Ōtaki Today Sept 2019

Plenty of fizz in local real estate p5

VOTE 2019p12

College gets own haka p9

All blue at Haruatai courts p32

otakitoday.com MAHURU SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

Ngā Kōrero o Ōtaki

Put clocks forward September 29

Remember to put your clocks forward on Saturday night of September 29 before bed, because at 2am Sunday, time will go forward an hour.

The Ōtaki Volunteer Fire Brigade says it’s also a good time for people to check their smoke alarms and change the batteries.

We go back to standard time on Sunday morning, April 5.

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SEVEN DAY A WEEK SERVICE UNTIL MIDNIGHT $10 + $5 per passenger between the beach and plateau • Further afield trips negotiable • Airports and bus connections Book online at www.otakishuttle.co.nz Please confirm by phone for weekend web bookings. Evening jobs need to be booked.

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IN THE WHARE: Ōtaki artist Hori Thompson, foreground, with Tame Iti, who is exhibiting in Te Whare Toi o Hori at the highway shops.

Photo: Ian Carson

Tame Iti opens Hori exhibition Artist Tame Iti was in Ōtaki on Saturday (September 7) to open an exhibition of his work at Te Whare Toi o Hori.

A large crowd packed the gallery to see and hear the renowned Tuhoe activist who had several paintings on display. The works were exhibited alongside those of Ōtaki artist and gallery owner Hori Thompson, as well as other regular gallery contributors.

Hori says the pair had been discussing a collaboration for some time.

“I’ve been up to Ruatoki a few times to kōrero with Tame, and I convinced him to come to Ōtaki for a joint exhibition,” he says. “He’s a great artist, and well respected as we saw from the crowd that turned up.”

Tame and Hori first connected when Hori created Tame vs Osama, a painting that morphs the faces of Tame and Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

“It was to get people thinking about what a terrorist really is,” Hori says. “Tame has been called

a terrorist because of his activism for the Tuhoe people.”

Speaking at the exhibition opening, Tame said everyone saw something in art, “in colour, shape or form. As artists we’re here to provoke your senses and start the conversation.”

He was pleased to be in Ōtaki, where he says he has ancestral roots. “I’ve got connections with Ngāti Raukawa through my people who came down from Waikato.” n More photos page 24

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

LOCAL EVENTS ŌTAKI RIVER WALKOVER 2019 89 Riverbank Rd, Ōtaki on Wednesday September 25, 8.30am-12:30pm, followed by a light lunch. Confirm your attendance for catering purposes, 04 830 4048 or amanda.death@gw.govt.nz no later than Sept 18. A walkover itinerary will be provided on the day.

While the tour will be by bus, please bring suitable clothing in case of bad weather and ensure you wear sturdy footwear. ŌTAKI MUSEUM: RSA exhibition: 100 Years Remembrance. An exhibition to celebrate 100 years since the formation of the Ōtaki RSA. Open ThursdaySaturday 10am-2pm.

MANAKAU BOWLS: Indoor bowls is at the Manakau Community Hall, Mokena Kohere Street, Monday nights, March to September from 7.15pm. Everyone is welcome. Contact Sue 06 362-6782 or Graham 06 364-5584. ŌTAKI GARAGE SALE third Saturday of the month, 9-11.30am, rain or shine, Presbyterian Church, 249 Mill Rd. 364-6449. ŌTAKI LIBRARY Books and Bickies: An informal book group meets on the second Friday of the month, 10.30-11.30am. We talk about books we have read over morning tea.

Skills Café: Guests share a different craft or skill on the fourth Friday of the month. These are mostly hands-on workshops.

Other services: A JP is at the library every Monday between 10.30am-12.30pm.

Age Concern is every second Thursday of the month from 10am-midday.

Greypower is every first and third Thursday of the month, 10.30am-1.30pm.

All library sessions are free. ŌTAKI WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CLUB CRAFT MARKET: opposite New World, Winter open 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of the month. Georgie 027 234 1090. ŌTAKI COMMUNITY RECOVERY CENTRE: Meets every Friday morning 9.30-11.30 am. A mixed group offering mind games, sit and be fit. $5pp includes morning tea – first visit free. Open to any person looking for exercise, fun and friendship. Next door to Body & Soul, Waerenga Road.

Contact Myrtle Buckley 364 5075 or Glenys Lowe 364 5572.

TE HORO COUNTRY GARDEN TOUR November 16-17. Mark your diaries now. Details to come.

TE HORO-ŌTAKI UKULELE GROUP meet on the first and third Friday every month: 10:30am-12pm. Te Horo Hall.

From beginners to experienced, all welcome. 364 3335.

To list your community event, contact debbi@idmedia.co.nz or 06 364-6543.

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CARTOON OF THE MONTH

By Jared Carson

Māoriland gets youth funding The Screenrights Cultural Fund has provided $50,000 for the Māoriland Charitable Trust to develop its indigenous youth peerto-peer workshop, Through Our Lens.

Through Our Lens is an indigenous youth initiative that supports collaboration and strong networks for young Māori film-makers, fosters the leaders of the future and encourages diverse screen voices.

“Ma te huruhuru ka rere ngā manu – with this funding we really are being given the feathers (huruhuru) to fly,” says Māoriland rangatahi manager Madeleine de Young.

Through Our Lens is aimed at aspiring Māori film-makers aged 1424. It connects indigenous rangatahi globally, enabling them to create screen stories for the world from their perspective as indigenous young people.

Rangatahi (young Māori) are selected from around New Zealand to lead film-making workshops for their peers in other indigenous nations.

These collaborations result in short films that are then screened at film festivals, schools and communities around the world.

Through Our Lens gives rangatahi a platform to share their stories and provides an entry point to further training and employment in the film industry.

Working together for 2-3 days, participants in the workshops are enabled to create short films that tell stories of community and indiginous identity from their own perspective.

Screenrights is an Australian-based international not-for-profit membership organisation that provides rights and royalty management services to the screen industry. It issued its first round of cultural funding in 2018.

Ōtaki Today one year old Ōtaki Today is published monthly by ID Media Ltd, 13 Te Manuao Rd, Ōtaki.

For editorial enquiries or news tips, please contact editor Ian Carson 06 364-6543 or ian@idmedia.co.nz For advertising enquiries, please contact general manager Debbi Carson at 06 364-6543 or debbi@idmedia.co.nz CARTOONS Jared Carson CONTRIBUTORS: Fraser Carson (Media & Community) • Daniel Duxfield (Fitness) • Ken Geenty (Farming) • Miraz Jordan (Waikawa Way) • Kath Irvine (Edible Backyards) • Rex Kerr (History)

Design by ID Media Ltd. Printed by Beacon Print, Whakatane. Ōtaki Today online: otakitoday.com ISSN 2624-3067

Next copy and advertising deadline Tuesday October 8.

Publication date: Wednesday October 17 Ōtaki Today is a member of the NZ Community Newspapers Association.

This issue of Ōtaki Today marks one year since local company ID Media Ltd launched the newspaper.

The first issue was distributed in September 2018. Since then, Ōtaki Today has published hundreds of stories about the people of Ōtaki, their achievements, their struggles and their opinions. Editor Ian Carson says a strong contributor base and a focus on seeking out and reporting on local issues has resulted in positive reader reaction. “The paper is going from strength to strength,” he says.

“We expect it to be part of Ōtaki life for many years to come.”

Corrections

In the August issue, we incorrectly stated that Cr James Cootes had been an Ōtaki Ward councillor for the past six years. It was for the past three years.

In Rex Kerr’s history column, Morgan Carkeek’s second wife was referred to as Raika – it should have been Raita.

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Candidates irate at ads omission Four local body candidates are angry and upset that they missed out on advertising in the September issue of the Ōtaki Mail.

Although all say they had submitted their advertisements, they discovered when the local paper was published that their advertisements were not in it. The candidates were Ōtaki Ward councillor James Cootes, district-wide councillor Angela Buswell, community board chair Chris Papps and DHB candidate Adrian Gregory.

James Cootes says that a day after the paper was published he received a general “Dear candidate” email from editor Lloyd Chapman saying that space had been at a premium and the paper had to allocate advertising on a “first in, first served” basis. The advertising request could therefore not be accommodated.

“That’s a very poor explanation from a newspaper when there are local body elections happening,” James says. “There wasn’t even an apology. If there wasn’t another local newspaper I would not have been able to advertise in print what I stand for in these elections.

“It’s disappointing not only for me but for the community. All we ask for is a level playing field so the community can vote by being well informed about what we’ve done and what we stand for.”

James took to the Sunny Ōtaki Facebook page, telling the social media community that as his ad had not appeared in the paper, he was showing it on the Facebook site.

Chris Papps says she was dismayed by the explanation she also received. She says she had been invited to advertise and she had

UNHAPPY: Four candidates who missed out on advertising. From left, Ōtaki Ward councillor James Cootes, district-wide councillor Angela Buswell, community board chair Chris Papps and DHB candidate Adrian Gregory.

her advertisement with the paper days before deadline.

“The explanation doesn’t make sense to me,” she says. “I had the ad in with plenty of time, and found out that I had missed out only when I read the paper.

“I noticed some advertisements for other candidates did appear. That doesn’t seem fair.”

Chris also posted on Sunny Ōtaki, saying she had been denied the opportunity to advertise in the Mail and had been advised of the omission only at 2.10pm on Friday, at the same time as the September edition was arriving in her letterbox.

“If the Ōtaki Mail was short of space and was genuine in its professed aim of promoting democracy it could have apologised to its readers or taken out some regular editorial for one issue,” she posted.

Angela Buswell says that after originally not getting an invitation to advertise, she was urged later by one of the paper’s owners to place an ad.

She rushed to provide the content but missed the deadline by nearly four hours. She says she

was not advised that would be an issue.

After seeing the paper in print, she was disappointed to see some candidate ads had been published, but not others.

“In the spirit of fairness, all ads should have been withdrawn or another page added, as these were paid ads.” Ōtaki-based candidate for the MidCentral District Health Board, Adrian Gregory, says he picked up his copy of the Mail early on Friday morning and realised his ad wasn’t included.

“I’d had no warning of this so emailed the editor, expressing my disappointment and asking for an explanation. The response I got

was ‘first in, first served’, and I later learned that others found themselves in the same position.

“I still feel that the editorial decision to selectively run some ads and not others was a mistake, because it didn’t allow for full coverage of all the candidates who are putting themselves forward. I trust it’s a mistake that won’t be repeated.”

Asked for comment, Ōtaki Mail editor Lloyd Chapman said he told those who missed out: “Last triennium, we had a response of not much more than 50% from those seeking election. This time it was over 95%, and we were extremely stretched to accommodate everyone. With space at a premium, we had to allocate advertising on a ‘first in, first served’ basis. I’m afraid we were unable to accommodate your advertising request.”

He told Ōtaki Today in an email that the Mail had existing commitments to its regular advertisers and contributors which it did its best to honour.

“We regret that we were unable to satisfy everyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ōtaki Rotary also took to Facebook – and confirmed to Ōtaki Today that it had submitted an advertisement for a “meet the candidates” meeting and it had also been omitted from the September issue of the Ōtaki Mail.

KEY ELECTION DATES: September 20-25 – Voting documents delivered to households. Electors can post the documents back to electoral officers as soon as they have voted.

October 12 – Polling day. The voting documents must be at the council before voting closes at 12 noon. Preliminary results (ie once all ‘ordinary’ votes are counted) will be available as soon as possible afterwards.

October 17-23 (or as soon as practicable) – Official results declared.

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PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Still plenty of fizz in local real estate

By Ian Carson

There’s no sign of a fall in Ōtaki property market, as in some other parts of the country.

The latest figures from homes.co.nz show Ōtaki is ticking along with house prices going up 11 percent in the past year.

Local real estate agents remain upbeat.

“We’re part of the greater Wellington marketplace that is one of the most positive in New Zealand,” says Grant Robertson of First National. “Last to take off, with rising employment in government and a strong education sector, Wellington rents and prices are still rising.

“While the rate of price increase has slowed from a year ago, it’s still creeping relentlessly upwards due to a desperate shortage of listings.”

The Reserve Bank’s cut to the Official Cash Rate (OCR) has spurred investors back into the market. The “baby boomers”, many flush with cash, are pulling savings out of the banks and investing in bricks and mortar like never before.

“Otaki is again very attractive. The rents achieved as a ratio to house price is looking good, not only to investors, but for first home buyers as well. The saving grace for borrowers is that interest rates look to be sub 4 percent for the next 3-5 years.”

In many parts of the country, prices had been barely holding in recent months. But with the OCR drop, prices could start rising again. Ōtaki won’t be left behind, for many compelling reasons.

The game-changer is the expressway. Real estate agents say it’s been influencing the local market for nearly eight years. The first NZTA buyouts dislocated many Kāpiti residents, but most wanted to remain in the area. Many chose

There are still plenty of reasons for property buyers to come to Ōtaki.

Te Horo for lifestyle and Ōtaki for affordability Many buyers were keen to get in early to “beat the rush”.

“By early 2016, there was a tidal wave of buyers wanting in, a shortage of listings, and rapidly rising prices,” Grant says. “Multiple offers for properties became the norm, and as we now know, prices basically doubled at the bottom end of the market, in three years.”

All real estate agents spoken to by Ōtaki Today see a buoyant market for at least another three years. Grant believes Ōtaki industrial land that’s accessible and affordable could be the next driver of prosperity, along with the education sector.

Mark Benton at Harcourts sees positive growth continuing.

“Like the rest of the Greater Wellington region, Ōtaki has only a low number of housing units available,” he says. “That means there is a strong demand for any available housing. There are still more buyers than sellers.”

He says it’s still a good time to buy because it will never be cheaper. The expressway has

brought Ōtaki “a lot closer” to Wellington and therefore more attractive to Wellington buyers.

“The next two years will see prices continue to rise as more and more people from the city want to move here, and the Kāpiti Coast continues to have a housing shortage.”

He says although interest is coming from everywhere – local, Wellington, outside the region and overseas – it’s predominately from the Kāpiti Coast. All types of buyers are showing an interest and properties are selling fast.

“If the property is well presented and realistically priced, then the property is being sold quickly.”

Eddie Winkel of the Professionals says low stock and plenty of interest is resulting in more competition between purchasers to buy. Multiple offers on properties is becoming more common.

“With retirement villages full and with long waiting lists, prices on small, low maintenance properties are being pushed up. These types of properties are generally tightly held and local purchasers wishing to downsize and those

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wishing to retire on the Kāpiti Coast are contributing to the higher prices.

“These increases then roll on to all areas of the housing market as purchasers consider value comparisons.”

He says buyers are taking the expressway into account, seeing Ōtaki as a viable option when commuting. Homebuyers on any budget are able to buy more for their money in Ōtaki and new housing developments are giving buyers a choice in the type of property they want to own.

“There’s still strong demand for rentals in Ōtaki, which makes this a great area to invest in and achieve a reasonable return. Investor purchasers contribute to the buyer pool, creating competition which can lead to higher prices being achieved at sale time.”

Eddie believes that interest rates will remain low for some time so there’s no reason for the market to slow down.

Property Brokers branch manager Rohan Teaz says there’s still a serious shortage of stock, so there are no signs of any slackening in the Ōtaki market.

“Most properties for sale are attracting multiple offers, so it’s great for the vendors. It’s keeping prices up.”

He’s seeing interest from throughout the country, but most from Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast, and they tend to be in the older age group but younger commuters are also seeing value in Ōtaki property.

“People in Wellington are thinking about how they can cash up their property, move up here and have a bit in the bank for retirement. Kāpiti people see good value just up the road, but parity might not be far away.”

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PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Upgrade aimed at better quality of local water The water treatment plants at Hautere and Ōtaki are getting a $6 million upgrade to improve water quality.

Work is already under way on major upgrades at Hautere and the two Ōtaki water treatment plants, and to progress the second stage of the upgrade at the Waikanae plant.

Water supply quality assurance is driving the upgrades at Hautere and Ōtaki.

“The water from these treatment plants is safe to drink, but occasionally experiences high turbidity [cloudy water] which means it does not meet all of the measures in the water safety standards all of the time and we have put additional measures in place to keep people safe,” says KCDC water and wastewater asset manager Martyn Cole. “We’re investing $6 million to upgrade both the Hautere and Ōtaki treatment plants to improve

the resilience and reliability of these drinking water supplies.”

They are part of a total $16 million Kāpiti Coast District Council upgrade of the district's water supply, safety and resilience. The investment is on top of the $9 million spent in 2015 on the first stage of work to upgrade the Waikanae water treatment plant.

Martyn says the council is committed to providing safe, clean, reliable and resilient drinking water

supplies for the community.

“That’s why we’re continuing to invest in an ongoing programme of planned improvements to our water treatment plants in Waikanae, Ōtaki and Hautere to help meet this commitment,” he says.

The work is expected to be completed in 2022.

“We are constantly working to make sure our community has a safe and reliable drinking water supply,”

Martyn says. "We use a multi-barrier approach. We continuously disinfect with chlorine and treat with highintensity ultra violet (UV) light to kill any micro-organisms [bacteria, protozoa and viruses] that might be in the water.”

KCDC constantly monitors and regularly reviews drinking water supplies to identify any issues, where investment might be needed and how much investment should be spent.

Golfers from afar enjoy 35th year of veterans tournament Veterans golf had a boost at Ōtaki Golf Club from August 26-30 when 27 pairs from throughout the country played in the 35th year of the Golden Coast Veterans Association tournament.

The mixed match-play tournament is for golfers aged over 50.

Organiser Lorraine McLeavey says entrants came from far afield.

“They were from as far north as Dargaville, as well as from Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Christchurch,” she says.

On the second night about 70 people attended a dinner and quiz with the funds raised going to Ōtaki junior golf.

After four days of hard-fought competition, the winners of division 1 were Peter Doyle of Otaki and Lynette Gordon of Castlecliff. Division 2 was won by Chris Papps and Tony Cronin of Ōtaki.

WINNERS: A right, Lynette Gordon of Castlecliff and Peter Doyle of Otaki, division 1 winners of the Golden Coast Veterans Tournament at Ōtaki Golf Club; and far right, Chris Papps and Tony Cronin, winners in division 2 of the Golden Coast Veterans Golf tournament.

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PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Elevate Ōtaki surveying businesses Elevate Ōtaki is commissioning a survey of Ōtaki businesses so it better understands their issues and plans as the expressway edges closer to completion.

More than 70 businesses will be surveyed, from Te Horo through the highway shopping precinct and in the township.

“We know anecdotally what some businesses are doing and how they feel about the expressway, but we we needed to get some concrete evidence of their plans,” says Elevate Ōtaki member Angela Buswell, who is leading the survey project. “The results will help us to more effectively target our work of promoting Ōtaki.

“This is also a project to prompt businesses to look at their customer base now and capture that data before the big change in traffic flow. If they’re doing it already, that’s great.”

The survey will be conducted by Kāpiti Business Projects. It will ask businesses about their current business operations and whether they have or are developing strategies relevant to the expressway arriving.

“We know the expressway to Peka Peka has already had an effect on businesses, and the next stretch of highway to Ōtaki is going to have an even bigger effect,” Angela says.

“However, we don’t have any clear understanding of what businesses think about the expressway. Are they worried by it and plan to move or close down, or are they excited and planning for boom times as more visitors and new locals come to Ōtaki?

“They’re key questions.”

Angela says the survey results will help the group to formulate strategies and projects that will support Ōtaki businesses.

Answers from businesses will be confidential. They will be analysed and presented to Elevate Ōtaki in terms that keep businesses and individuals anonymous, unless they’re happy to be quoted.

Otaki.

Meantime, Elevate Ōtaki has released a new brochure (at right) highlighting statistics and key attributes of the town. It was available for the first time at the Elevate Ōtaki stand during the Ōtaki Community Expo on Saturday (September 7). It’s available at the library and some cafe and retail outlets around Ōtaki.

Elevate Ōtaki was established two years ago after Ōtaki Ward councillor James Cootes lobbied NZTA and the Kāpiti Coast District Council for funding. He secured $150,000 each from KCDC and NZTA, which Elevate Ōtaki is using to develop promotional strategies for Ōtaki as the expressway nears. Ōtaki is the only town on the Kāpiti Coast that has such funding.

Elevate Ōtaki recently commissioned Flightdec to develop an identity for Ōtaki. That work, led by Flightdec director Fraser Carson, who was born and raised in Ōtaki, is near to completion and sign-off, with a launch date to be confirmed.

“I’m excited by the work to date,” says James, who has co-ordinated the project. “What we’ve seen reflects what Flightdec has indentified as the key attributes of Ōtaki.

“Of course, they’re probably well known to many locals and visitors, but they’ve never been effectively encapsulated in an identity that Ōtaki can take to the world.”

James says the identity is not intended to change what is already here; rather to communicate it in a way that is positive and showing that Ōtaki has some strong values that will serve it well in the 21st century.

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Everything Ōtaki July 19

Haruātai Park tennis courts ready for summer We’ve recently completed our work to resurface the tennis courts at Haruātai Park in Ōtaki.

The courts now have a modern artificial multi-sports surface and we’ve purchased four removable nets, enabling the courts to be used as an all-weather training facility when they’re not in use for tennis. The courts are open to the public most of the time, except for when the Ōtaki Tennis Club hold their club sessions.

Spread over nearly nine hectares of land, Haruātai Park now boasts four top class tennis courts, two futsal courts, sports fields, the Ōtaki Pool and free to use splash pad, playground with free to use BBQs and the Ōtaki Lions Pump Track. There’s something for everyone so with the days getting warmer and brighter, grab your gear and check it out!

Get ready for the Kāpiti Arts Trail

Have your say on our district’s future

The 2019 Kāpiti Arts Trail is locked in for the first two weekends of November, with more than 20 artists based in the Ōtaki and Te Horo area participating.

The nominations are in and we’re gearing up for our local body election. Voting papers arrive between 20-25 September and voting closes at 12 noon on Saturday 12 October. Voting is your chance to have a say in the way our district moves ahead.

To plan your days on the Trail, pick up a copy of the Kāpiti Arts Guide from our Council libraries and services centres, or download a copy from our website. 

kapiticoast.govt.nz/artstrail

If you’re not already enrolled, you can still do so before 11 October and request special voting papers from our electoral officer. This also applies if your details are incorrect on the roll. 

kapiticoast.govt.nz/elections2019

Waste reduction grants Got a great idea for reducing waste?

Now’s your chance to make it happen!

Applications for the 2019/20 waste levy grants are now open. $20,000 is available for waste minimisation projects that encourage community participation and education and/or are of benefit to the Kāpiti community and lead to long-term waste minimisation action.

There are two funding categories available – community projects and new technologies/seed funding. Applications close on Friday 20 September. 

kapiticoast.govt.nz/waste-reduction

Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

TE WIKI O TE REO MĀORI Pride boosted as college gets its own haka If you want to feel a sense of place – who you are and where you’ve come from – what better way than to to perform a rousing haka.

That’s exactly what Ōtaki College was doing this week as it demonstrated OC pride with a haka specially written and choreographed for the college. It’s the first time the college has had a haka to call its own, and fitting that the most famous haka of all – Ka Mate – originated with the great chief Te Rauparaha in Ōtaki.

Called Ko Wai Rā, (see panel far right) the college haka was composed by arts teacher Te Tahi Takao. In constructing the approprate words in a pepeha (motto or proverb), Te Tahi was mindful of the ancestors of Ōtaki and the need to encapsulate the many Māori values that are at the core of college life.

“Kids at Ōtaki College need to know who they are, where they come from and how they’re connected as tangata whenua to the land,” he says. “And that’s not just the ones who’ve grown up here. It applies equally to our international students.”

Ko Wai Rā references several events and people that have been key to Ōtaki’s development. They include the Tainui waka

Goals of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori • Create a positive environment for the use of Māori language.

• Promote Māori language initiatives and events.

• Encourage non-Māori speaking New Zealanders to use reo Māori.

• Encourage speakers of Māori to support others who are just starting out.

• Encourage community, business, government and media organisations to participate.

• Promote resources to make Māori language more accessible.

• Contribute to awareness of the Crown Māori Language Strategy and the Māori and iwi strategy that work together for revitalisation.

Ko Wai Rā Ko wai rā Ko wai rā Ko wai te tangata tū tauā, hī Ko Hoturoa te tangata Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga Tainui te waka Ko wai rā Ko wai rā, hi Te Tuara o Te Rangihaeata Ōtaki te awa, Raukawa te moana Ko wai te tangata tū tauā Ōtaki whenua Ōtaki tangata Ōtaki Kāreti Tū tauā Tū tauā hī

HAKA PRACTICE: Taleah Falamoe enjoys a haka practice along with other Ōtaki College students in the school hall.

– one of the first seven waka from Waikiki to arrive in Aotearoa – local iwi Ngāti Raukawa ki e Tonga, and another of Ōtaki’s great chiefs, Te Rauparaha’s nephew Te Rangihaeta (also in reference to the Māori name for the Tararua Ranges).

Students have been practising the haka during the past few weeks. This week – during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – they were to perform it in the four college house teams (Mataī, Tōtara, Kauri

and Rimu), with house points awarded according to the performance.

The haka was traditionally used to prepare a war party for battle.

It was performed on the battlefield before engagement, or as the war party was leaving their own village.

In more recent times it’s used in kapa haka, for sports teams, to show support for colleagues or whānau and even at tangi.

Te Wiki a celebration of te reo Māori Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) has been celebrated each year since 1975.

Māori Language Day is September 14 and commemorates the presentation of the 1972 Māori language petition to Parliament.

Mahuru Māori is an initiative begun in 2017 to promote the use of te reo Māori throughout the month of September.

Why a week? Why not a year? Why not a decade? A century? Because New Zealand is revitalising the Māori language and a part of that is celebration of our success and promoting te reo Māori.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is an opportunity for concentrated celebration, promotion and encouragement. And every minute of every hour of every day is a Māori language minute

– we can choose to use te reo – every time we do, even just a “Kia ora!” contributes to revitalisation.

Te Wiki o te reo Māori is becoming a major fixture on the national calendar providing an opportunity to raise awareness and allowing expert and advanced speakers to encourage others on their te reo Māori journey.

What can I do?

• Mā tātou katoa te reo Māori e whakarauora: Everyone can contribute to te reo Māori revitalisation.

• Whakatauhia te reo Māori ki te wāhi mahi me te hapori : Make te reo welcome at work and in the community.

• Whakahau i ētahi atu ki te kōrero, ki te ako hoki i te reo Māori; whakauruamai hoki te reo Māori ki tōu ao: Encourage others to

use and learn te reo Māori; welcome Māori language into your life.

• Kia tika tonu te whakahua i te kupu Māori i ngā wā e kōrero Pākehā ana: Pronounce Māori words correctly when speaking English.

• Ahakoa iti, akona, kōrerohia: Learn a little, use a little.

• Kia nui ake te ako ka kōrero ai: Learn more, and use what you know.

• Whāia te ara poutama o te reo ka tohatoha ai: Keep improving your language, and share what you know.

It also gives organisations a time to ask: what are we doing, and what could we be doing to promote revitalisation and at the same time support our business? It’s worth thinking about a language plan.

– tewikiotereomaori.co.nz

Looking back at Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori

By David Klein, Ngā Taonga

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori grows year after year and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision provides a wealth of material for language learners at all levels.

Now is a great time to engage with this content. The material in the Ngā Taonga collection speaks to the kaupapa of the week’s theme of Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori – “Let’s make the Māori language strong”.

The archive’s collections contain recorded te reo going back to 1930 and includes recordings of waiata, whaikōrero, kapa haka, radio broadcasts, television programmes and films.

The four exhibitions of archival audio that make up Ngā Taonga Kōrero are a great introduction to what Ngā Taonga holds.

Many famous and historic reo speakers can be heard and seen, including King Korokī, Te Puea Hērangi, Dame Whina Cooper, Sir Apirana Ngata, Dame Mira Szaszy and many others.

It also demonstrates the role iwi stations have

played in the ongoing revitalisation of the Māori language.

One staff member who works closely with the Ngā Taonga Kōrero collection is Te Aranga Hakiwai, a collection developer, kaiwhakawhanake kohikohinga. Te Aranga started at the Archive as an intern. As a fluent reo speaker, he catalogued archival recordings in te reo. He now helps bring new material into the collection, much of it from iwi radio sources.

Te Aranga sees great value in the archival material he works with.

“It lets you learn more about your culture and the history of Aotearoa,” he says. “Māori believe that the past lies in front of you, because you can see it. The future is behind you as you don’t

know what’s going to happen.”

He finds this a good way to think about the work he does.

“Ngā Taonga is an embodiment of that belief.”

A great introduction to te reo and Māori customs can be heard in the Ngā Taonga online catalogue. Recorded for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori in 1985, it features Haare Williams in conversation with host Philip Liner.

Haare opens with: “E ngā iwi o te motu tēnā koutou katoa, tēnā koe Philip, ko te mōhiotanga rā tēnei mō ngā taonga o Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

“To the people of the nation, greetings. Hello Phillip, this is a show about the treasures of Māori Language Week.”

He then presents a range of clips that explain aspects of Māoritanga and tikanga and introduces several waiata, poems and recordings of other speakers.

This recording is at www.bit.ly/HaareWi and Ngā Taonga’s exhibitions are at www.bit.ly/

NTKorero. Browse the full catalogue at www. ngataonga.org.nz Though well-versed in te reo, Te Aranga has found plenty of opportunities to learn while listening to older material from the collection.

“Hearing early radio recordings from up North was interesting. Lots of transliterations were used,” – meaning a Māori word that mimics the sound of an English word. Tākuta for doctor, for example. “I developed an ear for it, figuring out what each word meant.”

With the archival recordings Ngā Taonga holds, there’s a chance for everyone to learn something new. By engaging with these recordings and knowing the language, you can help keep it strong. And you can also see what lies in front of you by looking back to the past. n The Sound Archives that Ngā Taonga cares for contain an enormous number of recordings that capture New Zealand life. They can be explored in the online catalogue at www.ngataonga.org.nz You can sign up for Ngā Taonga’s email newsletter at www.bit.ly/2NwsLttr

Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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HUATAU: COMMENT GURU’S VIEW: K GURUNATHAN

Don’t forget the happy times that connect you to this land and the sea It was a long walk across the sunheated beach sand. Heading into the cool waters of Ahipara Beach, I remember clearly wading into the ankle-deep water when the first wave hit.

I could feel the backwash as it clawed the sand under my feet. The viscous rivulets thick with white sand. That’s when I saw them. Huge oval shellfish, the size of my palm, glistening in the noon sun.

I was standing on a bed of them.

That day, I was introduced, for the first time, to that most delicious of kaimoana, the pipi.

Ahipara Beach was a camping

stopover on a hitchhiking trip with Claire. I was a 23 year-old student.

My previous experience picking shellfish from the beach was back in Malaysia. There, the crowded beaches were picked clean. We were lucky to find any shellfish bigger than a thumbnail.

These big, fat Ahipara Beach pipi,

LOCAL LENS: IAN CARSON

sleeping in their sandy bed in their hundreds, spoke to me. They told me this was a land of plenty.

Claire laughed at my astonishment.

She was used to this gift. Her childhood was spent at her family bach by the Waikanae River. Her Wellington-based family spent their holidays on the Kåpiti Coast. Being on the beach, knee deep in water, twisting her bare feet to feel out the shellfish was her happy place.

Today, summer in Ōtaki is not summer unless we go out to the beach. We have watched the longtime locals who seek out the areas to gather shellfish.

Out in the open, where the land meets the sea. Where the waves slap the sand. At this edge that embraces the wet and dry you tap into the life that lives there to gather a feed.

I have had them raw or slightly steamed and eaten with dipping sauce. I prefer them minced and mixed with my own selection of spices and made into patties.

The whole experience also binds you into a direct sustaining relationship to the land and sea. In those simple little spaces of your own life you can find happiness.

Most times, in the rush of our everyday lives, those spaces of

happiness get crowded out and, if crowded out for too long, they get lost and increasingly difficult to recover.

Our open spaces, our waterways, our forests and our productive soils are sacred because they not only sustain our bodies, but also our minds and spirit.

So when you hear the mantra of economic growth and development, don’t forget to reference that to those little spaces that framed your own happy times that connected you to this land and the sea.

That is, if you can find them . . . n K Gurunathan is the Mayor of Kāpiti Coast and is an Ōtaki resident.

FORWARD FOCUS: JAMES COOTES

Kia kaha te reo Māori! This town is like whānau – everyone’s family

Te Wiki o Te Reo Måori is celebrated this week, with the apt accompanying phrase, “Kia kaha te reo Māori”.

Most people in Ōtaki – Māori and Pākehā – know and understand the phrase “kia kaha”. It’s in common use and is well known as the whakatauki, or motto, for Ōtaki College. In English, it means “be strong”.

Languages are often spoken of as if they are people – talking about language health, strength and revitalisation. So in saying “kia kaha te reo Māori” the message we’re giving is “let’s make the Māori language strong”. Ōtaki Today is proud to support Te Wiki o te reo Māori. That’s why we’ve not only devoted a page to Te Wiki, including a great story about the college having a new haka, but we’ve renamed our page headings, too.

And on the page opposite, we have a contribution from Rangi Te Whiu Jury in te reo Māori. We’ve also got a word game and our regular kids colouring cartoon to test the knowledge of tamariki on page 28. (Tamariki can also win plenty of prizes on the page.)

We don’t tend to shout our support for te reo Māori from the rooftops. If the support is only casual lip service, it will appear crass and disingenuous (words to look up in the English dictionary). What we do is make a concerted effort to get phrases correct – including proper use of the macrons.

We also use Māori terms without explanation when we believe they’re in common use, such as whare or whānau.

The macrons are important, because they indicate how a word should be spoken. The macron indicates a longer vowel sound. Without the macron, “kaka” could be interpreted in many ways. Kaka in the conventional orthography can mean several things. The macron helps to distinguish kākā (parrot), kakā (red-hot) and kaka (clothing).

There’s an argument that English has many words of different meanings that are written and even spoken the same, so why should we make the distinction with te reo Māori? The answer is that most people of this country still don’t speak te reo, so to encourage them and to help revitalise a language that not so long ago was threatened with extinction, we must learn to speak it and use it correctly. Macrons help us do that.

As an Ōtaki citizen in the 21st century, I have to admit to feeling somewhat lacking in my lack of knowledge of te reo. In my defence, I grew up in a Pākahā household and went to school when barely a Māori word was spoken. However, as a lover of language and grammar, it’s been interesting to find myself understanding more and more as I hear phrases around town.

To those fluent te reo speakers, please keep using them with those of us who aren’t. The more we hear it, the more we understand – and end up using it ourselves.

It’s a great journey of discovery that will never end. Kia kaha.

Ōtaki has been home for our whānau for 30 plus years now after returning back with my Mum and Dad to look after a sick family member.

My Dad, Bill (William) Cootes was born in Ōtaki and bought up in the family homestead in Bell Street, so for him Ōtaki was always home.

However, our whakapapa stretches further back from there to 1829, through Waitaoro Cootes (Te Kanawa) and another James Cootes, who was also known as James Tiapo.

Although I was adopted, my adoptive parents were my grandparents. From a Maōri perspective this is referred to as whāngai. It’s a customary Māori practice where a child is raised by someone other than their birth parents – usually a relative and in my case my grandparents.

Common types of whāngai include a grandchild being raised by grandparents and taught tribal traditions and knowledge,

or an orphan or illegitimate child being taken in by a family.

So, like many, I’m “part Maōri” and it’s through this connection that I have continued to learn more about myself, my connection to this place – or whenua – and its people.

It’s also what I have loved about Ōtaki, with its rich community spirit, its sense of belonging and manaakitanga.

For me it’s like the town is whānau, everyone is family. Sure, we have our tiffs but doesn’t every family?

More importantly there’s this great

sense of connectedness amongst the community. One that looks out for each other and is always there to lend a hand, whānaungtanga.

This is also prevalent in the number of community groups actively involved in supporting Ōtaki and its people. The use of te reo Māori and the multicultural diversity of our community only reinforce that aspect of acceptance in Ōtaki.

For me I’m proud to be a part of that community.

It also challenges me to learn more about Ōtaki’s people, its history and about myself.

It challenges me to consider kaitiakitanga and how we leave this place for future generations.

I know personally I’m only at the start of this journey and I have much to learn. But I’m in the best place to learn it! n James Cootes is the Ōtaki Ward councillor on Kāpiti Coast District Council.

ŌTAKI OUTLOOK: CHRIS PAPPS

Fine in Nelson, fine in Ōtaki for a spot of golf Out on the highway, and in a number of sites around Ōtaki, you will find a sign that says “Sunny Ōtaki”.

It’s generally blue and has a stylised sun.

Our editor, who is something of an Ōtaki historian, can probably tell us when the sign was originally designed and who did it.

Because it’s now that time in the electoral cycle when we can talk about a lot of things but we’re not allowed to use the “V” word, we need to find subjects to write about which are “safe” and even “innocuous”.

What can be safer or more innocuous than the weather?

Recently, about 60 Golden Coast Veterans spent four days playing golf at Ōtaki Golf Club’s course. They came from around New Zealand and Kāpiti. The weather forecast wasn’t that flash. Weather before the tournament was iffy. The long-

range forecast threatened that days of the tournament could be rained out.

As it turned out, rain was not the issue, nor lack of sun. As often happens in Ōtaki, and along the Ōtaki coast, there was a bit of blue sky to the west, but looking towards the Tararua Range was not encouraging. Misty, rainy, dark clouds threatened.

People living south of Ōtaki called to check on weather at the course. They were told it looked a bit doubtful but it definitely was not raining. Many found this hard to

believe because in the south on Monday it was, to use the vernacular, “hosing down”.

We played a round of golf on Monday.

It was hard work. At no stage did it rain or even shower but it certainly blew! The rest of the week was great.

On Tuesday I was sitting in the club house talking to Adrienne, who lives in Waikanae. She told me she pays no attention to the Kāpiti forecast on the radio or TV to work out what the weather may be in Ōtaki and the golf course. She watches what the weather will be in “Sunny Nelson”.

“Sunny Ōtaki” and “Sunny Nelson”, Adrienne says, are almost always the same.

“Fine in Nelson, fine in Ōtaki.” And I think she might be right. Check it out yourself. n Chris Papps is chair of the Ōtaki Community Board.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: If you have something to say, write to us. Please include your full name, address and contact phone number. Only letters that include these details will be published, unless there is good reason to withhold a name. Maximum 200 words. Note your letter may be edited for grammar and accuracy. Not all letters received will be published and the publisher reserves the right to reject any letter. Write to Ōtaki Today, 13 Te Manuao Rd, Ōtaki or email letters@idmedia.co.nz

WHY I LOVE ŌTAKI I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Taku aroha noa, mōu e Ōtaki e!

By Rangi Te Whiu Jury

E te hāpori whānui o Ōtaki nei, tēnā tātou i o tātou whānau, i o tātou kaupapa huhua o te wā. Nōku te maringanui e tuku atu ai ētehi punua whakaaro mō tēnei hāpori, o tātou.

Me pēwhea e kore ai e mihi te huhua kua ngaro i te ao. Ahakoa kua toimaha te ngākau, kua pupū ake a raumaharatanga. E moe koutou i te moenga roa, te mūrau a te tini, te wenerau a te mano. Tātou ngā urupā o rātou mā, tēnā tātou katoa.

Ahakoa te tuakiri, ahakoa te wāhi rānei, he hāpori noho tata a Ōtaki nui tonu. Ahakoa ki whea koe haere atu ai, ka mihia rawatia koe e te tangata. Ehara i te mea he kaupapa riri tarāwhare tō te tangata whai, erangi anō he tānga manawa kē tōna aronga nui.

E whakapae ana au, mō te nuinga o ngā kaumātua, ngā pakeke hoki kua roa tā kōutou noho tahi ki ngā horopaki rerekē o te tāone nei, hākinakina mai, mahi mai, kura tahi mai, hāhi mai hoki. Waimarie ana te rāwāho e kuhu ai ki ngā waharoa o tō tātou taone.

E pātata ana ngā tairongo taiao katoa i tōna anō wāhi, mō te katoa. Arā ngā awa i Ōtaki nei ki te puaha o te moana, mō te inanga te whai, kaukau, kohi mātaitai hei kai mā ngā mata. Ki muri ngā pareparenga o Tararua ngā huarahi e taea ai te rongo a Tāne Mahuta me ōna katoa. Ko te mea miharo ki a au, ko te noho tahi a te kāhui atua ki ngā tapa katoa o te tangata.

Hoki mai i konā, arā atu anō ngā momo huarahi mātauranga e ngata ai te hiahia a te makiu tāngata, mō a tātou pūkeikura, mō a

Rangi Te Whiu Jury

tātou tamariki. Mō te mātauranga te take, mā Ōtaki anō a Ōtaki e whakatau! Mai ngā momo Kohanga Reo, Puna ki ngā Kura, Wharekura, me te Kareti tae noa ki Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Ngā Marae Kura, ngā Whare Kura i huakina ai ngā tatau maha ki ngā iwi katoa. Kātahi te hākari nui, nō tātou te whiwhi! Ōtaki and our wider community, greetings to you all our families, and the many kaupapa at this point in time.

I am fortunate to have been asked to put forward a few of my own thoughts together about our community. It would be remiss of me to not acknowledge a few who have passed

on from this world. Despite a heavy heart, many memories spring forth. May you all rest in a blissful sleep amongst the many. To us, the living embodiment of those before, greetings to you all.

No matter the ethnicity or where we live, Ōtaki is a close-knit community. No matter where you go, you are always greeted by our people. We do not have our own agenda, but we are heartfelt in the way we approach one another. I believe that our kaumatua, pakeke have grown amongst one another in the many contexts of our township; from sporting, to work, school, and religious contexts. Outsiders who come into our town are lucky.

Environmental sensory in their own respective areas are for us all. There are the many rivers that lead to the river mouth to the sea, where white baiting, swimming, gathering seafood are a feast for the eyes.

To the backblocks of the Tararua Ranges are paths that can feel the sensory nature of Tāne in all his might. What amazes me is the closeness of the gods that touches the different aspects of our people.

Returning inland, there are so many educational opportunities that appeal to many and for our children. In terms of education, Ōtaki determines what Ōtaki needs!

From the various kōhanga reo to ECE, to our schools, wharekura and the college, and also Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Our cultural hubs, our marae and other learning centres open their doors to many. What a feast to choose from, how lucky we all are!

This is why I love Ōtaki.

IN BRIEF Meetings scheduled

Ōtaki Rotary Club is hosting a “meet the candidates” meeting at the Rotary Hall in Aotaki Street at 6.30pm on Thursday, September 19. Candidates for the mayoralty, Ōtaki Ward, community board, GWRC, MidCentral DHB and district-wide council have been invited to speak. Only written questions submitted to mickel@slingshot. co.nz before the meeting will be accepted.

Kāpiti Coast Grey Power is also holding two Ōtaki local body election candidate meetings.

They are at the Memorial Hall, with Ōtaki Ward and district-wide candidates speaking at the first one, on Tuesday September 17, 10am-noon. Mayoral and regional council candidates will be at a meeting on Wednesday September 18, 10am-noon.

Airline goes international

Air Chathams went truly international on Friday, September 6, when it began a regular passenger service direct from Auckland to Norfolk Island. Flying a Convair 580, Air Chathams chief executive and owner Craig Emeny, and his son and general manager Duane Emeny, were the captain and first officer respectively for the inaugural flight.

Air Chathams began in 1985 and is now the region’s largest independently owned airline.

The company has been flying to Norfolk Island during the past two years with a range of charter tour groups, but the latest flight is the first of a regular service.

Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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VOTE: PŌTI 2019 Ōtaki Today publishes these pages as a service to local democracy. The information and photographs of candidates have been requested without direction as to content, other than to suggest that the words might include information about the candidate, what they believe the issues are and what they might do to address them. Where a candidate is standing for more than one position, their statement appears only once and their other candidacies are noted (hence some discrepancies in the number of statements and the number of vacancies). Readers are urged to find out as much as they can about the candidates so they can make an informed vote. Meet the candidates meetings are planned (see page 11). Ōtaki Today encourages everyone to cast their vote.

MAYORALTY (1 vacancy, 4 candidates) GWYNN COMPTON

Kāpiti faces big challenges such as Transmission Gully opening, and the Waikanae Library toxic mould debacle which uncovered years of issues at Council.

We can’t stop people wanting to move here, but if we make smart decisions, we can use growth to create new jobs with higher wages, and get improvements to our education, healthcare, and public transport services.

To do this we need to fix the issues at Council so it’s better run, financially responsible, and listens to our communities. I’ll bring fresh leadership, smart thinking, and a community-led approach to tackle these challenges head on and seize the opportunities ahead of us. Government must also step up to support Kāpiti and I’ll fight to make this happen. I’m asking for your vote this election so we can work together to ensure the Kāpiti Coast remains the best place in New Zealand to live, work, and raise a family.

JACKIE ELLIOTT

I believe in Ōtaki’s role as ‘Gateway’ to the Wellington Region. Ōtaki could benefit from a Wellington-Palmerston North metro railway and a districtwide daily tourist steam-train connecting to Ōtaki tours celebrating its history and religious sites. Ōtaki is becoming a manufacturing hub again, and I see new clean/green industries and energy providers setting up here. Ōtaki is already leading the way as a town telling great stories and making worldwide friends through Māoriland and the Kite Festival. This year council wasted an opportunity to help families suffering from gambling and P addiction. Council must re-address 19 excess pokie machines in Ōtaki. Contestable council funding for agencies is harming the community. Council should play a bigger role in enabling affordable housing, working with iwi and not selling social housing. The imminent opening of the expressway is bringing change, but many outlet shops are closing. Maybe any Elevate Ōtaki initiatives could start now. . – Also standing for district-wide councillor

K (GURU) GURUNATHAN

The key issues for Ōtaki: I support the GWRC’s business case to Treasury for two electro-diesel trains to replace the old Capital Connection unit. These will increase public transport shuttling between Waikanae/ Ōtaki/Levin/Palmerston North. I have officially told the Minister of Transport that Kāpiti’s support for transport investment in Wellington City partly depends on funding for this Ōtaki solution.

Expressway-related growth is spiralling house prices and rentals. MSD’s Housing Register notes demand to be 93. Housing NZ is building only 13 social houses. Ridiculous when the hidden demand is 300. Council will partner with government agencies, community trusts, iwi and developers to build houses. Review Greater Ōtaki’s rural industry as part of council’s economic development strategy.

Empower the Ōtaki Community Board with greater funding and responsibilities to facilitate locals making local decisions for local problems. Support the collaborative work of the district’s health groups.

MARTIN HALLIDY Hi there, Ōtaki. You are getting things done. The community is fortunate to have a current hardworking ward councillor.

His focus has been front and centre on working for Ōtaki.

What’s needed moving forward? A plan! Independent implementation of the Economic Development Strategy is that plan. It won’t fall over on my watch as happened three years ago with the current council.

Development of Māori culture, tourism and marine activity, in partnership with the community, will be an exciting pathway forward. With the strategy its map. Measurability, with good governance and accountability, will be crucial. Infrastructure for eventing at the beach, such as the amazing Ōtaki Kite Festival, is needed. But traffic needs to be managed through the back roads, not through the townships. We had a bach at Ōtaki beach as a kid, I have awesome memories. Why? Because Otaki is an awesome place.

DISTRICT-WIDE (5 vacancies, 14 candidates) ANGELA BUSWELL

MURRAY FORSDYKE

JANET HOLBOROW

MARCIA JOHNSON

ROB McCANN

TIM PARRY

CHRIS TURVER

NIGEL WILSON

As your District-wide Councillor I have worked with local community groups, residents and councillors to ensure we get the best possible results for Kāpiti.

From helping bring Air Chathams to Kāpiti, progressing the Ōtaki Estuary toilet with the Friends of the Ōtaki River and making the important decision to support a local ‘Climate Emergency’, I’ve been working hard to frontfoot the important issues at the heart of Kāpiti.

Kāpiti is growing: our council needs to deliver at a local level and advocate at regional and national levels.

With your support, I will continue delivering for Ōtaki and the wider Kāpiti district.

Our council has a huge role to play in ensuring we all have a decent quality of life, good facilities, reliable infrastructure and a vibrant community.

I have been Labour’s candidate for two elections and I bring to the role of councillor my experience as a business owner, and a career in events and communications. This has enabled me to work with some of New Zealand’s premiere musicians, the New Zealand International Film Festival, major sporting codes, and as a press secretary for Labour.

Let’s keep our rates in check, advocate for better public transport and give Ōtaki another strong voice.

I recently left a management role in telecommunications enterprise and government sectors to free my time for other ventures. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Management and I am a member of the Directors Institute. I am not running with any personal crusade on any hot issue because there are many we face as a community.

I am here to serve as a district-wide councillor that will promise no more than to make informed decisions on whatever I am being asked to support based on high quality information and affordability for ratepayers from all sides of all issues.

The growth of Kāpiti and environmental issues require careful management. The biggest opportunity over the next five years is seamless access from Ōtaki to Wellington via expressway/gully motorway.

The obvious threat as population exponentially grows is infrastructure stress. There are some tough decisions to be made regarding leaky buildings.

Our coastline is our signature and must be defended. Climate change is making storms more volatile. Coastal management currently takes 1.3% of operating expenditure.

Factoring an increase to 2% as an expected ongoing cost would be both prudent and realistic. I strongly support lower rate increases and the efficiency review of KCDC should identify key areas where savings can be made.

We end this term in a stronger financial position, ready to meet the challenges ahead.

Our recent commitment to becoming Carbon Neutral by 2025 and the work we’ve commenced looking into our local housing needs are solid steps.

Twelve years as an elected member including six years as Ward Councillor for PaekakarikiRaumati and the last three as Deputy Mayor has given me the opportunity to understand the needs of our community.

As a member of Local Government New Zealand’s National Policy Advisory Group, I have an understanding of the wider picture of Local Government issues.

Kapiti is faced with the double-whammy of not only being the second most indebted district in the country but meeting the costs of expanding services for a growing population of 53,000.

That means controlling rates while still providing essential services and strategic planning for dealing with climate change.

My governance experience includes representing Kapiti as a regional councillor, on Capital & Coast District Health Board, as chairman of the Electra Trust, and on the national executive of the RSA. Community service in Kapiti includes leadership roles in more than 20 voluntary organisations including roles in Otaki.

My passions are education and quality assurance.

After 30 years on the Kāpiti Coast, and working across senior management and governance roles, I am well prepared to contribute to Council with practical skills in evidence-based decision making. For voters, my expertise will translate into improved existing services, transparent rates decisions, better education and employment opportunities for young people, community activities for wellbeing and quality of life enhancement for residents, and a focused effort on economic development opportunities for Kāpiti. My approach is one of positive communications and actions (kōrero awhi), recognising the community vision (kaupapa) and guardianship of resources (kaitiakitanga).

I’ve represented Kāpiti as Greater Wellington councillor for nine years from 2007-2016. I would bring that knowledge and experience to serve you on our local council. I have an honest, hardworking, commonsense approach to the delivery of core services. Kāpiti faces challenges with high debt and infrastructure pressures. These can be sorted with intelligent leadership and sound, prudent policies. My experience includes as committee chair at Greater Wellington Regional Council; regional portfolio leader for Parks, Forestry and Biodiversity; deputy chair of Environment, Finance, Risk and Assurance. I’ve also served on the board of CentrePort Investments, Wellington Rail and Westpac Stadium.

VOTE: POTI 2019 I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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ŌTAKI WARD (1 vacancy, 3 candidates) JAMES COOTES

Ōtaki and Te Horo face some issues but also some fantastic opportunities. Many are not directly controlled by KCDC, but as your councillor, I can advocate for you. Ōtaki’s woeful public transport options continue to disadvantage our community. I’ll continue to advocate for improved rail/bus options supporting GWRC’s proposed business case for improved rail to Ōtaki. Increasing house/ rent prices are pushing locals out of Ōtaki and I’ve already talked with KCDC and central government about solutions.

I’ll continue supporting the Health Advocacy Group for improvements in our health sector. The expressway is also having an effect on our community. I’ll continue to assist and promote Ōtaki through the work Elevate Ōtaki is doing, using the $300,000 I secured. Rates need to be kept under control and I hope through the independent review of KCDC that I initiated, savings will be found to help keep rate increases down.

I’ll keep working passionately for my community!

ANDREW LENNOX

Our town and its environment are changing. As we grapple to fully understand those challenges, we must seek sound advice to make the most of our new opportunities.

Confidence and courage to embrace these changes will lead to our continued success as a vibrant and welcoming place to call home.

Building on our community’s strengths of culture, sports, arts and innovation, we will become a compelling destination for families and businesses.

In this next chapter of Otaki’s unique story, we share a responsibility to ensure that future generations will really benefit from decisions that we make on their behalf.

Encouraging our youth’s dreams, with the wisdom of our elders. Making sure that council delivers on projects that will respect and enhance our town, are correctly costed, and environmentally sound.

Let me serve you and our neighbours, respecting our shared history, for a safe and sustainable community of the future.

– Also standing for Ōtaki Community Board

SHELLY WARWICK

I’m Ōtaki born and bred, a registered nurse, and mother of 4.

Currently on the Ōtaki Community Board; KCDC’s Operations and Finance Committee; Cycleway, Walkway and Bridleway Committee; and Road Safety Committee. A BOT member at Ōtaki College and chair of the Kāpiti Equestrian Advocacy group. I believe we need positive communication with our own council, neighbouring councils and health boards to ensure better outcomes for the Ōtaki ward, addressing positive and negative effects of the expressway, cross-boundary issues and community wellbeing. Current councillors have called an audit of themselves and their own staff recently, this does not indicate great communication or governance. GWRC controls our public transport spend and so we need to work more closely with them to design services appropriate to our town, and we need to work with MidCentral DHB to deliver good health services to Ōtaki. Wearing both these hats, I can be your voice.

– Also standing for Ōtaki Community Board and MidCentral DHB

ŌTAKI COMMUNITY BOARD (4 vacancies, 6 candidates) CAM BUTLER Being a local for two-and-a-half years has meant my appreciation and immersion in Ōtaki is well under way.

However, I won’t pretend to know all the issues that Ōtaki faces and I am keen to listen to everyone to get a grasp on more issues that the community board can assist with. In the coming three years I can see that the opening of the expressway will present a number of large challenges, such as keeping the SH1 retail strip viable, plus the inevitable development challenges that always come after access is increased to a lovely area such as ours.

I want to see the retail strip survive, no, thrive and we need to look at ways of continuing to attract visitors and support local businesses.

I know there are other issues and I hope to be given the opportunity to work on those as well.

STEPHEN CARKEEK I want a community board that positively represents our community – and works to get the best deal from council.

I don’t pretend to be an expert or a politician.

But if elected I promise to spend time meeting people and getting a feel for what the issues really are. I’ll listen to concerns and take those to the table.

Our town is booming – bringing new people and opportunities. But I can see a downside to that growth. Many young families and older people are having to leave to find affordable housing.

There’s also increased pressure on the environment. Twenty years from now, I still want to be able to find watercress and eels in our streams and whitebait in our rivers.

I also want a safe, healthy and connected community where young workers want to live and raise their families.

CHRIS PAPPS I believe Ōtaki is more about community than any other part of the Kāpiti Coast. We concentrate on the needs of our families, our whānau. We have the broadest spread of cultures and groups but, in my experience, we all work together to develop the interests of Ōtaki and its people.

I want to continue promoting the interests of Ōtaki, its people and its communities, and the future of Kāpiti as a whole.

Transport remains a key issue for us. I will keep advocating for improved bus and train services for Ōtaki. We must have the services we need and not just vague promises about services we might get at some time in a more or less distant future.

I will concentrate on making sure we get the benefits that can be achieved for our community from the construction of the expressway and its associated developments.

MARILYN STEVENS

I am currently deputy chair of the Ōtaki Community Board, chair of Ōtaki Community Network Group, and an advocate for older people.

I’m on three health advisory/advocacy groups in Kāpiti, Waikanae and Ōtaki – all working with Capital & Coast and MidCentral Health Boards who have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding giving Ōtaki more choice and accessibility to more affordable health care.

Transport to appointments is very topical.

I’m committed to a cleaner, greener Ōtaki, supporting the work of Energise Ōtaki and Ōtaki College.

I’m a committed Rotarian and chair of Interact (Junior Rotary in High Schools) for the lower North Island.

I’m co-ordinator for the lobby group asking NZTA to relook at its flawed business case for the interchange at Peka Paka, which will affect many people Most importantly, I’m committed to being the conduit between Ōtaki and Te Horo residents and the Kāpiti Coast District Council.

REGIONAL COUNCIL – KĀPITI CONSTITUENCY (1 vacancy, 2 candidates) PENNY GAYLOR

I’m the Kāpiti Coast Councillor on Wellington Regional Council and live in Ōtaki. GWRC has now made a financial commitment in our Long Term Plan to invest in new trains to replace the Capital Connection. We’ve prepared a compelling Business Case asking Government to invest in two new trains that will expand the Ōtaki service. We’ve sharpened the focus on climate change – recently declaring a Climate Emergency, supported by an Action Plan. With 12 years local government experience (six years as Ōtaki’s KCDC councillor) and now a trustee at Ōtaki College, I have a history of advocacy for Ōtaki.

DISTRICT-WIDE (continued) ASHER WILSON-GOLDMAN

In my day job, I help communities to partner with central and local government to strengthen themselves and create a brighter future.

As your Districtwide Councillor, I will put my energy into doing the same for all our communities on the Kāpiti Coast.

We need more well-paying jobs in Kāpiti; council-run rubbish, recycling & green waste collection; more safe walking and cycling routes.

I will push regional and central government to fund commuter rail to Ōtaki ASAP, and engage regularly with all of our residents for the whole term.

NEIL MACKAY

The next three years are crucial for Kāpiti and the relationship between KCDC and Greater Wellington will be vital. My experience as chair of Electra and chief executive of Industry NZ (central government economic agency) and Chair of the Kāpiti Aquatic Centre, provides me with good governance, partnership and leadership skills. I will work for you to achieve better economic growth and development outcomes, strengthen links to build a more resilient community and actively promote a sustainable transport system. I will bring a fresh perspective and be a relentless advocate at the regional council on behalf of Kāpiti.

MIDCENTRAL DHB (7 vacancies 15 candidates) ROSALIND DERBY Declined invitation

MIKE CARDIFF Did not respond DAVID SCOTT Did not respond

ADRIAN GREGORY

Having worked with health and wellbeing organisations here and in the UK for almost 20 years, health and wellbeing are at the heart of my work, in and for my community. I am totally committed to shifting the dial so we get equitable outcomes for everyone, to shaping innovative solutions to gnarly health problems like mental health, to standing firm on ensuring health services are based here in our town and, to being responsible for a DHB that is well run, delivers results for its population and is a great place to work whether you’re the cleaner or the CEO. In Ōtaki, I’ve helped develop our Health & Wellbeing Plan; I’ve chaired Ōtaki’s Health & Wellbeing Group for over a year as we begin to see improvements arising from the Plan; and I got the ‘Issues Resolution’ process added to the MOU and the Health Service leaflet you’ve just received.

The full list of candidates for the MidCentral District Health Board candidates is: Astarte, Heather Browning, Vaughan Dennison, Michael Feyen, Lew Findlay, Adrian Gregory, Muriel Hancock, Dorothy Lock, Karen Naylor, Cat Pause, Leslie Pillow, Rebecca Tayler, John Waldon, Jenny Warren and Shelly Warwick.

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Tele pokies pause The Telegraph Hotel shut down its poker machines for an hour last week in support of Gambling Harm Awareness Week.

The initiative, run nationally by the Problem Gambling Foundation and several other community partners, was aimed at raising awareness of gambling harm, especially from pokies.

Tele owner Duane Watt said he was happy to promote the week.

“The one-hour pause on Monday gave our pokie patrons an opportunity to reflect on whether

ONE FOUNDATION

they were in control of their gambling,” Duane said. “We’re a responsible venue and we want to encourage people to be responsible themselves.”

The Tele provided live entertainment during the pause, with Puke and Moana Pember on stage.

Duane says a significant amount of money from pokie earnings goes back into the community.

“The gaming trust that owns our pokies, One Foundation, supports many local organisations and community groups through its grants.”

supports responsible gambling and works hard with our venues and venue staff to create a Culture of Care.

We know being responsible hosts is important to our venues and that’s why this year 93% of ONE Foundation venue operators signed up to support the Pause the Pokies campaign.

Proceeds from gambling support many community organisations, just a few from the Kāpiti area are listed at right.

The Tele owner Duane Watt (far left) with musicians Moana Pember and Puke Wara at back. Front row are Maria Koleti Samu and Tina McIvor of the Problem Gambling Foundation, Jim Pember, Jane Green, Dian Wara and and Brandon Green.

They include groups as diverse as diverse as the local Whiti Te Rā and

• Ōtaki Golf Club Incorporated • Rāhui Football and Sports Club (inc) • Te Kōhanga Reo o Tu Roa • Whiti Te Rā Ōtaki Sports Club 2012 Inc • Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards Inc • Waikanae Golf Club Inc • Netball Kāpiti Centre Inc • Waikanae Golf Club Inc • Kāpiti Old Boys Cricket Club Inc • Kāpiti Coast Harness Racing Club Inc • Paraparaumu College • Evenzts NZ Trust 2004 • Coast Access Radio Trust • Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

“Ōtaki can’t afford to wait another 20 years for the electrification and double tracking of the rail network.

Rāhui sports clubs, and Kāpiti Coast Harness Racing Club.

See full list of local organisation in the advertisement below left.

E TELE’ ‘ TigH h calorie locality H

The old Telegraph Hotel (built 1872) has two bars, a lounge/ dining room and refurbished backpacker-style accommodation.

The perfect venue for a family g e t - t o g e t h e r, birthday function or a drink with friends.

THE TELE

cnr Rangiuru Rd/Tasman Rd, Otaki Township Contact Duane 06 364-0634, 021 0220 3105, or duane@thetele.co.nz

Re-elect Penny Gaylor Greater Wellington Regional Council

Fast and frequent commuter rail to Ōtaki will open up access to jobs, education, healthcare, and other vital services.

Elect me as Mayor and I’ll be a relentless advocate to make sure the government steps up to fund this and the other pieces of essential infrastructure we need.” authorised by penny gaylor, 219 mill rd, otaki

SHIP R E D H LEA KING FRES THIN T R A ED Z SM T Y-L I N O. N .

U ON C M T P M M CO YNNCO

1 VOTE AYOR M R FO

.G W WWW

AUTHORISED BY G COMPTON, 60 MANLY ST, PARAPARAUMU

Progress this term

Committed to

• Secured GWRC funding for the Capital Connection replacement.

• Delivering on our climate emergency action plan.

• Improved relationship with KCDC. • Climate change focus.

• Expanding public transport and links to Wellington to support economic development.

• GWRC’s leadership across regional economic development initiatives.

• Addressing water quality in our Kāpiti Coast water catchment.

I look forward to serving you again — Penny Get in touch

027 664 8869

penny.gaylor@hotmail.com

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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RSA computers upgraded, for charity The Ōtaki RSA has upgraded its computers for less than $700 thanks to a recycling scheme.

Recycling for Charity in Upper Hutt rebuilds used commercial devices that have been traded in to them. The profits from onselling fund a range of listed charities, including the Children's Hospital, Mary Potter Hospice, SPCA, and Wellington Free Ambulance. Ōtaki RSA obtained three replacement computers.

“They’re being used in the office to support administration and to manage the security system, and for the various ‘jackpot draws’ and entertainment functions,” says club manager Peter Clareburt. “All for under $700 for the three systems and a network.

“Using this approach with Recycling for Charity has allowed us to upgrade our very dated systems and to gain reliable computers at a reasonable cost. Our budget was limited but the

need was high, so we urgently needed to find a solution.”

The RSA drew on the skills and knowledge of executive committee member Nathaniel Gozer, who served with the RNZAF in a technology role.

Within a few days Nathaniel had found the solution. The RSA now has three computers, monitors and a network router that will ensure the system is up to date, secure and efficient. Ōtaki RSA vice president Cam Ronald says he would commend the scheme to any other organisation and to people seeking to get a good quality computer, albeit a second hand one, at a reasonable cost. They also have second hand/trade-in mobile phones, printers and other devices.

“It's great for the environment, assists NGOs [non-government organisations] and beneficiaries, and is value for money for the end purchasers. The Ōtaki Citizens Advice Bureau has followed on from us and

IN BRIEF Nominations called

Nominations are being called for the 2020 XŌtaki Hall Of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognises former Ōtaki College students who have achieved locally, nationally or internationally. The XŌtaki College Alumni Trust held its inaugural Hall of Fame event in 2018 with former students Chris Parkin and David Pritchard inducted at a black tie dinner. Nominations can be submitted at xotaki.org.nz Note: please provide the name of the nominator and a seconder, plus those people’s email addresses.

ALL SET UP: Ōtaki RSA manager Peter Clareburt with the club’s new computers.

Photo: Ōtaki RSA.

we believe has achieved a similar result.”

Cam says to close the circle, the Ōtaki RSA is donating its old computers through the recycling company.

“They are far from suitable for

further use, and perhaps better suited to a museum, but they will be disposed of safely and parts used where possible.” n Recycling for Charity - http:/ recyclingforcharity.co.nz/

Fire callouts

Ōtaki Volunteer Fire Brigade had 14 callouts in August. One was for medical assistance, three at motor vehicle accidents, five special services, one chimney fire, one car, two callouts for standby in Levin, and one private fire alarm.

Local Body Elections: Meet the Candidates Thursday September 19, 2019, 6.30pm (doors open from 6pm) The candidates will speak in the following order: • Mayor • Ōtaki Ward Councillors • MidCentral District Health Board

Rotary Lounge, Aotaki Street, Ōtaki

• Ōtaki Community Board • GWRC • District-wide Councillors

Only written questions will be accepted.

Please send these to: mickel@slingshot.co.nz (must be received prior to the meeting)

Tea and coffee will be served at the conclusion of the meeting.

VOTE 1 CHRIS PAPPS for ŌTAKI COMMUNITY BOARD Focused on the future for Ōtaki I will continue promoting the interests of Ōtaki and its people and the future of Kāpiti as a whole.

Transport remains an issue.

I will keep advocating for improved bus and train services for Ōtaki.

I will concentrate on achieving the aims and needs of our community around the construction of the expressway and its associated developments.

Authorised by Chris Papps, 17 Knights Grove, Ōtaki.

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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‘Great three years’ for community board Ōtaki Community Board chair Chris Papps wrapped up what she described as “a great three years” when she delivered her assessment of the board’s work in the last triennium.

The board had its last meeting, on September 3. Elections will bring in a new board after the October 12 polling day. Board member for the past three years Kerry Bevan is not standing again, but Chris Papps, Marilyn Stevens and Shelly Warkwick are, along with Cr James Cootes who is on the board by virtue of his role as Ōtaki Ward councillor.

Chris said the board had many achievements in the past three years. One was the opening of the Ōtaki swimming pool after a major refurbishment.

“We always had a great pool, but now it is the jewel in the crown of Ōtaki,” she said. “We have a wonderful splash pad that’s free for all to use. The pool is bright and looks absolutely fabulous.”

She said she heard comments when swimming that people came from other parts of Kāpiti because they preferred Ōtaki’s pool to the aquatic centre in Paraparaumu.

A barbecue at Haruatai Park has been installed, the nearby children’s play area has been upgraded and the basketball court is in constant use.

LAST MEETING: Members of the Ōtaki Community Board – from left, Cr James Cootes, chair Chris Papps, Kerry Bevan, Shelly Warwick and Marilyn Stevens – at the final meeting of the board, on September 3, before the election of a new board.

The all-weather tennis courts at the park are also now open to the public.

The ratepayer-funded facility was previously only available to the tennis club.

The new dog park in Aotaki Street is getting good use and many playgrounds have had significant upgrades.

A big achievement was getting a better shared pathway on the expressway than was originally planned.

Free public wifi is going into Main Street.

The toilet at the Ōtaki River estuary is installed and operating.

The project was begun in the last triennium but finally finished earlier this year thanks to the co-operationn of KCDC, Greater Wellington Regional Council and funding from the Philipp Family Foundation.

The regional council listened to the board’s submission on a proposed rise in the public transport rates for Ōtaki, resulting in a reduced rate rise.

Thanks to the advocacy of Cr Cootes, the board obtained three years of funding for an upgrade of the Ōtaki College gymnasium.

Along with the mayor and Cr Cootes, Chris visited the council flats in Aotaki Street, resulting in

more flats being refurbished than previously proposed.

Chris took the lead in talking to NZTA about the sitting bay on State Highway 1 near Waerenga Road.

“This was too short and the parking on the far side of the road made it almost impossible to get out in the flow of traffic safely. After taking numerous photos of trucks parking on the side of the road and sending them to NZTA, the passing lane has now been lengthened and it is safer and easier to exit and head south.”

Meanwhile, the board approved the following funding at its September meeting:

Michelle Young and Karen Su – $330 each to help them attend a summer camp at the University of Xiamen.

Alex Lundie – $330 to attend the Pacific Leaders Programme in the Cook Islands.

Amicus Club of Ōtaki – $500 to help with the cost of transport for members’ trips. Ōtaki RSA – $500 to help with the cost of engaging a structural engineer to assess the structures of an internal wall at the RSA. Music Matters – $250 for advertising, transport and venue hire for a concert.

Fernando Figueroa – to help with rental costs to host a Latin America and Spain film festival. Ōtaki Community Network – $295 to help with room hire cost for its monthly meetings.

VOTE Marcia Johnson Kāpiti needs to embrace its dynamic nature in a sustainable way.

Our retired residents, young people, and the hard-working people raising families and maintaining the backbone of the community are vital to this sustainability.

My two passions are education and quality assurance.

After 30 years of living on the Kāpiti Coast, and working across senior management and governance roles, I am well prepared to contribute to Council with practical skills in evidencebased decision making.

For a dynamic and sustainable Kāpiti

For voters, my expertise will translate into improved existing services, transparent rates decisions, better education and employment opportunities for young people, community activities for wellbeing and quality of life enhancement for residents, and a focused effort on economic development opportunities for Kāpiti with sustainable growth.

My approach is one of positive communications and actions (kōrero awhi), recognising the community vision (kaupapa) and guardianship of resources (kaitiakitanga).

Approved by Marcia Johnson, 34 Dale Rd, Paraparaumu

PITOPITO KŌRERO: NEWS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Ōtaki Promotions Group members Lynne Corkin, Carol Ward and Norman Elder at the OPG stall for the eighth Ōtaki Community Expo on Saturday, September 7.

Expo draws diverse local groups together

VOTE

The eighth annual Ōtaki Community Expo had more than 500 people attending on Saturday (September 7).

The Memorial Hall in Main Street was packed at times as nearly 40 community groups, sporting organisations and clubs talked to visitors – and to each other.

Groups were as diverse as the local bridge club, Energise Ōtaki, Elevate Ōtaki and the local Scouts.

Organiser Carol Ward of the Ōtaki Promotions Group says the event was well supported by the community. Stallholders had a good number of enquiries, with many new member sign-ups and information shared.

Ōtaki Community Board

Cam Butler for

“Stallholders also found it helpful to be able to network with one another,” Carol says.

“We have so many amazing organisations in Ōtaki and I really enjoy organising the expo so they have the opportunity to share what they do with one another and the community.”

St John Ambulance and the health shuttle – regular participants – were typical of many groups in their comments.

“We were delighted to receive a lot of positive interest,” St John said after the expo. “We would like to thank Carol and her team for this opportunity to profile the vital role St John plays within the community.”

Community and future focus from an experienced team player.

Authorised by Cam Butler, 67 Paul Faith Lane, RD1, Ōtaki.

Vote 1

ADRIAN GREGORY MidCentral Health Board SINCE 2017 . . . n Actively involved in the development, by the community and MidCentral DHB, of the Ōtaki Health & Wellbeing Plan 2018 – 2023 n Devised and led the restarting of services by Birthright Ōtaki and securing of new funds n Chaired Ōtaki’s Health & Wellbeing Group advocating for improved, local health services n Added the ‘Issues Resolution’ process for local residents to the new DHBs’ MOU for Health Service Provision in Ōtaki and Te Horo

MY PRIORITIES . . . n The DHB and other health providers should deliver the health services we need here, in our community n EQUITY is a fundamental principle that is applied in all health service planning and provision n As a Board member, I commit to ensuring that Ōtaki/Te Horo’s health needs stay on the agenda, so …

What are YOUR PRIORITIES? Contact me, I’ll listen and I’ll act.

I look forward to working on your behalf – Adrian Authorised by Adrian Gregory, 36B Domain Road, Ōtaki (adriansgregory@gmail.com or 027-479-1576).

KUPU POROPOROAKI: OBITUARY I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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A welcome and open door at Aunty Grace’s GRACE TEREWAI MOFFATT 6.3.28 – 25.8.2019

By Michael Walsh (nephew)

In our whanau, the potiki, or youngest, is Uncle Howard (Broughton). Then there is Aunty Mei (Ratana), Aunty Betty (Anderson), Uncle Hori (Broughton), then my mother, Margaret (Walsh).

The mataamua, or eldest, was Aunty Grace Moffatt. There was also Aunty Bulla (Neho) and Uncle Chum (Wallace) and three sisters on her Dad’s side (Marie, Jocelyn and Joan Potete).

Grace Terewai Moffatt (nee Potete) was born on March 6, 1928, in Palmerston North.

Her parents were Ben Potete and Rona Amelia Wallace. However, she was raised by her grandparents, Potete Manupiri Nopera and Makareta Marino (Maggie). Uncle Chum (Ernest Wallace) was also raised by Potete and Maggie.

Maggie’s first husband was William Ellerslie Wallace, who died in 1918 during the influenza epidemic. Grace’s whakapapa through her Wallace line is Te Āti Awa and Taranaki. Her Marino whakapapa is to the Whanganui River and Pātea area. On her MacDonald/kaumātua line her whakapapa is to Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Wehiwehi, Ngāti Tukorehe and Ngāti Kauwhata Grace’s whakapapa on her Potete side is to tupuna Horomana Nohorua and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

In 1932, aged 4, Grace moved from Pukerua Bay with her whānau to Belfast Street in Wellington. She accompanied her nanny and aunties in the early days of Ngāti Poneke Māori Club. At the age of 5 she went to St Anne’s Catholic School in Newtown. Their home in Wellington was always full of visiting whānau.

In 1937, when she was 10, her family moved back to Pukerua Bay when the polio epidemic

HAPPY DAYS: A favourite photo of Grace Moffatt’s, showing her with daughter Makareta, her son-in-law Bruce Cumming (far left, married to Kathryn) and Bruce’s brother, Brian.

Photo supplied

spread. Grace was enrolled in correspondence school for six months before the schools reopened. She then attended Pukerua Bay School.

It was at Pukerua Bay that she was joined by my mother, Margaret, then 2, who was also raised by Potete and Maggie. My mother has fond memories of Pukerua Bay and of her, Grace and Chum roaming the hills in search of duck eggs, and of the American soldiers who gave them chocolates.

Grace went to Wellington Technical College for three years from 1946. She either caught the train from Pukerua Bay or stayed with her Aunty Marara Martin on The Terrace. After this she moved with Potete, Maggie and the whānau to Te Waka Road in Te Horo.

Grace was born during the Depression. She was always a grateful person, appreciative of everything she had and valuing those she shared with. She never took things or people for granted.

She was a perfectionist. Whether it was with her Bible reading, her professional life or her married life. She ironed everything! She cooked a farmhouse breakfast every morning – in winter with porridge, cream and brown sugar.

Grace was a hard worker and a caring person who welcomed all to her home. The door was always open, the fire seemingly always lit, the kettle boiled. If you were lucky enough you ate dinner of her famous beef stew, or corned silverside, fresh garden boiled potatoes and sweet green peas with mint.

Aunty Grace Like drops of rain on the sea, We are nothing But We are part of everything Everything you touched Everything we’ve known.

(Adapted from a poem by Grace’s late husband, John Moffatt.)

Grace met John when she was 18 and working at Southgate’s Garage in the Ōtaki railway area.

John had taken his father’s farm truck in for a service. They got married three years later in 1950, at Wellington. They had five children: Stephen, Kathryn, Graham, and the twins, Claire (Makareta) and Jeffery Hugh, who died soon after birth.

For many years John and Grace farmed near the Waitohu Stream. It was on their farm that appropriately all were greeted by the sign “Welcome to Sunny Otaki”. Grace loved helping people and this was reflected in her working at Koha Ora, where she had previously been a TB patient, and Kimberley Hospital in Levin.

She was a dedicated member of the Ōtaki community, especially regarding kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori. Maggie and Potete were native speakers of te reo Māori, but they never taught Grace. Before the arrival of Hiko Hohepa to Ōtaki College, Grace and John had tried to enrol Makareta into correspondence school, but the college denied the application.

Grace was a dedicated member of Rangiātea Church, for many years doing Sunday readings.

John once said that during the Depression, the swaggers who were looking for work, a meal or a place to sleep were welcome at the family farm.

They would leave a rock on a post so the next swagger would know.

Grace was much loved by all her sisters, brothers, children, mokopuna, nephews and nieces, whānau and friends. And especially her dog, Tohu.

E kui, moemai ra, hoki atu ra ki to rahi i te po, e tatari nei ki a koe.

PS: If anyone has memories of Grace or John, the family would love to hear them. Email Maika1999@hotmail.com

MARILYN STEVENS for Ōtaki Community Board I am currently: • Deputy chair of the Ōtaki Community Board and Chair of Ōtaki Community Network Group • A strong advocate for older people.

• On three health advisory/advocacy groups in Kāpiti, Waikanae and Ōtaki – all working with Capital & Coast and MidCentral Health Boards who have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding giving Ōtaki more choice and accessibility to more affordable health care.

I’m also: • Committed to a cleaner, greener Ōtaki, supporting the work of Energise Ōtaki and Ōtaki College.

• A committed Rotarian and chair of Interact (Junior Rotary in High Schools) for the lower North Island.

• Co-ordinator for the lobby group asking NZTA to relook at its flawed business case for the interchange at Peka Paka, which will affect many people.

I believe it’s important that the Ōtaki Community Board be a conduit between Ōtaki and Te Horo residents and the Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Authorised by Marilyn Stevens, 48 Old Hautere Road, Te Horo.

HUATAU: COMMENT I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Why don’t communities work together more?

Who went to the Ōtaki Community Expo people in the town as part of a project for Elevate on Saturday (September 7)? If you did, you Ōtaki. A question I’ve asked is, “what is the best will have seen what a wonderful community thing about Ōtaki”? Invariably the answer has spirit this town has. been “a strong community spirit and willingness Organisations of all types, many run by of most people to help each other when in need”. volunteers, support this community in a myriad of People want to see this rich community spirit ways. There were the happy women in their green continue, along with the easy-paced lifestyle, but aprons from the Women’s Institute, the St John’s they also see problems that need resolving and people and their shuttle bus, people from the want progress in the community and prosperity Wānanga, Rotary and Lions volunteers, etc, etc. for citizens.

All of these organisations When asked, “what do you see MEDIA & COMMUNITY as barriers to progress?” many would have been born and nurtured by a good idea. An answered by saying that the town individual or group of people needed to work together more to said to themselves, “let’s change achieve shared benefits. something for the better”. And So, if people are willing to they sure have, and this town is address community issues benefiting in spades. and there’s a desire to work The great thing about the Ōtaki collaboratively, why is progress expo is that it gets these people sometimes more difficult than it and groups talking to each other. should be?

It’s easy to assign the answer There’s the chance to share ideas FRASER CARSON only to a shortage of resources or and information and, maybe a lack of mutual trust, as true as these might be. sometimes, discuss ways to collaborate and But I believe we have become far too deliver even better things into the community. hard-wired into “institutional thinking” that To me it is a simple and self-evident discourages open communications and creates observation that communities, organisations needless competition between groups. It and businesses benefit most when people are connected and can easily share information and compartmentalises funded activities, puts ideas. It helps break down the silos that inhibit scorekeepers into positions of power and hands progress, it allows people to have a voice and they goal-kickers a daily struggle and a begging bowl. are better informed. Healthy communication A typical example of institutional thinking also helps to avoid the kind of distortion, was revealed to me recently with the story of a misinformation and entrenched attitudes we national arts organisation failing to receive sometimes see in social media. critical funding, after 2019. This is an Over the past few months I‘ve been talking to organisation that’s been funded for more than

VOTE

20 years. It’s a leader and important voice in its sector. The funding organisation’s criteria for funding are vague but the dictates placed on the receiving organisation are exact and demanding.

As a competitive process, it was conducted at arms-length with little opportunity for discussion or meaningful review, once funding rejection occurred.

Most of the groups at the Ōtaki expo celebrate the support they receive and will never bite-thehand-that-feeds-them. But many have to scrap for resources, which might be money, volunteers, assets or whatever. This is time-consuming and takes volunteers away from their valuable work.

We can also be sure scrambling for resources builds a level of competition where there would seem less incentive to work more collectively.

But, suppose institutional thinking could be replaced with a more collaborative way of working? The model for the latter is more

vision, purpose and mission-driven (why are we doing this and what needs doing?) rather than operationally driven (what are we doing?).

Crucially, it’s more open to sharing ideas and information that really fire-up innovation and collective impact. These things can make a difference, but they’re free or need fewer resources.

So how can we make the change to a more collaborative model? The ultimate answers surely come from the pressing need to address some very big issues, in a town like Ōtaki, and elsewhere.

Change will happen because competitive scorekeeping is increasingly seen as part of the problem and less as part of the solution. n Fraser Carson is a member of the XŌtaki College Alumni committee and the founding partner of Flightdec.com.

Flightdec’s kaupapa is to challenge the status quo of the internet to give access to more reliable and valuable citizen generated content, and to improve connectivity and collaboration. He can be contacted at fraser@flightdec.com

1 JAMES COOTES FOR ŌTAKI WARD

SOME THINGS I’VE DONE

SOME THINGS I’LL DO

• I’ve been a relentless advocate for Ōtaki and Te Horo.

• Secured the $16m shared pathway from Peka Peka to Ōtaki.

• Fought for the interchange at Peka Peka.

• Brought the Provincial Growth Fund to Ōtaki to encourage Ōtaki proposals.

• Encouraged changes to KCDC social investment funding resulting in $362,000 supporting Ōtaki groups – a 750% increase in Ōtaki funding!

• Engaged with my community, moving consultation to local events, the surf club, marae and Ōtaki College and engaging on social media.

• Road safety improvements.

• Encouraged changes to our rating system, bringing lower rate increases on average for Ōtaki compared to the rest of the district.

• Ensured completion of the popular Ōtaki swimming pool, splash pad and dog park.

• Secured significant investment from NZTA for the Ōtaki Gateway sculptures encouraging people to stop and visit.

• Initiated an independent review of KCDC to improve culture and performance.

• Co-presented to Greater Wellington Regional Council opposing its proposed rate increases for Ōtaki – meaning a reduced rates increase.

• Supported additional funding for Tasman Rd reserve.

• Free WiFi in Main St. • Free swim lessons at the Ōtaki Pools for kids who can’t afford them.

• Pushed for changes to the Major Events Fund criteria to ensure the Kite Festival continues.

• Assisting many residents one-on-one on a variety of issues.

• Continue to passionately advocate for Ōtaki and Te Horo.

• Ensure our water supplies are adequately upgraded and meet the required safety standards.

• Continue to support groups like Zero Waste Ōtaki, Energise Ōtaki, Friends of the Ōtaki River, Foodbank etc.

• Continue to advocate for improved public transport.

• Work closely with Work Ready Kāpiti and employers to increase employment opportunities for our people.

• Continue to market and promote Ōtaki while retaining what makes Ōtaki’s character so unique.

• Support initiatives that reduce our carbon footprint, building for a sustainable future, while being affordable.

• Continue to support the Kāpiti Health Advisory Group and advocating for improved health services.

• Work with KCDC, central government agencies and developers on solutions to increase our housing supply and support papakaianga initiatives.

• Investigate long-term solutions to replace or upgrade our ageing older persons housing units.

• Continue to support and empower iwi and their Ngā Kaupapa.

• Push for more focus on our youth/rangatahi to help them be all they can be.

• Implement recommendations from the independent review to boost performance and deliver better value.

• Seize every opportunity for external funding like the PGF, Te Aro Mahi, He Poutama Rangatahi and Whenua Māori.

• Enhance and promote our fantastic cycleways, walkways and bridleways.

• Support businesses to be successful.

• Continue to support you to the best of my ability with dayto-day enquiries.

“James has been a strong advocate for Ōtaki College and the wider community.”

– Andy Fraser, Ōtaki College Principal

Authorised by James Cootes 3 Sylvia Way, Te Horo.

“James listened to our concerns and advocated for road safety improvements on Tasman Road.”

– Maggie Mario, Ōtaki Beach resident

“One of the few politicians who doesn’t just talk and doesn’t mind getting his hands mucky, literally!”

– Kathryn Smith, former Ōtaki resident

““James is one of the hardest working Councillors around the table.”

– K Gurunathan, Kāpiti Mayor

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MAHI MĀRA: GARDENING I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Avoiding spring diseases – manage the fungus By far and away the most common cause of garden disease is airborne fungi. The mild, moist conditions of spring set the scene for primary infections of rust, black spot, leaf curl, shot hole, brown rot and other fungal delights. Prevention is smart, especially if your garden is prone. My top 10 tips: Airflow is key. Create space THE EDIBLE GARDEN leaves, seaweed and compost are things that soil around vulnerable plants such understands and quickly as roses and peaches with good assimilates because together pruning. keep vegetables such as they’ve been at this celery and garlic weed free. business of soil building a Raindrops flick spores from very long time. infected plant debris back Make a fermented herbal up onto plants. Collecting up Spring stinging nettle liquid feed infected matter is a small task with Fermented herbal teas big outcomes. Minimise the splash Manure pile is the backbone of my fertility. Rotten manure is best! keep plant immunity high back effect with mulch.

KATH IRVINE and leaf cuticle primed to Beneficial fungi out-competes resist pest attack. Stinging pathogenic fungi. Colonise the nettle to the rescue! surface of your plants and soil regularly with Place a bucket in a warm sunny spot. good quality fermented liquid seaweed like Half fill an onion bag with fresh cut Oceans Organics or EM. There’s a two step benefit to spraying milk – nettles (not in flower or seed), and stomp Keeping up with weeds for good airflow through the vegie patch calcium inhibits the growth of fungal spores and on them to crush them a bit. Tie the I pour the brew into another bucket through a sprays of sulfur will stay the infection. Without ferrugobulin protein in whey is toxic to fungus. sack making like a giant teabag, and pop it into bit of muslin, then decant it into a clean, labelled sending you into an anxious spin – be aware that Dilute 1:10 and spray weekly as a preventative. the bucket. Top up with non-chlorinated water. bottle. Store in a dark cool place where it’ll stay sulfur sprays (copper too) are indiscriminate – Rotate your crops Stir daily by squashing the bag of nettles then vital for six months. Foliar spray fruit trees, beneficial fungi get wiped as well.

Use rotten manure – never fresh and only ever whirling around the edges to create a vortex – roses and vegetables at 1:20 dilution throughout So for me, this is an emergency call. I have before a heavy feeder crop. oxygenation is key to a healthy microbial brew. uprooted crops to stop the spread – tomatoes Keep your soil covered with plants or mulch.

It’s ready to use when it stops bubbling (in about spring.

Fungicide pros and cons with verticulum wilt is one example – rather than Little and often is powerful. With a capital P. a fortnight). Empty the contents of the tea bag Once fungus gets a grip it’s hard to manage use a fungicide. However, last year on my garlic It’s steady and solid, like a daily dose of yoghurt onto your compost pile. crop I chose to spray sulfur to save the day. or an apple a day. Gentle inputs such as herbs, To stop my backpack sprayer from blocking up, naturally. If fungus gets away on you, repeat

HAUORA: HEALTH

Marketing sends soap down a slippery slope A brief history of the art of soap making: Part 2

production, though production today is dominated by the multinational companies Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Economies of scale have reduced the cost of mass-produced soap – that and the use of Last month I looked at the early history of soap making. I will palm oil (sodium palmate or sodium palm kernelate being the pick up the story with the beginnings of the industrial-scale main ingredients in most supermarket bar soaps). production of soap in the 1700s.

Unfortunately palm oil is linked to rainforest destruction, The soap-making reaction (saponification) forms glycerine, a pollution, displacement of indigenous people and worker natural emollient and moisturiser. With large-scale production soap exploitation. With forests converted to monoculture palm manufacturers started to remove the glycerine from soap as they plantations biodiversity is reduced and the orangutan, Sumatran could sell it as valuable by-product, and often for more money than tiger and Borneo elephant are all being pushed closer to they could get for the soap. The glycerine was used to make the extinction. That cheap bar of soap at the supermarket comes at a popular explosive of the day, dynamite (nitroglycerine). high cost. Some companies are pledging to remove HEALTH SCIENCE palm oil from their supply chain.

The glycerine was also used in cosmetics and But this is often a paper promise – deadlines come moisturisers, which were in more demand after the and go. It is an easy way for a company to retain moisturising glycerine was removed from soap! customer loyalty while doing nothing. In 2008 Up to this time soap had simply been poured Lush said they would remove palm-derived sodium into moulds to set. A major French innovation lauryl sulfate (SLS) from their soaps. Today, more in the early 1700s was to force the soap through than 10 years later, they are “still working on it”. The spinning steel rollers to homogenise the soap to a SLS synthetic detergent simply gives a bit of extra fine-grained consistency. It was a process referred to foaming and they could remove it from their soaps as milling. The milled soap was then extruded and any time they wanted to. Meanwhile Lush proclaim stamped into bars. on their website their support of orangutan Milled soaps are dense, long-lasting and hold DR STEVE HUMPHRIES conservation charities! This greenwashing is their shape with use. Most mass-produced bar soaps commonly used to expand business. today are ‘glycerine-removed’ milled soaps.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was Driven by the rationing of oils and fats during both world established in 2004 to provide certified sustainable palm oil. wars, synthetic detergents started to replace soap. In the However Greenpeace and Amnesty International have revealed 1950s Unilever introduced Dove, the first syndet (synthetic that the RSPO label is no guarantee of true sustainability. A detergent) bar soap. It’s a combination of palm oil and tallow recent university study found that illegal deforestation was (beef or mutton fat) soap with various synthetic surfactants occurring at similar levels at both sustainable and non-sustainable and additives. These syndet bars were promoted with extensive emotive marketing: nearly everyone knows about the one quarter palm plantations. Often the sustainable certification simply provided cover for “business as usual”. moisturizing cream in Dove, but who can name what it is?!

Ultimately the answer is not to boycott palm oil as it is a Liquid soaps were made during the 1800s but became more highly efficient oil to produce. What is needed is genuine popular in the early 1900s with the introduction of a palm and environmental and social sustainability. olive oil soap, appropriately named Palmolive (later to become The concern is whether our current corporate structures the name of the company, and eventually Colgate-Palmolive). and economic systems can achieve this. Multinationals have However, the sale of liquid hand and body washes did not take corporatised sustainability and use it as part of their massoff until reliable dispenser pumps became available in the 1980s. marketing to promote the ever-increasing worldwide sales At that time a Minnesota soap company gained a lead over its larger competitors by buying up most supplies of the pumps! This of their branded products. But true sustainability is meant to encompass small-enterprise local production and reducing ingenious strategy created a virtual monopoly for their Softsoap® demand and consumption! brand. It is still sold today, though like all supermarket hand and Natural handcrafted artisan soaps are increasing popular. body washes it is not actually a soap but a synthetic detergent.

These “cold process” soaps are made without heating and so Bar soap is easy to manufacture and is suited to small-scale

require relatively simple equipment and are suited for smallscale production. They are traditional soaps that do not have the glycerine removed. The small-scale production lends itself to the use of premium oils and creative formulation.

As always, judge a product by the ingredient list rather than any marketing hype. Take the time to learn how different oils, when saponified, create soaps with different properties. Olive oil and macadamia oil make mild moisturising soaps. Coconut oil makes a hard white bar with good cleansing properties, but too much can strip the skin of oils and be drying.

I wouldn’t buy a soap made from “vegetable oil” – if they won’t tell me what it is made from why should I buy it? Due to its expense, olive oil is unfortunately used less and less, and some soap manufacturers have transformed the descriptor “castile soap” from olive oil soap to mainly olive oil, to partly olive oil, to any plant oil (you guessed it, normally palm oil).

On the web I saw an expensive “triple-milled avocado and olive oil” gift soap. Now an avocado and olive oil soap would be truly wonderful, but the ingredient list shows it is actually made from palm and coconut oil. So it’s really a standard ‘supermarket’ soap.

After ‘fragrance’ (<1%) in the ingredient list comes a few drops of olive and avocado oil, not enough to make any meaningful difference. Not so much a luxury soap as a pig with lipstick.

Milling requires extensive machinery, so a milled soap will always be a mass-produced product that is unlikely to have real artisan character, or use anything but the cheaper oils.

“Triple-milled” is essentially a marketing term. Your supermarket soap is milled perfectly well. We have triple-milled soap for the same reason there are triple-distilled gins, and countless triple-action products.

The “triple” in itself doesn’t guarantee any sort of quality, but it sure sounds good. “Quadrouple” is a mouthful and it sounds like you are trying too hard, “double” sounds like you are not trying hard enough. “Triple” is the marketing goldilocks point – it’s just right.

So how will historians view our use of soap today? Perhaps it will be seen as a time of extreme corporate marketing hype. Be a discerning consumer. When the “Only Good” hand and body wash range was released in New Zealand it was promoted on its front label and on its website as 100% natural, sulphate free and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) free. All desirable features that one might want in a hand and body wash, and clearly ones they wanted to highlight for their product. But their main ingredient is coco sulfate, which is a synthetic sulfate detergent and is more than half SLS! So their promotional points were simply not true.

And their marketing was very successful – what does that say about our consumer society?

Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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HAUORA: HEALTH Setting an example for kids’ healthy lifestyles Australia and Finland. Information It should be a no-brainier that GETTING FIT was collected from 1971 onwards setting a healthy example for our for about 40,000 children aged 3-19 children is a priority. But it often who were followed up about age 50 isn’t. for cardiovascular events leading to When we don’t lead healthy hospitalisation (heart attack, stroke, lifestyles, get plenty of exercise and peripheral arterial disease) or alleat good nutritious food, our kids cause death. don’t. Which means they grow up Study author Professor Terence to develop a whole range of health Dwyer of the University of Oxford, issues that have to be dealt with UK, said: “While previous research when they’re adults.

DANIEL DUXFIELD has found connections between A study published on September smoking and obesity in childhood 1 this year by the European Society of Cardiology found that laying the foundations and adult cardiovascular disease, there was no data for blood pressure or serum cholesterol. for a healthy heart early on in life massively In addition, it has not been possible to assess reduced the risk of high cholesterol, high blood the contributions of obesity and smoking while pressure, obesity and heart disease in adults. taking cholesterol and blood pressure into The study used data from the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort Consortium. account.”

Prof Dwyer goes on to say: “The study shows Data were pooled on serum (HDL & LDL) a very strong relationship between standard cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity and smoking from seven child cohorts in the US, cardiovascular risk factors in children and the probability of a heart attack or stroke later in life. A meaningful proportion of that risk appears to be laid down in childhood and has a detrimental effect independent of adult risk factor levels. Programmes to prevent We use a touch of science to enhance nature's bounty, heart attacks and strokes should creating products good for both you and the planet. put more emphasis on Come and visit our factory to see our range of beauty and promoting healthy lifestyles in health products, made right here in Otaki. children.”

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How do we do this? We lead by example. We model the healthy habits that keep us out of the hospital emergency department.

We can talk to our kids about what is healthy food and what is not. Encourage fruit as snacks, vegetables and meat (protein) for lunches and dinners, while cutting back on unnecessary carbohydrates.

When you exercise, your kids will exercise with you. Remember that exercise for kids can

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be as simple as active, physical play. Sports should be encouraged, as well as showing them the gym.

Take them with you to your group fitness or boot camp class, take them to the gym with you.

The example you set will show them the right way to look after their overall health and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes and even osteoporosis in their 20s and 30s (yes, unfortunately this is a thing now).

Happy family exercising, everyone. n Daniel Duxfield is an exercise professional who operates DuxFit Functional Fitness from a private studio in Ōtaki.

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HELPLINES AND LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES It’s OK to reach out for help – never hesitate if you are concerned about yourself or someone else.

IN A CRISIS OR EMERGENCY

If someone has attempted suicide or you’re worried about their immediate safety, do the following: • Call your local mental health crisis assessment team 0800 745 477 or go with them to the emergency department (ED) of your nearest hospital • If they are in immediate physical danger to themselves or others, call 111 • Stay with them until support arrives • Remove any obvious means of suicide they might use (eg ropes, pills, guns, car keys, knives) • Try to stay calm, take some deep breaths • Let them know you care

• Keep them talking: listen and ask questions without judging • Make sure you are safe.

For more information and support, talk to your local doctor, medical centre, hauora, community mental health team, school counsellor or counselling service.

If you don’t get the help you need the first time, keep trying.

Services offering support and information: • Lifeline 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) • Samaritans 0800 726 666 - for confidential support for anyone who is lonely or in emotional distress • Depression Helpline 0800 111 757 or free text 4202 - to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions

• Healthline 0800 611 116 - for advice from trained registered nurses • www.depression.org.nz – includes The Journal free online self-help.

For children and young people • Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or webchat at www.youthline.co.nz (webchat available 7-11pm) – for young people and their parents, whānau and friends • What’s Up 0800 942 8787 (0800 WHATSUP) or webchat at www.whatsup.co.nz from 5-10pm for ages 5-18.

• Kidsline 0800 543 754 (0800 KIDSLINE) – up to 18 yrs.

For more options: www.mentalhealth.org.nz

HAUORA: HEALTH I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

whika 23

Fund squeeze shuts out health services “

We used to run lots of services and programmes, but we just don’t have the funding for them these days. It’s a real shame, because the need is still there and other agencies can’t provide the same services.

A funding squeeze is shutting out several services delivered by the Otaki Women’s Health Group.

Funding from the Central Primary Health Organisation for sexual and reproductive health services was withdrawn recently after 18 years, leaving the centre wondering how it could remain viable with its main service and funding unavailable.

“More importantly, the community misses out on this much-needed service,” says the group’s project co-ordinator, Michelle Baker. “It’s the more vulnerable clients who will be most affected.”

The Ōtaki Women’s Health Centre is based at the old Ōtaki Maternity Hospital. It’s a place where women – and men – can ask for help and feel safe and supported.

The group was devasted by the withdrawal of funding and tried to convince Central PHO and MidCentral DHB to reconsider. It presented an alternative proposal to continue to deliver the sexual health services, but it was turned down.

FUNDING WOES: Ōtaki Women’s Health Group project co-ordinator Michelle Baker outside the Women’s Heath Centre. The – Michelle Baker In recent years other funding building used to be the Ōtaki Maternity Hospital. options have also been reduced, including from Pub Charity, which is no longer Besides the sexual health clinic, the centre also especially, but the centre also has many men who and needed plenty of work. The Women’s available in Ōtaki. provided cervical screening clinics. These clinics seek help.

Health Group negotiated for four months with “We used to run lots of services and are now only run once a fortnight and unless The Ōtaki Women’s Health Group has a lease the Office of Treaty Settlements to include the programmes, but we just don’t have the funding they are well used, this service might also go. agreement with Land Information New Zealand cottage in its lease agreement, leading to the for them these days,” Michelle says. “It’s a real Gone are the days that the health centre (Linz) to lease the centre. Part of the agreement MenzShed having a new home. MenzShed have shame, because the need is still there and other could offer parenting programmes, anger is that the group maintain the facility. also put in an enourmous amount of work to agencies can’t provide the same services.” management courses, self help and many other “When we group first took over as lead tenant, upgrade the cottage.

One bright light, however, is a recent interesting programmes. Funding through we worked with some prominent members of the “We love having MenzShed on site and we four-year extension of funding from Oranga Adult Community Education (ACE) has also community who helped us negotiate the lease, often call on them to do odd jobs at the health Tamariki (Ministry of Social Development) for disappeared.

Janet says. “They were wonderful people like centre,” Michelle says. counselling services. Although it reaches only Co-Ordinators Michelle and Janet Murray still Anne Thorpe, Len Bayliss and Don Hunn. Their Meantime, the Otaki Women’s Health Group a limited numbers of clients, it ensures that the provide other health-related information services support was invaluable.” continues to operate, if under a funding cloud.

Women’s Health Service can continue to offer for women to promote well-being, and support The group set about upgrading the interior of Staff and committee members are also involved free counselling to the Ōtaki community for women in the local community along with the the building, which had been neglected for many in other community groups and organisations. people who meet the criteria. counselling and cervical screening clinics. years. It was painted, new carpet laid throughout They continue to work hard looking for funding The centre is increasingly looking at “As much as anything, we’re here for the and new curtains installed, entailing many days so they can keep offering services to the Ōtaki using its own sources of funding to provide community, no matter what the issue might of work and plenty of the group’s own money. community. New members – including for the services, but it’s putting pressure on the team be,” Janet says.

“Requests for help are often not Other compatible groups and busineses committee – are always welcome. to find the money, and straining the centre’s directly related to health, but people need to talk sub-let spaces within the building. It is now fully Michelle and Janet have worked at the centre financial resources. Funds are being sought about them and we usually have local contacts tenanted and continues to provide a space for for 18 and 21 years respectively. They currently from organisations such as the T G Macarthy that can help. ” meetings for other community groups, such work 28 hours a week each and are available from Trust, One Foundation, Infinity Foundation The centre began more than 30 years ago, as Narcotics Anonymous, Dances of Universal 9am-2pm every week day. and Wellington Community Trust, and in 1987, as a collective of individuals and Peace, yoga and at times Barnardos and Oranga representations are being made regularly to n Ōtaki Women’s Health Centre, 186 Mill Road (up the drive supporting local organisations. It’s always had Tamariki family group conferences.

Oranga Tamariki and MSD. opposite Domain Rd). 06 364-6367. a focus on providing support and counselling, In 2014, MenzShed moved into the old cottage E: otakiwomenshealth@xtra.co.nz “The current situation is just not sustainable W: https://sites.google.com/site/otakiwomenshealthgroup/ education and health services for women on the property. The building was uninhabitable long term,” Michelle says.

”

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Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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MAHI TOI: ARTS REVIEW

Players excel again with Phantom show The Phantom of the Opera Ōtaki Players

By Selwyn Boorman

There is something disturbing when sweetness, innocence and beauty are corrupted, and the one who should have been equal to the task of saving the girl can't.

The Phantom of the Opera is, at first sight, the classic story of the handsome hero, the nasty villain and the heroine who succumbs to his power. But the genius of Sir Andrew LloydWebber gives us something different – the power of love, powerful enough to defeat evil.

Some comic relief is provided for us by the opera company and its hangers-on. There to assault the eyes was the grand set and the gorgeous costumes, and to assault the ears was grand singing from an overweight and overcooked prima donna, Carlotta (Mary Flemmer). When she is unable to perform, an understudy is found in Christine (Hannah

Chisholm), a lovely, lively slip of a girl who had been in the chorus. But most significantly she is not likely to be any competition for Carlotta.

However, she turns out to have a voice that will melt the coldest heart.

Further comedy is provided by a collection of gawky characters who are either in the company or on the fringe as owners.

When the phantom (Ben Wakefield), who lives a lonely existence in the dark depths beneath the opera house hears that beautiful singing, he is stirred. He must possess her and she is putty in his hands. She cannot resist the music of the night. The sound of The Phantom of the Opera is Here was intended to chill, and it did.

In the end, her beau, Raoul (Dominic Van Den Berg), for all his good breeding, was no match for the phantom's power. But it was the power of love, the love of this once timid slip of a girl that overcame. She saved her hesitant hero from the hand of evil.

And, not only that but she defused that monster's evil. Ōtaki Players excelled themselves yet again with this production. The collection of artists brought together was extraordinary.

Where do you start? Ben Wakefield played the phantom. What an incredible voice he has, and an acting ability to match. When he threw himself onto the "throne of death" one might call it, there was naked despair – a truly dramatic moment.

That ability to act could also be seen in Hannah Chisholm, a Kāpiti local, who was Christine Daae. Hers was the difficult call of taking command in an impossible situation and winning. And she was believable.

Could it be true that Dominic van den Berg is still at school? It is to be hoped that he finds more roles on the stage; he has a future here with his singing, acting and stage presence.

There were some familiar faces and names among the cast, all well seasoned and good. One

name that will be familiar to only some is that of Harlan Te Wiata. His great uncle was none other than Inia Te Wiata, a thrilling performer for those of us who saw him in our younger days, and from Ōtaki.

A show of any sort is only as good as the direction. Teresa Sullivan has done a superb job here. What we saw and heard reflected that in the confident performances by all on stage.

Graham Orchard found himself with a full orchestra this time, as befits this particular show.

His is a driving force in Ōtaki Players, and a great deal of credit must go to him for its ambition and success.

Those who designed and made the costumes must be given a special mention. The dresses for the women and ornate garb of the time on the men were nothing less than wonderful. Excess was "in" at that time apparently.

The lasting memory of The Phantom of the Opera is the wonderful music and the magnificent voices that sang in Ōtaki that night.

TAME IN TOWN: Photos from the opening of Tame Iti’s exhibition at Te Whare Toi o Hori. At left, Tame and Hori take some time out, and above, Tame chatting with some of the locals. Photos: Ian Carson

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Ōtaki SpringSing3 Ōtaki 2019 SpringSing3 2019 An afternoon of adult

groupsSinging on the An Afternoonsinging of Adult Groups on the KāpitiKāpiti Coast Coast

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Featuring: Women’s Choir •Street, next to Ōtaki Memorial HallKāpiti – 69 Main 54 Main Street Kāpiti Chorale • Kāpiti Songsters • Ōtaki Village BIG IMAGE has its headquarters Let’s Singthe Ōtaki library • Ōtaki Ecumenical

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MAHI TOI: ARTS I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

ICONIC ŌTAKI

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PIC OF THE MONTH: Do you have a great photo at or around Ōtaki?

Email us your pics for possible publication to: otakiphotos@idmedia.co.nz

New hall piano strikes gifted note

By Michael Moore

Chilly August from the sea to the Tararuas.

PHOTO: Susan Muszalski

Rock up to Rockabilly 2019 Rockabilly is back. The 2019 Rockabilly Rock & Rev Festival is at Ōtaki Domain on Saturday October 19.

This year’s festival features a programme with live bands and talented musicians, top rock ’n roll dancers and entertainers, rides and jumpy castles for the children, and martial arts demonstrations. There are plenty of stalls booked at the Domain, including alternative styles and trucks from the Food Truck Revolution. Official photographers will be taking photos during the day and there’s much more on offer.

The festival includes the rev and shine of classic cars and hot rods that are arriving from car clubs throughout the lower North Island.

Organisers are expecting great crowds. Anamia King, director of 80K’s Academy & Entertainment, which is organising the event, says she and her team are excited about the 2019 festival.

“It’s going to be an amazing festival that everyone can enjoy, no matter what your age,” Anamia says. “There’s something for everyone.”

She’s urging festival-goers to dress for the occasion – rockabilly, rock ’n roll, pin-up and greaser styles.

“Or just come as you are and enjoy the day.”

n Gate entry is either a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the local food banks, or a gold coin entry fee. Māori Women’s Welfare League will greet visitors and receive food items and/or entry fee.

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A piano gifted from Tawa College is music to the ears of Ōtaki chorister Ann-Marie Stapp.

“This has been a long-time coming, after the old Memorial Hall pianos fell into disrepair and were unable to be tuned correctly,” Ann-Marie says.

“They had become defunct over many years, and I have been trying to get a replacement for some time.”

A grant from Kāpiti Coast District Council’s community grants scheme has facilitated the relocation of the piano, which was no longer needed.

“We will make a koha to the college for this generous gift to our community. For so long, we had to make do with electric keyboards, so this addition to our hall, and to our community, is really magnificent.”

The piano will make its debut at Ōtaki’s Spring Sing at the Memorial Hall on Sunday (September 15).

“We invite everyone at 2pm for a wonderful afternoon of music and our local choirs,” Anne-Marie says. “Entry is only a gold coin donation, and there is a wonderful line up of choirs from around the Kåpiti region.”

Ann-Marie started the annual concert in 2016, and it has grown.

Although there has been a push to move it to Paraparaumu, she wanted to keep it an Ōtaki event.

"Our hall is best suited as there are

IN TUNE: Ann-Marie Stapp with the new piano at the Memorial Hall gifted by Tawa College.

about 140 singers, plus the audience.”

The concert promises something for everyone, and it's hoped will spark interest for new additions from the community to get involved in a local choir.

Jenny Scarlett, a professional Kåpiti pianist, will play a movement from Brahms and the Highland Mass, and will join eight choirs in Spring Sing: Kåpiti Women’s Choir, Kāpiti Songsters, Ōtaki Ecumenical Singers, Voices in the Wind, Kāpiti Choral, Let’s Sing Ōtaki, Sing Out Levin, and Kāpiti Senior Choir.

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ICE SKATING Fundraiser for ōtaki �ontessori Preschool

Hadfield Hall Otaki $8 for under 17's / $12 for adults / $35 family of 4 Entry payable at the door, includes ice skates, gloves, helmets & at least half and hour ice skating (longer if capacity allows) Daytime bookings also available for school groups.

Contact Otaki Montessori for more information: om_admin@otakimontessori.co.nz or (06) 364 7500

HĪTŌRIA: HISTORY I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

whika 26

Between the wars: New arrivals, little growth Historian REX KERR continues his series plotting the history of Ōtaki and its people. This is part 9.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, 1921, Ōtaki’s population exceeded Ōtaki had a population of 827 (excluding the magical figure of 1000 (still Māori). Large numbers of young men excluding Māori) and became a enlisted to serve and Ōtaki was no exception. borough with James Brandon, a Throughout the district, more than 400 retired Wellington businessman, as young men who were both Māori and Pākehā its first mayor. signed up. Many did not return. When the war During the next few years, ended in 1918, the survivors began to return, several more ex- servicemen but they brought with them an unwelcome were attracted to Ōtaki. In 1920 guest – the deadly influenza virus – which swept the Corrigan brothers took over through New Zealand.

Heatherlea Farm as a rehabilitation The cities suffered most but rural communities block in the Ōtaki Forks, which such as Ōtaki also felt the impact. Sadly, Māori they farmed and milled until 1936. bore the brunt of the epidemic, on top of their Jimmy Sievers, who came to Ōtaki losses from previous such deadly events. in 1920, set up as a shopkeeper and Ōtaki welcomed home its returning young funeral director. Harry Edhouse LOCAL LIFELINE: Between the wars, the railway station was Ōtaki’s link, lifeline and hub. men and women as they adjusted to a life returned to the district in 1926 to holiday resort, building a kiosk guest house later role in the life of Ōtaki. It was a time when without war and death. Among those to return establish H B Edhouse Draper & road transport was poorly developed. Several known as the Capitol and now Byron’s Resort. home to resume a more normal life were the Clothing Ltd, a department store that was to be passenger services daily and the mixed goods He gave land on which Feltham’s Children’s brothers Pirimi and Henare Tahiwi, Rikihana an iconic Ōtaki business for the next 90 years. trains made it possible for Ōtaki residents to Home, now Ocean View Rest Home, was built Carkeek, Hugh Ahern and William Taylor.

General Robert Young, who retired to Ōtaki travel to Palmerston North, Levin, Wellington This period also had returning soldiers from in 1933, built a home at Ōtaki Beach, helped re- for orphans and abandoned children. and further afield relatively easily.

In 1930 he gifted 70 acres (28 hectares) on other parts of New Zealand come to make a establish the RSA in 1934 and became deputy These trains were met by local bus services home in Ōtaki and contribute significantly to mayor in 1945. After a long absence from Ōtaki, which the King George V Health Camp, the that connected the township and beach to the first in New Zealand, was established. In those the district. One was Captain Thomas Bax of Colonel Charles Powles on his retirement in railway. difficult times malnourished children from the Camel Corps, who arrived in town in 1918 1935, bought a farm on Beach Road, Te Horo.

Regular goods trains allowed the district’s the poorer urban areas were brought to Ōtaki after a period in hospital recuperating from the In 1920, Leonard Lowry bought Isherwood’s produce of milk, stock, timber, flowers and to be built up in a healthy, safe and loving effects of the war. He set up in Bookshop in Main Street and DESTINATION OTAKI vegetables to get to market reasonably quickly. environment by the sea. business, first as a tobacconist in 1935 he was elected as the The regular services that operated even on From the earliest days market gardening and later as a menswear retailer, Labour Member of Parliament the weekends helped make Ōtaki attractive to played a key role in the Ōtaki economy. In the an auctioneer and tea shop for Ōtaki, a position he held 1920s and 30s, with land in Miramar and Lower holiday-makers in the summer. This became the proprietor. He became deputy until 1946 when ill health era of the beach bach.

Hutt being taken up for urban development, mayor of the newly established forced him to resign.

The railway station was Ōtaki’s link, lifeline the rich fertile soils in the district made it an Ōtaki Borough Council in These and other exand hub, providing a far better public transport attractive prospect to the market gardeners 1921. As a talented sportsman servicemen contributed connection than it does now. he helped establish the Ōtaki significantly to Ōtaki until their of Wellington. This period saw an influx of As the 1930s came to an end and war again gardeners who were to make an important Gymnastics Club. deaths. contribution to the economy and enrich the life loomed, the Ōtaki Borough, with a population In 1919, returned One person who made of 1780 (figures now including Māori), was to of the township. serviceman Charles Atmore a great contribution to REX KERR face new challenges.

Among the gardening families who arrived joined the law office of Kirk Ōtaki in this period was the during this time were Thorpe, Bertelsen, and Rapley. He became involved businessman, entrepreneur and Next: Part 10: The Second World War and the Chittick, Grant, Haywood and Tilbury. Another aftermath. in the community and was the borough’s philanthropist Byron Brown. He arrived in the distinctive group to arrive were the Chinese longest-serving mayor (1929-1933 and 1938district about 1896, established himself as a n References: McLellan, A. ‘Market Gardening in Otaki.’ Otaki Historical 1953). In 1922 he married Emma Gertrude successful businessman and was chairman of the gardeners, who were to add a distinctive flavour Journal, Vol 5, 1982. pp61-69. to the district’s cultural mix. Families such as Applegate, the medical superintendent at the Town Board (1918-20). Having bought most Meyer, D and McLellan, A. ‘The Chinese of Otaki District.’

Moy, Hing, Chung, Gow, Yung, Wong, Seto, Ōtaki Sanatorium. She was to become Ōtaki’s of the Taumanuka Block along Ōtaki Beach, he Otaki Historical Journal, Vol 11, 1988. pp56-61.

Sue, Yee and Young were welcome citizens who much loved physician for 37 years. set about developing the area as a resort and Long, M. ‘Otaki Beach – The Last 100 Years.’ Otaki Historical made an enormous contribution to the life of In July 1919, a group of returned servicesettlement. In 1921, 100 beach sections were Journal, Vol 20, 1997. pp14-19. Ōtaki.

Simcox, F S. Otaki The Town And District. Wellington. A H & men including Thomas Bax, Pirimi Tahiwi and put up for sale. He had Mill Road extended During this period the railway played a crucial A W Reed. 1952.

Charles Atmore formed the Ōtaki RSA. In to the beach (Tasman Road) and developed a

Waikawa bounty reveals the detritus of the human race When recent big tides and winds dumped an Every day the tide gifts Waikawa Beach WAIKAWA WAYS extra helping of detritus, someone on Facebook with a fresh scattering of its bounty: here is put out the call for an even greater effort. a plastic drink bottle, there a piece of rope.

Readers acted without hesitation to clean up.

Rubber gloves, fishing glow sticks, plastic These Beach Buddies take pride in our beach, bags in every shape and size, and random bits and it makes a huge difference. You gain the of hard plastic dot the beach, along with the impression it's a well-cared for, well-loved place, odd drink can or shard of broken glass.

And most days, at least one generous-hearted because it is. person will be out there with bag in hand, You have to wonder though, just what is picking up what rubbish they can find, carting in the world's rivers and oceans. How does it it off to the nearest bin. come about that dead possums, goats, sheep Come the holidays though, there's a whole and even cows end up on our beach?

MIRAZ JORDAN new burden of rubbish to be dealt with.

Where do the plastic vehicle parts come Suddenly there are partly buried, often burned from, the old computer stuff, the bicycle tyres and broken bottles and cans. There are food wrappers, socks, and shoes? And don't even mention plastic straws – they are a paper or plastic plates, and sometimes even fiercely sharp metal plague. knives and forks.

We're proud of our Waikawa Beach Buddies who do Although there's a rubbish bin at every beach entrance, for a fantastic job keeping our beach clean. They should be commended for their dedication and hard work. some people it's just too much effort to pick up what they But how about we all do what we can to minimise our draw carried to the beach but no longer need. on the world's resources, and reduce what we dispose of as The Beach Buddies grumble then redouble their efforts, rubbish? Can we all be Buddies and help keep this stuff out of longing for the holidays to be over, the visitors to go back to the rivers and oceans in the first place? their own homes, and for the tide to be the sole delivery agent of the world's rubbish. n Miraz Jordan is a Waikawa Beach resident and blogger. See www.miraz.me:

Broken bottles and an old hot water bottle – just part of the detritus found by the Waikawa Beach Buddies.

Photos Miraz Jordan

WHAKATUPU: FARMING I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

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Women’s voices strong in farming community Until mid-late last century, women were in Ōhau with some involvement in the original the farming background, but they’re now Manakau family farm. very actively involved.

Some recent local RWNZ successes Pauline Collectively, Rural Women NZ (RWNZ) has seen include regulation of rural speed limits have a strong voice. Issues and prevention of rural rate hikes.

FARM FOCUS such as domestic and Currently water quality is a hot community well-being, topic with farm runoff causing farming techniques, education pollution in the local Waiauti and environmental concerns stream and nearby rivers. are raised at both regional and Long-serving RWNZ member national levels.

Diana Tims is an ex-president of RWNZ is divided into the Muhunoa East branch and four regions with up to 10 with husband Gilbert farms stud branches in each. National sheep and cattle near Shannon. membership is about 2000, Diana also belongs to a women’s with flexibility in participation farm discussion group with 8-10 varying from branch meetings DR KEN GEENTY members rotationally meeting to dealing with national issues monthly on each other’s farms. via the Wellington head office.

A variety of topics are discussed, including Local branch Muhunoa East covers the lower calf rearing, dog training, animal health and North Island from Shannon south to Waikanae. domestic issues. This informal but effective rural Monthly meetings are enjoyed by about 35 women’s discussion group has longevity, still members at the Ōhau church hall on the first going strong since the mid 90s.

Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm.

Diana says that women focus on things Pauline Masters has held various positions differently to men, often coming up with in this branch after leaving the family farm near unique solutions. Friendship and well-being Manakau and returning periodically from her are important and Diana acknowledged recent equine work in Wellington. In the early 70s, support from the group when husband Gilbert Pauline had been keen to join the old established was unwell. family sheep and cattle farm, dating back to 1912, A southernmost RWNZ member, Gail but that was “not the done thing for girls” in Inglis, is unable to attend local branch meetings those days. from her Peka Peka small block. But being an A long farming background, with her mother active member enables regular contact with a past national president of the former Women’s the organisation and knowledge of rural issues.

Division of Federated Farmers, has ensured After recent local newspaper coverage of a dog Pauline’s continuing RWNZ role as a life attack on her sheep, Gail was impressed by a member. She now lives on a small block near supportive visit from a local RWNZ member.

Above: Rural women stalwart Pauline Masters outlines their activities (photo: Ken Geenty); and below, RWNZ members Pauline Masters, Lois Molloy and Jenny Burnell cut the group's 40th birthday cake.

She had earlier in 2017 enjoyed a RWNZorganised three-day rail trail bike ride in central Otago with a group of about 50 members.

RWNZ is strictly non-political and lobbies for rural issues with Wellington head office, regularly making submissions to government.

The organisation is separate from Federated Farmers, where it began as a women’s division early last century. Autonomy was achieved in the late 70s, with a 40th birthday of the local branch recently celebrated at Levin. n Dr Ken Geenty has had a 30-year research and development career in the New Zealand sheep and beef cattle industry, including pioneering research in sheep dairy production. He now lives in Ōtaki.

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TAMARIKI FUN PAGE I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week

WORD SEARCH K

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TAMARIKI FUN PAGE , Tena ko utou tamariki ma

age? Then you’ll have Is Māori your first langu rd Search puzzle. If not, no problem with our Wo then test your te reo.

New this issue is Kyuss’s dinosaur quiz. Email your answers to KyussOT@idmedia.co.nz and the first winner with the correct answers drawn will win a $20 book voucher or one of Jared’s Animals in Vehicles books – your choice.

Drop your coloured cartoon into 13 RiverStone Cafe on SH1 by Sunday r. che vou October, to win a $40 cafe WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL YOU PET LOVERS?

Send us a pic of you and your pet to be in to win a $20 book voucher or your choice of Animals in Vehicles.

Make sure your name, age and phone number is included in all correspondence.

ils to put a line through the Use different coloured pens or penc across, up or down, or even words as you find them. You can go a letter more than once. Do use around, to find the words. You can n? Write the meaning down mea s word ri you know what these Māo k the answers below. on another piece of paper and chec

hapu hui iti iwi

kai kaumatua koha motu

nui pā puku tapu

tipuna tiaki wai waiata

waka whānau

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What was the biggest dinosaur?

What was the smallest dinosaur?

What was the biggest carnivore?

What dino type ate only plants?

Which dino types were small and which ones were big?

6. What type of dinosaurs had long necks?

7. What type of dinosaurs could swim?

8. What dino is the most famous of all?

9. How did the dinos go extinct?

10. What times did the dinosaurs go through?

Kiwi Kids Squash Jonah Pritchard is running Kiwi Kids Squash on Thursdays from 3.30-4.30pm at the squash courts at Haruatai Park.

It’s for 5-10 years olds, teaching them the basics of body movement on the court and hand-eye coordination. All gear is provided and it’s free – just turn up.

Space car orbits the Sun A sports car sent into space in 2018 has orbited the Sun. The car, sent by rocket company SpaceX, completed the amazing feat last week. In February 2018, the world’s most powerful rocket took off with a sports car attached to the top.

The car was an electric Roadster made by Tesla. Driving the car was a mannequin dressed in a spacesuit. He was nicknamed Starman! Experts planned that it would take the car 557 Earth days to make the solar lap and it’s now been in space for more than 560. Unfortunately Starman can’t be seen as he is now on the other side of the Sun from Earth, and is moving at about 38,000 kilometres an hour!

Wellington gets a new sculpture Wellington is the new home to a massive hand sculpture. The five-metre tall sculpture was created by artist Ronnie van Hout and is known for its mix of surreal and serious. The sculpture is called ‘Quasi’.

It shows a large hand balanced on two fingers, with a human face in the palm. The original sculpture stood on top of the Christchurch Art Gallery. However, its new home is now on top of Wellington’s City Gallery. Some people like it and some don’t. Do you?

motu (island) nui (large, many, big) pā (hill fort) puku (belly, stomach) tapu (sacred, not to be touched, to be avoided because sacred, taboo) tipuna/ tupuna (ancestor) tiaki (to care for, look after, guard) wai (water) waiata (song or chant) waka (canoe, canoe group) whānau (extended family Kei te pēhea te āhua o te rangi, tamariki mā? What is the weather like today children? Kei te ua (It's raining). Kei te pupuhi te hau. It’s windy. Kei te mahana. It’s warm.

aroha (love) awa (river) haka (generic term for Māori dance) hangi (traditional feast prepared in earth oven) hapu (clan, sub-tribe; to be born) hui (gathering, meeting) iti (small) iwi (tribe) kai (food) kaumatua (elder) koha (gift, present)

aroha awa haka hangi

Kyuss’ DINOSAUR Quiz

ŌT KIDS’ NEWS

NAME:

AGE:

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HAPORI: COMMUNITY I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

whika 29 To list your group here, or update contact details, email debbi@idmedia.co.nz

COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS

Community garden New vegetable and herb gardens near the entrance of the Ōtaki Library and outside the Memorial Hall have generated plenty of local interest and support.

The plants are available for anyone to pick, and many people have taken the opportunity to help themselves to some fresh produce. The gardens are the result of planning and planting by local librarians and KCDC parks and operations teams. The new edible garden contains silverbeet, choy, herbs and ornamental kale. Take what you need, leave some for others!

CHURCHES Rangiātea 33 Te Rauparaha St, ŌTAKI • 364 6838 Sunday Eucharist: 9am • Church viewing hours, school terms: Mon-Fri 9.30am- 1.30pm St Mary’s Pukekaraka 4 Convent Rd, ŌTAKI Fr Alan Robert • 364 8543 or 021 0822 8926 otakiandlevincatholicparish.nz, for other masses Sunday mass: 10am. Miha Māori Mass, first Sunday.

Anglican Methodist Parish of Ōtaki • 364 7099 otakianglican.xtra.co.nz. 1st and 3rd Sundays 9.30am, All Saints’, 47 Te Rauparaha St, Ōtaki; Note change of time for Sunday 7 July is 10.30am followed by Parish mid-Winter lunch.

2nd and 4th Sundays 9.30am, St Margaret’s, 38 School Rd. Te Horo; 5th Sunday 9.30am, St Andrew’s 23 Mokena Kohere St, Manakau. Ōtaki Baptist cnr SH1 & Te Manuao Rd, ŌTAKI Pastor Roger Blakemore • 364 8540 or 027 672 7865 • otakibaptist.weebly.com • Sunday service: 10am The Hub 157 Tasman Rd, ŌTAKI • Leader Richard Brons • 364-6911 • www.actschurches.com/church-directory/horowhenua/hub-church/ • Sunday service and Big Wednesday service: 10.15am Ōtaki Presbyterian 249 Mill Rd, ŌTAKI • Rev Peter Jackson • 364 8759 or 021 207 9455 www.otakiwaikanaechurch.nz • Sunday service: 11am Jehovah’s Witness 265 Mill Road, ŌTAKI 364 6419 • www.jw.org • Sunday meeting: 10am

MEDICAL CARE Ōtaki Medical Centre 2 Aotaki Street, Ōtaki • 06 364 8555 Monday-Friday: 8.15am-5pm • Saturday: 9am-noon. After hours, including weekend and public holidays.

Emergencies: 111 Team Medical, Paraparaumu: After hours: 04 297 3000 Coastlands Shopping Mall. 8am-10pm every day.

Palmerston North Hospital emergency department, 50 Ruahine St, Palmerston North • 06 356 9169 Healthline for free 24-hour health advice 0800 611 116.

St John Health Shuttle 06 364 5603 Ōtaki Women’s Health Group 186 Mill Road, 364 6367 P-pull walk-in Drug advice and support, Birthright Centre, every 2nd Thursday 6-8pm.

Emergency session Could you be more prepared for an emergency?

Come along to a free plan and prepare information session at the Ōtaki Surf Life Saving Club from 3.30-4.30pm on Saturday, September 14.

The session is hosted by the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (Wremo).

Find out about the types of hazards we face and how your family can be better prepared at home, school and work, as well as the ways your community can plan to support each other.

COMMUNITY ŌTAKI POLICE 06 364 7366, cnr Iti and Matene Sts. CITIZEN’S ADVICE BUREAU ŌTAKI 06 364 8664, 0800 367 222. 65a Main Street, Ōtaki. otaki@cab.org.nz AROHANUI HOSPICE SHOP 11 Main St. 06 929 6603 BIRTHRIGHT OPPORTUNITY SHOP 23 Matene St, 06 364 5558.

COBWEBS OPPORTUNITY SHOP TRUST Main St. HUHA OP SHOP 208 SH 1, Ōtaki. 06 364 7062.

OCEAN VIEW RESIDENTIAL CARE 06 364 7399 ST JOHN’S SHOP 4 Arthur St. 06 364 5981.

OPPORTUNITY FOR ANIMALS OP SHOP 236 SH1. 06 364 2241.

AMICUS CLUB OF ŌTAKI 364 6464 COBBLERS LUNCH CLUB Thursdays 11.15am-1.30pm Gertrude Atmore Lounge. Free soup.

FOREST & BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY Joan Leckie 368 1277 FRIENDS OF THE ŌTAKI RIVER (Fotor) Trevor Wylie 364 8918 FRIENDS OF THE ŌTAKI ROTUNDA Di Buchan 364 0180/027 683 0213 GENEALOGY SOCIETY Len Nicholls 364 7638 KĀPITI COAST GREY POWER JUNE SIMPSON 021 109 2583 KEEP ŌTAKI BEAUTIFUL Margaret Bayston/Lloyd Chapman LIONS CLUB OF ŌTAKI Peter 021 267 3929 MORRIS CAR CLUB Chris Torr 323 7753 ŌTAKI BRIDGE CLUB Tim Horner 364-5240 ŌTAKI COMMUNITY PATROL Errol Maffey 027 230 8836 ŌTAKI & DISTRICT SENIOR CITIZENS’ ASSN Vaevae 027 447 7864 ŌTAKI FLORAL ART & GARDEN CLUB Maureen Jensen 364 8614 ŌTAKI FOODBANK 43 Main St, Lucy Tahere 364 0051 ŌTAKI HERITAGE BANK MUSEUM TRUST 364 6886 ŌTAKI HISTORICAL SOCIETY Sarah Maclean 364 2497 ŌTAKI PLAYERS SOCIETY Roger Thorpe 364 8848 or 021 259 2683 ŌTAKI POTTERY CLUB Rod Graham 027 445 7545 ŌTAKI PROMOTIONS GROUP Ian Carson 364 6543 ŌTAKI RAILWAY BOWLING CLUB Maureen Beaver 364 0640 ŌTAKI SPINNERS & KNITTERS’ GROUP, Barbara Austin 364 8381 ŌTAKI WOMEN’S NETWORK GROUP Carol Ward 06 364 7732 ŌTAKI WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CLUB/SUNDAY MARKETS Kirsten Housiaux 027 466 3317 ŌTAKI WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Rema Clark remaclark@xtra.co.nz RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE Jamie 027 444 9995/Drew 021 288 7021 ROTARY CLUB OF OTAKI Michael 021 294 3039 TIMEBANK Suzanne Fahey 021 1275 074 TRANSITION TOWN OTAKI Jamie Bull 364 0550 WAITOHU STREAM CARE GROUP Lyndsay Knowles 364 6283

CHILDREN ŌTAKI TOY LIBRARY 027 621 8855 every Saturday 10.30am-12noon at the Memorial Hall, Main St. KIDZOWN O.S.C.A.R. 0800 543 9696 LITTLE GIGGLERS PLAYGROUP Baptist Church Hall, Te Manuao Rd. 10am-12noon Friday each fortnight. Denise 027 276 0983 MAINLY MUSIC Hadfield Hall, Te Rauparaha St. 021 189 6510 ŌTAKI KINDERGARTEN 68a Waerenga Rd. 364 8553. ŌTAKI MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL Haruatai Park, 200 Mill Rd, Roselle 364 7500. ŌTAKI PLAYCENTRE Mill Rd. 364 5787. M, T, TH Open 9.30am-12 noon ŌTAKI PLAYGROUP Fiona Bowler otakiplaygroup@hotmail.com ŌTAKI SCOUTS, CUBS AND KEAS Brent Bythell 364 8949.

PLUNKET MANAKAU PLAYGROUP Honi Taipua St, T & Th 9.30am-12pm.

SKIDS ŌTAKI out of school care, St Peter Chanel School. Sonia: 027 739 1986.

TE KŌHANGA REO O TE KĀKANO O TE KURA Te Rauparaha St, 06 364 5599 TE KŌHANGA REO O RAUKAWA 5 Convent Rd, 06 364 5364

SPORTS CLUBS EASY-CISE/WALKING GROUP (BODY & SOUL) Joseph 364 6191 EQUESTRIAN HORSE CLUB 364 6181, Horse Trekking club Debbie 364 6571, Ōtaki Pony Club Paul Pettengell 364 5781 GAZBOS GOLDEN OLDIES Doug Garrity 364 5886 HAWAIKINUI TUA RUA KI OTAKI (WAKA AMA) DeNeen Baker-Underhill 027 404 4697 ŌTAKI ATHLETIC CLUB Kerry Bevan 027 405 6635 ŌTAKI BOATING CLUB Trevor Hosking 364 8424 ŌTAKI BOWLING CLUB Paul Selby 927 9015 ŌTAKI CANOE CLUB Jane Bertelsen 364 5302 ŌTAKI DANCE GROUP Barbara Francis 364 7383 ŌTAKI GOLF CLUB 364 8260 ŌTAKI GYMNASTICS CLUB Nancy 027 778 6902 ŌTAKI INDOOR BOWLING Jane Selby-Paterson 927 9015 ŌTAKI MASTERS SWIMMING CLUB Sonia Coom 04 292 7676 ŌTAKI PETANQUE CLUB Val Clarke 364 5213 ŌTAKI SPORTS CLUB: TENNIS, SQUASH & SOCCER Hannah 027 327 1179 ŌTAKI SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB Kirsty Doyle 021 102 0058 RĀHUI FOOTBALL AND SPORTS CLUB Slade Sturmey 021 191 4780.

Rahui Netball Kylie Gardner 0275 490 985. Junior Rugby Megan Qaranivalu 022 165 7649 TAE KWON DO Rachael or Jim 06 364 511 TAI CHI Gillian Sutherland 04 904 8190 WHITI TE RA LEAGUE CLUB Kelly Anne Ngatai 027 256 7391 WILD GOOSE QIGONG & CHUN YUEN (SHAOLIN) QUAN Sifu Cynthia Shaw 021 613 081.

GOT A NEWS STORY?

Call us on 06 364 6543

AROAROMAHANA RUNARUNA: SPRING LEISURE I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019 © Lovatts Puzzles CROSSWORD #5463 Here-turi-kōkā 2019

whika 30

SUDOKU PUZZLES

www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz

Use logic and process of elimination to fill in the blank cells using the numbers 1 through 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Puzzle solutions page 31.

EASY #1

MEDIUM #2

HOW PAI (GOOD) IS YOUR TE REO?

noise 32. Masterpiece, ...

Lisa 33. Mutilate 35. Unconfident 37. Mama & ...

39. See next page (1,1,1) 41. Solar body 42. Food enhancer (1,1,1) 43. Gesture of assent 44. Heart monitor (1,1,1) 45. Alias (1,1,1) 47. Becomes mature 50. Supermarket section 52. Tulle skirt 53. Writer, ... Blyton

CLASSIFIEDS DEATHS

CONNOLLY, Rhyna Olive of Te Horo, aged 82 years. Peacefully on August 30, 2019 at Summerset, Levin. Loving wife of the late Bernard (Barney). Loving Mum of Kevin, Kathleen, John, Peter, Pauline, Brian, Alan, and David. Loved Nana of her 26 grandchildren and great Nana of her 47 great-grandchildren. Loved sister of Albie and the late Ben. Loving Aunty to all her nieces and nephews and a great standing pillar of the Te Horo Community. She will be sadly missed by all. A celebration of Rhyna’s life was held at Te Horo Hall, on Tuesday 3 September. Donations to Alzheimer’s NZ would be appreciated.

HING, Jackson, of Ōtaki. Passed away on 22 August 2019, aged 92. Loved brother of Jean, Helen and Dorothy, the late Sydney, Harry, Ann, Mary and John. Valued brotherin-law of Francis and the late Leone, Linda, Joe, Ng Hong and Stan. Cherished uncle to 21 nieces, nephews and nieces and nephews-in-law, and a treasured greatuncle and great-great-uncle. A generous gentleman who will always be remembered with love and respect by his family and the Ōtaki community.

MOFFATT, Grace Terewai of Ōtaki. He Kuia tino No Ngati Toarangatira, No Ngati Raukawa, No Nga Rauru, No Te Atihaunui-

54. Femme fatale 55. Table 56. Eyelid inflammation DOWN 1. Rituals 2. Vehicle frame 3. Attendant 4. Part of foot 5. Smelled (scent) 6. Sheriff’s badge 7. Menageries 8. Iron deficiency 9. Actress, ...

Sarandon 14. Hoo-ha 16. No ... or buts 18. Turn to spray 19. Bucketing down 22. Handed out 25. Brings in

(harvest) 26. Tramp 27. Tennis court barrier 28. Lump of turf 30. Brewed leaves drink 34. Renews 36. Misbehaving, ... up 38. Versus 40. Raw metal 42. British award (1,1,1) 43. Prominent 46. Confuse 48. Slimy matter 49. London nightclub area 50. Repair (socks) 51. Fewer

CLASSIFIEDS

2. Mōrena means: n Good morning n Thank you

Ensure your loved ones and significant events are remembered with a birth, death, or marriage notice in Ōtaki Today. CONTACT Debbi 06 364 6543 or otakitoday@idmedia.co.nz

Good afternoon See you later

3. What does ‘Kei te pēhea koe’ mean? n Where is the food? n What’s the time? n What's your name? n How are you?

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

CLASSIFIEDS

DEATHS A-Paparangi. Passed away peacefully surrounded by her whanau on 25 August 2019. In her 92nd year. Dearly loved wife of the late John. Loved mother and mother-in-law of Stephen and Avalon, Kathryn and Bruce Cumming, Graham, Makareta and Rawiri Rikihana, and Jeffrey (dec). Very proud Nana of Hayden, Mathew, Hemi, Ani, Hohepa, Terewai, Kurupae, Nopera, and Manupiri, and her 9 great-grandchildren.

POETSCH, Jane Anne of Levin (retired teacher), aged 79 years, on 13 August 2019 at Palmerston North Hospital.

Beloved wife of the late Richard Leopold Poetsch and loved mother of Marisa and Michael. Much loved Grandma of Terina, Vaughn, Jade, Kyra, Brannen, Khian, and Brianna. Jane is buried at Te Rau O Te Aroha Urupa, at Kuku.

TOWNROW, Christina Louise. Passed away peacefully at Golden Pond, Whakatane, on Thursday 16 August 2019, Aged 96. Dearly loved wife of the late Howie. Treasured mother and mother-inlaw of Joy and Rod, Lynne and Bruce, Jill and Rob, and Karen and Rob. Loved Nana to her 10 grandchildren and 19 greatgrandchildren. A family service to farewell Christina has been held.

n n

4. What is the Māori phrase for what is your name? n Ko wai to ingoa? n Kei hea koe? n He aha te wa? n He aha tenei?

5. What is a waiata? n Cup n Tree n Road n Song 6. What is the Māori word for stomach? n Peke n Rakau n Puku n Patai 7. What does mahi mean? n Work n Treats n Running n Grass 8. What is the Māori word for wait? n Aroha n Marae n Kauri n Taiho 9. If something is nui, what is it? n Tasty n Big n Loud n Nice 10. What does hīkoi mean? n Jump n Walk n Sing n Slide HOW PAI (GOOD) IS YOUR TE REO? ANSWERS: 1. 1975 2. Good morning 3. How are you? 4. Ko wai to ingoa? 5. Song 6. Puku 7.

Work 8. Taihoa 9. Big 10. Walk

ACROSS 1. Country, Costa ...

7. Kills (insect) 10. Winter sleep 11. Frog-like animal 12. Sturdy trees 13. Water mammal 15. Go up 17. Mayday signal (1,1,1) 18. Rear 20. Guy 21. Marriage vow (1,2) 23. Golf ball peg 24. Ceylon, ... Lanka 26. Headquarters 27. Knobs 29. Compass direction 31. Throat-clearing

1. Nōnahea Te Wiki mō te Reo Māori tuatahi?

When was the first Māori Language Week? n 1965 n 1975 n 1985 n 1995

CLASSIFIEDS

DEATHS DENT, Roy. 17/11/1937 to 30/8/2019 A family man much loved and sorely missed by his wife Connie, his son Barry and partner Sue, his daughter Kathy and grandson John. Brother of Jack and Beryl, and of Betty. In accordance with Roy’s wishes a private service has been held. A celebration of his life will be held later.

Messages please to Dent Family C/- 284 Oxford Street, Levin. 5510.

ŌTAKI

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Monday October 21, 5pm

at RiverStone Cafe, SH1 Interested in joining us? Willing to become an active member of the group? Please come along to meet us and voice your interest.

Contact: Secretary Roger Ward 027 564 7732

BRANCHY’S

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES LTD 9 Titoki Street, Ōtaki 027 815 5449 yard • 027 321 9924 Nathan

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Bagged kindling and firewood $10 per bag Pine $100/metre • Gum $15/metre Builders mix $90/metre TOPSOIL • COMPOST • PEBBLES • BARK • MULCH and much more, call in for a look We do WINZ quotes, we do deliveries OPEN Monday-Saturday: 9am-4pm join us on Facebook.com/Branchys-Landscape-Supplies-Ltd

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treatments are guaranteed odourless WeOur also offer and stain free. We also have solutions to 10+ years European control wasps, flies, spiders, cockroaches, vehicle repairmosquitos, experience silverfish, moths, plus rats and mice

Car Care 9 Rimu Street Otaki R Car Care R Collision Repair R Paint Work PROTEKT PEST CONTROL 3 Collision Repair Phone 06 364 5681 phoneWork PAUL 06 364 5759 or 027 448 3910 9 Rimu Street, Otaki • 06 364 5681 3 Paint

We also offer 10+ years European vehicle repair experience 3

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or Wellington 04 472 9948

TĀKARO: SPORT I Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

whika 31

One away from big league Ōtaki’s Purutaitama senior football team is one win away from playing in the Wellington Capital competition next year.

The team has already won the HorowhenuKāpiti division 1 title, but now need to beat a Wairarapa team to go in the Weallington league.

Club trainer/coach Hape Porter says the team has had a great season.

“I’ve been involved in local sports teams, and what comes through strongly in Ōtaki is the belief in a common set of values. It guides everyone in what they do – on and off the field. I’m sure that’s why we’ve been so sccessful at Purutaitama.”

The club is part of the Ōtaki Squash, Tennis and Soccer Club based at Haruatai Park. All three codes share the clubrooms, providing a venue for games, practices and hosting for visiting teams.

CHASE: Purutaitama striker Sam Ward chases the ball in a recent game against Waikanae Jets.

OPEN 7 DAYS

Equestrian group celebrates The Kāpiti Equestrian Advocacy group celebrated a year since its inception with a ride from the Otaki Surf Life Saving Club to Waikawa Beach on August 25 (photo above).

The group was formed by Ruth Halliday, the equestrian representative on Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Cycleway, Walkway and Bridleway Advisory Group. The equestrian group engages with agencies such as KCDC, GWRC and NZTA so the equestrian fraternity is not left out of infrastructure planning, policy reviews, and parks and recreation planning.

“This is important as at present the equestrian industry contributes over $13 million per annum and around 100 FTE jobs into the local Kāpiti economy,” says the group’s chair, Shelly Warwick.

These figures are based on the estimated number of sport horses in the district and the average cost per annum, based on a survey undertaken by the New Zealand Horse Network. They don’t include the racing industry.

“We have an opportunity here in Kāpiti to make our district the go-to place for equestrian tourism. If we can link up our shared paths with our hills, beaches, and regional trails, then lots of people will come with their horses and stay and ride, bringing their friends and family. Accommodating horses in our district’s parks and recreation and infrastructure plans is a sound economic decision.

FREE local delivery 06 364 8389 Titoki Street, Ōtaki 5512

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n For more information, contact Shelly Warwick on 021 949 214 or go to Facebook and find Kāpiti Equesrian Advocacy group

MEDIUM #2

EASY #1

SUDOKU ANSWERS

CROSSWORD SOLUTION # 5463

Insurance and Mortgage Advisers

Ōtaki River entrance tides September 11 – October 16, 2019 metservice.com/marine-surf/tides/otaki-river-entrance

Wed 11 Sep Thu 12 Sep Fri 13 Sep Sat 14 Sep Sun 15 Sep Mon 16 Sep Tue 17 Sep Wed 18 Sep Thu 19 Sep Fri 20 Sep Sat 21 Sep Sun 22 Sep

HIGH - - - - - - - - - 00:28 01:13 02:09

LOW 01:32 02:15 02:53 03:28 04:00 04:32 05:03 05:36 06:10 06:48 07:33 08:29

HIGH 07:41 08:24 09:00 09:34 10:06 10:37 11:07 11:39 12:13 12:52 13:41 14:45

LOW 13:50 14:31 15:08 15:41 16:13 16:44 17:15 17:49 18:25 19:09 20:03 21:11

HIGH 20:02 20:39 21:13 21:45 22:16 22:46 23:17 23:51 -

Mon 23 Sep Tue 24 Sep Wed 25 Sep Thu 26 Sep Fri 27 Sep Sat 28 Sep Sun 29 Sep Mon 30 Sep Tue 1 Oct Wed 2 Oct Thu 3 Oct Fri 4 Oct

HIGH 03:17 04:34 05:49 - - - - - - - 00:06 00:54

LOW 09:38 10:56 12:10 00:47 01:42 02:33 03:21 04:07 04:52 05:36 06:22 07:09

HIGH 16:03 17:22 18:30 06:55 07:52 08:43 09:30 10:15 10:59 11:43 12:28 13:16

LOW 22:27 23:42 - 13:13 14:06 14:55 15:41 16:26 17:11 17:57 18:44 19:36

HIGH 19:27 20:17 21:05 21:50 22:35 23:20 -

Sat 5 Oct Sun 6 Oct Mon 7 Oct Tue 8 Oct Wed 9 Oct Thu 10 Oct Fri 11 Oct Sat 12 Oct Sun 13 Oct Mon14 Oct Tue 15 Oct Wed 16 Oct

HIGH 01:46 02:47 03:58 05:14 - - - - - - - -

LOW 08:00 09:00 10:11 11:28 00:10 01:03 01:46 02:24 02:58 03:30 04:02 04:34

HIGH 14:12 15:19 16:37 17:50 06:21 07:14 07:56 08:33 09:06 09:38 10:08 10:39

LOW 20:36 21:47 23:03 - 12:33 13:23 14:03 14:40 15:13 15:45 16:16 16:49

HIGH 18:47 19:31 20:09 20:43 21:14 21:46 22:17 22:49

Please note: The actual timing of high and low tide may differ from that provided here by LINZ. Times are extrapolated from the nearest primary port for this location, so please take care.

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Ōtaki Today, Mahuru 2019

whika 32

TĀKARO: SPORT

The four newly resurfaced tennis courts attracted plenty of players at a tennis club open day on Saturday (September 7).

Photos: Ian Carson

New Haruatai courts get workout

The newly resurfaced tennis courts got a good workout on Saturday (September 7) when the Ōtaki Tennis Club had an open day.

The club hosted plenty of tennis enthusiasts – some who had previously played tennis and others who were trying it for the first time. With a ball machine firing balls across the court, coaching and just casual hitting among friends, the courts were kept busy for most of the day.

And how is the new surface on the four available courts? The verdict was mixed, with most players saying the surface still needed to settle in and a suggestion that a layer of sand would help.

Kāpiti Coast District Council recently completed the resurface upgrade at Haruatai Park. The courts now have a modern, artificial multi-sports surface. Four removable nets have been installed, allowing the courts to be used as an all-weather training facility or other sports when they’re not being used for tennis. The courts are open to the public most of the time – the only exception being when the Ōtaki Tennis Club has club sessions, usually on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

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www.harveybowler.co.nz The tennis club’s ball machine was kept busy at the Haruatai Park courts.