Mahurangi Matters_Issue 450_13 March 2023

Kindness helps critically ill Kiwi kids

The generosity of the Warkworth community has played a significant role in the success of a two-year fundraising drive for the Starship Foundation in Auckland.

Warkworth Lions, who launched the campaign to raise $406,700 for a pediatric intensive care unit at Starship Hospital, hit its target this month.

Club president Peter Henderson says more than $40,000 was donated across the Mahurangi district, much of it in small donations from individuals. The rest came from Lions clubs from around New Zealand, as well as the International Foundation based in Chicago.

“It’s a testimony to the generosity of this

district that despite covid and all the other challenges we’ve faced over recent times, people have still been prepared to put their hands in their pockets to help others,”

Henderson says.

Starship’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the only dedicated unit of its kind in NZ. Each year, around 1200 of New Zealand’s most critically ill and injured children are treated there. The unit also takes admissions from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa.

The money raised by Lions will cover the cost of setting up a unit, including the purchase of specialised equipment.

“Almost everyone knows someone who has

off the drawing board . . .

been impacted by an illness or injury who has needed the special services that Starship offers, and have been very thankful for it being there,” Henderson says. “Many within our own club have had family and friends in Starship.”

Starship Foundation chief executive Jo Simon says Starship is incredibly grateful to Warkworth Lions for setting such an ambitious fundraising target and for their hard work to achieve it.

“We’re blown away by the support of all the Lions Clubs who got behind this fundraising drive,” Simon says. “This type of fundraising is critical.

“Every minute of every day children rely on

Starship to receive world-class healthcare, and the Starship Foundation relies on generous donations to make that happen.

“But when a nationwide membership organisation such as the Lions takes on such an ambitious fundraising goal – that doesn’t happen every day!”

Simon says the the expansion of Starship’s PICU was critical, as it was at capacity every second day.

“Our clinicians can fix a lot of things, but they can’t fix bed shortages.

“We are incredibly grateful to Warkworth Lions and thank all the Lions Clubs who have got behind this fundraising drive, and to everyone who donated to support it.”

A local multi award-winning Architectural Designer, with 50 years’ experience, designing homes in coastal, rural and urban environments around NZ.

“Now specialising in bespoke one off concept designs”, for your new house, whether you are building new, or restyling your existing home.

Warkworth mother Kelly Boyce knows from first-hand experience what it is like to need urgent pediatric intensive care. Her baby daughter Dakota arrived five weeks early on January 31, needing oxygen support. While she was treated at the North Shore Hospital special care baby unit, she says she can imagine how valuable the new Starship facility will be. She is pictured with Warkworth Lions president Peter Henderson, who championed the fundraising campaign.

Contact us

17 Neville Street, Warkworth, 0941 ph 09 425 9068 mahurangimatters localmattersnz

www.localmatters.co.nz

News:

Jannette Thompsonph 021 263 4423 gm@localmatters.co.nz

Sally Marden ph 022 478 1619 reporter@localmatters.co.nz

Advertising:

Ken Lawson ph 022 029 1899 advertising@localmatters.co.nz

Marc Milford ph 022 029 1897 local@localmatters.co.nz

Digital: Richie Lovelock digital@localmatters.co.nz

Accounts:

March 13, 2023 – Issue 450 We

Foodbank demand grows

The demand for food parcels from the Warkworth Christian Foodlink continues to grow.

The service supplied 1247 parcels last year, reaching 2680 adults and 2598 children. The total represents a 52% increase on 2021 and a whopping 363% increase on 10 years ago.

help last year and we provided food parcels and community support to 114 families who were required to self-isolate,” Mackay says.

Angela Thomas ph 425 9068 admin@localmatters.co.nz

Foodlink manager Roger Mackay says the figures show the continued flow-on effects from the covid pandemic.

Foodlink also provided 272 Christmas treat boxes in December, 22 more than in 2021.

The retail value of all the food provided last year, including the Christmas boxes, was around $214,000.

“The aftermath of covid has been a contributing factor to many people seeking

“The main reason people are not able to make ends meet continues to be the high cost and shortage of rental accommodation, coupled with the low base of welfare benefits. We frequently support families who have had to provide accommodation to extended family who have not been able to find accommodation.”

The church community, and the wider community, continues to provide the backbone of support for the service, donating goods and produce. More than $33,000 was also donated in cash.

“The local business community is also very supportive and we acknowledge the efforts of Warkworth New World,

Foodlink manager Roger Mackay. Warkworth Countdown, Orewa New World, Warkworth Butchery, Dr Hud, The Warehouse Snells Beach and Southern Paprika.”

Hill Street advocates cautiously optimistic

cycleway/pedestrian paths.

It is understood that the redesign was to accommodate the $18 million budget. The Warkworth advocates have put forward an alternative design that retains most of the features of the original plan, but still keeps within the budget.

Williams told a Warkworth Liaison Group meeting this month that there was a sense at the meeting with AT that they were taking the alternative plan seriously.

month,” Williams said.

“There was enormous political pressure brought to bear to break the deadlock on this.

“It’s likely we will end up with a hybrid design – a little bit of theirs and a little bit of ours.”

Williams says he understands that AT is hoping to start construction later this year, although any land purchase would cause delays.

0800

“Our design will be cheaper and easier to construct, and they have agreed to workshop it with us around the end of this

Next issue: March 27 For your New Home or Alteration use our ADD ROOM, SPACE, AND VALUE TO YOUR HOME measure and quote OUTSIDER FOLDING ARM AWNINGS 0800 742 337 www shadesdirect.co nz

A member of the audience commented that what Williams and Stott had done for free, AT had employed consultants to work on for 12 months.

Fire minister visits Wellsford and Warkworth

Minister for Internal Affairs and Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds was in Wellsford and Warkworth on March 2 to hear how local volunteers had coped during the recent floods and cyclone.

With Fire & Emergency NZ as part of her portfolio, Edmonds’ first port of call was the Wellsford Volunteer Fire Brigade, where she was given a tour of the station by chief fire officer Trevor Bowmar.

Edmonds joined the Cabinet as part of Chris Hipkins’ January 31 reshuffle, before being made Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery in the week after the storm struck New Zealand. She said the seriousness of the event was brought home when, instead of receiving ministerial briefings in the Beehive, she was being brought up to speed while travelling to the funerals of the firefighters lost at Muriwai.

In Wellsford, Edmonds heard that the brigade’s old-style pagers had come back into their own after the cyclone, when not only power, but cellphone coverage and wifi had gone down, rendering modern comms methods non-existent.

Bowmar said the brigade, and the neighbouring St John Ambulance, were “pretty isolated” and had to be self-reliant, as they didn’t always have the kit they needed. He said they didn’t even have a generator or a four-wheel drive vehicle.

“We’re asking a heck of a lot of our members,” he said. “We rely on local people to do quite a bit of stuff for us.

“We should have a generator here, and that could help our friends next door as well.”

The FENZ assistant commander for

Waitemata, Katie Pocock, was also present for the Minister’s visit, and said that busy volunteer brigades like Wellsford were under huge pressure, and not just during cyclones.

“These brigades step up time after time and are always the ones being counted,” she said. “The storms are a strong example, but they do that day-to-day. There’s a lot of pressure on our volunteers.”

Bowmar said the Ministry and FENZ needed to talk to brigades about what they needed in terms of equipment and budget, rather than it being imposed from above.

“Talk to us. We have a good understanding of where we are and what we need,” he said. “We know best what we need, not people sitting in Wellington telling us what we need.”

Edmonds acknowledged Bowmar’s concerns and said they would be part of the department’s discussion towards brigades being able to work more efficiently. She also said civil defence generally had not been updated for a long time and it was

Deputy PM visits Warkworth

While Tairāwhiti Gisborne remains the focus nationally for flood and cyclone recovery, deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni said in Warkworth on March 2 that smaller communities and isolated properties have not been forgotten.

Sepuloni was in town to visit Kiribati leaders at Southern Paprika, in her role as the Minister for Employment and Social Development.

She said the recovery structure that was put in place reflected the wide impact recent weather events had had across many regions.

“We have put ministers in charge at every regional level and for Auckland, that is Michael Wood [the new Minister for Auckland],” she said.

“We’re working hard to make sure there is a consistent focus and care for all the regions that have been impacted.”

Sepuloni said there was no doubt that 2023 would be a year of recovery and rebuild.

“We have to get through this and the way we will do this is by everyone pulling together. The arising challenges will be

broad ranging and everyone is going to have to have a hand in the rebuild.”

With more than $100 million already pledged, Sepuloni said more money would be needed.

She said the financial cost of rebuilding would be huge.

“The Community Response Fund we have set up was reprioritised money, not new funding. But it won’t go the full distance in terms of what we will need for this response, so that is still a discussion that needs to be had.

“No one is talking about higher taxes, except maybe the Opposition.

“We are fortunate that we don’t have the level of debt compared to other countries post-covid, but no decisions have been made.”

Sepuloni said the message from government was to build back better, build back safer, and be more mindful of the future, so the country wasn’t having to continually rebuild roads.

definitely something to rethink. The Minister then went on to the Wellsford Community Centre where she met volunteers who had given shelter to hundreds of people stranded during both recent storm events, and then to the volunteer fire brigade at Warkworth.

Fight the Tip update

Anyone interested in learning the latest on Fight the Tip’s court battle to stop Waste Management NZ putting a regional landfill between the Wayby and Dome Valleys should head to Wellsford on Sunday, March 19. A public meeting will be held at the community centre from 2pm to 4pm to update people on the Environment Court case, which is due to resume the next day, Monday, March 20, with the final planning and cultural evidence. The meeting is being hosted by Fight the Tip and Ngati Whatua, with a number of speakers lined up to outline the case so far, which has been running on and off since June 20 last year. The meeting will also include Fight the Tip’s (brief) annual meeting, and artworks and bumper stickers will be available to buy as a fundraiser.

Plant demolition

Work will start next month on the demolition of the former water treatment plant on Brown Road in Warkworth. Watercare contractor McConnell Dowell will carry out the work. The site will then be used for storage for the Warkworth to Snells wastewater transfer pipeline project. The existing water tanker filling station, located near the gate, will remain in operation during demolition works. Watercare says there are no firm plans for the long-term future of the site. “We’ll assess whether it could be used for future water or wastewater servicing.”

“Just driving out to Southern Paprika we crossed a bridge and I said I’ve never been so appreciative of the fact that not only was it standing, but I have a much better understanding of the sheer cost involved when we lose them. And the same goes for the roads.

“There’s a huge journey ahead of us to recover, but on a positive note, we have seen that there is real strength in our communities. People just pull together when things like this happen.”

Deputy

says the government understands how widespread the impacts of the cyclone have been.

Minister Barbara Edmonds, fourth from left, during her tour of Wellsford Fire Station.

Wellsford officer Matt Railey, right, showing Edmonds the ropes – or hoses.

Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni visited Southern Paprika in Warkworth as the guest of Labour List MP Marja Lubeck. Pictured, from left, are Lubeck, Minister of Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds, Sepuloni, and Labour MP Kanongataa-Suisuiki.

Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni

Progress in Puhoi, but a long road ahead

Everything that can be done is being done – that was the assurance from Auckland Transport (AT) last week to rural residents frustrated by closed and damaged roads and a lack of official communication. However, AT admitted it would take many months to fix the extensive damage throughout the region and fully reopen roads, particularly around Ahuroa and Puhoi, where a public meeting was held on March 8.

AT’s stakeholder manager for north and west, Johan Swanepoel, said it would be nine months – or the end of the year –before repairs to Krippner Road in Puhoi were complete, with traffic management set to remain in place “until further notice”. And he said investigations were still continuing into the state of Ahuroa Road, predicting it would take at least another month to fully assess all the damage and decide the best way to repair it, before any rebuild could be carried out and completed. He said the condition of the road, which was fully closed for 750 metres west of J Tolhopf Road, presented “multiple challenges” for AT and other Auckland Council agencies.

“Not all the hard mahi can be seen on the ground, but I can assure you that there is a lot of work being done in the background, with geotechnical assessments being carried out and major planning for repairs to extensive road damage,” he said. “We thank residents for their patience while we do the work. We will keep the community informed throughout the process.

“We appreciate that it’s frustrating for residents when we cannot instantly answer their questions on what can be done to repair, rebuild and reopen every road. We can only assure the public that everything that can be done is being done to restore the roading network.”

AT said its main contractor Downer, 12 subcontractors and 35 diggers had been working around the clock to clear local roads and around 17,000 cubic metres – the equivalent of seven Olympic-sized swimming pools – of mud had been

any new slips or damage throughout the region to ensure AT was kept aware of ongoing issues.

Info: Visit https://at.govt. nz/projects-roadworks/ road-works-disruptions/ auckland-flood-impactedroad-repair-and-recoveryprogramme/#NorthRural Ahuroa Road cannot be fixed as it is and needs to be realigned.

Ahuroa and Krippner Roads

– the nitty gritty from Auckland Transport on March 8

Ahuroa Road

AT does not believe that the road can be rebuilt on its existing alignment.  Several possible new alignments through private property have been identified and are being investigated.

If AT proceeds with one of these options, land purchase will be required.

AT says land purchase can be a lengthy process and it does not know how long this will take.

“When we reach agreement in respect to the land purchase, we will be able to commence the physical work within three weeks.”

Krippner Road

There are 10 major under-slips on the sealed section of Krippner Road.   Physical work will start this month to address the first of these sites at an existing spot where work had previously been due to start in February.

The other sites are currently undergoing investigation and design and the physical work is programmed to start in April and be completed over the remainder of this calendar year. The total value of this work is expected to be approximately $4 million.

Les Miller & Jackie Woolerton - Webster Malcolm Law

Photo Ivan Wagstaff.

Bid to use board money to fix storm damaged roads

A Rodney Local Board member is bidding to reallocate more than $3 million of transport targeted rate money to help fix the many roads damaged in the recent floods and cyclone.

Geoff Upson, who represents the Kumeu ward, first suggested that funds already allotted for raised pedestrian crossings, which he termed ‘speed bumps’, could be used instead for post-storm repairs under extraordinary business at last month’s Local Board meeting.

“Could we perhaps reallocate money being used for speed bumps to help catch up with road slips, closures and storm damage?” he said.

However, the idea found little favour with board area manager Lesley Jenkins, who said something of that significance would need a report to the board and that AT would have to agree it was appropriate.

“That’s not the purpose of the transport capital fund or the targeted rate,” she said. “I think it would be problematic and it’s certainly not for this meeting.”

Warkworth member Tim Holdgate said he would also like to see some of the board’s transport targeted rate money reconsidered in light of all the storm damage, especially funding for new shuttle buses for Warkworth, Leigh and Sandspit agreed last year.

Board chair Brent Bailey suggested the issue could be discussed at a workshop.

Overnight Road Closures as Work Progresses at the Northern and Southern Connections.

You may recall in our update at the end of last year we said the team would be back in the new year to complete the final layer of road surfacing at both ends of the project.

At the Northern Connection, on State Highway 1 (SH1) between Kaipara Flats Road/ Goatley Road and Hudson Road intersection there will be overnight closures, from 9pm to 5am for two weeks to complete the final road surface.

• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 March

• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 March

Last week, Upson said he was pursuing the matter and had submitted a notice of motion for the next Local Board business meeting recommending that plans for raised pedestrian crossings and footpaths scheduled for Kaukapakapa be cancelled. He said the $3.25 million set aside for the project could help reinstate flood damaged roads that were currently not passable or in danger of slipping further, which would help to make local roads safe and drive-able again.

Overflow dam over-full again

The recent extreme storm events have again forced Watercare to discharge partially treated wastewater from its Omaha treatment plant to prevent the storage dam from bursting its banks.

A Watercare spokesperson said the exceptional volumes coming into the plant off Jones Road since the January 27 floods and Cyclone Gabrielle left staff with no other option.

“Because of these high inflows, we had to use the temporary bypass first installed in July last year to manage the volumes that needed to be discharged,” he said. “This was our only option at the time to help protect the structural integrity of the site’s storage dam.”

Watercare first had to bypass the Omaha storage dam last July after exceptionally heavy winter rains, pumping posttreatment pond water into the stormwater system, which empties into the Whangateau Harbour. Staff said at the time that the water quality was sampled

regularly and bacteria levels had been lower downstream from the discharge area than upstream from it.

Watercare said last week that the Omaha treatment plant had not suffered any significant damage from the recent weather events, and neither had any of its infrastructure projects in Warkworth and Snells Beach.

“The Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant – currently undergoing a $128 million upgrade that will cater for growth in Auckland’s north and improve the water quality in the Mahurangi River – received some minor damage to an access road during the January flood,” he said. “Site works were not affected and the access road was repaired within a few days. Cyclone Gabrielle caused only minor damage to one of the treatment plant’s pipes, and there was no significant damage at our pump station construction site at Lucy Moore Memorial Park, or to our Warkworth to Snells Beach Wastewater Transfer Pipeline project.”

Marja Lube ck

Labour List MP based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi

For appointments and assistance please phone: 0800 582 325 (0800 LUBECK)

marja lubeck@parliament govt nz

5/62- 6 4 Q ueen Street , Wark wor th

During the closure, there will be a detour around Warkworth (via Woodcocks or Hudson Roads, Carran Road, and Kaipara Flats Road). The detour will add up to 10 minutes travel time for road users, so we advise planning ahead for travel over this time. People travelling south, will be diverted via Kaipara Flats Road, Carran Road and Woodcocks Roads.

Over Dimension vehicles will be escorted through the site via our traffic management team by prior arrangement. Heavy vehicles are advised to take State Highway 16.

The night works at the Southern Connection of the project are still progressing following the recent weather events. However, works were postponed due to the cyclone and because of this we have had to extend these works for a further week.

The full SH1 closures between Silverdale to Johnstones Hill Tunnels (JHT) will continue for the following dates. While the closure is in place, traffic will detour along Hibiscus Coast Highway (HCH). A stop/go operation will be in place on HCH to manage traffic safely, from 9pm to 5am.

• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 March

• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 March

The works at both ends of the project are very weather dependant, so timings may change at short notice. If you want to keep up to date, you can follow the projects Facebook page @aratuhonopuhoitowarkworth, website: nx2group.com or check out the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner https://www.journeys.nzta.govt. nz/traffic/ before you travel.

We appreciate your patience as we work to complete the new motorway. While this will no doubt impact travel, completion of these works takes us closer to opening the new motorway as soon as possible and we are all looking forward to enjoying a safer, more resilient and reliable road with more consistent travel times.

Robert Jones – Project Director

For more information, call the NX2 team on: 24/7 Freephone: 0508 P2WK INFO (0508 7295 4636) Email: info@nx2group.com

Facebook: Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth Web: nx2group.com

Nga mihi

Geoff Upson

In brief

Kaipara flood appeal

Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson has set up a Mayoral Relief Fund to help support those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Mayor Jepson says the breadth of those impacted across the Kaipara District is huge.

“We have people whose property and homes have severe and long-lasting damage, who have lost their crops, who have been cut off for weeks now and are unable to work,” he says.

YouSay

Sand mining clarification

We believe that the title and initial paragraphs of the story, DOC signals support for offshore mining at Pakiri (MM Feb 28), misrepresent the situation and the Department of Conservation’s actions in regards to the resource consent applications for sand mining.

Any reference or implication that DOC “supports” the offshore proposal is incorrect.

DOC has significant concerns about the impact of sand extraction on the coastal environment in the embayment, which is a vital habitat for the critically endangered tara iti/ NZ fairy tern population.

DOC does not support any of the three applications for sand mining. Appeals on all three applications have now been joined together by the Environment Court and will be heard over several weeks starting in May. DOC is a party to these appeals.

The s274 notice to the court is in opposition to the McCallum Brother’s appeal against Auckland Council’s decision to refuse consent for the coastal permit. DOC will not be commenting further on this case ahead of the Environment Court decision on the matters.

To reiterate, the Department of Conservation does not support any of the three applications for sand mining and we have significant concerns about the impact of sand extraction on the coastal environment in the embayment.

Nicole Steven, media and communications advisor, Department of Conservation

Defending a native

I greatly admire Colin Smith as a plainspeaking, hardworking Local Board member, who obviously has the good of his community at heart. However, I must take exception to a comment in his Viewpoint

column (MM Feb 27).

His claim that mangroves are introduced to New Zealand, an opinion held by many others, is not correct. Our mangrove (Avicennia marina subspecies australasica) that grows in harbours and estuaries in the northern half of the North Island, also grows in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Lord Howe Island. This does not mean that it has been introduced from Australia. It arrived in New Zealand under its own steam, probably thousands of years ago, so it is an indigenous plant.

This is verified by the fact that it was collected here on the second voyage of Captain Cook by botanist Josef Forster. The subspecies name australasica translates as meaning that it belongs to Australasia, i.e. New Zealand and Australia.

The controversy as to which came first, the sediment or the mangroves, will no doubt continue.

Maureen

Young, Warkworth

Dog ban Snells Beach

I refer to the article Stop pussyfooting around (MM Feb 27) and quote from the article:

“pet cats are quietly decimating the population of NZ native birds”; “cats are the major problem”; “although vulnerable to other predators, storms and human disturbances …. Pet cats roaming at night do the most damage”; “at Snells Beach cats attacked their (dotterels) nests”; RRE chairman, “pet cats were the main culprits”; and “camera footage shows that only domestic cats are involved, not stoats, rats, wild cats, gulls or any other predator”. There is no mention of dogs being any part of the problem.

So would the Auckland Council, Snells Shoreline Conservation Community and other bird protectors please advise the

justification for the 24 hour, 7 day-a -week dog ban on the northern end of Snells Beach from September 2 to March 27 for the past five years?

The dog ban has not been effective and has had zero impact on improving the dotterel population. Omaha and a large number of upper North Island beaches are home to dotterels and other NZ native birds, but only Snells Beach has the 24/7 dog ban. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the special dog ban will be removed.

John Richards, Snells Beach Tudor

story continued

The photograph reproduced in your History column (MM Feb 27) drew my attention immediately. This photo appears in the book written by AH Reed and my uncle Tudor Washington Collins, and I have been familiar with it for most of my life. He was a larger than life presence in our lives. I was my mother’s youngest child, so Uncle Tudor had pretty much retired by the time I became aware of him, and a visit from Uncle Tudor was always an event. We often spent holidays at Uncle Tudor’s bach at Waikauri Bay, and later, when I used to come up to dive or fish around Leigh or Mathesons Bay, I would always drop in to see him at his house in Mill Lane in Warkworth.

It was a bit of an adventure to go into his living room – trophies from deer stalking, deep sea fishing and, of course, piles of newspapers and photos filled every available surface! He was an expansive, generous man, with a penchant for those enormous American cars of the 60s and early 70s. They barely fitted up our drive in Disraeli Street in Mt Eden.

Having this background of knowledge and affection, I read the article with interest, and growing dismay! The numbers are

“We have had offers of help from all over the country and are grateful for everyone’s support. There are many who certainly need it.”

The Mayoral Relief Fund may be used to allocate one-off payments to individuals, families, community organisations, marae and small businesses in Kaipara that have suffered severe hardship or damage as a result of the cyclone.

Donations are also being accepted in the following account: 02-0308-0090743-002.

Drivers needed

The Warkworth RSA is looking for more volunteer drivers to help transport its members to and from hospital and medical appointments. The RSA provides the vehicles and covers all costs, so drivers are only asked to provide their time. If you can assist or would like more information, contact Sherryl on 425 8568.

wrong – not what we expect of an article under a general heading of history! My grandmother had 16 children, of whom Tudor was number 15, and my mother Ada, was number 16. The numbers are actually a bit more impressive than that as my grandfather had had six children before marrying my grandmother, so my Mum was the 22nd child. Tudor was her older brother, I think by about seven years. She was very fond of Tudor, and I can remember her telling me of the times when Tudor would protect her from the casual bullying she experienced from time to time.

It’s interesting also that the article omits a lot of the other interesting stuff that he was involved in. For instance, the Jane Gifford, which his brother owned for a while, and made Tudor work on, mining shingle and taking it down to Auckland, or that there is a wing of the Kauri Museum at Matakohe that is named for him.

Peter Mullins, Snells Beach

Viewpoint

What a time to be alive

In the aftermath of massive flooding and storm events, I wish you a much better month of March than you probably had in February.

In particular, I’m aware that so many of you have only had power restored relatively recently, after two weeks out or even longer. Living without electricity is a stressful enough experience at the best of times. For those dependent on power for medical reasons, water supply and communications though, it must have felt intolerable. Listening to the concerns of constituents throughout this time – and directly advocating for re-connection where possible – taught me three key things.

First, where physical access to the outside world is removed, residents’ ability to take care of themselves naturally grows in importance. In other words, with arterial roads suddenly inaccessible due to slips, cratering or flooding, the stress levels increased for those without power in their own household or business. The option of heading down the road for vital services was removed.

The usual priority for utilities companies, when it comes to restoring services, is to get the greatest number of people back online as soon as possible, then work outwards. This may make sense on paper but means that more rural and remote areas inevitably wait longer. It also means that those most vulnerable due to road access issues face the “double-whammy” of disconnection for longer.

Many readers of Mahurangi Matters were isolated during the period that the

Please don’t park on paths

A Warkworth resident has made a plea for more consideration from drivers who park their vehicles on footpaths instead of the road. Rosemary Allan snapped this car parked across the pathway in Hexham Street last week, saying such behaviour made life difficult for pedestrians or people with impaired mobility. She said she knew of one mobility scooter user who had fallen and hurt themselves while trying to get around a car that was taking up most of a path. “It happens all the time,” she said.

Brynderwyns route to the north was closed, at the same time as Dome Valley was also impassable. I hope that when equivalent events take place in the future (God forbid) this particular form of vulnerability is factored into the power restoration priorities.

Second, systems need to respond to reality. That might sound obvious enough in itself, but constituents contacting me throughout were deeply frustrated to find that power or communications problems had ostensibly been fixed, according to the authorities’ records, when no such thing had happened.

Third, better disaster preparedness is needed. The community is indebted to every first-responder, community group, business or individual who opened their doors (often literally) to those in need. Thank you all.

It was heartwarming to see, sure, but as a nation we clearly should not be caught short so badly that such acts of heroism and selflessness are needed at such scale. A permanent, publicised plan is needed. Auckland Emergency Management should lead that planning now, with execution to take place when the next storm hits. Please continue to contact my office and me with your post-flooding and poststorm issues. I’m hearing the same stories many times over, so am able to identify shortfalls in the system across the area. It’d be great to see as many of you as possible at the upcoming Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show. Meantime, take care and may the lights stay on.

110gms unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1 ½ cups flour

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup butterscotch chips. You can use Wetheralls and smash them with the rolling pin.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare Braided Mini Bundt Pan with butter and dust with flour and use a pastry brush to evenly coat the details of the pan. Using a mixer combine melted butter and brown sugar. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Slowly mix in egg and egg yolk.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking

powder and salt. Add to butter and sugar mixture and thoroughly combine. Stir in butterscotch chips. Fill each cavity of the pan only ¾ full with a large cookie scoop of batter (about 3 tablespoons) and push batter into details of cavities. Gently tap pan on towel-covered countertop to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in the middle rack of oven or until edges are lightly browned and tester inserted into Bundt Blondies comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack. Clean pan, prepare pan with butter, and repeat bake time with remaining batter. These are best served warm. Make a glaze just to add a detail and further taste. Lemon is lovely

Mini Bundt Blondies

These are pans you will have for life.

Comfort Pillows $26.99

223 Rodney Street, Wellsford

Chris Penk, MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi chris.penkmp@parliament.govt.nz

local folk

Jack Algie

For most Mahurangi residents, Goodall, Goldsworthy, Scandrett, Lawrie, Dawson, Dalton, Davie Martin and Anderson are just local place names, but for Jack Algie they were the families he grew up with. Whether it was sharing farm work, attending church or school, or socialising on a Sunday afternoon, these were the neighbours of his childhood. Last week, Jack celebrated his 85th birthday, when he reminisced about the early days in the bay that bears his family’s name …

The road to Martins Bay was just clay when I was a kid so really only useable during the summer. Once it started to rain it became impassable and we could be cut off for weeks. In earlier times, we had relied on scows like the Jane Gifford to bring in supplies and manure for the farm. She would drop anchor off the bay and someone would go out and load up the horse-drawn sledge. There were plenty of gumdiggers around during the Depression years, mostly Dalmatian or Maori. The paddocks were full of gum, some of it the size of a three-gallon bucket. Uncle Steve used to turn kauri gum bowls and we still get pieces washing up on the beach. There were gumdigger camps in Brickyard Bay [now Brick Bay] and opposite where Amberlea Rest Home is today.

My great grandfather, Alexander Algie, emigrated to NZ from Glasgow, Scotland in the late 1850s. He started work clearing land at Pukekohe, where he met and married Jemima (Mima) Deerness, who had emigrated with her family from the Orkney Islands. They had six children including my grandfather, John Deerness Algie, and moved to Algies Bay in 1867. The original farm was only 50 acres, but Grandpa and his brother expanded it over the years so, at one point, the Algies once owned most of the land surrounding the bay.

In 1900, John and his brother Will built Arcadia House on the water’s edge, a boarding house capable of accommodating up to 100 people. John thought it would give his daughters something to do but, of course, they soon went off and got married and left it to the boys to run. It operated from mid-December to mid-February. The grounds included gardens, a tennis court, golf course on the point and croquet court. My present house is built over part of the old tennis court. There were always boats on hand to ferry guests to picnics in sheltered bays and on nearby islands, and concerts were arranged in the evenings. Alexander opened a post office soon after arriving and it operated from the boarding house until the rural delivery service started in 1947/48. The boarding house was on a

party phone line of three – Arcadia House, the Scandretts and the Martins.

It required a fairly big team to keep the place running, so the house was a good employer of locals for those few weeks over summer. There was no power and all cooking was done on two large Shacklock stoves. Maintaining a supply of wood to keep the stoves working was an important job. Home-killed meat was supplied by the Scandretts and was kept high in an oak tree, above fly level because, of course, there were no fridges. The tree grew from one of five acorns that were given to my great grandmother Mima by Governor George Grey during one of his garden parties on Kawau. Two of the trees are still standing. At night, the rooms were lit by candles or kerosene lamps. How it didn’t burn down I don’t know! Eventually the diesel generator at the cowshed was used to charge the batteries to run the lights. Power finally got to the bay in 1954, but by that time the boarding house had closed. The war had happened and there was no-one left to run it.

As well as the boarding house, my father and uncles ran the dairy farm, shipping cream out twice a week via the steamer to Auckland, which also stopped at Matakana and Lower Matakana (Sandspit). Guests arrived on the steamer as well.

About six or seven times a year, I got to go to the sales in Warkworth, which were held every fortnight. Sam Price, and then his son Mansel, were the auctioneers and the Methodist ladies always made the lunch. It wasn’t just cattle and sheep that were for sale – people would bring along anything they wanted to sell, from dinghies to possum traps, from lawn mowers to sewing machines. There would be worn out tools, timber, chooks and roosters, pigs and dogs. It was a real event and I loved it.

We’ve been a boating family for generations and Dad made me my first boat when I was seven. When I was 13, I bought a sailing dinghy, a little Zeddie, by selling

possum skins. The pelts had to include both ears and two inches down the back, and council would give you half a crown for each. The Zeddie cost me £30, or 240 dried possum skins. I joined the Kawau Yacht Club in 1953 and raced with the squadron in Auckland for a few years.

I left Warkworth School when I was 17 and got a job with the Matakana builders Norman Roke and Austin Smith. One of the jobs I worked on was the Matakana Hall after the old hall burned down – now that’s a story in itself! Norm died suddenly aged 47, so about two years later, I went into business with Ted Shepherd. We were the first in NZ to make the wide sawhorse called the Chippy. We made thousands of them over the years and sold them for 15 bob each, about $1.50, and that included transport. It just became a nuisance in the end so we got out of it. Ted didn’t want to go back building so we tried our luck fishing. We did that for five years and then I drove the Kawau ferry for 18 months.

Later on, my wife Kathy and I did three months training with the Baptist Union on Great Barrier. This led to a monthlong mission to the Philippines and then I was called to be the pastor at the Baptist Church in Rawene. Although we loved Rawene, it ended up being a harrowing experience when a local man went berserk and killed three people, including two of his own children. The man obviously had mental illness issues, but the church came in for some strong criticism. Church members were accused of having tried to address his illness with faith instead of getting proper treatment. It was a very hard time to live through. I was also the

pastor in Kamo for a number of years before returning to Algies.

When I met Kathy, she was recently widowed and had just returned from Australia. She was living with her mother Alison Roberts, who owned the donkey park. She had a three-year-old daughter Jenny, and we went on to expand the family with two adopted boys, Steven and Andrew. The bay is still full of members of the family – there are Athol’s sons Donald, Brian and Evan, Steve’s children Rozzie, Colleen and Grant, and me and Ruth Harvey (nee Algie), as well as some of our children. My sister Marion isn’t too far away either, in Sandspit.

In some ways, it’s a modern miracle that I’m still here at all. Dr Shaw in Warkworth diagnosed my dicky heart when I was seven. They took me to a specialist in Auckland who said I had the congenital heart defect patent ductus arteriosus and told Mum that I might live to be 10 or maybe 11, if I was lucky. I know this because I was sitting in the room, hearing it with my own ears. There was no worrying about psychological distress on children in those days. As it turned out, the pioneering heart surgeon Dr Douglas Robb, who later became Sir Douglas Robb, used to stay at our boarding house and Mum got in touch with him. He operated on me in August 1948 and I guess he must have done a good job as I’ve lived well past 11. A few years ago, I was contacted by someone from the hospital who was very interested in my case. Although I wasn’t the first patient to have the operation, apparently I was the first one to live.

The Jane Gifford dropping off supplies.

The Arcadia Boarding House.

Firewood destined for the stoves.

New board office opens with blessing and a protest

More than 12 years after the creation of the Auckland ‘super city’, Rodney Local Board finally has its own base in Warkworth.

The new Elizabeth Street offices and meeting rooms were formally blessed and opened on March 1 in a ceremony attended by board members and staff, Auckland Council’s corporate property team, Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers and Ngati Manuhiri representatives.

Proceedings were delayed slightly by the presence of a small group of protesters, including members of the Northern Action Group and Fight the Tip, who were objecting not to the local board, but to the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust, who were due to carry out the karakia. Bearing placards objecting to the trust’s recent backflip from opposing to supporting Waste Management NZ’s plans for a huge new regional dump in the Dome, the protesters stood to one side of the board offices, greeting board members they knew and chatting with three Warkworth Police officers, who walked across from the nearby police station to see what was going on.

Auckland Council’s Matanga – Tikanga me Te Reo Maori, or Maori language and cultural practices expert, Richard Nahi, went across the street to the settlement trust offices to discuss how the protest should be dealt with to minimise any disruption to the ceremony.

In the end, he carried out the blessing on behalf of Council, with members of Ngati Manuhiri present, “to avoid any drama”. He acknowledged all the people present, including

the protesters, and also acknowledged the local community and the importance of the environment.

Nahi then led everyone present, again including the protesters, around the new offices, finishing in the new meeting room where there were speeches and waiata. He again stressed the importance of blessing the facility and the people who would work, meet and make important decisions for the community there. Wellsford board member Colin Smith did not take part in the blessing ceremony in protest at the presence of Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust members.

Board chair Brent Bailey said it was great to finally have a place in Rodney for the Rodney Board to meet, as had been recommended by the Local Government Commission in 2018, and thanked all those who had made it happen, including the staff who had moved to work there.

Cr Greg Sayers said it was important to have a presence in Warkworth, as well as in southern Rodney, at Huapai.

“It all goes back to the community and how do we engage more closely with the community,” he said. Board members agreed, saying it was much easier and cheaper for local individuals and community groups to go to a meeting in Warkworth than Orewa, where board meetings were usually held.

Ivan Wagstaff said the opening was particularly timely in the wake of recent weather events.

“After the last couple of weeks, it’s really important that people feel like Council has their back and having

somewhere local goes a long way towards that,” he said. “We may not be able to respond or provide equipment or support the community (ourselves), but listening to the community and being here for them is really important.”

The new offices will be open for local board business meetings and can be used to meet with board members by appointment – email rodneylocalboard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or call 09 301 0101. Council services will continue to be provided at the Warkworth Service Centre in Baxter Street.

Council said the office refit cost $1.5 million and was funded from the sale of under-utilised legacy office space, such as the Orewa Council buildings, at no cost to ratepayers.

Objectors mingled with board members at small, goodnatured protest outside the new offices in Elizabeth Street.

Due to the protest, Auckland Council Matanga Richard Nahi led the blessing, instead of the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust.

Council cuts out for comment

Aucklanders are being encouraged to have their say on a proposed mix of options to close a $295 million shortfall in Auckland Council’s annual budget.

Group chief financial officer Peter Gudsell says there are some tough choices ahead and it is important Council hears from Aucklanders on the proposals that have been put forward.

“The proposed budget outlines where Council plans to raise its revenue and what it will spend its money on, including plans to reduce the operating costs by an additional $125 million across Auckland Council and Council Controlled Organisations,” Gudsell says.

“These are important decisions we’re making on behalf of Aucklanders so it’s crucial we hear from them.”

Council plans to make savings by maintaining the currently reduced number of public transport services, and cutting spending on economic development and tourism promotion, and regional services such as community and education programmes, arts and culture programmes, regional events and some social services activities such as homelessness funding, community empowerment and funding for youth centres.

Local board budgets are being slashed by $16 million and there will be less money

spent on grants to environmental, sports, cultural and arts projects. Council estimates it will save $1 million by no longer providing childhood education services.

In total, Council plans to spend $3.593 billion on operating costs and $2.791 billion on capital investment in the next financial year.

The proposed rate rise will be 4.66 per cent or $154 a year (around $3 a week) for the average value residential property. The proposed average increase in general rates across all existing properties, including non-residential, is seven per cent.

Council is proposing to borrow more – up to $75 million – to fund capital expenditure, rather than funding it through rates and user charges. Although its current financial settings allow it to use up to $140 million of additional debt, its budget document states that debt should be used sparingly and only as a last resort to address the operating budget gap.

Budget documents and feedback forms can be accessed online at akhaveyoursay.nz/ budget or at local libraries or service centres.

Anyone who isn’t able to access the information online or visit a centre in person, can call 09 301 0101 for more information.

Feedback closes at 11pm on Tuesday, March 28.

Free lunch off council menu

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

An Auckland Council committee chair has shown his colleagues there is no such thing as a free lunch under Council’s budget pressures.

At the Planning, Environment and Parks committee on March 2, chair Richard Hills cut the free lunch off the committee’s discretionary spending list. This followed a Governing Body resolution to encourage cuts to discretionary

spending from council, council controlled organisations and local boards the week prior. At the time of last week’s resolution, Hills was concerned that councillors did not have a common view of what discretionary spending was.

Before going to lunch, Cr Wayne Walker, who moved the resolution to encourage cuts to discretionary spending, asked who made the decision to cut lunch.

Independent Māori Statutory Board member Tau Henare said to Walker, “Come on man, you get paid enough.”

Collaborative Seaweek event

By Lyn Hamilton-Hunter

Seaweek, Kaupapa Moana, is an annual national week that has been celebrating the sea for over 30 years.

It is run by the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre and relies on a vast network of volunteers to organise events.

On March 4, Forest and Bird and TOSSI headed up a small gathering of local conservation groups to celebrate this year’s Seaweek at Anchor Bay, Tāwharanui. The groups got together to celebrate our amazing shoreline, the life it supports and how that connects to the land. These voluntary conservation groups spend much of their efforts on supporting improvements to the land-based flora and fauna such tree planting, bird counts, monitoring, pest control and so on.

Some work is also directed to our shore birds, such as dotterels, Cooks petrel and oi. But it’s a valuable experience to wander among the rocky shoreline, check out the rock pools and wonder at the life contained in this very special environment. Land and sea are not separate, they blend into each other and are intrinsically connected to

form one ecosystem of many layers.

F&B and TOSSI were joined by members of Snells Shoreline Conservation Community, Restore Rodney East, and some of the team also work with Friends of Awa Matakanakana and the Forest Bridge Trust, so the connectivity was also reflected in the group of volunteers that came together for the day.

The volunteers chatted to visitors, sharing the work that is done by the groups, as well as encouraging them to check out the rocky shoreline for themselves.

The conditions of the sea precluded any snorkelling, and after the recent storm events it was a bit murky anyway. There was a decent swell on the day, great for all the surfers out there, but not for looking in rock pools! It was only much later in the afternoon that a few of the team could explore among the rocks a little, being careful not to get taken out by a rogue wave. However, there was still plenty to see – fish, snails, barnacles, mussels, periwinkles, limpets and more.

The sea, the shoreline, the land, the rivers and the streams – there is no line between them, they are interconnected as is the life they support. Let’s take care of it all.

Volunteers talking to visitors at the displays.

Exploring rock pools is fun at any age.

Sally Richardson chats to one of the visitors.

“Totally Dependable”

But Don’t Take Our Word For It! 10/10

Laser Electrical Warkworth always deliver as promised. They are a team of professionals who are polite, punctual and very pleasant to have on site. Always quick to solve problems and explain everything clearly, I would highly recommend anyone of the team.

Easy to book. Great service. Always friendly and go the extra mile

Excellent quick service, problems solved .. what else could we want?

Staff personable, ready to listen and not make assumptions. On time

Cosplay comes to Warkworth

Visitors to the old cement works at Warkworth may have thought yet another movie was being filmed there on Saturday, March 4, as the grounds were filled with all sorts of bizarre and interesting characters. However, the dozen or so people wearing weird and wonderful costumes were actually there for fun, not filming, as they were attending the annual Warkworth cosplay picnic. For those who don’t know, cosplayers create and dress in the outfits and accessories of favourite characters from films, books or video games.

Gaming Festival and Wellington Cosplay

PhotoFest, this is our primary socialising style of event and it also tests our costume wearability, durability and comfort.

“We get to see how they photograph and learn what parts need improving before a whole day at a convention, or decide to go with something different.”

Thackray said attendees often came from as far afield as Tauranga and Napier, but numbers were a little down this year after complications caused by the recent storm events, adding that covid had affected the picnic in recent years as well.

10% discount available to gold card holders (proof to be shown to the electrician while on site)

Attention sparkies!

Keen to take your trades career to the next level? Get in contact today!

10%

Warkworth-based Sephiroth Thackray realised a few years ago the old cement works was a great spot, not only for socialising with like-minded cosplayers, but for getting great photos using the ruins as a backdrop.

After spending several hours at the cement works, this year’s gathering moved on to the Wairere Scenic Reserve in Falls Road for more photos in and around the river and ford.

P: 09 422 3226

P: 09 422 3226

E: warkworth@laserelectrical.co.nz | W: www.laserelectrical.co.nz

E: warkworth@laserelectrical.co.nz | W: www.laserelectrical.co.nz

“I started the event in 2016 to increase the number of regular cosplay picnics and also to extend the trend north of Auckland, as the majority of these style events are from Auckland south,” he said.

Thackray has been involved in cosplay for 30 years and, when he’s not masked, madeup and wielding replica weapons, he can be found serving behind the bar at the Warkworth RSA.

Unit 1, 3 Morrison Drive, Warkworth P: 09 422 3226

Unit 1, 3 Morrison Drive, Warkworth

“Outside of major conventions like Armageddon Expos, Overload, Great Games With Pals, Anime Kpop and

E: warkworth@laserelectrical.co.nz | W: www.laserelectrical.co.nz

Unit 1, 3 Morrison Drive, Warkworth

He advises anyone interested in finding out more about cosplay to check out Cosplay New Zealand on Facebook.

discount available to gold card holders (proof to be shown to the electrician while on site)

Ready for their close-ups – some of the cosplay characters at the cement works picnic.

Frost Fitness

Warkworth’s most established fitness centre, Warkworth Gym in Glenmore Drive, is changing its name to Frost Fitness.

This follows the sale of the business to Danny and Fiona Frost, who previously ran Frost Fitness in Morrison Drive, which has closed.

“The two businesses were a good fit because they were both focused on being friendly and community focused,” Danny says. After the difficult covid years, he is excited to be launching the new gym in a much more positive environment.

“We have some exciting plans for the gym but will take it one step at a time. Most of the Warkworth Gym staff have been retained, so this will help transition members to the gym’s new look and feel, including a new colour scheme and logo.”

Danny says the Glenmore Drive site is twice the size of his former premises, which allows for more flexibility in the types of sessions

and facilities the 24-hour gym can offer. He plans to develop a more holistic approach to wellness by offering a range of services that address not only physical fitness through the 25 existing classes, but mental health and nutrition as well. He also hopes to develop stronger links with schools and sports clubs.

Danny’s aim is to be based at the gym fulltime. Currently he is the business development manager for Aspect Blinds and Shutters, and Fiona is a teacher at Snells Beach School.

The gym will soon offer Fit3D scans, which can give a quick and reliable report on a person’s body measurements including posture, lean mass (muscle), fat mass and balance.

“The scans give a much more accurate picture of where a person is on their wellness journey. The information they provide is amazing.”

Central’s Tips

March 2023

The fruit and vegetable garden

• Feed citrus, feijoa and fig trees as the fruit develops. This is necessary after a very rainy season to add nutrients to the soil and ensure good sized fruit

• Ahead of planting out new vegetable seedlings, condition the soil with compost, sheep pellets or fresh Garden Mix

• Cover up ripening grapes, and the last of the blueberries and raspberries as the birds get braver and hungrier

• Get adventurous with cold season vegetables – plant seedlings of broccolini, purple sprouting broccoli, green Romanesco and coloured Asian greens

• The power of lemon flavourings – lemon peel, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, and lemongrass – use them together for infusions and syrups Prune plum trees now, thinning out the middle and removing dead branches. Pruning now reduces risk of disease

• Rosemary in abundance? Use the woody stems as kebab sticks for lamb or beef. The smell from the BBQ and the meat flavour will be delicious

The ornamental garden

• Plant out autumn-toned shrubs and flowers to complement developing autumn colours: NZ coprosmas and grasses often fuse well with ornamental trees that have colour, as do dwarf maples and late flowering hydrangeas

• One last trim and tidy – trees, shrubs and topiaries should be tidied to harden up before winter. Crisply shaped bushes offer interesting structure when the garden dies down

• Renovating lawns begins now – fertilise with Prolawn Lawn Booster after a summer of unseasonably heavy rain. Mow often and resow bare patches

• Some cutting back of spent perennials is good housekeeping, but roses and hydrangeas should only be deadheaded as they’re traditionally pruned at the end of winter

• This year the soil is warm and moist, making it ideal to plant all those trees and shrubs on sale at the garden centre. Add some compost or Garden Mix and a layer of mulch and they will establish easily

• Early spring flowering bulbs should be planted out now, including ranunculus, freesias, anemones, and crocuses. Crocuses are suitable for small containers and bowls

Fiona and Danny Frost

Storm damage revives interest in radio

If the recent floods and cyclone taught us anything, it was how reliant we all are on modern technology and personal devices. The widespread power cuts were tolerable, because with luck and a good charge behind us, we still had our phones, and phones could keep us in touch not only with friends and family, but the news, weather and a whole world of other distractions. But when the cell towers went down as well, it was a swift and stark reminder of just how important they have become. Many people were essentially isolated, due mainly to the fact that cell tower back-up batteries could only run for around 48 hours without power.

Brains that had become used to being fully wired were forced to redirect their energy and remember … what was it we used to do? “Listen to the radio,” came the dim and distant answer.

Dusty portable models were dug out of drawers and dialled into life, and entire families trooped out to the car to catch up on news or listen to music in the driveway. However, the situation was also a reminder of why adapting to alternative information and

entertainment sources had been so welcome in the first place, as in many local spots, radio reception is far from ideal, with fading signals and crackling interference commonplace. While this is to be expected in remote rural corners tucked behind a ridgeline, one of the worst reception areas has always been, and remains to this day, the region’s biggest service centre – Warkworth.

As many have pondered as their car radio reception slowly fades, surely something can be done to improve matters these days, even allowing for the town’s low-level, riverside location?

Unfortunately not, according to Darrell McNab, who runs Rodney Broadband, an internet provider that uses radio frequencies to connect rural customers to fibre in Warkworth via a network of strategically sited hill-top antenna.

“What happens is that the town is in a radio basin,” he said. “So you’ll drop from Pulham Road, where you’ll get everything from Auckland at full strength, and as you drive down Bertram Street, signal strengths will go down to one tenth of what they were at the top and that goes for everything, FM, AM, the lot.”

FM stations are particularly affected, as their higher frequency soundwaves do not travel as well as AM’s lower frequencies. McNab said trying to propagate, or transmit, FM stations in Warkworth and the surrounding area was particularly challenging, as they generally rely on ‘line of sight’ transmission between antenna, and there were plenty of sharp dips in between.

“Places like Warkworth, the Dome, Matakana Valley, Whangaripo – trying to propagate FM through there is very difficult,” he said.

But surely the radio stations or broadcasting powers could simply install another Warkworth antenna to boost the signal in town? Alas, it is not that simple.

“When you licence an FM station in New Zealand, Radio Spectrum Management (the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment department responsible for radio in NZ) will give someone a frequency, but you can’t have two towers in the same area on the same frequency – that simply won’t work, they will interfere with each other,” he said.

McNab said because of this, placement of radio towers was an exact science carried

out to optimise the coverage each station could get, and the best spots had long since been located by licence holders.

“It’s the same for cell towers. Mobile phone frequencies are halfway between AM and FM, so coverage does get over hills, but there will be black spots. They only have their frequency or channel, and you can’t have two towers on the same frequency –they have to be out of range from each other.

“So that is a limitation of the technology we’ve got – it’s probably as far as it can go for radio comms.”

McNab said that while the current rollout of wifi calling, which enables phone calls via the internet, would be an asset for keeping in touch, a good old-fashioned radio should always be kept on hand.

“If there’s an absolute emergency and everything goes out, your default is AM radio,” he said. “Make sure you have a radio and plenty of batteries.”

Radios varying in size from pocket portable to heavy-duty tradies’ models can be bought from stores including The Warehouse, Noel Leeming and Mitre 10, as well as online.

Warkworth sits in a ‘radio basin’, and there is little that can be done to boost reception.

Community coordinator to support fundraising events

Fundraising groups throughout Rodney and the Hibiscus Coast could get a boost in future, thanks to a new regional role created by real estate group Harcourts Cooper & Co.

The company has appointed Hiria Kayes as its community relationship coordinator to support and help with events in the area covered by the seven new branches it acquired last year – Orewa, Whangaparaoa, Silverdale, Millwater, Warkworth, Snells Beach and Matakana.

Kayes, who lives at Manly, will liaise with local agents and organisations to support and help with a range of community fundraising events.

“We can support an event in a number of ways – sometimes it can be with money, it might be our time or with equipment, such as gazebos, or with our Coffee & Cone ice cream and coffee truck,” she says. “It will be a real privilege to cover the northern Auckland region, and meet and assist the people that really work so hard to provide events and raise funding to enrich communities.”

Some of the organisations already being assisted in the region include Harbour Hospice, Youth in Transition, Silverdale Rugby Club, Saving Hope, the Orewa Bike Cruise, Run Orewa and Women’s Centre Rodney.

Kayes joins a team of four – plus casual staff – who make up the Harcourts Cooper & Co community team, which has existed

since 2013 and has raised more than $6 million in that time.

Cooper & Co managing director Martin Cooper says the company’s growth will see an increase in its community fundraising, which already supports more than 400 events each year.

“As a company, we have always believed that you give back to those who support you, and I believe we have the largest community outreach programme in northern Auckland,” he says.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the team to the Coast and Rodney, and Hiria is the ideal person to engage with all the communities we operate within.”

Anyone interested in seeking support for a community group or event should visit www.cooperandco.co.nz/do-youneed-some-help or contact their nearest Harcourts Cooper & Co branch.

Hiria Kayes will coordinate Harcourts’ local fundraising activities.

A Cooper & Co coffee and ice cream truck is available for events.

Call for better boat safety around divers

An Auckland boatie is $16,000 out of pocket after he struck a diver after failing to properly take account of a dive flag, or slow down to five knots in the 200m vicinity of the dive flag.

Shaun Hollinger was sentenced in the Auckland District Court under Maritime Transport rules for operating a vessel in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk to another person.

Hollinger was ordered to pay $10,000 in emotional harm reparations, $2429 in consequential loses and was fined $3600. The incident occurred near Hauturu Little Barrier in January last year, when Hollinger was skippering the Rain or Shine, a 5.4 metre recreational vessel.

Another recreational vessel, the AWOL, was also in the area with seven people on-

board and some of the passengers were diving.

Maritime NZ’s general regulatory operations manager, Jason Lunjevich, says the skipper of the AWOL erected a diving flag to warn other vessels there were people in the water.

“If a diving flag is erected, other vessels within 200 metres of the flag need to slow down to five knots,” he says.

“This is to protect divers.”

After initially seeing the dive flag, the Rain or Shine did slow down from 18 knots, but it was still travelling through the 200-metre five knot area at speeds of between 10 to 13 knots – more than double the permitted speed of five knots.

Witness reports describe how passengers

on the AWOL tried to make the skipper of the Rain or Shine aware that there were people in the water.

However, they say there was no change in speed, and shortly after they heard a bang and a diver surfaced beside the Rain or Shine yelling for help.

The diver suffered cuts to his head and concussion as a result of the impact.

“This was completely avoidable and needlessly put a diver at serious risk of injury,” Lunjevich says.

“We are still in our busy period for recreational craft users and diving, and we do not want to see repeats of incidents like this.

“If you see a dive flag, you must slow down to five knots and keep an eye out for people in the water.”

Work reduces risk of power outages

A significant slip near two Transpower towers carrying electricity to Northland has remained stable, with no further land movement. The slip is located about 10km south-west of Wellsford and impacts one tower on the Henderson to Marsden 220kV line and one tower on the Henderson to Maungatapere 110kV line.

Last week, Warkworth residents were being advised to take precautions in case there were unplanned interruptions to power when the 110kV line was taken down. This was done in case the slip advanced causing it to fall onto the 220kV line, as this would have resulted in an extended outage to areas from Warkworth north. The 220kV line was being relocated last week to bypass the tower in the impacted area, an interim step to improve security while Transpower worked on a permanent solution.

Transpower general manager grid delivery Mark Ryall says that while there is still a very small risk of an extended outage due to the slip advancing, an outage during the construction of the temporary bypass would most likely be caused by lightning or other equipment failure.

“Depending on the cause, we would expect to be able to restore power relatively quickly – a few minutes to a matter of hours,” he says. “In the unlikely case a tower was to fail due to the slip, then we envisage at this stage having a circuit available within 48-72 hours. However small this risk, we continue to encourage residents in the region to be prepared for an extended outage.”

Maritime NZ says rules were ignored prior to a diver being struck off Hauturu Little Barrier.

Sanctuary spruce-up planned

The Omaha Shorebirds Protection Trust wants to build a new entrance to its bird sanctuary at a cost of more than $96,000 to help more people understand and care about the endangered birds that live there.

Trustee Ngaire Wallen told Rodney Local Board’s February meeting that the existing sanctuary entrance, off the northern end of Ida Way, looked unloved and uncared for and was cluttered with a confusing mess of signs.

“There are lots of signs, but none of them identify exactly what the place is. It’s no surprise that people behave inappropriately if they’re not aware that they’re in a sanctuary for rare and endangered birds.” Members heard that human disturbance and incursions by domestic pets were two of the main challenges impacting the breeding success of birds such as NZ dotterels and others. Although community involvement in pest control had improved, many holidaymakers did not know what the sanctuary was for.

A predator-proof fence was installed to protect the reserve land at the northern tip of Omaha Beach in 2012, but there is pedestrian access through the main gate, as well as a second gate next to the large rock groyne at the beach, off the southern end of Ida Way.

Wallen said the trust wanted to close the second gate permanently, as sand had eroded to the point where people had to scramble down rocks to get to the beach beyond the fence. Closure would also close off an effective loop walk through the sanctuary, which currently encouraged people to enter, disturbing nesting and roosting birds.

The shorebirds trust wants to upgrade the main sanctuary entrance with improved roading, pathways, fencing, gates, wooden bollards and a waharoa, or traditional covered entranceway. There would also be new signage to make it clear what the sanctuary was, which birds were present and that it was a place for birds, not people. The trust also wants to install signs that clearly points people to the main beach, something Wallen said was lacking at present.

In the longer term, the trust would also like to see a raised walkway built into the sanctuary that would allow wheelchair users to view the birds.

Wallen said although there may be more than one source of funding, on Auckland Council advice, the trust was seeking support from the Local Board so the improvements could be undertaken as a single capital works project.

A covered entranceway, or waharoa, is part of the Omaha bird sanctuary proposal.

Time to make inroads on travel bucket lists

While in lockdown, many people were dreaming of being far, far away, re-working their bucket lists and saving their dollars. Once the borders opened, travel agents were inundated with customers – some of them nervous about covid requirements, but all keen to start ticking off their dream destinations.

Orewa You Travel directors Kiri Martin and Mandy Herd say the first phase of outbound travellers was people wanting to reconnect with family and friends. Then came the desire for some long overdue leisure time in an exotic place – for some, the more exotic the better.

In-demand destinations include Antarctica, the Arctic, Europe and Egypt.

“These are not places that you go for two weeks. People ended up with large amounts of annual leave stacked up after the restrictions, and they are keen to use it on seeing the world.”

Mandy says travel agents are also seeing people prepared to spend more to upgrade their flights, say from Economy to Business Class.

Travel agents are busier than ever.

“There is still a demand/supply issue –we’re not back to pre-covid capacity as yet,”

Kiri says. “That means people have to book earlier than they once did. We’re hoping the prices come down next year, when more airlines start flying to NZ again.”

Upheavals experienced by travellers, such as flight schedule changes and different covid requirements in different places, have caused them to come back to travel agents, rather than booking everything online. “Customers phone us from the airport queues and we can resolve those things for them,” Mandy says. “More travellers understand the value of using an agent now.”

Your time is valuable. I manage all the moving parts and smooth any bumps along the way. All you need to do is enjoy yourself.

When I plan your travel, you experience unforgettable moments beyond what you dreamed possible.

Let me connect you to the world!

Virtuoso is a global by invitation only network specialising in luxury and experiential travel. As a Virtuoso Advisor my clients enjoy exclusive perks, including hotel upgrades and complimentary breakfasts, spa treatments and extraordinary experiences not available to the general public.

I know how to book the hotel rooms with the best views, where to get authentic pizza on the Amalfi Coast and how to arrange a private dinner under the statue of David.

If you are ready to experience the best in travel

Exciting destinations such as Antarctica, Egypt, the Arctic and Europe are top of Kiwi’s bucket lists, and they are heading there now, enjoying the freedom after covid restrictions.

Golfers join flood relief efforts

The Mangawhai Golf Club found itself pivoting from organising a flood relief fundraiser to becoming an evacuation centre in the space of a few hours on February 24.

The club and its committee members had just finished organising a charity golf day for flood victims in the Hawkes Bay/East Coast area when Mangawhai was hit by a weather bomb that caused widespread flooding and slips.

The clubhouse quickly turned into an evacuation centre with several golfers and staff among those stranded by the rising floodwaters.

Club general manager Carry Dale says the club was able to provide food and hot showers, and she understands the emergency response team, which operated from the clubhouse, found overnight accommodation for 77 people.

It was mostly stranded motorists, but there

were locals as well who had to evacuate their homes.

“A huge number of people in the community did amazing things that night,”

Dale says. “So many helped rescue people, clear roads, chop trees, and then dealt with the clean-up. It was wonderful to be able to help in the small way we did.”

Dale made special mention of café contractor Alaina and her A to Z Catering team who supplied meals and left a big pot of soup out when they closed, much later than normal, that night.

The charity event went ahead one week later and raised $13,000 for Red Cross New Zealand and Golf New Zealand’s Golfing for Gabrielle initiative.

Among the items auctioned on the day were a signed All Blacks jersey from the last Rugby World Cup and mounted golf balls signed by world champion golfer Lydia Ko.

Robyn Hale was the lucky winner of a ride in an AC Cobra to Waipu and back, including lunch at the Pizza Barn, donated by car owner Mike Lightfoot.

The winners of the charity golf day competition, from left, were Max and Ross Allen, Claire Dunn and Wayne Brady.

KAPANUI TRAGEDY

By Bryan Jackson

On Saturday, 23 December 1905, the wooden hulled Kapanui, which weighed 129 tons and was 95 feet long, left Warkworth at 4.40pm headed for Auckland. The boat carried nine crew and a number of passengers, and called in to Waiwera at 6pm to collect more passengers, with the total passengers now being 10. The boat rounded North Head around 9pm and passed the Gael, which was heading north. The Kapanui then turned toward the shore without realising that it was heading into the path of the 210 ton,

included information about Luke’s farm. After the inquests, a Marine Inquiry was held on 9 January, 1906 before Mr Kettle S.M. and two nautical assessors, Captains Smith and McArthur. The prosecutor, Mr Tole, stated that, “The Kapanui when she passed the Gael, was carrying no red light, an omission of the greatest seriousness in the light of the subsequent events.” The Captain Mewitt of the Claymore stated that he saw that the Kapanui did not have a red light showing and that when he saw the Kapanui crossing his course, he stopped the engine and ordered full steam astern. Captain Southgate stated that he had sent a boy to relight the light and that he

Right, the SS Kapuni after being raised, showing the gap in the hull caused by the collision with the SS Claymore.

Gardening

Andrew Steens

Much to say about manuka

Leptospermum scoparium, commonly known as tea tree or manuka, is found throughout New Zealand, most often as a pioneer plant in regenerating areas. It is ideal for this as it is a fast-growing shrub with tough, wind resistant foliage and a strong, fibrous root system which is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, soil moisture and fertility levels. It is invaluable in reforestation projects, as it provides great shelter for slower growing natives, dense canopy that suppresses weeds, and the flowers are an important food source for many birds and insects.

Of course, over recent decades much attention has been focused on the medicinal properties of manuka honey, which is harvested by bees over the flowering period from early winter through to summer. I was introduced to this concept when, as a student, I worked summers for my brother as a beekeeper. He was one of the first beekeepers in the country to specialise in manuka honey and remains one of the largest producers.

It truly is a special honey, but funnily enough before it became so sought after, and so expensive, it was considered an undesirable honey, due to its strong taste and dark colour. Light honeys such as thistle and clover were much preferred in those days. Anyway, I digress, manuka are also excellent shrubs for the home garden, for all these reasons, but also because breeders over the past few decades have produced some lovely varieties from the original species. For small gardens, there are dwarf varieties such as the Nanum series – Kiwi with deep pink flowers, Kea with almost white flowers, and Huia and Tui, both with light

pink flowers. These grow to between 0.5 to 1 metre in height. Some of the Wiri series are also dwarf, such as Kerry, growing to between 50 to 70 cm high, with lovely frilled double red flowers.

A different look is achieved with another dwarf type, Pink Cascade, which has a weeping habit, useful for banks and retaining walls. Red Falls is another prostrate variety like this, but with large red flowers. The prostate types reach about 0.5 metres high, but can achieve a spread of several metres wide.

Medium-sized growers, which grow to between 1.5 to 2 metres high, include Princess Anne, with delightful double white flowers and red centres, Wiri Susan with large white flowers and purple centres, Wiri Donna with scarlet flowers, Wiri Joan with glorious double scarlet flowers and Wiri Linda with double white flowers. Andromeda is another lovely variety with large light pink flowers, while Blushing Star has white flowers with a maroon centre and more arching shape to the stems. Rosy Morn has lovely dark pink flowers, some of which may emerge as early as autumn, as does Red Ensign, with vibrant red flowers. Another good red variety is Red Damask. Taller growers can reach heights of 2.5 to 3 metres or even higher as they mature. Varieties include Snow Flurry, which has lovely double pure white flowers, and Burgundy Queen with deep burgundy red flowers. There are many other varieties available, including some that have been hybridised with other New Zealand and Australian species. All are tough plants that deserve a place in the garden and if they get too big, you’ll have a great source of hot burning wood for the BBQ or fireplace!

Drumming up support for cancer causes

When Warkworth drummer Paul Bondsfield takes his seat behind his kit in Auckland next month there will be more at stake than just his attempt to claim a Guinness world drumming record.

Bondsfield is hoping to raise much needed funds for the Cancer Society, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Foundation.

For him, the cause is personal.

“I’m doing it for cancer charities after my wife, Tris, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and I lost my father and uncle to prostate cancer some years ago,” Bondsfield says.

“Cancer impacts so many of us, with 71 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer every day – one of those 71 on a day not long ago was my wife, Tris.

“Every donation I receive will help fund cancer research, prevention and support services for people with cancer and their

whānau when they need it most.”

Bondsfield is making his world record attempt at the Sylvia Park Shopping Centre, starting on April 8.

He will need to drum for 135 hours to beat the current record of 134 hours set by a Canadian in 2015. His goal is to drum for 144 hours (six days) and, under the Guinness rules, he can only take one five minute break every hour.

Bondsfield says he is feeling confident but realistic about the challenge.

“It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion and any number of things could throw me off. It’s amazing how a small ache or pain that you would normally shrug off can take on a much bigger significance at three in the morning.”

In preparation for the record attempt, Bondsfield did a 24-hour test run at the Warkworth Band Room on February 24 and 25.

He says the test provided some valuable lessons.

“I started off with a hiss and a roar, entertaining the crowd, but I need to realise it’s a marathon, not a sprint and play accordingly.

“There were technical issues as well around how the set-list is delivered and played, and getting the live feed right.”

Nutrition before and during the event is an important part of his preparation.

“I ate three bananas, a couple of protein bars and some chicken pasta during the 24 hours, plus Mike, from Warkworth Butchers, kindly cooked me a lovely bacon sarnie for breakfast. The first stint of six

Giving a little will mean a lot

hours was a good idea, as it banked me some rest time. I took 15 minutes after that so still had 15 minutes in the tank for later. After that, I played in two to four hour segments. I managed two 15-minute power naps during the night and that sustained me pretty well.”

Bondsfield says a big lesson from the test was how important his crew are.

“Without them I couldn’t have completed this short event and without them and more I won’t break the record.”

In particular, he thanked Rob Nute and wife Wendy, musicians Clyde, Tanja, Mike, Eli and Chris, Flynn Mehlhopt, Dianne, Claire, Craig and Connor, Matt Gerrand and, especially, his wife Tris.

Here’s how to find out more about the record breaking drumming attempt and the causes Paul is supporting: https://pbondsfield.wixsite.com/the-longest-beat and https://www.facebook.com/TheLongestBeat

For a full range of family medical care, including A&M services in an integrated system 24 hours a day, across our region, including public holidays

There were valuable lessons to be learned during the 24-hour test run in Warkworth.

Bondsfield will attempt to drum for six days to break the world record.

Homebuilders

Quentin Jukes, Coordinator www.homebuildersfs.org

Wondering about changing things?

When you have finished changing, you are finished.

Benjamin Franklin

It seems most people and most families have great times and go through periods when things are not how they want them to be. Common issues we can all struggle with include our relationships with others, how things are for our children, feelings of anxiety or depression and so forth. Sometimes it can be a combination of all these matters.

Often, we find we can get on and create the changes we need without a lot of worry or stress. At other times, making change can seem overwhelming and we can be at a loss for ideas about how to do things differently or even how to implement the changes we want to make. A good option if you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed can be to seek outside support to help identify and name the changes you want for yourself and your family.

Supporting families in creating change is what Homebuilders Family Services is all about. Our Family Support service is a free way to access professional support so you can work towards the improvements you are wanting. It could be a couple wanting to improve their communication and connect at a more meaningful level. This may include relating with each other in a more equal and respectful way. Perhaps a parent is feeling stuck and wanting new tools and approaches to help manage their child’s behaviour or their own behaviour towards their child. It may be that concern for what is happening in their child’s life

Tui Na & Chinese Massage Acupuncture Traditional Chinese

for example education or friendships. All these sorts of issues are what we are here to support families with.

Our approach is to always help people make the changes they want for themselves. We don’t believe our role is to tell people what to do, as that is neither helpful nor useful. We work alongside people to look at an array of evidence-based methods and approaches they can consider and choose from. Once this has occurred, it is then the role of the Family Support worker and the family to work together in finding a way to apply these new skills and approaches in ways that are realistic and appropriate for them.

Our Family Support service is available to anyone living between Waiwera and Te Hana who has children aged 18 years or younger. Young fathers, young mothers, grandparents raising grandchildren – big problems or small problems – we are here to help families create the changes they want and if we can’t help, we will probably be able to link you up with someone who can.

Don’t believe the cynics who say, “a leopard can’t change its spots”. The families we work alongside consistently tell us they have made really positive changes for themselves. If you would like to find out more about our Family Support service and the other programmes we offer, please phone us for a chat or, email us to make a time to catch up.

Phone: 0800 10037 or 425 7048; email: homebuildersfs@gmail.com

lifestyle show

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

and Cash on the day. Online tickets at www.eventfinda.co.nz

Sponsored by

Community team effort sees new outside area for St John

The generosity of a dozen local businesses has led to the installation of a huge new paved concrete area behind the Wellsford St John ambulance station.

Until last month, the area behind the station was a mess of old metal and weeds, and not much use to either St John or the Wellsford Volunteer Fire Brigade next door. However, thanks to some significant donations and discounts, St John and the brigade managed to get the new slab supplied and installed for a fraction of what it would normally cost.

As a result, the St John cadets now have somewhere to do their drills and let off steam and the fire brigade can borrow the space to wash down their trucks and equipment.

Wellsford St John president Dulcie Baker says the area had been “an absolute mess” before, and the ambulance station didn’t

have the numbers to carry out the work needed by themselves.

“This was all done by volunteers,” she said. “The fire brigade has done so much, they cleared all the bamboo down by the railway as well.”

As well as the fire brigade, the St John committee wanted to thank Hammer Hardware for selling Christmas trees on its behalf, which helped pay for the project, as well as the following businesses for providing equipment and labour: McMassive Concrete, Clapham Concrete Contracting, Granotech Concrete, Firth Industries NZ, Advanced Concrete Pumping, Auckland Sheet Metals, Rhodes for Roads, Hynds, Cutz Concrete Cutting, Wyatt Landscape Supplies & Haulage and Wharehine Group.

Wellsford St John has also just purchased a new defibrillator, which they are putting

outside the ambulance station for public use. “There are a few around, but most are inside premises and can’t be reached after hours,” Baker said. “We thought there’s got to be one people can use when everywhere is closed, so it will be in a locked box on our wall.”

The committee is also looking to recruit more volunteers, whether to crew the

ambulance, be on the committee or join the cadet section.

“The committee meets once a month, it’s very low key,” Baker said. “We’re there to help the cadets, raise money and sell Christmas trees.”

Anyone who can help out or wants to know more can contact Dulcie Baker on 021 145 4560.

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME

WARKWORTH

SNELLS BEACH

WE PROVIDE

Covid and Flu vaccinations available

Surgery at 11 Alnwick Street

Surgery at Unit 2/347 Mahurangi East Road

• Wide range of doctor and nurse led services including accident and medical services, immunisation, minor surgery, vasectomies, immigration, dive and insurance medicals.

• Wide range of visiting specialists.

• Warkworth is open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 8am-12 noon.

• Snells Beach is open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm

• Low Cost access for enrolled patients under 14 free, young people $13, adults $19.50 (ACC costs differ).

• Pharmacy, Labtest, Physio on site.

• Free Covid-19 testing available.

Doctors • Kate Baddock • Stephen Barker • Bruce Sutherland • Amy MacBeth • Clinton Anderson • Andrew Du n • Jing He • Mette Johannesen • Ed McDonald • Simon Tricker

Divisional youth manager Jackie Steele, left, and Wellsford St John president Dulcie Baker with the new AED that will be sited on the ambulance station wall.

Wellsford St John’s Dulcie Baker, left, and Jackie Steele are dwarfed by the huge new concrete slab behind the ambulance station.

Books

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Our two main female protagonists have absolutely nothing in common. Nisha has a very rich but controlling husband and lives a jet-setting lifestyle with designer clothes and multiple homes. Sam is struggling to hold everything together – her husband is suffering from depression and spends his day on the sofa, and her new boss is constantly undermining her. However, on the day that Nisha’s husband decides to lock her out of the house and start divorce proceedings, the two women accidentally swap gym bags and suddenly their lives are irrevocably changed. Nisha needs to find a way to earn money while trying to outmanoeuvre her conniving husband. Meanwhile Sam learns that wearing Nisha’s high-heeled designer shoes changes the way everyone looks at her and, ultimately, how she feels about herself. This is another feel-good, empowering Jojo Moyes story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore

The Garnett girls are Rachel, Imogen and Sasha. Set on the Isle of Wight, this story is about three sisters who have learned to cope differently with their parents’ divorce. They were very young when Richard, their father, walked out on their mother Margo. Margo sank into a deep depression, leaving her young daughters to cope on their own, with some intermittent help from neighbours and friends. Now Margo is living in an old cottage near Rachel, who is living in the family homestead with her husband and young children. Imogen is engaged and has written a play that is getting lots of attention. Sasha is doing her damnedest to stay free and easy, but is keeping a secret about their father that could damage an already fragile family peace. This is an engaging look at family dynamics and secrets, and I particularly liked the Isle of Wight as a setting, as it imbued the story with a sense of community, closeness and claustrophobia.

Tracey Lawton

Conservation group gears-up for new initiatives

A Tāwharanui Peninsula-based conservation collective recently marked 10 years as an incorporated society and voted in a new chair.

Takatu LandCare (TLC) was established to create a pest-controlled buffer zone for the Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary, and boost and protect native wildlife populations across the peninsula.

Last month, TLC’s chair of four years, Jon Monk, retired and Buckleton Bay resident John McIntyre was elected chairperson. John is a trustee of Mahurangi Wastebusters Charitable Trust and ex-officio director of Mahurangi Wastebusters Ltd, which manages the Auckland Council-owned Warkworth and Wellsford community recycling centres.

John says Jon Monk and the TLC committee’s work over the past year gained impetus with the commissioning an audit of the peninsula identifying important ecological sites, the commencement of a pilot restoration project on one of the identified sites, and a more concerted push

to control invasive weeds.

“I’m thrilled to take on the chair’s role at a time of such momentum and to push these initiatives forward. All of TLC is committed to ensuring that native wildlife flourishes on the peninsula and surrounding areas,” John McIntyre says.

Previously, TLC’s main focus was

Highwaymen hit the road

supporting the trapping of mustelids, possums and rats, catching more than 11,000 since records began in 2017. TLC is a collective of nine community conservation groups, volunteers and supporters. For more information contact John at: takatulandcare.chairperson@ gmail.com

Dennis Marsh, Gray Bartlett, Eddie Low and Brendan Dugan will stop in Wellsford in May as part of their national NZ Highwaymen tour. The four country musicians have, between them, recorded more than 100 albums, many of which went gold and platinum. Promoters say the Highwaymen will give a new twist to some of their own biggest hits, as well as performing the best from the likes of Johnny Cash, George Jones and Kenny Rogers. “If you are a country music fan this is a special event you won’t want to miss,” they say. The four legends of Kiwi music will give a matinee performance at the Wellsford Community Centre on May 21, at 2.30pm.

Fruit fly to target moth plant spread

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) wants people’s views on an application to release a new fruit fly to stop the spread of moth plant.

Waikato Regional Council has applied to import and release the moth plant fruit fly, Anastrepha australis, as a biological control agent for the moth plant, Araujia hortorum The moth plant is a hardy, climbing vine from South America that is considered a significant threat to biodiversity, conservation efforts and urban areas, particularly in Auckland and Northland. Introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand as an ornamental species, the plant can be found in many places around Mahurangi.

Moth plant is a significant concern in Aotearoa and in several regions of the world because it forms heavy masses of foliage that can break down trees or smother undergrowth, including native seedlings. The milky sap of the plant is poisonous and can cause skin burns.

The insect proposed to control this weed is a South American fruit fly that is wasp-like in size, shape and colour. Females lay their eggs in moth plant fruit and the larvae eat the seeds inside, damaging the plant and stopping it spreading.

Hazardous substances and new organisms general manager Dr Chris Hill says the moth plant fruit fly doesn’t bite or sting, so there is no potential risk to people from this insect.

“It only lives for about a month, and our risk assessment includes studies that show it’s highly unlikely to harm native plants.”

Submissions close on April 21 at 5pm.

Info: https://www.epa.govt.nz/publicconsultations/open-consultations/ application-to-introduce-a-fruit-fly-tocombat-moth-plant

The Takatu landCare committee, from left, Chris Scott, Kathy Edmonds, Sue Crawshay, Katherine Faire, John McIntyre, Jon Monk, Colin Wards and Stewart Halliwell. Absent are Ben Barlow and Brian Midgelow-Marsden.

The Forest Bridge Trust

Nikki Morgan, Marketing and Comms www.theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

Trapping data

The focus of The Forest Bridge Trust is to achieve a predatorcontrolled corridor of land, from the west coast to the Pacific Ocean. We aim to have 54,000 hectares under mustelid (stoats, weasels, and ferrets) by 2025. Predator control is a large part of what we do, contacting landowners, implementing trapping plans, setting up traplines and maintaining traps across the rohe. We are thrilled to report some excellent progress over the fourth quarter of last year. A total of 3058 pests were caught, more than double the amount caught during the same period in 2021. Mustelids made up 169 of the catch recordings. These are encouraging numbers and mean that the native birds and insects in our area are facing fewer threats from predators to their habitats, nests and offspring. With all the hard work that goes into trapping pests, it is vital that catch data is recorded, sent in and analysed. With over 2000 traps in the rohe, the information collected helps us be accountable, ensures that we are meeting funding targets, trapping in the correct areas and that we are aware of the whereabouts, numbers and species of pests entering the area. It is vital to record each time a trap is checked, even if nothing is caught. Then we know which traps are active across the rohe. Many landowners and volunteers use the Trap NZ smartphone app to instantly record catch data into the system while out checking traps, but for those who prefer old-fashioned pen and paper, we have people is on hand to help by entering recorded catch data that is emailed in after a trapline is checked.

Traps should be checked once a month during summer, particularly during dispersal season (pests leaving the natal area), and in late summer it is good to increase trap checking to once a fortnight.

The main traps we use are Flipping Timmys, DOC 200s and DOC 250s.

The Flipping Timmys are tree mounted and are used for catching possums, the DOC 200s are wooden boxes that are set on the ground to target stoats and weasels (though they will also catch rats), and the DOC250s are slightly larger and designed to catch all mustelids including ferrets. All the traps that we use are NAWAC approved for humane trapping.

The Forest Bridge Trust is always looking for volunteers to help maintain traplines across the rohe and full training is given. It’s a great community give back and you have the opportunity to see some beautiful country. You don’t need to take a lot of equipment out with you, just TrapNZ app on a fully charged smartphone (or pen and paper if you prefer to record manually), a screwdriver (for the DOC traps), bait, gloves, a dish brush for cleaning trap plates, and a trowel or mattock to rough up the earth around the trap.

If you would like to volunteer to help maintain a trapline, email our volunteer coordinator Elena elena@theforestbridgetrust.org,nz or if you are a landowner wanting to get started with a predator control programme for your property, contact community liaison Tris 0220 240 314 or tris@theforestbridgetrust. org.nz

The friends of Awa Matakanakana Catchment (FOAM)

FOAM’s aim is in the restoration and maintenance of a healthy Sandspit estuary and the two rivers that feed into it, focusing on the wider catchment impact and the environmental health of the area, and the importance of these waterways for present and future generations.

FOAM undertakes water quality monitoring (nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, macroinvertebrates, contamination and sediment) at 15 sites, riparian planting and wetland restoration. FOAM seeks volunteers interested in learning about testing our rivers and joining small teams for regular monitoring, as well as volunteers for one off events . FOAM is also seeking a treasurer for the committee, and new secretary. Email contact matakanakana2@gmail.com or txt Jo 027 430 6822

Snells Shoreline Conservation Community

Snells Shoreline Conservation Community hosts volunteer work mornings on the second Sunday of each month, except January. We remove invasive weeds, plant native plants, clear rubbish from the beach, control predators, and much more. You can help restore the fragile ecosystems of Snells Beach with small actions that will make a big difference to endemic and native flora and fauna. Meet by Bayside Café, 9-11am, Sunday 9 April. Info: www.snellsconservation.org

more information email matakanakana2@gmail.com

5 April Matakana Cinema “For The Blue” Mahurangi Wastebusters fundraiser screening. Tickets at www.matakanacinemas.co.nz

13 April The Forest Bridge Trust ECOFEST Exciting events including bushman walks www.theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

20 April The Forest Bridge Trust EARTHDAY BIRDLIFE - For families. How to identify species in your garden www.theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

For more information or events - www.restorerodneyeast.org.nz

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Ngāti Manuhiri

Poutūterangi

Preparation for the winter months begins

Poutūterangi is the 10th lunar month of the Māori year, which is the equivalent to the month of March. Poutūterangi is also the name of the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila – Altair. Traditionally, our tūpuna (ancestors) would store kai (food) in preparation for the winter months ahead. The pātaka (cupboards and storehouses) would be filled with enough food to last for several months. There are community pātaka in Snells Beach, Warkworth, Matakana and Mahurangi West – although they are called different things, the function is the same. Have you considered donating some preserved peaches, pickles or jams to any of these pātaka this poutūterangi?

Living by the Maramataka is based on a lunar cycle, not a sun cycle. The moon shape and cycle change every day and so does the energy it brings – understanding this and planning accordingly has many benefits. Key dates for March:

7-10 March – Highest energy flow. Focus on social gatherings, physical things like

exercise, gardening or checking out one of the amazing local walks in the local area.

12-15 March – Reflective energy flow. Focus on your own wellbeing and your whānau. This is a good time to rest, think and reflect.

16-20 March – Abundant energy flow. This is the most productive time of the lunar cycle and a great time to spend time in the water and garden. A great time to tick off your to-do lists!

22-24 March – Lowest energy days and darkest nights when the moon is not visible. This is the perfect time to study or plan.

There are some amazing resources for the Maramataka for beginners, but it starts with observing the environment around you – what birds or insects are you seeing?

If you live near a water body, what can you see? If you are interested in learning more about the Maramataka, please feel free to contact our team via kaitiaki@ ngatimanuhiri.iwi.nz

Atiu hosts 5th Earth Beat festival

Boutique lifestyle festival Earth Beat will return for its fifth year to Atiu Creek Regional Park, west of Wellsford, on March 22-26.

The festival is a multi-genre mix of local and international music talent.

The music line-up includes dub legend Mad Professor (Jamaica), Mo’ Horizons (Germany), Drumspyder (USA), The Black Seeds, Pitch Black and Lou’ana.

There is also an extensive workshop programme. People can participate in anything from yoga, mindfulness, nutrition and health, dance, sustainable living, ancient crafts, drumming and more. Art also plays a role with live painting and interactive art installations all part of the experience. The festival is family friendly with a full schedule of kids activities. It is also a completely zero-waste event where participants bring their own reusable plates, cutlery, cups and bottles, no consumables on-site and nothing is served in any type

of single use or compostable consumable. Festival co-creator Issac Oron says Earth Beat provides a platform for transformation to inspire and empower new ways of living.

“Earth Beat came about by a group of friends interested in providing a space where people could share and learn about new ways of living that are in greater harmony with our planet,” he says.

Oron says the festival will demonstrate harmonious ways of living on public land, thanks to Auckland Council, which is hosting the festival in a regional park.

“Earth Beat is an opportunity for people to experience our kaupapa that is based on a world where life is not only sustainable but regenerative; a world where we focus on potential and where individual contributions are aligned with the greater good, living in harmony with the natural rhythm of our bodies and the beat of the Earth.”

Tickets available here: https://earthbeatfestival.com/tickets

Delma O’Kane, Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust www.ngatimanuhiri.iwi.nz

The festival programme is a mix of music and entertainment, international speakers, workshops and healers.

TICKETS

Strings launch concert series

The Warkworth Music 2023 concert season starts next month with a performance by the New Zealand String Quartet on Sunday April 2.

Recognised as New Zealand’s premier chamber music ensemble, the quartet has an international reputation for insightful interpretations and compelling communication, and a dynamic performance style.

The Warkworth concert will feature Schubert’s String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, D.804, Op. 29 Rosamunde; Shostakovich String Quartet no 1 in C Major, Op.59; Haydn’s Emperor Opus 76 no.3; and David Flynn’s Slip.

The quartet members are Helene Pohl on violin I, Monique Lapins on violin II, Gillian Ansell on viola and Rolf Gjelsten

on cello. This year marks their 36th season together.

Over the decades they have cultivated a rich repertoire, including a wide variety of New Zealand music, composers’ cycles from Beethoven to Bartok, Mozart to Berg, in addition to theatrical presentations encompassing spoken word and dance, from Haydn’s Seven Last Words to Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night.

The quartet has also commissioned more than 150 New Zealand works, alongside collaborations with taonga pūoro players Rob Thorne, Horomona Horo and the late Richard Nunns.

All Warkworth Music concerts are held at the Warkworth Town Hall and start at 4pm. School students are admitted free of charge. Info: warkworthmusic.org.nz

NEW ZEALAND STRING QUARTET

Violins, Viola & Cello

Celebrating its 36th season in 2023, this well-known and acclaimed string quartet will perform works by Schubert, Shostakovich, Haydn and David Flynn.

Sunday, 2 April 2023 at 4pm Warkworth Town Hall

&

Pets Vets Corner

Pet of the Month

Panther the Kitten

Panther is a little feral kitten who was handed in to Warkworth Vets’ Wellsford branch last week. He and his siblings were born on a property and a kind lady trapped him so he can be tamed and become a loved domestic cat.

He’s very wary of his fosterer at the moment and turns into a little spit fire bundle of hisses and spits whenever she goes near him. Luckily, because he is only 6 weeks old he will tame up nicely over the next week or so. It’s always amazing how fast these ferocious little creatures realise that human attention means pats and food rather than anything scary.

Tiny kittens have a really good chance of being tamed. Once they are older than 12-16 weeks however, the chances of them turning into soppy lap cats are pretty low no matter how much love and attention is poured into them.

Truly feral cats often lead short and brutal lives, with a high percentage of them dying before they reach two years old. Feral cats that live in a colony with feeding and supervision from humans do quite a bit better but the best outcome for a cat is to become a loved domestic cat.

Little Panther is one of the lucky ones, he will be desexed before being rehomed and hopefully lead a long and comfortable life, far from the stresses of being a feral tomcat.

This year the number of feral cats and kittens we have seen has been particularly extreme. Please make sure you have your cats desexed so they don’t contribute to the problem.

Bowling over a century

Summerset Falls resident Dick Bissell celebrated his 100th birthday twice – once with the Rodney Stroke Club Red Beach on February 17 and again with friends at Summerset on February 23 (pictured). Dick was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and served in the Coastguards where he met his wife, Betty, with whom he had three children. He served in the merchant navy as a supplies navigator before attending Texas University, where he qualified as an architect. A keen sailor all his life, he had a keeler and belonged to the Weiti Boating Club for many years. Supplied

Vets: Jon Makin BVSc, Danny Cash BVSc and Associates

WARKWORTH VETS

VETERINARY HOSPITAL

COAST 2 COAST VETS

The NZ String Quartet will be the first of seven concerts presented by Warkworth Music.

Community BBQ supports storm-affected farmers

More than 100 farmers, lifestyle block owners and supporters attended a community barbecue, organised by a rural collaboration group, in support of flood-ravaged farmers at Kaipara Flats Sports Club on Monday, February 27. Coordinator Mike Borrie from Fonterra in Whangarei said this was one of several throughout the north designed to get affected farmers together and to put them in contact with support providers and agencies at a difficult time. Members of the collaboration group include Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ, Fonterra, FMG, Ballance, MPI, NZ Police, Rural Support Trust and others. Meat companies AFFCO, Silver Fern Farms and Greenlea are providing meat for the events. The horrific damage caused in different North Island regions by the cyclones and heavy rain events since the beginning of the year has led people to focus mostly on West Auckland, Northland and more recently Hawkes Bay and Tairawhiti. But it has been less appreciated just how badly North Auckland has been hit by massive slips,

road closures and damage to properties between Tauhoa and Puhoi, covering the area between SH16 in the west and SH1 in the east. The Puhoi Store and Pub were also flooded. The area has seen more than a metre of rain over the first two months of this year.

Many of the farms have suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars’ damage and face several years of remediation work. Kaipara Hills farmer and AFFCO meat buyer Brett Innes described the path of the late January downpour, which caused the most damage, although Cyclone Gabrielle and the subsequent February storms worsened an already bad situation, with more slips, washouts and destruction of fencing. The January rain event which produced 350mm of rain followed a path from Tauhoa, over Kaipara Hills, across the river and beyond and also flooded Auckland’s west coast beaches and airport. According to Innes, the sudden downpour started at Wayne Mason’s farm and continued on its way through farms owned by Danny and Charmaine Lewis at Tauhoa, Scott and

Brett Innes, then across the Hoteo River to properties belonging to Steven and Richard Dill, Peter Anich and Tony Rodgers and others, before heading towards the back of Warkworth and south to Puhoi.

The impact on some of these farms was enormous; even before Gabrielle, Steven Dill said he couldn’t yet get his head round the damage or begin to assess just how many thousands of dollars it would take to repair.

Tony Rodgers’ yards were partly destroyed with slips over a metre deep and part of his woolshed taken out. Peter Anich is one of the few to have insured his fences, but access points, crossings and culverts are all blocked, while he had started to repair one of the culverts only for the Friday downpour to undo his work; riparian planting and wetlands have all been destroyed. He is only able to take a short-term approach, until the weather improves and he can reach inaccessible parts of his farm.

At the other end of Woodcocks Road, Peter Scott farms 200 acres where he finishes bulls and lambs. He reckons he got away quite lightly as he lost no stock, having sent

everything he could to the works three days earlier, but all his fences were destroyed by huge amounts of forestry slash from Moir Hill swept down the Kourawhero Stream, which he described as a torrent more like the Waikato River. He reckons this year is the worst he has seen in 50 years of farming, although he is optimistic a bit of good weather will see the grass still grow before winter.

Closer to town between Kaipara Flats Road and Woodcocks Road, the Blythens have lost eight hay paddocks where the grass has died, although they still have two left that they hope will dry out so they can make a small amount of winter feed. They lost 40 sheep during the worst of the flooding, but access to parts of their property because of the sheer amount of tree branches and silt makes it hard to repair all the broken fencing.

Summer 2022/3 is now officially over before it even arrived, but for this part of the world, as for several others in the North Island, it will go down in the record books for all the wrong reasons. Local farmers are faced with years of work and financial impact to recover from it.

Plan Your Next Move - 2023 Is Your Year!

life, and lifestyle there are freehold, luxury options available to suit every discerning buyer. Secure entry is through the elegant lobby spaces, basement garaging with elevator access provides single-level-living to the private, elevated homes.

The premium specification offers light interiors and open plan layouts with generous bedrooms and storage spaces, luxury appointed kitchens, elegant dining areas and inviting living spaces that extend onto spacious and covered balconies. Meticulously planned kitchens are complimented by Miele appliances, Grohe tapware, and premium materials such as quartz benchtops, timber flooring and oak veneer cabinetry. Contemporary bathrooms are finished with floor-to-ceiling porcelain tiles, mirrored cabinets, under tile heating, composite StoneCast basins, and walk-in showers.

Visit our vibrant development today to view The Gardens Apartment showhome apartment, tour the manicured gardens and amenities and enjoy brunch at our on-site garden café.

Pricing From: Single bedroom from $1,003,750

Two bedrooms from $1,567,500

Three bedrooms from $1,732,500

Contact

Omaha shines at surf festival

Junior surf lifesavers from Omaha Beach came away with a national title and a raft of good placings at the recent Junior Surf Life Saving Nationals at Mount Maunganui.

Fifteen Omaha Surf Life Saving Club members made the trip south for the fourday Oceans 23 championship, which was the first full-scale festival since 2020 – last year’s event was cancelled due to covid and the 2021 event had to be scaled back.

The Omaha Beach contingent, only two of whom had attended the event in the past, joined more than 600 other ten to 14-yearolds from all over New Zealand for the event, which took place on the town’s main beach from February 23 to 26.

Club spokesperson Stef Robertson all the kids had done incredibly well and had an amazing time, bringing back three individual medals and one in the new composite teams event, where clubs who

couldn’t field a full team joined forces to compete together, allowing Omaha to enter a greater number of events.

Mahe Iverson won gold in the U12 Men’s Beach Flags and Silver in the U 12 Men’s Beach Sprints, while Kane Wright took Silver in the U13 Mixed Beach Relay (which also included Finn Andrews from Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service).

Results: Mahe Iversen, U12 Men’s Beach Flags, 1; U12 Men’s Beach Sprints, 2. Kane Wright, U13 Mixed Beach Relay (composite), 2; U13 Men’s Board Race, 14. Alex Worth, U14 Men’s Board Race & Beach Sprints, 6; U14 Men’s Beach Flags, 10. Luke Matthews, U14 Men’s Beach Flags, 6. Joia Thomas, U14 Women’s Beach Flags, 7. Maia Iversen, U14 Women’s Beach Flags, 8. Zac Donaldson, U 13 Men’s Surf Race, 10; U 13 Mens Run Swim Run, 18. Luke, Alex, Joia, Maia , 2km Beach Relay, 9.

The Omaha Beach crew did well at Mount Maunganui.

Pumps

Water Treatment Spa & Pool Shop Water Testing Valet Service

DELIVERERS WANTED FOR THE WARKWORTH AREA

11 YEARS + TO DELIVER THE MAHURANGI MATTERS NEWSPAPERS

A SMART REPAIR Service for F&P smartdrive washers, F&P/ Simpson dryers. Prompt service 021 168 7349.

Blue Skies Cleaning Window Cleaning, Soft Bio House Wash, Gutter Clean, All Exterior Cleaning, Water Blasting, Roof Treatment, Local Professional service.

Ph Pat 022-646-5849

COLLINS ELECTRONICS HAVE YOU LOST PRIME?

Or need your Freeview box tuned for the new channels? TV repairs, microwave oven repairs, Freeview installations.

GROUND CARE SERVICE Tree-work, Hedges, Pre-sale property grooming, Weedmating & Mulch Application, Garden & Section Tidy ups, & Greenwaste removal. Pick up & delivery service. Call Anton - Mahurangi Groundcare 021 133 8884

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

Mahurangi Matters is a fortnightly paper. Deliverers needed for runs in the Snells Beach, Warkworth, Wellsford and Mangawhai areas.

NZ HERALD DELIVERY URGENT!!

PUBLIC

Have you been affected by someone's drinking?

Al-Anon Family Groups can help.

DRIVEWAYS

MAINTENANCE Grading, rolling & metalling for rural Driveways. No job too BIG or small. Ph Trevor 021 0225 5606

Alcoholics Anonymous Warkworth meetings: Warkworth Fellowship and Snells Beach Big Book Meeting Phone/text 0275 773 689 www.aa.org.nz | www.12steps.nz

Supported by Mahurangi Matters

We welcome you to the 'Warkworth Family Recovery' group confidential meeting.

We meet at 56 View Rd, Warkworth, Midwifes office, every Wednesday from 7.30pm till 8.30pm.

Please contact warkworthafg@gmail.com for the *AlAnon* meeting before hand to ensure it open due to covid. www.al-anon.org.nz

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE SERVICE DESKS

A reminder to the public that the JP Service Desks are available: Warkworth – at the Council Offices, Monday 10.00 – 2.00

If there is a long weekend, it is the following Tuesday from 10.00 to 12.00.

Matakana- Cinema Complex Tuesday 11.00-1.00

Snells Beach – at the Library Friday 10.00 – 12.00

Warkworth RSA

Fridays 4.00 to 5.00

No appointment is needed.

There is no cost.

At all other times there are plenty of other JP’s available in the Warkworth/Mahurangi Area, either in the Warkworth Community phone book, or on-line “find a JP”.

NOTICES If it’s local, let us know! Mahurangi Matters 425 9068

Supported by Mahurangi Matters

422 0500 or 027 29 222 04 HAIR & NAILS SUPPLYING QUALITY HOUSEHOLD WATER IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR OVER 37 YEARS REGISTERED DRINKING WATER SUPPLIER IN NZ 0800 747 928 or 027 556 6111 425 8454 www.rhodesforroads.co.nz MOBILE HAIR & NAILS Working around the greater Warkworth Region. Offering hairdressing, manicure and pedicure services, in your home. Call Rebecca 021 0825 8242 HOME & MAINTENANCE CHURCH NOTICES CATHOLIC CHURCH WARKWORTH Holy Name Church, 6 Alnwick Street Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm Sunday: 10.30am Holy Mass Timetable: Phone 425 8545 PUHOI SS. Peter & Paul Church Sunday: 8.30am www.holyname.org.nz Sunday Services 9am & 10.35am 5 Pulham Road, Warkworth Phone 425 8861 www.mahu.org.nz Looking for a job? More vacancies online www.localmatters.co.nz/jobs DVDS & VIDEOS VIDEOS TRANSFERRED to DVD/hard drive. Phone or txt Tetotara Video 021 777 385 DVD The deadline for classified advertising for our March 27, 2023 paper is March 22. Send classified advertising enquiries to design@localmatters.co.nz PUBLIC NOTICES CITY CARPETS Carpet laying, Vinyl laying, Carpet repairs, Carpet re-stretch. Over 30 years’ experience. Call Dexter 027 4956 436 CARPET LAYING SITUATIONS VACANT HIRING? JOB HUNTING? Check out the vacancies on our website www.localmatters.co.nz/jobs Advertise on our website www.localmatters.co.nz/jobs Your LOCAL Community Newspaper + www.localmatters.co.nz Sudoku Solution CRUISES HERITAGE RIVER CRUISES Public river cruises from Warkworth; no bookings required. Private charters for groups, functions, weddings, etc. For more information visit www.janegifford.org.nz Supported by Mahurangi Matters AERIALS REDDING ELECTRONICS Freeview Installs, Satellite Dish, UHF Aerial. Installation & Repairs. Ph Dave 09 422 7227 or 027 458 5457

Players needed

The Warkworth Football Club men’s team has started its pre-season training and is searching for new players to help form a second team. Training is held at Shoesmith Domain on Wednesdays, starting at 6.30pm. Anyone interested in playing this season is invited to come along.

Kaipara Flats netball

Online registration for this season is opening soon for senior and junior netball. Junior practice will be after school on Thursdays at Kaipara Flats, with matches in Wellsford on Saturday mornings. Seniors play Friday evenings. Club AGM Friday, March 17, 7pm. New players, coaches, managers and committee members always welcome. Info: Christine on 021 585304 or email kfnetball@gmail.com

Puhoi football muster

Junior football muster, Puhoi Sports & Community Club, Thursday, March 16, 4-6pm. The muster is being held to ascertain player numbers for this season starting next month. Info: Contact 021 221 7886 or email Twcpc1966@hotmail.com

Puhoi club reopening

Puhoi Sports club reopening to the local community after the January floods, Thursday, March 16, 6-8pm. Free pizza (limits apply), live music from Steve Coppard, raffles and kids’ activities.

Wellsford AFC registrations

Player registrations for the 2023 season are underway. Come along and learn how to play football and be part of the WAFC community. Matches are played on Saturdays at the Port Albert Football grounds.

Bowls champions

Congratulations to Tom and Jill Gowie and Neil Cruden on winning the New World sponsored bowls tournament. Congratulations to Lorraine and Jan for winning the Championship Pairs (Ginn Cup), with runners-up Michelle and Wendy finishing after seven rounds.

Matakana Branch Pony Club

Twilight showjumping series will be held on March 15 and 29 at the Matakana Country Park. Limited spaces. Secure your spot now by emailing mbpcevents@gmail.com

March

11-19 “Nothing”, art exhibition by Mark Lewington, Pauline Gough Gallery, 161 Sharp Road, Matakana, 10am-3pm.

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

15

Warkworth Theatre Group AGM,  Mezzanine Room, Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm

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

18 Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show, Warkworth Showgrounds, SH1. Gates open 9am. 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. Plenty of free parking.

18 Harvest Festival, Sculptureum, Omaha Flats Road. A celebration of the grape harvest with entertainment, wine tasting and children’s activities

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

19 Fight the Tip/Ngati Whatua public meeting, Wellsford Community Centre, 2-4pm. Update on anti-landfill appeal case in Environment Court.

20 Communicating with people with dementia, Warkworth Library, 10.30-12pm. Presenter Paddy Sullivan.

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 (see story p30)

24 Rotary Club of Whangaparaoa, Charity Golf Tournament 24th March at Whangaparaoa Golf Course.

25 Kaipara Kapa Haka Festival

26 Take A Kid Fishing, Warkworth Lions

26 Puhoi Village Market, Riverside Park, 9am-1pm.

26 Warkworth RSA annual general meeting, 10am (see notice p37)

31 Gin Wigmore at Leigh Sawmill, 8.30pm

April

1 Matakana Wellness Hub Connections Day Matakana small Hall,1pm. Meet your local therapists & try some free mini sessions

2 NZ String Quartet presented by Warkworth Music, Warkworth Town Hall, 4-6pm (see story p31)

3 Caring for people with chronic conditions, the impact on the carer, Warkworth Library, 10.30-12pm. Presenter Paddy Sullivan.

5 For the Blue movie screening, Mahurangi Wastebusters, ,Matakana Cinema, 6pm. For the Blue is a film made by a group of young New Zealanders who are passionate about the ocean and saving it from plastic waste. Tickets $12.

9 Waipu Street Market, 9am. Info waipumarket.co.nz

13-16, 19-21 Warkworth Theatre presents a Plethora of Plays, Warkworth Town Hall, 2pm and 7pm. Info: wwtheatre.co.nz

16 Kaipara Wool & Fibre Festival, The Country Club, Bickerstaffe Rd, Maungaturoto, 10am-3pm. (see ad p31)

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

20-29 Waipu presents Penalties, Pints and Pirouettes, Waipu Coronation Hall. Play by Neil Troost, directed by Blair Strang. Tickets from www.trybooking.com

22 Smoke on the Coast Barbecue Festival, Whangateau Holiday Park, 10am-4pm

22 White Chapel Jak Endless Summer Tour @ Warkworth Town Hall, 4-7pm

24 Advanced care planning, Warkworth Library, 10.30am-12pm, Presenter Paddy Sullivan.

27 Auditions for Warkworth Theatres production, The Ghost Train, Warkworth Town Hall, 7-9pm

29 Les Voisins presented by Warkworth Music in partnership with Chamber Music New Zealand, Warkworth Town Hall, 4-6pm

CHARITY SAUSAGE SIZZLE

CYCLONE FLOOD RELIEF

Trophy for Thomas

Local star hockey player Jordon Thomas had a surprise in store at the end of Warkworth Hockey Club’s recent have-ago day on Sunday, March 5.

The talented young multi-team player and coach became the latest recipient of the Ted Dunning Memorial Trophy, a historic award presented since the 1930s to high achieving sportsmen from the Rodney district who are aged under 25.

Thomas certainly fits the achievement bill, with call-ups for a number of top hockey sides including North Shore United (NSU) Premier Men’s, NZ Under 18s, NZ Under 21 training squad, Tamaki Makarau Māori Men’s, NZ Under 21 Māori Men’s and NZ Māori Men’s teams. He was also given the NSU young player of the year award last year and he has been coaching the Prem 3 Warkworth Men’s team since 2019.

The Ted Dunning Memorial Trophy commemorates a talented cricketer and hockey player from Matakana who played for local, rep and Auckland sides and seemed destined for national stardom. Tragically, however, 22-yearold Dunning drowned in early 1937 when the dinghy he was in sank after a farewell beach picnic for NZ cricketer Jack Cowie, who was off on his first test tour to England. The memorial trophy was commissioned later that year by a committee representing all the sports bodies in Rodney for “the best all-round athlete in Rodney, character to

Wolves devour Mahurangi

It was all Wellsford’s game when the annual Battle of the Dome rugby match was played at Centennial Park in Wellsford on March 3.

The Wharehine Wellsford Wolves led the scoring from start to finish, beating Mahurangi convincingly 34-12. Both the Wellsford Prems and Division 1 team are being coached this year by player/ coaches Ross and Matty Wright and Ross Neal. Ross Wright is a former Māori All Black and played 130 games for Northland. Despite finishing eighth out of 10 teams in last year’s competition, the club beat both teams that made the finals.

Club manager Mick Sweetman says the club is keen to improve on last year’s

performance and will be looking to build more depth into the sides this year.

“Most of the players are local boys who know one another – the teams have a good vibe,” he says.

New players are always welcome to turn up to training at the park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

The Prems will play their first match of the Northland competition against Waipu in Wellsford on March 25.

Meanwhile, Wellsford is accepting junior registrations for players for the U7, U9, U11 and U13 competition.

U13s will have a muster on Tuesday March 21 at 5pm. All grades training is on Thursday, March 23, at 5pm.

Dunning family descendant Paul Came presented the trophy to Thomas.

Jordon Thomas with the historic memorial trophy.

Above, winger Tawhetu Phillips goes over the line to score the first try of the night for Wharehine Wellsford Prems.