Don’t miss the opportunity to secure an apartment at Bruce McLaren Retirement Village.
These apartments offer open-plan living and spacious modern interiors with:
A neutral colour palette to make it your own
Quality appliances, fixtures and fittings
A patio or balcony with views of the village gardens or native bush
One and two-bedroom layouts are available now priced from $895,000
Enquire today to book a private tour, call Rose on 09 535 0225.
795 Chapel Road, Howick
rymanhealthcare.co.nz
Work is ongoing along Ti Rakau Drive to widen the path required for the Eastern Busway. See story, p5
If George the dog could talk he’d have a heck of a tale to share.
The almost three-year-old pooch, who’s a mix of Fox Terrier, Jack Russell and Miniature Schnauzer breeds, was at his owner Delaney Ferabend’s workplace at a Botany pet store on August 30 when he escaped at about 11am.
Delaney had briefly headed to Kmart to get a charging cable when she received a phone call from her manager saying George had “done a runner”.
“He got out of his harness and chased a German shepherd out of the store,” the 19-year-old says. “He went across to where McDonald’s is and then Paradice Ice Skating.
“Everyone saw him run from there but he’s very timid so he
bolted straight away.”
Her mother Nicky Davison arrived and they launched a search. “We went out and looked for him, just driving around for two hours,” Delaney says. “It was a mission.”
The area George went missing in was unfamiliar to him as he’d been staying with Davison in Maraetai. He somehow managed to get across Ti Rakau Drive unscathed and then vanished.
The days turned into weeks and then months as Delaney and her family and friends tried to find him. They publicised his disappearance on Facebook and put up posters in the area calling for sightings of him.
“It was terrifying,” she says. “We tried everything and as soon as someone said they thought they’d seen him we were out there looking. There were so many days we
were in the rain looking for him and calling for him in the bush.
“He went all over the show, all around Botany.”
George was seen on people’s properties near Point View Dr and in Kilkenny Park in Dannemora. “We looked there for about a week,” Delaney says. “He stayed in that area for quite a while so we were out there most days looking for him.
From previous page
“We put flyers out and everything. It was definitely stressful.”
She says George is a “big cuddler” so while she had high hopes he was surviving she was also wondering how he’d cope. “It was raining, the weather was terrible at the time and it was starting to go into spring and was really hot some days.
“Everywhere he was seen there was running water, like freshwater streams, so we thought that must be where he was drinking from. But he’s such a baby and always has to be near us, cuddling us, and have us nearby.”
Delaney and her family became increasingly upset as September and October came and went and George was still missing.
“I was crying most nights [at] the thought of him being out there by himself, not knowing where he is or what to do,” she says. “It was very nerve-wracking and it was coming to the end of the two months.
“I just thought there’s no way [he’s alive]. It’s been two months, who knows what he’s been eating and nobody’s seen him for a while so there’s no way. I definitely did lose hope toward the end of the two months.”
Then, all of a sudden, Delaney received news George had been
sighted in a park off Cyril French Drive in Flat Bush.
“We got a photo on a Sunday when I was at work. I got a text from someone and I started balling my eyes out. A girl was on her way to school and she saw him in the bush.”
Delaney and her boyfriend headed out again to look for George in the
rain to no avail. Then, three days later, just after 8.30pm on November 3, a miracle arrived.
A dog spooked by fireworks turned up at a family’s East Tamaki Heights home. The property’s occupants posted two photos of the dog on Facebook and asked if anyone knew the owner. It was George.
Davison quickly saw the post and tagged in her daughter.
“I started bawling my eyes out,” Delaney says. “I called her and she said ‘you have to go get him’, and I said, ‘I know, I’m on my way!’.
“I didn’t even know what to do with myself. Then I started getting calls from people and getting tagged in the photo. It was so surreal.”
Delaney raced to be reunited with her pooch. “I got there and the people were so lovely. George was hiding behind the couch.
“I popped my head around and he was wagging his tail and whining and barking from happiness.
“I have to thank the people who found him and looked after him.”
George was taken to the vet after being reunited with his family, which led to the biggest mystery of all. He somehow managed to gain weight while he was lost in the wilds of east Auckland for nine weeks. “When we got him back he had no fleas, no worms and wasn’t
skinny at all,” Delaney says.
“The vet was shocked. I don’t know how he did it. Dogs have instincts for hunting so it must have brought that out of him. I’m thinking [he ate] rabbits or rats or maybe even possums.”
She says it’s been amazing to have George back home and she missed him so much. “He’s been in my life for two years. He’s my best friend. He’s always been there for me through everything. It was really hard not having him.”
While George was clearly impacted by his ordeal and has separation anxiety, one positive for his owner is how the community rallied in support while he was missing, with people searching for him and sending her sightings.
“It was so awesome,” Delaney says. “I’ve had people come in to work and say they were so happy I found my dog and I had people constantly calling me and asking for updates.
“I’m so grateful there were people out there looking for him. It gives me hope and it’s amazing to see there are still people out there like that.
“Thank you to everyone who interacted with the [Facebook] post or had been out there looking. I’m so grateful for all the calls I got and for being tagged in posts.”
Numerous homes along a busy east Auckland road are being demolished to make way for the Eastern Busway public transport project.
Auckland Transport spokesperson Natalie Polley says the current work in Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga, has been in pro gress since September.
It involves the “deconstruction” and removal of vacant properties along that road between the South-eastern Highway and Ti Rakau Drive Bridge, and on William Roberts Road between Pakuranga Road and Reeves Road.
“Removing these Auckland Councilowned properties will enable the roads to be widened for the construction of two busway lanes and the Reeves Road Flyover,” she says.
“This stage of work is due to be completed by early 2023.”
Polley says environmental sustainability is an important part of the project and as many items as possible from the properties
are being reused and repurposed.
“At least 80 per cent of non-contaminated materials will be diverted from landfill.
“The project team has been working with commercial and residential tenants to sup port them into new accommodation ahead of the deconstruction work beginning.”
Several buildings including the Pakuranga Counselling Centre and two adjacent churches are in the line of work being car ried out along Ti Rakau Drive, but Polley says they won’t be removed.
“The project team is working with them to ensure they understand their needs during construction.”
AT interim chief executive Mark Lambert previously said once completed the busway will give nearby communities great options for using public transport. It will be a vital part of Auckland’s public transport network for decades to come, he said.
AT previously planned to delay construc tion of the busway for two years due to fund ing constraints but later reversed course.
The former Howick Library building has been sold to a property developer.
Auckland Council owned the large and derelict build ing in Fencible Drive which has sat empty since 2011.
As the Times has previ ously reported, it covers a 648 square metre site and was acquired by the former Howick Borough Council in 1975 for use as a public hall and library.
It was sold in 2001 and then on-sold in 2005 before being repurchased by the former Manukau City Council under mortgagee sale in 2008.
It’s among the large num ber of properties across the city the council voted in late 2020 to sell in an effort to raise money from “asset recycling”.
Council urban regenera tion agency Eke Panuku Development Auckland handled the building’s sale.
An Eke Panuku spokes person says the agency has concluded the sale and development agreement.
The successful devel
opment partner is Habib Enterprises Limited, led by East Tamaki-based property developer Aysha Ashraf.
“Ms Ashraf has success fully developed standalone housing and commercial buildings across sites in east and south Auckland, and currently has terrace home developments in these areas under con struction,” the spokesper son says.
“Fencible Drive will be her first development in Howick.
“This site was sold with specific outcomes as part of the development agree ment to ensure it will offer opportunities for more peo ple to live and work in the Howick town centre.”
The requirements include that any develop ment at the site align with the Howick Village Centre Plan and provide a mini mum of three storeys with active uses such as com mercial or retail on the ground level.
It also has to be a mini mum of Homestar 6 rating for residential dwellings and if on-site parking is required as part of the
design it must not be vis ible from public areas with entry from Central Terrace only.
“Given the building is highly visible from all sides, the outcomes also require it to be designed ‘in the round’ and considered from all frontages, as well as ensuring it the design is in line with the special character identified within the Howick area,” the spokesperson says.
“Demolition preparations are under way with some preliminary works already happening on site so locals may notice some activity already happening.
“The new development which will be built to the footprint of the full site will offer basement park ing, therefore the current building will be completely demolished, and all vegeta tion removed to allow for the necessary excavation.
“All works on site will be managed in line with the usual WorkSafe and coun cil-approval processes.
“Some minor tree prun ing may be required on the adjacent car park site for access during demolition.”
Police have arrested and charged a 17-year-old youth with murder follow ing a fatal stabbing in east Auckland.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa’amanuia Va’aelua of CountiesManukau Police says the arrest follows an investi gation into the death of a 26-year-old man in East Tamaki on the morning of November 13.
The youth faces two additional charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to two other victims from the same incident. He was due to appear in the Manukau Youth Court on November 25.
Va’aelua says the deceased man was laid to rest by his grieving family and they’ve been advised of the arrest. “Police con tinue to provide support to the family who have maintained their desire for privacy.
“It has taken hours of video analysis and witness interviews to accurately determine the actions of
people in this particular incident. The arrest is a step in the right direction for the victim’s family and the investigation team.
“At this stage, police are not ruling out further arrests. We have plenty of work to undertake but I am confident we will get there.”
Va’aelua says police are still appealing for any one with information or mobile phone videos from the night to contact them.
Information can be shared via the police’s online portal at https:// mindaro.nc3.govt.nz/ or via the 105 police phone line, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The online portal police have set up states: “Police are seeking your help in relation to a homi cide investigation.
“We would like any pho tos or videos from approxi mately 4am on Sunday, November 13, 2022, around the wharf car park on Lady Fisher Place, East Tamaki.”
People are able to upload photos and video to it.
Cockle Bay poet Margaret Moores is the winner of The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems in 2022.
Lincoln Jaques, also of Auckland, is runner-up.
This prestigious prize, ena bled by a bequest from the Jocelyn Grattan Charitable Trust, has been organised by the International Writers’ Workshop NZ Inc (IWW) since 2009, and over the years has been won by both established and emerging poets.
This year, at the IWW prizegiving in November, judge Janet Charman, author of nine poetry col lections, praised all the entries as being brave and imaginative.
She lauded Margaret’s winning entry Absences for being a unified sequence with compelling narra tive voice and evocative imagery that was satisfying to read while intriguing fac tual content contributed to a compassionate, evocative and convincing realisation of past lives.
On receiving the award, Margaret said she was both
delighted and honoured to be judged the winner of the 2022 competition.
She said, “This sequence was a kind of Covid lockdown project in many respects. My mother died just as Covid arrived and I spent many locked-down hours thinking about how to depict maternal absence in writing that would have the evocative power of a photograph.”
The result was a sequence of prose poems – both literal and figurative – inspired by photographs and ideas sur rounding photography and photograph albums. The idea of maternal absence is introduced by poems about Victorian “Hidden Mother” photographs, but more per sonal and poignant mater nal absences are revealed in poems about the exist ence of a “hidden mother” in the poet’s own family and the gradual deterioration in health of the poet’s mother whose death is the subject of the final poems. The poems are placed on the page as dense squares of type sur rounded by blank space as if they were photographs and
the sequence they are part of is a photograph album.
Margaret holds a PhD in English and a Masters in Creative Writing from Massey University. Her poetry and Flash Fiction have been published in online journals in Australia and New Zealand and in anthologies including Landfall and The Poetry New Zealand Yearbook. She and her husband own Poppies Books, an Indie bookshop in Howick.
Runner-up Lincoln Jaques whose sequence Janet described as a substan tial offering both in range and depth, also belongs to Isthmus Poets, a group of Auckland-based active poets and writers who are alumni of AUT’s Master of Creative Writing degree.
The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems is sometimes
referred to as the ‘Little Grattan’ as the Jocelyn Grattan Charitable Trust also funds the biennial Kathleen Grattan Award, run by Landfall / Otago University Press. IWW, which formed in 1976, meets twice a month from February through November, and in 2023 will hold some meetings via Zoom and others in person at their rooms at St Aidans Church in Northcote. The group hosts workshops and holds writing competitions throughout the year covering a range of topics and themes.
IWW aims to encourage and inspire new writers as well as more experienced writers.
h For information about the prize, or how to contact the winner, or about IWW in general, please visit the website at www.iww.co.nz, email iww-writers@outlook. com.
June 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of east Auckland man Jim Donnelly. The Times looks back, through a series of stories, at one of the most baffling unsolved cases in recent NZ history.
By CHRIS HARROWELLJim Donnelly went missing on Monday, June 21, 2004. He hasn’t been seen since and his whereabouts are a total mystery to his loved ones and the police.
Jim was 43-years-old and living with his wife Tracey and their two young chil dren in Dannemora when he disappeared.
Coroner Sam Herdson held an inquest hearing on the matter in Auckland in 2007. Her subsequent report states when Jim vanished, he’d been work ing at Glenbrook Steel Mill in Waiuku in a supervisory engineering role for 19 years.
The coroner found what happened to him remains unexplained but “the pre sumption is Jim has died”.
The evidence in the inquest report was collated and presented by the officer then in charge of the case, detective senior sergeant
Neil Grimstone, who’s since retired from the police.
Herdson’s report states Jim was seen as a good family man with an interest in golf and yachting. He was con sidered a moderate drinker who didn’t gamble or use illegal drugs.
Jim was described as hav ing been depressed about 18 months to two years before he disappeared. It was thought that may have been related to the deaths of his father and brothers.
Tracey had booked a weekend away with her husband for June 19 at a central Auckland hotel. Her parents were to look after the couple’s two children.
Jim and Tracey had dinner with her parents. He was in a “strange” mood and wanted to leave early but didn’t say why. The follow ing day he was home and
feeling tired when a friend visited.
“Jim told him [the friend] he had been pacing a lot at night and had not been get ting a lot of sleep,” Herdson’s report says. “Jim made some comments which his friend did not understand and felt were odd and out of character.”
Jim told Tracey he had to attend a meeting that evening but didn’t say what it was about. He also said he was going to get a suit because his clothes weren’t
good enough.
Tracey went out at about 5pm, returning an hour later.
Jim, dressed in a suit, got into his car and left without speaking to her. He returned home at about 8pm and Tracey found him to be in a more positive frame of mind. “Jim said to her that if she knew what was in his mind, she would not be worried and his family will always come first.”
The weekend Tracey had booked with Jim at the hotel didn’t go ahead.
Jim got up between 4-5am. At about 6am he said he needed to go for a walk, which was unusual. He returned some time later and at 8.30am, Tracey saw him at the computer.
Jim took his son to play golf and visit his mother and a family friend in the after noon and returned at about 5pm.
Herdson’s report says Jim
told Tracey he had to go out to stop “waste”, which she took to mean he had to divert a crisis.
Jim returned at about 7pm and told her he’d been to work, “but when she challenged this Jim admit ted he had lied”. “He would not explain where he had been and appeared to her to be agitated. Police inquir ies later showed Jim had appeared in a secure car park of a publishing com pany in ... central Auckland. He’d been seen by the care takers and appeared vague.”
Jim was issued with a trespass notice and asked to leave the car park. Sometime later he returned home.
Tracey went to bed at about 9.30pm and said he wandered aimlessly around the house before going to bed.
h Part two of this series explores Jim’s known movements on the day he disappeared as detailed in the coroner’s report.
Step into the magic of Christmases past in the enchanting her itage setting of the Howick Historical Village.
With the air filled with the sounds of carol sing ers, experience a Victorian Christmas as the sun sets.
Explore cottages staged with trees, decorations and stockings hung by the fire. Meet Santa in the parlour of the grand homestead Puhi Nui. As well as the old-fash ioned sweet shop, there will be a mini market offering contemporary handmade goods and seasonal treats. With food stalls, decora tions workshops and lots to delight young and old alike! h Saturday, December 3, 5-9pm. Howick Historical Village, Pakuranga. Tickets $10. Children under 5 free. Book on Eventfinda.
Welcome home to Fairway Gardens –a stunning five-star retirement village set alongside Pakuranga golf course.
With a mix of high-end facilities and activities coming very soon, Fairway Gardens will suit you to a tee.
Don’t wait to book an appointment to visit our brand new show homes and discover it for yourself!
Corner Cascades Road and Botany Road, Golflands | fairwaygardens.co.nz
s most people will be aware, Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
Canada has a similar celebration, however it is the American Thanksgiving that most New Zealanders will be familiar with. It originated as a day of giving thanks and harvest festival with the theme of the day revolving around giving.
In New Zealand we do not have an equivalent, although many will argue that our Christian celebration of Christmas includes similar celebrations.
So, at this time of the year, it is only fitting that the Howick Village Association (HVA) takes the time to do some thanksgiving ourselves.
And first and foremost is the wonderful community of Howick and surrounding areas. It is through your ongoing support that we continue to have a vibrant and busy business community in Howick Village.
That support has helped maintain a near full occupancy of retail/ business premises in the Village. You only have to travel around Auckland to see this situation is exceptional. Takapuna, Newmarket, Parnell and Remuera, to name a few of the previously “iconic” retail centres, are littered with vacant buildings.
That great support was no better demonstrated than on Friday, November 18, Christmas Fair day. The forecast all week was threatening and even on the day we were faced with the prospect of calling off
most of the entertainment due to the weather. Despite a torrential downpour from 6pm-7pm, which soaked our staff and market stallholders, the crowd turned up. Thousands of families arrived, wrapped in their waterproof gear to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Absolute unprecedented support!
On behalf of all the businesses in the Howick Village, I thank you all for your ongoing support throughout 2022. You help make Howick Village what it is – the greatest little village in New Zealand. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a relaxing festive season where you too can thank those family and friends surrounding you.
Ken Scott, Chairperson Howick Village Association
By DYLAN KAY
“I couldn’t possibly play guitar – I’m too old / not talented enough / no-one in my family plays / my hands are too small…”
There are many excuses for not trying, but here’s the good news. In 25 plus years of teaching many hundreds of students, I can count on one hand the people who I genuinely felt couldn’t learn guitar. Of those, one is still having lessons with us nine years later and sounding great!
Let’s debunk a few myths. Don’t you have to start really young? You can… but you don’t have to. Maybe you’ve always wanted to play guitar but not had the chance – the beauty of choosing to play later in life is that you have more control over your time, and with the right guidance, you can make the most of it!
We have many older adults and retirees who are making exceptional progress. Surely you need to be really “talented”, or “musical”?
In short, no. There isn’t space here for a long explanation, but I’d recommend reading the book “Bounce” by table tennis champion Matthew Syed, which explores the myth of natural talent through examples in all disciplines, from Tiger Woods to Mozart. In my experience, becoming a good guitar player takes three things: the right guidance and
support, commitment and perseverance. Put simply, with the right teacher and the right attitude it is amazing what you can achieve.
Can’t you just learn guitar online?
You might be lucky – you might just happen to find the right content online and choose to go looking for it at the right time, in the right order, and you might (by chance) practice it all correctly and make progress. That’s a lot of ifs! In our experience, most people make very slow and patchy progress when trying to teach themselves. Put simply, having a good teacher will help you make faster, more certain progress and you’ll have more fun in the process!
I heard that you have to start on acoustic guitar and can then move on to electric?
This is a common misconception – actually, if you want to play electric guitar, you’re much better off starting on that from the beginning (and in some ways, it is easier to play an electric guitar in the initial stages, because of string height, neck width etc). A similar misconception is that you should start on a nylon string acoustic, “as it will hurt your fingers less” – but these guitars have much wider necks and often are just unplayable hand-me-downs. Starting with the right guitar is essential.
Visit www.aucklandguitarschool.co.nz, or call on 533 5246 to book a free intro session.
Howick Rotary held its annual Brian Hanlon Howick College four-way test speech contest for year 9 and 10 students recently.
This followed on from the previous judging at the college to select the finalists.
The winner of the Brian Hanlon speech con test award for this year was Stella Donaldson, who spoke on the sub ject of “the problems and acceptance of people with disabilities”.
Stella and fellow year 10 finalists Ella Worthington, Nathan Cox and Caleb Carr presented some thoughtprovoking speeches to an audience of their families, College staff and Rotary club guests and members.
Among the club’s guests were Michelle and Robbie Inness, Brian and Hazel Hanlon’s daughter and son-in-law, with Michelle assisting in the awarding of the prizes and the pres entation of her late father’s Memorial Trophy.
Rotarians Barry Nicholls,
Malcolm Pascoe and David Owen completed the judg ing with Colin Monk act ing as timekeeper.
The speeches were judged on the basis of points awarded for con tent, organisation and delivery, with the overall winner being the contest ant with the best cumula tive ranking.
Stella’s winning presen tation was followed by Ella as runner-up and Nathan and Caleb finishing equal third.
The contest is held annually and this year was organised by college teachers Craig Jack and Ann Botha in conjunction with Rotary’s youth com mittee sember Nicholls.
It commemorates former long-serving Rotarian and past-president Hanlon’s contribution to the com munity and to education.
Howick Rotary presi dent-elect Pascoe says, “The contest is one of the highlights of the Rotary year particularly in rela tion to the many youth support projects that the
club undertakes and it is really pleasing to see the confidence that these young people demon strate in presenting their speeches”.
The awards for the night included gift vouch ers from Paper Plus in Howick, with the winner also receiving the Brian Hanlon Trophy.
Katie Treneman, owner of Paper Plus, says she was “really happy to sup port Rotary in their efforts to encourage the develop ment of young people in the community”.
Pascoe concluded the evening saying, “The Brian Hanlon Speech Awards is one of the many differ ent community projects Rotarians are involved in while having a great social time together.”
h If anyone is interested in becoming a member, they are asked to contact membership director Ian Fox on 021 662 896 or email ian@ fox.co.nz or visit the web site www.howickrotary. org.nz.
Top of most Kiwis’ Christmas wish list this holiday season is a well-earned break, but with the stresses of Christmas shopping, and an increase in theft and car damage claims at this time of year, the holiday season can also be a stressful one, says State Insurance.
According to a nationwide State-Ipsos survey, what Kiwis are most looking forward to this holiday season is spending quality time with friends and family (67 per cent) and to simply relax at home (51 per cent).
However, State’s claims numbers show a pre-Christmas spike in ‘damage while parked’ vehicle claims, with a 33 per cent jump in daily claims in the week leading up to Christmas. The numbers also show a 13 per cent increase in contents theft claims, including claims for theft from cars in the lead-up to Christmas.
“Unfortunately, the holiday season isn’t all Santa and sunshine. It’s not unusual for cars to be scratched and dinged when car parks are busy, and for shopping and Christmas gifts to be stolen at this time of year - all of which can really add to the seasonal stress,” says Wayne Tippet, executive general manager of claims at State.
“And while we’re here for our customers when unexpected things go wrong, we know that our customers would rather prevent incidents from occurring in the
first place, and enjoy the holiday season uninterrupted,” says Tippet.
The State-Ipsos survey also found that nearly half of Kiwis find deciding what presents to buy family and friends stressful - even more so for nearly two thirds of 18-24-year-olds. And it’s not just the search for the perfect present53 per cent of all respondents say the search for a park at a shopping centre is stressful, which increased to 67 per cent for 25-34-year-olds.
Kiwis are equally keen to shop online (55 per cent), as they are to grab a gift at the shopping mall (53 per cent), with 38 per cent planning to support local retailers and artists, and over a quarter of 25-34-yearolds turning to handmade gifts.
Disappointingly, 16 per cent of Kiwis surveyed said they’d had a package or their mail stolen from their doorstep or letterbox.
“With Covid lockdowns resulting in an increase in online shopping, we’ve also seen a trend in packages going missing from right outside people’s homes. These days it seems we all have a story or know someone it’s happened to - and when you’re waiting on gifts from Santa, it’s all the more distressing,” says Tippet.
“These thefts are usually opportunistic with thieves also on the hunt for their Christmas shopping,
so getting your packages delivered to an alternative pick-up point is a good idea. Out-of-sight, out-ofmind, is generally the safest option.”
With the current financial pressures, it’s not surprising that almost half of Kiwis find budgeting for Christmas stressful, which increased to 58 per cent for 18-34-year-olds.
More than a third of Kiwis say they’re planning to spend less on Christmas shopping this year than last year, with nearly half spending the same amount as last year. And just under a third say they’re planning to buy fewer presents than last year, with just over half saying they’ll buy the same amount.
So, while the focus is on Santa’s naughty or nice list, it’s just as important to put checking your insurance on your to-do list.
“Insurance is important throughout the year, but now is a good opportunity to check you have the right amount of cover and your contents sum insured is upto-date, including any new items from generous friends and family,” says Tippet.
“And by taking a few simple precautions with your belongings and security, hopefully we can all get through the holiday season safely.”
1. When you’re out shopping, and you’ve bought more than you can carry, put your bags in the boot of your car where they can’t be seen and aren’t a temptation for opportunistic thieves.
2. Make sure you take your valuables, like your phone, wallet and sunglasses with you. If you need to leave them in the car, make sure they’re out of sight.
3. Lock your car, even when you’re at home, or quickly grabbing something at the shops, and keep your keys with you.
4. If you’re buying online, use online tracking and aim to be home when it’s delivered. Or take advantage of couriers that let you provide an alternative location or pick-up point.
5. Avoid shopping during peak hours when car parks are
packed, instead take advantage of extended shopping hours when it might be less busy.
6. Drive according to the road rules, including in the car park. Try to be courteous and patient and take care when opening car doors.
7. Consider installing additional security to your car such as an alarm, immobiliser or wheel lock, especially if you have an older model vehicle.
8. For those with the decorations up, and treats under the tree, try to make sure they can’t be seen, or easily accessed from the street.
9. Consider security options for your home, such as alarms, security lights, and deadlocks on doors and windows. And remember to use them - even if you’re out for a short time.
10. Get in touch with your neighbours if you’re going to be away and ask them to clear your mail or maybe park their car in your driveway.
The 69th Howick Santa Parade is so close now the organisers can even smell Christmas in the air and feel the joy that the day brings.
The Santa Parade family day out is looking to be the biggest and most entertainment-filled event they have had to date with more than 30 roaming entertainers, assorted groups, three live music stations, magic shows, Disney characters, a kids’ zone, bouncy castles, vintage car shows, pony rides, hot rod shows, sports give-it-a-go section, More FM dunking station, HIWA kapa haka group, 50,000 lollies and more!
Also included is the Christmas markets with delicious food and crafts – there will be something special there for everyone.
The extensive float line-up has reached an impressive 70 entries ranging from sports clubs, marching teams, bands, schools, day-care centres, not-for-profits, businesses, cultural groups, entertainers and, of course, the main act himself, Santa, with Mrs Claus and his trusty elves in tow.
The family day out starts at 10am. Put Sunday, December 11 in your diary!
Visit howicksantaparade.co.nz/
series,
Mary Berry is Britain’s favourite baker and author of more than 70 books, including the bestselling MaryBerryCooks,Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites, Mary Berry At Home and Mary Berry’s Baking Bible. She was the much-loved judge on the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off and has been teaching the nation to cook for more than four decades.
Cordon Bleu-trained in Paris, Mary began her career as a magazine cookery editor before publishing her first cookery book in 1966. Mary is also an AGA expert and taught AGA masterclasses for many years from her home with Lucy Young.
In 2009 Mary was awarded the highly coveted Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2012 she was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The classic flavours of mint and redcurrant jelly are used here to make a delicious lamb stew. You could use lamb leg if you can’t get neck fillet.
Serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1.2kg (2lb 12oz) lamb neck fillet, cut into 5cm (2in) pieces
4 large banana shallots, sliced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
55g (2oz) plain flour
350ml (12fl oz) red wine
300ml (½ pint) chicken stock
tbsp Worcestershire sauce
tbsp redcurrant jelly
tbsp mint sauce
tbsp soy sauce
A large knob of butter
250g (9oz) chestnut mushrooms, halved
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas 3.
Heat the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan or flameproof casserole.
Fry the lamb in two batches over a high heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the shallots, leek and carrots to the pan and fry for a few minutes over a high heat. Stir in the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Measure the flour into a bowl. Add the wine and whisk until smooth. Pour the stock and the red wine mixture into the pan with the vegetables and bring up to the boil. Stir until thickened.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly and the mint and soy sauces.
Return the lamb to the pan and any resting juices, and stir.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, boil for a few minutes, then cover with a
lid.
Transfer to the oven for about 1½ hours until the lamb is tender.
Heat the butter in a small frying pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry until browned. Stir into the stew and check the seasoning.
Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.
* Can be made up to a day ahead. Add the mushrooms to serve.
* Freezes well cooked.
Published: October 2022 ISBN: 9781785947902
Imprint: BBC Books
Format: Hardback
Pages: 304
RRP: $65
In this brand new tie-in to her new BBC
Mary Berry delivers more than 100 of her favourite dishes to share with the ones we love. Home cooking has never been more important, and every recipe has been created to bring families and friends together.
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown is calling out the Labour Govern ment over what he says is its inaction to address Auckland’s ongoing public transport crisis.
Brown, the National Party’s transport spokesperson, says nearly 10 per cent of bus trips in the city have been cancelled so far this year.
Aucklanders will be shocked to learn more than 269,000 bus services have been cancelled in the first nine months of the year, he says.
“This amounts to the cancel lation of 8.6 per cent of Auck land’s public transport bus services this year. This is a significant increase from pre vious years, with data showing 0.57 per cent were cancelled in 2021, 0.67 per cent were can celled in 2020, and 1.26 per cent were cancelled in 2019.
“Every cancelled bus service could mean someone is late for work or misses an appoint ment, which is stressful and undermines their faith in pub lic transport.
“People start to believe they must drive a car if they need to
be somewhere on time.”
Brown says while Labour “talks big on public transport”, it’s track record is a “system that doesn’t have enough driv ers, hundreds of thousands of cancelled bus services, and a rail rebuild, leading to even more commuter chaos in Auckland”.
“All this will happen while Labour continues wasting tens of millions on light rail work ing groups which are going
nowhere.
“Labour needs to ditch their failed light rail project and focus on getting the basics of public transport right, while also listening to Auckland Council and Auckland Trans port’s pleas for immigration policies which could allow for more bus drivers to come into New Zealand and fix the des perate driver shortage.
“The Government needs to be focused on ensuring public
transport is reliable so people trust it and will use it.
“Instead, Labour continues to forge ahead with its $29.2 billion light rail vanity project, which few Aucklanders actu ally want.”
Transport Minister Michael Wood recently announced the Government is supporting the transport sector’s efforts to stabilise the public transport workforce with funding from Budget 2022 to help standard ise base wages.
“Our Government is commit ted to making it more afford able, easier and attractive for Kiwis to use public transport, so it’s crucial we have the driv ers in place to get the system moving.
“Improving the conditions of drivers will make it easier to recruit and retain the work force, allowing frequent and reliable bus services.
“The minimum terms and conditions were developed through discussions between operators, public transport authorities and unions on how best to improve conditions in the industry and stabilise the workforce.”
The final two public concerts for the year by the east Auckland-based St Andrew’s Big Band will benefit Auckland City Mission and Howick Little Theatre.
The concerts are titled Joyful, Joyful and will be filled with uplifting big band music from artists such as Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman, as well as the band’s usual mix of Latin, blues, funk, and pop hits with a few festive favourites thrown in.
“I do hope you can join us and help cel ebrate the talents of young musicians from across east Auckland,” band musical direc tor Hamish Arthur says.
The concerts are at 2pm and 7pm on December 17 at Howick Little Theatre, Sir Lloyd Drive, Pakuranga.
Tickets cost $20 with proceeds going to the theatre and Auckland City Mission. h To book, go online to www. trybooking.com/nz/events/landing/8052
The ethereal and effervescent Ren – aka Tamsyn Cornwall – is a powerhouse of creative energy.
Inspired by life after surviving stage 3B bowel cancer, she ‘bleeds’ lyrics from her heart and describes music as her medicine. Having time undergoing chemotherapy and recovering from three major surgeries, completing this EP has been her therapy.
“This means so much to me and I’m beyond excited to be able to share what I’ve been working on, starting with this track,” says Ren, who lives in Mellons Bay.
Cornwall, 33, says she chose the artist name Ren as in Egyptian mythology, it’s the name by which the gods knew the individual soul and how one would be called in the afterlife.
“Having been confronted with death so closely and having fully re-evaluated basically everything in my life, I wanted to be able to follow my passions and create something that will hopefully stick around a little bit after my time on earth is up,” she said.
Her navigation from the dark to the light is often expressed in sparkly juxtapositions. “It’s as though I’ve been reborn and eve
rything that’s important to me has surfaced from the crashing waves,” she says.
Her new single Let You In “is about being stuck deep in your mind, judging your own chaos,
trying to break free, not thinking you’re good enough”.
“Then when things seem like it’s all too much, life is rushing by and it can be scary to let people in, sometimes the universe lines up, acceptance sneaks through and it’s worth it.”
It is her first EP and she plans to release six more songs from it.
Cornwall has lived between New Zealand, Fiji and Australia, and now resides in east Auckland. She spent two years at Macleans College and holds a qualification in Drama from Yoobee South Seas Film & Television School.
Passionate about shining a light on the reality of life with autoim mune disease, Cornwall bravely shared her journey battling bowel cancer and continues to share life updates.
Committed to helping others, she shares her unique perspective on approaching health holistically and with a positive mindset. A visual storyteller, Cornwall turned to Instagram and TikTok as a crea tive outlet.
Her kind soul and positive ethos has attracted a highly engaged tribe, giving her a strong platform to motivate others to dream big and live life to the fullest.
Aucklanders will have another scenic bush walk to rediscover this summer as the Point View Track has reopened following upgrades to improve the track to prevent kauri dieback.
Work to spruce up the tracks at Point View Reserve, East Tāmaki is now complete as part of the kauri dieback mitiga tion programme. The upgrade started in mid-September and involved revamping 70m of steps, installing a drain and culvert and timber edges and gravel surfacing along an addi tional 400m of the track.
“It’s so great to have this important work done to protect kauri in our local patch, but also the timing is great to have this ready just in time for sum mer,” says Howick Local Board chair, Damian Light.
This project is one of many,
as part of a regionwide pro gramme funded by the Natural Environment Targeted Rate to address the council’s ongoing battle to prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
Contractors worked method ically, starting from the north ern track from the carpark off Caldwells Road, progressed along the lower track, finish ing at the southern end in steep and slippery terrain. The project finished three weeks ahead of its expected comple tion date, which was December 2022. As work was nearing completion, people waited at the fence with anticipation so they could explore the track’s improvements.
“It’s a great transformation for the reserve and one to add to your list of things to check out this summer,” says Light.
Set in 30 acres of gardens, it’s a secure, friendly neighbourhood with all the facilities you could wish for. A bowling green, indoor pool, spa, sauna, library, snooker tables and much more.
These delightful, fully renovated stand-alone and duplex villas are fully modernised to a high standard and come with their own internal access garages.
4.
5. We may publish the advertisement on the next available day if there is an error or delay in publication of the advertising as booked.
6. We may correct or amend advertis ing to conform to style or for other genuine reason as long as we do so using reasonable care.
7. The guarantees contained in the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 are excluded where the advertiser acquires, or holds himself out as acquiring, goods or services from us for the purpose of a business.
8. The advertiser must tell us as soon as possible if there is an error or omission in any advertisement the advertiser has placed. We will not be liable for any indirect or consequential loss from an error (which includes ommis sion, negligence, system or press failure, mistake, misclassification, early, late or non insertion of advertise ment or loss or delay in the delivery of replies) and if we are found to have any direct liability for any circumstance that liability is limited to the cost of the space of the advertisement.
9. To cancel an advertisement a cancella tion number must be obtained from us.
Times Newspaper Limited, 10 Central Terrace, Howick (behind Rice’s Mall) www.times.co.nz
QUICK PUZZLE NO. 8088
Across - 6, Clandestine. 7, Pair. 8, Inundate. 9, Meddle. 10, Eleven. 12, Mirror. 15, Facile. 17, Stiletto. 19, Rage. 20, Caterpillar. Down - 1, Labrador. 2, Admire. 3, Assume. 4, Mind. 5, Beetle. 6, Crave. 11, Encircle. 13, Intact. 14, Retort. 15, Frolic. 16, Lager. 18, Lath.
CRYPTIC PUZZLE NO. 8088
Across - 6, Bear the name. 7, Some. 8, Hind-legs. 9, He-Art-’s. 10, See-me-d. 12, S-crew-S. 15, Sees to (seize two). 17, Anti-dote. 19, I-van. 20, Phantom ship. Down - 1, Care-free. 2, It-Ch-es. 3, Ten-nis. 4, Fall. 5, B-eagle. 6, Broke. 11, E-yes-ight. 13, Canape. 14, Shoots. 15, Steams. 16, Tr-amp. 18, I-ran.
Sancta Maria College is a Year 7-13 State Integrated co-educational Catholic Secondary School with 1000 students in Flat Bush, East Auckland.
As a school of excellence, we take pride in providing students with holistic opportunities to grow. It is a school that values inclusion, service, and community.
We are currently seeking a Director of Sport who will have the vision, strategy, commitment, and ability to lead and enhance Sancta Maria College’s growing sports programme. The Director of Sport is to drive our school sport to new heights through increased participation, performance and promotion using a strategic approach, sound financial management and strong collaborative leadership, along with supporting the strategic aims and the special character of the school.
Commitment to the special character of the college is a condition of employment. This is a full-time, permanent position (which includes some after school hours and some weekend work).
Start Date: 31 January 2023
Applicants for this position should have NZ Residency or a valid NZ work visa.
Send your application form and all required supporting documents to the Principal’s PA at employment@sanctamaria.school.nz Visit the school website at www.sanctamaria. school.nz/employment/ for application forms. DE285562
DE285656
• Work in East Tamaki with a great team.
• Excellent job satisfaction.
• Forklift license required.
• Start from mid morning.
• One full time role and one part time role.
• Opportunity to learn how to drive trucks.
• Also one Class 2 truck role chris@inter-freight.co.nz 0212721000
Inter-Freight DE285627
Pakuranga Park, is an evolving and growing village. With the village undergoing an extensive regeneration and our new Ruru apartments selling fast, we are looking to expand our team.
We are currently looking for the following positions, Gardener, Caregivers, Registered Nurse.
If you are interested in joining our team please email ursula.glynos@realliving.co.nz with your CV
We are a leading NZ importer, manufacturer and distributor of commercial and industrial duty water blasting equipment, high pressure pumps and agricultural spraying equipment.
Our office and workshop is located in East Tamaki.
We require an Engineer/Technician to service our electric, petrol and diesel powered water blasters, pumps and hot cleaners, to do P.D. checks of new equipment, assist with assembly work, and liaise with customers on service matters from time to time.
You should have experience servicing pumps, or hydraulics, be familiar with petrol and diesel engines. A NZ Electrical Service Technician certificate would be useful, but not essential.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a requirement.
Full training will be given.
Position would suit a person who enjoys working in a small friendly team environment. Please e-mail your application to:
The Director – AES Waterblasters alan@aesblasters.co.nz www.aesblasters.co.nz
DE283673
To commence 23 January 2023, the Howick Attendance Service Cluster is seeking to appoint three Attendance Advisors (AA) who are passionate about inclusive education to help students, aged 5 to 16 years, who are presenting irregular attendance behaviour and have disengaged from school, to attend school.
The permanent positions are full time 35 hrs, 5 days per week (including unpaid 30 minute lunch break). Included are work use of a cell phone, laptop and vehicle. Rate of pay is $30:50 per hour, term time only 43 weeks per year + statutory holidays. Hours although set at 35 per week, are flexible during the day to enable evening visits.
The Attendance Advisors are located within the Lead school (Baverstock Oaks School) and be responsible to that Principal and Board of Trustees. There is a possibility that another hub may be formed at another school in our district and then the Three Attendance Advisors will be based across the two hubs.
We require experienced builders to join our small energetic team of passionate tradespeople specialising in higher end renovations/alterations and the occasional new build. You must be experienced, have all your own tools and transport and enjoy the team atmosphere. Be time conscious, polite to clients and willing to go that extra step to impress.
Please call Keith on 021939253 or email your CV to keith@keithhunterbuilders.co.nz DE279387
We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised assistant to work within our Administration Team to provide support to our Associate Principal and our five Deputy Principals. This is a permanent, full-time position of 37.5 hours per week, secondary school term time only. Start date is Term 1, 2023.
For more details about the position and how to apply, please refer to our website: www.pakuranga.school.nz.
Applications close on 2 December 2022.
DE285577
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Any applications taken forward will be required to undertake a pre-employment health assessment through an external provider to confirm work fitness including Drug and Alcohol screening. You must be an NZ citizen, have NZ Permanent Resident status or a valid NZ work visa.
If you have the above attributes and are excited at the prospect of joining a progressive and dynamic company, then please apply!
Seventy five-year-old east Auckland resident Jeanette Waters is on the inspira tional journey of a lifetime, cycling the length of New Zealand to raise awareness for Sands.
Waters, who is well known within the community, has lived in the area for 52 years and sold real estate for 23 years.
The journey from Cape Reinga to Bluff is around 3000km and will take Waters approximately 44 days across a mix of terrain from beaches, gravel roads, off-road trails and country byways.
“If you had told me a year ago that I was going to do this, I would’ve just laughed,” says Waters.
Waters has been training since April for the ride and set off from Cape Reinga on November 2.
“I just sort of got this idea and thought, ‘well I can do that’ and I
just need to train... I started off with 60km rides then 80km and then made sure I did one over 100km every week,” she says.
Although this journey has been a lifetime goal of Waters’, she says that she saw an opportunity to raise awareness around a cause in New Zealand that isn’t widely known.
Sands is a not-for-profit organi sation, set up to support families who have experienced the death of a baby.
Baby loss affects more than 600 families throughout New Zealand, and these are babies born from 20-week gestation. It is estimated that there are 7000-14,750 babies lost through miscarriage in NZ every year.
“Sands isn’t a charity that a lot of people have heard of. It just seemed a jolly good cause to ride for really and they’re so grateful,” says Waters.
Waters, who is the youngest of nine girls in her family, recalled a time during her teenage years when she was told she had an elder sister who died not long after birth.
“It was interesting to find that out because my mother must have
lived with that for many years, not discussing it with us,” she says.
Waters says she also knows of a few friends who have lost grand children as still-born babies or newborns.
“Not many people want to talk
about baby loss but our aim is to break that taboo and get people talking and with the help of peo ple like Jeanette, raise awareness,” says a spokesperson from Sands, Auckland.
Waters’ Givealittle page has raised almost $5000 since her cycle began, a few of those donations coming from people she has met along her journey.
“I’m amazed that in some of the pubs that we were going to along the way for a drink, people would come up and say ‘oh you’re the per son cycling for Sands’. It has been so motivating,” says Waters.
Waters says that she averages about five hours of cycling a day which can cover a distance of between 80-130km.
“I think no amount of training prepares you for the real thing,” she says.
The journey is scheduled to fin ish on December 11 in Bluff.
Hi Maurice.
You have been given the key role on plugging the Council’s $270 mil lion budget shortfall. The solution is easily solved in your very own ward of Howick.
The planned Burswood bus diversion is going to cost between $1-$2billion and does not make logical or financial sense.
The planned busway between Pakuranga and the Ti Rakau bridge, which I also do not support, will provide 2 x traffic lanes each way and 2 x bus lanes, a total of 6 x lanes
The existing highway between the bridge and Bunnings already has 3 x lanes heading east and 2 x lanes heading west which can be widened to 3 x lanes with some minor road works, also a total of 6 x lanes.
The kerbside lanes can be busonly and T2 or T3.
If the Burswood busway is proceeded with, it would be the widest route in Auckland, if not New Zealand with 6 x lanes from Pakuranga increasing to 7 x lanes at the bridge, to gain nothing but a few minutes travel time at a cost the cty cannot afford.
Maurice, please do us all a favour and stop this ridiculous waste of money and earn the accolades of all us ratepayers who will end up paying the bill.
Bob Wichman Botany (former councillor and local board member)I thought Bob Wichman had retired!
In reality old politicians never actually retire, they just can’t help interviewing their own key board and then go on about “our politicians”.
In Bob “which way“ Wichman’s latest epistle in the Times , he tells us all that the Burswood busway scheme is ridiculous and riles
against the whole idea of buses but previously it was all okay so long as they ploughed through all the industrial and commercial businesses lining Ti Rakau Drive through Burswood.
It’s a little late to be shouting at the moon Bob, with the Panmure to Pakuranga section completed and if anyone was in in a position of influence during that time, it was you with a long career in local body politics.
This is the same man who was a councillor in the old Manukau City Council 20 years ago that rallied in support of double rating the work from home units in Burswood claiming that “they can afford it, they are running businesses”.
The Multi Rating Action Group was set up to fight paying dou ble rates for dual use residential and commercial properties (the Wastewater charge was actually triple the rate). We fought on the basis of proportional rating the use of the property under a single title. The Local Government Rating Act stated that a separately used or inhabited part of a title could be separately rated unless they were contiguous (which means joined and used as one).
In simple terms, we maintained that Manukau City Council was acting illegally due to the contigu ous nature of our units and that proportional rating was legal, dou ble rating was not.
In a classic David versus Goliath battle, we won. We took the argu ment to Parliamentary Select Committee and the multi-rating was dropped and proportional rat ing adopted and was carried over as it is today under the new Super City.
It was no thanks to good old captain sensible Councillor Bob Wichman though and his cabal of Manukau money grabbers. Our only two champions were the late Dick Quax and Len Brown.
Ironically, this is highly rele vant today as working from home has become the norm. Imagine Aucklanders waking up to find their rates have suddenly dou
bled for using their home now “commercially“.
So getting back to Bob’s busway bee in his bonnet, I truly feel sorry for those people losing their homes and forced to take a pay-out and move and, yes Bob, we all see the desolate bus lanes with the shiny new double decker with the sole passenger on it but you are a lit tle late to the party there with your letter.
What you could do to have a voice is stand for election for your local community and really get your voice heard with those who have the levers of power.
Oh that’s right, you tried that. Malcolm Anderson, Burswood
THOSE BOY RACERS
JustlatelythingsarenotOK AroundthestreetsofCockleBay Those mad boy racers have us fuming
Withtheirconstantnoisyzooming Backandforthandupanddown Hooningroundourpartoftown They’re hanging out amongst the trees Loudandraucousastheyplease Showingnoconsideration Fortheagingpopulation Theyfly,theyswoop Theysquawk,theysing Thosecrazytuis….. Theyknowit’sspring
Julia Banks, Cockle Bay
I am a mum of three in east Auckland.
I wanted to bring to your atten tion a local issue that I feel is extremely relevant at this time of year. My hope is that you may be able to bring some attention to the issue, which will help it in a posi tive way.
You may or may not be aware of major staffing and opening hour issues at Lloyd Elsmore pool. It mostly stems from a lack of life guards and a lack of candidates.
A quick Google tells you this is an Auckland-wide/industry issue. I am hugely worried about how lack of access is also contributing
to our high drowning rate this year. I am fortunate enough to remem ber how convenient swimming at Lloyd Elsmore Park was pre-Covid when I could take my infant to Lloyd Elsmore at the drop of a hat and the warm toddler splash pool was always open.
I have corresponded with the centre directly and with the help of the Howick Local Board. I appre ciate they are doing the best they can with limited resources but what is on offer for our local kids is abysmal.
Swimming is becoming some thing only those privileged enough for private lessons or with pools at home can safely enjoy. I desper ately want to get my one (almost two)-year-old into the toddler splash pool to cover water safety with him in a warm, safe environ ment but it’s impossible.
If you have kids, you will know that for the little ones, the large pool is too cold and he lasts 90 sec onds max before he’s out.
In the toddler splash pool he will happily spend an hour. The prob lem is on a weekday the splash pool (which is designed to cater to 1-4 year olds) is closed and only opens at 11.30am-1pm which is lunch and then nap time for 80 per cent of this age group. They do open again from 3pm-4pm but only a few families, not the major ity, can really utilise that time around kindy and school pick-ups. Then the icing on the cake is if you hope to take them on a weekend, well you best get there before 10.30am because the cen tre reaches capacity and you are refused entry.
I am awaiting further informa tion from the centre as to its current capacity and if this will increase when the seasonal lifeguards join the roster in mid-December.
I really do wonder if this one centre has the capacity to cope with how big east Auckland has become and if schools like Howick Intermediate still open to the gen eral public on the weekend like it did when I was at school there.
Anna H, SunnyhillsEnjoy family fun creating your own paper and wool Christmas decorations to take home after a presentation. For ages 7-adult. Cost is $8pp and includes all materials provided (cash or internet banking is available, sorry no Eftpos). Held on December 4, 2pm-4pm at Polish Museum, 125 Elliot St, Howick and avail able for groups to book their own time. Phone 533 3530 or email phtmuseum@outlook.com.
Motuihe Trust needs your help on Sunday December 11th with the restoration of this beautiful island very close to the Eastern suburbs. The work involves either preparing plants in the nursery or weeding to remove plants like woolly nightshade or maintaining the track network. The ferry is the only cost approx imately $35 return for adults and $15 for children. Motuihe Island ferry is the Red Boat operat ing out of Westhaven. Please help preserve this island for the future. Contact Fiona info@ motuihe.org.nz.
The Barn Sale this month at Trinity Church, 474 Pakuranga Rd, will be on Saturday, December 3, beginning at 8am. We have a good selection of Christmas gifts and stock ing fillers, as well as a special Christmas Lucky Dip for the children. Plenty of other stock available as well.
Come along and meet other local gardeners for a chat. Take home some free seeds or seed lings. Tea and coffee provided, Tuesday, December 6, 10.30am11.30 am, Pakuranga Library. Phone 377-0209 or email pakuranga.library@auckland council.govt.nz.
Howick 175 celebrations have been a huge success. This could not have happened with out a huge team of dedicated people giving their time, knowledge and experiences to make every event special. We all have a connection to Howick and districts and this year has proved again how special this early settled area is.
• John & Valerie Roy-Wojciechowski and family
• Bayleys Real Estate Ltd, Howick
• Marie Raos – Ray White Howick
• Howick Local Board
• Howick & Districts Historical Society
• New World, Howick
• Jim Donald & Family
• Alan La Roche MBE
• Morrin Cooper MBE
• Jim Donald
• Rev. Dr. Richard Waugh QSM
• Simeon Brown, MP Pakuranga
• Christopher Luxon, MP Botany & Leader of the Opposition
Group One
• Adele White, Past Chair of Howick Local Board
• Alan La Roche MBE, Howick Historian
• All Saints Anglican Church, Howick
• Art Lounge, Howick
• Coastguard Howick
• East FM Radio
• EastLife Magazine
• Fencible Quilters
• Frith & Graham Jenkins
• Howick & Pakuranga Community Centre
• Howick Photographic Society
• Howick Village Association
• Jane St George-Waugh (plaque & plinth designer)
• Kate Rodger – MC for luncheon
• Petrina Wilson – 175 website creator & social media
• Phil (PJ) Taylor
• Polish Museum, Howick
• St Johns Theological College, Meadowbank
• Times Media – Reay Neben, Clare McGillivray, Nick Krause, Janine Hickmore
Group Two
• Auckland Sea Kayaks
• Avenrose Florists
• Botany & Flat Bush Ethnic Association Inc
• Buckland Beach Yacht Club
• Burnsco Marine, Half Moon Bay
• Choir – Auckland Christian Mandarin
Salvation Church
• Coffee & Tea Lovers Ltd (Paolo Aryan)
• Drifters Pizza
• East Auckland Ministers Association
• East Auckland Tourism
• Event Fun (Bouncy Castles)
• Harlequin Theatre, Howick
• HEB Contractors Ltd
• Howick Brass Incorporated
• Howick Historical Village
• Howick Sailing Club
• Howick Schools’ Waterwise Society Inc
• Ice Cream Social
• Indian Kiwi Positive Ageing Charitable Trust
• Jane Moody (Bathurst Brown)
• Margaret Maggs – cake icer
• Matt Greenwood (Ginger Frog Ltd)
• Mike & Marion Clements – beach clean-ups
• Monterey Cinema
• Neill Castles- drone photographer
• Pakuranga Choral Society Inc
• Paper Plus, Howick
• Poppies Bookshop, Howick
• Pop-Up Classic Car Show (Steve Broadbent)
• The Click, Howick (Bo Burns)
• The Coffee Guy
• Trinity Scouts
• Val Lott
• Val Morgan & Wove Ltd
• Walker Developments Ltd – plinth installer
• Star of the Sea, Roman Catholic Church (Fr Kevin Murphy SM assisted by three students)
• Half Moon Bay Rotary Club
• Highland Park Library
• Howick Library
• Lions Club of Howick
• Menzshed
• NZ Police
• Howick Rotary Club
• St Johns Ambulance
SCHOOLS – Artworks, stories, poems, collages
• 16 participating schools
HOWICK 175TH COMMITTEES
• Howick 175th Steering Committee
– Richard Waugh, Marin Burgess, Philippa McGimpsey, Jim Donald, Katie Treneman, John Russell, Reay Neben, Adele White
• Beach Sub-Committee – Ian Gibson, Steve Udy, Ian Rodger, John Russell, Jim Donald, Philippa McGimpsey, Marin Burgess, Richard Waugh
• Luncheon Sub-Committee – Jan Tait, Marion Skelton, Brian Stocking, Grant Taylor, Neil Hornblow, Marin Burgess, Philippa McGimpsey
• Schools Sub-Committee – Judy Parr, Marion Skelton, Marin Burgess
• Brian Stocking
• Grant Taylor
• Ian Gibson
• Jan Tait
• Judy Parr
• Ethan McCormick
• Harjit Singh QSM
• Ian Rodger
• Joan Gill
• Lingling Liang
• Marion Skelton • Mike Rowse
• Neil Hornblow
• Steve Udy
• Yongrahn Park
• Pam Taylor
• Vinson Chao Yu
Another weather-infused week saw no premier crick et games played on the weekend for Howick Pakuranga. The club’s general manager Francis Scordino says, “The Auckland Council contractors who prepare our wickets have been doing a fantastic job to ensure that most of our games have been able to continue, but obviously trying to play on grass has been almost impossible”.
This has been a particularly tough start to the season given that when the premier men do get to play, they are proving to be a domi nant side.
After three rounds of the Tom Hellaby Two-Day Competition, Howick Pakuranga’s premier men have only managed one result with rain affecting the other two.
The side now sits in third place behind Grafton and East Coast Bays who have both had results in all three rounds.
With the commencement of
two-day matches for 2022, HPCC’s premier men will begin the limited overs Jeff Crowe Cup competition on Saturday, where they take on Cornwall at Cornwall Park.
The T20 format is also almost here for the premier men, with HPCC hosting Papatoetoe in a local derby mid-week at Lloyd Elsmore Park on Wednesday, December 7, from 5pm.
A domestic round for the pre mier women meant no games were played across the competi tion as all first-class players were unavailable.
“Overall girls/women’s cricket
has been a huge focus for the club over recent seasons and we have more than doubled our playing numbers. We currently have two senior teams and five junior teams and certainly have plenty of young talented players in our system,” says Scordino.
“A huge shoutout to Molly Penfold and Saachi Shahri, who were both selected in the NZ Women’s XI to play against Bangladesh in two limited overs internationals in Christchurch this week.”
Despite two seasons of Covid interruptions, HPCC’s membership numbers are now the highest they
have been for many years.
“The club has seen consider able growth, particularly in our midget U6-U9 grades, which have seen a 40 per cent increase in players compared to last season. This is very positive for the con tinued growth of the club, but also reflects that cricket is still popular amongst players at those ages,” says Scordino.
Premier Men Hedley Howarth TwoDay Competition | Round 3 Parnell 181 (J Plummer 37, H Miller 35; S Cook 4-53) lost first innings against Suburbs New Lynn 182/5 (M Barry 82 not out; N Perera 3-53).
• North Shore drew with Cornwall after rain abandoned day two of two.
• Takapuna District drew with Papatoetoe after rain abandoned day two of two.
• Eden Roskill 197/7 declared (H Chakraborty 63, A Bhardwaj 49; N Stobart 3-59) drew with Auckland University 164/7 (A Prasad 45, O Chakraborty 44; J Kumar 3-80) after day two of two.
Tom Hellaby Two-Day Competition | Round 3 Howick Pakuranga 149/0 (D Young
72 not out, B Walsh 70 not out) drew with Kumeu after rain abandoned day two of two.
• Grafton 187 (D Taylor 31; B Smith 4-33) and 107 (S Gunawardane 43; L Delport 4-21) lost outright to East Coast Bays 181 (R Schierhout 36; F Campbell 2-30) and 114/5 (R Schierhout 55; D Taylor 2-9).
• Waitakere 154 (S Variath 70; A Desai 4-22, D Kularathne 4-52) lost first innings to Hibiscus Coast 194/6 (R Lakmal 68 not out, D Kularathne 33; M Suri 2-21).
Birkenhead City 167/6 declared (A Jayampathi 79 not out; J Wilkinson 3-38) lost first innings to Ellerslie 168/4 (A Alam 42, H Drillien 38; J Newman 2-46).
Howick Pakuranga Cricket Club Fixtures 03/12/22
• Round 1, Limited overs Jeff Crowe Cup- Howick Pakuranga Premier Men VS Cornwall CC Premier Men at Cornwall Park- 11am
• Round 5, Prichard Cup Limited Over Competition- Howick Pakuranga Premier Women VS Parnell CC Premier Women at Lloyd Elsmore Park- 11am
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www.hbhgroup.org.nz
Introducing HBH Group – homes, care and community for seniors.