Silence greeted the news that community boards will be abolished in Hutt City next year. A vote to abolish the boards, were created after amalgamation in 1989, was held on Tuesday, September 10 and as city councillors spoke, the death knell for community boards was loud and clear.
Only four voted in favour of keeping them: Tui Lewis (Harbour), Simon Edwards (City-wide), Keri Brown (Wainuiomata), and Chris Parkin (Western). All eight councillors who voted to end community boards said that while it was a tough decision to make, the issue was inequity. Having the boards in only three wards – two in the Harbour Ward and one in Wainuiomata - meant most parts of the city, in particular the northern suburbs, were underrepresented.
An independent panel undertook the representation review as mandated under the Local Government Act. It recommended increasing the number of councillors to 13, to be made up of five elected at-large from across the city, one councillor elected from Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori Ward covering the whole city, and seven councillors elected from five general wards. It also recommended community boards cease at next year’s election.
The Eastbourne Community Board’s sixweekly meetings have been well attended by the public in recent years, particularly around projects such as Tupua Horo Nuku, speed limit reductions and dog bylaws.
Cr Brady Dyer (City-wide), himself a former member of the Pito-one Community
Board, said that most of the submissions were biased because they came from areas with community boards, which are funded mainly by areas of the city that don’t have them.
Cr Andy Mitchell (Eastern) said voting only on retaining or disestablishing the boards was a “lose-lose situation”. He said LGNZ called community boards the heart of local communities, and inequity in Hutt City had been an issue since amalgamation. He was sad that there had been no work to engage the whole City in more local representation in the intervening years.
While the Act states that communities of interest could request a community board in their area, there were barriers in place. “This system doesn’t work for every community in Hutt City. We should be looking for something better.”
Harbour Ward councillor Tui Lewis said she had cut her teeth at the Pito-one Community Board, and while she agreed the current model was flawed, disestablishing the boards was “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. The council was effective because the majority of councillors had served an “apprenticeship” on community boards, she said..
Mayor Campbell Barry, a previous member of the Wainuiomata Community Board, said he had a responsibility to think about the interests of the entire city. Retaining the Eastbourne Community Board alone was not an option and he had decided to “support the majority” and vote for the boards to be disestablished.
Following the meeting, Cr Lewis said she thought the councillors who came through the community board system would have defended
Great outdoor living for
them to the city, knowing their value. She was surprised by the vote, and had believed the mood was for retention.
The biggest argument against community boards was the imbalance between wards, however the Act did not mandate equality in local representation.
ECB chair Belinda Moss said there was no plan for any form of replacement for community boards, despite most of the councillors and the mayor alluding to the need for something new. The Mayor had suggested the ECB be included in investigating other options. She said Eastern Bays residents who contacted board members about local issues would be less likely to get in touch with the council directly, as they found the process intimidating.
ECB member Bruce Spedding said in recent years ward committees, appointed by the council, had been tried and failed, and any iteration of local representation needed to be elected. He was concerned that the Harbour Ward's only councillor would struggle to meet her commitments to Petone and Eastbourne without the assistance of board members, while fulfilling her duties as deputy mayor.
Mrs Moss said the ECB will be among those appealing the decision.
The council also voted for Pencarrow Coast Road to the lighthouse to be included in the Harbour Ward – previously it was part of Wainuiomata.
Anyone who submitted can lodge an objection to the Council’s final proposal by October 12 at haveyoursay@huttcity.govt.nz. Anticipating these, LGNZ has a scheduled hearings date of November 26.
Fence was a fait accompli, says artist
by Ann Packer
Time slows when you interview Alan Collins. He’ll be 98 in November. Still does a bit of gardening. Says he’ll never give up painting, “as long as there’s a breath in me”.
The acclaimed watercolour artist still has scenes he wants to do. “A single ngaio, surrounded by ropes, with the early afternoon light shining through – I’ve worked out how to do it… The sandhills by 111 Marine Parade, the old Birch residence, by the architect who did the Railway Station… Sunshine Bay, looking north, hills and bush are dark, a couple of pohutukawas (I don’t like them)… but the sewer burst…”
It’s pleasant, on a sunny Eastbourne day, to ease into reminiscence – another fascinating detail of his long life, and marriage to the woman he still calls “my child bride”. She’s currently soaking up the sunshine in their small back garden; in a reversal of their roles, he’s now chief cook and bottlewasher.
So it comes as a surprise when this apparently moderate man uses strong language – in this case, to describe the actions of Hutt City Council. His letter to the editor last month, with a photo taken before the dunes were boarded up, used the words
“Stupidity beggars belief”. That was to do with flooding caused by inadequate maintenance of groynes at the top of Rona St.
He’s heard nothing from the Mayor or his Deputy in spite of promises about being kept in the loop over walkway impacts. “I feel it’s a fait accompli – it was already planned,” he reckons.
“My new normal is my rates have gone up –for a view they’ve stolen – and I’m brassed off!
“It’s pretty selfish of me, but one of the things I loved was to stand at my kitchen bench with my toast and tea watching the shipping go past.” Those days have gone.
Reverting to the courteous host, he still farewells visitors with “Stay young!” .
Video skills come in handy
by Ann Packer
Haiying Shi walks a lot. Especially at night, as her stunning Facebook posts illustrate. The beach is her happy place.
So when the chance came to make a submission to HCC on retaining community boards, this York Bay resident of six years saw it not only as a chance to learn more about how democracy works, but to share her shock at what has happened at Bishop Park.
Because she has the skills, she decided to make a video presentation to the HCC meeting about what matters most to her – our local environment, including the view to the harbour.
“Taking action as a migrant I can describe myself better in a video,” she says.
“I want people to know what’s happening, to deliver information.
"The sea is why people come to Eastbourne, but I see the wall as dividing them from the sea.”
Having come originally from the north of China, it was inevitable that she should dub the fence that now cuts the park off from the sea “the Great Wall of Eastbourne”. And it has stuck.
But she cannot understand why, in a community with so many design professionals, they were not consulted, to come up with more creative solutions.
“What a waste! They’re not thinking about basic things. Local artists and local kids could make a better job.
"Why didn’t they listen to us first?”
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Proposal to disestablish community boards
The ECB was disappointed at Council’s decision on 10 September to disestablish Hutt City’s three community boards. The ECB will remain until the local body elections in October 2025. Anyone who made a submission to the representation review can appeal this decision by 12 October. The ECB will be doing so.
Pencarrow Road
As part of the representation review, Council agreed to move Pencarrow Road from Wainuiomata Ward to Harbour Ward. The ECB argued that this makes good sense because it has no public access from Wainuiomata.
Eastbourne Awards
The ECB will present Eastbournes Awards at the next public meeting to residents who have made a significant contribution.
Volunteer lifeguards
Thank you to the residents who have put their names forward to volunteer at Eastbourne Summer Pool to help extend the season. There is room for more volunteers.
If you are interested or want to know more, don’t hesitate to contact ECB Member, Emily Keddell.
Belinda Moss (Chair) 029 494 1615
belinda.moss@huttcity.govt.nz
Emily Keddell (Deputy Chair) 021 188 5106
Bruce Spedding 021 029 74741
Frank Vickers 027 406 1419
Murray Gibbons 04 562 8567
Tui Lewis (Ward Councillor) 021 271 6249
Next ECB meeting: 7.15pm Tuesday 22 October, Eastbourne Library and Community Hub - ALL WELCOME
Plans no surprise, but changes are
by Louise Parry
Locals may be up in arms about the Bishop Park fence, but it was flagged in 2021 as part of a consent condition for Tupua Horo Nuku.
However, there have been changes to the size of the Bird Protection Area (BPA), and the length of the fence, which is nearly three times the length originally indicated.
In January 2024 HCC director of economy and development Jon Kingsbury said the 1.2m fence would be built along the park side of Bishop Park – about the same height as the existing mature Marram grass “and should not impact the view for residents”.
His claim was reiterated in a full-page HCC advertisement in The Eastbourne Herald in July, which described the fence's location as "at the base of the rear dunes".
The fence has been erected on top of the dunes, is taller than the marram grass, and does disrupt views.
In a Powerpoint presentation to the ECB in August 2024, council said the Bishop Park BPA would have 400m of timber fence, and 500m of penguin friendly rope barrier.
The four BPAs were not consulted on, and changes to their size were not advised to the public or ECB.
In May we reported that 47 percent of submitters on the proposed dog control bylaws had supported the changes to Bishop Park. The only way people could lodge a submission about the BPA was as part of the dog bylaw submissions process.
Local resident Penny Hoy-Mack contacted The Eastbourne Herald after doing some research. After reading all the documents
relevant to the Bishop Park BPA in particular she was shocked that the BPA had more than doubled in size than what was originally proposed, "over a very short space of time".
"I read carefully and realised the decision by Hutt City Council to locate the BPA all along that beach was made at pace, behind closed doors, without public consultation. Belinda [Moss] confirmed it was behind closed doors. The ECB was excluded from the discussion."
Mrs Hoy-Mack is a member of the Muritai Yacht Club committee, which thought the fence was to take the form of a rope barrier. "That was what really shocked us, we were absolutely stunned and gobsmacked."
Mrs Moss said the ECB was not kept in the loop over several changes to the original BPA plans, including the "significant increase" in the Whiorai BPA.
"This has been one of the many frustrations with the process. All the BPA maps were labelled as 'proposed plan' until very recently.
However, the BPAs were all described in the 2021 consent documents, "so there have been no surprises to people familiar with the consent conditions, which have been public for three years and talked about at various public meetings," she says.
"The surprise, if there is one, is that the BPAs could be imposed in residential areas with no consultation."
HCC sent the following response to questions about the changes:
“The Tupua Horo Nuku Bird Protection Plan was certified through the resource consenting process, which includes the location and size of the Bishop Park bird protection area. The plan gives advice on the type of fence, suggests materials, the approximate length and is specific about the height of 1.2m. Council is unable to make changes to the plan and continue to deliver to the specifications.
“At Bishop Park, we have installed 358 meters of timber fencing at the base of the dunes and replaced 127 meters of timber fencing on an existing block wall. These efforts ensure compliance of the Council's resource consent obligations for creating a bird protection area at Bishop Park, which compensates in part, for the loss of native foreshore bird habitat caused by the construction of the upgraded seawall.”
Reo classes
a success
What better way to celebrate the completion of a term of te reo learning than by sharing a hāngī?
Eastbourne’s community te reo Māori class, a partnership between the Eastbourne Herald and St Albans Church, has finished a successful introductory term meeting kanohi ki kanohi (face to face, at San Antonio) as well as online.
To mark the occasion, nearly 50 students, whānau and friends, with teacher Jackie West plus her support person Coach, with his hāngī team from Naenae, gathered on Saturday 31 August for a hāngī, cooked at St Alban's and served communally in St Ronan’s Hall. Giving thanks before the meal, Rev Sue Brown noted the whole project happened because a succession of people said “yes” when asked to step up for various jobs – including those who responded to the Eastbourne Herald’s initial call for interest. She says at a time when the language is again under threat, such a surge of positive responses is heartening.
It was not the first time the St Alban’s church lawn had been dug up for such an event – in 1977, when Rev Peter Stuart was Vicar, the church had several exchanges over about five years with Pākirikiri Marae in Tokomaru Bay, Tairawhiti.
A closing wānanga with shared kai to mark the final teaching session, due to take place on 3 September, was postponed a week so Kaiako Jackie could attend the tangi of Kiingi Tuheitia.
EB's stolen cars may be part of crime ring
Eastbourne residents worried about the ongoing spate of car thefts can take heart from arrests earlier this month by police in Upper Hutt and Christchurch.
A 21-year-old from Upper Hutt and a 39-year-old from Christchurch were arrested as a result of simultaneous warrants executed in a joint initiative with Tactical Crime Units, Asset Recovery Units, and Customs, from both districts.
Wellington District Police have seen the number of unrecovered commercial vehicle thefts increase by 58 percent in the past five years.
Detective Inspector Haley Ryan says Police strongly suspect the majority of the vehicles not being recovered are being dismantled and exported overseas.
“Stolen commercial vehicles have much more value to the receiver being dismantled and sold for parts versus them being rebirthed and sold,” she says.
If you see any suspicious activity happening, contact 111 immediately. To report a theft after it has occurred, contact 105. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. To prevent your vehicle from being a target:
Ensure your vehicle is locked and windows are fully closed, remove any valuables from your vehicle that may attract thieves, park in offstreet parking or a well-lit area, install cameras in and around your car, if possible.
Faith in the Community
Fresh hope...
It seems very appropriate, doesn’t it, that just as we welcome the kōwhai trees bringing new spring life to our gardens and berms (even taking into account the squadrons of squabbling, divebombing tūī making them a party zone!) we celebrate the announcement of a young and talented wāhine as the new Māori queen, with the burst of hope and energy this brings to relationships between tangata whenua and tangata tiriti!
For Christians, each spring symbolises God’s love and care for us, and the endless cycle of the triumph of life over death and hope over despair. That’s why the ancient Christian festival of Easter was celebrated in the northern hemisphere spring, where it began. It doesn’t make so much sense to us, celebrated as it is, in our Autumn.
So, this spring, why not celebrate your own Easter -think lambs, daffodils, eggs, chicks, kōwhai (forgiving the tūī their raucous parties) - and thank God for new starts and for fresh hope. You’ll be very, very welcome in any of your local Churches, if you’d like to join with Christians in thanking God. You can find out where and when we meet below...
04 939 2366 www.jaglegal.co.nz
St Alban’s + St Ronan’s: 1st Sundays 9:30am monthly shared communion services (alternating venues, leaders and preachers) 6 October at San Antonio church, 3 November at St Ronan’s church.
St Ronan’s: 1st Sundays shared with St Alban's (see above). 2nd and 4th Sundays 9:30am informal, 3rd Sundays 9:30am traditional, 5th Sundays 12:00pm fellowship meal. E:office@ stronans.org.nz W:www.stronans.org.nz
St Alban’s: 1st Sundays shared with St Ronan’s (see above). Other Sunday services now at San Antonio church at 9:30am. 1st Thursdays, communion at 10:30am at St Ronan’s church. Details www.facebook.com/ StAlbansNZ E:office@stalbanschurch.nz W:www. stalbanschurch.nz
San Antonio: Vigil Mass, Sat 5.30pm. Sacred Heart, Petone: Mass, Sun 9.30am and 5.30pm. E:holyspiritparish41@gmail.com W:www.holyspirit.nz
Studio Toru closes, Hutt Art Trail launched
It’s been four years since Philothea Flynn (pictured) opened up Studio Toru. Since then the gallery at 3 (Toru) Oroua St has become a recognized venue for exhibiting artists’ work from around the country – over 60 all told, including 16 jewellers.
Having fallen in love with the art of silversmithing in Bali on holiday, and continuing her study at The Learning Connexion, the former public servant combined her own developing practice in one room of the old villa while showcasing other artists’ work in the remainder, filling the spaces with everything from the finest earrings to larger paintings and sculptures.
Sadly, in spite of good support from
office@findltd.co.nz
the community, tougher economic times have led to the closure of the physical gallery – one among many.
“The art business is changing to selling at art fairs and online,” she says, regretting the loss of face to face encounters between buyers and makers.
“But I'm pleased I did what I did, and I'm planning on having pop-up exhibitions, workshops, plus an online shop.”
The Lower Hutt Arts Trail is the beginning of Philothea’s new focus. One of a dozen Eastbourne artists exhibiting as part of the Lower Hutt Art Trail next month – at home in their studios, in shops or as part of curated exhibitions – she will be sharing space at the York Bay studio of jeweller Fiona Christeller, one of Studio Toru’s earliest guest artists.
Art Awaits: Follow The Trail, on the weekend of 19 and 20 October, is being promoted as the first of an annual event in the Hutt, combining artists’ Open Studio visits with
studiotoru.co.nz; lowerhuttarttrail.co.nz
CBD art pop-ups, museums and art galleries –30 sites, and more than 50 artists.
LETTERS
What about the poor residents?
Once I had warm fuzzies for penguins but now being told that we would be kept in touch and informed by the City Council, I have heard nothing.
Was this a fait accompli on purpose ?
Keep in touch – Huh! We are now fenced in and only rats, stoats, rabbits and cats can get through.
Our rates have skyrocketed and been squandered, our views obscured and the danger of flooding increased.
This whole miserable debacle reminds me of Paul Brickhill’s The Great Escape where an officer paraded the allied prisoners and announced “You think I know bugger nothing well you are wrong, I know bugger all”.
He couldn’t understand why everyone cracked up laughing but this is no laughing matter.
Fortunately or unfortunately I have seen other plans for this area that must have cost us tens of thousands that seemed to have been produced by Walt Disney
Will any official stand and admit - this was my responsibility.
My own feelings are now to hell with penguins, what about the poor residents and rate payers.
A Collins Eastbourne
Garden Stuff with Sandy Lang GENE SONGS
September/October: Early/mid-spring. Pruning done. New perennials in the ground. New seeds germinating.
On/off: Plants have from 20,000 to 40,000 genes (see Garden Stuff #31). But most of the time, most genes are switched off. Why?
Think a piano: If all notes are played at once there’s a horrid noise. It‘s by not playing most of them, most of the time, you can hear the ones that are played. You hear chords. By changing the ones played, you hear melody.
Gene expression: When a gene is turned on, it is ‘expressed’. This means a particular section of code in the cell’s DNA, is being copied (transcribed) to produce a particular protein that will do some useful job in the cell.
Paid parking in Petone
Paid parking on Jackson Street and in the Peel Street Carpark starts from 1 October 2024.
Charges are $3 per hour, 9am-5pm, seven days.
There is a two-hour time limit to maximise access and availability of parking around businesses and services.
There is free parking on side streets and east of the intersection of Jackson and Cuba Streets. Find out more at: hutt.city/petoneparking
Transcription factors (TFs): Living organisms use TFs to control gene expression. These adjust the rate of transcription of genetic information - turning genes on or off, faster or slower. So, while genes contain the codes, it’s TFs that orchestrate how their coded information is used.
It is this orchestration that allows a plant to survive and thrive by expressing the right genes, at the right times, in the right cells, to the right amounts, throughout its life.
Development: So, it’s the TFs that control plant development, by controlling the behaviour of each cell, and so the formation of different tissues (skin, vascular tissues, cortex) and different organs (leaves, stems, roots).
Behaviour: TFs also control the behaviour of the plant with time. The process of aging and its response to changes in season (spring flowering, autumn leaf drop). An example is the TFs triggered by hormones from organs that detect time of year by measuring daylength.
Acclimatisation: Unlike animals, plants can’t seek shelter from environmental extremes. So, they are masters at adjusting to these. They do it by adjusting their internal chemistry to best align with the new environment. As an environmental change occurs, their TFs express a different set of genes. This new expression pattern offsets problems from too much or too little of something – hot /cold, light /shade, drought /flooding. Also, from stress factors like disease and salinity. This explains why it takes a few days for a plant to adjust to an environmental change (see Garden Stuff #63). The plant must first sense the change and then adjust the balance of genes turned on /off via the TFs.
slang@xtra.co.nz www.mulchpile.org
‘Recycled Reading’ - another success for Lions
A whole range of books left the Muritai School Hall over Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September at speed and in volume in the hands of bargain conscious happy readers.
“The range and quality of donated items was spectacular this year, with donations up at least 30% on previous years, which was then reflected in sales”, said Gavin Redpath, Eastbourne Lions Projects Director.
Proceeds from this year's sale will be targeted at Hutt Valley organisations addressing food insecurity, with Kaibosh Piti-one and Lower Hutt Food Bank the main recipients. Sales this year totalled $8,590 before costs.
Susie Robertson, Kaibosh Chief Executive said “Kaibosh can’t thank the Eastbourne Lions and the book lovers who dived into getting their hands on a bargain enough, in order to support people struggling to put meals on the table in
RONA BAY BOOKS
Rare books, quality used books bought & sold. See our stock at: www.tinakoribooks.com Books for a special present 26 Totara Street 562 7376 027 316 4066 tinakoribooks@xtra.co.nz
the Hutt. Kaibosh intends to utilise money from the book sale to support the work of the Kaibosh Kitchen Pito-one, which takes produce a bit past its prime and turns it into nutritious soups and pasta sauces, ready to distribute out to one the 50-plus charities it supports across the Hutt Valley”.
Antonia Haythornthwaite from Lower Hutt Food Bank echoed these sentiments, and said the support from the Book Sale would help with their week to week efforts in putting together food parcels for those in need of temporary or ongoing support.
Gavin Redpath thanked the library staff for their patience and forbearance with hosting the book donation box, and all the Lions and non-
Girls Years 1–13, Co-ed Preschool
Lions volunteers who made the event possible. “And of course the wonderful book donors and all of our book loving customers. Keep an eye out for next year's sale and don’t be shy about donating back books that you’ve bought – the sale was framed as ‘Recycled Reading’ for a reason.”
The next Eastbourne Lions community project will be the Village Christmas Market on Sunday 24 November at Muritai School. The next Lions Garage Sale and Auction will be November 2025.
Photo: Stan Swan.
A shared history, since 1642
by Ann Packer
Good things take time, they say, and it’s certainly been the case with a new book on Abel Tasman, from local antiquarian bookseller and historian Rudi Mack.
The custodian of “probably the best collection of books on Tasman, written over the years” has just published First Encounters: The Early Pacific and European Narratives of Abel Tasman’s 1642 Voyage. It’s taken “a lot of research time and wide reading” over the last 20 years but it was only after the Rona Bay man left his teaching job at the Correspondence School in 2018 that he could devote himself to this history, which includes material never before published.
The design is handsome – a high-gloss orange hard cover with a white dust jacket that shows a dozen Māori paddling a waka on what is now known as Tasman Bay, overseen by a lesser-known portrait of the man himself. What the author is most proud of is the bringing together of six Māori accounts and Dutch sources of known encounters between the explorer and local iwi., because, as Mr Mack notes, “from 1642 onwards, we had a shared history”.
The results of his research are often
surprising. The book reveals that Māori passed on via oral history many details about the brief encounters – including how news of Tasman’s visit was passed on between iwi, and in the Pacific from Tonga to other islands.
What also makes this book special is a journal account previously ignored because it required a translator; the German-born author’s knowledge of Dutch allowed him to tap into documentation that earlier researchers had not bothered with, and therefore remained untranslated. He has included both Dutch and English versions as appendices.
And for the first time, he has been able to identify the artist who copied the 45 illustrations into Tasman’s official account after the return of the expedition to Batavia in 1643.
In one of the lesser-known illustrations of the voyage, Mr Mack has identified an ancient waka landing site in Golden Bay which is still visible today. This suggests the Dutch came very close to a landing or possibly even briefly landed – though previously it had been thought they never set foot on shore.
The book also references Tasman’s visit to Tasmania which has led to an invitation to Mr Mack to be part of a writing team of a book on the Dutch discoveries in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Following a callout in the Eastbourne Herald early last year, about a dozen local donors contributed towards the publication of the book through the Arts Foundation’s Boosted crowdfunding scheme, and he is also
grateful for a grant from Eastbourne Lions. Has Mr Mack talked to descendants of these local iwi? No, that’s for the next generation of historians, he says. “My hope is Māori and Pakeha researchers will take these witness accounts and carry on the investigations. Research is never finished.”
First Encounters: The Early Pacific and European Narratives of Abel Tasman’s 1642 Voyage is published by Heritage Press.
Rudi Mack will talk about his book to the Historical Society of Eastbourne at the East Harbour Women’s Club on 13 October at 2 pm.
Mondays
• Retired Persons’ Assn meet 4th Mon, 10am St Ronan's Church hall for morning tea followed by a speaker - $2 entry.Transport can be arranged for these meetings on request, ph 562 7365 or 562 8387.
• “Baby Bounce & Rhyme” at the library 10.00am.
• Toy Library - Two Monday Sessions at 1.302.30pm and 7.30-8.30pm.
EastbourneToyLibrary on Facebook. Kathy 0273551950
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@ playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• Pt Howard Playcentre. Mon 9.15 -11.45am. pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• The Historical Society’s Eastbourne History Room above the library is open 2-4 pm every Monday.
• Eastbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade training every Monday 7-9pm. Ph 562 7001 for more info.
• Keas - 5:15pm - 6:15pm. Ed 021 738 699 Tuesdays
• Mindful Mummas group for Mums and preschool children. Childminder onsite. 1011.30. Text Emily 027 552 6119 to join or go to bemoreyou.co.nz for more info.
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@ playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• Muritai Tennis Club 9.30–noon. Merryn 562 0236.
• Eastbourne Homebirth Group 1st Tuesday of the month. Phone Kate 562-7096.
• East Harbour Women’s Club Morning Tea & Chat Group 10am. Contact Glendyr 0210303480.
• Indoor Bowls Club 1.30pm, at the croquet club, Oroua Street. Rosemary 562 7365
• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Barrie barrielittlefair@gmail.com 0204 1234511. Women welcome.
• 9.30am Nia Dance Fitness Class (low impactteens to 70+) Music Movement Magic - Muritai Yacht Club - call Amanda 021 316692 www. niainwellington.com
Wednesdays
• Cubs: 5.30pm - 7.00pm, Ed 021 738 699.
• Venturers - 7:15pm - 9pm - Ed 021 738 699.
• Library preschool story time 10.00 am.
• Pt Howard Playcentre Wed 9.15 -11.45am. pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• Scottish Country Dance. Merryn 562 0236.
• Bridge Club 7-10pm. Shona 562 7073.
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@ playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• “Steady as You Go” Age Concern sponsored Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme. Held 12 noon each Wednesday at Eastbourne Community Hall. Classes are held for 1 hour and
WHAT'S ON
costs only $2. Improve your strength and balance to reduce falls and injuries. Falls are preventable. Please join us!
• EHock - Fun Stick and Ball game Girls and Boys 7- 13.Eastbourne Community Hall. Wednesdays 6.00 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Derek Wilshere 0274303596. Thursdays
• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Barrie barrielittlefair@gmail.com 0204 1234511. Women welcome.
• St Ronan’s Mainly Music, 9.15am-11.15am, during school terms. Contact Cathy 027 213 9342.
• SPACE at Days Bay Playcentre. Michelle 971 8598.
•Lions meet 2nd Thursday of the month at the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, Tuatoru St 6.30 pm. New members and visitors are welcome. Graham 562 8819.
• Scouts 6.30pm-8.30pm - Ed 021 738 699
• Eastbourne Bowling Club casual summer bowls 5.30pm for an hour or so. Make up a mixed team of three. Contact Keith Turner ph 04 934 4142.
• Sing Eastbourne: 8pm, St Alban's Hall.
Fridays
• Pop in and Play playgroup at St Ronan's Church Hall, 9am-11.30am during school terms. All preschoolers (0-4 years) welcome. Cath 027 213 9342.
• Pt Howard Playcentre Fri 9.15 -11.45am pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• AA Plunket Rooms 7.30pm. Mark 566 6444/ Pauline 562 7833
Saturdays
• Justice of the Peace at the Eastbourne Community Library, first Saturday of each month 12pm-1pm.
• Croquet from 10am Muritai Croquet Club. Lyn 562 8722 or Val 562 8181.
• Lions' Bin - cost effective rubbish and e-waste disposal. Last Saturday of the month (except December) by Bus Barns. Gavin 027 488 5602.
Sundays
• AA Plunket Rooms 10am. Karen 021 440 705.
Spencer Logan Valuations Limited Registered Valuers and Property Consultants
For professional property advice Tel: 562-7555 or Campbell Logan - 022 093 8090
Authorised by Chris Bishop, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
CUSTOM GATES & FENCES
Trellis made to measure
Gate repairs - locks fitted
sales@practicalandposh.co.nz
Book illustrations on display
Days Bay illustrator and children’s book author Kimberly Andrews is one of a select group of invited New Zealand artists whose work features alongside that of visiting European illustrators in Picture Me, a festival of illustration for children and adults, in September.
Her watercolour Backpacks reflects the central theme of the festival – how children’s books help create identity, and promote connection across international borders.
Award-winning picturebook makers Aurore Petit (France), Antje Damm (Germany) and Piotr Socha (Poland) will take part in events, workshops and an exhibition, in Wellington and Christchurch.
Kimberly Andrews says: “A kid's backpack is their constant companion, sometimes for years. It can be an important representation of a child's identity. It is the main link between their world at home and school, and offers comfort, security, sustenance and warmth.”
The venue for the Wellington Picture Me exhibition is Te Auaha Gallery, where illustrators will work each day on a window painting. The exhibition will later travel to Tūranga Library in Christchurch.
Artworks from New Zealand children’s books were selected by author and illustrator
Tupua Horo Nuku Update
Tupua Horo Nuku needs temporary lane closures so the shared path and seawall can be built safely and efficiently.
Safety of residents, commuters and the construction team is of the highest priority. Cyclists and motorists can help everyone get home safely by:
• Keeping speed under the 30kmph limit,
• Following traffic team’s directions,
• Being patient and stopping for red lights,
• Expecting a small delay,
• Traveling with care.
Gavin Bishop, and Gecko Press founder Julia Marshall.
The festival is brought to Aotearoa through a collaboration between Gecko Press, the Goethe-Institut, and the French and Polish embassies, with support from many partners.
Picture Me: The Finishing Touch, Te Auaha Gallery, Dixon St, 11 – 28 September.
Where pedestrians can’t travel on the opposite footpath, there will be a path through the worksite. During construction hours, pedestrians must wait for a safety escort through the site.
Daily audits are completed to check the layout and signage is correct, but if you notice anything unusual or have any concerns, please get in contact with us:
0800 135 255 tupuahoronuku@huttcity.govt.nz.
Williams Park, but not as you know it
by Ann Packer
Imagine sitting in Williams Park and facing the duckpond.
Now turn around and what do you see?
A panorama that takes in the whole harbour…
Days Bay Residents’ Association chair Diane Cheyne says her neighbourhood park has been “transformed” since its renovation.
Engaging a local designer, and consulting with residents before embarking on the project – kickstarted in 2021 following the decision to remove the old custodian’s cottage – made all the difference.
“People are saying how wonderful it is,” she enthuses. But the original design for the refurbished park called for a grassed area with seating next to the pond – where, as all locals know, the water often overflowed after rain.
Days Bay landscaper Charles Gordon’s “fabulous” design has transformed the space, says Diane, who grew up in the bay. While there is no playground in the traditional sense (“we were all totally opposed to a playground”) the safety of children was paramount, and is helped by the one-way traffic system.
There are fewer marked parks than previously, but it’s hoped that once the historic jailhouse is relocated (“it’s meant to be moving”) the last three missing carparks will be reinstated.
The pond has been retained, with a bigger outlet pipe to deal with overflow problems, and an aeration “fountain” allows the water to clear so the bottom can be seen. There’s also an increased gap between carparks and the pond fence.
In the other direction, elevating the lawn area means that even when seated you can see over the fence, allowing a feeling of connection with the harbour.
The new planting is appropriate – nikau palms once covered much of this area – and the bus stop décor, inspired by East Harbour Kindergarten kids’ artwork (look for the credit), is on a clear background that allows the view to shine through.
Resident John Horrocks thinks council staff chose well when it came to which existing trees to remove, and Diane says they even listened to concerns about visibility affecting the corner into Kererū Rd. The cut-off corner has been a “gamechanger”, brought about by inviting planners/council staff to get into a car and see how the intersection works in practice.
Disability access, bike paths, barbecues and a drinking fountain for dogs and their people, it’s all been taken care of – except for the vexed question of the pedestrian crossing, especially during hot days in summer, when pedestrians meander across non-stop.
“We’ve been banging on about it for years,” says Diane. “And what we complained about [to HCC] in November has actually happened since – a person in Eastbourne had a heart attack and couldn’t get out to get help.” There has been more than one road rage incident too. What more will it take to get some kind of control on that crossing?
Roosters parade for cyclists taking a break at Williams Park’s newly landscaped area.
“We don’t want a raised crossing,” says Diane. “Temporary lights will do. Something for weekends in summer. “It’s a safety issue, it affects everyone.”
OBITUARY
Elspeth Jessie Nicol was not one to live as others expected.
Born in Kārori to Alexander and Mary Nicol, she would reminisce about a childhood spent careening down Ponsonby Road on a go-kart, often ending in injury.
In her early 20s she set sail for England for Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation with her great friend Bev Burch, who she had met at Wellington Girls’ College. Both went on to train as kindergarten teachers.
Its pageantry was an often-recalled joy for Elspeth who became even more of an ardent royalist from then on.
Seven decades later Elspeth would camp out in her armchair for several days and nights in front of the BBC, mourning the monarch’s death.
In London, Elspeth developed a lifelong love of ballet and English dancer Margot Fonteyn in particular, as she told Wellington’s St James Theatre staff on her final ballet outing to see Swan Lake earlier this year for her 94th birthday.
With friends, she travelled around Europe in a vintage Austin12, the group drawing much attention as they drove and camped across the continent.
Elspeth would also recall her shock at some of the poverty she saw as an early childhood teacher in some of London’s tougher areas.
They returned after a couple of years, finding 50s Wellington a little dreary after the bright lights of London and its Soho coffee bar scene.
They wanted to start Wellington’s first espresso bar – but got turned down by investors
who said Wellington would never take to it.
However, they found work running a new Piazza espresso bar on Lambton Quay, an exciting new chapter involving much froth, pinafores, explosions of steam and coffee grounds – and romance.
The bar became extremely popular. One overseas customer wrote in its visitors book it had ‘redeemed for me the grey dismal tragedy of Wellington’.
Elspeth – known at the café as ‘espresso Else’ - fell in love and nearly got married – but things were called off.
She went on to produce topographical maps for the then-Department of Lands and Survey, moving to Eastbourne in the 1960s.
A talented artist, Elspeth made her own greeting and Christmas cards, which were stocked in department stores and, later, the Et Cetera store.
She also illustrated a children’s picture book, Puku Puku the Little Grey Kiwi, which was published in 1961. A second book project with Bev, The little Cloud – was published in 2016, 55 years, later by Mākaro Press.
In the mid-70s, she and great friend Isobel Thomson opened the Et Cetera at 7 Oroua Street, which specialised in gift and artisanware, often sourced directly on road trips taken by the pair. The story of its supposedly unbreakable glassware, which dramatically failed during a demonstration to a startled customer, was retold for years.
A witty raconteur, Elspeth would often be
laughing so hard she couldn’t finish the story. The Et Cetera hosted a constant stream of friends with cups of tea – or gins.
In her later years, despite osteoarthritis, Elspeth continued to enjoy life in her waterfront cottage with friends, wine, gingernuts, fish & chips and the delights of Sky TV.
Less than two years on from the loss of her beloved Queen, Elspeth departed with customary decisiveness.
After a series of falls at home, she died in Hutt Hospital– holding on till her beloved nephews Tim and Michael Wyatt could reach her side, before passing away peacefully on July 16.
Donations to the local Okiwi volunteer driving service can be made via the Eastbourne Community Trust 03-0543-0216625-000
- By Mary Longmore with help from Michael Wyatt and Janet Andrews.
from our local playcentres
NEWS FROM DAYS BAY PLAYCENTRE
Spring is here and we are back to playing outside! Bring on volcanoes with multi coloured lava, water play, gloop and so much more.
Our babies are getting more mobile and starting to join in too!
More people are always welcome, just pop into a session to check it out.
As of Term 4, our hours are changing to 9:30am - 12pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Email daysbay@playcentre.org.nz for more information.
Isobel and Elspeth (right). Photo by Simon Hoyle (Southlight Studios, Days Bay)
The Apex
Commanding arguably the best position in the thriving hub of the Eastbourne Village, with views straight down Rimu Street and on to the Wharf and Harbour, this amazing property offers a huge range of uses.
Upstairs is a wonderful apartment with a 143sqm (appoximately) floor area plus the deck, that is bathed in light and warmth through the entire open plan space. Downstairs you are met with a 360sqm (approximately) space that bursts with opporunity.
Are you looking for a ‘lock up and leave’ apartment with income below? Call us today! bayleys.co.nz/3327675
2 1 2 2
Price by Negotiation
Phone for viewing times Duncan Povey 027 597 1080
Smith 021 421 401
Povey 027 552 7737
CONSIDERING MAKING A REAL ESTATE DECISION IN THE NEXT YEAR?
In any market, there is always many factors to consider, but selecting an agent and company you can trust, with honesty and integrity, should be a priority.
Our resident Eastbourne agents are available anytime for free appraisals, and confidential advice.
