Mahurangi Matters_Issue 449_27 February 2023

February 27, 2023

Local firefighters honour fallen colleagues

Volunteer fire brigades throughout the region mustered last Tuesday evening, February 22, to honour Muriwai firefighters

Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens, who died in a landslip during Cyclone Gabrielle. Station sirens were sounded, followed by a minute’s silence. At the Mahurangi Fire Station at Snells Beach more than 20 local people joined the brigade in sombre reflection and, as the tribute disbanded, they quietly applauded the volunteers – a respectful and grateful acknowledgement of the many risks crews take to keep communities safe.

Communities stranded by road closure

Almost two weeks after Cyclone Gabrielle, widespread damage continues to cause disruption, with many rural residents still without power or hampered by road closures and slips.

One of the biggest frustrations is being caused by the closure of Ahuroa Road between Puhoi and Ahuroa. AT has completely closed a 750-metre stretch of the road from just west of J Tolhopf Road,

blocking it with containers and bollards while engineers assess volatile slips.

As a result, through traffic is having to detour via SH1, Warkworth and Woodcocks/West Coast Road. However, that route was closed as well last week for repairs on West Coast Road, meaning drivers could only travel west and south, via Silverdale.

Ahuroa residents say this has effectively cut

them off from everything they need, from work and shops to medical providers and petrol stations.

The road closure is causing most stress for Ahuroa School, where students and some staff are having to travel for more than an hour each way, instead of a previous 15-minute bus ride from Puhoi.

Last week, the 80-student school had no power, no buses and no email, with

principal Terry Taylor unable to contact the families of several students. In a message to parents, he said last week he was trying to find temporary solutions with the Ministry of Education, including allowing students to be temporarily enrolled at other schools.

“At this stage we remain in an emergency situation and lateral thinking, coupled with common sense, is required,” he said.

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Communities stranded by road closure

“It is difficult to predict how long it will take to remedy the situation until we get reliable communication.”

Ahuroa resident Rhys Joule agreed that the most frustrating aspect of the road closures was a lack of information or updates from Auckland Transport.

“Although we are very distressed at being cut off, our hearts go out to those far more severely impacted. We also accept that the solution to the road damage will not be a simple fix,” he said. “The problem and thing that causes the most stress is that the key to our salvation is AT.

“In the two weeks between the weather events, we had virtually no contact from AT regards the Ahuroa Road closure. No sense of what the plan was, what the comms plan was going to be. We even had to chase AT to put signage up at the entrance points to Ahuroa Road so people would know they

couldn’t get through.”

Joule said regular, meaningful updates were needed, as well as a reassurance that fixing and reopening Ahuroa Road was a priority for AT – at present, the community felt abandoned.

An AT spokesperson said he had asked for an update from recovery staff, but nothing specific to Ahuroa Road had been received as Mahurangi Matters went to press – just the following statement, taken from the AT website:

“We know that there are some locations that are causing inconvenience to residents due to detours and closed roads. We want to reassure you that we’ve deployed as many resources as possible to work on these sites to enable access as soon as possible, but there are roads that will take significant time to fully repair. We ask for your patience as we have many sites across

from page 1

the region that have significant damage.” Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers could also get no joy when he asked for an AT liaison to meet with local residents. He was reminded that in a National State of Emergency, only essential travel should be being undertaken.

He was told, “Our emergency services, contractors and other responders, who are all working around the clock, need a break to try and get roads made safe so that they are passable again for the essential movement of goods.”

Sayers said that unfortunately, this kind of response only galvanised residents’ impression that AT was a “desk-bound, arrogant, non-customer-focused organisation because they have made any customer contact the responsibility of their contractors, rather than front footing answers to the community themselves”.

DOC signals support for offshore sand mining at Pakiri

In a shock turn-around, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has indicated its support for an appeal by McCallum Bros against a decision to ban offshore sand mining from the Pakiri-Mangawhai coastline. The surprise move to support the offshore appeal comes after a meeting on January 18 with Ngāti Manuhiri. The director of DOC’s regulatory services

office, Steve Taylor, said DOC had filed a notice to be a party to the appeal proceedings, which are due to start in the Environment Court in May, since DOC was particularly interested in the possible effect of sand extraction on the critically endangered NZ fairy tern population that nests at Pakiri. DOC is already opposed to two other appeals before the court, for

mid-shore (previously consented) and inshore mining (refused). “Advice to DOC is that the offshore proposal is the least likely to adversely impact tara iti/NZ fairy tern breeding sites. DOC wished to hear Ngāti Manuhiri’s view before joining that proceeding, having already heard the views of most interested parties other than Ngāti Manuhiri,” Taylor said.

AT has blocked the road with containers at each end of the closed section.

Cyclone highlights communication failures – again

East Rodney Community Resilience

Cluster leader Sue Robertson said her biggest frustrations in responding to Cyclone Gabrielle were, once again, the lack of communication from Civil Defence in Auckland and accessing resources.

“We were asked to supply the Mayor with a list of our needs, which we did,” she says.

“While we received basic supplies, the really important equipment such as portable generators for shelters at Omaha, Leigh, Kaipara Flats, Ahuroa and Matakana, and radios did not arrive.

“When I followed up, I was told we couldn’t have the radios because we hadn’t had the training!”

Robertson says the evacuation centre was set up and run without a budget, relying entirely on the goodwill of companies such as Countdown, and individuals who donated food.

The Warkworth Town Hall operated as a Civil Defence Centre for four days, providing stranded travellers and one Omaha resident with shelter, hot beverages, meals when needed and a place to boil water and charge devices. It also shared wifi connectivity with the community, which was intermittent at best. The centre operated around the clock, staffed by Community Resilience Group volunteers, community volunteers and library/Council staff, and supported by Ngati Manuhiri representatives. An Army representative was stationed at the hall throughout the event and was able to assist with welfare issues and WINZ staff were also on hand on occasion.

Robertson says she was pleased with the community response and locals had again been generous in offering accommodation and support.

She doesn’t believe Civil Defence would have been able to set up the centre as efficiently had it not been for the Community Resilience Group.

Robertson also took it upon herself to

Board honours

Muriwai firefighters

A moment’s silence was observed in memory of Muriwai firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens at the start of Rodney Local Board’s February meeting last week. Chair Brent Bailey said former board chair and Muriwai’s chief fire officer, Phelan Pirrie, was onsite when the fatal landslip occurred, and he extended sympathy to all friends and families of the two men who died. Bailey also acknowledged the damage suffered at Puhoi and throughout the Rodney district during the January 27 floods and then Cyclone Gabrielle. He said the board was enormously grateful to the emergency services, agencies and many volunteers for all their work during the ongoing aftermath.

contact vulnerable communities such as Summerset Retirement Village, which was having issues with its wastewater system, and Totara Park Retirement Village, which Vector had not prioritised because it was unaware that there were residents there with oxygen needs and medical alarms. She also checked in on the care homes for people with intellectual disabilities.

“We were doing the right thing, at the right time and for the right reasons, and it was just a shame we weren’t getting support from the people with the resources to make the job a little easier.”

Spontaneous collection gets “a bit crazy”

When Rachael and Pete Hill agreed to be the drop-off point for donations for flood-stricken Hawkes Bay, they were not prepared for the generosity of the Mahurangi community.

It all started when Piers Barney posted on the Warkworth Facebook page that he had clothes to donate and asked if anyone was collecting. In response, someone said the donations had to be taken to Auckland.

Rachael says she saw the post and thought, “We could be the drop-off point to save people having to drive to the city”. She volunteered to coordinate the collection from the Hill’s business, Citywide Kitchens in Morrison Drive, and that’s when it “just went a bit crazy”.

The message was shared on other social media sites and the donations came flooding in. As well as clothes, linen and non-perishable food, they received offers of chairs, lounge suites, a generator and a four-metre farm gate.

“People’s generosity was insane!” she says. “One person turned up with a suitcase full of brand new clothing that still had the labels on it, while many arrived with brand new pillows and duvets.”

The Citywide van was quickly filled “to the brim” and Pete and Rachael dropped the first load to Penrose. The van was soon filled a second time, with the second load destined to be part of a shipping container leaving from Silverdale.

“We were so grateful that people just turned

up to help, including Sue Autridge and Lisa Bough, and Ali Dalziell, who managed the social media. We packaged everything into boxes and then labelled them so it would be easy for people to manage at the other end.”

Rachael says by midday on Saturday, the message had come back from Auckland that they were no longer accepting clothes or linen, as they had been swamped with donations from across Auckland.

“We had to restrict what we accepted to sanitary products, water, food, nappies and baby clothes. We donated the excess clothing to other charities where possible.”

Rachael said while a lot of people had family and friends in the Hawkes Bay, there were many who donated because they “just wanted to do something to help”.

THE

YOU WANT THEM

It was all hands on deck when the donations started rolling in. From left, Lisa Bough, a volunteer, Sue Autridge, and Pete and Rachael Hill.

Right, Sue Robertson at the Warkworth Town Hall where the response was tailored to meet local needs.

Beaches bear brunt of cyclone damage

East coast beaches took a pounding from Cyclone Gabrielle, with huge seas destroying steps and seawalls, smashing pathways and eating into sand dunes.

The wild waves threw up a mess of branches, logs, tree trunks and other detritus, most of which landed well above the usual high tide line, blocking boat ramps, stairs and other access points.

Some of the most dramatic damage was at the usually sheltered Snells Beach, where the wooden seawall was reduced to a scattered pile of planks and the popular waterfront path above it was smashed to pieces in at least two spots. Once the water got in behind the wall, its force snapped the asphalt like a wafer, leaving jagged slabs of pathway and yawning gaps in the surface and grass surrounds.

Further along the beach at Snells, the dune in front of Boathouse Bay looked like a

digger had run amok, with the entire front section of sand sliced out to the top, level with the homes just behind it, and taking out a significant section of planting.

It was a similar story at Omaha, where locals woke after the storm to find a new sheer sand ‘cliff’ up to two metres high stretching along four kilometre beach. Pathways were filled in completely or required a considerable jump down to reach the sand, and new waterways were formed by the floodwaters rushing out from soaked reserves and pathways above.

Ruby Cove and Southern Isle residents were again completely surrounded by water, due to even worse flooding than usual in an already troublesome area, where there is an ongoing campaign to remedy persistent ground and stormwater issues.

Out at Martins Bay, on the end of the Mahurangi East peninsula, high seas

ate into the sandbanks and undermined several sets of steps leading down to the beach. The boat ramp was completely blocked by timber and other debris, while a large slip scarred the cliff to the north of the bay at Scandrett Regional Park. However, it was a different story at Algies Bay, where the sloped stone seawall topped by wooden-fronted terracing was left pretty much pristine, with only a few bits of debris to show that there had been any storm at all.

At Leigh, the harbour was decorated with numerous slips including one that blocked access to the wharf. The harbour walkway was furthered damaged, with stairs missing or broken.

The storm also scoured Mathesons Bay, exposing a rock shelf where the sand used to be. A significant chunk of the foreshore disappeared and bollards were uprooted.

Coastline assessed

Auckland Council says most of Auckland’s coastline has been given an initial inspection, with a focus on known coastal ‘hot-spots’. This has included much of north Auckland’s coastline in the Rodney area, including Snells Beach, Martins Bay, Campbells Beach, Mathesons Bay, Whangateau and Omaha. Additional aerial survey and data capture is also being completed by the geotechnical team. A spokesperson says this information will assist with response and recovery. “We are currently working through the estimated cost of the damage. Outside immediate operational responses to clear debris, this will be determined by the coastal management remediation options that are taken forward.”

Snells Beach

Matheson Bay

Leigh wharf road

Omaha Beach

School playgrounds disappear

The impacts of the cyclone have been felt far and wide around the region. At Kaipara Flats School, Gabrielle wiped out a favourite playground called ‘The Huts’, a wooded area where the children played, building huts and communities. Principal Debbie Hamer says it was a special place where students had their own economy, community rules and regulations. “It was where their imaginations ran wild and they learned a lot about working and being together,” she says. “During the cyclone, some of the trees in The Hut area were uprooted by the wind so we had to make the call for them to be felled.” The loss of the playground comes close on the heels of the floods, which stripped the playground of the safety cushioning bark and flooded the field, which is now undergoing contamination testing. “Our children are a hardy lot and we will make the best of what we have knowing that others have had it far worse. However, this is our story and we do feel sad.”

Councillors enter uncharted post-storm budgetary waters

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

Auckland Council is trying to come to terms with how it will pay for the January floods, let alone the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

At a Planning, Environment and Parks committee on February 9, councillors were worried about how they would pay for the unbudgeted investigation into the Auckland anniversary floods. The investigation will cover the impacts of the flooding, implications of plan changes to the Auckland Unitary plan, infrastructure and policy settings. Cr Daniel Newman said the flooding would have significant budget implications and the scope of Council’s investigation was very broad.

“We are just about to go out for consultation on a budget, which appears entirely theoretical at the moment,” Newman said. He said the budget would need to change as Council managed scarce resources in order to aid recovery.

“I agree with this work, but I think that the scope of it is probably too ambitious.”

Lets get baking

Cr Shane Henderson, who represents Waitakere, had similar concerns, and asked what the budget was for the investigation.

“Do we have the capacity to do this and do we have an indication of budget?” Henderson asked.

Chief of strategy Megan Tyler couldn’t predict what the cost might be. She said the investigation was unbudgeted, as were the immediate relief efforts.

“We can either move money or [get] additional money or different money,” Tyler said. “We will just have to get to that point when we get to it.”

Henderson later said he hoped councillors would get [information] that would help them plan the city better in the future.

Mayor Wayne Brown said a “large lump” of the cost of the investigation would come from central government and other agencies.

“Just like what we have done with all the bins on the berms; you just have to do it and I will sort out the finances later on,” Brown said.

Council staff will prepare a clearer scope of work for the investigation, which will be presented to the committee on March 2.

Basic Biscuit Dough

or whatever you have …biscuit cutters, cut letters out of dough. Place onto trays. Roll leftover dough together and repeat. Refrigerate biscuits until firm. Bake for 15 minutes or until light

Wild winds

keep fire crews under pump

Cyclone Gabrielle hit most local volunteer fire brigades harder than January 27 flood event, with some crews receiving almost non-stop calls at the storm’s height. Downed trees, landslips and leaking roofs were the most common problems, as well as vehicles trapped or damaged by floodwater, combined with power and communication outages.

However, officers said the situation could have been much worse if so many people had not heeded the many warnings to stay home, hunker down and keep off the roads.

Leigh’s chief fire officer (CFO) Kevin Lawton said they attended countless trees down across roads, but thankfully there was little traffic.

“We dealt with multiple trees down under pretty hairy conditions – one came down in the road in front of us as we were on our way to another one,” he said. “But I’d like to say a huge thanks to the community –people staying at home made a hell of a lot of difference.”

Leigh was one of the busiest local stations, with constant calls throughout the Sunday and Monday of the cyclone to help with lifting roofs and landslips, in addition to downed trees.

When local phone coverage dropped out, crew members stayed at the station in case they could help.

“We made the call to man our station during the night with a couple of people there because the phones weren’t working, so even if people couldn’t get 111, they could come and bang on the door where we had working radios,” Lawton said. Other stations kept most busy by the cyclone’s relentless south-easterly winds were Wellsford, Mangawhai and Waipu. Mangawhai dealt with around 40 official callouts and almost as many unofficial issues, including downed powerlines, flooded roads and fallen trees, while in Waipu, incidents included a cabin that slid down a bank and a car in a drain.

Wellsford station officer Tarah Jones said there had been around 35 callouts to cope with mainly downed trees blocking roads, but also slips, damaged roofs and people trapped in cars by rising floodwater. “There were definitely a lot more calls than for the last one, with a lot more slips and trees down,” she said. “Flooding wasn’t really a major issue in our area, but the wind definitely was.”

Matakana CFO Jeremy Gibbons agreed. “Gabrielle was definitely more windy and caused more physical damage than the previous ex-cyclone,” he said.

The crew experienced the cyclone’s effects first-hand, firstly when they lost power and cell service at the station and then when flooding on Omaha Flats Road forced them to evacuate all the trucks to a volunteer’s homes on higher ground.

“Everything is more challenging when you have no power and no communication network available,” he said. “However, Fire & Emergency maintain a pager network, so we were still notified of any calls, even if the additional information provided by our response app was not available.”

Gibbons added that the flooding didn’t damage the station itself, though it came close and the building was completely surrounded by water for a while. Meanwhile, Warkworth and Snells Beach brigades had a relatively quiet time of it. Warkworth CFO Nick McLean said the January 27 floods had been far busier for his crew, with only a few trees and powerlines down and no flooding issues, although there had been a serious house fire in the Dome Valley on the Tuesday after the cyclone, which had destroyed the property.

Snells Beach CFO Jason Connolly also had relatively few callouts. He said people had heeded all the warnings and stayed home, which had helped lessen the storm’s impact.

Matakana Fire Station had to move their trucks due to flooding. Photos, Blair Herbert.

Stubbs development site works start in October

The developers of the land known as Stubbs Farm, on Warkworth’s northwestern boundary, expect to start civil works in October.

The bulk of the land lies between Viv DavieMartin Drive and Hudson Road, and is zoned for mixed housing, light industry, business, retail, parks and recreation, plus a network of proposed roads and pedestrian and cycle connections.

The proposed development is expected to include more than 1350 residential lots supported by a local centre incorporating retail/commercial/hospitality and live/ work units. Medical facilities and a retirement village are also being considered. The property was bought in December 2021 by a joint venture called The Neighbourhood North Limited (TNN). The major shareholder is WFT Finance and Investment Company Ltd, in partnership with Arena Investors. TNN’s three directors are Todd Strathdee (Arena), and Wayne Wright and Wayne Leslie Wright (WFT).

The development site covers a total of 61 hectares, which includes the Stubbs Farm and Middle Hill.

Wayne Leslie Wright (Wayne Wright Jnr) says securing the resource consent for Stage 1, opposite Mansel Drive, has been a key focus over the past six months.

“We are now moving into the Master Development Plan phase to establish the blueprint for the wider development site and subsequent resource consent packages,” Wright says. The company hopes to settle on a name during this phase.

“We are still considering the inclusion of a retirement village that would substitute the lots in stage 2 of the project and it would likely be for around 400-plus residents. However, development of it will be offered as an opportunity to another operator and not within my own retirement village development portfolio.”

Wright says a particular focus of the first stage is on providing affordable housing for those that have been shut out of the property market in Auckland city. A site blessing ceremony was held before Christmas.

“We expect to have another ceremony in September, launching the development prior to the start of Stage 1 works.”

The developers hope to start site work on Stage 1 later this year.

The streetscapes in the development will look quite different than existing Warkworth neighbourhoods.

Paint power

Motorists on Matakana Road owe a vote of thanks to the clever person who thought to mark a particularly dangerous pothole, not far from the new link road. The pothole caused several near-misses as people swerved to avoid it, not to mention damage to cars that hit it. Coincidentally, the hole was mysteriously repaired, albeit temporarily, soon after being painted!

Pace yourself, Greg

During an exclusive phone interview with Wayne Brown, as he and Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers drove out of flooddamaged Puhoi, the Mayor was halted in full flow by a loud and persistent beeping noise. “What on earth was that, another emergency alert?” we asked. “No, that was Greg’s pacemaker,” the Mayor quipped, before adding, “You’d better not let them all know I have a sense of humour, or that’ll be something else they’ll hate me for.”

River water quality

I was interested to read of the proposed development in the vicinity of Valerie Close, south of Warkworth (MM Feb 13). The plan entails a very large and intensive housing development, the western boundary of which is immediately adjacent to the Mahurangi River, and the whole development is within the river’s catchment. The proposers will need to provide very compelling evidence that the 1600 or so dwellings planned for the site will not compromise water quality in Mahurangi River, in order to convince Auckland Council to grant the required plan change.

The article comments on the developers’ plans to protect the river. The firstmentioned component of their river protection measures is “The retirement of farmland and a former vineyard … will reduce nutrients and sedimentation entering the local stream network”. A nice sentiment but with respect, a bit of PR puffery and somewhat misleading – some might call it misinformation.

Ransom Wines planted the vineyard referred to in 1993 and managed it until its retirement about five years ago. During this whole period I can confirm that no fertilisers were applied or any other materials that would leach pollutants into the river. All vine prunings and grape stems and skins from processing in the winery were composted. The winery wastewater system was designed and constructed to the standards required, and this involved the placement of a water dispersal field in the vineyard 50 metres from the nearest watercourse at its closest point.

Good ass new

After all the loss and damage sustained in so many places in recent weeks, it’s good to see something that has been restored, replaced and looking better than ever. The distinctive red sign at the Highfield Gardens donkey reserve has been missing since it was swiped during a sign-wrecking crime spree in early December. Fortunately, the distinctive cartoon donkey display unit was later found intact and, over the holiday period, has been given a bit of a spruce up before being returned to its rightful place at the reserve entrance in Algies Bay. Volunteers including local handyman Mark Becroft replaced fixtures, added some badges and repainted the sign in a bright, cheerful red – a far cry from a shonky donkey effort.

The system was consented and regularly inspected, initially by the ARC then its successor, Auckland Council. The entirety of the vineyard drained directly into a wetland area on the existing Endean farm, and the wetland provided a 200-metre or so buffer between the vineyard boundary and the nearest stream. The pastoral land surrounding the vineyard was not heavily stocked in all the years we were there so I would surmise that any nutrients from cattle effluent entering the local watercourses and the river would have been minimal.

The developers say they will provide “… a treatment train approach for stormwater …” and “… on-site retention and detention …” of stormwater. It would be interesting to know exactly what these terms mean. Regardless of that, it is obvious that the potential for stormwater from 1600 dwellings to enter and contaminate the

Mahurangi River will be a considerably bigger challenge for the river than it has coped with from surrounding farmland in the past.

Robin Ransom, Point Wells

Resignation call ridiculous

I feel compelled to respond to what I consider an inappropriate letter in the Mahurangi Matters January 16 issue. I refer to the letter accusing two Local Board members of cowardice in abstaining from voting on the naming of the Matakana link road and insisting that they should resign immediately.

I do not know who chose to abstain in a matter of little consequence as the name for the Matakana link road (Te Honohono ki Tai) will never be used because very few people will be able to pronounce it correctly, and even fewer understand its meaning. The road will always be known as the Matakana link road or for short, link road, which is exactly what it is. The given name will not appear on any road map as it is too long to fit on a two-and-ahalf-kilometre road. To visitors, especially from other countries where English is not spoken, it will be most confusing. It is the right of all elected people to any board, committee or council to vote for or against any resolution. It is also their democratic right to abstain. This right has nothing to do with courage or cowardice. There could be any number of reasons for them to have made this decision and I have no doubt their decision was the result of much thought. They could have considered it a fait accompli, as it had already been announced by unelected personnel without any input from the community. For over 70 years, I have served on many committees, boards and councils, starting in my teens as secretary of the local cricket club, so I think I have some knowledge in this field.

The demand that these two Board members should resign immediately is ridiculous. This is but one issue, with hundreds more to follow in the next three years. Generally, those seeking election to public office are honest hard-working citizens seeking to serve and represent all of us. This letter may have been the result of frustration due to the normal democratic process not being followed in the naming of a road. What should have happened in this situation is that the name of the road should have been submitted to the Local Board as a proposal, not as a fact. The Board would have sought public input and possibly called for other suggestions. What happened was a few people claiming to represent local iwi decided that the

name would be Te Honohono ki Tai and publicly announced that this would be the name. There was no consultation. They placed the Board in an invidious situation of having to rubber-stamp their decision or reject it and cause offence to the few. We do not elect a Board to rubber-stamp decisions made by a few unelected people, whatever their race.

Over recent years, there has been growing resentment because Maori culture has become more preeminent at the expense of all other cultures. People feel that this is being forced on them. We are a nation of many cultures, each contributing much to the enrichment of our nation. Every culture should respect others. If this resentment continues to grow, it will result in division between cultures. The old true saying, “United we stand, divided we fall” still rings true. The keystone for harmony is our universally accepted principles of democracy. In this instance, democracy was a casualty.

Gordon Levet, Wellsford Communication failures

The two recent flood disasters endured by Northland/Auckland, along with the more widespread catastrophic events affecting half the rest of the nation, underscores the importance of the place radio still has as the most practical go-to medium in the armamentarium of current communications.

It has plainly stood out in the recent calamities as the strongest and most versatile, if least ‘sexy’, means of quickly spreading vital information to the widest population compared to its more technologically glamorous peers like apps, wifi and internet. These other cultures have so outstandingly failed to helpfully connect us in the face of recent terrestrial surface events.

This brings me to the recurring chestnut of Warkworth and its environs suffering perpetually, offensively, and seemingly irremediably, from a lamentable paucity of radio lucency due to fade, distortion, interference or inadequate broadcasting processes, for local citizens.

The latest climatic problems ‘weathered’ by our mature, relatively prosperous, infrastructurally compromised, naturally well-endowed and burgeoning populationthreatened locality, have again highlighted this long-term radio inadequacy and, needless to say, at two particularly crucial, life-threatening times just recently.

What will it take to galvanise the powersthat-be to give Warkworth the radio continued next page

The original sign and the spruced up sign.

quality the rest of New Zealand enjoys, not to mention most of the rest of the civilised and uncivilised world, which it has taken for granted for most of the last threequarters of a century?

Gerald Turnbull, Warkworth

Machiavellian genius

Once again, I feel compelled to applaud the genius, albeit in this case the Machiavellian genius, of Auckland Transport (AT) (see story p1).

First a little background. Ahuroa Road, which runs from West Coast Road through Puhoi to State Highway 1, has in the past been subject to an expectation gap between residents and AT. The locals wanted something vaguely smooth to drive on and AT wanted to go with a more “lumpy” aesthetic.

This led to AT having to waste a lot of time and energy coming up with reasons why they couldn’t maintain the road. Obviously, this has been very taxing and distressing for AT. I know from my time at school that coming up with excuses for why a thing has not been done is very energy intensive. Mind you, as an aside, an ability to make excuses has served me well in my marriage. Now let me explain AT’s new genius plan. Part of Ahuroa Road was damaged in the weather event of January 27 and is now closed. Ironically, it is the section of the road that was sealed. An organisation less cunning than AT would have made extensive efforts to communicate the issue, the plan and would have provided regular updates with effective signage. Instead, AT has kept quiet, except to tell off the industrious locals who moved their cones, then their concrete blocks and then their shipping container.

It is a beautiful case of Stockholm Syndrome. For those that don’t know, this is the Google definition: Stockholm Syndrome describes the psychological condition of a victim who identifies with and empathises with their captor or abuser

and their goals.

You see, in six months, a year or longer when AT finally scrapes together some form of re-opening, I am going to drive over the potholes with a song in my heart and nothing but love and gratitude for AT. In fact, I’ll probably never moan about a pothole again.

S Gonzales, Ahuroa

Viewpoint

Colin Smith, Rodney Local Board colin.smith@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Prevention is better than the cure

RSA gun misfire

The gun pictured on page 29 of your wonderful Mahurangi Matters newspaper dated January 30 is not a Bofors gun. It is, in fact, an Oerlikon gun of 20mm calibre, operated by one man, made in Switzerland. The Bofors gun is 40mm on a three-man mounting, made in Sweden. Both guns date from the 1930s and were used by both sides in World War II. Both guns were fitted to Royal NZ Navy vessels from the 1930s through to the 1990s. Once they were removed from service, they were offered to RSAs for permanent display. They were indeed anti-aircraft weapons but were also used for close-range surface action.

Denis Henderson, ex-Navy weapon engineer

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Wellsford people for the effort that they have undertaken to help each other and tourists that were stranded in the town recently. The roads were blocked north and south of Wellsford, which left the community stranded. The can-do attitude of this community is amazing. Labour MP Marja Lubeck and her personal assistant Tania Hamilton have stepped up and pushed for government funding to help those in need.

The Rodney district has been exposed to various weather events in our history, the recent flooding in Kumeu, the storms in 2007 and Cyclone Bola in 1988. I remember attending school over 60 years ago and school children living in the Whangaripo Valley were sent home regularly because the Hoteo River was flooding.

The variable that has changed over the past 60 years is the introduction of more housing and infrastructure in Rodney. With great wisdom and forethought, the 1908 Drainage Act was introduced to mitigate risk to properties. The Act was introduced to ensure that drainage pathways were kept clear of all obstruction so that flooding

Heritage celebration gathers steam

would not become a nuisance.

Over time, local councils in their wisdom, have ordered riparian planting in these channels and allowed the stormwater outlets to be blocked with no maintenance. The resulting effect is a massive blockage of silt and vegetation which acts like a plug. The land is unable to clear itself of excess water. The proliferation of introduced mangroves in the Kaipara Harbour is an example of a giant silt trap, blocking the path of overland water. Mangawhai cleaned out the mangroves in their harbour and now the ecosystem is regenerating. The rules and regulations imposed by Council pursuant to the Resource Management Act, mean landowners cannot clear their own drains without fear of prosecution and large fines. On a side note, as I sit here on generator power typing this article, I’m aware that power company managers have become frustrated at rules and restrictions preventing them from clearing vegetation around powerlines. Hopefully, common sense will prevail. As I have previously reiterated, Council needs to focus and improve on its core responsibilities to the ratepayer – water, stormwater, roading and drainage.

A string of celebrations is coming together to mark Warkworth’s 170th anniversary. The celebration is being coordinated by Heritage Mahurangi, which held a public meeting at the Bridgehouse on February 8. Representatives from a diverse range of groups attended including the Cement Works Trust, Warkworth Theatre Group and Forest & Bird, which will all mark milestones this year. Coordinator Dave Parker says there are about 30 or 40 groups and individuals interested in being involved, and the list is growing. The plan is to produce a calendar for the year, to umbrella all the anniversary celebrations, from photo exhibitions to walks and talks. The festival will culminate with a week-long event in November, which is likely to include a river pageant, a military re-enactment of the US marine presence in Warkworth during World War II and a concert. The anniversary will mark the founding of Warkworth by European settlers 170 years ago. Info: Dave Parker on 0274 849 935.

Support and Love Local!

www.onemahurangi.co.nz

Fuel boost for community patrol

Gull Fuel NZ and Gull Matakana have come to the aid of the Rodney North Community Patrol, donating $1000 worth of fuel vouchers.

Gull Matakana owner Gay Smith says her business has been broken into on several occasions, so she welcomes the patrol’s presence in the community.

“Anything we can do to deter potential break-ins and burglaries is to be encouraged,” she says. “The patrol is a real asset in our community.”

The patrol, which covers Warkworth, the Mahurangi Peninsula, Puhoi, Wellsford, Matakana, Omaha and Point Wells, is keen to recruit new members to assist with its Friday and Saturday patrols.

The group currently has 18 patrollers, but co-leader Sue Foakes says ideally, they need around 24.

Patrollers are only required to have a clean police record and a current driver’s licence, as training is provided.

Patrols are four hours long, but patrollers also assist police outside these hours when required and help at community events such as the Kowhai Festival.

While most of the patrollers are aged from 40 to 80 years, Foakes says there is no age limit.

“We would welcome younger members who can commit to a four-hour patrol once a month.

“We act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the police and the high visibility of the car is all about keeping our communities safe.”

Foakes says the patrol is very grateful for Gull’s support, as fuel is one of its main costs.

To find out more, contact Sue on 021 1104 230

Call for Kowhai Festival volunteers

Planning is underway to stage Warkworth’s premier event, the annual Kowhai Festival, in October … but volunteers are needed to make it happen.

Like so many other events over the covid years, the festival has been on ice since the 50th anniversary celebration in 2019. In the intervening three years, many festival committee members have moved on to other priorities.

Dave Parker, who has been involved with the event since its inception, hopes the town will rally and new people will step forward to help.

“The festival is a celebration that brings a lot of joy to the town and district,” Parker says. “It’s inclusive and it is the very essence of a ‘community’ event because it needs the involvement of everyone – organisers and community groups, market stallholders, entertainers, food and wine providers, and so on.”

Parker says a committed team of 10 is

all that is needed to manage the event. Additional volunteers can then be recruited for the day itself.

“The primary skill we’re looking for is enthusiasm, but it would also be good to get people on the committee who have administrative and management skills.”

Tasks that need to be ticked off include:

• Drafting the day’s programme

• Liaison with Auckland Council for consents

• Coordination of community groups and volunteers

• Market stall coordination

• Promotion

• Entertainment

• Traffic management and transport

• Food and wine/beer festival

• Sponsorship

Parker said if someone stepped up to take on just one of these tasks, then the rest

would fall into place.

The tentative date for The Huge Day Out, which sees the centre of Warkworth turned into a bustling market and entertainment

hub, has been set down for election day, October 14.

For more information, contact Dave on 027 484 9935.

Phone/fax:

Phone/fax:

Email: admin@mahurangivision.co.nz

Phone/fax:

Email: admin@mahurangivision.co.nz

Email: admin@mahurangivision.co.nz

Email: admin@mahurangivision.co.nz

Visit:

Patrol leader Sue Foakes (left) accepts the donation of fuel vouchers from Gull Matakana owner Gay Smith. Patrollers, rear from left, Steve Watt, Joan Willis, and Viv and Brian Guest.

The Kowhai Festival is one of NZ’s longest running community festivals, but if it is to survive, Mahurangi residents will need to put their hands up to help.

planning and maintenance practices, along with budgetary focus on anything but the basics - such as stormwater management - all too often. Lessons have clearly not been learned from the August 2021 flooding, despite warnings delivered by many of us since then. There will be time enough for all that soon. But today I say again, to everyone who has displayed such incredible community spirit and bravery in these tough times: while we can never fully repay you, please know that you have the admiration, respect and heartfelt thanks of a grateful community.

You are our heroes.

In particular we think of the volunteers and staff of Muriwai Fire Station and affected friends and family following the tragedy in Muriwai, grappling with loss beyond imagination.

In my visits to as many flood-ravaged areas as possible these past few weeks, I’ve seen many others stepping up as well. I want to thank the many community groups and locals who have worked tirelessly before, during and after the floods to organise help for their fellow Kiwi in need.

In the coming weeks I will have plenty to say about systemic shortcomings that will have cost many of you dearly. These include

Tamahunga Trappers prepare for sensitive kiwi release

Another milestone in work to restore the forests cloaking Tamahunga will be reached when 10 North Island brown kiwi are reintroduced on the mountain next month. Over the next three years, 40 kiwi will be moved back into the protected forest and monitored to track their breeding and survival.

Tamahunga is a significant local landmark, with its forests protecting the upper catchments of the Pakiri, Omaha, Matakana and Hoteo Rivers. The forests are a mixture of public and iwi reserves, and protected private land.

Tamahunga Trappers chair David Wilson says that after 12 years of predator control and an expanding network of support from neighbours and the community, many once rare birds are now commonplace and breeding well.

“Birds, bats, native frogs, insects and plants are thriving,” Wilson says.

“While the richness of species supports the overall health of the forest, some birds, like kiwi, aren’t able to return without a little help, as they have been absent from the forest and surrounding area for about 50 years.”

The nearest mainland kiwi population is in the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary.

The first group of kiwi will be caught on Motuora Island and moved to their new home in late March, with additional releases of birds in subsequent summers, providing monitoring results are positive.

The work to enable the safe transfer of kiwi is being undertaken by the Tamahunga Trappers, with the support of Ngāti Manuhiri, The Forest Bridge Trust, Department of Conservation and Save the Kiwi Foundation.

Birds will be released by a team of experienced kiwi handlers.

Although predator control of mustelids (weasels, stoats and ferrets) and feral cats reduces some of the main threats young kiwi face, dogs also pose a significant threat.

Wilson says that in protected forests, kiwi can live to more than 50 years, but in Northland forests, the average life expectancy is only 13 years, with 60% of known kiwi deaths caused by dogs.

“Because kiwi can’t fly, they don’t have strong muscles to protect their chest, which will crush easily in a dog’s mouth. While dogs are prohibited from entering the main forests of Tamahunga, neighbours owning dogs in the wider area are also being contacted about keeping any dogs on their

property under control, well trained and getting dogs trained to avoid a kiwi if they do come across one.”

The translocation was scheduled for a year ago but was cancelled at the last minute after Ngati Manuhiri raised concerns about the safety of the birds.

A kiwi aversion training session for dogs will be held at the Warkworth Showgrounds on Saturday, March 4.

To find out more about the Tamahunga Trappers and their conservation work, or to sign your dog/s up for kiwi aversion training, visit www.tamahungatrappers.org.nz or contact tamahungatrappers@hotmail.co.nz

Kaipara clips berm service

Kaipara residents will have to mow their own roadside berms in future.

In a cost-cutting measure, Kaipara District Council has decided to discontinue the mowing service.

“We were one of the last councils in New Zealand collecting rates to mow residential berms,” Mayor Craig Jepson says. “We’ve cut it from our service contract to save ratepayers money. Council contractors will continue to mow our public reserves.”

Although the service change came into effect when the mowing contract was renewed in November last year, some berms have not been mown and the grass has grown too long to be safely mown using a domestic lawnmower. For those properties,

Council contractors have scheduled a oneoff tidy up.

“After we’ve tidied up these berms we’re asking residents to maintain them. “We’re also hoping people will look out for family or neighbours and give them a helping hand if they are struggling to manage their berms.”

If berms are un-kept, Council will mow them up to four times a year to prevent them from becoming a fire hazard. Council may continue to mow residential berms that are larger than 400 square metres, or on a steep slope. Where this applies, residents can apply to Council to have their berms assessed for Council mowing.

Info: kaipara.govt.nz/berm-maintenance

Thelma Wilson setting a trap line.

Chair David Wilson gets acquainted with a Kaipara kiwi.

Tamahunga Trapper Megan Norling (left) assisting a trained Kaipara Kiwi handler during a transmitter change.

Sellars Law

Sellars Law has confirmed its commitment to the Mahurangi area with the opening of a head office in Warkworth.

The firm has had a strong presence in Wellsford and Helensville since Edward (Ted) Sellars founded the practice in the early 1930s.

Managing partner Bruce Wyber says the new office in Neville Street will provide a modern base for an expanding legal firm that has been serving the Auckland, Rodney and Kaipara region for more than 90 years.

Bruce’s experience is complemented by two partners, Sam Bradford, who grew up in Pakiri and continues to have a strong affinity with the area, and Sophie Waller, who heads up the Helensville office.

“The Warkworth location means that we are now able to work more closely with local accountants, surveyors and real estate agents,” Bruce says. “We already have a strong relationship with many of these local professionals, built over a long period of time. The outcome will be a better and more efficient service for our clients.”

Bruce took over the Wellsford-based family business from Ted’s son Gary in 1998. He then expanded to Helensville and in 2018 acquired the Wellsford legal practice of David Rolfe, which had a strong connection with Corboy Wilson Rolfe & Co.

Sam and Sophie have both been with Sellars Law for around 10 years. Sam is a general practice lawyer with a focus on commercial matters such as the sale and purchase of businesses, leasing and rural matters, while Sophie specialises in property subdivisions. Completing the team is Warkworth solicitor Heugh Kelly, who has worked as a consultant with Sellars Law for a number of years.

With the support of their valued wider team based across other offices in Helensville, Wellsford and Mangawhai, Sellars Law offers a wide range of services, including residential, commercial and rural conveyancing; wills, trusts and estate administration; commercial matters, refinancing, subdivision, transferable title rights and property relationship matters.

Central Landscape Supplies

The new owner of Central Landscapes in Warkworth has swapped a long career in civil construction for a new path in landscape supplies.

Rob Elliott has taken over from Julian and Marg Barnard, who set up Central Landscapes in Morrison Drive, Warkworth nine years ago.

Rob previously ran his own drainage and earthmoving company, operating between Tuakau and Kaiwaka.

“I’ve been a long-time customer of Central Landscapes and I had often thought I would like to buy a yard,” he says.

“The Central Landscapes group sells some excellent products such as quality garden mix, topsoil and mulches, not to mention a great range of organic certified composts and fertilisers, and wooden sleepers and ponga logs are popular for garden projects.

“In this wet, rainy season, I’m keeping good supplies of GAP metals, drainage products and plenty of driveway mix on hand and I’m using my long years in drainage work to offer advice where people need to make

their properties more resilient.”

Rob says he won’t be rushing in to make any big changes until he has had time to get some feedback from customers.

“The previous owners have put a lot of hard work into setting up a really good operation, so my job will be to build on that. I’ll be listening to customers because, at the end of the day, we are here to meet their needs.”

Rob says he has already noticed that the business is good at helping customers work out the right quantities they need for their jobs.

“There’s nothing worse than starting a job and finding out that you’ve underestimated what’s needed. This often happens when people are compacting materials, where you really need to allow another 30 per cent or more.”

Rob says he is not envisaging having a lot of time off while he settles into the new seven day a week business, but when he does, he likes to run and is a keen motorcycle trialist.

Rob Elliott

From left, Heugh Kelly, Sophie Waller, Sam Bradford and Bruce Wyber.

Environment

Christine Rose christine.rose25@gmail.com

Re-prioritising, not just rebuilding

Last month I wrote about the value of electric light. I wrote from the luxury of my sunny South Island campsite. It all seems a bit ironic now, because that hot sun was actually the third South Island drought in three years, and those warm seas were from a marine heatwave that has left Fiordland and West Coast ocean temperatures up to six degrees warmer than average.

We were unaffected by Cyclone Hale in the deep south, though as we travelled up the country we encountered the storm that flooded Auckland, killed four people and left much of Coromandel inaccessible. We drove through scary submerged roads but made it home safely. Our town centre was under water, local villages were cut off, our place was sodden, but safe.

Now, after Cyclone Gabrielle, my friends, neighbours and family have been flooded again. Volunteer firefighter friends of friends have been killed trying to save people from landslides at Muriwai. The pictures of Hastings and Tairāwhiti deep in

mud are hard to comprehend.

Not only do I really appreciate the value of electric light more than usual now, but also the power of power, of running water, of my home safe on a hillside above the flood, below the wind, with no terribly dangerous landslides to destroy my house or threaten it. Many of my friends are evacuated, their houses are damaged, unsafe, or currently being inspected, awaiting their fate.

The power company has other priorities, so it took a week before our electricity was restored. But I could still get water from my tank and run a generator to attend to basic hygiene – once the local gas station reopened. We’re lucky.

I think about the terror of having a mud tsunami through your home and valley; the deaths of babies, children, mums and dads. I think about the vulnerable infrastructure lifelines in the North Island that have been destroyed and left communities isolated. I ride my bike everywhere, have a water

Board spending cuts forecasted

Sharp funding cuts to community groups, events and environmental programmes look set to be imposed as Rodney Local Board strives to slash its spending by more than $920,000 in the next financial year. That’s the sum needed to meet the call for a cut of five per cent to Local Board operational spending made in December’s Mayoral Proposal, which outlined ways to plug a $295 million shortfall in Auckland’s annual budget.

Options for reducing the Rodney spend by $921,000 include cutting grants to community groups, reducing funding for community events such as Anzac ceremonies, A&P shows and Christmas parades, and reducing the opening hours of Warkworth Library to six days a week instead of seven. The Board is also looking at stopping subsidies for hall users and cutting funding to community workers who run youth activities, community workshops and events. All the options will be outlined in a consultation document that is due out for public feedback next month, which includes a drop-in session with Council staff on Friday, March 10 between 11am and 1pm, at Warkworth Library.

Board chair Brent Bailey said that although some local activities would need to be discontinued or significantly reduced, everything was on the table and it was important for people to let the Board and

Council know what was important to them.

“We need to know what you value the most, from our support to environmental programmes with pest control, planting and waste minimisation to arts, culture, events and community programmes,” Bailey says in the introduction to the consultation document. “Or do you want to ensure we can future-proof the development of future assets and capital works?”

He added that the existing financial challenges would only be worsened by the recent extreme weather events that caused so much flooding, slips and damage to local roads, homes and businesses, which Council and Auckland Transport were still having to contend with.

However, Bailey pointed out that it was only operational spending cuts that were being required at this stage, meaning that many Board projects would still proceed.

“With the proposed budget cuts not impacting capital spend, we will continue to respond to previous feedback to ensure our local parks, townships and public amenities are fit for purpose,” he said.

“We will seek to meet the demands of our growing communities, particularly youth, by providing improvements to skate parks and sporting infrastructure.”

He said the transport targeted rate and other transport budgets would not be affected by the proposed cuts.

tank and a vege garden, solar panels (that unfortunately are tied to the grid). But for all our personal attempts at selfsufficiency, resilience and to minimise our environmental footprint, these disasters show how vulnerable we all are, and how we have taken our standard of living and amenities for granted.

Those warming oceans lead to atmospheric rivers, worse cyclones, more loss. Nature bats last, and she bats hard. We haven’t got a moment to lose to appease and repair her. Prevention is better than cure.

Personal efforts are good for us, but not enough without action from governments to prevent worse. I don’t mean just rebuilding roads stronger, or bridges higher, I mean turning off the tap on climate emissions. Fonterra alone produces 19% of NZ’s emissions with little incentive to reduce them. Our government and those in other countries have to act on industrial climate pollution to save us all.

Berger estate funds ambulance

The generosity of the late Steven Berger has delivered an easier ride for patients needing transport from the Rodney area to hospital. Its modern equipment will also make it easier for St John staff to manage and care for people.

Berger, who died nearly three years ago aged 70, left substantial donations in his estate to three emergency and medical care organisations – the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Harbour Hospice Warkworth Wellsford and Hato Hone St John. On February 9, his generosity was recognised when a new ambulance, worth $250,000, was blessed at the Warkworth Ambulance Station.

Hato Hone St John Northern Regional Trust Board patron Richard Blundell said NZ had a world class ambulance service and St John was the largest first aid trainer in NZ.

He said of the 60 or so ambulance blessings he had attended, this was the first from an estate.

“An ambulance is a gift that keeps on giving,” he said. “Over the next eight years, this ambulance, with Steven’s name on it,

will attend thousands of callouts. It is an incredibly special donation and one that we really appreciate.”

St John Warkworth area committee treasurer Richard Gerard said the new ambulance would be invaluable in a district that was growing quickly.

Warkworth attended 1703 incidents last year, averaging four to five jobs a day.

Rodney/Northland area operations manager Casey Stark-Allen said the new Generation 4.1 ambulance had many features that would benefit ambulance officers, including a power load stretcher, as well as better air conditioning and ventilation.

The ambulance will be one of two based at the Warkworth station.

Berger was born in Ahuroa, but grew up on a family farm on the corner of Green and Matakana Roads. He was a Jack of many trades, working as a labourer for most of his life. He also worked for Times Media and New World. His brother Ron, who was at the blessing, said his brother loved to cook and owned Tony’s Fish Shop in Warkworth for a while.

Volunteering for St John

As a charity, Hato Hone St John is always keen to recruit volunteers to help it do its job. There are currently about 15 volunteers in the Warkworth/Silverdale group. They work alongside staff in a range of roles, from ambulance operations to providing caring caller services, pet therapy and Friends of the Emergency Department. Full training is provided to the level of service a volunteer can contribute. Generally, volunteers work a four-hour shift once a week or once a fortnight and rosters are pre-organised, so volunteers know exactly when they are required. Enquiries can be made at the Warkworth station or by phoning 0800 ST JOHN (785 646)

We go the extra mile to put a smile on your dial

Ambulance donor Steven Berger.

From left, Casey Stark-Allen, Richard Gerard, Ron Berger and Richard Blundell.

Casey Stark-Allen demonstrates the power load stretcher, which will make loading larger patients a lot easier.

Before hitting the road, the new ambulance was blessed by chaplain Pam Cunningham.

Health

Rachel Wilson, The Food Tree rachael@thefoodtree.co

Food wars to food freedom

It’s February and many people are struggling with a sense of failure over their diet and exercise resolutions. But this happens every year; restrictive diets are unlikely to bring health or happiness. Instead, they often damage our relationship with food and our bodies, negatively impacting our mental and physical health. What if there was another way to honour our bodies, prioritise our health and truly love ourselves? The great news is that there is a way to break this toxic cycle.

Our bodies are amazing vessels that carry us through life, but they need nourishing, nurturing and compassion. One of my clients speaks for many saying, “I feel so sad about the years I lost to restrictive diets, thinking I would only matter if I was thinner”. The $60 billion diet and ‘lifestyle’ industry thrives on a ‘restrict and relapse’ cycle. Research clearly shows that 85% to 97% of dieters regain the weight they lost, and one-third will gain even more within two to five years.

One reason diets don’t work is that our bodies are hard-wired to rebel against restriction. When we restrict food, our bodies think we are starving and work

harder to store energy – our metabolism slows and our brains focus fiercely on what is being denied. As one client said, “I couldn’t even trust myself with a bag of chips or chocolate in the house. I felt totally consumed by thoughts of food.”

All of this restriction is in the pursuit of a thinner body, even though less than five per cent of people are genetically thin. Instead of striving for the impossible, it is time to treat your body with compassion, learning to love the skin you’re in.

Intuitive eating is about reconnecting with your body and developing a positive body image. It’s about getting in touch with internal cues rather than arbitrary rules around eating. By removing restrictions in a supportive environment, you can take back the power that food has over you. Learning to appreciate the unique needs of your body, you can make better decisions about food, movement, rest and self-care, leading to improved overall health and well-being. After years of shame and guilt, you can learn to enjoy the process of eating and preparing food again.

Rachael Wilson is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and mindful eating coach.

Birthday takes nautical turn

It’s not every day a person gets to celebrate their birthday aboard a boat bearing their own name. But this was the honour bestowed on J. Barry Ferguson recently when he celebrated his 92nd birthday. Barry, who lives in The Oaks in Warkworth, was one of the generous donors who purchased a landing barge, which will link Wenderholm with Te Muri Regional Park and the Mahurangi Coastal Trail. The birthday bash included a picnic and a cruise down the Mahurangi River.

Cuisine

Lauraine Jacobs www.laurainejacobs.co.nz/blog/

The essence of summer

Despite the infrequent appearance of eggs this summer, fritters have been a mainstay of my summer. The egg situation is worrying, and I have a feeling that it’s around for a while, so when you can get eggs, keep a few in the fridge as they last for up to six weeks from when they’re freshly laid. Not everyone keeps their eggs in the fridge but I prefer to chill them. But do remember if you’re baking or even poaching eggs, they are better removed for an hour before you use them and brought to room temperature.

We’ve had smoked fish fritters for dinner, corn fritters with bacon for breakfast, mini oyster and carrot fritters served up with drinks, and chunky everything-goes-into-them lunchtime fritters to brighten up some of those awful wet days we’ve had to put up with.

Mastering fritter-making is a skill that’s easy, quick and worth pursuing. If you have a few eggs (about three) on hand, some vegetables in the fridge and even a can or two of salmon or tuna in the pantry, you have the makings of a delicious meal in no time at all. My favourite fritters of all time are whitebait fritters and for those all I use is fresh free-range eggs, salt and about 100g whitebait. However, there’s been a real scarcity of whitebait this past season and if you do have a source for this delicacy you will probably be taking out a mortgage to pay for a tiny packet of 100 grams.

The basic batter for any fritter is beaten eggs, flour and a teaspoon of baking powder. Go fairly lightly on the flour and don’t forget the salt as there’s nothing less appetising than a bland gluey fritter. For a really light fritter you can use cornflour in place of the flour, but once again, do not be heavy handed. Whisk the batter ingredients together well. I have a hand-held little electric beater which I really love as it is easy to use and wash and does the job of whisking most things quickly, except for a large cake or sponge.

You can add whatever is around to the batter, unless it needs cooking for longer than the batter takes to set. Potatoes are a good example – they should be cooked before adding to fritter batter. I am generally inspired by the seasonal vegies

I buy at the wonderful honesty farm stands on the Omaha Flats. This month’s recipe is truly a Matakana cook-up. Corn and courgettes from those farm stands, ham from Matakana butchery (so delicious), and eggs and Whangaripo Buffalo St Malo cheese at the Matakana Farmers Market. Enjoy!

CONCERT SEASON

For the fritters

3 eggs

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 corn cob

2 courgettes

1/2 cup finely grated Tasty cheese

2 slices ham

Small handful of parsley

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp butter

For serving

Sour cream

Spicy chutney or chilli sauce

New Zealand String Quartet

Sunday, 2 April 2023 at 4pm

Les Voisins (Violin, Cello & Theorbo Guitar)

Saturday, 29 April 2023 at 4pm

Stephen De Pledge (Solo Piano)

Sunday, 28 May 2023 at 4pm

Menzies/Endres Duo (Violin & Piano)

Saturday, 1 July 2023 at 4pm

Ben Wilcock Quartet Jazz Ensemble (Piano, Violin, Double Bass & Percussion)

Saturday, 29 July 2023 at 4pm

Akarana Piano Quartet

Saturday, 26 August 2023 at 4pm

Calathea String Quartet

Saturday, 30 September 2023 at 4pm

Venue for all concerts – Warkworth Town Hall

For further information on all performances, please visit our website www.warkworthmusic.org.nz

Assemble and prepare the ingredients: Simmer the corn for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water and allow to cool before cutting all the kernels off. Grate the courgettes finely to make about I cup. Slice the ham into small pieces and chop the parsley.

Beat the eggs in a bowl until well mixed, then beat in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Tip in the corn, courgettes, cheese, ham and mix everything together well.

Heat a large heavy frying pan with the sunflower oil and the butter. When hot but not smoking, drop tablespoons of the batter, well separated, into the pan and cook over a medium to low heat for about 3 minutes on each side. When springy to the touch remove with a fish slice to a warm plate. Repeat until the mixture is all used up. You may need to add a little more oil and you should have between 12 and 15 fritters.

To serve, place the fritters on a platter and top each with a spoonful of sour cream and a teaspoonful of spicy chutney. You can make these ahead, cover and carefully reheat in the oven, set at a low temperature.

Friday

Kerry & Matty

Friday 10th March

Passion Duo

Friday 17th March

Dean Heazlewood

Saturday 18th March

Rud Stewart Show

Friday 24th March

RPM

Friday 31st March

Kane Steves

Summer Fritters

Science Accelerating climate chaos

As climate anxiety grows around the planet, there is a rising chorus of informed scientific voices asking the fatal question: Could climate change lead to biological extinction? A vital first strategy to avoid that outcome is global cooperation to protect the most vulnerable nations from extreme climate impacts.

A major extinction event is characterised by the loss of more than 75% of global biological species in a geologically short period of time. A major extinction event occurred 65 million years ago and it involved a large asteroid crashing into what is now called the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This event, which would have caused drastic changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and climate, extinguished about 75% of biological species on planet Earth. The mammals surviving that extinction event evolved over a long period into the primates and eventually into a series of ancestor species leading to modern humans. Homo sapiens or modern humans appeared only 0.2 million years ago in this long evolutionary journey. Hence, modern humans did not exist during the most destructive extinction events that have occurred over the past 500 million years. However, humans have certainly been involved in the ongoing extinction-type processes occurring during the industrial revolution over the past 150 years. Data suggests that recent extinction rates of biological species have been running tens to hundreds of times faster than in prehuman times.

The threats to human populations from climate events are becoming evident. The respected science journal Nature predicts that by 2100, 83 million people will die directly of physical effects of extreme heat beyond the thermal limits of the human body. However, this figure, which is roughly 10 times greater

than total covid fatalities, understates the problem because it excludes human lives lost by non-physiological factors. These include deaths from flooding, inundation, wild fires, storms and conflicts over shrinking food resources necessary for survival.

The Earth has experienced a disastrous series of climate events in 2021 and 2022, including the most extreme heat wave in modern history, a record four weather disasters with a total economic impact of $80 billion, and the hottest month on record. China experienced the longest and most serious heat wave in its recorded history. Iran has had the hottest day globally (53C) in July this year. Extended exposure to temperatures higher than 46.5C is likely to be lethal for human beings. Such lethal temperatures may soon cause the equatorial belt of the planet, which is home to a substantial fraction of the global population and much of its poverty, to be uninhabitable for humans. A 2021 United Nations report projects 118 million poor people in Africa will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat by 2030. Loss of fragile food sources to climate change in subSaharan Africa has led the United Nations Development Program to project that by 2100 massive migration of climate refugees (86 million) will occur, driven by famine and poverty. Also, this year’s Pakistan flooding events from 3.4 metres in flood depth have impacted 33 million people and caused 1700 deaths, as well as $40 billion in damage. This acceleration in the number of major climatic disasters and the associated loss of human lives is being felt disproportionately in impoverished developing communities. As a first step in reducing the risk of extinction, the recent COP27 meeting agreed to the establishment of an historic Loss and Damage Fund, which will help vulnerable nations adapt to major climate impacts.

Environmental monitoring funded

Tāngata whenua entities are invited to apply for a share of a new $20,000 fund from Northland Regional Council (NRC) designed to help them carry out environmental monitoring in Te Tai Tokerau. NRC chair Tui Shortland says the fund will give tangata whenua resources to complement existing monitoring activities in partnership projects or programmes with Council.

“This fund can help tāngata whenua to undertake cultural monitoring activities, to increase their skills and knowledge of scientific environmental monitoring, and to develop methods for monitoring the cultural and physical health of fresh and coastal water bodies and their associated ecosystems, as well as the impact of climate

Local Board office opening

change,” she says.

Applicants need to be an established legal or operational tāngata whenua entity, such as a marae committee, hapū trust, iwi authority or a consultant contracted to act on the entity’s behalf.

Applications are open until Friday, March 24 and are expected to be decided by midApril.

Data gathered as a result of the funding will be made available to the Council, though Shortland says there may be exceptions if there are “particular sensitivities associated with some or all of the information, for instance wāhi tapu areas or mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) that is held close by hapu”.

Info: Go to www.nrc.govt.nz/TWEMF

Rodney Local Board’s new Warkworth base is due to open next week with a karakia, followed by a workshop for members. The new premises at 3 Elizabeth Street will be blessed by Ngati Manuhiri, whose settlement trust offices are directly opposite the RLB building, on Wednesday, March 1. The building will be used for Board business meetings, workshops and public engagements, as well as providing office space for elected members and staff. It will not duplicate or replace existing facilities and services at the Auckland Council service centre in Baxter Street.

Emeritus Professor Ralph Cooney ONZM, FRSNZ r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz

shows retain A&P rural life role in important

A&P shows have an important role to play in bridging the growing divide between urban and rural communities, according to Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show chair Carl King.

King says the opportunity to get up close to farm animals and talk to people off the land gives city-based people the chance to break down stereotypes.

“Farmers often bear the brunt of a lot of bad publicity, especially on the environmental front,” he says.

“Whereas most of the farmers I know are heavily invested in tree planting and care deeply about the welfare of their animals.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the picture that is most often portrayed in the media, so the show is a way for people to see the other side.”

King grew up on a farm at Arapohue, in Northland, where A&P shows were a staple part of the annual calendar.

“People travelled large distances to attend shows. They were a chance to catch up with neighbours, show their animals and take part in the events. It was one of the highlights of the year. We came to the A&P show in Warkworth on many occasions, so I feel privileged to now be part of the team organising the event.

“A&P shows are part of the fabric of rural

life and I would hate to ever see them disappear, which sadly is happening in some centres,” he adds.

King says the show is also an opportunity for NZ’s next generation of farmers to see what being a farmer is all about.

“For children and young people, the shows are a great introduction to the rural sector, whether you want to become a farmer or just participate in some of the rural sports such as shearing and woodchopping.”

King says the Warkworth show organisers try to walk the line between honouring

the A&P traditions while still putting on a modern event that will appeal to a wide range of people.

“It’s a real challenge, but every year the programme is reviewed and refreshed as we try to get the balance right, bearing in mind that we are always constrained by financial considerations.

“This has been a double challenge following the cancellations forced on us by covid, as many of our costs are ongoing whether we have a show or not.”

King said that was why they valued

the loyal support of major sponsors Wharehine, as well as Auckland Council, Northland Waste, Mason Contractors, Mason Containers, Carter’s Tyres, Absolute Scaffolding, Coresteel, Hutchinson Engineering and Rhodes for Roads. “These are some of the major sponsors, but there are many others as well.

“Without these guys, the show just wouldn’t happen.”

Warkworth will hold its show at the Warkworth Showgrounds on Saturday, March 18.

Carl King says his three grandchildren all live in the city, but love spending time on his farm. “But not everyone knows a farmer, so the Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show provides city people with an opportunity to learn more about what happens in rural areas.”

Ticket giveaway

Mahurangi Matters has two family passes to give away. If you would like to go in the draw, email editor@localmatters.co.nz with ‘A&P Warkworth’ in the subject line. Don’t forget to include a daytime phone number. The winning entries will be drawn at noon on March 10.

Packed show programme

Organisers of next month’s Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show are promising a packed programme of events with something to appeal to the whole family.

The show will be held at the Warkworth Showgrounds on Saturday, March 18, with gates opening at 9am.

After the disruptions caused through the covid years, the organisers hope the show will bounce back bigger and better than ever.

There will be shearing and woodchopping throughout the day, as well as fire brigade demonstrations and miniature horse shows and events.

The children’s fun zone will once again provide free rides and entertainment. In a change from previous years, the popular indoor section will be complemented by a

Show Day market, with a variety of stalls selling craft and produce.

The entertainment line-up includes Billy Black and his Kiwi Culture Show, which takes audiences on a journey from the bush to the back paddock. The Donkey & Mule Society will also be attending and mixed breed show cattle will be present. Amazing horsemanship skills will be on display when the Mounted Games competitors take to the field and the Warkworth Museum will have a display of vintage machinery.

The trade section is back and will include a number of community and information stands.

Entry is $10 per adult, $5 for children 5-14 yrs; under five free. There is also a Family Pass for two adults and up to four children for $30. There is plenty of free parking.

Would your school, community club or organisation like to make an appearance at either the ANZAC Dawn or Civic services in Warkworth on 25th April to lay wreaths. If so please contact Chrissy Keith, email manager@ warkworthrsa.co.nz or phone 0273 109 055.

Continuing to support our farmers through the generations

We offer our clients expertise to help them achieve maximum returns, by providing a range of national and international marketing options

Warkworth A&P lifestyle show

SATURDAY

A great day out for the whole family. Centre stage band, with sheep shearing, wood chopping, free family fun zone, entertainment, miniature horses, cattle, donkeys, mules and much more.

Tickets Available at the Gate EFTPOS and Cash on the day. Online tickets at www.eventfinda.co.nz

Don’t

Cattle will return to the show this year, after being removed during the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

Free space for enviro groups

Local environmental groups are being offered the chance to have a free promotional presence at this year’s Warkworth A&P Show, thanks to regional support organisation Restore Rodney East (RRE).

RRE was set up with Rodney Local Board funding two years ago to support and connect the many different environmental and conservation projects being run throughout the region.

As part of that, the group has taken a triplesize shared stand space at the A&P Show on March 18 to help local groups promote their activities free of charge.

RRE chair Tim Armitage says the initiative could give smaller community groups the platform they need to reach thousands of people for little or no outlay.

“Many of the big groups are able to pay for space but many cannot, so we’ve requested a large site where we’ll have gazebos and space available for those smaller parties,”

wider community, sponsors and potential funders. Taking a space at the show could also help to meet funding application requirements or sponsorship obligations.  Funding for the stand space is being supported by Auckland Council.

“Restore Rodney East is missioned to support the circa 45 environmental groups working locally, from Wenderholm in the south up to Te Arai in the north and all points in between, east of SH1,” Armitage explains.

“As part of that initiative, we’ve been given further assistance from Auckland Council so we can enable some of our smaller local groups to acquire a presence at the show.” He says RRE has already had a great response to the offer from a cross-section of parties, including FOAM (Friends of Awa Matakanakana), Pest Free Warkworth, Forest & Bird Warkworth and others. And Armitage says the stand will also be

“It will be great to highlight the fact these groups are there and for people to come in, engage with them and learn what

Any environmental group that would like to share space at the show should email RRE facilitator Sarah Churchouse at

Restore Rodney East was set up to connect and support local environmental projects.

Show pays tribute to shearing stalwart, Neil Sidwell

Shearing legend the late Neil Sidwell will be remembered at this year’s Warkworth A&P Show with a special trophy in his honour.

The Sidwell family has requested that the Neil Sidwell Memorial Perpetual Trophy be given to the junior/novice shearer who, in the opinion of the judges, shows the best attitude, aptitude and presentation. It will be awarded to the shearer on the day, but will remain in the Warkworth Shearing Shed throughout the year.

The trophy is being crafted by Barry Thompson and his team at the Menz Shed Warkworth.

Sidwell, who died in July last year, was a regular face in the shearing shed at the show.

Over more than 60 years of being involved with shearing as a competitor, judge and ambassador, he made many friends in NZ and overseas.

Fresh out of school in 1958, he started as a presser working for Brian Waterson in Port Waikato. By 1961, he was on the stands, earning the princely sum of $8 per 100 sheep.

His aim was to earn enough to be able to buy a farm and 140 dairy cows by the time he was 40. But shearing in NZ and Australia provided him with the means to make that goal come true a lot earlier – by the time he was 26, he owned a farm in Ruawai and was milking 300 cows.

In a Radio New Zealand interview he remembered working 12 hour days, seven days a week. Sometimes the gangs would be away for a week, and sometimes up to six weeks. He joked about the standard of the food, which fluctuated depending on the cook’s level of intoxication.

Sidwell is credited with reintroducing shearing to the Auckland Easter Show and served three years as president of the Auckland A&P Association (2014-2017). In 2008, he went to the UK as manager of the NZ Shearing Team.

NZ Rural Games Trust founder Steve Hollander paid tribute to Sidwell as a great ambassador for the sport of shearing and a worthy finalist in the Contribution To Rural Sports Award.

“Neil was always there to support young shearers and to be honest, helping anyone who needed a hand,” he said.

PROUD LOCAL SPONSORS OF THE INAUGURAL NEIL SIDWELL MEMORIAL SHEARING TROPHY

He sheared with many of the best in NZ and Australia, and was a backbone of shearing competitions from Auckland north, where the A&P Show competitions have survived and started to grow again, despite the sharp decline in the number of sheep, and consequently the number of shearers.

His love of shearing never dimmed and he continued to compete as a veteran in later years.

Shearers at the A&P Show in Warkworth will compete in five classes with nearly $2000 in prize money on the block. There could also be additional events depending on entries.

The Warkworth A&P are remembering a great show supporter, shearer Neil Sidwell.

History

Marion Walsh, Volunteer Coordinator, Kauri Museum www.kaurimuseum.com

Simplicity didn’t compromise quality

Warkworth photographer Tudor Collins’ passion for photography resulted in his leaving a legacy of superior photographs documenting 60 years of New Zealand history. A self-taught photographer, he recorded his daily activities – life as a kauri bushman, his naval experience, architecture, deep-sea fishing and, as a stringer for the NZ Herald, many nationally significant events such as the 1931 Napier earthquake. The Kauri Museum is lucky enough to have been gifted his collection of bush photography, depicting the lifestyle of bushmen in the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s and the techniques used to harvest and transport the huge kauri logs.

Collins came from humble origins and was one of 10 children. He was born in Towai in 1898 but his family later moved to Glen Eden in Auckland. As a youth, he was sent to Batley to help family and he attended two schools in the Kaipara. At 15, he was working as a bushman in Glenbervie. It was at this time he developed his interest in photography. Saving up, he bought himself a camera on a trip to Auckland.

Collins purchased his camera around 1913 –a period when photography was in its infancy and cameras were very simplistic. The Kauri Museum holds one of his cameras.

In the 1910s, cameras comprised two simple sections joined with flexible, fabric “bellows”. The front had one standard lens and a mechanical shutter to let the light in. The rear section was box-like, and capable of holding either glass or film negatives.

The camera was held at waist height. This type of camera was able to process both glass and cellulose film negatives.

The Royal NZ Navy’s Torpedo Bay Museum

was gifted his collection of naval records. Their website states “[His] negatives show a mobile photographer at work, rapidly shifting level and view point, interacting, shooting often. The image-making was essentially complete when the exposed film left the camera; the 6 x 10-inch prints show minimal dark room intervention.”

In 1921, when Collins was working at Kauaeranga, Thames, the chief photographer at the NZ Herald, George Bourne, urged him to buy a tripod and

start developing his own negatives in his bush shanty. The exceptionally high standard of his work commands even more appreciation given the location in which the photos were taken and developed.

Call for volunteers

Collins would have had to compensate for the low-light levels in the bush and combat high dust levels during processing. Collins, total photographic collection comprises more than 55,000 photographs.

The Kauri Museum is seeking volunteers to assist with the running of the museum. If you are interested in joining the volunteer team, working in any department, please phone Marion Walsh on 021 823 944 or email marion.walsh@kaurimuseum,com

This photograph, taken at Kauaeranga, features Tudor Collins himself (second from right). He took the selfie using a mirror and careful staging.

OneMahurangi

Murray Chapman, Manager https://onemahurangi.co.nz

Behind the phrase Stronger Together

I often get asked what it is as a business association we actually do. I believe it is a fair question because as an organisation we don’t celebrate our successes and share with you as much as we should.

One Mahurangi does the usual activities that organisations like us do. One example is the delivery of business support and networking events.

However, with covid lockdowns, floods and storm impacts, events like these have been limited and difficult to deliver successfully. But keep an eye out because next month we will be hosting a Networking Breakfast at the Bridgehouse, and details about this next event will be announced across our social media channels and in our newsletter. You can sign up to receive our newsletter on the Homepage of www.onemahurangi. co.nz

In the past, One Mahurangi has run a number of very successful business women’s events and we will have another one of these in late March or early April. Reflecting on the nature of last few weeks, it was fantastic that One Mahurangi was able to host the Emergency Services Dinner last April to really show how much our community appreciates the relentless, hard and often very dangerous nature of the work of the emergency services. Our local emergency services are true heroes and their ongoing hard work in our community is appreciated immeasurably.

Through the One Mahurangi Transport and Infrastructure Forum, we are actively negotiating with external stakeholders

such as Auckland Council, Waka Kotahi NZTA, Auckland Transport and Watercare to advocate for the area. A few years ago, Auckland Transport decided that pulling up all of Neville Street from Alnwick down to Queen was needed to resurface the road. This would have had dire consequences for the businesses along Neville Street and we managed to negotiate with AT, and at our suggestion, they agreed to only digging up short sections on one side at a time. The Matakana link road changing from two lanes to four, and the axing of double tolling of the new motorway were both huge wins for the area and in a large part due to the work One Mahurangi did behind the scenes.

We are still actively negotiating with Auckland Transport around their design of the Hill Street intersection and will be meeting with them on February 27 to continue advocacy. We are working hard on a large number of transport and infrastructure issues, including currently opposing Watercare on their plan to dig up Queen Street to lay wastewater pipes. We will keep fighting this as it has the potential to negatively impact, if not destroy, businesses there.

As you can see there is a lot happening behind the phrase Stronger Together. From advocacy and support, to promotion of businesses, to community events that bring people into town like the Santa Parade, it may be just a phrase, but we really do believe that if we all work together, we really are Stronger Together.

ONLY

CLOSING DOWN SALE

Grape harvest celebrated

The sculpture gardens and galleries at Sculptureum on Omaha Flats Road in Matakana will host a Harvest Festival on Saturday, March 18.

Sculptureum events director Imogen

McCall says March is a special time of year, when the grapes are hand-picked from the vines to make the Sculptureum chardonnay, rosé and Barrier blends.

“What better way to celebrate than with a Harvest Festival,” McCall says.

The event is aimed at the whole family with a range of harvest-themed activities planned.

This will include grape stomping and pressing by hand, kids’ arts and crafts, wine sampling, local supplier stalls, live entertainment, face painting, lawn games

and gin sampling with Matakana Gin Company.

All ticketholders will have access to the galleries and gardens, home to more than 800 works of art from local and international artists. The 1.4km of flat pathways are accessible to both wheelchairs and prams.

Earlybird tickets are on sale until the end of February with prices set at $20 per child, $25 per adult, $80 per family (2 adults, 3 children) for general admission and $99 per person for the VIP Package.

Gates open at 10am and close at 4pm, with ample parking available on site. Onsite wheelchairs are available to prebook by emailing admin@sculptureum.net

Info: www.sculptureum.nz/harvest

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Sculptureum will host a family day to celebrate this year’s harvest.

Stop pussyfooting around – keep cats indoors, pet owners urged

Though their owners might not realise it, pet cats are quietly decimating the population of NZ native birds – Forest & Bird estimates that the nation’s 1.4 million cats kill well over 1.1 million birds each year.

Locally, the focus is on the endangered NZ dotterel, which principally nests above the shoreline at Omaha Beach and Snells Beach each summer. Although somewhat vulnerable to other predators, storms and human disturbance, cameras placed by conservation groups have shown that it is pet cats roaming at night that do by far the most damage, severely limiting the number of chicks that hatch and survive.

At the bird sanctuary on Omaha’s northern spit, Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust (OSPT) members have found five dead adult dotterels this breeding season, and from around 25 breeding pairs, only two chicks have fledged.

OSPT member Marie Ward said that was a lamentable figure.

“It’s just appalling that we have such low productivity at such a large beach. We have a huge number of birds. They lay three eggs and they can lay up to four times in a season, but they’re struggling,” she said. “We know not all dotterel deaths are due to cats, but cats are the largest problem we

face – five dead adults is probably the tip of the iceberg. It’s an ever-increasing issue as housing development creeps closer to the northern end where the birds are.”

At Snells Beach, there were just five breeding dotterel pairs this season, but pet cats attacked their nests and put paid to any chicks being hatched.

Snells Shoreline Conservation Community (SSCC) member Becky Swan said one particular cat was regularly caught on camera and ended up destroying five dotterel nests.

“It ate some of the eggs and just played with and destroyed the rest over time,” she said. “We’ve also seen it going for ducks, pukekos and godwits.”

Both Ward and Swan are frustrated that groups and individuals are powerless when it comes to stopping such feline incursions. They are not allowed to trap cats, even using humane methods, let alone anything more radical.

“Lots of people say just trap it or shoot it, but we’re not going to do that – a) we can’t do it legally, and b) we’re not just going to shoot or trap someone’s pet,” Swan said. SSCC has tried various deterrents, such as ultrasonic motion detectors that sound a high-pitched alarm and strong-smelling Skunk Shot, but the cats simply altered their route to avoid them.

This season, the OSPT has been part of an Auckland Council

initiative with Landcare, with multiple cameras set up to collate new baseline data in the hope of developing some kind of effective deterrent.

Ward would like to see collars or chip implants for cats that trigger a warning stimulus when cats approach the bird sanctuary, much like the collars that deter dogs from barking or leaving their own property.

And she is keen on all conservation groups north of Auckland joining forces in a bid to get more action from Auckland Council and beyond.

That could be on the cards, thanks to moves by environmental project support group Restore Rodney East (RRE), which is funded by Rodney Local Board and works with more than 40 local conservation groups and organisations.

Chair Tim Armitage said the evidence was clear that pet cats were the main culprits and RRE would most likely soon be pushing for the introduction of national legislation.

“This would help organisations such as Council and DOC to act more consistently when it comes to implementing cat management plans and also clarify what is expected of responsible cat owners in the future,” he said. “The camera footage shows that only domestic cats are involved, not stoats, rats, wild cats, gulls or any other predator.

“Education and information to cat owners around responsible ownership is crucial to helping resolve these immediate

challenges, but ultimately we will need to follow the example of Australia and other countries in implementing cat management legislation and make changes to how we allow our pets to roam.”

Being a responsible cat owner

It is possible to have a cat and keep wildlife safe. The single most important thing is to keep cats inside as much as possible, but definitely at night when they do the most damage, not only to roosting and nesting birds, but also to each other. Keeping them contained stops wildlife predation, cat fights, spread of disease such as toxoplasmosis, and pets getting run over. Pest-free NZ also offers the following advice:

Consider keeping cats indoors or confined to your own property – cat enclosures, “catios” or fence-top rollers allow cats to explore a home and outside area without escaping and impacting wildlife. Cats are happy, healthy and safer at home.

If you’re not ready to keep your cat indoors all the time, keep your cat inside as much as possible, especially at night, and one hour before dusk and an hour after dawn.

Add bells to your cat’s collar — the more, the better. Brightly coloured ‘scrunchie’ collars can also alert wildlife to

Other vital safeguards include microchipping cats, desexing them and keeping the number of cats per household

Cat burglar – this pet stole several eggs and wrecked dotterel nests this season at Snells Beach.

Weather inflicts horrendous damage on Kaipara Hills farms

By Allan Barber allen@barberstrategic.co.nz

The storms, cyclones and floods of the last few weeks have wrought devastating damage to many farms and lifestyle properties in and near the Kaipara Hills, in the area between State Highways 16 and 1. There are more than 20 farms affected, as well as a sizeable number of smaller blocks.

Kaipara Flats farmer Marjorie Blythen said it was already the fourth time their farm had been under water this summer, but the latest flood as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle was the worst.

Normally when their property floods, relatively clean floodwater drains away after about 72 hours, but this time there were slips on some slopes for the first time, while the tide surge from the Hoteo River left dirty water and silt, causing the loss of 40 lambs on the flats.

She also said some of the worst destruction has occurred to properties on the either side of Tauhoa Hill.

Major slips on Danny and Charmaine Lewis’ Tauhoa Road property have destroyed two courses used regularly by the Rodney Sheep Dog Trial Club, leading to the cancellation of its annual trial scheduled for March 4 and 5.

The Northland branch of the Rural Support Trust is in touch with most, if not all, the farmers suffering the after-effects of the successive weather events.

Some have obviously suffered worse damage than others, depending on the impact of a sudden change of wind direction or the volume of rain at the time.

There is also an element of ‘blaming and shaming’ of hill farmers for choosing to farm on what appears to be vulnerable land.

Local trust coordinator Gill Adshead says many of the farms have been in the same family for five or six generations and she is concerned about the psychological, as well as physical, effects of the destruction of large swathes of land, fencing and bridges.

Adshead is available to help with the process of applying for recovery grants announced recently by the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor.

Most of these farmers have been working with Kaipara Moana Remediation, jointly funded by central and local government with matching funds from landowners

to fence off waterways and wetlands in mitigation of sediment runoff into the Kaipara Harbour. The trust’s key role is to help with farmer wellbeing, ensuring they are connected with other people, well supported and involved in interests off farm.

It is at times like this that farmers need to be reassured about the importance of their huge contribution to the New Zealand economy and way of life.

It is an undeniable fact that agriculture and horticulture made up more than 80% of this country’s exports last year and should be valued accordingly.

Animals

Stephen McAulay, CEO and head vet, Wellsford Vet Clinic https://wellsfordvet.com/

What we learn from animals

Much has been written of the benefit of animal-human interactions and I always remember reading Dale Carnegie’s reference to how if one wants to be liked, then we should imitate a Labrador dog’s behaviour by be overwhelmingly happy to see every person, whenever we meet.

When helping provide palliative care for an aged female goat called Alice, the client shared with me the fact that she wanted to provide the best care for her that she could, because Alice had taught her how to look after goats. This got me thinking about the idea and I would like to share some of these experiences.

One of our dairy cattle clients believes that animals will show you how they want to be treated, if you let them. This is a common theme. There are many recommendations and beliefs around looking after animals and I frequently remember the advice “there is only the wrong way” to do anything.

I always find it entertaining to learn how dairy farmers refer to their animals. Almost all have individual names for at least some of their pet cows. When I ask them how they came by these names and why they name them, they almost universally state that these animals stick out and have friendly behavioural traits. Most dairy herds will have the “anti-woke” names Snowflake, Ginger and Doris. A little chihuahua x papillon puppy I gave a sixweek physical examination and vaccination

to was called Cashew. He was the son of Peanut.

I grew up on a pedigree Friesian dairy farm and all the cows had three names. The first was Novie, our family stud name. The second was the sire or father’s name. The last was their real name and, in our case, this always began with the same letter as their mother’s. Mum got very inventive around one large family whose matriarch was call Moondust.

When we discuss naming of animals with colleagues, there is universal agreement that often the clients who you least expect, have some of the most affectionate names for their animals.

Over my time working as a veterinarian, my specific advice to young farm staff is that the older I get the slower and smoother I try to move (though my body may have other ideas!). When I was young there was often the need to “force my personality and speed of interaction” to suit me. Frequently trying to move stock aggressively actually slows the job. Taking your time and allowing for animals “personal body space” often gives the best results.

They say good things take time and the same can be said for getting to know your animals – pets or livestock. I enjoy the human-animal interaction and taking some time to ponder what I am actually seeing and experiencing, I have found is time well spent.

veterinary needs.

and friendly office staff, who deliver a comprehensive service.

• A Saturday morning clinic.

• An after hours emergency service in Wellsford.

New beach wheelchair opens up access to Omaha

Enjoying the sea air, sand and surf is now easier for more people, thanks to the donation of a beach wheelchair to Omaha Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.

Former lifeguard Judith Herbert, who lives on Omaha Flats Road and has restricted mobility herself, donated the wide-wheeled Sandcruiser chair, which is available daily with just a phone call to one of the club’s two “chair custodians”.

Herbert decided to gift the chair following a family visit to Omaha Beach during Christmas 2021, when hitching a ride on the surf club’s ATV was the only way for her to easily access the sand.

Club president Linda Crisford said the new chair was a fantastic asset for the community and visitors to the beach, and said everyone was incredibly grateful to Herbert for such a generous gesture.

“What a wonderful gift, which now enables anyone with difficulties getting onto the beach the opportunity to do so,” she said. The chair from Beachwheels NZ can go into the sea or be used for walks along the sand. It has multiple seating positions and adjustable arm and leg rests, can carry up to 120kg and can easily be wheeled over sand, pebbles or even rocks. The upholstery is mould, rot and salt water-resistant and all metal parts are made of marine-grade stainless steel.

The chair has already been used by a number of local residents and holidaymakers who normally struggle to get onto the beach

Sport in brief

Netball fee support

ANZ is providing $100,000 in netball fee subsidies to ensure Kiwi kids can play the game. ANZ New Zealand chief executive Antonia Watson says more and more families are under financial pressure and registration fees are one of the first barriers of entry to sport. This financial help could be the difference between a child getting into the game or having to watch the season from the sidelines. Teams can apply directly for financial support from ANZcourtside.co.nz until entries close on March 24. ANZ has supported netball, from grassroots teams in the community to the elite players in the ANZ Premiership and Silver Ferns, for 14 years.

Youth rugby

and enjoy the sea and sand.

Crisford said it was great to be able to support the restricted mobility and disabled community and give them the joys of Omaha’s beautiful beach.

“It was first used by a family from out of Auckland who were staying on holiday,” she said. “They were thrilled to be able to bring their mother onto the beach.”

To access the Omaha Beach wheelchair, contact David Stone on 027 490 9188 or Brian Wade on 027 499 2257, giving as much advance notice as possible.

Northland IMB rugby is looking for young Northlanders to join the Northland Youth Council. Northland Rugby Union is assembling a Youth Council to provide a voice for IMB grade rugby in Northland. The Youth Council will be made up of young Northlanders from U14, U15, U16, U18 and 1st XV competitions. If you or a young person you know are passionate about rugby and keen to be a voice for IMB players across Northland, apply at https://bit.ly/3YSvgms. Applications close March 1.

Celebrate Seaweek at Tawharanui

There’s an invitation to celebrate Seaweek at Tawharanui Regional Park on Saturday, March 4, when Forest & Bird and Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Inc (TOSSI) will be at Anchor Bay. Organisers are encouraging people to join them between 11am and 2pm to explore rock pools, enjoy the surf or bring snorkelling gear to check out the diverse marine life under the surface at the marine reserve beach. Seaweek is a national celebration of the ocean that runs from March 4 to 12. Info: https://seaweek.org.nz/

Stones, Rocks, Pebbles, Scoria, Shell, Spawls, White Chip, Pavers, Rock Walls (huge variety)

Sand, Asphalt

Mulch (great selection)

Bark, Ponga Logs

Top Soil, Potting Mix, Garden Mix, Compost Concrete, Mortar

Fertilisers, Weed

Grass Seeds

Sleepers

Pothole

Greenwaste

Above, Judith Herbert in the new Sandcruiser beach wheelchair she has donated to Omaha Beach Surf Lifesaving Club with lifesavers, Bella McCormack (left) and Steph Earley.

Previous raft races have proved that staying afloat is as much a challenge as the race itself.

Raft race run for Coastguard

The Mahurangi River will be the scene for a race of a different kind on Sunday, March 12.

The Barfoot & Thompson Raft Race will see sailors of all ages and pedigrees take to the water in their homemade craft, and race from the boat ramp to the weir and back.

Prizes will be awarded in three classes –youth, adult and corporate.

Money raised on the day will benefit Kawau Coastguard. There will be a raffle, sausage sizzle and coffee for donations. The programme also includes a Duck Derby. There will be 100 plastic ducks,

which people can “buy”. The ducks will be released together and the first three ducks over the line will win a prize.

Barfoot & Thompson Warkworth branch manager Mehran Zareian says the raft race marks the 170th anniversary of Warkworth, as well as the 100th anniversary of Barfoot & Thompson.

The race will be held rain or shine, and starts at 10.30am.

It’s not too late to enter. For details, contact Mehran Zareian, at Barfoot & Thompson, on 021 023 02469.

New date for kapa haka festival

A major regional schools kapa haka competition that was postponed in November will now go ahead on Saturday, March 25.

The Kaipara Kapa Haka Festival will be held at Helensville Primary School in Rata Street, starting with a powhiri at 8am followed by group performances from 9am until approximately 4.10pm.

Around 20 local schools and colleges are expected to take part in the festival, which has been running annually since

1998, when the first festival was staged by Kaipara College, also in Helensville.

As well as the stage entertainment, there will be health, wellness and food stalls, a sausage sizzle and sweet treats, though attendees should note that the festival is a fizz-free event – no fizzy drinks will be sold.

Info: Visit www.kaiparamoana.com/ kaipara-kapa-haka-festival-2022, email florence.teohaere@kaiparamoana.com or

contact 021 0834 7277

Twilight golf Warkworth Golf Club is running a 9-hole twilight golf competition on Sundays, from 1pm-4pm for the next four weeks. $15 entry fee (includes $5 bar voucher). Low-cost dinner afterwards and weekly prizegiving at 6.30pm. New players welcome.

Basketball Mahurangi Basketball Club is running training sessions for players in Years 5 and 6, at the Mahurangi College gym every Tuesday during term time, from 5pm-6pm. Info: Rodney development officer Chris Vaughan on 021 171 4138

Pony club Kaukapakapa Pony Club, in Henley Road, is running have-a-go twilight show jumping every Wednesday during March. The programme will culminate in a championship night on April 5. $25 for three rounds per horse, includes ground fee and levy fees. Pay on the day, eftpos available.

Scottish dancing Silver Oaks Scottish Country Dancing, for the young at heart to improve the ageing brain, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth, every Friday from 1pm-3pm. Enquiries, phone Elaine on 0274 320 032

Warkworth Gamefish tournament Tickets are available now for the Warkworth Gamefish tournament, March 2-4. Tickets are on sale at Hunting and Fishing Warkworth, Tackle and Outdoor Warkworth, Mahurangi Marine and Matakana Marine. Tickets are $100 and include a buffet meal at prizegiving.

Rugby battle The annual preseason rugby clash between Wellsford and Mahurangi will be held at the Wellsford Grounds, in Centennial Park, on Friday, March 3. The Battle of the Dome is a chance to give the premier sides a run ahead of the main competition. Kick off is at 7pm; all welcome. Meanwhile, junior weigh-ins have started and Mahurangi is holding senior training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Info: https://www.mahurangirugbyclub.co.nz/

Squash A six-week adult beginners squash programme is being run by the Warkworth Squash Club in Shoesmith Street, Warkworth. The classes are being held on Mondays, from 6pm-7pm. For information, contact Kaye Jackson 021 135 7574 squashykaye@icloud.com

2 Mill Lane, Warkworth 0910

Hibiscus Tiling

Wall

Phone Darcy 021 482 308

DVD

CITY CARPETS

Carpet laying, Vinyl laying, Carpet repairs, Carpet re-stretch. Over 30 years’ experience.

Call Dexter 027 4956 436

MOBILE HAIR & NAILS Working around the greater Warkworth Region. Offering hairdressing, manicure and pedicure services, in your home. Call Rebecca 021 0825 8242

HORSE

REID EQUESTRIAN ENGINEERING, Wellsford. Float rebuilds, horse truck conversions, etc. Dog kennels made to measure. Quality work. Ph Ron 423 9666

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE SERVICE DESKS

Warkworth, at the Council Offices

Monday 10am – 2pm

Matakana, Cinema Complex

Tuesday 11am-1pm

Snells Beach, at the Library

Friday 10am – noon

Warkworth RSA

Fridays 4pm to 5pm No appointment is needed. There is no cost.

Supported by Mahurangi Matters

WINDOW CLEANING/ HOUSEWASH/GUTTER CLEANING Local professional service. Ph Pat 022-646-5849.

SITUATIONS VACANT

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property, near Warkworth. Private accommodation on property, in return for regular help with general maintenance, mowing, gardening, weed spraying etc. Suit practical, possible semi retired, fit person/ couple. Some paid work is also available if wanted. Phone

DELIVERERS

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Mahurangi Matters is a fortnightly paper. Deliverers needed for runs in the Snells Beach, Warkworth, Wellsford and Mangawhai areas. Contact phone Tanya Milford by txt or email 021 066 0838, tanyamilford@hotmail.com www.reach.nz/walker-signup

WANTED TO BUY

HOUSEKEEPERS WANTED

PLUME VILLAS at 37 Sharp Road, Warkworth, are looking for HOUSEKEEPING STAFF

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We are looking for reliable, punctual, meticulous, hygieneconscious staff to work week days, as well as weekends and school holidays. Hourly rate of up to $25ph on offer.

Apply with full details to Denise at 021 422 313 or manager@plumevillas.co.nz

Building consents policy comes home to roost

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

Simply Organized

The deadline for classified advertising for our March 13 paper is March 8. Send classified advertising enquiries to design@localmatters.co.nz

Mahurangi Matters can be picked up from the following businesses:

WARKWORTH: Mahurangi Matters, Paper Plus, Warkworth iSite, Countdown, New World, Z, Mitre 10 • PUHOI: Puhoi Pub, Puhoi Store • SNELLS BEACH: Snells Beach Dairy, The Food Market, Gull

• MATAKANA: Matakana Four Square, Gull, Matakana Information

Centre • Point Wells Store • OMAHA: Omaha Superette • LEIGH

General Store • WELLSFORD: Caltex, Top Shop 4 Square, Port Albert Store • KAIWAKA: Jacques 4 Square, Caltex • MANGAWHAI: Mangawhai Village Supervalue, Mangawhai Club

The Auckland anniversary floods have brought renewed calls from Auckland councillors for a review of Council’s policies around granting building consents in hazardous areas. At the Planning, Environment and Parks committee on February 9, Cr Chris Darby said Council’s latest monthly housing update showed that in the past year, 10 per cent of new dwelling consents were in hazard zones.

The latest February report showed 214 dwellings consented in December were within hazard zones, 16 per cent of dwelling consents for the month.

“It is a wake-up (call). We have got to act on this information,” Darby said.

“The rolling average of consents granted in hazard zones in the past 12 months was 2358. Those hazard zones are flood plains, flood-prone areas, inundation zones and erosion zones.”

He said thousands of people may have moved into hazard zones without understanding what that meant.

Darby said he had tried to grapple with the way the floods had been described.

“I have heard words like ‘unprecedented’, ‘one in 200’, ‘nothing we could have done could have prevented this’, and I have been saying to myself all those descriptions are not appropriate.”

He said the descriptions sounded like an excuse.

Cr Mike Lee asked Council officers if it was possible to pause the consenting process because of Auckland’s State of Emergency.

Chief of strategy Megan Tyler said she was unaware if there were emergency provisions that would enable Council to trump the Resource Management Act.

Cr Sharon Stewart said she had been a broken record with her concerns around flooding.

“I said one day it is going to come home to bite; we are allowing development to go on flood plains. (I said) it is going to happen and it has happened,” Stewart said.

Several councillors suggested Auckland needed a moratorium on building consents in flood-prone areas.

Mayor Wayne Brown expressed concern about Aucklanders “lawyering up” to transfer blame to Council for the floods.

“There are a number of places where we have seen inappropriate forms of construction and inappropriate intensification efforts in valleys,” he said.

He said there were developments that were turned down by Council, but developers could override Council by going to the Environment Court.

Megan Tyler said that the policy settings that allowed building consents in hazard zones might need to change.

“We are looking at those policy settings because maybe the settings in the Unitary Plan or in our design standards are not good enough anymore,” Tyler said.

Council staff will report back to committee on March 2 with the scope of the Auckland anniversary floods investigation and its next steps.

The beginning of 2023 promised, at long last, to be disruption free. Sadly this was not the case, with Cyclone Gabrielle causing widespread disruption around the district and across Aotearoa. Our thoughts are with all those who have suffered damage and loss, especially with those who have lost loved ones. Aroha nui.

Despite the horror, these events always bring out the best in Kiwis. We continue to hear of many stories of bravery in adversity, including that of the remarkable Kihi cousins who rescued upwards of thirty people in their jet boat in the Esk Valley, showing incredible ingenuity and fortitude. Locally, many people have been supporting neighbours and whānau, ensuring those impacted have had shelter and food. We are a community that cares for one another, and at times like these the togetherness of the community is remarkable.

Chatting with students, it was fascinating to hear the number of board games that had been pulled out of the cupboard when the power went down - although a small lesson compared to the experiences of others

- long may that continue. So here at Mahurangi, the year has started with students full of good humour and positivity. There is a lovely tone around the school, which is a real credit to them and their families. This is especially true of our seniors, who do set the culture in the way they conduct themselves. Well done, wh ā nau.

We have welcomed new staff from a variety of backgrounds and experience, all of whom have settled in well. Our new Year 7’s have also quickly made themselves at home, and as I write, they are enjoying their EOTC week. The goals for this week are for our new students to identify as part of Mahurangi College, get to know each other through fun experiences and explore a range of EOTC activites. Trips include a visit to the Warkworth Museum, a whakawhanaungatanga experience in our school marae, an afternoon of water sliding, a day at the Cement Works and an afternoon walking tour of the Warkworth township.

International students have flocked back to the College, with our students hosting visitors from Korea and Argentina. Currently there

are eighty internationals on the roll, some just for a few weeks, and others for longer stays. It will have been a memorable experience for these students, experiencing the cyclone, coping far from home without electricity or Internet, but then experiencing the resilience and unwavering hospitality of our host families. Thank you so much to everyone involved. Our internationals bring vibrancy and energy to our College, and it is great for our students to forge connections with youngsters from other countries.

On the sporting front, congratulations to James Elder who has been selected for the NZ U16 Football squad, an awesome achievement and testimony to James’ skill and dedication. We had many students representing North Harbour too at the recent Touch Nationals. Our thanks to Kyra Norton who won a prize of $500 to be spent on sports equipment for her school, courtesy of Waddell Associates.

Our congratulations also go to photography scholarship winners Zoe Knapp Spens-Black (above left) and Finn Stevenson (above right) who helped maintain our enviable success in the Arts.

Now, as we all get our heads around the magnitude of the cleanup and rebuilding ahead, it’s great to see our whānau showing us that they are able to move forward with a positive attitude. Kia kaha.

Tobey Sykes

HEAD BOY

Academic Blue for Excellence

NCEA 1 & NCEA 2

Member of UWH Senior

Member of Kapa Haka, Ngāti Manuhiri Seniors

Pictured with Hannah McCarthy Garden Centre Manager

Tony Giles - PRINCIPAL

At the end of Term 4, our Year 7s finished their Ancient Civilisation unit with a Roman experience day which included dressing up, activities and a shared lunch.

Women’s rugby returns to clubs

The Silverdale Rugby Club is inviting young women players from Mahurangi to join its winter programme.

The club hopes to field two teams – a 15-a-side and a 10-a-side – in the Auckland women’s competition, as there is no harbour competition at this stage.

For the past three years, North Harbour Rugby Union has facilitated the Albany Barbarians, a centralised team for all women’s rugby on the North Shore. However, in December the union announced the return of women’s rugby to its community clubs such as Silverdale.

Ahead of this move, clubs have been improving their club facilities for women, investing in quality coaches and welcoming female leadership to help provide a quality experience for female members.

Players over the age of 16 can play women’s rugby in NZ.

Silverdale female director of rugby Glen Maguire says that in anticipation of the return of women’s rugby to Silverdale, the club embarked on an ambitious drive to recruit female rugby players for the Summer of 7s rugby programme.

“We started by offering sponsored group fitness sessions at Anytime Fitness in

Silverdale, then grew the programme mainly through word-of-mouth in local communities such as Silverdale and Mahurangi,” he says.

“As part of the programme, we ran a few newto-tackle training sessions and introduced junior rugby players to the broader training group through our U18s pathway programme.

“We didn’t run trials, focusing instead on entering more teams to give everyone a go. The focus at Silverdale is very much on development, player engagement and participation.

“We ended up with 38 players in our squad over the summer and they played in three main tournaments – the Pasifika tournament (we were the only team from Harbour to enter two women’s teams), Harbour Club Day (we were the only club to field an U18s and a women’s female team), and the MW7s tournament at Mount Maunganui, where we were again the only club to field two women’s teams and both teams made the semi-finals.

Maguire says the focus has now switched from the summer 7s to the winter programme.

Any Mahurangi players who want to play for the Silverdale women’s team or who want to know about the female rugby pathway programme should contact FRD@ silverdalerugby.co.nz

The Silverdale team had the opportunity to do a training session with Allan Bunting, the new Black Ferns coach.

Silverdale women’s and U18s at the Pasifika Tournament.

What’s on

February

28 An Evening with Ruud Kleinpaste - The Bug Man, Mahurangi College, 6-8.30pm. Koha at the door. Hosted by The Forest Bridge Trust.

28 Warkworth Ladies Rebus club meeting, Besoul, 3/12 Gumfield Drive, 10am

28 Warkworth Music AGM, Mezzanine room of Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm

March

1 Old Geezers Picnic, Sullivan’s Bay. 10.30am. Camaraderie and chat with Men’s Rebus. Bring something for the barbie. Info: Ron 422 3111 or Tom 021 384 577

1 Warkworth Liaison Group meeting, Warkworth RSA downstairs meeting room, 7.30pm. All welcome

3 World Day of Prayer Service Holy Name Catholic Church, Alnwick Street Warkworth, 1.30pm. Service prepared by the Women of Taiwan. All welcome.

4 Summer Serenade – Jazz in the Garden, Couldrey House, Wenderholm Regional Park. Gates open 4pm, concert starts 6pm.

4 Warkworth annual Cosplay Picnic, Cement Works, Warkworth, 10.30am

4 Warkworth RSA fishing competition, tickets $30 adults, under 16 $10. Weighin 2pm-4pm. Info: warkworthrsa.co.nz/fishingclub

4 Seaweek event, Tawharanui Regional Park, 11am -2pm, organised by Forest & Bird and TOSSI. Explore the rock pools, snorkel the reef (bring your own gear) and learn about our special marine environment from some experts. (see brief p30)

5 Hockey Have-a-Go Day, Warkworth Showgrounds (see story back page)

8 International Women’s Day celebration, Women’s Centre Rodney, 10 Morpeth St, Warkworth, 3.30pm-5pm. Coffee and cake to celebrate. RSVP by March 3 to info@womenscentrerodney.org.nz

9 Operatunity Daytime Concerts presents When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Warkworth Town Hall, 11am

10-12 Women on Water Weekend, Gulf Harbour Yacht Club. A chance for women, regardless of their sailing ability, to experience the fun of sailing. Info: admin@ ghyc.co.nz

11 Warkworth & District RSA market, 8am-1pm

12 The Barfoot and Thompson annual Raft Race, Mahurangi River, Warkworth (see story p31)

15  A Night in the Gardens of Spain, Miles Jackson, classical guitar and flamenco, Whangateau Hall, 7.30pm

16 Bridge Lessons, 10-week course, for beginners and those needing a refresher. Info: warkworthbc@gmail.com

SAUSAGE SIZZLE

IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT MORE LOCAL, THEN WHY NOT JOIN US!

In the last year, generous Aucklanders like you have helped Aucklanders in need ...

The club's primary purpose is to prevent drowning and injury through lifeguard services and education. The club is comprised of highly trained volunteers and supporters who are passionate about water safety, the beach environment and are willing to contribute their time and skills to the local community.

Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show, Warkworth Showgrounds (see feature pgs 2026 )

18 Harvest Festival, at Sculptureum on Omaha Flats Road. A celebration of the grape harvest with entertainment, wine tasting and children’s activities (see story p26)

18-19 Mangawhai Walking Weekend. Info: https://mangawhaiwalking.co.nz/

20 Men’s Rebus, general meeting at Shoesmith Hall, 10am. Info: Ron 422 3111

20 Low Vision Support Group, Summerset Falls Village, Warkworth, 1:30pm. All welcome. enquiries@mcdonaldadams.co.nz

22-26 Earth Beat Festival 2023, Atiu Creek Regional Park.

25 Kaipara Kapa Haka Festival, Helensville Primary School, 8am (see story p19) 26 Take A Kid Fishing, Warkworth Lions 26 Puhoi Village Market, Riverside Park, 9am-1pm.  31 Gin Wigmore at Leigh Sawmill, 8.30pm

•

Sailors invited to join afternoon regatta

Sandspit Yacht Club Junior sailing started the new season at Algies Bay on February 19.

Unbelievably, after all the recent upheaval with the weather, it was a blue-sky day with just the lightest of breezes to coax the Optimist dinghies along.

SYC centreboard convenor Ben Molloy says the eight-week sailing programme should turn out some fairly confident junior centreboard sailors by the end of the term at Easter. For the more capable sailors, the SYC Centreboard Division is hosting an afternoon regatta on Sunday, March 5. This will enable a wide group of sailors, youth and adults, to have a bit of fun on the water with four classes of boats, divided up as follows:

1 Opti and monohulls under 2.4m

2 Bic skiffs, monohulls under 3.6m

3 Laser, 420 and monohulls under 4.2m (white sails only)

4: Those with spinnakers – Javelins, Cherubs and monohulls under 4.9m.

Molloy says that primarily, this invitation is extended to those with their own boats who wish to have an enjoyable afternoon of racing, rather taking part in a highly competitive event.

“With two races per class, it would be grand to see a goodsized fleet across all classes competing,” Molloy says. “So dust down your under-utilised boat and join us out on the water.”

Briefing will be held at the SYC Algies Bay clubrooms, 30 Gordon Craig Place, at 11am, with first race underway at 12.45pm.

The event will wind up with a prizegiving and sausage sizzle (cash only).

“Bring your own picnic and enjoy a day at the beach with entertainment sure to be on the agenda.”

Molloy adds that there will be a handful of Club Optis, Bics and 420s available for hire on a first-come-first-served basis, for $10 a boat. Enquiries and bookings: Karyn on 021 241 5673.

Have a go at hockey

Warkworth Hockey Club is gearing up for the coming season with a have-a-go day planned for Sunday, March 5 from 3 to 5pm.

Club committee member Monique Hatfull says anyone is welcome to come along, regardless of age or ability. “Have-a-go day is open to anyone who wants to come, from three-year-olds up to 80-odd,” she says. “We have all ages and people from all walks of life here, everyone is welcome.

“They can just turn up and we’ll give them a stick, no one has to worry about having gear.”

Local hockey superstar Jordon Thomas will be at the club turf at the Warkworth Showgrounds to help show newcomers the ropes. Thomas plays for the NZ Under 21, Maori Under 21 and Maori men’s teams, the Tamaki Makaurau Maori and North Shore Premier teams. He also coaches the Warkworth Premier 3 men’s team and was named North Shore’s young Player of the Year last year. Hatfull says the club is just finalising its competitive teams for the North Harbour Hockey season, which kicks off on March 25.

“Last year, we had two men’s teams, one Premier 3 grade and one in Division 2, who have gone up to Division 1, and one Division 1 women’s team,” she says. “This year, we’re hoping to have a second women’s team in Division 2 or 3.”

The club also runs winter social tournaments for men and women from March to August that are non-competitive, where people just turn up one night a week, as well as a mixed summer league from October to February. The hockey turf trust board is made up of local volunteers who manage everything from maintenance to bookings.  Info: Visit www.warkworthhockeyturf.co.nz or Warkworth Hockey Turf on Facebook

The junior sailing programme got off to a glorious start in near-perfect conditions.

Local hero Jordon Thomas will be on hand. Photo, Planet Hockey