Lizard News May 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

Classic end-to-end entertainment

By Matthew Farrell

The rain began to fall as the last match concluded, wrapping up a great Easter weekend of action for 96 players at Ōmokoroa Bowling Club

Tournament chair Scott Pickering admits they were very lucky with the weather for the annual Junior Easter Classic “It was perfect timing Absolutely fabulous conditions allowed a significant number of spectators to come and enjoy the event Speaking to many visiting teams, they used bookabach, Airbnb and campground accommodation providers from Katikati to Ōmokoroa Off the greens, we achieved what we set out to do - a substantial benefit to the local community we ’ re part of,” says Scott

Match convenor Bill Murphy says the competition was fierce and close

“We had 32 triples teams playing four games for league format points on the first day They were then split into championship and plate divisions of 16 teams for another four games on the second day There was a 90-minute limit on 13 ends of six bowls, two per person With three points for a win and one for a draw, it came down to how many ends won, then points differential,” says Bill Scott says while Ōmokoroa representatives performed well, it was pleasing to see the furthest travelling teams have success as well. The plate winners were

from Levin, and the plate runners-up were from One Tree Point in Northland.

“It ran like clockwork thanks to months of organisation and the contribution of club volunteers lending personal time over Easter,” he says

Bill Murphy describes the tournament as a superb display of talent, reflected in the competitiveness of games and says Bowls NZ high-performance coach and BoP representative selector Gayle Melrose was amazed at the level of ability

“In a lengthy period of running events, this has been one of the most successful in terms of player feedback from the fraternity Thanks to a music playlist of requests contributed by players, we didn’t hear the same song twice across the weekend, and it was great to see bowlers dancing,” says Bill Bowls NZ chief executive Mark Cameron, who took part himself, agrees the tournament is a must-play for year one to five bowlers

“My thanks to the Ōmokoroa Bowling Club for hosting such a superbly executed event With teams from the North Island in attendance, the event has quickly established itself as one of the premier junior bowls events on the Bowls New Zealand calendar,” says Mark Scott Pickering says Ōmokoroa Bowling Club is extremely grateful to the five major sponsors who contributed a pool of $5,000 prize money.

Tauranga Kerb and Paving Championship

1st: Waihī Beach - Adrian McGaughey, Wayne Heron, Kathryn McGaughey - 12 points, 34 Ends, 41 Differential 2nd: Ngongotahā/Ōmokoroa - Michael Staite, Jeff Meekings, Dan Leary - 12 points, 34 Ends, 37 Differential 3rd: Kerepēhi - Shaun Harrison, Daniel Harrison, Andrew McGowatt - 12 points, 32 Ends 4th: RewaDavid Campbell, Scott Henderson, Bryan Scott - 12 points, 30 Ends 5th: Ōmokoroa - Steve Osborne, Bill Morrison, Scott Pickering - 12 points, 28 Ends 6th: Te Atatū - Jean Claude Fuller, Garry Howard, Paul Ghezzi

- 9 points

Tremains Real Estate BoP Plate

1st: Levin - Adam Batty, Quentin Bainbridge, Iria Peni

- 12 points 2nd: One Tree Point - Vicki Hurring, Angela Moon, Faye Mangu - 9 points, 30 Ends 3rd: Ōmokoroa

- Eddie Boschat, Peter Brett, Peter Catcheside - 9 points, 27 Ends 4th: Ōpōtiki/Arawa - Debra Millen, Mere Gillies, Paul Stanley - 9 points, 26 Ends 5th: Ōmokoroa - Deryck Scott, Rachelle Morrison, Karen Pickering - 9 points, 25 Ends 6th: Ōmokoroa - Bruce Lauchlan, David Rolfe, Ross Capill - 9 points, 22 Ends

The plate winners from Levin (left) took home a patu donated by Barclay Engravers while the overall champions from Waihī Beach (right) earned a trophy crafted and donated by Menzshed Ōmokoroa - pictured with Gayle Melrose (centre) PHOTO: Supplied

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Letters to the Editor

From the newsdesk

This month, Lizard News is being printed on a different type of paper This is the fourth type of paper we ’ ve used in six years For the first couple of years, we chose a glossy product printed near Christchurch, followed by a glossy product printed in Whakatāne We then switched to a white matt product which has unfortunately seen dramatic cost and availability changes in the past 18 months. Since the closure of NZ’s final mill at Kawerau, most newsprint has been sourced from Australia, Tasmania, and China

Rather than increase the cost of advertising in line with the increased cost of paper, we have chosen to stay in business and keep printing local news by decreasing our paper costs

In other news, occasionally, we receive letters I do not publish I’m typically not interested in ‘State of the Nation’ letters, especially those written outside our distribution area

There are plenty of regional or national publications across the country to cater for this type of correspondence, as well as websites, forums and blogs

Generic letters about big-picture politics are not what Lizard News is about

This is a community publication for local residents and locally-trading businesses Our unique point of difference is our geographical circulation area and its residents - the neighbours, colleagues, friends, and families that call this place home Thank you Matthew

Roads to nowhere

I am wondering if other councils are, like Western BoP District Council, building cycleways that cannot be completed due to final stages not having property owner permission to have access across their land

Two uncompleted examples, the cycleway from Ōmokoroa to Bethlehem goes as far as the Wairoa Bridge and now will have controlled traffic lights on a very busy state highway to allow cyclists to switch from one side of the road to the other

Why wasn’t the cycleway on the bridge put on the other side?

The other cycleway is Prole Road, not completed because of access problems

If private companies built these cycleways, the council would have made them get access rights before granting permission

Wendy Galloway, Ōmokoroa.

Why a rate increase?

Ratepayers have been informed there is to be a rate increase this year Instead of an increase in rates, why not a decrease in salaries?

Going by information obtained, the increase in staff receiving at least $100,000 a year rose from 66 to 88 That equates to $9 million per year, assuming it is only $100k per year

On another angle, the second in command is on $365k It takes 90 ratepayers to cover his salary for 12 months It requires 35 (? Ed) ratepayers to cover the man in charge afloat for the same period

If these highflyers were paid on their ability to serve the people, they would be reimbursing the ratepayers In 2022, it was headlined in the Bay of Plenty Times that $7 million was owed to the Council in unpaid rates Has any action been taken to recover these monies?

C’mon Council, your consultation time

with ratepayers is also limited

Ewen Luskie, Katikati

Nicky Moran

Just writing to say thank you for promoting the Nicky Moran Concert in The Lizard We had a successful event with many people enjoying a free sausage before the concert We had around 140 people attend We really appreciate your support

Sue Spriggens, Katikati

Food bank thanks

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation for the donation made to the Ōmokoroa Foodbank

The donation comes at a time when we are really in need of stock due to the recent break-in at the foodbank and theft of a considerable amount of stock

We support over 50 families in Ōmokoroa and its surrounds, and they are so appreciative of the extra help they receive from the foodbank when they are in need Thank you for making a difference to these families’ lives

May you be richly blessed as you bless others

Tanya van Heerden, Ōmokoroa

Outstanding service to Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall

By Bernie Limbrick Chairperson

The hall’s committee would like to publicly thank and acknowledge the longstanding service of Ludi Jacobs, who has been the main cleaner at the Ōmokoroa Settlers Halls for just on 18 years Truly a life sentence! We have always appreciated his dedication to be there, fitting in last-minute requests around his business outside of the halls with cleaning and garden maintenance as required

In recent years, as the use of the halls has increased, we have seen the need to have the cleaning done every day, which necessitated a second cleaner in Suzanne Rinderknecht. This arrangement has worked really well until Suzanne recently resigned, which forced the committee to look at commercial cleaners as a solution We now have the services of Pooja, an Ōmokoroa local, now in place

Our sincere thanks go out to both Ludi and Suzanne for their care and fabulous cleaning of the halls for the enjoyment of the many groups of locals that use the

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halls on a daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis; you have all noticed the cleanliness of the facilities over time

If you are looking for a reliable local to clean, valet vehicles, and maintain your property lawns and gardens, then Ludi will be your man We wish you well, Ludi going forward See you in and around Ōmokoroa

L-R: Ludi Jacob and Bernie Limbrick PHOTO: Supplied

Kei Wareware Tātou, Lest We Forget

By Angela Macdonald

Katikati College students attended several Remembrance services in the area Head Boy Peter Buckley and Head Girl Isla Willacy spoke at the Katikati Dawn Service in Memorial Square, acknowledging the sacrifice of those who had gone before in the many fields of war where Kiwis have served They also spoke of the peace we now enjoy and the peacekeeping operations around the world in current conflict zones that our military still work in Makaylah Hull, Sports Captain, laid a wreath, and over fifty students representing our sports teams were also in attendance

Katikati College Deputy Head students Meg Harray and Gemma Groenewald

spoke at the Dawn Service at Tuapiro Marae They talked about the impact of war on our communities and the importance of continuing to support those who have served, and their families, as they navigate the challenges of post-war life

They read, “As we reflect on the ANZAC spirit, let us also remember the importance of unity and compassion in our communities The ANZAC legacy reminds us that we are stronger when we stand together, and that we must always strive to support and care for each other”

A whole school assembly was held on Thursday with Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader Hayden Sheard as the guest speaker Hayden Sheard was

Head Boy at Katikati College in 2000 and joined the RNZAF in 2001 Hayden has piloted the Iroquois Helicopter A109 and also the Black Falcons as part of the

Royal New Zealand Air Force’s aerobatic team It was an honour to have Hayden attend along with his proud parents, Lindsey and Nyla Sheard

Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader Hayden Sheard

Katikati College students at Memorial Square dawn service PHOTOS: Supplied

Staff and students at Tuapiro Marae dawn service

Poppies on the Point

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Before a major dental procedure patients can feel anxious

Thanks to Dr Jordan Walsh s training and certification in dental intravenous (IV ) sedation we can offer all levels of anxiety relief including conscious sedation

Omokoroa resident Cindy Collett was one such patient who chose to sleep through her complex extraction appointment It was a massive job ” says Cindy who needed to have 26 teeth removed That’s not a misprint She only ever had wisdom teeth removed Otherwise her teeth were healthy until five years ago, when a neurological condition caused her nerve endings to die “It was a very painful condition My teeth started caving in on themselves and cracking she remembers Ultimately there was no other solution than extracting them all Six months ago, she plucked up her courage and self-referred to ER Dental

The procedure was scheduled for a Saturday morning and took around three hours with nurses from Tauranga Hospital present to monitor Cindy during sedation It went very well I woke up twice, heard a charming, soothing male voice, and was soon put back under”, she says Her gums are still healing “ Things are still moving into place And it’s taken me a long time to get over having no teeth as a 36-year-old, but I got immediate dentures ” Initially, Cindy could only eat liquid food, eventually graduating to soft food including meat put through the blender An unintended but not unwelcome side effect was losing 23kg

Her conclusion: James did an amazing job I m very happy with how the entire team look d after me and I wholeheartedly recommend ER Dental

From Ōmokoroa and Katikati to Hawkes Bay

By Matthew Farrell

Volunteers at The Centre op shop have heard first-hand about the work being done by the New Zealand Red Cross in the aftermath of a stormy summer

The charity’s director of domestic operations, Ōmokoroa resident Jackie Bubb, helps look after the immediate response to major events

“I have three officers and 300 specialist trained volunteers, coordinated alongside national Civil Defence Emergency Management

“Personally, I was involved in the Auckland floods, where we had a team working 24/7 They were exhausted Then Cyclone Gabrielle hit, and we were around the clock for another six weeks, sleeping and working on a roster,” she says

Without impacting on the amount given to local groups from proceeds, Centre volunteers gave this year ’ s special one-off discretionary donation of $20,000 specifically to help in Hawkes Bay

“That was such a humbling uplift for me personally when I was so tired The little community I live in is so supportive and giving It blew me away, and I really appreciate what you do

“You may have seen on Seven Sharp, Phil Parker of Katikati has been deployed in Wairoa and Gisborne We’ve had a million dollars of aid to distribute there, and he was reporting via video link We had $18 million dollars in a fund that was still open, and that’s a massive amount of trust people have in us to spend wisely and appropriately,” says Jackie

The teamwork behind the recovery response involved around 80 volunteers putting in 5,000 volunteer hours around Civil Defence evacuation centres, including Northland, Auckland, and Coromandel, to Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and elsewhere

“There were smaller response centres

like Katikati too Some marae and churches needed stretchers and bedding People were stranded in Christchurch and Palmerston North Ferries were cancelled We supported passengers at airports

“Stage one is our volunteer activity, providing welfare alongside Civil Defence It’s psycho-social support and needs assessments

“Stage two is a partnership programme The value of Mayoral Relief Funds varies, and we contribute where the need is greatest We support the most vulnerable alongside local government and iwi, and we aim to fill gaps that are not being reached That looks different in different areas

“Phil was in contact with Wairoa District Council, marae and community groups There was $1m for yellow stickered homes where low-income people couldn’t fix properties and move back in because of septic tanks, plumbing, heating, bathrooms and electrical work

“We provided generators, satellite phones, and a communications repeater We had 34 isolated communities needing clean-up and first aid kits

“Marae had either been hit, or they opened their doors to all evacuees They needed mattresses either replaced or added We support communities to be resilient

“Stage three is our investment programme That includes training and equipment to reduce the impact of emergencies happening by providing a local response to help cope with the impact

“I come back again to psycho-social support, which is how people are treated in an emergency Asking how they are doing, giving them a cup of tea The value of that can’t be understated ”

Our appreciation goes to Jackie for sharing her personal thoughts and her thanks to both Centre Trust and New Zealand Red Cross volunteers for community publication

A well-attended dawn service took place at the Gerald Crapp Reserve in Ōmokoroa on ANZAC morning, followed by Milo and Anzac biscuits A second community service was held later in the morning at CHT Acacia Park PHOTOS: Matthew Farrell

We ' r e l o o k i n g f o r i n d i v i d u a l s t o t a k e t h e i r b u s i n e s s t o t h e n e x t l e v e l . A R E YO U O N E O F T H E M ?

Te a m u p w i t h Tr e m a i n s a n d J o i n o u r K a t i k a t i o r O m o k o r o a t e a m t o d a y !

C o n t a c t N a t a l i e t o d a y t o f i n d o u t w h a t s e t s u s a p a r t f r o m t h e r e s t .

Carine founders sell up to retire

By Matthew Farrell

The ‘For Sale’ sign has gone up outside Carine Garden Centre & Water World in Te Puna, owned by John and Leonie Wild for more than 40 years

Born in Sheffield and schooled in Lincoln, 84-year-old John moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was 17 They settled on Old Highway in 1956

He has memories of living in Ohauiti, Moffat Road, Wairoa Road and Katikati He spent six years milking cows at Te Tuhi Track on the other side of Whakamārama, near Matamata

“I’ve been around this area all of my life, really There were nine thousand people when we came to Tauranga Ōtūmoetai was all orchards and no roads,” says John

In economic hard times of the early ‘80s, the couple sold their partially completed do-up in Ohauiti, moved to the 1 5ha Darragh subdivision site in Te Puna, and grew hydroponic tomatoes with glasshouses and a coal-fired boiler for a couple of years

“You could sit out there on a Sunday and have a meal on the road The Flying Mile (Challenge to Pahoia School) had

only been open a year when we arrived, and there was no traffic on it Now the traffic has gone to buggery

“Anyway, when Roger Douglas became Minister of Finance, they started letting in Queensland outdoor-grown tomatoes We couldn’t compete with their prices in winter, so my horticultural mother encouraged us to sell plants at the gate with tomatoes.

“We didn’t have enough room to be a nursery, so we started out small, but customers bought the plants, and we started to concentrate on a garden centre,” says John

Carine is named after a suburb of Perth where Leonie’s brother is from

“It’s near the start of the alphabet, which used to matter in the phone directory And it’s a soft-sounding name, suitable for plants,” John reasons

“We grew hydroponic gerberas for the cut flower trade in what is now the shop We bought a Rotorua manufacturing firm and started selling fibreglass ponds which were very successful

“People started asking for fish We added goldfish tanks and different types of fish, then a tropical fish room and products All we ’ ve ever done is supply

what customers asked for

“The birds were similar We have nine aviaries and flights now, but we ’ ve never bred birds, only bought and sold them We’ve kept out of big parrots, too; they need a lot of room ”

John turns 85 this year and feels it is time to retire and move to Bethlehem

“Once, we had 23 staff Now there are three full-time, two part-time and a couple of loader drivers We’ve shut down the landscaping to make it easier to sell the business,” he says

Leonie, 15 years younger, arrived in the country from Perth in 1972

“New Zealand’s been good to me as an Aussie I had sons in 1976 and 1979 We’ve been together since Ohauiti, then moved to this piece of cowpat land As it’s getting closer to happening, the time is right to retire It’s been hard work over the years when you add in seven-day weeks and covering for staff on public holidays

“We’ve done everything together, excavating and reshaping land to improve the garden centre It’s been a great home with lots of family barbeques and birthday parties around the table over the years, ” she says

AOS raid in Apata

Eyewitnesses reported a large Police presence including members of the Armed Offenders Squad at Turner Road in Apata on Friday 28th April

There were reports that the road had been blocked from 5am, with no one allowed through Passers-by noted the activity seemed close to where there had

been explosions and a fire extinguished a month earlier Police National Headquarters advised Lizard News that officers conducted a pre-planned search warrant at an address in the Whakamārama area Police were speaking with a person in relation to the search warrant and enquiries were continuing

Lizard

Carine Garden Centre is for sale by tender by Andrew Fowler of PGG Wrightson Real Estate with offers sought by 25th May

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

Top eateries win foodie festival challenge

Apyramid-shaped pasta has proven a hit during the Coastal Bay of Plenty’s annual foodie festival

The winners of the Plates of Plenty Challenge have been announced, with Alma Eatery in Ōmokoroa catching the attention of the Plates of Plenty Challenge expert panel, earning the Judge’s Choice Award for its fagottini con funghi e tartufo

Their dish, featuring pyramid-shaped pasta stuffed with mushrooms, Grana Padano cheese, ricotta, and herbs, served with truffle butter consisting of roasted hazelnuts, sliced truffle, pekepeke-kiore, and truffle salt, made one judge note: “It was dancing on my palate ”

Alma Eatery co-owner and head chef Marco Velickovic, says his whole team helped perfect the dish before its release

“It means a lot that people within the hospitality sector recognise what we ’ re doing

“The dish sold out most days [during the festival] We’re even planning to add the dish to our menu going forward ”

It’s the second year that the culinary challenge has been held during the

Flavours of Plenty Festival, which is organised by Tourism Bay of Plenty

Each of the 12 Plates of Plenty Challenge entrants received a box containing mushrooms, sausages, chocolate hazelnut butter, truffle salt, limoncello, chilli, and eggs and were tasked with using at least three of the items to create a bespoke dish for the festival

Pearl Kitchen and Alma Eatery received vouchers donated by Southern Hospitality, worth $400 and $600, respectively, for their award-winning efforts

Oscar Nathan, general manager at Tourism Bay of Plenty, says the challenge is designed to establish and encourage beneficial partnerships between the region’s innovative foodie producers and respected hospitality businesses

“We were impressed with the creativity and culinary skills displayed by all 12 of the eateries that entered, and it was great to garner the support of the seven local producers who enthusiastically submitted their best ingredients during the challenge

“It’s been exciting to see foodie produc-

ers, hospitality venues, tour operators, and event organisers coming together during our first two annual festivals to showcase our region’s spectacular range of edible offerings We’re very keen to ensure that the Coastal Bay of Plenty earns its rightful place on the national and international culinary tourism scene, ” he says

Evangelical and energetic children’s pastor

Based in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, the Ōmokoroa Community Church is seeking an evangelical, committed, and energetic children’s pastor

The church is a vibrant, growing and friendly fellowship of committed believers of various denominations

The main focus of the job will be teaching children in Kidzone on Sunday mornings Also providing support to IGirlz, the Boys Group and Youth programmes

The key areas of importance for us include a love for Jesus and the Bible, a love for children, a passion to make Jesus real, and to help children to know Him as their saviour We’re looking for an inspirational and encourag-

ing leader with skills to build a team of teachers who must be able to teach from a sound understanding of the word of God

We are looking for someone with a godly character with absolute integrity who can teach from the word of God, believing it is the absolute truth, inspired by the Holy Spirit Someone who is committed to the Great Commission, to prayer and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit Someone who is energetic and visionary; able to lead, encourage and inspire others with excellent teaching and communication skills Someone who has a servanthearted leadership, a warm, welcoming, open personality

For exceptional service, call Linley for an appr i l

“Linley at Tall Poppy made of buying a house way les we expected The paperwo seriously impressive - we ’ anything so organized! Lin work with - she was supe also really down-to-earth

with excellent interpersonal skills to interface with the community and a caring heart for pastoral needs; able to handle sensitive and confidential situations

This is a part-time position; hours to be negotiated and we welcome applications from people who are legally able to work in New Zealand

If you would like more information about this position and for the Church profile please call the office on 07 548 2515 You can also post or email your expression of interest to: tanya@theocc org nz or The Church Administrator, Ōmokoroa Community Church, 139 Hamurana Road, Ōmokoroa 3114 Applications close on 30th June 2023

Tukua tō kōrero

Have your say

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is making changes to the way we manage our region s land and water

If you want to get involved in what these draft changes look like, now is the time to have your say!

Over the next few months, the Regional Council is holding events across the region to update you on the progress we’ve made so far, what the key issues are for our region and for your Freshwater Management Unit, and the draft options we are thinking about to manage them

We want to know what you think about the options we’re looking at.

Upcoming events in your area:

Waitahanui: Wednesday 3 May, 2-7pm, Ōtamarākau Hall, 2255 Old Coach Road, Ōtamarākau

Waihī: Friday 5 May, 2-7pm, Pongakawa Hall, 952 Old Coach Road, Pongakawa

Kaituna: Saturday 6 May, 10am-2pm – Location TBC

For our full calendar of events and to find out more head to boprc govt nz/freshwater

Let’s talk!

Tauranga Moana: Sunday 21 May, 10am-2pm – Location TBC Linley Ward 021

Alma Eatery head chef and co-owner Marco Velickovic with the Judge s Choice Award PHOTOS: Supplied

Alma Eatery pastry chef Rosica Kriska prepares to make pasta that can dance

This pyramidshaped pasta dish by Alma Eatery cau the judges attention

Focus on Katikati

By Fiona Powell, Katch Katikati

May is a month of celebration in Katikati - celebrating our treasured Katikati Community Centre and all the amazingly diverse cultures that call Katikati home

Celebrating 30 years

Back in 1993, Katikati was considered isolated from the community services that were available in Tauranga, so the St Johns Resource Centre on Beach Road was established to fill those gaps and ensure the “health needs of people were met in their own place”

To celebrate the anniversary, the centre - now known as the Katikati Community Centre - is hosting a community open day on Saturday 20th May, from 10am-2pm Come along for a fun day of entertainment and food for all the family with Pasifika and Kapa Haka performances, games, face painting and live music - and a trip down memory lane

and finishing at Katikati Memorial Hall with a pōwhiri welcome Food vendors will be serving up a range of tasty international flavours while cultural performers, including the Chinese Dragon, Cambodian Dancers and the College Pasifika group, will entertain crowds both inside and outside of the hall Interactive cultural workshops will be on offer so you can try your hand at henna art, weaving and more

You’re invited to join tangata whenua and learn three local action songs on Monday evenings at Te Rereatukahia Marae at 6pm (Entry by koha/donation) Everyone is welcome to these practice sessions in preparation for the Festival of Cultures, where the group will present these songs and a Haka Pōwhiri (traditional welcome) to welcome all cultures and everyone in the Flag Parade to the Memorial Hall Learning the songs, including a Karakia (prayer), will be fun and easy, with large screens to read from and lots of support from instructors

Updating the history of Katikati

On 16th September 2025, we will mark the arrival of the first Protestant Irish settlers 150 years ago and the beginning of the settlement of modern Katikati The early history of the settlement was covered in The Ulster Plantation, written by Arthur Gray 85 years ago, and the centennial was celebrated in March 1975

Celebrating our Diversity

The fabulous Festival of Cultures returns on Saturday June 3rd, from 10am-2pm at the Katikati Memorial Hall after a cancellation and a pared-down event back in 2021

The cheerful Flag Parade is back and kicks off the event starting from Moore Park

Since then, Katikati has changed from a mature version of the original Irish settlement to a modern, multi-racial, horticultural community This is an appropriate time to document this dramatic change in an updated history

Francis Young, a Trustee of the Museum, has convened a small group to lead this project Sandra Haigh, Pauline McCowan, and Chris Bedford all have a

strong interest in local history and writing experience

“This is a big task,” says Francis, “ so we decided this should be a communitybased effort We are asking community groups to help us assemble material to chart progress from 1940 to the present day”

A working title for the history is: From Ulster Plantation to Avocado Capital: Katikati After 150 Years We are looking for club histories, photographs of important events and personal recollections All contributions used will be acknowledged in the book

Please email hjyoung@xtra co nz if you have a contribution to make, or drop your material and contact details at the front desk in the Museum Article supplied

The spark that started a fire brigade

By Matthew Farrell

Ōmokoroa identity John Luckman

died on Thursday 2nd March We

first published the following article in 2017, after an inter view at the brigade’s 50th anniversary celebrations: The oldest surviving former Chief Fire Officer of the Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade has spoken of his memories about how the lifesaving organisation was started

John Luckman, now 86, was living in Kowai Grove in 1965 when his car burned out overnight

The blaze came very close to reaching the house, and John says he knew then the area needed a fire brigade Two years later, the original brigade began, based in a shed where the library is now located

John co-opted Alec McGregor, who owned the original motor camp, into being involved as third officer Schoolteacher Frank Bishop was elected as the inaugural chief, and John became his deputy for the first year, before taking the lead himself for the next twelve years

“I believe my wife Wilma was the first firewoman in all of New Zealand She worked in the station and helped us with traffic control Back then, we had no uniforms We carted hoses and standpipes in my builder’s trailer Our siren was the size of a cocoa tin,” says John

John had gained 18 months of experience as a messenger boy with the Mangakino brigade when he was 17 years old Back then, the drills included jumping from the top of a ladder into a canvas tarpaulin There was no telephone when he awoke to that blaze more than 50 years ago

“Wilma walked our three children over to the motor camp while I rushed to move all the furniture and a fridge full of food in case the house caught light,” says John

Just then, Alec turned up with his ute and a tow rope made of nylon, which was a new material

John says he remembered his Mangakino training

“I got low to avoid the fumes of my car ’ s burning tyres, I put a heavy rug over my back, I crawled over to hook the rope on the drawbar and yelled at Alec to go ”

He says the plastic rope melted and stretched until he thought it would snap,

but the ute was able to pull his car just far enough away from the house to prevent it from catching fire

John says their first real fire truck was a Ford from Mount Maunganui, which is still owned and maintained by the local brigade He believes the Ōmokoroa brigade was the first in the country to turn out to road crashes, which he used to have to justify to his superiors

“I kept being called in by the brass in Tauranga to explain why we were attending crashes After a few of these meetings, I said we went on a fool’s errand last week to rescue a cat from a high place No one complained Why can’t I rescue your daughter, wife or mother from a car?”

John says he was never asked to explain himself again, as the Ōmokoroa brigade raised funds to buy more equipment to manage road incidents, including axes to cut people from cars

He says other brigades then began attending car crashes, and he thinks firefighters probably deal with more road incidents than fires these days

John still works with his hands, except now he makes macrocarpa toys for children from the lakeside cottage in Te Ānau, where he has lived with Wilma for the past 15 years

John was a foundation member of the brigade formed on 24th May 1967 and served as Deputy Chief Fire Officer 19671968, then Chief Fire Officer until his retirement in 1979 He was 92

John Luckman and Jack Trotter

John and Wilma Luckman at the brigade s 50th celebrations in May 2017

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

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Waihī Beach Menz Shed

By Matthew Farrell

A40ft

Shed Secretary Bob Firth says it’s amazing what can be done when mates help mates and that if you need any crane work done, please contact McLeod Cranes

Shed Manager Michael Bonnici says it was a great day all-round at the shed, with 40 Victor rat boxes made for pickup later that week The team is also waiting for the go-ahead on approximately $6,000 worth of fencing work at a Hillview Road property. PHOTOS: Supplied.

U S T E D

Crime and incident report

By Senior Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh and Senior Constable James Muir Burglaries

7th April Forta Leza restaurant on SH2 was broken into and alcohol taken

9th April a vehicle was stolen from a Tuapiro Road address and later recovered in Katikati Enquiries are ongoing

10th April 0245 hrs burglary to Point Ale House on Plummers’ Point Road

Three masked males in a white van were captured on CCTV Nothing obtained

SH2 Tahāwai, a Stihl concrete cutter and four tyres were stolen from a rural address

17th April overnight on James Road, Te Puna, a vehicle had one of its windows broken

20th April two shipping containers on a Wright Road property had their chains cut Nothing stolen

Theft

20th April overnight a vehicle was broken into at the Te Puna shopping centre, and veterinary supplies were stolen

23rd April overnight a vehicle was broken into on Hamurana Road, and two pairs of sunglasses were stolen

Found Property

Oppo cell phone, 3 music DVD’s found in Park Village Katikati, and a folding walking stick

Wilful Damage

6th April a vehicle was keyed on Lockington Road overnight

23rd April overnight at Harbour View Road, Ōmokoroa, a vehicle’s window smashed Nil taken

Unlawful taking of motor vehicles

5th of April, overnight a 2010 Mazda 3 Regno FJZ960 was stolen from the driveway of a Waipapa Block Road, Whakamārama address It is yet to be recovered

20th April overnight, a Silver 2012 Mazda BT-50 registration LYN326 was stolen from a driveway on Wright Road, Aongatete

Arrests and apprehensions

1st April a 35-year-old Katikati man was charged with driving on a suspended

licence SH2 Katikati Vehicle impounded

10th April a 60-year-old Katikati man was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and driving whilst disqualified on Kea Street, Katikati

11th April a 33-year-old Aongatete man was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol on SH2 Tahāwai

11th April a 35-year-old Katikati man was charged with driving whilst disqualified on SH2 Katikati Vehicle impounded

12th April a 28-year-old Hamilton man was arrested for receiving a stolen vehicle, failing to stop for Police, failing to remain stopped for Police and two thefts of petrol from service stations in Matamata He failed to stop for Police in Minden, and a pursuit was not continued The vehicle was later spotted on SH2 near Katikati, where the driver stopped for Police on Rea Road before taking off again The vehicle was later spiked on Rea Road, and the driver was arrested He has been remanded in custody to appear next in Hamilton DC on the 27th of June

18th April a 34-year-old Katikati man was charged with driving whilst disqualified on SH2 Aongatete Vehicle impounded

20th April a 15-year-old Ōmokoroa youth was arrested for breaching bail conditions

23rd April a 21-year-old Katikati woman for driving with excess breath alcohol on SH2 Katikati

A 28-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman from Whakamārama were charged with trespassing at Katikati 4 Square The woman has also been charged with theft of goods

General

Enquiries are ongoing and progressing well in relation to Ōmokoroa youths who are committing vehicle-related crimes

Three stolen motor scooters and vehicles stolen from Tauranga last week have been recovered in the general Ōmokoroa area

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

container has been moved to its new home at Waihī Beach Menz Shed, thanks to McLeod Cranes and the organisation of Phil Bowyer

Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade

By Ian Blunt Chief Fire Officer

Avery quiet month for Ōmokoroa

volunteer firefighters in April, being called only three times A vehicle failed to negotiate a bend on Youngson Road on 8th April; the driver suffering minor injuries. The team was called to set up a helicopter landing zone on 12th April in Margaret Drive in order to assist a patient; the pilot finding an empty double section to land on close to the emergency scene

On the 18th, while at training, a call came in from the public of a potential fuel tanker collision on State Highway 2 Upon arrival, it was found that there was no collision, but the tanker’s electrical system had failed As the tanker was loaded, firefighters set up warning lights

and traffic control until help arrived

Our team of first responders were reasonably busy, responding 17 times in April Quite a few of the calls were to patients suffering from chest pain and breathing problems A member of the public attending the ANZAC dawn service at Crapp Reserve suffered a severe cardiac arrest As first responders were on site, complete with the emergency vehicle, defibrillator, oxygen and all the appropriate gear needed for resuscitation, they were able to revive the patient

Thank you to the Emergency Department nurse who assisted our team

The service was a little late beginning but was still completed with a large crowd in attendance My thanks to our team of volunteers who paraded in full uniform

A heartrending story

By Dianne Arlidge

The guest speaker at Ōmokoroa

Probus this month was a well known Ōmokoroa identity, Lex Bacon Lex owns a digger and has been busy with his digger doing jobs around the district and beyond for some time

When Cyclone Gabriel struck, Lex thought back to his youth of flooding in the Manawatū where his family farmed, and the devastation it created

The news coming through on the media of orchards and homes flooded not just with the onslaught of water but the build-up of silt

Lex wanted to help, and he had a digger But where to start?

Firstly he used social media to announce his intention of going to Hawkes Bay with his digger, and could anyone lend him containers for diesel?

Within two days, he was inundated with not only containers for diesel but offers of accommodation and substantial monetary donations

Next, he needed a plan This he also found on social media An eclectic group calling themselves “The Hawkes Bay Clean up ” seemed to be well organised So off he went with his wife Sue, a plan and a big heart

After conning their way through the Napier Taupō road, which at the time was closed to personal traffic, they arrived at the Esk Valley to a scene which he said would have to be seen to be believed Their acquired accommodation was situated above the valley, giving them a bird’s eye view of the devastation

High enough to have avoided the destruction of all below

Six metres high silt through houses and sheds Orchards that couldn’t be seen anymore and debris from the branches, trees and apples The smell of rotting apples permeated the air The area they were subsequently allocated to work was the Pākōwhai area, which was mainly lifestyle blocks and small orchards

There were many tragic stories of people sitting on their rooves sometimes for four days When rescued, they told of all their belongings buried beneath them in the silt, including, in some cases, their wallets and even mobile phones Of course, they could only be rescued by helicopters One story Lex told with obvious emotion was of a 78-year-old man with his wife sitting clinging to the roof after having clambered up through the ceiling, breaking through the gib board to get free of the fast-rising waters Some stories were never told by the media, for example the vet students from Massey College rescuing hundreds of dogs in IRBs and transporting them to Hastings Racecourse, which was set up as animal rescue Here through microchips, owners were able to claim their pets

Lex was full of admiration for all volunteers turning up to help Some for days without going home

The food angels were fantastic with the contribution of amazing meals to all workers and victims All donated

Many, many similar devastating stories Lex could have told us with more time But suffice it to say, the ones he told brought many a lump to our throats and certainly made us aware of our frailty against catastrophic events of nature and how ready we should be

Jameson shines at Maadi Cup

Tauranga Boys College Rowing competed in the NZSS Maadi Cup regatta last month Year 12 student Jameson McConnochie of Snodgrass Road in Te Puna won the prestigious U17 singles sculls and was congratulated by his mates with a rousing haka Mum Rebecca tells Lizard News, “Jameson trained really hard all season and got quicker at each event It was a great achievement for him ” Teacher in charge of rowing, Tanya Williams, says Jameson received not only a trophy, but also a singles skiff from Laszlo Boats for the school Tauranga Boys College Rowing thanks Pacific Toyota for the loan of a new ute over Maadi Regatta week, for transporting boats and competitors PHOTO: Supplied

Ōmokoroa Community Board

By Peter Presland, Chair

Not to bore you, but the Local Government Act is the overarching legislation under which your Community Board acts. But don’t fear; this is not going to be a dissertation on the Act

However, there is one element within that I do want to highlight, so to Section 10, which states: ‘The purpose of local government is a) to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and b) to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future ’

I was enlightened by this, as my personal view, my guiding star, starts and ends by asking, “will this make Ōmokoroa a better place to live?”

I highlight this in the context of some of what your Community Board is up to In doing so, I will introduce the other three members of your Community Board

Allan Hughes is the Deputy Chair Currently, he is leading two work streams, one geared toward having a Community Response Team in place when a civil emergency hits us Also, alongside members of our Community Policing Group, embarking on building a business case for having a permanent police station on the peninsula

Greig Neilson is leading our community input to both the Annual and LongTerm Plans (LTP) The LTP sets the direction for the next ten years and outlines what Council will be investing in,

how much it may cost and how this will be funded The process commences with consultation with our communities, for example, what they consider to be the infrastructure projects to benefit our community. I encourage you to get curious about the LTP, jump on the WBOPDC website and read about the LTP and how the consultation process will roll Ben Bell, when not marking football pitches down at Western Avenue and running Ōmokoroa Football Club, liaises with some of our community groups, feeding back to the Board and Council on ways we can further enable them to serve their member groups Ben is typical of people who serve a community and will always make time to follow through on concerns, look for a resolution, and make things happen

As for me, well, I am working on influencing aspects of Plan Change 92, something we should all be cognisant of, given we need to ensure we strive to achieve a cutting-edge urban design in the developments adjacent to Prole Road and beyond In that vein, I am working with members of the Kaimai Views community on improving aspects of the place they call home

The highlighted work streams are but a small part of what your Board is currently involved in, alongside many members of our community Safe to say, everything we achieve will only serve to make Ōmokoroa a better place to live

As always, reach out to us as you need to Even better, come along to one of our Community Board meetings, and see democracy in action Over and out Peter

govt nz

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

This is presented as a guide

We recommend you check with organisers

beforehand

The Old Library Ōmokoroa (TOLO)

McDonnell Street 10am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday

Local history, community information and art for sale Contact Alison on 021 294 9294

Dave Hume swimming pool in Katikati is open for the summer season Check times/sessions at www davehumepoolkk com or contact 549 1069

MONDAYS

Homewood Park Tennis Club 9am start 30A

Park Road, Katikati New members welcome

Email katikati tennis@outlook com

Ōmokoroa Playcentre Behind Ōmokoroa

Settlers Hall 9am-12 30pm

omokoroa@playcentre org nz

Pilates Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion 9 15-

10 15am Contact Claudia 021 192 7706

Katikati Bowling Club Combined Roll Up

9 30am Names in before 9 15am 2x4x2

format Coaching available 8 Park Road, Katikati 07 549 0103

Fitness Fun Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 9 30-

10 30am Contact Gloria on 021 139 2448

Scrabble at both Ōmokoroa Library and Pātuki

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

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

Pilates Mat class Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall

6-7pm Contact Nicole 022 409 7109

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

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

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

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 Tamryn on 576 5387

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

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

of the Christian Centre on Henry Rd, Katikati

WEDNESDAYS

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 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

Wrestling Katikati Primary age 5 30-6 30pm, College age/seniors 6 30pm-8pm Bring a drink bottle A&P Hall, Major Street Text Ross 027 256 4470

Waihi Beach

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

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 1-3pm Call Joce 021 486 265 Brick Club Afterschool LEGO sessions in Ōmokoroa Library 2 45-4 45pm

THURSDAYS

Contact Brooke 021 878 838

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

Ōmokoroa Community Garden working bee

10-noon Hamurana Road south entrance to

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

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 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

MIKE EDWARDS MOTORHOMES

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 Bowling Club Combined Roll Up

2 00pm Names in before 1 45pm Coaching available Social club day activities to follow 8 Park Road, Katikati 07 549 0103

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

or call

Friends of Cooney Reserve 9am Bring sturdy footwear and gloves, and tools if you wish

Contact Chris Cole (text only) 0274 545 586

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

2 00pm Names in before 1 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–April 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

Waihī to Ōmokoroa Community open days

• Solar power, with MPPT controllers, house batteries etc

• Charging systems from 230V power and vehicle alternator

• Low current consumption L E D lighting

• Electric steps, reversing cameras, sine wave inverters

• Satellite television systems for free-to-air and Sky

• Tank level monitors, gas detectors

• Roof vents, locker doors, awnings

• Modifying layout, cupboards, drawers and benches

33 Holyoake Terrace, Lynley Park, Omokoroa 021 550 934

MandDEdwards@xtra.co.nz

As part of the safety improvements already underway on this stretch of SH2, additional investment has provided for 14km flexible median barrier and six intersection upgrades, making this road safe for everyone This is your opportunity to get up to speed with what’s happening on site and learn more about the construction programme ahead For more information, visit nzta.govt.nz /w2o

When Thursday 4 May 2023, 4pm to 6pm

Saturday 6 May 2023, 12pm to 2pm

Where Pātuki Manawa The Digital Hub Katikati Public Library 21 Main Road Katikati

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

24th April - 21st May Graeme Horgan art exhibition at The Carlton Gallery, Main Road, Katikati

Mon 1st 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 1st 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 2nd Book Buzz Come and share your favourite reads with other book lovers 10am on the 1st Tuesday at Pātuki Manawa

Wed 3rd Have a Go art class ‘Collage Prints’ with Jackie Knotts 9am-noon at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall $20 inc materials and cuppa Book with Karin on baysyoga@xtra co nz or 027 486 0736

Wed 3rd 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 3rd Waihī Beach FOCUS Group 10am at Waihī Beach RSA Interesting speakers, interesting conversation and of course interesting people Every 1st Wednesday

Thu 4th 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 4th Waka Kotahi open day Information about SH2 improvements Waihī to Ōmokoroa

Pātuki Manawa - Digital Hub Katikati 4-6pm All welcome

Sat 6th King s Coronation

Sat 6th Katikati Tramping Club An easy 4-hour tramp around Aongatete Long Loop looking for fungi Contact 25summers@gmail com by preceding Friday night

Sat 6th 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 6th Waka Kotahi open day Information about SH2 improvements Waihī to Ōmokoroa

Pātuki Manawa - Digital Hub Katikati 12-2pm All welcome

Sat 6th May Te Puna Harvest Market 12-4pm at Te Puna Memorial Hall All enquiries to tepunamarket@gmail com

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – MAY

Sat 6th May ‘We Mavericks’ play Kaitkati Folk Club 7pm open for 7 30pm start Members $20, casuals $25 The Arts Junction, 36 Main Road, Katikati

Sun 7th Katikati Folk Open Mic 5pm every 1st Sunday of the month Blackboard (open mic) session at Forta Leza, 2656 Main Highway, Aongatete

Tue 9th Ōmokoroa Photographic Society Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion Social Room

All levels welcome 7-9pm on 2nd Tuesday of the month omokoroaphotoclub@gmail com

Tue 9th Katikati Creative Fibre 7pm on 2nd Tuesday of the month at St Paul’s Mulgan Street $5 Email marparmail@gmail com

Wed 10th U3A Katikati monthly meeting 10am-noon in the Digital Hub next to the Library on 2nd Wednesday each month Guest speaker Paula Gaelic, Western Bay Museum Call Pam Mazoyer 021 104 2925

Wed 10th 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 10th Katikati Herb Society Every 2nd Wednesday at 7pm at St Paul’s church Contact Fiona 022 684 5178

Thu 11th Business Breakfast 7am-8am at Pātuki Manawa, beside the Library

All welcome Ph 07 549 5250 Speaker: Tyran Howell, Think Concepts Ltd on Your Tech

Thu 11th Friends of Puketoki Trapping/checking every 2nd Thursday Meet at Leyland Road carpark Call John Budden 548 1180 or Terry Edwards 552 6222

Thu 11th Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting 9am on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month Details available at omokoroabusinessnetwork@gmail com

Thu 11th May Hearing support coffee group 10 30am at Arataki Community Centre (Kingfisher room) Zambuck Way, Arataki, Mount Maunganui Soon in Katikati too Text (only) 021 264 1753

Thu 11th Katikati Genealogy Group 2nd Thursday, Presbyterian Church Hall, 1 Mulgan Street at 1 30pm $5 New members welcome Contact Jeanette 027 348 3259

Fri 12th 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

Fri 12th 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

Sat 13th 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 13th Patchwork Quilting at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall 9am-4 30pm second Saturday each month Contact Christine 027 280 1344

Sun 14th 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 15th 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 15th 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 16th Book Buzz Share your favourite reads with other book lovers 10am every 3rd Tuesday at Ōmokoroa Library

Tue 16th Innovation Garden Club 1 30-3pm every 3rd Tuesday Waihī Beach RSA Contact 027 289 7674 or innovationgardenclub@gmail com

Wed 17th Aongatete Forest Project working bee Top of Wright Road 9am-12 30pm 1st and 3rd Wednesday morning of the month Visit aongateteforest org/join

Weds 17th Business After Five 5pm Hosted by Elliotts Funeral Services Ph 07 549 5250

Thu 18th 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 18th Fun Mixed Doubles Ōmokoroa Tennis Club Western Ave Third Thursday of the month from 5 30-7 30pm

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

Thu 18th Café Scientifique at The Arts Junction, 36 Main Road, Katikati 7pm Free event All welcome Speaker: Thomas Everth on Climate Change: causes and consequences ’

Sat 20th Katikati Artisan Market 9am-1pm Chrome Cafe, 3 Wharawhara Road, Katikati 3rd Saturday of the month

Sat 20th Katikati Community Centre 30th anniversary 10am-2pm Come celebrate 30 years of supporting the community Food, games, music, kapa haka, face-painting and more All welcome

Sun 21st Katikati Tramping Club An easy 3-4hour return tramp to Shipwreck Cove, Whiritoa Text leader Peter on 027 634 4741 by preceding Friday night

Sun 21st Katikati Folk Club Jam sessions 5pm 3rd Sunday of the month Informal jam sessions at Forta Leza 2656 SH2 Aongatete

Sun 21st Friendship Force Ōmokoroa Setters’ Hall 3rd Sunday evening of the month

Ph Jonathan on 572 2091

Thu 25th Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting 9am on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month Details available at omokoroabusinessnetwork@gmail com

Thu 25th Social Media Strategy for Creatives workshop 9am-1pm The Arts Junction, Main Road, Katikati

Thu 25th 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

Fri 26th 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 26th 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 27th 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

Sat 27th 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 27th 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 28th Pest Trap Library at the container next to Whakamārama Hall 3-5pm Last Sunday of the month

Sun 28th 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

Sat 3rd June Festival of Cultures at Katikati Memorial Hall, Main Road, Katikati, 10am-2pm Flag Parade starting from Moore Park to Katikati Memorial Hall, international food vendors, cultural performances, interactive cultural workshops Free family-friendly event

Wed 7th June Have a Go art class ‘Working with Clay’ with Hanneke de Graaf 9am-noon at Ōmokoroa Settlers’ Hall $20 inc materials and cuppa Book with Karin on baysyoga@xtra co nz or 027 486 0736

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

SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa

By Matthew Farrell

Waka Kotahi NZTA staff say they’re looking forward to meeting locals at two community open days this week The drop-in sessions are an opportunity to update everyone on progress between Waihī and Ōmokoroa, to learn more about the life-saving safety barriers to be installed, and ask questions about what’s ahead in the project’s construction programme

The sessions are on Thursday 4th May from 4pm to 6pm and Saturday 6th May from 12pm to 2pm at Katikati

Library’s Pātuki Manawa

Digital Hub

Rob Campbell, the Waikato/BoP Regional Manager for Maintenance and Operations, says these open days are an opportunity to talk with the team about what’s happening in the area now and what’s coming next

“I encourage the community to come along and learn about how we ’ re making SH2 be-

tween Waihī and Ōmokoroa safer for everyone who uses it ”

He is extremely proud of this crew for their mahi on this section of SH2

“Most of this work has been completed while maintaining a two-way flow for traffic on a busy state highway, with around 15,000 vehicles passing through each day At times this has been a real challenge, with a complex programme of work managed carefully to manage traffic delays,” says Rob

The construction of a new roundabout at SH2 Lockington / Matahui roads is making good progress Teams are working towards a major milestone at this busy site This is the third roundabout to be built as part of safety improvements, providing safe turnaround points ahead of the installation of a flexible median barrier between Katikati and Ōmokoroa

At the time of writing the southbound lanes and Matahui Road are almost complete and being prepared for traffic to be switched over onto the new lanes, allowing the team to begin construction on the northbound lanes and Lockington Road

Working on-site can be a dangerous job for roadworkers This is why temporary speed limits, signs and cones are put in place during construction This is not only to protect workers but also road users as they travel

By appointment in Bethlehem

through, at times, very active sites Sometimes other tools are used to help calm traffic, such as manual traffic controllers, speed radars and speed humps - which Waka Kotahi says are now needed at this site to ensure the safety of everyone working and travelling through

Waka Kotahi asks that motorists slow down and follow the temporary traffic management rules so that both road users, and work crews, can get home safely

Autumn has seen some longer periods of settled weather, which has meant teams have been busy on-site completing the SH2-Morton Road roundabout

Over winter, people will see fewer active sites as teams wrap up the initial phase, and shift focus to preparing for the installation of the median barrier and roundabouts

The SH2-Morton Road roundabout

Speed humps are now needed at the Lockington-Matahui work site

Great day for Abbeyfield golf

By Natasja de Graaf

Abbeyfield WBoP held the annual golf fundraising tournament on 31st March at Fairview Golf and Country Club We were fortunate that the weather was great, making ideal conditions for the 68 people registered to play on the day

We wish to give many thanks and sincere appreciation to all our sponsors, players and volunteers who made our golf fundraising tournament such a success The tournament could not have been held without you

Thank you to our main sponsor,

Claymark Group Limited Partnership, for generously covering the catering costs and their continued support

We would like to thank Fairview Golf and Country Club for hosting the event - and the staff for their service, yummy morning tea and an amazing grazing table after the event

The live auction raised a significant amount of money thanks to our auctioneer on the day, Will Johnston of Sotheby’s, Tremains and Colliers Bay of Plenty

We raised just under $4,500, with all proceeds going towards building an Abbeyfield House for older people in Katikati PHOTO: Supplied

Unsung hero thanked and farewelled

By Nigel Williams

Reverend Brendan Gibbs, retiring vicar of St Peter’s Anglican Church, was presented with a Rotary Community Service Award on Monday 24th April The citation reads as follows:

From one institution to another - Brendan Gibbs ‘world-famous right here in Katikati’ - also immortalized as one of our ‘ unsung heroes’ in the recent mural contest

Brendan was born in Nelson, one of seven children and joined NZ Post after leaving school, moving to New Plymouth and then to Whanganui, where his life changed forever after meeting the love of his life, Sally, and they have four children

He is a great raconteur and tells many great stories about his early life You

have probably heard how he was tearing down the road on his motorbike and sensed someone telling him to slow down, which he thankfully did, just before rounding a bend and encountering a herd of sheep on the road The outcome would have been very different had he not slowed

After his local priest advised him that that voice may have been God looking after him, he joined St John’s Theological College in Auckland The rest, as they say, is history

He moved around, initially to Masterton, then Hātaitai in Wellington, followed by a long period in New Plymouth before arriving in town in 1999 - some 24 years ago, and has been at St Peter’s Anglican Church ever since

Brendan has served his community in

many roles, both inside and outside the church - most noticeably as a volunteer firefighter, since soon after his arrival He was nicknamed ‘Father Ted’ by his colleagues

I am sure that his easygoing manner and his expertise as a grief counsellor endeared him to his many colleagues as they coped with the many traumatic events they encountered through the years

Brendan has also served on the Katikati Health Trust Among other things, he administers the Community Van service He has served for many years as a Community Board representative, served on the Katch Katikati trust, and has been chaplain to various rest homes in the district as well as St John’s He is currently chair of the Outreach

Trust that administers the Foodbank in town and was on the early steering committee that set up the Katikati Community Breakfast He still drops in most Thursday mornings and has been instrumental in welcoming many residents sleeping rough in the community to that event

He is returning to Whanganui in May and is looking forward to again living under the same roof as Sally She has been there almost a year on her own

An altogether good bugger, Brendan, you will be sadly missed in our community, and Rotary did not want you to slip away without being recognised in some appropriate manner

It is our pleasure to present you with a certificate commemorating your years of outstanding community service

By Gary Meynell

- what a session this month

Wow

We are doing our best to add some fun and excitement to our get-togethers With that in mind, our session for April was much more exciting than usual One of our members, Steve Brown, brought in a whole carload of props with the idea of getting everyone to choose a few of the props and develop their own mini-scene

The whole idea here was to get the creative juices flowing Creativity did come to the fore, with everyone diving in quickly to grab their items and put

together their creation This photography workshop was an absolute blast, with the props adding that extra important layer of fun to the experience From colourful vintage hats to quirky oversized sunglasses, the array of props added character and playfulness to our shots

There was such a buzz in the room, and many of us couldn’t help but burst into laughter as we experimented with the various items - mostly in the dark using the various methods of artificial lighting that we had available to us Of course, none of us could stay put We had

to run around the room and view what everyone else had created Before the evening was over, all of us had taken shots of everyone else’s creation as well

The theme from last month was Bokeh - the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image. Here are a few for you to enjoy

If you ’ re passionate about photography and eager to improve your skills, then the Ōmokoroa Photographic Society is the perfect place to be Our funfilled workshops are designed to inspire and educate photographers of all levels, from beginners to experienced enthusiasts Feel free to come and join our friendly and vibrant community of fellow photography enthusiasts You’ll have ample opportunities to network, collaborate, and make lasting friendships

Join us at the Ōmokoroa Photographic Society and unlock your full potential as a photographer while having fun along the way Meet at the Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion, 7-9pm on the second Tuesday of the month

Linda Williamson

Evelyn Hoddinott

Brian Ebbett

Ngaire Endicott

Rachel Buer

Food worries? Try gardening for mental health

By John Collier Ōmokoroa Community Garden

It’s green, it’s quiet, and it’s producing our food, so here is a recap of the benefits of gardening.

Most of our suffering comes from trying to control things that we can’t, and every day is one more reminder from Mother Nature that I’m not in control Letting things be how they are and ac-

ceptance seems to be good for us Gardening also helps you move beyond ‘ perfectionism’ and immerse yourself in the real world of chaos and variable outcomes, disasters, losses and pleasant surprises when your seedlings flourish and emerge after a cyclone

The garden is a place to make mistakes and constantly learn and share your failures and successes with others who understand A gentler institution than

Scott says

By Hon Scott Simpson MP For Coromandel

Anzac Day is a time to reflect and acknowledge the sacrifices that have been made by generations of servicemen and women and those who experienced war on the home front By the time you read this, I will have attended services in Paeroa and Whangamatā It’s always heartening to see people come together and share stories about their connection to our country’s military service

Lest We Forget

In political news, the government’s supposed refreshed Three Waters policy is more of the same The only real change seems to be the shift from four mega entities to ten mega entities Other than that, it’s the same policy, just with a new name

They haven’t listened to councils and ratepayers who don’t want co-governance and don’t like the concept of forced amalgamation Surely it isn’t too much to expect democratic accountability in water infrastructure and administration

The government has retained its socalled balance sheet separation, which basically takes assets away from the communities that have paid for them This has been a contentious issue, and we ’ ve seen around our region that ratepayers want to retain control of their water assets

I think the government has badly misread the room, and they need to listen to what New Zealanders want.

National has provided an alternative which empowers communities to make their own decisions about the future of their water infrastructure and services Under our ‘Local Water Done Well’ policy, we will restore council ownership and control, but with stronger central government oversight to ensure water services are financially sustainable

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 Authorised by Scott Simpson MP, 614 Pollen St, Thames MPs’ staff are funded by the Parliamentary Service

school or college and a perpetual place of learning It’s a chance to connect with nature, with the elements and with the thoroughly unreliable art of weather forecasting, cloud watching or stating the obvious about rain. When I’m really stressed, I suggest barefoot gardening to really connect with the earth and the soil, a full-on ‘sole connection’ and, if you have a caring soul, raising baby seedlings in the nursery before putting them to bed in the great outdoors can fulfil a deep need to care and nurture

There are benefits to being surrounded by greenery, and the colours of emerging plants, and the local community garden has a joyful soundscape of rosellas, herons, blackbirds, kākā and pigeons to stimulate our hearing, and if you are pet diverse, we have rodents, slugs and snails

Colourful bright bee-friendly and absolutely radishing What s not to love about gardening

PHOTOS: Supplied

Coming along to volunteer is fun, with lots of chatter, biscuits, cups of tea and opportunities to connect, network, and gather fresh vegetables, and the research is mounting that gardening is good for your mental health

A recent study from Denmark compared 12 weeks of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with twelve weeks of gardening for people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression The results showed similar outcomes, but the gardeners had more to eat at the end of the trial

Come and meet the volunteers every Thursday and Saturday morning Weather guaranteed

O M O K O R O A

•

•

• MTA assured

Ph/Fax: 548 1976

Mob: 027 233 3857

A/Hrs: 548 0429

Brian & Michelle Kirk 8 Hamurana Road omokoroa.automotive@xtra.co.nz

Graeme Horgan at Carlton Gallery

By Lulu Harding

The Carlton Gallery has the pleasure of introducing you to Graeme Horgan Graeme’s exhibition, ‘Our Wonderful World’ opened on Monday 24th April and runs until Sunday 21st May If beautiful landscapes and stunning painting of birds are of interest, don’t miss this amazing exhibition

After a 40-year career as a draughtsman and land surveyor, it was time for Graeme to consider his life in retirement, so he started thinking about what he could do as a hobby, using his skills with pens and brushes

On a holiday in Lake Como in Italy, where there is stunning scenery everywhere, the camera was very busy and on return home, Graeme wondered if he could try to use those drawing skills to create a painting of one of those scenes So, he went to the art store and purchased a large canvas and some paints to reproduce one of those photos into a painting

Graeme says that he “ ran out of talent” very quickly and found that the colouring in of pencilled shapes did not produce anything like what he had hoped for, so he looked for some art classes in his area He visited a local gallery and got talking to the artist there who gave art lessons in oil paints The work he had painted in that

gallery was amazing and if Graeme could get a spot in those classes, that would potentially help him become a much better artist

He was accepted to join those classes which took him to the level where he is now satisfied that his paintings are as good as he can get them using his style of oil painting Graeme uses big fat bristle brushes and oil paint straight from the tube without any thinners or drying agents, painting wet on wet brush strokes in the Alla Prima style and finishes with a coat of varnish Graeme’s paintings are all on good quality canvas using quality paints

The Carlton Gallery is located in the Arts Junction, 36 Main Road, Katikati Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Weekends and public holidays, 10am to 2pm

More of Graeme’s work can be found at www graemehorgan com and on Instagram: @graeme horganart

If it’s worth doing, we can help you do it right first time! The new improved Carine Garden Centre & Water World Your locally owned and operated, one-stop shop for all your

Te Puna School’s Tiki Tour

By Kylie Chambers Teacher

During term one, our school held its hugely successful biannual production - Tiki Tour The production, written by staff, was based on our Kiwiana school theme for the year A group of characters won a radio competition for a Kiwi road trip from Auckland to Dunedin to attend a Six60 concert On their journey, they visited a variety of towns such as Tauranga, Taihape, Napier, and Wellington etc , They experienced some typical Kiwi experiences - eating a pie from the BP, getting stuck in an Auckland traffic jam, going to an All Blacks game and travelling on the Interislander

Our Tiki Tour production showcased the artistic talents of the whole school Children designed the posters, wrote their class items, sang, danced, acted, and helped create stunning props

Thank you to all the parents who helped create costumes, made props, did makeup, practised lines and cheered loudly for their children This event will be one the children look back on with fond memories in years to come PHOTO: Supplied

• Aggregate supplies

• Ever ything you need for earthworks and landscaping projects

• From soil and stone, to boulders and bark

• Bulk landscaping supplies and deliver y

• Extensive range of trees, shrubs and vegetable plants

• Largest selection of fish ponds, water features and filters/pumps

• Massive range of cold water fish

• Exotic birds in our large outdoor aviaries

Lions’ Health Aids / Equipment Available on Loan

The Lions’ Club of Omokoroa maintains a wide range of health aids equipment which is available to community residents on a loan basis when needed following illness and/or surger y To maintain and update equipment, donations are expected on return of any loan equipment

To enquire about the equipment contact Mary Klein 548 1600

Tūī by Graeme Horgan

Orokawa Bay by Graeme Horgan IMAGES: Supplied

Flavours Of Plenty Festival grows local Waihī Beach market

By Jana Marston and Vicki Lambert

On Sunday, 26th March, a new twist was put on the popular Waihī Beach markets The Waihī Beach Community Events and Promotions Team worked alongside the Flavours of Plenty Festival and introduced ‘Meet the Maker’ to their local market

The ten-day Flavours of Plenty Festival includes about 40 events spanning the coastal Bay of Plenty, from Ōhope to Waihī Beach These run the gamut from degustation dinners and desserts, to a chocolate factory tour, beekeeping experience, hands-on classes, and of course, Waihī Beach’s very own ‘Meet the Maker’ market

1500 to 2000 people headed along to the Sunday market, which was held at Wilson Park, Waihī Beach, to meet the people who grow beautiful fresh produce and create artisan food products in and around the area

By Angie Warren-Clark Labour List MP, based in Bay of Plenty

Ihope you ’ ve all enjoyed a good Easter break and enjoyed time with friends and family As a government, we ’ re not prepared to put extra costs on Kiwis during a global cost of living crisis That’s why we ’ ve reassessed our water reform programme and recently announced a pragmatic solution We’ve listened to feedback and made major changes to our affordable water reforms to deliver big

The markets showcased a broad selection of local producers and growers, ranging from chocolatier Ines

Hasler from Chez Moi, right through to Trevor and Anita from Golden Cross Honey, Nui from Bangkok Kitchen, Natalie from Sagrada Wellbeing with her custom-made herbal teas, Bert from Virdis Grove Olive Oil, and Georgia from Gro My Goodness, a small-scale market garden selling fresh produce and flowers

The event gave the opportunity for market-goers to mix and mingle with local growers and producers, where they could sample and purchase their goods, plus of course, learn the intricacies of how and where the goods are prominently handmade

“We have such an impressive selection of local growers and producers whose products really are worldclass It was great to be able to bring everyone together in one location as part of the Flavours of Plenty Festival,” says Vicki Lambert, Events Coordinator at Waihī Beach Events and Promotions

For more details on the Flavours of Plenty Festival and upcoming events, visit flavoursofplentyfestival com

cost savings to BOP households whilst ensuring that the work is now led and delivered at a regional level

Without reform, households will face huge rate increases Our affordable water reforms will fix New Zealand’s water infrastructure and ensure households don’t foot the bill This plan will save families thousands of dollars, with projected savings of around $4,200 in Western Bay of Plenty District

It’s important we strike the right balance for these vital reforms We’ve extended the number of publicly owned

water entities from four to ten, regionally led by industry professionals appointed by local representatives So, every council, and therefore every community, will now have a say over their local water services entities and ensure that the needs of every community are heard and met

This new approach incorporates feedback from Local Government leaders and relevant stakeholders whilst saving New Zealand households $2,770 - $5,400 per year by 2054 compared to the status quo Reassuring news for all of us as we con-

tinue to face living costs pressure

Those receiving superannuation have started getting their increased incomes, with couples receiving $102 84 more a payment and a single person receiving an extra $66 86 I will be away on ANZAC day, and so will miss the many events on – hope you all manage to get along to a ceremony as we remember the sacrifice and service of our ANZACs Lest we Forget

Authorised by Angie Warren-Clark, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn MPs’ staff are funded by the Parliamentary Service

PHOTO: Bad Panda Productions

Sagrada Wellbeing provides custom-made herbal teas

If you don’t have a particularly green thumb, the idea of growing a mini ecosystem in your backyard may seem out of the realm of possibility

Grow On Katikati is on a mission to bury that belief

The Katikati-based community group aims to build food resilience in the community by educating people on the ease and cost-saving benefits of growing your own fresh produce

Through access to seeds, seedlings, education, and mentoring, Grow On Katikati Coordinator Jizzy Green hopes people will feel inspired and empowered to grow their connection with their backyard

“Locals growing their own food will translate into healthier outcomes for many, ” says Jizzy “Food grown locally means more nutrient-dense food (as it comes from garden to plate), greater connection to other growers, more food being shared and swapped, less money spent on food and more money for other rising living expenses We enjoy seeing connections being made; we like to say

we are growing commUNITY”

Grow On Katikati has a number of initiatives to increase food security in the community, including a Garden Buddy system that matches people who need gardening space with those who have more than they can manage, a kids’ Seedlings Club, a Seed Library, and monthly workshops that teach seed sowing, fermenting, and many other skills

“We currently have 111 members,” says Jizzy, “meaning there are 111 households all working toward some degree of food resilience in our area There are also many ‘casual users ’ who come and access their seedlings for a koha It is great to see that we are working to create connectivity between members who would normally not have had the opportunity to interact with one another

“We work on a sharing economy, and on the first Saturday of the month, we host a Crop Swap, where locals can share their excess and take away something they may not have Swaps include cuttings, seedlings, preserves, worm castings, fruit, veggies, nuts, kombucha

scobies, sourdough starters, herbs etc ”

Recognising Grow On Katikati’s work in strengthening community connections through the growing and sharing of food, TECT has recently approved a $10,000 grant towards the organisation’s operating costs

“Covid-19 taught us the importance of food security so that we are resilient in times of shortages,” says TECT trustee Peter Farmer.

Growing food resilience in Katikati Ōmokoroa No 1 School

“Now, with inflation and the rising cost of living impacting our food systems, we are presented with an opportunity to rethink our connection to food and experiment with ways to produce food ourselves to improve our personal food autonomy We commend Grow On Katikati for the support they are delivering for their local community in this space ” Article supplied.

By Sue Morgan-French

Ōmokoroa No 1’s Culture Fest gave us a chance to celebrate the diverse population of our school

The children were given a chance to get a glimpse of the different cultures provided for by our generous parents Canada, Switzerland, Tonga, Britain, South Africa, Argentina, Korea, China, USA, NZ Māori, France, Germany, Tanzania, and Denmark were all represented

The day started with some dancing from Scotland, Tonga, Korea and China Then the children proceeded around our dome, stopping at each country’s display They learnt a little about the countries and got to see some things on display from those countries

Then 2 or 3 children from each class got to sample food from each specific country It was an uplifting and exciting day for all PHOTO: Supplied

Girl Guide Rangers helped to tidy the gardens of two of Grow On Katikati s senior members

Hundreds enjoy sweet treat

By Matthew Farrell

Alittle caravan has brought a sweet smile to Ōmokoroa residents for the past few months

Lepaige Barrett has been offering ice cream for sale at the main intersection with State Highway 2, trading from what locals know as the gravel pit car park

She and long-term partner Colin Gardiner have lived on Harbour View for the past year and have managed the business for the caravan owner since late January

“It was originally painted black because of graffiti, but I wanted to draw all the colourful bits and pieces to lighten and brighten it It just sits in the corner there, small but vibrant and productive We have a tourism background, so we love interacting with happy customers and this little community,” says Lepaige

Candace Rookes owns Candy’s Lunchery on Glasgow Street She stopped to grab a blueberry ice cream for her daughter Xyla after delivering pies to Ōmokoroa Carriers

By Alison Badger

“It’s cute and was really yummy, actually I ran the coffee cart at Wairoa River for six years, so I know what it’s like running a business with passing motorists

“It’s an awesome afternoon treat for the kids and great for locals to support traders working in their community I think she’d probably do all right there,” says Candace

The caravan was initially used to sell homemade soup before red tape got in the way

Now that a hot food license has been sorted, they’re considering whether to serve quick and easy snacks such as chips, cheese and onion toasties, and cold drinks

“We’re selling a product people want; otherwise, they wouldn’t come The most we have done in one day is just over 200 ice creams, ” says Lepaige

She says the caravan is due to relocate by October, with roundabout works set to commence in the summer construction season

The Old Library Ōmokoroa

We have enjoyed a lovely month of autumn despite the days being shorter and noticeably cooler once the sun has gone down However, at TOLO, we have had a great month enjoying the wonderful photography of Jeff Brown I wonder if, as a Katikati schoolboy, he ever envisaged travelling the globe photographing the opulent floating palaces of the uber-rich

We feel very privileged to have hosted

Jeff ’ s photographs – both prints on the wall and a digital presentation of hundreds more It was great to see visitors take a seat and watch the presentation through, and even better to have the opportunity to ‘Meet the Artist’ on Wednesday, 19th April, when fellow photographers and boaties came to learn about Jeff ’ s career

Talking about photographers, our May display will feature work by members of the Ōmokoroa Photographic Society Inc This is the third year we have been able to

promote the work of this diverse group of ‘ snappers ’ from novices, enthusiastic amateurs to professionals – all sharing and learning from each other They meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the sports pavilion on Western Avenue, and they are happy to welcome new members

April is, of course, ANZAC month, and the Ōmokoroa History Group has put together a display of memorabilia concerning locals who took part in the two world wars, with names that live on in street names so that

they will not be forgotten Thanks also to the ANZAC team for organising the ‘Poppies on the Point’ dawn service and the community service at CHC Acacia Park This is the eighth anniversary of these events, and it is very special to see that it has become a ‘must-do’ part of the Ōmokoroa calendar

The Old Library Ōmokoroa (TOLO) is open 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday More information can be found at https://tolo org nz

L-R: Candace and Xyla Rookes Lepaige Barrett and Colin Gardiner PHOTO: Matthew Farrell

Half a century and not out MenzShed partners with Ōmokoroa No.1

By Shirley Miller

With 50 years of Lionism under his belt, Alex Shaw is a very special member of the Ōmokoroa and District Lions Club

Born in Scotland in 1941, Alex emigrated to New Zealand when he was 13 years old He moved around for a few years in the Auckland, Dargaville and Ōpōtiki districts before settling in Waipāwa in Central Hawkes Bay

With the support of his lovely wife Val, at age 32, Alex joined the local Lions Club Wanting to be more involved in the community, he found Lions to be a perfect blend of helping others while at the same time a place to meet new people and enjoy a refreshing variety of activities Contact with people with similar values and vision led to enduring friendships and new opportunities for Alex

By the time he and Val left Waipāwa, Alex was club secretary He transferred to the Tokoroa Host Lions Club, where he went on to be President

Alex talks of the many changes he has seen in Lions Clubs over the years “In the early days, we did physical work like coal distribution as a fund-raiser and reserve development We also took part in regional projects such as the Hamilton Hospice”, he says

In 2009, Alex retired from local government employment and now enjoys a more relaxed lifestyle on his kiwifruit orchard overlooking Tauranga Harbour

Still finding time for Lions, Alex has been an active member of the Ōmokoroa Club

for many years, working for our community organising projects and serving as President for the standard one-year term

All this good work over so many years deserves recognition with a toast; cheers to Alex for 50 years of Lionism and doing good for others

For more information about Ōmokoroa Lions Club, contact Mark Ryan (President) 021 244 4466.

By Peter Smith

The

Ōmokoroa

MenzShed has started a new trial project with Ōmokoroa No 1 School, to give Year 8 students experience with tools and woodwork Carter and Jake were the first two students to visit the shed on 26th April Project leader, Len Riggir, gave the boys an introduction to the shed, the machines, and safety

Their task for the term is to build two bean bag games, which they will take back to school Each has a plan drawing to work from, and they learned how to estimate the amount of wood required The frames for the games are to be made from recycled pallet wood Their first task was to dismantle a pallet and then remove all the nails, learning the importance of cleaning up after each task They then passed a metal detector over the timber to ensure they had found all of the nails before the timber was trimmed.

The boys will attend the shed each Wednesday this term and will be required to make a presentation to

their fellow students on what they do and learn Len, a retired technology teacher, welcomed the opportunity to work with Carter and Jake and to introduce them to a fully operational wood workshop “They will be working with MenzShed members as mentors, and making larger projects for the benefit and use of fellow students They will be learning a range of skills, using a range of tools as per Ministry of Education guidelines, and will observe the use of various larger machinery when making the projects, and assist where appropriate,” Len says

Carter and Jake breaking down the pallet

PHOTO: Supplied

Alex Shaw with his half-century certificate

PHOTO: Supplied

Te Puna Harvest Market

By Sue Clarke

Did you know that bumblebees live in the ground over winter and come out looking for nectar in spring? You will be able to learn more and see the live bumblebee hive at the Te Puna Harvest Market on 6th May

Local Te Puna author Rachel Weston will be at the market with the hive from the NZ Bumblebee Trust for everyone to see how bumblebees live Rachel will also be signing her books for sale at a special market-day price

Local organisers want to make sure everyone knows about the plentiful food options too

Indian dosa, Nepalese dumplings, Thai specialities, Italian street food, Sichuan spicy noodles, handmade dumplings and pork buns, Jimmy’s pure chilli oil, cheeseburger sliders, curly fries, pita pizza, southern

style chicken box, spiders, cold drinks, Fika icecreams, coffee cart with slices and cakes and more Te Puna Hall will be the place for food Saturday afternoon!

The travelling animal farm is coming all the way from Reporoa It is free entry for kids, with craft, produce, flower and plant stalls, a giant pumpkin competition and more than 3,000 ex-Te Puna Library books to sell

The market will run from 12-4pm at the Te Puna Hall (behind the BP service station) so is the perfect place to grab lunch or takeaways for later A four-piece live band called Second Time Around will play well-known covers and some of their own music to set the ambience while marketgoers check out the stalls or enjoy their food

Todd talk

By Todd Muller MP, Bay of Plenty

Whilst I was often unwell as a child, missing out on a lot of school and sports, I was fortunate to learn the joy of books I loved being able to summon the world to my sick bed to enjoy stories of other countries, other people, and their adventures I still love to read, although these days, the material is more work-related and less thrilling I was not so fond of maths, so I had to work extra hard to succeed at long division and times tables, with the full force of my parents and teachers ensuring that I applied myself and did the work

Education has the power to change lives, and it’s vital that this generation of children gains the skills and knowledge to go on to further education and successful careers It is unacceptable that two-thirds of secondary students failed to meet minimum standards in reading, writing and maths

National’s “Teaching the Basics Brilliantly” policy acknowledges the lost skills of reading, writing and maths for many young people A National government will rewrite the primary and intermediate curriculum to ensure that children are given the time to master these basic skills while young so that they are set up for life with this key knowledge

Teachers will be given better tools and training on how to teach the basics to our children There will be a target of 80% of Year 8 students being at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing, maths and science by 2030, as opposed to only 45% currently for maths and 35% for writing

If New Zealand is to have internationally competitive incomes and living standards, we need a world-class education system that starts with teaching the basics brilliantly

Authorised by Todd Muller, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn MPs’ staff are funded by the Parliamentar y Service

Bees in perspex hives show how bees live PHOTOS: Supplied

Local author Rachel Weston will be at Te Puna Harvest Market on 6th May

Three Waters reform reset brings the community back into the picture

Amove to give local communities a greater degree of influence over their water services is being welcomed in Western Bay

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty’s revamped and renamed ‘Affordable Water Reform’ is headlined by the originally proposed four ‘ mega entities’ being scrapped and ten regional water infrastructure enti-

ties to be formed in their place

The ten entities will be owned by local councils on behalf of the public, and entity borders based largely on existing regional areas - delivering Three Waters (freshwater, wastewater, and stormwater) services to households

It means the Bay of Plenty will have its own entity, covering Rotorua Lakes, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, Tauranga City, Western

A helping hand for community projects

Applications for Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s annual Community Matching Fund (CMF) are open

Now in its ninth year, the fund aims to support projects led by community groups and not-for-profit organisations working for the benefit of their communities

Funding of $160,000 is available$100,000 for recreation, social and cultural projects and $60,000 for environmental projects Groups will need to ‘match’ the cash grant they’re seeking, be it in volunteer hours, cash, or in-kind contributions

Council’s Community and Strategic Relationships Manager Jodie Rickard says it is a fantastic way for Council and community groups to work together to build strong and vibrant communities

“The fund provides an avenue where community groups decide what their communities need, and we help with a financial boost to get their initiatives over the line

“Everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment with inflation and cost of living, including not-for-profit groups, so we hope this funding can support them with achiev-

ing their goals,” says Jodie

In 2022, it funded 37 groups with the CMF This included 26 projects in the general fund for recreational, social and cultural initiatives and 11 projects which provide benefit to the natural environment in the environmental component of the fund

Information sessions for community groups to provide advice and assistance on the application process are at Ōmokoroa Library on Tuesday 16th May, 11 30am-1pm, Pātuki Manawa (Katikati Library), Wednesday 17th May, 11 30am-1pm and Waihī Beach Library, Thursday 18th May, 11 30am-1pm

Please email communitymatchingfund@westernbay govt nz to book your spot at one of these sessions or for help with your application at any time

Groups can apply online through Council’s website For further information and eligibility criteria, see www westernbay govt nz/community-matching-fund

Applications close Wednesday 31st May 2023 Article supplied

Bay of Plenty and Whakatāne

Each entity would be run by a professional board, with members appointed on competency and skill The 50/50 split of mana whenua and council representation remains unchanged

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer welcomes the reset on the Three Waters Reform as something which has the potential to create greater acceptance nationwide

“Having only seen the highlights, I’m pleased the Government has listened to councils and the community It’s clear these changes reflect some criticism of the original proposal and that the mega-enti-

ties would not be close enough to the communities they serve

“Providing every Mayor of every local authority with a seat at the table of their respective entity will guarantee the priorities of local communities are heard and make it easier to retain a local workforce ”

While the legislation will be in place before this year ’ s election, the new model won’t start delivering water services until 1st July 2026 The ten new regional entities have the option to begin before the 2026 date if they are ready

For more information on the Affordable Water Reform, visit westernbay govt nz/affordable-water-reform Article supplied

Heartwood Avenue progress

By Matthew Farrell

The District Council is constructing an extension of Heartwood Avenue in Ōmokoroa, from Prole Road to Kaimai Views The $3 million project is underway to support potential adjacent land developments It will include a new roundabout, footpaths, lighting, landscaping, and supporting utilities

Once complete, it will also serve as an alternative route to Prole Road, while the Prole Road Urbanisation project is under construction

In October last year, Council awarded the Heartwood Avenue contract to HEB Completion is expected in late 2023

Kaimai Views residents have been lobbying Council for safety and parking improvements in the subdivision, with the support of Community Board chair Peter Presland

PHOTO:

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(9) 13 Performer (7) 14 Conceited (7) 16. State indirectly (5) 18 Build (5) 21 Reverence (3) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ssorcA: 1 ,tnioppA 5 ,aideM 8 ,scitsuocA 9 ,aeS 01 ,peewS 21 ,ytlayoL 31 ,enorp-tnediccA 51 ,enibruT 71 ,ebyaM 91 ,apS 02 ,etarofreP 22 ,ymenE 32 tcepseR nwoD: 1 ,ssamA 2 ,orP 3 ,dipisnI 4 ,rorre-dna-lairT 5 ,ytsuM 6 ,yrotluseD 7 ,esylanA 11 ,etairocxE 31 ,etsitrA 41 ,suopmoP 61 ,ylpmI 81 ,tcerE 12 ewA Proud to Support Our Community 160 Omokoroa Rd, Omokoroa. Open 7am – 9pm, 7 days Phone 281 1577. Owned and operated by locals omokoroa

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Playcentre roof raffle

Ōm o k o r o a Playcentre is running a raffle to raise funds for the roof of their building behind the Settlers’ Hall, which has recently been replaced

Tickets are $10 each from sessions on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 9 30am-noon Organisers Lucy Hockly and Jainee Hart say they’re stoked with the generosity of local businesses who have chipped in for two prize packs

“There are vouchers for restaurants, swimming, Comfort air conditioning cleaning, butchery, and pizza Everything from champagne, to colouring kits and children’s aprons, ” says Lucy

The raffle tickets will also be on sale at Te Puna Hall Harvest Market on 6th May

mārama Cyberlink are ema led news and events relevant to Whakamāramans sent to more than 230 fam lies n the area Posts include: lost and found, free stuff, community road notices requests for he p positions vacant markets

WBoPDC updates house renta s/sitters workshops neighbourhood watch stray stock etc

We also forward info from Ōmokoroa Cyberlink of general interest Join up by emailing: rossroad@eol co nz asking to be added to Whakamārama Cyber ink

Piano

Ruru Piano Studio Robyn 022 065 8421 ruruinarewarewa@gmail

Plumber / Gasfitter Available for small jobs in and around Omokoroa Operated Omokoroa Plumbing for 33 yrs Phone or text Brent Maclean 027 211 1520

Painter

For all your painting requirements, phone: Gerard Quilty 027 447 5493

Quality Painting Ser vices Ltd

KGN Gardening

PLUMBER

Omokoroa local area

Essential oils and aromatherapy support for your health and wellness

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

OMOKOROA CLEANING

Homes, gardens, lawns, car valets

Glass,tile shower rejuvenation

Water blasting, painting All enquires welcome Ph Ludi & Andrea 548 2657 | 021 070 0021

DRUM INCINERATORS FOR SALE

44-gallon drum incinerators $45 each

Delivered between Katikati and Tauranga

Phone: 548 0823 or 027 634 2698

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

Just Cats

Boarding Cattery

482 Esdaile Road, Pahoia

Single rooms, no sharing, just $18 50 per day

Ph 577 1993 or 027 233 2643

Justices of the Peace

drop-in sessions

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

Find a JP at: www.justiceofthepeace.org.nz