Wairarapa Midweek Wed 31st May

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Matt Timperley (Construction Supervisor), Paul Anderson (Franchise Owner), Greg Richardson (Construction Supervisor), Steve Comfort (Estimator), Nolan Mackie (New Home Consultant), Chelsey Mills (Contracts Manager), Tracey Rowden (Accounts). Design centre.

Twenty-six years in New Zealand, a string of awards, and with 23,000 homes built nationwide, G.J. Gardner has recently won – for the seventh year in a row – the Reader’s Digest 2023 Most Trusted Brands award in the Home Builder category. And in Wairarapa, G.J. Gardner is into its ÿ fth year of going from strength to strength.

G.J. Gardner Wairarapa’s new Kuripuni ofÿ ce and design centre, built on the company’s foundational values of trust and transparency

The fresh G.J. Gardner ofÿ ce, purpose-built in Kuripuni, is an investment in Wairarapa’s unique identity. With accessible parking, proximity to town, and its inspiring design centre, opening the door to G.J. Gardner’s new ofÿ ce means opening the door to the experience of a lifetime.

“We’re settled in Wairarapa,” says Paul Anderson, franchise owner, “and are committed to going the distance for the community. We’ve invested in land and we’re growing all the time. We can offer home and land packages

utilising our extensive range of existing home designs, or work alongside our clients to design and build a home that brings their ideas to life.”

Starting out in an ofÿ ce attached to their inaugural show home in Solway’s Maple Grove, the local GJ team then moved onto their next project – The Barracks subdivision – working from their ‘Barrack Delight’ show home. This took pride of place at the subdivision’s entrance. With the new opening of its Kuripuni ofÿ ce, the franchise has put down

Past, present, and future successes with G.J. Gardner Wairarapa

You might know of GJ‘s subdivisions and homes situated in Maple Grove and Barracks Avenue, both in Masterton’s expanding area of Solway.

G.J. Gardner Wairarapa’s next show home will be at The Peaks off Kent Street, Carterton, where you can view the Tararua ranges changing their colours

as the sun moves, and becoming white-capped as winter snow arrives.

“We’re excited to soon share a new three-bedroom, two-bathroom show home at The Peaks,” Paul says.

“We want to showcase an achievable, great value home, featuring sundrenched, open plan space. It will maximise family living

permanent roots and laid the foundations for decades to come in Wairarapa.

What is the secret of G.J. Gardner’s success in Wairarapa? “We’re upfront and transparent right from the outset with our pricing and speciÿ cations,” says Paul Anderson.

“We offer ranges of layout options and, once a layout is chosen or reÿ ned, our customers can spend a day with a designer. Step by step we collaboratively personalise each house to

the customer’s taste from roof colour to kitchen design, and everything in between.”

“Our team works in real time to provide up-to-the-minute information so customers can make informed choices.”

Paul Anderson and his team put in the time to walk alongside you, every step of the way. Come and visit Wairarapa’s brand spanking new G.J. Gardner ofÿ ce and talk to its knowledgeable and friendly staff about how they can help you at 5 Waltons Avenue, Kuripuni.

“This is a great time to build new with GJ’s,” says Paul. “You’re getting a good value home and the opportunity to make a great investment – you’ll reap the ÿ nancial beneÿ ts in the future.”

Nolan Mackie, New Home Consultant says:

“Our designs – from the Express and Family ranges to the Country and Estate collections – are extremely popular, because of their practical layouts, efÿ cient designs, and value for money.”

G.J. Gardner Home’s national brand has signiÿ cant buying power which in turn passes the savings on to local franchises and, ultimately, the customers.

“We are proud to have happy customers,” says Paul.

“We stand by our vision that customers will recommend GJ’s to their friends. We’re reliable and always, every

single time, ÿ nish a home we start building. We’re very positive about the market. There is lots of land

Choices you can be conÿ dent about

“You can have conÿ dence in your choices at GJs.”

Designs can be customised to meet your needs, whether it’s extra accessibility you require such as level entry access and wet bathrooms, or additional rooms for ofÿ ce space, a media room, or a play space for children.

reduces heating bills.

“We have great working relationships with real estate agents across the district,” says Paul. “Customers are spoilt for choice about who they deal with.”

“We are upfront with our clients from the beginning – no hidden ”

- G.J. Gardner Wairarapa Franchise Owner Paul Anderson.

without compromising on quality.”

You can take a virtual trip around the designs on G.J.°Gardner’s website with multiple layout options on offer.

Look out, too, for further G.J. Gardner show homes in

Williams Estate, off Gordon Street and Te Ore Ore Road, in Masterton’s prestigious Lansdowne area. In easy distance of Henley Lake and Ruamahanga River, Williams Estate has a lot to offer families no matter their size and conÿ guration.

If you have land already, “we’re happy to pop a house on it,” says Paul.

“And all our designs meet H1 requirements for wall, ˛ oor, and ceiling insulation, as well as for the thermal properties of windows and doors.”

This means GJ’s houses are warmer, drier, and healthier than ever before, which

With G.J. Gardner Wairarapa’s exciting new projects coming up, a new build is only a conversation away.

“Our new builds are value for money, a great investment for your family and your future, and are things of beauty and comfort that allow you to live your life in your own way.

Come and talk to one of the team at G.J. Gardner. Homes Wairarapa.

“

It’s great to be able to discuss the client’s concept in the morning, then have a plan drawn up by the afternoon.

- New Home Consultant Nolan Mackie

readily available and our tradespeople have capacity.”

Now is a great time to build

Artist impression of upcoming show home

New Home Consultant, Nolan Mackie

TREKKED! Family walks away from cancer

For many Kiwis, spending time in nature is the perfect grounding antidote to a world full of distractions, fast-paced working lives, and excessive stimuli from LED screens.

For Jenna Matchett and her young family, “spending time in nature” means navigating dense and inhospitable bush

land, crossing freezing rapids, traversing snowglazed mountain trails, and kayaking “spiritual” water bodies while native birds of prey circle overhead.

Last summer, the Martinborough whanau –Jenna, husband Mark, and daughters Poppy [10] and Molly [8] – spent 90 days on the Te Araroa Trail: Spanning the length of the country and often described as “all of New Zealand’s great

walks on steroids”. Stretching 3010km from Cape Reinga to Bluff, the trail encompasses some of the country’s most beautiful, yet treacherous and desolate landmarks –from Ninety-Mile Beach, to Tongariro National Park [including three active volcanoes], to the Whanganui and Rakaia Rivers, to the Southern Alps.

For the Matchetts, it was a trip of highs and lows:

Glorious views and close encounters with endangered wildlife following days of hiking on taped up shoes, trekking through hail and sandstrorms, and searching for water sources in searing heat. Isolated from civilisation, and in the midst of highly-changeable weather

and terrain, one reckless step can, in some cases, be “the difference between life and death”.

The family, who spent 18 months training for the experience, embarked on the trail to celebrate husband and father Mark’s recovery from bowel cancer – having gone into remission last year after multiple rounds of chemotherapy and two major surgeries.

Continued on page 5

Jenna Matchett and daughters Molly and Poppy walk the Northern Circuit of the Tongariro Crossing.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

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

Quartet makes cut

A Kuranui College music teacher is “excited to wave the New Zealand flag” at a prestigious barbershop singing competition.

Matt Barris’ quartet Synergy are busy practising and fundraising for the Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention and Competition, held in Louisville, Kentucky, in July.

Synergy will represent their country in the convention’s Next Generation Barbershop Varsity Quartet Contest for groups under 25, where they will compete against some of the world’s best young acapella singers.

The band – made up

of Barris, Eric McKee and brothers Tejas and Dhruv Menon [based in Wellington] – formed their current lineup with the plan of heading overseas to compete.

“We weren’t really singing in any groups at the time, and we were like, ‘okay, let’s give it a go’,” Barris, the group’s tenor, said.

Synergy is following in big footsteps: Wellington quartet The Musical Island Boys were victorious in 2006 in the under-25 competition and won the open category eight years later.

Like Barris, the Musical Island Boys members are former Tawa College Students – which is where they passed down their enthusiasm for the harmonic singing style.

“They were the first

Silt and grime cleaned away

Bella McClymont

The township of Tīnui was left to contend with a massive clean-up in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Among places covered in a thick layer of mud was the Tīnui Craft Corner and Museum on Charles St.

A volunteer-run cooperative that housed hundreds of community artefacts, from certificates and photographs to antique furnishings, the museum needed support to recover and conserve its collection.

Luckily, the Wairarapa Archive was there to help.

Archive librarian

Michelle Clausen travels

to Tinui each Wednesday, where she spends most of the day cleaning and preserving the heritage items salvaged from the water-logged museum building. Armed with a toolkit of brushes, cloths, specialty mechanical filter vacuums, personal protective equipment and hundreds of cotton buds, Clausen is unearthing everything from children’s toys to agricultural tools, to a turn-of-the-century Singer sewing machine, and even a vintage barber’s chair.

After the flood, Tīnui locals Patrizia Vieno and Mel Kiernan were on the ground to begin sorting

from the Southern Hemisphere to win, so it’s quite the legacy to live up to.”

There are two more Kiwi groups heading to the competition. A quartet called Promenade from the South Island will provide some friendly competition, while Pacific Connection from Porirua has invited Barris and his three bandmates to join their performances.

“Promenade has been doing it for maybe five or

six years. They’re really into it, so cool to have them there.

“Four siblings within Pacific Connections are competing in the open contest, so New Zealand’s pretty prominent at the competition this year.”

Barris has taken his voice overseas before — he sang the national anthem at a competition in Florida a few years ago as part of a chorus group. When not singing with Synergy, he serves as the assistant director

of youth barbershop chorus Vocal FX, and is a coach with national body Barbershop Harmony New Zealand.

The passionate teacher admits it’s “a niche little hobby”, which he said has done away with the stereotypical straw hat and striped blazer.

Like those who nurtured his love for the discipline, Barris is helping the next generation.

Earlier this week, he took a barbershop

varied, and we can’t just take things out and hose them off. There’s paper, porcelain, leather, glass and so many other materials that all require different treatment.”

One item that hasn’t been tackled is an antique doctor’s case. “It’s full of poisonous stuff – there’s still a bottle marked ‘Laudanum’ in there.”

Other potential hazards in the collection include items that contain asbestos and lead paint.

quartet from Kuranui College to the Young Singers in Harmony competition, held at Hutt City Church.

“Groups like the Musical Island Boys that went on to win started in that young singers’ contest.”

Tokowhā travel to New York City to perform before heading west to the International Barbershop Competition in Kentucky.

an incredible amount of work,” Clausen said.

Wairarapa Archive manager Liz Conway is delighted the organisation can make a difference in the community.

“Many hours of exacting and often unpleasant work is revealing the beauty of this heritage collection from under the silt and grime,” she said.

through the collection.

“Items were washed, brushed clean and even, in several cases, stored in my freezer to prevent further degradation,” Vieno explained.

When road access from Masterton had been restored, Clausen made

Varicose Veins Giving You Grief?

several visits to assess the damage and spent subsequent weekends helping with the clean-up.

“Degradation progresses quickly in these conditions – mould growth is a big concern after a flood,” Clausen said.

“The collection is so

As each item is processed, it is checked against the collection catalogue. The inventory was created by student Lucia Jakich over the summer, as part of a joint project with Victoria University.

“Because of Lucia’s work, we had a complete catalogue of everything the museum had and the condition it was in. It was

Clausen, on the other hand, is relishing the opportunity to put her training to use.

“I don’t think there’s a single more satisfying job you could have. It’s an absolute dream to do this work.”

• The collection is now housed in the Post Office building and has reopened to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

Andrew Williams news@age.co.nz

Kuranui College teacher Matt Barris [far left] will compete with Synergy bandmates Tejas Menon, Eric McKee and Dhruv Menon against the world’s best young barbershop quartets in Kentucky.

PHOTO/PAIGE MCKEE

Wairarapa Archive librarian Michelle Clausen – hard at work restoring documents from the Tinui Museum’s collection after Cyclone Gabrielle.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Crash cannot crush old bakery

When a logging truck accidentally ripped o˜ the veranda of a Victorian building on Carterton’s High St earlier this month, it closed the state highway for several hours and caused major damage to the structure. But it also revealed just how robust and well-made this old girl was. Momentarily patched up and made safe, tenants upstairs and in the store below have been able to return.

MARLENE DITCHFIELD has the tale of “the bakery building”, which opened in 1884 when Carterton was booming.

The small yet perfectly formed two-storey building began as Laurence’s Bakery. There were several other bakeries in Carterton, but none quite so pretty. Upstairs, it had side-by-side matching windows and double doors onto an ornate balcony reaching out over the street. Decoration around the windows and gables was fitting for a building of its time.

Little is known of the first owners – but, in 1905, Arthur Charles Feast, a “baker and stock agent”, took over the bakery and advertised liberally.

In 1923, William Ellis purchased the building, but died in November 1924. A couple of years later, brothers George and William Stevens established Steven’s Bakery and Tearooms, which successfully ran through to 1948.

Along came Bill and Nancy Ballinger, and the Premier Bakery and Tearooms was born. For the next 23 years, like the Stevens, they baked up a storm of fresh bread and buns. Bill’s nephew, John Bridge, remembers working at the bakery during school holidays, after school, and on weekends since age 10. John, whose grandfather

had set up another bakery [Dawson’s] in early Carterton, lived upstairs at Premier Bakery with his father, aunt and uncle, where there were four bedrooms and a bathroom. Their kitchen and dining room was downstairs as part of the business.

“The veranda was a solid balcony. I spent many times out there watching the parades, Friday night shoppers, and just watching the traffic go by,” recalls John, who still lives in Carterton.

“All our furniture was lifted over the balcony and through the double doors into the lounge, as the stairway was too narrow and steep. At one stage, Uncle Bill fell down these steps and broke his leg – leaving me and Dad to do all the work with other bakers. It was a very busy place.”

John recalls coming home from school and helping make the dough, which was left to prove overnight. The bakers would arrive at about 3am to knead and then bake the bread. All the baking was done in the brick bakehouse at the building’s rear, and loaves wheeled into the bakery on large trolleys. Between 5 and 6am, the first loaves were ready, and the early

morning regulars would appear – although the bakery didn’t officially open until 7am. “I think the smell was too tempting for some,” John says.

Pies, cream buns, doughnuts, raspberry buns, and centennial loaves are among favourites remembered by locals. When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, Premier Bakery did the catering for a huge coronation ball in Carterton. The Ballingers supported community groups, and fresh baking always made its way to the Home of Compassion nuns and residents.

When Bill retired in 1971, John took over the business for a couple of years. Again, bakery life was busy. Easter had the staff mass-baking hot cross buns – John had learned to pipe the crosses on the buns as a young boy. People would order six hot cross buns and often find a seventh had been

added for good measure. The bakery also had a van for country deliveries. School lunch orders were prepared for children who got a pie and two doughnuts for 15 cents. The bakery was described as “a kids’ paradise”.

After John moved on in 1973, Premier Bakery was purchased by Bruce Campbell and, in 1978, it became the Moonshiner Take Away and later a fish and chip shop owned by Ioannis Kouklakis.

Diane Simpson turned it into Simmos Snack Bar in 1991 for the next four years. There were several other owners before business activity eventually ceased in 2013. A Wellington plumber, Ross Black, who had a hankering to move to Wairarapa, spied the empty bakery building and purchased it. It was in a sorry state, and Ross began the important task of earthquake strengthening – one of the first business owners in Carterton to do so. For the past decade, it has been Ross’ passion to restore the building, find tenants for an upstairs flat, and a business down below.

Downstairs tenants have included a pole dancing studio, winter markets, and the Electorate Office for New Zealand First MP Ron Mark. These days, Desley Rekke runs a craft co-operative. The upstairs area has been a popular residence for many.

Julian Tyerman says it was “a quirky flat’” with its small tight staircase.

“When I tried to get my queen-sized bed in, there was no way it would fit around the landing turn – where it got jammed for several days. We had to cut out a piece of gib to move it,” he says.

“The veranda was great. Sometimes, after a night at the Marquis, we’d

Carterton go by. It had the feeling it was a strongly built building.”

Back in 1884, the veranda was constructed as part of the upper floor and not attached like modern verandas. Hence, the damage by the truck has been excessive. The Black family are considering their options once insurance assessors have done their work. We must thank people like Ross for saving our heritage buildings and their fascinating stories.

So, hopefully, it will take more than the veranda ripping off to topple this 139-year-old building.

the tale of bakery building”, which opened in

Sta outside the old Stevens Bakery, Carterton, circa 1926.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The cordon outside the old bakery building after it was damaged by a logging truck earlier this month.

PHOTO/ MARLENE DITCHFIELD

An account for a bakery purchase signed o˜ by Arthur Feast – one of the bakery’s earliest owners – made in°1908. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Jenna, manager at the Masterton Foodbank, correctly predicted the trail would be the ultimate test of their physical endurance and bond as a family – and was also transformative for their mental and emotional health.

“The experience forces you to be completely in the moment. It changes you on a molecular level,” Jenna said.

“In the regular world, you don’t have endless time for deep reflection. But when you’re out there in the middle of nowhere, with no external distractions, and you can strip away all the fat, you’re able to focus on the here and now.

“You go back to basics – you actually tune in to how you’re feeling. You’re aware of everything around you. Poppy and Molly were especially present – they wanted to stop to touch and smell everything, and noticed the little things we didn’t. They forced us to slow down and pay attention.

“We realised just how much we had missed when Mark was sick.”

To prepare for their journey into the wildneress, the Matchetts did various practice hikes

throughout the North Island, and worked with the New Zealand Outdoor Training Group to learn survival skills and general bushcraft.

Some of the biggest challenges, Jenna said, included rationing food, water and supplies in between urban stop-overs – especially in changeable weather conditions.

“We went through everything – snow, to hail, to sandstorms. We’d be going through 12 bottles of sunscreen one minute, then it would p*** down with rain the next.

“There are times where you have very little control. New Zealand is wild and untouched – it’s no walk in the Botanical Gardens. One bad decision can have huge consequences.

“For example, we ballsed up and ran out of water, and were miles from the nearest town –while walking in insane heat. When that happens, you have to be on the lookout for a water source. You have to know where you’re going, and follow the markers on your map.

“We were lucky to find a spring – but your map can say there’s a spring in 5km, and it’s dried by the time you get there.

“You fall back on your

knowledge and skills. You can’t worry about the situation in front of you –you just adapt, and make better choices.”

For Mark and Jenna, adaptability was essential for their daughters’ safety.

“There were some dicey sections where we had to stop and regroup. There were some areas of the Rakaia River that were too dangerous for the girls to cross – so we’d have to walk around and find a slower-flowing section that was comfortable for them.

“We talked about everything as a family –the girls were involved in all our decision-making. If there were things they didn’t want to do, we wouldn’t do them.”

Though the journey was “not all roses” for

the Matchetts, the trail had plenty of rewards –especially the mountaintop scenery, such as the view of the Nelson Lakes from Lewis Pass.

“The view is so vast, and you feel so small. It makes you take stock and think about the bigger picture.

“The Whanganui River is one of the most spiritual places I’ve ever seen. You can’t help but feel connected. We spent three days canoeing down the river, and the girls had their hands in the water the whole time, just soaking it all up.

“The Southern Alps were amazing – there’s nothing like a mountain range to make you realise your insignificance. I’m not a religious person, but when you see the clouds part over the top of the

Smokefree Success Story: Jennifer

Matiaha

“It was my son,” says Jennifer, “who motivated me to give up smoking.” Last year, her then 11-year-old son and his 32-year-old mum had a competition. If he won, she was to give up the cigarettes she’d smoked for nearly 20 years. “The tears in his eyes when he lost – that did me in.”

Jennifer also has a daughter, soon to start school. Worried about the e˜ ects of her smoking on both her children, she realised she should stop. She’d never been a big smoker, more like a pack a week than a pack a day. “I asked myself, why was I doing it at all? I didn’t like the smell of it on myself or other people.” It’s a familiar story: starting smoking at a

mountain peaks, you feel like you’re in touch with something much bigger.”

For the girls, the wildlife was one of the biggest highlights.

“We saw a white hawk on the Whanganui River. We saw wrens, takahe, rare robbins, an albatross – which sounded like a B52 bomber above us.

“All the birds we came across in the bush were very inquisitive. We found a kea that was happy to take sticks off the girls. Although, it was a bit scary to see a Kiwi fight off a possum.

“The girls have become extremely passionate about protecting our wildlife. They know our natural environment is in danger, and they feel grateful to have seen it for themselves.”

young age because it’s the cool thing to do.

Now a support worker at Whaiora, and ready to quit the habit, she had access to Luana at Whaiora. “I didn’t need patches or nicotine gum to get me through.”

“I didn’t ÿ nd it that hard to give up,” Jennifer says, “but some people do. It’s better never to start.”

Crossing the river on the East Ahuriri Track, South Canterbury. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

Canoeing the Whanganui River – which Jenna described as a spiritual experience.

Trekking on the Waiau Pass, Nelson region.

Gin with a stainless steel twist

and transportation, as well as Earth-friendly, Hodder said.

were assessed by 30 judges from New Zealand and Australia.

Gin and tonic is a popular tipple in New Zealand –but we should pick up the shakers and create different gin cocktails at home, the CEO of an award-winning distillery says.

Greytown Distilling Company [GDC] won silver for its ‘Tweed’ gin and a bronze for its ‘Apricity’ gin in the Botanicals and Other Spirit category at the 2023 New Zealand Spirits Awards announced earlier this month. Its ‘Settler’ gin won a bronze medal in the London Dry category.

“It’s thrilling to have won these awards when we have only been on the market for five months,” GDC co-founder and CEO Adam Blackwell said.

“It’s a testament to our distiller and gin craftsman, Peter Warren, that every gin we entered in the awards picked up a medal.”

GDC packages its gin in stainless steel flasks instead of glass bottles, which head of business operations and co-founder Gavin Hodder said was a point of difference in a competitive gin market. Flasks are in 750ml or 375ml sizes.

The flasks were designed to be practical for storage

“Stainless steel is very easy to recycle. We encourage re-use and offer our customers $5 off their next purchase when they return the flasks to us. And because the gin remains in darkness inside the flask, the plant-based botanicals remain unaffected by light.”

Distiller Warren wasn’t interested in novelty or coloured gins. “His focus is on subtlety and creating masterpieces that gin lovers will enjoy and appreciate. Gins that will become classics,” Hodder said.

Blackwell said GDC was focused on what would create “an incredible athome gin experience” for customers.

“We’re all about helping our customers create beautiful cocktails and ginbased drinks, like martinis, at home without any fear or pretentiousness,” he said.

“Most Kiwis default to a G&T, which is a fantastic summer drink. But gin can be so much more.”

This year’s Spirits Awards received 426 entries from 24 countries, with 281 products from New Zealand. The entries

Hodder said GDC would look to expand its range of distilled and brewed products: “We’re looking at all sorts of options, from cider made with Greytown apples, to other distilled spirits that we can make right here.”

Names given to GDC’s range of six gins are a nod to Greytown’s heritage, culture and climate: including ‘Settler’, ‘SFA’ [Small Farms Association] and ‘Festival’.

The winter gin ‘Frostbite’ is a “tribute to the subzero frosts that greet

Greytown’s best winter days”, with flavours of pink peppercorns, garden mint, and locally grown lemon peel to be enjoyed in front of the fire. ‘Apricity’ means “the warmth of the winter sun”, with flavours of nutmeg, ginger and Greytown honey.

Gin cocktails suggested on the company’s website include the Silver Fox Gin Fizz, the Vesper Martini and the Greytown Gin Sling. GDC offers gin tastings at Blackwell and Sons emporium on Main St, Greytown.

• For more information, visit greytowngin.com

GDC’s master gin distiller, Peter Warren PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

cranked up

A century-old music machine donated to a Masterton charity shop is keeping staff and customers entertained. The Edison C19 Diamond Disc phonograph, encased in a splendid oak cabinet, was donated to Hospice Wairarapa by a Greytown resident, whose parents brought it out from Europe.

It is believed to have been made in the United States during or just after World War I.

The phonograph still works and comes with a box of 40 thick Edison disc records. A couple of cranks of the handle and the machine churns out tunes such as “Blue Danube Waltz” by the American Symphony Orchestra.

“Our van drivers who moved it said it was very heavy to lift, but luckily the phonograph is on wheels,” Masterton Hospice Shop assistant manager Mahi Annand said.

The phonograph was examined by an antiques expert, who advised staff to list the device on TradeMe. The auction closes tomorrow, with bidding starting at $550. Meanwhile, early 20thcentury music has been drifting through the

charity shop each time the machine is demonstrated.

There has been interest from prospective buyers, with one local man who owns a collection of about 50 vintage music players, calling in to see the curiosity last week.

“He told us that the saying ‘put a sock in it’ comes from the action of muffling the sound of a phonograph or gramophone like this,” Annand said.

The 130cm-high Chippendale-style cabinet has a detailed wooden front and still has a key to lock the door. The fabriccovered speaker cubby hides the inner workings of

the player, while the lower cabinet has two rows of slots for disc records.

The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, who also invented the carbon telephone transmitter, long-lasting light bulb, and alkaline storage battery.

Edison famously recorded and played back words from the nursery rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ on his invention.

If the Hospice Shop’s phonograph did not sell on Trademe, it could be viewed at the shop on the corner of Queen and Park streets in Masterton, Annand said.

Julia Mahony julia.mahony@age.co.nz

Masterton Hospice Shop assistant manager Mahi Annand with the donated Edison phonograph.

PHOTO/JULIA MAHONY

GardenYarn with GardenBarn

No-one likes to be hungry, and no-one likes to see anyone, or anything struggle to ÿ nd food. Sadly this happens to all species, including humans, so it’s important that those of us that can do something to help, actually does something to help. Helping could be as simple as placing a few items in the Foodbank bin when you do your groceries; dropping o° a few tins of pet food to the local SPCA or you could donate to one of the numerous charities set up to help both people and animals.

A good winter task that should be completed is to spray deciduous trees with copper and oil. This helps to ÿ ght against all sorts of pests and diseases that could be hiding in tiny spaces – ready to pop up and cause problems when the weather warms up again. In winter the eggs of insect pests and the spores of diseases over-winter in the crevices of roses and trees.

A winter spray programme kills these over-wintering pests & diseases so that in spring, when buds open, the plant is likely to be free from problems.

KILL PESTS & DISEASES WHILE THEY’RE HIDING OUT

For those of you who have Peaches, Nectarines, or even Plums you should know the importance of following a strict Winter Cleanup Spray

Kings Birthday Weekend

Celebrate the first in the garden, there’s plenty to do

ENCOURAGE THE WILDLIFE

If you make the effort to create a safe haven for birds you will not only help them survive, you will be able to enjoy their beautiful sights and sounds for yourself. Birds help with pollination and they feed on pests such as slugs, snails and caterpillars – they are a natural ‘pesticide’.

Luckily there are many trees, shrubs & ˛ owers that entice & feed the birds, butter˛ ies & bugs that are also compact in size, making them suitable for smaller gardens or even pots.

Birds such as the tui & bellbird will be enticed to your garden if your plants provide them with nectar and fruit. They will also join fantails in eating bugs to supplement their diets. Encourage them to your garden by plantings things such as:

KILL PESTS & DISEASES

Programme to prevent Leaf Curl (this is important for many other reasons too).

Every year we get customers coming in wondering what is wrong with the leaves on their peaches or nectarine trees. Sadly, we have to tell them that they have leaf curl. There is not much that can be done at that time, the damage has been done during winter. But you can prevent it happening to you by spraying now.

Leaf Curl is a fungal disease that over-winters in the crevices of tree bark, on leaves and even on the ground around the trees. Spraying breaks the cycle to kill any eggs or spores that could be hanging around from the previous season.

PREPARE THE GROUND

New season roses are coming soon, so make sure you get your Wish List into us ASAP (lists are on our website) and prepare the ground so it settles, ready for planting. We recommend weeding the area then dig a BIG hole (the bigger the better) and ÿ ll it with any of he following:



We will be closed on Monday

PLANT NOW

GREVILLEA: Another attraction for birds in the winter garden are the spider like ˛ owers of the Grevillea which also come in various colours and growing habits.

MANUKA: With ˛ owers ranging from white, pink & red and the various landscaping uses it’s no wonder these are a popular choice. Leptospermum Red Falls and Outrageous will both spread with red ˛ owers and Merinda is a hybrid with magenta ˛ owers that looks good all year.

COPPER: Spray in winter on pipfruit & stonefruit to control black spot, ÿ re blight, leaf curl, shot hole, bacterial spot and stonefruit blast. For Roses and Ornamentals will control black spot, downy mildew, leaf spots & ÿ re blight.

Enspray 99: Certiÿ ed organic, Grosafe˝Enspray 99˝can be used as both a leaf polish˝or leaf spray for˝controlling˝mealy bugs, scale, aphids, red mite, thrips, powdery mildew˝and more. Enspray 99 is not a poison. It’s safe for plants and people, even safe for bees and other beneÿ cial insects.

PROTECT YOUR PLANTS

The cold nights have arrived, so it’s time to protect your precious tender plants from the dropping temperatures. Spray with Wally’s Vaporgard (a natural product made from pine resin), a ‘liquid’ frost cloth that protects for up to 3 months, and have frost cloth on hand for those weeks where we have a run of cold weather.

Flaxes

The sword like leaves of Phormiums come in many shades and look great planted in mass and with grasses. Phormium tenax (harakeke) grows to 2-3m tall and was traditionally used for weaving. Plant if you have wet ground, or want a shelter belt that attracts birds. The mountain ˛ ax (cookianum) is shorter and is the most tolerant of dry, windy sites. For best colour, plant ˛ axes in full sun, most are frost hardy. Keep them looking tidy, cut old foliage with a sharp knife at the base (or to make

Hellebores

Winter Roses are a fabulous plant for winter interest, they have stunning ˛ ower displays and thrive in shady areas with dappled light, perfect

Cyclamens for pots or gardens

Cyclamens can be grown in the garden to brighten up a shady spot in winter, or in a pot and kept indoors while their ˛ owers & scent are at their best. They love the cold, it seems to revitalise them, so if you are keeping yours inside it could be a good idea to pop them outside for a night now and then. The ideal growing media for Cyclamens is an African Violet Mix and if fed regularly with a liquid food they may ˛ ower until mid-

it easy use a Niwashi Shark). If you see plain green foliage coming through coloured varieties remove before it takes over.

ican Planting Mix, Tui Rose & Shrub Mix or Daltons Garden Mix

 ican Real

Blood & Bone

 Ican 24 Plus

Slow Food

 Sheep Pellets

ORDER NEW SEASON TREES

Winter is when we get our new supplies of fruit trees, roses and deciduous trees and shrubs so start planning now. Head to our website (www.gardenbarn.co.nz) and see what we’re expecting so you can choose what you’d like to order. Orders can be placed in store, or on our website.

OPEN 7 DAYS 8.30am - 5.30pm

for planting in bulk under deciduous trees. They can even be kept indoors while they are looking their best during the cooler months and then planted outdoors later.

spring. Another way to extend ˛ owering is to remove the spent blooms, this should be done by gently twisting them o° at the base and pulling them away from the bulb rather than cutting.

Cyclamens are a great idea for a winter gift for someone special

Polyanthus

Make your pots & baskets pop with instant colour with polyanthus. POTTED POLYANTHUS 10 FOR $25

SCALE MODEL COLLECTIBLE VEHICLES

Council in the pink

South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] has a simple message for the community: “Don’t forget the council has a human face. We are you.”

In celebration of Pink Shirt Day on May 19, SWDC staff wore something pink to work, joining businesses around the country to make a stand against bullying and intimidation.

A council spokesperson said a number of SWDC workers have been subject to “nasty comments or abusive behaviour” this year.

“While we understand people get frustrated about the length of time it may take to get things done, it’s not fair to the receptionists, our

librarians, planners, staff rescuing a wandering animal or investigating a noise complaint, contractors fixing a road or leak – or any of our team,” they said.

“Council staff are just like you – doing a job, being part of a team and getting results. We are part of your communities and love making a difference where we can.”

SWDC interim chief executive Paul Gardner said the council has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying behaviour.

“Under our obligations as a good employer, it’s important that our workplace is a healthy place for our staff, both physically and psychologically.

“Our organisational values and culture also demonstrate our obligation towards a truly inclusive workplace.”

SWDC communications and engagement manager Sheil Priest said criticism of the council is expected and healthy debate is encouraged.

“We have channels where people can complain about services, and our elected representatives are always keen for community feedback,” she said.

“But less than respectful comments can be demoralising at best and corrosive over time”.

– NZLDR

• Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

South Wairarapa District Council sta˜ Bruce [left], Catherine, Amanda and Danielle celebrate Pink Shirt Day on May 19.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The art of doing nowt

In Midweek’s Out of The Past feature, published last month, writer Marlene Ditchfield introduced us to Masterton icon Dr Harry Palmer – who worked from his home-based practice on Dixon St from 1945-60. By all accounts, an exceptional human: gifted GP and obstetrician, father of six, and jack of all trades. According to his son, when not delivering babies or doing house calls, Dr Palmer was kneedeep in a passion project: Building his own television sets, photography, making model railways, or reciting “long passages from Shakespeare”.

Reading Marlene’s story, I felt inspired. And exhausted. I do hope Dr Palmer had some days he could doze off in his favourite fire-side armchair after a warm beverage.

And then...guilty. If Dr Palmer, a terminally busy physician, found time for extra-curricular pursuits, why am I spending most evenings sprawled out on the couch, Youtube chattering in the background, with creative

Young(ish), scrappy & hungry

Erin Kavanagh-Hall

writing projects gathering dust in the depths of Google Docs?

I was reminded of Dr Palmer, and my own crisis in confidence, when watching Seven Sharp’s interview with US author Jenny Odell. In her writings, Odell discusses humans’ obsession with “doing” and, by contrast, the importance of “being”. Taking time to stop, sit in the garden...and not do much of anything.

The Dutch refer to this concept as “niksen”: “To do nothing, to be idle or do something without any use.” According to mental health specialists, practising niksen could be as simple “as just hanging around, looking at your surroundings or listening to music — as long as it’s without purpose”.

In today’s world, doing nothing is a radical act. Time is money. To be as

busy as humanly possible [and over-tired, overcommitted, and burnt out] is a badge of honour.

Academics refer to this phenomenon as “internalised capitalism”: the idea, originating with the Protestant work ethic, that self-worth is directly linked to productivity. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, after all. Some argue this has worsened with social media: Productivity is everything, and so too is cultivating the image of productivity. Facebook seems to be a never-ending highlights reel of clean houses, completed knitting projects, and homemade sushi.

Internalised capitalism was on full display during the covid lockdowns. Sanctimonious Twitter posts abounded: “if you don’t come out of quarantine with a new

skill or more knowledge, then you didn’t lack the time, you lacked the discipline.” Nice theory – if you’re not a solo parent struggling with homeschooling, a disabled person cut off from their supports, or recently unemployed and spending hours on the phone with WINZ.

Pandemic aside, we don’t “have the same 24 hours”. Someone with access to transport, regular childcare, and an equal domestic partnership will have more time to devote to their hobbies than someone who does not.

Jenny Odell said it herself: “it boils down to power and who has it”. recently,

anxiety, but to a curtailed process and strengthened ability to fight off a common cold. Plus, resting can boost creative thinking, problem-solving ability, and sustained focus.

And yet, old habits die hard.

So, as a reasonably hardworking editor, mother-tobe, and human being...I’m working on beating the guilt, and embrace niksen. Wairarapa, I encourage you to do the same. Drink your coffee extra slowly, stroll aimlessly around the block, get trapped under a warm pet or napping child, zone out in front of Netflix. There’s more to humans than good little worker bees. And, sometimes, you

Wairarapa College Te Kāreti o Wairarapa

You are warmly invited to attend our Open Evening on Wednesday 21 June 6pm – 8pm.

Tour the school and learn about our:

•Year 9 Orientation Programme

•Diverse curriculum – junior courses, Te Ao Haka, Sports Academy and new Performing Arts Academy

•Extensive range of extra curricular opportunities

•Innnovative school farm including NZ’s largest Agriculture Primary Industries Training Academy

•New building redevelopments

With wisdom and courage kia mātau, kia māia

Enrol now at waicol.nz

The Wairarapa Midweek is subject to New Zealand Media Council procedures. A complaint must ÿ rst be directed in writing to the editor’s email address. If not satisÿ ed 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.

Choir hooks audience

Lucy Griffiths

South End School was alive with the sound of young choral voices at the Wairarapa Kids’ Choir’s first performance of the year, held on May 12. Around 100 family, friends and choral enthusiasts joined the choir for a very entertaining and interactive evening of music.

The non-auditioned Wairarapa Kids’ Choir, formed in 2018, is the brainchild of Jill Bebbington and Angie Cook – both talented and committed local music teachers who felt there wasn’t enough music options in schools these days. Several parents and fellow Alfredton School teacher Robin Gardner now support the choir, comprising about 20 voices from across Wairarapa.

The evening opened with a bracket of two three-part rounds. The choir was physically split into three groups, and the melody was vocally passed between the groups. A confident performance of “Wreck” by David Gadsby kicked off the concert, with a catchy version of “Calypso” by Beatrice

Harrop to follow. The second set of songs consisted of three wellknown religious canons: “Dona Nobis Pacem” [Latin], “Hashivenu” [Hebrew] and “Kyrie Eleison” [Greek], written by Andy Beck. The children were impressive with their pronunciation and reverence for the music they were performing. In the third set, more variation ensued as the choir performed the African song “Woyaya”’ by Osibisa, accompanied by Jill’s son Craig on the violin. The thought-

provoking lyrics included repeating the statement, “we are going, heaven knows where we are going, but we know within”. This was followed by a fingerclicking version of “Mama Gunna Walk”. Each bracket of songs was interspersed with soloists performing on keyboard, piano and violin – and an effortless vocal solo by Amy Schofield of “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. Congratulations must go to young pianists Hazel Stevenson and siblings Jonathan, Evelyn and Joshua Machin

for their near-perfect performances. Abigail Kill also entertained with her violin solo of “Jasmine Flowers trad folk song”, arranged by Cobb and Yandell.

One of the objectives of the group is to help students learn performance etiquette. This was evident to the audience, as the choir had learnt all their music by heart, allowing them to communicate the words and mood of each piece. It was impressive to see even the youngest choristers smiling, maintaining

professionalism between songs and carrying themselves with such polish.

The concert concluded by inviting the audience to participate in two well-known partner songs, “Kumbaya” and “Camptown Races” by Albrecht and Althouse. Conductor Cook schooled the audience in what and when to sing, and the choir taught them simple actions for the Camptown song.

The choir nominates a different charity each year to benefit from one of their performances. This

year, all proceeds from the concert were gifted to pregnancy and baby loss support service Hōkai Tahi. The concert raised over $500 from the koha entry donations.

• The Wairarapa Kids’ Choir rehearses at the Carterton Community Courthouse from 3.50 to 4.50pm every Friday during the school term, and sings everything from Bach to the Beetles. For more information, email jillbebbington@ wise.net.nz

I Z Z L E

LEFT: Members of the Wairarapa Kids’ Choir with co-founder Angie Cook [back row, second from left]. PHOTOS/CHRISTINE WRATT

ABOVE: Choir founders Angie Cook and Jill Bebbington.

Shows have a theme

Aratoi’s new exhibitions over the next month have themes across remembrance and the passing on of knowledge. Take a moment to pause and reflect with these two exhibitions.

Have The Most Fun You Can Before They Make You Stop: A Retrospective of Carol Anne Bauer

May 27-July 9

In this retrospective, a snapshot of Bauer’s work is celebrated through her beginnings with exquisite stitchery through to her curious examination of amino acid crystals in large format.

Carol Anne Bauer had a fascination with light, pattern and narrative which drew her to explore and depict the natural world, magic, symbolism, cultural stories and scientific enquiry.

Our Moon: Then, Now & Beyond

May 20-July 16

importance of our nearest neighbour and its role in marking Matariki.

See the moon up close, find out what it smells like and what mythology is around it in this hands-on and interactive exhibition. Find the large crater Tycho, the Sea of Tranquillity, learn about the Maramataka and even build a space station.

Whānau activities and public programmes accompany this exhibition.

ExtraOur Moon: Then, Now & Beyond

Our moon has been a constant source of fascination for thousands of years all across the world. Our Moon: Then, Now & Beyond brings together a 5m diameter scale model of the moon and explores the mythological, the scientific and cultural

CONSERVATION

Presented by Nelson Provincial Museum, in partnership with Rātā Foundation, Cawthron Institute and the Embassy of the USA.

Exhibitions now showing

• Have the Most Fun You Can Before They Make You Stop: A Retrospective of Carol Anne Bauer to July 9

• Our Moon: Then, Now & Beyond to July 16

• Print Council of New Zealand: Celebration to June 4

• Masterton Museum: A Cabinet of Curiosities showing to July 2

An increasing need to bee more aware

World Bee Day was marked this month with Apiculture New Zealand urging people to grow bee-friendly plants and protect pollinators.

The call comes as Biosecurity New Zealand and Landcare Research found the area from Wairarapa to Taranaki had experienced a 14 per cent loss of commercial honeybee colonies last year.

The loss rate, due to the varroa mites and related complications, represented an 8.7 per cent increase on 2021 losses.

International studies have suggested there has been a decline in the number of bee species found each year since 1990.

Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos said not only does the honeybee provide a great

source of natural food, but it also plays a critical role as a commercial pollinator in our agriculture and horticulture sectors.

New Zealand has a flourishing population of honeybees cared for by 10,165 registered beekeepers, with 718,214 hives across the country, she said.

Kos said with the hard work of producing honey done for the season, honeybees will now be foraging for food to keep their hives fed through the winter.

According to Fauna of New Zealand, there are 41 known species of bees in the greater New Zealand biogeographical area, of which 27 are endemic –meaning they are found only in New Zealand – and of these, 14 were new to science as of 2007.

Only two of those

endemic bees can be found in Wairarapa: Leioproctus vestitus and Leioproctus paahaumaa.

Natives bees do not have hives or produce honey like honeybees; they live in nests in the ground, under bare, undisturbed soils.

Females of the Leioproctus family dig 20cm to 30cm tunnels into the ground, into which they lay one egg, and feed the larvae with pollen and nectar foraged from surrounding flowers.

Trees for Bees Farm planting adviser Dr Angus McPherson said that during autumn it is critical for colony health that bees have access to plentiful forage ahead of winter.

He said people can help bee populations by considering bees when planting in their gardens and farms.

“Some foraging

DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY DOG? REGISTER BY 30

Dog registration invoices will be delivered soon. Pay your registration in full by 30 June and your dog will go into the draw to win one of three prize packs full of goodies for them and their families.

Dog registration payments must be made in full by 31 July to avoid penalties. Pay in full before 31 July and your dog will also go in the draw to win a refund of its fee. There are a range of ways to pay, including online and weekly payments. For more information visit: www.mstn.govt.nz

favourites that can be planted in May to help bees stock up on food for winter include herbs such as lavender, salvia, rosemary, and oregano, and shrubs such as michelia yunnanensis and the native koromiko,” McPherson said.

McPherson said taking care when using pesticide is also important for keeping bees and other pollinators safe.

“If insecticides or other garden chemicals need to be used, spraying after sunset, in calm and dry conditions away from budding flowers, can help keep neighbourhood pollinators safe.”

Before spraying large areas with insecticides, McPherson urged landowners to get in touch

with owners of beehives in the area and inform contractors of the location of nearby beehives.

Bees commonly forage within a five-kilometre radius of their hive and may go further if food sources are scarce, McPherson said.

Carol Anne Bauer explored many themes. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

A bee on a native manuka tree in Masterton.

PHOTO/FILE

Grace Prior grace.prior@age.co.nz

Poppy Funds boost

Nicky Vegar, Wairarapa Times-Age circulation and ÿ nance manager, hands over a donation to Willie Simonsen, district support adviser for Masterton RSA.

The donation was a percentage of the proceeds from the Wairarapa Times-Age’s Anzac Day advertising feature which ran in both the Times-Age and Wairarapa Midweek Simonsen wanted to say “a big thank you” to all Masterton businesses included in the feature.

All public donations received by the RSA go towards its Poppy Funds – and are used to support the health and wellbeing of current and former New Zealand Defence Force personnel and their families, as well as widows of New Zealand military veterans. Serving and ex-service personnel do not have to be an RSA member to qualify for assistance from the Poppy Funds.

WINTER DRIVING TIPS WINTER DRIVING TIPS

HEADLIGHTS

Daylight hours and visibility are reduced over winter leading to increased crashes. Drive with your headlights on low

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

Wet roads means it can take twice the distance to stop behind the vehicle ahead, as it would in dry conditions. Increase following distances to 4 seconds to give you more space in the event of a sudden stop by cars ahead.

Spray from vehicles, especially trucks, and heavy rain reduces visibility, so slow down, scan well ahead & always ‘drive to the conditions’. At 90 km/h it can take up to 100 metres ( the length of a rugby ÿ eld) to brake and stop on a wet road.

beam when there is heavy rain, overcast gloomy or foggy conditions, even in the middle of the day. Other motorists will

see you more clearly and a lot earlier. Get a winter check-up to ensure your headlights are bright and adjusted correctly.

VEHICLE HEALTH CHECKS

Either book the car in for a winter service or take a few minutes to do regular checks. Your vehicle may have a current W.O.F. but not up to W.O.F.’ standard’, so it’s important to carry out the following checks.

Check tyres ( tread depth, pressures, any damage to side walls & don’t forget to check your spare tyre), wiper blades,

all lights and indicators, and all ° uid levels ( brake, oil, window washer reservoir, coolants). If you have trouble starting, get your battery checked!

Carry an emergency kit for the unexpected ( blankets, torch, spare water, batteries, ÿ rst aid kit, tow rope, gloves and jumper cables), and always carry a fully charged cellphone.

TYRES

From

You can’t avoid what you can’t see! Grimy, icy smeared windscreens are dangerous!

Use an ice-scraper to deice screens and windows if you’re in a hurry. Also, turn on demisters to COLD for a few minutes at rst, then

increase to warm/hot, as warm air retains moisture & will take twice as long to clear the windscreen.

Never put hot water on iced up windscreens which can crack with this treatment. Adjust your sun visors

Tread depth is the ‘star of the roadshow’ in winter. Maximum tread depth means more water will be displaced from wet roads, which means better grip and handling.

Never use mismatched tyres. Either replace all four tyres at once, or at least in pairs on the same axle.

Correct tyre pressure is essential for safety,

BEFORE that sunstrike blinds you on those clear winter mornings. Winter is a good time to replace your wiper blades which become lthy and worn over time. New blades can make the world of di erence.

fuel economy & tyre wear. Tyres do lose pressure so check them regularly (when you ÿ ll up). Pressures can be found on the inside of the drivers door, the car manual, or take the car into a tyre shop for a winter check & all will be done for you.

I asked my old mate

Mr Google if there was any scientific evidence as to why people are rude and bad mannered. Goodness me there are a lot of experts on the matter. The general thinking is that as we get older, the frontal lobe of the brain starts to deteriorate and can impair executive thinking. Well, I’m no expert but I think it’s simpler than that.

I think rude and badmannered people are born that way. They come out with a scowl, the wind changes and they stay like that for the rest of their life.

As someone once said “Rude people go around the world like it’s their personal footstool and everyone in it is just there to polish their boots”.

I won’t have anyone known for their rudeness and bad manners in my circle of friends. I don’t tolerate that kind of behaviour and I have become even more resolute about it as I have aged.

One bad egg in a club or an organisation can destroy it. I have seen groups nearly fall apart

because of the toxic behaviour of an individual. It must not be allowed and should be dealt with swifty. The membership of an organisation should not be at risk because of one person.

If I felt obliged to leave a club because of the unacceptable behaviour of someone, I would hold the office holders of that club responsible. Part of their duty is to look after my welfare within that organisation.

This little rant of mine has been prompted by a couple of incidents of bad manners that I experienced only this weekend.

On Saturday, I was looking after front of house duties for a concert, when one of the staff noticed a man sitting in the auditorium whom we suspected did not have a ticket. I went and asked him if he did have a ticket and he became very belligerent. He told me he had driven his wife [who was involved in the concert] over from Wellington, he didn’t want to be there, he had no

intention of buying a ticket and if I didn’t like it, he would go and wait in the car.

I suggested to him that maybe he should have considered talking to us at the front desk first before assuming he could just walk in. Every other person coming through the door had paid $25. I then asked him if he thought it would be okay if anyone who had driven someone to the concert could do the same. He sat with his arms folded refusing to answer me. As I walked away, I told him I thought he was being very rude. Five minutes later he stomped through the foyer exclaiming in a loud voice for other patrons to hear, that it was “bloody

ridiculous”.

We never saw him again.

Then on Sunday, we were at a private function and I was asked to say a few words. As I got up to speak, a woman standing nearby turned to the person next to her and said “I can’t stand that man”. Unfortunately for her, my wife was standing on the other side of the recipient of this message and heard the whole thing. And of course, she told me. “Don’t say anything,” she said. Oh! You should know me better than that my darling.

I located the woman and had a quiet word. “If you are going to tell someone that you can’t stand me, it might pay to make sure my wife isn’t in earshot,” I

told her. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said.

Now I’m not sure if she was sorry that she had said it or sorry that she had been caught. I suspect the latter, but I told her she should be apologising to my wife, not to me and I escorted her over to my wife for said apology.

But what’s really funny about this incident is that around three years ago, the same woman told my wife what a horrible person Graeme Burnard was, not realising she was telling Graeme Burnard’s wife. One can deduce two things from this. 1, her behaviour hasn’t improved in the past three years and 2, nor has my reputation.

Oh the joys [and the perils] of living in a small town.

The valley habitat project

“New Zealand falcons fly through this valley,” said Alison Dye, her eyes lifted to the grassy hillside which forms one edge of the lower part of the valley.

“Bats fly through this valley. All sorts of native species use this valley as a corridor. What we want, is to return it to a habitat where they’ll want to stay.”

Dye is the co-ordinator of the Upper Mangatārere Catchment Community Group [CCG], which formed less than a year ago, but already has a clear sense of purpose and has found a way to work with the range of interests, abilities and motivations within their group.

There’s a farming family involved, a few smallholders, and several members with bush blocks of varying sizes who want to retain or restore the native vegetation.

A stream walk led by WaiP2Ks water technician Tessa Bunny found a promising variety of macroinvertebrates and both species of eels. Water testing found good clarity

in the upper reaches of the stream nearest the Tararua Ranges although this became somewhat more murky as it approached the Carterton end.

“We want to reduce the water temperature and increase the clarity by planting the banks,” said Dye.

The group plans to initially plant small shrubby species to bring in the birds, then use this cover to help larger trees such as rata, rewarewa and tōtara get established. People share eco-sourced seedlings to speed up nature’s revegetation.

“We plan to start small, in areas that we can access and manage,” said Dye. “We’ll plant in places where

there’s already some cover then spread out from there.”

Support from the QE2 Trust has helped covenant some original bush with rimu, rata and mistletoe.

The native plant, animal and insect species in the valley has not only been compromised by forestry and farming, but also by a population of pestanimal species. Kittens that have survived the horrors of being dumped by the roadside have gone on to produce colonies of wild cats. Rats, mustelids, possums, goats, deer and

but they are working on a more co-ordinated and cohesive approach with the help of John Bissell of Backblocks Environmental Management Ltd and WaiP2K’s predator control consultant. Later this year Bissell will do a “valley walk” to get an overview of the area, then help any keen CCG come up with a pest-control plan.

Not everybody in the group is into trapping, and not everyone in the group is into planting, but it’s a testament to the group’s inclusive approach that each family or individual

in the different motivations of the members of the CCG.

“Johnny, the farmer, wants his children to be able to safely swim in our rivers and creeks,” said Dye. “Others want to bring back the birds or restore the native bush which brought us to the valley in the first place. And there are some really special things here, like a population of native snails and different types of skinks and geckos.

“We all celebrate the native species and are proud to be part of looking after our valley.”

The Wairarapa groups to put a spotlight

Ali Mackisack Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa Alliance [WaiP2K]

Jack [10], Harry [7], Angus [5] and George [4] McFadzean, and Alison Dye [catchment group co-ordinator] check out macroinvertebrates in the Mangatarere Stream

Mangatarere resident Laura McFadzean and Tessa Bunny [WaiP2K] testing the water clarity. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

Help with benefits A-Z

for and be more able to engage from a position of confidence with government departments.

Lifestyle

There are lots of Work and Income benefits for people who need help in Aotearoa New Zealand, but it can be hard to know which ones you are eligible for. BenefitMe helps you find out what you are eligible for and what happens if things in your life change.

BenefitMe is not a government website. It was created to get back to the core of social security – providing a safety net for those who need it. It is essential that everyone feels safe, empowered and supported to get help when they need it. Governments exist for the benefit of the people and communities they serve. So how did we get to a point where it has become so difficult, traumatic and even shameful to seek help when we’re at our most vulnerable?

BenefitMe is a community effort to put some power back into the hands of the public, so anyone can find the support and services they’re legally eligible

BenefitMe is an initiative by the Digital Aotearoa Collective [DAC], a civil society group committed to addressing injustice and improving well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is a list of A-Z benefits and payments you can get from Work and Income if you are eligible. We have set out below the sections from A to O and will continue the list in part two.

NB: “We” in the text below relates to Work and Income. If you have any questions regarding BenefitMe, please telephone Citizen’s Advice Bureau on 377-0078.

Accommodation Supplement

A weekly payment which helps people with their rent, board or the cost of owning a home.

Advance Payment of Benefit

A one-off payment to help you pay an essential or emergency cost if you can’t pay it another way.

Apprenticeship Boost

A payment to help employers keep and take on new apprentices.

Away from Home Allowance

A weekly payment which helps carers with the living costs for 16- or 17-yearolds who are living away from home while on a tertiary or training course. We pay the allowance to the carer of the young person.

Business Training and Advice Grant

If you’re starting your own business, we may be able to help with developing a business plan, training in business skills, advice and project reports.

Child Disability Allowance

A fortnightly payment made to the main carer of a child or young person with a serious disability. It is paid in recognition of the extra care and attention needed for that child.

Childcare Subsidy

A payment that helps families with the cost of pre-school childcare.

Christchurch Mosques Attack Payment

If you can’t earn enough income to pay for the things you and your family need, and you’re affected by the attacks, we may be able to help.

Civil Defence Payment

When there’s an emergency event [eg flooding or an earthquake], we may make Civil Defence payments available. If you’ve been affected and these payments are available, you may be able to get one.

Civilian Amputee Assistance

Civilian Amputee Assistance helps amputees, or those born without a limb[s], with some of their costs when they need to go to an Artificial Limb Centre.

Clothing Allowance for Orphan’s Benefit and Unsupported Child’s Benefit

A weekly payment we give you if you get Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit for children in your care, to help you pay for their clothing.

Community Costs

A weekly payment which helps people in a shortterm residential treatment programme meet their essential ongoing costs in the community.

Community Services Card

This card can help you and your family with the costs of health care. This means you could pay less on some health services and

prescriptions. Always carry your card with you to make it easy to get the benefits.

Course Participation Assistance

We may be able to help with the costs of going to a short-term course or programme that helps you gain specific employment skills.

Disability Allowance

A weekly payment for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability. These could be visits to the doctor or hospital, medicines, extra clothing or travel.

Early Learning Payment

Helps pay the costs of Early Childhood Education for children aged 18 months to three years. These children need to be from families enrolled in selected Family Start or Early Start Programmes.

Emergency Benefit

If you can’t support yourself and don’t qualify for any other payment, you may be able to get the Emergency Benefit.

Emergency Maintenance Allowance

Assistance that may be paid to solo parents who do not qualify for any other payments.

Employment Transition Assistance

A weekly payment you can get if you’ve completed a Supported Living Payment Employment Trial.

Establishment Grant

A one-off payment to carers of someone else’s child to help with the costs when a child first comes into their care, eg a bed, bedding and clothing.

Extraordinary Care Fund

You can apply if a child you care for shows promise in

a skill or talent, or because they are experiencing difficulties and need extra support. To qualify you need to get the Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit.

Flexi-wage – job seeker information

One of the ways we’re supporting more New Zealanders into work, by helping you get the skills you need for the job, and supporting more employers to hire staff.

Flexi-wage for selfemployment

One of the ways we’re supporting more New Zealanders into work. We can help you start your own business and help with costs while you get started.

Flexible Childcare Assistance

If you’re a sole parent and you’re working during

times when childcare programmes are closed, eg weekends or nights, we may be able to help with childcare costs during these times.

Funeral Grant

This can help with some of the funeral costs of someone who has died.

Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment

If you’re under 20 and in fulltime education, training or work-based learning, you may be able to get the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment [GCAP] to assist with the cost of childcare.

Holiday and Birthday Allowance

You automatically get the Holiday and Birthday Allowance if you already get Unsupported Child’s Benefit or Orphan’s Benefit. Use these payments to celebrate important events in the child’s life, like their birthday or Christmas.

Home Help

If you’re a parent or carer we may be able to help you with the cost of home help to complete household tasks or training in parenting skills.

International Custody Dispute Payment

If you’re a parent involved in an international custody or access dispute over the care of your child or children, and you have limited financial support, we may be able to help you.

Jobseeker Support

A weekly payment that helps people while they are looking for work or can’t work right now.

Leave Support Scheme

The Covid-19 Leave Support Scheme [used to be Covid-19 Essential Workers Leave Support] is available for employers, including sole traders, to pay their employees who can’t work.

Mainstream programmes

If you have a disability or health condition, including a mental health condition or neurodiversity, and you want to work, you can apply to join one of our Mainstream programmes. The programmes can help you get into paid work and support you towards getting a long-term job.

Mana in Mahi – Strength in Work

Take part in Mana in Mahi to get paid while you train to do a job you love.

New Employment Transition Grant

A payment which helps people who are no longer on a benefit and who can’t work because of sickness or a breakdown in childcare arrangements.

New Zealand Seasonal Work Scheme

Get help with costs like travel, clothing or temporarily moving home, when you’re starting seasonal horticulture or viticulture work.

New Zealand Superannuation

A fortnightly payment for people aged 65 and over.

Orphan’s Benefit

A weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents have died or can’t be found, or can’t look after them because they have a serious longterm health condition or incapacity.

Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR)

Subsidy

A payment which helps families with the costs of before and after school care for up to 20 hours a week, and school holiday programmes for up to 50 hours a week.

• We have Justices of the Peace available at our office on most days – please ring first to see what hours they are in attendance (06) 377 0078.

Lifestyle

WAIRARAPA

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Help with benefits A-Z

for and be more able to engage from a position of confidence with government departments.

Lifestyle

There are lots of Work and Income benefits for people who need help in Aotearoa New Zealand, but it can be hard to know which ones you are eligible for. BenefitMe helps you find out what you are eligible for and what happens if things in your life change.

BenefitMe is not a government website. It was created to get back to the core of social security – providing a safety net for those who need it. It is essential that everyone feels safe, empowered and supported to get help when they need it. Governments exist for the benefit of the people and communities they serve. So how did we get to a point where it has become so difficult, traumatic and even shameful to seek help when we’re at our most vulnerable?

BenefitMe is a community effort to put some power back into the hands of the public, so anyone can find the support and services they’re legally eligible

BenefitMe is an initiative by the Digital Aotearoa Collective [DAC], a civil society group committed to addressing injustice and improving well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is a list of A-Z benefits and payments you can get from Work and Income if you are eligible. We have set out below the sections from A to O and will continue the list in part two.

NB: “We” in the text below relates to Work and Income. If you have any questions regarding BenefitMe, please telephone Citizen’s Advice Bureau on 377-0078.

Accommodation Supplement

A weekly payment which helps people with their rent, board or the cost of owning a home.

Advance Payment of Benefit

A one-off payment to help you pay an essential or emergency cost if you can’t pay it another way.

Apprenticeship Boost

A payment to help employers keep and take on new apprentices.

Away from Home Allowance

A weekly payment which helps carers with the living costs for 16- or 17-yearolds who are living away from home while on a tertiary or training course. We pay the allowance to the carer of the young person.

Business Training and Advice Grant

If you’re starting your own business, we may be able to help with developing a business plan, training in business skills, advice and project reports.

Child Disability Allowance

A fortnightly payment made to the main carer of a child or young person with a serious disability. It is paid in recognition of the extra care and attention needed for that child.

Childcare Subsidy

A payment that helps families with the cost of pre-school childcare.

Christchurch Mosques Attack Payment

If you can’t earn enough income to pay for the things you and your family need, and you’re affected by the attacks, we may be able to help.

Civil Defence Payment

When there’s an emergency event [eg flooding or an earthquake], we may make Civil Defence payments available. If you’ve been affected and these payments are available, you may be able to get one.

Civilian Amputee Assistance

Civilian Amputee Assistance helps amputees, or those born without a limb[s], with some of their costs when they need to go to an Artificial Limb Centre.

Clothing Allowance for Orphan’s Benefit and Unsupported Child’s Benefit

A weekly payment we give you if you get Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit for children in your care, to help you pay for their clothing.

Community Costs

A weekly payment which helps people in a shortterm residential treatment programme meet their essential ongoing costs in the community.

Community Services Card

This card can help you and your family with the costs of health care. This means you could pay less on some health services and

prescriptions. Always carry your card with you to make it easy to get the benefits.

Course Participation Assistance

We may be able to help with the costs of going to a short-term course or programme that helps you gain specific employment skills.

Disability Allowance

A weekly payment for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability. These could be visits to the doctor or hospital, medicines, extra clothing or travel.

Early Learning Payment

Helps pay the costs of Early Childhood Education for children aged 18 months to three years. These children need to be from families enrolled in selected Family Start or Early Start Programmes.

Emergency Benefit

If you can’t support yourself and don’t qualify for any other payment, you may be able to get the Emergency Benefit.

Emergency Maintenance Allowance

Assistance that may be paid to solo parents who do not qualify for any other payments.

Employment Transition Assistance

A weekly payment you can get if you’ve completed a Supported Living Payment Employment Trial.

Establishment Grant

A one-off payment to carers of someone else’s child to help with the costs when a child first comes into their care, eg a bed, bedding and clothing.

Extraordinary Care Fund

You can apply if a child you care for shows promise in

a skill or talent, or because they are experiencing difficulties and need extra support. To qualify you need to get the Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit.

Flexi-wage – job seeker information

One of the ways we’re supporting more New Zealanders into work, by helping you get the skills you need for the job, and supporting more employers to hire staff.

Flexi-wage for selfemployment

One of the ways we’re supporting more New Zealanders into work. We can help you start your own business and help with costs while you get started.

Flexible Childcare Assistance

If you’re a sole parent and you’re working during

times when childcare programmes are closed, eg weekends or nights, we may be able to help with childcare costs during these times.

Funeral Grant

This can help with some of the funeral costs of someone who has died.

Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment

If you’re under 20 and in fulltime education, training or work-based learning, you may be able to get the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment [GCAP] to assist with the cost of childcare.

Holiday and Birthday Allowance

You automatically get the Holiday and Birthday Allowance if you already get Unsupported Child’s Benefit or Orphan’s Benefit. Use these payments to celebrate important events in the child’s life, like their birthday or Christmas.

Home Help

If you’re a parent or carer we may be able to help you with the cost of home help to complete household tasks or training in parenting skills.

International Custody Dispute Payment

If you’re a parent involved in an international custody or access dispute over the care of your child or children, and you have limited financial support, we may be able to help you.

Jobseeker Support

A weekly payment that helps people while they are looking for work or can’t work right now.

Leave Support Scheme

The Covid-19 Leave Support Scheme [used to be Covid-19 Essential Workers Leave Support] is available for employers, including sole traders, to pay their employees who can’t work.

Mainstream programmes

If you have a disability or health condition, including a mental health condition or neurodiversity, and you want to work, you can apply to join one of our Mainstream programmes. The programmes can help you get into paid work and support you towards getting a long-term job.

Mana in Mahi – Strength in Work

Take part in Mana in Mahi to get paid while you train to do a job you love.

New Employment Transition Grant

A payment which helps people who are no longer on a benefit and who can’t work because of sickness or a breakdown in childcare arrangements.

New Zealand Seasonal Work Scheme

Get help with costs like travel, clothing or temporarily moving home, when you’re starting seasonal horticulture or viticulture work.

New Zealand Superannuation

A fortnightly payment for people aged 65 and over.

Orphan’s Benefit

A weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents have died or can’t be found, or can’t look after them because they have a serious longterm health condition or incapacity.

Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR)

Subsidy

A payment which helps families with the costs of before and after school care for up to 20 hours a week, and school holiday programmes for up to 50 hours a week.

• We have Justices of the Peace available at our office on most days – please ring first to see what hours they are in attendance (06) 377 0078.

Lifestyle

WAIRARAPA

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Lifestyle

A world of wondrous things

Midweek Musings

Tim Nelson

The world is full of wonderful things. Unfortunately, we don’t always open our eyes to see what is around us, or take the time to find out about the incredible things that have the ability to amaze us when we pay attention and find out about them.

It is easy to “stay in our lane” noticing only what we are used to seeing when, in fact, there is so much more to appreciate with awe and wonder.

Take, for example, a kangaroo. Over the past two weeks I have seen these strangely fabulous animals in the wild for the first time. I came across one literally on my path during an outing in Australia over the weekend. Imagine seeing one of these animals for the first time if you didn’t know they existed! We don’t even need to be in places to appreciate things. My favourite YouTube channel is Geography Now. Paul, the host, and his sidekicks are working through every country in the world, sharing facts about each in

a very informative, funny and interesting way.

Almost all countries covered I haven’t been to, but I still feel some sort of connection to them just by watching the videos.

Take a walk outside your house and you’ll see incredible things on your own doorstep: a building built over 100 years ago; a tree shaped like a love heart; a beautiful sunset … the more you look, the more you will see.

Can it be done at home?

I am fortunate to be travelling overseas on a work sabbatical. I have been in Bali and am now in Perth. During my travels I have shared many posts on social media with photos of the experiences I have had.

Eventually I’ll be back home and the social media posts will stop. When I am back I will no doubt see social media posts shared by others who are having similar types of experiences in other places around the globe.

Thinking of the places I have been and experiences I have had so far, there are many that are similar

in a lot of ways to what I could be doing on my own doorstep.

An example is the pinnacles we visited north of Perth today; this was an awesome experience, but it’s one that is similar to visiting the pinnacles in South Wairarapa.

For a Seminyak sunset, there are beautiful sunsets on the Wairarapa coast; for a walk in a national park in Yanchep, I have the option of the Tararua Forest Park just a 15-minute drive from my front door in Masterton; and for a delicious meal in an Ubud restaurant, I will have the option of an awesome dining experience at Mt Holdsworth Pizza when I get back home.

There is no doubt that going to other places is a wonderful thing to do, and I am certainly enjoying my time away. However, this will come to an end, but when it does I will know that there will be plenty of fabulous experiences to come in my own backyard. Look around in wonder I just read a chapter of the School of Life book Reasons to be Hopeful The chapter is titled ‘The Beauty of Industry’.

It celebrates the incredible achievements of things we barely notice, despite them being in our

faces every day: a bridge over a gorge; a tunnel under a river; an elevator; a simple door handle … all, when you stop to think about them, wonderful feats of design and engineering that really are quite impressive, and make our lives easier in many ways.

I remember once seeing a documentary about ancient Rome. It highlighted things like the aqueduct and the colosseum, incredible feats of construction for the time. Perhaps we should look more closely at what is being created now, that is impressive in today’s terms with equal wonder, appreciation and respect.

Small pleasures

Something we need to be reminded about, is the importance of small pleasures in our lives. Too often we seem to feel the only pleasures in life are those huge things; the overseas trips, the major purchases, the big promotions. However, to live a truly fulfilling life we need to recognise the value of small pleasures, those things that can happen on any day with only a little

[or no] planning involved. In my own life small pleasures are varied:

• The smell of a new book

• Arriving in a cafe and seeing the day’s newspaper available to read

• Running on a trail in the rain

• The smell of coffee

We should all take a moment to recognise the small pleasures in our lives. It won’t take too much time to realise that our days are full of them.

• 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.

National flock ratio drops to historic low

For the first time in 170 years, the country’s sheep-to-people ratio has dropped below 5:1.

Stats NZ said there are fewer dairy cattle, sheep, and deer in New Zealand’s paddocks, according to the final results of the five-yearly Agricultural Production Census 2022, published last week. It said the ratio of sheep to people dropped below 5:1 in 2022 for the first time since the 1850s when national sheep numbers were first recorded.

Stats NZ general manager of economic and environment insights Jason Attewell said that in 1982, New Zealand’s sheep-to-human ratio famously sat at 22:1.

The 2022 survey of farming production and practices found small decreases in the national dairy herd and sheep

flock totalled 25.3 million in June 2022. Attewell said this was a drop of 400,000 sheep compared with the previous year, representing a two per cent decrease.

“Despite total sheep numbers continuing to fall, there were 22 million lambs tailed in the 2021 to 2022 year, still a substantial number.”

Wairarapa Federated Farmers president David Hayes said he wasn’t surprised by the news: “It’s been on a trend down for a good while.”

He said there are many issues that could play into the falling flock numbers, including economic shifts, market demand, environmental factors, the regulatory environment, farm consolidation, and, especially, carbon farming.

“Carbon farming and the effects on the profitability of hill country farming compared to an

Hayes said land use changes on farms could also be driving the decrease in sheep.

“[Some farmers] are planting pine trees in the areas that they think they will get high-value lumber – that’s land they think will be easily accessible, not the land out the back that you can’t get to – and they will be managing the number of sheep versus cattle.”

It’s not known how many Wairarapa farmers will be downsizing, he said, but “you could easily see that with the average age of farmers getting older and older”.

Hayes said the price of wool is sitting at a similar dollar value as it was 20 years ago.

According to PGG Wrightson’s latest auction report, goodquality crossbred fleece wool is bringing in an average of $3.10 per kilogram in the North

Winter grazing management focuses on transferring autumn and winter grown pasture into early spring to achieve target average pasture cover (APC) at calving. This allows us to meet the feed requirements of the milking herd. The Spring Rotation Planner is a great tool to manage the transition from winter to spring and help ensure appropriate covers are achieved.

COUNTRY LIVESTOCK

Report for Week Ending

26 May 2023

Feeder calves

Simmentel x Red Poll

Heifer x1 @60

Sheep

Ewes 6@70, 10@157, 2@140, 7@76, 7@150, 8@130

Lambs 2@76, 4@126, 9@102, 2@80, 8@72, 2@82, 4@100, 3@105

Cattle

Yearling Angus X Heifers 3@850

Yearling Steer Angus X 2@875

Weaner Bull Angus X 1@530

Weaner Heifer Angus X 2@770

Puppies

I found a new home, 2 still available

Weathering the storm in our minds

RuralAlthough the number of people seeking mental health support through their general practitioner has jumped 30 per cent in Hawke’s Bay since Cyclone Gabrielle, Te Whatu Ora has not reported an upward trend for Wairarapa.

However, mental health professionals are still seeing high demand for help.

“While numbers of referrals fluctuate monthon-month, MHAIDS services in Wairarapa have not observed an increase in referrals after Cyclone Gabriell,” said

Paul Oxnam, executive and clinical director of Te Whatu Ora mental health, addiction, and intellectual disability service [MHAIDS].

“Referrals can come from a number of sources, including GPs, non-government organisations, and other healthcare providers. He acknowledged, however, that there is a two-month lag between referral and treatment.

Oxnam said the latest data showed Wairarapa people are waiting an average of 25.4 days for an initial face-to-face appointment, although this figure does not reflect the number of people referred urgently and

seen within a few days.

East Coast Rural Support Trust Wairarapa area coordinator and clinical psychologist Sarah Donaldson said it is hard to separate normal demand from the cyclone because they are still responding to it.

“It has increased from the cyclone because sometimes it brings other things to a head.”

Donaldson said there has also been a “steady stream” of requests for support in the past few years. The Rural Support Trust offers free and confidential support to those in need.

Donaldson said she and her team can visit

people on their farm or meet them in town and confidentially sit down and chat about their challenges and try and work out a plan to help.

“We’re out and about, but it’s also about trying to help with practical solutions: what else do you need practically that’s going to help take the pressure off you emotionally.”

The trust has been recommending people talk to their GP, especially if they’re not sleeping.

Donaldson said it is also important people keep their “eyes and ears open for each other” to get through winter.

“We want to come

through winter with people still here and okay.”

She said if fatigue is getting people down, they should make sure they take breaks and reset.

ChangeAbility manager Jeremy Logan said although it’s not directly attributable to Cyclone Gabrielle, his practice has been seeing an increase in referrals. As if to illustrate his point, while speaking to the Times-Age Logan received two new referrals within about eight minutes.

ChangeAbility is receiving about five referrals a day, and the service has a waitlist of about a month, he said.

“We’re finding an increase in referrals for people with mental health issues and the increased complexity of issues people are turning up with.”

Logan said about half the counselling service’s work is to do with family violence, which he said will increase with financial pressure and other adverse factors.

The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said social isolation as a result of distance is an important factor in the mental health and well-being of rural people.

“Geographic isolation can also affect access to mental health services: the closest mental health service may be several hours’ drive away.”

The college also noted a culture of self-reliance in rural areas can make people reluctant to seek help.

“Additionally, there can be considerable stigma attached to mental illness, even more so than in cities.

“Therefore, patients in rural areas are often less likely to report mental health problems,” Logan said.

Although the college said this information applied specifically to rural communities in

Australia, it confirmed it applies to New Zealand’s rural communities too.

Donaldson said even though people have been struggling, it is important to note that, for the most part, people in floodaffected areas have felt supported.

“They haven’t always felt like they have been recognised as much as the other areas, but they have said they have had amazing support from their community and the wider community.”

The fact that people cared and were prepared to support others “I think has been massively protective”.

Donaldson said feeling pressured or low after an event like Cyclone Gabrielle is to be expected.

“Yeah, you’re having a normal response to something abnormal that has happened.”

After Cyclone Gabrielle, Dr Lauren Vinnell –lecturer of emergency management at Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research –said the recovery from the cyclone will take a long time.

“Many people will still require mental health support while processing this event, as well as dealing with ongoing challenges such

as insurance claims, rebuilding, relocating, and coping with lost livelihoods.”

Vinnell said it is crucial services are available as widely as possible and appropriate for the people engaging with them – and that they reach people who are usually less likely to reach out for help.

• If you or someone you know is struggling, Rural Support Trust can be reached for free and confidentially on 0800 787 254.

Social isolation as a result of distance is an important factor in the mental health and well-being of rural people. PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Grace Prior grace.prior@xtra.co.nz

Weathering the storm in our minds

RuralAlthough the number of people seeking mental health support through their general practitioner has jumped 30 per cent in Hawke’s Bay since Cyclone Gabrielle, Te Whatu Ora has not reported an upward trend for Wairarapa.

However, mental health professionals are still seeing high demand for help.

“While numbers of referrals fluctuate monthon-month, MHAIDS services in Wairarapa have not observed an increase in referrals after Cyclone Gabriell,” said

Paul Oxnam, executive and clinical director of Te Whatu Ora mental health, addiction, and intellectual disability service [MHAIDS].

“Referrals can come from a number of sources, including GPs, non-government organisations, and other healthcare providers. He acknowledged, however, that there is a two-month lag between referral and treatment.

Oxnam said the latest data showed Wairarapa people are waiting an average of 25.4 days for an initial face-to-face appointment, although this figure does not reflect the number of people referred urgently and

seen within a few days.

East Coast Rural Support Trust Wairarapa area coordinator and clinical psychologist Sarah Donaldson said it is hard to separate normal demand from the cyclone because they are still responding to it.

“It has increased from the cyclone because sometimes it brings other things to a head.”

Donaldson said there has also been a “steady stream” of requests for support in the past few years. The Rural Support Trust offers free and confidential support to those in need.

Donaldson said she and her team can visit

people on their farm or meet them in town and confidentially sit down and chat about their challenges and try and work out a plan to help.

“We’re out and about, but it’s also about trying to help with practical solutions: what else do you need practically that’s going to help take the pressure off you emotionally.”

The trust has been recommending people talk to their GP, especially if they’re not sleeping.

Donaldson said it is also important people keep their “eyes and ears open for each other” to get through winter.

“We want to come

through winter with people still here and okay.”

She said if fatigue is getting people down, they should make sure they take breaks and reset.

ChangeAbility manager Jeremy Logan said although it’s not directly attributable to Cyclone Gabrielle, his practice has been seeing an increase in referrals. As if to illustrate his point, while speaking to the Times-Age Logan received two new referrals within about eight minutes.

ChangeAbility is receiving about five referrals a day, and the service has a waitlist of about a month, he said.

“We’re finding an increase in referrals for people with mental health issues and the increased complexity of issues people are turning up with.”

Logan said about half the counselling service’s work is to do with family violence, which he said will increase with financial pressure and other adverse factors.

The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said social isolation as a result of distance is an important factor in the mental health and well-being of rural people.

“Geographic isolation can also affect access to mental health services: the closest mental health service may be several hours’ drive away.”

The college also noted a culture of self-reliance in rural areas can make people reluctant to seek help.

“Additionally, there can be considerable stigma attached to mental illness, even more so than in cities.

“Therefore, patients in rural areas are often less likely to report mental health problems,” Logan said.

Although the college said this information applied specifically to rural communities in

Australia, it confirmed it applies to New Zealand’s rural communities too.

Donaldson said even though people have been struggling, it is important to note that, for the most part, people in floodaffected areas have felt supported.

“They haven’t always felt like they have been recognised as much as the other areas, but they have said they have had amazing support from their community and the wider community.”

The fact that people cared and were prepared to support others “I think has been massively protective”.

Donaldson said feeling pressured or low after an event like Cyclone Gabrielle is to be expected.

“Yeah, you’re having a normal response to something abnormal that has happened.”

After Cyclone Gabrielle, Dr Lauren Vinnell –lecturer of emergency management at Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research –said the recovery from the cyclone will take a long time.

“Many people will still require mental health support while processing this event, as well as dealing with ongoing challenges such

as insurance claims, rebuilding, relocating, and coping with lost livelihoods.”

Vinnell said it is crucial services are available as widely as possible and appropriate for the people engaging with them – and that they reach people who are usually less likely to reach out for help.

• If you or someone you know is struggling, Rural Support Trust can be reached for free and confidentially on 0800 787 254.

Social isolation as a result of distance is an important factor in the mental health and well-being of rural people. PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Grace Prior grace.prior@xtra.co.nz

Jim McBride Painting & Decorating Ltd

Jim McBride specialises in all interior and exterior domestic painting, as well as wallpapering. A registered Master Painter with MPNZ, Jim has over 40 years’ experience in the trade. As a one-man business, Jim does all the painting and wallpapering himself, taking pride in every job he completes.

Jim is available for work in the near future, so now is the time to give him a call.

Wairarapa Treescaping –prunings, parks, powerlines and more

Wairarapa Treescaping Ltd, established in 2013 provides high quality, cost-e ective services - tree removals, pruning, crown lifting, section clearing, stump grinding, chipping, tra c management, and more. The business’s quali ed team of arborists includes assessors to train

apprentices, has a strong focus on health and safety, and is available on call 24/7.

Wairarapa Treescaping holds the Masterton District Council contract for all its arborist work, and it is an approved Powerco contractor for clearing vegetation around power lines.

For

call Jim on 021

The business is locally owned and a committed sponsor of local sports and community groups. The business is excited to welcome aboard new shareholders and co-directors: Harley Kaipo and Sam Hill. Harley has 18 years’ experience in the industry. And Sam is your rst point of call in the o ce. 0800 WaiTree (924 8733) office@waitreescaping.nz www.waitreescaping.nz

LAWN

YOU GROW IT - WE MOW IT

Based in Masterton covering all of Wairarapa

DWAYNE STEPHENS: 022 586 4793 stephens.rescue@yardservices.co.nz www.yardservices.co.nz

LAWN MOWING

• Lawn Mowing

• Hedge Trimming

• Green Waste Removal

• Scrub Cutting

• Weed Control

• Water Blasting

• Garden Tidy ups

For a free quote call Simon on 021 026 78300

We are a dustless mobile surface preparation company that services the entire Wairarapa region.

Automotive • Residential

Be Warm this Winter with a

Jumbo crossword

Sudoku

Last week’s crossword solution

ACROSS: 1 Measles, 4 Underneath, 9 Traders, 13 Need, 14 Zealot, 15 Latvia, 16 Candles, 19 Adulterate, 20 Pacifism, 21 Defer, 24 Extras, 25 Arcade, 27 Operating, 32 Deceased, 33 Climax, 34 Smacked, 38 Nautical, 39 Guided, 40 Dais, 41 Fixed, 42 Twins, 45 Know for certain, 52 Padre, 55 Mitre, 56 Kiwi, 57 Aerial, 58 Fuselage, 61 Reneged, 62 Stalls, 63 Skeleton, 66 Eyelashes, 68 Budget, 69 Teapot, 73 Decay, 74 Waterlog, 76 Salamander, 81 Remnant, 82 Trauma, 83 Height, 84 Smog, 85 Gladden, 86 Glittering, 87 Monocle.

DOWN: 1 Mania, 2 Adequate, 3 Sherry, 4 Unlit, 5 Duty, 6 Relapse, 7 Entice, 8 Thief, 10 Real, 11 Dudgeon, 12 Reeked, 17 Strategies, 18 Tsars, 22 Dandruff, 23 Stump, 24 Extinct, 26 Rash, 28 Plaudit, 29 Remark, 30 Riddle, 31 Meteor, 33 Cedar, 35 China, 36 Fuji, 37 Fiji, 43 Writer, 44 Nerve, 46 Nail, 47 Whistle, 48 Oracle, 49 Corps, 50 Rhapsody, 51 Nausea, 52 Phenomenal, 53 Deal, 54 Elegant, 59 Jelly, 60 Cede, 64 Assay, 65 Epidemic, 67 Yearned, 68 Baggage, 70 Reveal, 71 Flaunt, 72 Fathom, 75 Enrol, 77 Axing, 78 Rogue, 79 Once, 80 Thai.

Insert the missing letters to complete ten words — five across the grid and five down.

solution may be possible.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

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: 7.159pm, 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.

Danzability Class: 11am-noon, at Studio 73, Greytown. Call physio

Rachel Horwell [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 Thurs/Fri/Tues, 10am-3pm, 80 Underhill Rd, Featherston. Email: registrations@farehamcreativespace.

nz Featherston Menz Shed: 61

Fitzherbert St, open from 6.30pm.

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: Greytown

Library 11am-1pm; Martinborough

Library 11am-1pm.

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 David [021] 246-0295.

Wairarapa Fern and Thistle Pipe Band: Weekly practice, Masterton Brass Bandrooms, Park Ave, Masterton. Email fernandthistle21@ gmail.com

Wairarapa Model Aero Club: 9amnoon, 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, JUNE 2

Aratoi: Print Council of New Zealand to June 4; Have the Most Fun You Can Before They Make You Stop: A Retrospective of Carol Anne Bauer to July 9; Our Moon: Then, Now & Beyond to July 16; 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.

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

Greytown Music and Movement

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

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

1.30-4.30pm.

Kids Song & Story: 9.30-10.30am, social hour for preschool children and their caregivers, Epiphany Church hall, High St, Masterton. Pam Thomas 378-6740.

Masterton Croquet Club: Golf Croquet 9.15am behind the Hosking Garden in the park. Call Russell Ward 377-4401.

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.

Spontaneous Dance: Kiwi Hall, Featherston, 6.30-8pm. Call Pavla Miller [022] 075-3867.

Sunset Cinema: Carterton Events Centre, Rangatahi Hub. Doors open 7pm, movie starts 7.30pm. Info at sunsetcinemacarterton.com

Wairarapa Kids Choir: Choral singing for children aged seven years up,

3.50-4.50pm, Courthouse, Holloway St, Carterton. Call Jill [027] 347-5891.

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

Walk and Talk Meet outside Dish

Cafe, First St, Masterton, 9.30am.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

Carrington Bowling Club: 57 High St, Carterton, behind clock tower.

Coaching available if you would like to give bowls a go. Call Pauline [027] 406-6728.

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

Featherston Fusiliers: Wargaming and boardgames club, meet at Featherston Assembly of God cafeteria, 22 Birdwood St, 10am4.30pm. Contact featherston. fusiliers@gmail.com

Featherston Heritage Museum: Behind the Featherston Library and Information Centre. Sat/Sun 10am-

2pm, other times by arrangement.

Call Elsa [021] 263-9403.

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, 10amnoon.

Lions Book Sale: 9am-1pm, Solway Showgrounds, Judds Rd, Masterton, under the grandstand.

Martinborough Men’s Shed Old Courthouse, 20 Cork St, 9am-noon. Call John [021] 314-2485.

Martinborough Museum: Open Sat/ 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, 8am start, at the Woodside end of the Greytown rail trail. Info: parkrun.co.nz/ greytownwoodsidetrail

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: 9am1pm, Solway Showgrounds, Judds Rd, Masterton.

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

Wairarapa Spinners and Weavers: 10.30am-2pm, in the Wool Shed, Dixon St, Masterton. Call Trish 3788775 or Lynette 377-0236.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

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: 7-11.30am, 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 [027] 628-5889 or [027] 453-0182.

Wairarapa Model Aero Club: 9amnoon, at the Masterton Aerodrome.

MONDAY, JUNE 5

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

Carterton Scottish Dance Club: 7.30pm, at Carterton School Hall, Holloway St. Call Elaine 377-0322.

CCS Disability Action Wairarapa Office: 36 Bannister St, Masterton, 10am-1pm 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.

Clareville Indoor Bowls: 7pm at Tom Bubb Lounge, A&P complex. Call Colleen 379-8399.

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.

Indoor Bowls: 1.30pm, Club Car terton, Broadway, Carterton. Call [027] 645-0905. 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 Branch of the Labour Party: Meet at 6.30pm in Carterton or Masterton. Txt Helen [027] 4974902 to check venue.

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.

Troubadour Music Group: 6-8pm, Wairarapa Community Centre, 41 Perry St, Masterton. Contact Stefan [027] 226-6019.

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, JUNE 6

Annual Shop: Wairarapa Spinners and Weavers Guild, 100 Queen St, Masterton, Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 9.30am-1.30pm, to June 17.

Caregivers Programme: Caring for your loved one who is unwell, at Hospice Wairarapa, 59 Renall St, Masterton. Call Kirsten 399-1050. Carrington Bowling Club: 57 High St, Carterton, behind clock tower. Coaching available if you would like to give bowls a go. Call Pauline [027] 406-6728. Carterton District Historical Society: 142 High St North, Carterton, open 2-4pm or by appointment. Call Vivienne 379-5564.

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

Dance Fitness: 6.30-7.30pm, 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.

Featherston Amateur Wrestling Club: Beginners, 5-9 years, 5.306.15pm; 10 years+ [including adults]

6.15-7.30pm.

Featherston Menz Shed: 61 Fitzherbert St, open from 10am. Featherston Toy Library: Featherston Community Centre, 9-11am. 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] 4987261.

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. Knit and Natter: 3pm, Wairarapa Community Centre, Perry St; 7pm, Te Awhina Cameron Community House, 2 Stuart Cres, Masterton. Other handcrafts encouraged. Mah-jong: Carterton RSA, 1pm. Call Margaret 379-8681. 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 377-4401. Masterton Judo Club: Tues/Thurs, youth class 5-6pm, adults 7-8.30pm, Nga Totara Dojo, 205 Ngaumutawa Rd, Masterton. Contact Simon [021] 248-6111. 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. Paint/draw: From live model,10amnoon, at Masterton Art Club, Victoria St. Call Elissa Smith [027] 470-6528. Red Star Table Tennis Club: 9amnoon at Red Star Sports Association 10 Herbert St, Masterton. Call Peter [027] 566-4664 or Brian 377-4066.

Scallyrag Border Morris Dancing 7-8 pm at the Auditorium, Kuranui College, Greytown. Contact Alison [021] 111-1894.

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

South Wairarapa Badminton Club: Featherston Sports Stadium, Underhill Rd, 7.30pm, rackets available.

South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club: Games afternoon. Call Doff 304-9748.

Takahe Probus Club: 10am-noon, at Masterton Club, Chapel St. Call Richard Jackson [027] 811-006 or Pam Hill [027] 370-5012.

Taoist Tai Chi: 6-7.30pm at St Mark’s Church Hall, 185 High St, Carterton. Wairarapa Embroiderers Guild: At the Ranfurly Club Rooms, Chapel St, Masterton. Email Wairarapaembroiderers@gmail.com

Wairarapa Genealogy Branch: Family History Research Rooms, 5 Church St, Masterton, 1-3.30pm. Wairarapa Modern Jive Carterton School hall, 7.15-7.30pm Intermediate workshop; 8-8.45pm Beginners class. Contact Lance [021] 134-5661. Wairarapa Services Club: Cards –Euchre, 1pm, at the club, Essex St, Masterton. Wairarapa Spinners & Weavers: 7pm in The Wool Shed, Dixon St, Masterton. Call Trish 378-8775 or Josie 378-6531.

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, JUNE 7

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 379-6582 or Val 379-8329. Carterton Cycle Group: 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.

GirlGuidingNZ: Masterton Brownies, 7-9½ years, 5.30-7pm. Call Sharon [021] 033-0550. Greytown Menz Shed: 9am-noon. Call Paul Dodge [021] 0262-6595.

Greytown Miniature Makers: 10am-2pm to make small thing in scale. All skill levels. Call Kaylene [06]

304-8532.

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.

Housie: 7pm, at the Martinborough Bowling Club, Regent St. 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.

Martinborough Men’s Shed: Old Courthouse, 20 Cork St, 9am-noon. Call Doug [027] 444-7331.

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

Masterton Croquet Club: Association Croquet 9.15am and 12.45pm behind the Hosking Garden in the park. Call Carl Redvers 3787109.

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

Maungaraki Probus: Masterton Club, Essex St, Masterton, at 10am. Call Judith Thomsen 377-1750 or [021] 295-2434.

Parkinson’s Singing Group: 10am, 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 the stadium meeting room of the Trust House Recreation Centre, 2 Dixon St, Masterton. Phone Sue McRae [027] 449-0601. Silver Ukulele Club 1-3pm, Featherston Community Centre. Call Jan [06] 308-8556.

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

South Wairarapa Caregivers

Programme: Caring for your loved one who is unwell, at a café in South Wairarapa. Call Kirsten 399-1050.

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.

Toi Wairarapa – Heart of Arts: 10 Minute Bites, 12.10pm, BYO sandwich.

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 378-6531.

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, 10.30am-12.30pm. Call Pauline [021] 102 8857.

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

Thursday prior

de su ever yo

Public Notices

HUI

PĀNUI

Ngāi Tūkoko and Ngāti Moe Takutai

Moana Hui

Pāpāwai Marae, 18 Pā Road, Pāpāwai, Greytown

11 am, Saturday 17 June 2023

In April 2017, Kahura Watene filed an application in the High Court pursuant to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 on behalf of Ngāi Tūkoko and Ngāti Moe Hui kaupapa

1. Update on Ngāi Tūkoko and Ngāti Moe’s Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 High Court application.

2. Resolution to confirm representation for Ngāi Tūkoko

3. Resolution to confirm repr esentation for Ngāti Moe

Ngāi Tūkoko and Ngāti Moe rohe moana: From Lake Ferry south to Mataikona (Cape Palliser) and 12 nautical miles seaward from all points along the stated coastline

For information, contact Kahura Watene at 027 891 8431 or Darrell Naden at 021 37 10 37 or darrell@tamakilegal.com

Public

ohunui

If you need help with your rental property, call us today! We have preapproved tenants waiting for a home.

Firewood

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 Festival of Christmas, will close the following roads to ordinary vehicular traffic for the period indicated hereunder.

The Festival of Christmas is a month-long programme of spectacular lights, Night Markets, workshops, events, Matariki activities, parties, food and free entertainment that takes place in Greytown in July 2023. The Festival is designed to bring together families, school children, community groups and locals, and attracts people from all around New Zealand to the Wairarapa to eat, drink, shop and celebrate. The festival aims to enhance the reputation and strengths of our region, and deliver social & cultural benefits.

The opening and closing nights in particular attract large crowds of people to Main Street. In addition, we would propose Night Markets along McMaster Street. To ease congestion, maximise safety, and provide more space for crowds, we would like to close McMaster Street from Main Street to East Street during the busy times.

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

• Cars can travel down East Street or Main Street, turning at Church Street or Jellicoe rather than McMaster. Residents in McMaster would not be able to access their driveways with vehicles during this time, only by foot.

Roads to be closed:

• McMaster Street, Greytown, full road closure between Main Street intersection and East Street

Period of closure:

• Saturday 1 July and Saturday 29 July 2023, 1pm – 9pm

Postponement date for Saturday 1 July is Sunday 2 July

Postponement date for Saturday 29 July is Sunday 30 July Stefan

Corbett Group Manager Partnerships & Operations

Employment

Carter Court Rest HomeVacancy Registered Nurse

Carter Court is a community owned, not for profit facility providing rest home and hospital level care

We pride ourselves on our reputation as being one of the best aged care facilities in the Wairarapa This comes down to our committed and passionate staff The need has arisen for a registered nurse to join the team on a part-time permanent basis, with the option of picking up casual shifts as required.

If this sounds like you and you would like further details please contact the Nurse Manager, Karen McKay on (06) 379 8075 during usual business hours Monday - Thursday. Alternatively, please email your CV and covering letter to: nursemanager@cartercourt co nz

If you would like to know more about us please see our website: http://www.cartercourt.co nz

HOWARE

Sam is Marist’s man

Martinborough 22 Marist 24

In what was the game of the season so far, Marist pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the last moments of a second half that had, up till then, been dominated by Martinborough.

A desperate lunge at the line, an initial ruling of ‘ball held up,’ a quick consultation with the referee’s assistant, which produced a change of decision, and a calmly slotted conversion, bought the curtain down on a spirited match worthy of its billing.

When the final whistle went, Marist had retained the Nunn Shield and recorded a sixth consecutive victory. There was also a sense among those there that another meeting between these two sides would likely produce another thrilling spectacle.

Martinborough had by the better of the opening exchanges and was rewarded for their early dominance with a try handy the posts after some slick passing. However, the 7-0 lead didn’t last long, as Marist made the most of a breeze behind their backs to camp down in Martinborough’s patch.

A period of scrum dominance and plenty of ball eventually told, and a precise draw-and-pass through the backline to the waiting overlap on the

blindside had left winger Hayden Cooper putting openside flanker Fletcher Carrig into space and over the line. Cooper’s conversion tied up the scores.

Marist applied plenty of pressure for the remainder of the first half, but small errors and a determined defence prevented them from adding to their score until centre Tafa Tafa made a telling cut on a short pass to score untouched under the bar and a 14-7 advantage.

Marist had a steady diet of possession and field position for the rest of the first half but couldn’t find the finishing touches.

When the teams swapped sides at halftime, so did the momentum.

Having been called on to make plenty of tackles in the first 40 minutes, Martinborough found their rhythm and turned the screws on the visitors.

It took 20 minutes to finally crack the Marist defence, and, having done that, Martinborough did it again just a few minutes later.

Firstly, right winger Michael Bing showed sharp anticipation to latch on to an intercept pass and coast in under the posts to bring the scores level again at 14-14.

It was the elusive Bing crossing the line again only moments later when he expertly went over in the corner after Martinborough had chosen to increase the pace of the

game with quick taps and sending the ball wide.

The conversion was missed, and both sides exchanged penalties for a 22-17 margin to Martinborough with less than 10 minutes to go. The home side will probably feel they should have closed the game out from there, and perhaps they should have. But there was one last twist in this encounter.

Marist somehow got their hands on the ball long enough to get some go-forward which gave them an opportunity to chance their arm in the Martinborough 22.

Up stepped a hero for the day, in the form of Sam Siaosi. From the front row, substituted, then called back to the field and into the thick of multiple phases on the Martinborough line, Siaosi got a pass he probably wasn’t expecting, but he made the most of it anyway to take a few tacklers with him over the chalk. Referee Steve Newson scrambled to get a clear view but wasn’t satisfied he’d seen a grounding. His touchline assistant had, and the try was awarded for a 22-22 scoreline.

While the conversion to win the match was handy enough, replacement winger Parau Ellis remained calm and sent the ball over the black dot. Expectations for the next match between these two teams are already rising.

RUGBY Roger Parker

Marist loose-forward Marcus˜Ale is rounded up by the Martinborough defense.

Corey Reid comes straight through a ruck on Saturday. PHOTOS/GRAEME BOWDEN