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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Did you Know..........Hurry for song festival tickets
This Friday and Saturday, October 11 & 12, Mangawhai Singers present a Spring Song Festival in the museum foyer – an evening of song guaranteed to give you that energetic spring feeling. A sell-out both nights last year, you may just secure a seat if you are quick. Tickets $20 cash-only at Books & Gifts in Wood St, and Village GAS. Wine and cheese will be served during the interval, all proceeds going to the museum. Choirmaster Christine Bygrave and her group of enthusiastic singers have put together an enchanting programme which will really impress. And you'll discover a lot of hidden talent here in Mangawhai. Musical fundraiser for hall And there's more to come. A musical soiree in the Village hall featuring a selection of our finest local talent including Local Vocals and the Ukulele group, Sunday October 20, 3pm-6pm. Tickets are $10, available from Village market on Saturday morning, Meat Shop, Library, and Books & Gifts in Wood St. Wine and soft drinks available for sale, with nibbles supplied. Mangawhai Library Hall trustees have organised this soiree as a fundraiser to assist with the up-keep of our lovely old hall, which has wonderful acoustics! Promises to be a most entertaining afternoon. Rotary hosts NZTA info evening Maungaturoto & Districts Rotary Club is hosting an information evening on the Puhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance. Patrick Kelly, project manager for NZ Transport Agency, will be speaking from 7pm at the Sports Complex in Kaiwaka on Tuesday October 15. Seating is limited to 150, so you do need to book in advance by ringing 431 4121 or email admin@otsl.co.nz. There is a charge of $10. This is an opportunity to get a factual update on plans, and have some of your questions answered. Really good news that work on the Wayby Valley and SH1 intersection is about to begin. Remember when the Mangawhai-Tomarata intersection posed the same difficulties? Martin truly appreciated St John volunteers from Bream Bay and Mangawhai held a luncheon recently to publicly thank and praise Martin Davies. At a ceremony in Palmerston North in June, Martin was invested by the Governor-General as a Member of the Order of St John in recognition of volunteer service in Mangawhai. He's a busy man, as Martin holds a full-time position as Northland district relief (18 stations) together with voluntary work as station manager here in Mangawhai. Ambulance officer Kay Carey said Martin is truly appreciated by Mangawhai's small team of volunteers for the values he espouses and the humour he brings, while Martin himself dedicated half his medal to wife Denise for years of support. Long-term commitment to birds Did you know the New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust is five years old? Based here in Mangawhai, convenor Heather Rogan told members at the recent AGM that it was interesting to look back and see what has been achieved over that time, but also sobering to look at the state of the birds and ask if they'd made a difference, with the birds just as threatened now as they were when the Trust was established. The NZ fairy tern population is just holding its own. In the 2012-13 breeding season a total of 15 eggs were laid, 6 hatched, and 5 chicks fledged. There was a considerable amount of egg relocating in attempts to maximise breeding success. Trappers Reg Whale and Colin Stitt have been trapping the southern boundary of the sandspit. Their combined tally to the end of June was 99 rats, 80 hedgehogs, 20 cats, 13 rabbits, 23 stoats, 9 possums, and 3 ferrets. As the breeding season gets underway, dedicated volunteers will be doing all they can to support these courageous little birds.
Bird report from Sioux NZ dotterel chicks are about at Te Arai stream. The protective fence has been down due to the weather, so please guys, give the birds a break. There were fresh hoofprints through the site on Wednesday September 25. Nearly 300 bar-tailed godwits are back in our harbour, most of whom have been in Alaska for the northern summer raising their chicks. Not many red knots yet, but I' m sure they are on their way. In my yard, I have a nest of white-faced herons with three chicks that amazingly have not been blown out of their wobbly-looking nest. Shining cuckoo are also back in full force being heard all around the district at the moment. Cottages milestone Milestone Cottages began operating in 1991, when Gael McConachy and Ian (Box) Milestone opened a B&B studio unit, the first of its kind in Mangawhai. Followed by the Palm and Pacific, all built and designed by this enterprising couple, this unique accommodation set in stunning gardens grew rapidly with the addition of Gumdiggers, Schooner, and Gardeners cottages – togther with swimming pool, croquet lawn, pavilion, and conference room. In 1998, Milestone Cottages won the National Tourism Award for the best motel in New Zealand. But it is time for new challenges, and they have sold the three waterfront cottages to a holidaying family. The remaining three are still operating as Milestone Cottages, but next year, the plan is to turn them into medium term rental apartments. Gael and Box have led the way in many local business enterprises over the years, building and operating the Wood St shops in the 80s, opening the first book shop (Pen and Dickens), first restaurant (Beaches), and first B&B. Thank you Gael and Box for adding to the vibrancy of Mangawhai, with more to come!
■ News and views to share through this column? Contact Jo Roberts 431 4711, email jo.roberts@xtra.co.nz |
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