We wish you a merry festive season and happy holidays. We will be taking a break in January but The Fringe will be back in February.
Have you spotted these in your backyard? Pest plants have a real ecological impact when they jump the garden fence and smother our forests and streams. Keeping them at bay means that native plants and birds can flourish.
Smothers the forest floor and prevents growth of native plants. Climbing plant with small, thin leaves, white flowers and green berries that ripen to orange/ red. For small amounts, dig out tubers, rhizomes and seeds & rot in a water barrel or dispose in community weed bins. Try to remove before seeding occurs. Large infestations may require herbicide.
Quickly forms dense stands that prevent native plants from growing. Small shrubs grow into large trees with furry grey/green leaves, purple flowers and green fruit turning yellow when ripe. Dig or pull out small plants or cut and paste large trees with herbicide. Remove seeds and dispose of in community weed bins.
Strangles native plants and is a prolific seeder. Noxious woody vine with white sap and large green pods bearing up to 1000 seeds. Wear gloves when removing pods and dispose of in community weed bins. Pull out young plants at the root, or cut woody stumps and apply herbicide. Avoid skin contact - sap is an irritant.
Grows densely and smothers native plants on the ground and in the subcanopy. Evergreen climber with tough stems, dark green leaves, red/pink flower buds and white, five-petalled flowers. Cut vines and leave upper stems to die in trees, alternatively dig out roots. Rot down in a water barrel or dispose in community weed bins.
Quickly forms dense stands that prevents native plants from growing. Cut off seed heads and dispose at community weed bins. Green stems and leaves can be left to compost. If rhizomes can be removed without causing erosion, dig out and rot in water barrels or dispose in community weed bins. If leaving rhizomes in the ground, cut stems at base and paste immediately with herbicide.
Forms dense mats preventing native plants from growing, and will regrow from stem fragments. Rake up or pull out all pieces and compost in a weed bag, or dispose of in community weed bin.
For large infestations or more detailed information, visit https://pestsearch.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz To prevent the spread of kauri dieback, refrain from removing weeds from around the root zones of kauri. Those who live in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area can dispose of invasive weeds free of charge at the community weed bins: www.ecomatters.org.nz/weed-bins
‘A heartfelt tribute to the diverse world of clay’ ........................................... 4 Our place: Lions and new CAB manager 5 Watch your speed 6 Our place: RMA reforms ....................................... 7 Sharing drama: education and fun 8 Art and about with Naomi McCleary 10 – 11 Out and About in the West ........................ 12 – 13 At the libraries; The Wanderer returns 14 Rebecca’s Review 15 Keeping it local .................................................... 16
Auckland Folk Festival: 50 years young; Summer Adventure with New Lynn Sea Scouts; Letter ...................................................................... 17 Stories from a shared history; Weather by the Moon ......................................... 18 Sustainable solutions with Fiona Drummond 19 Naturally West with Fiona Drummond; ............. 20 Now is the time to tackle moth plant ............... 21 Live @ the lounge 22 Advertisers’ Directory 23
On our cover: A detail from Artefacts by Richard Penn, the winning entry in this year’s Portage Ceramic Awards. For more see page 4. Photo by Studio La Gonda.
www.fringemedia.co.nz Every issue of The Fringe (and the Tītīrangi Tatler before it) since April 2011 is on-line at www.fringemedia.co.nz. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FringeWest) to hear when each issue is available and get other updates.
Delivered free to letter boxes, post boxes, libraries and selected outlets throughout Tītīrangi, Glen Eden, Green Bay, New Lynn, Konini, Wood Bay, French Bay, Waima, Woodlands Park, Laingholm, Parau, Cornwallis, Huia, Oratia, and beyond. Published by: Fringe Media Ltd, PO Box 60-469, Tītīrangi, Auckland 0642 Editor: Bevis England 817 8024, 027 494 0700 bevis@fringemedia.co.nz Advertising: info@fringemedia.co.nz Writers and contributors: Moira Kennedy, David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Fiona Drummond, Jade Reidy, Rebecca Manners Advertising deadline for February 2023: January 13
The 2022 Portage Ceramic Awards exhibition is now open at Te Uru, following a glittering opening night and Awards presentation late last month.
“Whatever the new black might be in terms of fads and fashion, and while other craft practices also receive some much overdue recognition, especially in the typically rarefied world of contemporary art, it’s clear that the current interest in clay has yet to wane,” says Andrew Clifford, director of Te Uru. “One thing that remains a constant with the Portage Ceramic Awards is that it has always been a heartfelt tribute to the diverse and dynamic world of clay, from its deep history here in West Auckland to the range of practices that can be found across Aotearoa.
“The programme is inclusive, with anyone able to enter a work of any kind. Of the 200 entries received this year 33 works by 30 artists were selected to be part of the exhibition. Some are well-known names while others are just starting out, but all have the same opportunity to impress the judge with their work.”
This year’s judge was Karl Chitham, introduced in more detail on page 10. He shouldered the task of choosing which works were selected as finalists and who received the awards
The 2022 Portage Ceramic Awards finalists were Stephen Aitken, Leigh Anderton-Hall, Greg Barron, Heath Bell, Maak Bow, Annette Bull, Oliver Cain, Peter Collis, Anna Crichton, Rosie Parsonson and Richard Darbyshire, Rod Davies, Peter Derksen, Mel Ford, Mandy Gargiulo, Evelyn Hodowany, Tracy Keith, Yueh Luo, Paul Maseyk, Kylie Matheson, John Parker, Richard Penn, Helen Perrett, Teresa Peters, Elena Renker, Rick Rudd, Takaaki Sakaguchi, Sylvia Sinel, Janna van Hasselt, Dorothy Waetford and Pip Woods.
The Winners (with Karl Chitham’s comments)
First Prize ($10,000) – Richard Penn: Artefacts. (See the cover of this issue.)
“Rusted machine parts, ancient relics or ornamental devices? Whatever the intention, this assortment is so intriguing that you almost don’t notice its materiality.
“The play on a viewer’s superficial understanding of chemical reaction, exchanging the corrosive effect of water
on metal for the consequence of heat on oxides, helps to simultaneously confuse us while encouraging us to make assumptions – how can this not be rust?
“However, this work is more than just a trick of the eye or an insider joke. It inspires curiosity and makes us question the purpose and value of the things around us.“
Second Prize ($5000) – Helen Perrett: No space in my head (Right)
“The human form is a difficult subject to perfect, particularly if you want to convey emotion and connect with the viewer. The success of this work is its ability to describe a gentle contemplative moment in an understated almost nonchalant way.
“The muted underglaze and painterly, almost unfinished brushstrokes and runs help to accentuate this impression of a laissez-faire approach. However this work is very intentional, holding its place quietly, but with a deft assuredness that could only be achieved by a skilled hand.”
Merit ($1000) – Evelyn Hodowany: 12 pack #1 “I can’t spare a square” (Bottom left)
“The title and subject of this work appear on the surface to be a one-liner that we’ve heard before. But the incredible preciseness, down to the smallest detail, requires us to marvel at the skill rather than the pun, making me question whether, ultimately, the joke is on us.”
Merit ($1000) – Elena Renker: Three tea bowls. (See page 10.)
Merit ($1000) – Dorothy Waetford: AO and HR (Right)
“The intriguing aspect of these works is the letter forms hidden in the shapes. AO is a small but incredibly important word in te reo Māori meaning daytime and the world, and HR is an abbreviation that defines our working life. When placed together they become a powerful comment on how Māori are sometimes required to navigate contemporary society.”
The Portage Ceramic Awards receive generous funding from The Trusts Community Foundation and also the Waitākere Ranges Local Board of Auckland Council which provide’s Te Uru’s core funding.
Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are
New Lynn Lions Club members have donated $1000 to New Lynn Salvation Army. At this time of the year there are many families needing the services of the Salvation Army and New Lynn Lions were happy to help.
The Lions Club has also continued to support Kai Avondale this year with a donation of $1000 worth of groceries to help them provide groceries and food parcels to the most vulnerable families and individuals in Avondale and the surrounding area. Lions have also donated some books and other items for children including Rusty to the Rescue written by club member, Robert Findlay.
To purchase one of his books at $20 including postage please send a message to lianne.sloan@ xtra.co.nz as she has some extra copies. All proceeds will go towards groceries for Kai Avondale.
Glen Eden Citizens Advice Bureau has a new manager who – with her team of volunteers – is ready to offer you friendly, free and confidential advice.
Local Leomie Wade stepped into the role after volunteering at the CAB for five years.
She credits the organisation with revolutionising her life. She first approached it as a chronic pain sufferer and was referred to several services that drastically increased her quality of life. She says being appointed manager at the very place that turned her life around feels like a blessing.
“The Citizens Advice Bureau aims to help you find a path through any challenge, finding relevant information on anything from boundary fences and consumer law to parenting classes,” says Leomie.
One of the big issues facing the CAB going forwards is recruiting volunteers. If you have time to spare, please contact Leomie at the Glen Eden CAB. Phone 818 8634 – Kerry Engelbrecht
Starting this month and going through to March, stage three of the ongoing programme of speed reductions is being rolled out at a cost of $33 million. It will affect over 1600 streets across Auckland writes JADE REIDY.
The focus is on rural roads, around schools and in town centres. Speed limits on some rural roads will be almost halved. This reduction, on average, is calculated to add about five minutes per hour to the journey.
Further restrictions on school access are in early consultation in a government Reshaping Streets plan. The plan proposes new powers for local authorities to change road layouts to restrict cars from accessing “School Streets” during pick-up and drop-off times.
AT has been under pressure to make a raft of safety changes following unacceptably high, fatal and serious injury crashes that have dogged Auckland in recent years.
Deaths on our roads doubled even during Covid, with a 121 percent increase in the 12 months to September 2021 – from 28 to 62. AT attributed the increase to lower police enforcement, alcohol and drug use, inappropriate speed, and lack of restraint.
Speed is implicated in 70 percent of injury crashes with the “social cost” of just one fatal crash thought to be over $5 million.
The government's response had already been to adopt what’s called a “Road to Zero” strategy. This strategy aims for no deaths or serious injuries by 2050 although New Lynn residents could be forgiven for thinking ‘road to zero’ means driving at almost zero: the speed limits for McCrae Way, McCorquindale Lane and Totara Ave are being reduced from 50kph to 10kph, just 5kph faster than average walking speed.
AT says that in areas where speed limits were changed in June 2020, fatalities have reduced by 30 percent in the
following 24-month period, despite a doubling overall in the city’s road deaths.
To find out if your street is being affected, use the map at atgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index. html?id=a13aa8469db642f283ef3ad241b71882
There is also a full list of all 1,646 roads with present and new speed limits at at.govt.nz. It is searchable by suburb, road, and speed limit. Among the local roads that are affected:
• Aio Wira Road – 100kph reduced to 40
• Sections of Anzac Valley Road – 70kph reduced to 50
• Bethells/Te Henga Road – 100kph reduced to 60
• Piha Road – 70kph areas reduced to 60
• Te Aute Ridge Road – 100kph reduced to 60
• Cornwallis Road – 100kph reduced to 60 and 50kph areas reduced to 40
• Stretches of Huia Road: Cornwallis – 100kph reduced to 60; Nihotupu – 70kph reduced to 60; and Dam Road to Whatipu Road – 70kph reduced to 40
• Donald McLean and Whatipu Roads – 100kph reduced to 40
• All of Scenic Drive and Shaw Roads will be reduced to 60kph.
• And large swathes of Kelston and New Lynn, e.g. Durrant Place, and Evergreen Rise, and Hinekohu, Kohekohe and Karaka streets – 50kph reducing to 30.
Revitalise your skin’s radiance with a special “Summer Spa Treatment” using fruits of pineapple and kiwifruit to give your face and body that summer glow. A full body buff, followed by a relaxing body massage and facial, contains exotic scents and revitalising vitamins to give a hydrating freshness to your skin. Comes gift packaged with a free mini cleansing gel. The “Summer Spa Treatment”
As I write this, the Natural and Built Environment Bill has just had its first reading in Parliament. This bill, together with the Spatial Planning Bill, will replace the Resource Management Act.
During the development of this bill, I kept in touch with the Minister for the Environment to ensure the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act wasn’t compromised, and to advocate for a better balance between protecting trees and enabling development.
I think the new bill enhances the protection for the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. It doesn’t change anything in the Heritage Area Act, but the overall ethos of the legislation is to ensure that the environment as a whole is considered when planning, and cumulative changes are taken into account, not just each individual change.
New guidance for protecting trees and our urban ngahere (forest) will come through in the new national planning framework. Councils will be able to use a rule to protect specimen trees, perhaps of a certain height, girth or age, with the definition to be developed
with expert input. It will still be possible to schedule individual trees or groups of trees, but without going back to the situation in some places where property owners routinely needed consents to remove or even prune trees.
Councils will also be directed to include urban forest strategies in their plans, and as happens now, development bonuses can be used to encourage developers to retain and plant trees.
The reforms are designed to allow our cities to grow and intensify and use urban land more efficiently, but we do need to balance that by preserving and protecting our urban trees so our cities are healthy and liveable.
It’s been a hard year for many of us. As we head into the holiday season and into the warmer months, I hope you have a happy Christmas, a peaceful New Year, and some relaxing time over the summer as you enjoy our beaches and bush in beautiful West Auckland.
– Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn
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Kids4Drama is all about creating a safe space for teenagers to meet, make friends and learn communication and creative skills: And its three-decade’s success is thanks to one man who had a dream when he was 16 years old.
Stephen Dallow says he was a “crazy teen” when he fell in love with the arts in Henderson and wanted to offer drama classes to young people to have fun, knowing there was a need in the community for affordable classes.
So that’s what he did and 31 years later Kids4Drama sees more than 200 young people come through his classes each week at Blockhouse Bay, Kaurilands and Marist Mt Albert.
In the early days his role was to offer life-craft classes in schools, teaching students resilience and other life skills.
“I love using theatre as a tool for education,” Stephen says.
The main focus for these community-based classes was to present shows for the public. “That’s what kept us going all these years. We do it to this day.” And Covid wasn’t going to stop them.
“There were huge emotional times during Covid. We directed an entire show (The Addams Family) on Zoom because we couldn’t get the students together. In two weeks we pulled it all together with all the rehearsals – singing, acting and dancing – on Zoom,” says Stephen.
“We staged it at the Playhouse in Glen Eden. That was incredible and so emotional the day it opened. It was like we’d finally made it, and then we ran into the Covid red traffic light system. We ran at a horrible loss but we don’t do it for the money.”
With a small team working with him, Stephen says the nicest thing is to watch the students grow up, then become Kids4Drama’s volunteers and staff. A numbers of students
finished this year as Year 13s who had been with the group for more than 10 years.
“There are lots of sad farewells, but a lot of them will come back and become our crew, our directors, our stage managers, our helpers and that’s what continues and that’s really cool.
“You invest your heart and soul into it at the beginning and hope it will keep going. I never expected kids to stay for so long and to come back. I love seeing past students walk in the door and say, ‘What can I do to help? Some never leave, and some return years later. That’s the special bit.”
With a full-time job managing training and recruitment for property managers at real estate company Barfoot & Thompson, Stephen now just works with the teenagers on rehearsals for Kids4Drama shows. Then there are the two radio shows: Kick Arts with Emma Bishop on Planet FM on Sunday nights and on Monday afternoons he runs a property investment show.
He’s on the board and chair of Marist College, Blockhouse Bay Community Centre and the Arts for Development Trust, a charity to continue providing opportunities in the future.
Stephen is a passionate family man too and his love for, and pride in, daughters Katie and Jamie shines when he talks about them and their talents. Sixteen-year old Katie is still at school and has a major passion for dance, choreographing the show Blood Brothers this year.
“It went really, really well. She sings and acts as well, but just lives and breathes dance. Jamie is the singer of the family. She loves to act too but give her a microphone and she’s away.” She was in Chess at Aotea Theatre earlier this year, and Blood Brothers too.
Stephen says he loves running into people who were involved with Kids4Drama at the beginning. “Many have become lawyers, teachers, communicators, some actors and they use the tools they learnt with us.
“We live in a world now where you have to be able to front up, eyeball someone and communicate to get a job. It’s not all about what’s on the CV. Drama teaches people to be confident. It’s also an incredibly safe space. We’ve had teenagers come through who’ve had rocky times in their lives and this is the one place they feel safe.
“We can put on a show with 100 people and everyone can be friends from start to end. And we’re creating more leaders. That’s a biggie for us, so there are plenty of people to keep this going.”
Contact Stephenkids4drama@gmail.com to find out more. – Moira Kennedy
A new chapter of local body life has started, not just for me but all of Auckland as new Mayor Wayne Brown tries to rein in council spending.
I attended Governing Body induction meetings during October, listening intently to policy and strategy and trying to understand why cost is so high compared to observable productivity.
One light bulb moment was during a Risk and Assurance presentation. I had expected discussions would be about health and safety. I was surprised when the presenters included Financial Investment and Entrepreneurial Risk. But I was plain gob-smacked when they started talking about Reputational Risk. And protecting Councils’ reputation by only employing companies and contractors that can demonstrate the ability to maintain Council’s reputation.
I sat there thinking, these guys take it for granted that Council (including its CCOs) has a good reputation. Who have they been talking to?
If anything protects reputation it is quality control. Why on earth did we (Council) stop checking contractors’ work before payment and allow companies to self-audit?
I know there’s a whole industry built on managing risk, but I find the idea of protecting good organisational reputation through risk management quite perverse. Reputation is earned and maintained by performance-driven actions. Reputation is in a constant state of flux, there is no risk involved, it is a reward for delivering what is wanted, effectively and at an affordable price.
Council’s attempts to protect reputation through their tendering process puts in barriers to entry and predetermines winners based on theoretical outcomes.
In short it takes away contestability and competition. It takes Council’s focus away from what the public wants, which of course are just good practical outcomes. And good practical outcomes are the only way Auckland Council can achieve a lasting good reputation.
This academic consideration of eliminating any risk to Council’s reputation is manifesting itself in the duplication of project management. Moreover, Auckland Council’s oversight of core services delivery has become a desktop activity rather than a practical one.
In another induction briefing council staff explained the importance of ensuring ‘contract certainty’ for successful tenderers. Explaining that companies and contractors who successfully win council contracts need to have faith in their income stream to be able to purchase the required equipment and develop the long-term procedural practices as demanded by Council. In essence Council is enabling large, mainly foreign-owned companies to dominate the tendering process. Again, I sat there thinking “but this (which is essentially guaranteeing income) does not extend to subcontractors”.
This is leading to profit taking at multiple stages of every service contract and thus eroding the effectiveness of ratepayer money.
I believe the Mayor and Councillors can find the savings we need from within Council’s and CCO’s operational budgets and it can be done without reducing service levels.
– Ken Turner, WestWards
P.S. Merry Christmas :)
Changing, shifting, sometimes struggling to survive or be relevant; tumultuous is a word that comes to mind in contemplating the arts over the last few years.
Covid and the climate crisis has rocked, is rocking, our world. Creative genius, or just plain desperation, has produced some truly extraordinary work, much of it the result of new collaborations across genres and an outpouring of contemporary work from Maori, Pacifica and Asian artists.
A significant presence is happening online, a crowded marketplace, but my heart is still in the gallery experience, even if I'm regularly confounded. As I guess we all were at the 2021 Portage Ceramic Awards, when a cibachrome image of abstract, unfired clay-works took the premier prize. The 2021 judge commented that Covid and climate change were quite powerfully apparent in the ceramics submitted. I certainly found the exhibition to have a darkness or heaviness that echoed that.
The 2022 judge, Karl Chitham, makes the same comment – overarching themes of Covid, language and climate change – but reflects that “We are coming out of a really difficult few years globally and the entries in this year’s Portage Awards reflect this reawakening and sense of positivity about what the future holds.”
So here's what I love about the Portage Ceramic Awards. The event itself and the rituals of the opening night are familiar. It reaffirms my desire for continuity; it is literally and figuratively grounded. I know what to expect; around 30 works in clay that stretch from the beautiful domestic to the wildly decorative and fanciful. Most I will love or at least admire; a few I will hate and may be caught muttering under my breath bad words and cruel criticisms. It is such great fun!
An important change wrought by Covid is the selection of judges. Pre-Covid an international judge was invited from some prestigious institution. This ensured impartiality, but more especially, added a touch of glamour to the whole proceedings. From where I sit it also reinforced a behaviour of cultural cringe; that an international arts figure was somehow better than a New Zealand one. Covid has put paid to that. This year Karl Chitham comes to the task with credentials that could not be bettered anywhere in the world.
Karl (Ngā Puhi, Te Uriroroi) is director of The Dowse
Art Museum in Lower Hutt. He is interested in interdisciplinary practice across toi Māori, contemporary art and craft. He was a judge for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and The National Contemporary Art Awards, and was on the selection panel for the New Zealand Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Chitham co-authored the major publication Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and Wider Moana Oceania. In his words; “The finalists’ works are a mix of fun, surprising and in some cases really quirky, which I think will change people’s opinions about the possibilities of contemporary ceramics.”
Who wouldn't want a taste of that? The exhibition remains open right through summer until March 5. Take your friends and then retreat to a café or bar and argue the hell out of it all!
A reminder: It's easy to get blasé about having a topnotch gallery in your Village. Te Uru is a destination, not just for visitors, but for the local community. It is a home for interesting, stimulating and challenging exhibitions in an award-winning contemporary building. Views of bush and sea from the glass-framed rear of the galleries are both surprising and beautiful. It's a place to step out of the humdrum into a contemplative space; good for body and soul.
You know her name. She regularly writes for The Fringe, as she has for this edition. She's been a Huia local for more than 20 years. Jade Reidy; a woman of diverse talents. Her CV tells it all.
A decade based in London in the 1990s where she gained critical acclaim as a performance poet, headlining with the Nuyorican slam poets from New York, performing at the Edinburgh Book Festival and the London Arts Festival. Her first collection of poetry sold out two editions and subsequent poetry and short stories appeared alongside poets Pablo Neruda, Alice Walker, Rainer Maria Rilke, D.H. Lawrence and e.e.cummings. Some company! She held an Oxford University Fellowship and was the publishing editor of London-based Gecko Press.
In her words: 'Being a writer is what I am; not just what I do'.
That literary talent is also turned and tuned to the practical world with non-fiction book commissions and strategic
writing for government, NGO, local government, university and not-forprofits. Awards abound in those arenas also.
The values she espouses on her web-site (www. jadereidy.co.nz) grabbed my attention and hint at an even wider and deeper engagement:
Restorative Justice facilitator – keeping people out of prison and healing the harm
Hospice volunteer – supporting carers to keep loved ones at home until the end
Zen Buddhist nun – teaching and practising meditation, and serving others with compassion
Environmental activist – healing the natural world, speaking out with courage
Community governance – guardianship of community resources and authentic leadership
In all the years I have known Jade, I was largely unaware of the breadth of her experience. I simply knew her as a writer and someone who turned up year after year to the Going West Literary Festival; a casual and interesting acquaintance I guess. So when I was searching in my mind for someone who could join the Going West Trust and engage with the not insignificant task of taking the Shadbolt House Writers Residency project forward, part of a succession plan, her name kept popping up – over and over again. It was a gut feeling that has proved in the past weeks, since the Auckland Council handed a lease to the trust, to be 100 percent on the ball. Her project management skills are so well-honed, and her passionate embracing of the whole ethos of this residency project that we have fought so hard for, is inspiring. I started down this path mildly brassed off that the council had held this project up for so many years; I'm now at the point of feeling that it was just waiting for Jade to come along.
jade@goingwestfest.co.nz
Made possible with the support from the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, the sixth Open Studios Waitākere weekend took place at the end of last month, showcasing the creative talent of over 80 artists across the Waitākere Ranges.
With a focus on artists from Tītīrangi, Glen Eden, Laingholm, Piha and Te Henga, the event provided a ‘behind the scenes’ perspective into some of Auckland’s top and emerging artists.
Although the weekend, with its opportunities to visit artists in their studios, is now over interested members of the public can still participate and enjoy the art and other works that were on display.
Open Studios Waitākere is hosting an online gallery with exclusive artwork available to purchase until the end of December. While this initiative makes it possible for those who weren’t able to attend the event to purchase artwork, it also offers a glimpse into a world of art and creativity that is normally hidden in private studios.
You are also encouraged to join the Open Studios Waitākere Facebook group to keep in touch and ask questions.
Still Life by John Parker is one of over 30 contemporary ceramic works now on display at Te Uru in Tītīrangi. Photo by Studio La Gonda.
Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz.
Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person wherever possible.
Covid precautions: All events and gatherings in these listings will require full compliance with relevant Covid regulations.
w – 4, Cellular memory: Elizabeth Thomson engages with science, imagination, culture, and fundamental questions about humanity, its place in nature and what citizenship means within this expanded realm; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 4, From Inside a Bubble, works by James S Watson; The Upstairs Gallery, First Floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.
w – 10, Winding Up by Roger Hall, presented by Tītīrangi Theatre; Lopdell HOuse Theatre, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Bookings at https://www. titirangitheatre.co.nz/.
w – 11, Her heirlooms in my garden, works by a group of contemporary artists who explore gardens as spaces for maternal connection; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz
w – 11, Mā te horo nuku ka tūrangawaewae ai koe, To stand in place of the landscape, through a collection of intuitive landscape paintings, multidisciplinary artist Dr Leonie Ngahuia Mansbridge (Ngāti Maniapoto) explores her connection to whenua as intertwined with her own whakapapa; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz
w – February 12, Onewherowhero, Kelston Intermediate students explore connections to whenua and rangatiratanga through making with uku (clay); Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – February 26, Gonville Gothic, photographer Tia Ranginui puts her own spin on patupaiarehe, sometimes described as Māori fairy folk; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – March 5, Portage Ceramic Awards, showcasing the diversity of contemporary clay practices in Aotearoa; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – March 5, Earth Posters, a collaborative merging of text and clay by writer Courtney Sina Meredith and artist Fiona Jack; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w 1, Christmas Remembrance event hosted by Hospice West Auckland, a special moment in time to remember your loved one; Hospice House, 52 Beach Road, Te Atatu Peninsula; 6–7pm. Phone 870 4612 or visit www.hwa. org.nz for more information or to confirm your attendance.
w 1 – 24, Light Up Hospice, Hospice House will be a blaze of lights every night during December; Hospice House, 52 Beach Road, Te Atatu Peninsula; 8:00pm–midnight; Phone 870 4612.
w 3, Christmas Carols, food, cold drinks, plants and stalls; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Ave, New Lynn; 5-8pm (Santa arrives at 6pm); $3. Phone 827 7045.
w 4, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
w 6, Waitākere Greypower Pre-Christmas lunch. All members and friends are welcome; Swanson RSA, 663 Swanson Road; 12.00pm. Phone 838 5207.
w 9, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12noon. Phone Laurie 820 2234.
w 9, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484.
w 9 – January 8, Summer Show, a Members’ Exhibition with photography, fine art, textiles, mixed media, ceramics and jewellery; The Upstairs Gallery, First Floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.
w 9 – 24, Trees of Remembrance in support of Hospice West Auckland; Bunnings New Lynn and Westgate, Pak’ n Save in Alderman Drive and New World New Lynn. Phone 870 4612.
w 10, New Lynn Lions Book Sale: books, CDs, DVDs, LPs and jigsaw puzzles for $1; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn (down the driveway by the traffic lights); 8am-4pm.
w 10, Tītīrangi Poets with a guest poet and readings by members; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2-4pm. Phone Ron Riddell 021 181 6698.
w 10, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents The Penman Family. Floorsingers in first half; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $15, members $10, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.
w 13, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz.
w 16, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk, an informal gathering of musicians and singers; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.
w 16 – February 12, Seven Sculptors, a group exhibition; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz
w 16 – February 12, In the beginning was an envelope, Celebrating 20 Years on the Estate: before Corban Estate became an Arts Centre, there was an iconic site in Henderson and an idea that arrived in an envelope; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz
w 19, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with monthly speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Clubrooms, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am-noon. Contact Joy 837 4646 or 021 267 3544.
w 20, SeniorNet West Auckland, speaker, morning tea and chatting about computers; RSA Henderson, Poppy Restaurant, 66-70 Railside Avenue, Henderson; 10am. Phone June 021 179 3635.
w 21, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatu South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361.
w 23, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club: company and fellowship, interesting speakers, morning tea and monthly outings; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857.
visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace
There is so much happening in and around our community, including many weekly events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. If you can’t see the event you’re interested in,
December 12 – January 22 – Auckland Libraries’ Te Ara Poutama – Level Up Summer Reading Challenge. Fun library events for the summer school holidays. Ask library staff how to sign up and keep kids’ reading and learning over the holidays.
Wednesday, December 14, 9:30am – Rhymetime Rooftop Party. Join the Tītīrangi Library kids’ team on the Lopdell Precinct Rooftop Terrace for rhymes, dance, and bubble fun. Rain location will be Tītīrangi Library.
Thursday, December 22, 6.00-6.30pm – Christmas Storytime. Festive family fun with stories, music, and a very special guest.
Monday, January 16, 2-3pm, Lopdell Precinct Seminar Room, 418 Tītīrangi Road – Cartooning Workshop. Author and artist Stu Duval will share his love of drawing in this fun interactive, step by step cartooning workshop. Suitable for those aged seven and older. To book, email titirangi.library@ aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Tuesday, January 17, 10-11am, Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall – Have a go - Fencing. Friendly and fun beginner’s fencing class brought to you by Tuatahi Fencing. This event is suitable for those aged seven and older.
Keep up to date with all the library’s summer events on Facebook: Tītīrangi Library.
The staff at Tītīrangi Library wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. The library is closed on the public holidays only and will be open as normal on all other days.
The Wanderer, Book II, reflects on journeys beginning with the Camino in Spain, to Colombia and home to Tītīrangi. Many poems have been inspired by musings on his walks along Exhibition Drive, an image of which appears on the book cover.
A unique book launch was held in the Tītīrangi War
Thursday, December 1, 10:30-11:00am – Rhymetime. Music, songs, movement and finger rhymes for pre-schoolers.
Wednesday, December 7, 10.30-11.30am – Book Chat in the library’s meeting room.
Wednesday, December 14, 11:00-11:30am – Wriggle and Rhyme. An interactive programme that promotes active movement and brain development for babies and toddlers.
Friday, December 9, 3:30-5:00pm – Mason Jar Christmas Gift Decoration. Prepare a beautifully decorated Mason jar to fill with goodies for your families and friends, suitable for ages 5+ All are welcome
Thursday, December 15, 10:30-11:00am – Christmas Storytime. A special end of the year Christmas Story/ Rhymetime, all whānau and families are welcome!
Friday, December 16, 10-11.30am – Shared Reading Group in the library Meeting Room. Join friendly librarian Surani for a relaxed reading experience over coffee and biscuits.
Friday, December 23, 3:30-5:00pm – DIY Christmas Card Create your own water coloured or pop-up Christmas Card. All are welcome.
Lego Club meets every Tuesday during school term-time, 3:30-5:00pm.
Job Café offers free support and advice in the library every Tuesday, 12:30-2:30pm during school term-time. Whau Ace Adult and Community Education provides those looking for work with help covering preparing a CV, career guidance, job search, online job applications, and cover letters. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided.
Memorial Hall when Ron read poems from the book accompanied by Sasha and Natarani Witten-Hannah on guitar and cello, with Ron’s wife Saray Torres following Ron’s English reading, with translations into Spanish.
Ideally timed for Christmas, Ron’s book is available for $20. Email him at riddell. ron@gmail.com.
The Fringe has a copy of both Ron’s new book and Tītīrangi Poets’ recent publication, From the Fringe of Heaven to give away.
To go in the draw to win the book of your choice, email your name, address and phone number to info@fringemedia. co.nz with either Wanderer or Fringe in the subject line. Entries must be received by December 16.
Who doesn’t love a dog tail… sorry, tale - obviously not me!
I saw this book in the Te Uru Gallery shop in Tītīrangi Village, and loved the cover picture.
Poor Wilbur has been sent home from the vets with, “an ugly clumsy cone” which stopped him from doing all the things he lovesplaying, eating, sleeping. One night, through his cone, Wilbur picks up a signal from Mars and incredible adventures follow as he teaches his new friends a thing or two about play. Lovely illustrations by Anna Lee and an original plot will delight parents and kids.
Alan, the Tītīrangi author, shares that the story was inspired by spending lockdown with his own Spoodle, who was recovering from a recent vet surgery, and watching him struggle to cope with wearing the dreaded cone. If you’re lucky you might even have seen Wilbur, the star of the book, out and about around the Village or visiting the local schools and libraries! Visit badraccoonstudios.com for more info.
I picked this one up, although more of an Easter tale than a Christmas one, due to the author being a local!
In this picture book tale, we follow the adventures of an escapee chocolate bunny as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime! Cute and kind of quirky illustrations along with easy rhyming cadence makes this an enjoyable read aloud with littlies. The book comes with a warning that “the ending could upset some readers”, so judge this for yourself before reading with sensitive youngsters (hint: bunny should have slip, slopped and slapped!)
Iveta has also written a series following the adventures of Rosie Hart, chapter books for older children, which I have not read… yet!
Iveta was born in the Czech Republic but now calls West Auckland home, with her husband, two daughters and two cats. Visit ivetaongley.co.nz for more info.
What is it about the Tītīrangi water that nurtures such talented creative types?!
Kate Richards, another local author (born in South Africa), has written The Adventures of Jabu & Friends trilogy.
Trainsurfer is the first in the trilogy and Kate’s debut novel. Adults shouldn’t be put off by this being so-called “youth fiction”: I found it to be an engaging read. It is a very real story and bad things do happen – a good (if you can call it that) insight into what life South Africa under Apartheid would be like for an orphaned African youth. This is a bildungsroman* adventure story following Jabu through a life of poverty on the streets to building friendships and the thrill of surfing.
If you’re looking for a Christmas “stocking stuffer” as a great holiday read for your teen, I would recommend this (and then you can borrow it afterward).
According to her bio, Kate lives with her husband and two teenagers in a house in the woods, with a menagerie of cats, dogs and guinea pigs. Kate is a school librarian at a primary school in the Waitākere Ranges, working in a cosy red library amidst the kauri trees and the swooping kererū. Visit katesrichards.com for more info and new releases.
*Dealing with a person’s early years or spiritual education. – Rebecca Manners
An architecturallydesigned oasis in the heart of the Village offers visitors and locals a boutique get-away with native birdsong, glorious bush and secluded luxury.
Accommodating up to six guests, the lodge offers a private pool, spa, sauna, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a complimentary Mercedes ML 63 AMG SUV for guests staying two nights or more. A private chef will prepare canapés, dinner and brunch. The lodge has all the modern and stylish facilities needed to make a stay as comfortable and relaxing as possible. Visit maisonblanclodge.com to find out more.
Ceramic artist and designer Susannah Bridges is having an end of year sale from her workshop in Henderson. Susannah wishes Fringe readers a restful Christmas, a well earned break and happy days with friends and whānau. After facing some challenges and technical issues this year, Suze is back on course and developing new designs for her porcelain lighting and object range. A selection of these, along with samples, end of line and not quite perfect pieces will be available at Unit F4, 29 Keeling Road, Henderson on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10, 10am-5pm. Phone 021 255 3773 for more details.
Effective drainage is important to direct stormwater (rain) and waste water (toilet/effluent, dishwasher, sink, washing machine water) into drainage lines to prevent flooding and keep your house dry and healthy.
We all know cars perform better after a service, we don’t have to spend as much at the dentist if we regularly see a dental hygienist, so why do we neglect our drains?
Land expands and contracts. In summer the ground contracts as it dries out and it expands again with winter’s rains. This continuous movement impacts on drains.
In Tītīrangi we’re blessed with nature. But trees and other plants cause havoc in our drains. In autumn leaves drop onto roofs, wash down our downpipes and into our stormwater drains, causing them to block and our properties to flood.
In summer, trees need water to survive, and they find it in drains. If there’s a bad join or a crack in a pipe, tree roots will find it, grow and spread their roots, causing drains to no longer run effectively and block up.
Ineffective and leaking drains can cause underground holes and subsidence.
The Fringe makes space on these pages available for current advertisers and non-commercial organisations.
To be included in our
Drainage repairs can all be avoided if property owners followed Drain Ranger’s affordable Drainage Maintenance Plan. Drain Ranger recommends every property has a Hydro Jett and CCTV inspection to maintain effective drainage.
A Hydro Jett is a pressurised waterblast down your drain, removing the build up of silt, leaves, minor tree roots and debris and effectively unblocking and clearing your drain. A drainage CCTV is a high tech camera that goes down your drain.
Drain Ranger are more than CCTV operators: they’re also Certifying Drainlayers, pinpointing faults and advising the best approach to repair them if needed. Phone 021 709 783.
213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188
www.kenturnermotors.co.nz
The 50th Auckland Folk Festival takes place at the Kumeu Showgrounds, January 27 – 30, 2023. Expect a fun weekend of camping with friends and family, music, dance, stalls, food trucks and more.
A wide variety of talented artists who continue to push the boundaries of the genre are booked for this year’s festival. They include Folk Bitch Trio, We Mavericks and Kerryn Fields from Australia; The Jellyman’s Daughter from Edinburgh; Sneaky Bones (Matthew Bean) from the United States; Irish fiddle player Manus McGuire; and The Frank Burkitt Band from the UK (pictured).
Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpa) will present TE KAAHU,
It was with some relief that the Annual Regional Scout Canoe Carnival went ahead this year.
The New Lynn Sea Scout Group turned up in force at Onehunga Basin and the result was a 16th win after their first taste of success at this event back in 1996.
Meanwhile the younger Kea section continued to work towards their cycling Adventure Skills badge. Starting at Olympic Park where they worked out how to use a simple map (above)to locate the various artworks and understand their connection to the rich history of the area. From there it was on to the new shared user path between New Lynn and Avondale.
The New Lynn Sea Scout Group caters for boys and girls aged 5 – 19 years. To get involved give Andrew a call on 027 6939 756 or check out www.newlynn.seascouts.org.nz for more details.
honouring the craft and skill of Māori song writing and storytelling.
Other local acts who will feature at this year’s festival include T-Bone, Wheel of Experience, Albi & The Wolves, Criu, Tui Mamaki, Monty Bevins, Alpaca Social Club, Across the Great Divide, Rough Town and Butter Wouldn’t Melt.
There’ll also be traditional dance performance and song writing competitions, dancing workshops, children’s concerts and sessions along with plenty of space to relax and enjoy your surroundings.
For more information and to book early bird tickets visit www.aucklandfolkfestival.co.nz.
If Wayne Brown is serious about tackling wasteful council spending, he only needs to look into the recent theft of 22 tsunami sirens in the West. Council’s Auckland Emergency Management team knew these sirens were being targeted six months ago when they began to disappear from Piha and Karekare yet they did nothing to make the remaining sirens theft-proof, until now, after Huia and Whatipu were targeted.
As a builder for 40 years, I can say that it's not rocket science to fit tamper-proof screws and/or restrict access to make these expensive, imported, ratepayerfunded sirens a lot harder to steal, especially when you're hanging off a live concrete power pole by your bare hands.
So why has it taken AEM SIX months to get around to doing this on the upcoming replacements?
Kind Regards, Chris Armitage.
A smorgasbord of heritage projects was served up at the recent West Auckland heritage conference, subtitled Trailblazers and Troublemakers.
Hosted by both Waitākere Ranges and Whau local boards at the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, the day-long presentations brought an audience of over 100 up-to-date with the depth and breadth of mahi (work) being done to re-examine and tell the stories of our Westie past.
taonga Māori into ceramic objects. While the Air New Zealand set of 1965 is the most well-known, a few other sets have found their way back to marae, but many vanished overseas, including items whose present uses are contrary to those intended.
In the afternoon, Anna Fomison, chair of the Waitākere Ranges Protection Society, profiled the latest book on the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Act. Making a Stand by ex-Herald journalist Wayne Thomson vividly captures the decades of work that went into the Act being passed into law in Parliament in 2008 by one vote. The heritage area spans almost 28,000 hectares and the mahi is never over, said Anna, with ongoing threats to its flourishing - from water management to kauri dieback.
The ebook is free and available on the WRPS website at waitakereranges.org.nz. This site also presents information about a current exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial Museum by founding member of the Society, Olaf Peterson, titled Nature Boy. – Jade Reidy
Robin Taua-Gordon,
Summer may seem slow to start, with sustained good weather not beginning until late in January. The early to mid-summer period may see average rain, less than average sunshine, and cooler temperatures. The wettest times may be around the middle of December and at or near January 11.
ā Maki’s
and environment
was the first keynote speaker. She gave an overview of the iwi’s innovative approach to kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of an area that covers most of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Sustainability, she said, was about so much more than just environmental work. She also reminded the audience that, with limited resources, the iwi cannot respond overnight to all requests for its whakaaro nui (wisdom).
Sir Bob Harvey is still saving lives and the arts out West. An active lifeguard, at 82, and president of the Karekare surf lifesaving club, he continued to inspire at the conference with his brilliance in embracing the creativity of others. Joined by long-time friend Andrew Melville, on flute, and the new poet laureate of the club, Sam Sampson, Sir Bob described the carving of a large pou whenua by Ranui carver Mihaka Matatara that now stands at the entrance to the newly opened clubhouse.
Disappointingly, Michael Smythe’s presentation of Crown Lynn’s rise and fall was white-male-centric and made no mention of Māori contribution to this iconic ceramic company’s international success. This story has been told in a new Māori TV documentary Crown Lynn, still available on Māori+.
Generations of Māori worked at Crown Lynn as gifted artisans during the drift to the city last century, reworking
Cool, mainly dry spells may arrive in the first few days and then on seven days beginning on December 18. In January, the first three weeks bring unreliable weather, culminating with strong winds around the 19th. An extended fine spell may begin around January 22 onwards, with warmer days around January 23-29.
Christmas Day may end a dry spell, with Boxing Day wet. New Years Eve/Day may see showers. January 21 and 22 may be the best weekend for outdoor activities. Atmospheric pressures may average 1011mbs for the whole two months.
For fishermen, the highest tides are December 25 and January 24. December’s best fishing bite-times are noon on the 7th-9th and 22nd-24th, with chances good around dusk on the 1st-2nd, 15th-17th, and 29th-31st. January’s best bite times are noon on the 6th-8th and 21st-24th, with chances good around dusk on the14th16th and 28th-30th.
For preserving and longer shelf-life, harvest crops and flowers on neap tide days on December 17, and January 10.
Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. For future weather for any date, visit www.predictweather.com. © Ken Ring 2022.
EcoMatters Environment Trust recently hosted the Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards and many of the nominees were from the West.
Among the nominees in the Growing the Movement category (celebrating local individuals or groups raising awareness and inspiring change) were:
• Lucy-Mae Goffe Robertson of The Upcycle Collective Aotearoa in New Lynn (https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1329218727501254)
• The ReCreators in Massey (https://therecreators. co.nz/)
• Ronja Schipper, a Laingholm local (https://felt.co.nz/ shop/repurpose)
• Lena Tonikjeld, a Danish artist now living in Tītīrangi (https://www.tonikjeld.com/)
• Bindi Chouhan, also from the Tītīrangi area running Love Food Hate Waste workshops at Ecomatters, and a sustainability advisor and enabler
• Juliette Jones, owner/operator of White Cloud Skincare (https://www.whitecloudskincare.com)
Ecomatters itself was also nominated in this category, won by Rachel Trinder, a Kāinga Ora employee who changed the approach to waste coming from construction site clearances to attain 87% landfill diversion.
The Community Collaboration award, won by Georgina Kelly-Ngakoto from ME Family Services Resource Recovery Room, also featured a number of West Auckland nominees:
• The ReCreators
• The West Auckland Resource Centre
• Kristy Lorson (https://www.earthsavvy.co.nz/)
• Refill Nation, the Tītīrangi and Te Atatū sustainable grocers (https://refillnation.co.nz)
• Susi Lay of Re:Generate Fashion (https://www.regeneratefashion. co.nz)
Henderson Valley School’s Green Team and Waste Minimisation Focus Group won the Rangatahi Leadership award, celebrating young people showing commitment and leadership. They have worked hard over the past two years to solve the problem of 2000 plastic sushi containers a year. An alternative, compostable packaging is now used, and is fed to their worms, creating zero waste. To close the loop, the by-product of the worm farm is then used on the school’s gardens to grow food for their Garden to Table programme.
The Cultural Connection award was won by Ōtara’s S Double S Services which provides a free bike refurbishing and donation scheme for local kids and families.
The Innovation award recognising initiatives demonstrating the circular economy in action was won by Citizen, a group actively raising awareness about and reducing food waste by creating innovative processes and products using edible surplus food, or edible food production by-products destined for waste streams. The ReCreators and the West Auckland Resource Centre were also nominees in this category, along with Henderson Demolition.
The Zero Waste Awards were a great opportunity for likeminded individuals and organisations to network, and there is potential for many to collaborate in their shared vision of reducing waste. Read more at: https://www.ecomatters.org. nz/2022-tamaki-makaurau-zero-waste-awards/
And for Christmas and gift shopping, please support the Ecomatters shop in New Lynn (https://www.ecomatters.org. nz/ecomatters-store/online/) for ethical, sustainable gifts. All the local organisations and individuals mentioned in this article also deserve our support.
Those of us of a certain vintage may remember singing a song at primary school Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. I wonder how this got into the Kiwi children’s song book of the time, given that Kiwi children were unlikely to have ever seen a kookaburra, let alone heard one.
Kookaburra have been sighted this spring around Oratia and Henderson Valley, prompting Oratia local Simon Oosterman to try and track their movements. The responses on the Oratia Neighbourhood page were plentiful, with several people commenting that kookaburra were regular visitors to their properties.
After putting out the alert for sightings, Simon followed up on several of them and finally struck the jackpot: “Our kookaburra spotting hotline worked and I saw my first one. Photographer Enzo and I turned up at a property after a quick call, but the kookaburra had flown away by the time we arrived. We traipsed through a few paddocks, and heard it again. I couldn't spot it, but then realised it was sitting in a tree right in front of me. I fumbled for my camera and didn't get a picture. It was about two handspans, which is much bigger than I realised. Luckily, Enzo got a picture, but the lighting wasn’t great and the kookaburra was facing away. I managed to record the kookaburra’s distinctive call, but it’s hard to hear amongst the squelches of my gumboots.”
Enzo was subsequently interviewed on Radio New Zealand about kookaburras and his photo.
This account reminded me of the one time in New Zealand that I saw one, on my family’s farm in Taupaki probably 30 years ago. I remember it vividly for its super-size kingfisher stance and raucous, repetitious staccato laugh, a call you would not confuse with any other bird.
Kookaburras have a complex social structure. A pair may remain in a semi-monogamous relationship with helpers to assist with the care of the young. These helpers may be young from a previous mating who are learning parental care while helping their parents, or they could also be an unrelated pair waiting for a shot at the territory.
Kookaburra are native to Australia and were introduced into Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf by Sir George Grey in 1866, and to Wellington, Nelson, and Otago between the 1860s and 1880. Only the Kawau population successfully established and subsequently colonised the adjacent mainland. They are still found on Kawau Island, and the adjacent mainland from Whangārei district south to Kaukapakapa and Riverhead, and the southern Waitākere Ranges.
As small carnivores, kookaburras play an integral role in the ecosystem by controlling small animal populations, and as they have never thrived in New Zealand, preferring Australia’s climate and habitat, they pose little threat to other birds here.
Kookaburra is the largest bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae, and cousin to the kōtare or kingfisher which is much more common in West Auckland.
In our Exhibition Drive garden, kōtare become quite vocal around October/November when they nest in holes drilled in nīkau. I always associate kōtare with the water. They will perch at a high vantage point and dive into the pool to swipe a tasty insect morsel, invisible to the human eye. Skinks, goldfish, frogs and birds are also vulnerable victims while the kōtare is on watch. The kōtare is probably the most fearless of our native birds, attacking with its powerful razor sharp bill if it thinks its family or nest are in danger, and it has also been known to attack and injure cats and dogs.
Māori trapped kōtare for their brilliant blue feathers to make ornaments for hats and lures on barbed hooks to attract fish. Some tribes cooked fledgling kōtare in the hāngī. Others rejected them as they were lizard eaters and lizards were dreaded and believed by Māori to be supernatural beings.
Kōtare was one of the few native species that stayed in the neighbourhood of farms after bush clearances, performing a great service to the settlers by getting rid of unwanted insect pests.
Moth plant is just coming into flower, making early summer the best time to tackle this invasive weed.
This climbing vine ( Araujia sericifera syn. A. hortorum) flowers between November and March each year, with white or pale pink trumpet-shaped flowers (right). The leaves are dark green on top and greyish underneath.
By autumn, the distinctive seed pods, which look similar to a choko, start to form. These seed pods are very good at their job – when just one dries and splits, it can spread up to 1,000 seeds far and wide.
“It doesn’t take long for moth plant to become a nuisance weed for the entire neighbourhood. Be kind to your neighbours and get rid of this one quickly,” says Pamela Gill, from the EcoMatters Nature team.
“We’re noticing more of this invasive weed around and we’d love for everyone to pitch in to make sure it doesn’t become
Poto Williams, Minister of Conservation and Disability Issues, and an ex-Westie, recently opened the new accessible bridge and path in the wetland conservation project Matuku Link in Te Henga/Bethells.
The pedestrian bridge over the Waitākere River gives people in wheelchairs, with walkers, buggies or prams the opportunity to fully experience the Matuku Link project where paddocks have been replaced by wetland trees and ponds have been created as habitat for the rare native duck pāteke (brown teal). Visitors can enjoy the sound of the stream flowing through the edge of the native forest with abundant birdlife thanks to an intensive predator control regime
Please contact Matuku Link before visiting as the centre is not always open. Check www.matukulink.org.nz, email hello@matukulink.org.nz or leave a message at 09 553 6888.
Since the opening of the bridge and walkway, Matuku Link can deliver Outdoor School Holiday Programmes with conservation educator Leah. Book via www.matukulink.org.nz/holidays or email schools@matukulink.org.nz .
an even bigger problem. It is best to tackle it when it’s flowering, rather than at seed pod time.”
If there are no seed pods on the vine, just cut the plant at its base and leave the vine hanging. This will eventually die away. But you do need to prevent the roots from regrowing. Either dig them out or treat the base of the cut vine with a ‘cut and paste’ herbicide.
Always wear protective clothes and gloves and avoid the plant’s white sap, which can irritate the skin and eyes.
You can work with others on a mission to eradicate moth plant by joining STAMP (Society Totally Against Moth Plant on Facebook) or learn more about how to get rid of the pest at Auckland Council’s Tiaki Tāmakai Makaurau website: https://bit.ly/mothplant.
You could also join EcoMatters to learn more about caring for local green spaces, through weeding, planting and stream clean ups. Find out more at ecomatters.org.nz/volunteer.
Community organisations, sports clubs, craft clubs and other non-commercial organisations are welcome to post their news and updates on The Fringe’s web site, FREE.
Email your updates and information to info@fringemedia.co.nz
See Our Place at www.fringemedia.co.nz
Yeah, gidday.
I was born at a very young age and as far back as I can forget, there has always been a cat mooching about the place. They seem to know just how to arrange themselves to best advantage. Along the top of a sunny brick wall. Under the shade of a flax. Sleeping on the arm of a claw-sharpening scratched-up old chair.
“You shouldn’t feed that mangy old moggy, Lizard. One female and her kittens can produce five thousand cats in four years, they say.”
That was Barbz, Shaz’s mother. She's over for Christmas. Yeehaw. I tried to explain that I didn’t feed the cat and I thought that it had been living at our place before we were. Shaz called it Ralphie. It once vomited up an entire possum's tail. I was a quite impressed.
At least today Barbz was wearing a caftan. The days had been so damn hot and sticky that Barbz normally flopped about the place in her abundant bra and matching thong (as Shaz described them).
“No-one even gives me a second look back in Tazzie if I lie on the beach in a thong. I just blend in.”
“They have Sea Lions over there don’t they?”
“Cheeky bugger, Lizard. Pour me a rum while you’re up. Plenty of ice this time. Speaking of seals, I’ve been thinking a lot about being fat and that. You know, when it comes to men, I figure fat has never really had anything to do with it. It’s your face they’re after. Oh, and in the case of your father Shaz, my happiness.” Just then, Plumless Walker rested his head on her amble thigh.
“They want praise of course but we all know how to play that game. They’re actually just like old Plumless here when I think about it. Just like dogs, men are just dying for a bit of a pat and when you’re my age it’s the old dogs you’ll get, sitting there wanting something to wag their tails at.”
“Oh please Barbz," I groaned.
But there’s no stopping Barbz when she’s on a roll, or the rums.
“Don’t get me wrong but. Your dad had his moments. I loved it when he’d whisper those four little words in my ear.”
“What four little words would they be Barbz?’ I shuddered to think.
“The four little words that will make a woman follow a bloke to the ends of the earth. ‘Leave it to me’. Aww, good old
Bertie. I miss him. He knew how to treat a lady. Not like these modern soft gits.”
Shaz couldn’t bite her tongue any longer.
“Mum. I loved Bertie with all my heart but let’s face it, Dad was a chauvinist pig. Remember that Christmas I gave you a watch? Dad said, ‘what a waste of money, a woman doesn’t need a watch. There’s a clock on the stove’.”
“He was joking Shaz."
"Times have changed Mum. We even have a female Prime Minister.”
"Oh please," said Barbz. Here we go, I thought. Barbz had quite strong opinions when it came to the subject of a woman's place.
“Wake up and smell the pheromones love,” Barbz ranted on. "I don’t know about you Kiwis but back home we like our leaders to be male.
“We gave a red headed sheila a go once and look how that turned out. We need someone who is strict. A strong hand at the wheel. When you were kids we would say, 'wait until your father gets home'. See? Discipline! Or at school the young girly teacher would say, 'that’s quite enough. Go and see the headmaster’. She wouldn’t send you to the sweet wee nurse for a lie down in the sick bay. Unless it was that time of...”
“Mum please! Stop! Just because the captain runs a ‘tight ship’ this doesn’t mean all the sailors are happy. Since your ‘Federation’, Australia has elected what, 29 prime ministers? How many were indigenous? How many opposed open-cast mining? Have any addressed equal pay for women? We are talking over 50% of the population here by the way. Have any even been gay? Blimey, half of Melbourne are fluid in one direction or another. Represent!”
Just then Lizard Junior arrived carrying a huge glazed ham. He was wearing a Santa Claus outfit because he had been giving out presents to the kids at the Fishing Club.
“Merry Christmas everyone.”
"Merry Christmas to you Junior. What a lovely outfit. Father Christmas. Now there was real man.”
We all roared with laughter.
Yep, Merry Christmas everyone. Have a fun and safe New Years'. By the way. It doesn’t matter who we vote for as long as they are kind. Enough hate don’t you think?
Peace everyone. Later, Lizard.
