Exceptional service
Grant was presented with the Ng tiawa Russell Lodge Cup for his outstanding service at Norths prizegiving on 16 September.
Continued on page 2. Long serving Norths President Grant
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Omnipotent and effective leader
Continued from page 1.
Grant “is onmipotent and effective for North Wellington Football,” says hariu MP Greg O’Connor, who was one of the two guests of honour at the awards evening. The other was the club’s Patron, Peter Dunne. Greg and Peter presented the awards at the prizegiving.
“People like Grant are the backbone of every organisation,” Greg says.
“Every organisation, especially sports clubs, need their Grant Stephens.
“He’s the bloke who arrives early to make sure everything is ready for a weekends football, ensures the coaches and teams have what they need, watches and writes up the games, is back in the clubrooms afterwards making sure everyone is fed and acknowledged and organises his committee.
“The senior players spoke of never knowing the club without him,” Greg says.
Grant joined North Wellington’s junior club 24 years ago when his son was young. That came after his play-
ing days, which were with Miramar Rangers.
However he and his family moved to the northern suburbs, and he took his son along to Norths to play for them.
At the time North Wellington had two football clubs – a junior club and a senior club.
Grant was elected President of the junior club and in that role he began working towards an amalgamation of the two clubs.
He was then elected President of the senior club, and continued his work towards an amalgamation. That finally happened two years ago, when the two clubs merged.
Grant has served as President of the North Wellington Football Club – one of the largest clubs in the country – for 15 years.
Around 180 players and supporters attended the club’s senior prizegiving – the club’s seventh prizegiving session, with junior presentations stretching over the preceding 10 days for the thousand strong playing base.
Satisfaction with public transport down
Satisfaction with the Wellington region’s public transport network has d ropped, but trip satisfaction remains high, according to an independent survey commissioned by Metlink.
The results of the annual Passenger Satisfaction Survey were presented to Greater Wellington Regional Councillors on 14 September.
The drop was strongly influenced by service cancellations and disruptions caused by staff shortages at train and bus operators.
Since the survey was conducted in June, bus driver recruitment has greatly improved service reliability. Transport Committee Chair Thomas Nash says.
“We understand the sentiment behind these survey results, and we know it’s been a rough time with unreliable buses and trains this past year.
“Even though we’ve turned the corner it will take time to rebuild confidence in the network.
“We are totally focused on doing that,” Cr Nash says.
“Bus cancellations are now at their lowest point, and patronage is at its highest since the pandemic began.
“Our operator Kinetic formerly known as NZ Bus will resume its full timetable next month, reintroducing 65 services suspended last year by the driver shortage.
“Tranzurban’s reliability standards have massively improved, and when consistent, we look forward to planning
the resumption of another 114 suspended services.”
The committee heard that on 1 September Metlink had 609 bus drivers on the road, 66 short of the 675 needed to reinstate full bus network service levels. Forty new drivers are expected to complete their training during September and October.
“Trip satisfaction remains high, with security, comfort and vehicle condition continuing to score above the 90th percentile,” says Metlink Group Manager Samantha Gain.
“Satisfaction with our stops, stations and wharves also remained above 90%.
“Major disruption of our rail services in May could explain the fall in network satisfaction,” Ms Gain says, “however, satisfaction with convenience of payment has jumped since we introduced Snapper on Rail last November.”
Metlink believes satisfaction scores will improve with the resumption of suspended services and with July’s refresh of the Metlink website and app.
The introduction of Metlink’s on-bus announcement system this month and the upgrade of its real-time information system in mid-2024 are also expected to lift satisfaction levels.
The Passenger Satisfaction Survey canvassed 3,099 passengers onboard 201 trips. It has a margin of error of 1.8%. For more information visit www.metlink. org.nz/news-and-updates/surveys-andreports/customer-satisfaction-survey.
At the event Greg O’Connor was thanked for his regular support at matches over the years and special mention was made of Peter Dunne’s contribution as Patron of the club since 1986.
North Wellington Men’s Over 45s won the award for the best on field performance, having won their grade for the fourth consecutive year while the North Wellington Blaze Women’s Division 3 team were recognised for the best all round contribution on and off the field.
Assistant Club Manager, Hugo Barber-Dale was rewarded with the Wright Family Cup for his contribution within the club in both a coaching and administrative capacity and Terry Douglas was a popular choice as Club Personality, winning the Val and Terry Adams Cup.
Ilias Musa won the Golden Boot Award for the most league or cup goals scored.
Joshua Zatorski won the Richard Smith Memorial Trophy as player of the year for the men’s Central League team.
Two other members of this team also won awards.
Cameron Wardlaw won the Adsigns Trophy as the players’ player of the year and Blake Chandler won the award as the most dedicated young player of the year.
David Woodhall and James Pennicott shared the Brian Shield Memorial Trophy as supporters of the year.
Simonne MacManus won the Boyland Trophy as player of the year for the women’s Mana Coach Services league while Nikola SzentimayRoss and Hayley Gotlieb shared the Gary McLean Trophy as players’ players of the year.
The club operates 12 months a year with junior and youth activities continuing, including First Kicks and Street Football in Term 4. The Under 17 Boys National Youth competition is in full swing with North Wellington players missing the awards evening as they travelled back from Napier with a 5-0 win over Napier City Rovers safely tucked away.
Acorn Stairlifts commended by Arthritis Foundation
As people enjoy longer lives and wish to remain living independently at home, the demand for domestic stairlifts continues to grow.
As an example of Acorn’s commitment to excellence and safety, they are proud their products have earned the prestigious Ease of Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation.
This commendation is only awarded to companies whose products have passed rigorous testing proving they are easy to use for people with arthritis.
They are the only stairlift company in the world to earn the prestigious Ease of Use Commendation from the Foundation.
All Acorn Stairlifts are easy to use,
easy to maintain, and all feature the very best in design, engineering and safety. There are additional features built in to keep you safe and provide a smooth ride around the curves of your stairs.
Acorn Stairlifts are innovative on every level, making Acorn the safest alternative for staircase use in every home.
Staying in the home you love is one of the main reasons people purchase an Acorn Stairlift.
It is a simple truth that staying in your own home gives you a sense of stability, safety and independence. An important aspect of this is being able to move around freely and easily, without worry, pain, or struggle.
So why let getting up and down stairs keep you from fully enjoying your home?
Your home is your refuge, where you entertain, welcome family and friends or simply relax. Your home is also where you live your life, and the place you call your own.
Great essay by Newlands student
By Frank NeillNewlands Intermediate School
student Elsie Saunders featured in this year’s Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) New Zealand Competition.
Elsie received an honourable mention for her essay in the competition, which is run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful.
Entitled “Eco-Building, Eco-Planet” Elsie’s essay focussed on the issue of hidden waste within the construction and demolition industry.
Construction and demolition waste, Elsie noted “is a huge problem that some say creates 50% of all waste”.
She goes on to outline initiatives that the construction and demolition industry can take to significantly reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills.
Elsie was both excited and really
Elsie Saunders, who received an honourable mention in the 2023 Young Reports for the Environment essay competition. Photo: Supplied.
surprised to receive an honourable mention in the competition.
“I liked my article but I didn’t think it was incredible,” she says. Because of that “I didn’t think I
would get anything.”
A year 7 student, Elsie does not yet have a specific plan for what she will do after she leaves school.
However it looks likely that the environment will feature.
“I really care about the environment,” she says.
“I want to help and change the world in some way.”
That could happen by being an activist, Elsie says.
This is the second time Elsie has been recognised in a competition. In 2020 she won an English comprehension competition organised by the International Competitions and Assessements for Schools (ICAS). She was top in New Zealand for year 4 students in the ICAS competition.
Keep New Zealand Beautiful, which runs the YRE competition, is a not-for-profit organisation that educates people about
Karori Centre AGM
The Karori Community Centre will hold its annual general meeting on 3 October and residents of the suburb are invited.
how they can keep this country beautiful.
“We’re proud to be the national operator for this internationally accredited competition which is run under the Foundation For Environmental Education banner,” Keep New Zealand Beautiful says.
“The New Zealand YRE Jury, which comprises of experts in the fields of journalism, photography and environmental sustainable development, convened in August to review the submissions and determine the winners.
“Members of the jury included environmental photographer Jacki Key, journalist Adrian Hatwell, Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson and Mars New Zealand representatives, Deigna Khama and Kristin Paddy.
Elsie’s essay is printed on page 15.
Full calendar of Ngaio activities
The Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association has a full calendar of activities over the next couple of months.
First up on Friday 29 September from 7.30pm will be a public meeting at the Ngaio Town Hall to meet the candidates who are standing in the General Election for the u electorate.
The residents’ association is expecting all candidates, and says that with just a couple of weeks before voting closes, this is a good chance to put those questions – “good ques-
tions that you want answered before finally casting your vote”.
On 7 October from 10.30am to 11.30am, the association is holding a composting workshop at the Ngaio Union Church.
This is being presented by the Sustainability Trust, and will be suitable for composting beginners as well as those who are well experienced. The workshop is free, but registrations are essential. Just email the names of anyone attending to info@ngaio.
org.nz.
“This will be at the same time as our recycling so you can drop off your monthly collection on your way in to the workshop,” the association says.
“We have also opened our photography competition for 2023 – with winners to be announced at our AGM on 15 November. There are prizes of $50 for the winner of each section.
“The categories this year are: heritage, landscape, and birdlife– and a very wide
interpretation of each will be accepted.
“Just make sure that entries are still photos taken in Ngaio or Crofton Downs, and email them to photo@ngaio.org.nz.
“The deadline for entries is 5 November, with the winners announced at our AGM on 15 November.
“Don’t forget also the repair café – next on 21 October, and our recycling days – first Saturday of each month.” More information is on the residents’ association website, www.ngaio.org.nz.
MP for Ōhāriu
The meeting will be held at the community centre at 7:30pm, and refreshements will be available from 7pm.
People attending will need to reply to info@karoricommunitycentre.org.nz by 27 September.
Marathon anniversary
Entries are now open for the 2024 Rotorua Marathon – the historic 60th anniversary of the event.
The marathon willl take place on 3 and 4 May 2024.
First run in 1965 the event has since flourished and attracted tens of thousands of people to take on the unique 42.2km ‘lap of the lake’ course around Lake Rotorua. More information and entries are available at https://regoform.mygameday.app/#/event/ registration-form/2024rotoruamarathon/.
NEW ZEALAND STRING QUARTET WITH DIEDRE IRONS (PIANO)
Haydn: “Emperor” Quartet Shostakovich: String Quartet No 5 Amy Beach: Piano Quintet
Be in to WIN one of 2 Double Passes to SGCNZ
Bird hospital needs volunteers
By Frank Neill
Wellington’s hospital for injured and sick birds is in desperate need of volunteers and donations of items and finance.
Located i riu Valley, the hospital cares for more than 1,000 injured or orphaned birds a year, both natives and non-natives.
The hospital is run by the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust, which has been in operation for nearly 20 years.
The brainchild of Craig Shepherd, the founding trustee, the centre is mostly selffunded with help from volunteers, donors and the community.
The hospital is kept busy, Craig says.
Last Saturday, for example, the trust rescued three orphaned ducklings, and three injured birds – a duck, a ruru and a kereru, Craig told the “Independent Herald”.
As well as the bird hospital, there is also a garden centre at the property, set on 24 hectares in riu Valley.
The garden centre was built to help fund the running costs of the clinic.
Small
Small Projects
The trust is currently seeking volunteers to help in running both the hospital and the garden centre.
As well as seeking volunteers, the trust is also seeking:
cages;
donations of animal food, such as pouches, cans or kibbled cat or dog food (with expiry dates slightly past their best before dates also welcome); and financial donations. Volunteers are provided with full training and no experience is needed.
The trust is looking for passionate people, who are kind, caring, don’t mind getting their hands dirty and love to smile
Floral Art Club celebration
The Johnsonville Floral Art Club will celebrate its 67th birthday on Saturday 30 September.
To mark this special occasion the club has asked Nimmi Collins from Black Rose Florist Porirua to be their demonstrator for
she attained her certificate in horticulture before she went on to own her own nursery. She has since completed her professional
number of awards.
the international Flower and Garden Show in Melbourne.
At the birthday celebration Nimmi will demonstrate Funky Flowers for Special Occasions at the Johnsonville Uniting Church at 18 Dr Taylor Terrace Johnsonville. Entry is $15 and starts with afternoon tea followed by the demonstration at 3pm. For more information ring Jill Merrick 234 8693 or Debbie Nguon 478 7636.
and laugh as they work.
For more information or to forward your name as a volunteer, contact Craig at 0508 692 473.
kets can be delivered directly to the trust.
The trust has a Give A Little page for people who can support the cause financially. It is at https://givealittle.co.cn/org/ duckman.
-
Community Patrol training day
Local Community Patrols were among the 11 patrols from the greater Wellington region who came together for a highly successful training day on 17 September.
The trainimg day was hosted by the Tawa Community Patrol and held at Porirua College.
This event was made possible through the generous funding from Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ) and brought together 85 dedicated volunteer community patrollers from the broader Wellington, K piti-Mana, and Wairarapa regions.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Porirua College for graciously lending us their hall and facilities for the day,” says Darryl Smith, The Tawa Community Patrol Co-ordinator.
Wellington district community patrollers have together contributed more than14,000 volunteer hours in their respective communities over the past year.
During the morning sessions specialised Police teams delivered informative
presentations aimed at enhancing the observation skills of the community patrollers while on duty.
In the afternoon, the patrollers participated in the Heartbeat training course by Wellington Free Ambulance, generously funded by the Lloyd Morrison Foundation. This course provided attendees with valuable opportunities to improve their CPR and AED usage skills.
Those attending enjoyed a delicious, fully catered lunch, as well as morning and afternoon tea.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to CPNZ and the iti-Mana Police management for their diligent efforts in organising these enlightening presentations.,” Mr Smith says.
Community Patrols in the region welcome volunteers so that more patrols can be mounted for this service, which helps keep people in the community safe. Fore more information or to volunteer for a Community Patrol email darryls@ gmail.com.
Q: What’s the most iconic movie line?
Articulated bus trial in Karori this month
By Frank Neill
Articulated buses will be trialled on the Karori bus route, Route 2, later this month.
The bus between Karori, Miramar and Seatoun is Wellington’s busiest bus route.
One in two passengers in Wellington city use Route 2 and patronage is projected to double in the next 10 years, Greater Wellington Regional Council’s (GWRC) Transport Committee Chair Thomas Nash says.
To meet current and projected demand GWRC has been considering options to improve Route 2 carrying capacity.
Digging another tunnel to Karori and converting the existing tunnel into a viaduct were among the op-
tions GWRC considered.
The short and long lists of options were presented to Greater Wellington councillors on 14 September. They heard why articulated buses are the preferred option.
“With our driver workforce pretty much back up to full strength and cancellations down under 1%, Route 2 patronage has now surpassed pre-Covid levels, with 3 million trips in the last 12 months.,” Cr Bash says.
“This means we have to look beyond just a few more standard buses to meet forecast demand, which is expected to double in the next 10 years.
“Double deckers can’t safely pass through Karori tunnel and adding standard buses to this high
frequency route will just mean they bunch up and cause delays.
“This trial will help us understand the possible constraints for running articulated buses through the narrow streets of some of our hillside suburbs,” Cr Nash says.
The trial will examine the infrastructure limitations for articulated buses on Route 2, with the data informing future changes to the route infrastructure to safely run the buses.
An articulated bus, on-loan from Auckland, will allow Metlink officers to check the accuracy of the bus’s expected path against the bus’s actual path on the route.
The innovative trial not only offers a potential solution to the route’s capacity problem but would be a
LET’S TAKE COUNTRY BACK OUR
win for the climate too, GWRC’s Deputy Climate Committee Chair Yadana Saw says.
“Unlike the diesel bus we’re borrowing for the trial, we won’t be flexible on what powers these buses.
“Route 2 services are exclusively electric and if we introduce modern articulated buses, they’ll also be battery powered,” Cr Saw says.
“Public transport is climate action.
“Patronage data tells us that Wellingtonians are increasingly ditching their cars. That’s why we are committed to providing and increasing accessible, climatefriendly alternatives.”
Feedback will be sought from the Route 2 bus operator, as well as from disability and cycling groups before Greater Wellington commits
to articulated buses, Metlink Group Manager Samantha Gain says.
“The operator and our accessibility passengers will need to be comfortable with this vehicle type as will cyclists who share the road,” Ms Gain says.
“We’ve begun liaising with these stakeholders to identify of all the changes we’ll need to consider before adopting articulated buses.”
The trial will be run late in the evenings to avoid disrupting timetabled services and traffic flow. Passengers will not be able to board the bus.
Metlink will continue studying the feasibility of introducing electric articulated buses, ahead of a possible purchase decision in mid-2024, if route infrastructure can be made safe for the buses from 2026.
City stage beckons local thespians
Newlands based New Players Theatre Company is preparing to perform “Death & Taxe$” by April Phillips, opening at the Gryphon Theatre in Ghuznee Street on Thursday 21 September.
Director Sarah Upston hails from Ngaio, and her step daughter Sophie Vincent-O’Brien designed the poster. Other locals involved are Danica Frentz, Margot Allais, Rachel Southby, Faith Woodcock, John Copeland, Samual Davies and Anne Megget.
“Death & Taxe$” is a madcap financial farce that dares to explore the unpredict-
able intersections of life’s only certainties – death and taxes.
Set in the chaotic branch office of Destiny Life Assurance Company, the play takes theatregoers on a rollercoaster ride through a world of dodgy deals, potty psychics, fishy tax inspectors, nutty cops, murder, mayhem, and even a hairy yak. This hilarious adult comedy is a unique concoction of crime story, ghost story, and laugh-out-loud humour. More details, and bookings can be made at https://www.newplayers.org. nz/shows/
ACTIVE spring
See the beauty and habitat of the White Herons
Whataroa, Westland is the departure point for tours to New Zealand’s only White Heron nesting site.
For over 35 years the Arnold Family have been operating White Heron Sanctuary Tours and delighting visitors by sharing this world class attraction with them. The 2.5 hour tour includes an informative minivan ride through private farmland into the Waitangiroto
Make your passport photo process easy
Nature Reserve.
Once in the reserve there is a short walk through ancient Kahikatea rainforest to a purpose built viewing hide to observe the magnificent White Heron (Kotuku) in their natural nesting environment.
White Heron Sanctuary Tours is the
original and only tour to visit the White Heron nesting site.
An exceptional tour with variety, suitable for all age groups.
White Heron Sanctuary Tours
Wellington was great to be active in through winter!
Only 15kmh average wind and over 400 hours of sunshine!
James Gilberd is a lifelong Khandallah resident and went to Onslow College. After a Polytech course and a photography degree he opened Photospace in Courtenay Place in 1998. Photospace includes NZ’s longest-running photographic art gallery, a professional photo studio and darkrooms available for hire, and he runs photography courses with professional co-tutors. James specialises in passport photos, and professional profile portraits for businesses and artists. He’s an experienced wedding photographer and still covers weddings occasionally. “I take a lot of care over my photos of people, even the humble passport photo. I enjoy doing them and I get to meet interesting people from all parts of the world. I have many repeat customers and word of mouth really helps.”
www.rarakaulodge.co.nz
White Heron Sanctuary Tours
64 Main Road, Whataroa, West Coast NZ
Informative minivan ride through private farmland into the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve
(Kotuku) in their natural nesting environment - nesting season Sept to Feb. Walk through ancient Kahikatea rainforest
Royal Spoonbill, Little Shag and an abundance of other birdlife.
Tours operate with a Department of Conservation concession and entry is by permit only. Friendly experienced guides with local knowledge.
Do not miss this exceptional tour.
64 Main Road, Whataroa, Westland Ph 03 753 4120 or 0800 523 456 www.whiteherontours.co.nz
Get back to nature at Rarakau Lodge –start of the famous Hump Ridge Track
Upgrades on schedule for 2023-24 Great Walk season
Rarakau lodge is nestled deep within lush Southland bush, with magnificent ocean and picturesque mountain views. They have the most beautiful sunsets, and breathtaking stars in the night skies. They also offer the closest accommodation to the Hump Ridge Track, being located only a few metres from the start and finish of this world famous track! You can book to relax in their spa after walking this exciting Southland track or try your hand at making your own delicious pizza in the outdoor pizza oven.
There are so many different guided packages available to you during your stay at Rarakau – including hunting, hiking, fishing, whitebaiting, and relaxation packages. Whether you seek adventure or a blissful place to unwind, the experience you have at Rarakau lodge will last you a lifetime. 1304B Papatotara Coast Road, Rowallan, Southland. Telephone 021 256 4993 email: management@rarakaulodge.co.nz bookings@rarakaulodge.co.nz
The Spring Equinox is this weekend – visit Stonehenge Aotearoa to learn more about it
Come and celebrate the Spring Equinox at Stonehenge Aotearoa! Enjoy the sunset from within the henge (if possible), learn about how your ancestors viewed the equinox then enjoy exploring the night sky.
Stonehenge Aotearoa is a modern adaptation of the Stonehenge ruins on the Salisbury Plain of England. The henge contains 24 pillars and is 30m in diameter and about 4m high. The pillars are capped with lintels, completing the circle, and a 5m-tall obelisk marks the centre of the henge.
The modern henge was designed to
demonstrate how ancient peoples used such constructions to understand astronomy. When viewed from the centre, the stones mark the daily rising and setting positions of the sun. The stone circle also forms a Polynesian star compass, showing the bearings taken by Polynesian seafarers travelling to and from New Zealand.
Stonehenge Aotearoa
51 Ahiaruhe Rd, Carterton
Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 5:15pm
Pricing: $5.00–$30.00,
Wairarapa
Exhibition of Rita Angus at Aratoi Museum of Art and History
A first for the Wairarapa is Te Papa’s touring exhibition - Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist – He Ringatoi Hou o Aotearoa. The exhibition brings together 20 works by one of New Zealand’s most iconic 20th century artists, Rita Angus (1908–1970) with many of these never being displayed before in the region.
The paintings span Angus’s life and career as an artist, drawing out the themes of pacifism, feminism and nature that shaped so much of her work.
Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist
He Ringatoi Hou o Aotearoa
Showing at Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History 30 September- 26 November
South Wairarapa–Carterton Dark Sky Reserve
The Districts of South Wairarapa and Carterton named Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve the newest International Dark Dark-Sky Association (IDA).
After five years of hard work by a small group of volunteers, the South Wairarapa and Carterton Districts have been formally certified as an International Dark Sky Reserve to preserve the region’s pristine night skies for future generations.
With broad community support, the Wairarapa Dark Sky Association (WDSA) set out to ensure the region’s dark skies would not degrade, a problem that besets some 80 percent of people worldwide.
“We are thrilled to be granted kaitiaki (guardianship) status for our sparkling dark skies by the International body, the International Dark-Sky Association,” Wairarapa Dark Sky Association chair Viv Napier said. “We know there are from reducing the scatter of light at night, and we want to thank the communities of
Martinborough, Featherston, Greytown, and Carterton for their support,” she added.
IDA has granted the Dark Sky Reserve status to just 20 other places worldwide by the IDA. Aoraki-McKenzie in the South
Reserve in New Zealand.
Support from community groups, including local iwi and astronomical societies in Wairarapa and Wellington, as well as the region’s four local councils – South Wairarapa, Carterton, Masterton, and Greater Wellington Regional Council – was integral to the success of this
The combined South Wairarapa and Carterton districts of the new Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve cover an area of 3,665 square kilometers. WDSA already has plans to expand the reserve area to include northern Wairarapa’s Masterton district, which will encompass some 5,895 square kilometers.
Source: International Dark Sky Association
Steam Inc shuttles between Carterton and Masterton – book early for November
A quick sprint in either direction of your choice, between Masterton and Carterton! The beautifully restored station building at Carterton will be open for passengers to visit during Steam Inc’s short stopover. The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society Inc. is a community group that aims to restore the historic station building built in 1880 to its former glory and to develop the precinct to include facilities for passing rail excursions.
The society works with other groups
with similar interest, such as Steam Incorporated, to achieve its aims. Although a daily stop for all Wairarapa commuters heading to work in Wellington, not often acknowledged.
General Admission - $19
Family of 4 - $69
Sunday 19 November 2023
All seating is reserved and allocated on these special experiences. Prior booking is essential.
Accommodation and walking at Glenburn Station
Glenburn is recognized as one of New Zealand’s truly iconic sheep and beef stations. It is a 14,000 acre property with 9km of pacific coastline.
Glenburn Station, east of Masterton, offers a range of accommodation, making it the perfect retreat for friends, families and couples.
Four holiday houses ranging from the large Station Homestead sleeping up to 16, Shepherd’s Rest sleeping up to 11, and
a fisherman’s bach on the beach (Russ’s Bach) both sleeping up to 10, and Cook House sleeping up to 16.
Also with the coastline, quiet walking tracks, and the popular Honeycomb Rock, Glenburn Station is the perfect place to relax, recharge and escape the daily grind.
Visitors are welcome to stay in the range of accommodation options available in this rural slice of paradise.
READER COMPETITION
Independent Herald News readers can win a family pass to “Golilocks”. See www. kidzstufftheatre.co.nz for more details.To be in the draw email your
name, address and phone number to: win@wsn.co.nz by Sunday 24th September. A complimentary pass will be emailed to the winner and you can book into the show which suits you best!
For bookings: email kidzstuffnz@gmail.com or ph 027 567 5664
School Holidays
Mr Fungus Dreams
What time is it? Time to Play? Time to Sleep? Time to Dream?
When we wake up, are we the same as we were before?
Dreams Mr Fungus
Written By Amalia Calder
Happy School Holidays!
KIDS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?
A magical tale of adventure, resilience, and self-reliance. Our mischievous MR FUNGUS embarks on a journey of discovery, reminding us that even though things may not always be as they seem, we always have what we need.
Visual theatre and absurd comedy for all ages, from the people that brought you the sold-out season of MR FUNGUS in 2021… along with some other brilliant friends!
Currently in his 40th year of performing, mime artist and comedian FERGUS
Goldilocks
Goldilocks is visiting her family in the country, but Goldilocks is a city girl and doesn’t quite get country living. Baby bear is from the country but a different country. Everyone seems to be scared of Baby Bear and he is not sure why, really Baby Bear just wants some mates. His parents are very sneaky, there seems to be someone following them around and furniture keeps on going missing in the forest. Can you help us figure this all out? Get on your walking shoes and come and join us, to help Goldilocks and Baby bear, negotiate, this country living.
Adam Koveskali is stepping into the director role for Goldilocks. He is a regular and well-loved member of our team. You may remember him in The Pied Piper (2019), Badjelly The Witch (2018) and The
Zealandia
Zealandia Te Mara a Tane is the place to be these school holidays with activities to keep the whole whanau/family busy. Treat the tamariki/kids to one of three puppet shows performed by String Bean puppets, or practise speaking in te reo Maori as you
Little Duckling (2017). Haydn Carter is also a regular KidzStuff actor with plenty of charm. This will be his 4th show with us! Shalakazap! (2023), Kiwi Courage (2022) and Badjelly The Witch (2021). Haydn is a Graduate of Whitireia’s Stage and Screen and has just started up his own children’s birthday party company, Precious Moments Entertainment. Jackson Burling and Amy Atkins are our newbies this time around. Jackson recently appeared in ‘Into the Woods’ for WITCH, Pinocchio for Circa Theatre and his solo show ‘Caution Wet Floor’ in the New Zealand Fringe. Amy has been a puppeteer for Little Dog Barking Theatre Company and Michal & Moe. She most recently performed her solo show ‘RAW! ASMR’ in the Nelson Fringe and New Zealand Fringe.
explore the sanctuary. Keep an eye out for the te reo Maori prompt cards with some simple sentences to practise while pointing out plants and wildlife, or you could learn and practise saying some species names in te reo Maori.
Kapiti Chocolate Factory’s Chocolate Demonstrations
The popular Chocolate Demonstrations are back these school holidays running from Monday 2nd October – Friday 6th. Watch how we make our delicious chocolates with tastings available as well! Running at 11am each day, bookings are essential so please make sure you phone (04) 2998098 to book to avoid disappointment. The demonstrations are $5 per person.
If you can’t make the demonstration, why don’t you stop by and see the amazing variety of filled chocolates and novelty shaped chocolates from tools to dinosaurs and more.
Factory shop is located at 5 Lorien Court, Raumati Beach and is open 10am – 3pm Monday to Saturday.
Rotary seeks applicants for leadership training
The Rotary Club of Karori is seeking interest from young adults aged 18 to 24 to take part in a leadership training programme, sponsored by Rotary, to be held at Forest Lakes Camp, Otaki from 24 to 28 January 2024.
The Rotary Youth Leadership
Award (RYLA) is a challenging five days live-in experience to help individuals develop themselves and their communities through harnessing their leadership potential.
The Rotary Club of Karori catchment area covers M ara, Karori,
Kelburn, Northland and Wilton. People interested in this course can contact David Watt, Past President Karori Rotary to request a registration of interest form, to be submitted to Karori Rotary, by 15 October. Contact David on dwatt@xtra.co.nz, or phone 027
2466 339.
The Rotary Club will conduct interviews for this course.
Karori Rotary has recently given community grants to the following local organisations:
Karori Normal School for netball players attending the Australasian
Games in Tauranga; for a M ara School garden project; for therapy workshops organized by CanBead in Karori; funds to help run the Karori Youth Centre; funds for the continued running of the Karori Community Bus and to the Karori Toy Library.
Specialists
Show your support for World Alzheimer’s Month
September is World Alzheimers Month and your chance to show your support for people and their wh nau living with dementia mate wareware in Aotearoa New Zealand. The theme for 2023 is ‘never too early, never too late’ to emphasise what we can do as individuals to reduce our risk.
John Barton FNZIQS Reg. QS
Workshop Quantity Surveyors Ltd
Wellington 6012
M: 027 431 1145
E: wqsltd@xtra.co.nz
W: www.quantity-surveying.co.nz
WHAT’S
ON... O
The Community Noticeboard is for non-profit organisations. For $15.00 you can publish up to 25 words. No AGMS, sporting notices or special meetings. Community Notices must be pre-paid. Call into our office, phone (04) 587 1660 or email classifieds@wsn.co.nz
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New Players Theatre Company perform at the Gryphon Theatre, Wellington, September 21-30. Details and bookings at www.newplayers. org.nz
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Death Notices
Funeral Directors
Dementia mate wareware is one of our country’s biggest health care challenges. It will only get bigger as our population continues to age fast, with more than a quarter of people projected to be older than 65 in the coming years.
16. Poet (4)
17. List (7)
19. Daintily odd (6)
23. Free (6)
26. Lionize (7)
29. Against (4)
30. One-horse carriage (3)
32. The Commandments (3)
34. Image (4)
35. Inheritance (7)
36. Wanaka ‘warbird’ collector, Sir Tim (6)
39. Hard coating (6)
40. Numbs (7)
42. Crooked (4)
46. Hateful (9)
48. Pompous (9)
50. Leg bone (5)
51. Eighth of mile (7)
52. Patent (5)
53. Confirmation (11)
54. River mouth (7)
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4. Fear (8)
5. Nobleman’s estate (7)
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16. Charm (7)
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20. Parched (7)
21. Lively dance (3)
22. Towards stern of ship (3)
24. Fear of open spaces (11)
25. Akin (3)
27. Accustom (5)
28. Cemetary tree (3)
31. Set (3)
33. Negative vote (3)
37. Backs away (8)
38. Snare (8)
41. Damn(sl) (7)
43. Aboriginal spear (7)
44. Young calf (6)
45. Skilled (6)
46. Change (5)
47. Italian city (5)
49. Way in (5) Solution
Last Week 14 September 2023
Love Tennis proves popular
By Frank NeillThe Karori United Tennis Club hosted a very successful Love Tennis day on 10 September with around 80 people attending.
“We are very happy with the results of our latest Love Tennis event on 10 September, the club’s President Peter Browne says. “The weather on the day was great and ... many families came along to the club during the day.
“Coaches organised children having hits on the courts, parents hit up with their children, and there were many enquiries regarding club membership and the availability of coaching for the children. “Many free hot dogs were consumed on the day,” Peter says.
Love Tennis is now a nationwide initiative that was started in the Tennis Central Region.
It encourages all tennis clubs in the country to open up their clubs once a year to the people in their communities by inviting the public to visit the local
New Property Lead for Old St Paul’s
club, have a hit on the courts and possibly join the club.
Karori United adopted the initiative from the outset and has carried out local advertising of each Love Tenis event.
“Because we have only three courts, we have primarily targeted young families on each occasion by advertising each event through Facebook and providing posters and newsletter items to our local primary schools, so the children let their parents know the event is on each year,” Peter says.
“The club runs a junior club night on Friday nights throughout Terms 4 and 1 of each year, complete with supply of hot dogs.
“These nights are open to children, whether or not they are club members, as a service back to the local Karori community.
“Of course, we are also interested in recruiting the regular attenders as club members who may end up playing in an interclub team,” Peter says.
For more information or to join the club email membership@karoritennis.co.nz.
For someone with a professional background in museums, education, theatre and history, a church may not be the first place that springs to mind as a potential place of employment.
But for Grant Collie, the recently appointed Property Lead at Old St Paul’s, his new role provides the perfect marriage of all his diverse skills – and more.
“I am an experienced historian with a particular interest in social history, and so as Property Lead at Old St Paul’s I am able to bring together my whole kete of skills and experiences in a most amazing space that is integral to both a colonial history and a bicultural present,” the Thorndon resident says.
“It’s really satisfying to be entrusted with leading such a dedicated and professional team who are passionate about this space.”
Consecrated in 1866, the timber Gothic Revival pro-cathedral became the pre-eminent religous centre of Wellington’s spiritual, civic and social life over the decades.
Narrowly avoiding demolition in the 1960s, the church – which is today cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga – embraces every aspect of contemporary Wellington life ranging from spirituality, live theatre and music, daily visits by tourists from all over the world, and everything in between.
“Old St Paul’s is a unique space for both quiet contemplation one minute as a heritage building, and also as a major place for Wellington to celebrate births, mariages and funerals as it has done for almost 160 years,” Grant says.
“It’s also a site that is only at the beginning of its future journey as an arts venue for live events and cultural presentations.”
Grant knows a great performance venue when he sees one.
He arrived in New Zealand from his native Scotland in the late 1990s to work as a lighting designer for Opera New Zealand after a couple of decades of production management around the world.
Eco-Building, Eco-Planet
By Elsie SaundersWith any major problem, you can guarantee that there will be many causes, not just the most widely-known ones. This is, unsurprisingly, true for the biggest problem the world has ever faced; climate change. One of these lesser-known causes is the hidden waste within the construction and demolition industry. Sadly, construction and demolition waste, or C+D waste, is a huge problem that some say creates 50% of all waste.
So, why is this bad? Most waste is going to landfills, and landfills are bad for a number of reasons. For example, they take up space, they can’t be used for anything much afterwards as they don’t drain well, they contaminate water, and they release bad gases. Many say that for every five houses built, another one’s worth in materials is thrown out. Building waste can also contaminate soil, making it unusable.
Most of this waste, (as much as 90%) comes from demolition. This is because, to demolish, the easiest method is to use tools and machines to quickly pull down the building, reducing it to rubble, and then send all that rubble to the landfill.
So demolition itself creates most of the problem, but the remaining 10% is still down to construction. This comes from a wide range of materials, but the largest contributors are concrete - excess that they do not need -, timber, carpet, and any material that is included in the build offcuts. These offcuts are partly because builders can be lazy. As green building researcher, Rochelle Ade, said when I spoke to her, “Rather than hunting through an offcuts pile for a piece of timber that might suit, [the builders] will cut into a whole new sheet of timber, cut off what they need and use that, then
make the entire sheet unusable because it is now too short for another purpose.” The sheet will then, as it is too short, be sent to landfill.
Luckily, there are lots of things we can do to stop this, and better yet, most of them aren’t that hard. As I found out from my talk with Rochelle Ade, there are many things that anyone managing a construction/demolition project can do that will help.
The first and most obvious one is recycle, recycle, recycle! When demolishing, rather than pulling the entire building down into rubble, the best thing to do is to take it apart bit by bit, and then sort those pieces into piles such as reusable timber, plasterboard, steel, or anything your building is made from. Then, when constructing a new building, you can sort through the piles to find a bit you might need rather than cutting into a whole new sheet of whatever material.
The second good solution is renovate, not demolish. Most of the time a building can still be renovated rather than knocked down, thus saving waste. Another idea is to not use carpet. A remarkable amount of construction waste is from carpet offcuts, and so to just have bare floorboards with rugs would help your waste levels a lot.
Something great that we need councils to be doing is increasing the cost of dumping C+D waste in landfills. “The more expensive it is to send construction and demolition waste to landfill, the less people will do it.” says Rochelle Ade. Although those are some great ways to help, if you are not planning a construction or demolition project then you might be wondering how you could help. What you need to do is: spread the knowledge! The more people that realise what a big problem this is, the more people planning a construction or demolition project will realise,
which in turn will mean more waste prevented/ recycled.
The good news is, there are actually people out there using those solutions, recycling their waste, changing this problem for the better. We just need more of those people. Here are some examples of buildings that recycled and helped the environment.
BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand) Campus, Wellington - This association undertook a complete renovation of two buildings on its campus. They managed to recycle 77% of demolition waste and 92% of construction waste by reusing materials, selling wood as firewood, and sending some materials to cleanfills (cleanfills only accept natural materials like rock, clay, soil, etc.).
Southern Tonar Block, North Shore - this project was demolition only. There was a block of flats built in the 1960s that were nearing the end of their life. The project managed to recycle 94% of waste! They did this by composting plasterboard, mulching timber, and recycling.
Luckily, some organisations are doing great things to help, like Green Gorilla, a waste processing plant in Auckland that collects, separates, and recycles building waste. Every year, they divert 75,000 tonnes of waste from Auckland landfills. Waste Management New Zealand does even better by recycling over 200,000 tonnes of waste a year! Globally, hundreds of organisations are working to stop this huge problem.
One reason why some of these solutions don’t always get put into practice is cost. In this industry, time is money. The longer it takes builders to take your building apart, the more money it costs. So, most people don’t tend to do this, but it is still needed! Luckily, as mentioned above, there
He still likes to keep his hand in helping the NZ Opera School with major events when he’s able. But it is history that is Grant’s main area of professional focus.
“I have a Masters in History and a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies, and am a registered teacher in the Humanities.
“My background in history enabled me to work in the museum sector as an exhibition designer and Museum Director, both here and in Australia,” he says.
“I’m returning to the heritage sector after a few years out teaching.”
Besides the spectacular nature of the church building, the church surroundings offer Wellingtonians an oasis of calm and continuity.
“Our grounds are a place of peace and quiet in the hustle and bustle of the government precinct for locals and local workers to sit and enjoy their lunch or read a good book,” he says. Grant believes heritage is a living thing, and taonga such as Old St Paul’s play an important role in our constantly evolving society.
“Old St Paul’s and places like it are vital in helping us understand where it is we plant our feet,” he says.
“The more places like Old St Paul’s are used to celebrate our shared histories and diverse lives the better.”
are other solutions, like renovating rather than demolishing. Renovating can be much better for your wallet, because renovations are usually smaller projects. Rochelle Ade mentions another cost-saving solution: “If you don’t use carpet, then that will be a huge cost saving.”
I hope that this article has opened your eyes to the hidden problems that are happening right under our noses, and has made you realise what an environmental problem this industry really is. So next time you are planning a construction or demolition project - or even if you’re not - maybe think about the environment and what things you can do to stop this massive contributor to climate change.
Bibliography and Citations
Rochelle Ade, Green Building Researcher, 29th June 2023, Personal Communication Sylvain Bosquet, Construction21, July 10th, 2018+ https://www.construction21.org/community/pg/pages/ view/35818/
Surplus Building Materials, March 31st, 2022 https:// www.sbmtx.com/blog/the-benefits-of-buying-surplus-building-materials/#:~:text=Surpl us%20materials%20are%20materials%20that%20are%20 overproduced%20or%20unused.
Level.org, December 12 2022 https://www.level.org.nz/ material-use/minimising-waste/
Building Research Association of New Zealand, 10th June 2023 https://www.branz.co.nz/sustainable-building/ reducing-building-waste/
Building Research Association of New Zealand, 11th June 2023 https://www.branz.co.nz/sustainable-building/ reducing-building-waste/case-studies/southerntonar-block-north-shore-demolition/
Building Research Association of New Zealand, 8th June 2023 https://www.branz.co.nz/sustainable-building/ reducing-building-waste/case-studies/branz-campus-wellington-refurbishment/
MITRE 10 CROFTON DOWNS
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TIME TO GET BACK INTO THE GARDEN
Start Thursday 21st September - Wednesday 27th September 2023
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Easy to grow, Suitable for garden beds. Good assortment of plant varieties perfect for smaller gardens.
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Self watering container with extra large 12 litre water storage. Extend the support frame as your plants grow to 1.4 metres. Suitable for all vegetable types.
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Keter Alfresco Garden Bed 105L Dark Grey
Includes water reserve with drain plug to prevent over-watering. Strong metal legs. A shelf to conveniently store gardening equipment.
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