Rebecca’s silver lining
Te Awamutu’s BMX club can take a slice of credit for Olympian Rebecca Petch’s Paris silver medal.
Petch began riding for the club as a preschooler – and competed in the BMX event at the 2020 Olympics before switching to track cycling.
She and Cambridge’s Ellesse Andrews and Tauranga born Shaane Fulton made up the women’s cycling sprint team which picked up silver in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome in Paris this week.
The three-women sprint relay was won by Great Britain.
Te Awamutu BMX club president Rodney Prescott said the club was “super proud” and hoped to get her Petch back to the club track when she returned to Waipā.
He said her experience in BMX gave her an advantage as lead cyclist in the sprint event when it came to pushing out of the gate.
The daughter of Sonya and Barry Petch, who turned 26 a month ago, is a former Pekapekarau primary, Te Awamutu Intermediate and College student.
She adds her silver to the gold
she won in the team sprint event with Andrews and Olivia King at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
When she was named in the New Zealand team in May, Petch told The News journalist Steph Bell Jenkins how she was excited at the prospect of having family with her in Paris. When she competed in Tokyo family, fellow club members and friends gathered at a restaurant to watch “because no one was allowed to be in Tokyo at that point”.
Petch had been commuting regularly from her home in Pirongia, where she lives with husband Jarrod Browning, to train at the Velodrome in Cambridge.
For two years she ran a mobile barista operation out of the old Bunning’s car park in Cambridge. Little Petchy was a 1961 Gypsy caravan she bought in Ōtorohanga, gutted back to its bones and renovated to become a mobile coffee place.
She switched from BMX in October 2022 and described the move after 21 years in the sport as one of the biggest decisions she had made.
page 1
on Page 5.
Pictured in May in Cambridge after the New Zealand cycling team was announced were, from left, coach Jon Andrews, Olivia King, Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews. Photo: Steph Bell Jenkins. Continued on
Grey Power
TE AWAMUTU
This is your invitation to join fellow members and potential members at our next meeting.
Waipa Workingmen’s Club, Albert Park Drive.
Thursday 15 August 1pm for a 1.30pm start
Guest Speaker: Dayna Hollings from S.T.A.R.T. S.T.A.R.T. (Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation Team) is a free service provided by Whatu Ora for patients 65 and over, who can benefit from a short period of rehabilitation in their own home. Usual raffle and cuppa.
For further info contact
Michael on 871 9006 or Bernard 027 491 6763
Te Awamutu Brain Injury Support Group
We invite all people living with a brain injury, their family/whanau and carers to join us.
Support groups can provide a sense of belonging, make social connections, and share ideas, issues, and worries. It is a place to share, listen and support surrounded by people who understand or are walking a similar path. Everybody welcome!
When: Friday 16 August 2024
Where: St John’s Ambulance Hall, 31 Palmer Street, Te Awamutu
Time: 10.30 am till 12pm
We look forward to seeing you for a hot drink and biscuit and a chat. A gold coin donation is appreciated. Please RSVP Phone: (07) 839 1191 022 381 2369 admin@braininjurywaikato.org.nz www.braininjurywaikato.org.nz
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027 231 7007
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Cold band runs hot
Intermediate bands Stone Cold Riot and Pants on Fire Brigade celebrated several successes last week in Band Slam – a year 7-8 competition for young musicians.
The Te Awamutu Intermediate School bands were among a total of 16 entered into the Music House hosted event in Hamilton where they each performed a cover or an original song.
The event was a lead up Bandquest,
the intermediate version of the Smokefree Rockquest and it’s the next gig for the young bands on August 16.
Stone Cold Riot was placed first overall, and also won the best original song section, while member Rafe Gold was named best drummer, Dorian Samuel second best bass player and Willow Parker third best guitarist.
Pants on Fire Brigade’s successes came
Alcohol policy changes listed
Waipā’s revised local alcohol policy is heading out for consultation after months of discussion.
Changes to the policy first introduced eight years ago include a cap on off licences, guidance around issuing licences near sensitive facilities and adding rehabilitation treatment centres and marae to the list which currently includes schools, early childhood centres and places of worship.
Other changes are: Permanent alcohol ban
areas in skate parks, Include Carter’s Flat in the Cambridge alcohol ban area, Include an area at the north end of Lyon Street in the Kihikihi alcohol ban area, Include Bulmers Landing and Arapuni Landing as permanent alcohol ban areas between 8pm-8am, Include playgrounds as permanent alcohol ban areas between 8pm-8am, Include cemeteries as permanent alcohol ban areas between 8pm8am. Consultation starts next week and runs till September 12.
Rebecca’s silver lining
Continued from page 1
“…my whole life was around BMX, and my family has supported me all the way through, and it was just really tough to move on from that kind of community to a new one… it was hard`, but it was worth it.”
Petch and Andrews joined fellow Waipā Olympians Emma Twigg, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors as medal winners in Paris.
The Cambridge rowing duo of Francis and Spoors beat reigning Olympic and world champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania to win the women’s double sculls at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, 20km east of Paris.
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for Braydon Brown, named second best on keyboard and Hazel Mallinson and Cruiz Riddiford who were second best in other instruments.
“We are stoked to be continuing a very successful run for our school’s rock bands and music programme in general,” teacher Logan Kimber said. “The kids love music, love to perform, and we are excited to be giving them support and guidance at a crucial stage of their development as musicians.”
It was the school’s tenth top three finish in rock band competitions in the last five years.
Web views on the up
Our exclusive story on Pirongia’s Five Stags Restaurant and Bar losing its appeal against Waipā District Licencing Committee’s decision not to renew its on-licence was the best-read story on teawamutunews.nz last month.
The story accounted for 28 per cent of the page views while visits to the website were up 78 per cent making The News a compelling digital offering in partnership with our 34,000 print readers.
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan’s plea for more funding for Sanctuary Maungatautari Mountain was a comfortable second.
Top five online news stories for July were Pirongia bar appeal fails, Dig deeper says Waipā mayor, Hospice Waikato doubles retail space, Rural post: inquiry call and Fewer on the buses.
The duo featured in The News recently discussing their selection for the Games – and their lives since both having children in late 2022.
Twigg won silver in the single sculls on Saturday behind Karolein Florijn of the Netherlands. She and wife Charlotte Twigg have a two-year-old son Tommy who was there to see his mum win a medal.
Waipā had several other medal opportunities – in cycling, canoeing and on the track - pending when The News went to press.
• See teawamutunews.nz for our athlete updates
to $800 worth
Stone Cold Riot – from left, Rafe Gold, Dorian Samuel, Willow Parker and Uli Gibbes.
Trigg wins
Waipā mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg was crowned the Lexus Song Quest winner on Saturday in Wellington after five singers competed for the country's biggest operatic honour. Trigg, originally from Ngāhinapōuri, took home a cash prize of $50,000. She is studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in the US.
Bus numbers up
Passenger numbers rose last month for the Waipā regional bus services from Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi into Hamilton despite fares going up by 20 per cent. The 10,522 who caught the Cambridge 20 and 11,220 on the Kihikihi-Te Awamutu 24 services were the second highest since monitoring started in July 2021.
Just the ticket
Waipā’s enforcement team is having a field day with motorists overstaying their welcomes in Cambridge and Te Awamutu. In the three months from May 1, 517 parking infringements were issued compared to 437 in the previous quarter.
Works on hold
The Government has put on hold the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s Kāinga Ora affordable housing project in Cambridge Road, Te Awamutu. Waipā council sold the 1.4ha plot to the Crown last year for $2.683 million and planning was underway for a 30-dwelling development.
Ammunition found
Live ammunition was found on the sorting-line conveyor belt at the Te Awamutu recycling plant last week. The rusty shotgun cartridge was the latest in a long list of hazardous material staff have discovered.
Correction
Waipā councillors voted 7-3 and not 8-3, as we reported, when deciding whether to cut elected members numbers last week.
Olsen talks of Waipā green shoots
By Viv Posselt
Despite global and national economic pressures continuing to impact Waipā, the region is still performing better across some measures than many others in New Zealand, says leading economist Brad Olsen. Business growth is stronger here than it is nationally, and even as stiff competition remains in place for the household and business dollar, Waipā remains one of the better performing regions in terms of spending levels. Successful marketing is working its magic, attracting more people to the region to live, and while house sales in Waipā are still below what they were at the start of the Covid pandemic, they are trending slightly above the national average.
Olsen said another regional plus is Waipā’s school attendance figures which rank higher than the national average.
“Nationally, fewer than 55 per cent of students attend school at least 90 per cent of the time,” he said. “If you don’t have people going to school consistently, it will be difficult to create the sort of outcomes that lead to positive development in the future.”
Olsen spoke to the question ‘Green Shoots in 2025?’ at a Cambridge Business Chamber event held at the New Zealand National Fieldays Society’s Mystery Creek headquarters. Among over 65 attendees were Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan.
At one point during his talk, Olsen said he had
‘some sympathy’ for local councils who are facing the same economic constraints currently impacting businesses and households, but who are trying at the same time to upgrade old infrastructure or provide new infrastructure for growing populations.
He said there was no way to sugarcoat the challenges being faced nationally and internationally. Spending levels have dropped to their lowest since the 1970/80s, and inflation, while improving slightly, is still too high and too slow to recover.
Because of global pressures, including shipping costs and consumer inflation, those handling budgets across businesses, households and other organisations are generally redeploying some
20 per cent of their normal spend to meet cost pressures in other areas.
Construction has overtaken the primary sector as Waipā’s largest employer for the first time in about 24 years, Olsen said. Next on the list is agriculture/forestry, fishing, manufacturing then retail.
In terms of housing, he said it was currently a buyers’ market but the buyers’ pool was not large at the moment as people delayed spending at that level.
“Sales here have come up a bit more than the national average but are still below what they were at the start of the pandemic. We think it could take until 2029 for house prices to get to the peak we saw in 2021.”
Olsen said Waipā was
proving to be more resilient than many other parts of the country, but it was unlikely there would be any real momentum seen in the economy before 2025.
“Right now, there are green shoots, but they remain under frozen ground. We expect to see things improve next year … that is when those green shoots are likely to emerge.”
Lions have tonnes of cash in hand
By Viv Posselt
Four Te Awamutu Lions Club members spent an afternoon last week sorting and bagging piles of old cash – all of it obsolete currency and all intended for a good purpose.
They were playing their part in the Lions Clubs New Zealand’s ‘Heads Up for Kids’ initiative, launched in 2010. It asks Kiwis to donate unwanted old decimal, pre-decimal and foreign money, which is turned into Kiwi dollars to help fund education programmes.
Lions teamed up with Resene on the project, the company turned their network of stores into collection points for old coins and banknotes, foreign currency and hoarded loose change.
To date, the initiative has seen Lions collect over 28.8 tonnes of coins and thousands of banknotes, bringing the total raised to close on $612,000. It is thought there are many millions of dollars in old coins and banknotes still unaccounted for.
Many young people have benefited from the initiative. They have received scholarships to organisations such as Spirit of Adventure, and the Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
Rosetown Lions
collected in Te Awamutu outlet before calling on some of her Lions colleagues to help with the next step.
The women spent several hours
sorting the coins in line with ‘Heads Up for Kids’ requirements before bagging them up ready for transportation to Wellington.
Rosetown
Helen Carter Funeral Director
Brad Olsen
member Janet Louw helped steer the club’s latest collection, bringing home a hefty bucket of coins and some banknotes
Sorting coins for ‘Heads Up for Kids’ are Rosetown Lions club members, from left, Dawn Copeland, Jennifer Maughan, club president Nellie Harris, and Janet Louw. Photo by Viv Posselt
A ranger on the maunga
By Chris Gardner
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari ranger
Warwick Prewer has joined the at-risk species he’s been protecting for years.
Warwick is one of eight rangers whose job it is to protect the many endangered species living within the world’s largest predator proof enclosure on Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
“My job comes to an end at the end of July,” he tells me as we drive out for a day on the mountain.
“It’ll finish when DOC’s Jobs 4 Nature fund dries up, but Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust has managed to find funding for two more months.”
The Department of Conservation, Waipa District Council and Waikato Regional Council clubbed together about 20 years ago to provide baseline funding for what became a world leading ecological project. But its future is now precarious after DOC changed its funding model and withdrew baseline funding. DOC has continued to support the project with targeted funding allocated to specific projects, like Jobs 4 Nature.
I meet Warwick and a
fellow ranger at the Southern Enclosure.
“I’ve seen you before,” he quips. Last time I visited the project Warwick shared his map showing the location of a kiwi sign.
We drive 20ish km around the mountain towards the Northern Enclosure before boarding a light utility vehicle for the last 900 metre farm track ride to the fence.
It’s a cold day, and we’re layered up with thermal base layers, mid layer insulation, waterproof jackets, hats and gloves.
It’s also wet underfoot, sturdy boots are essential, and Warwick is also wearing waterproof socks and gaiters.
“A week ago, two trail cameras saw what looked like different rats at different locations, one at 80A and the other at 67A” Warwick says.
Our mission, for the day, is to check rat traps, tracking tunnels and bait stations every 50 metres within a designated section of the grid.
Our walk will take us along the inside of a section of the world’s longest predator proof fence. Every 100 metres we will bush bash our way 200 metres deep into thick and unspoiled bush. On occasions we will cross waterways, ankle to knee deep, and check
the water gates that let water flow off the mountain have not been lodged open by branches or other debris.
“We check the lines weekly,” he says. On occasion they find the odd rat.
“If there’s no detection after six weeks, we assume that the rat’s dead or climbed out of the enclosure.”
Warwick’s switched from securing rat trap door latches with nails to small nuts and bolts. Maungatautari’s fledgling population of three kākāpō had learned how to remove the nails.
Occasionally we find a tracking tunnel where the ink-soaked tracking card is missing, likely dragged into the bush by wildlife for the small dollop of peanut butter bait. So those cards need replacing.
Warwick also replaces the batteries in tracking cameras connected to motion detectors.
“We got $3000 worth of funding from Waipā District Council for seven of these cameras on internal lines as a way of reducing our tracking card waste,” he says. “We’ve got 38 around the fence line and 17 in the bush, and we probably want another 40.”
“They’ve been really successful, with 36 detections
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per 100 devices on trail cameras compared to about 10 detections per 100 tracking card devices.”
We stop around mid-day for a break, Warwick shares his coffee, I share the Tararua biscuits I made the night before.
Warwick’s been involved at Maungatautari for years, starting a decade ago as a volunteer. It was the perfect training ground for him to get some professional qualifications under his belt through the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’
Association.
“I could use a lot of my time identifying species, brushing up on navigation and all that. It was a formative time.”
He also achieved Kayak and Rock qualifications and worked at Castle Rock Adventures, Te Awamutu, and The Boatshed Kayaks, Cambridge.
“I’ve done some Duke of Edinburgh Award stuff in Auckland, contracting to whoever assessing at camps and schools.”
Warwick isn’t sure what he will do if funds dry up.
Meghan Hawkes takes us back to 1899 and a review of what was being written in Waipa.
A train to the Exhibition
Te Awamutu and Ōhaupō school children appeared to initially be excluded from a school excursion to Auckland by train to see the Exhibition. The school committee believed a cash guarantee would be required and were not being willing to become guarantor. Two townsmen wired to the District Manager of Railways, informing him they would provide the necessary guarantee. A reply was received that no cash guarantee was required, and the Te Awamutu and Ōhaupō districts were now included in the excursion.
The train would leave Cambridge at 7am, arriving in Auckland at noon and anyone interested could attend. Due to prolonged harvesting operations many settlers had been unable to spare the time to make an extended trip to visit the Exhibition, and who were glad of the opportunity now to see it.
It was predicted the train would be one of the best patronised to leave Waikato and as there was sure to be a large number of adults as passengers, there would be a large and merry crowd.
When open air services by the Salvation Army were held fortnightly at Kihikihi audiences were fairly large but, with the exception of an occasional contribution when a collection was made, they seemed purely curious spectators, and showed no desire to join in the musical portion of the services. More successful was a meeting held by the Army in the old Wesleyan Church. Mrs Captain McCallum gave an earnest and stirring address, illustrating in a graphic manner the work being done in their different Rescue Homes, chiefly among fallen women. Some of the incidents related were those of her own experience.
Mrs McCallum concluded her address which was, with the exception of a few trifling interruptions, listened to with great interest, by appealing for funds for rescue work. She reminded those present that even those who did not quite agree with the general work of the Salvation Army, they must at heart sympathise with them in this branch of their work.
Paterangi’s annual picnic was held in perfect weather, a shower the previous evening having laid the dust and cooled the air. As many as 300 people were present, some from adjoining districts. After luncheon, the Chairman of the School Committee presented each child attending with a book. Foot races for children caused great excitement among the little ones, and each one came in for a prize. Swinging, rounders, French tigue and other games were indulged in by the young men and maidens, while the elders spent a pleasant afternoon chatting over old times, being grouped in the shade around the grounds.
Warwick Prewer
By Mary Anne Gill
South Africans love it in Waipā; they must do because 52 of them swore allegiance to his Majesty the King of New Zealand at the latest citizenship ceremony.
A record 108 new Kiwis agreed to “be faithful and bear allegiance to King Charles the Third, his heirs and successors according to law,” at the Cambridge Town Hall last week.
Among them was Susan Collier of Te Awamutu who said having spent 31 years in New Zealand “it was about time” she became a citizen.
“We came here for a better life and we got it,” the north Londoner said.
The Bartleman family were not letting on whether pressure from their neighbour played a part in them becoming citizens.
Mayor Susan O’Regan lives next to South Africans John, Tracy, Jessica and Michael
Bartleman in Kakepuku.
Colourful costumes were again on show with the Chininga family from Zimbabwe and now living in Te Awamutu standing out as did Erica Castro, nearly 3, who was born in New Zealand and lives in Cambridge with parents Lei, a registered nurse and Eric, a barista.
Waipā councillors Philip Coles, Mike Montgomerie and Clare St Pierre - as well as Cambridge Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley - were on hand to help staff and O’Regan with the formalities.
Coles has become adept in recent times at lining new citizens up against the flags to take their photos, something always appreciated by them.
Everyone got a free kōwhai tree from the council’s nursery and thanks to Coles, they could also take away lemons he brought in a bucket from a fruitful tree at home.
The list of people and countries who became New Zealand citizens were: South Africa - Markus Johannes, Jolanda and Christo Ackermann, Jessica, Tracy, John and Michael John Bartleman, Terri Rosemarie and Ricardo Valdoleiros Bessa, Stephanus Ignatius Coetzee, Johanna Margretha and Calvin Philip Dafel, Antoinette Bianka and Johan Pieter Doorduin, Sarah Elisabeth Haworth, Sandra Lynn and Stephanus Jacobus Herbst, Jacqueline Karen Hollins, Kathleen Ann and Keith Charles James, Matthew Henry Mendonca, Shaneen Elaine Kok, Estelle, Eduardt Werner, Werner Bernhardt and Martin Bernhardt Petrick, Emmarentia Robinson, Mariana Pretorius, Emore and Leander Vosloo, Alyssa Derryn, Jenna Danielle, Richard David, Meghan Diane and Wendy Diane Rousseau, H-wee Walrick and Debbie Sawyer, Neil David, Nicole Ann, Blake Ralph, Isabella Grace and Emily Avah Sinclair, Maria Elizabeth and Johannes Gerhard Slabbert, Ruth Charlotte Anne Tweddle, Eden Ruth Olivier, Caleb Lough Clemitson, Jesse Evelyn Tweddle, Amanda Rene, Tobias Muller, Anre Tobias and Lene Ueckermann.
India - Jaiwanth Godwin Andrew, Anupama Githesh, Joannah Vanitha Koilpillai, Meena Kumari, Varinder Kumar, Avi Kumar Rikhi, Charanpreet Sajjan, Manpreet Singh, Amandeep Kaur, Aryan Vasudeva, Nidhi Vasudeva.
United
Philippines - Marebeth Torlao Brindley, Eric Simbrana and Lei Karen Padrique Castro, Lolita Laquio Galu, Pamela Ocampo and Margaret Faye Ocampo Pearson, Jake Tomada Salcedo.
China - Wei Sha, Yuming Tan, Xiaoling Yin, Ching Wan Tsui.
Malaysia - Amrin Hakim Bin Sulaiman, Azatul Balqis Binti Zainol, Li Li Vink.
Zimbabwe - Mia Ruvarashe, Sandra Mamelang and Kudakwashe Gift Chininga.
Cambodia - Netra Chea, Khornsreylin Seng.
Canada – Kevin and Nirav Patel.
Sri Lanka - Indika Gihan Senarathne Makulpagoda Gedara, Ruwani Tharanga Purasinghe Perera.
Australia - Carley Jane Hancke; Brazil - Amanda Romeu Rodrigues; England – Hannah Bowen; Fiji Uma Wati Prasad; Guernsey – Megan Chloe Chea; Ireland – John James O’Neill; Japan – Runa Whitehead; KoreaDoHun Yoo; Spain - Eva Bernabe Bernardo; United States - Daniel Thomas Bair.
• More photos teawamutunews.nz
Kingdom - Emily Rose Butterfield, Susan Denise Collier, John Stephen Jones, Karen Wendy Lockwood, William John and Kim Patricia Maskell, Helen Lindsay Winter, Penelope Joan Parsons, Gary William Pearson, Wayne Ronald Teague, Amina Tritar, Annmarie Rosa Van der Sande.
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, second right, welcomed her Kakepuku neighbours to New Zealand citizenship at Waipā District Council’s ceremony in Cambridge last week. From left, Jessica, Michael, John and Tracy Bartleman. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
ON SHAKY GROUND
Bringing the lessons home
Sitting back in Te Awamutu, working through jet lag on the other side of my trip to the Canary Islands, I am thinking about the incredible people I met over the past six weeks. I listened to the experiences of people who lost their homes, and wanted everyone back home to hear what I was learning.
Working in a hazards field, I see over and over again that people who experience disasters don’t expect bad things to happen to them, and that there are simple things we can do to make things easier on ourselves and others. We can be prepared, like knowing
By Janine Krippner
what things are important to us in case we need to leave our homes quickly for a start.
I spent time with younger future scientists, some, like me, want deeply to help people when it comes to volcanoes and hazards.
I spoke to people who are actively working to help with challenges that seem far too large, facing personal risk to do the right thing. I heard stories of people working hard to help others during the La Palma eruption, when their own lives were also thrown into turmoil.
During a crisis or disaster, who we would call “ordinary people” stand up and make a
big difference. It’s a good reminder that we are far stronger than we think, and I know a lot of us have needed to hear it lately.
It might seem like so many things are against us, and the news might seem like the world is full of horrible people and events, but it’s important to remember that so many people are out there, and in our communities, working hard to make things better.
A big part of what makes us more resilient against events like eruptions and earthquakes is the strength of our communities.
Hopefully our towns don’t have to discover this the hard way, but we can’t cross our fingers and hope for the best. There are those who are planning for the worst in terms of broader emergency response, but there are things we can do for ourselves.
All three Murray Hunt stores have beautiful home décor, bedspreads and plenty of options when selecting a gift for a friend or loved ones.
The owners of Fruit Monster have been bringing the same friendliness and warmth to customers since 2009. Their simple aim is to provide Te Awamutu with the freshest possible produce –while at the same time keeping prices as low as possible. Along with a range of Filipino groceries and spices sourced from Auckland.
Looking for a bed they can help you with this to. Well-known brand Bed R Us are part of their store, stocking a wide range of New Zealand made Sleepyhead beds. There is something for everyone, so come on in and meet the friendly team. They are here and ready to help.
Murray Hunt Stores are gearing up for another busy year in 2024. Beautiful home décor in all 3 stores and of course the Bedsrus stores stocking a wide range of New Zealand Made Sleepyhead beds. There’s something for everyone, so come on in and meet the friendly team. They’re here and ready to help.
When it comes to Te Awamutu’s sewing and clothing alteration needs, the name says it all Angela and Kathy make it Sew Easy! They are willing to take a wide range of sewing-related requests everything from hemming pants to replacing zips. Pop in and say hi, they would love to meet you!
Spice Heaven
Located on Lyon Street in Kihikihi, Spice Heaven is a new Indian fusion takeaway, which has something for everyone with dinner specials including all your favorite traditional Indian dishes, and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options on their menu.
They also offer a selection of pasta dishes, from chicken and mushroom fettuccine to Chow Mein you are sure to find something to tantalize your tastebuds! Pick up a takeaway on your way home and experience what Spice Heaven has on offer.
How we come together in tough times plays a big role in not only how we get through a crisis, but how quickly we recover from it. Knowing who our vulnerable people are and how to help them is part of building our overall resilience. Your actions could be the difference between life or death for your neighbours.
Have a chat with your family about what you do if something like an earthquake hits –have a plan for where to meet. Know who is vulnerable around you. Get first aid certified if you are able to. Have a grab bag ready. Learning from the lessons of others makes us stronger if we share that knowledge and also do something with it.
That is the point of my trips to the Canary Islands, I look forward to sharing more of what I learned with you.
FAITH IN WAIPĀ
Hail to the supporters
By Christine Bryant, Lay Minister, St John’s
In February 2008 when I met my new Year 10 French class, I was struck by a friendly, red-haired student. I soon learned her name, Jackie Kiddle, and that she was just taking up rowing.
During the four years she competed for Wellington Girls' College, Jackie always lit up when you asked about rowing. I don't think she ever missed a training. That meant her parents were at the Star Boating Club at 5am several times a week. In 2011, after a successful Maadi Cup, she came to the attention of NZ Rowing – and the rest, as they say, is history.
I have followed Jackie's from afar, her many success, the dignity with which she faced the bitter disappointment of not competing in Tokyo in 2021 and now, her delight, that she and Shannon Cox not only made the A final, but also came within centimetres of a bronze medal.
Jackie epitomises what many NZ athletes seem to be like – incredibly dedicated over many years to being the best they can be, but grateful also. Such dedication is only possible because of the support around them. In the first years, this means family – parents, grandparents, siblings who spend make the early starts and spend hours on the sideline, at the pool or trackside. When talent is spotted, it is then nurtured and developed by a whole raft of professionals – coaches, physios, nutritionists, - paid for by the taxpayer through high performance funding, but also by sponsors. It has been heart-warming to hear all the athletes interviewed during the Olympics pay tribute to their network of supporters, thus
confirming that success at the highest level is not possible on your own.
Last week Sam wrote about the wide range of community activities offered by the churches in Te Awamutu. It is not just a friendly coffee, a meal, pre-school music or a men's group which is offered. Your church family can also be your life support network. As Sam wrote, it has been like this since the first believers gathered to live in community. St Paul, in his letters to the early churches, thanks his helpers at the end of each letter. In fact, in Chapter 16, the final chapter of the Letter to the Romans, no fewer than 36 people are mentioned. They include Phoebe who delivered his letter to Rome, Gaius with whom Paul is staying, Andronicus and Junias who have been in prison with him, nine men and women are named as fellow workers for Christ. Yes, even the greatest missionary, St Paul, could not carry out his mission without his huge team of helpers.
“No man is an island, entire of itself,” wrote the poet, John Donne. We are not meant to journey through life alone. Each of us is called to be a supporter and encourager of those around us. The Olympic Games and NZ's participation in them present two contrasting images. On the one hand, there are the athletes striving for individual glory; on the other hand, each athlete represents the wrap-around support that has made their participation possible. In my view, a powerful metaphor for the Christian Church in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Fruit Monster
PHOTO: Brodie Hewlett, left, with mother Bev Cooper
PHOTO: Brodie Hewlett, left, with mother Bev Cooper
Star turns at the Velodrome
By Mary Anne Gill
He might be the mayor of Tauranga now, but Mahe Drysdale is still one of Waipā’s best Olympians.
His two gold – won at London and Rio de Janeiro - and a bronze medal from Beijing were among the star attractions at the Waipā Fun Festival at Cambridge Velodrome on Sunday.
World champion paralympian Devon Briggs, 20, who leaves today (Thursday) for Paris was another and he hopes his outstanding form this year carries through onto a track he knows well when the Paralympics start later this month.
Briggs has been an interested observer of the Olympics thus far although when The News spoke to him, racing had not started at the Saint-Quentin-enYvelines Velodrome, where he first raced two years ago.
“It’s a really nice track. It’s similar to home, it’s made by
the same people, it’s a metre higher with a little bit more steepness in the bankings so it means it’s going to be a really fast, hot track.”
So, the hand-laid Siberian spruce pine French track will be as familiar to him as the one in Cambridge where Briggs first started cycling a decade ago.
The one he and Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan – she complete with racing lycra – rode around on a racing tandem bike.
“I closed my eyes when we went up those banks,” said O’Regan. “But I put my trust in him.”
Earlier she and Drysdale competed against each other on trikes in the Velodrome’s infield with O’Regan the victor aided by a spot of help from her husband John Hayward who held the Olympian back at the start.
And then they swapped local politician talk – annual plans, Three Waters and the next Local Government NZ conference – before Drysdale
Crop shelter rule review
By Mary Anne Gill
A controversial change to crop protection structures and shelterbelts in Waipā will have its own District Plan consultation following a flurry of complaints about kiwifruit shelters.
Lobbying from landowners, industry groups and an appeal by Ōhaupō landowners Nick and Vanessa Jennings in the Environment Court over the council’s decision to allow a kiwifruit orchard to go ahead next door to them, has prompted the decision. The plan change was workshopped by councillors this week –after The News’ deadline – and will be released to stakeholders for their initial comments.
Shelters have cropped
up throughout the district as kiwifruit growers have discovered growth conditions are ideal in the district for a type of kiwifruit which flourishes under 10-metre-high canopies.
But they block out cherished Waipā rural views for neighbours.
Kiwifruit Investments Ltd applied for a retrospective resource consent last year to establish vertical and horizontal artificial kiwifruit shelters on three sides of the Jennings’ property in Parallel Road.
The resource consent application went to an independent hearing before commissioner Alan Withy who granted the consent with conditions.
The Jennings appealed the decision. Unsuccessful
mediation took place to avoid an Environment Court hearing but subsequent discussions between Kiwifruit Investments and the Jennings has resolved the appeal.
Meanwhile an application to rezone land at 2025 Ōhaupō Road, north of Te Awamutu, from rural to residential is on hold while another plan change on residential zone intensification is finalised.
An amendment to the Resource Management Act required Waipā to increase housing density in Cambridge, Kihikihi and Te Awamutu. Because it would require a significant change to its District Plan, the council sought an extension from Housing minister Chris Bishop but were
unsuccessful and must now let him know by later this month on Waipā’s changes to its plan.
headed off for his first week in the job as Tauranga mayor.
The morning was a big success with the cycle stand at the front of the Velodrome full and plenty for the children to do inside including erg tests, BMX demonstrations, have-ago sessions and a fan art station.
• More photos teawamutunews.nz
There are only 3 one-bedroom or two-bedroom supported living apartments still available in the new Hanlin Building. These easy-living apartments are in the heart of our established retirement village with its own café and village shop right on your doorstep. Enjoy the community vibe and great lifestyle with the added benefit of care and support as you require.
New Tauranga mayor and Olympic gold medallist Mahé Drysdale competes against Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan at the athlete celebration day. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
CountryLife
Reach a targeted rural & lifestyle audience each month by advertising your business in CountryLife; featured inside the Cambridge News & Te Awamutu News
Distributed to EVERY rural & urban letter box across the Waipa region each month
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15. Fiery particle (5) 19. Gesundheit (5,3)
Last week
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22. Inhalation (6) 23. Cotton (6) 25. The day before (3) 26. Church caretaker (6)
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Next Publication Date Thursday 16 March
Next Publication Date Thursday 15 August
Booking Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 8 March
Booking Deadline: 6 August
Copy Setting: 5pm, Thursday 9 March
Copy Setting: 7 August
Finished Artwork: 5pm, Monday 13 March
Finished Artwork: 12 August
TO BOOK YOUR SPACE:
TO BOOK YOUR SPACE:
Liz Beyleveld Advertising Consultant liz@goodlocal.nz • Ph 027 809 9933
Liz Beyleveld Advertising Sales Consultant liz@goodlocal.nz • Ph 027 809 9933
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When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide
The God of The Woods by
Liz Moore
‘If you venture into those woods you’re still sure of a big surprise’ The Times
Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.
Some said the family deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.
Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.
Now, fifteen years later, the Van Laars’ teenage daughter has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected. Some say they are.
MOORE is the author of four novels, most recently the New York Times-bestselling Long Bright River, currently greenlit for a limited series adaptation on Peacock. Long Bright River was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club pick, as one of Barack Obama’s favorite novels of 2020, and as a ‘Best of the Year’ book by NPR, Amazon, Apple, The Washington Post, and Goodreads. Moore’s novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. The winner of a 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, Moore lives with her family in Philadelphia.
o the Cambridge - Te Awamutu Road
Only 15 minute drive from central Te Awamutu P 027 834 3501 E bookings@cafeirresistiblue.co.nz Open Daily, 9am-4.30pm
HIRING
Phone Peter : 021 964 187
Liz on 027 809 9933 or email liz@goodlocal.nz
NOTICE OF 2024 Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at Te Korapatu Marae, 102 Hangatiki East Rd, RD6, Te Kuiti starting at 10am. Registrations and special voting for the trustee election will take place from 9a..
the event of a tangi at Te Korapatu Marae, an alternative venue will be advertised on
Brighteye Driving School has been in operation for over ten years we are
the
Awamutu part of the business due to semi- retirement.
This business would suit someone that wants life to work around them and will enjoy a rewarding and satisfying working environment.
Brighteye will supply everything you need to move straight into a working business, including all the support you need to get you going including sign written vehicle, computer booking site and google website, you will need to obtain a driving educators licence at your own cost. Contact Sheryl on 022 300 5508 or bookings@brighteye.co.nz for pricing and financial information.
SITUATIONS VACANT
PACKHOUSE WORKERS REQUIRED
Boyds Asparagus is well established in the industry, and we have vacancies available for our upcoming season.
Based in Hautapu, Cambridge, we require seasonal workers who are hardworking, honest, reliable, and willing to work on a roster basis, including weekends. We have positions available in our packhouse for: PACKERS/GRADERS approx. 45 to 50 hours per week
The asparagus season runs from Mid September to 22nd December 2024.
Experience is not essential as full training will be provided.
Please email your interest along with your contact details to: admin@asparagus.co.nz
