The Fringe, Issue 243, December 2024/Januarty 2025
ISSUE 243, DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025
We wish you a merry festive season and happy holidays. We will be taking a break in January but The Fringe will be back in February.
Whau Local Board member Susan Zhu steps down
Whau Local Board member Susan Zhu has stepped down from her position on the board, providing her resignation, effective 22 October 2024, in a notice to chief executive Phil Wilson.
Board chair Kay Thomas acknowledges Ms Zhu’s decision and her valued contribution to the board for the last 11 years.
“Susan has been an outstanding advocate for the Whau community, especially its Chinese residents. She worked hard to build relationships between local board members and leaders of the Chinese community.
“She held the role of deputy chair for a number of years, including for the first 18 months that I was chair. She helped me transition into that role with her support and guidance, and I remain extremely grateful for her support during that time.
“I want to place on record the board’s thanks to Susan for her hard work and commitment to the community for more than a decade and wish her every success in her future endeavours.”
At its business meeting on Wednesday 23 October, Whau Local Board resolved to fill the vacancy created by Ms Zhu’s departure.
Valeria Gascoigne was appointed as a new member, on the grounds that she was the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the 2022 local elections.
Ms Gascoigne was sworn in as a new member at the business meeting on 20 November 2024.
Westies – do your part to protect wildlife this summer
Westies – we need your help to protect the amazing kuaka, or godwits, that have begun their yearly trip to our shores for summer.
With another Tāmaki Makaurau stunner on the way, keep your dogs on a lead and away from prohibited areas to protect birds in our parks and on our walking tracks.
Off-leash dogs are the most immediate threat to kuaka and other threatened and endangered birds and other wildlife on the coast.
Checking and following the dog walking rules in your local area is an easy way to do your part in protecting kuaka and other birds.
Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair Chris Carter says that it is vital for locals to respect dog walking rules this summer.
“Dog walking bylaws exist in our parks for good reason – we have a duty to do what we can to protect all of our local species that rely
on harbour ecosystems, including migrating birds like kuaka,” he says.
Kuaka actively feed and rest in the vast tidal mudflat areas across New Zealand, including around the West Auckland area.
Starting from their breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere, from as far north as Alaska, they take an epic non-stop flight across the enormous distance south to visit our shores over summer and avoid the harsh winter they’ve left behind.
Over our summer, they find temporary homes across Aotearoa in tidal mudflats where they actively feed and rest to get ready for their return journey.
In late summer, they head back north to Alaska, with a refuel stop in China’s Yellow Sea, continuing their migrations across the world.
Let’s show these little travellers our hospitality and help them to stay safe as they prepare for their onward journey, ready to return next summer.
Free tyre recycling offered at Waitākere transfer station
Aucklanders can dispose of their old tyres for free, thanks to a national product stewardship scheme called Tyrewise.
The Waitākere Refuse & Recycling Transfer Station in Henderson will accept up to five used tyres per customer, per visit – free of charge. The tyres will then be used as a substitute for coal in cement making.
The Waitākere transfer station operates as a public collection site while other tyre retailers and businesses across the region can also register to have tyres picked up by Tyrewise for free.
Auckland Council General Manager Waste Solutions Justine Haves hopes the Tyrewise scheme will “gain traction” and help prevent the dumping of thousands of tyres illegally across Tāmaki Makaurau annually.
“Between July 2022 and July 2024, over 32,000 tyres of all shapes and sizes were dumped illegally on public land across the Auckland region. Now that people can drop off their tyres for free, there should no temptation to dump tyres illegally, or pay someone else to dump them,” Ms Haves says.
“As well as Waitākere transfer station being a dropoff point for Aucklanders to take tyres, we hope this scheme will encourage commercial businesses to register as collection points at no additional cost to their business and encourage more retailers to take advantage of the free disposal service.”
The Tyrewise scheme is being funded by a tyre stewardship fee added to new tyres, with the aim of ensuring end-of-life tyres are repurposed instead of dumped or stockpiled.
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 Goudge, Karen McCarthy, Kerry Lee
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.
Living on the fringe of Auckland shouldn’t mean that we have to put up with substandard infrastructure.
If the relocation of our post boxes to Glen Eden and the ongoing road closures weren’t bad enough, the Village’s ASB ATM has been moved ... “slightly further up the road” ... to the Mobil station in New Lynn! Which makes me wonder how well the ASB knows West Auckland.
I’ve received complaints from readers who say they are totally appalled by the ASB’s decision and that this situation is going to be disastrous for the Village and its businesses. However, all is not lost. I have received the following from the ASB: “I strongly encourage all your readers ... to ring us and lodge a complaint. This is how we make decisions on where to place ATMs and with enough feedback loaded I think it,s fair we can replace the 406 Tītīrangi Road ATM.”
So it is up to us. Do we want an ATM in our Village? Phone 0800 803 804 or email complaints@asb.co.nz.
– Bevis England
Piha artist Zeke Wolf has always been involved with painting, drawing, ceramics and photography. It is through these media that he tries to understand the baffling but beautiful environment in which he lives.
Now 79, Zeke continues to explore the Waitākere West Coast forest and coastal landscape where he has lived since 1979. His paintings are an expressive response to the regenerating rainforest that surrounds him and more recently, to the awesome transformative power of nature in 2023’s Cyclone Gabrielle: ecology in action. His love of colour and the surreal wonderment of imagination and dreaming are strong features in his art.
While preparing for Incandescent Earth, his latest exhibition (West Coast Gallery, November 2024), Zeke collaborated closely with friend, poet, writer, musician, environmental activist and extraordinary human being, Denys Trussell. The result was a new study of Zeke’s art, Painting on the Waitākere Coast, which is now available in print thanks to publisher, John Denny. The book is available from The West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha. Phone 812 8029.
ON OUR COVER: Cornwallis Wharf at sunrise. Photo by Delwyn.
Out & About
Big project coming at Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall and Library
Restoration work on the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall will start late April/early May 2025 to repair its leaking roof and falling roof structure.
Work will involve replacing cladding, structural timbers, windows, roofs and the storm water system as well as seismic strengthening to enable the building to meet current legislative requirements to operate as a Civil Defence Centre.
The adjoining library will be incorporated in the project with the replacement of exterior cladding and structural timbers where necessary, says Greer Clark, manager area operations, Henderson-Massey and Waitākere Ranges.
Auckland Council has allocated $4,862,838 for the work which is expected to take 9-12 months to complete, depending on the weather.
The council is investing more than $47 million over the next three years into parks and community facilities through its Regional Capital Investment Work Programme. – Moira Kennedy
Dear Editor,
Further to your article (More traffic disruption ..., The Fringe, November 2024)I would like to share my concerns and also request more details (dates, time frame).
I am new to the community but the consent should not have been granted. Trucks should not be allowed to operate until Scenic Drive (by Tītīrangi Village) is re-opened and the other local slips have been repaired. Trucks should only be allowed to travel in off-peak (between 10am-3pm), and another dumping site should be considered to minimise disruption in the area. I do not think saying 'we remain concerned ..' is good enough. There should be community action, an official protest in writing to Auckland Council, and a possible road blockade if they do not hear us. We really have had enough disruption. The slips should have all been fixed by now; in Europe the contractors would be working a couple of shifts – day and night. Kind regards, Paul Zielinski, Tītīrangi.
A perfect day for it saw an inventive half-dozen homemade rafts take to the water in Huia mid-October. Powered by a water wheel, paddles, kids and their dads, the rafts traversed Huia Bay without incident and all made it to the finish line, cheered on by proud parents and grandparents. The raft race is a tradition that harks back to Cornwallis childhoods and is hoped to become annual, says organiser Huia Cornwallis Community Group. So much fun was had that five entries were instantly recorded for next year. To enter, email contacthccg@gmail.com.
A bunch of dedicated volunteers from the Toroa Preservation Society have been hauling away macrocarpa logs that had fallen in Parrs Park during Cyclone Gabriel. The logs are to be milled on the Toroa ferry’s restoration site located near the Lincoln Road motorway off ramp. Winching the giant logs onto the double axle trailer took time and ingenuity but the sense of satisfaction and camaraderie was palpable. Some of the volunteers reckon they may not live long enough to see the Toroa in the water again but they meet every Wednesday on the ferry to add their skills to the pool to restore the historic ferry to her former glory.
To find out more, get involved or donate to the cause, visit https:// www.steamferrytoroa.com/ – Jan Elliott
Glen Eden Recreation Centre user groups welcomed visitors to the centre's recent Open Day at Harold Moody Park, 44 Glendale Rd, Glen Eden.
Dance, community care, country music, table tennis, gardening, Mah-jong, and quilting were just some of the activities the local community was invited to participate in. Refreshments and food provided by the LMS Pasifika Church flowed thick and fast throughout the day.
Some groups have since welcomed new members and new activities have also expressed interest in using the centre.
"I observed several people who attended the Open Day being surprised about how much goes on down here, right in the heart of their local community,” said Stephen Taylor, Director of the Waitākere Table Tennis Association, which is based at the centre. “The open day was an excellent opportunity to share what we all do with those who might like to join us doing it."
Enquiries regarding user groups or bookings for the Glen Eden Recreation Centre may be addressed to Lynn Brown at 021 193 4399.
Xmas Lights Tītīrangi
It’s the time of year when the magic of Christmas lights come to Tītīrangi Village.
This is the 10th year a small team of dedicated volunteers has worked relentlessly behind the scenes to light up the Village. From replacing lights, to fundraising, purchasing new displays, and organising the installation and ongoing maintenance – it’s a busy season indeed. The Tītīrangi Volunteer Fire Brigade helped with the higher installation sites and the Tītīrangi Baptist Church spent hours creating the Nativity Scene. The team takes pride in bringing the local community and business owners together in a celebration of Christmas.
This year’s display will be switched on on December 6, in conjunction with the Lopdell House Twilight Market. There will be a colouring-in competition, a scavenger hunt and look out for a beautiful red letterbox where children can post their letters to Santa.
To cover the costs of lighting, businesses and individuals are invited to contribute a small donation – with kilometres of lights to maintain, every little bit helps.
To keep up to date, check out the Xmas Lights Tītīrangi Village FB page. For more information or to offer support either financially or in person, contact Del on 021 238 1469.
Feral chickens: time for another ‘cull’?
For 16 years wild chickens in Tītīrangi have plagued the area, despite the best efforts by authorities to remove them.
In 2008 a local resident released two chickens into the area, which then ballooned into roughly 250, 10 years later. Since then, Auckland Council together with the Waitākere Ranges Local Board have done their best to find a solution to reduce their numbers. The chickens are now periodically taken from the area and re-homed – to people looking for new pets or for their eggs. The last round of removals happened in late October, 2024
Before the 2020 Covid 19 lockdown, 230 chickens were captured, with just 10 remaining free. While local residents were largely housebound, the chickens were able to repopulate and by the time the lockdown lifted, their numbers were rising again.
While they seem harmless enough feral chickens do represent some serious concerns. Their faeces are unhealthy, particularly around children, and give off quite a strong stench (especially in summer); they wake up residents in the early hours of the morning; and they are a significant traffic hazard.
Furthermore, as far back as 2019 residents reported huge rats moving into the area – attracted by the food that some people were feeding the chickens.
Greer Clark, manager of Auckland Council Area Operations said “we discourage any members of the public from feeding chickens at this site. Feral pigeons and rats are also benefiting from this behaviour and is potentially preventing native birds from populating these spaces.”
Greg Presland, chair of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board agreed. “As a pest population the chickens deter native birds
from populating the area. Much of our work focuses on protecting the special and protected ecological features in and around the Waitākere Ranges and we would love to hear an increase in native birdsong in Tītīrangi. In addition to the problems the chickens pose to native birds, people also feed them, encouraging other pests into the area,” he says.
Back in 2019, after some consideration, it was decided to catch and re-home the chickens rather than cull or poison them. SPCA scientific officer Dr. Alison Vaughan says it is recognised that many of the problems associated with wild animals considered pests in New Zealand happen because of human activities. “The SPCA encourages people to assess and modify their behaviours as the first step in dealing with these animals.
“Before consideration of lethal methods, people should try removing things that attract pests like food or shelter and consider using barriers or other ways to exclude or deter unwanted animals.”
For some the chickens might have become a part of the community, and give off a unique vibe, but it is important to remember they are an introduced species that is causing several issues in the area.
– Kerry Lee
213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188 www.kenturnermotors.co.nz
Tītīrangi Coastguard gets new headquarters
A funding boost from the government has ensured the future of Tītīrangi’s Coastguard, albeit in a new location across the Manukau Harbour.
Tītīrangi Coastguard was forced to flee its French Bay base when a landslide came down on the historical building and boatshed in the Anniversary Weekend weather events of January 2023.
While the main building ended up a pile of rubble, the shed did not take a direct hit and amazingly the rescue vessel escaped serious damage and was soon back on the water.
Thanks to Auckland Council, Tītīrangi Coastguard’s boat and crews found a temporary new home at Onehunga Wharf.
And now they’ll be staying on the other side of the harbour with plans and funding for a new purpose-built permanent base at Onehunga, starting with a new dock and pontoon so that volunteers can respond quicker to on-water incidents.
For the past almost two years, crews have struggled with slower getaways to call-outs due to the nature of facilities and infrastructure at their temporary headquarters affecting launch times. The rescue boat had to be transported a fair
distance before launch and was unable to get quickly into the water.
But that’s all going to change.
Coastguard Tītīrangi is in line for a share of $3.1 million dollars additional funding announced by central government for units across the country to help them become more resilient, in the face of more frequent extreme weather events.
Coastguard NZ says despite some massive logistical challenges, Coastguard Tītīrangi has emerged stronger over the past 21 months. Thanks to outstanding leadership and the many volunteers, the team has stayed connected and grown in numbers.
Coastguard Waiuku, Papakura and Auckland Air Patrol have also provided significant support to this vital asset on the Manukau Harbour.
With the harbour only getting busier and the number of incidents on the bar rising, the new permanent HQ at Onehunga will be a major boost to Tītīrangi Coastguard’s operational capability and mission of saving lives on the water.
– Karen McCarthy
Our firm is excited to announce our new name of Tōtara Law formerly Thomas & Co Lawyers, incorporating David J Brown and Associates and Titirangi Law Office.
Our new name reflects our growth and evolution over the years and we are incredibly proud to continue to be a staple of the West Auckland law community.
We are privileged to have the team that we do and to have you – our clients, families, friends and colleagues to work for and work with.
Our team, location and contact details will remain unchanged.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
John Gandy and Michael Richardson Directors
A friendly Village with everything you need
Hard times in retail have forced closures but Green Bay’s handy, diverse stores are all open for business, writes JADE REIDY.
David Bannister (left) has run the Green Bay Bookshop for 13 years, after giving up a day job in IT. David grew up in the suburb and remembers when his shop was the first commercial store in Godley Road.
“It was a stand-alone IGA minimart that sold canned food and veggies,” he says. “The main shops were in Bishop Street, including the first post office in Green Bay.”
The arrival of the ASB Bank and a new post office alongside the IGA saw the current shopping centre consolidate. The bank is long gone – replaced in the early 1990s by a video rental store and now the laundromat.
Zohra and Yakub (left) bought what was a Hammer Hardware franchise in 2003, when they emigrated from Fiji. Last year, this one-stop-shop became independent, after 40 years in its previous incarnation.
“There’s no one product or service that’s our bestseller,” Yakub says. “It really is a bit of everything.”
Their point of difference from the New Lynn megastores, he says, is the time to offer helpful advice and the convenience of popping in for a plant or a key cut or even drop off dry cleaning.
Many of David’s customers are also on first-name terms but the demographic is changing, he says, as retirement villages are taking their residents directly to the supermarkets. 2024 has been his toughest year in business.
In early November, Liquorland also suffered a temporary setback when someone mistook their brake pedal for the accelerator and drove into the shop front.
The bakery next door was undamaged. Owners Sam and Vicky focus on selling pies and sweet cakes, and employ three people. Their mince and gravy pie placed seventh in this year’s annual Bakels Supreme Pie Awards. “That makes us very proud,” Sam says.
Originally from Cambodia, Sam trained to be a baker when the couple first arrived. For the past 11 years he has been getting up to start work at 4am. “Work never stops. Always go go, ’til we close,” he says.
Juliet Leonard has been the face of Green Bay Florist for the past decade. The shop was a butcher’s until it became a florist 25 years ago. The original meat chiller room from 1907 still operates and is now full of colourful blooms.
Juliet does floral displays for weddings and her arrangements also cater for the compact apartments of nearby retirement homes. Juliet would actually like to stop working, and spend more time with her grandchildren, so if the thought of running a boutique florist in a friendly village atmosphere appeals, she is happy to discuss it.
Christmas in Blockhouse Bay
The Blockhouse Bay Business Association is organising its annual Christmas Festival again this year. There will be free entertainment for the kids including a bouncy castle, face painting, balloons, photos with Santa and Mrs Claus, clowns and cartoon characters. Local groups will perform on the Village Green and stall holders and food trucks will line the street.
The theme this year is Christmas in Candyland. All are welcome to have some fun and wear something bright. The event (Sunday, December 8, 9.30am-1pm) is supported by the Whau Local Board, Barfoot & Thompson and The Trusts.
PRESLAND
Stephanie and her mountain
Stephanie Nierstenhoefer moved to New Zealand in 2002, and made Tītīrangi her home with her English partner and their daughter. She is an outgoing and active person who loves the outdoors and has a passion for hiking and running.
In May 2023, Stephanie began experiencing a range of symptoms, including double vision, balance issues, brain fog, extreme fatigue, and vertigo. “My left side was significantly affected, with uncontrolled leg movements becoming more frequent,” she says. “These symptoms progressively worsened over the following months.”
After undergoing MRIs of both her brain and spine, Stephanie was officially diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in August 2023. “The diagnosis was difficult to accept, and for several months, I found myself in denial, withdrawing from friends and family.”
Prior to her diagnosis, Stephanie had set a personal challenge to complete all of New Zealand’s Great Walks but Covid lockdowns and other medical conditions disrupted
her plans. Despite these setbacks, Stephanie now aims to hike the Milford Track in early February, 2025, with the support of Mastering Mountains, a charity dedicated to bringing hope to people affected by Multiple Sclerosis by helping them get outdoors.
Read more of Stephanie’s story and donate at https://www. masteringmountains.org.nz/stories/introducing-stephanienierstenhoefer and follow _ms_interpreted_ on Instagram.
A new dress for Christmas ...
561 Blockhouse Bay Road Blockhouse Bay Village (opposite the Library) Tues – Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm Closed Sun and Mon Ph 09 626 5633
The Warp and the Weft
At the recent celebration of Te Uru’s 10th anniversary, a familiar face, disarming smile and instantly recognisable voice swept me into a generous hug.
Jude Chambers (right), now Executive Director of McCahon House, is a long-time friend and colleague in the world of arts. I first met her as a tall, engaging girl, working at Creative New Zealand on a scheme called the Creative Places Awards. She stood out in a world of bureaucrats; her freshness and passion for making creativity accessible to all. It was early 2000s. Waitākere City was well-poised to be in contention and indeed we were. It was another confirmation that our arts/ design practice was, at that stage, ground-breaking.
The threads of our lives have touched intermittently and I have kept track of her impressive career; much of it spent in forging international partnerships; taking our artists and their stories and ways of story-telling to the world.
In real terms this has been expressed through a number of influential positions; most critically as Manager of International at Creative New Zealand from 2012 to 2022, leading an international team that facilitated cultural and
Showcase artwork for sale
artistic exchange; managing globallybased teams; commissioning new work by local artists for international audiences. It’s about connections and connecting, creating strong networks, taking our artists into the international arena through residencies, funding and capability-building programmes, and establishing a portfolio of public and private partnerships.
It demanded a very particular set of skills, sheer stamina being just one of them; but also a deep understanding of contemporary arts practice and global trends. To push the metaphor somewhat, it is about pulling the strands of art and art connections into a tapestry of success for our talented arts practitioners.
Where we can see this most clearly is her role in delivering New Zealand’s participation in five Venice Biennale Arte initiatives. These always capture media attention and global accolades for the work of our artists has become a thing of national pride. And of course, she had, like all of us, to navigate her way through Covid-19 and a subsequent programme redesign. The impact of Jude’s multi-faceted experience and vision on our international reputation and regard in the arts world is profound.
Intriguingly, in late 2023, Jude held the position of Interim Chief Executive at the Auckland Writers Festival, redesigned the leadership team and appointed the new Managing Director. What can’t this woman do?
But let’s get to her current role as Executive Director of McCahon House. The role oversees a team managing McCahon House Museum, the internationally-regarded Parehuia Artist Residency and an education programme.
Currently excitement is building around the development of two new international initiatives; Australia and Japan. Jude takes over work started by the previous director, Viv Stone, and will bring all her years of global connections to the work in hand. And here is another thread in the tapestry. The McCahon Australian connection is strongly connecting with the work of indigenous artists on both sides of the ditch.
Across Waitākere in Te Pou Theatre at Corban Estate, I recently sat through a powerful rehearsed reading of The Visitors, written by a First Nations Aboriginal playwright about the catastrophic first contact by British ships in the 1700s. It was performed by Maori actors with the intent of seeing whether the narrative would resonate here. I see the potential of yet more connections.
And yet another strand; as I write the Colin McCahon Trust (not the McCahon House Trust) has announced a major project to preserve the cultural legacy of Colin McCahon. It seeks to locate undocumented works and to upgrade the failing database that stores information on 1800 catalogued
Art & About with Naomi McCleary
works. It is ambitious and will be costly. For those with ‘resources’ there is a limited edition of 100 high-quality prints of the 1975 painting Clouds 3 available.
We face huge challenges in the arts sector, in every way. It is truly uncomfortable to strive to keep creativity front and foremost in a climate that barely mentions the role of the arts in any political discourse. The McCahon House Trust has, over many years, put in place an endowment fund and a series of targeted support groups. If your interest is spiked go to mccahonhouse.org.nz
The McCahon House Museum is open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4pm and Wednesday to Friday by email appointment. And yet more ties that bind!
The Wool Revolution Studio at Corban Estate, run by fashion icon and wool aficionado Liz Mitchell, has come into a treasure trove of, well, wool; everything from raw fleeces to richly coloured yarns; and in between, felt, vintage and kimono fabrics, rugs, cushions, books, and a bit of couture bridal thrown in. All will be revealed in a two-day clearance sale in Shed 2 at the Corban Estate, December 14 and 15, 10am-4pm. Not to be missed by fibre lovers.
Corban Estate Arts Centre Summer School
From January 15 to 19 senior arts practitioners will lead five-day workshops in the ambience of heritage buildings and park-like grounds. Workshops will cover Marking a Connection, Mono Relief Printing, Instant Acrylic Painting, Species Study: Our Magical Manu, Off-Loom Weaving and
Felting, Taonga, Devising Physical Theatre, Statement Piece: Carry your Story.
Summer School is a community of like-minded folks who become friends; it is tutor talks; it is for active relaxers; a gift to self; time to refresh imaginatively as the year starts. Visit ceac.org.nz for all the detail you need to know.
Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery:
Throughout December and January two shows demand your attention: The Portage Ceramics Awards 2024 and Liquid States, a retrospective of works by Gretchen Albrecht. It is a beautiful thing to step out of the hub-bub of Tītīrangi and immerse yourself in the worlds of clay and paint.
The Upstairs Gallery
This ‘small but perfectly formed’ gallery has a members’ summer show over December and January. One of the joys of this is the warmth and welcome you will experience. Carlos and Tatiana Vano run a precious place and space.
Stop Press!
Give a Kid a Blanket started off as an arts project that wouldn’t let go! Its pre-Christmas programme is called Operation Kindness and you can help. Please donate. What is needed? Pasta, rice, pasta sauce, crackers, biscuits, juice, peanut butter, Vegemite, jam, honey, jelly mix, tea, coffee, Milo, canned fruit, dried fruit/nuts, spaghetti, baked beans, tomato sauce, breakfast cereals snack bars, baking ingredients (flour, sugar, long life milk, milk powder), shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and brushes, soap, razors, feminine hygiene products, laundry powder, dishwash liquid, and Christmas treat items.
Deliver by December 16 to Unit 6/91 Central Park Drive, Henderson, weekdays 10am-3pm or by arrangement outside of these times. Email badwakk@xtra.co.nz.
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
Exhibitions
w – February 2, Liquid States, paintings by Gretchen Albrecht; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – February 8, Curiosities of Status, the Re:Use Collective (including Lara Thomas, Bobbie Gray, Louise Keen, Judith Lawson, Milvia Romici, and Kathy Ready) asks what is it about human nature that makes us covet things, collect them, own them, adorn and decorate; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.
w – February 8, They Saw Leaves Growing. Curator Wesley John Fourie juxtaposes the work of two printmakers, senior practitioner Sue Cooke, and emerging artist Brie Rate; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.
w – February 23, Portage Ceramic Awards 2024; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w 6 – January 19, Upstairs Gallery Members’ Show, featuring local artists
25 TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION
‘From a Ball of Clay’
Opening 6pm-7.30pm, 12 December 10am-4pm, 13-15 December
in an annual summer show; Level 1, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10am-4pm daily. Phone 817 4278 or email gallery@upstairs.org.nz
w 7 – February 9, Member’s Christmas show – small affordable gifts; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thursday/Friday 10am-3pm, Saturday/ Sunday 10am-4pm. Phone 09 812 8029 www.westcoast.co.nz.
w 7 – March 9, An exhibition of large-scale sculpturist installations by Turumeke Harrington; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w 13 – 15, From a Ball of Clay, Tītīrangi Potters 25th annual exhibition; Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10am-4pm. (Exhibition opens 6-7.30pm December 12.)
December and beyond
w 1, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
w 7, 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 7, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents The Penman Family, 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 December 8, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.
w 13, 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 13, 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 13, Flicks presents You Should Have Been Here Yesterday (PG) NZ/AUS. A cinematic ode to Australia’s early surfing culture featuring evocative restored footage, a chilled-out soundtrack, and narration from surfing aficionados and heroes. A homage to the birth of Aussie surf culture compiled from over 200 hours of home movies, documentaries and restored 16mm footage; Lopdell House Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 6pm and 8.15pm; $15 and $12. TEXT bookings to 0210 222 5558.
w 14, 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, 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 18, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361.
w December 22, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.
w January 12, Elvis in the Park; Cranwell Park, Henderson; 11am-5pm; Free. Contact Jackie 027 490 1126
w January 25, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ). Bring your broken items and work with skilled volunteers to fix them; New Lynn Community Centre, Tōtara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am - 2pm; Koha. Phone Surbhi Gupta 022 507 0905.
w January 28, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 50-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact Irene Pearcey on ipearceyu3a@gmail.com. www.u3a.nz
w February 2, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
There is so much happening in and around our community, including many regular events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. If you can’t see the event you’re interested in, visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace
Lopdell Precinct presents
Twilight Market 2024
Friday 6 December, 5pm to 9pm
A curated assortment of festive stalls
Free gift wrapping, collage your own greeting cards
Tītīrangi Library has an extensive programme of events to keep children entertained across the summer holidays, including the Raumati Reads Summer Reading Program – December 16 to January 26. Online preregistrations open December 9. Other events include:
Thursday, December 12, 3.30-4.30pm – Christmas Print Workshop. Make stamps and wrapping paper. Ages 5+.
Wednesday, December 18, 9.30-10.00am – Christmas Rhymetime with a very special guest… Preschool event. Tuesday, January 7, 10.30-11.30am – Family weaving event.
Wednesday, January 8, 2.30-3.30pm – Art Station drop-in. Have fun with craft materials and make your own creations! Ages 5+.
Thursday, January 9, 10.30-11.30am – Design and make a model tree-house with all the extras. Ages 5+.
Tuesday January 14, 10.30 -11.30am – Craft event.
Wednesday, January 15, 10.30-11.30am – Make sculptures using foil and craft materials. Ages 5+.
Thursday January 16, 10.30-11.30am – Free Lego Ages 5+.
Tuesday, January 21, 2.30-3.30pm – Garden mobiles and sun catchers. Ages 5+.
Wednesday January 22, 9.30-10.15am – Rhymetime in the park. Weather dependent family event.
Thursday, January 23, 2.30-3.30pm – Art Station dropin. Have fun with craft materials and make your own creations! Ages 5+.
Wednesday, January 29, 10.30-11.30am – Celebrate Chinese New Year with stories, crafts and games. Family friendly event.
Glen Eden Library
Wriggle and Rhyme – Every Wednesday 11:00-11:30am. Last session for 2024 will be December 11.
Rhymetime – Every second Thursday during the school term, 10:30-11:00am. Last session will be on Thursday December 12.
Lego Club – every Tuesday during the school term, 3:30-4:45pm. Last session for 2024 will be on Tuesday December 10.
Friday Crafternoon – December 6, 3:30-5:00pm Summer School Holiday Programme runs from Monday December 16 to Sunday January 26 with fun activities and events planned for tamariki and rangatahi.
Shared Reading Group – Friday December 20, 10:0011.30am. Discuss short stories and poetry and build connections between readers and great literature.
Book Chat – Wednesday December 4, 10:30-11:30am. Share what you have been reading. There will be no Book Chat in January 2025.
Tītīrangi Festival of Music – Returning in Spring 2025
Former festival director Dave Parker officially handed over the reins of Tītīrangi Festival of Music (TFM) to incoming director, Dixon Nacey, last October. Dixon’s experience with the festival dates back to 2007, as a performer with such groups as Blue Train, Sola Rosa, Nathan Haines, D-Dub and more.
Dave has run the well known and loved festival since 2005, where a three-weekend extravaganza exhausted all possibilities, before refining down to a ‘fat weekend’ of headline shows, family focused events, street stages and performances, local groups, arts and crafts, workshops and more.
After a three-year hiatus due to Covid, the festival trust led by Dixon is keen to bring the festival back in mid to late October 2025 and keep the focus on high quality artists, fringe and arts elements, and community.
“Tītīrangi Festival of Music has been proudly supported
Council bin collection changes
Prepaid rubbish bin tags are no longer required out west. Instead, your residential rubbish collection is funded through your property rates. On collection day, simply wheel your rubbish bin out.
Auckland Council is standardising waste services across Auckland so that every residential property receives the same level of service, types of bins and payment options. Having everyone on the same collection services, including recycling and food scraps, gives us the best chance to influence waste minimisation and reduce emissions as we work towards Auckland’s goal of zero waste by 2040.
We want to do what is best for the environment while keeping costs for Aucklanders as low as possible. A universal rates-funded rubbish collection will give everyone access to an affordable service no matter where they live.
The annual amount you pay (targeted rates charge) for your rubbish collection will depend on the size of your bin. With a choice of three bin sizes, you can choose the bin size that best meets your household’s needs.
You can get a refund for any unused bin tags until Friday 31 January 2025.
If you live in a rural zone, please email ratesfunded@ aucklandcouncil.govt.nz if you would like to continue using bags.
For more information, including how to request a refund for unused bin tags, visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/ratesfunded
by local council, trusts, local businesses, audiences and volunteers, as well as Aotearoa’s top artists and bands, who have a great history with the festival,” says Dave. Highlights across the 16 years of TFM include contemporary bands such as Kora, The Black Seeds, Sola Rosa and well recognised icons such as Dave Dobbyn and Bic Runga.
“The key to a great festival programme is having something for everyone,” says Dixon, “activating the village, bringing the community together, inclusive events that are fun for the family as well as showcasing and celebrating our diverse West Auckland people.”
More details are to be announced, including, for interested parties, a call for ‘expressions of interest’ in January 2025.
Lopdell Twilight Market: back for 2024!
Visit Lopdell Precinct on Friday, December 6, 5-9pm, shop the fabulous array of festive stalls, and enjoy an abundance of free activities for the whole whānau.
There will be free face painting and balloon twisting for tamariki and familyfriendly short films in the theatre. Sit down with local collage artist Naomi Azoulay to create your own cards and decorations. Peruse Upstairs Gallery’s Summer Show and visit the Tītīrangi Theatre bar for a refreshing cold drink or their irresistible holiday speciality, mulled wine. The BBQ fundraiser is back on the rooftop and this year you can indulge in dessert from the Italian gelato cart in the foyer. The Mollymawks will entertain on the rooftop with their acoustic melodies as the sun sets and the Greater Auckland Chorus will awaken your holiday spirit with carols throughout the Precinct. Stop by the free gift-wrapping station on your way out, and perhaps donate a gift to the Nurturing Families’ Christmas Drive in the foyer. Check out our website for the full programme at lopdellprecinct.org.nz. The Lopdell Twilight Market is made possible with support from Lopdell Trust and Waitākere Ranges Local Board.
The Tītīrangi Village Christmas Lights will be turned on at 8.30pm. Gather outside Barfoot & Thompson for the ceremony.
Photo: Tatiana Harper Photography.
Dave Parker (left): handing the baton to Dixon Nacey.
42 years volunteering and still going strong
Before West Lynn Garden had even been created, Margaret Jamieson was volunteering there. That was 42 years ago when the property was a nursery run by well-known horticulturist of the time, Jack Clark.
Known as a man of vision and action, Jack was also heavily involved in Epsom’s Eden Garden which had been developed from an abandoned quarry. He wanted to establish a similar taonga in Parker Avenue, New Lynn.*
Keen to get others involved, Jack advertised in the local press asking people in the district to help out. That was 1981 and Margaret Jamieson saw the advert. She lived in Glen Eden with her husband, Jock, and was looking for part-time work while her two young children were in school.
“I rang the number in the ad and it was like a job interview. I got the feeling it could be a paid job because of the interview style. What could I do? What couldn’t I do. When could I start? I didn’t have a car, but knew I could walk there,” she says. “Then they told me it was a voluntary role – no pay – but I started doing two days a week anyway. I’d walk the children, Juliet and Ross, to Kaurilands School, then walk to West Lynn, do my work in the gardens and then walk back to meet them at the end of the school day. It kept me fit alright!”
In those early days there were two Sunline garages on the property. One was a potting shed and the other had space for the plants and a little office with room to make a cup of tea or eat lunch. There was a lean-to garage and the front lawn (now the function lawn) was all glass houses. There were tunnel houses where the car park is now.
“The volunteer ladies got the job of looking after the plants – weeding and helping with all the propagating. Where the butterfly house is now there was a shade house with rows and rows of plants to be looked after,” Margaret says.
“The women were more or less stuck in the sheds and rarely went out into the gardens. The men did that, building the paths and sorting out what went where.
“The plants all had to be perfectly placed, and as they had a face, they had to be planted facing the right way, firmly. Jack would come along and tug the plants to make sure they were in the ground properly. Same with the cuttings. If they were a bit loose, we had to do them again,” she says.
Without any formal garden or horticultural training, Margaret nevertheless soaked up everything she could in her volunteer environment and loved it.
Jack wanted to retire so the group formed the West Lynn Garden Society and with tremendous input by hardworking volunteers, the 2.5 hectare West Lynn Garden was established in its own right.
“Eden Garden needed funds for its own property and gave
us a year to buy the land at West Lynn, otherwise it could have gone to the council or perhaps been turned into housing,” says Margaret.
“We approached Waitākere City Council and got funding from Portage Licensing Trust, the Auckland Savings Bank and got some lottery funding too.”
And so it came to pass that the West Lynn Garden Society became the garden’s new owner under a conservation covenant between themselves and Waitākere City Council.
“I don’t know where we’d be without that support, and that of our members and other benefactors. There were significant bequests and other donations as well.”
Margaret became vice-president of the society in 1994 and president in 2006 and with the efforts of her committees and volunteers since (including husband Jock) has seen the hidden gem through numerous significant developments.
One of her highlights was seeing the function centre built from the ground up providing a range of spaces for meetings, weddings, children’s parties and community events. The development of the butterfly house in 1996 was another ‘big thing’ that has become a must-see for the public, school groups and those just seeking a haven of tranquillity in which to sit. (The Monarch butterfly season is at its height from December until March).
From those days 42 years ago in the potting shed, Margaret has witnessed the growth of more than 300 varieties of plant. There’s also been a significant increase in native birds like tūī, korimako, pīwakawaka and myriad others visiting or calling the garden home. She was a strong supporter of the creation of the memorial wall and has survived a range of challenges including when water pipes from the road rusted out and had to be replaced. And paid for. At the same time plans for the position of the water mains couldn’t be found. That was a tricky time.
Margaret stepped down from the presidency in 2022 but is still a committed volunteer.
“I’ll just keep plodding on as long as I can. When I’ve been here 50 years, I might start pulling back. But we need more volunteers to come and learn about the gardens.”
– Moira Kenedy
* The history of the garden’s early years can be found in the book, West Lynn Garden – A Place of Beauty, by Alison O’Grady. It’s available from West Lynn Garden. www.westlynn.org.nz, Ph: 09 827 7045
Margaret Jamieson with husband, Jock, who has recently been elected president at West Lynn Garden.
During a Governing Body meeting at the end of October, I was silenced from contributing to the debate regarding the speedway at Western Springs. Thus, the opinions of hundreds who wanted me to convey their thoughts were also silenced.
This was done by invoking a draconian Standing Order, called a ‘Closure Motion’, which any councillor can call for after three speakers have debated in favour and three against a proposed resolution.
The councillors who voted to cut the debate short and exclude some members from participating are the very same people who lecture me incessantly about inclusion, equity and hearing from everyone (most importantly minorities).
I’m not ashamed to say I kicked up a fuss.
I wasn’t about to let myself and the public be stabbed in the back with hypocrisy without a fight.
It seems inclusion was not available to those with a view supporting the speedway.
Maybe those Councillors opposed to the continuation of speedway racing at Western Springs were scared I would bring simple facts to the table. For example, when one councillor cited the council’s carbon emissions reduction targets as a reason we should consider discontinuing racing altogether I could have, and was going to, say that speedway competitors use ethanol in most cases, not fossil fuels.
A basic lack of decision-maker understanding can’t get much worse than that.
But here’s the real hypocrisy. Council touts its commitment to Deliberative Democracy, committing to engaging the community in meaningful ways. It spent over $100K on one mass outreach effort, sending 14,000 unsolicited emails inviting people to be selected as participants in informational workshops, group discussions and think-tanks so it could be
confident it understood what Aucklanders truly want. But the speedway decision was deliberatively starved of democratic oxygen. No members of the packed public gallery were allowed to speak despite five individuals having met Council’s written request prerequisite to do so.
Auckland Council, through its CCO Tataki Auckland Unlimited, owns Western Springs Stadium. One of Tataki’s main purposes is to promote Auckland to the world. In other words, it aims to market Auckland’s cultural and historical uniqueness, attract international tourists and boost Auckland’s economy.
Western Springs Speedway is a part of Auckland’s rich heritage and identity. With a history spanning 93 years, it is a world-renowned track that benefits Aucklanders and attracts international competitors, supporters and fans.
Ultimately, Tataki is meant to provide a good return on the investment ratepayers make in promotional activity, which will benefit everybody.
Western Springs Stadium is multifunctional, much like a Swiss Army knife. While some compromises may be necessary, its capacity to host a variety of activities ensures that we maximise the value of every ratepayer dollar, while also benefiting a diverse number of community members.
Auckland Council can find over $100M to support a single America’s Cup regatta, yet we are not willing to allocate $1.5M per annum to support the speedway. So much for virtue signalling about ‘inclusion.’
I encourage everyone who likes a bit of excitement to experience Speedway at Western Springs over Christmas and the New Year for what may be its last season there. If you have kids or grandkids, take them along and support this heritage event.
Merry Christmas and I hope your holidays are filled with rewarding activities.
–
Ken Turner, WestWards
A history of Aranui - Rose Hellaby and her house
At 515 Scenic Drive, a significant house stands testament to an interesting and gregarious woman, Rose Hellaby, explorer, philanthropist, and heir of the Hellaby family.
Rose Hellaby was born in 1886 into the affluent Hellaby butchery family, one of five children. At 17 she lost her father, William, in a failed surgery and her mother, Rosina, a few weeks later. Her uncle, Richard, also in the family business, died two years later.
Richard’s wife Amy, in her mid 30s, took on responsibility for the company and for 11 children (six of her own). Rose and her siblings were given a comfortable income, and both her brothers entered the family business.
Rose and her younger sister, Lily, never married and became great travelling companions from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, visiting Asia, Africa, America and Europe. In her 50s, living in Aranui, her house in Waiatarua, Rose was known as a generous, modest and quiet benefactor. She assisted both organisations and friends and neighbours. She entertained many visitors and family members at Aranui, and her New Year parties were much enjoyed by the locals, including the powerful cocktails she would mix. She was appreciated for her open invitations to “come up and have a cup of tea with me and see my view.” Indicative of her quiet generosity, she would sometimes ask the local shopkeeper, Mick Chester to add some extra things to the shopping order of a family going through tough times, and would tell him “the folk are not to know who it comes from”.
In November l94l Rose Hellaby was elected Honorary Member of the Auckland Red Cross Transport Corps, opening her home to servicemen and offering to drive them to hospital for treatment.
In 1959 she set up a perpetual trust to provide scholarships for doctors and took an active part in the Civilian Maimed Association. Ten years later she established the Māori Education Fund with New Zealand Guardian Trust (now Perpetual Guardian). The $300,000 Rose Hellaby Māori Education Trust provides scholarships to both Year 9 Māori secondary students with financial need, as well as postgraduate scholarships for students undertaking Masters or PhD postgraduate study in the fields of engineering, mathematics, science, technology or medicine
Other organisations that benefited from her estate included the Mission to Lepers, Auckland Institute and Museum, Auckland City Mission, British-Israel Association, New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing and the Laura Fergusson Trust.
After a long and eventful life, Rose passed away suddenly of a stroke in 1974, aged 91. Her legacy lives on in Aranui her home of 33 years which she gifted to Auckland Regional Authority on her death to be held as a scenic park, part of the Centennial Memorial Park, and to be available to the public.
Rose Hellaby had stayed at Waiatarua in the 1920s as a guest at the accommodation house lrunga, and it was here that her love affair with Waiatarua began. She bought the Scenic Drive property in 1933 and plans were made for a new dwelling, built in 1939 by the noted architect and landscape architect Horace Massey, in the English Cottage style popular at the time; the house resembles a bungalow but has a second floor. It also contains elements of the Arts and Craft movement in the living room, where adzed timber was used for exposed beams, lintels, architraves, doors and a mantelpiece.
Rose Hellaby named her home Aranui and shared it with a maid and gardener, and constant visitors.
Like the house, an English style was also chosen for the garden, presumably also designed by Massey, with deciduous trees and shrubs planted at the edge of the property, and herbaceous borders and lawn around the house, providing a frame. The plants of choice at the time were rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, hemerocallis, lavender, perennials and box hedging, as well as conifers, Japanese cedars and some native trees. This style of garden was unsuitable for the conditions, hot and dry in the summer and significant rain in the winter, with insufficient sun for some of the flowerbeds. Subsequently many of the plants died and more hardy plants have replaced them. Rose loved her plants and often assisted her gardener, Mr Tompkin with his work.
Following Rose’s death, a park ranger and family lived in the house for six years, then the Auckland Regional Authority invited submissions for use of the house. The first lessee was the West Auckland Historical Society in 1980, with an arrangement to co-share the space and provision for a live-in caretaker.
The Historical Society’s heritage displays were open to the public at weekends and on public holidays, with the grounds open seven days a week for visitors to enjoy the elevated views of both the Waitematā and Manukau harbours.
In early 2002, the society was having difficulty finding sufficient volunteers to staff Rose Hellaby House, so the lease was terminated and the house remained empty for a couple of years. It reopened as an antique shop from 2004, run by Darryn Lockwood and Karen Lawson, who resided at the site.
– Fiona Drummond
Celebrate World Wetland Day in 2025 by visiting Tāmaki Makaurau’s largest mainland wetland!
Matuku Link is holding its annual open day and wetland celebration on February 1, 2025. With free family activities, guided tours on bugs, birds, eels and plants, and local conservation groups to chat to, you will have plenty to do all day. Look for the local pāteke (brown teal), spot a secretive spotless crake (pūweto), and keep an eye out for the matukuhūrepo (Australasian bittern). See how much Matuku Link has changed since its beginnings in 2016, with over 15,000 volunteer hours spent on improving the site, accessible boardwalks, and a Wetland Education Centre.
There will be an all-day market with gifts, food, art, crafts, information, and entertainment. Enjoy homemade treats, BBQ (vegan and non-vegan), drinks including fresh coffee, all available for purchase. This is a low-waste event, using composting, recycling, and reusable items wherever possible. Saturday, February 1, 2025, 10am-3pm; 111 Bethells Road, Te Henga/Bethells, West Auckland. For more information: visit www.matukulink.org.nz, www.facebook.com/matukulink, or email hello@matukulink.org.nz
Community Trees of Remembrance
Trees of Remembrance will be coming to your local community hotspots during the month of December. Keep an eye out for the friendly Hospice volunteers who will invite you to make a donation and add a heartfelt message of remembrance to the tree. Every donation, big or small, helps West Auckland Hospice provide free, specialist end-of-life care to our West Auckland community.
December 2 – 8: New World Kumeū, Pak n Save Westgate, New World New Lynn
December 9 – 15: Pak n Save Lincoln Road, Mitre 10 Lincoln Road
December 16 – 22: Bunnings New Lynn, Mitre 10 Westgate, Pak n Save Alderman Drive
Conservation programme a success
This year has seen a collaboration between Green Bay High School and one of several pest eradication groups in the Waitākere Ranges, the Waima 2 Laingholm (W2L) Pest Free group writes FIONA DUMMOND.
Many Green Bay High students come from the Waitākere Ranges bush environment and many of these students have pest free groups operating in their localities. They were keen to get involved, with a preference for animal pest control rather than plant pest control.
Waima locals Jason Bourhill, Megan Fitter and Neil Dingle, who collectively manage the Waima 2 Laingholm group, were pleased to share their passion to get young people into conservation.
Jason and Neil provided an in-school induction to the students and showed them how to use the traps prior to their first outing. The programme introduced interested students to the grassroots of conservation, removing pests to restore the environment, and allowed students to take time out of school to spend with volunteers on their trap lines.
As well as the field work (positioning, setting and clearing
Learning from the floods
The extreme weather events of early 2023 broke every conceivable record and thousands of properties were damaged.
Following these events, the Whau River Catchment Trust (WRCT) has been working to connect with as many people as possible and help to improve their ‘flood literacy.’ During the last several months it has run educational workshops, a stream planting day and a stream clean-up.
“While community action through planting and litter removal is important, we felt it was useless without the awareness element,” says WRCT’s Angus Campbell. “It’s all well and good to plant a tree by a stream, but only if we know why we’re doing it.
“To make our city more prepared for flooding we need to reduce how much water enters our storm water system and slow the flood water down. We have covered the ground in impervious surfaces like roads, roofs and driveways which rainwater will run straight off and into our storm water network. This is why tree planting is so important, as trees can lock water up in their leaves and their roots. But there are other things we can do as well, like installing rain tanks to collect water from our roofs, and using porous materials for driveways and footpaths. If everyone did this it would make an enormous difference.”
If you’re worried about flooding, or want any advice about how to make your home and community more flood
possum and rat traps), students were shown how to record catches on to Trap NZ, and have been given their own rat traps to set up at home. They have gained knowledge about kauri dieback, and how to take measures to prevent spreading this disease when working in the field, and also completed a Waitākere Ranges rāhui forum with local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki. The six students involved in 2024 were all Year 13 students. Zuli Wade enjoyed the programme: “In the future I plan on going into Marine Biology, probably conservation of marine animals,” she says. “I joined this conservation effort to see if this is the direction I want to go and I am loving the experience. Trapping has been incredible as the people have just been so positive and supportive. The W2L group has been really thankful for the younger generations being interested in pest control and hopefully next year others will join. The experience has been so much fun.”
The success of the programme will see it continuing for 2025, and already a number of Year 11 and 12 students have signed up for next year.
resilient, get in touch with WRCT through its web site www. whauriver.org.nz or Facebook page www.facebook.com/ whaurivercatchment.
In the face of a changing climate, we all need to adapt and make changes to stop the causes of climate change.
Surviving Gabrielle, published in November 2024, is a story about what happened in the communities of Piha, Karekare and Anawhata when Cyclone Gabrielle hit. It tells of the impact of the storm, the strength, compassion and community spirit of all those who got stuck in and helped, and how, later, families have become more resilient together.
“We hope our story will encourage others to make changes to their lifestyles to slow climate change and develop some strategies to help you prepare for future events,” says Glenda Northey, one of the book’s writers. Email glenda.northey@gmail.com to order your copy.
Zuli, Owen and Arthur, Year 13 students at Green Bay High School enjoyed their work with the W2L conservtion group.
Keeping it Local
Established in 2020, Floriculture is a blooming Florist in Blockhouse Bay Village. In the festive season their shop is filled with fresh and fabulous flowers and brimming with gifts and plants. Be sure to visit the store – there's something for everyone for every occasion. 543 Blockhouse Bay Road. Phone 626 0598.
Drain Maintenance
Unfortunately, drains are often out of sight, out of mind and we only pay them attention when they go wrong. They’re not aesthetically pleasing; you’re not going to invite your mates over to check out your new drains. A new kitchen or man cave, hell yeah. But “Hey mate, come check out my new drains.” Yeah, Nah.
The reality is that drain repairs are damn hard work and costly but most of the time they can be avoided. We see drain disasters every day: retaining walls being undermined, ground instability caused by crushed and leaking pipes, sewer overflows, blocked drains or flooding. After 25 plus years we think we’ve seen it all. All this can be avoided with a little TLC. Do yourself a favour: give Drain Ranger a call on 021 709 783. From as little as $1.80 a day (less than the price of that coffee), they’ll set you up with an annual drain maintenance plan. www.drainranger.co.nz
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 January 17.
Supporting local businesses keeps our community alive. And with a gift shop like Gecko in the heart of the Village, why would you want to do your Christmas shopping anywhere else? Gecko has a wide range of local and Kiwi-inspired products for every gift buying budget. Visit Gecko in Rangiwai Road.
A Perfect Space for Relaxation and Rebalancing
I have been working as a Massage Therapist since training at the New Zealand College of Massage in 2007. After several years working in a professional clinic I decided to create my own clinic environment at my home in New Lynn. I offer Relaxation, Deep tissue and Therapeutic Massage treatments
My goal is to assist my clients achieve the results they want, either to relax and unwind or, working at a deeper level, to restore and improve function to overworked, strained and tired muscles Regular massage can assist in maintaining the mobility you need so you can keep doing the activities you enjoy.
Please get in touch to book an appointment. Gift vouchers available. – Janet Patchett, 021 269 7018
I guess you’ll just have to take my word on that, until we're face to face. In the meantime, Merry Seasons Greetings to ya. It’s such a nice night for an evening, I thought I may as well go back over the amazing year I’ve had.
Let’s begin with our old mate, Mopey Jesus. Very much part of my year. Recently, he was so happy to hook up with the Hikoi that he hitched north to Haruru. The silly bugger doesn’t read Te Reo and jumped on a bus with the Tino Rangatiratanga flag flying. It was actually the Māori Military Reenactment Society heading back to Tokoroa.
“I thought it was a bit over the top that everyone had a musket and it was a real worry that we were towing a trailer with a cannon on it!”
He still had a blast.
Just as an aside, if you’re a city type, and you find yourself having breakfast with a rural Māori family, duck eggs and wild pork do not taste like bacon and eggs.
Shaz said she thought it was great that America still had a president of colour ... Meanwhile, at home, we increased the minimum wage from $22.70 to a whopping $23.16 an hour. It was exactly 126 years ago, this November, that the Old Age Pensions Act became law. Dignity brother.
This year we found out how many New Zealand political parties it takes to change a light bulb. Three: two to change the bulb and one to change it back again. He he.
Way back in the depths of winter, I discovered that, if your dinghy has two feet of water in it, pulling out the bung does not let the water out. Quite the opposite in fact. And if I abandon ship and dive to safety into the Manukau Harbour, I will realise I’m in ankle deep water. So I did.
It was very hard to get a ride looking like Weta Workshop had designed my clothing. Even my Mum drove by without stopping, though, according to the barman up at the Razza, she’ll pick up anyone. Eventually an old bloke stopped but said, “Jeez mate, you’ll have to ride on the back of the ute. You smell like a fart with a lump in it.”
It was true. I did pong a bit.
Finally spring came in to my life. Ahhh spring. Yum.
An update on our wild flower garden. Shaz says they’re weeds but Mopey Jesus pointed out to her that Buddhists
don’t put labels on things, man.
“A weed doesn’t consider itself a weed. It reminds us to sit in the sun.”
Now we’re all heading in to the holiday season.
I find it hard to plan a holiday when, basically, my life is one big holiday. I can’t really please the family by saying we can at last, sleep in over the holidays, when Lizard Junior is usually the first to rise, and that’s only because he’s missed lunch!
Further back a bit, again with Mopey Jesus, he ran for Prime Minister remember? With The Left ANXIOUSLY Central Party.
I still like his idea to allow coastal property owners to erect home-built jetties, ramps and boat sheds along the Manukau Harbour. “Not only do they look awesome, Lizard, the owners can potter about in their little boats, rather than get a huge 4x4 to tow a twin axle, insanely priced ‘weekender’ so they can go to Waiheke Island three times a year. Or tie it to a zillion dollar marina."
What a beaut man. He’s still thrilled he got 87 votes.
The new Village toilets proved their worth. That wonderful pooh sample, bowel test kit they send out showed a slight worry but with further investigation, all free, it was nothing to worry about. But, long story short, I urgently needed to evacuate two litres of Glysol one day so thanks whoever, for the public dunny. Whew.
That same old guy in the ute drove by at that exact moment. Out of respect to old blokes, I didn’t put out my thumb.
I dropped into the Waitākere Open Studio weekend. It was fantastic. I was welcomed in by one Karekare artist where I bought and consumed a ’still life’ wine and hot buttered scone piece. Unframed of course.
So folks, keep your moustache moist, your wheel bearings well-greased and your hand shake hearty, firm and true. Until 2025.
Blimey, time really is a continuum and space a relative that won’t go home.
Stay kind. Stay true. We are all in this together. And that’s great news. Later, Lizard.
ARTS & CULTURE
Mark Dyer; artwork for sale ........................... 10 Tītīrangi Potters, Annual Exhibition 12
& TRANSPORT Ken Turner Motors ................................................ 6
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