ROSS THORBY: CRUISING ON LAND

LOCAL NEWS ROSS THORBY: CRUISING ON LAND

The battle cry that reverberated around the world.

So it was time for the final act in my tour around Northland, but before I turn Car-Lotta towards the south, I cannot leave without calling into one of the most famous and beautiful harbours in the North.

Just a few minutes to the west of Tauranga Bay is the sheltered harbour of Whangaroa, home to one of the few surviving New Zealand townships featuring shops with old wooden shop-fronts, a pub and of course, a big game fishing club. It is also the site of one of New Zealand’s most infamous interactions between Maori and the early Europeans, and I wanted to learn more.

In 1809 the brigantine “Boyd” had just arrived in Whangaroa Harbour with tension onboard. Purportedly, Te Ara, the son of a local chief, had been whipped by the captain for failing to carry out his duties. He had refused to work his voyage over the pond, claiming to be tohunga, and therefore sacred. The captain probably believed the fact should have been brought up before negotiating his working passage, not during it. Once word of his mistreatment reached his whanau on land, utu (revenge) was declared and the fate of the ship would be swift and violent.

Luring the crew ashore on the pretext of a good time, a war party killed and devoured the landing party, then wearing their stolen clothes, set upon the remaining crew and passengers on board the vessel. During the looting that followed, a barrel of gun-powder was ignited, blowing up the ship and burning it to the waterline. The sudden exploding conflagration must have made the shoreside Maori think that the apocalypse had arrived.

A visiting chief from the Bay of Islands, Te Pahi, attempted to rescue the sailors, but found only a few survivors still clinging to the rigging of the sunken ship; the cabin boy and three passengers including a baby and small child.

In a tragic case of mistaken identity, Te Pahi was later attacked by British whalers who had sailed from England to exact revenge for the carnage. Mistaking him for the instigator rather than the rescuer, they attacked and destroyed his pa, killing a number of his Maori tribe. Te Pahi later died of his injuries sustained in the battle.

Meantime, news of the Boyd circled the world and captured the interest of an English artist living in New Zealand called Walter Wright.

Wright captured on canvas, an action that was to change the way the world was to see New Zealand. It became widely regarded as the “Cannibal Isles” with the reputation delaying the colonization of the country and resulting in a world-wide alert being issued to all sailors, the advice being “ .. avoid the area at all costs due to the ferocious nature of the 'natives', touch not that cursed shore lest you these cannibals pursue”. In contradiction to the previously held positive reviews - “... and the noble savages who inhabit these shores”.

Wright’s painting was gifted to the Auckland Art Gallery through the Auckland Picture Purchase Trust in 1908, one hundred years after the incident and if you are lucky enough to view the piece, such is the raw telling of the story conveyed in the painting, that you cannot view it without feeling the presence of the exploding ship and contemplate the battle cry that reverberated around the world.

Walter Wright, The Burning of the Boyd, Whangaroa Harbour, 1809

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki gift of the Auckland Picture Purchase Trust in 1908

I found on the quiet and tranquil shores of Whangaroa harbour, a lone memorial to the Boyd, a rock with an inscription pointing towards where the ship still lies just offshore, a mess of burnt wood, copper and lumps of coal once destined for South Africa, lying now where it sank into its shallow grave.

The harbour is once again tranquil and quiet. An oyster farm and a marina of expensive yachts and launches reach out into the turquoise waters and the surrounding landscape is still bountifully clad in native bush and unblemished beauty. The landscape is abundant in rocky sentinels piercing through the foliage of ancient rimu and kauri. Islands dot the myriad of inlets that make up the harbour, still unchanged from the time when their peaks were the territory of local iwi.

The sleepy settlement of Whangaroa still retains the peace and tranquility of the old New Zealand we used to know, but delve beneath the surface and you can reveal the underbelly of our past where it lies, dissolving in the mud. (ROSS THORBY)  PN

MERCY HOSPICE PONSONBY SHOP MOVES AFTER 16 YEARS

After 16 years the well-known local Mercy Hospice shop located at 300 Ponsonby Road has moved to its news abode, and luckily, it’s just a short stroll down the road to 346 Ponsonby Road.

Last year the shop was informed that they would need to vacate due to the redevelopment of the block of shops into apartments. It took some time to find the perfect location, and with real estate so hard to come by in Ponsonby they were lucky with the help of their long-term supporters Barfoot & Thompson to have found something literally doors away.

Group Retail Manager Michelle Flatz and Shop Manager Brenda Valentine, supported by a team of dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly over the last month to pack and move into their new home, previously Brotzeit Bakery, whose owners moved back to Germany and have been very supportive of Mercy Hospice moving in.

Mercy Hospice Head of Retail & Fundraising Anna Baird, said that the Ponsonby store provides a significant amount of income from sales to directly support the provision of patient care.

“Without our Ponsonby shop we would be unable to provide the level of support we do every day to our patients facing lifelimiting illnesses. Thanks to the generosity of our community, Mercy Hospice provides a range of specialist community palliative care and hospice services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is offered free to those living in the Auckland District Health Board area.”

Mercy Hospice also offers support to whānau, friends and carers to help them cope with problems arising from the illness. Other services include 13 inpatient beds at their College Hill premises, a day-stay programme, counselling, family, spiritual and cultural support, and education and training.

“If you are interested in supporting Mercy Hospice, there are plenty of ways you can. You could volunteer in one of our stores, donate quality items or, if you are a business owner, organise a staff clothing collection. Every little bit helps,” said Anna. Doors opened on Friday 10 June and the Mercy Hospice team can’t wait to show the local community, their generous donors, and incredible volunteers the new premises.

So, if you are a fan of pre-loved clothing, a bargain hunter, or simply keen to support Mercy Hospice, then pop on in and check out the new shop.

Here’s to many more years of raising funds for loved ones with life-limiting illnesses.  PN

For further information about Mercy Hospice, visit www.mercyhospice.org.nz

Team photo (L-R) Judy Maynard, Michelle Flatz, Brenda Valentine, Briar Wakelin, Dave Hale and Andrew Davidson

LOCAL NEWS PONSONBY U3A: JUNE 2022 WINTER SHENANIGANS

After months of hunkering down and holding meetings by Zoom, members of Ponsonby U3A let their hair down for their June inperson meeting.

The joy and the relief at seeing old and new friends again was palpable as close to 100 people were reunited. And aiding and abetting the enthusiastic meet was a small, vibrant, silky voiced woman with a trumpet and a penchant for jazz, who soon had members dancing in the aisles.

Edwina Thorne, international recording artist and entertainer has a degree in competition and trumpet performance with five albums. She gained an MBA in New York, where she lived for five years, performing extensively in Europe and the Caribbean. Edwina’s rendition of famous jazz numbers through the ages delighted members who joined in to lift the roof off the beautiful old Petanque Club venue. Without doubt, Edwina gave members a rollicking good time.

As a prelude to Edwina’s act, U3A’s own Kathy Walker and Barbara Bailey took to the stage to strike just the right note for what was to follow. Sparring off one another they evoked precious childhood memories with warmth and humour. They finished with a rousing rendition of “We are the Girl Guides Dressed in Blue.” Applause from the audience made it clear that more will be expected from these two talented entertainers.

This winter event was testament to the depth of friendship, sense of fun and camaraderie that abounds at Ponsonby U3A. It is a forum that stimulates the mind, provides purpose, and forges new friendships, perhaps at a time when working life and family responsibilities may have lessened. It also encourages new learning and importantly, learning from each other.

In sum, being a member is an antidote to the potential plagues of loneliness and boredom. Much research has been focused on these factors as, world-wide, populations age and the danger of alienation looms larger. Increasingly, sociability is rated in published scientific studies as critical (along with exercise) to healthy minds and bodies. And sociability is the offer Ponsonby U3A makes to those who are willing to participate.

A general meeting is held at the Herne Bay Petanque Club on the second Friday of the month. A guest speaker, carefully drawn from a diverse range of all spheres of endeavour, features each month. As well, members take turns to give a ten-minute talk about their lives or their interests. It never ceases to amaze people how every member has something worthwhile to contribute. At the heart of the club are the nearly thirty special interest groups who meet once a month, usually in each other’s homes. They include gardening, public art walks, gallery visits, dining out, armchair travel, writing, drawing, current affairs, antiques and collectibles, history, architecture to name but a few. It is in these small groups that real friendships are forged.

The club welcomes newcomers. You may be new to the area and/or you may be looking for new challenges and interests. If you are interested in attending, first as a visitor, please call President Philippa Tait on M: 027 452 3108. (CHRISTINE HART)  PN

NEXT MEETING: Friday, 8 July at 9.30am

GUEST SPEAKER: Linda Tyler, Convenor of Museum & Cultural Heritage at the University of Auckland.

VENUE: Herne Bay Petanque Club, 19 Salisbury Road, Herne Bay.

ENQUIRIES: Philippa Tait, President, Ponsonby U3A. M: 027 452 3108, www.u3a.nz.

Edwina Thorne

CONGRATULATIONS TO PETER ELLIOTT

The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand presented Peter Elliott ONZM with a Scroll of Honour at their awards evening last month. The award was in recognition of his valued contribution as an award-winning actor and presenter.

It was presented to him by David Hartnell MNZM, who is the Variety Artists of New Zealand’s Patron. David said that Peter’s unwavering dedication to the entertainment industry both on stage and screen, has been remarkable. "He is one of the nicest and most down to earth actor’s this country has ever produced." www.vac.org.nz