Issue 611 - The Mercury Bay Informer
Transcription
Issue 611 - The Mercury Bay Informer
The Mercury Bay Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Phone 07 866 2090 RTING UPPO LOCALS S ALS LOC A new Whitianga ferryman Circulation 5,800 MBAS students to build second RV12 see page 10. By Alison Smith The iconic Stella B ferry boat that has provided inspiration to artists, delight to visitors and a reliable, though somewhat quaint, mode of transport to commuters in Whitianga for decades will be replaced in the coming year under the guidance of a new owner. Fred Acke and partner Caroline are taking ownership this week of the Whitianga ferry business from Dave Pierrepont, who has owned the business for 40 years and will finally be able to enjoy a Christmas off. “It’s a nice office and I’ve met a lot of people and made friends with them. The ferry brings people together,” says Dave. “I would like to thank the people who have supported the ferry over the years. “I’m looking forward to doing other things. We want to have the first Christmas with the family for 34 years. It’s like the Pony Express, it’s got to keep going no matter what, which has been a bit of a challenge sometimes with the weather.” Ferry users will see little immediate change to the service while Fred takes the helm during the silly season, but there are already plans afoot for a replacement 50 seat ferry for the Stella B over the next year. As a trained boat builder, seaman on super yachts for 32 years and aficionado of coastal village character, Fred is intent on making improvements to safety, comfort, capacity and accessibility without compromising personality. New owner of the Whitianga ferry business Fred Acke (who’s also a Movember supporter) with family members Caroline and Mia (in the front). “Dave has run an excellent service and has great staff, so I would be a fool to wave a big stick and change anything straight away,” he says. “I’ll watch how the business operates this summer and that will give me a lot of new ideas. Dave has got great ideas too and as we get into it we’ll bring a new boat online. “We’ll come up with a great ferry. The size will be the biggest change as it will match the Mercury Star [the service’s other ferry]. At 46 years old the Stella B is getting a little old and small capacity-wise for the ever growing services in Whitianga. Having the three steps in and out makes it difficult for wheelchairs and bikes and in summer you can have 50-100 people waiting, (Continued on page 2) BED Be in quick! Sale ends 30 Nov 2014 SALE www.fagans.co.nz 33 Albert St Whitianga Ph 07 866 2546 Up to 30% off Open 7 days Up to 30% off NZ made beds Sale ends 30 November2014 Covering Whangapoua to Pauanui, including Whitianga, Hot Water Beach and Tairua - www.theinformer.co.nz New owner of the Whitianga ferry business (Continued from page 1) so I want to speed that up and also increase the safety side of things with lifejackets on board. Fares for casual ferry users will increase from $3 to $4 one way and $5 to $6 return and children’s fares will increase from $1.50 to $2 for one way and from $3 to $4 return. Concession passes will remain the same for now at $60 for 40 trips. Thames Coromandel District Council owns, manages and maintains both the Ferry Landing and the Whitianga wharves and it was the Council’s decision to review the prices. “There is a cost to maintaining this infrastructure,” says Mercury Bay Community Board chairman Paul Kelly. “And Whitianga ferry fares have not been reviewed and raised for some years.” As one of its current projects, TCDC has set aside $660,000 to restore the existing historic stone wharf at Ferry Landing by recovering old stone blocks from the sea floor beside the wharf. These will be used to rebuild the original stone steps and sections of a missing wall. The wharf is classified as a Grade One structure by the Historic Places Trust and is need of restoration. A working group has been appointed for the project, which is in partnership with TCDC, the Historic Places Trust, iwi, the Institute of Engineers and the Mercury Bay community. Fred is no stranger to coastal heritage, hailing from the Channel Islands off the coast of France. Before sailing away at age 16, he grew up in a place called Alderney, which he says is a three square mile island best described as, “1800 alcoholics clinging to a rock - and I think I’m the only person to escape since the war.” Fred has owned his house in Whitianga for four years and met Caroline here. He first sailed to New Zealand in an old sailing ship, the Anna Kristina. “I came around the North Island in 1989 and on that tour of New Zealand, this is the honest truth, I always knew I would end up living here. Of all of the world that I have sailed, I think Mercury Bay is probably one of the best places to live." He says Alderney is similar to Whitianga, which he now calls home. “It has a lot of the characteristics of where I grew up. A little ferry business in a small town surrounded by water.” Fred worked in the super yacht industry and lived in the Caribbean for 16 years before sailing to New Zealand on that first visit 25 years ago. He wanted to buy Dave’s ferry business for three years and jokes, “The only way Dave could get rid of me was to sell me the business. It is about time he had a Christmas off. I wonder how many times he has crossed the harbour.” The ferry operates 365 days of the High & Low Tides for Mercury Bay and Hot Water Beach DAY/ DATE HIGH AM LOW AM HIGH PM LOW PM Tue 18 4:19 10:17 4:40 10:49 Wed 19 5:13 11:09 5:29 11:38 Thu 20 6:04 11:59 6:18 Fri 21 6:53 0:25 7:06 12:47 Sat 22 7:41 1:11 7:53 1:34 Sun 23 8:27 1:57 8:40 2:20 Mon 24 9:12 2:42 9:28 3:07 www.tangosshoes.co.nz Shoes & Accessories Race Enquiries at 07 866 5947 into your fav les Have y t S e r o .M OMG.. d!! Just Arrive nzwindows.co.nz 4 Dakota Drive Whitianga Tel 07 869 5990 Readers’ contributions of articles and letters are welcome. Publication of contributions are entirely at the discretion of the Editor. Contributions will only be considered for publication when accompanied by the author’s name and surname, telephone number and residential address. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure accuracy. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the owner or publisher. Published by: Mercury Bay Media Limited Publisher: Petra Roodt Editor: Stephan Bosman Contributing Editors: Rowena Brown, Bryan Layton, , Hayden Smith, Len Salt and Alison Smith Motoring Columnist: Jack Biddle Many individuals rowed themselves and others across the river before a ferry service began. The service was first officially started by Neil Harris, who rowed people and livestock across the river for a fee. The stone wharf located on the Ferry Landing side of the river was built in 1837 and is reputed to be the first stone wharf built in Australasia. It was commissioned by a timber merchant who owned a trading post and ship building yard in the area. The stone used for the steps were obtained from nearby. The Whitianga (town side) wharf was first built in 1882. The Stella B was named by a previous owner after his wife. It was built to replace a ferry that was washed away off its mooring never to be seen again during the same night as the Wahine tragedy. The second and larger ferry, Mercury Star (named after the Bay), was built by Whangarei Engineering. It was specifically designed to operate in shallow waters for use as a ferry and river cruise vessel in Whitianga. Tide data sponsored by The Mercury Bay Informer is published weekly on Tuesdays and circulated throughout the Coromandel Peninsula. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Deliveries: 14 Monk St, Whitianga 3510 Mail: PO Box 426, Whitianga 3542 Tel: (07) 866 2090 Fax: (07) 866 2092 Editorial - email: [email protected], tel: (07) 866 2090 Advertising - email: [email protected], tel: (07) 866 2094 ISSN 2230-2719 © 2014 Mercury Bay Media Limited Should New Zealand get a new flag? Have your say - at www.theinformer.co.nz. Want to view a PDF copy of every week’s Informer online? Just visit www.theinformer.co.nz. Page 2 year with seasonal variations in times, currently crossing all day from 7:30am to 10:30pm with two one hour breaks between 6:30pm and 7:30pm and 8:30pm to 9:30pm. It’s a service that has operated for over 100 years since its beginning in 1895. Whitianga P: 866 5947 Whangamata P: 07 865 8088 Lay-by’s Welcome Like us on Facebook What’s that Number? Emergency (Ambulance, Fire, Police)............................................................111 Police (Whitianga) ...............................................................................866 4000 Police (Tairua) .....................................................................................864 8888 Police (Coromandel) ...........................................................................866 1190 Fight crime anonymously - Call Crime Stoppers .................. .......0800 555 111 Dog and Noise Control .................................................. .....................868 0200 Poison Centre ................................................................ ..............0800 764 766 Dental Emergency (Mercury Bay) .......................................................869 5500 Civil Defence ......................................................................................868 0200 Medical Centre (Mercury Bay) ............................................................866 5911 Doctors Surgery (Mercury Bay) ..........................................................866 4621 Medical Centre (Tairua) ........................................................................864 8737 Harbour Master (Whitianga) .........................................................027 493 1379 Harbour Master (Tairua) ................................................................027 476 2651 Coastguard Radio Operators .............................................................866 2883 Social Services Whitianga ............................................. .....................866 4476 Do you want the local community to celebrate your new baby’s arrival with you? Please phone or email us, it will be our pleasure to publish your baby’s photo and details in The Informer. Think there’s a local resident who need some recognition? Let us know and that person may just be our LOCAL OF THE MONTH. At The Informer LOCAL IS WHAT WE DO! The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 New mural at Te Rerenga School entrance During the previous school holidays, Anna Yates, principal of Te Rerenga School, met for two days with five talented former students, Zenobie Halliwell (now Year 12 at St Peters), Floyd Johnston and Caitlyn Yates (now Year 11 at Mercury Bay Area School) and Ra Kuchlein and Atawhai Charteris (now Year 10 at MBAS) to create a new mural (pictured) that is now adorning the entrance to the school. Ms Yates asked Wanda Brljevich of local iwi Ngati Huarere about the history and meaning of Te Rerenga. The students used the information given to them by Ms Brljevich as a starting point for the mural. Ms Yates is very happy that the mural is now an artwork representing the, in her words, “Incredible environment that we are fortunate to grow and learn in.” Guthrie Bowron Whitianga and the Dulux Paint for Schools Programme donated all the paint for the mural and Bruce Johnston braced the back of the mural and created a border for it, enabling it to be displayed. Lucy Kuchlein was also a great help in the project. Summer Smiles Tooth Whitening Promotion! In-Surgery Tooth Whitening for$450 (normally $650) Immediate results after only an hour in the dental chair. Take-Home Tooth Whitening kits $325 (normally $477) Includes custom-made trays & whitening gel only available from dentists. Offer ends 31st January 2015 Call 869 5500 to book your appointment with Tamsin today! LOOK GREAT IN THE SUN THIS SUMMER WITH INVISIBLE ZINC - LOVED BY SKIN! N IALS I C E P S M O R E S TO R E $29.99 Invisible Zinc 4Hr Water Resistant 50+ 50ml Invisible Zinc Face & Body 150g $19.99 Mercury Bay Pharmacy Loyalty Club Spend $120 and receive a $10 voucher THE THE SALT COCKTAIL SOCIETY EVERY EVERY WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY (STARTING (STARTING WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 12TH) 12TH) BETWEEN BETWEEN 5PM & 7PM AT AT SALT SALT Enjoy Enjoy aa selection selection of of 33 DIFFERENT DIFFERENT COCKTAILS COCKTAILS EACH EACH WEEK WEEK for for only only $10 $10 each each $50 SALT SALT VOUCHER VOUCHER TO BE TO BE WON WON EACH WEEK EACH WEEK 12/1 Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga (opposite the Whitianga Hotel) Practices nationwide | Ph: 07 869 5500 | lumino.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz facebook.com/Saltbarandrestaurant facebook.com/Saltbarandrestaurant Page 3 Tales of NZ pioneer women on The House Warmers at On Fire stage at Eggsentric this weekend this weekend On 19 September this year, celebrating the 121st anniversary of New Zealand women gaining the right to vote, Rachel Dawick (pictured) released her double album (and accompanying 52 page fully illustrated colour book) “The Boundary Riders.” And this Saturday 22 November Rachel will be performing at Eggsentric Café at Flaxmill Bay. The Boundary Riders follows the journey of a range of infamous female characters whose names, largely unknown in the New Zealand history pages, reveal stories that would slip easily into any Wild West adventure book. From prostitutes to missionary wives and gold miners to magicians, these tales are of conquests, survival, persistence and the merging of peoples and cultures from far distant lands into the birth of New Zealand as we know our country today. In the words of muzic.net.nz, “There’s a stunning display of songwriting and musicianship on display here.” Guests at Eggsentric this Saturday will not be disappointed. For more information see www.eggsentriccafe.co.nz. 11A Coghill Str, Whitianga Tel: 07 866 2200 We do small parties - up to 45 people Tues - Thur 5pm - 10pm Fri - Sat 5pm - 10:30pm Sunday 5pm - 9:30pm www.alcaminos.co.nz Full Menu at www.govino.co.nz Ph. 867 1215 for bookings Closed Tue/ Wed SUMMER CONCERT TICKETS AVAILABE NOW @ THE TAVERN Auckland based duo The House Warmers (pictured), with members Ted Clarke (left) and Paul Brownlee, will be raising the temperature at On Fire Beach Café this Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November. The duo will perform songs from Ted’s critically acclaimed album “Wildlife” as well as material co-written for an album they are currently recording. Their set includes a liberal dose of Blues, Soul and roots Rock ‘n Roll classics that have influenced their music over the years. Ted has long held a reputation as one of New Zealand’s best front men. In recent years he cemented his reputation as a consummate live performer with his swing show band “Del Piranha and His Rhythm Kings.” Paul has performed throughout New Zealand with a diverse range of bands such as The Red Squad, Acid Casualty and Deep Fried. His musical roots are firmly in the Blues, with a passion for the music of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddie King. Paul used to perform with On Fire’s Rob Riley in Auckland band Kirinco during the 90’s, including a number of memorable shows in Whitianga. Expect great songs delivered with passion, infused with searing harmonica and soulful Blues guitar. 19 Kaizen dishes + 31 different beers and 72 great wines Today you will kick ass and make dreams happen… but first you need DARTS NIGHT DOUBLES COMP 7:30pm New to the Menu B.L.T w/ Chips Come in and try our new SEAFOOD & BACON PIZZA NEW MENU Breakfast from 9am - 12 pm The biggest Big Breakfast in Mercury Bay Free Taxi Service from the Ferry for Booked Diners Any Night SURF ‘n’ TURF Scotch Fillet, Pan Fried Prawns, Chunky Chips, w/ Salad Why Cook when we can… POOL’S ON US ALL DAY! FULL TAKEAWAY deeelish • Sushi Opening Hours: • Japanese Cuisine Mon - Sat 9am - 7pm Dine in or Take away DV D Some new & some old favourites Gotta Love Sundays New PH 866 3809 69 Albert Street, Fried Chicken Nibbles Half dozen for $8 Dozen for $15 Whitianga Ph 07 866 5858 TOP MOVIES What’s New REVIEW Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (M) (Out Wed) A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as earth’s dominant species. This is an incredible sequal that surpasses Rise of the Planet Apes. The special effects are superb, taking the apes to a whole new level. One of the Best Films of the Year. Reviewed By Cara. Page 4 SERVICE The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz • • • • • Last Tango in Halifax S2 Postman Pat: The Movie Devil’s Knot Monty Python Live (Mostly) Once Upon a Time S3 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Steak Night $14 Fish’n’Chips HAPPY HOUR $16 Scotch 4 - 7pm!! Fillet, Salad & Fries Only $16! POOL COMP HAPPY HOUR 4 - 7 pm!! 8pm $5 entry Winner takes all! Book your work function now BYO Wine Closed today Open 7 days from mid Dec Friday Friendsy Happy Hour 4 - 7pm Meat raffles Meat raffles Chase the ACE $100 Bar Tab Drawn Win $250!!! @ 6pm H/Hour 4 - 7pm $10 Burgers JAMEOKE 9pm DJ Mighty 9pm Open 6 Days Closed Monday Dine In • Takeaway • Delivery Tues - Sun 5pm - Late 13 / 1 Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga Open @ 6pm Yacht Race Day Stunning SEA VIEWS! Alfresco Dining! Awesome Coffee! Lunch Combo Special $5.95 Buy One Main and enter into the draw to win Dinner for Two (One Entrée, Two Chicken or Veg Curries and Two Butter Naan) Raffles 5.30pm MEMBERS DRAW SNOOKER 1.30pm 8 BALL 7.30pm DARTS 7.30pm $8 Lunch Special Steak Night $16 Scotch Fillet Live Sport on 6 Big Screens Live Band View 200 motorbikes! AGENT SMITH $10 Burgers 9pm FREE POOL Dine In FREE on your Birthday One main, rice & naan. Minimum 2-person party. $10 Curry Night Happy Hour 4 - 7pm!! Authentic North Indian Cuisine Wide selection of seafood, vegetarian & gluten-free. Children’s menu available. Open @ 10am Open @ 5pm Open @ 10am Closed Today Closed Today BIG BAND JAZZ @ The House Warmers The House Ice Creams 5pm followed by Coming soon Live from 7pm Warmers Impromptu Smoothies Booty-shakin’ Whole Suckling Jam Session!! Live From 7pm Juices & Acoustic good Bookings advised text Pig - Spit Roasts With Ted Clarke Wood Fired times!! 0274866744 or call Pizzas! for Summer! These guys are HOT!! & Paul Brownlee! 07 8662275 Lunch Combo Special $5.95 Delicious and Affordable Indian Food. Enjoy restaurant quality food in the comfort of your own home. Food made with freshly ground spices. Enjoy real curry pies Mercury Bay Players The ABSOLUTLY FABULOUS SHOW 7.30pm QUIZ TAB NIGHT 7:30pm POKIES Check out our NEW Summer Menu Wishing Tree $1,000 worth of prizes From 5 - 7pm Live Piano Our Specialty Music from Home Grown 6pm. Open Pacific Oysters from 4:30pm $22 per dozen Tue - Sun Quiet, sophisticated ambience for the discerning. Tidy Dress standard required. Weekly chef’s special. Pop in to see what’s on offer. Lunch Tues - Sun from 12 noon Dinner Tues - Sun from 5pm Closed Monday Live Sports on the big screens Club Open 11am Sports Bar TAB POD Garden Bar Nap Time INDOOR BOWLS 7:15pm All Blacks v HAPPY HOUR Wales 4 - 6pm replay Every 9am week day Serving fine wine, beer and cocktails. Quality small plates and platters. Christmas day bookings being taken now. $69 a head. Bookings essential. Great NEW Come and Our café is open Summer meet our new all-day every day! team! menu! WHITIANGA 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Poker Run Lunch 12:30 TABLE BOOKINGS Lunchtime dining 07 PHONE 866 0456 at it’s best. Last booking 6pm Enjoy lagoon views! MonSat- Fri 8pm Sun 6pm HEATPUMPS • We supply and install. • Call for a no-obligation free quote. The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 5 OPEN Seven Nights from 4pm Friday - Sunday from 11:30am TAPAS / SHARED PLATE MENU AVAILABLE FROM MIDDAY Open 7 days a week from 3:30pm for the freshest seafood in town and some say the best steak too!!! Open Christmas Day lunch - let us do the cooking and washing up for you!!! Bookings essential Serving the freshest seafood in town 11th Whitianga Dive Festival around the corner The 11th Annual Whitianga Dive Festival will take place this year from 28 to 30 November. The event is hosted by Dive Zone Whitianga and owners Darrell and Linda Bird say this is one weekend divers, local and from around the country, shouldn’t miss. This year again promises to be a great weekend of networking, competitions, challenges, a bit of partying and loads of awesome prizes to be given away. Participants have the freedom to choose how many events they want to enter. “Do as little or as much as you want to, it’s as easy as that,” Linda says. The fun will be kicking off in the morning of Friday 28 November with an underwater photography competition. For those not into picture taking there is the great cray hunt or the spearfishing competition. Prizes for closest to the "mystery" weight for male and female crays and the New Zealand Underwater Association trophy for the biggest crayfish will be up for grabs. The evening is set aside for social networking at the Dive Zone Whitianga store in Blacksmith Lane. There’s no charge. Weekend participants are welcome to just drop in for a sausage and a cold one and to meet up with fellow divers. Shark expert Riley Elliot will be present and will be sharing a few of his thoughts. Saturday 29 November all the action will be down at Whitianga’s Buffalo Beach and promises to be a great day for the family to have a picnic and enjoy the fun and games. The Mares treasure hunts on the sand for the kids and in the water for the adults will be followed by the highly competitive scuba Olympic challenge. The evening will see with a “Pacific Voyager” fancy dress dinner and dance at Whitianga’s Salt Restaurant and Bar. A BBQ breakfast prize giving on Sunday morning 30 November will be time for the major prize give-aways, including the grand prize of a dive trip for two to Niue in July 2015. Sponsorship from a great range of dive companies and organisations shows how well this local Whitianga event is regarded among the New Zealand diving fraternity. Darrell and Linda would like to acknowledge the support of Mares, Beuchat, Apollo, the New Zealand Underwater Association, Intova and Mission Kayaks. See www.divefestival.co.nz or contact Linda on mobile 0274 827 273 for more details. The Espy Cafe Got your rewards card yet? Come see us at The Espy. 10 The Esplanade 07 866 0778 [email protected] Free coffee & muffin winner Rewards card no 10129 2 TARAKIHI 5 MUSSELS $2.00 CHIPS ONLY $11.00 The kids’ treasure hunt on Whitianga’s Buffalo Beach during last year’s Dive Zone Dive Festival. facebook.com/ Mercury Bay Meats You wouldn’t buy Fish from a Chemist, Or Tripe from a Bazaar. You wouldn’t go into a Fish Shop If you wanted to buy a Cigar. You don’t buy boots from a Tailor, Or go to a Hotel for a Hat. So why buy your MEAT from a Grocer? P/F: 07 866 5614 M: 027 302 7880 www.hurry4curry.co.nz Page 6 e We ar nal io it d tra hers. butcquest it, e ! o Y u rw l do it we il Delicious Affordable Indian Food 39 Albert Street, Whitianga (Westpac Arcade) Ph 07 866 2666 Open Lunch 11 - 2 Dinner 5 onwards ur Order your Christmas ham now. Can’t take orders after 6 Dec. 75 Albert st, Whitianga House Combo 1/2 Curry and 1/2 Rice & Naan $9.95* Chicken or Vegetarian Available anytime *(Lamb, Beef and Prawn Extra) The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Joyful start to Christmas season By Len Salt I spent three days at work last week in the company of a gentleman, I’m going to call him Archie the Grinch, who thought that Christmas was an imposition. A time when he was expected to buy gifts, be happy and extend goodwill to others. What an extraordinary notion? Who would want to celebrate those things? After that experience I needed my spirits uplifting and the Mercury Bay Community Choir’s rendition of Joseph M Martin’s “Season Of Wonders A Christmas Cantata,” last Sunday in the Whitianga Town Hall was just the tonic to do exactly that. The wonderful thing about our local choir is that they are so obviously having the time of their lives. I tiptoed around to the front and got a few photos from that angle. It’s a good thing conductor Jess Bradley had her back to the audience because she didn’t stop smiling all the way through the performance. It could have been quite distracting, but probably not, as most of the choir managed to smile and sing at the same time as well. The Cantata is an interesting piece that draws water from a number of different wells, along with the spring of Martin’s own creative source. It opens with a solo on piano (Liz Nicholls in great form as usual), incorporating a melody line from “Oh Come all ye Faithful.” References to other carols, (Oh Holy Night, Silent Night), classical music and Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 even a snippet of Greensleeves, make it an easily accessible composition. Even if you have not heard it before, the Cantata constantly delivers music that the audience can recognise and relate to. The original parts of the Cantata, written by Martin himself, use popular melodic progressions, which also make those sections ear-friendly to most audiences. The music is interspersed with short spoken pieces. These are essentially parts of the story of Christmas and were delivered by individual choir members coming to the front and speaking their parts. Many Kiwis have a morbid fear of microphones and don’t have a clue about how they work. I have seen many a performance spoiled by bad sound. Last Sunday was not one of those. The system in this instance had been properly set up, but even when the performers stood too far back off the mic for it to be of any use, they all spoke out clearly and loud enough to be heard right at the back of the town hall. The energy and enthusiasm of the overall performance was excellent. The only minor niggle, and no criticism whatsoever of the choir, is that Whitianga desperately needs a new piano, a decent grand piano that can be used for choir, symphony and other events. Now that the X-Ray funds are secured, perhaps that could be something the community can get behind. Come on Whitianga, you can do this. After the choir’s rendition, the audience was invited to stand and sing carols. I don’t think I saw anybody not joining in. With another 90 voices helping the choir out, and somehow achieving great natural harmonies, the effect was delightful and uplifting. It was great also to see some youngsters in the choir, including ten-year-old Phoebe Asquith beside her mother Melanie and 11 year old Alexander Nielsen with his mother Katie. Alexander also plays drums and bagpipes, so we can add him to the growing list of young talent this town has to offer. Whatever your personal reasons for celebrating Christmas, the opportunity is available to all of us to celebrate a time of joy and giving. Archie the Grinch, you missed out on a great start to the festive season. Maybe next year we’ll see you there? The Mercury Bay Community Choir performing “Season of Wonders a Christmas Cantata”‑ last Sunday in the Whitianga Town Hall. The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 7 hers Gift Voluacble avai European Standard in the art of luxurious relaxation massage A free coffee and muffin at The Espy - easy as... Relaxation Massage 1 hr $65 Hot Stone Massage 1 ½ hr $75 Full Facial, Foot Pamper and Hot Paraffin Hand Treatment $60 Full Body Scrub, Hot Compresses and Moisturising $65 SPECIAL - 1 hr Massage and Another Treatment $70 Free pick-up service from and to the ferry Contact Maria 866 4987 or 021 404 923 14 Parkland Place, Whitianga In the few weeks since its opening, The Espy Café on The Esplanade in Whitianga has certainly made its mark on the local café scene. And the momentum is just not stopping. A new initiative from owners Duncan and Bev Wood is a free coffee and muffin each week for the lucky holder of an Espy rewards card. That’s right, just get yourself an Espy rewards card to be in with a chance to win a free coffee and muffin. The lucky number will each week be published on the Espy advertisement in The Informer. See page 6 for this week’s winner. Pictured is The Espy barista Peter Searle showing why an Espy rewards card isn’t a bad idea. WHITIANGA PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC Robert Lindsay Dip Phty(Otago) ADP(OMT), Dip.MT. Co-author of ‘Treat Your Own Shoulder’ and Associates Crystal Vause BHScPhysiotherapy Manipulation / Back and Neck Pain / Work Injuries Sports Injuries / Post Surgery and Fracture Rehab Acupuncture / Hand Therapy / Women’s Health Clinic Physiotherapists with the qualifications to provide excellence in physical health care Dr Adam’s and Hemmes’s Surgery - Ph 866 4621 mint Thumbs Up To Whitianga’s Malcolm and Pauline Brown for once again being the energy behind another successful Robinson Road Scallop and Seafood Party. To the Mercury Bay RSA for donating a wheelchair and a pair of crutches to the Mercury Bay X-Ray Trust. make-up that’s good for your skin hair • beauty 869 5000 14 coghill st whitianga Thumbs Up Foundations $58 Call Petra today! Ph 07 866 2090 The Informer Offices 14 Monk Street Whitianga Mobility equipment available for locals or visitors. Walking frames, crutches, walking sticks and mobility scooters Phone Roger on 07 867 1986 for more information Page 8 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The names and faces behind Whitianga’s Evolution Fitness For 12 months Steve Hill and Annette Hosking travelled the width and breadth of New Zealand in a motorhome looking for the ideal place to buy or set up a new gym. Two months ago their travels stopped when they bought Pinnacle Health and Fitness in Coghill Street, Whitianga. Both Steve and Annette are fitness fanatics. In fact, Annette, a bodybuilder, was last year crowned Miss New Zealand Physique, a title she proudly held until two weeks ago when the new champion was crowned. “I have taken the past year Steve Hill and Annette Hosking inside Evolution Fitness in Whitianga. off, but may get back onto the stage next year again,” she said. “Although I have really enjoyed it being more relaxed.” So, how did the two of them end up in Whitianga? “We have family here,” answered Steve. “We came to visit and they told us about the local gym. We came to have a look and on the spur of the moment asked the owners if they wanted to sell. The answer was yes. And here we are.” The past two months were very busy for Steve and Annette. “We asked many gym members what they would like to see different,” Steve said. “It became quite clear they wanted longer access hours, so we decided to go for 24 hours a day, seven days a week access. The only thing to work out was how we could achieve that while still having time to enjoy all the great things the local area has to offer.” The issue wasn’t impossible to overcome and all members are now able to access the gym, renamed Evolution Fitness, and its facilities anytime they want using an access tag. And talking about facilities - the inside of the gym has been brightened up and reconfigured and now has a dedicated cardiovascular area with a greater variety of equipment and a separate resistance (weights) training area, also with a greater variety of equipment. “We’re happy that you now can exercise your whole body in the gym,” Steve said. “We made a lot of effort to get suitable equipment and I spent a fair bit of time on the road the past month or so bringing all the gear to Whitianga.” Steve and Annette won’t be offering any fitness classes in the gym. “We really don’t have the space for that,” Annette said. “Fortunately there are people in the community offering things like boot camps and pilates classes, so everyone is catered for.” Both Steve and Annette are available to do personal training with gym members who have a need for that and are also happy to provide advice on supplements and nutrition. “We stock a range of top quality protein supplements for those in search of reduced body weight and lean muscles,” said Annette. Looking forward, Steve said, “We’ve made a significant investment in the gym. We’re absolutely stoked to be in Whitianga. We can walk everywhere, it’s safe, the people are super friendly. We love it here. For now we’re going to make sure the gym works like clockwork. And in the future we’re going to do lots of fishing and enjoy all the things there are to do on the Peninsula.” Revitalize with An easy to use serum that makes your lashes longer, stronger and thicker in just 4-6 weeks. LiLash can be used on your brows too! $199 lasts for 7+ months COASTAL SANCTUARY TUARY THE RUSTIC ROSE Flowers & Gifts 07 866 2100 021 481 977 25a Albert St Whitianga HAIR, SKIN AND BODY THERAPY 8 66 23 Sleep better Less Pain More Energy Nick Reynolds i nternati onal i nsti tute of reflexology [email protected] 0274 799 763 Phone 866 2679 for appointments 14 Victoria Street Whitianga 07 Reflexology 7 Punga Place Health Improvement and Maintenance Shiatsu Massage and Jin Shin Jyutsu 73 Gentle Experienced Therapist Phone 021 250 1278 or Phone 866 2313 Claudia Pentner 14 Monk Street, Whitianga House visits available If you come here for a rest, you deserve a decent sleep Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 9 Mercury Bay Area School students to build a second RV12 The Mercury Bay Student Aviation Trust is gaining momentum. The aim of the trust is to ensure Mercury Bay Area School will have a sustainable aviation engineering programme to offer students and also to allow the students participating in the programme the opportunity to obtain a pilot’s licence at a reduced rate. The trust was born out of the huge interest in the VANS RV12 light aircraft (registered ZK-MBA) the school built last year. A neglected Coot amphibious aeroplane was donated to the trust by Martin Farrand at the beginning of this year and MBAS students are at the moment, under the guidance of a group of community mentors, restoring the plane. Restoration of the Coot will, however, for a while be put on hold. Whitianga’s Jim Evans, the driving force behind the trust and owner of ZK-MBA, and three friends attended the famous Oshkosh Air Show in the USA earlier this year and en route visited the VANS factory in Aurora, Oregon. During the visit Jim’s friend, Allan Kearney from Auckland decided to buy another RV12 kitset and asked the trust to build plane for him. Back home Jim and the other trustees of the trust agreed a price with Allan and building the new RV12 will now take priority. “By buying an aeroplane, Allan easily won the prize for spending the most money during our trip,” Jim said. The trust will use the proceeds from building the new RV12 to pay some of the costs associated with the restoration of the Coot. Hopefully the Coot will be sold for a healthy profit and that money, Jim said, will be used to either buy another plane to build or restore, or to help those students who want to learn to fly. ZK-MBA is at the moment being leased by the Mercury Bay Aero Club and available to anyone who would like to obtain a pilot’s licence at a competitive hourly rate. The trust isn’t sitting idle with other activities to build a fund that can subsidise students wanting to learn to fly. For example, Kyla McLean, a Year 12 MBAS student, published a book about the building of ZK-MBA which is for sale, with all the proceeds going to the trust. ZK-MBA has also generated a significant amount of attention, both in New Zealand and overseas. A few weekends ago a group of Flying Rotarians (a special interest group within the Rotary movement) visited Whitianga and took some time out to look at the plane. They were so impressed with what they saw that they donated $500 to the trust, with another $500 donated by Margaret Armstrong, the wife of the president of the group. A weekly log of the activities of the students participating in the MBAS aviation engineering programme is emailed to a great number of people, mostly in New Zealand, but also overseas. “Some of the overseas recipients of the log email it on to a much wider audience, all around the world,” said Jim. The trust needs more members of the community to work with the MBAS students as mentors. “If there are any retired aviation engineers out there, we would love to hear from you,” Jim said. “It’s a highly enjoyable experience, there’s a lot of banter going on. And seeing how the students develop and broaden their skills, that’s priceless.” Two of the students who were involved in the building of ZK-MBA have decided to embark on aviation engineering careers. One was accepted the beginning of this year into the New Zealand Air Force and the other has started an apprenticeship with a Hamilton based aircraft company. Kyla’s book is available from The Informer’s offices or by emailing [email protected]. The cost is $30. The Flying Rotarians looking at ZK-MBA during their visit to Whitianga a few weekends ago. News from the i-Site with Cara Jordan - manager of the Whitianga i-Site As the weather warms (hopefully) more of our visitors are out looking for adventure activities. The Coromandel is a paradise for those seeking to get away from it all by land, sea or air. Destination Coromandel has recently partnered with GoPro to promote adventure on The Coromandel and showcase what our area has to offer. The intention is that this will be picked up in the USA by social media followers and generate more visitors to our region. To watch the footage online go to http://www.thecoromandel.com/ index.cfm/go-pro/ If the GoPro video inspires you, there are some local adventures coming up over the weekend of 28 - 30 November. Dive Zone Whitianga plays host to the annual Dive Festival which offers a weekend of diving adventures, fun competitions and social events. And Thunder Beach returns to town, so bike enthusiasts can enjoy New Zealand’s largest summer motorcycle rally and take on the Coromandel Loop. With planning for school holidays on the horizon, the i-SITE will have a school holiday brochure packed with specials and deals. We want to promote what The Coromandel has to offer for family holidays and kid’s adventures. In time for the holidays we will also be stocking a limited range of Coromandel branded T-shirts and bags, so come in and browse. Lastly tickets for the Waterways Concert featuring Heart, Foreigner and Three Dog Night on 25 January are still selling fast, so pop in and buy yours if you are planning on attending. caribou DESIGN LOGOS + BUSINESS CARDS + POSTERS WEBSITES + ADVERTS + SALES MATERIAL LOW CASUAL RATES/PACKAGES + MORE WEBSITE PACKAGES FROM $300 Email: [email protected] Phone: 021 052 8108 www.CaribouDesign.co.nz Christmas hours Design & Print Closing Tuesday 23rd December at 3:30pm Reopening Tuesday 6th January Design Deadline: All design needed before Christmas must be in before 1st December. BOOKYOURS IN NOW! Phone for a quote 07 866 4676 Endeavournt 18 Coghill Street, Whitianga Pri [email protected] | www.endeavourprint.co.nz Page 10 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Spring Festival celebrations at Kuaotunu Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten Flax weaving in Tairua On Sunday 9 November the Kuaotunu Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten celebrated the approach of summer with their annual Spring Festival. The children and parents enjoyed the beautiful weather, dancing around the spring pole to the music of violin and drum. Equine Barefoot Trimming Specialized barefoot trimmer down from Auckland Holistic barefoot trimmer looking to start a 5 weekly run in your area. Contact Emily on 021 027 19423 Or at [email protected] Natural Hoof, Healthy Horse! On Saturday 27 September and Saturday 8 November the well-known Whitianga flax weaving trio of Joanne Makiha, Helena James and Douglas Collier held two beginners flax weaving classes in Tairua. “Both days were great,” said Joanne. “Helena, Douglas and myself just love running these classes. We have met so many people and hearing them giggling and laugh is just the way we like it.” The trio have now started to hold more advanced classes in the wider Mercury Bay area as well, teaching students to how dye and to create a pikau (backpack) or a paki (flax cape). Watch this space for information on future classes. Pictured are the trio with some of their Tairua students and their creations. KUAOTUNU RUDOLF STEINER KINDERGARTEN 10 Year Anniversary Celebration 11am on Sunday 30th November 2014 Past & present children & parents & all the wonderful people that have helped to establish our beautiful Kindergarten are warmly invited to join us for our 10 year Anniversary Celebration. Come & enjoy a morning of music, shared food & performances with us. 1 Irishtown Road, Kuaotunu WhitiIT Local & Friendly IT/Computer Support Call Ethan Lessiter: 0800 FIX 4 ME (0800 349 4 63) [email protected] WHITIANGA 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 SALES AND SERVICE EVERYTHING TV The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 11 23 November - International Day of Words By Len Salt I'm a maker of ballads right pretty I write ‘em right here in the street You can buy them all over the city Yours for a penny a sheet I'm a wordpecker out of the printers Out of the dens of Gin Lane I'll write up a scene on a counter Confessions and sins in the main Boys, confession and sins in the main One of my favourite “wordsmiths” is Mark Knopfler. His song “Madam Genevas” tells of a time when most of the worlds’ population could not read or write. We’ve come a long way since then. 23 November will be the International Day of Words and as the first New Zealand member of the Cesar Egido Serrano Foundation, I am honoured to have been asked to be the official “Ambassador of the Word” for this country. The day is the initiative of the Foundation, which has its headquarters Len Salt, author of this feature and New Zealand “Ambassador of the Word.” at the Museo de la Palabra (Museum of the Word) in Quero, Spain. Inside the museum, “The word is the bond of humanity" is carved into a large stone weighing over 1,000kg. Founder and president of the Foundation, César Egido Serrano, is quoted as saying, “I am convinced that the twenty first century is an era of understanding. The word has to be the bond of humanity and the only way to resolve conflicts has to be dialogue. This is in the hands of future generations, who in turn will become our future leaders.” The Day of Words is celebrated this year with a global “Flash Fiction” competition which carries a first prize of US$20,000. The aim is to raise awareness of the need for dialogue as a fundamental tool for the eradication of all violence. You don’t have to be a writer to get involved. So long as you share a fundamental belief in the power of words to promote peaceful dialogue, you are welcome to participate in the celebrations. Throughout history words have been used to promote peaceful resolution of conflicts wherever possible. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right which is valued by democracies and feared by dictators. Oscar nominated movie “The Book Thief” is based on the book burnings of the Nazi era in Europe leading up to the Second World War. Some of the world’s greatest scientists, writers, poets and philosophers were targeted by the Nazis and their books burned by the thousands. German author Heinrich Heine, whose work was also burned, wrote the famous admonition, “Where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people.” A personal hero of mine is Malala Yousafzai who, at the age of fourteen, was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for promoting the rights of girls to go to school in Pakistan. Far from silencing her, Malala recovered and went on to become a joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, helping to spread her message around the world. Ironically, the Islamic universities of the Middle East were some of the first and finest centres of learning known to history. Those contributions have been overshadowed by the actions of extremists in trying to control what people, particularly girls and women, are allowed to read and to learn. Words equal power. The power to start wars and the power to end them. The power to spread hate and dissent, but also the power to understand, question, debate and change. The International Day of Words hopes to re-connect people across the globe with the vision that dialogue, negotiation and compromise should be the first stop on the way to peaceful co-existence, not the last one after the violence and bloodshed has achieved nothing but sorrow. For more information go to www.dayofwords.com/en. AutoCare Whitianga Limited Trading As Subaru Authorised Parts & Service Centre We Will Service & Repair Any Make & Model WoF Electronic Diagnostics On Car Brake Lathe New & Used Vehicle Sales # Tyres~Fitted & Balanced Test Drive the exciting new 2014 Subaru XV Today! Call Wayne Wilson & the Team 6 Abrahamson Drive E: [email protected] # 07 866 4134 Vehicles sold in conjunction with Bay Subaru • Bad sleep • Sore back • Sore neck Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Page 12 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 CT A F ! PROPERTY INFORMER Here are 5 great reasons to choose Harcourts 1. 2. 3. 4. Harcourts is New Zealand's most trusted Real Estate Brand 2013/2014. We give back to our local community through the Harcourts Foundation. Harcourts is ranked No. 1 online by Nielsen Online Rankings. Harcourts has been operating since 1888. New Zealand's largest real estate group. 5. Harcourts is in NINE countries. Call our duty agent on 07 866 4981 today! MORTGAGEE AUCTION SOLD BY CLIVE Wednesday 3rd December 2014 at 12.00 Harcourts Property Manager Beth Evans AREINZ 021 153 8593 28B White Street AFFORDABLE, RENTER – 2 BDRM TENANTED Rob Ball 021 0238 9767 4 Tarapatiki Drive $625,000 SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS - approx 268 sqm floor Peter MacGregor 027 224 7332 Bronee Stanfield 027 2929 742 243C Cook Drive $429,000 GREAT LOCATION NEXT TO RESERVE Katrina Carlyon 021 724 200 2c/8 The Esplanade MORTGAGEE SALE BY AUCTION Peter MacGregor 027 224 7332 19 The Dividend, Pauanui 9B Hannan Road $360,000 TOP SPOT – 3 bdrm Katrina Carlyon 021 724 200 38A Catherine Crescent $329,000 PRICED TO SELL! 3 BDRM Peter MacGregor 027 224 7332 16 Ohuka Place COMMITTED SELLER – Big home, great views Katrina Carlyon 021 724 200 37 Robinson Road $550,000 ENVIABLE RIVER VIEWS – Grandstand! Marie Osborn 027 433 4027 173 BUFFALO BEACH ROAD $715,000 13 POHUTAKAWA GROVE $739,000 3 BDRM, 3 BTHRM, 3 CAR GARAGING BIG HOME, BIG VIEWS, PRIVACY Helen Larsen 027 263 2344 Noelene Bellingham 027 280 8477 HARCOURTS - WE’RE WHERE YOU ARE WE’RE YOUR LOCALS! 71 Albert Street, Whitianga Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 13 Museum Musings with Richard Gates The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 is a signal event in our nation’s history. It was at that time, day, month and year that Great Britain, France and Germany signed the armistice in a railway carriage in the forest of Compiègne, northern France and ended the 1914/18 Great War. A war in which New Zealand suffered staggering losses. To mark the anniversary of this early 20th century “war to end all wars,” the Mercury Bay Museum has recently opened a commemorative display in which the sacrifice of young servicemen from the Mercury Bay area is honoured. It features display cases of fascinating memorabilia, equipment, artifacts and medals. A large video screen continuously shows high definition reproductions of photographs taken in the Middle-East, Gallipoli and the Western Front during the war - where Kiwi's fought and died. Also displayed are poignant letters and diaries kindly donated by descendants of those courageous men who served between 1914 and 1918. A placard lists the names of the 35 Mercury Bay men who lost their lives fighting for King and Country during the Great War. Many of these names will be familiar. 100,444 Kiwi servicemen and nurses, both Pakeha and Maori, served during the war, 10 per cent of New Zealand's total population. Of those 16,697 were killed and 41,317 wounded. A casualty rate of 58 per cent. Given the then sparse population between Kuaotunu and Whenuakite, the loss of 35 young local men was a tragedy that affected all in the community. Those scars never fade. assembling much of the memorabilia and artifacts for display are appreciated. Thanks are also due to John Henson for his professional design of the display and Barry Madden, carpenter par excellence. Finally, on behalf of the Museum Trust Board, appreciative thanks are due to museum curator Ron Morgan, his assistant Shenagh Gleeson and museum volunteers. Collectively they put in long hours of research to ensure the Great War display is historically accurate in all facets. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.” The Museum welcomes descendants of those who fought in the Great War to view the display as well as local and out of town visitors. Many people were involved in assembling this excellent commemorative display. The museum's thanks go to the Mercury Bay Returned Services Association and the Mercury Bay Business Association for their financial support. To The Warehouse grateful thanks for donating the high definition TV screen. To Heather Meikle and Tony Pilmer of the Mercury Bay Historical Society, your dedication and outstanding work in assisting in the acquisition and Heather Meikle of the Mercury Bay Historical Society on Armistice Day (11 November last week) just after the formal opening of the Mercury Bay Museum’s new World War One display. Heather had, fittingly, the honour of cutting the ribbon. Tile & Grout restoration work including cleaning, repair work Grout clear/colour sealing, re-colouring silicone work Shower glass/glass cleaning/treatment Phone/txt Jack 021 775 118 NZ made beds - great quality, service and price Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Page 14 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Whitianga’s HAMR Home Building Contractors on top in House of the Year awards BUILDING CONTRACTOR Quality workmanship guaranteed Design-Build or Your Plan Whitianga’s HAMR Home Building Contractors was last Saturday evening announced as the New Zealand-wide category winner for houses between $600,000 and $1 million in the Registered Master Builders 2014 House of the Year awards. They received the award for an exceptional house in Whitianga’s Centennial Drive (pictured). They were up against ten other regional finalists in taking out the title. “We are overwhelmed with the achievement,” said Richard Warwick, owner of HAMR Home Building Contractors. “It’s only our second year of entering the awards and it was completely unexpected. It’s a team effort, though and I would like to thank all our staff, suppliers and subcontractors. Without them we would never have been able to achieve this.” Alterations & Maintenance Now available for more work in all areas Contact Bernie on any of the following Mob 0274 946 019 Ph 866 4877 Fax 866 4879 Email: [email protected] Kitchens Bathrooms WardroBes Furniture shopFitting Custom Renovations or neW Builds 17 Coghill Street, Whitianga. Phone 07 866 4513, [email protected]. www.dimax.co.nz WHITIANGA ELECTRICAL & REFRIGERATION SERVICE 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 15 What’s On the next few weeks Sponsored by Dive Zone Whitianga Tel (07) 867 1580 Rolla-Tilta-Sectional and custom made doors Garages Automatic Openers Houses We service all makes and models Sleepouts Your design or ours 5 Year warranty on all new doors and openers Licensed building practitioners All concrete work Ph 07 866 5544 or 027 493 2691 71a Cook Drive, Whitianga www.hoylandcontracting.co.nz Whitianga 07 866 0070 • Spouting • Roofing • Water treatments systems • Septic tanks • Hot Water cylinders • New Housing • Alterations • General Maintenance • Solar water heating • All LPG gas installation • Kitchens • Laundries • Vanities • Walk in robes • Splash backs • Media Units Contact Carol Harker: 866 4111 or 027 22 66 289 www.kitchensoncoromandel.co.nz WHITIANGA 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Page 16 Op-Shops At Social Services, 2 Cook Drive, Whitianga. Open Monday to Friday, 9:00am - 4:30pm. Social Services Op-Shop, Coghill Street (west of Albert Street), Whitianga. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:00am - 1:00pm. The Church Op-Shop, at St Andrews by the Sea Community Church, Owen Street, Whitianga. Open Thursday to Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm. St John Op-Shop, Coghill Street (east of Albert Street), Whitianga. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am - 4:00pm. Phone 869 5416. Every first Saturday of the month a special promotion. Free Community Meals At St Andrews by the Sea Community Church, Albert Street, Whitianga. Phone St Andrews on 867 1102 or email [email protected] for more information. Mercury Bay Community Bus Available for transport to hospital, specialist or health related appointments outside of the Whitianga area. Phone 866 4993 for information and bookings. “Whitianga Movers and Losers” (the Old WW’s) Wednesdays 5:00pm - 6:00pm at St Peters Anglican Church, Dundas St, Whitianga. $2 donation (to cover cost of room rent). We promote a slow, steady weight loss based on eating well, nourishing foods and moving more - towards maintaining our our ideal weight and optimal health. New members always welcome. Whitianga Tramping Group Tramps every second Sunday. All welcome. Phone Bev on 869 5457 or Deidre on (021) 101 2388 for more information. Whitianga Senior Citizens Club Meet Mondays in the Whitianga Town Hall, 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Bowls, scrabble, card games, housie etc. Afternoon tea, 55 plus age group. Contact Pam Phillips (president) 866 5908 for more information. Bridge Clubs Mercury Bay Contract Bridge Club meets every Wednesday. Hahei Bridge Club meets every Tuesday. Phone Anne Knowles on 866 5686 for more information. Whitianga Art Group Meet every Thursday and Friday at the Art Centre in School Road, Whitianga. New members welcome. Phone Heather on 866 4474 or Maryanne on 866 4099 for more information. SeniorNet Whitianga Incorporated Classes held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at various times. We give older adults an opportunity to demistify their computers and to learn more about new communications and information technology. Contact Lorna Russell on 866 4215 for more information or to join. Mercury Bay Creative Fibre Group Spinning, weaving, dyeing, everything to do with fibre. Meet the first and third Wednesday of every month from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Whitianga Town Hall. Phone Betty on 867 1233 for more information. Te Reo Maori Classes Every Thursday at 6:00pm at the Mercury Bay Community Boardroom, 10 Monk Street, Whitianga (behind the TCDC offices). All levels welcome. Cost - koha. Bring a plate to share. Whitianga Probus Club Meet on the fourth Monday of every month at the Mercury Bay Bowling Club, 92 Cook Drive, Whitianga. Friendly club for seniors. Visitors welcome. Phone Arnold or Vivienne Leigh on (07) 869 5995 for more information. Whitianga Toy Library Isabella Street (off Coghill St), Whitianga. Open Tuesday 4pm - 6:30pm and Friday 10am - 12.30pm. New members welcome. Youth Space (Whitianga Social Services) Corner of Bryce Street and Cook Drive, Whitianga. Wednesdays after school - kayaking/outdoors (for 12 - 18 year olds). Thursdays after school - fitness for 16 year olds plus. Fridays after school indoor activities (open age). Phone 866 4472 for more information. “Absolutely Fabulous” by the Mercury Bay Players Thursday 20 - Saturday 22 November at the Mercury Bay Club, Cook Drive, Whitianga. With comperes Abby Lawrence as Patsy and Karen Carroll as Edina and an absolutely fabulous cast of local artists. Starts at 7:30. Free admission. Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club Troy Wheeler Contracting Icebreaker Tournament Saturday 22 November. Cash prizes for snapper, trevally, kingfish and hapuku and $1,500 cash for the fish closest to the average weight. More information at www.gamebase.co.nz. Dive Zone Dive Festival Friday 28 - Sunday 30 November in Whitianga. Includes an underwater photo competition, treasure hunts, scuba olympics, and dinner and dancing at Salt Restaurant and Bar. See www.divefestival.co.nz for more information. Thunder Beach 2014 Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 November. Includes Metzeler Show and Shine and parade through Whitianga. More information at www.thunderbeach.co.nz. Norther Region Flying Competition Friday 28 - Sunday 30 November at the Whitianga Aerodrome. Including precision flying, aerobatics, life raft dropping, formation flying and streamer cutting. Weekly Church Services Mercury Bay Co-operating Parish St Andrews by the Sea Community Church, 9:30am every Sunday worship service and kids friendly Bible sessions with Rev Mary Petersen, Albert St, Whitianga. Anglican Services St Peter the Fisherman, 9:30am Sunday services. All are welcome, Dundas St, Whitianga. Crossroad Encounter Fellowship 10:00am Sundays, cnr Joan Gaskell Drive and Cook Drive, Whitianga. St Patrick’s Catholic Church Weekend Mass Saturday 5:30pm and Sunday 8.30am, Monday - Friday 9:00am (except Tuesday no Mass, Wednesday 12:00 noon). Tairua Sunday 10:30am, Tuesday 9:00am, tel 866 2189. Whitianga Baptist Church 10:00am every Sunday, children’s programme, 112 Cook Drive, Whitianga, tel 866 4027. C3 Whitianga 10:30am every Sunday, children’s programme, 23 Coghill St, Whitianga, email [email protected]. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) Meet on Sundays 10:00am - 11:30am in the Mercury Bay Community Boardroom (at the back of TCDC’s offices at 10 Monk Street, Whitianga). Children’s programme. Phone 021 277 2126 for more information. Seventh Day Adventists Home study group. Phone Laurie/Lois on 866 2808 for more information. HEATPUMPS • We supply and install. • Call for a no-obligation free quote. The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Indonesian children to benefit from Tairua’s Paddle for Humanity Senior students at Tairua School are learning first-hand about the huge difference they can make to the lives of children in poorer countries with a humanitarian charity event that’s also a lot of fun. Paddle for Humanity on 29 November is a fundraiser organised by Tairua School’s student leaders, which brings together people to paddle any manner of craft across Tairua harbour for a small registration fee. For those that prefer to stay out of the water, a walk for humanity takes participants around the harbour as an alternative. Registrations are taken from 12:30pm at the reserve opposite the Tairua Surf Club on Paku Drive before paddlers and walkers head wither over water or land to the school for live music, a prize giving, sausage sizzle and BYO picnic. A registration fee of $5 and raffles helped the school previously to raise thousands of dollars to rebuild a school in Masokut village, Indonesia, which was all but wiped out by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2010. Houses, crops, peoples livelihood’s and the local school were obliterated by the wave and since then the school was reopened with the most limited of resources This will be the fourth Paddle for Humanity event, which was started by a group of senior students at Tairua School as part of an enquiry into connecting to communities far away from their world. Says Principal Brendon Finn, “We sat down together and discussed what it means to be a global citizen and how the students thought they would like to make a difference to other people outside of their own circle of friends, their own community.” Many of the students like surfing and as they looked into selfless New Zealanders who had done great things for others, the name Dave Jenkins, who founded Surf Aid International, came up. Surf Aid International is a non-profit humanitarian organisation that works to improve the health and self-reliance of people in isolated regions where surfers travel. The money raised through this year’s Paddle for Humanity event will deliver life-changing improvements to remote corners of Indonesia through Surf Aid International and Friends of East Indonesia, a local humanitarian charity started by Tairua builder Ed Eliot whose son Mitchell was among the first group of students to organise the fundraiser. Ed has just returned from West Timor where his charity is installing a water filtration unit that will supply uncontaminated drinking water to between 1,500 and 2,000 school children. It has been set up so that water will also be sold to visiting surfers and tourists, therefore creating a self-sustaining supply. Friends of East Indonesia also provided new text books to schools and sanitising stations outside classrooms to help with disease prevention. Ed says he is inspired by the work of Surf Aid International, which is now a huge charitable organisation dealing in tens of thousands of dollars, Ed Eliot, Friends of East Indonesia charity founder, talks with Tairua School student leaders about how Paddle for Humanity will help Indonesian children. but he has also been buoyed by the support of donors who see what a small, grassroots charity like Friends of East Indonesia can achieve with very little. “We’re aiming to get into another ten schools where there are probably high levels of disease and malaria. You see the tiny little graves and it brings it home, the first birthday is the biggest birthday because getting to age one is a big event there.” Tairua students embraced the fundraiser as part of the school’s Global Citizenship programme - a concept that Mr Finn says was introduced into the school curriculum For more information and photo’s visit our website to meet the changing needs of society. “Our curriculum requires the students to make sense of the world around them and encourages learning opportunities outside the classroom in their immediate, national and global environment. So getting online and researching with connections around the world is part of projects they work on.” Student leader Vita Rowe-Smith says the students were inspired to hear firsthand about the work that Ed Eliot is doing. “We talked with Ed about what he’s doing and wanted to support his charity as much as we can.” • Inspection Drilling • Cone Penetrometer Tests • Ground Anchoring • Foundations - Excavations • Drilling - Piling • Retaining Walls - Digger Hire Website www.testdrill.co.nz Email [email protected] Mike 0274 720 882 Ph/Fax 07 866 4643 If you come here for a rest, you deserve a decent sleep Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 17 3 1 95 4 6 2 87 Sudoku Fishing Report with Alan Proctor Sponsored by H&M Pascoe Tel 0274 852 046 Puzzle 611 Name: ___________________________________________________________ Tel no: ___________________________________________________________ Fill in the boxes using the numbers 1 to 9. Every row and column, and every group of nine boxes inside the thick lines, must contain each number only once. Deliver or mail your entry to The Mercury Bay Informer, 14 Monk St, Whitianga or PO Box 426, Whitianga, to reach us by 4:00pm Friday each week. The weekly prize is one free Current Release from Civic Video, Whitianga. The winner must please claim his/her prize from Civic Video directly. Reasonably pleasant conditions under a clear sky the weekend before last gave way to cold, blustery showers during the week and unfortunately all this activity is coming up from the deep south. For the next month or so, fishers will be praying for a couple of decent north easterly blows, which is the direction from which the warmer water we are looking for, will come. With water temps still hovering around 15.5 degrees, the sou’westers we are being battered with are doing nothing to help. While this is great news for beach property owners battling with nature to protect their eroding land and we haven’t yet had cause to set off every member of the public with an opinion on where the overflow of boat trailer parking should take place, it does have an effect on the non-resident property owners who sometimes delay their visits to town if they are doubtful of good fishing, but will rush to town at every opportunity in the height of the fishing season especially when billfish and larger tuna varieties are present. Looking at the present, not too much has changed since last week with the tap definitely turned down, although, fortunately, not right off. Fishers in the Puddle who were having a ball just several weeks ago are now finding it a little hit and miss, although one regularly successful angler is happy to share some Last week’s solution Last week’s winner - Margaret Henry tips. With plenty of sign on the fish finder, if you are not getting any action, do not be afraid to move around a little. The outgoing tide in 10 - 25 m will put you in about the right place at about the right time and while he is doing well on soft baits, squid is the smelly bait of choice at this time of year. Some deep sea bottom fishing during the weekend before last proved fruitful for at least a couple of crews, with one hapuku topping 20kg on the scales. The location of the areas currently holding hapuku tends to be a closely guarded secret as the adult of this species is largely territorial and when lots of the big ones are taken, it can be quite a while before they are replaced by similar sized fish. Hammering the same reef again and again or stringing nets up that are likely to catch most fish in a particular location on these deep reefs is not very helpful. So most guys that head out wide every now and then for a few bottom fish will justifiably keep their best spots a secret for as long as possible. Snapper fishing in and just outside the Bay has been fairly hard work with many trips resulting in just a few fish and the more successful trips have had to have been of longer duration. A by-catch which includes gurnard will always put a smile on your face and this has proved the saving grace on a number of trips. This Saturday, 22 November, is the scheduled day for our first fishing tournament of the season - the Troy Wheeler Contracting Icebreaker Tournament. Cash prizes for snapper, trevally, kingfish and hapuku and $1,500 cash for the fish closest to the average weight. With $3,000 up for grabs and only a $25 entry fee, this is a great tournament to start the season off and everyone is welcome to enter. If you don’t already belong to our club, an extra $15 will buy you a day membership. Entry forms are at our club or on our website www. gamebase.co.nz. Tight lines, Alan Coromandel Real Estate Photographers * * * * * Professional Photography Daytime or Twilight Full Screen walkthroughs or video Drone/Elevated /Aerial photography Houses - Farms - Motels - Baches Open 6 days - SALES SERVICES & REPAIRS Ph 07 867 1280 Alan Duff 021 116 2266 - 07 866 3590 E: [email protected] W: crep.co.nz - @crep_alan www.hurry4curry.co.nz Page 18 Keeping you on the water Delicious Affordable Indian Food 39 Albert Street, Whitianga (Westpac Arcade) Ph 07 866 2666 Open Lunch 11 - 2 Dinner 5 onwards The one stop shop for all your boating needs. Located at 14 Moewai Road Whitianga (Out by the Airport) Deals on now... Sounders, Fish Finders and New Outboard Engines *Ask us about Mercury Finance “We know marine and we know great deals” Lunch Special 1/2 Curry and 1/2 Rice & Pappadam $5.95* Chicken or Vegetarian Available Tues & Thurs *(Lamb, Beef and Prawn Extra) The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Whitianga’s newest accountant on three years in the outback It’s no secret that Mercury Bay is a sought-after location for people retiring or semi-retiring or embarking on a second chapter of their lives. The result is some people with very interesting experiences living in the local community. No exception is new Whitianga accountant Graeme Matthews and his wife Manisha, who permanently made Mercury Bay their home earlier this year. Graeme was for many years the chief financial officer of Ports of Auckland, the family all too often escaping to their holiday home in Centennial Heights. Four years ago, with the kids all doing their own thing, including a daughter living in Australia, Graeme and Manisha thought it was time to experience life across the Tasman. They sold up in Auckland and ended up in a town called Clermont, three hours inland from the Queensland coast and by road not even halfway to the city of Longreach, which, in turn, is not even halfway to the Queensland/Northern Territory border. “I took a three year contract with the Isaac Regional Council [IRC],” Graeme said. “Initially I had to manage the Council’s commercial assets, but they were going through a lot of restructuring and I ended up being caretaker CFO. Included in what I had to do was a lot of troubleshooting, sorting out the fleet, airports, cattle yards, things like that. “The scale of things in outback Australia is just immense. IRC covers an area almost as big as the state of Tasmania, but the permanent population is under 25,000 people. The economy is based on coal, cattle and cotton. The scale of the coal mining is difficult to comprehend. Virtually the entire area sits on two coal seams. There are mines, open cast and underground, everywhere. An Indian company is busy developing their own mine for all the coal to be exported to India. They’re even building their own railway line from the mine to the coast. “Around Clermont were two mines. When the industry was at its peak in 2011, there were 24 charter flights every week with mine workers flying in and out.” As is expected, Graeme has many interesting stories to tell. A few of them stand out. “One day,” he said (as all good stories are supposed to start), “I had to do some work in St Lawrence on the coast, halfway between Rockhampton and Mackay. It’s a really small place, a railway line and a pub. At the end of the day I popped into the pub for a glass of Chardonnay. I placed my order and there was this confusing silence. And then the barman told me they don’t actually stock wine. So, I settled for a XXXX beer, which the barman promptly handed to me out of a chilly bin. It turned out that the chest freezer, where the beers are normally being kept, was broken. At least my beer was cold.” And then there is the story of the cultural centre in Capella, a town with about 800 residents 45 minutes southeast of Clermont and 320km west of Rockhampton. “Really in the middle of nowhere,” Graeme said. “But with this massive multi-million dollar in and outdoor cultural centre. I mean, the entire town can almost fit into the main auditorium. One cannot help to ask, why on earth was the centre built there? “They did succeed to attract class acts, though. Once we went to see famous American soul group The Drifters perform. There weren’t even 40 people in the audience. One of the group members looked at the audience and asked, ‘Did you all come in one car?’ “One time, when our son in London came to visit us, we went to watch a performance by this group of Irish musicians. It was one time the auditorium was packed out. But my It’s digital. Call for all your installation and maintenance needs. Contact us, your dedicated LOCAL Mercury Bay installer. son was stunned, because he knew the group. They used to perform in London in front of sell-out audiences, night after night. And here we were, watching them in this state of the art facility in this tiny town in the Aussie outback.” Clermont is only an hour east of the Queensland Sapphire Gemfields. “It’s possible for anyone to get a permit and fossick for sapphires in the gemfields,” Graeme said. He then talked about the Star of Queensland, the world’s biggest black sapphire that was found outside Rubyvale, in the heart of the gemfields. “Its first owner actually used it for a doorstop for more than a decade. I’ve heard it’s now worth more than 80 million dollars.” So, what brought Graeme and Manisha to Mercury Bay? “We have the house in Whitianga,” Graeme answered. “And look, after three years in the Aussie outback, Mercury Bay is really where we wanted to be. I’m looking forward to the challenge of getting my accountancy practice off the ground. Instead of helping a local council to count cattle and cars, I’m going to help people to count money. “And Mercury Bay has some similarities with the Clermont area,” he laughed. “Clermont has half the amount of people, but the same number of pubs.” Graeme Matthews with his wife Manisha. ASSOCIATED BUSINESS SERVICES LTD Friendly and supportive services provided by a Chartered Accountant, with experience in managing own small manufacturing business Located at Whitianga, we offer • Accounting & Bookkeeping • Business Planning • Tax Services in the Mercury Bay and Coromandel Peninsula To discuss, please contact Graeme on 07 8695 973 or 021 212 4118 5 Monk Street, Whitianga Office Ph: 07 8671087 Email: [email protected] Local assistance with subdivisions, site surveys and boundary pegging 19 Monk Street, Whitianga Tel 0800 268 632 www.surveyingservices.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 David: 027 4994833 Tracey: 027 4907988 See us for all your land development, planning and resource consent requirements. The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz www.plannersplus.co.nz Page 19 To the Editor See page 2 for our requirements with regard to letters and contributions Dear Editor - Referendum on a New Flag I applaud John Chilwell for rubbishing the flag referendum. If his idea of scrapping all flags is not a goer, I suggest proposing a simple sketch of a herring - in red - to represent what the Government really intends by raising this issue. I doubt if many Kiwis would care enough about other nations’ flags to be able to identify more than ten or so and I would not expect many of those nations to care much what flag we fly either, but the flag can arouse positive nationalistic emotions which distract people from anything negative the government is doing. David Lynch Mercury Bay SeniorNet Update with Mavis Hicks The SeniorNet Christmas Social will be held on Thursday 27 November at 2:00pm. The venue is the SeniorNet Room at the Whitianga Community Services Trust, 2 Cook Drive. I hope to see our members there. The committee has been planning the schedule 2015, but there is still time to put forward suggestions for classes. This is your organisation and your input is needed and important. With summer almost here, families and friends visiting and the usual Christmas festivities, it’s a busy time. Still, there is always time to make present lists. There are so many interesting new computer related items available now, it’s difficult to choose. But for all the non-SeniorNet readers, don’t forget your senior family members and friends like new techie toys as well. Anything from a USB stick to a new laptop, phone or even a PS4 plus games (of course) could be a good item for them on your list. An interesting item in the news the oldest lady in Minnesota is 113 years old and she is staying active and engaged with her new iPad. She has joined Facebook and Facetime, but had difficulty selecting her birthday date to register. The oldest year available was 1905, so she had to twist the truth and say she was 99. She wrote and told Facebook about the problem. In the last month there have been many warnings about security. If you receive a call supposedly from the bank and the caller gives you a phone number to check back to them - beware! It may be rerouted. Use your own bank phone number to verify the call. There have been warnings about apps created overseas that have a programme that allows invasion of devices. The warning is not to download Apps unless they are from your devices store. Dear Editor - Scott’s Thoughts in The Informer of 11 November The Mercury Bay Business Association is aware of the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) extension opportunities for Whitianga and the huge potential it has to enhance our town and grow business for this area. According to the National Party’s pre-election announcement, Whitianga was amongst a number of "potential target areas" for UFB by 2019. It is one of a few key objectives of this Business Association to not only take us off the "potential" list, but to have us firmly on the must do list by 2019 or earlier if possible. With our MP Scott Simpson strongly supporting us as per the “Scott's Thoughts” column in The Informer dated 11 November, this will help bolster our process. As we all know Whitianga has grown significantly over the past two censuses with over 22 per cent in the 2006 census and 16 per cent in the latest census and is continuing to grow as we speak. The Mercury Bay Business Association is gearing itself for this growth and thank our local MP Scott Simpson for his valued support of the UFB opportunity that we as both a community and business members must strive to achieve for this area to continue to flourish and grow. Gary Fitzsimons - Chairman of the Mercury Bay Business Association Whitianga Yet another great Robinson Road Seafood Party Last Saturday the eighth annual Robinson Road Scallop and Seafood Party was held at the Robinson Road, Whitianga property of Malcolm and Pauline Brown, better known for their involvement in the Mercury Bay X-Ray machine fundraising project. More than 40 Robinson Road residents and their friends and family attended what can easily be Whitianga’s biggest pot luck (all seafood) block party. Pauline is responsible for organising caps for each year’s party, this year she settled for a canary yellow. According to all who attended the party was, once again, a roaring success. MERCURY BAY POOLS LTD Concrete Swimming Pool Builders • Design and build new pools • Renovations of existing pools • Pool covers, auto or manual • Quality portable spa pools Contact Peter Thomas M: 0274 806 288 A/h 07 866 4358 www.mercurybaypools.co.nz Let us take care of it for you! • Window cleaning inside & out • Meet & greet holiday homes • Specialist cleaning for: • Meeting quests for instructions CLEANS Spring Builders Moving in or out Office & Commercial Sanitary bins & rules • Exit cleans & reports to owners for bond release • Key service for maintenance entry Whitianga Property Services Call Larry on 07 869 5998 or 021 172 0767 Page 20 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay X-Ray machine already proving its value Peninsula Home Kills SERVING THE WHOLE PENINSULA - 2011 Processing beef, sheep, pigs & all game Top quality sausages, bacon, ham & salami With the Mercury Bay X-Ray machine now in operation for about six weeks, stories are starting to circulate about the value the machine has for patients and their families who don’t have to travel to Thames anymore to have X-Rays taken. One such story is Elizabeth Till and her mother Cara (pictured outside the Mercury Bay X-Ray facility). When Elizabeth started to feel unwell towards the end of September this year, Dr Jeannie Hemmes of The Doctors Surgery in Whitianga referred her for a chest X-Ray to check for pneumonia. Great was Cara’s surprise when she received a call from Val Elgie, the radiographer operating the Mercury Bay machine, asking Elizabeth to come to the Mercury Bay X-Ray facility in Coghill Street, Whitianga for her X-Ray. “It was such a relief not to go to Thames,” Cara said. “Val was wonderful. She took such good care of Elizabeth. We had the X-Ray taken in the morning and in the afternoon the doctor phoned with recommendations.” According to Chris Rendle, chairman of the community trust that owns the Mercury Bay X-Ray machine, the machine has taken about 200 X-Rays since it became operational. There’s a relatively even split between X-Rays involving ACC and X-Rays requiring Waikato District Health Board approval. g Knife sharpenin . le b la service avai Phone Nick Burcombe 866 3970 or 021 2125 260 21 Rangihau Road, Coroglen Pre purchase home inspections PENINSULA NAIL GUN SERVICING Ph Ian Sloane 866 4235 027 7263 797 Your local caring funeral directors Over 25 years experience in the building trade Whitianga Tractors & EQUIPMENT CENTRE Sales Repairs Maintenance TRACTORS & SMALL ENGINES • Modern chapel & viewing room • • Excellent sound system • • Ample parking • Celebrants available • Dave and Karen Phone 07 867 1046 a/hrs 0275 832 343 Email [email protected] Dakota Drive Whitianga Funeral Directors for over 140 years Tel (07) 868 6003 Your local Husqvarna dealer • Bad sleep • Sore back • Sore neck Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 21 US Style Crossword © The New York Times ACROSS Puzzle US 611 Name: ___________________________________________________________ Tel no: ___________________________________________________________ Go in the draw to win a weekend for two in Queenstown next winter (transport to Auckland Airport, flights, accommodation and $500 spending money included). Deliver or mail (or scan and email) your entry to The Mercury Bay Informer, 14 Monk St, Whitianga or PO Box 426, Whitianga, to reach us by 6:00pm Sunday each week. The winner will be notified by phone. No correspondence will be entered into once the winner has been notified. Conditions apply. DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB BY ANDREW J RIES / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ Last week’s solution 1 Charged things 5 Actress Normand of the silents 10 Like some textbook publishers 14 Wee bit 18 Instruments with flared bells 20 Perfume with an accent in its name 21 Locker-room user 22 Motorola smartphone 23 Oscar winner who would make a lousy anesthesiologist? 25 Spotlight 27 Who’s there? 28 Glove-box item 30 N.F.L. rarity 31 It’s faster than the blink of an eye: Abbr. 32 Scrubs wearers, for short 33 Punk rocker who would make a lousy grocer? 35 Milk dispenser 37 Bieber Fever, e.g. 38 Piano-playing cat, once 39 Horror author who would make a lousy firefighter? 43 Fr. title 45 Cold 49 Red Baron, e.g. 50 Pitcher of milk? 52 “That feels goo-oo-ood” 54 Cosmetician ___ Laszlo 55 La Scala segment 56 Inclined 57 Action star who would make a lousy freerange farmer? 60 Singers do it 61 Historian’s interest 63 Smooths 64 Scholarship name 65 “The Hunger Games” and others 67 Theme park with a spherical landmark 68 Defeat decisively 69 Fiery 71 Jones of the original Stones 72 Contest winner’s feeling 73 Consumed 76 Bygone comic who would make a lousy baker? 78 Work at 79 Byzantine emperor known as “The Philosopher” 81 Like dollhouse furniture 82 French nobleman 83 Early eight-bit computer maker 85 Tom ___, big role in “The Purple Rose of Cairo” 86 Blades that sound like an allergic reaction 88 Elapse 90 Cabaret pianist who would make a lousy electrician? 92 The gamut 94 Dog-___ 96 Where to learn to draw? 97 Lawyer who would make a lousy antiCommunist leader? 101 Electronic music’s Daft Punk, e.g. 102 Junior’s challenge, for short 106 Org. replaced by the N.R.C. 107 Elaborate 108 Set side by side 110 More than plump 112 Singer who would make a lousy mohel? 114 German title 115 Michael of “Arrested Development” 116 Bother 117 Feints 118 ___ of the earth 119 Helmeted god 120 Window’s counterpart 121 Word before or after lime DOWN 1 John Wayne or Johnny Carson, by birth 2 Newspaper dept. 3 “Cape Fear” co-star 4 New England town official 5 Class ring, e.g. 6 Parliaments produce them 7 Air-conditioner fig. 8 Always, in verse 9 Reveals 10 God, with “the” 11 Genève’s lake 12 Toy holder 13 “Present” 14 Residents, eventually: Abbr. 15 Bonnie who sang “Nick of Time” 16 15-time All-Star shortstop Smith 17 Primp 19 Trig function 24 Cost for some plugs 26 Drifter outside a coffee shop? 29 Add one’s two cents about 33 Shocks 34 Sprint, e.g. 36 Con’s plan 37 Short-order sandwich 39 Deepest part 40 See 44-Down 41 “Can I leave now?” 42 Possessed 44 Big producer of 40-Down 46 Yearbook feature 47 “Picnic” playwright 48 “That ___ it!” 51 Immobilized, as one’s arm 53 Twain contemporary 56 Jerk 58 Summer setting in the Midwest: Abbr. 59 Cobbler’s aid 62 Wasn’t really 63 Fabulize 66 Annually 67 Fumble, say 68 Like some grins 69 Many authors have them: Abbr. 70 Horse halter 71 Osso ___ 72 Supersmooth 74 Asseverate 75 Gossip 77 Barbecue fryer? 78 Elbow, maybe 80 Many boomers, now 84 Still snoozing, say 85 One way to learn 87 Farm homes 89 Caviar sources 91 Main source of aluminum 93 Neighbor of Chiapas 95 Modern name of Mare Mecca 97 Campaign setback 98 Grasp 99 The planets, now 100 Subject of many a Turner landscape 101 Golfer David 103 Terrif 104 Posed 105 “The Gondoliers” girl 108 Things aircraft carriers carry 109 With 111 Alpine land: Abbr. 113 ___ chi NZ made beds - great quality, service and price Bedpost Whitianga - Your sleeping specialists Lee Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 2448 Page 22 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Movember progress UK Style Crossword © Lovatts Puzzles Puzzle UK 611 Name: ___________________________________________________________ Tel no: ___________________________________________________________ Win a $6 Big Wednesday ticket. Deliver or mail (or scan and email) your entry to The Mercury Bay Informer, 14 Monk St, Whitianga or PO Box 426, Whitianga, to reach us by 6:00pm Sunday each week. The winner must please claim his/her prize from the New World check out manager directly before the Wednesday the week following the issue in which he/she was announced the winner. The Whitianga Lions’ Movember campaign is in full swing. A few of those who signed up to grow mo’s during November came by The Informer’s offices the end of last week to show what progress they’re making. From left to right - Erwin Penwarden (campaign coordinator), Craig Scaman, Charlie Cunningham, Joe Whitham, Sherwin Lee, Ernie Pitchfork, Alastair MacKenzie, John Pedersen and Derryck Tomalin. Erwin said final judging will take place on 28 November at the Mercury Bay Club when the owners of the best moustaches will strut their stuff on the catwalk. It promises to be a very entertaining event and he encourages members of the public to come along and enjoy the fun. A bucket will be passed around on the evening for those who would like to financially support the campaign. People can also contribute to the campaign by making a deposit into the Whitianga Lions bank account at Westpac, account number 03-1578-0093244-01. All the money raised will go to the Movember Foundation, a global initiative committed to “changing the face of men’s health.” ECO PLUMBING & HEATING SOLUTIONS T HE O DD J OB M AN GARY VINCENT No job too small. Ph ROSS 027 444 7667 07 866 3374 [email protected] [email protected] 07 866 0059 021 1466 074 ACROSS 1. Orders 5. Green gemstone 7. Reservoir 8. Insulin-deficient person 9. Alternate ones 12. Spanned 15. Char 19. Get free 21. Hollow out 22. Wild cat 23. Compass point 24. Abandoned DOWN 1. Universe 2. Canadian leaf symbol 3. Artist’s naked models 4. Ice performer 5. Mocked 6. Go too far 10. Hawaiian dance 11. Peril 12. Receptacle 13. Charged particles 14. Carnival 15. Gentle wind 16. Deep blue pigment 17. Enlarge 18. Held for trial, on ... 19. Pitchers 20. Playful skip Last week’s solution Fuel delivered to your boat farm or business Suppliers of • Stainless • Zinc • Galvanised • nuts & bolts • screws • fasteners • nails sealants and a range of oils. 1 Abrahamson Drive, Whitianga Ph 07 866 2689 027 297 4299 Last week’s winner - Vicki Tomalin WHITIANGA 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 SALES AND SERVICE EVERYTHING TV The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 23 champions and Mates Classifieds & Public Notices Bowls in Bowls PUBLIC NOTICES Join the team from United Travel Whitianga and Go Holidays On Wed 26th November for our presentation on travelling to the UK & Europe in 2015. Hear about Villa stays & hotels, cruises and tours, car hire and cycling and walking holidays, Rsvp now to [email protected] or phone 866 4397 BIBLICAL SEERS INTENSIVE WORKSHOP Speaker - Ian Johnson Koha Venue - St. Andrews By The Sea, Whitianga. Fri 21 November 7pm. Sat 22 November 10am - 4pm. Enquiries - John 07 869 5054. WHITIANGA TOY LIBRARY Isabella Street (off Coghill St) Open Tuesday 4pm - 6:30pm and Friday 10am - 12.30pm. New members welcome. ~Toys for Hire~ RADIO OPERATOR AND SKIPPER COURSES VHF Radio Operator Course (over two nights) Mon 24 and Wed 26 November, 17:30 - 20:30pm both nights. $95 pp. Day Skipper (two full days) Sat 29 and Sun 30 November, 09:00am - 16:30pm hrs both days. $190 pp. Held at Whitianga Coastguard unit. Course content caters from novice through advanced. Contact Mat on 0274 762 651 or [email protected] to book or for more info. Pictured are Mercury Bay Bowling Club members Lynn Clifford and Doug Sargent who are now the Thames Valley region mixed pairs 2-4-2 champions for the 2014/15 season. Played at Thames on Monday and Tuesday 10 and 11 November, Lynn and Doug had to play four games each day and overcome very strong opposition from teams throughout the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains to secure the title. They will travel to Auckland in March next year to compete in the regional championships against teams from the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Counties Manukau. Success at the regional championships may well see them competing in the nationals later in the year. The Mercury Bay Bowling Club also would like to invite members of the community to take part in a series of fun days, called Mates in Bowls, with a view to attracting new members and future bowlers. For those who would like to take part in a non-contact sport, but enjoy friendly competition, good exercise plenty of fresh air and meet new people, come along and try your skills. Bowls are provided. All you need is flat soled shoes, mufti dress and $2 entry fee. Because of the size of the bowls in hand, it is a sport probably suited to players 12 years and over, although there are exceptions and with no upper age limit it can become a sport for life. The next Mates in Bowls day is this Sunday 23 November starting at 1:00pm at the Club, 92 Cook Drive, Whitianga. For more information Phone Gwyn on 866 0291. Classifieds & Public Notices PUBLIC AUCTION AGM MERCURY BAY BOARS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB INC Are holding their AGM on the 10th December at 6pm at Campbells Steak ‘n Ale House, Whitianga. Applications for officers now taken and close 5pm the 5th December 2014. All enquiries to Club Secretary Nickie Tane 07 866 2678 or 027 378 5998. Mercury Bay Pony Club MBPC OPEN TWILIGHT SHOW JUMPING SERIES 2014 Wednesdays 19th and 26th November and 3rd December. 4.00pm start. 2 Rounds only per mount - due to time limit. $5 per round. $5 ground fee per horse for non members of MBPC. *NZEF Rules apply. Burger and Drinks up for sale… YUM! *Rider can do what rounds they feel comfortable. *Please bring cash, pay on the night. *Email [email protected] for more info and if you will be attending! PROGRAM as follows ClassHeights 1 30-60cm - Optimum Time 30-60cm - Speed 2 65-75cm - Speed 65-75cm - Jump off 3 80-90cm - Speed 80-90cm - Jump off 4 95cm-1m - Speed 95cm-1m - Jump Off Page 24 SITUATIONS VACANT HOUSEKEEPING STAFF WANTED AT THE ADMIRALTY LODGE Must have prior cleaning experience in similar business, must be hardworking and dependable, honest and able to work as a team. Please apply in person at 69 Buffalo Beach Road, Whitianga. 07 866 0181 CINEMA HOLIDAY STAFF REQUIRED Casual shifts on short notice over the holidays. Applicants must be honest and reliable and be able to pick up shifts at short notice. Apply in person. Contact Gisella to arrange a time. Phone 021 111 5027. The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Landing a spacecraft on a comet - we need to dream big dreams By Alastair Brickell - Owner of Stargazers Astronomy Tours at Kuaotunu Last week saw a never to be repeated event in human history… the first landing on a comet by a spacecraft. The Rosetta mission to Comet 67P is an absolute triumph of mathematics and physics and has been avidly followed by visitors to Stargazers Astronomy Tours at Kuaotunu. This audacious mission by the European Space Agency was launched over ten years ago and was a seemingly impossible attempt to rendezvous with a speeding comet, follow it for a year and even try and land a small spacecraft on the comet itself. Comets are small space objects which have been described as dirty snowballs or snowy dirtballs as they are composed mainly of ice and a bit of cosmic dust that formed at the same time as the planets and sun and are a precious clue to the formation of our solar system. As they whip around the sun on their elliptical orbits, they heat up and water and dust shoot off them - leaving a trail of glowing debris which we see as a beautiful tail stretching thousands of kilometres behind them. In order to gain enough speed to catch up with comet 67P, travelling at 17km a second, Rosetta had to gain speed by stealing some from Mars which it passed by once and the Earth which it passed by three times. This extra boost finally paid off on 6 August when it caught up with its target after a decade and sent back stunning photos of the 4x2km comet nucleus from only 10km away. Previous missions to comets had only dared to get within 600km to avoid damage from the high speed dust. As if that was not impressive enough, Rosetta shot a small 100kg fridge-sized lander, Philae, onto the comet’s surface last week. As the comet has almost no gravity (the lander only weighs one gram on the comet’s surface) and due to the malfunction of landing harpoons, Philae was unable to stay attached to the surface. It bounced two times, shooting 1km above the surface and finally settled under a cliff where sunlight unfortunately could not adequately recharge its solar batteries which are now flat. However, Philae had already completed 90 per cent of its scientific observations and sent back detailed photos of the weird surface structures of the comet and may well wake up when the comet approaches closer to the sun in August 2015. Amazingly there is a little piece of New Zealand on the Rosetta spacecraft. Auckland-based company Rakon has supplied high tech quartz crystal A photo taken by the Rosetta of the nucleus of comet 67P. The photo was taken from only 10km away. oscillators that have been used to the first time ever in a similar manner to generate precisely timed radio signals a CAT scan for humans. There can be few better examples of sent from Rosetta, which travelled through the comet and were received human vision coupled with calculus, by the Philae lander on the other side physics and persistence to inspire the as Rosetta travelled on its orbit around scientists of the future. We need to dream the comet. This allowed the density and big dreams! structure of a comet to be determined for Classifieds & Public Notices WANTED HOUSE FOR REMOVAL WANTED Please phone (021) 027 45654 GOT a DEAD or ALIVE VEHICLE $ $ $ Free removal, cash paid Peninsula wide 0800 227 3867 SITUATIONS VACANT COROMANDEL OUTDOOR LANGAUAGE CENTRE Homestay Families Due to an increase in numbers of students wishing to come to Whitianga, the Coromandel Outdoor Langauage Centre is looking for more reliable homestay families, especially for the January, February and March period. If you would like to learn more about the homestay experience and what is required, please contact Sandy on 866 4802 during office hours. SHIPPING CONTAINER TO BUY, must be watertight. Ph: 021 902 051 SITUATIONS VACANT CLEANER/RELIEF MANAGER We are looking for a cleaner who has an interest in the hospitality industry and/or commercial area of cleaning. Must be able to clean modern furnished homes and motel rooms to a high standard and able to be in charge of other cleaners. Hours vary between 20 to 30 hours a week with occasions when it may be more in the peak areas, but this is not a seasonal job and we are looking for somebody long term who is fit and willing to work hard. Weekend hours do apply. Good rates of pay to the right person with bonuses. There is also the opportunity to learn the day to day running of a small motel to become our relief manager throughout the year. Full training will be given, but you must have computer skills and be customer focused. Own cell phone and full driver’s licence essential. You can contact us on cell 021 186 6750 for an interview. Or email your CV to [email protected]. Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 SALES ASSISTANT REQUIRED Shop & yard sales Full car licence Physically fit Forklift truck experience preferable Ability to operate Kubota FE loader Please send CVs to Bulk Landscaping Supplies (Mercury Bay) Limited or phone (021) 543 723 for more information on the position. A position is available for an experienced truck driver/digger operator to work in the Mercury Bay area. HT licence is essential. To apply send CV to [email protected] Mercury Bay Area School -Middle Years Teacher Middle Years (Y7) – Fixed Term (2015) position Mercury Bay Area School, Whitianga. Due to roll growth in our Middle Years (7/8), we have a fixed term teaching vacancy for the 2015 academic year. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and motivated NZ registered teachers, , committed to raising student achievement through a sound knowledge and understanding of assessment for learning practices. Please state other strengths. Applications can be made to the Principal, Mercury Bay Area School, South Highway Whitianga or emailed to [email protected] and must be received no later than 4pm on Wednesday 26 November, 2015 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 25 Classifieds & Public Notices FOR SALE HOME BREW SUPPLIES Join our discount club. Mercury Bay Pharmacy POLES, Do you need S.E.D H5 poles for retaining or house foundations? Timber and poles all lengths available. Oriental trellis made to order. MB Timber & Fencing Supplies 225 South Highway Ph: (07) 866 2457 BEER FRIDGE, offers. Ph: 866 5908 OFF ROADER 1300 FORD ESCORT MOTOR, $1,400 ono. Ph: 866 3509 LAZYBOY, chair with feet rest, very good condition, $175 ono. Ph: 866 5516 WORK WANTED MACROCARPA TIMBER SLABS, for table tops plus, 6x2 - 8x4 beams 5m lengths. Ph: 07 866 3734 Electric Hospital Bed With Eclipse 11 mattress overlay system, monkey hoist, alternating pressure cushion and adjustable height chair and over bed table on wheels. The Eclipse 11 Mattress overlay system is a high quality alternating air mattress overlay system. Designed for medium to high pressure risk and allowing for greater relief and comfort. Manufactured by Park House Healthcare, a specialist pressure care manufacturer. All components are fully serviceable and replaceable. All in excellent condition and easy to operate. Cost Approx. $9,000 selling for $3,000. Ph 866 5516 or text 027 650 4881. ACCOMMODATION WANTED CATTERY HOUSE WANTED, Christmas period, approximately Dec 23 - Jan 7, careful family group. Ph: 09 278 2088 or 021 350 599 KRISTIN’S BOARDING CATTERY Vet nurse, warm, clean, secure, outdoor run. Phone 866 4724. HOLIDAY HOUSE WANTED IN WHITIANGA 1-2 bedroom place for 27th Dec to 11th Jan. Quiet, tidy place for non-party people. Call Peace 027 292 9699. CHURCH SERVICES ANGLICAN SERVICES BOAT FOR SALE WE NEED YOUR BOAT NOW!!! Sharyn Clark For Piano Tuning, Repairs and Appraisals THANK YOU TIDES CAFÉ Mike and Janet would like to thank all our loyal customers and staff who have supported us over the past six years and wish Alan and Katrina Hill the very best in their new venture. TO LET SMALL OFFICE, Whitianga, upstairs, low rent. Ph: 021 255 2821 STORAGE SHEDS available, various sizes, reasonable rates. Dry and secure. Ph: 07 866 5147 STORAGE SHEDS Whitianga Total Storage opposite Carters. Ph: 0800 944 660 HELP, HELP, HELP Permanent rentals urgently required NOW Tenants: Rental list changing constantly, Holiday rentals available. Call into office at 7 The Esplanade, by the wharf or phone Robyn Turner 866 0098 or 027 550 0120 [email protected] Licensed under the REAA2008 URGENT! HOMES WANTED! Long term & short term needed NOW! Good tenants waiting for good homes. Ask for an appraisal on your property. Phone Beth on 021 153 8593. BETH EVANS A.R.EI.N.Z Property Manager Call Krissie Brand Licensed Property Manager with 13 years local experience Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 Understanding the Coromandel Since 1960 WORK WANTED HOUSE WASHING Detergent Soft Wash, Roof Clean/Treatment, Window Cleaning. Phone Russell Short on 866 2097 or 0273 602 937. Tricky Trees Pruning Felling Stump grinding Firewood Call Chris Page 26 07 866 5824 or 027 273 4420 Long term & holiday. Free rental appraisals. Landlords & Tenants, for all your rental requirements. HEALTH SERVICES • • • • THE BESS HANDZ EMBROIDERED MONOGRAMS Alterations, repairs, zip and hem service. Ph: 866 5277 High window specialist. Very competitive rates. Phone Mike on 866 5778 or (021) 395 778. Enquiries Ph 869 5577 www.anglicanchurchwhitianga.co.nz HUGE BOUNCY CASTLE, from $130. Ph: 866 0038, www.combatzone.co.nz WORK WANTED 866 5984 027 498 4447 WINDOW CLEANING ALL WELCOME FOR HIRE ILLNESS can benefit from support of plants and nutrition. Leanne Halliwell 0274 588 626 or 07 866 5899 Ron Cooke Phone 867 5129 or 0274 485 089 Quality late model trailer boats needed for sale on behalf! We have buyers waiting! Call the team at Whitianga Marine Centre today on 867 1182 or come in to 233 South Highway, Whitianga. NATUROPATH MEDICAL HERBALIST Registered 2nd Hand Covers HorseTransport Saddlery Cover Repairs St. Peter the Fisherman Dundas Street, Whitianga Sunday Service: 9:30am 12FT SCORPION, 15hp Merc motor, only done 55 hours, on Sportline Marine trailer, $6,000 ono. Ph: 866 5286 BOATS WANTED FARRIER Registered member PTTG of NZ • • • • Hedge maintenance Crown reductions Difficult removals Chip waste to mulch 021 240 9909 WANTED ! Quality homes for quality tenants. VEHICLES FOR SALE 09 Toyota Hilux D/Cab, Canopy $29,900 04 Toyota Corolla Runx, Auto, Blue $6,900 03 Toyota Landcruiser VX, Auto $29,900 00 Toyota Hilux S/C F/Deck $9,800 99 Mazda Familia, Auto Sports $3,550 99 Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo H/B $3,900 98 Kea Equipment Trailer $1,950 97 Toyota Corolla GLXi HB $3,900 97 Nissan Pulsar, low kms, alloys $5,600 94 Toyota RAV 3 dr $4,900 19 Campbell Street, Whitianga www.coastalautos.co.nz The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 Sport Results (our thanks to the coaches, managers and administrators who provide us with the results) WHITIANGA TOUCH ASSOCIATION Wednesday 12 November Smith & Sons v Amped (won by default), Taiao 6 v Whitianga Cooper Tyres 5, K-Town Krew 6 v Just Enuff 1, Whack City 0 v Dark Side 4, Rhythm 9 v Achieve - Coromandel 0. MERCURY BAY TENNIS CLUB Business House - Tuesday 11 November Pen Vet Services def Whitianga Hotel 6-9, 9-6, 4-1, Ocean Leopard Tours def The Landing Café 9-8, 8-9, 4-2, Connolley Painters def N.Y.M. 9-2, 9-3. MERCURY BAY TAG FOOTY Monday 10 November Junior Tag Results - Kylie’s Crew 6 v Generators 7, Young Guns 2 9 v Young Guns 7, Golden Rockets 8 v Cheetahs 8. Senior Tag Results - Adventure Plus 2 v Darksiders 6, Mismatch 10 v Whiti Force 7, Llamas v Kaos (to play at a later date). Open Grade - Tuesday 11 November Results - Rippem 8 v Buffalo Boys 4, Evakona 6 v #8 Wire 9, Green Machine 8 v OPC 6, Weapons 8 v T’s Terrors 7, Kaos v Cooper Tyres (win by Default). TAIRUA COUNTRY CLUB Twilight Golf - Monday 10 November The first night of Twilight Golf was held in perfect conditions. Results Men - N Hammond 22, M Towers 18, K Crossman 17, S Norton 16, D Scrivener 15 c/b. Results Ladies - B Treffert 20, R Crossman 19. A Hole in One was scored on #2 par 3 hole by Norman Hammond. Well done Norm! Ladies Golf - Tuesday 11 November Closing day with the 9 Holers, A fun day playing nine holes, followed by lunch, prize giving, and much laughter. Results Division 1, 18 Holers - Jan Collier 24, Robyn Hayward 22, c/b Josey Feasey 22, Gilllian Martin 20, c/b Lisa Radford 20, Jenny Goodman 19, c/b Diana Avery 19, c/b Bev Wickham 19, c/b Linda Keyte 19. Results Division 2, 9 Holers - Bev Waterman 22, Bronwyn Bovelander 21, Pamela Campbell 20, Mike Trott 19, Joyce Birdsall 17, c/b Jill Shanley17, c/b Ruth Hope 17. PURANGI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Thursday 13 November A 9 hole Stableford Competition. Results - 1st Phil Costello 19 points, Mark Bell, Jim Brown and Jim Mitchell 17. Saturday 15 November An 18 hole Stableford Competition. Very windy conditions made for difficult golf, but some good cards were still handed in. Results - 1st equal Buck Prendergast and Dave Corps 42 points, John Hughes and Mark Bell 38, Jeff Bright 37, Geoff Dalzell 36 and Barry Scott 34 points. Birdies and Net Eagles - John Hamilton. MERCURY BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Ladies Golf - Wednesday 12 November Yellow Ball Competition - poor forecast meant only 21 women in the field. Results - 1st Kay Buckeridge, Ann Blair and Anne Bayliss, 2nd Chris Fox, Jill Raynes and Alma Kitchen. Ann Blair had a two. Nearest the Pin on #4 (Mainly Casual) - Debbie Holmes, Nearest the Pin on #18 for two (Sheree Henderson Bayleys) - Carol Wyborn. Championship winners for 2014 - Bronze 1 Debbie Holmes, Bronze 2 - Alma Kitchen, Bronze 3 - Maria Duxfield, 9 Hole Women - Merrin James. Kay Buckeridge celebrated her hole-in-one on #12 on 9 November. Mens Golf - Wednesday 12 November Lee Hall had a very good round on Wednesday, scoring 80 off a 16 handicap for 43 points. Following him were Carl Mitchell and Wayne Malcolm on 41, with Alan Henderson next on 40. Wayne Kearney and Keven Clark completed the prize list with 39 points. Two's were scored by Lee Hall and Tracey Mulligan (Pio Pio Aria). Mens Golf - Saturday 15 November On Saturday the annual Shootout was played. Eighteen players teed off with the worst stableford score each hole dropping out, or if required, after a playoff of those tied with the worst score per hole. The last man standing at the end was Carl Mitchell, who kept his nerve all day, beating off a strong challenge on the last hole from John Lister. Third was Wayne Cosgrave, followed by Ken George, Bob Haase, Craig Hill and Bruce Massie. HAHEI BRIDGE CLUB Whenuakite Pairs - Tuesday 11 November North/South - 1 Jean Martin and Robyn Hogg 64.58, 2 Laura Scaglia and Carol Brewer 56.02, 3 Myra Hoogwerf and Annette Cox 53.01. East/West - 1 Diane Hayes and David Hayes 63.19, 2 Faye Smith and June Wood 57.64, 3 Lyn Mitchell and Jean Myles 54.86. MERCURY BAY CONTRACT BRIDGE CLUB Wednesday 12 November North/South - 1 Augusta Canegallo and Sue Gill 64.68, 2 Laura Scaglia and Mary Masters 55.56, 3 Gerry Church and Giorgio Allemano 51.59. East/West - 1 Terry Stewart and Annette Gray 65.87, 2 Lynn Mitchell and Doreen Harris 57.94, 3 Alison Tichbon and Ernie Pitchfork 53.57. The Ocean Leopard Tours Mercury Bay Business House Tennis team, happy after an epic first round win against The Landing Café. From left to right - Justin Hopkins, Chris Hopkins, Paul Hopkins and Johno Orbell. Race 2 of Flaxmill Bay Series a race of firsts By Chris Johnston 15-18 kt winds with the occasional gust or, more appropriately, gusty conditions with the occasional lull welcomed the five competitors to Race 2 of the Flaxmill Bay Series last Wednesday. Even the rain (and occasional hail) could not dampen the enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sailors. Harmony (Arnie Leigh) again set off 30 minutes early, which at the time appeared to give her an insurmountable lead. It appeared that Arnie had more than enough time for another cup of tea or to finish his crossword puzzle. The remaining four yachts got under way without incident as all skippers understood the danger of getting too close in the gusty conditions. Twentysomething (Tim Johnston) won the start and reached off towards the windy buoy with Shadz (Bruce Haynes), Blueprint (Mat Algie) and Contrast (John Wright) in hot pursuit. At the windy buoy Blueprint, Contrast and Shadz were all within a couple of boat lengths of each other, setting up a very interesting battle over to Simpson's Beach buoy. The reach past Davis Point was exhilarating and at times on the edge of “out of control.” Shadz recorded the roundup of the day as she became so overpowered it looked as if she wanted to tack over and head back to the start. Most yachts recorded speeds of around 9kts whilst two sail reaching, with some exceeding 10kts. Twentysomething extended her lead around Simpson's Buoy and the three chasers rounded very close to each other. Another reach, this time to Doctor's Bay. Contrast tried to overtake Blueprint by sailing to windward and taking her wind, Blueprint replied by rounding up to protect her wind, all the while Shadz sailed a direct course to the mark making up some of the ground lost earlier. Twentysomething still in the lead rounded Doctors and immediately rounded hard on the wind and headed towards Cooks Beach. Blueprint with a one boat length overlap on Contrast and Shadz followed suit. Contrast and Shadz both tacked over onto port tack and headed out into the Bay. On the next cross Harmony was slightly ahead of Twentysomething and Blueprint was clear ahead of Contrast. Contrast headed towards Shakespeare Cliff whilst the other yachts continued more towards Davis Point. As it turned out, Contrast made the correct call not to follow the fleet and found herself on the correct side of the wind shift and when she returned on port tack had put herself in a position to take the lead. As the wind continued to build, Shadz and Twentysomething were starting to show signs of being overpowered. Twentysomething was heeled to such an extent (38kts of wind) that she was moving sideways more than forwards, allowing Contrast to sneak through and take line honours. As it turns out, this was a race involving a couple of firsts This is the first time in 47 races that Contrast has beaten Twentysomething on line and it is the first time that Harmony has recorded a hat-trick of handicap wins. Congrats to both yachts and crew for their achievements. Overall it was a great experience to sail in challenging conditions and for the sailors to get a good understanding of how their yachts handle heavier conditions. IICRC Certified Master Cleaning Technician Carpet Cleaning & Restoration Marine Carpet & Upholstery Upholstery Cleaning Stain Removal Rug Cleaning Vinyl Floor Restoration Spot Dyeing Odour Control Residential Commercial Industrial Charlie Lodge All work undertaken will be to the AS/NZ Standard Institute of Inspection Cleaning And Restoration Certification T: 07 866 0075 M: 027 2806374 WHITIANGA ELECTRICAL & REFRIGERATION SERVICE 49 Albert Street, Whitianga P: 07 866 5726 Issue 611 - 18 November 2014 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Page 27