BLUESKIN NEWS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER Est. 1985 FEBRUARY 2020 Seacliff • Warrington • Evansdale • Waitati • Doctors Point • Purakaunui LOCAL HEROES In this issue.... Local Heroes page 3 NZ Sea Lions page 4 Driving on Doctors Point Road page 5 The Treaty of Waitangi page 8 Waitati Music Festival page 9 Halo Project page 14 Bland Park page 15 February Wheel of What’s On page 18 plus lots more ... Blueskin Bay Community Spaces EDITORS NOTE It’s over 15 years since I last wrote “Hello from Warrington Hall Bernie” and I am very happy to take up my pen again Available for birthdays, family gatherings, exercise and welcome you all to a new year and a new decade. classes, dances and do’s etc at reasonable rates. Hire includes a fully equipped kitchen and tables The Committee would like to thank all our sponsors and chairs. over the last year and especially Harper Collins who Contact Lyn 482 2896 or Rowena 482 2667 very kindly funded the party after the AGM for all our Waitati Hall contributors, advertisers and other benefactors. Suitable for large meetings, weddings, parties, I’d like to congratulate all who have been concerned concerts, dances etc. (up to 120) features kitchen, in keeping the Blueskin News a viable and vibrant toilets, stage, sound system and large projection publication over the last 15 years. Although it has screen. grown considerably in size there is still the same Contact Blueskin Nurseries at 482 2828 mix of contributions from all parts of our varied Waitati Hall Meeting Room community. I’m just glad I don’t have to put the Suitable for committee meetings, small gatherings, paper in the oven so that it doesn’t jam in the old demonstrations etc. (up to 20 people) features photocopier any more! kitchen and toilets. Contact Blueskin Nurseries at 482 2828 I look forward to hearing from old friends and introducing the whole Blueskin community Blueskin Bay Library Meeting Room Suitable for committee meetings, presentations, to some new ones. Send in articles on local training, interviews etc. (up to 12 people) features events, history, and wildlife, also letters, recipes, modular tables, large projection screen, kitchenette photographs – anything you think your community and toilets. might be interested in. Keep your articles short Contact Blueskin Bay Library 482 2444 | [email protected] (250-300 words) so everyone can be represented, Hire charge is usually applicable, details can be accompanying photos are an added bonus! obtained on request Enjoy the first edition of 2020! Bernie Seeking Home-Based Educators in your Area Have you considered a career as a Home-Based Educator? Come and join a team who are passionate about providing the best possible opportunities for our young children to learn and grow, in a nurturing environment. As a Wild Things educator, you: • Work from home and choose your own hours • Earn good income working as a self-employed contractor • Design your own early childhood programme with support from qualified teaching staff • Undertake training and develop your career as you work If you are interested in starting your career in Early Childhood Education but want to be with your own children while you learn and earn, give us a call today for a no obligation-free chat. Contact Wild Things on 0800 44 44 70 or email us on [email protected] 2 | February 2020 Half the interest of a garden is in the constant exercise of the imagination. Happy New Year to all who live in this piece of paradise. May you all be blessed with good health in the coming busy year, because as you know, health is wealth. The weather has been patchy and reliable to say the least and I sympathise with all who thought a camping holiday is the perfect way to spend time with whanau and get back to Nature. Nature hasn’t been very kind in the gardening Waitati Volunteer department either. I was late getting things planted due to being on holiday and it usually works but not this year. Fire Brigade I’ve sown the carrots and beetroot twice and still haven’t We have been very busy over the past few had a strike. Maybe I’m holding my mouth the wrong way when I sow the seed. weeks high winds have resulted in calls ranging from trees down across roads, trees down over The Garden Club finished a very successful year with a power lines, grass fires and motor car incidents. Christmas dinner in the Warrington Hall. We thought it would be nice to be able to wear those special wedding The major incident recently at Warrington with the outfits, including a hat, gloves and heels and play ladies power transformer and the strong wind resulted in and gents with a “Christmas Garden Party” (the men several hedges and a house being damaged. A big didn’t wear heels – of course). The Hall was festooned thank you to the locals who rallied round to assist the with bunting, fairy lights, old fashioned high tea crockery neighbours and the fire brigade teams that arrived. We and colourful potted plants. What fun we had, Ruth had were stretched for a time keeping up with the way the put all our dozens of old and new photos onto a slide wind was blowing the fire through the hedges and having show which played continuously throughout the evening to break into the school pool for water. It all takes time and many memories were rekindled. and person-power. Our Club meets on the second Thursday of each month, This is a timely reminder as to how vulnerable we are usually in the Warrington Hall. Info can be found in the to climate conditions, currently there is a total ban on ODT or by phoning Daphne 482 2428 or Lyn 482 2896 outside burning, let’s keep our community safe. Our new appliance has attended several of the above calls and we continue to refine the way we operate. We will be out and about over the summer checking the local resources and training in various drills. Paul Clements INVITES ALL BLUESKIN RESIDENTS Who own or are involved in a business to display or advertise at our annual BLUESKIN ON SHOW Sunday 5 April If interested please contact Mark Brown 021 1692 303 Alasdair Morrison 027 435 4384 Paul Clements 027 482 2642 Or email blueskin @xtra.co.nz February 2020 | 3 The Rant By Ian Melvin Sharing Warrington Beach with NZ Sea Lions Have you met Joy - our locally born and bred sea lion mum, and the northern- most breeder for this endangered native sea lion species. Joy has established a habit of coming to Warrington to pup; ‘June’ born January 2015, Rua 2016, Hope 2017, Tohu 2018, Grace 2019 and another pup in residence today! Once the pups are 3-4 weeks old, Joy leads them back to the Otago Peninsula. Unfortunately, only Hope has survived to hopefully return to This is an opinion piece designed to pup in this area in 2021. promote feedback. What you need to know as a sea lion host Warrington resident: If you feel you'd like to respond - email [email protected] Sea lion behaviour is different from fur seal behaviour. What Makes me Mad 1. Sea lions prefer sandy beaches to rest and mate. Younger sea lions are curious and love to play. But they are a wild animal and have sharp The bush fires in Australia – teeth! Avoid getting in a situation where they come to investigate. If you devastating wild life, domestic animals, flora, and people’s need to run away they will think it is a game! lives! This is climate change 2. Unlike fur seals, New Zealand sea lions are not afraid of people. They they out of control, in a country that will charge at you if you get too close. This is usually a bluff, indicating is still a major exporter of coal. that you have invaded their personal space. Back off slowly and they are Why can’t they figure out these unlikely to pursue you far. Wait out of view for five minutes till they have things might be related? How lost interest or moved on. bad do things have to get? 3. You CAN walk between a sea lion and the water. (Whereas a disturbed fur What Makes me Sad seal races back to sea.) The lack of tolerance and In January, for three weeks, Joy leaves her pup hidden in the grass and returns consideration we encounter. to the sea to feed. The tiny pup is alone and vulnerable to curious dogs. For ie. seeing it from the other this reason, dog owners are urged to take note of signage and have dogs on persons perspective. Walking leads in the indicated areas. from Michies Crossing towards the beach, traffic passing way too quickly, scary! Pedestrians, blind corners, no footpaths, children, dogs, SLOW DOWN !!! Those folk who feel the need to start up the lawn mower, chainsaw, etc. on a Sunday? Can we not have one day of peace and quiet to enjoy where we live? Most folk I talk to seem to agree how about you? What Makes me Glad Living here in Waitati, why would I want to be anywhere else in summer? Getting back from Whare Flat sitting on the verandah watching the bay, catching up with friends and neighbours, I realise how privileged we are. 4 | February 2020 The wings were each approximately a metre in length. However the body was well degraded and empty, so I was unable to see if the contents of its stomach included plastic, an all too common occurrence lately and often the cause of death.