May 2015

Second Maoriland Film festival a huge success

Otaki put itself on the world map with its indigenous film festival last month. This was the second occasion, and we can look forward to it becoming an important event on the cultural calendar. 120 short films, 10 feature films and 10 documentaries from indigenous film makers all over the world were viewed in the Civic Theatre, Nga Purapura and Hadfield Hall.

News

Rangiatea Church gets new paint

It would have been hard to not to spot the Keep Out — Building site signs on the Rangiatea Church gates in recent weeks...

Celebrating Parents’ Achievement at Waitohu School

Waitohu School celebrated their first Computers in Homes programme on April the 22nd 2015. 9 Families completed the 20 hours of computer training at...

Gardening

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2015

We were spending the last few weeks of March in Melbourne recently, catching the last of the city’s summer and meeting up with family....

What’s that twiggy plant?

The divaricating branching system is an iconic feature of many New Zealand native plants and is characterised by tight branching and small leaves. Some...

The biggest kamokamo

A whopping 6.25 kg kamokamo was the clear winner of “The biggest kamokamo” competition, run by the organisers of the Seasonal Surplus Stall on...

Focus on Winter lettuce

Our recent cooler morning and night-time temperatures are a cue to start planting cool season crops, but if you’re not ready to let go...

Thumbs up, Thumbs down

Thumbs up

  • R-ThumbsupSimon Neale and his Youtube shoots of the Maoriland Film Festival
  • Otaki Community Health Trust for funding replacement batteries and pads for the Te Horo Beach community’s defibrillator.
  • MenzShed for their awesome work for ANZAC Day making all those white crosses
  • Otaki Community Patrol as our night-time eyes and ears
  • RSA catering staff for providing all those dawn breakfasts
  • Awesome OtakiCollege Kids Shaving for a Cure for Leukaemia research, and raising $1,700

Thumbs down

  • R-ThumbsdownBroadband: Why do we have to endure slow copper, when the rest of Kapiti is getting UFB?
  • The beach rubbish dumpers. Again! Especially the dumper of dirty nappies.
  • The hoons on bikes who destroy the safety, peace and tranquillity of the beach with their unsafe driving.
  • The same hoons who ran over a dog
  • The cretin who stole the arty little metal bird perched on a metal rod, from the Te Horo beach pink stump
  • The low life who stole the laptop from All Saints Church on Easter Sunday between 8 and 9am

Taking Ōtaki's Pulse

History

From the Otaki Mail, Friday April 26 1935

ANZAC DAY CELEBRATION IN OTAKI Twenty years ago yesterday the immortal name of Anzac was first forged ’mid blood and fire on Gallipoli heights, and...

Otaki Museum

Have you seen the latest items in Otaki Remembers World War I? There is a focus on Gallipoli where twelve local men died a...

Life

Redesigning the Economy at the Tele

About 25 people will gather at the Tele at Queen’s Birthday weekend to talk about how to remodel the political economy, according to Co-leader...

Editorial: Whose Beach is it Anyway?

The Otaki Mail has become aware of dangerous, irresponsible driving on Otaki Beach. There has always been a tension between the common belief that...

Business, industry & farming

Real estate: 12 month sales report

Otaki; A total of 170 properties sold in Otaki during the last 12 months to 31st March, at an average sale price of $237,660....

Real Estate and the internet — a personal perspective

The job description of a real estate agent has been turned on its head with the acceleration of internet usage. My experience as an agent...

Sports, arts, music & entertainment

The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy

Mahara Gallery is currently hosting the national touring exhibition ‘The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy,’ curated and developed by leading New Zealand...

Focus On: Trevor Pye

What’s most fascinating about Otaki is its diversity of residents. Someone suggested that we had a famous illustrator of children’s books living in our...

KCDC Update

KCDC urges support for Capital Connection and public transport

The Kāpiti District wants the Greater Wellington Regional Council to commit funding support to enable the Capital Connection train service to be retained. Mayor Ross...

Environment

Major Planting Season Ahead

Friends of the Otaki River embark on another busy planting season commencing Saturday 16 May with the Otaki New World Planting Day. 5,100 native trees...

Editorial: Whose Beach is it Anyway?

The Otaki Mail has become aware of dangerous, irresponsible driving on Otaki Beach. There has always been a tension between the common belief that...

Bees Through the Seasons

In recognition of the importance of bees to our lives we are starting a regular column by bee keeper Penny Kerr-Hislop. She will provide...

Close-up with the natives

I’ve just taken off a few days to walk the Heaphy track, one of New Zealand’s 8 great walks. I really enjoyed sharing my...

Our people

Focus On: Trevor Pye

What’s most fascinating about Otaki is its diversity of residents. Someone suggested that we had a famous illustrator of children’s books living in our street. Inquiries confirmed that it was Trevor Pye who had...

Otaki Rotary News: Presentation of Paul Harris Fellow to Ngaire Lutz

The success of Otaki Rotary over the last 50 years, has been due, in no small part, to the help of member’s wives and partners. So many of our projects and functions would not...

Classifieds