Mahurangi Matters_Issue 282_14 October 2015

October September 14,2, 2015 2015

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Take a punt down the Matakana

Matakana Market coordinator Michael Kessell punts his son-in-law David Brown down the Matakana River.

Matakana Market coordinator Michael Kessell has launched a punt on the Matakana River, to extend the vibrancy of the weekend markets on to the murky waters.

The punt comes from Christchurch.

Michael bought it online last year and has spent the past six months renovating it.

“We have the most beautiful river in the world and things need to happen on there for summer,” Michael says.

“It could be the start of something unique for the area.”

He plans to launch it from the jetty near the markets and is trying to develop a punt service down the river, but has been stymied by health and safety regulations. continued page 5

Matakana Link Road proposal creeps forward A proposal to alleviate traffic from the notorious Hill Street intersection is on firmer ground after NZTA and Auckland Transport (AT) announced plans to start designing the Matakana Link Road next year.

The announcement was made during a public meeting hosted by Auckland Mayor Len Brown in Warkworth on September 29 (see story p3).

The road would run from Matakana Road to State Highway One, north of

the Hudson Road intersection.

AT chief strategy officer Peter Clark wouldn’t commit to a construction date, but said it would make sense to build the link road while the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway was being built.

This could divert trucks involved in the construction away from the Hill Street intersection. A large number of trucks are expected to travel between the Omaha Valley Quarry and the motorway construction site.

“NZTA and AT are working on options for construction and funding, but there is no AT funding for it in the current Long Term Plan (20152025),” Mr Clark said. “Only once these options are worked through will we be able to be more definite on a construction date.”

NZTA and AT also committed to designing improvements to the Hill Street intersection next year, but it will likely be nearly a decade before the

work is completed.

NZTA transport planner Sebastian Reed said the agency would start developing plans for the intersection next year, after Council’s growth strategy for Warkworth had been finalised.

A design to upgrade the Hill Street intersection was completed in 2009 but the work was never carried out. Mr Reed said a new approach was needed. continued page 3

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General enquiries: Call 425 9068 PO Box 701, Warkworth 0941 17 Neville St, Warkworth 0941 Editor: Jannette Thompson 021 263 4423 editor@localmatters.co.nz Reporter: George Driver 425 9068 news@localmatters.co.nz Advertising: Cathy Busbridge 022 029 1899 advertising@localmatters.co.nz Ariana Billington 022 029 1897 local@localmatters.co.nz Graphic Design: Martin Tomars localmatters@xtra.co.nz Digital Editor: Cathy Aronson 425 9068 online@localmatters.co.nz

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Baby kiwi restock island sanctuary A three-week-old kiwi was released on Motuora Island this month, helping restock the thriving population at the predator-free sanctuary.

Warkworth DOC partnerships ranger Michelle Jenkinson says over 100 North Island brown kiwi are on the 80-hectare island, which is used as a creche for young kiwi.

“It goes to show what happens when they are left to their own devices without predators,” Michelle says.

The kiwi are taken as eggs from burrows in the bush near Whangarei and are incubated at Auckland Zoo. Before chicks hatch they absorb the egg yolk and for the first few weeks don’t require any extra food. To help the chicks regain weight, Auckland Zoo staff feed them a special diet. When they reach their birth weight again, after about three weeks, they are released on Motuora. At this age they can fend for themselves and instinctively know how to probe for insects.

“In the wild 95 per cent don’t survive their first year, so having predator-free islands is a huge asset.”

When they reach 1kg they can defend themselves against most predators, except dogs, and are used to restock other sites.

About 20 kiwi were taken from the island over the last year. In the past, kiwi from the island have gone to Tawharanui and Mataia Homestead on the Kaipara Harbour. The island birds breed earlier than mainland kiwi and around 40 per cent of birds taken from the island are Motuora natives. Three kiwi chicks are being released this season on Motuora during Save the Kiwi Month.

Norma Jean skipper Piers Barney, who was born on Motuora, with Michelle Whybrow from Auckland Zoo at the kiwi release.

Iconic Kiwi treats for kiwi recovery Mataia Homestead on the Kaipara Harbour is putting out the welcome mat on October 18 for the inaugural Great Kiwi Morning Tea fundraiser. The nationwide initiative is being held to raise critical funds to continue the work of protecting kiwi and their habitat. Gill and Kevin Adshead, from Mataia Homestead, have turned their farm into a sanctuary for kiwi and are opening their house and gardens to serve Devonshire Teas for the event, from 1pm to 5pm. Kiwis for kiwi, the national charity that supports community-led kiwi conservation projects, is calling on other New Zealanders to get together at school, work, and with friends, neighbours or family to share a traditional Kiwi morning tea and collect donations. Hosts can register at kiwisforkiwi. org. They will receive a pack of recipes, invitations, interesting kiwi facts and a poster. Every $100 raised is enough to protect a kiwi for an entire year. Funds will go towards predator control, research and monitoring programmes, kiwi avoidance training for dogs and Operation Nest Egg. This programme involves removing vulnerable kiwi eggs and young chicks from the wild until they are able to be safely returned without risk of predation.

Info: Mataia Homestead, 2791 Kaipara Coast Highway, Glorit, 1-5pm.

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Final boundary announced for Warkworth BID Warkworth’s retail precinct and industrial area will be united under one business improvement district (BID) if the campaign for a BID is successful.

The boundary, released at a Rodney Local Board meeting on October 5, includes all business areas in Warkworth and areas zoned for future growth north of the town.

BID liaison spokesperson and former Warkworth Area Business Association (WABA) co-chair Rachel Callender says it is crucial the town is united with one voice.

“The committee thought long and hard about this, spoke to lots of different people and took advice from other business areas before deciding this was the path to take,” Ms Callender says.

“We need the collective strength of all businesses in Warkworth to work together to make a difference, not isolated precincts.”

Debate is now turning to how the BID could be funded. WABA will release the details of the funding model at a

Matakana Road SH1

Sandspit Road

Woodcocks Road

The BID boundary is outlined in red. Business zones are highlighted in purple and residential in orange.

public meeting on November 24 at The Bridgehouse in Warkworth.

At the Warkworth Area Liaison Group meeting this month, Glasshape

director Mark Forrest said a fair funding method had to be developed to gain the support of the industrial area.

“I’m probably the biggest ratepayer in

Warkworth and I’ll get no benefit from a BID. If it is funded based on property values, it’s not going to be fair at all.”

WABA member Clare Dill said there was a range of funding models to consider.

“The association will sit down with businesses to discuss what they could be charged under the BID and what benefit they would receive.”

Rodney Local Board deputy chair Steven Garner said the BID could be funded from a mixture of a fixed charge and a targeted rate on property values. All business in Warkworth would benefit from a BID, he said.

“It will be an advantage for industrial businesses to speak with one voice on issues, rather than speak as individuals,” Mr Garner said.

The Board’s Transport, Planning and Infrastructure Committee allocated $23,500 to WABA at their meeting this month.

The vote on the BID will be held in March next year.

Info: info@warkworthbusiness.org.nz

Stalled projects cause frustration Link road

Mahurangi residents will get a second chance to show they want a bus service to Silverdale following a public meeting with Auckland Mayor Len Brown in Warkworth last month.

The Mayor was in Warkworth to discuss transport issues with the community and brought representatives from NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Auckland Transport (AT).

About 20 people attended the meeting, along with 10 Council staff, including Rodney Councillor Penny Webster and Rodney Local Board members Steven Garner and Greg Sayers.

Some audience members vented their frustration that a bus service connecting Warkworth to the Silverdale park and ride had been delayed for at least another year. One woman said she had moved to Warkworth from Auckland three years ago based on AT’s proposal for a bus service to Silverdale.

“We did our homework and looked at what was planned for the area and decided to relocate and build a house, but the bus service still isn’t here. My husband works in the city and has to drive every day.

What about a Kowhai Commuter service?”

Rodney Local Board member Steven Garner echoed her comments.

“About 18 months ago we were told we would get a link to the AT network and it never happened,” Mr Garner said. “There’s a huge population of over 65 year olds and younger people who have no alternative transport and it’s only going to get worse.”

AT chief strategy officer Peter Clark said results from an AT survey last year showed there was insufficient support for a service. Nearly 400 people filled out the survey and 68 said they would use a service daily. The service would need to have at least 25 passengers per trip to make it viable, he said. But he said AT would conduct another survey next year to gauge support for the service.

The Mayor said a bus link recently started from Waiuku to Papakura, after residents campaigned for seven years.

“We need a very clear commitment that a new bus service in Warkworth would be used. We don’t want to set Warkworth up to fail.”

Mr Garner said there had never been a culture of public transport use in Rodney and it could take time for a service to gain support.

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“A lot has changed since then. Warkworth is forecast to grow a lot faster than originally anticipated and the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway and the Matakana Link Road will impact on traffic flows, affecting the design,” he said.

Construction at the intersection wouldn’t start until after the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway was built, which would likely be at least 2021. Work on the intersection would then take about two years to complete and cost about $15 million.

The preferred tenderer for the motorway would be decided mid next year with the five-year construction starting late next year.

Retired engineer Roger Williams said traffic through Hill Street would only increase in the future due to development north and south of Warkworth and growth in Snells Beach and Matakana.

Many Warkworth residents left the meeting frustrated by the lack of progress.

“They’ve been saying ‘next year’ for the past 10 years. Nothing’s getting done,” Dennis Brown said.

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OFF THE RECORD Off the record contributions welcome.

Email to editor@localmatters.co.nz

YO U S AY Caught in the act We take complaints seriously at both Mahurangi Matters and Hibiscus Matters so were eager to help a reader who was upset that our delivery man’s dog had emptied it’s bowels on the man’s lawn. But before we could track down the errant canine and it’s owner, the incensed resident called Auckland Council, both on the basis that this wasn’t the first time and the size of the steaming pile was “enormous”. Council then rang the paper to see when the next issue was being delivered. Why? Because they intended to send an officer to the property to await the dog’s arrival and catch him in the act.

Yes, dear ratepayers, that is how your hard-earned rates are being spent!

She does drone on There’s been a lot of coverage in the media about how the increasing popularity of drones is impacting on privacy and public safety, but during a presentation on drones at a Beef and Lamb NZ meeting in Wellsford last month one farmer had more domestic fears. “Does this mean my wife will be able to find me when I’m out on the farm?,” he asked.

Not a cloud in the sky Keeping up with technology is a challenge at any age, so we could sympathise with the two old ladies in the library who were overheard discussing how their grandchildren now keep all their photos in “the sky”.

We welcome your feedback but letters under 300 words are preferred. We reserve the right to abridge them as necessary. Unabridged versions can be read at localmatters.co.nz/opinion.

Letters can be sent to editor@localmatters.co.nz or PO Box 701, Warkworth

Rodeo wrangling I write to commend your balanced and informative report, in the September 16 copy of your paper, of events at the Rodney Local Board, when the Warkworth Rodeo Club had to defend the running of the 2014 bull riding competition and the annual Warkworth Rodeo.

The opponents of the Warkworth Rodeo rely very heavily on a propaganda campaign against any event where animals are ridden or handled in public. The first rule of propaganda (best example from the past is the Nazi Command Staff of the Third Reich) is to tell a lie so loudly, and so constantly, that eventually the lie distorts into the truth.

This is their modus operandi at any rodeo event.

They train long-range video cameras (with microphones and timers attached) at the chute areas of the stockyards, and to all events in the arena.

After the event has finished, they painstakingly trawl through the video footage, slowed down to a frame-byframe analysis.

If there is foot contact between a competitor and an animal, it is branded as vicious kicking. If there is hand contact between a competitor and an animal, the label changes to vicious punching.

If in the yards/chutes area they have video evidence that an electric cattle

handling device (used by every driver of a livestock transport truck in NZ) is used judiciously and wisely to guide an animal and to prevent it from hurting itself or other animals, the cry from these people changes to evidence of sustained torture of an animal by means of electric shock.

I will make three predictions: 1. Rodney Local Board members Thomas Grace, Steven Garner and James Colville will all be returned to office with heavily increased majorities, after showing wisdom and rural empathy over this matter, at next year’s local government elections.

2. Weather permitting, this year’s bull riding competition and annual Warkworth Rodeo will both be held as normal and there will be record crowds at both events.

3. Although the Anti-Rodeo Action NZ group will no doubt attend both events, and they will have complete video footage for their evidence, and no doubt staff at the Ministry for Primary Industries will again have to process claims of breaches of the welfare code, no person will be named and shamed, and there will be no prosecutions for ill treatment of livestock by either competitor or stock handler of the Warkworth Rodeo staff.

Paul Grimmer,Warkworth

Rodeo retort I entirely agree with Elizabeth Foster.

Rodeo is manifest sustained cruelty to animals, and should be halted for that reason alone.

There is also the utterly pathetic factor – blokes dressed up in cowboy gear, the whole pseudo culture of Texas and kicking up dust, stunted adolescence.

May the rodeo go the way of bear baiting and cock fighting – along with other mindless blood sports such as bull fighting, dog fighting and boxing. We are better than that … or should be.

Ross Miller, Algies Bay

Festival founders I read with interest Judy Waters’ brief article (MM Oct 1) on the beginnings of the Kowhai Festival. The festival was really the brainchild of Jack Keys.

Jack was a very modest man and would never have claimed to be the inventor, but he was the driving force, the energy and the creator of the festival. Back in 1970 almost anything done around Warkworth was done by the three main service clubs: Lions, Rotary and Jaycee. Jaycees was the most active of the three service clubs, its very nature – young men aged between 18 years and 40 years – ensured the energy required for its many projects. Jack came to me, a member of Jaycee in mid-1970, with the Kowhai Festival idea. He knew continued on next page

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YO U S AY

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters Email letters to editor@localmatters.co.nz

from previous page

that if Jaycee would support the idea, then the other clubs would follow suit. Jaycees got behind the festival with great enthusiasm. A Kowhai Festival committee was formed, its members made up of the three service clubs. I was voted chairman and Jack, representing Rotary, was secretary. It was decided to have a week of fun. We had no money, but didn’t see that as a problem as each event would be self funded or provided by its promoter.

My favourite event was the Old Time Music Hall, each of the artists came from the local community, the Town Hall was packed out, beer served and there was much laughter to accompany it. One act has stuck in my memory.

The artist was Gordon Cummings, the local Traffic Officer. Gordon strode up to the microphone and began to sing.

The hall went silent as each person there was enthralled by his wonderful singing voice. When he finished, the applause nearly brought the roof down. The festival’s beginning took many hours of dedicated activity from those on the committee and the many clubs, organisations and individuals involved. It is wonderful to see the result of those who dedicated so much time and effort to get it off the ground, develop into something that gives so many a great deal of pleasure.

Ken Fearnley

Treemendous effort In 2006, the Council funded, at great expense, the Matakana 10 year plan. With the exception of the development of the Matakana Village, little has been done to improve the rest of the village. The community has now started to address some of

Matakana punt In the meantime, he is planning to use the punt as a kind of scenic photo booth.

“We will have a Polaroid camera set up and couples will be able to get a photo in the punt.”

He is looking for someone to take on the initiative and develop a range of punting activities to coincide with the weekend markets.

“It could be someone’s little start-up business.”

He has also hinted at having another

the outstanding issues. Supported by the Matakana Community Group, Premium Real Estate sponsored an evening to raise money to buy trees to be planted in Matakana, to improve the appearance of the village.

In addition to the efforts of Clyde and Farida Cooper, who not only donated several trees, but have also tidied and planted the area between Plume Cafe and the proposed walkway/ cycleway access, which should have been maintained by the Council, the community pitched in.

Mike Petre, Virginia Leonard and Robin Barclay led a team of volunteers, many of whom had donated money, who planted 35 trees throughout the village, pruned existing trees and fertilised them.

The event was highly successful and the plantings will improve the look of the village and bring pleasure to future generations. This is a great example of how the community, together with sponsors, can utilise the skills that exist in Matakana and implement projects themselves in a quick and cost effective manner.

Dr Simon Barclay, Matakana Community Group Chair

Breathing Dear car and truck drivers on our horrible Rodney gravel roads, may I ask you to slow down when you see a cyclist, runner or walker on these Third World country roads?

It would be great to be able to keep breathing while we are exercising or simply getting from A to B. That little sign of respect would be much appreciated.

Thanks a million.

Geert Keyaerts, Matakana

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well-dressed, jolly, bearded man visit on the punt closer to Christmas.

“I’ve got 101 ideas for this thing.”

Michael says he became fond of the river as a child, when he would visit his grandparents.

“I grew up in that river. My grandfather used to take me flounder fishing. We’d catch 10 flounder on the trip, but by the time we made it back to Grandma he would only have one left because he would give a fish to everyone he met on the way home.”

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Explore Kaiwaka’s earth buildings

Jefferson Chapple hopes to have the rowboat venture up and running in time for the Kowhai Festival.

Oar-some scheme on Mahurangi River A Warkworth resident is offering to row people down the Mahurangi River to help more people experience the beauty of the waterway.

Jefferson Chapple plans to run the service Friday to Monday every weekend until Christmas.

He will row the 4.8-metre boat himself, from the floating pontoon upstream of the Jane Gifford and down to the Old Cement Works and back. The boat can take up to four passengers, and he only asks for a donation to help cover expenses.

“The river is the whole reason for Warkworth’s existence. It’s the town’s biggest asset but over the

years that focus has been lost,” Jefferson says. “I want to shift people’s perceptions to get them to appreciate what we have. The best way to do that is to get people onto the water.”

A former architect, Jefferson also produced the concept drawings for the Mahurangi Action Group plans to develop Warkworth’s riverbank.

“I’ve been thinking about starting this for a decade.

I want it to be an activity that supports the Jane Gifford.”

Trips will run two hours either side of high tide during business hours.

People will get the chance to view a range of ecobuildings in Kaiwaka on October 31 as part of Earth Building Association NZ’s (EBANZ) annual conference.

EBANZ member and tour organiser Rik Schijf says the tour is designed to showcase a range of alternative building methods and designs.

“Earth is the most sustainable building material there is. You can always find earth close by and it goes back to nothing when it’s broken down,” Rik says. “Earth is also very good at storing heat.

“However, building with earth is quite labour intensive. It’s only when you build it yourself and have time to spare that it’s cost effective.”

The annual conference will be held in Kaiwaka.

The tour starts at Koha Tatua eco-village, three kilometres north of Kaiwaka, which has examples of straw-bale and earth houses.

It will then head to the colourful Cafe Utopia in Kaiwaka township for lunch.

“It’s definitely an alternative building. It was built by an amateur and is falling down, but it is very imaginative.”

In the afternoon, the tour heads to Otamatea Ecovillage, where there is a straw-bale house and a house made from ‘timbercrete’ – using blocks made from cement and sawdust.

“It uses less cement and is better insulating than pure concrete,” Rik says.

The tour will finish at the co-operative eco-village, Absurdistan, on the Kaipara Harbour.

“They have built a large octagonal hall with a light earth infill. They also have another four houses which are timber frame with light earth infill.”

The tour is open to the public.

Info: earthbuilding.org.nz

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Viewpoint Beth Houlbrooke, Rodney Local Board beth.houlbrooke@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Support the sports collective

One of the biggest spends of your ratepayer dollar in the whole of Rodney, the Warkworth Showgrounds, is emerging as a quality facility which will attract regional and national sports competitions into the area, increase participation among the various codes, and meet the needs of a growing population.

The Local Board is partnering with the Mahurangi Community Sport and Recreation Collective (MCSR), a volunteer organisation made up of dedicated community leaders of the numerous sports clubs and recreational groups, whose input is invaluable to the Board and parks staff in making decisions on this sports ground. These people joined because they were recreational users, players, or supporting their children’s sport, and want to improve the facilities. Yet over time some have become involved in the development plans to the detriment of their own sporting interests. Let’s not burn them out – go along to their stall at the Kowhai Festival to find out more about what is planned and what help they need. Community support is vital to the success of this project.

MCSR is also partnering with us over the pool provision. Therefore, the feasibility study will not be complete until their very important feedback on the draft is incorporated. The three ‘most suitable’ pool sites identified by the consultants and mentioned in this paper were based on some desired measurable geographical, distance and transport proximity parameters, but no local or political preferences have been taken into account at this point. The operating costs are based on a worst-case scenario, using today’s population figures without growth projections for the area, or fluctuating summer and tourist populations. The pool isn’t being built today! The next step is to narrow down the 11 locations to two or three on which to do a detailed business case and some concept designs. This information will then be available to potential partners for expressions of interest. Private investors are far more astute with their own money than bureaucrats are with everyone else’s, so I am pleased we are finally getting this groundwork done with a strong ratepayer mandate, to allow commercial partners to make an investment decision alongside Council.

I am frequently asked whether I support the NAG proposal to break away from the Auckland Supercity. The short answer is: I don’t know! Getting adequate financial information on which to make an informed decision has proved extremely difficult. Local Board members have repeatedly requested this data and have been met with the response that regional spending – that which covers infrastructure across the entire Auckland region such as roads, public transport, water supply, waste and storm water etc., and regional parks – is not broken down by local board area. With the Local Government Commission’s decision to take a closer look at the proposal, Auckland Council must now crunch the numbers and provide this information. I await that with as much interest as all of you.

Forest & Bird name change The Mahurangi-based branch of Forest & Bird has changed its name.

Formerly known as Mid North, it will now be called Warkworth Area. Chair Sally Richardson says that while the name was well recognised locally, outside the area people often thought they represented Taupo. The group last month wrapped up its popular winter talk series at Totara Park, which was themed on ‘wildlife in hard to get to places’. Next year’s series, from April to September, will address the theme of ‘wildlife in easy to get to places’.

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Tossi

Ngaire Wallen, TOSSI www.tossi.org.nz

Pay-back time

Photo, Karen Tricklebank.

The recent announcement of the formation of an extensive marine reserve around the Kermadec Islands is a welcome step forward in the management of our marine estate. The local reserve at Goat Island is the oldest in the world.

Having been continually monitored since its formation, there is a wealth of scientific evidence of the crucial role such reserves have in the restoration of marine environments, not least of which is serving as a nursery site for the repopulation of the surrounding seas.

Land-based reserves also underpin many restoration efforts, particularly of endangered plant and animal species. After being on the receiving end for the last 13 years, Tawharanui Open Sanctuary is now in a position to be able to give to other sanctuaries.

Whiteheads – popokatea – were translocated to Tawharanui in 2007. These little birds are fairly inconspicuous; you are more likely to hear their continual chatter before you see them, generally in small flocks, flitting through the bush canopy that is their natural habitat. By the late 1800s they disappeared from the northern North Island as land clearance and predators left populations stranded in pockets of bush; they do not willingly fly across open ground.

Given the strength of our whitehead population, we were pleased to be able to support the Shakespear Open Sanctuary, at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, by agreeing to provide 20 whiteheads to become part of a new breeding population.

This was the first translocation into Shakespear since completion of their predatorproof fence. Reports confirm that the capture went uneventfully and the birds were successfully released the same day, along with 40 from Tiritiri Matangi.

The intent was always that Tawharanui would become a source for new populations of endangered species. Ideally, this would be a managed process. In the case of pateke and kakariki, both introduced at great expense, they have made their own new territories outside the fence. Kaka and bellbirds, which returned to the mainland unaided after the predator-proof fence was constructed, are now seen all over the Takatu Peninsular.

Land-based sanctuaries are enhanced by support from neighbouring landowners creating buffer zones. There are many organised volunteer initiatives in our area, as well as individual property owners who trap predators and chop down weeds.

Preservation of our biodiversity requires the entire range of conservation effort; TOSSI is just one way of doing it. We are always happy to share our experiences with people seeking to learn about the conservation of plants and animals, and welcome anyone who is interested to join us.

The next workday is Sunday November 1, 9am, at the Woolshed.

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Plan to transform derelict Leigh site into business hub The derelict heart of Leigh looks set to be revived with the sale of the former Leigh Hotel to a couple looking to develop the land.

Wellington builder Alan Macdonald and his wife Jasmine bought the 0.8-hectare property, which takes up half a block in the town centre.

“We bought a bach opposite the site last year and kept looking at it wondering what uses it could be put to,” Mr Macdonald says. “It was clearly an unloved spot in a critical part of town and we felt it gave the area a slightly run-down feel.”

The couple is now going to the community for ideas on what the site could include.

In a public letter to be printed in the Leigh Rag this month, Mr Macdonald appeals for proposals for the site.

“We have ideas for a range of activities, and are working through the design/consenting process. Once we develop more concrete plans, we would like to hold a public meeting for discussion, feedback and hopefully, community support.

We want to know what the residents of Leigh would like to see on the site and whether anyone has a need for some type of commercial space that we could include in our plans.

This could include shops, shared offices, art or hobby workrooms, or any other type of commercial space consistent with the site zoning as ‘mixed business’.”

Mr Macdonald says he plans to

The old Leigh Hotel site has become overgrown after being closed for about a decade.

renovate the decrepit hotel, which will likely include accommodation, but he ruled out opening a bar.

“We want to use the site to build visitor numbers into Leigh and be complementary to the businesses already there.”

He hopes the development will open by mid-next year, but further buildings will likely be constructed over the next two years.

“It won’t be an intensive development.

It needs a significant area for waste water disposal so there will be a lot of trees and gardens.”

The hotel requires significant work, but is structurally sound, he says.

“It’s been closed for 10 years and it’s been trashed. It’s basically a shell. But structurally, the floors, roof and walls are sound and it is designed for the beautiful, panoramic sea views with large windows.”

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Teacher strikes a chord with a generation Seafaring tales The influence of Warkworth School teacher Linda Gribble filled the school’s hall last month as dozens of her students gave heartfelt performances for her farewell.

Mrs Gribble appeared to relish the chance to enjoy the talents of her students as a member of the audience, but she couldn’t resist getting up for a boogie and joining the choir for a sing-along during the performances in her honour.

Mrs Gribble is moving to Hamilton after teaching at Warkworth School for 18 years.

She worked with the choir, Pasifika and kapa haka groups, and tutored students. School principal Cynthia Holden said her enthusiasm had a far-reaching impact.

“The deep passion she has for music has penetrated the whole school, the wider community and every part of our souls,” Mrs Holden said. “A lot of your spirit will be left within us.

She has an exceptional musical talent and she managed to bring that out in everyone she taught.”

Mrs Gribble became renowned for taking the student choir to perform at local resthomes and organised the annual Carols by Candlelight in Lucy Moore Memorial Park, coordinating all the schools in the area for the performance.

She also helped establish the musician scholarship programme at the school.

In her farewell speech, Mrs Gribble

launched at Mangawhai

Warkworth School music teacher Linda Gribble couldn’t help but join in the Pasifika group performance, during her farewell last month.

said the experience had been a joy.

“I’m going to take you all with me in my head and my heart because I’ve got lots of memories of pupils and the fantastic parents that created them.”

School teacher Hanna Treweek also left the school to teach at Northcross Intermediate School. Ms Treweek started teaching at the school two years ago after finishing teachers

college.

Mrs Holden said Ms Treweek’s positive attitude and involvement in sports would be missed.

“If there’s one thing that stands out about Hannah, it’s her smile. She has bundles of energy and all the children have enjoyed her because she is so positive. We will take fond memories of her with us.”

A history of the British and New Zealand Merchant Navies, by Mangawhai author Roy Vaughan, will be launched at the Maritime Museum in Auckland later this year.

The book charts the rise and fall of the Merchant Navy from Viking times to the introduction of large container ships in the 1970s.

The emphasis is not just on ships, but also tells the stories of the sailors – funny, tragic and heroic.

It covers the huge change in world demographics that was brought about in the heyday of the Empire when merchant ships engaged in slavery and convict voyages to Australia and the United States from Britain. It also recounts the trans-shipment of tens of thousands of Indians as indentured labourers to the West Indies, Mauritius and Fiji.

The Last of a Salty Breed includes a number of Mangawhai stories of international note and a re-examination of some of New Zealand’s ship disasters including the loss of the Union Steam Ship Company’s Kaitawa on Pandora Bank, at Cape Reinga.

Mangawhai Museum manager Emma Gray says the museum represents the area’s coastal community and the book includes information about some of the ships that visited Mangawhai.

It will be on sale in the museum gift shop.

12 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

growthfeature

gettingdenser

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

13

FE AT U RE  localmatters.co.nz/Features/Growth

Imagining Warkworth’s future In this issue we continue the debate on what Warkworth should look like in 30 years time.

Last issue we covered Mahurangi Matters cartoonist Craig Powell’s dream of an electric tram system in Warkworth; Nicola Jones’ wish to

bring the Mahurangi River back to the heart of the town; Councillor Penny Webster’s vision for a thriving tourist town and artist Joy Bell’s concept for a mosaic capital.

This time we hear of Warkworth planning consultant Burnette

Macnicol’s ideas for a walk-able, bike-able town; Southern Paprika owner Hamish Alexander’s pitch for an affordable township; Glasshape director Mark Forrest focuses on the need to grow infrastructure in Warkworth and Warkworth School

pupils let us know what kind of town they want to inherit.

commentonline

Head to localmatters.co.nz to tell us your vision for Warkworth’s future by commenting on the story.

Connected and liveable - Burnette Macnicol O’Connor Planning Consultants director Burnette Macnicol has more than 15 years of planning experience, is an accredited hearings commissioner, lives locally and loves the outdoors. Here are her views on Warkworth’s growth:

characteristics that define “theRetaining town will be key. These include: • •

•

•

To

the ability to access and use the river and improve the water quality The treed environment – a key element of the residential character is dwellings and development nestled amongst established trees Retain the elevated hill features that surround the town, which form a green edge to the developed area Encourage areas of native vegetation along the northern side of the river and cloaking the Dome hills accommodate population growth,

a range of living environments will be required to cater for young families and the growing retiring population – a ‘one size fits all’ approach is unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes in a manner that uses our land resource efficiently.

As growth occurs, we need to ensure that we create liveable spaces that are

well connected in all senses – servicing, reserves, cycle ways and pedestrian networks. Key links within the town need to be preserved and enhanced such as the McKinney loop.

We need cycleways and pedestrian networks that co-exist on a separate network to the road network, enabling people to move in and around the town in a safe and healthy way.

Urban design needs to be factored in to new development so we achieve high quality urban growth in an efficient way – we can have smaller sites interspersed with reserve areas and the connections mentioned above.

We need a vibrant town centre area catering to all ages and stages, which is more pedestrian-friendly and with key links to the river to enable more

enjoyment and use of this special space.

Community gardens and fruit trees on under-utilised reserves could add value to open space areas and fulfil a community need to provide fresh fruit and vegetables.

This vision can be realised with a collective community vision that people support and through ongoing positive consultation and communication with community groups, developers and Council.

The greatest change will be an increased population living in a denser and intensified residential environment, along with associated outcomes such as increased traffic and noise. It will be difficult to maintain our ‘country feel’.

”

growthfeature

14 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

Local planning imperative - Mark Forrest Glasshape is a Warkworth company with an international reputation. Founded in 1986, it focuses on the design, manufacturing and supply of specialist glass solutions from its base in Woodcocks Road. Financial director Mark Forrest shares his views on the area’s growth issues:

“

Warkworth population growth in the last 10 years has been 1000. To consider expected growth of 1000 per year for 30 years is daunting and will need very careful planning.

Warkworth will be the size of what Gisborne, Wanganui or Timaru are now. Warkworth will become an important service centre because of its strategic position half way between Auckland and Whangarei.

Instead of one secondary school, there will be at least five and the same for primary schools. A large shopping centre dominated by national retailers will be established, (unfortunately Stockyard Falls was a little premature for the population) and the current town centre will survive by becoming a tourist service area dominated by boutique shops, cafes and restaurants facing the river.

In terms of immediate challenges, infrastructure needs to be fixed for the current needs, let alone for the future.

Industry must be provided for to develop local jobs for the local population, otherwise traffic build up into Auckland in the mornings will become worse.

SH1 currently divides the town, separating the schools and industrial area from the main residential area, causing traffic build up with parents driving their children to school for safety. We also have the Hill St corner congestion. I would like to see the

main road through-traffic diverted west of the current road, starting at a roundabout, near Valerie Close, with a new route joining into Evelyn St, Mansel Drive, over the river, across Falls Rd, continued behind the industrial buildings on Hudson Rd, and joining SH1 north of Timberworld. This could be aligned with the proposed bypass to Matakana and Snells Beach Roads. This has the advantage of fixing the Hill St corner traffic problems and can be developed without interfering with the current

traffic flows. It would make the town safer for students, access to schools and would also give access to develop the proposed southern residential zone area in the Unitary Plan, providing a route for that residential area to access the new motorway without causing more traffic through Hill St corner.

It would provide access to develop a much-needed larger industrial zone, behind the current Hudson Rd industrial area. All these areas will have to be developed for the expected Warkworth growth. Put the road in

now to fix the current traffic problem.

The current sewerage system needs to be moved away from the river. This will make the river cleaner so the wharf area can be developed to attract tourists.

The biggest change that the expected growth will bring will be social. No longer will everyone know everyone else with a small tight knit community having each generation passing through the same school.

Growth is good. It brings more choice, more competition, more services, more local job opportunities and less need to commute to the city.

But it is vital that structure planning is completed early. We don’t need anymore ad hoc developments and pockets of retail and commercial zonings. We need to identify early where the main retail complex should be, identify where the new schools will be, identify the potential main traffic flow routes, identify where the sewage system should be positioned, and identify a suitable industrial zone suitable for larger buildings to attract larger industry employers. The local cemetery is full so we also need to identify where the new cemetery should be.

Once these main land requirements are identified and secured, the future growth will happen in a more orderly manner.

Abridged, full letter at localmatters.co.nz

”

growthfeature

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Affordable housing is key - Hamish Alexander Hamish Alexander’s company, Southern Paprika, started in Point Wells, where he and his wife Robyn still live. Southern Paprika is New Zealand’s largest single site glasshouse grower of quality capsicums and is one of Rodney’s largest employers. Here are his views on Warkworth’s growth and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, in particular:

As one of the larger employers in the “Warkworth area, we see the issue around

affordable housing as a key issue for the Auckland Council to address as it is not something successive Governments have done in NZ for many years (since probably the 60s).

In the mainstream media, the issue is usually about paying higher wages to people so they can afford a better standard of living. But, in all my years as an employer, I generally see any extra pay staff get going to landlords who are the only ones getting richer, generally from tax free capital gains.

Whilst Warkworth has become unaffordable to many, Wellsford is

quickly catching up, so where to next? This is an Auckland wide issue.

How can the factory workers of south Auckland afford what is currently happening to them?

Affordable housing, and by that I mean houses people can afford to buy in the Auckland region, is nonexistent and Auckland’s future as a prosperous city depends on it. Only when the flow of rich new immigrants slows and all the workers have been forced out of Auckland will Council realise its mistake. But as we all know, this issue will be forced on another future set of Councillors, not the ones currently with their heads in the sand.

”

Bring on the circus - Warkworth Primary School We asked some Warkworth Primary School students to give us their views on Warkworth’s future and here’s what they told us:

What do you like most about Warkworth now?

The environment, living close to school, the shops, the sports, skating around the streets, school, “it’s a cool community”, lots to see and do, animals in the countryside, close to Auckland, it’s a beautiful place.

What would make it better?

While some students thought it was perfect the way it was, many were keen to see a swimming pool built.

Other things on the wish list were a bigger skatepark, a footpath to Sandspit and a circus. Two students said what they didn’t want was any more big shops.

If you work in Warkworth when you grow up, what would you like to do?

Be Prime Minister, game designer, professional footballer, accountant, surgeon/doctor, paddle boarding teacher, Tupperware salesperson, builder, work in a museum, be a teacher.

15

16 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

Sending socks to help Syrian refugees Local knitters have the chance to do something to help the growing refugee crisis in Europe, thanks to an initiative to knit and send socks to Sweden by a Warkworth wool shop owner.

Karen Caulfield, of Robyn Egge Yarns, is providing patterns, plus free and discounted wool for the scheme, and is hoping to send at least 100 pairs of socks over by December.

She says the idea came from a friend, North Shore yarn dyer Helene Dehmer, who is currently living in Sweden, where around 1000 refugees have been arriving daily.

“Helene has started a knitted socks campaign for the refugees being taken in by Sweden. Most literally have nothing on their feet when they arrive,” she says. “So we are putting out a call to our local knitting community to help the cause.”

Karen has free printed sock patterns for 4- and 8-ply wool, plus a free first-come-first-served supply of possum mix yarn donated by Naturally Yarns and a quantity of Patons Patonyle 4-ply at $12 a ball (both yarns normally retail for around $20). Other Robyn Egge sock yarns will have a 15 per cent discount for the project.

Karen says anyone who wants to take part and knit some socks simply needs to supply their contact details and commit to finishing their pair (or pairs) by the end of November. Finished socks need to be tied to one another with a piece of scrap yarn and returned to Robyn Egge Yarns in Elizabeth Street by December 1, so they can be sent to Sweden in time for Christmas. Any unfinished socks also need to be returned to the shop by that date with the pattern and remaining wool, so someone else can finish them.

Karen says that knitters who want to help, but don’t feel quite up to tackling socks, can take part, too.

“If people are unable to knit socks, hats and hand

Civil defence representatives in Warkworth, Rachel Hallam and Warkworth RSA manager Robbie Blair, demonstrate what all residents need to know in the event of an earthquake – Drop, Cover, Hold.

Be aware, be prepared

Karen Caulfield at Robyn Egge Yarns with some of the free wool available to sock knitters.

warmers would be fine, though the free wool is just for socks.”

Helene Dehmer, who is staying in Gothenburg for six months, said she was grateful for the help being offered by Karen and her customers, as the refugee situation in Sweden was pretty chaotic.

“Approximately 1000 arrive every day, mainly from Syria, but also from Afghanistan, Lebanon and other countries in that area. They are all ages – families with young children and babies, young men, elderly and also a lot of children on their own. How they have made it, I don’t know.”

Info: Karen Caulfield, 425 7246, robyneggeyarns. co.nz/blogs/news

Warkworth Community Response Plan representatives are urging all residents to make sure they know what to do in the event of an earthquake.

Their message comes ahead of the national earthquake drill, Drop, Cover, Hold, which will be held on October 15, at 9.15am. New Zealanders are being told to practise the response drill – drop to your hands and knees; cover your head and neck, and get under a sturdy table if possible; and hold on to your shelter until the shaking stops.

Printed copies of the local Response Plan are available at the Auckland Council service centre in Baxter Street, iSITE and Warkworth Library. It covers contingencies not just for earthquakes, but also for severe storm events or infrastructure failures. Its purpose is to build community resilience to emergency and disasters by identifying hazards and providing a plan so the community can remain self-reliant for at least three days without any external assistance.

Warkworth has three designated evacuation centres – Totara Park Retirement Village, Melwood Drive; Warkworth Primary School, Hill Street; and Warkworth RSA, Neville Street.

Info: shakeout.govt.nz

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

17

Talk and chalk opens conversation on life and death Hospice is inviting people to share their dreams using the simplest of materials – a blackboard and a stick of chalk.

A wall in Argyl Angle in Warkworth has been transformed into a giant blackboard with the aim of encouraging people to stop and think about what is really important.

At the top of the blackboard, the stencilled words ‘Before I die I want to…’ will open a very public conversation. Passers-by will be free to pick up a piece of chalk and complete the sentence.

Warkworth Wellsford Hospice nurse and artist Karen Williamson hopes the temporary installation will become a colourful collection of people’s goals and dreams.

She wants to get people thinking and talking about death and, by extension, reflecting on their lives and how they want to live.

“This is more than a bucket list. It’s a way of engaging people to stop for a moment and think about what they’d really like to be doing with their time.”

“I hope this wall will encourage people to stop for a moment and answer the question: ‘What do I want to do before I die?’ And maybe: ‘Why don’t I do it now? Right away?’”

The ‘Before I Die’ movement began with a wall in New Orleans, created by artist Candy Chang to celebrate the memory of a friend who had died unexpectedly. Since then, more than 400 similar walls have been created around the world. Karen believes only one other ‘Before I Die’ wall has been installed in New Zealand.

Candy Chang has said that each wall is a tribute to living an examined life — “a powerful and valuable reminder that life is for the living, and that it’s never too late, or too early, to join the party”.

Karen is also holding a Death Cafe meeting at Summerset Village Cafe on October 28, 12-2pm.

Kevin Brown adds his wishes to the temporary wall ‘Before I Die’ wall.

At a Death Cafe, people gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death to help reduce the taboo around the topic.

Karen has held two events in the past year at Charlies Gelato, attracting people from as far afield as Muriwai and Auckland.

“It’s a safe, friendly environment with no agenda, where people can have a conversation on anything to do with death or dying,” Karen says.

“It’s something that’s going to happen to everybody and yet, in general, people are quite frightened of it, or see it as too morbid to discuss. But if we talk about it, we start making the best of our finite lives and start thinking about what’s ahead and how we can make changes now to make the most of what we have.

“I’ve seen what happens when people are not prepared and it can be a very difficult process.”

health&family

18 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

Health guru urging us to stop eating ourselves sick A health researcher and author who cured himself of chronic illness simply by changing his diet and lifestyle will be speaking in Warkworth next week to encourage others to follow his example.

Jason Shon Bennett grew up in Auckland and spent the first 20 years of his life suffering with asthma, skin problems and a raft of other health issues.

“I was on Ventalin, steroids, I always had colds, flu, bugs, you name it. I was told it was genetic,” he says. “I was taking drugs to get out of bed, drugs to go to sleep and to prevent asthma; my life was determined by illness.”

When he was in his twenties and started having children, he says he was struck that he was not going to be an effective father if he was sick all the time.

“I started looking at diet and lifestyle,” he says. “I’m not university trained, I just started reading whatever I could find. There was no internet then, so I was getting books from overseas.”

Jason started experimenting with fasting – something that’s popular now, but was pretty much unheard of back in the 1980s – and trying other ‘alternative’ lifestyle options, including growing his own wheatgrass for juicing, going to bed much earlier, and giving up meat and alcohol.

He says his mates gave him a hard time and he was often viewed as a “bit of a fruit loop” back then, but as his

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll all be sick and die young. New Zealand is a great country, but we’re getting sicker younger.”

He believes the answer lies in emulating cultures where people live longest and centenarians are commonplace, and he found that they share many common traits – they eat mainly fruit, vegetables and legumes, they eat much less than we do, they move regularly and get enough sleep.

“It’s not radical or crazy, it really is common-sense. You won’t change overnight, it takes time and it can be a slow process, but with little changes it’s extraordinary what will happen over time. It does work.”

Jason Shon Bennett: passionate advocate and living proof of how a decent diet and lifestyle can change life for the better.

research reaped results and his health and fitness improved beyond measure, he knew he was on the right track.

“It got to the stage 10 years ago where I started getting asked to do presentations, because I never got sick and I was pretty much a medical miracle,” he says.

Now, he spends his life passionately encouraging others to follow his lead in a heartfelt bid to help halt

the Western epidemic of obesity and illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

“We are eating ourselves sick; 70 per cent of deaths now are from noncommunicable diseases resulting from our modern lifestyle,” he says. “You can’t eat yourself sick and drug yourself well, that model just doesn’t work. We have definitely fallen into the trap of thinking that what we get sick with are things that drugs will treat.

Jason Shon Bennett’s seminar, Discover the Secrets to Exceptional Health, will be held at Warkworth’s Bridgehouse Lodge on Thursday October 22. Doors open 6.30pm and the seminar runs from 7-9pm.

Tickets $30, or $20 if you book online: jasonshonbennett.com/event/335243

ticketgiveaway

Mahurangi Matters has a double pass to Jason Shon Bennett’s October 22 Warkworth seminar to give away, plus two copies of his book, My 20 Golden Rules. To enter, write your name and phone number on the back of an envelope and post to Golden Rules Competition, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth, or email news2@ localmatters.co.nz.

Competition closes Wednesday October 21.

health&family

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Meeting explores options to give carers a breather A public meeting is being held in Warkworth this month to help people understand recent changes to government funding for respite care services.

Event organiser Bronwyn Lane says there is an acute shortage of respite care for people caring for children with autism or intellectual disabilities in Mahurangi.

“I’ve been trying for two years to get services up here and felt like I’d reached the end of the road,” Bronwyn says.

However, Presbyterian Support regional disability service development leader Janette Third says changes introduced by the government in November have made respite care funding much more flexible and have increased the options for families.

Janette works with about 15 families in Mahurangi and will be speaking at the meeting.

“Before November, people had to use an overnight care service at a facility run by a Ministry of Health provider, which meant people in Mahurangi had to travel to the North Shore. Now the funding goes to the client, who can choose more flexible care options,” Janette says.

That could include employing someone to take a child to the movies, out fishing or out camping, to give parents a breather.

“We want to raise awareness that this option is available,” Janette says.

“People are now able to get care from people they know and trust within the community. That can include paying someone known to the family to take their child out for a few hours – as long as it is helping a carer get relief.”

Presbyterian Support can also help recruit and vet carers for families who qualify for respite care funding.

Open Home Foundation Auckland service manager Will Westrupp will speak at the meeting about foster respite care options, where a family is employed to help care for a child to

give their primary carer a break.

“There’s no one offering this service here at the moment, but once we’ve identified a need, we will try and recruit people within this community to meet the needs of those families,” Bronwyn Lane says.

However, Warkworth resident Sarah McDonald says the criteria for care funding is still too strict. Sarah has a 9-year-old son with traits autism, but she has been unable to qualify for government funding for respite care.

“Children with autism don’t like change. I can’t just get a baby sitter and friends are often reluctant to look after my son for a night because it’s just too hard,” Sarah says.

“I’m also limited in where I can take my son. I can’t just go to the playground or the swimming pool. If it’s busy he can’t cope. People understand when a child has a tantrum when they are 3 or 4 years old, but when they are 9 it’s very different. It’s a 24-hour job and it’s exhausting. I haven’t had a night off in 10 months.”

Sarah worked as the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) coordinator for North Shore and Rodney last year.

“It’s a major issue throughout the area,” Sarah says.

The meeting will be held on October 19, 10am at the St John Ambulance meeting room in Warkworth.

Info: Bronwyn Lane 0274 926 493

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20 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

Homebuilders Liz Cole, Family Support Worker www.homebuildersfs.org

Noticing and listening to children A lot of our interactions with children are centred on monitoring them – guiding, protecting, correcting, reminding and lecturing. “While many of these interactions are important and keep children safe and sound, they rarely contribute to a child’s self-esteem and gladness to be alive.” (Childplayworks Ltd) There is a useful website called handinhandparenting.org that has articles and resources to promote parenting through connection. The idea being that children have big feelings that play a deeply useful role in their lives and when children are parented in a way that acknowledges these feelings, provides love, gives limits when necessary, and provides them with connection, children thrive and parenting becomes more enjoyable.

We have an idea that conversation with children requires questions, as a means to engage them. However, there are alternative ways of talking to children such as noticing and listening which increase children’s self-esteem and build relationship.

Noticing involves simply reflecting what the child is doing. Firstly reflecting their actions ‘you decided to play with that one’, ‘you know about giraffes’ ‘you worked really hard on that drawing’. It doesn’t involve your opinion. Noticing a feeling is also important, ‘you are really cross about that’, ‘you look really disappointed’, ‘you are really enjoying that’. These ways of noticing give children a wonderful experience of being seen, and if they feel seen they are less likely to need to act out to be seen.

Most adults can remember the childhood feeling of not being understood . . .

‘It’s not fair, no one understands me’. For a child, knowing they are understood by a parent/carer builds relationship and the sense of connection that is at the heart of all good relationships. Being heard is what makes this occur for children.

Sometimes as adults we struggle to listen well because we are concerned that we are agreeing to something we disagree with and we want to educate our children. As such, it is important to understand that the goal of good listening is to understand what the child is trying to say to us, not to secure agreement.

The process of good listening involves letting the child know we have heard and understood them. This can be done through paraphrasing what they have said.

It also involves allowing the child to have their uncomfortable feelings as this gives a message that you believe they can manage. ‘Some children are not letting you play and you feel angry and a little sad about that. You really want to play with them’. Listening is not about solving problems, it is about really hearing.

Life is a conversation. Make it a good one.

localmatters.co.nz

Fired-up

News from local fire stations www.fire.org.nz

Smoke alarms a life saver Any death in a house fire is unacceptable. Unacceptable to the Fire Service, the community and especially to the victim’s family. It’s ironic that our greatest protection comes at the smallest cost. Smoke alarms have been topical, with two deaths recently in a house fire, including a grandmother and small child. Bizarrely, there were 11 smoke alarms in the house. Media reports suggest that none were working and were stored in a box in a wardrobe. Just guessing, but a likely reason for them not working may have been flat batteries. This is a common and deadly error of judgement.

The cheapest units cost just over $10 each. New batteries are even cheaper.

Installation is simple. No tradesmen are required and no expensive tools are needed. You can stand on a chair to put a screw or nail into the wall or ceiling. It could not be simpler. So if it is cheap, easy and fast to install, why do so many of our homes not have them fitted? Could it be the mistaken belief that ‘fire could never happen to me’. The truth is fire could happen to any of us and unless we are prepared, it could be fatal.

That said you still need to change the batteries regularly. Sure, we have all been annoyed by alarms bleeping when the battery runs low. Think ahead and have spare batteries on hand and change them regularly. The daylight saving changeover twice a year is recommended. Likewise, don’t be tempted to remove the battery just because you regularly burn the toast.

But our responsibility as parents doesn’t end there. How many of us have children that have left home and are now living in a flatting situation? Do you know if they have a smoke alarms? Let’s face it; our kids are unlikely to think of such a thing. I make sure to give both my children a new smoke alarm as a flat warming present.

Makes more sense than a pot plant that will die when they don’t water it!

One last thought which may sound bizarre and probably is: How many of our kids crash at a friend’s house or flat, especially after a night of drinking. Several months ago in Hamilton three young people perished in a house fire, some of whom were just crashing for the night. What about giving your kid a smoke alarm as part of their overnight kit to keep them safe overnight. More important than a toothbrush I suggest.

Finally I leave you with this statistic: In the past twelve months there have been nine deaths in household fires where there were no working smoke alarms. In alarmed houses there have been...NONE! Protect your home, your family and yourself...NOW!!!

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

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INTR ODUCING n

Frog Pool Farm Interiors After 25 years, iconic Dome Valley store, Frog Pool Farm, is expanding in Wellsford to open a showroom full of classic furniture.

Susan Speedy started the business 25 years ago, but she has spent her life encircled by antiques. Her mother started an antiques shop in Devonport, which Susan started running in her 20s.

“It was a real learning experience,” Susan says. “A piece of furniture can say so much about human ingenuity, art, design, history and the values that prevailed at a certain time. I started understanding the different design periods, from Georgian to art deco, and those classic design principles inform the items I choose for the store today.”

Susan bought the three-hectare Dome Valley property in search of “a bit of dirt and a garden”.

“I started with no stock, no money and a huge mortgage. There were possums living in the leaky roof, no bathroom or kitchen, and the only toilet was in a half-demolished shed. It also had millions of frogs in nearby ponds that would keep me awake all night – hence the name Frog Pool Farm.”

The business now sells new furniture, lamps and decor items made in traditional styles, but Susan says it has reached the point where it’s time to hop ponds. She will continue to run the Dome Valley store, but the

Susan Speedy

Wellsford shop – at over twice the size – has the space to allow people to browse and it will focus on furniture.

“I want to get people inspired. Don’t put up with a home you don’t enjoy – turn it into your palace.

“I have the variety that the big-box shops don’t have. Everything is made from real wood and real leather. It will last and be an heirloom for years to come.”

Susan’s partner, Phil Braddick, makes bespoke tables, dressers and kitchens from recycled matai under the name Bradwood Furniture, which is also sold exclusively at the stores.

22 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

CHANGING FACES n

INTR ODUCING n

The Stables Restaurant

Leigh Eats

It’s all change at The Stables Restaurant this month, but regulars at the popular Matakana restaurant can rest assured they remain in safe and familiar hands. That’s because three of the new owners have been running key areas of the business for well over a year already – John Wheeler (previously of Hammerheads, Wheeler and The Honest Lawyer restaurants) as head chef, Woody Richards on beverage and back office, and Kim Wojcik leading service.

Woody and John say that knowing the business from the inside means they were in an ideal position when departing owner Daniel O’Donnell decided to sell. “It’s been like the longest due diligence known to man.”

A fourth investor is Chris Cranshaw, an Auckland-based entrepreneur.

Woody and Kim are experienced event organisers, having run a resort in Asia and staging the Rhythm & Sands music festivals. At The Stables, it’s in the events area that the only major changes are being planned.

“The restaurant is already doing very well,” Woody says. “There’ll be new menus out before Christmas, where we’ll stick with Stables favourites, but also look at diversifying options across traditional New Zealand and contemporary styles.

“So, we’ll be maintaining the everyday

After helping establish a number of iconic cafes in the region, Wax Jackson and Rachael Aitken have returned to Leigh to bring fresh fish back to the heart of the fishing village.

The fish and chip shop has been a renowned focal point in Leigh but has been closed for the past year. The couple bought the shop earlier this year and have spent three months refitting the building before opening last month.

“We want to bring downtown Leigh back to life with a space for people to meet up for coffee and buy fresh fish and chips, and sweet treats,” Wax says. “Our fish is from Lee Fish and we serve organic Fairtrade coffee from Eighthirty Coffee Roasters.”

The couple have decades of experience in hospitality, having helped establish Black Dog Cafe in Matakana, Bennetts of Mangawhai and Catalina Cafe in Hobsonville Point.

They first met working at Leigh Sawmill Cafe nearly 20 years ago, shortly after it opened.

Rachael grew up in Leigh. Her father Ross was a keen fisherman and was manager of the fishery for a time. She is Ngati wai, a descendant of Rahui Te Kiri.

Wax moved to Leigh after managing bars in Sydney and London.

“I found my spiritual home in Leigh.

Ever since I’ve wanted to put down

Woody Richards, Kim Wojcik and John Wheeler.

business, and then bringing hospitality and events into it, incorporating everything here – families, the park, the markets, music – and bring it all together to capitalise on all we have and naturally grow the business.”

He says next year will see more activitybased entertainment and more big events, starting this New Year’s Eve. He is giving little away at this stage, but promises it won’t just be another music festival for 18 to 21 year olds.

“All I can say is that our point of difference from the usual New Year’s Eve is that we are going to cater for families, and there will be something going on from daytime onwards,” he says. “It’s all about the local community.”

Wax Jackson

roots here.”

Rachael was trained as a chef by Annabelle and Ben Guinness and found her love for cooking. Wax and Rachel also helped Lindesay Smith and Angela Stechman from Matakana coffee rosters set up Black Dog Cafe in Matakana.

The couple relocated to Kaiwaka eight years ago when their first child, Sonny, was born and helped establish Bennetts of Mangawhai.

Six years ago they started Catalina Cafe in a former Air Force building at the Hobsonville Point development, where they worked until last year.

“We were the first business there before the development started. It was our job to attract people to the area and form a focus for the community.

“The cafe was hugely successful, but it outgrew us. We wanted a simpler lifestyle and moved to Leigh last year to raise our family in this idyllic area.”

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October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

INTR ODUCING n

INTR ODUCING n

The Wood Street Freehouse

Wharf Street Bistro

After starting a string of bars and restaurants in Auckland and abroad, Evan King is opening The Wood Street Freehouse in Mangawhai this month.

Based in the former Sail Rock Cafe building, the restaurant is expanding on the successful Newmarket bar, The Lumsden Freehouse, which Evan established three years ago.

Renovations to the building are underway and he hopes to open on October 21.

“It will be unrecognisable,” Evan says.

“We’ve completely overhauled the building to create a place with a light and beachy feel.”

Evan says his love of hospitality came from his love of travel. He headed to Europe when he was 18, hitchhiking and picking grapes at vineyards throughout the continent. That started an 18-year immersion in hospitality, working in bars and restaurants in London and the USA and establishing a restaurant in Canada.

“I like everything about the industry. I get to taste something fresh every day, whether it’s the ripest tomatoes or the freshest fish. It’s incredible.”

He started The Lumsden Freehouse based on the philosophy of serving fresh and local produce. Part of this involved ending restrictive contracts with commercial breweries and stacking the bar-taps with craft beer.

A couple with more than 20 years experience in restaurants worldwide is bringing a much-needed boost to Warkworth dining with the opening of the Wharf Street Bistro.

Matt and Rachel Macfarlane have spent the past month transforming the former Thai restaurant overlooking the Mahurangi River into a stylish wine bar and dining venue that will be open every evening from Thursday to Monday.

They first moved to the area two years ago, having previously owned and run Fernilea in Coatesville and the BellaMonte cafe in Belmont for several years.

“We had always holidayed out at Leigh and toyed with moving up here for years, with the coast and country,” Rachel says. “We like the rural schools, too. Our kids are at Matakana and we bought a house in Warkworth a year ago. We think it’s a great little town with friendly people and a great community, and it deserves a good restaurant in the heart of town.”

Matt and Rachel have travelled extensively, cooking and working everywhere from 5 star resort hotels in Canada to English pubs and a cafe in Wanaka.

Now, chef Matt is planning a flexible menu of classic bistro food with a modern New Zealand flavour.

“It will be good food, well cooked, using local produce whenever I can,”

Evan King

“The big breweries have a monopoly over the majority of bars and they won’t let you stock any beer or wine that’s not under their brand. Now we’ve had 453 different beers on tap in the past year and our sales have gone through the roof.”

The Wood Street Freehouse is expanding on this philosophy, but with more of a food focus.

“We will have fresh seafood, pizzas and southern style barbeque food. I spent a lot of time in New Orleans and I’m a big fan of their slow-cooked meats which are infused with southern spices.

The restaurant will open seven days a week, all year round.

“We will have specialty nights and we plan on holding a cooking school during the winter and will have a pizza delivery service.”

Evan is building a house in Mangawhai and will split his time between Mangawhai and Auckland.

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Matt and Rachel Macfarlane

he says. “It will change often and be seasonally relevant.”

Matt and Rachel both have experience in, and a passion for, design, which shows in the bistro’s smart new look, with its deep blue walls and eclectic retro details.

“It’s nice to do something to be part of the community,” says Rachel, who manages Brick Bay’s Glass House as her day job. “We want people to know they can just come for a drink – we’ll have local wines and beers – or you can have a three-course dinner in a comfortable, welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy.”

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CHANGING FACES n

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Sushi Gallery

Avoca

Extended opening hours and even better quality food are being promised

by Warkworth’s Sushi Gallery’s new owner, Ryan Park.

He has taken over from previous owner BK Kim, who is moving to Mangawhai to run Sushi Gallery Mangawhai. Ryan says he has worked closely with BK to make the transition as smooth as possible.

“I don’t want to change too much because the former owner has done very well and people liked him,” he says. “I just want to improve the food even more. You eat with your eyes, so we make the food more beautiful than before. And I want to use more ingredients than before, at the same price, but better quality.”

Ryan has started opening the Sushi Gallery earlier to cater to a wider clientele, and will open on Sundays in summer.

“Now we open at 8am. We are already there from 7am making sushi, so might as well be open for students and workers, so they can pick up their lunch in a pack.”

Ryan moved to New Zealand with his family six years ago after he and his wife fell in love with the country on holiday. A former banker, he has run food and liquor businesses in Auckland, but now wants to concentrate on Sushi Gallery here.

A Northland family business with nearly 70 years’ experience in the lime and fertiliser industry has taken over the Port Albert lime quarry.

Avoca Lime was started by Jim Manderson in Dargaville in 1948 and now has four lime quarries and fertiliser stores across Northland. Jim’s son, Bryce, now owns the business. After studying at Lincoln University, Bryce developed a passion for helping farmers through Avoca, where he has worked for the past 33 years.

“Northland is a very tough area for farmers and horticulturalists, with wet winters and dry summers," Bryce says.

“The soil is also very acidic, which reduces the availability of nutrients to pasture and crops. Lime helps get that balance right and is a cost effective and proven way to improve production and reduce the amount of fertiliser needed.

“Too often we see farmers applying loads of fertiliser, but without addressing pH levels, it’s not going to have the desired effect.”

The company has employed an additional lime and fertiliser consultant to help Mahurangi farmers address these issues. The consultant is available to conduct soil tests to create a lime/ fertiliser mix to suit different farms.

Former quarry owners, Peter and Imelda Booth, have run Port Albert Limeworks for the past 12 years and

Ryan Park (left) with former owner BK Kim.

His long-term plans include moving to the Oaks on Neville retail development when it’s built, and giving discounts to residents of the retirement apartments.

He says Warkworth has been very welcoming.

“My first impression of the people is they are very kind, totally different from Auckland CBD,” he says. “We are doing business here, but not only for the money ‒ the people that come into my shop have to be happy.”

BK Kim agreed, saying he’s grateful for Warkworth’s support. “It’s been more than just a business for us. People have been so friendly and we’ve shared good feelings with our customers.”

At the hand over, from left, Peter Barnaby, Peter Booth, Bryce Manderson and Keith Squires.

thanked their customers for their loyal support.

“It is time to pass the reins onto a new set of hands that have the skills and resources to build on what we have already created,” Peter says. “We are proud of the business and the reputation for quality limestone we have developed.

“However, the time is right for us to focus on other things but we are very pleased to see a long standing family-orientated company like Avoca takeover the quarry operation.”

Peter and Imelda intend to concentrate their efforts on their earthmoving business.

Site manager Peter Barnaby has been employed by Avoca and will continue to run the site.

localmatters.co.nz

History

Lyn Johnston, Albertland Museum www.albertland.co.nz

Life of a coachman

Warkworth coach and team in the early 1900s.

Thomas Schofield Ramsbottom was the grandson of Albertlanders who settled in Wellsford. As a young man he helped his father on the Wellsford-Warkworth coach service then, in 1908, moved to Warkworth to work for a grocery firm.

He left that business in 1920 and for six years handled the mail coach service between Warkworth and Kaipara Flats.

Tom was a thoughtful man with a great sense of humour which proved very handy during his coaching days. Trips were often fraught with drawbacks, mostly due to the appalling state of roads which turned into mud and clay bogs when it rained. Tom’s horses, harness and coaches were always in immaculate order and he left on each journey with a whistle and a jaunty farewell. He was just as cheerful at the end of each and every trip, regardless of time, effort and problems encountered.

‘Service’ was always the motto and Tom never failed to deliver a message or procure something wanted by settlers in remote areas. He was popular with both locals and visitors as his fame and accomplishments spread over the wider district.

A practical joker in the most harmless way, he could also take a joke. However, on one occasion he got fed up with a foolish young local who threw stones at the horses each time the coach went past. Biding his time, Tom collared the lad and put him in a sack, finally releasing him about two or three miles out of town. That worked. The young man never threw stones again and grew up to be a respected citizen.

After 1926, Tom was for some years on a school bus run and, later on, later on drove the bread van when he was semi-retired. A keen sportsman, he played football in his early youth and hockey when it began in 1909, representing Rodney in 1919-20.

Thomas Schofield Ramsbottom passed away at Whitianga in 1960 in his 80th year, survived by his wife and four children.

Correction to Spring column. Lily Steventon was ‘Miss’, not ‘Mrs’.

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

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26 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

Services address growing number of dementia cases

A growing need for support services for people with dementia and their carers has been identified in Warkworth.

There are currently 15,000 people with dementia in the greater Auckland region – a number that research shows is expected to double over the next 15 to 20 years.

While the Hibiscus Coast has a number of support groups, access to carer education programmes and a walking group, there is little available in Mahurangi.

Alzheimers Auckland key worker in Rodney Emily Siermans says other than a monthly carers group meeting held at Totara Park and one education course a year, Mahurangi residents normally have to travel outside the area for support.

But plans are afoot to set up a weekly Day Programme, which could start next February.

It would provide age-appropriate activities that are cognitively stimulating such as music, dance, games and outings.

“The programme will also allow carers the opportunity of some free time, which is important,” Emily says.

“The stress of caring fulltime for someone with dementia is very real and it’s one of the reasons that there is an urgent need for more respite care, not just in Rodney, but nationwide.”

Emily says the carer support groups provide people with an opportunity to share the challenges of dementia.

Warkworth couple Sandy and Joyce Fortescue, with Alzheimers Auckland Charitable Trust supporters, at the national Memory Walk held last month.

Often it is a husband or wife caring for their spouse so it is an emotional journey of grief and loss as they watch the person they know slowly disappear.

“Understanding the illness through education is invaluable. The groups are also a way of making sure people know how to access the services they need.

“The overall aim of what we do is to help people with dementia live well for as long as they possibly can.”

At Summerset Village in Warkworth, Sandy and Joyce Fortescue are doing wonders for the local Alzheimers community.

Joyce, 88, a former nurse, has been a client of Emily’s for over a year.

“The couple set an amazing example of how to live with dementia,” Emily says.

“Sandy is the only man who attends the Warkworth support group amongst 12 women and he never misses. The couple attend every event organised

by Alzheimers Auckland and are advocates within the village to support others with the same diagnosis.

“Sandy is 100 per cent devoted to Joyce, they openly speak about Alzheimers and work at making changes when needed.”

Emily says that for every person with the condition, there is a much wider network of family and friends who are affected. In fact, one in two people will be touched by dementia in their lifetime.

Alzheimers Auckland Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing dementia support services and inspiring those living with dementia to make the most of life.

Anyone interested in registering their interest in the proposed Day Programme in Warkworth can contact Emily on 09 421 1425.

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FE AT U R E

Matakana gearing up for massive gala once again The crowds of early bird bargain hunters who pack the pavements outside Matakana School waiting for its annual Gala gates to open should note that they can have a bit of a lie-in this year.

Organisers have moved the start time from 7am to 7.30am for the event on Saturday October 24 and have also brought in a set finish time of 1pm.

Committee member Amanda Stewart says the Matakana School Gala has previously been one of the longest events around.

“The slightly later opening time is really just trying to make it a bit easier on our manpower and to bring it in line with the majority of galas,” she says. “A proper finish time will make it easier to roster people, and also means that an hour before the end, they know they can start marking stuff down.”

Apart from the new times, it’s business as usual at the bumper fundraiser, with the school courts crammed to bursting with hundreds of items of quality secondhand furniture, tools, bikes and sporting equipment.

Inside the school, every class is a stall

People queue up from the early hours for the gala opening, and it’s a mad rush to grab a bargain.

for the day, selling clothing, linen, toys, electrical items, bric-a-brac, art, baby goods, yard items, plants, produce, preserves and lollies. Half the school hall will be taken up with a massive

book stall, with a pop up cafe in the other half, which this year includes a much wider range of food to cater for special diets, such as vegetarian and gluten-free.

Other food on offer includes bacon and egg butties, authentic Thai curries, burgers, nachos, waffles, sausage sizzles, candyfloss and doughnuts, and a home made cake stall.

Cruisy acoustic trio Whitechapel Jak will be headlining on the entertainment stage from 10am with their relaxed and engaging guitar and double bass covers, while before that the Matakana School Kapa Haka, Choir and ukulele groups will be performing, and the Matakana All Stars talent contest will be on stage from 9.15am.

There will be all the usual fun of the fair out on the school playing fields, including bouncy castles, inflatable activities, bungee rides, miniature cars, Zorb balls and sideshows, plus helicopter flights from Skywork Helicopters.

Matakana Fire service will run quick fire raffles in the school quad and at least one supermarket trolley crammed full of groceries will be raffled off.

Money raised will go towards general operational costs and laying synthetic turf on part of the sports courts.

Info: Matakana School Gala, October 24, 7.30am-1pm, matakanaschoolgala.co.nz

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Spicing up life in Matakana Locals with a raft of hidden talents are taking to the stage next month for the second annual Matakana Variety Performance.

The first event, last year, was a huge success and raised around $12,000 for restoration and improvements to the Diamond Jubilee Park tennis courts.

This year, the Matakana Community Group is putting proceeds from the November 7 show towards a longawaited and much-needed village car park. Organiser Rob Anderson says the variety show is the result of the group wanting to start a positive tradition for the community.

“So we thought a get-together at the beginning of spring to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and

showcase our beautiful food and vino from the area would be the thing, and one way to do that was a local variety show, because this area has a lot of very talented people,” he says. “It’s a great night out for the whole community.”

There are six acts lined up for the Matakana Hall stage so far, including singers, dancers and a few surprises, but there is still room for more. In between the entertainment, the audience will have the chance to buy tasting plates from a wide range of local food producers and wine from regional vineyards, and there will be a silent auction, too.

Tickets cost $35 from the Gull service station in Matakana, but you need to move quickly – they sold out in two days last year.

Design a pot and grab a bargain at Budding young artists will have the chance to design their very own Morris & James glazed ceramic pot as part of the Matakana pottery’s annual Labour Weekend Sale this year. Children aged from 5 to 12 simply have to draw what they think would make a great pot design and the winning entry will see their creation transformed into a pot to take home. There will also be face painting for the kids, and local musicians Sonare will be playing in the courtyard throughout Saturday and Sunday.

Morris & James will be closed Thursday October 22, then the sale will run from 9am to 5pm from Friday to Monday.

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October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Proceeds from the fireworks fundraiser will go towards sporting equipment.

Fireworks fun at Tomarata The skies above Tomarata will be ablaze with fireworks on Saturday November 7 when Tomarata School stages its annual Guy Fawkes fundraiser night.

Gates at the Domain in Pakiri Block Road open at 5pm with plenty of food and fun to keep kids and adults occupied until the giant pyrotechnic display starts at nightfall.

Live band GQ will be playing and there will be rides and bouncy castles, plus raffle tickets, foil balloons and glow-in-the-dark items for sale.

There will be a range of hot dishes from a food truck, and coffee, shaved

Tauhoa Calf Club Day There will be baby animals galore at Tauhoa School Calf Club Day this Labour Weekend, on Saturday October 24. As well as traditional ag day activities, with students showing calves, lambs, kid goats and chickens, there will also be a petting zoo with piglets, lambs, kids, calves and chickens, plus horse and pony rides. School administrator Denice Pride says children will be showing their animals from 9.30am and the event will run until around 2pm.

“This is a real old fashioned Calf Club Day,” she says. “We have kept traditions that have been going for generations.” Elsewhere, there will be indoor exhibits of students’ activities and hotly-contested competitions for best cake, jams and pickles. There will also be a produce and plant stall, a silent auction, a White Elephant stall, games run by senior students and quick fire raffles.

Eftpos will be available on the day.

ice, hot doughnuts and ice creams will also be on offer. People are welcome to bring their own picnics.

Organisers said this was the major fundraiser for the school and they enjoyed fantastic support from local businesses, with previous events making around $10,000. Last year, the money raised was used to buy new shade sails to go over the school playground and proceeds from the November 7 event will go towards sporting equipment such as a new cricket pitch and nets, and a new volley ball net.

Entry costs $10 per adult or $5 per child, and all sales are cash only.

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30 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

Pupils at Wellsford School are organising a range of stalls for the gala.

Briar McPherson with her lamb entry, Callie.

Prizes and baby animals on show at Wellsford School A Hot Laps V8 race driving experience and a stylish retro Jamie Oliver cooler are among the mega raffle prizes at Wellsford Primary School’s Agriculture & Gala Day this Saturday October 17.

There are 50 prize draws throughout the day and each ticket goes into every draw, so multiple prizes can be won for a $5 ticket.

There’s also a family pass for Rainbow’s End theme park for anyone who can chip a hole-in-one through a hole in the roof of an old car donated by Warkworth Collision Repairs.

The day starts at 9am with a traditional Calf,

Lamb and Goat Show, where pupils will be leading and displaying young animals they’ve raised and competing for sashes and trophies.

Students who live in town or can’t raise a pet are not being left out – they’ve been busy making alien and monster sculptures and wind chimes, and there are also children’s photography and colouring competitions with entries on display.

Students have also been organising their own stalls, games and sideshows, including gumboot throwing, a crockery smash, a sponge throw, an obstacle course and guess how many balloons in a car. There will be quick fire raffles and a range of hot and cold food

available, including a cafe and a barbecue.

School support chairperson Edwina Came says money raised from the day will go towards general school funds initially.

“Over the past two years, funds have been used for things like the shade sails in the pool area, library furniture and general resources,” she says. “But in the future we are committed to putting funds towards the refurbishment of the school hall.”

Info: Wellsford Primary School Ag & Gala Day, Saturday October 17, 9am. Mega Raffle tickets 423 8042.

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Lance O’Callahan had the winning bid for the All Blacks jersey signed by captain Richie McCaw.

Kaipara Flats gala best in history The Volunteer Surf Lifeguard Service is looking for school-age recruits. Photo, Ivan McCabe

Mangawhai calls for young lifeguards Calling all young swimmers – Mangawhai Volunteer Surf Lifeguard Service needs you. The club is holding its annual open day and season launch from 11am on the Sunday of Labour Weekend, and is looking for new blood.

Publicity officer Tony Baker says anyone who is interested in learning more about becoming a lifeguard is welcome.

“We’re really pushing to get new members,” he says.

“We want to put a lot of emphasis on our younger lifeguards and get them to drive membership and get more lifeguards who are still at school.”

He says they need to boost young membership for two reasons – firstly, to fill the gap left by older lifeguards who have left school and moved away or have more

commitments, and also because the club has more competition for young people’s attention these days.

“There’s so much for them to do now,” Tony says. “Ten years ago, there was probably not so much going on in Mangawhai, but now there’s heaps going on, so we’re trying to get a few new faces with an open door policy.”

The club has also been revamping its website and is planning a number of major events, including the Jackman Waterman Classic longboard paddle race from Waipu Cove to Mangawhai on December 5 and 6, and the annual Lifeguard Longboard Nationals on the last weekend in February.

Info: Mangawhai Volunteer Lifeguard Service open day and junior registration, Sunday October 25, 11am, Mangawhai Beach

The generosity of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw paid off for Kaipara Flats School at their annual Country Show last month.

An All Blacks jersey signed by Richie sold for $5200 at a charity auction during the event, helping the school raise over $30,000 – the most raised at a show day in it history.

“For a school of just 82 pupils this is a staggering figure,” principal Gary O’Brien says.

The school is raising money to replace the netball court with a new artificial turf.

Mason Contractors owner Lance O’Callaghan won the auction for the All Black Jersey.

“It is these types of relationships and the tremendous community support that makes this school very special,” Mr O'Brien says.

The ribbon for Champion Lamb was awarded to Zara Innes and the Reserve Champion award went to Zoe Smith. The Champion Calf went to Nic Schollum and the Reserve Champion Zara Innes.

32 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

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Kids mean business at gala fundraiser Students from Mangawhai Beach School will combine business with pleasure at this year’s Ag Day & Gala on October 24, when a number of them take over selected stalls.

Gala organiser Michelle Keast says intermediate students have always helped to run some activities, but this year they have been asked to devise and run stalls themselves, come up with names and think of ways to advertise their ‘mini-businesses’.

“There will be test-your skills games, plate smashing and things like that,” she says. “The kids will be trying to make the most profit, to teach them about how real businesses work.”

Students are also busy raising young stock for the ever-popular Ag Day Calf and Lamb judging.

Organiser Sandra Brunt says the school works hard to maintain this tradition, even though many locals these days hail from the city.

Even children who don’t live on a farm or lifestyle block can take part, thanks to a local farmer.

“Bruce Nelder provides six calves for kids who don’t have land and can’t have a calf at home, so they can go to Bruce’s to care for their calf. The local vet clinic also helps out and lets us know if there are any orphan lambs.”

Alternative animal contact for littlies will be on offer in the Petting Corner, and there will be horse and pony rides available. Local children are also making scarecrows to go on display and there will be a silent auction of artwork by students. High-kicking entertainment will be provided by the athletic All Star Cheerleaders, as well as from local bands and students. In addition, there will be quick fire raffles, quad bike rides, inflatable slides and castles, books and toys, and huge range of food, from old-fashioned lollies and sausage sizzles up to gourmet treats.

Info: Mangawhai Beach School Ag Day & Gala, Saturday October 24, 9am-2pm

Fire brigade launches annual appeal The Mahurangi East Volunteer Fire Brigade is holding its annual envelope appeal on Labour Weekend. The event is organised for the brigade by the Mahurangi Community Trust. Trust members have put collection envelopes in every letter box in the brigade’s area this month – Sandspit, Snells Beach, Algies Bay, Scotts Landing and Martins Bay. The money raised will be used to upgrade the pumps on the brigade’s water tanker. The envelopes will be collected by firemen on the Saturday of Labour Weekend. If the envelopes are missed, they can be put into a collection box at the Snells Beach Pharmacy or the Snells Beach Four Square.

Alternatively, donations can be made to the bank account number on the envelope.

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October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Gardens of every shape and size will be open to visitors over two days.

Night ramble in Mangawhai A novel opportunity for a nocturnal garden visit has been added to this year’s Mangawhai Garden Ramble, which runs throughout the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15.

The after dark illuminated display will be just one of many horticultural attractions offered by 21 properties open to visitors this year, including three brand new exhibitors and the return of some favourites from the past.

Tickets cost $15 before Labour Weekend and $20 after that, with all funds raised going to Mangawhai Kindergarten and Mangawhai Plunket Group.

Each ticket gives two-day access to all 21 gardens, and includes details and descriptions of each property,

plus a map showing locations and refreshment stops.

There will be a diverse range of garden styles and sizes on show, and there are plenty of activities for the less green-fingered, too, with raffles, art, refreshments, animals and photo displays.

Tickets are available from Fresh, Mangawhai Village; Mangawhai Books & Gifts, Mangawhai Heads; Jaques Superstore, Kaiwaka; Woody’s Winners, Wellsford; Hammer Hardware, Waipu; and Warkworth iSITE Visitor Information Centre.

Info: The Mangawhai Garden Ramble, Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15, Facebook – Palmers Planet Mangawhai Garden Ramble.

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34 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

The Middleton Transport Giant Ice Slide is always a hit.

Annual country gala funds Leigh Preschool improvements An iconic giant ice slide and lots of fabulous fresh fish will be among the highlights at Leigh Community Preschool’s annual Country Gala on Sunday October 25.

The traditional Labour Weekend extravaganza is the preschool’s major fundraiser. Last year it raised a record $18,000, which was used to upgrade the outdoor play area and facilities for 3 to 5-year-old children.

Financial administrator Brenda Walton says a beautiful natural playscape has been created which is more in keeping with the preschool’s vision of engaging children with the natural environment.

“Children are now able to engage with and learn in nature using the creek bed, mud kitchen, various garden beds and fruit trees, as well as the huge new grassed area with a fun climbing mound and slide,” she says.

This year, gala funds will be used to maintain the new outdoor area, as well as improve the preschool’s long-term financial sustainability and create a contingency fund to cover any dip in enrolments.

Gala attractions will include a vintage clothing pop-up shop, with pre-loved vintage and designer clothes and accessories, and a mini-farmers market with local produce, plants, flowers and garden goods.

There will be plenty of food available, not least the ever-popular Leigh Fish burgers and spit-roast local lamb baps, plus traditional Devonshire teas and home made cakes. Prizes worth more than $10,000 will be up for grabs at the silent auction, while fresh snapper, smoked fish, oysters and local crayfish can all be won during the gala’s popular quick fire raffles, which start at 9.15am.

There will be the usual range of rides, bouncy castles, sideshows and sweet treats for the kids, while younger visitors will have their own special Small Wanderers zone, a fenced off area with activities including face painting, lucky dips, colouring competitions and jelly bean guessing games.

Info: Leigh Community Preschool Country Gala, Sunday October 25, 9am to 2pm, Leigh School grounds, www.leighpreschool.co.nz/galafundraiser

Wellsford Santa parade date set The annual Wellsford Christmas Parade is set for Saturday November 28.

The parade float assembly is at the Railway Station from 10am, float judging at 11am with the parade beginning at 11.30am.

Info: To register contact Tony Sowden 423 7557

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October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

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Summer surf season kicks off with new recruits at Omaha A dozen new lifeguards will join patrols at Omaha Beach this summer, thanks to a new training program devised and run by senior guards at the local surf lifesaving club recently.

Five Omaha SLSC instructors organised the training, tests and exams for the new recruits, all of whom are students at Mahurangi College, including after school sessions at the college pool and lessons at the beach.

Club president Julian Ostling says this is the first northern region lifeguard exam of the 2015-2016 season and every candidate passed first time.

Entrants had to complete several timed swims and tube-rescues, as well as written theory, practical first aid and CPR tests.

“We’re really impressed that the instructors organised and managed the whole programme – the preparation and planning, organising use of the school pool, and so on,” he says.

“The examiners from Surf Lifesaving Northern region commented that the bar had been set very high, and commended them for their attitude and enthusiasm.”

The summer season officially starts this Labour Weekend, with two days of activity at the Omaha Beach SLSC club. After a get together and barbecue on Saturday, it’s Junior Surf Registration from 2pm on Sunday.

Sunday will also see some excitement on the beach, when lifeguards team up with local St John, Fire Service and Coastguard members for a joint exercise

New on patrol: Daniel Matheson, Charlie Budgen, Jack Clark, Mya Lawrence, Olivia Foster, Austin Puckett, Jacob Garner, Sam Twhigg, Jerome Cunningham, Zeke Oliver and Billy O’Reilly, with lifeguard instructors Chantelle Maher, Laura Puckett, Rhiannon Gill, Paul Hardy and Ashley Maher.

simulating an emergency search and rescue incident, complete with local drama students playing the “victims”.

Julian says it will help all the groups involved test how they respond, react and liaise with each other.

Highlights for Omaha this coming season include hosting the Northern Region Senior Carnival on November 14 and 15 and the New Zealand Stand Up Paddling Nationals and Festival on February 27 and 28.

In addition, Olympic kayaker and top surf lifesaving athlete Teneale Hatton will be at the club all summer, coaching members in competitive sports such as surf boat and surf canoe racing.

The club will also be acting as a miniemployment agency for volunteers this year, putting up a jobs board advertising the services of lifeguards who can do babysitting or other odd jobs. Julian says they are all very conscious that the SLSC asks lifeguards

to give up a lot of time when they could possibly be earning. “We just want to give something back to the guys who are there every weekend, so they can earn a bit of money,” he says.

Omaha lifeguards will run a school holiday programme in the New Year, an extension of recent efforts to promote water safety in local school camps, for all students in Years 5, 7 and 9.

localmatters.co.nz/whatson

36 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

Watch a video of rose presentation tips localmatters.co.nz

Last year’s rose and flower show attracted nearly 300 entries.

Blooms and blossoms at Warkworth flower show The Old Masonic Hall in Warkworth will be in full bloom on November 27 for the annual Warkworth and Districts Rose and Flower Show.

Warkworth Garden Club secretary Lois New says the event usually attracts about 300 entries.

“Come smell the roses,” she says.

The show includes 28 categories, including arrangements in a ‘domestic teapot’ and arrangements in an egg cup.

This year there is no class for best vegetable garden, instead there is a $100 prize for best garden on a 1000m2 (quarter acre) section or less.

The winner will take home the Grange Trophy, donated by the former Grange Garden Centre in Warkworth. Entries for this category close November 12.

The Best Street in Warkworth is a keenly contested category, with a lot of pride at stake. Lois hopes a workshop hosted by regular rose show winners, Norma and Graeme Miller, held in June, will see more entrants and a step up in quality. Tips included brushing milk and water on leaves to make them shiny, using cotton buds to loosen up the petals and putting roses in the fridge or icy water to keep them fresh.

The flower show is normally held in Warkworth Town Hall, but it has been at the Masonic hall for the past four years while the town hall is restored.

Lois hopes the show will return to its home next year, when renovations are finished.

“When I went in the first time 15 years ago I couldn’t believe the show. When you walk in the door the perfume is incredible. But the number of classes has been squeezed to get into the Old Masonic Hall, so we are looking forward to returning to the town hall.”

The event has been pushed back two weeks, due to a booking clash, which should see a different variety of plants compared with previous years.

Entries close November 26, 3pm.

The event runs from 12-5pm, with prizegiving at 1pm. Entry $2.

Show schedules are available from the Warkworth i-Site, Mahurangi East Library, Mahurangi Matters office in Neville Street and Tumbleweed Garden Centre in Matakana.

Info: Show convener Annette Sharp 422 7766 or club secretary Lois New 425 7867 warkworthgardenclub.com

localmatters.co.nz/whatson

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Warkworth Embroidery Guild members participating in a recent workshop.

Embroidery exhibition will have Warkworth in stitches Over 100 items will be displayed at the Warkworth Embroidery Guild’s 26th annual exhibition, at the Old Masonic Hall on October 30 and 31, from 10am to 4pm.

The exhibition will feature a retrospective of the work of founding president Pam Poole, who helped form the guild in 1988.

The guild has 36 members and the exhibition is held once every two years.

It comes on the back of a successful year for the guild. Two members were recognised at a regional exhibition at Estuary Arts Gallery in Orewa last month, which drew entrants from

11 guilds from Doubtless Bay to Pukekohe.

Maureen Young won first prize in the Dorothy Clarke Traditional Award, and guild president Shirley Pygott was awarded a Highly Commended certificate in the Shifting Boundaries – Beneath the Surface section.

Member Glenys Wild says the guild is a friendly group of stitchers who are always willing to share their knowledge and help younger and newer members. Their meetings are held twice monthly with a casual meeting one Saturday a month.

Info: Jennifer Kirker 425 6636 or Mona Townson 425 6121

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localmatters.co.nz/whatson

38 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

Tia Wooller

Teacher finalist in awards Totara Hill Montessori teacher Tia Wooller has been named runner-up in her category in the New Zealand’s Most Inspiring Teacher campaign.

The Warehouse Stationery initiative is designed to recognise the hard work of Kiwi teachers.

Tia will receive a tablet and smartphone, office furniture, and a large assortment of classroom stationery items from Warehouse Stationery and a $500 Warehouse Stationery gift card to spend on school resources.

Amira Beadsmoore, who wrote the winning nomination, says Tia’s calm, nurturing approach to teaching is an asset for the school.

“Even after 30 years of providing education to children, Tia has the enthusiasm and infectious energy

of a newly-qualified teacher. She is constantly reflecting and evaluating her educational programme, and she has gathered a superb team of teachers that not only guide our children in their literacy and numeracy development but also encourage them in their grace and courtesy journey,” Amira says.

Tia, 49, says she feels overawed to have been recognised.

“It’s lovely and very sweet of the community to vote for me. I’m not just a preschool teacher, I care deeply about the environment and about peace, and I care about children and what they eat, and so I’ll do anything and everything to make a perfect environment for them,” Tia says. “I hope that when the children leave me they will be confident and kind.’’

Thin Men at Vintage Market The increasingly popular Matakana Vintage Market & Sunday Sessions will be on again during Labour Weekend. Eclectic stalls selling a diverse selection of recycled, reworked and retro goods and clothes will be open from 10am to 2pm for vintage shopping and browsing. All sorts of antique and vintage items will be on offer, plus there will be classic cars on display, local food, children’s entertainment and live music. The headline act will be blues-based folk band Bernie Griffen and The Thin Men. Bernie has been a stalwart of New Zealand’s independent music scene for nearly 20 years, and has supported

international acts including Emmylou Harris, Justin Townes Earl and Little Band of Gold.

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

39

Helpers needed for regional park restoration project A national volunteer organisation is appealing for people to help restore one of Auckland’s biggest regional parks.

Atiu Creek, between Wellsford and Tapora, is the third largest regional park in Auckland after the Hunua and Waitakere Ranges.

The 847ha park had been a farm for over 100 years but was gifted to Auckland Council by Pierre and Jackie Chatelanat in 2006.

More than a third of the park is covered by mature and regenerating native forest and exotic tree species, including large kauri, totara, puriri and pohutukawa. The park also operates as a sheep farm.

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand (CVNZ) has been working with Council to develop a sustained volunteering programme in the park since 2008.

Volunteer engagement officer Siobhan O’Grady says it plans to plant two million plants in the park and has received $100,000 from Foundation North to build a nursery on the site and coordinate a group of fulltime volunteers.

“It’s a coastal park with stunning views of the harbour and includes large areas of mangroves,” Siobhan says. “Our aim is to help as many local people as possible to get involved in the restoration of this stunning coastal park.

There are currently about 10 fulltime volunteers who work at the park and stay onsite Monday to Friday. Most of the volunteers are international

Atiu Creek Regional Park has three holiday houses for rent to the public and a camping ground.

travellers who work a few weeks at a time but CVNZ is pushing to get more local volunteers involved.

“We have removed vast areas of invasive environmental pest plants such as woolly

nightshade and Tasmanian blackwood, and planted over a thousand native trees, including hundreds of pohutukawa along the coastline.

“We want to start planting days and

hire a bus to transport more people to the park.”

The park team also has dreams for a predator proof fence along a narrow section of the peninsula.

40 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

out & about...

There were 26 entries in the cake competition.

Funding for Leigh playground

Parliament comes to Warkworth Residents of Mahurangi now have access to a Parliamentary office in Warkworth.

NZ First List MP Tracey Martin explains that the office is funded by taxpayers so it is illegal to use it for Party business. “A Parliamentary Office gives me, as an MP, a contact person inside every government department,” she says. “This means that if anyone is having difficulty with a government department such as ACC, CFYS, WINZ, IRD or NZTA, we can follow up the case for them to see if we can sort out their difficulties. We have had a pretty good success rate to date.” NZ First leader and Member for Northland, Winston Peters, was on hand at the official opening of the office, in Riverside Arcade, Warkworth, on October 5.

Cake, cash and classic games attracted about 200 people to the Big Omaha Bay Community Day and Bake Off in Leigh last month, but Rodney Local Board stole the show, announcing $40,000 for playground equipment in Leigh.

The event was aimed at getting groups to work together to pool resources and funding to make progress on projects in the area.

There were 26 entries in the bakeoff, competing for $100 prize money.

Fiona Francis won the prize, which was picked by a blind judges panel. She donated the prize to Leigh Preschool and the Leigh kapa haka group.

A number of local groups had displays, including the Leigh Harbour Valley Preservation Society, Leigh Business Association and the Big Omaha Trail group and the Leigh & Districts Exservices and Community Club.

The Big Omaha Bay group is now

looking to organise another event to determine how Board funding will be spent.

Event organiser Mike Francis says it was a big success.

“This is a great start to moving Leigh and the area up the funding ladder,” Mike says. “The first step is to look at where the playground could go, but we can’t get involved in long convoluted processes. We need to jump on it now.”

Four sites have been identified as possibilities – an area around the town hall, space beside the library, the field beside the skatepark and the overflow parking space on Ferndale Avenue.

The Board also announced funding to improve the town’s entrance sign.

The event was the result of a Placemaking workshop funded by the Board earlier this year to get the community organised to help drive and deliver Council projects.

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

41

Cancer researcher presents at Probus club meeting

New distillery opens in Puhoi Rodney MP Mark Mitchell officially opened the Puhoi Organic Distillery this month and then accepted a sample of the new product from distillery owner/ operator Alex Kirichuk. Alex says the new purpose-built distillery will specialise in hand-crafted herbal tonics and spirits, producing small batches of only 50 litres at a time, “with special discounts for locals”. Also celebrating the opening were, below from left, Puhoi Historical Society president Sheryll Titford, Larry Mitchell and Pamela Foster. Right, long-time Puhoi local Brian Titford is supplying plums to the new distillery.

Developments in cancer research at the University of Auckland was the topic of the Warkworth Mens Probus Club meeting last month.

Dr Kate Angel (daughter of Probus member Pat Angel) works at the School of Biological Service at the University of Auckland. Her subject was “Exploiting your immune system to kill cancer”.

Dr Angel is working with dendritic cells, which monitor for invading pathogens like bacteria or viruses and initiate an immune response to kill the invading cells.

Her research is looking at using dendritic cells in human skin to kill cancer cells.

“We can exploit the dendritic cells ability to initiate an immune response for therapeutic purposes. One of the ways we can do this is by designing vaccines to target and instruct dendritic cells to initiate an immune response against diseases like cancer,” Dr Angel said.

“My research team is trying to identify special molecules that will instruct the dendritic cells in human skin to initiate an immune response that will kill cancer cells. Ultimately these molecules can be included in cancer vaccines so they instruct the patient’s own dendritic cells to initiate an immune response that will destroy the cancer.”

Contributed

42 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

Rodney Local Board calls bull on ruminant road A controversial road name has been put out to pasture after Rodney Local Board members called it a load of bull...

Farmer and developer Glen Ashton of Cash Cow Limited proposed to call a new road in an Ahuroa subdivision, Cash Cow Road.

The name was voted down four to two at Rodney Local Board’s Transport, Planning and Infrastructure Committee meeting this month.

Committee chair Phelan Pirrie said the Board needed to take the bull by the horns and set an example by declining the name.

“Members have previously expressed discomfort with road names. I think we need to rule a line under this. I don’t think the reasons given align with criteria for road naming. We could ask him to have a look at it again and ‘ruminate’ on them.”

Auckland Council’s road naming guidelines recommend names “reflect the environmental, historical, cultural and existing thematic identity of an area”.

Member Thomas Grace agreed.

“I say we put a ‘steak’ in the ground and put a message out there that we are not prepared to support it.”

Member John McLean said the Board needed to “eliminate things like this occurring again”.

Member Greg Sayers recommended

the developer come back with other suggestions.

“I find it a little bit flippant, naming such a key road in our network.”

However, Committee deputy chair Steven Garner said the members were crying over spilt milk.

“The road name will stick in people's minds, it will be easy to find and easy for emergency agencies to relate to. It has significance to the developer and a reference to farming in the area. I don’t think we should be too prudent unless it’s really objectionable for a rational reason and I don’t think the reasons put forward are rational.”

Member James Colville said he was against the proposal at first, but Mr Garner had talked him round.

“Cash cow is only seven letters so it's easy to remember. We had some cash cows, so I’m happy with that.”

Mr Garner moved the motion with support from Mr Colville. However, the other four Board members at the meeting voted it down.

The agenda report said Mr Ashton had farmed the land for 15 years and wanted the road to be associated with his legacy.

Two alternative proposals, Beef Hill Road and Cow Hill Road, were also rejected, along with their Maori equivalents, Kaumoni Road and Pukepiwhi Road.

The Maori names were not supported

by Ngati Whatua o Kaipara.

Shoesmith upgrade begins Shoesmith Domain is out of action this summer as work to upgrade the sportsfields starts this month. The work is expected to take a month, but the new grass will establish over the summer. The $373,000 project is funded by the Rodney Local Board. The sand carpet on two fields is being renewed, which includes creating new sand slits and irrigation. Drainage is being extended to the clubroom and changing rooms and a new irrigation system is being installed on a third field. Local sports clubs are using the Warkworth Showgrounds fields during summer while the work is underway. The project was initially planned to take place over two summers and cost $450,000.

However, after consultation with sports clubs it was decided the work would be completed in one summer, reducing disruption and costs.

rurallife

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

43

Drones tipped to revolutionise farming industry Checking stock, troughs and pasture from the comfort of the couch has been but a dream for farmers, but the use of drones could make that a reality.

About 20 farmers attended a drone display at a Beef and Lamb event on innovative farm technology in Wellsford last month.

Drone operator Craig Powell from Major Look Productions said drones were starting to be used by farmers around the country for a variety of tasks.

“Drones can cover ground quickly over difficult terrain while giving the operator a highly detailed image, making it a versatile tool on the farm,” Mr Powell said.

“People are already using them for spring lambing so they can keep an eye on stock without disturbing them. Farmers are also using them to check trough levels and fences and for getting aerial photos of paddocks.”

A Central Otago farmer has been using a drone for nearly two years to herd sheep on his 12,000ha farm and has found them to be vital for checking on stock in snow.

Agribusiness consultants AbacusBio recently finished a two-year project working with Beef and Lamb NZ and Raglan drone manufacturer, Aeronavics, to investigate the potential for using drones in farming.

The team worked with Southland farmer Neil Gardyne, who made headlines in 2013 for using a drone

Drone operator Craig Powell gave a demonstration to about 20 farmers in Wellsford last month.

to check on stock on his 466ha sheep farm. He found using the drone saved him about an hour and a half on a quad bike each day.

The research included using a drone to make automated stock counts.

AbacusBio consultant Bram Visser said the project was a huge success and a major timesaver, but uptake of the technology had been surprisingly slow.

“We have low population density and hilly country – it’s perfect for drones,” Mr Visser said. “We are now trying to

figure out what we can do to get more farmers on board.

“If people are keen to try this out we are very interested to help them and learn from their experience.”

Aeronavics sales manager Simon Thomson says agriculture is expected to be one of the biggest applications for drones.

“I think in five years it will be commonplace to see multiple craft out doing things autonomously on farms,” Mr Thomson says.

Research is also underway using multi-spectrum scanner on drones, which can give detailed information on plant health.

“If you scan a paddock from above it can find areas which are under stress or suffering from disease up to two weeks before it is visible to the eye.”

A major limitation of the technology are the Civil Aviation Authority rules which require drones to be within site of the operator.

“A tweak in the legislation for farmers would be useful. Potentially a drone can fly a 15km path autonomously and come back, so it can go and collect lots of useful information, but currently it can only be used within a few hundred metres of the operator.”

However, as more drones are used, the risk of them being misused increases.

At the Beef and Lamb meeting Transpower landowner relations advisor Noel O’Dwyer said drones had caused power outages twice in the past two months by striking power lines. Last month a real estate agent in Whangarei clipped a distribution line, cutting power to 200 houses, while in the South Island a drone struck a pylon, causing $10,000 worth of damage.

“We are looking at using them ourselves,” Mr O’Dwyer said.

“Currently we hire helicopters to inspect lines, which is a safety risk and costly. It’s just a matter of being able to do it safely. There’s huge potential.”

rurallife

44 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

CountryLiving Julie Cotton

Commit to a committee Don’t ‘ya’ just love a good ole committee? I just cannot imagine too many of us grey haired varieties that haven’t sat on at least a couple in our time. These committees and their members are truly the ‘self-raising flour’ of our communities and these dedicated souls rise to the occasion to help us, free of condition and charge.

To be honest, I have an unbelievable amount of respect for those who sit on committees and volunteer their time, and I feel many aspects of our communities would collapse without them. Being on one can often be likened to taking a marriage vow, you know? That whole ‘till death do you part thing’. Then there are the serious devotees like my buddy, who I once asked if he collected them.

Of course we have to mention the true saints in our society like Mrs Sue Harnet who chairs our school board even though her children left years ago!

From my own experience and perspective being on a committee taught me so much. Some of the finest and wisest men and women I know I have met on a committee. One of my biggest learning curves was learning to ‘hold my tongue’ (even then I was never very good at that!). I respected the need for formality; some members are ‘sticklers’ for that, but to be honest that part of a meeting bored me to tears. Listening to the minutes from the previous meeting was like ‘pulling teeth’ for me. I would get all fidgety like a little kid when I was bored.

To combat my boredom I introduced bowls of childish lollies to the committee table. It was so cool. Before long I had everybody addicted to liquorice allsorts and those silly ‘redskins’ that do nothing but taste great and stick to your teeth.

I also loved how being on a committee gave you a view into the window of peoples personalities. I can tell you it was worth all my years on a committee just to see a couple of placid farming gentlemen all fired up and ready to eat a bureaucrat for breakfast! However, for the most part I just loved being on a committee to help people and along the way I had some bloody good laughs!

So there you have it, committees are all manner of things, but I guess most of all they are fulfilling. I would like to take this opportunity to ask some of the younger generation to step up to the committee podium and relieve some of our older generation of their ‘well-worn duties’. And to all the existing volunteer committee members I ‘raise my strong arm’ for respect and acknowledgment of the amazing things you do for us all in our communities. Thank you.

rurallife

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Gardening Andrew Steens

Every rose...

Flowers have a special place in our hearts for their ability to evoke memories of loved ones; perhaps none more so than roses. I have to confess that I’ve never been much of a rose grower. Although they are gloriously beautiful, their finicky nature, prickly exterior and in most cases their demand to be planted in pride of place means that they don’t feature hugely in my garden.

In my parents garden though, a formal bed of roses and several climbing roses on the fences were cosseted and coddled to produce a mass of sweetly scented, show quality blooms each year.

One of my most abiding memories of roses though was the annual late winter horse poo collection; horse poo being one of the best fertilisers for roses. My brother and I were made to go down to the local horse paddocks with the wheel barrow and buckets to pick up as much poo as we could. Growing up in a fairly rough area, we’d fend off any abuse from other local kids (who found it mystifying why we would want to pick up horse poo at all) with a few well directed poo missiles!

When my Dad passed away, a potted carpet rose was chosen as his remembrance flower; it was passed on to me when my Mother went into a retirement home and this is now one of only three roses that I currently grow. And yes, I do remember Dad whenever I see this rose, but probably not in the way intended!

What I do recall is his dark mutterings every winter when it came time to prune the roses; they were the bane of his life. As an engineer and definitely not a gardener, his favourite line was, “I think we should just bulldoze all the b….y gardens and replace them with green coloured concrete”. Funny thing is, a few miles from where we lived, another non-gardener did exactly that to his whole section a few years before Dad passed away. Dad was delighted!

For the keen gardeners amongst us though, show quality roses are seen as the pinnacle of horticultural achievement, which is why I would encourage you to go and see them at their best at the Warkworth and Districts Rose and Flower Show to be staged in the Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth on Friday November 27. The organisers encourage any newbies to enter as well as the old hands, with sections for novices and sections for growers of other flowers.

If you do get hooked (or are already addicted) on growing roses, you will create abiding memories for you, your children and grandchildren. What better legacy to leave them?

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rurallife

46 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

A bee feed shelterbelt on a sheep and beef station near Ruatoria provides a quick hedge that will screen logging trucks from view and intercept their dust, provide autumn through to spring bee feed, and be aesthetically pleasing from the road and from the homestead. The three-row shelterbelt includes two rows of evergreen species, and a third row closest to the homestead of mixed deciduous blossom species and specimen trees.

Plant bee-friendly trees Farm ‘bee feed’ plantations could be the driving force behind a thriving rural bee population, according to researchers and advisers from the Trees for Bees initiative.

The team from the Trees for Bees programme, which was launched

by Federated Farmers in 2009, is promoting superior nutrition for bees by installing bee feed plantations on farms with carefully selected plants to serve multiple purposes.

Plantations have been installed on 15 demonstration farms throughout New Zealand, on a wide range of farms from sheep and beef to arable and vineyards.

Trees for Bees farm planting advisor Dr Angus McPherson says results are extremely encouraging.

“Where we’ve planted larger grade specimens we are getting flowering in their first season, and we’re supplementing smaller grade plants with perennial and herb species to get early flowering,” Dr McPherson says. “We are seeing bees visiting the plants, which is great, and we will be collecting data on how hives in the area are performing.”

During Bee Aware Month last month, the National Beekeepers Association encouraged Kiwis to plant bee-friendly plants.

Dr McPherson says that while farmers are planting for erosion control, riparian protection, shade and shelter, or animal fodder, they can also help bees by selecting plants that provide good pollen and nectar.

“Where we’ve installed bee feed plantations, not only are we getting bees visiting the bee feed plants, but we’re also seeing other planting benefits such as shade, shelter, riparian protection and amenity.”

Farm plantings generally require low maintenance bee plants such as trees and shrubs, and Trees for Bees are also looking at how bee feed can be incorporated into ground cover planting to control weeds.

“Most people wouldn’t think of an oak or a maple as a bee feed plant, but the quantity of pollen available from one of these trees is huge. “Bees are only pollinating or gathering honey for a few months in summer each year, so it’s vital that we have enough natural bee feed available to keep hives healthy and vigorous and get them through the crucial autumn and spring periods.”

Trees for Bees has produced plant lists and planting guides for farms, public lands, and home gardens to help support bees, which are available at treesforbeesnz.org

rurallife

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Animals

Louise Molendijk, Wellsford Vet Clinic www.vetsonline.co.nz/wellsfordvet

Something to chew over

Do you ever wonder why your cat or dog is not eating his biscuits anymore or only chews them on one side of its mouth? It might very well be that his teeth are bothering him. Dental problems are very common and about 85 per cent of dogs have dental issues by the age of three. Cats have them often a bit later in life. There sure is something to do about it and our new diagnostic tool can make a difference.

Most problems start with a little bit of tarter nestling itself on the teeth. This forms a nice home for bacteria to attach to and after a while the gums get irritated and a gingivitis develops. You will notice that your pet is not as keen on its hard biscuits anymore and will prefer some jelly meat. As the gingivitis progresses, the gums will retract and the tooth root gets more exposed. Some might even go loose if the bone is affected at the last stage. When infection comes into play, bacteria can enter the blood stream and effect organs like the kidneys and the heart.

It can become a very painful matter for your animal and we do not want to let it get that far. There is a lot that can be done to prevent stinky breath and wobbly teeth. Starting with a diet that will clean the teeth by having something to chew on. Chewing on biscuits causes saliva to be produced and the hard material rubs the teeth clean. This works as a natural tooth brush. If you have a puppy you could even train it to have its teeth brushed the way we do. There are dog toothbrushes and toothpaste to regularly brush for a shiny healthy smile. A bit easier thing to do is feed biscuits and treats specifically made to clean the teeth.

Ask us for the specific ones for cats and dogs.

If it is past the point of prevention than we can do a dental clean on your pet and remove bad elements. To properly do that we anesthetise the animal so we have good access to the whole mouth. Our new digital X-ray machine, especially made to radiograph teeth, gives an ever better picture. Within minutes we know if roots are still intact and if there is loss of bone. This enables us to make good decisions on how to remove elements. We inspect how far the gums are retracted and if there are any teeth that are not supported by the gums anymore. Carefully we remove the bad teeth and fill the pocket up, followed by a stitch to close. Any tartar gets removed and we finish with scaling and polishing. The mouth may feel sore for a few days but the mouth is known for a fast recovery. We often hear that the animal is happy again and eats and plays like it is years younger.

So check your dog’s or cat’s teeth every now and then for tartar and inflamed gums. We often see your pet at vaccination time. A lot can happen in a year’s time. Luckily most animals are not as afraid of the dentist as their owner!

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48 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

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Scott Fitzpatrick & June Bolton

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Also see Lance for your supply of Native and Landscaping plants

Ph 09 422 5737 • 027 272 7561 Fax 09 422 5800

Registered Electrician Commercial, Domestic, Industrial Mobile: 022 6011 458 Installation & Maintenance Phone: 09 422 7053 Email: tuielectrical@gmail.com SURGE PROTECTION

How valuable is your Customer Base?

Do you actually know?

Start growing your database today.

Would you like to know more? Call Louise

09 422 6285 021 681 005

email louise@profitsense.co.nz or visit www.profitsense.co.nz

FROG POOL FARM Designer Leather Sofas Chairs Lamps Dome Valley 5 min past Warkworth • 425 9030

WINDSCREEN REPAIR OR REPLACE GLAZING SERVICES MIRRORS • SPLASH BACKS • SHOWERS

0800 70 40 10

info@northglass.co.nz • www.northglass.co.nz

localmatters.co.nz

WG

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters Domestic and Commercial Glazing Glass Showers Splash Backs Mirrors • Cat Doors Windscreen Replacement and Chip Repair

arkworth lass & lazing

COMPOSITE JOINERY Ltd Composite Joinery Ltd 7 Glenmore Drive Warkworth 0941

Michelle Boler

Phone: 09 425 7510

Rodney Aluminium Joinery

09 425 7367 or stop by 74A Hudson Road, Warkworth www.rodneywindows.co.nz

We specialise in: • Vantage Aluminium Joinery • APL | Architectural Series • Metro Series

Fax: 09 422 2011

20 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth 09 425 8678 • 021 952 077 wwglassandglazing@xtra.co.nz

For ideas and advice about our windows and doors talk to us.

49

sales@compositejoinery.co.nz www.compositejoinery.co.nz

GROUND CARE LTD

• Mowing - Residential & Lifestyle Blocks • Garden Maintenance • Mini Digger Hire & Tractor Hire

Don 425 8501 - 021 527 017

WE CAN •Sand•Metal•Shell•Pebble•Scoria •Mulch•Garden Mix•Topsoil•Compost

DELIVER! •Tirau Gold•Pine Chip•Cambian Bark

183 SANDSPIT RD, WARKWORTH • OPEN 7 DAYS! Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm Sat: 7am-4pm Sun: 9am-3pm

LOCAL SECURITY COMPANY

0800 66 24 24 www.insitesecurity.co.nz

• Alarm & CCTV Installation and Servicing • Alarm Monitoring • Patrols/alarm Response • Free Design and Quotation

PO Box 487 Warkworth

SNELLS BEACH

PHONE 09 425 5597

Spice it up

painting :: plastering :: maintenance Specialising in the smaller jobs

Michelle de Rijk Warkworth

Mobile 027 217 2765

Email petraderijk@yahoo.com

Exterior/Interior/Roofs/Staining Husband & Wife team • harley.mcvay@xtra.co.nz

Harley 021 0220 8727 or 09 423 9012

www.intercolour.co.nz

ph: 09 422 5516 mob: 022 657 8739 e: Intercolour10@yahoo.com

Digital Freeview Satellite

Rodney’s Independent Property Management company

Installation & Repairs

0800 171161 info@igniteproperty.co.nz

TV • FM Aerials • Tuning Additional TV Outlets Phone David Redding 09 422 7227 or 0274 585 457

Julie Beaumont

TV AERIAL & SATELLITE SERVICES Freeview Sales & Installation TV & FM Aerials GAVIN BROUGH Ph 09 425 5495 Mob 0274 766 115

PICTURE PERFECT TV

Household Water Deliveries 0800 747 928 mobile: 027 556 6111

ABSOLUTE CONCRETE

WATER TANKS 09 4312211

sales@absoluteconcrete.co.nz

50 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

water

Authorised Agent

& ESIAN SOLWA T Y AR fILTEREd

MOBILE & WORKSHOP SERVICE 31 WOODCOCKS RD WARKWORTH - 425 9100

WATER

0800 638 254

splashwater@xtra.co.nz

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MONEY DOES GROW ON TREES

WATER FILTERS Underbench filters & whole house Ultra violet filters – Kill and remove ecoli/bacteria. FREE site visits. Ph Steve 09 945 2282 or visit www.aquafilter.co.nz WATER PUMPS Low water pressure?

Get it sorted. Sales, service and installation. Work guaranteed. Steve 09 945 2282 ww.aquafilter.co.nz.

PLUMBER Maintenance work. New tap to new house. Matakana based.

Ph Steve 027 494 5499 LAWN MOWING rubbish removal, hedges, small tree removal. WW & beach areas. Ph Jeff Hatfull 027 425 7357, 425 7357 GARDENER Weeding, pruning, planting.

Organic methods. Ph Lisa 022 072 8648 PLUMBER Semi retired for small jobs.

Point Wells 09 423 0193 or 027 490 2054

ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING AND PAYROLL SERVICES

Friendly and affordable specialising in small businesses.

Contact Dennis 021 338330

DRIVEWAYS MAINTENANCE Grading, rolling & metalling for rural Driveways. No job too BIG or small. Ph Bruce 425 7766

SUPER COMPOST

Untreated wood shavings & duck poo.

Per Bag $10, Bulk $75/m3.

Enquire about delivery. Ph 422 5042

FOR RENT

OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE Two rooms to choose from Warkworth township Enquiries welcome Tanya 027 621 6111

HOUSES FOR SALE $395K KAIWAKA, RURAL 2 Bed, Lockwood. Beaut estuary views, decks, gardens, trees. 1ha grazing, H/W-solar. log burner-240V. + share 175Ac organic pasture/bush. Phone Paul 09 431 2992

BINGO, BINGO, BINGO!

Come and join the fun, 1st Monday of month, Old Masonic Lodge, Baxter Street, Warkworth, 7pm. Proceeds to Warkworth Museum.

FREE JP SERVICE

Auckland Council service centre, Baxter St, Warkworth.

Every Monday, 10am to 2pm.

Mahurangi East Library, 21 Hamatana Road, Snells Beach.

Friday 10am to noon.

No appointment necessary.

Service includes signing, witnessing, declarations, certified copies & immigration.

Sponsored by Mahurangi Matters

Email localmatters@xtra.co.nz to book your classified advertising

Sudoku

solution

5

1

9

3

8

2

7

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6

8

6

4

9

7

1

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7

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1

9

8

9

4

2

6

5

3

8

1

7

1

5

7

4

2

8

9

6

3

PET CARE

6

3

8

7

1

9

4

5

2

DOG GROOMING - ALL BREEDS

2

9

6

8

4

7

5

3

1

4

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4

Clipping, nails and bathing at Ross Lynch Vets. Super experienced and friendly team. Every Tuesday.

Phone Clinic for bookings 425 8793.

09 422 3700

SITUATIONS VACANT

PUBLIC NOTICES

FOR SALE HAY Conventional bales, new season, shed stored, Tomarata/Pakiri area $10 per bale can deliver. Phone 09 423 8055 or 021 425 393 PLANTS Quality groundcovers, shrubs and trees. Large and small grades.

Wholesale direct to the public. Contract growing and pre-orders welcome.

Liberty Park Native Tree Nursery, 90 Jones Road, Omaha 09 422 7307.

RAWLEIGH Products. Ph Pat 423 8851

Grant torkington 021 138 7206

Advertise your classifieds and church notices here for only

HOME MAINTENANCE

BUSINESS SERVICES

OR

$4.40 inc GST per line or $11.20 per/cm inc GST for boxed adverts.

BUSINESSES FOR SALE

A typical ‘Jim’ loses 10kg, earns more and has more time for interests/family.

Warkworth business for sale.

For info pack call Jims Mowing 0800 454 654

Hiab Truck and Portable Sawmilling

FOREMAN & CARPENTERS REQUIRED Due to an increased work load we are looking to expand our team.

Applicants must be: • Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) or currently in the process of obtaining • Top quality carpenters who have good broad knowledge and have very high standards Brackenridge Builders has high site safety standards, and encourages a supportive team environment Further information about the company’s award winning homes can be found at www. brackenridgebuilders.co.nz If this sounds like you please contact Tony on 021 931 889 or email your CV to tony@ brackenridgebuilders.co.nz OFFICE ADMINISTRATION & SALES SUPPORT Warkworth - Fibreglass Manufacturing. 15 – 25 Hours per week. If you have: 5 years office admin / accounts experience, you’re a whiz with Microsoft Office and enjoy customer & supplier communication, please email your CV to susan@vereenbernell.co.nz

TV SERVICES & SALES TV SERVICES Aerials, Dishes, Freeview sales, installation and service. Extra outlets serving the area for 18 years.

Phone Gavin 027 476 6115.

TUITION CLASSICAL GUITAR LESSONS IN WARKWORTH Experienced, Patient Teacher. Ross Hill - Ph 425 9521 PIANO TUITION, including practical and theory, all grades. Warkworth based. John Wilkins – ph 09 425 9669

Art, Craft & Jewellery Full & part time courses North Shore Campus

www.hungrycreek.ac.nz 09 422 0752

NZQA Reg

Nanny & More!

Quality full-time local courses for nanny & childcare careers Call Amanda now for free info!

424 3055 nannyacademy.ac.nz

TUITION

Come and try Taoist Tai Chi 6 WEEK INTRODUCTORY CLASS Starting Saturday October 31st 2015 11.45am-1.15pm at Warkworth Scout Hall, Shoesmith Street, Warkworth Great value at $30 for 6 classes

Phone for details Jenny - 09 422 3118 or Heather 09 425 9848 warkworth@taoist.org

WANTED TO BUY CASH PAID TOOLS & MACHINERY, Shed & Garage Clearouts. Call/txt 021 161 5139.

WANTED TO RENT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO CALL HOME 1 or 2 bedrooms. I love gardening.

Very tidy, retired. Phone Iris - 422 5024 SMALL SHED WITH POWER Whangateau Vicinity. 4-6 months.

Kerry - 021 179 7269

WORK WANTED

Shearing Extra small flocks 35 yrs exp 50

$

Call Out $

10 per sheep thereafter

Phone Greg

021 041 2903 REID EQUESTRIAN ENGINEERING, Wellsford. Float rebuilds, horse truck conversions, etc. Dog kennels made to measure. Quality work. Ph Ron 423 9666 HANDYMAN Small jobs, gardening, rubbish removal etc. All jobs considered.

Phone or txt Dave - 022 015 4032

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

Sweetappreciation with Chocolate Brown Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz

Congratulations to the staff at Kowhai Surgery, in Percy Street Warkworth, who are the recipients of a gift basket from Chocolate Brown. They were nominated

by Nene Dale of Ti Point who wrote:

I would like to nominate all the staff at Kowhai Surgery, Warkworth.

They make going to the doctors a pleasure, walking in to their surgery is like a ray of sunshine on a wet and windy day. You are always greeted with a smile from the tireless front desk staff, the doctors are always approachable and go beyond the call of duty, and not forgetting the nurses who run their treatment room like a finely tuned machine. Words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone for their ongoing support and compassion over the years.

Know someone who deserves a big “thank you� for their community spirit?

Tell us and they will receive acknowledgement in Mahurangi Matters and an amazing hamper from Chocolate Brown, 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth. Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz (subject line: Sweet Appreciation) or post to: Sweet Appreciation, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth.

Kindly refrain from nominating members of your own family.

chocolate brown

only the good stuff...

Cafe / Chocolaterie / Gifts Phone 09 422 2677 No 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth www.chocolatebrown.co.nz

51

52 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

53

localsport

54 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

TOTALSPAN RODNEY PROUD SPONSORS OF

ToTalspan Rodney pRoud sponsoRs of

SCOREBOARD THE scorEBoArD A roundup of sports activities and events in the district

Multisport race a Roundup

of spoRTs acTiviTies in THe disTRicT

The Canoe & Kayak Rodney Coast Challenge is on Sunday November 15. The multisport event runs from Helensville to Wenderholm and includes a 10km forest run, 30km road bike, 25km mountain bike and an 8km kayak. Registration from 6.30am Rimmer Road car park, Helensville. Info: rcc.org.nz/

Summer hockey Seven aside mixed at the Warkworth turf, Thursday nights starting October 29.

30 minute games, 1/2 field. There must be at least two girls on field at all times.

12-years and over. Fees to be confirmed. Registrations close October 15. Info: Monique Vujcich meex28@gmail.com or 0212396157 Adult beginners hockey, alternating between Monday and Friday mornings, 9am, $5.

Info: Sandra sandratom@xtra.co.nz

Cricket A cricket competition is starting for Year 5-8 children. Kaipara Flats Cricket Club and/ or Centennial Park Wellsford, Fridays, 5:30pm-7:30pm. 8 players per side, soft ball, everyone gets to bat and bowl. Short season from November 6 to December 18.

Info: Kevin Forde 021795072 or kevin.forde@nff.org.nz

Cycle/walk race Cycle/walk race 8km around the Te Ara Tahuna Estuary in Orewa, Saturday, November 14. Starts at the Orewa Arts and Events Centre, Riverside Road. Registration 9am9.30am, $15 or $40 family pass; 10am start. Animal Awareness Day fundraiser.

Futsal 5-a-side soccer, Warkworth Bowling Green. Games on Tuesdays from October 20: info: reg.sportingpulse.com/v6/regoform.cgi?formID=53291

ToTalspan Rodney List sports news FREE by emailing 229 sTaTe HigHway 1 news@localmatters.co.nz waRkwoRTH TOTALSPAN RODNEY pHone 09 422 3149 229 STATE HIGHWAY 1, WARKWORTH PHONE 09 422 3149

0800 TOTALSPAN (0800 868 257) TOTALSPAN.CO.NZ

Mahurangi College student Jordan Thomas (left) representing North Harbour at a warm-up game at Warkworth last month.

Turf boosts college hockey It has been a stunning year for Mahurangi College hockey with eight players chosen for North Harbour rep teams.

One player, Tonya Botherway, was also picked for a NZ development side.

Tonya will attend a training camp in December, where she could be selected represent NZ in a tour next year.

Three of the North Harbour reps played in national tournaments this month. Year 7 student Jordan Thomas made the North Harbour 13 A Hatch Cup team which played in Timaru this month.

Year 7 student Leah Jones and Year 8 student Kaleigh Morris made the North Harbour Under 13 girls Collier Cup A team, which competed in Palmerston North this month.

College hockey coach Wayne Frost says three Mahurangi College teams won their divisions in the North Harbour competition.

The new Warkworth Hockey Turf has been a big asset to help the teams develop their skills, Mr Frost.

“The future looks positive with this new facility and the college looks forward to having increased numbers and teams in the future,” Mr Frost says. “It’s good to see a number of younger players being selected for rep teams and, overall, the standard of hockey is getting better.”

The Year 7/8 Boys won the 1B grade and could be upgraded to Division 1 next year, while the girls B team won the grade 4 competition and were promoted to the third division, which they also won.

The first XI Boys made it through to the final North Harbour 1A competition, but came second. The first XI girls also qualified for the Intercity Competition, the top grade for the Auckland region, and only lost one game at the September national winter tournament in Taupo, coming fifth overall.

Year 7/8 coach Monique Vujcich also won the North Harbour Valuable Contribution, Boys Coach Award this month.

localmatters.co.nz

October 14, 2015 Mahurangimatters

what’s on

October

See What’s On at localmatters.co.nz for a full list of upcoming events

15

National earthquake drill Drop, Cover, Hold, 9.15am. Info: shakeout. govt.nz (see story p16)

16

Kowhai Festival Movie Night, Shoesmith Domain, Warkworth. Music, food and coffee from 7pm, Minions on screen at 8pm

16-17 Kowhai Art & Craft Exhibition, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth 17

Kowhai Festival Huge Day Out, Warkworth Town Centre, 9am onwards

17

Wellsford School Ag & Gala Day, Wellsford School, 9am. Info: 423 8042 (see story p30)

17

Tapora School Agricultural Day, Tapora School, 10am-3.30pm

17-24 The Prisoner musical, Centrestage Theatre, Orewa. Info: 09 426 7282, or iTicket 17

Historical Society Spring Dance with Roger and the Ramjets, Puhoi Hall, 8pm-12am. BYO and a plate for supper. Proceeds to building a new Bohemian museum. Tickets: Jenny 422 047 2027 211 0316 or Sheryll 426 6270

17-18

Leigh Anglican Church Centenary (see ad p30)

18

Rodney Marine Raft Race, Warkworth Boat Ramp, 11.30am

18

Warkworth Heritage Walk departing 9.30am from i-Site $8, then join Historic Cruise (optional) aboard Jane Gifford, 11am, $15. Combined cost $20pp. Info: 425 5006 or 027 484 9935

18

Kowhai Combined Church Service, Mahurangi College, with guest speaker Nick Tuatasi, 10am

18

Great Kiwi Afternoon Tea, open house and Devonshire Teas at Mataia Homestead, 2791 Kaipara Coast Highway, 1-5pm. Fundraise for Kiwis for Kiwi (see story p2)

18

Buddhist Rain – Five New Zealand Poets, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth, 4pm. Tickets at the door. Students free. Info: warkworthmusic.org.nz

19

NZ Fairy Tern Trust AGM, Senior Citizens’ Hall, Fagan Place, Mangawhai Heads, 2pm. Guest speaker, bird expert and NZ fairy tern researcher Dr Ian Southey. All welcome. Info: info@fairytern.org.nz

19

Respite care information meeting, St John Ambulance meeting room, Warkworth, 10am. Info: Bronwyn Lane 0274 926 493 (see story p19)

22

Jason Shon Bennett seminar, Discover the Secrets to Exceptional Health, Bridgehouse, Warkworth, 7pm (see story p18)

23-26 Morris & James Pottery Labour Weekend Sale, Tongue Farm Road, Matakana, 9am-5pm (see story p28) 23-25 Exhibition by Kawau Bay Painters and emerging illustrative artist Brianna Fromont, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth, 10am-3pm 24

Matakana School Gala, Matakana School, 7.30am-1pm. Info: www. matakanaschoolgala.co.nz (see story p27)

24

Mangawhai Beach School Ag Day & Gala, Mangawhai Beach School, 9am-2pm (see story p32)

24

Tauhoa School Calf Club Day, 9.30am-2pm (see story p29)

25

Mangawhai Lifeguard Service open day and junior registration, 11am.

Info: Tony Baker baker.buddha@gmail.com (see story p31)

25

Omaha Beach Surf Lifesaving Club junior surf registration, Omaha Beach SLSC, 2pm. Info: www.omahasurf.co.nz (see story p35)

25

Mangawhai Beach & Country Market, Mangawhai Domain, 9am-1pm.

Info Sue Martin toriamartin@hotmail.com

25

Leigh Preschool Gala and fundraiser, Leigh School field, 9am-2pm. Info: leighpreschool.co.nz (see story p34)

30-31 Warkworth Embroidery Guild exhibition, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth, 10am-4pm (see story p37) 31

Kaiwaka Earth building tour, meet at Koha Tatua ecovillage, 9.30am.

Info: ebanzconference@gmail.com earthbuilding.org.nz (see story p6)

List your event directly on our What’s On calendar at localmatters.co.nz/whatson or email to editor@localmatters.co.nz

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56 Mahurangimatters October 14, 2015

localmatters.co.nz

Mahurangi surfers compete in national championships

Langs Beach surfer Tom Norton competes at the national championships in Gisborne.

Seven Mahurangi surfers competed in the national championships in Gisborne recently.

The primary and secondary school events were held over the school holidays.

Year 8 Mangawhai Beach School student Cory Vercoe made it through to the semifinals in the NZ Primary School Championships and placed seventh.

Fellow Mangawhai surfers Jake Buckle, Taj Robinson and Luke Vercoe also competed.

The three Mahurangi surfers in the secondary schools Surf NZ National Scholastics Surfing Championships were Mangawhai surfers Joseph Critchfield and Jack Bennett, and

Tom Norton from Langs Beach.

The Northland Surfing Team placed seventh overall, competing against 11 teams from around the country.

All three of the surfers are students at the Mangawhai surf school, Surf Dojo, which team coach Tony Baker started last year. The school has swelled from six students to over 40. Tony says surfing is becoming far more recognised as a serious sport and the team is well placed to climb the rankings at competitions in the future.

“The surf team is in a rebuilding phase at the moment,” Tony says.

“We have a lot of great younger surfers coming through, and the students are really motivated. We are getting over 80 students competing in regional events now.”

Mangawhai surfer Cory Vercoe.

Mangawhai surfer Joseph Critchfield. Photos Cory Scott