The Weekend Lifestyler, June 30th 2023

A creative flair

Tania Patterson often works in her studio at home in Waipū with a rural outlook and her husband’s racehorses in the background. It is a place where she creates unique pieces of jewellery and sculptures, which often represent nature and have moving parts. Whether

a wearable creation or an ornamental art piece, each item is made with love, care and thought, giving the receiver a gift that can be kept as an heirloom and handed down through the generations.

continued on page 12 …

THE WEEKEND LIFESTYLER IS PUBLISHED WITH PRIDE BY INTEGRITY COMMUNITY MEDIA, A PRIVATELY OWNED NORTHLAND COMPANY.

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7,780 copies, distributed on Friday to every residential and rural home throughout the district including Whangārei, One Tree Point, Ruakākā, Waipū, Mangawhai, Kaiwaka and Wellsford.

Annette Pull Director P: 027 286 2329

Exhibition season ends

u by Ann van Engelen

The team at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery is currently showing The Small Print exhibition, the gallery’s final exhibition of the 2022/2023 season.

“This is the third time we have hosted The Small Print, a travelling exhibition of work created by members of the Print Council of Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Mangawhai Artists chair Belinda Vernon.

“The exhibition is always popular with members of the public as it has a wide variety of subject matter and many different methods of printmaking are used. The exhibition is unusual in that it is the only exhibition hosted at the gallery which does not present work solely created by Mangawhai Artists

“We have been funded by the Creative Communities Scheme to open the workspace once a month, for six months, for an afternoon and an evening session of untutored time where printmakers can use the press, free of charge.

“Offering the use of the printing press as an opportunity for people to pursue the artform. Some printmaking can be done without a press but other types need one. The press is a great asset to the art community as there has been a real printmaking resurgence. People

members, although some members are also members of the PCANZ.

“Mangawhai Artists want to use The Small Print exhibition as a way of promoting printmaking as an art form. The prints are all A4 size on 250gsm or 300gsm good quality printmaking paper. Each print is for sale for $100, which makes this a very affordable and accessible way to collect art.”

The organisation is also using the event as a way to promote its on-site printing press.

“Mangawhai Artists has a printing press in its Art Workspace area behind the gallery,” says printmaker Nicky Everett.

“We want to raise awareness of the press to the many printmakers in and around Mangawhai and encourage local printmakers to use it. The press was given to us by the estate of printmaker Lynn Middleton who was one of our members and a wonderful artist.

with an interest in printmaking or who have been to one of the earlier classes but don’t have the space for a press can use ours.

“Anyone who would like to make use of this opportunity can leave their name and contact details at the gallery, or email workspace@mangawhaiartists. co.nz.

“The Small Print is our last exhibition for the season. The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 3pm until Sunday, July 2.

“The gallery will then be closed for the month of July and will reopen with the launch of the 2023/2024 season on Friday, August 11.

“The new season is fully booked from August 2023 through to June 2024, with exhibitions changing each fortnight.

“It will be hard to beat this last season, but we know the new season will not disappoint.”

YOU.”

p Local artist Nicola Everett using the printing press at Mangawhai Artists Workspace

“Mangawhai Artists has a printing press in its Art Workspace area behind the gallery”

u by Ann van Engelen

Wellsford Taoist Tai Chi instructor Anne Taylor grew up on the Coromandel, became a teacher and professional athletics coach and now shares her love of Taoist Tai Chi with people of all ages.

“I completed my teaching degree in Hamilton in 1980 and moved to Kaiwaka School for a change of pace after a career in hospitality and professional coaching,” says Anne.

“I have been teaching at Mahurangi College now for 10 years and have always been involved in volunteer work. I did athletics as a kid, but I had a bad injury, and that is what led me to move into coaching.”

Annie became an international-level athletics coach and represented New Zealand at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as a coach.

“While I was in Kaiwaka, I met my husband Steve and moved to his sheep and beef farm near Port Albert. One day I saw an advertisement in the paper for Taoist Tai Chi in Matakana. I had always wanted to do something like meditative exercise for myself, so I called some neighbours and talked them into having a girls’ night out.

“That was 15 years ago, and I wasn’t going to take on any roles, but I am now an instructor, the president of the Northland branch and am on the national board. Taoist Tai Chi is one of the biggest volunteer organisations in the world.

“Our form was designed to promote good health by our founder Moy Lin Shin who was ill as a child and placed in a Taoist monastery by his parents. He became well and then dedicated his life to pass on the health-giving benefits of the practice to others.”

Taoist Tai Chi is a moving meditation based on martial arts.

“We opened a class in Wellsford in 2016 and have been part of the community ever since. We began at the Anglican church hall and moved to St Mary’s church hall last year and have been blessed to have had the use of both buildings.

“Part of our practice is compassion for others, and we welcome everybody. We are not free but offer affordable prices because Moy Lin Shin insisted that instructors not get paid because tai chi is from the heart. You don’t need special clothes, it’s not hard on your body, and there is no individual correction as everybody is learning.

“We have people in their 20s and people in their 90s participating. Tai chi promotes the flow of energy and circulation of the body, and is really good for people who suffer anxiety. I know the benefits personally because I have a

congenital back issue and other injuries and find as long as I practise my tai chi, I am fine.

“I feel honoured to be an instructor, and it is a gift to be able to share my knowledge with others. Introductory sessions are held at St

Mary’s Catholic Church in Wellsford on Wednesdays from 5pm to 6pm, the Warkworth Scout Hall on Wednesdays from 10am to 11.30am, and Saturdays — 9am to 10am.

“For more information, phone or text Lyn on 021 0242 7430.”

p Anne Taylor teaches Taoist Tai Chi to people of all ages and abilities

Accepting the challenge

u by Ann van Engelen

The Waipū Volunteer Fire Brigade team is celebrating Alan Vaile receiving his chief fire officer’s helmet after nearly 43 years in the service as he replaces Chris Westlake, who has moved to the South Island.

“I am Waipū born and bred,” says Alan.

“My wife Jenny and I had moved to Whangārei, and my brother joined the brigade two and a half years before we moved back here in 1980. It seemed like a good thing to do when we returned, so I joined too.

“I am retired now but I am a mechanic by trade, and my last job was involved in the dairy industry fixing, repairing and putting in new milking cowsheds. I guess with my back fence being in the same spot as the fire station’s back fence, it

makes it convenient for me to put my hand up.

“Jenny and I used to live on family land, and when it sold, this property conveniently came up for sale. Jenny has always supported my time in the brigade, and buying next door to the station is something we joke about.

“The best part of being a firefighter is helping people in their time of need. A few years ago, I was the deputy fire chief, and my brother was the chief. I decided it was time for me to stand down as I was

managing the business I was involved in. The fire service was also changing to Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and I didn’t think I wanted to be chief and stayed as a senior firefighter since 2017. When Chris announced he was moving, our current deputy chief recently changed jobs, and he felt he couldn’t do the role justice, so I decided to put my hand up to replace Chris for now.”

Alan says Waipū is very fortunate to have a good team that works together well.

“We are a country made up of volunteers, and our team has a lot of fun, and we organise as many social events with our families as possible. I can’t say there is one highlight to my career because every positive outcome is a highlight. Our son Craig is also a volunteer in the brigade, our daughter

Leanne is a volunteer in the Mount Maunganui brigade and our grandson Jordan joined Waipū as a volunteer and is now a volunteer in the Waiouru brigade.

“People don’t realise the only paid firefighters in Northland are in the Whangārei station. Most stations are volunteer staff. I encourage anyone that is interested in coming along and joining us to come to the station at 23 Nova Scotia Drive on a Monday night from 7.30pm.

“It is a very enjoyable experience, and you learn a heck of a lot of new skills and also become part of a big family. Getting to help our local community is a big draw card. As time goes on, you realise more and more that if someone needs help, and calls 111, they often get us, and that is very rewarding and why we do what we do.”

p Alan and his wife Jenny, who has supported him in his career as a firefighter

p Alan Vaile and some of the team at the Waipū fire station

Working for citizens

u by Ann van Engelen

The Wellsford Citizens Advice Bureau is encouraging people to join the volunteer-run organisation to help community members with various needs.

“Across the Auckland region, there are around 900 unpaid volunteers working across 32 bureaux,” says chair Brian Wright.

“In the Wellsford branch, we are very short of volunteers. I have been involved in CAB for four years now and love it. When I came from the UK with experience in a multinational’s head office restructuring businesses, I became the health and safety adviser for several major New Zealand companies specialising in the ACC Worksafe Management Programme.

“I am passionate about health and safety, and because of my background, my empathy for the needs of our local population is important to me. The bureau is very democratic and proper, with a clear and absolute precise constitution and administration. We take guidance from the national office in Wellington, which provides us with so much fantastic information and training opportunities.

“Most CAB branches have one paid employee. In Wellsford, our manager Jingjing Yi works 20 hours a week, and she is extremely competent in her job. Although no one in the Wellsford bureau is trained in the legal profession, we all have life skills and experiences and are able to enhance our skills with the

information and training provided by the national office. We also have information on the Citizens Advice Bureau website.

“We never know who is going to walk through our door and what situation they need help with. People come to us for various things like family or consumer issues. It can be someone needing help after being excluded from the family home to someone needing advice on returning a product to a shop.

“At times, people have limited computer skills, so we sit, talk and help

with documentation and completing forms. We are totally non-discriminatory and are here to offer options and advice to anyone who walks through our door.”

In the Wellsford Citizens Advice Bureau, two volunteers are Justices of the Peace and three are fully trained budget advisers.

“If we do not know something, we ensure we research to give the client help. We work with the local food bank as well. People generally volunteer because

they enjoy helping others. People enjoy volunteering because it keeps their brain stimulated, and the CAB has a positive impact on the lives of others.

“We would love more volunteers at our branch. We will talk through what is involved and then mentor and train them, which includes completing set modules and face-to-face client experiences.

“Our office is open Tuesday to Friday between 10am and 2pm. If anyone is interested in joining our team — please email wellsford@cab.org.nz.” ¢

p Wellsford Citizens Advice Bureau volunteers enjoy working alongside manager Jingjing Yi as they help the community

The climbing hearts

u by Liz Clark

In the world of tropical house and garden plants, the lush deep green of a philodendron with its unique flowers brings grace to any setting.

Mainly grown for indoors, in warmer areas with the correct temperatures and shelter, these mostly climbing plants can also be grown outdoors. Globally there are more than 480 accepted species of the philodendron recognised by botanists. Many are available in New Zealand at garden centres and nurseries nationwide.

Philodendrons belong to the lily family, so caution is advised if there are young children or pets in the home. These plants are poisonous and should not be left within reach of curious toddlers and animals. Hazard aside,

the flowers produced are something to behold with their lily-like form and bright colours. Some species have white blooms, while others have deep ruby-red ones, depending on the species. The leaves come in many different colours and forms.

One of the most popular of the species indoors is Philodendron scandens or heart-leaf philodendrons. This plant is a fast-growing vine suitable for hanging pots and can handle a degree of relatively low light conditions. However, filtered natural light is beneficial and will help keep the vine from becoming too

spindly. Strong direct sunlight will burn the leaves and any flowers on the plant. Place your potted philodendron near a window for best results.

While these plants are easy care, avoid overwatering, a common cause of heart-leafs collapsing from root rot. Signs of overwatering are yellowing leaves and plant dieback. Always use a good quality potting mix and liquid feed during the growing season.

Philodendrons can be carefully divided when repotting — always ensuring the pots used can accommodate the root system. Alternatively, they can be

propagated from a visible root or node on the stem. Ensure a long stem is cut and the lower leaves removed. Allow the cut to dry before placing in its potting mix. Keep moist but not soaking wet for the next four to five days. The roots of the cutting should develop during that time. Repotting should be done once the roots start to show through the pot’s drainage holes.

Some cultivars to watch out for are White Princess, Red Princess, Glacier, Burle Marx, Hope and Brasil. These can be found at your local garden centre or an online nursery.

Barefoot and hungry

u by Ann van Engelen

Children are bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis across the country as winter hits, and KidsCan is calling for people who can afford to help support a child for just $15 a month in a campaign supported by its principal partner, Meridian Energy.

“Winter is always a miserable time of year for children in poverty, but this year is especially tough,” says KidsCan CEO Julie Chapman.

“Teachers are warning of a gruelling winter ahead for children in poverty, as the cost-of-living crisis takes a major toll on struggling families. They say it is affecting learning, with more children arriving hungry, others barefoot in freezing weather, and sickness spreading in overcrowded, unheated homes.

“With families’ budgets more stretched than ever, they are rationing food, hot water, power and petrol. We’re helping to feed and clothe more children than ever before, but we can’t keep up with demand, and that’s devastating.

“A child can’t learn if they’re cold or hungry — their brains are just in survival mode. So, this cost-of-living crisis has become a cost-of-learning crisis. From primary school children staying home due to petrol costs to

secondary students working huge hours to support their families, we should all be hugely worried about this. It’s denying children the chance of a better future through education.

“Twenty-eight schools have applied for KidsCan support this year alone, as food inflation hits a 36-year high. An increasing number of applications are coming from schools previously classified as decile five and six, which are seeing more need as working families struggle to make ends meet.

“Staff at waitlist schools said they were feeding children themselves. Some families had only $20 left for food a week after paying rent and bills, so they were helping them access food banks. One principal was bringing in her own children’s shoes so students could participate in subjects like technology where footwear was required.”

One principal reported that they have students turning up in bare feet with just a shirt and shorts, and it’s freezing.

“They’ve been conditioned to accept that — they wouldn’t know any different. Then they start becoming sick, and it’s just that ripple effect. We’ve had massive absentees with the flu.”

KidsCan helps feed 55,000 children in 898 schools, more than a third of all schools nationwide, and 206 early childhood centres. Last year KidsCan supplied more than five million items of food, 71,467 jackets and 55,284 pairs of shoes. Thousands of children are still waiting for support.

The charity is itself under huge pressure from rising costs, with jackets 20 per cent more expensive than last year and food staples like baked beans up by 39 per cent.

Donations are also dropping as monthly donors are being forced to cancel their contribution to cope with the rising cost of living themselves. That means KidsCan is struggling to support as many new schools as initially planned this year.

To donate visit kidscan.org.nz. ¢

p KidsCan founder Julie Chapman is asking people who can afford to support $15 a month to join the cause

“Twenty-eight schools have applied for KidsCan support this year alone”

Shop Local Making local gardens grow

u by Andy Bryenton

A team of east coasters who are passionate advocates of waste minimisation have reached a milestone in their quest to turn rubbish into food security and self-reliance.

Mangawhai Community Garden is more than just a green and growing space. Thanks to a group of locals, it’s also a hub for diverting waste from landfill and turning it into compost. For more than two years, a dedicated team of volunteers and staff have transformed an incredible 30 tonnes of food and green waste into 20 tonnes of nutrientdense compost.

Ultimately, this rich and hearty mix goes into local gardens to grow crops for local kitchens. The cycle is complete, and it’s made possible by locals helping locals.

The hard-working team heads out early on a Monday morning to collect food scraps from around 50 households and 10 businesses in urban Mangawhai. Customers leave a 23-litre food scrap caddy on the kerbside and a trailer is filled by the compost team.

Then the creation begins. With a careful mix of carbon, nitrogen, water and air, the team set to work chopping and churning the inputs to start the composting process.

to develop and test?

Need to update or change your business plan?

New free, online business course starts week of 17 July 2023!

This 18-week CBS programme from Penny’s Worth and Te Wananga o Aotearoa is Free-funded and open to all NZ residents.

Study from home to learn about business planning and operations, human resources, marketing, small business accounting, and risk management with additional workshops throughout the course.

One zoom class per week plus some optional local workshops to ensure you stay on track...

Begins July 17th and ends in November 2023 with

NZQA approved level 4 certificates for graduates. All resources are provided free and all teaching and tutoring is also provided free.

Whether you’re in business or are just starting one, this programme will give you the skills and knowledge to build and run a successful business.

“Within four to six months, a dark, rich, diverse humus is created and ready to feed our soil. The compost is gifted to the community garden to help them grow nutritious food for those in need. It is also sold to the community, with food scrap collection customers receiving a generous 50% off,” says Sustainable Kaipara’s Steph Gibson.

“We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing staff and volunteers. Having them on board makes the community compost viable and allows us to create local jobs, reduce carbon emissions and return much-needed organic matter to our local soils.” After receiving a grant from the Ministry for

the Environment, Sustainable Kaipara undertook a feasibility study on how to deal with food scraps in Kaipara. The community compost programme started as a six-month trial and has become a self-sustaining model. Subscription fees cover the costs of the collection and the compost making.

“I like feeling like I’m part of a cause for good, whose outcomes are greater than I can achieve on my own,” says regular volunteer Meg Seabrook.

You can join the collection or sign up for a composting at home workshop at sustainablekaipara.org. ¢

Gardens of Beauty

p Jonny Davis, Meg Seabrook, Mark Bruce, Rosemary Poolman, Gabi Horn-Waldeck, Steph Gibson; front: Rebecca Evans, Sebastian Bridson and Brody Bridson make up the compost team

“We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing staff and volunteers”

The local selection

u by Amy Fifita

The east coast has various markets for residents and creators to gather for you to enjoy shopping from and getting to know people in your area.

Indulge in the local cuisine and buy fresh produce from the suppliers themselves. Markets are an opportunity for you to wind down from your week and catch up with the community. Socialise and join the community at one of the many markets throughout the area.

Mangawhai has various markets to offer locals and visitors. The community market is a weekly affair on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm at the Mangawhai Beach School recreation centre. You can buy fresh produce from the nearby farms and various other goods there.

The Mangawhai Tavern Markets is at 2 Moir Street every Saturday from 8.30am to 1pm. It is a gathering of local people showcasing various talents, local musicians to listen to, products and crafts to buy and food to indulge in.

Search for quality goods at the Waipū Boutique Market on the second Sunday of every month at the Coronation Hall. It has a range of art, produce and beverages for people to enjoy and purchase. Everything offered and showcased at the market is made in New Zealand and newly created.

MANGAWHAI TYRES

Another event to look out for is the Waipū Street Market. It is held four times yearly on Auckland Anniversary, Easter, King’s Birthday and Labour weekends. These markets have a vast selection of tasty treats, health items, hot meals and much more.

The One Tree Point Artisan Market is on the third Sunday of each month from 9am to 1pm. Various crafts, foods and activities are at the market for families and individuals to enjoy. The monthly market is also a fundraiser for the children’s ward at Whangārei Hospital.

Markets are a great way to connect with the community and see what local artisans and producers are in the area.

You will be able to experience the personal touch of the people who picked or created what you are buying.

MANGAWHAI TYRES

KIRK

p One Tree Point Artisan Market helpers Vanessa Joyce and Tina Pickford with organiser Sue Tisdall

Shop Local Local business gives back

u by Andy Bryenton

New figures from the US chart the impact of a resurgence of small, locally owned businesses through their disproportionate impact on the coffers of clubs, teams and charities.

Big-box retailers pushing out the main-street shops, once the mainstay of US towns, has been a topic of concern for many years, and some communities have actively resisted this trend. When quizzed about how this has made a positive impact, respondents to a nationwide survey by Score and OnDeck revealed an interesting point relevant to New Zealand.

It’s this; small to medium-sized local businesses donate, on average, 250 per cent more than large, multinational companies or big chains do, to local not-for-profit organisations and community causes. It counted locally owned businesses carrying a big-brand

masthead, but mainly focussed on ‘mum and dad’ retailers and tradespeople. Three-quarters of small business owners who responded to the survey confirmed that they give away, on average, five to six per cent of their profits to charities, mainly local ones.

From a list of all small businesses, 66 per cent give to local charity causes, while a further 48 per cent give to youth organisations such as sports teams and clubs. Another 42 per cent donate to ambulance and fire services, surf lifesavers and other first responders. Then there are the 37 per cent who give to groups like the Lions, Rotarians and Scouts, and the 32 per cent who donate

food to food banks or help the homeless and needy. There is a lot of crossover with these figures; most businesses give to more than one cause.

We can see similar results in Kaipara, with locally owned and operated businesses always the first in line to volunteer funds for things like children’s sports uniforms, upgrades to leisure facilities for all, or environmental causes.

What was also interesting about the Score-OnDeck survey was the response

to this giving by average citizens and customers. While the humble tradition is to give anonymously and out of a pure desire to help, customers really do want to know which of their local businesses are behaving altruistically.

A full 90 per cent of respondents said they would like to know with full transparency how their local companies give to good causes, and 85 per cent say that they would change their shopping habits due to a positive image of a company which gives generously. ¢

p A recent US survey has shone a light on just how much small to medium-sized local businesses give back to the towns where they are based

the old church just up from the Mangawhai Museum

$12 Under 15s $5

VISIT US TAKE TIME OUT

THE GALLERY

The Gallery has a wide-ranging collection of art by established and emerging New Zealand artists, many of which are Northland based – this includes contemporary Maori and Pacific artists. There is an outstanding selection of paintings, wood art, handmade furniture, sculpture, jewellery, glass and ceramics. Our catalogue changes frequently, so please make an enquiry and we’ll confirm with you.

GALLERY HOURS: OPEN SEVEN DAYS, 10AM TO 5PM

CONTACT 09 433 9616 | PETE@GALLERYHELENABAY.CO.NZ

THE CAFE

Discover the Cafe on Helena Bay Hill, along the Secret Coast Route. We’re ready to serve fair-trade coffee and tempting homemade goodies from our cabinet or delicious meals from our menu. Relax in the ambiance of spectacular ocean and bush views and a warm atmosphere with the camaraderie of attentive and personable staff. It’s not just another cafe, it’s an experience!

Kitchen will be closed from 1st July 2023. We will still have a range of cabinet food including toasties, sausage rolls, cakes, muffins and more

OPENING HOURS:

THURSDAY - MONDAY OPEN FROM 10AM TO 4PM

CONTACT

09 433 9934 | HELENABAYCAFE@GMAIL.COM

THE GARDENS

One of the highlights of a visit to the Gallery and Cafe Helena Bay Hill is the beautiful garden setting. You are welcome to wander and relax in the garden during your visit. You’ll find many sculptures placed among the subtropical plantings, giving inspiration for your own landscaping ideas.

A creative flair

u by Ann van Engelen

Growing up in West Auckland, Waipū sculptor and jewellery maker Tania Patterson attended Carrington Polytechnic, where she studied craft design which set her on the path to her artistic career.

“I enjoy the intricacies of jewellery making, and I studied jewellery for my final two years, but the other topics gave me a good skill base to do sculptures and things later on,” said Tania.

“We learned various crafts, including glass, jewellery, textiles and ceramics. With jewellery, I enjoy the little engineering aspects and creating moving parts, which have been a feature of my work since early on.

“Over the years, I did large sculptures but eventually returned to jewellery. Partly because it’s so convenient to pack up little boxes to send to galleries rather than trying to transport large items.”

Tania moved with her husband Mal to Waipū 20 years ago.

“Mal has racehorses, and one wonderful horse won some big races, so we decided to find land here for the horses. He moved up and I followed a year later, and then had our daughter Sabine. She is 16 years old now.

“He has his horses, and I have my studio at home. I rode horses as a kid but don’t ride these ones, but I help him with things like moving, brushing and feeding them.

“When my dad died, I inherited his welder. He had always meant to teach me to weld but never got around to it, so I decided to teach myself. That is

I built the detail over that in fibreglass. I made moulds for the head and feet, and the finer detail took hours and hours of painting. Another sculpture was a bronze kererū, and it was a totally different process.”

Tania made the original kererū model completely from wax.

“We took the model to the casters, and they made him in a beautiful patina, and it is stunning, with the greens and bronze colours coming through.

when I started creating steel sculptures, including a big work for the Waiheke Island Sculpture on the Gulf, and I have work at the Quarry Gardens in Whangārei too.

“Since we have planted the property, we found more birds have turned up and I made various birds for a long time because I love birds. I made a big hawk once with plasma-cut sheet steel for the shape of the feathers and wings, and

“I love that you can have an idea and bring it to fruition, it is very satisfying, but I am always striving for the next project and I tend to work on a series of ideas until I exhaust that line.

“When a series is finished, I often have a dead patch where I think that’s it, and then another idea comes along. Creating is a combination of ideas and techniques. I have made lots of jewellery over the years and contributed to exhibitions and selling through galleries, such as Fingers

“We learned various crafts”

p Tania Patterson enjoys making sculptures and jewellery inspired by nature

Contemporary Jewellery and Masterworks Gallery in Auckland.

“This year, I decided to empty out my studio of the big tools and start offering jewellery-making classes. The classes cost $65 and are three hours long. I have been surprised by how far people travel to come along, especially considering we are up a long road. Making jewellery is relatively easy, but sometimes, people don’t realise they will be working with tools and machinery, which can be a bit challenging. In the first class, we make a copper ring. We use the ring sizer to measure their finger and then learn to saw, shape and texture the metal before soldering the band and then filing, smoothing and polishing it.

“Everyone goes home with something they have made, and once they have done that class, they can do an earring class. Then there is an extension class where they can make something of their choosing. They can buy silver to make

their jewellery from that rather than copper if they like.

“When you are cutting the metal, you are using a very tiny saw which takes concentration, but it is rewarding when you see the end product. I have always been intrigued by things that transform in some way, and a lot of my jewellery is pods that open and have interiors.

“In 2016, I entered the Waipū Art N Tartan Wearable Art Awards, taking concepts of my jewellery of pods and buds and made a big flower that I was inside of, and it opened out.”

Tania won the Arcs and Sparks award for her creation, which she modelled herself.

“I also do collections of 3D works with bottles, animals and plants, with castings of different plant forms with New Zealand native frogs. I make brooches and use them in sculptures of native frogs, too, painting them with different patterns of the endangered species. To

me, jewellery is small sculpture, and I recently sent a little gecko to the caster and will be making fun gecko brooches. I love sharing my ideas, but within that, there are constraints because each piece has to function and work on the body. It is important to make sure everything I make is wearable and durable.

“It is nice to work within constraints, sometimes, because, otherwise, there are endless possibilities of what can be done. I highly recommend other people come along and try jewellery making. I hope to attract younger people as well as older ones, because it is really nice to make your own jewellery pieces.

“I would love a few more blokes to come along and make things, too, as it is very rewarding when you see the finished product.

“It really is lovely to make things yourself and understand the process of how things are made from scratch. A lot of things are mass-produced, and we have

so many things in our lives that we have no idea who made them or how.

“I think making your own items gives you a new respect for handmade things, and jewellery has a strong sentimental connection for people. When you watch the repair shop on television, handmade things are treasured for their beauty as well as the stories they tell of both the maker and the owner, and they become heirlooms.

“These objects often connect us to loved ones we have lost. They become a way to hold on to our memories — they have a place in time and history. That is why when you give someone something that you make, there is a story to it, and that story becomes loved and stays connected to the person. Each jewellery piece is a little work of art that is out there being seen, and that is cool. I have been creating for 35 years now, and it’s hard to generalise what I do as I am never sure what I am going to do next.”

“I would love a few more blokes to come along and make things, too, as it is very rewarding when you see the finished product.”

p Mal and Tania enjoy time together working with his racehorses

p Tania taught herself to weld with her dad’s welder she inherited and often uses it to make her sculptures

p Tania shares her skills with her daughter Sabine and others through her classes that she began recently

p Creating items with moving parts and combining elements of nature adds to the detail of Tania’s work

Dances in the goods shed

u by Liz Clark

In the early 20th century, the progress of the North Auckland railway line towards connecting up the long-established Albertland settlements was a drawn out affair.

Several railway leagues were established in the late 19th century, including the settlement of Kaiwaka. By 1900 frustration at the lack of progress to bring the railway to the township resulted in a meeting being held at Curtis’s hall to discuss the problem of getting the railway beyond Tahekeroa and further north so settlers could reach Auckland without the need to navigate the rough, mainly impassable roads to get to their destination.

It was July 1900 when the meeting took place. Well-known names such as Hill, Linnell and Curtis were among those attending the meeting to discuss

the issues at hand and continue to encourage the government to move forward with the stalled progress northwards. Among those promoting the railway was Thomas Coates.

Coates had been instrumental in his efforts to get a result but as with many of those pushing for new infrastructure, he had so far made little headway.

By June 1912, the railway had been extended to Kaiwaka — but not opened. It prompted the Auckland Railway League to write to the Minister of Public Works, WDS MacDonald, asking for the section to be opened to traffic. The

minister advised that while the line was relatively complete, issues with slips had caused opening to be delayed. Finally, in March 1913, the Minister of Railways officially opened the Te Hana to Kaiwaka section at the latter terminus, much to the delight of the railway league and residents.

While the Kaiwaka station yards were simple, further along at Ranganui, the Otamatea station had been built on a grander scale but without road access. A resident commented in a letter to a national newspaper: ‘The result is a splendid station without a road connection lying idle, a large goods shed,

whose only use has been as a dancing hall when the line was being built, and a wharf and a second goods shed for the seagulls to perch on.’

The railway had its heyday mainly in the 1920s, and gradually, passenger services waned until they were completely withdrawn altogether. In the 1980s and 90s, government restructuring saw the removal of many station buildings, including those at Kaiwaka.

Now all that remains are the crossing signs across Oneriri Road as a reminder of those who pushed for a railway to their town. ¢

p The opening of the Te Hana to Kaiwaka section in March 1913 was with fanfare

PUZZLE TIME

Jumbo crossword

30 Medical establishment (6)

31 Give in to pressure (6)

33 Just made (5)

35 Performed softly (mus)(5)

36 Branch (4)

37 Asian desert (4)

43 Street performer (6)

44 Put up (5)

46 Lie adjacent to another (4)

47 Gemstone (7)

48 Hypothesis (6)

49 Lazed about (5)

50 Dubbed a Sir (8)

51 Famous British admiral (6)

52 Falling ice (10)

53 Break (4)

54 Pullover (7)

59 Sloping edge (5)

60 Horse farm (4)

64 Masted vessel (5)

65 Cherish (8)

67 Mule ran (anag)(7)

68 Preserved (7)

70 Drenched (6)

Sudoku

Last week’s crossword solution

ACROSS: 1 Smear, 4 Have a sweet tooth, 14 Press, 15 Adage, 16 Shortening, 17 Torso, 19 Nil, 20 Affront, 21 Attention, 22 Blocks, 25 Utterance, 27 Ritual, 28 Crisis, 33 Triplicate, 35 Tic, 36 Hansom, 37 Clan, 39 Owe, 41 Lanolin, 42 Accent, 43 Highchair, 44 Tatty, 45 Meanness, 50 Pa, 51 Cribbage, 55 Giver, 58 Ancestral, 59 Option, 60 Ashtray, 61 Imp, 63 Slit, 64 Biased, 65 Out, 66 Loneliness, 68 Cancel, 69 Double, 71 Acquiesce, 76 Feeble, 77 Inhabited, 79 Scalpel, 81 Ell, 84 Issue, 85 Figurehead, 86 Valid, 87 Topic, 88 Take it or leave it, 89 Jelly.

DOWN: 2 Modify, 3 Anger, 5 Ache, 6 Erratic, 7 Skewed, 8 Edict, 9 Tugboat, 10 Oath, 11 Thrill, 12 Jeans, 13 Useless, 14 Popcorn, 18 Indecisive, 23 Kayak, 24 Raunchy, 26 Typhoon, 27 Ricotta, 29 Sultana, 30 Crease, 31 Steel, 32 Cougar, 34 Etch, 36 Hefty, 38 Nerve, 40 Scab, 45 Means, 46 Auction, 47 Nose, 48 Strain, 49 Avoid, 50 Propose, 52 Insolvency, 53 Botanic, 54 Gdansk, 55 Glasgow, 56 State, 57 Foil, 62 Snout, 67 Generic, 68 Cruelty, 70 Benefit, 72 Chekhov, 73 Alaska, 74 Fierce, 75 Menial, 76 Flaps, 78 Augur, 80 Leave, 82 Were, 83 Taxi.

Insert the missing letters to complete ten words — five across the grid and five down. More than one solution may be possible.

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