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Last updated
March 9th, 2010
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Home > Current News Articles |
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links below to news items on the Helensville area and its
future development. Most articles appear courtesy Helensville News.
2009 Articles
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Horse Expo for sale (November 28th '09)
One of the largest events on
Helensville's annual calendar, Horse
Expo New Zealand, is up for sale.
Horse Expo was developed by the
Helensville A&P Association as a
fundraiser for the local A&P Show - a
way to raise cash to help maintain and
improve the grounds. It was also
designed to support charity, with a
percentage of every Horse Expo NZ
going to Riding for the Disabled. Almost
$5000 has been provided over the
years.
The event was first held in 2004 and
has been held each year since, with the
exception of 2007.
Now, after five highly successful and
popular events, the organisation
involved is becoming too much for the
volunteers that run both Horse Expo and
theA&P Association, and a decision has
been made to sell Horse Expo NZ as an
established event.
The philosophy behind Horse Expo has been to celebrate everything to do
with horses by providing a venue for
equestrian clubs and organisations to
showcase their clubs, display new
equestrian products and services and
inform and educate by way of
demonstrations, entertainment and
trade.
Horse Expo NZ was a welcome
addition to the Helensville calendar,
drawing crowds to the town from the Far
North to the Wairarapa and Hawkes
Bay. Feedback has been
overwhelmingly positive from visitors,
participating clubs and exhibitors alike.
The committee organising the event
have been gratified to hear what people
think, the most common remarks being "it's so relaxed" and "there's so much to
see."
Anyone interested in purchasing
Horse Expo NZ should email
for
further information.
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New venue and time for Christmas in the 'Ville (November 28th '09)
Christmas in the 'Ville has a new time – and a new
venue – for this weekend's event.
This year the show will start at 2pm, after the midday
Helensville Christmas Parade.
The biggest change is the shift in venue. Previous
Christmas in the 'Ville events have been at the Parakai
Domain, but this year's will be at the lower sports field
at Helensville Primary school.
It is an ideal venue because of its proximity to other
activities on the day, easy walking access and it is
enclosed for spectator safety, says organiser Nick
Roberts.
“It will be an entertaining show and we promise it
will help our community celebrate Christmas,” says
founding team member, Mary Connor. “We would love families, groups and individuals to
turn up with their picnics and take the opportunity to
relax and celebrate a Christmas in the 'Ville with
others.”
After the show, bands will entertain until about
7pm, which will allow the audience to leave in daylight
or move on to carols at the Catholic Church.
Saturday's Christmas program, co-ordinated
annually by volunteers, promises something for
everyone, from hip hop in Creek Lane to carols in the
evening.
It kicks off at 9am with a children's fairground in the
carpark behind Allsorts (access beside Riah Hair
Salon). There will also be musical performances at the
newly completed riverside lookout on Creek Lane, and
Hip Hop sensation 'Erakah' will perform with dancers at
9.30am.
The Christmas in the 'Ville team works under the
Performing Arts Centre Kaipara South (PACKS)
Charitable Trust umbrella. The show is run by
volunteers and the support of local organisations,
schools, churches and trusts. PACKS have been able
to run this event for the last three years without funding.
For more information contact Nick Roberts, phone
021 420 784.
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Helensville to get 3 ward members (November 28th '09)
Rodney will be a rural ward of the
new Auckland Council under the Local
Government Commission's proposal,
released on November 20. The ward will
comprise most of the existing district
apart from a small area south of Muriwai
township and the Hibiscus Coast area.
The commission has put the entire
Waitakere Ranges Heritage area in one
ward, by putting a small part of the west
coast into the new Waitakere Ward.
The east coast area from Waiwera
south to and including Stillwater will join
the new Hibiscus Coast-Albany East
Coast BaysWard.
The remaining Rodney Ward is
described as reflecting the communities
that consider that 'ruralness' is a matter
of perception and not just about landuse.
So how will our rural communities be
represented? The ward will have a
population of 53, 590. The commission
has proposed three subdivisions for the
Rodney Ward: Helensville-Kumeu
(population 24,000, three board
members); Wellsford-Warkworth
(population 21,690, three board
members); and Central (population
7990, one board member).
The seven board members will form
a single board for Rodney Ward, and
one councillor will be elected to join the
new Auckland Council.
The Local Government Commission
will receive written comments until 5pm,
Friday, December 11. Information and
submission forms are available at all libraries, or visit for
more information.
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Two local businesses win hospitality awards (November 28th '09)
Two local businesses were winners
at the recent Manaakitanga Awards run
by the Rodney District to honour
outstanding hospitality.
The took out the
Rodney-wide 'Outstanding Café
Experience' award, while Tree
Adventures at Woodhill won the
'Outstanding Visitor Attraction
Experience'.
Ginger Crunch Café owner of seven
years, Elaine Murray was surprised and
thrilled with her award as the
competition from cafes in Warkworth
and Matakana was stiff.
At the awards evening in Orewa last
month, judges complimented The
Ginger Crunch on its “super friendly
service and genuine warm welcome”.
“That is so easy for us, because we
know most of our clients,” Elaine says.
A winning formula has been the
complementary piece of ginger crunch
with hot drinks. It really works because
everyone likes something for nothing
and they come back and buy other food,
particularly the large pieces of ginger
crunch, she said.
The café, which employs seven
locals, has been noticeably busier since
the award was announced. Even though
the café is tucked away in the historic
railway station, people are finding us
and sharing their little secret with others,
Elaine says. Many comment on the wonderful feel of the building.
The award winning Tree
Adventures adventure park in Woodhill
offers corporate days where office
workers can don helmets and safety
harnesses and click their way around a
challenge course 15m high in the tree
tops.
A double safety harness system is a
lifeline in case of spills, and there are
experienced safety instructors to guide
and rescue.
Tree Adventures won the
Rodney District 'Outstanding Visitor
AttractionAward' as part of the inaugural
Manaakitanga Awards, nominated by
tourism consultants and voted for by the
public.
The award is one of many it's
received including the 'Best Adventure
Activity for Children' by Metro Magazine
in 2007 and 2008 and the 'People's
Choice' Award for adventure-based
team building.
The forest adventure park concept
came from France and has grown in
popularity to more than 500 parks there
and even more worldwide. Six French
enthusiasts with much experience
working in and building these parks
decided Woodhill Forest was the perfect
place for New Zealand's first park. They felt the adventurous kiwi spirit and love
of the outdoors was the perfect cultural
fit.
Muriwai resident Jimmy Moore
helped construct Tree Adventures in
2004, and is now the park's sole director,
with four of the original French men as
silent partners. His team of 15 staff
support up to 170 visitors at any one
time as they climb, crawl, swing, dangle
and fly through seven acres of forest.
More than 70,000 have visited the
course since 2004.
There are courses for every level,
and each is designed to build
confidence and provide physical and
technical challenges, says Jimmy.
People can take the ultimate test and do
all the levels “hands free”, which takes
about three hours.
The most popular course is level
seven which includes a huge balance
beam, Tarzan swing and tree surfing
along a 10 metre high platform. A 150m
long flying fox provides an exhilarating
ride down.
Beginners can enjoy challenges at
three to five metres which include
suspended tunnels, swinging logs and
giant nets.
Safety procedures are paramount
and the building of Tree Adventures
along with its proven international safety
harness system was approved prior to
opening.
Due to the insatiable
demand for thrills and
adrenalin, Tree
Adventures expanded
its course in 2008 to
include a 35 minute
course at level nine.
This course involves
activities in the
treetops, 15m high and
includes suspended
Japanese style
stepping stones and a
10 metre long vertigo
cable.
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Heritage Day draws big crowds again (November 28th '09)
Around 800 people attended the
second Helensville Heritage Day on
Sunday, November 8, with visitors
coming from as far afield as Wellington,
Hamilton and Dargaville.
Building on the success of last year's
inaugural event, the town was a buzz of
activity from the railway station in the
north to the museum on River Reserve
in the south, with a number of people
entering into the spirit of the day by
dressing up in heritage costume.
One of the highlights for many was
seeing the steam train arrive (and later
depart) from the railway station. Buses
at the station took people around the
heritage houses, and many who visited
were impressed at the standard of
renovations and refurbishment in the six
homes open for viewing.
Music and dance were well catered
for with Kumeu Vintage Brass and the
Warkworth Pipe Band and groups of
Morris dancers and Scottish dancers.
The Kahurangi group from the five
local marae gave a spirited kapa haka
performance. The group is fundraising
for a trip to Finland in June next year,
where they have been invited to join a
folk festival.
New events this year were the
dragon boats and kayak-canoe races on
the Kaipara River at Creek Lane.
Art was featured in both static and
living displays at three separate venues,
and colonial crafts were demonstrated
at the museum. The barn displays there
featured woodturning, timber, vintage
tools and Flora Thirkettle's net making.
Vintage vehicles parked on the
reserve drew interest from the
mechanically minded.
Children were catered for at the
River Reserve with the vintage displays
and popular sideshows. Some watched
the woodturners making spinning tops in
the barn and were able to take home
samples to try for themselves.
Food was an important part of the
day. There were the local cafes and
bakeries along with the Lions Club
sausages, the marae mussels and the
Haggis ceremony at the War Memorial
Hall.
Many Heritage Day visitors took the
opportunity to walk the riverside
walkway and appreciate the new
signage detailing the history of that area.
Fortunately the weather remained fine
throughout the day.
Helensville has successfully proved
for the second time that by a combined
and co-ordinated effort it can present a
spirited and successful demonstration
of its value as a heritage town. - Wynne HaySmith
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4 local nominees in hospitality awards (October 27th '09)
One local person and two local
businesses have between then nabbed
four nominations in the 2009
Manaakitanga Awards competition,
New Zealand's newest hospitality
awards which focuses exclusively on
businesses in the Rodney District.
Sarah King (16) is a nominee in the
Outstanding Hospitality Youth (aged 16-
24) category, while the café where she
works, at the
Helensville Railway station, is
nominated in the Outstanding Café
Experience category.
Chrissy's Natural Preserves, based
at Chrissy Jones' at Shelly Beach, has been nominated as an outstanding Local Food Producer,
while one of her signature dishes, her
'Chutney to Die For' has been picked in
the Outstanding 'Slow' Dish category.
The Ginger Crunch is based in the
historic railway station building in
Railway St, having moved there five
years ago from its original position in
Commercial Rd.
Owner Elaine Murray, who has lived
in Helensville for 10 years and comes
from a business background, says
becoming a finalist is the pinnacle of her
ownership of the café.
The café has a strong loyal following,
serves delicious home-made food, and all the employees are local. Elaine's philosophy is to follow a
sustainable business model, so the staff recycles everything
possible. Elaine says she enjoys being in the lovely old building,
Youth nominee Sarah King, a 16 year old whose mother says
has “been passionate about food since she was little”, already has
an impressive resume - she has won a Silver medal at the New
Zealand Culinary Fair, coming third overall in her section in New
Zealand, and a Silver in the Northland Cooking Competition which
was for all Northland Schools.
Sarah has been working at The Ginger Crunch for eight
months.
Frech Orchards Estate in Shelly Beach Rd, South Head, is
owned and operated by Chrissy and Fred Jones, who originally
came from the city.
Along with the bed and breakfast business they run from their
home, and their certified organic avocado orchard, Chrissy runs
her Chrissy's Natural Preserves outlet shop from their property,
selling a comprehensive range of organically based preserves –
including her nominated Chutney to Die For - which are all
produced on-site in anA-grade kitchen.
The preserves are sourced from fruit trees grown in the
orchard and the business has been operating from there for 7
years.
The Manaakitanga Awards are aimed at showcasing the
talent, vision and creative flair of Rodney hospitality and tourism
establishments and the individuals who work within them.
The Maori word Manaakitanga literally means hospitality. The
awards cover the full scope of the hospitality industry and include
accommodation, tourism and event experiences. They also aim to
promote use of sustainable and local values; nominees who
demonstrate these elements will be awarded extra merit.
Created in collaboration with Rodney District Council and
supported by Tourism Auckland, the awards will enable nominees
and winners to receive deserved recognition.
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Major floral competition
in November (October 27th '09)
The Floral Art Society of New
Zealand will hold its annual Designer of
the Year competition for the Auckland
area in Helensville this month.
It will be at the Helensville War
Memorial Hall from Friday, November 20
until Sunday, November 22, with locals
able to view the stunning floral entries
from 10am to 4pm.
On the Saturday morning an 'Impose
Competition' will be run.
In this event, the participants have
no idea what they will be working with;
everything is provided including flowers,
vases and accessories, and they only
get to see the items when they arrive at the tables.
The competition takes one and half
hours and is then judged by a qualified
Judge.
This year participants will be
competing for the Colleen Fernie
Memorial Trophy, named for a judge and
teacher of international standing who
died earlier this year. The presentation
to the winner will be a public one during
the afternoon.
For a number of years the Designer
of the Year competition was held at the
Ellerslie Flower Show, and last year was
at The Auckland Flower Show in the
Floral Marquee. As the Auckland Flower
Show is not being held this year, a new
venue for the competition had to be
found.
Hilary Bott, a member of the
Helensville Floral Art Club, is currently
serving as chairperson for the Floral Art
Society of New Zealand's Auckland
area, and decided the competition
should come in to her 'territory' and be
held in Helensville.
Competitors will come from as far
south as Drury, and Warkworth in the
north.
The overall theme for the
competition (which is open only to
members of floral art clubs) is 'Global
Kaleidoscope'.
Sub-themes for the grade sections
are: Juniors - 'Moonbeams and
Miracles', Intermediates - 'Free Spirit',
Seniors - 'Power Play', Open Section -
'Global Kaleidoscope' and the Clubs'
Designs - 'Sharp Contrasts'. These
themes have to be interpreted in floral
designs.
Techniques and accessories will be
used that are not usually associated with
flowers, and the end results should be
some magnificent floral artwork. This
event will be a local spectacle of flowers
and colour.
Tickets to the floral display will be on
sale at the door.
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Christmas in the ‘Ville to feature ‘Peace’ theme (October 27th '09)
The team from PACKS (Performing
Arts Centre Kaipara South) is gearing
up again for this year's Christmas in the
'Ville.
Now in its seventh year, the show
continues to grow and develop – and
this year will be no exception.
Organisers will be hoping for a better
evening than last year, when the
heavens opened only thirty minutes into
the performance.
This year all the
music and activities at
the Parakai Domain
event will be based
around the theme of ‘Peace’.
Christmas in the
'Ville is moving to its
earlier format of being
on the same day as
the Helensville
Christmas Parade,
Saturday, December
5.
The show will
begin shortly after the
parade has finished and the motorcycle run has left town –
probably around 3pm.
Keep an eye out for the large
'Christmas in the 'Ville' road signs which
will have all the details about where and
when. There will be at least one at each
entry point to Helensville and one
approaching Parakai.
For more information contact Nick
Roberts on 021 420 784 or email
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Proposed plan variation to set
up West Coast Rural Policy Area (September 28th '09)
Rodney District Council is undertaking public consultation on a
proposed variation to its district plan which would introduce a West
Coast Rural Policy Area.
The proposed zone would introduce additional rules for areas
zoned General Rural at South Head and the coastal areas of
Rodney along the Kaipara Harbour.
The rules would place controls on buildings within this area,
with the aim of protecting the distinctive coastal and rural character
of the west coast of Rodney. The proposed changes would mean
the development of, or significant alterations to, buildings in the
zone which are currently a permitted activity, would become a
controlled activity and a resource consent would be required.
The plan variation would also introduce more stringent controls
on earthworks, tree and bush removal, and wetland and
watercourse modification to provide better protection for the
sensitive environment along Rodney's west coast.
Farming and horticultural activities within the new policy area
would only be affected by the proposed changes if buildings,
earthworks or wetland and watercourse modifications are made or
if tree or bush removal is planned.
The variation was initiated following submissions to the
council's District Plan seeking for a new zone to be introduced
which would protect the distinctive coastal and rural character of
the west coast of Rodney. Because of the area's proximity to
Auckland and its relative affordability when compared to the east
coast of Rodney, there has been increasing demand for the area to
be developed.
The council decided there was merit in investigating a west
coast zone, but thought it should do so through a District Plan
variation process so the community could have input into plan
rules.
The council's Manager of District Planning, Peter Vari, says the
changes proposed in the plan variation will have an impact on the
types of activities that can be undertaken along the west coast,
and that it is important people living in these areas are aware of
what is being proposed.
"I would encourage people to visit the council's website to find
out more about the changes proposed, and make a submission on
the variation if they wish to," he says.
Submissions on the variation can be made until Friday,
October 23 and anyone is able to make a submission.Mr Vari says it is important submitters clearly identify which
aspects of the variation they are addressing in their submission,
state whether they support or oppose the proposed rules and what
decision they are seeking from the council. More information is
available online at .
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Local Masons celebrate
125th anniversary (September 28th '09)
Helensville’s Duke of Albany Lodge
No. 2073 EC celebrated its 125th
anniversary on September 23.
It was a milestone the 47 members
present at the celebration were justly
proud of; not many organisations in New
Zealand could boast holding monthly
meetings continuously for the past 125
years.
Following the consecration of the
Lodge in September 1884, meetings
have always been held on the
Wednesday nearest the full moon. But
there was nothing mystical about that -
it was simply to enable the members to
find their way home with the aid of
moonlight after the meetings!
Many came on foot, train or horse, or
by the river.
No longer the secretive society it
was once thought to be, Freemasonry
continues to inspire members by its
teachings of brotherly love and support, and doing good work in the community.
A major fund raiser for the past four
years has been the Masonic Golf Day at
the South Head Golf Club. In March this
year $6,500 was raised for distribution
among 10 local charitable causes.
At the anniversary meeting, District
Grand Master Peter Gudsell
congratulated the Lodge, commenting
on the high esteem in which the
Helensville Lodge is held in the North
Island district. The large gathering of
brethren, which included visitors from
eight other Lodges, enjoyed three
addresses: Ross Hughes spoke on the
first 100 years, Chas Holst recounted
memories of the past 25 years and Tony
Petrie gave his ideas about the future of
the Lodge.
A celebratory supper with
appropriate toasts and a birthday cake
concluded a very happy occasion.
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New venue for Spring Fling ‘09 (September 28th '09)
Spring Fling - the annual celebration
of the arts and crafts in the Helensville-South Head area - will be held this year
in a new venue.
It will be held in the gardens of
Nestlebrae Exotics at 219 South Head
Road on Sunday, October 18.
‘Nestlebrae’ is an historic house,
built in 1898 by James McDonald, and
owned by his descendants until 1987
when the farm was sub-divided and the
homestead block bought by John Prince and Rosemary Steele.
They have converted the bare
farmland into extensive orchards and
gardens, and there will be plenty of room
to house all the stalls.
This year’s Spring Fling will feature
art exhibited by Art Kaipara, plants
(covering everything from Tracey
Morrison’s seedlings to the palms and
subtropical fruit trees sold by Nestlebrae
Exotics), chutneys and other preserves,
jewellery, antique linen, plus soaps,
ornaments, macadamia nuts, and a host
of other goodies to tempt buyers looking
for Christmas presents.
Nestlebrae has a commercial
kitchen, and Rosemary will be running
the café as she has done at the event’s
former venues of Twin Palms and Frech
Orchards Estate. She will also be selling
marmalades, jams and chutneys made
from fruit grown on the property.
The Lions Club will have their usual
sausage sizzle and fundraising raffles.
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Vets to celebrate 15
years with open day (September 28th '09)
Helensville Vet Service celebrates
the 15th anniversary of the opening of its
Commercial Road clinic with an open
day on Saturday, October 31.
The open day will be an opportunity
for locals to see what goes on when their
pet is 'taken down the back' for
treatment or surgery.
Escorted tours will be taken through
the clinic to show imaging techniques,
in-house laboratory equipment,
anaesthetic techniques, sterile surgery,
dentistry and orthopaedics. In addition
there will be competitions, give-aways
and hot dogs.
The clinic will open at 11am for tours
and close at 2pm. There will be no
normal Saturday clinic consults during
this time, though the shop will be open.
In 1994 the Kaipara Veterinary Club
Inc. purchased the old Central Service
Station site and constructed a purpose
designed veterinary clinic for the town.
The clinic was opened with a public
open day in October 1994.
Prior to that the veterinary practice
had worked out of a building in McLeod
Street for many years, and before that
was in the Kaipara Dairy factory
complex on Mill Road.
The veterinary practice started in Helensville in 1949, initially established
by the Kaipara Dairy Company for its
suppliers. This service was later
extended to all farmers during the 1950s
and the practice moved to McLeod St.
In 1968 the practice separated from
the dairy company.
With increasing pet animal work and
the number of small block holders also
increasing, the practice needed new
premises to enable it to continue to
provide a top-flight service to its
customers.
The building in Commercial Road
was one of the first new buildings in the
area for some time, and was designed
for its purpose with a separate operating
room, separate dog and cat kennels and
a large treatment area.
With the new building the practice
was the first mixed animal practice to
gain NZ Vet Association 'Best Practice'
accreditation status.
The maintenance of this status
ensures clients' animals are receiving
the best quality of care from a well run
practice.
Helensville Vet Service now has a
dedicated pet animal vet, but retains a
strong commitment to supporting the
local farming community with the farm
animal vets
attending
farm animal
related
courses and
conferences
to keep up to
date.
They
also have a
strong
interest and
commitment
to alpaca
and llamas.
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Group forms to combat local anti-social issues (September 15th '09)
A new multi-agency group has been formed to address and
reduce anti-social issues in Helensville and Parakai.
The initiative follows continuing concern by local residents
about community safety and well-being.
Following a public meeting held late last year by Ngati Whatua
Nga Rima representative Jane Sherard, and a community safety
assessment by police earlier this year, a group has now been
formed which includes representatives from community and
government organisations such as the police, Ngati Whatua Nga
Rima o Kaipara, Rodney District Council and the Helensville-Parakai Residents and RatepayersAssociation.
It is intended that leaders from local schools and other
organisations will be co-opted onto the group depending on the
issues that need to be worked through.
Two meetings of the Safer Community Working Group have
already been held to address the following matters:
The liquor ban and the availability of alcohol to minors; antisocial behaviour in the main streets and at the riverside
lookout; applying Crime Prevention by Environmental Design
assessment to some areas (a methodology used to improve
safety of public areas); the need for the community to get involved and report any antisocial
or suspicious situations to police.
The group meets once a month and will be announcing later
this month and in October what actions have been initiated.
It is expected that, together with the Community Patrol, improvements will become obvious in the
community.
Anyone who wished to raise issues or who has ideas regarding
improving the safety of our community should contact one of the
following SWCG members:
Mike O'Neill (Chair), Helensville-Parakai Residents &
Ratepayers Assn, 420 6208; Glendith Samson, Heartland Te
Awaroa, 420 9761; Jane Sherard, Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o
Kaipara, 420 6274; Janet Hope, NZ Police, 09 426 4555; RDC
councillor GrevWalker, 420 7173; RDC councillor SuzanneWeld,
420 9390;Anna Crane, Community Safety Advisor Rodney District
Council, 0800 426 5169.
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Riverside Heritage group disbands (September 15th '09)
Helensville Riverside Heritage [HRH] members have
voted to wind-up their organisation.
Speaking at the recent HRH annual meeting, chairman
David Bott talked about the achievements over the eight
years since HRH started the riverside walkway project.
Following a river cruise in 2001 for then Mayor John
Law, councillors, council staff and community
representatives to witness the sorry state of the riverbank,
HRHwas set up to plan the redevelopment of the riverside.
It took three years of hard work from a dedicated team
of volunteers of all ages to clear and weed the land and
plant 4000 native seedlings.
HRH had full support from the Rodney District Council
with funding and planning. Stage One, the boardwalks and
walkways, was opened in 2004 and stage two, the building
of the lookout and wharf, was opened in 2007.
The final achievement has been the completion and
placing of three descriptive plaques on the local history.
These are located by the old concrete tubs and fishing
wharf, the silicon sands and at the rear of the old dairy
factory, explaining Maori history on and around the river.
Maintenance has now been handed to Council
contractors City
Care. Enquiries
should now be
directed to the
Council’s
service centre
in Commercial
Rd.
HRH hopes
the lookout
and wharf
will be well
used; the area
will shortly be
enhanced even
further by
planned
developments
in Creek Lane.
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Doctors forced to close books to new patients (September 15th '09)
Kaipara Medical Centre has had to
temporarily close its books to new
patient registrations.
Patient numbers had grown from
5000 to almost 6000 over the past 30
months or so, putting a great strain on
the practice's four GPs. In May this year the centre appointed a fifth doctor,
Marion Sewell, to help with the work
load.
Unfortunately, Dr Sewell has had to
leave the practice for personal reasons -
meaning the centre is back to four
doctors.
“In order to provide a continuing
reasonable level of service and
availability of appointments, the Centre
has had to take the difficult decision to
temporarily close its books to new
patient registrations,” explains practice
manager John Issott. “The search goes on both nationally
and abroad for a new GP to join the
Centre, and once a candidate has been
found the books will reopen,” he says.
On a brighter note, a lot of hard work
by staff and doctors has just seen
Kaipara Medical Centre awarded
Cornerstone Accreditation. This is a
prestigious national quality standard
administered by the Royal New Zealand
College of General Practitioners.
Receiving the accreditation involved
preparation and then a full day's audit by
external assessors.
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Multi-million dollar Kaipara Mills development to change the face of Helensville (July 30th '09)
This is Kaipara Mills, the proposed multi-million dollar residential, commercial, hotel and public development planned for the old Kaipara Dairy Factory site at the southern entrance to Helensville.
It was revealed to a packed audience at a public meeting in the Helensville War Memorial Hall late last month where it was well received.
If the project goes ahead as planned, the old factory on the 14,000 sq.m. site will be knocked down to make way for 150 residences, 20 commercial units, a public market place and theatre, a hotel and ancillary facilities.
Around 25-30 of the residential units would be incorporated as serviced apartments in the hotel.
Residential accommodation will range from studio-style apartments associated with the hotel, one-bedroom units suitable for young couples or first-time buyers, larger three and four bedroom apartments aimed at retired or professional couples, two bedrooms homes suitable for single parents or retirees, and modern apartments with offices for business people.
A major aim of the development is to provide suitable housing for people wanting to retire. Developer Jeremy Dyson says Helensville’s current housing stock is generally unsuitable for retired couples, meaning most are forced to move into the city where they lose contact with their friends and community network.
And he points out they are a valuable resource that the town loses.
“In so many rural communities it is the elderly doing voluntary work who keep the community alive. These are the citizens with the most to offer and the loss of these people is sorely felt.”
Residents will enjoy facilities including a large gymnasium, indoor lap pool, an outdoor pool and spa, a jogging track on the roof of the building, and meeting facilities.
The public aren’t being overlooked either. Mr Dyson plans to complete the riverside walkway with a landscaped town square and covered market place. The retail and commercial aspect of Kaipara Mills will focus on small arts-related businesses to both avoid conflict with existing Helensville stores, and to encourage visitors to the area.
Architects for the project have been careful to limit the introduction of new architectural themes, with most of the motifs and styles used being already present in existing town buildings.
“We have incorporated into the design wherever possible provision for artworks reflecting the Maori history of the area as well as acknowledgement of post-European activities, kauri milling and the Dairy Company,” says Mr Dyson, who comes from St Heliers in Auckland.“The intention is to incorporate input from Tangata Whenua into the marketplace and Art Deco buildings which comprise the frontage of the development. Other large wall spaces will feature artwork relating to the industrial history of the property.”
Historically, the site was occupied in the late 1800s by two large sawmills working kauri timber from the Kaipara region, and a flour mill. From the 1930s to the 1980s it was home to the Kaipara Dairy Company factory, and subsequently was used for a variety of commercial purposes. The buildings are currently derelict, and generally regarded by locals as an eyesore at the entrance to the town.
Mr Dyson called the Helensville meeting to gauge public opinion and receive as much initial public input as possible. He says that with the current resource consent process, once a consent has been applied for, the situation becomes adversarial as the public can only lodge objections, rather than make constructive comments.
He says the meeting was a”neighbourly courtesy” and his team was “absolutely delighted” with the public’s response. The Kaipara Mills project was “very graciously received”
Alongside the construction of the buildings, the river frontage will come in for an upgrade.
The plans include re-piling the section of the riverbank adjacent to the site, and rebuilding the old dairy factory wharf. Lighting will be installed along that part of the walkway.
Piles and timbers from the existing structure will be reused where possible in landscaping around the development. A landscape architect is preparing a design using native species wherever possible.
Once complete, Kaipara Mills will be managed by a Body Corporate employing a full-time manager and a part-time assistant. A management committee would meet on a monthly basis.
A major thrust in the design of the project is to use sustainable and green technologies where possible. Solar water heating, solar cells, double glazing and water recycling will be used where practicable. Special emphasis will go on waste management, and it is intended primary water treatment will be carried out to storm water on-site.
Mr Dyson says quality materials will be used during construction with the aim of permanence and low long-term maintenance costs.
The developers are seeking agreement from the New Zealand Transport Authority to establish a roundabout in Mill Road to control traffic flow into and out of the development. The plans allow for ample parking for both residents and visitors.
Mr Dyson says the next stage is to apply for resource consent, probably at the end of this month, and he says indications are that should be granted fairly quickly. Following that, costings will be firmed up - at this stage cost projections vary from $40 to $60 million - and Mr Dyson expects to be calling for tenders for construction within six to 12 months, selling the residential units from plans.
Because of the scope of the project, building would need to be handled by one of the major construction companies, but Mr Dyson hopes to involve as many locals as possible. In any case, he says, “there will be a lot of money coming into the town”.
Mr Dyson has unconditionally purchased the Mill Road site, and says he has already spend around $500,000 on the project. He has been in discussions with Rodney District Council and other stakeholders for the past 18 months.
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New toilets will be a work of art (July 30th '09)
New public toilets in Creek Lane should be completed within the next 12 months, and when finished will be a work of art - literally.
Internationally recognised artist and Helensville resident Jeff Thompson has been selected to design the new toilet block.
Jeff specialises in using corrugated iron to create unique forms and sculptures. He has created a number of iconic art works from corrugated iron such as the elephant sculpture at the entrance to the Auckland Zoo, and a kiwi sculpture at Berlin Zoo. He also created a life-size animal menagerie for the 1988 World Expo in Brisbane, and his works can be found in the United States, Japan and the UK.
The new toilets, which Jeff has been commissioned to work on as part of the design team, will be located on Creek Lane, next to the bakery.
Jeff’s design includes cladding the new toilets, which will be a standard Exeloo unit featuring two ordinary toilets and a unisex accessible toilet, in corrugated iron. Four perforated corrugated iron columns in a leaf-like design, lit from beneath, will be installed in the space opposite the toilets to lead visitors towards the Creek Lane lookout and jetty area.
Paving will be flush so the area can be used as a market place, with lit bollards used to control vehicle movement.
Car park spaces will continue to be available at the Creek Lane site.
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Baring heads raises more
than $9000 for cancer research (July 4th '09)
A dozen locals have raised over $9000 by baring it all -
well, their scalps at least - in a fundraiser for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation as part of that organisation's Shave '09
appeal.
The Helensville fundraising effort was originally begun
by Linsey Smith of the Paua Room who, as reported in the
May issue of , was joined in the headshaving
event by Donna Kerridge, Irene Hogan and
Thomas Robertson. All four had recently lost a loved one to
cancer. ‘Team Paua’ grew to seven with the addition of Bernie
Paton, Mark Wilson and AlanWatkinson, and on the day of
the big shave, May 30, another bunch of impromptu
shavees joined in - Matt Hampton, Mya and Paea Steele,
Gary Smith ( Linsey’s father) and 10-year-old Jake Clayton.
Linsey alone raised more than $3000, and at the time of
writing the group’s total topped the $9000 mark with the
arrival of a cheque for $250 from Prime Minister and local
MP, John Key.
Considering the group's original fundraising target was
$6000, the event was a huge success.
"We had a blast," says Linsey.
Helping raise funds was the sale of raffle tickets with
prizes including a $100 gift voucher from The Paua Room,
a term of Yoga, and prizes donated by local businesses and
Linsey's suppliers including a massage, beauty goods,
clothing, jewellery, a Porcini Restaurant voucher, coffee
cards and more. There was also a silent auction for art
works donated by CharmaineAuvae and Marianne Barnes.
Tickets for the raffles cost $5 each or 3 for $12, and are
available until the end of July at The Paua Room. The silent
auction also continues to the end of the month with artworks
on show at the Paua Room, and the extra money coming in
from those will further boost the total raised.
People can also st i l l donate online at
; use the search word ‘paua’ to
get to the group’s page.
“I would like to thank the shavees for giving up their
locks and all their efforts for the event. Special thanks to all
the community, family and friends of the shavees for
sponsoring us, and supporting the event in any way.Thanks for publicising the event as well,” says Linsey.
“It was a very special event and a celebration of life; we hope we have
helped at least one person with blood cancer through this event.”
Linsey offers a special thankyou to the group's sponsors, local
businesses who gave donations, the helpers who gave up their time and
hairdressers Jeanette Nasey (former owner of Expressions, Parakai),
Sandra Dickson of Hair for Helensville, Jane from River Valley Hair
Dressing, and Gary the Barber.
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Earlier start for Christmas Parade (July 4th '09)
The start time for the Helensville
Christmas parade on December 5 has
been moved forward an hour over
previous years.
The 2009 event, one of the most
popular on the town’s calendar, will
begin at midday to help avoid clashing
with the motorcycle ‘Poker Run’.
Planning is already underway for the
Christmas parade, which is organised
by a committee headed by Noel Harris of
Abbey Press. Other members are
Rhonda Harris, Rachel Aylett, Gary
Dunn, Matt Hampton, Julian Hudson, Warren and Alison Bradley, and Wade
Bishop.
Anyone with comments or
suggestions should contact Noel on 09
837 1824, or any of the other committee
members.
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Community garden established (June 26th '09)
The Women & Family Centre has set
up an organic gardening project called
'Garden of Community'.
Its aim is for locals to learn in a
practical way how to establish a garden
to grow organic produce, and also
includes the same principles for
container growing.
The project will provide a
sustainable, community-driven and
developed organic garden which will be
a resource for families, individuals and
groups to learn and transfer the
knowledge and skills to their own
homes.
Plus they will gain the satisfaction of
growing their own food and making
savings on their grocery bills.
The Helensville District Health Trust
has supported
the project by
providing a plot
of land on the
Alison
McKenzie
Community
House
property at the
corner of
Commercial
Rd and Porter
Crescent to
build nine
raised beds for organic
gardening.
Eight of the
garden beds
are available for families, individuals
and groups to take care of for a six
month period, while the ninth garden
bed, which will be communally tended,
will grow produce for the Foodbank.
As more people become involved
the Women & Family Centre envisions
the 'Garden of Community' moving to a
bigger site, offering many more garden
beds and becoming totally community
driven.
Gardening alongside other people
encourages neighbourliness and
community spirit. Through Eco Living workshops,
facilitated on-site by Sandi Wendt of
Earthwise, locals participating in the
project learn the practicalities of organic
gardening and gain knowledge of eco
living. The workshops will be offered at
each six month period when the tending
of the raised beds is transferred to new
families, individuals and groups.
Local organisations and community
members have contributed to the
'Garden of Community' by establishing
the beds and by volunteering as
mentors for the people tending the beds.
Anyone interested in tending a
raised bed, attending a workshop, or
just wanting to know more about the
project should phone the Helensville
Women &Family Centre on 420 7992.
“We will be only too pleased to talk
with you and show you the garden,”
says Christine Salmon, the centre's comanager
of services and operations.
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Local receives community service award (May 30th '09)
Helensville's David Bott was one of 12
Rodney residents whose community work
was recognised recently through Rodney
District Council’s 2009 Rodney
Community ServiceAwards.
His award was in the Social and
Community category.
A ceremony held late last month
celebrated the voluntary work of the award
recipients. Rodney Mayor Penny Webster
thanked the award winners for their work in
the community. “While reading over the service
histories of the 12 award winners I was
struck by the fact that through their
combined years of service to so many
different organisations they have
collectively touched the lives of hundreds
of Rodney residents.These people really are local heroes,”
she says.
A local for more than 20 years, David
began his contribution to the Helensville
community by joining the Helensville and
Districts Rugby Football Club committee,
on which he served for 10 years,
eventually becoming president.
Since his retirement David has taken a
more active interest in the community and
town.
He is one of the foundation members of
the Helensville Riverside Heritage Trust,
and with others took on the task of clearing
and planting at the riverside and planning,
along with the council, the walkways and
lookout/wharf.
David is a trustee of the Helensville
Railway Trust, which maintains and
promotes the station building. He is
involved with the Historical Society,
planning the museum gardens and
currently responsible for the flags seen flying when the museum is open at
weekends, and is also involved with the
Heritage Day committee.
When Rodney District Council was
looking at developing branding for the
town, David was invited to come on board
and help. He is a member and treasurer of
the local Freemasons Lodge, and can be
seen at the town's annual Christmas
Parade marshalling floats and helping
where necessary.
He is a member of the A&P
Association, and at show time is involved
with marking out and helping with the outdoor trade space. He is also now in his
eighth year as a volunteer at the
Helensville Information Centre.
David's philosophy is that you get out
of life what you put in, and retirement is an
opportunity to contribute and enjoy the
place where you live. He recalls that his
father taught him that your community
gives you a lot, and you should repay it by
getting involved in making it a better place
for everyone.
David goes about his interests in a quiet way and was very surprised that
the Helensville and District Business
Association put his name forward for the
award.
Mayor Webster says the award
ceremony was a good opportunity to
celebrate the work of volunteers in the
community. “There are thousands of other
volunteers who provide unpaid service
within the community to keep local
facilities, service organisations and
other groups operating and I would also
like to thank them for their work.”
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Local recyclers give $1500 to St John Ambulance station appeal (May 30th '09)
Robbie (Alan Robertson) and
Ronnie (Ronnie Hide) from Helensville's
R&R Recyclers have donated $1500 to
the local St John Ambulance station
appeal.
It's the latest in a long line of
community donations by the pair of
hardworking locals, who over the past
14 years have given approximately
$20,000, proceeds from the sale of
paper, glass bottles and aluminium drink
cans deposited at their collection depot
at 3 Stewart Street.
Inside Alan Robertson’s home is a
display of 10 carefully
framed certificates from the
recipients of the pair's
generosity, including the
Lions Club of Helensville,
Rodney District Council,
and Auckland City Council.
Originally, glass for
recycling was collected at
the corner of Mill Road and
Stewart Street by AHI and
maintained by the Lions
organisation. When the
Lions discontinued that
service, R&R Recyclers
was set up with the
collecting point relocated
around the corner onto Alan's property, where the valuable local
resource is now well established. R&R
Recycling also now boasts noticeable
upgraded grounds, the work donated by
Downer EDIWorks Ltd.
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Free broadband comes to Helensville Library (May 4th '09)
All seven libraries in the Rodney District - including Helensville - now provide free broadband internet. They also offer wireless or wi-fi access so people can bring in their own laptops and use the internet free of charge. This has proven popular with visitors coming into libraries to take advantage of the internet connections.
“The computers have some great multi media features,” says Vicki Clarke, acting manager for Rodney Libraries. “People can watch videos, listen to music and to chat to friends using internet services such as Skype.”
Rodney Mayor Penny Webster and her grandchildren have trialed the free broadband service, which is provided by The People’s Network, a collaborative programme between public libraries and the National Library of New Zealand to improve New Zealanders’ access to the internet and digital world through public libraries. The People’s Network has gifted 30 computers to Rodney Libraries for public use, and have also paid for the cost of providing high speed internet connections to libraries.
“The free broadband services will be of significant benefit to all sectors of the Rodney community,” says Mayor Webster. “In many rural areas people do not have access to fast broadband, but they can now easily access the web using high speed library computers.”
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Fine weather and lots happening draw crowds to Horse Expo (May 4th '09)
A wide range of events and perfect weather brought big crowds to Horse Expo New Zealand at the Helensville
Showgrounds last month. Aside from the World Cup of Heavy Horse Shoeing probably the biggest draw card at Horse Expo was the two demonstrations of new equestrian
sport Hoofball.
Hoofball was demonstrated by Waikato riders Mary Torok & Leslie Hodgson, who showed a local 'team' of
beginners how to introduce a horse to the giant balls and then how to play with them, with the locals playing a brief game.
Displays during the day included one by Helensville Pony Club, showing how children start at Pony Club in the leadrein class, followed by older riders in a 'tip and out' jumping competition, while the Warkworth Roping & Barrel Racing Club demonstrated their skills. The audience particularly enjoyed two musical freestyle demonstrations by Riverhead's Charmian Pearson-White on her Grand Prix horse Abenstern.
Local carriage driver Mairi MacIver, along with Michelle Reddy from Papakura, gave an in-depth display of their exciting sport, and purebred Friesian stallion Wabe was extremely popular when he and owner Hayley Tait showed their dressage skills. Despite being a stallion,Wabe is people-friendly
and audience members were encouraged to pat him. The Auckland District Mounted Games Association held a two-day pairs competition in conjunction with Horse Expo; among the competitors were riders competing to go to London for the World Mounted Games in July.
Waitemata Hunt Club introduced the crowd to hunting, with a drag followed by a small pack of hounds and riders jumping a range of brush and cross country jumps. The Kumeu Kidz Kartz & Pony Trust fielded a team of young drivers and ponies in two demonstration races, while the Auckland Miniature Horse
Club showcased a range of mini horses, including ten foals for sale.
The final arena demonstration was from the New Zealand Side SaddleAssociation. Demo Corner is an interactive part of
Horse Expo; this year’s demonstrations covered cranial sacro therapy, feed supplements, Bioptron light and colour therapy, Equissage massage, equine dentistry, release body therapy and Reiki massage.
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Progress on having Kaipara dedicated
as internationally important wetland (May 4th '09)
A RAMSAR application for the Kaipara Harbour is making progress through the final stage of consultation with local iwi. Both Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara and Te Uri o Hau are considering the RAMSAR application, put together in recent years by Kaipara Forest and Bird.
RAMSAR is an international agreement that advocates for sustainable protection and conservation of wetlands and water-bodies. It is an inclusive, community-oriented convention that seeks to recognise the values of wetlands and waterways such as the Kaipara Harbour and catchments. Once the community consultation for the RAMSAR application for the Kaipara Harbour is complete and approved, it will be submitted by the Department of Conservation to the RAMSAR Committee.
RAMSAR sites already recognised in New Zealand include the Miranda coastline on the Firth of Thames, the Manawatu Estuary at Foxton, Awarua Spit in Southland and Farewell Spit, Whangamarino wetlands and the Kopuatai Peat Dome. New Zealand’s RAMSAR sites cover more than 55,000ha at present, although this would be more than doubled once the Kaipara Harbour was included.
The Convention on Wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, as the first inter-governmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international co-operation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are 159 contracting parties to the Convention, with 1834 wetland sites totaling 170 million ha designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List ofWetlands of International Importance.
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53 attend Rock Camp (May 4th '09)
The Helensville area was well represented at this year's Rock Camp Rodney project, which was run for modern musicians up to 18 years of age and living in Rodney District.
To get into RCR musicians sent video auditions to judges for evaluation. With more than 100 applications the selection process was tough, but in the end 53 were chosen. Each participant was then put into a band with musicians of a similar standard, and two pieces were chosen that were to demonstrate each musician's skills and also test them in areas needing development. Eleven bands were formed, and three sound technicians were also invited to attend. RCR was an intensive five day and three night course, with four of the days starting at 7am and two finishing close to 10pm.
A highlight was two days spent at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (MAINZ), one of New Zealand's leading modern music learning institutes. There, participants received music and band tuition led by TonyWaine of The Narcs and Harry Lyon of Hello Sailor. They also had a session with Josh from Goodnight Nurse and were given tuition by other high profile musicians.
At MAINZ they also experienced what it was like to practice in a recording studio and sound proof rehearsal rooms. The next stop was an overnight stay at Waipapa marae at Auckland University. For many this was a significant experience and a highlight of the project. The last two days were the most challenging with four concerts in four locations with travel, setup, sound checks and strip down. At Waimauku School they played to an outside structured setting with invited guests. A night concert at Kaipara College allowed the performers to play at a high volume in a controlled setting. On the last day they played outside in Warkworth to a public crowd, followed by a final show at the Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre in Orewa which was closer to the live pub experience.
Rock Camp Rodney organisers thank Rodney District Council, Waimauku School, Kaipara College, MAINZ and local radio station 89.9 & 96.6 Times FM for supporting the project. More music opportunities are in the pipeline. Organisers hope to run RCR again, and it is hoped a similar project will be offered to the 25-plus age group. And planning is underway for this year's Rodney Live competition. In addition, the Band Factory for competent musicians continues on Wednesday nights during the school term, and a new Junior Band Factory is being promoted for primary-aged students wanting to learn about being in bands.
For more information on any of these music programmes contact Nick Roberts at or 021 420 784.
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Branding for Helensville finalised (April 6th '09)
One of Helensville's best known
historic buildings is to become the town's
new icon.
The old Post Office building on
Commercial Road has been chosen to
feature on the town's new branding, which
will begin appearing on signs
and tourist attractions around
Helensville from now onwards.
The Post Office, built in
1911, is just one of the many
historic buildings that give
Helensville its special heritage
identity that artist Fiona Whyte
was commissioned to capture
in the new branding.
The image of the Post
Office is accompanied by the words, “Yours to Discover”, to reflect the diverse
range of attractions Helensville has to offer
visitors. The logo depicts the Post Office
building placed on a curve to symbolise the
coast and also the gentle slope at the
entrance to the town. The blue curve is
also representative of the Kaipara River, a
key geographic feature of town.
Local residents and businesses
identified the need for Helensville's identity
to be reflected through branding around
the town during consultation at public
meetings.
The Helensville Business Association and Rodney District Council invited a wide
section of local representatives and other
key stakeholders to contribute their ideas
for new look branding. Council staff helped
facilitate these discussions.
The Council and Business Association
were fortunate to have the help of senior
Massey University School of Design tutor
Eric Thompson, who helped with
identifying the town's defining features and translating these into visual elements
which shaped the design brief. The key
design elements which the logo needed to
reflect were identified as creativity,
community and heritage.
Artist Fiona Whyte was then chosen to
develop the design for the
brand. Fiona lived in
Helensville from 1999 until
2008, and her work has
featured in New Zealand
House and Garden magazine.
Fiona is also listed in the New
Zealand Who's Who Guide to
Art, Architecture, Crafts and
Design.
The Helensville District Business
Association is the 'owner' of the new
brand.
Association President Sarah Legg
says that having the new brand is a huge
asset to the town and associated
community groups as there is the
opportunity to use it for town signage,
promotions and flags and in conjunction
with existing community group logos.
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South Head reserve opened (April 6th '09)
Almost 200 people gathered on the
paddocks above Leighton's Dam on the
eastern side of the South Kaipara Head
peninsula on Saturday, March 14 to
open a new wetland reserve in honour of
school teacher Miss Marie Neverman.
Miss Neverman was a long-time
supporter of the New Zealand Native
Forests Restoration Trust, and in her will
asked that her estate, worth more than
$300,000, be used to establish a
reserve for the protection of bird habitat.
As she had worked for much of her
life in Auckland she hoped that the
reserve might be purchased in that
general area.
The Restoration Trust, with help
from members of the South Kaipara
Landcare group and the Ornithological
Society of New Zealand, located the
23ha block on the Tupare farm
subdivision with a 14ha fresh water lake
with abundant, varied bird life. The lake is bordered by pasture and some
native vegetation.
With substantial financial support
from two other supporters, the Trust
negotiated and completed the
purchase.
The opening day brought together
Trust supporters, Marie's friends and
family and local residents. The new
reserve was declared officially open by
the Restoration Trust's Patron, Sir Paul
Reeves.
After the ceremony three of Marie's
nephews and Sir Paul planted two
sturdy kahikatea saplings - Marie's
favourite tree - near the lake edge.
Visitors are welcome on the reserve;
but asked to respect stock and leave
gates as they find them if the land is
being grazed.
The New Zealand Native Forests
Restoration Trust was established in
1980 following a successful campaign to
prevent the logging of
mature totara and other
podocarps in the
Pureora Forest. It now
own 28 reserves of
bush and wetland
totalling over 6000ha
and stretching from
Kaitaia to north-west
Nelson and aim to
protect, restore and
preserve native habitat.
Further information is
available at
.
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College Dragonboaters win 4th national title (April 6th '09)
The Kaipara College Dragonz won the National Mixed Crew Dragon Boat Championship on the Blue Lake at Rotorua on March 29.
A superb performance saw them beat rivals Upper Hutt College by a boat length in the 500m grand final, with Long Bay College and Waitakere College further back. The crew showed their strength all day. In the first heat, when the morning sun on the waves hid the lane buoys from sight and the crew paddled a banana leg, they scored a respectable time. By the time they lined up for the final they held the day's fastest heat time and were looking very settled and very focused.
The final was a well controlled race despite a slightly rough start. The crew got into their work and got in the lead by the mid section of the race. When it came to the drive for the line they powered away from Upper Hutt to secure their fourth national title, to the delight of the large contingent of Kaipara supporters who had made the journey to Rotorua for the event.
At midday there was a 250m sprint race - the 'splash and dash'. Kaipara won this title as well, again beating Upper Hutt, this time by half a boat length.
The national title follows the Dragonz' recent successful defense of its Auckland Championship title on Lake Pupuke, where the Dragonz proved to be masters of tactics on the day, setting a blazing first heat time to throw a challenge to rival crews. In the final the Dragonz really opened up, their superior skill and fitness evident as they pulled away to win by over two lengths.
The college’s junior team, the Taniwhaz, also had a great day at the Auckland event, qualifying fourth for the grand final, in which they were
just beaten into third place at the finish.
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Running of the Roses beats wet weather to raise $5000 (February 24th '09)
The first Running of the Roses event
on Saturday, February 14 raised around
$5000 for the refitting of Helensville's St
JohnAmbulance Station.
Crowds flocked to the museum
grounds – despite rainy weather - to take
part in the event, which was organised
by Helensville Lions Club in cooperation
with the Helensville Business
Association. It was designed around a
unique raffle that was the brainchild of
Helensville local Matt Hampton.
The signature event was the
'Running' itself, in which thousands of
numbered roses were released into the
Kaipara River, with the first five retrieved
at the finish line deemed to be the
winners. Lions Club president Dennis
Cummings supervised the collection.
The Running and initial prize
distribution took place late afternoon,
and was the culmination of a full day of
activity.
Stalls opened at midday and
included clothes sales, spinning
demonstrations, and a merry-go-round
for the youngsters. The museum was
open and entertainment was provided
by local musicians. Random spot prizes
were drawn every 10 minutes.
“Even though the weather started
out fairly grim the residents of the South
Kaipara area showed their true spirit and
came out anyway, and we were
rewarded with some beautiful
sunshine,” said Dennis Cummings. “It's
been a great day and we're just glad to
be able to share such a good time in
such a good cause.”
The Lions Club of Helensville sends
a big thank you to the providers of major
prizes (listed below in the results), the
Helensville & District Historical Society
for use their grounds, Helensville
Patchwork and Quilt Group for the
amazing quilt raffle, and Kaipara
Cruising Club for support on the water.
Thanks also go to the providers of
spot prizes, sponsorship and rose-selling support: Lancer Industries,
Parkhurst Enterprises, Aquatic Park,
Bowenworks, Porcini, Dennis
Cummings, Parakai Disc Golf, Parakai
Airfield, Kaipara Medical Centre,
Allsorts, Computer Solutions, Paua
Room, Mike Ross Appliances, Ora NZ
Massage, Black Pete's, Helensville
Riding School, Scott's Traditional
Meats, Helensville Fitness Centre,
French Rooster, Placemakers,
Dreamrider, Mitre 10 Helensville, Riah
Hair Design, RD1 Helensville, GR8
services, Smashing Glass Gifts,
Oikoumene Forest Ltd, Kaipara Coast
Sculpture Gardens, Art Stop Café,
Bikesport, Black Pete’s, Kaipara RSA,
McLeod Motors, Helensville Barber,
Helensville Pharmacy, Janice Shaw
Hypnotherapist, Premier Panel Beaters,
Weatherfield Organics, Selleys, Times
89FM, Abbey Press, Sky City, Rodney
District Council, Helensville Information
Centre, Ginger Crunch Café, McNuts,
Mr Bon Café, ASB Helensville,
Helensville Copy and Print, The Café,
Sally Houghton Optometrist, Te Awaroa
Market Garden, the staff of Helensville
Library and all those who sold tickets,
held stalls and helped on the day.
The major prize winning numbers
were as follows:
First prize: Trip for two to Paihia -
0028;
Second prize: Gift voucher from
Mike RossAppliances - 0184;
Third prize: Trip for two to Waiheke
Island - 0233;
Fourth prize: Night at Sky City Grand
- 0286;
Fifth prize: Spa at Spa DiVine - 0495.
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Woodhill to be Historical Society's main focus this year (February 24th '09)
Woodhill will be one of the main study
subjects for the Helensville & District
Historical Society this year.
Visitors to the society's display and the
Helensville A&P Show will
have seen the feature on coastal sand
dune reclamation at Woodill, and the
subsequent planting and supervision of
theWoodhill Forestry scheme.
That material - a set of about 30
photographs and accompanying text - was
put together by Joyce Mann, a former
Woodhill area resident, as a thesis for a university degree. There were also
Woodhill forestry photos from David Waller
and the Davidson family.
Also featured was the Museum's
collection of Woodhill School photos,
many of which came from the Steele family
albums. Information and photos of early
pioneering families of Woodhill, as
featured in the book 'Pioneering Women of
South Kaipara' and the Museum's family
history section were also on display.
The May and June winter lectures this
year will be dedicated to the Woodhill theme, with Margaret Kawharu bringing a
Maori perspective at the May 17 event,
and a symposium of speakers presenting
the European settlement story and
community history on June 21. The
society's projector will be used to present a
pictorial background for these lectures.
The Historical Society has exhibited at
theA&PShow for more than 25 years.
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Hoofball on show at Horse Expo (February 24th '09)
An exciting new equestrian sport
called Hoofball will be a highlight
demonstration at the fifth Horse Expo,
which is being held at the Helensville
showgrounds on Sunday, April 5.
Hoofball is played with a giant ‘Swiss’-type ball, which the horses kick
and nudge around the competition field.
Another major highlight at the Expo
will be the World Cup in Heavy Horse
Shoeing, a trans-Tasman competition
usually held every two years alternating between New Zealand and Australia.
Organisers are hoping to attract two
or three teams from Australia for the
event, and possibly a United States
team. New Zealand teams will come
from around the country, and a judge is
being brought out from England.
The competition is won by the team
which best forges, fits and shoes their
draft horse within the day.
There will be plenty of other action at
Horse Expo with participation by many
equestrian clubs and organisations
covering disciplines and breeds such as
hunting, pony club, miniatures, Clydesdales, side saddle, Western,
cutting, Friesians, carriage driving, Kidz
Kartz, mounted games and Expo charity
Riding for the Disabled.
Horse Expo gates open at 9am, with
the shoeing starting at that time and the
first equine demonstration in the main
arena at 10am.
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Local marae health programme wins award (January 29th '09)
A partnership between five
Manawhenua Marae in South Kaipara and
a Primary Health Organisation aimed at
improving the health of Ngati Whatua
whanau in the South Kaipara has been
recognised at the New Zealand Health
InnovationAwards.
The Te Awaroa Lifestyles Programme
won the Excellence in Primary Health Care
category of the awards, held late last year.
The awards are organised by Ministry
of Health and ACC and are evaluated by
the NZ Business Excellence Foundation.
The programme is a joint partnership
between Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o
Kaipara and Procare Network North, and
has been running for four years.
The main working strand of the
programme is called ‘Toku Oranga Pai’ - A
New Me - which runs support programmes
specific to the haukainga (home) marae
whanau and communities in a number of
ways, such as encouraging participation in
physical activity, and by making healthy
eating a way of life at the marae.
Each marae has been responsible for
developing its own initiatives and a wide
range of physical activities are included in
the programme, including kai nutrition, first
aid, water quality, tai chi with a Maori
flavour with father and son activities. It also
supports the inter-marae Hakinakina
sports day event which is done with Orakei
Marae.
The programme also introduced mobile clinics which provide health checks
at marae and developed an interactive
health portal website which supports
people to manage their health. This is also
tied to their environmental website which
will be online early in 2009.
“I would like to congratulate the parties
involved in the programme for developing
such an innovative approach to providing
primary healthcare services,” says
Rodney Mayor Penny Webster. “The programme is clearly having a
real impact in changing people’s lifestyles
and it is great to see this kind of initiative
helping to improve the health of Ngati
Whatua families who live within the
Kaipara and Rodney area.”
Rodney District was recently named
the healthiest place to live in New Zealand
in an ASB Bank report on 10 of the
country’s largest cities and districts.
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Rock Camp Rodney on for local young musicians (January 29th '09)
Calling all talented young Rodney
musicians - Rock Camp Rodney wants
you.
Rock Camp Rodney is a five-day
musical training programme which will
offer places to between 50 and 80 young
people living in Rodney. The programme
is open to participants aged from 8 to 18
years, and applicants have until Friday,
February 27 to audition.
The camp will be run by Nick Roberts
and Mike Trent of Helensville based
Real Music, who have successfully run
other training projects such as Groove
Factory (for 5-13 year olds) and Band
Factory (for 11-16 year olds) for the
previous two years. College teachers
Mike and Nick also ran the successful
Rodney Live competition last year.
“Rodney Live demonstrated there is
a huge depth of young talent in Rodney,”
says Mike, “and this has been confirmed
by the fact that a number of the
performers from Rodney Live have gone
on to be part of Christmas in the Park. Through Rock Camp Rodney we
want to tap into that local talent, and
offer participants a once in a lifetime
opportunity to develop their skills by
working with top professionals in the
New Zealand music industry.”
The camp will offer musicians the
opportunity to learn a wide range of
skills, such as presentation skills and
how to analyse performances.Training will be carried out by tutors
at the MAINZ studios (Music and Audio
Institute of New Zealand) and
participants will be placed in bands with
other students at the camp, as well as
getting to meet some New Zealand
music legends. It will culminate with the
musicians demonstrating their skills
through a series of live shows at various
locations throughout Rodney on April 24
and 25.
The project is being supported by
Rodney District Council and funded
through the Auckland Regional Services
fund. Under the Local Government Act
the fund can only to be used for
significant art or cultural projects in
Rodney.
“Rodney District Council is pleased
to be able to support Rock Camp
Rodney as it will provide a fantastic
opportunity for our young people to
develop their musical skills and help
them in achieving their potential,” says
Paul Green, the council's community
development manager. "We are particularly pleased that the
project can be supported without
affecting rates as it is funded from the
Auckland Regional Services fund.”
Rock Camp Rodney is also
supported by Times FM with regular air
time being given, and opportunities for
Rodney's young musicians to
feature on-air.
Auditions should be
submitted in the form of a
video tape or DVD to:
Rock
Camp Rodney,
PO Box 119,
Helensville
by February 27.
The submitter's name,
address and age should be
clearly identified.
For further information
contact Kiri Trent, Real Music,
Ph: 021 119 1643, or email .
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Running of the Roses on Valentine Day (January 29th '09)
Valentine Day will see an
abundance of roses in Helensville – but
most of them will be thrown in the
Kaipara River.
That's because the Helensville Lions
Club and the Helensville Business
Association are launching a new
fundraising event, the Running of the
Roses, with proceeds going to the
upgrade of Helensville’s St John
ambulance station.
The event is basically a giant raffle
and a day of festivities, taking place from
1pm on Saturday, February 14.
People can enter the raffle by buying
a rose and a ticket, which could win
prizes such as a romantic weekend
getaway at the Kingsgate Autolodge in
Paihia, a gift voucher from Mike Ross
Appliances, a ferry ride to Waiheke with
two night's accommodation at Tawa
Lodge, a night of luxury at the Sky City
Grand Hotel, or a summer spa escape at
Spa Di Vine.
3000 tickets are available for
purchase at a cost of $5 each. They are
available at businesses throughout the
Rodney District, or phone 027 221 3226.
Ticket holders then turn up in
Helensville on Valentine's Day to enjoy
entertainers, stalls and special events in
the town before heading down to the
Kaipara River around 3.30pm to see the
Running or the Roses itself (the exact
time will be announced on the day
depending on conditions).
Numbered roses will be released
from a boat outside the Kaipara Cruising
Club and float on the outgoing tide to a
finish line at Creek Lane. In ideal
conditions this is expected take
approximately 45 minutes, and the first
one to be fished out of the river at the
other end will be a winner. Spot prizes
are also given out to ticket holders
throughout the day.
The prize giving will be held at the
Helensville War Memorial Hall following
the race.
Look for the rose displays in
participating outlets throughout
Helensville and the Rodney area for
tickets. Phone Matt Hampton 027 221
3226, Sally Hardwick 09 420 7200 or
Janet Heron 09 420 8773 for more
information, or take a look at the
Running of the Roses website at
.
The event is sponsored by Selleys
NZ Ltd, Abbey Press Ltd, and Rodney
District Council.
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Big layout changes for this year's A&P Show (January 29th '09)
Visitors to the 107th annual Helensville
A&P Show on Saturday, February 28 will
notice some major changes to show’s
layout.
Most obvious will be the ‘Carnival’ area
of sideshows and rides which in previous
years has occupied the space beside and
around the trade stands.
This year, they are being moved around
by the racetrack, adjacent to the popular
woodchopping area.
The horse rings will also have their first
major reorganisation in years, largely to
allow for a major new ring for Clydesdales -
the gentle giants of the equine family - to
compete in.
The Show’s timetable is also coming in
for some minor tweaking. The main change
is the official opening - this year by Prime
Minister and local MP John Key - which will
be moved forward to 10am so that it doesn’t
clash with the Grand Parade.
Reorganising the Show’s layout
became necessary after demand for trade
space at the 2008 show was so great that
some prospective exhibitors had to be
turned away because of a lack of available
sites. Moving the Carnival should prevent that happening again this year,
with more than 100 trade stalls
likely to be open for business.
Once again, the A&P Show
promises a day filled with fun and
activity for local families - and the
many ‘townies’ who make a
special trip to our town for what is
the largest one-day A&P Show in
the Northern District.
New for the younger set this
year is a novelty competition
being run in conjunction with the
poultry display; any child with a
bantam, duck or chook should
contact Merle Keith on 420 7569
for details.
Back by popular demand is the band
The Groove Diggers, who were a hit on the
main stage at the 2007 Show, while Kiwi
Entertainers Bill and Kath Worsfold will
rove the grounds as well as performing on
the main stage with their instruments,
puppets, singing and dancing.
Also back again after proving to be a big
hit with the smaller children last year is the
M&M’s Roadshow.
Of course the A&PShow wouldn't be what it is without the usual assortment of
animals, this year including Highland
cattle, cattle, sheep, pigs, alpacas,
miniature donkeys, horses, poultry,
working dogs - plus of course the
equestrian competition.
There will be free tractor rides from the
public carpark, accessed through Stewart
Street. As usual, there will be EFTPOS
cash out facilities available at the show
office.
Visit the show website at for full details.
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