The Weekend Lifestyler, February 2nd 2024

February 2 2024

Nurturing a love for learning P3

Surfers share passion

Walking for health P5

For Grae and Ellen Snelling, living in Waipu and enjoying the opportunity to surf while teaching others is a passion. Both having many years of surfing experience, and the couple enjoy nothing better than sharing their knowledge with others. Along with their sons Kalani and Reef, they love the outdoors, exploring other beaches and connecting with the community.

Celebrating community diversity P7

continued on page 12 …

Photo: @surfersofaotearoa

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2 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER IS PUBLISHED WITH PRIDE BY INTEGRITY COMMUNITY MEDIA, A PRIVATELY OWNED NORTHLAND COMPANY. Phone: 09 439 6933 or 0800 466 793

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Poetry without boundaries u by Ann van Engelen

Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz

Susan Dugdale and Celia Pain have joined together to bring poetry nights to Mangawhai, hosting the events at Brewed As, 14/7 Wood Street, Mangawhai Heads.

Journalists: Ann van Engelen | Amy Fifita | Liz Clark Advertising: Krystal Carey 027 239 5791 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Harrison | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts

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p Susan Dugdale and Celia Pain started the poetry nights at Brewed As cafe to give people the opportunity to share their poems with others

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“Our poetry nights began because we are both writers and have fun hanging out, talking about our writing and poetry,” says Celia.

Celia works at Brewed As and came up with the idea to host an open mic event with Susan to take advantage of the space while enjoying a glass of wine or other beverages.

“We have seen the success of equivalent events in larger centres and thought Mangawhai needed one, too, and the cosy, intimate ambience at Brewed As is perfect.

“We held our first event in November, and it was a great success with 12 people reading their own work. They were

“

“Best of all was the variation of ages. We had a 32-year-old through to someone in their 70s,” she says.

“That’s one of the lovely things — age doesn’t matter. We had someone drive down from Whangārei, and others came from Auckland. We were very chuffed with the turnout.”

Celia and Sue say the beauty of open mic nights is the variety of exciting content.

“One of the things about an open mic is that it’s OK not to understand all of the poems.

“Some poetry is terrible and doesn’t make sense to others, and that’s fine.

It’s such a brave thing to share and be

A good poem distils the human condition and has a lot of emotion varied, from tongue-in-cheek irreverent nonsense to hilarious commentary of the reader’s life.

“There were, maybe, 25 to 30 there altogether. Some came to listen, and some came to read, but the most exciting thing to us was that they all came for poetry.

“A good poem distils the human condition and has a lot of emotion.

It’s condensed and concentrated feelings.”

Susan says when you open a poem, it behaves like a jack in the box and springs out in full form, or a Russian stacking doll, where you take the first one off and then the layers keep coming, and there it is.

”

publicly vulnerable. It’s a way for people to gather and share deeper under a structure, and it’s a lovely thing.

“Brewed As is very keen to host more pop-up events to use the space for community. They do it so nicely.

“At our first event, we didn’t know if we would be standing there alone with the cafe staff. We had no idea who would come. We ended up having a great group of people join us. They came to listen, watch and read.

“Our nights are free of charge or a koha, with food and drinks available for purchase. The next events are on Thursday, February 8, and Thursday, March 7, from 6pm–7.30pm, and everyone is welcome.” ¢

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

p Erin Clark loves seeing children learn various subjects using natural materials and art

February 2 2024

3

p For the Spring Equinox Festival, children prance with ribbons in a dance traditionally named the maypole

Nurturing a love for learning u by Amy Fifita

Erin Clark has spent her life travelling the world on a journey of education before finally gaining her qualifications in New Zealand and settling in Mangawhai with her family.

“I’ve been in New Zealand for 14 years. I moved to Mangawhai seven years ago while I was pregnant with my daughter Lila. It is a beautiful area with so many families,” said Erin.

“I like it when people can connect and share their talents. I love seeing children learning to read and the excitement of new worlds opening up to them. I also adore seeing the joy on their faces when they begin mastering maths.”

Erin is from the US and was a yoga teacher. She ended up homeschooling the same children at the yoga centre for seven years.

“I was introduced to the idea of homeschooling by a family who had firmly chosen to do that for their children.

I taught them at the yoga centre. I have been involved in many homeschool groups, too and many people in

outside-of-the-box settings. After that, I travelled to Suva and helped with a Fijian kindergarten before coming to New Zealand. Within the first year of being in the country, I worked at Fossil Bay, a Steiner kindergarten on Waiheke Island.

“I noticed how happy the children were. The approach was beautiful and different. In the US and Europe, it is called Waldorf education, but I didn’t know much about it.

“The kaupapa is interesting to me because Rudolf Steiner died almost a century ago, but his teachings are still relevant. It is the education of the head, heart and hands. I did my training in Hawke’s Bay at Taruna College, and it was a special place.”

After Erin had relocated from Waiheke Island to Mangawhai and had her daughter Lila Hart, she began to run

Steiner groups. She has been involved in the Gaya Tree Education and Sustainable Life Charitable Trust and the Mangawhai Nature School.

“I have a playgroup running from birth to six years old for five and a half years, but the group has been going for 15 years. I use toys made out of wood or wool and open-ended playthings like driftwood. To them, it can be a taniwha, a bird or a train. Their minds can be more creative.

“There is a lot of movement. We move our bodies rhythmically and use our voices. There are a fair number of families in the area who are homeschooling so I also work with six to seven-and-a-half-year-olds. As they get older, there are all sorts of levels that unfold into having artistic elements in them.” ¢

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4 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

Childhood dreams come true u by Ann van Engelen

For the new owners of the Kaiwaka Food Mart, brothers Ankit and Parmpreet Singh, with their cousin Nirbhai Singh, refurbishing the family-owned store and giving it a new lease of life is a dream becoming reality.

“We grew up in Punjab, India, and when we were children, we would talk about going overseas one day,” said Ankit.

“We had a cousin here already who said New Zealand is the most beautiful country. He’d video call us and show us how beautiful it is. In 2014, we came to New Zealand to do business management studies and finished in 2016. After our studies, I worked for a glass firm as a supervisor for six years in Tauranga, and Parmpreet was managing the Bottle-O store in Wellsford.

“The opportunity to buy this business happened in 2022, and we purchased it last May. Our cousin Nirbhai joined us and we’ve made multiple changes and received a lot of community support.

That makes us really happy.

“We used to spend time here in this area before we bought the business.

We love the local beaches, camping and doing other activities. Living here

compared to India is very different, especially with the work rules and regulations — there, you can do pretty much anything.

“We’ve changed the whole shop around and aim to keep their prices as low as possible. The shelves are stocked with new stock. We’ve installed new security cameras and lights and introduced scoop and real fruit ice cream. “ We’re considering of fering milkshakes and have added a fruit and vegetable shelf and an ATM machine so people can withdraw cash. We’re constantly doing what we can to transform the business and are really pleased with how far we’ve come. Our family is looking forward to continuing for years to come.”

Ankit says they like that the business also serves the community through having the Post Shop attached.

“It’s good having the New Zealand Transport Authority section as well so

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p Brothers Parmpreet and Ankit Singh with their cousin Nirbhai Singh outside the family business Kaiwaka Food Mart

people can register your vehicles and things. The three different tills keep us busy. The community is very polite, and we love the smiles we get.

“We still have family back in India, and they are coming for a holiday next year.

We’re excited to show them Kaiwaka and

around New Zealand. We don’t want to live city life anymore. For me, Tauranga was nice, but the traffic was horrendous.

I love what we have right here in the Kaiwaka community. It’s exciting that all of our childhood planning and dreams came to fruition.” ¢

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Walking for health

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

February 2 2024

u by Ann van Engelen

Waipu resident Eszter Krisztian of Unbothered Wellness started her weekly walking group in Waipu as a way to encourage the community to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

“Originally, I’m Hungarian but have lived all over the world, and I’ve been in Waipu for four years this March,” says Eszter.

“I thought I would trial the walking days during summer and see if it works and continue on if it’s successful. It’s going really well. We have this beautiful river walk that has been created for us, and anyone can walk it. It’s not hard terrain and has nice grass.

“I run Unbothered Wellness at the yoga and pilates studio next to the post office and run small group and duo sessions focussing on each individual. I love the area, and that’s one reason I created the walk. It’s so you don’t have to come to the studio.

“We have swims in the ocean and enjoy all Bream Bay has to offer. We were so excited to see a good summer. Our goal is for everyone to enjoy what we have right here on our own doorstep.

“I like to ensure each person who attends the studio is safe and feels welcome. My main focus is practical movements that are fun and useful and help with issues like joint pain, muscle soreness and back aches.

“I love meeting with people and getting to know them. Working alongside the community is so nice, and it’s great

to see people leave my sessions or the walks with a sense of achievement.

It’s always good when they can do something they couldn’t do a few weeks or months ago.”

Eszter says walking is good as it’s a lowimpact exercise and shouldn’t be harsh on your joints.

“It’s healthy for your cardiovascular system, breathing, and heart rate. Walking helps with vitamin D. There are studies that prove early morning walks help regulate your body as it gets to realise the daylight is here, and it helps regulate sleep as well.

“You get to know other people and find new friends in the community. Some people have been here for years and are meeting people they’ve never met. Others are visitors and enjoy seeing what we have.

“It’s completely free. I advertise on my Unbothered Wellness Facebook page and website so people know what time and when. It is usually every Thursday at 8.30am.

“We meet at the park across from the Origin building, behind the public toilets on the main street. Everyone’s welcome. We go at a comfortable speed. It usually takes 30 minutes, and then we have coffee together.

“It’s really nice meeting people each week enjoying our local area.” ¢

p Kim, Deb, Jette, Anna, Louisa and Patricia have been enjoying the Waipu walking days with Eszter

p Eszter, out walking with Michelle, Emma, Freya and Anna behind her

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6 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

Gourmet in a tree u by Liz Clark

If we think of trees providing some form of food source from out of the garden it’s usually the commonly known fruit trees — how about walnuts?

There’s one catch to growing a walnut tree — it needs lots of space.

If you have a large garden, lifestyle block or farm, then this one is for you to consider adding to the plant list.

Walnuts have been propagated and valued for thousands of years and originated in Central Asia; they later spread to Persia, China, the Caucasus and Europe. The ancient Greeks and Romans saw the benefits of walnuts for timber and its resulting fruit and introduced them to the Mediterranean.

With a wide range of cultivars available from nurseries nationwide, choosing a tree to suit local growing conditions is sometimes an exercise in talking to a local specialist or even germinating nuts from a tree in the vicinity if possible. The only drawback is that it will take 10–15 years before producing its first crop. It’s more advisable to obtain a grafted tree, preferably two, so an earlier harvest can be obtained.

Walnuts require warm summers and reasonably cold winters to produce the best possible yield. Well-drained

soil is a top priority for these trees, so preparation is a must before going out and purchasing trees that can be expensive to buy. Building up a raised bed with compost and good-quality topsoil supported by timber edging is a good option if your soil is heavy clay and drains poorly. Poor drainage is a death sentence for walnuts; it makes them vulnerable to the root disease phytophthora.

Another disease affecting the trees is walnut blight, which occurs during the warm, wet weather of spring. Copper

sprays can help reduce this issue as well as ensure the trees are planted far enough apart to have good air circulation through the branches.

Harvest time is in autumn when the nuts fall from the trees. Get out the lawn mower just before the nuts drop and mow around the tree bases so the crop is easier to locate and gather. Cultivars to consider are Rex, Shannon, Meyric and Lara.

Talk to your local nursery specialist about what options are available for your site. ¢

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

February 2 2024

7

Celebrating community diversity u by Ann van Engelen

The Paparoa Pride committee is preparing for the 2024 Pride celebration at the Paparoa Sports Pavillion, 2070 Paparoa Valley Road, on Saturday, February 17, between 7pm and midnight.

“I began being involved in the committee last year,” said committee member Mel Badenhorst.

“I have been in New Zealand for 11 years and came out as gay a few years ago. It is rewarding to see people across Kaipara come and be themselves.

The event began in 2021 after Cissy Rock, who was living in Paparoa at the time, suggested they do a rural Pride

event. There was a pride parade up the main street before a celebration at the Paparoa Green.”

Community members from across the district, including Kaiwaka Mangawhai, Tinopai, Poutō, Dargaville and beyond, attended.

“It was really neat. Last year was a day event, but this year’s event has a party feel. Drag king and House of Drag winner

p Mel Badenhorst, chair Rachel Clothier-Simmonds and Jay Simmonds celebrated diversity together at last year’s Pride event

Hugo Grrrl, Caluzzi Cabaret showgirl Miss Kerry Berry and Victor E Dance — King of the ‘rei will feature at the celebration.”

Slightly Blue and DJ Dan Dare will also be performing. The event costs $5, and people are asked to bring a plate of food to share.

“I am a singer for Slightly Blue, and we play blues, country and rock songs

p Bright colours and various performances add to the joy of the event

at the Paparoa Market. It is great to celebrate the diverse community. It is important to affirm the positiveness of being different.

“We are planning to become a charitable trust in the next year and have been reliant on small donations.

We are grateful to Creative Northland for sponsoring and to the Kaipara District Council for sponsoring us.” ¢

p Juggling acts are just one part of the fun at the celebration

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SPOTLIGHT ON

MANGAWHAI

Boat lovers’ festival u by Ann van Engelen

The Daring Trust is calling for helpers at the inaugural Auckland Wooden Boat Festival being held on March 1–3.

“The festival organisers have very kindly offered us a space in the Viaduct Events Centre to present the story of the Daring to the public,” says Daring Trust chair Jim Wintle.

“This is an opportunity not to be missed. We would like to take our public display, interactive activities and videos to the festival.

“We plan to have two people on-site each half day manning the display to share the stories of the vessel, demonstrate the use of the windlass and chip log, and sell some of our booklets about the people of the Daring.

“

“Our team is working very hard to get the vessel into its final resting place, but we need financial support to make our plan happen. We also see this as an opportunity for people who want to go along and have a look at the wooden boats.

“Although we can’t float our boat in the harbour, we can tell our story and remind people that, yes, the ship is still alive and well. It will eventually be in its permanent house and on display forever more.

“Once we have completed our discussions with the museum about how we are going to design

There will be approximately 100 boats on display of all ages and sizes “While we have some volunteers, we still have spaces to fill. If you can volunteer a half day on any of the days — we would very much appreciate your help.

“You’ll also have the opportunity to view the festival, which will span from the on-water vessels in Jellicoe Harbour to the Viaduct Events Centre and the NZ Maritime Museum.

“There will be approximately 100 boats on display of all ages and sizes. It’s a great opportunity to show what we have and put it out there that we haven’t died a natural death.

We are still up and going.

p Volunteers Dave Fredric, Peter Joyce, Tony Heath and Bert Sainsbury joined forces to help with the preservation of the Daring

”

our building, we will have more information to share on our plans.

“At present, the team is putting in some tree nails, the wooden dowels that hold the ship together to make it extra strong. If people have a few dollars to give us at the festival, we’ll be happy, and we hope to attract more volunteers to help.”

To volunteer call Jim Wintle on 027 432 1002 or Larry Paul on 021 280 0360. Go to aucklandwoodenboatfestival.co.nz for more information. Parking is available at the Downtown car park on the weekend for $10 a day. ¢

p Dave with a model of working parts of the ship that are featured in the Daring display

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THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

SPOTLIGHT ON

February 2 2024

11

MANGAWHAI

A touch of Europe u by Ann van Engelen

After moving to the area to reinvent their lives, Ester Bassett and Sean Mahoney are the new caretakers of the Mangawhai Ice Queen Gelato.

“Our family of four relocated from Thames in October to start a new life with a dream of living somewhere where the sun comes up early,” says Ester.

“In Thames, we lived in an isolated area up a mountain. Wellbeing is really high on my list of important things, and we wanted to reconnect with the community after an intense year with storms and things.

“Sean is a landscape builder, and I’m a reiki practitioner and former occupational therapist. I now work at Te Whai Community Trust here in Mangawhai.

“We were open to a full new life, and somehow found it and are reinventing ourselves. Rowena Clare owns the Ice Queen Gelato, and Sean has always wanted this type of business.

“We met Rowena, and she was looking for someone to be the caretaker of Ice Queen, so it was a perfect fit with our children being the age they are. Jude and Julian are very much a part of what we do, too.”

Ester and Sean make all the gelato in Mangawhai in Rowena’s commercial kitchen.

“We jumped in the deep end and learned how to make the gelato. It has also given us a chance to meet people and connect with more of the community.

“Parking at the holiday park was amazing. It was cute, with parents in the tent sending the kids over to buy their ice cream. We had lots of fun giving kids tasters.

“We’re very lucky to have Italian ingredients because we couldn’t possibly make every flavour from the beginning but are looking to use local seasonal ingredients when possible.

“It’s exciting when the gelato is ready to come out of the frozen ice cream churner. You get your trays out, and it’s perfect — creamy and yummy.

“For now, we are advertising where Ice Queen Gelato is daily on the local Facebook pages. We’re trying to open Thursday to Sunday with the occasional late night and are at the Mangawhai Tavern Market on Saturday mornings.

“We’re very grateful to Rowena, for all she has done. She did a fantastic job setting up gelato that people remember well from last season — especially the vegan Black Hawaii flavour, which is

p Ester Bassett, Sean Mahoney and their sons Jude and Julian are enjoying being the new caretakers of Ice Queen Gelato in Mangawhai

very much loved. Our family is so glad we made the move and are delighted to feel like we have landed in a place that already feels like home. It’s amazing. We couldn’t have made a better decision.

“We’re so excited to be here and look forward to developing something people

are excited about all year round. We love making the most of the early morning sun at the beach with our dog and then coming home and getting the van ready for the day.

“It’s nice doing something that adds to the joy of the summer.” ¢

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12 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

p Grae and Ellen Snelling love spending their time with their sons Reef and Kalani

p The couple opened Surf Shack in Waipu village to cater for the needs of the beach-loving community

Surfers share passion u by Ann van Engelen

Grae and Ellen Snelling are well-known and much-loved members of the local surfing community as they teach people of all ages skills to surf.

“I grew up in the southwest of Western Australia on a sheep and wheat farm, and Grae grew up in Onerahi, Whangārei,” says Ellen.

“His family owned the timber mill on the river in town. At 16 years old, Grae then lived with his dad in Australia and surfed his whole life. He travelled back to New Zealand every Christmas, keeping the connection with his life here.

“

“Grae moved to the town at the same time. We met, married and the rest is history. We decided to come to New Zealand before we had children because if we didn’t make the move, then we probably would never have.

“Grae is a chippie by trade, and his mum lives in Ruakākā. The plan was to be here for a year — that was seven years ago. We moved around for a few years before finally settling in Waipu.

“I’ve been a qualified surf coach for close to 20 years. It was my first love before becoming a high school teacher.

Grae has surfed all his life and gained his surf coach qualifications when we took on the school. He is very much a natural coach.

“Learn 2 Surf had an amazing foundation, which we’ve expanded on.

We’ve had lots of stuff like Covid and things happen, but with my background

The ocean is ever-changing. You just get the hang of one condition, and it changes the next day “When I was younger, we moved to the coast. My folks were farming in a tiny town. My dad is a mad keen fisherman so we were always at the beach.

“We learned to respect the sea, including sharks. Without sharks, the ocean as we know it wouldn’t exist, so you educate yourself — where they are, why they’re there, why they move, where their breeding ground is.”

Ellen is a teacher and moved to a small country town for her first teaching job.

“In summer, we do the surf school, and in the winter, we go back to teaching and building. I do relief teaching, and Grae does contract work. He’s had some pretty cool jobs. It gives us the flexibility to visit family in Australia.

“Ninety-five per cent of our family is back there. We stayed here because we love what we do, and bought the surf school from friends in 2017, and opened our store Surf Shack Waipu two years ago.

”

and experience travelling the world surf coaching, we’ve drawn on different things and changed the programme where necessary.

“That’s been a cool part of our journey. Some programmes have evolved because we wanted to meet people’s needs. One programme is an adult progression session.

“Some students wanted to get better at surfing with consistency, so we created an eight-week programme like

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER February 2 2024

p Ellen and Grae work as a team at their Learn 2 Surf classes

p Preparing the surfboards for other people to use is part of Grae’s daily routine

p The family often take selfies while having fun at the beach

p Grae giving Finn, one of their students, guidance to upskill his knowledge of the waves

“

13

Some students wanted to get better at surfing with consistency, so we created an eight-week programme like our after-school classes. Now we see those guys surfing on their own with everyone else, which is really cool our after-school classes. Now we see those guys surfing on their own with everyone else, which is really cool.

“Everyone is different when learning to surf. Like how you train for a marathon, it depends on what you’re bringing already.

Fitness level, injuries and how much time you spent in the ocean are all relevant.”

Ellen says people who have previously used a body board have more ocean knowledge than someone who may be new to the water.

“The ocean is ever-changing. You just get the hang of one condition, and it changes the next day.

“We’re passionate about teaching people to be independent surfers. When students first arrive, we ensure they’re given the correct wetsuit and chat about their surfing knowledge and experience.

“That helps us choose which board they need. People with no experience get the big wide board for easy floatation so they can get the most from the lesson.

Others know the size board they’ve ridden previously.

“We then give a safety check, looking at the ocean conditions. Checks include

”

hazards, tide, wind and other people out in the water and where they’re sitting because that dictates where to go.

“Knowing where the rips are is important too. Then we go through the four steps of how to ‘pop up’ off the board — how to handle it, lay on it, sit on it and fall off safely.

“After that, we practise in the water.

Someone committed to being on the water as much as possible over an eightweek period will progress faster than someone who comes once a week.

“If you’re surfing and end up further out than you expected, the safest place is on your board. If you’re stuck hopefully you will catch a wave in, or someone will come and get you.

“If you jump off and lose your floatation device, you can fatigue quickly, and that’s a big thing. Rips are something else. There is no magic in how far they will go out or how they work.

“You have to remember the ocean is an incredible place but demands respect. Some rips have an undertow that pulls you to the bottom. People

living around the ocean learn how scary and how magical it can be.

“Grae and I have helped others out of situations that could have ended tragically.

“Some people come and try surfing and decide it’s not their thing, and that’s fine. Others want to surf all day, every day. We are involved in the Surfing for Farmers initiative and have held surfing and yoga days with women, which are fun.

“We also join other surf schools for the annual disabled surf day in Ruakākā in February, which is really fun as the kids would otherwise never get to go out on the waves. We love that day.

“We’ve had all the beautiful stuff like dolphins swimming with us and experiences with stingrays. My favourite was orca swimming past because we don’t have them back home, and once we had a dolphin feeding frenzy come in on one of our lessons. That was cool.

“Any age group can surf. The oldest person I’ve had out was 81, and he was pretty good. It’s about allowing

yourself to have a go. Little kids are different because they’re used to trying new things.

“As we age, we forget what it’s like to try something new, and that can be a barrier because you don’t want to suck at it. If you talk to any professional, they’ll tell you that there’s always stuff they want to improve.

“That’s the joy of surfing. There are always bigger waves or different breaks and harder and more challenging goals.

That’s why so many people love surfing.

“Surfing dictates where we travel and go for family holidays. Grae’s a natural.

When we brought the surf school, I was heavily pregnant with our first child, so he got things happening with me watching.

“He’s very personable and loves talking with people. We love what we do. Like they say, ‘Do what you love, and you never work a day in your life’.

“We’re so stoked to be able to offer our knowledge in the capacity that we do.

We choose to live in a country town with limited access to city things because we love our lifestyle and sharing our surfing passion with others. It’s our life.” ¢

14 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

p Farmers of all ages participate in the Surfing For Farmers events at Waipu

p The Surfing For Farmers initiative is made possible by various sponsors

A healthy break u by Ann van Engelen

Farmers from Ruakākā, Waipu, Mangawhai and beyond have been getting together on the waves through the Surfing For Farmers Northland initiative at Waipu Cove each Thursday evening.

“The initiative is in its third year at Waipu and fourth at Sandy Bay, giving people of all ages in the farming community the opportunity to get offfarm and enjoy catching waves together,” says Beef and Lamb extension manager Katrina Stead.

“It’s a cool, positive event to be involved with. I got on to the committee through our rural professional group because I enjoy the experience and facilitating the surfing fun.”

Katrina grew up in an orchard and understands the stresses people with rural jobs have.

“You don’t often see people experiencing things for the first time.

I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they are in the surf. It’s really exciting to see those who haven’t surfed before catch their first waves. They get such a look of delight on their faces.

“The general chat after the sessions is good, too. It’s a heartwarming experience, and the surf is a good icebreaker and gives you something to talk about outside of work.

“Being in the water is so therapeutic, and you discover a community you may not have had. That’s why we supply For all your Wastewater System requirements:

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food and drinks later, to give people the chance to meet new people and make new friends.

“We have a really committed crew, and our sponsors make it all happen.

We couldn’t do it without them as some weeks we have up to 50 people turn up.

At the end, we have pizza and McLeods Brewery at Waipu sponsor drinks.

“Learn 2 Surf Waipu and Tūtūkākā Surf School are phenomenal by giving us a reasonable deal to help us with the initiative. They love supporting the cause and are keen to stay on board in the future.”

Katrina says it is a known fact that surfing is great for your mental health.

“When you are out in the waves, that

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is all you are focussing on — catching a wave and being safe. It’s a complete mental break from what you do day to day.

“People can check out the Surfing For Farmers Northland Facebook page for more details. It is rewarding to help people to do something different. We are constantly looking for local sponsorship because we rely on our local legends to run the sessions.

“We really appreciate the help we get to put on an entirely free event to ensure our farmers are able to get a break. There is nothing quite like surfing the waves together with like-minded people, and that is what we love seeing every week.” ¢

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THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER February 2 2024

PUZZLE TIME

Jumbo crossword ACROSS 1 Observe (5) 4 Inform about a situation (3,2,3,7) 14 Seductive sea nymph (5) 15 Outrider (5) 16 Fellow workers (10) 17 Sailboat (5) 19 Carton (3) 20 Make petty objections (7) 21 Enclosing line (9) 22 Subtle difference (6) 25 Thoroughbred (9) 27 Sire (6) 28 Beginning (6) 33 Great desire to travel (10) 35 Wildebeest (3) 36 Plays (6) 37 Smooth-tongued (4) 39 Impair (3) 41 Law (7) 42 Wobbly (6) 43 Baltic urn (anag)(9) 44 Of sheep (5) 45 Quartet (8) 50 Former partner (2) 51 Pitted scar (8) 55 Intestine part (5) 58 Dry run (9) 59 Mogul (6) 60 Word puzzle (7) 61 Tree (3) 63 Adhesive strip (4) 64 Allow (6) 65 Application (3) 66 From now on (10)

68 Exit (3,3) 69 Lithe (6) 71 Make it up as you go along (9) 76 Trinket (6) 77 Wiring (9) 79 In progress (7) 81 Honey maker (3) 84 Open-mouthed (5) 85 Weakened insidiously (10) 86 Relish (5) 87 Keen (5) 88 Ancient (2,3,2,3,5) 89 Insurgent (5) DOWN 2 Accumulate (6) 3 Morsel (5) 5 On (4) 6 Malady (7) 7 Calamitous (6) 8 Give the slip to (5) 9 Examine (7) 10 Playthings (4) 11 Recover a loss (6) 12 Buy off (5) 13 Not precise (7) 14 Rise (5,2) 18 Musically, in a fairly brisk tempo (10) 23 Fashion (5) 24 Fiasco (7) 26 Accounts inspector (7) 27 Perplex, bewilder (7) 29 Dried grape (7) 30 Sketch in skin (6) 31 Once more (5)

15

182

32 Panda food (6) 34 Prong (4) 36 Empty (5) 38 Waxed and dyed cloth (5) 40 Highlander’s dagger (4) 45 Lowest gear (5) 46 Sad (7) 47 Hidden drawback (4) 48 Old gun (6) 49 Swell (5) 50 Wax lyrical (7) 52 Using sparingly (10) 53 Fly larvae (7) 54 Traces (anag)(6) 55 Loud persistent outcry (7) 56 Metal joiner (5) 57 Night insect (4) 62 Trap (5) 67 Neck vein (7) 68 Trilled (7) 70 Flowering plant (7) 72 Cocktail (7) 73 Forever (6) 74 Savage (6) 75 Nap (6) 76 Sandy fawn colour (5) 78 Trainee (5) 80 Unit of weight (5) 82 In good health (4) 83 Longitudinal boat timber (4)

Sudoku

Previous crossword solution

ACROSS: 1 Cheap, 4 Stamping ground, 11 Light, 14 Image, 15 Troublesome, 16 Anaconda, 19 General, 20 Claim, 21 Overwhelm, 24 Ascending, 26 Benign, 27 Escape, 31 Tabby, 32 Paranoia, 34 Underrated, 38 Drought, 39 Dahlia, 40 Helmet, 41 Afar, 42 Swedish, 45 Generosity, 50 Tangled, 54 Alps, 55 Swoops, 56 Upturn, 57 Finally, 60 Flashlight, 61 Daffodil, 62 Fussy, 65 Canary, 66 Drivel, 67 Smalltalk, 72 Solitaire, 73 Shard, 74 Academy, 79 Shortage, 80 Sidetracked, 81 Sitar, 82 Sight, 83 Throw the book at, 84 Jerky.

DOWN: 2 Hammer, 3 Argue, 5 Turn, 6 7 1 3 6 8 Maudlin, 7 Inlaid, 8 Gash, 9 Removing, 10 3 5 4 2 Dinghy, 11 Lacklustre, 12 Gone, 13 Trample, 8 17 Faded, 18 Originally, 22 Ideal, 23 Faithful, 4 2 7 9 25 Subdued, 26 Bravado, 28 Narrow, 29 2 9 7 3 Collie, 30 Fewest, 33 Awake, 35 Dared, 36 9 7 5 1 7 Thus, 37 Thai, 42 Scarf, 43 Explains, 44 1 8 2 5 Hawaii, 45 Geothermal, 46 Nest, 47 Roundel, 7 6 5 3 1 48 Setoff, 49 Torso, 51 Acid, 52 Gradual, 53 Previous solution Enlist, 58 Thermostat, 59 Title, 63 Overview, 64 Stock, 65 Chooses, 68 Morocco, 69 7 1 9 2 3 6 5 8 4 3 5 4 7 1 8 2 6 9 Fidget, 70 Cherub, 71 Embark, 75 Drive, 76 8 2 6 4 9 5 1 7 3 Long, 77 Mesh, 78 Feta.

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16 February 2 2024 THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER

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