LIFESTYLER
October 29 2013
Kaipara
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Maungaturoto
150 Years
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Stage set for 150th
by Paul Campbell
Countless hours of volunteer effort, donated materials, and funds in the region of $30,000 have been transformed over Labour Weekend into a brand new wharf for Maungaturoto. In what’s reckoned to be a record, the wharf was begun last Friday, on site in Bickerstaff Road, on the banks of the Otamatea River, and due to be completed down to the finishing touches as The Lifestyler went to press on Monday evening. “It’s been a bit like climbing Everest,” said the chair of the Maungaturoto 150th committee, Albie Paton. “But you can now say, like Sir Ed: ‘we knocked the bastard off!’ Over the past year, as preparations for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of pioneers in the Albertland settlement of the Northern Kaipara, and the establishment of Maungaturoto, the town has been transformed, with the wharf project a key factor. The new structure replaces some worn and rickety stumps sticking up from the river, and the work required some extensive paperwork for permits and resource consents. It is linked to the town by a series of pathways, which will be the scene of a settlers’ landing re-enactment and parade next weekend. Much of the wharf was prefabricated at the Barnbuilder’s yard in Mountain Road, and the three-day construction phase was over-seen by local builder, Tim McGill. “Funds were successfully raised from many Kaipara businesses and individuals who ‘bought’ a plank, or a pile,” said Albie. “On Friday, we created a coffer dam to keep the tide at bay, with pumps to keep
Sunset at the lighthouse
There’s nothing as iconic as a sunset and some of the most beautiful sunsets happen at Pouto …
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Unicyclists show their stuff in Dargaville P5
ORT produces ‘Scandalous’ play
It is very fitting that Otamatea Repertory Theatre should celebrate the Maungaturoto 150th …
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Construction of the Maungaturoto wharf in full swing, with Albie Paton in the foreground
the water seepage to a minimum, and the piles were rammed into place. Then over the next two days the sections of wharf proper were lifted into place using digger machinery. On Monday afternoon, it was all finally taking shape, with the balustrades going up. We had 12 skilled people working on site, and we attracted quite a few sightseers and supporters from the town. “Certainly, it is a fitting place for us to launch next weekend’s festivities, which are just about booked to capacity.
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Combined with the town’s new gardens and the refurbishment and decoration of businesses, we have a place to be proud of. And I can say with certainty, if anything for the celebrations ain’t done yet, it ain’t gonna be done! “I guess with scant days to go, this project certainly came down to the wire. It’s substantial, and we would like to see it last for a hundred years, a place to relax, have fun, and now and then, catch a fish.
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