Katikati News

Building up youth

Meet Piripi Paraeana He’s one of four staff running Katikati’s PoutamaPathway Into Employment programme, which is changing the trajectory of local youth who find themselves at a loss when trying to enter adulthood

This year ’ s first cohort began Monday in a new base upstairs inside Katikati

Christian Centre on Henry Rd

Paraeana, who was employed initially as a chef, has become an integral part of the programme “He has become so much more than that,” said Katikati Community Centre general manager Nicky Austin, who runs the programme

“As a kaumātua from Tuapiro Marae, he brings a calm and grounding presence, and his role-modelling has a powerful impact on our rangatahi. Sharing kai is often the starting point, but it’s those quiet conversations where young people feel comfortable opening up ”

The public are invited to Poutama’s

new space at Katikati Christian Centre on Henry Rd, at an Open Day next Saturday, February 28, from 10am1pm, which will run in conjunction with the Volunteer Hop happening in Katikati the same day

Find out more on pages 4-5

Photo / Merle Cave

COPIES AVAILABLE FROM:

Barfoot & Thompson Waihi Beach

Beach Grocers

Beach Haven

Beachhaven Caravan Park

Flat White Cafe

G A S Waihi Beach

iSite Waihi

Seaforth Park

Seaside Store

Waihi Beach 4 Square

Waihi Beach Superette

Waihi Town Cats

BP Service Station

Woolworths Katikati

EVES - Katikati

Katikati 4 Square

Katikati Information Centre

Katikati Paper Plus

Katikati Primary School

Katikopy Print

Park Road Dairy

Raine & Horne

The Centre - Patuki Manawa & Library

Bower Real Estate Katikati

Caltex Service Station

Fresh Choice Supermarket Omokoroa

Omokoroa Superette

Omokoroa Minimart

Story Ideas:

news@katikatiadvertiser.co.nz

Advertising Enquiries:

advertise@nzme.co.nz

BOP Young Grower applications open March

The Bay of Plenty Young Grower of the Year competition for 2026 will be held Friday, June 19 – and applications open to enter the event on March 6

The June 19 competition will again be located at Mercury Baypark’s concert grounds from 9am, with a gala dinner open to the local horticulture industry to follow at 5 30pm at the Lion Foundation Arena The competition aims to inspire and acknowledge the talents of young people employed in the fruit and vegetable sectors in the region

Donate blood in Katikati

The 2026 winner will go home with $1500 and will represent the Bay of Plenty at the National Young Grower of the Year competition late this year Second place will receive $1000 and third place $750 All competitors receive a prize box and have the opportunity to compete for the $2500+GST Upskilling Scholarship and a $750 speech competition prize.

Applications open March 6 and close midday April 24. To apply, visit: www.bopyounggrower co.nz/ apply-to-be-a-contestant

Residents have a chance to donate blood in Katikati on February 23-24 when the mobile unit comes to town.

However, to donate, people must book an appointment prior by phoning the New Zealand Blood Service on 0800 448 325 or online at: nzblood.co nz

The mobile unit will be parked at Katikati War Memorial Hall next Monday, February 23 from 1pm6pm and Tuesday, February 24 from 7am-11am. Bring photo identification to appointments

Katikati Community Centre open day

The Katikati Community Centre is hosting an Open Day on Saturday, February 28, from 10am-1pm.

General manager Nicky Austin said the

event would run in conjunction with the Volunteer Hop happening in Katikati the same day

“The Beach Rd community centre will be open to showcase all the services we provide and all our room users will also be present to allow the public to see the services they also provide ”

The centre runs a range of courses and workshops and also serves as a base for regular services such JPs, B4 School checks, financial mentors, Inland Revenue appointments, and asthma clinics

There will be kids’ activities, hot drinks and baking, a sausage sizzle and spot prizes and giveaways on February 28 The Open Day will also happen at Poutama Pathways Into Employment’s new base at Katikati Christian Centre on Henry Rd.

Find out more on pages 4-5

Fun fair at Matahui School

Matahui School is hosting a Community Fair on Saturday, February 28, from midday to 3pm at the school grounds at 117 Matahui Rd.

The day of family fun is open to the public and will offer laser tag, face painting, market stalls, food trucks, Circus on a Flash activities, balloon animals, art and craft, and more. Entry is $2 each and Eftpos will be available.

Bridge for beginners anyone?

Katikati Bridge Club is hosting lessons for beginners next month The first evening is Tuesday, March 10, at 6.30pm at Katikati Memorial Hall lounge.

The first lesson is free; 10 lessons cost $50. To find out more, text Jane on 022 600 5941.

Located close to the township of Waihi, Waihi Lifecare Village is one of the region’s most idyllic yet aﬀordable lifecare villages

Our co ages are set in a peaceful, rural se ng with extensive lawn and garden areas which celebrate the heritage of the site.

The village oﬀers a range of one and two bedroom co ages as well as a 65 bed care facility providing resthome and hospital level care for con nuity of care

We have co ages available soon so please contact us for more informa on or to book a viewing.

We look forward to hearing from you

Laura Schultz, winner of the 2022 Bay of Plenty Young Grower competition, driving a digger at competition day Photo / File

Summer Shakespeare season extended!

A last-minute venue change has extended the Summer Shakespeare Tauranga Trust’s 2026 season – and two nights still have tickets left to snap up

Originally at Te Puna Quarry Park from February 5-15, the trust ’ s 2026 production of As You Like It could not go ahead last Friday due to part of the park’s amphitheatre being closed to the public.

“Last Friday we received communication from Western Bay of Plenty District Council that following a geotechnical assessment at Te Puna Quarry Park, a section of the amphitheatre had been closed to the public,” said Trust spokesperson Vikki Tibbits

Tibbits said the trust had found a solution quick-smart – and moved

last weekend’s performances to Waimarino adventure park along the Wairoa River

“We are fortunate enough to have had Waimarino step in and lend us their wedding lawn to continue the season. While it’s not the River Avon [where William Shakespeare was born and raised], the Wairoa River is a beautiful backdrop for this production ”

Tibbits said with the venue smaller than their previous one, they have extended the season to host patrons. “So now we have tickets for sale for the performance this Friday, February 20, and our new closing night on Sunday, February 22.”

Set in the lush Forest of Arden colourful characters of As You Like It navigate the twists and turns of romance and friendship As the story unfolds, Rosalind, the clever and spirited heroine,

disguises herself to explore the complexities of love and identity

“With witty banter, unexpected encounters, and a touch of magic, As You Like It reminds us that life is a stage filled with possibilities,” said Tibbits

She said As You Like It would be directed by her husband Pascal Tibbits, who has a cast of 18, with the youngest aged 15. Tibbits said the new tickets can be purchased on Eventfinda and there

would be no door sales “Food and drink will still be available e have marquees and some seating but bringing your own camping chair or pillow is a good idea. There is a shuttle to transport people from Waimarino carpark to the stage. ” As You Like It on February 20 and 22 at Waimarino adventure park, opens 5.30pm. The show starts 6.30pm. Purchase tickets at: www eventfinda.co.nz/2026/summer-shakespearetauranga-trust-presents-as-you-like-it/tauranga

Entries open for kids’ fishing and hunting competition!

Wake up kids – for those wanting to enter this year ’ s Katikati-based Kids Hunting and Fishing Competition on March 27-29, early bird entries are now open.

After a successful inaugural competition last year that was organised in a haphazard three weeks –catching $10,000 worth of prize money and 153 youngsters – this year the organisers want more local families to get involved.

Upped eligibility

Aongatete residents Scott and Sarah Adamson will again spearhead the competition with a committee and a bunch of parents – and have upped the eligibility age to enter

“This year we ’ ve made entries open up to age 15 years old, up from last year ’ s maximum age of 13,” Adamson said.

“The first 200 kids registered for our 2026 competition will receive goodies bags Last year we had 153 kids register and receive goodie bags – this year we want to grow the competition and get more kids involved ” Early bird registrations made before March 15 also go into a draw to win a prize.

“There’s an early bird prize this year – a paddleboard to win – which will be awarded at the competition prizegiving,” Adamson said. Early bird entries close March 14 but parents and caregivers can still register children for the event right up until March 27.

Adamson said the competition will run nearly exactly the same as last year with only a few changes. Competition categories will be communicated in coming weeks but Adamson did not anticipate much change

Same entry price

The entry fee would also remain the same price at $15 per entry

Adamson said the prizegiving will be much the same as last year

“We will have a range of entertainment on offer including Jen’s face painting, the balloon guy etc and food to purchase

“We have some great sponsors this year, and local companies are still asking to sponsor, so we haven’t got a prize pool yet. Our two platinum sponsors are Grace Anderson Bower Real Estate, and Out of The Wild Pet Food ” For more information, or to register children

for the early bird prize draw, email: kidshuntingandfishingcomp@ gmail com before March 15 Registrations will be accepted until March 27

Merle Cave

Summer Shakespeare Tauranga Trust actors Sabian ulczynski (Orlando), oe Cruse (Rosalind), Rain enyer (Celia), ason Chamberlain (Touchstone), who will star in As You Like It rom February 5-22 Photo / Vikki Tibbits

Willow Gould, 7, with 2025’s winning average snapper Photo / Supplied

A new base but the same recipe: how P

Katikati’s Poutama - Pathway Into Employment programme began for 2026 with a new cohort on Monday at a new base.

But their unique way of working with youth aged 15-24 to support them into education, training, or work through instinctive mentoring, team building and personalised coaching remains unchanged.

Katikati Community Centre general manager Nicky Austin, who runs Poutama alongside Shaun Tata, Sjaan Rounds and Piripi Pareana, is taking a cohort of 10 youth through the 10-12-week programme at its new base upstairs in the Katikati Christian Centre on Henry Rd.

Poutama was formerly based in the old BNZ bank on Katikati’s Main Rd but recently relocated due to their old building going up for sale.

Austin said moving to their new facility upstairs in the Katikati Chirstian Centre on Henry Rd had been a real boost for the programme, which takes youth from Waihi, Katikati through to Ōmokoroa.

“This facility is much bigger than our old premises. It’s a much more cohesive space, in terms of having a huge recreational area separate from the classroom, separate offices and a much bigger kitchen ”

High NEETS percentage

Austin said Poutama was set up following a successful pilot programme, which came out of The Hearts and Minds of Katikati 2019 research project, conceived by Katikati Taiao and funded by the Lotteries commission

“It showed we had high a percentage of NEETS in our area and something needed to be done [to improve the statistic]. NEETS stands for Not in Education Employment or Training,” Austin said.

Started in 2022, Poutama has run for four

years and is all about supporting rangatahi (youth) from school into a pathway where they will eventually have employment,

Austin said

“It may mean they need to do some training beforehand or if they’ve dropped out of school quite young, that they come to the realisation that they need to go back to school – that's also a good outcome for us ”

Austin said the programme is funded by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and there were strict outcomes the programme had to achieve.

“Our focus is sustainable pathways for rangatahi, and since launching Poutama we ’ ve walked alongside 196 young people, with more than 130 already moving into employment, education or training, and many others still on the journey with us, continuing to build the foundations they need to get there. We look after them for a full 12 months, even after they’ve found employment and are on their way ”

Overwhelming, out of reach

Austin said youth came to the programme from both formal and informal avenues.

“We get referrals from school or careers counsellors, from the MSD offices in Tauranga, Corrections, Youth Justice, Police, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua; and they come from parents and clients from previous cohorts who tell their friends or family: ‘You need to go to Poutama’.”

Austin said many rangatahi who arrive at Poutama have a sense of what they want for their future but can struggle to put it into words because it feels overwhelming or out of reach Others simply don’t know what steps to take to get there.

“Some young people come to us with complex challenges at home or in life, and not everyone has had consistent role models for what employment looks like That can make the transition into adulthood feel

really scary, ” she said

“In many cases they’re standing at a big crossroads and aren ’ t sure which direction to go They can feel stuck or anxious about what comes next, and sometimes whānau are unsure how best to support them as well.

“We often see young people who’ve lost confidence or become quite isolated. A big part of what we do is rebuild that sense of belief and connection. Walking through the door can feel daunting at first, but once they’re here, they quickly realise this is a safe and supportive space. ”

Poutama’s current MSD contract ends in June and Austin said she’s busy creating a proposal for a new contract. “But it’s going out to open market; I feel confident but it’s definitely not guaranteed.”

The next contract would be three years with a two-year renewal, which would keep it running for five years.

Austin said the programme ’ s outcomes were excellent and consistent with some of the most effective youth employment initiatives in Aotearoa.

Instinctive staff

How does the Poutama programme work so well? Austin said it’s mostly down to her “ very instinctive” fellow staff members – even chef Paraeana.

“Our staff have a very instinctive ability

to connect with each rangatahi in ways that build trust and help them feel safe here,” Austin said. “We’ve created an environment where they know they can be themselves, learn from mistakes, and feel fully supported as they grow ”

From day one, it’s all about support, Austin said. “But as the weeks roll on we start to give them back some responsibility in a way that they can handle.

“There has to be a lot openness, trust has to be established early, and they have to feel safe not only with us but the rest of the class

“We find the class get to know each other really well – and everybody comes from different walks of life, which mirrors what they’re going to encounter in an employment situation ”

By the time the class part of the programme finishes, each individual would have created a CV, been through job interviews with real employers and business owners and learned about behavioural expectations in the workplace

Building awareness

“This includes building awareness of how they respond in different situations and developing the professional skills and confidence needed for the workplace,” Austin said. “We help them reflect on past experiences, learn new approaches, and

Piripi Paraeana and Nicky Austin are two of four staff who work on PoutamaPathway Into Employment and change the trajectory of local youth. Photo / Merle Cave

P Poutama - Pathway Into Employment’s first cohort for 2026. Photo / Supplied

w Poutama help youth into adulthood

understand how to receive feedback in a positive and constructive way ”

Poutama also partners with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua, which provide workshops within the class on topics such as anxiety and addiction

Austin said Tata leads the classroom space and uses a range of activities, challenges and real-life scenarios that allow rangatahi to try things, learn safely, and build confidence through repeated success. “It’s a very intentional approach that helps them realise they are capable and can achieve their goals,” Austin said.

The programme is designed to also break down the barriers of food and transportation – identified in The Hearts and Minds research project – for each cohort. “We pick them up and drop them home every day for the programme. We also drive them to interviews, driver’s training, licence tests, trade days, Toi Ohomai visits etc ”

The programme also provides breakfast and lunch via chef Paraeana, who’d grown to become the programme ’ s kaiawhina (supporter), kaumatua (respected elder), and caretaker-type person.

“When you talk about providing food, the role Piripi plays is so much more than that,” Austin said.

Piripi’s impact

“While Piripi first joined us in a chef role, he has become so much more than that,” Austin said. “As a kaumātua from Tuapiro Marae, he brings a calm and grounding

presence, and his role-modelling has a powerful impact on our rangatahi. Sharing kai is often the starting point, but it’s those quiet conversations where young people feel comfortable opening up ”

“He’s a very special and integral part of the programme and contributes hugely to the sense of whānau and belonging we try to create here.”

Paraeana, who provides nutritious, tasty meals on a twoweek roster to a budget, said he never knows who’s going to walk through the door on day one.

“They always start quiet. You always have some who are happy to jump straight in and be themselves but you also have those that are happy to sit and watch My thing is well, I will try to tempt them to eat ”

Eventually, Paraeana ends up chatting to individuals “One or two come and sit in here and I give them a cup of tea and a biscuit, and they just sit and chat away for a little while. Food is good thing to get them to talk.”

Austin said Paraeana also goes out of his way to learn and cook food to individuals’ tastes and cultures He’s had a request for boil-up and fry bread for a birthday No trouble. “Another wanted butter chicken, so I cooked that. It helps them feel safe and supported, and feel welcome here.”

One Muslim girl requested halal food. Paraeana, who has served in the New Zealand Army, worked as a chef in a halal kitchen for United

Emirates, on Toi Ohomai’s Youth Guarantee programme, and for the Department of Conservation, sorted it easily

“I went over to a halal butcher in Hamilton. You have to prove to them the meat you ’ ve bought is halal. So I photographed the food, the store it come from and gave her the receipts to take home. The parents said they trusted the store and were happy with that, otherwise she probably wouldn’t have tried it,” Paraeana said

“Her father was surprised when he noticed a positive change in his daughter while she was on the course – she seemed healthier, more confident and willing to try new things ”

Another place

Paraeana said as time goes, his relationship with each youth builds “But I give them a line in the sand Although, it’s good for them to know that there is another place for them to just chill out.

“Some of the activities Shaun runs really challenge our rangatahi, so sometimes they need to step out for a quiet moment I give them some food, a drink, and some time to reset themselves Then I say: ‘You’re good to go now, seeya’. You don’t want them to get comfortable stepping out, so you give them a nudge to get back into it”

Open Day

The public are invited to Poutama’s new space at Katikati Christian Centre on Henry Rd,

at an Open Day next Saturday, February 28, from 10am-1pm, which will run in conjunction with the Volunteer Hop happening in Katikati the same day

“We’d especially love to see potential employers who have entry

level roles available so we can let them know about special support that Poutama provides to employers and new employees,” Austin said. To find out more, email: enquiries@katikaticommunity.nz Merle Cave

Piripi Paraeana where he makes a real difference, in the kitchen, drawing youth out of their shells with kai and a cuppa. Photo / Merle Cave

Dan leaves a lasting legacy to his club, and N

Tributes are flowing for an incredible man who left an indelible mark on every facet of Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services Inc – including generations of members –by pouring more than 60 years of his life into the organisation.

Dan Harris, QSM – described as a defining figure in surf lifesaving at Waihī Beach and a well-known presence in surf boat rowing circles across New Zealand – died February 10, 2026, in Hamilton, aged 87.

Daniel Edwin Harris was born April 9, 1938, to the late Maurice and Winifred Harris. The second son of three, he grew up in Waihi township, said daughter Janine O’Connor

“He talked of being the whistling paper boy because he used to deliver the paper first thing in the morning whether it was rain, hail, snow, or shine. The paper had to get through.”

O’Connor said her father left school at age 15 and become an apprentice mechanic at the old Shell station at the top of Leo St at Waihī Beach. “He worked as an apprentice for Herbert Lomas. Herbert’s wife Edna did the books, and he boarded with

them on Dillon St.”

O’Connor is unsure what led her father to join Waihi and Waihī Beach Lifesaving Club – now called Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services Inc – but knows he was in the mix by age 17

“He received his surf bronze medallion, an entry level award, at 17. At that time he would’ve had a winter and a summer sport. He was a keen rugby player; he played for Thames Valley as a hooker in the number 2 jersey, but we believe that his mates and his joining the surf club would have been his summer sport. ”

Aged nearly 22 he met Thelma, who was five years younger “She was biking home from working at the hair salon on Wilson Rd and he pulled over in front of her in his car – that’s how they met, ” said O’Connor, the older sibling of Greg Harris and Tracey James Bigger, bolder, better

A man who always looked for the next challenge, O’Connor said the family moved around the central North Island with her father’s work. “Just like his work at the surf club, initiating all the improvements over the years, everything had to be bigger, bolder and better”

As such Dan became a qualified A Grade mechanic then went to work in Waihi’s Bolton’s store “fixing all the appliances”.

Wanting to pursue more qualifications, Dan became an insurance assessor “He studied for his qualifications at night school while working at Bolton’s.

“When he became an insurance

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assessor, we moved around a lot as his job took him to different places,” said O’Connor, whose parents were married at the United Church on Wilson St, Waihī Beach

First wed they lived in Waihī Beach, then Matamata; Dan done compulsory military training in Pukekohe, then they went to

Ohope, back to Waihī Beach, Paeroa and lastly Hamilton

“He always wanted to live by the river so he could look out at the water The final house they lived in was in River Rd.”

From early on Dan was fulltime in the surf club, which was voluntary work back then.

“My parents had a bach at

In New Plymouth in 1966, rom le t Dan Harris, W Clark, D oore, D Lindsay and Ian Robinson in action Photo / Supplied

d NZ’s surf boat community

Wallnutt Ave and in winter every third Sunday of the month we’d visit He’d go to the surf club meetings. Mom would mow the lawns.”

Back in Hamilton Dan trained his crews on the Waikato River in winter

A man about a tractor

O’Connor said her father was always looking to improve the surf club “ so he’d use all his building contacts in Hamilton to make alterations and additions”.

As an insurance assessor Dan travelled throughout the Waikato and King Country “He’d go to panel beaters and places like that as part of his job so a lot of the equipment the surf club got in terms quad motorbikes and tractors and utes, came from his contacts. ” Otorohanga people sponsored quad bikes, Morrinsville residents helped with tractors. “If you asked dad where he was going he’d always say: ‘I’m going to see a man about a tractor’.

O’Connor said when her father wasn ’ t trying to improve the surf club, he was earning extra money for his family “A trained mechanic, he’d do up cars in the shed at home.”

Very driven and motivated, O’Connor said her dad’s nickname was ‘Hard Man Harris’. “It was well-earned and wellknown,” she said.

Commitment, responsibility

Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services Inc

spokesperson Natalie Lloyd said Dan’s involvement with the club spanned more than six decades, and his name was closely associated with commitment, responsibility “and an unwavering belief in what surf lifesaving – and surf boat rowing in particular – could and should be”

Lloyd said Dan competed at national level in surf boat rowing well into his seventies. “His longevity was remarkable, including continuing to sweep surf boat crews at an age when most had long since stepped away from competition ”

O’Connor said her father was incredibly competitive and loved being surrounded by youth.

“He liked to do well and if you ’ re gonna do a competition it’s not for fun, it’s for winning – but subtly alongside that he gave many crews, anyone he was involved with, some life lessons.

“We’ve had so many tributes come to us to acknowledge that not only was he a coach, but he was a mentor ”

O’Connor said her father was a hard man – “he didn’t suffer any fools” – but firm and fair

Dan held numerous positions of responsibility within the club, including club captain, president across multiple terms, and chair, Lloyd said

“He expected top notch in everything. If a job was worth doing, it was worth doing right – and you weren ’ t going to do it right, he’d do it himself He always had a project on the go ”

“He contributed far beyond any formal title, remaining a constant presence at the club –organising, repairing, fundraising, mentoring, recruiting, and advocating – persistent, visible, and rarely without clear views on how things should be done ”

Competitive

Dan was a lifeguard – this is the club’s core business – but he enjoyed the competing side a little more. “However, he was always building the club membership, making sure we had the best and latest lifeguarding equipment, driving around to swimming clubs and running clubs looking for new people.”

Dan’s service was recognised via honours, including life membership of Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services Inc , district and regional life membership and as an SLSNZ life member In 200, he was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for services to surf lifesaving and youth

Dan was especially well-known for establishing the North Island Surf Boat Championships, Lloyd said “He created the event to showcase surf boat rowing properly – for the boaties, without constraint – and to place the sport front and centre at Waihī Beach

“Now in its 26th year, the championships have grown into one of the most widely supported and genuinely enjoyed events on the surf boat racing calendar, respected within the boatie community nationwide.”

When he first joined, Dan competed in ski, which is similar to a

kayak, said O’Connor “His first medal was in a Taplin team and I suspect he would’ve been the ski paddler

“He could see that if you had a team, you were part of something bigger It was a way for him to be more successful, but also it was part of being a group of people and connection.”

O’Connor said her father used his knowledge of ski paddling as a surf boat sweep “because you have to be really aware of the ocean currents and waves and be able to pick out runners from the back a big part of being a sweep was finding the right way and reading the sea ”

Dan’s last visited Waihī Beach to witness the launch of the club’s Dan Harris boat, named after him.

The people, the sea

Asked why he loved the surf club, O’Connor said: “Surf club’s about people and his people were there. He loved the sea. It ticked all the boxes,” she said, adding all of Dan’s children and grandchildren had dipped their toes into surf club life.

Lloyd said Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services Inc was preparing a club tribute to acknowledge Dan’s life of service and the lasting legacy he’s left the club, the surf boat community, and surf lifesaving in Aotearoa Merle Cave