Helensville Brochure

Follow the links below to news items on the Helensville area and its future development. Most articles appear courtesy Helensville News.

For all articles from July 2011 onwards, visit the online edition of the Helensville News newspaper.

2011 Articles

From Formula One to the Grand Hotel (June 7th,'11)
'Sunshine' building arrives at Helensville Museum (June 7th,'11)
Otakanini finalist in Maori farming awards (May 2nd,'11)
Local appointed to Unitec Council (May 2nd,'11)
Craigweil House to expand with major renovations (May 2nd,'11)
$1.2 million Waitoki school buildings almost ready (March 1st '11)
Tidal power moves closer (March 1st '11)
First stages of work at Parakai School nearing completion (March 1st '11)
Girl Guide camp boon for local businesses (February 3rd '11)
Young Farmer competition regional finals at A&P Show (February 3rd '11)
New Woodhill Equestrian Park management proving popular (February 3rd '11)
Roses set to float down Kaipara River again (February 3rd '11)


Click here for archived stories from:  2010  2009   2008   2007   2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001

From Formula One to the Grand Hotel (June 7th '11)

   Helensville and the glamorous, high octane world of Formula One motor racing wouldn't seem to have much in common. But there is a surprising link - it's the new manager of the Grand Hotel, Didier Debae, who spent 30 years involved at the top level of international motorsport.
   Belgian-born Didier and his partner, South African Terry van der Merwe, took over running the Grand Hotel in January this year. The building, owned by Italian Riccardo Polacco, who lives in Venice where he owns three hotels, was extremely run down. Since then, the historic building has undergone a major three month renovation, concentrating initially on the kitchen and restaurant.
   The restaurant, called Rosso after it's stunning red-painted walls, has been beautifully appointed and is now open seven days for buffet lunches and fine dining in the evenings, along with breakfast on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. By the time you read this, 10 rooms in the hotel will be open for guests to stay, with a further two rooms with ensuites due to join those in the near future.
   To say Didier's entry into the world of hospitality has been interesting is something of an understatement. He grew up in Brussels and has spent much of his life travelling the world, mostly in the 'circus' that is international motor racing. Didier, who speaks six languages, managed four Formula One teams - Williams, Arrows, Jordan and Minardi - as well as acting as Sporting Director for the Opel team in the German Touring Car Championship.
   A large part of those management responsibilities involved hospitality. In a sport where the sponsor's dollar is paramount, teams virtually compete to out-entertain each other. They have huge mobile kitchens, employ professional chefs and serve the finest food and wine to guests and sponsors in luxury, air conditioned marquees that can seat 350. Thirty years of daily exposure to that high-level entertaining and dining turned Didier into a connoisseur of wine and food.
   Before motorsport took over his life, Didier was a top water skier, and it was through that sport he first metTerry. That was in 1974, when at age 16 he was representing Belgium at the Junior European Water-ski Championships in Amsterdam. There, he met 13-year-old Terry, who hailed from Cape Town and who was representing South Africa at the competition. A young romance blossomed which saw the couple spend two years writing to each other before finally losing contact.
   Over the next seven years Terry went on to become a South African and international champion and record holder; she still holds some of those records.
   Meanwhile, Didier had moved to New Zealand to begin a new chapter in his life. Using his extensive international knowledge of food and wine, he purchased a business in Albany in 2008 called Vinotica, renaming it FWC and supplying fine foods and wine. It was during this time that Didier searched for, and found on the internet, his long-lost teen sweetheart Terry. They agreed to meet, and soon found their love rekindled. Unfortunately, the economic downturn over the last two years made running a business tough, and Didier decided to close up shop late last year.
   He was introduced to the Grand's owner by friend Jason, who runs the Pukeko Bakery in Mairangi Bay. And now here he is in Helensville. For someone who has lived out of hotel rooms most of his life, it seems fitting Didier has taken up permanent residence in a hotel in Helensville.
Didier is excited about the prospects for the Grand Hotel and the couple's plans for it.
   "The building has huge potential. It's built properly, like the buildings in Europe, of concrete and brick," he says. Helensville he describes as a "fantastic community" where "everybody knows everybody" and locals have given him lots of help.
   Didier is employing eight people - all locals - at the Grand, including chef Vineet (Vinny) Arora, who worked in the United States before establishing himself here. The restaurant clientele is growing, although an objection from a neighbour meant a liquor licence was only approved in mid-May, making it difficult to bring the full fine dining experience together. Rosso Restaurant currently has 10 tables but is set to grow to 14, and can host functions for up to 70 people. Along with the remaining hotel rooms, the bar is set to reopen in the next couple of months. Styled like an English pub, it will serving lunches and dinners and host live musicians on the weekends.
   Rounding out the redevelopment, the Grand Hotel will also have a family-friendly garden courtyard, and a carpark which will host Saturday markets.

'Sunshine' building arrives at Helensville Museum (June 7th '11)

    The old Waitoki School 'Sunshine' classroom block has finally reached its new home at the Helensville Museum in Mill Rd. The building is an excellent example of the iconic style of classroom design which was built around New Zealand in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Most that still exist have had their original architecture modified.
    The Waitoki building is possibly unique in that it still has the folding doors which opened out on to a covered and sheltered verandah. Helensville School's two-room block was built in 1938; Waitoki's opened in 1939 and Waipu's in 1940. These buildings originally faced north to allow classrooms. However, the siting of the building at the Museum reserve had to be the other way round, with the verandah facing south toward the other museum buildings.
    The interior of the Waitoki building has been adapted over the years and the teacher's and pupils blackboards and the raised teaching platform have gone. But the high ceilings, generous windows, folding doors and verandah area remain to help create the atmosphere of these iconic school buildings.
    The Historical Society is looking forward to making good use of its latest addition. Several suggestions for its use have been made, including a classroom set up, a display area for exhibitions and a meeting room. Getting the room ready for use will put some strain on museum finances and members' time, and more fundraising and grant applications will be needed to build on the generous support the society has already received from the community.
- Wynne HaySmith

Otakanini finalist in Maori farming awards (May 2nd '11)

    Sustainable farming, culturally sensitive practices and new initiatives at Otakanini Topu near Helensville have impressed judges in the BNZ Maori Excellence in FarmingAwards.
    Otakanini Topu is a 2,750 hectare Maori incorporation farm stretching from Muriwai Beach to the southern end of Kaipara Harbour. It is a finalist in the Ahuwhenua Trophy, which is the premier award for Maori in agriculture. Manager of 17 months, Ray Monk was surprised at their placement in the top three, as entry had been to explore the criteria and make some adjustments.
    "We're obviously on track and ahead of where we thought we were ... we realize we can now go further, do some fine tuning and take on some new challenges," he says.
Ray replaced widely respected manager Heta Tamahori, who retired after 34 years. His experience working with similar environmental and climatic conditions on a previous Maori
incorporation farm impressed the farm's administrators, who approved his new farm management plan.
    The farm covers 2,750 hectares, with 16,000 stock units wintered on 1,550 effective hectares. There are 600 hectares in forestry and the rest is unproductive land in mudflats and wetlands. Since his appointment in October 2009, Ray has introduced a new water reticulation system utilising on-site artesian wells. Having worked through the drought of 2009 and 2010 he was determined to capture the 90,000 litre water source, and to make it available to the extensive sheep and beef farm.
    This also supports his new 'finishing' program which fattens the sheep and beef sold directly to the works, ensuring greater profits. The quality water increases the quality of stock for sale, which more than doubles after lambing and calving, he says.
    Consultants are used for projects, "but where we can do it ourselves, we do", says Ray. He is adamant he can manage effectively due to the skilled and competent team working
with him. These include Connie Povey, Claude Fill and Witai Povey along with Cyril Hodge who with Connie has been part of the team for more than 25 years.
    Another initiative has been to work with the Auckland Romney Development Group to introduce a strain of sheep genetically resistant to facial eczema. This has been a problem in the past and costly when losing one ewe and potential lambs has a value of $300, according to Ray.
    Since its formation in 1951 from the amalgamation of local Maori family farms and the return of government-administered land, Otakanini Topu has mapped and maintained the property's many cultural and historic sites. These include urupà and old pa sites, all of which have been marked on GPSsystems for future reference. This was one of the features which impressed the judges of the prestigious award.
    Finalists receive a medal and $15,000 in cash and farm related products and services. The supreme award winner, which will be announced at a gala awards dinner in Rotorua on June 3, will receive a replica of the original trophy, up to $40,000 in cash along with farm related products and services. The premier award for Maori in agriculture was established in 1932 by Sir Apirana Ngata and alternates between sheep and beef farms and dairy farms.
    Chair of the Otakanini Topu Incorporation, Hemi Rau says: "We entered this year primarily for the experience and to flag our determination to win the accolade. We are delighted that our hard work and determination to overcome the challenges experienced by our particular property has paid off." Ray says he is facing a bright future compared to the past 20 years in farming. New Zealand's strengths were in grass fed animals and with many farms converted to dairy this had increased competition and international demand. "We've just experienced our best year for sheep, cattle and wool."
- Linda Powell

Local appointed to Unitec Council (May 2nd '11)

    Local identity and Chair of the Helensville District Health Trust, Dianne Kidd has been appointed to the prestigious Unitec Council. Dianne's new appointment along with that of Martin Udale will bring a wealth of professional experience to the institution, says Council chairman Ted
vanArkel.
    Dianne was previously the Head of Wholesale Distribution with ASB Group Investments and has also acted as the national sales manager and relationship manager for Colonial First State Investments. She is currently a director of AsureQuality Limited and Chair of Iris Limited, which provides community based services to people with disabilities or health problems.
    "Dianne brings an excellent understanding of marketing and relationship management to this role," says Mr van Arkel. "Her extensive background in investment management will assist the Council to meet our objective to continue to exercise responsible stewardship of Unitec's financial assets."
    Dianne's appointment to the eight member Unitec Council was made by the Minister of Education and is effective for four years. A former school teacher with experience in national curriculum development, Dianne says of her appointment: "It is lovely to be part of the education community again in this way."
    Dianne lives on the family's 1000 acre sheep and beef farm in Helensville and is a founding member of the Helensville District Health Trust which was formed in 1989. She has been Chair of theTrust since 2009. After many years of commuting to Auckland for work Dianne decided in 2007 to work from home in government roles which interested her namely in the areas of education and health. Her role with the Helensville District Health Board was extremely rewarding; particularly to be involved with a community organisation with more than $5m in assets including the strategic health site in Commercial Rd, Helensville, says Dianne.
    Unitec is Auckland's largest Institute of Technology and has 23,800 students. There are four existing campuses and from August this year a campus at Albany will open to replace the Takapuna site.

Craigweil House to expand with major renovations (May 2nd '11)

    Major works have begun at Craigweil House in Parakai which will add a 21 bed hospital wing, a 20 bed dementia wing and seven more beds to the rest home. The development includes refurbishment of the original house built in 1908 and the bathhouse with its distinctive stained glass window from the 1930s.
    New owners, the Allenby Group NZ took over the 21 bed aged care facility, formerly the Parakai Home for the Elderly, last December and restored the original name of Craigweil (spelt with an 'ei' from the original early 1900s name. Manager Deborah Presland says most locals had continued to call it 'Craigwell', when the name was changed to Parakai Home of the Elderly, sometime ago. Craigweil House is the original name for the heritage listed building, which was built by Mrs Elizabeth Goad in 1908. It was a replacement for her property on an adjacent site which was built in 1904 and burnt down. The name is of English origin and the new property was run as a guest house.
    The bathhouse with its own thermal bore dates from the 1930s and 'taking of Craigweil House to expand with major renovations therapeutic waters' was a popular holiday pastime. The thermal waters have been associated with healing properties such as easing arthritis, aches, pains, stress and worries. The 'slipper' baths were used by returned serviceman with missing limbs for ease of access to the soothing waters.
    The house changed names again in the 1950s when it was purchased by a Mr Lurman. He called it 'Lurman's Health Resort' and later 'Craigweil Self-Service Guest House'. An early visitors' book from the 1950s shows entries from Auckland honeymooners along with international visitors describing it as 'the best holiday ever' and 'C'est le paradis'. Jewish John, who visited in 1969, wrote: "I slept in the bath".
    Deborah has been working at the home since 1988 and recalls the operational 10 sq.m bath which included a hoist to maneuver seniors in and out . She is delighted the development includes refurbishment of the bathhouse in its 1930s style along with an extended deck area for ease of access.
    The Parakai development will add another 30 staff to the facility currently operating with 23 staff, according to operations manager, Richard Parker.
    Auckland architectural firm, Eclipse Architecture has been engaged to create a design in keeping with the existing weatherboard frontage. There are numerous other features which will be retained in keeping with the Art Deco and Neo Classical period of the buildings, says Richard. These include restoring the kauri mantle piece in the main house, erecting original pillars to the front of the bathhouse and re-leading and cleaning all of the stained glass including the 1930s bathhouse window. They were also consulting the Napier museum to assist in recreating the Art Deco trellis which once decorated the space between the house and bathhouse, he says.
    "The kauri mantle piece has been sanded back and finished with Danish oil and anArt Deco statue purchased to decorate it." The build of the new wings is expected to start in July with a completion date set for late January, according to Richard.

$1.2 million Waitoki school buildings almost ready (March 1st '11)

    Staff and pupils at Waitoki School are close to moving into their spectacular new $1.2 million building.
    After months of construction disruption, workers for contractor Canam Interiors are putting the finishing touches to the building, which principal Ian Skipper says is well over half the school in terms of area. It includes a new main entrance, reception and administration office and sick bay. There is a new principal's office, a teachers' work room, staff room, resource storage, a photocopier bay, a music room, sports storage, toilets and a large, multipurpose hall. Outdoors there is extensive decking, including one enormous, partially-roofed area of around 200 sq.m. which will be used as an outdoor performance stage. A new library is joined to the main block by the roofed-in decking.
    The windows along the roadside of the entire building are double glazed to keep traffic noise to a minimum.
    The multi-purpose hall is particularly impressive. It features a sprung hardwood floor, a permanent stage at one end complete with an electric lift for wheelchairs, and a full kitchen with an outside servery. The room can be divided in two with large, moveable panels which lock into position; one panel has a door to allow access between the two halves of the room.
Money for the building came from a range of sources, including Education Ministry funds for building replacement and 5-yearly improvements, and local fund raising.
    Mr Skipper says once the buildings are able to be occupied, there will still be plenty to do in terms of external work such as concreting and landscaping. Eventually the classrooms will be painted to match the new building, and Mr Skipper hopes they will be joined to the new block with covered walkways.
    Meanwhile, plans are under way to remove the school's old 'Sunshine Block', built in 1939 as the first classroom and more recently used as a library. It will be moved to the Helensville Museum site in Mill Road as soon as possible and adapted for displays. The Historical Society is awaiting council permission and the removal will go ahead as soon as this is given. The Society still needs at least $15,000 to pay for this move, and any donations will be gratefully received.

Tidal power moves closer (March 1st '11)

    The Kaipara Harbour looks set to become New Zealand's next big electricity generator, with Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson expected to this month approve consent for 200 tidal turbines in the harbour entrance.
    Crest Energy has already received resource consent from the Northland Regional Council for 35 years. And early last month the project received a green-light decision by the Environment Court following an appeal against that decision by Environs Holdings, part of the north Kaipara iwi-basedTe Uri o Hau Settlement Trust. The Environment Court has
recommended the Environment Ministry give final approval to the project.
    Given the go-ahead, Crest will initially install just three turbines and monitor them for two years. Assuming the Northland Regional Council is then satisfied there is a "less than minor" impact, 17 more will be installed. The number of turbines would then be increased in stages until all 200 are operational, generating sufficient power for 250,000 homes, or an area from Albany to Cape Reinga.
    Tidal turbines work on similar principles to wind turbines, except that it is possible to forecast tides and therefore both the level of generation and the time of day for power production. A major difference between tidal and wind power generation is that sea water is 830 times denser than air, meaning the same flow generates several hundred times more power in water than in air. Being submerged, tidal turbines are invisible and silent.
    The total funding requirement over ten years will be about $600 million, with $40 million needed for the initial stage.
    Crest has been at pains to alleviate concerns from recreational fishermen about the impact the turbines will have on their sport. A pair of cables will run 7km from the turbines in the harbour mouth to Pouto Point on north Kaipara head. They will be buried over one metre below the harbour floor, and leisure craft will be able to anchor over the cables. The turbines will be 7m below low water level, allowing leisure craft to pass freely over the them at all times.
    The Kaipara Harbour has a number of factors which Crest say make it suitable to marine turbines, including the immense volume of water passes through a relatively narrow channel, the depth of the harbour mouth channel, where the turbines will be located, and the sandbar which will protect turbines from oceanic waves.

First stages of work at Parakai school nearing completion (March 1st '11)

    Work is coming to a finish on the first two stages of a major construction project at Parakai School. Principal Sean Valvoi says he expects the school's new library and resource building, and the new Kaipara Support Unit building to be open for business by the start of Term Two. The government-funded project has cost almost $500,000.
    The new Kaipara Support Unit, which will house the Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour staff which serve six schools in the area, is both larger and better layed out than the
building it replaces. It will feature separate offices for each teacher and a separate reception area. Prime Minister John Key will be invited to offically open the buildings.
Once they are operational, the next two phases of the project will swing into action.
    First, the original Kaipara Support Unit building will be joined by a passageway to the main administration block. It will then be used primarily as a meeting area for the Board of Trustees, teacher meetings and meetings with parents. Mr Valvoi's office will be modified as part of that construction work. The next stage of the work will see the school's old library -
currently housed in a modified classroom - converted to a custombuilt special needs room where students with special needs can work with their teacher aides. Finally, a special needs facility including toilet and changing area will be added to the end of Room 8.
    Work on the special needs facilities will cost around $140,000 and will come from a special government fund to provide amenities for children with high special needs.
    Building projects aren't the only changes at the school. This year has also seen a rebranding exercise. The school's old palm tree logo has been replaced with a circular motif which features a stylised Kaipara River representing the journey of learning, and two white koru which represent hope for the future.
     In conjunction with the new logo is a new uniform for the entire school, rather than just the two senior classes as was the previous case. The uniform is being phased in and should be school-wide by 2012. One bonus for parents is that the boys shorts and PE shorts are the same as those at Kaipara College, leading to potential savings when the children move to secondary school. Mr Valvoi said feedback from parents was 89 percent in favour of introducing a school-wide uniform.

Girl Guide camp boon for local businesses (February 3rd '11)

    The Helensville Showgrounds was turned into a tent village last month - and the local economy given a boost - by the first ever Girl Guides Upper North Zone camp. 267 Girl Guides aged from 10 years, plus 36 Girl Guide Rangers (aged 14-18) took part in the five-day 'Kaipara Kapers' event. They were looked after by 75 volunteer adults - only three of whom, the
bus driver, advanced paramedic and security guard - were men.
    The event took 18 months to organise and cost $98,000 to run, with each girl contributing an all-inclusive $290 and the adult leaders $110 each. A lot of that money went to Helensville businesses - more on that later.
    The Girl Guides Northern Zone is made up of five regions - Northland, North Shore, Auckland (which includes the Helensville area), Manukau and Hauraki - and spans the upper half of the North Island, from Kaitaia to the Hauraki Plains. All the girls came from within that area, as did all but one of the leaders, a Canadian woman holidaying here who immediately volunteered to help after hearing about the camp.
    Helensville Showgrounds was chosen for its central location in the Zone, its large size, and the fact it is in a rural area yet close to amenities and attractions, says organising team leaderAngela Anderson.
    During the five day camp the girls took part in a wide range of activities. On-site those included various water-based activities, rock wall climbing, archery, and shooting (with real guns). A disco was held on the Saturday night. A vehicle fleet consisting of a full-size bus, three vans and an 8-seater car ferried the girls around the Helensville area where they took part in many activities. Those included horse riding at Tasman Horse Rides at Parakai, swimming at the Aquatic Park hot pools, visiting the Helensville Pioneer Museum, challenging themselves to the ropes courses at Tree Adventures in Woodhill, kayaking at Shelly Beach, and going 'geocaching', which is like a modern-day treasure hunt using GPS technology.
On the Saturday afternoon, the girls took part in a number of local community service projects. Those included washing the Kaipara Coastguard boat, gardening and general tidying up at both the RSA's Drake Village and Mt Tabor Trust, helping with Lions Club fundraising by pulling tabs off cans at the Helensville recycling depot, and collecting rubbish and mulching gardens along the riverside walkway.
    The camp was officially opened on Wednesday, January 12 by the Governor General's wife, Lady Susan Satyanand, at a ceremony which featured among other attractions a drum show by Rhythm Interactive.
    Running the camp was akin to a military exercise. As well as all the tents and other gear - owned by the Girl Guide Association and provided by each region - there were 20 portaloos set up, along with 18 portable showers and an enormous marquee for dining and meetings. The tent village was organised by region, and each region set up a specially built themed 'gateway' to their area, complete with night lighting.
    The main show building was described by Angela as a giant "walk-in pantry". Feeding such a large crowd was a formidable task, with the 13 adult volunteers who made up the catering team working from 5am to around 9pm each day. Meal times took 1½ hours with the girls eating in shifts with 10 minute breaks between. While the bulk food items such as canned goods were purchased at Gilmours, perishable items were sourced locally.
    "We ensured we purchased from the local community - items such as veges, meat, bread and milk," says Angela.
    The amount consumed was staggering. During the five days and four nights, the 303 girls and 75 adults went through 606 litres of milk, 18 litres of cream, 80kg of cereal, 1200 eggs, 2000 litres of juice (made from powder), 300 loaves of bread, 760 bread rolls, 20 chocolate logs and 1300 muffins. They ate their way through 300kg of tinned food - such as fruit and baked beans - every day. One dinner alone used 57kg of corned silverside. Even the left overs didn't go to waste, instead being donated to locals for pig food.
    Simply providing enough hot water for washing dishes was a major exercise, with 11 gas-powered water heating 'jennies' in use.
    The organisers were thrilled with the support of the Helensville community, says Angela, and they want to thank in particular the Helensville Meat Centre, Te Awaroa Market Garden, Woolworths and Parakai 4 Square for their help in keeping food supplies flowing. They would also like to thank the A&P Showgrounds staff for their help, especially Richard Bradly for his help around the grounds.

Young Farmer competition regional finals at A&P Show (February 3rd '11)

    The northern regional finals of the National Bank Young Farmer competition will be held at the Helensville A&P Show on Saturday, February 26. The competition in the Show's trade
area will start around 7.30am and continue until about 3pm. There will be a final, quiz-style round at the Helensville War Memorial Hall that evening.
    The Helensville contest will be the first of seven regional finals to be held around the country over the next three months, culminating in a Grand Final at Masterton starting on June 29. After six weeks of intense district final competition, seven men and one woman will compete at Helensville for one of the coveted seven places in the final.
    Contestants are tested on a range of practical skills involving all agricultural industries as well as the theory and technical knowledge required for modern farming. An aim of the contest, now in its 43rd year, is to create an awareness of the diversity of modern farming practices and careers, from on-farm through to agribusiness and agriscience. Tests will cover areas such as practical challenges, head-to-head contests, agrisports, market innovation challenges, business planning, an interview, and speeches.
    The actual challenges are kept secret until the day of the competition so contestants can't get an unfair advantage. A successful component added in 2010 was the Community Footprint, which looks at the way a contestant's lifestyle adds value to their community.
    Contest operations manager Roz Lever believes it is this diversity that is the great challenge for the contestants. "Most contestants have an area of strength where they are comfortable, but the challenge of the contest is handling the unknown. Whether people are more theoretical or practically inclined, whether they are familiar with dairy farming or sheep farming, any activity within agriculture is fair game".
    Ms Lever believes this results in people who are more aware of other agriculture industries and the world around them. "Without realising it, many of the contestants' social, practical and intellectual skills grow tremendously during their time in the contest".
    The benefits of competing do not stop at personal growth, with more than $300,000 worth of prizes to be won.
    Also running on the day will be both AgriKids and TeenAg competitions. In AgriKids, teams of four children aged 9- 12 compete, while TeenAg is for 15-16 year olds in teams of two.

New Woodhill Equestrian Park management proving popular (February 3rd '11)

    It is almost six months since the YMCA took over the day-to-day management of the Woodhill Forest Equestrian Park (WFEP), and "the feedback from riders is amazing" says Karen Legg, manager of the YMCA's Massey Leisure Centre.
    "There were worries (from riders) at the beginning," she says, but adds that now support for the new park management is "overwhelming".
    The park is licenced for equestrian use from Hancock Timber Resource Group, which harvests the pine plantation, by the Auckland Woodhill Endurance Club (AWEC). Rowena Tyler, president of AWEC, agrees the management change has been beneficial. "It's been extremely well received. It's been a big improvement, I believe, in the way the facilities are being managed and the way riders are being looked after," she says.
    AWEC is a small, non-profit club which used to manage the park themselves. When Hancock segregated the forest into different recreational areas with a view to making them more commercial, the club realised it would be beyond their means to effectively keep managing the park. That led to the current arrangement with theYMCA. While that organisation had no direct equestrian involvement in New Zealand, it was already experienced managing other outdoor facilities, and as a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to help communities and families, the management role seemed a good fit.
    Horse riders must be registered with the YMCA before they can ride in Woodhill Forest; there are currently about 700 registered riders, roughly 90 percent of them women. The riders pay an annual fee, and receive a key to gain admittance.
    It has been largely business as usual since the YMCA took over management. The biggest change is that around 10 of the AWEC committee members are now voluntary 'horseback rangers' who help riders who become lost or distressed, or offer advice on where to ride. The other major advance has been in mapping tracks in association with the Auckland Orienteering Club. All tracks will be named, and a trail sponsorship scheme has been set up; already two Kumeu businesses have sponsored tracks, along with several individuals.
    The WFEP features 'The Nursery' which has a kitchen, showers, toilet and bunkroom available for hire for overnight stays. It's proving a huge success and is booked out almost every
weekend year round, says Karen.

Roses set to float down Kaipara River again (February 3rd '11)

   Helensville will again host the annual Running of the Roses community fundraising event on February 20. Organised jointly by the Lions Club of Helensville and the Helensville District Business Association, the event features a 'race' down the Kaipara River by 2500 numbered roses - with those first across the line winning big prizes for their owners.
   In keeping with previous years there will be a festival atmosphere. Stalls will be open from 10am with the emphasis this year on 'food fare'. Entertainment will feature Medieval demonstrations, including dancing and sword fighting.
   The main event, the releasing of the numbered roses upriver at the Kaipara Cruising Club, will take place around 1pm. The roses will be washed down the Kaipara River, with the first roses fished out at the finish line deemed winners. Prizes worth $5000 are awarded for the first five place getters. They include an overnight cruise plus a night's accommodation in the Bay of Islands, a hot air balloon ride, a night's luxury accommodation at Vineyard Cottage inWaimauku, a night at the Sky City Grand Hotel, and a booklet of local shopping vouchers. Random spot prizes will also be drawn during the event.
   This year's 2500 tickets have sold quickly, but some are still available for $5 at participating retailers in Helensville, and tickets may also be available on the day prior to the race. Proceeds from the Running of the Roses go towards local charities and community organisations. This year recipients will include Sunnydays Early Childhood Centre to help with the
redevelopment of their playground, and Helensville Primary School to help towards the re roofing of the school hall.
   Helensville Lions Club would like to invite local food producers or suppliers to the participate on the day. For more information phone Matt Hampton on 027 221 3226.