Bream Bay news: Helping Aussie fire victims, Highland Games and swim carnival

Waipū collection to help the Australian animals
Last Sunday's orange haze brought the reality of Australia's bushfire disaster home to New Zealanders, and like many others, Waipū resident Jo Spring began searching for a way to help. She posted on her Lighthouse Restaurant and Motel Facebook page asking for suggestions. Another Waipū local, Highbrook Farm's Teresa Atkins, saw Spring's post and suggested asking people to donate to a collection to help Australian animals injured by the fires, organised by New Zealand volunteer firefighter Vanessa Veart-Smith.

"This is legitimate," says Atkins. "It's the first place I feel safe donating to knowing the donations will actually get to where they are needed."

Spring leaped at the idea and suggested her Goody Goody café in Waipū as a local drop off point. Atkins will pick up all goods at noon tomorrow and take them to Whangārei's Saddlery Warehouse, the collection point for goods heading to Australia on Monday, with DVS Logistic and Freight Specialists providing a free container and shipping from Auckland to Melbourne.

Atkins says ease of customs clearance is a priority, so donated items must be new. Ideas include: haynets, towels, brushes, hoof trimmers, cat and dog carry cages, animal leads and ropes, collars and halters, feeding bottles and teats, vet wrap, bandages, syringes, cable ties, pet sleeping mats, mesh fly veils, horse covers, heat pads. If you miss Friday's noon cutoff to drop of supplies, they can be dropped at Whangarei's Saddlery Warehouse on Herekino St until 5pm Friday. For further information about this collection, visit the facebook page Donate NZ wide for the animal victims and injured in the Australian Fires. If you are unable to get to a shop to purchase items, you can phone the shops and vets listed to place an order to be included in their collection box by tomorrow.

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Bream Bay swimmers go west

Bream Bay Swimming Club held their second carnival of the season in Dargaville last Saturday. This is the first time the club has held a carnival at the 50m outdoor Kauri Coast pool and it was well supported with more than 100 swimmers from all over the region plus Auckland competing. A big drawcard at the Northport-sponsored carnival were the Skins Events – knockout races between six competitors. The fastest six 12 year and under swimmers in the 50m freestyle event swam off against each other in consecutive freestyle races in the North Tugz-sponsored event, with Mason King from Auckland's Coast Swimming Club emerging as the eventual winner and claiming the $70 first prize.

Swimmers in the over 13-year events were the six fastest females and six fastest males in the 200m freestyle. The BBS Timbers 13-year and over women swam 50m races with the stroke randomly drawn before the start of each knockout leg – the final two swimmers were backstroke specialist Rebecca Reade (17) of Bream Bay and top national breaststroker Ciara Smith (19) of Northwave. The final stroke drawn was backstroke and despite a determined effort from Smith, Reade held her lead to claim first place. The Northpine 13-year and over men's race run on the same lines as the women's event with Bream Bay's Kori Brown and Luca Matenga (both 16) fighting it out for first place in 50m butterfly, with Matenga touching just over half a second ahead of Brown.

Surf Club fun day

Around 200 people took part in Waipū Surf Life Saving Club's annual fun day last Friday. Club captain says around 100 took part in the competitions. First home in the Lang's Beach to Waipū Cove 3km swim was Peter Humphries and the first woman was Sarah Hamilton.

Line honours in the Pub to Club 10km run went to Neil Millar, with first woman home Lauren McCombe. Next week club members will head off on their second annual community education safety tour around Northland, teaching beachgoers how to keep safe around the water on unpatrolled beaches.

This tour won the club the CSE Genesis Innovation of the year award at the Northern Region Awards of Excellence last year.

Highland Games start year

The sun shone brightly on Waipū's 149th Highland Games on New Year's Day. Several thousand surrounded the main arena at midday for the marching of the clans, and the massed highland fling and pipe band performance.

Organiser Pat Hadlee pronounced it a successful day. Winner of the heavyweight championships was Jayden Hill who placed either first or second in each event to come in ahead of world junior shotput star Jacko Gill, staging an athletic comeback after illness.

Fun in the sun at the races

More than 2500 people turned out for Ruakākā's Interislander Summer Festival race day last Saturday. Club administrator Rebecca Swords says there was a great family atmosphere, although enough breeze to prevent some umbrellas going up, with plenty of happy, relaxed punters enjoying the holiday vibe and action on course. Ruakākā Surf patrol members have patrolled the beach by the race club for the past 13 years of this summer race day – this year they collected more than $14,000 from the crowd after the Interislander Tug of War event. Clubs which fundraised by supplying volunteers to help on the day were Mid-western Lions Charitable Trust, Bream Bay College parents and Pulse Dance Group.

Lifesaving action at the beach

This weekend is a big weekend at Ruakākā Beach with two competitions – the Northern Region junior surf carnival will see young nippers from all around Northland and Auckland compete in a range of events on the beach and in the surf; while the Northern Region IRB championships will be happening further out on the waves.

Email Julie Paton at moojoy@xtra.co.nz if you've got Bream Bay news to share with Advocate readers.