Articles from Kumeu Courier May 2015

Intro

Children, staff and residents living near Taupaki School can benefit from a life-saving piece of equipment, thanks to the generosity of a local business, Kumeu Heart Saver NZ Limited, who kindly donated a defibrillator to the school late last year. It can be used by the school or members of the public during and outside of school hours should anyone suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest. The defibrillator is housed in a lock box and Ambulance call centre staff will direct people to the box and provide an access code. For more information please contact stephenl@taupaki.school.nz or info@heartsaver.co.nz Local, award winning interior designer Hayley-Anne Brown has recently established Lou Brown Design; a bespoke interior design studio offering residential and commercial design services. Based in Riverhead, Lou Brown Design specialises in creating quality functional interiors with edge. With over 10 years’ experience, the talented designer has developed loubrown. co.nz - an info hub offering renovation advice to homeowners. Hayley will be regularly contributing to the Kumeu Courier with fantastic ideas, tips and advice – so keep an eye out! Lastly, I offer a special mention in honour of the commemoration of 100 years since Gallipoli. The date of that first landing marks a significant point in how New Zealand came to define itself as a nation, and today it gives us a chance to remember not only those first Anzac troops, but all New
Zealanders who have served their country in times of war and peace. As always, stay safe and be kind. Sarah, Editor.

Phelan’s Local Board Update May 2015
By the end of May Aucklanders will have some kind of idea what direction Councillors will have decided for our future. Indications from Long Term Plan feedback show a slight majority in favour of the ‘enhanced’ Auckland Plan option that would see (if the Government agrees) tolls to help finance the huge infrastructure projects Council wants. Meanwhile things are moving on in Kumeu… In May the Local Board will be underway with community engagement over what you want to see happen in Kumeu over the next ten years as part of our initial work around a Structure Plan, or, as they seem to be called now, Master Plans, for Kumeu and Huapai. The Structure Plan historically was a local plan that laid out where what development was happening where and the facilities and amenities that would be built to service the public. Obviously with the steep increase in population about to hit we need to revisit those plans as they didn’t foresee the scale of development now happening. The Local Board is committed to meaningful community engagement on putting together this plan and that is why we have commissioned Beacon Pathways, an independent NGO, to carry out this work for us. We want to hear from everyone and every group in the community to ensure we have a true picture of what you want for the town. The Government has announced a new school for Kumeu and this is part of Government’s commitment to deliver the infrastructure required for the growth that comes with SHA’s (Special Housing Areas) and connected development, now the challenge is for Council to step up and do its part to ensure plans and funds are in place to cope with growth. If you are having issues with getting community based projects off the ground and bogged down in bureaucracy, or need help with any issues to do with Council please get in touch with me and I will see what I can do to help. Contact phelanpirrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or 021 837 167.

Cover shot this month
Pictured is the Pararaha Valley, a peacefull, yet spectacular spot. The Hillary Trail starts at the Arataki Visitor Centre on Scenic Drive. If you are catching public transport to Titirangi, you can walk 6.6km from there to Arataki via Exhibition Drive and the Beveridge Tracks. From Arataki the trail descends into the Nihotupu Valley and onwards to Huia. The first night is spent at the Karamatura campground. 12.5km, 4-5 hours from the Arataki Visitor Centre 19.1km, 5.5-6.5 hours from Titirangi. Day2 starts with a steep climb out of the Karamatura Valley, a subsequent descent down to the Manukau Heads and along the spectacular Omanawanui Track. Once at Whatipu, the trail heads north above the Whatipu Scientific Reserve to the night’s campground in the remote Pararaha Valley. 16km, 8-9 hours. Day 3 begins with a walk out into the Whatipu Scientific Reserve and along Whatipu Beach to Karekare. The trail then ascends above Mercer Bay and via a short road section before it drops into the Piha Valley passing Kitetkite Falls. It then goes through the Piha Township
and along Piha Beach. Another climb up to Anawhata Road and onto the night’s stay at the Craw campground. 21km, 9-10 hours. The fourth day has two options: A: Travel further north through Bethells and onto Muriwai by traversing the Anawhata Valley, passing Lake Wainamu and following the Waiti Stream to the Te Henga Walkway. The trail finishes with a longer stretch of road walking before descending into Muriwai via the gannet colony at Otakamiro Point and finishes at Motutara Road. B: Traverse the Anawhata Valley onto a ridge top walk to the Cascade Kauri area and Falls Road exit point. 27km, 11-12 hours to Muriwai. Whatever your choices the Hillary trail is an Auckland treasure and should be enjoyed. For more information see http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/hillary-trail.

Website Optimisers
Website Optimisers Limited has recently started up in the North West area as a sub brand of Designhand Limited. The main focus of Website Optimisers is to provide a range of website optimisation services to customers who are looking for Search Engine Optimisation or Search Engine Marketing skills in the area. Website Optimisation is an end to end process and part of a larger Digital Marketing strategy rather than something you apply at the end of a website build project. One of the main focus areas of Website Optimisers is to visit the current performance of a website in Google with respect to keywords and Search Engine Rankings. We analyse the rankings for a particular keyword list and compare these against your online competitors. From this analysis we can determine any content changes required to be more competitive in the Organic Search Engine Results. To find out more about what Website Optimisers can help you with you can contact David on 09 411 8797 or david@websiteoptimisers.co.nz or www.websiteoptimisers.co.nz.

Tea Mr Key?
On Wednesday morning the 8th of April, Norwest SeniorNet were invited to have morning tea with John Key. 15 were invited and this was considered a great honour. There was a great feeling of excitement as we waited outside for our time with the Prime Minister. We were all introduced as we entered the room, greeted with a very nice firm handshake. Mr Key himself handed out some of the beautiful morning tea, a great choice of sandwiches & home baking by one Member Judy & her Daughter Genelle, different choices, something for everyone. It is such a shame that more of the Voters do not get to see this man in person, there is so much more to our Prime Minister than one sees on TV or reads in the paper. Our President Joan Crowe gave Mr Key an excellent talk on what SeniorNet was all about, how we have helped many older people into the computer world, something this club is very proud of. Mr Key was able to give us a very good look at how our local Internet was going to get very much better, he mentioned the billions of dollars and to remove the five year waiting list that is present in some of our areas. We will all be keeping a close eye on this. It was a very pleasant way to spend a Wednesday morning, our thanks to all.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care
Pregnancy is a special time for every woman, and the transformation your body goes through is simply amazing. However, sometimes those changes can result in back ache or pain, shoulder stiffness, sciatica or pelvic problems – to name just a few. If not addressed, these conditions can have a negative impact on your pregnancy and possibly the delivery of your baby. The good news for you – and your baby – is that Chiropractic care has a long history of helping women suffering back, neck, pelvic and/or shoulder pain during pregnancy. Chris and Nolene McMaster, the Chiropractors at Kumeu Chiropractic, would love to help you during this special time with a natural, drug-free solution to alleviate your pain and to also partner you through a more satisfying and problem free pregnancy. They have cared for many pregnant women over the last thirty years, many from conception through to birth, and some families even continuing their care through to their third generation of babies. “84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy [chiropractic care] reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labour when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.” JMPT, 1991 Please call 09 412 5536 for an examination and assessment of your spine now.

Sing yourself happy and fit!
Ever wondered why choral singers look to be on a high? The total body benefits of singing are many and well documented. Singing improves your mood; it relieves stress, improves your posture and increases your lung capacity; it releases the same feel-good brain chemicals as chocolate!  Research shows singing even boosts your immune system. So why not join a choir! The established community choir, Kumeu Blend, is welcoming new singers, especially tenors and basses. The friendly and relaxed culture of the choir is a great place to make new friends, develop your vocal talent and be enriched by a varied repertoire of music. Rehearsals are Mondays 7.30pm at St Chad’s in Huapai. No auditions needed, just try it out. Sight-reading is a bonus but not essential. Margaret Lindsay the conductor will be happy to answer any other questions – 09 849 8070 or email margaret@lindsays.co.nz.

Mighty Steed to the rescue
Registered Psychotherapist Sarah Hamilton has relocated her practise to Riverhead Road, Kumeu. The builders have finished converting her stables into a lovely light filled and warm clinic. Having previously spent 10 years in a tiltslab concrete and glass office at Apollo Health and Wellness Centre she is enjoying the local vernacular of corrugated iron and grass and the change of pace. Clients who have transferred with her are remarking on how peaceful the country setting is. Sarah has specialised in treating anxiety, depression, relationship issues and other general life difficulties for over twenty years to adults, couples and adolescents. She now also offers Equine Assisted Psychotherapy which is becoming renowned worldwide for successfully reaching those hard to help adolescents as well as addressing personal development, PTSD, school refusal, identity issues, food and eating, life transitions, grief and loss and self-esteem. Telephone Sarah to discuss you or your family’s needs. 021 477 523.

Ambience Home & Gift
New arrivals just in time at Ambience Home & Gift Store, 325 Main Rd Huapai, just In time for Mother’s Day for all those wonderful mums who do so much for us all. The latest accessory is the HipsSister that enables you to be hands free for your running, walking and gymwork. Also new in store is the fabulous kids label “Rock your Baby” Winter stock up to size 8 with funky jeans and superman jumpers in gold with a black background to name a few. Open 7 days, Hours Mon-Fri 10 – 5, Sat 10-4, Sun 11-3.

Alpaca open day on Sunday 3 May 2015
Get up close and personal with an alpaca or two. Come along to Rosala Alpacas in Waimauku and see our herd of various colours, baby alpacas and friendly pets as well. Our shop will be open with lots of product made from alpaca fibre. Hours are from 10.00am to 3.00pm at 293 Ararimu Valley Road, Waimauku. All enquiries, phone 09 411 9188.

Smashing Promotions – Moving On
After 20 Years in Kumeu township, Smashing Promotions are moving to Factory Road in Waimauku village shops. We are establishing ourselves in new offices so we can concentrate on promotional products and branded apparel for business and sports clubs and Schools. This also means an end to our retail shop, glasses can still be purchased online at www.smashingpromotions.co.nz and there is a good chance there will be a pop up shop sometime around Christmas. We will be having a moving sale, with loads of bargains.

DL Mechanical - mobile mechanical service
Fully set up mobile workshop ready to come to your home or workplace. We have a 24 hour breakdown service available. For competitive pricing and top service call today 021 564 634 or email info@dlmechanical.co.nz for quotes and pricing.

My name is Russell Mitchell. I am a Sergeant and will be running the Kumeu Police Station for the next six months in a relieving capacity while Sergeant Dave ORR is working out of the Orewa Police Station. I have 16 years’ experience in the New Zealand Police in various roles and previously ran the Massey Community Policing Centre for two years between 2012 and 2014. I have been in this role for three weeks now and the issues that have presented themselves to me are burglaries of building sights under construction and near completion. This includes the removal of large scale items including machinery, large water tanks and building products which would require serious man power, large trucks and lifting equipment. This highlights that these perpetrators are organised, have access to recourses and know what is happening in the area. If you see anything or anyone suspicious in the area please call 111 or contact the Kumeu Police station on 09 412 7756. Daytime burglaries of residential properties while the occupants are at work is also a problem. With rural properties there can be a lot of property in garages and sheds and complacency has allowed us to leave them unlocked and accessible to opportunists. Make sure your house, sheds, trailer and equipment are locked and secure because if it isn’t, you could be an easy target to offenders. In an emergency dial 111. For more information contact Ph 09 412 7756.

Winter is fast approaching so make sure your fire place chimney has been cleaned and your electric blankets are in safe working order. This month’s safety message is around having and practicing an escape plan. Every house needs one as you never know when you may have to leave your house in a hurry. 1. Make sure that everyone knows the sound of the smoke alarm and what to do if a fire occurs. 2. Identify a primary escape route out of every room, then pick a secondary route in case the first is blocked by fire. 3. Ensure doorways are not obstructed. 4. Select and indicate a meeting place outside of the home (e.g. the letterbox). 5. Call 111 and ask for the Fire Service from a neighbour’s home or mobile phone. We are still facing difficulties finding and accessing properties. When you call for assistance the responding fire crew can easily find your street but finding your house can be difficult. You can help by making sure your letterbox has the correct street number clearly displayed. At night turn outside lights on so your house is clearly seen and send someone to the drive entrance to meet the fire crew. The other big issue is access to your property. Make sure trees are trimmed to allow for a fire truck or ambulance to drive down your driveway. Your clear drive width needs to be 2.5 metres with a clear height of 4 metres. If the truck cannot fit then we will need to carry all the equipment to the incident. A fire doubles in size every 60 seconds so a fire truck parked 100 metres plus away is going to have an impact on the outcome. Denis Cooper, Officer in Charge, Waitakere Volunteer Fire Brigade.

If you’re looking to jump onto the property ladder but saving the deposit is proving to be a stumbling block then the Welcome Home Loan may be an option. You may only need a 10% deposit and this can be entirely gifted from family. There are income restrictions - $80,000 per year for one borrower or $120,000 for two or more applicants and you must reside in the property purchased. Recent changes have increased the house price limit to $550,000 in Auckland and slightly less in other parts of New Zealand. We have assisted many first home buyers into their own home so call us for a no obligation chat. 09 411 9251 or 027 411 9255 or david@davidllyodmortgages.co.nz.

Deanos House Wash
Autumn Special 20% off - Soft house-washing and also commercial buildings, gutter cleaning, gutterguard, roof treatments, roof painting, spider treatments, waterblasting decks, fences, concrete, rubbish removal and much, much more! Phone Dean on 021 149 7049 or Danni on 021 205 4013 or email: deanoshousewash08@gmail.com. Please feel free to phone, text or email for a no obligation quote.

SOUTH KAIPARA U3A
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ‘A JUMP’? This month our main speaker is Sergeant Mark Williams, currently serving in the RNZAF as a Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI) at the Parachute Training and Support Unit (PTSU), RNZAF Base Whenuapai. “I have been at the unit for about five years after arriving from the UK in 2007, with my wife Nikki and two children Ruby and Holly. Before coming here, I served 22 years with the Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regt), which provides ground based infantry for the Royal Air Force. My service in the UK took me all over the world and included two tours of Iraq in 2004 and 2006. As a PJI my primary role is to instruct NZ Army personnel in various modes of parachuting, from Low Level Static Line to High Altitude Free Fall. It is a very rewarding job that I enjoy immensely and look forward to sharing some of my experiences with you soon.” We’re hoping Chrissie Jones will be able to join us as the mini speaker. We are looking forward to her telling us about Frech Estate at Shelly Beach and ‘preserves’. Come along and join our friendly group on Friday 1 May at 1pm, St John Ambulance Rooms, 7 Rata Street, Helensville. All welcome, gold coin entry - excellent afternoon tea. Next Meeting 5 June at 1pm. Call Judy 09 411 8322 for more information.

Warm & Cosy at The Riverhead
There’s nothing better than enjoying a wholesome and tasty meal in the cosy surroundings of The Landing Restaurant or watching rugby in The Portage Bar with its BIG screen ….make the most of your winter at The Riv. Business training meetings and seminars - Winter is the best time for planning and getting your team together. Making meetings memorable and not a chore is key in making them successful & inspirational. The venue plays a huge part. Luckily The Boat House is right here on your doorstep and can provide that unique space…it has all the latest technology, has amazing views, is airy and spacious with enough spaces for break outs and it is always comfortable no matter the weather. Call us today on 09 412 8902 to book The Boat House for your next gathering of the minds…. Quiz Night - Get a team together and test your smarts against the teams here at The Riverhead. The competition is friendly, it’sfree, there are prizes & it’s a great way to spend your Wednesday nights….7.30pm till about 10pm. Let us know you’re coming and we’ll have a table ready for you. Call us on 09 412 8902. Check out our new website: www.theriverhead.co.nz.

TEAM SPORTS @ KUMEU GYM & INDOOR SPORTS
Have you ever thought of the importance of making team sports part of your routine. Team physical activity reduces stress and helps control all forms of depression. It also aids in strengthening bones and muscles as well as increasing your stamina and endurance. IN A NUTSHELL - Benefits of Team Sports: Increases STRENGTH and STAMINA, builds CONFIDENCE and achieves SOCIAL INTERACTION. At KUMEU GYM & INDOOR SPORTS we run Indoor Netball and Soccer – Monday to Thursday from 6.15pm onwards – email melissa@kumeugym.co.nz for more info about entering a team now. Melissa Amohanga-Browne – Sports Manager @ Kumeu Gym.

Kumeu Arts Centre
Kumeu Arts Centre has extended its opening hours to 9am – 5pm weekdays and 10am – 3pm Saturdays. Come in and see continuously revolving exhibitions featuring various work from
our members. We offer a wide range of classes including Clay (for kids and adults), Painting
(both realism and abstract) Flax Weaving, Children’s Art Programmes (both term and school holiday) and also free Knitting Classes. Or join a group, such as KumeuKnitty, Kumeu Photography, Life Drawing or the Create/Paint Group.

It’s Conference Time!
With the end of the financial year past or getting closer for companies, now is the perfect time to gather your team to plan for the upcoming year. The purpose built Conference Centre at the Vineyard Cottages offers both a wonderful venue and accommodation for groups of up to 14 people for a two day conference with overnight accommodation, or larger numbers for day conferences. The venue is exclusively yours for the duration of your conference, and we are happy to arrange on site team building activities. Planning an informal day – use the couches and armchairs or stick to a traditional boardroom style, the choice is yours. Our food is prepared on site from the freshest local ingredients, so any special requests or dietary requirements can be easily catered for. Call us on 0800 846 800 or email info@vineyardcottages.co.nz to secure your date and get planning for a successful year!

Calling New Members
The Kumeu Club is alive and well and enjoying their new deck at their headquarters at The Fireplace Bar & Brasserie. Mike Singh, owner of The Fireplace, provides special meals on a Friday night for club members, and discounted drinks and meals apply at all other times. In February the club hosted a very successful fishing competition in the Hauraki Gulf for the heaviest snapper and most unusual fish – many a fishy story was passed around at the prize giving followed by a fish auction which saw some excellent bidding. A welcome ale and wine with hamburgers ended a busy day. The club is planning their annual mid-winter Christmas dinner at the club in June and a trip is planned to Alexandra Park Trotting Park later this year. The club would welcome new members and if you are interested please contact the Secretary, Lenore Read, 021 236 6011 lenoreread@xtra.co.nz for further information.

Exercises For Health & Wellness
In last month’s ‘Seniors’ article, I mentioned exercise therapy, which generated a few questions. So today, I will introduce you to ‘Exercise Therapy’. Exercise Therapy are exercises that promote the health & wellness of your dog. All dogs can benefit from exercise therapy. For the healthy dog, regular exercises maintain optimal health. Exercise therapy helps to improve performance and prevent injury for the canine athlete. Senior dogs benefit from a daily routine of gentle exercise to prevent disuse atrophy and progressive loss of independence. Young dogs improve body awareness, balance and confidence. Exercises can be designed to address specific impairments for post-operative and permanent condition dogs (eg. osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia). Exercises are done in slow and deliberate movements to maximise the benefits. Exercises address balance, core stability, muscle strengthening, flexibility and treadmill endurance training. Core stability exercises are important for the overall condition of your canine’s body, regardless of age or activity level. For the full article and your first canine exercise please visit our website’s blog page. Tania Evans DipAnPhys, Canine Exercise Therapist www.pawsitivelifestyles.co.nz.

Kumeu rugby
We are looking for players for our J1 and J6 Teams. If you have a child interested in playing rugby this year it is not too late to register. Please call Becks on 021 530 260 or come down to the Kumeu Rugby Club on Wednesday nights between 4.15pm & 6.00pm to register.

SeniorNet Open to all day a success
Our OPEN TO ALL, held in St Chad’s Hall, Norwest SeniorNet morning started as usual at 10am with tea, coffee and yummy date scones - home made by our own Auntie Bev. We bought our raffle tickets, sat down to once again enjoy this month’s speaker. The talent of Mathew Kerr, Manager, Kumeu Library- Access, and how well he knew his subject and knowledge of this web site showed as he entertained us with so much information, along with his delightful humour. It changed my idea of a Library which I thought was a place that you went to be very quiet, not talk, select the books you wanted, hand over your card and left, how wrong was I and many of the members. All you need is a Library card and this is FREE. (Where do you get anything for free these days?) Did you know that you can hire a DVD from the Library? In the Digital side of this site you can download the latest Emagazines, hundreds of different titles, and once they are on your computer they are yours to look at and you can even print the whole Mag off, or just an interesting page. E-books are like a Library book, you only have them for 3 weeks. The library lets you know when it is due back and then remove it for you, without your even leaving the house, how good is that. They have newspapers from all over the world, local history, family history, learn a new language, maps and a World Atlas - there is just too much to say. Even an App to download, then Scan the Bar Code of a book on sale, apply to the Library and read for free, fabulous. I came home and thought I would have a quick look as Mathew had planted so much interest in my thoughts...3 hours later it was time to start with tea and I still had not decided what I would download first - so much choice. One can even book a Librarian to help you with this...just from having a Library Card!! Thank you Mathew for a very informative morning, we hope you may come again soon. Next month’s meeting on 4th May at St Chad’s our guest speaker will be Ray McDonald President Eden Roskill SeniorNet, speaking re: - Backups – securing those important documents, photo, files, etc. It takes the form of a Question & Answer session. There will be a supporting PowerPoint presentation /copies of a booklet that has the questions and answers for distribution to those attending. Time permitting; Ray will also cover the Apple/ Android topic. Start 10am at St Chad’s $3 Entry Raffles $2 for 1 $5 for 3. Good selection of prizes.

NWDBA
Earlier in April, the North West District Business Association joined a number of local tourism operators from the area to hear from the NZ Tourism Research Institute on suggestions for developing a five-year visitor strategy for the North West. Research reveals the need to have a well-managed, cohesive and sustainable visitor industry that is focused on making the most of existing resources and assets of the area (including heritage and the natural environment) providing a quality experience for visitors and residents alike. There is a need to improve information provision for visitors and residents to help them understand what there is to see and do (and spend money on) in the North West and more needs to be done to attract domestic and international visitors to the area. While the Business Association focus is not primarily on tourism, we recognize that attracting visitors to our area can only help improve our local economy both from direct spending with our businesses and also from increased business to business spend. We look forward to announcing our new brand and outlining our proposed strategy for marketing the North West at the end of May and working with our local businesses and tourism groups to generate greater exposure for the area. Keep an eye out in next month’s Kumeu Courier for more information. Contact Gary Holmes Ph: 0274 966283 or email manager@northwestbusiness.co.nz.

Calm before the storm
I, Trude Bethell took this image of our sunset the night before Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu from the lawn of Bethells Beach Cottages. This is extraordinary as there were three cyclones in the area and here are three clouds grouped one on top of each other in a hot sunset. Nature is an extraordinary phenominum in more ways than we realise creating respect and awe in all realms. Do we truly acknowledge and understand this?

Kumeu village rest home
One of the problems of living in a rest home is boredom. We have pledged to our wonderful residents at Kumeu Village Rest Home, that we will do everything we can to make sure they are not bored. So we are asking you, the community to help us. We would love to have a croquet set, wool for knitting, an old baby pram, bassinet, old baby clothes, Scrabble and other board games. You can contact Val on 027 474 1270 or drop them off at the Rest Home.

Laura Richmond
That’s right ladies!! My Pure Romance by Laura parties are FREE to host! It’s the best night in you’ll have with the girls and I’d love to hook you up with some FREE shopping and a FAB night!! With the latest in bath, beauty, massage products and more you and the girls will have loads of laughs while product testing and shopping in the comfort of your own home! Limited dates available in May so get you FUN, FREE and FAB night in booked today! Great hostessing rewards too :) Text 021 667 330. (Parties are strictly ladies only R18).

Siri Embla Simonovic
Yoga for parents, playshop for kids - starting up at Te Henga Studios on Tuesdays, 10 -11 am. Booking by Monday night. Hope to see you there! https://www.facebook.com/events/358405684370669/

Allison Pirrie-Mawer
Looking for a filling & healthy salad for lunch today?
- Coconut Curry Slaw
- Herby Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli
- Mexican Bean & Corn
- We also have boxed salads with half a free range chuck breast
- Half Avo filled with Smoked Salmon, Cottage Cheese & Sprouted Beans
Plus all our specialty handmade breads, pastries, savories and cakes... The Gourmet Gannet Bakery & Kitchen.

Auckland Cavy Care
Added 5 new photos. Krispie, one of the young girls from the pickup of 7 guineas that took place 9 weeks ago, gave birth yesterday to one big boy who weighed 124 grams at birth. I’ve been lacking at taking pictures, but hope to start posting more often again. We currently have 11 guineas up for adoption and 21 in quarantine who for various reasons are not yet up for adoption. All who are up for adoption are de-sexed and of course, vet checked.

Gus Simonovic
shared Te Henga Studios’ event. Coming up at Te Henga Studios, Bethells Beach ... 2nd May. Join Yoga and Creativity - One day retreat with Gus Simonovic Saturday, May 2 at 9:30am Te Henga Studios in Auckland, New Zealand.

Phelan Pirrie
Want to help complete the Oaia Rd footpath link? Oaia Road path... in June the next stage of the concrete pathway will be built by Auckland Transport taking the path up to the green, however there are no plans to extend this in the medium term. There is an opportunity for the community to work on an informal pathway along the cliff edge maybe utilising local sand stone like the gannet colony paths. The Local Board will be taking applications soon for community led paths, so if you want to get involved in making this happen then come along. The fund is a one off fund so if we don’t take advantage of this nothing will happen! Want to get involved in the next stages of the Muriwai skate park? Skate Park... the MCA has funds to complete a concrete pad for the existing skate ramp but they need some keen people to help organise this, interested? Come along next Tuesday to get this next stage completed. http://www.muriwaicommunity.org/

Daniel Ross
Starting to book up for the next 6 months if you have any renovations that need doing or plans to be priced please contact myself on 021 081 12740. We also offer a competitive charge up rate.

Phelan Pirrie
Govt has just announced there will be another primary school built in “Kumeu”... http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article. cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11432434 Govt to build seven new schools - National - NZ Herald News www.nzherald.co.nz Prime Minister John Key has announced a suite of new schools - one being Kumeu.

Old Man Gummy Pine Firewood $90 metre; Hotmix $120 metre. Free easy access delivery for 2 metres or more. For larger quantities txt/ ph George for price 027 589 4187.

Taupaki boot camp is now in the Taupaki hall every Wednesday evening at 6pm!! Everyone welcome!! Saturday mornings at the Taupaki park 8am. If it’s raining we have the hall available most weekends - no excuses $15 per person come along and give it a go all fitness levels welcome!!

Jakes Lawns – Free quotes, friendly quality service. Ph 09 810 9755 or txt 021 027 10247. Lawn mowing, weed eating, spraying, minor garden work/hedge trimming.

Soccer coaching for kids 2 to 12 years in the Rodney area. Our program is non-competitive and works on coordination, motor skills, ball handling skills and confidence. Term 2 starts soon. Contact us to book your spot! https://www.facebook.com/grasshoppersoccerrodney.

Vanessa Belton
Auckland Women’s tramping group, interested in joining our up and coming walk? Visit
our page or email me on hikingladies@gmail.com.

Phelan Pirrie
Visited Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens this afternoon, pleasantly relaxing Sunday afternoon activity, nice food and coffee in the plant centre with the bees rushing around busy doing their autumn rush, finished off with an interesting walk around the beautiful gardens and sculptures. I liked how it wasn’t just about the sculptures but also about the garden and the history of the land. We have some fantastic things to do right in our back yard... if you haven’t been I highly recommend it. We also came away with a Kaffir Lime tree that we’d not been able to find before.

Why you should list with Mike Pero Real Estate
Reason #4 - Free web site optimisation and exposure. In todays’ competitive marketplace why do so many companies place an emphasis on web site optimisation? What does it mean and how does it impact on launching your property for sale on the market? It is no longer a luxury to be on national and international web site, it is essential. In addition, when your property goes to market it is the equivalent of a new product launch for a small business. With properties selling for $600,000 to $1,800,000 on average we are happy to provide you with confidence that the launch of your home is well considered; and gets the maximum exposure to localised and regional buyers through multiple web sites that deliver high viewing numbers and active conversion to open home traffic. In addition we use a range of optimisers to ensure your property is seen by the widest cluster of potential buyers and web browsers. We deliver a cluster of free web sites and web links that continue to lift viewing numbers and ultimately ensure more competition comes to your home and delivers you a very satisfactory result. Failure to consider the ability of your property’s marketing agent to achieve cut through to web buyers may leave you shortchanged. For more information
about our optimisation tools and web sites go to www.grahammcintyre.co.nz or phone 0800 900 700.

At Home Staging Limited
20 years ago nobody worried about “staging” their home before putting it on the market, however this has changed as more and more people use the services of home stagers. As with many trends once the standards have been raised, it’s hard to go back. Home stagers are similar to an interior decorator with expertise in planning and choosing colours and furniture and arranging them all in a way that makes your home look its best. A stager doesn’t create a home that suits your personal taste and need for every day comfort, but instead makes your home appeal to a broad range of tastes, livable or not! It is possible that your home may receive better offers from potential buyers and spend less time on the market by minimising the flaws of your home and making it appear larger, brighter and more appealing. A stager’s job is to help people fall in love with your place and want to buy it. Staging may be one of the most important steps in selling your home quickly and and at the right price. Call Anna or Tracey on 021 136 3750 or 029 200 9011 Email:  thomestaging@xtra.co.nz AT Home Staging Ltd.

Potted plants: what you need to know
Containers can provide an effective colour accent, year-round structure and fragrance in specific areas of your garden – like a patio area with seating. They can be used to accentuate decks, patios and front doors, or they can be specifically employed for their portability. Plants in pots can be shifted for sun exposure, and frost-sensitive plants can be moved indoors or under cover during cooler weather and frosts. It might also be useful to shift flowering plants closer to fruit trees or vegetables to repel insects or for cross pollination purposes. Another clever use for containers, especially in borders, is to lift your plants so that certain flowers can be seen above otherwise taller growing plants. And, of course, container gardening is ideal for where space is limited. Most plants, including vegetables and herbs, grow well in containers, provided you pay attention to watering. You can mix and match your containers – use standard ceramic, terracotta, wooden or plastic ones, or recycle objects like an old gumboot for a funky display. Tall pots are ideal for accentuating doorways and entrances, and troughs can be used alongside paths to guide visitors. Hanging baskets can house cherry tomatoes, herbs or trailing plants, and homemade hypertufa pots can be both useful and artful. Whichever container you choose, the most important consideration – and the most limiting factor in successful container gardening – is watering. It’s vital for plants to thrive.

THE VINTAGE SHOP OFFERS BARGAINS
The Vintage Shop in the historical Pomana Hall in Access Road next to the Kumeu Community Centre offers, at very good prices, a range of vintage, retro, craft and haberdashery items. New stock arrives weekly, some purchased from auctions in the city, but an increasing number of items are being donated by local people who may be down-sizing or discovering special items they no longer have use for in cupboards they are clearing out. The ladies at the shop have received a number of unique items in this way which sometimes need to be cleaned up before displaying for sale. Customers will find that all items bare pricetags and there are many bargains for the discerning buyer. The Vintage Shop is a Huapai-Kumeu Lions initiative with all profits being distributed to worthy causes in the local community. The shop-workers are all volunteers working on a two week roster and many of these people see this as a worthwhile contribution to the local community as well as being an enjoyable experience receiving, preparing and pricing items for sale. New volunteer- helpers are always welcome and in the first instance they need only indicte their interest to someone at the shop. Shop hours are 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 1pm on Saturday.

MEACTIVITY – MAY 2015
Summer gives way to autumn, the rains feed the weeds and our planting alike. Please get in touch if you’d like information about our weeding and planting days around the Muriwai Village Green. Summer jandals give way to winter boots. Many jandals will be at the end of their lifespan. Jandals are, to date, not able to be recycled in New Zealand. They form a small, but significant, addition to marine plastic off our shores. In the Indian Ocean plastic swirl, discarded jandals are one of the largest marine pollutants. Not-for-profits in East Africa are collecting this plastic and making recycled products and artworks, which financially benefit small communities. While such things have a feelgood factor, spare a thought for the low-value, under-valued, pieces of plastic which we throw away. These impact on our beaches, and, when broken down, our food chain. ruth@muriwai-environment.org.

Mobile Podiatry Services
Complete foot care mobile service for all problems with your feet including toenails, corns and calluses, foot pain and sport related lower limb problems. For more info or to book in Contact Annie Soikham 021 075 8448 or psoikham@yahoo.com.

NZ Tactical Canines Presents K-9 Kids
NZ Tactical Canines are now running kids and canine classes in Kumeu which is specifically tailored to teach kids about dog behavior and training. This class is designed not only to teach kids about their own canines but how to notice warning signs of an unhappy dog and how to respect a dogs personal space especially when meeting a dog for the first time. Joshua age 7: “I know not to run up to a strange dog so that he doesn’t get a fright” Julian aged 5: “I leave dogs alone when they are sleeping” Caleb aged 6: “Dogs need to have exercise everyday so they don’t get bored” Hannah aged 10: “Teaching my dog tricks helps my dog listen to me better”. To make a booking or for more information contact us via phoning Michelle: 027 343 8210, email: info@nztacticalcanines.co.nz, website: www.nztacticalcanines.co.nz or Facebook www.facebook.com/nztacticalcanines.

Bach Flower Remedies
I have been using the Bach Flower Remedies for 20 years. There is one remedy for every human emotion, 38 essences in total, one thing that surprised me is out of the 38 remedies there are 293 million combinations of the Bach Flower Remedies....... The original Bach Flower Centre handed over to Nelsons in the late 1980’s and there had been no form of advertising or marketing done on the Bach Flower Remedies until approximately 1991. The Bach Flowers had spread around the world by word of mouth until this stage. By using the Bach Flowers you are “flooding the body with positive energy”and are rebalancing the energy field which helps to get the situation back to a manageable situation. If you use the wrong remedy, nothing will happen. Normally you would use up to 6-7 remedies but if you were having trouble deciding between a couple of the remedies you could take up to 9, any more than this and it will miss the main area needed for help. What is not needed in the remedy will just go. If someone has been in a car accident, you can place the drops onto the person’s wrist, which will work as just effectively as drops into the mouth. These remedies do not have adverse effects, but like other natural medicines, suppressed symptoms may appear in the form of a rash while the body is healing – this is only temporary. Some people will get results overnight while others may not, all people get a different response. Rescue remedy is the “Acute” then and there remedy, used in an emergency, demanding or stressful situations, it is also good after an anaesthetic. As the Bach Flower Remedies are preserved in a Grape Alcohol Solution, anyone that has an allergy or is an alcoholic or a recovering alcoholic, or for religious reasons, can still take the Bach Flower Remedies by pouring boiling water over the remedies, the boiling water will evaporate the grape alcohol solution. You can put the drops in a cup of tea, the heat does not upset the Remedy, they can be taken alongside prescriptive medicines and Homeopathics with no side effects and are non-addictive. Edward Bach was born in 1886 and died in 1936. He became a Harley Street Physician who was ahead of his time, he gave up his Harley Street practice in the early
1930’s and went away and created the 38 Bach Flower Remedies. Edward Bach had suffered ill health most of his life. A very intuitive man, and by close observation of individuals, he found it was not the disease that needed treating but the moods and characteristics of the personality of the person. Dr Back divided the 38 remedies into these seven groups: fear, uncertainty, insufficient interest in present circumstances, loneliness, oversensitivity to influences and ideas, despondency or despair, over-care for the welfare of others. These groups represent fundamental conflicts which prevent us from being true to ourselves. Of the 38 remedies 37 are from plants while Rock water is not. These remedies have been helping people for over 70 years now. DISCLAIMER: This information is presented to you and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended to lead anyone away from a qualified doctor. If you would like a consultation or want to find out more: Call Joanne, Holistic Health Practitioner Ph 09 833 3966 Or Email naturally4u@xtra.co.nz www.naturally4u.co.nz.

Carpet your garage with Garage Carpet Pro
Garage carpet pro specialise in the installation of quality “fit for purpose” garage carpets. Installing Garage Carpet can turn your garage into a safe, warm, fully functional space – creating a TRUE extension of your home! Garage Carpet can be professionally fitted in just half a day and will transform the look of your garage and add value to your home. It is incredibly practical, and surprisingly cost effective when compared to the features and benefits it provides.
• Safe – no more wet slippery floors
• Warm, comfortable & quiet
• Tough, durable & weatherproof
• Won’t rot, smell or stain
• Lifetime guarantee against zippering
• Perfect for the garage, laundry, home gym, workshop, sleep out, man cave, holiday home & more... We only use the highest quality carpet manufactured in Belgium. Don’t fall into the trap of using cheap Chinese imported carpet that isn’t up to the job and won’t last. We offer very attractive prices and the best guarantees in the industry. Garage Carpet Pro is a member of The Pro Group – NZ’s preferred home service specialists so you can TRUST who you are buying from. No one installs more garage carpet than us! We stand behind our workmanship and quality 100%. If you want quality and confidence in a professional job then contact your local Garage Carpet Pro Specialist Zane Scott for your FREE no obligation quote on 022 096 3172 or email zane.s@deckandfencepro.co.nz.

Sam’s Sewing Tips: May 2015
Winter fabrics: Our new range of Polar fleece prints have just arrived and are priced from only $10 per metre, so come and check these out before we sell out. Scissor Sharpening Service: We offer a service for all things needing to be sharpened e.g. scissors, knives, clippers, gardening equipment etc. OUR NEXT SHARPENING SERVICE IS TUESDAY 5TH MAY. Just bring them in before midday and they will be ready later that afternoon. Drop off sooner if that suits and pick up the next day is OK too. Remember we have the best selection of high quality thread in the West, called Metrosene it is the ONLY one I use and although a bit more expensive remember in the end you get what you pay for so I recommend this for all dressmaking. It is strong and durable and doesn’t break or fray. We also stock larger cones for overlocking and if we don’t have it we will get it in for you. We also supply zips, elastic and other haberdashery items. Remember if you have any sewing questions, come in and talk to Sam Your “Expert Fabric Advisor” at Fabric & Things 10B Shamrock Drive, Kumeu or phone 09 412 9123. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5 pm OR check out our online shop at www.fabricandthings.co.nz.

Wanted
Wanted - quality saddlery and saddles, bridles, boots, bits and everything horse-related to sell on your behalf. We have heaps of new stock in and over 40 saddles in store available for trial with a friendly helpful service to make sure that you and your horse are fitted correctly. Peter Hill, master saddler, is available for saddle fitting on 30th April and 1st May. Bookings taken now $55. Contact Shelley 027 258 1805 Upstairs at Western ITM.

Autumn Sale now on
All Things Patchwork in Waimauku Village is your dedicated Bernina Sewing Centre. We provide full sales and service on Bernina and Bernette sewing machines. We also service most other makes of sewing machines as well. Our autumn sale has Bernette sewing machines from as little as $199.00. The Bernette range comes with 5 year mechanical warranty and one free service plus lesson on how to use the machine and Bernina’s have a 10 year warranty, 2 free services and lessons on how to use the machine. Sale ends May 14th. We also carry a large range of quality designer cotton fabric suitable for craft or clothing, along with sewing and embroidery supplies. We offer beginner classes and advanced classes in patchwork every school term, to find out more call into our shop located in the Waimauku Village Centre, Factory Rd, Waimauku or phone 09 411 7618.

2015 New Zealand Women’s Masters
Helensville Golf Club, North Harbour, Sunday 12 April 2015. Southland Re-write The History Books! Robyn Boniface and her team, Robyn Pullar, Kerry Mariu and Fiona Murray have done it again – winning the 2015 New Zealand Women’s Masters – in stunning fashion, for a record sixth time. The star of the team was Robyn Pullar who contributed 127 points towards the team’s total of 368 gross stableford points. Played over four rounds, the three top scores, round by round contribute to the team total. Boniface had 122 points and Kerry Mariu, 119. Fiona Murray who with the others has been a member of this tight unit for a fifth time, had no counting cards this year, such was the consistency of the other three. Southland led by 15 points going into the final round this morning, and finished with the same margin, ahead of 2nd placed Auckland. Auckland did not have one of their traditional strong starts to the tournament with the long time anchor of the team, Brigit Holford being the non-counting player, uncharacteristically for the first two rounds. However Holford, and the rest of team saved the best to last with a belting 99 points today to deny Waikato second place. Holford had 31 points, past New Zealand representative Lisa Herbert (Aldridge), 35 and Sian Kelly, playing in her first masters, 33 points. Herbert’s 35 was the best round of the day. Scarlette Jeon the non-counting card with 26 points. Waikato left Helensville Golf Club, the host of the 24th New Zealand Women’s Masters, wondering ‘what if, after earlier leading by 7 shots after the first round.

Kumeu rugby - fun, fitness, freindships
After nine training sessions, much sweat and trepidation we finally got to play our very first 50 minute game at Silverdale. A heavily contested match with plenty of rucks, mauls and turnovers but a staggering 9 tries apiece which highlighted that there was work to do but great depth and opportunity within the team. The coaching staff had some highlights with outstanding moments of individual and team performance. In such a competitive sporting country it was so pleasing to see all the parents loving the thrill of the game, the highs and the cringes. But to see the glow of enjoyment in the faces of our children/ grandchildren within a sport that highlights fitness and fun. Still time to register for Rugby in 2015, if you have a child that would thrive on some social, sporting and physical activity, contact Becks at Kumeu Rugby. See www.kumeurugby.co.nz Graham McIntyre, Kumeu Rugby, J5 Black, Coach.

Bring back the birdsong
Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to wake up in New Zealand 150 years ago to a chorus of bell bird, kakariki, saddleback and North Island robin? Sadly this is not possible today. The population of the Fairy Tern bird is 35 to 40 birds. The Kakapo population is estimated to be 124 birds. The Department of Conservation has 25 species of birds in New Zealand listed as nationally critical. One of the main threats to our unique bird life is loss of native habitat. Having many small pockets of native bush in the district to provide food and shelter for the birds is critical to their survival. We have a wonderful opportunity here in the Kumeu area to plant out revegetation native plants and develop these patches of bush. At Tawa Road Native Nursery, 200 Tawa Road Kumeu, we have an excellent selection of revegetation native plants to be planted out this autumn and winter priced at $2.50 per plant with discounts for bulk purchases. For further information phone John on 022 066 1960 or email john@tawanursery.co.nz. Watch out in next month’s Kumeu Courier for further information on species of plants suitable for our area and more detailed information on revegetation planting.

Woodhill District Brownies and Guides by Alison Hucke
In March the girls sold Girl Guide Biscuits and the Brownies made some into Ladybird Biscuits and delivered them to the Gables, a local retirement home. In April the emphasis was on Anzac Commemorations and the girls made peace poppies to put on display outside the Kumeu Library and Waimauku RSA. They also attended the Waimauku Anzac Service and parade. A large number of our girls are hoping to attend the International Jamboree to be held in Christchurch in January 2016. To this end we are raising funds by holding an evening at Extreme Edge Rock Climbing Centre in Glen Eden on Tuesday 12th May from 6pm to 9pm. Friends and supporters are invited to buy tickets from Alison Hucke, Kumeu Ph: 09 412 5821. There will be a sausage sizzle, cakes, sweets and cold drinks for sale also. We have a number of Willing Workers whom we are encouraging to raise some of their own funds for the Jamboree, rather than expecting their parents to pay for everything. If you have any odd jobs – window washing, car cleaning, gardening, vacuuming etc and would like to hire a willing worker or two, please contact Alison Hucke, Kumeu Ph: 09 412 5821. New girls are always welcome. Come along on a Tuesday night and see what we do. Leaders over 18 years who enjoy the outdoors are also welcome. Contact Ann Miller, Ph: 09 411 9337 with any inquiries.

Stolen Memories now open
Announcing the opening of Stolen Memories, a brand new pre loved designer and vintage clothing store in Kumeu. Quality and unique pieces, casual wear, evening wear and accessories. Previously Deborah Jane, Stolen Memories aims to bring you sustainable fashion at an affordable price. Behind the BNZ and below Secret Lace Bridal. NEEDING QUALITY CLOTHING to sell on your behalf Ph 09 412 9584.

Wordpress for your business
WordPress is web software you can use to create a website or blog. It has been around since 2003 and it is free to use. The core software is built by hundreds of community volunteers, and when you’re ready for more there are thousands of add-ons and designs (called themes) available to transform your site into almost anything you can imagine. Over 60 million people have chosen WordPress to power their websites. Although you can get Wordpress and set it up yourself we recommend you have an expert do this for you. Here at Utopia we can setup Wordpress and have you up and going in no time. This includes giving you some training on how to use it as well as ways you can begin promoting your business online. When it comes to the look of your website you have the option of using a predesigned theme, or, we can build one that is right for you. This includes matching it to your business - from colours through to logo and the overall look. If you are thinking about running a blog or know someone who is struggling with their WordPress website have them contact us here at Utopia on 09 412 2473 or michael@utopia.co.nz. We are based in Kumeu providing website design, consultancy and development of purpose built business applications.

A little bit of history - compiled by Colin Buckwell
KUMEU BRIDGE and HALL OPENING 9TH December 1913. A large number of settlers were present at Kumeu South on Saturday, to witness the formal opening of the new ferro-concrete bridge spanning the Kumeu River at its intersection with the Main North Road. The structure, built accdording to the latest design, is 65ft [19.8m] long and 19ft [5.8m] wide and was built for the Waitemata County Council by Mesrs Turner and Beadle under the supervision of Mr G. Jackson, the County Engineer. Mr Kerr-Taylor – the member for the Kumeu Riding, in addressing the gathering, explained that the bridge, while serving the district on the other side of the river, at the same time obviated the necessity for the reconstruction of two wooden bridges and the erection of a third. The bridge was officially declared open by Mr F. Dye, the newly-elected chairman of the Waitemata County Council, who expressed a hope that the time was not far distant when the bridges throughout the County would be built of ferro-concrete. He said that the bridge was a fair indication of the progressive nature of the district and in support of his remarks he gave a few reminiscences of the early days of the district showing how it had gone ahead. The contract price of the bridge was £589-15-0 [$1179.50] in addition to which it had cost the Council £156-3-9d [$312.37] in road formation and £30-0-0 [$60.00] for scoria used in the foundations of the bridge. These amounts, in addition to £185-0-0 [$370.00] paid as compensation to owners of the land affected, made the total cost of the bridge £960-18-9d [$1921.87] At the conclusion of Mr. Dye’s speech, Mrs Kerr-Taylor cut the barrier of ribbon and the first vehicles passed over the bridge. THE NEW KUMEU HALL An adjournment was then made to the newly-erected Kumeu Public Hall of which the opening ceremony was performed by Mr V. Kerr-Taylor. A telegram was received from Mr G. Coates, the M.P. for the district congratulating the settlers on the erection of the hall. Among the speakers were Messrs F. Dye, J O’Neil (member for Waitakere riding) and A. Cochrane (ex-chairman of the County
Council and member of Waikumete Riding). The building has a uniform width of 30ft [9.2m] and a total length of 64ft [19.5m]. The material used in its construction cost £200-0-0 [$400.00] the labour being supplied by the settlers themselves who, with the able assistance of Mr Turner - the bridge contractor – constructed the building. Of the sum spent, £144-0-0 [$288.00] consisted of subscriptions from the settlers and the balance probably be provided by the issue of debentures to be paid off by the proceeds of hall functions.

Pets welcome at Radius Taupaki Gables
It is well documented that pets and companion animals have a positive influence on the physical and psychological health of older people. At the elderly care facility, Radius Taupaki Gables, residents are encouraged to keep pets and animals are even brought in to visit on a regular basis. “Animals provide companionship without the need to strike up conversation,” explains Radius Taupaki Gables facility manager, Laurel Winwood. “By caring for them, patients also feel needed and useful but I think we see the most benefit in patients with dementia who really seem to come to life when a cat or rabbit is placed on their lap,” says Laurel. Radius Taupaki Gables is already home to four cats, a bird and fish as well as several chickens plus every fortnight an SPCA and St John outreach programme volunteer also visits with a menagerie of pets to hold and cuddle.  www.radiuscare.net.nz.

Plant Zero champions organic rose growing
My name is Angelique and I am the new business owner of Stems Roses. We are still using the name Stems for the people who know that name, but my business is Called Plant Zero. We will be introducing some new cut flower varieties to the cut roses over the next few months and you can now also buy a few organically grown herbs, shrubs and trees for the Station Road Farm. A bit about me: I am a Landscape Architect and a Passionate Plantswoman, and have been in the landscaping world for about 25 years. My business goals are all about sustainability, minimising waste and providing a better future for ourselves and our children, which is why we focus on organic and eco-friendly products and services. We grow our own plants from small herbs to large trees and we recycle people’s pre-loved plants and where possible minimise waste. We are in the process of turning the tunnel house, which was once full of nasty chemicals into a more natural and organic state. We now use eco-friendly, organic and biological controls on all the roses. While it has been and still is, a challenge to do this in a controlled environment, we are committed to make the change. Locally grown fresh ‘nearly organic’ cut flowers are much better for people and much kinder on our environment. Many people don’t know but imported cut flowers are dipped into a heavy duty pesticide up to their necks for 40 minutes! And not only that but they come all the way from Columbia and India! We are currently working on a new website which we will have up and running before Mother’s Day which will showcase some of our beautiful roses and florist work. People will be able to buy online and link through from the Plant Zero website www.plantzero.co.nz, phone in for an order or just pop down to see one of the friendly team members. To contact us at the Farm call 09 412 7606 between the hours of 9am-5pm Tuesday – Friday, Saturday and Monday 9am-12pm.

Kumeu Community Centre
Rodney Local Board, supported by Auckland Council, have provided a $500 grant to help kick start Intermediate Primary Netball League at the Kumeu Community Centre. A Ladies and Mixed League has been running at the Centre through the winter season and this year is the 10th Anniversary. I would like to see a team from each of the Local Schools (there is just the one Court so limited to 8 teams); the Age Group is Intermediate. There are bibs and netballs, players just need indoor court shoes. Starting Thursday afternoons May 7th, the Primary League will be followed by the evening Adult Mixed League, this league has been a fundraiser over the years for causes nominated by the teams, last year it was Lifeline Aotearoa. Contact for both leagues is Jenny Jordan, email for registration jennynball@gmail.com.

Five Good Ideas
Affordable professional development training for the community sector. SEMINAR - Governance vs Management: Roles and Responsibilities with Carol Scholes 5th May 12- 2pm – War Memorial Hall, Helensville COST: $20.00 (includes lunch and resources). Summary of course: The demands on governance boards of not-for-profit organisations have never been higher with increased account ability, compliance, risk management, funding pressures and HR management.  Governance boards need to bring a variety of skills and networks to the board table. They have to ensure delivery of their core service within a complex regulatory environment whilst still being able to think strategically and collaboratively. It is a demanding role to be done on a voluntary basis. In addition boards and CEOs or Managers have to work as a strong leadership team to take their organisation to the next level. This session will explore the delineation of roles and responsibilities and how these relationships can work most effectively. Register: info@ancad.org.nz, Phone: 09 486-4820, Venue: War Memorial Hall, Helensville REGISTER ON-LINE: www.ancad.org.nz or email: info@ancad.org.nz. Cancellation - please be aware that we now require 48hrs notice if you wish to cancel. This will allow us to offer your place to someone else. With support from Auckland Council.

Livestock report
The combination of good recent rain and a lifting cattle schedule contributed to a very strong cattle market at Pukekohe on Saturday. Demand was extra good for all cattle on offer and with schedules continuing to lift so early in the season, farmers could be in for a good winter, price wise anyway! There were some good quality store stock on offer, from 15 month steers to weaner heifers, and they all sold very well indeed. Prime cattle are selling extra well and this will continue through this season.
CATTLE
Medium x bred 2 year steers $1,200 to $1,550
Medium 18 month x bred steers $800 to $960
Medium x bred weaner steers $550 to $605
Small x bred steers $420 to $530
Medium prime heifers $1,070 to $1,240
Good store 20 month heifers $1,020 to$1,050
Good 15 month heifers $890 to $980
Very good weaner heifers $820
Other x bred yearling heifers $605 to $655
Medium weaner heifers $465 to $575
Other weaner heifers $200 to $405
Boner cows $850 to $1,660
Very light cows $420 to $730
SHEEP
Fat lambs $80 to $98
Store lambs $40 to $66
Ewes $59.50 to $83
Light ewes $15 to $30
PIGS
Weaners $80 to $98
Pork $120
Slips $120
FEEDER CALVES
Hereford x bulls $170 to $177
Hereford heifers $107 to $164
X bred bulls $70 to $140
X bred heifers $20 to $70

Big Thanks to HeartSaver NZ
Children, staff and residents living near Taupaki School can benefit from a life-saving piece of equipment, thanks to the generosity of a local business. Kumeu business Heart Saver NZ Limited kindly donated a defibrillator to the school in August 2014. It can be used by the school or members of the public during and outside of school hours should anyone suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone at any age. The chances of survival from a person suffering a SCA decreases by 10% per minute. Automated External Defibrillators or (AED’s) need to be used on a patient extremely quickly to give the patient the best chances of survival. Taupaki School principal, Stephen Lethbridge, is delighted with the donation. For him, it means that the community has access to life saving technology as time is crucial. As a school we want this equipment available to the public 24/7 and we are grateful to Heart Saver for helping to make our school and community more able to deal with cardiac related emergencies. Heart Saver is owned by local family, Mike and Helen Mander. As well as selling AEDs, they also run first aid courses and provide first aid cover at events such as the Northern Mystics home games, and the Puhinui International 3 Day Event. Their son Scotty attends Taupaki Primary. Helen Mander said, “We are really pleased to be able to donate an AED to Taupaki School and the surrounding community. We love being a part of this great community and we’re happy to give back where we can. AED’s save lives so it was important to us that the local school has one that the pupils, staff and locals can access.” The defibrillator is housed in a lock box. Ambulance call centre staff will direct people to the box and provide an access code for access. For more information please contact either stephenl@taupaki.school.nz or info@heartsaver.co.nz.

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Soljans Estate Winery
Soljans Café is the perfect place to celebrate a family lunch on Mother’s Day. Enjoy award-winning, Mediterranean- style food with a New Zealand twist and a dedicated Children’s Menu. Book early to avoid disappointment, phone 09 412 2680 or email cafe@soljans.co.nz. Mother’s Day gifts may come in all shapes and sizes, but what matters most is that they come from the heart. Pamper her with a wide selection of gifts from our gift shop.

Blueberry Cake
1 ¼ cups flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup caster sugar
75g butter
1 egg
3 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Rind of one lemon
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy then add one egg and beat well. Mix with remaining ingredients and pour into quiche dish. Cover base with 1 ½ cups of fruit –either fresh or frozen. You can use boysenberries or raspberries as an alternative to the blueberries.
Topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
75 g butter
Melt butter and add other ingredients. Crumble the topping mixture over the top of the fruit and bake for 45 mins at 175 degrees. Serve with cream, ice-cream or yoghurt for a yummy dessert. Recipes supplied by Wedding and Birthday Cake specialists Paula Jane Cakes. Contact Paula 021 208 8604 or Jane 021 273 6139, email: info@paulajanecakes.co.nz or website www.paulajanecakes.co.nz.

Food Intolerances
Ever feel like some foods just don’t agree with you? Leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable? Do you have reactions to certain foods but can’t put your finger on which food/foods it is? I am pleased to announce we now offer hair testing to identify food intolerances. We get great results with clients when intolerances are identified; when allergens are removed symptoms usually clear up. Then by supporting the body we can often re-introduce them at a later date. Don’t live with food intolerances. Support your body by booking in for a hair test and get your health back on track. Contact Selena Quinn, Ph 027 448 7096, www.damhealthy.com, Family Osteopathic Clinic, 39
Hobsonville Rd, West Harbour, Facebook @ DamHealthy.

UNITARY PLAN PROGRESS?
At the time of writing this, the Association is in the middle of a 3 day mediation over land use categories and use component for the Rural Zoning including ‘Countryside Living’. The Council’s Lawyers and Planners attending, are still sticking to unreasonable minimum standards in the Rural Zone of 80ha min & 40ha in ‘Mixed Rural’ and in Kumeu 2.0ha for ‘Countryside Living’. They site the fact that they are just bringing forward the rules in the old District Plan, but it has been pointed out by numerous submitters those rules are out of date. They acknowledge that in Kumeu practically all subdivided blocks are at 1 ha minimum now. Many landowners have suggested that the unused rule of ‘Large Lot’ 4000m2 be applied to help increase the number of sites around Kumeu without losing the character of the District. The zoning areas and issues will be resolved at the end of 2015. Final release of the Unitary Plan decisions will be in June 2016, just prior to local body elections in October 2016. The transport issues are still unresolved for the District in that no studies have been started by NZTA or Auckland Transport. Both groups at the Mayor’s meeting on Saturday 14th March acknowledge that there was urgency needed to proceed with the study. The Mayor’s response also acknowledged this, but the Auckland Council Planners are saying that they haven’t the staff to start work until after the Unitary Plan hearings are over. Given that the Special Housing Area has been advertised and submissions closed, it seems that application will be considered in isolation. It is a case definitely the ‘cart before the horse’ situation. It is looking more likely that the Association will have to give evidence to the Commissioners over the zonings with or without the local Board involvement. That would be a pity, but as I have been saying for the last 2 years, the Structure Plan for the District needs to be available for the Unitary Plan Commissioners to consider at their hearing, not be left to the staff to do afterwards. There appears to be a reluctance by Council staff to deal with the worsening situation that is transport and the growth of Kumeu-Huapai. Pete Sinton, Chairman - Kumeu-Huapai Residents & Ratepayers Association. Ph. 09 412 2016 or Email petesinton@townplanners.co.nz.

LIFE SKILLS FOR DOGS TRAINING
This course is the perfect start for puppies or as a refresher for an adult dog. It covers basic to intermediate commands, which means this training will set your dog up for life. No previous
training is required. 2nd May 2015, 2.30pm- 3.30pm, Rautawhiri Park, Helensville. Cost: $200, Register at training@k9services.co.nz, Website:www.k9services.co.nz. A 8 week course, an hour of focused training in a park environment & out and about locations, teaching your dog the necessary Life Skills they need.

Introducing your local interior designer
Local, award winning interior designer Hayley-Anne Brown has recently established Lou Brown Design; a bespoke interior design studio offering residential and commercial design services. Based in Riverhead, Lou Brown Design specialises in creating quality functional interiors with edge. Your interior will be unique and specifically designed based on your requirements. Lou Brown Design can assist with hard and soft fit-outs, window furnishings, upholstery, flooring, custom furniture, furniture refurbishment, cabinetry, kitchen, laundry and bathroom design, accessories, lighting, hardware and more. “We’re flexible and happy to help whether you’re building, renovating or restyling. We can come to you during the week, after hours, at your place or wherever suits,” says Hayley. With over 10 years’ experience, the talented designer has developed loubrown.co.nz - an info hub offering renovation advice to homeowners. Hayley will be regularly contributing to the Kumeu Courier with fantastic ideas, tips and advice – so keep an eye out! As a launch celebration and for a limited time, Lou Brown Design is offering an onsite 1-2 hour Interior Ideas Consultation for $99. For information on this deal, other services, to view testimonies and recent work go to www.loubrown.co.nz or call Hayley on 021 814 329.

The value of superhero and weapon play
When a child picks up a stick and uses it as a gun or makes an eye mask from a piece of paper and proclaims that now he or she is ready “to save the world” – this is great dramatic play and can lead to wonderful learning. It is child initiated learning through play. Superhero and weapon play is something that often children self-initiate. It is not just a ‘boy thing’ as girls can love to participate in this kind of play too. Traditionally most of the superheroes are male figures but today there are many female superheroes for both boys and girls to follow. Very young children tend to choose their favourite superheroes on the basis of what the superhero does (skills and characteristics) rather than gender. So if a girl’s favourite superhero is superman for example, support her personal choice. Some people think that if you let a child engage in gun or other weapon play, the child will hurt or kill others or grow up to be a violent person. There is no evidence to support this belief. Play with weapons and superhero play is pretend play, it is little different to pretending that sand is a rich chocolate cake or that there are tooth fairies and Easter bunnies. Rich imaginative play does not produce violence, engaging in such play is an antidote to violence and not a cause of it.
Even children as young as two years can distinguish between what is real and what is make believe or not real. Children can drop dolls on their heads and dangle dolls by the arm and not worry because they know dolls are not real babies; and teachers don’t ban dolls from the early childhood programme. When children are shooting each other as part of their play they don’t actually believe they are hurting each other – they know they get up after being shot. It is not necessary to stop a child’s play when a child knows that what they are doing is playing; it’s not a real situation and no one is actually getting hurt.

Women step up in DIY but men not ready to move over, research shows
Women are getting more confident about their DIY skills and even believe they’re better at it than their mothers were – but men still think home improvement is a masculine domain, according to research undertaken by Mitre 10. The research, undertaken in January, shows that 29 per cent of men agree that DIY is a man’s job, compared to just 13 per cent of women. In fact, women had strong feelings about the idea of DIY being a man’s domain, with a whopping 66 per cent disagreeing with the statement. The remaining respondents neither agreed nor disagreed. The research surveyed more than 2,300 New Zealanders on their DIY habits and attitudes towards gender roles in DIY, and asked them to rate their own skills. Women have made huge strides in DIY since Mitre 10 first researched the topic a decade ago. When asked to rate their DIY skills compared to their same-sex parent, sixty-one per cent of women say they’re more skilled at home maintenance than their mothers were compared to 47 per cent of men who rate themselves better than their fathers. And while the uptake of DIY among women is soaring, men remain more confident in their abilities, rating themselves higher than women rate themselves. Nine per cent of men rated their skills ‘excellent’, compared to just one per cent of women, and while 50 per cent of men say they’re ‘above average’, just 24 per cent of women say the same about themselves.
Mitre 10 CEO Neil Cowie said that while the survey’s findings show a gender gap, the overall trends are encouraging. “We initially started researching this more than a decade ago, and back in 2004 we saw a noticeable increase in women getting into DIY and acquiring more skills. Now we’re seeing that the skills gap has closed, but women tend to under-rate their knowledge and abilities. “Women are a growing force in DIY. Ladies Nights organised at our Mitre 10 stores regularly attract up to 500 women per event. There are just differences in how men and women approach their DIY – for example, our research shows women are happy to ask their partners for help with DIY, but men almost never do, and men are more likely to visit a home improvement or building supply website to get the information they need.” Dr Rosie Cox, senior lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London, who has researched gender and DIY in New Zealand, said that being competent at DIY has long been important to New Zealanders’ sense of who they are. “Home ownership and the tradition of working on houses – including building houses from scratch – is part of the history of European settlement of New Zealand,” Dr Cox said. “There has been a tendency for this history to be told in male terms and this can mean that women’s contribution to the practical aspects of home building and home maintenance, and their proficiency at DIY, is overlooked. “It turns into a simple story of New Zealand identity whereby what it means to be a ‘proper Kiwi bloke’ is to be good at DIY and there is little space in this story for women. “This research suggests a more complicated picture. New Zealand women, it seems, are becoming increasingly competent and confident at DIY. There are still differences between men and women in terms of the DIY that they do, and think they should do, but it’s clear that women are important in doing DIY in their own homes and helping out friends and family and they are eager to learn more. “The image of the handy Kiwi who can mend anything is powerful enough that we should not be surprised if women embrace this identity too and continue to become more enthusiastic DIYers. The question that remains is how Kiwi men will deal
with this: will they cling to the idea that DIY is men’s work or in 10 years’ time will we see even more couples working on their homes together, enjoying the fruits of being the most ‘handy’ nation on earth,” Dr Cox said. While women’s uptake of DIY has surged, the research showed a clear confidence gap between genders, Mr Cowie said. “We discovered that men are comfortable with a multitude of tasks across the board, in particular building and construction, repairs, and using power tools, while women are happy tackling gardening, painting and wallpapering but otherwise don’t rate their knowledge with other DIY tasks.” Mitre 10 data shows a gender bias in the sort of products men and women buy*. “Women are more likely to make purchases in categories such as garden decor, interior decor, housewares, electrical appliances, seasonal heating and cooling, and flooring,” Mr Cowie said. “However, men tend to buy building supplies, power tools and garden hardware. Surprisingly, two categories usually thought of as being female products – paint and kitchens – actually have a very even gender split.” And while some might not like colours typically perceived as feminine, pink tools do indeed have purchasing power. Female customers cited design and colour as the most important aspect in a tool purchasing decision, over competitive price, ease of use and being specially made for women. Only 14 per cent of women said they wouldn’t be caught dead buying pink tools. “Our most consistently popular women’s-specific tool product is the nine-piece ladies’ toolkit,” Mr Cowie said. “It’s clearly a popular gift option, too, as we see sales more than treble in the lead-up to Christmas and a 33 per cent spike around Mother’s Day. The festive season brings out the serious female DIYer though, with the 19-piece ladies’ toolkit selling four times that of the nine-piece, again with a huge spike compared to average monthly sales throughout the year.”

Abercothi Equestrian
Seasons are changing and the rain is upon us. Are your covers waterproof? Have your repairs been done? Do you need a new cover? At Goodwood covers we make all our canvas covers on site. We also stock zilco covers - full range available at great prices. We offer a full cover repair service from repairs while you wait, same day. Washing waterproofing. With every wash and waterproof we donate $5 to your club of choice. Located upstairs at Western ITM, Main Road, Kumeu. Contact Shelley 027 258 1805.

$75 = exposure for a month - Kumeu Courier
Budgets are tight, and advertising is oftern expensive, but it’s nice to know that someone is making it easy and cost effective. For $75 plus GST you can be exposed to over 18,000 locals for a whole month. That is only $2.50 a day. For more information email our editor at sarahcartwright022@gmail.com.

Waitemata hunter
Well the new season has kicked off with a great opening. Over the the school holidays we have had 2 children’s hunts with a fabulous amount of up and coming riders and their mounts. We have our Hunter Derby day being held on 2nd May at the Helensville A&P ground, open to all. The program is on our website www.waitematahunt.co.nz. We also have our hunt card available in your local saddlery grain and Wrightson RD1. Come and join us with the amazing atmosphere of following our gorgeous harrier hounds over the stunning properties in the Waitemata Rodney district.

Agreement or offer?
An offer to buy your house is not an agreement unless you accept the offer. This means an offer can be withdrawn as long as this is communicated from one to the other. An agreement for the sale and purchase of a house must be in writing signed by both parties and dated accordingly. This means that unlike an offer, you can only withdraw in accordance with the terms of the agreement - usually for non-satisfaction of a particular condition. Importantly, non-satisfaction of a purchasing condition is not always a subjective thing. Non-satisfaction of a builders report by you as purchaser means you must show the vendors what the builders report says. Non-satisfaction of a LIM report allows the vendor an opportunity to rectify the unsatisfactory aspect of the LIM report. This means that you may still be required to perform the agreement if the vendor rectifies accordingly. We recommend that you take legal advice about the sort of conditions in your agreement in order to ensure that you have room to withdraw from an agreement if you find something about the property unsatisfactory to you. Luke Kemp - Kemp Barristers & Solicitors, phone: 09 412 6000 or email luke@kempsolicitors.co.nz.

Avalon European Waterways River cruise
It is not too late for Avalon European Waterways River Cruising for 2015. Check out these great deals: Save up to $2460 per couple on selected Europe departures, No Single Supplement on selected Europe departures, save $650 per couple on all other Europe itineraries, Book by 31 May 2015. For example: ROMANTIC RHINE (WZA/WAZ), 8 Days between Zurich & Amsterdam, NOW from $2,433 per person twin share (based on 14/12/15 Cat E), Applicable dates: WZA –31 Jul; 2, 14 Aug; 11, 31 Oct, 14 Dec 2015, WAZ – 3, 7, 17, 21 May; 14 Jun; 21, 23 Aug; 24 Oct; 1 Nov 2015 Or: MAGNIFICENT EUROPE (WAB/WBA), 15 days between Amsterdam & Budapest, NOW from $5,340 per person twin share, (based on 21/12/15 Cat E), Applicable dates: WAB – 19, 30 Jun; 28 Jul; 11 Aug; 22 Sept; 21 Dec 2015, WBA – 22 May; 2, 16, 19 Jun; 3, 14, 31 Jul; 25, 28 Aug; 8 Sept; 21, 23 Oct 2015. Or planning in advance for 2016?? Book & deposit by 30 June 2015 for any 2016 cruise departures and save 10% of European cruises, and save 15% off selected France only itineraries. Enquire now for the brochures to be mailed to you. Tanya Franklin, your local Travel Broker, 09 411 9105, or 021 254 9169, or email: tanya@ttb.co.nz . Make an appointment to see me in my home office in Waimauku to chat about your next holiday!

Local Graphic Designer
I have some great branding packages on offer from now until the end of May so if you or somebody you know is looking to get some design work done feel free to check out my website at www.wildflare.co.nz or my Facebook page www.facebook.com/wildflarecreative, feel free to flick me a message or enquire about a quote. I cover all the design bases - anything from a poster or logo through to company annual reports. Amy.

Talk to the Editor?
We like to hear your comments and suggestions and we are happy to publish these in Kumeu Courier. All you will need to do is go to the Kumeu Courier Facebook page and submit to us or email sarahcartwright022@gmail.com or glms@xtra.co.nz. It has never been easier to have your say in our community, create a following and initiate change. It starts today, email or Facebook us.

What’s happening at Awa Nursery?
Autumn is here, and with it some long awaited rain. It is a fantastic time of the year when a kaleidoscope of colour appears on the beautiful deciduous trees, the temperature is cooler, and you get those long days of clear blue skies. Perfect for getting into the garden! It is a busy time of the year for all, and after a long hot summer, I’m sure many of you are keen to start planning your next venture in the garden. Here at Awa Nursery we have been busy bringing in the new seasons stock from our huge growing on blocks in readiness for those projects. We have a great variety of new season Camellias now in stock with more to come. We are sure to have something at the nursery to meet your needs. Keep an eye on our newsletter and Facebook page. Phone 09 411 8712.

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