The Fringe, February 2023

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AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORT

Ken Turner Automotive and Auto Electrical 6

BUILDING & PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Drain Ranger 23 Freedom Build Ltd............................................................................. 23

Mann Kitchens & Bathrooms 23

Ooh! LBP

Ray Percival & Son, painters and decorators 23

Turners Drainage & Contracting 23

Watkins Plumbing Services 23

BUSINESS, FINANCE, INSURANCE

Ready Press Print 23

COMMUNITY

Auckland Council 5, 13, 17 War on Weeds ..................................................................................... 18

FOOD & WINE

SuperValue supermarket, Tītīrangi 4

GARDENS & LANDSCAPE

Gordons Nurseries 23 Stihl Shop............................................................................................... 21

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Hunt & Gaunt Optometrists 23 HOSPITALITY

Maison Blanc Lodge 23

The Trusts: We’re Hiring ................................................................ 24

HOUSE & HOME

Susannah Bridges, ceramics and lights 16 Waitematā Backcare Beds 9

LEGAL SERVICES

Bill Korver, lawyer ............................................................................. 23

Presland & Co, barristers and solicitors 6

LEISURE & LIFESTYLE

Ryman Healthcare: Murray Halberg Retirement Village 7

POLITICAL

Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn ........................................... 11 WestWards 15

Community publishing is all about telling the stories that make our community real and supporting the people and activities that make our communities better. Ever since we launched as the Tītīrangi Tatler over 20 years ago, we have worked to support and strengthen the positive things in our communities – and the advertisers listed above (and others in the past) have understood what we have been trying to do. They have supported us, and our community. They have recognised that being seen by over 50,000 people in a quality magazine that readers keep, re-read and leave on coffee tables for others to read after them is far more valuable than a few ephemeral social media posts, here this minute and gone the next. And just as we need their support, they need ours: if you need a builder, a plumber, a painter, a work of art, a lawyer ... whatever, please get in touch with our advertisers.

But keeping The Fringe going is becoming harder and harder. We need your help. If you have a story to tell, please get in touch. And if you would like to help yourself and our community by advertising in, and supporting, this highly valued publication, we would love to hear from you!

The deadline for our March 2023 issue is February 10 with finished advertising artwork due by February 14. Please get in touch as soon as possible. Contact us at info@fringemedia.co.nz.

Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are

Advertisers’ Directory

Lighting up the Village 4 A stalwart of the Village

6 QSM well deserved: Don Thomas 7 Dance and artwork come together 8 – 9 Art and about with Naomi McCleary ....... 10 – 11 Out and About in the West 12 – 13

At the libraries

14 Harp Fest NZ 2023; Flicks cinema is still here!

15 Rebecca’s Review; Weather by the moon ......................................... 16 Sustainable solutions with Fiona Drummond 17 Naturally West with Fiona Drummond; ............. 18 Free community weed bins back for March 19 Walking West with The Rambler ................. 20 – 21 Live @ the lounge ............................................... 22

On our cover: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Auckland Folk Festival, one of the largest acoustic music events in New Zealand. With multiple stages and a programme that will appeal to all comers this year’s festival takes place at Kumeu Showgrounds over Auckland Anniversary Weekend.

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, John Goudge, Karen McCarthy Advertising deadline for March 2023: February 10

Lighting up the Village

Tītīrangi Village was once again lit up and glowing for the festive season with Christmas lights and LED trees adorning the local business shop frontages, thanks to the work of the Bright Lights Little Village Trust and its trustees.

This is the second year the current trustees (Del McFarlane-Scott, Lisa Anderson, Luke McFarlane and Su Morgan) have lit up the village and it was a struggle this year without any funding available. However, donations from local businesses and the community over the few weeks before the lights were erected helped make it all possible and Tītīrangi was once again able to delight locals and visitors to the village with an amazing array of lights and Christmas trees.

This year local Tītīrangi Baptist Church, Te Hāhi Iriiri O Tītīrangi, decorated the roundabout. This featured a nativity screen created from recycled pallets and solar lights. This was a unique addition to the display.

To achieve such a spectacular showing the trustees needed the help of the Tītīrangi Volunteer Fire Brigade. They not only installed the lights but also assisted when it was time to take them down again. Additional help came from a small group of volunteers who are now known as “Santa’s Elves”. (The trustees make a donation to the fire brigade for their assistance.)

The trustees have bigger plans for next year and will keep you posted via their Facebook page (Xmas Lights Tītīrangi Village) and there will also be updates in future issues of The Fringe

The trustees are always looking for helpers and the next major task will be sorting all the lights out. To get involved, contact them through the Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/groups/151561828530882.

Grants make a difference in Waitākere

Community groups received funding support for their mahi (work) through the local, multi-board and quick response grants offered by Waitākere Ranges Local Board in the recent funding rounds.

Twenty-four community groups were awarded $42,064.40. The funds will go towards a variety of activities and projects from protecting the environment to the arts and sports.

$18,259 was allocated through the Local Grants Round One 2022/2023, $17,000 through the Multi-Board Grants Round One 2022/2023 and $6,805.40 through the Quick Response Grants Round One 2022/2023.

Grant rounds are typically over-subscribed, with the amounts requested far exceeding the amount available. While the amounts granted may seem small, to the groups it can make a big difference.

“Along with everyone else our community groups have found things tough going lately. A little can go a long way. This grants round was over-subscribed, and it is clear to me that these modest payments allow our community members and groups achieve a great deal of good,” says Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair Greg Presland.

“It is very rewarding to be able to support them,” he says.

Funding included grants for Recreate NZ, for a greenhouse, garden materials, plants, and a canopy patio pergola to support their high-quality social and recreational programmes for youth with intellectual disabilities. Similarly, the West Auckland Community Toy Library received much-needed funding for the construction of a wheelchairaccessible ramp, improving access for more people.

Waitākere Ranges Local Board offers the local grant and the quick response grant twice a year.

They are awarded for a range of types of projects or programmes from the arts, community, environment, events, heritage and sports and recreation.

Celebrating 10 years of Kelston Community Hub

Locals gathered at the Kelston Community Hub late last year to celebrate 10 years since the hub opened as a place for whānau to come together.

Whau Local Board Chair Kay Thomas and member Catherine Farmer were present to celebrate the milestone.

The local board has funded the hub and the community groups gathering there from the beginning. Over time, the local board has also funded improvements in response to the community’s needs, like the upgrade to the playgroup room.

Over 200 people use the hub each month. Activities community groups provide at the hub include craft, art and workshops, such as resilience workshops on how to respond to floods and quakes. Most activities are facilitated by enthusiastic volunteers. The hub also has a weekly Kelston Homegrown Market selling fresh produce, craft, home baking, art and oils.

The Kelston community has not only been celebrating how the hub has provided a safe space for residents for 10 years but is also looking forward to what can be achieved and provided in the future.

“As our communities have continued to grow and evolve with different ideas from

volunteers and staff, so has the use of the hub,” says Whau Local Board Chair Kay Thomas. “And as people come and go, our hope is that our community hub will continue to be a place of comfort, learning, and sharing of ideas.”

Collaboration has been at the heart of the hub. It all started in 2010 when locals got together with the support of the Kelston Community Trust. The project was driven by Darren Smith, former principal of St Leonards Road School and local board members.

During the following year, the community developed their ideas and clarified their needs. The Kelston Community Hub was officially opened at 68 St Leonards Road, Kelston in 2012.

“A lot has happened over the years, from cooking classes, knitting, art, community meetings, weaving, and youth activities that were driven by the Sisterhood to name a few,” says Valeria Gascoigne, Hub Manager.

She says that people are the essence of the hub. “We are always looking for more volunteers and ideas to develop our community space, so please get in touch.”

The hub is open from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday. To get in touch phone 09 813 9670 or email kelstonhub@gmail.com or manager.kelstonhub@gmail.com

Sunvue Park plan gets go-ahead

A concept plan for a new, nature-based Ngāhere playspace at Sunvue Park (Sunvue Road, Glen Eden), designed in partnership with tauira (students) from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi, has been approved by Waitākere Ranges Local Board.

The upgrade, for which the local board has allocated $175,469, will include cultural design features and elements.

The play space will feature native plants and trees, a Ngāhere Hupara Trail with steppers, balance beams and pole forest, a flying fox, swings and a bike track loop with unique art and painted motifs.

Construction is expected to start in late 2023 but is dependent on budget being confirmed.

Collaboraton is at the heart of the Kelston Community Hub.

Sunvue Park concept plan

A stalwart of the Village

If you’re ever talking about hard work, dedication, and service to the community, spare a thought for the owners of your local dairy.

Every neighbourhood has one. And the men and women behind the counter at these classic Kiwi corner stores are there day in, day out, open all hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

People pop in and out for their daily paper, sweets, after-school ice creams, lolly bags or other treats for the kids; and that loaf of bread, bunch of flowers or bottle of milk you need to grab on the way home. Supermarkets may now dominate when it comes to our grocery shopping, but there’s definitely still a place for the local dairy.

Tītīrangi’s ‘Scenic Dairy’ is one of the stalwarts of the Village.

Owner Girish Patel believes it’s one of the oldest businesses in the Village, along with The Fairy Flower Shop. He and wife Bharti have owned and run the dairy, in the heart of the Village, for 17 years. They have grown a thriving business and a family over that time.

Girish is approaching a major milestone. Before he and Bharti took over the business, he worked at the dairy for more than a decade for the previous owner, his uncle, and will next year mark his 30th anniversary on the site. “Maybe getting time for retirement,” he jokes.

As with any business, there have been trials and tribulations, notably last year with a hold-up and a ramraid, as a wave of similar crime swept across all of Auckland.

Robbers drove up onto the footpath and rammed into the front of the dairy in an overnight raid one Sunday in April, smashing through doors and windows and causing serious damage.

Two weeks earlier, in a daylight robbery, Bharti fled from the shop when confronted by masked intruders, one carrying a knife.

CCTV footage showed the hooded, armed robber following as she ran from the back of the shop down the aisle and onto the street. Thankfully she escaped unhurt, but very shaken.

The robbers took off in a waiting getaway car with thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes. It’s become an occupational hazard for those who work in Auckland’s dairies.

Like many others, Scenic Dairy has boosted security including new surveillance cameras, a fog cannon, reinforced doors and windows, and concrete bollards outside the shop.

Despite the trauma of the break-ins, the couple say they are here to stay, undeterred. Business as usual. At your service. Open all day, every day.

– Karen McCarthy

213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604

Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188 www.kenturnermotors.co.nz

The Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) has been awarded to long-time local lawyer, Don Thomas from Thomas & Co Lawyers Ltd, in the New Year’s honours list, for services to the community and legal profession.

Don began practice in 1971 in what was only the second law office in New Lynn and just the sixth in West Auckland. He has been a well-respected member of the community ever since.

Over the years he has been a member of the Auckland District Law Society Council, the Auckland District Legal Aid Committee, a Law Society presenter and a member of the New Zealand Society of Notaries Council, among other roles.

He was the originator of the New Zealand Document Exchange (DX) concept, the first to introduce the facsimile settlement concept and a leader and early adopter and promoter of technology and systems in legal practices in New Zealand. He was the first e-capable Notary in New Zealand.

He’s also been a member of the Avondale Community Committee, New Lynn Business Association, Avondale Community Stadium Committee, Hawke Sea Scout Management Committee, and the services coordinator for the Avondale and New Lynn CABs.

Don’s community activities have also included various

roles on the New Windsor Primary School Committee, Kelston High Schools Boards of Governors, Avondale College Board of Governors and the Avondale College Board of Trustees.

He’s well known in sports circles too and has been a rugby referee since 1976 and is still currently a rugby referee coach and touch rugby referee. He has coached the Avondale College Girls’ hockey team, and been the jointconvenor of Avondale College Japan Sports tours.

Don has been a blood donor since 1962, providing 362 donations to July last year and says he is humbled by the QSM honour.

“I see my efforts as simply doing what I can to help in my community and profession,” he says.

Don Thomas GSM, in formal mode and refereeing Chile v Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.

Dance and artwork come together

Blockhouse Bay art curator Fleur Bourgeois is still buzzing after bringing more than 30 visual artists together at one of the Auckland region’s biggest New Year dance festivals, writes JOHN GOUDGE.

Surrounded by music and dancing revellers, the painters, sculptors and projection artists displayed their work at the Aum festival, spread across a huge site at the Kaipara South Head over New Year.

Fleur says it was a unique opportunity for the artists, who often create their work in isolation at home. At the festival they got to bounce ideas off fellow artists and create works the public can interact with.

Walking around the festival, one could see the festival goers watching the artists layering their paint, asking questions, and sometimes even picking up a paint brush themselves (with the artists’ permission) and adding some strokes. With some installations, the public were encouraged to touch or interact with the artworks.

“We are very open and embracing in the art team, because we believe human creativity is something common to all of us.” Fleur says, “And we should be able to express ourselves when we are somewhere having a good time.”

stage designs, and ‘way out’ and colourful costumes worn by festival goers, often incorporating their own coloured lights.

West Auckland artist Anna Khomko creates prints on vinyl, and at night, her Aum artwork was projected with moving images. She loved how festival goers added their own touches by making ‘shadow plays’ in the light.

“What was the most amazing for me is that it has a great interactive aspect, and it invited people to play with it,” says Anna. “I like when my art is touchable and interactive because it’s all about joy, inclusion, and welcoming people.”

UV string artist Sam Newsome is a regular contributor at dance festivals, using geometry, mathematics, and symmetry to make his art. Glowing at night the strings look like laser beams. Sam most enjoys the community of artists who come together for events like Aum.

One of the favourite works was three giant wooden faces overlooking the main dance floor, made from recycled materials by Nico Woodward. Many punters had their photos taken peering through the open mouths of the faces.

At night-time the artworks looked magical with coloured lights and laser effects. Two giant light installations by David Eversfield changed colours in a seemingly endless variety of patterns. Add to that a multitude of video projections, glowing canopies, artistic

“As a collaborative artist it’s much better,” Sam says. “I strive for collaboration, it’s just the next level when you can jam off someone else’s mind and gel to make an idea together.”

Jayden Flavell and Indiana Carder-Dodd collaborated on their ‘live paint’ artwork exhibited at Aum’s art grove, nestled among kānuka trees. At first, as Jayden explains, the pair did not know what their piece would be about.

“As we’ve been painting during the festival, we’ve had a lot of people come up and ask us what it means. ‘Ah, well, we’re not sure.’ As we’ve painted, a story started developing.” Indiana adds, “It’s like looking into the void and seeing something that speaks back to you.”

Inspiration for artist Miriam Noble came from tiny creepy crawlies that live in New Zealand’s caves. Her giant mural depicted previously undiscovered creatures that are so small they are almost invisible.

“Basically, if you go into a cave in New Zealand you will probably find new species of creatures,” Miriam says. “I’m a caver – I’m not a scientist or anything. It’s really cool seeing these creatures in their natural environment and learning stuff that no one knows about – their behaviours, what they eat, how they live, what their life-cycle is. There is just no

Fleur Bourgeois with son Josh and granddaughter Willow.

UV string art by Sam Newsome.

Two of the three giant wooden faces by Nico Woodward (above) and one of them illuminated at night (below).

information anywhere so when you go down there you are discovering everything.”

At an ‘art party’ where the artists got to speak about their work, they were appreciative of the chance to exhibit at Aum.

One commented, “Discovering our creativity is something that Aum has really done for artists, and that’s like a treasure. It’s so special.”

Fleur Bourgeois has been the art curator for the festival for the past seven years. And it’s a family affair too, with son Josh featuring as a fire performer and teacher, and husband Peter as psy-trance DJ PsySanta.

Fleur’s career in artist management began around two decades ago when living in Cambodia. There she worked with prominent Cambodian artist Leang Seckon, developing artworks to raise environmental issues, including creating

a 220m naga (mythical serpent) sculpture for World Water Day in 2008.

Returning to Auckland in 2013, Fleur began organising exhibitions for local artists, including at the Block Cafe in Blockhouse Bay.

The Aum festival has had to navigate the disruption of Covid-19 in recent years, so a sold-out festival with some 3000 people was a great result for co-creators of the event, John Paul Moss, Anna McGreevy and Steve Crowcroft. The festival featured some 200 acts on four stages, including international and local DJs and musicians, magicians, comedians, and circus acts.

Creepy crawlies by Miriam Noble.

How much does it weigh?

As I write there is a two-page spread in the Saturday Herald about the Auckland Art Gallery, provoked, in part, by the Mayor's attack on the validity of the institution in the face of the current climate of financial crisis. It's not improved by his lack of understanding of, or interest in, the arts in general and the gallery in particular.

There is so much to unpick here.

Talk around numbers and ticket sales to those exhibitions that are high-cost and mostly touring international shows. An underlying assumption that those measurements are the basis on which the institution should be judged. Very little talk about the role of the gallery as a repository of art treasures, both national and international, that is the marker of a sophisticated society. No mention of the fact that visitors to Auckland will always look to the gallery and museum as a first point of call to experience the culture of our place, and our place in the world. Less mention of the tens of thousands of Auckland residents that simply use the gallery as a place of exploration, of stepping out of their days to deepen their sense of the continuum of human creativity.

Like Saint Exupéry’s Little Prince, we humans are a strange species: 'A beautiful child is born and we ask how much does it weigh?'

I am deeply concerned, as should you be, that this council, in its desperate quest for savings, will find our arts and art institutions an easy target. Trouble ahead! I'm equally confident that our local boards value, and will fight to sustain, arts and culture in our hood. And equally aware that they will be under fiscal pressure.

To quote another favourite author, Annie Dillard: What can any artist set on fire but her world? What can she light but the short string of her gut?

This is the power and frightening beauty of the arts in all its forms. Because artists risk all and expose the 'burning gut' of their creativity, we have the chance to grasp that fire and know it. My sister shared a recent experience. Christchurch, where she lives, has had a renaissance in the arts since the earthquakes. One expression of this has been massively reduced ticket prices to classical and popular concerts. In December she attended a performance of Messiah, the first since prior to the Covid pandemic. Conductor, orchestra, choir and soloists in a transcendently beautiful performance; each and every one of them calling on 'that fire'. As it reached its climax she describes looking around through her tears and 'not seeing a dry eye'. How do you put a number on that? The power of art to bring a concert hall of individuals into one body of emotion – the beautiful intimacy of strangers.

In almost every exhibition I see that willingness of artists to expose their inner core of belief, experience, vision –and the talent it requires to bring that into tangible life. I see so many of them willing and prepared to share that at a community level; giving ordinary folks a taste of how expressing themselves creatively can give richness to their

lives; a sense of identity; a storehouse of the past; a gifting of connection. If you take a step further, where the arts intersect with at-risk groups, and see the power of healing, particularly in young lives, then you can really talk of it in economic terms. When creativity frees someone from a life of dysfunction, the downstream savings in health and social costs become measurable in real terms. (Not in my skill set but someone out there can!)

So what must we do? Because engagement is crucial.

You may turn away and say it's all too hard; too busy; greater priorities. That's fine; consider what we now know: that it takes one generation to lose a language but three generations to regain it. So it is with lost arts funding. So you may find down the track that your child, or grandchild, can't do a particular art class; that a festival is cancelled; that small but precious community arts programmes quietly slip away. At a regional level I have no idea what funding cuts to the Auckland Art Gallery might mean. But what I do know is that when cities start to starve cultural institutions and established cultural festivals they start to spiral downwards. I haven't specifically mentioned our main local arts institutions, Te Uru and Corban Estate Arts Centre, but ditto.

The work I invite you to do is to read the Council budget when it goes out for consultation in March, and to make submissions supporting our arts and cultural infrastructure. Talk to our local board members. They are the ones with a real understanding of our place; they are on our side, albeit with some hard decisions to make. There may be public meetings. Go and have your say. It matters; you matter.

Then there's the art of giving. As a country we are not flush with arts benefactors. It is not part of our culture of measurable success as it is in the USA. Of course there are notable exceptions, most of them 'older adults' to put it mildly. I don't see much evidence of younger, successful businesses giving in an arts context. Again, one exception would be Ockham who are major supporters of the book awards, but also have an interesting tier of other cultural involvement. Where are the others?

Not everyone suffers when interest rates rise. Those with capital are on the benefit side of the equation, and could consider that supporting the arts also supports small businesses in their community which depend on events and exhibitions for revenue. 'Small giving' can be a vital lifeline if enough people participate. To my knowledge Te Uru, Going West Festival, Te Pou Theatre, Corban Estate Arts Centre and McCahon House all have donate buttons on their websites. The planned new Shadbolt House writers residency will also rely on community engagement at all levels.

Your small donation, and spreading the word to your circle of influence, could begin to make a difference. Likewise, contributing to online arts projects through Boosted or Givealittle can make specific projects fly.

Of course all our institutions will continue the rush on the funding bodies; CreativeNZ, Foundation North, The Trusts Community Foundation, Lotteries and a raft of smaller funding trusts; but it is an onslaught. Too much need and never enough to go round. There has been some media coverage of CNZ and some controversial decisions made by them. Hard to know, but what is clear is that the largesse of the government during Covid to support the arts has dried up and we're back to business as usual.

So, give! Of your time, of your resources; of your caring. Believe me, it matters.

Hemo is Home

So, to some good news. Te Pou Theatre on the Corban Estate is close to completion. To build inside an existing structure was always going to be a challenge. That the Te

Pou team have succeeded and built a beautiful whare for Māori -led theatre is nothing short of miraculous.

Their first production to première at the theatre is Hemo is Home written by Tainui Tukiwaho and his tamariki (left) during the long days of Covid lockdown.

Already award-winning and in line for further accolades, it welcomes you to Hemo’s weird and wonderful world with his quirky ghost whānau who raise him in the urupā, a mauri munching patupaiarehe, the spice girls and a mysterious ghost pig.

Knowing Tainui, I can confidently say that this play will be warm-hearted, richly layered, funny, probably a bit naughty and provocative, and full of aroha. The cast of 10 players stars some well-known actors whose faces you will recognise, but the lead role of Hemo is lightly worn by Tainui's son Te Rongopai Curreen-Tukiwaho (lower left), who was part of the lockdown whānau writing team. What a start to the Te Pou programme for 2023.

Hemo is Home will play at Te Pou Theatre from March 3 – 12. The Te Pou website is one of the clearest and most easily traversed ones I know. It will give you all the details on booking tickets, the where and how of getting there and more description of the show.

Don't miss this. It's a landmark event.

Places to go – Things to do

Out and About in the West

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.

February

w – 5, Interference, a solo exhibition by Titirangi-based artist Marcus Capes; The Upstairs Gallery, First Floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.

w – 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 – 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.

w – March 12, Screensaver, jeweller Moniek Schrijer presents an exhibition influenced by the ecology of the McCahon House garden, local climate, lunar events, and the distinctive light at this historic residency; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – 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 – May 2023, Still life, new works produced during Ayesha Green's residency at Parehuia-McCahon House. They mark a shift into still-life painting and the negotiation of the conventions of this historic genre; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – July 2, Cellular memories and planetary designs three works by Elizabeth Thomson who has devoted much of her career to exploring both the order and randomness she finds in the physical world, and in the fabric of human life and thought; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w 4, Fifth annual World Wetland Open Day with stalls, nature activities and info, fun and food, walks and talks, bugs and birds, eel feeding and more; Matuku Link, 111 Bethells Road, Te Henga; 10am-3pm. https://matukulink. org.nz/

w 5, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.

w 10, 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 10, 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 10 – March 5, Exist Truthfully – Tu Pono, works by Joanne Barrett intended to stimulate a higher level of consciousness around nature’s rhythms; The Upstairs Gallery, First Floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.

w 11, 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 11, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents ..., 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 and following Mondays, Acting classes for children and adults with tutor John Goudge; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Contact John to enrol, goudgedrama@gmail.com or visit www. titirangitheatre.co.nz/acting-classes.

w 14, 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 15, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatu South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361. w 16, Waitākere Forest and Bird presents How can you use carbon footprinting to combat climate emergency?, a talk by Adam Weller (sustainability manager of a large company and a board member of Sustainable Business Network); Ranui Community Centre, 474 Swanson Rd, Ranui; 7.30 pm. Phone Liz 027 476 2732 or email lizanstey@hotmail.com.

w 17, Flicks presents We are still here (M), 82 minutes. An Australia/ New Zealand new release, a unique indigenous film that interweaves eight powerful tales to tell a sweeping story of hope and survival; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10.30am, 6pm and 8.15pm; $15/$12/$10 from eventfinda and on door. Text Bookings to 0210 222 5558.

w 17 – April 8, Kei whea te Aute, Arapeta pays tribute to knowledge holders and reciters of the acclaimed Mooteatea (Māori lament or chant) by continuing their legacy in exhibition form; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455.

w 20, 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 21, 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 23, Flicks/Upstairs Gallery presents and Artbeats film: Hitler v Picasso (M), 90 minutes; Seminar Room, first floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; reception drinks and nibbles 6.30pm. film starts at 7pm; Tickets $20 inclusive from the Upstairs Gallery or Text bookings to 0210 222 5558.

Places to go – Things to do

w 24, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club: company and fellowship, interesting speakers, and monthly outings; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857.

w 24, Flicks presents Last film show (M), 110 minutes, a heart-warming drama from India about the power and pull of cinema; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10.30am, 6pm and 8.15pm; $15/$12/$10 from eventfinda and on door. Text Bookings to 0210 222 5558.

w 24, 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. Vaccination Pass and mask required.

w 25, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ) with funding from Whau Local Board, New Lynn Community Centre, Totara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am - 2pm; Koha. Enquiries to shi@doughnuteconomicsnz.com.

w 26, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Titirangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.

w 28, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 60-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact Jan George, 027 478 4119 or jan@jangeorge.co.nz. www.u3a. nz.

l WHERE IT’S AT:

• Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz.

• EcoMatters Environment Trust, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn; Wednesday – Sunday, 10am-2pm. 826 4276, info@ecomatters. org.nz.

• Flicks cinema, Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House. 818 2489, www.flickscinema.weebly.com.

• McCahon House Museum, 67 Otitori Bay Road, Titirangi; Wednesday – Sunday, 1-4pm, except public holidays. 817 6148, mccahon@mccahonhouse.org.nz.

• Playhouse Theatre, 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden. 818 5751.

• Te Toi Uku – Clay Works, 8 Ambrico Place, New Lynn; Wednesday – Friday, 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-3pm. Phone 827 7349, www.portageceramicstrust.org.nz.

• Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, 420 Tītīrangi Road, Tītīrangi; Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-4.30pm. 817 8087, info@ teuru.org.nz.

• Tītīrangi Theatre, Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House; Tītīrangi. 817 5812, infoline 817 5951, www.titirangitheatre.co.nz.

• Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-4pm, 817 4278, www.upstairs.org.nz.

• West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thursday/Friday, 10am-2pm; Saturday/Sunday, 10am-4pm. 812 8029, www. westcoastgallery.co.nz.

March

w March 3, Flicks presents Corsage (M), 112 minutes. Faced with a future of strict ceremonies and royal duties, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Vicky Krieps) rebels against her public image; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10-30am, 6pm and 8.15pm; $15/$12/$10 from eventfinda and on door. Text Bookings to 0210 222 5558.

March 3 – 12, Te Pou theatre presents Hemo is Home by Tainui Tukiwaho (see page 11). https://www.tepoutheatre.nz/ w March 5, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.

w March 10, 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.

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, visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace

Free summer events ...

With the return of Auckland Council’s Music in Parks for its 45th season, there is a free concert to enjoy in a local park every weekend over the warmer months.

With over 60 artists on stage this year, there is a concert for everyone. Alternatively, why not take the whānau for a great evening under the stars with Auckland Council’s family-friendly Movies in Parks.

With pre-show entertainment to delight and wow, and on-site food trucks available, there is plenty of opportunity to come together before the sun sets and the stars come out to shine.

Mid-March will see Henderson’s Te Pai Park host bands that will have you grooving and dancing. Indie soul band Fin Rah Zel, who’s single Negativity, no more broke into the New Zealand top 20 music chart, will be performing, as will nine-piece funk band Big Tasty.

For movie fans, there is family favourite Finding Nemo at Monte Cecilia Park in Hillsborough on Friday 17 February, and Moana Reo Māori (with English captions) at Coyle Park in Point Chevalier on Friday 3 March. The Movies in Parks 2023 season finishes with 2022’s child favourite DC League of Super-Pets at Henderson Park in Henderson.

For more information, head to the Music in Parks or Movies in Parks websites and plan your free and fun entertainment all summer long.

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Places to go – Things to do

At the Libraries

Tītīrangi Library

Dragon making – Tuesday, February 7, 3:30-4:30pm.

Chinese dragons are symbols of power and good luck. Celebrate the Lunar New Year and make your own dragon puppet.

Rainbow jar night light making – Wednesday, February 22, 3:30-4:30pm.

Bring your own jar or use one of the library’s and upcycle it to a beautiful night light.

Plant-based living – Saturday, February 25, 11-12.30pm.

Hear about how removing animal products from our diet makes positive change for animals, the planet and our health. This talk is for everyone, whether your diet is already enriched with plant foods or you’re just ‘veg curious’. Have a chat, ask questions and share some recipes and tips. Facilitated by Amanda Sorenson (Vegan Society) with guest speaker Josh Howell (ultra-athlete).

The library’s regular preschool and after school activities start after Waitangi Day (i.e. from Tuesday, February 7): Rhymetime (ages 18 months +): Wednesdays. 9.30-10am

Wriggle and Rhyme (ages 3 months – 2 years): Fridays, 9.30-10am

Ukulele for beginners: Mondays, 3.30-4pm

Lego Club: Wednesdays, 3.30-4.30pm

Minecraft Club: Thursdays, 3.30-4.30pm

Glen Eden Library

Wriggle and Rhyme: Wednesdays February 8 and 22, 11:00-11:30am. An interactive programme that promotes active movement and brain development for babies and toddlers aged 2 years and under.

Rhymetime: Thursdays February 9 and 23, 10:3011:00am. Music, songs, movement and finger rhymes for pre-schoolers and their caregivers. All whānau and families are welcome!

Lunar New Year Storytime : Thursday, February 9, 10:30-11:00am.

Suitable for under 5 years old.

Lego Club: Tuesdays, 3:305:00pm during school termtime.

Chinese dumpling making – Friday, February 3, 3:305:00pm. Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year by making some delicious dumplings. All are welcome (adults and children). Registration required: email gleneden.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to book your spot.

Blooming summer wreath craft – Friday, February 17, 3:30-5:00pm. Cool down in the library while making a bright peachy summer wreath. Suitable for ages 5+.

Shared reading group – Friday, February 17, 10am-11.30am. The library has partnered with The Reading Revolution to host a monthly shared reading group to discuss short stories and poetry, and to build connections between readers and great literature. Join librarian Surani for a relaxed reading experience with like-minded readers from the community, over coffee and biscuits.

Job Café – Every Tuesday from February 14, 12:30-2:30pm during school term-time. Whau ACE (Adult and Community Education) offer free support and advice in the library to help you get work. The drop-in sessions include: preparing a CV, career guidance, job search, online job applications, and cover letters. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided

Book Chat group – Wednesday, February 1. Everyone is welcome to share what they have been reading.

Queer Shorts – Wednesday, March 8, 6.30pm. To celebrate Pride Fest Out West, the library we’ll be showing a selection of LGBTQI+ short films from Aotearoa and around the world. Places are limited, and booking is required. To reserve your FREE ticket, visit Eventbrite.com and search for Glen Eden Library. Ages 18+.

Tītīrangi Theatre is holding a huge Wardrobe sale to make some space for the New Year! A huge variety of beautiful and quality garments, costumes and accessories will be on sale to the public at bargain prices on Saturday February 25, 10am-2pm.

There will be a little bit of everything for any occasion from 1920s to Halloween, from animal costumes to ethnic dress, men's attire, party dresses and children's dress up – almost anything you can think of.

If you're in need of a costume, an outfit, a gift or just something a little different head to the Treasure House, off South Tītīrangi Road, behind Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road, in the car park. Enquiries to Wardrobe Mistress Lynn Cottingham at 021 0503 028 or beverleylynn@icloud.com.

Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are

Places to go – Things to do

Harp Fest NZ 2023 Flicks cinema is still here!

Harp Fest NZ 2023 is to take place over Waitangi weekend. Local Anna Dunwoodie, and a group of fellow harpists, have combined to bring the wonderful and varied world of the harp to a wider audience.

With harpists coming from Singapore, USA, Canada, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Australia, and Argentina along with many local harpists, the concerts, workshops and presentations are sure to be interesting and entertaining.

This is the first gathering of this kind in Auckland and will feature a wide range of genres

There will be opportunities for the public to try a harp in 'The Harp Petting Zoo' and to meet the harp retailers in 'The Marketplace'. Young harpists can take part in the dedicated youth programme ‘The Forest of Harps’ with top international teachers offering workshops on topics such as ‘Rambling through Rhythms’, ‘Throw Away the Music and Let’s See what Happens’ or learning traditional dance tunes. Other workshops will cover practice strategies, the life and times of O’Carolan, harp therapy and pedal harp basics. There is something for every harp enthusiast.

Harp Fest NZ 2023, February 3-6, Dilworth Senior Campus, 2 Erin Street, Epsom Auckland. For more information, programmes and tickets visit www.harpfestnz.

What are ‘Other Expenses’?

A full-on year ahead and a top priority is how we (the Governing Body) set the final mix of cost cutting actions that will determine the 23/24 Budget content. Although the Draft Budget (Mayor’s Proposal) was adopted by the governing body without much fuss, I doubt the final decision will go as smoothly.

It’s obvious Council’s operating costs way exceed its income and we no longer have the convenience of Covid to blame for this. We are now citing the sudden and dramatic rise in interest rates as one of the new reasons for Council’s ongoing deficits. There always seems to be an external reason other than Council’s inefficient management.

The financial advantages promised from the ‘economy of scale’ of amalgamating Auckland’s legacy councils into one haven’t been delivered. What has been delivered is an increase in bureaucratic costs and a decrease in tangible services, all while selling assets, most inherited from the previous city councils.

I think this and the next couple of annual budgets are going to be pivotal to the long-term success, or not, of Auckland Super City.

When it comes to finding $300M in operational savings the white elephant in Auckland Council’s financial accounts is the $729M of outgoings headed simply ‘Other Operating Expenses’ ($1.9 BILLION for Council and the CCOs added together). Until this financial beast is sedated and

Tītīrangi's community cinema starts it's 2023 season with three brand new film releases.

A new release from Rialto, We are still here (February 17) is a joint Australian/New Zealand production that was chosen to open the Sydney Film Festival in 2022. This anthology combines eight strands, spanning animation, speculative futures and war, with captivating results. Last Film Show on the 24th is another new release, a heart-warming drama about Samay, a 9-year-old boy living with his family in a remote village in India who discovers films for the first time. This is India's Oscar entry for 2023. On March 3, Flicks is to present a preview screening of Corsage (releasing in New Zealand cinemas on March 16).

"The film distributors are so supportive of Flicks and it's great that they supply us with new releases," says co-ordinator Robin Kewell. "It's all down to the support we get. Some Fridays we have more people coming to our screenings that any major cinema in New Zealand."

A recent collaboration between Flicks and the Upstairs Gallery, a series of Artbeats feature documentaries, has also proved successful with full houses in December (Edvard Munch) and January (Frida Kahlo). Book now for the February film, Hitler versus Picasso. www.flickscinema.weebly.com.

thoroughly examined, and I am given a clear understanding of its contents, I won’t have the information I need to advise the best financial cost cutting decisions.

Requests for this $729M to be itemised have been rebuffed on the grounds that councillors would be engaging in a management role as governors, and this is improper.

Council’s funding for all Local Boards (around $350M) is almost all clawed back by head office, to cover the costs of Full Facilities Contracts (maintenance of parks, open spaces and buildings) in each of their areas. The net effect is that boards will face a double-digit reduction in the money they can allocate to community groups and partnerships.

I can’t defend cutting $350M of Local Board funding while a figure around double that (or over five times that for the whole council group) goes unexplained.

If councillors are not going to be told detail like how much is being spent on external consultants, maybe it’s time for some radical governance decisions. Maybe the 23/24 Budget should include a 12-month halt on procuring external consultancy services and we will see how much less spending that delivers in 12 months. (I agree, that’s a very blunt tool. It could be refined to a moratorium on just peer review services).

It’s time for clear understanding, uninhibited dialogue and real change.

Please get involved when you can have your say, I need to know what you think.

– Ken Turner, WestWards

Moonlight Sonata by Eileen Merriman

I read Moonlight Sonata over the Christmas/ New Year break, which is timely as the story takes place during an extended family get together “up north” to celebrate New Year at Nana’s house by the beach.

The basic synopsis is based around family dynamics (some dynamics a bit closer than others!). Molly and Joe are twins with two older brothers whose parents separated when Molly and Joe were quite young. The mother, Hazel, took Molly with her and the boys stayed with their alcoholic father. The family were separated for six years, until the parents reconciled and they all moved back together.

This is all in the past now, and the kids now have children of their own. They all get together, as they do just about every year, at Hazel’s (Nana’s) home. The story is woven around their relationships – illicit ones, fraying ones, maternal ones and consanguineous ones. (That can be your word for the day – it means related by blood)

This book could not be set anywhere else but New Zealand and the references to pōhutukawa trees, BBQs, swimming at the beach, card games, cricket on the lawn and feeding the hungry hoards of aunties, uncles, cousins et al, is so pleasantly familiar.

Ken Ring’s Weather by the Moon

February may see only half the average rain, with average sunshine. A heat wave may describe the first half of the month.

The first week may be driest with highest pressures, the second week may contain the hottest days of summer, the third week brings some relief with cloudy skies and lowest pressures, and the last week may be the wettest and coolest. The best weekend for outdoor activities may be the 4th/5th. During February, the barometer may average around 1016mbs.

For fishermen, the highest tides are around the 22nd. Best fishing bite-times in the West are around noon on the 5th-7th and 19th-22nd. Bite chances are also good for dusk of the 13th-15th and 26th-28th.

For gardeners, planting is best (waxing moon ascending) on the 3rd-4th and pruning is best on the 17th-18th (waning moon descending). For preserving and longer shelf-life, pick crops or flowers around the neap tide of the 15th.

Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. For future weather for any date, and to get the 2023 NZ Weather Almanac, visit www.predictweather.com. © Ken Ring 2023.

Part of the story revolves around Molly’s son Noah who is unhappy with their recent move to Australia. He loves being back home with his family and a close relationship develops between Noah and his cousin Lola, which they attempt to keep secret from the rest of the family.

As the narrative continues, you also get a sense of some strange goings on between Molly and her twin brother Joe. They have that sixth sense of knowing what each other is thinking that many twins have, but perhaps there is more to it here than that?

Tension builds between family members as long-hidden truths come to light, culminating in a shocking tragedy.

The book is well written and doesn’t require a lot of brain power – the perfect relaxing holiday read.

Eileen Merriman

Eileen Merriman’s first young adult novel, Pieces of You, was published in 2017, and was a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and a Storylines Notable Book. Since then, a stream of novels for adults and young adults have followed. Eileen was a finalist in the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel and Moonlight Sonata was long-listed for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction 2020. Editions of some of her young adult novels have been released in Germany, Turkey and the UK and three have been optioned for film or TV, including the Black Spiral trilogy.

Her other awards include runner-up in the 2018 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award and third in the same award for three consecutive years previously. She works as a consultant haematologist at North Shore Hospital. (Information courtesy of pengiun.co.nz)

– Rebecca Manners

Plastic products gone from Tītīrangi food outlets

It was back in 2017 that an environmentally-aware group of Laingholm and Tītīrangi women launched the Love Tītīrangi project. The initiative targeted the removal of single use plastic bags from Tītīrangi Village by providing reusable bags that shoppers could borrow and return.

The idea put Tītīrangi at the forefront of the anti-plastic movement which gained huge momentum the following year when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the national phasing out of single use plastic bags.

According to the Ministry for the Environment, every New Zealander sends nearly 60kg of plastic waste to landfills each year on average.

Plastic is one of our greatest environmental challenges, and in recognition of that fact, the government has announced a phased banning of hard to recycle products. The first step was taken late last year when it became illegal to provide, sell or manufacture a range of plastic products including the number 3 and 6 recycling codes – PVC, polystyrene and some degradable plastic products.

In mid 2023 plastic fruit labels, straws, produce bags, cutlery, bowls and plates will go, and by mid 2025 Government will outlaw all other PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging, and potentially plastic-lined coffee cups and wet wipes containing plastic.

These hard-to-recycle materials and products can cause contamination, harm our environment and contribute to climate change. Moving away from plastics will help reduce our waste, improve our recycling systems and protect our environment.

It seems that many Tītīrangi businesses have already made the switch.

Lucy at Tītīrangi Takeaways uses paper bags and boxes recycled from the liquor shop for bigger orders. Little Bite Me has wooden cutlery in dispensers on the tables, and Crafty Baker’s cups and lids are compostable. And all the dine in/takeaway outlets that make up Street Feast are using compostable cardboard boxes and containers. One vendor told me that their containers cost twice as much as before, but are now an expectation of the consumer.

Whether the customers are recycling their packaging correctly in the bins provided at the Street Feast entrance is another story.

This is not surprising as it is difficult to tell if a soiled box can be recycled. (Council says that pizza boxes are recyclable, as long as leftover food is removed.)

The Love Tītīrangi folk also introduced a cupcycling initiative with the production of the Love Tītīrangi reusable cup in a mission to reduce the number of disposable cups going into landfill.

Perhaps it’s time to revive this concept by using our own cup or container at our favourite café. It’s another small step towards a more sustainable future.

Food scraps collection starting

Delivery of food scraps collection bins will commence this month with a weekly collection starting in April or May.

The food scraps collection was trialled in South Auckland and the North Shore and Council estimates that the service will divert 40,000 tonnes of waste per year. It is a simple way for households to reduce waste going to landfill and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

For those who are already composting, it will be a solution for waste like bone, meat, citrus, grains and bread which are avoided in worm bins or regular composting.

The weekly collection service will be included in your property rates bill and no bin tags are required.

You can put all types of kitchen scraps in the bins including bones and egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, cut flowers and paper towels and tissues, as well as compostable bin liners. To avoid smells, you might want to freeze your meat and bones waste until rubbish day. Garden waste will not be accepted.

AUCKLAND COUNCIL RUBBISH COLLECTIONS

We provide quality, value services for our customers. We’ve worked hard to keep the prices down, but due to the Government’s increase to the Waste Levy, from Monday 30 January, we will be introducing part two of the price increase for our rubbish bags and rubbish bin tags.

New prices are set out below:

Product

New RRP*

80-litre bin tag $ 3.20

120/140-litre bin tag $ 4.80

240-litre bin tag $ 6.90

40L rubbish bag - single $ 1.90

60L rubbish bag - single $ 2.70

60L rubbish bag - 5 pack $ 13.50

*New RRP in place 30 January 2023

Customers who use the Pay-As-You-Throw service do not pay rates for rubbish. Bin tags are the only way they pay for the service.

Thank you for your help minimising waste to landfill.

Visit makethemostofwaste.co.nz for more information.

BirdCare Aotearoa and Matuku Link team up

The pest control work undertaken at Matuku Link in Bethells/Te Henga through trapping and baiting is pretty effective, according to trustee John Sumich. As a result, the birds that live there have a better chance of living and breeding successfully than at most other bush sites.

When BirdCare Aotearoa was looking for a safe site to release some of the birds that they had rehabilitated at their Green Bay hospital, Matuku Link was an obvious choice, particularly as several volunteers and advisers are connected to both organisations.

Ducks frequently become ill when the water they live in and around becomes infected with the organism that causes botulism, a grim condition, where the bird's various muscles become gradually paralysed. When the neck muscles are affected, the birds cannot hold their head above water and drown.

Rehabilitation of surviving birds involves supportive care, fluids and rest.

Grey duck, grey teal and shoveler ducks have all been released at Matuku Link following treatment at BirdCare.

The banded rail is a less common species to be released. Domestic cats had brought three very young banded rail chicks to their owners’ homes. These had been taken to BirdCare Aotearoa and after many weeks of care, starting with hourly feeds and an incubator environment, the birds gradually adjusted to life in an aviary and began to thrive before being released at Matuku Link.

The Department of Conservation generally has a policy of returning rehabilitated native birds to their site of origin, but in this case, the threats of cats meant that a pest controlled haven was sought. Another uncommon bird released was an Australasian Coot.

The wetland and ponds at Matuku Link and beyond in the Te Henga wetland provide excellent habitat, but the size of the site means that the fate of the released birds cannot be determined, so the team at Matuku can only hope that their second shot at life was successful.

Lynn Miller, General Manager of BirdCare Aotearoa is grateful for the reciprocal arrangement that has developed with Matuku Link. “Wildlife rehabilitation is not only about treating and caring for injured, orphaned or ill wildlife, it is also about releasing them to continue their lives as safely as possible. New Zealand's mammalian predators make this a huge and often impossible challenge for many of our vulnerable birds so collaborating with organisations such as Matuku Link is a critical part of our mission. Predator controlled spaces provide a safe haven as our avian patients integrate back into the wild and are therefore an essential part of the wildlife rehabilitation process.”

PERMANENT WEED BINS

PIHA DOMAIN Seaview

HUIA DOMAIN Huia Rd

Releasing a rehabilitated duck into a waterway at Matuku Link.

Our place

Free community weed bins are back for March

196,000kg. That’s the amount of weeds West Aucklanders helped collect last year. Can it be more this year?

War on Weeds is back for March giving locals a way to dispose of invasive weeds for free, thanks to support from the Waitākere Ranges and Henderson-Massey Local Boards, and Auckland Council.

From March 1 – 31, funded weed bins will be delivered to 15 locations across West Auckland, providing a free service for the community to get rid of weeds from their backyards.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to control the spread of weeds into our beautiful West Coast bush. We’re thrilled to see it back and look forward to engaging with our community,” says Mel Ward from EcoMatters Environment Trust, who manages the bins.

Invasive weeds accepted at the bins include blue morning glory, climbing asparagus, Japanese honeysuckle, jasmine, moth plant, wild ginger, woolly nightshade and more. They all have a serious ecological impact when they invade the

Waitākere Ranges, and our parks and reserves.

“When it comes to weeding, remember the rule of thumb: one year’s seeding, seven years’ weeding. March is a golden time to get rid of weeds in the backyard when they start to seed, and handling them in time will save a lot of nuisance in the upcoming years,” says Mel.

This year’s War on Weeds comes in tandem with the Pest Plant Roadshow, a series of popup events offering free advice on tackling weeds.

“If you want to know more about weeding–how to bin the weeds you collected, which parts of the weeds can go into the compost bin, which can’t and more, come over and chat with our EcoMatters Nature Team. We’ll be more than happy to help you identify invasive plants and answer any questions you may have," says Mel.

The Pest Plant Roadshow is supported by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and Auckland Council.

More information can be found at ecomatters.org.nz/waron-weeds

Rangatahi celebrated at the Whau Youth Awards

Sixteen remarkable rangatahi (young people) from the Whau were recognised for their mahi (work) at the 2022 Whau Youth Awards.

The annual awards, funded by Whau Local Board, honour rangatahi who live, work, play, and study in the Whau – Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay, New Windsor, New Lynn, Avondale, and Kelston.

Their talents and positive community impact were recognised through categories from innovation to sports at the celebration held at Browne Street Café in Avondale.

“We support our rangatahi because we want to empower them to represent young people’s voices,” says Whau Local Board chairperson Kay Thomas. The local board supports the Whau Youth Board. “They are the future and listening to them is vital to building a city we can be proud of.”

The Whau Youth Board is a collective of young individuals who are passionate to see positive changes in the Whau, while simultaneously advocating for rangatahi voices.

Above right: Isha Takyar, co-chair of the Whau Youth Board.

Below: Whau Youth Award winners.

Blue morning glory might be pretty but it is devastating for our native bush. Photo by Piccolo Namek.

There’s still wilderness to enjoy

Twas the night before Christmas, and a little leg-weary but elated, I put the sands behind me as I reach the car park and the end of my adventure.

I had hardly seen a soul on my tramp from Karekare to Whatipū, camping on the way at the Pararaha Valley.

This is a section of the Hillary Trail largely unaffected by kauri dieback because it is mainly a beach walk. It is very doable for almost anybody in a day, two days, or half a day depending on your fitness (although don’t under-estimate how tired you get walking on softish sand).

I start from McCreadies Paddock campsite just along the road from Karekare beach. Over-laden with tent, sleeping bag, gas cooker, food and water, a local in a ute stops to check on me. Where am I going, and would I like him to fetch some water from his house? The generosity of strangers is a given in a place like Karekare. I assure him I have enough water. It’s heavy in my pack but there is no drinking water till I reach Pararaha. He comments that workers had been upgrading the Zion Ridge and Buck Taylor tracks for some months. These tracks are the alternative way into the Pararaha Valley, closed as part of kauri dieback improvements, but close to completion.

Past the car park, over the road bridge, and I’m strolling through Pōhutukawa Glade, and out onto the beach. The glade is a lovely picnic spot out of the heat for some other day.

I head south down the black sand. It stretches uninterrupted to Whatipū, where it meets the Manukau Harbour. The sky, sea, bush, rock and sand contrast vividly in the sun.

Far off by the Whatipū Scientific Research Area sign buried in the sand, a fisherman from Henderson returns. No catch today, but he lists a fine variety of fish he normally lands when surf-casting.

I’m on the Karekare Beach Walk, with barely two hours to the valley, but I see no sign of a designated track here. I manage to miss the trail veering toward the cliffs, that would have taken me through an old tram tunnel and past Tunnel Point camp site. No matter.

I must turn inland to find the valley hidden amongst the rocky peaks. I spy an unofficial marker; a bamboo pole with a tatty piece of ribbon flying. Investigating, I see another marker, guiding me between the dunes to the Pararaha Valley Track.

Small flowers and birds feature in the grasses and shrubs as I approach the valley. On my former visits a giant sand dune stood here, but erosion has made it a small remnant of its former self.

I head on to board walks crossing the wetlands. Reeds and water birds abound here. A long, beautifully curving footbridge takes you into the valley. Surrounded by rock faces and peaks, there is a ‘Jurassic Park’ feel. The mountain known as Baldy looms above, and I know I’m near the camp.

It’s a modest camp site – a small shelter, information board, rainwater tank, and two badly positioned composting toilets spoiling the view down the valley. There are few good tenting sites here, especially with one area being un-mown (at time of my visit). I pick a lower site near the stream, but keep an eye on the weather. Signs warn of flash-flooding here.

I turn my attention to eating and organising my camp, making coffee and dipping my swollen feet in the stream.

Sounds of summer’s first cicadas mix with the chuckle of the water. Nīkau trees along the banks make it feel tropical. Kererū swoop down in looping flight paths, launching from trees clinging to the cliffs above. At ground level the dragonfly is boss, checking me out before continuing to hunt.

At sunset on the over-bridge I listen to the wetlands. You’ll hear birds here you won’t encounter on bush tracks, such as bitterns and fernbirds. Baldy is lit with an amber glow. I’m in the wilderness in complete solitude, just a few hours from home. It’s magic. It is hard to imagine this place as a bustling timber mill community in the 1870s.

After breakfast I take an unkept and un-signposted pathway upstream to a swimming hole. The path runs out at a sign saying ‘only experienced trampers’ should continue.

The stream unfortunately has some ‘snot weed’, but the swimming hole is clear and cool.

Returning back to camp I have a choice: take the Muir and Gibbons Tracks up and over the hill, or go back to the beach. I’m keen to see the recent upgrades to the track, but I know it’s steep on the first section. I opt for the beach route. This means retracing my steps for a bit, but I am not fooled into cutting across the dunes.

Tip: This place is swampy, with holes and rivulets and possibly even quicksand, as I have found out from previous experience. Take the marked tracks.

Soon enough I reach the open sand and turn south. I walk for two hours without seeing another person – my boots not ideal for sand travel, sinking in, tiring my legs. It’s an epic landscape of green and grey, with white-bleached driftwood raising skeletal limbs in the dunes.

Another marker indicates where to cut in to find the Whatipū Caves camp site and the track out, but I plod ahead, eventually rounding the great sandy curve of the head, the promontory of Paratutae coming into the view.

The grandeur of the hills is reflected in the waters of Whatipū stream as it meanders to join the Manukau Harbour. It’s my last obstacle, but after crossing I’m not done yet. There’s a surprisingly long walk on the Whatipū Beach Track

to the car park, where I’m joined by other hikers descending the ridge coming west on the Hilary Trail.

The water in my boots from crossing the streams has given me blisters, and I’m keen to get them off.

But my spirits are undampened. It’s Christmas eve, and I’m grateful for the gift of the beautiful playground that is the West Coast.

Among Kauri

Among kauri I come to the hallowed ground of burned-red clayhear the giants growing breath of scented air of seasoned sap and summer resin from their arms warblers’ greetings: alphas, omegas beginnings, endings

Among kauri I stop where there’s nothing but the song of tui and a full moon rising over still water

– Ron Riddell

‘Secrets separate people’

Well, a jolly big ‘ol happy new year folks.

Wow, 2023! That’s twenty-four years longer than that light-hearted French apothecaryist [drug manufacturer] Nostradamus gave us. Whew. Or heaps longer than Innocent III thought. That part-time ventriloquist, full-time Pope, predicted that the world would end 666 years after the rise of Islam in 618. September if memory serves.

Then there was the famously bow-legged bloke Joachimites prediction of 1260. Some may recall, when this year came and went, he rescheduled the end of the world to 1290 before finally settling on 1335. Close friend, Jean de Roquetaillade was about to publicly agree with his mate at an all-comers bash to be held in the brand spanking new Gothic Hall. Dressed in his finest robes and sporting the very, very tall headdress so popular in the 14th century, he took a short cut across the fields to the hall but failed to duck under the recently invented ‘vertical windmill’. Many now believe that the gathering of his wide-spread body parts from across the paddocks by the medieval peasants was the very beginning of the now common agricultural practice known as the threefield crop rotation system.

With these thoughts in mind, and others about savoury scones and kite flying, I decided to take a stroll to Kakamatua.

My old dog and best mate Plumless barely lifted his head off the warm verandah when I started up Whitevan, so I went alone.

When I got there, I felt a bit ridiculous, in a way. Walking along the beach without a dog. Everyone had a dog. Some had several. It’s the same feeling I get when, in the height of summer, still fully dressed and stinking hot, Westie proud, I watch the Māori kids laughing and doing bombs off the bridge into the cool refreshing river. Leather jackets aren’t always cool.

I sat down on the sand and looked across at ... is that Clarks Beach? A dog that I’m sure the owner calls a lab cross but it’s really a pitbull trotted up to me and dropped a large stick at my feet.

"He’s friendly,” said a middle-aged woman. I have met many brown mix-breed dogs in my time and all have been quite nice dogs so I wasn’t bothered. I threw the stick. The lady untucked her dress from her knickers and sat down beside me.

“I’m Lyn Dotterel,” she said, holding out a tattooed hand. Flowers I think. I shook her hand.

"Gidday. Lizard.”

She asked if my dog had run off. Instead of saying that I was alone I accidentally said, “I'm lonely.”

“Ah, loneliness. It's good practice for eternity,” she said with a wink. “But to be free is often to be lonely."

Her dog dropped the stick at my feet again. Again I threw the stick. We then began to walk along the beach. The conversation took no effort at all. Turns out that Lyn Dotterel may be one of the kindest, smartest people I’ve had the good

fortune to run into.

“I collect ugly things,” she said. “Like this silly watch I wear. It doesn’t even tell the time. Ugly things are the bravest don’t you agree?” I did agree. I found I agreed with a lot of things Lyn Dotterel said.

After several hours we made our way back at the car park. “Let’s do this again Lizard. I come here most days. It was nice to have a male’s company. Remember Lizard. Secrets separate people.”

As we said goodbye I said that was the most walking I’ve done in ages. That I’m beginning to feel my age. Lyn Dotterel, (love that name, it so suits her) said, “Aging is a process of exchanging hope for insight.” And with a wave and a toot she was gone.

Time to get Plumless off the verandah I thought. Have a good one guys. Enjoy meeting each other. Later, Lizard.

The end of the rainbow. Looking west from the end of Cornwallis Road. Photo by Delwyn.