious community at Maungapohatu in the Urewera wilderness between 1908-1910. During the 1930s many pupils died while still at school, fatally infected by TB, measles or
chicken pox brought into remote locations by European settler families. They also noted that most children in schools on the East Coast between the years 1962 and 1971 left school to ‘milk the cows’ and children out at Te Karaka left to ‘join shearing gangs’. After World War 2, children’s Christian names such as Alamein, Egypt and Cassino started appearing in the records. Isobel’s favourite – twins’ names, ‘Tahi’ and ‘Rua’. Isobel says she has always been interested in history, in particular her own family history. As a young person she asked her mother for information about her grand parents but says no one had the time to focus on family history back then – so in later years she sought to find her own answers. Along with work for the Society, she has spent may hours investigating her family’s history on both sides and as a result has published detailed history books, which she has presented as gifts to family members. Isobel has lived at Wainui for the past eight years and has close family ties with the community. Her sister May married Bill Ferris, of the well-known Ferris family of Wainui. And her son Daren Coulston, his wife Linda and her grandchildren Hana, Te Wai and Lucy live beside her in their family home overlooking the bay on Winifred Street. BeachLife | 37
our history
‘47 tsunami demonstrates what could happen again AT 8.32AM ON 26 MARCH, 1947, a seemingly minor earthquake jolted the Gisborne area, generating a tsunami that 30 minutes later swamped the coast from Muriwai to Tolaga Bay. Four people in the hotel near Tatapouri Point, north of Gisborne, spotted an ominous wave offshore and dashed up a nearby hill. Two successive waves drove through the hotel’s ground floor, filling it to the window sills. Many minutes later the receding water sucked small outbuildings out to sea. At Turihaua a large wave bore down on a cottage. Two men outside were swept inland and dumped on the coast road. Two women and a man were trapped in the kitchen of the cottage, which filled to head height with water. Battered by debris-laden water rushing back to the sea, the cottage crumbled. Only the kitchen was left standing. At Pouawa Beach, the Pouawa River bridge was carried 800 metres upstream. At Te Mahanga Beach the tsunami shifted a house off its piles, and at Murphy’s Beach six hectares of pumpkins disappeared out to sea. Less than two months later, on 17 May 1947, another offshore earthquake generated a tsunami that hit the coast between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay. At its maximum, north of Gisborne, this wave was about six metres high. No one died in either of the 1947 tsunamis, but the toll could have been high had they struck during summer holidays, when the beaches were crowded. “It is a day I will never forget,” said eye-witness
TURIHAUA POINT, 1947: A locally generated tsunami near Gisborne on 26 March 1947 caused widespread damage along the coast. This is all that remained of a four-roomed house at Turihaua Point that filled head-high with water. Seaweed was left hanging in the powerlines in the background.
June Young (née McLauchlan). “At about 9.20am, I was about to go out through the front door of the Tatapouri Hotel – where I lived with my parents, the managers – when I noticed that the sea was lapping on our front lawn. At the time there were only my parents, Hony and Bill McLauchlan, and me at the hotel. I called out to my father to look at the sea – he took one look and called out to Mum and me to run for our lives up the hill behind the hotel. “We were able to stop any travellers before they drove down the hill. What an awesome sight to be able to stand well out of danger and watch first one, then another tsunami race across the ocean and smash onto the land. “The first wave took everything other than the hotel out to sea with its backwash. We could see a shed that was full of furniture, a small dinghy, a two-roomed cottage, plus a variety of other objects. Then came the second wave, which
dumped everything back almost where it came from; but this time everything was smashed. Seaweed was left hanging in the telephone and power lines. “The waves pushed in a half-wall enclosing the verandah, saving a lot of damage to the hotel. I had left the front door open, which saved the door from breaking, but let in a lot of water, sand and little hoppy things. “My sister Margaret had, as usual, gone to the Pouawa School in the service car. They had just gone over the Pouawa bridge when water came up the river and washed the bridge away. For some time afterwards the school children had to be taken across the river in row boats until a “Bailey” bridge was built. “No lives were lost, but there were many stories from people who might normally have been in the path of the waves, but for one reason or another were not there at the time.”
TATAPOURI HOTEL 1947: The tsunami of 26 March 1947 flooded the Tatapouri Hotel, north of Gisborne, up to the window sills. Minutes later the receding tide sucked small outbuildings out to sea.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ~ Joseph Addison
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GET READY GET THRU Wainui & Makorori Beach Tsunami Plans DISTANT TSUNAMIS
LOCAL TSUNAMI (The Worst Case) A local tsunami may be caused by a major earthquake (similar to December 2007) or one that goes on for longer than a minute. Local tsunami are generated very close to New Zealand. This type of tsunami is very dangerous because we may only have a few minutes warning and damage could be quite significant in specific areas. A landslide in the Hikurangi Trench or a large earthquake from an offshore fault could cause a local tsunami THERE WILL BE NO TIME FOR AN OFFICIAL WARNING! If a Tsunami is generated it will probably arrive 20-30 minutes after the earthquake. If you observe the sea recede suddenly you have about 3-5 minutes to get to higher ground. EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE IT’S OWN EVACUATION PLAN AND PRE-PLANNED ROUTE TO HIGHER GROUND You need a pre-planned escape route. Preferably one that does not require a vehicle. Include elderly neighbours in your plan. You need to know exactly how to walk quickly from your house to the nearest hill you can easily climb. Once you are high enough to view the ocean and the incoming wave you are probably safe and will have time to climb higher as necessary. At night you will hear the wave. If you live further than 3 minutes walk away from the nearest hill, if you have young children or you are elderly you may need to plan to take your car to where you can easily climb a hill. When the first wave comes ashore it will have slowed to walking speed on steep slopes. A second wave may move faster and potentially go further inland on top of the first. Prepare an emergency “getaway kit” with things you need if you have to leave the house in a hurry. Have a torch and a battery radio. Before returning you should wait for an official all clear, but generally one hour after the earthquake is considered “all clear”. Wainui School has it’s own evacuation plan during school hours. Keep listening to the radio for updates (Classic Hits 90.9 or More FM 98.9).
Distant tsunami are generated from a long way away, such as from across the Pacific in Peru/Chile. In this case, we will have more than six hours warning time (in most cases up to 11-15 hours) for New Zealand. THERE WILL BE WARNINGS FOR THESE EVENTS! If a Tsunami is generated from the West Coast of South America there is usually many hours (about 11 hours in most cases) to prepare for the event. There will be a declared Civil Defence Emergency if evacuations are necessary. Only the most low lying areas of Wainui will need to be evacuated. You can check where these areas are on the GDC website Civil Defence pages at (www.gdc.govt.nz). If unsure you can ring the District Council. Makorori Beach will be totally evacuated – so there is no map. POLICE, FIRE AND CIVIL DEFENCE PERSONAL WILL INITIATE THE EVACUATION BY DOOR KNOCKING. THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO PANIC. You should plan to go to stay with friends or family outside of the evacuation areas. There will be an official evacuation HQ at Te Poho O Rawiri marae. You may have to stay away from your home for up to 24 hours. Listen to the local radio stations (Classic Hits 90.9 or More FM 98.9) for information. If information on the radio conflicts with that given directly to you by Police or Civil Defence, obey the latter. Make a plan with your family, and include elderly neighbours, before such an emergency. Make sure that everyone knows where they go if the call comes to evacuate. There is no need to evacuate for a potential tsunami from the Pacific Islands – just stay clear of the beach. NOTE: In the event of a local tsunami event Wainui and Makorori residents should avoid driving if at all possible. With only 20-30 minutes to get to high ground the highway will become jammed if all households try to drive to Makorori Hill or Winifred Street. Take pets if possible but don’t waste time trying to gather precious items. Saving lives is the priority! • The 1947 local tsunami event was caused by an earthquake that went on for over a minute but the shaking was hardly noticed at the beach. Prolonged shaking earthquakes are potentially the most dangerous for generating big waves.
There will be no official warnings given for a localised tsunami. It is your responsibility to get yourself and family to safety.
CIVIL DEFENCE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY MANAGERS: Ray Veal — 54 Moana Road — 867 6017 Michael Willock — 18a Sirrah Street — 868 1083 Paul Ericson — 14 Moana Road — 867 9141 Richard Busby — Makorori Station — 868 9027
GDC CIVIL DEFENCE 867 2049 EXT 8435
www.gdc.govt.nz
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our history
The Kingswood wagon, the boat and the caravan — all the toys for camping at Makorori Beach in the 1970s.
Long hot summers camping on the beach at Makorori
TODAY IT IS strictly prohibited, but for many years camping along the foreshore at Makorori was a popular Gisborne summer tradition. Families would tow their caravans out to stake claim on a favourite camping spot early in December. If you were a young person in the 1970s and ‘80s, pitching a tent with a group of friends to camp out all through December and January, was definitely the thing to do. The practice was eventually stopped in 1986 by the Cook County Council. There was concern that recentlyplanted pohutukawa trees were getting knocked about by campers, despite a regulation prohibiting camping within “10 feet of shrubs and trees”, Trouble was, people liked to be near the shade. It was expected at the time that the “privilege” to camp at Makorori would be reinstated once the trees got bigger. Stalwart annual campers moved further out to Turihaua, Makorori and Loisels beaches. The concept of camping on the coast north of Gisborne is so entrenched in local tradition that “freedom camping” is still allowed at certain areas at Turihaua Point, Pouawa Beach, Loisels Beach, Tolaga Bay, Kaiaua Beach, Tokomaru Bay and Waipiro Bay during the summer months. Permits are needed and there are rules governing rubbish and sewage disposal. The Gisborne district is one of few areas of New Zealand remaining where you can still pitch a tent at a beach, outside of a camping park.
The privilege of camping on the beachfront at Makorori was temporarily removed at a Cook County Council meeting in 1986 to allow pohutukawa trees – that had been planted as part of a Beautiful New Zealand project – to become established. At the council meeting it was stressed that the closure was not permanent. However the motion was carried again in 1987 and 1988. After a while people just assumed camping was prohibited at Makorori and today the beach is not included in Gisborne District Council “freedom camping” locations.
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Finalist 2009/10 NZ Beauty Industry Best Clinic Awards
From left: Laura Daulton - Beauty Therapist, Debbie Moorcroft - Clinic Executive, Sally Wright - Director and Specialist Skin Technician, Ashleigh Cahill - Aesthetician, Gabrielle Fox - Aesthetician, Kerry Cook - Receptionist, Colour and Figure Consultant, Natalie Rowe - Aesthetician.
Beautiful skin for a life time There is nothing more relaxing and luxurious than a facial. Environ® offers their Active Vitamin Facial Treatment, which was quoted by Harpers and Queen as “One of the top 10 best facial treatments in the U.K.” At the forefront of scientific skin care, Environ® introduces the Ionzyme® DF Machine, probably the most effective machine in the world today for enhancing penetration of vitamins contained in the Environ skin care products into the skin. Vitamins A and C are essential for the maintenance of a healthy and youthful skin. It is up to a thousand times more effective than the conventional ultrasound. The Environ® Facial offers a comfortable and effective treatment using Iontophoresis and Sonophoresis. This has proven to be the most significant advancement in skin care and can also be used for other body surface
areas. Sonophoresis may also be used by itself on limited areas such as fine lines, scar tissue and pigmentation marks. Stretch marks and cellulite may also be treated. The treatments are designed to stimulate optimum skin cell renewal, normalisation and improvement of collagen and elastin, better control of pigmentation production, restoration of normal skin blood flow and proper oxygenation of the skin. A treatment plan is carefully devised for each client’s individual needs and wants. Treatments are from $65.
Active Vitamin Facial Treatment
Come and see the friendly team at Gisborne Skin and Body Specialists. Mention this article and receive a free skin analysis and $10.00 off your first treatment. Valid until June 2010.
24 Lowe Street (Upstairs) Gisborne P | 867 1234 F | 867 3874 E | skinandbody@xtra.co.nz BeachLife | 41
wave rave
Feast of waves for “best ever” Nationals at Makorori Beach By KELLY RYAN
PHOTO BY CORY SCOTT/NZ SURFING MAGAZINE
HI AGAIN BEACH RESIDENTS and local surfers, I hope you had an awesome summer in the surf, on the beach or in the boat. Wave-wise, it has been incredibly consistent summer and autumn with world-class quality over the past two months. Intense summer land temperatures have given way to much more mild autumn days, sea breezes have become less prevalent and the Southern Ocean has begun to stir, swinging sizeable earlyseason south swells onto often oily surface conditions. The New Zealand National Surfing Championships were completed over Easter weekend here in Gisborne and local surfers featured strongly in both finals and title counts. Makorori was the main venue, although
Korbin Hutchings of Murphy Road was placed third in the Under 14 Boys final at the New Zealand Surfing Nationals.
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several other beaches were used over the fiveP 867 1684 W www.surfboards.net.nz day window. The event was actually completed in four days, which has to be a record-breaking great conditions, contributed not only to the achievement for organisers considering the quick progression of the event but also to the event used to take between seven and ten quality of the waves competitors received for days to complete. their heats. This year the waves were exceptional The Bodyboard event was completed at for the duration of the event thanks to an Pines and the Wave Ski event was held at easterly groundswell and settled local weather Whales. conditions. The waves ranged from 2-4 feet, Gisborne came away with six national titles sea breezes were light on some days and on and had 26 local competitors in the finals. Saturday it was offshore for the whole day. Some of the more noteworthy performances The “Creek” and “Red bus” surf breaks were would have to be John Gisby’s win in both the the dual venues for most divisions and, being Men’s Over 50 and Over 55 finals making for a able to split up and make the best use of the combined total of 32 national titles for him.
The beach life from $99,000
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SECTIONS RELEASED FOR SALE: 8 $99,000 492sqm 9 $99,000 492sqm 23 $115,000 526sqm 4 $120,000 813sqm 64 $115,000 848sqm
11 $99,000 492sqm 26 $120,000 813sqm 35 $120,000 813sqm 46 SOLD 873sqm
14 $115,000 679sqm 27 $120,000 813sqm 36 $120,000 813sqm 49 SOLD 1104sqm
First City Realty Ltd MREINZ 260 Gladstone Road, Gisborne Phone 867 9679 www.harveys.co.nz
BeachLife | 43
PHOTO BY CORY SCOTT/NZ SURFING MAGAZINE
wave rave
Sam Johnson of Moana Road created an upset when he surfed his way to victory in the Open Men’s division of the Hyundai Pro Longboard final event at Port Waikato.
Jayda Martin-Fitzharris featured in three finals winning the Under 18 Women’s event, placing second in the Under 16 Women’s event and a stunning third place in the Open Women’s final. James Fowell made two finals winning the Over 35 Men’s title and placing 4th in the Over 28 Men’s event. Gina Samson won a maiden Senior Women’s title for Gisborne and Johnny Hicks won the Under 18 Men’s title. Surfing New Zealand president, Greg Townsend, said it was the best national’s event ever held. • Open Men’s Final Billy Stairmand (Rag), 1, Richard Christie (Gis), 2, Maz Quinn (Gis), 3, Morehu Roberts (Gis), 4 • Open Women’s Final Laura Rishworth (Mnt), 1, Grace Spiers (Whmata), 2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 3, Ella Williams (Whmata), 4 • Under 18 Men’s Final
Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Ben Poulter (Rag), 2, Tyler Lawson (H-Bay), 3, Blake Myers (Whmata), 4 • Under 18 Women’s Final Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 2, Grace Spiers (Whmata), 3, Ella Williams (Whmata), 4 • Under 16 Boys Final Ben Poulter (Rag), 1, Tane Wallis (Piha), 2, Patxi Scott-Arietta (Sandy Bay), 3, Adam Grimson (Gis), 4 • Under 16 Girls Final Ella Williams (Whmata), 1, Jayda MartinFitzharris (Gis), 2, Ella Spiers (Whmata), 3, Bianca Sansom (Auck), N/S • Under 14 Boys Final Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha), 1, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 2, Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 3, Matt Hansen (Mnt), 4 • Over 28 Men’s Final Jarred Hancox (Tara), 1, Bevan Wig (Auck), 2,
p 027 432 6180 e cozza@ihug.co.nz 44 | BeachLife
Damon Gunness (Gis), 3, James Fowell (Gis), 4 • Senior Women’s Final Gina Samson (Gis), 1, Katrina Baty (Gis), 2, Fiona Duncan (Gis), 3, Janine Williams (Whmata), 4 • Over 35 Men’s Final James Fowell (Gis), 1, Clint Daly (Gis), 2, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 3, Ben Kennings (Whmata), 4 • Over 40 Men’s Final Rick Lasch (Piha), 1, Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 2, Steve Colbert (Gis), 3, Peter Ritchie (Gis), 4 • Over 45 Men’s Final Glenn Shuker (ChCh), 1, Steve Colbert (Gis), 2, Phillip Griffin (Mnt), 3, Barry Macculloch (Tairua), 4 • Over 50 Men’s Final John Gisby (Gis), 1, Mark Perana (West Coast), 2, David Storck (Piha), 3, Barry Macculloch (Tairua), 4 • Over 55 Men’s Final John Gisby (Gis), 1, Chris Ransley (Gis), 2, Graham Breckell (Gis), 3, Larry Foster (Gis), 4 • Kneeboard Final Roydon Stewart (Opunake), 1, Phillip Miller (Auck), 2, Murray Weir (Opunake), 3, Craig Hooper (Mnt), 4 • Waveski Nationals Open Men’s Title won by Nigel Bryant (Wainui), Grand Masters Title, won by Steve Gibbs (Wainui). The Export Gold Open Surfing series is just over halfway through having completed three out of the five events set down to decide circuit champions in 2010. Event One was held right here in Gisborne on the 7th and 8th of November 2009 with Chris Malone gaining a second placing. Event Two was in Whangamata on the 30th January to the 1st February and Maz Quinn won 1st place there with Chris Malone finishing 4th. Then it was off to Raglan and Event Three saw Morehu Roberts win, Jay Quinn 2nd and Chris Malone 3rd. A common theme in the finals of these events were experienced Gisborne competitive surfers with Chris Malone being consistently highly placed and leading the ratings coming into the NZ National Surfing Championships here in Gisborne. Chris Malone is Gisborne born and bred but
Autumn a time for nourishment
AH, GOLDEN AUTUMN . . . time for gardeners to protect soils from frost as well as nourish and prepare them for new life in spring. Your skin also has to get through winter, and deserves a bit of season-specific care as well. With the intense East Coast sun headed north for the next few months, this part of the year is a great time to protect and nourish your skin, fade out uneven pigmentation, correct broken capillaries and remove any unwanted fleshy moles and skin tags. During the clear dry winter days, you can get sunburned without realising it, so it’s important to keep sunscreen on when you are outside, even if you don’t feel hot. Get your vitamin D sunshine top ups carefully to keep your immune system working. The change of season is tough on skin. Heating systems can make air even dryer than it is in summer, and because we are not feeling hot it is easy to become dehydrated without realising it. This leaves both the skin and nasal passages dry, which can make you more vulnerable to winter bugs. Skin responds to drying out by making more oil, which can create problems like acne, and when people use harsh soaps to fix it they can make the problem worse. Whether you use organic peels or intense pulsed light treatments to clear your skin the procedures are relatively painless, and you will normally be able to see a difference even after your first treatment. Your skin recovers best from these out of harsh sunlight. A good personalised skin care system works with your body by stimulating it to boost collagen production, which tails off as we age. Modern skin care and maintenance systems can yield fantastic results and the range of tools to turn back time grows every year, and are surprisingly affordable. Some treatments like alpha and beta hydroxyl acids (AHAs and BHAs) have been used for centuries, but do their best work at higher strengths where they are used to painlessly strip back the outer layer of the skin, improving skin texture by thinning the stratum corneum, and increasing collagen production within the dermis without compromising the skin’s vital function as a barrier against chemicals and pathogens. More than 2,000 years ago Cleopatra, bathed in sour goat’s milk to improve her skin, and she was on to something. Lactic acid from sour milk is one of the acids used in modern AHA peels. Other popular AHA peels today use citric acid (from citrus fruit) and glycolic acid (from sugar cane).
There are plenty of ways to nourish and protect your new skin too. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 improve circulation and lower blood pressure, decrease inflammatory responses like eczema, premenstrual tension and arthritis. Topping up these oils also helps you have beautiful healthy skin. Certain types of topical vitamin A or retinol have potent anti-aging effects by stimulating new collagen formation and preventing collagen loss. Some forms of vitamin C also have a similar anti-aging effect, and increase elastin tissue growth and collagen production, while decreasing UV damage to the skin once summer returns. Hyaluran in the form of hyaluronic acid is a vital fluid in the body that lubricates joints and protects vital organs like your heart from damage, and is a great thing to feed your skin. Low levels of hyaluran result in premature aging, osteoarthritis, cellulite and poor wound healing. Some people’s genetics give them high levels of hyaluran which keeps them from aging, but smoking decreases it, which is one reason smoking causes premature aging (sorry!). For a personalised free skin consultation make an appointment with Dr Anuya Deshpande at Skin Deep Aesthetics and get your seasonal skin care plan to work. Have a cosy, happy, healthy winter, everyone! ANUYA DESHPANDE
Dr Anuya Deshpande
Skin Deep Aesthetics is Gisborne’s dedicated physician-led appearance medicine clinic.
Clinic: 41 Stout Street Phone: 06 863 2688 Website: www.skindeep-nz.com BeachLife |
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wave rave
PHOTO BY CORY SCOTT/NZ SURFING MAGAZINE
Bobby Hansen of Makorori finds tubular perferction close to home.
has moved to Raglan and works for Surfing New Zealand. He has a couple of kids now and has been off the surfing circuit for a few years. It’s really good to see him back bringing that fluid and powerful style and making finals at that level. Richard Christie just completed a fantastic weekend of surfing in Tasmania at the WQS Cold Water Classic. Christie finished 5th equal, being eliminated in the quarterfinals in the man-on-man heats. He eventually lost to event champion Chris Davidson of Australia. Christie nabbed nearly $3,000USD for his rampaging six-heat blitz of serious world class competitors. Well-done Richard! Wainui’s Charlie Brown, a local junior longboard competitor on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour, completed an exceptional feat at the recent Hyundai Longboard National Championships held in Whangamata by taking out the junior division for his first national title. He also smoked his way through to the final of the Open Men’s division. Huge surf and often back-to-back heats proved Brown’s fitness and rapidly improving surfing prowess were key
elements to his success. Watch out for Charlie Brown in the years to come on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour. The very popular Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour finished with a bang in Port Waikato on the weekend of March the 26th to the 28th. With solid 6 to 8 foot swells and an equally powerful southwest wind pounding the small west coast town, the stage was set for an exciting finale. The shattered boards and bodies of many Gisborne competitors was a small price to pay for the successes achieved. Sam Johnson, who has recently purchased property at Okitu, created a real stir when he smashed his way to victory in the Open Men’s pro division. Johnson survived a close heat in the quarterfinals when his board was completely snapped in two but pressed on with composure on his back-up board to take the win and become $1,500 richer. This is Sam’s first win on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour but he has been consistently making semifinal’s and final’s over the past three years. Daniel Proctor had a circuit title within his
• • • • 37 Bright Street, Gisborne, Phone 868 2700 46 | BeachLife
grasp, only to have it torn from him for a second year in a row at the same event. The door opened for Proctor when ratings leader Dylan Barnfield fell in the quarterfinals. Proctor had to win, but fell in the semi finals to Johnson. Proctor finished the season ranked a very credible 4th position, after gaining a win at event 3 in Dunedin. Charlie Brown again tasted success taking 2nd place on the Junior Circuit behind Australian sensation Jackson Winter. Brown unfortunately failed to match his Nationals performance in the Open Men’s pro division, falling in the second round to the tough conditions, which played havoc with many competitors’ wave counts. This year Hyundai continued their generous sponsorship of the Pro Longboard Tour and offered a brand new 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV vehicle for a year to the top New Zealand longboarding family. That car made its way back to Wainui Beach with its new owners, the Ryan family, the stoked recipients. The Maz Quinn “King of the Grom’s” competition was held here in Gisborne on the 20th to the 21st of March and the kids scored some epic waves at the Creek on both days. Jules Craft did a great job in making the Under 16 Boys final and finishing 4th. Jayda Martin-Fitzharris won the Under 16 Girls division along with a trip to Australia to watch the Roxy Pro. Hannah Kohn finished 4th in the Under 16 Girls division. Korbin Hutchings snatched a last minute victory in the Under 14 Boys division. • Former Wainui girl, 15-year-old Sarah Mason, caused a sensation when she won the NZ Women’s national title and made it through to the semi-finals of the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour in April. Living in Australia for the past seven years the Mason family still own a home on Moana Road.
Package holidays Coach Tours & Cruises Sightseeing Travel Insurance
See Brett Papworth and his team for all your travel arrangements.
Peter carries on the Ritchie recipe for real estate success
PHOTO BY CORY SCOTT/NZ SURFING MAGAZINE
Peter Ritchie Wainui Hotline 0274 331 013
D L O S 16 MOANA ROAD: Sold by PETER RITCHIE PETER RITCHIE GREW up, literally, on the beach at Stockroute. This local-boymade-good is Wainui Beach to the core. As a surfer, Peter understands better than most, what living close by the ocean means to many people. Nowadays, living at Okitu with an ocean view through The Pines, he is an ardent ambassador for the Wainui surfand ocean-loving lifestyle. This passion for life-at-the-beach dovetails perfectly with his profession as a real estate consultant for the “family firm” at Ray White. At 40-years-old, he has experience, credibility and a rapport with young families, often surfers, desirous of setting up house close to the surf at Wainui Beach. Testimony to this trust are the properties he has already sold so far this year in the Wainui-Okitu community. Sales along Moana Road and Pare Street have all benefited from Peter Ritchie’s enthusiasm, persistence and straight-talking approach to real estate. “I think Wainui Beach is one of the best kept secrets in the world,” says Peter. “We have a great climate, friendly people, beautiful beaches, a healthy lifestyle and we like to have a good time. We also enjoy some of the best value-for-money
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properties on the world market today. “My mum, Diane, has been a real estate agent for over 25 years, but that didn’t mean I stepped straight into the industry myself. I’ve had a couple of businesses and also worked in the building industry with my father. “When I joined, I brought with me a good understanding of the industry, not just because of my building background, but also because I have bought and sold investment properties myself. “My job is about listening to what people want, because everyone has different needs and objectives. A lot of what we do in real estate is invisible — plenty of behind the scenes work. “Ray White Real Estate is the fastest growing franchise in New Zealand and Australia and for good reason. We constantly move and change with the market, and the Gisborne crew are recognised as a hard working and enthusiastic team of professionals. When Peter’s not working, he’s spending time with his 4-year-old son Jack, or at the beach surfing. At the most recent New Zealand Surfing Nationals this hard-working real estate consultant was placed 4th in the Men’s Over 40s Final.
D L O S 49a MOANA ROAD: Sold by PETER RITCHIE
D L O S 7 PARE STREET: Sold by PETER RITCHIE As Peter says: “It’s pretty awesome.” In the surf and in business, Peter Ritchie doesn’t believe in a half-hearted effort. He’ll give you totally honest, upfront answers – and a 100% commitment to the task at hand.
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Our team has the experience to make it happen ... Ray White Works www.rwgisborne.co.nz
Principal Officers Diane Ritchie AREINZ 0800 342 663 Christine Gunness AREINZ 0800 536 306
Gisborne Property Shop Ltd MREINZ Tel: (06) 867 0060 Fax: (06) 867 0064 468 Gladstone Road Gisborne gisborne.nz@raywhite.com
Phone 06 867 0060
we love the moods of the coast and the people who are at one with the sea ...
Sponsor of 2010 Makorori First Light Longboard Surfing Contest Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Division Finalists: Caroline Ryan, Gina Samson, Jane Pitkethley and Lea Brassy.