9 August Wainuiomata News

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Frank Neill

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Definitely a great experience

Continued from page 1

Given that he claimed the last spot in the Darts Players New Zealand qualifiers in Christchurch, his win was all the more remarkable.

Peter, who hails from Scotland, won the world titles in 2020 and last year. He has career earnings of some $NZ6 million.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Jonny says.

“It was definitely a great experience to share the stage with amazing darts players from around the world.

“To get the win, I couldn’t be more happier.

“It’s an amazing feeling.”

Not only did Jonny surprise viewers around the world who tuned into the World Series of Darts event “I gave myself a bit of a surprise,” he says.

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Peter led 2-1 early in the encounter, however Jonny levelled the scores with a 14-darter. He went on to win four straight legs to take a 5-2 lead.

Jonny came close to taking the encounter 6-2 but a miss at tops allowed Peter back into contention and a double 11 saw him down 3-5.

Jonny went on to take out 84 to clinch victory in the next leg.

He then followed up his first round victory by coming close to topping another former world champion Rob Cross from England.

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Rob was leading the match 5-3 when Jonny made a comeback to level the scores at 5-5 to take the match to a last leg decider.

The 2018 World Darts Champion, Rob took out the last leg, and then went on to win the New Zealand Masters Darts Title on 5 July.

Not only was his first day victory a thrill, “the second night was quite a thrill as well,” Jonny says.

“The crowd was quite rowdy.

“When they are chanting your name out, that was something.”

Jonny plays darts with the Hutt Valley Darts Association, where he began his darts career

before playing for the Wainuiomata Darts Association and then moving back to Hutt Valley.

He is a driver for Gilmours who, he says, have been “really good at helping out with

time off for darts”.

Next week Jonny heads to Melbourne for a big Australian darts tournament and in December he will see further international darts competition when he travels to London.

Jonny Tata in action at the New Zealand Darts Masters. Photo: Supplied.

Jonny Tata in action at the New Zealand Darts Masters. Photo: Supplied.

Super

Photographing World Cup amazing

By Frank Neill

Photographing the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup has been an amazing experience, Wainuiomata photographer Ryan Imray says.

“This has been an experience I will always remember and I will always be grateful for.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Ryan says. “Being a Football lover, I always enjoy watching the World Cup – both men and women.

“I am used to getting up at ridiculous hours to watch the games so to not only have this tournament on at a normal time but to have it in our own country has been amazing.

“Seeing the best female footballers play in my home town, witnessing historic moments and seeing thousands of people turn up, no matter the weather, to embrace such a historic event for New Zealand have been the main reasons why I have loved being involved in the capacity that I have been.

“From a Wainuiomata Football Club perspective, it’s been awesome seeing

some of the junior members of our club do such a wonderful job as flag bearers and player escorts.

“I have photographed seven group games in rain, sun, wind and even hail but I wouldn’t change any of it,” Ryan says.

The seven group games Ryan photographed were between Spain and Costa Rica on 21 July, Sweden and South Africa on 23 July, New Zealand’s Football Ferns and the Philippines on 25 July, USA and the Netherlands on 27 July, Japan and Spain on 31 July, and South Africa and Italy on 2 August.

Ryan also photographed the round of 16 match between Japan and Norway on 5 August. His final match – one of the four quarter finals – was yet to be determined when Ryan spoke to the “Wainuiomata News”.

“When I first picked up the camera in 2020, I never had a goal or vision in mind.

“All I wanted to do was stay involved in the game I love as two serious knee injuries meant I could no longer play and I wanted to give back to my club, Wainuiomata.

“So being pitch side shooting the FIFA

Women’s World Cup is something I never even dreamt of.

“It has been so surreal,” he says.

“I owe so much to everyone who has supported me up to this stage because they ultimately played a part in getting me to this tournament, especially my family and every single member of my football family at Wainuiomata Football Club,” Ryan says.

Ryan Imray about to take photos at the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup. Photo: NZ Photomac.

Q: If you could have any super power which one would you choose and why?

Kuldap Manku

What I can do for you.

Uli Webster

I could be superwoman because I am fast.

Emma Gosse

To bring people back from the dead – to bring people you have lost back.

Kaea Kaimoana

To fly. I think it would just be easier.

Aaron Leat

Healing. It’s something that is universal that I could use for myself, my family and others.

Caleb Forrest

speed. Then I could go anywhere any time I want.

Just one of the pictures Ryan took at the Women’s World Cup – Football Fern Ali Riley fights for the ball in New Zealand’s match against the Phillipines. Photo: Imray’s Snaps.

GARDENING THIS WEEK

August for my money is the start of a new growing season, the day light hours are increasing every day plus dormant plants and trees are waking up. Time waits for no man and so the quicker we get started the better; the sooner we will be rewarded with the fruits of our endeavors

Already garden shops have tomato seedlings in cell packs and individual pots ready for you to grow on.

Likely you can find some Sweet One Hundred tomato plants which a plant is a good choice as it produces early a lot of bite size ripe tomatoes which are ideal in your summer salads.

Early Girl is another one you are likely to find as it is a medium size early maturing tomato suitable for the home garden.

Now if you have a glasshouse or the equivalent then you off growing with a smile on your face.

A glasshouse protects from the elements but it does not protect from what you do.

If your glasshouse is an open soil to grow in or even a raised garden you have constructed to grow in then do not be in a hurry to plant your new tomatoes in the cold soil.

If you have a thermometer put it into the soil and see what temperature is at 5 centimeters deep.

Until you have a consistent soil temperature of 10 degrees C (Which is the temperature many seeds will germinate at) there is no point of planting the tomatoes into the cold soil.

This is particularly so if the soil is wet. Dry soil will give a higher temperature reading.

But you are impatient, you want to be the first in your circle of friends to have a ripe, new season, home grown tomato.

Ok dig a hole a couple of spade depths and get the motor mower out with a catcher on and mow the grass (hopefully the grass is not too wet to mow.

Now stuff the grass clippings into

TOMATO STARTING TIME: By

Wally Richards

the hole and pack down firmly till it is within about 100mm of the soil level.

Sprinkle about 10mm of soil on top of the grass and then sprinkle Wallys Secret Tomato Food with Neem onto the soil then another 10mm layer of soil over that.

Thats about a 80mm hole which you can sit your tomato plant in the middle of and back fill the hole so the trunk of the tomato plant will be buried up to or just beyond the first set of leaves.

The reason to bury the plant deep is because tomatoes will produce more roots up the trunk when buried.

A bigger root system will ensure a bigger healthier plant.

Now sprinkle some of Wallys Secret Tomato Food with Neem onto the soil around the plant but not touching the trunk.

This food will be watered down over time and the Neem Powder will create a smell disguising the tomato plant smell making it more difficult for insect pests to find where to lay their eggs.

In fact you could also Spread some of Wallys Neem Tree Granules around over the soil areas to make even a bigger smell barrier.

The heat from the composting grass will warm the soil and speed the growth of your tomatoes.

Also place a stake into the soil near the plant for support later on and on the stake hang one of Wallys Sticky white Fly traps with only one side’s cover peeled off to expose the sticky yellow surface.

The still covered other side will rest against the stake.

As you plant grows taller lift the yellow sticky pad higher so it is always just above the top of the plant. Hang a White fly sticky trap near each vent and door to catch any incoming.

Do all this and with any luck you will have a season without a lot of whitefly problems.

Now if you do not want to make

Grey Power’s Meet the Candidates

Wainuiomata Grey Power is hosting a “Meet the Candidates” meeting on Wednesday 23 August, 1:30pm at the Wainuiomata Bowling Club.

The club will welcome anyone from the community who might be interested to attend. Five candidates in the 23 October General Election have confirmed they will attend. The five are:

Labour—Ginny Andersen;

National—Chris Bishop; Green Party—Neelu Jennings;

The Opportunities Party—Ben Wylie-van Eerd; and NZ First—Lee Donoghue

Each candidate will have five

minutes to speak then can take questions from the floor.

Grey Power will be asking each candidate about their plans for the future of the New Zealand Superannuation and what progress has been made with issues around health and housing for seniors.

Recently some Wainuiomata Grey Power members have been scammed, and one was involved in a very serious assault so crime is now an issue for some seniors too.

Grey Power Wainuiomata wants to sincerely thank all of the candidates for their time and the Wainuiomata Bowling Club who support the club in everything it does.

a hole and fill with grass clippings then repot your tomato plants into pots a bit bigger than what they were purchased in, use black pots as they are best for trapping heat. The reason being is that you dont want to go into too bigger pot too soon and have the danger of over watering and maybe killing the tomato plants.

You can keep re-potting into larger size pots as the plants fill the pot with their root system.

Apply the Wallys Secret Tomato with Neem at each stage, in the pot and on top of the mix.

The plants will need watering and a little often, during the day is the rule rather than a drench to make the soil colder at night.

If you do not have a glasshouse you can use a sunny porch, conservatory, car port or under the eaves on the north side of the house. The potting up progressively to bigger size containers is the answer for best results.

Later on when the season progresses you can plant your potted tomatoes out into a sunny sheltered area of the garden.

Likely they will then be about a metre tall and in a large bucket size container.

Using Wallys Neem Tree Granules and Yellow sticky white fly traps out doors will also help reduce insect pest problems.

If you do not have any place to plant your tomato plant then get a plastic container or plastic rubbish bin than is between 50 litres to 100 litres.

A 200 litre plastic drum cut in half is ideal. But make sure its sitting where the plant will spend all summer and autumn as it will be very heavy to move around. Use Daltons Value Compost as the growing medium.

Apply Wallys secret Tomato Food With Neem to the soil surface every so often or every 4-6 weeks

It has a good amount of potash which will ensure you have great juicy tasting fruit.

If you had problems with the tomato psyllid last season then you need to invest in Wallys Cell Strengthening products to eradicate the pests from your back yard. Spray your tomato plants with

Wally Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) every week as they are growing to ensure healthy good producing plants.

I mix up the MBL in a one litre trigger spray bottle and leave it sitting near the tomato plants so I can spray them when ever passing if required.

If any insect pests start to get established such as white fly then spay just before sun set with Wallys Super Neem Tree Oil and Super Pyrethrum combined, under and over foliage. Repeat every 7 days as required. If you have a worry about blight on your tomatoes then Spray them with Wallys Super Copper Nutrient at 5 mil rate and a month later again.

If blight does attack spray the Plants with Perkfection at 7mil rate.

When removing laterals only do so on a sunny day when the air is dry.

To set fruit on a sunny day tap plants to make them vibrate which sets the fruit.

Ensure that later on when in flower that the medium is kept moist so you do not get blossom end rot.

Feedback wanted on waste reduction

Hutt City Council is inviting feedback on a draft regional plan to reduce waste.

The Wellington Region Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2023-2029 (WMMP) is all about readying our region for a more environmentally sustainable future, and public feedback is a vital part of the process.

It’s important for councils and the community to unite to reduce waste across the Wellington region, says Cr Josh Briggs, who chairs the council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee.

“All councils and our communities in the region are on this sustainability journey together so it is vital we deliver a unified approach to providing a more sustainable future for both Lower Hutt and the wider Wellington region.

“We want you to contribute to this mahi by letting us know what you think about how we’re look-

ing at minimising our waste,” Cr Briggs says.

“This is a chance to have your say on the future of sustainability in Lower Hutt and throughout the Wellington region,” says Jörn Scherzer, the Head Of Climate and Solid Waste at Hutt City Council.

“All eight councils together have produced their own draft individual local action plan, and we look forward to hearing from our community on about the ways we’re proposing to reduce waste.

“Every item that goes into your red-lid rubbish bin means more waste getting sent to landfill. We want to slow the growth of our landfills, and to reduce the emissions coming from them.”

Areas covered in the Lower Hutt Action Plan include:

such as diverting food waste from landfill;

reduce litter throughout the city; to get information on waste and climate-related topics;

ment on smarter ways to produce less waste;

ter to reduce and divert wastewater biosolids from the landfill;

misation and circular economy principles in council facilities and activities; and free waste audits, presentations and supporting solutions. Public consultation is now open and will close on Friday 1 September.

The draft WMMP and Lower Hutt’s Local Action Plan is at www.lesswastegreaterplace.co.nz. Feedback can be provided on this page.

Tree planting on Wainui coastline

By Frank Neill

The Wainuiomata coastline is among the areas that will benefit from a major new native tree planting initiative.

A new crowdfundingcampaign,The Greatest Goal,aims to plant 64,000native treesin New Zealandto celebratetheFIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

That’s2,000 native trees for everycompetingteam.

The initiative has been organised by Trees That Count – a New Zealand charity that has already planted more than 1.7 million natives and which aims to plant millions more.

In The Greatest Goal project, Trees That Count has earmarked 1,000 trees for the Hem of Remutaka.

The focus of the Hem of Remutaka project is on the coast from Eastbourne to Turakirae – an area with strong winds and stormy seas to contend with.

The majority of the planting for this project will be around Parangarahu Lakes.

& Trades

This three-year project aims to reinstate the mauri across the Hem of Remutaka landscape by restoring mana, ecological connectivity, threatened coastal and wetland systems, and improving public access tracks for hikers and cyclists.

It is working with the public to increase compliance to support appropriate fishing and diving activities along the Eastbourne, Parangarahu and Wainuiomata coastlines.

“Aotearoa’s incredible native forestsarethe backdrop to many of our tourism experiences,” saysRobyn Haugh, Chief Executive of Trees That Count.

“As athletes andvisitors arrive to our shores,wewantto extend ourmanaakitangaandgivevisitorsan opportunity to lay downsomeroots in New Zealand.

“Our aim is to see at least 64,000 native trees donated – butwe’dlove to make that number even higher.

“Donated trees will grow on these shores for hundreds of years after the tournament, meaning greater biodiversity, cleanerwaterwaysand

stronger communities,” Robyn says.

To learn more about the project visit https:// treesthatcount.co.nz/greatewst-goal. People can also donate a tree by visiting that web site.

(04) 564 8618

20-21 Queen Street, Wainuiomata. dispensary@clives.co.nz www.clives.co.nz

The Greatest Goal is a partnership between Conservation Volunteers NZ (CVNZ), the Department of Conservation, Taranaki Wh nui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

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New sports kit for local schools

Wainuiomata primary and intermediate school students not only have full tummies but are now the owners of a suite of new sports kit, thanks to their local Pita Pit.

The schools receive lunches from Pita Pit as part of the Ministry of Education’s Ka Ora Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme, with local Pita Pit staff rising at sunrise to supply over 33,800 lunches to the two Wainuiomata schools this year.

Three stores have whipped up over 113,000 lunches for Wellington kids in the first two terms of 2023, and the lunch provider wants more schools to get involved.

Committed to being a fresh and healthy grab and go alternative, Pita Pit also wants to encourage and “level the playground” across the motu, so have sourced 1,200 sports balls to distribute at primary, intermediate, and senior schools and kura.

Duane Dalton, Pita Pit New Zealand CEO and chair of the Tania Dalton Foundation in honour of his late wife, is eager to see even more Kiwi kids bolster their healthy eating habits with outdoor and device-free play and works with the foundation to provide the sports gear.

“Giving kids the means to make healthier choices for their bodies not only sets them up for a great day at school, but for a better future as well. We’re always keen to help more schools.

“The healthy school lunches programme has made such a significant impact to guaranteeing kids have the nutrients they need on the daily, and with the addition of sports gear we’re hoping to play a big part in these kids’ focus and success in the classroom,” Duane says.

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Pita Pit’s involvement in the school lunch programme dates back to 2019, where a successful pilot in 2020 for Rotorua and Invercargill schools meant the company was well equipped to become a supplier for the government’s healthy school lunch programme from 2020 onwards.

School selection into the Ka Ora Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme is determined by an equity index, with all children at a school receiving healthy lunches to remove the stigma often associated with needing a helping hand.

The Ministry of Education says the programme aims to reduce food insecurity for all kids by supplying nutritious meals that set kids up to learn well.

“It’s a programme well worth getting involved in,” Duane says.

“The Ministry of Education’s Ka Ora Ka

55. Deem worthy(5)

56. Make cheerful(7)

57. Bestow(5)

Ako team have done a fantastic job identifying kura and schools so kids get a solid lunch and remove nutrition insecurities to see them through the school day.

“I’d encourage all schools with a need to contact their MoE Senior Advisor to discuss their options, or we can assist with that communication process too.

“We have a dedicated team with extensive knowledge on menu options, dietary requirements, and general logistics who can offer help with your decision making,” Duane says.

Following Pita Pit’s “better for you” food philosophy, the lunches are developed by an in-house chef to meet the government guidelines and fuel Kiwi kids.

Meals low in saturated fat, salt and added sugars plus a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and salads can be highly customised based on student requirements and to minimise landfill wastage – a key sustainability commitment for Pita Pit.

Franchisee Stephan van Rensburg from Lower Hutt Pita Pit is thrilled to present its local school with the equipment, along with healthy lunches for the tamariki.

Stephan delivered a bag and a box of sports balls plus a ball pump to Wainuiomata Intermediate School on 7 August.

The bag and the box contained balls for four sports – Football, Basketball, Rugby Union and Rugby League.

A founding partner of the Tania Dalton Foundation, Pita Pit has surpassed half a million dollars in sports equipment donations to schools since the charity’s inception in 2017.

40. Of the ear (4)

43. Stir (7)

11. opposite of ‘Zenith’ (5)

12. Desert(7)

13. Subject of speech (5)

14. Recounted(8)

17. Pertaining to small planets(10)

18. Fuss(3)

20. Friend(4)

22. Makes use of (7)

24. Chaotic din (6)

26. Exploit unfairly (3)

28. Muscle (5)

29. Influences (7)

32. Male singing voice (5)

33. Charged atom (3)

34.& 45 DOWN.Beyond comparison (3,3,4)

35. Snow runner (3)

36. Strong cotton drill (5)

37. Put into office (7)

38.Female egg-producing organ (5)

39. Daughter’s husband, -in-law (3)

41. Farmyard(6)

42. Most simple(7)

44. Mother(archaic) (4)

47. Outlawed Irish army(abbr) (3)

49. Not creative(10)

51. Raw(8)

58. Repeat again(9)

59. Cloister(9)

DOWN

1. Source of good fortune (7)

2. Supplementary clause (5)

3. Incursion (6)

4. Proverb (5)

5. Type of cheese (4)

6. Humility (7)

7. Offer (6)

8. Foreword (12)

9. Swift (5)

10. Mark Twain character , Finn (11)

15. Marine fish (3)

16. Conforms, the line (4)

19. Feigns (6)

21. Novice (7)

23. Miserly person(coll) (6)

25. Silk handkerchief (7)

26. Irrelevance (12)

27. Evaluate (6)

28. One who developes muscles through exercise (4,7)

30. Consume (3)

31. Skull(pl) (6)

44. One-time Chinese political leader, ... Tsetung (3)

45. SEE 34 ACROSS

46. Breathing illness (6)

48. Wanderers (6)

50. Excuse (5)

52. Light silk material (5)

53. Small anchor (5)

54. Check (4)

Solution

Last Week: 2 August 2023

Stephan van Rensburg and Wainuiomata Intermediate School student Mariya Lucas with two of the balls just after Stephan delivered them to the school. Photo: Frank Neill.

Great Rugby Club prizegiving

The Wainuiomata Rugby Football club was packed when it celebrated another good season at its annual prizegiving on 29 July.

Peteru Time took out the top award when he was presented the Most Outstanding Player of the Year by the club’s sponsor, Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen.

A member of the Wainuiomata premier team, Peteru plays in two positions – flanker and number 8.

James Oti was awarded the Ben Tupuola Best and Fairest Award. This award is named in memory of one of Wainuiomata Rugby’s

greats. Ben passed away around two years ago.

Two players were named as the joint Women’s Player of the Year – Canon Hakaria and Kiri Gronbeck.

This was one of two awards Canon won. A year 12 Sacred Heart College student and a senior women’s player, Canon was also awarded the Most Promising Senior Player award.

The outstanding Wainuiomata player Peter Umaga-Jensen was awarded the Most Valuable Club player.

Ulalei Aute annihilates Naenae

By Toli Sagaga

Ulalei Aute continued their winning form in the Hutt Valley Premier 1 netball competition, annihilating Naenae Collegians United Blue 75-31 on 5 August.

Ulalei Aute came out firing forcing an immediate turnover on Naenae’s first centre pass which was converted by goalshooter Sina Tamaali’i, to give the team an early boost.

The defensive unit of goal keep Alofa Aberdein-Tapu ’i, goal defence Luisa Milovale and wing defence Lace Tangianau was formidable, shutting down the opposition to take a commanding 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Aberdein-Tapu ’i was a real workhorse, disrupting Naenae's attackers who struggled

to find space to receive the ball resulting in either a held ball or a poor pass.

The midcourt combination of Renee Savai’inaea and Angela Milovale was smooth and efficient providing excellent ball to their shooters Brittany Antipas and Tamaalii who easily converted the goals.

By half time the score blew out to 39-14 in favour of Ulalei Aute.

The onslaught continued in the second half with the introduction of impact players Oshyn Mulipola and Oakley Baldwin who brought the ball down the court seamlessly.

The shooter to shooter passing between Antipas and Tamaali’i to advance closer to the post was flawless, and frustrated the Naenae defence.

This was a clinical and dominant performance from Ulalei Aute working like a

The current captain of the Wellington Lions, Peter plays as a centre or outside back. He has been playing for Wainuiomata since he was five years old and has also played for the Wellington Hurricanes.

Two coaches were named as Coaches of the Year – Grant Fore and Waaka Poutu and Mikade Fono won the Seniors Most Valuable New Comer trophy.

At the prizegiving the club also welcomed the 2023 school leavers from Wainuiomata High School, St Bernards College and St Pats Silverstream back to the club. The players

are all former junior players from the club.

As well as presenting the trophies, Ginny Andersen was presented with a Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club hoodie, complete with her name.

Following the presentations the club held an after party.

It was, the club says, “a fabulous night, made even better by the delicious dinner provided by Fine Touch Catering and the fantastic music from band 2 Twenty which kept everyone on the dance floor all night long”.

well-oiled machine.

In the Senior 3 division, an entertaining game in the club derby between the young guns Ulalei Fuesina and the seasoned Ulalei Moso'oi saw the experienced Moso'oi display their skills of old against the youngsters.

"It was a great game against our up and coming talent. They really made us work and

thankfully we had our subs to get us through the match," says player/manager Kathleen Samuelu. Moso'oi took the win 32-19.

"What is great about this club is that we are all whanau/ iga and just out there to have a run and enjoy. And that is all that matters at the end of the day," says long time member and player Summer Murray.

The winner of the Ben Tupuola Best and Fairest award James Oti flanked by Ginny Andersen and his wife Sunema. Jahzel Ben-Tupuola is on the right. Photo: Supplied.

Wainuiomata’s Outstanding Player of the Year Peteru Time with Ginny Andersen, his daughters Dani and Maleka and nieces Bernieta and Oli. Photo: Supplied.

Premier player and St Pats Silverstream Old Boy Greg Lealofi with Silverstream students Harry Stroiupe, Genesis Seupule-Mose and Simati Leala and the sponsor of the club’s Next Generation programme Des Smith. Photo: Supplied.

Double award winner Canon Hakaria with the premier reserves back coach Jude Perez. Photo: Supplied.

Ulalei Fuesina (young guns) and Ulalei Moso'oi all smiles at Walter Nash Centre.

Photo: Supplied.

Intermediate hockey team going to AIMS

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata

Intermediate School

(WIS) has entered a hockey team in this year’s Zespri AIMS Games for the first time in its history.

In addition two individual sportspeople – golfer Elijah Reuben and gymnast Rome Tavendale – will also compete in the games.

This year’s AIMS Games will be held in Tauranga from 2 to 8 September.

The games will see more than 11,500 11, 12 and 13 year old students from more than 370 schools from New Zealand and Pasifika nations, including Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands.

“We are excited about going to the AIMS Games,” says WIS teacher

Kania Va’a.

“We are looking forward to the challenge.”

The challenge has a promising look to it, too, with the WIS team winning the Wellington Intermediate Schools Hockey Tournament in June.

Eleven girls will travel to the games, to play in the seven-a-side hockey section.

They were selected at the end of March following trials the school held in early March.

Around half the team had played for the Wainuiomata Junior Hockey Club while the other members of the team were new to the game.

Two of the team have played hockey at a representative level. Emma Gosse-Ward and Ngataria Va’a have

both played in Wellington Hockey’s under 13 girls’ team.

WIS has received support from Barbara Meiklejohn of the Wainuiomata Junior Hockey Club, who has supported the school’s decision to take a hockey team to the AIMS Games.

The team is coached by Desmond Taumata and Barbie Henare, who are also from the junior hockey club. Currently the team is busy training, with sessions twice a week. On Tuesday evenings they train at the school gymnasium, while on Friday afternoons they travel to Fraser Park to train on the turf there.

The team and, indeed, the whole school is also currently busy fund-raising as it is costing $15,000 for the athletes to go to the AIMS

Frozen Jr coming to town

By Frank Neill

The iconic musical “Frozen Jr” is coming to Wainuiomata.

All 28 members of Wainuiomata’s youth musical theatre, Acting Out NZ, are currently busy rehearsing for the six performances of “Frozen Jr” they will present.

“Frozen Jr” will run from 27 September to 1 October at the Wainuiomata High School auditorium.

There will be four evening performances at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm) from 27 to 30 September. Two matiness will also be presented, at 2pm (doors open at 1:30pm) on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October.

“Frozen Jr” tells the story of love and acceptance between two sisters, who are both princesses.

Princess Elsa accidentally triggers an eternal winter in the town

of Arendelle.

Her younger sister, Princess Anna and her friends Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, set off on a dangerous yet thrilling mission to save the kingdom and rescue Princess Elsa.

They face a series of challenges awaiting them at every turn, including an unsuspected villain and unpredictable ice powers as they battle to bring back summer.

In the face of danger, the two princesses discover not only their hidden potential but also the powerful bond of sisterhood.

“Frozen Jr” is full of magic and adventure, as well as plenty of humour,” Acting Out President Jeremy Yuile says.

“Audience members can expect a fantastic show with some surprises in store.”

Tickets to “Frozen Jr” go on sale on 4 September and can be purchased through www.trybooking.

com/nz/owf. Tickets cost $10 per person plus a booking fee. Established in 2018, Acting Out NZ is a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. It teaches children aged between nine and 16 stagecraft and singing. Sessions are held in term time.

Once a year members audition for a musical production where everyone has a key part to play. The annual production gives the students an opportunity to showcase what they have learned and the progress they have made. Acting Out is developing relationships with other youth theatres in the area and says it has been “extremely lucky to borrow a number of costumes for this year’s show from the Lower Hutt group, ‘Musical Stars’”. Last year Acting Out performed the musical “Into the Woods”. They also performed excerpts

Games.

That means every student has to raise $1,100.

The local community stall day, organised by Wira Te Paa, donated the July stall holder funds of $260.

A school social raised more than $1,000 towards to the cost of the trip.

The Tamaiti o le Pasifika class at WIS also made a major contribution, with the class and their parents running a very popular bake sale that raised around $970.

The school also ran a non-uniform day, which raised around $200.

“There has been lots of school support, from both teachers and students,” Ms Va’a says.

“Some local businesses have also sponsored the team.”

“This went down well and the kids did an amazing job in a space they hadn’t practised in,” Jeremy says.

Anyone who has a child interested in becoming an Acting Out

member can make contact by emailing actingoutnz@gmail. com.

Acting Out is making sponsorship packages for “Frozen Jr” available to local businesses interested in promotion. More information is on the Acting Out NZ Facebook page.

The Wainuiomata Intermediate School hockey team that will compete in the Zespri AIMS Games. Photo: Supplied.

Golfer Elijah Reuben who will compete in the AIMS Games. Photo: Supplied.

Gymnast Rome Tavendale who will compete in the AIMS Games. Photo: Supplied.

Some of the Snow Chorus from Acting Out’s upcoming production of “Frozen Jr” (from left) Emily Devine, Elsie Morrison, Vienna Serpa, Rebekah Devine and Isla Barclay. Photo: Supplied. from “Into the Woods” at the Wainuiomata Masonic Retirement Village on 18 June.