Issue 27 - May 2019 - Friendship New Zealand Inc.
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Issue 27 – May 2019
Update from Chairman, Graeme Pierson
Annual General Meeting
A formal notice has been sent to all clubs advising the AGM is to be held in
Auckland on 21 August 2019. Please note, any Remit is required to be in
the hands of the Centre Administrator by 11 June 2019.
Certificates for Club Anniversaries/Life Membership
Where a club requires such a certificate, the request should in the first
instance be made to your local Councillor who will then liaise with the
Centre Administrator for the production of such. If your club wishes, a
request can be made to your local Councillor to attend and present the certificate on behalf of
FNZI, provided the Councillor is available on that day.
Interclub meetings
In recent times there have been informal meetings involving area clusters of FNZI clubs. To date
such meetings have taken place in Auckland (North Shore), Tauranga, Mid/South Canterbury and
Southland. It has been reported that such meetings have proved beneficial in discussing matters
such as club management, membership, travel, speakers etc and are great for the exchange of
ideas and the building of camaraderie amongst local member clubs. Your local Councillor will
always be willing to assist and should be invited to participate.
Club management issues
The FNZI Council is concerned some clubs have experienced or are experiencing difficulties with
being able to fill key management roles within their club. If your club is having such a problem,
you may not be alone in this regard. Don’t hesitate to speak with your Councillor and with nearby
Friendship Club officials if possible, to share ideas and to try and seek local remedies. Sadly, it is a
sign of the times, sometimes with advancing age and lack of willing helpers, there has been the
odd closure when a club membership has no longer considered itself able to carry on.
Fortunately, in many instances, members from such clubs have joined other nearby FNZI Clubs
thereby adding strength to those clubs. What is very satisfying to Council is the fact that amongst
our current FNZI clubs, there is now a feeling of strength of purpose and of belonging to a strong
and respected organisation.
Administrator
Rosemarie our Administrator is pleased with the rate of affiliation payments being received from
member clubs. These of course are now due. Please ensure that when sending your clubs
affiliation payment to her, please complete the form sent on 17 May requesting the full contact
details of the club’s management persons as required on the form. If you have already paid your
fees but not completed the form, please complete this and return it as soon as possible.
Yours in Friendship
Graeme Pierson, Chairman FNZI
1
From the Administrator’s desk:
A big “thank you” to the officers of our FNZI Friendship member clubs for
advising the names and contact details of new officers for the 2019-2020
year. Updating club records on the website database, and receiving early
payments of affiliation fees, has ensured that I have been kept busy over recent
months.
I appreciate that some club officers have updated the record for their own club and, in most
instances, remembered to inform FNZI of the changes. Please also remember to provide the
completed 2019-2020 Affiliation Fee Payment and Club Records Update form when making
payment via internet banking.
The number of our member clubs making online payments for affiliation fees and for stationery
items appears to have increased however, cheques remain the preferred choice of payment by
most clubs. A concern I have is that many of the cheques are open cheques, i.e. not crossed nor
marked “Not Transferable”. I encourage club treasurers to ensure that cheques are marked
accordingly, as a safeguard to themselves and to me. This is particularly important when mailing
cheques.
Earlier this month I attended the Liaison Meeting held for the Mid and South Canterbury FNZI
Friendship clubs at the Phar Lap Raceway, Washdyke which provided the opportunity for me to
meet and chat with club representatives. Chairman Graeme invited me to say a few words at the
meeting and I was able to reassure club officers that I am available to assist them with any queries
they may have regarding accessing and navigating the FNZI website.
In August, the FNZI Annual General Meeting is being held in Auckland and I am excited to advise
that I will be attending. I am very much looking forward to meeting representatives from our
North Island clubs, many of whom will have had considerable phone and email contact with
me. Please do make yourself known to me should you attend the AGM.
Warm regards
Rosemarie Shaw
How to add your Club’s website address to your profile.
As a result of a query at a meeting on the Northshore, this information from our Webmaster, Erik
Vermaat, may be useful for your Club.
Login in the Club Area,
Choose menu item FNZI Online Directory > My Club’s Profile > Update myself,
Under CLUB INFO in the last field Website type or copy the full URL of your website,
Update your profile.
If you have any difficulty with this process, please contact Rosemarie Shaw at counciladm@fnzi.nz
who will be very happy to do this for you.
Your website address will then be visible for the general public on the page Where We Are in the
directory of your club’s District. This is how we promote our member clubs to the general public,
and having your own website is a great help to get new members. Make sure that you have a
“Contact Us” link on your website.
2
Looking for Funding for Club Activities?
In my visits around Friendship Clubs in my district I’ve had conversations with some of them about
their success or failure in getting funding grants from various local trusts.
Applications that seem most likely to succeed are either for buses for outings or hardware such as
data projectors or sound systems for club meetings. Applications for administration are usually
turned down.
Generally, clubs who’ve had success in the past from the Lotteries Board are finding this a less
successful option as their funding priorities have shifted.
Some areas have Council Funds or Trusts from previous power company setups. In my area it is
the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust.
All areas have Gaming Machine groups and clubs talk of more success here where their
applications are linked to a local venue. You can find a list for your local area on the Department
of Internal Affairs website at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-
Funding-For-Community-Groups
Chris Winstanley
FNZI Treasurer and Councillor Lower North Island
Bishopdale Ladies
On a nice sunny March day
this group of ladies boarded
the bus for a trip to
Governor's Bay.
They travelled via Gebbies
Pass, stopping along the
way at Allandale Reserve
where members had a walk
along the shoreline. They
then continued on to
Governors Bay Hotel for
midday lunch. After an
amazing meal they travelled
back to Bishopdale via
Dyers Pass Road, and through the city where they saw all the changes that are taking
place.
Te Rapa
On 18 April, 24 members of the Te Rapa Friendship Club visited Zenders in Ruakura Road,
Newstead, for a delightful lunch. Zenders is an excellent restaurant/café which opened in
December 2018 and built from blueprints of their grand-parents 100-year old home called
‘Schildheuvel’ (the original signage can be seen over the entrance doorway). Teresa, one of the
three daughters who worked for approximately five years on the project, spoke to our group
explaining the fascinating story of their vision to create a replica of their grandparents home here
in Hamilton, New Zealand. Members comments after a very enjoyable lunch were very positive
and majority were planning a return visit. The croquettes were a very popular choice from the
menu - delicious.
3
Hokonui Focus
The December meeting was a "High Tea" in the morning and what a morning it was.
As members arrived, they saw big round tables with snow white tablecloths decorated with
Christmas trimmings and fresh holly, glasses and drinks, looked and sounded amazing with carols
being played and sung by members Murray and Marlene Kirk.
The meeting was opened by the President Ngaire who welcomed everyone. There was a quiz on
the table and members were invited to answer the questions on the 125 years of Suffrage. With
the usual business out of the way members were invited to partake of the magnificent spread of
savouries, sandwiches, cakes and biscuits, tea and coffee, provided for us by a subsidy from the
Mataura Licensing Trust, to whom the club is truly grateful for their support throughout the year.
The speaker was Caroline Dore, the Nattering Knitter. She told
members that it all started by knitting a few squares of wool and
sewing them together to make a rug to keep her knees warm in
the evening while watching television.
Caroline thought that making a few rugs would fulfil a need to
help the community. Caroline asked a few friends to help by
knitting a few squares. This blossomed and there is a huge
contingent of volunteer workers who sit at home and keep their
hands busy knitting squares- 40 stitches wide and 80 rows down.
At the time of this meeting, 2053 rugs had been made and
donated.
Apart from donations to friends, Hospitals in Dunedin,
Invercargill, local Hospitals and Rest homes in Southland, the
word has spread, and International Gifting has seen donations to
39 countries across the world.
On 11 December 2018 Caroline was presented with the New Zealand Local Hero Award.
If you want to help her or see what she has done go to The Nattering Knitter on Facebook or You
Tube.
Kawaroa Combined
These people received certificates at
the club’s AGM to acknowledge and
celebrate their achievement of being
founding members of the club which
was established in 1997.
Back row from L - R: Lee Guilford, Dorothy
Anderson, June Dunn, Merle Jensen, Shirley
Fergus, Don Fergus.
Front row L -R Elizabeth McPherson, Trevor
Owen, Frankie Owen. Absent Elsie Fourie,
Patricia Blackhall.
4
Ngongotaha
Ngongotaha recently held their AGM and provided these photos to record the occasion.
Above L-R Pam Fletcher (Former Secretary) Pat Young (President)
Anita Stanley (Past President) and Mary Bartle (Life Member).
Above: incoming President Pat Young (with the
microphone) and outgoing President Anita Stanley.
Waihi & Districts
Some of the members of
the Waihi & Districts are
pictured here enjoying
morning tea at the Waihi
Water Gardens.
Woolston
Recently this club celebrated their 23rd birthday.
Invited guests included members from other clubs,
together with Graeme Pierson who willingly cut the
birthday cake. Willie Mcarthur (a one-man band)
entertained the gathering and was enjoyed by all.
5
Rangiora Ladies
Late last year this club had their second
member turn 100.
Jean McGregor is pictured with club
President Pat Smith cutting her cake.
committee supplied a special morning tea
and everyone had a great time.
Jean had an album with photos of her life
which everyone enjoyed.
Whangaparaoa Combined Friendship Club
On a fine sunny day in March a coach load of fifty members from both the Whangaparaoa and the
Ladies club set off for the two-hour journey to the Hauraki plains town of Ngatea to view the
famous Watergardens there.
These lived up to expectations as members strolled through the parklike grounds with its many
water features, unusual plants and quirky sculptures. The Can Museum is quite unique and
brought back many memories. Different types of bird life flocked around looking for a feed; these
included two types of ducks and a peacock that is cock of the walk and bullied the other birds.
Tea, coffee and fruit juice were provided by the club’s Hospitality team and this was most
welcome after the long bus trip on a hot day.
A delicious boxed
picnic lunch from the
Glory Café was
thoroughly enjoyed by
all.
For the return trip
they took a different
route over the flat
fertile Hauraki plains
with its dairy herds
and cornfields, the
Kaimai ranges to the
South East. The bus
took them over the
Bombay Hills for a
break at Bombay for ice creams and coffees and then on home.
6
Waimate
Friendship Waimate acknowledged the outstanding contribution former President, Alex Norton
has made to the Club in recent years with a Life Membership at their AGM. Alex, who has been a
member since 1993, was President in both 2014 and 2015. A time of great changes, both at the
national level and to the Club’s structure. In 2015 the Club became a Combined Club.
Alex’s greatest strength,
however, is working with
people - his support and
care of fellow members.
He has made all members
welcome at Club meetings
and events and has been
there when members
have required extra help.
A true gentleman who
lives by the principles of
fellowship, friendship and
fun. Congratulations Alex
from all Club Members.
Photo: Friendship Waimate’s
Incoming President, June Ashton
congratulating Friendship
Waimate’s new Life Member
Alex Norton.
Aorangi Mens
Members enjoyed a day out in March
when they visited a few attractions in
Geraldine, South Canterbury.
Dave Whytock and Graham Taylor are
seen here trying to figure out which piece
of lace would suit them best at Lillia’s
Lace Museum in Geraldine.
7
Carterton
On 20 March 2019 members of the
Carterton Friendship Club took a bus trip
over the Rimutaka Hill for a day’s outing in
Wellington to see the Terracotta Warriors.
The weather was warm and favourable,
and they headed off at 8.30am in a Transit
bus. On the way a morning tea stop was
enjoyed at Trentham Memorial Park,
Upper Hutt. The club had brought along
their tea, coffee and biscuits and Tranzit
supplied thermoses of hot water and a
trestle table, which was put up under the
shade of beautiful old trees. This is a
beautiful park and well worth a visit.
Back onto the motorway they
headed for Te Papa Museum
where they were dropped off at
the entrance. It was a busy
morning with many other groups
visiting the exhibition, but it gave
plenty of time to slowly move
around the artefacts and read the
explanatory notes alongside each
piece. It was very interesting but
of course the Terracotta Warriors
were the icing on the cake. It was
so wonderful to get up close to
them and be able to see every
detail. Amazing that these
warriors are 2,300 years old and
there are over 6,000 of them! The exhibition features only eight of the warriors who stand 180
centimetres high, plus two full-sized horses, all contained in a large glass ‘box’ within a room. It
was permitted to take photos as long as a flash wasn’t used.
After the exhibition a great lunch was enjoyed at the Petone Working Men’s Club.
Tauranga Vision
A group of former Divas and Divors?? from
the Vision Club attending the monthly
screening put on by a local Opera group. The
viewing on this night was 'La Rondina ' by
Puccini.
On 28 March, the Social Committee
organised a bus trip over the Kaimai to visit
the Matamata Festival of Flowers Display in
the Matamata Town Hall. About 40
members made the trip and after visiting the
stunning display, they enjoyed a lunch at a
local club.
8
Torbay
Torbay Friendship Club played host on 19 March to the
recently formed "Northern Friendship Clubs". Thirty
members representing various clubs attended sharing
ideas and a sumptuous morning tea. Chairman of FNZI,
Graeme Pierson made a surprise appearance.
Keen interest was expressed in Treasurer Don's success
in obtaining grant monies from New Zealand Lottery
Board Te Puna Tahua to assist with travel costs of
monthly excursions. The second instalment of $3,000
(2 of 3) has now been gratefully received.
The trips out and about are well organised and
carefully chosen, offering a wide variety of
destinations.
In February members visited Totara Waters, in March
Leigh Marine Laboratory and in April the Chelsea Sugar
Refinery.
Pohutukawa Coast
On Tuesday 26 March 40
members of the
Pohutukawa Coast
Friendship Club caught the
ferry into the city from
Pine Harbour and visited
the Maritime Museum.
They then boarded the
Ted Ashby scow, and with
sails hoisted had a great
time on the sparkling
Waitemata Harbour.
9
Devon Ladies
On Thursday 28 March, 45 women from Devon Ladies Friendship Club in New Plymouth left on a
Mystery Bus Trip. First stop was Stratford where they visited the 100year old picture theatre. The
group were shown all round and then watched some old films which were hilarious.
Next stop was
Hawera where they
were entertained by a
Women’s Club Play
Group. Four ladies
did a play reading
which was very
clever, then
performed a play
about witches.
Lunch was enjoyed at
King Edward Park
before going to
Cherol Filbee’s studio
where she makes
amazing puppets.
Some members had a
try at making them walk, scratch and wiggle. It was then back to Stratford to a Garden Art Centre
where the owner takes photos and mounts them on corrugated iron. Very effective. A stop was
made at Midhirst on the way home for an ice cream.
Churchill Park Ladies
Churchill Park Ladies Club recently enjoyed a coach trip
to the Sculptureum just out of Matakana, followed by
lunch at the Warkworth RSA.
The Sculptureum, for those who haven’t seen it yet,
was the brainchild of an Auckland solicitor and has
been about 10 years in the making. The word
Sculptureum is a combination of the words “sculpture”
and “museum” and is used to describe this unique and
wonderful attraction.
There are both beautiful gardens containing many
awesome sculptures, as well as four galleries,
containing various works of art. There is also a lovely
cafe on site, but we chose to stop on the way home at
Warkworth for a tasty lunch at the RSA. A great day
out in perfect weather.
10Dunstan
Members from the Dunstan Friendship Club in
Alexandra continue to have interesting trips and
have been blessed with beautiful Central Otago
weather each time.
Forty folk travelled by bus to Queenstown and
caught the water taxi to Glenorchy where they
visited Camp Glenorchy This is a new and very special
place designed, built and operated under the most
advanced environmental building design certification
in the world. All profits from the facility support local
initiatives.
More information is available on their website -
https://www.theheadwaters.co.nz/camp-glenorchy/
Lunch and a board walk followed prior to
the two-hour bus ride home. This month
the club car-pooled to historic
Bannockburn for a superb lunch and a talk
from a local historian on the early history
of the area.
Mt Herbert
This group of 70 active retirees meet on the first Thursday of each month at the Clubrooms of the
Charteris Bay Golf Club. Apart from these monthly meetings they have occasional outings.
During 2018 they enjoyed the
free educational tour of Lyttelton
Harbour, a trip to the Canterbury
Museum and quake affected
Christchurch. Coming up there
will be a trip to the Yaldhurst
Transport Museum followed by
the occasional sports events - not
high jump or marathon but more
genteel pursuits such as golf,
croquet, easy walks and
petanque. They had an excellent
first meeting for 2019 where 43
members learnt a lot about
sheep from Prof. Jonathan
Hickford of Lincoln University.
11Hokonui Focus
Members of the Hokonui Focus club met on the banks of the Mataura River at the old High School
on a bright sunny morning, there was a nip in the air, but warmth and fellowship abounded. It is
with the help and generosity of the Mataura Licensing Trust who provided funding for the buses,
for which the club is immensely grateful, Thank you MLT.
They headed south from Gore, driving through Mataura and on to Edendale, past the Fonterra
milk processing Plant and turned left toward Wyndham - that is where the guessing started as to
where they would end up.
They stopped at Maple Glen a
sprawling nursery and gardens with
an aviary of all sorts of birds, some
pecking at the crumbs of the
biscuits supplied by the club.
Members wandered around the
gardens, admiring the plants that
were on the flat. As some gardens
on the slopes were slippery with
fallen leaves and a very heavy dew, they were advised not to venture too far down the hill,
however this provided the opportunity to visit the old wool shed. Muriel still looks after her birds
and knows each of them by name, not by breed but has given them individual names. Muriel's
son, along with his new wife who also loves the garden, is interested in enlarging the gardens.
Back on the buses, then on
through Waimahaka, and
down to the mouth of the
Mataura River at Fortrose
which is a lovely little seaside
resort good for water skiing.
They continued on to
Tokanui, the Museum and
Waikawa.
On then on to Curio Bay and
lunch. On the way they
passed some beachside
shacks or cribs. Members were told that as little as five years ago it was difficult to sell one of
these remote properties that have neither power nor water, for $28K - today they are selling for
around $500k.
Back on the bus again they travelled home along the Coast Road where some of it is still a metal
road as it is at tide level. On through Haldane, Otara, and Gorge Road past all the white-baiting
shacks which can be a very busy place in season. Last places to see were Seaward Downs and
Edendale, with a stop for ice cream before heading back to Gore, arriving just before 5pm,
Club members would like to thank the organizing team of Ngaire (both of them) Marie and the
driver Peter, for a wonderful day out.
12Richmond Ladies
Members enjoyed a lovely
finish for 2018 with a
Christmas dinner at Teapot
Valley Christian Camp -
beautiful surroundings and
a delicious meal. The
highlight was the
announcement and
presentation of Life
Membership badges to five
members - June Beattie, Joy
Byrne, Dawn Batchelor,
Edith Tucker and Ruth
Chignell.
Members have also had
three very special outings for those able to take part. In February a group visited Occasional
Monarchy in Hope, for a delightful viewing of the monarch butterfly farm where they are bred for
special occasions. Butterflies are flown up and down the country to fill orders for weddings,
funerals and events where these awe-inspiring creatures are set free in huge clouds of orange and
black! The owners, Ian and Jill Knight, explained how their business evolved, then small group
were taken on tours through the four blue tunnel houses to see the butterflies in various stages of
their lives – from egg, caterpillar, chrysalis to butterfly. During the “off-season” the Knights
provide white doves for weddings etc. and these beautiful birds were also part of the tour.
About 30 members made
it to the March outing to
the famous Pic’s Peanut
Butter premises in Stoke.
This brand-new factory
dominates the skyline with
its huge ceilings, and giant
peanut butter jar outside.
The giant red star symbol
of Pic’s is well known in NZ
now. Tours are held daily
where visitors are shown
the production line,
offered samples of almond
butter, cashew butter and boysenberry jelly and given tips on the many uses for this natural
peanut butter product. Peanuts are sourced from Australia then processed at this amazing plant.
The April outing began with the welcome rain falling gently on the Waimea Plains as a bus load of
members travelled over the Takaka Hill to Golden Bay. Rain cleared as they arrived in Takaka
where visits were made to two outlets – well-known Living Light Candles, and the delicious Choco
Loco shop. Both offered interesting talks on their handmade products, with opportunities to
purchase items. Lunch at the Wholemeal Café then on to Motupipi to the Kiwi Spirit Distillery to
see how Tequila is grown and distilled into spirits. A large quantify of non-alcoholic drinks are also
produced there. A full day but most enjoyable!
13District 30 group
On Monday 6 May, representatives (pictured here) from nine local FNZI Clubs met in Tauranga for
their bi-annual discussions on all matters 'Friendship'. These cluster group meetings ( now into
their third year) were the brainchild of Bev Dromgool from the Arataki Coastal Club and are
proving popular with all local District 30 clubs for the valuable knowledge/information sharing and
camaraderie that takes place ( as well as the sumptuous finger food - bring a plate buffet). The
nine FNZI clubs taking part were Arataki Coastal, Papamoa Palms, Marlin, Phoenix, Te Puke,
Opotiki, Waihi, Tauranga Diamond, Tauranga Vision.
Mountain View
The Mountain View Friendship
Garden Group recently visited the
MiaFlora Cafe and Garden in
Winchester. The nursery plants
were fabulous laid out in various
groups and very colourful. The
grounds were impeccable, and
members loved viewing the many
sculptures that were displayed
among the plants.
A fantastic setting for to have a
lovely afternoon tea. Later before
departing home they entered the
stately Tudor home to browse
many treasures and collectables
some of which were for sale.
14Newlands
Members of
Friendship
Newlands
(Wellington) met
in February at the
Belmont
Rhododendron
Dell, Lower Hutt
for their annual
picnic.
The committee provided lunch for everyone and members were encouraged to participate in
various games – including balloons filled with water!
Late in March members of
Friendship Newlands hired four
Crocodile Bikes for an hour and
rode in various directions
around the Wellington
Waterfront. This was followed
by lunch at a nearby café.
Sunnyhills
A very pleasant outing to
Waiheke Island was shared by
30 members who went around
by bus to visit many of the
sights on the Island,
culminating in a surprise visit
to the only Olive Oil Processing
plant on Waiheke.
After some Olive oil tasting
they were then shown the
processing in action.
15Waimakariri Combined
Members and friends from this
Rangiora club recently took a cruise
to the South Pacific. After leaving
Auckland the first stop was an
enjoyable day in the Bay of Islands
before cruising to Fiji calling at
Lautoka and then Suva. They then
sailed on to Apia where many of
the group visited the house built
for the author Robert Louis
Stevenson which is now a museum.
It was unanimously decided that
his burial site on Mt Vaea, a one
hour walk uphill on a hot day, was
too much of a challenge.
One couple in the group celebrated
their wedding anniversary in Apia
and again, having crossed the
International date line, at Pago
Pago in American Samoa. The last
two stops were in Tonga, firstly on
the island of Vavau, and then the
capital city Nuku’alofa. At each
port members split into small
groups and hire local taxis to take
them sightseeing. This worked very
well with many happy stories being
exchanged at dinner each evening.
This group are keen to go cruising
again and are looking at another
trip in Asia in April next year.
Members of the Waimakariri club also
visited Rusty Acres in Mandeville on 9
May. The Rusty Acre has over 50
sculptures and much more interesting
aspects to entertain members. The
owners, Andrea and Allan talked
about the history of the Rusty Acres
and the huge amount of work they
were doing. Members then spent 1.5
hours viewing all the displays including
sculptures, displays, lawn and wooded
areas. The site had a gift shop which
was well stocked and some of the
members did purchase gifts etc. The
day was sunny and a warm 20
degrees, a good site to visit for groups or individuals. A lunch break was enjoyed at the
Mandeville Plough, Bar & Café.
16Red Beach Combined
After 28 years of meeting in the Presbyterian Church in Stanmore Bay the Red Beach Combined
Club has come to the end of an era. The Presbyterian Church has become unavailable and there
were some problems with the slightly small size of the building and nature of the carpark - on two
levels and uneven. This suggested a change of venue was needed.
The club has now relocated to the Baptist Church in Loop Road Orewa, which is undergoing a very
large building project. They are currently meeting in the brand-new large meeting room (seats up
to 400) but will be moving to a smaller cosier room once the extensive renovations are
completed. The building also has a large cafeteria with full facilities and seating for up to and,
equally important, a large. flat car park with easy access.
Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 10am and members of any other clubs
visiting the area will be warmly welcomed.
For their first outing of the
year members enjoyed a trip
up the Tamaki Estuary,
passing the downtown area
and Eastern Suburbs on the
MV Hogwash- one of the
Red Boat fleet. This boat is a
venerable kauri- built vessel
which previously plied the
Bay of Islands. The day was
sunny and the sea calm.
The skipper gave a very
Informative account of the area. The day finished with a visit to the Auckland Fish Market,
enabling everyone to buy lovely fresh fish.
Plains Ladies
President Val welcomed members to their last meeting for the year and wished all having
birthdays and wedding anniversaries best wishes. Thoughts also with those that have recently
had a bereavement. Members were reminded about the over 90's function being held on 30
November at the Sinclair Centre at 2pm.
After a brief meeting Rosemary Ashton told a Christmas poem followed by Bernard Reddicliffe
who played carols on his organ and members joined in singing. Morning tea was enjoyed with
fancy nibbles and a chat over tea and coffee. This was followed by a guessing game created by
Rosemary where committee members held up boards with pictures representing towns around
New Zealand and members asked to identify each town. A small gift was given to the first to
guess each one. A cardboard car and tall tree were part of a skit that the committee members
took part in. With balloons going off and water pistol shooting at people, a spider frightening
passenger in the car and a dog watering himself on the wheel members enjoyed the
entertainment.
Several Christmas raffle prizes were won by lucky people. Bernard played more carols again and
Christmas cake was handed around to members before they were wished a Merry Christmas and
safe travel over the holiday period. The movie on 5 December at 11 am at Regent Theatre was
"Bohemian Rhapsody.
17Waimea Combined
The groups walk on 7 May in
the Maitai Valley behind
Nelson City, saw a complete
contrast to the Lake Rotoiti
venture of the previous
month, swapping views of
lake and mountains to the
sounds of Maitai River and
the brilliance and variety of
the autumn colours in the
trees and the carpets of
leaves on the ground.
The walk commenced from
the carpark adjacent to the
Gibbs Bridge then down the
North side of the Valley
Road through Branford Park and the foothill bush tracks adjacent to the Centre of New Zealand.
A swing left along Tory Street saw them pass through a great mix of original weatherboard
houses, many with front verandahs and a variety of garden layouts interspersed with the odd
“modern residence”. Behind them were a great mix of residences clinging to the hillsides.
They then dropped to the tracks alongside the river and a highlight here was the Black Hole with
the calm waters reflecting trees, sun and shade creating a picture on its own! A popular
swimming spot in the summer, they were surprised to find a young overseas couple drying off as
members settled down for a well-earned cuppa and chat before heading back to civilization.
The team agreed that they owed a vote of thanks to veteran tramper, Chris Mouter, for steering
them to the tracks most suited to those of a certain vintage!
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