KAIPARA LIFESTYLER SEPTEMBER 6 - 2016
5
Highlight of season
Encouraging the dunes
by Ann Morgan
by Ann Morgan
Undefeated, The Otamatea Hawks Under 16s team have won this seasons Southern Districts JB nine tournament.
The Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society and volunteers turned out in force last week to complete the planting of 5,000 pingao and spinifex grasses on the distal spit.
The Otamatea Hawks U16s team were undefeated this season
“It was a great season for our players, we literally won the game in the last 30 seconds playing against Kaihu,” said team manager Teresa Brown. “We were a man down and the ball was by the goal at the opponent’s end of the field and our team managed to get the ball back and scored in the last 30 seconds. I now believe in the saying ‘it’s not over til it’s over.” Mike Peeni coached the team and the last time the club won this trophy was in 1996 and it so happens that Mike played in that team. “He has achieved one of his biggest goals and he is over the moon with the team’s performance and hard work,” said Teresa. “The players are from Otamatea High School and Rodney College and they really bonded as a team. They
were really committed and attended all training sessions and camps. It certainly paid off. They were the dream team. Eight of the players are in the reps and Mike is also the coach for this team and the Northland Under 17 Maori team. “We’d like to thank Sharon Browne for being our first aid and strapper person and the Abel family for their support and allowing us to stay at the Ruakaka camping ground and washing our uniforms every week. We gave them the Spirit cup at our prize-giving. “Having Mike Abel and Karl Shadbolt as assistant coaches and family and friends of the players attending the games helped make the season the success it was. “We are very proud of the boys, they are a great bunch of kids and they all have a lot of potential.”
“We needed to have this done by September 1 as we need to be careful of birds nesting in the dunes. We had 38 people come along,” said restoration society committee member Jerry Pilmer. “We have planted at the south end of the fences which is built up to form bund wall to stop sea surge from storms coming in and taking over the estuary. We planted 5,000 grasses in May and they are growing really well.” The planting programme originally started in the mid90s to help stop erosion of Volunteers at the pingao and spinifex plant at the distal spit, Mangawhai the sand dunes. The pingao is a type of flax and catches the sand the volunteers helping. “We also had strengthening and building the sand college students come along this time. dunes. It grows even if it gets buried It is nice to see the younger generations with a big sand shift. Spinifex plants get involved. They are really keen to assist vegetation and holding the understand what it is all about and they learn the history of what we are doing dunes as well. “It is easier to plant when it is wet and why. It is nice to be able to pass as you just dig a hole and can plant our knowledge on and they suggested deep which means the wind doesn’t they bring a big group along next year blow the sand away from the plants.” to help us. “A big thank you to all the volunteers. Jerry says the group only work in four hour stints and they could It is a never ending battle but it looks like not achieve what they do without we are slowly making fair progress.”
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