Mahurangimatters 19-03-14 by Local Newspapers

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March 19, 2014

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Puhoi • Warkworth • Snells • Matakana • Omaha • Leigh • Pakiri • Wellsford • Port Albert • Kaiwaka • Mangawhai

New motorway wins strong public support Plans to build a $780 million motorway extension from Puhoi to Warkworth have received overwhelming support, despite concerns by some local residents and businesses about the disruption its construction will cause. The Environmental Protection Authority has received 184 submissions on the proposal, including 115 in favour of the project, and 46 who are against it in some way. The most common reasons for supporting the project are improved freight deliveries and access for tourists, while the most common objection is traffic, noise and dust concerns while it is being built. Most submissions were from Warkworth, and 76 submitters have said they want to speak at the hearing which begins next month. Fifteen different consents are needed for the project, and a multitude of suggestions have been made of ways of mitigating its impact on the environment. Auckland Council says it expects the motorway will promote development in Warkworth, but wants better protection of a kauri forest. It has

also asked that the design allows for additional motorway ramps south of Warkworth and north-east of Warkworth in the future. It says it is also concerned about the condition of SH1, which will become its responsibility once the motorway is completed, and the long-term financial implications of this to Council. It is also concerned that stormwater discharges from the motorway could contribute to existing flooding problems in the upper Mahurangi catchment. Supermarket giant Foodstuffs has sought confirmation that the motorway won’t interfere with its own construction plans at Hudson Road. It says it expects to open a supermarket at the site within 15 years, which is the maximum length of time NZTA can wait before its consents will lapse. It is also concerned about any potential flooding issues. Mahurangi College fully supports the motorway, but is concerned that construction traffic could be making an extra 1240 trips along Woodcocks Road each day. It has asked that the traffic not use the road at the beginning continued page 3

Hey guys, let’s play

Lucas Hathaway, aged 4, is loving his new playground.

Snells Beach Kindergarten has opened a new playground, thanks to funding from the Auckland Kindergarten Association. About 80 people attended the opening on March 5 for a fish-and-chip picnic, and local Maori elder Jack Repia blessed the playground. Playground staff also thanked the Salty Dog Inn for supporting the kindergarten trivia night for the past eight years. Head teacher Kerrie Weenink says it’s great to have a good playground for the children to learn and play. “Children gain confidence as they achieve physical goals and the equipment can be changed around to keep the playground interesting and challenging,” Kerrie says. The children closed the evening with a group performance.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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contacts Still burning bright after 50 years

After half a century with the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade, Fraser Perkins still does his best to turn up when he hears the siren howl. He still vividly remembers his first callout, on December 22, 1963. “There was a fire in the top storey at the Bridgehouse, which was a boarding General enquiries: house at the time. I was at a Christmas Call 425 9068 party at the Warkworth Fire Station, PO Box 701, Warkworth 0941 and when they were heading out to 17 Neville St, Warkworth 0941 the call they said: ‘Jump in, we need Editor: all the help we can get’. I went back Karyn Scherer 021 622 550 after Christmas and joined.” editor@localmatters.co.nz Fraser has lived in Warkworth his Reporter: whole life and joined the station George Driver 425 9068 when he was 24. His father had been news@localmatters.co.nz a fire chief and Fraser followed in his footsteps from 1993 to 2000. Advertising: Cathy Busbridge 022 029 1899 He still attends callouts — mainly advertising@localmatters.co.nz traffic accidents — and helps to divert Shona Mackinnon 022 029 1897 traffic, but also attends fires when they need extra help. local@localmatters.co.nz When he started, the station was still General Manager: Jannette Thompson 021 263 4423 using a 1938 V8 Chevrolet open back truck and a relatively modern 1942 gm@localmatters.co.nz V8 Ford. Fire hoses, which had only one pressure setting, sometimes did more damage than good. He recalls one fire where the hose blasted holes in Mahurangi Matters is a locally the house’s walls, while the fire only owned publication, circulated caused a little smoke damage. “I had twice a month to more than to return later and patch up the holes.” 13,000 homes and businesses. The number of annual callouts has Views expressed in Mahurangi Matters are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. All rights reserved. Reproduction increased dramatically from 19 in without permission of the editor is prohibited. 1963, to about 250 today.

Issue 245

Fraser and Mary Perkins

These days traffic jams often delay volunteers trying to get to the station, and slow down the engines in emergencies. Business owners also seem more reluctant to allow volunteers to leave work, and more of them work out of the area, he says. This means the station is often understaffed during the week. “While I can still help out,

without breaking my neck, I don’t mind.” Fraser is the second at Warkworth to be honoured for 50 years’ service. His brother-in-law, Wayne Braithwaite, had his anniversary a couple of years ago. In total, 24 Warkworth firefighters have received medals for 25 years of service — one of the highest rates in the country.

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March 19, 2014

Motorway decision likely to sneak through before election The new motorway between Puhoi and Warkworth is likely to get consent with just days to spare before this year’s election. It was originally expected the consent would be approved by August. At a pre-hearing conference in Silverdale this month, the chairman of the board of inquiry, retired High Court judge John Priestley, said it was possible a final decision might not be ready until October. But the latest official timetable says a draft decision is expected by late June, and a final decision by early September. The board will begin hearing submissions on April 7, and expects to finish by early May at the latest. The dates are crucial, as both the Labour and Green parties have said they will scrap plans for the motorway if they win the election. Justice Priestley has stressed the consent process is independent from the Government and the Environmental Protection Agency. But it would be a huge shock if it recommended the motorway did not go ahead. Detailed negotiations are already underway with various groups who want a say on how the $780 million project could proceed. In a process known in the US as “hot-tubbing”, several groups have already met to discuss sediment issues, traffic and transport, archaeology, ecology, and planning. The

aim of the meetings is to reduce conflicts between experts. Warkworth resident Dennis Brown has persuaded the inquiry to hold a separate meeting on issues related to Hill Street, but details have yet to be confirmed. The venue for the hearings had not yet been decided at the time Mahurangi Matters went to press, but it is understood Ascension Winery is being considered. Justice Priestley said it had been difficult to find a suitable venue in Warkworth. He had been told Ascension had initially been ruled out “because for some reason NZTA didn’t like that idea”. He had been told it was because the agency was concerned that people might drink and drive, but conceded that could be incorrect. Mahurangi Matters and former Rodney Local Board member June Turner argued that it was unfair to expect people from Warkworth to travel to Silverdale for the hearings. It was pointed out that the preferred venue, Northridge Country Lodge in Silverdale, also had a bar. It is looking increasingly likely that the motorway will be funded by a public private partnership, and that it will be offered to potential bidders as a package deal with the Penlink Toll Road at Whangaparaoa. Auckland Transport was due to make a decision about how to progress Penlink last month, but this has now been delayed until April.

New motorway wins support and end of the school day. The owner of a large forest that will be carved up by the motorway has opposed the proposal, saying it does believe it is necessary. But it has argued for an exit ramp at Moir Hill Rd, to promote tourism and forestry industry development, should it go ahead. Asia Pacific International, which is understood to have bought the forest without knowing about the planned motorway, also wants a cycleway included in the project, as well as an exit ramp at either Perry Rd or Valerie Close. Many property owners along the route have expressed alarm about the effects

the construction will have on their daily lives. The Director-General of Conservation, Lou Sanson, has also expressed numerous concerns about the lack of information and analysis necessary to assess the motorway’s impact on the environment, including its massive earthworks and its effect on local flora and fauna. The proposal is expected to have “significant large-scale impacts” on a variety of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystem species, he says, including several threatened or at risk species, and more work is required.

from page 1 Watercare says it neither supports nor opposes the motorway, but is concerned about the effects that construction may have on the water quality of the Mahurangi River, which supplies Warkworth’s drinking water. It wants those responsible for the project to take “all practical steps to avoid adverse effects” on Watercare’s current and future water takes for Warkworth. The Campaign for Better Transport says it believes the motorway’s benefits have been exaggerated, and that alternatives have not been properly considered.

Mahurangi Matters

Paint spills into the Mahurangi About 900 litres of paint spilled into a tributary to the Mahurangi River last month after a forklift carrying a container of paint careened down a 15m bank at Downer’s Warkworth headquarters. The spill was rapidly contained and cleaned up before paint could enter the river and Council was alerted immediately, says Downer national environmental and sustainability manager Lisa Martin. Downer staff and private contractors worked through the night to contain and clean up the spill of water-based paint, and the Council pollution response team came out in the middle of the night to inspect the site. Earthmoving equipment was used to dam the stream immediately, and clean water was diverted around the contaminated area using pumps. Contractors were then used to suck out the contaminated water, and the banks of the stream where the spill occurred were also cleaned with a digger. “The stream is clean now and Council are happy with how the incident was handled. We take this kind of thing very seriously,” Lisa says. Luckily the spill occurred during dry weather and the stream was just a trickle. If it had been in flood it would have been a lot more difficult to contain, she says. The forklift took off on the sloped site due to a mechanical failure and no one was on the forklift at the time, she says. The clean-up was paid for by Downer.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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OFF THE RECORD The retired High Court judge who is chairing the motorway hearing has a sense of humour. When discussing where a meeting should be held about Hill St, he suggested that “in the middle of a traffic island” might be appropriate. He told another person they shouldn’t complain about having to attend a meeting twice. “As a transport agency, you should have no problem doing that,” he grinned.

Wesay

Viewpoint

Karyn Scherer, Editor, Mahurangi Matters

Steven Garner, Rodney Local Board

editor@localmatters.co.nz

steven.garner@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Pass me the beta-blockers As we have previously reported, there is now scientific research that appears to show that gravel roads are seriously bad for your health. What the research probably doesn’t mention is that it is your blood pressure that is most likely to suffer, not your lungs. As we all know, the issue of roads is a particularly sore point in Mahurangi, and has just got even more painful in the wake of the Hill Street Blues, and confirmation that Auckland Council plans to seal just five gravel roads in the region over the next decade. They should send out beta-blockers with the rates bills. It is difficult to believe that money is the issue at Hill Street. It didn’t seem to be the issue at Hudson Road, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be the issue at Wayby. It is true there have been many deaths at Wayby. But I do fear for some of our older citizens, who must be wondering if they will live to see Warkworth’s traffic problems solved. I certainly feared that Bruce Manson might burst a blood vessel when rarking up the Local Board at its meeting in Warkworth this month. It was a memorable speech that did, indeed, come from the heart. It was in that spirit that new board member Greg Sayers suggested an action plan. Although the suggestion went down like a ton of tarseal with some of his fellow board members, it was refreshing to see some public debate, which is all too rare at the Rodney Local Board. It prefers to discuss contentious issues — in fact, most issues — in private workshops, away from the gaze of Mahurangi Matters. The board has previously been proud of its harmonious relationships. But the real test is what it actually achieves, and whether it is doing a good job of being the voice of the people it represents. At present, it is very hard to tell whether that is the case. But there are encouraging signs that could be changing.

The missing link

The decision by the New Zealand Transport Agency that there will be no work on the Hill Street intersection until the completion of the new motorway between Puhoi to Warkworth is so wrong it makes me wince. The Rodney Local Board will continue to work alongside the Warkworth Area Liaison Group and any other interested groups to advocate for this to be improved now. There are landowners to the north of Warkworth who are keen to progress a touted “link road” from SH1 to Matakana Road. While this is a reasonable part solution, it does nothing for those who use Sandspit Road, which is currently most of the people who pass through the intersection daily. This link road is not on any document or plan of Auckland Council and so it is unlikely to be completed faster than seven to 10 years. Given the current pressure and the postulated growth for Warkworth, this is unacceptable, so upgrading Hill Street is something that I will continue to champion. Road seal extension continues to be another focus. A one-off commitment from Auckland Council of $370m to seal all our roads is unrealistic. However, I would like to see $10m per year applied to seal extension. At that rate about two-thirds of the population currently on unsealed roads would have sealed roads within a decade. In order for this to happen, two things are needed: a commitment from Auckland Council to providing equitable services across the city; and the reinstatement of funding assistance for seal extension programmes from central government. Neither of these things exist at this point in time – which is something we are working hard to change. All the work currently being done for the Unitary Plan and the great work around the Local Board Plan will mean nothing if our roads fail. Finally, I also believe it is time we had a bus service from Wellsford and Warkworth to the city. Do you think it would be used?

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YOU S AY

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We welcome your letters but letters under 300 words are preferred. We reserve the right to abridge them. Unabridged versions can be read under Opinion at localmatters. co.nz. Letters can be sent to editor@localmatters.co.nz or PO Box 701, Warkworth

Let’s get physical It is alarming to learn from Leo Leitch of Snells Beach (You Say, Mar 5) of the apparent collapse in moral fibre that he is observing, over just a generation, he says. He describes a cesspit of abortion, sodomy, and school leavers taking up prostitution, all this caused by “relentless propaganda from feminist media and suppression of contrary viewpoints”. And he says part of this turpitude is that we are no longer allowed to hit children to “encourage good behaviour”. Perhaps he has read Voltaire who said the execution of Admiral Byng was pour encourager les autres. It’s odd, because just over the hill here at Algies Bay about all we seem to have is weekend speedsters and apparent receivers of stolen goods. Tame by comparison. I know little of rough areas such as Snells or Omaha. John Patrick (You Say, Feb 19), to whom Leo Leitch was responding, merely pointed out that “spanking” is often somewhat more than that in practice, and he asked why children should be subjected to what would be assault if done to an adult. I entirely agree. Violence is the real problem – teaching it and dishing it out. I still wonder what it is with these people seemingly terrified they may not be allowed to hit children. Anyway, Leo says he now pins his lingering hopes on the Muslims to teach us moral standards. Huh? Were we really better behaved a generation ago when we all got walloped? It’s drivel for the credulous. Ross Miller, Algies Bay Oh dear! Your correspondent, Leo Leitch, felt obliged to express his 17th century, misogynist views — everything he doesn’t like is the fault of women (feminists). I wonder what Mary would have said about that. I am always amazed that people who claim to be Christians can express such nasty, un-Christian views. I wonder what Jesus would have said about that. Elizabeth Foster, Whangateau

Master builders Yes, we do need more jobs in the area for young people (We Say, Mar 5), but more than that we need local people to use the services already here. Year after year we see new people moving to the larger Warkworth area

bringing their local tradesman with them to build that new home, then they move here to our wonderful community. The Warkworth area has some of the best builders and associated tradespeople and contractors in the country, as evidenced in the Master Builder competitions. These are the very businesses that have been the backbone of the community over many years. They all need our support. A very big thank-you to those who move here and do support our local businesses, and to those who keep on supporting. Donna Wyllie, Warkworth

Sealed with a hiss Once again there are more articles and letters on unsealed roads. I live on one of the ones that looks as though it will be on the 20-year plan. We choose to live in our area but we don’t choose to have a road that is dangerous to drive on. We have potholes from one end to the other, along with some very nice corrugations and very little metal. The dust nuisance is extreme but when the rain arrives it turns to slush. Prior to the Auckland Council taking over, our roads were inspected and maintained by local companies who did a grand job. Now nothing. What is worse is the fact that they are now resealing sealed roads that do not need it. Kaipara Flats Road and Woodcocks Road are a case in point, plus a piece of road from Mason Heights Road to the single lane bridge before Falls Road on which there is a large construction taking place with trucks in and out of a driveway destroying any new seal. It is a massive waste of money and something needs to be done to get all our unsealed roads up to a decent and safe standard. Lorraine Atkin, Kaipara Flats

Hill Street Blues I was interested to read about the latest delay to the upgrade of the Hill Street intersection in Warkworth (MM, Mar 5). It seems to me, although I haven’t got any figures, that a large majority of the traffic is straight through on the State Highway, and between the State Highway and Snells Beach. Has anyone carried out an origin-anddestination survey? continued page 6

March 19, 2014

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

YOU SAY All this traffic will be taken by the new motorway and the Matakana Link Road so the intersection will be left to cope with local traffic only, a task which should be easy in its current configuration. Once the motorway is built, will it be: “Surprise, surprise, we don’t need to do anything about the intersection”? Or, if the motorway is to be a PPP, is it anticipated that tolls will force a considerable volume of traffic to continue to use the intersection? Given that all the reasons trotted out for delays so far must have been anticipated at the early planning stage, a little honesty would be nice. What other reasons are waiting in the wings? John Northcott, Warkworth NZTA’s Tommy Parker has to go. He has dicked this town around for years with delaying tactics. I’d like to see him in an ambulance waiting for 35 minutes to get through to the main road from Snells Beach. I don’t wish the man ill health, but I don’t think he would appreciate the pain and the stress of the wait. If he was involved with a big sports team as manager or coach he would be sacked by now. He held up the Woodcocks intersection and industrial development for years. The four-laning of Brown Road to a narrow bridge does nothing to speed up traffic; the narrowness of the road from the bridge north to Hill Street forces large trucks to run over the kerb and on to the grass; and the bottleneck of traffic from Snells merging with those from Matakana, are all examples of good forward planning. A child with a crayon could do a better traffic plan. Don’t tell me it is money. Look at what is being done in the Waikato at Te Kauwhata, Taupiri to Hamilton and Hamilton to Cambridge ,with bypasses and four-laning. Even the predesign of the bypass is flawed. Why should we drive north almost to Kaipara Flats Rd to then travel south? Woodcocks Road is the

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logical entrance to the bypass. And the High School is not a valid excuse. The school is closed for 10 weeks of the year and the pupils on the road for an hour per day. Many schools in NZ are alongside busy roads — even airports with a lot more noise and activity. Maybe we need to get the PM and catch him at peak traffic time, and hold him up for 35-plus minutes to get some action. We can’t wait till 2020. Harry Sutcliffe, Snells Beach After spending many years in discussions with NZTA over the Hill Street intersection I am appalled at their recent announcement to delay any work until at least 2021. Their decision is unacceptable. They have conveniently kicked for touch the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding signed by Rodney Council and Transit NZ, which not only allocated funds but had a completion date of 2012. The funds have been diverted by NZTA to other projects. Now NZTA are moving the goalposts again, using the motorway as a reason for further delay. Works such as widening Shoesmith Bridge, making two lanes all the way from the bridge to Hill Street, and preventing cars entering Elizabeth Street from the north could be done now. The much-supported link road from Matakana Road to the motorway could be commenced now, especially as the landowners are in agreement. With the expected growth of Warkworth to 25,000 people and Snells Beach to 12,000, Hill Street will become even more of a nightmare unless something is done. The thought of 6000 more residents in the triangle between Matakana Road and Sandspit Road, plus the 6000 south of Woodcocks Road who will want to travel through Hill St to the peninsula, does not bear thinking about. It is time that politicians such as the Minister of Transport stepped in and forced NZTA to act. Bryan Jackson, Snells Beach

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Rodney Local Board wants $100 million to seal roads The Rodney Local Board has set itself a goal of extracting $10 million a year from Auckland Transport to seal the majority of Mahurangi’s gravel roads over the next decade. The Council-controlled organisation currently has a budget of $1.4 million a year over the next 10 years, which will pay for just five roads out of several hundred that are not yet sealed. Local Board member Steve Garner has suggested the board lobby central Government to reinstate a 50 percent subsidy for the cost, which he says would make the target more realistic. “It’s going to take a concerted effort and it won’t happen overnight,” he told fellow members at the board’s monthly meeting in Warkworth. The issue of road sealing caused bitter debate at the meeting, when newlyelected member Greg Sayers surprised the board with a motion to ask the Council for $350 million to seal all of the region’s gravel roads. Greg suggested the board lobby Cr Penny Webster’s finance committee for the money at a meeting later in the week. But the suggestion failed to get a single vote. While some members accused Greg of grandstanding, and scolded him for not attending the board’s committee meetings that discussed transport issues, others sprang to his defence, saying he was doing exactly what the public expected. The board had previously heard a rousing speech from Warkworth Area Liaison Group chair Bruce Manson, who argued it was time the board showed some passion for roading

issues, particularly in the wake of NZTA’s decision to delay any revamp of Hill Street until after the new motorway is built. “I want to see some anger coming from this board,” Bruce exclaimed. “This press release has been out for a week, and I haven’t seen any comment from this Local Board condemning the decision of NZTA. Not a word. It’s been left to [me], and the individuals like the Bryan Jacksons of this world, to do something about it.” He warned that street protests were being considered if politicians continued to ignore the view of locals. The speech received spontaneous applause from both the public and some members of the board. Board member Thomas Grace said he had come to the conclusion that local roads should be managed by Local Boards, and not Auckland Transport. Council was good at doing “the big jobs” but local roads needed to be managed by local people, who knew the costs and were familiar with the terrain, he said. Cr Penny Webster said she believed the solution was trying to drive down the cost of road sealing. Cr Webster said she was working with Franklin Councillor Bill Cashmore to develop low-cost solutions for rural areas. “We are working on it. We will get it sorted. We’ve got a chief executive now who understands it,” she said. “We will do something if we can get that cost down.” See also Skywork story p15.

Marina construction imminent Construction of the Sandspit Marina is likely to begin this month, say its backers. Marina spokesman Jon Nicholson says disposal of the dredgings has now been assured and a mitigation plan to deal with invasive species was due to be lodged with Council this month. The 100m3 of dredgings are to be dumped off Great Barrier Island. Jon says any invasive species will be destroyed during the dredging process. The dredgings will be stored for several weeks and drained of all moisture, so there will be no risk of the species spreading, he says. Dr Roger Grace agrees the plan would probably mitigate the risk of spreading

the species. “But it would be nice if experiments were done and to see comment from experts on the plan,” he says. Progress on the marina has been slower than expected due to a general reluctance to work on the Construction Management Plan over the Christmas break, Jon says. The construction company has also been delayed with other projects, he says. “The Hoppers Construction manager is still finishing up a job they are doing down the line and won’t be available until sometime around the middle of March, so like all our estimated timetables, this one has also suffered from a degree of slippage.”

March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014

Chocolate Brown ready to party When Steve and Donna McClean decided to move their business to Warkworth four years ago, some people thought they were mad. They spent four months transforming an old panelbeating shed in Mill Lane into a chocolate shop and café, and at that stage the property was considered a bit out of the way. “Countdown wasn’t here then and a few people thought we were pretty mental — but it worked,” says Steve. In fact, the business has thrived, growing from 13 staff to 25. It has also won a swag of awards, including the NZ Food Awards in 2011, the most public votes for NZ’s best café in 2012, and North Auckland’s best café in 2013. This week, the business will celebrate its fourth birthday with special deals for customers — and a colouring competition in Mahurangi Matters. When the couple bought the business from its Swiss owners just before the global financial crisis in 2007, it was based in Geraldine. They moved it to Queenstown, but after three years decided that their hometown of Warkworth was a better place to raise their children. Steve, who originally trained as a baker and set up Ginger Café in Warkworth in 2000, retrained as a chocolatemaker, but some of his early efforts ended up as seconds. “If you don’t get the tempering right

Steve and Donna McLean are finally reaping the rewards of years of hard work.

Mahurangi Matters

Briefs

Local board reaches out The Rodney Local Board is to begin regular monthly meetings with constituents, by appointment only. The first “Local Board Link” meeting will be held in Warkworth on March 20 at the Warkworth Service Centre in Baxter St. For more details, see “What’s On”.

Quiz night A quiz night at Omaha Beach Golf Club on March 6 raised more than $4500 for Parkinson’s NZ. Organisers Gill Le Serve and Maureen Lupton say they were thrilled with the night, which was a sell-out. The event also helped raised awareness of the disease in the region.

Clock tower unveiling you get white spots over it and it’s dull,” he recalls. “There’s nothing wrong with it to eat, it just looks horrible. It was certainly a learning curve.” But after years of working seven days a week, his dedication is finally paying off. The building has recently expanded to enable it to grow its wholesale business and it plans to make a big push into the corporate market, with personalised gifts that other businesses can brand and buy online. Steve is also optimistic about the future of the retail business and says

many of his friends from the North Shore have recently moved to the area. “They are young working couples who are moving in, which is really good for the area,” he says. “I personally think this whole area is going to grow extremely well. There’s lots of opportunity here, especially over the next five to 10 years.” His advice to other aspiring business owners is to hold your nerve. “It’s the hard yards at the beginning that are the hardest, but now we’re doing really well. It’s only taken me 20 years to get there.”

Kaipara Flats artist Joy Bell has been working around the clock to complete her mosaic artwork on one of Warkworth’s landmarks. The end result will be officially unveiled on Saturday, March 29, at 10am. The Warkworth clock tower project, beside the i-SITE, was funded with a $26,760 grant from the now-defunct Auckland Regional Services Trust (ARST) Fund.

Correction The History column in the Feb 19 issue contained an error. The Wilkins family was among those who did not take up land at Port Albert. In fact, after the men trying gumdigging and gold prospecting, the family settled in Waikoukou, where they had a flax mill.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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6 Mill Lane Warkworth

localbusiness Iconic ice cream ready for a new generation

Clive Gravatt and his daughter Halle were Mr Whippy fans well before they bought the local franchise, which operates coast to coast, from Orewa to Kaiwaka.

The iconic Mr Whippy franchise will mark its 50th anniversary this month and soft-serve ice cream fans in the Mahurangi region have been invited to the party. The milestone coincides with the launch of the area’s first Mr Whippy van franchise, which was purchased by Clive and Jeanine Gravatt, and their 10-yearold daughter Halle, late last year. “We’ve always loved Whippy ice creams and we thought it was about time this area had a van of its own,” Jeanine says. It’s been a busy few months for the couple who already have fulltime jobs – Clive’s a farm manager at Whangaripo and Jeanine is the owner of Warkworth Kindergarten.

“As well as the standard Whippy ice creams, we’re the first van in NZ to introduce low-fat frozen yoghurt, which is becoming a popular choice now that people know it’s an option.” As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Clive and Jeanine are offering free ice creams on March 29 in return for a gold coin donation for the Child Cancer Foundation. “It’s a nationwide initiative as a way to say ‘thank you’ to Kiwis for their support over the last half-century,” Jeanine says. The local van will give away ice creams in the carpark by the i-SITE in Warkworth on March 29, from 1pm to 2pm, and outside the Wellsford Community Centre, from 3pm to 4pm.

March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014 2014

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Opening a business in Warkworth is a dream come true for husband-andwife team Sam and Bart Rushton. The couple are both trained “Doctors of Chiropractic”, and are keen to combine the demands of their young family with delivering chiropractic services for other families in the area. They have taken over premises on Alnwick Street previously used by chiropractors, but are particularly keen to gear their own services towards entire families, with Sam specialising in care from birth. Bart is living testament to the benefits of chiropractic care from a young age. His father, Dr Barry Rushton, is a prominent chiropractor who has been in practice on the North Shore for 30 years. He was also instrumental in starting up the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. “I was under his care from the day I was born.” One of Bart’s brothers, an aunt and a cousin have also become chiropractors. The couple have two children: 2-year-old Bird and 3-month-old Willow. Sam is keen to stress that the treatment for young children is quite different to what is offered for adults. “What we do with kids is in a totally different ballpark. It’s so gentle,” she says. She believes many people still mistakenly think of chiropractors as “back doctors”, when the aim is on ensuring the central nervous

Berneece Tait and Elizabeth Marriott started Fairy Godmothers Inc (FGI) eight years ago to provide high quality childcare to as many parents as possible, while creating jobs for stayat-home mums and grandparents. Today the homecare childcare service has over 60 educators caring for over 200 children. They started FGI on the Hibiscus Coast after working together for another provider. “We thought we could provide a better, more affordable service,” Elizabeth says. The organisation is expanding up to Warkworth and Wellsford this month and is keen to hear from anyone who is looking for childcare for preschool children aged 0 to 5, and from people passionate about child education who might be willing to join the team. Berneece has been in the industry for over 40 years, working as a social worker and a caregiver. The FGI ethos focuses on cutting back on frills to provide a cost-effective, high quality service. “We don’t drive nice cars; we don’t have an office; we don’t take a big salary. We work from a room under my house and have meetings in my lounge. Instead we invest in the frontline staff and put people before profits,” Berneece says. The pair work with four other highly experienced registered teachers, and all believe home-based childcare is the

Rushton Family Chiropractic

Sam and Bart Rushton and their two children.

system is operating as it should. She believes this is one of the reasons why people experiencing symptoms get better under chiropractic care, and why children respond so well — because their nervous systems are so rapidly developing. They were previously living in Piha, and Bart says Mahurangi was a natural choice as he has been coming to Pakiri and Te Arai since he was a boy to surf. “It’s a beautiful part of the North Island. We are really excited to be raising our kids in this fabulous environment, taking the boy for a fish and growing our own veges”.

localmatters.co.nz Feature localbusiness

Fairy Godmothers

Berneece Tait and Elizabeth Marriott

best way to nurture a young mind. “We believe, and current research indicates, that home-based childcare promotes superior social, emotional and educational outcomes,” Berneece says. The certified care educators work from home, looking after groups of up to four children. This means care can be tailored to an individual child’s needs, and they also get involved in a variety of experiences both inside and outside the home. FGI is fully licensed by the Ministry of Education and is audited by the Education Review Office. Training is provided for care educators, extensive background checks are completed and all homes are evaluated to meet house and safety standards. Info: Phone 424 8868 or 0800 FAIRIES (3247437) or email f.g.inc@xtra.co.nz

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Mahurangi Matters

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Fairy-Tale-Wedding

Harveys Real Estate

For some people, family portraits are an excruciating experience, but for Gaia Mikosza they proved to be lifechanging.

Amanda Wynne has been selling houses for the past decade, but prior to that she was a police officer in the UK. It’s not an uncommon career change. “It’s the people skills,” she explains. Those skills have certainly come in handy for the past five years, since she branched out into property management. But with the re-opening of a Harveys office in Warkworth, she is also finally getting a chance to use her diploma in business studies, by running her own agency. Amanda began her real estate career with Harveys in Warkworth. It then changed to LJ Hooker, which is owned by the same group. Now both brands will operate in the region. While Amanda covers the area south of Wayby, another property manager, Roxanne Harrison, handles the northern part of the region. As a bonus, the pair both offer a meth testing service. “It’s a really good service to offer our landlords,” says Amanda. “Many tenants are doing checks now before they go into houses, and then on the sales side, a lot of agreements these days are conditional on meth sampling.” Amanda is also a JP, and she is happy for people to make appointments for any help they might need. She also happens to be an experienced volunteer firefighter — but that is one service she hopes she won’t need.

Gaia Mikosza

As a young girl, she had her portrait taken by one of Poland’s most famous photographers, and was so inspired that she decided she, too, would become a photographer one day and make people feel beautiful. “She had such an amazing persona and style and made everyone feel so at ease, and her photos were just so full of grace and beauty that they really inspired me.” Nearly three decades on, Gaia is still inspired by people’s life stories, and specialises in weddings and portraits. Born in South Africa to Polish parents, Gaia moved to New Zealand as a child. She changed schools in order to study photography, and after attending Unitec went back to Poland to study at the Krakow Fine Art Academy. “That opened my eyes to different ways of looking at light and people and composition. I love using natural light.” She has since been back and forth between New Zealand and Poland several times, and also spent three years in San Francisco, but insists she is now back “home”. As a teenager living in Auckland, she

remembers wagging school in her final year, and driving up to Omaha with her friends “far too often”. She is now living in Algies Bay, but would love to be somewhere more rural in Matakana. She has held various exhibitions around the world and her work has appeared in many publications. A personal highlight was a calendar she did for a folklore festival in Poland, featuring dancers wearing cultural and ethnic costumes, some of which were hundreds of years old. “The most beautiful group were the Tibetans. It was the largest group of Tibetans allowed out of the country and they were still under Chinese supervision, but they were just so beautiful and graceful and they had this inner peaceful quality.” See also p25 in the Weddings feature.

Amanda Wynne

The new office has taken over the old $2 Shop on Elizabeth Street, next to Robyn Egge Yarns. The building used to be occupied by the Millstream café and cinema. Former LJ Hooker owner Greg AllenBaines has also joined Harveys as a sales agent, along with Margaret Court and John Cowpland. Receptionist Michelle Percival is part of the team as well. Support the advertisers who support your local community newspaper

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014

rodney realestate

Mahurangi Matters

Skywork argues for more light industrial land The Skywork helicopter business and Brooklands Farm want Auckland Council to rezone their land for light industry, instead of residential development. Their properties, just north of the A&P Showgrounds, have been earmarked for future housing under Council’s proposed 30-year plan for the region. But they have told the Rodney Local Board they would rather see it used to create local jobs — and have reiterated their offer to surrender their land “at potentially no cost” for a link road through to Matakana. Their offer, revealed in Mahurangi Matters last April, was hailed by Cr Penny Webster at the time as a potential alternative to upgrading Hill Street. While Cr Webster supports the link road, she has previously said she does not support commercial development in the area because she believes it will “split the town in three”. NZTA has since announced it has put the revamp of Hill Street on ice until after the new motorway is built from Puhoi to Warkworth. However, there has been no word from Auckland Council about the link road and it has not yet been included in its 30-year plan.

The area that Skywork’s owners want rezoned as light industry is in pink.

It has been estimated the road would cost no more than $7 million to build. At a meeting of the Rodney Local Board in Warkworth this month, Terra Nova director Shane Hartley said he had been commissioned by the landowners to lobby for the link road to be built before the motorway. “We’re suggesting Hill St may not have to be upgraded at all. If it is, fine. What we’re suggesting doesn’t prevent that. We’re simply saying: ‘Let’s take some of the traffic out of that area that doesn’t have to be there’.” The aim is to eventually push the road through to Sandspit Road as well.

Local Board member Steve Garner said the board agreed the link road would be a “positive step forward”. However, it would not initially help the majority of the people who used the Hill Street intersection, who were those who lived in Snells Beach and the Mahurangi peninsula. “That’s really significant. The link road will have little or no effect on them.” Mr Hartley, who is a former manager of forward planning for the Rodney District Council, conceded that one of the four landowners who would be affected by the initial link road did

not support their plans. However, the rest were “quite keen” to see it happen, he said. They were also prepared to contribute to the cost of extending reticulated services such as water and sewerage to the area, including the Showgrounds. He argued that the land north of the Showgrounds was ideal for light industry, as it had a helicopter base, existing industry, and was close to the proposed motorway extension. “It ’aint a great place for residential growth. It’s a noisy, busy, active area. It’s a good place to put industry quite frankly, and you don’t have a reverse sensitivity issue.” Mr Hartley said he agreed with a Mahurangi Matters editorial that warned the town was at risk of becoming a giant retirement village if it did not create more jobs locally. The town had been fortunate in the past that its growth had come through rural and water-based services. But that had changed in the last five to 10 years. “The key message is to move quickly in terms of employment before residential areas are brought online . . . Good planning should be getting employment in place before residential. I can’t stress that enough.”

Mahurangi Matters

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March 19, 2014

If it’s local, let us know! Mahurangi Matters

425 9068

Funding fears for facilities

The Rodney Local Board is opposed to a law change that would mean property developers would no longer have to contribute to the cost of some community facilities. It fears the change, proposed by the Government, could lead to big rates rises, or delays in funding facilities such as libraries, swimming pools and sports facilities. The change would exclude certain types of community facilities from the development contributions that are currently paid by property developers to local councils, and is intended to encourage more property development, particularly in Auckland. The Government believes the current contributions paid by developers are too high, which is discouraging them from building more housing. Under the law change, developers would continue to help fund reserves, roads and other infrastructure. Development contributions would also continue to fund public halls, playgrounds and toilets, but not libraries, swimming pools and sports facilities. Rodney MP Mark Mitchell says the current definition of “community infrastructure” has led to some councils charging developers for facilities that are not needed to service their development. “Community infrastructure that is not essential for a new development, and which is for the benefit of the wider community, should be paid for by

the whole community,” Mr Mitchell says. “It is important to remember that people who move into new developments will become ratepayers, and as ratepayers they will pay their share of the cost of community facilities through their rates.” But the Rodney Local Board says shifting the responsibility to ratepayers is not the answer. “These services are essential to the community and there is a risk that they will not be built or delayed if they are not funded in this way,” it says in a submission on the law change. It says “significant growth” is anticipated in the Rodney Local Board area under the proposed Unitary Plan, “and it is essential that funds are available for community facilities”. Cr John Watson has described the proposal as a “recipe for disaster” which could lead to increased Council borrowing and higher rates. “Central Government is encouraging massive growth in Auckland, while reducing Council’s capacity to provide adequate community facilities to cope with that growth,” Cr Watson says. He says Council has budgeted $480 million over the next 10 years to build new libraries, pools and other facilities. Without the extra money from developers, rates could rise by 8.5 per cent by 2021. Submissions on the Local Government Amendment Bill closed last month. A parliamentary select committee will report to Parliament by May 12.

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March 19, 2014

Mahurangi Matters

HEALTH • BEAUT Y • FA M ILY • LEI S URE

Book explains how to care for the caregivers When Dorothy Goudie’s husband Peter first had his stroke, she was bewildered by the experience. But after seven years of looking after him, she learned a lot – not only about strokes and their after-effects, but about how to care for people in such situations. As the owner of Warkworth fashion store Dorothy’s, she found a lot of her customers were in a similar position. “We discussed some of the problems that we were having and the feelings that were behind those problems and I thought: ‘Wow, there’s lots of people in the same boat’.” The result is a book titled Strokes: A Conversation with a Caregiver, which Dorothy hopes will help other people looking after someone with a disability. “When it first happened, I went on the internet and there’s huge amounts of information on how to look after a stroke patient or anyone who’s disabled, but there’s nothing much saying how you should look after yourself, and how you deal with all these emotions that are running through you.” The most important lesson is to stop feeling guilty, she says. It is also

Warkworth retailer Dorothy Goudie hopes her book will help other people.

important to get as much help as you can, and to ask lots of questions of health professionals, no matter how embarrassing they might seem. Dealing with someone with a disability is not like dealing with a child, she says, “because they are not necessarily going to do what they’re told”. And often people who have had a stroke or other serious illness undergo a change in personality,

because of their own ordeal. “It’s like Ginger Rogers dancing backwards in high heels, isn’t it?” she exclaims. In her own case, Dorothy says she was lucky because she had maintained good physical and mental health, which made it easier to cope. “If you let the frustration get to you, you will get ill too, because that’s what happens when you let things fester away inside you.”

A good lesson she learned is that focussing on the problem only brings you more problems. By focussing on the solution, you get more solutions. “That’s a really huge one, not just for caregivers, but for everybody.” It is also important for the person who has had the stroke to remain optimistic that their situation will improve, but possibly very slowly, she says. In her husband’s case, he overheard his doctors in hospital saying his chances of a decent life would be poor if he did not make a good recovery after 12 months. “It latched in his brain, and after a year he just gave up. He wouldn’t do exercises — he just had it in his brain that he wasn’t ever going to recover. And he didn’t of course because that’s what he had in his mind.” After he fell over at home and broke his hip, she decided put him into care because she could no longer look after him. “A lot of women say to me, ‘I feel so bad about putting him in care; he blames me for putting him into care’. But when you physically can’t manage, you have no choice.” Copies of the book are available at Dorothy’s store in Warkworth, or at Unicorn Bookshop. It is also available through Amazon.

Mahurangi Matters

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March 19, 2014

Sweetappreciation with Chocolate Brown Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz

Garden party guests (from left) Sally Greenwood, Fay Illingworth, and Sue, who was judged best dressed.

It’s been a marvelous party Members of the Warkworth Garden Club got dressed to the nines and enjoyed high tea last month, to raise funds for Warkworth Primary School. The club held a Garden Party and Dahlia Show in the large country garden of Fay Illingworth, which was attended by around 70 club members and visitors. Everyone entered into the spirit of the occasion by wearing their best

garden party clothes, which led to a “fashion parade” with a prize for the best dressed. Pianist Noel Ford provided a melodic backdrop for the occasion, while guests enjoyed tea served in dainty tea cups, along with dainty sandwiches and sweet treats. The event raised around $750 for Warkworth School, which it will use to buy books.

This issue’s recipients of a gift basket of chocolates from Chocolate Brown are Jonathan and Kathy Lee of Snells Beach. They were nominated by Aileen Swain, who wrote: They both give such a lot of their time and energy, not just in Snells Beach where they live, but all around. Kathy is a local midwife, but in addition she and her husband often organise events to enhance community life. They recently organised several boats to take out a few dozen guys from the Pacific Islands to go fishing. This was a great treat for them since many are brought up fishing on islands such as Kiribati, but aren’t able to afford their own boats here. Well done. Know someone who deserves a big “thank you” for their community spirit? Tell us and they will receive acknowledgement in Mahurangi Matters and an amazing hamper from Chocolate Brown, 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth. Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz (subject line: Sweet Appreciation) or post to: Sweet Appreciation, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth.

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Cafe / Chocolaterie / Gifts Phone 09 422 2677 No 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth www.chocolatebrown.co.nz

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Wine

Ben Dugdale, Chairman, Matakana Winegrowers Assn. mardale@clear.net.nz

Let the harvest begin You would have seen the cobweb-like bird nets adorn the vines over the last five weeks. Now, bit by bit, block by block, winegrowers will pull the nets up to reveal a luscious new crop of delectable grapes – plump, ripe and bursting with sugar and juice. We carefully cut off the bunches and transport them to the winery for processing. With white wines, you want to get the juice away from the skins as soon as possible via a press, which gently squeezes the berries till they burst and the juices run out. Squeezed berry skins and pips are composted or given to livestock farmers to give their deer or pigs a welcome addition to their diet. The juice is then allowed to settle for a day or so. The clear juice is then racked (pumped off the sediment) and fermentation is the next step. This could take place in a stainless steel tank for anywhere from 10-30 days at a variety of different temperatures. Fermentation can occur in oak barrels – particularly with chardonnay, which gives a woody, nutty character to the wines. With red wines, you want to keep the juice with the skins so the colour, tannins and flavours are extracted to a high degree. This is done by using the press after the fermentation at a point where the characters are regarded as desirable. Pinpointing the time is generally done by tasting the wine every day (yes, I know, hellish) and looking at how the tannins play out on the palate. In ordinary, non-hoity-toity terms, this is when the wine has softened and is not as raspy and raw. Reds are then pressed and spend a little time in the tank before going to barrel. Some people go straight to barrel as they believe the wine harmonises with the oak characters more successfully — like a longer engagement before tying the knot. In a way, winemaking is a bit like cooking, although winemakers have a year or so to prepare the final product, and chefs have mere minutes, night after night. I would not enjoy cooking as a career – I enjoy the harvest and day-to-day pressure of checking the weather, looking at grapes, smelling and tasting juice and partially fermented wine and trying to figure out how to fit ‘x’ amount of grapes into ‘y’ amount of tanks – but that’s only a six- to seven-week period out of a year. That time is now, and I tell you what, it looks great. Sure, a wee storm brushed over the top of us – no worries. The grapes will be fine, and the wine will be just great too. Cheers.

March 19, 2014

Mahurangi Matters

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March 19, 2014

Homebuilders Maria Collins, Help Desk Advocate www.homebuildersfs.org

Never too old to learn Homebuilders Family Services has been successfully running “Living Well on a Low Income” courses for 15 years. These courses are offered throughout the Rodney community and are free to anyone who is interested in attending. They were started by family support worker Jan Inger when Homebuilders began, but for the past 10 years Tess Willamson has been the coordinator. Tess has been instrumental in networking with the community, finding tutors who will run exciting courses that people want to attend, and finding childcare workers. Tess has built up a list of tutors that make these courses fun, informative, empowering and a great way to interact socially. Sadly, at the end of last year, Tess retired and the staff of Homebuilders — and I’m sure the community — would like to thank Tess for all the hard work she has done in making sure these courses are still up and running for our community. Childcare is free, with children cared for either at Homebuilders Family Services or on site when courses are elsewhere in Rodney. The courses are held in Warkworth, Snells Beach and Wellsford, alternating in the different areas with the school terms. Term one has begun and Mike Hanne ran a vegetable gardening course for real beginners. The people who attended this course said it was informative and that Mike has a lot of knowledge regarding vegetable plants, compost and soil types. We will be running another course next term. Also this term we have Justine Green coming in on Thursday March 20 to teach about the winter garden; he will explain what you can eat all year round but now is the time to plan and plant your winter garden. You could be eating various types of lettuces, Chinese greens, herbs, brassicas, onions and more. Justine is also presenting a “Feed your Garden for Free” course on Thursday April 10. This course is designed to teach you how to make proper compost. Chris Pederson has already begun with her wonderful cooking series. Chris began with “A Treasury of Lunchbox Ideas”, which is to help parents with new ideas for the lunchbox. On March 21, Chris will be presenting “A Summer’s Bounty”. He will be showing participants the different ways of preserving your surplus fruit and vegetables. Our popular “Bag of Tricks” parenting course is back for term one with Terry Healey. “Bag of Tricks” is designed for parents of school-aged children, from primary to secondary school, but the basic principles are applicable to children of all ages. Info: 425 7048 or pop into 5 Hexham St, Warkworth, Mon to Fri, 9am-midday.

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March 19, 2014

Gardening Wendy Schick, Tumbleweed www.tumbleweed.net.nz

Fabulous feijoas I am sure our feijoa trees are fruiting earlier — this year I picked our first fruit in the last week of February. The aroma and flavour of fresh feijoas is unbeatable. You can eat them straight of the tree by halving the fruit and scooping the flesh out with a teaspoon, or biting them in half and squeezing out the pulp straight into your mouth. Not very classy, I know, but hey — it’s what I do. Feijoas are so easy to grow and will provide you with oodles of fruit throughout autumn. They will grow on most soils providing good drainage is present, and do have drought tolerance characteristics but require moisture during fruiting season. They make a fantastic hedge that will tolerate wind and even coastal conditions. Feijoas will also tolerate frost and cold temperatures. Trees will mature to 2m to 3m in height and approximately 1.5-2m wide. Pruning is not essential but a light prune will encourage new growth and as fruit forms on the current season’s growth, it will keep the tree productive. Heavy pruning will reduce flowering and fruiting. However, when grown as a hedge, feijoa trees respond to trimming. Most feijoa varieties grow best if they can cross-pollinate. To allow this it is a good idea to plant at least a couple of different varieties. Autumn is the time to prepare your garden for winter and spring. Root crops can safely be planted throughout autumn such as carrots, beetroot, parsnip and potatoes. Brassicas are also ready to plant. Varieties to choose from are cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. When growing brassicas, apply a general-purpose fertiliser and thoroughly dig through compost or sheep pellets before planting. Garden pests include white butterfly and aphids, which can be controlled with derris dust or an insecticide. Broad beans and leeks are other winter favourites ready to be planted now. If there are any areas not planted in your vegetable garden, now is an ideal time to sow with a green manure crop. Then in early spring, before the plants flower, while stems are still soft and watery, dig your green manure back into the soil enriching it ready for summer vegetables. After digging it in, it is best to leave the ground for up to three weeks before planting your next crop. This is essential with mustard. Adding animal manure before digging in will hasten the breakdown process of your green manure. Blue lupins are very important for the maintenance of your soil fertility. It is important to dig in before the flowering stage.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

weddings >

FEATURE

Church weddings becoming a thing of the past

The traditional church wedding is becoming increasingly rare as couples head to beaches, quarries and even tents to find new locations to get hitched. Celebrant Erin Sullivan says weddings are becoming more informal, and couples looking for something a little different are heading into the wild to celebrate their nuptials. “Couples are being much more inventive and they are finding some amazing venues,” Erin says. One of the best weddings Erin has held was also one of the most unusual, she says. “I held a wedding at Te Arai quarry and it was just incredible. The way they had decorated the place was amazing. It was absolutely stunning.” Kate Watkinson and Liam Robertson had 60 guests staying on location in 18 luxury tents at their wedding beside the Mahurangi Harbour. They even spent their wedding night in a tent. The couple are New Zealanders but live in Melbourne, so with half the guests coming from overseas, it was great to make a weekend of the wedding and have everyone close by, Kate says. “It looked magnificent. Everyone had a fantastic time. It was such a blessing to look around over the two days and see everyone you love in the world in one place having a good time,” she says. They hired Auckland company Wildernest to set up the tents and cater for the wedding. The trend is known as glamour camping, or “glamping”. “We wanted the site to look incredible and adventurous. But because it’s a wedding you still

Celebrant Erin Sullivan says this wedding at Te Arai quarry was one of the most amazing she’s done.

want an element of elegance, and the Wildernest tents provided that,” she says. “It was just like a magical retreat. We wouldn’t

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change anything for the world.” Staying in a tent didn’t detract from the romance of the occasion at all, she says. “We stayed in a luxury suite tent. Some of our friends had slipped in and decorated our bed with flowers. It was really sweet.” The tents even had showers with an open roof, so you could wash under the stars. Auckland-based Wildernest started two years ago and founder Anita Rogers says the Mahurangi region is becoming an increasing focus for the business. “It’s just such a great area. It’s a bit of a favourite for us,” Anita says. New Zealand has many great sites, and having friends and family camping together makes for a more relaxed wedding, she says. “A lot of the time if you don’t get to see the bride and groom on the night, you miss out. This allows everyone to have a bit more time and relax. It’s quite a magical experience. No one we’ve met has experienced anything like it.” Celebrant Dave Parker’s most unusual wedding was held under the sea, for two marine enthusiasts. “We all donned snorkel gear and communicated through sign language. We worked out a range of signals and then you either nod or you don’t.” Afterwards they surfaced and continued with the ceremony on the beach, he says. Another wedding had him clad in leathers on the back of Harley-Davidson. The couple were motorbike enthusiasts and that was their dream wedding, he says.

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March 19, 2014

Meg Nicholas (right) and Victoria Walker’s wedding was full of laughter and love. Celebrant Melanie Kerr of Little Manly is pictured rear. Photo, Doug Cole.

Romance of a bygone era the latest wedding trend Opulent weddings are out, replaced with a move towards nostalgia, romance and pretty, rural settings according to local wedding celebrant Melanie Kerr. Melanie says this is reflected in everything from a preference for soft lace wedding gowns to more relaxed makeup and floral arrangements. “Old style bicycles, bunting and flowers in recycled jam jars are popular, coupled with a more informal style of photographs,” she says. Melanie has officiated at three samesex weddings since the law changed to allow this last year and says what struck her most was that they were

just the same as any other wedding – a celebration of love and family. “It wasn’t a political statement for those couples, it was about their love for each other and a joyous family occasion,” Melanie says. “There was spontaneous and heartfelt applause during the vows at one ceremony.” “None of the same-sex couples I married had chosen to have a civil union and there was joy at being able to be legally wed. I know some people struggle with this but to me love is love and I’d be surprised if even the opponents of same-sex marriage were not moved by the feelings expressed at those weddings.”

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

Saying it with flowers on your wedding day When it comes to organising weddings, the first thing that is usually booked is the venue. Then there’s the dressmaker and the photographer. But the florist is often well down the list. That’s a shame, says florist Estella MacIntyre, as the right flowers can be more than just the “icing on the cake”, so to speak. “What I really love is being able to capture who the bride and groom are and their love and their story and being able to translate that into beautiful flowers to make their day even more magical.” A few years ago, the trend for wedding flowers was tight bouquets of roses, often all the same colour. That gave way to the rustic, bohemian look, in which almost anything goes. “The trend at the moment is towards each wedding being quirky and unusual and different,” says Estella, who recently took over Bloom Saloon in Matakana Village. “With flowers, that can mean they’re all over the place, and having colourful flowers in your hair.” Estella is personally fond of the style, because she believes it gives the couple getting married the chance to fully express the type of people they are. But she has noticed that in the United

States, in the big cities, a new trend is emerging towards a more romantic and luxurious look. “In LA and New York it is going a bit more towards white and pink and luxe gold, with glassware and a bit of a geometric influence.” It’s perfect for lovers of soft pink peonies, she notes — which is just about everybody. While the budget for flowers will obviously depend on a couple’s circumstances and how traditional they are, Estella knows of a few people who have timed their wedding around the type of flowers they want. One person she knows was determined to have peonies, and his wife receives a fresh bunch on their anniversary each year. For Estella, weddings exemplify why she chose floristry as a career. “What I love about it is that I get to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s a bride’s special day and they’ve been dreaming about it since they were six.” She hasn’t yet got married herself, but doubts very much that she’d do her own flowers. There will be far too many other things to worry about, she thinks. “I’ll probably be hiring a florist.”

weddingsfeature

For Estella MacIntyre, flowers add to the “magic” of a wedding.

weddingsfeature

March 19, 2014

Capturing those precious moments Photographer Gaia Mikosza has dealt with some true bridezillas in her time. When she was living in Europe, she had one bride who wanted one of the horses in a carriage composition painted to match the others. “There was some banging of heads on walls,” she recalls. And she’s never forgotten another bride for whom nearly everything seemed to go wrong. “The bouquet got stuck in the chandelier, the DJ put the wrong first dance on, there were thunderstorms, and renovations in the hotel. She had so many things go wrong, but she still did a great job of keeping it together.” Gaia, who is now based in Mahurangi, specialises in weddings and has called her business “Fairy-Tale-Wedding”. She says most are still deeply moving, despite the odd hiccup. A romantic at heart, she has witnessed “many, many beautiful unions” and is convinced she “just knows” when a couple is meant to be together. “It’s just nice to be able to keep in touch with some of them and see them having kids and having lovely families.” She personally enjoys a blend of documentary-style photographs and specific compositions.

Her favourite moments are when the formal part of the marriage ceremony ends, and the bride and groom hug their guests “and all the emotions around that”. And she always enjoys watching the bride getting ready. “It’s always really special. I love that. It’s fantastic to be part of it and to be documenting it and giving people something to remember for the rest of their lives.” See also Fairy-Tale-Wedding on p13.

Mahurangi Matters

weddingsfeature

March 19, 2014

Planning the key to preventing a bridezilla When planning a wedding, make sure you meet the people you’re doing business with, and always check the music. Carlie Blanchet-Burton has planned over 200 weddings at Ascension Winery, and has almost seen it all, from absent celebrants to dance floor emergencies. She says dealing with reliable businesses and thorough planning should remove a lot of the stress of getting married. The biggest thing is to try to meet everyone you’re working with, Carlie says. “You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars working with people who aren’t going to be accommodating or are going to be rude,” she says. “It’s especially important to make sure you meet your celebrant. Sometimes it feels like they don’t have any sense of romance left. One celebrant recently had the bride and groom standing about four metres apart.” It’s also important to find a reliable celebrant. One near-disaster Carlie experienced was when the celebrant failed to turn up. “I googled wedding ceremonies and held the ceremony myself. None of the guests knew anything was wrong. It turned out the celebrant had gone to the wrong venue and was an hourand-a-half late,” she says. The legal side of the wedding was sorted out

Ascension wedding planner Carlie Blanchet-Burton once had to hold a wedding ceremony herself after the celebrant failed to show.

once the celebrant arrived and it was still a great day, she says.

Sound problems are also very common. “Always check your CDs.

Often people don’t check and they have blank CDs in the stereo, or have a scratched CD, or have it set on the wrong song. We always completely check the sound system before a wedding.” Also check there is no feedback from microphones, and test them thoroughly, she says. And, like building a house, allow for a 20 per cent budget blowout as costs often creep up. If you are planning a DIY wedding, find a checklist online that you can use, and delegate as much as possible. There is often a lot more to plan than you realise, so DIY weddings often cost as much as hiring a professional, she says. She has never seen a bride or groom stood up, but once a bride was 45 minutes late after her car broke down. “Most grooms get quite nervous anyway, but he got a phone call from the bridal party so it wasn’t such a disaster.” Celebrant Erin Sullivan recommends working with local businesses. Many of the problems she encounters are with Auckland businesses who underestimate the travel time and are late. “Keep it simple and deal locally. When people deal locally they know they are going to get good service and we can recommend businesses we’ve worked with,” Erin says.

weddingsfeature Local Life

March 19, 2014

Sweet sensations for memorable weddings Sweets have moved out of the realm of the candy store and children’s parties and now take centre stage at Kiwi weddings, with candy buffets in big demand. The idea of creating a spectacular table of sweet treats, designed to your wedding theme, came from America (of course) and has been growing in popularity here for around five years. Couples can create their own lolly bar, or bring in the professionals. Kimberley Hay of Hey Hay Candy in Gulf Harbour has been creating candy buffets via her online service for three years and says ‘you name it’, she can source it from suppliers in the UK, Canada and America. Custom-made candy includes lollipops or chocolate in any flavour or colour imaginable, with a logo, names or pictures on them. Imported treats include champagne bubbles, personalised M & Ms, sweethearts with names embossed on them and lollipops in a wide range of shapes. The buffets are designed depending on the theme, environment or colour palette of the wedding, as well as budget, and can be anything from vintage to decadent and glamorous or simple and pretty. They can double as a backdrop and often include keepsakes for guests.

Candy buffets like this one, created by Hey Hay Candy, add sweetness to weddings.

A combination of canapés, followed by a candy buffet makes for a nice, easy flow. Among the more bizarre requests Hey Hay Candy has had was a Narnia themed wedding with lion-shaped lollipops at each placesetting and a medical theme chosen because the couple met in a hospital. The candy included fake blood made of cherry syrup, gummy plasters, ‘chill pills’ and even candy made to look like a urine sample. Kimberley says the most popular style at present is romantic, outdoor or vintage.

Mahurangi Matters

weddingsfeature

March 19, 2014

Mahurangi the wedding venue of the world Couples from around the world are jetting over to tie the knot in the Mahurangi region, as the number of overseas couples marrying in New Zealand reaches a 30-year high. The number of overseas couples getting married in New Zealand has more than tripled in the past 30 years, going from 740 in 1980, to 2422 in 2012. In the same period, the number of New Zealand couples getting married has declined from 22,241 to 20,521. This has meant that weddings of overseas residents have quadrupled as a proportion of total weddings, rising from 3 per cent in 1980 to 12 per cent in 2012. Algies Bay celebrant Dave Parker has been in the business for 28 years and says this has been his busiest year yet. About a third of the weddings he holds are for overseas couples. “The economic impact of these international weddings is tremendous. The cost of a wedding isn’t cheap and there are friends and family coming from all over the world,” Dave says. He recently married a Texas couple at Omaha Beach with over 100 guests. “They just really wanted to be married in this beautiful country,” he says. “The whole family came over and they were dressed to the nines in their cowboy boots and hats.” Another couple travelled from California to be married overlooking Mathesons Bay.

Celebrant Dave Parker married this Californian couple who travelled around the world to be married overlooking Mathesons Bay.

Ascension Winery wedding planner Carlie Blanchett-Burton frequently works with expatriate couples from Australia, and couples from the UK, the US and Canada are also common. People want to get married in the most beautiful place possible, and for some, flying to the other side of the world is not a deterrent. New Zealand’s marketed as a bit of a paradise, but I think it’s true,” Carlie says. One Chinese couple decided to tie the knot at Ascension without ever having

visited New Zealand. The whole family was flown over and arrived a few days before the ceremony. “I met them for the first time a few days before the wedding and they were extremely nervous. But they still had a happy wedding.” Mahurangi celebrant Erin Sullivan says she regularly works with overseas couples, and it’s a real boost to the region. “There’s a huge number of couples

coming from overseas. It’s interesting how well known the area is for weddings,” Erin says. The legalisation of same-sex marriage has also attracted tourists. Of the 238 same-sex marriages in New Zealand in the last three months of last year, nearly half were overseas residents. Prior to the legalisation of same-sex marriage, couples were still travelling to New Zealand for civil unions, with overseas visitors making up nearly one-third of all civil unions in 2012.

weddingsfeature

March19, 2014

Men want more bling in their ring Men are taking the lead from women and are buying more extravagant wedding rings, a local goldsmith says. John Crockett has been a goldsmith for nearly 50 years and says men are buying rings that they wouldn’t have touched a few decades ago. “Men’s rings can now be extremely ornate. They are not averse to wearing large multicoloured rings. That never would have happened a few years ago,” John says. “I think guys are thinking, ‘If I’m spending all this money on an engagement ring, I want to get my money’s worth with the wedding ring’.” However, women are still firmly traditional when it comes to wedding jewellery, John says. Women still expect men to fork out three months’ pay for an engagement ring, but styles haven’t really changed much, he says. “Engagement rings have always been something girls want to be as individual as they are, and now they have a lot more choice. More are going for custom-made rings as well.” Amanda Eve of Amanda Eve Jewellery has also found men are becoming more adventurous with the rings they are getting. “I just made one for a fisherman with a snapper chasing other fish around

the ring,” she says. “I’ve also just made a wedding ring for my father-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary. He never had one before. It just wasn’t done that much 50 years ago.” When buying a ring it is important to buy quality, she says. New Zealand women tend to live a more active lifestyle, and often cheaper imported rings are not going the distance. There is a lot of business in repairing poor quality rings where diamonds have come loose and fallen off, she says. “Sometimes they only last a year before falling apart.” Rings that are thinly made and covered in a lot of small diamonds are often prone to having a few diamonds fall out. But if it’s done well, it shouldn’t be a problem, she says. John says there have always been low quality rings which don’t last, so it is important to deal with people who know what they’re doing.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

Warkworth couple mark 60 years of marriage Moira Carley had only just returned from her honeymoon when she feared she might have become a widow. On the first night she and her new husband moved into their new home, a big storm hit. “Brian had to get up in the darkness to replace the tarpaulin over the chimney hole,” she recalls. “I looked out the window to see Brian and the tarpaulin slowly falling to the ground, followed by the ladder. I feared the worst.” Fortunately, her fears proved unfounded, and the couple, who now live in Warkworth, have since managed to spend 60 years together. The recent celebration of their diamond wedding anniversary was a chance for the couple to reflect on how times have changed. Moira (nee Bowen) was born in Waipukurau in Hawke’s Bay and moved to Auckland with her family at the start of World War II. Brian was born in Mt Eden. They met through shared interests in the Catholic Youth Movement and the Catholic Tramping Club. It took 18 months for Brian to get to the head of the queue and get a date with Moira, but after a year’s courtship they became engaged and exactly one year later they were married. The week they became engaged they bought a section in Te Atatu North

and spent the year of their engagement building their own house with the help of many of their friends. The couple recall that Te Atatu was just starting to open up in the 1950s. There was no motorway and just one working men’s bus in the morning which returned at night. When they moved into their partially completed home, it consisted of only a floor, roof, outside doors and windows. The power was connected after eight weeks and the hot water after 11 weeks, so their tramping club skills of “roughing it” came in handy. Brian has been a chartered accountant for over 60 years and Moira has worked in the Union Bank (now ANZ) and ASB. The couple have always believed that if you use something in the community then you must give something back, and over the years they have been involved with Plunket, Parent Teacher Associations, trust boards, church and Lions Club International. Brian is a past District Governor of the Warkworth Lions Club and remains a member. Their attitude appears to have rubbed off on their children — five girls and two boys. One daughter, Beth Houlbrooke, is a member of the Rodney Local Board, and another, Ruth Mills, is a swimming coach who has campaigned for a public swimming pool for the area.

weddingsfeature

Moira and Brian on their wedding day in 1954.

Moira and Brian Carley celebrating their diamond anniversary.

March 19, 2014

rurallife 27 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH 2014

Mahurangi Matters

CHERI SHING OUR LAND

More members wanted for Young Farmers Club Colin and Isabella Beazley have only recently moved to Wellsford, but they are already trying to drum up more support for the local Kaipara Young Farmers Club. The club is open to anyone from the region aged 30 or younger, and is intended to provide both professional and social support for rural workers. At one point it had 30 members, but as people have moved out of the area numbers have recently dwindled to as low as three, and Isabella is certain they can do better than that. “The more members we have the better, really,” she says. Members meet on the last Thursday of each month at the Maungaturoto Hotel. They also try to organise weekly events, and take part in any local events happening in the community. “Anything that’s happening in the community, like St John, we try to get behind, but at the moment with next to no members it’s been really hard,” she says. The club also encourages members to compete in the Young Farmer of the Year contest, and had some success last

Colin and Isabella Beazley are keen to hear from other young farmers in the Mahurangi region.

year, with one member getting placed in the top five. The club is also intended to be a useful forum to discuss rural issues.

The couple, who are both 27, have only moved to Wellsford this farming season. “Me and my husband have been

farming for the past five years and it’s only this season we’ve been able to put our rental property behind us to go 50/50 sharemilking this year,” says Isabella. “Doing that has been awesome — it’s opened up a lot of opportunities for us.” Colin grew up on a farm, but Isabella didn’t. They were originally in Kaikohe at Colin’s father’s farm, until it was sold. They then spent two years in Whangarei before coming across the sharemilking job in Wellsford. “Being young it was hard to get the bank’s approval for the amount of money we wanted to borrow to go sharemilking,” says Isabella. “Our age was definitely against us. It was also hard to get the farmers believe in us enough to take that first step to saying: ‘yes, come work for us’.” She says it’s a shame the industry has so many barriers to entry for young people. “That’s why a lot of dairy farms, when farmers get older they dry them off and become beef and sheep farms, because there’s less work involved.” Info: Ph 027 433 1053 or facebook@ kaiparayoungfarmersclub

Mahurangi Matters

Feature rurallife

March 19, 2014

About 27,000 people visited Northland Field Days, with new events like the freestyle motocross bringing in the crowds.

Northland Field Days best yet Fine weather, good commodity prices and a wide range of events has made the 2014 Northland Field Days the best ever, says Northland Field Days president Lew Duggan. Dargaville enjoyed three calm, sunny days throughout the event and while most farmers would have welcomed a heavy downpour, it was the perfect weather for the event. “It's without question the best Saturday we've had on the site here,” Lew says. “People were still pouring in at lunchtime. The weather was ideal.” About 27,000 people visited the event and exhibitors were largely enthusiastic. Higher-than-normal commodity prices for dairy, beef and sheep means that,

while many farmers are suffering from a lack of rain, spirits are generally high. Some exhibitors said they had more enquiries on the Thursday than they had in entire shows in previous years. New events were especially popular and the freestyle motocross was a real crowdpleaser. “It changed the whole flow of the field days and got people walking around a lot more,” Lew says. “We're definitely hoping to get the freestyle motocross team back.” The highlight for Lew was how smoothly the entire event ran. “The committee members, their partners and families are all tired but they are all really buzzing and feeling really happy with how the event went.”

Feature rurallife

March 19, 2014

Emma Heke and her 7-year-old son Connor travelled the length of the country talking with environmentally-conscious families and businesses for the documentary Our Green Roadie.

Film promotes eco-living A Paparoa farm is one of the stars of a documentary that will screen in Matakana this month. Filmmaker Emma Heke and her 7-year-old son Connor travelled from Northland to Riverton talking with environmentally-conscious families and businesses for the documentary, including Te Rata Farm. The documentary, Our Green Roadie, will screen at Matakana on March 26 as part of Ecofest. The film features the stories of 50 New Zealanders, from individual households to multimillion-dollar enterprises. Te Rata Farm is no stranger to the spotlight. It’s also been on Country Calendar, Fair Go and Rural Life. Te Rata owner Bert Borger has become a bit of a rural celebrity with all the attention around his free-range farm. “I would have thought people would be sick of me by now,” he says. Bert and his wife Rebecca bought the farm 11 years ago and built it up from a bare paddock to a thriving farm, with 12,000 free-range chickens laying 10,000 eggs every day.

“When we bought the place it wouldn’t have even supported one person. Now we’ve turned it into quite a humming little business.” The documentary inspires you to look at ways of changing your lifestyle, Bert says. Since seeing the documentary, Bert and Rebecca have stepped up production on their own home garden and now frequently have meals sourced entirely from the farm. The documentary gives a great insight into alternate ways of living and gives tips on creating an environmentally conscious lifestyle, Bert says. “It’s only alternative until it’s mainstream. It’s stuff that in a few years’ time could be integral to homes and businesses,” he says. The film has been touring the country since June last year and is the third film from the Nelson-based mother and son team. Emma says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and after receiving several requests to make a television series, work on a pilot episode is well underway. Filming is now complete and editing has begun.

Mahurangi Matters

rurallife

March 19, 2014

Animals

Olaf Klein, Wellsford Vet Clinic www.vetsonline.co.nz/wellsfordvet

There’s no flies on me Although you may have heard about this condition, I will take this opportunity for a timely reminder that now is the time to look out for it. Several species of blowfly are known to lay their eggs on the back and rump of sheep. These eggs hatch and the developing larval stages eat through the skin and feed on the underlying tissue. The struck areas get extremely inflamed; the skin becomes wet and sometimes necrotises to die off in patches. The fleece falls off in the places exposing the lesions to sunlight and often the skin peels away to expose the underlying flesh. This is a process that happens in stages and the stage where maggots are crawling in their hundreds through the putrefied skin surface puts an image to the term “being eaten alive”. For commercial sheep farmers, this is a threat they deal with every year and preventive steps are part of their overall farm management plan. Flystrike not only has a negative effect on production parameters, it is also a significant animal welfare issue. Since sheep have virtually no means to defend themselves, we as their owners are called upon to ensure their wellbeing. The fly is attracted to its target by smell, so efficient worm treatment — together with regular crutching to prevent the build-up of smelly dags — helps to prevent flystrike. Furthermore, shorn sheep are less likely to get struck, because short fleece makes the conditions less favourable for developing larvae. Other means of flystrike prevention are the application of an appropriate insecticide by jetting, low volume pour-on, or a spray-on. The most commonly used compounds are insect growth regulators (IGRs). They inhibit the growth of larvae from one stage to another. It is too large a task to elaborate on the range of active compounds and how they work, but there is evidence of the development of resistance to some of them. We offer advice on how to manage the risk and effects of flystrike, and the most important advice of all at this time of the year is do not get caught out by the nasty work of fly larvae hidden under the thick fleece of your pet sheep.

rurallife

March 19, 2014

CountryLiving Julie Cotton

Gone with the wind We have a harbour farm, and to suggest that it gets a tad breezy would not be doing my friend the wind any justice at all. One day it was so windy that it literally blew my husband off his motorbike while he was working on the crest of a steep paddock. When I first moved my home onto this ridge to appreciate my views, I failed to give the wind the respect it most duly deserved and subsequently made many silly, irrational decisions. The placement of my washing line has been a disaster. My romantic visions of crisp white linen blowing in the breeze soon gave way to soggy dirty washing lying on the grass and mud. Many of my frillies and sheets have now become part of the Kaipara Harbour ecosystem. God knows what some of those poor fishermen have hurled up on their lines – scary thought hey. I, more than most, have now come to completely admire the engineering qualities of a damn good peg. On a shopping trip, my husband tried to slip some of those budget pegs into my trolley. It soon became open warfare as I armed myself with a roll of tin foil in the laundry aisle. I am certain my family get great amusement from watching me chase washing all over the farm. Everybody urged me to place the line in a sheltered position, but no, I dug my heels in and now pay the price for my impractical ways. I have become the “master laundry chaser”. The wind has also fooled me into believing that the windswept look is “on trend”. It has become my perfect scapegoat for unruly locks and poor time management when rushing into town. Then there is the occasional wardrobe malfunction. Flowing floral frocks and cheap paper napkins do not exactly go hand in hand while one is entertaining visitors on a windy deck. Funny thing is, I could never quite work out why it was that so many farmers hid their decks from their glorious views – now I know. Yes, my friend the wind has kept my life interesting and in its unique way has allowed me to pay homage to the most strangest of things. An ode, I say, to old-fashioned bobby pins, damn good pegs and those practical, but ugly, undergarments.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

LocalEntertainment

Special guest for raft race Entrants in the annual Seagull Race on the Matakana River on March 23 will compete in two categories this year – fun and racing. Matakana pub co-owner Duncan Anderson says that while the racing event will target the speed merchants, the fun race will encourage boaties to be as creative as possible. He expects the event to be bigger and better than ever with possibly up to 40-plus teams participating. Special guest will be sports personality Peter Montgomery, better known for his commentaries on the America’s Cup, who will call the race from the water.

As in previous years, craft must be powered by a Seagull outboard no bigger than 4.5hp and only two people per engine. Money raised from the race and associated raffles and activities will be shared by the Matakana Fire Service, Kawau Coastguard, Omaha Surf Lifesaving and Warkworth St John Ambulance. Comedian Leigh Hart and musician Dan Pinkney will keep the crowds entertained. The race starts at the Matakana Wharf at 12.30pm. Enter at the Matakana Pub or phone 422 7518.

’Allo ’Allo comes to Otamatea Members of the Otamatea Repertory Theatre admit it hasn’t been easy sourcing Nazi uniforms for their latest production. But they are looking forward to delivering a week of French farce, with the much-loved British comedy, ’Allo ’Allo. The show is being directed by Maura Flower, assisted by Peter Matheson. It is the first time in the director’s chair for Maura, although she has directed a couple of successful one-act plays in recent years. ’Allo ’Allo tells the story of René Artois, a French café owner in the town of Nouvien, in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. It is full

of catchphrases and double entendres, and stars many of the well-known characters from the original TV series: Rene, Edith, Le Clerc, Yvette, Mimi, Michelle, Crabtree, Flick, Helga, the Colonel, Gruber and the General. Local identity Nat Curnow plays the role of Alberto Bertorelli, the womanising Italian officer. The season opens on March 21 with a special gala opening, and runs for a series of six shows. Tickets are available online at www. ort.org.nz or at Tony’s Lotto Shop in Maungaturoto.

localentertainment

March 19, 2014

Founder of Mangawhai walks event steps aside She helped establish Mangawhai as the walking capital of New Zealand, but after 15 years of Walking Weekends, Jean Goldschmidt has decided it’s time for new challenges. The event started in 2000 with just one track along the Mangawhai clifftops. About 700 people now attend the weekend, with 38 tracks on offer. “There are so many people there to enjoy a great day, and it always is a great day,” Jean says. “But it takes me all year to plan, and I think after 15 years it’s time to do something else.” As a result of the event there are now at least half a dozen new permanent walks in the area, and a group has formed that works year-round to develop new tracks. “It’s a good motivator. They say: ‘We’ve got to get this done before the Walking Weekend’. So things get done,” Jean says. For the 15th anniversary there will be three new tracks on offer, including through the new kiwi sanctuary on the Brynderwyn Range, which has never been opened to the public before. A new track through the Te Arai headland will also be a highlight, Jean says. “There’s a beautiful gem of a dune lake nestled in the depths of the park. It’s magical.” But the best walk is still the original Mangawhai clifftop track, Jean says. “That’s one of the best coastal walks in the country, without a doubt.” The event was one of the first of its kind in NZ, and has inspired many similar events. Jean believes its success has been due to the enthusiasm of the locals. Around 100 guides have volunteered this year, and it’s never been a problem getting people to help. “Everyone’s dying to be part of it. We are very proud and love to show off the area. The guides always get into it and do lots of research and do the walks three or four times before the day.”

Point Wells Fete

Walking Weekend founder Jean Goldschmidt says the success of the event is down to the enthusiasm of the locals.

Aucklander Stephanie Allison has been going to the Walking Weekend with her sisters for the past seven years and says Jean will be missed. “She’s done the most amazing job over the years. It’s been one of the highlights of my year for a long time now,” Stephanie says. “There’s a huge variety of walks and we go on a different one each year.” The Troubadour Trail, which kicks off the weekend, features a range of performances from musicians to magicians, who are dotted through the walk around the clifftops and the estuary. The Art Trail has also become a popular feature, which showcases local talent. “The Art Trail is always wonderful and the art has improved out of sight,” says Jean. I’ve got a work by one of the artists up in my lounge. I just love it.” The Wine and Food festival has also become a real community celebration, even if you don’t like wine, Jean says. “Just come along to dance and enjoy yourself.” Info: Register online at mangawhaiwalkingweekend.co.nz. Registrations close Friday March 21.

The inaugural Point Wells Fete will be held on Sunday March 23. The fete is raising money for community projects and will feature a range of food stalls and entertainment. With so many new people moving into the area it will be a chance to encourage community spirit, organiser Heather Reid says. There will be craft and market stalls, Devonshire tea, live bands, a sausage sizzle, raffles and more. There will a “hit a golf ball into a dingy” competition held at low tide, and paddleboard lessons will be on offer. Sponsored by 228 Point Wells Rd, Hutchinson Consultants and Wharehine Contractors, there will be loads of great prizes and fun for all, Heather says. The fete is from 10am to 4pm along the Waterfront Reserve.

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

LocalSport

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Around $10,000 in prizes will be up for grabs at the Mangawhai Bowls Annual Men’s Fours Charity Tournament on March 29 and 30. Proceeds from the tournament will go towards construction of the Mangawhai Museum, and platinum sponsor Bayleys has pledged support for the tournament over the next two years in a bid to see the project come to fruition. Bayleys auctioneer Chris Findlay will also hold a charity auction on March 29, starting at 6pm. Donated items include two nights’ accommodation in Oakura, artwork and sports memorabilia totaling $5000. Money raised from the event will fund

the interior fit-out at an estimated cost of around $100,000. Bayleys Mangawhai manager Sandy Allen says it is important to bolster the hard work of locals who have raised most of the $1.5m needed since before work began in 2009. Top NZ bowlers are expected at the two-day tournament that will see 128 players take to the Mangawhai green. Local team members will be collecting fresh pipis and mussels from the nearby beach for a special player’s barbecue. Entries to the bowls tournament are limited to the first 32 teams at a cost of $320.

The Warkworth Tennis Club has held its first tournament of the year for Rodney’s junior players. Numbers were down from the preChristmas tournament, but the standard of play was excellent. The winning doubles players were: Cameron Keats and Jozef Ujdur (10 & Under, Mahurangi East); Robert McFarlane and Lucas Smith (12 & Under, Kaipara Flats); Ben Donaldson and Sam Overton (13 & Over, Warkworth).

The matches played in the 12 & Under were particularly close. The excellent rallies were enthusiastically cheered by the spectators. Singles winners were: Cameron Keats (10 & Under, Mahurangi East); Talon Diamond (12 & Under, Mangawhai); Ben Donaldson (13 & Over, Warkworth). The Rodney Singles Championship is being held at Mahurangi East Tennis Club on March 23, and the Wellsford Tennis Club on March 30.

Info: Adam Booth 027 415 5752.

Junior tennis kicks off again

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Mahurangi Matters

Local Sport localsport

March 19, 2014

Mahurangi Rugby club ends successful season The Mahurangi RFC Bridgehouse Lodge Touch Module, held in Warkworth on a Thursday afternoon and evening for both junior and senior teams, has finished for the 2013-2014 season. Final games and a prizegiving for the 28 junior teams and 22 senior teams, with approximately 600 players, was held at the Mahurangi Rugby Club Rooms on March 6 to celebrate a successful season. Winning teams received prizes donated from local businesses who support the module, including the Bridgehouse, New World, Chocolate Brown, Charlie’s, Mitre 10 Mega Warkworth, Repco, and Matakana Cinemas. The module has grown each year since it was reformed in 2011 and organisers hope that next year will see continued growth with more business teams and sporting codes participating, as well as increased junior numbers. This year has seen some of the new entrants such as Core Builders, Bayleys and Leigh Fisheries battling it out with Tony King’s Total Plastics team, Warkworth Fitness Centre and the Turbo Titans from Repco. In the senior divisions, the Total Plastics team took out the Mixed Open section, Leigh Fisheries the Mixed Senior Social and “Sori ’bout it” won the Family and Youth Grade. Nine senior players were selected for the representative tournament to be

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TOTALSPAN RODNEY A roundup of sports activities and events in the district Badminton

Warkworth Mid-Week Badminton is held in the Mahurangi Community Centre, Snells Beach, every Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 9.30am. All players welcome, rackets available. Info: Phone Rhondda 422 3565 or Lynne 425 4999. Croquet

Association Croquet is played on Mon at 1pm, Wed at 9.30am and 1pm, and S at 9.30am. Info: Anne 425 5211. Golf Croquet is played on Mon at 9.30am, Thurs at 1pm, and Sat at 1pm. Info: Marion 425 6164. Warkworth & Districts Croquet Club, at Point Wells Reserve. Mahaurangi RFC player Tama Winiana

held at Bruce Pulman Park on March 14-16, including the Osborne family combination with Glen coaching the Over 30 women’s team, Kylie playing in it, and their two daughters Ariaana and Mako selected for age group teams. Fourteen junior players were selected for North Harbour representative teams from the Under 9s to the Under 15s and played at the Inter Provincial Series at Rotorua. The Under 9 Elite Girls, the Under 11 boys Elite and Under 11 mixed team all achieved placing. Five of the local coaches were also selected to coach these provincial teams, including Rachyll Collins, John and Gwen Hawken, and Michael and Michael-Lydia Winiana. Pat Moka and Vanessa Cleland were selected as managers also.

Netball coaching courses

Hosted by Warkworth Netball Club on March 24, 6.30-9.30pm at Warkworth Primary School Hall, $15 per person. Suitable for all coaches, especially new coaches, parents, and those interested in becoming a coach. Info: Tui McCaughey 0226283238 or email netballrodneycenter@xtra. co.nz Waka Ama

Tapara L Waka Ama club are holding an 18km Mixed Ocean Race on April 5 at the Whangateau Boatramp, all welcome. Waka rigging and briefing 9.30am, race starts 10am. Entry fee $20 per paddler, meal included. Info: Lesley Holmes brholmes@xtra.co.nz or Skin Atkins 0211697950. List sports news FREE by emailing editor@localmatters.co.nz

229 State Highway 1, Warkworth Phone 09 422 3149 0800 TOTALSPAN (0800 868 257)

TOTALSPAN.CO.NZ

Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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Denis 021 945 498 Joel 021 422 592

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March 19, 2014

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Kitchens | Bathrooms | Laundries entertainment units | WardroBes & offices Contact Neil 09 425 7017 or 021 070 0643 neiltcabinetmaker@xtra.co.nz • cabinetmakeranddesign.co.nz 16a GLenmore drive, WarKWorth

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Jewellery Valuations

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WATER TANKS 09 4312211

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Lavender House

27 Lilburn Street, Warkworth 09 422 3729 or 09 480 2255 martingreenleaf@xtra.co.nz

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RON BROUWER REGISTERED ELECTRICIAN House wiring & general maintenance New installations & contracting Underground/overhead services Warkworth 09 425 9412 • Wellsford 09 423 9412 Mobile 027 497 3353

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arkworth lass & lazing

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Mahurangi Matters

March 19, 2014

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FOR SALE Iconic Bookshop for Sale

Open since 1989, this Warkworth bookshop is well known for it’s great prices, and HUGE range of pre-loved and new books. With great atmosphere and comfy chairs this bookshop is loved by all who visit. Do you love books & want a change? Phone Martin 0222 762 333

Water Filters Underbench filters & whole house Ultra violet filters – Kill and remove ecoli/bacteria. FREE site visits. Ph Steve 09 945 2282 or visit www.purewaterservices.co.nz

TENDER Netball Rodney Centre is calling for Expressions of Interest for the operation of the Friday night canteen during the senior winter netball season in Wellsford.

Water pumps Low water pressure? Get it sorted. Sales, service and installation. Work guaranteed. Steve 09 945 2282 ww.purewaterservices.co.nz LAWNMOWING & SECTION MAINTENANCE SERVICE Rubbish removal, weed control, water blasting, decks, drives, paths, fence painting & repairs. Warkworth - Matakana & Beaches. Jeff is reliable and punctual. Phone 027 425 7357 or 425 7357.

R e q u i r e m e n t s : Provide food and drink for purchase by players, officials and spectators from 5pm until the end of play on Friday evenings during netball season. Senior competition starts Friday 4 April is scheduled to finish Friday 30 August. A complete calendar of dates will be given to the successful party.

MARKETS MUSEUM SUMMER MARKET 1st Saturday of the month, 8am, Old Masonic Hall, Baxter Street, Warkworth. Enquiries Warkworth 425 8391.

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GUITAR LESSONS Patient & flexible to suit your needs. Ph Martin 422 3037.

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$2.95+GST per line or $8.85 per/cm+GST for boxed adverts. SITUATIONS VACANT CAFE/RETAIL SPACE TO LET Great space to let at Sheepworld complex on SH1 just north of Warkworth. Fully equipped as a café but would also work well as a café/retail mix, or just retail/display. Stand-alone building at front of complex, 170 sq. m plus veranda. Enquiries call John on 021 743370. BUILDER WANTED – trade qualified, start asap. Contract or wages. Ring Hayden 027 454 9557

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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Come and join the fun, 1st Monday of month, Upstairs New Masonic Lodge, Baxter Street, Warkworth, 7pm. Proceeds to Warkworth Museum. WARKWORTH ARTHRITIS support group next free talk, Wednesday, 26 March, Shoesmith Hall Warkworth, at 11am. Topic: Eugene Sims, Osteoarthritis book release. Phone 425 9045 to confirm seat. KAIPARA YOUNG FARMERS CLUB NEW MEMBERS wanted. Meets last Thurs of month at Maungaturoto Hotel, at 7pm. 18+ yrs. All welcome. Ph 027 433 1053 or facebook@ kaiparayoungfarmersclub

Stylish Life block. Higher than the Sky Tower 140km views, superb bush, two ponds and 1ha of pasture and home orchard. A comfortable home between Warkworth and Puhoi. Prompt sale wanted. Offers over $580,000 invited this month. Ph 021 849 564 or 425 7098

5 Pulham Road, Warkworth Phone 425 8861 Sunday, March 16th 30 Sunday, February Guest speaker, Mahurangi College Auditorium author Brian Andrew“I Grow in One service only at 10am Grandad’s Garden” Sunday Services 9am & 10.30am

TV SERVICES & SALES

HAY - NEW SEASONS Top quality,

AERIAL & SATELLITE DISH INSTALLATIONS

no kikuyu, $10-$12 a bale. Phone 09 4257479 or 0274970980. Plants, Quality groundcovers, shrubs and trees. Large and small grades. Wholesale direct to the public. Contact growing and pre-orders welcome. Liberty Park Native Tree Nursery, 90 Jones Road, Omaha 09 422 7307.

Professional Installation of Satellite Dishes and Freeview UHF Aerials. Wall mount TV Installations, Multi-room Solutions. Audio and Home Theatre. TV Tuning Services. Phone 425 5431.

Rawleigh Products. Ph Pat 425 8851

ALL FREEVIEW INSTALLATIONS Dish, Aerial, Additional Outlet .. THE TV MAN IS THE ONE! FREE QUOTE Call Jim THE MAINTENANCE MAN 021 254 2048 or visit www. themaintencemanjim.co.nz

WANTED SECOND HAND GOODS - Glenfield Trading wants to buy second hand goods. Servicing surrounding Warkworth area. Ph Graham on 09 443 6013. PITCAIRN ISLAND signed wooden carvings, birds & fish especially. sarah. 027 343 5477. CLINIC SPACE AVAILABLE Health practitioner wanted to share large clinic room, Warkworth. Available 1-3 days per week. Ph Madhu 021 418 8068.

FREEVIEW TV, Audio, Installation, Faults & Supply. Andrew 021 466 394 or 422 2221. TV Services Aerials, Dishes, Freeview sales, installation and service. Extra outlets serving the area for 18 years. Phone Gavin 027 476 6115.

Classified advertising deadline for 2 April issue is 27 March.

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what’s on March

For links to more information about some of these events, as well as listings through to the end of the year, visit the What’s On calendar online at www.localmatters.co.nz

Kowhai Park Project weeding bee, 9.30-midday, meet at the footbridge over Mill Stream to the lime kilns. Bring gardening gloves, morning tea and a big smile. 19 The Last Ocean at Matakana Cinemas, 8.15pm. Cost $12. 20 Hospitality Day for ladies, Warkworth Anglican Church, 11am. Church service and banner parade.Bring flag or banner. Speaker is Heather Free, finger food lunch. Info: Vivian Pollock 425 5141. 20 Rodney Local Board members will be available for one-on-one meetings with locals, 2-4pm, Warkworth Service Centre, 1 Baxter St. By appointment only. Phone 09 301 0101 and ask for the Warkworth Service Centre. 21 Otamatea Repertory Theatre ’Allo ’Allo gala opening. Tickets: www. ort.org.nz or Tony’s Lotto Shop, Maungaturoto (see story p36 ) 21 Grey Power, Warkworth and Districts Assn members’ meeting, Shoesmith Hall, at 10am. Presentations by Local Board members, followed by shared lunch. Gold coin donation for non-members. 21 Captain Phillips showing at Kaiwaka Community Cinema, 7.30pm. Adults $10, under 16 $5. 22 Free children’s drawing workshop with cartoonist Andy Griffiths at Wellsford Library, for ages 7-plus. Register with Rochelle on 423 7022 or wellslib@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz 22 Warkworth Music presents Rangitoto Trio, Mahurangi College Hall, at 7.30pm 22 Ahuroa School Fair, Feast and Fireworks community and family night, from 5pm. Spit roast, games, silent auction, live band, licensed bar, fireworks display. Info: ahuroa.school.nz or 422 5898 23 Mighty Mahu Fun Tryathlon & Bike Day, Snells Beach Reserve, $10 entry, registrations from 10am, races start 10.30am. Info: Ruth Mills 422 9762 or Mark Illingworth 425 9183 or facebook.com/ mahusport. 23 Mansion House Picnic Day, 11am-3pm. Races, treasure hunts and more. Discounted ferry fares from Sandspit with Kawau Cruises. Info: friendsofmansionhouse@gmail.com or phone 0800 111 616. 23 Matakana Seagull Race, Matakana Wharf, starts at 12.30pm (see story p36 ) 23 Point Wells Fete, in the waterfront reserve, 10am-4pm. Info: Heather 021 409 100. (see story p37) 26 Our Green Roadie screening at Matakana Cinemas, 8.15pm. Cost $12 (see story p33 ) 27 Rodney Aphasia Group, 1.30pm, Rotary House, Silverdale. Members who attended intensive speech language therapy course at Massey University will talk about their experience. All welcome. Info: Elle on 422 7471 28-30 Mangawhai Walking Weekend. Info: mangawhaiwalkingweekend. co.nz (see story p37 )

Email your events to editor@localmatters.co.nz TO RENT ONE-YEAR RENTAL sought for 2015 – Are you planning to go away for 2015? My husband and I are looking for a home to rent in or close to Warkworth for 2015. We want to try living in your lovely area before selling up in Auckland and making the big move. We are in our 60’s and would look after your home as if it were our own. Two or three bedrooms preferred. Info: Phone Teresa on 09 624 0403.

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY, Warkworth Own private wing – 2 rooms + bathroom in exchange for household cooking and cleaning. Staying with 77-year-old widower. Must love cats and small dog. Mature minded person preferred. Please email references to petromill@xtra.co.nz or write to PO Box 9126, Newmarket Auckland 1149. CABINS FOR RENT 3 sizes avail. Carpet & Curtains incl. from $65.00 pw + delivery. www.justcabins.co.nz Ph: 0800 587822/021 2812066

March 19, 2014

Mahurangi Matters

local sport

March 19, 2014

Warkworth trolleys rev up for return next year Trolleys were breaking the speed limit and burning rubber at Warkworth’s first Trolley Derby on March 9. The event drew 30 competitors from as far afield as Papatoetoe, and the quality of the carts inspired many spectators to start preparing for next year, with hopes for the event to become an annual affair. Trolleys were made from everything, including the kitchen sink. But the winning “Tripod” trolley had been round the block before, taking out three trolley events in the Auckland area this year. The titanium and aluminium welded cart, complete with disc brakes, was clocked at 59kph by the police speed camera on duty for the event. Paul and his son Alex from Papakura have been racing for seven years. “It’s won every event it’s been in. We’ve clocked it at 64kph on our onboard speedo,” Paul says. Style prizewinner “The Kitchen Sink”, was one of the most innovative trolleys, made from a wheelchair, a bicycle and a kitchen sink seat. James Johnson’s trolley, “Mach II”, was modelled on his own car. “I just did it for a bit of fun. It’s not the fastest. But if it’s back next year I’ll be building another faster one,” James says. Cristiano Sarich’s trolley was the work of three generations, with his dad and granddad pitching in to get the cart across the line. Mahurangi College entry “Blue

Lightning” came second in the Limo open age section, driven by woodwork teacher Pat Henchie. Co-designer and metalwork teacher Grant Waugh says the competition was fierce. “We weren’t as fast as we would have hoped. There were some really fast carts,” he says.

Event organiser Craig Powell is happy with how the event rang and is relieved the weather held out and there were no serious prangs. “Feedback’s been really good and people seemed keen to improve their carts and come back next year,” Craig says.

A meeting has already been organised to discuss improvements for next year’s event. Local businesses gave fantastic support for the event, particularly Repco, which helped cart the trolleys up the hill, he says. “I can’t thank people enough for their help.”