Point Wells Crier Summer 2023/2024

THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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The Point Wells Crier Summer 2023/2024 Vol. 15 - Issue 4 Halloween Night in Point Wells Photo by Alana McClintock

Community Newsletter for the Garden Village

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

President’s Report Update from Vector Point Wells Jetty Renewal Project Neighbourhood Support PW Community Resilience Point Wells Swim Club Croquet Club News Pest Eradication Update Estuary Water Quality Testing The Point Wells Hall Tsunami Warnings & Alerts in Point Wells Point Wells Garden Circle Point Wells Library News Bus Stop Painting Matakana Fire Brigade Christmas Letterbox Competition Halloween The Point Wells Club A Note from Jodi Sterling Point Wells Boating Club Gardening with Andrew Steens K9 Ramble Vernon Pride rides Perth to Brisbane - Part 2 Local Folk - Graeme Crosby In Search of Joy Beetopia Kids’ Activity Page Point Wells Community Contacts

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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

It has been a busy Spring period of activities in Point Wells. My family have been working in our garden trying to get some summer vegetables growing. We have also been enjoying our first swims of the year and going to the Matakana Country Markets on Sundays.

In the village we have had several events happening that were supported by the Point Wells Community and Ratepayers Association. These include a wonderful week of holiday activities for our village children including Yoga, Dance and a Gardening workshop with our very own Gardening Club.

We also had an amazing Halloween afternoon, arranged by Jodi Sterling - Bayleys Matakana Coast, The Point Wells Club, Keith Swasbrook - Bandwagon.co.nz, and the Matakana Fire Brigade.

The committee has been doing great work with Auckland Council Emergency Management and the CRG Rodney Cluster and Neighbourhood Support. We have also been progressing with improving our local security and engaging with Auckland Council on a range of issues. There has also been a significant amount of work done to engage with Vector on local power issues.

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful and safe summer here in our lovely village.

Welcome to the Summer 2023/24 issue of our quarterly village newsletter.

We aim 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.

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

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

Merry Christmas, Alana McClintock

PWCRA Committee

New Editor Sought After 4 years as Editor of The Point Wells Crier, the time is right to hand the reins to someone new who will have the skills, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to take our lovely wee magazine to a new level in 2024.

If you are interested in finding out more, please email Sandra essex2801@gmail.com

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AN UPDATE FROM VECTOR We know the severe weather in your area this year has been extremely challenging, including causing power outages during Cyclone Gabrielle and other storms.

We were pleased to meet the Point Wells Residents Association recently to talk about some of the work we are doing to improve electricity resilience and reliability in your area. We thought you might also appreciate hearing about how we are trying to lessen the impact of future bad weather.

Vector’s role in this is as the electricity distribution business, or lines company, for the Auckland region, from Mangawhai Heads in the north to Papakura in the south. Electricity goes from the generators to Transpower, then to us and we deliver it to your home or business.

There are some tricky challenges with a rural electricity network: one of the most significant being the damage caused by trees on the power lines during windy weather. Because of this, we’ve ramped up our work to keep them away from the lines. However, our efforts are governed by strict regulations about what we can do.

We have been asking for a change to the regulations for years, so we can increase the tree trimming and reduce the outages. space!

Watch this

We’re also in the final stages of laying a new underground cable, all the way from Wellsford to Warkworth, to boost capacity for the future, and increase reliability. This has been a huge project with $50 million invested over four years. Thanks for your patience with our crews, and the traffic management that’s required to complete the work safely.

And we’ve built a new substation at Big Omaha, so power supply is more evenly spread and fewer customers are attached to an individual line. This means, if an outage happens, not as many will be affected as they were in the past.

Did you know?

Electric vehicle uptake in the Warkworth area is forecast and on track to grow more than 8 megawatts by 2032. That’s about as much electricity as is needed to power 4,000 new homes!

POINT WELLS JETTY RENEWAL PROJECT We received an email recently from Auckland Council: Auckland Council has assessed the jetty, located at the corner of Dunbar Road and Riverside Drive, and identified the need for its renewal to ensure the safety and continued utility of this valuable community asset.

Our team has carefully planned the physical works, which will take about four weeks. The project is set to commence between March and June of 2024. We will advise you once the timeline has been agreed with the contractor During the renewal process, a mature Pōhutakawa tree will need to be removed due to structural

concerns.

We understand that this may be disappointing news for some members of the community. To address the impact of the loss of the Pōhutukawa tree, four native trees will be planted nearby.

We will be sending a letter to residents in the immediate surrounding area to help ensure that all residents are kept up-to-date and have the opportunity to voice any concerns or questions they may have.

Should you have any questions or concerns related to the Point Wells Jetty renewal project, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at pointwellsjetty@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

A NOTE FROM THE PWCRA Many residents don’t realise that this jetty is the only one officially owned by the Council. The rest are ‘privately owned’, with the expectation that the owners permit village residents to use them for fishing and swimming. Owners pay a fee to the Council and are expected to keep them in good condition.

The Council-owned jetty will receive an upgrade over summer.

This will unfortunately require one Pōhutukawa tree to be removed. Local residents directly impacted by the work activity have been notified.

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NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPPORT FIRST AID

For a 24hr free health phone service, call Healthline 0800 611 116

Two members of Point Wells Neighbourhood Support recently attended a First Aid course run by First Aid First in Warkworth, which was very informative. If you are interested in arranging your own group to attend one, you can contact Sarah@firstaidfirst.co.nz. Sarah used to be a Paramedic for many years.

And finally, here is a useful free good Samaritan app you can install on your phone - GoodSAM - this will connect you with those locals who have the skills to provide critical help before the emergency services arrive.

Here are some highlights from their Essential First Aid booklet:

MATAKANA VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE

The top priorities in any first aid situation are as follows: Dangers – make sure you, the patient and all bystanders are safe from dangers.

Response - is the patient responsive? Shout “are you alright?” and tap the patient.

Send for help – shout for help, ask a bystander to phone 111 and confirm this has been done, or call yourself.

Airway – make sure airway is clear (no obstructions) and open. Tilt head back, lift chin if patient is unconscious.

Breathing – check for normal breathing. If patient breathing normally, place on his side if he is unconscious.

Check for bleeding and stop any bleeding with direct pressure.

CPR – if patient is not responsive and not breathing normally, start CPR: 30 chest compressions: 2 breaths. If you’re unable to perform rescue breaths, continue chest compressions. There is enough oxygen in the blood for 8 minutes without breaths.

Defibrillator – there is one at Point Wells Hall outside on the wall. It is fully operational and recently checked.

Attach if required and follow prompts. Don’t be scared. It will not activate if it detects heartbeat.

For an EMERGENCY call 111 for an Ambulance – Sarah at First Aid First pointed out that due to our rural location, an ambulance may not be available immediately. When you call, they will always give you an arrival time. If it is too far away and if the patient can be moved, she recommends you put the patient into the car and drive to North Shore Hospital.

The PWCRA has donated $1000 towards a new Medical Support Vehicle for the Matakana Volunteer Fire Brigade. This is a very important addition to the Fire Station and will be used for medical emergencies when ambulances are not available in our area.

If you would like to also personally donate to this worthy cause, which will benefit all of us, please send your donation to the following bank account: Account name: Matakana Country Fire & Emergency Services Trustee Ltd. Account No: 12-3095-0202011-00 Please record "Donation" as the reference, and "Emergency Vehicle" in the particulars.

CAR THEFT PREVENTION Rodney Police recently reminded us about Vehicle Theft Prevention. The summer holidays are approaching, bringing an increase in visitors to our area: • • • • •

CAMERAS •

Do you have a security camera on your property and would you like to help your community? If so, you can register your details with Community Cam at www.communitycam.co.nz and the NZ Police will be in touch with you if they need your help to solve a crime in your area.

•

We are also awaiting a quote to install a security camera on Point Wells Rd.

For a non-life-threatening medical situation, if you cannot get hold of your own doctor, Coast to Coast A&E at Rodney Surgical Centre at 77 Morrison Drive is open 7 days 8am to 8pm, Phone 09 4258585.

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Remove your valuables from the car Close your windows and sunroof Lock your vehicle Take your keys Park in well-lit areas

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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POINT WELLS COMMUNITY RESILIENCE We held an informative community meeting on 4 October in the Point Wells Hall where representatives from Vector talked us through the local investment into infrastructure in our region. Read more about the meeting in ‘An update from Vector’ in this issue of The Crier.

The recent Rodney CRG Cluster meeting held in Snells Beach was attended by two of our members. It was a great meeting to attend with some very interesting speakers.

Sgt Mark Stallworthy, Officer-in-Charge from Warkworth Police, spoke to us about the role our local police play in emergencies and serious weather events. One of their main roles is traffic management and keeping the roads safe for Auckland Transport to access and clear.

Cluny McPherson of Mahurangi West CRG explained his amazing Emergency Decision Flow Chart Document and how it can be used by communities in emergencies.

Kelly Hamilton from Storm Recovery Liaison North Auckland Council introduced herself and the newly created council position that she holds. Kelly’s role is to advocate for residents affected by the storms in the geographical area of Takapuna/Devonport to Matakana and to provide guidance with funding avenues and recovery plans.

Looking ahead to our summer season, we’re all hoping for a long… hot… dry… summer!

But with this comes potential drought (pays to get a water delivery booked in advance) and increased fire risk.

Help prepare your home and property from wildfire and start doing these things now: • Keeping your grass short around your home and other buildings on your property • Keeping gutters and areas around decks clear of dead leaves, debris and pine needles • Removing highly flammable plants close to your home and other buildings on your property There’s also still the risk of severe weather events like cyclones unfortunately so as always, be prepared for all weather events which can bring power outages.

If you’re interested in finding out more about our local CRG or would like to join, please email Amanda amandaandgeoff@gmail.co.nz

POINT WELLS SWIM CLUB Inclement weather throughout the year has disrupted our swimming considerably but here are a few of us after an early November swim.

Such a lot of fun.

Please contact me robin@ransom.co.nz

if

you

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are

interested

in

joining

us.

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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WARKWORTH & DISTRICTS CROQUET CLUB Our new season started on Saturday 2 September when we held a “run the first hoop’ which was expertly carried out by Jodi from Bayleys. This was followed by a BBQ lunch at the club.

We welcome the opportunity to let the local Summerset Falls croquet players use our grounds for their Retirement Village interclub.

We have 2 teams entered in the Croquet Auckland Interclub, and so far, both are doing well.

A good turnout recently playing Evelyn Page from Orewa, which was followed by a fairly spectacular lunch enjoyed by all the 17 players present.

On Thursday, 19 October, we held our annual Summerset sponsored tournament open to players across Auckland. We had a good turnout, and the day was most successful. We held a fundraising raffle at the event, the main prize being a magnificent hamper donated by Jodi from Bayleys.

Over the course of the season, we are holding several Croquet Auckland events at Point Wells, with the first of these now completed and the intermediate grade Auckland Golf Croquet title went to our Graham Mentzer.

Nelson Morrow recently competed in the World Over-50 Championships in Western Australian, and has also won the North Island Doubles Association Championship.

The club caters for players of all abilities, and it is by no means a requirement to play in competitions.

Planning is continuing for the refurbishment/ repair of our club house. Any offer of assistance from local tradies would be much appreciated.

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

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

Peter Radley, President

Jodi runs the first hoop of the season Peter Radley, president, presents a hamper to Sally Cole, Carlton Club

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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RING OF STEEL PROVING EFFECTIVE Quietly, each week, a group of 24 local volunteers sends out a group of its members to check traps and bait stations on the 4 lines that encircle the point.

Line 1 runs down the river side to the point and involves wading through sticky mud in places, Line 2 goes from the Point to well on the way to the causeway and also involves a degree of wading rush-bashing. The third and fourth seal off the end to form a circle, and run across John Maltby and John Bolam’s properties, either side of the road in to the Point. These 2 lines are maintained by their owners, 2 of our busiest volunteers.

The Ring of Steel, as we call it, has been operating for around 4 years now and has made a substantial impact on the pests that predate the native birds in the area.

How can we tell?

For one, in the early days we got regular catches of stoats and weasels, This year we have caught just one.

In the early days we went through buckets of baits. This year we are on our second bucket only.

But this year something has made a real change. Before Christmas, with the help of Peter Torrice who sourced the materials at cost for us, we offered for residents of the Point to join in the effort by buying bait stations from us to deploy over winter. We sold 81 stations.

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And what an effect this has had on the catch rates on the ring of steel, and the amount of baits being nibbled. For the first time, lines are being checked with no kills, for several weeks in a row.

When I was on Ulver Island (a ‘pest-free’ reserve) off Stewart Island a year or two ago, we met a girl doing the trapping rounds and she said they had only made two catches in the last two years, but they were rats and within a week of each other. Probably a pair that had swum across, as both rats and stoats can.

It does get harder to feel excited about checking the traps when you are making no kills, but hopefully we can get the Point to that happy place. I have noticed more Kaka activity, Rosellas daily, Quail moving back in and lots of Tui activity. The Banded Rails are nesting again, Moreporks are calling regularly at night since there are fewer poisoned rats for them to find and many sea and shoreline birds are filling the night air with sound.

The Point is beginning to be a safe place for our native animals to live in or pass through.

Graeme Beals Eradicator in Chief

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 |

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OMAHA RIVER ESTUARY WATER QUALITY TESTING I don’t want to prattle on about the wet year we have had - we are all heartily sick of it. But it does potentially have a bearing on water quality in the estuary.

As of 18 November, I had recorded 2255mm of rain yearto-date in Point Wells. This is close to double what we might expect in a “normal” year (whether there is such a thing as “normal” any more is debatable). Because of this, the roadside drain outside our place has had water in it almost continuously over the year, which we have never before experienced in the seven years we have lived here. We have also lost three mature trees this year, all natives, which I attribute, rightly or wrongly, to constantly saturated soil.

Given these facts, it would not be a surprise to find elevated e-coli levels in the estuary as some stormwater pipes will have been discharging more or less continuously into the river over the year.

So, it was a very pleasant surprise to get excellent results from a recent (14 November) set of estuary water tests. We sampled at four points along the estuary, results below. Sampling is undertaken around 30 minutes or so after high tide, so if there are any nasties getting into the stream this timing should intercept them.

The figures are cfu/100ml of water, a standard microbiological measure.

Boat ramp at the point About halfway along Riverside Drive Corner of Riverside About 300m south of Riverside corner

Any e-coli reading below 235 is considered safe for swimming so on these figures it is, or rather was at time of sampling, safe to swim anywhere along and just south of Riverside Drive.

These figures are broadly consistent with most of the measurements we have made in the last few years, where we have found that samples taken at the boat ramp have been consistently the most pristine.

The slightly higher reading further south along the estuary could be the result of overflow from an old or leaky septic tank finding its way into a stormwater pipe in that vicinity. As this is always a possibility anywhere in Point Wells, can we remind owners of properties with septic tanks to get them checked and serviced. In this case, the reading is only very slightly elevated and still well within the “safe to swim” guideline.

I would add that rain at any time of year can cause potentially dangerous runoff, so the recommendation is always to avoid swimming for two or three days after a heavy rain event.

But let’s hope the very pluvial year we have just had will not be repeated, and that we can all have a great summer on and in the water!

Robin Ransom November 18 2023

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POINT WELLS HALL - Don't forget the kids!

The range of events our hall can host always surprises me and it never stops proving its versatility. From seated dinners to art exhibitions, yoga classes and festivals, we have had it all! We take a lot of private bookings but to me, it comes alive most during community events, when all ages are mingling inside.

It can be a challenge to keep the hall booked throughout our quiet, winter months so I was very happy to see my idea of a "school holiday programme" taken up by many locals at the end of Term 3. We had Fitness with Heidi classes, hall playgroup sessions, kids’ yoga with Rebecca Leaker and a very popular gardening day hosted by the Point Wells Garden Circle. Thank you so much to those who organised these activities and to those who attended. Make sure to keep an eye on our garden beds, they are flourishing!

The hall was then dressed up and welcomed a (record breaking?) number of kids for the Point Wells Club "Halloween in the Village".

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The Club were amazing hosts as usual and the event was attended by many from around the region it seems!

How lovely to see not just parents but local grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbours and caregivers attending these events with little ones.

We are lucky to have such a functional and wellmaintained community space at our fingertips. It is my goal, on behalf of the PWCRA, to make the hall as accessible and welcoming as possible so that everyone in the village can enjoy our facilities.

News: •

We will soon have a new commercial dishwasher, ensuring all events can be catered to easily and efficiently!

•

Online calendar available soon.

Please contact me with any ideas you may have.

Priscilla McClintock Ngawaka Hall Co-ordinator

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TSNAUMI WARNINGS & ALERTS IN POINT WELLS Point Wells is at risk of catastrophic impact and harm in the event of a severe tsunami. It is important that all residents and visitors in Point Wells understand the risk and prepare to respond to an emergency event.

The Omaha Beach Community have been advised to evacuate via other routes which will help reduce congestion onto this road. It will help if residents in Point Wells:

The Omaha Beach Community Group has provided the below information which is also relevant to us.

Evacuate promptly. Do not wait.

Geological investigations have identified the East Coast of New Zealand as a potential tsunami risk.

Tsunami waves are generated by earthquakes and the height of the waves depends on the magnitude and nature of the earthquake, as well as the distance from the New Zealand coast. Omaha Bay is to some extent protected by the Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands but in the event of a serious tsunami wave heights could exceed 5 metres.

• Take as few vehicles as possible.

• Do NOT attempt to take trailers or boats.

•

In an emergency this is not about trying to save property, it is about saving lives.

Help others evacuate.

The Omaha Beach development is built on a sandspit and most properties are below the 10 metre contour line. The same applies to low lying areas of Point Wells, Omaha Flats and Whangateau.

Tsunami Sirens – Decommissioned Auckland Emergency Management have now confirmed that in Point Wells our tsunami warning sirens are no longer functional. Across Auckland, all tsunami warning sirens are going to be decommissioned soon. Ours has been impacted by theft and will not be replaced.

From now on it is extremely important that ALL Point Wells residents and visitors are aware that the first warning of a tsunami emergency and need for evacuation is going to come through our mobile phones via an Emergency Mobile Alert.

We strongly advise that you have mobile phone charged and turned on at all times.

If you have vulnerable family members at home alone (elderly, teenagers) it is important that you ensure they also have access to a mobile phone that would alert them of a tsunami emergency and an evacuation plan.

It is important to consider the below:

• If you are away in the event of an emergency, it is unlikely that you would be able to return to Point Wells to help anyone in the village.

• There would likely be a build-up on traffic along Omaha Flats Road, and both lanes would be used to evacuate out towards the Takatu Road roundabout.

• If you leave vulnerable people (elderly, teenagers) at home alone, do they have access to a mobile phone so they can receive the alert? Do they know how to evacuate the village? Could someone easily help them?

• Do visitors, friends or contractors know of the tsunami risks?

• If you provide Air B&B or holiday accommodation, have you ensured your guests are aware of the need to have a mobile phone ready to receive the alert?

Evacuation Plan There is clearly only one way out of Point Wells and that is via Point Wells Road and onto Omaha Flats Road. This would lead to Takatu Road which elevates to higher ground.

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Know the natural warning signs and take action: If you are near a shore and experience any of the following, take action. Do not wait for official warnings.

• Feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand or a long earthquake that lasts more than a minute

• See a sudden rise or fall in sea level • Hear loud or unusual noises from the sea • Evacuate promptly.

• Take the least number of vehicles as possible, and do not attempt to take trailers or boats.

LONG or STRONG, GET GONE and move to higher ground.

Official warnings Tsunami warnings are published on the National Emergency Management Agency website at www.civildefence.govt.nz. Tsunami warnings will also be broadcast on radio, television, news media and civil defence social media platforms. An Emergency Mobile Alert may also be issued.

Immediately follow the advice of any emergency warning.

Do not wait for more messages before you act.

In summary, the siren network in Point Wells is not operational and will be decommissioned in the near future.

Emergency Mobile Alert is the preferred official alerting tool for tsunami that could cause flooding of land areas (this has been the case since 2017) and it is very important to understand the natural warning signs.

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POINT WELLS GARDEN CIRCLE At our September meeting, local florist, stylist and event coordinator, Annie Oxborough, gave a highly entertaining presentation in the hall, while demonstrating how to create a wreath using succulent plants. She generously donated the beautiful wreath for our raffle.

You can order them online at www.annieo.co.nz ; www.eventjunkies.co.nz A small group of members ran a “garden fun” session as part of the school holiday programme in the Point Wells Hall, organised by Priscilla McClintock.

Around 25 children, plus their parents and grandparents, turned up on the day. Everyone joined in a range of activities with great enthusiasm - planting seeds, painting rocks, making bamboo teepees, planting seedlings into the garden bins, finishing with a treasure hunt outside around the garden area behind the hall.

A great time was had by all and the community garden bins behind the hall are looking refreshed and lovely!

Special thanks to Sarah and Rob Mitchell for clearing out the bins and replacing the soil. Donations of garden supplies, materials and equipment were provided by Central Landscapes, Matakana Palms, Mitre 10 and the Warehouse.

In late October we enjoyed a visit to the exceptional property of Pam and Freddie Graham on Tawharanui Road. The elevated position and surrounding farmland provide outstanding views and a wonderful back drop to their extensive gardens.

Pam led us on a ramble around the various garden “rooms” including the wonderful walled potager kitchen garden and large vegetable gardens, providing an instructive commentary about their practices of mulching and composting - evidenced by an impressive line-up of Freddie’s compost bins.

We ventured further afield in mid-November visiting two gardens in South Auckland: the gorgeous property of well-known gardener, author and broadcaster Lynda Hallinan at Sweetgum Cottage in Hunua and Penny and David Brooks’ beautiful Parkwood Gardens in nearby Ararimu.

It was a treat to meet and hear the stories of these inspiring and generous gardeners and to walk around and enjoy the glorious gardens they have created.

Marion Ransom On behalf of the PWGC If you would like to join our local garden club, please email ptwellsgarden@gmail.com

Young gardeners in action

Annie Oxborough creates a wreath of succulents

As seen in the Point Wells Crier first….

Newsable: Should opening your selfie-camera trigger a warning about safety?

Researchers say possibly. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/301010252/newsable-selfiedeaths-thelatest-public-health-risk?cid=app-iPad

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NEWS FROM THE POINT WELLS LIBRARY Now comes the slippery slope to Christmas …… again!

It feels like no time since the last one.

Our buyers have been busy so there is a wonderful selection of new adult and junior fiction, not to mention nonfiction.

We also have many new members this past quarter - so, welcome.

The last quarter has been quiet, but steady in the number of books being issued, so we look forward to you coming to visit and getting your summer reading.

The Annual Book Sale The book sale will be on Saturday 2 December from 9:00am - 12:30pm.

We have been collecting donated books since the beginning of November so there will be a huge choice.

Books can be purchased by gold coin donation - please remember that we do not have EFTPOS. Auckland Bulk Loan The Auckland books have been ticking along with quite a few out on loan. There will be a swap over of books in early December ready for your holiday reading. If you have any requests or suggestions for either specific books or authors, please write them down and drop off at the library.

We have observed on the Auckland Libraries website that older books are now often only available as e-books.

Consequently, we are not always able to borrow them as regular books.

Junior Section There are some great new titles in the junior section in the lead up to Christmas! Popular additions are the latest in the Treehouse Series, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and of course David Walliams’ latest book, The Blunders. New Zealand author James Russell of the popular ‘The Dragon Defenders’ series has released a new series titled The Gold Rush, which we have the first two books of.

Sadly, our wonderful Junior Section co-ordinator, Keren Hurt, is leaving us at the library. She has been co-ordinating this section for the last four years and has done an outstanding job of choosing the books, processing them, and making the section wonderfully welcome for all our younger readers.

We now need to find a committee member who would like to take on this job. It involves book buying, and keeping the Junior section up to date - plus joining our small committee of six. We generally have about four or five meetings a year.

If you would like more information, please give Vanessa Barber a call on 0274 758 992 LIBRARY HOURS • • • •

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

Bus Stop Painting A group of school kids from Matakana School would love to paint the new wood panels of the Waimanu Rd bus stop to match the other painted panels.

If anyone has any spare outdoor paint we could use, please contact Georgie at georgina_mcmillan@yahoo.co.nz.

Thanks so much.

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MATAKANA FIRE BRIGADE At time of writing, we are awaiting the semi-final and finals of this year’s Rugby World Cup. By the time you read this we will either be very happy or very sad.

I deem it timely to share an article that I wrote in 2015, in very similar circumstances of a World Cup year. Players names mentioned, you may recognise and most have now retired and moved on. However, many of the volunteers referred to will still be serving their communities and will continue to do so for many more years!

By the time this article goes to print, the Rugby World Cup (2015) will be about to commence. New Zealand will watch and cheer on the All Blacks as they endeavour to bring home the cup. Regardless of whether they do or they don’t, they are likely to return home as heroes in the eyes of the nation. But let us ponder this - who are the real heroes in our society.

The All Blacks, while they are superb rugby players, are getting paid a lot of money to play a game that most of them would otherwise happily play for nothing, as they did in previous eras. They are not curing cancer or mending broken bodies.

However, they can show a blistering turn of speed and a shoulder charge equal to Ma’a Nonu when the kettle has boiled and the chocolate biscuits come out. Some even show defence that Ritchie McCaw would be proud of…..when it comes to defending their wallet before their round at the bar!

You may be sitting next to one of these volunteers as you read this article. Maybe you work with one of them or socialise with them without even knowing it. They are all just ordinary men or women working ordinary jobs but doing extraordinary work! They sacrifice their time, give their sweat and see things that they would rather forget; all in the name of serving the community.

They aim to protect your property from harm. They tend and comfort the sick and the injured. They sometimes save lives. Often it is at their own personal expense or comfort. In return they ask for nothing. They appreciate a thank you, but do not ask for any. They appreciate the odd beer or wine, but do not ask for any payment.

But what they do ask for is the support and tolerance of the public in times of stress, grief, and inconvenience, because that is what they need.

However, there are many other heroes off the sports fields that go unheralded and nor do they seek accolades or praise. They include the many volunteers who serve in volunteer fire brigades across the country and can also include the many other volunteer services such as ambulance, coastguard etc. etc.

So, when you groan about having to get up early to watch the All Blacks in your dressing gown, with cup of tea in hand, spare a thought for the volunteers whose bleeper may sound at the same time, sending them out in the cold and wet to attend yet another incident. DO they complain? No, they just say…. “Go the All Blacks!”

Can they kick goals like Dan Carter? No, they can’t. Can they leap as high as Brodie Rettalick? Not likely.

Chris Jensen

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HALLOWEEN It was an afternoon of Ghosts, Witches, Fairies and Adam Sandlers at our annual Halloween celebration.

This year, Jodi Sterling - Bayleys Matakana Coast, sponsored the event with the Point Wells Club.

Jodi ordered amazing flyers that were distributed out around the village to invite everyone to the Hall where a party would be held before Trick or Treating.

It was clear the message got around the area as plenty of families were out and about in the village.

Bandwagon decked out the hall with lights and the Matakana Fire Brigade arrived to let all the children look at the Fire Engine. Many of our village residents welcomed the Trick or Treaters as they went around the village, and it was all wrapped up before dinnertime.

The kids (and some parents) put lots of effort into their costumes as you can see in these amazing photos.

Thank you for everyone who made this Halloween the best ever yet!

Alana McClintock

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A NOTE FROM JODI STERLING As the temperature finally rises and we eagerly anticipate a long, hot summer, it's a great time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a special community.

little low key / simplistic, we would love for you to take part with just a little tinsel or a couple of lights. The more the merrier!

Halloween in the village was so much fun this year, with local families going above and beyond to create a spooky spectacle. It's lovely to see the growing popularity of this event, which has become a muchanticipated highlight for the young ones.

I want to express my thanks to you all for your support once again this year. I always feel privileged to market and sell homes in Point Wells, and I appreciate you choosing to work with my team and me. Likewise, thank you to all those who have recommended our services, supported our events, or simply stopped by to catch up.

Bigger and better next year, I’m thinking a main street costume parade led by the Fire Brigade! Of course, we would love your feedback so we can make this event exactly what the younger villagers want.

Looking ahead, we're gearing up for the annual Christmas letterbox competition; an event that not only brings out the competitive spirit among neighbours but also brings a smile to both locals and visitors (and of course our lovely rural posties). Let's make this year's competition the most vibrant and cheerful yet! If you have not yet taken part in this and would prefer to be a

As we approach the festive season, Becky, Amanda, and I want to remind you that our door is always open.

Pop in and say hello anytime; we love connecting with our community.

Wishing you all a season filled with sun, laughter and special time with family and friends.

Warm regards, Jodi and Team

More Halloween pics

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17

GARDENING WITH ANDREW STEENS - Going Bananas at The Point Bananas are one of the most eaten fruits around the world and one of the most versatile. NZ imports about 72 million kilos of bananas each year, that’s about 2 bananas per person per week! Aside from the cost of purchasing bananas, there are many other reasons to grow your own: imported bananas are often heavily sprayed with pesticides; working conditions on the huge banana farms are sometimes very dire (do some reading about how the big banana companies have operated over the past century, it is troubling to say the least); the massive monocultures have a significant impact on native wildlife in the countries they are grown; the main commercial variety, Cavendish, is in danger of being wiped out around the world by a major banana disease called Panana Disease strain TR4; best of all, once you get accustomed to the different taste and texture, other varieties are much nicer to eat.

Fortunately, aside from the more tropical varieties such as Cavendish, many banana varieties are relatively easy to grow here in the Point, as they love our sandy peat soil, frequent rainfall, and generally warm humid conditions.

One of the most commonly grown is ‘Australian Ladyfinger’. We have a clump of these that grow to about 5m high and bear large bunches of chubby, dense and very sweet fruit all year round; although to be fair the winter bananas can be on the floury side as they don’t get enough heat and sun to change their starches into sugar. We often leave the winter bananas, as waxeyes and other birds love this energy-filled fruit.

The ‘Misi Luki’ variety comes from Samoa and is a tough, disease resistant variety that does well here and in fact is probably the most commonly grown variety in NZ. I’ve just planted a couple of these which came from another garden in Point Wells, so nice to have neighbours that share! The fat fruit are a Ladyfinger type, with silky, creamy flesh and a slight apple flavour.

The ‘Goldfinger’ variety is a more recent introduction, bred in Honduras to be a cold hardy replacement for ‘Cavendish’. It grows to 4 metres high and fruits well in our climate, with each bunch carrying anything up to 150 bananas! These are about half the size of ‘Cavendish’ in the shops, but denser and with much better taste, reminiscent of creamy vanilla ice-cream.

For something more unusual, I have a clump of justplanted ‘Blue Java’ bananas, which as the name suggests have a distinctive blue tinge to the ripe fruits.

It also has a taste and texture reminiscent of vanilla icecream, so I can’t wait till this variety produces its first bunches! It is a taller growing variety, up to about 6 metres tall, but is relatively wind and cold resistant.

For those that prefer the taste of the ‘Cavendish’ banana, but also because they take up very little room, I grow ‘Super Dwarf Cavendish’, a variety that grows to only 1.5m high. This is a true tropical, so even though I grow some outdoors, they don’t produce that well and I find that it needs to be grown in a greenhouse (or as a houseplant) to grow the huge bunches of big fruit this variety is capable of.

Bananas are gross feeders; plenty of organic fertiliser and potassium are the key to producing huge bunches of big, tasty fruit. I fertilise in late spring or early summer (as tropicals, bananas start growing later than temperate climate fruit crops) with a liberal dressing of sheep pellets, a few bags of chook manure if I can get it and a decent sprinkling of sulphate of potash. Any leftover fertiliser or compost from other gardening operations gets tossed under the bananas as well. It’s almost impossible to over-feed them.

Over summer I chop down stems that have already fruited to give more room for new suckers to develop, these are left on the ground along with more green material from other gardening operations. Sometimes the mulch layer of various plant stems, leaves and compost can get nearly a metre high before it breaks down!

Removal of excess suckers over summer is essential to provide more space, nutrients and water for the remaining stems, ensuring maximum bunch size. For each fruiting stem, I aim to leave no more than one to two new suckers, depending on how much room there is.

The excess can either be killed off by stabbing with a spade into the centre or divided off to create a new planting.

Aside from feeding, sucker removal and cutting off old leaves to keep the clump looking tidy, there is very little else that needs to be done. This really is a great crop for our area!

Andrew Steens

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18

K9 RAMBLE ….

Where has the year gone? Christmas is upon us and, hopefully, hot summer days are on the horizon.

Grooms for the summer holidays are generally shorter, helping to keep our pups cool, adjusting to the heat and high energy play of long summer days.

Dogs have few ways to cool themselves when they are hot so they are very susceptible to heat stress. They don’t have sweat glands like we do and their bio-cooling mechanisms are inefficient.

Dogs left unattended in cars on hot, summer days are at risk and a Council fine of $300 may be applied.

Plainly, “You have to make sure the dog isn’t compulsively looking for the coolest, most shaded part of the car and isn’t showing one or more signs of heat stress” communitylaw.org.nz Signs that your dog may be suffering from heat stroke are excessive panting and/or drooling, restlessness, unsteadiness on its feet, an abnormal (purple) gum and tongue colour and red skin.

The primary cooling mechanism of a dog is to pant – the hotter they are, the more they will pant and the further their tongues will hang out of their mouths. While dogs can sweat a small amount through their paws, they should be carefully monitored for signs of heat stress during hot summer days to prevent hyperthermia.

SPCA NZ recommends: •

Half-filling a shallow child’s paddling pool for your dog to bathe in - ensure your dog can get in and out easily.

•

Put ice cubes in your dog’s indoor waterbowl, and freeze a larger block of ice for your dog’s outdoor bowl.

•

Doggie ice blocks are also a great way to keep dogs hydrated - freeze your dog’s favourite treat in water, inside a Kong, or an ice-cream container.

•

Cooling mats can be used as crate liners or as beds

If a dog cannot cool itself enough, its internal body temperature rises, so always ensure your dog has ready access to fresh water and shade. It takes only a rise of approximately 3oC for a short amount of time before a dog suffers irreparable brain damage and death.

If your dog is older, overweight, brachycephalic (short nosed) and/or suffering from any health condition affecting, their cardiovascular system, extra care must be taken in terms of their environment and thought for their grooming requirements.

Heat stroke is a serious condition often causing death in a significant number of cases every summer. In general, the rule is - if we’re uncomfortable in the summer heat, it’s very likely it’s too hot for our dogs too.

If a dog is suffering from heat stroke move it into the shade or an air-conditioned area, offer it water to drink, spray or soak the dog in water cooler than they are and use air movement (eg a fan or breeze) to enhance their cooling.

If a puppy or elderly dog is suffering from the heat, immerse them in cool (not cold) water to avoid shocking their system further. Contact your local vet to ask for advice on further treatment.

Thank you to all of my wonderful clients and your beloved pets.

In memory of Ziggy, Alfie and Romeo who crossed the Rainbow Bridge this year....

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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

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19

VERNON PRYDE RIDES PERTH TO BRISBANE PART 2: COOBER PEDY TO BRISBANE: Continuing our adventure crossing Australia through the deserts on three motorbikes.

We departed Coober Pedy to visit Eyres Rock and had the options of heading straight up the black top of the Stuart Highway (boring for an adventure biker) or by heading N.E. towards Oodnadatta. This traversed the “Painted Desert”, some of the most desolate landscape I’ve ever seen. Near totally flat with little discernible growth to the horizon in a complete 360 degrees.

So, back to Curtain Springs camp ground which served food and drinks where we had a couple of nights camping. From here we departed for Finke, the home of the world’s fastest desert race (which I’d spectated last year).

Our intention was then to cross the Simpson Desert but due to previous rains it was closed by flooding, primarily at Eyre Creek. While deciding on options we got news that the desert had just reopened, which was a great relief. So onwards to Mt Dare, but in many places the track was still flooded with alternatives out into the brush to try and avoid the worst of the mud, water and deep ruts.

Lunching at the Pink Roadhouse and then N.W. on the Oodnadatta track, a 5-lane wide dirt “highway”, occasionally with big ruts and standing water in the centre depression. Several times in the middle of nowhere, a couple of road graders scraping the ruts to reform the dirt roads.

Camping at a nearly deserted Mt Dare, the dingos were howling well into the midnight hours. So, we filled up with petrol to make the 560km jump through the desert, the publican asking us to carry spare u-bolts for a stranded 4WD Toyota that had the front diff come adrift and had been waiting 3 days for a friendly traveller to deliver them.

However, our first stop was Blanchard Thermal Springs for a swim in the 32C huge pond where tiny fish exfoliate your skin whilst swimming. A popular 4WD tourist camp.

We crossed the Stuart Highway and ventured off into more dirt tracks to eventually see Eyres Rock in the far distance. Quite a special sight for the first time.

Climbing the rock is now prohibited so we did the 10kms walk around the base. Afterwards, stopping off in Yulara, the support town, to get a cold beer at one of the pubs, only to be refused service as we were not “registered guests” and at the gas station the 98 Octane pumps are under padlock and key! The “States” attempt to mitigate some of the “outback social issues”.

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The Simpson Desert has numerous tracks across it and we took the more challenging French line. 1100 dunes running north / south while we travelled west to east.

With the prevailing winds being westerly, the ramps up the dunes for us were more gradual but with much steeper faces on the eastern sides (just like ocean waves!).

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A fire enjoyed with a quite tipple, a freeze-dried meal, a couple of mates and a sky wallpapered with brilliant stars! Forget your big city hotels. For us, this is paradise! Lots of sign on the track from dingos and camels, but no actual sightings. The desert in full beautiful bloom from the recent rains. Because of the cooler temperatures and recent rain, we were spared the worst of the Aussie outback. ie flies and dust!

So, three days and two nights to transit “The Simpson”.

At Eyre creek we checked to see if we could sneak across! No way! So, a 35kms deviation to a rocky bottomed, swift flowing river fording.

Two bikes dropped in the water but without consequence and another 35kms back to the main track and to Birdsville with one last barrier to cross. “Big Red” the biggest, baddest, highest, last dune on the crossing. It’s a sort of “right-of-passage” to get to the top on the first attempt for both 4WD’s and bikes. All 3 of us are “failures” in that regard! And so, into Birdsville at dusk and a clean bed at the bar!

Traversing each dune with tall, heavy bikes required an evolving technique. Enough speed to get to the top without digging in, but not too much such that you going flying into space over the crest. To compound this, many dunes have a 90 deg turn at the top. And that’s the easy bit! Now you have to get down the much steeper face, usually with two significant ruts in the sand, often with huge holes half way down where the 4WD’s have got stuck and wheel-spun massive holes.

We tried to dog paddle the bikes down, but being really tall heavy bikes, getting solid feet on the ground is an issue. As confidence grew and the bikes burnt off fuel, when the front wheel starts ploughing and the back wobbling, stand up on the pegs, grab another gear and pin the throttle! Let the bike suspension do its stuff and smoke down off that dune, and on to the next. Quite a few groups of 4WD’s coming the other way now that the track had reopened as the crossing is a popular tourist route.

At Birdsville you sort of think the adventure is over, but we still have 1700kms to run back to Brisbane. So, after studying the maps to avoid the black top as much as possible, we swing south in a big arc back towards the coast. The terrain changes to ever more vegetation and pastoral practices but this brings its own risks. Ever more roo’s and wallabies dashing across the tracks, especially early morning and late afternoon. Much road-kill in evidence, including cattle beasts. The result of tangling with the massive “roadtrains” which cannot stop. Emus, often in groups, interesting to ride along side, but not very intelligent!! Pigs, foxes, an echidna, pink galah, white parrots and the ever-present Aussie crows. Transiting through massive cotton farms with huge rows of baled cotton stretching 100’s of meters and into small rural towns with hopefully a “typical pub” to lodge in at dusk. Small dingy rooms upstairs with communal facilities “down the hall”, an upstairs veranda overlooking the “main drag” with a busy bar down stairs and some local characters to talk to and a menu featuring a steak to cover the whole plate and the other Aussie staple, chicken parmigiana.

So, we arrived into Brisbane, 7200kms after leaving Perth 20 days earlier and for me a completion of my Aussie circumnavigation.

The first night we camped at Purni Bore, a clearing with a public toilet and a hot shower provided by smelly thermal water.

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Vernon Pryde

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21

Local Folk - Graeme Crosby It’s a sunny Sunday morning in Sandpiper Ave. Summer is struggling to dominate, but Spring is still struggling to let go.

I’m sitting with Graeme & Helen Crosby having morning coffee. Outside on the deck is a red and yellow beast of a motorcycle. “That’s Douglas” I’m informed. Puzzled, I ask why? “I won the Isle of Man on that bike..”

For those that aren’t in the know, Graeme Crosby is, as his Wiki page reads …a former professional Grand Prix Motorcycle road racer… He is the only person to have won the Daytona 200, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 hours endurance race and the Isle of Man TT. After his international motorcycle racing career, he returned to New Zealand to become a commercial airline pilot and also competed in touring car racing. Crosby was inducted in to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Motorcycling New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2006.

With a CV like that this interview could rapidly turn into chaos, as the likeable Graeme has a great view on life and is more than happy to chat.

What is your favourite travel destination?

Japan. Strangely enough I actually studied it at school.

Not the language but the culture, geography, everything about it.

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

Helen.

Are you a sports fan? If so, what is your favourite team?

Currently it’s some of the golfing stars. I’ve gone off the All Blacks and rugby. I’ve been at the Halberg Awards as a judge, so every year we have to go through all that’s involved and I’ve got to the point where rugby in New Zealand is dominating the sports arena and NZ doesn’t tend to get behind the smaller sports.

Take golf and Ryan Fox for example. He doesn’t look like a golfer, doesn’t talk like a golfer. I just love his “I’m off to have a pizza“ stuff…he’s the antithesis of what you expect a professional sportsperson to be - but he’s bloody good.

What causes are you passionate about?

Luckily at The Crier we have discipline and won’t get tempted into war stories and tales of derring do. We have a questionnaire format to follow, and follow it we shall.

I was passionate about road safety, but the moment I got involved with road safety at a governmental level everything gets watered down. You’re one voice and it gets to the point you can’t be effective, and that doesn’t work for me.

So, let us begin.

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

Do you have any nicknames?

(Chuckles). The best thing I like about it is when you tell someone you live there and they say, ”oh shit, that’s’ a real cute place to live” and I think “I live there and you don’t!”

Croz.

When and where were you born?

Blenheim 1955 American Independence Day Where have you lived?

Renwick, Mangere, and then Australia, mainly around Sydney. I’ve lived in all the good places that changed after I’ve left.

How long have you lived in Point Wells?

Close to 3 years now, but we’ve been in the region since 1998 (the Crosbys previously owned the Vivian Gallery in Big Omaha Rd). Before that we were over at Baddeleys Beach.

What is your favourite hobby?

Aviation. I’m a commercial pilot, still have my license, but I’ve always had a strong interest in aviation history and what is going on.

There’s a synergy between car racing, motorbikes and aeroplanes.. it’s all about controlling mechanisms. As a consequence of that you have to learn how to operate them. Motorbike riding is the same thing.

What’s your least favourite thing about living in Point Wells?

The road between here and Warkworth. We’ve got a motorhome and that thing nearly takes off (on the bumps and irregularities). Then you get on the motorway and it’s beautiful, smooth, quiet…

Who is someone you admire, and why?

I tell you one guy I admire locally is Mark Ching. I tell you why, he flies under the radar and just does things (altruistically here). He’s poured so much into kids’ welfare, he does so much and it’s like he’s always a jump ahead of everybody else.

Any pet peeves?

Politics? (I stop it there. Overtime doesn’t stretch to the Crier’s budget and I can see the look in his eye…).

General traffic between here and Auckland…

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

To be fair right now - it’s cooking. That’s my happy place.

I come home, have a glass of wine, and start cooking…

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Flashback to when you were 10 years old. Who did you want to be when you grow up?

Ivan Miller. He was a moto cross rider from Blenheim and he gave me my first ride on a motorbike (lord help us!) Later on, in England, he was the guy that drove me to really get involved in motorbikes What do you want to make sure you do before you die?

Finish living.

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What do you think is the most essential life skill?

Probably communication…

What was the worst job you ever had?

Putting swimming pools in the ground in Australia in 40˚C heat.

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

To get fully out of the day-to-day grind of the business as I’m running that down at the moment. I just want to play with my own motorbikes.

Over time I’ve learnt that I should have learnt Maths.

I never grasped the mathematical side of maths at school - it was all the mechanical side for me…I really should have learnt maths as it would have helped me in major ways, especially in aviation.

What do you do with friends in your spare time?

What is a valuable lesson you learned in your career?

Currently I’m in a cooking group with 10 local guys. We get a local chef to come in - not to just cook for us - we get to help with the prep, the cooking and then discuss the wines that go with it. We get together every few months.

I got second in the world championship in Moto GP and I knew my time was up or was going to be up very shortly and I knew when to stop. There’s another thing to this too…you have to know where to stop, but also where you want to go to after that.

What would be your personal motto?

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

What do you want accomplish in the next year?

(Long chuckles here) I used to have this thing on the motorbike.. ’Jet it down, gas it up, hold it flat and never fear the spills.” You can pontificate as much as you like but in the end you just have to strip it back and just do it.

Just Do It. What skill would you like to master?

CAD design.

Where is your favourite restaurant or café around here?

Probably Jin Jin. What is your favourite movie of all time?

The original 1965 The Flight of the Phoenix (the story of a twin boomed C82 Packet cargo plane that crashes in a remote part of the desert. The crew work together to create a single engine monoplane from the wreck and fly it back to safety. From the book by Elleston Trevor) What is one thing you tried that you’ll never do again?

A particular corner at a speed that was far too fast to go around. I won’t do that again!

It certainly wouldn’t be racing motorbikes….

But in a more abstract way for the rules to follow in life, what about the Desiderata? (the poem by Max Ehrmann that was reproduced on posters in many households in the 1970s). It’s a good piece of writing that tells a really good story, you buy into that and it’s like “do unto others as you’d have others do unto you”….

What do you think is the key to professional success?

To be open to technology…to anything that’ll give you a lead into something….

What is your favourite memory from your career so far?

My favourite? So many good memories, but as an overall best memory it’s Helen and I getting together, it really is.

Cue in my head The Style Council “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.“ as Graham and Helen head out to lunch at Omaha.

See Graham’s book CROZ, or drop him a line here https://www.graemecrosby.co.nz/ Gareth Eyres

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23

IN SEARCH OF JOY Meeting Michael so late in life was surprising. Single and childless, her heart hadn’t missed a beat in years, an organ for survival, given no attention except the elimination of butter.

The stairs were a problem. However, he soon became familiar with the house, dealing with the oversized furniture, piles of books and scatter cushions. His routine established – predictable and reassuring.

Her days are full; a business to manage; two business men to organize along with their “hangers-oners”; classes to take; gardens to tend. A satisfying and varied life with interesting and supportive family and friends.

No obvious sign of lacking, until she considered that something was missing - it was joy. That smile that won’t go away, that all-consuming laughter; that feeling of glee. She lamented to friends of her lacking and asked where they found joy. This brought ridicule and laughter, but somehow kept arising in conversation as if sparking a communal quest. She is now obsessing and joy seemed elusive.

Over time she observed him, secretly tracking his movements, suspicious of his intentions and questioning his truth. It wasn’t that he was doing wrong - he was unusual in her otherwise quiet and orderly home.

Michael’s arrival was ordinary, with the door knock jolting her out of the humdrum. At first, she feigned no particular interest, other than passing niceties. A glance revealed enough information for her to understand and be accepting. With some rearranging he settled in and she fell back into the daily errands.

It was later that she paused and reflected on his presence. The questions of who he was; where he came from and why he was here - all revealed within minutes.

It was immediately obvious that his real name wasn’t Michael. She laughed and decided that Michael suited him best.

The big surprise came when she received a text message from him. Taken aback, almost reeling at this personal intrusion, she told herself that this was normal and nothing of alarm. But it was startling. Before long this familiarity and casualness of contact became ordinary. Within weeks, he was part of her life and she delighted in speaking of him to friends and family. He became part of their conversation, his deeds and messages inspiring smiles and laughter. His presence had brought joy.

This was all shattered when one day from Michael came a foreboding text of doom and disaster. She dropped everything, driving, speeding, running, bursting in on him. There he was in the middle of the lounge tangled in debris. She dropped to her knees pulling and tearing; his shrill cries of despair ringing out, she turns him over, looking for obstacles. All of a sudden, he was free - to her utter relief.

Exhaling, she closes her eyes, opening them to gleefully watch him return to his charger to ready himself for another day of robot vacuuming and the bringing of joy.

Adrienne Miller (aka Dolly) July 2023

Moonlight Photo by Marion Ransom

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24

BEETOPIA To celebrate some important milestones recently, we decided sunshine was a requirement and so we hopped over to Rarotonga - Cook Islands. Now, I know I was supposed to go swimming with turtles and whales but I had other plans as I wanted to meet an islander beekeeper! After questioning many, many locals I finally had the pleasure of speaking to a local Beekeeper, Mr Keith Mokotupu. Keith runs over 450 hives on the island; a previous apiary business take-over and vision to expand from his father (a retired surgeon) who had also been a beekeeper for more than 45 years.

Keith has been beekeeping for 20 years, starting as a hobbyist alongside his father and later joined him as a beekeeping student at the Gaton Agriculture College in North Queensland, Australia. Keith plans to grow and expand the beekeeping business to the southern group islands of the Cooks (Aitutaki, Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro). This also involves teaching apiculture as an agricultural course through the Cook Islands Department of Education to primary and college students plus community evening classes for adults in Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

The Beekeeping Community Evening Courses were only recently taught and completed via the Department of Education at the CITTS (Cook Islands Trade & Technical School) to adults and students alike on the main island Rarotonga. Keith teaches students how to build all the Langstroth components of a beehive, including the frames, wiring and embedding of foundation combs.

Queen excluders and foundation comb are the only components he orders from Auckland. Students later purchase all the components to complete their Langstroth hive in order to “bee” ready to capture swarms - which is also part of the course. There are now a few local families and business owners who own beehives on the main island.

Islands in 1876 and they were the dark European variety and later the amber Italian strain was also introduced, nowadays there are many hybridized subspecies. I also discovered there are quite a few diverse native bee species (Chalicodoma Umbripenne - Megachile Megachile Nigripennis) present on the islands of Mangaia, Atiu,Aitutaki and Pukapuka.

Of course, we could not resist buying some honey while on holiday and we can confirm the taste was absolutely amazing - a dark velvet-like honey with notes of frangipani, hibiscus, wild jasmine and banana. Keith produces honey for local consumption (tourists, local restaurants, medicine makers, health enthusiasts), and he also exports to Australia and the US and other Pacific Nations as his volume increases. New Zealand is bilaterally linked to the Cook Islands so why doesn't NZ have an ‘apiary products agreement’ with the Cooks???

Alas for now, all we can do is fill our honey stomachs while we are on holiday!

PS We did do a lot of swimming, snorkelling and eating divine seafood and even though I did not swim with a whale ….I did swim with a bee Grass on 02102649674 or by email: btopianz@gmail.com Grass Esposti Beetopia NZ Ltd 181 Omaha Flats Road “FOR ALL THINGS BEES”

I was also curious to know what difficulties bees faced on the island. Keith commented that his main “fear” was that AFB or any other bacterial disease could potentially become a major issue in the near future as the number of newbie/hobbyist beekeepers increase on the islands. Keith also commented that there was an obvious need to implement disease recognition courses for beekeepers to assist in identifying disease and gaining understanding of the inherent dangers that AFB, EFB, and Varroa etc will have for commercial and hobbyist colonies alike on the islands.

Furthermore, the beekeeping industry also faces other important issues like the lack of an apiculture governing body, controlled hive registration, bans on pesticide use and testing laboratories. In fact, Keith is obliged to send his samples privately to the US for testing!!

Keith runs his hives with the Italian strain of bees but has also encountered and caught various feral bee swarms which he says are quite feisty! The island's bees Rango Meri and Rango Kai were first introduced to the Cook

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THE POINT WELLS CRIER VOL. 15 - ISSUE 4 | Point Wells Community & Ratepayers Association Incorporated:

27

President

Alana McClintock

Treasurer

Howard George

Commodore

Pat Leitch

021 709 111

Secretary/Treasurer

Richard Muir

021 743 340

Community Resilience Group:

Coordinator

Amanda Stewart

Connoisseurs Club: 6:00pm Pot Luck Dinner

3rd Thurs each month

Noeline Cranston

Garden Circle:

Secretary / Treasurer

Jeanette Hanley

Hall Booking Officer:

General Enquiries

Priscilla McClintock

Library:

Secretary / Treasurer Monday Wednesday Friday Saturday

Vanessa Barber 5:00pm - 6:00pm 10:00am - 12:00pm 3:00pm - 5:00pm 10:00am - 12:00pm

Warkworth & Districts Croquet:

Club Captain

Marion Taylor

021 078 4691

Matakana Volunteer Fire Brigade:

Fire Chief

Jeremy Gibbons

021 244 9518

Boating Club:

4th Thurs each month

Library opening hours:

(please email enquiries )

Anne Holman Coordinators Neighbourhood Support:

Amanda Stewart

alanajclint@hotmail.com howardgeorge21@gmail.com

021 790 060 amandaandgeoff@gmail.com

422 9645 422 9155 ptwellsgarden@gmail.com pointwellshall@gmail.com

021 179 1963 0274 758 992 Labour weekend to Easter

0274 938 279 anne@rsvpevents.co.nz

021 790 060 amandaandgeoff@gmail.com

021 258 3737

Rodney Coordinator

Margaret Faed

Point Wells Crier:

Coordinator & Editor

Sandra Turner

Point Wells General Store: (established 1948)

Monday to Wednesday Thursday to Sunday Takeaways: Thurs - Sun

7:00am - 6:00pm 7:00am - 8:00pm 12:00pm - 8:00pm

Swim Group:

Coordinator

Robin Ransom

President

Trevor Tull

ptwellsbc@gmail.com

Secretary

Karen Lloyd

ptwellsbc@gmail.com

Rns.coordinator@gmail.com

021 784 806 essex2801@gmail.com

422 7007 OPEN 7 DAYS 021 873 990

The Point Wells Club: ptwellsevents@gmail.com

Club Venue Hire Thursday Playgroup:

Coordinator

Nikki

022 582 7634

Point Wells Community & Ratepayers Association Incorporated Annual Subscription and Membership 1 June 2023 - 31 May 2024 If you wish to join the Point Wells Community Ratepayers Association, please refer to our website for details: www.pointwellsvillage.co.nz Cost is $30 per household 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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