Lizard News July 2023

L i z a r d Ne ws

L i z a r d Ne ws

FREE LOCAL NEWS... IN THE COMMUNITY

FREE LOCAL NEWS... IN THE COMMUNITY

Katikati College’s sold out school show

By Angela Macdonald

Last month saw lots of excitement at Katikati College, which flowed out into the wider community with the production of Moana Jr With three sold out performances over consecutive nights, our community was treated to a fantastic show – the first whole school production in 20 years

Special guests were invited to the final dress rehearsal on Tuesday Residents from local rest homes, elderly community groups, preschoolers from local day care centres and primary school children made up the audience

“I am incredibly proud of our students and staff; the collaboration and the camaraderie that has developed over the rehearsal period has been so wonderful to see

Staff and students put together an amazing show which was enjoyed by over 750 members of our community”, said Mrs Buckley, Tumuaki/Principal Moana Jr reflected the diverse community and was fantastic for getting as many students on stage as possible with over 100 students involved “The students put in an immense amount of work, and all teachers within the school have contributed to the show’s success in some way ” , said Kylie Backhouse-Smith, Director Watch this space for our 2025 production

PHOTOS: Supplied

What’s happened to Barry?

By Fiona Powell

Katikati locals were surprised and shocked to discover their town icon Barry and his bench seat had vanished into thin air on the morning of

Monday 26th July, leaving behind a bereft Jack, his doggie companion Katikati Open Air Art, stewards of Katikati’s murals and sculptures, posted the disappearance on their Facebook page and invited the community’s input via an artwork competition into what could have possibly happened to Barry Locals suggested he had become tired of sitting in the rain and had escaped to the sunny islands, or had got stuck in traffic Others conjected that he’d been stolen and held for ransom Meanwhile, Katikati Open Air Art remains unfazed

and urges the community to get creative and create a ‘What’s Happened To Barry’ scenario in any art medium – a drawing, photo, poem, sculpture for example

Send a photo of your entry to info@KatikatiOpenAirArt co nz or drop it in to The Arts Junction, Katikati by 5pm on Sunday 9th July

Entries will appear on KatikatiOpenAirArt’s Facebook Page for public voting between 10th and 16th July, with the three most popular public votes receiving an iconic Barry T-Shirt

Katikati outfall leak

There’s been a leak of treated wastewater in Katikati’s outfall sewer pipe The District Council plant on Prospect Drive discharges across Tauranga Harbour to off Matakana Island.

Council has notified Iwi, Regional Council and Toi Te Ora Public Health, and will work with contractors

to find the leak using dye and drones at the first daylight low tide on Tuesday 27th June

Treated wastewater has already been through an ultraviolet light treatment process, but locals shouldn’t swim or consume shellfish until the leak is fixed

Has Barry been abducted by aliens?

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Letters to the Editor

Family tree

I wonder if you can help through your newspaper. I am trying to trace the family of Edwin and Doris Sadie Jackson, who lived in Ōmokoroa Doris passed away in April 1992, as far as I know They had three children Averil, Wendy, and Peter I think there may be grandchildren, Bernadette and Charlotte Any help you can give will be great Doris is my father’s sister, so my auntie I look forward to hearing from you

Gordon Johnston

Correction

Last month we received an article with an incorrect webpage address for an artist whose work has been displayed at The Old Library, Ōmokoroa The correct site is instagram com/hendo dave

Fire Report

By Ian Blunt Chief Fire Officer

Our team of Ōmokoroa Volunteer

First Responders have had an average month, callout wise, responding 14 times to the 23rd June

Three minor motor vehicle crashes resulted in minor injuries while a double call on the 17th June had a team at a patient in Pip Way, the team of firefighters attending a patient at Greystone Place

The other callouts were patients suffering from chest pain, breathing problems and a call to a patient with a dislocated hip

Ōmokoroa Volunteer Firefighters responded 11 times to the 23rd June

Three motor vehicle crashes were minor with no serious injuries and the call to a patient who had fallen and dislocated her hip on a life style block, resulted in firefighters using the rescue basket to bring the patient safely up the hill and 700 metres to the ambulance Calls to privately monitored fire alarms were precautionary with no fire detected With all this stormy weather affecting us at present, please take extra care when driving on our roads

Cycleway is TTC not NZTA project

By Matthew Farrell

Last month we published a frontpage news story about traffic delays on State Highway 2, which appear to have been predominantly caused by resealing works We are satisfied this article was accurate, fair, and balanced with NZTA commentary

Waka Kotahi NZTA has complained to us about a separate article by Scott Simpson MP in which he incorrectly attributed delays to “NZTA’s cycleway” project

Requesting an opportunity to respond with a right of reply, an NZTA spokesperson says, “the Wairoa Cycleway project is a Tauranga City Council project - not a Waka Kotahi project. The Waka Kotahi resealing works are 100% complete at this site ”

While TCC cycleway kerb and channel works caused some initial onroad delays, Lizard News is satisfied that the majority of traffic delays were caused by NZTA’s maintenance being scheduled for a wellknown choke point during the daytime,

school term time and the kiwifruit harvest season - the busiest traffic flow annually

We apologise for Mr Simpson’s opinion piece incorrectly identifying the main reason for the delays, and we are comfortable asserting that the cycleway - a City Council project - was less of a traffic problem than the management of the highway resealing on an active corridor

The Agency’s BoP System Manager, Roger Brady, says in spite of the challenges presented by wet weather, NZTA has completed 83% of the region’s maintenance programme and has deferred the remaining 17% for the upcoming year

This includes 43.4 lane kilometres of chip seal, 2 4km of asphalt, 2km of rehabilitation, and 1 8km of safety-related, skid-resistant sealing in the Western BoP

We accept that NZTA and their contractors have been working hard in challenging circumstances, and we are happy to clarify the situation as we understand it

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Toll prices increasing

Most toll revenue is spent on repaying the money borrowed to construct the toll roads A portion of toll revenue also goes towards operating costs and GST Waka Kotahi has kept toll increases below the average CPI since the last increase in 2019, but adjustments are needed from 1st July to ensure toll revenues continue to enable the timely repayment of debt

If you have any questions, please visit the website at nzta govt nz/tollroads

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From commuters to community

By Matthew Farrell

There may not quite be a duck pond or the sound of willow on leather, but Ōmokoroa locals can start looking forward to spending time together at The Village Green

That’s the name of the new gastropub, which could be open by mid-September at The Village development on the corner of Tralee Street and Hamurana Road

The local business community was invited by Foster Develop to visit the site between Fresh Choice and the Ōmokoroa Community Church for a preview walkthrough on Wednesday 21st June Director Rhys Harvey says the day was about getting the community together to share an update

“We are proud of our great progress here so far, and we aim to be completed by mid-August Then tenants will fit out to be trading, perhaps in September

“Thanks for all of the community input and to agents Rachel and Ivy for working with tenants We are also selling units if anyone is looking for a local investment

“Thanks also to Rise Artisan Bakery for today’s lunch

They already operate in Pāpāmoa, and they’re opening here, too,” says Rhys Only four of the original 22 leases remain available, suitable for small office suites or medical space

Project manager Andrew Vincent says the largest building, Building C, is on two levels with an under-

ground car park and internal lift access

“The roof is all on We’ve been wrapping the rear of the building, and the joinery has been going in We’re thrilled to have some great businesses moving in upon completion On the ground floor, we will have a gym, a hairdresser, and a lawyer Upstairs will be a mixture of smaller suites providing professional services and office space for local businesses,” says Andrew

It’s a prime location with modern facilities The thriving business environment will include Ōmokoroa Artisan Bakery, Boutique Liquor Ōmokoroa, Lolo Authentic Turkish Kitchen, Coffee Club, a laundrette, Majesty Nail & Beauty, Mind Your Movement Pilates, Studio May Hair-

dressers, Kaimai Law, Bay Skin Cancer Clinic, Ōmokoroa Property Management, Ōmokoroa Accounting, Your Real Estate, Ōmokoroa Pet Vets, an as-yet surprise restaurant, and The Village Green Pub

Your landlords will be husband Callum Armstrong and wife Ashley White-Armstrong

Callum works for Classic Builders in Ōmokoroa and Katikati as Western Bay Regional Manager Ashley works as a personal carer Both will continue their employment while also taking on the running of the pub

“I want to build the hype It is something for people to look forward to; a community-type business I’m honestly really excited about it I’m Katikati born and bred Bringing a pub that is sorely missed and desperately needed, being part of this Fosters Village project, it’s special to be able to provide that I want to get to know my community even better over a drink or pizza or steak,” says Callum

“Ash has been taking leaps of faith with me for 12 years, but we are going into this with our eyes wide open We’ve done the numbers We are part of the community, we are already invested here, and now we are investing even more We were one hundred per cent keen when the opportunity came along

“Ōmokoroa is a special community, it is so inter-connected I have never known a place like it Now locals can come together and meet here - and spend their time and love and patronage together with us ”

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Walking through the building site past the pub

Locals were introduced to Building C PHOTOS: Matthew Farrell

Catching up over lunch provided by the incoming artisan bakery

There has been great construction progress despite record rainfall

Rat runners told to turn back

By Matthew Farrell

Te Puna identity Tommy Wilson has been humming a song recently, ‘Take The Long Way Home’, which seems appropriate as he sits in traffic in Te Puna The columnist, author, social work shepherd, and self-professed dreamer has a new dream lately, that State Highway 2 commuters might start behaving more morally and less selfishly

“When we take shortcuts in life, at home, in the community - someone else pays The rat runners on the back roads save 25 minutes of their own personal time, but they are invoicing the whole community of Te Puna Residents are paying time for the shortcuts taken by the rat runners, ” says Tommy

He’s had some signs professionally made in the blue and black rugby colours and has erected them strategically around local roads

By Sarah Rice

It’s been a busy few months for the committee, and real progress is being made

The Environment Court judge has now decided that no further Stay of Abatement will be granted in regard to the abatement notice that Council issued to the Daniels to cease all industrial activity Realistically, Council are unlikely to prosecute before the upcoming Environment Court hearing

Priority Te Puna (PTP) has provided evidence and will be involved in an Environment Court hearing commencing 31st July

The hearing is expected to take five days and will be held in Tauranga and is specifically about the abatement notice that Council issued to the Daniels at 245 Te Puna Station Road to cease all industrial activity

This hearing has been a long time coming

“Tamariki are missing their kapa haka, or rugby at Arataki because it takes them 20 minutes longer to get to The Mount There are consequences for the selfishness of shortcut takers in any community - in this case, it’s Te Puna motorists,” he says An Ōmokoroa man undergoing cancer treatment at Tauranga Hospital has been booked into a motel in Greerton rather than risk missing his appointments due to traffic

Western Bay Councillor Don Thwaites argued the case on TV3’s The Project, but host Paddy Gower disagreed with Don’s rat-run argument

“Maybe that applies to going to work in a city like Auckland with multiple options, but not in a little town It has a huge impact on access to shopping, the chemist, or doctor Sometimes there are serious consequences for more urgent trips,” says Tommy

Priority Te Puna update

and is an important piece of the jigsaw in the campaign to find a better outcome for the community as regards the entire business park PTPs evidence included community members’ impact statements, photos and videos of flooding at the Business Park and surrounding properties, photos of polluted and rubbish-filled waterways, photos and video of heavy vehicles at junctions and using inappropriate roads to get to and from the business park, invoices from affected neighbours for repairs and mitigation requirements, statements from hapū members and kaumātua regarding cultural impact Priority Te Puna’s evidence amounts to a total of 81 pages plus videos which has now been submitted to the court, the appellants (Daniel), and the respondents (WBoPDC)

In addition, Alison Cowley and Sarah Rice

have gone through all the appellant’s and WBoPDC evidence and challenged it where we believe it is lacking or incorrect

Priority Te Puna will have run up a substantial invoice with Ben Gully by the end of this month Whilst doing their best to keep our legal bills to a minimum, with a clear understanding that every minute of solicitors’ time is being paid for by the generous donations of the community, there was simply no way that, by ourselves, we could have prepared affidavits to the standard that Bell Gully has achieved

PTP is calling on the community to, yet again, dig deep and help us pay our legal bills If you can help in a large or small way, the team of volunteers would be hugely grateful Please donate whatever you can to Priority Te Puna Inc Soc

06-0491-0280683-01

Please email prioritytepuna@gmail com to let us know about your donation so we may acknowledge it, provide a receipt and thank you

At the time of going to press, we have been made aware of a publicly notified resource consent application to extend the abatement notice outside of the court process This will require submissions from the public The deadline for submissions is 24th July, so please email prioritytepuna@gmail com with urgency so we can provide you with a form or template for submitting Alternatively, visit the WBoPDC website for details

Editor: Approaching our print deadline, we attempted without success to contact Barry Daniel multiple times, both directly and through his accountant and lawyer We openly invite his comment for our next edition

The signs state Te Puna locals only We recognise your busy schedule but please turn around

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

Winter swim just the job for Bob

By Matthew Farrell

This winter’s celebratory solstice swim at Ōmokoroa Domain on Sunday 25th June would have been water off a duck’s back for 88-year-old triathlon veteran, Bob Goddard

A seven-time age group world champion and two-time runner-up, previously a marathon runner and top rower, the Ōmokoroa Country Estate resident was introduced to Russell Oliver’s yearround harbour swimmers after a chat with pharmacist Bruce Clarke

“It’s a good little group I like to start early and do a lap before they arrive every day Sometimes I go to Greerton, Baywave or Katikati to swim It’s good exercise, and I love the social side,” he tells me

Born in Mt Eden in 1935, the son of a postmaster, Bob grew up with rugby, soccer, sailing, and tennis in St Heliers, Manurewa, Waiuku, Nelson, and Hamilton He started a banking career with BNZ in Nelson, joining Nelson Rowing Club and later Hamilton Rowing Club

Helping form Waikato Rowing Club in 1960, over the years, Bob was a rower, a coach and later a NZ coach of crews to Australia

“I coached many successful crews at Te Awamutu Club to several NZ Championship titles But being in banking, I shifted around and had to leave rowing behind

“I was always a runner, marathon distance mainly, around the three hour mark I was in Te Kūiti when a very good

triathlete there suggested I try out triathlon ”

Bob had taught himself to swim in Auckland and had been a top freestyle swimmer at school, so he bought a bike and a transition to triathlon and Ironman wasn’t difficult

“I took to the sport easily in my early fifties Over several years I was unbeaten in my age group and was selected for the World Championships in 1992 and onwards in Australia, Wellington, Queenstown, England, Switzerland, Canada and Hawaii I won gold in seven world championships and silver in two others ”

Bob also swam in the Ocean Series Events for many years and might get back into those next summer, health permitting

Diane Frances Martin, JP QSM

By Sandra Haigh Community Heritage Services Co-ordinator

Di and Peter came to Katikati in 1971 from Kihikihi, where she was very active in the community Peter, Di and their two sons and daughter made the most of their life in Katikati participating fully in school and sports

Di became a volunteer ambulance driver for St John’s in 1977, serving alongside her colleagues until 1991 She was involved with the Katikati Rugby Club, serving as President in 2010 She has been an active member of the Katikati A & P Committee and volunteered at the Katikati Heritage Museum She continues to serve as a volunteer at the Katikati Police Station and at Western Bay Community Archives

Di has volunteered in the Archives for almost 20 years Her knowledge about local history has proven invaluable time

and time again – she has been a mine of endless information and stories about Katikati, its people and events, both tragic and quite hilarious at times

She has been prepared to open her doors to people who have been passing through the town and want to know more about families here – I have personally sent people to her home more than once and she’s always been willing to help

She is always happy to be Katikati Library’s resident Monday morning JP which has been enormously helpful to the community Di has proved incredibly knowledgeable about who married whom, which child belongs to which family, and how various in-laws are connected, which for a collection based on the genealogy of the town is invaluable

The team at Katikati Library were very pleased to celebrate Di’s well-deserved Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) with her Well done on a life well-lived

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Bob Goddard ready for a daily swim PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

Di receives flowers and recognition from staff and volunteers at Kakikati Library PHOTO: Supplied

Abbeyfield: supported living for older people

By Natasja de Graaf

Plans are underway for Abbeyfield

Western Bay of Plenty to build an affordable community living house for independent older folk on a Katikati section that has been secured

Philanthropic trusts have shown strong support for the concept However, for them to contribute, we need to show we have raised a portion of the funding

A mortgage for some of the cost can be met by the modest rental income

Currently, our Society is focused on

raising funds These may be one-off financial donations from individuals, corporates or groups, gifting the cost of a unit or key area in the house, and providing services for building the house at no cost or discount. To date, we have raised $325,000

Our Registration of Interest to the Affordable Rental Pathway of the Affordable Housing Fund was approved, and we are now preparing the Request for Proposal response with Abbeyfield New Zealand / Abbeyfield Properties It will increase the success of our proposal if

Scott says

By Scott Simpson MP Coromandel

Ireally enjoyed catching up with everyone at Fieldays, and it was great to see so many people from the Western Bay in Mystery Creek to support our agricultural and horticultural sector The kiwifruit and avocado industries are huge contributors to the local economy It’s been a tough season, not just because of the weather, but the cost of living crisis and ongoing high inflation have made trading conditions difficult as well

Sometimes, farmers and growers get a bad rap, but it’s events like Fieldays which highlight the innovation that is being implemented across the primary sector It’s fantastic to hear the passion of those who are driving this change There was plenty of positivity, and it’s safe to say the present and future of the agricultural and horticultural sector is in good hands

Over the last few years, farmers and

growers have been burdened with unworkable regulations and unrealistic emissions targets They have been told to make these changes and reach these targets without the support of the science and technology that has been developed here These restrictions need to ease if New Zealand is serious about maintaining its position as a world leader in the primary sector

Innovation will be key to the future of agriculture and horticulture The next National government will help farmers and growers embrace new technology to reach New Zealand’s climate change targets Fieldays reinforced that we can reduce emissions without shutting down a sector which contributes $40 billion to the New Zealand economy

If you have any issue you wish to discuss with me, don’t hesitate to get in touch by either calling 0800 550 330 or emailing mpcoromandel@parliament govt nz

Scott Simpson

we are able to show we have realistic funding available

We want to introduce our new and exciting fundraiser called “A Stake in Abbeyfield House” Several artists of the Katikati Art Group have generously offered to paint 11 colourful stakes These will be placed in the garden for Abbeyfield residents to enjoy We invite people to buy a painted stake at $5,000 each Each will have a plaque attached with the name of the individual, family, or business sponsor If you’d like to know more, please phone Carole 027 457 9686 or Natasja 027 348 7748 or email fundabbeyfieldwbop@gmail com

Pencil in the following diary dates: 5th, 12th, and 19th July Katikati Theatre Group is presenting another Murder Mystery evening, with proceeds towards Abbeyfield WBoP Last year ’ s Murder

Mystery was enjoyable and a great success Follow us online at facebook com/AbbeyfieldWBoP

21 July 2023

25 August 2023

L-R: Nelsy Jordan Rachel Reynolds Val Helm Jan Sunderland and Everdien de Graaf of Katikati Art Group which has been very supportive of Abbeyfield WBoP s cause, painting stakes and artwork donated for auction on TradeMe Absent: Joy Le Prou PHOTO: Supplied

The fundraising thermometer outside The Talisman Hotel showcased by volunteers Mikayla Tāmati and Melva Howard PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

By Gary Meynell

Well, let me tell you about our latest June meetup This month’s get together was unlike anything we ’ ve experienced before We managed to find Mary-Anne Lenny, a former judge from the photographic society of New Zealand (PSNZ), as our guest speaker Mary-Anne was kind enough to agree to speak and educate our members on the gear she uses and showed us what separates a masterpiece from a mere snapshot

In a shocking turn of events, we had not one, not two, but three fresh faces at the gathering Welcome to the party, Veronica, Rick, and Mikayla We sincerely hope you didn’t run away after witnessing the craziness It’s always heartwarming to see newbies diving headfirst into our delightful chaos

One of our attendees let us know that

they were on the lookout for a photographer for an upcoming project How convenient is that? It’s like we have a magical matchmaking service for all your photography needs So, if you ’ re on the hunt for a talented shutterbug, why not swing by and see if you hit it off with someone? Worth a shot, isn’t it? (Pun intended)

Now, because we were all enjoying MaryAnne’s expertise, we postponed our regular educational content Instead, we ventured out to the Ōmokoroa sports field on the evening of Thursday 15th June Picture this: a bunch of freezing club members gathered on a field, armed with their cameras, ready to conquer the art of light painting I was a bit busy to count, but there were at least 15 brave souls risking hypothermia for the sake of creativity We owe a massive shout-out to our stunning and courageous model, Maggie, who en-

dured the chilly weather in her evening gown while we showered her in a glorious spectacle of light You, Maggie, are an absolute superstar

So, there you have it, folks Our meetup was anything but ordinary It was a whirlwind of knowledge, new faces, and freezing but fabulous adventures Can’t wait to

see what the next gathering has in store for us Stay tuned, and remember, photography is not just about snapshots – it’s about freezing moments in time with a dash of madness and a whole lot of fun

Get in touch with us through our Facebook page by searching for Ōmokoroa

Photographic Society

to the Tremains Omokoroa team! J O S H B E B A N We lcome

Josh is a dedicated and passionate Real Estate Consultant Coming from a very successful sales and business background, with more than 10 years experience in the building and construction industry

Josh has successfully worked in multiple high-pressure roles including as Managing Director, General Manager and Sales Manager

If you would like an appraisal on your property or have any questions about buying or selling property, please contact Josh and he will be happy to assist

M.

co nz

Rachel Buer Mikayla Paul

Judy Sinkinson

Ngaire Endicott

Brian Ebbett

Point School Quiz

By EJ Weller

On Friday 9th June, the Ōmokoroa Point School PTA hosted another successful quiz night for the school We had a sold-out event with 160 participants enjoying a night out with good food and great company Rachel Millard and the awesome team from Your Realty Ltd were our major sponsors, even pitching in during the night to mark and score all of the answers

Our fundraising this year goes towards play equipment for the school, IT upgrades, subject resources and library book purchases, and Your Realty Ltd’s sponsorship meant that all of the money raised from the evening (around $14k) goes directly to the school

Our winning team were ‘Trees Company ’ with ‘Roy G Biv’ second, while the Best Dressed team were stunning ‘Babushkas’

We were fortunate to have Will Johnston, a celebrant, MC and auctioneer,

come out to support us as MC this year

We also received incredibly generous support from so many local businesses, and we need to make special mention of our live auction sponsors: Land Design HQ, Caci Clinic in Te Puna, Bethlehem Butchery, Spark and Ingram Micro, and Bay Urology

Ben Taylor from Bethlehem Butchery also donated meat for everyone ’ s dinner on the night, which was delicious and very well received Dan from Ōmokoroa IT sorted us out with a laptop for the night, and Nick Rose came to make sure we had sound set up Mornay and the team from The Garden sponsored photos from the Photobooth Lady, which are always a hit with our participants

Thank you to everyone who helped out behind the scenes, to everyone who donated and to everyone who came along We are lucky to be part of such a fantastic community, and we look forward to holding the event again next year

W o r l d c l a s s

d e n t i s t r y y o u

c a n d e p e n d o n

Public Art Ōmokoroa: a new name and two new projects

By Alie Henderson

Public Art Ōmokoroa (formerly Ōmokoroa Public Art Group) is excited to be working on two new public art projects for the Ōmokoroa Community

Following on from the success of the awesome mural on the changing sheds by the children’s playground at the Ōmokoroa Domain, we are in the final design stages of a new mural This will be installed on the toilet block at the Ōmokoroa Sports Ground at Western Avenue Reserve

Stella Clark is the lead artist, with support from Sue Dark and Brian Ebbett they have been collecting ideas from local schoolchildren to inform the design Having secured generous funding for this project from the Ōmokoroa Centre Trust, painting will start in the coming months following the final design sign-off from the Ōmokoroa Community Board and Western Bay of Plenty District Council

The second project now well underway is a commission for a carved wall panel for the Ōmokoroa Public Library It will use wood from a black walnut tree felled some years ago in the Gerald Crapp Reserve Tauranga Woodcrafters’ Guild is working in partnership with members of the local hapū, Pirirākau

The panel will feature the Māori pūrākau (myth or legend) of Tāne’s journey to find the three kete (baskets) of knowledge - te kete-tuatea (basket of light or present knowledge), te kete-tuauri (basket of darkness or things unknown) and te kete-aronui (basket of pursuit or the knowledge humans currently seek)

Phil Hansen of Tauranga Woodcrafters’ Guild commented in his proposal for the carvings, “The legend of how Tāne obtained the three baskets of knowledge represents the never-ending pursuit for various forms of knowledge and wisdom It reminds us that nothing is impossible and illustrates the variety of skills and knowledge that make up our world It affirms the value of learning and gaining understanding about many different areas in life, and it highlights that mastering skills or developing knowledge takes effort and persistence

The choice of this legend is therefore symbolically very appropriate for a library setting ”

Look out for more information about both of these projects in future editions of the Lizard News

If you would like more information about Public Art Ōmokoroa, please contact the Chairperson, Alie Henderson, email: alie henderson@gmail com

The best-dressed team, Babushkas

PHOTO: The Photobooth Lady

Team effort to help clean up Waihī Beach

The clean up at Waihī Beach following the one in 250 year flood event was a big job

Following the 29th May weather event, Western Bay of Plenty District Council team members, engineers, contractors and community responders did the rounds of Waihī Beach helping to clean up, make repairs, assess damage and help everyone get back to normal as soon as possible

Mayor James Denyer visited Waihī Beach immediately after the flooding to see the damage and speak with residents affected by the flooding and again the next day to see the clean-up works

“In the days after the storm there was a hive of activity on the streets of

Waihī Beach And while we know it’ll be a long road to recovery it’s great to see some quick progress being made on the clean up and the initial repairs

“And once again, I’d just like to acknowledge the community for their resilience and community spirit The way you pull together to help one another in an emergency is admirable

“For now, making sure residents are doing okay and have all the basics is our priority Our team have done wellbeing checks on evacuees and residents who need it and we ’ re working closely with other government agencies to ensure that everyone gets the help they need ”

Article supplied

Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre’s new archery shelter

By Emily Underwood

With the wild weather we have had this year, camp programs at Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre are forever changing Thanks to The Lion Foundation and amazing work from Keith Pyle and Geoff Godsell, building a new archery shelter means that we can continue to inspire the next Robin Hoods despite what the weather throws our way

Archery is always a favourite, it builds confidence, teaches safety, it’s competitive, and most importantly it is a whole lot of fun ‘Pyles Palace’ Archery Shelter was officially opened by staff, board members and friends of AOEC who got to test out their own skills and celebrate the incredible effort that went into the project

New space coming for Katikati community groups

Construction of a purpose-built community building is about to get underway in Katikati

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is turning the partially vacant land at 33 Middlebrook Drive into a shared community space Once completed, the modern facilities will be home to the Katikati MenzShed, Katikati Community Patrol and Katikati Community Van The trio were selected by Council to occupy the new space, following expressions of interest in 2021

Council’s Operations Manager Kerrie Little is excited to get the build underway and to give the community groups a new home

“We’ve been working extensively with the groups to understand their requirements, and the final design is a collabora-

tion of this fantastic kōrero

“We’re looking forward to developing this land into a great asset and creating lasting benefits to the wider Katikati community,” says Kerrie

The building will be owned by Council and leased by the community groups

Council has owned the section since 2013, with New Zealand Red Cross currently occupying a portion of the section

The project is being funded by insurance money from a shed that burned down at 26 Middlebrook Drive, plus a generous $100,000 grant from TECT

Construction will start at the end of June and is expected to be finished by the end of September 2023 (weather dependent)

Article supplied

The new archery shelter at AOEC

PHOTO: Supplied

The now closed One Mile Creek footbridge and sides have been significantly eroded

A 7-8m slip on the Trig Track is just some of the damage caused by erosion in the area

WOW Show 6-day Tour

Experience the best of Wellington over 6-days

We explore the settlement of Greytown, enjoy wine in Mar tinborough, appreciate the conser vation effor ts of Kapiti Island and discover the ar ts, culture and streets of Wellington central We top this off with Platinum Passes to the World of Wearable Ar ts (WOW)

$4,890 Single $4,0 90 P P

Join us and exper ience both the TranzAlpine & Coastal Pacific Railways on this 6-day South Island break away As well as two wor ld class rail jour neys , we take in the cultural sites of Nelson the r ugged West Coast Chr istchurch’s hotspots and the sunny town of Blenheim with its delicious wine & olive oil production

9 - 14 Oct 2023

6 day / 5 night

Single $4,290 P P

Share

Blossfest (Cambr idge)

Spring is in the air and the blossoms are calling!

South Island High C ountr y & Gardens

Join us as we uncover the rustic beauty of NZ’s unique high countr y. Scree-scarred mountain ranges for as far as the eye can see, vast landscapes, wide river valleys, hidden waterfalls and tussock slopes Unique working stations combined with a spring fiesta of the Hurunui Garden Festival and Hanmer’s Fete

$5,490 Single $4,890 P P

Wooden you believe it

The

By Matthew Farrell

1113 State Highway 2, producing a range of bespoke

trellising, fixed louvres, gates, fence panels, garden furniture, picnic tables, planter boxes, and pergolas

Operations manager Michelle Maré says the previous owner Stephen Anderson worked well as a one-man band since 2015, but she wanted to accommodate more than one member of staff going forwards

“We’ve expanded the work tables, so

we now have two separate cutting tables and more than one jig We are now open permanently with stock on display, providing a free measure and quote service while also having the doors open for people to come on in

“Some people may not have known the business was operating here as a lock-up before, and we look forward to servicing the Western Bay’s outdoor trellising, furniture and installation needs ”

Michelle says everything is custommade to the specific size required

“We have display examples and photos of a range of privacy panels, with the cutout image style currently very popular We can deal with angles and raking We can fit around steps or stairs to help people go about what they want to achieve, such as privacy around a spa area ”

Her partner Brad Clark runs the Greerton workshop while Michelle has 21 years of experience in the timber trade in South Africa and New Zealand, having previously produced outdoor products, including treehouses and jungle gyms

“I have the spatial awareness to visu-

alise 3D on paper and enjoy helping customers to play around with ideas and create something perhaps out of the ordinary that they may not have considered before they walked in,” she says

With a passion for customer service, Michelle says if you have been meaning to replace a manky old trellis or fence, now is the perfect time to act before the workshops get even busier during spring and summer

“Both workshops are efficient and tend to have a lead-in time of a week or two, but sometimes we get slammed For example, yesterday, we had an order for 27 panels from Pāpāmoa, but we do squeeze in small jobs when we can in before a sunny weekend to help people out Bring along any of your own design ideas, and let us work our magic ”

All products are machined, sanded, H3 treated pine with stainless steel screws and staples, and Michelle says perfectionism can be noticed “I don’t think you will find a better natural end product that will last longer ” See trellisoutdoor com for more inspiration

PHOTOS: Supplied Brad Clark and Michelle Maré at the workshop

Vertical fence raisers installed at a customer s garden

Swampy on the mend

By Matthew Farrell

Those who gathered for this year ’ s Anzac dawn service at Ōmokoroa will recall the start was delayed due to a medical emergency A man in the crowd dropped dead of a heart attack before being brought back to life with a defibrillator

It seems at least one person collapses at a local Anzac service every year, but this was as serious as it gets for Ōmokoroa Golf Club president John “Swampy” Marsh, who undoubtedly would have been gone without immediate intervention

A common side effect of chest compressions, Swampy was left with a broken sternum and six broken ribs - for which he is grateful

On Tuesday 13th June, Swampy arrived at the Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade weekly training evening to voice his appreciation

“I wanted to thank you all It’s the first time I’d decided to go to the dawn service in Ōmokoroa rather than elsewhere, and I didn’t make it I’m eternally grateful, and I look forward to getting back to golf when I can It’s a nice feeling waking up every morning from now on, ” says Swampy

Chief Fire Officer Ian Blunt says Swampy is a golfing buddy of his from a few years back and is a hard-working volunteer at the golf club

“It’s great to see him come down and say thank you for saving his life The First Responders have been in operation for eight years as an integral part of the brigade, which services the community and helps to keep everybody safe,” says Ian Swampy has been unable to track down other off-duty medical professionals who assisted the brigade, but thanks them all, saying he wouldn’t have made it without their help

Friends of the Blade

By Noelene Taylor

There’s good news and bad news for

the North Island robins who are finding a safe habitat in KaimaiMamaku bush Trapping by the Friends of the Blade has helped remove hundreds of rats, stoats and possums which take the female robins - killed at night while on their nest - as well as the eggs, chicks and young birds underneath them

Thanks to the removal of predators, male birds can find a female mate and breeding pairs can raise their chicks successfully Now, as volunteers from the care group work their trap lines around Pā Kererū, they are no longer surprised to see and hear many more of the trusting little birds Good news for the toutouwhai and a happy result for the people helping them to thrive

However, another native species is also benefitting from having fewer predators killing their chicks Kārearea, the New Zealand bush falcon, is becoming more established in bush or pasture habitat around the region and the increasing food supply of bush birds is attracting Kārearea to hunt in our corner of the Kaimai-Mamaku

On a recent trapping day, a small group of Friends of the Blade volunteers were aware of loud alarm calls from robins

nearby Suddenly, the reason for their alarm was clear A Kārearea flashed past in a high speed chase, weaving through the bush after small birds

The volunteers watched amazed as it tucked its wings in tight and manoeuvred through trunks and branches like a Star Wars pod racer It was a thrilling sight for the trappers but a life or death encounter for the robins

Prey species like our small, native bush birds have never been safe from predators, but now the balance is more in favour of the original predator species rather than the introduced animal predators

The Friends of the Blade group welcomes anyone interested in joining - are you tech savvy, or maybe a data scrutiniser, a predator hunter, a lover of healthy bush and wildlife, or simply looking for an opportunity to join the work towards Predator Free 2050? Our corner of the bush is close to town, our volunteers are well-supported and you will find a welcoming community of likeminded people If you are interested in joining a small and enthusiastic management group or our larger pool of equally enthusiastic predator control volunteers, contact us for more information by emailing friendsoftheblade@gmail com

Back L-R: Nikita Bent Brenna Keith Hannelore Kemme Geoff Annan Margie Boardman Front L-R: Suzanne Becroft Nikki de Vreede Swampy Marsh Jess Davie

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – WEEKLY EVENTS

Here are some of the groups and activities which happen regularly in the area. If you have a regular group you’d like to add to the list, please email liz@lizardnews.net or call 548

IGIRLZ Fun adventure and learning for girls

8 - 11 6-7 30pm Ōmokoroa Community Church

Hall Call 548 2515

Yoga Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 6-8pm Contact

Mollie 021 177 8018

MONDAYS

Table Tennis Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall Seniors (18+) 7-9pm $3 per single, $5 per couple Inc

supper White-sole shoes preferred Call Bruce

Lauchlan on 548 1741

Social indoor netball term time at 6pm Apata

Community Hall - Pahoia School Ages 11+ $5 per night Beginners welcome Contact Kirsten 022 535 1530

ITF Taekwon-do at Te Puna School Hall

6-7 30pm Self defence, self confidence, fitness

First 2 weeks free George 022 437 4403

Hatha Yoga at Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion

6 45pm with Stephane Ph 022 477 3809, email yogameditationnz@gmail com or

FB: mindful life yoga omokoroa

Cards 500 7pm at Ōmokoroa Bowling Club $3 incl tea and biscuits Prizes/raffles monthly

Carpooling from Katikati available

Call Lorraine Taylor on 548 1404

Manawa 10am Refreshments provided Free

Postnatal Support Group 10am-12pm

Bethlehem Birthing Centre All parents and caregivers of children under two are welcome

Starts back 10th Feb Phone 549 4522

Keep On Your Feet Strength and balance classes for older adults 11am-noon Ōmokoroa

Settlers’ Hall Sharnie 021 1118617

Western Bay Museum Guided Tour 11am

WBOP residents and ratepayers FREE 32 Main Rd, Katikati Ph 07 549 0651

Justice of the Peace clinic 11am-1pm at Waihī

Library, 40 Rosemont Street

Ōmokoroa Indoor Bowls 1pm for 1 30pm play

Ōmokoroa Settler’s Hall Contact Ruth Hamilton

571 1564

Scottish Country Dancing 1-3 pm St Peter’s

Anglican Church, Beach Road $4 All ages, no

partner required Call Douglas 021 0244 6099

Bolivia Katikati Christian Centre, Henry Road

1-4pm Some knowledge of canasta useful but not essential Contact Christine Sherriff

549 5601 or 027 434 9842

Movie Matinee 1 30pm at the Arts Junction,

Katikati Tickets $10 Limited seats 549 5250

Bridge Club Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion

afternoons Call Lyn Chaston 022 165 0820 omokoroabridgeinvs@gmail com

Yoga for Men 5 15-6 30 pm Katikati

Community Centre Call Gerry 021 050 8419

Indoor Bowls 7pm at Waihī Beach RSA

Contact Grant on 027 475 0556

TUESDAYS

Social Tennis Waihī Beach Tennis Club 8 30/

9 am start All year Casual & new players welcome Call Kevin 027 273 5655

Te Puna Quarry Park clearing, planting and weed control from 8am and from 1 30pm

Contact Shirley on 552 2707

Ōmokoroa Playcentre Behind Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 9am-noon omokoroa@playcentre org nz

Te Puna Playcentre 9am-1pm term times only 225 Te Puna Road te puna@playcentre org nz

MenzShed Ōmokoroa 7 Prole Road, Ōmokoroa 9am-1pm Welcome to just call in or contact email info@menzshedomokoroa org

Te Puna Tennis Club casual tennis 9am start

Casual and new players welcome Contact Catherine tptennisclub@gmail com or 021 506

855

Mainly Music Ōmokoroa Pavilion 9 30am in term times $4 per family Annie 0274 878 372

Pahoia Creative Fibre Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall

1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays at 10am Learn to spin, weave, felt, knit, crochet and more

Call Alison 022 0849 348

Tai Chi 9 30-10 30am Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall

Contact Marilyn on 027 630 4063 or Anne

548 0763

Keep on your Feet strength & balance for older adults 10 15-11 15am Catholic Church

Hall, 89 Beach Road, Katikati Sharnie 021 111 8617

Justice of the Peace clinic at Waihī Beach

Library 11am-noon

Special needs class Dance/Plus 11am St Peters Anglican Church Hall, Beach Road

Katikati

Ph Gaye 07 577 1753 or 027 274 8753 email

gayehemsley@gmail com

Waihī Beach Bowls at Memorial RSA Bowling

Club Roll-up, names in by 12 30 for 1 o clock

start All welcome Bowls and coaching

available Contact 021 0220 4040, 027 863 1349, waihibeachbowls@gmail com

Ōmokoroa Bowling Club 12 30 to 4pm

30 Hamurana Road Beginners and visitors

welcome $5 Ph 021 255 6415

Katikati Bridge Club Katikati Memorial Hall

Lounge 1pm All levels welcome Contact

Estelle 021 187 1620 or Sara 021 999 806

Mahjong Circle 1pm at the Ōmokoroa Sports

Pavilion, Western Avenue Call Denise on 548 1385 or Margaret 548 2126

Wise & Wonderful Arts & crafts games and afternoon tea for seniors Pick up and drop off available in Katikati area 1 30-3pm at Katikati

Community Centre Gold coin Contact 549 0399 or info@katikaticommunity nz

Teen Advisory Board Plan promote and implement programs and events for teens

Year 7 to 13 students 3 30-4 30pm during the school term at Pātuki Manawa

Gentle Yoga at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall

4–5 30pm One free trial class Contact: Karin 548 1787 or baysyoga@xtra co nz

Ōmokoroa Tennis Club 6-8pm Contact Sharon Parker on 027 261 9517

Ōmokoroa Indoor Bowls 6 30pm for 7pm play

Ōmokoroa Settler’s Hall Contact Ruth Hamilton 571 1564 Katikati Toy Library 6 30pm-8pm at the back of the Christian Centre on Henry Rd, Katikati

FB: ‘Katikati Toy Library’, text 027 551 5589 or E: katikatitoylibrary@gmail com

WEDNESDAYS

Ladies Fitness Classes at 8am on Pahoia Road at the Cow Shed Gym - Anneli 021 077 5416 Katikati Coffin Club 78a Prestidge Road (off

Morton Road) 8 30am-noon $10 lifetime

membership Contact John Russell afactor@xtra co nz or 027 281 7629

Kaimai Ramblers day tramp Good standard of fitness required, boots recommended Call Lisa 021 044 6449, or Kevin 021 0200 6306

Hatha Yoga at Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion 9am with Stephane Ph 022 477 3809, email yogameditationnz@gmail com or

FB: mindful life yoga omokoroa

Homewood Park Tennis Club 9am start 30A Park Road, Katikati New members welcome Phone Cushla 027 414 2587

Pilates Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 9 15-10 15 Contact Claudia 021 192 7706

Community Tai Chi Waihī Beach RSA 9 30am during school terms Contact Trish 021 482 842 Knit & Natter at both Ōmokoroa Library and Pātuki Manawa, Katikati 10am Free Stepping Up free computer classes at Katikati Library Wednesdays/Thursdays Book on 571 8008 or www steppingup nz

FLexercise exercise, movement, dance, for posture, strengthening & stretching All ages & abilities 10am Memorial Hall, Katikati Phone Pam 021 11 77 170

Ōmokoroa Artists Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall 10 45am-3 30pm $5 Contact Jill 021 408 660 or Facebook page: Ōmokoroa Artists

Adults Ballet/Plus 12 30 St Peters Anglican Church Hall, Beach Road Katikati Ph Gaye 07 577 1753 or 027 274 8753 email gayehemsley@gmail com

Katikati Bowling Club Combined Roll-up 1pm names in by 12 45pm Coaching available Social activities to follow 8 Park Road ph 549 0103 Katikati Toy Library 2 30pm-4pm at the back of the Christian Centre on Henry Rd, Katikati FB: ‘Katikati Toy Library’, text 027 551 5589 or E: katikatitoylibrary@gmail com

Grow On Seedlings Club Katikati Community Centre 3-4pm 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of month, term time Intro to gardening for children aged 6-10 years Call Janet 021 0236 7038

Western Bay Museum Guided Tour 2pm WBOP residents and ratepayers FREE 32 Main Rd, Katikati Ph 07 549 0651

Ōmokoroa Athletics Club 4 15–5pm (3–6 years) and 5 15-6 45pm (7–14 years) at Western Ave Sports Grounds

DATEs For your DiAry – WEEKLY EVENTS

Here are some of the groups and activities which happen regularly in the area. If you have a regular group you’d like to add to the list, please email liz@lizardnews.net or call

Ōmokoroa Community Garden working bee

10-noon Hamurana Road, south entrance to Ōmokoroa Point School Weather permitting

Diabetes NZ Drop-in group 10-noon

177a Fraser Street Tauranga 571 3422

tauranga@diabetes org nz

Justice of the Peace clinic 10am-12pm at Ōmokoroa Library & Service Centre

Western Bay Museum Guided Tour 11am

WBOP residents and ratepayers FREE 32 Main Rd, Katikati Ph 07 549 0651

Pilates Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 11 30am-

12 30pm Contact Claudia 021 192 7706

Rummikub at Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd, Katikati 1pm start, $3 per person

Te Puna Quarry Park clearing, planting and weed control 1-4pm Contact Shirley 552 2707

Line Dancing Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall

Beginners-Intermediate 1-3pm Call Joce

021 486 265

Brick Club Afterschool LEGO sessions in Ōmokoroa Library 2 45-4 45pm

THURSDAYS

30am

Church, 2 Wedgewood St Free

entry All welcome Pick Up/Drop Off Service and shower facilities available 549 0399

Yoga Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion 8 45-9 45 am and 6-7pm Contact Brooke 021 878 838

MenzShed Ōmokoroa 7 Prole Road Ōmokoroa

9am-1pm Welcome to just call in or contact

email info@menzshedomokoroa org

Pickleball at Waihī Beach Community Centre

9 30-11am Bats balls courts and nets

provided $3 per session Call Phil on 021 624

908

Ōmokoroa Playcentre Behind Ōmokoroa

Settlers Hall 9am-noon

omokoroa@playcentre org nz

Tai Chi 9 30-11 00am Te Puna Memorial Hall

Contact David 027 222 2824

Tai Chi 9 30-10 30am Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall

Contact Marilyn on 027 630 4063 or Anne

548 0763

Katikati Embroidery Group 10am St Pius

Church, Beach Road, Katikati Call Edna 027 474

9946

Tai Chi for beginners Sports Pavillion Western Ave Ōmokoroa 10-11am Call Sabine 021

1388770 or tetzlaffsabine@gmail com

Preschool Storytime ‘Read Sing Move’ at 10am at Katikati Library Caregivers, please stay with your children Free to attend

Hatha Yoga at Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall 5 45pm with Stephane Ph 022 477 3809, email yogameditationnz@gmail com or FB: mindful life yoga omokoroa

ITF Taekwon-do classes at Te Puna School Hall 6-7 30pm Self defence, self confidence, fitness First 2 weeks free George 022 437 4403

Ōmokoroa Songsters Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall, term time from 7-8:30pm Contact Jan Murray 027 286 1552, Alison Badger 548 1544

Katikati Concert Band 7-9pm Katikati Bowling Club We welcome all ages and experience Contact Eryl 021 404 163

Bridge Club Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion in the evening Call Lyn Chaston 022 165 0820 omokoroabridgeinvs@gmail com

Katikati Toastmasters Club Communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater selfconfidence and personal growth 7 30pm on 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursdays at Community Centre, Beach Road Contact 544 5989

FRIDAYS

Ladies Fitness Classes at 8am on Pahoia Road at the Cow Shed Gym - Anneli 021 077 5416

Social Tennis Waihī Beach Tennis Club 8 30/ 9 am start All year Casual & new players welcome Call Kevin 027 273 5565

Friends of the Blade direct message the Facebook: Friends of the Blade or email

Whakamārama Hall regular events

Library

Thursdays 9am – noon (during term), and every third Friday 68 30pm

Visit whakalibrary librarika com to see our great range of books

A real eclectic mix!

PrESCHOOL PLayGrOUP

Thursdays 9 30-noon (during term time) This is a friendly, free group with a fantastic range of toys and great indoor and outdoor spaces

Email Dayna, on daynarowe83@hotmail com for more information

WHakamārama EmaiLS

Community news including lost and found animals, items for sale, excess fruit and vegetables, and rentals wanted

To receive these email Carolyn at rossroad@eol co nz

HaLL bOOkiNGS

Whakamārama Hall bookings are now available online

To check availability and to make bookings head to spacetoco com

Keyword Whakamārama Community Centre

noelenetaylor57@gmail com

Ladies Singles Tennis 9am at Ōmokoroa

Tennis Club Western Ave Ōmokoroa

Enjoy some competitive but fun games

Line Dancing Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall General session 9am-noon Call Shirley on 548 1633

Ōmokoroa Playcentre Behind Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall 9am-12 30pm

omokoroa@playcentre org nz

Preschool Storytime Read Sing Move at 10am at Ōmokoroa Library Caregivers, please stay with your children Free to attend Justice of the Peace clinic 10am-noon

Bethlehem Community Church, 138 Moffat Road

Justice of the Peace clinic 10am-noon Katikati

Community Centre, 45 Beach Road

Ōmokoroa Friendship Club Ōmokoroa

Community Church Hall 10am-12 15pm for $4

Morning tea and lunch provided Drop in or call

Lorraine Taylor 548 1404

Ōmokoroa Singles over 60s meet for friendship, coffee, outings, etc

Email omokoroa senior singles@gmail com or phone 021 627 107

Waihī Beach Bowls at Memorial RSA Bowling Club Roll-up, names in by 12 30 for 1 o ’clock start All welcome Bowls and coaching available Contact 021 0220 4040, 027 863 1349, waihibeachbowls@gmail com

Bolivia Cards Ōmokoroa Bowling Club

12 45pm Contact Janet on janetandwillie@kinect co nz or Linley on 218 7003

Katikati Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls

12 45pm at Katikati Memorial Hall Contact Chris 549 0958

Cards 500 at Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd, Katikati 1-4pm $2 per person

Katikati Plant & Produce Market A&P

Showgrounds 3 30-5 30pm Contact Pauline

Van Rijen 549 2449

SATURDAYS

Junior Tennis Coaching at Ōmokoroa Tennis Club Members and Non-members welcome Visit omokoroatennis com for information and to book

Katikati Toy Library 9-10am at the back of the Christian Centre on Henry Rd Katikati

FB: ‘Katikati Toy Library’ text 027 551 5589 or E: katikatitoylibrary@gmail com

Friends of Cooney Reserve 9am Bring sturdy

Takitimu

footwear and gloves, and tools if you wish

Contact Chris Cole (text only) 0274 545 586

MenzShed Ōmokoroa 7 Prole Road, Ōmokoroa

9am-1pm Welcome to just call in or contact email info@menzshedomokoroa org

Grow On Katikati 9 30-10 30 Pick up/drop off seeds and seedlings for community food resiliency Next to Katikati Community Centre growonkatikati@gmail com

Katikati Mini Kickers From 9 30am for children born between 2016-2020 Contact Caroline on 027 551 5589 or katikatifirstkicks@gmail com

Ōmokoroa Toy Library 9 30-11am behind the Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall omokoroatoylibrary@gmail com

Ōmokoroa Community Garden working bee 10-noon Hamurana Road south entrance to Ōmokoroa Point School Weather permitting Western Bay Museum Guided Tour Noon

WBOP residents and ratepayers FREE 32 Main Rd, Katikati Ph 07 549 0651

Ōmokoroa Bowling Club 12 30 to 4pm

30 Hamurana Road Beginners and visitors

welcome $5 Ph 021 255 6415

Homewood Park Tennis Club 1pm start 30A Park Road Katikati New members welcome Phone Michael 027 473 1540

Katikati Bowling Club Combined Roll-up 1pm Names in before 12 45pm Coaching available Social club day activities to follow 8 Park Rd, Katikati 07 549 0103

Boomerang Bags Katikati Sew reusable fabric community shopping bags Txt Robyn on 021 158 4038 to join or donate fabric Every other Saturday from 9th April at Katikati College Fabric Tech Room from 1pm Masks required Ōmokoroa Tennis Club 2-4pm Contact Sharon Parker on 027 261 9517

SUNDAYS

Athenree Homestead 360 Athenree Road

Enjoy the homestead and gardens ($5 donation for Homestead entry) Every Sunday, 11am-3pm from Jan–March, and first Sunday of the month

Apr to Dec athenreehomestead org nz Ōmokoroa Cricket 20 overs from 1pm every second Sunday at Western Ave BYO picnic FB: @omokoroacricket

Movie Matinee 1 30pm at the Arts Junction, Katikati Tickets $10 Limited seats 549 5250

Jam session Waihī Beach Hotel 60 Wilson Road 4-7pm Everyone welcome

Waka Kotahi is working to protect the route for a new four-lane highway and shared path between Te Puna and

People are invited to take the opportunity to view and contribute to the draft plans for this important project, ahead of the lodgment of designation and resource consent applications with Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council later in 2023

This process marks a significant step forward to protect the route

/ takitimunorth by Friday 4 August 2023

Takitimu Nor th Link

Year-round swimming in Ōmokoroa interest you? Contact Russell on 021 153 0767 or mothcork@gmail com for more information You are welcome to join us and swim for health and well-being

Sat 1st Katikati Tramping Club McLaren Falls Park Easy 3-hour walk around various routes Contact leader Laraine on 021 073 7084 by Friday night preceding to join in

Sat 1st Ōmokoroa Beach cleanup with Ōmokoroa Rotary from 9am Contact Bronwyn Carter on 021 236 4623

Sat 1st Grow On Katikati Crop Swap Swap excess produce, seeds, seedlings, preserves, jams, baking etc 1st Saturday of the month Garden shed beside Katikati Community Centre on Beach Rd 9 30-10 30am Call Jizzy on 549 2337 or Marie on 07 9297906

Sat 1st Backyard Trapping Info Session Come and grab a FREE rat trap 10am-12noon outside the Western Bay Museum, Katikati

Sun 2nd Katikati Folk Open Mic 5pm every 1st Sunday of the month Blackboard (open mic) session at Forta Leza, 2656 Main Highway, Aongatete

Mon 3rd U3A Art Group 10am-noon every 1st and 3rd Monday at Waihī Bowling Club $2 Bring your own materials Contact Jose Jebb 027 457 0242

Mon 3rd Bethlehem/Te Puna Lions Club at Te Puna Community Centre Hall Tangitū Road 1st and 3rd Monday evenings from 6 00pm Contact Colin 576 9110

Tue 4th Book Buzz Come and share your favourite reads with other book lovers 10am on the 1st Tuesday at Pātuki Manawa

Tue 4th Senior Net open day and class registration 10am-2pm at Historic Village, Tauranga For more info visit taurangaseniornet co nz email tauranga@seniornet nz or call 577 1912 or 021 277 1912

Wed 5th July Have a Go art class ‘Fun with Watercolour’ with Mary Avis 9am-noon at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall $20 inc materials and cuppa Book with Karin on baysyoga@xtra co nz or 027 486 0736

Wed 5th Aongatete Forest Project working bee Top of Wright Road 9am-12 30pm 1st and 3rd Wednesday morning of the month Visit aongateteforest org/join

Wed 5th Waihī Beach FOCUS Group 10am at Waihī Beach RSA Interesting speakers, interesting conversation and of course interesting people Every 1st Wednesday

Thu 6th Blood Drive Katikati Memorial Hall 9am-1pm Bring ID Eat and drink beforehand

Thu 6th Ōmokoroa Peninsula Club 1st Thursday of the month, 9 30am, Ōmokoroa Community Church (excl Dec/Jan) Contact Geoff Gripton 548 1027 or Fred Hartley 548 1939

Thu 6th Matariki Star Lantern workshop 6–8pm Free The Arts Junction, Katikati Places limited Register at 07 549 5250 Ages 12+

Fri 7th Matariki Star Lantern workshop 10am – 12pm Free The Arts Junction, Katikati

Places limited Register at 07 549 5250 Ages 12+

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – JULY

Sat 8th Katikati Moggies Market Second Saturday each month 9am to 12pm Katikati Memorial Hall Your local monthly market Support local, buy local E: moggiesmarket21@gmail com

Sat 8th Patchwork Quilting at Ōmokoroa

Settlers Hall 9am-4 30pm second Saturday each month Contact Christine 027 280 1344

Sun 9th Katikati Psychic Cafe Katikati

Community Centre, 45 Beach Road 2nd and 4th

Sundays 9-7pm $10 cash 027 336 3896 for FB: Katikati Psychic Cafe

Mon 10th Making room for rivers Talk by Tom Kay from Forest & Bird The Arts Junction Theatre at 11am Organised by Project Parore

Tue 11th Ōmokoroa Rotary meets every 2nd Tuesday at 7 30am For information contact Bronwyn Carter on 021 236 4623

Tue 11th Ōmokoroa Photographic Society Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion Social Room All levels welcome 7-9pm on 2nd Tuesday of the month omokoroaphotoclub@gmail com

Tue 11th Katikati Creative Fibre 7pm on 2nd Tuesday of the month at St Paul’s, Mulgan Street $5 Email marparmail@gmail com

Wed 12th AA/NZTA driver & vehicle licencing Mobile until in Katikati 2nd Wednesday of the month 9 30-12 45 / 1 15-4pm Enquiries to 0800 822 422

Wed 12th U3A Katikati monthly meeting Guest speakers 10am-noon in the Digital Hub next to the Library on 2nd Wednesday each month Call Pam Mazoyer 021 104 2925

Wed 12th Ōmokoroa & Districts Lions Club 6pm at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall on the 2nd Wednesday of the month Contact Keith and Rosemary Searle on 548 2117

Wed 12th Katikati Herb Society Every 2nd Wednesday at 7pm at St Paul s church

Contact Jenny Ager-Pratt 027 309 9695

Thu 13th Business Breakfast 7am at Pātuki Manawa, Katikati Ph 07 549 5250

Thu 13th Friends of Puketoki Trapping/checking every 2nd Thursday Meet at Leyland Road carpark Call John Budden 548 1180 or Terry Edwards 552 6222

Thu 13th Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting 9am on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month Details available at omokoroabusinessnetwork@gmail com

Thu 13th Katikati Genealogy Group 2nd Thursday, Presbyterian Church Hall, 1 Mulgan Street at 1 30pm $5 New members welcome Contact Jeanette 027 348 3259

Fri 14th Matariki ki runga / Celebrating Matariki 5 45am at Park Road Reserve, Katikati Complimentary breakfast scone and hot drink Matariki lanterns Optional park and ride from Katikati Primary School from 5 15am

Fri 14th Te Puna Social Group from 1-3pm in the Te Puna Memorial Hall supper room Inaugural meeting then 2nd Friday of the month All welcome

Fri 14th Bethlehem Night Market every 2nd Friday from 5 30-8 30pm at Bethlehem Hall Facebook: cnmbethlehem or contact Jen on 021 672 281 cnmbethlehem@gmail com

Fri 14th Katikati Folk Club presents Jenny Mitchell, 7pm at The Arts Junction, Katikati Ph 07 549 1658

Sat 15th Katikati Artisan Market 9am-1pm Chrome Cafe, 3 Wharawhara Road, Katikati 3rd Saturday of the month

Sun 16th Katikati Tramping Club Moderate 6-hour tramp to Te Whare Oki Oki from Te Tuhu Road Contact leader Laraine 021 073 7084 by Friday night preceding to join in

Sun 16th Sunday Scribblers Working on memoirs Fun writing exercises to warm up 3rd Sunday of each month 11am-12 30pm Chrome Cafe, 3 Wharawhara Road, Katikati Contact Gaye on gayehemsley@gmail com or 027 274 8753

Sun 16th Katikati Community Concert featuring Katikati concert band favourites St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Mulgan Street $10 a ticket For more information, email katiband@gmail com or Damian Sutton, Secretary, on 021 781 398

Sun 16th Katikati Folk Club Jam sessions 5pm 3rd Sunday of the month Informal jam sessions at Forta Leza 2656 SH2 Aongatete

Sun 16th Friendship Force Ōmokoroa Setters’ Hall 3rd Sunday evening of the month Ph Jonathan on 572 2091

Mon 17th U3A Art Group 10am-noon every 1st and 3rd Monday at Waihī Bowling Club $2 Bring your own materials Contact Jose Jebb 027 457 0242

Mon 17th Bethlehem/Te Puna Lions Club at Te Puna Community Centre Hall, Tangitū Road, Te Puna (Behind the Tennis Courts) 1st and 3rd Monday evenings from 6pm Contact Colin 576 9110

Tue 18th Book Buzz Share your favourite reads with other book lovers 10am every 3rd Tuesday at Ōmokoroa Library

Tue 18th Innovation Garden Club 1 30-3pm every 3rd Tuesday Waihī Beach RSA Contact 027 289 7674 or innovationgardenclub@gmail com

Thu 18th Katikati Youth Theatre for youth aged 12-30 Games, learning and fun Supper included Third Tuesday of the month from 7-9pm kkyouththeatre@gmail com

Wed 19th Aongatete Forest Project working bee Top of Wright Road 9am-12 30pm 1st and 3rd Wednesday morning of the month Visit aongateteforest org/join

Wed 19th Business After Five 5pm hosted by a local business, venue TBC Ph 07 549 5250

Thu 20th Genealogy support Help with research into family history and DNA searches Ōmokoroa Library, 3rd Thursdays 10am One-on-one help available at other times Contact Lyn on 027 259 6643 or lynevaughan@gmail com

Thu 20th Fun Mixed Doubles Ōmokoroa Tennis Club Western Ave Third Thursday of the month from 5 30-7 30pm

Thu 20th Café Scientifique The Godwit Gap with Keith Woodley 7pm at The Arts Junction, Katikati

Fri 21st Casino Night Ōmokoroa Football Club fundraiser 6 30pm Tickets $25 1920’s gangsters and flappers theme Purchase via link on omokoroafc co nz

Sat 22nd Katikati Lions Garage Sale 4th Saturday of each month May-Nov Behind Caltex, Main Road Katikati 9am till noon Tools, furniture books art and much more Ph 07 578 1073

Sun 23rd Katikati Psychic Cafe Katikati Community Centre, 45 Beach Road 2nd and 4th Sundays 7-9pm $10 cash 027 336 3896 for FB: Katikati Psychic Cafe

Thu 27th Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting 9am on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month Details available at omokoroabusinessnetwork@gmail com

Thu 27th Probus Club of Ōmokoroa 9 3011 30am at Ōmokoroa Setters’ Hall every 4th Thursday of the month Contact Wavyne 548 1233 or Jean 548 2239

Thu 27th Katikati Prostate Support Group Meets every second month at 181 Park Road, Katikati Contact Rod Calver: 027 590 9710 or Neil Harray: 027 384 6606

Fri 28th On Point Coffee Club Coffee and a chat every 4th Friday of the month at 1 30pm at the Ōmokoroa Boat Club Contact Lorraine Barnes on 548 2351 Everyone welcome

Fri 28th Family Planning appointments 10-1pm and drop-in 1 30-4pm To book call 578 8539 Katikati Midwives Rooms 14 Jocelyn Street, Katikati Every 2nd Friday See familyplanning org nz

Sat 29th Katikati Tramping Club Easy 4-hour tramp from Aongatete King Fern enclosure to swimming hole Contact leader Keith 027 567 5259 or 07 552 0215 by Friday night preceding to join in

Sat 29th Repair Cafe makers, fixers and tinkerers working to divert broken items from landfill 8 30am-noon the last Saturday of the month repaircafe@tinkd nz 148 Durham Street Tauranga

Sat 29th Ōmokoroa Market 9am to noon Last Saturday each month except Dec Crafts, art, produce, bbq, plants, car boot, cafe and more E: omokoroamarket@gmail com

Sun 30th Pest Trap Library at the container next to Whakamārama Hall 3-5pm Last Sunday of the month

Sun 30th Katikati Folk Club Reb Fountain Doors open at 7pm for a 7 30pm concert start Members pay only $20, casuals $25 We accept Eftpos cash or bookings through the website katikatifolkclub co nz

Wed 2nd August Have a Go art class ‘Fun with Pastels’ with Sue Darke 9am-noon at Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall $20 inc materials and cuppa Book with Karin on baysyoga@xtra co nz or 027 486 0736

Sat 5th August Casino Night A Te Puna School fundraiser 6 30 - late Te Puna School Hall Tickets $50 via pta@tepuna school nz Live music, raffles, games Don't miss out!

Slotcar Club Ōmokoroa to race club class saloons Controllers and cars will be provided for all drivers Contact Steve Wall on 021 163 2055 for dates/times

ŌPS Food Bank Appeal

ŌBy Matthew Farrell

mokoroa Point School held its annual food bank appeal for the Ōmokoroa Community Church over the past few weeks, with student leaders helping to make the delivery on Friday 9th June

“We are proud of the response from our community We were able to take down lots of boxes of donations to the church, which will help them give back to support our local families this winter Thank you to all our families who helped support this event,” says teacher Renee Roest

Parish administrator Tanya Van Heerden says every item donated will make a difference to families in need “We have seen a dramatic demand for food parcels this year Our stocks are already running low from the items collected in the annual drive in December, so the timing has been perfect May you all be blessed as you bless others,” says Tanya

If you would like to make a contribution to the food bank, the church is at 139 Hamurana Road Email office@theocc org nz or call 07 548 2515

Ōmokoroa MenzShed expands

By Peter Smith

Tuesday 23rd June saw the Ōmokoroa MenzShed expand their footprint, when they took delivery of two containers, and had these placed on site One shed will be used to establish a metal working facility, and the other for storage

Now that they are on site, further work will include laying a floor pad, and the erection of a tent roof over the containers, so that there is an outdoor work area between the containers This new expan-

sion has been enabled and supported from grants from TECT, the Lion Foundation, and The Centre at Ōmokoroa

The Shed Secretary Allan Hughes says there has been a real need to expand as limited bench space can cause real bottlenecks Having the ability to move finished and part finished work out to a container will free up more space to put in additional work benches

All this will increase the ability of our shedders to do interesting and enjoyable work – which the community in turn will benefit from

Matariki Breakfast

By Renee Roest

On Thursday 22nd of June at 6 30am, Ōmokoroa Point School hosted their third Matariki

Breakfast for their school whānau Over 200 people got up bright and early to celebrate the occasion Staff and student leaders hosted the event and supervised interactive activities for the children which included a photobooth, face painting, story reading and a gratitude box Sand tray stations gave opportunities to explore drawing patterns, draw Matariki stars and to write the names of loved ones that had passed Richy Apanui, Chair of the Board of Trustees, shared and the school Kapa Haka performed The ceremony was followed by delicious bacon and egg sandwiches and a hot milo The

school was very grateful to Nicky’s Eggs who provided the eggs for the event

PHOTO: Supplied

The two new containers will allow for metalworking and increase storage PHOTO: Supplied

L-R: Year 8 house captains Adam Haupt Abby Haupt Teagan McKenzie-Potter and Zoe Guerin from Room 11 packing food bank donations

Te Puna School

By Donelle Shilling and Sam O’Neill

After several years of building projects, Te Puna School currently has no scaffolding, safety fences or portaloos on site Our classrooms look fresh and inviting, with new roofs, ramps and a fresh lick of paint We are still awaiting three new classrooms and hope to finish all building projects by the end of the year Classes of children are busy creating bright and colourful work to adorn their walls and make their space their own again

Room 7 went to a noho at Tutereinga Marae last term and was awed by the whakairo, the tukutuku and the kōwhaiwhai in the wharenui They looked carefully at and made some sketches of the pou around the walls. They decided to create some art in response to their learning and decided to represent some of the atua they had been learning about through Māori Pakiwaitara A pou is a carved wall panel It is generally built to represent the spiritual connection between iwi and their ancestors Each pou tells a story about the ancestor or associates symbols with the character of the ancestor

Our oldest and youngest students in the school have been enjoying games, reading, activities, sports and finding out more about one another over the last couple of weeks It is great for our newest children to have such amazing role models and for our oldest students to thrive by having a sense of responsibility It is tuakana-teina at its finest

Todd talk

By Todd Muller MP Bay of Plenty

One of the more common complaints I hear in the Bay of Plenty electorate is about our city’s lack of infrastructure and snarled-up traffic SH2 should have been four lanes to Ōmokoroa by now Pāpāmoa East residents still have to travel at 50 kph along Pāpāmoa Beach Road to access the TEL while work continues on the interchange connection to the TEL And if you travel through Tauriko regularly, you know how desperately we need an overhaul of the Tauriko-SH29 access

Having high-quality, modern and resilient infrastructure drives economic growth, boosts productivity, and enhances our way of life Yet New Zealand has a significant deficit

In the last six years, the Labour Government has failed to start and finish one major infrastructure project. We’ve seen

CASINO NIGHT

Dress to impress for an evening of Glitz and Glam at the tables!

WHEN: 5TH AUGUST 2023

6:30PM - LATE

WHERE: TE PUNA SCHOOL HALL

TICKETS ON SALE!

TICKETS INCLUDE * CASINO GAMES + BUY-IN CHIPS + LIVE MUSIC *

DON'T MISS THE EARLY-BIRD SPECIAL GROUPS OF 10 TICKETS FOR $400

SPECIAL ENDS 1ST JULY

N ORMAL TICKET PRICE: $50 PER PERSON

TO PURCHASE EMAIL: PTA @ TEPUNA.SCHOOL.NZ

GAMES

endless working groups, pages of press releases and a reduced state highway budget which has destroyed a pipeline of worthy projects

Delivering infrastructure will be a high priority for the next National government National Party Leader Chris Luxon recently announced a five-point Infrastructure for the Future plan that will: Create a National Infrastructure Agency; Make use of innovative funding and financing tools to boost investment; Develop National, City and Regional Deals with central and local government; Create a fast-track consents process; and build a 30-year infrastructure pipeline to deliver long-term certainty

Building infrastructure is key to growing the economy That matters because it’s only with a strong economy that New Zealand can reduce living costs and interest rates, lift incomes and fund the public services our country needs.

Te Puna Constituent Clinics: Meet with Todd or his team 3rd Monday of the month Feb-Se 9 00 11 00 am at Te Puna Hall

Next Clinic Date: Monday 17 July

Please get in touch with me for alte appointment times:

Mud and makeup

By Juanita Meder

Term 2 has been another busy term for all our learners here at Pahoia School

New skills have been learned, and old skills revived during ‘My Time’ sessions each Friday Students were given many activities to choose from, including puppet making, learning to play the ukulele, fabric painting, board games, stop-go animation, knitting and learning Spanish After many weeks of practice, our

school cross-country race went ahead despite the rain, showing the resilience of our students It was wet, it was muddy, and it was a lot of fun for the runners

The arrival of the Scholastic Book Fair is always exciting, as it means our annual Dress as a Book Character Day and parade, where we all get to see many and varied costumes Our teachers enjoy this dress-up day as much as the students

Here’s to another great term of learning in Term 3

You got to know when to hold ‘ em

By Alexia Skipper-Jones

Roll the dice and get ready for a funfilled night out with live music from ‘Second Time Round’, casino games, raffles, prizes, incredible auction items, yummy food and drinks

Try your luck at the blackjack table or roulette wheel, or go all-in for Texas

Hold’em

Whether you ’ re a seasoned player or a beginner, there will be something for everyone

Grants available to improve waterways

Community groups are invited to apply for funding to boost the health of their local waterways

NZ Landcare Trust and Westpac NZ are awarding six grants of $10,000 every year through the Westpac Watercare Project The intention is to support sus-

tainable initiatives for rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands The funding can be used on a range of practical initiatives such as pest control, water quality monitoring and native planting Applications can be made at landcare co nz until Wednesday 5th July

$50 per person includes casino games, buy-in gaming chips, and live music

Don’t miss the Early Bird Special: Groups of 10 for $400 Get in quick Early bird pricing is only available until 1st July (This edition of Lizard News was printed on 27th June - Ed)

There will be auctions, raffles, prizes for the top three casino players, food and drinks

Dress to impress: We’re all high-rollers on Casino Night! Think sparkling dresses and dapper gentlemen Get your friends together for a little James Bond fun, or maybe flapper girls are more your style? Have fun with it

Live music will set the mood for mingling and mixing on the dance floor Come hungry Delicious food will be available for purchase throughout the night We’ll also have a selection of beverages, including wine, beer, cider and non-alcoholic options

Every dollar raised during this glittering evening will go towards supporting our amazing tamariki and the school By attending, you’ll be making a direct impact on the lives of our students and ensuring a brighter future for them

We can’t wait for an awesome night Contact the PTA with any questions by emailing pta@tepuna school nz

The teachers enjoy book character dress-up as much as the students

Cross country was very muddy this year PHOTOS: Supplied

By Senior Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh and Senior Constable James Muir

Burglaries

24th May A shed’s roller door has been forced at an Armstrong Road, Te Puna address Nothing appears to have been taken, as the owner may have disturbed the offender

9th June Burglary to a shed on Snodgrass Road, Te Puna Power tools, a Mountain bike and a BBQ were stolen

9th June Theft of tools from the back of a tradesman’s utility vehicle.

10th June Burglary to sheds on Plummer Road, Whakamārama A large number of tools were taken The alarm activated when the offender attempted to enter a garage

15th June, a burglary occurred at a residential address in Ōmokoroa No entry was gained to the property, but a vehicle parked outside was entered, and money was stolen

Theft

29th May petrol drive-off at Challenge Ōmokoroa

29th May theft of perfume from a Katikati store

Theft from local supermarkets continue to be reported, CCTV footage has identified several suspects

Petrol station drive-offs in Te Puna

Unlawful taking of motor vehicles

13th June a Toyota Camry registration

XY2956 was stolen from the Minden Reserve

Found Property

A small red purse was located on the Haiku walkway

A gold ring was located on Middlebrook Drive

Wilful Damage

28th May overnight, a Nissan vehicle has been set on fire in Gilfillan Drive, Katikati The vehicle was destroyed by the fire Enquiries are continuing

A group of young people caused damage at Te Puna School and were identified via CCTV footage They will be dealt with by the Katikati Youth Aid Officer

A 16-year-old male reported that on 8th June at about 6pm he was confronted by three other youths in the carpark behind the Arts Junction in Katikati He was threatened with a knife, and a small amount of cash was stolen from him We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen these youths or who knows who they are 8th June 11 25 am Police are treating a fire which destroyed an implement shed on a rural property on SH2 north of Katikati as suspicious Further enquiries are being undertaken.

Arrests and apprehensions

A 62-year-old Katikati woman was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and careless driving after crashing into a road sign on Park Road, Katikati

A 23-year-old Aongatete man was arrested and charged with ‘aggravated failing to stop for Police’, ‘reckless driving’, and ‘assault with a weapon ’ The vehicle

was first observed on SH29 and was eventually stopped using road spikes in Ōmokoroa The driver was due to appear in the Tauranga DC on 2nd June

A 49-year-old Katikati woman was processed for driving with excess breath alcohol

A 62-year-old Katikati man charged with driving with excess breath alcohol on Main Road, Katikati

A 38-year-old Katikati man was arrested for injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, contravening a protection order and wilful damage The incident occurred in Katikati and resulted in a woman being hospitalised

A 36-year-old Katikati man was charged with contravening a protection order x 4, assaulting a person in a family relationship, assaulting Police and possessing an offensive weapon He was remanded in custody to appear in the Tauranga DC

An 18-year-old Tauranga woman had her vehicle impounded after a Police patrol witnessed the vehicle executing a sustained loss of traction The vehicle was impounded Further drink-driving charges are possible

A 61-year-old Ōmokoroa woman has been charged with receiving a stolen motor scooter which was stolen from Tauranga around 2nd May The scooter has been recovered

A 34-year-old Whakamārama man has been charged with attempted arson (Gull Whakamārama), being unlawfully in a building and wilful damage The charges relate back to 16th March He has been remanded in custody to next appear in the Tauranga DC on 15th June

An Ōmokoroa male was summonsed to appear on several shoplifting manners

An 18-year-old male from Katikati was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol

A 19-year-old Katikati male was processed for driving with excess breath alcohol

A 19-year-old female was processed for driving with excess breath alcohol after she was stopped at an alcohol checkpoint

A 38-year-old male was charged with several serious family-harm-related offences

A driver was stopped at 4 15pm and processed for driving with excess breath alcohol

A driver was stopped in Katikati and was processed for driving with excess breath alcohol

A driver was charged with dangerous driving after being stopped after travelling at 40km/hr above the posted speed limit

A driver was stopped on SH2 and processed for driving with excess breath alcohol He was nearly twice the legal limit

A vehicle crashed on Kauri Point Road, with no injuries to the driver

An 18-year-old driver was processed for driving with excess breath alcohol

General

We had more reports of scams involving Facebook marketplace Items are being purchased and then not received

A motorcycle crashed on State Highway 2, Katikati, with no serious injuries

Continued on page 23

Ken’s comment

By Ken Shirley Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor

The Regional Council is currently responding to the National Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management 2020 under the Resource Management Act, and the necessary changes to the Bay of Plenty Natural Resources Regional Plan are required to be notified by December 2024.

This mandated requirement is a response to the growing concern of degraded natural water quality in rivers, streams, lakes and estuaries, which are showing signs of stress after 150 years of population growth and dramatic land use changes

The region has been divided into 13 Freshwater Management Units, and our local one covers all catchments draining into Tauranga Harbour, from Waihī Beach to Pāpāmoa This covers a land area of 130,000 hectares with a population of 176,100

The identified issues of concern are: sedimentation and associated ecological decline, especially in estuaries; Somewhat high nutrient levels, causing some eutrophication; Occasionally and localised swimming water decline caused by high bacterial loads; Poor aquatic life, particularly in urban catchment streams; Possible over-allocation in some catchments; and, General sensitivity of Tauranga Harbour requiring particular caution This includes its importance as a source of kai moana

The targeted changes required are a 65% reduction of E coli load in Wairoa River, a 59% reduction of E coli load in

Waiau Stream (Athenree) and 3% to 18% reduction of sediment loads over various catchments

Parallel with this, NPSFM are evolving regulations requiring freshwater farm plans for all horticulture blocks over five hectares and farms over 20 hectares In addition, there are National Policy Statements for drinking water standards and plantation forestry

More details will be available for public drop-in sessions at Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, between noon and 5pm on Tuesday 14th July and Thursday 17th

August

Contact details for Councillor Ken Shirley on ken shirley@boprc govt nz or phone 021 570 877

Crime and incident report continued

There are reports of suspicious vehicles around avocado orchards

We had another scam reported involving text messages stating that someone has missed a package for delivery and money needed to be paid to an account

Do not give out personal information over the phone, personally or via computer unless you have initiated the call and verified that the person or organisation you are giving it to is legitimate

There are still scam emails purporting to be from Waka Kotahi going around re: payment for tolls or stating that the respondent is due to renew their driver’s licence One of our officers received one such email today in relation to their licence For one thing, the Police officer was not due to have their licence renewed, and while the email looked reasonably professional, there were the odd mistakes with the layout The sender’s email address was not a Waka Kotahi email

A local person reported losing a significant amount of money from their bank

account after receiving a phone call from a scammer stating that they were from Westpac bank The caller claimed that the victim’s bank account had been hacked The scammer proceeded to gather enough information over the phone to hack the victim’s account and transfer the money offshore. Never assume cold calls from any bank or agency are legitimate Go to the bank or agency ’ s genuine website and call them yourself to verify what the caller has been claiming

As can be seen, there are still the odd burglaries occurring in the rural areas of Te Puna and Whakamārama, where sheds and garages are being targeted for tools It would seem that the offender is using a good-sized vehicle to take the number of tools which were taken from some of these burglaries Keep your eyes open, and don’t hesitate to call 111 if you see suspicious activity

If you see something, say something Call 111 if it’s happening now Call 105 if it is after the event

Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Ken Shirley

PHOTO: Supplied

Breeze passes through Next Door

By Matthew Farrell

Next Door cafe in Ōmokoroa hosted the Morning Crew from Tauranga’s 95 8FM

The Breeze, broadcasting from the Pizzeria deck Monday 12th June as part of their Feels Like Home series

“They scouted us out for this It’s something they are doing every other week,” says chef Scott Limbrick

A few locals popped in to say hi and spin a yarn with hosts Jolene James and Max Baird on their road trip

“It’s so good to be out of the studio But bring me some gloves it feels about five or six degrees,” says Max

“We live in paradise, it isn’t snowing! But yes we ’ ve made a rod for our own backs! Next it’s Pāpāmoa, the Mount, and Pyes Pā Then we’ll take a break We are just popping up around the Western Bay to show we are here,” says Jolene

When I stopped in, local character Warwick Francis was on air, with Aussie Shane Jurgensen,

By Nicole Dixon

Mind Your Movement Pilates

Many of you would have heard of your sciatic nerve before. It travels from the lower back down through the hips and buttocks all the way down to your feet; it’s the largest nerve in the body Sciatica refers to pain that is either localised or radiates down the leg following the path of the sciatic nerve Sciatica

the Black Caps bowling coach, waiting in the wings - presumably a little easier to pin down for an interview than fellow cricketing local Trent Boult

Real estate agent Rachel Millard, and new Rotary Club president Bronwyn Carter and secretary Meredith Ahearn were also due to be interviewed

Relieve your sciatica

can be the result of an injury or an irritation to the nerve It can feel like a constant burning sensation or a shooting pain This can also be accompanied by numbness. Usually, sciatica will only affect one side of your body Sciatica is usually a symptom of a deeper issue in the body So when you are experiencing sciatica, it’s your body’s way of telling you to give it some attention

Sciatic pain can feel scary, and usually,

when we become concerned or nervous about movement, we avoid it, and our body becomes tense Neither of those things is going to do you any favours Your inflamed sciatic nerve does not like prolonged sitting It actually prefers it if you are up and moving It also doesn’t enjoy a lot of bending, which can irritate the nerve even more Joining a Pilates class with a teacher with experience in sciatic pain is a great place to begin your movement journey

Find a teacher who will conduct a biomechanical assessment and create a movement program based on its findings Your teacher will give you tips on how to get the most out of your exercise in a safe and effective manner Pilates will give you the confidence to get moving again If you have any questions feel free to contact our team at Mind Your Movement via hello@mindyourmovement co nz or 022 409 7109

Jolene and Max were Next Door bright and early PHOTO: Supplied

Local identity Warwick Francis stops by to say hello

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

Cruel plant taking a stranglehold

By Matthew Farrell

It looks like the edible Mexican choko, but the moth plant or kapok vine taking hold in the Western Bay of Plenty is far from a harmless zucchini

Originating from South America, the incredibly invasive weed smothers native vegetation and has an impact on forestry due to its airborne thistle-down type of seed

Moths, butterflies, and bees are attracted to its sticky flowers and can become trapped or starve after blocking feeding parts in them, hence the alternative name ‘cruel plant’

As a relative newcomer to Ōmokoroa some years ago, Fred Fowler discovered it in his backyard, a vine growing with a pretty flower

“Thinking nothing of it, I left it alone It grew fast and began tangling into other plants, so I decided to pull it out Shortly afterwards my hands were irritated from the milky sap which prompted me to search the internet to find out what the plant was, ” says Fred He also found an organisation in Auckland called STAMP, or Society Totally Against Moth Plant, which coordinates groups to remove the plants and seed pods The Facebook group now has more than three thousand members

“This wide-spread noxious plant is toxic to birds and insects and strangles native plants up to six meters high It is a sinister plant as it can regrow easily if not pulled out properly, and seedlings sprout for years after the pod opening. I have chipped away down Ōmokoroa Road There will be issues with high pods and regrowth

“Wherever the plant is found, the area needs to be revisited regularly to remove new seedlings and to prevent new plants and seed pods from getting established

“I recently joined the Friends of Kaimai Views group to help remove invasive plants, including moth plant, in Kaimai Views reserve Western Bay District Council has been very supportive in getting this group active and making a difference so we can keep Ōmokoroa a beautiful place to live Thanks to Kate Loman-Smith from Council for all your good work

“If you have some moth plants growing and need some advice to remove them, text me on 027 240 8621, and I will do my best to assist,” says Fred

Fred Fowler, Sel Currie, Noel Carter, and Alan Tate have been collecting wool bales full of moth pods over the past few weeks

“While doing the rounds of Plummers Point for our pest control programme, Noel and I noticed the moth plant and started to pull it out The more we did, and the more our eyes became attuned

to noticing them, we realised they were everywhere We have probably destroyed thousands of vines and seed pods, but there are plenty left It needs the whole community to learn to recognise it and deal to it to beat it,” says Alan

Sel Currie says the BOP Regional Council has decided to let itself off the hook in their latest Regional Pest Management Plan, saying preventing its spread is no longer possible

“For me, the fact that in our area moth plant is so invasive, I’ve come to realise that it’s up to volunteers to do the pest plant control that’s needed,” says Sel Check your property and remove bagged moth plant to landfill Use gloves and eye protection, and avoid contact with your skin during removal Moth plant sap is poisonous to humans and animals and can cause dermatitis Each pod contains over a thousand seeds Thank you for taking action

Around a dozen volunteers showed up for a recent Friends of Kaimai Views weeding bee focusing on moth plant and other key pest species Moth plant needs to be carefully bagged

New native nursery to help restore hapū’s whenua

including Tahāwai Reserve, Tuapiro Point and Kauri Point

They wanted to return Tahāwai Reserve to a community site and the nursery would be run as a non-profit venture, he said

By Alisha Evans Local Democracy Reporter alisha@thesun co nz

Ahapū led native nursery could be set up on unused reserve land north of Katikati to help regenerate forest and reserves in the area

Ngāti Te Wai hapū have been granted a licence to occupy 2119m2 of land at Tahāwai Reserve for the nursery The reserve makes up part of the hapū’s whenua

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council approved the five year licence “in principle” at a meeting on Monday

It will be subject to consultation with the community, other local hapū and the Katikati Community board before final sign off from the council

Council reserves and facilities manager Peter Watson said the nursery was “ a good opportunity” and it was using a “backwater” part of the reserve

The land, at the corner of State Highway 2 and Tanners Point Rd, has been vacant for many years and was previously used for grazing, said Watson’s report to council

The licence to occupy would be subject to a “small amount of rental” with the cost not yet specified, the report said

Watson told the meeting the council was approached by Riki Nelson of Kaimai Kauri, supported by Ngāti Te Wai about using the land as a native nursery

Kaimai Kauri is a hapū led environmental organisation that works in biosecurity, kauri protection and with the district council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council doing restoration work

Kaimai Kauri general manager Riki Nelson said: “Having the nursery is to deliver on our [the hapū’s] aspirations of restoration of all our reserves all around our rohe, working with our partners as well ”

Nelson said one of the partners is the volunteer run environmental group, Project Parore, who have a small native nursery in Katikati

“They’re at capacity with their nursery So the conversation with them is they target specific native species with their nursery If we can get another nursery up and running, then we can focus on other native species ”

He said they had also been working with the Tanners Point Ratepayers Association and both of their aspirations for the site “almost aligned perfectly”

Councillor Margaret Murray Benge said the “project sounds good” and asked how many young men and woman would be trained up through the project

Nelson replied they were looking at about three people to support the site

Councillor Allan Sole spoke in support of the project: “I believe that this is an opportunity for us to encourage people in the community to go out there and do things of use

“This has environmental benefits to it It has potential maybe, for employment in other areas ”

Speaking after the meeting, Nelson said the areas they were looking to restore were north of Katikati

The seeds used for the nursery would also be “ ecosourced” and replanted back into the reserves within a 5km radius of where they were harvested from, said Nelson

Asked how it felt to get the council’s support for the project, Nelson replied: “Really good, because we have had a tense relationship in the past ”

“But now we are moving into a period where we ’ re starting to collaborate together on some big projects

“We are really, really happy with the relationship with Western Bay [council], they’re supporting us with a whole heap of our aspirations ”

Consultation on the licence to occupy Tahāwai Reserve will run for a month and Watson said it would begin in the “next couple of weeks”

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

Kaimai Kauri general manager Riki Nelson Photo: John Borren/ Sun Media

The portion of the reserve that would be used for the nursery is in yellow IMAGE: WBoPDC

Focus on Katikati

By Fiona Powell, Katch Katikati

It might be the middle of winter, but there’s still lots happening in Katikati, including live music, networking events, movies for kids and adults, presentations, workshops, markets and exhibitions On a fine day, there are lots of scenic walks and cycleways to explore, as well as the recently opened Waitekohekohe Recreational Park Visit www Katikati org nz and check out our ‘upcoming events’ page, or to find out what’s happening in town, sign up for the weekly Katch Up newsletter by emailing info@KatchKatikati org nz

Celebrating MatarikiMatariki ki runga

Matariki, which marks the start of the Māori New Year, is a time for celebrating who we are and where we are at the present time, remembering those that have passed since the last rising of Matariki and planning for the year ahead This year Matariki falls on Friday 14th July, and you ’ re invited to a Matariki ceremony at 5 45am at the Park Road Reserve at the end of Park Road, Katikati To warm you up, there will be complimentary breakfast scones and hot drinks There is limited parking at the end of Park Road, so you are welcome to park at Katikati Primary School and catch the 5 15am bus to the event

Matariki Star Lantern Workshop

Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster, also known as the Pleiades or The Seven Sisters, and in the lead-up to Matariki, you have the opportunity to make your own amazing 3D star lantern for the Matariki Celebrations Free lantern-making workshops for ages 12+ are being held on Thursday 6th July 6pm- 8pm and Friday 7th July 10am-12pm at The Arts Junction in Katikati There are limited places, so save your spot by emailing info@KatchKatikati org nz

A Wondrous Wedding

After the success of last year ’ s murder mystery evenings, Katikati Theatre invites you to another glamorous and murderous event – A Wondrous Wedding Not only is it a fun evening out and a chance to dress up, but you ’ re also helping a great cause with proceeds

from the event going towards the establishment of an Abbeyfield House in Katikati There are events on Wednesdays the 5th, 12th and 19th of July starting at 7pm at The Arts Junction, with $25 tickets available from The Arts Junction in Katikati and online from www TheArtsJunction org nz

New programme for neurodiverse kids

Are you looking for a learning philosophy that focuses on your child as an individual? Matahui School is excited to announce the launch of our new Neurodiverse One-Day School Programme, specially designed for gifted children or children with a learning disability

The programme includes components of structured literacy, mathematics, and hands-on project-inquiry and caters to students diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, twice-exceptional, ADHD, and gifted children

Our One-Day School programmes allow children who are not enrolled at Matahui School to experience our unique curriculum and discover what makes Matahui magic The neurodiverse learning programme takes an approach scientifically proven to gain results and is rooted in the understanding of how your child learns as an individual, allows children to explore their world using multi-sensory techniques, and includes a variety of highinterest activities that will challenge

your child’s thinking

At Matahui School, we recognise the individual needs of every student, their strengths and gifts, and encourage learning as a time of fun and exploration At the heart of this programme is the Multisensory Teaching Model approach, where children learn using simultaneous senses: sight, sound, and touch This hands-on approach maximises how your child retains the information Furthermore, we keep our class sizes small for individualised attention, and assistive technology is sometimes used to enhance the learning experience

We are proud to now be offering families the opportunity to experience our curriculum via our One-Day School Programme

We take pride in the fact that so many of our past students are now leaders in their own right; musicians, scientists, and Olympians, just to mention a few

For more information or to enrol your child in our One-Day Programme, visit our website: www matahui school nz/one-dayschool Article supplied

Jenny Mitchell plays Katikati Space to roam

By Ellen White

Te Puna Kindergarten has been given an amazing opportunity to lease the Waka Kotahi land that sits alongside us It is a large triangle of grass that the teaching team have been calling the triangle until one of our tamariki, Malia, suggested naming it ‘Grassworld’

We have been making the most of Tama-nui-te-ra and heading up to our Grassworld to run, explore, pick flowers or just be and watch the world go by

A picnic basket accompanies us on our hīkoi, filled with blankets and books, and children are free to explore The last time we were there, children created ephemeral art with grass blades and flowers Alfie, Lillia and Kora made a large bird’s nest; stories were being read while Grace and Evie searched high and low for purple clover flowers as well as many other goings on

Soon something exciting is going to happen as the children and our local community are taking on an important project, preparing the ground for a kūmara garden We are going to learn all the steps needed by our experts on how to grow kūmara just as Farmer Burr used to So in a way, we are carrying on the hard mahi he used to do for the com-

munity We can’t wait to share the development of this project further in the up and coming months Watch this space Please feel free to come and have a look around our kindergarten Our passionate teaching team can share with you how we provide rich learning experiences for your children through their early learning years

Te Puna Kindergarten 17c Minden Road, Te Puna tepuna@ikindergartens nz or 07 552 5736

Amulti award winning NZ songwriter, Jenny is a storyteller with songs wrapped in wisdom and wit Her music defies easy categorisation, but if you admire music by genre-defying artists from Emmylou Harris to Kasey Chambers, you’ll love Jenny Mitchell

Described by Rolling Stone as, “her best work yet,” her new album ‘Tug of War’, is a deep and emotional dive for the artist and the listener Produced by Tasmania’s Matt Fell, it finds Jenny at her most raw and honest while creating a musical work that’s as rich and fertile as the farming country where she grew up Jenny has graced dozens of festival stages including Australia’s Maldon Folk Festival, Nannup Festival and, of course, the Tamworth Country Music Festival At home in NZ she’s been on the Canterbury

and Wellington Folk Festival bill and opened for acts including Tami Neilson, The Warratahs and Nadia Reid

With a sound described as, “poetry that dominates a beautiful melody,” Jenny Mitchell is comfortable with a country twang or softly spoken ballad and is rapidly capturing fans across the globe

Jenny will be appearing at Katikati Folk Club on Friday 14th July The doors open at 7pm for a 7 30pm concert start Members pay only $20 and casuals pay $25 We accept Eftpos, cash, or bookings through the website Before the show starts, you can treat yourself to a wine or beer from our cash bar During the break, grab yourself a complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits For more information, check out www katikatifolkclub co nz Article supplied

New Te Puna social group

By Jo Gravit

There are now over 1,400 ratepayers in Te Puna, and new houses keep appearing Clusters of mailboxes dot our roadsides even if not much mail arrives Although people wave when out walking, there are few places for real catch up opportunities as we drive everywhere However, with clogged up roads, it is a good time to hold more local happenings at the convenient new hall Social media serves us well, but successful groups enjoy time together A few locals are starting a monthly get together of people who have an interest in our Te Puna community At the first meeting there will be discussion on what the group would like to do, and how to balance talks, visits and possibly cards or indoor bowls with

leisurely afternoon tea chat

Irene Smith, who is one of the steering group, along with Robyn Roan, Merry Cooney and Jo Gravit, says “I’ve been in Te Puna for some years, but with work and family commitments I haven’t really joined in local activities I’m now ready to enjoy taking the time to learn more about local history, our range of businesses and also to hear stories about people’s interesting lives ”

All are invited to the first meeting on Friday 14th July from 1-3pm in the Te Puna Memorial Hall supper room These will be held on the second Friday afternoon of each month and there will be a prize for the person suggesting the most popular name for this new social group

Contact Jo Gravit 027 552 6063 for further information

Enjoying the sun in Grassworld PHOTO: Supplied

Firstly, a big shout-out and heartfelt thanks to The Centre for their generous funding, allowing us to purchase two cartons of tennis balls and fix those pesky court lights We can’t thank you enough for the incredible support you provide to our community in so many different ways

Despite some not-so-tennis-friendly weather, our Club Championships have been a blast We’ve wrapped up all the events, except for the ladies’ singles, which will be held soon, weather permitting Will our 2022 champion Olivia Desset manage to hold on to her title?

Our Monday evenings are all about cardio tennis Picture this: intermediate to competitive players sweating it out for an hour of exhilarating tennis exercises, all while grooving to Coach Pete’s legendary playlist It’s not just a great workout but a guaranteed good time

But that’s not all We’ve made some exciting improvements to our Wednesday night competitive play format Our more

competitive players are relishing the chance to engage in consistently intense matches And fear not; we ’ re keeping all our other club days unchanged So whether it’s Tuesdays at 6pm or Saturdays at 2pm, players of all levels and ages are always welcome to join in the fun and enjoy a social atmosphere

Lastly, mark your calendars for two important dates We have our AGM coming up on Wednesday, 2nd August at 7pm in the Pavilion’s Social space Come along and hear about yet another awesome year of tennis in Ōmokoroa

And don’t miss out on “Love Tennis” happening on Sunday, 10th September, 10am to 4pm This exciting open day at our courts promises loads of fun and is absolutely free for everyone Stay tuned for more details about this fantastic event

That wraps it up, folks Keep swinging those rackets and spreading the joy of tennis See you on the courts Article supplied

The Old Library Ōmokoroa

By Alison Badger

Already halfway through the year –time certainly flies especially when you are enjoying yourself We are fortunate at TOLO to have such a great group of volunteers who fill morning (101) and afternoon (1-4) slots on our calendar, always with a welcoming smile and oodles of local information about our wonderful community

As volunteering goes, it’s a pretty neat option Bring your book or your knitting, do the jigsaw, and even demonstrate your particular art or craft Adult colouring is particularly stress-reducing If this sounds like something you could turn your hand to, please pop in anytime (not Mondays) for more information

We owe our existence to an idea by Heather Reynolds, previously a muchvalued resident of Ōmokoroa but now de-camped to Rotorua, who felt that the rapidly expanding Ōmokoroa would

benefit from another community resource once the Council had vacated the McDonnell Street building in favour of the new library on Western Avenue

Heather is still heavily involved with us and other community groups, so we are delighted to turn the spotlight on Heather for our July display which she has entitled ‘Fun Factory’ It sounds like something which has to be seen to be believed Heather’s sense of fun is ‘world famous in Ōmokoroa’, and we look forward to a funfilled month Looking forward to August, if you are a fan of ‘World of Wearable Art’, we will have something which will appeal to your sense of the unreal but very definitely real; and if you have had a close encounter with the WOW, why not share your experience with us – there’s always room for ‘ one more ’ at TOLO

For enquiries/questions etc , please call Alison on 021 294 9294 or email theoldlibraryomokoroa@gmail com

Heather Reynolds will display her work in July PHOTOS: Supplied

Quick cr osswor d

How many words of three or more letters, including plurals, can you make, using each letter only once? No words beginning with a capital are allowed There’s at least one 6-letter word

WordBuilder

Echo Walking Festival 20th anniversary

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By Jana Marston

This year ’ s 20th anniversary of the ECHO Walking Festival was a milestone to remember! The festival continues to inspire New Zealanders to explore the beautiful outdoors, appreciate the natural attractions of the region, and stay fit and active From the northern Coromandel to the Kaimais, the festival celebrates many walks that offer breathtaking views and rich cultural history

With 693 registered participants this year, the numbers continued to grow and were up an impressive 21% on last year Despite the unprecedented weather that caused a few cancellations, the walkers remained undeterred and continued to explore new regions while learning from knowledgeable guides

Participant, Lynette Satchell, expressed her appreciation for the experience via the ECHO Facebook page. “Thanks, ECHO for a wonderful day on the track Looking forward to joining you again next year ”

“We are continuously looking for new and exciting walks to keep people coming back year after year, ” says Vicki Lambert, ECHO Walking Festival Chair “This year, we introduced the first iwi-led walk by Reon Tuanau of Te Whānau a Tauwhao to Waipaopao/ Anzac Bay This walk booked out in record time, and due to popularity, a second walk was added to the

festival schedule to Paraparaumu (Shelly Bay).”

The region has an abundance of spectacular natural forestry, bushland, and coastal scenery The festival’s annual photography competition showcases the stunning views and natural beauty that the walks offer Photo entries can be viewed on the ECHO Facebook page

Being a non-profit event, with many walks requiring no payment, the festival continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to donations from participants and the generous funding received from sponsors “A huge thanks must go to our 2023 sponsors, ” says Vicki “Without them, we wouldn’t be here today ”

The sponsors for this year ’ s festival were Taharoto Road Creative, Hauraki District Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council, TECT, Acorn Foundation, BayTrust and Maurice Trapp Group

With no signs of slowing down, the ECHO Walking Festival will return in April next year Keep an eye on their website or Facebook page for further information @echowalkingfestival Website or www echowalkfest org nz

For further information, please contact Vicki Lambert, Events Coordinator, Waihī Beach Community Events and Promotions Team on vicki@waihibeachinfo co nz or 021 566 090

Making room for rivers

By Karen Smillie

Can nature-based solutions help us out of the problems we ’ ve engineered? Tom Kay, Forest & Bird’s freshwater advocate, is coming to Katikati to talk about the Making Room for Rivers campaign Allowing rivers to move, rather than engineering them into artificial channels, is a nature-friendly way to reduce flooding

Recent extreme weather, including Cyclone Gabrielle, has highlighted the vulnerability of our communities to flooding and brought into question our approach to river management and flood protection It has also started conversations across the country about ‘ sponge cities’, ‘making

room for rivers’, and other ‘naturebased solutions’ to the impacts of climate change In this talk, Tom will show us how the way we have managed our environment has exacerbated flooding and disaster risk, particularly discussing the impact of flood protection engineering on the health of our rivers

He’ll discuss how this is made worse by the loss of wetlands and forests, and he will outline a ‘ new ’ way of thinking about building resilience to climate change in our communities

Co-hosted by Project Parore and Forest & Bird Tauranga, Tom will be speaking on Monday 10th July at 11am, at the Arts Junction Theatre in Katikati This is a free event; all are welcome

PIANO LESSONS

Piano lessons

Tue - Thur

Ruru Piano Studio Robyn 022 065 8421 ruruinarewarewa@gmail com

Painter

For all your painting requirements, phone: Gerard Quilty 027 447 5493 Quality Painting Ser vices Ltd

Sewing alterations in Omokoroa

35 years’ experience Call Ann: 07 925 9004

Diana Pedersen Qualified Naturopath

Keep up with your grandchildren or children & stay fit

Tr y your first class for free

Ladies only fitness & strenghtening

Anneli Deschamps 021 077 5416 deschampsanneli@gma l com

KGN Gardening for all your gardening, lawns, hedges and trees.

Give us a call/text for a free quote: 021 295 0134

Omokoroa Community Tennis Club Inc

Notice of Annual General Meeting

The AGM of the Omokoroa Community Tennis Club Inc will be held on Wednesday

2 August at 7pm in the Western Ave Pavilion Social Space, Omokoroa

All members and interested individuals are welcome to attend

DRUM INCINERATORS FOR SALE

44-gallon drum incinerators $45 each

Delivered between Katikati and Tauranga

OMOKOROA CLEANING SERVICES

Homes, gardens, lawns, car valets

Glass,tile shower rejuvenation

Water blasting, painting

All enquires welcome

Ph Ludi & Andrea 548 2657 | 021 070 0021

Just Cats

Boarding Cattery 482 Esdaile Road, Pahoia Single rooms, no sharing, just $18 50 per day Ph 577 1993 or 027 233 2643

aromatherapy support for your health and wellness

Based in Omokoroa Contact Liz on omokoroaoils@gmail com mydoterra com/omokoroa

Casual

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Omokoroa local area only

Maintenance and small jobs

Phone Jason 021 241 9843

Retired healthcare professional available to assist you in your home with all or any of the following: showering, dressing, breakfast, meal prep and housework

Contact Gail: 021 078 1924

Respite Care Worker

Caregiver needed to provide support in your own home overnight for a young lady

• Part of a supportive team

• Good pay rates available via private IF funding

• All training given

Ideally 4-day weekend respite Police vetted

Contact Jan for more information: 027 602 8596

Justices of the Peace

Mon 11-1 Waihī Library

Tue 11-12 Waihī Beach Library

Thu 10-12 Ōmokoroa Library

Fri 10-12 Bethlehem Community Church

Fri 10-12 Katikati Community Centre

Phone: 548 0823 or 027 634 2698 Find a JP

Reon Tuanau leads the Waipaopao/Anzac Bay walk PHOTO: Vicki Lambert