I GET it. Newspapers are done, finished, passé. Social media is where it’s at. But there are a few strings attached. For example:

My personal email today contained 12 notifications of dire urgency from Facebook. Six were ads for idiots, the sort that plays on cable TV at 3am. Two had to do with amazing new techniques guaranteed to “improve your hearing in just 17 days!”

This obviously is related to my date of birth, one of several bits of personal data joiners mandatorily surrender to FB, which are then sold off to advertisers.

Thing is, I can normally pick up a flea’s fart at 500 paces, but Facebook lumps me statistically with its ancients, therefore I obviously require immediate aural assistance.

The other ads were of equal import to my physical and fiscal wellbeing, whereas the remaining half-dozen notifications all had to do with

“Likes” from people I don’t care to know responding to a mindless message posted by one of my “Friends”.

Thus we come to my foremost gripe about social media.

Every last one of my FB “Friends” is a true friend, meaning they necessarily are possessed of intelligence, sensitivity and an artistic mien.

When we are face-to-face they never fail to exhibit these qualities.

On Facebook they magically metamorphose into trivialists, banalists and cute-n-cleverists of the lowest order.

Since the only real sin is bad art (and bad art + hi tech = deadly), my Friends seemingly strive to become sinners of the most diabolical ilk.

Recently I began composing on Facebook pithy commentaries in effort to inspire others’ theme-related higher thoughts.

Result? Not one taker; however “47 people Liked your message!” Dear god.

I’ve heard it said that upon logging on to Facebook (Twitter, Instagram, etc), one’s IQ automatically drops 50 points.

Zuckerberg may well be this generation’s champion schlockmeister, but why do my Friends feel the need to accommodate his bottom-feeding folly by retreating to their most base level of communication?

Is there an unspoken code I fail to grasp proclaiming dumbing down as requisite to being Liked, and therefore loved, by one’s Friends?

Barry Rosenberg

A SURVEY of more than 1000 New Zealand small business owners reveals 13 percent have not taken a holiday in the past 12 months.

According to accounting software provider MYOB, the lack of opportunity for small business (SME) owners to take time off is a problem.

“This is a busy and stressful time of year for many business owners,” MYOB head of small business Ingrid Cronin-Knight said.

“We know how hard these people work so it was no surprise to see how many miss out on taking a holiday during the year.”

The survey found 7 percent took less than one week of holidays, 7 percent took one week, 18 percent took two weeks, 17 percent took three weeks and 13 percent took four weeks leave.

A quarter (24 percent) took more than a month off.

WHAT A MESS: It is alleged the campers, who set up their tent near the Port Ohope boat ramp, consumed alcohol, in spite of a liquor ban applying in the area. Photo supplied

ACTIONS of some campers in the Whakatane district, including pitching tents in inappropriate areas and consuming alcohol in public reserves, has raised the ire of some people.

Terry Mann has provided photos of a group of people he says set up a tent in the reserve near the Port Ohope boat ramp and behaved badly.

Mr Mann, who voluntarily patrols the area, said he objected to them consuming alcohol because of the liquor ban applying at the reserve. He took photos to ensure they cleaned up after themselves.

He said anti-social behaviour was a problem every year but he was determined to do his bit to deter it.

“A couple of weeks ago people came in about 11pm in a Toyota Hiace van and started to play up merry hell and started yahooing and so we told them off.

“If it is not stamped out, it becomes a party place.”

The Port Ohope wharf area isn’t the only place drawing unwanted overnight visitors. Last week, a man set up a tent at Te Wairere waterfall and stayed for three nights.

He was eventually moved on after he called police to report the theft of some of his belongings.

Whakatane District Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham said the Freedom Camping Act allowed people to camp on any public space unless the relevant local authority could show good reason to restrict or prohibit such activity.

“The council has gone through the process of making camping on a number of reserves a prohibited activity, while a number of sites (one in

Whakatane and three in Ohope) are available for overnight parking by approved self-contained vehicles, subject to space and time restrictions.

“The Port Ohope boat ramp reserve is one of the locations available for restricted overnight parking.

“The tent erected at the reserve would have been in breach of the public places bylaw if it had been used for camping overnight, and if that was the case, our after hours’ staff would have had it removed, had it been brought to our attention.

“However, it is also possible that the people involved may have erected the tent to provide shelter during the day only, which would not have been an issue.

“Our places and open spaces staff monitor the restricted overnight parking areas on a regular basis over the peak holiday period and are generally happy with the level of compliance displayed, compared with previous years.”

Mr Boreham said the council would discourage camping at the Wairere Waterfall Reserve because it was obviously not suitable for that activity.

“Apart from anything else, this is an area of cultural and historic significance and had we been made aware of the fact that it was being used as a camping site, we would have asked the person or people involved to relocate.

“However, as it stands, the Freedom Camping Act would not have allowed us to enforce their removal. Should this be a continuing issue, the council will need to consider adding this location to the public places bylaw as a prohibited location.”

He also said police were responsible for ensuring people weren’t drinking alcohol in areas subject to the liquor ban. Police undertook regular patrols of the area.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

THORNTON BENDS: Over the past 10 years, four people have died in car crashes at these Thornton Road S-bends. Photo Louis Klaassen D4777-42

FOUR people have died in car crashes on the Thornton Road S-bends in the past 10 years.

On New Year’s Day, 50-year-old Gregory Mark Walsh, of Papamoa, died when a Booths truck he was driving rolled after it struck a vehicle coming from the opposite direction on one of the curves.

Over the past 10 years, three other people have died in two car crashes in the same vicinity.

Glenda Mona Macdonald, 70, of Matata was killed when the car she was driving collided with a van carrying community workers on May 25, 2015.

An eye-witness reported seeing a car drive round the corner, go onto the grass verge, slightly over-correct and cross the road into the path of the oncoming van on July 9, 2007.

Sandy Newport, 48, and her seven-week-old granddaughter Glacia died when the car they were travelling in lost control on a patch of gravel and slid into the path of an oncoming four-wheel-drive towing a trailer.

Whakatane District Council transportation manager Martin Taylor said Thornton Road carried 4000 vehicles per day.

He said Thornton Road, along with Wainui Road, had more vehicle crashes than other rural roads.

Thornton Road resident Jacquie McPherson remembers the three fatal incidents among many other crashes over the 22 years she has lived there on the S-bends.

She said the majority of the crashes were caused by driver error.

“Not a lot of people follow the speed limits. The trucks do go fast. When I hear a truck going around the corner, I hope it gets around.”

Mrs McPherson said she did not think the road was unsafe, it was just that drivers needed to comply with advised speed limit signs at the corners.

Before her home, on the first S-bend corner travelling toward Whakatane, is an active warning sign alerting drivers to slow down.

She said she and Thornton Road resident Walter McFarland had discussed its effect a couple of days prior to the New Year’s Day fatal crash.

“We talked about how the lights must be working because there hadn’t been a crash in a while,” Mrs McPherson said.

Mr McFarland said he had witnessed many crashes during the 75-years he had lived at Thornton Road.

He said drivers who did not know the road and were not alerted by the warning and flashing sign approaching the bends, hit the corner, realise they’re driving too fast and tried to correct themselves, especially truck drivers.

“Most crashes are caused by drivers going too fast and driver error. Quite often we end up with broken fences that we have to fix.”

Mr McFarland said he remembered a motorcycle crashing through the fence on his farm.

“The motorbike was on him, I couldn’t lift the bike up.”

As the rider was being carried out on a stretcher, he was asked if he would come back to fix the fence. Mr McFarland repaired it himself when the rider did not return.

The neighbours said truck drivers referred to the curves as “roll over corner”.

Mr Taylor said more than 10 years ago, consideration was given to realigning the curves to make them safer.

However, the construction costs, in the order of $6 million at the time, land requirement and impact on existing properties and farm operations meant that option was not pursued.

Council study and improvements

IN 2011 Whakatane District Council studied Thornton Road to identify the location and cause of crashes, and what could be done to eliminate, or at least reduce, their frequency and severity.

Council transportation manager Martin Taylor said from the study a series of road safety improvements were proposed for progressive implementation.

“On Thornton Road, 34 percent of the recorded crashes occurred on the series of curves west of Powdrell Road, and these have been the focus of safety improvements on this road in the past five years.”

Other lower cost and less intrusive safety improvements undertaken over the past four years include double-thickness line marking and no-passing lines, right turn bay into Blueberry Corner berry farm and two sets of active warning signs on the worst curves.

“Police commented that, in general, they have had to attend fewer incidents on Thornton Road since the safety improvements programme began.

However, the recent fatality and one last year where a vehicle veered into the path of oncoming traffic were both extremely disappointing occurrences.”

Other improvements on Thornton Road include improved guard railing at bridges, intersection lighting, active warning signs either side of the Rangitaiki River bridge and road safety messaging signage.

haylee.king@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

PRELIMINARY data coming from area Visitor Information Centres and retailers indicates more international visitors are coming to the Eastern Bay.

Eastern Bay Chamber of Commerce chief executive Gerard Casey said shopkeepers he had spoken to were saying the number of foreign tourists appeared to be on the rise.

“Some retailers are noting that a large number of international visitors are here, and spending as well,” he said.

But it was unknown whether those visitors were just passing through or staying overnight, he said.

Mr Casey said the reason for the increase was unknown but he suspected it was influenced by conditions in the region’s larger tourist destinations.

“Are they coming here because Rotorua and Tauranga are getting full and they’ve decided to come out into the regions more, which is something that we certainly need to have a focus on?” he said.

Kawerau i-SITE team leader Hannah Edwardson said overall visitor numbers had increased significantly this year.

“Compared with our numbers for December 2015, where we had 2774 visitors, this December we’ve seen 4004 people coming through the doors, it’s been great,” she said.

There was also reason to believe those visitors were spending more, even if their stays might have been short. After stopping at the i-SITE she said many visitors made purchases at nearby shops.

“They will park for an hour while they fill up with food,” she said.

That situation was repeated at many of the community’s shops.

“Going through New World was actually chaotic, I tried to avoid it,” she said.

Beyond that, she said some of the visitors were looking at buying property.

“This year, talking to people coming in and out, many were coming here to purchase property,” she said.

One couple were considering starting a tourist-based business.

“They’re actually looking at moving here and starting a bed and breakfast, which we don’t have,” she said.

There was also a considerable number of foreign tourists passing through.

“I talked to a whole lot over the Christmas and New Year period,” she said.

Whakatane District Council events and tourism adviser Nicola Burgess said it was difficult to determine how many of the region’s visitors were from overseas.

The majority of visits to the Whakatane.com website (73 percent) were made from smartphones and tablets, which did not distinguish where the visitors were located.

Of the online visitors who did provide a location, 12.4 percent were from overseas, she said.

mark.rieder@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

BACKYARD ATTACK: The attack took place at the bottom of the section where Angela Reynolds lives with her family. Inset: The horse suffered injuries to its mouth.Photos Sven Carlsson OB1866-01

BOTH the owner and the victim of an attacking dog say the Opotiki District Council should have put the dog down immediately, instead of allowing it to be stolen.

Last Monday morning, Wellington Street Opotiki resident Angela Reynolds looked out into her backyard to see her daughter Kendall’s horse Spring being attacked by a dog.

The horse was at the far end of the section and by the time Ms Reynolds got down there she realised the attacking dog belonged to her neighbour, who was not home at the time.

“I’ve known that dog since it was a pup. It’s never attacked anybody before,” she said.

The pig dog had managed to bring a 500 kilogram horse to the ground and while Ms Reynolds tried to fend off the dog the horse accidentally kicked her.

“So I fell to the ground and the dog attacked me instead,” she said.

Both she and the horse were bitten in the face by the dog.

By now, the horse had decided to bolt and the dog switched its target again and pursued it.

“If the dog hadn’t chased after Spring I don’t know what would have happened to me,” Ms Reynolds said.

The horse ran several hundred metres along Wellington Street before stopping.

Heavily bleeding, Ms Reynolds first went to the Opotiki Community Health Centre and then on to Whakatane Hospital, where she was admitted and stayed for two days.

“I never saw the dog after the attack,” Ms Reynolds said.

“The owner came and visited me in hospital that afternoon. She wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

A family friend had called the police about the incident and the police and the security guard who was covering for the animal control officers on the public holiday arrived at 11am.

By this time, the dog was back to its normal friendly self.

After the security officer had been told what happened, he took the dog away.

The dog’s owner, who said she did not want to be named in the paper, said the pig hunting dog was about two years old and had never played up before.

“It has never done anything to the kids or me,” she said.

Both the owner and the victim were under the impression the dog would be destroyed after it was picked up.

Ms Reynolds said she had felt relieved when the dog was picked up, believing the traumatic experience was now over.

“The vet bill for the horse came to $370 and I went to hospital, but at least the dog was taken care of,” she said.

“Then my daughter told me they had put the dog in the pound, and that someone has stolen it from the pound.”

Ms Reynolds said she was upset to learn the dog had not been destroyed.

“I want the dog found and killed,” she said.

“Whoever has taken this dog is taking a huge risk.”

The dog’s owner said she, too, wanted it destroyed.

She said she had no idea who had taken the dog from the pound.

“I don’t want the dog back, it would be too scary to have it around my kids,” she said.

“I think the people who have taken it took it because it was a pit bull.”

Dog stolen from pound

OPOTIKI District Council planning and regulatory manager Barbara Dempsey says the dog that attacked a horse and a woman who tried to rescue it was impounded following the attack.

“However, neither animal control officers nor the council have any legislative authority to euthanise a dog,” she said.

Mrs Dempsey said a judge needed to make that determination, or the owner needed to formally surrender the dog to the council.

“In this instance, people broke into the pound to intentionally take a dog before the rest of the process could happen.”

The council was actively looking for the dog, Mrs Dempsey said.

Opotiki SPCA animal welfare inspector Kathleen Young said the male dark brindle dog was stolen from the pound on Monday night.

“This attack is serious, and yet someone has broken into the pound to release this dangerous dog and has now hidden it,” she said.

Mrs Young said she pleaded with those who had taken the dog to return it to animal control.

“Return the dog before it attacks anyone else, particularly children, other animals or yourself,” she said.

“There’s a dump or drop box at the pound. If you leave the dog in the box please leave a note to say it is dangerous so others know how this dog should be handled.”

RECORD BREAKING: The big eye tuna Ben Shaw pulled in not far from White Island while fishing with his dad, Glenn.
Photo Supplied.

WHAKATANE’S Ben Shaw could become the holder of the New Zealand men, junior men and world records for catching the biggest big eye tuna, if everything lines up as it should.

Ben was fishing about 25 kilometres east of White Island with his father, Glenn, on their boat Morpheus when the 16-year-old hauled the 129.1 kilogram fish up to the boat in 40 minutes.

The pair were visiting friends in Waihau Bay when they decided to head out for a fish.

Mr Shaw said his son was “absolutely rapt” with the fish and they were waiting to see if the New Zealand men, junior men and world records would be confirmed.

“This sort of stuff takes a while to confirm so we won’t know for a bit.”

Mr Shaw said while they had fished from Waihau Bay, the tuna would be considered a Whakatane fish.

He said while the tuna was potentially record-breaking, it wasn’t the biggest fish caught by someone on the Morpheus.

In Tonga last year, Mr Shaw and his two sons pulled in a 484kg marlin. He said fishing was a family pastime that he enjoyed sharing with his two sons, Ben and Todd.

The family travelled to Tonga every year in the boat to fish and he was looking forward to heading back to the Pacific island later this year with the boys.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

Awakeri business burgled

OVER the weekend, a business premises at Awakeri was burgled.

Whakatane police Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley said a desk phone, computer screen and work boots were stolen.

The burglary occurred sometime between Friday, January 6, and Monday, January 9.

Theft from tent

A WALLET and watch was stolen from a tent in Whakatane on Monday.

Whakatane police Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley said the burglary occurred at Mcgarvey Road.

If you have information regarding the theft, call the Whakatane Police Station on 07 3085255.

Unlawful taking of ute

A BLACK Holden Rodeo ute was unlawfully taken from Ohope last week.

Whakatane police Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley said the vehicle, registered JZ1294, was taken from Te Akau Street on Saturday.

If you have information regarding the theft, call the Whakatane Police Station on 07 3085255.

Salt marsh clean up

THE next monthly clean-up of the Apanui Salt Marsh will take place on Saturday, January 14.

Volunteers should meet by 8am at the car park on the corner of McAlister and Beach streets.

Convener Colin Harrison said gumboots or similar footwear should be worn. For more information phone Mr Harrison on 07 3087974.

STRICT nutrition policies at schools can reduce the average number of dental cavities, according to a New Zealand study.

Children attending Yendarra Primary School, in a socio-economically deprived area of South Auckland, where sugary drinks and food were restricted, had less tooth decay (fewer cavities) than those in nearby schools without such a policy.

The Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health reports that the researchers compared the teeth of eight to 11-year-old students who attended the school from 2007-14 with those from eight neighbouring schools with similar demographic backgrounds but no healthy food policy.

Since students attending Yendarra Primary had fewer dental cavities, the researchers said they believed this indicated school nutrition policies that restricted sugar and promoted milk and water could improve oral health, and that schools were an important site for health promotion among children.

Records of caries of the primary and adult teeth were obtained between 2007 and 2014 for children attending Yendarra, and were compared to those of eight other public schools in the area with a similar demographic profile. Children were selected between eight and 11 years. The researchers concluded: “This nutrition policy, implemented in a school in the poorest region of South Auckland, which restricted sugary food and drink availability, was associated with a marked positive effect on the oral health of students, compared with students in surrounding schools. We recommend that such policies are a useful means of improving child oral health.”

NEW Zealand Police and the University of Waikato are to establish a research centre that will help police prevent crime and protect the public.

New Zealand Police strategy deputy chief executive Mark Evans said police were pleased to announce the appointment of the University of Waikato as its primary partner in the venture.

Police commissioner Mike Bush said the centre and the work it produced would prove to be a valuable resource for staff and help police improve trust and confidence with the public.

“Evidence will help us understand what works, what counts and what matters,” he said.

University of Waikato vice-chancellor Neil Quigley said the centre’s work would complement the work the university was already doing through its Institute of Crime Science, and was the first initiative in what he hoped would be a long and productive relationship between the university and police.

The university was selected by NZ Police as its primary research partner following an open tender process.  The centre, in Central Wellington, will be opened within the next six months and a research hub will also be established at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

The agreement between the parties will be for six years.

ORGANISING TEAM: Team mentor Anna Watson with Eastern Bay leaders Justin Ross, Cheyne Walker and Mellani Walker. Photo supplied

MASTERING rural challenges could win participants prizes at a youth event at Rex Morpeth Park tomorrow.

Clash of the Rurals, an event for Eastern Bay young people designed by young people, is free for eight to 18-year-olds, organised by the region’s Future Leaders programme.

Future Leaders backs young people to build their leadership and entrepreneurship capability across rural and provincial New Zealand.

It is established in Buller, Palmerston North, Manawatu, Rotorua, Whakatane, Kawerau and Opotiki.

The towns’ leaders meet several times throughout the year and brainstorm, design and launch locally-led projects to grow and empower young people through addressing challenges faced in their region.

Clash of the Rurals was designed to encourage young people to get to know their communities better and meet other youths from the region.

The event is to complete four rural challenges with a partner that involve puzzles, blindfolds, team work and even a bit of water.

Up for grabs are prizes including vouchers, food hampers and the major prize, two tickets to Festival for the Future 2017.

Organiser Cheyne Walker said the four challenges were designed by Eastern Bay young people and the variety of missions would offer fun for everyone.

There would also be a free sausage sizzle. Keen participants can register on the day from 10am.

haylee.king@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

CONTENTED: Christoff Louw, Darryl De Jong, Kristina De Jong, Nadine Evans, Bryce De Jong, Kris Evans and Timothy Evans take a break from the heat during their stay at the Matata DoC campground on Wednesday. Photo Louis Klaassen D4783-05

BEST friends Kristina De Jong and Nadine Evans of Hamilton like to rough it a bit when they vacation.

Though camping at Matata’s Department of Conservation campground for a couple of weeks is not as adventurous as some of their other trips, they liked what was on offer in the Eastern Bay.

Mrs Evans said they took a day trip to the top of the escarpment behind Matata.

“The view’s fantastic. Yesterday we went to the top and we could see right out to White Island.

“It took about three hours,” she said.

The trip was daring enough to excite their children.

“It was quite steep and scary in bits,” she said.

For those children who were hesitant to make the climb, a little incentive was required.

“We bribed them with ice cream and said ‘you can do it, yes you can’,” she said.

Mrs De Jong said the two families had known each other for more than a decade and had taken many trips together.

“We were rating all the places we’ve been and actually the more remote were the better ones,” she said.

However, this trip was the first in a while that they had gone camping.

“We had a bad experience, we went to a (commercial) campground and it was dreadful. My son broke his arm. Everything that could go wrong did, so we gave it a rest for quite a while,” she said.

But the example set by the Evans family encouraged them to take it up again.

“These guys kept toddling off, so we thought ‘we can do it again’,” Mrs De Jong said.

Mrs Evans said even when their daughter was young the family enjoyed camping off the beaten track.

“My husband and I like to do quite intrepid stuff. My daughter Abigale, who’s 15 now, was a bit disturbed that she could see lights from the town. She said ‘this is so the ‘burbs’,” she said.

But there were advantages to holidaying at established campgrounds.

“We rather like DoC camping, there’s a bit more space in terms of your site size,” she said.

The Evans had primarily camped along the East Coast because of the light coloured sand.

Before the arrival of their children, they would take some especially adventurous trips, one was cycling around Coromandel.

For Mrs Evans the most memorable trip had them eating nothing but cold food.

“We went into the Karangahake Gorge on our bikes and didn’t realise we couldn’t actually light fires and cook food. I was a bit upset and thought we would starve. We survived on cold rice risotto,” she said.

mark.rieder@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

THERE were 12 crashes on Eastern Bay roads over the holiday period.

Eastern Bay road policing manager Ray Wylie said the crashes occurred between December 26 and January 5.

Of the 12 crashes, four occurred on state highways, a significant reduction from the 2015-16 holiday period.

He said five crashes occurred in the Whakatane area, two in Matata, and one each at Ruatoki, Kutarere, Omaio, Rotoma and Pikowai.

Other than one fatal crash, most of the crashes caused minor to no injury.

“Some of the crashes were nose to tail when drivers weren’t focusing on what they were doing, were distracted, were making poor decisions and not stopping in time for the vehicle in front.”

Mr Wylie said the maximum 4kmh threshold above the speed limit enforced during the holiday period would remain in place until January 31.

THE three Tarawera Ultramarathon races will finish at Kawerau next year.

Course changes mean the 62-kilometre, 87km and 102km races will finish at Firmin Field, Kawerau, on Saturday, February 11. Prize giving will be held at the Holiday Inn, Rotorua at noon the following day.

Race director Tim Day said the course changes improved the event for participants and for spectators, volunteers and contractors.

“The 62km distance historically finished at the Tarawera Falls, however, in the past nine years of operation, the race has grown so much in popularity that this area is literally bulging at the seams.

“At the 2016 event, supporters battled for a spot to view their runners finish, and with limited access, the two- kilometre walk to the car park added a cruel twist for runners who had just run one-and-a-half marathons.”

The 62km start line would be moved from Rotorua to the Western Okataina Walkway start.

Mr Day said changing the course also meant a new 62km two-person relay was now available.

“At roughly 30km each, the new relay is a great opportunity for runners to take part in one of the world’s most prestigious trail runs, without the crazy distance.”

The 87km and 102km courses have minor changes throughout, and take advantage of the new Lake Okareka trail that follows the lake edge.

Mr Day said morew than 1300 runners had already signed up to the event.

Now in its ninth year, the Tarawera Ultramarathon has become a bucket list run for athletes around the world, with over 50 percent of the field from overseas, representing more than 40 countries.

The event is also part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, a series of the 12 most prestigious ultra-running races in the world.

CELEBRITY SELFIE: Tane Purcell, Nicole Giordano, Marisol Arndt and Tonje Hauglie-Hansen with Grammy-winning singer Sam Smith at Coromandel on Wednesday. Photo supplied

A CHANCE encounter with Grammy-winning singer Sam Smith one day into their Coromandel camping trip and four Whakatane teenagers are already calling it their best ever holiday.

Nicole Giordano, 15, along with family members and friends, arrived at Hot Water Beach on Tuesday to camp for seven days.

While checking out the sights at Cooks Beach, the group was driving to Shakespeare Cliff Lookout on Wednesday afternoon.

Nicole’s boyfriend, Tane Purcell, 16, noticed a man start walking down the gravel road and thought it looked like the international singer.

As a fan of Smith’s, who once identified herself as a Little Sailor, Smith’s fan club, Nicole said the lone man did look like the British singing sensation.

Her hopes were high and her excitement grew, but she was not yet convinced it was him.

“When we drove past him, I looked back and it really looked like him. I told my mum to stop the car and yelled out the window ‘are you Sam Smith?’ Then ‘you are aren’t you, you’re Sam Smith, oh my god’.”

At the time she didn’t believe it would be him but she took the chance and now has a selfie to remember the moment forever.

“When I got out the car and realised it was him, I started walking toward him and told him I went to his last concert in 2015.

“I didn’t know what to say, I just said random things without thinking.”

Nicole and Smith took a photo together before the British sensation suggested they all cram in for a selfie.

Nicole, Tane, and international friends Marisol Arndt, 16, and Tonje Hauglie-Hansen, 17, posed with Smith as he snapped the selfie.

Although the moment was over quickly, she said the meeting and small talk was still unbelievable.

Nicole said Smith was nice. He told her he was in New Zealand holidaying with friends.

The group spent the rest of the day in shock. An adult with the group told the Beacon Nicole had remarked her “life now is almost complete”.

The two internationals, Marisol (Germany) and Tonje (Norway), said meeting Smith was exciting and so unexpected.

“I didn’t really realise that we met him till afterwards because it happened so quickly, and it was so random – and in New Zealand. He was very nice and open to taking a photo,” Tonje said.

“He didn’t run away so that was good, although he looked a bit like he was going to run into the bush when Nicole got out of the car,” Marisol said.

Nicole sent the photo to friends who were meant to be camping with them but didn’t go to show them what they missed out on.

Smith was also spotted by fans in Rotorua and Lake Tarawera earlier this week. They blasted his song Stay With Me at the boat he was on to persuade him to come across to theirs. He obliged and they interacted with them.

haylee.king@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

GOOD DIVE: SELINA Te Kata and Mihi Faulkner flank Dr Kura Paul-Burke while Tayla Tuari, Stevie Klock and White Island have her back.
Photos supplied

EASTERN Bay couple Joe Burke and Kura Paul-Burke ran a MUSA Dive Girls course at the end of last year to empower young Maori women.

The couple, both experienced divers, said they ran the course to provide an opportunity for young Maori women to have practical, physical access to a potential career and possible life-path they might never have considered before.

“If our free and fully-qualified course encourages more Maori women into the fields of marine science, aquaculture and environmental management that would be fantastic,” they said.

The Dive Girls course was launched in November so it could complete before Christmas after six weeks of studies.

The couple invited three hapu – one based at Kutarere and two sub-tribes of Ngati Awa – to send two young women each for the course.

Mr Burke said all the students who completed the full course were successful.

They were: Tayla Tuari and Stevie Klock, from Upokorehe; Selina Te Kata and Erina Brown, from Ngai Tamapare; and Mihi Faulkner, from Te Patuwai.

“The girls have had to take on some entirely new subject matters, such as physiology, air pressure and air consumption,” he said.

Mr Burke said the Scuba Schools International level one free dive course included about 80 percent of a scuba training course.

LEARNER: Opotiki girl Tayla Tuari was one of the students on the course.

“In the course, the girls first had to learn to free-dive to 10 metres,” he said.

The students then conducted a mask-off ascent from 10 metres, then an arms-only ascent from the same depth, which simulated a leg-cramp situation, before it was time for “the big one”.

“In the final exercise, they had to dive down to 10 metres to rescue me,” Mr Burke said.

“So that’s a 52 kilogram girl rescuing a 100kg bloke.”

All the students had worked hard to complete the course, and they said they were sad when it finished.

Out of the six students, two are now planning to enrol in marine studies courses in Tauranga.

One is planning to do coastal navigation training and one is planning to do a bridging course.

Providers fund course

CLASSROOM: JOE Burke supervises one of his students during a free-diving ascent.

AFTER looking into ways of applying for funding for their diving course, Joe Burke and Kura Paul-Burke decided to fund it themselves.

“We said we’d better just do it,” Mr Burke said.

The couple wanted to share their skills for the betterment of others, but found setting up a diving course was not straight forward.

“It isn’t science proper and it’s not marine studies proper,” Dr Paul-Burke said.

“And it’s not sport, because it’s not competitive.”

Mr Burke said the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 meant many education providers were hesitant to offer diving courses, which took place in a “for them unfamiliar environment”.

In preparation for running the course, Mr Burke went to the Philippines to upgrade his already considerable diving skills, clocking up a 48.5-metre free dive.

Thanks to the donations of diving friends and others, and a $4000 contribution by the tutors, the course could be held.

“The Whakatane Coastguard allowed us to use their classroom,” Mr Burke said.

The group practised for two hours twice a week and completed their free-diving course just before Christmas.

The dive instructors are planning another course in 10 months’ time.

CLASS C DRUG: Sandy Milne examines the khat tree’s leaves. D4765-18

USERS of a drug obtained from chewing khat tree leaves are approaching Whakatane householders for permission to harvest trees on their sections.

Some khat gatherers return at night to strip leaves from trees if they are refused access.

Police are advising property owners to cut down their khat trees (Catha edulis). Khat is listed as a Class C drug in New Zealand, the same as cannabis.

The fact people from as far away as Auckland and Hamilton travel to Whakatane to harvest khat was heightened when Douglas Street resident Sandy Milne wrote to the Beacon last week reporting his experience of leaf gatherers.

Mr Milne said he had been visited twice by “Kenyans” from Hamilton who knew of his khat tree’s existence, even though it was behind a house and concealed among other trees.

Mr Milne said he was suspicious of the leaf gatherers from the outset “although they were plausible”.

He said they took away sacks of leaves “mutilating” his tree. The second time they bought him two dozen bottles of beer.

When they phoned from Cambridge recently announcing they were on their way for a third harvest he told them to turn around. His tree needed time to recover.

He described them as a public nuisance. “They are essentially drug dealing.”

Teresa Goodson, who lives in Appenzell Drive, has had several encounters with “dark-skinned” people seeking leaves from a khat tree at the back of her family’s property.

Not long after moving in a year ago someone made their way to the back of their property to collect leaves and a “Kenyan” later asked if they could access the tree, Mrs Goodson said they were told “no”.

AFRICAN HIGH: A stem and flowers from the khat tree, a class C controlled substance that has attracted Africans to Whakatane gardens in search of the tree. Photo Louis Klaassen D4765-20

“They came back at night, through the neighbour’s property, and tried to gather leaves.”

Mrs Goodson said their dog “went crazy” and the intruders ran into bush behind the property and would not come out.

They must have “snuck away” later in the night, she said.

Three weeks later more people arrived seeking leaves. They were turned away but did the same thing – they returned at night. And a month later another lot accessed their property, again from the neighbours.

Mrs Goodson said they had started taking registration numbers and passing them on to police.

She said the people were “very dark-skinned” and some wore a turban.

“When we said ‘no, we’re not interested’ they said ‘come on, come on … be generous, it’s nearly Christmas’,” she said.

Harbour Road resident Jane Cook said that three months ago their dog barked at three dark-skinned men at the back of their property gathering leaves from a small khat bush.

The men told her they had visited the bush five years ago, which was why they knew where it was.

“We gave them a few leaves and they were very thankful.

“They seemed pleasant enough when we got talking to them.”

Claire Brown said that about 20 years ago, when her family lived on Pohutukawa Avenue, she yelled at African men stripping leaves from a khat tree on their front lawn. They left in a hurry with a bag of leaves.

Police were notified and the men were arrested and dealt with through the courts.

She said the tree was removed to avoid a repeat occurrence.

Whakatane police Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley said khat “ranks with cannabis as far as offences are concerned”.

“I do not think it is a good idea to allow people access to the plants as this just causes more issues.

“We know people are coming from as far as Hamilton to access the plants and my advice would be to remove them altogether.”

Khat was banned in the United Kingdom in 2014 and is illegal in the United States, but individuals in Australia can obtain permits to import it.

Khat a cultural tradition

A HAMILTON man who travels to Whakatane to harvest khat trees defends the practice.

The Beacon obtained a phone number for the man, who would only identify himself as “Ali”.

Ali, 25, said he was born in New Zealand to Somalian refugee parents and consuming khat was an attempt by his community to practice a cultural tradition.

He said consumption of khat by chewing leaves and stems, making a tea from it and adding it to vegetables was a cultural practice followed by many Africans. It was similar to Pacific Islanders consuming kava and New Zealanders drinking alcohol.

Khat use was centuries old and his community did not see it as a drug.

Ali said he always asked permission from landowners before going on to their property to collect leaves.

Khat was an aid to socialising, much like kava and beer were.

People used it to treat diabetes – “there are all sorts of benefits from this plant.”

“We drive around looking for it in neighbourhoods.

“We’re Muslim so we don’t drink or do drugs in our culture – the only thing we do is eat khat leaves.

“It’s something we did [in Somalia] so when we came here it was a privilege to find it growing here.”

Ali said he learned about khat from his parents and grandparents.

“It’s been passed down to me … and there’s no harm in it.”

Khat made users relax “but there are no debilitating side effects; you can still drive”.

He said the plant grew in lots of coastal locations, including Kaitaia, Auckland, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne and Napier.

Ali said he had a fulltime job and two young children, but at weekends he liked to meet with other Somalis to socialise – consuming khat was an integral part of such gatherings.

He said every culture had “taboos” and, being Muslim, he rejected alcohol and bacon.

“We see alcohol as a bad thing; it’s toxic and harms your mind.”

He said he would invite people to “put themselves in my shoes”.

Because of his religious beliefs he could not consume alcohol, but he had come to a country where the khat tree grew, enabling him and his countrymen and women to continue a cultural practice they had engaged in for generations in their homeland.

“You would want to do it again,” he said, “wouldn’t you?”

Ali said many older African people seeking khat leaves did not speak English well and had problems communicating with property owners.

“So, sometimes they go on to properties without asking … I would like to apologise on behalf of them.”

He also regretted that some did not take no for an answer and returned at night.

Khat facts

• Khat (Catha edulis) – a flowering plant/tree native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
• Chewing it dates back thousands of years
• Contains an amphetamine-like stimulant
• Causes excitement, loss of appetite and euphoria
• An estimated five million to 10 million people globally use khat daily.

geoff.mercer@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

ASK NANNY: Myra Te Papa, outside the house her granddaughter has been evicted from by Housing New Zealand because her father has been jailed.
Photo Louis Klaassen D4774-8

A WHAKATANE grandmother is being forced to take in her adult granddaughter after she was issued with an eviction notice because her father was sent to jail.

Myra Te Papa said her 20-year-old granddaughter had been homeless with her father for about four months last year until they were approved for a two-bedroom Housing New Zealand home in Kirk Street, Whakatane.

While homeless, the pair lived in their car, other people’s garages and at campsites, so Mrs Te Papa said she was delighted for them when her granddaughter’s father was offered a tenancy agreement for the house.

However, eight days after moving into the house, the man was recalled to prison for breaching his parole conditions.

When Housing New Zealand was informed he had been returned to jail, they informed Ms Te Papa’s granddaughter she would have to move out of the house because the tenancy was with her father, not her.

Ms Te Papa said her granddaughter was devastated because she had hoped to keep the house so that her dad had somewhere to live when he was released from prison.

The man had been in and out of jail for the past 13 years and his daughter knew he would need a stable home if he was to ever turn his life around. He also had several health issues, including diabetes.

Ms Te Papa said she had supported her granddaughter in meetings with HNZ and also the ministry of social development but was flabbergasted when their only suggestion was that she should open up her home to the young woman.

She said she had no problem taking in her granddaughter but it was not a long term solution to the problem.

“They said to her in one of the meetings that it was better for her to have to live in a car than it is for a family to have to live in a car.

“They are discriminating against her because she does not have any children, but just because she doesn’t have any dependants doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need somewhere to live.

“If she comes and lives with me then she is no longer on the emergency housing list and it will take even longer for her to get her own house.

“She is a young woman who wants to be independent and be able to provide a home for her dad when he gets out.”

Housing New Zealand acting regional manager Andrew Cairns said the department had done all it could for the woman but the best place for her was at her grandmother’s house.

“Once we were aware that she had been living with her father we worked with the ministry of social development and her family to find somewhere suitable and safe for her to live.

“She is due to move in with her grandmother, who lives alone in a three-bedroom Housing New Zealand property nearby.

“We know that she would eventually like to live on her own.

“She has been placed on the social housing register by ministry of social development so she can be matched to a suitable property when one becomes available.”

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

FINAL FAREWELL: Joe Harawira is carried to his final resting place at Pupuaruhe Urupa at Whakatane. Photo Louis Klaassen D4788-30

IF Joe Harawira ever asked if you wanted a fight, you knew he really liked you, according to his son.

Speaking at his father’s funeral service yesterday, Rongopai Joe Harawira said Mr Harawira had a cheeky sense of humour and liked the unexpected.

Another story he shared was one that had been told over Mr Harawira’s three-day tangi, and drew bouts of laughter from the hundreds of people who had gathered at Pupuaruhe Marae, near Whakatane, for his funeral service. When he was a child Mr Harawira used like to throw stones at people driving past. One of his particular favourites to throw stones at was a woman who cycled past on a daily basis.

“Little did he know that the woman would become his mother-in-law,” his son said during his eulogy.

He said his dad loved rugby and was a staunch Paroa Rugby Club supporter, but had also played for Poroporo.

“And anyone who watched a live game of rugby with dad knows how passionate he could be.”

Mr Harawira was well-known for his work advocating for acknowledgement, and then justice, for those poisoned by their work at sawmills from the 1950s to 1980s. In 2012, he received a Queen’s Service Medal for his work.

Many attended his tangi following his death on Monday, including representatives from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Greenpeace, the Green party and the Maori Party.

Council of Trade Unions vice-president Maori Syd Keepa said Mr Harawira was a champion for the working people.

“Joe was a working man through and through. He worked day in and day out for sawmill workers who were exposed to dangerous chemicals on the job. Joe and the team at SWAP (Sawmill Workers Against Poisons) helped rip the lid off one of the worst workplace disasters in New Zealand history.”

Te Ururoa Flavell, MP for Waiariki and co-leader of the Maori Party, said he respected the relentless approach taken by Mr Harawira in his fight for justice for sawmill workers.

“What I admire most about Joe’s campaign was his steadfast determination to take on the corporate warriors, to conduct extensive research into the debilitating effects of PCP and to stand by and for the families affected by chemical poisoning.”

Mr Harawira’s funeral service was held yesterday and he was buried at the Pupuaruhe Urupa, near the Whakatane Mill.

He was 70-years-old when he died and is survived by his wife, Pare, their children, Rongopai Harawira and Marama Cook, and his grandchildren – Te Aniwa Waiharakeke, Legion and Ngawati Parepikiao.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES: An architect’s impression of the type of development that could be built on the site of the Kopeopeo complex bought by the Te Puna Ora o Mataatua. Photo supplied.

A CHARITABLE trust that provides social services has purchased a large complex in the centre of Kopeopeo, worth $1.67 million, to develop a “one-stop health hub”.

The complex currently contains the Country Roast, a vacant shop, the Fresh ‘n’ Grocer, G & R Soft Furnishings and Kope Barbers on King Street. At the rear of the property are several offices, some of which are vacant, and a car park.

Te Puna Ora o Mataatua chairwoman Fiona Wiremu said the trust bought the property just before Christmas. The plan is to redevelop the site with a modern building that will house a raft of health services.

The trust provides a range of social services including home-help, assistance for mothers with new-borns and social housing support. Ms Wiremu said the trust had outgrown its premises on McGarvey Road.

She said a new site would also enable the organisation to achieve its wider plans.

“The whole purpose of purchasing this property was because one of our strategic intentions is to develop a health hub – a one stop health hub – so that our clients would only need to go to one place for their needs.”

Ms Wiremu said the goal was to form partnerships with other service groups, including doctors and other medical providers, to deliver services.

“We are not aiming to do everything, what we are looking at doing is going into partnership with other services and forming relationships.

“We want to make sure that the client’s needs are at the centre of everything and so there will be an understanding that we are not competing against each other but working together to achieve what is best for the client.”

Ms Wiremu said chief executive Chris Tooley had spent for several months looking an ideal location for such a development.

“A few years ago we came to understand that we would have to buy or develop a property that was suitable for our services.

The address wasn’t on the market but after it was identified as the perfect site Mr Tooley engaged Harcourts real estate agency to help facilitate a sale.

Ms Wiremu said the location was ideal because it provided parking and was close to other key places, such as supermarkets and the hospital.

She said the previous owners initially had no desire to sell but liked the organisation’s goal as well as the commitment to helping with the revitalisation of Kopeopeo.

“They liked our vision of connecting back in to the community and they liked the strategy around the vision for our clients. They also liked that we were going to help with investment in Kopeopeo.”

Ms Wiremu said while the ultimate plan was to develop a new building, the organisation would allow tenants to see out their lease period while they consulted with the Kopeopeo community about any redevelopment.

She said for now Mr Tooley would devise a plan for the relocation of some of the organisation’s services and utilise some of the empty space in the complex.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz