The Fringe, March 2024

The Fringe, Issue 234, March 2024

Contents

ON OUR COVER: Lucas Kewell has come a long way from his Oratia home ... to Istanbul, Budapest and beyond. Read more about his journey on page 8.

Every issue of The Fringe (and the Tītīrangi Tatler before it) since April 2011 is on-line at www.fringemedia.co.nz. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FringeWest) to hear when each issue is available and get other updates.

“It's an incredibly special feeling, holding a precious wild bird gently yet securely, while a hospital manager gives it medication or treatment,” says BirdCare Aotearoa team member Kim Frakes. As the largest wild bird rehabilitation centre in New Zealand (by number of admissions), Birdcare needs volunteers to operate effectively. The centre admits around 6,000 rescued wild birds each year, including hundreds of orphaned birds. The babies are raised by dedicated nursery team members until they are old enough to release back into nature. To learn more about how you can join or support this organisation, and help save the lives of rescued wild birds, visit www.birdcareaotearoa.org.nz.

Delivered free to letter boxes, post boxes, libraries and selected outlets throughout Tītīrangi, Glen Eden, Green Bay, New Lynn, Konini, Wood Bay, French Bay, Waima, Woodlands Park, Laingholm, Parau, Cornwallis, Huia, Oratia, and beyond.

Published by: Fringe Media Ltd, PO Box 60-469, Tītīrangi, Auckland 0642

Editor: Bevis England 817 8024, 027 494 0700 bevis@fringemedia.co.nz

Advertising: info@fringemedia.co.nz

Writers and contributors: Moira Kennedy, David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Fiona Drummond, Jade Reidy, John

April 2024 deadline:

The future of our coasts

New shoreline adaptation plans (SAPs) are being prepared to cover all of Auckland Council’s coastal assets, along the city’s 3,200 km shoreline.

Plans are being prepared for 20 different stretches of Council-owned land, including public beaches, esplanades and regional parks. In the West, the focus this year is on finalising Manukau North (from Hillsborough to Huia) and then the West coast from Whatipū to South Head.

Council has proposed four possible ‘pathways’ for the future of its coastal assets: just letting nature take its course, holding the line and protecting all existing assets, limited interventions to maintain existing assets while recognising that change will take place, or a ‘managed realignment’, moving infrastructure back.

The creation of SAPs began long before last year’s floods and cyclone, with a pilot in Whangaparāoa in 2020.

The Whangaparāoa plan already shows small areas of ‘holding the line’ diminishing dramatically or disappearing altogether in the long term, defined as 60+ years.

Given the climate uncertainties, the action that Council will take (and when) will shift from a timeframes approach to one based on triggers and thresholds, based on actual events.

Waitākere Ranges Local Board chair Greg Presland says the board will be workshopping both the Manukau North and West coast plans before they are approved.

“We have a strong preference for holding the line,” he says. “The appetite is still there to do that – at French Bay and the completed seawall and groynes at Huia Domain, but obviously this will get trickier as time goes on.”

Specific adaptation projects will only begin after all 20 highlevel plans are completed in mid-2025, says the council’s Coastal Management practice lead Natasha Carpenter.

“Having the big picture in place means we can establish equitable priorities across the region,” she says.

With Manukau North completed, Foster Bay renewal in Huia will get the green light to re-start as the seawall had already reached the end of its lifespan and is critically failing. A report drafted by coastal engineers on options is looking at replacing the storm water pipes and the beach protection that was built by the community in 1960.

Local residents are relieved at the news, after watching ever more land scouring out behind the wall. (Some of these locals were living in the bay in the early ’50s and remember when the hedge was removed to make way for the wall.)

Formal consultation on the Manukau North plan has now closed.

You can have your say about what you value and how you use the Whatipū to South Head area until April 2 at akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz, or by attending a live event at Ecomatters in New Lynn on Sunday, March 17 at 11am.

The draft plans will be published on the publicly available local board meeting agendas ahead of approval.

– Jade Reidy

Holiday Carnival on Manukau: French Bay foreshore on January 29, 1940. (NZ Herald ). This image was sent to a 50-year Tanekaha Road resident by her relatives in Australia who used to sail at French Bay.

A Whites Aviation image of Foster Bay in the early 1950s before the first wall was built. The community built an early groyne at the left hand end of the bay to prevent the sand scouring out. They covered it in chicken wire which eventually disintegrated and there's no evidence left of it.

The geckos are back!

Arataki Visitor Centre has re-opened after a 10 month closure caused by the devastating slips and flooding that blocked Scenic Drive on January 28 last year.

The reopening included the return of three New Zealand geckos; two Moko kākāriki (elegant geckos), sisters named Ina and Huna, and one Moko pirirākau (forest gecko) named Taurua (pictured right).

The closure meant the lizards had no-one at the centre to look after them, so they were returned to the Auckland Zoo, where they joined their former friends. (The geckos are on loan from the zoo.)

The road to Arataki beyond Shaw Road was repaired in October, but further along Scenic Drive a giant slip still blocks the road. Auckland Transport has started work on the repair and anticipates it will take until the end of April to complete. The repair of the Tītīrangi to Woodlands Park section of Scenic Drive will take another three or four months.

A large number of tracks in the Waitākere Regional Park were also damaged by the big rains, and are still being

worked on.

Arataki’s Team Leader Laura Peters says some tracks have re-opened after minor repairs, including the Arataki Nature Trail, Beveridge Track, Kitekite Falls Track, Upper and Lower Te Piringa Tracks (formerly known as the Auckland City Walk), Maungaroa Lookout Track, and the Montana Heritage Trail. The popular Fairy Falls Track is expected to re-open soon. Others, like the Zig Zag Track suffered ‘huge damage’ and are yet to re-open. Laura advises walkers to give the visitor centre a call to check which tracks are open before heading out to the park. (See page 14 for more.)

Laura says things are “almost back to normal.” Some 25,000 visitors have been through the doors since the centre re-opened with a Friends of Arataki Day.

“It’s amazing to welcome back the tourists and locals alike,” Laura says. Tourist numbers are up on previous years, particularly from the U.S.

The disruption caused by the closure last year also had a major impact on Arataki staff. Initially staff were redeployed

Our Place

to other jobs in Auckland Council. Many moved on to new work, meaning the centre has recently hired three new staff members, Laura says. “It’s a fresh start.”

She says the weather events that have caused so much havoc out West and elsewhere are a pointer to climate change. “The intensity of the rain! It’s part of the unignorable climate danger.”

Arataki has a full programme of activities, workshops, and exhibitions planned this year, including a display of photographs by Jacqui Geux. Jacqui was a local ‘citizen scientist’ who recorded more than 21,000 observations of 2,295 species in a span of only 12 years. Her natural history photographs can be seen on the iNaturalist website, in science books, and on signage around the Waitākere Regional Park. Jacqui sadly passed away in 2022.

Activities to expect at the visitor centre in 2024 include bone carving for rangitahi (youth), guided night walks, a ‘seed-bomb’ workshop, and the Kōrero Club – a free Thursday group for Māori language learners.

Last year the centre was presented with a Green Flag Award for Excellence. The scheme recognises excellent management of parks and green spaces around the world.

– John Goudge

The cost of water

Given all the recent media around our city’s water services issues and a substantial price rise looming, I thought I should share my perspectives.

Before being appointed Lead Councillor to Watercare, my knowledge of the organisation was limited to media commentary and passing observations. And a healthy scepticism of all things Council.

But I have learnt a lot, and the staff have been very generous with their time answering my questions. Nothing is perfect, but I believe Watercare is the benchmark for council operations.

That said, the council family could deliver their projects more cheaply. Two Watercare projects are evidence of this. Watercare took a greenfield site in the Waikato and turned it into an operational water treatment plant (during the 2021 drought) in under 12 months. While the Parnell sinkhole was a serious breakage, its overflow was mitigated with a bypass effluent pumping station bigger than any single pumping station in the Wellington area, and this was established and operating within 20 days.

When I questioned staff about how they achieved such admirable outcomes, they said, “When there is an emergency, people get out of the road.”

Made Art Show

Keep March 8–10, 10am-4pm, free for Made '24, a group show to be held in the Huia Hall.

Featuring artists and artisans from the Huia and Cornwallis area, the event will showcase the rich diversity of art created there. The organisers, Karla Harris, Steven Brown and Rachael Naomi, are passionate about local artists having an opportunity to exhibit their work together and this year’s Made continues a long tradition of group shows in the Huia Hall, next to the Huia Settlers Museum (open March 9–10, 1.30-4.30) and across the road from Karamatura Valley.

This year, 25 artists are showing their work, across a wide range of disciplines.

For more info find Made Art Show on Instagram (@ made_huia_cornwallis) and Facebook (Made: Huia & Cornwallis Artists & Artisans).

If we have people, processes, and practices that are not required in an emergency, then I argue they’re not required at all.

I supported Watercare’s request to be allowed another $130M of borrowing. This money is the cost of opportunity. The Parnell sinkhole gave Watercare the chance to bring forward planned upgrade work: the hole allowed access to hundreds of meters of underground sewer main, with all necessary equipment on site. This is simply doing what is necessary – to return later would cost far more. Similarly, Watercare’s 17km wastewater tunnel (Central Interceptor) has progressed so well that the decision has been made to extend north in anticipation of development to our city’s northwest area.

I will agree to an increase in water rates; our city cannot risk a hiatus in improving and expanding our drinking and wastewater infrastructure.

Watercare has performed well, especially in the light of two years without understanding their long-term future, a situation that is still not resolved.

I still take every opportunity to challenge costs. But much of the unnecessarily expensive processes in Watercare’s model is the result of political tampering, and I am sorry I cannot undo that fast enough to stop price increases.

– Ken Turner, WestWards

Gifted and fearless

Picture this; around 10 years ago; a family home in Oratia; three young boys, ten, eleven and twelve. There is a piano; always a piano. The eldest, Oliver, has been playing since early childhood and is a talented young classical pianist. The youngest, Lucas, after a year of weekly, 20-minute lessons at Oratia Primary School, is quite different. With amazing prescience, his teacher Larissa Kuznetsova, said “no more grades, let him range free.”

A short film taken at this time shows a skinny, blond boy sitting stiffly at the piano. As he starts to play, he is transformed; eyes shut, leaning into the keyboard, hands and arms moving fluidly over the keys. The sound has a depth and complexity that belies his age.

And so unfolded years of daily improvising; playing for hours on end with a growing sense of mastery. As the skinny boy became a teenager his almost visceral connection to the piano became increasingly evident. Short back and sides gave way to a wild mop of curls as he crouched more deeply over the keyboard, eyes closed in an almost trance-like state.

Early on, a short period busking in Tītīrangi was probably his first foray outside family and close friends. He was surprised that bystanders liked his music and even more surprised that they donated so generously!

Intermediate school passed with no-one aware of his talent; but Avondale College, with its great reputation for music, was a different matter. Lucas would arrive at school at 7.00 so that he could improvise on the Steinway grand piano. And here is where things suddenly changed.

Over the following seven years a series of unpredictable moments in space and time are now taking Lucas Kewell on a path to international recognition.

The first of these was when Mike Robinson, head of jazz at Avondale College, came in early one morning and overheard him improvising.

In his words: I walked down the corridor and heard someone playing the piano. I heard beautiful melodies against complex, angular rhythmic ideas, music that was neither classical or jazz, but completely improvised. It was not something you hear down the hall in a high school. I was so surprised to find a shy junior student at the piano.

His discovery catapulted Lucas into the college Jazz Big Band and subsequently into the Toby and the Rest jazz

quartet. These fresh-faced kids went on to win top awards at the Tauranga, Wellington and Auckland jazz competitions; most outstanding Jazz Quartet, most outstanding pianist, most outstanding original composition. This work, Poor America , came immediately after watching a film about the Atlanta bombings in the USA. Originally a 24-minute improvisation on piano, it was later arranged for saxophone, bass, drums and piano to win the most outstanding original composition of the Tauranga Jazz contest, moving the judges to tears. It is clear to me, that along with an extraordinary mastery of the piano, there is a deep emotional response to life and a sort of innocence that Lucas can tap into without any hindrance. He doesn't know where the music comes from – it simply is – and he doesn't question it.

I first heard Lucas play at a house concert at Armour Bay. House concerts can occasionally be uneasy events, and this one surely was. Lucas seemed utterly oblivious to his surroundings, bent low over the piano, his teenage mop obscuring his face and totally in command of his instrument. My first response was that I could hear shades of Keith Jarrett, but that soon gave way to an awareness of the uniqueness and the richness of the improvisations.

At a later date I was present for a concert by Toby and the Rest on the open roof level of Lopdell House. A warm summer evening, glass of wine in hand, this was pure magic and just plain fun! What talent in these, by now, students at Auckland University in their first year of music studies. The programme balanced jazz classics against new compositions by Lucas, demonstrating the diversity he could draw on.

In August 2022, after auditioning online, he was awarded a place in the summer school at Berklee College of Music in Boston. While there, another significant chance meeting occurred with a Syrian refugee clarinet player of some renown, Serkan Hakki. This creative connection, or combustion, produced two works that they performed at the final concert in the Boston Town Hall.

We are now deep in the 'time of Covid'. Lucas returned to Auckland and his music studies and he and Serkan (now back in Istanbul) continued to work on new compositions over the Internet.

Now it gets really crazy! In April 2023, Lucas travelled to Istanbul to record an album with Serkan and other musicians of the compositions that had come out of their online collaboration. While there, a Hungarian drummer from the

Art & About with Naomi McCleary

Berklee summer camp heard that he was a mere one hour flight away and invited him to Budapest to play with another quartet. The drummer had been accepted for a place at the prestigious Jazz Campus in Basel, Switzerland. Later that year in July, one of the tutors saw a Youtube clip of the Budapest concert and asked who the Kiwi kid was on piano. 'Nek minit' Lucas was contacted by the Jazz Campus and invited to do an online audition. He was immediately offered a place for a three-year course in composition and performance, starting

Have Your Say!

Consultation on Auckland Council’s Long-term Plan will start soon and the council is to shortly finalise the consultation topics.

The budget looks very tight. The mayor has proposed savings without specifying where they will come from. Last year we were aware that Waitākere Ranges Local Board was facing a $765,000 cut and we were able to have a proper discussion with our communities, particularly our Arts and Environmental groups.

This time what will be cut is not yet clear. It is important that locals have this detail.

The mayor has proposed privatising Ports of Auckland’s activities and forming an Auckland Future Fund. Although the fund could provide the city with much needed capital, I am not sure that with current financial pressures, this is the right time to set it up. I am sure both proposals will attract a lot of attention.

The local board has already provided some initial comments about the mayor’s draft proposal. We supported the Making Space for Water program on the basis that work addressing land stability issues should be addressed and resourced, and increased resources for the Urban Regeneration programme and recommended that Glen Eden be included as a new location for regeneration.

Consultation material should be out soon. Can I urge everyone to have your say: akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan.

–

Greg Presland, Chair, Waitākere Ranges Local Board

within a few weeks. With no time to apply for funding scholarships, again this young 19-year old lad was off to the other side of the world, with the added challenges of finding a place to live and learning a new language.

What I find amazing is that this young musical prodigy looks almost other-worldly, so deeply imbedded is he in his music. But, in fact, he is a tiger; fearlessly throwing himself out into the world in pursuit of his passion.

One can't help wondering about the wellsprings of such a gift. What allows a child to be so nakedly open to music as his only way of expressing himself? What, in a challenging world, keeps him on track? Sends such pivotal connections his way? The magic is Lucas', but behind this story is a parallel one of an enabler. Robin, Lucas' dad, recognised something special in his musicality from an early age. Nothing unusual there. But as the years went by, he became the rock that nurtured Lucas through his musical development, never intruding but unfailingly encouraging and committed.

In that spirit, Robin has produced a CD of one of Lucas' improvised concerts, recorded at the Audio Foundation (Auckland) when he was 17. Titled From Within, all proceeds of this recording are going to support Lucas in Switzerland. ($20 – available through Robin at robinkewell@xtra.co.nz.)

The award-winning Toby and the Rest.

The Fringe makes space on these pages available for current advertisers and non-commercial organisations, at no charge.

To be included in our next issue, email info@fringemedia. co.nz before March 15.

Keeping it Local

Flood protection

Protect your property from flooding this summer and beyond with storm water solutions from Drain Ranger

If your property has experienced flooding during extreme weather events and your insurance has covered the damage, we offer obligation-free quotes to help you prepare for the next storm.

Don’t wait until winter to address your storm water drainage issues: act now to ensure your property is ready for the next rainy season.

It's crucial to be proactive in safeguarding your home by maintaining your drains. Hydro jetting and CCTV inspections are xcritical for your drainage system. Regular annual checks are essential, especially now, as we are well into the dry season.

Unchecked cracks and partial tree root infiltrations can cause extensive damage, especially as trees seek water more aggressively now while it's dry. Swift action is crucial to prevent costly repairs. A regular drain maintenance plan ensures drain longevity and reduces the risk of root infiltration. Invest in your property's well-being for a worryfree summer.

Contact Drain Ranger for an obligation-free chat on how we can help. www.drainranger.co.nz or phone 021 709 783.

Positive dog training

At Bark Dog Training we believe that dog training should be a joyful and enriching experience – not just for your four-legged friend but for you as well.

Our mission extends beyond obedience behaviours; we strive to empower dogs to thrive in our humancentric world. With a focus on positive reinforcement, we endeavour to unlock the potential of every dog we work with.

We work with you to help give your dog the skills and motivation to make great choices. By aligning your dog’s natural instincts with positive behaviours, we work to create a happy and harmonious life for both you and your pup. Through training, we build effective communication and deepen the bond between dogs and their human family members. We can help with a number of behaviours including household manners, reducing excitability or distractibility out and about, recall, loose leash walking and more.

Sarah James is the driving force behind Bark Dog Training, and is a creative, kind, and thoughtful trainer. When not training dogs, she can be found exploring the picturesque Waitākere Ranges and West Coast beaches alongside her own dog, a spirited Jack Russell mix named Sheldon. A dedicated member of the West Auckland community, Sarah loves volunteering with Project Twin Streams and working in local community gardens. Phone Sarah on 022 603 8457.

Storm Recovery Navigator at Visionwest

For most of us the storms of last summer are a thing of the past but, believe it or not, many locals are still feeling their effects.

Some people are still displaced from their homes; others are waiting for insurance settlements while others are still grappling with the crippling financial implications of the two weekends of torrential rain.

The Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office has put in place a team of ‘Storm Recovery Navigators’ to support residential property owners – and one of these is located at Visionwest Community Trust.

Lisa Sherring (pictured) is the new Visionwest Storm Recovery Navigator. She provides a free and confidential service that offers personal assistance to those who are still feeling the effects of last year’s flooding.

The service includes one-onone support to find appropriate solutions and organisations that will help with each person’s unique situation, making sure people have the most up-to date information, while connecting them to other support agencies such as WINZ, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and New Zealand Claims Resolution Service.

Help to gain access to specialist services such as legal advice and budget advice is offered, along with updates on grant applications and financial assistance that could be available. Support with housing and tenancy issues including temporary accommodation or resettlement is also provided.

If you or someone you know need help, contact Lisa on 027 808 4566, or email lisa.sherring@visionwest.org.nz.

Sarah James with Sheldon.

Dear Westies, Tāmaki Makaurau needs you

Calling all Westies, your city needs you. The long-term future of Auckland depends on what is adopted in Auckland Council’s proposed Longterm Plan.

The Long-term Plan is reviewed every three years and covers what Auckland Council intends to do, and how it is funded, as it outlines the council’s plan to shape the city.

This plan not only reflects the council’s vision in making our natural environment—harbours, beaches, forests—stunning as ever, but also decides how we’re going to develop our public transport system, to make sure it keeps pace with our fast-growing population, among many other important issues facing our city.

Waitākere Ward Councillor Shane Henderson says: “After all we went through with the Anniversary Day floods and Cyclone Gabrielle last year, and the financial challenges facing the council, it’s more important than ever that residents give feedback on the draft plan.

“Every submission matters—how you would like to see the rate changes so that our city can match up with our growing infrastructure needs, your thoughts on a proposed new bus station at Westgate, and there’s more in this draft plan.”

Councillor Ken Turner says the plan aims to strengthen the long-term financial and physical resilience of the Auckland region.

“From the plan I see the efforts in driving efficiency and productivity throughout the council. We now want to hear from you, our residents—how you’d love to see us deliver operational cost savings and we are leaving our options open for discussion,” says Turner.

Whau Ward Councillor Kerrin Leoni says the Longterm Plan will ask residents what choices and trade-offs they’re willing to make to get them through the current set of economic conditions.

“We will have to face tougher choices ahead with the upcoming removal of the Regional Fuel Tax. It’s time for you to tell us what you value most—do you support time-of-use (congestion) charging and what community facilities do you want to have or renew, including a swimming pool in the Whau? No feedback is ever too small or trivial,” says Leoni.

Feedback on the Long-term Plan is open from 28 February to 28 March.

Have your say

West Auckland residents can make submissions at akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan, phone 09 301 0101, visit local council Library or service centre, or at a Have Your Say event:

• Henderson-Massey community hui: 19 March 2024, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Henderson Civic Chamber.

• Whau community hui: 20 March 2024, 5:00pm-7:00pm, Main Hall, New Lynn Community Centre.

• Waitākere Ranges hearing style event: 21 March 2024, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Waitākere Ranges local board office. Bookings essential. Contact waitakererangeslocalboard@aucklandcouncil. govt.nz to book in your session time.

• West Auckland Māori Hapori-Community Hui: 25 March, 10:30am-2:30pm, Hoani Waititi Marae, 451 West Coast Road, Oratia.

Local residents at a Chinese Food and Culture Festival 2023

Places to go – Things to do

Out and About in the West

Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz.

Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person if possible, especially over the festive and holiday season

Covid precautions: All events and gatherings in these listings will require full compliance with relevant Covid regulations.

Exhibitions

w – 3, Portage Ceramic Awards 2023, a unique and fascinating insight into the rich diversity of contemporary ceramic practice; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – 17, Upstairs Gallery presents Footprint, a members group show commenting on any aspect of sustainability – from destruction to creation and everything in between; Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.

w March 2 – April 27, Windows to the World, Rozana Lee extends her research on global histories of encounter and exchange, establishing connections between her Indonesian cultural heritage, Pasifika culture, and Central Asia; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.

March

w 3, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.

w 5, Have your say on Auckland Council’s next long-term plan and meet Zenovia Pappapetros, Council engagement advisor; Tītīrangi Library, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2 – 5pm. Phone 817 0011

w 8, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12noon. Phone Vince 021 189 6822.

w 8, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484.

w 9, Tītīrangi Poets with a guest poet and readings by members; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2-4pm. Phone Ron Riddell 021 181 6698.

w 9, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Nigel and Sonia floorsingers in first half; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $15, members $10, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

w 12, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz.

w 16, New Lynn Lions Club $1 Book Sale: Books, Magazines, CDs, DVDs, LPs and jigsaw puzzles; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn (down the driveway by the traffic lights); 8am-4pm. Contact Mary Hibberd on 027 487 0639.

w 16, A celebration of Ron Riddell’s new book Awakening to Timelessness, a collection of Tītīrangi poems; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2-3.45pm; Entry by koha and books available for purchase.

w 17, Friends of Whatipu presents Graeme Murdoch, historian and author, on the history of Whatipu and Māori place names and traditions. Bring a picnic lunch, portable seat and please park in the public car park; Whatipu Lodge; 11am; koha appreciated. Phone 022 135 9330.

w 18, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with monthly speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Clubrooms, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am-noon. Contact Joy 837 4646 or 021 267 3544.

w 19, Learn about the new nationwide recycling standards with a presentation from the Waste-wise team. This event is running as part of EcoFest; Tītīrangi Library, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 10.30 – 11.30am. Phone 817 0011.

w 20, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361.

w 20, Waitākere Greypower Association General Meeting. Guest speaker Sheree Tiatia, ASB Bank Community Banker, talking about fraud and scams; Te Atatū South Community Centre, 247 Edmonton Rd, Te Atatū; 12pm. Phone 838 5207.

w 22, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club: company and fellowship,

Places to go – Things to do

interesting speakers, morning tea and monthly outings; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857.

w 22, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk, an informal gathering of musicians, singers and listeners; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 7.30pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

w 26, Charity crafters drop-in session. Come and join us for a cuppa and share in the enjoyment of creating for a purpose. This event is running as part of EcoFest; Tītīrangi Library, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 11am – 12pm. Phone 817 0011

w 26, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 50-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact Jan George, 027 478 4119 or jan@jangeorge.co.nz. www.u3a. nz.

w 30, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ) with funding from Whau Local Board, New Lynn Community Centre, Tōtara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am - 2pm; Koha. Enquiries to shi@doughnuteconomicsnz.com.

w 31, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.

Love your coast?

Auckland’s ~3,200km of diverse and dynamic shorelines are regularly affected by coastal hazards and a changing climate. We’re developing Shoreline Adaptation Plans (SAPs) to adapt and sustainably manage Auckland Council-owned land and assets in partnership with local iwi and engagement with local communities.

Join the conversation and tell us what is important to you by visiting our regional social pinpoint map: https://aucklandcouncil. mysocialpinpoint.com/ shorelineadaptationplans/ map#/

For more information, search for Shoreline Adaptation Plans at AucklandCouncil.govt.nz

Green Bay Community House will hold its

Easter Egg Hunt on March 28, from 3-5pm. This community event is growing each year, and there'll be loads of free fun family activities, including the Easter Egg hunt, arts, crafts, kai and more. The hunt will take place at 1 Barron Drive, Green Bay. Phone 827 3300 for more information.

Like to try Country dancing?

The Waitematā Scottish Country Dance Club meets every Tuesday, with beginners from 6,45pm and the regular class from 7.45. This is friendly social dancing and no partner or previous experience is necessary. The club meets at Glen Eden Primary School Hall, 3 Glenview Road, Glen Eden. Phone 838 7263 or 021 106 0466 for more information.

Cascades Kauri track reopens

The Waitākere Ranges track network has experienced a double whammy in recent years with the rāhui due to kauri dieback and the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding in early 2023.

The extent of the storm devastation has meant a huge amount of work for Auckland Council and some tracks may never reopen. The same applies to tracks bordering on areas infected with kauri dieback.

However, a survey in 2021 found the disease was moving slower than initially thought and most trees at the centre of the ranges were free of the pathogen.

"We're making progress. It's a long journey, but we’re putting in the infrastructure to help improve kauri health," says Stuart Leighton, senior kauri dieback advisor for Auckland Council,

The Cascades tracks, closed since 2018, reopened earlier this year providing access to the Ark in the Park sanctuary with its unique birds, including toutouwai (black robin) and kōkako. When visiting this area, please report sightings of these birds (note the coloured leg bands) and any pest cockatoos.

Te Piringa (formerly the Auckland City Walk) is one of the newly opened tracks. It now has a slightly larger car park and new interpretive signage (left) developed in partnership with Te Kawerau ā Maki. Wāhi whakanoa, rocks with carved and polished surfaces that a small volume of water trickles over, have also been installed so people can cleanse before entering the forest.

Te Piringa is not presently a loop track as the slope moved where the multi-span bridge was toward the upper entrance of the track. “We are still looking at options to reconnect the sections but that is potentially a few years away,” says

David Markham, acting principal ranger. “In the meantime, the upper section is a short walk with a seated view of Aunt Agatha, a large kauri that succumbed to kauri dieback.”

The lower entrance to the walk is now a concrete path making that section more accessible, and lowering the gradient. The new entrance bridge is more elevated than the previous one so you do feel as if you are in the canopy as you enter the bush.

Other opened tracks include access to the Waitākere Dam from the Falls Road and the Long Road Track now extends to Pae o Te Rangi farm.

Local walks

Closer to home, Tītīrangi locals are enjoying the reopened Tītīrangi Community House to Park Road track, descending through native bush (right).

A portion of the popular Zig Zag Track, from Park Road to Tītīrangi Beach, damaged by slips during Cyclone Gabrielle, is likely to be reopened to enable a short walk (about 20-minute return) from the lower entrance. Repairs and re-gravelling have been completed and a barrier has been installed at the end of the safe section. Beyond this point relatively substantial works and engineering solutions will be required.

The reopening will be subject to monitoring to ensure that people are not entering the closed part of the track, which is neither safe nor kauri dieback compliant.

Waitākere Ranges Local Board chairperson Greg Presland is happy to see the progress. “I am very pleased that the Zig Zag Track has been partially remediated. I am keenly aware how the track is loved and utilised by Tītīrangi locals. I anticipate that if the public is respectful in not accessing the closed section of the track, we will see the remediated lower section open soon and in time the whole track reopened.”

– Fiona Drummond

Vibrant EcoFest coming this month

Learn to make butter as they did 100 years ago; explore Auckland’s largest wetland on a VIP kayak tour; nurture native seeds to help restore our local streams; or master the art of Japanese gift wrapping!

These are just a few of over 250 inspiring and sustainable activities on offer during this year’s EcoFest, running from March 15 to April 14.

There will be more than 100 events to choose from in West Auckland alone, from composting workshops to discovering our local wetlands. EcoFest’s aim is to make sustainability fun and accessible; inspiring people to make simple changes to reduce their impact on the environment.

“EcoFest has always been a grassroots festival, offering local change-makers a chance to share their skills and ideas, championing our local environment, supporting collaboration and celebrating the importance of community,” says Carla Gee, CEO of EcoMatters Environment Trust.

Starting on Friday, March 15, the month-long EcoFest 2024 programme will be packed with events, activities, installations and workshops for people of all ages and at any stage of their sustainability journey.

This year, Arataki Visitor Centre is hosting a unique twilight walk experience with Annette Lees, author of After Dark: Walking into the Nights of Aotearoa.

Starting with a kōrero, attendees will embark on a sunset walk along the Nature Trail, using their senses and limited sight to experience the rainforest in a whole other light.

West Aucklanders already know and love EcoFest, which has run in their area for more than a decade. In 2023, organisers EcoMatters Environment Trust joined forces with Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust to take the festival region-wide.

Find out more at ecofest.org.nz.

Arataki Visitor Centre at sunset. Photo credit: Pikitia.

History

Mabel Jones and the beginning of Tobys

The closure of Tobys Restaurant and Bar in Park Road was a sad loss to Tītīrangi earlier this year. The premises had long been a landmark in the village and 2023 was the centenary of what started out as the Park Kiosk.

The land on the corner of Park Road and what was then called School Road (now South Tītīrangi Road) was purchased in October 1923 by Mabel Irene Jones, a single woman aged 35. While a single woman buying property was not unusual, Mabel’s intentions were. Mabel was going into business and competing with the existing Tītīrangi Kiosk, run by the Bishop family.

On 22 December 2023, Mabel opened the Park Kiosk, providing morning and afternoon teas, cold lunches and Christmas dinner. It also catered for weddings and events, “everything cooked on premises”. There were dances with live music, entry two shillings.

So what drew Mabel to Tītīrangi?

Mabel was born in 1888 in Worchester, the daughter of John Jones, a gardener, and his much younger second wife, Elizabeth. Mabel became a domestic servant, but in about 1916 emigrated to New Zealand, joining her older halfbrother, William Henry Jones. Henry had made a successful business as a tea merchant, initially living in some style in Parnell. In 1907 Henry bought five acres in School Road, Tītīrangi, next to the school, and by 1916, when Mabel arrived, was living there with his partner Pearl. Soon after,

Mabel lent Henry money, secured by a mortgage over the property.

All eight of Pearl and Henry’s children attended Tītīrangi School. The school also doubled as a social hall and Henry reported that dances were held every Saturday night, the music led by a tin whistle and concertina. Some of the dancers wore hob-nailed boots, complained Henry.

The name Jones has disappeared from Tītīrangi, and to complicate things, the Jones sometimes called themselves ‘Bayliss Jones’ (Bayliss was Henry’s mother’s maiden name).

Despite Henry’s commercial success, the Jones were always on the lookout for other sources of income. Their first enterprise was the Frontier Kiosk, established next to the school and offering “Dainty Lunches and Teas” which was probably run by Mabel. The Bayliss Jones later advertised sections for sale, board, and even a rest home called Penbryn Hafan, hafan meaning haven in Welsh.

At the time, Tītīrangi was a muchpublicised tourist destination. Dubbed the “blue mountains” and compared in splendour to their New South Wales counterparts, Tītīrangi provided a highly desirable outing from Auckland. City residents could take a charabanc or open motor coach on a scenic tour that included walks down the Zig Zag Track to Tītīrangi Beach, while wealthy citizens with cars could simply enjoy a ‘motor’. All of them stopped for refreshments at what was then called a kiosk.

Mabel’s Park Kiosk served multiple customers – tourists, locals holding meetings and social events, campaigning politicians, school-children looking for an ice-cream, and residents who bought groceries.

After a decade of successful business, Mabel sold the property to Robert and Ellen Reekie in late 1933. They ran the kiosk until 1947. At some time it was renamed the Toby Jug and had the distinction of being one of the first restaurants in Auckland to be licensed. The recent restaurant occupied the original building, now over 100 years old.

When she left the kiosk, saying it was for health reasons, Mabel Jones went to live in St Heliers, then, in 1942, she married William Charles Limpus, a drainlayer. The couple lived in Rotorua before settling in Papakura, where Mabel started another business (in 1963, aged 75), the Stop Gap Tucker Bar. She died in 1964.

– Sandra Coney

The only known photo of Mabel Jones (back), seen with her sister-in-law, Pearl Jones, and four of Pearl’s children, all of whom attended Tītīrangi School. The photo was taken about 1917 soon after Mabel arrived in New Zealand. Photo Patricia Hargreaves Collection.

Farewell to Tobys, a Tītīrangi landmark

There’s only so much business owners can take. After 100 years of this iconic restaurant serving Tītīrangi, Tobys has closed its doors. FIONA DRUMMOND offers a personal reflection.

Owners Peter Brown and Mike Simpkins reopened the premises in 2021 after a five-month renovation into a restaurant/bar, following on from its previous life as the Park Road Kitchen cafe run by Pien Wise.

The owners’ intent was to create a local pub type atmosphere, but it never really seemed to achieve that. Tobys has always had a harder job to capture the locals with it being off the main drag, and that has also been part of its vulnerability to burglary.

Also, on reflection, 2021 might not have been the best time to open a restaurant. Covid-19 affected all food outlets, with the closures through lockdowns, staffing difficulties and increased costs.

Then came the burglaries, perhaps another impact of Covid-19 and bored youth. Four times in 14 months in fact, with alcohol the target. And now hospitality is experiencing an economic downturn, with the cost of living affecting people’s ability to eat out as often.

It’s gutting that these devastating break-ins have caused the closure of both our local post office and now Tobys.

Luckily Thomas’ Cup is still brimming with regulars with Thomas Rapana is still operating out of the other side of the Tobys premises.

It seems sad that we can’t celebrate the centenary of Tobys, along with the Tītīrangi Soldiers’ Memorial Church, also in its centennial year. (For more on Tobys heritage, see the May 2021 issue of The Fringe, https://issuu.com/fringemedia8/ docs/2105.)

Let’s hope that some brave soul will bring it back again in the future.

Mabel Jones’ Park Kiosk. Auckland City of Flowers, c1930. J. T. Diamond Collection, JTD-038-0231, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections

Atkinson House, Tītīrangi: a history

Tucked into the hillside overlooking Tītīrangi Village is a unique example of the work of architect Tibor Donner (1907 – 1993). Built in 1946 for the Atkinson family, the house has had a range of functions over the past 78 years, both as a private home, and a public facility.

Tibor Donner is best known for some of his distinctive modernist public buildings such as the Parnell Baths (195154), and the Ellen Melville Hall in Freyberg Place in the CBD (1959 - 61). (He also designed the Green Bay Kindergarten in La Rosa Street, in 1970.)

Born in Hungary, he grew up in Romania, and came to live in New Zealand with his family as a 16-year-old, in 1924. One incentive for coming here was being able to study architecture. He graduated with distinction from Auckland University School of Architecture in 1932. By that time his family had returned to Hungary, but he remained, completing his studies and having a distinguished architectural career that spanned 45 years through to the mid-1970s.

Tibor had an influential role helping shape Auckland’s built heritage. From 1944 he was the Auckland City Council Architect, a role he held for 23 years, overseeing many

public building developments including the civic administration centre in Aotea Square. He was influenced by the modern movement, the Bauhaus, and architects such as Corbusier.

Alongside his demanding role he also maintained a private practice, managing to complete an impressive number of private commissions over his career. Some features of his domestic work include the use of vertical weather boards, large windows, low pitched roofs, and scoria rock walls.

One private commission he had in 1945 was designing the Atkinson House in Rangiwai Rd, Tītīrangi, for Harry and Edna Atkinson. The Atkinson and Donner families were friends, and Tibor designed his own home on the other side of Tītīrangi Village, in Kohu Road, at around the same time.

Atkinson House is situated on a piece of land which originally formed part of Henry Atkinson’s large Tītīrangi estate, purchased in 1884. Henry, (Harry’s grandfather), built a house on top of Rangiwai hill in 1915, which is still there today. Atkinson House sits below it on the village side. Harry grew up on the hill, and knew the site of his future home well.

In 1941, the Atkinson family sold the hill-top estate to the Geddes family, and in 1945 the ownership of the piece of land that ran down to Tītīrangi Village passed to Harry.

Harry Atkinson was an optometrist and married Edna Witten, the daughter of a local school teacher. Edna was a talented landscape designer, and a columnist for Home and Building magazine. The grounds were extensively landscaped by Edna, and many of the established trees and plants on the property today were selected and planted by her.

While the house was being built, the family lived in a small bach on the edge of the property, in what is now a carpark area. The house was built by local builders Jack, Reg and Rob Newby. Both Harry and Tibor assisted with some of the building work.

Harry was a classical music buff and had one of the first stereo systems in Tītīrangi. Harry and Edna were very active in the local community and the house was designed for socialising, with a large lounge and more modest-sized bedrooms.

Edna Atkinson died in 1962, when she was in her late 40s. The family continued living there until 1967, before selling the house to the Waitematā County Council.

From 1967 through until 1978 the house was used as the Tītīrangi district administration office. People recall coming to the house to sit their driver’s license, attend meetings, and pay their rates. Apparently there was the odd game of lunchtime tennis for the council officers up at the neighbour’s property.

Continued on page 20 >>

Atkinson House, 2024

Tibor Donner (right) with Dove-Myer Robinson, Mayor of Auckland, looking at the Civic Administration Centre model c.1959. Collection of Paul Jenkin c/o Margaret Donner.

Sustainable

Solutions

The government has standardised the materials which councils can accept in their recycling collections.

The Ministry of Environment goal is to have at least 50 percent of household waste go into recycling and food scrap bins rather than ending up in landfills by 2030.

Currently, 76 percent of waste goes to landfill, and food scraps are responsible for 22 percent of landfill emissions.

The transformed recycling and food scrap system is intended to:

• Increase the quality and quantity of materials collected for recycling

• Reduce the amount of recycling and food scraps sent to landfill as rubbish

• Reduce disposal costs

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Recycle more resources through our economy and put more nutrients back into the soil.

The new rules require residents to make a number of changes to their recycling efforts. These changes will help streamline the recycling process:

• Empty and rinse all recyclables before putting them in the recycling bin

• Take lids off all bottles and containers and put them in

Children and young people need to be active to be healthy and thrive. Auckland Council is inviting sports organisations to apply for a share of a $836,000 to support sport and recreation activites.

Applications close on 10 March 2024. Dave Stewart, the council’s Active Communities General Manager encourages community groups, including not-for-profit, charitable and voluntary organisations to apply for the grant.

To discuss your proposal or if you have any questions about the process, contact sportandrecreation@aucklandcouncil. govt.nz.

Neighbours Aotearoa

Neighbours Aotearoa runs throughout March, encouraging people to organise activities or events with their neighbours.

This year’s theme Growing Together is about connecting, nurturing relationships, sharing, and encouraging aroha where you live.

Now in its fourteenth year, Neighbours Aotearoa is dedicated to growing resilient and supportive communities.

To find out what’s happening in your area, find a local Connector, or organise your own Neighbours Aotearoa activity or event, check out the tools available to make organising easier at https://neighboursaotearoa.nz/

the rubbish

• Containers should be no larger than four litres

• Remove bubble wrap, polystyrene or plastic packaging from cardboard boxes – tape and labels can remain.

• Items should be larger than 50mm x 50mm.

Items that can be put in your recycling bin include:

• Glass bottles and glass jars (empty and clean).

• Tin, steel and aluminium cans (empty and clean).

• Plastic bottles (grades 1, 2 and 5) from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry.

• Plastic food containers (grades 1, 2 and 5).

• Newspapers, magazines, and advertising mail.

• Paper, cardboard including empty pizza boxes, egg cartons and window envelopes.

Soft plastic including the foil plastic of chippie and confectionery packets should be recycled at Countdown New Lynn or Lynfield, New World Green Bay and New Lynn or Huckleberry New Lynn.

(You can avoid all plastic packaging, by taking your own containers to refill at a number of locations in West Auckland including Huckleberry New Lynn and the Refillery in Tītīrangi Village.)

– Fiona Drummond

What’s Up Cocky?

The February issue of The Fringe alluded to a greater presence of cockatoos in Tītīrangi and the wider Waitākere Ranges.

For the first time in over three decades, I have heard the distinctive scraaawk of a cockatoo along Exhibition Drive, where I imagine it is visiting the big kauri trees for the cone seeds. Further north in Taupaki (my family farm), they have been a common sight for many years. In February I saw 6, but others have reported larger flocks of up to 20 in the wider West Auckland region.

A large white Australian parrot, Sulphur-crested cockatoos were introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800s and are distributed mainly on the west coast of the North Island, but flocks also occur on the Banks Peninsula and the Catlins of the South Island.

The wider dispersal and growing population of cockatoos is a concern to Auckland Council as they potentially access the same food sources as our native kākā, which are becoming more numerous in the Waitākere Ranges.

Cockatoos typically gravitate to farmland close to native forest or woodland and exotic tree plantations where they mainly eat the seeds from introduced conifer trees and pasture and crop species, such as grasses and maize.

They can be a nuisance for rural communities, feeding on walnuts and damaging ornamental conifers. The largest cockatoo populations are associated with arable land, especially where maize is grown near to woodland habitat. Due to the parrot’s ground feeding habit, this crop and others can suffer where flocks of cockatoos are prevalent.

Cockatoos also cause damage to pine plantations, stripping branches when feeding. In native forest they can have a massive impact on individual trees, at times stripping large numbers of branches. (They have also been know to damage timber houses.)

Auckland Council is currently monitoring the spread of this bird and have taken control measures for the species in the past. Populations are also kept in check by capture for the pet trade. Each year many chicks are taken from nests, and occasionally large numbers of adults are trapped.

You can help Council monitor the spread of these pests by recording and reporting your sightings and other details at the following web address: https://aucklandcouncil.syd1. qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxOU1hbHToHDKbY.

>> Atkinson House, Tītīrangi, continued from page 18.

In 1978, the council office moved to Henderson to form part of the Waitematā City Council and the property became the Tītīrangi Community House. The community house was a hub for a wide range of activities including many different classes, yoga, and community meetings, and a base for groups such as the Tītīrangi Potters, who were housed in the lower level of the building.

The house performed this function until 2002 when the new Tītīrangi Community House was opened in the Library and War Memorial Hall precinct. It was rented for a time and operated as the ‘Wellbeing Centre’, and then as a private rental before being sold back to the Atkinson family in 2005. The house was then sold to the current owner, becoming a private home once again. In more recent years it has also had a semi-commercial function as the office of local architect Megan Edwards.

The current chapter is now closing, with the house on the open market for the first time in its history.

For more information about Tibor Donner’s public work see: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/files/documents/tibordonner-guide.pdf

Sources:

Atkinson House Heritage Assessment, Dinah Holman, 2002

Tītīrangi, Fringe of Heaven, Marc Bonny, 2011

The Fringe is grateful to the current owner, Tanya Wilkinson, for sharing the history of this local landmark.

Things to do

Table tennis club a great success

The Waitākere Table Tennis Association (WTTA), launched late last year, with four tables, and no members.

The club is now adding a fifth table and is on the verge of signing up its 100th playing member. The club bills itself as ‘West Auckland’s family-friendly table tennis club’ and meets on Thursdays at Glen Eden Recreation Centre, 44 Glendale Road, 6.30-9pm.

“It is not unusual to see parents playing with or against their children, pre-teens playing with or against the over-65s, and a growing cohort of Dads and Granddads battling for ‘King of the Table’,” says Stephen Taylor, the club’s director.

For more, email waitakeretabletennis@gmail.com, phone 020 444 4083 or visit https://wtta.club/.

Body & Mind

Our mental wellbeing and physical health are the most important assets we have. It is up to each of us to do the best we can to live better.

One of the biggest threats we face is tobacco smoke. Smoking kills around 4,500 New Zealanders annually, with 350 of those dying from exposure to second-hand smoke. We should be doing more, not less, to reduce the level of smoking in New Zealand, and the pressure it puts on our already overloaded health system.

It was 13 years ago that John Key’s government recognised this and set a goal of reducing smoking and tobacco availability to below five percent by 2025. It is a shame that successive governments have failed to take action to meet this goal.

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Everything we do has an impact

Yeah gidday, Lizard here.

Mopey Jesus had asked Shaz and me to give him a hand on his barge to clear up the mountain of paperwork his short but well-proportioned political career had created.

“Why doesn’t he put it all on a laptop?” Shaz asked.

“You know Mopey. He says lithium-ion batteries and plastics and I forget what else are changing the natural interaction between work and sacred self pleasure, thus inhibiting sexual release and our ability to surrender.”

Shaz said, “Oh.”

I parked Whitevan at Big Muddy Creek, jumped into the dinghy Mopey had tied to a cabbage tree and rowed us out to the Te Tau bank where Mopey Jesus had grounded the barge, Cirrhosis of the River 2. He welcomed us aboard.

I guess I was still Left Anxiously Central Party’s manager but instead of being involved in politics, the party was now an environmental watch group. Well, not really a group, just me and Mopey with Shaz as a willing backup for future whatevers.

Once on board, man, what a mess.

Stacks and stacks and more stacks of papers.

“It reminds me of my olds, Joe and Mary. They met when dad was a filing clerk and mum was a secretary,” giggled Mopey.

“Hang on a sec mate. Are you telling me your parents were Joseph and Mary?”

“Naturally. Why do you think they named me Mopey Jesus? Joe had such an ordered mind. He would have stapled these papers into lots of ten sheets then put those stacks into ten bundles and put those bundles into manilla folders. With a two-hole punch, these manilla folders would be clipped into foolscap folders or perhaps even Lever-Arch binders. These, naturally would be labelled then entered into the filing registry book, then placed into steel filing cabinets. You can see how things snowball.”

‘What’s the plan then Mopes?” I asked.

Mopey said, “I thought we could wrap these potatoes and kūmara in that aluminium foil I found on the beach and throw them into the incinerator drum and burn it all. We could sit around enjoying the fire, sink a few, then eat the spuds when they’re cooked.”

'‘Awesome.”

We lit the drum and started throwing in the tonnes of papers that politics apparently produces.

Who knew? I can’t see Trump sorting through reams of correspondence. In fact, can Donald read?

Mopey sure had a point. Things can so quickly escalate out of control.

I was cleaning under my nails with a paper clip, then flipped it into the tide, thinking nothing more about it. Mopey saw this and well … he had a wee few words to say on the matter.

“That paper clip, Lizard, you just tossed into the harbour. It’s steel. Made from iron ore which we humans get out of the earth using explosives. Giant trucks then transport the ore to be smelted through a blast furnace. Once this solidifies, it is hot-dipped galvanised then put through an 860 degree Fahrenheit molten zinc bath.

“Eventually it is wound wire on a huge spool which is fed through a 'paper clip' machine. This machine bends the wire to make the famous ‘gem' design, which is usually three curved bends.”

‘Blimey. I feel like I should dive in and see if I can find it. Sorry buddy.”

“That’s okay Lizard, but it just goes to show how everything we do has an impact.

“There are enough paper clips produced each year for every person in the world to have at least three. If each clip is say, 100mm long, that’s 2,400,000 kilometres of wire. And get this. For every 100,000 paper clips produced, only 20,000 are used to hold paper together.”

We sat round the fire as the sun went down over the harbour. I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place to be. I straightened out another paper clip that was lying on the deck and cleaned the tar from the cone on the bong. I caught Mopey and Shaz out the corner of my eye.

“Jesus, Lizard. Have you not listened to a word Mopey has said?” Yelled Shaz.

“Hang on Shaz,” said Mopey. “That’s what I call ingenious recycling.”

We laughed so hard I swear that a few lights went on in Laingholm.

Have a ripper folks. Be kind to our planet. Later, Lizard.

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