Judy Turner, deputy mayor for a third term.

JUDY Turner will be reappointed Whakatane’s deputy mayor when the newly-elected Whakatane District Council meets for the first time today.

“Why change something that’s not broken,” Mayor Tony Bonne says of his decision to appoint Mrs Turner as his deputy for a third term.

Aside from her being the highest-polling candidate, Mr Bonne said they worked very well together.

“We don’t agree on everything, but we do agree on most things and that’s for the betterment of the Whakatane district. So together we’ve been a good team and I’m not going to change a good team.”

Under local government reforms, which came into force in October 2013, Mr Bonne has the power to appoint his deputy mayor, establish council committees and appoint chairs to those committees.

The council committee structure for the coming triennium will be decided at the first official meeting on November 10.

In the meantime, following discussion with the respective councillors, Mr Bonne has proposed that Alison Silcock be appointed council respresentative on the Murupara Community Board, councillor Gerard van Beek be appointed to the Rangitaiki Community Board and councillors Scott Jarrett and Mike van der Boom be appointed to the newly-merged Whakatane-Ohope Community Board.

Andrew Iles will represent the council on the Tanetua Community Board, for which there may be a by-election as there were insufficient nominations received for the number of positions on the board.

Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said nominations for the by-election would open on November 24 and close on December 22.

If more than one nomination was received, voting papers would be distributed on January 26, with an election on February 17.

All community boards will meet for the first time in November.

Today’s inaugural council meeting begins with a powhiri at Margaret Mahy court at 1.30pm, followed by a 3.30pm meeting at which the new mayor and councillors will be sworn in.

I WROTE to MP Annette King, Labour's Health spokesperson, who presented our second petition to Parliament on the lab issue, asking how she could have let us down so badly when we had such good reports from MPs on the committee following my oral submission. I got this on Friday: “Dear Sandy, thank you for your email.

I was not in a position to stop the rejection of your petition. I, along with other Opposition members, did our best to convince the [health select] committee, but the Government has the numbers to defeat us. This is politics. We have to change the Government.”
Annette King and other opposition MPs did not let us down. Health officials did that. They got an Australian pathologist, Dr Debra Graves, to support them without providing her with information about the downgraded service and local opposition here, just as they did with Professor Baron of Stanford University in the US (who strongly supports us).
Dr Graves advised Parliament's health committee that it did not matter if a specimen suspected of containing infectious disease organisms was cultured immediately, or two days later. That is absurd advice, but it helped shaft our petition. I invite any local doctor or patient who agrees with that advice to tell Beacon readers right now.
I contacted Dr Graves last week seeking an explanation for her actions. She does not know what is going on. I attach an email I got from her overnight in which she seeks a copy of Parliament's report. She's asking me. Our ministry of health officials should have sent her that long ago.
It seems clear to me that she is just another person who has been manipulated in order to ram through unwise centralisation of the most vital healthcare service. As I have oft reported, and in fact demonstrated, misinformation, obfuscation and in fact downright lies have been used successfully to fool our communities, and I resent that greatly.
To paraphase a parliamentary term, "The Lies Have It".
Our campaign continues.

Alexander (Sandy) Milne

MULCHED beach accessways are evidence of a significant stormwater upgrading initiative now nearing completion in Ohope.

Whakatane District Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham said the work, which began two months ago, involved the installation of two new catchpits and improvements to one existing catchpit on Pohutukawa Avenue;  laying piping through the beach accessways to new soakage modules in the foredune; and erosion protection works at the existing beach outfall.

Three beach accesses were affected and had been progressively closed.

“As the work in the accessways is completed, the soil is reinstated and compacted, grass is sown and mulch spread. As soon as the grass is re-established, the accessways will be reopened to foot traffic,” said

The project is one of a series of initiatives designed to address beach erosion issues resulting from stormwater discharges.  Photos Louis Klaassen D4418-01 and 06

TORCHED: Thieves stole this car and set it alight at the Orini Canal spit on Friday night

TO the individuals who stole this car from our father/grandfather on Friday night, taking it for a joyride and torching it at the Orini Canal spit.  You have left an 87-year-old pensioner and war veteran without a vehicle.

This man has worked as a volunteer for Budget Advisory Service, St Vincent De Paul Society and the Salvation Army. The car is likely to have held handmade toys destined for the Salvation Army Store. He also kept his gardening tools in it, which he used to maintain a garden from which he donated vegetables. He is a very kind and generous man who would give the shirt off his back if he felt you needed it. You have rewarded him this way and that is really despicable.

Would you treat your father or grandfather this way?

Anyone who has information leading to the identification of these perpetrators, please let the police know anonymously through Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111.

Gutted family

Beacon reporter Haylee King, left, with Te Homai Tukiri, Te Ariki Tukiri and Te Waioho Tukiri (front) were at Dreamworld when tragedy struck on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

BEACON reporter Hayley King rode Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride yesterday, just hours before the accident that killed four people, including a former Kawerau woman.

Mother-of-two, Cindy Low, had lived in Sydney for at least a decade with her New Zealand husband and was on holiday with her family on the Gold Coast. It is believed the 42-year-old was on the Thunder River Rapids ride with her 10-year-old son, who was hospitalized.

Initial investigations suggest a six-seater raft collided with an empty raft that had become stuck near the end of the ride. It's believed to have then flipped, killing four adults.
In a press conference yesterday, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said all victims suffered injuries that were "incompatible with living". He said two people were "ejected" from the ride, and two others were trapped.

Just three hours earlier, Miss King had arrived at Dreamworld with family members and chosen Thunder River Rapids as her first ride.

“We decided to go on that ride because it was near the entrance at Goldrush Country, seemed relaxed and chilled and we could all go on it together.”

“We said things like, ‘this will be a nice ride for us to do first’, ‘the water looks nice’ and ‘this will be safe’.

She said the rafts were round and seated six people with deep seats and thick Velcro safety belts. They faced each other in a circle and there was a space in the middle to place to put their belongings.

During the three-minute ride they floated on a rapid-like river, through a cave, around some corners that turned the vessel around, all the while going over small rapids and a couple of bigger drops.

“It was a bumpy ride but was fun for us to start our day.

“Half way through there were water guns that other visitors could squirt the riders with. The guy who squirted us yelled "good luck" in a cheeky way. Which we all thought was a crazy coincidence later on.”

She said at the end there was an uphill conveyor belt, of no more than 10 seconds, that took them up and over to the end of the ride.

“We didn't feel unsafe or that anything was irregular and were shocked to find out the deaths were caused on that ride because it did seem so harmless compared to the other attractions."

It was not until an hour after the accident that Miss King realised something had happened, having been alerted by texts from people asking if they were okay.

“We had been on five rides and watched a bit of the tiger show before we realised something had happened. I read what had happened on Facebook, that people had died on that ride. We were lining up for the Wipeout, which I thought was the most dangerous-feeling ride, when the Dreamworld worker taking the ride said it was the last ride of the day. “

They were advised that the park was closing and, as they went to the entrance, saw police and the area taped off.

“My younger cousins asked a woman dressed as a fairy what had happened and she told them one of the rafts had flipped over. We didn't hear any screams and didn't notice any panic. It didn't seem like what had happened had just happened.”

I AM appalled by the road toll in New Zealand and I fully support road safety improvements to reduce death and injury.

Along State Highway 30 we are currently installing wire rope barriers on both sides of the road which will protect the grass, shrubs and farmers’ fences but not head-on collisions.

Cars are inherently very good at protecting occupants in single run-off-the-road crashes as the deceleration can be spread over 20-50 metres as opposed to one metre during a head on collision.

The deceleration G-forces your internal organs are subjected to, and the trauma to the body as the survivable space in the car is reduced, results in certain serious injury and death in many cases during head on collisions. We must do everything possible to avoid high energy impacts such as those.

Sweden has a very similar population density and road type as ours and research demonstrated that despite driving more Volvos than any other country, the only clear way to reduce their road toll was to separate the opposing traffic wherever possible. They are now installing wire rope barriers down the centre of highways with slow vehicle passing bays on the side periodically.

If we were to concentrate on using the barriers from both sides of the road to the centre they would protect twice the distance of road for the same money and have a far greater reduction in death and injury. Repairing a farmer’s fence is not going to cost as much as somebody in a spinal unit for the rest of their life.

Who gave the Safe Roads Alliance a mandate of reducing cars running off the road? How about a mandate to reduce death and injury, fully peer reviewed by an independent consultant, as it appears the Safe Roads Alliance people could be writing their own cheques as they are both the consultants and the contractors.

Simon Fort

CONGRATULATIONS to the Beacon and reporter Sven Carlsson, for the great result regarding the Wainui area being wrongly called Waiou in the 111 emergency call database.

A huge lot of work went in to getting the name corrected – thank you.

It is a pity to now see a local real estate firm advertising a property for sale down Paparoa Road as being in “Waiou”. Don’t they read the Beacon?

A Wainui resident

NEW OPPORTUNITIES: Manuka Bioactives chairman Wira Gardiner addresses a group of people at the opening ceremony on Wednesday for the company’s new manuka plantation, beside Whakatane Airport. Photo Mark Rieder D4439-03

MANUKA, once considered a weed, has become so valuable a Whakatane-based business is planting the native tree commercially for honey and essential oil production.

The opening of a new commercial-scale manuka plantation opposite Whakatane Airport on Wednesday marks the next stage of development for Whakatane-based Manuka Bioactives.

While the idea of planting manuka for honey was not new, the intensive planting on arable land for both honey and oil production was innovative, Manuka Bioactives general manager Crete Wana said.

“The main differences between what we are doing and other plantations are the number of trees per hectare, that we are not planting on marginal land, and that we are planting for both honey and leaf extract.

“The scale of this plantation means that we will be able to run enough hives to make the block self-sufficient and support the future needs of the manuka leaf extract business,” he said.

With there being 28 known varieties of manuka, the company had narrowed down three that provided the best results for their business.

“Working with our plant experts, we have identified strains of manuka best suited for this area,” Mr Wana said.

The company had planted more than 30,000 specially selected and bred trees across 10 hectares as the first stage of the new plantation. Once fully operational the plantation would cover more than 30 hectares.

The innovative development followed on from Manuka Bioactives’ earlier intensive manuka trials on a 2ha block at Awakeri, which demonstrated that intensive planting could be competitive with other forms of land use.

“We have been able to achieve some real game changers,” Mr Wana said.

“Our trials have shown we can deliver earlier honey production, confirmed UMF (unique manuka factor) activity in the honey, and we are developing new methods to extract the beneficial bioactives in the plant itself,” managing director Jeremy Gardiner said.

“The really exciting breakthrough is we can produce both UMF level honey and a leaf extract with comparable or better antibacterial properties than standard commercial manuka oil. This is great as it means a double crop from the same block of land,” Mr Gardiner said.

The land is part of the Whakatane Airport block and is leased from Whakatane District Council.

Planting of the next stage is planned for next year with first hives to go onto the block in late 2017. The honey will be processed and marketed through Manuka Bioactives’ subsidiary Manuka Honey NZ.

Mr Gardiner said the company had researched extraction methods and resulting extracts in association with Callaghan Innovation, which led to development of new manuka leaf extracts with strong antibacterial properties.

mark.rieder@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

I READ an article today introducing Wonder Woman as the honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls. I wish I could say I am offended by this, but I am too horrified by the stupidly of it to feel offended.

In a world where we need our young women to know they deserve to be treated with respect and to understand that gender inequality is not okay, here we go giving them one of the most sexualised characters on television as a role model.

While the characteristics of being a strong defender of what is right, being determined and being compassionate are all wonderful qualities, the idea that you have to be half-naked and perfectly made up to be taken seriously is not.

Our young women need to know that it is who you are and what you have to offer that matters far more than how low-cut your top is and the size of your waist.

I hope this stupidity does not take hold here; looking through the court report in the Beacon the other day proves our women have enough challenges as it is.

Something has to change, but Wonder Woman is not the change we need.

Mawera Karetai

SANTA’S elves are preparing to receive letters for Santa – with a little help from New Zealand Post.

Every year New Zealand Post receives tens of thousands of letters from children with their Christmas wish lists to deliver to Santa.

“Sitting down and writing a letter to Santa and then putting it in the post is a Christmas tradition for many families,” New Zealand Post spokeswoman Tina Morgan said.

Messages could be sent to Santa online, too, and this year NZ Post had set up a new interactive website for children to create and decorate their own digital postcard.

“Whether you’re writing a traditional letter or sending a digital postcard, remember to include your name, address and age,” Ms Morgan said.

“Write to Santa and see what you get back!”

The address for letters, no stamp required, is:  Santa Claus, Santa’s Workshop, North Pole 0001

To make and send a digital postcard, visit www.nzpost.co.nz/writetosanta

Letters and digital postcards need to be sent by December 4 to receive a personalised response in the mail from Santa.

THIEF IN THE NIGHT: Rod Topperwien stands at the door a thief used to enter his home while he and his family slept. Photo Louis Klaassen D4450-09

IN a brazen robbery, a Whakatane family’s belongings were stolen in the middle of Tuesday night as they slept.

Rod Topperwien says he and his wife Joy were exhausted after preparations to move house when they went to bed on Monday evening in their former Noel Mills Place home.

“We’d been shifting house during the weekend and doing a lot of heavy work, so we were absolutely tired,” he said.

Mr Topperwien said he woke in the night and walked out of the bedroom to find the family cat wandering about the house.

“I awoke about 20 past three … and noticed the cat was inside. I didn’t know how that happened because I never let her in.

“I tried to shoo her out and she didn’t want to go. She was doing anything she possibly could to stop going down to the kitchen and dining area,” he said.

Groggy from lack of sleep, Mr Topperwien did not make the connection a theft had occurred, even after noting the ranchslider and outer door were open.

“We thought we’d locked everything up in the house and went off to bed feeling quite comfortable,” he said.

It was not until daybreak that the reality of the situation was revealed.

“When I awoke at about 7 o’clock in the morning, I automatically grabbed for my cellphone at the side of my bed and [there was] nothing there,” he said.

As he made his way around the house, he realised a number of items were missing.

When Mrs Topperwien went back into the bedroom to fetch her handbag and it was gone, the full implication of what occurred during the night hit them.

“It made me realise they had been right there alongside us on both sides of the bed.

“The burglars actually had to come past my side of the bed, around the end of the bed where our grandson was sleeping, and around my wife’s side of the bed to get the bag,” Mr Topperwien said.

Still shaken by the occurrence as he spoke to the Beacon yesterday, he said he could only wonder what might have happened if the night had played out differently.

“I guess I am grateful that we didn’t wake up or stir while they were there. Because if they had gone to that degree of trouble, and were brazen enough to come into the room and go around the bed, then what would they stop at?” he said.

He was relieved their two-and-a-half-year-old grandson, who was sleeping on a mattress at the foot of the bed, was still safe.

“They could have injured or killed or taken our grandson.”

A police investigation discovered yet another chilling fact.

“We did find out that my wife’s phone was switched on at around 3.30am just outside our driveway.

“So when I got up, they were either still in the house and I didn’t see them, or they had just gone,” he said.

Though a lot of electronic gear and jewellery was taken, it was the sentimental value of their loss that hit hardest.

He said his computer held many photographs of family members who had passed away.

mark.rieder@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

WHAKATANE Mayor Tony Bonne plans to replace the Grow Whakatane Advisory Board with another he referred to on Wednesday as a Commercial Advisory Board.

The Grow Whakatane Board was launched following the 2013 election and has met behind closed doors for the past three years.

He established the board after the last election to promote growth and provide the council with business acumen.

Mr Bonne said in July he might want to set up something more commercially-focused after the election “to safeguard and expand the investments the council now holds … in particular the harbour fund”.

Grow Whakatane had an annual budget of $48,000, but cost ratepayers considerably less over the three years, about $28,500 annually.

At a swearing-in ceremony for elected council members, Mr Bonne laid out goals for the next three years and contrasted the economic conditions applying now to those three years ago.

“Three years ago the economy was flat, property values were declining and the building industry, like many of our commercial companies, was going from job to job to survive.”

He said that today the economy was buoyant, property values were increasing by the day, and tradesmen and women were “flat out” struggling to keep up.

“The outlook is positive, which means, as a council, we need to make the right decisions for the future.”

He listed as his goals:

• Developing a community vision looking 15 years ahead to 2030 that reflects community aspirations, including those of young people
• Attracting a lifestyle retirement village – “a must”
• Continuing support for residential developments
• Securing in the next Bay of Plenty regional land transport plan an option for a second bridge for Whakatane
• Completing the museum redevelopment project
• Finalising a Whakatane War Memorial Centre redevelopment project
• Continuing work to attract a hotel to Whakatane, and
• Continuing infrastructure improvements.

Mr Bonne welcomed new councillors Mike van der Boom and Nandor Tanczos and reminded all councillors that although they might have been elected to represent certain areas, their decisions had to be based on what was best for the district.

“Together, like the past six years, I look forward to working with you all for the betterment of our district.”

BIKERS: Mums Bums on Bikes, from left, Jo Spod, Alecia Osborne, Fiona Hennessey, Yvonne Osborne, Claire Craig ( Rotorua) , Ashleigh Jackson, Pauline Hapi ( Rotorua), Michelle Jackson, Juliette Brawn (Te Puke), Win Macmillan (Rotorua-support) and Margaret Claasen ( Rotorua - support). Photo supplied

WITH another epic bike ride under their belts, Mums Bums on Bikes are celebrating their physical achievement, as well as the funds they’ve once again raised for the Child Cancer Foundation.

The group, which began its biennial rides in 2006, has recently returned from a 214-kilometre ride, this time from Owhango to Rotorua.

Founding member Yvonne Osborne says 11 women took part this year, five of them from the Eastern Bay.

Meeting at the Owhango Hotel on the Friday night, Yvonne says the group biked their way to Rotorua over the long weekend, “amidst good weather” although they encountered some “very challenging headwinds on the Raurimu Spiral”.

“We’re all very weary, but we’ve had a great time and have all made some lovely new friends,” she says.

Mums Bums on Bikes comprises a bunch of mums who have been touched in some way by child cancer and now ride to raise funds for the CCF, says Yvonne.

“The long rides are fun for everyone, but it’s also a very supportive environment and a time to swap stories and talk, and often cry. It’s good to be with other mothers going through the same or similar things, or with people who want to support us and to fundraise at the same time.”

It all began when Yvonne’s daughter Kristin passed away from a brain tumour in 2006.

“Afterwards, I would try to bike out with my friend to a cafe in Whakatane for coffee each day. The distance of those bike rides started growing longer and longer, and eventually, someone suggested using the concept for a greater purpose.”

Yvonne, who is also the regional representative for CCF, was well positioned to kick-start a group, and Mums Bums on Bikes was born.

Different women attend the long weekend ride each time, not always from the Eastern Bay.

“It really helps mums who are still grieving, either because they have lost a child or because of how treatment has affected their child,” says Yvonne.

“It’s good for developing a network of friends and support.”

And with the 2016 ride now complete, there is also another, albeit comparatively minor, thing to celebrate. “In all of our rides over all of the years, we have only had two things break,” says Yvonne.

“One involved a puncture, incredibly the only puncture we’ve ever had, and the other, a broken artificial nail. Not bad going for the hundreds of kilometres we’ve travelled.”

The group can be sponsored by going to the Child Cancer Foundation link on Everyday Hero, and choosing Mums Bums on Bikes.

RUNNER: Giving up smoking sparked Janis Robb’s 20-year interest in running. Photo supplied

AT 61, Janis Robb is a veritable bundle of energy.

Preparing to take part in the 2016 Auckland Marathon this weekend, Janis is full of her typical infectious enthusiasm. “I love running, though

I’m doing half marathons these days,” she says.

With many full marathons under her belt since taking up the sport at age 40, Janis says the half marathon is a better fit for her.

She is running as part of the Look Good, Feel Better Team. Look Good, Feel Better is a worldwide cancer support charity that provides practical and free advice to women undergoing cancer treatment.

Janis is one of their 20 “Golden Runners”, each of whom pledge to fundraise a minimum of $1500. Having already exceeded that, she says she’s been well supported in her endeavour and is now looking ahead to the event.

Since taking up running more than 20 years ago, Janis has never looked back. It was “giving up the cigarettes” that started it all, she says.

“I knew I needed to stop.” Despite having been a heavy smoker for many years, she says she “just made a decision, and did it”.

“I had to run though. It was my outlet and I ran every single day.” She and her husband owned a sheep and beef farm at the time and alongside work on the farm and raising their two girls, running quickly became a big part of her everyday life.

“I couldn’t run more than 100 metres at first, I’d be huffing and puffing,” she says. “But soon I could run 200m, and then more and you’d be surprised at how quickly you start to be able to run further.”

A year after Janis took up running, she ran her first marathon aged 41.

Listening to her light-hearted chat of an average day in the life of Janis Robb can give you cause to wonder “did I really hear that correctly?”

Janis runs a full-time mobile lawn and gardening business. “The Pink Lady” began when they retired, after 30 years, off their farm in Mangaweka and shifted to Whakatane two years ago. Janis says she really wasn’t ready to retire, and thought she’d start a little part-time business. But the business quickly grew, and as well as employing three or four staff, Janis works fulltime five or six days a week.

The work is clearly not enough to tire her out. She also attends a class at Curves Gym every morning before work, running or cycling between the gym and her home.

“I’d always wanted to join a gym, and there wasn’t one in Mangaweka,” she says. So when she arrived in Whakatane, it was the first thing she did. She’s now on the cusp of clocking up an impressive 500 classes and says “Curves is such a fun place with great people; I love it.”

Life is also sprinkled with a 160km Lake Taupo cycle here, and a Toi’s Challenge there, and all manner of other enviable high-fitness activities.

Janis was named the New Zealand Sports Curvette of the Year last year, a national Curves gym title based on personal achievement and fitness achieved.
By Lorraine Wilson

OLD AND NEW: Anita, Benedek “Benne” and Bence Bodo are enjoying their new life in Opotiki. Insert, a few of the beer bottle caps which decorate the Bodo home.

THE Bodo family ooze warmth and generosity, their smiles are infectious. Bence and Anita Bodo with son Benedek are a team that made the massive decision to leave their life and families in Szekesfehervar, Hungary for a safer and brighter future on the other side of the world.

They make a huge effort to be part of their new Opotiki community, although busy with jobs and school. They are members of the Opotiki Lions Club, Opotiki Surf Lifesaving and the Air Force Training cadets.

“Here in Opotiki everyone is nice and helpful, and kind. We want to give something back with our help, we don’t have too much money but if we have some energy or some free time ...”

Arriving in March 2015, Bence Bodo set up home ready for Anita and Benne who arrived in August this year, at the end of Hungary’s school year. Bence works as a mechanic in Opotiki. This skill is on the long-term skills shortage, which he needed to fill as a condition of their residency.

“After a while, if you prove yourself, you can move on. It’s a good chance to learn a new way of life in New Zealand,” Bence says.

He has a masters degree in mechanical engineering and a long career in the military.

“I can’t get into the military system here, until after five years being here. I miss the military life,” he says.

Bence’s favourite hobby is collecting beer bottle-tops. He brought a beer bottle top collection of 20 years with him from Hungary, which is mounted and framed around their home. Five hundred bottle tops from different countries – Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, Czech Republic, China and Japan.

“They look very organised in these frames. They are funny and colourful. The main issue is you have to drink a lot of beer.”

He is hoping to collect more New Zealand tops. “It is a lovely hobby. The beer is one of the healthiest drinks according to doctors.”

Anita works at OPAC as a grader, training up to do quality control. “It’s interesting, lots of international people and local people,” she says.

A keen cook, she is trying to learn Kiwi baking, which has different ingredients from the ones she is used to in Hungary. She bakes Pogacsa, a popular Hungarian scone, often mentioned in traditional fairytales.

Growing up in Hungary, she explains, “We had to learn Russian language at school, it was compulsory. After that, in high school, we could choose between German or English. But the teachers usually were just one lesson ahead of the students.”

Benedek, now 13, was 11 when he immigrated, he already has a Kiwi accent. Excited about both his past life in Hungary and his new life here, obviously thriving, a member of the cadets and surf lifesaving, he was Rooky of the Year, for Opotiki Surf Lifesaving Club last year.

When they first arrived, the principal at the school told him, “okay , choose yourself a nick name which is easier for the locals to pronounce.”

So he became Benne, which is easy in both languages.

Benne misses fishing with his grandfather, and Hungarian food.

“I really miss our salami and the milk products, the milk and cheese has a special flavour, because the cows do not have so much grass. They are fed on corn, it’s a really different taste.”

He really enjoys Kiwi food especially Kiwi sausages. Opotiki is really calm after living in Szekesfehervar a city of a 100,000. Though they miss friends and family, Anita cooks traditional Hungarian food, they speak Hungarian together at home and Skype family.

Bence is keen on the Kiwi Christmas barbecue, the beer and sun. Anita is nostalgic for a wintery Hungarian Christmas, steeped in tradition.

By Dido Eden

SUCCESS: Above, Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass, now proudly one of the country’s 10 A grade bands, photographed outside the Napier Municipal Theatre. Photos supplied

IT has taken 102 years but Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass is now in the top grade of New Zealand brass banding. The band joins three bands from Auckland, two from Christchurch and bands from Wellington, Blenheim, Dunedin and Invercargill in reaching the top echelon.

Established in 1914, the then Whakatane Citizens Band has operated as a D grade band for much of its existence. In the early 1980s it moved up to the C grade but went back down a few years later.

In 1994 the band won the D grade championships and moved up to the C grade again and in 1998, after several wins in that grade, moved up to B grade.

Since then it has been back in the C grade for a few years but mostly in the B grade and in 2012 and 2015 the band won the national B grade championships.

EBOP Brass president Philippa Hales explains that if a band wins a grade two years in succession it must move up to the next grade.

“At the 2016 championships the band just failed to do this when they were beaten by Hamilton Brass by half a point.

“After the contest, as a way of making up for the disappointment of the contest loss, band musical director Alan Spence suggested to the band the idea of applying to go up to the A grade based on the band’s last four years’ performances at the national championships where the band had won the contest twice and also gained a close second and third placing.

“After much discussion, a letter of application to move up to A grade was sent to the executive of the Brass Bands Association of New Zealand who unanimously agreed to the re-grading.

It is a big step up to A grade for such a young band, she says.

“Just over half of the 32-member band are still at school which makes it probably the youngest band in any grade in the country let alone the A grade.”

Each year at a national championship a test piece is chosen which all the bands play in their particular grade. If the selection is a “blockbuster” difficult work then the band will have to work very hard to perform well, however she believes the band is more than up to the challenge.

“For several years now the band has been punching well above its weight at national and provincial competitions and this is one more step in its development.

“Whilst it is a young band there are also some very talented and more experienced members, many of whom have played in the A grade with other bands so the thought is that the band deserves to be heard and seen in the top grade.

The band will make its A grade debut at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington in April.

To celebrate its promotion, the band will hold a special concert at the Church of St George and St John on Wednesday, November 30.

BONDING: Imke Kauta and her daughter April.

IN a majestic spot overlooking Torere Bay lives a young German woman, Imke Kauta, who is making a name for herself as a photographer.

In Germany Imke studied photography and journalism, and her passion for photography is obvious when you look around the home she shares with her husband Caleb Kauta and daughter April.

“I always have a camera on me, the key to photography is to keep practising,” she says.

Imkee runs a photography business specialising in children’s portraiture and weddings, recently photographing five weddings locally, and travelling as far afield as New Plymouth to photograph a newborn’s arrival.

April is the perfect subject to practise on and the first 18 months of her life are beautifully documented around the house.

“I always have the excuse to buy cute things for April, as I can use them as props in my photography”

As an intrepid 19-year-old, Imke spent a year in Gisborne nannying for a family with three children.

It was here that she met her future husband.

“I had a Kiwi friend, who told his friend Caleb to come over and check out these German girls’”

Caleb returned to Germany with her for a year of travelling and work. A marriage proposal saw them return to Caleb’s family property in Torere and soon there was a wedding on the beach – with 20 German guests.

Imke now writes a monthly story about her life in Torere, New Zealand, for her home town newspaper in Aurich

Family and nature: A selection of Imke’s photography includes: Private Paradise, a stunning day in Torere Bay; Big Sister, Anna Grace Fox; Wedding, Michelle and Dylan Goldsmith; Perfection, a fern; and Family, Mike, Shay and baby Annalyse Podjursky.

By Dido Eden

HAVING lived in Whakatane for 57 years, I have seen several changes, some great and some not so good. But that’s life.

So one’s goals should be to look and listen to ideas and ways to process our town forward.

For the past six weeks the traffic flow coming into Whakatane over the board mills bridge has been a major topic, once again, likes and dislikes, but as stated it was only a trial, so comment and feed-back are healthy.

To the people from the plains and areas out that way, plus Coastlands, they have seen their travel time into Whakatane decrease by eight to 11 minutes, but during that six-week trial, they saw no cars detouring through The Hub to jump the queue, or any signs of road rage. Is that not a positive sign?

The negative side, however, was perfectly stated by Stephanie Luca in Wednesday’s Beacon (26/10/16) in regards to Landing Road west residents, and rowing club traffic to Harvey Norman’s roundabout, only to turn around and come back over the bridge to enter town, therefore creating unnecessary bridge traffic.

The exact issue we are trying to solve.

I would like to bring attention to a possible solution.

It can be noticed on the front page of Wednesday’s Beacon.

The large grass area opposite the rowing club, this could be turned into a one-way only exit slip lane onto Hinemoa Street (problem solved).

Our town, like most towns, at certain times of the day have heavy traffic periods – 7 to 9.30am morning and 2.30 to 6pm in the afternoons, so delays anywhere can be expected, but to quote that Domain Road has more traffic with the barrier in is hard to see, as the traffic when the barrier is in, are cars that use Victoria, James, Stewart streets, to come into town down Domain Road, are the same cars that would use Domain Road with no barrier in.

In fact Landing Road has less traffic, when the barriers are in.

By people’s voices there seem to be a real positive attitude to keeping this barrier and then look at ways to solving other trouble spots.

Yes, trials are good, so let’s have more to solve other issues that need attention, to make this wonderful town even better.

Colin Eagles

SUMMER WEATHER: The weather was perfect for those who gathered at Kohi Point Lookout on Thursday to meet Ms Barry. Photos Louis Klaasseen D4452-16

BAY of Plenty Regional Council announced on Thursday it would contribute $20,000 to the HALO Whakatane urban trapping programme.

The announcement coincided with a visit to Whakatane by conservation minister Maggie Barry and a hundred people were present at the Kohi Point Lookout to witness the event.

HALO Whakatane has set about creating an unfenced sanctuary with its primary goal to create an environment where the ground-dwelling tieke (saddleback) could live and thrive in the vicinity of Whakatane.

The tieke is defenceless against many predators but is present on Moutohora (Whale) Island.

Department of Conservation ranger Neil Hutton said HALO connected a range of groups working independently to achieve environmental improvements that benefited native species.

“If we can get everyone working together successfully, maybe one day we could have tieke in our mainland bush.”

HALO was an extension of the highly-successful Whakatane Kiwi Project, which started with four original pairs and had built that number to over 300 birds.

Mr Hutton said the regional council already contributed significant resources toward pest control in the Bay but “inspired by the collaborative large scale vision of HALO Whakatane, the council has extended their commitment”.

He said Ms Barry was presented a predator trap with her name on it that would be placed at Kohi Point. Every time it caught a predator that information would be recorded online and news of its success would reach the minister.

GHOULISH: Dorhryen Allen-Heremia, 15, ready to scare visitors to Tech Pa Studio’s haunted house yesterday.

TECH Pa Studio’s haunted house attraction caused trauma to some participants but enjoyment to others who requested it to be open on Halloween.

Studio producer Thomas Mitai said the crazy carnival themed event was scheduled for three days from Thursday to Saturday and around 1200 people went through the transformed haunted house.

The decision to extend the thrill for another day was made on Saturday after students and staff were repeatedly asked to open again on Halloween.

Mr Mitai said it was the fourth year the event had taken place and the popularity, demand and long queues proved the attraction was growing.

Daytime sessions were held for groups to have guided tours through the house before the scarers came out to play during the evening.

For a gold coin donation participants navigated through the blacked-out house, which included an exorcism room, graveyard, crazy-clown area and a tyre dungeon while being scared by actors.

Lights stationed throughout were voice activated and the more a participant screamed, the more the lights would flash.

“The people like it and it’s something the people engage in and is community driven.”
Tech Pa, run by Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, is an out-of-school technology programme that aims to engage young people in the creative use of technology.

The event came to life as part of Awanuiarangi’s special-effects makeup artistry course and the Halloween celebration.

Mr Mitai said the event enabled course members to organise a community event that showcased their technical, multimedia, drama and art skills.

It also allowed them to explore elements of the performing arts and design, and to celebrate the art of Halloween.

For last night’s event, the layout of the house was changed so people who had previously been through would not know what to expect.

Money raised from the event will go toward an end of year trip to Tauranga that Mr Mitai said would focus on innovation.

haylee.king@whakatanebeacon.co.nz