The Weekend Sun - 13 January 2023

Elvis off to Oz

Tauranga’s King of Rock ‘n

will be joining other world-leading

the Tasman this weekend at a competition that has the biggest prize money ever o ered in Australia.

Kicking o on Friday, January 13, Penrith Elvis Festival is

a long weekend full of music and shows, featuring 12 of the world’s best tribute artists.

“We’ve been doing the Elvis Tribute to the King show around NZ,” says Trevor. “Covid saw us cancelled all over the place, and as we started getting out again, we performed

the

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Read this story in full on page 4.

Roll Trevor Needham

Elvis tribute artists across

show at the premiere of the new Elvis movie at the Rialto cinema for the Booboops Waka Ama team and supporters.

e organisers of the Penrith Panthers Elvis Festival saw a video of it on Facebook, rang me and asked if I wanted to be part of the event.”

Pay the piper and call the tune

It was enough to make me gag on motherin-law’s wildly avourful and buttery turkey stu ng at Christmas. You know, the stu ng that’s baked outside the cavity, is crunchy around the edges and spongy soft in the middle. Sublime!

But what just about made me spatter semimasticated turkey stu ng all over the family

Christmas table was the story of LA podcaster Amber Nelson being hit with a $20 bill for a friend’s home dinner invitation. “ is is weird right?” Amber asked rhetorically. What’s the world coming to? - a friend charging a friend to spend quality friend time at a friend’s house. Yup, weird Amber!

People can do what they like I suppose, but it doesn’t make it polite and acceptable and right.

And it’s not an invite, it’s a reservation, to come, eat and then pay at my house. “Outrageous,” o ered a ‘banter meister’ who is reading Social Niceties at the University of Life on a lifestyle block near Katikati. He should know. “ ey’ve destroyed fabric of society, now they’re destroying the fabric of hospitality.” I didn’t quite understand but it sounded Armageddonish. Forty thousand people online, and me, agreed Amber’s friend was the turkey this Christmas, and like the turkey, should get stu ed. My house, my treat, my responsibility –they’re the tacit contractual terms of a private dinner invite Amber, that’s how the real world rolls Amber.

But that didn’t stop a wave of suspicion. Had motherin-law read the Amber story? Was she plotting to claw back a bit of the goodwill and Gold Card she had invested in the family Xmas dinner. I decided if she presented a bill I would pay in Venezuelan Bolivars, the weakest, cheapest and poorest currency in the world.

A cheap trick deserves a cheap response. Or I could just up end the dinner table and ee.

In case any gorse-pocketed Kiwis get ideas, let us clobber this stink practice before it darkens our dinner tables.

Let’s create a manual of etiquette and politeness to shame any potential payyour-way dinner hosts.

For example, if you are invited to pay for dinner at a friend’s house, demand to see a menu before accepting. If there’s nothing that kick-starts the saliva glands, decline. It’s only an invitation, it’s your right to say no thanks.

If unsure, impose some dietary requirements. If they demand to know how long you have been Ketogenic, say: “about $20 ago”.

No room for sensitivity here.

On arrival, don’t hand over your $65 Antillis Estate Pinot Noir 2011 to the grabbing, grasping host. Drain every last drop yourself, because these notyour-best-friend cheapskate hosts will put your bottle away and ll your glass

e less food, the smaller the bill. And if your stomach is still rubbing against your coccyx when you leave, it will be early enough to get to Maccas, BK or a pizza joint with all the Venezuelan Bolivars you have saved.

ere’s always the favourite fall-back strategy – ‘the runner’.

After mains, the partner/wife/mistress goes to the powder room. Five minutes later you excuse yourself from the dinner table to go check on her. en, with no one watching, it’s hats, coats and bags and scram: ‘vamos’ we’re outa here!! You will experience intense self-satisfaction –you have just diddled the diddler.

But be ready, because when the milk of human kindness sours, it generally curdles too. e hosts could resort to shaming by putting around the “sad and disturbing news” that one couple hasn’t paid for their meal. en it is time for the coup-de-grace, the nal humiliation.

from their cask. Always happens – how many times have you taken a box of nice premium Garagista IPAs to a dinner party and the host replaces your empty drink with a Speights or dirty water from the Waikato.

Remember these people are charging you to be their friends. ey will stop at nothing. When seated for dinner, politely decline the entrees and suggest you and your wife/partner/mistress share a main. “And just two forks please?”

Remember when you are paying for a meal, it gives you rights and privileges.

A crap idea, crap hosts, a crap ambience and crap food and service demands a crap review.

Post some candid re ections of your evening on their Facebook page. Surely that would stick in the craw longer than a bad turkey stu ng.

My bro is a maestro host. He doesn’t normally do drama, or confrontation, but he excelled himself this time.

He suggests waiting until evening’s end when guests are being extorted over their bill and then say loudly, “...and while we’re on charges for the evening, honey, here’s my ‘appearance’ invoice”.

Ouch!

Shark enthusiasts are able to follow the progress of two great white sharks swimming in Bay of Plenty waters through their mobile phones.

Dr Riley Elliott, who studies shark behaviour and migration, is busy deploying 20 tags, which will enable satellite tracking of 20 great white sharks.

e tracking information will help answer questions of where did these sharks come from, why are they here, and how does their movement and behaviour overlap with ours?

Satellite tags cost $3200 and also require satellite time of $800 per year. e public were invited to sponsor the tags as well as name their shark, with the rst two being Daisy by Jane Mowbray, and Takami by Mazda NZ.

e Great White App receives locations of sharks in real time and displays them on a map on: www.sustainableoceansociety.co.nz

ese locations only occur when a shark's dorsal n, and thus the satellite tag, break the surface of the ocean and link to satellites in orbit.

e DOC-approved project commenced on December 1, 2022, and by January 3, all 20 tags had sponsors.

Tracking great white sharks

“Once I have deployed this round of 20 tags, I will endeavour to apply to DOC to tag more than 20 Great Whites,” says Dr Elliott.

e time it may take to tag the rst 20 sharks could put further tagging years away though, so he has suggested other ways people can help.

“ is project is also acoustic tagging the GWs, which uses smaller ‘sound emitting’ tags, enabling me to actively track the sharks in real time, using an underwater hydrophone and drone ying above.

“ is gives us real time insight as to what the sharks are doing in certain areas. I will also be deploying acoustic receiver stations around areas of interest, like swimming beaches, ski lanes, shing spots and surf zones. ese receivers detect acoustically tagged sharks for periods up to 10 years, and thus map the habitat use of the GWs over the long term, and do not require the sharks to break the water’s surface, like satellite tags do.”

e acoustic tags cost $700 each, and while they will not come with naming rights, the sponsor of any acoustic tag will be named in the pro le part of satellite tagged Great Whites.

To learn more email: nzsharkman@gmail.com.

To follow the sharks go to: www.sustainableoceansociety.co.nz Rosalie

Liddle Crawford

Dr Riley Elliott researching Great White Sharks. Photo: supplied.

Pāpāmoa East Interchange

Construction of a new interchange over the Tauranga Eastern Link –TEL – restarted this week.

Tra c management will remain in place until April 2023.

e construction will see Pāpāmoa East connected to the motorway and enable further development of the area.

e outer westbound lane remained closed over the holiday break, due to the time and cost involved in removing the concrete barrier. Earthworks will continue over the next few months to build the necessary height on the Bell Road side of the TEL.

Both eastbound lanes are open and one of the westbound lanes remains closed with a speed limit for tra c headed towards Tauranga set to 70km per hour.

New bus shelters

New bus shelters are being added to about 140 bus stops across the city over the next 18 months to provide seating, weather protection, and increased safety and security for bus passengers.

Tauranga City Council is upgrading the stops to make it easier and more pleasant for people to use city bus services.

Some of the areas to bene t from these new shelters include Pāpāmoa, Mount Maunganui, Pyes Pā, Welcome Bay, the Avenues, Gate Pā, city centre, Ōtūmoetai and Bethlehem.

Owens Scholarship winners

e highly competitive Bob & Joy Owens Scholarships have been awarded for 2022 to students at seven colleges and high schools across the Western Bay of Plenty.

ese awards provide a $5000 payment per annum for three years to the talented students selected. e Owens Scholarship winners, along with students selected for 15 additional scholarships for tertiary education, were honoured at a Scholarships Celebration hosted by the Acorn Foundation on December 12 at e Kollective. e Owens Scholarships have been supporting young people in our region for 29 years.

Car park temporary closure

As part of Tauranga City Council’s plans to transform the waterfront in the city centre, the Dive Crescent o -street car park will temporarily close so an upgrade of the parking and amenity in the area can take place. is temporary closure will be until Saturday, April 1, 2023.

Signage has been installed to advise car park users of the temporary closure.

Alternative parking can be found at the nearby Cli Road and e Strand car parks, which remain open and available for use. For a list of other city centre parking options, visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz/parking and to read more about our transformation plans, go: to www.tauranga.govt.nz/ourfuturecitycentre

Getting the Aussies all shook up

Tauranga’s own Elvis is rocking over to Australia this weekend to see if he can bring home the top prize and some Aussie money from the Penrith Panthers Elvis Festival.

“ e organiser Colonel Colin Greene saw me on Facebook, rang me in September and asked if I wanted to be a part of the event,” says Trevor Needham, who will be the only New Zealand Elvis tribute artist at what is the richest Elvis Presley competition in Australia.

Twelve artists will be vying for the $12,500 prize money.

e festival at the Penrith Panthers Rugby League Club runs for three days from January 13-15, and as well as the competition Trevor will be performing in an Elvis Presley Gospel Show with some of the other competitors.

At Elvis in the Park in Auckland last weekend, more than 3000 people turned up to Cranwell Park in Henderson to celebrate the rock legend’s birthday.

Trevor was the opening act with another four Elvis tribute artists following him.

“It was ve hours of Elvis,” says Trevor.

“I warmed up the crowd, we did half an hour each and had a break, then did another half an hour.”

ey all sing, with each one bringing their own unique Elvis focus.

Trevor loves getting interactive with the crowd, giving out sunglasses to the guys and silk scarves to the ladies.

“I do the concert series songs from 1970 onwards. I bought the sunglasses, 100 at a time from a place in Spain, and give them out. en they all think they’re Elvis, it’s all good fun.”

He’s been performing music professionally since 1997 including singing Elvis Presley songs, and has been

doing his Elvis tribute show for the past four years. He now has seven Elvis costumes which cost around $5000$6000 each. His day job is working at a Mount Maunganui wholesale supply shop, while his partner Jannine Douglas works at Tauranga Hospital.

On stage they are joined by friend Sue Shrimpton who along with Jannine provides backing vocals.

“We do between 60 to 80 gigs a year as well as day jobs.”

Well-known for giving his time to help community groups, he recently donated a show to the Beebops before the Elvis Presley movie opened at Rialto, and performs monthly at Jack Dusty’s Ale House in Bureta.

e four-day trip across to Australia is an exciting start to a busy year.

“Elvis is huge in Australia, and for me it’s an opportunity to further my career and bring that experience home to our shows here.

“I’ve already been invited back for the Blue Mountains Elvis Festival in March, but we have a prior event booked in the same week, and I also need to be home to prepare for e King of the Hop being run for the very rst time at Beach Hop 2023.

“ e nals of that event will be staged in front of 50,000 plus people on the main stage at Williamson Park, Whangamata.” For now though, he’s relishing the opportunity to bring home some Australian money.

“We’re going this time to try it out and see if I make it into the nal.”

DEFY GRAVITY

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Trevor Needham as Elvis Presley. Photo: John Borren.

All aboard to the show

Carefully created miniature worlds of railways and trains is exactly what you’ll nd at the Tauranga Model Train Show this month.

Held on Saturday January 21-22 at Tauranga Boys’ College, the show will be a great time for families, kids and anyone interested in trains to check out what model railway is all about.

“Kids get great enjoyment out of it because they can go operate a train, drive it and get a certi cate,” says club president Michael Old eld.

In the thick of the school holidays, Michael says the show is a great opportunity to give kids a break from phones and videogames.

“ at’s what it’s about really. It’s just to show you can enjoy yourself without sitting on a chair all day pressing buttons.”

e show will boast an impressive 26 railway layouts, including eight commercial railway setups.

“Around the world there’s all sorts of railways,” says Michael, who has a British railway layout at his home.

“Every country runs trains di erently and we try to run our trains as if it was a real railway because that’s the purpose model railway– at the

end of the day once you’ve got the railway done, you put it in a timetable and take goods from one place to another.”

e recreated railway models can be so accurate that people may even recognise the miniature houses in the surrounding landscapes.

“ e Katikati station we had to get photos and plans and then transform it into a miniature world so it’s as near to what it was.”

Sharing as special moment from a previous show, Michael says: “ is man was watching the Katikati station for a long time and I said: ‘Do you like this set up?’ – he said: ‘I was born in that house’ – he couldn’t get over it!”

Funds raised from the show will support the clubs community work that they do for people with dementia. “We go to retirement villages, care homes and dementia units because while those people may be lost in moments of time now, as soon as they see the model railways it takes them back to a time when they remember things and they can sit and talk about it.”

e show runs from Saturday, January 21 – 22 and opens from 10am-4:30pm at Tauranga Boys’ College, Gymnasium. Entrance fee: Adults $7 and Children: $3.

Georgia Minkhorst

Club president Michael Old eld says the Tauranga Model Train Show is a great way to release your inner child and have some fun. Photo: John Borren.

Good men stepping forward to buddy

Brad Fleming has joined the Big Buddy team and believes that having a good male role model is what

in young boys’ lives.

e retired New Zealand rugby seven’s star got on board with charity

Big Buddy last year after returning to the Bay of Plenty – wanting to make a positive impact in the community.

Big Buddy is about giving boys between seven and 14 years old who

Sam Uffindell MP for Tauranga

don’t have a male gure in their lives, a good male role model. e charity has been around for more than 20 years and focuses on building supportive friendships between Big and Little Buddies.

“I worked at Tauranga Boys’ College for a while and I saw the impact that you can make when you build a relationship with a young fella,” says Brad. His role at Big Buddy is mentoring manager for Tauranga and Hamilton, where Brad gets to know Little Buddies and Big Buddies to make the best match. Finding Big and Little Buddies with similar interests, Brad says: “We promote experiences over spending money on little buddies – so taking them out for a bike ride or some matches they just hanging out on the farm or walking up the Mount”. “Most [Big Buddies] are into outdoors but we do have some mentors with other interests as well who jump on board and relate to the boys in di erent ways.”

Brad says the key for young boys is having a ‘good’

male role model. “Boys tend to seek out a mentor and sometimes they are not the best in uence –they’re often the people that are there.

“If boys don’t have or know what a solid man looks like then they’re making it up as they go in their little groups and seeing a lot of what’s happening with crime – in some areas I think it’s attributed to not enough good men stepping forward or showing up.”

e key di erence Brad sees in young boys that have a Big Buddy in their lives is con dence. “For most of the boys they just feel a little bit more con dent in themselves… they’ve su ered from loss or neglect and their trust levels start to grow.

“We’ve had some relationships going for 10 or 15 years where they keep in touch and they’re genuinely Big and Little buddies in the long term.

“Any good man can be a good buddy,” says Brad. To become a Big Buddy or to nd a Big Buddy visit: www.bigbuddy.org.nz Georgia Minkhorst

Retired rugby sevens professional Brad Fleming is helping facilitate young boys without dads to have a positive male role model –a Big Buddy.

Photo: John Borren.

A bigger, better education facility at Aongatete Forest

e Aongatete Forest Project and its volunteers are starting 2023 on a high, with the recent opening of their newly expanded kōhanga.

Trustee David Peters says that AFP become a “victim of its own success” – with volunteers numbers growing and the project being so successful during the past 15 years leading to the dire need for a bigger, better building.

“ e old building was never intended to support such numbers,” says David. “It was obvious we had completely outgrown the existing facility. So, with generous support from TECT and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, we embarked on the expansion.”

Aongatete Forest Project, a registered charity under the name Aongatete Forest Restoration Trust, is a group that manages 500 hectares of forest in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park between Tauranga and Katikati.

200 volunteers, 65km of traplines

Some 200 volunteers work to ensure the long-term protective management of the native vegetation and fauna. Volunteers have been undertaking pest control – targeting rats, possums and stoats – for more than 15 years.

To date, 65km of traplines have been cut into the bush. And a number of rare plant species have been reintroduced to the forest through the restoration e orts.

Engaging people with New Zealand’s native biodiversity and why it’s worth protecting is important to AFP, which is why the organisation works closely with the Aongatete Outdoor

Education Centre and Bay Conservation Alliance to deliver school and public education programmes. Bay Conservation Alliance also bring their Conservation Cadets programme to Aongatete.

ese programmes have proved very successful, resulting in a signi cant increase in visitors to the kōhanga and forest, says David.

“ e building project started in 2021 when it became clear that the increasing number of volunteers, educational sessions, and general visitors were putting pressure on the existing 27m2 facility.”

David says the trust received $45,389 in funding from TECT and $50,000 from WBOPDC towards the new all-weather educational base.

Weather station, webcams

In addition to the building extension, the project included installation of a weather station, webcams, and Wi-Fi connectivity. e weather conditions will be stored to form part of a longterm climate change record for the area.

“AFP is highly regarded for their restoration and pest eradication work,” says TECT chairperson Bill Holland. “ ey have a strong volunteer base and sense of community.”

“TECT is particularly impressed by the number of visitors, events and educational sessions that are hosted at the kōhanga. We’re proud to support the expansion of the group’s hub and look forward to seeing their great work continue well into the future.”

Supporters of AFP gathered on November 30 to o cially open their newly-expanded kōhanga.

Skatepark construction begins

Construction of Tauranga’s rst destination skate park is to begin early this year with an expected completion date of April 2024.

e skate park came a step closer to reality mid-December when it was announced two signi cant community grants had contributed to an exciting design.

Enabling works – including fencing, water supply, and power installation – will be happening on-site through to February. New Zealand skate designer Richard

Smith from Rich Landscapes has worked with Tauranga City Council and a community design group to design a skate park that meets the needs of the city’s di erent skate user groups. TECT has granted $1,023,000 and New Zealand Community Trust has granted $459,370 to the project so far.

e new destination skatepark is on the corner of Hull Rd and Maunganui Rd in Mount Maunganui.

More information on the project is at: www.tauranga.govt.nz/skate

e opening of the newly-expanded kōhanga.

Fish survival rates helped

As people enjoy shing the Bay of Plenty’s blue this summer, fresh information has surfaced that could help recreational anglers save hundreds of thousands of sh per year and help sustain their shery.

A research project looking at survival rates of recreationally caught snapper that are released back to the sea shows around 85 per cent of the sh were still alive at the end of the rst experiment.

Fisheries New Zealand principal scientist Bruce Hartill led the project in his former role at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, with experiments conducted last April and November.

e project, commissioned by Fisheries NZ and undertaken by NIWA in collaboration with Ngāti Kuta, Legasea and Bluewater Marine Research, has hooked some useful information.

Bruce says although the numbers can vary from year-to-year, recreational shers land more than 4000 tonnes of snapper annually in NZ.

“For every snapper landed there will be about ve

times that number that are under the minimum legal size, that will be returned to the sea.

“What happens to those sh can have a real bearing on sustainability.”

e research took place in Mangahawea Bay, o Moturua Island in the Bay of Islands, with volunteers shing from a charter boat at depths of 5m to 35m.

e details of each captured snapper were recorded, including how the sh was hooked and what depth it came from. e sh were then quickly transferred to one of nine holding nets and monitored for the following ve days.

Preliminary results from the rst experiment suggest snapper that are hooked in the throat are about ve times more likely to die after being released than those which are lip hooked.

Mortality rates were also about ve times higher when the snapper were caught in depths greater than 25m than if they were caught in less than 10m.

Final survey results are expected by June.

To learn sh handling practices, visit: shcare.co.nz/handling-and-releasing

Fight litter this summer

Tauranga City Council is increasing its public rubbish and recycling bin collections around city streets and public places this summer holidays, to help keep the city litter free.

And council wants it residents to ght litter this summer too.

If you see a bin in a public place that needs emptying during summer, either nd another bin to put your rubbish or recycling in or take it home with you instead.

Please report full or over owing

bins to council on: 07 577 7000 or through the Tauranga kerbside collections app.

And – council asks residents and visitors alike to remember to use public recycling bins when you’re out and about, noting dirty recycling needs to go in the red rubbish bin instead.

Clean glass can go in blue recycling bins, and clean plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5, paper, cardboard and cans can go into the yellow recycling bins.

River Sounds returns

A volunteer-led, not-for-pro t music festival – which is dedicated to raising mental health awareness and funds for related local charities – is set return to the Western Bay of Plenty this month.

e River Sounds Festival is being hosted at Woodlands Rd, Katikati, from 1pm to midnight on January 30, with tickets on-sale now.

All proceeds from the 2023 event will be donated to local charities, Te Puna Hauora and Yellow Brick Road. “We were so thrilled to be invited to be a part of this amazing festival,” says Yellow Brick Road CEO John Moore.

“We’re all about supporting families, and here’s an event where people come together for some fun and whānaungatanga while also raising awareness for a vital cause.

“It just goes to show how there are so many people out there who really care and want to make a di erence to the mental health sector that is currently overwhelmed and stretched.” is year’s festival line-up will feature a diverse range of New Zealand musical talent.

Headlining the show is Kiwi music’s Sola Rosa Sound System. ey will be joined by Albi & the Wolves, Auckland ensemble e Rvmes, rising stars Park Road, female DJ BBYFACEKILLA and Strangely Arousing.

Complimenting the main stage performances will be a selection of free wellbeing activities such as a men’s discussion group, yoga, a paint and sip session, tree planting, a family support session run by Yellow Brick Road, and speeches from people

with lived experience.

Additionally, peer support workers from Te Puna Hauora will be on-site and available for anyone who wants to talk.

e aim of the activities is to encourage authentic conversations about mental health between festival-goers and to promote spiritual, physical and mental wellness.

e theme of the 2023 festival is ‘reconnection’ – encouraging festival-goers to share and open up to those around them while urging others to do the same. Many people are carrying internal struggles, illnesses, fears and panic that they often keep to themselves.

e festival will be curated to encourage people to share these experiences, all while listening to live music and forming lasting connections. ere will be local food vendors on-site and drinks will be available to purchase at the on-site bar.

e River Sounds Festival is delivered by e Everyone Hurts Foundation and was created out of tragedy, as a one-o event, to remember the brother of two of the founders, who took his life after a decade long struggle with mental illness. However, due to the overwhelming success of the inaugural festival in 2019, it is now a biennial event.

e Everyone Hurts Foundation was established as a registered charity in 2019 to continue to support mental health in NZ through events like the River Sounds Festival.

Tickets are on sale at: events.humanitix.com/the-river-sounds-festival Read more about the event at: www.everyonehurts.com

e not-for-pro t music festival has music until midnight.

TODD MULLER

MP FOR BAY OF PLENTY

Wishing you a wonderful New Year

Michelle and I wish all readers a very Happy New Year.

Hopefully you’ve had a good break and the weather has been what you wanted and what your garden needed. I’ve enjoyed a great couple of weeks spending time with my loved ones from around the country and some from overseas too – it’s been great to reconnect with old friends who couldn’t get home during last year’s border closures.

ank you to those of you who have worked through the holidays. You are the people who made it possible for the Bay of Plenty to host holidaymakers from all over New Zealand and abroad. Your good cheer and welcoming smiles are what make this area so popular for visitors.

ere have been many conversations in the community in the last few weeks as I’ve met people at the beach, in cafes and at events. People are really focussed on the cost of living now that Christmas expenses are rolling in. ey are worried about what the coming year holds and they are hopeful that it includes a change in economic direction.

I want to assure readers that I, with my National colleagues, will do everything I can to bring about the political change that New Zealand needs. e sooner we get started, the sooner we can repair the economic damage wrought by ve years of mismanagement.

My team will be back at work from Monday, January 16. We look forward to working for you, and with you, in 2023.

Focused on keeping everyone safe

ere’s no question that this is a beautiful place to live, with a wonderful natural environment, a vibrant community and great local businesses. It’s also a safe place to live, and making sure that it stays that way is a top priority for me.

While youth crime has been trending down long term, the recent spike that New Zealand has seen in ram raids is concerning. Our Government is focused on tackling the problems that cause crime with solutions that are proven to work and ensuring that consequences are in place. We’ve rolled out a wide range things to achieve this, including our Better Pathways package. is package expands programmes that support

young people back into education or employment, and the great news is that it’s already having an impact on o ending. Around half of the most serious and repeat young o enders that have been identi ed and targeted are now in education or training, and wrap-around support is in place to help them get back on the right track.

And we’re taking the next step in our plan with a circuit-breaker for a speci c group of children who engage in serious and repeat o ending. It will ensure children who commit serious crimes will be dealt with immediately and receive the support they need to stop them o ending again.

We know there’s no single solution to tackling crime or the causes of it, but we’re absolutely focused on putting in place solutions that work and helping at-risk young people turn their lives around.

A summer celebration of innovation

Celebrate the innovation sector across the Western Bay of Plenty this summer, with a great line-up of local innovation businesses who will share their stories and NZ Hi-Tech Awards judges who will share key information on the awards programme for 2023.

Priority One, in collaboration with the NZ Hi-Tech Awards, invites Western BOP residents to the Summer Celebration of Innovation on February 8, from 4pm-6.30pm, at Mount

Maunganui Surf Club.

e event will also be an opportunity to hear from university students and companies involved in summer projects throughout the WBOP.

Come along to mix and mingle with the local innovation and tech community, and to learn more about what’s happening across the innovation space in our wonderful region.

For more information and to register, visit: www.priorityone.co.nz/event/summer-innovationcelebration-2023/

Hon Jan Tinetti

Time to be a part of the solution

A free talk titled ‘Waste-ed’ – which will be presented by Katikati’s Nappy Lady and sustainability guru Kate Meads – is on o er this coming Wednesday, January 18.

e workshop, which is being run alongside Western Bay museum’s ‘How to Save the Planet’ exhibition, is at the Arts Junction eatre, Main Rd, Katikati, from 5.30pm-7.30pm.

e talk will be about how the world is not going to stop producing, waste is never going away, and we are never going to get ‘back’ to how it was before, and more. e event is about how we become part of the solution by simply doing something. Numbers are not limited to this free event.

To book, phone: 021 113 4451 or email: admin@westernbay.nz

Adorning the Avocado Capital

Katikati is further securing its seat as the avocado capital of New Zealand – literally!

Two creative projects are being fundraised for this year by local groups including Katikati Open Air Art, Katikati Rotary and Katch Katikati to add to the avocado capital’s reputation.

One is creating avocado shaped seat to be dotted in the heart of the town and the other is making a large metal avocado sculpture to be installed at Diggelmann Park.

Katch Katikati promotions manager and avocado lover Jacqui Knight says the avocado chairs will be eye catching pieces similar to the Morrinsville cow sculptures concept.

“People can sponsor a chair and then it will be painted by an artist and installed in the centre of Katikati. We’re aiming for 10 to start with.

“Hopefully the big avocado sculpture will be one of those iconic things like the Paeroa L&P bottle or the Cromwell fruit that people take a photo of themselves with.”

e

year

to make it happen

Decking out the avocado capital with iconic features has been in the pipeline for a few years says Jacqui, ever since the town was crowned with the capital title in 2018.

“Covid changed things. People didn’t have money to donate to things like this so it’s all been a bit messy but we’re thinking 2023 is the year to

All up Katch Katikati is seeking to raise $160,000 –requiring about $80,000 for each project.

“We’re about a tenth of the way there.”

Jacqui and the team are door knocking to raise funds and are planning to run fundraising events this year to support their avocado ambitions.

“If funding allows we’ll keep doing more and more chairs so it’s a really good marriage between avocado capital and New Zealand mural capital.

“It will showcase our horticultural industry and how important avocados are to the region, and hopefully keep people here a bit longer if they are passing through.”

Jacqui tries to eat the super fruit every day and thinks it’s fantastic that Katikati is Aotearoa’s avocado cornerstone.

One of the biggest

“It’s our livelihood for the region and it’s a great thing to be able to hang our hat on really.” She says Katikati has the best soil for producing the best avocados in our country.

“ ere’s a lot of work going on in Northland at the moment with avocados… but we were one of the biggest regions to get [avocado growing] going and it really did start here right back in the 1970s.

“We might not always be the biggest producer but you don’t have to be big to be best, do you?”

Georgia Minkhorst

Be an IMPACTS superhero this summer

If your tamariki need some downtime and an indoor break from the hot summer sun these school holidays, Western Bay of Plenty District Council has just the activity for them! ere’s still time to join the IMPACTS superhero team to get prepared for an emergency and win some cool prizes, with the council’s summer challenge.

e IMPACTS Team (Izzy, Mika, Paul, Ashley, Carter, Tamati and Sheng) is a group of young superheroes. ey are prepared in case an emergency comes that involves you, your whānau and your whole community. ey think Western Bay of Plenty kids can and do make a di erence, so join the team — and be prepared for whatever comes your way.

Pick up an activity booklet from any WBOP

library or service centre, or download a copy from: westernbay.govt.nz/summeractivity. ere are two booklets: one for tamariki aged six-nine years and another for 10-13-year-olds.

e booklets have lots of fun activities to complete, plus helpful information about emergency planning, evacuating, making a household plan, what to put in your grab bag, and tips on what to do if you have no power, water, phone or internet.

Once completed, bring your booklet back to WBOP libraries and service centres by January 31 to claim a prize. You’ll also go in the draw to win one of two family passes to Waimarino Water and Adventure Park.

To nd out more about the activity, visit: westernbay.govt.nz/summeractivity

For help with making a plan, see: westernbay.govt.nz/emergencymanagement

Katch Katikati’s Jacqui Knight thinks 2023 is the year the avocado capital will get artsy features to t the title. Photo: John Borren.

Tauranga’s best minds ready to debate

Teams of local business celebrities and professionals, leaders and politicians will be squaring o against their junior equivalents in Tauranga’s Great Debate in the Bay on May 13.

e ght for the Rotary Cup will involve three teams of students facing o against three teams of adults – a political team, celebrity team and a local business team - at a charity event held at Classic Flyers.

“ e Rotary club of Tauranga Te Papa with the NZ Schools Debating Council Bay of Plenty division have partnered to rebuild and reenergise school debating within the Bays colleges which signi cantly reduced due to the Covid impact on extracurricular educational activities,” says organiser Jerry Cowper.

Strengthening debate teams

“ e Great Debate is another step on the road to help strengthen our Bay school teams and help prepare them for their regional nals in Wellington later in the month.”

Jerry says the evening of fun and scholarly

entertainment is an opportunity to watch MMP in action with the ‘Sam, Cam and Jan’ team of Tauranga MP Sam U ndell, List MP Jan Tinetti and political candidate Cameron Luxton combining forces to duke it out against a team of college students.

e two other adult teams are made up of Katherine Sandford – Ubco Bikes, Cecilia Burgess – Cooney Lees Morgan, Tauranga District Court Judge Paul Geoghegan, BOPRC chair Doug Leeder, GP and chief medical o cer Dr Luke Bradford and real estate auctioneer Will Johnston.

Promoting debate amongst youth

Proceeds from the night go towards the promotion of debating amongst our youth along with other quality Rotary charitable endeavours such as road safety education for our Year 12’s and the Spirit of NZ.

Finger food will be provided and a welcome drink on arrival, with a cash bar available.

e Great Debate in the Bay will be held at Classic Flyers, 5pm, Saturday May 13. Tickets available on Event nda or email: enquire.youthdevelopmentbop@gmail.com

The Great K Valley cycle adventure is back!

ink scavenger hunt, map reading and puzzle solving by bike as you explore the trails of Kopurererua Valley – and you’ve got all you need to join in the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise, the annual event, which started in 2018, will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Much anticipated by families, adventurers, friends and workmates who want to have some fun on bikes together, it combines the best of all disciplines to locate clues and points hidden in ‘K’ Valley, and solve an overall puzzle.

ere is a 10km family or team course and a longer 25km course - both courses are planned for up to six people in a team. e event runs 11am3pm with prizegiving at 2pm.

“Get your friends and family together to enjoy

Participants in the 2019 Great K Valley Cycle Adventure.

Photo: Daniel Hines.

a fun few hours as you nd the clues within the valley,” says co-organiser Rhonda Wisbey. “Teams can start at 10-minute intervals between 10am and midday. On arrival and registration you will be directed to the starter for brie ng con rmation and your team start.”

Rhonda says all pro ts from the event will go to local youth charities. To book a ticket, visit: www.eventspronto.co.nz/event6989

Off-street carpark closed for good

Tauranga City visitors are being reminded that the Devonport Rd o -street carpark is now permanently closed. e carpark, which was permanently closed on January 8, is being removed to make way for

redevelopment of the site. e site will ultimately see New Zealand’s largest mass timber o ce building constructed, and once built, the premises will be home to all of Tauranga City Council’s administration sta .

For a list of other city centre parking options, visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz/parking.

Tauranga MP Sam U ndell, List MP Jan Tinetti and Tauranga District Court Judge Paul Geoghegan will be participating in e Great Debate in the Bay.

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Making the most of the weather this summer

Undoubtedly, we had a very wet approach to Christmas but the forecast seems to be for a hot and dry summer - so, although planting can be done any time of the year providing the necessary after care is taken, now is not the optimum time.

Take a note of plants that are looking happy and cheerful now, but wait until cooler, damper weather arrives in autumn to plant.

Dahlias are such good value over the hot months, especially the smaller owered cactus and pompom varieties

which last so well as cut owers.

And budding begonias just seem to go on and on. Large owered tropical impatiens make fantastic container plants but allow the soil surface to dry out a little between waterings.

Hydrangeas ourishing

Driving around Tauranga, it has been hard to miss seeing large bushes of hydrangeas doing well in both sunny and

shady situations. At this time of the year we can do with some cooling shades of blue and white in our gardens and having basically acid soils here, the blues thrive and keep their colour well.

If your hydrangeas are growing in sun, before the soil dries out give them a good soak and mulch with compost or pea straw.

A trowel in one hand...

And relevant to this time of year, a quote: "the best way to get real enjoyment out of the garden is to put on a wide straw hat, dress in loose tting clothes, hold a little trowel in one hand and a cool drink in the other - and tell the man where to dig".

A bug we don’t want in NZ

Kiwi gardeners and online shoppers are the target of a public awareness campaign to encourage people to report possible sightings of brown marmorated stink bug in New Zealand.

Known as BMSB, the bug is a major threat to Aotearoa New Zealand’s horticulture industry. According to Biosecurity New Zealand, who is running and funding the campaign jointly with industry members of the BMSB Council.

Causing damage

“BMSB infests several horticultural crops, causing damage to owers, stems, leaves and fruit of host plants. Signi cant crops likely to be a ected in New Zealand include apples, corn, wine grapes, kiwifruit, and a range of stone fruit varieties,” says Biosecurity NZ deputy director-general Stuart Anderson.

e summer campaign runs to March, with Stuart saying Biosecurity NZ is well prepared for the high-risk season.

“ ere is ongoing monitoring of the threat posed by countries that have known BMSB populations. “O cers target passengers, craft and goods that could be contaminated with BMSB.

“Our BMSB measures have been very e ective to date. ere continues to be no evidence of any established BMSB population in NZ.”

Stuart says a recent detection of two live BMSB

at Auckland Airport demonstrates the importance of strong biosecurity controls.

A Biosecurity New Zealand quarantine o cer detected a single live BMSB at an airport search bench on October 8 while processing passengers arriving from the United States.

e second bug was recently found on an aircraft from South Korea prior to passengers leaving the plane. O cers have detected a further 286 dead BMSB on arriving vessels and cargo.

Numbers dropping

Stuart says the number of live interceptions has dropped considerably in the past few years. “ is is largely due to the introduction of strict import rules that make it harder for live BMSB to enter NZ on risky cargo such as vehicles, machinery and parts.

“Improved reporting and monitoring have also allowed o cers to better target risk goods.

“For example, there was a greater focus on air cargo during the 2021/22 season following increased BMSB detections in this pathway.

“We’ve also seen high levels of engagement from the shipping industry in the past and want this positive relationship to continue. Accurate reporting of detections by crew helps Biosecurity NZ target its surveillance and other actions.”

Anyone who thinks they’ve found BMSB is asked to catch it, snap it (take a photo), and report it. e nd can be reported online or via Biosecurity NZ’s hotline: 0800 80 99 66.

Fall in love with seed saving Off-site builds for quick homes

Are you on track to grown some truly spectacular produce this summer?

If so, have you tried saving seeds for the next summer vege season?

Saving seeds not only means you can keep hold of a variety you’ve fallen in love with, but you can grow plants next season for free.

For tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, chillies and capsicums you just need to scoop out the inside esh of the vege then wash and sieve it, and let the seeds dry out. Paper towels are handy to use, or serviettes. Place in a warm

spot for two weeks and then put the paper towel with seeds on it into an envelope for next spring. You can place the dried seeds still on the paper towels right into seed raising mix.

For other veges such as lettuce, rocket, onions, carrots and celery you need to let the plant go to seed. Wait until tall seed heads have grown and until the heads have gone brown. en pick and hang upside down in a bag. ere are heaps of Kiwi-based websites that o er great tips and tricks.

And remember to always name the packets so you know what you’re planting next season!

Considering a new home, beach, or holiday bach? One of the quickest and most stressfree ways to achieve this is to choose an o -site built home.

Obviously, there’s a few key elements you will need to start this project; one is securing a site, the second is selecting your plan and the nal is nance.

Pre-consented designs

When it comes to selecting your plan, the team at TransBuild have a range of pre-consented designs which will speed up occupation sooner, not to mention they provide xed price contracts. “ is further reduces any nancial risk and guarantees certainty,” says TransBuild’s Sam Paterson.

“It is not widely known, but there are mainstream banks that o er loan packages speci cally for o -site built homes.

“For example, Westpac o ers the Westpac Prebuilt Loan which is purpose-designed and provides funding while the house is being constructed within the factory. You can get conditional approval with as little as a 10 per cent deposit, giving you plenty of time to nd the right section and to plan your project.”

Open day coming up

For free advice, why not come along to one of Transbuild’s open info days to learn more about the process, held on Saturday, January 14, from 11am – 2.30pm, at 2834 Tauranga West Road, Tahawai; just a couple of minutes south of Katikati.

Stick it in the ground for the bees

Transbuild

architecturally designed 2-to-6bedroom homes, office blocks & staff accommodation with high quality finishes, fully constructed within our purpose-built factory and delivered to your site anywhere in the North Island within months, not years.

It’s no secret that bees are essential to our lifestyle, with one third of all the foods we eat rely on the pollinators.

If you want to help the honeybee, there are a few things you can plant in your backyard to help our busy friends out.

Honeybees aren’t picky and they’re easy to please, but there are some plants that encourage more bees to stop by.

Bees can’t see red

You’ll want to plant owers that produce plenty of pollen and sweet nectar. Also remember that bees can’t see the colour red! ey’re naturally attracted to orange, yellow, purple, blue and white.

If you’re looking for annual owers to colour up your garden and help the bees, plant camellias, borage, sun owers, fox gloves, cloves, marigolds, pansies, da odils or poppies.

A nice rest for the bees

Trees, shrubs and climbers that make a nice bee stop include bottlebrush, lavender, rosemary,

honeysuckle, clematis and wisteria.

If you want something that will feed you and the bees, consider planting sage, basil, blackberries, cucumbers, chives, fennel and squash.

And local natives that bees like include NZ jasmine, pohutukawa, rewarewa, New Zealand ax, lemonwood, hoheria and tee tree.

TransBuild create beautiful homes o -site.

Home &

Sun shades for safe summer fun

Does your family love Pāpāmoa’s playgrounds but not the lack of sun shelter there? en the Rotary Club of Pāpāmoa needs your help to build sunshades to provide better UV protection this summer.

In early-2022 Rotary Club of Pāpāmoa co-president Christa George learned of a group of local mothers concerned about the lack of sun protection at nearby playgrounds.

She thought there could be a way that Rotary could help, with one of the club’s key focus areas being maternal and child health.

“Dr Bronwen McNoe from the Cancer Society says that sunshades reduce the UV exposure of people using playgrounds by nearly three quarters,” says Christa.

“When I read that, I realised the di erence they make is actually huge.”

Help from the community

ere are 21 playgrounds in Pāpāmoa – currently only two are equipped with sunshades. One at the Mount end on Hartford Ave, the other in Pāpāmoa East on Montiicola Drive.

To provide a shaded option halfway between these two, Christa says her Rotary club has chosen the Gordon Spratt Reserve playground for their rst sunshade build.

Christa estimates the average cost for one shade to be between $22,000 and $55,000.

ough a grant has been provided from the Rotary Foundation for a portion of the costs, there is still a signi cant shortfall. is is where help from the local community is being sought.

“We are hoping to engage with locals who may be able to help in any way,” says Christa.

“Firstly, we want to raise awareness of the project; and secondly, we are seeking any help in the form of administrative skills, completing funding applications, providing labour.

“Anything really.”

Protecting from skin cancer

According to Dr McNoe’s research “ultraviolet radiation exposure during childhood and adolescence is an important risk factor for the development of skin cancers later in life”.

Her ndings state that more shelter in playgrounds would help to protect people from skin cancer.

Christa says her Rotary would like to

see children o their devices and outside enjoying the fresh air – but in a way that is safe for them. ey see playgrounds as a great way to encourage this, but with shade provided for protection.

Time and money

However, this will take time – and money. “We are hoping that parents and grandparents – or any other interested parties – might be willing to make a donation so that we can try and do something about getting more shades up quickly,” says Christa.

If you’d like to help, email: info@papamoarotaryclub.co.nz Or donate at: givealittle.co.nz/cause/shade-forpapamoa-playgrounds

Rotary Club of Pāpāmoa co-president Christa George wants to see more shade over playgrounds in her area. Photo: John Borren.

Catherine Sylvester

Looking out for the health of our pets

During this busy time of the year when we’re distracted with settling into the New Year, it’s important that we check in on our pets.

In a SunLive blog, Holistic Vets’ Dr Liza Schneider says that having a good working knowledge of signs to look for to determine whether your pet’s health is at risk is a crucial investment –making a huge di erence for the outcome of an animal that is critically ill or injured. Liza says the key question to ask is: ‘Is the animal stable?’ “ is means

that they are breathing regularly and normally, the colour of their mucous membranes (gums in mouth, some animals have black areas of pigment making it di cult to assess) are pink, they are conscious and responsive, there’s no major pain or discomfort, and there is no signi cant blood loss.”

If your animal is unstable and not meeting one or more of these criteria, it’s very likely they need immediate care says Liza, who encourages phoning the vet to ensure your pet gets the help they need.

The danger of heatstroke

As temperatures rise over the summer months, a common issue pet owners should be aware of is heatstroke (aka hyperthermia).

Heatstroke is a very serious and life-threatening condition that can cause damage to your pet’s internal organs, sometimes to the point where they stop functioning and can be rapidly fatal. It requires urgent vet treatment.

Cats and dogs cannot respond to heat in the same way humans do. We have sweat glands all over our bodies that help regulate our temperature, but dogs and cats only have a few in their feet and around their nose. Many animals rely on panting and external cooling to lose heat. eir long thick coats can also predispose them to heatstroke.

We must provide them with a cool, wellventilated and shaded environment with access to clean fresh drinking water.

Pets are very susceptible to heatstroke – it can happen a lot faster than you may think.

Don’t leave dogs in cars this summer

e SPCA is appealing to dog owners to think twice before leaving their dogs in vehicles this summer.

SPCA inspectors received several calls from concerned members of the public after spotting dogs locked in cars during spring.

Dogs being left inside hot cars is one of the biggest preventable welfare issues in summer, and SPCA inspector Ben Lakomy says it’s disappointing the message still isn’t getting.

“It is an o ence under the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018, to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress, such as excessive panting, drooling or hyperventilation, and trying to seek shade,” says Ben.

“When it’s 21 degrees Celsius outside, temperatures in a car parked in the shade with the windows down can exceed 31 degrees Celsius in less than 10 minutes. In 30 minutes, it goes up to 40 degrees Celsius. On a hot day, the temperature inside the vehicle can exceed 50 degrees Celsius.”

Pet owners, whose dogs are found in this state, can be issued with a $300 infringement notice. “SPCA inspectors across the country have noticed

a number of people in emergency housing where dogs are residing long term in vehicles, and we know this will become an issue going into summer.

“We’ve managed to mitigate welfare concerns and educate dog owners during winter months, but it is very concerning coming into warmer weather.”

From January 2021 to October 2022, SPCA received 214 welfare complaints relating to dogs being left unattended inside hot cars.

SPCA CEO Gabby Clezy also encouraged dog owners to think again before leaving their dog in the car on hot days.

“A lot of people leave their dog in the car thinking they're only going to be a few minutes, but it’s important to always expect the unexpected.

“You might nd that you get to the store and the queue is longer than usual, or you bump into someone you know and start chatting, all while your dog is waiting in the car.

“If you’re planning on going out for a short time, leave your dog at home, or in the care of a friend, family member or neighbour. We know dogs are such important companions, but it’s important to put their welfare rst.”

Gabby encourages those concerned about dogs left in cars showing signs of distress, to contact SPCA.

tauranga katikati te puna papamoa village

There’s lots of folk coming to town

I hope y'all had a good break, if you were lucky enough to have a break. Here at the Watusi Country Club things went completely sideways.

Yes, sad to say, what has been a pandemic fortress was nally breached by Covid on Christmas Eve. Which kinda scuppered plans for a massive Christmas meal with friends; the 55-day-aged eye llet went straight back in the freezer.

I'm sure you have no desire to hear yet another “what Covid was like for me” story. Let me just say it was not good. Many friends had a quick and easy brush with the 'vids; others had a harder time and I was surprised to nd myself one of those. Sometimes I forget I'm not still the bright-eyed young Watusi of when this column began twenty years ago...

In fact even now, nearly three weeks later, I'm not a hundred per cent. So please forgive any errors that arise, I'll try and keep the brain-fog at bay.

Let's start the year with a folk column. Tauranga is currently a favourite destination for folk artists, since this year's Auckland Folk Festival happens at the end of the month. at means a bunch of people coming to town who are currently touring on the back of a festival gig.

Broad church

Folk music, like everything else these days, is a broad and sometimes eccentric genre. It can include some intimidating-sounding stu . e UK Guardian's end-of-year list of Best 2022 Folk Albums starts with one described thus: 'Italian electronic music pioneer Luciano Berio’s arrangements of traditional music from Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Italy and the US were given bewitching new interpretations by the Irish chamber music ensemble.'

Next on the list was 'A galvanising set of traditional music from a critically endangered culture in Japan'. I can understand a certain trepidation at such seemingly eclectic sounds.

And the next was cheerfully described as 'A concept album about black refugees living in a near-future dystopia'.

So it's kinda reassuring that the number two slot went to 'Ghost Story', the self-released debut album by Vermont singer Fern Maddie, which is an in-no-way-strange collection of updated folk songs played on banjo or guitar with a few accompanying folk instruments.

It's a lovely bit of work and all folk music lovers would be advised to check it out. If you want to know more about Fern, she now makes a podcast about traditional music, 'Of Song and Bone', writes music in her woodland cabin, tends goats, and documents her life, without embellishment, on Instagram.

Live and local

And if you want to catch a little music of the folky persuasion then try next weekend. e Katikati Folk Club have a very good Waikanae duo coming to town on Friday, January 20. Butter Wouldn’t Melt are Nick Bur eld and Andrea Reid, who bring folk music and stories from the past to the stage. Both sing, often in harmony; Nick plays an old 1930s Gibson guitar while Andrea plays tin whistle, bodhran, and dulcimer.

ough their sound has echoes of Americana, the stories they tell are New Zealand ones, as found

on their debut album of last year '1931', which comprises ten original songs and touches on subjects such as the Hawkes Bay earthquake and the building of Wellington's Victoria tunnel. It strikes me that there are a lot of Kiwi bands at the moment pairing Americana styles with local subject matter. Perhaps we need a new word for this (one that isn't ‘Kiwiana’)?

ey'll be at Katikati's Arts Junction, doors – 7pm, concert –7:30pm; members - $20, others - $25.

ASTROLABE BREW BAR

Fri 13th Laughton Kora 6-9pm

DJ’s Zeca / CheekyCat / Chris Silva

Sat 14th Matty Buxton 6-9pm

DJ’s Groundhog / Daara P 9pm-1am

JACK DUSTY’S (Bureta)

Sat 14th The Silverbeats 7.30-10.30pm

Sun 15th Tim Armstrong 3-6pm

Wed 18th Open Mic Night 7pm

LATITUDE 37

Fri 13th Josh Pow 8.30pm

Sat 14th Marc Joseph 8.30pm

Sun 15th Annie G 4-7pm

And I'm running out of space for the other show I wanted to mention. Damn that Covid-brain!

So, quickly: Next night (Saturday, January 21) at the Jam Factory you can see Sneaky Bones. Sneaky Bones is world traveller Matthew Bean who returns from somewhere in Europe for his third national tour. He's here for the Folk Fest and is very likeable, again original songs with an Americana bent: there are clips on YouTube so see for yourself... 7pm show, $20 from: www.eventspronto.co.nz

MOUNT HOT POOLS

Sun 15th Soak n’ Sounds with JoJo Rabit 7-8.30pm

THE BARREL ROOM

Sat 14th Je Marco 7pm

VOODOO LOUNGE

Fri 13th The Funk Drop with Omega B 9pm

Sat 14th Latin Party with DJ Purs 9pm

Sun 15th Latin Party with DJ Hectic 9pm

Tues 17th Hatta 9pm

Wed 18th Voodoo Jam Night 9pm

The Weekend Sun’s ever popular guide to ‘What’s On’ in the Bay.

Butter Wouldn’t Melt (Nick Bur eld and Andrea Reid).

A

Art in the Park

Original art for sale. Weather permitting. 9am - 4pm. Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui. Tauranga Society of Artists Association Croquet Sat, Mon & Wed at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 9.15am for 9.30am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Jacqui 07 574 9293

Bay Singles Group Join bunch of over 50’s young singles.

EVENTS

Weekend dinners, pot-lucks, occasional outings. Have a go! Ph Delia 027 284 8762, Andrea 021 133 0313

Beth-El Messianic Family

Celebrate Shabbat (Sabbath) as did Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), his disciples and early believers. All welcome. Otumoetai Primary 10am or FaceBook Live 11am. Joel 021 768 043 info@bethel.org.nz

Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd 1.45pm

Katikati Moggies Market

Memorial Hall, Main Rd

9am-12pm Arts+Crafts, Baking, In House Cafe, Clothing, Jewellery, Demos, Nail wraps+supplies, Kids Lucky Dip, Candles, Soaps and loads more Check us out!

Katikati Toy Library

Family-focused facility offering 600+ toys to loan to children zero-10. Tues 6.30-8pm Weds 2.30-4pm Sat 9am-10am. Located behind the Christian Centre, Henry Rd, Katikati Taijiquan and Qigong Sat & Wed 9am free Taiji / Qigong group. Kulim Park on beach by big rock. All welcome. Ph Petro 021 751 665

Tauranga Farmers Market

7.45am-12noon at Tauranga Primary School cnr Cameron Rd & 5th Avenue. Rain, hail or shine. Direct from the Producers. Support local Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club

Adult tennis every Saturday starting at 1pm. New players and visitors most welcome. Phone Kay for further info 027 480 8042

Under-the-Stars Free Community Meal

Every Thursday 11:30am-1pm. Every Saturday 4:30-6pm. Sit down and takeaway offered for homeless, hungry, and families needing a meal. Showers open 1 hour before meals. 45 Cliff Rd.

Village Radio Museum

Community Radio broadcasting nostalgic music & Community Notices seven days on 1368 KHz AM Band. Radio Museum open from 10am. Request line 571 3710

Sunday 15 Jan

At ZEE Sunday Market

This weekend will not be complete until you experience the range of handcraft stalls at ZEE Markets at Tauranga Racecourse 10am-2pm Farmers Market - Mount Mainstreet Every Sunday 9am-1pm rain or shine! Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka (Phoenix Park). www.mountmainstreet.nz

Golf Croquet

Sun, Tues, & Thurs at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 8.30am for 9am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Nev 07 575 5121

Papamoa Lions Club Market

2nd & 4th Sunday. Gordon Spratt Reserve, Parton Rd, Papamoa. Gates open 7am for stall holder entry. Wayne 027 974 5699

Radio Controlled Model Yachts Sundays & Thursdays 1:003:30pm, at Pond behind 22 Montego Drive Papamoa, sailing Electron Radio Controlled Yachts for fun. Adult beginners welcome. Graham 572 5419

Religious Society of Friends Happily retired yet Soul searching? Share Friendship and silent contemplation with us. No dogma, creed, preaching. 10am-12pm. Corner Cameron/Elisabeth Street. Quakers.nz Spiritual Centre Psychic Cafe Greerton Community Hall. Doors open 6.30pm, starts 7pm. Entry $20 (no eftpos). After that; everything

FREE: Psychics, Healers, Spiritualists, Refreshments. 25+ practitioners. www.psychiccafe.nz. Ph 07 578 7205 St Enochs Presbyterian Church Join us at 9.30am on Sunday at 134 Sixteenth Avenue, Tauranga. Phone 07 578 3040. God honouring, Christ following, Holy Spirit led

Monday 16 Jan

Alcoholics Anonymous Open Meeting 10am. Central Baptist Church. Corner 13th ave/Cameron Rd. Sorry no Pets. All Welcome. Ph 0800 229 6757

Association Croquet Sat, Mon & Wed at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 9.15am for 9.30am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Jacqui 07 574 9293

Greerton Garden Club

Greerton Garden Club meets 2nd Monday each month at St James Church Hall, Pooles Rd, Greerton, at 1pm. Visitors Welcome. Ph 07 562 8855

Katikati Art Group

Gallery of local artist’s work open Mon-Fri except Tuesday. Gallery on side of Katikati Memorial Hall. Tutoring on Thursdays. New members welcome. Annual exhibition. Contact Val 027 494 6689

Katikati Bowling Club Mixed 2 x 4 x2. Reporting time 9.15am

Keep On Your Feet

Omokoroa 11am-12pm,Settlers Hall, 334 Omokoroa Road. Strength & balance classes for older adults. All levels of fitness welcome. Contact Sharnie 021 111 8617

Pickleball outdoors Pickleball at the Mount Sports Centre, Maunganui Rd 9.15am to 12.15am. Join in the fun! Paddles, balls and tea and coffee provided. $5. Bob 027 478 6282

Tauranga Stamp Club

Wesley Methodist Church, 100 Thirteenth Ave. 10am on the 2nd and 7.30pm on the 4th Monday of the month. All welcome. Ph Tony 07 549 5015 or Brian 07 576 5210

Tuesday 17 Jan

Alcoholics Anonymous Open Meeting 7.30pm. St Peters Anglican Church. 15 Victoria St Mt Maunganui All Welcome. Ph 0800 229 6757

Altrusa Ladies Service Group Come and join a bunch of women for community projects and social events. Meet 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. Phone Sandra 027-4838454 or visit www.altrusa.org.nz Bayfair Gardens Need your help supplying fresh vegetables to the Tauranga Foodbank. Tuesday and Friday mornings. Hillier Centre at The Mount. Ph 575 9709

Conversation Cafe Dee St 9-11.45am at Presbyterian Church Hall. Varied program. Morning tea, aimed at seniors. All welcome. $2.50pp until further notice. 544 0951 or 021 127 4277

Golf Croquet Sun, Tues, & Thurs at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 8.30am for 9am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Nev 07 575 5121

Inachord Women Singers Join us for singing and fun. 7pm Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd. Musical Director - Andrew Braid. Pippa 027 473 0185, Julie 021 0252 6805

Justice of the Peace Greerton Library 2-4pm Keep On Your Feet

Katikati Catholic Church Hall, 89 Beach Rd. 10.15-11.15am, strength & balance classes for older adults, all levels of fitness welcome. Ph Sharnie 021 111 8617

Let’s Learn Something New An A-Z of Clubs, Courses & Classes happening now. Find an activity, join, and do it! All ages. www.letslearn.co.nz or Ph 07 544 9557

Otumoetai Walking Group Meet at 9am at Kulim Park. Ph Danny 576 6480

Overeaters Anonymous Is your eating affecting the way you, or someone else, live your life? Overeating, undereating - meet Tuesdays 7-8pm and Fridays 11-12pm. Ph 021 0236 3236 oa.org

Papamoa Sunshine Probus Club Meetings held 2nd Tuesday of every month starting at 11.30am at the Gordon Spratt Reserve Clubrooms Papamoa. Contacts Colleen Lambourne 210 235 2736 or Paula Neilson 021 117 0802

Recycled Teenagers Gentle Exercise St. Mary’s Church Hall cnr Girven & Marlin 9-10.30am. Suitable for joint replacements, arthritics,recovery

from accidents & illness. Strength, coordination and balance.

Ph Jennifer 027 206 0776

Tauranga Acoustic Music Club

Greerton RSA 7pm. Friendly gettogether, all instruments, all levels of ability. Come in & enjoy some live music. Grant 578 6448

Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club

Men’s tennis every Tuesday 9am. New players welcome. Contact Lyn 021 0263 8541. Midweek ladies 9am Wednesday. New players welcome. All abilities, social & friendly. Contact Jackie 021 188 1182

Tauranga Model Railway Club

Meetings at the club rooms corner of Mirrielees and Cross Rd. Tuesday at 0930am and Thursday night 7.30pm contact Mike Oldfield 021 939 233

Te Puke Pipe Band

Meets weekly 6-8pm Te Puke Baptist Church, Station Rd Te Puke. Learner Pipers and Drummers welcome. Free tuition provided. Ph Jo 021 052 6728

Wednesday 18 Jan

10 Pin Bowling

1pm at 10 Pin Tauranga, 135 13th Ave. Mixed group play for fun but keep the score. Very occasionally competitive. Ph Glenda 021 257 8678

Association Croquet

Sat, Mon & Wed at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 9.15am for 9.30am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Jacqui 07 574 9293

Beginner Social Dance Group

Commencing Wed, 27 Oct, 6-7pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, Welcome Bay Road. Ballroom & Latin, Rock&Roll. Just come along on the night. Ph Sonia 027 322 1786

Cards

Cribbage 12.30 for 1pm start at RSA Greerton. Friendly club. New members very welcome. Ph Jill 021 160 6143

Healing Rooms Prayer Experience God’s healing touch. 1-3pm every Wednesday in January. All welcome. No charge. Central Baptist Lounge. 640 Cameron Road. www.healingrooms.co.nz 027 640 1263

Katikati Art Group

Gallery of local artist’s work open Mon-Fri except Tuesday. Gallery on side of Katikati Memorial Hall. Tutoring on Thursdays. New members welcome. Annual exhibition. Contact Val 027 494 6689

Katikati Bowling Club

8 Park Rd. Mixed Roll-ups

12.45-3pm

Marching For Leisure

A non-competitive activity for mature ladies. Fun, Fitness and Friendship. For Tauranga team’s practice and contact details phone Marlene Marx 027 342 0698

Singles Coffee Club 65+

Mix & mingle with a group of friends who meet every Wednesday 10am at different Cafes.

Ph Gayle 027 439 3267 or

E: mixandmingle@xtra.co.nz

Taijiquan and Qigong

Sat & Wed 9am free Taiji / Qigong group. Kulim Park on beach by big rock. All welcome.

Ph Petro 021 751 665

Tauranga Embroiderers’ Guild

Meets every Wednesday at Tauranga Rowing Club, Devonport Road 10am-2.30pm and 7-9pm. Beginners very welcome. Contact Pat McDonald 027 234 8568 / 544 1988

Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club

Men’s tennis every Tuesday 9am. New players welcome. Contact Lyn 021 0263 8541. Midweek ladies 9am Wednesday. New players welcome. All abilities, social & friendly.

Ph Jackie 021 1881182

Tauranga RSA Quiz Night

7pm start. 1237 Cameron Rd. Teams of up to 8. $3 p/person. Bar/snack food available. Ph 578 9654

Thursday 19 Jan

China Painting for Beginners

Starts 16th February 2023 6

lessons $30.00 Everything provided. Thursdays 10-12noon Tauranga Arts & Craft Centr Elizabeth St, Tauranaga. Call 027 553 3042 to register. Limited class size

Enjoy Travel?

Be home-hosted in Winnipeg, Canada August 2023, and host the Boston USA Club in February. Visit frienshipforce.org or phone Dianne 027 249 9859, Jonathan 572 2091

Justice of the Peace Greerton Library 2-4pm

Katikati Art Group

Gallery of local artist’s work open Mon-Fri except Tuesday. Gallery on side of Katikati Memorial Hall. Tutoring on Thursdays. New members welcome. Annual exhibition. Contact Val 027 494 6689

Katikati Bowling Club

8 Park Rd Rummikub 1-4pm, $3 entry

Pickleball Waihi Beach

Playing on Thursdays at 9:30 at

Waihi Beach Community Centre. Paddles provided. Ph Doreen 022 687 1586

Pickleball Waihi Beach Playing 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 9:30-11:30am at Waihi Beach Community Centre. Paddles provided. Ph Doreen 022 687 1586

Radio Controlled Model Yachts Sundays & Thursdays 1:003:30pm, at Pond behind 22 Montego Drive Papamoa, sailing Electron Radio Controlled Yachts for fun. Adult beginners welcome. Graham 572 5419

Tauranga Model Railway Club

Meetings at the club rooms corner of Mirrielees and Cross Rd. Tuesday at 0930am and Thursday night .30 m contact Mike Oldfield 021 939 233

Under-the-Stars Free Community Meal

Every Thursday 11:30am-1pm. Every Saturday 4:30-6pm. Sit down and takeaway offered for homeless, hungry, and families needing a meal. Showers open 1 hour before meals. 45 Cliff Rd

Friday 20 Jan

Alcoholics Anonymous

Open Meeting 10am. Central Baptist Church. Corner 13th ave/ Cameron Rd Sorry no Pets. All Welcome Ph 0800 229 6757

Bayfair Gardens Need your help supplying fresh vegetables to the Tauranga Foodbank. Tuesday and Friday mornings. Hillier Centre at The Mount. Ph 575 9709

Free Library 1-3

Free Library. Located at the Greerton Senior Citizens Hall, 33 Maitland St. Lots of books, games, jigsaw puzzles, free refreshments. Questions: call a librarian, 07 543 0355

Golf Croquet Sun, Tues, & Thurs at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 8.30am for 9am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Nev 07 575 5121

Katikati Art Group

Gallery of local artist’s work open Mon-Fri except Tuesday. Gallery on side of Katikati Memorial

Hall. Tutoring on Thursdays. New members welcome. Annual exhibition. Contact Val 027 494 6689

Katikati Bowling Club

Mixed roll up. Reporting time 1.45pm. Visitors welcome. Coaching available. Social activities commence at 4pm

Kowhai Rebus Club Bethlehem Meetings 1st Friday every month at Citizens Club. Interesting speakers, outings and coffee mornings. Enquiries to President Tony. 021 949 226

Overeaters Anonymous

Is your eating affecting the way you, or someone else, live your life? Overeating, undereatingmeet Tuesdays 7-8pm and Fridays 11-12pm. Ph 021 0236 3236 oa.org

Sahaja Yoga Meditation Classes restarting 20th January. Always free. Fridays 7-8pm. Sport OP offices ne t to Squash courts), 406 Devonport Rd, Tauranga. Tel. 022 303 5704 https://www.freemeditationnz.com/

The circus visits Trustpower Arena

Roll up, roll up to Ringmaster Butler’s Circus spectacular, an a ordable familyfriendly show performing at Trustpower Arena for one day only!

You won’t want to miss this artistic spectacular, packed with highly skilled juggling, crazy card tricks and even some mind-boggling magic.

e Ringmaster’s show will captivate all ages from pre-schoolers to grandparents, promising to be a memorable nale to your school holidays.

e show is produced by 3 Ring Riot, a New Zealand based circus company with more than 18 years of experience curating the highest quality entertainment and education in the business.

“We are excited to be bringing such a fun and a ordable show to Tauranga these school holidays” says Bay Venues programmes manager Annalise Klay.

“Tickets start at $10 and family pass are only $40.” ere are two 35 minute show sessions on Monday, January 23, one at 11am and the other at 2pm. Prior to the 11am show and following the 2pm show there will be adventure play equipment set up for kids to enjoy including the mini ninja warrior course for another $5.50 per child. For more info and to purchase your tickets, visit: www.bayactive.co.nz

HORIZONS

Suicide Loss Support Group

e Ringmaster Butler’s Circus spectacular is coming to Trustpower Arena for one day only!

e Weekend Sun has ve double passes to see Ringmaster Butler’s Circus spectacular for ve lucky readers who can tell us who the show is produced by. Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section. Entries must be received by Tuesday, January 17.

Papamoa

2nd Tuesday of each month

10am - 11:30am

Papamoa Family Services 35e Hartford Avenue Papamoa

Tauranga

3rd Tuesday of each month 6pm - 7:30pm Grief Support Services 147 Chadwick Rd Greerton

We warmly invite you to our safe space to find and offer hope and make connections with others who understand grief after loss to suicide.

Suitable for age 18+

Amy Colonna 021 0903 9568 amy@griefsupport.org.nz www.griefsupport.org.nz

Random Act of Kindness

I was having lunch with my grandson, partner and baby great granddaughter at the Mill House restaurant at the Crossing on Friday, January 6.

Whilst having a quiet drink waiting for our meal, the waiter whispered into my grandson's ear that our meal had been paid for by two gentlemen customers who had been sitting close to our table and had just left the restaurant. Imagine the surprise we had at

receiving this very kind, anonymous and random gesture. How can we possibly give our thanks to those very kind and thoughtful people?

We will endeavour to pass on this kindness in the future to keep the kindness on-going.

We hear a lot about the bad people, so here is some good news about the good people in our community.

Elizabeth Hardy, Hairini.

Churches Active In Our Community

Resisting change?

We have recently had to remove three trees from Holy Trinity –and we have had a bit of negative feedback! Even though one was dead, one rotten through and one a hazard there has been a sense of loss expressed. It can be really interesting what we value and how much certain things matter.

So much of the fabric of life that gave us strength is falling away.

Our identity, our relationships, our beliefs, our sense of identity is so much more fragile.

We share less in common, we pursue more separated lives, we feel less safe (in a world of ram raids and a rising tide of anger).

We therefore want some things to stay the same – the trees that give us

a sense of place, the buildings that give a sense of identity, the people who help us belong. But our world seems to be uncaring, unravelling. While trees may fall and people leave, our identity and belonging can be found in a God who is always there, a community who we journey with, a shared way of life. is is called church. It has always been a crucial part of the fabric of our lives – sometimes distant, sometimes intimate – quiet prayers, the care of people who love us, the amazing love of Jesus. A writer on leadership once said, ‘we don’t resist change, we resist loss’. Loss is very di cult to handle, to process.

So what loss are you feeling? e loss of faith or hope? We need, at

times, to nd a new centre, a new hope, a new way of living.

Perhaps this is the year to sow something eternal into your life.

Nigel Dixon, Vicar, Holy Trinity Tauranga.

Tauranga City Council years ago took the initiative to build Route K and tolled it, because no government funding was ever available.

In 2015 the Transport Agency provided $65m (the cost of the road) to TCC to o set them forgoing the future revenue stream of tolls when it was declared a State highway, Takitimu Drive.

It will be tolled until all Transport Agency costs are recovered, which the Agency informed Sun readers on

December 22, 2022, would be in 2031.

All the revenue since 2015 has been included in the National Land Transport Fund. Tauranga road users are paying for government’s reluctance to properly fund our infrastructure decades ago, while New Zealand’s busiest port is so vital for the national economy.

One must ask two questions:What would have been the cost of building Takitimu Drive in 2015 when the government

Takitimu Tolls Climate change

nally decided to provide funds? How much revenue has Takitimu Drive generated each year since 2015?

Jim Sherlock, Tauranga.

May I rstly congratulate the Sun on printing letters in regard to climate change which do not comply with the normal narrative we see in the main stream media. When did you last see or hear a dissenting view elsewhere?

ose who say that the science is settled do not understand what science is. It is a continual questioning of theories and re ning them until we get closer to the truth. e UN’s IPCC stated in 2001 that ‘climate is a chaotic system and long term prediction of climate states is not possible’. But that is exactly what they did, predict the future temperature. And now the UN has halved

to only 2.5 deg C its prediction of global temperature rise in year 2100!

Our climate has for thousands of years changed and will continue to change. If we think outlawing CO2 and other emissions is going to stop the climate changing we are sadly mistaken. All it will do is wreck our economy while China, India and others laugh at us.

I concur with Bryan Johnson ( e Weekend Sun, November 25, 2022), let us please have an open debate and not cancel those thousands of scientists who don’t agree with our politicians and mainstream media.

Alan Barrow, Tauranga

The New Year

e old year lies in the bin, With many wounds to the skin.

With many promises sliding away, And actions postponed to a future day.

We have to now pin all our Hopes on the pristine new year, And we all pray for e coming year’s trek

To be a little easier to bare.

Ken Jones, Katikati.

Sparkling into the New Year

Now that all your Christmas visitors have left, it’s the perfect time to make sure your windows are sparkly clean again.

Chris Kale of CK’s Window Cleaning has been in the business for almost 20 years and is an expert in making your windows look like new.

making your windows look like new.

“I do residential properties as well as commercial work and am fully insured, fully vaccinated - including a booster - and follow all

safety protocols,” says owner/operator Chris.

“I also avoid using hoses, so I can prevent any water staining. All of the cleaning is done using squeegees.”

CK’s Window Cleaning prides itself on competitive pricing, with an average threebedroom single-story home, inside and out, costing about $120 plus GST.

A no-obligation quote can be provided at your convenience. All areas where e Weekend Sun is delivered are serviced, so call CK’s Window Cleaning today for a free quote on: 021 191 9445.

New Zealand National Party Tauranga Electorate

Nominations for the selection of the National Party Candidate for the Tauranga Electorate at the 2023

General Election will open from Tuesday 17th January 2023 and will be received from National Party members by National Party Headquarters up to midday, Wednesday 1st February 2023 when nominations close.

Nomination forms and details regarding procedures may be obtained from:

Maree Brookes

NZ National Party, PO Box 1155, Wellington E: selections@national.org.nz

41 Pipitea Street, Wellington

of Tauranga 2023 Scholarship Programmes

Port

Ngā Mātarae Scholarship

The Trustees of Ngā Mātarae Charitable Trust are pleased to o er the Ngā Mātarae Scholarship Programme. The Trust is a partnership between the Port of Tauranga and Tauranga Iwi with the primary purpose to promote the wellbeing of Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour. Applicants intending to undertake study in a discipline that will bene t the wellbeing of the harbour and who are descendants of Tauranga Moana Iwi (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pūkenga) are invited to apply.

Turirangi Te Kani Memorial Scholarship

In recognition of the relationship with the Port of Tauranga and the respect Turirangi Te Kani held within the Tauranga community, a scholarship is o ered within the area of the Tauranga Moana Trust Board. Applicants will have an a liation to Tauranga Moana Iwi (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pūkenga) and will have been a resident (but allowing for schooling or university study outside the area) within the Tauranga Moana Trust Board area for the last ve years.

Scholarships are for a period of up to three years of tertiary education at a recognised New Zealand tertiary institute for a rst degree. Continuation of the scholarship will be subject to performance criteria.

Applications are now open, closing midday Monday 30 January 2023. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.port-tauranga.co.nz/community-andenvironment/scholarships/

Authorised by W Durning