Issue 228 Helensville News December 2019 5000 copies delivered monthly to Helensville, Parakai, Kaukapakapa, Waitoki, Wainui, Woodhill, South Head and Shelly Beach A quick ride - right around the country Deciding to ride a horse around the 12 months to complete the ride. entire country when you have no In Helensville, riding up Karaka experience as a rider might seem a Street, she was stopped by a woman little foolhardy. who ran out of her house to give her a But for 31-year-old Larissa snack bag for the journey. Mueller, who rode through the South She receives regular offers of Kaipara area recently on her way to meals and places to overnight, doing just that, it’s a way to raise sleeping in spare rooms, sleepouts, money for disadvantaged youth. caravans, barns or whatever is on Larissa and her friend Kendall offer. She carries a small tent for the Waugh decided to go shares in a horse nights she can’t find a roof to sleep back in 2015, even though Larissa had under - about half the time. only been on a horse a handful of times “With my background in outdoor as a youngster. During the course of instructing I can sleep just about that same afternoon, the decision grew anywhere,” Larissa says. to encompass a ride around the entire “My priority is finding a paddock coastline of New Zealand. for Sprite. I have never yet had to “The ride came first. We decided to tether her, and hope never to. The do the ride before we heard about the people of New Zealand are so Leg-Up Trust,” says Larissa. generous.” But when they heard about the Sprite has been a revelation; trust and the work it does using horses despite being only five when starting to connect with disadvantaged youths, the ride, she has proven to be ‘bomb- they decided to use their trek to proof’ in traffic and in towns, and able publicise and raise funds for the trust, to keep good condition regardless of setting a $20,000 target. the demands of the ride. The original idea was for both As well as carrying Larissa and Larissa and Kendall to make the ride, all the gear they both need, she planned to take about 18 months in wears a little donation box around her total. They realised they couldn’t ! Larissa and her mare, Sprite, at Kaukapakapa chest for impromptu donations to the literally ride around the coast Leg-Up Trust. everywhere, but planned a route to be The trained outdoor instructor began the Larissa says naivety about what no further than 60km from it. North Island leg of the trek in Hawke’s Bay in the ride held in store worked in her favour. They started in the South Island, with February, reaching Kumeu in June where “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have done it!” she Larissa on a borrowed horse. She bought her she stopped for the winter, working odd jobs laughs. current mare, Sprite, as a five-year-old off a to fund the next stage of the ride. While she is doing the ride without backup South Island station only a couple of weeks She began again at the start of support, Larissa’s boyfriend does meet up into the ride. November, riding up through Helensville, with her occasionally - usually with some food The South Island leg of the trip took place right around the South Head peninsula, then and a change of clothes. over two summers, with Kendall meeting a on to Kaukapakapa where Helensville News Highlights of the trek have included being man who was to become her husband along caught up with her. From there she was to welcomed into strangers’ families and invited the way - and subsequently deciding not to take back roads to Makarau and then cross to take part in “random” activities like a also tackle the North Island ride. farmland to the Tapora peninsula on her way pheasant hunt, and the privilege she feels “Then came a three-year gap, trying to to Cape Reinga, before heading down the being allowed to ride through private land. figure out the right way to do it alone and earn East Coast on her way back to Hawke’s Bay. She has yet to have a farmer say no to her enough money [to survive],” says Larissa. She estimates it will take another eight to ! To page 2 www.facebook.com/ helensville news @HNewselensville www.helensvillenews .co.nz editorial This is our last issue for 2019, and I hope you have enjoyed reading Helensville News over the past year. Remember, we don’t do a January issue, but we’ll be back right at the start of February 2020. I’d like to thank all our contributors and advertisers for their support over the year - we simply couldn’t exist without you. And of course all of you, the readers, without whom there wouldn’t be any point putting this paper out! There are bound to be a heap of interesting news stories coming up in the New Year. I wish you all the best for the festive season. Be happy and be safe over the holiday period, spend quality time with your families and loved ones, and we’ll see you back in 2020. - Dave Addison, Editor No more building at museum Helensville Museum has been prohibited for the container the museum was from putting any new structures on its site additionally told it could not even plant trees because the land it leases from Auckland on the land, and that gardening activities Council used to be a rubbish tip. should be restricted. The museum has now joined forces with Extra storage facilities are desperately Te Awaroa Residents and Ratepayers required for the museum's collection, and Association (TARRA) to fight the council. the council's decision is a new challenge for The museum committee recently sought the museum volunteers who are already to install a shipping container on its site to battling to save the collection from a bug house items which were deteriorating from infestation. being left outside. A second issue highlighted by the It took several months and numerous council's stance is the museum's boundary communications to obtain consent for the fence. The northern boundary fence is container, but the council has also told them currently 10m inside the area the museum they cannot put any more structures on the leases, but the council's ban on digging any grounds – effectively ending any plans for holes on the former tip site means the fence expansion. can no longer be shifted to make more room During the process of obtaining consent for expansion. Ride around the country cont... ! From page 1 Larissa made a rule - if she ever decided she wanted to quit, she had to wait two days riding across their land - and often receives before acting. Needless to say, she hasn’t an invitation to camp in a woolshed or similar given up. for the night as well. “I’ve never been as happy as doing this,” “It’s kind of like all of New Zealand is our she adds. support crew.” When her long trek is over, Larissa says She has also been joined on a number of she will be keeping Sprite. And as for the occasions by groups of other riders who tag future? along for short stints - a welcome change “I’ll sleep a lot, then get depressed, then from always riding on her own. start planning something else!” ALL It hasn’t been all good times, saying she People can donate to Larissa's journey AGES has had three “near-death” experiences, direct through Leg-Up Trust's Givealittle and at one stage on the South Island leg page - comment "homefree" to help her track 09 420 8998 both she and friend Kendall got very donations. Her Facebook page is: [email protected] depressed. homefree. 09 411 9604 www.wyatts.net.nz [email protected] OPEN 7 DAYS! Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm Sat: 8am-4pm Sun: 9am-3pm 2 Issue228 , December 20 19 LIFESTYLE MOWING New community constable MACHINERY For new Helensville community She says the job was a challenge in the constable Melissa Haven, taking on her role beginning, adding that police officers are “We will put the fun back into mowing” in our town is a bit like a homecoming. exposed to things the general public never Quality brand mowers Her family is from the Kumeu area, and see, and it’s important to talk through those & ride ons while she spent most of her childhood being with fellow officers. Unparalleled service & raised in the Bay of Islands, she moved back Melissa spent her first five years as a support Large product range here and spent her secondary school years frontline constable stationed at Henderson, at Kaipara College. then a year relieving as a community Come in and see us today! She now lives in Helensville with constable at Massey. For the last 10 years 8 Stevens Lane husband Liam - also a local police officer and she has been based at Kumeu - the final six Waitoki a member of the Helensville Volunteer Fire of those as a community constable. 0274 955 948 Brigade - and their two pre-school children. She has also been working with the www.moadoc.co.nz Rodney Family Harm team, dealing with domestic violence cases. Being a local she feels she has a lot to offer the area, adding it’s a definite advantage that many people know her through links built in the local community through schools, the fire brigade, sports, and socially.