Chris Gardner

Te Kūiti neighbours Clyde Jones and Gary McGougan dread torrential rain.

Every time the town receives heavy rain the manhole cover on McGougan’s section pops, causing sewage to flood the front of his section and spill onto his neighbour Jones’ property.

McGougan, a retired builder who moved to Ngatai Street with his wife Beth in 2023, said the sewer overflowed a couple of times a month.

“It’s getting worse,” McGougan said. “It’s caused by a smaller amount of rain now.”

The couple have called the council out on several occasions, but it has so far been unable to fix the problem believed to be partially caused by a small, 300mm aging sewage pipe, collecting unconsented storm water further up the line.

“It should be a closed sewage system, but it’s not.”

“They have been trying,” McGougan said. “They have had cameras down there and discovered two blockages caused by collapse.”

McGougan said he was considering asking the council for a rates rebate to compensate him for the regular mess.

“It’s not only an inconvenience, but also a health hazard.”

Jones, a retired construction company owner, moved into his home more than a year ago, is upset the problem was not recorded on the Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report supplied by the council.

“They are going to have to upsize the pipe,” Jones said.

“One hundred years ago the pipe was 300 millimetres, but now it needs to be two or three times that.”

On occasion, his chook house had been flooded.

Jones also suffered regular knee-deep stormwater overflow from the street, given his section sits below the road, until the council installed a recent drainage pit on his section.

Jones said he had threatened to withhold his rates from the council until the sewage problem was sorted.

Speaking at the council’s July meeting, councillor Eady Manawaiti said it was unacceptable for people to have to live among sewage.

“Weather events are going to be more frequent,” he said.

“The conversation around modelling and costs has to come back to the table. We don’t want to be behind the eight ball, because these weather events are not going to stop.”

Waitomo District Council chief executive Ben Smit said sewer overflows happened in limited parts of Te Kūiti in isolated high rainfall events.

“Wet weather overflow is caused by stormwater entering the wastewater pipes and inundating the wastewater network that is only designed to handle wastewater, not stormwater. Stormwater has a separate network,” Smit said.

“The inundation happens through several ways such as flood water entering the low gully traps; stormwater entering through manhole lids when the surrounding ground or the river level is high, cracks in pipes or faulty joints; downpipes from roof connected to wastewater; saturated groundwater entering pipes.”

Smit said wet weather wastewater overflows were likely to be a major concern for all councils.

“What is really unfortunate is that there is no short-term fix for them,” he said.

He urged anyone impacted to report inundations with the council as they happen for staff to investigate and lead the clean-up.

“Council staff will provide a report back to elected members on the extent and locations of the problems, possible long-term solutions which will likely require modelling of the wastewater network during dry weather and wet weather events and then considering options. An isolated fix in one area will likely move the overflow to another site. The problem is the wastewater system cannot cope with the level of stormwater entering the system, so the water needs to come out somewhere – i.e. up through wastewater manholes.”

In fear of rainy days

Jon Rawlinson

 * The online version contains some corrections to the print copy.

King Country rugby legend Noel McQuilkin, was honoured during a memorial event at his beloved Waitete clubrooms at the weekend.

A coach to many, Noel (aka Snagglepuss, Snags and Snappy) was an all-round ‘good boy’.

“That was one of his sayings,” his son, Kurt, told The News.

“When he was coaching or as a Rugby Development Officer, he’d pick someone and say: ‘you’re a good boy,’ or ‘you’re a good girl.’ It was one of his common calls.”

Noel, 86, died at Te Kūiti Hospital on June 3, surrounded by family including his wife of more than 60 years, Josie. Kurt, a former King Country rugby union general manager, flew from Ireland in time to farewell his father.

“My wife, Barbara, and I were intent on saying goodbye before he passed and, luckily, we got to do that. He had all sorts going on, but his ticker was the main thing, it just gave up in the end.”

Sharing his father’s dedication to rugby, Kurt is an ex-Bective Rangers, Leinster and Ireland centre. As a coach, he worked at Leinster and Dublin’s Greystones RFC. After more recent roles with King Country, he is again based in Ireland, picking up where his dad left off.

“As Dad finished his coaching career with Greystones, I guess it is quite fitting for me to take up the mantle again,” Kurt said. “From a McQuilkin perspective, there’s a fair bit of history there for sure.”

A builder by trade and, for a time, a Te Kūiti fish shop owner, Noel was well known in his community. He poured his heart and soul into rugby.

During his playing days, he represented Waitete RFC and clocked up 11 caps for his province in the early 1960s, alongside such illustrious company as the Meads brothers, Stan and Colin. Noel represented King Country in 24 first-class matches (1958-61, 64).

However, it was through coaching that Noel really made his mark. It began with Waitete, followed by a season with California-based Back Bay before he returned to New Zealand to coach King Country.

His first game in charge was 34-6 loss against Waikato in a friendly at the Island Reserve in Otorohanga on Anzac Day, 1989. His last was a 59-13 loss to Taranaki on June 14, 2000 at Piopio in another friendly.

Noel led King Country to a win the NPC’s Second Division in 1991. The union remained in the First Division for a further five years.

After moving to Ireland in 1992, Noel made a name for himself at Bective Rangers and Greystones. A second stint with King Country, for two seasons in 1999 and 2000, followed.

In 2000 he coached the Divisional XV that toured Samoa and Tonga beating Apia 47-11 and Western Samoa 30-23 but losing to Tonga 34-17. Two years later he capped off his coaching career by seeing his NZ Divisional XV draw 35 all with the John Kirwan coached Italy and then a week later go down 56-3 to Ireland in Timaru.

Despite this lengthy service, Noel was not one to rest on his laurels. He still had some work to do, helping the next generation of lambs become Rams.

“Even after he finished coaching, he did a bit of development work for King Country. Going around the schools and clubs, he still kept his hand in at grassroots level,” Kurt said.

“He had a great career, but all he’d probably say about it was that he played his part. With Waitete, with King Country and in Ireland, he just played his part.”

When the King Country Rams next take the field in the Heartland Championship, they may well wear their hearts, along with black armbands, on their sleeves.

“I don’t know, but I guess the board could discuss it,” said Kurt. “If that does happen, it would be a great thing for our family.”

 * See: Bective Rangers mourn Noel McQuilkin



Waitete honours rugby club great

Saving civilian lives cost James Stellin his own.

Now the heroics of this Second World War pilot are being remembered thanks, in part, to King Country’s Maraea Lammas.

Originally from Oparure, Maraea, aged 80, has lived in France for the past 16 years.

While watching a television programme about the Second World War, she was inspired to learn more about Stellin, an RAF pilot from Wellington.

“What moved us most about James Stellin’s story was his bravery shown by saving the village of Saint-Maclou-la-Brière and its people,” she said.

“Recently, we went to the village in Normandy and James’ resting place.”

“I looked online and found information about him. I discovered what an interesting story he has and I thought why had I not heard of him?”

Stellin’s is a captivating saga. This flying Kiwi was killed on August 19, 1944, in the wake of the D-Day landings.

His damaged Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber was on course to crash into of Saint-Maclou-la-Brière. Rather than bail out and save himself, Stellin manoeuvred his plane away, saving civilian lives at the expense of his own.

Stellin’s parents received a heartfelt letter from a C Jacobs from the French resistance, it read:

‘On realising the great destruction his plane would cause if it were to crash in the centre of the village, the pilot straightened up his plane with a vigorous and supreme effort, made a half-climb, then turning sharp left at an acute angle, it fell rapidly, crashing less than a mile away.

‘We placed the bier in state at the doors of the mayor’s office. Everyone brought armfuls of flowers picked lovingly in the gardens and left them with deep respect and infinite gratitude.’

Stellin was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme (cross of war with palms) for performing heroic deeds in combat.

Maraea Lammas (nee Paki) appreciates the value of civic responsibility – her mother, Rora Paki, was a foundation member of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and received an MBE for services to her community.

Maraea’s first visit to a little piece of Normandy, which is ‘forever New Zealand’, won’t be her last.

“On November 11, Armistice Day, we will return to Saint-Maclou-la-Brière to remember this brave pilot,” she said. “Every Anzac Day and Armistice Day we will remember James and all the other brave men and women who served our country.”

A hero remembered

Staff Reporter

Waipā’s second Home and Leisure Show has created a raft of new projects and pastimes – from getting the house clean to getting on a bike.

The show – the second run by Good Local Media, which publishes the Waikato Business News, Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News and King Country News, attracted a steady stream of people through the doors from Friday to Sunday.

They included Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and chief executive Steph O’Sullivan, who took particular interest in the display by Rotary’s Urban Miners. The miners minimise waste sent to landfill through recycling. (replace divert electrical component going to landfills.

About 75 exhibitors were at the Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karāpiro and autumn weather was kind to those who set up shop outside.

There was a touch of deja vu on opening morning as the first people through the doors were Marlene Prince and Graeme Hopkins from Highfield Retirement Village in Te Awamutu. They were also at the head of the queue for the opening of the inaugural show 12 months ago.

Other visitors included a group from Cambridge Resthaven and other retirement villages.

Feedback from exhibitors was that visitors were genuinely interested in what was on offer and wanted to discuss their requirements. They reported high quality leads and that visitors came out with specific questions and specific exhibitors they wanted to see.

“Exhibitors signed up for next year before they left the building, already talking about new stands they will build for 2026,” Good Local publisher David Mackenzie said.

The objective for 2026 would be to extend the size of the show so there is more to see.

Numbers were slightly down on 2024, which was a reflection of show numbers across New Zealand to date this year.

Organisers were encouraged by the fact that 95 per cent of visitors people were new to the show and there was strong support from the Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Ōtorohanga communities.

“I love all of these products because I’m European and it’s all the stuff I’m used to,” Katarina Williamson of Advanced Trees Nursery said as she tasted Meyer Cheese handed to her by Hayley Meyer.

“I rushed here for the cheese before it shut.”

Hayley works in administration and accounts at the Meyer Cheese factory in Koromatua, a family gouda business started in Holland by Ben and Fieke Meyer. It was her first year at the show and she had enjoyed her first day, saying there was a “good selection of exhibitors”.


Day one is over

And with that, day one of the Waipa Home & Leisure Show is finished. Thanks to everyone who visited. If you didn't, doors open at 9.30am tomorrow. See you then.

And with that, day one of the Waipa Home & Leisure Show is finished. Thanks to everyone who visited. If you didn't, doors open at 9.30am tomorrow. See you then.


Waipa Show ... mark two

A total of 76 exhibitors will be promoting their products at the second Waipa Home and Leisure Show at Lake Karāpiro starting Friday.

The event, launched by Good Local Media last year, returns to the Mighty River Domain for three days – Friday to Sunday.

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 16-18 May - Click here for Exhibitors List & Map

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 8-page tabloid feature

“There is something for every member of the family no matter your age, your budget or if you just want a great morning or afternoon out at an affordable price with families or friends in a relaxed and friendly environment,” Advertising and Commercial director Janine Davy said.

“Huis Joinery, back for another year, decided to extend their stand, so that they could hang a barn door between their kitchen and laundry area. One barn door turned into two when they decided to give one barn door away at the show,” Davy said.

Exhibitors include home, building and renovation specialists. Stands will feature custom kitchens, laundry and joinery, carpeting and flooring, cladding, double glazing, garage solutions, solar panels and lighting, heat pumps and air conditioning, magnetic windows, fly screens, security doors, artificial lawns and turf, and professional painters.

Davy said it was an opportunity to support Waipā businesses “who have pulled out all the stops to impress” and national businesses which have travelled to Waipā so customers do not have to go to the main centres.

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 16-18 May - Click here for Exhibitors List & Map

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 8-page tabloid feature

waipahomeandleisure2025 #homeandleisure2025 #cambridgenewsNZ  #teawamutunews #waikatobusinessnews #kingcountrynews #Waipahomeandleisure #homeandleisure

Our exhibitors are:

 * OUTSIDE 1 - Advanced Trees Limited – Large grade specimen trees, landscape hedging, ornamental trees.
 * OUTSIDE 2 - Brandt Tractor Limited -Lifestyle equipment, Ride-ons, Compact Tractors.
 * STAND 3 + 4 - Air Conditioning Group – We supply and install heatpumps - best prices guaranteed.
 * STAND 5 + 6 - St Kilda Café & Bistro – We will be onsite at the show offering barista-made coffee and fresh food.
 * STAND 7 - The National Party - National Party membership.
 * STAND 8 - Roger Ramsey Building – Waikato renovation experts. Quality workmanship. No job too big or too small.
 * STAND 9 - Bamboo Sweets – Handmade premium chocolates including chocolate bars, bonbons and truffles.
 * STAND 10 + 11 - Outdoor Shade Solutions Ltd - Outdoor blinds, umbrellas, awnings, Shade Sails, Wave Shade, Pergolas.
 * STAND 13 - Kiwi Az Creationz - Indoor andoutdoor rustic wine barrel furniture.
 * STAND 14 - Resonate - Hearing health and hearing aid subscription service.
 * STAND 15 - Sentinel Pest Control – Rodent and insect pest control products.
 * STAND 16 - Wilsons Cambridge - Carpet, Flooring, Curtains, Blinds, Wallpapers.
 * STAND 17 + 30 - Mavis & Mick Shoes - Leather boots, shoes from Europe, plus clothing and bags.
 * STAND 18 - Wash Rite - Exterior house and building washing.
 * STAND 19 - Treetown Designer Kitchens - Custom kitchens and interior joinery solutions for homes in Cambridge, Hamilton and the greater Waikato.
 * STAND 20 - Step Flex Orthotics - Step Flex -flexing foot correctors.
 * STAND 21 - Hallmark Services - Better cleans with the Hallmark Team. Your trusted residential, commercial and carpet cleaners.
 * STAND 22 - Tiles on Devon - Showcasing a selection of our favourite tiles from our extensive range.
 * STAND 23 + 24 - Fowler Homes - Your local award-winning builders - let's talk about your project.
 * STAND 25 - Totalspan - Totalspan Waikato/King Country have you covered for garages, workshops, storage and more.
 * STAND 26 - Cambridge Tiles - Tiles for every style and budget, backed by local expert advice.
 * STAND 27 - Cambridge Solar - Solar panel systems, repair, cleaning, maintenance. General electrical services.
 * STAND 28 - Phiten Health & Performance - Natural products for improved health, sports performance, injury recovery, pain relief, skincare.
 * STAND 29 - Lawn Rite - The grass is greener when you mow it. Lawns, hedges & weed control.
 * STAND 31 - Bellberry Distillery - Gin and Vodka, plus fruit mixes (freeze dry mixes to have with the gin and vodka).
 * STAND 32 - Good Local Media Ltd – Show organiser - Information Desk located in foyer. Also, publishers of Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News, King Country News, and Waikato Business News.
 * STAND 33 - G. J. Gardner Homes – Residential construction.
 * STAND 34 - Double Glazing United - Retrofit double glazing into timber and aluminium joinery.
 * STAND 35 - Cambridge Real Estate -Residential, lifestyle and rural real estate - find your dream Cambridge property.
 * STAND 36 + 37 - Latitude Homes King Country & Waikato South - New home builds.
 * STAND 38 - Meyer Cheese - Locally handmade Gouda style cheeses.
 * STAND 39 - Bioptron NZ - Bioptron healing medical light therapy device and accessories.
 * STAND 40 - Seddon Portrait House – Family photographer celebrating your precious memories via wall portraits and albums.
 * STAND 41 - Alpha First Mortgage Investments - Offering wholesale investors stand-alone loan investment opportunities secured by first mortgages.
 * STAND 42 - Grinters Funeral Home/Rosetown Funeral Home - Pre-plan your funeral arrangement options with our funeral directors.
 * STAND 43 - Momentum Building Ltd - Building company specialising in renovations. Selling our building services.
 * STAND 44 - Daisy Garden Bags & Bins - Green waste collection service. Providing garden bins and bags.
 * STAND 45 - The Designers Colab – The Designers Colab is a collaborative interior design studio featuring industry leaders with decades of experience in residential design.
 * STAND 46 - Truestyle Improvements – NZ Swimming Pools - Fibreglass swimming pools, hard landscaping and concrete.
 * STAND 47 - EziRider - First choice best price fold-up E-bike.
 * STAND 48 - Straight Paint - Residential and commercial painting.
 * STAND 49 - Top Class Concrete Treatments Ltd - Turning ugly concrete into lovely concrete.
 * STAND 50 - NZ Sure Ltd - Life, Trauma, Medical, Income Protection, Mortgage Protection Insurance, Business Insurance.
 * STAND 51 - Cambridge Resthaven - 100% community owned retirement village, apartments, care centres and companion driving service.
 * STAND 52 - Scent with Love – Handcrafted home fragrance, including soy wax candles, melts, diffusers, and room sprays.
 * STAND 53 - Duzz-All Beeswax – Natural beeswax products for leather and timber, Bees Ease for pain relief.
 * STAND 54 - Carley's Kitchen – Affordable kitchen merchandise - your cooking and kitchen will be popping!
 * STAND 55 - Waikato Security Doors - Security Doors, Insect Screens, Magnetic Windows, Pleated and Retractable Screens.
 * STAND 56 + 57 - Cambridge Beds & Furniture - Offering quality furniture and beds for every home.
 * STAND 58 - First National Te Awamutu – We are passionate about helping you with your real estate needs.
 * STAND 59 - Versatile - Garages, farm buildings, sleepouts, cottages and homes.
 * STAND 60 - Bone & Body Blueprint Ltd - Accurate and scientific results for Bone & Body scanning.
 * STAND 61 + 62 - Unreal Lawns & Courts - Artificial Turf for Residential, Commercial, and Sport Court.
 * STAND 63 - Craftwork Garage Doors – New garage doors, including servicing and repairs.
 * STAND 64 - Yard Matters - Garden, lawn and landscaping services throughout Cambridge, Hamilton, Te Awamutu & beyond.
 * STAND 65 - Rotary - Urban Miners - Collecting E-waste, recycling, reusing and diverting it from landfill.
 * STAND 66 + 67 - Huis Joinery – Bespoke joinery - kitchens, laundries, barn doors, customer cabinetry.
 * STAND 68 - Mons Flavors - Six types of non-spicy spice blends, locally handmade, made in New Zealand.
 * STAND 69 - Masada Cladding - Premium NZ made weatherboard you never have to paint.


FOOD TRUCKS

 * STAND 72 - Black & Orange Catering - Low and slow cooked meats and delicious sides.
 * STAND 73 - Bratwurst Grill Cambridge -Bratwurst and legendary currywurst (sausage in curry ketchup), plus vegetarian options, loaded fries and wedges.
 * STAND 74 - Sawadee Thai & Asian Catering - Thai cuisine.
 * STAND 75 - Suzuya Japanese Fried Chicken - Japanese style fried chicken, served with a side salad rice balls (onigiri).

Another show stopper

Viv Posselt

Remko Pootjes is on a mission to save discarded pianos and spread the magic of music, and he wants Kiwi companies to help him roll it out.

For the past few years, Ōtorohanga’s piano man has been saving unwanted pianos from the landfill or the firepit by turning them into community pianos or bespoke merchandising display units to be leased out. Funds from those leases or sponsors go into providing piano lessons for children… hence his tagline ‘Pianos for Kids’.

“Schools today don’t teach piano in the same way they did years ago, so kids wanting to play need to have parents who can afford private lessons,” he said, “and not all kids want to limit their extra-curricular activities to sports.

“I believe piano lessons should be offered as a lifeskill, like swimming lessons, but when I approached 11 schools in the area asking them to support my concept of teaching kids to play, they all declined. It was either too expensive, the pianos were too heavy, or there weren’t enough kids interested. To me, even one student makes it worthwhile.”

Last year, Pootjes set up The Remiano Charitable Trust – a nifty play on his nickname ‘Rem’ and ‘piano’ – as a registered charity to ‘transform old pianos into new opportunities’ and help fund the free lessons.

He finds unwanted pianos from wherever he can, brings them to his workshop in Ōtorohanga, and either restores them to full playing glory or turns them into pieces of furniture. Some go into streets as community pianos, others become eye-catching bookstands or display units in shops.



Pootjes says there are hundreds of unwanted pianos in communities all over New Zealand. A quick internet search can unearth around 100 on any given day, some of them going for just a couple of dollars.

“It is amazing how many just get dumped.”

The trust doesn’t sell the pianos, it only leases them, he said. “People pay a monthly rental fee, but the pianos remain the property of the trust.”

Surprisingly, Pootjes doesn’t play the piano himself, but his partner does. The Dutch-born former engineer came to New Zealand in the 1970s, working in his field as well as in sales and in investigations. He is also a volunteer firefighter.

The idea to repurpose unwanted pianos came during Covid when a friend asked for helping in dumping an old piano. Pootjes wanted to salvage it … and so it started.

In just the past few weeks, Pootjes has launched a new website and is looking for a business partner who will help take his ‘Play Me Pianos’ to most New Zealand cities. He is also fast-tracking a new Piano Depot collection and workshop container concept that he wants to roll out near refuse dumps or zero waste collection points.

Through Pootjes’ efforts, people are tickling the ivories in towns all over the region and children who may not otherwise have had the means are learning to play.

“We are putting new pianos in towns all the time, and are looking at growing the entire operation,” he said. “There is a lot of interest, so exciting times ahead.”

The keyboard warrior

We are at Te Kūiti High School’s Services Academy where we meet the students looking for career options which allow them to serve their communities.

Plus we head out to Otewa to see the schoolhouse which could be moved into Ōtorohanga and our historian Meghan Hawkes tells a harrowing story about the loss of three Linton family members in World War I.

Read more

King Country News - out today

Whether by lining up a target through the sights of a sniper’s rifle, saving someone from a burning building, stopping speeding motorists or even just by instructing the young, there are many ways to serve our society.

While Joel Bradley has undertaken two of these roles, he says his students in Te Kūiti High School’s Services Academy will each find their own path.

“It's not a recruitment agency for the NZ Defence Force (NZDF). It's a lot more one-on-one based, focused on teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, leadership and all sorts of stuff that gets the kids outside of their comfort zone,” the academy’s director says.

“I'm here to support them with anything they want to do. It’s more about helping them find a career pathway and work with others in the school to help them reach that goal.”

The academy aims to encourage students to serve their communities, but this could involve joining the police, fire brigades or even simply by being good citizens.

Serving as a sniper with a reconnaissance platoon in Iraq, Joel appreciates the value of ‘path finding’ and he’s also an expert when it comes to training.

“We were training the Iraqi forces, giving them the skills they needed to take back their country from ISIS,” he says.

In the last year of his military career, he was part of the NZDF Youth Development Unit with his wife Deeanna Bradley.

“We ran Service Academy courses which gave me a lot of skills.”

Approximately 30 such academies are now running nationwide. While students are given a taste of military life, they are not boot camps. However, perceptions towards careers in the military have changed, Joel says.

“The kids went through a two-week induction course with the NZDF recently. They were straight into a strict military environment. We were all up at five with military physical training and drill. It was just amazing – the kids thrived!

“When we started, I think only one student put their hand up when asked if they wanted to join the military. Now, after seeing what military life can give them, more than half are interested and there’s been no pushing from me.”

The high school’s Services Academy mobilised at the beginning of term one, but it’s not a new initiative and Joel has practiced what he teaches.

“It first ran in 2010. When I was a student in the academy, it gave me the skills I needed to join the army, ones I was lacking such as academics.”

The school lost the programme about eight years ago.

Joel has been working with the principal Gareth Williams to bring it back.

The key to any successful programme run along military lines is willing participation.

“We provide guidance but the students really build the culture through their own camaraderie. If you try to force people into it and they don't want to be part of it, you’ll be banging your head against a brick wall. I won't take students that don't want to be here,” says Joel.

Students thrive in academy

A striking photo of her mother has won Piopio artist Ashley Tutaki a place in the finals of the 2025 Kīngi Tuheitia Portraiture Award.

Her work, titled Back to the Source, has Lina Goldsbury, wearing a long sleeve turtleneck, lying peacefully in water.

The challenge for entrants was to create portraits of their ancestors – tūpuna.

In her entry Tutaki wrote “as she is my mother, it is strange to think of her as “tupuna”, just as it is strange to imagine oneself as growing older and rising through the ranks of the generations”.

“But that’s life, and I believe this to be a true depiction of what a living ‘tupuna’ looks like in many whānau who lose their elders too soon.”

Tutaki, born in 1992, affiliates to the Ngāti Maniapoto and Rereahu iwi of Tainui and describes herself as a young photographer working towards launching her own freelance business to showcase and uplift Māori stories through photography.

The award, a collaboration between the Office of the Kiingitanga and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakāta, was launched in 2020 to inspire new generations of Māori artists to create portraits of their tūpuna.

Artists are competing for a first prize of $20,000. The runner up and peoples’ choice winners will both get $2500.

Entries were open to Māori artists aged 35 and under who created an artwork within the last two years or specifically for the competition, using any visual medium, excluding AI-generated work, with whakapapa connections to the depicted tūpuna.

The shortlisted artworks were chosen by a panel of judges, including contemporary Māori artist Areta Wilkinson (Ngāi Tahu), Head Carver for Waikato-Tainui Iwi Renata Te Wiata (Waikato-Ngāti Māhuta, Te Arawa - Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara), and leading painter John Walsh (Aitanga a Hauiti).

The winners will be announced next month and the finalists’ artworks will then tour the country over the next two years.

Ashley’s angle makes the final

Two Te Kūiti dancers will be on stage at the World Dance Crew Championships in Auckland this weekend.

Alexi Hughes and Patea Tahana travel from Te Kūiti to Hamilton three times a week – a return trip of around three hours – to train with Street Dance Sessions and be part of their competition crews.

Alexi, 12, a Centennial Park School student, has been making the trip since early 2022, while 13-year old Te Kūiti High student Patea, who previously lived in Hamilton, began travelling at the end of 2024 after moving to Te Kūiti.

They will be among 15 dancers making up the Street Squad Varsity and Flawless youth crews at the international hip hop event, described as the biggest of its type and attracting dancers from Japan, Australia, the Philippines and the United States. The event will run from Sunday through to the following Saturday.

Street Dance Sessions was established in a Hamilton church hall in 2018 by Miriana Wetere-Ryder. She began tutoring “40 or 50 kids” – now there are about 200.

Alexi’s mum Naomi says both are passionate about dance and love being part of the Street Dance Sessions whānau.

“There are many reasons they choose to travel such a long distance each week, but it ultimately comes down to their love for dance, the opportunities available to them, and the strong bonds they’ve developed within the Street Dance whānau.”

The two Street Dance crews will also include one Te Awamutu, one Cambridge and two Huntly dancers.

Naomi Hughes said Wetere-Ryder was highly talented and choreographed routines that showcased individual strengths while continuing to challenge and develop dancers’ skills.

“Since joining Street Dance Sessions, both Alexi and Patea have seen huge growth in their technique, versatility, and confidence. So when it comes to the question of travel – spending a minimum of nine hours on the road each week – it’s absolutely worth it.”

Alexi and Patea hop on a world stage

King Country farms being burned to a crisp are being offered a $100,000 drought relief package, after the Government declared a drought.

The adverse event classification also unlocks tax relief for farmers and growers and enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments.

“West of the Waikato River it’s drought conditions,” said Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes.

“Areas like Tuakau, Piopio and Mahoenui aren’t getting any rain.

“Springs and wells providing stock water have dried up, and farmers are moving to once-a-day milking and sending stock to the works early.”

Sheep and beef farmers relying on income from grazing dairy cattle from eastern parts of the region are running out of feed, and some are having to send them back early in skinny condition.

“That’s a big hit on their incomes, and on the dairy farmers trying to capitalise on the strong milk prices,” Holmes said.

“Maize crops may look good, but with insufficient water, they’re putting on minimal cob and come harvest time they’ll have very little feed value.

Rotowai Farms sheep and beef farmer Natasha Cave said water was probably tighter than feed

“The King Country used to be summer safe, with fairly reliable rain, but no more,” she said of her Aria farm.

“We are making sure we have got good water systems in place.”

Taharoa sheep and beef farmers Chris Irons and Debbie Hastie are doing their best to fend off the drought on their 770ha farm, having received around half of the rain they usually do in January and February.

Around 70mm of rain fell on their Waitete Road farm in January, and 50mm of rain in February.

Irons, Waitomo Federated Farmers chair, said they were coping “due to good management” of more than 2000 ewes and 200 breeding cows.

“We are constantly asking ourselves if it does not rain in the next 10 days, what are we going to do?” Irons said. “Look after your capital stock first. It is what it is. We can’t control it.”

“Hill country farming in these conditions is very challenging,” said Waitomo mayor John Robertson.

“The hills throughout the district are very dry - the driest February that I have seen for many years. The few occasions where we have had up to 5mm of rain through this period have not been sufficient to adequately moisten the soils.”

“March forecasts do not look promising - a little rain, but not the many days of steady soaking rain we need.”

Across the border in Waipā Zane and Marie Kite expect to lose tens of thousands of dollars of milk production this season as they farm through extreme drought conditions.

Their Parallel Road farm, near Kaipaki, is one step ahead of the official drought declared for the region on Friday.

But there has been no rain, to speak of, since before Christmas and the Kites, who have run the family farm for 40 years, are looking at drying their 170-cow herd off a month early.

“I would call it a severe drought,” he said.

“There’s not one blade of green grass in any of our paddocks, but we have got to be positive.”

He has turned to feeding out silage to keep his herd going, and it is producing approximately 1 kg of milk solids per cow per day. Because of the lack of moisture, he’ll be drying his herd off a month early in March.

Holmes is chairing regular meetings with Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel Rural Support Trust representatives and the Ministry for Primary Industries to monitor the situation.

The group met on Tuesday.

Waiting for rain

Mary Anne Gill

A mystery adventure race that annually transforms Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge into a haven for mums, dads and children attracted 473 participants this year.

The XRace, held on a humid Friday afternoon last week, took competitors an average of one hour, seven minutes 17 seconds to complete.

The Korakonui duo of daughter Gemma and father Grant Honeyfield blitzed the field, completing the 10 mystery challenges in just 43 minutes and 18 seconds.

The New Zealand Home Loans-sponsored event which started in 2013, was created by Shane Hooks of Auckland. It went through many name changes before XRace was finalised.

This mystery adventure race pairs parents with children aged 6-14 to race together, locate and complete mystery challenges, and compete against the clock and other family teams. The challenges range from physical (like tug-of-war) to mental (like memory challenges) to knowledge-based (like music challenges), and they change from year to year and course to course.

No two XRaces are the same. Events are held in Whangārei, Devonport, Tauranga, Taupō, Napier, Hutt City, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, and Auckland.

Medals this year in Cambridge were presented by New Zealand representatives Zack Rumble (rowing), Bennett Greenough (BMX), Danielle Aitchison (Paralympian sprinter) and Becky Leigh (rowing).

Results:

Overall winners: daughter and father - Gemma and Grant Honeyfield (Korakonui), son and father - Harris and Adam O’Leary (Cambridge), daughter and mother - Jamie and Caitlyn Phillips (Hamilton).

Age Divisions

Junior (under 7) girls Zoe Gerritsen 1h4s, boys Marlow McDonald 56m44s, 8 year old girls Leina Kaelin 1h2m57s, boys Sam Panting 57m19s, 9 year old girls Chloe Blackstock 55m, boys Cian Moore 46m42s, 10 year old girls Charlotte Tate 50m21s, boys Harris O’Leary 43m25s, 11 year old girls Sophie Hickey 54m14s, boys Connor Moore 46m39s, senior girls Gemma Honeyfield 43m19s, boys Alex Simmonds 48m56s.



 

Honeyfields show X Factor?

Janine Krippner

As we move through our days, much of our experience comes from different forms of energy, carried by waves. We detect light with our eyes, temperature with our skin, and sound with our ears. Sound is simply vibration that travels through air, water, or objects as an acoustic wave, or at least the portion that we can hear.

Listening gives us a rich tapestry of information about our surroundings. Do we hear another person? Animals? Traffic? Music? As someone who has music playing almost constantly, this is something I especially appreciate.

As a volcanologist, I also appreciate sound waves in a very different way. When volcanoes erupt they produce a wide range of noises, including some that our ears cannot detect. Acoustic waves below human hearing are called infrasound, defined as low-frequency waves under 20 hertz (Hz). Humans generally hear in the 20–20,000 Hz range, so infrasound is literally below our perception. These waves are tiny fluctuations in atmospheric pressure that can travel great distances from their source and be recorded by instruments.

Infrasound monitoring is similar in concept to seismic monitoring. Seismometers measure energy waves moving through the ground, while infrasound sensors detect waves moving through the air. Just as a network of seismometers across a broad area can be used to locate an earthquake, an array of infrasound sensors can pinpoint where an explosion or eruption has occurred.

This technology is not limited to volcanoes. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization operates a global infrasound network to monitor for nuclear weapons testing. The same system also detects large volcanic eruptions, meteor airbursts, and other processes in our atmosphere. One striking example was the January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai, one of the most powerful explosions in recent times. Some of its pressure waves circled the globe multiple times.

A challenge is that many things produce infrasound, from storms to ocean waves. Geophysicists carefully filter out this background “noise” to extract useful information about volcanic processes. Some have even described volcanoes as musical instruments.

There is even an interesting area of research where infrasound is used to study the sounds that animals, such as elephants, make. Unlike our voices, which fade away quickly, these low-frequency sounds can travel across many kilometres, making them a powerful tool for communication.

Herein lies one of the greatest advantages of infrasound monitoring - its ability to detect activity at great distances.

Remote volcanoes, such as those in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, may be thousands of kilometres from population centres but still pose a hazard to aircraft. Infrasound data can confirm eruptions and help classify whether they are producing ash plumes that may be a danger to aircraft.

Whether erupting or quiet, using a range of monitoring techniques including seismology, gas measurements, ground deformation, and satellites, can help us to get a clearer image of what is happening at and below volcanoes. Infrasound is one more way of “listening” to the Earth, adding to our understanding of the complex processes at work. The more perspectives we use, the better prepared we are to warn those who might be impacted.

Hidden music of volcanoes

Peter Nicholl

As expected, the reserve bank cut their Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to three per cent last week.

This decision was reasonable. Both the Bank of England the the Reserve Bank of Australia had reduced their official interest rates by 25 points just a few days earlier.

What worries me is what was said in the bank’s accompanying statement. Their statement was described as ‘more dovish than expected’ with a strong indication that the bank was likely to make two more 25 basis points cuts before the end of the year, taking the Official Cash Rate to 2.5 per cent.

Though some other central banks are also reducing their official interest rates, the Bank of England’s official rate is currently four per cent and the Reserve Bank of Australia is at 3.6 per cent. The Unitied States Federal Bank has kept its official rate at 4.25-4.5 per cent all year despite pressure from Trump to lower it. So New Zealand, at three per cent is already significantly lower than most other countries.

The first time the reserve bank took the cash rate as low as 2.5 per cent was in response to the global financial crisis in 2009. Unfortunately, it did not increase the rate after the global financial crisis was over. It mainly stayed within the range 1.75-2.25 per cent from 2012-2020 - and then Covid came along. In response, the bank reduced the rate into uncharted low territory, taking the official cash rate down to 0.25 per cent.

The inevitable happened. The incredibly low interest rates quickly led to a surge in asset prices.

The value of the average house in New Zealand rose by around 40 per cent from 2020 to 2022. The low interest rates also led (more slowly) to a general increase in inflation, not just in New Zealand but everywhere.

The reserve bank eventually had to put the cash rate into reverse and raised it from 0.25 per cent in 2022 to 5.5 per cent in 2023.

Over the past year, it has reversed the direction of the rate again and they have reduced it by 2.5 per cent and it is now down to theee per cent. With inflation currently at 2.7 per cent, this level is barely positive in real terms. Mortgage rates, other borrowing rates and deposit rates have all followed the cash rate down. Despite this, the media keep referring to current interest rates as ‘high’.

They are only high in relation to the incredibly low interest rates that the Covid pandemic induced. Those rates were very abnormal. They were induced by a pandemic of unpredictable dimensions. But they are being treated by many New Zealanders as the new ‘normal’ – the level interest rates should return to. That would be a disaster. I worry that there may be some in our reserve bank who are also thinking this way.

The period 2000 – 2010 is a more ‘normal’ period. During that period inflation was almost always within the RBNZ’s target range of 1-3% and the OCR was was within the range of 4.5% to 6%. The current OCR level of 3% is already well below where it was during that decade of moderate inflation.

What the RBNZ has done in the last nine months is appropriate. But if they keep pushing the OCR down another cycle of low interest rates causing asset price surges and rising general inflation is inevitable. The RBNZ needs to know when it has done enough and wait for the impact of what it has already done to work its way through the financial system.

These rates are not high

Supplied

Have your say

With the local body elections around the corner it is time to get out and vote. Get enrolled and vote people. Over the last few elections turnout has been dismal. The time is now to change that. The voting age in New Zealand is 18 and everyone who can vote should. If young people care about their future they need to step up and vote for the best candidate and not just leave it to us older people who have not done a real great job of things over the last 50 years. New Zealand needs to move forward not back to the 1900s.

I would like to remind renters that they too are entitled to vote for council  too. They may not own the property they live in but by paying rent they are paying the rates on that property so step up and have some input into how you want Waitomo to be in the future. With the current government moving closer to undermining local councils and the good work they do this may well be your last chance to have a say before local council become merely a symbolic entity with little power and less say.

Gordon Walker 

Piopio



Support acknowledged

I want to express my deepest thanks to the King Country community for all it have given to Daffodil Day, with particular thanks to our local volunteers and area coordinators.

While it may be our biggest fundraising event of the year, Daffodil Day carries special meaning and to many of us it is about connection, compassion, and hope.

The daffodil continues to stand as a figurehead for the 1 in 3 New Zealanders who will face a cancer diagnosis. When we come together each August, we are reminding those on the journey that they are seen, supported, and surrounded by a community determined to make a difference. It was truly an honour to witness so much of our region painted yellow.

Over the past year, we have accommodated 2,696 guests at the Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge, contributed $252,583 to cancer research, driven 104,657km taking our clients to their cancer treatment and provided 19,289 direct client services

These figures reflect the scale of the need - and the importance of your role in helping us meet it. As cancer rates rise, our resolve to be here for every person who hears “you have cancer” only grows stronger.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to every donor, volunteer, business, school, community group and staff member who contributed to Daffodil Day this year. Together, we are not just tackling cancer. We are building a future where no one faces cancer alone, and where hope grows stronger with every year.

I hope we’ll see you again for Daffodil Day 2026.

Helen Carter

Chief Executive, Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Letters

It’s been a busy and challenging week for our team, with several serious incidents occurring both locally and in surrounding areas.

Last Saturday about 10:20pm a fight occurred at an address on Ormsby Road, Ōtorohanga. A female was struck with a weapon and taken to Waikato Hospital for treatment of her injuries, which are non-life threatening. A 45-year-old was arrested the following day and charged with wounding; he will appear in the Hamilton District Court. Police are satisfied there is no ongoing risk to public safety and thank the community for their assistance with the investigation and swift resolution of this matter.

Our team also attended several vehicles crashes last week one of which was a fatal crash out of area towards Raglan, suspected to have been a result of a medical event.

Staff executed a search warrant at an address in Ōtorohanga following on from a complaint of an assault being posted online. During the search police located and seized several insecure firearms and some drugs.

We attended a vehicle crash on Main North Road Ōtorohanga where a male had fled from the scene after crashing into a fence. Unfortunately, there was a delay in attendance due to scene guard duties and other incidents taking place within the district.

In the wake of these incidents, I want to express our gratitude to the many volunteer fire service members across Te Kuiti, Ōtorohanga, Benneydale, Piopio and the wider King Country. These men and women are often first on the scene at crashes, fires, and medical emergencies — responding day and night, in all weather, to help those in need. Their commitment and dedication to the community deserve our recognition and thanks.

We’ve had several reports of vehicles speeding through school zones and quiet neighbourhood streets, around the Te Kuiti area. It’s frustrating to hear this taking place around pick-up and drop-off times. These areas are busy with children and pedestrians. A small lapse in speed or attention could have devastating consequences. We urge members of the public to continue to report antisocial driving behaviour so repeat offenders can be held to account.

Over this winter staff have attended several mental health episodes across the district – It’s a timely reminder to check in on friends, family, and neighbours. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, don’t hesitate to reach out for help (Mental health 0800 505050).

Our week in review

I am undertaking the brutal adjustment of coming from the oppressive, dusty heatwaves in Spain to mid-winter New Zealand - going from long, sunny days on the islands to frosty mornings.

Several weeks ago now, once the students had returned home and our projects were wrapped up, my focus shifted from volcanic resilience on Tenerife to the westernmost island of the Canaries, El Hierro.

I travelled there by ferry with colleague Sergio Alfaya to investigate rockfalls following our month of work with GeoTenerife. I had written about his research a few weeks earlier, and now it was time to see the geology for ourselves.

El Hierro took my breath away. Much of its northwest coast is dominated by an immense cliff that rises around a kilometre above sea level in an astonishingly short distance, exposing countless stacked lava flows. Above, the surface is dotted with scoria cones and younger lava flows, with more than 500 craters mapped across the island. The landscape is so spectacular that the entire island has been designated a Unesco Global Geopark.

It is also volcanically active. In 2011, a seismic crisis shook the island, culminating in a submarine eruption.

The uncertainty over where the vent might open caused major disruption for residents, providing lessons that later proved invaluable during the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on neighbouring La Palma.

Steep volcanic slopes and sheer cliffs make El Hierro especially prone to rockfalls. These range from minor tumbles to significant road-blocking events. Local authorities are so familiar with the hazard that debris is cleared with remarkable speed. Driving around, we saw patches of concrete where heavy rocks had punched holes in the road surface.

At one point we entered a stretch of road that was marked by a large yellow sign stating “Danger, landslides. Go on at your own risk”. Above the road were tall fences set to catch falling rocks, and at the most dangerous spot, a tunnel has been built for rocks to cross.

Evidence of gravity’s relentless pull was everywhere: broken blocks of ancient lava littered the slopes, and one fence, several metres high, bore a deep dent from a boulder that had bounced its way downhill before smashing into the barrier. We didn’t linger in that section.

The scale of rockfalls and landslides is immense, from handfuls of fist-sized rocks scattered across a neighbourhood road to giant scarps carved by catastrophic events that sent debris far out to sea.

In fact, around half the seafloor surrounding the island, extending out to 60 km offshore, is covered in landslide deposits. Over the past 200,000 years, four giant landslides have stripped away roughly 10 per cent of El Hierro’s land mass. Thankfully, these massive collapses are rare compared with the smaller, but still dangerous, events that occur regularly.

We all live with our own geologic hazards but seeing them so starkly on an island of just 11,000 people was a powerful reminder of how closely some communities live with the forces shaping our planet.

Gravity at work

Richard Steele

I have been fascinated to see the mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown and ex-National party leader Simon Bridges calling for the Government to give their city a boost, as it is really struggling to make a financial success of itself at the moment.

There suggestions include charging a bed tax, which I’d have thought would be just the thing to make me go and stay there.

In fact, the last time I stayed in downtown Auckland to go to a show, the stupid buggers that run the place were building a car park for Japanese imports between the hotel and my view of the harbour.

Another tax, just the thing. It’s already too crowded, too hard to find a secure place to park, rather vital I’d have thought when I’ve no option but to drive there.

Too much of the beautiful harbour is already blocked off from visitors by the port activities that should have been shifted out of town a generation ago.

Too much of the downtown area, always a fascination to this country boy, is blocked off by endless earthworks, that have been on going half of my long life.

I heard from a top chef last week that Auckland has 24,000 restaurant seats available for diners, but that only 3500 were being used on any one night.

So I think another tax is not the answer, and if it is, what’s the question?

Really, making the place affordable, easier to visit and attractive to visitors, would go a long way further than charging more for the dubious decision to go there in the first place.

I remember reading in the crash of 1997, of reading in our biggest newspaper, now a mere shadow of its former self, about the best ways for people to save money, and these ways sound just as sensible today.

Top of the list was to not eat out. To stay home for dinner more often.

So how does charging the very people you want to attract help the cause of the struggling cafe or restaurant owners? Beats me.

I’m not a negative person, though more often than not, when I visit Auckland, my enduring impression is just how dreadfully lucky I am to live where I do. Those who choose to live in Auckland are part of the problem too.

Too often, civic leaders see raising charges as the way forward when the real answer is to fix the product you are trying to sell.

As a small footnote to rural people who made the decision to base the mighty Fonterra in Auckland. What could possibly have been wrong to have New Zealand’s biggest company based in the rural heartland, from where it came? Matamata or Morrinsville, Stratford or Hāwera, you choose - but Auckland ?

Tax and the facts

More Success to report

The team have had another productive week with further arrests and development in ongoing investigations:

Police responded to an incident on Friday involving an assault and wilful damage of a dwelling in Benneydale. A 29-year-old male was arrested and charged in relation to the event.

Further arrests have been made in relation to breaches of Court imposed bail in both Te Kuiti and Ōtorohanga.

The youth aid team are dealing with an incident in Otorohanga where an assault took place at a home address.

A 47-year-old male has been arrested and charged in relation to an indecent assault that took place in Te Kuiti earlier this year.

Over the past few months, we have noticed a trend of online fraud where people have been posting fake listings for example for portable cabins. Offenders have been asking for a deposit, in some cases thousands of dollars. Victims have then turned up at the listed address after the deposit has been made, in some cases driving several hours, to discover the cabin never existed and occupants had no idea of the online sale.

We are reminding residents to stay vigilant when buying or selling items online, particularly on platforms like Facebook Marketplace. Scams involving fake listings, non-payment, and fraudulent buyers requesting personal banking details or using false payment screenshots.

To protect yourself, meet in person in a public place when exchanging goods, avoid prepayments to unknown individuals, verify buyer/seller profiles – check how long they’ve been active and look out for warning signs, trust your instincts – if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is.

Please report any suspicious online activity to Netsafe or contact Police if you believe you have been scammed.

On a parting note - If you’re looking for a meaningful career or know someone who is, now is a great time to consider joining New Zealand Police. We are actively recruiting and would love to hear from individuals interested in making a real difference.

Policing is a challenging but rewarding career pop into a local station for more information.

On the Beat

News

Rewarewa  school on the move

‘Bring back our kiwi’

Plant plan still in limbo

Tangi for candidate

Farm owners, workers fined

PJ  donations near 30,000

Waitomo welcomes new citizens

Jesse Wood

Tate Burdon and former King Country rugby representative Paul Luttrell represented New Zealand at the BMX Racing World Championships in Copenhagen.

About 3500 riders competed across the July challenge, masters and championship divisions.

It was 11-year-old Burdon’s second world championships after competing in Rockhill, United States, last year.

The Year 7 Korakonui School student placed 16th overall out of 139 riders in the 11-year-old boys 20-inch class, making the semifinals.

This was about a week after finishing fourth in round nine and third in round 10 of the European Cup in Angelholm, Sweden.

“It was massive, it really stretched him as a rider to set up for worlds. He adopted a more assertive riding style. The Europeans will push you around without a second thought as Tate found out in the European Cup,” mum Anne Burdon said.

The 2025-26 season will be another big year for Tate as he prepares for the world champs in Brisbane in July.

The Mighty 11 trials for the New Zealand stage are on September 28 before the North Island Titles on Labour Weekend in Auckland.

Tate will also have a few trips to Australia in 2026 including the Oceania Champs in February, followed by the Te Awamutu-hosted BMX Nationals in March.

Luttrell was no stranger to Copenhagen, having raced there at the 2011 world championships.

“We also lived in Copenhagen from 2017-2022, so it will be a homecoming of sorts. This will be my 11th and final world champs,” Luttrell said before the event.

He rode in the 50 plus cruiser male category, competing against 99 other riders.

“After riding well and comfortably making the top 16, a small mistake in the semifinal saw my chances of making the final dashed,” Luttrell said.

“With the races lasting less than 40 seconds, split second reactions and decisions make all the difference.

Luttrell said the facilities at Te Awamutu BMX club were a fantastic advantage for their preparations and the club’s support was highly appreciated.

In the under-23 women’s class, Penny was pipped by just 0.06s in the quarterfinals.

She also fractured her scaphoid in a race at the start of the trip,” Penny said.

“I did manage to get back on my bike and race at the world champs, however I wasn’t back to 100 per cent.”

Te Awamutu BMX Club president Rodney Prescott said the results proved Te Awamutu can foot it with the world’s best. 

Trio take on the best

Norris Woodbine

After a spluttering start to their defence of the Lochore Cup the King Country Rams burst back into contention with an emphatic seven try winning performance against a committed Poverty Bay side at Taupo last Saturday.

With their forwards laying a great platform the young stars in the back line were given every opportunity to express their boundless talent and the result was some great running rugby.

There were few better on the paddock than Patrick Hedley with a personal tally of 22 points playing on the left wing, scoring two tries and nailing all but one conversion with his accurate boot.

This rising star is on loan from Hawke’s Bay and King Country supporters will be hoping that side suffers no injuries which require him to be called back.

Playing on the opposite wing Baven Brown Jnr was another who shone with one huge run back from a kick off gathered deep in his own half splitting the Bay defence leading to Hedley’s second try.

And it was Brown who scored the final try with his trademark side stepping ability and genuine pace leaving many defenders in his wake as he raced away down the embankment side.

Number eight Caleb Foote was another local player to the fore with his general play and strong carries complimenting a tidy lineout display while his loose forward partners Maximus Dunstar and Levison Gower were never far from the ball.

Piopio’s Isaac Griffin was injected into the pack at lock after the half time break and impressed with some huge carries of the ball and is proving to be a great addition to the squad.

As impressive as the Rams were on attack the coaches will probably be dissecting some defensive lapses especially early in the game as the visitors went toe to toe early on and half way through the first half the scores were locked at 21 a piece.

Earlier in the day the King Country Emerging Big Horns found the Waikato Divisional side a difficult proposition eventually losing by 46–19 on a difficult afternoon.

The side was bolstered somewhat with the inclusion of Rico Bell and Callum Hedley from the Rams but in the end a dominant forward pack proved too hard to overcome.

Young Kees Muller caught the eye with some great line out work complimenting his general play although playing at lock would have seen him in unfamiliar territory.

Liam Knight and Jayden Pari also enjoyed honest performances and continue to develop in a higher grade.

In other results the King Country Under 18 side defeated a Hawke’ Bay schools team 55-12 where by all accounts young Wiremu Harris was outstanding at hooker and Riddick Rangitonga also caught the eye.

The King Country secondary school girls were too powerful for Taranaki U18 girls, winning 32– 5 while the U16 boys lost to Waikato Pasifika 46–23.

King Country’s on track

To say hard work led 19-year-old heavy machinery operator Dylan Eti to his Waikato provincial rugby début would be an understatement.

Dylan lives in Hamilton and works for Cambridge-based C & R Developments at the Graymont Oparure Quarry near Te Kūiti.

The Ōtorohanga-raised Hautapu lock started in the number five jersey at FMG Stadium on August 17, and played 80 minutes in the 27-26 win over Counties Manukau.

His family and friends were there to witness him don the red, yellow and black kit.

And last Saturday he was among the try scorers as Waikato – for the third time in 13 years – lifted the Ranfurly Shield from neighbours Taranaki.

Becoming the 1268th Mooloo man meant more than words could express to the youngster.

He spoke to Good Local Media after his debut game.

“It meant a lot to see a bit of reward for all the hard work over the past few years. It was so good to get out and make my family proud,” Eti said. “The skill set was much higher than club rugby, at a rapid pace and the physicality was also a massive lift.”

Eti moved to St Peter’s in Cambridge for his final two years of secondary schooling after attending Ōtorohanga College.

While boarding in Cambridge, dad Kiso “Tee” Eti would take annual leave to pick him up for NPC training in Hamilton, then back to school before returning to Ōtorohanga.

After graduating, it made sense for him to continue playing club rugby with his friends in Cambridge.

Playing alongside clubmates – Hamilton Burr, Rui Farrant, Mitch Jacobson and Andrew Smith – helped the transition to NPC rugby.

“Those boys were very helpful in the lead up, it made it a lot easier to get stuck into it and back myself,” Dylan said.

Another familiar face was fellow Ōtorohanga product Taipari Quinn.

“It was really cool because we’re both from humble beginnings and have known each other from a very young age.”

Hautapu head coach Jackson Willison, also from Ōtorohanga, was “stoked” to see Eti’s progression.

Willison coached him at New Zealand Māori under-18, Waikato under-18, Chiefs under-20 and Hautapu.

He said Eti was probably their best player in the club rugby final against Hamilton Marist last month.

“He’s got a massive future in rugby,” Willison said. “It’s a big testament to his family. The support I see them give him has been unbelievable. They’re at every game of club rugby that he’s playing.”

Mum Janna Gray said it’s heartwarming to know the hard work is paying off.

“It hasn’t been an easy ride. So much goes on behind the scenes. He holds down a full-time job, trains and also goes to the gym at 4am so he can get to work at 7am,” Janna said.

“In his first year out of school. Dylan was leaving home at 3am to drive to FMG Stadium to go to the gym, driving to the quarry for work, then driving to Cambridge for training before coming home.

“I’d be asleep when he left and I’d be asleep when he came home. He did that for six months before he moved to Hamilton.

“His dedication to his work is pretty special, like his rugby career, he really puts in the hard yards. He’s had that support to be able to do both too. His boss lets him and he doesn’t take that for granted.”

Dylan’s parents can see the connection he has with Waikato head coach and former All Blacks lock Ross “Flossy” Filipo.

“We love that Flossy has taken him under his wing. He’s got a lot of time for him,” Janna said.

Before his Waikato debut, Janna texted Dylan saying simply “enjoy your game son”.

“We’re so stoked for him. It was so humbling to see him go out there, go well and play his own game.”

Eti does the heavy lifting

Piopio College has been savouring an epic victory in the recent Under-16 Waikato Secondary Schools Rugby final.

“We lost to Hamilton Boys’ High School in the last game of the round-robin,” the college’s rugby coach, Franky Bourke, told The News. “But our guys all really showed up when we played them again the following week in the final. They had faith in themselves and played some really good rugby.”

Piopio won the final 39–25 to claim the John Boe Cup.

Strictly speaking, Bourke’s boys aren’t regarded as the school’s first XV, but they may as well be.

“We have just one rugby team here, this is it,” Bourke said. “We only had 17 players fit and available to play in the final, which meant we only had two reserves on the bench, but we still won.”

What’s more, as the college has approximately 150 students, some of the players in Piopio’s under 16s are as young as 13.

By contrast, Hamilton Boys High has a roll of more than 2000 students and has been dominant across the rugby grades.

“Last year, the under-16s was won by Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate School but Hamilton Boys’ had been on a real hot streak before that – they’d won it for four or five years in a row,” Bourke said.

Boys High, the grade’s number one ranked team, went into the final off the back of a 22–20 win over Piopio the week prior. However, the King Country squad promptly took the last game of the season by the scruff of the neck.

“We shot out to a decent lead early on; we scored two tries in quick succession, one straight after the kick-off. Then, still only about 15 minutes in, we were awarded a penalty.”

Piopio’s regular kicker, Keanu Edkins, came into the match after a tough day at the office the week before – he had missed all five of his attempts at goal.

Fortunately, the plucky second-five was able to shake off his demons and step back up to the mark when it really counted.

“All week leading up to the final, Keanu said he didn’t want to kick. I told him we had flushed the last game away, but that it was up to him to decide when he was ready,” Bourke said. “So, although he didn’t take the first couple of kicks, when that penalty was called, he took the shot and nailed it. He only missed one from five in total.”

Although there was still plenty of time for Piopio’s opponents to make up lost ground, the Hamilton team looked as though they weren’t used to playing catch-up rugby, Bourke said.

“They played in the style that got them to the final – kicking into the corners, winning lineouts and driving the ball in – and they scored five tries from that too. But we kept the scoreboard ticking over; we kept up the pressure and held our lead right up until the final whistle.”

While all 17 of Piopio’s under-16s contributed to the victory, the team’s fullback was on particularly hot form.

“Corey Mason was another standout. He really caused the opposition plenty of grief. Practically every time he came into the line, every time he touched the ball, he was really hard for them to contain.”

Other top performers throughout the season included team captain and number eight, Hunter Rogers.

“Hunter had a great season. He led from the front, alongside his twin brother, Quinn Rogers (flanker),” Bourke said. “And, although Aden Bradcock, our halfback, came in probably halfway through the season, he gave us a lot of go-forward ball from then on.”

Jayden Collins Kohe-Love (centre) and Ryshard Tapara (prop), both of whom are now playing representative rugby for King Country, were also noted by Bourke for their contributions.

His surname is well known in the Waipā region – Bourkes have been involved with the Hautapu Rugby Club for more than a century – but this is just a coincidence. While Franky Bourke is great mates with some of his namesakes, he is not related to the famous Cambridge family.

Originally from Takanini, Auckland, Bourke had previous successes coaching rugby in Hamilton before becoming a teacher and coach at Piopio College.

“I was coaching up at Hamilton Girls High School and we had some success with the first XV there. I’m now in my second year at Piopio College and it has been a challenge coming to a small rural school,” he said.

“I’ve really had to keep the boys engaged with an exciting type of rugby for them to play. They have come a long way and worked very hard, so they really do deserve to celebrate.”

School’s rugby giant-killers

A youthful Maniapoto rugby side is the new custodian of the endearing Peace Cup after romping to a 38-20 win over Central Bay of Plenty.,

The one-off match for the historic trophy was arranged after holders Hamilton relinquished it.

The trophy – humorously referred to as the ugliest in the country – dates back to 1919 and spent much of its time as a symbol of rugby sub-union supremacy.

It was also treated with a minimum of respect - resulting in its battered form.

An Eady Manawaiti selected Maniapoto travelled to a cold and windswept Rotorua on Saturday and produced a rugby performance up with the best.

The former King Country rugby player named a squad after his Bush United club was unable to field a squad this season. As he wasn’t coaching during the club season, he travelled the North King Country region to watch other teams.

“I went out to view trainings and games at Te Kūiti. Piopio, Waitomo and Kio Kio. I also took an interest in some of our Bush players who decided to play in Hamilton in division 1A for Suburbs,” Manawaiti said.

His team finished a two-match campaign with two wins – having beaten Counties Manukau Māori in a friendly match for the re-opening of Centennial Park. In Te Kūiti.

“We were delighted to have a presentation by Ngāti Maniapoto iwi member Doug Ruki on the history of the Tupuna Maniapoto,” Manawaiti said.

Ruki also wrote a haka for the team’s short campaign. “The history lesson itself created an opportunity for the players to connect to that side of their whakapapa or genealogy, whether Māori or non-Māori,” Wanawaiti said.

Maniapoto’s pack took command from the kick off against Central Bay of plenty and had the home side pinned in their defensive zone for the opening 20 minutes.

As a result, a 14-nil scoreline had the visiting supporters in good heart after number 8 Jayden Pari had scored two fine tries capitalising on the dominance of his tight forwards and fullback Ben Hedley nailed two conversions from out wide.

CBOP converted a handy penalty goal before scoring a long range try against the run of play with an intercept and the scoreline was down to 14–10 as halftime approached but the action did not tail off.

Right winger Jake Laurent once again showed what a great talent he is scorching away from cover defence for another try in the corned and Hedley latched his radar onto the posts and banged over another great conversion.

CBOP completed the first half scoring a try from a botched Maniapoto lineout and at half time the 21–15 scoreline left an air of expectation for an interesting second half.

Again, from the restart it was the visitors who profited and Pari scored a third try which was arguably his best, bursting away from a midfield maul and dashing 40 metres to finish under the posts. It provided Hedley his easiest conversion.

Hedley was to the fore shortly after scoring his own try and another conversion before Maniapoto skipper Kauri Coffin franked the victory with a further try and Hedley had a rare miss with the kick.

CBOP completed the scoring with a late try but it was Maniapoto -nicknamed The Leftovers - who celebrated an historic victory returning the Peace Cup to their North King Country base.

“To complete our campaign unbeaten with unexpected victories against quality opposition demonstrates there is some real talented players in our Rohe,” campaign manager Paul Senior-Partridge said.

“Now with the Peace Cup residing here we can forge ahead with planning for our defence next season, and we have already fielded interest from potential challengers.”

One of the most pleasing aspects of the campaign was the promotion of some great younger local players such as Waitomo’s Brooklyn Pye, Freemin Te Whare and Tipene Perawiti.

Waitete’s Wiremu Harris and Riddick Rangitonga, Piopio’s Kyan Reymer, Jayden Pari, a real star in the making, and Brad Ostern who answered a call on the morning of the game and came in as a late replacement.

Bush United’s Isaac Wana was a standout player throughout and the young Te Kuiti pair Ben and Mitchell Hedley will continue the family dynasty - they are very clever players with youth on their side.

Skipper Kauri Coffin was outstanding in all aspects, and one astute observer credited his performance on Saturday as his best game ever, dictating field position with astute kicking, running at the right time and pulling off some punishing tackles.

“Few gave us much hope when we started out and hopefully these young men will get the respect they now deserve moving forward and to see the development under our experienced coaching panel puts them in my hero category,” Senior-Partridge said.

Maniapoto iterations have a history in the Peace Cup with a win in 1941 and then again in the early 90’s.

‘Leftovers’ pieced it together

Making a Waikato debut is a highlight - it’s even better when it comes in a 36-35 win over neighbours Auckland.

That was the story for Ōtorohanga born prop Taipari Quinnat the start of the month when he featured in Waikato’s NPC win at Eden Park.

Quinn, 22, is a fifth generation Ōtorohanga resident. He attended Ōtorohanga Primary School and college before starting an apprenticeship at Action Electrical Te Kūiti.

His workplace has been very supportive of his rugby journey.

Workmates echoed each other’s remarks, they missed seeing his bubbly face every morning but were proud of him progressing in his rugby career.

At rugby and at work, Taipari is a team player.

Rugby means a lot to him and he’s sure to add his bubbliness to the Waikato team that he brings to the Action Electrical team every day.

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Taipari.

He came off the bench, donning the number 17 jersey in the Stan Thomas Memorial Shield victory – celebrating 50 years of the trophy and 100 years after Thomas made his first appearance for Waikato.

After spending time at Ōtorohanga Sports and Te Awamutu Sports rugby clubs, Taipari made the move into the big smoke of Hamilton this season, joining Fraser Tech.

There he has been mentored by the likes of former Waikato, Chiefs and Fiji front-rower Greg Smith.

Fraser Tech were defeated 21-20 by Hamilton Marist in the semi-finals, but that didn’t put a dampener on Taipari’s year. He was selected in the New Zealand Harlequins team (Waikato B).

Waikato head coach Ross Fillipo then called him saying, “can you come up to Hamilton for training tomorrow? We want to see how you go.”

Taipari impressed at training and was asked to stay on in the NPC environment.

He played a pre-season fixture in the red, yellow and black jersey against Hawke’s Bay in Taupō on July 25.

The following Wednesday, he was named for the round one clash in Auckland.

Taipari became the 1266th Waikato representative, debuting alongside 34-year-old former All Black Lima Sopoaga as well as fellow Fraser Tech clubmate Liam Anderson and Hautapu’s Rui Farrant.

“It meant the world to make my family, my fiancée and my friends proud,” Taipari said. “It was a feeling like no other running out onto that field, especially on debut.

“The nerves were high but I’m just super grateful that I got a crack.”

Mum Katrina Prescott Quinn said they were extremely proud to see Taipari wear the Waikato colours.

Dad Lukas Quinn had played for Ōtorohanga, Waikato Māori and North Island Māori teams back in his day.

“It’s been Taipari’s dream since he was little to get up to NPC level or higher. We’re proud,” Katrina said.

“He played rugby at primary school and then had a break. Then he started playing again for the Ōtorohanga club after college. His grandfather Robert Prescott played rugby and played the same position too.

“Taipari has done most of the hard work himself and made some good friends along the way that keep him grounded and help him with his training.

“The whole family is rapt that he’s starting to be able to achieve his dreams.”

Ōtorohanga’s Quinn makes Waikato debut

The King Country Development Big Horns have a home match in Te Kuiti on Saturday against a Counties-Manukau Selection.

Waitete will have a solid representation with Phayzen Marshall, Liam Knight, Finn Hahn, Ryan Joyes and Athol Sneddon amongst others.

Firebrand flanker Kees Muller will represent the Waitomo Club while Jackson Hurley will fly the Piopio flag after Isaac Griffin’s call up to the Rams.

The Big Horns suffered a shock loss to Whanganui Development in their only build up and will be looking to put that behind them against a professional union side.

The match at Rugby Park Te Kuiti will kick off at 2pm.

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King Country News, King Country Farmer and the King Country App are independently owned and published by Good Local Media Ltd – also publishers of the Te Awamutu News, Cambridge News and Waikato Business News.