Mahurangi Matters_Issue 287_13 January 2016 by Localmatters

January 13, 2016

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Happy New Year

what’sinside Short stories

pages 12-16

Education update pages 18-23

A&P Show countdown pages 34-36

off the drawing board this month . . .

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contact Issue 287

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: Ariana Billington 022 029 1897 local@localmatters.co.nz Sally Knight 022 029 1899 advertising@localmatters.co.nz

Mahurangi Matters is a locally owned publication, circulated twice a month to more than 13,000 homes and businesses. Views expressed in Mahurangi Matters are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission of the editor is prohibited.

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Matakana bridge construction ready to roll Construction of the new pedestrian/ cycling bridge, on Leigh Road, in Matakana will start next month to avoid disruption to holiday traffic. The project is a joint venture by Auckland Transport (AT), the Matakana Coast Trail Trust (MCTT) and Rodney Local Board. Construction was initially planned to start in October and finish before Christmas. However, MCTT chair Allison Roe says unrelated roadworks in Matakana and tweaks to the bridge design caused delays. Ms Roe says the bridge is now fully funded, but she was unable to provide an update on the costs or a breakdown on where the funding was coming from. Earlier reports put the cost of the project at $580,000, with $250,000 from AT, $150,000 from the Local Board and the remainder to be raised by MCTT. The bridge will run parallel to the existing road bridge, crossing the Matakana River, and will complete a walkway/cycleway that links with Omaha and Point Wells, which has been built almost entirely by volunteers. The work is expected to take six to 12 weeks. Meanwhile, AT has developed designs for a pedestrian bridge on Matakana Road, near the intersection with Tamahunga Drive. In November, AT released designs for

Auckland Transport has released designs for a new footbridge to link Matakana Road to Tamahunga Drive.

a 45-metre long, 2.5m-wide timber footbridge for consultation. The bridge is expected to cost $350,000. An AT spokesperson said there was currently no funding for the project and a construction date would be set once funding was available. AT recorded the number of pedestrians and cyclists who used a temporary bridge during Labour Weekend, after the Local Board raised concerns about

people walking on the road to get from the Tamahunga Drive subdivision to the township. Installed cameras recorded 365 pedestrians and cyclists, including 124 adult pedestrians, 21 adult and child pedestrians, 15 unaccompanied children and teenagers, 19 elderly pedestrians and 186 cyclists. AT says no serious safety issues were identified during the three days of video coverage.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

BID opponents form own organisation Museum A rival business association has formed in Warkworth as the countdown to the Business Improvement District (BID) vote nears. Membership forms for the Warkworth Commerce & Industrial Association (WCIA) started circulating in the Woodcocks Road industrial estate just before Christmas. The chair of the new association is Josh Hubbard, who grew up in Warkworth, has worked in the area and recently completed a degree at Auckland University. Josh says that while the BID campaign was a catalyst for setting up the new organisation, the association will have a broader focus. “We will be issuing a media release in three or four weeks time which will set out members’ concerns about the BID process, give some background on why the association has formed and the direction that we want to go,” he says. Josh says there’s been a good response to the membership application packs and he confirmed that the association would represent

the interests of the retail section, not just the industrial area. “A lot of the issues, particularly those regarding Auckland Council, affect both commercial and industrial businesses alike. We see the association having a stronger advocacy role.” Although the new association’s

application pack has an anti-BID focus, Warkworth Area Business Association (WABA) chair Dean Sampson says he doesn’t believe the new organisation will have an impact on the BID process. “To be honest I haven’t heard much

about it,” he says. “We’ll be carrying on doing what we do. I guess you could say that it’s a bit disappointing, but everyone has the right to do their own thing. Whether or not it confuses people will depend on how much they want to push the issue.” WABA believes that a properly resourced BID will give Warkworth better representation, particularly with Auckland Council, as well as providing a collective approach to marketing, business growth and town improvements. If successful, the BID will impose a compulsory levy on commercial property owners and businesses within the designated BID boundary, which incorporates the whole of the retail area, as well as the Woodcocks Road and Hudson Road industrial estates. Every registered business within the boundary area that pays commercial rates is eligible to register to vote on the BID, with registrations closing on January 15. The postal vote will be conducted from late March to mid-April. To register, go to: warkworthbusiness. co.nz/#!register-/cluw

Mangawhai ratepayers’ legal battles take a blow Mangawhai residents are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal dismissed its appeal over retrospective legislation that validated rating irregularities for the wastewater scheme EcoCare. A Court of Appeal ruling, released on December 17, found in favour of the Kaipara District Council and also ruled that the Mangawhai Residents & Ratepayers Association (MRRA) must pay council’s costs. The association challenged a High Court ruling that said the council had the power to impose rates – which MRRA said were set unlawfully – and that the Validation Act, passed retrospectively by Parliament, validated rates for all purposes.

MRRA chair Bruce Rogan says the Court of Appeal decision not only endorsed the “fantasy reasoning” of the High Court, but cemented it in stone. “To add a little salt to the wound they found that the ratepayers, whose only motivation was to get justice for all ratepayers, had to meet council’s costs for the proceedings,” he says. “Buried in the musings of the judge was the astonishing suggestion that instead of hounding the poor council, MRRA should have sued the Auditor General. “We actually had a quote from a Wellington barrister to do this and were told it would cost somewhere between $750,000 and $2 million, with no guarantee of outcome.

We took ‘the poor man’s option’ of judicial review – that has only cost us $320,000 in legal fees to date, so we are miles ahead, without getting anywhere!” Mr Rogan says MRRA now has to decide if there are grounds for a Supreme Court appeal. Meanwhile, Mr Rogan is appealing a District Court decision that ordered him to pay council almost $21,000 in outstanding rates, which have been withheld as part of the EcoCare protest. The appeal has been lodged in the High Court at Whangarei and is scheduled to be heard in May. Proceedings are pending against 22 other ratepayers who are also being sued by the council for rate arrears.

abandons honesty box

The Warkworth Museum is abandoning its honesty box for plant sales following a series of thefts. The plant sales, along with markets, shop sales and bingo nights, supplement door sales to help cover the museum’s running costs. Long-time volunteer Ian Ferguson says the plants are potted and presented by volunteers, and have provided a small but regular stream of income over “many, many years”. “Occasionally the money was stolen from the box but it was a fairly rare occurrence,” Ian says. “But over the past four to six months, it’s been knocked off three or four times. We’re starting to think that someone is using it as his or her own personal moneybox. “We’ll have to look at other arrangements to keep the money safe. It’s a pity really.” The museum has tried to strengthen the box, without success. The thieves have either smashed the padlock or wrenched the box apart. “We can’t make it any stronger.”

Park markets close The Matakana Country Park has closed its weekend markets. Park owner John Baker says Auckland Council’s decision to give three market licences to the nearby village has seen a steady decline in visitors at both the Saturday morning market and the Sunday vintage market at the park. “It’s time to reinvent ourselves,” he says. “I see us becoming more involved in family-orientated activities particularly since we have lots of space, with plenty of parking.” Back issues of Mahurangi Matters are available to view online localmatters.co.nz

4 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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Raffle winners The Warkworth Town Hall Restoration Trust is $1300 better off thanks to the proceeds of two recent raffles. The prize of two nights for four people at a luxury Riverside Matakana bach was won by Rod Hall. The Christmas chocolate box from Chocolate Brown in Warkworth and a $30 voucher from Charlies Gelato Garden in Matakana was won by Maria Coman.

YO U S AY

Email letters to editor@localmatters.co.nz

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

The Sandspit Residents and Ratepayers chair needs to get his facts right if he is going to comment on something he didn’t see (MM Dec 16). I am not part of any anti-mangrove group, whoever they are. I most certainly would not describe three people who met on the footpath (not arranged) ‘intimidating!’ The other two people who are known to Ken are elderly … very intimidating! I didn’t stand over anybody. I simply was making my way down to the beach to converse with a couple of people I knew. The reaction by one individual was completely over the top. Your article at least printed some informative comment from Dr Roger Grace and Sebastian Leuzinger, which gave a balanced view on the topic. Graeme Burton, Sandspit

Saddened by growth We were dismayed to read your report of the Auckland Council’s plans to upsize the already ‘over the top’ expansion of Warkworth (MM Dec 14). It is clear that now that this beautiful rural area is part of Auckland city the planners are using ‘city thinking’ rather than ‘rural community thinking’, and are hell bent on turning Warkworth into

a suburb of Auckland. The thought of adding another 3800 houses to Warkworth town and the infrastructure requirements ($850 million) to service this type of development saddens us. Why is it necessary to turn this beautiful area into another Millwater such as has happened at Silverdale, with its associated large scale retail development, etc? We would rather see a slow increase in the population through a rural type development whereby suitable pockets of land are identified and zoned for countryside living along the lines of the Davie Martin subdivision, Oak River Drive etc. Such development would maintain the rural nature of the area, and would not require massive investment in infrastructure for water supply and wastewater disposal. It is our feeling that most people come to live in this area (as we did 42 years ago) to escape the city/suburbia environment, and we should not allow this to be destroyed by ‘city thinking’. As supporters of the NAG initiatives, we don’t believe that it is too late to take back control of the destiny of North Rodney. We would be interested to hear the views of other people. John and Barbara Maltby, Point Wells

The Kai Iwi Lakes are a popular holiday destination for families.

Kai Iwi consultation starts Anyone with an interest in the environmental restoration and regeneration of Kaipara’s Kai Iwi Lakes (Taharoa Domain) has until March 22 to comment on a draft management plan. Taharoa Domain governance committee chair, Peter Winder, says the lakes are an outstanding part of Kaipara, and have enormous environmental, recreational and cultural value. “The core of the draft plan is to protect and enhance the environment, while

also making the lakes and domain accessible for a wide variety of activities and recreation,” Mr Winder says. Some of the key proposals in the draft plan are to promote the domain as an educational, scientific and tourist destination, increase revegetation of native bush, review trout release and a total ban on powerboats from 2018 or earlier. An open day to explain the plan will be held at the lakes on Monday February 8.

Info: kaipara.govt.nz.

CO RREC TION Araparera proceeds The proceeds from the 30-year forestry venture at Araparera amount to just over $3.5 million plus interest. The $2.44 million mentioned in the December 16 issue was an estimate of Auckland Council’s share.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Viewpoint Tracey Martin, NZ First MP martinmp@parliament.govt.nz

Happy New Year. I hope you had a safe and restful start to 2016. I am expecting big things from 2016 and have no doubt that I will need to work very hard in my specific portfolio areas. One thing I know for sure is that the Government is intending to make large and sweeping changes to the Education Act 1989 which will affect all New Zealand children, teachers and state schools. Should the general community be concerned? Yes they should. In the last two sitting days of 2015, this Government pushed through a piece of legislation that could see not only schools no longer have their own independent principal but could also see more money stripped out of mainstream state schools and directed into taxpayer funded, profit making Charter Schools. Every dollar taken in profit by the sponsors of these schools is a taxpayer dollar less spent on our children in our local schools. I have spent much of the Christmas and New Year break working on several other areas of concern. Staying with the nationwide issues, I am currently writing a new members bill that would protect the professional title of teachers. With recent moves by the Government to allow untrained and unregistered teachers into classrooms it is our view that parents deserve the right to know if the person standing in front of their child in the classroom is a fully trained professional – it amazes my colleagues and I that neither teachers nor social workers have their professional titles protected under current law so we intend to change this for the protection of all. Closer to home, my Warkworth based staff and I will continue to work on local cases for local people. We are getting quite a reputation for hard work and so New Zealanders are contacting us from further a field than just the Rodney electorate. This is one of the pluses of being a list MP; I am not defined to a particular regional area. I can help any New Zealander, anywhere with difficulties they may be having with a government department. We are pleased with the level of success we have had to date. This is also the year of the Youth Parliament. I am looking forward to not only supporting my Youth MP, Mahurangi College student Tebarae Amuera, work on her community project, but in supporting the Year 10 faculty at the college deliver the full Youth Parliament on site through the social studies curriculum. We will be supported in this by the Ministry of Youth. I will also be working with the Board of Trustees, Friends of Mahurangi and senior management to use my contacts to bring in speakers for a lunchtime lecture programme and parent information evenings over the coming year. Oh and Winston will be paying us a visit … stay tuned!

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Rotary leadership opportunity Warkworth Rotary is calling for nominations for its Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. The awards offer a local young person, aged between 20 and 28 on July 1, the opportunity to attend a week-long live-in camp at Muriwai. The annual camp is designed to develop the participants’ leadership, team work and communication skills. The programme includes topics such as leadership in business, in the community and outdoors, and there will be trips to places of special interest. It is facilitated by professional trainers and is open to university students as well as young people in the workforce. All costs are met by the club. Info: Terry Nuthall on 422 3237 or finu@xtra.co.nz

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Unstable ground puts hall restoration through the roof The cost of restoring the Warkworth Town Hall has jumped by $1.2 million and the work has been scaled back in a bid to keep the project within budget. The extra costs are the result of a number of expensive obstacles unearthed during the restoration. Contractors have found unstable ground under the hall and the yet-to-be-built gallery/foyer, including a sinkhole, a tree and a stream, and as a result, significant strengthening work is required. Project operations manager Steven Davey says about $400,000 of savings have been made to stage two of the project, which involves building a new gallery/foyer area adjoining the hall. The remaining $800,000 is likely to come from Auckland Council’s Central Risk Fund – a pot of money used to fund unexpected costs in projects, drawn from a five per cent contingency on all Council works. A second staircase, which was to be built in the new foyer area, has been removed from the design. The upstairs gallery area will now only be accessible from the existing staircase in the old hall. A smaller lift will also be installed, which will only provide wheelchair access to the second floor. The original plan allowed for a lift which could hold about 10 people. But the biggest savings will come from scaling back the roof design in the new gallery space. Instead of an apex-shaped roof, it will be a cheaper flat roof. “There need to be cost savings,” Mr Davey says. “We had a really fancy,

Rodney Local Board members, from left, Warren Flaunty, Thomas Grace, Greg Sayers and Beth Houlbrooke inspect the Warkworth Town Hall on November 30 after project overruns of $1.2 million.

quite expensive roof line. With these changes we are not losing any functionality, but we can make significant savings.” It seemed like it wasn’t just the hall that was on unstable ground at the Local Board’s business meeting last month, as the entire project came under fire. Board members grilled project site manager Andrew Hollis about why issues with the hall weren’t discovered earlier. Member Steven Garner said if the true cost of the project were known earlier, the community might have decided to knock down the hall and start again. “The risk of the project going over budget was raised time and time again,” Mr Garner said. “If there had been a further $1.2 million available when we were deciding the fate of the hall we could have got a new facility

in that space. Had we known the extra costs, it may have changed the wider community’s appetite for this work. I’m really disappointed. “The Local Board wasn’t aware of the issues until the budget was blown out of the water. If it we had known earlier, the pin could have been pulled.” Mr Hollis said a number of ground tests were undertaken before work started, but the samples didn’t uncover the poor foundations. “We just got a snapshot of the ground, but that’s the best you can do without digging out the entire site,” Mr Hollis said. “A lot of the issues were also underneath the hall and inaccessible.” The unstable ground was part of a seam which ran through Warkworth. “Half the building sits on what used to be a gully, which drained water down

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hill into the Mahurangi River. There’s a band through Warkworth down to the river and over time the gully has been filled with pretty poor material.” Contractors became aware of the issues in November, when about $600,000 of work had already been done. Mr Davey pointed out the Category 1 heritage building couldn’t be knocked down, but Mr Garner said the status could have been changed. Board member John McLean said the building had been damp in the past, and was concerned the basement area would remain damp, even after the upgrade. Mr Hollis said a lot of work had been done lining the walls of the hall and building thicker foundations to prevent water seeping in, but the project was limited by the design of the building. “Without spending considerably more we can’t guarantee it will not feel damp ever again.” Board member Thomas Grace came to the hall’s defence. “It would not have looked pretty if Council bowled a heritage building with the nearest digger. We are well into the project. I’m highly impressed with what’s been done.” The contract for stage two of the project was expected to be signed by Canam Construction next month with work starting in March. Both stages are scheduled to finish in August. Stage three of the project, which includes the fit out of the hall, is dependent on funding and no start date has been set.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Environment Christine Rose

christine.rose25@gmail.com

Where’s the balance?

The ringing in of the New Year brings speculation over what the future will bring, in both the year ahead and the longer term. For 2016 there are questions over oil prices (continuing down?), land prices (continuing up), domestic politics (increased posturing as we approach both local, then central government elections), international affairs (refugees, the Middle East crisis, super power contretemps) and more. Futuristic technology offers whizz-bang solutions for needs we didn’t know we had – driverless cars, voice activated everything, labour saving devices so we have more time to work to pay for it all. But, as some pundits observe, the future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed. Smartphone technology and supporting telecommunications infrastructure has reached all corners of the globe, even where clean water and energy are inaccessible. Obesity threatens the daily health and long term prospects of a third of our population, while healthy staples are too expensive to buy. Technology creates a visage of improved standards of living while we work longer hours for relatively less money and material conditions for many, change little. Increased freedoms of expression through the internet are matched with increased state surveillance and less personal privacy. While the rich get richer across the globe, limited access to basic medicines and disease prevention in many parts of our country and the world, diminishes public health, compromises quality of life and shortens life spans. Happiness, especially in retirement, is something many can’t imagine. If moral progress is measured by the position of the worst off, the golden future is bogged down by the past. Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”. Society and individuals have only progressed so far as those who have progressed least. While children die from preventable diseases, live in poverty, are beaten to death by “loved ones”; when women (and men) can’t walk home safely; while personal debt continues to climb beyond a person’s lifetime ability to pay for it, the challenges of past, present and future, remain. We haven’t reached an ‘end of history’, and the promised bright future has left many behind. While workers are exploited, unjust wars are fought, rainforests are destroyed, the preconditions for future moral and economic progress have not yet been met. While Fukushima and other nuclear power stations continue to leak billions of litres of radioactive water into our ocean commons, the fundamental challenges facing life on Earth have not been addressed. While we enslave animals for ‘entertainment, in ‘factory farms’, and waste their lives as bycatch (set nets!), we inflict an indignity on all. We can only continue to hope for a more just distribution of the future.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

localfolk

Brian Styles, farmer and author

When Brian Styles was still in a cot, he would dream of carving out a life on the farm. Looking back on more than six decades of farming, he can emphatically say that dream came true. From growing up in the isolated valleys of the Wairarapa, turning scrub into pasture near Otorohanga, to retiring on a 57-hectare block near Te Arai, farming has been the epicentre of Brian’s life. But when his health started to fail him in his restless retirement, he picked up a pen to help other people see paddocks through his eyes. He spoke to Mahurangi Matters reporter George Driver about the journey.

rom the time I milked my first cow when I was five or six I knew I wanted to be a farmer. That’s all there was, but that’s also all I wanted. As a kid, my ambitions were to be a good shearer, drover, fencer and bulldozer driver. I was born on my parents’ sheep farm in the Wairarapa and grew up in a tiny community, cut off from wider New Zealand. It was a two-hour trip to town and we only did it once or twice a year. It wasn’t until I went to boarding school in Fielding that I realised how different I was. It was a big culture shock. I had never learned to swim, I couldn’t throw or kick a ball – I didn’t know a thing about cricket or rugby. Coming from a school of only seven students, academic life was a bit of a mystery too. I left school when I was 16 to start my career.

by myself. I had a lot of ideas and I missed having an older person to bounce them off. But I loved the work – it was like a dream come true.

f there is one thing I would change, I would farm organically. We know a lot more now about the effects of pesticides and fertilisers. We used to use DDT and Dieldrin on everything – it’s highly toxic stuff, but we didn’t know it was bad. We used to use Dieldrin powder on the sheep to control fleas and lice, and I must of inhaled buckets of the stuff. It’s

“

The guy I was working for was pretty rough – I was told the softest part of him was his teeth ...

y first job was a one-year apprenticeship on a Romney stud farm, getting paid £2 10 pence for a 70-hour week. The guy I was working for was pretty rough – I was told the softest part of him was his teeth – but he was probably 30 years ahead of his time in sheep breeding. He was focusing on profitable traits that would increase production, rather than just breeding for looks, like most people at the time. I would compare him to Wellsford farmer Gordon Levet, who I think is one of the leading breeders of his time. I took the knowledge I gained in that year and set to work on a breeding programme on my father’s farm.

y dad was also a pioneer. He was the first to start cultivating the hard, hilly country in the Wairarapa and the first farmer in the region to have a tractor. Back then, farming was highly physical – we used to cut hay with a scythe, and stack it into piles with pitchforks. When I was 21, I went thirds with my parents in a 140-hectare block in Otorohanga and got a foothold in my first farm. The land was mostly scrub and we had to carve out pasture from scratch. Six months later my dad died of cancer and I found myself running the farm

I felt like I had parted with my life ambition of breaking in land and breeding stock –

”

probably behind some of the health issues I’ve encountered. We also used 2,4,5-T to control gorse – that’s one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange which was used in the Vietnam War, and has been found to cause birth deformities and cancer. We were using that stuff like dishwater. One hot day I saw a boy I was employing to spray gorse, spraying the chemical all over himself to cool down.

worked on that farm for 20 years before I sold it in the interests of ‘matrimonial harmony’. We had been married for 10 years, but we were never right for each other. You convince yourself that you can change people – but you can’t. She wasn’t happy and she wanted to be on a cow farm, so we bought a dairy farm in Ruawai. I convinced myself it was time to move on, too. Oil prices were skyrocketing and the farm lived on oil, diesel and phosphate. I had also been through four or five big droughts in seven years, so I got my tail down and left. But I became very depressed.

30 years later I was still farming that patch of land in my dreams.

airy farming wasn’t for me. I remember standing in the washdown sheds thinking ‘there’s got to be a better way to live than this’. Not long after, my wife took off to the South Island with our two children and I had to fight through the courts for a year to gain custody. At that stage I just wanted to walk away from everything and become a hippy. Fortunately, I found the right woman to take me through it.

had never had to look after myself – I joke that I’m probably one of the biggest slobs in the country – so I put an ad in the Herald for a homemaker. I had three criteria: someone who could help raise my children, look after me and help cook, and who I could have a conversation with at the end of the day. I got a reply from a person who said, ‘I’ve been on my own for seven years and I have four kids. I suppose I’m too old and have too many kids, but best of luck. Love and laughter always’. I thought, ‘who signs off a letter like that?’ Curiosity persisted and I drove to the Coromandel to meet her. Jan moved in soon after and we lived together with our six kids. Within two years we were married and we’ve been happy ever since.

always liked telling yarns. I must have become renowned for it,

because people kept telling me, ‘you’ve got to get those stories written down – they are too good to lose’. That’s how I came to write my first book, Farming and Yarning. I self-published the book and we sold it ourselves. People seemed to like it and we’ve sold over 1000 copies.

was asked to write a second book but my health started to give out – I had a triple bypass and an aorta transplant and I lost enthusiasm for writing. It wasn’t until last year that I finally sat back at the word processor. We got a new doctor in town and he changed my life. I was practically living on painkillers for back pain and my body wasn’t working right. The doctor reviewed my medication and said the combination was making my kidneys shut down. I changed the pills on his recommendation and within a week I felt five years younger. I started writing from my imagination for the first time and creating bush poems. I thought creative writing would be the last thing I would do. I’ve just released my third book, Talk of the Town, which is virtually all made up, based around tales told in a fictitious pub. I’m heading to Melbourne for a family reunion over summer. I’ve got 17 grandchildren now and six great grandchildren – half of them in Australia. Getting to meet them all is really special. I’m very fortunate when I look back. All the things I dreamed about as a kid came true.

10 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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Regional park milestone celebrated at Wenderholm About 100 people gathered at Wenderholm last month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Auckland’s first regional park. Wenderholm was opened on Saturday December 18, 1965 and attracted 50,000 people in its first summer, spurring the Auckland Regional Authority (ARC), now Auckland Council, to develop the current network of 26 regional parks, which attract more than five million people a year. One of the founders of the regional parks’ network, Judge Arnold Turner, attended the event. Mr Turner was the inaugural chair of the ARC Parks Committee and was at the 1965 opening of Wenderholm. He spoke about the events leading up to that day. The park was acquired after plans to subdivide Wenderholm surfaced in the early 1960s, he said. The Rodney and Waitemata councils couldn’t afford to purchase the land, which lead Auckland Mayor Dove Myer Robinson to create the ARC in 1963. The ARC Parks Committee was empowered to raise funds and purchase land to create a network of parks, which would benefit the region. Wenderholm was purchased on March 31, 1965 for £230,000, with the exclusion of Couldrey House and Mr Turner pushed staff to prepare to open before Christmas. The park’s popularity far exceeded expectations. “It showed us there was huge public support for a regional parks network,” Mr Turner said. “In 1965, none of us dreamed there would be 26 regional parks in 50 years time. I take great satisfaction in the part I had in initiating the process.” Mayor Len Brown paid tribute to the 800-year human history of the site. He also recalled visiting Wenderholm shortly after it opened, after his family moved to Otara from Taranaki.

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The official party was lead in by Auckland Mayor Len Brown and one of the founders of the Auckland regional parks network, Judge Arnold Turner.

Long-time regional park supporters were guests at the celebration.

Couldrey House looked stunning on the day.

“Wenderholm is a very special experience,” Mayor Brown said. “So much of this is because of Mr Turner’s guidance and vision.” Council Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee chair Christine Fletcher said the parks were valuable sanctuaries to protect endangered species and

ecosystems, and ensure people have a connection to the coastline. She said she was grateful to all the pioneers of the parks network and led the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ for the park’s 50th. “Thank you all for being dreamers,” she said.

Our regular clients choose to travel with us when “quality is better than quantity”! They thank us for immersing them in the real culture that the average traveller would never see. The age group of our ‘discerning’ travellers is generally 40’s to late 70’s, professional and like minded people all wanting to experience something have fun, Our regular new clients relax and choose totravel travelhassle with us free at a gentle pace! whenand “quality is better than quantity”! They thank

for immersing in for Accommodation in 4 and 5 star qualityus small family runthem hotels 3 and 4 nights, with sea and lake viewsthe in the centres realhistoric culture that the so you can be immersed in the daily lives of the locals! average traveller would We will introduce you to our Italian friends, us neverwho see.accompany The age group during parts of our daily program!! of our ‘discerning’ Daily ‘a la carte’ dining in local restaurants including and beverages. travellerswine is generally 40’s to late 70’s, professional Entry fees and all tipping included. likeshort minded people You will NOT be coach bound - we only and travel distances, refreshments en route included!! all wanting to experience something new have fun, relax and travel hassle free and at a gentle pace!

Accommodation in 4 and 5 star quality small family run hotels for 3 and 4 nights, with sea and lake views in the historic centres so you can be immersed in the daily lives of the locals! We will introduce you to our Italian friends, who accompany us during parts of our daily program!! Daily ‘a la carte’ dining in local restaurants including wine and beverages. Entry fees and all tipping included. You will NOT be coach bound - we only travel short distances, refreshments en route included!!

If you are interested in walking there are daily opportunities for walking at different levels during all our itineraries, if you wish! And of course there are daily opportunities to sit, relax and ‘people watch’ and do your own exploring - we will recommend the ‘special’ places! We have 44 years of accumulated knowledge, expertise and language skills enabling your travel experience to be memorable, travelling hassle free with no rush. Susan Williamson and John Percy (Italian Citizen)formed Etruscan Pleasures (Italia) Ltd 25 years ago. Etruscan Pleasures journeys to Italy, including Sicily, are designed for 8 to 14 travellers.

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Short Story Competition

12 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Short Story Competition Open Section Winner

A Question of Bias By Bob Sharp

Mahurangi storytellers celebrated The following three stories were judged the best in the Mahurangi Matters 2015 Short Story Competition. All entries can be read at localmatters.co.nz Mahurangi Matters thanks the judges Lisa Outwin and Lorraine Orman, and Matakana Village Books for providing a book voucher for the runner-up. The winner of the open section received $400 while the winner of the teen section received $250. The competition will be held again this year, with entries opening mid-year.

From behind her desk, the teacher smiled down at the studiously bowed heads of her five-year-old charges, fifteen would-be water colour Picassos, labouring over their masterpieces. When twenty-six-year-old Maggie MacTavish first arrived at Matakana Primary School five years earlier, she had, of necessity, worked hard at softening a broad Highland accent. And even now, although readily understood by her first-year students, they still considered that their teacher ‘talked funny’, and adored her all the more for it. Only when provoked to anger did that nice Miss MacTavish lapse into the Gaelic vernacular of her homeland. That she was not, on these rare occasions fully understood, was, in all probability, no bad thing. The close of another school day found Maggie, now retreated to her rented cottage, happily engrossed with watering, weeding and generally fussing over already immaculate flower beds. As she worked, the germ of an idea for the end of term class project first took root, rapidly grew

and finally blossomed. The following morning, fifteen pairs of eyes watched the teacher enter the classroom. “Good morning children.” “Good morning Miss MacTavish,” came the enthusiastic rejoinder. “I thought it might be fun,” Maggie began, “to hold our very own garden plant show, starting at home with a potted seedling. Then,” she continued, “on the last day before we break for

“

A few days passed before Liz, puzzled at finding no missing seedling in the recently planted border, questioned Jeremy over his plant selection.

”

the summer holidays, bring your plants in for judging, and later there will be prizes for the best cared for, healthiest ones. I’ll give you notes,” she added, “for your mums and dads so they can help you get started.” Next Maggie explained how and why plants responded to care and attention. On the blackboard such specimens were drawn with smiley flower head faces, while neglected ones were depicted

with extremely sad expressions. Liz O’Neil, a noted author of children’s stories, sat busy at her keyboard when five-year-old Jeremy, just home from school, burst into the room. So excited was he when telling of the proposed school project, he almost forgot to hand his mum the teacher’s note. Liz read and quickly understood Miss MacTavish’s objectives, of getting the kids to take a day-by-day involvement with their chosen plant, and to observe how seedlings in particular, responded to some TLC. Then later would come the development of branches, leaves and ultimately flower heads to be marvelled at. In her note, the teacher expressed a hope that parents might provide a seedling, potting mix, some nutrients perhaps, and above all, a little guidance along the way. Liz put the note down, “What a wonderful idea,” she said, giving the boy a hug. Already no stranger to gardening, Jeremy loved helping his mum in the flower beds, and, as Liz confided to husband Bill, “From somewhere our boy’s inherited green fingers.” So now, with an impatient publisher’s deadline looming, she had no qualms in directing Jeremy to select a plant for himself. “Get one of those new seedlings you helped plant out, and you know where the continued next page

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Short Story Competition from previous page

pots and potting mix are kept.” As an afterthought, she called after the rapidly retreating figure, “And don’t forget to change out of your school clothes first.” But Jeremy, by now out of earshot, already had the potting shed door opened. Just beyond the new plantings his mum had spoken of, in an as yet uncultivated area, Jeremy found his plant. Hemmed in by grass and weeds, its tiny veined and slightly hairy leaves of an attractive silvery green colour grew almost flat to the ground. With mounting excitement he first carefully lifted, then transferred to a pot the plant he felt certain would grow into a prize-winning one. A few days passed before Liz, puzzled at finding no missing seedling in the recently planted border, questioned Jeremy over his plant selection. But the boy, with barely contained glee, shook his head, “It’s going to be a surprise Mum, I’ll show it to you when it’s a bit bigger.” Liz had to wait two whole weeks before the youngster marched into her office, and, bursting with pride, revealed his potted treasure. Incredulous, Liz started to speak, stopped, swallowed twice, then smiled brightly, “Why, it’s lovely Jeremy, and I can see it’s been very well cared for.” Alone with Bill later she told him of their son’s choice of seedling. Once Bill had stopped laughing, he said, “You did right not to disappoint him, after all, as his teacher said, it’s the attention and care given the entry that matters first and foremost.” For Maggie’s classroom of youngsters,

the last four weeks before the eagerly awaited plant show and summer holidays seemed to drag into an eternity. None more so than for Jeremy, who fed, fussed and fretted over his show exhibit while almost constantly pestering Liz with his concerns. “Does it need spraying for bugs Mum?” or, “There’s a black spot on one leaf,” and, “Shouldn’t it be growing faster?” One evening, now into the final week of the school term, the troubled boy reported the development of a strange, bulbous growth on the plant. “Why, it’s coming into flower, and just in time for the show,” Liz, with only slight hesitation reassured him. In the afternoon preceding the final big day, Miss MacTavish pointed to a newly erected trestle table. “In the morning put your entries on here,” she said while handing out cards with attaching strings. “Write your name on the label,” she added, “and tie it onto your plant ready for judging.” On the following morning, with their teacher unavoidably detained and not yet arrived, most of the entries were already displayed on the table when Jeremy entered carrying his exhibit. Another boy looked up, pointed and yelled, “Hey look, Jeremy’s grown a weed.” The others quickly crowded around, laughing and taking up the chant, “Jeremy’s grown a weeed, Jeremy’s grown a we-eed.” The dumbstruck youngster, bewildered by the taunts, looked down at the flower topped plant in his hands. His lower lip trembled, and although determined not to cry, one escaped tear rolled down his cheek as the teacher walked continued next page

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Short Story Competition

14 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016 from previous page

in. She took in the situation immediately, a flush of anger colouring her cheeks. Although Maggie’s next words, spoken in her native tongue, were not understood by Jeremy’s tormentors, their meaning left no room for doubt. At her side, the boy still stood, lost in misery and humiliation as the teacher gently took the plant from his unresisting hands. Maggie MacTavish regarded the specimen with its attractive pincushion flower, unprepared for a sudden rush of nostalgia, of homesickness, that for a brief moment threatened to overwhelm her. She heard again the skirl of distant pipes carried on a cool Highland breeze, saw black cragged peaks soaring above their heather studded ramparts, before turning, just a touch misty eyed, to the boy. “Why, it’s a most beautiful flower, Jeremy,” she said, then casting an eye over the other entries added, “and the healthiest plant. I can see you’ve given it lots of love and care.” She reached into a drawer where lay three blue ribboned cards, each printed with the words, ‘winner, first equal’. Alongside were six red and six green adorned ones for second and third equal respectively. The prizes were there too, in the form of fifteen chocolate coated nut bars. Maggie selected a blue tasselled card, wrote on it, then, taking care to avoid some sharp needles, attached it to the proudly erect stem of Scotland’s national flower. Home from school, Jeremy’s excited, incoherent babble preceded the explosion into his mum’s office. Laughing, Liz hugged the boy, while noting the card tied to his plant. The blue attaching ribbons, with a simple eloquence, explained all. Looking closer, she saw that the printed card had been amended by hand from the original ‘winner, first equal’, to now read ‘Supreme Winner’. Recognising the likely sentimental link between Jeremy’s winning entry and the judge’s nationality, Liz gave a smile of quiet approval. That sweet young Maggie MacTavish should be forgiven a little harmless bias.

Open Section Runner-up

A Coastal Wonderland By Bo Blazey Sweat trickled down Pete’s forehead, momentarily caught in his dark eyebrows, then stung his brown eyes, forcing him to pull away from the telescopic sight and mop at them with the slightly grubby hanky that he kept tucked in his top pocket. Dammit! He had sworn he would never get himself back in this situation, but here he was and it was so bloody hot – more like Ghana than Takatu. He checked the scope again quickly, saw that all was well up at the roadblock, then leaned back against the manuka brush wall so he could have a drink and eat the rest of the sandwich that was in danger of being overrun by ants. It tasted good, earthy. Home-made cheese and pickle, and his own bread. It all took so much more time and effort, but these were the good things about their new isolation. The maimai was getting way too hot to be comfortable now. They would have to open it out to get some air flowing in the summer months. The so-called experts had been wrong about so many things but they definitely got their global warming predictions right. Pete took another quick glance through the scope to check all was clear where they had blocked Takatu Road. Handy things those diggers when parked two abreast on a dirt road. He looked longingly at the bay where the cool, clear ocean mocked his sweating body. High tide and it completely filled the old flats where the road used to go, before the sea level rose a metre-and-a-half . . . and counting.

He and Rosie had moved up here to enjoy that ocean, the waves, the fishing . . . the freedom . . . but everything had changed so quickly. They had thought themselves so clever when the third, and final, financial crash hit and took all the services down with it. Their time spent finetuning the solar power set-up, their water system, the gardens, all seemed vindicated as people fled the city, trying to find somewhere with food, water and safety. His neighbour, Chris, had helped him build a big, piss-off gate and fence, and they had taken turns to patrol their land. That had been enough to see off the first wave of refugees from Auckland. The upside of that trouble was that it had forced the landowners at Takatu to get organised to defend themselves. Pete remembered the meeting where they had been asked by Chris to bring along any firearms they had. Rosie had gone without him because he had started to leak unwilling tears at the thought of having to pick up a rifle again. The others thought they had hit the jackpot, of course, when they found out he was an ex-army sniper. That was until Pete supplied some graphic detail about his kills in Ghana. Things had been getting back to some semblance of order after the Third Financial Crash but then the flu had arrived. It was as if God had been biding his time, waiting for humans to get a bit run down, and then hitting them with a bug they couldn’t fight. That was when things turned mean. The gate, the fence and the patrols worked OK at first, but then, in one night, three of the owners closer to the Omaha turnoff got burnt out and killed. Several gangs began terrorising the area and stealing anything they could lay hands on. It was the day after those families were killed that Rosie told him she was pregnant. He had cried and continued next page

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Short Story Competition from previous page

cried, and had trouble stopping. He had cried because he was so happy that he was going to be a father and because he was overwhelmed with love for Rosie, and he had cried because of the shitty, shitty world his baby was going to be born into and his fear of not being able to protect his offspring. That was when he picked up a rifle again. He was going to defend his wife and child, or die trying. He showed the others how to make IEDs and they placed them up on Takatu Road, around about where Pete calculated aggressors might park up to check out the situation ahead. Then they built several hideouts, like the maimai Pete was sitting in now, with a clear line of sight to the road. After fortifying the old pa site above Omaha, they were as covered as they could be for the small community they were protecting. Glancing out across Christian Bay, the riffles and sparkles on the water showed Pete that the afternoon sea breeze was picking up. That was what he was meant to be doing – going windsurfing and fishing – not sweltering away in a bloody hot maimai, looking down the barrel of a damned rifle. ‘Bugger, bugger, bugger!’ he shouted at the musty confines of the hut. Pete hung his head, breathed deeply and watched the droplets of his sweat make patterns on the floor. The radio by his knee suddenly crackled and Sharon’s voice came through.

‘Incoming vehicle, blue sedan, four people by the look of it, no weapons that I can see.’ Pete wiped his hands and forearms carefully, and settled in behind the rifle’s scope. He saw the car come to a stop at the top of the hill, right alongside the IED. The occupants of the car got out and looked down the road at the diggers forming the roadblock. The driver was unarmed but the other three had rifles. There was a short discussion before they got back into the car and slowly drove down the road to stop about ten metres short of the roadblock. Pete picked up the radio. ‘Stay cool Chris. We’ve rehearsed this. You know what to do.’ Through the scope, Pete watched the conversation take place between the visitors and Chris, who was out of sight to them, hidden behind the digger’s bucket that had been lowered down to road level. Chris was a good man and Pete knew he could rely on him to deliver the warning clearly and calmly. He now tightened his finger on the trigger and chose the red-head as his first target, in case they decided not to retire. To Pete’s great relief, the men got back into the car, turned around and drove back up the hill.

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Short Story Competition

16 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016 from previous page

milking shed and they’re coming back slowly. Shit!’ ‘OK, stay calm everyone. Keep talking Sharon.’ ‘Slowly edging back up to the top of the hill. And stopped. They’ll just be able to see the diggers from there.’ Pete replied, ‘Yeah, I can see them from here so they’re in range for me but possibly out of range of IED 1.’ ‘Bad news guys,’ squawked Sharon’s voice through the tinny speaker, ‘there’s a sort of van coming up the road with metal plates welded all over it. No idea how many occupants.’ Pete could hear the panic creeping into her voice. ‘It’s OK Sharon, they still have no idea that you and I are here or where the IEDs are so just keep talking us through it.’ ‘OK, sorry. Van getting closer. Pulling up behind the sedan now. Occupants of sedan getting out and talking to driver and passenger of the van. I think there’s other people in the back of the van.’ Pete jumped in. ‘You’re doing great Sharon. Chris, stand by, and have the shotgun and pistol ready. Keep going Sharon.’ ‘The occupants of the sedan are going back to their car. Sitting . . . sitting . . . edging forward to the crest! Right next to IED 1 now! Should be in sight for Chris.’ ‘I can see them,’ Chris replied. Pete sighed. So, what he hoped had been finished forever must start again. He quickly mopped his hands again and thought about his beautiful, pregnant wife. A slight waft of salty breeze circled the hut and made him smile. A seagull’s cry, the deep blue sky and a syrupy sun – it was a beautiful day. He felt his heart calm to professional pace as he lowered his eye to the rifle’s scope. One finger caressed the trigger and his other hand held the radio close. ‘OK guys, here’s how it’s going to happen.’

Teen Fiction Winner

Exsanguination By Lauren Brebner-Fox She had never listened like this before. Really listened. Listened to the sounds that had always passed her ears but never reached her mind. The sounds that would fill every moment of silence - if there was any. The sounds that once dominated but were now overruled. She had never listened like this before. Until now. Now she could hear the drip of water falling off leaves. Now she could hear the secret language of the birds as they fluttered and preened. Now she could hear the overhead branches dance in the wind and now she could hear her place in it. Hear her body scrambling to suck as much oxygen rich air as it could into her lungs and hear her breath rattle as it was pushed back out. Now. She could hear it. Now was deafening. Now was something she never listened to. The sounds just a background noise that grew fainter as the years went on. There was always something else, now was just boring. She never cared. Never wanted to hear it. She was always busy and there was always later. But part of her realised that now passed too quickly. That now seemed to never exist. That in her mind it was just future. By the time she realised now was there it was gone. Past. It was only in these few moments she realised how many of the precious ‘nows’ she had wasted and how few she had left. She wished to be able

Kitchens. Bathrooms. Entertainment Units. Laundries. Wardrobes. Offices

to see, see the sounds, see the world around her one last time. But when her oxygen deprived muscles finally pried her eyelids away, colours and shapes blurred together and everything started spinning causing a wave of dizziness to pass over her. She quickly closed her eyes focusing on her rapid heart beat, the one lasting sign she had that told her she was still here. Still alive. Even after the events of the night. Events she had never once in her life expected to happen to her. The night had started fine. Familiar, safe, normal. She had left her friend’s place a little later than usual but the walk wasn’t far. She wasn’t worried. She didn’t even think she should be worried. She remembered a hand, cold and strong, latching onto her throat. She remembered trying to scream but there being no air. From then on it was confusion. A blur that she was too weak to make sense of and then she had woken up here. Her wrists slit, the effects of blood loss already taking its toll. The metallic smell of blood creeping up her nose. The scent of death lingering in the air. She had never really thought about death. Death was a whisper that ruined the dreams of forever. Death was a unknown country – the only visitors silent and pale. Death was feared. Death was wanted. Death was everywhere. She ignored death. Her eyes passing over its constant shadow, even when it took those who surrounded her. It was not something that worried her, nor was it something she had ever wanted. She was alive and that was that. However she knew enough to realise that it was going to arrive far sooner than she would of have thought. She could feel the

Contact Neil: 09 425 7017 or 021 070 0643 Unit A, 16 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth

flow of her blood over her fingertips and hear it drip onto the fallen leaves beneath her. The drips acting like a morbid hourglass. Except this hourglass couldn’t be flipped over and restarted again. With each drip she felt herself getting dizzier and dizzier her mind swirling on the brink of unconsciousness. She guessed in a movie or book this would be the time she would be rescued. Pulled back from the brink of death. Even though she longed and hoped to be saved, she knew it was unrealistic. She knew she should just accept her fate. End the pain. Let go. She strained to hear her surroundings one last time, to hear the comfort of life that seemed so effortless. She drew in a ragged breath. Then let it out. She was Jemma Ashlyn. Now she was dead. Epilogue Teenager’s body found on river bank The body of 17-year-old Jemma Ashlyn was found by a search and rescue team today after she was reported missing on Saturday morning at 2am, police say. Detective Wayne Brown says a postmortem will be carried out on the body later this week. Until then police are unable to confirm how she died but suicide was a possibility. However after talking to Jemma’s family and friends they will investigate other causes of death. Jemma’s body was found on the tree covered bank of the Mahurangi river at low tide. Jemma was a student at Mahurangi College and will be missed by her family and friends. Jemma’s mother Diane Ashlyn posted on the Facebook remembrance page set up after Jemma’s death: “There is no word to describe what our family is going through right now”. But has refused to comment to media about her daughter’s death.

neiltcabinetmaker@xtra.co.nz cabinetmakeranddesign.co.nz

localmatters.co.nz

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Bigger and better Matakana Fruitloop programme planned

Martin A4 flyer.indd 1

28/09/12 11:52 AM

nzfirst.org.nz

The Matakana Fruitloop, which was conceived as a fundraiser for the Matakana Cycleway, is about to undergo a reinvention this year.

regret that last year’s fun run had to be cancelled when the hand-over didn’t go as swiftly as had been hoped. However, it’s business as usual for 2016 and all Fruitloop entrants will get the added bonus of free entry to the wine and food festival. But Paul says that the approach to the whole weekend is ‘softly softly’, with the aim of building a lasting event to raise funds for community projects. Tracey Martin “This year’s going to be what it is, and MP New Zealand First for: hopefully next year will be bigger –Spokesperson we Paul Walker Communications & IT | Education | Research, Science & Technology do want to learn and Women’s we want to grow Affairs | Youth Affairs Committee: Education and Science it. We don’t want toSelect crash and burn long-term event that can be recognised here,” he says. “It’s Auckland aboutOffice: building as the iconic event in the region.” 157Aand Kitchener Road, aPO Box 31-119, Milford Auckland a self-sustaining event taking Info: paul@cmnzl.co.nz or visit cmnzl. P 09 489 8336 | tracey.martinmp@parliament.govt.nz holistic approach, trying to develop a co.nz/mwff

Tracey Martin New Zealand First List MP

companies who are talking with us. “It’s not about rorting the system, it’s about paying stuff back to the community we live in. We’re doing this to develop everyone’s business and the region as a whole.” The festival will be promoted as a high-end food and drink experience to encourage families and people who are interested in quality produce, and there will be a zero tolerance approach to excessive alcohol consumption – “the opportunity won’t even be allowed; they’ll just get shown the door”. Paul has taken over the running of Fruitloop from the Matakana Community Group, and both parties

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A new regional wine and food festival will be run in conjunction with the Fruitloop community fun run at the Matakana Country Park in March. The Matakana Wine & Food Festival will be a two-day event, on Saturday and Sunday March 5 and 6, featuring local wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, cafes and artisan food producers, plus music and entertainment. The Matakana Fruitloop will take place on Sunday morning and will include a new ‘mini-loop’ around the perimeter of the park for five to 12 year olds in addition to the traditional trek through orchards and farms. Both events are being managed and run by Paul Walker, owner/director of a professional conference and events company, Convention Management NZ, who lives at Omaha. He says he’s keen to bring back Fruitloop, which took a hiatus last year, and combine it with a quality food and wine festival that will promote and showcase the area’s produce on an annual basis. He stresses that, unlike the last attempt to stage a major food and wine festival in Matakana in 2008, the new event is being run ‘by locals for locals’ and will start small. “I’m going the opposite way to previous events; I don’t have big plans for this year,” he says. “My core business is running self-funding events. I’ve taken time to talk to our producers, the wineries and cafes. I now consider myself a local doing this and that’s being recognised by the

Parliament Office: Freepost, Private Bag 18 888, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6011 P 04 817 8361 | tracey.martin@parliament.govt.nz twitter.com/traceymartinmp | facebook.com/ tracey.martin.16144 nzfirst.org.nz

Meet Tracey, List MP based in Rodney. I’m here to help you

For an appointment please phone 09 425 7360 Tracey.Martin@parliament.govt.nz Richard Prosser

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educationfeature

18 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

education2016



FE AT URE

Health & Safety changes threaten school activities Schools across the Mahurangi area will re-evaluate their outdoor education programmes this year in light of new legislation, which takes effect on April 4. The new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) is part of a reform package aimed at reducing the number of serious work-related injuries and deaths in New Zealand by at least 25 per cent by 2020. While there is agreement on the intent of the Act, educators are concerned at the impacts it could have on school sports, camps and other outdoor activities. If accidents happen, the responsibility will fall squarely on the shoulders of the principals who could face fines of up to $600,000 or five years imprisonment, which they can’t insure themselves against. Principals Federation president Denise Torrey is quoted as saying that teachers should be safe from punishment if they follow good procedures. But she said the mere possibility of stiff penalties could have a chilling effect. “There are a whole list of things that could be potentially curtailed because people become risk-averse. And that’s a risk – that we become so risk-averse that we wrap our children and our staff in cotton wool and they can’t do anything.” Other educators have called for more clarity about the law changes, while

David Macleod

others are concerned about the extra administration that will be involved. Mahurangi College principal David Macleod says outdoor education is too important to be abandoned, but admits the new legislation is “scary”. “We’re already very, very thorough in our Risk Analysis Management Systems (RAMS),” he says. “Staff always do a full reconnaissance site visit prior to a camp and every precaution is taken to identify any potential risk. But it is very difficult to mitigate against all risk – the very nature of these outdoor experiences is about taking risks. The legislation just adds another dimension of worry for the school.” Mr Macleod said a Year 9 camp at the end of last year gave the school a taste of the liability worries that are ahead. During an overnight hike, a student became ill from an infected scratch and the teachers in charge set-off an emergency beacon. A helicopter was dispatched and the student spent a couple of days in Tauranga Hospital

recovering. Mr Macleod says because the school party was out of phone range, he was not advised of what the problem was until the emergency services rang back. “This could have been a really bad scenario. If it was deemed that we had not taken adequate precautions, then under the new Act we would have been liable.” Mr Macleod says he has no intention of curtailing outdoor education at this stage. “We’re a NZ school raising Kiwi kids, and this is part of a Kiwi education. We run camps for Years 7, 8 and 9, and a five-day Year 13 camp on Great Barrier Island, as well as offering it as a subject for seniors. It’s extremely beneficial and we will do all we can to retain it. “But, there will always be accidents and if the law comes down hard on principals, then it could spell the end of outdoor education in schools.” Wellsford School principal David Bradley says it’s a pity that schools are being treated like businesses, as if they are profit-based and trying to cut corners to save money. “Schools are about giving children life experiences with a measured amount of risk, which is managed as carefully as possible. But, accidents do happen and is it fair to hold the principal

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personally responsible?” Mr Bradley says in some ways the legislation may make schools safer, in terms of liability, simply because they will do fewer things that involve risk. “But it won’t make children safer. If you climb a tree and fall out, then you learn not to go higher than you have the competence to manage. Without that sort of experience in a controlled environment, the resulting accident could be worse because the kids have under-estimated the risk. We’re trying to wrap the kids in cotton wool, but it’s not in their long-term best interests. “We have a bike track at school and we’re building a BMX track, and we’re deliberately putting in hills and bumps – under this new legislation I question whether we will be able to keep it.” Mr Bradley says at a recent Combined Principals meeting, the feeling was that schools would do less and less outside the classroom because principals and Boards of Trustees wouldn’t want to carry the risk. “Trips away and camps are a traditional part of a Kiwi education, but this looks set to change. Even if you think of athletics – the kids are throwing javelins, shot puts and discus, and jumping into sandpits. What happens if something goes wrong and should the school be held responsible?”

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educationfeature

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Classrooms zero in on pests Students at four Mahurangi primary schools will take part in a $180,000 project, which aims to mobilise communities to eradicate pests in Rodney. The Forest Bridge Trust, in partnership with the University of Auckland, received a $150,000 grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in November. The trust is developing a community education programme called CatchIT Communities, which involves students using apps and computer programmes to map the progress of their own pest control projects. The course was trialled at schools in Kaipara Flats, Tauhoa and Tomarata last year. Students were given trapping equipment to use at home and the effectiveness of different baits, traps, and locations was analysed in the classroom. The University of Auckland is developing a computer programme, which will allow students to easily present trapping results in graphs and maps. The software will be used in tandem with a new app developed by the Department of Conservation which lets trappers log data in the field, such as what pest was caught and where. The programme will be trialled at schools in Warkworth, Matakana, Leigh and Ahuroa. Trust advisor Liz Maire says the support for the project has been heartening. “It’s gone from a little idea to something that’s growing rapidly,” Liz says. “The ability to get accurate statistics will be a hugely valuable resource for achieving the trust’s goal

of creating a pest-free corridor from coast to coast in Rodney. “Using these computer programmes we will be able to help the students learn things like what the best bait is for rats or the best place to put a possum trap. Eventually we could create a nationwide database with good stats on how many pests are being trapped and where, so we could track conservation gains across the country.” The trust has also received $25,000 from the Rodney Environmental Natural Heritage Funding and $5000 from Rodney Local Board to roll out the programme. The University of Auckland software will be finished by July and the intention is to make it free for trapping groups to use. The trust is also holding pest control workshops early this year to get communities involved in eradicating pests on their land. “We will have trapping experts who will give advice to help people control pests and we will have traps to give away.” Mahurangi College is also getting on board with the project. “We are talking with the technology department about having students build rat traps as part of their course.” Another side of the trust’s strategy involves working with landowners to fence off forest and conduct pest control on their land. It received $24,700 from the Rodney Environmental Natural Heritage Fund to fence off Significant Ecological Areas and riparian bush in the Hoteo catchment.

Affordable private school, based in Wellsford

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educationfeature

20 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

COURSES FOR TERM ONE 2016 – WARKWORTH & WELLSFORD Mum’s Post-Natal Support Group

Weds 20 January 10.30am-12.30pm 13 wks

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Thurs 21 January 10am-12.30pm 13 wks

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Come along for a cuppa and a chat with this friendly group. Meet other mums, make friends and gain strength every week. Facilitated by Maria Collins Young Mum’s Educational Programme

For mothers up to 25 years to encourage positive parenting, behaviour management skills & strategies for raising happy & healthy children. Runs weekly at the Plunket Rooms, Wellsford. Facilitated by Maria Collins Personal Development

Tues 9 February 10am-12.30pm 10 wks

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A weekly support group for women that encourages learning, sharing, mindfulness and inner-growth in a confidential and caring environment. Facilitated by Heidi Downey Career Development & Job Search

Sat 27 Feb 10.00am-3.30pm, Warkworth & Sat 2 April, Wellsford Library

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A workshop for women returning to work or changing career, including creating a career plan and a CV, job search, interviews, assistance with clothing and more. Tutor: Fiona Brading, People Architects

Computer Training: Basic or Intermediate Word

Fri 19 Feb, 8 weeks 9.15am to 11.15am

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Increase your Word computer skills for job search with the Basic level course where you will need some computer experience or the Intermediate level if you have basic skills. (Windows 10) Tutored by Senior Net, Warkworth Clay Sculpture

Sat March TBC 9.30am to 3.30pm

Cost $35

An introductory workshop. Create an indoor or outdoor clay ornament. It will be fired so you can paint it at a later date. Supported by Creative Communities Tutor: Vivienne Paterson Flax-Weaving/Harakeke

Sat April TBC 9.30am to 3.30pm

John Key spread the word about his meeting with Mahurangi College students via his Twitter account.

Cost $35

If you have basic flax-weaving skills, come along to this workshop and make a waikawa/basket. You will also make and hand-dye flax embellishments to add to your work. Supported by Creative Communities. Tutor: Kathy Stevenson Counselling: Low Cost Sessions Safe, supportive, low cost sessions available by appointment. Conditions apply. Please contact the Women’s Centre Massage for Women: $55 for 1 hour Available on Tuesday afternoons by appointment. Please contact the Women’s Centre.

Most courses run in Warkworth. Please check details when booking. Bookings essential: Contact us on 09 425 7261 or 0800 2DROPIN (0800 237674) Email: info@womenscentrerodney.org.nz • www.womenscentrerodney.org.nz Follow us on Facebook at Women’s Centre Rodney 10 Morpeth Street, Warkworth • 9.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday

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Parliament under scrutiny Thirty Year 10 students from Mahurangi College not only met the Prime Minister, but also witnessed one of last year’s most controversial protests by MPs, when they visited Parliament late last year. The school’s first trip to Wellington coincided with John Key accusing Labour of “backing rapists” over the Australian detainees issue and the students were in the House the following day when a group of female MPs walked out in protest over the Prime Minister’s remarks. Student Julia Caulfield, who was instrumental in suggesting and organising the Parliamentary visit, said the three days in the capital had been “amazing and life-changing”. “We were there when the women walked out,” she said. “It was very powerful, especially as there were mostly girls on the trip.” However, she was less impressed

with John Key and Andrew Little’s behaviour during Question Time. “It was literally like watching two big babies fighting, using the types of insults they did.” As well as a private meeting with the PM in his office, the students had a special tour of Parliament, sat in the Speaker’s Chamber during Question Time, had meetings with various MPs and visited the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa Museum. Julia said the entire trip had got everyone thinking about politics and what they wanted to see changed. “If 30 students can get to see the Prime Minister and tour Parliament, then it shows you can do something that you put your mind to. The trip has definitely improved my knowledge of Parliament and has grown my passion for civics and promoting civics, and definitely made me want to be in politics.”

Taking enrolments for children from 2.5 years • 20 Hours ECE • Stimulating environment

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educationfeature

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Stay close

GO FAR Noho tata, haere tawhiti

Geoffrey Bowes speaking at the U3A annual meeting last month.

Keeping grey matter active Warkworth learning hub for retirees, the University of the Third Age (U3A), is hunting for more members. U3A is an international organisation designed to encourage seniors to get together and foster life-long learning. The Warkworth group was established in 1997 and now has nearly 160 members. It has 12 study groups, which each have about eight to 12 people, and meet monthly to discuss specific topics such as Shakespeare, creative writing, current affairs, history, jazz, and play reading. “It’s a friendly and informal affair to encourage people to continue learning and broaden their knowledge,” U3A

member Glyn Williams says. “It’s a good chance for people with common interests to share ideas, research topics and put on presentations.” The full group meets bi-monthly on the second Monday of the month at the Totara Park Retirement Village. The next meeting is in February. About 60 people attended the annual meeting last month where Geoffrey Bowes was re-elected president. Guest speaker John Clarke talked about his time in the Horse Guards in the British army, which included a stint as part of the Life Guard Regiment in London, conducting the ceremonial guarding of Queen Elizabeth. Info: u3a.co.nz or Glyn Williams 09 902 9333.

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O Call Or c educationfeature

22 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Orientation helps students settle ‘new school’ nerves Thoughts of going back to school are probably the last thing on most kids’ minds at present, but for those about to make the jump from primary or intermediate to college, it might be more of an issue. Although all the region’s colleges and high schools – Mahurangi College, Rodney College and Otamatea High School – have carried out extensive orientation programmes, most children, and their parents, may still be feeling a little apprehensive about what to expect when the new term starts. For the students, it could be worries about meeting so many new people, or whether they will fit in, cope with the work or be placed in a class with their mates. For mums and dads, it’s more likely to be facing up to the bittersweet inevitability that “their baby” is growing up, and wondering how he or she will cope with all the trials, tribulations and temptations in an adolescent environment. Local senior schools are well aware of this and have developed systems over time to ensure they do all they can to ease the transition from primary or intermediate to the college environment, and to make the process as gentle and non-scary as possible. This starts on the first day of Term 1 when just the new intake and one or two senior years are at school so the younger students are not overwhelmed by sheer numbers. At Mahurangi College, the incomers share their first day with Year 11 and 12 students only.

Mahurangi College’s Year 7 head Rob Carty and Head of Year 7 & 8 Keith Tennant visit all their feeder primary schools to tell Year 6 pupils what to expect.

“There’s only a small number on the first day, so Year 7s don’t feel intimidated,” head of Years 7 and 8, Keith Tennant, says. “We meet them in the hall with parents and announce classes, they meet their teachers and see their classrooms. The teacher shows them round again, shows them how their timetable works, the Year 12s take them to their house meetings and whanau, and they meet their whanau teacher. “We also take all the kids to the bus shelter and show them how the buses line up and which bus to catch. It’s very much a ‘softly softly’ approach. They’re never left on their own on that first day.” It’s a similar story for new Year 9 students at Rodney College in Wellsford, where they share their first day with senior students from Year 13. Principal Irene Symes says that the newcomers will already be reasonably comfortable in the college, as it operates weekly technical lessons for Year 7 and 8 students from its feeder schools. “They are here on a weekly basis over

the year,” she says. “Then the first day is only for Year 13s and Year 9s, because we want them to get to know the place on their own without all the other students being here. The Year 13s are set up to do the mentoring that day. “They get to meet their teachers, get their timetables and have a bit of fun as well, to try to break the ice, with a swim in the school pool and a barbecue at lunchtime.” But before that first day at a big new school dawns, what are the best ways to prepare and make sure that primary and intermediate pupils are ready to face life as a college student? At both Mahurangi and Rodney College, staff urge both parents and students to make sure all the practical requirements are in place in plenty of time – uniform, stationery, paperwork and devices – and that everything is named. They point out that if a student has to worry about something that they don’t have or aren’t wearing, it’s an added stress and it could prevent them from joining in fully straight away with

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academic or sporting activities. Ms Symes says having to the wear correct college uniform can be challenging, especially for students coming from smaller schools, and it’s vital that parents help their children to meet school requirements. Mr Tennant also urges parents to keep up with their child’s activities and opportunities via the internet. “Jump on the school website, get all the daily notices, see what’s going on,” he says. “You can call up your child’s timetable, you can check your child’s attendance, and if you have any queries at all, just email the teacher.” For students, he stresses the importance of listening to daily notices about sports and cultural activities, then acting on them, to make the most of the many opportunities available. Ms Symes agrees. “Don’t sit back, take the opportunities,” she says. The most important thing for all new students to realise is that they’re not alone. If they have any doubts, queries or concerns, all schools stress that what they need to do is talk to someone, whether it is a teacher, student or house or year dean. “We go to a great deal of trouble to look after our students,” Mr Tennant says. “Our number one culture is of caring.” Ms Symes adds that Rodney College is not scary, but there are some expectations and students do need to do their best. “Get involved is my message.”

Taoist Tai Chi Classes New Beginners Classes

Starting February 2016

Tuesday 2nd, Warkworth 5.30-7pm Wednesday 3rd, Warkworth 10-11.30am Wellsford 10-11.30am Thursday 4th, Whangateau 10-11.30am Saturday 13th, Warkworth 10-11.30am Monday 15th, Wellsford 6-7.30pm Warkworth classes at: Scout Hall, Shoesmith St. Wellsford classes at: Anglican Hall, Port Albert rd. Whangateau classes at: Whangateau Hall, Leigh Rd. Tai Chi is an ancient art that promotes holistic well being for people of all ages

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educationfeature

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Youth on employment pathway Twenty-seven Mahurangi youth are on the road to employment after taking part in the KeyStep programme run by Mahurangi Technical Institute. The programme targets 16 to 24 year olds who are out of work. Twentynine students took part in the course last year – 16 are now employed, eight have gone into further training and three are in work experience. “It’s phenomenal,” MTI site manager Nick Richmond says. The 19-week course introduces students to 10 different careers including construction, carpentry, hospitality, maritime work and auto-mechanics. At the end of the course, they graduate with a national certificate in employment, a site safe construction certificate, a food safety certificate and barista experience. “Hopefully, they come out with a good idea of what they want to do,” Mr Richmond says. The course started in Warkworth last year, but has been based in the

old Wellsford Library for the past six months to make the courses more accessible to students from Wellsford and Te Hana, who make up the majority of the group. About 14 students will finish the course next month and another intake will start in March. However, Mr Richmond says it will not be viable for the course to continue in Wellsford once the old library is no longer available and the course may have to move back to Warkworth. As part of the course, the students are researching the history of the building and they are looking to hear from people who might have information about the library and the land. “We hope to talk to a number of local identities and Kaumatua, and get people to recount and share the history of the place,” course tutor Edwina Kapa says. The information will be compiled and presented to Auckland Council.

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Highfield donkey path celebrations There was good cause for celebration at the Highfield Garden Reserve Christmas party last month, when the new all-weather concrete track, funded by Auckland Council’s Walkway Fund, was opened. The $6400 grant funded the completion of the path from the donkey enclosure to the top gate. There was a good turnout for the event which included the arrival of Father Christmas. The new path was opened by Rodney Local Board member Greg Sayers.

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24 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Holiday baches are burgeoning business in Mahurangi By Sally Marden

High summer with the family at the bach – what could be more Kiwi or relaxing? But the days when the beach house or country cottage was little more than a glorified shack filled with old, mismatched secondhand furnishings have long gone, in this area at least. Holiday homes are a huge local industry, with hundreds of properties available, from cabins to mansions, existing solely to provide a bed for the night for tourists and visitors whose expectations are growing all the time. Of course, anyone living between the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels and Whangarei will be more than aware of the massive influx our region experiences every summer; the weekend and holiday traffic queues in all directions tell us that. Not to mention the suddenly crowded beaches, an inability to find a park in town, and negotiating drifts of lost souls who can’t seem to find the right way through the local supermarket, let alone Warkworth’s infernal Hill Street junction. But while we all might sense that things are getting busier and the numbers of visitors seems to be growing, few residents probably realise the sheer size and extent of the holiday home market. Take a look at some of the key holiday accommodation websites, such as Bookabach, Bachcare or Trade Me’s Holiday Houses, and they reveal that there are anything from 500 to 1000-plus properties offering selfcontained accommodation of some sort, whether it’s a sleepout for two or a modern glass and concrete monolith

Maureen Travers, founder and owner Omaha Beach Holiday rentals, with housekeepers Tarin, Sharon and Julia.

for 10 or more. The biggest growth – and number of homes available – has been happening in two key areas: Mangawhai and Omaha-Matakana. And Omaha has the largest number of homes that are solely holiday lets. In the 2013 Census, Omaha had 1164 dwellings – 276 occupied and 888 unoccupied – which probably accounts for why the place resembles a ghost town if you visit midweek during winter. And, although the number of permanent residents is rising, the number of new builds means that those proportions haven’t altered much in the meantime. There are three key types of rental – those that are bought and run purely as a letting business; those that are bought as a holiday home then used partly by the owner and rented out

at other times; and casual lets, where locals move out and let their own home for a few weeks to make some money during peak periods. And there is money to be made – while you can still find the odd little place for $75 or $80 a night, the majority are at least $200-$300, and you can pay up to $2000-plus – per night – for a top-of-the-range property, and Omaha rents are higher than most. Maureen Travers has been running Omaha Beach Holiday Rentals for 15 years and in that time has witnessed huge changes in the region. She started managing properties when a friend who had a bach in Omaha suddenly had to move to Australia. The house sat empty for much of the year and needed maintenance. “It was costing them too much. So I said there might be a few people who’d

pay a few dollars to rent it. That was how innocent it was then, and that’s how it all started,” Maureen says. Word spread, and the business gradually built up via newspaper advertisements, but it was the internet that really caused business to boom. Maureen now has well over 30 homes that are permanently rented, and that figure increases to 40-plus over the peak Christmas and New Year period. “The most I’ve had was 53, which was crazy. I have a lot of staff, but I didn’t get across the causeway for three-anda-half weeks then.” Holiday homes might bring in a lot of money, but they also create a lot of work and a lot of mess, but this in turn provides significant employment. While some owners do the hard graft of cleaning up after guests themselves, most employ armies of housekeepers, cleaners, gardeners and handymen. Real estate agents Angela Wain and Andrew Steens own a converted chapel in Point Wells that has been split into two apartments. “I employ local people to look after it. There’s a whole bunch of women who do cleaning and servicing in the Omaha area; it’s creating jobs,” Angela says. “We use linen services in Warkworth, because we have such fast turnarounds. Trying to keep it white ... I would never want to wash all that linen.” Maureen Travers’ business also uses Warkworth Laundry for linen, taking huge loads in every other day during the summer peak, while Omaha Holiday Houses, a more recent entrant to the continued next page

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From the simple to the sublime, the Mahurangi coast has a huge range of baches to choose from. from previous page

holiday letting business, now hires its linen from Linen 2 Go, a new premium linen hire business that recently expanded from Waiheke into Rodney. Of course, renting out your property to strangers presents something of a risk, especially to those new to the game. One local woman recalls the horror of finding apparent evidence of drug use on her best cutlery and a prized Spanish paella bowl broken in two after a casual let. The bowl had been placed on a high shelf as if it was still complete, so when she took it down some weeks later and it fell apart in her hands, the culprits were long gone. However, the holiday letting companies have systems in place, and they charge accordingly. “What my housekeepers are going to find, who knows,” Maureen says.

“You never know till you open the door. With some, you start picking up things at the front gate and just keep going ... nothing fazes us.” The key to hassle-free renting is in the vetting. Most agents prefer and encourage family groups and repeat bookings, which make up the bulk of local summer bookings, closely followed by weddings. Most properties rent throughout the year, especially at weekends (though large groups of self-professed “young professionals” wanting to come up from Auckland might not always be encouraged). Working out the type of renter you are dealing with before you take a booking is vital, according to Maureen. “You have to read into what you’re hearing and seeing. You’re dealing with total strangers, and they have to be the right people. You’re going

to be giving them the keys to multimillion dollar homes and the owners are trusting you. I pride myself that that’s the biggest part of my job – who arrives on that doorstop, because once they’re there, bags in hand, it’s very difficult to say you can’t come in.” These days, whoever arrives on the doorstep is likely to be more fussy than they were a decade ago. Rich Carey, marketing manager of Bachcare Holiday Homes, says the biggest change he’s seen is people’s increasing expectations. “Guests have come to expect instant and immediate service, both when making their booking and when they are in residence,” he says. “They are expecting more hotel-like services at the bach.” Nicola Hooper, who runs Omaha Holiday Houses with husband Peter, and Paul and Stephanie Walker, agrees, but says it’s only to be expected

when high rents are charged. “That’s kind of understandable, especially for Omaha. People pay good bucks to come here for holidays,” she says. “For example, most people expect wifi. We have to say this is the owner’s holiday home, they’re not going to pay for year-round wifi if they’re only here for two weeks a year.” Being on call 24 hours a day to several hundred, sometimes demanding, holidaymakers who often don’t understand the quirks and foibles of what is essentially rural life might not be everyone’s cup of tea. And it might take way more work than it used to get a home to today’s letting standard. But there is no doubt that holiday homes are now a huge business in the Mahurangi area and play an increasingly significant role in the local economy.

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26 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

localmatters.co.nz

Hunt on for Tapora librarian

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The Tapora community has been given four months to reopen the Tapora Library or it will lose out on another round of funding from the Rodney Local Board The library closed in 2014 when the volunteer managing the service left the area and did not arrange a replacement. The library then missed out on $518 in funding from the Local Board’s 2014/15 rural voluntary libraries grant. Last month, the Board decided that Tapora would only get the 2015/16 grant if it was open by April, otherwise the its funding would be split between the Leigh and Point Wells libraries. The library was run from a room in the Tapora Hall, next to Tapora School. School principal Ingrid Stewart says no-one has volunteered to run the library and there hasn’t been a lot of demand to resurrect it. “People have been travelling to the

new Wellsford Library, which is a wonderful multi-million dollar facility. I’ve raised the idea of running the school’s library as a community library, as one library is probably enough for this small community, but there’s a limited pool of people to run it.” Meanwhile, the Point Wells Library has been given a $2000 funding increase from the Local Board. It will receive $4070 in 2015/16, while Leigh Library will get $2588. Board deputy chair Steven Garner said the extra funding was due to Point Wells’ growing membership, which was more than double the size of Leigh Library. Auckland Council has also signalled funding changes could be coming for rural libraries. Funding rates have not changed since amalgamation and Auckland Libraries is looking at a more coordinated and consistent approach to levels of support.

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Local author Lynley Smith will launch her new DVD at the Heartbeat Christian Bookshop, in Argyll Angle, Warkworth, on January 27. The DVD tells the story behind the story of her book From Matron to Martyr and the launch coincides with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Smith’s book tells the story of a distant relative who died heroically in Auschwitz for the sake of the Jewish children she cared for. Smith will share highlights from the DVD, which recounts her journey to research the book and investigates the situation in Europe today. The launch will be held from 1pm to 2pm.

localmatters.co.nz

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

fin

Sweetappreciation with Chocolate Brown

Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz

Congratulations to Glennys Burgess who is the recipient of a gift basket from Chocolate Brown. Glennys was nominated by Jill Hooper, a special needs support teacher at Warkworth Primary School, who wrote:

lea

se!

“

Glennys works at Warkworth Primary School supporting teachers and children with grace, compassion and good cheer. It is a job that deserves extra recognition in itself, but it is ‘the extra’ that Glennys brings to our school community that I would like to celebrate. Recently she took it upon herself to beg, borrow, organise and repair a range of donated second-hand bikes and brand new scooters for the special needs children to use at school. She has singlehandedly brought a little bit of magic into their lives. The motivation and success they have enjoyed has added immeasurably to their learning. Glennys is a treasure. 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.

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localmatters.co.nz

Community rouses for library’s future

This infected kauri tree is near the track entrance of Logues Bush Scenic Reserve.

Kauri dieback closes Wellsford reserve Kauri dieback has forced the closure of Logues Bush Scenic Reserve, east of Wellsford. The Department of Conservation closed the reserve late last month and the closure has been supported by a rāhui (temporary access ban) put down by local iwi Ngati Manuhiri representatives, Mook Hohneck and Ringi Brown. The reserve has been classed as a highly infected site. DOC services manager Warkworth Antony Maidment says DOC is taking an active approach to managing kauri dieback.

“Next month we are starting work on a 735km, 200 track mitigation project,” he says. “We also provide boot-spray and cleaning facilities at popular track entrances, provide public education on how to reduce the spread of the disease and contribute to a multiagency effort. “The action by Ngati Manuhiri in applying customary practice measures to protect their own taonga makes good sense.” Kauri dieback, caused by the microscopic spore Phytophthora taxon Agathis (PTA), attacks the tree’s roots and destroys tissues which carry

water and nutrients, gradually starving kauri to death. Nearly all infected trees die and there is currently no cure. PTA can be spread easily through mud and water which contaminates footwear, vehicle tyres and machinery without proper disinfection. “Having people clean mud from footwear and equipment before and after entering a kauri forest is currently the best solution we have to stop the spread of the disease.” In the past 10 years, kauri dieback has killed thousands of kauri in New Zealand.

Ideas for a new multi-purpose community hub in Wellsford started flowing when about 40 people attended a meeting to discuss the future of the old Wellsford library last month. Rodney Local Board member Beth Houlbrooke says there was a consensus for a meeting place for local clubs and interest groups. “People wanted somewhere that small groups, like book clubs and knitting clubs, could meet in the evening. Some people suggested having an arts and craft exhibition space, where people could sell things and make the building financially sustainable. “It was a great turnout for Wellsford and a lot of new people came out of the woodwork who don’t usually attend Council consultation evenings.” Some people voiced frustration at the process – the building has been left untenanted since the new library opened in 2013 – and they wanted to have access to the building immediately and develop uses for the site over time. But Ms Houlbrooke says Council has a strict process. “The community want it to be community-lead, but as with all Council owned buildings, there has to be a formality around it with who holds the lease. The next step is to decide who will be the lease holder.” Members of the community plan to hold a meeting early this year. “They are hoping to nominate an umbrella group which can lease the building and coordinate the different groups that want to use the library.”

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Cuisine columnist retires Mahurangi Matters’ longest serving columnist Andrea Hinchco has called it a day. For the past 14 years, Andrea has been writing the Cuisine column, giving advice to new and experienced cooks, and sharing her love of food. “The shop (Taste the Kitchen Shop, in Mill Lane) is on the market and it’s time for a new direction,” she says. Andrea and husband Mike have been active in the wine growing and retail sectors of the Mahurangi area for many years. They sold their vineyard to 2012 and moved to Kaipara Flats, and Andrea now works as the activities coordinator at Summerset Village, while Mike runs the shop. Mahurangi Matters thanks Andrea for her contribution to the paper over such a long period of time and wishes both her and Mike all the best.

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30 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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Warkworth’s Brass Band is keen to recruit new members.

Oldest band in step with modern music The modern and entertaining music played today by Rodney’s oldest band is a far cry from the military style of music it marched to 100 years ago. The band has evolved over the past few years, with a marked change in musical style, and has recently introduced saxophones to the brass line-up. “But, we need more players!” the band’s musical director, Alan Flack, says. “Clarinet, bass/rhythm guitar, and percussionists would all be welcomed. These instruments not only add tonal differences to the band’s sound, particularly when we perform the Big Band style of music, but also offers another outlet for instrumentalists. It’s a great opportunity to join such a fun and diverse group of musicians.” The band rehearses on Wednesday nights at 7.30 pm in the band room (next to the Warkworth Fire Station). The first rehearsal of the year will be held on January 27. If you play any brass instrument, saxophone, clarinet, bass/rhythm guitar, drums/percussion or piano/ keyboards and can read printed music competently, Warkworth Brass is keen to hear from you. Info: 422 7919, 021 1788570 or visit the band’s Facebook page.

NZ’s Youth Choir will perform in Warkworth early next month. Photo, Brooke Baker.

Youthful voices perform in Warkworth The New Zealand Youth Choir will make a long overdue visit to venues north of Auckland early next month, with performances in Whangarei, Waitangi and Warkworth. Founded in 1979, the choir has achieved considerable success with performances in New Zealand and 10 international tours. The choir is comprised of around 50 singers, aged between 18 and 25 years, and operates on a threeyear audition cycle. Former choir members include international vocal soloists such as Jonathan Lemalu, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Simon O’Neill, and others who have

gone on to join acclaimed choral ensembles such as the King’s Singers, the BBC Singers and Sol3 Mio. The choir will perform in the Mahurangi College auditorium on Sunday, February 7, at 3.30pm. Under the baton of its music director, David Squire, the choir will preview the repertoire that it will take on its European Tour to the Czech Republic, France and England next year. Tickets for the Warkworth concert are available in advance from Unichem Lee and Hart Pharmacy and Not Just Hats, and at the door (cash only). Adult $25, students $15, children under 12 free admission with an adult.

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• Registered electrician • Domestic and commercial • Free quotes

3.5T Digger 5T Truck

Call Carl today on 022 071 0245 Or email carl@cge.co.nz

Bob Waata Mobile 021 634 484

TE HANA TRACTORS GOOD OLD FASHIONED SERVICE • • • • •

New/Used Tractors & Machinery In-house Engineer Mobile Servicing Repairs Comprehensive Parts Range

Specialists in: • Electrical work • Commercial & residential • Gate automation & repairs • Electrical fencing • Garage door automation & repairs

• New Houses and Alterations • Exterior/Garden Lighting • Fault finding/Repairs • TV Phone and Data

WILCOCK

AM:w027 4771 583

Phone 09 425 5491 • Mobile 027 275 1172 neilkose@live.com

CON TRAC TORS Footings Hole Boring Landscaping

• Renovations • Maintenance • Small jobs a specialty

HERON BUILDERS RICHARD WILCOCK LTD

Trevor Jull Tel: 09 422 5292 Mob: 021 734 460

Ryan Bridgens 021 560 889

LTD

Licensed LBP carpenter

specialising in

Terms & Conditions apply

New Homes, Renovations & alterations

10% ! oFF

No job too Small 24 hr operation

Electrical practicing licence for NZ

Ph 022 352 7405 • dudleysimeon@gmail.com dudleyselectrical • www.dudleys.co.nz

MATAKANA

Trellis & Fencing Fences - Gates - Screens - Pergola Phone Bob Moir 422 9550 or 0274 820 336 Email: hurstmere@ihug.co.nz

Authorised Agents for Kioti and TYM tractors 308 SH1, Te Hana, Wellsford • PH 09 423 8558

RODNEY TRELLIS Trellis - Panels - Fencing Installations - all shapes and sizes Specialities: Framed Archways – Superior Trellis Pedestrian Gate Frames (mortised) Trellis spray painting / oiling Gazebo's ~ dove cotes ~ pergolas

115

872 Kaipara Flats Road Ph: 425 7627 • Fax 422 4976

FLOOR SANDING - FLOOR PREPARATION FLOOR SANDING - FLOOR PREPARATION Polyurethaning:- Wooden Floors, Particle Board & Cork Cork Tiles:- Natural & Coloured Enviro Friendly Products available

KAE JAE CONTRACTORS (LTD) PHONE KEN (0274) 866-923 A/Hrs (09) 422-7328 • Fax (09) 422-7329

The

Trellis Guy Snells Beach • Warkworth • Orewa

• Custom made • Quality material • Quality workmanship

Also see Lance for your supply of Native and Landscaping plants

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

Carpet, Vinyl, Cork, Ceramic Tiles, Wood & Laminate

09 422 2275 21 Glenmore Drive www.flooringxtra.co.nz 146M

Selco Enterprises

Carpet Overlocking Services

OUTDOOR FURNITURE Tables to order Chairs • Swingseats Benches • Umbrellas NZ made – quality built to last

email: selcoenterprises@vodafone.co.nz

25 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Silverdale (next to BP) Ph: 09 426 9660 • em: clipper.furniture@xtra.co.nz www.clipperfurniture.co.nz

39 Worker Road • Wellsford Ph 09 423 8322 / 021 403 072

Your handy pull-out guide

Mahurangi Matters - January 13, 2016

FURNITURE

FROG POOL FARM

2008

Designer Leather Sofas Chairs Lamps

Timber Furniture Specialists with quality workmanship guaranteed Specialising in antique, new furniture & all other timber surfaces. Furniture Restoration • Re-spraying • Special Finishing • Colour Matching Insurance quotes • Furniture repairs • Custom made – Recycled or new timber • Modifications • Upholstery

Phone Grant or Lesley 23b Foundry Rd, Silverdale | 09 426 2979 www.silverdalefurniturerestorations.co.nz 09 426 8412 | www.countrycharm.co.nz

Rodney Garage Doors

(1998 LTD)

repair • supply • automate

29 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth 09 425 0258 • 0274 425 025 rodneygaragedoors@vodafone.co.nz

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

Wellsford

ALUMINIUM & GLASS GLASS & ALUMINIUM

FOR ALL YOUR GLASS, GLAZING, AND ALUMINIUM NEEDS

Domestic and Commercial Glazing Glass Showers Splash Backs Mirrors • Cat Doors Windscreen Replacement and Chip Repair

arkworth lass & lazing

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

Michelle Boler

53 Station Road, Wellsford • Phone (09) 423 7358 Email: wellsfordglass@xtra.co.nz

Beauty Therapy & Nail Creations for head to toe pampering

Alison Wech

C.I.D.E.S.C.O, C.I.B.T.A.C, dip Beauty Therapy, dip Electrolysis, dip Body Therapy, dip Nail Technician

46 McKinney Road, Warkworth Mob 021 051 3661 • Ph 09 425 7776 tlcbeautytherapynails@yahoo.co.nz

• Facials • Waxing • Tinting • Gel Nails • Acrylic Nails • Manicures • Pedicures • Electrolysis • Make-up • Body Wraps • Massage • Spray Tans

COMPOSITE JOINERY Ltd Composite Joinery Ltd 7 Glenmore Drive Warkworth 0941

Phone: 09 425 7510

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

Fax: 09 422 2011

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

For all your property maintenance and small building projects Phone to discuss YOUR requirements 021 423 860 - 423 8619 a/h handyman@bruno.co.nz • www.bruno.co.nz

Shimano approved Fully equipped workshop Road Bikes Mountain Bikes Full Suspension BMX Bikes Parts & Accessories Matakana Bikes | 09 423 0076 Now located at Matakana Country Park, 1151 Leigh Road, Matakana info@matakanabicyclehire.co.nz

Say No to Leaky Homes

THE ULTIMATE ALUMINIUM

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

WINDOW AND DOOR FLASHING SYSTEM

• Robust, Good Looking and Durable • Specify Best Practice, Specify Flashman • The only Flashing System Guaranteed

Northland 0800 55 66 00 www.flashman.co.nz

Bradwood Kitchens

Rodney Aluminium Joinery

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

Kitchen Colours

HANDCRAFTED BESPOKE SOLID WOOD KITCHENS

and Wood Finishes

FROM RECYCLED & NEW TIMBERS

@ FROG POOL FARM

728 STATE HIGHWAY ONE, DOME VALLEY PHONE 425 9030 • WWW.BRADWOOD.CO.NZ

BICYCLE MECHANIC

417 Old Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth

www.craftsmaninteriors.co.nz 021 189 8807 • 09 422 5709

Spraypainters of quality kitchens Lacquers, enamels, urethanes, 2 pacs, clearcoats Resprays and Recolours

Phone / Fax Gary 425 7669 Unit 21/30 Hudson Road, Warkworth

Your handy pull-out guide

Mahurangi Matters - January 13, 2016

JB's No 1 LANDSCAPING SERVICES

GROUNDCARE LTD

• PLANTING • FENCES

Tractor Mowing • Mulching • Rotary Slashing • Topping Sections, Lifestyle Blocks & Farm Paddocks

Don 425 8501 - 021 527 017 TOTAL LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION

• PAVING • DECKS

• 4 x 4 Truck & Digger Hire • Excavation • Earthmoving • Tractor & Ride-on Mowing • Lifestyle Property Services • Garden Design

• RETAINING WALLS • GARDEN MAKEOVERS

SERVICING HIBISCUS COAST TO MANGAWHAI JOHN BETTRIDGE (JB) Phone: 09 425 4086 Mobile: 021 665 558 E-mail: john.bettridge@jbsno1.co.nz

09 422 9514 • 021 831 938 www.junglefix.co.nz

www.centrallandscapes.co.nz

for complete quality projects

• Lawns - contouring & seeding • Top soil • Retaining Walls • Driveways • Paths

• Screened Topsoil • Living Earth Compost & Garden Mix • Lawn Mix • Mulch • Bark • Pebbles • Stones • Sand • Drainage • Metal • Sleepers • Pongas • Grass Seed • Fertiliser • Weedmat bagged & bulk plus much more

FREE LOAN TRAILERS HOME DELIVERIES 7 DAYS A WEEK

• Digger • Truck • Tractor Phone Bruce 425 7766 a/h 021 055 4226 I take the hard work out of Landscaping

email: warkworth@centrallandscapes.co.nz 25-31 Morrison Dr WARKWORTH 09 425 9780

0800 TOPSOIL

• Alarm & CCTV Installation and Servicing • Alarm Monitoring • Patrols/alarm Response SECURITY & INVESTIGATION • Free Design and Quotation FOR ALL OF YOUR SECURITY NEEDS

0800 66 24 24

Warkworth

• New Alarms - Design, Install & Service

• CCTV – Design, Install & Service

• Panic Alarms

• Alarm Monitoring

• Fire Alarm Systems

• Rapid Response 24/7

• Access Control Systems

• Premise Patrols

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

WARKWORTH FURNITURE REMOVALS

LOCAL SECURITY COMPANY

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL www.insitesecurity.co.nz PO Box 487

CONTRACTING

• Specialist Furniture Trucks • Packing & Storage • Caring Owner/Operator • Carriers Liability Insurance • Local & Long Distance

SNELLS BEACH

PHONE 09 425 5597

Phone 0274 889 216 | Ah 09 422 7495

• Lockup Checks

Fully Licensed & Experienced Staff

Call us now for a Free Assessment & Quotation

0800 66 24 24 extn 2 YOUR LOCAL SECURITY COMPANY

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

Harley 021 0220 8727 or 09 423 9012 Your Painter/Decorator with over 30 years experience serving all surrounding areas.

Leigh Decorators PaintingPainting Paperhanging Paperhanging Roofs Roofs Airless Spraying Airless Spraying StoppingStopping (small jobs) RepaintsRepaints New Homes New Homes

For your Free Quote and/or Consultation, Phone Gary Home: 09-422-6695 Mobile: 021-024-44941 Email: leighdecorators@clear.net.nz

Welch Painting & Decorating Mark Welch

• Painting • Spray Painting • Paper Hanging • Water Blasting Mob: 027 240 8330 A/h : 422 2678 mawpaintin@gmail.com

A BRUSH WITH ART

EXPERT PAINTING AND DECORATING

Interior/Exterior n Waterblasting n Roof Painting Airless Spraying n Plastering n Wallpapering Colour Consulting n Decorative Effects Qualified Tradesmen - Honest/Reliable

www.intercolour.co.nz

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

Painting | Plastering | Maintenance

Spice it up 027 217 2765

Michelle de Rijk, Warkworth petraderijk@yahoo.com

Ph Mandy 09 423 0005 or 021 507 463

WARKWORTH PICTURE FRAMERS COMPLETE CUSTOM FRAMING SERVICE David and Pat Little P. 09 425 8143 E. the_littles@xtra.co.nz 15 Coquette Street,Warkworth 0910 DAVID LITTLE GCF

& DRAINLAYING

Helping you with plumbing, drainlaying, jet machine & drain camera tplumber@xtra.co.nz

021 102 4561

TRIED – TESTED – TRUSTED

Your handy pull-out guide

Mahurangi Matters - January 13, 2016

Rodney’s Independent Property Management company

0800 171161 info@igniteproperty.co.nz

BEN CLEAL Contracts Manager • New Roofs • Roof Repairs • Re-Roofs • Roof Inspections

Specialists in long-run roofing M:021 220 5404 P:09 422 2131 Free Phone:0800 649 324

E: ben@rightnowroofing.co.nz

www.rightnowroofing.co.nz

Servicing Auckland - Rodney - Kaipara

Metroscaff Limited

- Residential & Light Commercial - Quick Stage - OSH Standards - Tube & Clip - Qualified Scaffolders - Reliable Service P 09 425 0300 M 021 774 653 F 09 423 0017 admin@metroscaff.co.nz www.metroscaff.co.nz

Julie Beaumont

Covering Rodney in Long-Run Iron Local Quality Guaranteed

Matt Tickle Licensed LBP Mobile: 021356965 Home: 09 425 6311 Email: iron.man@xtra.co.nz

For your safety we have: • Experienced Qualiﬁed Scaffolders • Full range of Equipment • Including Alloy Mobile & Builder’s Props

PHONE 0800 Services 622 7929 MacJimray Septic Cleaning are the

OMAHA SNELLS BEACH - WARKWORTH - MANGAWHAI septic-tank cleaning specialists in your district. Residential to Scaffolding commercial,and fast,Rigging reliable,New professional Member of Zealand service at competitive rates.

Digital Security Specialists Ltd

A L A RM RE PA IRS Specialists Rodney Wide

Alarm Servicing • Maintenance • Battery Service • Monitoring • New Alarms • Parts • Replacement Keypads Approved Security Licensed Operator

Septic Tank/Grease Trap Cleaning Septic & Sewerage Treatment Systems

Don’t let your septic tank become costly - service it now!

Email: Alarm2repair@gmail.com

0800 25 27 61

25 Years in Security

Servicing Rodney

www.boundary.co.nz Email: survey@boundary.co.nz Ph 09 426 7109 or 021 838 365

Digital Freeview Satellite Installation & Repairs

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

Artesian Solway Water

• Rural & Urban Subdivision • Boundary Locations • Site Contour Plans • Construction Set-out

Rupert Mather 021 425 837 Graeme Smith 021 422 983 23 Bertram Street, Warkworth

09 425 7393 admin@wwsurveyors.co.nz

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

PICTURE PERFECT TV

H2O PUMPS

Water Treatment • Pumping Systems • Filtration • UV Sterilizers HOURS • Softeners & Neutralizers • Iron Removal Owen Ward

WATER TANKS sales@absoluteconcrete.co.nz

We relocate houses, we buy houses, we sell houses.

New • ReRoofs • Cladding Specialists

09 4312211

Call Ian on 021 639 562 www.jrhc.co.nz

ROOFING NZ

Subdivision • Boundary Pegs Site Surveys • Council Consents Building Setout & Checks

ABSOLUTE CONCRETE

WE BUY HOUSES FOR REMOVAL

P: 09 425 0086 M: 027 544 4006 info@artesianwater.net.nz

In partnership with Wyatt’s Haulage

021 771 878 • 09 425 6002 E. h2opumps@xtra.co.nz MOBILE EFTPOS AVAILABLE

Your handy pull-out guide

Mahurangi Matters - January 13, 2016 WATER | WOOD CHOPPING

WATER PUMPS New Pump Sales Service Installation

clean. care. repair. WATER TANK & WATER APPLICATION CLEANING AGENCY

Phone/Fax 425-5619 Mobile 0800 733 765

Warkworth: Phone John or Annette Carr

p: 09 425 7477 | m: 027 240 7791 | f: 09 425 7483 email: mobikair@xtra.co.nz

K & R PUMP SERVICES LTD

Pump & Filtration Services

Mangawhai: Phil Lathrope 431 4608 | 021 642 668

www.mobi-kair.co.nz

Household Water Deliveries

(2007) Ltd

• Water treatment & Filtration • Pumps • Pool & Spas • Waterblasters 7days / 24hours Paul Harris

0800 747 928

M: 021 425 887 T: 09 425 0075 E: pumps4u@live.com

mobile: 027 556 6111

Hiab Truck and Portable Sawmilling Authorised Agent

MOBILE & WORKSHOP SERVICE 31 WOODCOCKS RD WARKWORTH - 425 9100

Grant torkington 021 138 7206

splashwater@xtra.co.nz

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING APPLIANCE REPAIRS A SMART REPAIR Service for F&P smartdrive washers, F&P/Simpson dryers. Same day service 09 423 9660 or 021 168 7349.

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

FLIGHTS

FOR SALE

HOME MAINTENANCE

BOAT Haines Hunter SR535. Yamaha 115 motor. 1998 boat professionally maintained and in very good condition. $ 23500 - Ph 021747991. 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

PLUMBER Semi retired for small jobs. Point Wells 09 423 0193 or 027 490 2054 PLUMBER Maintenance work. New tap to new house. Matakana based. Ph Steve 027 494 5499 WATER FILTERS Underbench filters & whole house Ultra violet filters – Kill and remove ecoli/bacteria. FREE site visits. Ph Steve 09 422 3245 steve.reynolds@aquafilter.co.nz www.aquafilter.co.nz. WATER PUMPS Low water pressure? Get it sorted. Sales, service and installation. Work guaranteed. Ph Steve 09 422 3245 steve.reynolds@aquafilter.co.nz www.aquafilter.co.nz. LAWN MOWING rubbish removal, hedges, small tree removal. WW & beach areas. Ph Jeff Hatfull 027 425 7357, 425 7357

SUPER COMPOST

Untreated wood shavings & duck poo. Per Bag $10, Bulk $75/m3. Enquire about delivery. Ph 422 5042

SCENIC FLIGHTS 30 mins $65; 20 mins $55; Min. 3 passengers. Trial flights $85. Gift vouchers available. GREAT BARRIER FLIGHTS. Special stopover up to 4 hours. Return $120. Min. 3 passengers. One way flights $120 each. Min 2 passengers. NORTH CAPE FLIGHTS $450 each. Min 3 passengers.

Rodney Aero Club 425 8735 or Rod Miller 425 5612

Advertise your classifieds and church notices here for only

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

GARAGE SALES MAUNGATUROTO 2ND HAND SHOP may be interested in buying your garage sale goods. Buying tools and furniture now. Phone 09 431 8440 or 021 125 1576

HAIRDRESSERS Karen Hart, former stylist from XS Cuts would like to thank all my clients for their loyalty & business. I am working independently now. Please feel free to contact me on 021 187 5540 I look forward to your call!

CAREFUL WATER BLASTING SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE IN RODNEY AREA We wash houses, buildings & any other structure that you need cleaned externally. Experienced. Will travel. Refs available CALL BAYWASH - 027 230 0757

HORSE RIDING

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

Sudoku

solution

MARKETS

MUSEUM SUMMER MARKETS 1st Saturday of the month, 8am, Old Masonic Hall, Baxter Street, Warkworth. Enquiries Warkworth 425 8391

Your handy pull-out guide

Mahurangi Matters - January 13, 2016

PUBLIC NOTICES

Please send expressions of interest to L.ruland@mahurangi.school.nz Applications close 30th January 2016

BINGO, BINGO, BINGO!

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

WARKWORTH MUSIC AGM

Thursday February 11th at 7.30pm 19 Hepburn Creek Road, Warkworth

NETBALL RODNEY CENTRE 2016 AGM To be held Thursday 11th February 2016, 7pm at the Netball Rodney Centre office in Centennial Park, Wellsford. For more information please email netballrodneycenter@xtra.co.nz

FREE JP SERVICE

Auckland Council service centre, Baxter St, Warkworth. Monday, 10am to 2pm. Mahurangi East Library, 21 Hamatana Road, Snells Beach. Friday, 10am to noon. Warkworth RSA, 28 Neville Street. Friday, 4.15 to 5pm. Closed public holidays. No appointment necessary. Service includes signing, witnessing, declarations, certified copies & immigration. Sponsored by Mahurangi Matters

WORK WANTED

WARKWORTH RED CROSS RAFFLE

Winner: Krista Fletcher, Purple Heart, 052 Second: Grant McDonald, Red Heart, 075b

Warkworth Red Cross Christmas Raffle results. Cunitia Wilkinson - 425 5800

2016 RODNEY HEALTH CHARITABLE TRUST CALENDARS

$10 EACH Available from Mahurangi Matters, 17 Neville Street, Warkworth or Paper Plus, 37-39 Queen St, Warkworth

TUITION

Nanny & More! Quality full-time local courses for nanny & childcare careers Call Amanda now for free info! 424 3055 nannyacademy.ac.nz

DRUM LESSONS Professional Drummer $35 - half hour $50 - per hour No experience necessary, all equipment Provided. Age no Barrier! Phone: 021 02786771 facebook.com/danclaydonmusic email: dandan000888@gmail.com PIANO TUITION Including practical and theory, all grades. Warkworth based John Wilkins – phone 09 425 9669.”

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.

CARPET REPAIRS, RE-STRETCHING ETC. Any small jobs. Phone Gavin09 425 5918 or 0274 106 631 REID EQUESTRIAN ENGINEERING, Wellsford. Float rebuilds, horse truck conversions, etc. Dog kennels made to measure. Quality work. Ph Ron 423 9666 RETIRED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Fit multi-skilled (C6 License) with s/c mobile home seeks casual work, farm, orchard etc. in lieu of ground rent. John 027 230 6858

Shearing Extra small flocks 35 yrs exp 50

Call Out

10 per sheep

thereafter

Phone Greg

Mahurangi Matters have one issue only in January, the next issue will be February 3.

021 041 2903

CHURCH NOTICES

Warkworth Anglican Parish Church Services

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Phone 425 8545

www.holyname.org.nz

Holy Mass Timetable:

Christ Church, Church Hill, Warkworth

WARKWORTH

Every Sunday 8am and 9.30am

Holy Name Church, 6 Alnwick Street Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm Sunday: 10.30am

St. Leonard's, Matakana

Every Sunday at 9.30am

Snells Beach Community Church

PUHOI

2nd Sunday at 9am

SS. Peter & Paul Church Sunday: 8.30am

St.Alban's, Kaipara Flats

1st Sunday at 11.15am

St.Michael and All Angels, Leigh

MAHURANGI METHODIST PARISH

3rd Sunday at 11.00am

Phone 425 8054 or www.anglican-warkworth.org

Warkworth Methodist

1 Hexham Street, Warkworth Parish Ofﬁce: Ph 425 8660 Sunday Service 10.30am HALL BOOKINGS PH 425 8053

Snell’s Beach Community Church

5 Pulham Road, Warkworth Phone 425 8861 www.mahu.org.nz

325 Mahurangi East Rd Sunday Service 9am HALL BOOKINGS PH 425 5612

Sunday Services 9am & 10.30am

Sudoku

Church ofﬁce - 425 8660

the numbers game

January Sailing Schedule Fri 15th 2 hr, departs 1130hrs Sun 17th 1hr Warkworth Heritage Walkabout, departs 1130hrs. 1 hr Historic River Cruise, dep. 1300hrs. Costs: Walk $10pp, full excursion $15pp. Bring lunch/water. Reservations necessary.. Sat 30th Mahurangi Old Time Regatta. Costs: One hour, adult $20pp, seniors $15pp, child $5pp. Two hour – adult $30pp, seniors $25pp, child $10, family $75. Three hour – adult $40pp, seniors $35pp, child $15, family $100. Food & BYO permitted.

www.janegifford.org.nz SUPPORTED BY MAHURANGI MATTERS

9 4

2 HARD

1 8

1 3

7 9

5 6

Info / Reservations

Dave Parker - 09 425 5006 or 027 484 9935 Email: dh.parker@xtra.co.nz

7 6

2 6 4

5 SOLUTION LIFT-OUT PAGE 6

FILL IN THIS GRID SO THAT EVERY COLUMN, EVERY ROW AND EVERY 3X3 BOX CONTAINS THE DIGITS 1 TO 9.

www.sudokupuzz.com

MAHURANGI COLLEGE NETBALL IS LOOKING FOR COACHES, MANAGERS AND UMPIRES

88 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016 13, 2016 Mahurangi Matters - January

localmatters.co.nz

Bill Ballantine’s Legacy – Saving 10% of Shores A poem by John Walsby Before some dire warnings from Val Chapman and Bill Ballantine Most people thought New Zealand’s fish and seas were doing fine. Some scientists, though, were worried that fish stocks were in decline. But the fishing public trumpetted their rights to cast a line. “The seas belong to everyone and fishing is our right. We don’t want restrictions and won’t concede without a fight”. But Bill was not for fighting; persuasion was his game. He’d argue calmly with opponents until they thought the same. “Since when was it a right for them to catch fish and to plunder All the creatures in the ocean that live their lives down under.” “What” said Bill, “have any anglers done to support aquatic life. Most of them have only added to the environmental strife.” “With spears and nets and hooks on lines, all they do is take. Almost none have made a contribution to give the fish a break. It is in our human nature to catch much more than we need But there is no rhyme or reason to perpetuate this greed.” He’d ask them, “What’s the fishing like?” “There’s hardly any left; Compared to the good old days, the seas are quite bereft. So we need more sea, not less, in which to catch our quota.” It was clear that fishers did not want to give up one iota. “With a conservation attitude,” said Bill, “You know, we might discover Some no-take areas, set aside, might help fish stocks recover. Reserves would act as nurseries where some breeding stock reside To assist with reproduction and thus increase the stocks outside.” Dr Ballantine passed away on November 1, last year, aged 78.

“To counteract indifference we need a system of reserves For both abundance and diversity, it’s what ocean life deserves. And besides, we have a duty, to lost marine life that we mourn To save some areas of ocean for generations not yet born.” Soon commercial fishers realised, the stock increase potential And some were so supportive they said the changes were essential. Some recreational anglers began to come on board as well, And steadily, throughout the country, support began to swell. So eventually, the politicians introduced an act And after years of conflict, marine reserves became a fact. The Act’s passing raised some questions of “just how big” and “where” ? And were these new reserves enough to enhance marine life’s care ? The first Marine Reserve - Goat Island - was declared in ’77 But for Bill this small, protected strip was very far from heaven. While some in Conservation crowed “Hooray, At last we’re winning !” The more pragmatic Bill replied “It’s only the beginning !” Bill said a network of reserves must include some special sites Like South Island’s deep fiords and the spectacular Poor Knights. They should be all round New Zealand so that everyone, with ease, Can see the wonderful diversity that exists within our seas. He said it was important that the network represent The full range of different habitats and should take in 10% Of all New Zealand’s coastline, about 8 thousand miles, From the Kermadecs, way north, to the sub Antarctic isles. We now have 42 reserves, all administered by DoC, For scientific study, and to protect existing stock, And allow all New Zealanders to experience the thrill Of close encounters with marine life: a great legacy for Bill.

localmatters.co.nz/whatson

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

First-time exhibitors line-up for hospice charity art show

‘Sunrise at Tutukaka’ is one of Auckland artist Sue Christie’s entries in the show.

Mandy Fleming in her garage where she transforms old tools, cutlery and engine parts into art.

Mandy Fleming did not set out to challenge gender stereotypes, but since she started creating ‘junk art’ 18 months ago, she has taught the tradesmen of Warkworth that looks can be deceiving. When she visits mechanical and engineering workshops, junk yards and the hospice garage sale to hunt out materials for her quirky creations, Mandy is the epitome of femininity. Back in her Sandspit workshop with a mig welder in hand, she is simply an artist. Mandy will be taking part in her first exhibition this month when she enters four pieces in Martakana, the 10th annual art exhibition and sale organised by Warkworth Wellsford Hospice. It will be held in the Matakana School Hall from January 22 to 24. Mike Pero Matakana is the major sponsor for the show, which will feature around 200 artworks from artists throughout Auckland and further afield. Almost half of the 64 artists are, like Mandy,

exhibiting at this event for the first time. Mandy will be selling creatures and creations made from steel objects such as cutlery, engine parts and tools. Having taught herself to weld because she wanted to do something more adventurous than knitting and sewing, her motivation is to have fun and to give old items new life. “I’ve always looked at stuff differently and I hate throwing things away,” she says. “I like finding the stuff and putting it together – it’s so much fun and I’m only just beginning.” Her next project is to persuade husband Bruce to build her a proper workshop so they don’t have to share the garage. Bruce may be forced to give in to prevent his tools and bicycle from accidentally becoming part of Mandy’s next artwork. Martakana opens its doors at noon on Friday, January 22, with the official opening at 6pm that evening. Entry to the evening event is by donation

Also featuring in Martakana is ‘Sandspit’ by Russell Jackson.

and guests will enjoy food, wine and music as they browse the art. The exhibition and sale continues with free entry from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, January 23, and 9am to 2pm on Sunday, January 24. The proceeds will help fund the local hospice service, which provides nurses’ visits, grief counselling, information and practical support for patients and families who are living with a life-shortening illness. All services are offered free of charge, regardless of the patient’s age or the family’s financial circumstances. Info: warkworthwellsfordhospice.co.nz

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32 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

BOOKREVIEWS

By Matakana Village Books

Slade House by David Mitchell

A combination of ghost story and sci-fi this is a haunted house story that will capture your imagination. Slade House was originally a short story that David Mitchell published on Twitter. There are five stories set at nine-year intervals, starting in 1979, and all connected by the “small black iron door set into the right-hand wall”, in an alley that is the entry to Slade House. Every nine years, the twin-soul-sucking vampires Norah and Jonah Grayer tempt mortals into Slade House. They feed on the victims’ life force to keep themselves alive for another nine years. The stories increase in suspense as the book develops as some of the previous victims try frantically to warn the new victims. This is a great book to be read on the beach during the summer break.

Retro and vintage Boats – Kiwi portraits by Don Jesson

art

art in Matakana

akana

This is a gorgeous book that even nonboaties will love. It is divided into sections on the various types of boats found in NZ’s coastal and inland waterways. There are clinker and picnic boats, steam launches (smoke boats), mullet boats, runabouts, classic and retro launches, and jet boats. All the boats have owners who have lavished both attention and love on the upkeep and preservation of these beautiful old boats. Who wouldn’t love a picnic boat, where the chief purpose was for informal day trips to islands for picnics or for river or lake outings that didn’t require overnighting? Each boat has wonderful full page photos taken by Don’s wife Marilyn and a short history where known. There are also the details of the current engines and where known the past engines that the individual boats have had. This book contributes greatly to our knowledge of boat history in New Zealand and will be enjoyed by a wide range of people, avid boaties and non-boaties.

Country Fair and car boot sale back at Whangateau

Sunrise at Tutukaka by Sue Christie

Fine art by invited artists

22-24 January 2016 Matakana School Hall Opening night: 6pm Fri 22 January Wine and cheese Entry by donation

Proudly sponsored by

Open to the public (free entry): Friday 22 January Saturday 23 January Sunday 24 January

noon - 6pm 9am - 5pm 9am - 2pm

Fun and games for all the family will be on offer at Whangateau during Auckland Anniversary weekend, when the village’s annual Country Fair is held on Sunday January 31, from 10am to 2pm. There will be bouncy castles, games and races for the kids, plenty of local produce and quick fire raffles, including Leigh fish, homemade cakes and mussel fritters, Puhoi cheeses and lots of fruit and veggies. Stalls will include the traditional bumper book sale inside Whangateau Hall and entertainment will be provided by local bluegrass favourites The Pipi Pickers. A car boot sale is also being run as part of the fair and sites can be booked for $15 via fair organiser and hall committee member, Lynette Penney, on 422 6057. Funds raised from the event go towards improving facilities and equipment at the historic Whangateau Hall, which is a popular venue for meetings, events and concerts, and is home to the Whangateau Folk Club. Lynette says proceeds from this year’s fair will help extend and improve the hall’s picket fence, and the purchase of new blinds or curtains. Info: Lynette Penney 422 6057

Warkworth, Matakana, Wellsford

Raising funds for Warkworth Wellsford Hospice warkworthwellsfordhospice.co.nz

Quality Used & New Children & Teen Classic & Contemporary Fiction Holiday Reading for all the Family 15 Neville St, Warkworth • Phone 09 425 8521 admin@unicornbooks.co.nz • Find & like us on Facebook

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Custom Furniture | Leather | Homeware | Interior Design

Headliners, the Conscious Music Collective, promise a ‘spicy fusion of East, West and Pacifica, with soulful jazz funk, tasty grooves and beautiful melodies’.

Good grooves at Kawau The third annual Music in the Gardens concert and community fundraiser will be held at the Mansion House reserve on Kawau Island on Saturday February 13, from 2pm. The programme’s line-up includes Conscious Music Collective, five musicians led by vocalist Georgia Duder-Wood, plus Sal Valentine & The Babyshakes and singer Sarah van Zyl. The day is organised by OPAK – Organisations Passionate About Kawau – to increase awareness of Kawau Island and its attractions, and to raise money for local voluntary groups and clubs. Last year, $20,000 was raised which was split between Kawau Emergency Response Trust (KERT), Kawau Volunteer Coastguard and Kawau Boating Club. The beneficiaries this year will again be KERT and the Coastguard, plus Camp Bentzon (Kawau Island) Trust. OPAK secretary Helen Jeffery says last year’s Music in the Gardens was a terrific success and a sellout, with more than 800 people going across to the island to enjoy a laid-back afternoon

of music, food and wine, so there will be no major changes for 2016. “The formula is the same as last time – why change when it’s so successful?” she says. “There will be beer, cider and Matakana wines, plus yummy food, all prepared on the island, including mussel fritters, ham baps and Warkworth Butchery sausages.” Cheese platters, corn fritters, soft drinks and ice creams will be on sale, or people can bring their own picnic, although no BYO alcohol is allowed. There will also be live and silent auctions, with prizes including a stay at The Beach House in Vivian Bay, complete with a seaplane trip from Auckland to Kawau. Tickets cost $20 for adults (until February 1, after which they will be $25) and include entry into the grand prize draw, spot prizes, a souvenir wine glass, plus the music and entertainment. Children under 15 years are $10; with under 5s free. Bookings: musicinthegardens.co.nz or from Kawau Cruises at Sandspit jetty on 425 8006, which is also the number to book ferry seats and tickets.

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A&Pfeature

34 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

149 annual A&P show th

Saturday 23 JANUARY 2016 all day events • Doug the Digger • Wood Chopping • Trade Displays • Live Music • Alpaca – Cattle – Dairy – Goats • Sheep Shearing • Young Handlers Competitions • Warkworth & Wellsford Pipes and Drums • Vintage Car Displays • Ranch Horse Events – Reining – Drafting • Equestrian Competition – Events • Produce & Cottage Industry Market • Petting Zoo • Home Craft competitions • Rabbits • Super Mega Water Slide • Smile Inflatables Amusements for all ages • Fire Safety Display • Gumboot Throwing Competition

WARKWORTH Showgrounds SH1 Just North of WARKWORTH

guest compere & judge

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eftpos available • free parking SHOW DAY PROGRAMME 8.30am Competition starts for Equestrian Section 9.00am Ranch Horse Club – Warkworth Rodeo Arena 9.30am Young Generation Calf Club Competitions 9.30am Judging Alpacas & Dairy Goat Section Trade 9.30am & Cottage Industry Open 10.00am Judging of Beef & Dairy Cattle Section 10.00am Donkeys & Mules Competition 10.00am Indoor Section opens for viewing 10.30am Grand National Sheeplechase (Livemusic) Music) 10.30am Otherwise Fine (live 11.00am Gumboot throwing

11.00am Bubble Muffin Kids Cooking Club (Livemusic) Music) 12.00pm Otherwise Fine (live 12.00pm Bubble Muffin Kids Cooking Club 12.30pm Gumboot throwing 1.00pm Bubble Muffin Kids Cooking Club 1.30pm Young Handler Competitions 1.30pm Grand National Sheeplechase 1.30pm All-Breeds Cattle Judging Bubble 2.00pm Muffin Kids Cooking Club 2.00pm Gumboot throwing (Livemusic) Music) 2.00pm Otherwise Fine (live

• Golf Pitching Competition • Bubble Muffin Kids Cooking Club

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A&Pfeature

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Rambunctious agricultural show celebrates country life

The Puhoi Axemen are a staple crowd-pleaser at the annual A&P show.

There will be more entertainment, stalls and competitions than you can shake a cattle prod at in the 149th Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show on January 23 and 24. The main day on Saturday will feature live music including pipes and drums from Warkworth and Wellsford, and gumboot throwing will kickoff at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm, which is being run under the guidance of the famous Taihape competition organisers. Wannabe golfers will be able to try out their swing at the Warkworth Collision Repairs hole-in-one golf challenge. The company has a car with a hole in the roof and anyone who can hit a golf ball through the hole will be in to win a prize. Heats will be run throughout the day. The NZ Fire Service will be putting on a major safety demonstration and Alistair McIntyre, also known as Mr Mac, will be entertaining the crowds with his Doug the Digger show, where participants have to use a digger to pour a cup of

tea or fill a glass with water. Children will be well catered for with a petting zoo, a cooking show (see story 36), a marionette puppet show, an inflatable obstacle course, and the everpopular Super Mega Waterslide. There will also be a treasure hunt throughout the showgrounds. But it is the farming events that represent the heart of the day. Sheep shearing will start at 10.30am and run all day. Show secretary Marjorie Blythen says cattle entries have been clumping in and more than 80 animals are expected to compete, while a good turnout of show alpacas and goats is anticipated – judging starts at 9.30am. Donkeys and mules will join the competition for the first time this year (see story p36), with judging starting at 10am. The ‘Sheeplechase’ sheep race will be held at 10.30am and 1.30pm. The equestrian competition will run throughout the

The show provides visitors with an opportunity to take a close look at a wide range of animals including alpaca and llama.

weekend and the Range Horse Club display will be held in the rodeo arena at 9am on Saturday. Warkworth and Districts Museum will have a display of historic farming equipment in action. The arts and crafts entries will be on display in the large marquee in the main arena from Friday January 22. Equestrian events continue on Sunday, January 24.

A&Pfeature

36 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Healthy message to A&P entertainment A children’s cooking show and class with an emphasis on healthy eating will be the centre-point of entertainment at the Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show. The classes are run by Australian company, Bubble Muffin Kids Cooking Club. The Warkworth A&P Show will be the company’s first appearance in New Zealand. Company founder Kevin Kapusi Starow describes the show as a cross between Jamie Oliver and the Wiggles, instilling healthy eating habits in children with a focus on fun and entertainment. “The performance provides a show full of music, Children under five will be able to ride the miniature donkeys, while older children can ride standard laughing and non-stop entertainment for children donkeys. while teaching them valuable lessons about diet and lifestyle choices,” Kevin says. “The performance is made enjoyable so that children don’t even realise they are being taught a lesson!” Bubble Muffin was created in response to the rising Children will get the chance to ride miniature Miniature donkeys are under nine hands (91cm) tall obesity epidemic, he says. In New Zealand, the donkeys at the Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show, and are a new breed to NZ – there are only about Ministry of Health estimates about 10 per cent of when a national miniature donkey competition 130 in the country. comes to town. Marion and her husband Peter have been breeding children and one-third of adults are obese. “The major problem with obesity is not that of It is the first time there has been a donkey and mule donkeys for over 40 years and imported their first two American Mediterranean miniature donkeys vanity but of health,” Kevin says. “Obese children competition at the show. have an increased risk of becoming obese adults Pukekohe miniature donkey breeder and Donkey from Canada and the US in 2001. They now have which can lead to weight-related health problems and Mule Society member, Marion van Dijk, says 15 jennies (females) and three jacks (studs). such as type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. These the Warkworth area has become one of the largest The couple has been taking the donkeys to rest conditions can lead to a decreased quality of life and areas in the country for miniature donkeys, so they homes and hospitals, and have a programme with even premature death. Riding for the Disabled. have decided to start a competition in Warkworth. “Teaching children at a young age how to have a “They are so small and cute, they make people smile.” healthy relationship with food is the best way to “We have sold a lot of miniatures up here,” Marion says. “They are perfect for people who have a lifestyle The donkey competition includes an obstacle course reduce the obesity statistic.” Every show starts with an introduction and a short block and want an animal that is cute and easy on and a harness class, where the donkeys pull a gig information section highlighting some of the the land. They are extremely friendly animals and around a paddock. Both miniature and standard produce that will be used during the show. After love their owners. The event will be a great chance donkeys will compete. There is also a riding section, where children are allowed to ride the donkeys as the demonstration, the children will prepare the to bring all the donkey people together.” featured recipe. The competition will be followed by the NZ National part of the competition. The show caters for children aged five to 12 with Miniature Donkey Show, which has traditionally The competition will start at 10am on Saturday, Proud sponsors of the WW A & P Show Shearing Competition January 23, in the showgrounds. been held at the Royal Easter Show in Auckland. classes starting every hour.

It’s been ‘miniature’ donkey years coming

Warkworth A & P Showgrounds 23rd January 2016

Proud Proud sponsors of the WW A & P Show Shearing Competition

Warkworth & District Museum

W ark Warkworth A & P Showgrounds 23rd January 2016

In our modern museum buildings we are proud of the constantly developing and changing displays which give you an insight into the lives and pursuits of the pioneering families of the district. From the past to the present, you will enjoy your time with us. We look forward to your visit.

Campervan stop over site - Self contained POP campervans are now able to stop over at the Museum P STO Adult $7 • Child $3 (6-16 years) • Child under 6 FREE Family $15 (2 adults + all Children) Eftpos sales accepted • No credit card sales

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Expect “a chorus of voices singing in harmony and a smattering of hollering hokum dance callers” at the Fiddle Pie Show.

Artists, from left, Jocelyn Adolph, Doris Riederer and Vivienne Paterson.

Coast inspires Jade art

Top folk artists play at Whangateau The Whangateau Folk Club is getting off to a flying start this year with several internationally renowned musicians and singers playing at the village hall in coming weeks. The club was formed a year ago by Leigh musician and double bass player for The Pipi Pickers Jenine Abarbanel. She says the club has had a good first year with lots of interest from performers and music lovers, with some “truly amazing” musicians lined up for 2016. After the first club night of the year on Monday January 25, the next event will be a double-header from English contemporary folk singer Kirsty Bromley plus Canadian fiddle player Gillian Boucher and Scots-Kiwi guitarist Bob McNeill, on Tuesday February 2. Bromley has been touring NZ since October and was a featured guest artist at Wellington Folk Festival. Boucher and McNeill also performed in Wellington

and are playing Whangateau before appearing as featured guests at the Auckland Folk Festival in Kumeu over the following Waitangi weekend. Boucher hails from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and her acclaimed fiddle playing reflects her strong Gaelic heritage. McNeill is one of New Zealand’s best known folk musicians, renowned as a guitarist and songwriter in his own right, and as one half of popular duo Ben the Hoose. The club plans a very different evening on Monday February 8 – a rowdy party night of songs and square dance with Fiddle Pie’s Old Time Country Music & Dance Variety Show. This group of six young American, Canadian and Kiwi banjo, fiddle and guitar players promises “an epic array of traditional American string band square dance tunes, classic country buckle shiners, and jokes cornier than Illinois in the summertime”.

Info: whangateau.co.nz/upcoming-shows

Ceramics, paintings and mixed media pieces will be exhibited by members of Jade River Arts, in the Old Masonic Hall, in Warkworth, from January 15 to 17. The theme of the free exhibition is Essentially Bush and Sea. Now in its ninth year, the exhibition is the work of four local women – Jocelyn Adolph, Vivienne Paterson, Doris Riederer and Anna Sutherland – who are inspired by Mahurangi’s coastal lifestyle and seaside holiday atmosphere. “Our beautiful surroundings provide unlimited inspiration and our passion is capturing the essence of New Zealand’s flora and fauna in a variety of media,” Doris says. Exhibition visitors can expect to see works depicting native birds and coastal scenes, flowers, fish, shells, dinghies and birdbaths handcrafted in clay. Some of the pottery pieces are combined with driftwood and old fence battens, and there are funky retro-chairs to make them “bach-worthy”. The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm.

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38 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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Moth plant marching orders

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Landholders may soon have another weapon in their arsenal to help control moth plant weed (Araujia hortorum). The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved an application by Northland Regional Council to release the moth plant rust fungus Puccinia araujiae. The rust fungus is a highly specific parasitic fungus that is expected to severely impact on moth plant, its primary host. The typical symptom of the fungus is rust-coloured lesions on the plant leaves and fruit, causing defoliation and killing the plant’s stems. The fungus will also limit seed production. The EPA’s general manager application and assessment Sarah Gardner says the manual control of the moth plant weed is time consuming and has only had limited success. “Reductions in the abundance of moth plant populations may also deliver biodiversity and conservation outcomes,” she says. “Moth plant belongs to the sub-tribe Oxypetalinae. Other members of this sub-tribe, including the exotic ornamental tweedia (Oxypetalum caeruleum), will possibly be affected by the fungus. “If necessary, home gardeners could mitigate damage to tweedia by applying an over-the-counter fungicide. There are no native species that belong to the same sub-tribe or tribe as moth plant therefore no native plants are expected to be harmed by the fungus.” Moth plant was introduced into New Zealand as an ornamental species

The Leigh Coast Community Care group has been commended for its work in raising awareness of moth plant and assisting people to get rid of it.

during the 1880s. It is a tough perennial, broad-leaved herbaceous climber with twining stems, clusters of small cream tubular flowers and choko-like fruit. It can reach over five metres when it grows up trees or creeps over the ground, shading out low-growing vegetation. The sap of the fruit and stem is a skin irritant. The weed is considered a threat and cannot be sold, propagated or distributed in New Zealand. Some regional councils require landowners or occupiers to remove moth plant from their property. It is widespread in Northland and Auckland, and found throughout the Coromandel, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The rust fungus is the second biological control agent approved for release under the HSNO Act to control moth plant. The first agent, the beetle Colaspis argentinensis, was approved in 2011 but has not yet been released. If the beetle is released, the two agents are expected to work together to suppress the moth plant.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Gardening

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Enjoying the bounty New Year has always been a time for reflection and planning. In the veggie garden this is no different; at this time of year, your garden should be in peak production and the results of all your preparation and hard work will now be apparent. Take a bit of time out, perhaps with a celebratory cider or gin in hand (they are, after all, products of a garden), and have a look at what has worked and what hasn’t. In my garden, a good crop of shallots was lifted earlier than last year, as were the garlic. I learnt last year that leaving them later to get bigger bulbs results in too much rotting from the inevitable downpours over the Christmas/New Year period. Likewise, lifting the early spuds by the end of November meant they avoided infestation from the dreaded tomato psyllid, which otherwise makes the spuds develop stained flesh and a muddy taste once they’re cooked. On the other hand, planting a crop of dwarf butter beans too early was a disaster. Just because the seedlings are available in garden centres from the start of spring doesn’t mean they should go in, no matter how much you are wishing that summer is almost here. These plants have remained stunted, producing a couple of handfuls of beans, while the plants that went in nearly two months later in mid-November are twice the size already and will have a bountiful crop. The traditional Labour weekend planting time would have been a safer option. However, as I still want beans as early as possible, I’ll need to plan ahead and get some cloches set up next spring for these and any other summer crops such as early tomatoes, corn, capsicum, eggplants and courgettes. Sometimes, the improvements needed are very small, but make life much easier; my asparagus fern once again are sprawled over the path and the bed next to them. I’ve tried tying them back with string, but that’s an exercise in frustration as they either break off or refuse to be contained. I’ve now hammered in waratah stakes at each corner so once this crop of fern has died off, I’ll run wires around the bed so the ferns can be tucked back in as they grow. Over-production hasn’t been such an issue this year. I’ve finally learned to restrain myself to planting one courgette and no more than two each of cucumbers, chillies, eggplant, pumpkin and capsicums. Otherwise, I spend most of the summer trying to find ways to bake, BBQ, bottle, blend or bestow the bounty. We’ve still got enough lettuces to feed a warren of rabbits and the spinach is running to seed faster than I can make green smoothies, but at least these don’t represent such an investment of time and energy to produce as the other crops, and better too much than not enough. Another crop I can never get enough of is tomatoes. There are just so many delicious ways of using this crop and when you’ve finally had enough, making soup for the freezer uses up the rest. A hearty bowl of tomato soup fragrant with basil on a cold winter’s evening is a redolent reminder of summers past.

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40 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016 CHANGING FACES n

CHANGING FACES n

Bright Power

Mahurangi Vision Centre

Leslie Berger

Well-known Mahurangi businessman Leslie Berger and his family returned to Warkworth last month after seven years in Australia. Les has bought John Bryham’s private line maintenance and construction business Bright Power. “I left NZ to work in aerial top dressing and spraying in Tasmania,” he said. “When that work got quiet we moved to Western Australia where I got a job with Western Power as a linesman. It was a great opportunity to add to and upgrade my previous qualifications from Waitamata Electric Power Board where I worked for 10 years during the 1980s to 1990s.” While still at school, Les worked for his neighbours, Tom and Athol Morrison, in their orchard. He also gained a firm knowledge of horticultural procedures and went

on to train as an arborist within the power board. He used this knowledge to start Orang-Otang Tree Trimmers. Les grew up in Warkworth and knows the area well. “I am setting myself up to be available to respond quickly to callouts,” he said. He believes safety is paramount in his industry and there is no place for cutting corners. “To stay safe, you have to stick to the procedures, regulations and standards set by the industry. It’s a matter of understanding the end user’s power supply needs and then recommending the best and safest options.” Bright Power is offering customers a variety of services including private line maintenance and repair, construction of overhead and underground power lines, and tree maintenance around private sector power lines.

Optometry is in the blood of the new owner of the Mahurangi Vision Centre, Sarah Denny, but her path into the profession has been a circuitous one. Sarah’s father Brian is an optometrist in Oamaru, as was her grandfather. Her aunty is the practice receptionist and her mother does the visual fields testing. “From about 14, I knew I wanted to be an optometrist,” she says. “I knew it was a profession you could be proud of because it was about helping people and I’d seen the difference it could make in people’s lives. “But I also had a passion for snowboarding and the opportunity to travel it afforded me so I packed my board and headed off.” Sarah did five years of back-to-back winters, in Colorado and Wanaka, before injury forced her to reconsider her options. A three-year nutrition degree in Otago was followed by a four-year optometry course at Auckland University which she completed with honours. Sarah says the practice in Warkworth was just what she was looking for, but she is only sorry it came in such sad circumstances. Illness forced former owner Phil Ansley to retire in November, after 30 years in practice in Warkworth. Mr

Sarah Denny

Ansley died soon after (see obituary p46). “Phil and Dad were at university together, and I think Phil was pleased he was handing over to someone who had the same ethos. He was very patient-focussed and involved in the community where he could be, and I intend to be the same. I am really pleased that the staff will be staying with us.” Once established, Sarah would like to be involved in school screening, especially in low decile schools. She says in similar testing in Hawkes Bay, about 40 per cent of the children tested had undiagnosed vision problems. “Learning issues often stem from vision problems and yet they are often very easy to fix.”

PRIVATE LINE WORK, NEW BUILDS, MAINTENANCE OF OVERHEAD & UNDERGROUND POWER MAINS, TREE WORKS & CLEARING CONTACT US TODAY PHONE. 021 623 127 EMAIL leslie@brightpower.net.nz

www.brightpower.net.nz

Phone/fax: 09 425 7002 Email: admin@mahurangivision.co.nz

health&family

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Long-serving Warkworth doctor takes new direction

After 23 years in general practice in Warkworth, Dr Andrew MacGill is heading in a new direction. He has resigned from the Kowhai Surgery to concentrate on his skin cancer clinics at the Rodney Surgical Centre. “I’m going to miss the friendships I’ve made with my patients from all walks of life, but not the frantic pace of the surgery,” he says. Dr MacGill comes from a long line of general practitioners – his greatgrandfather, grandfather, two great uncles and father were all GPs. He qualified from Auckland University in 1987, spent three years post qualification at various hospitals in Auckland and also worked as a locum. After travelling overseas, he came to Warkworth as a locum for Stewart Jessamine, who ran a surgery opposite the RSA in Neville Street. When Dr Jessamine didn’t return, he purchased the sole practice. Today, the surgery is located in Alnwick Street and employs four doctors, a registrar, practice manager, primary care assistant, five part-time nurses and three part-time receptionists. Dr MacGill says a long-standing interest in skin cancer lead him to do post graduate study in dermoscopy, in Graz, Austria. “There’s a tsunami of skin cancer coming as the generations who chased the perfect tan, with no knowledge of the damage it was doing, age. What

Dr Andrew MacGill says he will miss the friendships, but not the frantic pace, of general practice.

I’m learning in Austria is how to better diagnose skin cancer because the better the diagnosis, the less you have to cut.” Dr MacGill says it has been a privilege to have provided health care for patients over so many years. One of the biggest changes he’s seen is the introduction of technology which has reduced the time doctors need to

Mangawhai Walking Weekend

L S AL ICE EE RV FR SE RE A

spend on paperwork and filling out prescriptions. “The internet has also made patients better informed and they often come to appointments with researched questions and sometimes even treatment suggestions!” The other major change is the fewer cases of heart attack which walk through the door, thanks to a

combination of lower rates of smoking and lipid lowering medicines. “Once upon a time we’d see one or two patients a month coming into the surgery holding their chest, sweating and having a heart attack. That’s now a very rare occurrence.” Dr MacGill’s replacement is Dr Llewyn Waters, who was formerly in general practice in Australia.

Warkworth Birth Centre

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For further information talk to your LMC/Midwife or Warkworth Birth Centre

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health&family

42 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Our ur experienced midwives will care for you from conception to 6 weeks after the birth of your baby. We work from Whangaparaoa to Maungaturoto Coast to Coast.

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Nicole Upton 09 4247898 027 9724442

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Don’t forget baby

Front Row Nicky Snedden, Sally Wilson, Rebecca Hay

The Ministry of Health is encouraging parents to get ready before an emergency strikes, with a plan to ensure they can keep their babies safe, healthy and well fed. The plan includes advice on breastfeeding, formula feeding and lists the emergency supplies needed to feed a baby safely during an emergency. Babies need special care and attention, as they’re more vulnerable to dehydration and infection. “It is important for people to think ahead about how they and their family would manage if the water and power supplies were disrupted,” a spokesperson said. For more information about preparing for an emergency, visit getthru.govt.nz

Inset Donna Hamilton

Stay sun smart

Back Row Kathy Carter-Lee, Terri Jury, Nicole Upton, Louise McLaughlin, Sue Wynyard

Sally Wilson 09 425 8127 0274 977 745

Summer health briefs

Kathy Carter-Lee 09 425 6749 021 425 115

Contact one of the midwives or the Warkworth Birthing Centre

09 425 8201 • www.warkworthbirthcentre.co.nz

warkworth

acupuncture Discover the healing power of acupuncture for Quality of Life Acupuncture is a time tested therapy that has been practised in the Far East for thousands of years. A growing body of evidence- based clinical research shows that acupuncture safely treats a wide range of common health problems.

As a general rule of thumb, sun protection should be used between 10am and 4pm If you think your from September to April when outdoors. skin is safer under The summer mantra is – slip into a collared a cloudy sky, think shirt and the shade; slop on plenty of again. 80 per cent broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF of UV radiation can 30; slap on a broad-brimmed hat; and wrap on a pair of wrap-around sunglasses. Kiwis still get through the are also encouraged to regularly check their clouds. skin for any changes. Regular skin checks increase the chance of finding melanoma and other skin cancers at an early stage when they are easier to treat. If you’re concerned about a change to a mole or freckle, a persistent sore or bleeding spot, or a growing bump, get it checked by your doctor.

Salty subject If adult New Zealanders reduced their daily sodium intake from the current 3500 mg (1.5 teaspoons of salt per day per person) down to 2300 mg of sodium per day (or 1 teaspoon of salt) they could reduce premature death and save millions of dollars annually in health care. Otago University research also showed that salt reduction strategies would lower heart disease rates in Maori to a higher degree than non-Maori. Lead researcher Associate Professor Nick Wilson says lowering salt lowers blood pressure, which then lowers heart disease and stroke rates. “For many people, lowering salt intake will mean only saving days or weeks of life but for those at risk of heart attacks and strokes in their 50s, the benefits could be measured in decades of extra life,” Dr Wilson says.

“Last year I injured my knee due to excessive training and it was swollen and very painful to move… Later that evening after my first acupuncture treatment I realised that my knee was not swollen any more and that I could walk without any pain. Now, 6 months later, I still do not have any problems with my knee… I am amazed what acupuncture could achieve for me!” Janine David, Gym/Aerobics Instructor

A Hive of Information For free confidential and impartial information, advice, advocacy and support, come in and talk to us. Our services cover from Puhoi to the Brynderwyns and Coast to Coast.

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health&family

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Homebuilders

skin @

Quentin Jukes, Homebuilders Co-ordinator www.homebuildersfs.org

Here’s to a caring community It takes a lot to keep a person physically and emotionally well. It takes even more to keep a community physically and emotionally well. So here’s a big shout out and thank you, a nod of acknowledgement and round of applause for the following people who are: • Not driven by profit • Not driven by greed • Folk who are care givers, hope feeders and who look out for others. So “yeah” to the baby clothes knitters, the crocheters of blankets for old and for young, those who look after children when their parents are sick, Foodbank volunteers, everyone who donated a voucher or a gift for others this Christmas, and the volunteer visitors of the elderly. Thank you to the surf life guards and sports coaches, music teachers, Kapa Haka Kaiako and those who give away veggies or eggs. “Big ups” to the St John’s volunteers, play centre parents, budget advisors and Womens Refuge crew; people who drop off food to the grieving, the sick and new parents, fundraising ball organisers – you rippers, you rock, cheers to you all! At the end of 2015, it was great that Homebuilders was able to be a conduit for food, gifts and gift vouchers donated by our generous community. For families under financial pressure this practical support made Christmas a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. Thank you everyone who contributed this support to our local families. At Homebuilders, we rely a lot on people’s generosity to keep our organisation functioning. So a special thank you to everyone who has supported our organisation in the work that we do with families, youth and children. Your support is critical to us. Please help continue to spread the word that family violence isn’t OK, but it is Ok to ask for help. Best wishes to you all for a great 2016.

Concerned about a mole? Suffer from skin cancer? Skin Cancer Clinics at RSC. No referral necessary. World class care without the need to go to Auckland.

Mr David Crabb

Mr Richard Hart

Dr Andrew MacGill

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Reconstructive plastic and cosmetic surgeon

Oculoplastic surgeon and cataract surgeon

Skin cancer doctor Tuesday clinics in tandem with MoleMap

Melanoma, head and neck, and general surgeon

info@rodneysurgicalcentre.co.nz 09 425 1190 or 0800 425 007 77 Morrison Drive, Warkworth

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Hearing Health Your questions answered Carmela Davies

Audiologist, MNZAS Bay Audiology Whangaparaoa & Warkworth

Read more columns online at localmatters.co.nz Why do I have trouble hearing in noisy situations? Loud cafés, restaurants and social get-togethers present a real challenge for people in terms of how easily they can understand speech. Much of this is due to how the pitches of different speech sounds interact with background noise. Many consonants that we use when we speak are high pitched soft sounds such as ‘t’, ‘s’ and ‘th’. By contrast, vowels and other consonants like ‘m’ and ‘n’ are not only louder, but are lower pitched and carry across a room much easier than the high pitched ones.

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Contact the Village Health Shop to book a consultation and learn about how Homeopathy can give you symptomatic relief while treating any underlying causes. Phone 422 9083 • Fax 422 9084 Email: villagehealthshop@xtra.co.nz

Our ears are tuned in such a way that low pitched sounds will usually cover the higher pitched ones, meaning that we can miss the beginning and ending of words. If someone has a hearing loss, their ears and brain are less able to filter out sounds as easily, so even more listening effort is required. A number of strategies can be used to help.Move away from the source of noise and seek out a place with less hard reflective surfaces that cause echo. Position yourself so the noise is behind you and the person you want to hear ahead of you. If you suspect that you are having more difficulty hearing than you have in the past, call any of our Bay Audiology clinics below for a FREE hearing check.

Bay Audiology Whangaparaoa 737 Whangaparaoa Rd, Manly, Whangaparaoa 0930 Phone 09 424 6004 Bay Audiology Orewa Shop 4, The Nautilus, 9-13 Tamariki Avenue, Orewa 0931 Phone 09 426 6196 Bay Audiology Warkworth 27- 35 Queen Street, Warkworth 0910 Phone 09 551 2810

44 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

localmatters.co.nz

Memoir traces adventurous globe-trotting life with flowers A lifetime of arranging beautiful flowers, often for some of the world’s wealthiest families, is captured in a recently published book by Mahurangi West resident J.Barry Ferguson. Flowers Are My Passport is the story of a Christchurch florist who seizes an opportunity to travel to Japan for a month, but finds he is still exploring the world nearly four decades later. Along the way he rubs shoulders with stage and screen legends such as Peggy Ashcroft, Gloria Swanson and Sir John Gielgud, and becomes one of New York’s top floral designers where his impressive list of clients includes Billy Joel, Malcolm Forbes, the Plaza Hotel and the Metropolitan Museum. But it was his association with the Rockefeller family that really gives him the opportunity to make his mark. Greenacre Park, on New York’s east side, was a Rockefeller project, designed to give New Yorkers a place of serenity and contemplation. The park is dominated by a 7.6 metre waterfall cascading over the rear wall and is renowned for its greenery and fragrant flowers. For 30 years, until he was 74, Barry curated the park’s ever-changing floral presentations. “It was a private park for public enjoyment – philanthropy at its best,” he says. New York became Barry’s home when a theatre company he’d joined ran out of work while touring Europe. “An old friend offered me a job and, as they say, the rest is history.

work at 4am with a visit to the flower markets were coming to an end. “My sister Nancy found this house at Mahurangi West quite by chance. It’s about as nice as any place I’ve ever seen although I do miss New York desperately at times – with its intellectual interests, music, people, travel and food.” Flowers Are My Passport is Barry’s second book. His first Living With Flowers, with a foreward by David Rockefeller, was honoured with the Quill & Trowel Award by the Garden Writers Association of America. Barry himself received recognition for his creative contribution to the field of floral design in 1988 as the first recipient of the Frances Jones Poetker Award of the American Horticultural Society.

J. Barry Ferguson at his home in Mahurangi West.

“New York was quite a different city in those days. There was a lot of poverty and crime, and things were decrepit. But it was also a nerve centre and an exciting place to be – it was the place where everything seemed to be happening. It wasn’t until Koch was elected Mayor in the 70s that the city started to change. He was charismatic, balanced the books and brought some Jewish smarts to the job. Then along came the ex-policeman Giuliani who sorted out the crime problems.” Barry’s work exposed him to the high end of town, where it was nothing for a benefit luncheon to raise $3 million. He was a regular at the Winter Antique Show, helped prepare for

events such as the visit to New York by the King and Queen of Denmark and the re-opening of Central Park Zoo, and was the ‘go to’ floral designer for many high profile Rockefeller events and celebrations. He also did the flowers for Steven Spielberg’s “super secret” second wedding, where all those involved had to use the code word Zhivago. “As a Kiwi in New York I felt a bit like a curiosity, but then one day I was walking down a street in Manhattan when someone honked and waved. That was all it took. I felt like I belonged!” But heart problems forced Barry to face the fact that his days of starting

bookgiveaway Mahurangi Matters has a copy of Flowers Are My Passport to give away. Write your name and number on the back of an envelope, post to Flowers Are My Passport Competition, Mahurangi Matters PO Box 701 Warkworth or email news@localmatters.co.nz with the subject line: Flowers Are My Passport Competition. Competition closes January 29.

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localmatters.co.nz

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Shadze Sizes 10-22 or made to measure

Raw Collective

Ready to Raw at Leigh Sawmill a straight-up hip-hop sound became more eclectic,” Raw says. “We added a female vocalist (Moira Jones), our bassist (Blain Fitzpatrick) is a rock man and the drummer (Jack Cromie) was in a jazz band previously. “The groove is always quite dark and evil, but with the keys, guitar and singing we try and pull it back into the light, so we hope the song ends up somewhere between cheerful and dark.” Raw Collective released their first single, Coins (Memories) late last year, and released a second single in October. Their full album is due for release at the end of summer.

ticketgiveaway Mahurangi Matters has a double pass to giveaway. Write your name and number on the back of an envelope, post to Raw Collective Competition, Mahurangi Matters PO Box 701 Warkworth or email news@localmatters.co.nz with the subject line: Raw Collective Competition. Competition closes January 19.

has been designed by Tracey Paton for over 25 years and all garments are proudly locally made in her factory in Leigh.. Tracey’s label Shadze of Lace caters for a variety of areas. Larger sizes are much in demand. With a wealth of experience she gives special attention to womens shapes, proportions & lengths when designing bigger sizes helping create slimming cut’s to flatter.

LOCALLY DESIGNED & MADE CLOTHING

Hip-hop band Raw Collective, from Wellington, will play at Leigh Sawmill on January 22, as part of a nationwide summer tour. Emcee/producer Raw Deezy says the band wants to break away from the soulful, laid-back vibe that Wellington is known for. “Our songs are up-tempo with hardhitting grooves,” he says. The band combines elements of funk, jazz and old-school hip-hop, and lists J Dilla, Dr Dre and Wu-Tang Clan among its influences. “Each instrument player is from a different genre so what started off as

UNIQUE STYLES IN SIZES 10-22

Tracey’s range also caters for women aged 40 plus. She listens to her customers and is always designing with them in mind. Longer sleeves and higher necklines are just a few key area’s focussed on as bodies change with age.

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46 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

localmatters.co.nz

Vale Phil Ansley

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1948-2015

Have your say on the future of Te Muri Regional Park

Auckland Council has prepared a partial variation to the Regional Parks Management Plan 2010 to include the new Te Muri Regional Park and cover minor changes to the Mahurangi section. You are invited in terms of Section 83 of the Local Government Act 2002 to lodge written comment on the variation. Copies of the variation and supporting information can be viewed at: • shapeauckland.co.nz • Auckland Council – Bledisloe House Reception, 24 Wellesley Street (8.30am-5pm weekdays) or; • Northern Sector Park office, Wenderholm Regional Park (8am-4pm) or; • Orewa Service Centre, 50 Centreway Road, Orewa (8am-5pm). A walk-in open day will be held on the park on Saturday 20 February 2016. More information about the open day is available on shapeauckland.govt.nz. Feedback must be received by 4pm on Friday 18 March 2016.

Please either: • complete an on-line feedback form at shapeauckland.co.nz, • email temuri@aucklandcouncil.co.nz • send a written submission to Auckland Council (Private Bag 92300, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142) attention Annette Campion. Submissions must include the following information: • your name and contact details (e.g. postal or email address, phone number), • whether you support or oppose the variation or aspects of the variation, • the reasons for your submission points and; • whether you wish to be heard in support of your submission.

Have your say to help create the world’s most liveable city.

Long-serving Warkworth optometrist Phil Ansley grew-up in Auckland, where he spent many happy years exploring the wide open spaces around the family property in Northcote. He was educated at Westlake Boys and in his early years he demonstrated a love of learning, which would stay with him his whole life. Initially, he considered a science-based career until a book inspired him into the field of optometry. Phil graduated from Auckland University in May 1972 and first practiced in Auckland and Whangarei. He started his own practice in Warkworth in May 1985, a day before his 37th birthday. Phil never ceased to be curious about advances in his field and would often travel to Auckland after a day at work or on weekends to attend lectures. He was one of the first optometrists to qualify for therapeutics in NZ and he particularly enjoyed the behavioural optometry side of his work. He

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was dedicated to his patients and well respected in the optometry, ophthalmological and associated professions throughout NZ. Last November, illness forced him to sell the Mahurangi Vision Centre to Sarah Denny, a third generation optometrist, bringing to a close a 43year long career. Outside of work, Phil’s first love was spending time with family, especially his grandson Aston. He also loved to dance whether it be ballroom, Latin or ceroc, and was often happy to drive some distance to dance to the music of the big bands. He was an avid reader, classic car enthusiast and enjoyed comedy shows. He was also a regular sponsor of local art events, sports clubs and schools in the Warkworth, Wellsford and Matakana area. Phil passed away in November after a short but brave battle with cancer, surrounded by his family – partner Sarndra, sons Brad and Mark, and grandson Aston.

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localmatters.co.nz

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Vale Anne Longuet-Higgins The life of Pakiri identity Anne Longuet-Higgins was celebrated at the Christ Church Anglican Church in Warkworth last month. Anne was born in Melbourne on May 26, 1926. She had a happy childhood, though overshadowed by the health of her father, Lyall, who never recovered from being gassed during World War I. After WWII, she headed on her OE to war-torn Europe with her brother John. While in England, her mother died and she returned home to Melbourne. On her homeward journey aboard The South Africa Star she met her future husband, Thomas, and they were married six months later. Thomas’ father was chairman of the Stock Exchange in London and he had bought the large Millbrook farm in Pakiri, sight unseen, and was on his way to New Zealand. The newlyweds soon boarded a ship to cross the Tasman, bringing with them a brand new Buick and a 1922 Rolls Royce Tourer. They settled in Leigh in the early 1950s and would drive the classic cars over the hill to the Pakiri farm every day. In Open Windows: Women of the Mahurangi tell their stories, published in 1998, Anne wrote of feeling like an outsider in Pakiri at first. “I found the intense interest with which we seemed to be regarded, uncomfortable and threatening ... we were of interest to everyone,” she wrote. Within four years, three children had been born and the couple started to settle into the community. “We were so blessed to have such a wonderful place to live. There was not time, or reason, for any of us

1926-2015

to be bored or idle,” she wrote. In 1953, the young family moved into a house on Millbrook and started forming fond memories of picnicking around a bonfire on the farm. “When you enjoy what you are doing, it really takes the pain out of hard work.” She even wrote fondly of spraying gorse. “One is out only in good weather, and while quietly spraying there is ample time to watch the pigeons, listen to the tuis, and generally keep an eye on what’s going on.”

Overall, Millbrook was a fascinating, magical place to live. “Floods, fires, landslips, accidents and all sorts of dramas seem to be woven into the fabric of our life at Millbrook. For each disaster there have been many rewarding experiences, long-standing friendships on the personal side, as well as the enormous satisfaction of caring for a very beautiful, special part of New Zealand. Being part of the team to make the plans and then endeavour to put them into action has been a most rewarding experience. I feel that we have indeed been fortunate to have enjoyed such a privileged life.” In the 1970s Anne became involved with SPELD (short for Specific Learning Difficulties), teaching and helping children and she was awarded the QSM in 1997 for her work with the organisation. It was about this time that she also started working for the National Party, firstly as a local committee chair, before rising to vice-president of the Auckland Division. The first MP she worked with was Peter Wilkinson, followed by Don McKinnon, John Banks and Lockwood Smith. She was still working on the farm aged 80, with her own four wheeler motorbikes and farm dogs, before moving to Summerset Falls Retirement Village two years ago. Anne passed away at Summerset on December 2, aged 89. She is survived by her children John, Simon, Cara and Alexander; daughters in-law Libby and Fiona; and 11 grandchildren.

WARKWORTH AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE

2015 Warkworth Santa Parade Contact the

Transport Operators  Daily Freight

To / from Auckland & Rodney County

 Containers (20/40 Swing lift)

For freight & containers 09 423 9300

tc transcon WARKWORTH Ltd. Phone (09) 423 9300 Email ian@transcon.co.nz Proudly Supporting the Warkworth A&P Show

Donna Wyllie

We also wish to thank our other wonderful volunteers and supporters:

Electrix, Northland Waste, Lions Warkworth, St John Warkworth, Warkworth Inn, Warkworth RSA and the on-the-day volunteers - Georgie McMillan, Denise Bauer, Darren Johns, Dave Parker, Sarah Loveridge, Charlotte Wallington, Lorita Munro, Diane Hunt, Georgia Barnes, Ariana Billington, Dennis Main, Gary Pallett, Nicola Jones, Talbot Dance Academy, Warkworth Performing Arts, Rodney Local Board members Steve Garner and Beth Houlbrooke and Rodney MP Mark Mitchell

waterfeature

48 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

waterworld



FE ATU R E

Council pilots funding scheme to upgrade septic tanks A trial to allow properties to borrow up to $35,000 from Auckland Council to upgrade or replace failing wastewater systems has been given the green light. Council will start a two-year trial in Little Oneroa, Piha, Bethells Beach and Karekare, as part of a strategy to stop pollution from the 50,000 septic tanks in the region. Households will be able to borrow up to $35,000 from Council, which they can pay back over 15 years at 7% interest. The trial will be reviewed in 2018, when a regional rollout will be considered. The programme will be funded from the $9 million Retrofit Your Home budget, which allows households to borrow $5000 to install insulation and heating. Up to $600,000 a year is being set aside for the trial. If the budget is fully subscribed, about 200 homes will be unable to receive funding in the Retrofit scheme. Under Council’s debt ceiling policy, the fund cannot be topped-up. About 1000 households will be eligible for the trial, but Council estimates that only about 30 households a year will join the scheme because of the high costs. At a meeting of the Governing Body

A demand for improved sewerage disposal systems across Auckland is fuelling Council’s efforts to upgrade the operation of household septic tanks.

on December 17, Rodney’s Cr Penny Webster asked if the subsidy could be made available to other areas if the budget wasn’t exhausted. Environmental services manager Gael Ogilvie said that would be explored. A Council report on the trial, written by catchments and incentives manager Viv Sherwood, said Waiheke and Waitakere were selected because they had a history of faecal contamination in popular swimming spots and there was strong community demand for improved sewerage systems. Ms Sherwood said Auckland had a region-wide problem with faecal contamination and on-site wastewater

systems were the main cause. Earlier this year, Council inspected 29 wastewater systems on the West Coast, and found 40 per cent of systems had significant issues. Even newer systems had problems due to a lack of maintenance. Systems failed due to old age, poor maintenance and changes in household or site requirements. Many baches were now used as family homes and the systems could not cope. High seasonal usage, such as the summer holidays, could also overload a system. Council is also looking at introducing a region-wide targeted rate to ensure

all septic tank owners have their tanks pumped out once every three years. The rural sewerage rate has been in place in the legacy Waitakere City Council since 1998, funding pumpouts and cleaning of septic tanks, long drops, grease traps and grey water systems, covering about 4300 systems. A decision will be made when existing contracts end in 2018. The trial will be included in consultation on the 2016/17 Annual Plan in February. Meanwhile, in Rodney, a $15,000 programme to reduce water pollution from septic tanks in Ti Point and Whangateau started this month. Council staff will be going door-todoor to raise awareness of septic tank maintenance and a small number of no-obligation, confidential site inspections will be available to homeowners. Ms Ogilvie says a public meeting may also be held early this year. “We will be consulting with the community and iwi in Whangateau township and Ti Point, as well as the Local Board.” Rodney Local Board has set aside $5000 for the programme, with Council contributing a further $10,000.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

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Mahurangi Water Testing Warkworth will soon have its own independent water-testing laboratory. Owner of Mahurangi Water Testing, Thomas Galloway, says the laboratory will be equipped to test domestic, commercial and recreational water, and he is the process of gaining IANZ accreditation. “Accreditation is an important step because it will give customers confidence that I am using best practice,” he says. Accreditation is assessed independently in five key areas: • Competence and experience of staff • Integrity and traceability of equipment and materials • Technical validity of methods • Validity and suitability of results • Compliance with appropriate management systems including providing a service that is professional, reliable and efficient. Thomas plans to focus on commercial water testing for businesses not on a reticulated Council system. This includes any enterprise that requires health certification such as schools, cafes and restaurants, sports centres and child care centres. He says the tests will be mainly for coliform and E.coli, which are indicators of certain bacteria that can be harmful for human health. Thomas has been water testing since graduating from AUT with an Environmental Science degree.

Michelle Woolley

(09) 422 9524 021 952 338 Warkworth – Snells Beach – Matakana – Omaha – Leigh

Mahurangi Water Testing Thomas Galloway

He has worked for Brisbane City Council on catchment testing, monitoring stream health for algae, salinity, phosphates, flow and fish species, and is also a trained conservation ranger. “I love my job,” he says. “I get to travel all over the place, meet people and learn about what’s happening.” Thomas says one of the most important ways to keep water clean is to enure the source is well cared for and maintained. “Over time, equipment can get clogged and dirty so it’s important that people understand how to manage this.” When not testing water, Thomas can be found splashing around in it. He learned to scuba dive at Leigh when he was 12 and has been a keen diver ever since. He is also a trained scientific diver.

Drinking Water

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50 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Don’t let your hose run wild this summer

Kiwis love green lawns and clean cars. We do too. But we also know it’s easy for your hose to run wild and for thousands of litres of water to be wasted. Here are a few tips to tame it…

Teach your hose not to chase leaves down the driveway. Use a broom

Exercise your hose in the evening to reduce the volume of water lost through evaporation

Train your hose to heel while you wash your car with a bucket and sponge. Reward it at the end by giving your car a quick splash

www.watercare.co.nz

Let your hose off-leash on the lawn once a week. Your grass will stay greener if you give it a good soak once a week rather than a light sprinkle every day

An Auckland Council Organisation

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

What’s lurking in your water tank? By Steve Reynolds of Aqua Filter Do you ever wonder what’s in your drinking water or where it comes from? Most of us turn on the kitchen tap and have a big drink, blissfully unaware of what the water has been through to get to our glass. Drinking water is something we all do every day. Some of us trust Watercare to deliver the water, some of us harvest our own rain water and some of just don’t know where our water comes from – until it doesn’t. I was recently called to a rural lifestyle block and came across a very humorous situation – well, we are all laughing about it now anyway. I met a couple who had recently arrived from the UK and had purchased the lifestyle block of their dreams. One day the water stopped flowing from all the taps in the house. The woman dutifully rang Auckland Council to report the fault and complain about the foul tasting water they were getting. She was passed around the phone tree and then got put on hold to Watercare Services. She spent an eternity on hold and then spent another decade trying to get Watercare to find her home on their system – they could not. After lambasting them with every pointed articulate phrase known to an English lady, and thinking to herself at the same time, “Have I moved to a Third World country or what?” she was put

Above are some of the items, including a baby eel, which were found when a local water tank was cleaned.

through to an older, and wiser, staff member. He delicately informed her the reason she was not a Watercare customer was because, in fact, she was not connected to their network. “Impossible,” she said, “I must be –where does my water come from then?” He suggested that as she was eight-kilometres from the nearest town supply, she must be harvesting her own rain water. The slightly red faced woman quickly gathered her wits and rang me. What I found, of course, was empty water tanks. That was, however, after some serious searching for the tanks, which I knew were there somewhere. Eventually I dug down and found two completely buried concrete tanks – the tank lids were even buried under soil and mulch.

Groundwater had been entering the tanks and there was clear evidence of dead birds in the tank. There was a clapped out water pump and no filtration whatsoever. The conversation from the resident quickly turned from “oh my” and “oh dear” to “how fast can I fix everything”, which is not unusual when you have no water! I rang John Carr from Mobi Kair, told him I had an urgent five-minute job for him, and after he stopped laughing (because John is really busy when there is no rain and he knows what my five minute jobs are like) he came and helped me out. The next day we got inside the tanks and cleaned out the sludge, birds and tree roots. John installed new riser pipes to the top of the tank so they were

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100mm proud of ground level, and fresh water was delivered. I installed a new water pump and a high output ultra-violet filtration system and made a new box for it all to live in. To fix the bird problem I went back a few days later and installed a contaminated water diverter, which is a physical screen type filter that stops any debris, leaves or birds – anything bigger than a speck of sand – from entering the tank. Needless to say, the new “Kiwis” were delighted to able to turn the tap on again and have fresh, drinkable water flowing – it’s the little things in life eh! Make sure you drink plenty of water this summer – it is the elixir of life, will cure just about anything and is what you are mostly made up of – well, in physical form anyway.

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52 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Tossi

Ngaire Wallen, TOSSI www.tossi.org.nz

Too much sun? Tawharanui Open Sanctuary receives something like 160,000 visitors a year. The vast majority of these visitors go to Anchor Bay, the iconic sandy beach which is a short walk over the sand dunes from the carpark. The beach stretches out in both directions and is within the totally protected marine reserve. Increasing numbers of fish share the water with swimmers, surfers and stand-up paddle boarders. You can, however, have too much of a good thing. The rain that is finally falling is a welcome relief to the hot sunny days, not least for the 2015 plantings at Tawharanui. Like the rain, venturing further afield than Anchor Bay, offers a relief from the midday sun and crowds. The circular Ecology Trail leads from the east of the beach into the remnant of native bush that is a lush green wonderland of mature puriri and nikau. Most of the introduced bird species are easily seen or heard on this relatively short walk, which loops back to the top of the paddock above the beach. Once exiting at the top, a short walk, towards the coast and across the paddock, leads to a recently upgraded track that provides easy access to the more remote stony coastal inlets. If the tide is right, you can walk back around the rocks to the sandy part of the beach. The intrepid can bring snorkel gear to explore the rocky shores, or just enjoy what will probably be your own private beach space. The songs of the saddleback, bellbird and tui will be real, but the gannet calls will probably be, for now anyway, from the speaker perched on the top of the cliff as part of efforts to establish a resident population of these superb birds.

If the tide is right, park visitors can return to Anchor Bay via the beach.

In addition to the sandy beaches and coastal forest, Tawharanui also has wetland and estuarine habitats that support different species of birds. The bird hide by the lagoon is a good place to see the ducks, shags, stilts and other birds that frequent that area. The wetland over the road is now well established, providing a shady walk beneath the manuka canopy. Sightings of banded rail are becoming increasingly common; the rare fernbird also lives in the vicinity, shared with a group of takahe.

As an alternative to slip, slop, slap, we suggest getting out of the hot sun by exploring some of the rest of the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary. Brochures are available from various sites on the park showing the marked trails. For those who enjoy exploring the park and would like to help with its on-going development, the first workday of 2016 will be on Sunday February 7. Meet at 9am at the Woolshed and there will be plenty of time for a swim after the BBQ lunch provided.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Kaipara fire water reviewed Applying for resource consent for a new home in the Kaipara District could be a little easier soon depending on the outcome of a Kaipara District Council review of the Fire Safety Rule in the District Plan. Currently, the NZ Fire Service standard requires every new home in Kaipara, that is not on a reticulated system, to have 45,000 litres of water available for fire fighting purposes. However, the council accepts variations on the standard as part of its resource consent process. Fire risk officer Craig Bain says the reality is that a lot of the small sections in places such as Mangawhai are unable to meet the standard. “By the time they’d put in the required number of tanks for a 45,000 litre reserve and a septic system, there would be no room left for the house,” he says. “As a result, council has scaled back the storage requirement to 10,000 litres.” The District Plan review is looking at making the 10,000 litre requirement part of the standard and thereby, doing away with the need to include it in the resource consent. At present, the householder or their representative is required to send a map of their site to the NZ Fire service, showing where the tanks are located and how they can be accessed. Access to the water can either be through the lid at the top of the tanks if they are buried or partially buried, or via a properly fitted Fire Service coupling, which is the norm for most plastic tanks. Once the map is given the Fire Service tick, it is

How are your customers looking for you?

submitted with the consent application. While the requirement only applies to new builds, Craig says that an increasing number of existing property owners are choosing to meet the standard when they have their tanks cleaned or new tanks fitted. “The regulation can be a problem with small lots, but it still has to be met and building companies, developers and designers are aware of this.” Warkworth Tanks director Amanda Burnside believes a lot of people living or moving to the Kaipara District are unaware of their obligations in regards to providing water for fire fighting purposes. “People moving from Auckland to Kaipara often don’t believe us when we explain that they have a legal obligation to provide fire fighting storage,” she says. Craig says that before the standard was introduced about two years ago, houses were being lost because fire fighters could not access adequate supplies. “The price of not having a readily available and adequate supply can be very costly in more ways than one.” He says that while the domestic storages are primarily for use if the house on the property catches fire, fire fighters could access the water for any fire. Some new subdivisions are setting up a dedicated fire fighting water supply to service the whole subdivision. In these cases, individual house supplies are not required. “We’re pleased to see developers being proactive in this regard.”

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54 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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The Wright Pro Tec 10,000 Wastewater Treatment Plant treats effluent to a superior quality. It is ideal for use in environmentally sensitive locations or locations where a high water table exists. Key aspects of the Wright Pro Tec 10,000 Wastewater Treatment Plant: • Utilization of the latest developments in effluent filter technology, 3 filters • Proven aeration and treatment technology • Advanced design • Single tank system, concrete construction • Shock dose buffering • Holiday mode available • High quality of treated effluent • Inexpensive and maintenance efficient • Treats up to 2,100 Litres per day of wastewater • Designed to cater for kitchen waste disposal units

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Simple steps save

It’s easy to conserve water, and you’ll benefit through lower costs and a dryer, more comfortable home. You can buy water-saving appliances or install low-flow fittings, but the easiest way to save water is to think about how you use it. By repairing leaks or turning off the tap when you are brushing your teeth you can save thousands of litres a year. Here are some tips: Turn off the tap When brushing your teeth, for instance, turn the tap off until you need water to rinse. When you do have the tap running, turn it on part-way. Fix leaks If you have a tap that drips at 50ml per minute (an egg cup full), you’ll be losing 72 litres of water a day. Over the course of a year, that’s more than 26,000 litres – enough to fill a family-sized swimming pool. If it is leaking from the hot tap, that unused water could cost more than $200 a year to heat. A leaky hose can waste even more water – up to 60,000 litres in a year. Soggy ground around a leaking garden tap or hose can cause dampness and condensation in your home. Use the plug If you rinse a lot of muddy clothes under a running tap, you could be sending as much as 100 litres of water down the drain. That’s enough to do a whole load of washing. Instead, use a bucket or part-fill the tub instead of running water. The same applies in the kitchen. If you’re rinsing dishes or food in the kitchen, put the plug in and part-fill the sink instead of running water throughout. Fill a jug Keep a water jug in the fridge in summer so you don’t have to run the tap for ages to get your water cold enough for a drink. It will also help save water when filling pots for cooking or the kettle. If your water is chlorinated, it also reduces the chlorine flavour. Scrape dishes or use the dishwasher’s eco rinse Rinsing plates in the sink can waste many litres of water and is often unnecessary. Generally, it is enough just to scrape plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers can cope with grease and even some food scraps without rinsing first. Also, they often have water-efficient rinse cycles. These cycles may use just a few litres of water to rinse messy dishes when you’re not ready to wash a whole load.

Artesian & Solway Water

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Take showers A typical bath uses 180 litres of water. A typical shower uses anything from 20 to 100 litres, depending on how long you stay in. To save water and save on hot water bills, take showers instead of baths and keep showers short. For teenagers, put a clock or a timer in the bathroom and reward them if they keep showers to the agreed time. Reduce your toilet’s water use Toilets use from three litres (for recent dual flush models) to 12 litres each flush. Many households use one-third of their water to flush the toilet. You can adjust your toilet so it uses less water. Put a displacement device, such as a ‘gizmo’ or a brick, in a single-flush cistern. Or you can fill a couple of plastic bottles with water and put these in your cistern. You could save thousands of litres of water a year. In older toilets (pre-2004) a full flush uses 11 litres. Check inside your cistern to find how much water you’re using with each flush. Reducing the amount of water you flush is a particularly good investment if you have a septic tank, or are on metered water or rainwater tank supply. Check with your plumbing retailer for the best option for your cistern. Choose the right appliances Choose appliances that are the right size for your household so it’s practical to run them only when they’re full. And choose models that use energy and water efficiently. Don’t run appliances half-empty Fully load your dishwasher and washing machine before running them. Typically, the ‘half-load’ setting on dishwashers tends to use much more than half the water and energy of a full load. Choose eco-settings where practical to save water and energy. Reduce water flow Water flow is the rate water comes out of your taps and showerheads. You don’t need your taps or showerhead to deliver more than nine litres of water a minute, yet some use three times that much. By switching to water efficient (‘low-flow’) taps and showerheads or installing water restrictors you can save significant amounts of water.

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56 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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Jenny Robinson says the central location of the clubrooms makes them an ideal meeting place in Warkworth.

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Clubroom use promoted Clubs in the Warkworth area have been invited to consider meeting at the Senior Citizens/Warkworth Bridge Club rooms in Alnwick Street, beside the Town Hall. Bridge Club president Jenny Robinson says there is plenty of scope for a variety of clubs to use the rooms, which include bathroom facilities and a kitchen. “The charge is minimal because we are more interested in seeing the rooms used,” Jenny says. Auckland Council owns the building and in two years the lease will come up for renewal. “It will be important for Council to see that it is a facility that is well-used.” As well as the Bridge Club and the

Senior Citizens, other users of the rooms include the Mah Jong Club and a scrapbooking group. This year, the North Rodney Community Arts Council will also be utilising the space for meetings, workshops and exhibitions. Meanwhile, the Bridge Club will host its annual tournament, sponsored by New World Warkworth and Leigh Fisheries, at the end of this month. The club currently has 110 members and has been going for nearly 50 years. The annual January tournament draws players from all over Auckland and Northland.

For clubroom information, phone Jenny on 425 8909 or 027 2121 222

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localsport

January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

Piera is from Hawkes Bay, but spends nine months of the year between winters in Austria and Wanaka. Cowhide sales help fund her dream.

Matakana pop-up shop keeps skier’s Olympic dream alive A pop-up shop is setting up in Matakana Hall this month, selling cowhides to help get Kiwi skier, Piera Hudson, to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Her mother Fiona Hudson started Coastal Cowhides three years ago to support Piera’s burgeoning skiing career. Piera has represented New Zealand for the past decade and is the national women’s champion and top ranked woman in Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super G and Super Combi. She is also the only female in the NZ Alpine Ski Team. The 19-year-old is the first NZ woman in five years to compete at World Cup level and is ranked in the top 250 competitors out of 3500 female athletes in the field. She will be competing at the Junior World

Championships in Sochi, Russia, next month. “It costs about $120,000 a year to cover her expenses, coaching and equipment,” Fiona says. “For six months of the year we are travelling doing 30 shows to fundraise as well as doing our own fulltime jobs. “If someone’s got talent, you want to do everything to help them reach their goals. “It’s a massive sport overseas. Other competitors are part of national teams that are massively resourced, but Piera gets no support from Sports NZ.” All of the proceeds from Coastal Cowhides go to support Piera’s skiing. The company has the largest range of cowhides in the country, as well as calfskins, reindeer, cowhide furniture, handbags,

BARFOOT & THOMPSON

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slippers and picnic rugs. Piera’s race wear is sponsored by Omaha-based company, One Studio race team outfitters. Company owners Jen and Dave Lewis suggested Fiona bring the fundraiser to Mahurangi. “It is exciting to get behind such a dedicated athlete who is taking on the alpine power nations at their own sport,” Dave says. “We feel proud seeing our race and ski wear on her at World Cup level and we know we are part of her journey”. Coastal Cowhides will be operating from the Matakana Community Hall from January 11 to 27 and at the markets over Auckland Anniversary weekend.

localsport

58 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

Beach activities for children are just part of the fun of the Mahurangi Regatta. Photo credit, Cluny Macpherson.

Regatta celebrates maritime heritage

Businesses in the Mahurangi area are being encouraged to enter a team into the twilight tennis competition.

Tennis competition gets down to business A business house tennis competition will get underway at courts in Warkworth and Snells Beach on Wednesday, February 3. Barfoot & Thompson and KGA sponsor the competition, and organisers are hoping to attract new teams this year. Warkworth Tennis and Squash president Kaye Jackson says the season goes for about seven weeks and gives players the choice of playing in either a social or a competitive division. Each team is required to have four members plus two reserves. Teams have to be registered with organiser Joyce Pyle by January 20 at the latest. Entry forms are available at wwts.org.nz or contact Joyce on 425 6833 or Kaye on 425 6965 for more details.

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Auckland, down to small open boats. As per normal, the restored scow Jane Gifford will be the regatta flagship. Meanwhile, on the beach at Sullivans Bay a host of traditional children’s games and activities will take place including sand sculpture, egg throwing, a water run, sack races, a tug of war and a lolly scramble. Cimino says one of the best vantage points for spectators will be Tungutu Point, off Ngarewa Drive, just before the road drops down into Sullivans Bay, but he adds that the whole area surrounding the bay acts as a natural amphitheatre. On the other side of the water, a free shuttle will be running from Mahurangi East’s Charles Street down to Scotts Landing from 1pm to 11pm, taking spectators during the day and people attending the regatta prize-giving dance in the evening. Cimino says that the regatta has received a significant boost in funding support from yacht and boating clubs throughout the region this year, as well as grants from the Rodney Local Board and Auckland Council.

The waters of Mahurangi Harbour will be filled with classic yachts and wooden boats for the annual Mahurangi Regatta on Saturday January 30. More than 100 boats from around Auckland and Northland will race in this year’s event, which takes place between Sullivans Bay in Mahurangi West and Scotts Landing, Mahurangi East, from 11am onwards. This year there will be even more boats on the water than usual, with about 40 vessels from the Kiwi Raid & Regatta in attendance. The regatta is a new two-week event for small boats to sail, row and explore the coast and islands between Sandspit and Auckland. Mahurangi Regatta organiser Cimino Cole says the “raiders” and their wooden boats, about half of whom are coming over from Australia, will be a great addition to the day’s activities. “We normally have about 3000 people on boats and on shore, so this won’t swell numbers enormously, but it will swell the numbers of this type of boat, which is very welcome and in keeping with the predominance of classic boats at the event,” he says. Races will feature all sorts of classic yachts, from A Class keelboats, the largest craft that sail out of

Info: mahurangi.org.nz/Regatta/2016/GeneralFormat.php Kiwi Raid: nzcoastalrowing.org

Auckland Area Sea Watch Matakana Marine Seawatch Sun

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4:16am 0.4 5:02am 0.4 5:50am 0.4 12:43am 3.3 1:36am 3.2 2:32am 3.1 3:34am 3.1 4:38am 3.1 5:41am 3.1 12:10am 0.6 1:07am 0.6 1:59am 0.5 2:47am 0.5 3:31am 0.5 4:13am 0.5 4:54am 0.6 5:34am 0.7 10:46am 3.4 11:33am 3.4 12:22pm 3.4 6:41am 0.5 7:36am 0.6 8:36am 0.7 9:39am 0.8 10:43am 0.8 11:45am 0.8 6:41am 3.2 7:36am 3.2 8:27am 3.3 9:14am 3.3 9:59am 3.3 10:41am 3.3 11:22am 3.2 12:02pm 3.1

Tide 4:46pm 0.4 5:34pm 0.4 6:24pm 0.4 1:13pm 3.4 2:07pm 3.3 3:03pm 3.2 4:02pm 3.1 5:03pm 3.1 6:04pm 3.1 12:42pm 0.7 1:37pm 0.7 2:28pm 0.7 3:15pm 0.6 4:00pm 0.6 4:43pm 0.6 5:24pm 0.7 6:04pm 0.7 7:03pm 3.1 7:59pm 3.1 8:51pm 3.2 9:39pm 3.2 10:23pm 3.2 11:05pm 3.1 11:45pm 3.1 7:16pm 0.5 8:10pm 0.5 9:08pm 0.6 10:08pm 0.6 11:10pm 0.6 Times 11:06pm 3.3 11:54pm 3.3 6:16am 8:42pm

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First Full Quarter Moon Rise 9:21am Rise 10:27am Rise 11:34am Rise 12:40pm Set 12:36am Set 1:16am Set 1:58am Set 2:43am Set 3:33am Set 4:26am Set 5:22am Set 6:20am Set 7:19am Set 8:18am Set 9:15am Set 10:11am Set 11:06am Set 10:42pm Set 11:21pm Set 11:59pm Rise 1:46pm Rise 2:51pm Rise 3:56pm Rise 4:58pm Rise 5:58pm Rise 6:53pm Rise 7:42pm Rise 8:27pm Rise 9:07pm Rise 9:43pm Rise 10:17pm Rise 10:48pm Rise 11:19pm *Not for navigational purposes.

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January 13, 2016 Mahurangimatters

what’s on

January

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

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Ukelele gathering, Old Masonic Hall, 5pm Warkworth BID registration closes. Info: warkworthbusiness.co.nz Waipu Cycle and Walkway Beach Festival, Waipu Cove Beach Reserve, 4pm 15 Jane Gifford sailing, 11.30am. Info: Dave 425 5006, 027 484 9935; dh.parker@xtra.co.nz 15-17 Jade River Artists’ exhibition, Old Masonic hall, Warkworth, 9am-5pm (see story p37) 16 Go Skateboard Day, Snells Beach Skatepark, 9am-12 noon, competition 12.30pm 16 Wellsford Market Mingle, library plaza, 9am-1pm. Info: Sydney 022 6574 095 17 Warkworth Heritage Walkabout, dep 11.30am, followed by 1 hr historic river cruise on Jane Gifford, dep 1pm. Costs: Walk $10pp, full excursion $15pp. Bring lunch/water. Reservation necessary. Info: Dave 425 5006, 027 484 9935; dh.parker@xtra.co.nz 22 Certificate in Sustainable Rural Development Level 2 with NorthTec, fees free, 19 weeks, Wed, Thur & Fri. Info: Heidelind Luschberger 021 0230 6464 22-24 MARTakana Exhibition, Matakana School Hall, raising funds for Warkworth Wellsford Hospice. (see story p31) 23&24 Warkworth A&P Show (see pgs 34-36) 25 Whangateau Folk Club, Whangateau Hall, 7pm. $5, BYO. First half open mic, second half guest musicians, workshops or bluegrass jam. Info: whangateau.co.nz (see story p37) 27 International Holocaust Remembrance Day DVD launch, Heartbeat Christian Bookshop, Argyll Angle, from 1pm. 30 Mahurangi Regatta (see story p58) 31 Whangateau Country Fair (see story p32)

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Whangateau Folk Club presents Kirsty Bromley, Gillian Boucher and Bob McNeill, Whangateau Hall, 7pm, $15. Info: whangateau.co.nz Warkworth Liaison Group meeting, Warkworth RSA downstairs meeting room, 7.30pm. All welcome. Matakana Community Group meeting, Matakana Community Hall (back room), 7.30pm. All welcome. Waipu Country Market, Presbyterian Church Hall, 9am-1pm. Info: Sue Martin toriamartin@hotmail.com Warkworth Rodeo (see story back page) TOSSI work day, Tawharanui, 9am. Meet at the Woolshed NZ Youth Choir, Mahurangi College auditorium, 3.30pm (see story p30) Family Gala Snells Beach, Ariki Reserve, 10am-3pm. Over 55 stalls and children’s activities, face painting, bouncy castle, donkey rides. Fiddle Pie’s Old Time Country Music dance & variety show, Whangateau Hall, 7pm, $15. Bookings: eventfinda.co.nz/2016/ fiddle-pie-usa-nz-presents-nz-tour/auckland/leigh (see story p37) Music in the Gardens, Kawau Island (see story p33) Leigh Market, Leigh Hall, 9.30-1.30pm. Info: Steve mancon@ actrix.co.nz or Lucy 021 202 8932 Top of the Rock multi-sport event and family fun day, Kaiwaka Sports Association. Info: kaiwakasports.co.nz

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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60 Mahurangimatters January 13, 2016

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The postponement of the Warkworth Rodeo failed to deter the protesters.

Warkworth Rodeo sets new date The Warkworth Rodeo will be held on Saturday February 6, after torrential rain on New Year’s Day forced its postponement. In the last 25 years, the event has been cancelled only four times and this will be its second postponement. Rodeo secretary Krista Fletcher says that when the rain is constant, the main concern is the safety of the stock and the riders. “Plus, there would be fewer spectators paying at the gate and our gate revenue is an integral part of running a successful rodeo next year,” she says. The day’s programme is unchanged and competitors have to enter through the Central Entry system again. “Warkworth will be the first of three consecutive rodeos – Kaitaia and Oruru Valley will be running on February 7 and 8 – so we fully expect to have entries from the South Island where there is only one

rodeo scheduled for the same weekend. “Hopefully the weather will be kind to us and we have a good day.” Meanwhile, animal rights activists from the group Direct Animal Action saw the New Year in with a strong stand against animal cruelty outside the Warkworth Rodeo arena, despite the event’s postponement. More than 40 activists assembled in front of the empty arena calling for the government to ban rodeo in New Zealand. The activists displayed large photographic images depicting animal cruelty documented at the Warkworth Rodeo and at other rodeos across New Zealand. “Regardless of the postponement today the rodeo season continues throughout the country and animals will still be suffering. We have more protests planned,” spokesperson Kathleen Lafferty said.

Waipu Games go on Despite not being able to hold the heavy weight championships or the athletics, due to heavy rain, all other competitions at the Waipu Games went ahead as planned on January 1. Scottish dancing, drumming, piping including the NZ A grade champs, all had a successful day. An organiser, Pat Hadlee, said the new Celtic Barn proved to be a valuable asset for lots of activities. “The day wound up with a great Ceilidh or Scottish barn dance.”

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