BLUESKIN 101010 events

BLUESKIN 101010

by Carl Scott and Peter Dowden

There will be several events in and around Blueskin Bay for 10:10:10,
the biggest-ever day of positive action on climate change, on Sunday
10 October, 2010.

Climate Change Hikoi big and small

Before you decide to come, you must read the full details including
essential safety information for these hikoi at:
http://www.350.org/blueskinhikoi

Big hikoi

Walking (8am) and Cycling (10.30am) from Waitati Hall to Dunedin and back.

This will event will incorporate the launch of the Blueskin Low Oil
Commuting groupand will converge at the Local Food Picnic at Woodhaugh
Gardens in Dunedin for lunch, local musicians and other family
entertainment. 2.30 walking and cycl;ing home; a bus may be provided
as well.

Small hikoi

Three smaller hikoi on a smaller scale for younger children and those
who prefer a more relaxed day out

11:00am from Waitati: Walking, Cycling, and Riding Horses from Waitati
Hall to Doctors Point Beach.

11:30am: Purakaunui: Walking from the end of Osborne Road to Doctors
Point Beach.

11:30am: Warrington: Walking from the Warrington Surf Club to the end
of Warrington Spit. We'll do a beach cleanup on the way. We are hoping
there will be a "Ferry" to cross the channel to Doctors Point beach
(TBC). Please bring a bag for rubbish, and a life jacket if you have
one.

These three 'gentle' hikoi converge at 12:30pm for a local food picnic
at Doctors Point beach with 2:00pm return journeys.

Computer rebuild and giveaway

10AM - 12PM: Join the team at the Warrington School in a morning of
Information Technology awesomeness! We will be revamping used
computers donated from tertiary institutions, setting them up with
Open Source software, and giving them away in the Community.

By harnessing the power of Open Source, we can reduce eWaste, send a
message to world leaders that collaborative approaches "do work", and
help our Community take control of their digital needs. Test drive a
GNU/Linux computer, learn how to install Open Source software and find
out why the world needs to use Open Source.

Afternoon of gardening action

2pm-4pm: Join us at "The Osborne Garden Project". Rapid no. 22, Bay
Road, Osborne a major garden project underway. No gardening experience
needed. All welcome. Just come and learn a few new things if you
haven't gardened before. A spade could be handy if you've got one.

The grand finale

Community Get-together at the Waitati Hall from4:30pm onwards: We will
all gather to celebrate the day's various achievements
Local Musicians will be providing entertainment: Brad Martin, The
Blueskin Ukulele Band, and others (TBC) Maybe an open mic
Your digital photos from the day will be displayed on a Big Screen
Please bring a plate or dish of Pot Luck Food to Share, made as much
as possible from Locally Sourced Food
There will be prizes and awards, and tons of FUN!!!
BYO

Local art competition

In association with 'The Gallery on Blueskin' - "Cutting Carbon:
Creating Our Future": Create an artwork which tells everyone what we
can do to help reduce Climate Change.

Full details about the finale, music, displaying your digital photos
and art competition: http://www.350.org/blueskinhikoi

Stunning New Public Art Work for Waitati

By Antony Deaker

The waharoa, 'Ka Moemoea me Ka Tumanako' (the dreams and the
aspirations) was opened at the entranceway to Waitati School on
September 18. The work was designed and carved by Alex Whitaker of
Waitati. The pupils of Waitati School have painted images and symbols
on to the work; they painted ideas about their own future.
Costs of some materials and some labour were supported by Creative New
Zealand through the Creative Communities scheme. The project was also
supported by Te Whare Wananga o Te Whanau Arohanui which provides
studio space and ongoing support to Alex. The wood is an Australian
hardwood from old power poles from Foyle Street, Waitati.
The waharoa is not only a beautiful addition to the school property it
is a significant public art work for Waitati. The school is already
proud to host artworks by Liz Abbot (the Blueskin alphabet mural) and
Mikaela Wilson (ceramic mosaic of New Zealand). This is the first new
local public art work since the Blueskin Library murals and before
that the War Memorial.
The carving style is a blend of contemporary and traditional elements.
The sparse or minimalist carving style is in keeping with the
traditional southern Kai Tahu approach to whakairo (carving) and
adornment and because the wood itself was so hard. The name is in the
southern dialect in which 'ng' is replaced by 'k' hence Ka Moemoea
instead of Nga Moemoea. Alex worked with Kai Tahu carvers on the
adornment project for the Wharetupuna, Huirapa at Puketeraki Marae in
Karitane and he continues to work with carvers at Puketeraki on new
works.
There are three parts to the work. The painted palisade style fence
represents the poutama or stairway. The poutama here represent the
continued striving for higher learning and our personal aspirations,
they can also be a symbol of various ancestors' quest for knowledge as
they climbed through the various heavens notably Tawhaki and Tane.
The Pou or carved poles are on the left hand side Whakaritorito or the
new shoots and on the right hand side Te Aroha the love. The tekoteko
watching over the entranceway from his position just inside the school
is Utonga, representing the steely resolve of the community to stand
beside the school in its work our children.
These works combine to create Ka Moemoea me Ka Tumanako, a potent
reminder of our shared commitment to support our children who
represent our dreams and aspirations for the future.
Alex is now working on possible projects with the Ecosanctuary and the
Warrington Domain. He has smaller works in several local galleries and
is available for commissions.

Waitati School

By Antony Deaker

In this column: School pride in Polyfest, great fun on ski-trip, the
return of an excellent community event with the bonfire night, insect
dreaming and mask making, consulting re after-school care/bus to town,
strong interest in school teams for summer sports, swimming lessons
going well, Waharoa opened and blessed.
It has been a very busy, productive and exciting time at Waitati
School in the last month. We've been in the media with positive
stories several times this month, we've hosted the community to a very
warm and engaging event and we've opened a stunning public artworks as
the school entrance-way.
Our pupils performed with great wairua and the mana of our school was
well and truly enhanced at the recent Polyfest. In just three weeks
the children produced a great performance of waiata and haka. Many
people commented on their spirit and how great it was for the whole
school to be involved. Photographs in the ODT were an added bonus.
Many thanks to Cyndi Ngamoki for her excellent tutelage and awhi for
the children. Kapahaka sessions are ongoing at the school.
The senior class loved their ski trip to Coronet Peak in early
September. They made new friends with the pupils from Macandrew
Intermediate, gained in confidence and skill quickly, and came home
exhausted but ready for more. Keep an eye out for Amara Muldrew at
future Winter Olympics.
The whole school has been learning to swim at Moana Pool. The littlies
in particular have made great progress. The swimming lessons have
required a significant commitment from staff and parents to be in the
pool with the children as well as being stationed at many points
around the pool to actively watch. Many thanks to all involved as
swimming is such an important confidence to master.
Our Waitati kids will not die wondering what it's like to be active or
play team games. We now have school cricket, futsal, rippa rugby and
touch rugby teams competing in town competitions over spring and
summer. Some children are in two or three teams. Again, we are
grateful to the staff and parents who make these opportunities
possible for the children.
All on the same weekend we opened the waharoa and hosted the Bonfire
and Fireworks Night.
The waharoa (gateway) is called 'Ka moemoea me ka tumanako' (the
dreams and aspirations). At sunrise on the 18th a local kaumatua lead
a whakamoemiti to bless the carvings, naming them and set them free as
a new entity in our community. On the following Tuesday we had a
further event to open the waharoa with all of the school and members
of the community. Our pupils' waiata again were beautiful.
The bonfire and fireworks night had to be postponed for 24 hours due
to the weather, which was a great shame as we suspect more people
would have been there to enjoy a great night on the Saturday. However
the night went very well, the fireworks were stunning, the bonfire was
warming and the kids did a great performance in insect masks based on
their observations of insects from our local environment. The
entertainment rocked, the auction was great fun, the food was diverse
and yummy, we planted some trees by the stream, and everyone had fun
and talked for ages. A notable highlight of the event was the close
and generous support of families that no longer have children at
school but remain engaged.
Through the opening of Ka moemoea me ka tumanako and the bonfire night
several people spoke about the school as the heart of the community
and this is definitely the case in Waitati.
Heidi has led planning with regional Enviro-Schools staff for our
school programmes next year. The senior students have indicated
interest in projects in the wetland and with hut building. In the
meantime all of the classes are enjoying working with Jenny in the
school garden on Friday afternoon, which are filling up with seedlings
and fresh mulch.
The school has also started to consult the community regarding
after-school programmes and/or a school-based bus service to town
after school. We are concerned about making it as easy as possible for
local children to attend their local school. We are committed to
finding solutions to meet the needs of families where both parents
work in town. If this is you, please contact Heidi on 482 2888 to
discuss your needs and also visit the school website to respond to a
survey.

Launch of Blueskin Low-Oil Commuting group (BLOC)

By Virginia Toy

A new group is to be launched at the Blueskin101010: Climate Change
Hikoi on 10 October. The Blueskin Low Oil Commuting group (BLOC) is
primarily about cycling to work. We're aiming to build peer support
for people who are already reducing hydrocarbon demand and consumption
through everyday activities such as cycle commuting, and to build
simple systems and support to help more people commute by bike. BLOC
will be a user-driven network of people who regularly travel between
the Blueskin area and Dunedin, and who are interested in doing this in
a more 'hydrocarbon-conscious' way, such as cycling, uni-cycling
(yes!), but also walking, or car-pooling. BLOC will specifically
provide the opportunity for more people to participate in occasional
cycle commuting by linking those who cycle and those who can drive
bikes around if the need arises!
I will manage an email-based mailing list to provide a link between
people who travel by bike. We can also network about bike fixit and
repair issues, and other forms of sustainable transport (bio-diesel,
electric?). In the future, I intend to organise regular (monthly,
bi-monthly…?) informal meetings. I'm also hoping to talk about
revitalising the WWW rideshare scheme to any interested parties during
the Hikoi.
BLOC arose from discussions with Scott Willis of the BRCT, who has
been instrumental in finding funding to support our launch at the
Hikoi (for which we want to sincerely thank Sustainable Dunedin City),
and the group is closely aligned with the BRCT. This association will
help ensure BLOC continues to operate effectively in the long term.
To link up with BLOC or sign up for the mailing list email me at
virginia@geology.co.nz

Waitati Energy Project

By Scott Willis

There was plenty in September to help focus our minds on increasing
household resilience. Earthquakes in Christchurch reminded us all of
how our 'everyday' can change dramatically and suddenly. Gales, snow,
sleet, snow and gales again all added to the anxiety: "Do we have an
emergency kit, or cans and candles?"
In 2006, a community workshop looked into the challenges and
opportunities we would face within one and two decades (bigger storm
events, resource crunches, local communities, etc). Out of that
workshop came many ideas and the Weggies and WEP are just two results.
Now, four years later we're seriously looking at building our own
power source and taking charge of our own power needs.
I've been talking about this for some time, however outside of
community meetings and direct discussion/queries, there has been no
real opportunity for wide public community dialogue. So for the past
month I've been working hard on 'back-room' stuff, like securing
funding and planning the next phase of the community turbine, to allow
public dialogue.
The Hikurangi Foundation, our current sponsors, has agreed to provide
support for a further 12 months. Support that is not only some salary,
but crucially also mentoring, advice and expertise. Without this
crucial support the serious work would grind to a halt. And the next
critical step is in-depth community consultation.
For this, I've been working with Ros Day and Janet Stephenson at Otago
University, and together we're requesting involvement from the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Janet argues that while "New
Zealand's planning system is set up to enable the involvement of the
community and wider public in decision-making processes under the
Resource Management Act, the resource consent process offers a very
limited opportunity for the public to have a voice on wider socially
determined issues".
This renewable generation project was led by the community, and
developed in workshops and public meetings. Now I'm employed to take
it to development and document the process and pitfalls along the way.
Through WEP we've already looked at a range of energy generation
possibilities suitable for our communities. WEP work over the past 20
months has led to a much greater understanding around the potential
costs and benefits to the community, for example, co-development
opportunity, the possibility of community ownership etc.
Now, if we are to move to development, we need to check community
opinion on what has already been done and determine what the
acceptable balance might be (in terms of personal wellbeing, and
social and environmental factors). We also need to confirm the
parameters around site options, scale and types of renewable
generation within the community.
Importantly, we want to do this seriously, with clear surveys and good
visual displays demonstrating whether your house falls within the
Waitati Sub-station area, what your energy bill might look like, etc.,
and have experts on hand to answer questions. This will be the real
start – we've found that our own renewable generation is feasible:
now, together, are we able to create the conditions required for New
Zealand's first community initiated, led and developed wind turbine to
become fact?
More regular updates are sent out via the WEP update email or you can
contact me directly either at 03 4822048 / 0274888314 or
waitatienergy@gmail.com

Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust

By Scott Willis

BRCT is supporting the launch of the Blueskin Low Oil Commuting Group
this month (Sunday 10 October) and the Blueskin 101010: Climate Change
Hikoi, led by passionate community volunteers, facilitated by Waitati
School, and supported by Waitati, Warrington and Purakaunui Schools.
There's a growing sense of collective Blueskin identity, and greater
power in integrated actions that are expressed well by the 'Climate
Change Hikoi' – a metaphorical as well as literal journey. And what a
fantastically successful "Get the Train" on 22 September. Big
congratulations are due to all the hardworking volunteer team who made
the event possible, and who continue to work towards establishing
commuter rail for our communities. BRCT is proud to support such
passion and dynamism.
One of BRCT's objectives is to stimulate local sustainable economic
activity and the Trust is right behind an initiative launched by Jenny
Haydon to co-ordinate a Blueskin Working Breakfast (8.30, Friday 15
October) at the Blueskin Bay Café. RSVP to Jenny on 482 1409. In
parallel, and in order to become more effective in delivering strong
community outcomes, BRCT is working on an Angel Volunteer programme,
aiming, among other things, to put value on all the volunteer activity
within (and eventually beyond) the BRCT sphere.
WEP is BRCT's main project (see below), however the Trust also
supports the Waitati Edible Gardens group in two of their initiatives,
Waitati Open Orchards and Blueskin Bay Area School Edible Gardens.
The BRCT office is housed in the Old Waitati Store, thanks to the
generosity of Mark and Rayna Dickson, and provides umbrella support
for community initiatives seeking to build stronger, more sustainable
Blueskin communities (as above).
Since the inception of BRCT in 2008 a number of very successful
projects have been completed in Blueskin Bay, most notably perhaps the
Waitati Energy Project Retrofit Programme in 2009. That was thanks to
the considerable time and enthusiasm put in by 2008 – 2010 trustees
(Mark Dickson, Geraldine Tait, Chris Young – and myself at that point)
and officer Antony Deaker. BRCT has now entered a new phase, working
directly to support Blueskin Power, the Waitati Energy Project
renewable generation initiative. I am now solely concerned with
management, while governance is assured by the new trustees and
officer. The BRCT office will continue to work productively with other
groups and initiatives while maintaining its focus on the Waitati
Energy Project.
More information on the Trust's vision, mission, objectives and
activities is available on the Transition Waitati webpage:
www.transitiontowns.org.nz/waitati or by contacting me on 03 482
2048.

Warrington Playcentre

By Mary-Jane Mirfin

Tena koutou katoa, konichiwa, hello to everyone in the Blueskin community.
Spring has arrived and it's great to see our daffodils and blossom out
in our centre's garden. We celebrated the arrival of spring last week
with a visit to Seacliff's village playground and a walk around Truby
King Reserve. Our tamariki are very lucky to have such a wonderful
place to visit, just up the road from Warrington Playcentre. Spring
also means it's time for making masks and flower sand saucer creations
for the annual Waitati Flower Show.
This term, we were visited by the Education Review Office and it was a
successful visit with a very positive report. Our high adult-to-child
ratio was highlighted, which they saw resulted in high quality
interactions between parents and children.
Thank you to Christine, our supervisor, the parents and children who
attended on the day of the visit and showed what a dynamic and
multicultural centre we have. Also, thank you to all the families at
Playcentre for making our centre such a great and worthwhile part of
our community.
We recently had an exciting visit from the Waitati Volunteer Fire
Brigade with the community fire engine. It was especially exciting for
Arlo and Ben Hay, who love dressing up as fire fighters regularly at
playcentre. Thank you to the firefighters for visiting and bringing
the fire engine.
Happy Birthday to Louis who turns five this month. Have a great time
at school. We will miss you. Also farewell to Ben Colbaz who is moving
to Auckland with his family. He has only been here for a short time
but fitted in so well with the kids.
We welcome all young families to our Playcentre. We also have a
fabulous new breastfeeding chair funded by HEHA. New mums should come
and check it out!
We are open on Wednesdays and Fridays, 9.15am to 12.15pm.
Warrington Playcentre, 027 227 7329; Mary-Jane Mirfin 482 1962

Orokonui Ecosanctuary

By Sue Hensley

A good turnout at the beginning of Conservation Week saw lots of
shelter plants dug in and another group of flaxes planted in the Pa
Harakeke. It is amazing to look back on last year's planting and the
bare bank to now see the healthy and vigorous vegetation there. We
acknowledge a huge debt of gratitude to David Mules whose skills,
creativity, hard work and generous spirit nurtured the Pa Harakeke
into being. However, he has also played an important role in the
Ecosanctuary itself – giving of his extensive knowledge, experience,
time and advice in many and varied areas. His input will be sorely
missed. Diana Mules too gave of her time and expertise especially to
the education programme. We wish them well in their return to family
up north and to David in his new job.
Eight out of our nine kaka were caught over five nights, their health
and transmitters checked – a very successful result. The one elusive
kaka has been sighted at a feeder and is a five month old chick. It is
not as we first thought the kaka currently visiting Saddle Hill.
Despite the snow, the breeding season is off to a great start. Three
baby jewelled gecko have been spotted, a robin nest has been confirmed
and the aviary kaka are showing signs of nesting. To maximise this
pair's chance of successfully raising chicks only one person (ranger
Kelly Gough) will feed them for the next three months and the aviary
will be out of bounds to everyone else over that time.
Events for October include holiday programme activities: Forest
Survival Skills (Oct 3), Bug Bonanza (Oct 5), Orokonui Odyssey (Oct 7
and 10), and also the continuing Orokonui Landmark Lecture Series
(city venues) with marine specialist Sally Carson on Oct 6 and
celebrated photographer Craig Potton on Oct 13.
Check our website www.orokonui.org.nz for information and event
details. Visitor Centre and Cafe open 9.30-4.30 daily.

Waitati School

Waitati School PTA would like to thank everyone who contributed to the
successful Waitati School Fireworks Night on Sunday 19 September. It
was a fantastic night, well supported by  parents, families and the
community.
We would like to thank our sponsors: the Lotteries Commission,
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board, Southern Clams, Dunedin City Council
and Cargill's Contracting.
Thank you also to the families and businesses who donated items for
our auction: Garden's Vet/Pet Planet, Southern Honda, Orokonui
Ecosanctuary, Karitane Kayaks, Jenna Packer, Karan Snow, Garden's New
World, Arden House Bed and Breakfast, Sammy's Big-Ups, Fortune
Theatre, Liz Abbot, Fleur's Place, Blueskin Mowers and Taste Nature.
We plan on having it again at the same time next year.

Blueskin Library

By Louise Booth

Blueskin Library is constantly restocking its shelves with all the
latest books, but if you can't find what you want on the day, you can
order it in from any of the other libraries in our network, by placing
a 'Hold' in the Library Catalogue. Holding an item only costs $1 and
we will let you know when your order has arrived.
If you already use our Holds Service regularly, you will be pleased to
know you can now purchase a pack of Holds vouchers and save money.
When you buy a pack of six vouchers, you get two free. At a cost of $4
per gift pack, that's a real bargain - saving you a third off the
normal hold fee, every time you redeem a voucher!

WAITATI VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE

By Deanne Burrell

Spring is finally here and luckily the winter driving conditions have
not caused any major accidents around our community. It has also been
a quiet few months in regards to fire call-outs so well done to the
Blueskin Bay community for keeping safe.
Members of the brigade have recently enjoyed getting out and about in
the community with visits to Warrington School and the local
playcentre. We also attended Waitati School's Fireworks night,
lighting the bonfire and monitoring its safety. Congratulations to the
school on an enjoyable evening with a magnificent fireworks display as
the grand finale.
On Saturday 21 August 2010 our Annual General Meeting and Honours
Night was held at the fire station. A great night was had by all who
attended and honours awards were presented to the following members
and past members:
3 Year Certificate: Richard Templeton, Brent Bell, Paul Dennison,
Chris Felip Alves and Bruce Moderich
5 Year Medal: Brett Fairweather
7 Years Service: Jeff Burrow
9 Years Service: Aaron White
17 Years Service: Dave Hardisty and Lindsay Scott
Gold Bar: Allan Cameron
Other awards presented on the night were:
Piston Broke Trophy: (biggest oopsy award) Jeff Burrow
Best Attendance: Keith Templeton
Fire Fighter of the Year: Deanne Burrell
Congratulations also to Richard Templeton who was promoted from senior
fire-fighter to station officer.
Over the last few months the following four members have successfully
completed their seven-day recruits course.  Congratulations Sharon
Brogan, Will Shaw, Bill Berends and Seraya Figgins.
Just a reminder that Restricted Season is currently in force.
Restricted season means no fire may be lit in the open air without a
permit.
Did you replace your smoke alarm batteries at Day Light Saving? Smoke
alarms save lives. Are yours working?
Once again thank you to everyone for their efforts in keeping our
community safe.

Blueskin Playcentre (column)

By Mikaela Wilson

Blueskin Playcentre has had a wonderful time during the last few
weeks. Parents have been creating beautiful bug masks with their
children at Waitati school. The children walked together in a
choreographed procession with the Waitati school kids during the very
successful recent Fireworks night. Parents organised the noddy
train, a horizontal bungy cord to challenge children of all age groups
and a small book stall. Thanks to Waitati School for a beautiful
family friendly event.
What has been so fantastic is seeing the parents at Playcentre get
involved with their children's learning. Parents and educators have
been learning stories and noticing what interests our children. Ishtar
and Belynda have been enthusiastic and
supportive of the families they are working with.Thank you for your
dedication and support this term.
The other day as we sat around the kai table before sharing a healthy
morning tea and saying our karakia the adults started singing head
shoulders knees and toes. Eventually we all practised singing heads,
shoulders, knees and toes in English, Maori, Danish and French!
Playcentre really encourages families to share their cultural identity
through song, play, stories and dress-ups. There has been talk of this
for a topic next term. We have families from Australia, Denmark, New
Zealand, California and Papua New Guinea.
The children and adults have very much enjoyed Hinerata's visits. She
has been encouraging us to use Te Reo in our centre. We will miss her
next term and hope she we will visit us from time to time.
Not only have we been learning spoken languages but we have also been
learning sign language. This has been great for all the children.
Ishtar has made a big effort at sharing time to teach our children to
sign. It is incredible how quickly young children learn.
We have all agreed as a centre that we would like to move to a site at
Waitati School. This is now in process. We feel that this will work
very well for our children's transition to school and also create a
learning hub within our community. We appreciate and have enjoyed the
building at Orokonui. We will be there until the plans are finalised
and we have raised enough money to make the move. Thank you to
Russell and his family for having us there.
The AGM for Playcentre is 5 October, 7:30pm at France's place. If you
are interested in the Playcentre way, learning together, please feel
free to drop in any time. We are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9.30am to 12pm.
We love getting to know other families and children in our community.

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Ā ā Ē ē Ī ī Ō ō Ū ū
From blueskin.co.nz and 'Blueskin News' published by Blueskin Media:
voluntary/non-profit community publishers in Blueskin Bay (Seacliff,
Warrington, Evansdale, Waitati, Doctors Point), Dunedin, New Zealand.
All material sent to or published by us is "copyleft" in the public
domain and may be freely shared, archived, re-edited and republished.
If you want to credit the source it's "blueskin.co.nz".

Warrington Taekwondo (column)

By Meaghan Kelly

Last month Warrington Taekwondo lost a much loved and valued member.
Tracy Kyle died of cancer in early September after battling the
disease for over a year.
She was a member of Warrington Taekwondo for around 10 years, along
with her son, Nick, and her daughter, Josie.
Tracy achieved her black belt in 2007 and was a fantastic instructor
and mentor. She took on all challenges with sheer determination, a
brilliant sense of humour and a grin. We will miss her courage,
integrity, courtesy, respect and indominitable spirit so much.
Warrington Taekwondo trains on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7.30pm at
Warrington Memorial Hall. First month of training is free. Come along
and talk to us!

Blueskin Bayleaf

Vanilla and Salt

Ever created some thing so luscious and delicious, and easily that you
want to cry out and scream? Well, add this to your list of can do's …
so simple you can whip it up just before bed, as a sweet treat for any
social occasion or even in a TV ad break!

Serves 2

25g butter
2 T golden syrup

Place in small saucepan and melt. Bring to a high boil.
Add good pinch of rock salt.
Turn heat down and gentle boil for 1 minute.
Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste. Turn off heat.
Pour over Deep South vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
Sauce should become a bit chewy. Garnish with sliced bananas.

Note: Deep South is wonderful ice cream. It has beautiful consistency
and flavour, and luckily is available at the Waitati Store. Apparently
they use carrageen (a product derived from kelp) as its anti-freezing
agent. Kai Pai! No wonder they keep winning the best ice cream awards.

Waitati Open Orchards

By Jason Ross

Waitati Open Orchards is a group of folk on a mission to plant fruit
trees in public spaces around Waitati for all to enjoy. Email
waitatiopenorchard@gmail to join our mailing list.
Back at the end of August we had a great afternoon of grafting at
Bland Park. Thirty people came, many locals and keen grafters from as
far as Palmerston, Broad Bay and Balclutha!
The whip and tongue method of grafting was demonstrated for both
grafting cuttings onto rootstock and for grafting new varieties onto
existing trees. A useful skill to acquire if you have  fruit trees in
your backyard that aren't doing well, be it that they don't suit our
climate or are not pest and disease resistant.
You can then cut their main limbs down to knee height and graft on a
variety that will do well. Or, in a small garden why not graft a few
different varieties onto the one tree so you can have fruit that
ripens at different times or fruit that has different uses.
For those who took grafted trees home and planted them, keep them
watered (if it ever gets dry) and well fed with compost or liquid
fertiliser to encourage growth. Pinch off any growth from the
rootstock and protect the graft from knocks.
October will see the WOO group checking over the trees we have planted
and getting a few more trees planted.

Jason Ross, 4822625, waitatiopenorchard@gmail.com

Short, sharp vegie growing workshops

By Jenny Haydon

From Saturday October 16, the Waitati Edible Gardeners will be running
a series of short, sharp workshops on the specifics of vegetable
growing, at Waitati School.
Each workshop will be on a single topic, and will cover such groupings
as root crops, salad crops, courgettes and pumpkins etc.
Come along between 2.30pm and 3pm, get the info, see how to do it,
then go home and try it for yourself. Come back next time and repeat
the process with a different vege family.
There'll be a chance to discuss problems and learn maintenance tips,
among other aspects of successful growing.
Please RSVP to Helen at Waitati School.

Jenny Haydon, Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust, 482 1409

Daffodil Day

By David Sumpter

We are grateful to the residents of blueskin bay and to the helpers
who manned the stall as well as those who supplied baking for the
annual Daffodil Day appeal. An especial thanks to those who helped
bunch up the daffodils.This year the stall raised $711.20 and the
cancer Society was extremely grateful for your continued support.
The winners of the raffle were: Louise Booth, basket of goodies and J
Constable, plant. Thanks again for your help.

Restorer seeks Ford fire engine history

Photo caption: The old, red Waitati fire engine awaits restoration in
a farm shed.

Restorer seeks Ford fire engine history

by the editors

Military memorabilia collector Roger Wilkinson has recently purchased
an old Waitati fire engine, and is looking for some history of the
vehicle.

The red Ford truck has signwriting 'Blueskin VFU, Waitati' on the
door, and has an ex-military appearance.

Roger is looking to restore the appliance to roadworthy condition, and
would be grateful for any history on the appliance, including photos.

* Roger Wilkinson: roger_wilkinson @ xtra.co.nz

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