The Informer - 14th May 2024

The scenes in the sky have been astonishing –hard to believe, mesmerising. This spectacular celestial show, which is usually confined to the far northern reaches of the planet and is called “northern lights”, and the far southern reaches of the planet called Southern Aurora lights, is triggered by a powerful solar storm. Solar particles escape from the Sun releasing energy that reaches earth’s magnetic field. Hence the intense colour displays in the sky.

Whitianga Estuary, inset, and Robinson Road, Whitianga.

Photos by Kate Beauchamp

Kiwis support university funding being contingent on academic freedom

Polling commissioned by the Free Speech Union and conducted by Curia Market Research shows that most New Zealanders (53%) support government funding to universities being partially contingent on upholding academic freedom, compared to only 19% who opposed this.

This result is consistent with polling from last year, which showed 75% of Kiwis believe free speech is a ‘defining cultural value’, but a majority also believed that value is under threat, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

“The Government’s policy to

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withdraw funding from universities that fail in their core duties to defend the rights of academics to academic freedom is not only necessary to restore free speech in New Zealand; it’s a policy a majority of Kiwis support.

“Fewer than one in five Kiwis opposed the question, ‘Do you think government funding

HOW TO ORDER

should be partially contingent on how well a university does in upholding academic freedom?’

“Academic freedom in New Zealand is under serious threat. The simple saga of Victoria University trying to host a panel discussion on free speech is just one example of many that illustrate this point.

“There are those within the university who are ideologically opposed to the basic freedoms that have led to the very function and flourishing of the university. If free speech and academic freedom are not maintained in universities, what is the point of the university? It’s indoctrination, not education.

News from Kuaotunu Residents and

Ratepayers AGM

The 2023 survey undertaken with Kuaotunu residents which brought 198 unique individual responses, identified their priorities as:

• Ensuring our waterways are clean, healthy, and functioning well.

• Keeping Kuaotunu free from extractive mineral mining.

• The creation of a safe cycling/pedestrian path that links Cemetery Rd, the village centre and

Hilldale Crescent.

• The management of residential and commercial development so that Kuaotunu retains its unique, small village feel.

• The preservation of our pristine dark sky for future generations to enjoy.

• Safe walking and cycling connectivity between Rings Beach & Matarangi.

• A reduced speed limit on SH25 (from Cemetery Rd

through to Hilldale Cres)

• A dedicated space for Kuaotunu’ s artists and creatives to showcase their talents.

The KRRA also contributed to the TCDC Long Term Plan submissions and welcome feedback on any new issues of importance to Residents & Ratepayers.

„ New Chair: Steve Hart 0274744223 „ nzwild@xtra.co.nz

Week of Tuesday, May 14 – Tuesday, 21 May Saturn will be visible to night owls as it is now rising at about 2.00am but Jupiter is out of

behind the

as is

at present. However, the eastern morning sky has reddish Mars below Saturn with the elusive and quite faint Mercury just above the horizon at dawn with all three in a line. The Sun may continue to produce solar flares this week as we are approaching the

in the

period of its 11-year cycle so keep a

It’s always

for

to get

from town lights if possible, for this. There will be several Chinese Tiangong and International Space Station (ISS) passes to enjoy this week but, as usual, timings may change especially towards the end of the week if they have to be moved to avoid space junk. Always best

to check the website heavens-above. com for updated timings.

Tuesday, 14 May: There will be a low Tiangong pass from 6:45pm in the NW passing just below the crescent Moon before disappearing into the Earth’s shadow.

Wednesday, 15 May: First quarter Moon tonight and a great time to view its craters with binoculars or a small telescope.

Thursday,16 May: There will be a long and bright ISS pass from 6:14am in the NW.

Saturday, 18 May: There is an ISS pass from 6:13am in the NW.

Sunday,19 May: There is an ISS pass from 5:19am starting right overhead today.

Monday, 20 May: Another early ISS pass in the SW from 6:12am moving just above the pointers.

Judy Ann Bailey ONZM (born 1953) was referred to more than once as the “Mother of the Nation.” It was the mana she had and the reputation she had earned - the highest of compliments.

Judy is a former news presenter for TV One News, the highest rated evening television news programme in New Zealand. She was the anchor, the mainstay, a trusted face and voice all across New Zealand.

Despite her immense popularity, her final day fronting the 6.00pm One News bulletin was 23 December, 2005. Television New Zealand had announced some weeks earlier it would not be renewing existing contracts.

What is news and what should not be missed is Judy Bailey is coming to Whitianga for a book signing and will be holding a Q and A as part of the book signing at the Monkey House Theatre in Coghill Street, Whitianga.

This is a personal favour and one in which we get to be recipients.

Derek and Mabel Murie of Paper Plus have organised this for their community. Judy’s book will be available for her to sign on that day. This book is not about news or politics, but

about living with health and happiness as we age. This is a universal matter - we all age; we all want to live well. This elegant and strong woman describes some wise insights and shares her own routines. The book is very easy to read but it touches on

deep themes, not the surface of our lives.

Tickets @$20 are available from Paper Plus. “We need to keep a check on numbers to prevent overcrowding,” says Mabel We want to provide Judy with a very warm welcome and give her ample time to share her insights.

„ The date is Monday 27 May 6.30pm.

Derek Murie, owner of Paper Plus with his display on Judy Bailey’s book.

Weekly Kitchen Calendar

!! Contact: events@coro. club STAFF WANTED: Come & see us orgetintouch. We’relooking for cooks/baker/ barista hello@coro.club

World title champ, returns to his humble beginnings

World’s fastest man on a Billiard Table, Clearing and Jump Potting all 15 balls in 11.29 seconds. The only Pro Pool Player in world history to be portrayed on a National Post Office Stamp in Macau, in the year 2018.

BY STAN STEWART

He was Royce Lane back then. Fast forward half a century, and now he is widely known on the world Cue Sports Stage, as Rocky Lane, Cue Sports Icon and holder of two World Titles.

Rocky was a pupil at the Whenuakite School from 1954 to 1960. His father was a share milker on a farm near Hot Water Beach. Farm life as part of a family of seven children was a positive experience for Rocky. “It was rather like the Waltons,” (TV show), as Rocky describes it.

Last Tuesday, accompanied by The Informer, Rocky was welcomed to this school by its new headmaster, Gary Veysi. It was a thrilling morning for pupils and visitors alike. Rocky has achieved world fame as a Cue Sports Icon. Representing Macau, Rocky achieved his unmatched achievements at Nine-ball Pool Tournaments around the globe – Asia (where he lived for 34 years), America, Europe, China and even in Russia.

It’s hard to take in all of his achievements, when reading down the list seen on his Players Profile www.rockylane.org.

Rocky Lane is the World’s Fastest Man on a Billiard or Pool table and the all-time champ in Speed Shooting in the sport of Pool. They even held tournaments in his own name; the Rocky Lane Nine – ball Cup in Macau in 2016 and 2017. He relocated from New Zealand to Asia in 1989 when sponsored on a world tour. From Asia it was more central to play on a world tour.

Rocky could play in European tournaments on one side and in the American tournaments on the other, as well as in Asian tours. He even got to play in the Kremlin Cup in Russia. “New Zealand

was too far off the beaten track for world level tours and tournaments. Sponsors seemed to lack interest in far away New Zealand,” Rocky said.

He was sponsored by Air Macau offering Business Class travel to all tournaments. Now in his mid 70’s, Rocky says, “It’s time to slow down and retire, and there is no better place to do it, than my hometown, Whitianga.”

The Whenuakite School looked very different to when Rocky attended the school in the 50s. It was much smaller, centred around a church-like building with a bell, used to muster the children back to class. However, the swimming pool is now in the same place.

Rocky remembers it well as his late dad helped to excavate for the pool with other local men as part of a community working bee.

“It was dug by hand, with pick and shovel,” says Rocky, “as none of the farming community had a machine digger. It took a lot of effort, and the project was paused for a while as funding run short.”

Turn to page 6

www.taraking.co.nz

Rocky Lane with some of his world achievements and awards.

French bubbles and breakfast fundraiser a success

BY PAULINE STEWART

Bubbles and The Mercury Bay Lions Club is to be congratulated on a very creative, happy, French, bubbly brunch for over 100 people.

It took place on Mother’s Day at the Mercury Bay Bowling Club, a facility, well lit, spacious and convenient for the large number of people for whom brunch was provided, and the large numbers of tables decorated so extravagantly. The whole building glowed with the French theme – red, white and blue and French print scenes were everywhere.

Everyone was greeted by a ‘French’ hostess or host, their ‘printed for the occasion’ ticket providing a free glass of champagne for starters to a fourcourse brunch. This was all to raise money for the mammogram project, a joint fundraising project led by the two local Lions Clubs. But there was much more to this occasion than fundraising. Every member of the Mercury Bay Lions was working as part of the organising team and had recruited their partners and other members of their family to assist with host-

ing, cooking, serving food, selling raffles, serving drinks, clearing tables and technical operations. They were all dressed in theme and might I say many looked very elegant or chique.

It elevates everyone’s spirit to see others have gone to so much trouble to make the guests’ experience memorable and enjoyable. The group of songsters known fondly as The Golden Girls presented two brackets of

well-known French songs and contralto professional, Jenny Jackman, delighted the audience with her beautiful rendition of “If You Love Me.”

Who cannot go unmentioned is the Golden Girls accompanist, Audrey Neville. In her nineties, she accompanied with flair and versatility using the meagre keyboard she had to play rather than a piano.

What a treat was being offered

to the community on Mother’s Day.

From where The Informer was seated, I could see many whose Mother’s Day would be clouded by grief – some who recently lost their decades long partner; some who as parents, had lost an adult child. For others, the grief is still intense after years since the light of their life had gone. But they were there taking part and coping with their journey.

Grief is not constant – it moves in and out. What is a sure thing is grief doesn’t say goodbye for very long; it revisits, often unexpected, and why not? A parent or partner doesn’t get over losing their loved one – they learn to cope. Bearing sadness in an atmosphere of goodwill and hope, sharing delicious food with people who are willing to understand, is a very real blessing particularly on Mother’s Day. This is life for a lot of people – keeping going, adjusting to a different life, but yet it can be one with meaning. This can be especially so in smaller communities.

The work and preparation to organise and bring to fruition this high-class occasion was led by Barbara Nippert, President of the Mercury Bay Lions Club, but she is the first to commend her outstanding team of women and their men who assisted them. Everyone who attended this bravery special brunch was better off for being there.

The Lions Club will know just how their fundraising went for the mammogram project in time for next weeks’s issue of The Informer.

Rocky returns to former school

Continued from page 5

So, my tenacious Dad organised a raffle to raise enough to enable completion of the job. And yet, the pool is still there today,” Rocky smiles.

“The reason the swimming pool is only three feet deep is simply because there were no machine diggers to dig deeper. But thanks to my Dad, taking that final relay baton, the pool was successfully finished and because it was made of solid concrete floors and walls, is still why it is still operating today, 70 years later,” adds Rocky. After Rocky and his wife, (Mrs. Addie Lane) finished their presentation, a class of older students

and their teacher responded with the Haka so perfectly.

Addressing the students, Rocky shared some of his memories of the school before talking on the subject of achieving your dreams. “Dreams are free. They cost nothing; so follow them and never lose sight of them,” Rocky said. The class listened with rapt attention. Mrs. Lane, who is a registered teacher, shared something of Rocky’s story since leaving the Whenuakite School. She encouraged the pupils with two things –the importance of a dream, and then focusing on that dream, never losing site of it and striving to achieve it.

The impact of having this world-famous Cue Sportsman, who, like them, was a student of the Whenuakite school, was clear. To say the pupils were ‘all ears’ is an understatement.

Their time concluded with presenting to the school some Rocky Lane posters for the class and school notice board, duly autographed by the Champ.

Rocky and Addie, now look forward to a peaceful retirement in Rocky’s hometown of Whitianga.

Rocky concluded with his renowned slogan, “Shoot Pool, Stay Cool, but Do School.”

• Personal grievances

• Unfair/unjust dismissals

• Disciplinary meetings

• Unpaid wages or leave

• Work place harassment

• Health and Safety at work

The seniors class at Whenuakite School honours Rocky and Addy Lane with a haka.

The Golden Girls sang French romantic tunes for the large gathering at the bubbly brunch on Mother’s Day; contralto soloist Jenny Jackman, right.

Love isn’t easy.

Loving is the hardest thing we’ll ever do.

Sometimes love is fun

Sometimes it’s a laugh.

Most times love’s a grind on the long haul.

It demands everything of us.

But usually we are not prepared to risk everything for someone else.

Most of the time, we protect ourselves; We guard our personal security; We fortress our personhood;

And our life is a series of short engagements that never amount to anything.

We are left with an

empty feeling that haunts us.

We feel there should be more.

And there is more.

There is love.

One day, if we can stop �ighting and come out from behind our defences,

Love will �ind us.

Yes it will!

And we will feel glad and relieved.

Love will help make our lives worthwhile.

Love is the most precious thing in the world.

It brings new life, Love last forever.

By Michelle Stewart

„ Apologies last week not all the poem came out in the paper.

Barbara Nippert, above right, current president of the Mercury Bay Lions Club organised with her large team a fantastic brunch for over 100 people at the Mercury Bay Bowling club on Mother’s Day. It was good to see representation from the local community board with Caroline Hobman, above.

LTP futile without accountability

In her “Letter to the Editor”, The Informer, 30 April, p.19, Ms Beston opposes my “A Fish Rots from the Head Down” opinion piece, in which I outline structural and political flaws intheprocessed2024/34LTPandthelackofleadership displayed by our present Councillors. She argues our Councillors are not responsible for rate rises and our current situation. I commend her for raising the issues. I wish to respond in kind to her arguments which affect a number of current issues and also enlarge on some aspects of the LTP that affect the majority of ratepayers.

BY FLEMMING RASMUSSEN

1.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Ms Beston is of the opinion that our locally elected Councillors are not responsible (accountable) for the enforcement of their 2023/24 11.6% avg. rate increase or this year’s proposed 12.9% avg. rate increase. In Mercury Bay, our rate increases avg. 15-16% in both years.

She argues this is “comparatively well done” by comparing us with Napier (23.7% increase). Conveniently, she omits to mention Napier Council faced real 2023 adversity of “natural disaster“ proportions. They

are literally rebuilding (think the Esk Valley).

Water: Similarly, the argument continues that a proposed 29% increase in Auckland water charges makes our Council’s performance look good.

I happen to be an Auckland ratepayer and face a 7.2% water rate increase, not 29%. Historically, Auckland water pricing has been subsidised and delivered at below cost. Auckland’s Watercare, a well-run Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO), has politically been made accountable, asked to face reality and address the fallout of the repeal of the disastrous Three Water reforms, all covered in a 7.2% actual 2024/25 increase for Auck-

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

land ratepayers for water. That is a testament to what a well-run organisation, living within its means, can do!

2. COMPARING APPLES WITH APPLES

When relying on relative comparisons, we all run the risk of a flawed line of argument (percentage-point increases may be measured using different base figures when being compared).

Structuring an argument on absolutes (comparing $ with $) often serves one’s argument better.

Rates: TCDC want an average eastern Peninsula residential dwelling to pay close to $90 weekly in rates (Mercury Bay $4,610 pa, Whangamata $4,553 pa,

Request for a temporary fishery closure East Coromandel

Ngāti Hei have requested a temporary fishery closure in East Coromandel, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.

The requested closure is for two years, and would prohibit taking of scallops in East Coromandel. The requested closure would not apply to the taking of scallops that have washed ashore.

A copy of the request, map and full description of the proposed area is available on the Ministry for Primary Industries website (www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations), or by contacting Fisheries New Zealand at the below address or FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz.

Pursuant to section 186A(7)(a), Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions in response to the request from persons who have an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.

Further information about temporary closures is available on the MPI website (www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture).

Submissions can be made up to 5pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

You can email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz.

While we prefer email, you can post your submission to: Spatial Allocations

Fisheries Management Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on the MPI website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Tairua-Pauanui $4,566 pa).

In the Top-10: Per the Taxpayer Union’s “2023 Ratepayers’ Report”, TCDC is a member of the dubious “Top 10 Club” of the most expensive districts in New Zealand.

Looking at the peninsula’s eastern side, we are even more expensive (we subsidise the western side) and would be even higher ranked.

What are we getting for our money?

Many of us lack safe drinking water and wastewater reticulation. The list of essential (critical) missing services is long. However, few are more essential than safe drinking water and wastewater reticulation.

3. RESPONSIBILITY

Ms Beston argues our Councillors are not accountable for the rising costs of bridges, sewage systems, and water supply systems (allegedly a 38%, 30% and 27% increase).

Unfortunately (for all of us), our Council is not proposing to increase our Mercury Bay rates by 16.2% to build infrastructure (bridges, sewage systems, water infrastructure). Those are all Capital Expenditures (CAPEX). Materially, we fund that by borrowing money (in addition to raising our rates). Our Councillors are proposing to raise our rates to pay for Operating Expenses (OPEX), not CAPEX.

Staff Costs: Our increased rates are being used to fund ever increasing staff costs. A staggering 25.8% of our rates are spent on staff (2023/24 $24.4m staff cost, $94.4m rate income). Next year (2024/25), our Councillors propose to spend an additional $3.5m on staff alone, increasing staff costs to $27.9m. That is why they want to collect an extra $14.15m in rates (2024/25 rate income $108.6m).

4. “IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT” (BUT IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY)

Ms Beston argues our

Councillors are merely “possums in the headlight”, reacting to increases in inflation and raising interest rates and insurance costs.

The increased interest we are all paying is a monetary policy response (a singular, one-dimensional, blunt tool) applied to attempt to dampen our high inflation. The rest of the western world (EU/ USA) has achieved this already, with significantly lower inflation than ours.

When you live beyond your means, spending more than your income and funding the excess with debt, your interest costs in absolute and relative terms will go up. That is precisely what is happening in TCDC’s proposed LTP plan, with interest costs increasing from $3.6m in 2023/24 to $14.5m in 2023/24. A quadrupling!

Our Councillors are proposing to triple our debt (borrowings) in the next eight years ($79.4m in 2023/24, ballooning to $225.8m in 2031/32). The increased debt and the increased interest costs (driven by an increase in interest rate as our risk profile increases, and an increase in the amount of debt we need to serve), are both consequences of living beyond our means; not cutting our cloth to balance the books.

5. STICKING TO CORE BUSINESS DOING THE BASICS WELL

Ms Beston is of the opinion that I have “accused TCDC of exceeding its legal authority”. That is not the case. However, I have argued that TCDC should not venture outside of delivering essential core services (drinking water, wastewater reticulation, rubbish collection, footpaths and local roads etc.).

Just because a “catch-all clause”, per s.10(1)(b) in the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA 2002), enables Councils to “promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communi-

ties in the present and for the future,” does not mean the Council has to take on social services. Section 10(1)(b) enables it to. It does not stipulate that it must or has to. As a society, many worthwhile social causes exist.

Delivery of these social services is, first and foremost, the responsibility of the Centralised Government, who must do it. Local Government (TCDC) does not have to (do it). It is optional.

Metaphorically speaking, our Council could consider delivering free school lunches, solving school truancy, or address woefully inadequate payments to retired veterans who have served. The list of aspirational, worthwhile causes is (almost) infinite amongst New Zealand’s chronic social deficit.

However, if a Council cannot get the basic fundamentals right, most reasonable persons would caution such a Council not to stray from its core obligations. If/when it resolves those core obligations sufficiently well, then, by all means, if you want to pay for it (instead of philanthropically supporting targeted aid and support organisations), vote for Councillors who aspire to solve New Zealand’s social ills.

Leading and showing leadership is not a popularity contest. Leadership is about doing the right thing (for our local communities). It is not about deflecting or blaming unsatisfactory situations on predecessors, external factors or centralised government. Councillors are required to show leadership, to ask the right questions and direct the stewardship of delivering sustainable core services to our local communities. This will require our council to navigate its circumstances to stay within its means.

What do you think?

„ Flemming H. Rasmussen is a local, independent lawyerr esiding in Kuaotunu.

MPI 5534

After thirty years… I still believe change can come

Malcolm Campbell has been farming for almost 70years in the Waikato. He and wife June reared their family in the Waikato and serviced in a number of

offices. His current farm is north of Waihi on the Coromandel Peninisula.

BY MALCOLM CAMPBELL

The Informer Issue 1104 carries the headline we are ‘Becoming More Corrupt.’ We have had thirty years of practice.

Before the Resource Management Act 1991 the office of the Commissioner for The Environment was established.

The first Commissioner was Helen Hughes appointed 1987 and served two fiveyear terms until 1996. Helen Hughes, observing the consent process ‘required’ to begin a development, noted that wealthy developers were able to ‘buy off’ potential objections by simply paying those people to withdraw their opposition to a project.

in ‘his opinion’ a person has contravened, a resource consent or a rule in a plan or regulations.’ So the ‘enforcement officer’ can issue notices based on his ‘opinion.’ Hope that the officer is in a good mood! After all the deliberations involved with clauses, opinions and sections of the RMA the final answer may be delivered by Upton’s Commissioners or at the last gasp the Environment Court.

In summary, 359 hours equates to just over two months of 40-hour weeks, spread over almost three months of real time to arrive at a sort of a decision, that if implemented, allows an eighty-year time frame to improve the water of Waikato, Waipa River system. After thirty years of the RMA, nothing has changed. A paper at the Hamilton Airport in 2000 stated that water in the Waikato was then fit for swimming from the Narrow’s Bridge near the Hamilton Airport all the way to Lake Taupo.

lakes – nothing at all. The consultants and experts will be rubbing their hands, flush with new money flowing in. There is no responsibility for lack of a solution or lack of action.

Geoffrey Palmer and Simon Upton between them steered a law through parliament inviting corruption.

‘Law’ should be ‘precise’ plainly in ‘black and white’ not made up by a multitude of planners, consultants and lawyers according to their opinions, as they go along.

Example: Section 322 of the RMA where an abatement notice is issued, by an ‘enforcement officer’ who

Now if you think this is being made up, here is a prime example of this time and money wasting gobble de gook, which someone has to pay for. From the report in 2020 as follows: The ground-breaking Plan Change 1. To improve the water quality in the Waikato and Waipa Rivers was presented to Waikato Regional Councillors at a special meeting. Five Commissioners listened to 359 hours of evidence, reading 1100 submissions, listened to 199 expert appearances, heard evidence from 360 other parties, taking 59 days to do all of this and at the end of it all announcing that some issues may still have to be resolved by the Environment Court.

The situation still remains the same. North of Hamilton City, the river water is not really up to swimming standard. You may well say what has this to do with the Coromandel Peninsula?

The lakes at Cooks Beach are already on the way down the path of consultancy, firstly with the TCDC then passed on to a Consultancy Firm in Auckland, and then back to TCDC who has had to hire more technical experts to add to what they have already received. As yet, yet nothing at all has happened to improve the water in the

This wishy-washy palavering is the direct opposite of say hiring an electrician who is expected to repair a fault and the electrician also expects to repair the fault or he will not get paid. This brief example applies to all trade people. So why-o-why did Palmer and Upton subject the productive sector to the whims and fancies of the unproductive? When society becomes totally frustrated, as happened at Whangamata with the incursion of Mangroves in the inner harbour and residents began clearing them; residents were threatened with prosecution.

So if the lakes at Cooks Beach are foul and the foreshore on Buffalo Beach is washing away, do not risk what tiny scrap of liberty is left to you by solving the problem. Truly we are facing corruption from the inside out and from the top down. „ See John Veysey’s letter to the editor, page 25.

New turf in town with Delma Harrison

BY PAULINE STEWART

Palmers Landscaping which is a branch of Palmers has come to Whitianga and the Coromandel Peninsula, and Delma Harrison is the face of that business.

Delma and her son Jonathan have owned and operated Palmers Garden Centre, in Remuera, Auckland for 17 years. They have sold Palmers and the café and Jonathan is now managing the landscape business. Delma has come to make her home in Whitianga after being here for vacations for many years. Delma would come up to Whitianga late in the week and return very early on Saturday morning.

“We were open seven days a week at the Garden Centre in Auckland so that was a regular pattern – be here for the customers the entire weekend.”

and she has brought part of her Auckland business with her to Mercury Bay. “I am not one to sit back and retire,” says Delma.

“When you see the transformation of people’s property, it inspires you to keep on improving and developing what you can do. Turf development is our focus at this time. The result is very long term and so gratifying for the homeowner.’ That’s what Delma is

going to focus on in her business in this region – real to life hard wearing grass, that is low maintenance, looks great all year round and is child and pet friendly.

Delma has always been in business. She came to New Zealand with her family from Wales as a young child in 1962. One of her early jobs was in the hospitality industry. She started at the Duke of Marlborough when she was 24 years old.

“I was a Hostess and eventually became a director of that company. Over the years I have had 44 businesses. I love it. We developed

The sheer delight of colour fills us with awe

a great reputation at Palmers Garden Centre for doing an honest business - good service, good food, quality products. People need to enjoy their browsing and shopping. We didn’t get customers because of the convenience for them. We would create an ambience in which they felt comfortable.” Palmers has always been our family business –we have all worked in some part of the business - children and grandchildren.

“During Covid, we opened the Garden Centre in our Palmers Centre carpark for seven weeks form 6.00am to 6.00pm. We made it into a kind of Mardi Gras as an antidote to the cabin fever people were experiencing. Everyone kept a metre and half apart and that way we kept the garden centre going even though we had to close the café. It was tough but everyone was working together. As a result, people were able to do their gardening and improve their landscaping during Covid. I believe it improved their outlook during a hard time.”

Delma loves hospitality. “That is what is great about Palmers, “she says. Having that cafe – people can enjoy eating while they are surrounded by plants and seedlings and flowers. What could be better?

“The giant clouds of solar particles interact laced with magnetic fields escape from the Sun releasing energy that reaches earths magnetic field. This is seen through the intense colour displays in the sky.

The ‘aurora’ season could be predicted through the sun’s 11-year cycle, with the peak of the current cycle due next year.

Darkness, minimal cloud cover and the charged particles interacting with the earth were all needed for the geomagnetic storm to be viewed by the naked eye.

Transpower has been monitoring the solar storm. It took action on the week-

end to switch out some national transmission circuits to protect things like transformers and generators connected to the grid. “Earth has been pelted with effects of the solar storms. This moves around the magnetic fields that protect the earth and actually induces electric currents through the earth and long transmission lines.” Morning Report John Clark

We are a very clever human race. We have over come much and our inventions are breathtaking We have gone great distances, even to space, but this grand power is at present for us merely to observe and enjoy.

Photo by Kate Beauchamp

Shelby and Delma

Why are socialists so rude these days? THROUGH THE PORTAL

BY TREVOR AMMUNDSEN

Iwas watching a Parliament broadcast recently, one that showed Green Party member

Julie Anne Genter vault out of her seat to cross the floor and start screaming at Government MP Matt Doocey, waving a paper about and generally looking ferocious. How rude I thought.

Matt was obviously taken aback. He is a mild-mannered West Coast boy who would not be used to such attacks from either his mother or wife. I thought that maybe this was a one-off display of rudeness, after all Ms Genter is American born so possibly this is acceptable behaviour for their womenfolk.

Upon giving this matter a bit more thought however, I decided you couldn’t blame her American bloodline. After all there are other examples of rudeness such as Green Party Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick shrilly accus-

ing the Prime Minister of lying to Parliament regarding climate change. She did eventually admit her error and apologise but the rudeness was there for all to see. And then there is the systematic shop lifting of MP Gloriz Ghahraman, also a Green Party member. To casually walk into anybody’s place and steal stuff is extremely rude. She was obviously ashamed of herself and is now gone from our Parliament.

The Green Party likes to claim the moral high ground but if they want this claim to be accepted they have to start being polite. Another example of rudeness would be their co-leader, Marama Davis, loudly proclaiming that domestic violence was caused by white CIS males. That her statement was easily proven to be false was one thing, but her refusal to withdraw it and apologise was rude to us all.

It is not just the Greens that seem to have no concept of what

is or is not rude. For example a Te Pati Maori MP, Mariameno KapaKingi, recently made the accusation that “This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Maori”. Well, what a rude and untrue comment, and stupid. After all we are so interbred, how could anyone exterminate just the Maori part without causing severe damage to the whole and vis a versa. It was a pleasure to see the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister stand up to this com-

ment by responding “Kapa-Kingi is either dangerously ignorant or she believes what she said is true. The most frightening thing is it is probably both”.

There are plenty of other examples of rudeness from the left.

An example is the then Speaker Trevor Mallard’s hospitality towards guests in Wellington who wished to discuss aspects of Covid Vaccinations. A polite person would converse with his guests but not Mr Mallard, he turned the sprinklers on and started playing Barry Manilow records at high volume. Extremely rude behaviour.

You would never get that from the Libertarians as they wouldn’t own a Barry Manilow record. Maybe they would have offered a relaxing Pink Floyd tune but definitely no sprinklers.

The examples from the left go on and on. You can get great material from people such as Willie Jackson and many others but

the point is that we shouldn’t be expected to put up with such bad manners. Clever politicans can use humour and gain much better effect, and greater support.

For example Tau Henare, when referring to Hone Harawira – “So racist he has chocolate milk in his cup of tea”. The master was of course, David Lange who commented about Robert Muldoon “I wouldn’t call the Prime Minister gutless. That’s all that’s left of him”. He also made comment about Peter Dunne “A man whose life is so boring that if it flashed past, he wouldn’t be in it”.

The point I am trying to make is that the modern socialist politician seems to have lost the wit of their predecessors.

Being rude does not make you clever, does not make you respected. The socialists need to get off their high horse, assuming that their “rightness” excuses bad behaviour. To fail to do so is just rude.

This truck is the ‘real McCoy’

BY STAN STEWART

If you are a truck lover like me, there’s a real showstopper on State Highway 25 on the way to Auckland, 5km from the Kopu Bridge on the left-hand side. It belongs to Barry Caulfield who is now retired in Thames. Outside a large shed there is an assembly of machinery parked in a paddock facing the highway. It is the truck that captures my attention.

When driving past, I imagined it was the largest Mack truck I had ever seen. When finally, I had time to venture closer I found it was twice as big as the Mack’s I knew, and it was not a Mack, it was a ‘Pacific’. First manufactured in Vancouver, Canada by the ‘Pacific Truck and Trailer Company’ and later by ‘International Harvester’.

This truly monster truck is the last of its kind in New Zealand.

The Pacific’s are not permitted to drive on public roads, only offroad. The unit beside State Highway 25 is not a museum piece. It’s in working order ready to pull loads in forests or in a quarry.

I began wondering how these behemoths arrived in New Zealand?

One of the results of the Great Depression in the 30s was the huge number of unemployed men.

The New Zealand Government had to create a lot of jobs and one of the major jobs was for hundreds of men to plant pine trees.

The government set them to work on the Kāingaroa State Forest creating a huge pine plantation, for a while the largest on the planet.

When in the 70s and 80s the plantation was ready for har-

vesting, a team of Canadians was employed to show the locals the most efficient and effective way of harvesting this forest. The Canadians brought with them their equipment which included Pacific monster trucks.

The particular truck that caught my eye on so many trips was used in the logging industry pulling huge loads, 100 tons and more on logging tracks in pine forests. Powered by a 400 horsepower Cummings diesel, it drives like any modern truck with all the home comforts, steering hydraulics, great seat, air-conditioning etc. This unit really is ready for work in a quarry or back on the forestry tracks.

Part of the reason the truck filled me with awe was because I had seen it before. One of these Pacific trucks was the leading

prop in the film ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. The truck they used in the film was purchased in New Zealand and transported to the Australian desert set of the film. For its role in this film, the producers decorated it to give it the required ‘monster’ appearance. A Pacific truck just like the one on StateHighway 25, was the star.

POSTSCRIPT:

The Mad Max franchise has just released‘Furiosa’. A Mad Max Saga. Same set – the Australian desert, same dystopian setting. I am not sure if it features the monster Pacific truck from Fury Road

POSTSCRIPT: TRUCKS & ME

When I was 12-13 (1949-50), my Dad was caretaking an estate with an impressive house. The house was always unoccupied.

The house had a small library which had a large stock of glossy magazines, Life, Time, Newsweek, Country Life and National Geographic. On afternoons when I had nothing more to do, I would go into the library and thumb through the magazines. That’s when I became interested in trucks and tractors. Some of the magazines contained full colour advertisements of trucks and tractors. They looked so beautiful to me, and I began a searchfor similar magazines to cut out the advertisents and paste them in a large scrapbook. My favourites were big trucks. My absolute favourite advertisements were the adverts for Mack trucks. I still remember their slogan which in today’s climate must be the most politically incorrect slogan ever. “Real Men Drive a Mack”.

e Informer is your Coromandel Peninsula community newspaper. Let us know your news and concerns. We love hearing from you. e Letters to the Editor are just one way of sharing understandings and opinions. Please remember we reserve the right to edit letters. Keep them short at 200 words or less. We aim to inform and connect people, enabling them to e ect change and feel a part of what makes this Peninsula tick. We believe that Coromandel Peninsula is a wonderful place to live and work and that there is room for more people to come and enjoy and contribute to this beautiful region. Our sole income is from advertising and we can do a good job for you and your business.

Editor Pauline Stewart

The Mad Max: Fury Road truck trnasported from New Zealand to star in the movie. This was a Pacific Truck and Trailer Company truck, brought out to NZ to carry pine forest logs.

Coromandel Comedy brings fun and surprise

BY PAM FERLA

Coromandel Comedy”

is the title of an Improv performance at Hauraki House, Coromandel Town, on Saturday night, 18 May. The show features popular improv group “Casual First Date, which has been touring around the Coromandel Peninsula as well as performing in Auckland over the past six years with its hilarious actics and quick wit.

Those who enjoy “Whose Line is it Anyway” will love this bunch of comedians and their distinctive and clever humour that is entirely made up on the spot, based on a suggested word from the audience.

Asked why they stand in front of an audience with no idea what’s going to happen, here are some of the replies.

“What I love about performing improvised comedy is the audience really do influence the show, which makes it so spontaneous and surprising.”

Melanie Bass , Efficiency

Engineer.”

“What’s great about watching improv? You see people assembling gloriously detailed worlds and characters at high speed from only the assorted lint, old tickets and loose change that they have to hand in the corners of their minds.” Karolina Brock, Architectural Designer.

“You get to be part of creating something that’s only happening once in the moment! Most interesting place I’ve performed improv? The foyer of a piano store.” Gareth

Blackler, Graphic Designer.

“Improv creates rich, beautiful crazy worlds that only the performers and the audience get to be a part of for a brief moment in time. Even though those moments are just pure imagination they become some of the most memorable, funny, sweet and hectic inside jokes shared with those who are there.”Helen Jarvis, Digital fabrication business owner.

„ Doors open for door sales 6.30pm, show starts 7.30pm.

Dream Whitianga waterfront lifestyle

As remote work continues to redefine lifestyle choices and people seek to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Whitianga region is experiencing a surge in demand, Luckily, that coastal serenity doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.

Nestled along the Coromandel’s picturesque Whitianga Waterways is an unmissable opportunity for those seeking waterfront luxury. Marlin Waters is now offering a final release of properties within an exquisite enclave of 65 breathtaking villas.

In a prime location just minutes from the beach and local amenities, whether you’re staying for a long weekend or a lot longer, these lock-up-andleave designs focus on both comfort and style, all meticulously designed with modern living and relaxation in mind.

“They’re both 171m2, with three bedrooms, a master with ensuite plus a second bathroom, a huge sunny deck and only 20

metres from the waterfront. They’re absolutely beautiful.” says Bayleys salesperson John Greenwood.

The two exclusive northwest facing waterfront homes also boast a spacious entertainer’s kitchen. With open-plan living areas seamlessly transitioning to the water’s edge.

“They can enjoy swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking right on their doorsteps, or use the boat ramp to set off for a day’s fishing or boating.”

Developed by the esteemed Hopper Developments, renowned for their mastery in crafting waterside communities like Pauanui and Marsden, these brand-new homes sit within a vibrant community

just a two-and-a-half hour drive from Auckland’s CBD, offering unparalleled convenience without compromising on serenity. Marlin Waters really does embody the essence of waterfront living.”

“The exciting prospect of this process is to ignore all previous price expectations the vendors have said they will meet the market for serious bidders,” says John Greenwood.

He is marketing these two properties for sale via auction on 19 June, 2024. +64 21 970 077 To view the listings for Marlin Waters Villa 18 and Villa 22 visit: john.greenwood@bayleys.co.nz https://www.bayleys. co.nz/john-greenwood

Helen Jarvis, Melanie Bass, Rebecca Stubbing. Not pictured, Gareth Blackler, Karolina Brock and Catalina Vercelli Giurda.

Sacred ceremony honouring New Chum Beach

New Chum Beach (Eastern Coromandel Peninsula just north of Whitianga) is renowned Nationally and Internationally as one of the top three wilderness beaches in the world. Since 2010, both local and international communities have been striving to preserve the pristine and iconic qualities of this sacred area from future housing development, qualities that have been destroyed by similar developments in almost all other areas of the Coromandel Peninsula coastline.

In recognizing the sacredness of this special beach, and through a series of divine synchronicities, the local OM Meditation Centre in Whitianga, was inspired to organize and facilitate a sacred ceremony in order to protect, clear and preserve New Chum Beach and catchment for generations to come.

As a result, eleven like-minded people, very concerned for the Environment, arrived at the glistening sands of Whangapoua Beach, in order to partake in this sacred ceremony. Coincidentally, the date was also Saturday, 11 May. This also coincided with the geothermal storms (solar flares) which bring significant

energy bursts giving rise to spiritual awakening in consciousness. Hence, this sacred ceremony is in alignment with all of these sacred anomalies/events.

The local Kaitiaki (guardian) Manawhenua from Ngati Huarere came and met us and offered a karakia for the sacred ceremony, to honour the sacredness of New Chum/Wainuiototo and for the protection of the land and people that it may be preserved for all

future generations. This karakia and opening led the group into a state of silence as they began the walk around the rocks. Crossing the Motuto saddle, arriving to the sight of the ancient Nikau and Pohutukawa and the sounds of the waves breaking on the beach. A pod of black dolphins/pilot whales, honouring the Maori connection to the sea, welcomed the group onto this sacred beach.

The ceremony was carried out

in the traditional Native Indian ways. It was facilitated by a local Canadian First Nations Medicine Man. In preparation for the ceremony, the group created a Native Indian Medicine Wheel structure on the beach, using rocks and other natural materials found on the beach. This medicine wheel was the spiritual foundation for the ceremony that followed involving traditional Native Indian smudging, drumming,

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chanting, prayer and invocation, gift offering (to the land), blessing and sharing gratitude (to and for all).

The karakia from the local iwi and the ceremony itself were both very explicit in recognizing and honouring the ancestors.

REFLECTIONS AND INSIGHTS FROM THE CIRCLE OF PARTICIPANTS:

“The ceremony was very moving and the drumming really lifted the vibration of the whole circle and of the land”.

“New Chum is a powerful, beautiful place that should be left as is. The dolphins guided us, they did it all and they said it all”.

“The dolphins were the guardians of the beach today. There are many sacred things of this beach”

“This experience showed me that all sorts of people can gather on the land and enjoy the frequencies. It included Manuwhenua, we had the dolphins, all of those brothers and sisters come in to support us in our work”.

Chii-Miigwetch Menawa Yeha Noha - Thank you and blessings

„ Prepared by OM Meditation Centre Whitianga. Oneness@ orcon.net.nz

The Native Indian Medicine Wheel structure created on the beach by the group attending the ceremony.

STAN’S STUFF

Learning from Aboriginals and Islanders regarding Parenting

BY STAN STEWART

In the early 1970’s, I was employed as a consultant in Australia’s Northern Territory. This work put me in touch with remote Australian Aboriginal settlements and some island communities.

Most visitors to the ‘top end’ of Australia’s Northern Territory, experience Aboriginals being in the town and the territory’s capital, Darwin. Sadly, many of these encounters will be with aboriginals who are addicted to alcohol.

In contrast to the town experience, a number of remote communities are dry, – by community consensus, no alcohol is allowed. This was the case with the communities I visited.

THE SCAR

In my early 20’s, I almost lost my lower leg in a motor-bike accident. The accident left a spectacular scar.

In a remote community beyond Alice Springs, I was introduced to the junior grades in a primary school. The children were seated at my feet on a mat. I became aware that the children were particularly interested in my scarred left leg. So much so that a couple of the more confident children wriggled over next to me and began running their fingers up and down the scar.

When they did this all the children began to laugh. Soon they were calling out, ‘Naughty boy. Naughty boy’. The teacher calmed the hilarity and my small presentation continued.

After the class, the teacher shared with me a principle of aboriginal justice. If in that aboriginal community, a man commits a

crime or misdemeanor, usually to do with a sexual encounter with another man’s wife, the men of the tribe chase him down and spear him in the calf muscle of his leg. That is his punishment.

Nothing more is ever done about his misbehavior. The leg heals leaving a scar like mine, but the person faces no further punishment. His crime is never mentioned again, and he is free to participate in the business of the tribe at all levels. ‘Punish the crime but then welcome the person back into the community.’

This principle of justice appeals to me.

RUN TO UNCLE

Parenting in a traditional Island community is different. Possessions are few and not as important. This means that discipline as we know it barely exists.

However, there are times when their children misbehave, and fathers blow their tops and full of rage, chase after their children.

When that happens, the child runs to ‘Uncle’. I don’t know if this applies to all island communities, but it did to the island population with which I stayed.

This ‘uncle’ person may be the child’s actual uncle, or a person designated as uncle.

When a child runs to ‘Uncle’ to escape his/her parent’s wrath, the child now lives with or under the protection of this ‘uncle’. The angry parent cannot now approach the child directly. He, usually it’s the father, can only approach the child through the ‘Uncle’.

For the Uncle’s part, no matter what the child’s misdemeanor was, his responsibility is to protect the child – to stand between the child and the wrathful parent. This strategy goes on for as long as the parent is consumed with rage – in some cases, days. Only when the parent’s anger has subsided, will the uncle agree to the child returning to parent. Sounds like a good strategy.

EVERYBODY TRACKS THE CHILDREN

It was a small conference on the shady verandah of a government office in an Aboriginal community on the edge of the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia.

A small Aboriginal child had caught my attention. I judged this sturdy child to be around two years old.

As I watched, he made his way down the stairs and toddled off into the bush. My companions had just told me that in the direction the toddler disappeared into, was 1000k to the next human habitation.

I had just witnessed a little boy disappear into this unforgiving, trackless wilderness.

An hour later he still had not re-appeared. My anxiety had increased. I had to say something!

“Sorry to interrupt but that little boy has been gone for over an hour,” I blurted.

My aboriginal friend was

amused at my anxiety.

“In our community”, he said “Everybody tracks the children. Our people are in and out of that scrub all the time. Everyone of them will observe the child’s tracks and watch out for him”.

Because of this shared responsibility, the child’s wanderings were always noted.

Even on the trackless Nullarbor Plain, wherever he went he was safer than on a known way because ‘everyone tracks the children’.

This was a central agreement that supported parenting in the desert. For millenniums, it was agreed that the whole community will all help with parenting. What a health-giving concept.

Parenting is never easy. It must be harder in the world of broken marriages and solo mums and solo dads.

The understanding that ‘everyone tracks the children’ would be most helpful.’ I’m all for it.

In these deserts all the children of Aboriginal tribes are tracked by everyone.

Whitianga, 42 Kupe

Drive

• Owner says SELL this weekend. Great value for money.

• Flat site, single level brick, 3 bed, 2 bath home, internal access double garaging.

• Living areas connected, open plan or separate. Independent accessed office/media/ formal lounge or 4th bedroom. Excellent storage and fenced back yard. Perfect for a young family, retirees, rental or work from home.

FOR SALE AUCTION 18th May 2024 at 2.00pm on-site (Unless sold prior)

VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L27315165

Kirstin Brown 027 301 1775 Dayle Candy 027 433 6862

Whitianga, 1/86 Albert Street

• Spacious 2 bdrm 1 bthrm apartment.

• Open plan kitchen, dining & living space.

•Walking distance to beach, town and cafés.

FOR SALE $549,000

VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L25549807

Dayle Candy 027 433 6862

Kirstin Brown 027 301 1775

Whitianga, 25B/18 Mill Road

• Stunning 3 bdrm, 3 bthrm apartment located close to the beach & town.

• Light-filled two story apartment boasts 124sqm of living space. Includes 2x car parks & communal roof-top entertainment area.

FOR SALE $639,000 VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L26937724

Kirby Faulkner 027 436 9990

David Frew 027 491 8420

Whitianga, 28 Surf Street

• Approximately a 350m walk to the beach.

• A permitted 9m x5m high stud boat shed (with facilities).

• North-facing and private, wrap-around deck for all you outdoor living.

• 2 heat pumps, 3 showers, 1 bath, a monitored alarm and easy care gardens.

Carlyon 021 724 200

Whitianga, 6 Tohetea Lane

• Magnificent 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom home.

• Open plan living, dining and kitchen area.

• Large salted swimming pool and double internal access garage.

• Additional media room, kids rumpus and office.

FOR SALE Offers Over $1,600,000 VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L26376571

Peter MacGregor 027 224 7332

Tairua, 5 Ocean Beach Road

• 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with breathtaking views.

Hahei, 265 Lees Road

• 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom coastal retreat with fenced swimming pool. Beautifully set up avocado orchard, complete with implements sheds & orchard equipment.

• Mesmerizing sea views, landscaped gardens, & array of amenities and opportunities.

FOR SALE$2,500,000 + gst if any VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L26021473

& dining lounge area, perfect for entertaining guests. This property offers stunning views of the lake/river. FOR SALE $895,000

Paulette Tainsh 027 241 2001

Hendry Tainsh 022 658 4818

• Offering a rural feel and just a stroll away from the beach.

• The sprawling backyard is the perfect area for tents, hosting gatherings or even a swimming pool.

FOR SALE Price On Application VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L27708309

Philippa Evans 021 266 9295

Tairua, 120 Pepe Road NOW PRICED

• Private and sunny, warm and tidy.

• Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open plan kitchen, dining and lounge.

• A generous deck surrounded by ample parking and back lawn.

FOR SALE $969,000

VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L27083726

Adam Fuller 022 018 0856

Tairua, 3 Daphne

VIEW harcourts.co.nz/L26756103

Adam Fuller 022 018 0856

Oyster Drive

The NUKES and great food filled Eggsentric!

BY PAULINE STEWART

The Nukes, an extraordinary ukulele band, originally three, but now four members, gave two spectacular performances last Friday and Saturday night at Eggsentric Cafe in Cooks Beach. They were so much fun, lightening everyone’s heart. It was a full house, not a chair or place at the table to spare. Their music is original and the messages are about society, folk lore, love and lost love, musings on life and sometimes they are just hilarious. Often a song would involve everyone in a vocal response or hearty clapping. The four-course meal was all included in

the evening’s entertainment and the beaming fireplace brought that warmth and cosyness to make it a perfect night out.

Sam Fowell, proprietor of Eggsentric, organised two excellent evenings in the middle of a very cold snap but the tem-

peratures kept no one away. Congratulations to this café restaurant which builds community through great food and events in Mercury Bay.

„ The Nukes new album, Homespun has been released to all digital platforms.

Mercury Bay Art Escape People’s Choice Award

BY LYNETTE GAIA

Each year during the Mercury Bay Art Escape a showcase exhibition is held at Hot Waves café, Hot Water Beach with voting to select one artist’s work for the People’s Choice award. This year artist Michael Harrison from Tairua is the winner for the second time, having won the award as a new Coromandel artist five years ago.

The prize is a meal voucher for $150 kindly donated by Ryan at Kaizen Go Vino in Cooks Beach.

Michael and his partner John retired to Tairua nearly a decade ago where Michael became an active in local art groups and both of them became committed and involved in local community activities.

Michael has continued to develop his art from his home studio, a tranquil, creative space nestled into their garden on Paku Hill. Deeply imbibed in his Coromandel environment, interspersed with times of stimulating travel, Michael innovates with materials and textures with colour, light and form integral to

his art.

As a lover of landscapes and landforms, Michael is drawn to painting moods at different times of the day, the intensity and angles of light, textures and the alternating colours of land and water.

His winning piece at Hot Waves Café, Beyond the Boundary, is a landscape with a lichen covered fence anchoring a sense of purpose and time to the envi-

Te Tupua – The Goblin: A mesmerizing performance at e Monkey House

John G Davies is a consummate storyteller. Not only did he write Te Tupua – The Goblin, he also directs this powerful play, and he performs all 13 characters in it. He gives each character its own voice, becoming Scottish or Māori, male or female, cowering or commanding – even his stature morphs from tall to small and tall again.

With extraordinarily facile facial expression and near gymnastic body language, Mr. Davies

creates a canvas for the tale told so ably on the intimate Monkey House stage that there is no need for a set or props. So fully does Davies inhabit each character that there is never any doubt as to who is speaking and who is listening! It was mesmerizing.

Stories are how we understand our world, our culture, ourselves. Te Tupua – The Goblin is all the more powerful because it is a story about one of Davies’ own ancestors. The

travails of the 10-year-old Scottish lad are drawn from history but are not a factual recounting of his enslavement in the early 1800s and 15 years aboard a British ship. His fight for survival after he is cast ashore on Aotearoa is not merely told but fully enacted.

This bilingual, bicultural tale provided a brief, poignant glimpse into New Zealand’s tortured soul for this curious visitor, of the trauma that lies

beneath the Kauri trees and shimmering seas. It is part of a rich storytelling tradition that pre-dates hieroglyphs and papyrus and draws upon ancient Greek drama and Japanese Noh theatre. The past is invoked using an exquisitely crafted mask—the Goblin. The ensuing choreography tells the story even more powerfully than words.

Arts on Tour New Zealand is sponsoring this remarkable

ronment. Continuing his innovative techniques, this piece incorporates alcohol inks and acrylic paint on yupo (synthetic paper). According to Michael, having experimented with various different mediums he finds this combination allows the flexibility to create more complex effects. Michael is a well-deserved and popular winner of the 2024 People’s Choice award.

performance at 16 locations across the nation throughout the month of May. Kudos to The Monkey House for recognising its immense value and bringing it to Whitianga, and for including a talk back following the show. This was a unique opportunity to interact with the New Zealand treasure that is John G Davies.

Michael with his art that won “People’s Choice Award” with proprietor Ryan of Kaizan Go Vino ready to present his gift voucher.

The Nukes enjoying their audience at Eggsentric. From left - Jay Parker, Dave ‘Fingers of Fire’ Parker, Dave ‘Snapper’ Thiele on the banjo mandolin, and Ben ‘Country Boy’ Collier; below is young Parker prodigy Jay P with his dad, Dave.

Painting, a gift of gratitude from Tairua artist

WhitiangaLionsClubArtExpoisreturningthisyeartotheWhitiangaTownHallonKing’sBirthdayWeekend(May31 openingnight–June3)withallprofitsgoingtoProjectMammogram.

BY CYNTHIA DALY

As Tairua artist Liz Hart prepares to pack up her home for the next stage of her life she is surrounded by expressions of a love for nature – the paintings of sea, wildflowers and stormy skies.

Not far from those paintings is the memory of a small child, maybe eight or nine years old, guided by her artist mother to the family’s farm orchard in the Waikato to paint in water colour the trees sprinkled in spring blossom above their carpet of snowdrops and jonquils. It is, says Liz, a time when something stirred inside her and she knew painting would always influenceher life.

“My mother always painted and I suppose it’s in the blood. In the springtime, when we were quite little, my sister and I, my mother would throw a rug down in the orchard and say, ‘just paint what you see’ but she always gave us really good materials to paint with so we’d get a nice result.”

It was a time before acrylic paints, just water colours and oil. Her mother worked in both.

As an adult Liz became a school teacher, while honing her painting skills at Mairangi Arts Centre and through short courses at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design. She doesn’t remember a time when she

didn’t paint. The imagination often stirred by glimpses of something beautiful while being a passenger in a car. “You just see paintings wherever you look.”

A busy life raising a family in Takapuna, then eventually after her husband, Brett retired they moved permanently to their bach at Tairua and Liz joined the Tairua Art Group “painting at the fishing club with like-minded people” and the Printmakers Group at Coroglen Hall becoming a prolific artist with a strong following.

“All artists have their own style. That’s why we’re such as eclectic bunch. I enjoy landscapes and flowers and things like that. You’ll never catch me painting dog portraits or even portraits of people! Full stop. That doesn’t interest me to capture a likeness; I see the cleverness in people who do that, but I’m more impressionistic.”

A GIFT TO RAISE FUNDS AT ART EXPO

Seated in her lounge, Liz holds a painting in soft blues, creams and pinks – a delicate vase of roses - in her understated magnificent style. It is a gift to the Whitianga Lions Club to be raffled at their Art Expo on King’s Birthday Weekend where all profits are going to Project Mammogram. It’s a gift with a lot of meaning.

Three months after a routine mammogram, her sister discovered a lump in her breast. The cancer was very invasive and despite receiving every possible treatment, she passed away at just 49 years old. The sense of loss still lingers.

In 2023, Liz spent nearly a month at the Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge in Hamilton, a free accommodation and care facility for patients and their families while they are receiving cancer treatment. Her husband was in hospital and Liz found the kind and caring volunteers and atmosphere at Lions Lodge just what she needed. Her connection with Lions Clubs New Zealand is one of gratitude. In a short time, the house will be packed up, with extra care paid to her paintings, and Liz and Brett will move to Muriwai and to the open arms of their family. It will be a new beginning and Liz has already discovered there is an art group at Muriwai which she’s looking forward to joining.

“I don’t think people who paint ever stop. There is a big following in Muriwai. It’s the same as the fishing club here, there’s a group that meet at the surf club once a week at Muriwai and paint.”

Liz says she has painted Muriwai before “with the black sand and the tyre tracks” and she’s looking forward to it.

Liz Hart’s painting is a gift to the Whitianga Lions Club to be raffled at the Art Expo at King’s Birthday weekend, Whitianga.

MILITARY EXERCISES IN WAIKAWAU BAY AREA DUE TO START

TUESDAY, 14 MAY

An advert in the Coromandel Town Chronicle magazine on 3 May, said to be from the NZ Defence Force, stated, “The general public is to be advised that the New Zealand Defence Force will be conducting an exercise in the Waikawau Bay Area between 14 May-22 May.

The exercise will involve 30 NZDF personnel, low flying aircraft and small boats operating day and night. Blank ammunition may be used in a controlled environment away from public areas.”

Source: Coromandel Town Chronicle. 3 May, 2024

There was no logo nor contact details and the advert was deemed vague and lacking by persons in the Waikawau Bay Catchment Residents Network (WBCRN):

So a local person contacted the Coromandel Town Chronicle inquiring about this advert. The editor contacted the NZ Defence Dept. who replied.

Following are excerpts from that statement, the full words to be published in the June edition of the Chronicle.

STATEMENT VIA LETTER FROM NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE

“The NZ Army routinely trains in communities around Aotearoa New Zealand in order to main-

tain requirements to be able to respond in times when we are called upon to assist. We are incredibly grateful for the understanding, patience and assistance that these communities provide us to complete our training.

The training we do is in the interest of protecting New Zealand, New Zealanders, and New Zealand’s interests. As such, the NZDF seeks to train in environments that have similar characteristics to that in which we may operate, such as metro areas in cities, rural landscapes and beach areas. Waikawau Bay provides an excellent coastal location, with native bush and undulating ter-

rain to mimic the characteristics of a Pacific nation or isolated coastal areas of New Zealand.

The majority of the land being used is privately owned and will not impact the public. With all exercises we consider the size and type of activity, and how this might impact the local residents and public. For the Waikawau Bay exercise it is deemed a low-to-no impact exercise on the local residents.

Low-flying aircraft will be present during the early evening, and no irregular flying hours will be conducted unless there is a realtime emergency situation. Blank ammunition will be used in iso-

lation.

The NZDF has consulted the Department of Conservation (DOC) for the use of DOC-owned land in the Waikawau Bay Area …. without causing any undesirable damage to native fauna and flora.

The NZDF has also engaged with a number of land owners and…through this engagement, we have gained a good understanding of the number of residents in Waikawau Bay area.

We strive to make reasonable attempts to ensure a large majority are informed and that closeknit communities can share the information in their own networks. The NZDF will conduct a

pamphlet drop prior to the conduct of the exercise…

We wish to reiterate our thanks again to those who live in the areas in which we conduct our vital and important training across New Zealand.”

Comment from Waikawau Bay Catchment Residents Network:

“It is a strange contradiction to collaborate with a military exercise in a significant natural area which has taken local volunteers many years to restore.”

TCDC WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THESE MILITARY EXERCISES

Another local person enquired of the TCDC about the military exercises, and astoundingly received this written reply:

“Thank you for your email. We have checked with our Communications Team and they were not notified of this, as this does not fall within Council jurisdiction.”

The WBCRN has requested a response to 10 questions under the Offical Information Act. This was done Thursday, 9 May. Waikawau Bay is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, across the cost from Colville and a little further north.

„ Press release sent to The Informer by Waikawau Bay Catchment Residents Network (WBCRN)

SENIORNET

BY BOBBIE PRESTON, SECRETARY

What is SeniorNet? Why join SeniorNet?

You can find the answers to these questions by coming to our next “Drop in Day” which will be on May 15 at 10.15am in our classroom in the Social Services Building on Cook Drive.

This is a one hour time for you to meet some of our tutors and committee members, for you to find out whether SeniorNet can help you learn how to improve your use of email, perhaps to create spreadsheets, and to organise your files and folders.

This session is an opportunity for you to get to know us. If you have specific questions bring those to one of our one-on-one sessions with just you and a tutor, or join either an iPhone/iPad user group or an Android user group. These are two hour sessions where you will discover all sorts of neat ways to use your phone or tablet.

Get in touch with our admin, Sheryl, to get signed up for membership and classes. (You need to be a member to access our classes.

Annual sub: $25.) Contact Sheryl by email: seniornet.whitianga.admin@ gmail.com or by phone: 021 0226 2504

By the way, SeniorNet is a club affiliated with the Federation of SeniorNet Societies of NZ. Our goal is to provide enjoyable learning opportunities for seniors. While

you learn all about using technology in your everyday life, you have the opportunity to interact with our patient and kind tutors (who are seniors) and with other seniors attending our classes.

WHAT’S ON FOR TERM TWO (30 APRIL – 3 JULY):

„ Photobooks: Make your own lasting memories of a fabulous trip, family wedding, important birthday or other milestone. A series of two sessions, 30 April and 7 May.

„ Genealogy: For those who have some familiarity with researching family trees online. 7 May and 22 May.

„ Beginners Genealogy Group: Learn the basics of online genealogy research. 18 June.

„ Genealogy Interest Group: Get together with others to unravel the mysteries of your family history and genetics. Two separate sessions – one for Android/Windows users and the other session for Apple users. Both held on 3 July.

„ Brain Games: We walk the dog and pump iron at the gym. This keeps our body fit but not our brain. Brain games on the phone or computer can keep our neurons firing and our synapses supple. Come along and have some fun while you exercise… your brain.4 June.

„ Streaming Services: All you wanted to know about streaming services. 22 May.

„ One-on-One Sessions: Usually four per week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Total Mobility is here

apply

COROMANDEL RESCUE MISSIONS

For the Auckland & Coromandel Westpac Rescue Helicopters

1-30 April 2024

a female patient in her 60s involved in a car versus bicycle accident. She was in a moderate condition. Transportation to hospital by helicopter wasn’t required.

06.04 Thames

06.04 Matarangi

10.04

Thames

13.04 Whitianga

14.04 Offshore Whangamata

14.04

Thames

22.04 Whitianga

Assist a male patient in his 70s suffering a medical complaint. He was flown to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.

Assist a male patient in his 60s suffering a medical complaint. He was flown to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.

Assist a male patient in his 60s suffering a medical complaint. He was flown to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition.

Assist a male patient in his 20s involved in an accident playing rugby. He was flown to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.

Crew tasked by the Rescue Coordination Centre to offshore Whangamata to assist with the search for an activated beacon. Crew were stood down enroute.

Assist a male patient involved in an accident (details unknown) and in a moderate condition. Transportation to hospital by helicopter wasn’t required.

Assist a male patient in his 80s suffering a medical condition. He was flown to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition. 23.04 Kauaeranga Valley 26.04 Cooks Beach

28.04 Whangamata

28.04 Thames

Assist a female patient suffering a severe allergic reaction. Transportation to hospital by helicopter was not required.

Assist a male patient in his 70s suffering a medical complaint. He was flown to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.

Assist with the interhospital transfer of a male patient in his 50s involved in a bike accident. He was flown from Thames Hospital to Waikato Hospital in a moderate condition.

Assist with the interhospital transfer of a male patient in his 50s involved in a bike accident. He was flown from Thames Hospital to Waikato Hospital in a moderate condition.

• Total Mobility is a nationwide scheme aimed at giving people with disabilities mobility options. Whitianga Social Services administers Total Mobility in Whitianga.

• The scheme provides financial assistance, giving registered users up to 75% discount on taxi fares up to a maximum subsidy. The user pays the balance of the fare to the taxi driver. People who use the scheme must carry a valid Total Mobility photo ID card to get the discounted fare.

• You can only apply through Whitianga Social Services. They are responsible for ensuring that the membership and photo ID card applications are completed correctly and returned to the Waikato Regional Council. The assessor will take a photo of you and collect information from you about your mobility situation.

To register for your assessment contact us on phone 07 866 4476 or register online – visit www.wcst.org.nz or print off the online form, complete it and drop it to us at 2 Cook Drive Whitianga

SPORTS – Mercury Bay Area School

Great day for the beach cross country

Clockwise from top – The senior boys picked up a tree trunk on their 6km beach run and brought it across the finishing line; Mr Irwin, busiess teacher, ran from start to finish with the senior boys; Briar Toya; Tamsin Reichardt; Noah Palmer; Francie Lidgard; Alison Brunton; Indy Marshall and Travis Thompson-Hudig.

CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:

Year 9 Girls: 1, Lana Ducker; 2, Briar Toia; 3, Lara Sharman; 4, Summer Acke

Year 9 Boys: 1, Noah Palmer; 2, Cruz Beaver; 3, Riley Flynn; 4, Cooper Mullins

Junior Girls U16: 1, Leah Clow; 2, Charlotte Thurgood; 3, Isabella White; 4, Lizzie Till

Junior Boys U16: 1=, Indy Marshall, Travis Thompson-Hudig; 2, Tom Lamason; 3, Taingarunui Hinds; 4, Caleb McLean

Senior Girls: 1, Francie Lidgard; 2, Alison Brunton; 3, Lena Webber; 4, Kizzy Samson

Senior Boys: 1, Nils Martienssen; 2, Isaiah Johnston; 3, Joshua Bruce; 4 Harry Williscroft

SPORTS

MERCURY BAY FOOTBALL CLUB

Mercury Bay 8th Grade 11 May

We played Whenuakite on Saturday. We had a great turn out from both clubs with over 40 kids playing on this beautiful sunny morning. Players of the Day: Amelia Jones for her amazing attitude and maximum effort for the whole morning and Mitchell Goble for his great teamwork and passing to his teammates.

Mercury Bay 10th Grade Orcas - 11 May

We had a great first game of the season against Hauraki Plains Bears. It was a beautiful day with amazing attacking and defence from the Orcas, great ball skills and really using the field to dominate the game. Player of the day went to Ethan Macdonald.

The Marlins started their season against the Thames Dragons in beautiful playing conditions. It didn’t take long for the Marlins to find their groove, stringing together some great passes and finding the net on multiple occasions. Our player of the day went to Kian Biesheuvel for really growing into his role in defence.

Mercury Bay Under 12’s 11 May

We travelled to Ngatea as what started out very cold but it soon warmed up just like our team. It took a while for the first goal of the season but once it started it was hard to stop. Ngatea are a young team that tested us throughout but our supreme finishing separated the teams.

Goals scored: Kayleb Cornwall 6, Toby McLean 2, Harry Sharman 1, Dylan Castle 1. Players of the

Day Kayleb Cornwall and Jackson Lewis. From Coach Michael Cornwall

MERCURY BAY GOLF CLUB

Nine- Hole Women – Gross

Tuesday, 7 May

Div 1: 1, Audrey Vickers; 2, Pam Voight; 3, Gaylene Imms

Div 2: 1, Noeline Boardman; 2, Jean Hancock

Nine- Hole Mixed – Stableford 1, Don Maguire; 2, Jeff Dixon; 3, Graeme Heathcote

Eighteen - Hole Men –Stableford

Wednesday, 8 May 1, Steve Collins; 2, Carl Mitchell; 3, Micky Henderson

Twos: Cam Walls, Alan Henderson, Roger Booth, Johnny Lister, Steve Geach

Gross: Div 1: Dave Enright; Div 2: Carl Mitchell

Nine -Hole Mixed Scramble –Stableford- Friday, 10 May 1, Patrick Gonthier; 2, Graham Dun; 3, Eddie Lyle

Nearest Pin #3: Don Maguire

Nearest Pin #6: Graham Dun Eighteen Hole Men – Stableford

Saturday, 11 May

1, Dan Ray; 2, Graeme Butler; 3, Mike Franklin

Twos: Paul Lupton, Richard Steel, Dan Ray, Greg Peterken, Wayne Kearney

Longest Drive: Div 1: Mark Burcombe; Div 2: Jeff Dixon

Nearest Pin: Div 1: Dave Enright; Div 2: Jeff Dixon

Gross: Div 1: Cam Goodger; Div 2: Graeme Butler

PURANGI GOLF CLUB

Nine-Hole Stableford with Partners - Tuesday, 7 May 1, Jo Geoghegan and Wayne Morrison, 2, Jill Huston and Rich-

ard Duckworth

Nine-Hole nett Screen TrophyThursday 9 May

Women: 1, Jill Huston; 2, Jo Geoghegan.

Men: 1, Neil Robertson; 2, John Hamilton

THE DUNES MATARANGI GOLF CLUB

Nine -Hole Mens Haggle –Stableford - Monday, 6 May 1, Ray Green; 2, Steve Airey; 3, Noel Rogers.

Nine -Hole Ladies Mulligan Day – Stableford

Tuesday, 7 May

1, Joanne Nicholson; 2, Merrin James; 3, Maree Cabaret.

Eighteen-Hole Men’s First Round Matchplay – Stableford

Wednesday, 8 May

1, Murray James; 2, Allan Dickinson; 3, Geoffrey Hill; 4, Paul Draper; 5, Mike Friis.

Twos: Philip Crosby, Nick Lambert, Peter Sharp.

Nearest the Pin#18th: Ross Alexander Nine- Hole Mixed Day Stableford

Thursday, 9 May

1, Merrin James; 2, Joanne Nicholson; 3, John Schoutens

Thursday 9 May – Coronation Medal & Veterans Trophy - Net

1, Noeleen Mulligan; 2, Sandra Bowen; 3, Bev Gwyn.

Twos - Chrissie Smith, Sandra Bowen

Haggle – Stableford – Saturday, 11 May

1, Tony Nicholson; 2, David Ellis; 3, Glenn LeLievre; 4, Chris Palmer; 5, Chris De Leeuw.

Twos: Tony De Doek, Nick Lambert.

Nearest the Pin#18th: Nick Lambert

Clockwise – A Grade rugby on Saturday at Lions ParkMercury Bay lost to Paeroa, but the B team won their match; Mercury Bay junior rugby player streaks away from Hauraki Plains to get a try; Hauraki Plains fielded some strong runners; Little Kickers from Mercury Bay Football at Whenuakite on Saturday; Basketball season began with a whole series of matches at Mercury Bay School.

TAIRUA BRIDGE CLUB

Paku Pairs Round One

North/South - 1, Daphne Jenner and Christine Meinhold 54.76; 2, Peter McNeil and Johanna Bonnar 54.17; 3, Jean Myles and Donna Harvey 53.57.

East/West - 1, Celia Young and Nolene Kirkpatrick 57.74; 2, Chris Death and Kim van Diepen 57.44; 3, Peter Clark and Liz Young 55.36.

HAHEI BRIDGE CLUB

Hahei Beach Pairs Week OneTuesday, 7 May

North/South: 1, Val Dwight and Bev Dickie 66.50; 2, Robyn and Peter Hogg 62.50; 3, Denise Knutson and Maggie Beattie 43.50.

East/West: 1, Dave Dylla and Peter Clark 68.00; 2, Alison Tichbon and Robyn Waters 63.50; 3, Anne Knowles and Myra Hoogwerf 45.00.

MERCURY BAY CONTRACT

BRIDGE CLUB

Championship Pairs Round Two - Wednesday, 8 May

North/South: 1, Kate Palmano and Gavin Hedwig 61.7; 2, Sue Gill and Jenny Layton 57.9; 3, Pete Hogg and Alison Tichbon 51.7

East/West: 1, Bob Schibli & Susan Swan 64.6; 2, Robyn Hogg & Giorgio Allemano 59.6; 3, Hillary Scott & Norma Hart 47.1 Kaimarama Pairs Round OneThursday, 9 May 1, Norma Hart and Natasha La Trobe 61.7; 2=, Ischelle Stevenson and Geoff Jervis, Amy Hyde and Pat Doube 58.3.

MERCURY BAY DARTS CLUB

22 players last night so doubles were played. One team went

through unbeaten and they were John Monro and Roscoe Anderson. Highest finish for the men was 77 scored by John Monro. No 180s scored this week. 14 players went to Rotorua last weekend to play a Rotorua team with the home team coming out victorious.

MERCURY BAY CLUB SNOOKER

Wednesday, 8 May

Best of three frames:

Eight players on Wednesday and it was only Ken Gibson and Wayne Malcolm with two straight wins to battle out the final third frame. However it was Wayne again showing the great form he has shown over the past weeks and grabbed the win over Ken and also had the highest break of 20. Runner up Ken Gibson and also with two wins was Brian Codyre. Saturday, 11 May

Best of three frames:

Nine players on Saturday and Jason Smith and Barry Roach were welcomed back after some absence. Only Peter Schultz and Phil Jones managed two straight wins to challenge the final third frame and Peter took a close victory over Phil. With two wins were Phil Jones (runner up), Wayne Malcolm and Doug Pascoe. No high break was recorded.

MERCURY BAY INDOOR BOWLING CLUB

Thursday, 9 May

Winners: Alan Henderson, Maureen Lack and Lionel Lawrence. Runners-up: Ken Lack, Ian Sanderson, Shirley Marshall and Pat Fisher.

Good Sports: Wayne McNeill, Lee Pudney, Wayne Fisher and Judy Adams.

A mixed martial art, incorporating Judo, Jui Jitsu, Muay Thai, TKD, Karate, Thai Chi, Wing Chun and Boxing. Aims: Self-defence, Self-control, Confidence and Discipline. Suitable for children and adults.

Tuesday and Wednesday Whitianga Town Hall 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Instructor: Tony 0273335146

TAO DO MARTIAL ARTS AOTEAROA

WHAT'S ON

If you have an activity or group or the existing information is incorrect, let The Informer know. Call 866 2090, email info@theinformer.co.nz or send a message on Facebook.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES/EVENTS

OP SHOPS

Mercury Bay Cancer Support Trust Bookshop Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga. Open every MondaySaturday from 10.00am-2.00pm.

St John Opportunity Shop – 29 Albert Street, Whitianga. Open Monday-Friday, 9.30am-4.00pm and Saturday 9.30am-2.00pm.

St Andrew’s Church Op-shop – Owen Street, Whitianga. 9.30am-1pm Wednesday-Saturday. Social Services Op-shop – 15 Coghill Street (west of Albert Street), Whitianga. Open MondaySaturday 9.30am-2.00pm. Donations welcome and can be dropped off at this address.

SPCA Op-shop – 2/Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga. Open Monday-Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm and Sunday 9.00am-4.00pm.

MONTHLY

AA Driver Licensing

Friday 10 May, Monday 27 May. In the Mercury Bay Service Centre Community Board Room in Monk Street (behind the council offices).

Cooks Beach Garden Circle

Last Thursday of every month 11.15am-2.30pm. New members are welcome. Phone Anne on 07 866 0268 for more information.

Kūaotunu Dune Care

Every third Wednesday of the month. Protecting the dunes by removing weeds and rubbish and planting native dune plants. To get involved, please email kuaotunudunecare@gmail.com to get on the emailing list.

Mercury Bay Shooting Federation

Muzzle loader, rimfire, centre fire, military, pistol. For more info mbsfsecretary@gmail.com.

FORTNIGHTLY

Knit for a Purpose

The first and third Fridays of the month, 10.00am to 12.00pm at St Peter the Fisherman, 7 Dundas St. Gillian Reid on 021 781081 for further details, or just turn up.

Mercury Bay Creative Fibre

Spin, knit, weave, crochet. First and third Wednesday every month, 10.00am-1.00pm, supper room of Town Hall. Phone. Vanessa 027 896 5037 Email. – vandoo555@gmail.com.

Whitianga Tramping Group

Every second Sunday at 8.30am. Phone Wally on 021 907 782 or Lesley on 021 157 9979 for more information.

WEEKLY OR MORE

Alcoholics Anonymous

The Whitianga Big Book Group meets every Thursday at 6.30pm at St Peter the Fisherman Church, Dundas Street. Phone 0800 AA WORKS (0800 229 6757) for more information. Al-Anon Serenity Group

For those affected by someone else’s drinking. Every Wednesday at 1.30pm. Phone Pauline on 021 086 10955 for more info. Chess Club

Monday nights 6.30-9.30pm. Bowling club. Players of all levels welcome. Come along and enjoy a game or two of chess. Cost $2 to go towards room costs and supper. Contact Brett Soanes 0272117195 or brettsoanes16@hotmail.com

Chinwag Café

Every Friday from 10.00am-12.00pm at Whitianga Social Services, 2 Cook Drive. A place for over 50s to meet other people, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and have a chinwag.

Coffee and Discussion Group

Every Sunday, 2.00pm-4.00pm, at The Lost Spring. Topics are open and respect shown. No charge. Convener. Peter H. Wood. Cooks Beach Care Group

Haere mai! We invite you to join our friendly team and learn about coastal conservation. Come weeding and planting while enjoying our beautiful environment. Thursday mornings. Register www. cooksbeachcare.org.nz

DANCING

Argentine Tango Dance Class

Fridays, Town Hall, Whitianga, 5.30-7.30pm. No prior experience or partner necessary. Text Sergio for questions 027 410 2454

Mercury Bay Dance Club

Recreational dance lessons. Thursday 6.00pm7.00pm. Please book with Kathleen 022 154 1702 and/or check out the Facebook page. facebook. com/mercurybaydanceclub/.

LINE DANCING – Mercury Bay Line Dancing Club

Tuesdays, beginners 11.15am-12.15pm; seniors 12.30-2.30pm; Thursdays, absolute beginners 11.30am-12.30pm, improvers 12.45-2.45pm. Whitianga Town Hall, Monk Street. Phone Margaret 027 463 8850 or Glynis 021 1099 155.

Whitianga Line Dancing Club Classes

Town Hall, Monk Street, $5 per session.

Intermediate classes Wednesday,12.00pm-1.30pm; Beginner / Improver classes Monday 10.30am –11.45am. Contact Cecily 027 294 1750 or Kathy 027 4321 353

Belly Dancing

Contact Catherine Corcoran, 021 210 2438 or smile@catherinecorcoran.com.

Weekend classes twice a month at 4pm.

SALSA/Merengue/Bachata and Cha Cha

Contact Molly, events@beatfairy.com

Every Monday from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Monkey House. $20 per class which includes a drink.

Zumba

Contact Carly, book at www.infinitefitness.nz

Wednesdays at 5.30pm at gym for Zumba and Step Zumba on Mondays at 4.45pm, 86a Albert St. Free 7 day trial.

Cooks Beach Indoor Bowling club

Every Wednesday 1.45-4.30pm approx, Cooks Beach Hall. One month free trial (4 times). Contact Coral Strong 021 2303 944.

Dog walking group

Every Thursday at 2.00pm, Lovers Rock, Robinson Road. All breeds and sizes welcome to a very sociable group where great friendships are made. Phone Jenny on 021 186 5797.

Grey Power Mercury Bay

Will be holding a luncheon at the Mercury Bay Club following their 11.20am AGM on Thursday 16 May. Any queries phone Merle 867 1737.

Learn to play Bridge

The Mercury Bay Contract Bridge Club in Whitianga is offering a series of weekly lessons during the winter months. If you would like to join the class, or would like more information, contact: Gavin Hedwig, phone: 021 1469203. E-mail: g.hedwig@ xtra.co.nz

Meditation Stress Reduction Circle –Whitianga

Mondays from 7.30-9.00pm at the Embassy of Friendship, 5 Coghill St. More info. Steffen Lindner (Counsellor, Therapist & Mindfulness Facilitator). Ph 022 0853 121 or email steffen@eof.nz

Meditation Classes – Thursday Evening Spiritual, Heart, Soul Development. Sacred Energy, Chakra Activations, Working with Spiritual Guides, Open forum conversation, Thursdays, 6.30pm at Flat 1, 15 Mill Rd, Whitianga. Cost is $10. Contact Verna 027 320 0079, vernajcarr@gmail.com.

Mercury Bay Badminton Club

Thursdays 5.00pm-7.00pm, 4 courts – All levels welcome with coaching available. At the school gym (adjacent to swimming pool). Mercury Bay Area School. Contact: Steve 027 211 3568

Mercury Bay Badminton

Every Wednesday from 9.00am-11.00am, at the Whitianga Town Hall, Monk Street. Social badminton. Casual players and visitors are welcome. Players of all levels, ages 16+. Phone Carol on 027 474 7493 for more information.

Mercury Bay Bowling and Sports Club Cook Drive, Whitianga. Contact Steve Williams 027 855 2772.

Mercury Bay Indoor Bowling Club

Every Thursday evening, Whitianga Town Hall, 6.45pm. New members and visitors welcome.

Phone Cheryl or Alan on 027 452 7887 for more information.

Mercury Bay Community Choir

Mondays 6.15-8.15pm, Music Room Mercury Bay Area School. Inclusive, open, friendly choir – no prior singing experience needed, no auditions. Contact Kate 027 2709 058 for details.

Mercury Bay Environmental Trust

Every Tuesday and Friday from 9.00am-11.00am, location advised prior. For more information, please email mbenvironmentaltrust@gmail.com or go to www.mbet.co.nz.

Mercury Bay Pickleball Club

Every Tuesday 5.30pm-7.30pm and every Sunday 4.00pm – 6.00pm at the Mercury Bay Area School gymnasium, Whitianga. Outdoor sessions every Thursday 4.00pm-6.00pm and Sunday 9.0011.00am weather dependant, Matai Place courts, Matarangi. Equipment and training provided. Contact Tony Minto on 021 426 150.

Mercury Bay Quilters

From 10.00am-4.00pm on the first and third Mondays and second and fourth Saturdays of each month. 2 Cook Drive (Social Services building). Contact Margaret on 021 140 4016.

Mercury Bay Table Tennis

Every Tuesday, 9.00am-11.30am at the Whitianga Town Hall, Monk Street. All welcome. Phone Anne on 07 869 5162 or 027 565 5575 for more information.

Mercury Bay Tennis Club

Social tennis at Lyon Park is on from 6.00pm on Thursdays. All welcome. Ph. Jason – 022 186 7992 or Steve – 022 378 0648.

Oneness Meditation Centre

OM Centre focuses on the meditative art of going deeper within. Learn how to meditate, breath, calm the mind, relieve stress, anxiety and be a calm, peaceful, courageous, dynamic human being. Every Monday, 9.30-11.00am. Further info. text Linda 027 650 4881or email linda_c@orcon.net.nz

Peninsula Penultimates (ex Probus Club) Fourth Monday of every month, 10.00am at the Mercury Bay Bowling Club, Cook Drive, Whitianga. Phone Joan on 07 866 3801 or 027 275 1372 for more information.

SeniorNet Whitianga Incorporated

Learn more about new communications and information technology. Contact Sheryll Carruthers on 021 022 62504 or email seniornet.whitianga.admin@gmail.com.

Spiritual Coffee Mornings

Every Tuesday and Wednesday, 10.30am-11.30am, 19 Monk Street, the Starlight Centre. Grab a coffee and join in some great conversation where we talk about topics and subjects that have meaning. Gold coin donation. Contact Verna 027 320 0079.

Strength, Balance and Mobility classes for Seniors – men and women

Every Thursday morning from 10.00am to 11.00am at St Peter the Fisherman, 7 Dundas St. $2.00 per session. Contact Lisa Jury on 027 351 7110 for further information.

Tai Chi for beginners

Town Hall, Mondays 6.00pm-7.00pm. Gold coin donation. Ph. Tony 027 333 5146 for more info.

Tai Do Martial Arts

Town Hall, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 6.00pm7.30pm. Ph. Tony 027 333 5146 for more info.

Whitianga Art Group

Every Thursday and Friday 10am-4pm, 23 School Road. Visitors and new members welcome. Phone Margaret on 027 635 1615 for more information.

Whitianga Bike Park

144 Moewai Road, Whitianga. Open 24/7. Many bike tracks available, picnic areas, barbeques and walking trails. Donations welcome on entry. If you wish to volunteer or for programme enquiries, contact John 027 366 4606.

Whitianga Menz Shed

Open every Tuesday and Thursday, 9.00am – 12.00 noon. At the Moewai Park end of South Highway,

past the diesel truck stop. All welcome. Whitianga Playcentre

Every Tuesday and Friday 9.00am-12.00pm,1F White Street. Contact. whitianga@playcentre.org.nz or 027 880 3947.

Whitianga Senior Citizens Club – Indoor bowls and card games

Mondays at the Whitianga Town Hall, Monk St, from 1pm-4pm. Join us for a fun time and afternoon tea, 55+ age group. Phone Lionel Lawrence (president) on 027 274 6964 for more info.

Whiti Stitchers

Embroiderers meet every Tuesday at 9.00am start. For more information phone Margaret on 027 7802 744. All levels welcome.

Women’s Wellbeing and Weight Loss Whitianga

Wednesdays 5.00-6.00pm, Room 10, Whitianga Social Services, 2 Cook Drive, Whitianga. Learn portion control, eliminate processed sugar, eat well at meals, eat well for life. Support to lose weight wisely. Check out our Facebook page or phone Cecily on 027 294 1750 for more information.

Whitianga Gun Club

For information, phone Mike Deverell 0274 959 477 or Graham Sutcliffe on 021 846 655.

Whitianga Community Patrol

Monitors the township and neighbourhood. If interested in volunteering, ph Gary 027 391 3043.

Hahei Contract Bridge Club

Every Tuesday 12.30pm at the Hahei Community Hall. Learners and casual welcome. Contact Don Barry 021 741 959 or Robyn Hogg 021543015. Mercury Bay Contract Bridge Club

Every Wednesday at 1.00pm and every Thursday at 7.00pm at the Mercury Bay Bowling Club, Cook Drive, Whitianga. For more information, phone Gavin on 07 866 2343 or 021 146 9203.

Tairua Contract Bridge Club

Every Monday at 12.30pm at the Tairua Bowling Club, 44 Hornsea Rd. Contact Lynnette Flowers 021 252 4709 or Johanna Bonnar 027 466 3726. Mercury Bay Squash Club

Usually on a Monday night. In recess at present. Several levels offered.

Mercury Bay Model Railway Club

Monthly meet. Contact. Damon 0273551650 Greeting Card Making

The second and fourth Fridays of the month, 10.00am to 12.00pm at St Peter the Fisherman, 7 Dundas St. All materials provided. Contact Rev. Gillian Reid on 021 781 081 or just turn up.

Craft Group

Meets first Saturday of the month 10.00am-3.00pm at Whitianga Social Services, 2 Cook Drive. Car park end. Work on your own craft (stitching, colouring in, scrapbook, card making anything goes). Bring your lunch and enjoy mixing with other crafty people. Any queries phone Marilyn 021 1806 530 or Kim 021 1200 469.

American Muscle Street and Custom Club Whitianga Club meetings first Sunday of the month, 11.00am at Smitty’s for cars and coffee. Phone Reg and Julie Smith on 027 493 5822.

Sorry for Your Loss

If you have lost a close friend, whether recently or in the past, gather with understanding people for a drink at The Lost Spring 4pm Friday 20th May. For more information ph Michelle 027 231 6788.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Kim Abrahamson: 07 866 5896 or 027 478 2232

Peter Bould: 021 923 198

Barbara Blair: 07 866 5181 or 021 310 351

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

“THE PUBLIC IS TO BE ADVISED”

In the 3 May Town Chronicle page 21 NZ Defence Force gave notice of a military exercise in the Waikawau Bay area – no logo, no contact person.

TCDC was not informed, as NZ Defence Force insists that its activities are outside our Council’s jurisdiction. Note nonetheless that TCDC is obliged in law to protect the health and safety of its residents.

NZ Defence did not hold a meeting with residents. Without a meeting to hear our concerns, how can TCDC carry out its obligations to the residents of the Waikawau Bay area?

Department of Conservation manages (and does not own) public conservation land at Waikawau Bay. Much of DOC’s work here is carried out by volunteers for whom protecting wildlife habitat is a strongly held value. DOC likewise gave consent for the military exercise without consulting the community.

It is a strange contradiction to endorse a military exercise in an area of significant natural habitat, while encouraging the public to be mindful of actions needed to protect populations of the shy bittern.

Remember Maui’s brothers who, disregarding his directions, trod on the flat land he fished up and turned it into a pock-marked landscape of ridges and gullies. NZ Defence has not asked us if it may make use of our peaceful environment for a military exercise. It has not told us what it plans to do and asked what concerns we have. Rather, it has asserted a right to invite itself in.

NZ Defence has not fulfilled its duty to establish a good relationship with the public. I don’t like the way we are being governed.

Wendy Pond Coromandel

HOW CAN POISONING BE CONSERVATION?

Both the Robinsons and I are much buoyed up by all that Dal Minogue (previous Letters To editor The Informer, 30 April) has said we have achieved. It is good to be reminded that our efforts have not been entirely wasted.

As a result, I thought I would begin with this: People who are involved in the wild animal poisoning business equate ‘poisoning’ with the word ‘conservation.’ Because I am against the use of poison to control wild animals those involved with poisoning label me as ‘anti-conservation’.

Spreading poison is their form of “conservation” – in DOC’s case, spreading poison is practically their only method of “conservation”.

This is the barrier, a strong barrier put up between the poisoners and all those who object to the use of poison on their properties. In 1991, DC spread ICI’s rat bait called Talon. This poison was known to remain in the environment and poison multiple times.

In England the poison was banned because they knew it would poison the owls. We knew that before the poison was spread. The Kennedy Bay owls got wiped out. I could not believe they would knowingly go out and destroy so many beautiful birds. For what? Why were NZ owls or hawks or falcons or kingfishers not protected from poisoning as they are overseas?

In 1994 DOC dropped 1080 baits on the Coromandel for the first time. The following morning, many poisoned birds lay dead on our lawn.

I asked DOC what they thought about all the insects they had poisoned. The man in charge of the drop laughed at me, said: “We didn’t come to poison insects John. This was a “targeted” drop,

„ The purpose of the Letters to the Editor column is to allow members of the public to express an opinion, about an article or a topic of interest. Please keep them to 200 words or less. Hopefully this will encourage discussion, however the editor reserves the right to decide what is published.

targeted against possums and rats, not against insects.” As if he believed that a universal poison like 1080 could be “targeted” to poison only one species and not another! This was 30 years ago but Dal Minogue reminds us that such beliefs still exist. Veysey and the Robinsons still have much to do.

John Veysey Colville

ASTRAZENECA WITHDRAWING

Last week, British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced that it is withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide, THREE years after admitting it can cause rare, but life-threatening injuries such as blood clots! The company stressed that it was plummeting demand that determined its decision to withdraw its jab.

Wonder why it took so long to withdraw the jab after knowing of its dangers? Do people really want to trust such companies and the WHO?

K Thompson, Whitianga

GALVANISED BY YOUR FULL PAGE

Dear Trevor Jensen,

I write to remind you that a community is made up of many different groups who live together and share the local amenities.

The area the Mercury Bay Boating Club wants to utilise is the very best place available. Nothing in your full-page advert convinced me otherwise. What it did do was galvanise me into putting in a submission supporting the Mercury Bay Boating Club.

Dianne Hotham Kuaotunu

ABOUT ISSUES, NOT PERSONALITIES

Despite the political category you divide yourself into, if you have been around our Coromandel for any length of time you may well remember Jeanette Fitzsimons. She was our Parliamentary representative and leader of the Green Party before the National Party changed the constituency to include Hauraki, facilitating their candidate’s parliamentary access.

I admired Jeannette as a true leader not just because she had a far greater understanding of environmental issues than any of her contemporaries, she also was possibly the only politician who attacked the issues and not the individual. So much debate now is all about personalities.

If humanity is ever going to mature to a level where we don’t just get along but actually co-operate and get good stuff done, we all need to grow up.

My memory is not what it used to be so reading the letters to the Editor lately reminds me of com-

munity board debates or was that kindergarten ....?

R. Harwood Whenuakite

BOUQUETS FOR “START” AND DISTRICT NURSES

In the past I have had difficulty accessing health services that were needed. However, my recent experience with START services following a knee replacement at Braemar hospital in Hamilton, has been timely, friendly, professional and appropriate to my needs.

Karen, Paige, Maaike, Maree, Donna Patrice and Trudi have each come to see me at Ferry Landing during the two weeks I have been home. Each of them has been so pleasant, respectful and encouraging.

I found out about Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation (START) from a public meeting earlier this year held at Crossroads church arranged by the Medical Centre and Te Korowai. Braemar hospital staff referred me to START while I was hospitalized so they could visit me when I was discharged.

This team has a registered nurse, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist to ensure that all possible needs up to six weeks, can be attended to as they arise. An assessment of the patient, carer and home is made, and a plan is set up with the nurse and goals set to be achieved.

With an allergic reaction to the plaster applied to my wound after surgery, this was closely observed and advice given about treatment in consultation with my surgeon and the doctors at the Mercury Bay Medical Centre. District nurses were called to visit and dress the wound, so for a while both START and District nurses were visiting daily. What reassurance these people gave me and my husband while he was caring for me in our home.

I am now making good progress. I couldn’t have done it without the lovely people from START and the District nurses. We are indeed blessed to have these services available in the Mercury Bay.

Elizabeth Nicholls Mercury Bay

FROM ROVERS VIEWPOINT

My name is Rover and I live with my human in paradise. That is, Mercury Bay, with many friends. Instead of having to hunt for food, my human provides me with delicious meat and vegetables from a building that has

a constant flow of the human sub-species. She seems to be disconcerted by the effort and when she was putting on my collar, she was saying something about a council.

To make up for the effort, I suck up to her so she can stroke and pat me and even smooch, but I don’t know why she talks to me unless it’s because she hasn’t replaced the absent human mate that used to be here.

If I show adoration when sucking up, I’ve managed to sleep on the soft and warm bed. Also, as a reward I take her ‘for walkies’ every fine day.

So far, I’ve ignored the cat species that wants to supplant me in her affections. I see no cats on my walk but plenty of friends who don’t mind identifying themselves by rear-end smells. If one is deceptively female, I will probably find it confusing, but it hasn’t happened yet.

When I take my human to the beach, she takes a liking to a stick for some reason and when she throws it away, I try to help by bringing it back. Usually, it is to no avail, and we leave it behind anyway.

When we go to the vet next week, I hope we don’t leave anything behind.

Rover, Buffalo Beach “SEX AND THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE”

As an avid reader of Stan’s stuff, it was with surprise that I found in his strong stuff about sex that he had overlooked the ability of humans to have pills and sex together. It must have been with relief that mothers with large families were able to get doctors to prescribe a series of pills each month that made them safe from pregnancy. There is also another pill called the morning-after that helps protect for enjoyment on a spur-of-the-moment participation.

I suppose that this is still a reason for a declining birth rate. Anyway, any excuse to have more sex. Ignore the pills and have large families that have caused over population on our overcrowded planet with attendant shortage of housing and famine.

Certain African countries could do with family planning help, instead of food and water aid. But religion gets in the way, just look at the number of children in a war-torn Gaza.

Peter H. Wood Continuing Care

GAMES AND PUZZLES

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Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. Circle the letters not used and that is your answer.

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ST ANDREW’S BY THE SEA Presby/Methodist Church Albert St Whitianga (Est.1898) COMMUNITY WORSHIP

SUNDAY 9:30am Come, join us! Bring the family! Parish Secretary: ph 022 132 2061 www.standrewsbythesea.org.nz

WHITIANGA SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB INC NOTICE OF THE 38TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

To be held on Monday 27 May, 2024 at the Whitianga Town Hall at 12.00pm

Followed by a nger food lunch

Mayfair Reserve – Expressions of Interest

Expressions of interest are open to Community Organisations to lease part of the Mayfair Avenue Reserve as follows:

1. Approximately 1,340m2 of reserve land (excluding the existing shed) located at 128a Wattle Place (Mayfair Avenue Recreation Reserve), Whangamatā as shown on the map below:

PENINSULAR PENALTIMATES SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

To discuss and accept the Annual Financial Report, at the Mercury Bay Bowling Club at 10am, 27 May

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of Grey Power Mercury Bay Inc. will be held at 11.20am on Thursday 16th May 2024 at the Mercury Bay Club, corner Cook Drive and Campbell Street. Doors will be open at 10.45am.

If you have any queries regarding this meeting wish to learn more about Grey Power contact Merle Edwards on 867 1737.

$180 a cube delivered. Phone James 021 063 2037

Phone 07 867 1361, 0274 958 033 DRY GUM FIREWOOD FOR SALE

Equestrian arena - 1200m2

Building/Shed -140m2

2. Any other part of the reserve located at 128a Wattle Place (Mayfair Avenue Recreation Reserve), Whangamatā

Expressions of interest need to be received by 4pm 12 June and can be made in writing addressed to the Chief Executive, 515 Mackay Street, Thames or via Council’s online Expressions of Interest form.

Expressions of interest received will be considered by the Whangamatā Community Board.

Please note that any potential lease will need to be in accordance with the Reserves Act 1977 and the Thames-Coromandel District Council’s Leases and Licences to Occupy Policy.

REX DEW

We are having a celebration of Rex’s life at the Mercury Bay Charter Club, 69 Cook Drive, Whitianga, 11am on Tuesday 21 May. All friends of Rex and Janes family are welcome

DRY PINE – SHED STORED

$150 a cube – Whitianga based –covering surround areas.

A Lawrie Chief Executive Thames-Coromandel District Council

on Sunday 19th May 2024

To be held at St.Johns Hall, (main street) PAEROA at 11am ALL WELCOME

GREY POWER MERCURY BAY INC

French Film festival in Whitianga

urs 30 May to Wed 12 June

Mercury Twin Cinemas

WIN! Mercury Twin Cinemas

Book your tickets and be in to win a trip to New Caledonia

ROSALIE

115 mins Rated M Biography Drama Historical. Sun 2 June Time: 4.15pm France, 1870s. Rosalie, is a young woman unlike any other. Born with a face and body covered in hair, a condition known as hirsutism, she has concealed her reality all her life, shaving to fit in.

When Abel, (The Piano Teacher) an indebted bar owner, unaware of her secret, marries her for her dowry, the defiant young woman decides to learn how to embrace her unconventional appearance. Inspired by the experiences of actual historical figures, this passionate and empowering drama is a beautifully-crafted parable about intolerance and attitudes towards body diversity.

 THE TASTE OF THINGS

135 mins Rated PG Drama. 2 screenings Sun 2 June & Tues 11 June Time: 6.45pm.

1885. Peerless cook Eugenie has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin for the last 20 years. As time goes by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turns into a romantic relationship. Their association gives rise to dishes, one more delicious than the next, concoctions that confound even the world’s most illustrious chefs. An intense and poetic celebration of the pleasure of the palate, mind and heart. The Taste of Things has won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.

BONNARD, PIERRE & MARTHE

123 mins rated R16 (nudity & suicide) Biography. Sun 2 June Time: 1.30pm

1893. This is a beautiful and transporting new historical drama about the turbulent love story between the famous impressionist painter Pierre Bonnard (Macaigne) – a protégé of Claude Monet and his lesser known, but highly influential wife. The film is a vigorous, joyful and refreshing portrait of an atypical couple: an artist and his muse who holds the key to their bohemian existence.

THE SITTING DUCK

122 mins Rated M Drama. 2 screenings: Mon 3 June & Sat 8 June Time: 6.45pm. Adapted from Caroline Michel-Aguirre’s book “La Syndicaliste,” “The Sitting Duck” tells the true story of Maureen Kearney, the head union representative of a French multinational nuclear powerhouse who becomes a whistleblower, denouncing top-secret deals that shook the French nuclear sector. One day, Kearney is found in her home, tied to a chair, the letter “A” carved into her abdomen, and a knife handle inserted into her vagina. Traumatized, she has no memory of the assault. However, after an investigation, the police accused her of staging the attack herself.

JEANNE DU BARRY

116 mins Rated M Biography. 2 screenings: Mon 3 June, Friday 7 June Time: 4.15pm 18th Century, pre-Revolution France. Jeanne Bécu (Maïwenn), the illegitimate daughter of a monk, hungers for culture and pleasure, and is determined to escape her commoner upbringing. With charm and sharp wit, and with the help of her benefactor, the Comte du Barry she is presented to the widowed King (Johnny Depp), a renowned womaniser. It’s intoxication at first sight; soon the King anoints her as his new favourite. Unapologetically ignoring propriety and etiquette, with the help of his valet La Borde, Louis moves her

into his Versailles palace, sparking both derision and scandal... and jeopardising relations with the newly-arrived Marie Antoinette, the Austrian queen-in-waiting...

SUDDENLY

111 mins | Rated M Drama. 2 screenings: Tues 4 June & Tues 11 June Time: 7.00pm

Suddenly is a gripping tale of romance and survival. Ben (Gilles Lellouche) and Laura (Mélanie Thierry) have spent five years together. Their decision to embark on a global sailing adventure takes an unexpected turn when they detour to a remote island near the Antarctic coast. Caught in a storm, their boat disappears, leaving them isolated, alone, and in danger as winter approaches. Now, they must fight not only for survival but also to preserve their relationship. Ben and Laura grapple with unimaginable challenges and confront a haunting question: Is it better to survive alone or face death together?

THE CRIME IS MINE

102 mins Rated M Comedy

In this screwball comedy, an aspiring caress and her lawyer best friend Spina murder accusation into a shot at fame. Madeline is a pretty, young penniless actress in 1930’s Paris. A surprising twist. Don’t miss it!

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME

103 mins Rated M Comedy. Tues 4 June Time: 11.00am

When down on her luck Marie-Line appears before Judge Gilles d’Outremont, he sees something in her that nobody else does. He hires her to be his driver, and the result is a poignant, fun-filled and ultimately life-changing road trip. This gloriously mismatched odd couple’s journey together makes for a delightful film about the most unlikely of friendships, and the unexpected joy of second chances.

 DIVERTIMENTO

114 mins PG Biography. Wed 5 June Time: 10.45am

The amazing true story of Zahia Ziouani who dreams of becoming an orchestra conductor while Fettouma, her twin sister,

a professional cellist. But living in underprivileged Parisian suburbs in 1995 with their Algerian background, their dreams of becoming an orchestra conductor and a cellist seem very far away. They are top of their class and try to integrate into a world that is not theirs.

A maestro, discovers that Zahia has what it takes to become a maestro. Driven by determination, passion, and courage, the two create their own orchestra, Divertimento. Inspired by the life of Zahia Ziouani, one of the few worldwide renowned female conductors.

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The Coromandel Informer is published weekly and distributed throughout the Coromandel Peninsula. Readers’ contributions of articles and letters are welcome. Publication of them are entirely at the discretion of the editor. Contributions will only be considered for publication when accompanied by the author’s name, telephone number or residential address. Opinions expressed (especially in letters) are not necessarily those of the owner or publisher and can be cut if too big. Published by The Mercury Bay Informer Limited.

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