COMMENT I Ōtaki Today, May 2019
Page 11
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ŌTAKI: GUEST COLUMN
Paula’s new home town ‘a small piece of happiness’ By Paula Archibald
With both my and partner Ralf’s grandmothers living in Ōtaki years ago, and Ralf’s job bringing us to the Kāpiti Coast, we decided to live in Ōtaki. At Christmas 2002 we were welcomed by a lovely elderly couple, a Mr and Mrs Carol, with a rubbish bag in hand letting us know what’s what in Bell Street (also when rubbish day was). Ever since, we have been part of a wonderful community. With three boys going to Waitohu School, then on to Ōtaki College, and our daughter in her last year at Waitohu, we have been involved in supporting our children in various activities. Ōtaki is a very strong sports-driven community. It’s helped when the boys were younger as they were involved with the Rāhui Rugby Cllub, the squash and soccer club. When our daughter was younger she was at Ōtaki playgroup. Ōtaki has much to offer, including the sports clubs, Scouts, theatre, music, dance, surf lifesaving, waka ama, canoe polo, plus a range of activities for the retired such as walking groups, singing, exercise, Rotary, Probus . . . the list goes on. There are many industrial business on and around Riverbank Road who are always willing to help or advise. As for coffee and cafes, there’s a vast range to choose from – believe me, they’re good. Nearly two years ago my mother-in-law came to stay with us. She experienced the same generosity as we did. While sitting in the medical centre she mentioned to me that she needed to go to the chemist to get a mirror for her purse. No sooner had we finished our conversation than a lovely lady gave her a spare mirror her sister had given her. How nice was that? Ōtaki has dedicated people, who run the annual kite festival in February, Māoriland Film Festival during March, and the Ōtaki Pottery Club’s Festival of Pots and Garden Art in January.
POTTER AT WORK: Paula Archibald – happy to be part of a “wonderful community”.
I am a local representative on the community arts grants committee, so it’s fantastic to see what’s going on throughout the Kāpiti Coast, and especially Ōtaki. I also tutor pottery at the Ōtaki Pottery Club for children aged 7 to 18, with after-school classes and holiday workshops. I am myself a potter working from my home studio, which has a small public gallery. This year is the 30th anniversary for the
Photo: Simon Neale
Ōtaki Pottery Club – stay tuned for more information. It’s fair to say that Ōtaki has much to offer and is still growing. The Ōtaki Print shop sells a local printed directory of what’s to offer, with business phone numbers, sports groups, schools etc. It’s well worth having. What do I love about Ōtaki? Well, I personally think Ōtaki is a small piece of happiness.
Rotunda waits on formalities
Up to date with KCDC app
A trust recently formed to preserve the old Ōtaki Children’s Health Camp rotunda is waiting only on formalities before it gets to work in earnest. The Friends of the Otaki Rotunda has met with representatives of the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Heritage New Zealand to discuss the current state of the building and the land on which it sits. The site is being looked after by DoC under a careand-maintenance arrangement while it awaits a report from Heritage NZ on the heritage values of the site – both land and buildings. “Our hands are tied at the moment,” says committee chair Di Buchan. “We just have to wait until the formalities are completed, then we will know the basis on which the trust can undertake the restoration of this very important building.” The trust is also waiting to hear the outcome of its application for charitable status, which will be essential to attract donations. The trust was recently invited to retrieve any items
Antenno is a new mobile app from Kāpiti Coast District Council that allows residents to raise issues with council, and be alerted to council service-related things going on in their neighbourhood. Residents can send and receive council-related information straight from their mobile device, so they don't have to scroll through newsfeeds to find out what’s going on. They can choose the places and tailor information they want to be alerted about, so they get information only for the locations and topics they care about. This might include their street, place of work, or where their children go to school. Notifications from council include information about road works, major water outages, pool and library closures, council events, consultations, and rates payment and dog registration reminders. Residents can also raise issues with the council directly from their smart phones. “The app prompts you to enter all the information we need to action a service request with the added benefit of being able to upload a photo and geographical location,” says KCDC group manager people and places. “This is a significant step forward for our council as it means people can report issues such as graffiti in public places that needs to be removed or a tree down on the Waikanae River track in real time from their smart phones.” To alert the council to urgent issues outside working hours, call 0800 486 486. The app is free to download through the App Store or Google Play.
of historic significance when the previous owners, Stand for Children, were packing up to leave. All items collected, including Pepe the donkey’s coat, are now either in the care of Ōtaki Museum or members of the trust. It’s possible these artefacts will be displayed in future at a special health camp museum run in conjunction with the rotunda. “There must have been thousands of children who attended the health camp over the years, and who will want to help with the restoration,” Di says. “The rotunda is one aspect of staying at the camp that none of the children forget – even those who are now in their 90s. It’s an awe-inspiring building. “The health camp was an integral part of the local community for over 80 years. It is important, not just to people who stayed there as children or who worked there, but to the whole Otaki community.” The rotunda building, originally from King George V Hospital in Rotorua, is one of the last surviving buildings of the hexagon shape in the country and has a category 1 Historic Places Trust designation.
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