The Weekend Sun - 3 March 2023

‘Let go’ with colour

When Holi is celebrated in India, whole streets and villages are ooded with people and bright colours. is Saturday, March 4, a corner of our own town will be splashed with colour and fun as Tauranga’s Holi Festival 2023 takes over Jordan Park. “Holi is more than just a colourful play with colours. It reminds you of our connection with the divine and

that means di erent things to di erent people depending on their belief, but certainly it’s there to bring out the colourful side in us,” says event organiser Bela devi dasi Reid (pictured). Accompanying the main event of ‘throwing colours’, there will be food stalls, drinks, henna art, traditional Indian dance performances and music to enjoy. “We want to make this

really unique colour festival a big one for Tauranga, like the Tauranga Diwali Festival, and move away from seeing it just as an Indian festival, but [instead] a festival for the heart, the soul, for everybody.” Get along to Jordan Park near Memorial Park and experience the joy of the Holi colour chase!

Read more on page 9. Photo: John Borren.

The long and the short of it

“ e rain descended, and the oods came...” according to the scriptures.

But what the King James’ version didn’t tell us was the rain continued to ‘descend’ – all winter, all spring and all summer and the long grass took o . en people started banging on – longly, loudy and wearisomely – about grass.

“Tauranga’s looking scru y, and steadily getting worse,” grumped one Weekend Sun reader. “We were one of the tidiest and best kept cities. But the grass verges, reserves and parks aren’t mown often and when they are, the job isn’t done well.”

Trouble is, we live in a city that has everything, and we tend to worry the small stu .

Like long grass. “Take some pride Tauranga,” was the outrage out of Papamoa.

“Not only is the grass ready for haymaking but the weeds are out of control.”

And it all came to a long, straggly, unkempt, green head this week.

“You’re the arrogant, ageist Jim Bunny aren’t you?” said the Bethlehem matron.

“Why don’t you put your uppity, smartarsed attitude to good use and get the grass mowed. Shame those commissioners into doing something.”

But I don’t do grass. I live in a townhouse; I do carpet and concrete, and controversial street name changes and ingrained racist attitudes.

Stu that grinds and grates.

Great green plague

But the matron, Mrs CholmondeleySmythe, was at her haughty worst. And there was nowhere to hide... except in the long grass, the great green plague which is upsetting the matron, her gentlefolk friends, and is slowly consuming this city.

“My dear Bunny, Alfred might steer his walking frame o the track into the long

grass and never been seen again.” And, heaven forbid, he could get grass stains on the knees of his $240 twill chinos. e other problem is Tauranga is blessed with greenspace – wherever we go berms, reserves, greenspaces are in our face. And if they’re not mown, or roughly mown, they are a constant aesthetic irritation.

It’s all about appearances and impressions. What will Ozzie cruiseline passengers think of Tauranga as they beat their way into town through the long grass? “What’s the John Dory mate? Your bu alo’s over the top, don’t yuh have

grasses dancing in the wind, delicately sprinkled with wild ower, just waiting to be turned into hay, into winter fodder.

I sensed something missing this summer. Paul Colvin reminded me.

“ e fresh cut grass, that summer scent “ at smell of summer, Heaven sent “I used to squeeze it in my ngers “Shreds of green, its smell still lingers.”

en last Friday, as if to deliberately upset my narrative, God said unto the commissioners –“Go forth and mow!”

I watched it. It was like the Destruction of Sennacherib – they came down Takitimu Drive ‘like a wolf on the fold, their cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold’.

weed whackers?” Read what’s the story?

e grass is long, don’t you have line trimmers? And we don’t need to give the uncultured convict stock another reason to take their Ozzie dollars over the hill to the mud pools.

Fearmongering?

Fearmongering I thought, until I measured the grass last week. Sixty centimetres, nearly two foot high on the usually well-managed, well-maintained greenspace on the waterfront. Let’s extrapolate. Google tells me – and Google never lies – that in these warm wet conditions, grass will grow perhaps 5cm a week. And if there’s normally a bed of 5cm to start with, that would leave added mowable growth of 55cm. So that’s the best part of three months since that lawn, that green space was mowed. ree months – really?

e imagery appeals though – tall

But the Assyrians in this case were an army of trucks, tractors and boom mowers, a blaze of hi-vis orange and green, and linetrimmers cutting a swathe during a rare, sunny window of opportunity. e Great Mow was underway.

Mounds

“ e whirring blades just spinning round “As bales of grass grew on the ground “I’d scoop it up and throw it high “ en take a dive and then just lie.” But the long grass grumps still weren’t silenced, because when long grass is mown, it still looks...well, still looks crap. e grumps pointed to the mounds of ugly, browned up, mown grass that looked like it needed tedding, raking and baling. e ‘paddocks’ of Tauranga town. e rain-sodden, grass-strewn roadsides looked and smelled like silage pits. ***Read the rest of this column and Tauranga City Council’s response on the bottom of page 5.

at 1 The Strand, Tauranga.

Marae disappointed heavy industry will stay

historic granting of existing user rights, doesn’t make it right that it continues. “We as a community feel it’s important to look at the bigger picture and the wider impacts on the residents, the communities and the schools.”

Path forward

Commission Chair Anne Tolley says while the report on existing use rights does not identify a feasible way for the council to advance industry relocation, it is an important step in the work being undertaken with Whareroa Marae and BOPRC to explore future options. “Mount Maunganui was declared a polluted airshed in late-2019. “BOPRC

A Tauranga marae is “really disappointed” its people will “continue to get poisoned” because there is no legal reason the heavy industry surrounding it can be relocated.

Whareroa Marae on Taiaho Place has seen Mount Maunganui’s industrial area rise up around it since it was built in 1873.

In 2020 the marae took its concerns about pollutants a ecting its people to Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, calling for the managed retreat of heavy industry away from their whenua. An advisory group was set up and an investigation into the potential for managed retreat of heavy industry from Totara St, south of Hewletts Rd, began.

At a city council meeting this week it was revealed there was “no feasible pathway” for relocation because many of the industrial activities have existing user rights under the Resource Management Act.

Marae environment spokesman Joel Ngātuere

says the news is “really disappointing”.

“It’s ironic that these industries have existing land use rights but a community, that has been there well before the arrival of Captain Cook, have been given no rights.”

Joel says because of the air pollution people su er from asthma, migraines, nausea and it impacts their mental health.

Can’t co-exist

e marae has elder housing and a kōhanga reo (Māori language preschool). “ e two most at-risk demographics for air pollution are children and elderly and that makes up 79-80 per cent of our community.”

Joel says the large residential area of Mount Maunganui and the industrial area can’t coexist. Environmental charitable trust Clear the Air Mount Maunganui back the marae’s stance and advocates for the wider community as well.

Clear the Air spokesperson Emma Jones says where there is “unchecked pollution” because of

has been working with industry and the measures that have been implemented by businesses have resulted in improvements.

“ e intent of this ongoing work is to achieve air quality standards which would allow the airshed to be classi ed as non-polluted over the next decade,” says Anne.

“BOPRC will report back on this legal opinion to the next Tauranga Moana Advisory Group meeting and set out a path forward.”

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

Whareroa Marae want heavy industry relocated away from them. Photo: John Borren.

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A local hero’s life work

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A Tauranga man who has been building resilience and reducing at-risk behaviours in youth for 19 years has been named a seminalist in the Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Awards.

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Dan says he’s proud of what he sees every day. “Empowering our young people to be their best selves, to succeed in whatever they want to do and just see their life turn around by just supporting them, so they feel connected, and not judged”.

Outside of work, Dan has been a Tauranga’s Sunrise Club rotarian for 14 years, and was a junior rugby referee for 15 years.

Promed House, Suite 11, 71 Tenth Ave, Tauranga

Promed House, Suite 11, 71 Tenth Ave, Tauranga

Dan Allen-Gordon, who is BOP regional manager for the Graeme Dingle Foundation, works to reduce at-risk behaviours – such as truancy, bullying, suicidal ideation and other risks – for young people to succeed.

He’s also raised $11.5 million to positively impact more than 42,000 young people via mentoring and value programmes in the last two decades. One programme is Project K – where Year 10 students learn life skills, build con dence, and nd direction and purpose during 14 months. “ ere’s nothing more I would want to do than what I am doing.”

Working for the Graeme Dingle Foundation,

He doesn’t know who nominated him for the Kiwibank awards, but is honoured.

“I don’t really like to put myself out there but it’s kind of something I have to do in order to create awareness for the work that we do. It’s more about helping our rangatahi.

“I just get so much pleasure out of it.”

Dan says it’d be amazing to win the accolade “because it acknowledges the strength of the work that we do at the foundation and perhaps it would give me a platform to get people in NZ to reach out and get more people helping more kids”.

Read this story in full at: www.sunlive.co.nz

Georgia Minkhorst

Dan Allen-Gorden says supporting rangatahi through the Graeme Dingle Foundation is his life’s work. Photo: John Borren.

Hall calls for more user groups

Val Baker is searching for Tauranga Legion of Frontiersmen photographs to use in a display at the hall.

e Legion of Frontiersmen J Squadron’s Tauranga Hall is calling for more groups to hire the facility following a major interior renovation to modernise and improve use of the space for all.

e squadron is hosting a Hall Open Day, on Saturday, March 25 from 10am-2pm, for potential users, the community and those with local Frontiersmen links to view the transformation.

J Squadron’s Val Baker, who led the renovation, says the hall on Elizabeth St has been occupied by Frontiersmen since 1948. “According to Legion of Frontiersmen J Squadron 1948 meeting minutes, back then we signed a perpetual lease with what was Tauranga Borough Council for the building to be used as our clubrooms. Over the years, as Frontiersmen memberships dwindled, we’ve shifted with the times and opened the facility for hire to community groups.”

One of two left

With the squadron’s perpetual lease with Tauranga City Council up for renewal in June, the group has spent three years, with a major push in the last 12 months, tidying and transforming the hall to entice more users. “We really need to hold onto this hall as a community resource but also to keep our Tauranga Frontiersmen history intact,” says Val, who reckons J Squadron’s hall is one of only two left in New Zealand. e second is in Whakatane.

“I’ve seen at least ve halls sold or relinquished in the last few decades and considering we had so many Legion of Frontiersmen in NZ, it’s a shame. at’s

why it’s so important that we keep this hall. It’s part of Tauranga’s history, part of both NZ’s and Tauranga’s Frontiersmen history – and it is a much-needed community resource that anyone can use.”

Renovation work has included replacing the building’s exterior signage; repainting the hallway, foyer and entrance of the building.

“We’ve refurbished the Memorial Room and closed o the Ross Nielson lounge – this is a memorial space to all Frontiersmen and its history.”

Neutral colour scheme

e main hall has received major work too. e room’s studs have been lined with blonde-lined UV-protected plywood – to add insulation while removing the iconic pink and maroon colours.

“Now it has a neutral colour scheme that looks clean, fresh, light, and the room is warmer. e rimu doors were stripped of paint and brought back to their original natural tone with polyurethane.”

Bottom windows have been frosted for privacy, and blockout blinds added to o er shade. Donated room dividers, cabinets, tables, chair can be utilised, along with ample visitor carparking. Plus a new security and camera system is operating outside the building and inside the foyer. “ is allows us to only charge users for the exact time they use the hall – as well as providing better security for the facility.”

For hall hire, or to o er historical information, call Val Baker on: 027 285 9714.

Patience please, patience – requests the council

And Mrs C-S, who labelled me arrogant and ageist, reckons they should be mowed at least once a month… so the city looks mown, manicured and nice. “Like it used to be.”

en I’m reminded of a bloke called Simon from Christchurch, who mows his lawns three times a week to the precise length of 12mm. Before we harrumph and dismiss, this bloke has won New Zealand’s Best Lawn competition.

His lawn is so good it has its own social media following.

By comparison, our greenspaces only attract a few snarky column inches in the local rag.

“…walking barefoot on cool soft grass is one of life’s simple pleasures,” reminds Simon. A tad obsessive perhaps. But we do like manicured, we do like neat and tidy, and we do like simple Simon-style life pleasures here in old ‘Rangas’.

So let’s start up the Briggs & Stratton a bit more often and tidy the berms and greenspaces before the snakes and the cane toads invade; and before Alfred is listed as missing.

Tracey Mcleod

Look no further than Tracey Mcleod for inspiration. She’s Rotorua’s one-woman volunteer mowing gang who’s been barking on for months about that city’s overgrown council land. No-one

listened so she red up her own mower and weed-eater and spent 13 hours over three days doing the council’s work. O er her a job TCC – she can teach us civic pride, to stop bitching and how to adopt a ‘can do, will do, get it mowed’ attitude.

TCC fronts up to e Bunny

e Tauranga City Council has replied to e Bunny’s grass- lled queries and admits to receiving a number of complaints regarding long grass across the city. But it can’t immediately tell e Weekend Sun exactly how many complaints. However, the council asks its ratepayers to be patient as it expects to get back on top of the mowing soon.

“ e situation is purely due to continued spring ush growth and the extra load contractors need to achieve,” says Tauranga City Council manager of spaces and places operations, Warren Aitken. “We’ve experienced the wettest winter, spring and summer on record. And with increased temperatures it has created unprecedented growth.”

Bad weather & ‘balling’

e bad weather also impacted the council’s ability to mow reserves and green spaces.

“Contractors trying to mow wet and waterlogged areas run the risk of getting stuck or ripping up the reserve.”

Warren says the council is working with its contractors and hoping for a decent run of sunny days to get on top of the current backlog.

In response to criticism that reserves look “shabby” even after mowing, the council says mowing long grass does leave ‘balling’ and requires another mow two or three days

later to tidy up. is also contributes to delays in mowing other reserves. Moreover, berm maintenance can take longer when working around road improvement projects.

Duty of care

Warren says the council has a duty of care to contractors mowing areas next to roads to ensure safety. Managing tra c during mowing and minimising the impact on tra c, means this work is done less frequently.

e council has di erent height restrictions for mowing throughout the city. Under normal conditions, visits are carried out about every two or three weeks. However, during periods of high growth visits can be delayed signi cantly as each reserve requires more time to service. In the meantime the council again appeals for patience from ratepayers.

Photo: Georgia Minkhorst.

Merle Cave

Jim Bunny’s Page 2 column continues – with a reply from the Tauranga City Council.

Jim Bunny amongst the unruly blades. Photo: John Borren.

Wingfoil World Cup comp hits Mount

e rst GWA World Tour event to be hosted in the Paci c is being staged at Mount Maunganui from March 4-11, o ering a huge opportunity for 12 New Zealand wingfoil athletes to compete against the world’s best! Athletes from 15 countries will compete in freestyle and racing disciplines at the highest level, says event director Laurence Carey. “Being able to host both the freestyle and race world cup in Tauranga at the same time is a huge milestone for the

sport in NZ. is will provide a huge opportunity to see the sport for its full potential, whilst showing how amazing Tauranga is for beach lovers.

“Wingfoiling is the fastest growing watersport in the world, so to provide local riders the opportunity to compete against the top 100 men and women wingfoilers in Tauranga, will be very special for the sport in NZ.”

For action times at Mount Main Beach see: www.waterbourne.co.nz

Cyclone devastates and

When you live in a place long enough, you know the nature of the land – and you remember its history.

Vivienne Shaw grew up and spent most of her life in the Hawke’s Bay. With husband of 60 years, Barrie Shaw, Vivienne enjoyed a rural lifestyle in Ongaonga – a central village of Hawke’s Bay and lived in the region for 44 years.

e Welcome Bay pair still have family and friends there – thankfully all doing okay after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Her nephew, who lives in Latham St, Napier, “had the presence of mind to drive his big 4x4 to the top of a hill where he could get cell phone coverage”. “He rang me on that afternoon to say that they were ne.”

Vivienne, 81, and Barrie, 84, were both born after Napier’s 1931 earthquake. “But Barrie does remember the aftermath of it,” says Vivienne.

“It damaged a lot of the land and buildings. en in 1938, more particularly there was the incredible massive Esk Valley ood – which has just been repeated – which came from the hills above from the Taupo line through the valley straight out to sea – scoured it.”

A river before

Vivienne recalls as a child accompaninig her father to visit a friend who had just built a new home in Marewa – a new suburb of Napier near Esk Valley. “Dad just shook his head,” says Vivienne. “Dad said: ‘I used to go shing here.

“‘ is land only came up with the earthquake. “‘No this is all wrong and they’ve forgotten that the water was once here – deep’.”

She adds: “ is is the reason it’s such a fertile area is because it’s on wonderful river silt but that does actually tell you something. ere’s been a river there before.” Vivienne says this fact is a surprise

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Vivienne Shaw with her and Barrie’s photobook of memories from their Hawke’s Bay days.

Photo: John Borren.

history cycles

to many young and middle-age people “but when you’re as old as us, you remember things that happened. ey may not have a ected us directly but indirectly we learnt from them”.

Flood stronghold

At Ongaonga Vivienne and Barrie’s home was a converted butter factory. “It was built in 1898 and built of kauri up on a massive concrete slab. e old-timers built properly so we were above a oodline, and down probably 2m below us was the rest of our section which ran down to a little creek.”

Vivienne says these babbling brooks would turn into “raging torrents” after heavy rain – with water owing down from Hawke’s Bay’s Ruahine and Wakarawa Ranges. “So intermittently, sometimes twice-a-year or once every two years, the whole bottom half of our four acre block would be covered in 1.5m of water and that was just runo from rain in the ranges.”

With the Shaw’s home up on a concrete six inchwide concrete wall, Vivienne says: “Although the water rose up that, it never ever breached inside the property in which we lived but people forget”. She’s devastated for the people of Hawke’s Bay

“but I think that the engineers and the architects

“but I think that the engineers and the architects probably draw up very good plans but when tenders go out, the lowest one is accepted”.

“If it’s a council job or a government job, they’re allowed to build to their own standards and not the standard that’s been prescribed by the experts.

“Plus we have houses that don’t withstand a ood of water. ey should never be on the land that’s been consented.”

Does she think Cyclone Gabrielle is worse than Cyclone Bola in 1988? “Yes”. “With Cyclone Bola, Gisborne and Wairoa were not densely populated... and of course Hastings, Napier and the Hawke’s Bay wasn’t a ected as much by that particular incident – so there are [now] more people, more houses, more roads and impervious surfaces – so yes; it’s far worse. I just know in NZ we’re woefully short of infrastructure to withstand anything that is out of the ordinary… people don’t understand, or they underestimate the power of natural disaster. It’s a tragedy that didn’t need to happen is what I’m saying. ings go in a cycle in a funny sort of way and you might live long enough to be totally complacent about it and then it strikes when you least expect it.”

‘A tragedy that didn’t need to happen’

Georgia Minkhorst

Left: e Shaw’s home converted from an old kauri butter factory. Above: Vivienne’s sons recovered her and Barrie’s boat in Ongaonga after it sunk from rainwater and ooding in 1986.

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A festival of colour and fun

Vibrant powdered dyes y through the air from all directions, caught in the cross re you look down at your clothes smiling as you see a wonderful tapestry of colour!

Let go, let loose, and throw colours up to the ether in tomorrow’s Holi Colour Splash 2023 from 12 noon-3pm at Jordan Park in Tauranga.

Organiser Bela devi dasi Reid says the event brings young and old, friends and strangers, all together to enjoy in the Holi festival colour chase.

“ is festival is regardless of creed, of faith, of skin colour, of all these things. It’s bringing us together on that day and because it’s so intimate to throw colours at strangers, it burns down bridges.” is week she visited local schools teaching students about Holi while creating Rangoli patterns. Bela compares Rangoli to mandala designs, where students drew designs in chalk before placing down their powdered holi colours.

“It symbolises learning to be detached because you’re putting so much energy, meditation and good thoughts into making this pattern then the wind or rain, nature can take it away at any time.”

Tomorrow’s festival, on March 4, is all about the fun and action though! Bela says in India, Holi is celebrated by everyone.

“You just walk onto the street, onto your doorstep and you might get coloured in. You can’t avoid it – and if there are any sort of grudges within your heart, you’ve got to let it go.”

Holi is a time to throw away old fears, upset, anger and any negative emotion, says Bela. en “inviting the opposite into our life – you know, harmony, peace, respect for oneself and each other.” e festival is 12 noon-3pm Saturday, March 4, at Jordan Park near Memorial Park, Eleventh Ave, Tauranga.

Entry is free – Holi colour packages will be on sale at $2 for one or $5 for three. Georgia

Minkhorst

Cyclone Gabrielle Temporary Accommodation

If your property was impacted during this severe weather event and you need support finding temporary accommodation, we can help.

The Temporary Accommodation Service is assisting displaced people to find suitable temporary accommodation.

Register your details with us and a staff member will call you in a few days to help you find suitable temporary housing. Our staff can also provide guidance on how to access support services such as insurance advice and financial assistance.

There will be a cost for temporary accommodation, but you can contact the Ministry of Social Development to see if assistance is available to meet this cost.

If you are the tenant or landlord of a rental property, www.tenancy.govt.nz has information on your rights and obligations after a natural disaster.

For more information and to register your details, please go to: www.tas.mbie.govt.nz

If you are not able to complete the form online, or wish to discuss your requirements, please call 0508 754 163 Our Service Centre operates:

Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm Saturday–Sunday, 9:00am–5:00pm

Chanchal Saraswat after playing with holi colours with sons Toyesh Saraswat and Vinayak Saraswat.

Photo: John Borren.

Supporting Kiwis as we recover and rebuild

e recent weather events have wreaked havoc on millions of lives. ere’s a long road ahead for many but we will get through this.

Families and businesses have su ered enormous loss and hardship. And we’ve also seen incredible community spirit and countless acts of bravery and service by rst responders, neighbours and friends.

Cost of recovery

e cost of the recovery and rebuild phases is becoming clearer and it will be signi cant – a multi-billion-dollar price tag is ahead of us, but, as a country, we’re in a strong nancial position. Our government is

committed to doing whatever it takes to recover. We will continue to stand by New Zealanders and we will back communities as we rebuild.

We’re providing a $50 million support package for businesses, farmers and growers for urgent work like clearing silt and repairing infrastructure.

We’re injecting $250 million for emergency works to help councils x roads, get transport links back up and access into communities. And of course, there will be more nancial support to come.

We’ve set up new structures that will direct and coordinate the recovery.

New service

We’ve put in place a new service to assist homeowners with natural disaster insurance claims. People whose homes have been damaged by a natural disaster – like Cyclone Gabrielle and the January oods – will be able to access this service to support them if their insurance claims get stuck. is year will be di cult for many families and businesses. We will continue to focus on the bread and butter issues in front of New Zealanders right now.

Our different approach to climate change

On Saturday I attended the National Party’s Bluegreens conference in Blenheim.

It is clear that it will be a National government that sees us meet our climate change commitments while simultaneously growing our economy and lifting incomes for all.

Not mutually exclusive

e two are not mutually exclusive, as Labour and the Greens would have you believe. eir way to reduce emissions is to shrink our primary sector, contract GDP and tell everyone what they can and can’t do. is is intellectually lazy and ideologically-driven. Our approach is much

di erent. While the two major parties agree on New Zealand being net carbon zero by 2050; we have totally di erent visions and approaches on how to achieve this.

But rst, a wander through history. National reduced emissions when last in government; this Labour government has increased them. National signed New Zealand up to the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and Todd Muller was one of the chief architects of the Zero Carbon Act. National built more

renewables than any other party, while this Labour Government is now importing three times as much coal since coming to o ce.

Net zero

We will achieve net zero, but under National we will do so in a manner that leverages our world-leading primary sector, the most carbon e cient farmers in the world.

We will move away from coal and towards cleaner transition fuels. We will enable technology to reduce emissions and improve e ciency. We will develop more renewable energy. National will achieve lower emissions and sustainable economic growth.

New-design rubbish tags for WBOP

Increased durability, reliability and anticopying measures are key features of Western Bay of Plenty’s newly redesigned Pay-As-You- row tags.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has taken on community feedback and redesigned a unique PAYT tag so it functions better with the red lid rubbish bins.

WBOPDC says you can still use existing PAYT tags you might have. New PAYT tags will work in the same way, except you now attach the new PAYT tag like a luggage tag. e peel and stick design has been removed.

ere are no changes to the kerbside collection system. You still need to correctly put a PAYT tag on your red rubbish bin – through both red and black handles – for it to be emptied. At this stage the price of PAYT tags remains $3.95.

For more, visit: kerbsidecollective.co.nz

Speedy start to skate dream

Getting stuck in New Zealand due to Covid in 2020, Chilean Romina Silva Rojas returned to the sport of speed skating for something to do – and has been cleaning up in national championships ever since!

Her numerous speed skating achievements are too lengthy to list but her recent accolades include obtaining six silver medals and three bronze medals at the New Zealand National Championship in Palmerston North in January.

“My favourite moment from nationals was in the mixed relay... we skated in the 1200m and came third place.”

No escaping skating

Romina has roller-skated since the age of six, and was a young athlete in speed skating when she was 14-15, holding a title of Chile’s National Speed Skater. She then took a break from skating to study at university and has had an on-o relationship with the sport since 2009. It took a global pandemic to glue her back into her skates. “When I came to NZ, Covid arrived and I got stuck here so for this reason I started to look into another sport and another thing to do; and I came back to my sport

of speed skating. I got my rst NZ National Roller Sport Speed Championship, which was held in the city of Whanganui in 2021.” Speedy in the short distance, Romina took rst place for the 200m in the Master Ladies category.

Skating for kids

Now making NZ her home, Romina is sharing her love of speed skating in Tauranga. Last October she joined Active Sparks – a sport organisation and began teaching kids to skate.

“I proudly run skating programmes that have bene ted more than 150 primary school children in six di erent schools in the Papamoa/Mount Maunganui area.”

She helps to build kids’ con dence on skates with mini games and fun challenges. “I wanted the children to know my passion and also that there are other sports apart from the traditional ones such as soccer, basketball and rugby that can be practised.

“My future plans with skating is to continue living as an athlete and having the chance to teach the community – children and adults of all ages –that roller sports are a good option to maintain an active life through play and as an inspiring sport.”

Georgia Minkhorst

Try a kids’ try-athlon for Pahoia School

Helen says the school is “incredibly grateful for the commitment from both whānau and teachers”.

According to Helen, the Try-athlon is a highlight of the school year. “It’s heaps of fun and I can’t wait until the next one – it’s my favourite event,” says Pahoia School student Harvey Oemcke, aged eight.

“My favourite part of triathlon is biking up the hill because I pass loads of kids.”

Register now at: www.pahoia.school.nz

Hon Jan Tinetti

Calling all kids aged between ve and 13! e annual Pahoia School ‘Have a Go Tryathlon’ is back this month and promises to be a fun day out for the whole family.

e event kicks o 9am at Omokoroa Domain on Saturday, March 11. Earlybird registrations are now open, with every entrant receiving a T-shirt, goody bag, and wrist band.

Spot prizes and placegetter medals will be presented, however the main focus of the event is on getting out, getting healthy, and giving it a go.

“ is is a community event with the goal of promoting health and wellbeing amongst our local tamariki,” says Pahoia School deputy principal Helen Maxey. “It also serves as an excellent fundraiser for the school.”

Helen says the aim this year is to fund a van for the school to transport their students to school camps and sports events. Previous Try-athlons have seen up to 300 children enter, with numbers dropping o slightly during Covid-19. e school hopes to see a record turn-out this year. e event is run by Pahoia School parents and sta .

Labour List MP

For appointments and assistance please phone: 07 571 2492 jan.tinetti@parliament.govt.nz

@jantinetti

Authorised by Hon Jan Tinetti MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Romina Silva Rojas showing Omanu School students the ropes on roller skates and blades. Photo: John Borren.

e try-athlon has been well supported and enjoyed in the past.

Magnesium and hypertension

e Women’s Health Study is one of the most in uential medical studies.

is followed nearly 30,000 female health professionals, aged above 45. It’s still going now after 30 years. One of many observations was the relationship between magnesium and hypertension – also known as high blood pressure.

e study showed magnesium intake was inversely related to hypertension; that those with low magnesium had much higher chances of developing hypertension. Indeed, it seems as if magnesium can help many conditions including cramp, heart rhythm, mood, sleeping and many more. is should not surprise because of the special role of magnesium in governing muscles and nerves. Calcium is the mineral that causes muscles to work and nerves to carry impulses. Magnesium helps return muscles and nerves to a resting state.

How does magnesium help hypertension? Our blood vessels have a special type of muscle called smooth muscle. Just as magnesium de ciency can cause cramp or tightness in our skeletal muscles, low magnesium causes smooth muscle to lose its natural suppleness. is can impede blood ow and forces the heart to pump harder to circulate blood.

e main mechanism of magnesium is a powerful

calcium channel blocker

– many hypertension medications are calcium channel blockers. is allows smooth muscle in blood vessels to relax, thus allowing for enhanced blood ow.

e challenge is to get the right forms of magnesium in the right doses. My preference is to use three forms of magnesium: natural marine magnesium from sea water, well-proven magnesium citrate; and magnesium glycinate. We then need to get the right doses. is is where one-a-day supplements can be di cult as you cannot modify the dose. My magnesium has a dosage range of one-four capsules, so can be customised to a person’s needs. For more information, give me a call or email: john@abundant.co.nz. You can read my newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz

John Arts is a quali ed nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health. Contact John on 0800 423 559. To read more, visit: www.sunlive.co.nz

Will needling work for me?

One of the advanced skin therapies available now is dermal microneedling.

At Tranquillo, we use the worldleading Dermapen 4. e range of skin conditions that are able to be treated includes ne lines, wrinkles, scars, age spots, Rosacea, sun damage, hyper pigmentation and more.

A client gave us this feedback.

“I’ve spent a lot of money on

needling in the past with no results elsewhere.

“I was very hesitant to try it again, Sue was able to get my skin strong enough and healing fast, and convinced me to give it a try again. e results were amazing. I’ve had three treatments of Dermapen and my scars from more than 20 years ago are evening out and some disappearing. It’s never felt

so hydrated, and there is basically no recovery rime required. I highly recommend the treatment, service and experience that Tranquillo have to o er”.

If you’re wondering if this treatment would be right for you, book in for a free consultation.

Try choosing curiosity over your fears

“By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves up to an in nite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our

comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us.”

Alan Watts. We all have fears, some hidden deep and some that show up instinctually. e good news is we can reduce anxiety by replacing it with curiosity. Curiosity is the search for new knowledge and is now seen as a superpower against anxiety and fear. is way of thinking helps us change how we see things instead of going immediately to the “worst-casescenario”. Anxiety produces fear, curiosity invites wonder. What fears could you reduce by seeking to learn more about them?

Looking after your dog’s ears

Otitis externa refers to in ammation and infection of the ear canals. Ear infections are extremely common and a ect around 20 per cent of dogs.

ears

Humidity and unstable weather seem to make these things worse, allowing the bugs to grow.

Common signs

Dogs’ ears naturally contain very low numbers of bacteria, yeast and produce wax. In ear infections, the number of bacteria and/or yeast increases and often results in an overproduction of wax.

Common signs include a dog shaking its head or

Lafayette is wonderful and amazing little pup, who is super loving and gentle with all other animals, that came to the rescue with his siblings at a very young age.

ey had a parvo scare in their earlier weeks but all pups have made a wonderful and glorious recovery and are ready to nd amazing homes.

rubbing its ear or ears on the ground as a way of trying to scratch them. An unpleasant smell may be present in one or both ears.

trying to scratch them. An unpleasant smell may

Your vet will likely prescribe an ear cleaner, topical ear drops, and/or steroid tablets. Treatment is usually once or twice daily for one week.

Avoid changes

It is important to get on top of ear infections quickly to avoid chronic changes – narrowing of the canal, thickening of the skin – that will make the ear more likely to get infected in the future.

Let lovely Lafayette into your life!

Lafayette is still a young puppy, so his new family will need to do further puppy training and socialisation with him

so he can develop into a wonderful dog. Lafayette is sleeping through the night, and working on toilet training between inside and outside.

Apply to meet Lafayette and have this super loving boy in your family.

To nd out more, message the RRR Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RRRCanine

Consider signing up to own superb Sushi

Sushi is a smoochy, a ectionate girl. Sushi spent time out at one of our amazing foster homes to raise her kittens and now that they are all grown up and adopted, it’s Sushi’s turn! She’s always looking for a pat and will zip over to you and make

a cute little chirp of happiness when she sees her humans coming.

Sushi is gentle and very sweet-natured. She would suit most households. She is laid back and just a darling. She loves smooching against legs, and receiving scratches under her chin, and has the sweetest purr. Ask to meet our cutie Sushi today! Call the Tauranga centre a call on: 07 5780245. Ref: 562916.

darling. She loves smooching against legs,

Wander with your dogs in the Western Bay

Want a wander with your waggy friend?

e Wander Dogs Summer Series is all about giving dog owners some events just for them –where they can bring their dogs to socialise safely and have a good time exploring our beautiful walks at the same time.

All dog breeds are welcome, whether you’ve got a Labrador, German Shepherd, Jack Russell or Miniature Schnauzer, bring the whole whānau along and have some fun! e events are free, and everyone gets a special doggy treat bag to take home. ere’s a Wander Dogs Walk in Te Puke on March 4 from 9am. Bring your pooch and enjoy a stroll along the Te Ara Kahikatea Walkway in Jubilee Park.

Western Bay experienced animal services o cers will also be giving a talk on ‘the hyperactive dog’. To keep an eye out for weather updates, search: Western Bay Council on Facebook.

For more information, visit:

www.westernbay.gove.nz/wanderdogs

tauranga katikati te puna papamoa village

Let’s embrace equity!

is International Women’s Day, celebrate the hard work of women and rally for women’s equality with people from around the world.

IWD is marked annually on March 8 and the theme this year is ‘#EmbraceEquity’.

is global day is set up to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. e campaign theme is to get the world talking about why ‘equal opportunities are no longer enough’ – and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.

Changing history

Historically, this day has been an opportunity to honour the courage and determination of all the women who have changed history and acts as a platform for all those who will continue to do so, in the pursuit of gender equity for generations to come.

IWD has occurred for more than a century, with the rst IWD gathering

in 1911 supported by more than one million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.

What’s on this IWD

e National Association of Women in Construction will be celebrating International Women’s Day – as well as the BOP branch’s third birthday –on March 8 with an event held at Bar Centrale at Clarence Hotel, 51 Willow Street, from 6pm-9pm.

e event costs $15 for NAWIC members and $20 for non-members and covers your rst drink and pizzas to snack on.

ere will also be a special Su ragethemed tour of Parliament held on March 8. For more information on the tour, visit: www.parliament.nz/ en/get-involved/features/celebrateinternational-women-s-day-2023-with-anew-zealand-parliament-su rage-tour

For more information on International Women’s Day, visit: www.internationalwomensday.com/about

Fresh films and music for March

Farewell February: we hardly knew you, but you were soggy and not much fun.

Sadly, the impact of February will be with us for years to come but, since there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it, let’s look determinedly forward.

I’ve decided to write a bit each week about the Jazz Festival – celebrating

its 60th anniversary this year with a brilliant programme of Easter music – to spread things out and make sure nobody misses everything.

And elsewhere there a lot of other things starting up around now.

ere’s a whole new month’s shows lined up at e Jam Factory, and as the Auckland Folk Festival recedes into the past the music there moves away from the rather over-represented

folk styles of February to something more poppy, with concerts from Eve Kelly (March 3), Anthony Coulter (March 4), Where Water Meets (March 11), e RVMES (March 18) and many more.

And the Tauranga Film Society is kicking o its latest programme.

A new season is year’s season will be starting at the Rialto cinema on March 7, with lms being the usual eclectic mix of classics and rarities, documentaries and ction. ere are notable NZ and Australian lms from the 1970s and 1980s, four African outings, and three from East Europe.

e big change is that this year the society has moved their fortnightly screenings from Wednesday to Tuesday.

e start time will be approximately 6.30pm, though this sometimes varies to t in with the Rialto schedule.

One lm from the programme that particularly struck me was the Oscar-nominated documentary ‘Collective’ (2019), one of the most powerful bits of lmmaking I’ve seen in recent years.

Its initial focus is an investigation of a Romanian nightclub re, which killed 27 people. As more people die in the aftermath due to lack of healthcare a journalist from e Gazette relentlessly follows the ever-spiralling web of corruption which eventually includes pretty much the entire government and health system.

And all this plays out in real time in front of the cameras.

It is jaw-dropping stu , like dramatised Oscar-winner ‘Spotlight’ but chillingly real.

e joy of a lm society is that

not only do you get to see lms on the big screen but you get to hang out and talk about them afterwards. Just take the classics: who doesn’t want to have a good discussion about Roger Donaldson’s rst two outings, ‘Sleeping Dogs’ and ‘Smash Palace’, the quite extraordinary lms that made careers for Sam Neill and Bruno Lawrence.

Taxi Driver

Also amongst the classics on display – ‘Taxi Driver’. at’s worth a chat. Did you know the

First lm of the season is another documentary, the North Macedonian Sundance favourite ‘Honeyland’, an absolutely fascinating look at a woman who is the last in a long line of Macedonian beekeepers, living with her ailing mother in a village without roads, electricity, or running water, eking out a living farming honey in small batches. Filmed over three years it is simply remarkable.

You can see the full programme at: www.nz lmsociety.org.nz/ Tauranga

lm was originally set up for Robert Mulligan to direct and Je Bridges (hot o an Oscar nomination for ‘ underbolt and Lightfoot’) to star?

at was before Brian De Palma got hold of it. Brian De Palma? Yep. De Palma, not Martin Scorsese got rst dibs at ‘Taxi Driver’ and decided it wasn’t “commercial enough”. So he passed it on to the young Mr Scorsese and a legend was born. ere we go. ere’s a bunch of stu to talk about when the friendly folk from the lm society pop out for a bite after their fortnightly screening.

A full 12-month membership is $120 and can start at any time of year.

To nd out more drop a line to Michael O’Brien at: michael@obriengeotech.co.nz

And, oops, I’ve run out of space. Jazz plug for the week? Keep Good Friday free! ere will be jazz from 11am to 5.30pm when e Historic Village becomes the TECT Jazz Village, creating our very own New Orleans French Quarter. Expect food, drink, and music from Dixie to the J-pop-jazz of Miho’s Jazz Orchestra. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

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

‘Taxi Driver’ is among the classics on o er in Tauranga Film Society’s latest programme.

Eleven diverse jazz acts to enjoy!

Get your tickets now – a massive, diverse 11 acts in the 60th Port of Tauranga National Jazz Festival’s Baycourt Concert Series this April will get snapped up quickly!

Organiser Marc Anderson says 11 acts will serve up sounds for all musical tastes from classical jazz, swing, rhythm and blues, to acid jazz and heavy funk –“there will be a concert to suit everyone!”

e Jac is Back’ is on April 6, from 6.30pm at Baycourt. e eight-piece ensemble o ers contemporary original jazz, pushing modern sound with distinctive compositions.

e same night, April 6, from 8.30pm,

e Rodger Fox Big Band celebrate its own 50th anniversary – and the festival’s 60th – via ‘Rodger plays Rodger’ with the band performing their latest recordings, and songs by arrangers Matt Harris and Bill Cunli e.

On April 7, psychedelic rock band e New Caledonia will push the boundaries with a creative and experimental journey of music from 6pm.

From 8pm April 7, ‘Piping Hot Dixie’

is Melbourne’s famous Shirazz Jazz Band joined by organist Scott Harrison celebrating the hottest trad jazz – and the Wurlitzer organ adding a dash of pizzazz.

8 at 1pm the Michal Martyniuk Trio with Dixon Nacey perform at Baycourt.

Michal will have new, exciting new jazz fusion material.

A beautiful marriage of Te Reo, Taonga Puoro and Jazz is what singer-songwriter Allana Goldsmith (Ngati Porou/Ngai Tai) and composer pianist Mark Baynes bring to Baycourt on April 8 at 6pm. e duo will perform original songs in te Reo Māori from album ‘E Rere Rā’.

e 60th Anniversary Gala at 6.30pm April 8 celebrates the best of Bay of Plenty jazz and blues across the decades.

Special guests are at’s Life, e Torch

of NZ’s most composers – from Oscar Lavën, Wayne Ryan Brake.

Auckland jazz-funk mainstay e Blue Train Reunion reignite at Baycourt 3pm April 9. And at 6pm blues-drenched jazz by Sassy & e Blue Riders, a singersongwriter Sarah Spicer and e Blue Riders, play a stunning portfolio of original music.

Soul and grooves meets Galactic Funk – Black Comet plays 8pm April 9 at Baycourt. e NZ-based ve-piece led by Laughton Kora is the one to watch! Get tickets now at: jazz.org.nz

Give canoe slalom a go with a pro

Lurching sideways and tipping closer to the river’s surface, I had a decent wobble but luckily regained balance – I wouldn’t be taking a dip in the Wairoa River just yet!

With their Canoe Slalom ‘give it a go’ day happening this Saturday, March 4, the awesome Canoe Slalom Bay of Plenty club coaching team gave me a taste of the sport this week.

Canoe Slalom BOP

co-chairperson Tim Rex says: “Slalom is on moving [or white] water and it’s manoeuvring through gates – so slalom is about speed and manoeuvrability as opposed to kayak racing, which is in a straight line”.

Pros Nico Baudoin and Adria Martin Castillo gave me a beginner’s crash course. Kitted up in a lifejacket and spray skirt inside a nifty 3.5m slalom kayak Spaniard Adria taught me forwards, backwards and side paddling. Being in Spain’s top ve for canoe slalom, Adria says: “I’d like to teach

kids and everyone I work with the knowledge I’ve learn”. A pro for 19 years, Nico says the three main points of slalom is balance, propulsion, and duration. “I like the challenge because you can always learn something new. It’s all technical.”

I nearly tipped from the kayak.

“Everybody falls out at some point. But paddlers quickly learn to ‘eskimo roll’ so they can easily right themselves again,” says Tim. “Our goal is just to give as much knowledge as we can in slalom classes for kids because then they can try go as far as possible in the sport like racing,” says Nico. Canoe Slalom BOP holds sessions year-round for novices, intermediate and senior paddlers – the rst three are free! With Aims Games in September, it’s the perfect time for intermediateaged kids to try the sport. e ‘give it a go’ day is 2pm-4pm Saturday, March 4, at Waimarino

Water Park, 36 Taniwha Place, Bethlehem.

Georgia Minkhorst

organ adding with Dixon Nacey

Oscar Lavën, Wayne

Adria Martin Castillo, novice Georgia, and Nico Baudoin on Wairoa River. Photo: John Borren.

Saturday 4 March

A Course in Miracles Are you stuck in the past, grievances and resentments? Get over it! Free forgiveness workshop that transforms your thinking from fear to Love. Text 021 0274 2502

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

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

Boules - Petanque Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available. Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome. Ph Ray 027 756 3565

Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd

1.45pm

Katikati Toy Library Familyfocused 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 Laughter Yoga Come and laugh your cares away every Saturday 10am -10.45am at Arataki Community Centre. lollaughterwellness@gmail.com or Ph/Txt

Trish: 022 036 6768

Otumoetai Tennis Club Adult tennis. Start 1.30pm. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd. (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players & visitors welcome. Ph Victor 027 577 1818 a/hrs

Rotary Tauranga Book Sale Seeka

Coolstore, Harvard Way, Tauranga, 3rd March 12-6.30pm; 4 & 5 March

9am-4:30pm. Bring your own bags/ boxes.

Cash/Eftpos Books, jigsaws, magazines, DVD’s & more

St Stephen’s Jigsaw Library Every Saturday 10-12noon. Hire for 2 weeks a variety of 600 puzzles. 100-2000 piece puzzles. Please wear masks. Cnr Brookfield and Highmore Terrrace

Taijiquan and Qigong Sat & Wed 9:00 am.

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 Where Water Meets (gig) Where Water

Meets are chamber-folk duo violin/viola and acoustic Guitar. On Saturday 11th March at 7 pm. Tickets from www.theincubator.co.nz

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

U3A Beachside Night Meeting U3A Beachside’s night meeting will be at the Papamoa Community Centre 7pm Tuesday 7th March. The speaker will be Steve Subritzky presenting his Eastern European trip

Sunday 5 March

Accordion Music Group 3rd Sunday monthly 1-4pm Welcome Bay Hall

$4 includes afternoon tea, players and visitors welcome come join us. Joy 0272 853 093

Brain Watkins House Museum Brain Watkins House Museum (est. 1881) on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Cameron Rd is open from 2pm - 4pm. $5 adult, children free

Falun Dafa Apply ancient wisdom in 2023 with easy, qigong Exercises in the Parks. Free to learn. All welcome. https://en.falundafa.org For details, Ph/text Judy 021 0425 398 Farmers Market - Mount Mainstreet

Every Sunday 9am-1pm rain or shine!

Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka (Phoenix Park) www.mountmainstreet.nz

Golden Oldies Rugby Are you 35yrs plus, enjoy socialising, and want something to do on Sunday arvos? Then Golden Oldies rugby is for you. If this sounds like you; please ‘phone Tauranga Old Stars 027 282 8821 or email taurangaoldstars@gmail.com for more info

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

Haiku Hikoi in Katikati A guided walk of the art and nature in this beautiful riverside park. Spot prizes, free icecreams, all welcome. Meet 10am at Haiku Park carpark

New Zealand Wars Centre Te Ptake o te Riri | New Zealand Wars Centre. Hosted by Tauranga Historical Society in the hall behind Brain Watkins House Museum. Koha appreciated Otumoetai Rotary Carboot Sale Otumoetai College Carpark

7.30am for sellers and 8am for buyers. $10 a stall. Text Brian 021 122 8735 or Bevan 027 461 2127

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

Plant Sale Quarry Te Puna Quarry Park - 10am-1pm - garden plants, indoor plants, crafts, preserves, tools and more. Bring cash for stalls and bags/boxes for plants Range Open Day NZDA Range Open Day - Last Sunday of each month.

300m rifle range at the TECT Park, open from 9am to approx. 3pm. $50/ shooter

Rotary Tauranga Book Sale Seeka Coolstore, Harvard Way, Tauranga, 3rd March 12-6.30pm; 4 & 5 March 9am-4:30pm. Bring your own bags/ boxes. Cash/Eftpos Books, jigsaws, magazines, DVD’s & more Spiritual Centre Psychic Cafe Greerton Community Hall. Doors open 6.30pm, starts 7.00pm. $20entry, cash (no-eftpos). Then everything FREE. Free Healers, Psychics, Spiritualists, Refreshments. Bay’s largest regular Spiritual Meet St Enochs Presbyterian Church

Join us at 9.30am on Sunday at 134 Sixteenth Avenue, Tauranga. Phone 07 5783040. God honouring, Christ following, Holy Spirit led

Sunday Scribblers Small friendly group writing down ones memories Chrome Cafe, Wharawhara Rd Katikati. Third Sunday of each month 11am-12.30pm Ph Gaye 027 274 8753 Email gayehemsley@gmail.com

Tauranga Organ Keyboard Society

Meets 1.30pm at Carmel Country Estate Social Centre, 11 Hollister Lane, Ohauiti, Tauranga. Play or listen to Organ, Clavinova, Piano. Ph Maureen 544 5013

Monday 6 March

500 Card Group Held every Monday (except Public Holidays) at Age Concern, 177a Fraser Street, Tauranga at 9.30am. Cost $2 Bethlehem Indoor Bowls Bethlehem Hall. Names in by 6.45pm. Open to all bowlers, juniors welcome, more info Ph Tom 022 532 5603

Art on the Strand Original art for sale. Weather permitting. 9am - 4pm. The Strand, Tauranga. Tauranga Society of Artists

Badminton Club, Aquinas College Tauranga Badminton Club, Mon & Weds 7-9pm. Aquinas College Gymnasium. Seniors & Year

11 upwards welcome. Casual players $10pp. Club racquets available. Ph/Txt

Noel 027 622 9797

Chess at Mount Maunganui Mount

RSA Chess Club 544 Maunganui Rd, Mondays (excl public holidays). Early program 6.30-7pm Late program 7pm onwards. Casual Chess allowed. Search

“Western BoP Chess”

Craft & Chat Come along with your craft projects, talk crafts, & learn a new skill. Every first Monday of the month. 94 Bureta Rd, Otumoetai. Email: communityactivities.otumoetai@ waiapu.com

Dutch Friendly Support Network Do you have a Dutch Connection? Coffee morning (1st Monday of month) 10am-12noon. $4 entry. Vintage Car

Club Rooms, Cliff Road, Tauranga. Ph Bernadette 07 572 3968

English Conversation Classes ESOL. Free English Conversation classes at Holy Trinity Church, 215 Devonport Rd. Every Monday during school term(except public holidays). 9.30-11.30am

Indoor Bowls Matua Primary School Hall at 7.15pm. New members welcome. Come and join us for a evening of fun and bowls. Phone Karen 576 0443

JP Service at CAB JP available at Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga, 367 Cameron Road. Monday 1-3pm. Thursday 9.30-11.30am. Friday 9.3011.30am

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

Keep On Your Feet Omokoroa

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

Papamoa Patchers Patchwork and Quilting. Meets at St Andrews Church Hall, Corner Dee St and Ranch Rd, Mount Maunganui. For more information Ph 021 188 5840 Taoist Tai Chi Arts Cultivating Stillness. New beginning classes MonSat, Tauranga, Te Puke, Papamoa, Mt Maunganui, Katikati. www.taoisttaichi. org for schedule. Ph Margie 02 150 0320

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

Yoga in Daily Life Time out for YourSelf! Stretch, Strengthen, Recharge and Relax. Mondays 9.30-11am at Ohauiti Settlers Hall. 27 years teaching experience. For registration contact Asunta 021 061 4394, yogaindailylife@pl.net

Tuesday 7 March

Arataki Coastal Club Arataki Coastal Club. At Arataki Community Centre, Mt Maunganui. Second Tuesday of month 9.30am. Speakers, outings, dining, morning tea and more. Ph 572 2908

Beginner Social Dance Group Commencing Tues 14 Feb 8-9pm,Wed 15 Feb 6-7pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, Welcome Bay Rd. Ballroom/ Latin/Rock&Roll. Just come along on the night Ph Sonia 027 322 1786

Boules at Bayfair A new year, a new sport, try Petanque, Russley Drive Tues & Thurs 12.45. New members welcome Boules & tuition available Ph 021 175 9282 or just turn up

Let your spirit fly!

is inspired programme is an Easter-themed spectacle. It is a collaboration of artistic talents with the Opus orchestra joined on-stage in each city with the respective choirs – Hamilton Civic, Tauranga Civic, and Rotorua District. Performances will feature conductor Peter Walls and soloist Chalium Poppy.

“We are thrilled to work with baritone and baroque specialist Chalium Poppy in our Easter Concert Series,” says music director Peter Walls.

Chalium enjoys a versatile career as a professional church musician, conductor, oratorio soloist, occasional operatic singer, music commentator, lecturer, clinician and teacher.

He relocated from North America to Mount Maunganui 2009 and has appeared as guest soloist for numerous choirs and orchestras in NZ, including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

As well as his solo work he’s conducted several

orchestras including Opus Orchestra, and travels extensively through Aotearoa as a guest choral conductor and clinician.

Chalium formed the Scholar Baroque Aotearoa in 2010 a semi-professional chamber choir dedicated to informed performances of early music with an emphasis on stylistic excellence. He’s the organist and choirmaster at Anglican Parish Mount Maunganui where he founded the Chancel Choir and designed the impressive organ of St Peters. e Chancel Choir regularly attracts large audiences to their carol services and choral evensongs.

More recently Chalium has enjoyed work as an adjudicator and musical examiner; work which he nds particularly important and rewarding as he seeks to encourages the next generation NZ musician. Let your Spirit Fly and celebrate Easter with the Opus Orchestra!

Baritone and baroque specialist Chalium Poppy.

Boules - Petanque Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available.

Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome. Ph Ray 027 756 3565

Cards 500 Mount Community Hall, 345 Maunganui Rd. 12.30-4pm. Friendly group. Car parks available. Bus stop outside. Inquiries Ph 027 658 6848. All ages welcome

Fitness for over 65’s Co-ordination, strength and balance classes for over 65’s. Welcome Bay Hall Tuesdays 11am. No class first week of school holidays. $8 Nadia 021 187 0345. Low impact

Fitness Fun Total body fitness walking plus weights, mat work, and dance. Venue: St Columba Church, 502 Otumoetai Rd, Cherrywood. Time 9.30-10.30am Ph Gloria 021 139 2448

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

Keep On Your Feet Katikati Catholic Church Hall, 89 Beach Rd, 10.1511.15am. Strength & balance classes for older adults. All levels of fitness welcome. Ph Sharnie 021 111 8617

Learn Salsa Join us every Tuesday 7.30pm at Elizabeth St Community Hall, 169 Elizabeth St, Tauranga. For your FREE class go to getyourcubanon. com contact kate@getyourcubanon. com Ph 021 744 056

Otumoetai Tennis Club Adult tennis.

Start 9am Tues & Thurs. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players and visitors

welcome. Ph Peter 021 542 172

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 Jennifer 027 206 0776

Social Badminton Shuttlecocks & Hens. Tues 9-11am, Fri 9.30-11.30am.

All welcome. Tauranga Memorial Hall.

Ph Lorraine 027 408 6211

Taichi Qigong Beginner Classes Te Puke Memorial Hall, Tuesday 9.3011.30 / St Georges Church Hall Gate Pa, Wednesday 9.30-11.00 / Te Puna Memorial Hall Thursday 9.30-11.00.

$6 All welcome, non religious.

Ph David 027 222 2824 Linda 027 948 6385

Tauranga Acoustic Music Club Greerton RSA 7pm. Friendly get-together, all instruments, all levels of ability. Come in & enjoy some live music. Grant 578 6448

Tauranga Film Society Showing

“Honeyland” (North Macedonia 2019) at Rialto. 3-film sampler membership $40. Join any time. Full

season membership $120. See: www. nzfilmsociety.org.nz for evening start time

Tauranga Patchwork and Quilters

Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 7pm; 2nd & 4th Friday, 10am. Art & Craft Centre, 177 Elizabeth St. Ph Jenny 07 262 3120

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

Yoga for All Welcome Bay Community Centre, 6-7:30pm.

Traditional, relaxing Yoga class.

Beginners welcome. $130 for eleven weeks or $15 one class. Bring a mat.

Info: Bhajan 07 929 7484

Wednesday 8 March 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

Adult Ballet/Plus Class Lots of dance styles covered. Lots of fun 12.30:

Anglican Church Hall, Beach Rd, Katikati Ph 07 577 1753 or 027 274 8753 Email: gayehemsley@gmail.com

Age Concern Walking Group Meet at 10am 8th Fraser Cover Burger King. 15th Maungatapu shops. 22nd Eden Cresent off Millers Rd (right off St Pauls Dr, left into Eden Cresent). 29th Bayfair Shopping Centre, Farm St Carpark. Ph Renee 07 576 6699

Avenues Friendship Club 1st Wednesday each month at 9.30am.

Tauranga Citizens Club 170/13th Ave.

Visitors very welcome Ph 027 406 1846

Badminton Club, Aquinas College

Tauranga Badminton Club, Mon & Weds 7-9pm. Aquinas College

Gymnasium. Seniors & Year 11 upwards welcome. Casual players

$10pp. Club racquets available. Ph/Txt

Noel 027 622 9797

Beginner Social Dance Group

Commencing Tues 14 Feb 8-9pm,Wed 15 Feb 6-7pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, Welcome Bay Rd. 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

Community Bible Study Join us for CBS bible study The Books of Romans. Wed 7-9pm C3, 252

Otumoetai Rd. Ph 021 225 5981

Fernland Spa Gentle Exercise Gentle exercise in warm mineral water. Suitable for joint replacements, arthritics & recovery from accident or injury. Good for strength, coordination and balance. Jennifer 027 206 0776

Fitness for over 65’s Co-ordination, strength and balance classes for over 65’s.

Welcome Bay Hall Wednesdays 9.15am. No

class first week of school holidays. $8 Nadia 021 187 0345.

Intermediate level

Free info & Advice Come and see the Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga at Welcome Bay Community Centre. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month and Greerton Library every 2nd & 4th Wednesday 10am -12midday

Healing Rooms Prayer Experience

Gods healing touch, whether physical, emotional, spiritual. 1-3pm

Every Wednesday. All welcome. No charge. Central Baptist Lounge. 640 Cameron Rd. www.healingrooms.co.nz 027 640 1263

Indoor Bowls Gate Pa Greerton

Community Hall. 8th Club night

7pm. 15th Club night & Mackay Shield vs Papamoa 7pm with plate for supper. 22nd Ladies & Garden Forest Marines Men’s Single 7pm. 29th Darby & Joan & Mixed Pairs 7pm names in book. Kevin 543 4044 Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd. Mixed Roll-ups 12.45-3pm Marching for Leisure A noncompetitive activity for mature ladies. Fun, fitness and friendship. For Tauranga team’s practice and contact details please call Glenice Dando 027 489 8841

Tauranga MidWeek Tramping Group 8th - Waiorongomai off track to Stope via Buck Rock. Grade moderate.Vitus 027 455 2914 / 15th - Manoeka Road end towards Te Puke Quarry Road. Grade moderate. Chris 021 0246 5518 Steady As You Go Age Concern exercise group, Bureta area, improve strength and balance $2 Wednesdays 2-3pm except 1st Wednesdays. Ph Betty 07 570 3215

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 027 311 8876 / 576 4546

Yoga, Private Classes Feel uncomfortable in a group setting? Or have special needs? I can design a class to specifically suit your needs/ capabilities. Ph Asunta 021 061 4394

Thursday 9 March

Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting All welcome to our friendly, open meeting at 7.30pm, Lifechurch Tauranga, 934 Cameron Rd, Gate Pa, Tauranga. Tea and coffee provided Ph 0800 229 6757 Boules at Bayfair A new year, a new sport, try Petanque, Russley Drive Tues & Thurs 12.45. New members welcome Boules & tuition available ph

021 175 9282 or just turn up Boules - Petanque Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available. Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome. Ph Ray 027 756 3565

Cards 500 Mount Community Hall, 345 Maunganui Rd. 12.30-4pm. Friendly group. Car parks available. Bus stop outside. Inquiries Ph 027 658 6848. All ages welcome

English classes Multicultural Tauranga Free Conversational English classes at the Multicultural Tauranga office in the Historic Village at 10am. Everyone is welcome Contact- enquiries@trmc.co.nz or 07 571 6419

FLexercise with Fitness League Exercise, movement, dance, focusing on posture, balance, stretching, strengthening & flexibility, all ages and abilities.10am, Central Baptist Church Hall, cnr 13th Ave Pam 021 117 7170 Indoor Bowls Mt Maunganui Every Thursday from 1-3:30pm at Club Mount Maunganui. Come and join us for a fun social afternoon. Looking for new members. Afternoon tea provided. Ph Russell 021 211 9205

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

Keynotes Women’s Barbershop Chorus Meet 7pm Wesley Hall, 100 13th Ave. New singers welcome, age no barrier. Enjoy 4-part harmony, fun and friendship. Ph Bernice 576 4848 Facebook Keynotes Inc. Otumoetai Tennis Club Adult tennis. Start

9am Tues & Thurs. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players and visitors welcome. Ph Peter 021 542 172

Sunshine Sequence Dance Group We welcome you all back to dancing. First night 2023 Thursday March 2nd, 7-9.30pm. St. John’s Church Hall, Bureta. $5pp includes supper. Enquiries Dawn 579 3040

Friday 10 March

Katikati Bowling Club Mixed roll up. Reporting time 1.45pm. Visitors welcome. Coaching available. Social activities commence at 4pm Meditation - Sahaja Yoga Discover your Self. Fridays 7-8pm. Always free. Sport BOP Offices, 406 Devonport Rd (next door to Squash Courts), Tauranga. Ph 022 303 5704 www.freemeditation.com

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 Seniors Indoor Bowls Enjoyable afternoon with other Seniors whilst playing Indoor Bowls at Papamoa Sports Centre. Names in by 11.45 , prizes $5 entrance Social Badminton Shuttlecocks & Hens. Tues 9-11am, Fri 9.30-11.30am. All welcome. Tauranga Memorial Hall. Ph Lorraine 027 408 6211

Tauranga Patchwork and Quilters Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 7pm; 2nd & 4th Friday, 10am. Art & Craft Centre, 177 Elizabeth St. Ph. Jenny 07 262 3120

LAST SEATS!

Churches Active In Our Community

A feminine figure

Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka, talofa lava, malo e lelei, ni hao, goeie more.

See if you can guess who this quote is from: “And so Jesus is our true Mother in nature by our rst creation. And he is our true Mother in grace by taking our created nature... He is our Mother, brother and saviour”. is wasn’t written in the 1970s by a liberal theologian. It wasn’t written by a feminist theologian like Mary Daly. Did you guess that this was written around 1390 by Julian of Norwich in the rst English language book written by a woman? If you did, you would be correct.

According to Julian, God’s motherhood demonstrated the worldly, graceful, and active property of God. She wrote: “In Mother Christ we pro t and increase, and in mercy she reforms us and restores us”. An image of God as mother can help human beings experience the comfort of the divine.

Jesus says in Luke 13:14: “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings”. Remember God wants to care for us as a mother hen cares for its chicks.

I want to challenge you to try to think of God as a feminine gure this week. Feel the grace that Mother God is o ering you. Feel the love She is pouring out upon you.

We look forward to seeing you!

Re: Jim Bunny’s reply to Patricia Wilson’s letter ‘Total Arrogance and disrespect’ ( e Sun, February 17).

ank you for saying our roads are crap! I completely agree with you.

Many, many parts of North Island roads have been completely destroyed by the cyclone and will have to be rebuilt, hopefully to a much higher standard. Locally, serious damage has been done.

In addition, the Government has taken the much-needed fourlaning of SH2 from Te Puna to Omokoroa, plus the interchange, o the 10-year plan.

We need houses built and with SH29 in its present state, how can we build houses if people cannot get on and o this very congested highway?

Astonishingly, the transport agency does not take congestion into account when planning future roading development. e Government spends money provided by vehicle users on cycleways for recreational users, and spends money on empty buses and massive

advertising. ey pretend that if they slow us down, lives will be saved, but they will not be.

Politicians should understand that people love their cars. We are gradually moving to electric, but it is the heavy trucks of all types and cars of all makes that contribute to funding our roads, and that money is being syphoned o . Get back to funding our roads properly.

Margaret Murray-Benge, Bethlehem.

Byline: Reverend John Carr, Wesley Methodist Church.

Re: ‘Wrong o cers’ ( e Weekend Sun, February 24).

Jim Sherlock’s letter suggesting people be employed to round up children absent from school – not a good idea. Why should we pay to look after other people’s children? Instead the parents should be warned and told to make sure their children go to school, excessive absenteeism, they the patents should be given home detention. e scheme would cost nothing and responsibility would be placed where it belongs. e scheme would also work for children committing crime.

A J Gilmour, Bethlehem.

Harlen, Mount Maunganui.

Re: Rob Paterson’s letter ‘Stadium lunacy –Part 2’ ( e Weekend Sun, February 10). TCC said: “the community stadium proposal is being led by Priority One” which doesn’t inspire any con dence. e organisation has achieved nothing of note since its inception in 2001, except to claim credit for things it had nothing to do with. Among its ‘key achievements’ in its 2020-2021 annual report were the Elizabeth Towers (Farmers), Craigs Investment and civic administration buildings. In the same report under the heading ‘Worthy mentions’ they wrote: “ e decision in 2020 to remove elected members from Tauranga City Council and replace them with a Crown Commission was brave”. P

BP Te Puke. Phone 573 5533 www. naturaltherapiesnz.com and www. naturalpetremediesstore.com

livestock

AC PETFOODS collect injured & unwanted cows & horses. Phone 0800 369 6269

trades & services

BUILDER AVAILABLE repair maintenance, decks, pergolas, fences, all housing work. Phone Roger 022 121 3356

HANDYMAN, decks, fencing repairs, painting, water blasting,

Yes, Chinese New Year celebrations are back on!

e New Zealand Chinese Folk Festival will now be celebrated this Saturday, March 4, at Tauranga’s Historic Village.

Bad weather won’t dim the lantern lights of Tauranga’s Chinese New Year celebrations this time!

After wet weather saw e New Zealand Chinese Folk Festival cancelled on February 4, the festival is how happening this Saturday, March 4 at Tauranga’s Historic Village.

e festival will be bustling with beautiful Chinese culture from traditional dance, music and lunar festivities – all among the golden glow of lanterns. “Would you love to experience the feeling of

walking through the ancient streets with hanging lanterns to indulge in the beauty of ancient China of thousands and thousands years ago in the Han and Tang Dynasties?” asks NZ China Friendship Society Tauranga president Tina Zhang. “Are you interested in knowing what ancient Chinese people ate? What did they wear? What kind of customs and culture did they have?” en get along to the festival and nd out for yourself! Running from 3pm9pm, the festival o ers free entry at Tauranga’s Historic Village on Saturday, March 4.