Wairarapa Midweek Wed 25th January

Later this year, over 100 girls and young women from one of South-East Asia’s most impoverished communities will receive a brand-new handmade dress – courtesy of some talented South Wairarapa locals and swathes of donated fabric.

In December, Martinborough resident and long-time crafter Annie Woodhams founded Stitch 4 Kids – a collective of sewers supporting charitable causes [at home and overseas] with handcrafted items made from second-hand or repurposed materials.

Stitch 4 Kids is currently hard at work on its first major project: Dresses for girls aged five to 14 in Timor-Leste, a small country with almost half of its 1.4 million citizens living below the poverty line.

The groups plans to make “at least 200” dresses by the end of March, which will be delivered to TimorLeste by Her Excellency Felicidade de Sousa Guterres, the nation’s ambassador to New

Zealand, in April.

To reach this goal, Stitch 4 Kids is appealing to the Wairarapa community for donations of fabric – as its previous supply, generously contributed by crafters New Zealand-

wide, is already running low.

Woodhams said she first started planning Stitch4Kids in June last year while lying in a hospital bed – recovering from a stem cell transplant

to treat an aggressive form of multiple myeloma.

“I felt like I needed a project, and I wanted to do something to give back to the community.

“I thought about how much I loved making little girls’ dresses. They’re like little works of art.

“I thought there must be a community group I could do some sewing for.”

Woodhams discussed the idea with daughter-inlaw Jane Keig, who had previously worked for the Ministry of Defence and had travelled with the New Zealand Defence Force to Timor-Leste in 2019.

Keig helped her mother-in-law secure a meeting with Guterres in Wellington – and, moved by her accounts of daily life for young people in TimorLeste, Woodhams pulled out her sewing machine

Erin Kavanagh-Hall erin.kavanagh-hall@age.co.nz

While recovering from stem cell treatment, Annie Woodhams wanted to do something to give back to the community.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

New skating club rolls into Carterton

The 1980s roller skate craze is returning to Wairarapa.

Verity Turner’s daughter came home beaming after a party at a roller skating rink in Upper Hutt – but when the family sought something similar in Wairarapa, they realised there was nothing that could compete.

So, in September last year, Turner and partner Chris Robertson organised their own skating club in Carterton.

The Carterton Roller Skaters meets in the stadium at Clareville Showgrounds on Thursday afternoons, with about 10 to 20 children in attendance.

“I was asking around, looking for a space to start the club, and luckily my friend offered us the place at the showgrounds,” Turner said.

“We share it with a few other sports clubs. We could use some storage at the moment – because we have about 100 pairs of roller skates.”

Globally, roller skating, hugely popular in the 80s [as seen on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things], saw a revival after the covid-19 lockdowns.

“Just looking at YouTube, there’s been a real resurgence,” Turner said.

“There are quite a few skate clubs and roller derby in Kilbirnie and Wellington, but we couldn’t find anything this side of the hill.”

“During lockdown, heaps of children were getting into it, and it’s grown since then,” Robertson said.

“Chris and I don’t have a background in roller skating,” Turner added. “So we’ve been watching countless amounts of videos online to teach the children.”

Turner said roller

skating was a “fun activity” for young people.

“They’re mainly just zooming around the stadium. We have some loud disco music, and then Chris will start a few skating games, and teach them a few techniques.

“It’s fantastic exercise for them. After an hour, they’re tired.”

The group has attracted young people from ages five to 14, as well as a few adult helpers.

“There’s a teenager coming who used to do roller derby, who helps

run the afternoon. We also have a schedule of a few adults and parents who help us out, and we’d welcome more volunteers.”

Since the club started, it has received a donation of two old pairs of skates, which have been repaired.

Robertson said the club was a “non-judgemental environment” for people of all abilities.

“In the end, it’s all about fun. We encourage them to learn new skills.

“We don’t provide safety gear, but it is highly recommended. Everyone

falls over, adults and children – but they get back up again.”

Turner and Robertson’s goal was to make the club self-sustaining.

“We don’t want it to live and die with us – we want this to continue.”

• Carterton Skating Club meets every Thursday during the school term from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. For more information, search Carterton Roller Skaters on Facebook, or contact Verity Turner on 021 365 655.

It all starts with ‘very good ideas’ in Featherston

SUE TEODORO

sue.teodoro@age.co.nz

The Featherston Community Board [FCB] started the year with a high-energy discussion on how to fast-track the town’s development.

FCB started making good on election promises as people brought ideas to an open forum last Wednesday evening.

Painting the buildings along the main road, encouraging new eateries to open, developing the old courthouse into an art gallery and café, beautifying streets with edible plantings, and promoting new businesses were among many options on the table.

Local resident Mark Futter said the town faced challenges to growth, but they were “surmountable”.

He said cohesion across the region was important, as well as recognising the limitations of relying only on formal high-level strategy processes. The development would not be achieved by relying on public funds, especially in a region like Wairarapa with a small rating base.

“It’s got to start at the lowest level,” he said.

“Pick the [projects] that are visible, the ones that make a difference, and the ones that people see.”

Futter advised the FCB to keep ideas simple but said good ideas were needed.

“It doesn’t need to cost much money, it just starts with very good ideas.”

South Wairarapa District

Councillor Colin Olds agreed.

“Community-led and community-driven projects, with support from elected bodies, are always the ones that have the best outcome.”

South Wairarapa Deputy Mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter referred to the wealth of talent in the district.

“The first key is finding that real networking connection in this community. We had two submissions tonight, but I know for a fact there are probably 20 or 30 other incredible ideas out there people are talking about and thinking about.”

Sadler-Futter has previously acknowledged the town’s challenges, including ageing and neglected infrastructure and a growing population. She campaigned for election to the council to ensure any changes benefitted locals.

“We cannot escape the need for investment in Featherston. The challenge ahead is to achieve this investment in a creative, cost-effective way that does not financially cripple our ratepayers now or in the future,” she said at the time.

FCB chair Tui Rutherford said a key consideration was leaving a legacy for the future.

“What should the longterm aspirations for this community be? What do we want things to look like for our children and our children’s children,” he asked.

Featherston local Mark Futter addresses Featherston Community Board at its ÿ rst meeting for 2023. PHOTO/SUE TEODORO

Robertson.

For the ÿ rst instalment of our new Midweek feature, Out of the Past, MARLENE DITCHFIELD delves into the story of “Bockett’s Bush” on Western Lake Rd – a tumble-down old farm house, with a rich pioneering history.

Francis Vernon Bockett came to the shores of Lake Wairarapa in 1868.

When his first house burned down, he built another in 1878 – which exists today in its dilapidated form, quietly composting into the earth. Its sheer presence captures the romantic imaginations of those travelling Western Lake Rd.

Francis married Eliza Jane Rexworthy in the same year he built the house. Known as “Ohui,” “Okuri” or “Bockett’s Bush,” the building housed Francis, Eliza and their three sons Francis Edward Bradney [born in 1879], Harold Arthur [1880] and Benjamin Bradney [1882] and later the Goodings, descending from Benjamin.

Francis was born in Surrey, England in 1851 and came to New Zealand to farm in his own right.

He became a fervent landowner and was one of a group of farmers who met in 1875 to discuss their right to open the mouth of Lake Wairarapa to reduce flooding. The settler farmers resented their newly acquired pastureland being flooded – and urged the

government to provide a permanent outlet so the floodwaters could discharge to the sea.

The lake and surrounding moana [ocean] was a traditional food source of immense importance to Māori – rich in whitebait, flounder, kōkopu, waterfowl and, most significantly, tuna [eels]. However, while the land surrounding the lakes was bought by the Crown for sale to Pakeha settlers, Māori still had the right of use over Lake Wairarapa, Lake Onoke and Onoke Spit. As farming became more intensive and land more valuable, farmers lobbied elected leaders and threatened to open the lake mouth themselves.

A River Board was established, and Francis was a member well into the 1920s.

The ongoing battle covers decades and is another fascinating story. Ironically, it’s understood the Bockett house was eventually vacated in the 1950s after many floods brought the lake water uncomfortably close.

In its time, the Bockett homestead was the centre of meetings and gatherings. In 1881, it was the election base for the appointment of wardens to the fledgling Featherston Highway Board. It was also the base for some search and rescue operations on Lake Wairarapa.

In 1885, Francis came across the pole for a punt, along with dead ducks and pigeons, at a lakeside camp. Frederick Liardet’s body was found in the lake with his shooting punt floating upside down nearby. Francis declared that Lake Wairarapa was an “unpredictable and sometimes treacherous piece of water” which need to be treated with great

respect. He provided his horse and cart to carry Frederick’s body home to his Featherston family.

Francis travelled to England in 1899 for a visit and was described in newspaper reports as “very ill” upon his return to Wairarapa. He lived on, however, until 1933

when he died, aged 83, in Greytown at his Jellicoe St property, leaving a healthy estate to his sons and grandchildren. His wife Eliza died in 1922, aged 72.

The youngest son, Benjamin, married Emily Nina Marriott in Featherston on April 15, 1914. Sadly, Emily died

when their daughter, Benham [Ben] Nina Bockett, was just one week old. Benjamin gave his baby daughter to his older brother Francis Jnr, also known as Edward, and his wife Ethel to raise on the Western Lake Rd property.

Edward and Ethel Bagge had married in Wellington

in 1912. Benjamin visited his daughter often and went on to remarry Eileen Bowler in 1920. The couple lived in Ashhurst, and Ben remained at the farm with her aunt and uncle.

Ben Bockett married Valentine Gooding on September 6, 1940, at St John’s Church in Featherston. They had three children: William [born in 1941], Beth [1944] and Ted [1948], all raised at the Lake Wairarapa property. William, the eldest, went on to work at Prairie Holm Farm on Western Lake Rd – going strong today – and still lives in the area.

Valentine Gooding died in 1972, at age 70. Ben died, aged 92, in 2011. The couple, like much of the family, are buried in the Featherston Cemetery.

Back in 1934, Francis Edward Bockett was a member of a board established to manage a scenic reserve on Western Lake Rd – taking in beech forest covering 63 acres. Today, this is a muchadmired part of the scenic road trip along the western side of Lake Wairarapa.

The Bocketts certainly have left their mark. There’s a stream named after the family in the area as well. Give the house a nod next time you pass.

Members of the Bockett and Gooding families at Prairie Holm Farm, circa 1900. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

The Bockett house, aka “Bockett’s Bush”, on Western Lake Rd – built by family patriarch and pioneer farmer Francis Vernon Bockett.

Stitching for girls is cranking up

Continued from Pg 1

and got to work. Within a few short weeks, she and her fellow sewers had completed more than 50 garments.

“I’m very much a believer in getting things done – rather than sitting around and talking about what needs to be done. So much is achievable if you step up and start something,” Woodhams said.

“Jane told me how beautiful Timor-Leste was – but the poverty really gets to you. Felicidade told us a lot of stories about what people go through, and it’s not good. Knowing that we can do something small to help, like giving 100 girls a brand new dress that’s been made especially for them, is a wonderful feeling.

“This project has been so exciting and fulfilling so far. And it feels good to be able to take the focus off myself.”

Woodhams relocated to Martinborough from Napier to be closer to whanau in August 2021 – but received her cancer diagnosis a month later.

A difficult 18 months followed: She began several courses of chemotherapy and eventually received her stem cell treatment – to help and prolong her

remission period – at Wellington Hospital.

Some respite arrived in the form of WoRN Featherston Cloth Collective, a social group of sewers which lend their skills to help community groups in the region, such as the Cancer Society, and the maternity ward at Wairarapa Hospital.

Later in 2021, Woodhams attended one of WoRN’s weekly meetings at the Anzac Hall and immediately felt at home.

“At the time, I had a broken pelvis and was using a walker – so I didn’t

get much sewing done! But it was wonderful to be amongst a group of likeminded women.

“They were so accepting and lovely – and have been very supportive throughout the cancer journey.”

Woodhams said WoRN got on board with the Stitch 4 Kids project right away, contributing “a whole cupboard” of cotton fabric. Donations came flooding in from the wider South Wairarapa community and around the country, with friends and contacts all too happy to “dig through their stash” and make a contribution.

After meeting with Guterres in December, Woodhams and three good friends from WoRN started sewing – and made 55 dresses. As at last Friday they had finished 70.

“All that wet weather over Christmas was a bit of a bonus!”

“We’re hoping to make 200 for Felicidade to take over. But, as we’ve made so many in such a short amount of time, we’re hoping for a lot more.

“If a handful of people can make two to three more dresses each, it’ll add up pretty quickly.”

As well as fabric, Stitch 4

Kids also welcomes sewers who want to contribute their own “works of art” to the project. Free patterns are available to download from the group’s website.

“Any dresses people want to make will be very gratefully accepted. They just need to be cotton, knee-length, and not too flimsy.”

Woodhams said she was “thrilled” with the support Stitch 4 Kids has received so far.

“So many people have gotten behind us – it’s made such a difference.

“Hopefully, there are a

few people in Wairarapa who’ve got a whole room full of fabric they’re not using, and are keen to help us out!”

She said Stitch 4 Kids will continue to work on community-focused projects, either for those in need within New Zealand, or in a country with ties to New Zealand.

• To make a donation to Stitch 4 Kids, contact Annie Woodhams at stitch4kidsnz@gmail. com, or go to www. stitch4kids.nz for more information. The organisation does not accept cash donations.

Stitch 4 Kids founder Annie Woodhams [right] with Her Excellency Felicidade de Sousa Guterres, Timor-Leste’s ambassador to New Zealand.

Woodhams [right] and some of the crew from WoRN Featherston Cloth Collective. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

Wairarapa slow to embrace zero alcohol

be easier to justify.”

Non-alcoholic drinks are gaining ground throughout the world –but Wairarapa producers are yet to join the trend.

Zero per cent craft beer has grown in popularity overseas, with revenue growing from US$7.8 billion in 2018 to about $10 billion in 2021.

These products now hold a 3.5 per cent volume share of the drinks industry according to ISWR Drinks Market Analysis.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, Giesen Wines was one of the leaders in non-alcoholic wine alternatives, with its

Destination Wairarapa marketing manager Barbara Hyde said she wasn’t aware of any local brewers or winemakers producing alcohol-free beverages.

Eugene Black, head brewer for Martinborough Brewery, said zero per cent beer “wasn’t on the cards for the time being”.

“It’s not easy. To do it properly, you would need a pasteuriser or a de-alcoholiser. The equipment would be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I did get excited a while ago about nonalcohol beers. If we were a larger brewer, it would

He said non-alcoholic beer was also difficult to produce.

“To make it alcoholfree, you need to pasteurise it so the beer doesn’t re-ferment. Or you would remove the alcohol and then pasteurise it.

“To be able to label it as alcohol-free, it needs to be below 0.5 per cent. The more alcohol removed, it loses its taste.”

Shane Kelly, manager at non-alcohlic popup bar Unleaded at Truckstop Greytown, said non-alcoholic drinks boomed in popularity after covid.

“People drank silly amounts [of alcohol]

during the lockdowns, and they weren’t keen to continue. That’s where the first growth came from.

“We’re seeing younger people as a more responsible generation. They’re choosing to try non-alcoholic drinks.”

He said non-drinkers now have “a lot more options”.

“There was always the beers like the Zero Heineken, but now they are much better. Craft breweries have gotten on board, like Garage Project and Sawmill.

“It’s brilliant to have that option, compared to when there was just Appletiser and sparkling grape juice.”

Kelly said some

beverages were easier to replicate than others.

“Cocktails are popular. You can do [non-alcoholic] mojitos, espresso martinis, and margaritas, and it’s hard to tell the difference.

“Gin is quite easy to make non-alcoholic. No one’s nailed whiskey or vodka yet.”

Kelly said Unleaded had been popular despite not serving alcohol.

“Some people who don’t drink alcohol in the first place have an option. People can have a few cocktails and drive home.

“We wanted it to have a family vibe. It’s not about having lots and lots of alcohol.”

Carterton Bottle Store owner Vishal Basra said

the alternatives were yet to reach full popularity.

“It’s slow at the moment, but I imagine it will increase in the next couple of years. It’s too early to say.”

He said it was a positive sign that there were more non-alcoholic options available.

“It’s good for when you’re hanging out with a group of friends who are drinking, but you don’t want to drink. Those are the kinds of situations people are buying the alternatives.

“They come in almost the exact same packaging, so it’s much easier to fit in.”

award-winning merlot grown in Hawke’s Bay.

Helen Holt helen.holt@age.co.nz

Non-alcoholic alternatives have risen in popularity around the world – but Wairarapa is yet to fully embrace the trend.

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Ian and Jenna’s intrepid journey

Sue Teodoro sue.teodoro@age.co.nz

A Masterton couple with a passion for hiking, travel, and the outdoors have successfully walked one of the United States’ longest wilderness trails.

Ian and Jenna Blair already had a few walking kilometres under their belts when they started the Pacific Crest Trail [PCT] last July – including hiking the 800km Camino Frances to Santiago in Spain, as well as most of New Zealand’s Great Walks.

They had a few thousand more by the time they finished the PCT in November, after walking a total of 141 days.

Walking by day and night, they covered more than 4,000 km, from the Canadian border in the north, down through the West Coast of the US and finishing at the Mexican border.

Heading over multiple mountain passes, they moved fast to dodge incoming winter weather over the Sierra Nevada mountains, encountering bears and even a mountain lion along the way.

The PCT, passing through the states of Washington, Oregon and

California, is a longdistance trail adjacent to the highest part of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada – spanning 4,270km.

The pair averaged just under 40km a day, carrying a base weight of 12kg.

“But with food and water, it would have been about 15 to 16 kg,” Jenna said.

“Every four to six days, there was a town where we could stop and buy more food.”

Some towns were close

to the trail, but others the pair would hitch-hike to and from.

“We had two eight-day stretches in the Sierra mountains where there were no towns, and the packs were really heavy,” Ian said.

“In the High Sierras, you’re doing a pass a day. One day, we had two passes. It’s hard going.”

“It’s a different lifestyle – carrying your whole life on your back, and sleeping in a tent,” Jenna said.

On the PCT, the couple seldom saw people and were completely selfsufficient. Their main worry was the weather –the Sierras are known for a rough climate, especially snow. To prepare for ice, they carried ice axes and microspikes.

“In the Sierras, there’s no escape,” Ian said.

“Lots of people were telling us we’d be lucky to avoid the first storms. Some of the valleys you walk through are really enclosed, and you could easily get caught.”

“They say you need to be out [of the Sierras] by midOctober. But we started on October 20th, and got out by the start of November,” Jenna added.

The bad weather started about a week after they had passed through. They did, however, have interesting meetings with locals of the four-legged variety.

“We came around a corner and were listening to music, so we weren’t paying attention. We

startled a bear,” Ian said.

“It got up on its hind legs and just stared at us. It was about three metres away, and about my height.

“It was staring at us for what seemed like forever, but it was probably only a few seconds. Then it got down on its forelegs and carried on eating berries. It really wasn’t fussed.”

After the incident, a ranger told them they were lucky the bear had been docile – they can be unpredictable if surprised.

The pair later saw a mother bear and three cubs from a distance, which they said was “beautiful”.

The last stage of the PCT goes through the Mojave Desert, where the pair had another close encounter.

“It was at night, and Jenna saw glowing eyes staring at her,” Ian said.

“We put our torches on full because we didn’t know what it was. And then it moved, and we could see it was a mountain lion.”

“It was terrifying,” Jenna added.

Ian and Jenna are now planning their next adventures – including hiking Mount Fuji in Japan and the HexaTrek trail in France.

Ian and Jenna Blair stop to rest while hiking Mt Whitney -- the highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada range.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

ITS TIME TO....

If the tops of your garlic plants are turning yellow this is a sign they are ready for harvest. This usually happens around 5-6 months after planting. Carefully dig up a bulb to see how it’s looking, hopefully the bulbs are looking ÿ rm & juicy. If you leave it too long and the tops completely die o° this could cause splitting of the skin, which allows moisture and decay in.

It will be interesting to see how everyone’s harvest goes this year—hopefully the huge amount of rain we’ve had hasn’t caused problems with crops.

KEEP PLANTING, HARVESTING & FEEDING

• Harvest crops regularly so you get to enjoy them while they’re young & sweet. Regular picking also encourages more production;

• Keep planting fast growing nutritious food such as microgreens, sprouts, loose leaf lettuces, spinach, radishes & beetroot. If seed is available in our ican Chef’s Best range that’s the ones you should sow;

• Avoid direct sunlight to plants that are on window sills or in direct light as they may end up with burnt or limp leaves and dry soil

• Move plants away from airconditioning blasts

• Water e˛ ciently and carefully. ÿ nd out what speciÿ c watering requirements your plants prefer and invest in a watering indicator for best results. Try and water plants using room temperature water, ideally it should be ÿ ltered or rain ÿ lter too

• Don’t feed plants in excessively hot weather, it’s best to wait until the temperatures are cooler so the plant

• Keep leaves free from dust & dirt by wiping them carefully with a clean cloth. Grosafe Enspray 99 Spraying Oil can be used to keep leaves shiny as well as keeping the plants free from many pests & diseases

• Repot plants that are becoming root-bound or too big for their pots. If the pot is too small you will ÿ nd watering becomes less e˛ cient. We recommend repotting into a quality mix such as Daltons Premium Potting Mix or Daltons Premium House Plant Mix

TEND TO YOUR TOMATOES

Hopefully the recent sun we’ve had has perked your tomato plants up. Some important ways to help them thrive include: Remove unnecessary foliage such as side laterals (the leaves growing between the main stem and the side branches) & bottom leaves. This encourage air ˝ ow and allow energy to go into fruit development;

Spray regularly with an insecticide & fungicide. It’s important to keep up with a regular schedule to keep on top of potential problems;

• Keep feeding everything in the garden with ican Fast Food, side dress leafy greens with Sulphate of Ammonia and add ican 24-Plus Slow Food to all new plantings in pots and gardens;

Our range of house plants change on a regular basis but here are a few ideas to get you started on your journey of Growing an Indoor Garden.

Sansevieria, also known as Snake Plant or MotherIn-Law’s Tongue, is the perfect start to an indoor plant collection. These plants thrive in bright, indirect light and because they are a type of succulent their leaves hold plenty of water so watering is only needed when the soil is completely dry around 5cm down. They are slow growers so don’t get a pot that is too big, it may take around 3 years for repotting to be necessary.

Did you know: In China Sanseveria plants are placed near entrances to the home to attract long life, prosperity, intelligence, beauty, art, poetry, health & strength

We have some special Impatiens that would look fabulous indoors to make the most of their colourful blooms before going outdoors in a special pot on the patio or out into a special frost-free spot in the garden.

‘Sweetie’ has small ˝ owers and compact growth and will ˝ ower for months, brightening up a partly shaded spot in the garden.

There are limited numbers of these beauties so be in quick so you don’t miss out.

Gold Allusion is a fast growing plant with a trailing habit. It grows best with lot of bright but indirect light (a few hours light per day helps to maintain the colour of the pink/red veins). These plants prefer to be watered thoroughly then left to dry out before watering again.

Boston Ferns are great for purifying the air, does well in low light areas and is very easy to care for. The spreading, vivid green fronds stop growing at a certain length, creating a circular shaped habit that looks fabulous in pots & hanging baskets.

HARVEST GARLIC

House plants, like all plants, require di° erent care in summer than they do in winter. A few things to remember to keep your plants happy during the warmer months include:

has more energy to uptake the nutrients

Syngonium

In the words of Māori astronomy expert Professor Rangi Matamua, “There is not a person on this planet who does not descend from someone who looked up at the night sky, searching for answers.”

Thanks to half a decade of advocacy by a small group of volunteers, seeking answers in the stars will be preserved in Wairarapa for generations to come –now that the International Dark-Sky Association [IDA] has finally granted the region Dark Sky Reserve status.

The IDA confirmed last week that South Wairarapa and Carterton districts will join the ranks of 20 other accredited reserves worldwide, becoming the second reserve in New

Zealand after AorakiMcKenzie.

Those who campaigned for Wairarapa’s dark sky believe the accreditation will be an economic and conservation boon for the region, and also strengthen New Zealand’s reputation as a world leader in dark sky development.

“We are thrilled to be granted kaitiaki [guardianship] status for our sparkling dark skies by the international body,” Wairarapa Dark Sky Association [WDSA] chair Viv Napier said.

“We know there are massive environmental and social benefits from reducing the scatter of light. There are also significant economic benefits, with our international status opening up huge opportunities for tourism.”

Wairarapa Dark Sky

Reserve will cover a combined area of 3665 square kilometres, with Aorangi Forest Park at its core, and could expand in future to include Masterton.

WDSA committee member Dr Tom Love said it was a relief to be granted accreditation after five years of back and forth with the IDA.

“There is a lot of regulatory and legal complexity. You have rules and regulations for how future lighting can be developed to limit light pollution.

“Because we share a Combined District Plan in Wairarapa, it was easier to take on a bigger area, across multiple councils, and make changes. It is quite a big deal.”

Love said the importance of the protection status went beyond astronomy

enthusiasts, citing a growing body of research on the negative effects of light pollution and the need for alternating darkness and daylight.

“Just as artificial light can disturb natural rhythms in animals, the same applies to humans. It has a detrimental effect on our health.

“Also, the majority of our native species are nocturnal. The kiwi is an obvious one, but we also have tuna [eel], a nocturnal fish.”

John Hearnshaw, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy and member of Aoraki-McKenzie Dark Sky Reserve, said Wairarapa could expect a tourism boom akin to Tekapo.

“Word is spreading that New Zealand is the place to come to see the stars. And the more dark skies that have accreditation, the greater the reputation

of this country as a leader in astrotourism.”

Hearnshaw said since Aoraki-McKenzie was granted reserve status in 2012, the region had enjoyed an economic injection of close to a million dollars a day.

Wairarapa’s reserve status goes a long way to preserving dark skies for future generations and revitalising almost forgotten traditions, Matamua said

“Wairarapa has one of the most famous Māori experts, Te Matorohanga, who wrote extensively about astronomy. That knowledge was very much practised in the region.”

Matamua said over half of the world’s population cannot see the stars at night because of light pollution – and yet everyone descended from stargazers.

Wairarapa

Opinion

Sober curious – will it fly?

In my early 20s [i.e a while ago], I enjoyed a drink. Or several. And then several more.

My youth was, in a word, a journey ... and alcohol came along for the ride. Socialising that didn’t revolve around caffeine revolved around “getting on the piss”: my mates and I held movie nights with cheap bubbles, drained our bank accounts making birthday cocktails, and bemoaned our love lives over too much discount rosé. To awaken the next morning with a pseudomigraine was a badge of honour.

A typical rite of passage. And one that more of today’s 20-somethings are leaving in the dust.

Global research shows young

Young(ish), scrappy & hungry

Erin Kavanagh-Hall

less often, and in lesser quantities, than previous generations. In 2019, a UK study found 16 to 25-year-olds were the most likely to be teetotal, with 26 per cent not drinking. Recent Australian research discovered 44 per cent of 18-24-year-olds had reduced their alcohol intake throughout the pandemic. In 2021, the US market value of nonalcoholic beverages stood at a cool $10 billion.

Even in Aotearoa, infamous for its “beers with the boys” culture, youth binge drinking has declined since 2001.

Experts cite several factors for the “sober curious” movement. Some point to the economy:

Three years into covid, the Gen Z cohort is graduating into an unstable labour market and a looming recession. Consecutive boozy weekends are a luxury many cannot justify. Competition for jobs is stiff – and employers know their way around social media. My generation thought nothing of posting “hilarious” drunken selfies on Facebook. Now, said selfies could cost you a paycheque.

The digital landscape has also increased awareness of alcohol-related harm. With more information at their fingertips, Gen Z is betterversed in mental health, addiction and self-care – and how alcohol relates to that. A 2019 survey of Gen Z Americans found 41 per cent of respondents associate alcohol with “vulnerability”, “anxiety” and “abuse”. Online spaces dedicated to sobriety are

also gaining popularity – including the #sober community on TikTok, generating billions of views.

Young people are also conscious of their physical health – thanks to “wellness” culture and the proliferation of lifestyle bloggers, we’re hyperaware of the chemical compounds in our food.

I have mixed feelings. The online wellness movement is notorious for fixation on appearance, peddling of falsehoods, and correlation with heightened food anxiety. It has already demonised carbohydrates and dairy – does alcohol deserve the same? Alcohol can be enjoyed responsibly – and surely access to nuanced information is preferable to influencerdriven alarmism?

What is more heartening about the sober curious movement is the decreasing stigma around going alcohol-free. Being a nondrinker is no longer a oneway ticket to social pariahhood. If someone dared to abstain from alcohol on my university campus, they were “obviously” on

antibiotics, or pregnant – and if they were male, their manhood was called into question. Nowadays, students overseas are embracing coffee culture, requesting alcohol-free accommodation, and attending sober raves –and, in turn, rejecting peer pressure and toxic masculinity. It’s refreshing to see.

Will more young Kiwis go in the same direction? Stranger things have happened.

Alcohol and its safety is a big conversation. Scientists have different things to say on the matter – and what people do with that information is up to them. But, it is encouraging to see young people prioritising mental health, practising self-awareness, and creating non-judgemental, inclusive spaces for their peers. Teetotal or otherwise, those are worthy goals to pursue.

Young people just may leave this world in better shape than they found it. I’ll raise a virgin mimosa to that.

The Wairarapa Midweek is subject to New Zealand Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing to the editor’s email address. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the Media Council P.O Box 10-879, Wellington 6143. Or use the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz. Please include copies of the article and all correspondence with the publication.

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Carolyn Henson Fabric.

Karen Roberts Tupperware lids.

CONTACT US

Jessica Parker Crystals.

Cheryl Cavanagh CDs.

Hayden McGrail Shirts [according to my wife].

Ann Nielsen Photo albums.

Nikki King Boots.

Jean Cretney DVDs.

Julie Ritchie Cookbooks.

Elaine Leggott WC Stuff ... as people call it [in other words, junk].

Have you got a photo you want to share with Wairarapa?

Whether it’s a reader photo, a cutie, or a snap of you with your Midweek, email it to midweek@age.co.nz with ‘Midweek Photo’ in the subject line, and it could be featured in this segment.

CUTIE OF THE WEEK

The cutest Christmas angel ever!

Magnolia Margaret Pittams, Maggie for short, had her first birthday party in December, surrounded by friends and family. Mum Colleen said her youngest is “chatty, clever, and full of personality and drama” – and adored by her big sister and OLLEEN PARKER

Pip Clement Shoes.

Carmichael Mackenzie Ann Eilis Drink bottles.

Joanne Waitoa Books.

Janine Cardno Lipstick.

Georgie Wilton Petrol tins.

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

y

Grand piano o˜ ered free

Like every person having a bit of a cleanup at home, you come across objects and items that you can no longer care for and they need to go.

Aratoi is no exception. Every now and again we have an item we can no longer care for properly and it needs to go; this process is called deaccessioning.

In 2014 Aratoi accepted a gift of a stunning JJ Hopkinson full-size concert grand piano from Ian and Clare Athfield. It was displayed in the exhibition Settling the Land: Order out of Chaos? [February 13, 2015 to August 16, 2015].

the larger English piano manufacturers during the 19th century, merging with several other companies over the years, and the name was produced consistently throughout most of the 20th century.

The JJ Hopkinson brand name was discontinued in 1998. The piano can be dated to the mid-to-late 1880s by its serial number.

Despite the piano having possible associations with Wairarapa, opportunities for further display at Aratoi are limited so the process of deaccessioning the piano has been completed and the process of disposal has begun.

The Athfields had purchased the piano in the 1960s from an auction in Masterton and it had been a centrepiece of their home for many years.

The piano’s maker, JJ Hopkinson, was one of

It is usual museum practice to offer a deaccessioned item to the donor in the first instance, however this offer was turned down. Next, we offer the object to other relevant cultural

Masterton mayor to hold public forums Extra

SUE TEODORO sue.teodoro@age.co.nz

Upholding his pledge to engage closely with the community, recently elected Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell will soon hold the first of a series of open public forums.

Caffell intended to hold regular meetings with members of the community at the Masterton District Council [MDC] offices in Queen St.

He hoped that, by making himself accessible in this way, people will be encouraged to bring the full range of council-related problems and issues to him direct.

The style of the meetings

will be informal one-on-one sessions with the mayor on a drop-in basis.

The first of these meetings is on Thursday, January 26, from 1pm, and every Thursday after that.

“It’s an opportunity to tell us about anything they have an issue with,” Caffell said.

“There are a lot of people who say they find it a bit intimidating to come into council offices and ask to see the mayor.

“I want them to come in and talk about anything. They can even tell us how great we are if they like,” he said.

Caffell hoped other councillors would attend the meetings.

institutions to see if they want it for their collections but no offers came through.

The piano is now offered free to a good home. The piano is not in the best

condition, having been stored dismantled and on its side for several years.

At least one of the legs has unsightly borer holes – the borer having been treated

before it came to Aratoi. If you are interested in rescuing this beautiful historic piano, please contact Jo Torr at Aratoi, jo@aratoi.co.nz

y property is fully fenced

y at least one door is accessible by visitors without encountering the dog y dog is de-sexed and microchipped y registration has been paid on time for two years y dog has not been the subject of a substantiated complaint in the previous two years.

Note: Some dogs, including rural, menacing by deed, or dogs classified as dangerous, are not eligible.

Further details available at: www.mstn.govt.nz

JJ Hopkinson full-size concert grand piano. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Masterton Mayor Gary Ca˜ ell.

PHOTO/FILE

Lifestyle

Parkvale being proactive

Lisa Stevenson and her husband John believe it’s important for farmers to have a say on environmental regulations which have significant impacts on farming families and livelihoods.

This is the main reason they became involved with setting up the Parkvale Catchment Charitable Trust. They also want to ensure the water running through and around their farm is clean and abundant so it can continue to support the life it sustains.

“In 2019, farmers in the Parkvale catchment were informed by the regional council that they had been put on a schedule which would mean tight restrictions on farming in the area,” Lisa said. “This was due to high nitrate levels in the Parkvale Stream.”

“So a group of local farmers got together with the view to being proactive about looking after the waterways in our catchment. Looking through council water data, it’s been interesting to discover that there

are a number of nitrate ‘hot spots’ bubbling up from ground water, near to the fault-line in the mid-catchment.

However, lower down the catchment – where more intensive farming activity is happening, the nitrate level is lower. It’s something of an anomaly and something we hope to make more sense of, as we work with the regional council to undertake more water testing.”

“We see the group as an opportunity to bring the whole community together, both farmers and small-block holders to reach a common goal,” Lisa said. “If we [as farmers] can work alongside the small-block holders, then it’s a chance to understand each other and to see how actions and regulations impact each sort of land use.”

And it’s not just farmers who are and can be involved. The group would love to get more locals involved with the work their Community Catchment Group [CCG] is doing, as well as get people to make connections with the catchment area itself. This year they plan to connect with both small-

“The more we do, the more visible we become to the wider community,” Lisa said. “And through

hearing about what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do, hopefully more and more people will want to be part of positive changes in our catchment

area.”

She’s quick to recommend that more landowners and stakeholders get involved in CCGs.

“It’s not just about the environment,” she said. “There’s also getting to know your neighbours and engaging with your community. On top of that, it’s an opportunity to show that landowners are being really proactive –that everyone can make a difference.”

ALI MACKISACK Wairarapa P˜kaha to Kawakawa Alliance [WaiP2K]

block holders as well as their schools.

Liz Gibson from Mountains to Sea shows the Parkvale Catchment Group what invertebrates live in the upper reaches of their catchment. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

The Parkvale farming community getting under way with riparian planting.

Lifestyle

Comment – Pick ‘n Mix

Graeme Burnard

It was very early on Christmas morning that “Unwanted Christmas Gifts” started appearing on Trade Me. It was as though some people were sitting with their Trade Me accounts open and ready before they even opened their gifts. They can’t have

you don’t want, even if it’s brand new, it needs to be a bargain for the prospective buyer. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just go to a shop and buy it without the extra cost of postage. I saw two bottles of Chanel No 5 perfume that were dearer than I could have

once, for $100. When we got it home, we decided it wasn’t what we wanted and it needed a lot more work done to it than we were prepared to do. I sold it a week later on Trade Me for $250 to a lady in Hamilton. She even sent me a message after it arrived, to say how delighted she was with it. There are also many unwanted gifts around the world that never make it on Trade Me.

Spare a thought for a young boy who told his uncle that he “wished I had a beard like yours”. His uncle shaved off his beard, put the clippings in a paper bag and gave it to the poor kid for Christmas.

One grandmother who had two grandchildren but favoured the boy, gave

presents that she used for the laundry. Her nephew opened his Christmas present to discover a lovely new jumper and a pair of his aunt’s used knickers.

Another aunt gave her nephew a set of butter knives with ceramic fruit and vegetables for handles. She told him he was very hard to buy for. He was 7.

One poor teenager who had passed his driver’s licence received a car crash kit from his mother. It contained a disposal camera for recording the crash scene, sets of forms for both parties to fill out, a tape measure and a piece of chalk [which he assumed was used to draw around any bodies that might be lying around].

Nana and grandad arrived one Christmas

were distributed among his sisters and he was then handed the empty, unwrapped suitcase as his gift.

A young man was given a beautiful engagement ring from his girlfriend with instructions on where and when he should propose to her with it. He never did.

One poor six-year-old burst into tears when he unwrapped a pair of pants from his mother. “These aren’t supposed to be a gift” he wailed. “These are things you have to buy me.” [Smart kid].

And spare a thought for the poor man who, for Christmas 2006, bought his whole family, tickets to a James Brown concert. A short time after they had all opened their surprise on Christmas Day, they saw on TV that James Brown had died earlier

Oh well, there’s always next Christmas, and that’s

habits with

Often when I go to the gym I see a friend of mine working out on a stationary bike. I had noticed she was reading a book while doing so. I asked her what she was reading, and she told me it was a murder mystery novel. Hearing this made me think of temptation bundling, a process for developing a habit through linking it to something you want to do. In the case of my friend it was linking exercise to reading murder mystery novels.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. It is a habit I love. For quite some time I have been linking listening to podcasts to the habit of exercise. Whenever I exercise I’ll be enjoying the likes of The Guardian Football Podcast or The Joe Rogan Experience. This temptation bundling makes exercise something I enjoy and look forward to, as I have linked it to an enjoyable experience [listening to podcasts].

Temptation bundling can be done for pretty much any habit you want to establish. The secret is

to find something that fits in easily with the habit. In the examples I have shared [reading and listening to podcasts while exercising], they work well together. There’ll be numerous ways to develop your own, it just requires a little creativity to find what works for you.

The laws of behaviour change

It’s pretty clear to me there is a vaping issue in New Zealand. I am seeing a lot more people vaping than I ever saw smoking, with many who are very young. As a former smoker I remember the effort it took to get started, as the first few puffs were absolutely awful, making me feel dizzy and nauseous. Vaping is something else entirely, with flavours that taste and smell like lollies being extremely appealing to children.

Something I have noticed about vaping is how obvious vaping shops are, as well as how many there are of them. This makes them very accessible for those who choose to use them.

Looking at James Clear’s

laws of behaviour change, vaping ticks all of the boxes:

• It is obvious

• It is attractive

• It is easy

• It is satisfying

These factors are pretty overpowering, so it’s little surprise that so many are doing it. If real change is to happen, the inverse should happen. For example:

Make it invisible – by reducing the number of suppliers;

Make it unattractive – by taking away the flavours; Make it difficult – by giving access only to those with a prescription;

Make it unsatisfying –again, by taking away the flavours.

I have used vaping just as an example here. The same ideas and strategies could be applied to anything you want to stop.

How to eat apples

Often when we buy fruit it goes straight into the fruit chiller in the fridge. More often than not we forget about it until shopping day, when, as we check what’s needed, we notice the not-so-good apples in a state that don’t make them especially appetising. This is a little unfortunate, as they’re not only healthy, they’re also pretty tasty when fresh.

A simple strategy to get us to eat healthier is to have them in a place where you’ll notice them whenever you head for the kitchen to find a snack. A fruit bowl full of delicious fruit will have us, hopefully, reaching for the healthy item simply because it’s obvious, essentially right in front of you, as opposed to being buried in the back of the

fridge.

The other side of the plan is to not buy the things you know you’ll regret eating later on, or, if you do, buy only a limited amount, so once it’s gone it’ll be too much of a hassle to go out to get more.

How I stick to my habits

For almost 10 years I have meditated almost every day. Mostly I use the Calm meditation app, but I have also used many other systems and processes.

These days I am now using nothing but the timer on my phone to indicate when the session is over.

I have a specific time and place for meditating; it’s always after I brush my teeth in the morning. As soon as my teeth are clean

Tim Nelson

Midweek Musings

F�L� O� F�A�O�R

The Adventures of Chicken and Frog

Like all good stories, this one involves a quest. A quest to ÿ nd Chicken and Frog, a magical world of stories nestled in the heart of Featherston. Once found, the bookshop o° ers adventure to children and teens as they search room after room for that perfect book.

“Children need the opportunity to discover what books interest them most – perhaps adventure and mysteries, books in te reo, graphic novels, or books about identity, space, dinosaurs, the environment, science or technology,” says Joanna Ludbrook.

Joanna describes herself as a curator. “I select, display and market the books, with the needs of children always at the front of my mind.”

She knows that keeping children and teens reading over the long summer holidays is vital to avoid losing gains previously made in their reading over the year.

Made accessible on low shelving in Chicken and Frog, books invite children and teens to touch and read them

– to lose themselves in the magic of words. Reading is important because it improves focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It allows children and teens to learn new things to help them succeed in life, in relationships, and at work.

Gift vouchers are available if adults want to give a child the opportunity to explore and pick out a book themselves.

“There’s something for every child at our bookstore,” Joanna says. “I also sell online to schools and teachers who appreciate the wide range of non-ÿ ction titles sold at Chicken and Frog.”

Start the quest today and go in search of Chicken and Frog. Psst … it’s beside one of the playgrounds.

AUTOMOTIVE & PARTS NOW AT, South Wairarapa Auto

Joanna Ludbrook with some of her books in Chicken and Frog

Captain Richmond Funeral Home

BRONWEN NICHOLAS AND TRIXIE DUCKETT from Duckett Funerals

I go to my dining room for my meditation session. It has become an embedded habit; there’s never confusion as to when and where it will be done, as it always happens at the same time and place. Without realising it, what I have essentially done has been to create what is referred to as an ‘implementation intention’. This is setting up a regular habit using the following framework: When X situation arises, I will perform response Y. Research has shown that using implementation intentions is a very successful way of implementing any habit. In Great Britain in 2001 an experiment was done using

this process for developing the habit of exercising. This research found those in the trial who set in place a plan for a time and place they were to exercise were over twice as likely to stick to the habit [91 per cent compared with 38 per cent].

The message is pretty clear… if you want to embed a new habit, use implementation intentions as a process that will considerably increase your chances of success.

Don’t ÿ nish the book

I have read so many books over the past few years to help with writing the posts that are the basis of my weekly newspaper column. Despite the number of books I have read, there’s still so many I am looking forward to getting into as well. Where I am sitting as I write there’s a pile I still haven’t started, and I know when I next visit a bookshop there’s a good chance I’ll buy another one.

However, there are also many books I have bought and started that I haven’t finished. I have given them a good go, but the message or style of writing

just hasn’t resonated with me. I used to worry about not finishing books, but was pleased to hear Atomic Habits author James Clear stating in an interview that he doesn’t finish books he’s not enjoying or not getting anything out of. His view is a lot of time goes into reading, so it should be time that rewards us with quality or enjoyment, as opposed to finishing a book simply because we have started it.

As I have written about, a strategy we can use to ensure we do finish books is to reread those we have previously read and enjoyed. Each new read is going to unearth things missed earlier, and the messages and ideas of these quality books will be embedded into our memory with each new read.

To be it you need to do°it

On an episode of The Rich Roll Podcast, author Seth Godin shared a strategy for becoming the person you want to be, with the example he used being to become a writer. His strategy was very simple, you need to do the thing that the person you want to be does.

To emphasise the point Godin tells Rich about an author who has written

over 400 science fiction books. When Godin asked the author how he managed to be so prolific, the reply was to take Godin to the room where the author’s word processor was and said that every day he sat down from 9am to noon and wrote. Sometimes what he wrote was pretty poor, but there were plenty of times in which he wrote material that is of a quality that can be published. The point is you simply do have to be writing.

This strategy can be applied to anything: if you want to be a runner, run; if you want to be a better cook, cook; if you want to be an artist, paint. However, what should be avoided is the continuous search for shortcuts and hacks that will bring you success faster. These will seldom work, and the time spent searching would be far better spent doing the thing you want to become better at.

What’s important in a zombie apocalypse

I have watched the excellent World War Z film. It’s not your classic zombie film; it’s darker and seemingly more realistic [as much as a zombie film could be].

There’s a scene in the film set on an aircraft

carrier, which is set up as a logistics HQ. In the scene there’s a brief moment that shows some valuable works of art that must have been saved from a museum. I think the point here, at least to me, was what is truly valuable?

Seeing the artworks leaning against a wall, with no one paying them any attention, demonstrates how we have our priorities out of whack in today’s society. Art certainly is important, but when it really comes down to it, what we need most is food, water, shelter and support. However, there’s far too many examples of people who don’t have what’s needed, while others have more than they could ever possibly use.

Perhaps if, at the core needs level, we had a society in which everyone had the essential needs, then we could all at least have the opportunity to enjoy the finer things in life.

• Tim Nelson is principal of Lakeview School and author of the book Small Steps for a happy and purposeful life. He endeavours to learn something new every day by reading books, listening to podcasts, and engaging with a wide range of other content.

CARTERTON: Carterton Events Centre

2ND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH 11am-3pm

FEATHERSTON: Community Centre

3RD TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH 11am-3pm

PAHIATUA: Heartlands Office

4TH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH

MARTINBOROUGH: 10-12pm Waihinga Centre

GREYTOWN: 1-3pm Public Library

With the year 2022 excluded from the count due to COVID restrictions, Ngawi Big 3 on 10th to 12th February 2023 is the 30th celebration of a three-day event that has put Ngawi on the map.

Starting as an idea over beer one night in the winter of 1991, the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club was born and Ngawi’s ÿ rst Big 3 ÿ shing competition was launched in January 1992 with 30 sponsors, 98 anglers, and 26 boats.

Things have grown since then. 2023’s Ngawi Big 3 involves about 150 sponsors and a total prize pool of more than $30,000. This year’s contest is expected to outstrip the 350 anglers and 132 boats participating in 2021.

The biggest kingÿ sh hooked in the 2021 contest weighed in at 25kg and was caught by Martinborough man Bastiaan van Benthem.

“The number of participants was understandably down in 2021 due to Covid-19 jitters but is expected to bounce sky high in 2023,” says Donna Fenwick, club captain of the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club for six years and weigh master for the competition.

John Allen, the new President for the Club says, “the highlight of the year for us is organising the annual ÿ shing competition with Ngawi Big 3 committee members operating like a welloiled machine.”

John is aware of standing on the

shoulders of those who’ve gone before. Particular mention must be made of Dave Yule, former Club President and long-time committee member, who passed away last year.

“Dave came up with innovative ideas to help promote Ngawi Big 3,” Donna says. “We miss his humour, diplomacy and friendship.”

Ngawi Big 3 is a family event with children welcome.

“Ngawi Big 3 can be a real family a° air,” Donna says. “We’ve had up to three or four generations in a family ÿ shing together. We look forward to three days of fun and ÿ sh, made possible by all those involved, and hope to see you there.”

Donna Fenwick, Ngawi Fishing Club Captain

John Allen, Ngawi Fishing Club President

GIVE THEM A HAND

Ngawi Big 3 would not be possible without the help and support of many people. The Tuhirangi Rugby Football Club based at Pirinoa is responsible for launching and retrieving the boats, while the Tuhirangi netball girls manage and run the bar over the weekend. Ngawi Big 3’s committee, composed of members of the Ngawi Fishing Club, is running the show and is ready to take your registrations.

Registration is possible right up to, and during, the competition itself.

To secure your spot, go to the ÿ shing club’s website www. ngawiÿ shingclub.co.nz or its Facebook page for more information and registration forms.

The Ngawi Fishing Club sincerely thanks, also, the 150

or more sponsors of Ngawi Big 3. While not possible to include a complete list of sponsors here, particular thanks are o° ered to platinum sponsors: Wild Blue Tackle, Kawakawa Station, Bramco Granite, Burnsco Marine &

The Club Captain, Donna Fenwick, says: “on behalf of the Ngawi Fishing Club, we’d like to thank everyone involved in helping to make Ngawi Big 3 a memorable weekend.”

“We also o° er enormous thanks to Cape Pallister Marine Radio for its service during Ngawi Big 3 – it provides a critical lifeline,” Donna says.

All boats entering the contest must carry safety equipment including a working VHF radio, a current ˛ are, and ÿ tting life jackets for each angler on the boat.

Leisure, T & T Landÿ lls Ltd & Quarry Supplies, Wellington Pipelines, Central Auto Parts & Equipment, Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing, and Blusky Batavian Rubber International Ltd.

Weigh-ins at the end of each day are always exciting followed by socialising, food, and drink. The band ‘Short Circuit’ is booked to play on Saturday night. Costumes are optional but encouraged.

NGAWI BIG 3 TIMETABLE NGAWI BIG 3 PRIZES

FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY

• Fishing starts at 7.00am.

• Fishing ÿ nishes at 5.00pm when all lines must be out of the water (exceptions apply).

• Weigh in between 2.00pm and 6.00pm.

• Prize-giving of daily and spot prizes between 8.00pm and 9.00pm (or at 5.00pm if ÿ shing is cancelled).

SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY

• Fishing starts at 7.00am.

• Fishing ÿ nishes at 5.00pm when all lines must be out of the water (exceptions apply).

• Weigh in between 2.00pm and 6.00pm.

• Prize-giving of daily and spot prizes from 8.00pm and 9.00pm (or at 7.00pm if ÿ shing is cancelled).

SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY

• Fishing starts at 7.00am.

• Fishing and the tournament ÿ nish at 2.00pm.

• Weigh in between 1.00pm and 3.00pm.

• Prize-giving of daily, spot, and major prizes from 5.00pm (or at 1.00pm if ÿ shing is cancelled).

Not only is the prize pool bigger and better than ever before, but all entrants will also receive a registration bag which, this year, includes a Ngawi Big 3 tee-shirt to mark the 30th anniversary of the event.

The total prize pool of over $30,000 will be allocated across these divisions:

• Daily prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for each species in the open section.

• Top Angler prizes in each of the ÿ ve-metreand-under and the over-ÿ ve-metre boat sections.

• Top Lady prizes each day, as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places overall.

• Top Junior prizes (under age 16) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places each day for each of four species, as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places overall.

Juniors aged 13 to 16 can choose to register in the open section.

• Toddler prizes (under age six) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places each day for each of three species, as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places overall.

• Spot prizes will be plentiful. More than 300 are expected this year, thanks to the continued support of sponsors that make the Ngawi Big 3 ÿ shing competition the biggest and the best in the lower North Island.

• Best Dressed prizes to be awarded Friday night.

ANNIVERSARY

Cape Palliser Marine Radio (aka CPMR) was established in 1993, one year after Ngawi began its Big 3 Fishing Competition.

CPMR gives boats the ability to have direct contact with each other at sea. This means boat operators can help each other out and Search and Rescue is not always needed when there’s an incident.

Radio specialists are hired by CPMR to maintain and service the equipment, but its committee is made up of representative from ÿ shing clubs around the Wairarapa, New Zealand Search and Rescue, and the New Zealand Police.

CPMR owns and operates three marine channels covering the entire Wairarapa coast.

• Channel 3 - Location: Whakataki. Coverage: Akitio to south of Riversdale.

• Channel 4 – Location: Cape Palliser. Coverage: Palliser Bay to Cook Strait plus part of Wellington Harbour.

• Channel 7 – Location: Cape Palliser. Coverage: Tora to Palliser Bay.

• Channels 6 and 8 are available for casual ship-toshop communications.

• Channel 16 is the national rescue channel.

Each boat participating in Ngawi Big 3 is required to call up when it leaves the beach and when it returns each day. During the day, two call-ups are sent to every boat taking part to ensure everyone is safe and sound. A dedicated caravan is used to direct operations during the competition.

During Ngawi Big 3, Channels 4 and 7 can be used. The competition’s base will also monitor Channel 6. Channel 16 can be used to request a rescue.

With more tractors and bulldozers per capita than anywhere else in New Zealand, maybe even in the world, Ngawi is worth a visit.

Ngawi, meaning either ‘native tussock grass’ or ‘howling wind’ depending on what you readand both seem appropriate - is a quintessential New Zealand fishing and holiday village within five kilometres of Cape Palliser, the southern-most point of the North Island.

It’s known for commercial fishing, a profusion of paua and crayfish, notoriously prolonged winds, and rough seas.

On a good day, snow-covered peaks from the Southern Alps can be seen emerging from a bank of cloud, sometimes appearing close enough to be reached after a quick row across the waves.

Because there’s no wharf at Ngawi, the abundance of

Until a few decades ago, access [to and from Ngawi] remained extremely difficult. With no bridges and very few roads, travel was about judging tides and the state of the rivers.”

tractors and bulldozers is a necessity to haul boats into and out of the water. There are few trees and no shops, although

there is a well-equipped camping ground together with a café bar and grill. It can be unrelentingly hot, and several

ships have been wrecked on the rugged coastline.

What’s not to love.

Ngawi has a population of about 30 permanent residents who live in a cluster of houses cast up at the base of towering cliffs. During Ngawi Big 3 the number of people in the town can swell to many hundreds camping out in tents and caravans, all of them ready to

have a good time both on the parched patch of land under the towering rock as well as on the hard place of the pounding surf.

An article about Ngawi published in 2011 in the New Zealand Geographic tells us: “Until a few decades ago, access [to and from Ngawi] remained extremely difficult. With no bridges and very few roads, travel was about judging tides and the state of the rivers.”

Morris Oxfords could be found “up to their windshields in fastflowing rivers, or bogged to their axles on shingle beaches, about to be claimed by the incoming tide.”

Reassuringly, access is better now despite deluges, slips, and slumps. Getting to Ngawi is straightforward but having to leave this place of freedom after your three-day sojourn might not be so easy.

Ngawi nestled between the rock and the sea

Evening fashions are an important part of the Ngawi Big 3 fashions. Here are some stunning creations worn in past years. This year, there’s a prize for Best Dressed and plenty of opportunities for mingling at social events held each evening.

PROFILING: PAUL THOMPSON

Paul Thompson (‘Captain Chachi’) with his Viking crew Mad Dog, Gringo, The Slayer, and Tera (‘Terakihi’) Ted, together with their boats are fixtures at Ngawi Big 3 each year. Paul has turned up every year since 1994.

“The first year was just me, a mate, a small boat, and a smaller tent.”

Captain Chachi’s crowd of fishing mates has grown since

then, as have the successes. In 2021, the Vikings won the heaviest groper prize for a 16.5kg fish and the heaviest tuna of the day as well as second heaviest tuna overall.

The Vikings have experienced rough swells when getting boats back into shore but have always played it safe and never found themselves in a tight spot. They carry lots of safety gear and wear lifejackets the whole time they are out, not just when launching and returning.

“Modern life jackets are so light you don’t even notice you’re wearing them,” Paul says.

The Vikings enjoy the Big 3’s social night. One year, “we turned up for the social wearing our red beards, helmets with horns, swords, and matching t-shirts, to discover we were the only ones in fancy dress - the Best Dressed competition wasn’t a thing that year. The Committee felt sorry for us and had a whip round, so we received a prize anyway”.

PROFILING: NOEL PARKER

Noel has signed up for Ngawi Big 3 every year since the mid-1990s - this year is no exception.

“I’ve already registered,” Noel says. “I’m an early bird.” His memories of fishing go back to the 1960s when he and his dad took time out from milking cows on their Western Lake farm to fish at Ocean Beach. They started by using surf casters and a homemade kontiki, its sail held up by a line attached to a barley sugar.

“The sail would carry the line out to sea by which time the barley sugar dissolved, the sail dropped, and the line and hooks settled towards the seabed and the snapper”, Noel says.

It wasn’t long before Noel’s family moved on to small boats and then bigger boats. Noel is now the proud owner of a 7.5 metre Cat (Bluesbreaker) built by Grant Stevens, owner of Masterton’s The Boat Shed.

A big boat needs a crew –Noel fishes with locals Grant Stevens, Craig Mulligan, and Jeremy Bennett for the Big 3, and with Gareth Sweeney and wife Yvonne for Ngawi Fishing Club Days.

“It’s the camaraderie with my fishing mates and the people I meet at events such as Ngawi Big 3 that I enjoy most about fishing”.

Noel and his mates plan to target as many species as possible at this year’s Ngawi Big 3. Battered fish with chips could be on the menu.

Noel Parker with his first catch of the day.

New Zealand's seafood industry plays a key role in the country's economy, contributing around $2 billion each year in export earnings, and employing more than 13,000 people.

Strict legislation has been put in place to ensure the sustainability of oceans and ÿ sh stocks, so that commercial ÿ shing can continue to be a viable industry.

The Crown has obligations under Treaty settlements and in relation to tangata whenua’s ÿ sheries rights and interests. And ÿ shing is also one of New Zealand’s most popular recreational activities.

Every ÿ ve to six years the Ministry of Primary Industries surveys known recreational ÿ shers and the public to record their ÿ shing outings. The 2017/18 survey found that 14 percent of the country's population aged 15 years and

over went ÿ shing at least once during that year, with almost two million ÿ shing trips.

That survey found that recreational ÿ shers caught about seven million individual ÿ nÿ sh and nearly four million shellÿ sh.

It also found that recreational ÿ shers catch a large proportion of species like snapper, kahawai, blue cod, and kingÿ sh. There's been little change in the proportion of these ÿ sh caught by recreational or commercial ÿ shers over the last ten years.

The next National Survey of Recreational Fishers began on 1 October 2022 and will conclude on 30 September 2023.

RECREATIONAL FISHING –SUSTAINABILITY IS THE RULE

Customary, recreational and commercial fishers have common interests. The desired outcome is shared sustainable fisheries for the future. Since 2016, fishers have been given a role in working with the Ministry of Primary Industries to better manage shared fisheries and so MPI is:

• Connecting with recreational fishing interests.

• Supporting local discussions about fisheries issues to involve recreational fishers.

These include catch limits by type of fish, and overall, and minimum size limits.

It’s a good idea to know the rules applying to your fishing area. Fines and penalties apply for breaking them. Stay updated with the latest rules by downloading the free New Zealand fishing rules app www.mpi.govt.nz/rules.

It is illegal as a receational fisher to sell or trade what you catch, no matter your region.

At Ngawi, the blue water mark is at 100 fathoms, which is less than three kilometres

in previous Ngawi Big 3 competitions. Fish to watch out for include blue cod, groper, tarakihi, trumpeter, kingfish, tuna, kahawai, snapper, and billfish.

NGAWI BIG3 BIG330

TH

ANNIVERSARY

Ngawi nestles in the sweep of Palliser Bay, only ÿ ve km away from Cape Palliser on a road clinging tightly to the edge of the country.

Palliser Bay and its southern tip Cape Pallier were named by Captain James Cook in 1770 in honour of his “worthy friend” and fellow Yorkshireman Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser of the British Royal Navy. Prior to that, M°ori called the cape M°takitaki-a-Kupe (the grazing of Kupe), after the famous Polynesian explorer.

Kupe’s Sail is a feature of Cape Palliser. It’s triangular geological formation of sedimentary rock was thrust up in an earthquake and is shaped like the kind of sail regularly used by Paciÿ c explorers such as Kupe. He is said to be the ÿ rst human to discover and settle Aotearoa New Zealand sometime between the years 900 and 1400 CE.

Another feature in the area is Cape Palliser’s red and white

lighthouse. It was ÿ rst lit in 1897 and became automated in 1986. Before the light was lit, about twenty ships were wrecked on the rocks in or near Palliser Bay, with signiÿ cant loss of life. Visiting the lighthouse requires a climb up 258 steps, which is not for the fainthearted.

The Bay is well-endowed with kaimoana, so has always been important to M°ori.

About 80 km away at P°p°wai marae, near Greytown, is the seat of the 19th and early 20th century M°ori Parliament. P°p°wai passed a resolution to end M°ori land sales and was visited by Lord Ranfurly, the governor, and by Premier Richard Seddon. Today, the marae is a vital part of local life, with new buildings being

erected such as apartments for elders.

For the European sheep farmers who came in colonial waves during those years and drove their ˛ ocks around the coast from the Wainuiomata Valley, Palliser Bay became their gateway to the Wairarapa plains. The beach, windswept and turbulent as it is, was their port - wool bales were taken to waiting ships by hard men leaning on the oars of surfboats.

Palliser Bay’s isolation and extraordinary scenery has more recently experienced the construction of several luxury lodges, catering for wealthy guests who stay, cheek by jowl, with the hard men who still make a living from the coast and its ÿ sh.

Fields aglow in purple rain

SUE TEODORO sue.teodoro@age.co.nz

Hundreds have turned out at lavender farms across Wairarapa to help with this year’s harvest.

People took advantage of hot weather to attend open days at lavender growers in Martinborough, Carterton and Mount Holdsworth near Masterton, after growers opened their farm gates over January 14th and 15th to allow members of the public to visit and pick their own flowers.

Jan Abernethy owns Lavender Abbey in Carterton with her

husband, Stuart. She estimated hundreds visited their farm.

“The weather was great, very settled and no wind. We had a huge amount of people through. It was really good,” she said.

Abernethy said there had been plenty of positive feedback from the visitors.

“The lavender was perfect, in full flower and good colour. Everyone was very happy to be out and about after the rain. Some brought lunch and spent the whole day here.”

Lavender Abbey

was open along with other farms across the region, including Jaydee’s Lavender near Masterton, and Lavender Magic, in the foothills of Mt Holdsworth.

Martinborough grower Ranui Essentials had a lavender picking and star gazing event, where people could bring an evening picnic for an ‘Under the Stars’ session with astronomy guides to help visitors navigate the night sky.

Lavender Abbey and others will be open at weekends for picnics and photos for the rest of the season.

Working for Enliven means being supported says registered nurse Ronelle

After growing tired of working in the hospitality industry, Ronelle RoachStevens turned to aged care, and she loves it.

Ronelle’s career change recently saw her become a registered nurse at Enliven’s Brightwater Home in Palmerston North, a sister site to Enliven’s Kandahar Home in Masterton.

Ronelle is now completing Enliven’s First Year of Practice Programme, after finishing a Master of Clinical Practice at Massey University.

She says the programme, which sees her mentored by trained preceptors, can be testing, but she has great support around her.

“It’s full on but good, it’s a very supportive environment. If anything presents itself that you are not 100 percent sure how to deal with, there will always be someone there to help and guide you while you find your confidence.”

Before becoming a registered nurse, Ronelle spent six years at Willard Home, Enliven’s other Palmerston North home, where she gained experience in various roles.

She started there as a service worker before changing to the recreation team and then moving into a health care assistant role while she

completed her study to become a registered nurse.

One reason she chose to work in aged care, in particular for Enliven, was the variety of the job. She says Enliven takes a holistic approach to care, which means her job is not just about clinical care but also providing support that isn’t strictly medical.

“No day is the same, every single day there is something different. Having to look at the bigger picture that is so much more than the medical stuff makes it a very varied environment to work in.”

Kandahar Home is looking for more great people to join their team. If you or someone you know is looking for a fun and rewarding role, visit enlivencentral.org.nz/jobs or email: recruitment@psc.org.nz.

Ronelle says working for Enliven means every day is different.

YEARS Golden

YEARS Golden

PROFILING: Brent Stewart

THE BENEFITS OF WORKING OLDER:

Part Two

Within ten years, more than 20 percent of New Zealand’s population will be aged 65 years or older.

In our December Golden Years feature we talked about the benefits to older people of con�nuing to work a�er they celebrate their 65th birthday, whether in paid jobs or as volunteers. This month’s Golden Years feature talks about the benefits to businesses and the economy of older people carrying on working.

The Office for Seniors launched the Business of Ageing Report in 2022 and its Director, Diane Turner, said, “older New Zealanders contribute billions of dollars to our economy each year,

and we need to recognise the real and important contribu�on they make.”

In 2021, older people paid tax to the value of nearly $10 billion annually, contributed about $15 billion a year to our country’s economic growth through unpaid work, and spent about $31 billion each year.

For business, it makes good sense to employ people of a variety of ages to reflect the customer base, and to retain valued skills and knowledge. Being open to employing older people could also be of benefit in the current labour market in which employees across the board are in high demand, outstripping supply.

And yet older people can find it hard to find a job. Recruitment

agents say some employers worry that older people will not be as up to date as younger people with technology or may not fit in with a dynamic workforce. These may be unfounded concerns because older people have had to adapt and change in the work environment all their adult lives.

And employers can also adopt a flexible approach to how they u�lise their workers so that skills match business needs.

Seniors at Work, a job board exclusively for those over 50 who are looking for work opportunities, estimates there are˜more than 150,000 New Zealanders over 50 seeking work opportunities – they o° er a wealth of skills and experience built up over 30 or more years.

Check out this talented pool of workers at www.seniorsatwork.co.nz. Another job board you might want to look at is www.seek.co.nz/retirees-jobs.

Wairarapa Village is a relaxing village retreat set in over three hectares of beautifully landscaped grounds, featuring hundreds of roses, beautiful walkways and a stream that runs through the village gardens.

Wairarapa Village is ideally located within walking distance of supermarkets, pharmacies, and medical centres. It’s just a 400-metre stroll away from the centre of Masterton.

Wairarapa Village has a variety of facilities and social activities on o er with a dedicated social coordinator running a programme of events o ering something for everyone.

Wairarapa Village o ers a full continuum of care with a large range of independent living one and two bedroom villas, one bedroom serviced apartments, along with rest home and hospital care options

If you are looking to make the move, don’t delay we currently have one and two bedroom Villas available.

For many years now, employers in all sectors have worked hard to attract and retain workers.

“We had a 65-year-old apply for a role,” says Brent Stewart, General Manager of Wairarapa’s Mitre 10 MEGA Masterton. “He said to me ’you probably don’t want me’ but we hired him, and he stayed with Mitre 10 for a good eight or so years.”

Today’s job market, with only about three percent of the labour force unemployed, means it is even more important for employers to be open to new employees spanning the generations, and to ÿ nd ways to retain current workers.

“At Mitre 10, we have 21 team members over the age of 60, two of them in their mid-80’s,” Brent˝says.˝“One sta˜ member has been with us for 37 years”.˝

Having sta˜ of all ages and levels of experience can be valuable both in the here and now and when looking to the future. “Older people who’ve been with us for a while have knowledge of our stock and a great work ethic and can pass all of that on to younger employees. We need our younger

PROFILING: Andrew Denholm

“It’s an increasingly tough labour market,” says Andrew Denholm, Publisher of the Wairarapa TimesAge. “We compete for sta˜ with communications roles and with Wellington jobs.”

Wairarapa Times-Age is one of very few locally owned and operated newspapers in existence in New Zealand today. A sta˜ of about 35 spans journalism, design, production, marketing, and circulation, and many roles are highly specialised.

Denholm supports organic growth within his team. “You can’t always rely on being able to ‘buy’ the right skill sets at any particular time. Empowering people to ° ourish and grow is critical. And it’s a matter of trust. I trust my sta˜ .” In such a positive work environment, people rise like cream to the top of milk,

workers to be supported to become future leaders.”

With online shopping increasing in volume, retailers are focused on creating unique experiences that set them apart from online stores. For Mitre 10, personalised customer service is key. “The makeup of our sta˜ re° ects our customer base,” says Stewart. “We’re a locally owned business with a commitment to supporting our community.”

When considering bringing new hires into this community-focused working environment, the key criteria –irrespective of the age of the applicants – is their potential for team ÿ t. “We have a great team,” says Brent with pride.

It’s a fungus famine

MARY ARGUE mary.argue@age.co.nz

The traditional big breakfast is under threat thanks to a key ingredient disappearing from Wairarapa plates.

Amid a nationwide egg shortage, restaurants and wholesalers are also reporting a crippling mushroom drought.

Ten O’Clock Cookie owner John Kloeg said the Masterton establishment had struggled to find mushrooms since producer Parkvale closed its doors at the end of last year.

Kloeg said he reached out to a Palmerston North mushroom supplier last week, who had to turn him down because he had nothing left.

Martinborough’s Cool Change chef Thomas Pepper said supply chain issues

typically spiked over the busy Christmas and New Year period, but this year’s mushroom shortage was something else.

Pepper said “there’s quite a backstory” to the problem.

Jina’s Fresh Produce, a distributor for dozens of Wairarapa establishments, has been without mushrooms for two consecutive weeks.

National sales manager Phil Simms said the Hutt-based wholesaler was the victim of a “perfect storm”.

In addition to losing 30-year-old established suppliers such as Parkvale and Te Mata mushrooms at the end of 2022, Simms said Jina’s two remaining fungi producers ran into supply issues.

“Unfortunately, one had a really big issue

with its compost, which wasn’t up to standard, so it had to start from scratch.”

The loss was huge, with growing sheds full of four-five tier high mushroom “bunk beds” completely scrapped.

“Then, just to compound it by sheer bad timing, a mushroom farm up north did a promotional deal with one of the big supermarket chains.”

The deal had mushrooms fly out of the storeroom, leaving the producer unable to fulfil any other orders, Simms said.

“We might go through 400 trays of mushrooms a week, but we have had two weeks of nothing.”

He said the shortage is affecting kitchens across the board, from hospitals, to schools, rest homes, and the Interislander Ferry.

and they stay. Some older Times-Age sta˜ have spent decades at the ÿ rm in its various iterations, while other sta˜ (both younger and older) are more recent hires. “Skill and ÿ t” are key when hiring, irrespective of age.

It’s a winning combination – the young, snappy, and hungry alongside older sta˜ who remain completely unrattled in the midst of deadline pressures.

“Life experience is something you can’t train sta˜ in,” says Denholm.

“Experienced older employees know how to navigate troubles and come out the other side with the least stress.”

A “perfect storm” has created a mushroom shortage for wholesalers and restaurants in the region.

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Rainfall sets records

SUE TEODORO sue.teodoro@age.co.nz

Wairarapa towns had one of the wettest years on record last year, with Masterton breaking records.

Metservice meteorologist Angus Hines said Masterton had the highest rainfall on record in 2022, with Martinborough clocking the second highest on record – although he also noted that not all Wairarapa towns had accurate rain gauges with historical records.

“The Martinborough weather station available on the national climate database reported 986.3mm last year, well above their 20-year average of 770mm.”

The same station reported 1018mm in 2006.

“In Masterton, 1415mm of rain was recorded last year

compared to its longer-term average of 947.2mm.

“That seems to be the highest value I can see, but the weather station was only installed in 2010,” he said.

Metservice numbers were backed up by rainfall statistics kept by Martinborough vineyard Nga Waka, although the vineyard recorded an all-time high.

Martinborough is usually one of the driest towns in the region because of its topography, but according to vineyard manager Mike Kershaw, the 1195mm rainfall recorded at the site in 2022 “was the wettest year we’ve ever had here; it’s the wettest I’ve got for the past 39 years”.

The vineyard’s data began in 1988 and has been consistently recorded at the Nga

Waka, Home Block Vineyard, on Kitchener St in Martinborough.

Before that, numbers were taken from Kershaw’s father’s nearby farm. Kershaw’s observations are based on these readings.

The same rain gauge has been used for the whole period.

The 39-year average at the site was 750mm a year.

Kershaw said he’s confident the gauge is reliable.

Wairarapa rainfall last year aligned with much of New Zealand’s experience.

Based on an analysis of Niwa’s Virtual Climate Station Network dating back to 1960, Niwa’s annual climate survey indicates that 2022 was New Zealand’s eighth wettest year on record.

PHOTO/FILE

FUTURE PROSPECTS 2023FIRST STEPS&

FUTURE PROSPECTS

REAP Wairarapa

The team at REAP Wairarapa are able to make your interests come alive through running workshops, courses or other imaginative ways of learning.

There is an enormous amount of evidence that shows that continuing to learn new things is essential for our personal and community wellbeing, and we can help you to equip yourself.

REAP is an organisation that provides learning opportunities in response to requests or needs. We already run a wide range of activities that you can find at www. reapwairarapa.nz but these are only a taste of

what might be available. We run these activities in response to a strong indication of a desire to learn things.

In 2022, we ran almost weekly driver licencing programmes, from learners through to full licences. Do you have a family member who has struggled to get through the Graduated Driver Licence programme, or lacks the confidence to progress? We help people with this and have a very high success rate with our learners.

Many people learn Te Reo Māori through our programmes, mostly at the beginner level. Examples of courses

we have run include; cooking, sewing, NZ Sign Language, Upholstery, Microsoft Excel, Astronomy, Sustainability, Android Smartphone and Tablet, Sourdough, Growing your own food, Toi Whatu, Fly-fishing, Fly-tying, Waiata and Navigating Grief.

REAP Wairarapa works from the Manawatu Gorge in the north, all the way south to Ngawi. We are here because we are specialists in lifelong learning, and see the benefits for all of our lives by learning new things.

What would you like to learn in 2023?

2023FIRST STEPS&

Dalefield School

Making a diffence for our students

Offering learning experiences that cater for all students, Dalefield School is an integral part of the wider Carterton community. Firmly based in the outdoors in its spectacular setting, the school prides itself on allowing all students to thrive and meet success in all its forms.

Proud of being an Enviroschool, 2023 will see a huge native planting programme at the school.

Ten percent of the school grounds will be given over to native ecosystems and new playground equipment designed by the students will be fundraised and installed.

We warmly welcome new and current families to our school in 2023.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Jacqui Murray Dance School EPS Carterton School

Jacqui Murray has been teaching dance for over 30 years. Classes are offered in both Carterton and Martinborough.

With her team of experienced teachers she can offer classes for all ages in ballet, tap, contemporary, hip hop and jazz and also holds a specialised pre-school class for 3-to 4-year-olds.

Exams are held mid-way through the year where students are assessed against the NZAMD standards. While these are not mandatory, the pupils who choose to do these exams learn about the discipline, dedication and motivation from achieving high standards.

Jacqui Murray feels the dance exams provide

a positive learning experience and gives the students a great sense of accomplishment. The dance school is well known for its annual Cabaret performance held at the Carterton Events Centre in November and it’s

proving a popular way to celebrate the dance year.

Term 1 enrolments are now being taken. Contact Jacqui now for further information or visit the website – www. jacquimurraydance.co.nz

The school of choice

Carterton School is a full primary school catering for children from New Entrants to Year 8. It is conveniently situated in the centre of the town adjacent to Carterton's Event Centre with access to Carrington Park. A unique element of the school is the Ākonga Māori Te Reo immersion classrooms, which specialise in tikanga Māori.

It has a modern teaching environment complimented by great facilities. Including a bike-track, all weather turf, an established bush area, abundant adventure play options, a swimming pool, with plans for an

outdoor classroom.

All children should feel a sense of belonging and passion for learning when coming to school each day. They achieve this by having a range of activities and equipment available for all children.

Swings, hoverboards, mountain bikes, tree climbing are all items on the menu at Carterton School. Seeing is believing so come and check out this amazing school for yourself.

Russell Geange

Take the plunge

Young and old, swimming at Carterton Pool offers you physical and mental health benefits. Learning to swim can help keep you safe. Russell Geange, swim coach at Carterton

Pool since 1987, can teach you to swim.



Lessons are available all year round.



Indoor heated pool plus outdoor pool available.



Group lessons from 6am before school and from 3.30pm after school.



Private lessons for adult learners and competitive swimmers.

Adult swimmers and water walkers - hire a key to the pool for two months @ $95 and take the plunge.

Call Russell Geange: 06 379 7750 or 027 755 5636.

Hadlow Pre-School

A sense of belonging

At Hadlow Pre-school we pride ourselves on providing quality Anglican based early childhood education for children from three years of age.

Our welcoming environment and qualified teachers ensure that each child builds a strong sense of belonging and meaningful relationships that are necessary to learn and have fun! We are on the grounds of Hadlow School and

are part of the Trinity Schools however we welcome children who wish to attend alternative primary schools. Please feel free to visit us and find out more about what Hadlow Pre-school can offer you and your child.

FUTURE PROSPECTS 2023FIRST STEPS&

Wairarapa Montessori PreschoolKuranui College

Celebrating 27 Years

We are now enjoying the 13th year in our beautiful villa on Lincoln Road, Masterton. Creating community is at the heart of our work.

We offer a peaceful and orderly environment which flows freely between indoors and outdoors. Our Montessori centre is a thriving community of learners where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. A rich Montessori programme fosters a love of learning, independence and creativity; all of which enable the child to reach their full potential.

We are a peaceful, supportive community that embraces diversity; every child, family and teacher is treasured here. Our community is diverse, and we enjoy learning about different cultures through a shared celebration of festivals throughout the year.

Our garden provides opportunities to care for the natural environment.

Children grow vegetables which they then lovingly prepare to share with their friends. Our fruit and nut trees have matured and become a living playground for the children, who are encouraged to create their own play structures.

We have a passionate and highly qualified team of

responsive Montessori teachers working with the children, enabling them to develop at their own pace using the unique Montessori learning materials. These are designed to engage the children and connect them to sounds, shapes, colours and textures in their environment.

A deep and abiding curiosity is necessary for creative learning. This is nurtured by providing the child with opportunities to discover qualities, dimensions and relationships amidst a rich variety of stimulating learning situations. You are welcome to visit and experience firsthand what makes the Montessori approach

unique.

We offer Montessori Early Childhood Education for children aged 2-6.

We are open Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm, throughout the year (only closing for the Christmas New Year holidays).

Enquiries Phone: (06) 370 1471 (centre). Email: wairarapa. montessori@gmail.com www. wairarapamontessori.com

Hari hou, nau mai ki te tau 2023

Kuranui College welcomes all of our amazing staff and students to 2023. An extra special welcome to those students and staff who are new to the college.

2023 is going to be an great year at Kuranui. Our college roll continues to rise (860 students) and we are continuing to grow our innovative ‘Ignite Curriculum’ which delivers fantastic results with the introduction of

Wānanga. Through authentic engaging real world learning opportunities, Wānanga/Academy learning will have students developing in six key areas of their choice:

 Achievement

 High Per formance (Sports and Performing Arts)



Primar y Industries  Vocational ndustries  STEAM  Social Enterprise

Key 2023 start up dates are:

Tuesday 31 January Students attend as required to finalise course selection

Year 13 Leadership Training

Uniform Shop open 9am – 3pm for limited sales

Congratulations to Joshua Wiegman Dux 2022 and Charlie O’Connell Proxime Accessit 2022

Wednesday 1 February Year 9 and 13 students attend all day.

Welcome Powhiri for new students and staff.

Thursday 2 February Year 9/10/13 attend all day

Friday 3 February Year 9/10/11/13

attend all day Tuesday 7 February All Year levels attend Please remember all Year 9 and10 students are provided with a Chrome book by Kuranui College to use at school and at home. Year 11-13 students are welcome to

bring a device to college or borrow one for the school day from the library.

If you have any questions, please contact our Principal Simon Fuller principal@kuranuicollege.school.nz

FUTURE PROSPECTS

When New Zealand fully opened its borders on 1 August 2022, after two years of attempting to dodge the ravages of Covid, it opened the door for the much-valued international students to consider studying in this country again.

New Zealand’s international education sector is a major part of the economy.

The $5billion it pumped into the country annually supported around 45,000 jobs and made it New Zealand’s fifth-largest

export earner. Huge efforts by educational institutions are being made to re-attract these students.

To study full-time in New Zealand for longer than three months, a Student Visa is required, and it

Pūkaha Te Wananga Taiao

A Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre visionary project to create an Environmental Education Centre to inform people about their natural world.

Accommodating groups of up to 40 people including schools, community, and businesses.

 It will include, a wharenui a place of ceremony, meeting and of learning, that can also be used for overnight stays.



A commercial k itchen and dining area will seat 100 people.

Educational programmes, courses and research projects

will be run from the centre these will deepen guests’ connections with nature.

The centre is on track to open in April this year!

If you are a school, business or community group interested in booking Te Wānanga Taiao please email us at info@pukaha.org.nz

‘internationals’

is usually issued for the length of time the study is paid for.

Students may work up to 20 hours per week during study terms and full-time during holidays adding a valuable quotient to the workforce.

Post Covid New Zealand attracted around 120,000 international students per annum. Prolonged border closures saw the numbers drop to only 15,000.

But there’s hope on the horizon. Prior to Christmas, Immigration

NZ was reporting 12,258 international students had applied to study here and early in 2023, numbers are steadily coming in. International students are critical for a country’s economy providing a healthy social and cultural impact.

Pulling wool back into profitability

balls used as a filler ingredient.

The Ministry for Primary Industry [MPI] has launched a new project that’s intended to boost the prospects of New Zealand’s strong wool industry.

RuralThe initiative could help bring some profit back to Wairarapa sheep farmers hit by the ongoing decline in global demand for wool products.

MPI committed $790,000 over three years to the project, which will be led by WiseWool.

It aims to increase the market potential of woollen knops –the small, light, fluffy

“This project has the potential to improve returns to our strong wool producers and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to existing products made from synthetic materials,” said MPI’s director of investment programmes, Steve Penno.

He said woollen knops are a versatile product that can be used in baby bedding and insulated clothing, as well as mattresses.

Wairarapa Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Mike Butterick said consumers needed to start thinking about the products they bought in light of climate change,

and wool ticked all the boxes.

He said many people had come up with great ideas to change wool’s profile while trying to increase consumer demand.

New Zealand had a fantastic shearing industry, and Butterick hoped producers would take more advantage of it: “If there was ever a time and a place for wool, you would think it would be now.”

According to Penno, Wisewool would also conduct research and development into needle-punched wool blanketing, which could be used in residential and commercial furniture upholstery, insulation for the apparel

industry, bedding, and futon markets.

Wisewool chief executive Henry Hansen said the project would mainly focus on working out the right components and blends to create a range of woollen knops for different products.

“We’ve discovered that, when used in large quantities as a filler ingredient, woollen knops increase the bounce-back and compression resilience of the fibre,” he said.

Hansen said the team would continue researching and comparing the compression resilience of both wool and synthetic fibres, and would adjust its carding machines to produce various wool

knop blends.

“We’ll also conduct an environmental impact analysis and in-market testing.”

Butterick said most Wairarapa sheep were mixed breed, and farmers were still losing money shearing them.

It costs more than $5.50 to shear a sheep, but most farmers are selling that wool for as little as $1 a kilogram of wool.

Wairarapa residents have also been taking on the challenge of reversing dwindling wool prices, with Massey University researchers breeding self-shedding sheep at Masterton’s Riverside Farm.

If the trial is a success, farmers could profit

from sheep meat without needing to pay shearing costs.

The research project started in March 2020 with 400 Romney ewes bred to self-shedding Wiltshire rams and a comparable group of ewes bred to Romney rams.

Crossbreeding will continue until 2025, with each subsequent generation requiring less and less shearing until the flock is fully selfshedding.

Researcher Steve Moriss said he would be happy to farm them and has 70 interested farmers regularly emailing him about the project.

Penno said one of the main drivers for funding

the woollen knops project was its potential to provide an alternative, high-value use for New Zealand’s strong wool.

“We’ve asked WiseWool to research consumer price preferences to see if the knops can be sold at a price that gives a good return to farmers.”

“The project also aligns with the goals of the sector and government Fit for a Better World roadmap, which aims to boost sustainability, productivity, and jobs over 10 years.”

Penno said a sustainable future for New Zealand included, among other things, finding high value uses for New Zealand’s strong wool and new industries

to boost the earnings of our food and fibre producers.

“Through SFF Futures we’ve invested more than $14.69 million in 15 strong wool projects to date, from strong wool acoustic wall panels to strong wool-based adhesive bandages.

“We’ve also helped to set up the industry organisation Wool Impact, which is charged with driving innovation and demand for our strong wool.”

By working together with industry leaders and innovators and thinking outside the box, New Zealand had the opportunity to turn its homegrown wool industry around, Penno said.

Butterick said he hoped farmers and innovators would find a way for wool to make it back on to the world stage and be profitable again.

He has previously had a personal insight into the value of wool after his shed burnt down and one of the few remaining items were woollen carpet squares, mostly preserved.

Butterick said the incident was a good example of the value of wool products.

While many synthetic fabrics are derived from crude oil, wool was a natural, long-lasting, and naturally fire-retardant fibre, Butterick said.

The urine patch. A great little indicator of the yield that could be. When you see these patches of thriving pasture or crop, approximately 0.5 meter in width, you’re seeing plants growing unlimited by nitrogen (and potassium and sulphur). A wet summer really brings out the urine patches; we have plants growing unlimited by temperature and moisture, desperate to grow, so when they have the nitrogen, they’re away. Farmers tend to know that a urine patch indicates a nitrogen de ciency, but not all know what a dung patch tells us. From the nutrient in the pasture consumed, urine returns around 70% of N, 70% of potassium and 60% of sulphur. Urine returns none of the phosphorus. Clover requires higher levels of phosphorus to thrive compared to pasture, as well as potassium and sulphur. Clover is a rather precious plant. Clover thriving around the edges of an old dung patch, but not elsewhere in the paddock, can be another little indicator that something is amiss in that paddock. Potentially phosphate is low, but it could also be potassium or sulphur, a soil test will help con rm.

www.dairynz.co.nz 0800 4 DairyNZ 0800 4 324 7969

Ministry for Primary Industry [MPI] has launched a new project with WiseWool to boost the prospects of New Zealand’s strong wool industry. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A simple clean each year with the SKYVAC system can prevent water build-up.

Brian Pope of Coolavin Property Maintenance can easily clean all gu ers with his SKYVAC ground-based gu er cleaning system.

The SKYVAC doesn’t use water. Instead, it simply sucks up all the debris and water in a gu er, resulting in a clean and tidy job.

Working from the ground with a camera for vision, Brian can clean gu ers up to eight metres high, with various nozzle ends for every gu er style.

Brian is available for gu er cleaning throughout the Wairarapa. Free quotes available.

people who mean business

As a travel broker with NZ Travel Brokers, Lynne can provide travel advice and planning for your next holiday including flights, accommodation, airport transfers, sightseeing and tours. “I own my own business with NZ Travel Brokers.”

“There are beautiful places to explore in our lovely country and overseas. I can also offer travel insurance

to clients wanting cover while they are on holiday.”

Lynne has travelled throughout the Pacific, Asia, US, Mexico, Britain and Europe.

Asia, US, Mexico, Britain qualification), in

She holds the CIT Diploma in Travel Consulting, ATITB (Aviation qualification), National Certificate in Travel Level 3 and 4, and NZQA approved Experienced Consultant Award.

ACROSS: 1 Diagram, 4 Sour grapes, 9 Varnish, 13 Rare, 14 Aye aye, 15 Effigy, 16 Ecstasy, 19 Devastated, 20 Friendly, 21 Gruel, 24 Larder, 25 Recoil, 27 Obliquely, 32 Mischief, 33 Ampere, 34 Disable, 38 Napoleon, 39 Stride, 40 Drag, 41 Rainy, 42 Runny, 45 Like it or lump it, 52 Refer, 55 Adult, 56 King, 57 Worthy, 58 Amassing, 61 Utensil, 62 Barrel, 63 Abutting, 66 Corrected, 68 Unable, 69 Smirks, 73 Eager, 74 Teamwork, 76 Consonants, 81 Cheddar, 82 Grotto, 83 Pliers, 84 Data, 85 Attempt, 86 Permanence, 87 Yielded.

DOWN: 1 Dared, 2 Aardvark, 3 Mayday, 4 Scale, 5 Used, 6 Gleeful, 7 Affair, 8 Egg on, 10 Arch, 11 Natural, 12 Sister, 17 Especially, 18 Plain, 22 Confetti, 23 Lurid, 24 Learner, 26 Epic, 28 Boredom, 29 School, 30 Appeal, 31 Plunge, 33 Amigo, 35 Adage, 36 Spin, 37 Sari, 43 Update, 44 Nylon, 46 Iris, 47 Engrave, 48 Thwart, 49 Rural, 50 Upheaval, 51 Tempts, 52 Resentment, 53 Fail, 54 Regains, 59 Diary, 60 Lull, 64 Acted, 65 Drunkard, 67 Overdue, 68 Unknown, 70 Sachet, 71 Bottom, 72 Osprey, 75 Merge, 77 Olive, 78 Staid, 79 Warp, 80 Open.

Events

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26

Justice of the Peace: Greytown Library 11am-1pm; Martinborough Library 11am-1pm.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Featherston Community Centre, 7.30-8.30pm. Call 0800 229 6757.

Belly Dance for Beginners Kiwi Hall, Featherston, 6.30-7.30pm. Call Antonia Blincoe [021] 105-7649.

Carrington Bowling Club: 57 High Street, Carterton,1pm for 1.30 pm start. Call Pauline Hodgson [027] 406-672.

Carterton Community Choir 7.15-9pm, at Carterton School, Holloway St. Call [022] 373-4299.

Carterton District Historical Society: 142 High St North, Carterton, open 2-4pm or by appointment. Call Vivienne 379-5564 or email carterton.hist.soc@gmail.com

Danzability Class: 11am-noon, at Studio 73, Greytown. Call physio. rachel.horwell@gmail.com or [022] 077-2654.

Digital Seniors Wairarapa: Call 0800 373 646 for an appointment.

Martinborough: St Andrew’s Church, 9.30-11am; Featherston: Featherston Community Centre, 1.30-3.30pm.

Fareham Creative Space: Open studio, 10am-3pm, 80 Underhill Rd, Featherston. Email: registrations@ farehamcreativespace.nz

Featherston Menz Shed: 61 Fitzherbert St, open from 6.30pm.

Food Market: Food trucks, 4.307.30pm outside the Masterton Town Hall, rain or shine.

GirlGuidingNZ: Carterton Pippins, 5-7 years, 4.15-5.30pm. Carterton Brownies, 7-9½ years, 6-7.30pm. Call Sharon [021] 033-0550.

Justice of the Peace: Masterton CAB 9.30am-12.30pm.

KeepFit!: 10.30am, Senior Citizens Hall, Cole St, Masterton. Call Age Concern [06] 377-0066.

Masterton Art Club: 10am-2pm, tutored classes available, also print on Fridays, at 12 Victoria St. Call Sue 377-7019 or Elissa [0274] 706-528.

Masterton Petanque Club: 2pm, in Queen Elizabeth Park. Call Myrna Lane 377-3064.

Masterton Toy Library: 10am-1pm, 365 Queen St. Narcotics Anonymous: 7.30-8.30pm, at St Matthew’s Church, Church St, Masterton.

Parkinson’s Exercise Class: 1.30pm, at the Wairarapa Boxing Academy, Dixon St. Call Roslyn [027] 264-8623.

Patient Activity Programme: At Hospice Wairarapa, 59 Renall St, Masterton, 10am-1pm. Call Kirsten 399 1050.

Red Star Table Tennis Club: 5-7pm at Red Star Sports Association 10 Herbert St, Masterton. Call Peter [027] 566-4664 or Brian 377-4066.

Ruamahanga Club Cards – 500, 1-4pm, at Wairarapa Services Club, Essex St, Masterton.

Social Learners Bridge: 1-3.30pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Barbara [06] 304-9208.

Steady As You Go: Falls Prevention and Balance Class, 9.30am, Senior Citizens’ Hall, Cole St, Masterton. Call Age Concern [06] 377-0066.

Thursday Morning Bikers Meet at the fountain at the Queen Elizabeth Park entrance, 9.30am. Contact (06) 216-2187

Wairarapa Fern and Thistle Pipe Band: Weekly practice, Masterton Brass Bandrooms, Park Ave, Masterton.

Email fernandthistle21@gmail.com

Wairarapa Model Aero Club: 9am-noon, at the Masterton Aerodrome.

Whakaoriori Shufflers: Line dancing, Red Star clubrooms, Herbert St, Masterton, intermediate, 1-2.30pm. Call 377-5518 or 377-1135.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Club Wairarapa: Beach party with Kenny Mill singing, at 7.30pm.

South Wairarapa Rebus Club: 10am at the South Wairarapa Working Men’s Club. Excursions held on any fifth Friday in a month. Call John Reeve 379-9379.

Aratoi: Leah Vivienne Creaven: Land Girl, to Feb 12; Professional Weavers Network of NZ presents Ngāhere – The Bush of Aotearoa to Feb 12; Look Closely and Tell Me What You See: Photographs from the Collection to Feb 19; Julia Teale: Koha - Presenting Plenitude to Feb 19; Masterton Museum: A Cabinet of Curiosities to July 2023.

Carterton Craft Market: Mon-Sat: 9am-4pm, Sun: 10am-3pm, 25 High St North, Carterton. Call Desley [027] 787-8558.

Carterton Senior Citizens: 12.303.30pm, play cards, Rummikub and Scrabble, at the old courthouse next to the library.

Cloth Collective Sewing Workshop: 10am-2pm, Kiwi Hall Supper Room. Call Sara Uruski [0274] 474-959.

Dance Fit: At Carrington Park, Carterton, at 6-7pm. Text dance groove to [022] 321-2643.

Greytown Music and Movement: For pre-schoolers, 10am, at St Luke’s Hall, Main St. Contact email admin@ stlukesgreytown.co.nz

Fareham Creative Space: Open studio, 10am-3pm, 80 Underhill Rd, Featherston. Email: registrations@ farehamcreativespace.nz

Free Community Fit Club: 6am and 11am, Carrington Park, Carterton. All ages, all fitness levels. Call Di [027] 498-7261.

Justice of the Peace: Carterton library noon-2pm; Masterton District Court 11am-1pm; Eketahuna Library 1.304.30pm.

Kids Song & Story: 9.30-10.30am, social hour during school terms for preschool children and their caregivers, Epiphany Church hall, High St, Masterton. Call Anne Owen 377-4505.

Masterton Croquet Club: Golf Croquet 9.15am behind the Hosking Garden in the park. Call Russell Ward 3774401.

Masterton Masters Swimming Club: Club night 5.30-6.30pm, Trust House Recreation Centre back pool. Call Stu [027] 295-4189 or Lucy [021] 0204-4144.

Needlework & Craft Drop-in 10amnoon, Featherston Community Centre. Call May [06] 308-6912 or Virginia [06] 308-8392.

Seniornet Wairarapa Computer/ cellphone help, 1-2.30pm, Departmental Buildings, 33 Chapel St, Masterton. Call John [027] 3835654.

Wairarapa Stop Smoking Service: Quit Clinic at Whaiora 9am-noon. Free support available across Wairarapa. Call Whaiora 0800 494 246.

Walk and Talk: Meet outside Dish Cafe, First St, Masterton, 9.30am.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28

Lions Book Sale: 9am-1pm, next to Wairarapa Farmers Market, Solway Showgrounds, Judds Rd, Masterton, under the grandstand.

Featherston Town Market: Organised by the Featherston Menzshed, at the town square [59 Fitzherbert St], Featherston.

Justice of the Peace: Featherston Library 11am-1pm.

Carrington Bowling Club: 57 High Street, Carterton, 1pm for 1.30 pm start. Call Pauline Hodgson [027] 406-672.

Cobblestones Early Settlers VIllage: Open 10am-4pm seven days.

History comes alive with six heritage buildings, carts and carriages, set in two acres of beautiful gardens, bring a picnic to enjoy.

Featherston Heritage Museum: Behind the Featherston Library and Information Centre. Sat and Sun 10am-2pm, other times by arrangement. Call Elsa [021] 2639403.

Featherston Weekly Market: 8am-2pm, 33 Fitzherbert St. Greytown Menz Shed: 9am-noon. Call Paul Dodge [021] 0262-6595.

Justice of the Peace: Service centre available at Masterton Library, 10am-noon.

Lions Book Sale: 9am-1pm, next to Wairarapa Farmers Market, Solway Showgrounds, Judds Rd, Masterton, under the grandstand.

Martinborough Museum: Open Sat and Sun at No 7 The Square, 10.30am2.30pm. Donation/koha appreciated.

Masterton Croquet Club: Association Croquet 9.15am and 12.45pm behind Hosking Garden in the park. Call Carl Redvers 378-7109.

Parkrun: Weekly 5km run/walk. Measured, timed, free. 8am start, at the Woodside end of the Greytown rail trail. Info: parkrun.co.nz/ greytownwoodsidetrail Saturday in the Park: Food trucks by the Skate Park, QE Park 10am-2pm, rain or shine.

Tinui Craft Corner and Museum: Open Sat/Sun 10am-4pm. Call Lesley Hodgins [06] 372-6433.

Toy Library: Masterton: 10am-1pm, 365 Queen St. Featherston: 14 Wakefield St, 10am-noon.

Wairarapa Cancer Society Supportive Care Services: Free services for anyone

needing support after a cancer diagnosis. Call (06) 378-8039.

Wairarapa Farmers’ Market: 9am-1pm, Solway Showgrounds, Judds Rd, Masterton, under the grandstand and nearby redwood tree.

Wairarapa Genealogy Branch: Family History Research Rooms, 5 Church St, Masterton, 10am-noon.

Women’s Self Defence: With Dion, 9am, band rotunda, Queen Elizabeth Park. Call [020] 4124-4098.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

Wairarapa Country Music Club: Senior Citizens Hall, Cole St, Masterton, at 1.30pm. Call Pam 377-5141.

Masterton Marauders Wargaming Club: At the Masterton Croquet Club, 1-5pm. Call Vince Cholewa [027] 344-1073 or visit http://

mastertonmarauders.blogspot.co.nz

Carterton Farmers Market: Memorial Square, 9am-12.30pm. Call [027] 663-9011.’

Featherston Menz Shed: 61 Fitzherbert St, open from 1pm.

Masterton Park Bowling Club: Queen Elizabeth Park, bowls roll up at 1pm, names in by 12.45pm. Call 377-5458.

Masterton Petanque Club: Club day 2pm, in Queen Elizabeth Park. Call Myrna Lane 377-3064.

Masterton Toy Library: 10am-1pm, 365 Queen St.

Narcotics Anonymous: Featherston Community Centre, 7-9pm. Call 0800 628 632

Rotary Sunday Market: 6.3011.30am, Essex St car park. Contact thehodsons@xtra.co.nz

South Wairarapa Pipe Band: Practice at St John’s church hall, Featherston, 4-6pm. To confirm time please call Gordon [027] 414-7433 or [027] 628-5889.

Wairarapa Model Aero Club: 9am-noon, at the Masterton Aerodrome.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30

Art for Everyone: Featherston Community Centre, 7-9pm. Call Sandie [021] 157-4909.

Carterton Alcoholics Anonymous: 8pm, Salvation Army Community Rooms, 210 High St. Call Bob [021] 042-2947 or Martin [06] 372-7764.

Carterton Community Toy Library: Events Centre, Holloway St, Mon-Sat during CDC Library hours.

Carterton Scottish Dance Club: 7.30pm, at Carterton School Hall, Holloway St. No partner required. Call Elaine 377-0322.

Carterton Food Bank: 10-11am Mon-Fri at Haumanu House. Call 379-4092.

CCS Disability Action Wairarapa Office: 36 Bannister St, Masterton, 10am1pm Mon-Fri. Call 378-2426 or 0800 227-2255.

Citizens Advice Bureau Free and confidential advice, Mon-Fri 9am4pm, 43 Perry St, Masterton. Call 377-0078 or 0800 367-222.

Creative Hands Programme: At Hospice Wairarapa, 59 Renall St, Masterton, 10am-noon. Call Kirsten 399-1050.

East Indoor Bowling Club: 7pm. Call Julie 377-5497 or George 378-9266.

Epilepsy Support Group: 11am at the Salvation Army office, 210 High St South, Carterton. Call 0800 20 21 22.

Featherston Music Club: 7-9pm. Call Shaun O’Brien [027] 672-6249.

Free Community Fit Club: 6am and 11am, Carrington Park, Carterton. Call Di [027] 498-7261.

GirlGuidingNZ: Masterton Rangers, 12½-18 years, 6.30-8pm. South Wairarapa Guides [Greytown], 9-12½ years, 6-8pm. Call Sharon [021] 033-0550.

Hospice Wairarapa Support Services: Free of charge for anyone dealing with a terminal illness. Call [06] 378-8888.

Justice of the Peace: Masterton CAB 9.30am-12.30pm.

Keep Fit!: 9.30am, Senior Citizens’ Hall, Cole St, Masterton. Call Age Concern [06] 377-0066.

Line Dancing: 10.30am, Senior Citizens’ Hall, Cole St Masterton. Call Age Concern [06] 377-0066.

Literacy Aotearoa: Free computing and digital device classes for adults. Call 377-4214.

Mah Jong: 1-4pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Pat Hamilton [06] 308-9729.

Masterton District Brass Band: Rehearsals at 7pm, in the Band Room, Park Ave, Masterton. Call [022] 574-0742.

Play Gym: St James Church Hall 116 High St, Masterton, 9.30-11am, for 0-3-year-olds.

Red Star Table Tennis Club: 6-8pm at Red Star Sports Association 10 Herbert St, Masterton. Call Peter [027] 566-4664 or Brian 377-4066.

Senior Citizens Club: Cards 1-4pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Val [06] 308-9293.

Steady As You Go: Falls Prevention and Balance Class, Featherston 9.30am, A/G Church. Masterton: 1.30pm, Senior Citizens’ Hall, Cole St. Call Age Concern [06] 377-0066.

The Dance Shed: 450A Belvedere Rd, Carterton. Beginners Linedance Class: 6-7pm. Linedance Intermediate Class: 7.30-8.30pm. Call Wendy [027] 319-9814.

Wairarapa Services Club: Cards –500, 1.30pm, at the club, Essex St, Masterton.

Wairarapa Stop Smoking Service: Call a Quit Coach based at Whaiora 0800 494 246.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

Caregivers Programme: At Hospice Wairarapa, 59 Renall St, Masterton, noon-1.30pm. Call Kirsten 399 1050.

Clareville Badminton Club: Main Stadium at Clareville, 7.30pm -9pm. Call Steve [027] 333-3975.

Carrington Bowling Club: 57 High Street, Carterton,1pm for 1.30 pm start. Call Pauline Hodgson [027] 406-672.

Carterton District Historical Society: 142 High St North, Carterton, open 2-4pm or by appointment. Call Vivienne 379-5564 or email carterton.hist.soc@gmail.com

Central Indoor Bowls Club: 7.30pm, Hogg Crescent hall. Call Mathew or Graeme 378-7554.

Chair Exercise: Gentle chair exercises, 2-2.45pm, at St John’s Hall, Greytown.

Dance Fitness: 6.30-7.30pm, at Fareham House Hall Featherston. Call Justine [0204] 105-2830.

Digital Seniors Wairarapa: Call 0800 373 646 for an appointment.

Carterton: 3 Mile, 66 High St, 9.30-11.30am; Greytown: Greytown Library, 1.30-3.30pm.

Fareham Creative Space: Open studio, 10am-3pm, 80 Underhill Rd, Featherston. Email: registrations@ farehamcreativespace.nz

Featherston Amateur Wrestling Club: During school terms. Classes are weight and skill dependent; Beginners, 5-9 years, 5.30-6.15pm; 10 years+ [including adults] 6.157.30pm.

Featherston Menz Shed: 61 Fitzherbert St, open from 10am.

Featherston Wahine Singers: 7-8.30pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Susan [021] 246-4884.

Free Community Fit Club 11am, Carrington Park, Carterton. All ages, all fitness levels. Call Di [027] 498-7261.

Free Literacy and Numeracy Classes: At Literacy Aotearoa Masterton. Call Carol [022] 524-5994 or visit us at 340 Queen Street, Masterton.

GirlGuiding Masterton Pippins [5-7 years] 3.45-5pm. Call Chrissy Warnock 372-7646.

Justice of the Peace: Masterton CAB 11am-1pm.

Paint/draw: From live model,10amnoon, at Masterton Art Club, Victoria St. Call Elissa Smith [027] 470-6528.

Masterton Alcoholics Anonymous: 7.30pm, St Matthew’s Church Hall, 35 Church St. Call Anne 378-2338 or David [021] 116-5505.

Masterton Croquet Club: Golf Croquet 9.15am behind the Hosking Garden in the park. Call Russell Ward 3774401.

Masterton Senior Citizens and Beneficiaries Association: Meet for social indoor bowls, 500 cards, or a chat 1-3pm, Senior Citizens hall, Cole St. Call Ngaire 377-0342.

Masterton Toy Library: 10am-1pm, at rear of Masterton YMCA, 162 Dixon St, Masterton.

Red Star Table Tennis Club: 9am-noon at Red Star Sports Association 10 Herbert St, Masterton. Call Peter [027] 566-4664 or Brian 377-4066.

Seniornet Wairarapa: Computer/ cellphone help 1.30-2.30pm, Departmental Buildings, 33 Chapel St, Masterton. Call John [027] 3835654.

Social Bridge: At South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club, 1.30-3.30pm. Call Lesley [021] 299-6389.

South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club: Games afternoon. Call Doff 3049748.

Wairarapa Genealogy Branch: Family History Research Rooms, 5 Church St, Masterton, 1-3.30pm.

Wairarapa Services Club: Cards –Euchre, 1pm, at the club, Essex St, Masterton.

Woops A Daisies: Leisure Marching Team practice 4-5pm, at the Trust House Rec Centre Stadium. Call Cheryl [06] 370-1922 or [027] 6976974.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

AA Meeting: At 7.30pm, Epiphany church hall, High St, Solway, Masterton. Call [027] 557-7928.

Athletics Wairarapa: Club night, 5.45-7pm, Colin Pugh Sports Bowl, Masterton, all ages and abilities welcome.

Cards: “500”, 1.15-4.15pm, at the Carterton Club. Call Barbara 3796582 or Val 379-8329.

Carterton Cycle Group: An informal group of ‘leg power’ and e-power cyclists, from Belvedere Rd [weather permitting] for 20km or 40-60km rides. Call Irene [027] 634-9167 or Lesley [021] 299-6389.

Dance Fitness: 9.30-11am, preschoolers with parents or caregivers, music and movement and art, at Fareham House Hall Featherston. Call Justine [0204] 105-2830.

Digital Seniors Wairarapa: Call 0800 373 646 for an appointment.

Masterton: Citizens Advice, 10-noon.

Free Classes: Literacy, language and numeracy for adult learners. Call Literacy Aotearoa 377-4214.

Greytown Menz Shed: 9am-noon. Call Paul Dodge [021] 0262-6595.

GirlGuidingNZ: Masterton Brownies, 7-9½ years, 5.30-7pm. Call Sharon [021] 033-0550.

Healing Rooms: Confidential prayer for healing or any situation, 2-4pm, at St Matthews Church Hall, Church St, Masterton, no appointment necessary. Call [027] 245-2819.

Heart of Arts Wairarapa A community gallery, 47 High St North, Carterton, Wed-Fri, 10am-4pm, weekends, 10am-2pm.

Juesday Art: 10am-12.30pm, AOG Church, Birdwood St, Featherston. Call Julia [06] 308-8109.

Justice of the Peace: Masterton CAB noon-2pm.

Kiddie Gym: For 0-3-year-olds, 9.3011am, at St David’s Church, corner High and Victoria Sts, Carterton. Call Lorna or Abby 379-8325.

Masterton Art Club: 10am-2pm, also print on Fridays, at 12 Victoria St. Call Elissa [0274] 706-528.

Masterton Park Bowling Club: Queen Elizabeth Park, bowls roll up at 1pm, names in by 12.45pm. Call 377-5458.

Masterton Croquet Club: Association Croquet 9.15am and 12.45pm behind the Hosking Garden in the park. Call Carl Redvers 378-7109.

Parkinson’s Singing Group: 10.30am, at the South Wairarapa Workingman’s Club, Main St, Greytown. Call Marguerite Chadwick 379-5376.

Rangatahi to Rangatira Youth Group: Join us for sports, food, and leadership, Carterton Events Centre. Text “R2R” to [027] 742-2264.

Recreational Walking Group: 9.30am, Essex St car park. Call Ann Jackson, 372-5758, or Ann Duckett, 378-8285.

Scrabble Club: 1-4pm in Masterton. Phone Sue McRae [027] 449-0601 for venue details.

Silver Ukulele Club: 1-3pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Jan [06] 308-8556.

South Wairarapa Caregivers Programme: At a café in South Wairarapa, 10am. Call Kirsten 399-1050.

Soulway Cooking and Crafts: 10amnoon, High St, Masterton. Call Nikki Smith 370-1604 [church office].

Te Runga Scouts: Cubs, 6-7.30pm, 45 Harley St, Masterton.

The Dance Shed: 450A Belvedere Rd, Carterton. Line Dance Class 6-7pm; Rock N Roll Dance Class: 7.30-8.30pm, Beginners/Couple Coaching, Social/Competitive. Call Wendy [027] 319-9814.

Wairarapa Rockers: Rock’n’roll. Couple inquiries to [027] 333-1793.

Wairarapa Services Club Rummikub, 1pm, at the club, Essex St, Masterton.

Wairarapa Singers Choral singing, based in Masterton. Call Sean Mulcahy 379-9316.

Wairarapa Spinners & Weavers: 10am in The Wool Shed, Dixon St, Masterton. Call Trish 378-8775 or Josie 3786531.

Whakaoriori Shufflers: Line dancing, Red Star clubrooms, Herbert St, Masterton, improvers 5-6.30pm. Call 377-5518 or 377-1135.

Wisdom and Well-being Featherston Community Centre, 10.30am12.30pm. Call Pauline [021] 102 8857.

* To have an event listed please email event@age.co.nz by noon Thursday prior

Opening

Employment

Employment

Qualified Early Learning Teacher

We are is seeking a qualified teacher to join our team of passionate early learning teachers.

Sawmill Workers

We are looking for Sawmill Employees experienced in Sawmilling Industry We are also looking for non -experienced, hardworking and reliable Phone Murray Oakly on 027 449 0163 or email: murray@0508-timber.co.nz or the Office 06 308 909 9.

Key task and responsibilities for the role include:

▪ development

▪

The ability to work alongside other teachers, communicate and contribute positively to the team

▪ Practices that reflect a commitment to biculturalism, the unique place of Maori as tangata whenua and the principle of partnership inherent in te tiriti o Waitangi

▪ Respect the diversity, heritage and cultures of all learners.

▪

Public Notices

SOUTH WAIRARAPA DISTRICT COUNCIL

NOTICE TO CLOSE ROADS TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

Pursuant to the Transport (Vehicular Traffic Road Closure) Regulations 1965, notice is hereby given that the South Wairarapa District Council, for the purpose of the Cruise Martinborough, will close the following roads to ordinary vehicular traffic for the period indicated hereunder.

Cruise Martinborough is a hot rod, classic and muscle car show event, showcasing several vehicles from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and prior. They start at Wairarapa Tow and Salvage Yard in Daniel St Featherston and drive to Martinborough Square and park in the square for people to come and look at the cars.

During the period of closure, vehicles will need to take these alternative routes:

• From Kitchener Street as you enter in to Martinborough:

- At intersection of Kitchener Turn right on to Ohio St

- Turn left on to Naples St

- Right on to Jellicoe St and that road goes out of Martinborough Roads to be closed:

• The Square Road - The whole Square is closed (All intersecting roads at the square are closed)

• Kansas Street - Between The Square and Strasbourge St intersection

• Cambridge Street - Between The Square and Strasbourge Street intersection

• Texas Street - Between The Square and Strasbourge Street intersection

• Oxford Street - Between The Square and Cork Street intersection

• Kansas Street - Between The Square and Naples Street intersection

• Jellicoe Street - Between The Square and Naples Street intersection

• Texas Street - Between The Square and Naples Street intersection

• SH53 closure - Closed on SH53 (Kitchener St) between The Square and Ohio Street Intersection

Period of closure:

• 28th of January 2023, 10am-4pm

(Event cars will arrive after road closure and leave before the road is open again.)

There is no postponement date for this event.

Stefan Corbett Group Manager Partnerships & Operations

Employment CHEF / COOK

Club Carterton is seeking a Chef / Cook to join the staff on a permanent part time basis.

For further deta ils please Contact Rex on 027 511 0028

Completing administrative requirements in a professional manner including planning, assessment and internal evaluation.

▪ Views their ongoing prof essional growth with passion and excitement

If this sounds like you, please do not hesitate to talk to us about the position and how we can assist you in making the move. Our centre is situated in Masterton We offer pay parity Applications close 03 /02/2023

Please send your application including CV to Toni Devenny admin@lansdowneprivatechildcare.co nz

Hansells are seeking a reliable and motivated individual as a Warehouse Store Person with the following:

Full car licence with F endorsement (preferred)

Current OSH forklift certificate (preferred) Experience with computers Solid numerical, and literacy skills

Physically fit and healthy Quick learner

Attention to detail is required, as in this position you will be picking and packin g orders, loading and unloading truck Making sure deliveries have relevant paperwork Ideally a person with warehouse experience.

Please forward a cover letter and CV to : StevenR@hmstn co nz

Or drop off at Hansells reception : 160 State Highway 2 , Masterton Hansells Masterton Private Bag 410 Masterton 5840