The Point Wells Crier - Winter 2023 Issue

THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 2 |

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The Point Wells Crier Winter 2023 Vol. 15 - Issue 2 Fishing at the Point Photo by Marion Ransom

Community Newsletter for the Garden Village

IN THIS ISSUE: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

President’s Report Update on the Point Wells Seawall Croquet Club News Water Testing in the Estuary Point Wells Library News Local Folk About Time Boutique Matakana Fire Brigade Yoga Nidra Pest Eradication Point Wells Garden Circle Point Wells Boating Club Kura Kai at Mahurangi College Point Wells Club Gardening with Andrew Steens The Collective Wisdom of Bees Investment Insights Managing Aches & Pains Zen Den K9 Ramble Our Whangateau Shorebirds Point Wells Community Contacts

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 2 |

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT Kia ora koutou, Hello to you all.

Thank you to all of you who attended our recent AGM. We had some heavy rain warnings across that weekend, but regardless the Point Wells Club was full of association members who came out to support us and hear what has been going on with the committee.

Welcome to the Winter 2023 issue of our quarterly village newsletter.

Sadly, four of our long-term members decided to step down this year - Ben Lupton, Nick Charlton, John Cranston and Laurence Eyres. All four of these members have made outstanding contributions to our committee over several years, and we are grateful for the time and energy they have provided to our community.

Our aim is to provide items of local interest and/or from local contributors to advise, inform, and amuse, the residents of our beautiful community. We hope you enjoy reading it.

We welcomed two new members to the committee - Amanda Stewart, who has taken a proactive interest in Civil Defence & Emergency Management; and Howard George, who has kindly offered to be our new Treasurer.

Thank you to our contributors. You are what makes this magazine special.

Ali van Barneveld, Victoria Daniell, Alan McClintock and Anne Holman have confirmed they will remain for another year. We will also continue to get support from Hall Coordinator, Priscilla Ngawaka and Hall Manager, Noeline Cranston. Ben Lupton has kindly offered to support on anything legal if required.

There are several important topics we will continue to focus on including the Hall, supporting the Library and other clubs, transport safety, harbour & environmental projects (including Pest Control), Playgroup, and Security.

We are looking forward to staying engaged with you all this year.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us on any issues you may need support on regarding the Council.

Kind regards Alana McClintock

If you have something you’d like to share, please email it to our editor essex2801@gmail.com.

We do, of course, rely on advertising revenue to be able to produce and print The Point Wells Crier, so our heartfelt thanks to all our current advertisers for their continued support. We ask that you please support them in return by buying local when you can.

If you would like to place an advertisement in The Crier, please email our Treasurer howardgeorge21@gmail.com PWCRA Committee

THE POINT WELLS HALL The hall is currently under renovation for the month of May and we are eagerly awaiting the results. Under Council management, the Hall and Library facilities are undergoing a new internal paint job and minor repairs to the kitchen and flooring.

There will also be new security lights with sensors on the exterior of the building.

External work will include repairs to the hall decking and designating a path along the front of the hall to enable safe pedestrian access to the bus stop.

We look forward to inviting the community to take a look inside at the next Connoisseurs’ Dinner on 15 June 2023.

Priscilla McClintock Ngawka Email: pointwellshall@gmail.com

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Work is due to be complete by 2 June 2023 and we will keep you updated on any changes to that schedule.

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UPDATE ON OUR SEAWALL At our AGM, one member asked us what the Council was doing about the damage and deterioration on our seawall (that runs along the front of the village).

We feel we didn’t give a good response during the meeting so we sent out an email to all association members to clarify that we are aware that the Council were due to invest $1 million into the seawall but had decided to postpone the project.

Unfortunately, no one made us directly aware of this decision - we found out through a Mahurangi Matters news article online.

This prompted our committee to contact local Board Representative, Ivan Wagstaff, to see if he could provide any insights on how this decision was made and why. We also decided to log an Official Information Act request to see if the Council could provide us information on why such an important upgrade was taken off the business plan for the new financial year.

Come talk to us about faster broadband We’ve brought our ultra-fast fibre network to your area so let's talk about getting connected.

Whether you use the internet a lot or a little, a fibre broadband service will provide you with a fast connection that you can rely on.

Come in to see the team of Chorus experts for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee when they're in your neighbourhood soon.

If you’ve got questions about installation, how to improve your current internet connection or how to liven up equipment we've already installed, we’d love to help.

To date, Ivan has not been able to provide us with any information, but the Council did respond to the OIA and we have decided, in the interest of transparency, to send this response to all our members to read. (Included with this issue of the Crier.)

Our team can also point you in the right direction to find a fibre broadband plan that best suits your needs.

The committee will discuss the OIA response at our next meeting and decide what next steps to take.

For more information visit: www.chorus.co.nz/getconnected or call 0800 222 644

One of our committee members has pointed out that while it is concerning the wall won’t be upgraded this year, there are other opportunities for us to feed into a wider plan Shoreline Adaption Plan.

If you are unable to make it, you can email us any questions to communityrelations@chorus.co.nz

There is a lot to consider here, and we will likely call on you all for feedback and talk to Ivan before we take any further actions.

The great news is it’s still free to get fibre installed for most homes, if you haven't done so already.

When: Tuesday 13 June Time: Pop in between 3pm and 5pm Location: Point Wells Hall, 5 Point Wells Road

Hopefully to start with this will provide you some assurance that this will continue to be a priority topic for us as a committee this year.

PWCRA Committee

WARKWORTH & DISTRICTS CROQUET CLUB Our club day playing numbers have been up since the wet weather of January and February, and we have been playing our in-house competitions, both doubles and singles for GC. A small lawn refurbishment was undertaken at the beginning of April, without the need to close the lawns.

The lawns are in relatively good order considering the extreme rain that we have had.

The AGM and prizegiving will be held on Saturday, 27 May, 11:00 am, at the Point Wells Bowling Club.

Fundraising ventures will be announced soon, and we will be looking to have the community involved with this.

Visitors and new members are welcome. Please phone Sue on 0210395921 or come along on a club day – Monday, Thursday, or Saturday at 9:30am for play at 9:45am.

We would like to thank Bayleys Real Estate and Jodi for her kind support of the club, and Summerset Falls, Warkworth.

Peter Radley, President

Now that our lease has been renewed with the Auckland Council, we are planning much needed maintenance, and an overdue refurbishment, of the club rooms.

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WATER TESTING IN THE ESTUARY As most people are probably aware, Auckland Council regularly tests water quality at many Auckland beaches.

Why then, is Point Wells not included?

Well, in fact it is: I chanced across a couple of people taking a water sample at the boat ramp as I was emerging from a swim in late March, and they were from the Council. In discussion with them and subsequently with Council’s Healthy Waters department.

I discovered that they have been testing at Point Wells since early 2019. The programme was suspended in 2020 and 21, largely due to Covid. It seems they are back on track now, having tested ten times in 2022 and three times this year to the end of March.

They have completed 39 tests in total since their 2019 start, all at the boat ramp and none of these tests has resulted in what they term an “exceedance”, jargon for a level of enterococci above which it is considered unsafe to swim. This is an excellent result and is not inconsistent with the E coli measurements recorded in our programme of boat ramp sampling.

I should explain that enterococci and E coli are different bacteria which both reside in the gut of mammals and birds. While not themselves pathogens, they are indicative of the presence of faecal pathogens in the water. Enterococci is generally the preferred bacterium to measure in sea water samples and E coli in fresh water.

My reading of the literature and our own sampling experience seems to confirm that the presence and quantity of both bacteria tends to be closely correlated.

For this reason, it seems that measurement of either bacterium will give accurate readings in the slightly less salty water of an estuary.

Does the fact that the Council is sampling at Point Wells mean we can cease our programme? Unfortunately, no. The information the Council provides for Auckland

beaches on their Safeswim website is based upon numerous measurements which go back many years.

The daily recommendations they provide are derived from modelled data rather than actual data: as you can imagine, they don’t have the resources to turn up at every beach every day to take and analyse water samples, so they create a mathematical model for each beach based upon this large backlog of actual rainfall and actual enterococci measurements. When the database for each beach is large enough this enables accurate prediction of what level of enterococci will be present on any particular day.

The other condition which is necessary to enable predictions is that there must be “exceedances” in some of the samples for each beach, because without instances of high levels of enterococci they don’t have a basis on which to construct their model. As an aside, we can say that at this point, the boat ramp at Point Wells is a victim of its own relatively clean condition!

So long as the PWCRA is prepared to fund our activities we shall continue sampling at the boat ramp and the other locations further upriver which we have traditionally sampled. We are also happy to consider suggestions for other places to sample if there are swimming spots not currently tested or where you think there may be sources of contamination coming into the river.

Because our sampling programme is “point-in-time” rather than ongoing, we reiterate our advice about not swimming for two to three days after heavy rain, and swimming on an oncoming or full tide rather than when it is strongly ebbing.

And we would note that the Council data confirms our own findings, that the boat ramp is consistently the safest spot for swimming.

Robin Ransom May 2023

Photo: Marion Ransom

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NEWS FROM THE POINT WELLS LIBRARY You will have noticed the renovations happening at the hall and library including bollards in front of the hall. Fear not - we are not expecting ram raiders wanting to steal our books – it is to keep our precious readers safe from unruly car parkers.

A huge thank you to Warkworth New World for donating shopping bags for our members to take books home in during the renovation of the library.

We are planning to open the library on Friday, 9 June.

This will give the committee time to complete the final organisation and stock take of the library after the wonderful renovation team have replaced all the books for us.

When you come back to the library you will find it freshly painted. The florescent lights will have been replaced with LEDs and we are hopeful that we will have time and opportunity to have the carpet cleaned before we have our grand re-opening.

Another addition to the complex will be a three-phase power point which could be used for a generator. This will enable our members to come in and use the library, make a cup of tea, use the toilets and charge their devices should we have another endless series of power cuts or other natural events that may be thrown at us in the future.

Donating Books: Many thanks to those who donate books. If you have books you would like to donate, if possible, could you store them until October/November when we will start preparing for our annual book sale.

Junior Library Elaine Haines, our contact at Auckland Rural Libraries, is endeavouring to acquire some L-footed library shelving to replace the wall shelving we are using for the picture books.

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Auckland Bulk Loan Most of our current batch of Auckland Loan Books have been returned to Mahurangi Library. If you are still reading an Auckland book, please carry on enjoying it and then return it to the Point Wells Library when it reopens in June. We aim to have a new batch of books available for loan soon after the Grand Reopening. If you have any special requests or favourite authors, please inform one of the committee as soon as possible.

Thank you again to Jodi Sterling and Bayleys for donating a further $1,000 to the library as nominated by vendors Mark and Natascha Hurt following the sale of their Point Wells home. This is the 25th donation made

by Jodi to our area and on behalf of the community we thank her very much.

• • • • •

LIBRARY HOURS Monday evening 5pm – 6pm Wednesday morning 10am - 12pm Friday afternoon 3pm - 5pm Saturday morning 10am – 12pm pointwellslibrary@gmail.com

The library issued a staggering 795 books & magazines to the end of April Annual Film Night We also have our annual film night coming up. This year we have The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. The story of a man in his 60s named Harold who one day learns his old friend Queenie is dying. He embarks on a walk to post a letter, only to keep going for 450 miles until he reaches Queenie’s hospice, much to the despair of his wife Maureen.

Tickets are available online at: https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing/9111 Vanessa Barber pointwellslibrary@gmail.com

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LOCAL FOLK - JODI STERLING It’s a warm, blustery afternoon when we call on Jodi and her two sidekicks, Amanda and Becky at the cosy Bayleys office in Point Wells. While locals stroll past with dogs and various tradies order their toasted sandwiches and burgers for lunch at the PW General Store door, we settle in for a friendly chat.

Questions: Do you have any nicknames?

Yoda. I’ve never watched Star Wars. I don’t know much about Yoda but this nickname stuck from school days (Baradene Girls’ school). I even dressed as Yoda for my 21st.

Where were you born?

Tell me three pet peeves.

Born in Auckland and grew up in Meadowbank.

People who push in to traffic queues. Why don’t they just wait?; Small minded thinking; Lateness.

How long have you lived in Point Wells?

We moved to Point Wells in 2010. We bought a house at 58 Point Wells Rd from Angela Wain; that’s how we became friends. We then saw our existing house at 280A Point Wells Rd and that’s where we are now.

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?

Delivering babies - 15 years as a midwife.

What is your favourite hobby?

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I don’t have time for a hobby sadly. Does that sound terrible? I have things that I enjoy doing, but not hobbies as such.

I wanted to be a flight attendant (back then they were called Air Hostesses), on the international routes - I wanted all the perks…

Are you married? What is your spouse's name?

What do you want to make sure you do before you die?

Dave - hubby.

Do you have children? What are their names and ages?

We have two girls Eva, aged 19, and Claudia aged 17, both at University now, but both live at home still.

What kind of pets do you have, if any?

We have Nero, a black Tibetan Spaniel - he’s as really not the brightest - just in case anyone is thinking about getting one. We also have two cats.

Do you play any sports?

Is drinking gin classed as a sport??

What causes are you passionate about?

I don’t have just one charity I support. Having been involved in Education (I used to be a pre-school teacher) I’m passionate about child development. I have a lot of time and energy and respect for anyone involved in those areas.

What’s the best thing about living in Point Wells?

The people ..definitely!

Who is someone you admire, and why?

I’d actually put my husband there…he’s the most consistent person. We couldn’t do half the things we do - he’s not phased by anything, just gets things done.

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(laughing) Finish the house renovation that we’ve been working on. Spend more time with mum and dad, and travel with the girls…

What do you want accomplish in the next year?

It’s an interesting year isn’t it? I’m happy with what we’ve got - I love my team here (Amanda and Becky) and I just want for the three of us to continue enjoying what we do - the rest will take care of itself.

What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, I’m happy being at home with the family or up at the family bach at Tinopai, fishing on the Kaipara.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

On my list at the moment is Japan - it’s our favourite cuisine for the whole family. We were supposed to go this year, but instead we’re going to Bali for a short family catch-up. We were advised Japan would be way too hot for the time we were able to go.

What skill would you like to master?

I’d like to learn to sing. And also learn to keep plants alive- nearly every plant I buy dies: in the ground, out of the ground, anything, they all die!!

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What has been the highlight of your year?

Sadly - probably work related. We have ticked off some work goals which has been really rewarding as a team.

What is your favourite place you’ve travelled to?

St Ives in Cornwall. I spent two summers there when I was young and free. Worked in Porthmeor and Porthgwidden beach cafés - served up Devonshire teas, clotted cream, the works, Cornish pasties - all of that stuff. And spent all my money on travelling (and cider).

Where is your favourite restaurant or café around here?

Brick Bay and Te Arai Links What is your favourite movie of all time?

I don’t watch a lot of movies but one that comes to mind is A Star Is Born - the Lady Gaga one, not the Barbra Streisand one. I’d watch it again.

What is one thing you tried that you’ll never do again?

I ran a half marathon. I hoped it was going to be the beginning of a new obsession but after doing it, I ticked it off and decided never again. It was not my idea of fun. I definitely didn’t get the runners’ bug.

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What was the most valuable lesson you learned from your education?

Probably that the effort you put decides the results you get out.

Why did you choose to work in your industry?

I had an opportunity to work for Angela (Wain) in Point Wells. I love living and working in the same community (and not working night shifts, well not too many!!)

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

My Bayleys’ Client Service Awards, which are decided by the feedback our buyers and vendors submit.

What is your favourite thing about your career or industry?

No two days are ever the same, and meeting new people - it’s a people job.

If you could give a younger person career advice, what would it be?

Don’t feel as if you have to stick to one path - you can change directions at any time.

Did you go to a college or university? If so, where?

What do you think is the key to professional success?

I did a BHSc in Auckland in Midwifery. Before that I did preschool teaching.

Honesty and consistency and (a long sigh here) heaps of hard work Jodi Sterling with Gareth Eyres

ABOUT TIME BOUTIQUE What started as a friendship has become a friendshop.

We are Bernz, Milo and Nooks and we have lived in the area for around 20 years. We love clothes, dressing up, having fun and being cheerleaders for others.

We offer good quality, preloved fashion and accessories at an affordable price. We are currently donation-based which enables us to donate back to the community.

Point Wells’ newest boutique About Time is located behind the General Store and is open Wednesday through to Saturday from 10am to 3pm - otherwise by appointment.

Contact Nooks 0211663323 or Milo 02108393906 We are excited to have the opportunity to provide a cute boutique for Point Wells and look forward to meeting you.

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MATAKANA FIRE BRIGADE The last 12 months has been a busy time for Matakana Volunteer Fire Brigade and especially the first four months of this year.

During the severe weather in mid-February, we narrowly avoided flooding to the station with water surrounding us but not reaching any of the floor plates.

Last year our brigade responded to 166 calls. In the first three and a half months of this year we have responded to 67 incidents. If the current call rate continues we are looking at over 220 calls for the year.

During this event we moved the trucks in the early hours of the morning to one of our volunteers’ homes on the hill at the end of Omaha Flats road.

Medical calls continue to dominate our call statistics and the increasing pressures on St John Ambulance services are resulting in longer delays before an ambulance arrives to support our people.

While this was ultimately not needed, it showed the resilience that our brigade members add to the community.

Chris Jensen Callouts for 2023

Yoga Nidra - deep relaxation weekly class at Bali Garden Come and relax in a little slice of Balinese paradise, right here in Point Wells! Tuesdays 6pm to 7pm.

I offer this weekly yoga class with gentle movement and a deep relaxation that is suitable for all levels of experience and ability. It’s the perfect opportunity to unwind and reset for the week.

website www.rebeccaleaker.com or 027 4070079.

call

me

on

Rebecca Leaker

We flow from gentle stretching, movement and restorative poses, to a guided relaxation called yoga nidra. Yoga nidra is much deeper and more powerful than a regular relaxation. It is specifically designed to release tension and unhelpful patterns from the subconscious mind and deeply soothe the nervous system, all while you relax and possibly even fall asleep!

Book through the Bali Garden website, with the Momence App or turn up on the day.

I also run regular pregnancy workshops and am available for private classes, for more info see my

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PEST ERADICATION UPDATE As we come into winter it is a good time to take stock on what effect this “worst of all summers’ has had on the local bird populations.

That won’t be entirely clear until after the upcoming bird count, but just talking to people in the area, there is a definite feeling that there has been a lot less bird activity around the Point since the big-wet began.

For my part, I feel too, that this is the case.

It seems logical to me, that nesting will have been negatively impacted by the huge deluges of rain, with wind, that have come one after another, and I know after many millions of worms came up on my lawn, that the food chain has probably been impaired for some too.

That has certainly reduced the numbers of thrushes and blackbirds visiting us since.

In light of this environmental disturbance, it seemed to us, that the last thing the birds that remain in the spring will need, is to find a thriving rat population coming to feast on their eggs and chicks.

For this reason, we negotiated with Pete Torrice of PestX - a local and member of the trapping group - a super deal to secure a supply of baits and bait stations to allow us to make an offer to the locals.

This arranged, we did so, and were pleased to deliver over 80 traps in total, with baits and a rubber glove for $20 a pop, and to have them covering every street in the village.

Moreover, we were able to create enough profit in so doing, due to the number of takers, to fund our operations for the next six months.

Our thanks go to all who took part, and to all who make some effort over the winter to reduce rodent populations in the area.

Before closing, I would also like to thank Andrew Clearwater who is taking over from me.

Graeme Beals Eradicator in Chief

POINT WELLS GARDEN CIRCLE For many of us, one of the joys of living in this location is the abundance of birdlife. Our garden village, with all the native and exotic flowering trees and shrubs attracts many land-based native birds: tui, kereru, kaka, the shining cuckoo/pipiwharauroa, kingfisher/kotare, morepork/ruru, fantail/piwakawaka), silver eye/tauhou, grey warbler/riroriro.

Our gardens nurture local biodiversity and provide habitat for native birds and beneficial insects. Thankfully we have a team of volunteer rat trappers working to maintain the “Ring of Steel” and many residents set their own traps too, helping to keep our native birds safe from predation.

Omaha River and Whangateau Harbour provide a spectacular backdrop for us all to enjoy a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. We are very lucky to be able to walk around the harbour-side trail and take in the gorgeous vistas: the big sky, the imposing hills, the receding tide and the changing light on the mudflats. It’s easy to do that without taking particular notice of the range of shore birds going about their business. We’re more inclined to take their presence for granted.

Let’s watch out for these precious birds and if we can give them a wide berth on our walks, keep our dogs on leads and cats inside at night, they will have a much greater chance of survival.

See Dr Marie-Louise Ward’s article “Our Whangateau Shorebirds”.

Find out more about the Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust – www.omahashorebirds.co.nz Point Wells Garden Circle meets monthly and has a programme of interesting speakers and garden visits. If you would like to join our friendly group, please email ptwellsgarden@gmail.com Marion Ransom

Recently, Dr Marie-Louise Ward, who is chair of the Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust, gave an informative talk in the hall to a large group of garden club members and other interested locals about the amazing range of shore birds that are right on our doorstep. All these special shorebirds are here because our harbour provides them with an abundant food source.

Dr Ward’s presentation opened our eyes to the needs of the birds to be able to eat and rest and be protected from disturbance.

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POINT WELLS BOATING CLUB Well, the 22/23 summer could well be called the summer of malcontent, from a boaties’ perspective anyway. One storm system after another, prevailing nor-easterlies and rain, rain, rain.

Despite another club event having to be cancelled, (15 April), there have still been some great fish weighed in. Members are reporting generally good catches when they could get out on the water.

We are family oriented, with some keen junior and lady fishers amongst us. Currently, one of our lady members leads the annual competition for the heaviest snapper caught during the year. Last year this competition was won by a young lad.

If you'd like to come and join us, drop us a line at pwboatclub@gmail.com.

On one wet and windy Saturday a group of fishermen, tired of being cooped up for so long, decided to try their luck inside the Whangateau Harbour. Result - 21 good sized snapper!

As autumn comes on the unusual weather pattern continues to prevail and boating days a few and far between.

It’s a good time to get boats serviced, trailers up to scratch And fishing gear maintained.

Speaking of maintenance, the club continues to chase the Harbour Master with regard to the channel markers.

Everyone should be aware that there are a number of marker posts now missing and extra care should be taken when navigating the harbour.

So far, our calls for action on this have fallen on deaf ears. We will continue to chase this up. As a club, the Point Wells Boating Club does not have the resources, nor the responsibility to reinstate the marker poles.

Tight Lines.

Pat Leitch, Commodore

THE POINT W ELLS BOATING CLUB IS SUPPORTED BY: PRESTIGE REALTY, ZE BUILD BUILDERS, CENTURION PRINT, HUNTING & FISHING W ARKWORTH, GULL MATAKANA, FLOORING XTRA

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KURA KAI AT MAHURANGI COLLEGE For Mahurangi College it’s all about building and being a part of community.

Kura Kai to us is a platform in which we can support whanau and wider community with not only food but also being able to show support in times of need. It’s a means in which we can teach our kids how to care and think of others in a practical way.

Being connected and supporting others in our community is how we all learn to thrive.

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We would love the people of the Point Wells community to be involved in this initiative in any way they feel they want to - whether through donating meals or financial support.

Please get in touch with Rachel O'Malley who lives locally in Point Wells with how you would like to be involved. kurakai@mahurangi.school.nz

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On the River Photo: Marion Ransom

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GARDENING WITH ANDREW STEENS - POTTING MIX I come from a generation of gardeners old enough (unfortunately!) to remember tailor-made potting mixes that went under names of ‘John Innes No1’ and such-like.

rough, with chunks of partially decomposed woody material still in it, as this enhances the microbial populations.

Usually the job of the trainee or student, these were always made onsite, under the watchful eye of the nursery manager or tutor, from ingredients such as peat, leaf mould, loam, pumice, washed river sand, and fertilisers. Nowadays of course, most people just pick up a bag of ready-made potting mix from the garden centre or big box retailer.

I don’t usually add fertilisers at this stage, as it might be some time before the mix is used and I don’t want to lose nutrients in that time, but also the base mix may be used for several different crops, each with their own nutrient requirements.

Unfortunately, not only are these ready-made mixes relatively expensive, but the quality also varies significantly. One only needs to trawl online gardening forums to find stories of mixes containing undesirable components, mixes that haven’t been properly composted and mixes that contain ingredients treated with long-lasting herbicides that wipe out the plants grown in the mix.

Luckily, it is quite simple (although a solid workout) to make your own high-quality potting mix, using ingredients that you know and trust and tailored to the type of plant you are growing.

We’re very fortunate to be living right on top of one of the best base ingredients for a potting mix; our Point Wells’ sandy peat is just about perfect. On its own though, it packs down too dense in the pot and becomes very gluggy at the bottom, death to sensitive roots! It is also surprisingly low in nutrients and can be quite barren in terms of organic matter and beneficial microbes if it has been taken from former lawn areas or under buildings.

So, to make a near-perfect general pot or veggie mix, for every three spadefuls of soil I add one spadeful of previously used potting mix (just to use up old mix), one of coarse coir fibre (to add drainage and nutrient holding ability) and one of old compost.

The old compost is derived from my tomato, eggfruit and capsicum beds as I grow these crops in 100% fresh compost. The fresh compost in turn comes from a coldcomposting bin that I gradually fill over time with all sorts of vegetation, letting the worms turn it into rich, friable soil and worm castings. The compost is purposely left quite

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In varying proportions I’ll add Rock Potash (this is the granular potassium as extracted from the mine, not the refined crystalline form which releases much quicker), Dolomite (for acidity control, calcium and magnesium nutrients), Gypsum (for root disease control, calcium and sulphate nutrients) and Blood and Bone (for nitrogen and phosphorus).

The beauty of making your own mix, aside from the cost saving and the assurance of quality, is the ability to modify the recipe according to what type of plants are to be grown. I’ll do this in smaller batches using the base mix to start with, then adding the extra ingredients including the fertilisers, before I plant.

For example, my tropical Pawpaws have extra coir fibre added as they suffer from wet feet in winter. I’ll also add extra fertiliser in the form of sheep pellets as they are hungry feeders.

Some flower bulbs prefer even light mixes, so I’ll go as high as 50% coir fibre for a bulb mix. In contrast, Bananas need lots of organic matter and don’t really care about excess water for short periods, so a mix much higher in peat soil and compost is used. Citrus, which are prone to magnesium deficiency will get a sprinkle of Epsom salts. Ginger and Turmeric will have more blood and bone plus sheep pellets and potash added as they are very hungry crops.

So, although the work of mixing is somewhat backbreaking, I’m more than happy to recommend that keen gardeners really get to learn from experience what soil and nutrient conditions your crops love and adopt this tried-and-true technique from decades past.

Andrew Steens

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COLLECTIVE WISDOM AND LEARNING FROM THE BEES In late spring and early summer as a bee colony becomes overcrowded, a third of the hive stays behind and rears a new queen while a swarm of thousands departs with the old queen to produce a daughter colony.

However, not many people are aware that prior to casting a swarm the honeybees have made fascinating decisions collectively and democratically. Every year, faced with a life or death problem of choosing and travelling to a new home, honey bees stake everything on a process that includes collective fact-finding, vigorous debate and consensus building.

Scout bees search up to 70 km² of countryside in search of a possible new nesting site. After the complete inspection of a favourable site a scout bee returns to the swarm and advertises the site by means of a waggle dance. These waggle dances are debates in which nest site scouts express their arguments in a vigorous dance.

During the decision-making process, the bees’ debates start with information accumulation and multiple, widely scattered alternatives are “on the table” for discussion. The scout bees debate by means of waggle dances with eventually all or nearly all of the bees advocating for just one site thus showing consensus.

During the swarms’ decision-making process, most scouts learn about and then become committed to a particular site by being recruited to it. Each recruit follows the “advertising dance“, flies out, locates the site and makes an independent evaluation. If the proposed residence satisfies her scrutiny then she too will dance for it when she returns to the swarm. The better the candidate nest site, the stronger the dance produced to report it and the swifter the buildup of scout bees at the site. A swarm senses when one of the alternatives has amassed a threshold by means of quorum sensing.

• The decision-making process is an open competition of ideas that are publicly shared but privately evaluated • Scout bees do NOT have a leader. They work well together without supervision because each bee has a strong incentive to make a good decision. The swarm’s survival depends on them finding a suitable site • There is no pressure towards SOCIAL CONFORMITY. Each scout bee makes her own independent decision of whether or not to support a site based on her own, personal evaluation of the site not on how the others judge the site.

• Bees aggregate the information about the options by conducting an open debate in which the best site prevails by virtue of its superiority.

“Unfortunately, it is difficult to apply the honeybees’ lessons about good democratic decision-making to groups composed of individuals with strongly conflicting interests. In such adversarial groups, individuals will not behave like scout bees: totally honest and reliably hardworking. They are instead expected to issue lies and act lazily when doing so provides them with benefits even if doing so degrades the group’s success. Nevertheless, because many small democratic organisations are composed of people with strongly overlapping interests, the lessons learnt from the house-hunting bees have considerable relevance to human affairs.”

Quote by Prof Martin Lindauer 1950.

Casting a Swarm A swarm’s synchronized takeoff only occurs after its scout bees have finished their job of choosing a new site.

This is when the swarm maintains its coherence as it switches its mission from making a decision to implementing a decision.

Furthermore, the wonderous thing about a swarm is that only a small percentage of its members know the swarm’s travel route and final destination, in fact in an average size swarm of 10,000 only 400 bees function as guides or leaders.

Below is a summary of what I have learnt about swarms thanks to the book Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley, a Prof of Biology at Cornell University and passionate beekeeper. Wouldn’t it bee great if we acted a bit more like honeybees ??

Scout bees operate interdependently, in that they communicate with one another about their swarm’s options • NO scout bee will blindly follow another scout bee’s opinion/dance until she has scrutinized the site herself.

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“Oh bugger" moment - swarm in process @Beetopia

Grass & gang

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INVESTMENT INSIGHTS Is a recession possible with unemployment this low? We got some fresh unemployment figures last week, for both New Zealand and the US. In both cases, the upshot was that the labour market is still extremely tight and wages are still rising solidly, albeit at a slower pace.

Against that backdrop, it’s hard to believe a recession might be on the doorstep of either country. Things can’t be that bad when everyone has a job and the labour market is still ticking over nicely, can they?

Our official unemployment rate is 3.4%, well above the multidecade low of 3.2% from a year ago. The US unemployment rate is also sitting at 3.4%, the lowest since 1969. The details looked equally solid.

New Zealand’s participation rate has risen to 72%, which puts it at the highest since data collection began in 1985. This measures the proportion of the potential work force who are employed, or looking for work.

This strength is likely a reflection of cost-of-living pressures forcing people back out to work, as well as better opportunities with many employers desperate to attract good staff. The validity of such low headline unemployment measures is often questioned, but things still look good if we consider broader measures of the labour market.

In New Zealand, the underutilisation rate includes like part-time workers who are keen to increase their hours, or those who are currently unavailable but will soon be able to start work. It's currently the lowest ever in data going back to 2009.

In the US, underemployment (a similarly board measure of labour market slack) fell to 6.6% last month. That’s the second lowest since this series started in 1994.

Wage growth in New Zealand remains strong, with average hourly earnings increasing 8.2% from a year earlier. That's down from where it was running last year, but it’s still extremely high.

From the perspective of economic activity and corporate earnings, this is great news. Low unemployment and strong wage growth usually point to a resilient backdrop and robust activity levels. When people feel confident about their job security, they’re likely to continue spending and behaving as normal, while the solid wage gains have helped offset increases in mortgage rates and the cost of living. At the same, this is keeping central banks nervous about inflation, which means they’ll be reluctant to take their foot of the brake pedal anytime soon.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has a recession pencilled in for later this year, while Federal Reserve staff are also predicting a US recession in the months ahead. These downturns are expected to be relatively mild, and nowhere near as painful as those seen during the pandemic of 2020 or the Global Financial Crisis 15 years ago.

For those wondering how a downturn could be possible at all when the labour market is so strong, don’t get your hopes up just yet. If you’re looking for clues to help signal the timing of the next recession or recovery, the unemployment rate isn’t one of them.

The labour market tends to be a lagging indicator. It is often strong heading into a recession, with unemployment only rising once the downturn has become entrenched, and continuing to increase after it ends.

In December 2007, just as New Zealand fell into recession, the unemployment rate was extremely low at 3.4%. It started rising once we were already in recession and it didn’t peak until the end of 2009, six months after the recession ended. It’s been a similar story in the US. There have been 11 recessions since 1950 and the unemployment rate has averaged 4.7% just before each of those started. That’s only just above the average low of 4.4% in each of those cycles.

During those periods the US unemployment rate ultimately reached an average of 8.5%, but that peak typically didn’t come until several months after the recession ended. There are a few reasons why unemployment is often out of sync with economic growth.

In the early days of a slowdown, businesses are reluctant to lay off staff as they want to retain that productive capacity in case the weakness proves short-lived. That's especially true following a period of labour shortages when it's been difficult to find staff, as is the case today.

There’s a similar lag coming out of a downturn. When the recovery first takes hold, businesses first try to get more out of their existing workforce. They're cautious about taking on more permanent staff until they see more evidence things are getting better. In short, we shouldn’t interpret the strong labour market as a reason to be complacent about the outlook.

Other reliable indicators point to cloudy skies ahead, and most economists (as well as central banks) are forecasting a recession, both here and in the US. Having said that, there’s still a chance we dodge a bullet, or at least avoid a severe downturn. The last three years have been so unique that forecasting has become very difficult, and the usual rules of thumb might not work quite as well.

The recent strength in migration is one example of a positive surprise few people saw coming. If this continues, parts of the economy could prove more resilient than expected. On the other hand, the business sector is likely to become increasingly cautious as the election draws closer, given the uncertainty that creates.

Low unemployment and a healthy labour market should be celebrated, but as encouraging as this might be, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re out of the woods.

Craigs Investment Partners

Speak with Nigel Scott, your local investment adviser with over 30 years’ experience.

Nigel Scott is an Investment Adviser at Craigs Investment Partners. His disclosure statement is available free of charge under his profile on craigsip.com. For investment advice contact Nigel on (09) 919 7404 or visit craigsip.com

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Managing Aches & Pains: Part 1 Of A Series Everyday aches and pains. Most people have them, to a greater or lesser degree. But every now and then something comes along that needs a little bit of help that a couple of Ibuprofen doesn’t fix.

You know - that sore back from lifting something you shouldn’t, an overstretched muscle from too much running, a twisted knee…

So which health professional do you go and see?

You’re likely to turn to one of three experts - an osteopath, chiropractor or physiotherapist.

Although all of them can treat similar problems such as injury management, back and neck pain and other joint or muscle disorders, it’s important to understand their difference in their approach, before deciding which treatment suits your needs.

As part of the primary healthcare sector, all three practices require their practitioners to undergo 4-5 years of training to a degree or master level. They’re qualified to assess and diagnose patients, treat their cases through a hands-on method, and are trained to recognise conditions which require further medical referral.

In New Zealand, osteopaths, chiropractors and physios are required to register with their respective regulatory council- this ensures all practitioners are competent and fit to practice.

Although many people are referred by their doctor or a healthcare specialist, you can also make appointments directly with your chosen clinic and they can lodge ACC claims for you if you’re eligible.

Osteopathy is not always the first cab off the rank for many people.

Why? Local Osteopath Joss Moore is pretty blunt in response. “Osteopaths are generally pretty hopeless at promoting themselves, both at a practice and at a national level. All of our patients tend to come to us by word of mouth. And because of the nature of what we do we see all types of people. In the last few months I’ve seen an eighty-year-old who wants to still do 9 holes of golf regularly, a professional soccer player, a lovely triathlete couple and a professional race car driver - all these people who haven’t had resolution in other areas seem to find their way to osteopathy.”

So, is osteopathy (by nature of its name, Osteo, inferring bone related) just treating the skeletal frame or is it musculoskeletal?

Joss again “It’s definitely musculoskeletal, with a dose of holism.”

This meaning how the patient - you- see your body, see your health, even see your mental outlook.

Joss herself came to osteopathy as a young person. She had seen a doctor, a physio and a chiropractor to deal with a bad back that she had been plagued with through her teens. The combination of those never quite sat right, to give her the whole picture - and that’s how she discovered Osteopathy.

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“Being introduced to osteopathy and learning its modalities helped me and enabled me to understand why I had a ‘bad back’.”

She now understood what caused her pain - how she had done it, where it came from (all to do with growing pains, growing fast and her height - 185cm).

Osteopathy seemed to be the right treatment for her, and it worked.

I say to Joss that in my experience osteopathy seems to encompass elements of chiropractic therapy, physiotherapy, even acupressure and zen yoga-like relaxation.

Joss responds with a smile. “Yes, that’s what I say.

We’re jacks of all trades. We are like human body engineers -working with moving living dynamic tissuesrebalancing the body’s levers, angles, torques and strains”.

But it’s not a “hit and miss” treatment. Besides the 5 years of training Joss and her practice partner Ross Payn are qualified to read X-rays, refer back to GP and specialists and are approved ACC providers.

Joss did her 5 years training at Unitec, and completed her studies for an M.Ost at Unitec, Auckland in 2003.

She then worked in private practice in Mt Eden, Grey Lynn and Devonport, then took a hiatus to focus her energies into raising her family.

It was when she moved into the area north of Auckland and was ready to get back into work that she contacted Ross at The Osteopaths, Matakana.

‘I aligned with Ross’ practice style “Joss states.

“If there was a large population of Osteopaths (there is currently around 560 Osteopaths registered in NZ), like the number of GPs, we’d have osteo-specialists - people that specialised in certain fields.

If you see different osteopaths you’ll see quite a bit of variety. Some may end up more like physios, as they’ve gone the sportsmed way, some are more like chiropractors as they enjoy manual adjustment therapy…and then there’s the holistic stuff as well.”

The holistic stuff. In my opinion this is the biggest difference I personally have experienced with the different types of physical therapists.

It’s called “cranial osteopathy”.

Ross Payn, Joss’s practice partner, has been studying and practicing cranial osteopathy for 19 years. He’s a bit of a guru in the field.

Let’s backup the bus for a second. In traditional Chinese medicine, Chi was thought to be the life force and ultimate measure of one’s vitality. This comes down to vital fluids and the energy itself that flows through our bodies.

Continued over….

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In ayurvedic or yogic tradition it’s known as Prana.

Western cultures don’t seem to have a name for this essential life force phenomenon but it is well recognised in many circles.

Cranial therapy requires a certain amount of “buy-in“ both from the patient and the practitioner. It’s a very passive experience from the patients’ point of view that’s why cranial is often used on babies.

Cranial osteopathy involves the balances and restoring this natural energy balance.

The patient (in this case me) lies flat on their back and lets the practitioner do their thing. Duration, time wise is about 40 minutes.

“There’s two different modalities of Cranial Osteopathy.

One is Bio-mechanical, and the other Bio-dynamic. If you’re looking at Bio-dynamic work you’re working with the health side of things. You’re trying to remind the body how to function in a healthy way rather than a compromised way.”

Ross continues “the Bio-mechanic method is hands on finding restrictions and trying to release those by manipulation. Bio-dynamic works in reminding the body how it was before it got into a lesion pattern and the body unwinds itself.“ One injured person I know said, ”Oh that didn’t work at all. I won’t be going back.” But in their case, I think I understand why. They’re the type of person that feels there should be a strong physical component to repair physical problems.

At the end I was, to put it in sheep-like terms,“cast”.

Totally inert and relaxed, almost in a sleep like state. I took my time sitting up, and ease myself into standing.

The pain I had experienced for quite some time had simply gone.

The night after my first cranial I slept pain free for the first time. I wasn’t fully cured, but I’d found a modality that worked for me. I now know what works and with regular maintenance and exercise how to improve.

Osteopathy may not be for everyone, but it is definitely worth a visit to see if it works for you.

The Osteopaths, 20 Quintal Road, Matakana 0985 https://www.theosteopaths.co.nz Joss Moore/Ross Payn Gareth Eyres

Photo Marion Ransom

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Zen Den: A Sanctuary for Community, Awareness, and Connection Discover a unique haven nestled at 988 Matakana Road, where the Zen Den café and bookshop offers a unique space for community gatherings and personal growth.

Open daily from 8am-4pm with on-site parking, Zen Den is rooted in a values-driven approach that permeates every aspect of its operations.

Zen Den's curated selection of books focuses on wisdom, wellness, and woo, while its retail products are carefully chosen and personally endorsed by the staff.

The atmosphere encourages awareness, allowing guests to connect with themselves and others in an authentic and meaningful way.

Serving organic and fair-trade coffee from Kokako alongside a full range of organic Zealong teas, Zen Den takes pride in offering some of the best beverages in the world. New Zealand's only tea plantation produces these globally award-winning teas, which are celebrated for their exceptional quality. The café also provides an array of alternative drinks, such as ceremonial cacao, maca, and functional mushrooms from Superfeast.

Inside, Zen Den creates a serene environment with meditation cushions and accordion benches, where visitors are welcome to pick up a book, read, and immerse themselves in a mindful experience.

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A candle burns in the middle of the coffee table, fostering a tranquil ambiance. Outdoor seating is also available, with typical tables and chairs, and furry companions are welcome to join.

Zen Den's commitment to sustainability and conscious living is evident in its practices. Single-use cups have been replaced with a reusable cup system for takeaway orders, and guests are encouraged to remove their shoes before entering the space to promote grounding and connection.

Community events form the cornerstone of Zen Den's vision. Co-owner Scott leads monthly Wim Hof sessions, and ice baths, saunas, and regular fitness sessions are already taking place.

In addition, a purpose-built breathwork and yoga studio, along with health consult rooms, are in development to further support the community's well-being.

Experience the power of values-driven living and connection at Zen Den, where community and awareness are at the heart of this unique café and bookshop.

Scott Townsend T +64 22 4066 713 W O2coach.nz

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K9 RAMBLE ….

Having unearthed this story of outstanding canine bravery, loyalty and performance during the recent ANZAC commemorations, I believe her story deserves to be shared.

AC Williams had no idea if Judy had survived. However, he soon began to hear stories of a dog saving drowning men by swimming them to pieces of debris from the torpedoed ship.

This is the story of Judy, a brave and fearless canine hero who stole hearts and saved thousands of lives during World War II.

When AC Williams arrived at the new POW camp in Sumatra, he couldn’t believe his eyes! “As I walked through the gate, a scraggly dog hit me square between the shoulders and knocked me over. I’d never been so glad to see the old girl!" he said.

Judy survived sinking ships and several years in internment camps, being the only dog taken as a prisoner of war during WWII. English purebred pointer Judy, was born in Shanghai, China in 1936.

She was gifted to the Royal Navy as a ship's mascot aboard HMS Gnat and then her sister ship, the river gunboat, HMS Grasshopper. Both ships were stationed on the Yangtze River before and during WWII. Judy’s acute hearing and barking provided early warnings of incoming aircraft to the navy.

Judy was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and was taken to a prison camp where she met Aircraftsman Frank Williams (pictured above with Judy), who shared his meagre daily portions of rice with her.

Judy’s presence raised the morale of prisoners in the POW camp. Her barking warned when poisonous snakes, crocodiles or even tigers approached them.

When these prisoners were shipped back to Singapore, they smuggled her onto the ship in a rice sack. Judy never once whimpered or betrayed her presence to the Japanese guards.

Their ship was torpedoed the following day and, despite a 15-foot drop to the sea below, AC Williams pushed Judy out of a porthole to save her. He then made his own escape from the ship, but was recaptured and sent to a new POW camp.

Judy and AC Williams spent the next year as prisoners.

"Judy saved my life in so many ways," he said. "But the greatest of all was giving me a reason to live. All I had to do was look into those weary, bloodshot eyes and ask myself: 'What would happen to her if I died?' I had to keep going."

Once hostilities ceased, Judy was smuggled aboard a troopship to Liverpool.

In England in May 1946, Judy was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal (the animal equivalent of the "Victoria Cross"). Her citation reads: "For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness".

Frank Williams was also awarded the PDSA's White Cross of St. Giles for his devotion to Judy.

Frank and Judy spent the year following the war visiting relatives of English POWs who had died in combat, and Frank said that Judy "always provided a comforting presence to the families."

When Judy finally died at the age of 13, Frank spent two months building a granite and marble memorial in her memory, including a plaque describing her life story.

Raewyn at TranzFURmers (BSc., MSc(Hons), Dip.Sec.Tchg, Prof. Grm)

Riverside Drive, Pt Wells

Scooters ‘parked’ at the bus stop on a school morning Photo: Laurence Eyres

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OUR WHANGATEAU SHOREBIRDS The exposed sandflats of the Whangateau harbour provide an abundant food supply for many hundreds of shorebirds.

At high tide, the feeding grounds are covered by water and the shorebirds must find a safe roosting site. Many roost in flocks inside the shorebird sanctuary at the tip of Omaha spit. They will tuck one leg up into their feathers, rest their head on their shoulders and sleep for 2-3 hours.

There are seven endemic shorebird species in New Zealand, with six of these species (Banded Dotterel, Northern NZ Dotterel (N NZD), Pied Stilt, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher (VOC), and Wrybill) found in and around the Whangateau harbour.

Apart from the breeding shorebirds, there are large groups of other shorebirds that require safe roosting sites at high tide.

In September, the bar-tailed godwits return from their breeding grounds in Alaska, flying non-stop all the way.

They are mostly site-faithful, with the same birds returning year after year to spend the summer fattening up on the food supplied by the harbour.

You can walk quietly past the groups of shorebirds while they are roosting on the spit, usually without them ‘lifting off’, provided you move quietly. It’s important, especially for our godwits, that they don’t expend energy unnecessarily. The godwits must be in good condition for their long flight North to breed at the end of summer, departing in larger groups around the middle of March.

The Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust (OSPT) was formed in 2009 with the aim of protecting our shorebirds.

Northern NZ Dotterel Photo: Marie-Louise Ward

Volunteers maintain an intensive trapping schedule, keeping predators such as rats, stoats, and weasels to a minimum.

Unfortunately, despite the predator fence, we have trouble with cats and dogs entering the sanctuary at the estuary end.

The NZ Dotterels and Variable Oystercatchers nest on the ground, and the bird incubating the eggs is extremely vulnerable to predation, particularly at night. The remains of 6 adult NZ Dotterels were found in the past few months, with the two sent for DNA analysis confirming they were killed by cats.

It is such a privilege to have these wonderful birds on our doorstep. But we should not take their presence forgranted. The breeding success of NZ Dotterel and Variable Oystercatchers has recently been dismal, with only 2 NZ Dotterel chicks fledging in the last season, and 1 Variable Oystercatcher chick. We need to do all we can to improve these statistics. Please don’t let our grandchildren and great grandchildren label us as the generation that wiped them out!

Marie-Louise Ward OSPT Trustee

Pied Stilts. Photo: Marie-Louise Ward Godwits. Photo: Marie-Louise Ward

Caspian Tern

Banded Dotterel

Variable Oystercatcher

Photo: Marie-Louise Ward

Photo: Marie-Louise Ward

Photo: Marie-Louise Ward

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 2 | Point Wells Community & Ratepayers Association Incorporated:

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President

Alana McClintock

Treasurer Commodore Secretary/Treasurer Coordinator 3rd Tuesday

Howard George Pat Leitch Richard Muir Noeline Cranston Geraldine Rodgers

3rd Thurs each month

Noeline Cranston

Secretary / Treasurer

Jeanette Hanley

Hall Booking Officer:

General Enquiries

Priscilla McClintock

Library:

Warkworth & Districts Croquet: Matakana Volunteer Fire Brigade:

Secretary / Treasurer Monday Wednesday Friday Saturday Club Captain Fire Chief

Neighbourhood Watch:

Coordinator

Vanessa Barber 5:00pm - 6:00pm 10:00am - 12:00pm 3:00pm - 5:00pm 10:00am - 12:00pm Marion Taylor Jeremy Gibbons This could be you!

Point Wells Crier:

Coordinator & Editor

Sandra Turner

Monday to Wednesday Thursday to Sunday Takeaways: Thurs - Sun Coordinator President Secretary Club Venue Hire Coordinator

7:00am - 6:00pm 7:00am - 8:00pm 12:00pm - 8:00pm Robin Ransom Jon Williams Lesley Edwards Justine Torrice Nikki

Boating Club: Civil Defence: Coffee Club: Connoisseurs Club: 6:00pm Pot Luck Dinner Garden Circle:

4th Thurs each month

Library opening hours:

Point Wells General Store: (established 1948) Swim Group: The Point Wells Club: Thursday Playgroup:

(please email enquiries )

alanajclint@hotmail.com howardgeorge21@gmail.com

021 709 111 021 743 340 422 9645 422 9489 422 9645 422 9155 ptwellsgarden@gmail.com pointwellshall@gmail.com

021 179 1963 0274 758 992 Labour weekend to Easter

021 078 4691 021 244 9518

021 784 806 essex2801@gmail.com

422 7007 OPEN 7 DAYS 021 873 990 ptwellsbc@gmail.com ptwellsbc@gmail.com ptwellsevents@gmail.com 022 582 7634

Point Wells Community & Ratepayers Association Incorporated Annual Subscription and Membership Form 1 June 2023 - 31 May 2024 Surname:__________________________________ First Name/s:______________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________ Email:____________________________________ Payment:

$30 per household

(All donations gratefully received)

Paid: via internet banking to Bank Account : ASB Warkworth 12-3095-0090996-00 (Reference: Your name) (Please email Howard George howardgeorge21@gmail.com to let him know you have paid.)

Crier Delivery: If you prefer an electronic copy please provide an email address: Email Update: Do you consent to receiving occasional community information emails?

YES / NO

Signature/s: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________ Please note: The rules of the PWCRA state: 1. The subscription year is from 1 June to 31 May; and 2. The financial year is from 1 April to 31 March.

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