ore fingers are crossed for a fine morning on Coatesville School's Ag Day, than perhaps any other day of the year.
Fortunately, the lottery that is spring weather produced a beautiful fine morning for the school and wider community to enjoy the festive atmosphere on Saturday, 18 October. Organised by the fundraising team from Friends of The School, FOTS, Ag Day 2025 was another fantastic showcase of all things rural. The animal categories included good numbers of lambs and calves as well as a goat, numerous chickens, and some ducklings in the pet category. There were also impressive displays of plants,
handyperson, arts & crafts and kitchen projects in all age categories.
Although learning is the focus initially, once the judging is finished and the ribbons awarded, the tempo changes gear. It's soon all about the games, stalls and delicious food! The chocolate trailer attracted a crowd throughout the day until dunk the teacher kicked off. Then everyone wanted to douse the school's brave staff who volunteered to take one for the team.
Ag Day is the main fundraising event in the school's calendar. Money reaised helps Coatesville School to provide a extra curricular programmes that make it a great place to learn.
The number of event flyers in this issue is staggering. Actually, it's really encouraging to see so many community events on offer and most of them raising funds for worthy causes. These aren't advertisements, even though they promote events. They are community notices. So I hope you'll pick one and have a blast.
Almost 29 percent of Auckland's eligible voters cast a vote in this year's local election. Greg Sayers ran uncontested and remains the Rodney Ward councillor for the next three-year term and Louise Johnston's successor in the Dairy Flat Sub-divsion which includes Coatesville, is Lisa Whyte.
As someone who voted, I think it's time New Zealand worked out how to bring all voting online and into the the 21st century so that more eligible voters have their say. Scanning a QR code to find the nearest voting location just makes the process less
accessible. Online voting is already the norm in some countries. It's time we adapted to make sure all of our elections yield outcomes that are truly representative of what New Zealanders want.
Not long till Halloween on Friday, 31 October. Check out the flyer on page 3 if you like to dress up and get spooky.
The Committee hereby gives notice that the 2025 AGM of the Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. is to be held at: 4 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville starting at 7.30pm on Thursday, 23 October, 2025.
The Committee advises that the business that they propose to put before the meeting is as follows:
1. Roll call
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the 2024 AGM
4. Receive and adopt the Chairman’s report
Receive and adopt the Performance report for the year ended 30 June 2025
∞ 23 October, Thursday, Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc AGM from 7.30pm at the Hall.
∞ 27 October, Monday, It's Labour Weekend Monday enjoy a well earned day off.
∞ 31 October, Friday, Halloween Get decked out in a Halloween costume and head along to the Coatesville Settlers Hall between 3.30pm and 6.30pm for spooktastic fun. There's even a prize for the best-dressed family!
∞ 5 November, Guy Fawkes Animal owners, remember to secure livestock and pets in case they get spooked by fireworks. And fireworks enthusiasts, remember to let your neighbours know if you plan to go large with fireworks.
∞ 8 November Community Conservation Day from 10.30am at the Coatesville Settlers Hall Come along to the hall and learn the latest in pest animal control techniques, Kauri dieback disease mitigation, listen to speakers and enjoy a free morning tea. Plus, you can peruse the stalls selling conservation themed items and go on a field trip. Check out the flyer on page 3.
∞ 11 - 14 November The CCGC heads to Tarankai for its annual garden tour.
∞ 18 November, 6-7pm Dairy Flat Country Club, Friends of Green Rd AGM
∞ 20 November, Thursday, Gibbs Farm Fundraising event for Pet Refuge.
∞ 27 November, 5pm-7pm, Bayleys Office, 328 CoatesvilleRiverhead Highway, Community Christmas Party Celebrate the start of the silly season wirth a sausage sizzle and loads of entertainment for the family. See the flyer on page 4 for more information.
Well Done Lisa and Thanks Louise
Garden Ramble Tickets
Site(s): RWNZ5108
Ray White Swanson
Business: Totally Amped Electrical
Congratulations to our newly elected Rodney Local Board member, Lisa Whyte. Lisa and Louise Johnston caught up for a handover meeting once Lisa learned of her success. The Coatesville resident says she is excited to get busy working for the community and like the rest of Coatesville, she is grateful to Louise for her vast contribution over the past nine years.
Ship To: 14 Bethells Road, Auckland Contact:
Tickets to the Coatesville Garden Ramble on Sunday, 9 November are selling fast! If you haven't bought yours yet, go to www.events.humanitix.com and search for the event by date. Tickets cost $80 per person plus a small booking fee. Remember, there are six glorious gardens to explore so you'll get your money's worth while supporting Pet Refuge, a great Kiwi charity.
MMUNITY NSERVATION Y
URDAY 8 NOVEMBER 3 M
COATESVILLE SETTLER’S HALL, 4 MAHOENUI VALLEY ROAD
PROOF SHEET
The Coatesville Scare House: Thanks to our fantastic sponsors, GJ Gardner Homes and Mastercraft Kitchens by The Kitchen People, the infamous Scare House is back! The Drain Company is bringing their cool bouncy castle for the kids! We'll have a fun photo booth, awesome spot prizes, and plenty of candy bags (kindly donated by Open2View and Lollipops Coatesville). So dust off those creative costumes! There's a special trophy and prize up for grabs for the Best Dressed Family!
Council Seeks Feedback on Fortnightly Rubbish Trial
Have your say:
Consultation is now open on a fortnightly rubbish collection trial in parts of Auckland.
The proposed sixmonth trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections wil be in parts of Te Atatū Peninsula, Panmure / Tāmaki, and Clendon Park / Weymouth.
If approved, the trial would begin in February 2026, and participating households would receive a temporary rates reduction to reflect the change in service.
“We know people have questions, so we’re sharing clear information, so everyone feels confident to have their say during consultation.”
Let Sweet As Crê̂pes cater your next event
Getting the catering right can determine the success of an event. Flexible solutions like Sweet As Crêpes, appeal to everyone, whether they have a sweet-tooth or prefer savoury flavours.
The business is owned by Coatesville local Lisa Shepherd and made its name on the market scene before spreading its wings to also provide food truck-style catering at functions all over Auckland.
Auckland Council’s General Manager of Waste Solutions, Justine Haves, says feedback from residents will be important in helping elected members decide on whether the trial goes ahead.
“We understand that changes to rubbish services matter and they need to work for Aucklanders. That’s why we’re consulting with the public before anything happens,” says Ms Haves.
Consultation runs from 13–31 October 2025. Residents can: Provide feedback online at akhaveyoursay.nz/collectiontrial Attend local drop-in events or an online webinar
Fill in feedback forms at libraries and local board offices
All feedback will be considered by elected members in December 2025 before a decision is made.
Lisa is proud of her young team who love what they do and are trained to efficiently prepare consistently delicious crêpes to her high standards. Each crêpe looks the same and is served so it can be enjoyed whether you're standing up or sitting down.
Pre-Christmas events, birthdays, work parties and promotions even sports events, Lisa and her team will take the stress out of feeding your crowd. For contact information, see the ad opposite on page 5.
iddyup and welcome back to the new Pony Club 2025/26 season!
G Coatesville Pony Club Rides Again
With daylight savings in full swing, the weather warming up and the drying out of our paddocks – we are feeling excited about the season ahead. Our first rally date was on Tuesday, 7 October, so from now on you’ll see more action down at the club.
You’ll also start to notice riders out and about on our roads making the most out of the longer days. We kindly ask our community to be extra cautious when driving past any horses, giving riders a wide birth to navigate the shared roads safely.
This season brings new change for the club from leadership, down to the coaching team. Our new President is Sam Cooke and is closely supported by Vice President Tyler Lynch and the wonderful committee of volunteers. We also welcome a fantastic coaching team for our junior, senior and adult rallies. One of the full circle moments is seeing our local senior riders come back to coach, support and inspire our junior riders. Why not come and join us?
We still have space in our rallies and would love to see new riders join the club. We start at the youngest spectrum of lead rein and go right through to adult riders. The rallies are such a fun way to connect with local families, make new friends, delve deeper into horsemanship and most importantly have fun with your equine buddy!
Come and support our club at one of our next events:
18 January – Mini ODE
14 February – Show Hunter / Show Jumping
22 February –Interclub Teams Show Jumping
If you would like to join our club or become a sponsor – please contact us by email at: coatesvillevpc@gmail.com or visit our website: www.coatesvilleponyclub.co.nz
Keep riders safe on our roads
How to safely pass a horse and rider on the road.
1. Slow down to 20km/ph.
2. Keep at least 5m between your vehicle and the horse and rider while you pass them, then gradually increase your speed.
3. Do not toot your horn at any time, or speed up suddenly.
Reflections on the Winter Season
By Jenny Hunter
Now that spring has sprung, the Coatesville Country Garden Club can look forward to happenings in their gardens. All the hard work completed over Winter bears ‘fruit ‘ as the seasons progress.
Reflecting back to our hall meetings over winter, we have our annual events: the photographic competition, the Bumper Trade Table in June and July; then two very interesting speakers. Roses should be blooming well in November as Judy Firkin from the Rose Society gave great advice for enthusiasts from pruning to fertilisers, watering to bud nipping and all the tricks of the trade. Good to catch up with the latest treatment in Auckland’s fickle climate.
In September, Jacqui Knight from the NZ Butterfly Trust enlightened us about the demise of some of our iconic butterflies and how to help them survive the WASP INVASION! A lot of these species are introduced and make themselves at home among our flowering plants to the detriment of butterflies. Our Coatesville Butterfly lady, Val Gardiner has lots of useful ideas for protecting and raising butterflies to keep the species flourishing. Do your best to keep the spraying down and the nets up to allow egg laying and pollination of the local flowering plants.
In between coffee catchups and bloke shed visits, several car loads of magnolia fans drove north to see the trees in established gardens bursting into flower, well ahead of their Auckland counterparts .A magnificent spectacle of various colours
and sizes of blooms were seen with their owners able to share details of species and growth habits .Thanks Pat Hosking and her northern gardening friends. There has been a film showing sharing theories of wild gardening in the UK which provided great interest too.
Our gardeners not only tend their own gardens, but manage to help local Rangers from DOC and the Regional Council manage and maintain historic gardens at Couldrey House (Wenderholm Park )and Mansion House Gardens on Kawau Island. At Couldrey House, Richard Bampton and his team have invigorated the hydrangea gardens , mulched large areas and tidied edging, and historic bamboo which they will have to keep an eye on. The presentation of these gardens has taken a major step forward and is a credit to the workers.
A year on has made all the difference. Mansion House continues to present a challenge but looks great as we leave after our monthly session over there. Gardens have been pruned, fertilised and weeded and mulched over the winter and the spring growth is starting to be seen. The Paperwhites and Erlicheer bulbs have flowered well and we are seeing rhododendrons and camelia bushes and trees budding up well. The citrus area will be fruiting well this summer if the buds on the trees are anything to go by.
Two trips are scheduled in the next 2 months – Ayrlies /Ardmore Warbirds in October and Taranaki Gardens in November. Both are being looked forward to by the members.
Coatesville's Signalised Crossing Update
CC: How is the project going?
AT: Construction is progressing well. We’re currently on track to deliver both the signalised pedestrian crossing on Coatesville-Riverhead Highway and the new parking bays on Glenmore Road as planned. The works are being delivered in tandem to reduce costs and minimise disruption.
CC: When will it be finished?
AT: Barring any weather-related delays, the project is scheduled for completion by 30 November 2025. We could finish sooner, so fingers crossed weather holds out.
CC: What are the challenges you face with this project?
AT: One of the key opportunities in this project has been aligning community aspirations with technical best practice. While early designs considered a raised crossing, detailed safety audits, engineering assessments, and feedback from the community shared with the Rodney Local Board confirmed that a signalised crossing would deliver the best outcome for all road users— enhancing safety and accessibility for everyone travelling through Coatesville.
Budget adjustments and scope refinements have also been carefully
managed in collaboration with the Local Board, to ensure the project remains on track and delivers lasting value to the community.
CC: What's it expected to cost?
AT: The approved budgets are $696,000 for the parking bays on Glenmore Road funded from the Rodney Local Board Transport Targeted Rate and $375,000 for the signalised crossing funded from the Rodney Local Board Transport Capital Fund. The costs above from the combined projects include resource consents, detailed design work, public consultation, construction of the signalised crossing and the new parking bays on Glenmore Road require drainage changes, both required traffic management and utility servicing the new signal crossing. These figures reflect adjustments from the original budget due to inflation and design changes and are tentative as construction has just begun and not completed yet.
CC: What should road users and pedestrians expect at the start?
safety. The crossing will include tactile pavers for vision-impaired users, upgraded footpaths, and high-friction road surfaces to reduce skid risk.
CC: Will a safety camera be installed?
AT: Once operational, the traffic lights will only stop vehicles when someone presses the button to cross. This ensures minimal disruption to traffic while prioritising pedestrian
AT: No safety camera is planned as part of this installation. However, the design includes features to slow vehicle speeds and improve visibility, such as more signage, bright signal lights at the crossing, additional road markings and surfacing to highlight the crossing.
Our Septic Tank Reports meet the latest Council specifications
15 carparks are being created on Glenmore Rd
Pedestrians will activate the lights when crossing
Annabelle White
Fresh asparagus in the market heralds the serious start to warmer weather and the good news is definitely “less is more” when it comes to asparagus.
The less you do to asparagus the better – years ago I decided to get fancy with asparagus and made a pot of cream of asparagus soup – it was super (everything tastes better with a serious addition of cream) but it was a huge commitment of work, fuss and bother.
Now my personal preference is steamed or lightly cooked asparagus topped with a poached egg and shavings of fresh parmesan – a little black pepper and happy days.
Today’s recipes are both super popular – many years ago I first made this grilled asparagus and feta number in Hagley Park on a cold Spring day. The aroma of the hazelnut literally caused a stampede in the park.
Australian master chef Julie Goodwin is a dear friend and I asked her what she likes with asparagus
Asparagus
Tips
and she says she likes my poached egg number, but adds diced bacon and adds sherry vinegar to the bacon drippings and reduces that down and pours it over the asparagus.
And in her typical Julie generous spirit she gives another suggestion. Try asparagus with green beans and broccolini, charred on a grill plate with lemon juice, dukkah and a blob of tahini yoghurt. Thank you Julie. Cook’s tips:
Fresh asparagus is very easy to prepare – wash and just bend the end and it will snap off and you are good to go. Forget recipes that tell you to shave the base of the asparagus – that is for fancy chefs in fancy eateries.
A delicious bite with drinks is grilled asparagus (Jamie Oliver says it is the only way to cook asparagus ) cut into small pieces and put on croutes or bruschetta that have been topped with feta ricotta cream.
Combine ricotta with feta in your food processor and then add a little mint/and or chives from the garden – you won’t need salt, but a little pepper.
Some chefs suggest steaming asparagus then adding an aromatic tea like oolong to the water to give the asparagus extra flavour. Finish off with salt, a squeeze of lemon and top with a kiss of chilli oil and tahini.
Finally, cooked asparagus goes well with roast lamb, just add a little salsa verde.
Many cooks use both the frying and steaming combination – cook your asparagus in a very hot frying pan then after a minute add a little water and cover and that grill/ steam combination is great. Keep an eye on it – it cooks quickly.
You will need Method Spaghetti With Asparagus Pesto and Smoked Chicken
Cook the asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Rinse under cold running water. Drain. Cut half the asparagus into 3cm pieces and reserve. Process the remaining asparagus, ricotta, cashews, spinach, garlic, lemon rind and half the basil in a food processor until smooth. Season with pepper and stir in half the lemon juice. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan. Add the asparagus pesto, chicken, reserved asparagus, remaining lemon juice and remaining basil to the pasta. Season with pepper. Toss until well combined. Divide among serving bowls.
With a twist: Make spaghetti with salmon and asparagus pesto – swap cashews for blanched almonds and shredded chicken for torn slices of smoked salmon.
Future-Proofing Your Family Trust For The Next Generation
Anne and Simon set up their trust 20 years ago when they owned a business. It had served them well, giving them the asset protection they needed as business owners and offering some tax flexibility. The trust now owned four commercial buildings, their family home and a substantial share portfolio from the sale of their business. Their friend Dave was their independent trustee but wanted to retire. He wasn’t as available to sign documents, and he’d also heard horror stories of trustee liability and difficulties with beneficiaries.
They visited their lawyer to discuss Dave retiring as a trustee, he mentioned he too was close to retirement and taking on less trust work, due to it being more complicated. He recommended a lawyer who specialised in trust matters and they made an appointment.
The trust lawyer asked if they wanted to keep the trust, as the main driver of the trust had been creditor protection when they owned the business however, now they could simplify their affairs. Anne and Simon agreed that simple was good, but they also liked how the trust neatly ringfenced their assets. Especially
as they were wary of the influence their daughter Molly’s partner had on her. He frequently implied that Anne and Simon had significant funds, and he and Molly could do with more financial help.
This was mainly why they wanted to keep the trust, even should they both pass away. They thought that the assets were enough to provide an income to their daughters, Molly and Liv, and that the capital could be passed on to their grandchildren or even great grandchildren. The lawyer explained that sometimes when children were bound together in a trust once their parents had died, it created tension between them, especially if they had differing needs.
In this case, Liv was more financially secure than Molly and might be happy to have some income, but Molly may need money to pay off debt.
The lawyer suggested to say in their memorandum of wishes that upon their deaths, their trust would be resettled onto two new trusts, one for Molly and one for Liv. They could advise on how the trusts were established, and who the trustees and beneficiaries would be. This would be a way of continuing the protection for their girls without binding them
together in a potentially less flexible way.
Anne and Simon liked this idea and went a step further, asking the lawyer to prepare the trust deeds for the girls now. They thought then if they decided to distribute any funds to them in the meantime, the trusts would be ready and be able to be used immediately.
The new lawyer replaced Dave as a trustee. She said that they would have regular meetings which would mean that they would keep assessing the role of the trust and make sure that their wishes and wills were up to date. Anne and Simon were grateful for the practical, specialist advice they received.
Tammy McLeod, Trust Law specialist, Managing Director, Davenports Law
LONELY RANGE ROVER SEEKS NEW OWNER, VIEW RESTORATION.
Down-at-heel P38 v8 Range Rover (2000), showing age, but hanging out for owner who appreciates recond gearbox, new battery, to kick start restoration. Owner has bought newer model and will accept just $5,000! As is where is.
Call Cedric Allan ph 021 928038 or (09) 415 6427 or email cedric@truenorth.org.nz
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
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
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.
Haven Hair Design Need a new look or just a trim? Senior hair stylist and salon owner Lisa Cross will help you look and feel your best.
Phone 09 415 4424 or book online, www. havenhairdesign. co.nz
Scout Marquee for hire, 6m x 8m, $250 per day. Call Garth 447 1863 Who’s your caterer? Beautifully presented, great tasting food, at
Ailsa's Sweet Success
It's not easy to catch Ailsa McArthur. The powerhouse with the perfect nails is a bit like a hummingbird. She moves at pace, between meetings and calls, focused on clients and community projects in between spending time with her nine grandchildren. When we chatted recently at 3pm one afternoon, she hadn't eaten all day and was famished. Too busy to eat!
That work ethic is what's behind her success. This year she was again recognised as one of Bayleys Real Estate's top performers with sales figures for 2024-25 that positioned her in 22nd place nationwide across all disciplines - lifestyle, residential and commercial. Bayleys rewarded her with a fiveday trip to Dubai along with the other top performers. Ailsa's success also boosted her into Bayleys' $600 Million Dollar Club, a prestigious step up, reflecting her impressive sales figures.
"It's been an incredibly exciting time, and I feel grateful to everyone who's helped me achieve these results. I absolutely couldn't have done it alone." she says.
Ailsa credits Team Ailsa as the power behind her most recent success. Team Ailsa includes Chelsea Allen, Jethro Riggans and Ani Schofield, in the Coatesville office.
"We work as a team and everyone brings their own personality, skills and talents to client engagements. We've received incredibly positive feedback about the team approach and clients feel the mix of personalities means we can relate to a wide range of prospective buyers."
Having lived in Coatesville for 25 years and sold real estate in Coatesville and the surrounding areas under the Bayleys' banner for 12 years, Ailsa knows the market. So what advice does she have?
"Something I often need to do is help people to understand that Coatesville does not follow Auckland's residential market trends. We're different. What Coatesville offers people is a lifestyle that most other areas simply do not match. You're not buying or selling a house here, you're buying land and a lifestyle that goes with it. It's unique," she says.
To back up this claim, while most of Auckland real estate experienced a downturn during 2024, Ailsa and her team closed two of their highest-ever sales. Details are confidential for the top sale and the other sold at $9.3M but Ailsa is quick to mention her business is not just about grand design-style homes. "We've just sold an entry-level Coatesville home for buyers who got in touch and asked what they needed to do to sell their home. They listened to my advice where they could and got a great result. That kind of outcome is really gratifying."
And, with lunch finished and our meeting concluded, Ailsa is up and off to her next meeting in true hummingbird-style.
