Issue February 2015

Many Wellington people cherish retirement ‘up the coast’. Jill Abigail and Joy Anderton’ fell in love with 18 acres of coastal dunes and degraded wetland. Fifteen years later they overlooks a restored covenanted wetland, designated by DoC as an Outstanding Natural Landscape.

Drch-enemy, Darth Vader, from the Star Wars film saga, made a surprise visit to Otaki on Wellington Anniversary Day. The Otaki Mail spied him at Planet Retro and SciFi shop on the highway, where he had paused on his mission, involvement in children’s causes and collecting donations.

Well done Otaki MenzShed for a very successful inaugural year. Thanks to the enthusiasm, skills and hard work of the members, along with the many generous donations of equipment and materials and the Council grants received, the old nurses’ home has been turned into a working shed.

The Pink Stump on Te Horo beach has been there ‘forever’ says local identity Liz Hird.

Hannah Zwartz, KCDC’s Green Gardener, drew a big crowd of Transition Town members and friends to hear about her recent trip to the United States and Cuba, looking at school and community gardens.

Dates and times for Community garden club, Drinks and Nibbles, Te Horo Country Market, Fitness classes, Craft Circle

Term One lessons at Coastlands Aquatic Centre and Ōtaki Pool run from 26 January to 28 March 2015 and at Waikanae Pool from 26 January to 21 March 2015.

In statistics released this week, Water Safety New Zealand reported 90 fatal drownings in 2014 compared with 107 in 2013. The organisation is pleased to see the numbers coming down but is still aiming for zero. Water Safety New Zealand CEO Matt Claridge says New Zealanders love the water — whether playing or surfing in it, boating or sailing on it, or simply enjoying our stunning coastline, beaches, lakes and rivers.

You might even think the event in Paris of killing cartoonists and journalists has little to do with Otaki: that the concept of freedom of speech has little to do with our lives here in our own little paradise. The Otaki Mail begs to differ.

At the national Waka Ama championships held at Lake Karapiro, six under-10 Otaki boys came of age. In the Midget class (under 10yrs) there were 36 teams competing, but it was the 200 vocal supporters from Te Rau o te Rangi Ki Otaki Waka Ama Club who were cheering the loudest as their boys “The Regulators” paddled their outrigger canoe to victory.

New Year’s Eve passed off quietly in Otaki, there being no rowdyism of any description. Many attended the picture entertainments, several spent a pleasant time at the camp, but the great majority attended the dance at Otaki Railway… Three orchestras — Sharp’s, Rikihana’s and Cook’s — supplied the best of music