Tom Roa

There is an exhibition of photographs on display at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts at Waikato University which opened on June 30 and will close November 7.

Titled ‘Ki te kapu o taku ringa’ the exhibition by my colleague Dr. Rodrigo Hill and I merges mātauranga Māori and photography to reframe place representation. Through a kaupapa-driven lens, large-scale images and video works illuminate historical sites, honouring their place, mana and cultural significance.

The photographs explore place representation through a kaupapa Māori driven photographic approach.

The project was centred on wānanga which we proposed are essential places for discussion, knowledge sharing, and cultural reflection led by mana whenua, local people.

The wānanga and subsequent images were guided by the Maioha mō Waikato, a song-poem composed by the second Māori King Tawhiao following his and his Waikato people’s expulsion from their Waikato homelands following the invasion of Crown forces in the 1860’s.

While living with their Maniapoto relations in the space later to be known as the King Country, Tāwhiao composed this song lamenting his, and his people’s, severance from the Waikato River valley and its (their) history and landmarks.

When someone takes a photo of something all rights to that image are legally the property of the photographer.

Our assertion in this exhibition is that such a position ignores the ‘mana’ of the place that has been used to produce the image, and any rights the people of that space have with that image.

This is at the heart of the recent controversy in Hobson’s Pledge’s using an image with which legally they touched all the right bases and sought all the legal permissions.

But their use of that image to promote something that the person portrayed in that image is against completely has left that person and their family very upset. The posters have since been taken down, but the hurt will linger as long as the issue of Māori wards remains at large.

The exhibition at the University challenges Eurocentric conventions, reframing landscape depictions in particular as visual thoughts rather than mere objective images.

Through deep engagement with historical sites and mana whenua across Te Nehenehenui – the King Country – the project amplifies indigenous perspectives, expanding ways of seeing and understanding places, spaces, and the people who belong to them through a decolonised and indigenous informed lens.

Owning the image

Josh Moore

Josh Moore, who runs digital marketing agency Duoplus, discusses the importance of good photos for an election – and selects what he considers the best among mayoral, Ōtorohanga and Waitomo candidates.

Marketing is about managing perceptions, and perceptions are often governed by the first impression.

A candidate’s profile photo is the key thing that creates the first impression for voters.

Unfortunately, it seems many of the candidates who are standing have missed their key opportunity to give a strong first impression and present themselves as someone who is credible and trustworthy – ready to step into an important local governance role.

It’s obvious to see who has put in the effort to get a professional headshot, versus the DIY photos … or worse yet, a non-smiling passport photo. Indoor DIY photos often have poor lighting. Outdoor DIY photos often mean bright sunspots and strong shadows on the face, or distracting backgrounds.

A professional headshot has the right lighting, is perfectly focused, and normally has a plain background (I find a white or light background is best for candidate photos).

The candidate should dress smartly (including hair/makeup), smile and have confident body posture. Having shoulders turned slightly but head facing straight works best. The aim: Instantly convey a sense of credibility.

In my opinion, the best mayoral candidate photo is Cathy Prendergast. The best councillor candidate photos are Garry Reymer, Tayla Barclay and Eady Manawaiti

Trust starts with image

Supplied

Christine Cornege, an award winning Cambridge photographer who takes equestrian, portrait, family and business photos selects her “best of page” photos from last week’s selection of local body elections candidates in to The News.

We’re often told not to judge a book by its cover, but in local elections, a candidate’s headshot is often the first chapter voters read.

A political headshot is a handshake in visual form. It should communicate confidence, approachability, and professionalism, often within seconds. As a photographer, I was invited to critique the headshots featured across local election coverage in Te Awamutu News, King Country News, and Cambridge News, and there’s a clear range of quality on display.

Some candidates have clearly taken the time to invest in a professional or well-planned photo session. These images feature crisp focus, flattering lighting, and clean backgrounds, which immediately communicate preparedness. Notable examples include Jo Davies-Colley, Hope Spooner and Charlotte Fitzpatrick whose images showcase confident but approachable expressions with polished composition.

A number of candidates submitted images that feel warm and relatable but lack technical polish. These portraits may have been taken in passing or with minimal preparation. While authenticity is there, a quick reshoot with softer lighting, a neutral background, and tighter framing could significantly improve their presentation.

Several candidates either used low-quality images or didn’t provide one at all. Harsh shadows, busy backgrounds, or placeholder silhouettes give the impression of a missed opportunity. When visual recognition is key, especially in local elections, a poor or absent photo sends the wrong signal.

What Makes a Good Political Headshot? Lighting: Soft, even, and flattering, no harsh shadows or blown-out highlights. Background: Simple and non-distracting. A blurred outdoor or neutral studio backdrop works well. Expression: Approachable but confident. Eyes should engage directly with the camera. Framing: Crop from just above the head to mid-chest. Avoid awkward cut-offs. Sharpness and Quality: High resolution and crisp focus. Avoid selfies or low-quality phone snaps. Clothing and Grooming: Solid colours or subtle patterns. Tidy, neat, and timeless in appearance.

Best of page in last week’s King Country News in my view was the shot of Liz Stolwyk -it was a confident, well-lit portrait with a clean background and engaging expression.

In local elections, your headshot may be your single most powerful visual tool. Good images communicate professionalism, preparedness, and respect for voters.

Quick tips for future candidates - use soft natural light, choose a plain background, frame from above the head to mid-chest, wear solid colours, and look directly into the lens. Even a modest investment in a quality headshot can deliver big returns in voter connection.

Visual credibility a must

Staff Reporter

Peter Nicholl

Trump’s latest round of tariffs took effect on August 7. They are not just the most widespread tariffs of his second administration, they take the average US tariff to the highest level since the 1930s. High US tariffs in the 1930s didn’t lead to a booming US economy – quite the opposite. They are unlikely to lead to a booming US econony this time either.

Tariffs have been imposed on more than 90 countries.

They range from 10 per cent for the UK to a whopping 50 per cent on India. New Zealand’s exports to the US have been hit with a 15 per cent tariff.

The average US tariff in August, 2025 is 18.6 per cent, compared to less than three per cent at the end of last year.

Our exports to the US in the last year totalled $15 billion, around 21 per cent of our total exports.

The US has just passed Australia to become our second biggest export market after China. It probably won’t keep that second place for long because of the tariffs. The main items New Zealand exports to US are meat (beef and sheep), wine, milk constituents and casein - all agricultural products.

Most of them are likely to be price-sensitive. However, most of our export competitors to the US face similar tariffs so the impact on volumes may not be too severe.

The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the increased tariff revenue could reduce the US Government’s borrowing requirement over the next 10 years by US$2.5 trillion. That sounds impressive.

But there are some very large offests that swamp this figure.

First, the additional tariff revenue will be more than offset by the impact of the Trump Adminstration’s income tax cuts over the next decade.

Second, the large tariffs will almost certainly shrink the US economy relative to how it would perfrom without them and this will also reduce other tax revenue.

Third, because of the uncertainty about the price effects of the large US tariffs, the US Federal Reserve has held their official interest rate at the same level as in November 2024 at their last five meetings. In that period, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has reduced its OCR by one per cent

If the Fed had done the same thing, the interest payments on the huge amount of US Government debt of US$37 trillion would fall by around US$4 billion over a decade - and that is substantially more than the forecast tariff revenue.

So the imposition of all these tariffs looks unlikely to make America ‘great’ again.

But it is certainly succeeding in making America ‘grate’ again.

It is difficult for business-people to know how best to respond as they don’t know if the current level of US tariffs will last for long given the mercurial, indeed almost random, nature of Trump’s decision-making.

For example, India currently faces a higher tariff because it imports oil from Russia. Brazil faces a higher tariff because they are threatening to put one of Trump’s mates in jail.

The Swiss are facing a higher tariff because they are ‘stealing’ from the US. It is a very odd form of ‘stealing’. The Swiss are actually sending their goods to the US for Americans to consume and taking US dollars

in return.

We will have to hope that New Zealand doesn’t do or say anything to get Trump’s attention.

Trump's tariffs

Janine Krippner

At around 10:20p.m., the music began, and a booming Spanish voice echoed through the streets of Garachico, welcoming everyone to the show. The moment I had been waiting for had arrived - a dramatic simulation of the 1706 eruption that devastated this town, as well as other communities upslope, and reshaped the economic landscape of Tenerife.

Earlier this year, I had been sitting in my University of Waikato office in Hamilton, sifting through historical records to piece together the eruption’s timeline. In the process, I stumbled across an odd photograph: what appeared to be broken chunks of lava tumbling down a steep hill toward the sea.

The image turned out to be from the grand finale of the Holy Christ of Mercy festival, when every five years Garachico commemorates the eruption alongside vibrant religious celebrations. With 2020 having halted most events, it had been a full decade since the last one. I knew immediately that I wanted to see it for myself - and then returned to my research.

I first visited Garachico last year, struck by the sheer scale of the old lava cliffs towering above the town. Two narrow scree slopes, made of broken volcanic rock similar to what you might see on the flanks of Ngāuruhoe, mark the paths where lava once descended. The flows, originating high on the volcano’s flank, crumbled as they plummeted down the precipice before reaching the sea.

Eyewitness accounts from the time capture the chaos. One, translated from Spanish, reads: “Around nine in the evening, another flow, which reached to the cliffs of the coast, fell on the city from seven different places. This terrible overflow of lava made the sea withdraw from the shore and filled the port.”

—Vebb and Berthelot in Romero Ruiz (1990)

Now, on the evening of August 3, I stood among the crowd, awestruck and grateful for my timing. Fireballs tumbled down the slope, accompanied by bursts of fireworks, pounding music, and vivid projections of erupting volcanoes cast against a nearby cliff. The spectacle was both theatrical and unsettling, a reminder of the destructive power this place had endured.

The mock lava, made of burlap sacks stuffed with rocks, soaked in gasoline, and set alight, measured 20 to 30 centimeters across. As they rolled downhill in increasing numbers, they mimicked with surprising realism the sight of glowing lava fragments breaking apart during descent.

It was easy to get caught up in the drama, but the underlying message was serious. Another eruption on Tenerife is inevitable. We cannot predict the timing, location, eruption style, or scale, but we know it will happen.

Soon, an eruption simulation designed for emergency responders will take place on the island. This exercise will be a crucial opportunity for those tasked with protecting communities to understand their roles, test coordination, and identify potential weaknesses in planning before they are tested by the real thing.

For now, I am so very grateful to be working with GeoTenerife on these incredible islands and having just seen a spectacular sight with my own eyes.

When history burns bright

Chris Aspin - On the Beat

Arrests for assaults and fraud

The team has had another productive and busy week across the Ōtorohanga and Te Kuiti areas, with several arrests made and strong progress in a number of ongoing investigations.

One significant development was the arrest and charging of a 23-year-old male in connection with a serious assault that took place along the stock bank walkway in Ōtorohanga. This was a disturbing incident, and we’re grateful to the public for their assistance. After a request was issued via the Police media team, members of the community came forward with valuable information, which helped us confirm the identity of the alleged offender. Local officers acted swiftly to locate and charge the individual. Assaults of this nature are completely unacceptable. Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe.

In a separate case, a 34-year-old male in Te Kuiti was arrested and charged following an assault. This incident transpired after an intoxicated male began to hassle and harass high school students sitting in a vehicle. The students sought refuge at a nearby address – and the male turned his attention to an elderly occupant and assaulted them without provocation or reason. Several police units responded from Te Kuiti and Ōtorohanga. The male was in breach of his bail and was wanted in relation to some other matters and has been remanded in custody.

A male has been charged in relation to an obtaining by deception matter. This follows reports of individuals attempting to fraudulently charge items - such as farming equipment - to company accounts without permission. Police have noticed a rise in these types of offences in our district. We strongly urge all store staff to remain alert and carry out appropriate identity checks with account holders before processing any transactions. If you notice anything suspicious or believe an offence has occurred, please contact police.

We’re also reminding all drivers to take extra care on the roads. We’ve seen an increase in vehicle crashes lately, many of which appear to be linked to changing weather conditions. Please ensure you adjust your driving to suit the conditions – slow down in wet weather, keep safe following distances, and always remain alert.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and vigilance. Working together, we can keep Ōtorohanga and Te Kuiti safe.

Be safe and stay well.

On the beat

Meghan Hawkes

Woeful roads and a “growing evil’ were among the talking points in the King Country in 1906. Meghan Hawkes looks back.

It was an unfortunate fact that while the King Country was excellent for grass growing, the roading problem was exceedingly serious.

Unless something was done to overcome it there was a fear that some settlements would be abandoned. On main roads the mail contractors had to packhorse everything and the price of provisions, even when settlers could obtain supplies, was costly. Many settlers had already given up holdings, becoming disheartened at the high price of provisions, and the continued wallowing in mud to horse-girth when they got on to so-called main roads.

Getting married in the King Country was inconvenient and expensive as those wishing to wed had to reside three days in Te Awamutu or Waitara before a license could be issued under the present Marriage and Registration Acts.

A rearrangement of districts with registrars solved this with the new districts defined as Awakino, Te Kuiti, Mangapeehi, Mokau and Ohura. In some instances persons previously had to travel 50 miles to comply with the conditions of registration required by law.

Te Kuiti’s popular postmistress was gladly welcomed back after returning from holiday and taking up her numerous duties with renewed vigour.

The town was going ahead and had quite a busy appearance. The butter factory, lime kiln and metal crusher were causing increased traffic. Several houses were being built and farmers were bringing their wives and families to the area.

A new school meant the children enjoyed the same educational advantages as at other, older settled places. There were now two good boarding houses and the nucleus of a good library.

The growing curse of noxious weeds came up for discussion at a meeting of the Waitomo Council.

The eradication of blackberry, sweet briar, and Californian thistle was already compulsory and the council now added ragwort and gorse to the list. The Raglan County Council had written asking the Waitomo Council to join in a request to the Minister of Agriculture that necessary

Mail and mud

Richard Steele

Donald Trump has announced a 15 per cent levy or tariff on everything we export into the United States.

I’m not astute enough in macro-economics to be able to predict how negative the effects will be on little old New Zealand, but I’m savvy enough to know, that the effects can’t be all good.

He must have been badly bullied at school. Then he inherited a vast real estate empire from his father that would have grown bigger if he had never been involved in it, I’m told.

How else can you explain his megalomania and his desire to interfere with world trade, and world politics, to such a negative extent?

Has he stopped the Russian attack against the Ukraine?. Has he stopped the Israelis beating up the Palestinian people? Not as I’m writing this.

He has sucked half the voters into electing him to a second term in office, though I’m sure that says more about the Republicans than anything I could write.

He seems to have world leaders all around the shop dancing to his beck and call, to curry favour with his regime, even though most free thinkers see him as a despot, out of control.

I’m wondering if it’s a good time for our leaders to show some intestinal fortitude, to suffer the levy, but also to tell him to just get stuffed. Like the leadership that promoted and stuck to our world leading nuclear free policy. That has never done us any harm, in fact it seems to me our continued nuclear free policy makes us stronger, alone in the world, standing up to bullies, who haven’t exactly put the world in a very stable place at this precise point in time.

So I don’t get the Republicans voting so strongly for his second term, which has taken the once great nation to a state of international ridicule at a time when sound internal financial decisions could have had the world’s most powerful nation leading from the front.

And where on earth is the opposition to this craziness within the United States?

At least in our wonderful version of democracy, love it or hate it, when one of our leaders suggests something outrageous , our system is robust enough to put that idea in its place.

So it’s a great time for all New Zealanders to hang together and work at creating better marketing opportunities worldwide, so that while we will always be a small trading nation, we will never be reliant on any one countries political whims.

Look around the world right now, I challenge you, the intelligent reader, and see what you think of the world leaders, who are bowing and offering subservience to a person who has no right to be in control.

The word is trumped

Last week was an eventful one for the Pacific region, marked by significant geological and oceanic activity. The sequence of events began with a powerful earthquake, followed by a tsunami, then a Russian volcano made an appearance.

At 11:25 am on July 30 (New Zealand time), a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia, within the active Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone. This is a significant seismic event, clocking in as the largest since the 2011 Mw 9.1 Tohoku earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami. It can be chaos trying to find good information during large and complex events like this one, so here are a few sources that can be helpful to save for next time.

For events that could impact us in Aotearoa, our own local agencies should always be where we turn for information and advice. That said, there are also some helpful international agencies that provide trustworthy information and context.

For information on earthquakes, earthquake.usgs.gov is an excellent resource. During significant events like this one, they do a great job of summarizing what happened. They also give aftershock forecasts, which estimate the likelihood of additional quakes within the following week, across a range of magnitudes.

For tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, the international Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) will post tsunami Advisories. However, it is critical that we follow our own local Civil Defence advice for tsunamis. The strong currents associated with tsunamis alone can be dangerous or deadly and should never be underestimated.

This event is a good reminder that a tsunami is not a normal wave like we see at our beaches, and it is also not a tidal wave. A tsunami is a set of powerful surges that can carry vast amounts of water and debris inland, then back out to sea. This series of waves often occurs over hours, and the largest wave might take a while to reach your location. This is why it is essential to follow advice until an advisory is formally lifted.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, headlines quickly circulated claiming it had triggered a volcanic eruption. Klyuchevskoy, the volcano in question, is actually one of the more frequently active volcanoes in Kamchatka. I’ve been fortunate enough to see in person, and its activity is not unusual. The current eruption episode started in April, so no, the earthquake did not trigger a new eruption. There are a lot of active volcanoes in Kamchatka, so having several ongoing eruptions at any given time is normal.

A great place to fact-check volcanic activity like this is the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, where eruption dates and descriptions are available in one handy place. Claims of a large earthquake triggering an eruption are common during these events, and it is almost always a volcano that has been erupting for quite a while.

Thankfully, this was not a repeat of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami or the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, both of which caused catastrophic devastation and tragic loss of life. Still, it serves as a powerful reminder that we live on a geologically active planet, and that events unfolding far from our own shores can still have a direct impact on us.

The Kamchatka earthquake

It’s been another busy week for King Country police, with several positive outcomes across both Te Kuiti and Ōtorohanga.

A male driver was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol after being stopped in Te Kuiti at 7am for driving without taillights in low visibility. He blew 1059— more than four times the adult legal limit of 250.

Another significant catch was made after a woman was reported by members of the public for concerning driving behaviour between Ōtorohanga and Te Kuiti. She was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and found to have used a friend to bypass her vehicles alcohol interlock device. Her vehicle has since been impounded.

A male with a zero-alcohol licence restriction was stopped after failing to stop at a stop sign in Te Kuiti. He was found to have a breath alcohol reading of 469. His licence has been suspended, vehicle impounded, and he has been charged with excess breath alcohol.

A male was arrested following four shoplifting incidents at New World Te Kuiti over two days. He now faces charges including shoplifting, trespass, burglary, and breach of release conditions. Bail was opposed by police and the male has been remanded in custody.

Police charged a male in relation to the daytime theft of a bicycle in Te Kuiti. The bike has since been returned to the victim.

A male who had been actively avoiding Police was located at an address in Te Kuiti and taken into custody for failing to appear in court.

He’s also facing charges connected to a commercial burglary in Ōtorohanga where a campervan valued at $40,000 was stolen. Bail was opposed, and the male has been remanded in custody.

Police responded to two unrelated incidents in Ōtorohanga. Both matters resulted with males being arrested for breaching bail and mental health referrals being made.

Members of the public called to report a male smashing the Ōtorohanga library windows. A quick response from King Country police resulted in the male being apprehended. He is facing charges of wilful damage and has also been remanded in custody.

We appreciate the continued support of the public. If you see something suspicious or notice anti-social road behaviour, don’t hesitate to report it. Your information can make a real difference and held hold people accountable for their actions.

Drink drivers apprehended

I notice with not a little interest a rising call for there to be a rate increase cap to be imposed on regional and district government.

My first reaction is to think “about time”, and my hasty following second reaction, is for there to be a way of slowing rate increases in the next few months and years, as this good idea gains traction. That would ensure councils are not able to crank rates up too far in the meantime.

I would actually go a step further, and make them have a sinking lid rates policy, where every year our rates bills went down a tad. Not by reducing services either, judging from where I sit on a very remote rural road, the services have been reduced a fair bit already. Don’t worry, I’m not concerned about us and ours, we very happily choose to live where we do.

It’s just that when you add the rating base to the central government’s contribution through fuel taxes, we are getting less for our road network, and on the other hand there is a decent push, for the country to make more from our primary producers, and from tourism. Rough as guts roads don’t help these roads improve these lofty ambitions.

And spreading out a million more bloody road cones , doesn’t get one more pot hole filled in.

I know, I know, that there is a bit of a boom going on with dairy and with red meat prices, and that’s wonderful for rural communities, small towns, and then the whole country,.

But the current good prices will soon come to nothing if our costs are not kept under control, and I see no evidence of any much control of costs from where I sit

There is lots to do. I’m positive enough to think that most people who wish to govern us enter the political world with the best intentions in the world. It’s just that they don’t always succeed and that’s partly the fault of us - the ratepayers who don’t encourage the best people in our communities to stand, or vote people in because they are jolly nice , rather than very good at business.

There is also a call to amalgamate councils again, as we did in the late eighties, I do not see that as being the answer, as I have this deep seated conviction that big does not always equate to better.

It may be the right thing to do sometimes, though I’ve yet to see it. I’m only 77 though, so I may be surprised if I live long enough. Fat chance, I reckon.

In summary then, we need to at least put a cap on rate increases, have a sinking lid policy on future council spending, and only vote for those with proven business acumen.

Controlling the cost

Geology tends to move very slowly, until it doesn’t.

Below our feet are enormous tectonic plates moving at around the speed fingernails grow. Depending on location, there may also be molten magma, faults that will one day produce earthquakes, and for those of us who live on slopes, soil and rock that may one day move downhill. As geologists, it is our collective job to understand these processes and how they might impact us.

Not long ago, we experienced Cyclone Gabrielle, which led to around 140,000 landslides. Landslides also happen to cause the most fatalities out of any geologic hazard in Aotearoa. As with other hazards, understanding when and where they may happen is crucial in preparing ourselves so that we can move people out of the way, prevent injury or death, and recover faster. We have increasingly powerful computing technology to help us to.

After working with researcher Sergio Alfaya over the past month with the GeoTenerife programme, we will be heading into the field to hunt down what we call mass-wasting events. This is a term that basically encompasses soil and rock moving downhill, whether it be a landslide or a rockfall, or any other process where terrain becomes unstable and shifts downslope.

His research has been using Machine Learning to work out which areas of the Canary Islands are most likely to experience these events. Important factors for when and where these processes may occur are the slope – how steep the land is - elevation, geology - the rocks - vegetation and rainfall.

In Machine Learning we create a type of AI to work through large amounts of information, in this case, where past landslides match patterns in those five factors. This is called model training, and in this case, he used a database of well over 1000 landslide events across the Canary Islands. After months of work, he managed to get this to around 90 per cent accurate, a great result especially given the complex terrain.

A surprising find was that elevation is an important factor here, when the assumption was that vegetation and rainfall would be. Through research like this, we understand more of the metaphorical puzzle that is the land we live on.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be going into the field to check out where more recent events have happened, mostly rockfalls in this case, to gather information that we can’t see on a computer screen. Combining computing power with human experience makes this research all the more powerful and will hopefully contribute to helping emergency management planning on the islands.

This is a great example of how new technology can help us work through so much more information to gain more insight into our planet, and guide smarter decisions on how we prepare, build, and respond to our changing landscapes.

As with any hazard, being prepared by understanding the hazards around our homes and having an emergency plan can make a huge difference when it matters most. The National Emergency Management Agency Civil Defence is a good source of more information.

Learning about slides

Today we launch a new weekly column called On the Beat where police update readers on what’s happening in the community and provide advice and information.

Hi there, I’m Constable Chris Aspin, and I’m proud to have recently stepped into the Community Constable role for Te Kūiti.

I bring with me over 10 years of frontline policing experience with three years in Counties Manukau and the past seven plus years in the Ōtorohanga and Te Kuiti area, I’m excited to be a part of the prevention team.

Policing in rural areas presents unique challenges and opportunities. One of the greatest strengths of rural policing is the close-knit nature of the community. We may have a lower crime rate than the cities, however when crime does occur, the impact can be deeply felt. My role is to work alongside you, local agencies, and local police — to listen, provide support, and help prevent / stamp out crime before it happens.

Over the past month, we’ve seen an increase in reports of rural theft, including fuel being siphoned from farm tanks and equipment stolen from sheds. There have also been several vehicle thefts in the residential areas.

Prevention starts with awareness. A few simple actions can go a long way - lock up homes, vehicles, and sheds, install motion sensor lights or cameras, get to know your neighbours and look out for each other and photograph and record the serial numbers of tools and equipment.

I encourage everyone to report crime — no matter how small it seems. If you see something unusual, let us know. Call 111 in an emergency, or 105 for non-urgent matters. You can also report online or anonymously through Crime Stoppers (0800 555 111).

Some good results:

Charges have been laid in relation to some rural burglaries in the Benneydale area.

A male was arrested and charged in relation to a disorderly incident that took place in the main street of Ōtorohanga after he was seen acting aggressively and driving in a dangerous manner.

Several arrests have been made in relation to people breaching their bail.

My aim is to be visible and accessible — so if you see me around, don’t hesitate to have a chat. Be safe and stay well.

This week I have been driving across the island of Tenerife through a heatwave, for a project on volcanic resilience in the town of Garachico. The idyllic seaside town was devastated by an eruption in 1706. Lava flows changed the economy of the island by partly filling in the important port.

The Trevejo cone is now located far up the flanks above us, above sheer cliffs of exposed lava flows that construct most of Tenerife.

The narrow roads are harrowing, with stunning views across the Atlantic Ocean, with a glance down the plunging cliffside making one grateful for the short concrete barriers.

The other aspect that stands out is the gorgeous colourful stone buildings with wooden balconies between beautiful old churches and town halls. They are built across steep volcanic flanks and old lava deltas - where lava flows have created new land out into the sea.

Looking up at the cliffs, then down at the communities, I voice out loud to my colleague Javi Diaz Cabrera (who was thankfully driving like a pro) that this would be a mess if a large earthquake struck the area. Javi is a local, from the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria, and this week he defended his Master’s project on earthquake damage scenarios on Granada in mainland Spain.

Mainland Spain is an area of moderate seismic risk, so damage to infrastructure is an important topic. In order to prepare, we have to understand what might happen. The first step is understanding what the earthquakes might look like, then how the ground (soil and rock) may behave with the shaking.

The buildings themselves are an important part of the equation. In Spain there is a variety of older large block homes, some made of dirt, all the way to newer reinforced concrete buildings and some steel structures. You would be hard-pressed to find a wooden home he has not studied.

His results show that during a moderate-intensity earthquake, many buildings will experience cracks through the walls, and the orange ceramic roof tiles may fall. As we learned in Christchurch, this is a danger to those in the streets.

The highest amount of damage is expected to occur in the beautiful downtown historical centres.

For a higher intensity scenario, the footings or piles that are built into the ground may crack and result in structural failures. In this case, most of the historical centres and more modern areas could experience severe damage, requiring a rebuild.

This then leads to the social questions of how we help people who are evacuated for an extended period.

We have seen how destructive earthquakes in Aotearoa are. The challenges in these older European countries can look quite different. It takes just one tile to end a life as someone runs out of a building.

While Tenerife may not have the higher intensity tectonic earthquakes of mainland Spain, through my own work I have read about how intense precursory seismicity prior to an eruption can be here. The path to preparedness is complex and long, with each step along the way hopefully leading to more resilient communities.

Preparing for a quake

Thomas Crossley was a first-class workman in the opinion of Mr Vickers, foreman for the Kawhia County Council.

Thomas, who worked with him on the road grader, was a 43-year-old widower from Yorkshire, England. He had been in Kawhia for 18 months having previously worked around the region as a labourer.

Vickers ran a workman’s camp in which the men were never allowed to bring in liquor but on this Saturday afternoon in March 1915 he and Thomas went to Oparau then onto Kawhia, Thomas lifting three planted bottles of whisky on the way.

It had been four weeks since Thomas had had a drink and by Saturday night he was fairly inebriated. Fred Eshelby, Kawhia contractor, tried to persuade him to go to a boarding house. Thomas refused, so Fred took him to his stable and storeroom about 10pm. The storeroom contained several tons of chaff and oats, and nine complete sets of dray harness. He confiscated from Thomas a bottle of Schnapps, part of a bottle of whisky, and a box of matches. He left the sliding door about 6 inches open. Shortly afterwards David Martin, one of Fred’s employees, visited the building and observed Thomas fast asleep.

Around 3am Mr Galvan, who lived near the stables, was woken by the crash of falling iron and the glare of fire. Eshelby’s stables and storeroom were ablaze. He woke Mr Lawler and Mr Berg and they endeavoured to save the drays. The alarm quickly spread among surrounding dwellings, but the flames had too strong a hold and all that could be done was salvage movable property.

A bucket brigade was formed to stop the spread of fire to adjacent houses. As the blazing building was gradually engulfed, the dreadful discovery was made of Thomas’ body. No one in the crowd was aware that anyone was sleeping there. Nothing could have been done to save him however, as the fire originated where he was sleeping and had already been burning for some time when discovered.

At the inquest Constable Smith said he had seen Thomas arrive in Kawhia from the direction of Oparau at about 8.45pm accompanied by Mr Vickers.  Thomas was in a muddled condition through drink. The constable had seen him intoxicated several times before. Fred Eshelby testified that he had left no lamp or light burning in his building. A verdict was given that Thomas had met his death through asphyxiation at the stables, no blame being attached to anyone.

Newspapers reported Thomas’s end as a ‘Sequel to a Burst’ - a ‘burst’ being a drinking binge. New Zealand’s lax liquor laws were blamed for deaths such as his. One observer commented “Seeing around us all the murders, all the hangings, all the heartbreaks, all the desolation, all the crimes, all the outrages, all the misery, all the poverty, directly traceable to liquor in New Zealand, surely it is the duty of every man and woman to do his and her utmost to check the progress of this liquor trade in our midst.”

Thomas, who had a reputation of being a top quality and reliable workman, was buried at Kawhia cemetery. He had no relatives in New Zealand but his funeral was attended by several of his mates.

Taken by liquor - Tales from the past

Mayor applauded

Through the pages of your excellent publication, I would like to publicly congratulate the Waitomo District Council and Mayor of Waitomo John Robertson upon reporting a 2.91 per cent rate increase this year.

This result places us in second place, behind Whanganui, for the lowest of rate increases in New Zealand in 2025 and should see us give deep consideration to ensuring the incumbent elected members seeking re-election receive our support. Large rate rises were signalled before the 2023 general election if voters decided to install a new government and these have come to pass throughout the country, attracting much negative publicity.

At the recent Local Government conference, the government trundled out a plethora of ministers, including the Prime Minister, who appeared to lump much blame on local councils for not doing enough to curb their expenses.

Mayor Robertson is a very experienced political operator and we as a community are lucky to benefit from his knowledge and acumen and he clearly has a team working collectively to see us all enjoy the benefits.

Rates are a bug bear for any community and at 2.91 per cent we Waitomo district residents can be proud of a group of councillors who have done a great job for us all.

Paul Senior-Partridge

Te Kuiti



Camp call

The closing of the camp ground in Te Kuiti is the end of a stupid decision in the first place.

The whole thing was a move to move a few homeless people out of the already existing camp ground closer to the town. Instead of wasting ratepayer money ($600,000 I think) on drainage and other buildings and ending up with an over-priced metal pit as a park for caravans, that money could have been invested in services to help those homeless people into the services they need for health and well-being .It was never going to be a good camp site because it is in a stupid location with a decent walk to the retail end of town .

Really it was just a knee jerk to move the homeless onto the streets and try to hide the sad reality that homelessness is a shameful reality of the current flawed neoliberal approach in New Zealand. Poverty is becoming the new normal now .

I note more money is to be wasted to move the buildings to another site and the non-camp ground will become a waste land out of sight out of mind .The total cost of this exercise will be getting close to $800,000 of rate payer money to fulfil an ideological neoliberal mantra.

Gordon Walker

Piopio

Letters

When it comes to volcanic eruptions, people love numbers, especially big ones.

The largest eruption in 20 years, the highest ash plume in our lifetime, the most terrifying pyroclastic flows - these make great headlines.

But behind these impressive figures lies a lot of careful work to measure, verify, and confirm what actually happened.

One measure of the size of an eruption is the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). As soon as an eruption begins, estimates start circulating, often stated as fact. This looks at the amount of material that was erupted, and ash plume heights, so this is not calculated until an eruption has ended.

To calculate volume, how much magma was erupted in total, as well as the breakdown into ash (pulverized rock), lava flows, or pyroclastic flows, can be a bit tricky and generally takes a mix of field work, computing power, expertise, and time.

It is important to understand the eruption volumes of past events so that we can understand what future scenarios might look like. To explain how we calculate the volume of lava produced during an eruption, I am sitting in Tenerife with Sergio Alfaya, who is working with me at GeoTenerife. Sergio has calculated lava volumes for past eruptions across the island of Tenerife, as well as the 2021 La Palma eruption.

One challenge with lava flows compared to other volcanic processes is that it entirely buries the landscape. The La Palma lava flow field (made up of many individual lava flows erupted over the three-month period) reaches around 75-100 metres thick in places. To put that into perspective, the typical height of a room is about 2.5 metres high.

We have to “reconstruct” what the landscape looks like before the lava covered it. For recent eruptions we can compare before-and-after satellite data, but for older eruptions we don’t have that luxury. For those we have to rely on historical maps and imagery to build a mathematical model of the pre-eruption terrain.

We use satellite imagery and drone data to capture the surface detail of the lava flows. With these datasets, we can compute how much lava now buries the landscape.

The La Palma eruption is the first in the Canary Islands to have high-quality data from both before and after the eruption. Researchers like Sergio can use this to refine their volume calculations and validate or test their methods.

The final result? The La Palma lava flow measures approximately 177 million cubic meters (m³). If we think of a dump truck typically carrying 10-14 m3 per load, it would take about 14 million truckloads to move that much lava. For another comparison, building Auckland’s Sky Tower required around 15,000 m³ of concrete. La Palma’s lava flow field is more than 11,000 times that volume.

Understanding the lava flow volumes from past eruptions allows us to run simulations of eruptions across different locations to see where they would go, and what the impacts to communities would be. Each step, from data collection to computer modelling, takes careful consideration and testing so that our science can be used to inform decisions and protect lives.

How much lava?

Water decision

Last week Gordon Walker raised pertinent questions about the decision by Waitomo District Council to join five others to form a Waikato regional water organisation.

As he surmises, the decision of these Councils to put water services and assets into a regional entity is a result of signals from Wellington. That said, this move makes sense. Scale is especially important to deliver efficiencies and better outcomes with capital intensive water infrastructure.

Mr. Walker is mistaken, however, in saying that Waitomo ratepayers will fork out “...up to $16 million to join this company”. There is no membership fee. The $16 million is an estimate of the set-up costs for the regional company so that it is up and running from July 1, 2026. All six shareholding Councils will be called upon to cover this funding, of which Waitomo’s share is 5 per cent. This money will be lent by the councils, to be repaid by the new entity once it is operational.

Like Mr. Walker, I am aware of the risks around this set up stage. Rest assured that I am actively engaged with the five other mayors monitoring matters as this transition takes place.

John Robertson

Mayor of Waitomo

Meghan Hawkes dials back the clock to 1930 to see what was making the news in the King Country.

Ten tons of ‘superfine’ butter, in 400 boxes, were manufactured, graded, and dispatched from the Otorohanga plant of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Association during one month. The manufactured butter was considerably heavier in volume than in any other month in the history of the factory.

The receiving station of the Waikato Valley Dairy Company was also received a greater volume of cream than ever before. It was regularly railed to its butter manufacturing plant at Frankton Junction. The Te Awamutu Dairy Company was also collecting an ever-increasing supply of cream from its King Country clients.

The Grand Hotel, one of the oldest buildings in Te Kūiti, was destroyed in an early morning fire. The building, which was being renovated, was a two-storeyed wooden one and burned fiercely, the heat being terrific. The hotel had about 60 rooms, and there were four shops in the block. The fire had a strong hold before it was discovered, and the hotel boarders escaped in their night attire, several being slightly singed. The fire brigade worked to prevent fire spreading to the block across the street, the windows in the shops of which were all cracked. Stock in the Carlton Tea Rooms was damaged and the whole of Miss Pine’s stationary stock was completely destroyed. The office furniture of the Aard service car business was salvaged and Hains’ butcher shop was saved but damaged by smoke and water.

A Canterbury boy who yearned for a back-blocks life wrote to the Waitomo County Council – “I came across a 1926 Auckland provincial handbook and noticed there some excellent opportunities for the settler in the King Country. I would be very much obliged if you would send me particulars to the taking up of land there. I am 18 years of age, have had four years high school education, and have been on a farm all my life. I am very keen on that style of life, especially away out in the back country”.

Councillor Wilson said, “he sounds willing; if he is a good boy I’ll give him a job so that he can have an opportunity of looking round”. It was decided that the council should forward a reply in terms of Councillor Wilson’s offer.

The Grand Hotel fire

A ton of care

Congratulations Te Kuiti Hospital on your 100 years care and dedication to our community and surrounding districts.

During my 50-plus years of living here, I have had the odd occasion as a patient. The care is amazing, from the great meals prepared by the kitchen staff to the support of the loyal nurses and doctors.

My association with the hospital was during the 20 years I was involved as a volunteer with St John ambulance. Apart from the usual covering of rugby/netball games and attending accidents, we did many inter-hospital transfers of patients, including newborns through to Waikato hospital. Most trips usually included a nurse from one of the wards. It was very comforting to have them on board with their experience if something went wrong. These same staff have also dedicated many years working at our hospital.

I recall many a trip with Sister (Margaret) Buttimore on board, midwives Joan Hall, Taku Stanbury-Poa and the wonderful Bessie Patterson. Over the years, these ladies would have delivered hundreds of local babies between them. I would have also had on board Shona Hollinshead (who was also a volunteer ambo for a few years as well), Margaret Dunn, Trish Brough, Linda Davy …. just to mention a few. Of course there was also Sister Meredith or Tichborne somewhere on duty. It was not only the nurses who looked after us, but the orderlies.

I must make a special mention of Les Addy who always kept the ambulance well stocked with clean linen, blankets, bandages and oxygen bottles. Even if he had finished his shift, when the ambulance arrived back, he would take the time to replenish the machine ready for the next trip or emergency. Always appreciated.

We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful local hospital and dedicated staff who keep it running so efficiently. Long may it continue.

Jan Crosland

Te Kuiti



Water done well

Waitomo Council appears to be the first cab off the rank into the new Waikato Water Ltd .As we rush head first into this new company to satisfy our masters in Wellington, there are a few concerns that have not been addressed. Where does the up to $16 million to join this company come from? We only have around 4500 rate payers in the district ,and as far as I know we don’t have spare millions sitting in the bank. We all know that companies can and are sold from time to time, so what is to stop Waikato water limited being sold in the future?

I think council have not informed us well around this up-front payment. We have been told about the dream of saving money due to amalgamation of staff from the councils involved but not the upfront spend. I also see that only three councils are getting in the start with others coming on board after the first three (including us) have done, and paid for the setup and other heavy lifting. It appears it will be three years before all six or seven councils are on board .

There is an election coming up soon so it might be a good idea for every person whether a rate payer or not to get on the roll and vote. All of you people who rent should pay attention as well as vote because indirectly you are a rate payer by paying the rent which includes rates and insurance costs .

Some on the current council were vocal against three waters but are quick to bow to the current central government and jump onto this current scam to privatize water .

Gordon Walker

Piopio

Waipa District Council has recently confirmed that this year’s rate increase will be a staggering 15.5 per cent.

Their ten-year plan also projects the rate increases for the next two years will be 10.7 per cent and 6.9 per cent and there was a rise of 14.8 per cent last year.

Over this four-year period, Waipā’s rates will therefore increase by a massive 56.9 per cent.

This year’s rise of 15.5 per cent is one of the highest in the country.

Hamilton City will also have a 15.5 per cent increase.

Tauranga City, which has had a lot of problems in recent years, will have a 9.9 per cent increase and Auckland City a relatively modest rise of 5.8 per cent.

Waitomo District Council, will have an increase of only 2.9 per cent. This seems to contradict the mantra that big is always more efficient than small.

Waipa has said one of the reasons for the high rate increases is unusually high inflation. But New Zealand’s inflation over the period 2024 to 2027 is likely to be around 13-14 per cent.

This is a far cry from WDC’s rate increases of 56.9 per cent over that period. Another explanation offered is that Waipa is a fast-growth area and there is a lag between the costs of development that fall on the council, which come early in the development process, and the fees the Council receives from developers, which come later.

This explanation is correct.

What I don’t understand is that Cambridge has been in a strong growth cycle for some years already.

Waipa should now be receiving fee income from the projects that were started three or four years ago.

WDC also said they had undergone an intensive cost cutting exercise in order to keep the size of the rate increase down.

Tauranga Council cut their rate rise this year from 12 per cent to 9.9 per cent by reducing staff numbers. I don’t know if their intensive cost-cutting exercise also included looking closely at Waipā staff numbers. I hope it did. What I do know is that they have risen from 189 in 2015 to 295 today.

That is an increase of 56 per cent.

It’s a coincidence that this rise happens to be exactly the same as the rise in Waipā rates from 2024 to 2027.

One thing that will be concerning the Reserve Bank when they come to take their next decision on the Official Cash Rate on July 9 is that most recent surveys of inflation expectations in New Zealand have been rising, and some show the CPI reaching five per cent in the next two years, well above the target range of 2-3 per cent.

When ratepayers in places like Waipā and Hamilton are facing rate increases of 15.5 per cent it is not surprising that their inflation expectations are rising – and that means it is very unlikely that the Reserve Bank will lower their official interest rate any further next week.

Staggering rate rises

Last week, I covered how volcanically active Indonesia is, noting that it ranks fourth globally for the number of active volcanoes. So, let’s talk about who comes in at number one.

That title goes to the United States—a fact that surprises many Americans when I tell them. I lived in the US for eight years, and it’s a great place to learn about volcanic hazards and how they’re communicated. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) runs volcano observatories in Hawaii, California, the Cascades (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho), Alaska, and Yellowstone.

The US leads with 165 active volcanoes - defined as those that have erupted in the past 11,000 years and are therefore likely to erupt again. Since 1950, 42 have erupted. You can explore these on the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program and the USGS websites.

Some eruptions are particularly well-documented, including the infamous 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and its activity again between 2004 and 2008. Lassen Peak in California erupted between 1914 and 1917, and Mount Hood in Oregon was active during the 1700s and 1800s. And of course, the Hawaiian Islands are famously active, with spectacular recent lava fountains.

But where the US really stands out is in Alaska.

Alaska is home to around 140 volcanoes and volcanic fields that have erupted within the past 2.6 million years - 90 in the last 11,000 years, and more than 50 in just the past 300. Many of these could be highly disruptive if they erupted today.

While most Alaskan volcanoes are in remote locations without nearby communities, they lie directly beneath busy North Pacific flight routes. These subduction zone volcanoes - similar to ours in New Zealand - can produce enormous volumes of volcanic ash, which pose a major aviation hazard.

One of the most significant eruptions occurred in 1912 at Katmai. It blanketed the landscape in volcanic ash (essentially pulverised rock). Even today, strong winds can lift this ash back into the air, posing a lingering hazard long after the eruption ended. Volcanoes can remain a threat well into dormancy.

There will be more large eruptions in Alaska. That’s why USGS monitoring is critical - not just for locals, but for global air travel. Their monitoring tools include seismic networks, infrasound, satellites, webcams, and even lightning detection systems.

I can’t talk about US volcanoes without mentioning Yellowstone—the “supervolcano” that sparks questions nearly every time I talk to Americans: Is it going to kill us all? When will it erupt?

There’s been a lot of fearmongering and conspiracy around the very well monitored Yellowstone. But as with our own caldera systems (like Taupō), these volcanoes are much more likely to produce small-scale activity. The most probable events at Yellowstone are hydrothermal explosions (like those we see in Rotorua) or lava flows - not civilisation-disrupting cataclysms.

It’s only a matter of time before one of America’s volcanoes makes headlines—not just for its eruption, but for the reminder it brings of the dynamic planet we live on and how they can impact us.

How the US tops volcano list

Every now and then, an eruption in Indonesia captures global headlines—and for good reason.

One of the most recent is Lewotobi Laki-laki, but it won’t be long before another volcano makes the news.

Indonesia has one of the highest numbers of active volcanoes—defined as those that have erupted within the past 12,000 years and are therefore likely to erupt again.

According to the Global Volcanism Program (GVP, where I used to work), Indonesia ranks fourth globally, behind the United States, Japan, and Russia, with 108 active volcanoes. I recommend exploring the GVP website with numerous eruption descriptions and photographs.

The Indonesian archipelago is a nation of islands —13,558, according to a 2022 satellite-based study.

This region is shaped by the Sunda Arc, a subduction zone where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate dives beneath the Eurasian plate. As the plate subducts, it undergoes intense pressure and heating, which releases water into the overlying mantle.

This lowers the melting point of the hot rock, generating magma.

This “magma kitchen” fuels the country’s abundant volcanic activity. But Indonesia’s geological hazards don’t stop there. Its tectonic setting also brings frequent earthquakes—and, as we saw on Boxing Day 2004, tsunamis. Landslides, floods, and severe weather events are common, too.

People often ask why locals don’t “just” move away from the volcanoes. But with hazards widespread and options limited—not to mention the cultural, spiritual, economic, and personal ties to place—the answer isn’t so simple. It deserves compassion, not judgment.

Volcanoes also help shape the islands’ rich ecosystems, fertile soils, stunning landscapes, and tourism opportunities.

Living in a volcanically active nation brings both beauty and risk.

While many small eruptions occur regularly, larger ones are not uncommon.

These can produce high ash plumes, deadly pyroclastic flows, and—when eruption deposits combine with rainfall—dangerous lahars. Visitors should always check for exclusion zones and follow local guidance.

Indonesia has produced some of the world’s most significant eruptions.

The 1883 eruption of Krakatau (often misspelled as Krakatoa) and its resulting tsunami is one such example, as well as the more recent collapse of the cone and tsunami in 2018.

The colossal eruption of Toba around 75,000 years ago is another.

Tambora produced one of the world’s largest historical eruptions in 1815, with the right conditions to impact the climate and cause “The year without summer”.

Many eruptions have tragically resulted in fatalities, brutally changing the lives of the nearby inhabitants—and, unfortunately, this will likely happen again.

Indonesian volcanoes have even shaped my own life.

The 2017 unrest and eruption at Mount Agung catapulted me into science and crisis communication, eventually leading to this very newspaper column.

If you’re planning to visit, it’s essential to rely on accurate, trusted information. I’ve seen firsthand how misleading clickbait headlines can distort the facts.

A good place to start is the ‘Magma Indonesia’ website, run by local experts and the country’s official monitoring agency. Volcanic ash-related flight disruptions aren’t uncommon in the region, so be sure your travel insurance covers such events.

Indonesia, land of volcanoes

Far be it for me to worry too much about our political leaders, but I’m becoming concerned about how we treat them, and that’s a worry not so much because we don’t give them enough respect, but because we seem to be swinging from loathing one, to two minutes later, to be loathing another.

I have a basic faith in the good nature of people, and I’m not generally disappointed, though I’m well aware of lurking drongos.

I don’t think much of the Labour Party’s fiscal or money management, but that doesn’t make me loathe Jacinda Ardern. It just makes me cautious of Labour Party thinking when it comes to managing the country’s economy through an unprecedented global pandemic. Did anybody, anywhere in the world, get it all right? I don’t think so.

So now I see that the polls are showing Prime Minister Luxon’s popularity has slipped to a new low while he is battling with the Chinese, to get our little country onto a better trade relationship with them, our biggest trading partners.

So what do we want? A government that doesn’t do fiscal policy that well, even though, they are by and large, very well intended, and committed leaders? Or a government that is trying hard , it seems to me, to return us to a stronger economic situation in which everybody is better off?

The polls are showing that those who failed at fiscal management, are ahead of those who are trying hard to remove us from a desperate situation.

My first reaction should be: stuff the polls. And I’m sure that’s right but going back to my first suggestion. What are we thinking? I believe at this stage we can dismiss the usefulness of the Māori party as being too angry, too immature, and not representative enough.

We can dismiss the Green Party, because even with the best intentions in the world, ecological ideals must work alongside the practical ways in which world trade can continue. Closing down our coal mines and importing dirty coal is not an answer.

New Zealand First and ACT are going well but need to concentrate less on school lunches and more on supporting a stable government. They need to be focused on the stability of the government we need in these uncertain times worldwide, and we, the voters, need to grow a sense of maturity, a sense in where we don’t swing from hating one leader, to hating the next one just because neither one can pull rabbits out of hats, and keep us all happy all of the time. We all need to take a deep breath and just grow up.

I’m not defending politicians as much as pointing out our responsibility, as electors. Really folks, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Look around, and say after me, we don’t know how lucky we are.

A time of loathing

After their evening meal on a Sunday in early March 1923, 28-year-old Te Mapara farmer Raymond Sefton told his wife Ethel he would have a shot at some rabbits while going to muster the cows. He asked for the cartridges then left, taking a shotgun. It was routine for Raymond, a returned soldier, to do this when bringing in the cows to be milked.

But after an hour Ethel had heard no shooting and as he hadn’t returned, she went out to look for him. She called repeatedly but received no answer. Then, in the distance she saw him. He was lying beside a fence; the gun against the bank, the muzzle pointing towards him.

Ethel rushed for help, meeting Cecil White. Dr Cross of Piopio was called and on arriving at Te Mapara was taken to the scene of the shooting, a few hundred yards from the back of the house. There was nothing the doctor could do.

At the inquest, held at the residence of Mr Helms, Te Mapara, Dr Cross said it appeared Raymond had rested the gun against the fence, prior to climbing over. The third wire had been spliced at this point, with the ends of the knot protruding, and the trigger had apparently been caught in the splice as Raymond picked up the gun on the other side of the fence. Cecil White gave formal evidence of identifying Raymond. He had chatted with him about an hour before the shooting and found him in his usual cheerful spirits. The coroner returned a verdict that death was due to the accidental discharge of a shot gun.

Raymond was born at OKains Bay, Christchurch, one of six siblings. He lost both his parents when he was fairly young - his mother when he was 12, his father when he was 18.

He enlisted with the Main Expeditionary Force during World War One, in 1915 when he was 20. While in training camp he was injured by a kick from a horse which caused Periotitis tibia - a painful inflammation of the membrane covering the shinbone. In early 1916 he left with the Ninth Reinforcements for Egypt but he broke down and was returned from the front during April and discharged from the military.

He found employment with the Christchurch tramway service and in June 1916 married Ethel Hearfield. They would go on to have four children.

After a lapse in judgement, a short time after getting married, he was charged with forgery while paying incidental expenses connected with his marriage. He had intended to make restitution but Drayton’s department store had put the matter in the hands of the police before he could. Thomas Wilkins, of Akaroa, gave evidence as to Raymond’s general good character. The court, aware of the effect the war had had on him, was lenient, ordering only that the money be returned and court costs paid.

The past behind them, the Sefton’s came to Te Mapara but luck was not to be found there either.

Raymond was buried at Piopio cemetery, his headstone inscription saying he was “accidentally killed on his farm at Te Mapara... So loved, so mourned.”

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