Mangawhaifocus
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Kaipara ends agreements with iwi, will start new ones ‘from scratch’
A decision by Kaipara District Council to end its relationship with Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau and freeze bulk funding to the two iwi dominated its September 25 meeting in Tangiteroria.
The controversial motion passed by five votes to four, with one abstention.
The council agreed to work with the iwi on establishing new agreements. Payment for services will continue on an ad hoc basis until a new agreement can be put in place.
The Mana Enhancing Agreement with Te Roroa and the Memorandum of Understanding with Te Uri o Hau established
terms for engagement. In place since 2002 and 2020 respectively, they were both due for review.
Council gave Te Roroa $40,000 and Te Uri o Hau $50,000 in bulk funding to deliver services such as karakia, taking part in relationship meetings and preparing cultural impact assessments.
Additional services, including committee representation, cultural monitoring and engagement and advice around significant projects were paid separately.
Over the last year KDC says it has paid more than $89,000 to Te Roroa and more than
$81,000 to Te Uri o Hau.
Mayor Craig Jepson and several councillors met with iwi separately earlier this year.
“All parties supported a review of the relationship agreements,” KDC said in a statement after the vote. “Following that meeting the mayor wrote to iwi leaders indicating that he would ask council to terminate the relationship agreements and that bulk funding would stop from the beginning of July 2024.
“The council decision enables new agreements to be developed from scratch.”
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Voting in favour of the motion were Gordon Lambeth, Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen, Rachael Wilson, Ron Manderson and Jepson. Eryn Wilson-Collins, Ihapera Paniora, Mark Vincent and Ash Nayyar voted against, and Mike Howard abstained.
Jepson said terminating the agreements did not mean council no longer had a relationship with iwi.
“The council will continue to engage with iwi while the new agreements are put in place.”
Mangawhai Focus has invited both iwi to respond to the KDC decision.
Mayor Craig Jepson and Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen at the September 25 meeting.
Contact us
October 7, 2024
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From the Editor
Patrick Goodenough, Editor news@localmatters.co.nz
I’ve written hundreds of words on the Brynderwyns repairs, but it was only recently that I had the opportunity to drive the length of the route for the first time since the remedial work was completed. If you haven’t done so, you should.
With the spring growth beginning to hide the ugly scarring, and swathes of new landscaping and planting it’s genuinely beautiful in places. Well done Waka Kotati, and kua pai te mahi to everyone involved in the repair –from the funders and planners to the very last worker.
Yes, it’s been a pain for Northland road users and for those forced to use – or who live along – the detours, and yes, the government needs to get moving on the long-promised bypass.
But while driving along I pondered how much easier it is for us to complain that to compliment. I resolved on the spot to invite readers to email in ideas for things/people deserving compliments – as well as those things/ people who make your blood boil.
Please keep submissions local, short and to the point, and make the subject line either ‘Bouquet of the fortnight or Brickbat of the fortnight’.
I’ll kick it off:
BOUQUET OF THE FORTNIGHT
The friendly and super-helpful staff at Bunnings Mangawhai. Nichole is a particular star.
BRICKBAT OF THE FORTNIGHT
Will whoever is responsible for the changeroom facilities at the Heads please do something about the pathetic water pressure in the tap that’s been installed to wash off sandy feet? The nearby basin taps are fine but the dismal drizzle of water from the tap in question is worse than useless.
Three issues in, we hope you are enjoying your new look Mangawhai Focus. We’d love your feedback: What do you like? What do you hate? What would you like to see more of?
Mā te wā
MBA holds AGM
Mangawhai Business Association is holding its (membersonly) annual general meeting at the Mangawhai Golf Club on October 22. A special resolution to update the rules of the association will be considered. Light refreshments will be served. https://www.mangawhai.co.nz/membership
Maori interests
R. Morgan from Mangawhai is wrong in his letter to the editor this week on the tyranny of the majority. One person one vote is the essence of democracy, otherwise you have a tyranny of the minority, in other words a feudal based tribal dictatorship. Under article one of the UN Charter and NZ law everyone in NZ is currently treated equally before the law. Maori views are already overly represented at the national level whereby between the Maori seats and other Maori members of parliament in general seats, they make up 28 per cent in parliament for 17 per cent of the population. So, if He Paupau goes ahead without any democratic mandate then Maori will have 50 per cent of decision making - meaning that any non Maori vote will be worth only one eleventh of what a Maori vote is worth.
At local level there existed before Mahuta stuck her oar in a perfectly good way to see if specific Maori interests were warranted at council level. However Mahuta, without any democratic mandate or even announcing it in prior election Labour manifesto, decided that people shouldn’t have a vote, that her views were superior to everyone else’s, so she cancelled any decision making by people on whether they wanted separate Maori representation at their local level.
Thank goodness for Jepson and the local Kaipara councillors voting to get rid of this. Of course, if Kaipara folk want separate Maori representation at council level, then at the next local council election they will vote for it.
D Smith, (originally from) Dargaville
Mangawhai Fire Extinguishers
Mobil to turn dimmer on light pollution
Mobil has agreed to hit the dimmer switch on lighting that has illuminated Mangawhai’s night sky over recent weeks.
After Kaipara District Council received multiple complaints about the brightness of the lighting at the new service station at Mangawhai Central, council staff contacted the owners.
“It has been agreed that the five spotlights on the roof of the building will be switched off,” a KDC compliance team spokesperson said.
“The lights will be redirected downwards and light shields will be applied. We understand that the pylon lights are going to be turned down as well.”
Locals debated Mobil’s lights on social media with some posts expressing concern for the area’s birdlife and flight paths. Others compared the brightness to Auckland city, saying the lights were “ruining the night sky”.
“It’s the worst thing to happen to our wonderful coastal town,” commented one.
“We are not Vegas!”
Kaipara’s District Plan has stipulations to help dim the effect of light pollution, to ensure
outdoor lights do not affect residents or drivers, and to minimise the impact of artificial lights on wildlife. Before opening a business, details of external lighting must be provided to council for certification and to show compliance.
“However, there was some disparity between what was on the approved lighting plan and what was ultimately installed,” the KDC spokesperson says. “Our team are now working with the owners to ensure the lights are rectified to comply with the provisions of their resource consent before they can switch them back on.”
The Mobil retail network is comprised of company-owned and dealer-owned sites run by independent operators, including the one in Mangawhai. A Mobil spokesperson said the company has been in touch with the owners.
“They have assured us the service station is in full compliance with the lighting plan submitted with the approved consent process. However, in response to community concerns, the dealer is investigating a solution to dim the lights at night.”
McCallum, farmers embrace trade deal
Northland MP Grant McCallum has welcomed the signing of a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, saying it will “unlock economic opportunities for Northland’s agriculture and horticulture industries”.
“This trade agreement was concluded in record time – just over four months from launching to signing – showing the government’s commitment to opening doors and reducing barriers for Kiwi exporters.
“New Zealand’s two-way trade with the UAE is already valued at $1.3 billion and is mostly comprised of the agriculture, horticulture, and tourism we do so well in Northland.”
McCallum said it was an important step towards the goal of doubling New Zealand’s exports by value in 10 years, bringing the jobs and opportunities our region needs.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford called the deal “great news for Kiwi farmers who have been doing it pretty tough lately with high costs and squeezed profit margins”.
“Farmers will gladly welcome any moves to reduce our costs, grow our incomes, or increase our competitiveness in the global marketplace.”
Mideast country is a top 20 export market for NZ, and one of irs largest markets in the Middle East.
Compliance visits on the cards for Mangawhai hospo, retail
Government compliance inspectors who visited hospitality and retail businesses in Rodney District recently will target Northland “over the coming months”.
“The Labour Inspectorate compliance team will be undertaking regular circuits to Northland, including Mangawhai,” David Milne, compliance manager for the Northern region, said in response to queries from the Focus He pledged to keep the paper updated “so there are no surprises for the local business community”.
In a September 30 statement referring to the Rodney visits, Milne said the aim of the operation was to help businesses stay within the law.
“Our teams will provide information to employers. We want to help educate them on how to meet their obligations with regards to employee entitlements, record keeping, and ensure they are compliant with the relevant legislation.
“The inspectorate takes a proactive approach to undertaking site visits, inspections, and audits in order to ensure minimum entitlements are being provided to all employees and any breaches of employment standards identified are rectified.”
Milne said inspectors focus on ensuring employers get employment law right and “do right by their employees”.
The inspectorate falls under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Northland rail back on track
Locomotives clacking through Kaipara will again be a welcome sight following the completion of 20 months of rail-line repairs caused by 2023’s wild storms and gales.
Now that North Auckland Line (NAL) will resume commuting freight between Whangārei and Auckland, KiwiRail is reminding the public to take extra care at rail-line crossings.
KiwiRail chief asset development officer
David Gordon said people may have become complacent when approaching the 140 road and pedestrian crossings along the NAL line
– 80 of them on private land.
“Trains cannot stop quickly, so to ensure safety we urge everyone to be extremely cautious every time they approach a level
crossing. Always stop and look both ways for trains before crossing the tracks. Never cross if a train is coming as they are usually travelling faster than they appear, always wait for the train to pass.”
KiwiRail representatives and train engineers took their safety message to six Northland schools in August, recounting how powerless train drivers feel when unable to stop in time to avoid hitting something on the tracks. Kiwirail said people should only use official level crossings, and remember that trains can come at any time of the day or night.
More than 200 sites have been repaired along the 180km rail line damaged by last year’s extreme weather events.
The local skyline has been split by a ball of light since Mobil came to town to the gall of some residents, with the bright glow clearly noticeable from The Rise, Mangawhai Heads.
The
Trade Minister Todd McClay and his Emirati counterpart Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai.
Military medallion goes AWOL
A bronze badge of honour awarded for wartime bravery is still missing after being taken from a local grave site at the same time as remembrance services were being held earlier this year.
The memorial plaque for Private William Moore, who signed up to fight with the Auckland Infantry Regiment in the First World War, was allegedly stolen from the resting place of his son, World War II veteran Corporal Clarence Claude Moore, at Mangawhai Cemetery after Anzac Day.
During the war, the medallions were given to the kin of fallen military personnel – those killed in action and those who died from other causes – as an acknowledgement of their service.
On Anzac Day, former Mangawhai senior constable Graham Gough discovered the plaque sitting loosely on top of the headstone of the younger Moore – a local artist and “my old primary school teacher”.
“I’ve seen the plaques on antique TV programmes so know they are valuable and was concerned it would go missing, so I contacted Hakaru RSA to let them know it needs to be re-attached or somebody’s going to take it,” he says.
“After a few days though, I decided I’d pick it up myself, but when I got there it was gone,
which is very disappointing.”
Hakaru RSA advertised the missing medallion on social media in May and Gough also contacted Medals Reunited NZ to help widen the search. The non-profit service is run voluntarily by former defence force personnel who dedicate their time to finding and returning military medals to family members.
“People generally steal these things for the money not because they’re collecting military medals and scrapyards are supposed to report them if they are presented,” founder and director Ian Martin says. “I’d hate to see it go to a scrap merchant – that would be a real tragedy.”
Martin says Private Moore did not see military action, but died of measles in a British Army camp on February 7, 1918 , aged 29. He was buried in a cemetery in Kent.
“He was a newly-wed and his son Clarence was only five months old when he died. His widow Elsie received the plaque in 1921.”
Anyone with information about the missing plaque is asked to contact Medals Reunited NZ or Mangawhai Police on 105. To return the medallion anonymously, please send to Hakaru RSA, 733 Settlement Road, Hakaru or Medals Reunited NZ, PO Box 8034, Nelson 7010.
Previously set into the gravesite, at some time the memorial plaque for Private Claude William Moore was loosened and eventually disappeared from his son’s grave.
Labour Weekend at the Museum
for sponsoring this Mangawhai Museum fundraising event
Former Mangawhai senior constable Graham Gough found the plaque on top of Corporal Clarence Claude Moore’s headstone on Anzac Day. Four days later it had disappeared.
PHOTO: JULIA WADE
Viewpoint
Rachael Williams, Kaipara District council rwilliams@kaipara.govt.nz
Importance of Development Contributions
Kaipara District Council (KDC) has recently had an influx of Private Plan Changes to process across the whole District. Notable of those in Mangawhai are:
• PPC 83 The Rise Ltd ‒ Cove Rd North Precinct – to rezone 56.9 hectares of rural land to residential. (Potentially 380 lots) adopted June 2024
• PPC 84 Mangawhai Hills Ltd ‒ Tara Rd ‒ to rezone 218.3 hectares of rural land to residential. (Potentially 600 lots) adopted August 2024
As a first term local councillor I have found it challenging to accept recent PPCs. I understand the Resource Management Act process that must be followed, but remain frustrated and concerned about the challenges each plan change brings with it and the cumulative effect of large developments in our immediate area.
Each proposed subdivision places pressure on our infrastructure and services. Mangawhai’s current population is around 7430. If you add up the number of lots proposed (once fully staged), including Mangawhai Central, we are potentially looking at between 1750-2000 new lots, with an average of 2.9 people per dwelling, this equates to an average of 5075 increase in population. This increase doesn’t include recent resource consents approved for smaller developments. We also need to factor in the increase of our population during busy holiday periods.
This will have a huge impact on our infrastructure, services and local amenities (harbour/ estuary, boat ramp and surf beach)
and it will change how we get to live in our piece of paradise.
Looking to the future, it is imperative for our district that we make sure those initiating growth are paying their fair share towards upgrading our infrastructure. Development Contributions (DCs) are collected under the Local Government Act (2002) for this very purpose. KDC charges a set contribution amount for:
• roading
• water supply (where applicable)
• wastewater
• stormwater, and
• community infrastructure
New increased Development Contribution amounts were adopted this year when council approved in August the KDC Long Term Plan 2025-2027.
In the Annual Plan work starting this year, we will be undertaking a full review of how DCs are calculated and applied. As Councillor Larsen stated in his VIEWPOINT column of September 9, and in the case of roading, we will be pushing to see DC funds collected and applied partly to projects upgrading the local roads that are directly impacted by subdivision growth. Roading DCs collected in recent times have only been allocated to major upgrades on arterial routes and typically not to actual roads where the subdivisions are occurring and the main effects are felt.
We must ensure that where there is high growth and infrastructure upgrades are needed, that this does not become a burden on the existing community.
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Sponsors sought to help youth horse interaction workshops
A health-focused equestrian service offering troubled teens support through an intimate connection of the four-hoofed kind, is seeking sponsorship to help get more youth in the saddle.
Located in rural Waipu, Barefoot & Wild (B&W) are looking for local businesses, organisations and individuals to help young people attend specially-designed horse interaction workshops to learn effective
communication and body language skills and deepen their self-awareness.
Based on renowned kiwi horse whisperer Sue Spence’s Horses Helping Humans (HHH) programme, which has been operating in Australia for more than 25 years, B&W owners Hamish and Dawn Fryer are the only HHH facilitators in Northland. Running since 2022, the workshops help youth deal with challenging emotions like anxiety and
BAREFOOT AND WILD
anger, and help to enhance self-esteem and confidence.
Working with a diverse herd of horses and ponies either gifted from previous owners or rescued from the Kaimanawas or Northland bush, HHH sessions begin with a brief talk about which personality type the attendees mostly identify with – sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic – before they are matched with a suitable horse.
Participants engage with the animal through grooming, feeding and leading around the ring, the highly-intuitive animal’s response becomes a mirror of how others may perceive the young person’s behaviour.
“For example, kids with anxiety will have an introverted, closed-up body language and breathe in the upper part of their chest. The horse is going to be like, ‘I’m not feeling too comfortable around you’,” Hamish says. “If
Unleashing the healing power of the horse; Barefoot & Wild owners Dawn and Hamish are looking for sponsors to help support the wellbeing of young people.
the kids are real extroverts and clash a lot with teachers and parents, they will get their hackles up straight away and the horse will go, ‘whoa, you’re way too much for me, I need to back out of this’.”
Teaching teens to open up their body language, to take “jelly-belly breaths” and alter their physical stance, triggers changes in the brain, Hamish adds, allowing blood to flow into the frontal lobe and out of the flight-or-fight defensive mode “so they’re able to make rational decisions again”.
“We’re trying to get the kids to feel more confident, give them tools on how to regulate themselves and communicate better, like a reset of their system,” he says. “Horses are looking for a leader, they have to be convinced they’re safe with the person who’s working with them. We use the guise of, ‘your role is to keep the horse nice and calm’ but subconsciously the kids have to keep themselves relaxed before the horse starts to relax. When they make those changes, the horse immediately responds so the kids get instant feedback, which is a huge boost when suddenly a large horse
becomes like a little puppy dog.”
Sessions are run over two afternoons with refresher courses available. If keen, teens can hop on a horse and have a ride “to keep practising what they’ve learnt”, Hamish says.
“We plan to run these workshops ongoing and would love to have more sponsors to help get the kids here whose parents can’t afford them, and we can also offer paid spots to people who have the ability to pay.”
Current sponsors include Waipu businesses HPL Waipu, Unbothered Wellness and café’s The Cove and Logan MaClean, Ewen Equine in Maungaturoto and Kaiwaka Equine, Whangarei’s Mog and Dog desexing clinic, Kaiwaka’s Fistonich Building as well as Mike’s Autos, who is encouraging others to join them.
“We think this is a great cause and would love for other locals to jump on board with sponsorship or perhaps if they know of a teen that could benefit from this program, sign them up!”
For more information visit www. barefootandwild.co.nz
Local Matters is sponsoring a teen to attend Barefoot & Wild. If readers know of a young person who would benefit from the
news@localmatters.co.nz
Your beloved pets are in good hands.
We do all our desexing bookings via email. Please contact us on whangarei@desexing.co.nz
Hamish with three young participants and respective horses learning the ropes of effective communication and body language skills.
workshop, please send nominations to
(subject line Barefoot & Wild)
Art and Soul
Belinda Vernon media@mangawhaiartists.co.nz
Iconic landforms speak volumes
The new exhibition at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery sees the return of Denis Bourke and Joel Cayford in their second joint exposition. Denis is profiling new work produced in the last year, celebrating the local area through its iconic landforms, islands and trees. The setting for his new work is his home territory of southern Northland – the area bounded by the Piroa/Brynderwyn Range to the north and the Dome Range to the south. It is edged by the Kaipara Harbour to the west and the Hauraki Gulf to the east.
This entire area, viewed from above, is the subject of several map-like paintings, which depict the sweep and detail of this section of the North Island.
“I wanted to get a sense of the breadth and form and wholeness of this particular territory that we inhabit, and to express its individual character. All landscapes have an origin, a geological and cultural past,” says Denis.
“It is this iconic uniqueness that I wished to show in these paintings.” Also included in the exhibition are paintings of the volcanic islands Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) and Taranga (Hen Island). Denis is attracted to these islands because of their individual, isolated presence with fiery beginnings.
“They provide a visual contrast to our mainland perspective and are critical refuges to biodiverse treasures,” says Denis.
Returning to a theme explored earlier in his 50-year painting journey, Denis is exhibiting paintings of tree forms typical of the North, such as kauri and pōhutukawa. These paintings have led to the more stylised and
iconic imagery of the Gondwana paintings, depictions of ancient tree and landscape forms from our deep geological past.
Denis drew from an early age and was inspired to paint the sensuous Wellington hills around Paremata while studying Physical Geography at Victoria University. The work of Michael Smither, Don Binney, Robin White and Colin McCahon were early influences, as was the use of geomorphological diagrams and topographical maps as a basis for landscape compositions that show processes of evolution and change.
Based on a longstanding love of the New Zealand landscape in all its variety, Denis also records and depicts individual landscape features and areas.
Joel Cayford is returning to the Gallery with his fourth photographic exhibition. Since retiring in Mangawhai, Joel has been developing his photography skills and finding new subjects during trips to see his daughters in London and Manhattan. This year he explored the rust belt on a roadie from New York to Chicago.
“I was looking for crumbling automobile factories and shut down steel foundries, instead I came across amazing street art capturing diverse cultural histories”, says Joel.
Joel’s subjects include stark black and white artworks from that trip, and an exploration of godwits and Taranga.
‘New Selected Works’ is open daily from 10.30am to 3.30pm from Saturday 5 October to Wednesday 16 October at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery, 45 Moir Street, Mangawhai.
Denis Bourke with a Taranga work.
Joel Cayford, self-portrait on road trip.
Kaipara Kōrero
News from Kaipara District Council
Shade sails installed for summer
Shade sails are back up in parks across Kaipara in time for summer! Each year, our shade sails come down before winter to be cleaned and stored, and for any maintenance to be completed. The sails are then re-installed before summer ready for parkgoers to picnic and play under. This year, Ruawai Reserve has new shade sails too!
Representation Review update
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during consultation for the Representation Review initial proposal. We received 59 total responses.
Hearings (where people can speak to their submissions) are booked for this week and elected members will consider the feedback before confirming the representation arrangements for the 2025 and 2028 elections.
Mangawhai Heads Reserve – what’s next?
We asked for your input into a new concept plan for Mangawhai Heads Reserve and received 170 responses. The working group are now drafting the plan and we’ll bring it back to the community over summer to check we’re on the right track before it is adopted by Council next year.
Weka Street walkway closure
The unformed walkway between Weka Street and Urlich Drive in Mangawhai Village will be temporarily closed off while we work through the process of funding, designing and constructing a permanent and safe walkway.
Upcoming council meetings
Representation Review Hearings 9.30am Wed 09 Oct, meeting online and on YouTube
Mangawhai Community Park Governance Committee, 9.30am Tue 15 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai
Representation Review Deliberations, 9.30am Wed 16 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai and on YouTube
Council Briefing, 10.30am 16 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai and on YouTube Awards and Grants Committee, 9:30am Thur 24 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai
Council Meeting, 10am Wed 30 Oct, 1c Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai and on YouTube
Dog-related complaints increase in Kaipara
Dog-related complaints increased by 13% over the last year, according to the annual Animal Management Report presented to Council last week. Reports of wandering dogs have also increased significantly and will be a focus for the Animal Management team over the coming year.
Council encourages residents to report wandering dogs and (if they can safely do so) take a photo to help the team identify the dog. Read the full report on our website.
Shared path
Starting Tuesday 8 October 2024 roadworks will begin at the intersection of Moir Point Road and Molesworth Drive as part of the third phase of the shared path.
This includes the construction of a raised courtesy crossing. This section of Moir Point Road (where it intersects Molesworth Drive) will be closed, and traffic will be diverted via Seabreeze Road for approximately two weeks. Please be careful when driving through and around the worksites, and stick to the speed limits in place.
How do the new raised courtesy crossings work?
Paved courtesy crossings are now installed in a number of places across Molesworth Drive and some adjoining side streets as part of the shared path works. They are designed as a visual aid to slow the traffic down, give vehicles the right of way and for pedestrians to be cautiously aware before crossing. These are becoming a standard installation in slow street environments and have been recommended by road safety engineers. They are intended to make crossing easier for pedestrians, but drivers are not required to stop.
Hubert Linnell Reserve development
Work on Hubert Linnell Reserve (Rangiora Road park/reserve area) is progressing steadily. The concrete for the carpark area and access ways have been poured, and road excavation begins over the next week. This area (including the boat ramp) remains off limits with no turnaround space at the end of Rangiora Road. We will let you know when it’s back in action. Toilet block tanks are installed with the new toilets looking to be moved onsite and installed beginning of November.
This project is supported by central Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF).
Kaipara
libraries update
Need something to keep the kids occupied this school holidays?
Checkout the Tutu Collection, we have a huge range of items available from coding robots, musical instruments, card games, board games and more! Place a hold on the library catalogue at Kaipara.kotui.org.nz
Te reo Māori phrase of the month
Karawhiua mō te hemo tonu atu!
Give it your all!
Photo: Ruawai Reserve shade sails newly installed
Koha for Book Train stolen
A favourite place for local book lovers to indulge in a good read has been hit by crime. Located in the Old Library Hall at the Mangawhai Historic Village, the Book Train’s koha tin disappeared on September 23. Although not holding a large sum, the donated money helps to pay the rent for the building. Book Train coordinator Kathy Gordon says the theft is “very disappointing.” “There probably wasn’t much money in it, usually it’s a few two-dollar coins, but that’s not the point. I know most people are honest and wouldn’t think of stealing, but sadly there are always some dishonest individuals out there.”
Another donation tin has been crafted out of wood by Kathy’s husband “who always finds solutions for me”. It is now attached to the inner wall with a padlock.
“I didn’t want to do this because I just didn’t like to think that anybody would steal it,” she says. “It’s a safer option, but not my preferred option.”
Opening in June 2019, the Book Train was the brainchild of two local women, Ivka Radvanska and Libby Clews, and is a free service based on the philosophy of community
food stands – “take what you want, leave what you don’t”.
“As well as donating books, people can take as many as they like and they don’t have to return them but can if they want. We always have plenty, though often run out of children’s books. There’s a seat where people can sit and read if they like and a little table and chairs for kids while their mums are browsing,”
Kathy says. “We don’t expect cash donations but it’s always nice to have a contribution.”
The biggest problem has been fitting the books into the small building, so she stores the excess in her home garage. Books are also given to local op shops and Mangawhai Museum’s Labour Day Book Sale fundraiser.
Kathy took over as coordinator in 2020, managing a roster of seven volunteers whose duties include opening the doors every morning, sorting and tidying books and closing up in the afternoon. The idea of being in a quiet place surrounded by books has appealed to her throughout her life.
“I really enjoy looking after the Book Train as I always wanted to be a librarian, so its like I’ve got my own little library. It’s been running really well.”
Bream Bay solar farm could power half of Northland
Half of Northland could be powered via the sun from 2026, now consent has been granted for work to begin next year on the region’s newest solar farm.
Following an independent commission hearing on September 25, Meridian Energy can begin stage two of its multi-million dollar Ruakaka Energy Park (REP) at Marsden Point. Covering 172-hectares, the 120 megwatt solar farm will comprise 200,000 panels, producing 150-200 gigawatts of electricity every year. The farm sits adjacent to the first stage of the REP, the Battery Energy Storage System, which is currently under construction with a completion date of early 2025.
Meridian applied for a 35-year resource consent to Northland Regional Council in September 2023 and received 12 submissions through the public notification process, two in support and 10 against with concerns about the ecology and cultural impacts. The application also includes plans for 18.86 hectares of the solar farm’s site to be created
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BREAM BAY
9.00am Departs Kaiwaka Kaiwaka Hall 9.15am Departs Mangawhai Village Village Shops Bus Stop (by restrooms)
9.20am Departs Mangawhai Heads I-Site 9.35am Departs Langs Beach Corner of Wairahi and Cove Roads
9.40am Departs Waipu Cove Beach Car park
9.50am Departs Waipu Monument Bus stop
10.10am Departs Ruakākā Peter Snell Road (opposite Takutai Place)
10.50am Arrives Whangārei Rose Street Bus Terminus
*For travel within Whangārei see CityLink Whangārei timetable www.citylinkwhangārei.co.nz or get your timetable from the Rose Street office. AFTERNOON
3.00pm Departs Whangārei Rose Street Bus Terminus
3.40pm Departs Ruakākā Peter Snell Road (opposite Takutai Place)
4.15pm Departs Langs Beach Corner of Wairahi and Cove Roads 4.30pm Departs Mangawhai Heads I-Site 4.35pm
and restored into wetlands to replace the 17.06 hectares which will be permanently removed due to construction.
The commissioners stated that “the adverse effects of the activity… with the mitigation proposed and positive effects accounted for, will be minor”.
Meridian head of renewable development Rebecca Knott said the project would boost resilience for the region by reducing Northland’s reliance on electricity generated from other parts of the country.
“This region is blessed with phenomenal natural resources and we’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic new project that takes full advantage of that. Solar farms and batteries, alongside our hydro stations and wind farms, are part of the solution to strengthening and growing our electricity system, building resilience for tough years and reducing the cost of electricity for homes and businesses.”
For more information visit Ruakākā Energy Park | Meridian Energy.
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Ruakaka Energy Park is set to expand now Meridian have the all-clear to build a massive solar farm alongside their Battery Energy Storage System at their Marsden Point site.
Scene of the crime: After the theft of Mangawhai’s Book Train donation tin, its replacement is now securely attached to the wall.
3 1 2 2 2
Auction (unless sold prior) 2pm, Thu 17 Oct 2024
Bayleys, Main Street, Mangawhai Central View Sat/Sun 11-11.30am
Stephyn St James | Natalie Crook
021 359 425 | 027 202 7227
stephyn.stjames@bayleys.co.nz, natalie.crook@bayleys.co.nz
MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
Great, family friendly layout with open plan living, master suite with ensuite and walk-in-robe plus a generous family bathroom. This home offers great connectivity to the deck and the large, fully fenced, level lawn and garden.
Positioned on a 1,000sqm (more or less) site, enjoying a prime north-facing orientation.
Walking distance to the estuary edge, two childcare centres, Village shops and Mangawhai Beach School. bayleys.co.nz/1153764
Asking Price $825,000
Stephyn St James 021 359 425 stephyn.stjames@bayleys.co.nz
Natalie Crook 027 202 7227
MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
This charming dwelling has white pitched ceilings, a cosy ambiance with wood-clad walls and a functional open-plan layout that flows out to two sheltered, sunny decks. Enjoy the convenience of an internal access, double garage plus plenty of guest parking and room for the boat or caravan.
At this price, this very well maintained property offers a lot to those looking for a step on to the property ladder or a tranquil, private retreat. bayleys.co.nz/1153735
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Asking Price $2,175,000 + GST (if any) View by appointment
Christine Thomas AREINZ 021 560 008
John Barnett 021 790 393
MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 Expansive rural living with two houses
This north-facing 14.6650ha grazing property features a renovated four-bedroom bungalow and a consented minor dwelling. It includes 11+ paddocks and 4ha of covenanted bush for privacy and
New principal keen to increase roll at tiny Tapora School
There will be something of a scale adjustment needed for Tapora School’s new principal when she starts in the role at the start of Term 4 next month.
Until September 27, Bex Thompson was team leader of 90 Year 5 students and three staff at Warkworth School, but where she is going the total roll is just 17 children and two part-time teachers.
She says while it will certainly be different to what she’s used to, she can’t wait to get started.
“I’ve always wanted to lead a small school, so I can still teach as well as lead,” Thompson says. “This seemed the right time and a great opportunity.”
She is keen to attract more families to the school, which forms the hub of the tiny Kaipara Harbour community on the Okahukura Peninsula, more than 30km west of Wellsford.
“There’s a new subdivision going in over the road from the school and there are quite a few workers coming in to work on the avocado fields. Although there’s not a huge population, students can still funnel in from Wellsford and the surrounding areas,” she says.
“I really want to grow the school and grow the technology side so they’re a bit more connected with the world, and want to get Tapora known out there.”
Thompson says the locals have been very welcoming and she’s looking forward to making the school even more of a focal point for families.
“There is a lovely Board of Trustees, they’ve been very open and welcoming. They’re very family based and really involved with the school,” she says.
“I’m excited to get the community and local iwi involved in the school and really make it the hub of the community.”
Thompson hails from Te Atatu and started her working life as a hairdresser, but once she moved into training future stylists realised that teaching was her first love.
“Then, just after having my second son, realised I loved learning with kids, so I became a teacher – it’s been an amazing change,” she says. “I love kids in all their many shapes, behaviours and needs.”
She taught at Hobsonville for 10 years before moving to Warkworth four and a half years ago.
Thompson says while sad at leaving her Warkworth classes, she is excited to get to know her new Tapora students and the challenges ahead.
“Though I think staff meetings might be a bit quiet – there were 32 teachers at Warkworth!” she says.
A powhiri to welcome Thompson and new part-time teacher Linda Hardman will be held at the start of next term on October 14.
Thompson replaces Keryl Lee, who retired in June after nearly nine years as principal.
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Tamariki stories: ‘Capturing history right now’
Young locals’ talent with a traditional Māori craft, usually used to adorn wharenui (meeting houses), is now on show at Mangawhai Museum.
‘Our Harbour Told Through Tukutuku’ showcases tamarikis’ reflections on their surrounding environment through symbolic weaving artwork and was officially opened with waiata on September 26.
Attended by museum staff, volunteers and board members, local matua and family members of the artists, students from Mangawhai Beach and Kaiwaka primary schools, as well as from home-education programs and local kuras, spoke about the stories behind their art.
Arranged by museum manager Angela Cook and education coordinator Brittany Bray, the young weavers had a tight one-month timeframe to design and finish their tukutuku, Cook says “so they’ve done well.”
“One of the things that was thrilling for us was how far the funds stretched for the materials which we resourced from a Māoriowned business. If schools had to individually purchase these it wouldn’t be logistically feasible,” she says. “Because we could facilitate and coordinate between them, a lot of people got to have the opportunity to take part and have a chance to see what others have done with the same materials.”
Kits consisted of aho (threads), pine, pegboards and guidelines on kaupapa (ideas). Before weaving began, the different groups discussed the tikanga (customary practices) and whakapapa (genealogy) before choosing their own kōkapa (pattern).. The museum is also hoping to sell the weaving kits in their shop, Cook says.
“This was Britt’s idea and she has put a lot of love, labour and time into this. Someone
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commented about how this work is capturing history right now – a bit like the time capsules Te Papa did during covid, where people documented what they were experiencing so that important history would be remembered,” she says. “We feel this artwork is capturing what tamariki feel now about living in this place and telling their stories, so it’s like weaving history together.”
Cook expressed many thanks to museum board trustee Ian Smail for the exhibition installation, museum member Grant Mitchell and community volunteers Aaron McConchie and Darryl Hepple for painting the room for free, Wattyls Whangārei for gifting the paint and Creative Northland for sponsoring the digital storytelling.
Catch ‘Our Harbour Told Through Tukutuku’ at Mangawhai Museum, Molesworth Drive, from September 26 to November 2.
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 tent or motorhome camping areas with cooking, toilet and shower facilities.
Mangawhai Beach School’s te reo class’ poutama design, meaning striving for knowledge, excellence and ‘a collective journey of growth’.
Mangawhai Museum manager Angela Cook and education coordinator Brittany Bray say the exhibit by young locals brings a contemporary theme to a traditional Maori art form.
History
Angela Cook, Mangawhai Museum Manager info@mangawhai-museum.org.nz
You’ve likely heard of the Niagara – the Titanic of the Pacific, which struck a mine and now lies at rest 121m deep at the northern boundary of the Hauraki Gulf. In the last issue, we covered the Daring – built in Mangawhai, beached at Muriwai, and awaiting its new home beside Mangawhai Museum. But have you heard of the S.S. Kotiti?
Built by R. Logan Snr in Auckland in 1898, the S.S. Kotiti was one of many steamers that serviced Mangawhai. Like the Niagara and the Daring, this ship ran into some trouble, only unlike the transpacific ocean liner and two-masted schooner, the S.S. Kotiti’s end is more of a mystery. In heavy seas on 10 October 1931, the steamer went missing, along with all travelling aboard from Westport to Foxton.
Before she vanished, the S.S. Kotiti had changed hands several times, been raved about in the papers, and borne goodwill. In the same year she was built, she was purchased by the Coastal Steamship Co. Seven years later, this became the Settlers Co., then after three more years, the ship passed to the Northern Steamship Co. In 1929, the Kotiti was sold to H. Soares of Karamea, then finally to Oparara Shipping Co. of Westport.
The New Zealand Herald (21 Nov 1899, p6) reported she and another in her company, the S.S. Kapanui, were:
…noticeable for their comfortable, almost luxurious appointments. The ladies’ cabins deserving special mention, being upholstered in crimson velvet, having as accessories lavatories and other conveniences. The main saloons are unusually spacious, and exceedingly well furnished. The company pride themselves upon the provision made for carrying fruit and other produce, the holds being large and well-ventilated, which is an essential feature to the successful carrying of settlers’ produce.
Seventy-five foot in length (near 23m), and steaming at nine knots, other ports worked by the Kotiti included the Wade, Orewa
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of the season
postcard image of SS Kotiti tied up at Mangawhai wharf.
(Unit’s), Waiwera, Puhoi, Mullet Point, and Matakana.
From Puhoi’s Red Cross Guild on one occasion the Kotiti bore to Auckland cases of garments resulting from two months’ work. A report from WWI detailed this cargo of donations to consist of 26 suits pyjamas, 20 flannel shifts, 48 flannel singlets, 30 pairs flannel underpants, and 16 balaclava hats. In her early days, cargo such as this was loaded via wooden wharfs built for this purpose. In the 1920s, concrete wharfs began to appear.
Popular, “almost luxurious,” and offering aid were still not enough to save her and all aboard from their fate – lost at sea, resting place unknown.
Come learn more local history at Mangawhai Museum – from ships to sandcastles, we safeguard your stories.
Coming Up at Mangawhai Museum:
27 Sep – 02 Nov
Special Exhibition | Our Harbour: Told Through Tututuku
25 Oct – 28 Oct
The Labour Weekend Bookfair 10am-4pm Daily
31 Oct | Spooky Night – a night for the young and young at heart 4:30-6:30pm
SS Kotiti at Auckland wharf.
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR LEASE
SHOP FOR LEASE 1956 SH1 KAIWAKA
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 music festival.
Thursday 28 December 2023 at 00:01 until Monday
PROPOSED TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE
NETBALL RODNEY CENTRE 2024 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2024
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01 January 2024 at 23:59
ABC LTD driveways, slabs, paths, patios and excavations. For all your concrete needs. Free quote. Workmanship guaranteed. Darren 021 2676 820.
• Settlement Road, Kaiwaka – Restricted access. Access for resident and local traffic only.
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• Valley Road, Kaiwaka – from Settlement Road to Pritchard Road, Kaiwaka – Restricted access. Access for resident and local traffic only.
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• Lawrence Road to Cames Road, Kaiwaka –restricted access. Access for resident and local traffic only.
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JEWELLERS - WAIPU
Further information, if required, relating to this temporary road closure can be obtained from the Customers Services Team, Kaipara District Council.
Kaipara District Council
6 The Centre, Waipu, (Behind Lydia Sushi) Phone 09 946 1720. chateaujewellers@gmail.com REPAIR-REMODEL-RENEW
NOTICE OF INTENTION FOR TARGETED SPRAYING
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).
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
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.
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URGENT NUMBERS
Ambulance, Fire & Police 111
Mangawhai Police (non-urgent calls) 09 423 1060
Northpower 09 431
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ABC LTD driveways, slabs, paths, patios and excavations. For all your concrete needs. Free quote. Workmanship guaranteed. Darren 021 2676 820.
GENERATORS AND INVERTERS FOR SALE Honda and Engel from $1495. See Kevin at Mangawhai. Small Engines. Ph 09 431 5270.
6 The Centre, Waipu, (Behind Lydia Sushi)
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 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
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 Kaipara District Council
MANGAWHAI REBUS
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
DETAILS: 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.
NOVEMBER REBUS: 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,
Netball Rodney Centre 2024 Annual General Meeting be held Thursday 15th February 7pm at the Netball Rodney Centre in Centennial Wellsford.
For more information please email netballrodneycenter @xtra.co.nz.
6.00PM SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER at Mangawhai Beach School Gym
TOP QUALITY TOPSOIL Approx 400m3 available. Unsprayed 20 years. Easy access in Waipu village. Expressions of interest. phone 021 543 005.
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On the Ocean
Workup action sporadic
The intensity of the earlier spring workup action has been less evident over the last week or so. The workups are there, often with their attendant dolphin, whale and gannet dinner guests, but there is no guarantee of snapper and kingfish beneath them.
My last outing was a week was to our ‘Spot X’ in 35 metres off Bream Head and found all those workup elements present, but none of the target species. Luckily, there were some fat kahawai around that not only proved to be good fun on light softbait tackle, but a tasty reward when smoked up for the table.
Surfcaster Kadin Williams from The Reel Clinic says now is a great time to take the family for a fish off the beach with the kahawai running close to the surf line. It does not require a big cast, and the kids appreciate the steady action. Kadin says the snapper have been a little more elusive, the hard part being getting past the kahawai – there could be worse problems to have!
One Tree Point drone fisher Pete McGregor says a friend of his made an early start on Uretiti Beach last week, his first drone drop producing a 63cm snapper and a couple of 40-plus models, making getting out of bed before dawn well worth it. The electric kontiki fishers who have been setting off the beach accessed via Black Stump Road and further south at Pakiri have reported some good gurnard included in the mix.
One area that has proven consistent for two of the Mangawhai-based charter operators – Mike Leese aboard Fishmeister and Wayne Radford on R’n’R - is the 60-65 metre mark beyond the Hen and Chicken Islands. Wayne says while there have been some great workups, even without the topwater action the snapper have been on the bite in the general area.
been putting his clients onto good fish at the 60-metre line anywhere between Te Arai, east of Sail Rock and the deep mud flanked by the Hen and Chicks. Closer inshore he has encountered many smaller workups that have produced fish, but not consistently, something that many others have experienced. Wayne has been fishing the Mokohinaus where the snapper have been on the chew in the deeper water. The kingfish have been noticeable by their absence, Wayne expecting them to show up over the next few weeks or so.
Snap Fishing skipper and guide Nik Key’s report is also identical to his colleagues. He has found the most consistent patch of fish and smaller workup action has been between Bream Tail and Sail Rock, anywhere between 35 and 45 metres. Nik mainly fishes lures and his go-to Kabura currently is the 200gm orange head with an orange and red skirt. His advice is simple – be patient, if you see fish on the sounder they will come on the bite sometime; be prepared to wait it out and experiment with your lure colours and style. To check out the bite times, tides and weather go to www.fishing.net.nz. Tight lines.
Above: The workup fishing has proven a little inconsistent in the last week or so, but when you get it right the rewards are there. Photo: Nik Key, Snap Fishing.
Left: Smoked kahawai, glazed with a little pineapple-flavoured rum and lemon pepper, is a tasty way to prepare kahawai for the table.
Kahawai and gurnard are two target species for local beach fishers.
Seminar to empower local women on the water
For seafaring women and girls who want to feel more confident while heading to the big blue, a seminar designed to inspire, empower and break through stereotypes is coming to a local club.
Whakatane adventure company Wild Chix offers courses designed by women for women in male-dominated outdoor activities. Its two-hour Basic Boating session will be held at Mangawhai Boating & Fishing Club on October 11.
Covering boat prepping, handling, communication, safety equipment and navigation as well as a talk from the Coast Guard, the session offers an opportunity for women to learn a range of skills.
“There are no dumb questions,” says Wild Chix founder and director Isabell Zitzelsberger. “There’s nothing more rewarding than being on a boat ramp and guys are watching you but you don’t feel intimidated because you know what you’re doing.
“My perfect scenario is when a woman can call up her friends and say ‘let’s go fishing’ because they have confidence to do everything. They don’t need to wait for a husband or partner to take them out.”
Women of all ages – including mothers with teenage daughters – attend the seminars and class sizes are capped at 25. Courses on fishing, diving and hunting are also available. As an appreciation for their time, Wild Chix also
donate “a chunk of money” to the Coast Guard. After leaving her native Germany for New Zealand with her fishing-obsessed partner 12 years ago, Isabell discovered a passion for Aotearoa’s outdoor lifestyle including hunting, diving and exploring, and has nearly completed her private pilot’s license.
Inspired by the philosophy “find comfort in your discomfort, only this will make you grow,” the 39-year-old formed Wild Chix in January this year while working as a marketing and sales manager for a Whakatane boat-building company and as secretary for the NZ Deerstalker Association. Recognising how rare women are in male-dominated industries and feeling uncomfortable asking questions herself in case of “appearing dumb”, she realised other women may be feeling the same self-doubt.
“When girls teach girls, it’s a completely different experience, you can ask questions without feeling judged. Several ladies whose partners have either died or they’ve split up say they wish this course had been offered years ago, as they sold their boats because they didn’t know how to handle it. One girl was in an abusive relationship for many years and came to build back her self-confidence,” she says. “So the seminars offer a whole other level, they enable women to feel empowered and break through society’s expectations and stereotypes.”
Wild Chix has proven so popular across the
North Island, Isabell recently resigned from her job to keep up with the progress and plans to expand into the South Island. The NZ Sport Fishing Council was so impressed by a presentation held at their recent AGM, “they want to roll the seminars out through all their clubs around the country”.
“It’s a big step but I see the need out there. The courses are also good for women who just want more of an active role while going out with their husbands or partners,” she says. “It’s
Local woman of the sea supports Wild Chix
One of Mangawhai’s own ‘wild chix’ who spends her free hours in local waters fishing and diving, is ‘cray-slayer’ Deanna Hollows, winner of Mangawhai Boating & Fishing Club’s ‘Wahine o te Moana’ (Ladies Fishing Comp) on Matariki Weekend.
A long-term holiday local since she was an infant and now permanent resident, Mangawhai’s waters have been Deanna’s playground where she learnt to swim, fish and dive, both scuba and freestyle.
owner of The Panel Shop with her husband Jared and is in the sea every chance she gets.
“We wanted to raise our daughter in a country coastal town so moved here in 2016 with a vision of creating a lifestyle of operating a business around time in the ocean,” she says.
“I’ve always been really strong in the water, can free dive about 12 metres. I catch big crays and big fish probably twice a week.”
Over 20 years of using the couple’s boat,
so amazing to see that women and girls want to step up and learn, and I’m in a position to ignite that passion so I just really want to give it a shot.
More information: www.wildchix.co.nz
“I feel really lucky that we’ve got this beautiful paradise, it’s an untapped world right here on our doorstep and needs to be utilised more. The fishing is just exceptional up this coastline and after the crayfish quota was dropped, the seafloor is now alive,” she says. “For me, the sea provides a beautiful healing experience, a calming place to be. You can block out all life dramas and be at peace whether you’re on top or at the bottom of the ocean.”
Wild Chix Northland facilitator, Shanel Honore, a qualified scuba diving instructor and professional mermaid instructor who holds a marine science degree, will be at the helm for ‘Boating Basics for Women’ in Mangawhai on October 11.
From NZ’s oceans to her forests, Wild Chix founder Isabell Zitzelsberger offers women with a zest for the outdoors a range of seminars to enhance confidence and skills and step out of their comfort zones.