TWFB_June2024

Local theatre review: The Arabian Queen

Shoestring Theatre’s recent production The Arabian Queen was performed on 22 and 23 March at Waiuku War Memorial Hall.

The cast of 22 comprised local home educated children aged between eight and 17.

Written and directed by drama educator, Douglas Roberts, the play had been adapted from a previous version to reflect the uniqueness of the Waiuku Shoestring group.

With productions previously performed in conjunction with Pukekohe home schoolers, this year was the first time Shoestring split the two locations to create two separate projects.

With minimal set decoration, Douglas and his assistant director, Bonnie Taylor, produced an engaging and humorous tale which allowed the young actors to shine.

Featuring characters in the form of seafaring sailors to market traders to tea thieves to a royal contingent, The Arabian Queen told the tale of Queen Scheherazade’s quest to claim the throne following her husband’s death, in spite of the meddling of her double-crossing advisor, the Royal Vizier, Jafar (Marcus Frazerhurst).

Layla Omar gave a captivating performance as Queen Sheherazade—the wronged queen. With the support of her sister Dunyazade (Sara Aiken) and a pair of crowd-pleasing banner bearers (Joshua Frazerhurst and Aurora Fouwler), the queen weaved stories together to free herself from imprisonment, solve the mystery, and punish the villain.

THE BREEZE

Crossword

ACROSS

1 A blow for British politician touring university (4)

(4)

3 A heavyweight returns to fight for nothing (3,1,5)

9 Grew a plant (4)

10 One won’t have joint or Ecstasy, averting a problem (10)

BY TIFFANY BROWN

A crew of thieves—Assam (Grace Palmer), Darjeeling (Zoe Peverley), Oolong (Lexi Le Roux), and Lapsang (Aamina Omar)—have recently moved into a more respectable profession of tea sellers at the local market. This causes the oil merchant, Ali Baba (Joel Axford), much consternation about the fate of his friend the tea merchant, Aladdin.

Meanwhile, Aladdin’s body has washed up in a trunk and been fished out of a stormy sea by Sinbad the sailor (Julia Aiken). A convincing flick of a dummy’s arm out of the trunk by Ali Baba’s housekeeper, Morgiana (Annaliese Frazerhurst), provides the shocking catalyst, which drew gasps of surprise from the entire ensemble… and the audience.

The arrival of ‘the guard’ and the ensuing muddle they make of their investigation provided plenty of mirth.

Meanwhile, two time travelling ‘historical detectives’, Tasgren and Talibah (Maeve Gooley and Gemma Frazerhurst) brought more comedy as they popped in and out of intermittent scenes, providing the audience with explanatory narrative and propelling the story to its conclusion.

A final scene featured the appearance of Marlowe (Zaki Omar), historical detective boss, rudely interrupted from his coffee break in the 1950s to help tie up the loose ends of this 10th century Arabian tale.

While Marlowe can’t bring Aladdin back from the dead, all is not lost for the players.

The detectives head off to new adventures, the tea thieves turn over a new leaf, members of the guard throw Jafar in the dungeon, Queen Scheherezade is restored to the throne, Sinbad gets a new boat, and Ali Baba keeps Aladdin’s lamp as a souvenir.

Respect obtained by wayward niece with ASBO (9)

With potential, say, to be murder victim (4)

Delighted audiences noted the strength of the children’s delivery, the comfort they possessed on stage, their enthusiasm for the characters, and their obvious enjoyment in bringing Douglas’ story to life as highlights of their experience.

6 Recital isn’t arranged on time for musician (12)

12 Long suffering Liberal takes the lead (8)

13 Eating out (6)

7 Foreign article contains untruth (5)

14 Get angry response to endless mêleé for a change (4,4,6)

8 Unusual icon in urn depicting legendary beast (7)

11 Administrative leaders of British union shown by funny caricature (12)

18 PC way of meeting people (8,6)

20 Sheen produces different result (6)

15 Burden unpleasant woman with some riding gear (9)

22 Fellow gets beating for exposing himself (8)

16 Elderly person in boarding house meeting Royal (9)

24 Dark suit needed for these places of entertainment (10)

25 Clergyman won’t start soon (4)

17 One country or another with sea, we hear, not river (7)

26 Regulators would have done this at Walthamstow? (9)

With just two weeks to learn lines, cues, and actions, new on-stage skills, and organise the backstage arrangements, The Arabian Queen ensemble proved that with enough energy, enthusiasm, guidance, and support, wonderful drama can be created in a very short space of time.

19 Travelled back taking horse for a drink (6)

27 Boast by supporter beginning to grate (4) DOWN

21 Athenian’s introduction to Socrates? (5)

23 Cold boy gets dressed (4)

(4)

1 Only just how naturists live? (6)

2 Heard teacher in class is to give incorrect details (9)

4 Respect obtained by wayward niece with ASBO (9)

5 With potential, say, to be murder victim (4)

6 Recital isn’t arranged on time for musician (12)

7 Foreign article contains untruth (5)

8 Unusual icon in urn depicting legendary beast (7)

11 Administrative leaders of British union shown by funny caricature (12) 15 Burden unpleasant woman with some

(9) 16 Elderly person in boarding house

17 One country or another with sea, we hear,

Locals revolutionise pet nutrition

Local Aka Aka residents Zoe Irons and her husband Jason Bunyan have developed an online raw pet food solution that is delivered to the door. This ensures that pets receive a balanced diet tailored to their needs and it has transformed the way pet owners approach their furry friend’s nutritional needs.

Purchasing the Raw Dog Food Company two years ago was a bit of a “side hustle” for Zoe, then the General Manager of Speedway New Zealand.

Zoe and Jason, originally from the UK, are long-term animal lovers. Jason has a forty-year history with the Boxer breed, whilst Zoe’s earlier life revolved around horses. This passion led to a quest to produce the best health outcomes for dogs and cats through “clean” and nutritious food, treats and supplements.

Jason, a 10-time New Zealand Solo Speedway Champion, originally rode professionally in Europe before his and Zoe’s permanent move to New Zealand. The imminent arrival of their daughter Maya, in addition to the multiple serious injuries Jason had sustained from riding over the years, determined a decision to cease competitive riding. Jason now assists Zoe in the business and runs his own business, Franklin Hedge Trimming.

Zoe’s “side hustle” took off and she left corporate life to concentrate on growing the business. Subsequently, an opportunity arose for Zoe to procure the brand assets of Brodie’s Raw Pet Food Delivery adding to the pet food brand stable.

The companies are run as separate entities with their distinct markets. They each have unique product lines, but both offer a complete meal service. This entails making individually prescribed pre-made meals dependent on specific issues or allergens as well as bulk food purchasing options.

The Raw Dog Food Company has a nationwide presence and services the whole of New Zealand, while Brodie’s maintains dominance in the Auckland market. Both brands

(9)

are delivered to the end consumer via a state-of-the-art distribution and delivery network.

The product ranges are diverse and “clean.” The raw product is top quality, antibiotic and preservative-free. “This is normally the preserve of the export market in pet food manufacture – so the products produced are as good as you can get — such is the quality. “It’s raw pet food made simple” explains Zoe.

“You just go online, complete the profile, review the options available, based on your pet’s needs and we deliver it to your door — too easy!”

On the menu are delights such as, salmon steak, duck heads, duck feet, salmon heads, duck mince, chicken, veal, and beef mince. New to both brands’ range is a veal, goat and venison option that is Affco-approved and delivers complete nutrition.

In addition, an extensive airdried treat range is on offer. “It’s amazing to be able to offer treats that deliver health benefits,” adds Zoe. We also do green lip mussel powder and have just started stocking CBD oil. Both contain natural anti-inflammatory and internal health benefits.”

Zoe is hugely enthusiastic about this. She explained that she introduced it to her dog Kari a few months ago after a cancer diagnosis and can see the enormous positive difference it has made from a total health perspective.

The product is available in selected stores New Zealand-wide, locally at The Goodness Grocer Waiuku, and online at www.therawdogfoodco.nz and www.brodies. nz

Diagnostic nutritional advice is available through any of their social media channels.

“You are what you eat,” says Zoe. This is equally true for all creatures great and small.

ANNIE CHAPPELL

Jason Bunyan, Zoe Irons and Kari the Boxer

Zoe Irons at her well stocked freezers.

Āwhitu residents thankful for restored road access

Repair work is progressing well on the Āwhitu Road slips near Pollok

Two major slips on Āwhitu Road, one north of West Coast Road and the other further south near number 1966, severely impacted access to the community, after Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastating effect on the Auckland area.

Geo-technical testing and a hydrology assessment of Āwhitu Road, detailed design and resource consent work has been completed, which includes storm water improvement to minimise the risk of a similar weather event causing damage to the road in the future.

“We are making good progress to restore full access on Āwhitu Road but there is still work to be done to make sure we are future-proofing by soil nailing — a cost effective system that uses steel bars inserted in to the soil to reinforce and stabilise the slope, building retaining walls and ensuring proper drainage minimises the likelihood of this reoccurring,” says Murray Burt, Director of Infrastructure and Place at Auckland Transport.

Soil nailing is due to begin shortly at the West Coast Road end site and will take about three weeks, weather dependent. Then, a concrete retaining wall will be installed with completion expected mid 2024.

AT is making new infrastructure more resilient, so it is less likely to be impacted by climate change and protecting existing

infrastructure through flood and slip prevention.

“Auckland Transport is focused on delivering a transport system that is resilient to the impacts of climate change and minimises impacts on the environment, says Murray.

“We understand road damage from last year’s flood is causing inconvenience to residents, due to detours and road closures and we want to reassure the community, that we’ve deployed as many resources as possible (including additional contractors) to work on these sites, but they are complex slips that will take time to fully repair.”

While soil nailing and reinforcing is being done at site two, site one will see the installation of a guardrail, continuing drainage work, pavement and vegetation work, all taking at least another three weeks for each to be complete.

A major slip also occurred just a few hundred metres from the Manukau Lighthouse on Manukau Heads Road, Āwhitu Peninsula. The slip moved an estimated 90,000m3 of soil and cut off access to the lighthouse, a popular tourist attraction.

Work will begin on the Manukau Heads Road slip later this year. Road access to the Lighthouse remains closed to the public until further notice.

Another successful SLSK fundraiser

After the recent success of the Garden Ramble, the Temple Gardens in Pollok opened their gates again for public viewing.

The garden was open for three days and during that time, 510 people visited the stunning gardens.

Total funds raised between gate sales and raffles was $6510.00

“A huge thank you to Neil and Gaynor Hamill for allowing us to share their gardens once again and many thanks to all who supported us, including the volunteers who manned the gates and the ladies who supplied refreshments at Pollok Co-op Art Gallery,” said Surf Lifesaving Kariaotahi member Anne Walters.

Watch this space for details when the gardens will be open again next summer!

Raffle winners were:

1st Bradley Taylor and Megan van Winden

2nd Wendy Field

3rd Joan Thomson

Soil nailing and repairs are being carried out on the slip just north of West Coast Road and a retaining wall is to be built.

Repairs are well underway at 1966 Awhitu Road slip with soil nailing and slip retention well underway.

Plans for Franklin Memorial

– so far so good

Continued from Page 1

Nevertheless Mr Greenslade was clearly in possession of full details of the need for

OPINION BY DAVID BLACK

Dr David Black MBChB MD FAFOEM MRSNZ is a semi-retired specialist physician living and working in Waiuku and is a frequent contributor to the West Franklin Breeze.

dred-year-old building is no longer entirely fit for purpose, indeed it was originally built as a different type of

to and Coromandel since the artificial geographical demarcation created by the District Health Boards has

and of the issues which could be addressed. The impression gained from his comments and answers to questions was that, at least his intention, is to, as far as possible, confine the work to 12 months but to achieve as much as can be done in that time.

the existing building with a more modern facility on the site or adjacent land owned by HNZ. In my opinion there is a real risk in pursuing this idea without securing the future of the current hospital. The reality of public service and political decisions is that a plan for a future facility could be used as an excuse for not reopening Franklin Memorial Hospital even after current work is complete which we understand should be achievable by the end of 2025.

The work on the floor and a generator is critical and must be done. The work on hot water cylinder is essential to meet government wishes to move away from fossil fuels but has been separately funded.

The seismic assessment is sensible to undertake whilst the floors up, access is available to the frame of the building and is something which is being done on opportunistic basis throughout the region.

There can be no doubt that there is a view amongst both the administrators and clinical staff that the hun-

facility compared to its use now in long-term care often requiring the use of heavy lifting equipment. There is a view shared by both health professionals and community that ideally the building could be replaced with a modern purpose-built facility. It is noted that there is considerable room on the site for development.

There is something of a misconception in West Franklin that the land is owned by the local community and that the war memorial status of the hospital (which is undoubted and properly registered) might legally limit any development. The reality of this is different. It is probably true that the site was originally provided, perhaps gifted for the purpose of the War Memorial Hospital in the early 1920s. Newspaper reports from the 1920s indicate a sum of money was raised by local residents to assist with the building of the hospital. Ownership of the land and the building is now quite clearly with Health New Zealand.

now been removed. That could mean that as part of a wider plan, the services offered at Franklin Memorial could be considered as part of another facility. This is something which is of great concern to the West Franklin community. Whilst it is true that the current building is not entirely fit for purpose,

Mr Greenslade’s position seemed to be clear, that his intention was to do as much as possible within the 12 month time frame for which we understand financial resources are available and then have the hospital available for reopening. It is going to be important for the West Franklin community to monitor this work and to support HNZ in the current stated goals and time frame, and getting the hospital up and running again by the end of next year. At present on the basis of

The future shape of hospital services in West Franklin is far from certain. Until recently there was talk of a new general hospital, initially at Pukekohe and more recently at Drury. Neither of these were confirmed and there is now talk of such a facility further south to serve the northern Waika-

in terms of its design and best contemporary practice, the fact is that the current services provided by the hospital and particularly the staff is of a very high standard and is enormously valued by the West Franklin community. Any talk of moving to another location would be strongly opposed. There was no suggestion of such a move at the meeting, but there is some talk of the benefit of replacing

the answers provided at the meeting I am satisfied with the intentions of the senior manager we met. However, I am concerned that the public statement issued by HNZ to the Breeze does not go quite far enough regarding reopening. It will be necessary for the community to keep the pressure on this and no doubt the Breeze will play its part.

Aerial view of Franklin Memorial Hospital and the ground area surrounding it.

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150 years celebrated at Waipipi School

The celebrations started on Friday 5 April with an event for the current students and their families at the school, including a trolley derby and a water slide. The children rotated around games and races from different eras such as sack, egg and spoon and three-legged races, tug-o -war, elastics, skipping, gutter board, and knuckle bones. Some students dressed in vintage clothing to add to the atmosphere, and classrooms were decorated with history displays.

On Saturday 6 April the reunion for past students and staff was held at the school. Around 140 people attended, from all around New Zealand and even from Australia.

Many people were seen meeting up with classmates they had not seen for decades, making it a very enjoyable gathering.

The students’ classroom displays were much appreciated, showing the history of the school and how things have changed since 1874.

In the school hall there was a slide show of photos, past principals’ journals on display, and information about World War 1 soldiers who feature on Waipipi School’s roll of honour.

At 1pm the Chairman of the Reunion Committee, Arthur Short, officially welcomed everyone to

the event, followed by the local MP Andrew Bayly and Andrew Baker, Franklin Ward Councillor. The Principal Michelle Brown, then spoke about the challenges faced by the early educators and the values of the school which continue through to today.

This was followed by the official cake-cutting ceremony by Ted Lever, the oldest past pupil able to attend, and Logan Eason, one of the youngest current students. The cake had been beautifully decorated by Billie Knight including a flower spray kept and restored from the previous 125th anniversary celebration 25 years ago.

While the day was fine, the clouds meant that the sausage sizzle with hot chips were in high demand, and later, the afternoon tea with pieces of the reunion cake was a good time to sit and chat to other attendees.

The Waiuku Museum is often walked by or driven past and people say: “I must visit there someday” or “I didn’t even know it was there”.

The museum was founded in 1965 when a well-known historian Brian Muir encouraged a group of people to establish a museum in an old building which used to be the Waiuku Fire Station. A committee was formed and Mr Ron Green was the first president.

Later in that year, the Museum started off with a parade of historic floats which travelled through Waiuku and on the way to Lake Otamatearoa at Whiriwhiri. The site around the lake had been used as a horse racing track and was an ideal place for the parade. The hills on the side of the track gave people a good view of the proceedings.

The Governor General of the time, Sir Bernard and Lady Laura Fergusson attended and were the guests of honour.

Meanwhile, Museum members started the work to make their building back in Waiuku suitable to display the multitude of historical artifacts and photographs that they had.

A book Was also produced for the reunion and has proved very popular. It includes some local history, many school photos from 1874 to the present, information about the development of the area and school, and other local knowledge. This is a great read for both current and past students, a good memento of this event, and also of interest to those drawn to the history of the area. There are a few remaining copies of the book ‘Waipipi School, 150 Years, Our Story, 1874-2024’ available at the school or through mail order from waipipischool.150years@gmail.com.

In 2024 the Museum is open for visitations on Wednesday mornings from 10am to 12 noon, and Sundays from 1.30pm to 4pm and is available for archival and family research by appointment.

The current committee are inviting anyone who is interested in local history to make contact because they would ideally like a few more people who could volunteer as door attendants on days open.

On Sunday 23 June their annual meeting will be held at the Museum 13 King Street Waiuku and anyone interested is most welcome to attend. The meeting will start at 4pm.

Classmates from 1934-1944 Colin Bryant, Irene Luhrs (Jones), Jack Eisenhut, Ted Lever

Photo Athol Corbett

Waipipi School 150th was gut by Logan Eason and Ted Lever Photo Athol Corbett

Governor General Sir Bernard and Lady Fergusson at the Waiuku Museum historical parade at Lake Otamatearoa in 1965.

Fay Richards (Ashworth), Muriel McIntyre (Belton), Lorraine Lang (Richardson), Glenda Stone (Richardson) photo Athol Corbett

World-wide honour for local distillery

Pokeno Whisky Distillery has been awarded several prestigious awards for their whisky at the San Francisco World Whiskies Awards. They collected double gold awards for the Triple Distilled and Winter Malt, which are only given to spirits that unanimously receive gold medals from all judges in a blind tasting. The third whisky in the series, the Totara Cask received a silver medal.

The awards are said to be one of the largest and prestigious international competitions for the spirits industry.

The Winter Malt has a bitter dark chocolate and cocoa aromas, hints of creamy fudge flavour, and a smoky finish built on a unique selection of New Zealand malts.

The Triple Distilled is described as having vanilla and butterscotch notes, with hints of citrus

and pepper clove, with a long, rich finish This flavour comes from maturing the whisky in the finest first-fill bourbon barrels.

The third whisky in the series, the Totara Cask received a silver medal. It’s the first single malt whisky ever to be matured in a Totara wood barrel.

Two other signature single malts, Origin and Discovery, were awarded gold and silver medals respectively.

Pokeno Whisky Company founder Matt Johns says that is elated with the awards. “It recognises our brands amongst the greatest in the world and that is pretty special for us and to lead the growing number of distilleries in New Zealand.”

Whisky that the company makes is currently exported to 25 countries worldwide.

Jubilation Choir heads south

Jubilation Choir, a 26-member a capella group, can’t wait to head south with a sea of harmony, for one night only at Onewhero Society of Performing Arts Theatre on Sunday 23 June at 5.30pm.

Jubilation strives to live in that magic place where music really leaps off the stage and into the hearts of the audience. By marrying absolute attention to detail from the choral tradition to the exhilarating freedom of soloists lost in improvisation, Jubilation creates a truly unique, soulful rock’n’roll experience for audiences of all ages.

Where else would you near NZ theatre icon Jennifer Ward-Lealand Te Atamira CNZM let loose in a gospel quartet “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody”, or actor/writer Fiona Samuel MNZM melt hearts on the traditional folk song “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”, or entertainer extraordinaire Jackie Clarke MNZM bring the house down with vintage Tom Waits?

Tickets on sale now (and selling fast) at www. ospa.org.nz or (cash sales) from The Urban Market, King Street, Pukekohe or The Goodness Grocer, Queen Street, Waiuku.

info@bigriverreadymix.co.nz

www.bigriverreadymix.co.nz

Matthew and Celine Johns recently won Double Gold and silver medals for their whiskies recently at the San Fransiciso World Whiskies Awards. Photo Business Desk

To mark our centenar y (1924 to 2024) we’re thrilled to introduce Counties Energy’s Community Choice! Ever y vote counts towards deciding which of our current emergency ser vices partnerships will receive additional support of $1924 Share this post and rally your community to participate Let ’s mark this celebration by supporting these amazing local volunteers!

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Maintain your service line

Keep trees clear

Minister Costello’s visit to Palms

Heritage Lifecare was grateful for the opportunity last week to meet with Hon. Casey Costello, Minister for Seniors, at Heritage’s Palms Lifecare and Village in Pukekohe, to provide a snapshot of what residential aged care in New Zealand looks like for our residents and those that care for them.

Warren Herring, Care Home Manager at Palms, guided Minster Costello, accompanied by Norah Barlow, Heritage CEO and Minoo Baker, Heritage Regional Manager, on a tour through the hospital, rest home and village, while residents went about their day, many engaged in activities with the Palm’s team.

Minister Costello was able to hear directly

from residents their perspective of living in a care home, with many wanting the Minister to understand how funding for the sector directly impacts them daily.

The Palms Lifecare staff also had time with the Minister, as nurses highlighted the challenge of the gap between ARC and hospital nurse salaries, and caregivers discussed the impact pay equity would have on their whānau.

Heritage is thankful Minister Costello made the time to visit Palms Lifecare and Village, and that both residents and staff were so willing to engage with Hon. Casey Costello so openly.

See page 5 for details of June open home private viewings.

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East & West Rail Tour - 5 to 14 November 2024

Embark on an extraordinary journey with the Glenbrook Vintage Railway as we traverse the North Island, immersing ourselves in history breathtaking scenery and the charm of lesser-travelled railway lines Our fully escorted rail tour will take you to captivating locations such as Napier, New Plymouth, Ohakune and through the Wairarapa Our exclusive tour train offers unparalleled views of iconic locations and scenery not seen by any other means of travel

Highlights include: The award winning Taranaki Garden Festival, Napier’s famous Gannet Colony & the stunning Cape Sanctuary and travel through historic towns like Martinborough and Greytown

The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is calling out to the community for anyone who might be interested in joining our family of volunteers. We have roles for everybody and you can put in as much or as little time as you like. Our team of volunteers vary across all parts of society - from mechanics, retirees & school kids to doctors, train drivers & accountants, and everything in between!

Station Volunteers - Our station team are the first smiling faces you see when you attend a running day or special event. Roles may include ticket selling, souvenir & merchandise sales, hand & motor jigger operators, crossing keepers and assisting with event set-up and pack down.

Operating Crews - Our Operations Branch are always on the lookout for individuals wanting to get hands-on with our steam and diesel engines - learning to fire and ultimately drive a steam locomotive or who might want to get behind a

Mid-week Charters - The GVR plays host to around 120 international groups every year and we are looking for trainee firemen drivers and hosts to join our team for these shorter mid-week operations. Mechanical Workshop - Our railway simply would not function without the valuable team that

If

We are likewise looking for those who want

or

Norah Barlow, Warren Herring (Palms Lifecare Care Home Manager), Hon. Casey Costello and Minoo Baker (Heritage Regional Manager).

Local Legends

Fidel and Berta Good live the “Good” life close to Waiuku

Fidel Good arrived in New Zealand as a 22-year-old after a five-week boat trip starting from Genoa. He could not speak English, and all he had was NZ$20. He decided to stay for as long as it would take him to earn the money for the return trip, which was 51 years ago. His dream was always to work and own a farm. Being the middle child of 12 children and the forth boy meant his older siblings were destined to be farmers, so Fidel qualified as an engineer.

On arrival in New Zealand, he found a job as a farm worker in Pukekohe, where he farmed chickens and 50 cows. He then moved to Waipipi to milk cows on a bigger farm. After four years, the opportunity arose to share milk with local Maori in Waipipi.

He started off with 60 cows and increased the herd to 180 after three years.

He was very frugal, and as a friend once quipped, “He did not live on the smell of an oily rag –he lived on boiled cabbage and bread – and his favourite, “Alper Magrone” (a Swiss version of macaroni cheese).

After seven years, the “Swiss Bell Farm” was founded after a local showed him a farm for sale in Crouch Rd on the Otaua flats by the mighty Waikato River. When purchasing the property, he had at least six mortgages and a loan from the owner.

There were few fences, and Fidel had few farm implements— only a hammer, pipe wrench, and a spade. He improved the land and the house and increased his

herd. His “girls” consisted of a Jersey herd, including 200 milking cows, 50 heifers, 50 calves, and a handful of bulls. He milked once a day. Some cows wore Swiss cowbells, producing a happy chiming sound.

Initially, Fidel would take his cattle into the Waiuku Forest to graze in the winter months. The cows were grass-fed, supplemented with hay produced on the farm or on one of his run-offs. 30 years ago, Fidel started making alpine cheese, which is famed and simply called “Fidel Cheese”. Everyone was welcome on the farm and many can tell stories about the legendary hospitality they received. Some might have enjoyed a glass of his laced Kaffee Schnapps, Swiss fondue or a game of Jass (a Swiss card game),

Who actually maintains Lions Lake?

Over a ten year period starting in 1982 the Waiuku Lions converted the very upper reaches of the Manukau Harbour, behind the Queen Street shops (now called River Lane) and up to the Cosmopolitan Club, from a neglected tidal rubbish filled area into what is now called “Lions Lake”

The project began with the digging out of many years of accumulated buildup of weeds and rubbish. Once the clean up was complete, the second stage was the installation of retaining walls around edges, with pathways in behind.

Stage three was the installation of a causeway/bridge across at top end giving access between the Cosmopolitan Club and the supermarket carpark

Lions Club of Waiuku

Local

The final stage was installation of a weir under Kitchener Road culvert to retain flow and provide a lake like asset for community. The weir allowed for the regular “flushing out” of the lake, thus maintaining a clean and healthy environment for fish, eels, and the many varieties of water fowl which thrived in the habitat created by the Lions. It was also the setting for the annual Duckboat Derby and local families would bring along their model boats and yachts.

During the life of the Franklin District Council, the operation of the weir and

BY ANNIE CHAPPELL

which remains a favourite pastime of Fidel’s.

Fidel has now sold the Crouch Road farm to his young son but regularly keeps his hand in, helping wherever needed.

Fidel met Berta, his wife, a fellow Swiss, in 2010. It was fate, as Fidel’s late Grandmother’s name was also Berta, and he was sure he was going to make her anoth-

maintaining the water quality was done by Lions members. The valves in weir were opened on outgoing monthly high tides to let the water out and was refilled with fresh salt water.

The scene is a very different one today. Following the amalgamation of the Franklin District Council into the “Super City” Auckland Council, the weir was welded up so the regular flushing and exchange of water could not take place.

Our once healthy lake, through years of Council neglect, has been turned into a runoff settling pond with an accumulation of silt and lack of oxygen in the water. The visible signs of this have been the numerous sightings of dead and dying ducks/ eels etc.

The care and custody

er Berta Good too! Today, they live on Kidd Road.

Fidel is philosophical about success. He passionately believes in destiny and luck, even though hard work, tenacity and business smarts have been critical to his and Berta’s success and ability to enjoy the “Good” life. His motto: Do your best and buggar the rest!

of the lake is in the hands of Healthy Waters, the stated objective of which is “The Healthy Waters Haumanu programme delivers meaningful environmental improvement for Tāmaki Makaurau’s waterways.” The Waiuku Lions Lake is hardly a ringing endorsement of the Healthy Waters Programme.

If you see dead or sick ducks, please don’t blame the Lions, ring 09 301 0101. If you see dead eels, please don’t blame the Lions, ring 09 301 01010. If you are unhappy at all with the condition of the Lions Lake, your local asset, please don’t blame the Lions, ring 09 301 0101

West Franklin

Fidel Good (circled right) with his father, mother and 11 siblings

Berta and Fidel Good

A building that became the heart of community Part 2—The Lyceum years

This is the second story in a series about the history of the Waiuku War Memorial Hall. This month David recalls the years when the Lyceum Cinema was in its heyday. The word Lyceum is Latin derived from Greek and generally means theatre or hall of learning.

The First World War finished with the Armistice on 11 November 1918. When the men came back to Waiuku, the new public hall was well and truly up and running, with the cinema transferred from the old Temperance Hall which had been rotated on site and attached to the back of the new Hall.

Provisions for cinema projectors had been made with a proper projection booth in the front wall, essential for fire protection reasons because of the flammability of early film stock and the use of carbon arc lamps for illumination.

The name of the earlier theatre, Lyceum, had been adopted for the new facility. One of the first functions awarded to the new building was the celebration of the inaugural Anzac Day on 25 April 1919. Improvised wooden crosses were built on the corner of Victoria Avenue in Queen Street, the site now occupied by the foyer and kitchen in the rebuilt Hall. There was a photograph of this improvised cenotaph in last month’s Breeze.

There seems to have been a general view that the Public Hall built while the men were away at the war should now become a War Memorial, and yet the evidence is that was never formalised. It seems most likely that this intention was overtaken by the decision a few years later to build the Waiuku War Memorial Hospital, which certainly was registered as such and bears the appropriate regalia to this day. Another issue may have been that the new hall was not really a suitable site for a permanent cenotaph, which was built in the following year ready for Anzac Day in 1921, at the intersection of Queen and George Streets where it remains today. It would seem that neither the Cenotaph nor the Hospital provided a suitable venue for the Rolls of Honour and so these wooden boards were mounted in the Public Hall, by then the Town Hall in 1928 and have remained there,

BY DAVID BLACK

updated after World War II. Immediately following the Great War, as if that terrible conflict hadn’t been enough, came the worldwide influenza epidemic. The epidemic is estimated to have killed 50 million people, considerably more than the 16 million lost in the war. It is generally accepted that the virus, which originated in the United States but is generally attributed to a wartime epidemic in Spain, entered New Zealand with the returning troops. This resulted in a massive and impressive mobilisation of the medical resources of the day. I understand, but only from local folklore that the Waiuku Public Hall was pressed into service as a temporary hospital or treatment station for the influenza victims in town.

There is no doubt that during the 1920s the usual activities of a public hall became common. There must have been considerable pressure on the availability of the building since movies were popular. The Pakuranga Hunt was strongly associated with the Waiuku area for many years and there are some second degree recollections of the Hunt Club Ball being held in the Town Hall before the war

The 1920s were at once, a decade of sadness and joy. The terrible losses of the war gave way to a need for diversion and entertainment provided by new styles of music and the further blossoming of the cinema industry. Consider that, at the time of the great war there was no such thing as radio entertainment, this began in 1921.

The cinema was active during and after the war but there were not yet talkies. That means that the Lyceum can only have shown silent movies and therefore must have employed pianists to provide music to the accompanying score which was provided with the films. That was

good business for people with the right skills. My grandmother, Amy worked as a cinema pianist in Dargaville before for she married my grandfather in 1919.

The first feature film originally presented as a talky (although it had only limited sound sequences) was the “Jazz Singer” which premiered in America in October 1927. It used the Vitaphone system which depended on disks. I doubt this would have come to the Lyceum Waiuku, or her sister cinema, the Lyceum in Pukekohe. By the early ‘30s the talkies were a global phenomenon. Then there were the battles between the film distributors and the cinema chains. There were a multitude of distributors but the city cinemas demanded exclusivity on titles and this made it hard for regional operators to hire the popular films. Conversely, some films which did not show in the cities were distributed preferentially to country cinemas, but then got blacklisted by the city operators. By the early 1940s the J. C. Williamson company gave in to pressure and sold out to a group effectively controlled by the British Rank organisation, whilst the Moodabe family consolidated their interests into Amalgamated Theatres establishing the duopoly which continued for decades. It is not yet clear how the operators of the Lyceum Cinema’s dealt with this, but there seem to be recollections of talkies shown in Waiuku in the ‘30s.

The role of the Town Hall during the depression is not well documented however following that some evidence has emerged, in the form of tickets and programmes of

of an advertisement

School Reunion Balls from 1933 and an active Operatic Society in 1938. The Town Hall must have seen much service during World War II for movies and functions, but by the early 1950s it was reported to be in poor condition and so a decision was made for upgrades and extensions. The Lyceum Theatre closed to make way for the later Regent. Now we are entering a time for which there is living memory, more on that next month.

The Lyceum Cinema housed in the Waiuku Public Hall. The photo is dated 1935 and on the cinema billboard is a poster promoting the film screening at the time “Dad and Dave from Snake Gully”.

Copy

appearing in the Waiuku News of 1917 showing one of the feature movies shown at the Lyceum Theatre.

Bluff or bust

In 1974 Richard Nixon resigned as president of the United States, Rubik’s Cube was invented, the population of New Zealand was approximately three million, and Christchurch hosted the British Commonwealth Games.

1974 was also the year eight young men, all old-boys of Waiuku College, decided to go on an adventure. Allan Whittaker had purchased a 1955 Morris seven tonne truck, so they decided to travel to the bottom of the South Island and back in Allan’s new acquisition. Their adventure became known as “Bluff or Bust” and the group has had regular reunions, with their wives, to remember the trip ever since.

This year was especially poignant as it marked 50 years since the original trip and one of the group, Roger Stone who had passed away in 2019.

George and Julia Johnson, Syd and Jenny Goodwright, Robert and Christine Slack, Allan and Joan Whittaker, Robert and Penny Prescott, Terry and Gill Hamilton, Glenda Stone, Roger and Barbara Gillott, and Allan and Joan Whittaker went on road trip to mark the occasion.

According to George, Syd and Robert (Slack), the original truck was fitted out with eight bunkbeds, some cooking equipment and a huge chilly bin.

They rigged up a phone system with some old phones purchased off Post and Telegraph (pre Telecom days) so that those in the back could communicate with those in the front cab.

After they “set sail”, the trip took the group to many different New Zealand towns and places as they worked their way down to Hunterville, Wellington and across to Picton (on the ferry) and then down the west coast of the South Island.

BY SANDY SMITH

As the group visited different places, they wrote the names of where they’d been on the truck itself. It took them two weeks to eventually arrive in Bluff.

When asked why the destination was to be Bluff, George, Syd and Robert said, it was as far as they could go. They also claimed, tongue-in-cheek, to have invented the motorhome concept as a result of their endeavours.

However, their “motorhome” was not very reliable, overheating and breaking down numerous times. On the return trip they broke down in Haast Pass without a lot of food or water. They tried using Lion Brown beer to fill the radiator but weren’t very successful.

Eventually, the truck stopped working altogether and they had to leave it behind in Pukaki, near Mount Cook. Fortunately, Ian Ivey from Glentanner Station bought it off Allan.

They boxed up their belongings and sent them home, and then made their way back to Pukekohe via bus and train. From there to home it was by car.

After their adventure, the group got on with their lives and got married. However, they stayed firm friends and decided to have regular meet-ups and ten-yearly (sometimes less) reunions.

With the various reunions, a series of “Bluff or Bust” branded shirts was born.

Subsequent adventures were increasingly organised by the men’s wives and were therefore not quite as precarious.

George, Syd and Robert pointed out that all eight men have had successful marriages, though a correlation between taking regular road trips and staying married can’t quite be proven.

Jenny Goodwright is now the tour leader and about two months ago the group commemorated their 50 year anniversary by visiting the Forgotten Highway and surrounds, ending up at the Whanganui River and the Bridge to Nowhere.

Despite the fifty year milestone, the story of “Bluff or Bust” is not over. The group aim to carry on having more reunions.

When asked about where they plan on going for their next trip together, George, Syd and Robert agreed they would like to go “anywhere as long as it’s not an old folk’s home.”

“Bluff or Bust” continues to be a story of tenacity, commitment, long lasting friendships and a 1955 Morris seven tonne truck.

Substantial increases in libraries use

Franklin Local Board has received a report on visitations to Franklin libraries in the last twelve months.

The third quarter results show a healthy increase of visitors.

Numbers across all sites increased compared to the same Q3 period last year. Pukekohe Library and Franklin Arts combined number of visits totals 41,457 which is a 4.7 per cent increase on last year’s same quarterly period.

At Waiuku Library the number of visits totals 15,788 which is a 16 per cent increase compared to the same quarterly period last financial year.

Overall satisfaction remains high this quarter at 89.07 per cent. A total of 648 new library memberships were issued, and there were 542 total number of council service interactions.

Waiuku Library can now receive council enquiries, but work is still underway to progress the implementation of the system infrastructure for taking council payments at Waiuku Library.

The original Bluff or Bust crew on their truck in her final days at Lake Pukaki.

This story is dedicated to the memory of Roger Stone.

Transport changes — speak up

Residents in the west of Franklin are being warned they need to speak up to get the transport changes they want.

Franklin Local Board chair Angela Fulljames says transport is always raised by residents and now adding motorway capacity to cope with growth, repairing weather damaged roads and improving problem intersections all feature in Auckland Transport’s Regional Land Transport Plan, which is now open for consultation.

“We only have decision-making power over our Transport Capital Fund, so we can only advocate for our community, and we don’t want to do it alone.

“It’s critical people take part so AT can see where it has support, and what residents want prioritised.

“The plan lists many project areas, some critical to our communities, so this is a chance to influence where AT and Government money is spent.

“The more united our voices are, the greater the chance we have of securing the funding needed to improve things locally,” Angela stressed.

Areas of particular concern for Franklin include road renewal budgets and flood repairs.

“Everyone tells us how bad the roads are, so we need to back more maintenance and get on with fixing storm damaged roads at Āwhitu,” Angela says.

“Rail features strongly in the plan, with moves to upgrade level crossings and remove them at Takanini, signal

improvements, and progressing new stations on the Papakura-Pukekohe line.

“Commuters need faster trips, better park and ride facilities and to see the stations in place.”

But she says cars must be catered for.

“There’s a lack of public transport in

some of our areas that other parts of the city don’t endure. We need to speak up on things like route protection, but also on Supporting Growth moves to bring things forward because congestion is already here.”

An alternative to the motorway – Mill Road, and the corridor to it – again feature.

“How long has it been talked about? Anyone who uses the motorway knows there needs to be an alternative. We’ve all spent hours of delays because of accidents. Growth continues to make it worse and SH22 is not a lot better.”

Angela says it’s also a chance for those dealing with problem intersections to be heard. “We have sites where we’ve asked for improvements for years. It will help our advocacy if residents call for funds to be prioritised, especially in growth areas where developments are creating more traffic.”

She says the consultation also covers community issues such as footpath budgets, where about $5million is allocated across the city. “That wouldn’t cover the requests we get for repairs and upgrades, so people need to speak up if they want change. That’s also true of Community Networks funding, for things like calls for pedestrian crossing improvements that come from the community.”

Submissions close on 17 June and can also be made online at https:// haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/

Angela Fulljames Franklin Local Board Chair

Footpath budgets, where about $5million is allocated across the city. “That wouldn’t cover the requests we get for repairs and upgrades,” says Angela Fulljames.

We knocked it off — the 10 year budget

After in excess of 120 hours and 60 meetings or workshops dedicated to discussing the Auckland Council’s 10 year budget (LTP) we knocked it off on 16 May, coming to an agreement as to what, how and when Council are going to do things.

As anybody who pays any attention to what is going on at Council will know, things are being done a bit differently under Mayor Wayne Brown, who continually reminds me how much he acknowledges how tough it is being a rural area in the country’s largest urban council. I have to be honest and say, he is walking the walk in that regard.

The big talking points out of this budget is the commitment to transport including $5.5 billion over the ten years to fully fund road renewals and the unsealed road improvements. The latter is more aimed at the Rodney area who have huge lengths of unsealed road but we will also see some action down south and any commitment to spend more on fixing and maintaining our existing road network is something to smile about after years of neglect. The real risk is the

ability of the Government to match the funding remembering that Auckland Transport is 51% funded by Government and 49% by Council but we are at least doing our bit.

AT gets an operational boost for public transport of $70 million in the first year and has a $14 billion capital programme over the ten year period — not to be sniffed at.

The other real benefit for people in Franklin is the $50 fare cap for buses and trains. So for those who travel by train every work day from Papakura to Britomart, the weekly cost of $74 will drop to $50. Over a year that is a huge saving. When trains start up again at Pukekohe, the saving will be even greater. We are deliberately trying to make public transport for those who live furthest away more attractive.

Once Kiwirail have sorted out their track infrastructure issues and the current disruptions are minimised along with line electrification and possible other improvements I think we will see a transformational change in use of PT (well I hope we do).

The other big thing for Franklin out of the budget

is a change to Local Board funding. We are increasing funding for local boards in an attempt to balance out what has clearly been an inequitable funding model. It could have been worse for rural boards if we hadn’t had a win against the urban boards back in about 2012, however long story short, the Franklin Local Board will be better off over the next three years by $7.8 million in their operational budget and $2.3 million in capital budget. Sounds great and it should be, however I voiced my concern that the Local Board funding policy and methodology is not right and that we cannot continue to just keep throwing money at local boards. We cannot empower them without, in my view, increasing accountability. I have been pushing for some years now a change that would see local boards setting things like levels of service and asset management unique to their communities through the normal budget consultation processes and that they would set the rates commensurate to those community needs. This would obviously equate to a reduction of that black budget

hole called “general rates” and allow communities to see and demand what local boards spend their money on. It would mean greater certainty that the portion of locally collected rates would be spent locally and most certainly create a bit more interest and competition in local elections.

Whilst I am no longer the lone voice on this at the governing body, I have certainly picked up some support politically and within the organisation so I will not rest on this.

So the Long Term Plan is pretty much done, we now start on the next annual budget for the 26/26 year.

WAIUKU MUDLARKS AGM

Waiuku Yacht Club

Thursday 13 June 2024 at 3pm. Join this community based volunteer group who have transformed the Waiuku estuary All welcome Refreshments after

We have a vacancy for a part-time,

of Vocal as

of our Itinerant Music Programme

The positions commences as soon as available and finishes 11th December 2024. Application is by CV, Waiuku College Application form (available on request) and covering letter to: Anne Ansell, Executive Assistant, e-mail - aa@waiuku-college.school.nz Closing date – 11 June 2024.

FRANKLIN COUNCILLOR ANDY BAKER