The Weekend Sun - 19 April 2024

More than 11,000 New Zealanders were killed on active service during WW2. And today, just before the ANZAC bugles prepare to break the dawn silence, e Weekend Sun celebrates one of those 11,000 who went, gave, and did not come home.

“Dear Jessie…”

It’s the story of unful lled love, a love mystery, involving a Katikati soldier who regularly wrote home from the battle front to a woman called “Jessie.” But who was “Jessie”? To this day no-one seems to know. We take a peek inside the soldier’s personal diary.

And in our second ANZAC story, senior Katikati College students unravel the soldier’s back story - a man who has been immortalised on a street sign, whose war memorabilia holds precious place in the local museum, and whose monument ticks every second of every the day for

passersby up and down Katikati’s main street.

e legend and legacy of Lieutenant Russell Newbank Walford is on page 4-5, Katikati College students re ect on page 6-7, and ANZAC services are listed on page 9.

Photo: John Borren.

Shopaholic or aged related forgetfulness?

I’m going to get myself “selftrespassed”, slapped with a self-imposed exclusion order which is often the preserve of problem gamblers. Except, in my case, it would be for compulsive shopping, or oniomania. Just swap out ‘casino’ for ‘supermarket.’

I’m putting it out there because there’s no stigma. Well, less stigma.

I am told oniomania is perhaps the most fashionable addiction, or socially acceptable addiction. Because we are all consumed by consumerism – all the advertising tells us buying up will make us happy.

But I’m not happy about being in thrall to supermarkets.

Yep, every time I walk into the supermarket, the check-outs all gleefully sing “ka-ching, gotcha again”. Countdown uniforms are smiling at me. ey know they have got me by the b… well, debit card.

But this has nothing to do with the duopoly’s alley cat cunning – nothing to do with whacky promotions, discounts or product placement.

It has everything to do with my forgetfulness and very bad supermarket discipline.

I can walk into the supermarket for half a dozen eggs, and walk out eggless because I have forgotten them. But I will still have spent $150. Do that a couple of times a week - ouch! I am addicted to the supermarket experience; I love ferreting around for things I want rather than things I need.

remember one thing. A list is a number of connected items written down – so you can’t have a list of one thing. And I would forget where I put my list.

Even when I need just half a dozen eggs I will always grab a trolley. You feel naked in a supermarket without a trolley. And it screams to be lled up.

Besides - my friend, Lemonade Lady, says being pragmatic is not always best practice. She orders her groceries online to save time, money and e ort. “But I always forget something and have to go to the supermarket anyway. Defeats the purpose.”

from my own darkened door step to call me a “rude unforgivable prick”.

It was the irritatingly entertaining Giles Brandreth – the Pommy broadcaster, writer and former politician – that prompted all this. He was on TV explaining his own forgetfulness. He goes upstairs, and when he gets here, he can’t remember why he’s gone upstairs.

I don’t see toilet rolls, I see large dark brown Greek Kalamata olives with the smooth meaty texture. I don’t see a loaf of sliced white, I see Castello blue. I don’t see a litre of milk, I see a cheeky Pepperjack cabernet sauvignon. And I don’t see beef mince on special, I see Blu oysters. I have a rather wide and expensive blind spot.

Ok – I hear you. Write a list. But when I realise I need half a dozen eggs, I tell myself I don’t need a list, surely I can

So now he attaches an old fashion tape recorder to the arm of his stair lift – the seat a challenged person sits on to ride upstairs. en presses the record button – and says “I am going upstairs to...” do whatever. When he arrives upstairs, he plays the message back to himself. He doesn’t make wasted trips upstairs anymore. We can all relate.

I have often charged o down two ights of stairs to the garage only to forget what I have gone for. I stand there raging, beating myself up with a string of profanities that even violates the cats’ sensitivities and has the neighbours ignoring me.

“Foul mouthed forgetter” they’ll be thinking.

To make the trip worthwhile, I put on a load of washing, sweep the garage oor or decontaminate the gym bag, which is always a joy.

And a colleague who ‘winged it’ - went to the supermarket without her usual note, got the ‘essentials’ – the blue cheese and mushrooms for a delicious sauce – but forgot everything else and had to make a second trip.

I have done some memorable forgetting in my time. Can you forget memorably?

Like when I invited half a dozen of my best and dearest to a slap-up Friday night sco . I was the only one who didn’t turn up. I forgot my own dinner party. But I didn’t forget one snubbed guest phoning

en I regenerate a few brain cells and charge the memory by doing a crossword and chucking some tin around at the gym.

But even that doesn’t help me recover a name that’s just suddenly disappeared without trace into the fog of an aged and fragile mind. Even the names of people I know best just desert me when I need them most, and they become mononymous “mate.”

I knew a woman who would forget a name but remember their licence plate number. “Here’s… umm DZ507!” How does that work.

Forgetfulness is frustrating but funny.

Whipped Baker Café owner, Frances Cooper in her Maungatapu bakery, says she doesn’t know “what’s going on with people” after her team have experienced abuse from customers.

Café worker copped a cup to the face

is is just among some of the assaults hospitality sta are battling, according to Whipped Baker Café owner, Frances Cooper. Earlier this month, Frances says a lady came into the café at the Historic Village and was pushing a young child in a wheel chair, when she was served her co ee by sta . “ ere's obviously been a communication breakdown or something. [ e customer] thought that she had been ripped o a dollar for her co ee.”

Frances says her café manager was calmly trying to handle the situation. “ e lady was just not having it and she said: ‘Nope, we're going to deal with this right now,’ and she apparently turned around, and threw the hot Americano in [our manager’s] face, followed by the ceramic cup.” Frances says the lady then grabbed her child and ran out of the café. en Frances’s husband,

the manager who had been struck in the face was “inconsolable”.

“I just don't know what's going on with people these days. We just want kindness. We just want respect. We're doing a job that we love to do. I'm incredibly proud of my sta and the way that they carry themselves.”

Yet, this is not the only incident of her sta experiencing abuse, says Frances.

Allegedly a day after this, while working up in their Maungatapu bakery, a sizable, male customer came in and “absolutely abused my [Frances’s] 16-year-old daughter behind the counter and threw donuts at her”.

is was apparently due to the donut prices. “When she got abused, she ended up coming out the back just absolutely beside herself and dry retching.”

Frances says since Covid-19, people seem to be much more intolerant and feel they have the

because every year the wages go up, and every year it seems like products go up. At the end of the day, if we don't put our prices up, we can't make money.”

e Weekend Sun reached out to Hospitality New Zealand – a membership organisation that advocates for people in the industry – to see how many reports of verbal of physical abuse they have had from our region this year. Hospitality New Zealand regional manager Luke van Veen says the organisation hasn’t received any reports of physical or verbal abuse from Bay of Plenty hospitality sta recently.

“If any of our members do experience this kind of behaviour though, we’d encourage them to let us know so we can advocate for measures to ensure the safety and well-being of workers in the industry,” says Luke.

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

Photo: John Borren.

The private thoughts of a really

Who was Jessie?

Acquaintance? Con dante? Love interest?

No-one knows – nearly 80 years after a WW2 soldier and the mononymous ‘Jessie’ exchanged letters, she remains just that. A Christian name in a war diary.

“It’s beautiful,” says Katikati Museum volunteer Pauline McCowan, who transcribed a whole year of the soldier’s 1940 war diary.

“He was writing to this mystery woman and we still don’t know who she is.”

Sunday, June 2, 1940: “Very hot. Wrote a letter to Jessie all afternoon.”

But tantalisingly, we don’t know what he wrote.

e soldier wrote often, in pencil and strong, owing, cursive. Said something of the man’s style. “He would often mention writing home to Jessie and his mother.”

So Pauline tallied it up. “Jesse got many more letters than anyone else.”

Sunday, January 9, 1940: “Wrote to Jessie. Posted air mail.”

And so on, every few days. “But no, no clues as to who she was,” says Pauline.

“We don’t even know if she was in New Zealand. Neither does his family.

“Not to this day.”

Sunday, May 12, 1940: “Wrote to Jessie between air raids.” ere was obviously a chemistry, but was there passion, romance.

e emotionally detached diary entries o ers the reader nothing.

Johnston, Maurice. All sons of Katikati, fallen WW2 heroes, names on a plaque. Manson, Smeaton; Marsh, Allan H.; Mountier, Russell.

Aah, there he is. e letter writer.

Walford, Russell Freeland, Lt or Lieutenant.

e last of 12 Katikati names on the WW2 memorial panel. Lieutenant Russell Walford, service number 1024, 20th Armoured Regiment. Died December 16, 1943, in the battle for Orsogna during the Italian campaign. Just 29-years-old.

yard when they were again caught in a maelstrom of German tank re, anti-tank gun re and ame throwers.

One surviving tank gunner recalled it being the worst experience of his life.

“ irteen tanks went in, nine were shot up, several of the boys killed.” It was his, the gunner’s, rst taste of action. “I wasn’t afraid so much, but sad. Fellows I’d been talking to a week earlier, you know, sti and dead. Never see home again.”

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Venture down Katikati’s Main Road to the War Memorial Hall and we learn more of the lovelorn soldier.

Cunningham, Victor; Holmes, Norman;

His tank had been knocked out while retreating from a position that had come under German re. It’s understood he was lying with other injured in a church

Think you have what it takes to run this city?

Nominations for the Tauranga City Council election open on 26 April and close on 24 May.

If you’re interested in standing as a candidate, come to our information session with Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp on Tuesday 30 April to find out all you need to know about nominations, standing for Council and the election process.

Lieutenant Russell Walford now lies in a groomed plot, 1X.D.20, at the Sangro River War Cemetery in Chieti, central southern Italy. e son of Katikati is now a son of Italy too.

“He was a nice man,”

A day in time. A page from Russell Walford’s 1940 diary. Photos: John Borren.

decent bloke

concludes Pauline McCowan, the Katikati Museum volunteer. “He talked about having a good time with his mates. He enjoyed sing-songs, he loved dancing, he was respectful, called his parents ‘mother’ and ‘father’.

“He was also a very good looking man.”

And by the time she nished transcribing his diary Pauline she felt completely in love with him. “It was such a beautiful and privileged task. He just sounded like a really decent bloke.”

Friday, October 11: “Received parcel of socks and hankies from Jessie. Just what I wanted.”

Much of the diary is the daily mundanitiesmanoeuvres in the desert, a dental appointment, a debilitating bout of “gippo tummy” and a more sobering moment – a funeral for the “ rst man of the regiment to pass away”.

ursday, December 12: “Train load of Italians (prisoners) passing throu (sic).Poor looking lot. Received air mail from Jessie.”

No mention of the horror, the blood and gore stories from the front line. Although he did write excitedly about seeing his rst air raid over Cairo.

Saturday, June 12: “Anti—aircraft guns opened up. Vivid ashes through the sky. Fair bit of noise while it lasted.” But the very next day he went to the movies to see Gracie Fields in ‘Shipyard Sally’, and then the following day sur ng and “great fun” catching dangerous and venomous Death Adder snakes, large lizards and spiders with their bayonets. We’re back on Katikati’s Main Street and it’s just gone midday. e clock tower right outside the

e soldier who didn’t come home: Lieutenant Russell Freeland Walford.

Katikati War Memorial Hall tells reads 12.02 to be exact. I check it against my phone – it’s bang on time. Excellent! Lieutenant Russell Freeland Walford, 20th Armoured Division, would approve. e clock raised in his honour at the grand cost to his family of £100 is ticking with military precision. But it’s not just a clock, not just a monument – it’s a symbol of time, mortality and the passage of life. e passage of one speci c and special life, lest we forget Russell Freeland Walford. e soldier’s diary and medals are now in the keeping of Western Bay Museum in Katikati.

In Memoriam – the plaque at the Katikati War Memorial Hall.

“So raw and so real”

5.30am

Pāpāmoa Memorial

Stella Place beach car park

Pāpāmoa Beach Road

Four Katikati College students are standing beneath a road sign at a rural crossroads south of town. It’s balmy, autumnal; the clouds of war that once hovered are long gone.

But the students are remembering those dark days, and a long lost local man – a man they sense they owe, but didn’t know.

“He is a huge part of the reason we can live in the peaceful and beautiful Katikati that we do.” Leilani Rooks is Head Girl at Katikati College.

“Selfless and heroic.” Hamish Tanner is Head Boy.

They’re delving into the story of Lieutenant Russell Freeland Walford – a son of Katikati. That’s the soldier’s name up there on the road sign – “Walford

Road” – it’s down Apata Way.

And to help them weave together the strands of Walford’s story, The Weekend Sun has put the students in the setting – the very road Walford lived on, drove stock up and down more than 80 years ago, the road that carried him off to war.

We also have some props - the soldier’s 1940 war diary and military medals out of the Western Bay Museum.

Hamish is holding the medals and feeling the moment.

“This is more than a name on a monument. This man had a life in Katikati. The medals are a real connection with a real person. It’s quite touching.” But Lieutenant Walford was dragged away from that life, away from the family farm near Katikati, to fight another man’s war.

PĀPĀMOA MEMORIAL DAWN SERVICE

MOUNT MAUNGANUI DAWN SERVICE

5.45am

Mount Maunganui Cenotaph

Marine Parade (opposite Hopukiore Mount Drury Reserve)

TAURANGA MOANA

TUMATAUENGA ANZAC

COMMEMORATIONS

5.45am

Waikari Marae, 62 Waikari Road, Matapihi

TAURANGA

DAWN SERVICE

5.45am

Tauranga RSA Cenotaph

1237 Cameron Road

TAURANGA CIVIC

MEMORIAL SERVICE

8.45am

Tauranga Memorial Park

Eleventh Avenue

MOUNT MAUNGANUI

MEMORIAL SERVICE

9.15am

Mount Maunganui Cenotaph

Parade (opposite

A day in the life of a fallen WW2 soldier. Katikati students, from left, Theo Turnwald, Leilani Rooks, Pippa Flett and Hamish Tanner peek into the diary of Lieutenant Russell Walford from 84 years ago. Photo: John Borren.

And to die fighting so these young students could live and thrive.

That was December 16, 1943 – the soldier was 29 – not too much older than Leilani Rooks.

She tries to put herself in Russell’s standard military issue boots, and struggles with it.

“Imagine - in just a matter of days all the male figures in my life going off to war, and me going as a nurse. I can’t get my head around that – way too crazy for me.”

The students are now huddled over a tiny red leather bound book – the Walford diary of 1940 - looking for insights that might help them build a picture.

Entry for Friday, March 8, 1940: “Chap by the name of Cpl Woolsey of the Royal Army Service Corps reckons we’ll be home by Xmas.” History would prove Woolsey calculation was very wrongby about five years. History also reminds us that in Walford’s case, only his spirit would come home.

“It’s so raw and so real,” says Katikati College student Pippa Flett.

The diary; Tuesday, March 12, 1940: “Chap Hughes suffering concussion takes violent fits and it needs four or five men to hold him down.” An observation from a military hospital bed in Italy 84 years ago.

Pippa is deeply reflective. “The diary makes me feel like I am living through him.

“Experiencing what he experienced.”

Difficult to grasp for generation which, gratefully, has never been embroiled in such a conflict. “But seeing how worn and how loved that diary

is, it’s an absolute privilege to connect with the man,” says Pippa.

A diary of carefully pencilled thoughts, a lot of it the very ordinary, the very mundane.

Tuesday, March 19, 1940: “Rained very heavily today.” But a weather report set against the backdrop of enemy tank and artillery shells raining down just up the road.

“Yep, even the weather,” says Pippa. “It tells me he was someone exactly like us going through a major event.” A major event which took the lives of 11,000 New Zealanders, twice today’s population of Katikati.

That puts it in perspective.

“I am not sure they truly understood they might die because it was such a huge adventure,” says Hamish. “But had they understood I don’t think it would have changed anything.

“We are just proud of... and, yes, very, very grateful to them.”

Hamish often wondered about the significance of the clock tower on Katikati’s main street.

It was erected by Walford’s family in honour of the fallen soldier. “Everytime I drive past it now I think: ‘Yes, that’s Russell’.”

It’s Katikati tradition for the college Head Boy and Head Girl to offer some youthful insights at the local ANZAC Day service. “This one will be very different for me,” ponders Hamish. “Because many of the local men who went and fought would have gone to Katikati College. And I will be standing here on ANZAC morning representing them.” Including Lt Russell Freeland Walford.

A symbol of the passage of time. Katikati’s clock tower ticks in memory of a lost son, Russell Walford. Photo: John Borren.

Anzac Day in Tauranga and the Western Bay

Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga communities have a range of services and events on ursday, April 25 to attend to commemorate ANZAC Day.

Pāpāmoa, Mount Maunganui, Pyes Pa and Tauranga will hold dawn services in the city while ANZAC Day in the Western Bay will feature dawn parades and services at Katikati, Te Puke, Ōmokoroa and Maketu.

Pāpāmoa

e Pāpāmoa Memorial Dawn Service will be held from 5.30am this year at the Pāpāmoa Memorial at the Stella Place beach carpark on Pāpāmoa Beach Road.

Mobility parking, medical services and toilets will be available close to the memorial site.

Mount Maunganui

e Mount Maunganui Dawn Service is at Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade, opposite Mount Drury. People can assemble at 5.45am, with a 5.55am march o followed by a service from 6am. A free park and ride service will operate from Kawaka St, behind Blake Park, to Maunganui Rd behind

Mount Drury Reserve. Buses will depart Kawaka St between 5am and 5.50am, returning at the end of the Dawn Service between 6.15am and 7.30am. Park and ride services are accessible for people with limited mobility.

A Mount Maunganui Civic Memorial Service begins 9.30am at Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade (opposite Mount Drury Reserve, Hopukiore). People can assemble at Mount Drury Reserve at 9.15am for a 9.25am march o .

Tauranga City

Tauranga City’s Dawn Service is at the Tauranga RSA Cenotaph, 1237 Cameron Rd, Greerton. Assemble 5.45am at Hayes Ave for a 5.55am march o and service at 6am.

A Tauranga Moana

Tumatauenga ANZAC Commemoration begins 5.45am at Waikari Marae, Waikari Road, Matapihi. e Tauranga Civic Memorial Service is at Tauranga Memorial Park, Eleventh Ave. Parade assembly is on the grass beside Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre at 8.45am. March o is 8.55am and the 9am service will take place indoors at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre if poor

weather prevents an outside gathering at Memorial Park. A park and ride and wreath laying are available at this service.

Pyes Pa will hold a Remembrance Service at 11am at Pyes Pa Cemetery, 403 Pyes Pa Rd.

Western BOP

In the Western BOP, Katikati’s dawn service begins 6am at Katikati War Memorial Hall.

At 5.45am, an ANZAC Day Service assembly will meet in the Katikati Library Carpark and march on foot to Katikati War Memorial Hall.

Ōmokoroa is hosting a dawn service from 6am at

Remembrance Cairn, Gerald Crapp Reserve, Ōmokoroa Point.

Maketu’s dawn service begins 6am with a march to Remembrance Rock, following march fall in at the Remembrance Rock, Park Road Reserve.

Te Puke will have a civic parade begin 9.50am opposite Te Puke War Memorial Hall followed by a service from 10am at the Te Puke War Memorial Hall. Attendees are asked to be seated

before arrival of the parade. After the service, people can move to the cenotaph for wreath laying.

To nd out more about ANZAC Commemorations on April 25 in the Tauranga region, see: www.tauranga. govt.nz/exploring/whats-on/annualcouncil-run-events/anzac-day/ service-information

For contacts and information about ANZAC Day events in the Western BOP, see: www.westernbay.govt.nz/ council/news-and-updates/news

A paws-itively amazing career

One of Betty Hall’s teacher’s told her she would never get a job when she left school, but after 35 years as an animal services o cer she has proved them wrong.

“I wish I could show that teacher now,” says Betty.

During her time as an animal services o cer at Western Bay of Plenty District Council she has had ups and downs, but her passion for animals and education has never wavered.

“ ere’s nothing I love better than to help bring information and change.”

Local Democracy Reporting spoke to Betty about her career and her future plans after retiring earlier this month.

Growing up in Te Puke with a stock agent father, her job was to help with the animals. is included horses, cats and huntaway dogs, but Betty gravitated towards the dogs.

A life member of Mount Maunganui Dog Training Club, Betty started with them in the 1980s where she learnt dog agility and how to train dogs. is gave her the con dence to apply for a job as an animal control o cer at the Te Puke Borough Council.

After applying Betty saw the job had been advertised again so she questioned this and was told they were looking for a man.

“ ey couldn’t nd someone with the knowledge, my skills, my training and so I started o part-time.”

In 1989 the borough councils in Western Bay of Plenty amalgamated forming the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

“ at was the start of my career and I never thought I’d be here 35 years later. It’s quite humbling really.”

e council had been “amazingly supportive” of Betty’s passion to educate people about dog training and care.

“A lot of councils stay with enforcement. It’s only with education that you’re ever going to make a di erence.”

e annual day is the nale in the summer Wander Dogs series, another council run initiative of dog walks in di erent parts of the region that start o with some training tips.

Even though Betty has received threats and abuse in her role the hardest thing is seeing neglected dogs.

“I cannot walk past a kennel when there’s dirty water or no water at all, or there’s faeces. It’s incredibly distressing for me.

“It’s such a simple thing fresh clean water and a clean kennel.”

All three dogs are rescues from the pound and Al e is the council’s ‘spokesdog’. e lively Jack Russel might continue his o cial duties from his new home but his contract is still being negotiated.

“I’ve got a lovely quiet place up there, which my dogs are going to love.

“I just want some peace and quiet and rest. I’ve got lots of hobbies one of them is my dogs and I’m grateful to have three.”

In 2016 Betty founded the rst Doggy Day Out, a fun day for dogs and owners involving training, education, dog agility and entertainment.

Betty estimates there were a few thousand dogs at the March Doggy Day Out in Ōmokoroa.

“Our Doggy Day Out now is such a huge event.”

e other is dogs that have to euthanised. Betty said she’s had tears with every dog she held while they were put to sleep.

“If I ever lost that then I shouldn’t have been in the job.

“If you didn’t have that empathy or sadness.”

e animal lover is retiring to Northland with her three dogs, Al e, Quinn and Neville.

Council animal services team leader Peter Hrstich says Betty is irreplaceable not only because of her skills but she’s very well known in the community.

“It’s not going to be the same without the Betty aspect.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Betty Hall with her dogs Quinn, Neville and Al e.

Maggie was so scared, all alone with a litter of newborn babies and no family to look after her!

She’s about four years old. After arriving in our care, Maggie went out to one of our amazing foster homes so that she could raise her daysold babies in the comfort of a quiet, cozy, loving home. Her foster carer did a fantastic job, Maggie and her ve babies thrive! Maggie's babies have all since been adopted and now it's mum’s turn. Maggie is a sweetie, she can be a little shy at rst but quickly warms up once you know you're here to give her pats or food! Give Maggie time to settle in and a space to call her own and see her loving personality shine!

Magnificent Maggie King and Queen of the Mountain

Racers are expected to ood

Mount Main Beach in anticipation for the King and Queen of the Mountain event this weekend.

Cheeky and cute, Mags will require regular brushing to keep her u y coat looking sleek. Come and meet her for yourself! Ref 596920. Phone the SPCA on: 07 5780245.

is will be the 77th year of runners speeding up and down and around Mauao in hopes of being the King or Queen.

“It is an event for the community where we want people to get involved no matter if you walk or run the event,” says event organiser’s subcommittee member Russell Lake.

e event starts on Mount Main Beach, opposite Mount Drury, on Sunday, April 21. Russell says runners will race along the beach, to the summit of Mauao, then descend and back along the beach.

Start times are 10.30am for the junior race and 11am for the senior race. e junior event has a $20 entry fee and the senior event has a $40 entry fee, however, if you enter on the day then it is $10 more, says Russell. “ ere will be a cash prize for the rst male and rst female to the top of Mauao. ere will be spot prizes, and cash placegetter prizes ( rst, second, and third) for the seniors event for men and women through the various age groups (dependent on number of entries per age

Feedback on the future of Keenan Road

To meet the needs of a growing city, we’re developing a plan for the future of the Keenan Road area in Pyes Pa.

We want to know what you think about some of our ideas for the new community.

group).” Mount Hot Pools vouchers as spot prizes, plus many others, and discounts at Mount Hot Pools will available on the day for competitors to relax afterwards.

“Funds raised from this event will be used by the club for purchase of equipment and to provide subsidies to club athletes to attend national and international championships.”

For runners 15 and under as of December 31, 2024 (Must be born in 2009 or later). Prizes for 1st to 3rd in both 15 and under plus 11 and under categories, as well as spot prizes. Medals for all nishers! e race starts on Main Mount Beach, opposite Mt Drury. e race starts 10:30 am. $30 entry fee on the day.

Broken into 16-19yrs, Senior, Masters 35-49, Masters 50+ categories. Trophies for winning male and female, plus prizes for 1st to 3rd in each category (at the organiser's discretion based on entry numbers), plus spot prizes. e race starts on Main Mount Beach, opposite Mt Drury. e race starts at 11 am. $50 entry fee on the day.

Prize giving will be as soon as possible after race completion - about. 12.30pm at the base of Mt Drury. Athletes must be present to claim spot prizes. For more information, visit: www.athleticstauranga. co.nz/kingqueen-of-mtmaunganui-2024

To find out more or provide feedback visit: letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/ keenanroad

Ayla Yeoman

Photo:

Have a go at disability sport fest Do the mahi that’s the tahi

A festival of disability sport in Tauranga this month is o ering have-a-go sessions across two days at Mercury Baypark Arena.

e Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport is on April 27-28 at three locations across the city.

At Mercury Baypark Arena from 9am-5pm Saturday, April 27, and 9am-3pm Sunday, April 28, there will be wheelchair tournaments and have-a-go sessions, including trailrider demonstrations.

At Club Mount Maunganui 10am

-1pm Saturday, April 27, there’s bowling, Petanque and croquet ‘Tri Games’. And Sailability will be at Sulphur Point, Tauranga Marina, from 10am-12 noon Sunday, April 28, with sailing sessions.

Anybody with a physical disability – including low vision and hearing impairments and their whanau, friends and supporters – are invited to the have-a-go sessions.

To register, email: suzanne@parafedbop.co.nz

For more information on the festival, and the have-a-go sessions, visit: parafedbop.co.nz/healthvision-festivalof-disability-sport

“Every class, every day, for a bright future.”

at’s the aim of the campaign ‘Kura Let’s Do It Tauranga Moana’ – a back-to-school campaign, encouraging kids to attend school every day, which is a fresh way to improve regular attendance rates in the Western Bay of Plenty.

e campaign – which debuted from January 15 - February 15 –is set to run again this month as WBOP students head into Term 2 on April 29. It will also run a third time in the July school holidays.“It is based on a similar campaign run in the Eastern Bay of Plenty in 2022 and 2023 led by Apanui School principal Simon Ackroyd through Pūtauaki ki Rangitaiki Whānui Kāhui Ako,” says Ōtūmoetai Primary School principal Zara McIndoe.

“ e campaign is being run by Whakatāne-based advertising company Whippet Digital and is being supported by WBOP schools and the Tauranga Moana Attendance Service.”

Positive messages

From April 18-29, the regional campaign will distribute inspiring, positive messages online from local celebrities and students, along with epic billboards, back-of-the-bus messages, memes, and much more to encourage primary and

secondary students to dust o their school bags and return to school. “We’ve made use of our local and national celebrities to send out some positive messaging telling children why school’s important and why they should come every day,” says Zara. “ e aim is to improve attendance and reduce absenteeism across the Western BOP.

“ e campaign will bene t all WBOP schools – especially those who chose to share and promote the content on their social media pages.

“We’ve used Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok and advertising through pop-up ads on gaming apps and electronic billboards across the bay and back-of-bus advertising,” says Zara. Covid-19 throughout 2020 to 2022, and teacher strikes in 2023 have meant some children and families have not attended school regularly and have fallen into repeat patterns of absenteeism from school, says Zara. “ is is a tangible strategy to address that issue and put out the messaging in a positive way.”

A bit di erent

Zara says data will be gathered to see how e ective the strategy has been.

“ ere will be comparisons made between 2023 and 2024 attendance data.

“If this really makes a di erence then we’d look at perhaps doing it again.”

Zara says the statistics show how desperate the issue is.

“Tauranga City’s regular attendance data – students attending school nine days out of 10 – is approximately 52 per cent. It’s really low.

“ is is a tangible strategy to address it. Rather than the schools asking how they can get kids to school, let’s try something a bit di erent.” e campaign is being funded through Regional Response Funding from the Ministry of Education.

Elevated Care in Your Later Years.

Te Manaaki Care Centre allows Pacific Coast Village to offer a full continuum of care – from independent living, serviced apartments to residential aged care. Te Manaaki is a continuation of this considered design, crafted to provide residents with luxury living as well as elevated care and with it an added sense of security in their later years. The Care Centre offers rest home, hospital level and dementia care.

Ayla Yeoman.

Back-of-bus advertising.

Photos: supplied.

Ōtūmoetai Primary School principal

Zara McIndoe.

Kiwi veterans feature on post stamp Kiwi champions want to take on the world!

Two teenage triathletes – who recently won Under-19 titles in the New Zealand Schools Triathlon Championships at Mount Maunganui – are now waiting to hear if they’ll head to Spain for 2024s World Junior Championships.

Mount Maunganui College’s Finnley Oliver took the Under-19 Male title on home turf with a 56:35 nish on March 21, at the Bay Radiology NZ Schools Triathlon Championships at Pilot Bay.

Hayley Cornwall of Palmerston North Girls’ High School – but who has strong family links to the Bay of Plenty – took the Under-19 Female title with a time of 1:06:07 – which was both her and Finnley’s last school nationals as Year 13 students.

Finnley enjoyed winning the championships for a rst time, while Hayley had previously won the competition in Years 8 and 10.

Now both athletes are waiting for con rmation from Tri NZ selectors that they’ve respectively secured a spot in the NZ team to compete at the World Junior Under19 Championships in Malaga, Spain, from October 17-20.

NZ Post is honoured to feature six Kiwi veterans who served New Zealand on overseas deployments in the armed forces from the mid-1990s on its latest stamps.

Kelley Waite, Vance Leach, Ange Coyle and David Bennett represent more than 42,000 living veterans who’ve been involved in active service and made personal sacri ces while serving in either the NZ Army, the Royal NZ Navy or the Royal NZ Air Force.

NZ Post head of collectables

All six pro led in the stamp series have been awarded the New Zealand Operational Service Medal. e medal is given for service that exceeds the normal requirements of peacetime service and involves a credible military threat from the enemy’s military, insurgents, or other hostile forces.

Rebecca Brierton, Ben Peckham,

Antony Harris says the story behind the stamps – released this month –is to show veterans are not just ‘elderly men’.

Antony says NZ Post worked closely with Veterans’ A airs and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association in developing the stamps.

“ e schools triathlon champs was not a qualifying race for Spain – but the Oceanias were,” says Finnley, who was glad he didn’t choke at the schools championship after an impressive performance at Oceanias.

In February, Finnley won a silver Oceania U19 Championship medal at the World Triathlon Cup weekend in Napier, while Hayley won a bronze Oceania U19 Championship medal.

“Based on the selection criteria, we should both head to Spain,” says Finnley. “But the selectors don’t announce this until [sometime in] April.”

“But our rst placings at the NZ Schools Triathlon Championships helps,” says Hayley.

“It signals to Tri NZ selectors that we both desperately want a spot on the NZ team for worlds.”

Finnley placed second overall at Oceanias, and was the rst male New Zealander. Hayley placed third and was the rst NZ female.

To qualify for Spain, Kiwi athletes need to be the top two NZers in their Oceania divisions, and within three per cent of the winner’s time. Both achieved this.

Asked about his future, Finnley has his sights rmly set on Spain for now. “I’d like to place in the top 10 at Worlds this year as last year my race was a

bit rubbish.

“I’d like to keep competing if I can but being young it’s hard to decide fully what you want to do. But if I could go pro, I’d like to,” says the 17-year-old, who is coached by Craig Kirkwood who also coaches Hayden Wilde.

Finnley’s grandfather and father got him into running young. “I swam with school, then dad bought me a bike when I was eight, so I started mixing them together.” He competed in his rst triathlon aged 10. And despite admitting training can feel “crap a times” he also reckons it feels good gaining strength and achieving goals.

Hayley gets out of bed for training simply because “it’s fun”.

“My dad – Adrian Cornwall [an accomplished triathlete himself – got me into the sport.

“I started with the Palmy ‘I Tri'd the Tri’ Series for kids aged four-plus. Mum is still an organiser, so she brought me, aged four, along on a pushbike – my parents had to go with me. Ever since that I never walked, I ran everywhere.

“I started swimming young but didn’t properly bike until much later – probably when I was 13.”

Now a triathlete – Hayley, aged 17 – whose parents grew up in Katikati, and with grandparents living in Katikati and Te Puke – wants to make her World Junior Championships debut. “ at’s what I’m aiming for at the moment.”

e pair nd out their fate this month.

Watch this space!

Merle Cave

Above: Mount Maunganui College’s Finnley Oliver on the bike in the Oceania U19 Championship. Photos: supplied.

Hayley Cornwall – on the far right – wants to make her World Junior Championships debut.

Forty years of radio nostalgia!

On Saturday, the Tauranga Village Radio celebrated 40 years of bringing top notch broadcasting to the Bay of Plenty!

e Village Radio volunteer crew and their loyal listeners had a party the week prior, enjoying live music, birthday cake and having a bit of banter at the Matua Bowling Club. “We had about 80 or 90 people there. It was a good time!” says radio chair Evan Turbott.

Marking the o cial anniversary day of Tauranga Village on Saturday, April 13, and 40 years since it started in 1984, the team brought out a historical piece of tech. “We were broadcasting out of the studio with the oldest transmitter that we own which is a 1937 Collins transmitter. It’s possibly the oldest functioning transmitter in New Zealand.

“We only turn it on and use it for special occasions.” Forty years of serving the community with nostalgic tunes de nitely makes the cut! Listen in at 1368 AM.

Vince Ford takes on cycle adventure

Having conquered the challenging Tour Aotearoa in 2023, Tauranga cyclist and accomplished author Vince Ford is eagerly looking forward to participating in the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure on Sunday, April 21.

Joining him for the popular annual scavenger hunt, map reading and puzzle solving by bike in Kopurererua Valley, will be his wife Andrea on her e-bike, and daughter Matija.

In 2023, Vince completed Tour Aotearoa from Cape Reinga to Blu in 22 days.

He says on the rst day of the ride, his group of seven cyclists faced nasty head winds.

“We were averaging 13 km/h down Ninety Mile Beach on the sand. It was a tough one, hard going.” Vince got into gravel cycling when the Tauranga to Ōmokoroa was built.

“My wife Andrea has an e-bike. We can go for a bike ride together and both get a decent workout.”

A speaker and trained teacher, Vince has written 17 children’s and teen’s novels over the past 20 years. He won the Tom Fitzgibbon Award for an unpublished manuscript and then

Saturday 20th April from 10am - 2pm

went on to win the junior ction and best rst book awards at the NZ Children’s Literature Awards, as well as children’s choice awards in the junior and teen categories.

Currently Vince is working on an adult non ction book about connection, and speaking about that to friendship, businesses and school groups.

Having frequently ridden through Kopurererua Valley, he’s interested in how cycle paths connect family and community, and is looking forward to Sunday’s adventure.

Run by the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise, the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure is supported by sponsors like My Ride Tauranga, Ingham Mora and Pak N Save, with all pro ts going to local youth charities.

Teams made up of up to six people, of family, friends and workmates, follow clues along either a 10km or 25 km trail through the valley, join in team challenges to score more points and can come away with fabulous prizes.

To register for the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure on April 21, 2024 go to: www.eventspronto.co.nz/event7032

We’re having an open day at selected retirement villages this Saturday, so come along and grab a cuppa and a scone. While you’re there why not have a stickybeak at our apartments or villas and have a chat with the residents.

To find out more visit bupa.co.nz/opendays

Georgia Minkhorst

Vince Ford. Photo: John Borren.

News from Bay of Plenty Regional Council April 2024

Funding for grass-roots projects:

Do you have a future-focused environmental project? Apply for Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Environmental Enhancement Fund.

APPLY NOW

This fund supports local, grass-roots projects that have a vision to improve or protect natural or historical attributes of the rohe (region).

It exists to enable the mahi of volunteer groups that are passionate about making change now for the future, who want to bring their community or communities together, and who recognise their role in making a difference in their own backyard.

Funding can be used for all sorts of materials and resources to help you achieve your goals, and you can apply for up to $25,000 a year.

For full eligibility criteria and the application form, visit the website boprc.govt.nz/eef

Or email our Environmental Enhancement Fund Coordinator on eef@boprc.govt.nz

School Sustainability and Resilience Fund 2024 Update

Applications to the School Sustainability and Resilience Fund have now closed with nearly 40 eligible applications. We are now excited to be involving the community in deciding how we fund community-led projects.

The fund supports schools and early childhood education centres to carry out environmental sustainability projects and prepare for the impacts of climate change and natural hazards.

The applicants who receive the most online votes get the funding to deliver their sustainability or resilience project.

Head to boprc.govt.nz/vote-now to cast your vote!

Farmer’s efforts benefit community

Over the past three decades, Brent Mountfort and his family have been working in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council to make environmental changes on his property for the benefit of the community.

Brent is one of hundreds of landowners who are currently signed up to an Environmental Programme with the Regional Council. If you’re interested in making changes on your own property, go to: boprc.govt.nz/land-management-officers

Safeguarding our Stopbanks (SOS)

Stage 3 is on track (weather permitting) for completion by the end of April in and around the Whakatāne River in Whakatāne.

Stopbanks are only as strong as their weakest link and are vulnerable to damage caused by inappropriate use, or vegetation or structures that shouldn’t be there.

We’re now well over halfway through the third stage, with 95% of earthworks complete, some fencing work completed or underway, and the ground has been hydroseeded in areas (lack of rain has meant slow grass growth).

The physical works involve removal of structures and vegetation, stopbank repair by placing and compacting appropriate fill material and contouring banks, and establishment of a healthy grass cover.

Thank you to the neighbouring community for your part in helping keep the community safe. More info at: boprc.govt.nz/safeguarding-our-stopbanks

Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Toi Moana works to ensure our region’s environment and its people thrive. Find out about the work we do at www.boprc.govt.nz

The Citroen C5 PHEV

The best of both worlds

In the motoring world there’s a lot of noise around technologies – be it ICE, MHEV or HEV, PHEV or BEV and EV and even more with abbreviations I can’t recall!

It’s no wonder consumers – trying to pick their way through the options and decide what will suit how they use their vehicles, let alone the changes to Road User Charges – are being cautious on what they buy next. I nd people often don’t understand the di erences between Hybrid and PHEV and what they are designed to do. Both are terri c technologies but very di erent motoring propositions and need to be considered as such.

e advantage of the Hybrid or MHEV vehicles in day-to-day driving is nothing has changed. ere’s no need to plug in and currently no RUC costs. e vehicle aids e ciency by providing low speed electric assistance for urban driving and a reasonable improvement in economy for urban driving. ese cars tend to have a lower-to-mid price point. ey’re also mostly urban commute cars with smaller engines and are compact in nature. So, if your motoring is primarily urban and low speed, these are a viable and popular proposition. However, that’s not the full hybrid story –there’s also the PHEV to consider.

e PHEV

PHEV presents an entirely di erent way of using a vehicle, and in many ways is the ‘bridge’ between a standard ICE or MHEV vehicle and the full BEV. PHEVs tend to be larger vehicles, more likely the primary vehicle rather than a ‘runabout’, so have greater capacity for open road driving with the advantage of an electric-only range. is is commonly around 40km-60km, which allows days of electric-only usage. In e ect, a short distance BEV. e di erence is once the range is depleted you still have a full ICE

vehicle with MHEVstyle assistance on an ‘on-demand’ basis with the ability to re-generate charge and re-instate limited range. What does this all mean? Well, both options provide fuel savings. MHEVs, on average, o er 10-25 per cent in savings – depending on technology. PHEVs o er 50-75 per cent in fuel savings depending on how the vehicle is used and charged.

e twist is for PHEVs there’s now a $38 per 1000km RUC fee, which don’t currently apply to ICE or MHEV cars – so while savings in fuel are much higher, the RUC will blunt the bene t to a degree. However there’s still a signi cant bene t to the technology. is is particularly true when used as the main family vehicle with the ability to travel ‘on demand’ without need to consider re-charging requirements.

e Citroen C5

e Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV incorporates a highly e cient and ‘green’ 1.6 turbo engine with an eight-speed full automatic with a 47km electric-only range with the ‘potential’ to achieve an average fuel consumption of one – yes, one litre per 100km.

Ah, but I here you say: “What about the real world?” And we agree.

And after more than 1000km of driving in

a variety of conditions – including electriconly around town and ‘brisk’ open road travelling, with and without passengers – plus running the climate control, listening to the superb stereo and enjoying the Comfort Class progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension, we averaged a nudge above two litres per 100km. is is an exceptional result, and for a decent period when more running was ‘around town’ we were in the ones!

If you’d like to sample this technology for yourself and see what it’s about – not just the tech but the vehicle’s abilities that set it apart– pop in to Shorland Citroen (and Peugeot) at 627 Cameron Rd, Tauranga city. Or call Craig on: 07 579 5080 or visit: shorlandcitroen.co.nz

Keeping the EV running

From spotting open garages as prime targets for opportunist thieves, to nding missing young and elderly family members, Pāpāmoa Community Patrol do all sorts to help keep their neighbourhood safe.

Now they need the community’s help back. e electric patrol vehicle that the volunteer group uses is coming to the end of its sponsorship, and they would like to purchase it to continue their operations.

Pāpāmoa Community Patrol leader Debbie Youngman says the total amount needed for the EV is $34,600 which includes the new EV Road User Charges and running costs for the year.

“We’ve been very lucky with Ebbett Tauranga sponsoring us for seven years.”

Investing into the EV means the patrol will continue saving on fuel costs heading into the future. “Before we had the EV, we had budgeted for $9000 worth of fuel for the year. So straight away that’s $9000 a year that we don’t need to fundraise for which means we can spend time patrolling rather than fundraising.”

Debbie says their EV supplied by Ebbett Tauranga has been fantastic, as a smooth and quiet drive. “When we are patrolling at night, it's quiet. So when it’s one o'clock in the morning and we’re going around the streets, we don't have to worry about the noise our vehicle is making.” Keeping a watchful eye on their

community, Debbie says: “We don't actually want a crime, we want to prevent a crime”.

“If we come across open garage doors or open cars at night, we stop and make the people aware that they've left their doors open.

“It’s about seeing something that doesn't look right, contacting the police and saying: ‘Hey we've just seen a whole lot of kids around a vehicle that's got a smashed window’.”

Yet Debbie says the volunteers aren’t just about preventing crimes, the patrol is also about public reassurance and “helping the community”.

“We look for lost people – children and older people that have gone missing.”

In the past year, the group has covered more than 25,000 km, completed 485 patrols, and dedicated 3248 hours of volunteer time.

Looking to keep up the good work with their EV patrol car, Debbie says they’ve already received some funds to help buy it.

“Ray White Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa have already done a fundraiser for us and donated $7445.”

And Papa Mo’s restaurant and bar held a charity golf tournament to chip in with funds too. “It would be great if the community could help contribute!”

Donate to the Pāpāmoa Community Patrol Givealittle page at: givealittle.co.nz/cause/urgentpapamoa-community-patrol-needs-our-help

Passionate about safer driving for life

Are you looking for a driving instructor for yourself, family member or friends?

Do you know somebody who has been unsuccessful in a driving test?

Or simply needs help to prepare for a restricted or full driver’s licence test?

Look no further. You have just found Steve Brown at Steve’s Driving School.

• Would you like current Driver

• Steve is a well calm & friendly, logical manner.

• Develop safer Restricted more aware &

• Steve is also and is available

• Please text or StevieB’s Driving School

You can now prepare properly for not just passing a test but to drive safely, for life.

Steve is passionate about helping people drive safely and genuinely wants to help improve the standard of driving in Tauranga. So, just what makes Steve di erent or a cut above the rest?

During the week he’s a driver testing o cer, taking about 200 applicants per month on driving tests. Steve wants to help young folk develop better habits every time they drive who will then come for any test better prepared, with lower nerves and know exactly what is required to pass. And they will also be safer, for life.

Steve is also an independent driving instructor and is available to teach at the weekends. From the ‘never driven’, to those preparing to sit a restricted or full licence test.

To avoid any con ict of interest, Steve can either

teach or test you – but he cannot do both for the same person. So, how about getting the real deal and be taught properly by somebody whose job is to know the road code intimately and is uniquely also an NZTA endorsed private instructor? Call or text Steve for an appointment on: 027 257 8383.

Steve Brown of Steve’s Driving School.

Pāpāmoa Community Patrol volunteers Anne and Wayne Herring with the EV. Photo: John Borren.

Jump behind the wheel with con dence and get the best quality car, at the best price, from the friendly team at Tauranga Cars!

With more than 20 years’ experience of importing cars from Japan and selling them across New Zealand, Tauranga Cars is a hub of knowledge, bolstered by a team who go the extra mile to match you with a car that meets your needs.

“We are all passionate car enthusiasts,” says sales manager Taylor Shea “We all like motorsport as well, as we are interested in innovations in the car scene.”

From performance cars to electric vehicles – Tauranga Cars does it all.

Taylor says he’s excited with the new generation of vehicles entering the market that promise fuel economy and high performance.

“We are starting to see that you can have a vehicle that doesn't really compromise on anything, in any department.

“It has the looks, safety, performance, and it also has

economy which is crucial these days with the rising cost of living.”

e team also runs their own MTA assured service centre.

“We can provide excellent after sales service to our

customers and o er a really a ordable option for them in terms of servicing, general maintenance and repair work.”

If you are looking for a new ride, Tauranga Cars has their end of nancial year sale this month.

“We are always happy for people to come in and talk about what sort of deal we can do.”

Mention you have read this article and you’ll be o ered the sale prices in May too!

Police preparing for Super400 this weekend

Dozens of police o cers from across the Bay of Plenty will be in Taupō this weekend to support the region’s police on the roads and in the CBD for the Super400 event.

ousands of racing fans are expected in Taupō for the event this weekend which will boast racing and concerts, and police

have been working alongside organisers to make sure the drama and speed is kept to the racetrack.

“With the in ux of people and tra c, we’re asking motorists to expect some delays and factor extra time into their journeys, and if you’re stopped, expect to be breathalysed,” says a police spokesperson.

“We want everyone to walk away with

positive memories of the weekend, so take your time, slow down, and be courteous of others around you.”

“If you see illegal activity happening now, please call 111.”

If it’s after the fact, please call 105, or make a report online at: 105.police.govt.nz

For tickets to Super400 visit: premier.ticketek.co.nz/

e friendly team at Tauranga Cars. Photo: John Borren.

After months of anticipation, the exciting new car brand Omoda has arrived in New Zealand.

Today we're looking at their first offering -the new Omoda C5 SUV, one of the most technologically advanced cars available on the market and priced from just $29,990 +ORC. We live in an exciting time. Technology evolves so fast, making possible things we could only dream about years ago.

New amazing products are introduced making our lives easier and more exciting. The car industry has always been one of the pioneers in this movement, bringing the latest technology to improve safety, efficiency and comfort. The launch of the Omoda C5 sees NZ get one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the world.

Futuristic look

The new Omoda C5 looks remarkable with its futuristic design, sporty SUV body shape, large star diamond grille and beautiful LED headlights and tail lights. This car has a massive presence on the road and it's impossible to miss in traffic. All models come with 18-inch wheels that not only look great, but offer a nice ride. GT models are available with optional Red Strike Accents on bumpers, doors, mirrors and wheels to create an even more sporty appearance for this impressively good-looking SUV.

Performance and efficiency

highway driving and overtakes. While we didn't take it off-road, the all-wheel drive system was very handy during recent weeks' heavy rain and gave us great confidence when driving in

Sony Audio, intelligent voice control, reverse camera, multi-colour ambient light (front row), synthetic leather seats and an array of driver-aid systems.

We can't believe that all of this is packed in a good-sized SUV with a price of just $29,990 plus on-road costs!

When you go up a spec to the EX model, you also get a power sunroof and tailgate, 360-degree round camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, open door puddle light and more.

In terms of specs, this car has more to offer than many in a higher price range.

Going electric

For those looking to go electric, the Omoda E5 with a WLTP range of 430 km is available. Priced from just $47,990 + ORC, this is one of the most affordable fully electric vehicles on the market.

Safety and warranty

The Omoda C5 meets the world's highest safety standard, and has an excellent five-star ANCAP safety rating. All Omoda vehicles come backed by an extensive seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty programme and roadside assistance.

The price as tested is $34,990 +ORC for the Omoda C5 EX model. The new Omoda 5 is available from $29,990 +ORC. Talk to the team at Omoda Tauranga, 114 Third Avenue West, or call: 07 578 1378 to learn more and to book a test drive.

Investing with a personalised focus

Jeannine Tolley has joined the advisory team at Forsyth Barr. She is passionate about creating strong relationships with her clients, helping them to manage their wealth to achieve their long-term objectives.

Forsyth Barr is a New Zealand, staff-owned investment business that started in 1936 and has 25 offices nationwide. While Forsyth Barr is well-known for sharemarket investing, the business provides a full range of wealth management services including portfolio management, investment research,

investment banking, cash management, investment funds, and KiwiSaver.

Jeannine joins David McConnochie, Andrew Davis, Brett Bell-Booth, David Le Breton, Karl Mabbutt, Paul O'Driscoll, Philip Kilpatrick, and Roger White in the Tauranga office. Their investment advice is backed by Forsyth Barr’s thorough research into NZX-listed companies and international markets.

“We work with individual investment preferences. For example, we can take into account companies’ Environmental Social and Governance considerations to ensure investments align with a client’s preferences, or an investor may need to have liquid investments where they can withdraw funds monthly or supplement pensions,” Jeannine says.

While many of their clients have larger sums to invest, their expertise can be accessible for smaller investors. “If people are interested in finding out more about any of these options, please call us and we will arrange a complimentary meeting.”

Jeannine Tolley, whose views

and opinions are expressed in this article, is an associate adviser with Forsyth Barr Tauranga. This column is general in nature, has been prepared in good faith based on information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and accurate, and should not be regarded as financial advice.

The time to talk to a financial adviser

There has been some real uncertainty in the interest rate market of late.

There is talk of interest rate cuts late 2024 or early 2025.

The country is in a technical recession the outcome from the OCR increases. Now is the time to talk with a financial adviser who can provide advice around whether to fix, float, restructure or maybe refinance.

The team at Rapson Loans and Finance are truly independent and can go to all lenders in the market.

With access to more than 50 lenders there are lots of options, each lender with their own niche.

Their team is committed to providing expert financial advice and tailored solutions that can provide just the right outcome for you. The banks are falling over themselves to try

We’re focused on helping you achieve your financial goals.

We are a team of financial advisers specialising in mortgage lending of any type including first home purchases, investment properties, up-sizing houses and buiness purchases.

We deal with banks on your behalf making the lending process easy and stress-free, and there generally no cost for our services.

We can also provide financial advice on your existing loan structure to help with interest rate savings.

Call 07 577 1209 | rapson.co.nz

and get new clients, with new mortgage registrations continuing to drop.

The banks are providing significant cash contributions and some very favorable interest rates if you refinance to them.

With interest rates at the highest level since October 2008 when the rates were dropping after the global financial crisis, now is the right time to talk with a financial adviser. If you go direct to the bank, they are not able to provide you any advice around what you should do in your situation.

A financial adviser knows what is happening in the interest rate market, and they can provide you with some sound advice. They take into consideration your goals and plans for the future and help you with the decision of whether fixing, floating or a restructure might suit your situation.

Tristan Hewett and Brooke Reynolds.

Jeannine Tolley at Forsyth Barr. Photo: John Borren.

You could be forgiven for not believing Darcia Mather when she describes herself as shy. In the live online auctions from what she laughingly calls her “sh**ty little shed” on a two acre lifestyle property in Oropi, she’s bubbly, chatty and fun.

“I’m quite awkward and introverted but you wouldn’t know that from my shopping events,” says the woman who started selling quality vintage items on Facebook in 2020.

“I’d moved into a smaller house, so it was a way of selling all my excess stuff. When I started, this form of selling was uncommon. I had to get someone in to help and literally create the system on the fly.”

Her ‘downtime’

For the self-taught light maker, selling second-hand items was a side hustle to fund the materials needed to make her distinctive statement lights.

They’ve been used on television sets, rugby games and at major events.

“Making quality lighting is expensive,” says Darcia. “My lights are made from metal by hand and Light Viking was the first to offer them on the corporate event scene. I’ve always insisted on maintaining incandescent light for the gorgeous glow.

“During Covid, the event industry was hit hard, so going back to dealing in old stuff was a good fit to bridge the gap and maintain my sense of purpose.” Darcia travels around the North Island supplying lights to large events, and spends her ‘downtime’ buying beautiful, quirky and strange items to sell. “I have no aversion to digging around in the dirtiest

sheds because that’s where you find the best treasure,” she laughs. “I bring it back to life because the beauty of old stuff is that it’s made of quality material.”

As a creative Darcia has a knack for picking great pieces. From fine glassware to vases, lamps, jugs, chairs and stools. Her shed, called the ‘Silk Purse’ opens occasionally to the public, but her online events on Mondays prove popular with customers from Kerikeri right down to Bluff.

“I’m good at describing the items; the weight, size and details. I love it when people get their purchase and message me that it’s even better than they thought it would be,” says Darcia. “It’s a little like Antiques Roadshow. It appeals to people who like vintage stuff.”

Living rurally

When she’s not gigging or hunting out cool stuff, Darcia enjoys life living rurally. “I’m so grateful to live here. The Oropi community is wonderful. You’re so aware of your neighbours.”

Darcia doesn’t have space for livestock but is conscious of moving towards self-sustainability.

“My plan is to grow cabbages and give them away to organisations for people in need. I’ve always contributed to my community and this assists in the habit of growing my own food.” Chickens are next on the wish-list. Until then, she’s happy maintaining the ever-growing food supply. “I have a passion for birdlife, and I delight in insects, so even if the grass is a little shaggy at times, it feels okay because the native birds and the bees have food. The beauty of nature is what gives me happiness.”

Darcia Mather. Photo: David Hall.

Flu vaccine funded for one million Kiwis in 2024

From this month, about one million Kiwis are eligible to get the funded in uenza vaccine for free.

Back in February, Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga, made the announcement, with Pharmac’s director pharmaceuticals Geraldine MacGibbon saying: “ e u vaccine

is free for those who are most vulnerable to becoming very sick if they get the u”.

for free, you don’t have that funded access now.

vaccines are publicly funded, we work with external experts when making these di cult decisions.

Fixed budget

New enhanced formula

“For the 2024 u season the vaccine is funded for all people 65 years and over, people with long-term conditions – like asthma and diabetes – plus those pregnant, and people with speci c mental health conditions or addiction issues.”

In 2022 and 2023 Pharmac widened access to the u vaccine with funding made available as part of the government’s response to Covid-19 and its impacts. Pharmac used the ring-fenced Covid-19 treatment budget to pay for children up to age 12, and all Māori and Paci c people aged 55-64.

Geraldine says this funding has now ended so these groups are no longer eligible in 2024.

“We know it is di cult to hear that while you or your whānau were able to access the u vaccine in the past

“ e funding of the u vaccine comes from our combined pharmaceutical budget – this is the xed budget set by the Government, which we use to fund all medicines and vaccines.

“We have to make really di cult decisions about what’s funded from this xed budget for NZers.”

Eligibility for funding of the u vaccine is targeted to those at highest risk of becoming ill from the in uenza virus.

As such, Geraldine says Pharmac has sought clinical advice from its Immunisation Advisory Committee to determine eligibility.

“While it is ultimately our role to decide which medicines and

“We’re guided by robust evidence and the expertise of clinicians and the healthcare sector, and wider public.”

Chat with loved ones ose who don’t qualify for the funded vaccine can pay to be vaccinated at GP clinics, pharmacists and other private immunisation providers.

Some people might be able to get a free vaccination through their employer’s occupational health programme.

“It continues to be important to keep our communities safe and well, and protected from the damaging e ects of the u – so we encourage people to chat with whānau, friends and their healthcare practitioner about the opportunity to get vaccinated,” says Geraldine.

Can I improve my joints? Part 2

I recently spoke with a client I’ve been helping with painful knee osteoarthritis. When we rst spoke, he needed strong pain relief just to walk for exercise. After six months he said the pain had completely gone.

Any successful programme to improve joints a ected by osteoarthritis should address the underlying disease processes. is disease is characterised by cartilage loss due to mechanical and biochemical processes. Central to osteoarthritis is loss of cartilage caused by progressive damage to specialised cells called chondrocytes. ese cells live in the matrix of cartilage and are responsible

for maintaining and repairing cartilage by secreting new cartilage where required. However, these cells are vulnerable to destructive processes brought about by trauma, such as sports injury or a disease process called oxidative damage. is just means cells and cell structures have been damaged by free radicals. e main source of discomfort in osteoarthritis is in ammation in the joint capsule resulting in pain, swelling and in some cases heat and redness. While bone on bone can only be repaired by surgery, discomfort from in ammation and cartilage loss can respond very well to nutritional therapy. While curcumin, from turmeric, can help with in ammation, the most important joint support

compound is high grade chondroitin sulphate. Research suggests at least 800mg daily. I like to start most on an intensive programme delivering 1600mg of both chondroitin and glucosamine and 400mg of a 100 per cent water soluble curcumin extract. is combined with therapeutic doses of Omega 3 sh oil can make a real di erence. For more information. give me a call or email: john@abundant.co.nz Or 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.

Neil Patterson and his 16-year-old son, Daniel Patterson, who has a rare disease known as Wiskott-AldrichSyndrome.

Solitude and loneliness

"Being alone is actually just a state; it means you are not with other people. Loneliness is an emotion, which describes a feeling of sadness attributed to not having connection” - Sarah Adler. Noticing the emotions that create loneliness within is the rst step to disarming them. Acknowledging them so you can lower their intensity may help you begin to gain perspective… and emotions are like clouds, they are always moving, changing, oating. Connecting with others is vitally

Across the globe to treat rare disease

After misdiagnosis and lack of diagnosis, one Tauriko family will be moving to Italy so their son can receive treatment for a rare disease.

Sixteen-year-old Daniel Patterson was born with Wiskott-Aldrich-Syndrome (WAS) – a rare genetic immunode ciency that prevents his immune system from functioning properly. is means it’s di cult for Daniel’s bone marrow to produce platelets, making him susceptible to internal bleeding. “[Doctors] were going to do a bone marrow transplant when he was a baby, but there wasn’t a suitable match,” says Daniel’s dad, Neil Patterson. Neil says the risk of transplant at that stage was also too high.

Over the past few years, Daniel’s condition has developed into an autoimmune disease. In December 2022, Daniel started having severe stomach problems. “We took him into the hospital and after blood transfusions, platelet transfusions, colonoscopy and endoscopies – they found out he has in ammatory bowel disease.” is was found to be ulcerative colitis. en in April 2023, Daniel started having intense leg pains. “He couldn’t stand. He couldn’t even sit in the car… his legs would go bright red. “We took him to the GP – they didn’t know. We went to his paediatrician and he said: ‘It’s probably nothing,’ – which it wasn’t. ey didn’t test.” His haematologist from Waikato didn’t know what was wrong either, says Neil. With his wife, Apple,

Neil then took his son to ailand, where the problem with Daniel’s leg was diagnosed as lupus vasculitis. Neil says Daniel now requires a stem cell transplant, before the lupus vasculitis attacks his organs and causes irreparable damage.

With New Zealand medical sta making “so many errors in the past”, Neil and Apple are opting for Daniel to have a bone marrow transplant in Italy, where they will need to be based for six months to a year. “When they [NZ medical workers] misdiagnose things and didn’t diagnose things and just left Daniel in pain, I was like: ‘How can we trust them with something as huge as this?’”

Speaking with the Italian doctors via video call on Tuesday, Daniel will either have a stem cell transplant using bone marrow from Neil, a suitable donor or by gene therapy using his own bone marrow – the latter still being under trial. e cost of the transplant will be more than €300,000, plus outpatient medication – about NZ$541,000.

“We’ve re-mortgaged the house. We’ll sell one of the cars, and Apple’s borrowed money from the family, then we’ll use some of our savings but that’s just some of the costs.” Daniel will need to then spend four to six weeks in hospital after the procedure, and then six months or more as an outpatient with weekly check-ups twice a week. To help support visit: givealittle.co.nz/cause/ stem-cell-transplant-needed

important, however, connecting more deeply with yourself is equally important. Learning how to be happy alone by feeling more connected with yourself is a learned skill, and observe when you get stuck in judgement and negative thinking around loneliness as it can have an impact on your desire to interact with others.

Georgia Minkhorst

Daniel Patterson and his mum Apple Patterson in hospital in Tauranga.

Photo: Supplied.

Photo: John Borren.

BOP Symphonia returns for 2024 season

Bay of Plenty Symphonia will perform their rst 2024 concert next month – and you can win tickets to devour the musical feast!

‘Fate and Destiny: Beethoven and Brahms’ on May 5, is a collaboration with local chamber choir Scholars Baroque Aotearoa to present masterpieces great and small.

Pauline Logger says the Symphonia

will tackle Beethoven’s towering Symphony No. 5 - arguably the most famous piece of classical music ever written - with its legendary theme: ‘Fate knocking on the door’. “New conductor

William McElwee will guide the audience and orchestra through this spine-tingling masterpiece of sublime drama – orchestral music at its very heights!

“Another German masterwork accompanies this, where Scholars Baroque Aotearoa join the orchestra for Schicksalslied by Brahms – ‘ e Song of Destiny’.

“Brahms weaves a contrasting fabric of peaceful heavenly sounds, and the bu eting fury and whirlwind of earthly life.”

e concert opens with ‘In Memoriam’, a miniature masterpiece by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch. “ en Scholars Baroque Aotearoa take to the stage with their maestro

Chalium Poppy to perform JS Bach’s funeral motet Jesu, meine Freude – ‘Jesus, my joy’. Completing the concert is Sibelius’ ‘Valse Triste’. ‘Fate and Destiny: Beethoven and Brahms’ is on Sunday, May 5, at 3pm at Holy Trinity Church, Devonport Rd. Online tickets cost Adults $20 plus booking fee at: event nda.co.nz or phone: 0800 BUY TIX (289 849). Under-18s gain free entry. Door sales cost $25 per adult.

The DIVAS! phenomenon adds second show

Events Innovated has announced an additional show for DIVAS! after the rst night sold-out in record time. e show, playing at Baycourt eatre, celebrates some of the greatest female artists and vocalists of the past six decades. e new performance will be played on Sunday, May 5.

e fervor for DIVAS! has seen incredible demand, as it commemorates hit songs from the best in the business, including Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, ABBA, Beyonce, Adele, Shania Twain, Nina Simone and many, many more.

e show will be performed by leading New Zealand entertainers, e Lady Killers. e allstar group encompasses national treasures Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross, Suzanne Lynch and their multi-talented live band.

Billed as the ultimate party showcase and packed with songs that are loved crowd-favourites, Events Innovated says the excitement around the show has been electric.

“ e demand for tickets has been amazing. Luckily everything fell into place to get a second show for Tauranga, so it’s going to be a great

New conductor William McElwee will guide Bay of Plenty Symphonia through ‘Fate and Destiny: Beethoven and Brahms’ on May 5. Photo: supplied.

e Weekend Sun has two double passes to May 5’s ‘Fate and Destiny: Beethoven and Brahms’ concert to give away to two lucky readers who can

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is seeking feedback from the community to help shape their community’s art scene.

Proposed changes to the policy aim to clarify roles and responsibilities in the provision of public art and have clear objectives about what public art achieves for the district.

Public art is any artwork in a public space like parks, buildings, or streets. It can take many forms such as sculptures, murals, digital art/ projections, nature-based art, and sound art. It can be permanent or temporary.

e majority of public art in the district is provided by community groups, rather than funded by council.

“Public art helps to enhance and enliven our

e Lady Killers.

tell us who is the concert’s conductor. Enter online at: www.sunlive.co.nz under the ‘Competitions’ tab. Entries close Tuesday, April 23.

weekend for people to enjoy some of the biggest hits ever made.”

General tickets are on sale now, with pre-sales already snapped up meaning there are only limited tickets left for this nal show. Tickets are available from: www.divas.co.nz or the Baycourt box o ce. DIVAS! is proudly presented by Events Innovated, and partnered by e Weekend Sun and e Breeze 95.8 FM Tauranga.

Help paint a picture for public art

experience of public space. It contributes to a sense of pride and belonging in our district, supports thriving communities and showcases the creativity of our artists,” says WBOPDC policy and planning manager Matthew Leighton.

Council has worked with tāngata whenua and community groups involved in public art to help make improvements to the current policy. For more information and to provide your feedback on the draft policy, visit: haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/publicart

To provide feedback to council in person, email: haveyoursay@westernbay.govt.nz by April 30 to secure a timeslot. Feedback closes 5pm, Tuesday, April 30.

By Winston Watusi

New music and a little weather

“You don't write about English anymore.”

at's what a guy said in the supermarket the other day and he was completely correct.

e thing is, the column has shrunk a bit due to space availability in e Weekend Sun, so I gure it best to prioritise music over more tangential ramblings.

But it's been a quiet week so here's a piece of grammatical minutia you might not have previously considered: e Weather Verb.

Kiwis, particularly those of English heritage, talk not-infrequently about the weather. It does tend to pop up in conversation. So we should be grateful the English language has a special exception, just to make it easier to do so. It's one of those “hiding in plain sight” things we use every day when we say – as I could right now - “it is raining”. Or “it is freezing”.

You may not immediately spot anything odd with that statement until you ask the question: what is the mysterious “it” doing all this stu ?

Well, “it” is not really anything. It's called a Dummy Subject and you can only have one of those with a Weather Verb.

In any other similar statement, not about the weather, the “it” is actually something. Check it out. But not here. Here ‘it’ is purely to make discussing weather easier. After all, does anyone seriously want to say “the sky is raining”?

And onto... music, and a new local song released at Easter which has been oating my boat. It's from an artist simply called Weston. 'Low Life' is her rst single, a collaboration with producer Paulie, who

as Paul Moran used to sing and play guitar with local quartet Somacaine, still active as a three-piece. Recorded partly at his home studio in Omokoroa and partly in Windemere, 'Low Life' combines grungy guitar ri s with synth bass and atmospheric e ects while remaining an e ective catchy rock song. Weston has a hint of the Gin Wigmores about her voice, just a hint, which is striking and attractive. ere's even a false ending and reprise. Now available in the usual places it's a promising “Bad Girl” introduction, with two more releases scheduled shortly and gigs in the pipeline.

Crooked Finger also have two complementary new songs out, complete with videos. Both songs - “Set Her Mind Free” and its male parallel “Feeling So Raw” - focus on breaking the cycle of violence. ey're impressively serious

without being clichéd and Evan Pope at Mount Maunganui's 11b Studio has done a superb job with the sound, locking the band into complex modern-sounding feels that complement singer/songwriter Sandra Muir's vocals. “Feeling So Raw” also features splendid support shredding from guitarist Rawiri White. OK. I'll nish with a couple of somewhat eclectic imminent gigs: at the Jam Factory, Sunday 21, a songwriters showcase with Regan Perry, Lucy Dibble, Whiskey Soho and Frances Ellen; at Totara Street, Sunday 26, three South American bands, Arakpachitas, Guitardeon, and Frente Sudaka. Tell them Winston sent you!

Listen to Winston's latest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/36I1tI8 hZITqwrEoLkZ29h?si=c265e0408fc14e9f

without being clichéd

Regan Perry. Whiskey Soho. Weston.

Crooked Finger.

Medieval splendour of Shakespeare

With a whimsical fusion of history and merriment, Tauranga Historic Village is being transformed into a lively tapestry of medieval splendour during the enchanting ‘Shakespeare in the Village’ event on Sunday, April 21.

Against the backdrop of the paved streets and turn-of-the-century buildings that give an age-old air, expect to be transported back in time to an era of chivalry, poetry and pageantry.

From the spirited clash of medieval sportsmanship to the delicate twirls of the maypole, the village will be resonating with the spirit of Elizabethan England. Be prepared to engage in axe throwing, archery, and enjoy enthralling duelling and combat demonstrations, curated by Alex Holloway of NZ Screen and Stage Combat School.

e festival’s director Harry Oram says they recognised a chance to reinvigorate the community’s connection with classical literature and live theatre through a new festival.

“It was also a great opportunity to introduce fresh faces and innovative

approaches to Shakespearean storytelling.”

e day-long ‘Shakespeare in the Village’ celebration, now in its second year, begins at 10am with an opening ceremony will be a rich Shakespearean cultural experience.

e Shakespeare Unplugged Exhibition, organised by Ann Dugmore in e Peoples Gallery - Toi Ka Rere, showcases local artists’ own unique interpretation of the bard, his plays, sonnets and the Elizabethan age. Highlights include artisan stalls, and a medieval market

commencing at 11am. e poetry and performance workshops include a love sonnet poetry workshop led by Jenny Argante from Tauranga Writers, and a special screening of ‘Shakespeare in Love’. is year’s festival also includes a partnership with 16th Avenue eatre, presenting ‘Macbeth’ at the theatre from April 15 to 23.

‘Shakespeare in the Village’ is being held from 10am - 6.30pm, on Sunday, April 21, at Tauranga Historic Village.

Tauranga Shakespeare Festival, Sunday April 21 at e Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue West.

10am Opening Ceremony with Maypole Dancing Art Gallery Opens with “Shakespeare Unplugged” (Open all day)

10.30am Stalls and market opens includes variety of Shakespearean and medieval stalls, activities, riddles, food and drinks, and a kids’ costume corner 11am Games on the green (skittles and hobby horse) New Zealand Stage and Screen Combat School – archery and axe throwing (additional fee) New Zealand Stage and Screen Combat

"Police are continuing to provide support to John’s whānau.

"A post mortem has been completed and the results have been referred to the Coroner.

"Police have also noti ed the incident to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA)."

John's body was discovered during a shoreline search on April 15.

School medieval combat demonstration

12pm Midday poetry workshop with Jenny Argante at the Village Cinema (Additional fee) Elizabeth bring-yourown picnic at e Incubator Creative Hub

2.30pm Screening of “Shakespeare in Love” at the Village Cinema

3.30pm Monologue competition at the amphitheatre (Cash Prize)

4.30pm – 6.30pm Various performances of dance, theatre and music at the amphitheatre

Delivering by 2030

Man found dead in Mount Police have named the man who they say died after running into the sea at Mt Maunganui earlier this week.

He was John Rawiri Piripi Pitihira, aged 37, from Mount Maunganui.

Road safety petition

Residents of a beachside suburb in Tauranga fed up with speeding and noise on their street are urging council to take action.

Rebecca Roe and Jan Neale live on Pāpāmoa Beach Road and presented a petition to Tauranga City Council last week.

It said their stretch of road from Domain Road to Palm Beach Boulevard was in breach of “tolerant levels” of health

e National-led government is proud to announce nine ambitious Government Targets to help improve the lives of New Zealanders.

ese targets cover a number of incredibly important areas and are focussed on improving the lives of Kiwis in Tauranga and across NZ. e nine Government Targets to be delivered by 2030 include:

1. Shorter stays in emergency departments, with 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from ED within six hours.

2. Shorter wait times for elective medical treatment.

3. Reduced child and youth o ending.

4. Reduced violent crime, including 20,000 fewer people who are victims of an assault, robbery, or sexual assault.

5. 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Bene t

6. Increased student attendance, with 80 per cent of students are present for more than 90 per cent of the term.

7. More students at expected curriculum levels, with 80 per cent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.

8. 75 per cent reduction of households in emergency housing.

9. Reduced net greenhouse gas emissions: On track to meet New Zealand’s 2050 net zero climate change targets.

It is crucial we rebuild our economy so that we can a ord to invest in the public services that New Zealanders deserve. We are an incredibly ambitious government. People of Tauranga and New Zealand deserve better and our government is committed to enabling you to live the Kiwi dream and reach your potential.

and safety because of excessive road noise, speed and congestion. ey gathered 42 signatures from people who lived on that part of Pāpāmoa Beach Road.

Neale told Local Democracy Reporting people speed along the long straight stretch of road and he wants the council to work with police to install a xed speed camera.

Musical award

Tauranga singer and songwriter Jeremy Redmore is on a mission to develop children songs that won’t drive the parents insane.

Say goodbye to “Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo” and hello to Jeremy’s new song “Singalong” that has just won the 4th Global Children Entertainment Awards Animated Video of the Year. e ex-student of Tauranga Boys’ College says he has fond memories of fronting the stage and leading a band; and has been writing children’s music since 2020.

“ e mind-scrambling year of 2020 provoked all kinds of extra creativity in my world as a way to cope and survive,” says Jeremy.

“ is song is all about how, if we nd the courage to express our true selves, we will naturally nd support and encouragement from those around us.”

Boardriders defend title

Mount Maunganui’s Bay Boardriders have defended their title at the 2024 Hurley New Zealand Boardrider Club Championships held at Whangamata in a come-from-behind e ort recently. eir performance earns the club the right to represent New Zealand at the Usher Cup World Club Challenge being held on the Gold Coast in January 2025.

In an epic day of sur ng on April 14, contested in a building 1.5m – 2.0m swell and perfect o shore winds, Bay Boardriders found themselves trailing frontrunners Keyhole Boardriders going into the all-important tag team division on the nal day.

Despite playing catch up, the talentladen team went about their work in the teams’ event progressing through to the nal and holding on for a welldeserved win.

Leah Swindells amongst the Shakespeare Unplugged Exhibition. Photo: John Borren.

A selection of local breaking stories featured this week on... The only local daily news source you

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Don’t put up with bad showers

If your home su ers from leaky pipes, either your bathroom is in need of repair or you need to change your shower pressure. ankfully, Kev’s Plumbing are experts you can call on right here in the Bay.

Owner-operator Colin Fine – who is nicknamed Kev – has 35 years’ worth of experience.

Kev believes life is too short to have a bad shower, so he’s here to help renovate bathrooms and replace them.

“I do total shower replacements from start to nish, with no other trades involved. Most shower replacements only take two days.”

As well as the total replacement of leaking pipes, he also does hot water cylinder conversions, so you never have to put up with a low-pressure shower ever again.

“I specialise in re-piping houses that have leaky water pipes in walls,” says Kev, “and a lot of people like their shower pressure increased”. “ at is something I do a lot.”

When you call Kev about a job, he’s the man who shows up.

“I will travel Bay of Plenty-wide for work,” says Kev.

“I will travel Bay Colin Fine,

Working in the autumn garden can be a bit sad as we mourn the end of the season!

Summer crops are nearly at an end; there are dying tomato vines to remove and shrivelled bean stalks to unravel from their frames. is can be a solemn month: Easter, when we re ect on Jesus’ untimely death, often comes in April; then ANZAC Day is a time to honour the many whose lives were lost in war; the battle at Pukehinahina Gate Pa is a local commemoration as the month ends, reminding us of more local history and loss.

While the fact of death is undeniable, we do not need to despair over these events. e 160th anniversary of the Gate Pa battle is being commemorated with renewed energy as its history is retold and plans are afoot for a museum on the site so the story will be more widely heard.

ANZAC Day continues to gain momentum as new generations recognise the sacri ces made by their family members, who few now living have met. We pray that the lessons learnt from earlier wars will prevent world-wide destruction. Jesus’ life did not end in the tomb – his risen presence broke into his friends’ sorrow and brought them joy and hope, as he can for us today.

As for the garden – the earth will rest or nourish winter crops and we can be grateful for stored produce, a mild climate, and the life of God among us.