Bay News: Northland garden club celebrates massive milestone

The Bay of Islands Garden Club turned the clock back to 1949 to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

Treasurer Sam Fuller said 38 past and present members attended the annual general meeting at the Kawakawa RSA on August 6, with attendees dressing in the era that the club was formed.

A celebratory lunch was held to mark the massive milestone, with minutes from the inaugural meeting being read.

Club member Carol Hoult also gave an informative presentation on what life was like in 1949 covering events of the day, food prices, fashion, rationing and politics.

"It was fantastic," Fuller said.

"Members wore hats and corsages, gloves, pearls, blouses and cardigans - it was quite formal in those days."

The club meets at members' homes or other venues around the region on the first Tuesday of each month.

They can compete as novice, intermediate or senior for best bloom, fruit, vegetable, creeper and decorative arrangement, and there is a guest speaker covering a wide range of gardening topics from soil health to pruning fruit trees, butterflies and bees.

"We also organise trips to locations of interest outside of the Bay of Islands such as garden safaris and sculpture parks," Fuller said.

"Each Christmas the club donates flowers and completes floral arrangements at the Kawakawa hospital."

If you're interested in joining or want to find out more, phone Sam Fuller on 0211 872548.

Meet candidates

Kerikeri Ratepayers Association and Transition Towns Bay of Islands are hosting a Meet the Candidates evening on August 26 at Whare Karakia O Manako, Cornerstone in Kerikeri.

Residents can put their ideas and questions to the candidates running in this year's local body elections to help them decide who should get their vote as district councillors, mayor, regional councillors and district health board representatives.

Topics will include community, environment, public spaces, health and wellbeing, business, economy, culture, arts and of course, local governance and democracy.

People with an interest in the Kerikeri Ratepayers Association are welcome to join their AGM at 5.30pm, which will be followed by the Meet the Candidates forum at 7pm and an open chat.

Nominations for the upcoming local government elections close on August 16. Voting documents will be delivered from September 20 to 25. The election is on October 12.

Whare Karakia O Manako, Cornerstone is located at 144 Kerikeri Rd and attendees are encouraged to bring a plate or koha.

Rubbish update

The Kaeo Theosophy Centre was packed full of people wanting to hear The Rubbish Trip presentation on how individuals can reduce their waste footprint.

About 40 people turned out to the recent roadshow where no-waste nomads Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince gave out sustainable tips and advice.

Spokesperson Maureen Peterson said the presentation, which was sponsored by Plastic Free Kaeo, was "truly inspirational even to those who already think they are doing all they can toward zero waste".

"I think the biggest message is that it's okay to live simply but still have it all," she said.

Resident Zoe Edmonds also attended a Rubbish Trip Talk at Riverview School in Kerikeri.

She said it was not only informative, but also inspiring in her own journey to live a more zero-waste lifestyle.

"Liam and Hannah both present with a can-do attitude to reducing rubbish and the presentation not only highlighted the importance of the why in their journey but included useful tips and tricks from their own experiences that all of us could relate to. They showed how zero waste can be accessible, fun and rewarding."

Meanwhile, the team at Plastic Free Kerikeri is meeting again on the first Sunday of September to sew up some colourful new bags.

If you're passionate about reducing plastic, check out their Facebook page.

Important hui

Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi is hosting two talks: Let's Talk Cash and Let's Talk Trash on August 16.

First up is Let's Talk Cash from 9.30am to 12pm looking at the future of cash as increasing numbers of people use electronic ways to pay for goods and services.

The Reserve Bank is concerned that, if cash becomes less accepted and available as a means of payment, it could severely disadvantage whanau and communities left out of the banking or digital worlds.

The prospect is one of five key issues in a paper on the future of cash use, called The future of cash use — Te whakamahinga moni anamata, published on its website in June.

The event is an opportunity to meet with the Reserve Bank team and share your thoughts and suggestions directly into a policy process considering whether action should be taken to manage any impacts of declining cash use.

"We see these issues as being about less cash, and not becoming cashless," Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr said.

"There's the real possibility of a contraction in the cash system which could end up affecting lives. We think New Zealand should be making conscious decisions about the future of cash so that we can be prepared for future innovations and ensure that sectors of society are not unfairly disadvantaged because cash falls out of favour."

Visit www.rbnz.govt.nz for more information.

Also on August 16, is The Rubbish Trip presentation on living zero waste from 4pm to 6pm.

Hannah and Liam, the two no-waste nomads behind The Rubbish Trip, will introduce people to the practicalities and philosophy of waste reduction, drawing on their research and over four years' experience with living zero waste.

The talk is part of The Rubbish Trip's traveling project, taking the zero-waste message around Aotearoa New Zealand and guiding residents through life without a rubbish bin.

Both events are being held at Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi, 16 Mangakahia Rd, Kaikohe. The events are free and there will be refreshments available.

For catering purposes, please RSVP to general delivery manager Shirleyanne Brown at shirleyanne.brown@ngapuhi.org or 021 488 639.

Celebrate spring

It's time to throw off the winter season and step into spring with Village Arts Gallery's upcoming exhibition Spring Fling: All things Light and Breezy.

Artists were given the freedom to experiment with fresh ideas and use any medium for the exhibition, which opens on August 17 at 11am and runs until September 15.

The gallery is "thrilled" with the variety of work that exhibiting artists have created to express their interpretation of the season.

Garage sale

Grab a bargain at the Kerikeri Scouts fundraising garage sale at the scout den, 32 Landing Road on August 17. The event runs from 8am to midday where there will also be barista coffee, sweet treats, a sausage sizzle and pickles and jams on offer.

Auditions open

The Kerikeri Theatre Company is holding auditions for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on August 17 at 9am and August 18 at 5pm.

Directed by Janna Sicely in collaboration with some of Kerikeri's finest artistic and creative talent, this show is going to be an incredible journey. Check out the Kerikeri Theatre Company's Facebook page for details.

• If you have an upcoming event or a snippet of news you'd like to share, email jenling@windowslive.com along with your contact details.