Otaki Mail March 2017

ŌTAKI MAIL

PO Box 109 Ōtaki Otaki

otakimail@xtra.co.nz 06 364 www.otakimail.co.nz 06 364 5500 otakimail@xtra.co.nz 5500 www.otakimail.co.nz

March 2015 2017 December

Big Bang Adventure Race more popular than ever

The PP2O Show comes to town

BY LLOYD CHAPMAN

Rod Oram p6 Scout Jamboree p2

Christmas Calendar p14,15 Kite Festival P5

Hard on the heels of the opening of the Mackays to Peka Peka expressway (M2PP) the next phase was unveiled last week to the Ōtaki community board. Jargon-crazy or not, we'll probably get used to it being called the PP2O, despite the mangling of the language.

A group of heavyweights representing the consortium of Fletchers, Beca, Higgins, Goodman Tonkin & Taylor and Studio Pacific mounted a charm offensive to convince Ōtaki that they were our friends to guide us through three years of disruption and construction of 12km of four-lane expressway.

1) Peka Peka to Marycrest, incorporating an overpass that takes the expressway over the existing SH1, over the railway line to allow the expressway to run on the eastern side of the railway.

2) Te Horo which includes the School Road underpass that connects Te Horo beach road and Hyde Park to School Road (see pic) with a bridge over the expressway.

c) Old SH1 gets shifted west and has a bridge over the expressway to join it at the top of County Road d) A new bridge is built to take the expressway over the Waitohu stream e) A Northern gateway feature is constructed to attract and welcome visitors to Ōtaki.

The ultimate client is NZTA, via Opus. KCDC, who were required to approve the overall design still play a strong role in consenting detail plans that are yet to be finalised.

There is no plan for a cycleway as part of the expressway project. This is a serious omission, as James Cootes amplifies in his column on p9. Apparently it's OK for Ōtaki to miss out on both UFB and a cycleway. James, we're right behind you in your indignation.

Mayor Gurunathan, how will you feel driving to work seeing a beautifully-sculptured cycleway

that begins at Peka Peka? Ōtaki deserves better!

What happens next? PP2O opens a project office in Miro street. An Information Centre opens in Main Street. The project has undertaken to report progress monthly in this newspaper.

Initial expressway reactions: 'Can't see anything but planting on the fringes of the expressway' 'can't see any character - bland, bland bland' 'there are no houses visible from the expressway' 'I might fall asleep from boredom' The essential character of New Zealand roads has vanished with an expressway reminiscent of the USA.

In their favour, they were able to overpass loops from Hyde Park to point to the favourably-received connect to School Road Here in Ōtaki, we should celeM2PP just opened to the South. brate our uniqueness and ensure it Project manager John Palm spoke 3) Ōtaki River. A new 330m doesn't disappear with an anodyne of their optimism that the Ōtaki concrete bridge over the river, bypass. section would be complete by together with on & off-ramps that 2020, and that we'd all be proud Now we must lobby hard, to connect Gorge Road to Ōtaki, of their work. The expressway ensure that we get the best allowing Ōtaki traffic onto the is part of the Wellington Northpossible result for our town. expressway.This major bridge ern Corridor Roads of National is expected to take two years to Significance programme that build. incorporated Transmission Gully.

4) Ōtaki township. Here it gets It will terminate north of Taylor's messy, with partial relocation of Road, with an extension to Levin BY ANDREWS the river section and had to cycle down for a tramp to the top of Kaitawa Road, the old SH1,150 metres of railway as aMARGARET potential future development. the Ōtaki Gorge from Shield Flat to the Ōtaki Gorge, with five transitions and 12 line, and four new bridges.

The Once complete, the existing State They came, they cycled, climbed hills, end of Kaitawa Road (over the swing check points before the finish line. There critical points are: Highway One will become a local navigated through bush and farmland and bridge), taking over eight hours to finish. were also a couple of navigation detours, road, and KCDC's responsibility. tubed down the Ōtaki River, all of 200 a) Rahui Road gets an overpass through private land behind Mansell’s competitors in thedivides Big Bang The start line was only revealed the preThe PP2O section into Adventure farm.

Railway line gets moved Race, around and through the lowerb)foot vious night, soWest teams with their support four logical units: on the left of the expressway is aficycleway. we have one of these to allow expressway to go behills behind Ōtaki and Ōtaki Gorge. crew and supporters were on private land The rst was aCan mental challenge - theplease?

“Another great event with plenty of challenges, but some good times made,” event director, Carrie Yaxley said. “A great day for everyone, with no serious injuries.”

November 7 was the fifth annual six hour adventure race and the most entries to date, with teams of two or four competing as men’s, women’s or mixed teams. With perfect weather conditions, most teams made it to the finish line within six hours, but the last three teams were still out in the field and missed the cut-off time for

alongside the Waitohu Quarry soon after outline of a spade made up with matches 7.30am, ready to collect their course maps with a piece of gorse at the top, they had and last minute instructions for the 8am to remove two matches while maintaining start. With the starting point at the top of the shape of the spade and keep the gorse. the paddock, teams had to run around the For the second, they were faced with paddock, negotiating five horse jumps befive upside down kayaks across a small fore collecting their bikes and heading up lake, teams had to cross the lake over the the track to Gundy’s Hut. Several teams kayaks and remember to check in at the took a wrong turn and ended up in the marker at the middle kayak - the “captain” next paddock! of each team was issued with an “identity” disc which they had to click into the It’s a steep climb up to Gundy’s - quite a recording markers at each checkpoint and challenge for many, but once at the top it transition, ....continued overleaf Ōtaki River bridge: 10 spans of 33 metres was ‘leave the bikes and take to their feet’

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Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Enlivening the lives of elders ‘What makes you want to get up in the morning?’ That’s the question Reevedon Home and Village recreation officer Linda Hoogenboom asks each resident of the Enliven home and village in Levin.

emotional, intellectual, cultural, social and spiritual needs.

Linda says the question is important because it gives her an idea of what gives that person’s life meaning, which is what her role is all about.

“People need to have purpose and meaning in their lives. That’s what we [recreation officers] help to provide,” says Linda.

“My job isn’t just about activities and entertainment, or providing things that fill in time.

My job is about all those things we do in our spare time that makes life meaningful.”

Reevedon Home and Village has it all.

Reevedon Home and neighbouring Reevedon Village is perfect for retirees planning for the future and couples looking for different levels of support.

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While Linda has only been working at Enliven’s Reevedon Home and Village in Levin for two months, her experience in recreation goes back much further than that.

“I started working in recreation in 1995 and I love it. I’ve found my calling,” Linda explains.

“This job may look easy on the surface because it looks like I’m having fun all day, but there’s so much planning behind it to get it right for people and their needs. Everything we do has purpose.”

Linda says every person has a wide range of

She says residents at Enliven’s homes and villages are supported to continue with their hobbies, to be involved in activities that provide a sense of providing care or giving back, and to keep up with their interests by taking part in clubs and groups, getting out and about in the community and by connecting with others with similar interests.

Linda says her role at Reevedon Home and Village is guided by Enliven’s unique model of care called the Eden Alternative.

“I’m learning about Eden, which is an elder-directed model of care that follows 10 principles that work against loneliness, helplessness and boredom - the three biggest issues older people face in the community,” Linda explains.

“Personalised recreation can be an antidote to these issues, and supports elders to have the highest possible quality of life regardless of their abilities or circumstances.

“A lot of people move to a home and think life is over, but it’s not! We just need to change our approach.”

We’d love for you to visit. Call us on 06 368 7900 to arrange a time.

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“When people come into an Enliven home we look at all these things and ensure they have the opportunity to engage in activities where they can have their needs met. It’s about engaging with people and doing everything we can to help enhance their lives.”

Reevedon recreation officer Linda Hoogenboom (far right) feeds the ducks with Reevedon Home residents Robin Johanson and Christine Weyland

Reevedon Home and Village is operated by Enliven, part of the not-for-profit organisation Presbyterian Support Central, and provides rest home care, respite and a popular day programme, as well as independent retirement living, from 37 Sailsbury Street in Levin.

For more information about Reevedon Home and Village, call 0508 ENLIVEN [that’s 0508 36 54 83] or visit www.enlivencentral.org.nz.

Ōtaki Scouts at National Jamboree Ōtaki Scouts fundraised hard to enable the 9 Scouts to attend the 21st National New Zealand Scout Jamboree, held in Renwick, Blenheim over the holidays.

Some of the activities that were covered by this very special 21st Scout Jamboree were:• Camping and sleeping in tents for 10 nights • Flying in a helicopter • Having a go at trap shooting, paddle boarding, archery, canoeing, abseiling, challenge valley.

Nathan Fulford gained a Baloo Award for being a successful Patrol Leader who managed his Patrol with humour, respect, fun and honesty.

All the Ōtaki Scouts have gained a wide sense of all things outdoors, living with others, friendships and

experiences that they will treasure for the rest of their lives.

Thanks to the following sponsors for their very kind contributions :• Firewood – cutting, splitting, loading and delivery – thanks to Dave & Anne Smith (Ratanui Farm), Maureen & Wayne Owen, Dave O’Callaghan, Noel Cooper, Franks & Associates and Woolly Wires.

• Kite Festival – sale of inflatable kids’ toys – Ōtaki Promotions Group and Waitohu School • Movie Night – Shoreline Cinema, Ōtaki Meats, Ōtaki Cold Storage Ltd, Hunting & Fishing Ōtaki, Farmlands Ōtaki.

• BBQ – New World Ōtaki, Hellers • Grants – Ōtaki Community Board, GJ Gardner Homes and Thomas George MacCarthy Trust.

By MARGARET ANDREWS There’s a very busy month ahead, as one committee completes the Society’s year and another will be elected at the Annual meeting on March 12.

Unfortunately Set List the musical cabaret style show couldn’t go ahead through lack of support and cast.

However auditions are now called for the production of Awhi Tapu a New Zealand play

by Albert Belz. Cast required are three males – one needs to play guitar, and one female all aged 17-30. Auditions will be held at the Civic on Saturday March 11 between 11am and 3pm. Any enquiries contact the director, Meg on 021 118 1286. Aphi Tapu will be on stage 18-27 May. On March 12 we will be having our Annual General Meeting at 4pm. Reports of activities over the last year will be presented and the new committee elected. We are going to need several fresh faces as there are five members, including president are not available for the coming year. Please support this meeting and the elections – without a working committee the society cannot function.

screenings will be shown at the Civic between March 15-19, unfortunately the programme is not available yet, but do support these wonderful films from around the world, tickets are very cheap.

Our next big function will be our 70th jubilee celebration, somehow the 50 and 60’s slid past us!

However, with a keen organising committee on the go, May 6 will be a great day, with the Civic open all day to view memories and artefacts, excerpts from earlier shows will be on a continuous screening and with an evening get-together for further memories. Keep an eye on our webpage www otakiplayers. co.nz for further information and updates.

And of course our major musical Chess with director Linda Buckley auditions late July.

Important upcoming dates: March 11 Awhi Tapu auditions March 12 Otaki Players AGM March 15-19 Maoriland Film Festival May 18-27 Ahi Tapu on stage.

Enjoy the delayed summer, until next month Margaret

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Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Editorial

Cycleways for Them but Not for Us Having recently poured over the plans for the Ōtaki Expressway and seen no cycleways, the Ōtaki Mail then drove down the new Expressway, recently opened with much fanfare by Nathan Guy and Simon Bridges.

Lovely cycleways down there in the rest of Kapiti; but not planned here in the lowest decile community of our district. Perhaps being so far away from Wellington and Parliament means we are less important.

We also note that UFB is still not available here either.

We think we are being short changed. Again.

KCDC has been advocating for cycleways to deaf ears. Guy and Bridges won’t budge and therefore NZTA can’t provide. When John Key made cycleways a part of the New Zealand way of life, the transport agencies worked alongside him. The NZTA website stated when further money was allocated that ‘the Transport Agency would work closely with local authorities to accelerate the delivery of cycling networks in urban areas across New Zealand.’

Except in the case of Ōtaki they haven’t.

This is election year and the Ōtaki Mail, believes that Ōtaki should have what the rest of Kapiti received - not only a well designed road and bridges with lots of planting but also a cycleway to walk and ride along.

KCDC tell us they will provide a cycleway along the old SH1, when it becomes a local road, but it will not be to the standard for beauty, ease and safety as the one provided by NZTA for the rest of Kapiti.

So hear this Nathan Guy and Simon Bridges - we are not second class citizens of Kapiti so don’t treat us like that. Provide us with the same as the rest of the district. As the National Cycleways website says “Put simply, cycling is good for our cities, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for our health.”

Except they have provided no funding for cycleways for Ōtaki. No UFB for Ōtaki. It seems that with this government Ōtaki doesn’t matter.

We need to tell them we do.

The Ōtaki Mail is your free community newspaper paid for by its advertisers.

Without their support, there would be no Ōtaki Mail Please support our advertisers, our local businesses so that the Ōtaki Mail can continue • Annie and Jordan who picked up the little black cat and took her to the vet, then went back and door -knocked to find out where she came from • The residents of the east end of Rangiuru Road, who hate speeding cars in their street and want something done about it • Upgrades to the children’s play area at Haruatai • Tracy Johns for her fabulous aquafit classes – looking forward to re-starting after the pool renovation • All the staff at the Ōtaki Pool for the ‘beyond the call of duty’ in helping Ōtaki people swim for free in Paraparaumu and sorting out bus timetables over the next 8 months

Thumbs Down • The person who ran over a little black cat in Rangiuru Road around 9.15am on Tuesday 31 January and drove on.

• KCDC for refusing to do anything about speeding cars in Rangiuru Road - saying "car drivers hate speed bumps".

• Coffee carts - c'mon you guys, sort it out. We need our caffeine fixes

Page:3

What’s ON Maoriland Film Festival March 15-19 Various venues Kite Festival Ōtaki Beach March 25 and 26 10 am onwards Ōtaki Women’s Community Club Market SH1 Opposite New World Sundays 9am – 3pm Mahara Gallery Mahara Place Waikanae Bob Brockie Exhibition Until 2 April Mahara Gallery FloorTalk Sunday 19 March 2-4pm Paint to Pixels Mahara Gallery Exhibition Opening Saturday 8 April 5pm Emerging Talent Mahara Gallery Floortalk 28 April 11am An Emerging Talent : Early Works by Frances Hodgkins Ōtaki Rotary Business Breakfast: Pekapeka to Ōtaki Expressway Friday 24th March 6.45am Rotary Hall Aotaki Street Presentation by John Palm Project Manager, Fletcher Construction and Rowan Oliver NZ Transport Authority.

There will be a charge to cover the cost of the cooked breakfast.

Pre-Registration: otakirotary@gmail.com by 17th March.

Enquiries to 022 6754711 Waitohu School Gala Sunday 9 April 11am – 2pm Quick Fire Raffles and White Elephant Stall Kapiti Fun Run Sunday 19 March Fundraiser for Kapiti Youth Quest www.kapitirunforyouth.co.nz Kid’s Quiz for Adults Fundraiser Waitohu School Tuesday 21st March 6.30-8.30 Tickets from the school Ōtaki College Working Bee Horticulture Block Sat 11 March 9am Bring tools, gloves etc Bridge Classes 75 Aotaki Street commencing 20 March 7.30 Phone 364 5240 Ulysses Club.

Saturday March 18 10.00am Hyde Park Coffee morning and social gathering, email UlyssesKapiti@gmail.com, phone 027 4844255 or look at http://kapitiulysses.proboards.com/ Otaki Players AGM March 12 Civic theatre 4pm Otaki Players Audition for Awhi Tapu March 11 Civic theatre 11am onwards

Page:4

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Te Horo Flooding Update

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

Action at last for Te Horo farmers who have been hit by regular flooding from the Mangaone Stream, when KCDC and GWRC took immediate steps after Te Horo Beach Road was again flooded on February 3.

With the torrential rain on the Friday, the inevitable happened. The Mangaone Stream overflowed, severely flooding farmland and the road to Te Horo Beach.

“We got very upset and rang the regional council and told them it was flooded again,” affected farmer Kerry Walker said. “They came out - we had both Wellington Regional and Kapiti councils here. The regional council said they would have to go through the (proper) channels! Kapiti Coast said they would (act) under emergency powers they held!”

Autumn means nashi pears Crunchy, juicy nashi pears are ready for harvest. It must be autumn. Paradoxically, just as pickers begin harvesting, summer arrives.

“It’s been a good season for nashi pears,” said Ōtaki Gorge Road orchardist, Jenny Tracey.

“But not so good for our European pears – cloudy, cool, not much sunshine. And not many flowers on the trees.”

Lack of sunshine and a scarcity of blossom has meant fewer bees (pear flowers are not as full of nectar as apple blooms, so aren’t as attractive to bees), resulting in lower pollination rates. However, Asian pears (fruit is partially self-pollinating) tolerate a wider range of growing conditions. A prolific cropper, they are a crisp, juicy, rounded fruit with the texture of their European cousins, and have a light golden skin.

Jenny and Mike Tracey have 11 hectares of orchard. That means 800 pear trees, of different varieties, 3,000 nashi pear trees, and 700 recently planted feijoa bushes.

“We grow five varieties of European pear, including the little green ‘Winter Nelis’ and ‘Packham’ which is much bigger and a good keeper.” KCDC brought in diggers the next day and by Monday they cleaned out The pear orchard also contains ‘Beurre the bottom of the stream bed in the Bosc,’ a traditional, brown-skinned fruit, two worst sections from the above the the sweet-tasting ‘Doyenne du Comice,’ and escarpment to Kerry Cooper’s land ‘Williams Bon Chretien,’ a green-yellow pear further west, where the stream crosses which, like the hardy ‘Winter Nelis,’ is a good the road. pollinator.

The Greater Wellington Regional Nashi pears are currently available from the Council (GW) has made a start on what orchard, 155 Ōtaki Gorge Road. further action would be needed; they will be conducting a Mangaone Stream Te Horo Country Market Cross-section Survey over the next few Reflecting all that is good about Te Horo, the months. This will involve surveying the monthly community market at Te Horo Hall, Mangaone and its tributaries down to Sunday, 5 March, 10.00am to 12.30pm. the beach, including stream crosssections, bridges and crossings to comDrinks and Nibbles A monthly social gathering at Te Horo Hall, Friday, 3 March, 5.30pm to 7.30pm – bring a plate of nibbles to share and something to drink (glasses provided). All welcome.

pare the stream channel over previous surveys, monitor gravel bed movement and review the flood risk.

“We will have to apply for our own consent and carry out work at our own cost, in future. There’s no guarantee we’ll get consent,” a very happy Mr Walker said. “And thanks to Penny Gaylor and James Cootes for all their work and support.” The wet summer has had one silver lining, “hay, hay and more hay and very dense!” he said.

Peter Wilson’s Swamp Road farm was flooded again in the February 3 event.

He was away at the time so didn’t see, but the silt and debris were still in evidence. “They (GW) know what the problem is- the water can’t get away fast enough, floods and silts up the grass. We’ve got debris lying around, it’s just a nuisance,” he said.” We’re affected. We’ve got wet paddocks, but Kerry Walker gets it worse than we do.

But, that’s where we are, we’re on a flood plain.”

“I share my appreciation between the Regional Council and Kapiti Council staff to get the job done,” said Penny Gaylor, the Kapiti councillor to the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

“A good example of how we do things these days through both councils.”

James Cootes is Ōtaki Ward councillor on the Kapiti Coast District Council and was previous chair of the Ōtaki Community Board.

Kerry Cooper was away prior to Ōtaki Mail print deadline.

Otaki Community Patrol Come and join us: we’re ‘unpaid professionals’, providing a valuable community service, just like the Fire brigade, Surf Lifesavers and St Johns.

We are the eyes and ears for the police, working together to fight crime and build a safer community.

You must be 18 years or older to be in the patrol - there is no upper age limit, but you need to be young at heart.

You’ll be trained to use police radios, smartphones & tablet computers.

We do daylight, twilight and night shifts.

Full training given: but you must first pass Police vetting.

(pic of community patrol car in here)

Contact Errol 027 230 8836 to learn more

Fergie with first bin of nashi for season

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Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Kite festival 2017 aims sky high

BY IAN CARSON

The 2017 Ōtaki Kite Festival is set to be the biggest yet, with the Ōtaki Promotions Group promising even more kites, more international flyers, more entertainment and stalls – and even more visitors to the town than the estimated 18,000 of last year.

“We've built the kite festival year-on-year since its inception in 2013, and we want to keep it fresh with new kites and a variety of other activities for visitors and locals,” says OPG chair Ian Carson. “It's a fantastic family event where people can come along with a deck chair and simply enjoy our beach with hundreds of colourful kites flying.

of stalls than before. I think people will be especially pleased with the bigger range of foods available.”

The Ōtaki Kite Festival is a free, family event.

Visitors can bring a deck chair, a kite, a picnic if they wish, and simply enjoy the day. It is organised by the Ōtaki Promotions Group and supported by Kāpiti Coast District Council.

”The kids – and plenty of adults – have fun with their own kites, there's a big dig and the beach buggy rides are back, plus plenty of entertainment and stalls.”

The festival is at Ōtaki Beach on the weekend of 25-26 March.

Four world-class fliers from Australia, along with New Zealand's best kite flyers, will be bringing new and exciting kites to Ōtaki. The world-famous Peter Lynn Kites of Ashburton, who have attended every year since the kite festival began, will also return to the beach. Their kites – which include the huge whales, turtles and other fantastical creatures – provide some of the most popular displays of the festival.

Ōt ki kitE FEStiVAL 11am-5pm Sat-Sun 25-26 March

Volunteers please!

We’re looking for several people willing to help us with another fantastic Ōtaki event – we can’t do it without YOU! Our volunteers help us with: • Directing cars in the car park • Marshalling the beach kite zone cordon • Supervising beach activities.

For volunteers who care about our planet: • We plan to divert as much event waste from the landfill as possible – could you help us to point our event visitors to the right bin for their rubbish?

Time is only a 2-hour shift (or more) on either or both days.

Please phone Barbara 027 485 8888 or Lynne 021 149 4081 or for more information or to sign up see Ōtaki Kite Festival on Facebook or visit www.kitefestival.org.nz Proudly presented by: Ōtaki Promotions Group Chair Ian Carson 027 241 1090 Co-ordinator Kirsty Doyle – 021 102 0058

The main entertainment act this year will be The Improvisers. They will have four performances on the weekend, including the finale performance on stage at the end of each day. Other entertainment will be provided throughout the day.

More food, craft and other stalls will be available this year.

“People love the kites, but everyone also likes to wander around the stalls,” says festival coordinator Kirsty Doyle. “We've managed to make more space available this year so we can provide a wider range 1

Kites soar high at Ōtaki Beach

Ōt ki kitE FEStiVAL 11am-5pm Saturday-Sunday 25-26 March

Come fly with us!

• kitES FROM AROUND tHE WORLD • ENtERtAiNMENt • FOOD & CRAFt StALLS • BiG DiG • kitES FOR SALE • kitE BUGGY • BUSiNESS CHALLENGE . . . AND MUCH MORE organised by:

Have fun with comedic act the improvisors on stage at 1pm and 4pm each day

supporTed by:

CAtCH tHE BUS

a free return trip ‘kite bus’ will run to and from Waikanae. Tell your friends in Wellington to catch the train to Waikanae and then the free bus, which will meet trains throughout both days. see our website for details.

For more information, see www.kitefestival.org.nz

Keep up to date with otaki Kite Festival on Facebook

Page:6 TE WĀNANGA O RAUKAWA E kore au e ngaro he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea

Wānanga Primed to Showcase Netball Spectacle The Wānanga is looking forward with enthusiasm to hosting a national netball tournament at Ngā Purapura on the weekend of 10-12 March. It will be an historic event, the first ever pre-season tournament of the new national league involving all six ANZ premiership franchises: Central Pulse, SKYCITY Mystics, Northern Stars, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, Mainland Tactix and Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel.

It is a major coup for the wānanga, the ART Confederation and Ōtaki. The tournament will provide the perfect opportunity for all teams to put the finishing touches on their preparation before the ANZ Premiership gets underway two weeks later.

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017 recently returned with the team from a very successful tour of Britain, in which they were placed second in their latest international tournament.

Netball is this one of this country’s national sports and the Confederation has been represented at all levels by players, coaches and umpires. A great aunt of the Selby -Rickit sisters, the late Aroha Sciascia, was a national umpire. Ōtaki in particular has been well represented by the late Retitia (Betty) Raureti, a respected and much loved coach of local and regional teams, as well as her daughters, Oriwia and the late Harina. Former Silver Fern Katarina Cooper of Ngāti Kapumanawawhiti has played for the Central Pulse and the Southern Steel.

Currently she is in England playing in their national netball league.

is something that we have not tried before so we are looking forward to seeing how effective having an external body promoting and profiling our brand will be. One of the leaders of the sponsorship deal, Pou Whakahaere Oriwia Raureti, has been appointed to the governing board of the Central Pulse. This appointment will be useful for both organisations: for the Pulse franchise there will be the opportunity to learn more about kaupapa and its expression in various forms as well as te reo Māori. For ourselves, we will profile our organisation across a broad platform including extensive TV coverage. Netball is the second most patronised sport in New Zealand and by far the most popular women’s sport. Around 75% of our students are women so we see benefits in visibility of our brand in the

netball space. We also favour any activity that speaks loudly to personal health and wellbeing carrying our name.

We encourage all who have a love of the game and want to be part of what promises to be a fantastic event to come along and enjoy our ten guiding kaupapa in action.

Don’t forget to bring a pen for the inevitable autograph opportunities! Nau mai, haere mai.

Tickets for the event are available from Ngā Purapura, by email from tickets@twor-otaki.ac.nz or through our website.

Visit us at 144 Tasman Road, Ōtaki Phone us at 0800 WĀNANGA Visit our website at www.wananga.com Email us at tetomonga@twor-otaki.ac.nz

Kitea te anga na te haku!

As well as hosting the games, the teams, officials and umpires will all be accommodated at the Te Wānanga o Raukawa campus for four days. They will be welcomed in our traditional manner, with a pōwhiri on the Thursday afternoon preceding the tournament.

The games, ten in total, will take place over three days, commencing on Friday at 1 p.m. and finishing on Sunday at 3 p.m. There will be three games on the Friday: Mystics v Pulse, Steel v Magic and Stars v Tactix.

On Saturday there will four games: Steel v Pulse, Magic v Stars, Mystics v Tactix, Pulse v Magic. Sunday will have Steel v Mystics, Magic v Tactix and Pulse v Stars.

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei

Refreshments throughout the tournament will be available from the on-site café.

Of particular interest to the ART Confederation, and Ōtaki in particular, will be the opportunity for our people to watch two local stars of the game – sisters Te Huinga Reo and Te Paea Selby-Rickit. These young Ngāti Huia women were born and bred in Ōtaki, educated at Te Kākano o te Kura Kohanga Reo, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito and Te Wānanga o Raukawa and went on to represent Aotearoa New Zealand as Silver Ferns. Te Paea has

Koanga, tangata tahi; ngahuru, puta noa The wānanga has recently cemented a relationship with the Central Pulse netball franchise involving a sponsorship deal that will contribute substantially to our marketing and promotions strategy. Last year we progressed a series of hui with them, to explore what synergies there are between our organisations. We were attracted by what they could offer in terms of wide coverage of our brand as their major sponsor. This

PRE-SEASON NETBALL TOURNAMENT 10-12 MARCH 2017 NGā PURAPURA, ōTAKI

TICKETS: CONTACT NGā PURAPURA PH: 06 364 9018 OR EMAIL: TICKETS@TWOR-OTAKI.AC.NZ

0800 WANANGA | WWW.WANANGA.COM

WWI commemoration in Ōtaki

BY IAN CARSON

The Governor-General, the Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy GNZM QSO, is visiting Ōtaki on 10 March to unveil a monument marking 100 years since the sinking of SS Otaki.

The Governor-General will be welcomed to Ōtaki with a powhiri at Raukawa Marae, then she will attend a commemoration ceremony at Ōtaki College. There she will unveil a monument and lay a wreath recognising the loss of life of the sailors who fought in a famous sea battle 100 years ago.

Also attending will be representatives of the Merchant Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the British High Commission, the German Embassy and others.

After the ceremony an exhibition, World War One at Sea, will open at Ōtaki Museum.

On 10 March 1917, the New Zealand Shipping Company's SS Otaki and the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Moewe engaged in a battle that was one of the Merchant Navy's most heroic of the war. It led to the establishment of the Otaki Scholar and a long relationship between Ōtaki College and Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The battle was a fight between a lightly armed cargo ship and a disguised warship.

However, the captain of the Otaki, Archibald Bisset Smith, was more than equal to the task, his heroism being recognised with a posthumous Victoria Cross and the enduring admiration of his adversary, the Moewe's Korvetten-Kapitan Burggraf Graf Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien.

The Otaki was attacket about 350 miles east of the Azores in the mid Atlantic. She had left London and was headed for New York carrying only ballast and her 73 crew.

About 2.30pm, in heavy seas and rain, the Otaki spotted what looked like another freighter. However, Captain Smith's

suspicions were aroused when the Moewe altered course, and were confirmed when the Moewe, disguised as a merchant ship, broke out its battle ensign.

Captain Dohna-Schlodien ordered the Otaki to stop, which the Otaki ignored.

The Moewe fired on the Otaki, and to the Germans' surprise, it fired back, with remarkable effect. Most merchant ships the Moewe encountered – and there were many in its illustrious career, sinking 40 in total – simply surrendered. Captain Smith, a wily veteran of many voyages, was not so keen to give up easily. He ordered full steam ahead to outrun the Moewe.

However, the faster Moewe gradually gained. The Otaki would not back down, responding to the attack with the only firepower at its disposal – a stern-mounted 120mm gun.

The Moewe was armed with four 150mm and one 105mm gun, two torpedo tubes and was loaded with 500 mines. Her crew of 235 were highly trained naval personnel.

She also carried prisoners from another British freighter she had sunk earlier in the day.

Firing from her stern and being more stable in the water than the smaller Moewe, the Otaki scored seven hits in the ensuing battle, one causing a fire which lasted three days. The Otaki took 29 hits from the Moewe before it began to sink.

a shore posting as marine superintendent for the New Zealand Shipping Company.

Six men of the Otaki, including Captain Smith, died in the skirmish. One was William Esson Martin, who was only 14.

He had left Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen – the school at which the captain had also been a student – only two weeks before he died.

In his captain's log, the Moewe's Dohna-Scholeiden described the battle as “a duel as gallant as naval history can relate”. The Moewe lost five of its own men.

Despite heavy seas and being badly damaged, the Moewe rescued the Otaki survivors, who spent the rest of the war in German prisoner of war camps.

Captain Smith's wife, Edith, a New Zealander, also wanted to recognise her husband's achievements. She presented Robert Gordon's College with the Ōtaki Shield for the most outstanding student.

The New Zealand Shipping Company then sponsored the recipient, known as the Otaki Scholar, with a trip to New Zealand. The Otaki Scholar has visited New Zealand every year since 1937, except during World War II. After the P&O Line took over the New Zealand Shipping Company, the New Zealand Government paid for the pupil’s air fare and most other expenses.

Since 2013, an Ōtaki College student has travelled to Scotland under the Sander Scholarship.

After the war there was a clamour to recognise Captain Smith's Archibald Bisset Smith heroism, but he was a master in VC, captain of the Otaki the Merchant Navy, not a military man. This was overcome by posthumously For more information, please contact: granting him a commission as a lieutenant Ian Carson in the Royal Naval Reserve, allowing him SS Otaki Commemoration Committee to receive the Victoria Cross. The medal 06 364-6543 or 027 2411-090 was for many years carried on board two or more New Zealand Shipping Company Andy Fraser ships called the Otaki (there were four in Principal, Ōtaki College total), and is now part of the P&O Line 06 364-8204 or 027 432-8829 heritage collection.

Captain Smith ordered that the lifeboats be lowered. Among those forced to abandon the ship were the captain's own 17-year-old stepson, Alfred Broomfield Clulee. The chief officer and the carpenter were the last to jump. Their captain, however, remained on the Otaki and was last seen heading for his cabin. The ship sank with its captain, her colours still flying.

Ironically, Captain Smith's last voyage was to take him back to New Zealand to take up

A painting of the sea battle with the Otaki in the foreground, by Ōtaki artist Wallace Trickett

Page:7

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

FOCUS ON - Ramila Parbhu - the crazy lady with slogans on her fence

BY LLOYD CHAPMAN

If you're driving down Waerenga Road, you're bound to see a corner property with a fence covered in slogans. This is where Ramila lives, and this is the residence of an organic gardener, artist and community worker. A person guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, and leave you with a better outlook on life.

from Tawa to Ōtaki, where they gardened on five acres in Iti street. After Ōtaki primary, Ramila went to Ōtaki college, graduating with an 'A' Bursary, which took her to Massey university and a B. Hort Science degree.

use working for MaF Quarantine & Border Security, then Hort Research in Mt Albert, before she worked in an Orakei garden centre. Then it all turned pear-shaped. Unemployed, depressed and unsettled she had a mental breakdown.

On graduation she worked for Watties in the Hawkes Bay monitoring tomato crops, until she had saved enough to do her OE.

Back to Ōtaki, she sought treatment in Palmerston North. There the doctors prescribed the usual concoction of anti-depressants and zombie-inducing drugs. 'Just keep taking the medication' was the advice.

This didn't work, and it took character and determination for Ramila to take responsibility for her life and embrace self-management. Not easy to renounce the comfortable haze of medication; harder still to survive by understanding the events that trigger her condition, and to minimise them.

The crazy lady and her crazy fence, an enhancement to Waerenga Road Ramila's parents came from Gujarat, the England, Spain and Portugal were the destiwestern-most state of India. When the fami- nation, and at the age of 21 she went to Inly arrived Ramila could only speak Gujaradia where to discover her roots. After a kiwi ti, a dialect of Hindi. Parents were market education she didn't feel she belonged: 'they gardeners, grandfather had a fruit shop. knew by how I walked, by my mannerisms' When she was seven, the family moved

she recalls. After five months in India, and a month trekking in Nepal, it was home to New Zealand Back to Ōtaki, to her mother's chagrin, Ramila ran away from home to live with her boyfriend in Auckland. 'Don't ever come back' was the stern admonition. Time heals, bridges mended, and the family are more or less united. 'What about your fence?', I asked. Ramila chuckled: 'the only one who doesn't like it is one of my brothers' she joked, 'and that's because he lives in Auckland.'

Mayor Guru at Ramila's Waitangi day exhibition

Otaki Proud to support

In Auckland Ramila put her Hort. degree to good

So Ramila Parbhu knows that giving is the solution. Giving to the community in whatever way she feels appropriate. Her academic background has equipped Ramila to understand how to grow things. One Massey paper featured Organics, and like many of us, she is a believer. This was reinforced by a spell working at Crop & Food in Levin under the tutelage of Glen Cant and Jo Springett.

Now Ramila delights in working alongside Lyndsay Knowles with Ōtaki Primary school on their wonderful garden. It is a joyous secret garden where children are encouraged to understand and harvest food.

Menzshed have made some wonderful garden furniture, which bears the unmistakable evidence of Ramila's painting.

And now Ramila is bringing art into her life. 'What do you call it?' I asked. 'Crazy Indian Shit' was the irreverent answer. Her experimental style is abstract transformational art, using acrylic paint from Resene & Hammer Hardware's castoffs, and canvases salvaged from op shops. Bright and confrontational. Ramila was thrilled to find at her first public exhibition at Anam Cara with Ōtaki Potters recently, she sold two pieces. Watch out for an emerging talent that extends beyond Green admonitions on the front fence!

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. Jiddu Krishnamurti - Indian philosopher.

We must be the change we wish to see in the Ramila in Ōtaki Primary's Secret garden world - Mahatma Ghandhi, another Gujarati

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Ramila Parbhu in her verdant garden with some of her artwork: 'its a work in progress' she declares

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Page:8

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Taking Otaki’s pulse

Live well, get well, stay well

Ōtaki Community Health Centre 186 Mill Road, Otaki Monday – Friday Yoga Otaki Women’s Health Centre The Hearing Company Sexual Health Clinics Temperton & Associates Accountants Cervical Screening Clinics New Zealand Association of Counsellors Counselling Ann-Marie Stapp – Social Work Practitioner Total Mobility Agent Narcotics Anonymous Health Information MidCentral DHB The MenzShed Alcohol & Other Drugs Service, Meals on Wheels Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health and Adult Mental Health Service Rooms available for rent, long or short term For information on services phone Janet or Michelle on 364 6367

The Increasing Numbers The Gentle Art of Physio Many readers will have already experienced the of Dementia Patients gentle healing of physiotherapy.

A dementia epidemic is looming in New Zealand as the number of Kiwis living with the condition will reach 150,000 by 2050. That is a horrific number of people who will need care, by family, health, friends or support services. Are we ready?

Alzheimers NZ chief executive Catherine Hall told the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee today that the Government needs to prepare now. Ms Hall said immediately implementing proposals in the 2013 New Zealand Framework for Denentia Care, which the government developed, will lead to more cost-effective care.

“The blueprint for dealing with this situation already exists – what is needed from the government is the commitment and funding to implement it.Treasury acknowledges there are long term fiscal implications for our economy due to our ageing population, and health costs are one of the most significant areas of public spending,” she said.

Ms Hall said that despite agreement across both government and non-government agencies about the direction of dementia care, there has been very little movement within this last Parliamentary term.

• Prepare for pregnancy, childbirth and the transition to parenthood • Learn about caring for your new baby • Connect with other expectant parents Get in touch to learn more today Free phone: 0508 247 8433 Email: bumpstobabies@barnardos.co.nz Web: www.barnardos.org.nz/bumps-babies

STRESSED OUT? Free counselling is available For Parents/Caregivers with children 0 to 17 years. Ōtaki Women’s Health Centre Is offering free counselling Tuesdays by appointment 06 364 6367

Anyone affected by cancer, whether they are the patient or support person is welcome to contact our new coordinator, Amber Marshall who extends an invitation to the Ōtaki Community to have a monthly support group meeting starting on the 29th June.

Amber.Marshall@cancercd.org.nz PH 06 367 8065 FAX 06 367 8057 Mobile 027 542 0066

Cancer Society shop 112 Winchester Street, Levin Hours Mon-Fri 9am-3pm

“We know we will not see movement before the September election, unless initiatives are funded within this Budget.”

Currently, there are about 60,000 Kiwis living with dementia. Alzheimers New Zealand estimates that will almost triple to over 150,000 by 2050.

If you are afflicted by injury, illness or disability physio is often the non-invasive way to regain health and mobility.

Physiotherapy is a science-based profession and takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health and wellbeing, which includes the patient’s general lifestyle.

As Physiotherapy is a degree-based healthcare profession, you can be confident that what’s on offer is supported through education and a professional body. Their brief is wide covering many aspects of the body and its associated illnesses. Physios use their knowledge and skills to improve a range of conditions associated with different systems of the body, such as: • Neurological for stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons • Neuromusculoskeletal for back pain, whiplash associated disorder, sports injuries, falls and arthritis.

• Cardiovascular to help the heart after a heart attack.

• Respiratory for asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and cystic fibrosis.

They teach you to maintain your own wellness through gentle non-aggressive exercises. You are in charge of your own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in your treatment under the expert guidance of a physiotherapist.

“In order for the Government to alleviate the upcoming strain on the health system, provide better public services and a productive and competitive economy, it needs to fully fund and implement the Dementia Framework that it developed.”

This is not a silver bullet or a fast track to immediate mobility or wellness. Rather it is a gentle co-operative journey together to increase mobility, learn to re-use damaged limbs without fear of exacerbating the problem. To get the benefits of physio you need time, patience and commitment.

Providing better support to people with dementia early will result in significant savings. Research commissioned by Alzheimers New Zealand in 2008 found that delaying entry to residential care by just three months would have resulted in $32 million of savings that year.

You can benefit from physiotherapy at any time in your life. Physiotherapy helps with back pain or sudden injury, managing long-term medical condition such as asthma, and in preparing for childbirth or a sporting injury or fall.

“These costs are not just carried by the public health system, but also in productivity losses for carers who may have to give up or reduce paid employment to look after their partner,” Ms Hall said.

A user of physio says that a good one is absolutely fantastic and any other form of therapy pales in comparison. That’s because the physio instructs the patient how to improve the problem and strengthen any particular muscle, which can sometimes is not all that gentle but hard work. Success relies on two people, physio and patient, each doing their share.

The opportunity costs for carers were estimated in 2012 to be $37.2 million. However, the Framework was developed three years ago, and has yet to be fully implemented.

Free flu vaccine for people with respiratory conditions Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ strongly advises people with a respiratory illness to get their free influenza vaccination from March onwards. It is best to get vaccinated before the start of the winter season, before influenza enters the community.

The free flu vaccine is available to all people 65 years of age and over, and people under 65 who have asthma and on regular preventative therapy, or have a chronic respiratory disease with impaired lung function. It is also free for children aged four years and under who have significant respiratory illness.

People with long term respiratory conditions such as asthma are at high risk of complications from flu, even if their symptoms are mild or well-controlled by medication. Complications include pneumonia, heart failure and worsening asthma symptoms.

“The flu is a very serious illness that can result in hospitalisation or death, even for young and healthy people,” says spokesperson for the Foundation, Dr Matire Harwood.

0800-66-0300

By Ann Chapman

It’s important for the flu vaccination to be done every year as protection lessons over time. Additionally there is one new influenza strain in the 2017 vaccine that was not included in the 2016 vaccine.

Free flu vaccinations are available until 31 December from your GP and some pharmacies. Check with your GP to find out when the vaccine arrives in Ōtaki.

Physio can often work alongside acupuncture or sports medicine. Physiotherapist may also offer Biochranial hand therapy and post operative rehabilitation. Biochranial is the gentle art of specialist head massage which leaves you relaxed, and is especially good if you suffer from chronic pain.

Lucy Feltham Physiotherapist (member PNZ NZPPA,sports and orthopaedic group, NZ sports medicine. NZMPA) 26 years fulltime clinical experience Diploma of Physiotherapy, 1990 Certificate of Manipulative Therapy 2002 Member physio sports and orthopaedic group Member New Zealand Sports Medicine ex academy of sport provider treated 2 Silver Fern and 1 Wellington regional player.

Services:

General Physiotherpy & Sports physiotherapy Advanced tendon rehabilitation from regular updates at annual sports medicine conference.

Hand therapy. Exercise prescription- all ages.

Biomechanical assessment ,strapping and taping Post op rehabilitation. Chest Physiotherapy

16 Dunstan Street Otaki Ph/ fax 06 364 7027 free physio for ACC patients self-referral or GP-referral Hours 9am -6pm Monday -Friday

Page:9

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Penny’s Piece:

A couple of weeks ago I attended a meeting of councils to discuss the Capital Connection and the broader issue of rail connection north of Waikanae.

As I’ve written previously, for the past several years (but previously wearing my hat as Ōtaki councillor on KCDC), the two regional councils, and the respective local district councils have been meeting regularly over the past five plus years working together to save the Capital Connection.

This latest meeting had a number of new faces around the table ( or in my case same face new hat).

The will of those attending was entirely consistent – all councils

are wanting to secure in the medium term the continual running of the Capital Connection. All want to eventually secure a commuter rail link that extends north of Waikanae.

It’s been some time since we’ve heard estimates from Wellington Regional Council as to the estimated cost of electrification, I asked for their current thinking of the costs. GWRC staff estimate that an investment of approximately $40m would be required to undertake the infrastructure required to extend electrified train service to Ōtaki.

This would include substations, overhead line, Ōtaki station upgrades, stabling yards, reconfiguring Waikanae.

GWRC staff also identified that

James' Jottings

It’s open!!! After many years of waiting, interruptions, heart ache for some and relief for others the M2PP section of the Expressway is now open. I was there for the blessing which was a memorable and powerful moment and a day that I will look back on in years to come and probably tell my grandchildren about.

Like many of you I went to the open day and took the tour along to Waikanae and again have been impressed with the design, landscaping and cycleway. So a big thankyou to all the workers who played a part in making this happen. Over the next few weeks they will iron out any teething

Chris’ Chat This is my first opportunity ever to write a column of any sort.

Unless your position requires you to communicate with a particular audience, or you have an ego that makes you write a blog or Tweet, it is not something you get to do.

The Ōtaki Mail kindly provides space for Regional Council member, Penny Gaylor, and KCDC Ward Councillor James Cootes to let Ōtaki readers know what they are doing on your behalf. As Chair of the Ōtaki Community Board I want to let you know each month what your Board is doing on your behalf – and we

problems and continually work on synchronizing the lights as the traffic patterns change. But already I’m hearing comments like 18 minutes to Paekakariki and 10 minutes to Kapiti Road so that’s encouraging to hear.

We also said to the M2PP team who built the southern section and are now contracted to build the PP2O section “job well done” but now you have to do just as good or better on the Ōtaki section. They say they’re up to the challenge and together with you we will work with them to get an Expressway that we can be proud of and enhances our community.

What is disappointing is that the stunning Cycleway, walkway and bridleway on the new M2PP

in addition to the infrastructure improvements, new rolling stock would need to be procured which have toilets installed, given they consider it unreasonable for a journey to be longer than 1hr without providing toilet facilities on board.

Retrofitting toilet facilities on the existing Matangi fleet would be very challenging, due to the very limited space in the underframe for water and waste water retention tanks: details that do need to be factored in.

To procure additional rolling stock, with these facilities it would cost in the order of $3.3m per car (if a reasonable order quantity was procured), so perhaps investment in the order of an additional $40m would be required. So in the view section isn’t included in the Otaki section. I have lobbied since the projects announcement for us to get a proper CWB and NZTA had assured me they would do what they could in the existing SH1 road corridor. However it is looking increasingly unlikely to be anything significant and I’ve taken the matter up with our MP Nathan Guy. Under the current design and construct project there is no budget or contract for a CWB. That would have to be constructed by KCDC as part of the SH1 revocation (when the road is handed back to Council). That means it can’t be started until after the PP2O section is finished and will likely take 2 or 3 years after that.

of GWRC staff an investment of at least $80m would be required to provide an electrified service to Ōtaki.

Alternatively, if the service to Ōtaki operated as a shuttle service to Waikanae then that would obviate the needs for onboard toilets, but there would be questions about whether we have enough trains.

As was the case for the rail extension from Paraparaumu to Waikanae, if the Government decides to do the rail service extension, the Government (taxpayer) pays for the infrastructure investment, and thereafter the operating costs are half NZTA (Government agency) and locals (users buying tickets and ratepayers).

As I said to Nathan Guy when I met with him “do you realise in 2020 when you cut the ribbon opening PP2O there will be no CWB from Ōtaki to connect to the southern section. Ōtaki and Te Horo people will not be happy with that!” So the matter is with the minister but if you have a strong view on this I’d encourage you drop him an email as the more people that express a view the greater chance we have of getting it through.

Lastly if you have any ideas, issues or matters you wish to raise with me feel free to drop me an email or give me a call. I’m always happy to help where I can.

Penny Gaylor

Greater Wellington Regional Councillor penny.gaylor@gw.govt.nz 027 664 8869

Good for us all to know how it all fits together, who makes the decisions, and always importantly who pays for each bit.

James Cootes

Ōtaki’s KCDC Councillor james.cootes@kapiticoast.govt.nz 0274 572 346

the Ōtaki Mail welcomes Chris Papps as a columnist. She's you first contact for Ōtaki's KCDC matters would like to hear from you what you would like us to be doing.

However, both the Board and the Ōtaki Community have to be aware there are limits on what we can do. We do not have direct access to financial resources.

We can and do make grants to community members and sports people. However, in order to influence Government, the Regional Council or the District Council to spend money or take action we have to advocate and negotiate on your behalf.

By the time this column appears,

we will be driving on the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway – or should that be Peka Peka to MacKays for us in the north?

Designs are well advanced for the next Peka Peka to Ōtaki section.

Earthmovers are scheduled to start work in October this year.

At our meeting on February 21, we had a comprehensive briefing from the Fletcher-led project team for PP2O. They want to work with us and the community on the finer details of the design.

There are limits to the changes or modifications possible within the overall project budget. Having

said that, we must explore those limits and work with the design and project team to achieve the best outcomes for the Ōtaki community.

Kapiti, unlike many other City and District Councils, gives a lot of opportunity to its four community boards to make contributions and to advocate on behalf of our communities.

The 2016 to 2019 Ōtaki Community Board team will do that.

Chris Papps

Ōtaki Community Board Chair christine.papps@xtra.co.nz 027 201 6435

Mahi Toi Arts’ Centre

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

Ōtaki’s newest arts centre, Mahi Toi/Art Work, is now open for adults and children to find and work at their own artistic interests, through a variety of classes and workshops.

Mahi Toi is the brainchild of local artists, Michelle Backhouse and Yvonne de Mille, who have both spent many years in the art’s world, using a wide variety of mediums. Yvonne is probably best known for her kite making adventures and plans to include kite making in workshops, but she also a skilled painter and print maker. Michelle’s interests have included jewellery, sculpture and painting.

To celebrate opening Mahi Toi they held an open weekend at the beginning of February, where people had an opportunity to make a kite - dyeing lunch paper and using skewers and string so

they could fly, making paper birds and leaves for the Positivity Tree and writing a positive message on the leaves and attach them to the (paper) tree in the Arcade foyer.

The first afterschool workshops for children and adult evening classes began at the start of the term. These are open for people from six years to adult - anyone who has a wish to develop or release their own creative ideas and skills. Classes will cover drawing, sculpture, kite-making and printmaking. Holiday programmes are also in the plans.

“I started art works with my own children,” Michelle said. “Then their friends wanted to join in.”

She has been running holiday art workshops for about 15 years. Yvonne has been running workshops for 35 years “mostly kite-making, art classes and afterschool activities.”

Mahi Toi is available to other

artists to use though initially only open during workshops. Pop-up gallery space is also available.

“We are keen to hear from other artists or groups who would like to utilise the space and from individuals about what workshops they would like to see here,” Yvonne said. “It’s not just about art, we hope to build community here, in a non-threatening way, a place where people can feel welcome and express themselves through their work.

have a constant income.

the building, being used.

Arcade building owner, Graham Booth said he is delighted at the large space at the carpark end of

Yvonne and Michelle can be found at mahitoiotaki@gmail.com

Michelle and Yvonne hope to be able to make all classes free and they will be looking into funding options similar to Wellington’s Vincent’s art space where they get sufficient funding to offer free classes to all or small regular donations so they Eight year old Nikaia Higson adds her paper bird to the Mahi Toi Positivity Tree with a helping hand from artworks co owners Yvonne De Mille, centre, and Michelle Backhouse at the arts centre in The Arcade

Page:10

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

PROGRAMME

CIVIC THEATRE - Main St

NGA PURAPURA - 145 Tasman Rd

MĀORILAND HUB - 68 Main Street

RANGIATEA CHURCH - Te Rauparaha St

STORYTELLING TENT - 5 Rangatira Street

RAUKAWA MARAE - Main Street

GREEN FIELDS at Te Kura ā Iwi Whakatupuranga Rua Mano - 143 Tasman Road

DAY 1 RAAPA / WEDS 15 MARCH 09:30 - 11:15

11:15 - 12:30

PŌWHIRI

15:00 - 17:00

RANGATAHI FESTIVAL OPENING

OPENING OF ART EXHIBITIONS

17:45 - 19:15

20:30 - 22:00

KEYNOTE SPEECH

SAMI BLOOD (Sweden)

17:00 - 19:30

20:30 - 22:00

RANGATAHI GALA

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (Aotearoa) FREE WHĀNAU SCREENING

DAY 2 RAPARE / THUR 16 MARCH 09:30 - 11:30

12:00 - 13:30

14:00 - 15:00

16:00 - 17:30

19:00 - 20:30

21:00 - 22:30

ZACH’S CEREMONY (Australia)

WHAKAPAPA SHORTS from around the world

WHĀNAU SHORTS from around the world

360° INDIGENEITY : POI 360 (Aotearoa) & INDIGI LABS (Australia)

MARA’AKAME’S DREAM (Mexico)

SUN AT MIDNIGHT (Canada) PG

09:30 - 11:00

11:15 - 13:15

E TU WHĀNAU RANGATAHI FILMMAKING AWARDS (Schools)

13:30 - 14:30 ANIMATED SHORTS (Schools)

MELE MURALS (Hawaii) & DIG IT IF YOU CAN (USA) (Schools)

POI 360 KŌ K RERO - POI GOES DIGITAL (Schools)

15:30 - 16:30

17:00 - 18:30

19:00 - 20:45

21:00 - 22:30

E TU WHĀNAU RANGATAHI FILMMAKING AWARDS (For whānau & friends)

BINGO SHORTS Short films with a game of bingo in between each film!

TANNA (Vanuatu) PG

BONFIRE (Yakutia, Russia) M Filmmaker in attendance

DAY 3 RAMERE / FRI 17 MARCH 09:30 - 10:45 WAIRUA SHORTS from around the world

11:00 - 12:00

12:30 - 13:30

14:40 - 13:30

17:00 - 19:00

19:30 - 21:00

21:15 - 22:15

WHENUA SHORTS from around the world

SUNDANCE’S NATIVE PROGRAMME EXPLAINED plus the Screening of Shinaab & Visions of an Island

THE COLLECTIVE EFFORT: Kōrero and films from the Native Slam, Embargo & the Arctic Circle

DIG IT IF YOU CAN (USA) THE OKA LEGACY (Canada)

ANGRY INUK (Canada)

GOD JOHOGOI (Yakutia)

09:30 - 10:30 RISE: STANDING ROCK (Schools)

10:45 - 12:00

12:15 - 13:15

COMING OF AGE SHORTS (Schools - Yr 10+)

SCHOOL SHORTS #2

13:30 - 14:30

17:30 - 19:00

20:30 - 22:00

ENVIRONMENTAL SHORTS (Schools)

MARA’AKAME’S DREAM (Mexico)

GOLDSTONE (Australia) M

09:30 - 10:30

10:45 - 12:00

12:15 - 13:15

13:30 - 14:30

15:30 - 16:45

SCHOOLS WORKSHOP 1

SCHOOLS WORKSHOP 2

SCHOOLS WORKSHOP 3

SCHOOLS WORKSHOP 4

KŌ K RERO WITH MABELLE DENNISON - HOW DO I GET MY KID INTO ACTING?

DAY 4 RAHOROI / SAT 18 MARCH 10:00 - 12:00

12:30 - 13:45

15:00 - 16:30

17:00 - 19:00

19:45 - 22:00

MELE MURALS (Hawaii) Filmmaker and Artist in Attendence

WAIRUA SHORTS from around the world

imagineNATIVE SHORTS (Canada)

RISE: STANDING ROCK Filmmaker in attendance

BONFIRE (Yakutia) Director in attendance

09:30 - 11:00

12:00 - 13:30

14:00 - 16:00

16:30 - 18:00

18:30 - 20:15

20:30 - 22:30

WHENUA SHORTS from around the world

FRACTURED LAND (Canada)

ANGRY INUK (Canada)

NZ PREMIERE OF THE NATIVE SLAM II

POI E (Aotearoa)

MOANA (USA)

10:00 - 12:00

12:30 - 14:30

15:00 - 17:00

17:00 - 19:00

STORYTELLING TENT: SUNDANCE

STORYTELLING TENT

STORYTELLING TENT

STORYTELLING TENT: DMITRII DAVYDOV (BONFIRE)

DAY 5 RATAPU / SUN 19 MARCH 11:00 - 14:00

14:30 - 16:00

17:30 - 19:00

19:00 - 00:30

WE CAN’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE (Canada)

SAMI BLOOD (Sweden)

TANNA (Vanuatu) PG

MĀORILAND CLOSING NIGHT PARTY

09:30 - 11:00

11:30 - 12:30

13:00 - 14:30

15:00 - 17:30

17:30 - 19:00

EVER THE LAND (AOTEAROA)

WHAKAPAPA SHORTS from around the world

COLONIZATION ROAD (Canada)

RISE: STANDING ROCK (Canada)

imagineNATIVE SHORTS (Canada)

14:00 - 16:30 WE CAN’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE

Māoriland Film Festival 2017 is filled to the brim with some of the hottest indigenous films on the planet. The programme includes multi-award winning feature, documentary and short films including two Oscar-nominated films!

Of the award winning feature films, there are eight New Zealand premieres consolidating Māoriland’s reputation as an international film festival.

There are other premiere events at this year’s Māoriland including the Rangatahi film festival programme and Rangatahi gala. Both events have been organised by Māoriland youth committee called Ngā Pakiaka who have watched films from around the world before selecting a programme for their peers. Schools around the Greater Wellington region and Manawatu have been quick to book in for the schools-only screenings and many sessions at Māoriland’s main screening venues Ngā Purapura and the Civic are nearing capacity.

Ngā Pakiaka has also organised two whānau outdoor screenings of the blockbuster and multi-award winning NZ film Hunt for the Wilderpeople and the Oscar-nominated animation movie, Moana.

The Māoriland Rangatahi film festival will start with a Gala event on Wednesday 15th March that will include the Māoriland Keynote Address by award winning 14-year-old Actor Julian Dennison (star of Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and his mother Mabelle at Rangiatea Church.

The Outdoor screening of Hunt for the Wilderpeople will be at the green fields of Te Kura a Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano. There will also be an international food fair called the Kainaval will also have delicious food on offer.

Everyone is welcome!

The opening night feature film was a huge hit at last month’s Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) where Māoriland Film Festival once again flew the flag at the European Film Market (EFM) part of the Berlinale. A partner in the Native Stand at the EFM alongside Sundance, imagineNATIVE and other indigenous film festivals. Māoriland festival director Libby Hakaraia and chair of the Māoriland Charitable Trust Tainui Stephens attended the Berlinale and said there was very strong interest in Māoriland Film Festival.

“Indigenous filmmakers are very keen to screen at Māoriland as they consider it now to be “the” festival to attend in the Southern hemisphere,” said Tainui Stephens.

Film Festival Best Documentary, Best Film Byron Bay Film Festival and Most Popular Documentary Melbourne Film Festival.

Māoriland was able to pick up many of the hottest films in Europe at the Berlinale including the multi-award winning Sámi Blood (Sweden) directed by Sámi filmmaker Amanda Kernell. It has so far won the Europa Cinemas Label Award, Fedeora Award for Best Debut Director, Human Values Award Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Best Cinematography Award Goteborg International Film Festival and Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Goteborg International Film Festival. This prize carries the largest cash prize of any festival in the world – a whopping $150,000.

Another multi-award winning film is Angry Inuk (Canada) directed by Alethea Arnaququ-Barill. The documentary that challenges long-established perceptions of seal hunting is winning awards at nearly every festival it screens at including Canada’s Top Ten People’s Choice Award, Best Documentary Feature Award imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (Toronto), Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Promotion Award, Magnus Isacsson Award Montreal International Documentary Festival and the list goes on.

Other award winning features include Goldstone (Australia) directed by Ivan Sen. This is the follow-up film to Mystery Road that screened at Māoriland 2014. Last month it won the Film Critics Circle of Australia; Best Screenplay, Best Music, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Mara’akame’s Dream (Mexico) directed by Federico Cecchetti won the OJO for First Mexican Feature Film.

Bonfire (Yakutia, Russia) directed by Dmitrii Davydov won Best Dramatic Feature imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Toronto.

Sun at Midnight (Canada), directed by Kirsten Carthew won Best performance in a Canadian Film Whistler Film Festival.

Fractured Land (Canada) directed by Fiona Rather and Damien Gillis, won Best BC Film Vancouver International Film Festival and the Canadian Audience Award Zach’s Ceremony (Australia), directed by Alec Doomadgee won Sydney Film Festival Audience Award, Byron Bay

Another exciting film is RISE; Standing Rock. RISE is a docuseries produced by Viceland and directed by Algonquin filmmaker, Michelle Latimer. Latimer will be at Māoriland to present two episodes from the series which were shot during the early days of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Māoriland is also screening Oscar-nominated Vanuatu film Tanna. The film is set on the island of Tanna and was written by and stars the village of Yakel. It is nominated for the Best Foreign Language Feature Film at the Academy Awards.

There are also award-winning short films from throughout the world including the Arctic, Tahiti, Canada, Hawaii, Austalia, Guam and Palestine.

The Māoriland international indigenous filmmaking challenge, The Native Slam is also taking place again in the days before Māoriland with the finished films premiering on Saturday the 18th March.

There are also some very exciting workshops at Māoriland this year including Virtual Reality workshops.

The Storytellers Tent is also a new event at Māoriland and gives the public the opportunity to hear firsthand from a filmmaker, an international festival director.

Māoriland’s much anticipated Red Carpet Party is also not be missed and features the talents of award-winning female singers Kristen Te Rito and Vanessa Stacey with internationally acclaimed DJ Ayesha. Dress up glam and walk the red carpet. Tickets are $45.

All tickets to film screenings and the Māoriland Keynote Address are $6 a ticket and can be purchased in advance on www.iticket.co.nz (search Māoriland Film Festival).

The whānau outdoor screenings are by gold coin donation.

The Storytellers Tent is free but limited to the first twenty people.

All the venue details and details of the films and workshops along with the programme can also be found online at www.maorilandfilm.co.nz

Page:11

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Authors Book Corner Te Horo writer Margaret Hayward has a lot to write about. She has already published books on roses, one of her abiding and all consuming passions, and a biography on prime minister Norman Kirk but she is now turning her hand to thrillers and to putting down her memoirs in writing. Not only that but she is trying to dredge up the energy to turn her thesis on NZ Prime Ministers into a book. I wish she would.

In her seventy-seventh year, she is not one to rest on her laurels. Her two books on miniature roses and patio roses were well received and had an international audience.

Although out of print these books can be found on TradeMe as well as second hand book shops and garage sales. This should no way be construed negatively as they remain a good source of information to rose growers, especially those of us who are downsizing and need to grow in pots and patios.

Serving as President of the NZ Women Writers’ Society during its 50th anniversary in 1982 gave Margaret unexpected insights into the difficulties early women writers experienced here in New Zealand. She knew that in the 1800s the Bronte sisters had been forced to adopt men’s names to ensure their books were published but had not realised that had happened here. Together with Joy Cowley she edited Women Writers of New Zealand to celebrate the achievements of our early women writers. ‘It is difficult

It’s all good news for Body and Soul Fitness users since the proposed rehabilitation centre proposal has not gone ahead.

“We are a small community with very supportive people,” centre owner, Joseph Te Wiata said. He now has sole use of the gym and hall for the centre’s programmes and he’s looking to the future to include a physio or masseuse, working in line with their health programmes. Also there are two offices available which he could sublease; the accommodation section of the former House of Hope has been sealed off from public entry.

There were 12 brightly coloured seats waiting for the children to claim, Deryn Watson’s eyes lit up as she headed straight for the purple one, while Ryan Paroli headed for a blue one. The three year olds were with Ōtaki Montessori manager, Lynda Wilson. Children from two of the kohanga reo, Te Kākano o te Kura on Te Rauparaha Street and He Hi Nā Mootoi at Te Wananga o Raukawa were also present with a staff member to receive two seats for their kohanga reo. now to understand how good writing could have been judged entirely on a person’s gender,’ she said.

A recent delightful book on her travels through the gardens of Europe has been written but is yet to find a publisher. It seems that experience as an editor of the New Zealand Rose Breeders’ Journal, author of three books is not enough. She has recently undertaken a course on writing thrillers and has just started a course on writing your memoirs with local writer Renée.

“We had a very good Christmas (following news the rehab centre wasn’t going ahead).

We still get people asking what’s going to happen,” he said. “From the gym’s point of view it’s all good.

“I’m happy with the way things are going and can now keep on doing the same as the last 20 years.”

The gym will celebrate 22 years in action in March.

What the future holds for the heritage building - House of Hope, is not known at the stage although there has been talk in the community the owners are looking at building on the land around the building.

Waitangi Day in Ōtaki

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

Waitangi Day 2017 dawned with an overcast sky and threats of rain, but these held off for the crowds who attended the annual Kapiti Coast Waitangi Day celebrations.

This year was held at the Ōtaki Maori Racing Club grounds.

But overcast skies didn’t deter the 2000 or so people who attended the day.

Opening the day with a whakatau (short powhiri) Kapiti mayor K Gurunathan, began in the Maori tradition stating his heritage – background where his ancestors came from India to Malaysia to New Zealand.

“Aotearoa New Zealand is a bicultural country with a multicultural population,” he said.

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

Several excited pre-schoolers were at the Ōtaki MenZshed to each receive two rocker seats for their preschool which shed members had made.

Good News for your Body and Soul

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

MenZshed Rocks

People could play to their hearts content without disturbing others as all sound was heard only through their individual headphones!

“This is the newest thing for Zeal nationally.

An earlier model is in Hawkes Bay” Kapiti Zeal manager David Orchard said. “It was only finished on Friday! It’s been made as versatile as possible. Each station can be played individually or they can all be linked.”

The music base is one of the “satellite services” for Kapiti youth. They also have a coffee cart where they can train young baristas for future employment.

There were a number of displays set up

Deryn Watson, Fionn Cook, Te Rangipikia Marsh-Wilson and Ryan Paroli, try out the new rocker seats for their pre-schools by the Otaki MenZshed. “They’re great” they all agreed

The MenZshed has 45 members including five women, who spend time either at the shed or out working on jobs in the community.

“The toy idea- we want to do more and more - these seats, billy carts (trolleys)” founding member Valdis Plato said. “We do hundreds of little jobs with about 50 per cent of our work is building something around the home, fixing fences and repairing things that have fallen off. One of the things we do a lot of is a handle beside the toilet.”

But now they’re back to making small push-along toys, particularly for children in hospital; trucks, graders and biplanes. Last year it was “splurge” guns for Ōtaki Players production of Bugsy Malone. The rocker seats are made from half an old tyre with a gaily painted wooden seat attached, only cost is the screws and small tins of paint.

All the timber is donated or recycled from old furniture, wooden pallets, and offcuts.“We only buy under extreme need,” Valdis said. “If we are doing jobs for outsiders they pay for the materials used.” and others with food and goods for sale.

Energise Ōtaki were on site to talk to people about ongoing projects in Ōtaki. Some of the council’s new electric cars were on site and people had an opportunity to drive one. The local volunteer fire brigade members were in attendance with two of their engines - the newest and oldest; a vintage model. During the afternoon they gave a demonstration of how they cut open a crashed, rather squashed motor car; just at a slower pace than they would accomplish the task on a crash site!

Among some of the sales tables and displays, the Ōtaki Historical Society

The menfolk have been very lucky as they have been the recipients of many tools and much machinery from people no longer able to use or deceased estates, which the men are very appreciative of.

They can assist with community projects and with people unable to do home repairs themselves.The men meet at their Mill Road shed on Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 3pm and all are welcome Mr Plato said. It is in the converted district nurses’ house, at the former Ōtaki Hospital and maternity home. was available to impart information on the society’s work. They had copies of the 2016 journal for sale as well as of a number of back issues. And a much appreciated area, among the older generations was the Kaumatua ‘café’. This year it was hosted by Katihiku Marae people, who served tea and coffee with something to eat, somewhere to sit down for the older people, and all at no cost to honour the older people.

This year’s event was organised with the Kapiti Coast District Council and the Ōtaki iwi partners, Nga Hapu o Ōtaki, iwi from three marae Raukawa, Katihiku and Tinui.

While during his korero, Reverend Ricky Baker told those present “You don’t have to go to Ti Tii Marae for discourse (speeches and conversations) they are here too.”

Day long entertainment was provided by a number of coast musicians and songsters and among the activities available for the younger visitors. There were bouncy castles and a high inflatable slide and face painting. Youth organisation, Zeal, had their new ‘jamming room’ open - a transportable container, lined with sound absorbing materials and set up with classic and electric guitars, drum set and on screen music.

Deputy Mayor Janet Holborow jams with Zeal

Kaumatua Don Te Maipi, at left, and visitors singing during the Waitangi Day powhiri at the Otaki Race Course. Kapiti deputy mayor, Janet Holborrow (black jacket) standing, with Council CEO Pat Docherty and Mayor K Gurunathan at far right

Page:12

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Gardening with Focus on autumn and winter salads As we head towards autumn it’s time to think of winter salads, and what lettuces we can plant to ensure trouble-free growth and great eating.

This is when the cut-and-come-again salad types, such as cos and looseleaf, come into their own. With slower growth as weather cools, it’s a good idea to have a plant that continues to grow while still providing food. A row or block of about 20 lettuces maintains well over autumn and winter – just harvest a few leaves, add in fresh herbs and toss into a salad bowl – you’ll have a healthy, tasty salad in no time.

Taking a few leaves from several plants Biscia rossa means they’re not overly stressed, and the gentle picking encourages new growth, provided fertility is maintained – add compost or liquid fertiliser every month or so.

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Plumbago with pale blue and dark blue blooms Native of South Africa.

Plants are sprawling shrubs with branches that resemble vines and grow 6 to 10 feet tall with a spread of 8 to 10 feet.

Apricots Sundrop & Garden Annie are dwarf varieties for a smaller garden with good fruit and pretty leaves. Want 2 for 1?

Try double budded Trevatt/Royal Rosa

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Tasty leaf lettuces are attractive and colourful with their shades of dark red to clear green, and their ruffled to oak leaf style leaves. The ‘Drunken Woman Fringed Head’ is an Italian heirloom, and worth growing for the name alone.

A dense-centred salad green, it is good-tasting and slow to bolt with bright green leaves and bronze, frizzled edges.

‘Red Oak’ is perhaps the best known of leaf lettuces, and one of my favourites, yet there are others just as worthy such as ‘Red Salad Bowl’ with its bronzy leaves and good flavour, ‘Biscia Rossa’ which prefers cooler weather, but is quick growing with an open, reddish leaf, and the extremely

adaptable ‘Cocarde’ with its delicate, lobed leaves, dark green with a purplish-red tinge.

To provide a green foil in your salad bowl, try ‘Tango’ which has clear, green, deeply-cut leaves, much like endive, and a rich, pleasant flavour. The tender, delicious ‘Royal Oak Leaf’ is more heat tolerant (never bitter even in hot weather) and has darker green leaves than the ‘Standard Oak Leaf.’

Somewhere between the hearting lettuce and loose-leafed ones are the butterheads, whose leaves have a crinkly texture and form a tightly bunched cluster rather than a true head. ‘Buttercrunch’ offers great cut-and-come-again, all-year capabilities, while the Italian heirloom variety, ‘Perella Rougette Montpellier’ is a delight with its red-tipped leaves and fast-growing habits, although not so good in the heat of summer as it tends to collapse.

Lettuce is trouble-free to grow from seed – cover with very little soil as they require light for germination before they put roots down into the soil.

Seedlings can be easily transplanted to the garden – they like about 25cm of space all around. Cut back leaves to about a third to minimise transplantation shock, keep moist as they establish themselves and patrol for slugs and snails.

Lettuce grows just as well in pots and planter boxes, and those colourful frills can make as pleasing and pretty a picture as your flowering annuals.

buttercrunch Speckles

Garden tasks for March Flower garden Keep watering during any dry spells, especially your new plantings.

March is a good time to plant shrubs and ornamentals – soils are moist enough now and they’ll have time to establish over winter.

Cut back existing perennials and plant new ones.

Keep dead heading plants to prolong flowering.

Take cuttings of fuchsias and pelagoniums to pot up for winter and plant out in spring.

It’s bulb planting time – plant daffodils, ranunculus, anemone, grape hyacinth, iris, freesias, spring flowering gladioli and other spring flowering bulbs – try to get bulbs in, either in containers or in the garden, by the end of autumn (tulips and hyacinths are best planted late April or early May).

Sow seeds of alyssum, linaria, sweet pea, calendula, hollyhock, delphinium, dianthus, godetia, honesty, candytuft, cornflower, gypsophilia and cyclamen.

Plant out your favourite winter flowering seedlings, such as pansy, viola, primula, polyanthus, alyssum, poppies, calendula, cineraria, lobelia, stock and snapdragon.

Biennial seedlings such as foxgloves and Canterbury bells, that you want to flower next spring or summer, should also be planted out.

Fruit and vegetable garden Pull out any summer herbs and vegetables that have finished producing and add to your compost.

March is an important month for planting winter veggies – prepare garden prior to planting with compost, general garden fertiliser and lime if necessary.

Potatoes, onions and kumaras can be lifted and stored in a cool, dry place.

Sow seeds of carrots, parsnips, radish, lettuce, spinach,

silverbeet, beetroot, swede, and turnip directly into the garden - they will need thinning later. Seeds of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts are best sown in trays for planting out later.

Plant out seedlings of cabbage, beetroot, winter lettuce, brussel sprouts, silverbeet, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, leeks and broccoli.

Protect new plantings from snails and slugs with Quash and give them a good start by watering in and liquid feeding.

Citrus are heavy feeders – feed with citrus fertiliser for healthy, green leaves and better growth, flower and fruit.

Prune peach and nectarine trees.

Lawns March and April are prime months for sowing lawn seed, whether repairing lawns or putting in new ones. There are less weed seeds waiting to germinate now, so lawn grasses can get growing without competition, forming an expanse of short grass to choke out new weeds by mid-spring.

Continue to keep the new lawn moist while seeds germinate and get established.

When mowing, use a high cut to encourage a thick, strong turf.

Second thoughts Garden hygiene is extra important this month. Rain and autumn temperatures bring on a flush of weeds – it pays to deal with these promptly, even if you plan to take a break from veggie gardening over winter. Left to grow, they will produce unwanted seed to plague you at a later stage – they may also harbour overwintering pests and diseases.

Page:13

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

the Ōtaki Mail

BY VIVIENNE BAILEY viv.bailey@xtra.co.nz

Autumn composting tips There’s an abundance of fallen leaves at this time of year, but don’t let that surplus go to waste. Gather all those fallen leaves, heap in piles and then spread on your garden beds – you’ve created an instant mulch layer - but better still, mix your leafy bundles into the compost heap.

To successfully compost, leaves need a small amount of moisture to aid the breakdown process - even leftover kids’ drinks can be poured into the heap. The idea is to have enough moisture to encourage microbes, but not so much that oxygen is excluded. Although not strictly necessary, oxygen does make the whole process more pleasant, and regular turning, forking, stirring or tumbling will add sufficient oxygen to aerate your compost.

post heap in a sunny spot during winter, and having it in a shadier position during the summer months.

Like yoghurt, your compost needs to have some natural microbes added to get things going – this could be a small amount of old compost, or the addition of some organic fertiliser, such as blood and bone, or even a handful of garden soil. This will eventually produce a crumbly mixture of rich material that can be used to improve any type of soul. Use as a mulch, as a soil improver, and to mix into planting holes – your garden will love it.

The range of ‘things’ you can put in your compost is pretty amazing – wood ash, chopped-up pruning bits (large pieces take a long time to break down, so think about buying a garden mulcher to reduce bits to a compostable size), vacuum cleaner waste, coffee grounds, tea leaves, eggshells and cooking oil.

Avoid using meat (because of the vermin it will attract), plastic (watch out for Lego pieces picked up by your vacuum cleaner), weeds that carry seed heads, or large pieces that may survive composting, diseased plants, and plants that have been treated with herbicide or a pesticide.

The sweetest-smelling compost is made of a good mixture of different types of components. The first group – called ‘greens’ – is high in nitrogen and includes green grass clippings, weeds, manure and vegetable scraps.

The other group – the ‘browns’ – is high in carbon, like shredded newspaper, those fallen leaves (especially leaves from deciduous trees) and straw.

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The composting process also works best if it’s not too hot and not too cold. This could mean building a com-

Report from our December competition winner Dear Ōtaki Mail What a joy to receive the Yates Garden Care Package.

The sandy soil needs all the care I can give it. Since last year I have some garden beds built from old pallets.

Although I’ve filled them with compost they need constant topping up with nutrients to provide food for my table.

Had it not been for the less than perfect weather this year I would have had a bumper crop with all the -organic- feed that I can now put in the garden.

It was great to be able to prepare the soil for kumera. I had read the article on how to grow them in the Ōtaki Mail but at the time thought it would be too much work. Then I found that some kumera left in the cupboard had sprouted and with the garden care package I was able to do things right!

It was also great to be able to feed the flowers. I just had to watch out that the dog didn’t get into the blood and bone, because she thinks she thrives on that too.

Many Thanks again, Hanne

Ōtaki College Garden Project – we keep on growing The Horticulture block at Ōtaki College has huge potential as a local centre of learning about growing and processing food.

In 2016 a new project started with students and teacher Deb Hadlum supported by a small group of volunteer gardeners.

They cleaned the overgrown beds, dug and mulched, learned to make healthy compost, planted strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, kumara and beans. A link was established with local businesses to introduce the idea of growing and selling crops such as stevia and calendula for Hebe Botanicals, and top grade garlic for Ruth Pretty.

The project is strongly supported by Energise Ōtaki which helps the college with the coordination of Hannah Zwartz, the Green Gardener from KCDC and the Transition Town volunteers. For 2017 we want to involve more students and volunteers, introduce the concept from "Garden to Table", establish student/ family plots and reduce waste. Our joint vision is to have students and community come together more, provide the produce for families in need, grow more crops for sale and make it a productive garden for many. Fire up the pizza oven using self grown produce and have students offer slices to fellow students.

This allows students also to expand their capacities and learn life skills 'on the job'.

We would love to see more volunteers from all different backgrounds to come and help us to maintain momentum and really take advantage of the whole block. To be involved, your first opportunity could be the upcoming Working Bee on 11th March, getting the garden cleaned up and ready to roll. If you would like to know more you can call Hanna on 021 104 2885.

Me mahi tahi tātou.

Page:14

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

2 March 2017

Ōtaki Pool rebuild gets underway

Images: Artist’s impressions

Splash pad for Ōtaki The Council is also building a new community-designed splash pad next to the pool for free public use.

Ōtaki Pool is closed now until later this year to undergo a $5.4 million redevelopment.

The pool’s rebuild is one of four key initiatives selected by the Council and community for development as part of FutureKāpiti – Long term plan 2015–35.

The pool closed on Friday 24 February for the work to get underway.

Kāpiti Coast Aquatics staff marked the last day the pool was open with a family fun day where everyone could swim for free, the inflatables were up and special guests were hosted at a morning tea.

Parks and Recreation Manager Alison Law says as part of the upgrade the pool hall will be rebuilt with the roof and walls replaced, access into the building will be improved, a ramp added to the main pool and the filtration systems between the toddlers and main pool will be separated.

The reception and entrance will be redesigned to be made more user-friendly, acoustic panelling is

added to the building’s ceiling to help with noise reduction and fencing around the perimeter of the building will be removed to create easier access to Haruatai Park.

The pool’s changing rooms, plant room and building and pool tanks will remain the same but freshened up with a paint job.

Ms Law says staff have been working hard to ensure the regular Ōtaki Pool patrons are taken care of during the shutdown.

More than 400 people provided feedback through completing online surveys, filling in paper forms at the pool and through face-toface chats with Kāpiti Coast Aquatics staff.

Ms Law says there was an overwhelming response from the community to first picking a preferred concept design and then what water play equipment they would like.

“We can’t wait to build something that our community has helped design, and it will be ready in time for next summer.

The splash pad is going to be a great asset for the local community and for Ōtaki visitors alike.”

What features will be incorporated in the splash pad design will be finalised over the next few weeks.

During the closure period Ōtaki residents can swim for free at the Waikanae Pools up until 26 March and the Coastlands Aquatic Centre in Paraparaumu until Ōtaki Pool reopens. Swim clubs have also been accommodated.

“The pool is an important facility for residents of Ōtaki and the wider community. We’re committed to upgrading the complex and further enhancing the family-friendly facilities available in Ōtaki,” Ms Law says.

kapiticoast.govt.nz

Page:15

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Learn to play Bridge Do you enjoy Five Hundred or Euchre?

Would you like to learn the most popular card game in the world?

If so, you will love Bridge.

Come along to our lessons for beginners Starting Monday 20 March at 7.30pm; Continuing for 10 weeks each Monday, 7.30 to 9.30pm; At the Ōtaki Bridge Club rooms 75 Aotaki Street Ōtaki.

Then join our friendly Club.

Cost is $50 which covers lessons, teaching book, and membership for the rest of 2017.

Contact Tim or Anne on 06-364-5240 to find out more.

Or email otakibridge@xtra.co.nz

Ōtaki Pool Refurbishment The pool is now closed for about eight months while it undergoes a complete refurbishment.

Meanwhile Ōtaki residents will have access to the Paraparaumu Aquatic Centre for free.

This includes general swimming, Aquafit, AquaEase, spa and sauna, with the exception of AquaYoga and the slide. A 20% discount is offered on the learn to swim classes.

The Ōtaki pool building is being rebuilt, a ramp added to the lane pool, separation of the pool’s filter and a splash pad added.

Sometime in the spring we will have a fabulous new pool to enjoy in time for summer activities.

The good news is that Ōtaki will have a much needed upgrade to its community pool. The designs look great. There has been much talk and consultation about what’s its going to look like, its new features and how it will suit the community well into the future. It’s always a brave council which embarks on a multimillion dollar capital spend when people might argue that “it’s good enough why spend the money which will only increase the rates".

Fortnightly gatherings Well it will. And it will Wednesdays February & March 8 & 22 be spread across the Senior Citizen’s Hall, Rangitira Street entire district. And it is always a good idea to Doors open 1.30, entertainer from 2-3pm keep your assets fresh Aftenoon tea 3pm and plan for the future.

All welcome - young & old Ōtaki is growing and planning for our kids is Sales table, raffle, entry $3 always a good thing. It Hall & committee room available for hire is well used already by the old and young, the Info : Velda 364 5531, Thelma 364 8977 sporty and not so sporty

ŌTAKI CITIZENS GROUP

and even just for the simple pleasure of swimming. Newer and better will have even more benefits and it’s not every small town which is lucky enough to have its own pool still operating when there is a brasher bigger fancier one down the road.

Let us raise our hats to those early Ōtaki residents who saw the need and fundraised to have one built, and to the council who have opted to improve it and not close it.

The bad news is it’s closed for eight months. With the closure of the Ōtaki Pool for its much-anticipated upgrade, I wondered what were the options available, to try and maintain a level of activity to suit everyone.

Waking groups have been suggested and some may spring up. Then there are yoga classes at Nga Purapura and the Rotary Hall. Nga Purapura also offers exercise classes for the elderly. Twice a week there are gentle exercise and stretch classes at the Surf Club and the RSA is starting an exercise class to music. So there are options available to exercise with friends, and a solitary walk along the beach in the evening is often a chance for meditation with spectacular sunsets.

The upgrade of the pool has also prompted Community Board member Shelly Warwick to think about the history of the pool and the communities’ involvement in it. If you would like to be part of this project or have some insight into its history email shellybeannz@yahoo.co.nz or phone Shelly on 021 949 214 She'd love to incorporate your memories and to record a living history of the Ōtaki pool.

Page:16

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Ōtaki College News January 2017

www.otakicollege.school.nz

From the principal With the 2017 school year now well underway I have many encouraging and exciting things to report. Our roll is substantially higher than anticipated. For me this is a strong indicator that the community supports the programmes we are running here at College and that we are taking the right steps in moving towards the goals outlined in the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan. This Plan is currently in the consultation phase and is available upon request from the College Office. If you would like to make any comment or have any suggestions regarding the strategic direction of the College, please do not hesitate to email me on afs@ Ōtakicollege.school.nz.

Welcome to New Students Our 2017 pōwhiri was a highly successful event. Live streaming to the gym meant that our larger student population could all view the welcome ceremony. We hope that students and parents new to the College enjoyed this traditional Raukawa welcome.

In addition to local students, 16 Internationals were welcomed at the pōwhiri. Of 26 International students from 5 countries, 16 were welcomed as new students in 2017:- 1 from Korea, 1 from Vietnam, 1 from Austria, 5 from Japan and 8 from Germany.

UCOL Partnership

An added advantage of this relationship is that the Ministry of Education recognise the importance of these developments and may allow us to retain the prefab which was going to be demolished as part of the property rationalization plan to house the UCOL classroom and office. This will mean that UCOL will upgrade and maintain this building and we do not lose this from the College.

O’Hagan Electrical, Rasmac and Stresscrete. Our thanks too, to all those people who have been so generous, not only in making monetary contributions, but in

100 Year Commemoration of the Sinking of the SS Ōtaki and unveiling of the SS Ōtaki Centennial Monument We are honoured to have the Governor General of New Zealand, Dame Patsy Reddy, unveiling the Centennial Monument at College on 10th March. Both the Monument, sculpted by Matt Gauldie, and the Commemoration Ceremony have been made possible by a major grant from the Lottery WW1 Commemoration Fund, Environment and Heritage. In addition contributions have been made by past students and local businesses.

As Chair of the SS Ōtaki Committee, I would like to thank Chris Parkin, The Durham Association, the Royal NZ Navy, Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, Farmlands Ōtaki, The Ōtaki Community Board, Regan McMurchie, Te Tahi Takao and local contractors: Carson Engineering, Concrete Doctors,

'a work in progress' - the monument base

making massive donations of time and effort. It has been a privilege to work with so many generous members of our community on this project.

Andy Fraser Principal 2016 Sander Scholar, Cassie Lundie, talks about her time in Scotland On 9th January I left for Scotland where I would stay for the following two weeks as the Sander Scholar. To try and put this

This year 60 senior students are taking advantage of the Secondary Tertiary Programmes offered by UCOL and Taratahi.

This means that students are out of college for one or two days undertaking study with these tertiary providers in courses that potentially will place them in a very good position to go on into further training or employment. The NCEA credits offered in these courses are significant and have allowed a number of students to successfully gain Level 2 and 3 NCEA. UCOL HUB at Ōtaki College 3 years ago the year 7 & 8 play area had to be taken down due to health and safety issues. This led to that area of land being vacant. We were then able to offer this land to commence a level 2 building programme so that in return our students did not then need to travel to Palmerston North to undertake this course. This partnership has been so successful we are now running 4 courses out of the College enabling a large number of our students to stay "on site" to access their courses.

experience into one word I would have to describe it as incredible. I arrived at Aberdeen airport late on a Friday night where I was meet by the Head Girl of Robert Gordon’s College, Anna, and her family.

They hosted me over the weeks and made me feel completely at home.

I spent my first week in the school of Robert Gordon’s College. Walking into a school of almost 2000 pupils was nerve wracking but the warmth and hospitality that I was met with made me feel instantly included into the school. I spent time in both senior and primary school classes as well as spending half a day in the preschool which was adorable. All of the students and teachers were fascinated about Ōtaki and the culture of New Zealand. In all of the junior classes that I went to I taught them about New Zealand and Ōtaki with the main focus lying on our culture which is what fascinated them most.

Early on the Sunday morning I left for Glasgow with a gap student named Ella, there we spent the rest of the day exploring Glasgow with Jamie and Morna. The following morning we left Glasgow on the Rabbies tour to the Isle of Skye. On this tour we spent the next three days with 7 other people from all around the world traveling to the Isle of Skye and making various stops all over Scotland at some of the most mind blowing and stunning sights and places I have ever seen. We visited places such as Lake Inverness, Glen Shiel and Loch Ness. The tour was so beautiful and the most amazing experience. The following day after the tour we spent the day in Edinburgh which has to be one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen with buildings dating back hundreds of years.

While Scotland was incredibly beautiful the cold was not, the warmest temperature I experienced was 7 degrees. Once I got back to Aberdeen I spent my last day saying my goodbyes at the school.

It was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so grateful to have been able to do it.

I would personally like to thank everyone who enabled my trip to happen and heavily encourage all students to try and go themselves.

Cassie Lundie Ōtaki College 2016 Head Girl and Sander Scholar

How scary is this? junior students from Robert Gordon’s College doing the haka for Cassie

Te Whare Hui

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

After some renovations, extensions and a spruce up, Ōtaki College’s Te Whare Hui re-opened with a blessing ceremony before the school year began.

Te Whare Hui, as it stands today is the end of a 25 year programme, since the building was first gifted to the college by the Ōtaki community. It is used as classroom and a community gathering place. Over the years it was used by the Maori Department for Te Reo Maori classes. Three years ago the front of the building was upgraded with carvings installed over the verandah, created by Year Three carvers from Te Wananga o Raukawa. They followed on from the installation of the pou, Maia and Manawanui, carvings at the front gate. The last most recent stage of the development was to enlarge Te Whare Hui with the addition of an office, kitchenette, resource room and toilet facilities, with a deck out from the side of the building.

This is the final end result for the new improvements, which followed a survey of Ōtaki College students about eight years ago, to see what “in their opinion” needed to be done to help support the development of Te reo Maori me ono Tikanga Maori at the college.

“One of their responses was around property development,” principal Andy Fraser said.

Staff, students and former Ōtaki College students and members of the XŌtaki Alumni Trust were present for the blessing as well as the main contractors, Nailed-it Construction’s Logan Cooper and apprentice Max Ralston, both former students at the college.

“It’s been a long journey, but now thanks the $60,000 from the Philipp Family Foundation, we have completed the work,” former old boy, Max Lutz said. He and Kim Cook, both members of the XŌtaki Alumni Trust, have both been heavily involved in

supporting the college to complete this long term project.

“Robin (Philipp) would be pleased to see the work done,” trustee Irene Mackle told the gathering. “He is someone interested in the environment. He hopes everyone will enjoy using this building.”

At the traditional blessing of newly extended and renovated Whare

“Te Whare Hui is now Te Hui at Otaki College were Philipp Family Foundation trustees Irene being used as a class- and Ray Mackle, College principal Andy Fraser, XOtaki Alumni Trust room for Te Tari Maori members Max Lutz and Kim Cook and Janice Brown staff member as well as being availcollege, using Te Whare Hui. able for community use”, Mr Fraser said.

The plaque at the front entrance was made

by Andrew Evans.

The college is preparing to submit an application to the Ministry of Education, to develop a homework/tutoring centre at the

Other local contractors have assisted throughout the project with thanks to Brent O’Hagan Electrical, Geoff Warwick Plumbing, Rasmac Contractors and About Kitchens - Owen Doran.

Page:17

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Ōtaki

Your Community Club

It’s not too late to renew your membership at the Ōtaki RSA, or come down and pick up an application to join, our subscriptions are very reasonable at $40 for an individual, $60 for a couple, $35 for over 65’s or $50 for a couple over 65. We gave away a total of $2100 on one Tuesday night recently to 7 lucky members, it really pays to be a member.

There are numerous other benefits too.

Club nights are Tuesdays and Fridays from 5pm. The office will be open to 6pm on Club nights. Adjunct nights are open to anyone to join in: 8-ball/Pool night is Tuesday from 7pm, Billiards is every second Wednesday (8th & 22nd Mar) from 6.30pm, Snooker & Darts night is Thursday from 6.30pm, Snooker also plays on Sunday afternoons.

Other regular events include Get Fit to Music every Wednesday at 10.30am (Gold coin donation), Housie every Thursday at 10am, Happy Hour every Thursday at 5pm.

Coming up in March..

Fri 3rd March

Carylann & the Gypsies 6.30pm - Get those dancing shoes on.

Fri 10th March

Diggers Day Outdoor Bowls

Sat 11th March

Taratoa-Osborne Snooker Tournament Live music with Greg Christensen

Tues 14th March

Movie Morning – Hunt for the Wilderpeople 10.15am $6 per person

Fri 17th March

ST PATRICKS DAY – Live music by the Emerald Brothers Raffles, Prizes for Best Dressed, Irish Dancers Members, Affiliated Members and Guests of Members only.

Sat 18th March

Movie Night - Hunt for the Wilderpeople 7pm $6 per person

Weds 29th March

Quiz Night 7pm, get your team of four together for some great quiz fun, prizes and raffles.

Thurs 30th March

Annual Otaki RSA Welfare Fund Golf Tournament at Otaki Golf Club

Live sports in the Club this month include Cricket – Black Caps vs South Africa – remaining ODI’s and Test Matches.

Super Rugby- Come down and support your favourite team.

Have you seen our TAB area? If you are keen on a punt come and see us.

Remember Poppies Restaurant offers discounted member meals on Tuesdays from 5pm, and is open for carvery and/or a la carte meals Friday & Saturday nights from 5pm. Sunday Lunch only $12.50 from 11.30am Call 364 7788 or 368 0298.

Poppy Day & Anzac Day are fast approaching, look out for our collectors on Poppy Day, support our Servicemen and Women and their families.

For Club info call 364 6221 or email otakirsa@xtra.co.nz

04 293 6844 17 - 21 Parata Street info@waikanaefuneralhome.co.nz

PO Box 300 Waikanae 5250 www.kapitifunerals.co.nz

HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF RECORDING YOUR FUNERAL WISHES OR EVEN PRE-PAYING YOUR FUNERAL EXPENCES THINK OF IT AS AN EXTENSION TO YOUR WILL - CALL US TODAY TO DISCUSS -

Age on the go The Kāpiti Coast Older Persons’ Council invite expressions of interest from business, community and voluntary groups to participate as stall holders at the 2017 Seniors’ Expo On Saturday 29 April 2017 at the Waikanae War Memorial Hall For more information please email: Sonya Sloan sonyasloan@clear.net.nz or leave contact details at Kāpiti Coast District Council service desk on 04 296 4700

Page:18

Media Muse

Revealed: Why celebrities go underwear-free on red carpets. You’d be wrong if you think it has anything to do with the carpet or its colour. Nor are celebrities trapped in their underwear when walking on other surfaces such as lino. The real reason, which may surprise and even shock you, was published in an item one down from the top in the “latest” click bait list on the New Zealand Herald website on Friday 3 February 2017.

A day like any other this summer, Friday dawned dark and grey. Trending on the news websites, Trump was already up and tweeting about his wall. “It’s going to be great!” he tweets. This is the way the world will end, not with a bang or a whimper but with a tweet.

I’m an optimist. We will look back on these times and laugh. Ha, ha, ha, we’ll go, remember how we used to get up and, still in our pyjamas and underwear-free, we’d check our news feed.

Flickety-clickety click, login, user name, password, forgot password? Clickety-flickety flick. Enter new password. Confirm password. Login. Latest: why celebrities go under-wear free on red carpets.

Uh-oh. Video will play in 3 seconds.

Just enough time to hit “stop auto-play” although celebrities going under-wear free on red carpets could be worth a watch. But

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017 A light-hearted look at the media, by Manakau’s gnarled commentator Tom Frewen what’s this??

LATEST BREAKING: Timaru school evacuated after girl’s phone explodes during powhiri. No video. Disappointing.

Only an eyewitness who thinks she saw an ambulance leaving. “I heard a loud bang” she tells “Checkpoint with John Campbell”, a branding exercise borrowed from pet food labels e.g. “premium seafood cuts WITH tuna” and “mousse WITH ocean fish and cheese”.

Checkpoint WITH premium empathy and gosh and golly is hosted by John Campbell whose on-air style is menopausal, slightly breathless with news and views coming in random hot flushes.

“I think there is a determination to widen the paradigm of its connectivity” is how Campbell described Checkpoint WITHJohn Campbell in a soggy Metro interview in November 2015. Speaking out for the first time about his grief at losing his “Campbell Live WITH John Campbell” show on TV3, he said: “I grieved for our friendships, I grieved for the beautiful solidarity of our team, I grieved for the kind of journalism we were doing.”

That would be “quality” journalism with premium facts and without select tasty click bait such as why celebrities go underwear-free on red carpets. Homeward-bound commuters with their car radios tuned to the Club’s application for funds to hire the Ōtaki Railway Station for five days, at $100 per day, to set up, and sort books and hold their Book Fair in April. He told the meeting the Lions Club is sponsoring the development of a bike pump track at Haruatai Park.

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

The first meeting of the Ōtaki Community Board for 2017 was held on February 21 which included a power point presentation of the proposed Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway.

Public Speaking: Jill Stansfield, Kapiti Coast Older Persons’ Council, spoke to the need for more seats to be provided along the many walking tracks around the Kapiti district. She had noted in the Kapiti Coast District Council’s Long Term Plan for the provision of seats along these tracks and believed each ward was eligible for two new seats per year. “Older people enjoy walking and using the provided tracks, but do need to rest occasionally,” she told the meeting. Some tracks do have seats but at times too far apart! ŌCB chair, Christine Papps queried whether the two seats included siting on a footpath, too. Wayne Maxwell, Group manager Corporate Services, is to investigate both options.

Funding Applications: Community Grants Fund: Andy Fraser, principal of Ōtaki College, spoke to their application for $500 to assist with catering costs for the centennial commemoration of the sinking of the merchant ship SS Otaki on March 10 1917 at Ōtaki College. He gave a brief history of the connection between the ship, Robert Gordon’s College, the Ōtaki Scholar and our township. He noted the College is preparing for the unveiling ceremony of a memorial sculpture to SS Otaki, and dignitaries would include Governor General Patsy Reddy, officials from both the Royal NZ Navy and Merchant Navy. The application was approved.

Mr Fraser mentioned to the Board his difficulty in finding references to the ŌCB meeting on the KCDC website. Mr Maxwell enlightened him where to find the quickest entry point. (This reporter was unable to write it down at the time!)

Ian Futter, Lions Club of Ōtaki, spoke to

The application was approved which means all funds raised at the book fair will go into the building the track.

Sporting Activities Grant Fund: Emma Joss, from Te Horo, received $156 applied for, the balance of the third instalment of costs to attend the Edmund Hillary Outdoor Education Centre. She told the Board she had paid one instalment of $230 from her earnings at a café and as pet minder, while the final instalment was reduced to $180, she has $24 of this final instalment from the sale of homemade jams.

Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway Members of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki (PP2Ō) section of the Wellington Northern Corridor presented proposals and plans for the northern part of the expressway.

Fletcher Construction were awarded the main contract for the project in November 2016 with Goodman Contractors doing the earthworks. Design and engineering was by Wellington firm, Beca-Engineers and Planners, and SPA (Studio Pacific Architecture) the landscape and design work, John Palm project manager, told the meeting.

During the design process, all Resource Management Act conditions and environmental factors have been approved, Ed Breese Design manager said.

Project Structure manager, Andrew Goldie, explained the two parts of the project, northern - north of the Ōtaki River - building a 3.5 kilometre roadway with bridges over the Ōtaki River and a partial interchange at the western end of Gorge Road and southern section - 8.8 km road south to Peka Peka. The whole project included creating 1.8km new local road at the northern end and 4.2km new local road to the south.

The Ōtaki River Bridge will have 10 spans crossing the river and will be 300 metres long. Initial work at the northern end will be on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, moving the rails west across Rahui Road and through part of Pareomatengi Reserve. Road surfacing is scheduled for late 2019 and completion in 2020.

Checkpoint WITH John Campbell are the the ones swerving off the road to check out the pictures that John says are on the website.

From windscreen to phone screen. Uh-oh.

Video will play in 3 seconds. But first, a commercial. “The Bed People will find your comfort zone.” Then celebrity underwear fashion guru and Go2Girl Diona Vaughan says: “Panties have come a long way. But there’s one thing that still remains: panty line.”

A new product addresses the challenge of panty line. This proves to be point of the story. It requires only a tiny amount of fabric and a dab of non-toxic adhesive. Be in quick. Stocks limited. Celebrity discount.

Meanwhile, Trump-friendly lifestylist and fashion influencer, Naomi Isted, says going underwear-free is “actually a way for stars to look more upmarket”.

John Campbell is an upmarket celebrity but Metro failed to ask him about the challenge of walking Jockey-less over red carpet.

That is not surprising. As celebrity fashion Y-fronter and leisurewear analyst, Bishma Dugemat, says: “There is not a lot of interest in men’s underwear unless, of course, they are the son of the prime minister or an All Black first-five.”

For all the media’s talk of rapidly changing To queries that a cycle way be included in the northern expressway, Councillor James Cootes said the contract was for to design the road only. The designers are currently working with Kapiti District Council, Ōtaki MP Nathan Guy and the Minister of Transport as to whether a cycleway should be included on the new bridge or a clip-on to the present Ōtaki River Bridge.

An Old Hautere Road resident queried why a new road connecting Old Hautere to the Gorge Road, parallel to the expressway, was not included in the latest plans.

“I think what we have (here) is a draft plan, “Mr Palm said. “Further consultation will take place, and further consults with residents will be held.”

Te Horo Beach resident, Alison Joss asked if they were planning to have any consultations meeting with beach residents, stating they are affected through two access roads to the Te Horo Beach settlement. “We have been consulting, telling what’s going on, and Te Horo is no different. We will have discussions with them,” Mr Palm said.

Sarah Ropata informed the meeting a Community Liaison Group would be formed “if we’re not doing what we say were (going to) you can go to your liaison group for further action."

Matters Under Action: Haruatai Pool: work on the upgrade and installing the splash pad is scheduled to begin February 27. The pool closed February 24 and will reopen in November. $275,000 funding is from the Ōtaki Reserves Fund and can only be used for public spaces and amenities.

Toilet facilities at the Ōtaki River Estuary area: Ms Papps noted this would be a “big job and not cheap” at $100,000 to do it properly, installing sewage and water, “and it’s still open to vandalism.”

Mr Cootes reminded members, the Friends of the Ōtaki River, had done a lot of work along the river and estuary and they should be consulted and included in any plans.

Riverbank Road footpath: Mr Maxwell stated this was not viable as 100-200 people walking along the road daily were needed to justify construction. Over a three day pedestrian survey a total of 10 people were counted walking along the road five on each of the first and third days with no one on the second.

audience behaviour in response to seismic developments in communications technology, some things remain fairly constant. One is the habit acquired by around 750,000 people of watching the television news in the evening and listening to news on radio in the morning while getting ready for work and driving to the office. Whatever they say about the new multi-platform media and the ability to get the news 24/7 wherever on whatever, few people want to watch television while listening to the radio and/or driving or lying in the bath. Have you got that, John?

If radio had been invented after television everybody would have said how wonderful it was to be freed from the screen. “It’s better than tv,” they’d have said. “You don’t have to look at it. It lets you get on with what you’re doing.”

Overseas, radio is enjoying a revival. Commercially, radio is proving to be the most successful advertising medium as newspaper sales decline and television audiences fragment.

And as a source of information and insight, radio is the medium of the mind just as public broadcasting is the museum of the present. More about this in my forthcoming book “The Great Brain Robbery: Inside the Dumbing Down of Our Radio and TV”.

The Ōtaki Memorial Hall has been assessed as earthquake prone, meeting just 29 per cent of the new building standard.

Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office staff are considering alternative locations which may be available as a community emergency hub. The rating does not prevent the hall being used.

Dow Chung Place was selected as the name for the street in a new subdivision on Rangiuru Road, recognising the previous owner market gardener, Dow Chung. Mr Cootes asked if the new name sign could be in Chinese as well as Maori.

Other suggested names were: Wharariki – native flax, Pigeonwood – a small tree which indicates fertile soil and Mateawa – a subtribe of Ngati Raukawa who migrated to the area in the 1820s to 1830s.

Community Boards Conference: Board members Shelly Warwick and Marilyn Stevens were nominated to attend the 2017 conference to held in Methven in May. The meeting closed at 9.37pm Next meeting April 4.

Page:19

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Ōtaki Schools report increased rolls KĀPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETINGS IN MARCH Thursday

2 March

Public Forum

Thursday

2 March

Council Meeting

Thursday

9 March

Public Forum

Thursday

9 March

Tuesday

14 March

Strategy and Policy Committee Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti

Tuesday

14 March

Waikanae Community Board

Thursday

16 March

Council Meeting (Additional)

Thursday

16 March

Tuesday

21 March

Thursday

23 March

Grants Allocation Committee (Waste Levy) Paraparaumu-Raumati Community Board Council Meeting (Additional)

Thursday

30 March

Chief Executive Performance and Employment Committee – held in public excluded session

9.25 am -9.55 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 9.25 am -9.55 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 7.00 pm Waikanae Boating Club, 97 Tutere Street, Waikanae Beach 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 1.00 pm Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 7.00 pm Kapiti Coast United Club Rooms, Weka Road, Raumati 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu

Attendance at Meetings (1)Cancellation - Meetings are sometimes cancelled for a variety of reasons.

To confirm whether a meeting is on, please ring the Democracy Services Manager on (04) 296 4700 or toll free on 0800 486 486.

(2)Venue – Please note that all meetings will be held in the Council Chambers, Civic Administration Building, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu, unless otherwise specified.

(3)Public Forum – a 30-minute session will be held before every Council and major committee meeting (9.25 am – 9.55 am) in which you can speak on any topic. Bookings are essential. Please book ahead with the Democracy Services Advisor – online booking form can be found on website.

(4)Public Speaking Time – Under Council’s Standing Orders (Appendix I) a period will be provided after the start of each meeting for Public Speaking Time to allow for oral submissions relating to agenda items, and at the end of meeting for other items not on the agenda.

If you wish to address the Council or its Committees during Public Speaking Time please book ahead with the Democracy Services Advisor and you will be given an approximate timeslot. People who book ahead for Public Speaking will be given precedence over those who do not.

5)Live-streaming: Council and Standing Committee meetings are live-streamed.

(6)Agendas are available two days before the meeting at: • Our website www.kapiticoast.govt.nz; • Council’s Libraries and Service Centres.

Pat Dougherty Chief Executive

PB 60601 Paraparaumu | Ph 04 296 4700 | Fx 04 296 4830 | www.kapiticoast.govt.nz

Locally owned & operated funeral home.

John, Merryn, Andrew, Graham, Diane & Rodney

We provide a 24 hour service, we do have standard office hours but sometimes you need us immediately.

Our four funeral directors are professionally qualified and live locally in this region, Graham is from Otaki.

We have purpose built facilities, our own chapel, lounges and a crematorium, located at the cemetery.

We will provide the funeral you want, we’re not here to tell you what to do, We’re here to help you with all details and make sure your loved one has the perfect send off. If it’s possible, we will try and provide it.

9-11

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

A new school year and increasing, unexpected new enrolments at several of our schools could be a good thing for Ōtaki, with reports of families new to the district as well as students from outside the immediate area enrolling at our schools.

Waitohu School had 13 first day five year olds among the 21 new students. Ōtaki School had a number of new families enrolling and welcomed new entrants across all three streams. Some of those families enrolling are new to Ōtaki. Ōtaki College began the year with 50 more students than expected from contributing schools to the north and south of Ōtaki, as well as several previously home-schooled children and students from out of the Ōtaki catchment. St Peter Chanel enrolled nine new pupils; a majority of them just turned five years old.

Among St Peter Chanel’s new students are children from two families new to the town and some children of former SPC students. Te Horo School had 19 new enrolments including nine new entrants.

Many schools now hold a powhiri their first morning to welcome new students, families and staff members. At Ōtaki School’s powhiri children from Tu Roa and Keruru kohanga reo attended their former classmates first day of their new school life.

At Ōtaki College only senior students were in the hall for the powhiri, with years seven to 10 students watching live streaming in the school gymnasium – a rehearsal for the 100 year commemoration of the sinking of the SS Otaki. Along with the new students, whanau and staff, were students from Ōtaki School’s Te Korowai Whakamana immersion classes “handing over” their oldest pupils to the year nine classes at the college. Pupils from Porirua College handed their former maths teacher, Dinah Ostler-Malaulau over to Ōtaki College and Palmerston North Monrad Intermediate’s students "returned” Maharata Nikora-Davis back to Ōtaki College where she had taught previously as curriculum leader Te Reo Maori. . They welcomed 16 new international students, joining the 10 who remained here over the Christmas break.

New Zealand is a popular place for the students from Germany with eight currently enrolled at the college. There are five students from Japan and one each from Korea, Vietnam and Austria.

All schools reported a good start to the year. At Waitohu School they have 250 students, the same as 2016. Principal Maine Curtis reported the swimming programme is underway, the year five students enjoyed their trip to Kapiti Island “Thanks to Watsons Gardens and the Home and School Association this was at no cost to students,” he said. During the holidays new playground equipment was installed, including a very popular swing set. The new fencing and gates were all but completed, the new gates are installed now and the school pool was painted. “Students and staff are happy and smiling, a great start to the year,” Mr Curtis said.

Craig Vidulich at Te Horo School, also reported a good start to the year, with a roll of around 230 pupils across nine classes. They have 60 years seven and eight student this year. One class had just returned from a class camp at Paekakariki Camp where they had enjoyed swimming, bike riding and tramping among the activities. In March two new playgrounds will be installed at a cost of $90,000 the school will be looking at fundraising and sponsorship to cover expenses. The ERO (Education Review Office) will make their triennial visit to the school in April.

“We’re fully staffed, with no concerns anywhere,” he said “Otherwise it’s business as usual.”

At St Peter Chanel they have 27 students are across three classrooms - junior years one to three and senior and a te reo levels one and two class, they have two new part-time teachers in the classrooms. The main theme for the term is learning about “How I look after myself, my school and the environment.” This week, February 26-March 3, the school will attend a powhiri in Wellington to welcome Danny Goddard, the new Maori advisor to Catholic schools, to his position. With Haruatai pool closing, the SPC school pool is up operating and swimming classes are in progress.

At Ōtaki School the year got off to a good start, with a roll of 180 and staffing has remained stable, principal Chris Derbidge said.

“We had our annual picnic at the Waikanae Pools in the second week, the weather wasn’t too good, but the kids loved the water and the teachers froze poolside!” he laughed. “The school pool is now heated, thanks to a $9,000 grant, so this will extend our swimming season.” Several classes have been out on educational visits to Te Papa and the National Archives to view the Treaty of Waitangi and this week classes will be involved in a beach clean-up at our local beach. Ōtaki College principal, Andy Fraser said they were surprised at the unexpectedly high number of new enrolments, “hopefully we will be able to get a new teacher either full or part-time,” otherwise the College is fully staffed.

Last year’s NCEA (National Certificate in Educational Achievement) students have done incredibly well with the College ranked with decile four to seven schools,” he told parents during the powhiri.

“With a number of families new to the district, teachers will survey new kids as to why they have come to Ōtaki.”

The annual swimming and athletics championships have been held, with strong student participation in both sports, with House points on the line for all participants. The biggest event on the calendar for this term will be the 100 year commemoration of the sinking of the merchant ship SS Otaki on March 10, 1917 after a heavy, very one sided battle with the German SMS Moewe, and the connection of the Ōtaki Scholar and Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen and Ōtaki township. A memorial sculpture, commissioned from local Ōtaki artist, Matt Gauldie, will be unveiled during the ceremony and wreaths will be laid by a number of visiting dignitaries.

It’s been an all-round good start to the 2017 school year for all schools and students.

Three schools had not responded with information prior to Ōtaki Mail deadline.

It’s a comfort to have a friend on your first day at school, Kobi Hutchins met up with Ellie Wood who started at Otaki School a couple of weeks before the Christmas holidays

Page:20

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Ōtaki’s History From the Ōtaki Mail, Friday February 18 1927 SWIMMING BATHS The matter of swimming baths for Ōtaki has been from time to time mooted and while it is generally recognised that safe bathing is obtainable at the beach, yet from many points of view the idea of swimming baths in the centre of town is one which has many points in its favour. The present glorious weather has brought it home to many of us that the fact that there are no public baths in the centre of town is to be deplored....

There is an ideal site, to our mind, for baths in the section next to the State School in Main Street.... When the proposed loan for roading is dealt with this matter could also go to the ratepayers.... Now then, Ōtaki councillors, what about it? ŌTAKI MUSEUM The exhibition “Early Domestic Life in Ōtaki” will finish on 25 February. The museum will then be closed to the public until 11 March, when a new exhibition, “First World War at Sea” will be open. This will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the sinking of the ship SS Otaki, the second ship of this name, which took place on 10 March 1917. The exhibition, First World War at Sea, will pay tribute to this event,

in which Captain Archibald Bisset Smith VC lost his life, and will also discuss the convoy system, as Prime Minister Massey had not been prepared to send an expeditionary force without naval support. Hospital ships, including the Marquette, will also be included, and you will see some fine paintings by our local artist Wallace Trickett. ŌTAKI HISTORICAL SOCIETY Ian Cooksley has recently retired from the Department of Conservation and has a wealth of knowledge about his subject, “Maori and the Tararua Ranges”. He asked the question “How much use did Maori make of the Tararuas?” and his answers had the audience fascinated. He noted that there were plenty of food sources on the flat land, but seasonal changes could extend the season of items such as berries. He gave the history of Maori settlement and suggested that while initially there was a curiosity to know what was there, later iwi did not visit so much as the area was by then well explored. Ian illustrated his talk with artefacts such as adzes, and with a large map showed exactly where in the Tararuas they had been found. He drew particular attention to the fact that all such artefacts found since 1983 must be registered with Heritage New Zealand. The audience very much enjoyed the talk, and there were numerous questions for Ian to answer.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 4 April 2017 7.30 pm Rotary Lounge, Aotaki St, Ōtaki

‘The sinking of the SS Otaki in 1917’ Speaker: Rex Kerr www.otakihistoricalsociety.org.nz Preserving our heritage since 1977

This is for all you Men and Women who are unable to reach or can’t see your feet.

Treat Yourself to a PEDICURE in YOUR OWN HOME We offer this HOME service for only $40.

You will have your feet pampered with a foot spa soak, nails cut, and filed, cuticles cared for and a soothing foot massage There is also the option of including a MANICURE for only $15.

If you would prefer to visit Angela’s Studio in Waikanae a PEDICURE will cost $30.

PHONE ANGELA 04 293-5611

Put Your Hands Up! Be a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Volunteer and Strengthen Your Community!

Are you looking for something practical to do to give back to the community?

Do you like helping other people know their rights and obligations to empower and keep them informed?

CAB is on the lookout for new volunteers. So if you are interested in people, a good listener, comfortable using a computer and you enjoy doing research and learning new things -- then the CAB might be for you!

You’d join the 2600-plus CAB volunteers around New Zealand who get enormous feel-good satisfaction from helping people with all sorts of queries. It is free to join – no annual fees or other fees. Just your time, your commitment along with your experience and working skills.

CAB Otaki currently has 25 volunteers and two trainees but we are still looking for more. On any given day, we could be approached about any potential question under the sun. You will never know what will walk through the door. One minute you may be helping someone resolve a dispute over a tenancy issue or a neighbourhood issue, the next you might be helping a client sort out a parenting problem and so on. You will be rewarded with interesting and varied roles.

All CAB volunteers are fully supported with initial and ongoing learning and development training as they come up to speed with the challenges and pleasures of being a

CAB volunteer. You’ll be supported by experienced colleagues and a huge range of resources including a referral database listing more than 35,000 organisations.

It’s just great to be actively involved in helping the community using our knowledge and experience. We have a great team of well trained volunteers. We all learned new skills and have some laughs some of the time. We are not experts in any particular subject but we are experts in finding and using information to help.

CAB New Zealand operates from more than 80 locations around the country. Each CAB is an incorporated not for profit organisation, operated by local community volunteers. Each CAB has a Board of elected officers who plan, govern and promote their CAB. Some CABs have paid staff who support the management of the bureau.

Each CAB is a member of our national body -- CABNZ. You can find out more about what we do by visiting us, calling us or sending us an email. You may also visit our website: www.cab.org.nz.

From 13 – 19 March, CAB will be celebrating its national Awareness Week. If you are interested in becoming a CAB volunteer, feel free to come to the Bureau and ask questions over a cup of tea/ coffee.

Te Pou Whakawhirinaki o Ōtaki Our advice is free and confidential. We have the information to help you with your problems, or can point you in the right direction..

Call / email or see us Monday to Friday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm 65a Main Street, Ōtaki Village (next to the swing park by the Memorial Hall) Tel 06 364 8664 or 0800 367 222 Email otaki@cab.org.nz www.cab.org.nz • • • •

Legal & Employment Issues Benefit Entitlements Housing & tenancy issues Neighborhood & other issues

• • • •

Health,Human Rights Personal Problems Transport issues Consumer Rights

Free 20-minute legal appointment 1 solicitor & JP available by arrangement Age Concern representative at Bureau every 3rd Friday 9am-12pm Housing NZ every 2nd Friday monthly 10am-1pm Foodbank donations – drop In Rooms available for hire at reasonable rates

Page:21

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Kia ora from the Ōtaki Public Library – Te Wharepukapuka o Ōtaki

Goneville: A Memoir

The Girl Before

You Said Forever

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

by Nick Bollinger

by J P Delaney

by Susan Lewis

by Jennifer Ryan

Goneville is both a coming-of-age story and an intimate look at the evolving music scene in '70s New Zealand. Nick Bollinger talks with complete candour about his unorthodox childhood, his obsession with music, the impact of a family tragedy, and the journey that would decide the course of his life.

Bollinger was just 18 when he went on the road with the band Rough Justice and its smoky-voiced, charismatic leader Rick Bryant. The next two years were sometimes uplifting and exciting, other times enervating and depressing.

It was the 1970s and pot was plentiful.

Often, though, the band was short of other things: money, food, shelter, and petrol for its increasingly ramshackle, broken-down bus.

Jane stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect, on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules. After moving in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death there - and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the girl before. As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma's past and Jane's present become inexorably entwined in this tense, page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession.

Charlotte Goodman is living the dream.

As England becomes enmeshed in the early days of World War II and the men are away fighting, the women of Chilbury village forge an uncommon bond. They defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to close the choir and instead carry on singing, resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

We come to know the home-front struggles of five unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret; and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past.

Surrounded by family, friends and a stunning vineyard overlooking the ocean, it would be difficult for anyone to believe that she has a troubled past. However, haunted by the theft of a young girl, Charlotte begins to realise the enormity of something she did many years ago, and soon finds herself having to make the most harrowing decision any woman would ever have to face.

Forecast - Rain with chance of an emergency The weather - it’s not just us feeling down about it. Many cats aren’t venturing outside as much as they normally would, especially to toilet. Instead, they’re holding on or getting stressed, both of which can lead to developing urinary tract problems.

We’re seeing a large number of cats that need urgent attention, which is unusual for this time of year. Most commonly these are overweight neutered males, but any cat can be affected.

You may notice your cat frequently going (or trying to go) to the toilet. It might look like they’re straining, or constipated.

Sometimes they manage to pass little drops of urine which may be tinged with blood.

At other times, nothing seems to happen.

Your cat may cry out, seem distressed, or become quiet and depressed, and they may resent being petted or spend a lot of time cleaning their genital area.

Your cat may have cystitis, or inflammation of the bladder. They will painful, possibly have an infection, and require veterinary attention.

If your cat is male, there is a chance he is partially or totally ‘blocked’. This is an emergency, and he must see a veterinarian immediately! It is a life-threatening condition. The kidneys are no longer able to remove toxins from the blood or maintain a balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. Without treatment, death frequently occurs when these imbalances lead to heart failure—often in less than twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

If you suspect that your cat is having trouble peeing, contact your veterinarian immediately. Please don’t wait for them to get better on their own, or to get worse before seeking help.

For more information on this problem, the symptoms, treatment, and ways to help prevent it, please download a copy of FLUTD Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease from Companion Animal Resources at www.lhvc.co.nz.

Ōtaki Vets

269 Mill Road 364 6941 364 7089

contact@otakivets.co.nz Come and meet our friendly team

Page:22

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Handy folk to know

Health

Womens Health 364 6367 AA 0800 229 6757 Arthritis 364 6883 Ambulance Shuttle 368 6369 Cancer Support 06 367 8065 Stroke 364 6883 Plunket 364 7261

Community

this column has been revised: in future only paid advertisers and community groups will feature

Auto

All Things Automotive Central Auto Services Colling & Gray Montgomery M. Bodies SRS Auto Engineering Paul Branch

364 8158 368 2037 364 7495 364 5681 364 3322 364 6111

Bevan Concrete 0800 427522 Rasmac Contractors 0274 443 041 Craig Howell 027 448 0447

We are always looking for volunteers to help in our shop – please see the Shop Manager for an application form.

TechMan

FOTOR 364 8918 Transition Towns 364 5573 Waitohu Stream Care 364 0641

100&1 364 7074 Talisman 364 5893 Te Horo Garden Centre 364 2142 Watsons Garden Centre 364 8758

Age Concern

Kids

Scouting Toy Library

0800 243 266 364 8949 364 3411

Estate Agents First National Harcourts Professionals Tall Poppies

Funeral Directors Harvey Bowler I.C. Mark Ltd Kapiti Coast Funeral Waikanae Funeral

Home Maintenance

368 2954 368 8108 04 298 5168 04 293 6844

Ross

Insurance Inpro

Kapiti Coast District Council

General Inquiries 364 9301 Toll Free 0800 486 486 Ōtaki Library 364 9317 Ōtaki Swimming Pool 364 5542 Susie Mills Law

364 7190

Ōtaki Locksmith

021 073 5955

Mowers

Mower & Engineering

364 5411

Plumbing

About Plumbing 364 5586 Henderson Plumbing 364 5252 Ryan Plumbing &Gas 027 243 6451

Rest Homes Ocean View Enliven

364 7399 0508 365483

Ryan Roofing

027 243 6451

Ōtaki Shuttles

364 6001

Ōtaki Animal Health Ōtaki Vet Centre

364 7089 364 6941

Window & Door Repairs

364 8886

Roofer Taxi

Vets

Windows

December Special !

Come in and have your WOF check completed with us and go in the draw for $200 petrol vouchers Drawn 23rd December 2016

• WOF • Servicing • Mechanical Repairs Open Saturday morning

Locally owned and operated

• Earthmoving / Aggregate • Drainage Site Works / Section Clearing • Drive Ways Excavation / Tarseal / Hot Mix • Top Soil / Farm Roads

For all Kerbing, Paving, Floors, Drives Paths and Concrete Work FREE QUOTES Phone Craig Howell

364 6277 364 6123

Nurseries

Locksmith

(or as priced)

Phone: 0274 443 041 or 0274 401 738

364 8350 364 5284 364 7790 0274 792 772

Lawyer This column is built from information supplied by the Ōtaki Women’s Health group, from their September 2015 Community Services Directory.

If you have any updates or corrections, please advise us

Good/Used clothing for sale

022 315 7018

Computers

Concrete Work

Older People

23 Matene Street, Otaki Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm Saturday 10am – 1pm

Adult shoes $3 - $5 Baby clothing $1 Children’s clothing $2 Lots of bric-a-brac from $1 Assortment of antiques for sale Adult clothing $4

Citizens Advice 364 8664 Budgeting 364 6579 Foodbank 364 0051 Menzshed 364 8303 Community Club 364 8754 Timebank 362 6313 Birthright 364 5558 Cobwebs 021 160 2710 Community Patrol 027 230 8836 Probus 364 6464 Pottery 364 8053 Mainly Music 364 7099 Genealogy 364 7263 Bridge 364 7771 Museum 364 6886 Historical 364 6543 Let’s Sing 364 8731 Ōtaki Players 364 6491 RSA 364 6221 Rotary 364 0147 Lions 364 8871

Environment

Birthright Op Shop

223 State Highway One, OTAKI Workshop: 364 8158

027 448 0447 * After hours: 06 364 6064

CENTRAL No. Tip AUTOMOTIVE ARE YOU MOVING SERVICES

2

LOCATION

Window & Door Repairs

I fix all Doors, Windows SAVE & Conservatories $$$$

MAIN ROAD SOUTH, LEVIN MAKE IT A SMOOTH TRANSITION



K.S. McFadyen & I.J. Buckley Ltd

FULL DIESEL REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

All C.O.F. Work Transport & General Engineering Tel: 06/368 2037 or 06/368 1591 (24hrs)

Locks * Rollers Handles * Stays Glass * Leaks Draughts * Seals

Call Mike Watson Free 0800 620 720 or Otaki 364 8886 Find me at: www.windowseal.co.nz Or like at: facebook.com/windowseal

Page:23

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

Cobwebs Op-Shop

Main Street Tuesday-Friday 10-4pm Saturday 10-1pm We need your support Please share some of your give-aways with us Every dollar raised in the shop goes back into the Otaki community

Otaki Churches welcome you Henderson Plumbing Churches Anglican Rev Ian Campbell & Bathrooms Acts The HUB Tel: 364 7099 Covering

Tel: 364 6911 Otaki: 157 Tasman Rd, Otaki 10.15 am (Family service) Te Horo: 10.15 am Big Wednesday

All Saints. Te Rauparaha St 8 am and 10.30 am St Margarets, School Rd • plumbing 9 am • roofs & spouting Manakau: St Andrews • new homes Baptist 1st Sunday Cafe Church, 9.30am Tel: 364 8540 • drainage 2nd & 4th Sundays. Eucharist 9.00am Cnr Te Manuao Road/SH1 • maintenence Rangiatea Church Services Otaki: • free advice and quotes 10.00 am service 37 Te Rauparaha St Sunday Eucharist: 9 am All Plumbing Services Presbyterian Church Viewing Hours: (school term) Rev. Peter L. Jackson Mon,Wed,Fri (10.00am - 1pm) Tel: 06 364 5252 Tel: 364 6346 or tel office: 364 6838 249 Mill Rd, Otaki Fax: 06 364 5254 Email: rangiatea.church@xtra.co.nz Worship: 11 am Cell: 027 448 5658 Cafe Church: Shannon: Turongo Church - Poutu Marae PO Box 217, Otaki 2nd Sun 10.45 am Shannon/Foxton Highway Email: diane@hendersonplumbing.co.nz 3rd Sunday 11.30am Community Church Levin: Ngatokowaru Marae Tel: 364 0012 Hokio Beach Road 17 Waerenga Road 4th Sunday 11am Sunday School: 9-10am Family Service: 10.30 am Catholic St Mary’s “Pukekaraka” 4 Convent Road Otaki: Weekend Mass Sunday Mass11am, 5pm St. Stephens Kuku: Justin Will Ph: 027 467 2063 Sunday 8am

Kapiti Coast - Levin

Otaki Shuttle Service 06 364 6001

Seven Day a week service up until midnight Set Tarriff charges of $10 + $5 per passenger between Otaki beach & plateau • Further afield trips negotiable • Airport & bus connections EFTPOS available in vehicle

A/Hrs: 06 364 5586 Email: aboutgas@gmail.com

Make a booking online at www.otakishuttle.co.nz

ŌTAKI POLICE FOUND PROPERTY LIST

YouBeauty By appointment only Fantastic facials, brow shaping Electrolysis and facial waxing 0274 070 403

Description pair Sunglasses

Where Otaki Beach

Date 7 December

Fitbit wrist band

Otaki Beach

30 December

Babies bracelet

nr Hamish Barham pharmacy

28 January

Ōtaki Players Society Inc

And The Good News Is……. … Kirsty’s bus is back.

Opening in the 3rd week of March, Kirsty’s coffee bus will again be offering great coffee and food.

Don’t expect to see the bus by the road, as it is now tucked down the back in the midst of a large developing garden. Drive in through the bunting into the car park and follow the path to the bus, shop, patio and seating where once again on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can enjoy Kirsty’s fine fare and good humour.

Sims Road Te Horo Beach 9am – 4pm

Automotive & Engineering NZHRA approved engineer Qualified Diesel Mechanic 38 years experience

Barry Sutton

• WOFs and LUBES • Light Engineering & Welding • Classic Car Repairs

www.srsauto.co.nz

(First Sunday of the month)

364 3322 34 Sutton Rd, Te Horo 027 556 9255

• Annual General Meeting • Reports • Election of officers and committee All Welcome Sunday March 12 at 4pm Civic Theatre Main Street Ōtaki

Plumbing Gasfitting • Wetbacks • Residental • Commercial • Woodburners • Solar Hot Water Systems

Roofing • New and re-roofing • Longrun coloursteel • P.V.C & Coloursteel Spouting • Repairs and Maintenance • Flashing Fabrication • Sheetmetal Work 0272 436 451 06 362 6595 Manakau

Attacked by Fence Post?

• • • • • • • • • •

Spray Booth Chassis Machine Chassis Straightening Rust Repair Crash Repair Plastic Welding 24 hour Towing & Salvage All Insurance Work Farm Equipment Repaired Competitive Prices

Talk to us about your automotive, marine, cabinet colour and furniture paint work.

COLLING & GRAY

OTAKI – PANELBEATERS & SPRAY PAINTING 3 Arthur St, Otaki Phone 06 364 7495

Page:24

Ōtaki Mail — March 2017

it.

Grief is e d i r l i k At part o e a h u g e w a v e . . . . . . . . w e c a n b e t h e r e t o h e l p y o u ooks: b f Funeral-li -T nk nry of three he Man y

NZ we have commissioned the writing e Colours o ing H v r I a i c f i G r rief written by Lynne Ewart and T All three a re ocess. r available free to families to help them through the Grief P

Harvey Bowler Funeral Services Levin | Otaki | Shannon

06 368 2954 www.harveybowler.co.nz

REX DUCKETT 06 364 6123 0800 367 467

INSURANCE

mortgagelink Business Cover House & Contents Motor Vehicle Race Car Farm Package Health Life & Trauma Income Protection

Disclosure Statement available upon request

Trotting On at Ōtaki

BY MARGARET ANDREWS

It was another successful two day of racing at the Kapiti Harness Racing Club’s annual meeting held at the Ōtaki Race Course over the last weekend in January.

Day 1 was a day of racing with many god results and Day 2 was the Interislander Summer Festival of Racing family day and the Ōtaki Cup the feature race on the card.

It was an upset finish in Boundary Classic Ōtaki Cup when No 3 Everything driven by Nicky Chilcott crossed the line in first place, paying $5.40 for a win and $1.70 a place. Chilcott had a very good day driving different horses to a third, first and second in three consecutive races.

“Thanks everyone,” Mark Matthews, a syndicate member, said on being presented with the Ōtaki Cup and horse rug.

Between the races there were several children’s and family events including sack races and the Interislander Tug-0-War won by the boys two-to-one in a best of three challenges. Team sizes weren’t very even. And the competition of the day - Rock the Ferry lucky draw with adults and children forming two sides. On the toss of a coin one side got to call heads or tails and the losing side were all out, until there were just two left. Six year old Natalie Clark won the $500 cash prize as last one standing.

There was plenty to entertain the children with free activities all day; face painting, colouring competition to sulky rides with the Kids Go Racing team, inflatable cas“I acknowledge and appreciate everyone who’s been on READ ALLthe COPYtrainers CAREFULLY.and CHECK AND PHONE NUMBERS. tles and the giant inflatable slide. To fill the hunger pangs board for the twoPLEASE day event, theSPELLING drivers, and needs there were plenty PROOF of ice creams, everyone. And congratulations to Nicky Chilcott, the for incorrect copyrefreshment Once proof is approved NZME. will not accept responsibility or layout. coffee and hot dogs available too. winning driver,” KHRC president, Mary Colman said.

Kapiti Swimming Club news Although our local community pool is closing on Friday the Kapiti Swimming Club will continue to hold their training sessions at Waikanae Swimming Pool 5.15 - 7pm in March up until Daylight Saving and then transfer to Coastal Aquatic Centre Tuesday Thursday and Friday 5.15pm - 7pm and Thursdays and Friday mornings 5.30-7am.

We hope to see all our members there and sign off with photos of our swimming members achieving at the Wellington Long Course Summer Champs, Manawatu Age Group Champs and Junior Festival Allstars organized by Swim NZ. Pictured is Kaahurere MacKay with bronze medal for his 50m Backstroke, below: more Kapiti swimmers & grinners.

It’s the Battle of the Islands tug-o-war Round 2 won by the girls team at the Summer Festival of Racing Kapiti Harness Racing Club’s meeting

Living up to his name, Everything, he gave everything and won the Otaki Cup feature race with a happy driver, Nicky Chilcott, at the Kapiti Harness Racing Club’s meeting at Otaki Race Course. A length behind was second placed No 9 Beyond the Silence Ōtaki Mail - a community newspaper produced monthly by Ann & Lloyd Chapman, 176 Waerenga Road, Ōtaki. Printed by Beacon Print, Hastings.

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