Mangawhai Focus_ Issue 4_21 October 2024

Mangawhaifocus

Ram raids: no arrests but probe continues

Mitchell fronts public meeting on Kaipara crime

Almost two months after criminals targeted four businesses in Wood Street, police investigations are continuing.

“No arrests have been made at this time, but we are following positive lines of inquiry,” Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby, Rodney Investigations, told Mangawhai Focus. Four Square, Super Liquor, Books & Gifts and the Mangawhai Service Station were hit in the August 31 raids, which cost the businesses

thousands of dollars in damages and stolen goods.

Police are urging anyone with information that could be helpful to get in touch online or by phoning 105 – using the reference number 240831/8064. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

At an October 4 public meeting in Dargaville attended by about 100 people, Police Minister

Mark Mitchell heard concerns about a crime wave in Kaipara – including the ram raids, two homicides in the west of the district and burglaries.

Area Commander Maria Nordstrom told the meeting 18 new police recruits would be coming to the Whangārei-Kaipara area within the next six months. She said the staffing locations for recruits would be determined as they underwent training.

The meeting was told that 19 constables and a front-desk person were based at Dargaville police station.

Northland MP Grant McCallum, who also attended, called the meeting “really informative and constructive”. He praised the community for turning out and thanked Mitchell, Nordstrom and District Commander Matt Srhoj.

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Adelle Sanders enjoys a quiet sunrise moment at the surf beach with four month old Maddie.

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Fast-tracking the north

Parts of the Northland and Auckland regions within our readership area are well represented in the list of 149 projects that the government has listed for fast-track approval.

“This includes carefully placing development to limit effects on the coastline, and ensuring that the land is protected against instability, erosion and the discharge of sediment into the environment.”

Iwi responds

Mangawhai Focus invited reaction from Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust to Kaipara District Council’s contentious late September decision to scrap an agreement governing their relationship.

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Under legislation expected to be passed into law by year’s end, the projects will go through an expedited process, sidestepping resource consent.

The government calls the initiative a vital part of its plan to rebuild the economy and – in the words of Regional Development Minister Shane Jones –“cut through the red and green tape that has made it more and more difficult to build the projects New Zealand needs”. It says developers will be able to apply to the Environmental Protection Authority to have an expert panel assess their projects and apply relevant conditions. It has recommended to parliament’s environment committee that expert panels should have the ability to turn down projects.

The projects include:

• An application by Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust and Te Ārai South Holdings Ltd for 420 homes, as part of an integrated development plan for the Te Arai precinct and regional park. It is one of at least 15 of the 149 projects to be iwi-led or partnered, according to Māori Development Minister Tama Potak.

Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust chair Terrence ‘Mook’ Hohneck welcomed the news, calling Te Ārai South “a manifestation of mana Motuhake [self-determination], pure and simple. It allows us to advance our social and cultural interests but is also a step towards us beginning to fully realise the commercial redress opportunities of the land, returned through the settlement process, to the benefit of Ngāti Manuhiri”.

The trust says that mitigating the environmental impact and supporting the ecological, archaeological and landscape values of the site is central to the integrated development plan.

NevaALone Medical Alarms

• A proposal from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to build an alternative State Highway 1 route to the Brynderwyn Hills.

• An NZTA proposal to upgrade 22 kilometres of SH1 to four lanes between Whangārei and SH15 (Port Marsden Highway), including upgrading the SH1/SH15 intersection.

• Northport Limited’s proposal to expand its existing facility at Marsden Point, reclaiming some 11.7 hectares of coastal marine area for a proposed new berth and container terminal. The plan would extend the existing wharf 250 metres. It would also require around 1.72 million cubic metres of capital dredging, and associated maintenance dredging, within the harbour to enable ships to access the expanded terminal.

• A proposal for a shipyard and dry dock facility project at Northport capable of servicing New Zealand’s largest current and planned ships as well as international and naval vessels. The project will involve dredging and reclamation, a 250 metre long floating drydock and a permanent maritime maintenance facility.

• A proposal by McCallum Brothers to mine sand in Bream Bay over a 35-year term of consent (see column page 11).

• A proposal by Kiwirail to build and operate a 19-kilometre rail link corridor extending from the North Auckland line at Oakleigh, via Mata Hill, along the Ruakaka River out to Northport.

• Energy Farms Limited’s plans to build a 150,000-panel on 219 hectares of farmland near Wellsford.

Te Uri o Settlement Trust expresses deep concern regarding the recent termination of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) established with Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust and Kaipara District Council. Te Uri o Hau believes this termination undermines the collaborative spirit and mutual respect that were the foundation of our partnership.

The MOU was designed to promote cooperation and shared goals between Te Uri o Hau and the council, ensuring that the interests and voices of tangata whenua are respected and that there are mutual benefits in the relationship. Any actions that disregard this agreement not only hinder progress but also erode the trust that is essential for effective collaboration including adhering to the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Te Uri o Hau Board is currently assessing the situation and engaging in discussions with its whānau to address the termination and identify appropriate remedies. We have just completed our AGM at Ripia Marae, and we are committed to restoring the integrity of our partnership and ensuring that such incidents do not recur in the future.

For Te Uri o Hau, the MOU was more than just a formal agreement, it embodies a commitment to recognising and honouring the cultural heritage and aspirations of Te Uri o Hau and all the community of the Kaipara. It is intended to create pathways for meaningful dialogue and collaboration on projects and duties by our kaitiaki that would benefit the Kaipara. By terminating this MOU, we risk sidelining the voices and needs of tangata whenua, which is contrary to our values of inclusivity and representation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi that we should all aspire to uphold.

The implications of this decision extend beyond the council’s immediate agenda. It sets a concerning precedent and attitude for how we engage with iwi, hapū, marae and uri that may hinder future collaborations that are essential for the growth and well-being of our community and the Kaipara. Each of us has a role to play in creating an inclusive community where everyone is respected and valued, regardless of their background, ethnicity or identity. It is essential that we actively listen, learn and support one another fostering understanding.

We urge the council to reconsider this decision to terminate the MOU and to engage in constructive dialogue with Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust. We must find ways to work together, to learn from our past, and to build a future that reflects the diverse voices within our district. A return to attitudes and unconscious bias has no place in our society in 2024.

Reno Skipper, chair

Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust

Police hear Kaipara concerns

Also taking part were Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson and councillors Gordon Lambeth, Ash Nayyar, Pera Paniora and Eryn WilsonCollins, the Northland Regional Council and representatives of Kaipara Māori Wardens.

Jepson told the Mangawhai Focus afterwards that Kaipara communities were unsettled about the spate of crime “and this was certainly reflected by the significant turnout to the meeting”.

“I personally have found some of the negative media coverage disappointing. Dargaville is a fantastic town, it has great people and a strong law-abiding community,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have seen a spate across

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the district and wider region recently, including the ram raids at Mangawhai Heads, with offenders coming from out of the district.

“We have tremendous confidence in our local law enforcement and significant progress and arrests have already been made.”

Mitchell was quoted as telling the meeting that new legislation was being drafted to crack down on gangs, increase sentences for recidivist criminals and implement restorative justice.

“We have to show [criminals] that they are not above the law. That they do not run our towns and streets ‒ we do.”

Mangawhai coverage questioned

Relieving area commander for Waitemata North, Inspector Mike Rickards, says police operate a 24-hour response capability to cover the Mangawhai area.

“Our response is also ably backed up by police staff who deploy from the Wellsford and Warkworth police stations.”

Rickards said two constables work fulltime out of the Mangawhai police station and although the public front counter is not full-time, people are welcome to make an appointment to see their local officer.

“It’s important to note that there is additional resource deployed over the busy period in Mangawhai, particularly over the Christmas and New Year period, to meet the increase in demand from an influx of holidaymakers,” he said. “The public can expect a significant increase in police numbers over this period.”

Tunnel emergency drill

Waka Kotahi NZTA is advising motorists of a full closure to both northbound and southbound traffic on State Highway 1 between Silverdale and Warkworth from 9pm on October 21 until 3am on October 22. Waka Kotahi will be working with Fire and Emergency NZ and NZ Police to stage an emergency exercise in the Johnstones Hill Tunnels during that time. Vehicles will be detoured. The emergency exercises are part of a programme at the Johnstones Hill, Waterview and Victoria Park tunnels, for emergency response teams to practice, review and update response protocols.

Waka Kotahi moves ahead on next phase of Ara Tūhono motorway

Site investigations have begun for the stretch of State Highway 1 between Warkworth and Te Hana.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the investigations would provide more information about local ground conditions, helping with decisions on design, understanding of key ground risks, and informing on the likely cost of the project.

Over the next two years, teams will carry out activities including geotechnical drilling, mapping and surveys.

The first phase began at the end of September and will run through until January. This phase includes more than 100 boreholes, with drilling expected to extend between 20 and 200 metres below ground levels.

The boreholes will take up to five days to complete, with deeper holes expected to take up to 10 days.

The government says its promised Northland Expressway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand’s history.

The three phases are Warkworth to Te Hana, Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway and Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei.

Ara Tūhono - Warkworth to Te Hana is designated and consented with property purchases underway and NZTA said construction of the section was planned to begin by the end of 2026. It was also assessing previous work north of Te Hana to determine the best route to take forward.

On the controversial issue of tolling, NZTA said it was “in the early stages of assessing the Northland Corridor’s suitability as a tolled road” and would have more information on this as the project progresses.

“With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy,” Transport Minister Simeon Brown said in a late September statement. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections between Northland and the rest of the country has been a handbrake on the region’s economic development.”

Brown said the Warkworth to Te Hana phase was he most advanced of the three Roads of National Significance that form the Northland Expressway.

“The government has agreed in principle to an accelerated delivery strategy and we’re considering a wide range of funding, financing, and delivery tools to deliver this project quickly and cost effectively.”

Motorway speed limit change could be 12 months away

Waka Kotahi NZTA has wrapped up its consultation on a proposed speed limit change from 100km/h to 110km/h on the Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway and the Northern Gateway Toll Road (between Grand Drive Orewa and the Johnstones Hill tunnels).

Motorists shouldn’t expect any change in the next six to 12 months, however.

NZTA says it is now considering all the feedback received and reviewing it alongside its technical and safety assessments.

“Once this has been completed, we can make a recommendation to the Director of Land Transport for approval to implement a change.”

It could take up to 12 months before any new speed limits are legalised and installed, subject to approvals, it says. The speed limit remains at 100km/h until this process is complete.

NZTA says the two sections of motorway were designed and constructed to high safety standards which means it can consider increasing the speed limit to 110km/h.

“Safety features include at least two lanes in each direction providing safe passing opportunities, physical separation between opposing lanes to prevent head-on crashes, and mostly straight, wide, smooth alignment.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell addresses the Dargaville meeting.

Mayor’s Memo

Craig Jepson, Mayor Kaipara Council

Greetings,

A key focus of conversations around the council table recently has been the review of our Revenue and Financing Policy. One of the topics that came up during consultation for the Long Term Plan 2024—2027 was feedback around our rating system and elected members agreed that this would be something we could look more closely at. The key proposed changes elected members are considering for consultation include moving from land value (LV) to capital value (CV) for general rates, equalising the capital expenditure costs of our stormwater system, and changing the differentials for commercial/industrial properties. There is lots to think about here. We are working towards having the new proposed policy go out for consultation next month (November), and it’s important that we get your feedback on this topic. In one way or another, it affects everyone in our community.

As I write this, I am also preparing my notes for the Kaipara Art Awards. This year, for the first time, the awards are being showcased exclusively in the district’s east, as Dargaville’s Muddy Waters Gallery has been repurposed to support the local cinema. This change in location beautifully illustrates the power of art to unite our Kaipara community from coast to coast. I am looking forward to checking out some of the remarkable artistry and talent we have right here in our district.

Lastly, I do also want to take this moment to acknowledge fourteen new citizens of Kaipara district. We recently gave them an official welcome in a citizenship ceremony held in Dargaville. These new citizens have all settled in different parts of Kaipara, some having had a long and challenging journey that led them to this point. Fiji, Cambodia, Argentina and the United Kingdom were just a sample of the countries they hailed from. Welcome to you all. We are glad to have you here.

Mangawhai Heads care group re-established

The Northland Regional Council is re-establishing a CoastCare group in Mangawhai, focused on restoring the dunes at Mangawhai Heads surf beach.

CoastCare groups are partnerships between the local community, iwi, councils and the Department of Conservation, working together to restore the region’s beaches.

The Mangawhai group was first set up in 2015 and brought together a dedicated group of retirees supported by the local school, Rural Design nursery, NRC, Kaipara District Council and the Dune Restoration Trust of New Zealand. Its work has included weed control and planting.

CoastCare groups are also operating in Langs Beach, established in 2016 to protect the shorebirds including dotterel nesting on the beach; in Waipu Cove, set up in 2006 to undertake dune restoration; and in Bream Bay, formed in 2006 to help care for and enhance the 700 hectares of coastal land held by the DoC in Bream Bay. More info: https://www.nrc.govt.nz/environment/coast/coastcare/

Stingray art goes to school

A community art piece created by hundreds of hands and imaginations has been moved on to a new home to create space and bring more awareness to the home of local art.

Project Stingray, a collection of nearly 60 unique mini-rays designed by locals and visitors, has adorned the outer wall of the Mangawhai Artists Gallery since 2017. However, due to the exterior space being needed to help promote the volunteer-run venue, the installation has now been relocated to Mangawhai Beach School.

Although the gallery has large Open flags for advertising, Mangawhai Artists Inc chair Howard Esler says they simply are not enough to attract visitors.

“Believe it or not, there are many people in Mangawhai who do not realise we have an art gallery or even know where it is! Where the stingrays were hung is a good place for large signage so hopefully the number of people who are unaware of the gallery will diminish.”

More than a hundred people came together six years ago to create the artwork with 58 of the individually painted mini-rays selected to be installed on two giant rays.

“The stingrays are a symbol of shared art, and people saying ‘I painted one of those’ is a common statement we hear from gallery visitors,” Howard says. “We’re very pleased the stingrays are off to a new home at the local school where the public can still see them and where the existing mini stingray will be joined by many more.”

At a free community weekend workshop, Project Stingray participants were invited to paint on plywood cutouts of the area’s iconic marine symbol “what was precious to them about their town”, says initiator and Mangawhai artist Rosina Kamphuis. In te reo Māori manga means branch of a river or watercourse while whai means stingray.

“People of all ages could drop in and paint for as long as they liked and the event created quite a buzz of excitement and pleasure as everyone connected and painted together,” she says. “We actually ran out of plywood rays so had wall-to-ceiling paper banners for people to paint and the gallery walls became an ocean of sea creatures bursting with colour. It gave people who had always wanted to paint but never really had the opportunity a chance to have a go. It was a time to play.”

Once completed, the stingray installation was unveiled in May 2017. However, “now it is time they moved on” Rosina says, who is leading the stingray’s relocation to the school.  “Their journey continues in a safe environment, they will be welcomed and treasured and placed where they can still be visited and enjoyed by the Mangawhai community and all who helped to create them. A place where they will continue to inspire the arts.”

MBS trustees chair Bruce Nelder recognises the significance of the artwork and is confident the school will be “good stewards for the ongoing display to the community”.

The school is excited to welcome “our community’s beloved stingray installation,” says MBS arts teacher Martina Williams. “Even though the artwork will be housed on school grounds, the public can continue to enjoy the installation outside of school hours,” she says. “This unique project will beautify our school environment and serve as an educational tool to inspire student creativity and learning. The artistic aspect of the installation can open opportunities for students to express themselves through art inspired by the stingrays. In the future, the school will add its creativity to the installation by adding pieces of artwork, writing a poem or choreographing a stingray dance. There are many learning possibilities.”

Bill Adams had the essential job of hanging the stingrays as well helping to bring them down.

Gracing the wall of the gallery for six years, Mangawhai’s Project Stingrays are on the move, says initiator Rosina Kamphuis, with help from Mangawhai Artists Inc chair Howard Esler.

A couple of young philanthropists were spotted doing their bit for a worthy cause on the last week of the school break, dedicating a few hours of their time to baking and selling sweet treats from a pop-up stall at Langs Beach.

Regular holidaymakers to the beautiful coastline, Samantha Peacocke and Maggie Venter of Auckland set up the roadside bake sale on October 9 to help raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as part of a school programme with a focus on community connection.

The Diocesan School for Girls Year 8 students are required to take on the William

Pike Challenge, which encourages “outdoor activities, passion projects and public service”.

The girls dedicate 20 hours to the programme throughout the year and have been involved in other fundraising ideas, including Maggie donating a fee for umpiring her sister’s netball game and Samantha holding a previous bake stall with proceeds going to the SPCA.

They chose breast cancer as their focus due to October being the official fundraising month and because their friend’s granny has the illness.

Nice work girls!

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Doggone it in Kaipara

Dog-related complaints to Kaipara District Council (KDC) have increased by 13 per cent over the last year, according to the annual report to council by the animal management team.

The team, which operates as a requirement under the Dog Control Act 1996, manages all animal-related services, including emergency after-hours responses.

Newly-appointed animal and compliance manager Shaun Holland said dog owner education and ensuring residents and visitors to Kaipara are safe would continue to be council’s number one priority.

“Over the coming year, our team will focus on proactive work within the community, education and support around dog ownership and enforcement around negative behaviours, such as wandering and aggressive dogs,” he said.

The number of impounded dogs rose from 34 in the previous year to 95. The increase was attributed to officers taking a firmer line on wandering dogs, as well as an increase in surrendered or abandoned dogs.

Reports of wandering dogs increased significantly over the past two years, leading to a rise the number of instances of dogs behaving aggressively.

This would be a focus for the team this year, Holland said.

“We know that a large percentage of the dogs exhibiting negative behaviour are unknown to us, so continuing to work in the community to register unknown dogs and manage behaviour is a priority. Working with owners on good dog ownership and dog safety education with our local schools is another proactive focus for our team.”

KDC encourages residents to keep reporting wandering dogs and – if it’s safe to do so –to take a photo to help the team identify the dog.

It asked people to remember to close their gates to keep their dog contained. When in public, dogs are required to be under control at all times.

Auckland Council has also released its annual animal management figures, showing a 19 per cent increase in dog roaming complaints, a 14 per cent increase in dog attacks on people and a 19 per cent increase in dog attacks on other animals. Welfare-related complaints saw an 80 per cent increase on the previous year.

Citing the figures, the council is advising Aucklanders that if they can’t commit to caring for a dog properly, they shouldn’t get one.

Community feedback prompts Kaipara revenue policy review

Kaipara District Council is reviewing its revenue and financing policy and will soon consult with residents and ratepayers on the proposed changes.

The policy sets out how each council activity is funded and why.

Mayor Craig Jepson said that the review had come about after listening to community feedback during the Long Term Plan 2024–2027 process.

“We heard loud and clear from members of the community and agreed that we would review the policy in the coming year. In particular, the key feedback was to have a look at the way we calculate general rates and consider a move from rating on land value

(LV) to rating on capital value (CV).”

LV is the land while CV is the land value plus improvements made to the land, such as buildings. KDC is one of a minority of district councils still using land value to calculate the general rate.

Jepson said it was “really important for people to know that this review is not about increasing the total amount of rates. It’s thinking about what the most fair and equitable way to divide rates is”.

Elected members will this month adopt the draft policy to go out for consultation. Consultation is planned to open in early November and run until mid-December.

Whānau complete significant coastal project

The family combination of Carol, Stan and Tracey Walker are justifiably proud of how they are giving back to the whenua at Ōruawharo, near Kaiwaka.

In particular, the parent/daughter’s partnership with Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) has resulted in an impressive coastal margin planting regime of natives in the winter of 2024.

Their vision for enhancing the environment has been supported by the KMR Whenua Whānui Fund, which is aimed at supporting whānau, marae and community groups to participate in restoration efforts for the Kaipara Moana.

Taking advantage of extensive fencing already completed by the whānau, KMR worked with the family to support the planting of 20,600 native trees and grasses (mānuka, kānuka, tī kōuka and kāramuramu) in only two weeks. The fencing ensures the trees are protected from sheep and cattle, giving them a good chance of survival.

While the Walkers were busy running their 323-hectare dairy unit and 374-hectare sheep and beef unit 10 minutes south of Kaiwaka, KMR staff teamed up with contractors to quickly complete a comprehensive planting.

The Ōtamatea X project was a joint effort between KMR staff and Environs Te Uri O Hau field advisor Zane Phillips, with the works on site carried out through a collaboration between Kaipari Uri-led teams and other local Kaipara businesses.

The plants were eco-sourced and grown by Kaipara Uri at the Te Ārai Native Nursery, with the site preparation on the very steep hillsides undertaken by local helicopter spraying business HeliNorth.

The planting itself was undertaken by Paul and Ruby Paikea who have a wider whānau affiliation to the Ōtamatea block.

In years to come, the planting of these natives will help reduce erosion and the delivery of sediment to waterways and the Kaipara Moana – the key focus of KMR. Ōruawharo Incorporation’s farms, like hundreds of others within in the 640,000ha Kaipara Moana catchment, drain into the Kaipara Moana.

While high levels of erosion and sediment are threatening the health and mauri of waterways and the Kaipara Moana ‒ and the Moana itself ‒ the Walkers are playing their part to change that.

Their planting regime is one of the most comprehensive coastal margin planting and inland estuary fencing projects completed since the formation of KMR.

For Carol, an integral part of the mahi is to show the

younger generations what the whenua looks like with an abundance of natives in the right areas – in the days before the land was stripped of natives. She says they do not allow any trees to be cut down now.

Ultimately, Carol would love to see all waterways in good health, as they were when she was a youngster and remembers walking on stones and clay in waterways – not mud as has been the case for years. She also remembers abundant fish life and would like the Kaipara Moana to have that once again.

“Doing the mahi with KMR is about the next generation and showing them what the land was like in the past and what the future can look like. This is what we want to do and do well. I lived on a Pā, and I know the importance of the land and our waterways. I want our creeks and rivers to flow like they used to,” says Carol.

She says they are determined to keep bringing back balance with an increased mix of natives to stabilise land, alongside healthy pasture and profitable farming operations to provide food, employment and income for current and future generations.

While they had completed the fencing in the decades prior to the Whenua Whānui mahi, Stan, an experienced farmer, ensured easy access to the planting areas.

For Tracey, the partnership with KMR has been a blessing.

“Planting these areas is exactly what we wanted to do. We are so thankful KMR came to the party and guided and supported us and took the lead to make things happen quickly and thoroughly.

“It is nice to know by doing what we have done for the land we have left something that will make a difference for others. Had the KMR team not pushed hard to make this happen, we would have had to do it in increments and that would have taken years. We would love to do more planting as we have all the fencing in place.”

To get planting, email hono@kmr.org.nz

New trail part of a bigger vision to link Pūhoi and Mangawhai

Work is due to start this month on a new $1 million 2.2km footpath and cycle trail from Point Wells to Matakana Country Park – a small step in a larger journey aimed at establishing more than 100km of trail runs from Pūhoi to Mangawhai, via Warkworth, Matakana and Leigh.

It’s the latest link in a network of tracks being planned by the Matakana Coast Trail Trust (MCTT), which has worked with landowners, Rodney Local Board, Auckland Council and central government to plan, raise funds and build the new trail.

The trail is being funded largely by private donations from local residents keen to give walkers and cyclists a safe refuge from traffic along Point Wells and Omaha Flats Roads, and will connect with the existing trail that runs between Jones Road and Point Wells Road from Omaha and Matakana.

Warkworth construction firm Mason Contractors will build the new trail, starting from the bend opposite Bali Gardens on Point Wells Road through to the entrance to Matakana Country Park.

The job is expected to take eight to 10 weeks and one-way traffic with stop/go signs will be needed on some sections.

The final trail network, which has just been renamed The Coastal Trail, aims to provide increased opportunities for outdoor recreation, strengthen

local economies and foster a deeper appreciation for the environment.

MCTT chair Aidan Bennett said the trust’s team of volunteers had been working for many years to make The Coastal Trail a reality.

“The vision is to build more than 100km of trail that runs from Pūhoi to Warkworth, through Matakana and out to Leigh and on to Mangawhai. The trail will also link with the communities of Snells Beach, Point Wells and Omaha,” he said. “Despite the financial challenges of the past few years, planning and progress is being made.”

Bennett said special thanks were owed to local companies such as Hutchinson Consulting Engineers and Mason Contractors for providing pro bono or discounted services, as well as other local businesses that have offered donations or discounts.

He also thanked Saatchi & Saatchi NZ chief executive Mark Cochrane, a local resident and avid cyclist, for providing creative expertise in rebranding The Coastal Trail.

Bennett added that while the generosity of private donors and local businesses meant the new trail section could be built this summer, the trust still needed additional funding to meet the final cost.

Info and donations: www.thecoastaltrail.co.nz

Carol and Tracey Walker

The blue line shows the route of the future trail between Matakana and Mangawhai.

Kaipara Kōrero

News from Kaipara District Council

Quarterly roading report July – September

Since Kaipara’s roading services transferred to Downer Ltd on 1 July, the team has been busy recruiting, assessing our local road network, and planning the works programme. Additional local staff have been welcomed into the team and a second base in Dargaville has opened to support works across the district.

By the end of August, inspectors had covered all 1,570km of Kaipara’s local roads, identifying faults, the majority being on unsealed roads. Three grading teams are out on the roads, working their way over the network.

With systems and teams now in place, Downer is well and truly on the road to improving our local roads and we’ll revert to monthly reports from October onwards.

Highlights: 432km of unsealed roads graded, over 9,000m3 of maintenance aggregate spread, 1,638 pothole repairs completed. Read the full report at k kaipara govt nz/news

Rating changes considered

We are reviewing our Revenue and Financing Policy and will soon be consulting with residents and ratepayers on the proposed changes.

The Revenue and Financing Policy sets out how each council activity is funded and why.

Elected members will adopt the draft policy to go out for consultation this month. Consultation is planned to open in early November and run until mid-December.

Further information will soon be available online at kaipara.govt.nz/haveyoursay

Citizenship ceremony

Welcome to Kaipara! At the Dargaville Lighthouse Function Centre on 17 October 14 Kaipara residents officially became New Zealand citizens. Nau mai, Haere mai.

Grants awarded to community projects

Congratulations to the 32 local organisations who have successfully applied for our Community Grant and Reserve Contributions Fund this year!

Ngā

whare pukapuka o Kaipara libraries

Get your Saturday scoop at Kaipara Libraries!

Can’t make it to the library during the week? No sweat. Kaipara Libraries are open Saturdays!

Peruse the weekend newspapers, park on a free-use computer, print/scan/photocopy documents, or enjoy quality reading time in a cosy chair. Browse the library website, kaipara.kotui.org.nz, for the opening hours.

Te reo Māori phrase of the month

Karawhiua mō te hemo tonu atu!

Give it your all!

Upcoming Council meetings

•Awards and Grants Committee 9.30am Thu 24 Oct, Public excluded

•Council Meeting 10am Wed 30 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai and on YouTube

• C Council Briefing 9.30am Wed 06 Nov, Sportsville Dargaville, Memorial Park Logan Street, Dargaville and on YouTube

• H Harding Park Governance Committee 2pm Tues 12 Nov, Lighthouse Function Centre, 32 Mount Wesley Coast Road, Dargaville

Please visit Council’s website for the most up-to-date information or call Council on 0800 727 059 and ask to speak to a Governance Advisor.

Meetings with the

Do you have an issue or idea that you’d like to discuss?

Make a time to meet with the Mayor Craig Jepson and Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen.

• 22 Oct KDC office Dargaville

• 29 Oct KDC office Mangawhai

Bookings are required. Email dtaylor@kaipara.govt.nz or call 027 703 4897 to book.

For a list of all successful applicants for both the Reserve Contributions Fund and Community Grant, please see kaipara.govt.nz/funding

Pensioner housing contract awarded

Council has awarded the contract to build the new Fagan Place pensioner houses, kickstarting construction for the pre-fabricated, modular units. Following a formal procurement process, elected members agreed to award the construction contract to Laminata, a Northland based housing supplier. Council staff and elected members met with current tenants earlier this month, to update them on the decision on the housing supplier and the latest progress. The project team are now working to confirm the final site plan and civil works.

Call for feedback

The draft Welcoming Plan for Kaipara is open for feedback until 1 November. This plan is part of the Welcoming Communities initiative, externally funded by MBIE and Immigration New Zealand, aimed at fostering belonging and building stronger communities. The draft Welcoming Plan outlines our vision and strategies for making Kaipara a more welcoming place for everyone.

Give your feedback now by heading to kaipara.govt.nz/have-your-say

Kaipara Cycling were awarded $27,662.40 to support the creation of a family friendly gathering space for the mountain bike trails at Harding Park Trails in Dargaville.

Ken Rayward

The ‘war on nature’ continues

Look out Langs Beach, Waipu Cove and Ruakaka, the sand miners are coming after you! McCallum Bros, the Auckland sandmining company that for decades has caused irreversible damage to the Mangawhai to Pākiri coastline, has applied through the new fast-track legislation to be able to conduct their sand mining activities across the Bream Bay coast, for the next 35 years.

McCallum Bros has lost its resource consent applications to continue its mining practices along the Mangawhai to Pākiri coast at both Commissioner and Environmental Court hearings, and now seeks to extend them to one of New Zealand’s most breathtaking coastal areas.

It is hoping the legislation will allow it to secure multi generational mining rights, without having to provide supportive scientific data that the activity does not cause environmental damage.

Meanwhile, industry lobbyists are pressuring government to have sand included in the draft Critical Minerals List, under consideration. This could enable sand to be mined wherever and forever to support Auckland’s construction sector.

Free range mining for critical minerals in ecologically sensitive areas should be opposed at every level.

If you want to be able to look your grandchildren in the eye and say you did your part in stopping this destruction of our wonderful coastline, now is the time.

The proposed mining will destroy our marine environments and the nesting and feeding habitats of treasured

seabirds.

The sands cannot be replaced: A bargeload of sand taken from our beaches can only be replaced by erosion from our coastline, undermining nature’s whole eco system.

Two things governing bodies implementing these laws in Bream Bay need to consider: McCallum Bros was denied consent approval for mining on the Mangawhai - Pākiri coast because its scientific support data was proven to be flawed. Also, its adherence to past consent approvals was challenged, with many repetitive breaches identified.

Its previous claims that there are no commercially viable alternate sand supply options do not stand up, as Auckland-based sand quarries and sand making options are readily available, and sustainable. This alone is a valid reason for sand not to be included on a Critical Minerals list.

So, what can be done by us as a community?

Against all odds, we have in recent years provided amazing resistance that gave the courts the information required to deny new mining consents being sought by McCallum Bros.

The Endangered Species Foundation is involving itself, again, together with our coastal communities, to provide government bodies with evidence of strong opposition to the use of the fast-track legislation when sensitive environmental areas are involved.

Please go to the foundation’s website and sign its petition.

SAVE OUR SANDS!

NRC honoured for plant conservation efforts

The Northland Regional Council has won a national award for a local authority making an outstanding contribution to plant conservation in New Zealand.

Councillor Jack Craw, who chairs council’s biosecurity and biodiversity working party and accepted the award, said the council-wide award was recognition for NRC’s biodiversity and biosecurity teams for their efforts in pest control, planting, monitoring and protection of dune lakes and duneland areas.

The award was presented on October 8 as part of the NZ Plant Conservation Network’s (NZPCN) biennial four-day conference in Whangārei, attended by 165 people from around the country

“The role of the NZPCN is to facilitate and advocate for plant conservation as well as providing information and support to plant conservation practitioners, landowners, and managers, which makes this award even more special as it is effectively recognition from colleagues who are experts within their field,” Craw said.

The NRC monitors lake ecology, including submerged and marginal wetland communities in more than 100 lakes, and supports or carries out inlake and catchment actions to protect or improve water quality.

This work safeguards critically rare plant species

such as Trithuria inconspicua, Utricularia australis and Isolepis lenticularis

Council also monitors more than 30 wetlands on a five-yearly cycle which feeds back into recommendations for landowners helping to improve wetland scores.

The nomination said that over the past year NRC had enabled the planting of around 15,000 dune plants and supported 30 CoastCare community groups.

“As one of the weediest places on earth, NRC Biosecurity Plant team has been busy over the last 10 years delivering weed workshops to upskill the public in weed recognition and control and supporting weed action co-ordinators and

Councillor Jack Craw receives the award on October 8. With him is Sarah Beadel, NZPCN committee member and director of conference co-sponsor Wildland Consultants.

NRC staff, from left Marley Ford, Stephanie Tong and Lisa Forester during a recent botanical ramble at Kai Iwi Lakes.

Photo: Ian Skipworth

MEANT TO BE

Vanessa Holmes’ Mangawhai Village boutique shop MEANT TO BE has been in its new premises for about six weeks, and all indications are that the short move – just across the parking lot – was well worthwhile.

“This is a heaps bigger shop, so I can offer much more,” she says.

Vanessa has extended the range of quality clothing and other items catering to children, including books in te reo Maori, which she says have become very popular. She also now stocks linens and towels, along with old favourites like water bottles, sunglasses and bags.

The shop has more New Zealand-themed products than previously, more home décor items, as well as a good selection of greeting cards and the ever-popular Ecoya range of candles, diffusers, hand lotions and home fragrances.

Moana Road products also sell well, and are especially popular with younger customers, she says.

Another new item is a range of knitting yarns, and MEANT TO BE also has a small stock of haberdashery items, which to her knowledge are not otherwise readily available in the area..

“I have had real positive feedback about my new shop which is great,” Vanessa says. “I love to keep my customers happy and I’m always happy for locals to give me suggestions about products to get in store. I do my very best to get anything they’re after.”

Vanessa lives in the area and has owned and operated MEANT TO BE for 12 years in Mangawhai.

“Everyone’s really lovely here,” she says. “It just has such a nice beachy feeling.”

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Bob & Ben the Petfood Men

Kim and Steve Pinkerton have opened a pet supplies store in Mangawhai village, adding a new dimension to an already-thriving business. Named after their Labrador Bob, it provides a wide range of pet care, pet wear and pet food products.

They have food for everything from cats and dogs to chickens, ducks, birds, rabbits, fish and reptiles.

There’s even a small supply of feed for alpacas, sheep, pigs and horses – “if you’ve run out and you need emergency stock feed,” Kim says. After losing their jobs in Auckland during the pandemic, Kim and Steve moved up to Oruawharo and started selling pet wear at markets in Waipu and Mangawhai.  While doing so they saw a gap in the market for raw pet food. As finding retail space in Mangawhai was difficult, they initially launched a delivery service, trucking their wares as far afield as One Tree Point, Wellsford and Paparoa.

MEANT TO BE

Take a peek inside our new store!

A boutique style shop stocking exquisite home decor, babywear, ladies clothing and accessories, beauty products, gifts, toys, haberdashery, linen and wool.

Shop 6, 41 Moir St, Mangawhai Village Phone 09 431 4820

Monday-Saturday, 10.00am to 4:30pm

Since the shop opened in June, they have expanded their range and customers have welcomed the convenience of its Mangawhai location.

“People tell us they used to drive to Auckland, Whangārei, Kaiwaka, all over the place.

“Some who have baches are excited that they aren’t going to have to fill their car with dog food when they come up for Christmas – more space for the surfboards.”

“The good thing about owning a pet store is that when people come into the store, they’re happy, because people love to talk about their pets.”

Kim says she and Steve love the Kaipara district.

“It’s like the forgotten area of New Zealand, because it’s not really Northland, it’s not Auckland – it’s this beautiful valley between Dome Valley and the Brynderwyns, full of nice people wanting to have a healthier life.”

Steve in front of the new shop.

Vanessa Holmes

Sellars Law

A general law practice with a history spanning over nine decades, Sellars Law has now established a permanent office in Mangawhai Heads to provide legal services to residents. The new office at 4A Wood Street, opposite Four Square, will be staffed by Mangawhai locals, solicitor Kasia Piotrowska, a firm member for over five years, and legal secretary Leonie Jarman. Sellars Law managing partner Bruce Wyber and partners Sophie Waller and Sam Bradford – who grew up in Pakiri and continues to have a strong affinity with the area – will also support the office along with the Sellars team.

“Sam is a general practice lawyer with a focus on commercial matters such as the sale and purchase of businesses, leasing and rural matters, and Sophie specialises in property matters and subdivisions,” Wyber says. “We consider the opening of a permanent office to be an important step to support our existing Mangawhai-based clients.”

The Mangawhai Head’s office is the fourth for the law firm which has practices in Warkworth, Wellsford and Helensville, where founder Edward (Ted) Sellars first established the practice in 1932. The office will initially be open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, with the Sellars Law team still available to provide service on the days in between.

“The establishment of our new office has been made possible with the support of Jackson Worsfold, previously of Dream Planning which continues to operate now as Horizon Surveying & Land Development from the same Wood Street property. Jackson previously assisted us to work from a temporary office space during covid, which was invaluable to enable our local staff to keep working,” Wyber says. “Sellars Law offers friendly, professional and sound legal advice and we are proud of our record of forming and maintaining strong relationships with our clients, which has resulted in many cases in us serving clients over several generations.”

Elite Water

With summer outdoor living on the way, Marsden Cove business Elite Water is ready to help residents keen to dip into cool, tepid or even ice-cold waters in the privacy of their homes.

The owners, wife and husband team Renee Christianson and Andrew Signal, offer a range of swimming pool and spa products to keep waters clean and healthy as well as a professional valet service. A “Green Pool Rescue” service is also available for swimming areas that require extra attention from pool technician Richard Coles, who has over 25 years of experience in the industry.

Renee says they highly recommend Davey’s new ChloroMatic Lifeguard, an easy-to-install automated pool and chemistry controller with adjustments to settings managed through a user-friendly app.

“The Lifeguard takes the hard work out of servicing and monitors the water so basically the pool looks after itself,” she says. “We

Annual number of homes consented down 20 percent

The number of new homes consented in NZ in the year ending August 2024 was down 20 per cent compared on the same period over previous year, according to Stats NZ.

In the year ending August 2024, there were

15,597 stand-alone houses consented, down 9.7 per cent from the year ending August 2023; and 18,035 multi-unit homes consented, down 27 per cent.

“The number of multi-unit homes consented in the year ending August

also recommend a fortnightly valet through summer as we test the water and make sure it’s clean so it’s one less thing that people have to worry about.”

Servicing clients from Mangawhai to Whangarei including schools, farmers and orchard owners, Elite Water also offers water testing services, irrigation solutions and filtration options.

Besides being stocked with pool equipment, pumps, chemicals and pergolas, the showroom contains luxury and swim spas which can be couriered nationwide. The couple are waiting on a shipment fulfilling a new health trend, the Vastera Cold Plunge Bath.

“It’s a mini-inverted chiller, so no need to add ice as it just cools itself. Unlike other ice baths, it does not need to be emptied – the water can be left in it,” Renee says. “People who play sport are very interested. We’ve sold one even before the container has landed.”

2024 is the lowest in the last three years,” construction and property statistics manager Michael Heslop said.

Multi-unit homes include townhouses, apartments, retirement village units, and flats.

History

Angela Cook, Mangawhai Museum Manager info@mangawhai-museum.org.nz

More to Niagara than just gold

One more ship story, then we’ll dive into history beyond the boats!

I’m sure you know the sorry tale of the RMS Niagara – the ocean liner that sank off our coast after striking a mine. You probably know she was carrying 590 gold bars aboard, of which divers recovered and accounted for 585 – leaving tantalising mystery surrounding the final five. You might even have commiserated that she sank bunkered with oil that’s leaked ever since, or speculated over the scale of potential environmental risk that rests still in her hull.

But did you know this mighty vessel’s sinking was not her first frightening foray?

Because it’s spooky season, it’s time you leaned closer – imagine me whispering these terrifying tales of what happened on the Niagara, before she sank. I’ll limit them to three.

Flu | The Niagara, Harbinger of Death in 1918. Travelling from Honolulu to Suva, the stewards fell ill first. This jumped to more than 50 cases, including the ship’s doctor, leaving two passengers to take over Dr Mackenzie’s duties. But as more passengers and crew began to show signs of sickness, women were enlisted as stewards. What were they ill with? The dreaded Spanish Flu. Dr Mackenzie later testified the outbreak reached “practically every portion of the ship”. They had a first death resulting from complications before the Niagara docked in Auckland, but no proclamation was issued to quarantine the ship, and clearance was given for people to disembark (including the then Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance!). Some patients were moved to Auckland City Hospital, others remained to

be treated in converted, temporary facilities in the second class smoking room and cabins, though most were later also transferred to the city hospital. Two patients died in hospital after their transfer, and another died on ship before it left Auckland. But the real kicker?

160 of Auckland Hospital’s 180 nurses became infected, and two died. When the Niagara reached Sydney, 296 passengers and approximately 200 crew were detained a week at North Head Quarantine Station. The New Zealand House of Representatives went on to criticise the government’s handling of the epidemic and called for an inquiry. When the Niagara returned to Aotearoa months later, she was quarantined.

Kew | Man Overboard! In 1923, the Niagara heaved in passage from Suva to Auckland, buffeted by a cyclone. The weather was so fierce, William Kew, an able seaman working her deck, was swept overboard in the storm. Though the ship turned back and searched for hours, Kew was never seen again.

When She Blew | The Explosion before the Mine that Sank the Ship. In 1937, the  Niagara was docked at Darling Harbour, Sydney, with some unusual cargo destined to be stowed – 300 cases of fireworks that could be detonated by shock (a type banned in New South Wales). Sure enough, they proved capable, when one of the cases exploded on its way into the hold. Dock workers were blown into the air – injuring five, with one later dying from his injuries. Windows were shattered more than 180 metres away from the wharf from the fireworks bound for the Niagara!

Visit Mangawhai Museum, and learn our stories – from spooky to heartwarming.

Vehicle improvements help cut air pollution

Improvements to the motor vehicle fleet are helping to reduce air pollutant emissions, according to the findings of an Environment Ministry and Stats NZ update on air quality. The three-yearly report shows that air pollutant levels have decreased at most monitoring sites over the last eight years. However, some sites showed worsening air quality, while pollutant levels at sites where air quality improved were at times above levels in World Health Organization guidelines. The ministry’s deputy secretary for strategy, stewardship and performance, Natasha Lewis, said emissions from motor vehicles (as well as aviation, shipping and rail) were lower in 2019 than in 2012 for all monitored pollutants, except sulphur dioxide. “Air pollutants from motor vehicle exhaust emissions are reducing per kilometre as a result of vehicle emissions standards, lower-emissions vehicles and improvements in engine technology and fuel quality.”

BREAM BAY

This service runs on THURSDAYS

A postcard of the RMS Niagara, dated July 11, 1916.

Craft your beachside lifestyle

Secure your dream section in the first stage of this master-planned residential and lifestyle community in Mangawhai Central. Interest is high in the remaining lots in Stage 1D with prices starting from an affordable $370,000 and section sizes ranging from 512sqm to 3,142sqm (more or less).

With new roads and footpaths, tree-lined avenues, and services already in place, be quick to take advantage of these early bird prices with titles due out soon. All lot owners will enjoy a flat short walk to shops and amenities, with sensible design guidelines to protect your investment.

Book an appointment today for the lifestyle you deserve. bayleys.co.nz/1153903

Take your real estate career to new heights with

Join us for an informative evening and find out why Bayleys is different and how our unique and proven support systems help you achieve uncapped earning potential.

Whether you're an experienced real estate professional or considering a career change, this event is for you. Discover what sets Bayleys apart and learn about our unique management structures and support systems designed to ensure your success from day one and foster ongoing growth in the industry.

EVENT DETAILS

DATE November 6th, 2024

TIME 4.00pm - 6.00pm

LOCATION Bayleys Orewa, 14 Florence Avenue, Orewa, North Auckland

RSVP Lydia Harris, hr@bayleysinthenorth.co.nz before Friday the 1st of November 2024

Mangawhai Central Residential Stage 1D

Delivering a new coastal community in Mangawhai

Around 770 new homes will be built at Mangawhai Central, the 116ha greenfield site between Mangawhai village and Mangawhai Heads, in a rejuvenated project aimed at addressing the undersupply of housing in the area.

Mangawhai Central, a development by the Alvarium real estate team and several Alvarium clients, is located among some of New Zealand’s finest beaches, top golf courses and local amenities. The developers say they are targeting young families, retirees, and second home buyers who wish to embrace all that Mangawhai offers while remaining close to Auckland, thanks to the new motorway. Sections are being sold to some of New Zealand’s largest home-building companies and the residential market.

The stated aim is to ensure that the homes will be built to a high standard and complimentary to the surrounding environment.

“The development has appealed to home builders as they are confident that they can on-sell the homes at the right price with the right credentials regarding management and quality,” says Alvarium head of real estate, Shane Scott.

The Alvarium real estate team, which includes in-house partners Strategic Property, says it is focused on delivering a high-quality masterplanned community

Key features of the development include:

• Delivering a diverse range of homes.

• A network of green space and amenities to create a walking and bike friendly community.

• Enhancing the natural environment, through connectivity to the estuary and the restoration of the Gumdiggers walking track. The trail currently runs from north of Langs Beach to Molesworth Drive just north of the site. This extension will allow residents of Mangawhai to enjoy the trail that runs along beaches, through bush areas and now the Gumdiggers that form part of the Mangawhai Central development area.

• Planting thousands of trees which will include amenity planting, restorative native planting and streetscape.

• Providing infrastructure security for lot owners, including certainty of wastewater and stormwater connections, power supply and a requirement of two 25,000 litre tanks per lot for potable water/fire water.

“When we presented the project design of the project in front of people the feedback was overwhelmingly positive” Scott says.

“This is thanks to our experience dealing with home builders and communities to understand them, which has been reflected in our masterplan.

“We can say with confidence that we are delivering a quality project, that is sympathetic to the natural environment. It will be nice to see the masterplan implemented, with the

residential and commercial areas functioning as they were intended during the initial consenting phase in 2021”.

Alvarium says its in-house partner Strategic Property provides due diligence and development/project management expertise, supporting the shared vision of improving the landscape.

“We’re delivering this development in keeping with what was envisioned in the Plan Change - a high-quality master-planned development with lots of walkways and cycleways connecting the community,” says Jo McDonald, general manager Strategic Property.

“The density and infrastructure are aligned

with the provisions of the Plan Change and that means we are confident this development will be complimentary to the Mangawhai community.

“Our earthworks contractors have just started on site and it’s going to be great seeing the development start to take shape over the coming months.”

Alvarium’s real estate team is led by Andrew Williams, Jo McDonald, and Shane Scott, who together have a combined 80 years of experience in property and collaborations with some of the largest real estate firms globally. Their projects span residential, commercial, primary industries and hospitality, including the JW Marriott Hotel.

Music magic celebrates 20 years on radio waves

we’re doing, start your own station!’ So the gauntlet was thrown down …”

Two decades ago, Mangawhai’s very own radio station hit the airwaves, offering listeners an eclectic mix of music and off-beat humour, “where random is good”.

Heads 106.4 FM, which turns 20 this month, is the brainchild of owner/operator and multiaward-winning broadcaster, Mangawhai resident Mark Perry.

From the Beatles to Led Zeppelin, Kiwi classics to local music, the independent solar-powered station is a favourite among locals as – true to the station’s philosophy – “you never know what you’re going to get next”.

Well-known for his deep brogue vocals across the airwaves and on TV in a career expanding over 50 years, Mark began as a 19-yearold radio technician in Tauranga and has worked at various stations including in Christchurch and Canada. His most well-known role was at the helm of Radio Hauraki, co-hosting the Morning Pirate breakfast show for 14 years (1989-96 and 1999-2006) as well as part of the team that changed the station to its renowned winning classic rock format. However, the station also became the catalyst for HeadsFM after Mark became disillusioned with the repeated “burnt to toast” playlists.

“My time at Hauraki were good years, but mainstream stations only had a library of up to 900 songs. Great classic stuff, but they’re just rotated continually and the philosophy of the network stations is you don’t play anything that the audience doesn’t know because that will give them a chance to tune out,” he says. “When I asked why we didn’t play more tracks from classic rock albums, management retorted ‘well if you don’t like what

On a weekend in October 2004, while at his Mangawhai family retreat, Mark created HeadsFM, compiling a basic music library from his collection of CDs, early iPod and iTunes as well as old vinyl records. The small low-powered “one-watt” radio station 88.1FM offered listeners a weekends-only programme covering a radius of approximately two kilometres.

“It was amazing it actually did that as the antenna installer was not familiar with FM transmission and he installed the aerial like he would for a TV, beaming straight up instead of horizontally, so planes would’ve had a good signal,” he says with a chuckle. “Within a year though, the station became 24/7 and even had a handful of local advertisers – thanks to Craig Matheson, Terry Leabourn and Jim Wintle – which gave me an incentive to apply for a full-time commercial licence.”

The local support also inspired Mark to “drop-the-mic” on his long-time role at Radio Hauraki and move with wife Maureen to Mangawhai in 2007.

With ongoing increases in power wattage and a new Bream Bay transmission site in 2008, the station’s airwaves were able to cover a wider terrain, from Marsden Cove to Pākiri. In 2014 Mark also created The Wireless FM, a nostalgic radio programme reminiscent of yesteryear.

HeadsFM unique “no DJ” brand, with speciality programmes such as old radio comedy series Chicken Man and Captain Kremmen, Sixties at Six and Seventies at Seven intermingled with the selfdeprecating humour of Kiwi standup comedian Dean Butler

admin and accounts, new sales consultant Andrea Hawcridge and Mark lining up music playlists and writing, producing and sometimes featuring in the station’s commercials.

“I don’t have a regular day and if the surf’s right, well, I’ll put off pretty much anything!” he jokes. “However, when something goes wrong, like when a lightning storm knocked my modem out so I was off air for a bit, I still got to be available.”

Since 1988, Mark has won multiple NZ Radio Awards for services to broadcasting, voice talent, writing and presenting, five Mobil Radio Awards for his time with Radio Hauraki, as well as overseas accolades including a Radio Festival of New York gold medal for best entertainment programme for Christchurch radio, ZMFM.   Over his career, Mark has seen a lot of changes and disputes those who say radio is on the way out, citing an advertising agency survey which discovered overall listenership across Kiwi airwaves has increased.

“Radio has survived everything. When people say that audio streams will be the death knell of radio, I just smile as I’ve heard that since I was a kid. In my 50 years of broadcasting, TV didn’t kill it, MTV didn’t last, and even though I listen to music streams, the algorithms don’t get it right, they don’t randomly throw a Kiwi song in, a classic oldie or local community info,” he says.

– written by Mark – has also attracted an international audience. The station now has more listeners worldwide than in Mangawhai due to streaming online platforms like iHeart and Rova.

“I wanted to expose listeners to other sorts of music and interesting stuff that they might not find in their normal scope or the mainstream

DJ banter of ‘McRadios’,” he says.

“I get emails from all over the place, have listeners in Eastern Europe, Aussie, the UK and America. One time I was closing the station down at 3am for maintenance and got an email from Boise, Idaho asking why I was off the air. It’s quite amazing.”

The station is run by a team of three, with Maureen in charge of

“As the town continues to grow so does HeadsFM and unless Rupert Murdoch throws a load of cash my way, I’ll continue operating. The future looks great for our true local radio station.”

Perhaps, as rock band Queen said in Radio Ga Ga, radio is yet to have its finest hour.

In the words of the Beatles, “It was 20 years ago today” when HeadsFM introduced its blend of diverse music, speciality programmes and quirky humour to Mangawhai and across the globe. Creator and award-winning DJ Mark Perry in his home-based studio where the music magic happens.

JULIA WADE

Viewpoint

Shane Jones, MP

Boosting regional resilience

Significant investment has and will continue to be made into regional New Zealand. Northland, home to just over 200,000 people, has a host of needs. There are a number of barriers that have constipated progress and growth in sectors all over Northland. New Zealand First in gGovernment is focused on boosting opportunities for New Zealand. Infrastructure, roading, housing and employment issues plague Northland, but you have a champion in the Matua, and I am up for that fight.

Prior to my unwanted sabbatical in 2020, as the then Minister for the Provincial Growth Fund, work was being done to improve the veins, arteries and organs of Northland.  A focus on lifting the economic and social outcomes of Northland and its people. More than 200 projects in Northland alone had received financial investment through Kanoa, a branch of MBIE charged with managing the Provincial Growth Fund.

As the Minister for Regional Development my goal is to boost regional resilience, build economic development and enable regions, such as Northland, to flourish and here is the plan for how we will do that.  By building infrastructure for growth and resilience.  Northland has overburdened and underinvested infrastructure challenges. Nationally this deficit is estimated to be approximately $104 billion, with the potential to increase to $210 billion over the next 30 years if action isn’t taken. Infrastructure is key to a flourishing region. We are taking action and have committed $1.2 billion over three years for regional development investment through the ‘Regional Infrastructure Fund’ (RIF).

Improving educational achievement and growing skills. Developing skilled New

Zealanders and attracting the talent we need to New Zealand is essential. This is about developing the skills of our young people, driving productivity and includes redesigning vocational training to make it more regionally responsive, efficient and relevant. We are equipping our youth with the skills to take and make opportunities for themselves, in their own communities. In other words, I want to get the nephs off the couch!  Trade and investment. Boosting the value of our exports, growing export markets and attracting investment to our shores. For example, work is being done in the minerals sector to encourage overseas investment and develop this important industry. It’s a $1billion industry projected to double. This is one of a host of other industries projected to boost New Zealand’s trade and investment potential.

Removing obstacles to unlock New Zealand’s potential, we need the right policies and settings to allow development in the right places at the right time. The length of time it takes to deliver infrastructure projects in New Zealand is costing us. In inflated costs, delays and in terms of our international reputation for doing business. We see shovel-ready projects trapped in cycles of over-regulation and legal challenges.

New Zealand needs a planning system promoting economic development and productivity, and is efficient, affordable, and easy to navigate. We have already taken huge steps to speed up consenting processes through the Fast Track Approvals Bill. A one-stop shop that bypasses the bureaucratic red tape. I want to enable major projects by improving decision-making timeframes that will give greater investment certainty, with well-designed projects having a clear and fast path to consent.

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Annual appeal time for Northland Rescue Helicopters

Northland Rescue Helicopters has launched its annual fundraising appeal, while thanking Northlanders for their ongoing support.

Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) chair Paul Ahlers said that while sponsorships from local business and financial donations from individuals were hugely appreciated, the cost of running the air ambulance service continues to climb.

“We are forever grateful for the financial and in-kind support we receive from locals year in, year out and we simply could not do what we do without that especially in these financially challenging times,” he said.

“But the reality is for a charitable operation like ours is that we always need more funding. Nothing is cheap in aviation and we are also working towards building a fund for our likely relocation to Whangārei Airport within the next couple of years.”

Ahlers said that apart from daily operational costs, which is what the funds raised in the annual appeal are used for, NEST’s fundraising team does a great job throughout the year raising awareness of the need for funding – “but more importantly, connecting with so many people in our community and building those relationships”.

“Once people become part of the Northland Rescue Helicopter family they never leave.”

Fundraising and marketing manager Jan Hewitt said the 2024 annual appeal would be a celebration of community and community champions.

“There are numerous fundraising initiatives underway in the community that will be happening between now and Christmas and we encourage people to get out there, support them and have some fun. We will be providing Facebook updates on all the activity which includes two golf tournament and two fishing competition fundraisers.”

Hewitt said the annual appeal time provided a good opportunity to celebrate the community and acknowledge how much people do for each other throughout the year.

“I would like to acknowledge the support we receive from local media, community groups, businesses and schools.”

Northland Rescue Helicopters is among the busiest air ambulance services in New Zealand, flying between 1000 and 1200 missions every year. It has flown more than 30,000 missions since NEST was established in 1988.

Food fest chance to savour northern culinary and brews

A festival celebrating Te Tai Tokerau cuisine is being served up through October, an event showcasing the region’s gourmet treats from restaurants, cafes, wineries and breweries.

Savour Northland features Mangawhai businesses Surf & Turf, Brewed As Café and Brooke Lane Vineyard.

Food trucks Little Red Fish and The Barbecue Hut (aka Surf & Turf) have also joined culinary forces this month to offer customers a mouthwatering menu of seafood dishes and Kiwi-styled American BBQ meals. Their last event takes place on October 23.

Brooke Lane Vineyard is hosting their Last Saturday Club on October 26, promising a smorgasbord of fine wine, wood-fired pizza and other tasty delights served up with music. The winery earlier teamed up with The BBQ Hut for a 1980s BBQ event on October 12, with revellers dressing up in their 1980s best.

On October 27, Mangawhai Heads café,

restaurant and bar Brewed As will be offering dumplings hand-crafted from local ingredients along with reggae vibes from Snells Beach musicians Fish & Bread Soundsystem and Mangawhai’s own LoveLace Roots.

On the same day, The Cool Taste of Kai from the Community of Waipū can be found at the township’s annual Labour Weekend Street Market. It will feature a large number of local food producers and food trucks with a wide range of cuisine including smoothies, burgers and fritters, as well as tropical fruit, artisanal bread, a coffee roaster and chocolatier and seafood expert.

Waipū Cove was earlier the scene of the Grain vs Grape Showdown. Held at the Cove Café, guests enjoyed a four-course dinner paired with a Northland wine and a McLeods Brewery beer, before casting a vote for their favourite combination. At the time of publication, the winning beverage had yet to be announced.

More info: www.savournorthland.com

Northland Rescue Helicopter critical care parademic Blake Murray.

At the Brooke Lane Vineyard/The BBQ Hut 1980s BBQ Bonanza are, from left, Vineyard crew Dave and Sue Vos, and Ranee Ellis with owners, Nicky and Ray Crocker.

$1m fund to boost Northland energy resilience

Three months after a fallen Transpower pylon sparked a major power failure, Northland is receiving a support package, including a $1 million resilience fund.

Northland MP Grant McCallum, who announced the package, said the tower fall and ensuing outage “created heightened awareness of the resilience risk to Northland’s electricity network”.

“This package of initiatives is a step in the right direction to addressing that risk and moving the region forward.”

More than 88,000 homes and businesses were left without power in the June 20 incident, which was traced back to the actions of an unsupervised contractor.

Estimates of the damage to the region’s economy ranged from $37.5 million to $80 million.

The support package comprises a regional electricity resilience and reliability plan, work on a strategy to unlock the renewable energy potential of Northland, and a resilience fund.

As part of the package of initiatives, Transpower and its service provider Omexom have established a $1 million fund for Northland. The fund will be managed by Northland Inc and allocated to resilience initiatives and projects that will deliver long-

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Northland Inc chief executive Paul Linton said a panel of Northland community leaders and Transpower and Omexom representatives would select the initiatives and projects to be funded. More information would be provided in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile Transpower, which owns and operates the national electricity grid, and local lines companies Top Energy and Northpower are jointly working on the resilience and reliability plan for Northland.

“The plan will identify practical options for increasing the resilience of electricity transmission and distribution networks in Northland and is expected to be completed before the end of the year,” said Transpower acting chief executive John Clarke.

“Northland is blessed with a number of natural resources that can be used to generate renewable electricity,” said Vince Cocurullo, Whangārei Mayor and chair of Northland Mayoral Forum. “New generation from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy can play an important role for Northland’s energy resilience and for its economic development.”

Cocurollo said Northland was in a position to generate more than it needed and become an exporter of electricity to Auckland.

New recreational centre opens

Bream Bay residents celebrated the recent opening of a multi-million dollar recreation centre in Ruakākā.

An October 5 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Peter Snell Road location attracted more than 300 people, including dignitaries, construction representatives and sponsors. The community-driven project, headed by the Ruakākā Recreation Centre Committee (RRCC) and built by local company Trigg Construction, began in 2023 and cost $5.2 million.

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RRCC raised funds through several sources including $2.5m from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and $900,000 from Foundation North. Whangarei District Council gave $800,000 for the new centre and $1m for the car park.

Grassroots Trust awarded nearly $12,000 for 160 chairs, 20 tables and a boardroom table and seating, and local crowdfunding via a Givealittle page is underway to buy 160 sets of crockery and cutlery.

The centre was built due to Ruakākā’s significant population growth overwhelming the existing recreational centre at Takutai Place. It includes a larger meeting room, community hall and kitchen. Along with a more spacious unisex gym, the building has a new women’s gym and treatment room for hire for physiotherapy services.

Part two of the project will include a multipurpose hall for indoor sports such as basketball and volleyball, dependent on further funding.

Minister Shane Jones does the formalities, watched by dignitaries including Recreational Centre manager Christine Thirling and and Whangarei mayor Vince Cocurullo, far right, and several hundred locals.

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Big Board settles in at new MAZ home

Ohakune may have its enormous carrot, Paeroa an oversized L&P bottle and Taihape a gigantic gumboot, but Mangawhai surely has the coolest novelty statue in the North Island now the world’s largest skateboard has permanently rolled into town.

The 800kg deck now graces the entrance to Mangawhai Activity Zone’s (MAZ) skate park, installed on October 16 by local engineers, hiab operators and foundation contractors. For the past 18 months, the board has been undergoing restoration by MAZ members and craftspeople in the Black Swamp Road workshop of Mangawhai Engineering and Marine.

MAZ chair Kate Arbuckle says thanks to the Mangawhai Opportunity Factory and the Kaipara District Council Reserve Contribution Fund, the restored board has now been brought to the town. She thanked Simon Bennett in particular for his efforts

The 12 x 3.1-metre skateboard created by Silverdale design company Unique Creative, beats the current Guinness Book of

Records title holder – a US board of 11.14 x 2.63-metres.

It first visited Mangawhai in May 2021 as part of a roadshow organised by the NZ Olympic Committee (NZOC) to highlight skateboarding as an official sport at the Tokyo summer games.

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The skateboard was named Eka Tahi – “ride as one” – following a nationwide competition that drew more 1000 suggestions.

MAZ was gifted the board by NZOC, thanks to “some fancy footwork” and quick transport organising, committee member Ken Rayward says.

“Every one of the 42 towns the skateboard visited in 2021 wanted it to stay with them but MAZ’s reputation managed to secure it,” he says. “The name Eka Tahi represents the best in capturing the pride in community unification so sits very well with the character of our community.”

An official public welcome for Eke Tahi is to be held on October 27, Mangawhai Activity Zone at 10am. All are welcome.

Those involved in bringing the world’s largest skateboard, Eka Tahi, to Mangawhai: Back from left, Unique Creative owners Sarah and Andy Barnett, MAZ committee members Ken Rayward, John Phillis and Daniel Hawes, foundation contractor Glen Kehoe, MAZ chair Kate Arbuckle and Mangawhai-based RS Eng engineer Logan Holt. Front from left: MAZ trustee Simon Bennett and the Mangawhai Engineering and Marine team Jarred Crosbie, Adam Crompton, Jimmy Baird and Izaiah Watts. Craftsman Colin Young is mid-centre.

Big boost for Kaiwaka skatepark project in KDC funding awards

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Kaipara Cycling received $27,662.40 to support the creation of a family friendly gathering area for the mountain bike trails at Harding Park Trails in Dargaville.

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Eligible projects include those enhancing open spaces through landscaping, new equipment or developing walking tracks. The funding is sourced from reserve contributions, a levy collected from development. This year seven groups were awarded funds.

Among them was Kaiwaka Can, which was awarded $200,000. The group is working on creating a skatepark, seating, and walkways for McClean Park 2022.

Kaiwaka Can chairman David Wright said the funding would give the plans a significant boost.

“Kaiwaka Can’s vision for McClean Park 2022 is about more than just building a skatepark. This is about fostering a

In addition to the Reserve Contributions Fund, $100,000 was given out in 25 community grants for 2024. The KDC Community Grant contestable fund supports events, services and activities that are of benefit to the community or for operational costs or projects.

Successful applicants included Citizens Advice Bureau Dargaville & Districts ($13,000), Kaiwaka Playcentre ($8,230.55), Mangawhai Museum and Historical Society ($11,390), Oturei Marae ($2,300.00), Tama Te Uaua Marae ($2,300.00), Te Kopuru Community Trust ($2,131.22) and Kaihu Valley Rugby Football Club ($2,300.00).  Further information: grants@kaipara.govt.nz

Penk promotes remote building inspections

The government is moving ahead with plans to increase the use of remote inspections to make the building and consenting process more efficient and affordable, said Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk.

“We know that the building and construction sector suffers from a lack of innovation. According to a recent report, productivity levels have remained unchanged since 1985, which is staggering given technological advancements since that time.”

Penk, MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi, said the building consent system, “which can be complex, unpredictable and costly,” was a key obstacle for improving productivity.

“In most instances obtaining a Code Compliance Certificate relies on a council officer physically inspecting building work on-site to check it complies with the building consent. Builders must book inspections in advance and, if the inspection does not go ahead at the expected time, the building work grinds to a halt.”

Penk said remote inspections would reduce

the need for inspectors to travel, allow more inspections to take place each day and enable inspectors to work across regions.

“While some councils already use remote inspections, uptake is low, and practices vary across the country.

“There will be some situations where on-site inspections are still needed, for example due to complex construction, lack of internet coverage or where physical testing is needed. However, in many cases remote inspections may be better than traditional on-site inspections as they allow for more accurate record keeping of the build process, which current and future homeowners can refer to.”

The government is calling for feedback from the public as well as from councils which administer the work.

Public consultation runs until November 29.

MBIE discussion document: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/ consultation-on-increasing-the-use-of-remoteinspections-in-the-building-consent-process

New support for residential construction market

The government has announced a new support programme for the residential construction market while the economy recovers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk have announced.

“We know the residential development sector is vulnerable to economic downturns,” Bishop said. “The lead time for building houses is typically 18 months or more, so it takes at least that long for the residential development sector to gear back up as market conditions improve.

“In times of expensive borrowing, underwrites are an effective tool for supporting housing supply. This is because underwrites increase developers’ access to finance where they otherwise wouldn't have been able to get it, and therefore wouldn't have been able to deliver the houses.”

Bishop said the timing was right for the support since interest rates remain high and building consent rates low.

The Residential Development Underwrite (RDU) would help support residential construction activity by enabling credible developers to access finance that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to get. This also had the benefit of ensuring there are houses ready to go for buyers who enter the market as interest rates drop, he said.

The RDU programme will be for projects selected by Ministry of Housing and Urban Development officials.

“While the mood on the ground has started to shift with some encouraging signs of renewed optimism, the new underwrite will provide important support and confidence to the building and construction sector during a tough economic period,” Penk said.

“For a development to be approved for the underwrite, it must have a minimum of 30 houses. The developer must have a proven track record of successfully building and selling houses of a similar size and scale, have ownership or use of the land (or an option to do so), and have all the required resource consents for residential housing.”

In addition to providing a recent market valuation from a registered valuer, the developer must also be able to provide satisfactory evidence that underwrites are needed for the development to proceed within 6-12 months, he said.

For example, the developer should provide evidence that reasonable attempts have been made to market the development, that finance approval is conditional on pre-sales, and that the required workforce is available. There will be no price caps or eligible buyer restrictions.

“The number of houses supported by the Residential Development Underwrite programme will depend on wider economic conditions, demand from developers, and the speed at which houses are built and sold – the faster projects are completed the more capacity will be recycled back in capacity for further underwrites.”

Funding for the RDU will be redirected from unused funding from the Kiwibuild and BuildReady Development Pathway programmes. Both of these programmes are now closed to new applications.

Over the coming weeks, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will be talking with residential developers, banks and lenders, to ensure that only eligible projects apply.

Registrations opened on October 7.

What is an underwrite?

Developers often need to secure pre-sales on a proportion of houses in a development before they can access bank finance. This is particularly true for larger, medium to highdensity developments such as apartments. Due to the housing market downturn and high interest rates, some developers are not able to achieve these presales from the market. An underwrite provides this presales assurance to banks and funders, which allows them to lend finance to the developer for construction.

An underwrite is a commitment (subject to the terms of the underwrite being complied with) from the Crown to purchase a home if the developer is unable to sell it to market, after an agreed sales and marketing period.

(source: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development)

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College takes shape

Progress on Mangawhai’s first senior school is steaming ahead, with the completion of the first pre-fabricated classrooms and a growing student roll.

Mangawhai Hills College is scheduled to open its doors on February 10 next year. It will be the first secondary school in Northland’s fastest-growing area.

The not-for-profit Mangawhai Education Trust (MET) won’t give enrolment figures at this point but says it will continue to enrol year 7, 8 and 9 students until a first-year capacity of 40 has been reached. The independent school will have the equivalent of 2.2 full time teachers in 2025.

In 2026 and 2027 the trust anticipates student numbers will rise to 100, catering for years 7-11, with the eventual goal of accommodating years 7-13 by 2029.

In the Keith Hay Homes yard in Warkworth, the first school building has been completed and work is underway on a second.

The first comprises two classrooms with a separate withdrawal space and attached toilets.

The second will provide space for administration, meetings, staff work rooms and a sick bay. Both buildings are expected to be trucked to Mangawhai in November. On the site itself, Northpower has installed a pole transformer on Tara Road and trenched and

Trust chair Jill Corkin said it lodged its resource consent application with Kaipara District Council in late July.

“They did have a couple of queries, which they came back to our planner about, and they’ve been fully answered now, so we are expecting that it will be out of council very soon.”

Corkin said community interest has been strong.

“We’ve offered places and we have had acceptances and payment of initial enrolment fees, which is really encouraging, so that will just continue now through till Christmas.”

Corkin said other secondary schools in the district have held open days recently and some parents are still considering their options.

“I think once things start moving on the site and people do realise it’s a real thing, that will hopefully encourage a few more.”

Fees, which will cover staff salaries among other costs, are set at $16,000 for 2025.

The school is planned to be a part of the Mangawhai Hills residential subdivision.

Corkin said the developer, Patrick Fontein, had been “incredibly” supportive.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Mangawhai Hills Limited, they’ve been fantastic in terms of their support for us.”

Corkin noted that the requirements for the subdivision were that recessive colours be used, and the school buildings would be no exception.

“I want to emphasise to people that, you know, it’s not going to stand out like a white blob in the middle of a paddock.”

MET describes itself as a group of dedicated parents and educators who want to see their students remain in Mangawhai for their schooling, connecting to their community and being educated locally.

Currently high school students in the area attend Rodney College in Wellsford, Otamatea High School in Maungaturoto, or schools further afield.

laid cables to the site. MET thanked Dynamic Electrical’s Matt Hovell for his help with that aspect of the project.

At Keith Hay Homes in Warkworth, members of the team with the first classroom built for Mangawhai Hills College. The building will be painted before being moved on-site. From left, national production manager James Wiltshire, sales manager Lauren Renney, production manager Alex Lishman, Springboard work experience builder Vance Borman and Keith Hay builder Simon Harris.

Site blessing for Mangawhai’s first retirement village

Te Uri o Hau this month blessed the site where Metlifecare will soon start building Mangawhai’s first retirement village.

The ceremony at the 13-hectare greenfield site north of the golf club in Mangawhai Heads was also attended by Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson, representatives of Metlifecare and the contractors.

Metlifecare spokesperson Lara Harrison said the company has been working with the iwi throughout the resource consenting process.

She said earthworks were due to begin this month, with local contractor Wharehine undertaking the project.

The first stage of the village will comprise 26 villas, and the company expects to welcome the first residents soon after the homes are completed in mid-2026.

More than 330 people had registered their interest, she said.

The first stage will incorporate a marketing suite and a temporary amenity pavilion – a communal area for residents and families to enjoy until the permanent amenity building is complete.

Ultimately the village will comprise 160 single-level two-and three-bedroom villas and a 45-bed, hospital-level care home.

Metlifecare Development Manager Tim Graham said the completed facility would be a high-end village with a coastal feel, attracting residents from Mangawhai, Northland and Auckland.

Metlifecare says it will adopt sustainable principles throughout construction, in line with its focus on reducing the environmental footprint when building new villages.

The village will blend modern living with an appreciation for the native kanuka bush, and the company aims to achieve the New Zealand Green Business Council’s Homestar 7 rating for its villas.

Other environmentally-friendly features are expected to include solar power generation, composting and recycling systems, and fixtures to reduce water use, such as harvesting rainwater from building roofs.

Graham says the village will appeal to a broad range of retirees, including locals and those from further afield, including Auckland.

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The northern and western views of the retirement village. The images are an artist’s impression and subject to change.

At the blessing service, from left, Joe Bartley and Tim Graham of the Metlifecare development team, Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson, Wharahine’s Stefan Van Wyk, Te Uri o Hau Kaumatua Ben Hita and Wharahine’s Andrew Booth.

Artists keep it local, natural and creative in Waipū exhibit

Living in Waipū is a constant source of creative inspiration for a group of artists who are exhibiting the beauty of the landscape in one of the township's grand old buildings –which is a work of art in itself.

Eight Mangawhai Artist Inc members are holding a week-long pop-up show, Keeping it Local, from October 26 to November 3, in the stunning interior of Nova Scotia Junction. Coordinator Clare Wells says the 100-yearold structure was actually the motivation for the exhibit.

“The show came from an idea to bring creative endeavour to the beautiful historic building, so I pitched the concept to owner Lindy Davis who loved it and is generously supporting us.”

Showcasing paintings, ceramics, weaving, print-making and wood-turning, the exhibition features materials from gardens, the coastline and the natural environment used in creative, innovative and quirky ways.

Clare says each artist brings their own individual technique and style.

“Jill McIntosh works across the multidisciplinary areas of painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and installation, while Penny Goodall uses flax and other weavable materials to create contemporary pieces,” she says. “Denis McCartain sources wood from beloved trees that have fallen or been removed including

kauri, rimu, pōhutukawa and puriri to turn platters, bowls and other beautiful objects.”

Photographer Christine den Hartogh brings her mixed media and botanical printmaking expertise to her work and ceramic artist Pat Hadlee describes her art as “out there and experimental, loose and often abstract”.

Painter Viv Blackshaw captures coastal colours and textures in her local seascapes while Tracey Coakley says her work is inspired by emotions and “watching my children grow” as well as family and friends whom she often uses as models, as well as herself.

Natural beauty and atmospheric effects of landscapes stir Deb Hunter-Whitlock’s creativity – “the moments when clouds wrap around the hills and mist settles in a valley or the setting sun shines through trees and casts shadows across a paddock, is awesome.”

Clare says the exhibit will be part of the art precinct in the town.

“We’ll be joining the recently-opened Black Shed Art Space, Patsy Montgomery Design, Swanky Pants and the Cove Collective, Bohemia, and Husk & Honey,” she says. “There’s also an opportunity for visitors to drop in for a coffee at Little Red Coffee, a beer at McLeod’s Pizza Barn and Brewery or an ice cream from Little ’Lato, as people pursue the shops and galleries.”

Keeping it Local: October 26 – November 3, 10am – 4pm. Nova Scotia Junction, Waipū.

Mangawhai Artist Inc members showcasing the beauty of Waipu through a coming week-long exhibition are, from left, Tracey Coakley, Viv Blackshaw, Christine den Hartogh, Pat Hadlee and Deb Hunter-Whitlock. Absent are Denis McCartain, Jill McIntosh and Penny Goodall.

Fiordland, a place where Kiwis can soar

While waiting in Queenstown for the transit van that would take us to Te Anau, one of our guides remarked that, “the risk of visiting Fiordland is that you will never want to leave.” It sounded like a travel brochure cliché, but Local Matters journalist Jannette Thompson soon learned it was far from an exaggeration as she spent seven days as a guest of Heritage Expeditions on its Southern Fiords Discovery tour earlier this year …

“Kiwis aren’t supposed to fly” I told myself as the small pod we were strapped into lifted off the helipad and headed out across Lake Te Anau. I wondered if anyone would notice if I kept my eyes closed for the entire 45-minute flight to Te Awaroa/Long Sound, one of the remotest places in New Zealand. As well as the pilot, aptly named Snow, there were four other passengers, but it seemed I was the only one who was aware that there was just a thin wall of plexiglass between us and certain death.

But when the helicopter swept out over the lake, turned towards the south and started to climb above the snow-dusted Southern Alps, apprehension suddenly gave way to excitement. Finally, I was visiting Fiordland. Here, I hoped, I might experience a small slice of pre-human New Zealand, perhaps as it was when moa still roamed free and Haast eagles soared in the sky.

As the helicopter maintained its steady course south we flew over the Manapouri hydro dam, and the glimpses of waterfalls, mountain lakes or tarns, and orb rainbows took my breath away. The only sign of life was the occasional red deer track snaking across brown, barren hillsides. Our bird’s eye view of the alps gave us a sense of both their size and grandeur.

As we neared our destination, the helicopter descended into a thick bank of cloud flanked on either side by forested mountainsides. We emerged from the mist into the tranquil scene of Long Sound, bathed in sunlight with Heritage Explorer, our home for the next seven days, lying quietly at anchor.

The other guests had already landed and together, we made a party of 14 – a mixed bag of academics, a boat builder, marine engineer, nurse, teacher, retirees from Australia and other professionals – plus six crew. Luggage and passengers were efficiently loaded onto the waiting zodiacs and ferried across to the Explorer. The journey had begun.

After welcomes, introductions and safety briefings, we were free to acquaint ourselves with our cabins and the vessel. The 30-metre, four-deck wooden yacht was built in Picton 20 years ago and was powered by dual Scania 653 horsepower engines, with a cruising speed of 10 knots. Fitted out with its wood interior and royal blue décor, there was certainly a feeling that this “expedition” was going to be done in style. The dining room provided 180-degree panoramas and the covered decks were the perfect viewing platforms for what lay ahead. A 24-hour coffee machine, plus snacks and fruit, a well-stocked library, open bar and French chef were a much-appreciated bonus.

As the Explorer made her way down the fiord to Rakituma/Preservation Inlet where we would spend our first night, we were captivated by the steep-sided fiords carpeted in an everchanging palette of green, changing in shadow and sunlight, with the occasional glimpse of white mountain tops. It was mesmerising. It was a landscape that formed over two millions years, and we learned that what we call sounds are actually fiords – troughs dug by glacial ice, which later filled with water. The exposed sides were eventually colonised by beech, rimu, miro, kahikatea, supplejack and rata, and of course, later still came an array of iconic New

Zealand birdlife including kiwi, kakapo, tui, bellbirds and kereru.

As the bow waves rippled across the mirrorlike surface, it felt like we had entered a different time zone where days were measured not by digital devices, but by sunrises and sunsets, with everything governed by the weather. Fiordland has around 200 rain days a year with an average annual rainfall of seven metres. No wonder we’d been told to pack a good raincoat!

On the following morning we rose to find the boat buffeted by a cold and wet south-westerly. Early risers were treated to the site of blue penguins bobbing around in the water like free range corks. But the patchwork of green on the hillsides that had been so evident in yesterday’s sunshine had disappeared into a uniform cloak of ominous green, worn with a ponderous blanket of grey above us. The day demanded thermals and wet weather gear. Thermallyinsulated Muck Boots, supplied by the Explorer, were donned and it was down to the zodiacs for a less than graceful boarding procedure. The solid easterly created a rhythmical rolling swell as we landed on the beach where the Puysegur lighthouse oil store was located, opposite Coal Island/ Te Puka-Hereka (The Tied Anchor). The landing proved tricky and, after mis-timing a wave, a few of us found ourselves squelching up the beach with boots full of seawater. A tiny cemetery

Kiwis aren’t supposed to fly ...

A Cruise for two with Heritage Expeditions! see page 31 for details ...

located beside the building was a stark reminder that the landing we had just accomplished had, in earlier times, claimed the lives of at least six people.

The tramp to the lighthouse provided us with our first opportunity to experience Fiordland on the ground and we were accompanied by bellbirds and tui, and some very rowdy seabirds. Under a canopy of beech, we found pathways of moss, bracken trampled by deer, tree trunks dressed in lacy ferns and sandstone sculptured by fierce Tasman winds, sea spray and rain. Puysegur lighthouse was first illuminated in 1879 in one of the windiest places in New Zealand, and was staffed until 1989 when it was automated. The crumbling foundations of the lighthouse keepers’ houses –there were three families stationed there at one time – brought back memories of Matakana local, the late Clive Nicholls, who had once been a lighthouse keeper here.

After a delicious lunch back on the boat there was just enough time to cheerfully don our now very wet wet weather gear and visit the abandoned Tarawera silver mine and smelter. A lone seal pup greeted us on landing, showing no sign of being afraid of the interlopers visiting his nursery. After a short hill climb over gnarly tree roots, we came across an unusual brick chimney which followed the incline of the hillside rather than a normal vertical stack. Two attempts were made to mine the lode here, one in 1897 and the second in 1907, but despite

initial promise, both ventures failed. One of the surprising discoveries on this trip was just how much human activity had occurred in Fiordland since Māori arrived more than 900 years ago. Although recreation, conservation and cray fishing are now the main occupations, during our after dinner talks each evening, we learned of pa sites, mining towns, forestry ventures, whaling stations and sealing operations.

As we left the sheltered waters of Preservation Inlet for Chalky Inlet and Great Island the following day, we had our first of several encounters with bottlenose dolphins racing beneath the bow of the Explorer. Their speed, agility and playfulness was enchanting, and several phones (and even some people) were nearly lost overboard trying to snap the perfect shot. We visited North Port, the final resting place of the rusting hulk of the GSS Stella, a schooner-rigged steamship which was bought by the New Zealand government in 1876. It was used to transport supplies to the keepers stationed at lighthouses around the coast and the hull is remarkably wellpreserved, although a satellite dish tied to a railing looked like a more recent addition. We saw a few of these satellite dishes in odd places throughout our journey and were told they belonged to the lobster or cray fishermen who work in these waters. Although the sounds are off limits to commercial fishing of any kind, they provide a safe haven for the storage of cray pots and live catches, which end up in restaurants mainly in China and South East Asia.

As we left the sheltered waters of Preservation Inlet and headed north to Tamatea/ Dusky Sound, the largest body of water in Fiordland, we witnessed massive waves hurling themselves against the rocks and cliff faces, sending explosive plumes of water into the air. As I’ve always been a good sailor, I

smugly declined the sea sickness tablets that were made freely available. However, the Great Southern Ocean and Tasman Sea conjured up a monotonous ocean swell, which proved too much for my tummy. I retreated to my cabin to sleep away the threehour voyage, trying to avoid any thought of food that might inadvertently lead me to the bathroom. Although we all made it to dinner that night, there were more than a few pasty faces.

It was dark by the time we dropped anchor in the sheltered waters of Cascade Cove, where we were to become more familiar with Captain Cook’s 1773 voyage on the Resolution. Showing limited imagination, Cook named many of the islands in the sound – Resolution, Crayfish, Indian (where he first encountered Māori), Cormorant and Pigeon, to name just a few. My fellow passengers and I were by now getting more adept at embarking and disembarking from the zodiacs, and we set off to visit the site where Cook and his crew set up camp after their gruelling voyage searching for the Great South Continent. When Resolution arrived in Dusky Sound, a reconnaissance led by Lieutenant Pickersgill identified sheltered waters in what is now called Pickersgill Harbour. It was hard to imagine the three masted sloop in this small waterway, tied securely to trees on either side. But here they spent five weeks resting and making repairs to the ship. A forge was set up for iron work, tents for sail makers and a workshop for the cooper (barrel maker). Cook also arranged for beer to be brewed using rimu and manuka leaves. Rum rations were postponed so the crew would drink the beer, as it was hoped it would aid in the prevention of scurvy. A source of freshwater was close at hand, with plenty of fresh fish and crayfish to dine on. After the deprivations of the Antarctic voyage, the shelter and availability of fresh

One of the surprising discoveries on this trip was just how much human activity had occurred in Fiordland since Māori arrived more than 900 years ago.

food and water must have seemed like manna from heaven. Although nothing remains of the camp, there was still a sense that we were walking in Cook’s footsteps.

Before departing, we made the short trek to nearby Astronomer’s Point, the site of a temporary observatory set up by William Wales, of the Board of Longitude, who was travelling with Cook to test the accuracy of a copy of John Harrison’s chronometer H4. As a consequence of the observations made by Wales at this point, New Zealand became the most accurately located place in the world at that time.

The Department of Conservation is involved in an ambitious restoration plan in Dusky Sound with the goal of eradicating pests, re-introducing missing species and filling biodiversity information gaps in the area. The project area includes Te Puaitaha/Breaksea Sound, Acheron Passage, Wet Jacket Arm and Dusky Sound itself, which has more than 700 islands including Resolution Island – New Zealand’s seventh largest island. The vision is for Dusky Sound to be one of the most intact ecosystems on Earth, as well as New Zealand’s largest ‘bio bank’ – a source of endangered native species that can be sent to pest free locations throughout the country. We awoke the next morning to an iconic Fiordland scene – Jamie, our skipper, had manoeuvred the Explorer into a narrow branch of the fiord where we were sandwiched between mountainsides rising from the dark depths of the fiords to the sky, with waterfalls weeping from rock crevices and forests woven together by mist and imagination. Our boat, our travels and even our very existence seemed insignificant compared to the timeless grandeur we found ourselves observing. It felt as if the mountains themselves had granted us the privilege of sharing the dawn with them. The walk to Moose Lake later in the morning took us through a wonderland that would not have been out of place on the set of Lord of the Rings. I would not have been surprised in the least if we had stumbled across Gandalf smoking a pipe under one of the many ancient trees, festooned with moss and ferns. We meandered through this fairyland accompanied by the music of a nearby creek, stopping to identify bird calls which became more plentiful as we neared the lake. The ground underfoot was spongy in many places, boggy in others, and several walkers found their boots trapped in the

mud. But the effort was worth the prize of reaching the tarn and viewing the serenity of a landscape just as nature had intended it to be. The slender body of water was home to ducks but, sadly, we did not lay eyes on the hoped-for whio. Nor did we see any of the phantom moose, which some people believe still wander through the forests of Fiordland, after being brought here from Canada in the early 1900s. We were rewarded, however, with a visit from a leucistic/white tomtit/ miromiro, which we were told had been at the site on and off for about a year. He was a friendly little fellow, darting from ground to branch around us, and chirping his greetings. After another ocean stretch, we reached Patea/Doubtful Sound and the next morning we did a short walk on Secretary Island, one of the few islands never to have been infested with rats and mice. An inquisitive weka joined us as we beachcombed along the stony shoreline, but a wine bottle of a recent vintage was about all that we discovered. Thankfully, we came across next to no litter on any of the beaches we visited. Next there was a chance to kayak or do a zodiac tour, and we got to see Fiordland’s version of Queenstown’s The Blanket Hotel.

By afternoon we were anchored off the Camelot River, which had been timed to catch the tide. Again we boarded the zodiacs to meander up the river that has its headwaters on a saddle between the sound and Te Anau, a reminder that our tour was coming to an end. The zodiac skimmed over crystal clear water where we could identify the mix of freshwater and salt water. This part of the sound is a receiving environment for discharge from the tailrace of the mighty Manapouri hydroelectric power station.

All too soon, we were making our way to the wharf at Deep Cove where a bus would take us over Wilmot Pass to the West Arm visitors centre, beside the power station. From there it was a short boat and bus trip back to Te Anau. Although we hadn’t seen moa or Haast eagles, or a kakapo or kiwi for that matter, we did sense their presence. Majestic Fiordland reminds us of just how magnificent Aotearoa must have been in a time not so long ago – every two-legged kiwi should make the pilgrimage at least once in their life.

A massive thank you to Heritage Expeditions, the Heritage Explorer crew and my fellow expeditioners for the trip of a lifetime.

Undiscovered Dusky Sound, Trip. 26-30 January 2025. Twin share, 1 x Salvin’s twin Cabin: Value: $10,790

Mangawhai Focus is excited to offer our readers the chance to win a 5-day voyage for two on Heritage Expeditions Undiscovered Dusky Sound voyage.

Set sail on the voyage a lifetime with New Zealand’s pioneering expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions and benefit from our 40 years of exploring the New Zealand coastline. Discover the primordial majesty of Fiordland on an unforgettable 5-day voyage cruising Acheron Passage, Breaksea and Dusky Sounds. Starting and concluding with a thrilling, scenic helicopter flight between Te Anau and Supper Cove, you will explore the sheltered waters, hidden coves, islands and astounding scenery of World Heritage Area Dusky Sound, one of Fiordland’s largest fiords some 40-kilometres long and studded with more than 350 islands. Only accessible by sea, Dusky Sound is among the most isolated areas on New Zealand’s mainland. We’ll also explore Acheron Passage and Breaksea Sound with opportunities to explore on foot, by Zodiac and kayak. Bask in the towering fiords, abundant birdlife and rich history of one of New Zealand’s bestkept secrets. Travel is aboard our 18-guest expedition yacht Heritage Explorer where luxurious en-suite staterooms meet meticulously crafted itineraries led by expert guides and all-inclusive gourmet dining with house wine, beer and soft drinks, all inclusive excursions and use of on board kayaks and fishing equipment.

To enter: scan the QR code, visit www.heritage-expeditions.com/matters/ or drop or post your entry to Mahurangi Matters, 17 Neville Street, Warkworth, 0941, and tell us in 25 words or less why you want to join Heritage Expeditions Undiscovered Dusky Sound voyage. T&Cs apply, please visit www.heritage-expeditions.com/ matters/ to read the full terms and conditions before entering.

FIORDLAND | 5-10 days

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MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS | 5-9 days

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From $7,695 $6,155 per person UP TO SAVE 20%

STEWART ISLAND | 8 Days

have been sharing the wilds of New Zealand with like-minded guests for more than 40 years and invite you on the voyage of a lifetime. Explore Fiordland’s world famous Acheron Passage and Breaksea, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds; the tranquil waterways of historic Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds, French Pass and d’Urville Island; and Stewart and Ulva Islands, Paterson Inlet, Kaipipi Bay, Port Pegasus and Lords River – all only accessible by sea. Join us for an unforgettable, intimate exploration of some of Aotearoa’s most remote, and iconic, locations aboard our 18-guest expedition yacht and by Zodiac, kayak and on foot with New Zealand’s own expedition cruise pioneers. JOIN NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION CRUISE PIONEERS FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME ALL-INCLUSIVE CRUISING

• Scenic helicopter transfer^

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• Experienced expedition team

• Kayaks & fishing equipment available

• Transfers to and from Heritage Explorer

CLASSIFIEDS

Want to advertise in the classifieds? Email Hayley on focus1@localmatters.co.nz

SHOP FOR LEASE 1956 SH1 KAIWAKA

&

GRASSHOPPER LAWNMOWING MANGAWHAI

Small lawns through to lifestyle blocks. Ph Brett 021 897 164.

ABC LTD driveways, slabs, paths, patios and excavations. For all your concrete needs. Free quote. Workmanship guaranteed. Darren 021 2676 820.

FOR SALE

CARPET, VINYL, HARDFLOORING

Supply and install. 100% mobile service. Ph Kaipara Flooring Co 021 515 415. Free quotes.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE

Pursuant to the Transport (Vehicular Traffic Road Closure) Regulations 1965, the Kaipara District Council hereby gives notice that the following roads will be temporarily closed on the days and at the times below for the purpose of holding the Northern Bass 2023/24

CHATEAU MANUFACTURING

JEWELLERS - WAIPU

Thursday 28 December 2023 at 00:01 until Monday

NEED SOMETHING PICKED UP OR DELIVERED?

We also do tip deliveries! Call Johno 0211 222 691.

Settlement Road, Kaiwaka – Restricted access. Access for resident and local traffic only. Valley Road, Kaiwaka – from Settlement Road to Pritchard Road, Kaiwaka – Restricted access. Access for resident and local traffic only.

KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICE - RUAKAKA/OTP AREA

Lawnmower blades, knives, chainsaws, scissors, chisels, hedgetrimmers. Call Dave 027 497 3378.

PROPOSED TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE

Free Rural Subdivision Seminar 23rd October, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Wellsford District Community Centre

SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2024

6 The Centre, Waipu, (Behind Lydia Sushi) Phone 09 946 1720. chateaujewellers@gmail.com REPAIR-REMODELRENEW

Pursuant to the Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 10, 11(e), the Kaipara District Council hereby gives notice that Hibiscus Coast Motorsport Club Inc has made an application to have roads within the Kaipara District closed on the day and at the times set out below for the purpose of the HCMC Arcadia Road Rally Sprint (NRSS round 1).

RODNEY CENTRE 2024 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thinking about subdividing your rural property? Discover its potential, get clear insights on your subdivision options in the Rodney area, and secure your free site assessment.

Country character main building, centrally located in Kaiwaka opposite the wellknown Kaiwaka Cheese shop and the iconic Utopia Cafe. High visibility to north and south bound traffic, diagonal SH1 frontage parking separated from the SH1 traffic.

SITUATIONS VACANT

140m2 retro style interior, rear access to 35m2 outdoor area and offstreet parking area. Some internal fittings and separate storage/office/kitchen areas.

45m2. Modern interior. Full frontage visibility. Shared facilities

Lawrence Road to Cames Road, Kaiwaka –restricted access. Access for resident and local

Further information, if required, relating to this temporary road closure can be obtained from the Customers Services Team, Kaipara District Council.

NOTICE OF INTENTION FOR TARGETED SPRAYING

Kaipara District Council advises all property owners and residents of the district that weed spraying for vegetation control on edges in parks and reserves, weed control in gardens, poles/trees, urban and rural roadsides will be carried out between December 2023 and March 2024, weather permitting.

RED DOOR GALLERY WAIPU

Open Thursday to Sunday 10am-4pm Clothes, shoes, art, pottery, jewellery & furniture. Sale on NOW!

7 The Braigh, Waipu (Old Fire Station opposite FEOH)

I offer 24 hour care for 2-5 day periods. 13+ years experience assisting with diverse needs. Email: margbrowne13@gmail.com or call 029 020 386 22.

Lovely selection of gifts including art, pottery, wood & tartan products, gloves, scarves, baby gifts, unique Kiwi cosmetics, wallets, handbags, jewellery, books & cards.

ABC LTD driveways, slabs, paths, patios and excavations. For all your concrete needs. Free quote. Workmanship guaranteed. Darren 021 2676 820.

Genealogy services for descendants of early settlers. We look forward to seeing you!

GENERATORS AND INVERTERS FOR SALE Honda and Engel from $1495. See Kevin at Mangawhai. Small Engines. Ph 09 431 5270.

OPEN 7 DAYS 10am - 4pm

If you would prefer not to have your frontage sprayed, Council operates a “No Spray Register” which outlines agreed areas where no spraying will be undertaken during this period. You must apply to Council to be included on this register. No Spray Zone Application forms can be found on our website at kaipara.govt.

Spraying will be undertaken by Downer NZ on behalf of Council. To find out more details about this particular spray programme, call Bernie on 021802095 between

For more information about Kaipara District Council’s spraying and vegetation control, head to kaipara.govt. nz/residents/trees-and-vegetation-2/no-spray-zone

MANGAWHAI REBUS DECEMBER

The Rebus annual Christmas lunch will be held at the Mangawhai Golf Club, noon on Thursday December 21. Entertainment by ukulele singers. Cost $30 for members (subsidised), $40 for non-members. At the last meeting in November Rebus members were royally entertained by some members of the Mangawhai Beach School Kapa Haka group – rousing hakas and quieter waiata and poi songs accompanied by principal Aaron Kemp on his guitar. Aaron then spoke, with questions and answers, his 15 minute talk extended to 90 minutes,

Sunday 25 February 2024 from 09:00am until 6.00pm

• The entirety of Arcadia Road, Paparoa Any objections to this proposal should be in the hands of the Kaipara District Council no later than 4.00pm

Monday 22 January 2024 and will be considered at the next Council meeting.

Kaipara District Council

Netball Rodney Centre 2024 Annual General Meeting be held Thursday 15th February 2024, 7pm at the Netball Rodney Centre office in Centennial Park, Wellsford.

For more information please email netballrodneycenter @xtra.co.nz.

at Mangawhai Beach School Gym www.causewaychurch.org.nz

FOR SALE

TOP QUALITY TOPSOIL Approx 400m3 available. Unsprayed for 20 years. Easy access in Waipu village. Expressions of interest. Please phone 021 543 005.

CARPET, VINYL, HARDFLOORING Supply and install. 100% mobile service. Ph Kaipara Flooring Co phone 021 515 415. Free quotes.

BOAT Hobie 16 catamaran. In good order, ready to sail. Comes with recently built, registered and warranted road trailer. Located handy Mangawhai. Offers. Phone 027 431 5677.

BOAT 14 ft Whitehall dinghy. Heart kauri construction. Built by acclaimed boat builder. Comes on custom built trailer and 3 pairs oars. Offers. Phone 027 431 5677.

2 BRM UNIT Easy walk to Waipu village. $430,000 ono. Text 022 0721 for info.

On the Ocean

Hot action one day, cold the next

In recent weeks the results have been patchy in the greater Bream Bay area, with some experienced anglers returning with little to show for their efforts, while others have had their day saved after encountering a workup on the way in.

Nik Key from Snap Fishing Adventures says he has had to work harder for his clients in the last fortnight, with much of his action happening out deeper north-east of Sail Rock and the Hen. He has encountered huge numbers of gannets rafted up around the 60-metre mark with good snapper beneath them. What he is seeing on these afternoon trips is the remnants of early morning workup action.

Nik’s go-to lure is a 200g orange slider with orange and red skirts with the pink head/pink tail combo also doing the business. The area west of the Hen/Sail Rock in 45 metres still contains reasonable numbers of fish.

Closer to home Nik reports friends of his had been fishing out wide with little success, only to give the 10-metre mark of the power station ‘one last shot’ on their way in. It was a good call with good fish slamming the pilchard imitation softbaits being slammed on the surface. Inside the harbour Nik has been drifting in the vicinity of #7 buoy in 20 metres of water. He says the drift is a fast one (3-4 knots) but the heavier 200g sliders manage to get down to where the fish are. They are not monsters (4045cm models mainly), but a couple of drifts is often all it takes to round off a good day.

The Mokohinaus have been ‘snapper city’ for Wayne Radford and his RnR Charters clients. He reports there are ‘snapper everywhere’ out there. The water temperature offshore has been as high as 19 degrees C, whereas inshore it is several degrees cooler. He has been about 8.5 – 10 NM from the Mangawhai entrance and while there may not be any obvious surface action, the fish have been on the bottom and on the chew.

The fishing has been ‘hit and miss’ for Steve

While the

the

has been good of late, decent kingfish are just starting to come on the chew.

Martinovich aboard the Marsden Cove-based Sumo. He suggests they are there but are not on the chew. Like his colleagues, he says the water inshore needs to come up two to three degrees before the snapper start doing their wild thing. Similarly, Bream Bay regular Shannon Neho has found the results inconsistent over his last few trips. He has been fishing the Waipū Cove/Langs Beach area out to 45 metres in the direction of Sail Rock.

Our beach fishers – the surfcasters, electric kontiki and drone anglers – have been reporting some good catches. A quick flick through the Bream Page Fishing Facebook page bears this out. For more tips, tricks, tides, bite times and fishing news, go to www.fishing. net.nz

Boaties are reminded the annual Mangawhai ramp fees are due. These can be paid at Mangawhai Fishing and Diving in Wood Street or online www.mangawhaiboatingfishing.co.nz

The Mangawhai Fishing and Boating Club will be hosting its annual Labour Weekend contest over the upcoming public holiday period. Tight lines.

REST ASSURED

Recovering lost wetlands in Bream Bay

Farmers in the Bream Bay area are making positive changes to the land and waterways, setting aside boggy, less-profitable land to create wetlands – and in an exciting new idea, forming ponds for īnanga rearing.

According to Piroa Conservation Trust, 90 per cent of wetlands in Northland have been lost. Wetlands reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients entering waterways, act as a sponge for big rain events, and are home to many rare and endangered species found nowhere else in the world.

Through the Bream Bay Community Rivers project, driven by the trust and funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, four demonstration sites have been built in partnership with the farmer owners.

Sitting in different catchments of the Waipū and Ruakākā Rivers, the sites showcase pragmatic and cost-effective works of digging, fencing and planting to build wetlands and inanga rearing ponds.

“There’s a well-known science behind this work.” says project catchment coordinator Graham Matthews. “The objective of the demonstration sites is to provide a ‘proof of concept,’ creating wetlands and rearing ponds which improve water quality and biodiversity, at the least cost.

“Many small wetlands in key areas of the catchment is the way to significantly improve our waterways, and these demonstration sites provide examples in different situations.”

By fencing off waterways and setting land aside to create a wetland or rearing ponds, farmers and landowners are protecting tara iti (fairy tern), bittern, eels, kingfishers, black

stilts, endemic plants, īnanga and so much more – local species that have lost much of their habitat already from wetland draining and intensive farming.

As well as the environmental benefits, there are economic ones, including less drainage maintenance because silt and weeds aren’t filling up the waterway, reduced flood impacts on farmland and infrastructure, shade and shelter for stock, and potential increases in the value of the farm. Healthy wetlands reduce impacts of weather events such as flooding and drought. Furthermore, for farmers working towards meeting environmental requirements, creating a wetland may reduce compliance and operational costs.

While the results of a year-long water quality monitoring programme in Waipū and Ruakākā as part of the project remain to be seen, a story from the Waikato shows what might be found. Dairy farmers Gray and Marilyn Baldwin developed a wetland on their 713ha farm. Their wetland is relatively small, but the benefits are huge. Testing showed that the wetland removed about 60 per cent nitrogen, 70 per cent sediment, 20 per cent phosphorus and 88 per cent E. coli from the water the wetland received.

Piroa Conservation Trust will release the results of the water quality testing as soon as the report for Bream Bay is available.

Meanwhile, traps set in one of the newly-built īnanga rearing ponds caught more than 50 īnanga in each of the traps, a strong indicator that the concept is working.

For more information, contact the Piroa Conservation Trust catchmentgroups@piroaconservation.org.nz

snapper fishing at

Mokohinaus

Farmers at a wetlands open day.

Mangawhai’s stunning spring

FARM PARK WAIPU CAVES

A destination like no other, hosting a diverse range of nature-based activities and environments including the Milky Way Glow Worm Cave and the Jurassic Walks. See NZ’s world-famous glow worms, pristine cave formations, stalactites, stalagmites and flow stones. Learn about the glow worms and geology of the recently opened Milky Way Glow Worm Cave. This is one of only a few caves in NZ where you can take photographs.

The Jurassic Walks, spread over 320 acres, has multiple tracks through the karst limestone and biodiverse native bush. Rock climbers can climb one of 3 climbing crags with many routes. Bike on the farm roads and meet the friendly farm animals.

Visit for the day or stay for several at one of our three

or motorhome camping areas with

and shower facilities.

Moody evening at the Heads.

Not everyone has been on holiday this spring. Landscapers Bakarere Rataro, Leupena Amupelos and Tunna Antoon of Modern Environments prepare for another day beautifying the shared pathway.

Peter Bodica and Colin Young eye out the surf.

Wallace and Kiki are in their happy place.

Four year old Leighlyn and his mum, Lanah, prepare for an evening’s fishing at the estuary mouth.