Sigrid Christiansen

A touring Scottish harpist has added an extra gig to her New Zealand sojourn – and it will be at a Waitomo Caves home.

Biddy Stubbs spotted Esther Swift performing at Hamilton’s Nivara Lounge during a previous tour and this time round approached her to ask if she would perform at the Stubbs family home on Saturday week.

“She was amazing. I contacted her and yes, she could fit us in.”

Swift will perform a community concert and patrons are invited to cover her costs.

Smith’s musical talent has drawn comparisons with Icelandic artist Bjork.

“It’s an amazing contemporary take on the instrument. People might think it’s something quite old fashioned, but she’s quite off beat,” Stubbs said.

Swift is on her third New Zealand tour.

She will make festival appearances in Wellington, Nelson and New Plymouth.

Because the instrument is so large, she left her own harp at home and will use a borrowed instrument.

Swift, who studied at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Northern College of Music has also performed in Vietnam, Malaysia, Mongolia.

Extra string to a tour

A King Country born duo has won a radio vote in the United States to be named best new artists of 2024.

Rowdy’s Rose collected their award in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The poll was run by American station Hugs Radio, based in the 7000 strong community.

The stations celebrates “songs you never heard, by artists you never knew existed... but damn well deserve to be heard, and tomorrow you’re gonna go look for them”.

Te Awamutu based singer-songwriters Blair and Rosie Shaw were earlier invited to attend the USA Radio Awards in Pennsylvania in October, both as performers and as nominees – for People’s Choice Vocalists of the Year 2024, and Songwriters of the Year 2024.

The event was televised over six states.

The pair were also selected by NZ on Air as New Tracks artists in June with their new single ‘Shooting Star’, which has featured on music charts in both New Zealand and the US.

After their latest accolade they told followers on social media “quite a few people said we belong in Nashville”.

The duo plan to be back for the Ōtorohanga Christmas markets on December 1 – and to prepare their next music video.

Listeners love Rowdy

Paul Charman

Te Kūiti Museum volunteers are scratching their heads over the motivation behind last month’s burglary of storage sheds next door to their building in Rora St.

The sheds, on the property owned by NZ Post, were raided on September 13 and again on September 24.

The first burglary was probably a reconnaissance to see what was there. The burglars returned to steal a range of items a week later.

Volunteer Russell Aldridge said the thieves took two old reel mowers, a power saw, a copper backpack sprayer and some old spanners.

The reel mowers were powered by Villiers two-stroke engines which would be hard to adapt for use in any other kind of machine.

“I reckon they were bloody stupid because this old stuff would have been junk to them, but to us quite valuable,” Aldridge said.

“I doubt even a scrap dealer would have been much interested, except for the copper sprayer. These machines were valuable as museum exhibits as they were relics from a bygone era. They were on their way to being cleaned up and put on show.”

He added that if the thieves had not already disposed of the items, they could quite easily put things right.

“If they have any brains at all they’ll go back and leave this stuff outside the sheds they took them from. We’ll take it from there.”

Are these thieves for reel?

The Ōtorohanga Lions Club celebrated its 60th year of service to its community at a dinner held the Caves Motor Inn last night.

Member Dave Williams said it was timely occasion to celebrate and consider what has been achieved since the club was formed in 1964.

“We also want to remind local residents that our club is here for them. For example, we’re now considering this year’s applications to their Laurie Harnett Scholarship Fund. Laurie was a local farmer and though not a member of the Lions Club he left the club a large bequest, so we want his name remembered.

“Laurie gave away substantial funds not only to us but to other local organisations which service this community.”

Funds from the scholarship which the Lions oversaw were being made available to second-year university students and second-year apprentices.

Williams said the Lions Club was there to assist young people, older people and those in need.

“The Lions Shop in town is now our biggest fundraiser but we raise funds in other ways such as running golf tournaments and street raffles. Our physical work in the community is usually unseen but we are able fund many community projects and events usually with an emphasis on youth and education.”

The current Laurie Harnett Scholar, Ben Pettigrew, is studying conservation and the previous scholar, commerce.

Williams enjoys working alongside other positive minded people as they work for their community.

“There’s nothing more worthwhile than helping people with a group of like-minded people who are united in a common cause. The Lions are a real cross-section of society. We’re from diverse backgrounds and racial groups but the common thread is concern for those less fortunate, or who need a hand up to reach their goals.

“None of the Lions are in it for themselves - we really do want to do something for others but a by-product is that we have a lot of fun along the way.”

Club members meet twice a month. One meeting is for business, at which members broke up into committees involved in community work.

The other meeting takes the form of a dinner, with a guest speaker providing a talk on a subject seen as relevant to the Ōtorohanga community.

“We now have 31 members and are very proud that our oldest member., Laurie Cowan, who is 102.

“We have had much involvement with Beattie Home and the Papakāinga Homestead dementia centre, which is a state-of-the-art facility we can all be proud of.”

Lions mark six decades' service

Andy Campbell

The Ōtorohanga reserves plan that has been parked up for about six months emerged from a lot of the community consultations that were part of the Ōtorohanga Town Concept Plan.

It was put on hold in June and adopted by the Ōtorohanga District Council for public consultation last week. Consultation begins tomorrow.

The strategy includes options for future development of the main playing fields at the Island Reserve and The Domain, plus further development of the Huipūtea Reserve.

Community Projects Lead Sahndra Cave, in her report said a key issue from the town concept plan and reflected in the reserves plan is the long standing issue of a safe pedestrian crossing over the North Island Main Trunk railway line, linking the town with the Huipūtea Reserve.

Discussions with KiwiRail to address this risk and provide for a safer, more effective connection across the rail corridor resulted in Kiwirail stating it did not support a level crossing.

An overbridge is preferred, referring to their current policy for no new level crossing other than in ‘exceptional circumstances’. Kiwirail provided guidance for next steps, which was to assess the current risk and need for a crossing.

The stop bank walkways are part of the Ōtorohanga town flood protection network, and the development of a Reserves Management Strategy/Plan will ensure any future changes to these spaces are not contrary to their purpose, Cave said.

The purpose of the strategy is to provide a framework and direction for the future development of areas that also include Rotary Park, Bob Horsfall Reserves and the Kiwi House. The Island Reserve, Huipūtea Reserve, Reg Brett Reserve, Memorial Park, Windsor Park, Bert McKenzie/Road Reserve (Kiwi Sculpture), Te Ara a Waiwaia – Waipā River Park, and the proposed Westridge Recreation & Stormwater Reserves, Te Kanawa Stream Reserve.

There are mixed land ownership issues affecting both the Huipūtea reserve area and Island Reserve, Cave said.

There is mana whenua, ŌDC and private ownership across the Huipūtea reserve area and historical ownership issues affecting Island Reserves. Work on securing consistency of tenure will need to be progressed for both areas.

Huipūtea Reserve is culturally and historically significant, and in parallel with the development of the reserves strategy, Cave said staff worked with mana whenua to prepare a plan supporting their aspirations for the future of Huipūtea. This includes planting saplings that have been grown from the Huipūtea kahikatea tree.

Reserves plan underway

A father and son who whakapapa to the western King Country are doing their bit to put Waitomo on the map.

Aaron Milne and his son Waylon,10, are “The Cave Rats”, a two-piece band playing covers and original material in about equal measure

“Waylon must have got a taste for performing when he was aged about three, sitting on my lap while I played some gigs,” Aaron Milne reflected.

“I started to teach him the drums when he was about six and later got him some professional lessons to learn theory, but he’s gone way beyond anything I taught him.”

Waylon has now mastered a wide range of drumming styles, including rock, funk, blues and country.

And while the “Cave Rats” will stick to the arty-end of their repertoire at ArtBeat next month, young Waylon is well capable of rocking out to the latest metal and rock.

The “Rats” play mainly at family gatherings and charity shows – never pubs and clubs.

Their material has been heavily influenced by Aaron Milne’s love of southern American rockers, like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and country greats like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

Young Waylon seems to know a huge number of old-time classic rock and pop songs too, singling out Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” as a favourite.

But he has gone well beyond his dad’s favoured material, teaching himself new rhythms from YouTube and songs he hears here and there over the radio.

The harder it is to play a song, the more this 10-year-old seems to relish the challenge of learning it.

The family is grateful to the Waitomo Caves Choir, which helped-out by funding part of Waylon’s drum kit.

The Rats have a unique sound and though they use a bass player from time-to-time, for now they’re quite happy to stick to being a two-piece.

“We’re not aiming at the big time – just enjoying life and having fun with our music,” Milne adds.

And both agree that music isn’t everything.

Waylon says he enjoys playing basketball and going fishing with his family at Marokopa, almost as much as playing.

“Yes, I’d like to be a professional musician - I really like the atmosphere when we’re up on stage,” he says.

As for the band name – it came to Aaron Milne on a particularly hot day last summer when the father and son were having a cooling dip in the river at Waitomo.

“I saw Waylon come up out of the water and climb up onto some rocks; he was so agile he just reminded me of a water rat. Waylon wasn’t too thrilled with the name initially, but now he’s gotten used to it.”

Aaron Milne said he and Waylon are happy to “carry the flag for Waitomo” when they play gigs.

“Waylon’s got links to Waitomo and the Coast through both his mum and his dad. In fact, we’ve got tour guide and early cave explorer Tāne Tinorau among our ancestors – you can’t get more Waitomo than that.”

Rat music for the festival

Katrina Christison

When clients come to me with small sections, I ask them what they actually use their lawn for. Nine times out of ten, the answer is that it’s just there to mow. So, I suggest turning it all into a garden instead. Here are the benefits of this:

It not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your space but also promotes biodiversity, reduces maintenance, and can be more environmentally friendly.

A garden filled with a variety of plants offers a rich tapestry of colours, textures, and forms. From vibrant flowers to lush foliage, your outdoor space will become a visual delight.

Mix plants with different textures and forms to add depth and interest. Combine large-leafed plants with fine-textured ones and mix upright plants with spreading or cascading varieties.

Lawns require regular mowing, watering, and fertilizing. In contrast, a well-planned garden with native or drought-resistant plants can thrive with minimal care.

Plants improve air quality, provide habitats for wildlife, and can reduce the urban heat island effect.

They also require less water compared to lawns, especially if you choose native species adapted to your local climate.

A diverse garden supports a wider range of insects, birds, and other wildlife, promoting a healthier ecosystem.

Things to think about:

Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Improve your soil by adding organic matter such as compost.

This enhances soil structure, drainage, and nutrient content.

Use stepping stones though the garden to get from A to B.

Use repetition to create a sense of rhythm and unity in your garden. Repeating certain plants, colours, or textures throughout the space helps tie the design together and leads the eye smoothly from one area to another.

Follow proper planting techniques to ensure your plants thrive. Dig holes that are twice the width of the plant’s root ball but no deeper and add your compost here for each plant.

Water thoroughly after planting to help settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.

Use cardboard over the soil in and around plants and then apply a layer of mulch around your plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.

Organic mulches like wood chips or bark also break down over time, so does the cardboard, adding nutrients to the soil.

Small sections

Heather Dallas is there “for the foreseeable future. No plans to move on.”

The experienced principal sees the country school as its own destination, not as a lily pad on which to leapfrog across the career pond. She started at the beginning of term.

“I’m very lucky to be here. I already feel like I’ve been around for ages; the staff, students and community have all been so welcoming. I wanted to be somewhere I would enjoy coming to school every day.”

“I love the area. It’s got that traditional rural feel.”

At Rangitoto, 15 minutes from Te Kūiti to the east, there are 30 children, one full time teacher and one part time, plus a student teacher, teacher aide, and admin staff.

On Thursday and Fridays Heather is in the classroom, Monday to Wednesday she is in the office, with her principal’s hat on.

For most of the last few years, since returning from overseas in 2017, she had led country schools.

The first was nine-pupil Ngāmatapouri just on the Taranaki side of the “border” with the Whanganui province, and an hour and a half, 76km winding journey from the town of Whanganui itself, which is both her and husband James’ hometown.

Later she spent two years as principal of Ngakonui Valley school in Taumarunui, with a roll of 70 when she left, and before that also briefly taught at Ōtorohanga South School.

The former meant living away, during the week, from the lifestyle block she shares with her husband in Waitomo.

He’s doing up an old villa for the couple; “he’s not a builder, just a really practical man,” she said.

“On the block we have a couple of beefies and the chooks.

It’s just the two of them, as their three adult children have left home, and live in various places around the Waikato and King Country.

“Sort of” just the two of them – Heather says their new puppy, one-week-old cocker spaniel Boki is “reminding me of what it’s like to be a new mum again”.

His name means something like “a bundle of happiness” in several languages.

After leaving Taumarunui, and before starting at Rangitoto, Heather took a semester off to visit old friends in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and China.

She made those friends through nearly a decade’s overseas teaching– in Brunei Darussalam, a tiny tropical Sultanate on the island of Borneo, and its capital, the city of Bandar Seri Begawan.

She worked in a long running English language project which started around 1980, believed to be one of the oldest in the world.

“It was incredible seeing the progress in second language learners.”

She’s a supporter of phonics and the new structured literacy and maths curriculum coming into schools, but hopes it isn’t being rushed in, because teachers need a chance to get comfortable with it.

“Just like we need to set up children to do their best, we need to do the same with teachers.”

Life in the country suits Heather

Jerica Remiter from the Philippines arrived in New Zealand in March.

A few months in, she was struggling with her confidence. Not so any more, her “after video” shows, made as a final touch to the course she had graduated from.

In the clip, from the first “kia ora everyone,” to the final “thank you so much,” it’s clear Jerica, based in Balfour, Southland, gained much in the way of English mastery, and is overjoyed with her progress.

“I was one of the lucky first batch of students to do the course with AgriTeachMe,” she said.

“It’s not your typical English online class, that you can do to learn to communicate with Pākehā or Kiwis here.

“It will also teach heaps of knowledge when it comes to culture, rules of the road, and even in your work.”

Her partner’s employers and friends have all noticed the change.

“My confidence is really far from what they know when they first meet me. They are glad of my improvements in regards with the English language.”

In mid-September, the employers even asked her to cater for the team’s social meeting - she made Filipino dishes such as pork adobo - and to do a spoken introduction for the evening.

“It was an amazing experience,” she said. And the diners loved the food – all of their plates were empty and they were looking for more, she said.

Lyzanne Du Plessis describes Jerica as “our star student”.

“Her progress was phenomenal.”

In the video, Jerica said she hopes the courses keep going, so other migrants like her can one day enjoy the same opportunity.

Jerica's joy

Farming families are being called on to help connect Filipina women with an online new English language programme.

Founder Lyzanne Du Plessis said she owes her life to speaking English well and easily making friends in New Zealand.

It saved her after she nearly went off a cliff: a real one, not a metaphor.

The course is coming north after a successful South Island pilot.

Topics include Kiwi slang, dairy farming vocabulary, migration rules, schools, and programmes like the ACC and Kiwisaver.

It covers ways to access mental, emotional and physical wellness support.

“It helps facilitate trust and bridge the initial huge language barrier,” Du Plessis said.

She said isolation was the challenge: students often do not drive, so can’t leave their farms easily to attend English classes.

Cultural norms make it hard to speak up and the language barrier makes it hard to find New Zealand friends, or understand the teachers at children’s schools.

Du Plessis, who is from South Africa and lives in rural Southland, knows that a new country takes getting used-to.

When she first arrived, she broke her foot but didn’t go to the doctor “because I didn’t know about the ACC”. Later, it needed surgery.

She thanks the online language learning business Te Puna Reo Māori, owned by Anita Gill, for offering its platform free, and connecting her with Philippines-based English teachers through existing staff.

The pilot launched two weeks later. Despite the timing, during calving, it got an “overwhelming” response.

“The improvement in the students’ confidence was incredible.

Afterwards, they felt comfortable to approach a Kiwi and say something.”

Through recent funding from Rural Women Southland Interprovincial, the next course starts next month.

So what about that cliff? While dairy farming at Te Miro near Cambridge, Du Plessis’ second child was born - and “didn’t sleep at all”.

She fell asleep driving and woke as her car was approaching a cliff.

“But my Kiwi friends told me about Plunket and a sleep clinic.”

Without those conver-sations, she might not be here.

“21 years ago, I was a rural migrant wife that had to go through all the adjustments to settle in a new country, new climate, new culture, and isolated form my normal support networks back in my home country.

It was my ability to speak English that helped me integrate into the rural community, make Kiwi friends, and find the support I needed, in those early years in New Zealand.”

Language programme push

I personally don’t like using weed matting in gardens. I prefer to properly prepare the garden by removing all weeds first.

If done thoroughly, there’s no need for weed matting to suppress weeds.

However, I still like to cover the soil with a more environmentally friendly method - cover the garden bed with a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard.

Then, spread a thick layer of mulch (5-8 cm deep) over it.

This will block sunlight, suppress weed growth, and prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Using newspaper or cardboard is also an excellent way to recycle materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill. It’s an eco-friendly practice that promotes sustainability.

When using cardboard, make sure to remove all tape and labels as these don’t break down.

Once you have covered your soil with either the newspaper or cardboard, wet it thoroughly, this will not only hold it in place it will also start the decomposition process, then spread your mulch on top.

The benefits of using cardboard/newspaper - cost effective, supresses weeds, retains moisture in the soil, breaks down naturally, is a great way to recycle, easy to lay, attracts worms which will help aerate the soul and feed the soil with their castings.

Above is a photo of a garden that had weed mat which we removed, and the poor birch tree’s roots were growing along the top of the weed mat.

The reasons I don’t like using it is that it leads to poor soil health, as it can restrict the water and air movement to the soil.

You will notice this when you remove weed mat you find hard compacted soil which is not good for plant growth.

Organic matter like fallen leaves can’t feed the soil as they break down, in some case plant roots may struggle to penetrate the fabric like the photo above.

Weeds still come in with birds, and once their roots take hold they are much harder to weed, if you have used newspapers or cardboard, weeding is much easier.

To weed mat or not

Peter Still says he wouldn’t dream of missing Armistice in Cambridge, which will include a celebration of military vehicles on November 7 and 8.

But you get the impression walking around his Ōtorohanga yard that Still could stage a pretty good vintage vehicle show without leaving home.

The tow truck driver and vintage vehicle expert has the kind of collection petrol heads can only dream of. It doesn’t stop with military vehicles: Still has fire engines, earth-movers, classic cars and trucks and a few modern ones. He has no idea how many vehicles sit on his Vue Lane property.

Still served his time as an apprentice mechanic at the Ōtorohanga Ford dealership in about 1963. In 1973 he started Peter Still Motors, Otewa Rd, and ran it for 30 years. The business still runs under this name.

Today Still mainly does towing work.

“But I’ve always liked the old vehicles,” says the NZ Military Vehicle Club member, adding unprintable comments about modern computerised electronics.

Though cagey about his age Still admits having collected rare cars and truck for decades. Some get left outside but many are shoe-horned into half-a-dozen enormous sheds, to be restored by Still and son Jason. The father and son’s greatest delight seems to be showing them off at Christmas parades and other community events.

“I don’t know why but the kids really seem to like my 1941 Bren Gun Carrier,” Still says, pointing to a magnificently restored tank-like vehicle which runs on tracks.

“I don’t know whether it’s the tracks which run on rubber pads, or the nice-sounding side-valve motor.”

He also has a tracked personal carrier from the early 1960s, which can carry 10 soldiers plus a gunner and driver. There’s a 1940s GMC 6x4 truck with four driven wheels at the back and a 1941 Leyland Retriever crane truck.

There are also eight fire engines, mainly collected from across the North Island, with a few of them -- like his latest acquisition, a 1951 Ford V8 crash tender fire truck -- imported from the South Island. What does he like about fire engines?

“I don’t know – they’re a different flavour -- makes a change from the military stuff,” says Still with a wink.

Over the years Still became expert at retrieving old vehicles from the back of farms and cast-offs from transport companies. He also has knack of cannibalising spare parts and making what he can’t locate.

“My Bren Gun Carrier had been discarded at the back of a farm way out the back of Maihiihi. It had the wrong motor and diff but they hadn’t cut the top off, so I had something to work with.”

Still makes contacts online but refuses to send emails.

“If I can’t pick up the phone and have a conversation with the guy I’m not interested.”

Many of the old vehicles still roar into life at the touch of a button. Still’s ex-NZ Army recovery truck, which dates from 1973, has three winches with enough power to pull heavy vehicles (like tanks) out of ditches.

Among his most unusual vehicles is a “Thames Cross Cutter”, purchased from a Mosgiel Airfield. This was designed to strap aircraft engines onto the back, where they were tested mechanically.

His most nostalgic collectable is very likely a 1929 Essex Super Six.

“It’s the same kind of car my dad used to drive and the model I went for my licence in as a teenager.”

Transported in time

The hit Abba musical “Mamma Mia,” is just four weeks away from lighting up the Te Kūiti Little Theatre stage.

The cast include 26-year-old hip-hop dancer Jazmin Williamson who lives in Ōtorohanga – and plays Judy, one of the main character’s bridesmaids. Her favourite items are “Waterloo” and “Under Attack.”

“I’m finding it so fun; it’s really building my confidence.”

Her family is from Piopio, although she lived in Australia until 2006.

Despite her love of dancing, with singing and acting she was “never confident.” But there’s a first time for everything. Especially when those things are big life goals.

“I’ve always, always wanted to do musical theatre.

“About two years ago I saw an advertisement for auditions for Grease.

“After that I auditioned for a few musicals up in Hamilton, but unfortunately didn’t get in. So when I saw one was happening in Te Kūiti, I was so excited.

At first, she thought she hadn’t got the part.

“They couldn’t ring me, because I’d been so nervous I’d accidentally given my phone number as half my number and half my partner’s.”

“I only expected to be a backup dancer.”

But she did make the grade – and the rest is history. Her family’s been “incredibly supportive” with stepdad Michael Heald in Tasmania one of the first to know. She also had “lots of help” in learning her lines, from her younger sister.

And there’s been lots of support from the Mamma Mia team too,

“The singing lessons were amazing. I found out I’m a soprano, and I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

Jazmin hopes to take her passion for song and dance overseas, perhaps as a cruise ship dancer. But that’s on hold right now, because three-year-old son Lucca Wilson is still so little.

And how did Mamma Mia come to Te Kūiti?

It’s all connected to a musical love affair that began in the 1980s – when a young Allan Marsden realised his passion for the Abba song “Chiquitita.”

“One of my sisters was singing it around the house – it had such a good beat,” he said. “It’s still my favourite.”

It’s been a triple challenge for 32 brave performers, director Marsden says.

The cast is talented – and very fresh.

“Most haven’t been on stage before – as with [2023 production] the Vagina Monologues.

“They put their hands up because they loved the music of Abba and wanted to be involved.

“It’s going wonderfully.

The youngest is Year 8 St Joseph’s student, Thanya Pandian: “she’s just so great and confident,” he said.

Rehearsals have been happening for six weeks, so far.

“They’ve been learning the songs, the scenes, and the dances. Now we’re putting it all together – that’s the hardest part,” Allan said.

The final performance is “full or surprises” including the “top secret” nature of his role – as well as directing, he’s on stage too.

And for the audience?

“Don’t expect to just get in there and watch a show – there will be a good ol’ sing along.”

Young mum gets the Abba vibe

A raid near Maihiihi, east of Ōtorohanga, allegedly found 64 unregistered dogs last week.

District council and SPCA staff found the dogs at the Takiwatanga Sanctuary Trust on Tauraroa Rd.

Some were classified as dangerous, Ōtorohanga District Council regulatory and growth general manager Tony Quickfall said.

He said other animals were found living in unsatisfactory conditions, but as the council involvement was under the Dog Control Act, the SPCA was looking into the welfare of the other animals.

The animal shelter made news in 2019 when it was reported owners Steve and Phil Brown had set up their King Country home and farm as a sanctuary for children with disabilities and their families.

When The News visited the Browns this week Phil Brown said the dogs were registered, and he did not want to talk further.

Quickfall confirmed the property owners visited the council offices the day after the raid and discussed the situation with animal control staff.

As a result, the owners agreed to register all 64 dogs and have developed a plan to reduce their numbers.

“This is a promising step forward and Animal Control staff will work closely with the owners to ensure this transition is smooth and successful.”

Issues outside the district council’s area of operation are being looked into by the Waikato Regional Council.

The October 3 action followed multiple attempts by Animal Control to work with the property owners to resolve issues, Quickfall he said.

“The visit was necessary after the owners failed to respond to a formal notice requiring them to register the dogs.

Relevant health and environmental authorities have also been notified and potential investigations will follow,” he said.

In July 2021 it was reported almost 500 animals - including dogs, rabbits, birds, llamas, horses, chickens and sheep - were among the residents at the sanctuary.

The News was contacted last Thursday by a farmer in the district who said the animal sanctuary had been an issue for some time with persistent reports of large numbers of dogs unfed, and other animal neglect.

Sanctuary trust home raided

Are you thinking of changing or re-doing some of your garden and don’t need a full scale plan/design?

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3D Garden Visuals

The deadline for artists to sign on to be part of the Ōtorohanga Art and Music Festival - ArtBeat 2024 is 17 days away and performance timeslots are filling fast.

That’s the message from lead organiser Rebecca Dowman-Ngāpō, who has seen plenty of interest in the event to be held at Ōtorohanga Museum.

“A good number of artists from a wide range of disciplines are on board but we haven’t closed the books yet,” she added.

“So far we have booked some amazing rangatahi - a poet and a hip-hop artist, we have a local busker and a range of local musicians; we have exhibiting artists who work with clay, fibre, wood, technology and paints – you name it.”

Centre stage would be the event’s featured artist, photographer Richard Wallace, who with his wife Ruve, recorded people and happenings in the district from 1963 to the mid-2000s.

Richard will deliver an artist’s talk about his career and photography followed by a mix and mingle event which would be held as part of the farewell for the couple, who are shifting to Western Australia at the end of the year.

“The Wallaces have given their life’s work – more than 50 years of catalogued negatives and prints – to the museum, and some of these prints will be exhibited at ArtBeat.

The event will also coincide with museum’s 50th Anniversary since the Courthouse was moved onsite,” Dowman-Ngāpō said.

Other feature artists working on site during the weekend include prolific Waitomo carver and painter Daniel Ormsby, pastel artist Rita Shaw, potter Kathleen Cederman and Kane Wharepouri.

“With about 35 years of media experience, Kane is a relative newcomer to the world of animation, but he has already achieved international recognition for his work.”

A display in the Te Waonui o Tāne waka room will celebrate the achievements of the late Derek Kōtuku Totorewa Wooster who created the first ArtBeat event in 2020-21.

Dowman-Ngāpō said the event had received community support from pre-schools, schools and Beattie Home.

Students from Ōtorohanga College would be taking part and activities for families and the younger set would involve a scavenger hunt with prizes.

Many of the Main Street shops are on board to showcase mini exhibitions from these schools and facilities and Mitre 10’s Toby the Train would carry members of the public from there to the museum during the festival.

“The word has gone out far and wide and we’re hoping for good support from right across the Waikato.

“I know there are exciting things being created across our area and we can’t wait to share them and engage with the community at large.”

Plenty on ArtBeat bill

Staff Reporter

The Museum of Caves at Waitomo is set to screen a series of short adventure films.

The two-day session starting tomorrow is intended to support the community museum’s educational offerings.

The mini movies were selected as the best of many submitted to the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival, held each July in Wānaka.

“The ones which tour are chosen from the best of those submitted. The best entries are subsequently offered to community outdoors groups which hope to connect with enthusiasts in their local areas,” co-organiser Biddy Stubbs said.

Mountain climbing is the obvious subject, but anything fun, outdoors and slightly dangerous is fair game: caving, kayaking, canyoning, heli-skiing and more.

“It’s the annual fundraiser for the Museum of Caves, but it’s also a way to let people know about the museum and what it offers.

Waitomo puts on its shorts

Kane Wharepouri’s recent foray into the world of animation has generated interest from the industry in projects he and son Anaru,15, are developing.

The father and son, who live in Ōtorohanga, entered the field of animation in April and have an array of projects underway.

They are developing a video game called Seventh Star Odyssey, and creating videos to serve marginalised communities like the blind and the deaf and are keen to also make videos that appeal to autistic people.

In that last category the father and son have created a rowdy character called Hauputu. Kane describes him as “a real tearaway, a boisterous type and maybe a bit of a wrecker”.

They hope Hauputu’s adventures will appeal to autistic people, whose condition can make daily life hard to process.

Animation has been percolating at the back of Kane’s mind for many years.

“As a youngster I loved cartoons and back in the day found out all I could about how to make them,” he says.

“I saw that animation was an amazing creative vessel in which to carry your thoughts, ideas and dreams. But I was put off at that time by the levels of art and technical skill one had to have to enter the industry.

“I suspected my skills would not be good enough, so instead I got a career in music and video editing, which sort of operates in parallel with the animation industry.”

He later became a sound engineer working in the recording industry and on live concerts, worked in radio and sang in a band called Melodika, which performed in multiple languages.

What precipitated the return to his early dream of becoming an animator was the realisation that advances in technology, and especially AI, had made the field far easier to become established in.

“Anaru was very interested, so I thought here’s an opportunity to try out for the world of animation together.

“I had plenty of ideas, put together a demo reel and submitted it to a Wellington company called Floating Rock. They work with many studios and if they think your idea is great, they’ll give you money to develop it – which is what happened.”

He and Anaru travelled to Wellington and met people involved in animation.

“The real advantage New Zealand has is that it has the reputation for being one of the best places in the world for animation. But it’s still quite a small world and the people at the top are friendly and approachable.

“We have been mentored by leaders in the industry, some of whom are now retired. But they still have a passion to develop talent and new ideas.”

Animators on a roll

Ōtorohanga museum wants its district council to think about moving the historic Rewarewa school building from Barber Rd into town where it can be put to use as part of the museum’s creative hub.

“It’s not been used for over 20 years. If it doesn’t come down into town, I just think it will deteriorate,” museum director Liz Cowan said during the public forum of a council meeting. “The feasibility of going out of town 21km and maintaining it is not great.”

She said there was room for the school on the museum site, but the preferred location was between the Girl Guide’s hall and the museum.

“If you put that lovely building there you would have the frontage all lining up and you would have a really lovely complex,” she said.

She had no idea how much it would cost to move the historic building, which would be about a 40km trip, as the school would not fit under the Otewa bridge. It would have to travel back down Old Te Kūiti Rd and onto SH3 at Hangatiki.

“At the moment it is just sitting up there. It is owned by council so there’s an implicit responsibility to maintain it. It’s just dying. And if you can’t see your way to moving it here or you don’t have the money - we don’t have the money, and we will be hoping to be getting enough to keep people employed - then sell it to someone who will love it. It’s precious and it’s the only one left in the whole district.”

The school was built in 1917 and has a matai floor and possibly rimu walls.

“It looks to be in pretty sound condition. It needs a good paint, obviously a clean out… it’s obvious that people have been in there, but my husband put a lock there,” Cowan said.

Museum creative co-ordinator Rebecca Ngapo said the museum had recently undergone a pretty big makeover and they were working hard to re-mould it with useful spaces – including adding wheels to some of the larger bits of furniture.

Te Reo classes were run in the courtroom, there was also recent tai chi workshop and art workshop held at the museum. She had planned to hold a children’s workshops in the 3x3m police office.

But it was firstly a museum space, and some of the workshops are not appropriate to run during museum hours. A Māori weaving workshop for example needed stillness and quiet she said.

“It was run over eight weeks and having people through the museum it was obstructive to that whole beautiful process. And it was not fun I think for the staff either, trying to creep people through,” she said.

Other workshops made a bit of mess. A clay workshop created dust. Holding workshops in the museum space wasn’t great for the artifacts or displays.

Adding the Rewarewa school to the creative hub would provide a community space that could be used by the creative community. Ngapo said they were trying to breathe life into the museum and make it a space people wanted to use for a performance space, exhibitions and community events like Artbeat.

The cost of moving the school would be partially offset by preserving and salvaging a local historic building. It would be looked after under the Ōtorohanga Historic Society and by people motivated to use it within the community, Ngapo said.

The town had its sports clubs, the club, Menz Shed, tennis courts, but no spaces for creatives where they could network, run workshops, exhibit work.

Call to move 'precious' school house

Looking out a window to a plain, unsightly fence or wall can feel uninspiring.
Instead of letting the fence/wall dominate the view from inside your home with a bit of creativity you can transform that dull view into a vibrant extension of your indoor space, as a focal point looking out the window.
This can be done with something as simple as some outdoor art. A mural or weatherproof artwork on the fence or wall outside the window creates a visual centrepiece.
Or you could do something like outside the window paint the fence/wall then add vertical battens up the wall/fence and across to the top of the window.
Add a planter box at the bottom. This space is only 1500mm wide from the house to the wall but from looking out the window now you would never know that the space between the house and the fence/wall is a ugly unused space.
The options are endless, this is only one option. Others are running wires up the fence and growing climbing plants like jasmine, clematis, or even a colorful wisteria to soften the edges and bring life to the fence/wall.
Adding solar powered fairy lights or lanterns can introduce warmth and ambiance, making the view enjoyable day or night.
With a few thoughtful touches, that once-ugly fence becomes a beautiful canvas for creativity, inviting a sense of calm and beauty into your home.

Creating a view

A Te Kūiti grower was among the winners at the daffodil community’s most glittering event, the North Island National Daffodil Society Show, held in Hamilton last weekend.
Lisa Watkins took home four collection classes and two premiers among her results, assisted by husband Raymond, who helped with the lengthy preparation and is named on all the entries.
Their awards included the Mercer Challenge Cup (6 daffodils), Avery Challenge Trophy, Ron Hyde Trophy, a prize for six stems in Division 2, Amateur Premier Bloom (the winning boom was “Deltone”) and the Small Cup in the amateur division with a flower, “Showdown.”
One of the show’s biggest winners, in the competitive Champion Bloom category, came from further afield.
“Denise Macquarie from Christchurch won the champion flower this year, with a daffodil called Morrinsville which was bred by Dr Peter Ramsay from Hamilton,” Lisa said.
And she should know about that - Champion Bloom was the category Lisa took out last year, telling The News she had been working towards the title for 14 years before blossoming as a winner.
Her “wee intermediate flower Little Trinket” won reserve champion.
“It was very well done. Everyone looked and sounded great,” Lisa said.A Te Kūiti grower was among the winners at the daffodil community’s most glittering event, the North Island National Daffodil Society Show, held in Hamilton last weekend.

Lisa Watkins took home four collection classes and two premiers among her results, assisted by husband Raymond, who helped with the lengthy preparation and is named on all the entries.

Their awards included the Mercer Challenge Cup (6 daffodils), Avery Challenge Trophy, Ron Hyde Trophy, a prize for six stems in Division 2, Amateur Premier Bloom (the winning boom was “Deltone”) and the Small Cup in the amateur division with a flower, “Showdown.”

One of the show’s biggest winners, in the competitive Champion Bloom category, came from further afield.

“Denise Macquarie from Christchurch won the champion flower this year, with a daffodil called Morrinsville which was bred by Dr Peter Ramsay from Hamilton,” Lisa said.

And she should know about that - Champion Bloom was the category Lisa took out last year, telling The News she had been working towards the title for 14 years before blossoming as a winner.

Her “wee intermediate flower Little Trinket” won reserve champion.

“It was very well done. Everyone looked and sounded great,” Lisa said.

Dancing with daffodils

A variety of art and craftwork was on display at the Waitomo Society of Arts exhibition at the Les Munro Centre last week.
Society of Arts president Sibyl Iremonger said visitors to the four-day Te Kūiti exhibition got to see some of the multiple mediums and styles demonstrated by local artists.
“The talent evident in these exhibits is impressive to say the least,” she added.
“And it’s so important to encourage our creatives by giving them an opportunity to display their work.”
The exhibition, which also comprised arts and crafts from schools, gave the community a window into various projects artists in their midst were currently working on.
Iremonger highlighted watercolours by guest exhibitor Rebecca Dowman-Ngāpo, Ōtorohanga; mixed media by Waitomo artist Daniel Ormsby; fibre art by Carol Fagan; felting by Karen Petch and multi-block woodcuts hand painted by Heather McLean.
Pottery on display had a special back-story attached, having come from the property of potters and glass workers Ron and Jane Gannaway.
The couple spotted a vein of interesting blue-coloured clay while cleaning up following floods last year.
It had been made into pots by potters, who noted that it darkened considerably on the second firing. The result was a unique selection of pottery and clay work that made up part of last week’s exhibition.
Jane Gannaway said Te Kūiti people should not be too surprised to see pots made from locally sourced clay.
“After all, back in the day, our town had its own brickworks, which used locally sourced clay. So just for good measure, we hunted out one of those locally manufactured bricks and put it on display alongside our pottery collection.”

Plenty to see at exhibition

A medal given to the family of a soldier from Hangatiki who died in 1941 during WWII is about to go to auction. Thomas Green, son of Tawhi Te Puaha Kirini Green and Teremaanu te Amohanga nee Te Hauparoa was killed in action with New Zealand forces in North Africa aged 23. The Memorial Cross presented to his family is estimated to sell for $400, Mowbray Collectibles managing director David Galt said.

Up for auction

With blossoms and spring flowers bursting all around us it brings hope of things ahead, new growth, new life and new hope.
A couple of the trees that are taking center stage at the moment are:
Prunus ‘Awanui’ (above) - This beautiful tree reminds me of candy floss as it is covered in the prettiest pink blossoms.
Awanui is a large growing cherry growing to 5m in height and has a spread of 8m so if you are going to plant one make sure you have the space to let it grow to its full potential.
It thrives in well-drained soil and prefers a sunny position. It is relatively low maintenance as it can benefit from occasional pruning to maintain its shape & encourage healthy growth.
Additionally, to its beauty it supports ecosystems by providing a happy place for bees during its flowering season, where it comes alive with their buzzing.
Michelia yunnanensis (pictured right) – is a stunning smaller growing tree that is often grown as a beautiful hedge.
Let to grow in its true form without being trimmed it will grow to 3m in height and 2m wide making it perfect for a smaller garden.
It has glossy green leathery foliage, with velvety brown buds that open to beautiful scented little cream flowers in early spring although mine have been flowering a couple of times a year lately.
A few cut stems look great in a vase and bring that lovely scent inside. They grow happily in full sun or partial shade with moist but free draining soil and are evergreen.With blossoms and spring flowers bursting all around us it brings hope of things ahead, new growth, new life and new hope.

A couple of the trees that are taking center stage at the moment are:

Prunus ‘Awanui’ (above) - This beautiful tree reminds me of candy floss as it is covered in the prettiest pink blossoms.

Awanui is a large growing cherry growing to 5m in height and has a spread of 8m so if you are going to plant one make sure you have the space to let it grow to its full potential.

It thrives in well-drained soil and prefers a sunny position. It is relatively low maintenance as it can benefit from occasional pruning to maintain its shape & encourage healthy growth.

Additionally, to its beauty it supports ecosystems by providing a happy place for bees during its flowering season, where it comes alive with their buzzing.

Michelia yunnanensis (pictured right) – is a stunning smaller growing tree that is often grown as a beautiful hedge.

Let to grow in its true form without being trimmed it will grow to 3m in height and 2m wide making it perfect for a smaller garden.

It has glossy green leathery foliage, with velvety brown buds that open to beautiful scented little cream flowers in early spring although mine have been flowering a couple of times a year lately.

A few cut stems look great in a vase and bring that lovely scent inside. They grow happily in full sun or partial shade with moist but free draining soil and are evergreen.

Spotlight on trees

Former Kāwhia museum director John Thomson has quit his day job - at 76 - to focus on his passion for music and his band’s first album is about to be released.

Playing for some years as JT and the Agnostics, bass player John and fellow Gold Card holder guitarist Maciek Hrybowicz are about to release a 12-inch vinyl record with a collection of musicians he feels “lucky and privileged to play with”.

They include Bill Forest on saxophone, drummer Mickey Ututaonga, and 2022 musician of the year Ben Gilgen on keyboards. Neil Reynolds plays drums on one track, Grant Mason plays trumpet, Massey Ormsby, Jimmy Merch and Katt Bayne feature on various tracks.

The album emerged from the first lockdown in 2022. Hrybowicz and Thomson met some years earlier through some Hamilton musicians and they just clicked, Thomson said.

Thomson was sitting in the garden, phone in hand, knowing Hrybowicz had a home studio.

“Maybe we could do something while we are locked down. That’s kind of how it started really,” Thomson said.

“So we started writing together over the internet. We did a few tunes, and then we decided to do a full album – and we just started again.”

The other players arrived serendipitously through word of mouth after Hrybowicz was seen playing at a gig and talked about what he was up to with other musos.

Why vinyl?

“A, the pallet, and what happens is if you buy the vinyl there will be a sticker on the outside of it which will take you to bandcamp.com, which will allow you to download it. Not stream it, download it - if you haven’t got a turntable or even if you do have a turntable.

“I was a bit dubious about it till I found out that 75 per cent of the people in America that buy vinyl don’t have a turntable.”

“Titled ‘Yes, more blues’ Thomson calls the music jazzy blues with a kiwi touch.

“Part of it is there’s always been quite a strong jazz tradition in New Zealand. That’s part of it. We don’t always stay to a 12-bar format, I think there’s about one 12 bar blues on the album. Blues and jazz mixed up together, really.”

It will get their feet tapping and he hopes to “engage their brains a bit”.

“The songs are quite wordy too. I don’t just write ‘got out of bed this morning darling, feeling so blue...’ or anything like that. I’m trying to extend the format a bit.”

They use diminished chords, he said, and people get to solo on the album.

“We are able to reproduce what we play on the record, - live because it’s all actual humans playing. We produced it ourselves, paid for it ourselves.

“The vinyl is mastered differently from the digital copy that you can download. And there’s only four tracks on either side so the grooves are quite deep, which means you get a better dynamic range. That’s only going to appeal to the audiophiles market, but it is in there.”

The release gig will be at Hamilton’s Nivara Lounge on October 5Former Kāwhia museum director John Thomson has quit his day job - at 76 - to focus on his passion for music and his band’s first album is about to be released.

Playing for some years as JT and the Agnostics, bass player John and fellow Gold Card holder guitarist Maciek Hrybowicz are about to release a 12-inch vinyl record with a collection of musicians he feels “lucky and privileged to play with”.

They include Bill Forest on saxophone, drummer Mickey Ututaonga, and 2022 musician of the year Ben Gilgen on keyboards. Neil Reynolds plays drums on one track, Grant Mason plays trumpet, Massey Ormsby, Jimmy Merch and Katt Bayne feature on various tracks.

The album emerged from the first lockdown in 2022. Hrybowicz and Thomson met some years earlier through some Hamilton musicians and they just clicked, Thomson said.

Thomson was sitting in the garden, phone in hand, knowing Hrybowicz had a home studio.

“Maybe we could do something while we are locked down. That’s kind of how it started really,” Thomson said.

“So we started writing together over the internet. We did a few tunes, and then we decided to do a full album – and we just started again.”

The other players arrived serendipitously through word of mouth after Hrybowicz was seen playing at a gig and talked about what he was up to with other musos.

Why vinyl?

“A, the pallet, and what happens is if you buy the vinyl there will be a sticker on the outside of it which will take you to bandcamp.com, which will allow you to download it. Not stream it, download it - if you haven’t got a turntable or even if you do have a turntable.

“I was a bit dubious about it till I found out that 75 per cent of the people in America that buy vinyl don’t have a turntable.”

“Titled ‘Yes, more blues’ Thomson calls the music jazzy blues with a kiwi touch.

“Part of it is there’s always been quite a strong jazz tradition in New Zealand. That’s part of it. We don’t always stay to a 12-bar format, I think there’s about one 12 bar blues on the album. Blues and jazz mixed up together, really.”

It will get their feet tapping and he hopes to “engage their brains a bit”.

“The songs are quite wordy too. I don’t just write ‘got out of bed this morning darling, feeling so blue...’ or anything like that. I’m trying to extend the format a bit.”

They use diminished chords, he said, and people get to solo on the album.

“We are able to reproduce what we play on the record, - live because it’s all actual humans playing. We produced it ourselves, paid for it ourselves.

“The vinyl is mastered differently from the digital copy that you can download. And there’s only four tracks on either side so the grooves are quite deep, which means you get a better dynamic range. That’s only going to appeal to the audiophiles market, but it is in there.”

The release gig will be at Hamilton’s Nivara Lounge on October 5.

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