2012 November Issue 59

Page 1

Rodney's

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Landscaping:

fauna from across the ditch p.6

An eco house: off the grid in mud brick p.3 Antiques: treasuring the past p.10 Horsin' around: building life in the dull horse p.13

issue 59


fo CA rF L C R fL an EE or FN AL d m ROEW L qu aen E N ot adsu m e qrue e ot as e

up any property and gives useful tips for

Our apologies. We omitted to mention our beautiful cover picture in the October issue and wish to thank Christine and Tony Peek of Woodbridge Gardens, Coatesville for providing the photograph. sliding Custom-made

managing our gardens over the holidays.

Yet again, Helen Martin has uncovered a

an EE N d m OW qu e ot asu e re

couple of amazing businesses in our region. She talks to John Perry, the founder of

Wardrobe Doors

fo C A rF L R L

Global Village Antiques and Collectibles

serviced and ready for their annual outing.

or bi-folding Wardrobe Custom-made sliding Door System allows or bi-folding Wardrobe communities and changing tastes. Helen efficient access to Visit www.rurallifestyle.co.nz Door System allows also to Tipene-Ryan Smith, who runs storage space for a FREE subscription. efficient access to Helensville’s collectibles shop Monkee www.homeplus.co.nz storage space Letters or enquiries to Rodney’s Rural Business.

Continuing our focus on off-grid

For our horse oriented readers we look at

initiatives, Helen talks with Susan Wilson

how you can build new life into a ‘dull’

in Helensville. John describes how antique shops have become chroniclers of our

Now the sun is making more of an appearance it is time to plan for summed. A good place to start is to make sure all your bikes, boats, campers and toys are

Strategic Marketing, www.homeplus.co.nzLifestyle, 1/15 Auburn Street, Takapuna,

Custom-made sliding Roller Blinds or bi-folding Wardrobe horse. This will be helpful to those of you Door System allows Roller wanting to refresh your horse’s spirit.Blinds Wardrobe Doors

who lives in a mud brick house on South Head, running olive and alpaca businesses from her property. We look at the journey Susan took as she modified her sustainable home.

fo CA rF L R L an EE N d m OW qu e ot asu e re

editorial

The bright lights of summer

Wardrobe Doors Wardrobe Doors

underway.

).

ply (conditions ap

2

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

Editor: Jay Bocock. Sub Editor: Helen Martin. Writers this issue: Helen Martin, Grant McKechnie, Ben Longwell. Designer: Dan Stenhouse, Bgraphix. Printing: PMP maxim.

Roller Blinds

Jay Bocock – Editor and Publisher

DeauvilleTM Folding Arm Awnings

re Enter simply by and quote. re su a free mea

for any direct or indirect consequences arising from reliance on any content within Rodney’s Rural Lifestyle.

trout of the season, proof that summer is

a range of Australian plants that can liven

wning! towards your aquesting

Reproduction in any form without permission of the www.homeplus.co.nz publisher is prohibited. No responsibility accepted

We have caught our first snapper and 10lb

In this vein, Grant McKechnie highlights

$1000

to space Rodney’s Rural Lifestylestorage ©2012. All rights reserved.

of the extra daylight doing what you enjoy.

season of garden tours and bright colours.

You could win

Advertising enquiries: Marlene Brown 021 854 946 efficient access

This is a busy time of year. Make the most

Gardens are at their best. This is the

Felicia Boxed Awning

Auckland. PO Box 302, Te Puke. Phone: 07 02160708. Email: jay.bocock@strategicmarketing.co.nz

Custom-made sliding orWarmer bi-folding Wardrobe in Winter / Door System allows Cool in Summer Warmer in Winter efficient access to/ TM storage space Sunscreen blinds in Summer Pergolaflex Cool Conservatory Awningscan

www.homeplus.co.nzSunscreen reduce energy blinds can

www.blinds.co.nz AWNINGS www.blinds.co.nz Manual or Motorised

consumption reduce energy by up toCome in and see the 63% while by also consumption upadding to range of colour-durable, Roller Blinds mildew-resistant fabrics 63% whileinalso adding elegant, sophisticated and options for Pergolaflex Warmer Winter / Conservatory, Rolling Arm, elegant, sophisticated and minimalistic Cool in Summer Drop-Down or Drop-Arm www.blinds.co.nz and minimalistic appearance to can Awnings Sunscreen blinds for business appearance to come inor home. Options also windows,and reduce energy include remote control and windows,and consumption by upintotowind sensors to activate a variety of come colours a variety of home. colours to retraction automatically! 63% while also adding suit any suit any home. elegant, sophisticated Warmer in Winter / Cool in Summer Sunscreen blinds can reduce energy consumption by up to 63% while also adding elegant, sophisticated and minimalistic appearance to windows,and come in a variety of colours to suit any home.

and minimalistic www.blinds.co.nz appearance to windows,and come in a variety of colours to 16-18 Morrison Drive 16-18 Morrison Drive 16-18 Drive suit any home.Morrison Warkworth

HOMEPLUS RODNEY HOMEPLUS RODNEY

rodney@homeplus.co.nz rodney@homeplus.co.nz rodney@homeplus.co.nz

HOMEPLUS RODNEY

09 425 7053 09 425 7053 16-18 Morrison Drive www.homeplus.co.nz

HOMEPLUS RODNEY rodney@homeplus.co.nz

151M

09 425 7053

16-18 Morrison Drive rodney@homeplus.co.nz

09 425 7053

151M

151M


Lifestyle

Off the grid in mud brick

By Helen Martin

When Grey Lynn film maker and teacher Susan Wilson went house hunting five years ago she had her heart set on a rural property. Having spent ten years growing organic bananas on land she leased in Matakana while she lived in town, Susan was ready to leave the city. Another motivator, and one not usually heard by real estate agents, was that she wanted the right sort of accommodation for her friend Jumbo, the circus elephant, should the opportunity to house her ever present itself. The 20 acre South Head property she settled on was just right for an African elephant, Susan tells me as we shelter from a wild spring downpour in her beautiful, brand new archgola. “Sand, kikuyu and ponds were important, she says,” and the place was perfect for Jumbo. It was only later I thought about how it would be living off the grid in the mud brick house. I didn’t even know it had a composting toilet!” As Susan was to soon learn, this was no ordinary house. Designed for original owner Fenella Scaglione by Warkworth eco-architect Graeme North, who specialises in designing sustainable buildings, in 1998 it received a BRANZ Green House Scheme Certificate, with an environmental house design rating of ‘Excellent’. Susan quickly discovered the advantages of living in a mud brick house. The thermal insulation properties mean the bricks are warm in winter and cool in summer. Because there is no cement the house can breathe. While the bricks absorb sound (snoring guests are no problem!), they also provide great acoustics for

a sound system. Susan loves that the bricks have none of the industrial smells you can get from building materials and that their shape allows for lovely flowing curves in the house interior in a way not possible with timber and gib board. . Finding the house too small for her needs Susan, whose father was an architect, who has always loved building and who is no stranger to ambitious projects, decided to increase its 65 square meters to 135 square metres. Having enlisted Graeme North to design the extensions, she found the clay on the property wasn’t right for mud bricks. Clay from a Kaukapakapa subdivision-in-progress turned out to be the right stuff, and Susan enlisted Hiway Stabilizers, who were making the subdivision’s roads, to deliver her enough clay to make 4000 bricks. The only charge was the cartage.

VEGETATion MAnAGEMEnT Free quote on all aspects of Vegetation Management – Anywhere in the Country Tree Felling / Chipping Forest to Pasture Conversion Shelter Belt Removal Trimming / Transplanting Mulch Sales / Delivery Wood-lot Purchase / Logging Consultancy / Stump Grinding

For a FREE quote please contact: Mud bricks drying.

Chris Sheffield. Ph 0276 108 540 Or our office on 0800 TREEWORK (873396) Take a look at what we do at www.treescape.co.nz RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

3


The solar panels and generator housing.

Susan’s bathroom is part of her extensions.

Making the bricks, which consist of a mix of clay, sand, water and wood shavings mixed into a wooden mold and left to dry, was a painstaking project undertaken by a brick maker introduced to Susan by Graeme North. For two years the builders lived on and off in the barn on the property that Susan now rents to holiday makers. All the timber in the original house was macrocarpa, and Susan was easily able to source more for the extensions locally. As a key feature of the design, generous windows allow for plenty of light and fresh air. One significant alteration to the original concept was to do away with the existing Onduline roofing, as it was disintegrating, and to replace it with permanent colour steel. Power for the house is generated by solar panels (Susan has added extra panels to the original set up) and by a wind turbine, which looks like a small windmill. The power is fed to a shed where an inverter converts it from DC to AC power. A generator housed beside the shed will automatically kick in if Susan is ever really low on power. It hasn’t happened yet, but Susan is well prepared – one

Would your Wetland or Bush Block Qualify for Subdivision? Call us now for a FREE initial Consultation Cato Bolam will assist you in maximising the development potential of your rural landholding through:

■ Wetland Potential / Restoration ■ Existing Native Bush Potential ■ Bush Planting Proposals ■ Potential from Boundary Relocations ■ Countryside Living Subdivisions

surveyors planners

small solar panel keeps drip-feeding the battery in the generator ‘just in case’. The water heating system in the original house consisted of an Ireland-made cast iron Waterford Stanley Wood range connected to a wetback, which in turn is connected to a copper water tank. Two solar panels on the roof also feed into the tank. While the range is good for cooking once you get the temperature up, and Susan has it going all day in winter for warmth, for convenience she has installed a gas stove and gas caliphont, which are powered from gas bottles. Maintenance is, of course, essential. The wide eaves keep the exterior bricks dry. Susan treats the mud brick floors with a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax to keep the surface hard and treats interior walls with a lime whitewash. The solar panels are washed twice a year to keep them free from debris like pollen and sand, the solar system batteries have to be regularly topped up with rainwater and the wind turbine has to be taken apart and serviced every 3 years. It’s a very satisfying lifestyle. Jumbo did move in, and she loved it, but after a brief stay she was taken to Franklin Zoo. Without Jumbo to look after, Susan still always has plenty to do. She loves her garden. She has a herd of 24 alpacas, selling some of their wool. Riverdale Fibre Mill spin some into skeins, which Susan then uses for making garments and bed covers. Her other major enterprise is the olive grove. Susan bottles and sells the delicious oil from her spray-free olives (pressed by Salumeria Olives) under her Magic Olives label. Susan says she’s enjoyed the learning curve living off the grid in a mud brick house has prompted. “I loved it when a neighbour called last month when there were a lot of storms and asked what had happened to the power. Of course I didn’t even know there was a power cut. Here I’ve got everything I had in the city, down to the chandelier I turn on for special occasions! I enjoy what I have and I’m really happy here.”

engineers

Call Myles, Mark or Michelle Orewa 09 427 0072 Kumeu 09 412 9040 www.catobolam.co.nz

35yrs experience in Rodney

“Quality Services for Quality Environments” 4

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

A section of the lovely interior.

Susan Wilson at home.


Mow slopes and long grass SAFELY with the Grillo Climber. iel Dan sive o t Talk r exclu u ut o abo

R A E 5 Y nty ra war . pply

ns a

ditio

Con

store

inSee

s.

etail

for d

Grillo Climber CL7.13

Proven in use over many years in New Zealand our range of Italian made machines can transform your property and allow you to mow when you want to – not when conditions dictate. Call Daniel NOW on 09 945 0090 to book a demonstration of a Grillo Climber on your property. We stock a range of Grillo machines and our team of young professionals are dedicated to helping customers in the local community.

Now In Warkworth

Full service workshop and backup available.

$7490 inc GST or $317.10 per month INTEREST FREE* 3 Morrison Drive, Warkworth 09 945 0090. www.mowercare.co.nz *Conditions: Based on RRP $7,490. 3 Year Limited Warranty. From no deposit, 24 month term. Includes GST. Plus $120 establishment fee. Offer expires 31 January 2013.


landscaping

Strike me

pink

By Grant McKechnie

In recent years, Julie and I have been lucky enough to do some great road trips around Australia, gawking at all the usual touristy things. We also, of course, take a strong interest in all the plant life, in particular New Zealand plants and the way they are used, which can be different from the way we use them. For instance, a couple of years ago, travelling between Melbourne and Sydney, we called into a little tourist town, population 391, called Central Tilba, (not to be confused with the nearby town of Tilba Tilba). It was late in the day, most of the cute little shops had shut and our travelling companions made a dash for those that were still open,

How do you chose the right contractor for the job? Swimming pool excavation: If you’re in the planning stages for a swimming pool ask us for a free quote - without obligation. We have the experience and equipment that can save you time and money. • House excavations • Swimming pools • Wetland development • Foundations • Footings • Long-reach • Mulching • Retaining • Dams • V-drains • Metal supply • Stumping • Soil removal • Roading • Drainage • Driveways • Rock-breaking • Drilling rock • Registered Drainlayer • Truck & Excavator Hire

Our new Caterpillar Multi Terrain Loader is fast, cost effective and highly versatile. Especially suited for residential, commercial, agricultural, building construction, lawn care and golf course maintenance.

Contact Kevin Brashier Today to discuss your project. Mobile: 0274 927 066 Email: kevin@kblemovers.co.nz

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

You see lots of flaxes and cabbage trees over there, as well as coprosmas and pittosporums. It’s interesting that coprosmas and pittosporums seem to keep better form over there. They stay more compact and are not as inclined to drop their inner leaves — probably because it’s generally a hotter, drier climate and they grow more slowly. On the flip-side, many Australian plants seem to grow better here than at home, probably for the opposite reason: our wetter climate suits them. The most obvious of these are probably the eucalypts (gums) and callistemons (bottlebrushes) in their various forms. Bottlebrushes are regarded as relatively slow-growing in Australia. Here in NZ, with our bountiful rain, they grow at a great rate of knots. Two years ago, we put 60cm tall Callistemon salignus plants in our garden. They’re now 2.5m tall, even though I’ve trimmed them twice. Left to their own devices, they’ll turn into graceful small trees of about 5m tall and 4m wide. Bottlebrushes thrive in damp to dry areas, with their flowers providing good food for the birds and the bees. We have some flowering in the garden at present and there’s a very audible buzz which can be heard some metres away — it’s the bees tucking into the nectar. Use bottlebrushes for low to medium-sized screens, or for colour in your garden. They can also be useful for a hedge, with a bit of judicious trimming. The aforementioned Callistemon salignus is particularly good as a hedge, because of its pink new growth; every

FREEPHONE 0800 927 066

6

while Julie and I honed in on a NZ native, Muehlenbeckia astonii. It’s not all that common in NZ gardens — although it’s getting more so — but here it was, in small-town Australia, taking pride of place in a pot outside a shop, trimmed into a column. It was used in a way I’d not seen before, and looked really great.

KEVIN BRASHIER DIRECTOR Mob: 0274 927 066


Eucalypts and blackwoods mix well to form a large shelter belt.

forms, selected for their compact forms and great flower displays. Most grow to around 2.5 to 3m tall and wide.

time you trim it, it produces another flush of leaves. Its flower colour is cream, but because it is a seed-grown plant, colour can vary from light cream to almost yellowy-cream.

Eucalypts are, of course, known for their rapid growth, both here and in Australia. Some of them make excellent firewood that coppices. This means they will re-grow again after you have chopped them down. Eucalypts take five to seven years to get up to firewood size first time around, but re-growth for the second and subsequent crops is quicker because the tree has an established

Most of the bottlebrushes available are cultivars, which means they produce uniform flower colour. Favourites include Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’, with good red flowers, C. ‘John Mashlan’, pink flowers, and C. ‘Western Glory’, vibrant cerise-pink flowers. There are lots more varieties, but these are some of the popular

















Bulk and bagged landscape products Peat Topsoil $60/m3













Building Supplies and Kitset Buildings 





Decking • Retaining • Fencing

De

Daltons Garden Mix $95/m3

100x

4.8, 5.

2

$



Ponga Logs $15.50ea

Matangi River Pebble $150/m3

Seconds pavers from $8ea

Hardwood Sleepers $60ea

1484 Oikoumene Forest Letterhead.pdf

 

      

7/4/09





Prices only available with this advert, while stocks last.



100 x 40mm decking from $2.29/m

1:08:04 PM

Oikoumene



$

150 x 50mm machined joists from $4.30/m

FOREST LIMITED

100 x 25mm decking from $1.40/m

100x4

4.8, 5.4 &

150 xmetre 40mm rails from $3.20/m

150x40 H3

Merch Rails 6

1 West St, Helensville Tel: 0800 833 399 Fax: 09 420 8476 Email: oikoumene@xtra.co.nz Web: www.oikoumene.co.nz

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

7


Callistemon salignu.

root system to draw on. Eucalyptus ovata (swamp gum) is good for very wet areas, while E. botryoides and E. nitens will take dry to moist soils. If you’re planting for firewood, spacing will vary depending on how many rows of trees you want. For a single row, plant at 2m spacing; for two rows, plant 2m apart within the row and 1m between the rows, with the plants alternating in a zig zag fashion. For three or more rows, plants should be spaced 2m apart, with 2m between the rows. The average household will need 10 to 20 trees per year for firewood. Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is another good choice for your coppicing firewood lot. It takes seven to 10 years to make firewood size, but burns hotter than the eucalypts. It also makes a useful farm shelter tree that keeps good form, growing quickly in dry to fairly damp soils. Plant it on its own, or mixed with eucalypts. Blackwood is a big tree, not as tall as some of the eucalypts, but the two species alternated in a row make an

Leptospermum ‘Copper Sheen’ forms a quick, colourful hedge.

excellent shelter belt on a lifestyle block or farm. The gums quickly provide very tall shelter, but tend to end up with less growth on their lower halves, while the blackwoods are very branchy and fill all the gaps. Another Aussie import that thrives in our damper clime is Leptospermum ‘Copper Sheen’, which can put on a metre of growth in a year. Its coppery-purple colour is pretty special; it’s at its best when used for contrast in a mixed border, or as a colourful hedge. However you use ‘Copper Sheen’, give it a regular trim to keep it nice and bushy. As this is my last article for this year, I wish you and your garden a great Christmas, and I’ll see you in the same place next year. Handy hint: If you’re worried about your plants drying out over the (hopefully) hot summer months, remember that one good, deep watering per week should get them through. Alternatively, a good thick layer of bark mulch, 10cm to 15cm deep, will also help moisture retention.

HOURS Monday - Friday: 8.30am - 5pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm SUMMER HOURS (From December 1) Weekdays Only 8.30am - 5pm

THE LIFESTYLE BLOCK SPECIALISTS

RURAL LANDSCAPING

• Hedging • Shelter • Natives • Landscape plants • Bulk pricing available for most plants • Revegetation natives & planting service

Design/plans Planting Garden tidies Regular garden maintenance

Let Grant & Julie help you select the best plants for your place! Robinson Rd, Coatesville. Ph/Fax 09 415 8806. mck.nursery@clear.net.nz www.mckechnienurseries.co.nz 8

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59



heritage

Treasuring the past

By Helen Martin

One person’s throwaway is another’s treasure. Junk, second hand goods, curiosities, retro goods, collectibles, antiques, call them what you will, these items changing hands over counters up and down the country are an increasingly important part of our cultural heritage. When John Perry opened Global Village Antiques and Collectibles in Helensville’s Regent Theatre at the end of last century, many were saying such shops were a threatened species. The founding of Trade Me in 1999 seemed to confirm the view that, if you wanted to buy anything at all, you just needed a computer and time to search the sites.

business. Aside from the fact that buying

Not so, says John, an artist and art valuer who for 20 years was the Director of the Rotorua Museum of Art and History and who knows a thing or two about the

Golden Mile Collectibles Trail, where six

John Perry open for business.

10

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

antiques online can be problematic, not everybody likes shopping online. “People like to look at an object, pick it up, see how heavy it is and gauge its condition. lt’s the tactile connection they’re after.” Rather than dying out, shops that specialise in the objects and artefacts John calls “the outstanding, the unusual and the extraordinary” are proliferating in small towns, as are ‘antiques trails’, where individual shops link up to create a more visible profile and help treasure hunters find them. Establishment of the Matakana shops between Warkworth and Matakana have joined forces to profile themselves, is a recent case in point.

The outstanding…

What is fascinating about this phenomenon is that so many small New Zealand towns are using their histories to re-invent themselves. Paeroa, for example, which was once a river port servicing the gold mining industry and later a service town for the farming industry, was forced to find new revenue streams when its butter and milk factories closed in the 1980s. Now, there would be few who did not know of Paeroa’s strong identity as “the antiques town of New Zealand”. Helensville was another small town profoundly affected by closure of its dairy factory, and like Paeroa has re-invented itself as a town of deep historic interest. Interestingly, the buildings which house the collectibles shops are often themselves significant in the country’s heritage.

The extraordinary…


Copyright © 2012 Husqvarna AB (publ). All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2012 Husqvarna AB (publ). All rights reserved.

WALK BEHIND LAWN MOWERS

FROM WALK BEHIND

TAMING THE WILDTM

* LAWN MOWERS $599 FROM $599*

Exclusively designed for our market, the NEW Husqvarna Walk TM range of lawn types, even Behind Mowers can easily a wide TAMING THEmaintain WILD in the most extreme conditions. Exclusively designed for our market, the NEW Husqvarna Walk

Refers to model LC18

*

Behind Mowers can easily maintain LC18 LAWN MOWERa wide range of lawn types, even & Stratton in the most NEW W Briggsconditions. NEextreme DOV series engine 46cm / 18” Steel deck

LC18 LAWN MOWER

NEW

NEW

NEW

Briggs & Stratton $599 NEW DOV series engine

Refers to model LC18

*

46cm / 18” Steel deck

$599

LC19A LAWN MOWER Briggs & Stratton DOV series engine 48cm / 19” Alloy deck

LC19AP LAWN MOWER Briggs & Stratton DOV I/C series engine 48cm / 19” Alloy deck

LC19A LAWN MOWER

$779

Briggs & Stratton DOV series engine 48cm / 19” Alloy deck

LC19AP LAWN MOWER

Briggs & Stratton $899 DOV I/C series engine 48cm / 19” Alloy deck

12 MONTHS NO PAYMENTS $779 AND NO INTEREST! $899 YOUR AUTHORISED HUSQVARNA SPECIALIST DEALER

Minimum spend $499. Offer expires 31/12/12

YOUR LOCAL HUSQVARNA SPECIALISTS

YOUR AUTHORISED HUSQVARNA SPECIALIST DEALER New Dealer KUMEU CHAINSAW & MOWER SERVICES Kumeu Honda Warkworth Warkworth 377 SH 16 (Main Road), Huapai. (1km past Huapai Tavern) 10 Morrison Drive. Phone: 09-425 9498 Phone: 09 412 8109 See instore for details

KAIWAKA MOTORCYCLES Kaiwaka Mangawhai Rd, Kaiwaka. Phone: 09 4312127 www.kaiwakamotorcycles.co.nz

www.husqvarna.co.nz

ALBANY MOWERS & MACHINERY Albany Albany Village. Phone: 09-415 9756 www.albany-mowers.co.nz

www.husqvarna.co.nz

6-10 Parkway Dv (Off Constellation Dv) Mairangi Bay 09 443 2436 www.yrco.co.nz

See instore for details

www.husqvarna.co.nz

†12 months no payments and no interest (‘Payment Holiday’) is available on Q Card Flexi Payment Plans. Minimum purchase $499. Account Fees may apply. A $45 Establishment Fee for new Q Cardholders and a $35 Advance Fee for existing Q Cardholders will apply. Q Card Standard Interest Rate applies to any outstanding balance at end of Payment Holiday. Payment Holiday period may vary depending on Q Cardholder’s payment cycle dates. Offer expires 31/12/12. Q Card lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply.


Tipene Ryan-Smith open for business.

John’s Regent Theatre was built during the first world war. Having started life as a multi-purpose hall, it became a cinema in 1941. Down the other end of town, installation artist Tipene Ryan-Smith runs Monkee Business out of a beautiful heritage site, the tiled building that served as a butcher’s shop from the end of the nineteenth century, celebrated as being the first refrigerated butcher shop north of Auckland. Both men love what they do, valuing the fact that, whether they’re buying or selling, each piece they encounter has a story which is part of the bigger narrative of our histories. Looking at John and Tipene’s eclectic collections, which include iconic pieces from here and from overseas – old books, cuff links, china, paintings, fur coats, lamps, mantel radios, glassware, milk shake makers, mirrors, dolls, kauri gum and so much more - I’m interested to know who comes to buy. While some customers are locals, and some are travellers passing through, I’m told that these shops are a popular destination for out-of-towners. Some are collectors looking for that special piece. John, who has a particular interest in New Zealand art and ceramics and who calls himself “a dealer in endangered species”, has a customer who collects outboard motors,

The unusual...

12

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

for example. Other customers are day trippers, getting out of the city for a spell and seeing what the rural towns have to offer. “I look for man-made and natural curiosities of integrity and quality,” says John. “I describe my place as ‘no ordinary junk shop’, as most of the material I buy for the shop relates to art and culture. Cultural heritage is priceless, so what I sell simply has to be ‘the right stuff’.” While John has been in Helensville for many years, Tipene is a relative newcomer. He points out that one advantage of being based in a small town includes being charged a much lower rent than a city location would demand. He also enjoys the slower lifestyle, which, he thinks, has a really positive effect on outof-towners. “Moving to a small town I wanted to be part of it, I wanted to add something. Here, you can think for yourself without being asked for a permit for everything. The pace slows down, people slow down. When people come into a good shop they slow down and they treat themselves. Finding something just right for you, something you will treasure, is a way of healing. I love being able to contribute to that.”

Healing treasures.


horsin' around

Building life in the dull horse

By Ben Longwell

Last month we discussed working through the challenges of a flighty horse. Now we’ll look at a few tips for handling a dull or “over-desensitized” horse. Equines that are naturally quieter usually take to our training more willingly, at least on the outside, and deal new experiences with less reaction than their “spookier” cousins. Quite often, this type of individual has been over-handled and/or mishandled. This leads to a misunderstanding in the horse’s mind about how we actually want him to respond to the stimuli of cues and to interact with people in general. This can be particularly dangerous because they appear so safe and quiet, yet if there’s not a foundation of respect, trust and understanding, when push comes to shove we’re at risk of being stepped on, run over, bucked off or crushed. This type of horse nature may be lazy (i.e. he’s not really that well trained, he’s just too lazy to “react”) or of a particular willingness that some horses naturally possess that make them incredibly “easy” to train and work with. In any of these cases, the fact still remains that without thoroughness in their foundation training the horse will have “holes” that will reveal themselves at inopportune times in the future. Looking at the classic case of a dull, over-handled horse that has a streak of laziness, we have to understand that we need to build responsiveness back into him and that will require some extra “life” from us. In order for an unresponsive horse to become

sensitive again, we must consistently give him the chance to respond to light cues and lower-pressure body language. If we always ask him to do things with a high level of “life” or physical contact (leg, rein, etc), or if we nag at him, then we’re contributing to his dullness. At the same time, it is crucial that unresponsiveness is always met with increasing “life” or pressure until the moment there is a “try” towards what we are asking. The properly timed release of that pressure is what will cause the horse next time to look to do the same thing that resulted in the release this time. Many times it is during this process of rebuilding “life” and responsiveness that we discover “Mr. Easygoing” is only such as long as he’s basically left alone or everything around him is in his comfort zone. This is one of the holes I referred to earlier and it is much better for it to come to the surface while we’re looking for it, rather than catching us by surprise in a situation out of our control down the road. It is up to us to prepare them for that situation and build trust by taking them out of their comfort zone in a controlled environment, then showing them how to come back to “response”. As always, these training scenarios need to be set up so that the horse finds the right thing to do because it’s the easy thing to do. Mishandled and dull horses can be made light and responsive again, it just requires consistency, understanding and patience on our part.

Rt Hon John Key MP for h el ens v il l e

365 Main Road, Kumeu p 412 2496 e John@Johnkey.mp.net.nz w w w.johnkey.co.nz

www.national.org.nz

RURAL LIFESTYLE ISSUE 59

13


S E R V I C E D irec t o r y Talk to the experts about... Pumps • Milking Equipment • Filtration Pools and Spas • Light Engineering Sales and Service

Composite Joinery

Composite Joinery L i m i t e d . Limited

• VANTAGE Joinery

Capture your view with NEW COLOURS AVAILABLE

• Timber Joinery

• VANTAGE joinery • •timber Exteriorjoinery and Interior • exterior and interior • •residential Residential&&commercial Commercial

VANTAGE windows and doors! VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: OUR SHOWROOM: 7VISIT Glenmore Dr, Warkworth 7 Glenmore Dr, Warkworth 09 425 7510

09 425 7510

or visit www.compositejoinery.co.nz Email:sales@compositejoinery.co.nz

Visit us online at www.watertechplus.com or our showroom at 6 Worker Road, Wellsford. Ph/fax 09 423 8061

NATIVE REVEGETATION SPECIALISTS Bulk Suppliers of Revegetation Landscape & Specimen Grades Special bulk rates apply to 1,000-50,000 plant lots or more.

Enquire for details. Deciduous Trees • Shelter & Hedging • Ornamentals Olives • Citrus • Fruit & Nut Trees • Avocados • Subtropicals

Everything you need at the one location! Order in advance and save.

Email tehananurseries@paradise.net.nz Catalogue – www.tehananurseries.co.nz 251 SH1, Te Hana, Wellsford. Ph (09) 423 8595. Fax (09) 423 8594

Email:sales@compositejoinery.co.nz www.compositejoinery.co.nz You can rely on the team at Composite Joinery!

Registered Master Joiner

Memb:Window Assoc Of NZ

Reg. Master Joiner

This space available from only

$

150

per issue! Deadline for January issue is 7 December. For rates and availability, email marlene@iconz.co.nz or phone Marlene on 021 854 946

C O N T R A C T O R S D i r e ctor y Bill LEMMEN MOTORS TL Adams Ltd MOBILE & WORKSHOP • Repairs • Servicing • Parts Massey Ferguson, Kubota & Zetor. All makes and models.

1151 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth 09 422 5852

Hay • Silage • Cultivation

Phone 09 420 5119

COLIN HAWKEN FENCING DESIGN AND BUILD Farms • Lifestyle Blocks • Domestic Deer • Post & Rail • 7-Wire • Stock yards • Property Fencing Plans

Round Baling/wrapping • Cultivation Digging • Effluent Pumping

New Service: Water delivery

• Mulcher mowing • Digger hire

Ph/Fax 09-420 3107 Mob: 0274-902 516 email: colinhawken@gmail.com

Call Phillip: 021 988 049 / 09 423 7208

Need Sales? Talk to us now... Deadline for January issue is Friday 7 December. For rates and availability, email marlene@iconz.co.nz or phone Marlene on 021 854 946. Don’t delay – space is limited.


S E R V I C E D irec t o r y REGISTERED VALUERS Lifestyle Block Specialists for Southern Rodney.

Alan Davies Telephone: Facsimile: Mobile: A/H: Email:

34 years experience

Dip, URB Val, SPINZ

09 414 7170 09 414 7180 0274 953 163 09 420 4776 alan@daviesbatley.com

William Pickering Office Park, 29 William Pickering Drive PO Box 302 730 North Harbour North Shore City 0751

DAVIESBATLEY RODNEY GARAGE DOORS Custom made for you

• Sectional-tilting Roller • 22 colours or powder-coated to match your joinery • We service all makes of doors and automatics • Free measure and quote

Installation • Sales • Service

Rodney Garage Doors 1998 Ltd. 29 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth Ph 09-425 0258 Mob 0274 425 025 Serving Rodney for over 30 years

Homekill & Game Meat Processing Sheep * Beef * Pork * Venison * Wild Pork * Wild Goat Wild meats and game are a speciality and we can process, pack & freeze to suit. NZ AWARD WINNING SAUSAGE MAKERS

Septic and Water Tank Cleaning Have your Water Tank or Septic Tank cleaned for Summer.

Burnetts

Ph 09 412 9210 or 0274 924 494

email: burnetts.sts@xtra.co.nz

RANCHO RADIATA Lowline Stud

Compact beef cattle for lifestyle blocks.

Grow beef, not bone.

Registered / Commercial / Crossbred David and Christina Clee. Phone 09 422 0492 Fax 09 422 0493. Email cleedavid@gmail.com

www.lowlines.co.nz

Garden and Lifestyle Block Specialists

STUMPS MULCHED

- Plant Centre - Plant Nursery - Landscape Design - Planting - Re-vegetation - Fruit tree specialists We grow a huge range of plants suitable for the Auckland region Book a detailed site assessment and report now for only $195 Enjoy our garden centre, and take a walk on our 1km sculpture and garden trail. Over 60 sculptures by leading NZ artists. 2012 exhibition now on.

1481 Kaipara Coast Highway, Kaukapakapa ph 09 420 5655 www.kaiparacoast.co.nz open 7 days 9am to 5pm

Open 7 days 9am to 5pm Established 1988

From this… ...to this 45mins later! The first SlashBuster for New Zealand has arrived from the USA. Take a look at it in action now at www.allaboutearthmoving.co.nz Call Ken Borg 0800 600 500 | 021 63 55 77 A/Hrs 09 425 4520 | Fax 09 425 4521 ken@allaboutearthmoving.co.nz www.allaboutearthmoving.co.nz

Need Sales? Talk to us now... Deadline for January issue is Friday 7 December. For rates and availability, email marlene@iconz.co.nz or phone Marlene on 021 854 946. Don’t delay – space is limited.


STOCK UP FOR SUMMER! STEEL FARM GATES

ATV SPOT SPRAYERS

• 1 metre high with 6mm horizontal bars. • Includes Pair of Hinges. • Hot Dipped Galvanised.

Sniper 35Ltr Only $339.00 Sniper 55Ltr Only $402.50

• Delevan Pump (made in the USA) • Heavy Duty blow Moulded tank • Spray wand with adjustable Nozzle

10 ft (3.05M)

$119.95 2 or more only $105ea

12 ft (3.66M)

$129.95 2 or more only $115ea

14 ft (4.2M)

$149.95 2 or more only $135ea

AGRISSENTIALS ROK SOLID

FREE 1ltr Spray Concentrate makes 100ltr of Spray

JOHN BULL FOOTWEAR Tried, tested, proven and backed by guarantees.

• Minerals | Microbes | Energy • BIO GRO Certified • Full Spectrum Fertiliser – Loaded with minerals and energy • Volcanic rock dust with a huge 43% silica content

FREE

PAIR OF JOHN BULL WORK SOCKS WITH EVERY PAIR PURCHASED.

• Simple to install and economically priced • Multiple tank monitoring • Abnormal usage alert, low level alert, time to empty • Simple Simple toto install andand economically priced install economically •• Wireless pump control, auto on/off, set and priced forget • Multiple Multiple tank monitoring tank monitoring •• Self learning, self calibration • Abnormal usage alert, low level alert, time to empty •• Solar poweredusage tank module Abnormal alert, low level alert, time to empty • Wireless pump control, auto on/off, set and forget •• Very high digital accuracy pump control, auto on/off, set and forget • Wireless Self learning, self calibration • Ultra long range options Solarlearning, powered tank •• Self selfmodule calibration Very high digital accuracy www.smartwatertech.co.nz •• Solar powered tank module • Ultra long range options info@smartwatertech.co.nz • Very high digital accuracy Freephone 0800 40 14 14 www.smartwatertech.co.nz • Ultra long range options info@smartwatertech.co.nz Freephone 0800 40 14 14 www.smartwatertech.co.nz

info@smartwatertech.co.nz Freephone 0800 40 14 14

Check out our demonstration in-store.

5kg ONLY $19.95 20kg $49.95

Single Tank Desk Mount Kit only $489

PRODUCT CODE

DESCRIPTION

WAS

NOW

SAVE!

PROMAX WATER TANKS

Super Summer Savings on NZ’s Strongest Water Tanks!

450ltr

1,000ltr

2,000ltr

3,000ltr

PMXBT10000

10,000 ltr

$3,041.75

2870.00

$171.75

PMXBT25000

25,000 ltr

$3,525.90

3330.00

$195.90

PMXBT30000

30,000 ltr

$3,968.65

3750.00

$218.65

PMXST00450

450 ltr

$435.85

410.00

$25.85

PMXST01000

1,000 ltr

$650.90

600.00

$50.90

PMXST02000

2,000 ltr

$971.75

890.00

$81.75

PMXST03000

3,000 ltr

$1,298.35

1190.00

$108.35

PMXST04000

4,000 ltr

$1,544.45

1420.00

$124.45

PMXST05000

5,000 ltr

$1,907.85

1750.00

$157.85

PMXST05000BELP

5,000 ltr low profile

$1,907.85

1750.00

$157.85

XPRESS WATER TANKS

4,000ltr

5,000ltr

XPBT10000

10,000 ltr

$2,091.85

2040.00

$51.85

XPBT25000

25,000 ltr

$3,033.70

2890.00

$143.70

XPBT30000

30,000 ltr

$3,661.60

3430.00

$231.60

FREE FITTING KIT

10,000ltr

$

25,000ltr

WORTH

40.00

BUY NOW AND SAVE!

30,000ltr

AFFORDABLE QUALITY

25,000ltr

30,000ltr

PHONE ORDERS WELCOME! (09) 425 7754 2-4 Morrison Drive, Warkworth. Delivery Available. email: info@farmandlifestyle.co.nz www.farmandlifestyle.co.nz 2-4 Morrison Drive, PO Box 378, Warkworth. Ph 09 425 7754 Fax 09 425 7560 thefarmcentre@xtra.co.nz

Prices valid until 31 December 2012 or while stocks last. All prices include GsT unless otherwise stated. some products may not be available in store but may be ordered on request. Prices do not include delivery, delivery costs are additional. images are for illustrative purposes only.


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.