Bayleys Coatesville's Christmas lights. They've brought a festive glow to the village ever since and Santa said they lights will make it easier for him to find Coatesville in the dark on Christmas Eve. Ho ho ho!
As summer is well and truly here, it’s time to adapt the way the people in your home use water. This year, the average price for 11,000L is over $250, a significant increase on two years ago. So, if your tanks do get low, you’re in for a heftier bill to fill them than you might expect.
The experts tell us this will be a warmer and potentially wetter summer than usual, but apparently we could be in for more rainfall or it may be super humid, so the messaging is confusing. Either way, you’ll want to stay up to date with the water level in your tanks to prevent finding yourself with no water to wash the dishes on Christmas Day.
The best thing anyone with rain water tanks can do is to check them regularly. There are tools available to help you do this, but climbing a ladder and taking a look inside the tank is an easy and reliable way of staying in touch with your supply.
Shorter showers, turning off taps while you brush teeth and in between rinsing dishes, all help to keep water consumption down, but there are some thirsty areas on lifestyle block properties. Swimming pools are one of the big ones. Pool covers help to reduce evaporation rates and they also help to raise the water temperature if used
daily. So, covering your pool will prevent wasting water but it's probably a good idea to cut back on the manus, too. Gardens are another thirsty zone. Mulching will help to keep the moisture in the soil and you can often reuse grey water if you need to. A bucket placed in the shower can catch wastewater that can then be used to water the garden.
Water carriers ask that you book a delivery when you're getting close to needing it, giving them several days to get to you. Don't wait until the day you run out then make a panicked call.
For now though, the priority is about getting ready for Christmas and heading away to holiday destinations. I'd like to thank everyone for their contributions to the Coatesville Chronicle over the past year including Ailsa McArthur for her ongoing support and sponsorship; the Chronicle's loyal advertisers - please support them whenever you can - as well as the writers and photographers who help bring the community to the Chronicle's pages.
Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas. See you in 2025.
∞ 18 December, Wednesday 1pm Term four ends today at Coatesville School and the school holidays begin. Woo-hoo!
∞ 21 December, Saturday Summer solstice. Today has 5 hrs and 4 mins more sunlight than the shortest day back in June.
∞ 24 December, Tuesday Christmas Eve
∞ 25 December, Wednesday, Christmas Day
∞ 26 December, Thursday, Boxing Day
∞ 31 December, Tuesday, New Year's Eve
∞ 1 January, Wednesday, New Year's Day.
∞ 27 January Monday, Auckland Anniversary Day
∞ 6 February, Thursday, Waitangi Day
∞ 9 February, Sunday, The Coatesville Classic half marathon fun run is on today. Visit Running Events online to find out more including early bird booking discounts
∞ 10 February, Monday, term one starts at Coatesville School. Time to dust off those school bags and get back into the old routine.
DECEMBER NEWS
In Memoriam
Joan Gibbs (nee Waller) (27 June 1922 –25 September 2024)
Born Muriel Joan Waller in Kingstonupon-Thames, Surrey, England in 1922 to parents Jim and Muriel Waller, Joan was 102 years old when she died on 25 September earlier this year.
Joan would probably have been the oldest living ex-resident of Coatesville. When she was just 4 years old her family emigrated to New Zealand, and they settled in Coatesville and lived on a 66-acre farm for twenty years. In Joan’s words “the first farm on the right over the bridge and up the hill” on the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway. There is a commemorative
brick outside the Hall inscribed “Waller Family 1929 – 1949”.
Joan Waller attended Coatesville School in 1929 with Ron, her older brother by 2 ½ years. Her younger brother John and younger sister Elizabeth (Betty) also went to Coatesville School. After finishing school, she trained as a seamstress and during WW2 sewed military uniforms. She married a local Coatesville man Frank Gibbs, in 1945 after he returned from the war. Frank and Joan’s brother Ron had both seen action in North Africa and the Middle East. Joan and Frank eventually moved to Mt Roskill where they lived for over 50 years, raised four children and were married for 61 years. For the later years of her life, Joan lived with her youngest daughter Joanne in Epsom
Joan attended the Coatesville School Diamond Jubilee (1976), 75th Jubilee (1991) and aged 94 years was the oldest ex-pupil at the Centennial in 2016. She helped cut the centennial cake and wrote an article reminiscing about her school days for the centennial booklet. She was immensely fond of her life and time in Coatesville and was a regular at the local ANZAC service into her late 90’s with her sister Betty.
Joan Gibbs celebrated her 100th birthday in 2022 and her 102nd birthday on 27th June 2024.
By Phil Smith
Christmas Closures
Our local businesses all deserve a break and will be closing over the Christmas–New Year period.
Coatesville Motors
The last day of work for our local garage in 2024 is Friday, 20 December. Coatesville Motors will re-open on 6 January.
Black Cottage Café
Black Cottage will close on Christmas Eve and re-open on Tuesday, 7 January at 7.15amnice and early so you can get a coffee!
Coatesville Store
After staying open during the holiday period for the past two years, the store will close this year. Susan will close the store on 25 December and re-open at 8am on 2 January.
Fernielea Café
The team at Fernielea Café will be taking last orders on 24 December before closing on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but these hard workers will be back behind the coffee machine on Friday, 27 December!
Riders Place at Wainoni
Congratulations to our fabulous dressage riders who competed in the Interclub Teams Dressage event at Wainoni Park Pony Club. Waitemata District had two full teams riding with both teams placing. It was fabulous to see so many of our junior rally riders give this event a go. One of the many benefits of belonging to a pony club, is the opportunity to experience a team dynamic, mingle with older/ younger rally riders and gain experience in a nurturing environment. We were really impressed with the team spirit and support shown by all our riders. Keep it up!
Our December rally never disappoints as ponies, horses, riders and coaches take it upon themselves to find their true inner Xmas cheer. At our final rallies for the year, there we games, dress up competitions and the annual shared dinner.
2024 School Report!
ISite(s):
Business:
Ship To:
Contact: Coel Jackson
Phone: 021 770 696
Email: totallyampedelectrical@gmail.com
t has been another brilliant year at Coatesville School! The year has certainly raced by, leading to a tremendous Term 4, with plenty of excitement to compete the year. Ag Day 2024 was sensational! Our school community worked wonderfully together to raise plenty of money and provided a memorable day for the children, the Coatesville community and the many, many visitors. Thanks to the efforts of FOTS (the Friends of the School) we raised $45000 which had been earmarked to help paint the Coatesville pool.
Since then, the pool has been successfully painted and is ready for opening prior to Christmas, with another summer of people enjoying the water and connecting with others!
GRAPHICS PROOF SHEET
We have been so fortunate with the weather this season and being able to maximise mounted rallies. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members, sponsors and the Coatesville community for all your support of our club. From attending our events, to keeping our grounds a safe space for our riders, we appreciate it all. We wish everyone a lovely Xmas break and we will see you back in January for more events. If you have any questions about memberships, sponsorship opportunities or how you can support our horsey community – please contact: coatesvillepc@gmail.com
By Tarryn Belllingham
07 5699 8109 07 5575 9748 graphics@movingtogether.com Po Box 847, Burleigh Town Qld 4220
The long awaited ‘waka’ playground was completed during the October school holidays. This structure takes great prominence within our school grounds. After it’s long journey to get here (literally from France and figuratively because of delays), we will use it symbolically as students join our ‘waka and embark on a learning journey at our school. And it is a great place to play! Especially in combination with the other play areas which make up the freshly constructed playground, nestled in the trees, with the ability to enjoy the shade all summer long! The children definitely have some special playgrounds to enjoy!
There’s more happening this summer too! Over the holidays expect to see more activity with a number of classrooms and the Artec Rm being upgraded. They will look fantastic for the start of 2025!
We are, of course, a place of learning and maximising progress and achievement for our children! So we are preparing to introduce the new, refreshed NZ English and Mathematics curriculum documents at the start of the year. This is very exciting as we look to seize the chance to implement new learning for everyone.
Whether you walk or play, please feel free to enjoy our grounds. We like to feel we are right in the heart of the Coatesville community and very fortunate to be located in such an incredible area. Our staff, students and whànau wish all the readers of the Coatesville Chronicle a superb summer and a fantastic festive season. We look forward to seeing everyone next year for a brilliant 2025!
Merry Christamas and have a Happy New Year!
Richard Johnson, Coatesville School Principal
Spreading the Word
est Free Coatesville's mission to bring kiwi back to Coatesville is about to take flight with this newly refitted caravan that means the group can take their conservation message on the road.
The 1970's classic shown above set them back $6000 which was funded from a Council grant as well as advertising space on the vehicle's sides.
After several months of hard graft by PFC volunteers, Gordon Mason and Glenn Trafford (shown above), the caravan is now fit for purpose with a watertight roof, an up to date WOF and a brand new interior more reminiscent of a meeting room than a 1970s mobile holiday home.
Black leatherette banquette seating now extends along both sides of the caravan's interior and a meeting table will soon be installed.
According to the group's leader, Gary Langridge, the caravan will initially head to markets and community events to spread the word about kiwi aversion training for dogs. "This training is humane and teaches dogs to avoid kiwis when they're out in the bush. Once they've received the training it helps to reduce the number of birds that are killed or disturbed by dogs," says Gary.
However, once the group gets a taste for towing the caravan on the open road, the sky's the limit.
Flipside:
advertisers on the opposite side of the caravan
From left, volunteers Gordon Mason and Glenn Trafford
Year End & Festive Spirits
A
s the end of the year looms up, the club activities are being slotted in before lapsing over the holiday season. Coffee catch ups have involved 30-odd members recently as we realise the importance of connecting with people and enjoying their company.
In late November, club members were invited to view a property in Huapai. The house had recently been beautifully restored, the garden planted in interesting ways and the visiting men were ready to view some special cars.
Owners Rachael and Matt are developing the gardens according to Rachael’s passion for natives and tropicals to give life, colour and style to the landscape with areas of guilty pleasure (a random collection of desired plants) to offer variety. While Matt’s car collection was admired and envied.
A lovely sunny day was just what we needed to end the club meeting schedule, our Christmas luncheon at Black Cottage. Their facilities allowed us to extend outside where our entertainment was centred. After plenty of chitchat, the local Coatesville School choir assembled ably led by music teacher Claire Craigie and sang a medley of Christmas songs to an appreciative audience. It gave us great festive spirit which matched the interior decorations of the café. The holidayfocussed chat continued through the festive meal. Generous raffle prizes
were highly sought after and the accumulative bloom and produce competition results were announced. With the monthly results published frequently throughout the year, we all had our favourites to take the prizes. The blooms were led by Eva Sapwell, Pat Hosking and Helen Forsyth whereas the produce was won by Helen Forsyth, followed by Richard Bampton and Susan Haslam. They have all had great contests with plenty of competitors challenging them. Watch this space for the 2025 champions list!
Towards Christmas we are scheduled for coffee in Silverdale so we decided to meet at The Botannic, a relatively new lifestyle village in Riverhead with café facilities. We are to be shown around the gardens, vegetable plots (in built up formations) green houses, and other facilities such as the gym, pool, recreational area and golf simulator recently completed. Thanks Pat Hosking for the arrangements.
2025 looks full of promise with planning already underway. We start with our AGM and BBQ in the reserve in February. A huge amount of thanks must go to the committee and president Owen Sprosen who work behind the scenes to give us a lively existence and promote our love of gardening and making friendships that endure.
A Merry Christmas everyone and see you supporting us in 2025.
By Jenny Hunter
Xmas luncheon at Black Cottage
Coatesville School choir
Huapai garden visit
Scouts Kayak With Dolphins on Camp
Term 4 has been very busy and full of activities for Coatesville Scout Group.
The term started with the annual Jota-Joti at Camp Maynard in October and Coatesville always has a number of Scouts, Cubs and Keas attend.
The Jamboree on the Air (Jota) and Jamboree on the Internet (Joti) is held worldwide in every country on the third weekend of October where Scouts, Cubs and Keas attend and attempt to communicate with other scouts around the world using Ham Radios and the Internet. There are also lots of local activities for kids to participate in during their visits which usually last a couple of hours.
Scouts camp several times a year in a variety of locations
Our Scout Group Bonfire Night fell on 5 November this year and as usual this was extremely well attended with most scout group families present, this is always our biggest group event. The Cubs and Keas made and decorated “Guys” for the fire and the Scouts made small pit fires, ready for roasting marshmallows.
The fire was lit, the kids were served sausages and the adults tucked into a BBQ, buffet meal and with everyone bringing a plate. This is always a feast. Desserts were followed by the roasting of marshmallows and as the sun set, the fire glowed on into the night.
We had one Scout attend the Auckland Regional Canoe Racing Carnival this year and five scouts attend the Cossgrove Camping Course, held over a weekend in November. Our Scouts committed themselves admirably and all passed the course earning their Cossgrove badges and Logan, our Patrol Leader, won a prize for the best camp gadget, making and using a wash basin stand.
Scouts had a couple of evenings making small cooking fires, one
week cooking sausages and the next cooking a Pamp Pudding in embers in a Dutch Oven. It tasted so good the scouts insisted we cook it again at our camp.
We camped on the Reserve behind the Hall over the last weekend of November and were joined by six scouts and two leaders from Taiaotea (Browns Bay). The camp was set up in glorious weather on Friday evening but by Saturday morning the weather had broken and the rest of the weekend we were plagued by intermittent showers and drizzle, but luckily the weather was warm. We borrowed some kayaks from Riverhead Scouts and spent most of Saturday paddling on the Rangitopuni River. We set off from Riverhead, under the bridge, downstream towards Paremoremo on the outgoing tide. Just past Riverhead Point we were passed by two dolphins heading upstream. The drizzle was not really a problem while kayaking and we leisurely made our way to Library Point at Saunders Reserve before paddling up the Paremoremo Creek and pulling our kayaks out at Jonkers Reserve. The kayaks had to be washed down before being
returned as there was plenty of mud around with it being just on low tide. Back at camp, we got a small fire going and cooked a beef stew and roasted vegetables in embers for the evening meal and the scouts made two camp puddings which were also cooked in the embers…we ate like kings! Rain prevented our campfire and night games on Saturday but we managed some Orienteering and some “Two Rope” crossings over the pond on Sunday before packing up all the wet tents and leaving at 2.30pm. Everyone gave the camp a big thumbs up despite the weather. It was great to camp with Taiaotea again and the highlight was seeing dolphins up the river in Riverhead.
Our final activity for the term will be Laser Tag for the Cubs and Scouts and we will restart in Feb next year so anyone wanting to join please contact Phil at coatesville@group.scouts.nz
By Phil Smith
Local Board News By Louise Johnston Helpful Hints from the CRRA
A Civil Defence
Problems with water lapping around door sills in heavy rains? Check these out at Bunnings. They might ease your worries.
Clean & Green
Using lots of batteries over the holiday season?
There is a recycling station at Bunnings.
s we approach the festive season there is a general flurry to get stuff done and you will have all experienced this along Coatesville Riverhead highway over the last couple of weeks with road works, tree pruning, culvert replacement, safety camera maintenance and vector work.
However, over the holiday period it's important to make sure you report any roading issues directly to Auckland Transport https://at.govt.nz/about-us/ contact-us and if there is an immediate risk to the safety of people or property, call AT directly on 09 355 3553
Likewise, if you see rubbish in our parks or streets, bins not empty or damaged park facilities please report these to Auckland Council directly https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/ report-problem and for illegal dumping report this to 0800 663 867
A couple of updates on the transport side, the Mill Flat Road bridge replacement project construction is now scheduled to start in early in 2025. The final design of the bridge was confirmed in August 2024 and tenders for a physical works contractor closed in September 2024. AT are currently working with vector regarding the relocation of the overhead lines and poles that will be needed for both the bridge and construction machinery.
Once the issues with Vector have been resolved, the contract for the bridge can be awarded. The physical construction of the bridge project is expected to take 12 months to complete.
Thanks for all the emails about the pedestrian crossing in the Coatesville Village by the dairy and parking at the bottom of Glenmore Road. As a Local Board we did pass a resolution requesting that this crossing be a raised crossing which not everybody agrees with. The raised crossing will be a Swedish type crossing which is a raised table with only one sharp ramp, which produces a smoother ride for buses and heavy vehicles. At our workshop this week, AT have requested an additional $125K to complete the project which
will need to come back to the Local Board for the vote, and we do have the funding available for this. The design will come out for consultation in 2025.
There has also been a community request for a raised pedestrian crossing on Mahoenui Valley Road, by Coatesville School. This project is subject to funding but is included in AT’s short list of community response projects. If you have suggestion for a project that supports multi-model transport improvements, please raise it with AT as it could be funded.
Our 154 hectare park at Green Road is great place for summer stroll and the rolling hills make it a really good work out. The Green Road Park Supporters’ Group visited the site with the Council volunteer coordinator at the end of November. They are going to start attacking the wooley nightshade this side of Christmas and are organising a community planting day for 2025 and they will need a lot of helpers for this. Community Facilities at Council have installed a fenced-off area in the carpark at Green Road for horses which makes it a lot safer. Several locals have concerns about the location of the gate for horse trucks. If you have any issues with Green Road Park, including the lack of toilet facilities, please report these directly to Auckland Council using the report a problem link above. Complaining works! Lastly, as a Local Board we want to thank all the volunteers in Coatesville for making it such a special place to live. From the Coatesville Hall and Reserve Committee, Pest Free Coatesville, the Coatesville Garden club, the scout leaders, and Coatesville Residents and Ratepayers. Thank you so much for the time and energy you give your local community.
Please have a safe and Merry Christmas. And in the New Year if you are looking for something different, we need some good candidates for the Local body elections in 2025 especially the Dairy Flat subdivision! Please get in touch if you want to find out more as this is defintely my last term.
Plan Ahead Today, For Peace Of Mind Tomorrow
Marie and Ken had been married for ten years and both had adult children from previous marriages. As they were heading towards retirement, they put their home on the market and signed up for a town house.
Three weeks before their settlement date for both properties, Marie suffered a massive stroke. Although Marie would survive, the stroke had impacted her cognitive abilities.
Ken called the lawyer who was acting on the conveyancing to inform him of Marie’s stroke. The lawyer about Marie’s capacity to sign the necessary documentation relating to the sale and purchase. Ken told him that Marie wouldn’t be able to sign anything, but he would be able to go into the lawyer’s office and sign what needed to be signed.
Ken was told he could only sign on Marie’s behalf if he’d been appointed her power of attorney. Ken knew that was not the case. Their previous lawyer had mentioned enduring powers of attorney, but Marie and Ken were planning to discuss this once retired, as they thought this was for elderly people who were starting to lose capacity.
The lawyer said that as Marie didn’t have powers of attorney in place, an application to the court would need to be made to appoint Ken as Marie’s property manager so he could sign the documents for the sale and purchase. He explained that this was not a straightforward process given their family dynamics. If Ken wished to apply, he would need to get the consent of Marie’s adult children, and they would need to have the opportunity to take their own legal advice. He explained that the Court would appoint a lawyer to act for Marie and it was unpredictable how long this process would take. Because the Courts were so busy it could be weeks before a judge would even look at the application and it would most likely be looked at after their settlement date.
The process of applying for Ken to be Marie’s property manager ended up being slow and expensive. Not only was the application itself expensive, but because it didn’t happen before settlement date, Ken ended up paying penalty interest on both the sale and the purchase. Enduring powers of attorney are one of the most important legal
Do You Have An Enduring Power Of Attorney.
CRAFTED LEGAL ADVICE FOR PEACE OF MIND.
The protection of assets that we have all worked so hard to acquire is an important consideration for most people.
If you have a will, but not assigned anyone to act as your Enduring Power of Attorney, you could inadvertently be putting your assets at risk.
An Enduring Power of Attorney will look after both your property and personal care and welfare should you become incapacitated to make your own decisions while you’re still alive.
If you have not put in place an Enduring Power of Attorney, contact our Trusts and Wealth Protection Team for specialist advice.
documents you can have. If you lose capacity without these in place, then someone has to make an application to the Court to act on your behalf, regardless of whether you are married, in a relationship, or own property jointly. This process can become even more expensive and convoluted depending on your family’s circumstances.
As well as the enduring power of attorney relation to property, there is also one relating to your health and welfare, where you can appoint someone to make decisions about these things if you are not capable of making these decisions yourself.
It's recommended to put these arrangements in place now, no matter what age or life stage. It’s a small step today that could make all the difference tomorrow.
Tammy McLeod, Trust Law specialist, Managing Director, Davenports Law
Water tabling, side drains, culverts, french drains in gabion rock and driveway dust suppression treatments.
House hard stands, car parks and horse arenas. Call for an on-site chat and a quote.
Born To Build Ltd - Outdoor building specialists - We are here to help you create your outdoor vision, call Leon with all your deck, fence, retaining, pergola and horse & yard works! We are a small local quality business, been in the area for 10 years, helping our customers create their outdoor living dreams! Leon 022 0431443 borntobuild@hotmail.co.nz
Clean Queen I'll have your house looking like a castle. References supplied. Ph Angela 021 0832 9352 Coatesville Mulch Mowing 1 to 50 acres, local contractor, affordable rates. Phone Warren and Brenda Mills on 415 6503 or 022 315 1953
Connect Electrics For all your electrical solutions, Phone Kris 022 332 6663 or 412 6066
Gardener Are you looking for a gardener who will nurture and take care of your garden on a regular basis; someone who is conscientious, diligent & creative? If this sounds interesting, please don’t hesitate to email, call or text me for a noobligation chat. Phill M: 021 928 469 E: phillpriestley1@gmail.com
GET IN SHAPE Local private gym for one-on-one training or small group sessions, specialising in weight loss, general fitness and rehabilitation.
Call Debbie 027 441 8769.
Local Shearer, Kevin Abel, 021 223 5033
Mister Sharp Mobile Knife, Scissor & Garden Tool Sharpening Service. Onsite at your home or business, priced per item with no call-out charges - just a minimum spend please of $50. Ph 027 444 3348
Odd Job Company For building & landscaping projects, call Peter 027 453 0570
Painters & Decorators Marshall Painters can help with all your painting needs; interiors, exteriors, even waterblasting to make sure you get the top quality finish we're famous for. Call Marcus on 021 024 86516 or email marshallpainters@gmail.com.
Pilates in Coatesville Hall, Thursday @ 6pm. Special – 2 free lessons for new clients. $12 school term, $15 concession card and $20 casual class. Contact Abraham on 021 122 1530 or abrahampardo@gmail.com
Scout Marquee for hire, 6m x 8m, $250 per day. Call Garth 447 1863 The Blooming Beekeeper fully maintained beehive service. The ideal eco-friendly gift. Bee packages; beekeeping lessons; artisan bee products; swarm catching. Coatesville based. Call Val 021 755 833. Who’s your caterer? Beautifully presented, great tasting food, at competitive prices. Phone Helen Cato 415 7771 or 021 211 8223.
It's a wrap!
As we head into Christmas, I reflect on 2024 which has brought a rollercoaster of real estate journeys for both vendors and buyers. In Coatesville this year we saw 28 properties sold (information sourced from REINZ), of which 18 were with homes, nine bare land blocks and one large development block. Comparing the number of sales to 2023, they have remained similar over the last two years with a total of 29 properties; 17 with homes and 12 bare land blocks.
Over the past two years in Coatesville the number of properties that have come to market represents approximately 5% of the total properties in this area, where it would usually sit around 12%. This has meant that buyers have not had a lot of choice and may well have looked further afield to find their perfect property.
The last three months has seen an increasing confidence from buyers who have been actively putting offers forward more than any other time over the last two years. I hear people commenting that the market is getting ‘better’ however, do they mean in the number of transactions, the number of buyers to open homes and viewing property or do they mean the sale price?
The answers vary from person to person. The reality is, from my perspective, the number of transactions and deals happening has increased which is absolutely awesome for my vendors to be able to move on with their next adventure. I am super excited moving into 2025 and although I am a realist, I absolutely believe we are going to have a busy year in real estate and I am here to help anybody with their journey. From a casual conversation about the market to advising the pros and cons of what to do to achieve the best result possible, and whether it be now or in 12 months time, if you find a free moment give me a call!
I have loved connecting with many of you at either one of our Bayleys events this year; our ‘Bayleys at 5’ in June or our Christmas Lights family night in November, or catching up at Black cottage, and now we have Fernielea Café back too!
Wishing you all a fun and safe Christmas and holiday with family and friends, and look forward to seeing you in 2025.
Team Ailsa: from left, Jethro Riggans, Ailsa McArthur, Paula Blaxall and Chelsea Allen with Santa (Paul Arundel).
