Eggs on Easels to celebrate Easter in Te Puke

Te Puke Waipuna Hospice Shop manager Catherine Sipson with her contribution to this weekend's Easter Easels and Bike Trail. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

Seldom one to do things by the book, Catherine Sipson has pushed the boundaries of this weekend’s Eggs on Easels event - but only a bit.

Catherine, manager of Te Puke’s Waipuna Hospice Shop, is one of the creators of nine “eggs” on easels that are to be placed around Te Ara Kahikatea pathway on Saturday.

Each egg will feature a QR code - with the pathway an Easter bike or walking trail. Scan them all, plus the tenth egg at Jubilee Park that will be created with the community’s input, and you are in to win a bike or one of several other prizes.

“When Rebecca [Larsen, EPIC Te Puke marketing manager] said they were getting paint for them, I was horrified,” says Catherine. “I’m not a painter, so I went for multimedia.”

She has upcycled some of the unsaleable items in the shop including unfinished tapestries, glassless picture frames and broken crockery that would otherwise have been thrown away.

“I’ve also made it Eastery,” she says.

It took about 18 hours to complete and, after the event, it will be auctioned on Trade Me, along with several other creations. Money raised by her egg will go to Waipuna Hospice.

Rebecca says there have already been well over 100 registrations from people intending to take part in the trail.

“I think that will go up and I’m sure we’ll have a lot of people just show up on the day, so it looks like it’s going to be a popular event.”

The event starts at 9am and prizegiving will be at 12.30pm, so the trail needs to be completed before that.

“There will be food, raffles and things to do in the park so, if people just want to come down and hang out, that’s cool too.” The Easter bunny will be there giving out eggs and there will be donkey or pony rides and rabbits to pet. There will be spot prizes with the main prizes for those completing the trail including bikes, Easter baskets, vouchers, goodie bags and a print from artist Robyn Watchorn.

Actors from deWild Cosplay will provide entertainment and the community can add to the colour of the day by contributing to the painting of an egg on an easel “Jackson Pollock-style”.

After the event, this egg will be auctioned to raise money for the Red Cross Cyclone Gabrielle appeal.

Bikes can be safety checked by the team from My Ride Te Puke and Te Puke Scouts and Te Puke Gymsport and Parkour will be fundraising.

Dressing up is encouraged.

Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway is about 4km long with a couple of small hills.