Te Awamutu News | January 26, 2023

Opportunity knocks

By Cate Prestige

Te Awamutu is becoming a destination for bargain hunters now that the town boasts at least six opshops in the central business district.

The stores are a hive of activity after an influx of donations over summer.

Michell Bluett, assistant manager at Hato Hone St John on Alexandra Street, says residents are generous and she’s noticed an increase in donations and customers as the town grows.

She says “amazing volunteers” sort donated goods all year, but January is always busy as people shift house or have a summer declutter. Clothing is a popular item “all sorts of brands come in, some still with labels”.

At the Salvation Army Family Store off George St, manager Vanessa Hay says the team do a fantastic job getting new stock out daily. The team take pride in the look and feel of the store and enjoy their regulars and new customers. Hay has noticed more people “doing the op shop rounds” and says clothing and small furniture items are popular as well as collectibles like Crown Lynn and Temuka Pottery.

Over at Red Cross in Bank St, manager Debra Morrissey is singing along to disco music as she sorts through a bag of clothes.

“I’m always singing” she laughs. A sign at the front of the store says, ‘no clothing donations today’ but Morrissey says this is just so they can catch up on what they already have

and the regular deliveries of boxes from their main storage facility.

“Clothing is always great to get” she says, and people are always popping in looking for things. Morrissey tries to ensure everyday necessities like kids clothing are affordable.

Racks of colourful clothing line one side of the SPCA store on Alexandra St. Manager Kelly Smit says they’ve had non-stop donations of high-quality clothing and homewares over the festive break, including household lots. She says with people shifting they have “a bit of everything from clothing to kitchenware and bric a brac - you name it, we get it”.

Smit says books are popular and their regulars often donate back after reading so she has a regular sales table to move stock on. While SPCA can take most things, there are items that can’t be sold if they can’t guarantee they’re safe and fit for purpose. This includes baby carriers with straps and buckles, flammable or medical items.

In the Hospice store on George St, Hospice regional retail manager Teresa Bidlake says the summer donation boost feels like back to normal again as during lockdowns people were decluttering more while they were based at home. Bidlake says they appreciate people donating their unwanted goods and while clothing is their staple, the store is “full of new treasures everyday which help us fund quality care for cancer patients”.

• Meet the opshop teams –see Page 6.

Home

SPCA store manager Kelly Smit checks items on the ‘pre-loved labels’ rack.

$6m overpaid

Te Whatu Ora Waikato says 6000 staff were overpaid during the cyber outage in 2021. The organisation is now endeavouring to recover the $6 million owed. The DHB will not chase anyone overpaid by less than $20.

Triumphs coming

The Triumph TR national convention will be hosted in Waipā from February 16 to 19. The event will feature a display of 64 vehicles on Victoria Park, Cambridge, on February 17.

Lions plan for convention

By Viv Posselt

One of the area’s only allwomen Lions clubs – Rosetown Lions – is looking forward to next month’s District 202L Convention in Hamilton.

The event is likely to draw hundreds of Lions members from one of the biggest regions in the country. District 202L stretches from coast to coast across the central North Island, incorporating 58 clubs. It’s a massive area and after attending last year’s convention remotely due to the halting effects of Covid, clubs will be marking a welcome return to ‘normal’.

The event will also see the Rosetown Lions handing back the community service trophy presented to them last February – it will be passed on to the next recipient club. Former Lions president Paula McWha said while no-one expects an award “you feel very proud when you are given one”.

Paula and current Rosetown president Jenny Elers met last week to talk over upcoming plans for 2023.

Jenny was a member of the Hāwera Lions Club before moving to Te Awamutu 16 years ago and transferring to the

Rosetown Lions. She and Paula have put many miles under their joint Lions belts, attending numerous events together in New Zealand and travelling to the 2014 International Lions Convention in Canada.

Both are aware many service clubs have taken a membership hit during Covid and have worked hard to keep Rosetown buoyant. They’re successfully attracting new members, many of them younger women who find the environment an easy one in which to juggle home, working and club life.

“It was difficult to get the group going again after lockdown,” said Jenny, “particularly as no-one knew at that stage what the future held, but we make a point of letting prospective members know that we ask them to do only what they can and no more. We also have an active social side.”

The club committees align with Lions International’s five core focus areas – diabetes, vision, hunger, the environment, and childhood cancer. Much of Rosetown’s fundraising and support efforts are done jointly with other service clubs and organisations, including the Blind Dogs Puppy appeal

programme, Child Cancer Association and others.

November and December are their busiest months. Last year, they supported the Te Awamutu business fraternity by helping with the Black Friday Blowout. Then it was on to the National Fieldays, a Riding for the Disabled lunch, the Tree of Life fundraiser for Child Cancer, the Pink Wheelbarrow raffle for Diabetes Awareness, helping the Pakeke Lions with a raffle, catering the Kihikihi lunch and

COMMUNITY COMMENT

Share and share nicely

The “Sharing Shed” on Anzac Green has been a great asset to the town, enabling the community to share produce, swap books and put up notices.

We have been very lucky to have some wonderful care takers of the shed, keeping it clean and tidy.

Unfortunately, our last “clean fairy” has hung up her boots having taken away one too many boxes of expired food, rubbish or items, that are just not supposed to be left at the Sharing Shed.

I would like to firstly offer Jan a huge thank you for the years of service she has given to keep the Sharing Shed looking its best; and secondly ask you the community to use the shed for what it was designed for – sharing produce and swapping books.

It is not a bric-a-brac or a second-hand swap site as it is not big enough for the additional items. We have some great second-hand stores in Te Awamutu that welcome those kinds of goods. (Editor’s note: see stories

Pages 1 and 7).

a private function, then the Christmas Parade and Santa’s Grotto.

This month’s activities started with support given to Te Awamutu’s blood donor drive.

Regular projects include the World Clean Up Day – last year they tackled the Pioneer Park and rose gardens – and assisting with post-Christmas International Youth Camp which sees people aged 16-21 from numerous countries attend a 10day camp in the Kaimai Range.

By Ange Holt, Chair, Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board

I also ask that you only put out as much as will fit on the shelves, otherwise things get spoilt in the sun or the rain – books included.

Please, if you are using the shed, keep an eye out for the rubbish and take what you can away with you as this would be a great help. Remember the saying “many hands make light work.”

Next month the Community Board joins council staff to get your feedback on a few things. The big one is Ahu Ake – the Waipā Spatial Plan. This document is about planning our future – what our communities will look like 50 years down the track.

Please start thinking how you would like to see Te Awamutu, Kihikihi and surrounds looking for your grandchildren. What things are important to you, what do we need, what don’t we need? If you have ideas you would like to share, please either contact us or come along to one of the information days that will be provided.

There is also the dog bylaw, and this is where we need to get a good balance for both the dog people and for those who are not keen on our canine friends. There are plenty of spaces we can share as long as we are considerate to each other. The proposed draft that will be presented is not set in concrete.

We welcome your feedback to be able to put together the best bylaw possible to meet as many expectations as we can.

If you would like to join us for a Community Board meeting, you are very welcome. We meet in the Council Chambers, Bank St, Te Awamutu, starting at 6pm. Our next meeting is on Wednesday (February 1).

You can attend in person or join us online. If you wish to speak in the public forum, please let us know and we can make the necessary arrangements for your participation.

Rosetown Lions president Jenny Elers, left, with former president Paula McWha holding the community service trophy awarded to the club last year.

Driver shortage

Waipā District Council has conceded normal recycling collection schedules can’t be maintained for “the foreseeable future” as a consequence of a national shortage of drivers. The Council’s contractor Metallic Sweeping is struggling to find drivers and has also been hit by staff illness. Managing director Clive Peter said the company was working with consultants to fast-track skilled drivers from overseas and had offered staff a finder’s fee to find new work mates.

Ride on

Te Kuiti based builder Kieran Powell has broken his wrist, but continues his mammoth cycling circumnavigation of New Zealand to raise funds for Hospice Waikato as a tribute to his grandmother who died aged 97 in August. He started “The Long Way Home” trek on December 1 in Raglan, and plans to cover 120km a day. Powell, who was in Queenstown Lakes on Sunday, is also keeping watchers updated on Facebook with pictures from remote parts of the country.

Saving wētā

A breeding programme at Ōtorohanga is the key to saving the now officially threatened giant wētā. The wētā has been listed as threatened by the Department of Conservation and a reserve at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House boasts the only naturally occurring population of giant wētā on the mainland.

Website hits

Our front page piece on new JPs sworn in resulted in more than 40 per cent of the hits to our teawamutunews. nz website in the last week. There was also plenty of interest in our Being driven to anger roundabouts story on our social media postings. Rounding out the top five were the Home Page, Publications and News Briefs.

Getting a taste of kiwi

By Mary Anne Gill

When Nick and Vanessa Jennings moved to an Ōhaupō lifestyle block just over a year ago, they could see Te Miro Hills in the distance from their deck.

Now all they can see is a kiwifruit orchard at 582 Parallel Rd with rows of white shade cloth over thousands of plants, sixmetre-high wooden piles and shelterbelt hedging four metres from the boundary –when council rules say they should be set back 25 metres.

The new orchard is one of two in Waipā which have drawn objections resulting in hearings, an independent commissioner being called in and one decision now going to a mid-year judicial review.

The Jennings say despite the complaints, work establishing the orchard next door continues – and work is almost complete on a second in the same road.

Waipā District Council Growth and Regulatory services group manager

Wayne Allan said only some parts of the operations at 383 and 582 Parallel Road, need resource consent.

It has also been revealed a council staff member involved in consent applications for the operation had accepted a role in the company acting for the orchard owners. The planner had earlier recommended against a retrospective consent going

ahead.

The views from the property, described in a 2021 real estate blurb as an “idyllic haven with a beautiful rural outlook”, started changing last February as hundreds of the poles holding several metres of white canopy cloth were installed in front and to the side of them.

Underneath the canopies at 582 Parallel Road were new Ruby Red kiwifruit plantings.

Growers do not need permission in Waipā to plant kiwifruit but, unlike other districts, they do need a resource consent to erect the canopies and Kiwifruit Investments Ltd – owned by Parmvir Bains of Cambridge – did not have it.

The Jennings complained to the council about the shade netting and the setback breach on February 28.

The council told Kiwifruit Investments the company was in breach of its District Plan and was required to lodge a retrospective application.

Three months later, the Jennings again complained to the council, this time to noise control as the kiwifruit operator drilled several water bores and then ran a pump for 72 hours adjacent to the Jennings’ property.

In a follow-up letter to the council in May the couple’s barrister said the buildings not only obstructed views but also caused sun shading, glare and had affected

mobile phone reception.

In his evidence to the independent commissioner at a hearing in October, Bains said he had been in the industry since 2008 working in the Bay of Plenty where resource consents for the structures are not required.

“I had no idea that resource consent was needed (in Waikato),” he said.

He said if there was a requirement to set back the shelter fence “we would plant green kiwifruit in the space between. We can’t afford to have a big space of land with nothing growing in it.”

Kiwifruit Investments is not the only kiwifruit operator involved in complaints by neighbours.

Margaret and Grant Walker say similar structures have gone up near their nine hectare lifestyle property in Cambridge Road, Kaipaki without resource consents.

The council acknowledged in an email on September 1 that it was “dealing with a few different properties in the district that have erected these types of kiwifruit structures”.

Margaret Walker said the kiwifruit boom presented issues for the council.

“They’re going to pop up everywhere in the district without resource consents if we don’t highlight the issues,” she said.

Nick Jennings said he did not have a problem with kiwifruit or other horticultural practices being

established in the district.

“But I do have a problem with the green vista and rural outlooks being overtaken by the shade covers.”

The second operation, in 383 Parallel Road, is managed by Bains for GDP Orchards Ltd, owned by Gurwinder Bains of Te Puke.

It successfully applied for a retrospective resource consent last year, but a neighbour has challenged independent commissioner Alan Withy’s decision and it will be the subject of a Judicial Review before the High Court in Hamilton on May 13.

Cambridge-based Barker and Associates planning consultancy have been involved in preparing retrospective resource consent applications to the council.

4Sight Consulting

of Hamilton has been appointed as an independent planning consultant in the wake of the council’s own staff member joining Barker and Associates.

Allan said the only parts of the kiwifruit operation at 582 Parallel Road, adjacent to the Jennings, needing resource consent relate to the location of minor support structures and “given that, no enforcement steps are currently being taken in respect of the operations, pending the resolution of the resource consent application…”

He would not comment on the Judicial Review case at 383 Parallel Road other than to say the structures were consented.

Withy, who is due to also decide on 582 Parallel Road, issued a minute to all parties last week.

He said he would not make a decision to approve the resource consent application on a non-notified basis until hearing more from lawyers acting for the applicant and the Jennings.

Withy also ordered a hearing date be fixed “as soon as practical” to decide on retrospective consent for the shelterbelts.

• What do you think? Should kiwifruit canopies be allowed to proceed around the district? Email editor@goodlocal.nz

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Rosetown Funeral Home are dedicated to providing personalised and meaningful funeral services, and are happy to discuss new ideas, pre-planning and/or pre-paying for your funeral. We are here for you in your time of need, so please get in touch anytime to discuss your options.

Helen Carter Funeral Director

Canopy cloth and wooden piles have replaced rural views in Waipā, say residents from left, Nick Jennings, Margaret and Grant Walker.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

The kiwifruit structures at 383 Parallel Road.

Maps and mappings

By Tom Roa

E te Tau 2022, ō mate, ō piki me ō heke, haere rā! E te Tau 2023 me tō pitomata, haere mai!

We’ve farewelled 2022, all of its ups and downs, and those who who have passed during the last year. Let’s welcome 2023 and its potential.

Histories of place, of the peoples of those places, how and why they are mapped I find fascinating.

A map, on the wall in Gary Dyet’s office at the Waipā District Council dated 1864, is a case in point. In sharing this map with me our editor, Roy Pilott, has remarked that south is at the top of it, Hamilton is noted as Kirikiriroa, and there are details of pā in it (which may well be of interest to many of the News’ readership).

In this article I contrast that map with the map drawn by the northern chief, Tuki in 1793 for the Governor of New South Wales. At that time, British interests in New Zealand were included in the boundaries of New South Wales. Through his map Tuki

provides for the governor an insight into Aotearoa – New Zealand from his world view, as he knew it. It would appear also that he was providing the governor with information helpful to the govermor in Britain’s interests in Ea-heino Maue (Te Ika ā Maui) and Poenammo (Te Wai Pounamu)..

He shows Poenammo (Te Waipounamu – the South Island) at the bottom and Eahei-no-Maue (Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island) much larger on the top. This suggests to me that Ea-hei-no-Maue was of greater significance to him in terms of both its placement and its size. He no doubt would have explained to the governor the significance of his naming certain sites, and their importance socially, culturally, and politically to him and the information he wished to share with the Governor. Of particular note is the dotted line running through the North Island which marks the pathway followed by the spirits of the dead leading to their final leaping-off place at Terry-inga (Te Reinga) – the northern-

most tip of the island.

The 1864 map carries an explanation informing the map reader of its being a plan of certain parts, what that plan principally ‘shews’, the timing of the drawing up of the map, and its authorship. Those explanatory notes of themselves beg a number of questions.

Discourse has been described as ‘verbal or written communication between people that goes beyond a single sentence.’ The overall meanings conveyed by language in context are part and parcel of a disourse. A map can be described as a ‘discourse’. The social, cultural, political and historical backgrounds of the map (the discourse): the reasons for its existence, the backgound of the author(s) of the map, and the persons or group for whom the map is intended are all part of that context.

The discerning reader of this article would do well to apply to this and any other article you read, simple principles of discourse analysis, which explore the discourse’s context. Key questions may well be - What is the aim of the author of the discourse? Who is the intended audience? What is used to achieve the author’s aims? What can be said about the power relationships intrinsic to the discourse? How successful is the discourse in acheiving the author’s aims?

Essential to discourse analysis is delving beyond what one sees on the surface of the discourse - into its context.

1793 map.

We each have our world views, some parts of which we share with others, some parts we do not. Reality in each of our social contexts is socially constructed. Our experience of the world is understood from a subjective standpoint. Discourse analysis explores beyond the surface meanings of words and languages into how meaning is constructed in different contexts which include the social, cultural, political, and historical backgrounds of the discourse.

What these maps might mean to you will come primarily from how your social reality has been socially constructed. Our worlds are enriched by actively engaging with differing worldviews.

I would hope that, whatever might be your particular world view in perusing these maps, you might enjoy them

in and of themselves, as part of our heritage as we move toward celebrating Waitangi Day in a few weeks time.

If you are of a mind to perhaps consider an analysis of the discourse, I would hope that an appreciation of these maps and their world views might also play a part in the celebration and exploration

of our past, which can inform us of how we are who we are today, and also can be suggestive of who we might be in the future.

Paimārire ki a tātou katoa.

• Dr Roa is a Tainui leader and Manukura/Professor in the University of Waikato’s Te Pua Wananga ki te Ao - Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.

The map of Waipa which adorns Garry Dyet’s office.

Tuki’s

Waka Ama overplanning starts

By Mary Anne Gill

ways of involving the community.

The shooting of George Gilfillan

By Mary Anne Gill

It may sound ghoulish, but a walk around graveyards can provide hours of mystery leading to the need for more research.

At the trial, evidence was heard that he was a heavy drinker and that he had been drinking and hallucinating the night before. Gilfillan, who had studied medicine, gave him 30 drops of laudanum (opium).

Waka Ama officials say numbers at the sprint nationals which wrapped up on Lake Karāpiro at the weekend were down on previous years and work has begun to turn that around for next year.

“We’re the best kept secret,” she said but supermarkets, accommodation and eateries in Cambridge, Leamington and Te Awamutu were well aware of the numbers involved.

Anyone who visited the event was blown away by the strong village feel from a sport which brings cultures together around strong tikanga and whānau values.

“This is a good news story.”

The wording on a headstone in the grounds of the Old St John’s Church in Te Awamutu is fading but the words Constable G.B. Gilfillan can still be seen.

The words after that - “who was shot at Rangiawhia (Rangiaowhia) by a comrade on the 20 March, 1871” are less obvious.

So what happened to Constable Gilfillan?

The next day Muirhead helped gather mushrooms before returning to shoot Gilfillan.

Muirhead was found guilty and condemned to death. A successful petition signed by many people in the district asked that his sentence be commuted to life imprisonment.

Lara Collins

Chief executive Lara Collins told The News the first event in two years was one of rebuilding.

“It’s great to be back at Karāpiro after the disruptions of Covid,” she said.

While numbers were down by about 1000, 2700 club paddlers and 200 corporates did compete.

And that gives the championships a base to work on, said Collins.

She hopes to meet with Waipā District Council, a key supporter of the championships through its district promotions fund, and businesses to explore

Collins won the C.K. Doig Leadership Award at the Sport and Recreation awards in November last year for the person in the sports sector who displays outstanding leadership in relation to their organisation or the sector as a whole.

Under her leadership since March 2012, Waka Ama has been one of the fastestgrowing sports in New Zealand with membership doubling to now sit at more than 6000 across 89 clubs. She has been instrumental in bringing waka ama into the mainstream.

The championships will be held at Karāpiro from January 14-20 next year.

According to a report in the New Zealand Herald on June 13, 1871 from the wilful murder trial of Thomas Pollok Muirhead at the Supreme Court in Auckland, George Bond Gilfillan and Muirhead, a fellow constable, were helping to load a dray in front of the blockhouse at Rangiaowhia.

Witness George Scholfield, also a constable, said he was at the dray when he heard a shot fired from inside.

Muirhead came out of the blockhouse with a musket in his hand and said: “I have done for him now; the traitor could not live.”

Scholfield rushed inside to find a bleeding Gilfillan kneeling on the floor with his hands to his left breast. Scholfield carried him to the guard bed with the assistance of another constable and cut open his shirt and waistcoat. The musket ball had passed out through his back.

Gilfillan knew he was dying and said he was bleeding internally. He asked Scholfield to write to his mother and said he wished he had been shot dead instantly rather than suffer. He died about an hour after he had been shot.

Muirhead was arrested and an inquest was heard the following day.

Constable Gilfillan’s sandstone memorial was erected by the Armed Constabulary Force in the St John’s Church graveyard.

Horouta Waka Hoe won the club points’ trophy at the Waka Ama sprint nationals. Photo: Supplied.

The sandstone memorial erected by the Armed Constabulary Force in the grounds of old St John’s Church in Te Awamutu. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Summer challenges

By Peter Carr

The political events that unfolded late last week will have been done to death by the time readers scan this opinion piece.

The political observer within me would normally provide some epithets on the subject but in newspapers – and other media – timing is of the essence.

So, leave it alone.

Which brings me, by way of relief, to the joys of a long, warm summer and as to whether the circumstances prevailing permit full enjoyment of this lovely country as it appears to languish under clear and azure skies.

But wait - what about the floods and beach erosion in Coromandel and on the East Coast? What about the potholes that are now almost de rigueur on State Highway 1?

What about the inability of tourism operators who are unable to provide a requisite level of service due to a paucity of trained and experienced staff?

And what about the fact that the excellent surf lifesaving teams (of which many are volunteers) cannot provide services at many beaches because of a lack of funds?

This is a hot potato due to a high number of drownings, many attributable to either people swimming at patrolled beaches outside of the flagged area or taking risks on lifeguard-free beaches .

And layer all this over with the welcome return of overseas tourists who have been absent for most of three years – not only due to the pandemic but also the associated lack of airline services that have been slow to re-start.

They too need a level of service, safety and happy memories to take home and further spread the good news about Gods-own.

We must play by the rules

By Julie Guest

Like it or not we are sliding into a state of accepting second-level services driven in the main by the spreading of funds too thinly over a very high number of needy areas.

My only foray into politics this week is to remind readers that 2023 is a national election year.

We are now nine months from using our right to decide who should lead us into an improved social, commercial and welfare supporting new world.

We will be besieged by promises at a plethora of hustings which will be normally poorly attended.

Apathy is alive and well when it comes to voting in New Zealand and we are all the poorer for it. The ball is in our court.

So, as we lurch into the Year of the Rabbit and bunny-hop our way through until next Christmas there is much to ponder.

Should potholes take precedence over lifeguard funding?

Should the removal of over-long stays in motels by financially and socially dispossessed people to improved housing be given a higher priority than a new road to Northland - politically and very incorrectly named the Holiday Highway?

Should funding and support services be provided as a right for all younger people to ensure that they understand and can combat the dangers of being in deep water?

Happy New Year everybody – buckle in. We are in for and interesting and possibly bumpy roller-coaster ride.

Stepping out for health

Since the new year there has been talk in our house about exercise: Specifically how we should be getting more of it.

I read an article this week about how our muscular system is an endocrine organ. As such, our muscles release a host of different chemicals into the bloodstream, the effects of which are many and varied.

When we exercise the chemicals released are generally beneficial, even to the extent that research is now showing regular exercise can reduce the risk of cancer and other such undesirable health issues.

Given the incomprehensible (so far) complexity of the human body and the chemical soup which flows through it, it’s not so much surprising that it sometimes goes wrong but downright amazing that it works at all.

By Peter Matthews

Last week New Zealanders learned that our Prime Minister has chosen to step down rather than continue without being able to offer her best.

Since that announcement the media has been filled with reflections about the huge array of issues Jacinda had to deal with as Prime Minister, perhaps as wide and demanding as any Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had.

But another aspect surrounding Jacinda’s leadership has flooded the media - the reflection concerning the vitriol and very real danger she has had to face since she accepted the role.

There is great concern that the hatred has contributed to Jacinda’s exhaustion and is also chasing potential future leaders away.

I want to say two things.

The first is that the word of God has much to say about how to treat those in leadership. In just one example: 1 Timothy 2:1-2 , we read, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

It is not popular today to talk about obedience, and I am certainly not advocating for the blind obedience that a despot demands.

But a free society depends on the agreement of all to be obedient to the rules –the laws that help boundary ideas of justice, kindness, mercy, and consequences for law breaking.

As a society we need leaders – people willing to wrestle with the difficult decisions required by our world today.

NO PLANET B

Anyway, I woke up early on Saturday morning and decided to go for a brisk walk. I got up, put on a pair of trainers and left the house.

As I strode away with great resolve my conscience delivered a double banger: Firstly, the dogs hadn’t noticed that I’d left and were sure to be less than impressed when they realised I had gone ‘walkies’ without them. Moreover, and this was the clincher, the talk about our pending exercise regime had been between myself and my wife - and she was still fast asleep in bed. How was that going to go?

So I went back to the house, (and this has to be handled carefully) gently woke her up, and suggested a walk.

Receiving an unexpectedly enthusiastic response I said something like “Well come

We are a local Charitable Trust and that makes us quite different from most retirement villages.

Quite simply, we don’t have shareholders. We are a community-owned organisation, providing a wide range of retirement living and care options, and the added benefit of shared capital gain for our apartments, cottages and villas. Come and see the Cambridge Resthaven difference for yourself.

on then, let’s go.” Not so fast.

She said “We’ll have to have a cup of tea first.”

“Of course - I’ll make it.”

Then “have you seen my trainers?” No, I hadn’t - turns out they were in the wardrobe. And “do you know where my sunglasses are?” No I didn’t - they were in the car. And the last straw “do you want some sun block?”

No, I didn’t want any sunblock. It was barely past the crack of dawn; even the New Zealand sun, famed for its cancer causing ferocity would be hard pressed to singe either of us in the time it would take to walk to the end of the road and back at half past six in the morning.

By the time we finally left I would have

We need people of the very best quality to do that. And we need them to bring all of their intelligence, expertise, kindness and compassion to the task – rather than being hampered by fear for their lives, or the exhaustion that fear leads to.

The Bible calls for obedience to the rule of the land specifically so that we can be free (from lawlessness and fear) to live the best lives we can.

But more than that, we are also asked to pray for and to support our leaders whether we agree with their stance and decisions or not.

We are to encourage them, so they can do their job to the best of their ability.

I know that I perform much better when I feel the support of those around me.

If I am working with a group that openly distrusts or dislikes me, I cannot do my best work.

So, as New Zealanders look forward to first, the new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, and then a national election, let each of us do everything we can to support those leading us now.

Later this year, we will vote as we feel led, but my plea is that, for all our sakes, we never cease to offer respect to all of the leaders chosen in our democratic process.

been back already.

My father, no longer with us, used to tell my step-mother he wanted to leave the house at 10 if he was to have any chance of being on the road by 11. It’s just one of those things.

We did have a very pleasant walk, and two more and a bike ride during the weekend. This exercise thing is going rather well. I expect we’ll be swimming next week.

Regarding the departure of the wicked witch (prime minister) and the almost unanimous glee that it seems to be causing, I would just say – I was always taught to play the ball and not the player.

Volunteers find their niche

By Cate Prestige

Te Awamutu has a lively op shop scene and managers say volunteers are the lifeblood of the stores.

The days of customers rummaging through musty boxes are long gone. Shops now have racks of clean, well-organised clothing and clearly labelled sections displaying china, home décor, toys, linen and books. This level of presentation doesn’t happen without a team to help manage the donated stock and get it ready for sale.

While retail is an important part of the work, Hospice Volunteer Services manager Karen Mansfield says people can “find their

niche” in a range of areas behind the scenes as well as making social connection and friendships.

Assistant manager at Hato Hone St John, Michell Bluett agrees, that not everyone is confident being on the till – “but there’s always something people can do, and it’s a fun place to work”.

Hospice Store manager Hussan Shariff says his volunteers “are the love” and are passionate about raising money for the cause. Most do weekly shifts, with some having over 20 years’ service. Over at the Salvation Army, long-time volunteer Fi O’Connor says getting to know and help people is an enjoyable part of the job for her,

Thinking of donating?

• Check the items are clean, especially bedding, linen, and clothing

• If it’s chipped, cracked, or broken it can’t be sold

• Ask yourself: ‘would I give this to a friend or family member?’

• Check if the store takes certain items, for example, electrical goods

• Old computers and printers are not very saleable –send these to e-waste

• Don’t leave goods outside the shop out of hours

• If donating bed linen, add a note to say what size it is

• Donate goods safely - wrap sharp objects like knives

• A single item of a pair is not useful - for example one sock or a single glass

• Check puzzles and games have all the pieces

What do stores love to receive?

• Good clean clothing of all types and eras

• Items of furniture like bookcases, coffee tables, mirrors, shelves

• Household décor, bric-a-brac, paintings, vases

“sometimes you can be a listening ear”.

Kelly Smit, manager at SPCA, says it’s all about doing their best to raise money for the animals.

She would love more volunteers and says “all are welcome, it’s great to have a mix of skills”.

At Hospice, Mansfield says volunteering can give retirees a project outside of the home but is also great for younger people to gain skills and confidence, supported by older colleagues. Their retail manager Teresa Bidlake agrees saying “it looks great on your CV”.

Lynne Levis has been working in the St John store for the past two years. After

Get gardening

As the weather remains so hot and very wet, it is important to make sure the garden is well looked after. Watering bigger plants like perennials and hedging heavily a few times a week will be more beneficial than daily light watering. Annuals and vegetables may need more frequent watering. Plants benefit more from being watered in the early hours of the morning or at dusk. This will help prevent leaves from burning in the harsh sunlight.

Vegetables – February is the month where everything is ripe. It’s also a great time to replant, preserve or freeze excess produce to enjoy over the cooler months. Inconsistent watering can lead to vegetable plants drying out and becoming bitter, it also increases the chances of pests and diseases attacking.

Herbs – it is common for softer leaved herbs like basil, dill and coriander to go to seed very quickly in this hotter weather. Harvest the young foliage early and dry it or freeze it to use later.

Flowers – Plants like begonias, petunias and portulaca will do better. It is time to start thinking about your winter garden beds but hold fire on planting until it cools down more, or plant in shade.

retiring early, she says she loves using her skills, getting out amongst people and being part of a great team. Keeping busy and active is also important to Leonie Oates who started as a volunteer with Red Cross after seeing a notice in the window. Oates is now a part-time supervisor at the Salvation Army store and enjoys making a contribution to the team.

All stores are keen for more volunteers and people of all skills and ages are welcome. Debra Morrissey at Red Cross says “even if you can only do half a day, it’s a big help”

For more information, ask at one of the stores.

Cambridge Life

manager@cambridgelife.co.nz soundcare.co.nz

Hato Hone St John volunteers Lynne Levis (left) and Annette (right) with assistant manager Michell Bluett. Karen Mansfield, Hussan Shariff and Teresa Bidlake at Hospice.

A monthly gardening column, courtesy of Amber Garden Centre

Gin and bear it…

By Roy Pilott

It would be unfair to suggest that October’s frost which claimed over 90 per cent of Monavale Organic Blueberries’ crop turned the owners to drink.

But in a way it did.

Faced with a dire season and just a tiny fraction of their usual production, Monavale has used some of the surviving fruit to produce a gin.

The gin’s name – Blue 2022 – refers as much to the fruit as the mood at the orchard after the October 7 frost which saw ground temperatures fall to minus five degrees.

It’s hoped to produce about 2000 bottles of Blue 2022 – but it’s hardly a mass production line. Blue is produced in batches of eight bottles.

The News caught up with orchard manager Oliver de Groot this week for a review of how the company had responded to the disastrous crop loss.

In October he suggested 90 per cent of the crop was lost in the coldest day the area had experienced in half a century. It was worse – about 95 per cent was claimed.

Monavale took a giant hit – and so did other producers around the country.

“It’s a strange feeling,” he says. “From January to March we usually harvest five tonnes of berries a day. This year the total will be about 100 kilograms.”

The cost of insuring against such an event was prohibitive –effectively more than the profit from the sale of the fruit.

The orchard also usually provides work for 100 people at this time of year.

Some fruit is not worth picking because bushes normally laden with berries might have just 10 worth picking.

Early fruiting varieties escaped the worst of the frost and there was some picking before Christmas, but not much now. De Groot is considering a holiday at a time when he is usually at his busiest.

Monavale has also kept up an appearance at markets in Waipā – it was at the Cambridge Farmers Market earlier this month selling grade one and two berries.

The orchard, established in 1985, has 45 varieties of blueberries and beyond its staple market, secondary products include frozen berries, jams, cheeses, chutneys, salad dressings and ice cream.

It has struggled to maintain supply lines to its usual customers, and the next wave of berries will not be ready until the end of the year. In preparation for that, early pruning has already started.

Monavale also has its own café - Irresistiblue – where the secondary products are also sold.

Blue is by no means the first step into the alcohol market for the Monavale team. Oliver’s father Marco has experience in producing wines and liqueurs.

Marco de Groot, pictured with son Oliver, has produced a gin in response to the frost which decimated Monavale’s blueberry crop – and they say it goes well with the cheeses they also produce.

On the ladder to success

Jimmy Cleaver is a 23-year-old farm manager who is passionate about his work in the dairy sector and looking after his team.

“I went dairy farming because of the possibilities it offers me. Not many jobs allow you to climb the ladder as quickly, becoming a farm manager by 19 and then be able to go off sharemilking by 26,” he says.

Jimmy, a farm manager at Rangiriri, was named Auckland/Hauraki dairy manager of the year at the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and received the national DairyNZ people and leadership award.

“The first year I entered the dairy industry awards in 2021, I went in with an open mindset. I was young and just wanted to see what a young person could achieve, and see what I could learn and improve on.

“When I entered this year, our farm had just had a very good year. I had taken on the feedback from the year before, and ahead of the awards night I knew that I had done everything I could do to win.

“Looking at my future goals, I want to go sharemilking in a few years’ time, and I

already own some of my own cows to help achieve this.

My other goal is to be able to offer others the same opportunities I have received, as I am grateful and want to pass that on to others.”

DairyNZ’s GoDairy programme continues its recruitment drive showcasing careers, like Jimmy’s, in the dairy sector.

DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Nick Robinson says the sector continues to encourage people to join the sector, as one in three dairy farms seek to fill on-farm vacancies.

“The dairy sector provides 37,000 on-farm jobs for Kiwis. We want to continue to recruit good people, and there are plenty of opportunities out there for keen Kiwis to join us and get involved, while starting on great salaries and having clear progression pathways,” says Mr Robinson.

Farm managers can earn over $100,000. Becoming self-employed as a farm owner or sharemilker is another option on the career ladder.

On home ground

Dayna Rowe is into only her second season of managing a farm team, but she’s found her preferred approach.

“It’s the way you develop your team, it’s the way you treat your team and really encourage them, that makes all the difference. That’s been a huge part of my own style as I’ve come into managing staff,” she says.

Despite being brought up on the family farm, Dayna didn’t really fall in love with dairying until she got a summer job milking cows and spraying weeds at home during a university break.

Four years, two farms and a lot of hard work later, Dayna was offered the 2021-22 season farm manager role on her parents’ farm at Pongakawa, near Te Puke.

The job offer topped off a great couple of years for Dayna who had won the Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year in the 2021 NZ Dairy Industry Awards, having been runner-up the previous year.

The 24-year old’s goal over the next three to five years is to continue building up the family farm, increasing

her equity and purchasing some of the herd.

She lets her team have a major say in roster-setting, divvies up jobs based on their personal skillsets and preferences, holds off-farm team-building activities at least twice a season, and has a weekly team meeting on Tuesday mornings.

“Those meetings are run by the whole team. They’re an open place for everyone to share, not just me speaking to them.”

She takes a similar approach when she sits down with each team member for a three-monthly one-on-one.

“I really let them lead that conversation, so I’m not putting any ideas in their head.”

Dayna makes sure her team have an opportunity to upskill, too.

“They’re welcome to do any sort of education, whether it be people management courses or Primary ITO courses. If they pass their course, we’ll pay their fees – it’s a little bit of an incentive for them to actually go and do well.”

Shaping up their workplace together has given everyone staying power too. Her whole team has stuck with Dayna from the end of last season into this season.

“That was an awesome feeling: that what we’re doing together is working, people want to be here, and they want to stay a part of this team. If you get a name for yourself as a workplace environment that’s desirable to work in, you will attract people who want to work for you.”

Dayna is a supporter of the sector’s Great Futures in Dairying workforce plan led by DairyNZ – and its aim to attract and retain great people to reduce the current labour shortage. The plan is the sector’s strategy for shaping dairy farming as a competitive career option through a range of workplace and technology advances.

“We’ve got so many great opportunities in the dairy industry,” Dayna says. “It’s so flexible – you can concentrate on everyone’s skillsets to decide who gets what job, too. You can think really differently about how a farm works.

Jimmy Cleaver wants to go sharemilking in a few years.

Born and raised on Rowe Farm, Dayna Rowe is on track to take over the business

Winning fives

Summer is still with us and easy meals created with just five ingredients are welcome. Salads are excellent — and healthy — but many of us enjoy warmer dinner treats. Planning the week’s menu and a one-stop supermarket shop avoids the temptation to purchase instant meals. Keep a good supply of veg in the fridge. They’re not only super salad ingredients but can be diced and combined with eggs and flour to make fritters — courgette and feta; corn and ham; carrot, cumin seeds and peas; or seeded tomato, chopped parsley and spring onion. Serve them with a dip such as plain yoghurt and chopped mint or puréed fresh peaches with chopped coriander. Take advantage of ready-prepared sauces and dressings to jazz up grills and pan-fries. Many dressings can be also used as marinades for grills but ensure that most of the dressing is removed before cooking to prevent burning. They also make great dippers for dumplings. The latter are a popular ‘from the freezer’ item in our house served with stir-fried veg or a salad.

For me, pantry essentials include oil, vinegar, rice, pasta, herbs, spices, dried fruits, canned salmon and beans. They’re good keepers, relatively economical and can nutritionally balance many a meal.

SALMON & SPINACH BAKE

450g spinach pinch ground nutmeg

2 x 210g cans salmon, drained 1 cup cream

1/4 cup finely grated tasty cheese

Trim the ends from the spinach. Wash the leaves well, coarsely chop and place in a large microwave-proof jug or casserole. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir then continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until very limp. Turn into a large strainer and cool.

When cool enough to handle, squeeze the water from the spinach. Finely chop. Squeeze again if required.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly butter a 20cm baking dish or four individual baking dishes.

Spread the spinach evenly over the base. Season with nutmeg. Top with chunks of the salmon.

Heat the cream until bubbly and pour over the salmon. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 15 minuets, remove the foil and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes. Great served with crusty bread. Serves 4.

GNOCCHI WITH PEAS

If fresh gnocchi is unavailable use vacuum-packed and cook according to the packet instructions adding the peas during the last few minutes. Drain but reserve the cooking water. A dash of cream could be added for extra yumminess.

3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas 1 cup water 2 tablespoons butter 400g fresh gnocchi 60g finely grated parmesan cheese

Cook the peas in the water until crisp-tender. Drain but reserve the cooking water.

Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the gnocchi and peas and pan-fry for 2-3 minutes until the gnocchi is golden. Add the cheese and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Stir well until the cheese melts and coats the gnocchi. Add a little more water if the sauce is too thick.

Great served garnished with a little fresh thyme. Serves 3-4.

SAUSAGES IN ONION MARMALADE GRAVY

500g golden kumara 6-8 beef sausages

270g jar onion marmalade (eg Barkers)

4 cups mesclun leaves

2-3 tablespoons balsamic dressing

Peel, chop and boil the kumara until soft.

Meanwhile pan-fry the sausages in a non-stick pan until browned and cooked through.

Add the onion marmalade and a 1/2 cup of water. Stir well. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.

Mash the kumara and served topped with the sausages. Toss the mesclun with the dressing and serve on the side. Serves 4.

Gnocchi with peas

Salmon & spinach bake

FOR SALE

CARAVAN 180 XL 6.5 metres, all aluminium frame, cert, selfcontained with fully enclosed awning, double glazed tinted windows, sleeps 5, microwave, Thetford cassette toilet, 3-way automatic fridge/ freezer (90ltrs), 5 good steel belted radials (8 ply), 90ltrs fresh water, 102ltrs grey, gas cooker & grill, 2 gas bottles, 230 volt & 12 volt lighting, fire extinguisher, excellent storage, beautiful condition. Why would you pay $90,000 or more for a comparable new van when you could have all this for $50,000. Tel 07 8233576 Cambridge to check it out.

David Lloyd

His past Cambridge East School pupils 1971-76, are invited to celebrate David’s 80th birthday.

RSVP for details 80thbirthday2023@gmail.com

www.cambridgerepertory.org.nz

TE AWAMUTU RECEPTION / ADMIN OPPORTUNITY

We’re opening a brand new clinic on Mahoe Street in March 2023 and we’re looking for two outstanding part time receptionists / administrators to run our front desk operations.

Each role is around 25 hours a week, across the ve weekdays.

Start date – late February 2023.

To apply for the position or for more information on this opportunity, email Liv Johnson (liv@alignhealth.co.nz).

Applications close 7 February 2023. www.alignhealth.co.nz

The 2023 Annual General Meeting of the CAMBRIDGE REPERTORY SOCIETY will be held on Wednesday 8th February at 7:00pm at the Gaslight Theatre, 8 Alpha Street, Cambridge All are welcome