The Kāinga Ora development at 112 Main Rd South, Raumati Beach. Photo / David Haxton Work is underway to create a 26-dwelling social housing development in Raumati Beach. “Kāinga Ora has an agreement with developer Gibbons and Co that confirms our intention to purchase 26 homes at 112 Main Rd South, in Raumati Beach, once they are completed around late 2025,” Wellington regional director Vicki McLaren said. “We will continue to work proactively with the developer, to ensure the homes are of a high construction standard, using designs that complement both the environment as well as meeting the needs of our customers and communities.” A fact sheet said there would be 15 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom low-maintenance homes which would be fully insulated with carpets, curtains and double glazing. Each home will also have its own private, low-maintenance garden with a citrus tree, as well as access to two shared community gardens in the heart of the development. Once the homes were available, the agency’s placement team would “match people with the greatest need from the Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) Housing Register”. “There are currently 159 individuals and families on the register who are in need of housing in Kāpiti. “We understand the importance of good placement and our team work hard to match people into the right home and community which best meets their needs. “To help achieve this, we have pre-housing conversations with applicants to understand their specific needs, supports and existing connections to the community.” Those selected to move into the new homes would have a housing support manager “assigned to them who knows the local area and will support them as they settle into their new home and community”. “Regular maintenance work and inspections are undertaken to keep the homes warm, dry, healthy and safe.” McLaren said Kāinga Ora had recently completed 21 homes in Ōtaki and was about to complete another two in Paraparaumu next month. “All other Kāinga Ora social housing projects not already contracted for delivery are currently under assessment, while we confirm our social housing projects with a focus on best value for money and the areas of greatest social housing need. This includes 59-69 Raumati Rd. We will keep the community informed as decisions are made.” Kāinga Ora bought 4.6 hectares of empty land at 59-69 Raumati Rd in late 2022 with the intention to create 100 homes. A social media post by the Raumati Community Board said the development at 59-69 Raumati Rd was “increasingly unlikely” to proceed. It said following a reset within Kāinga Ora, its new chief executive was focusing on short-term outcomes and reviewing its portfolio of properties. “A paper will go to Cabinet in November for decisions around keeping or divesting particular properties. “The site at 59-69 Raumati Rd is unlikely to be considered a good short-term or medium-term option. “Plans for the site are currently on hold, and divesting the land remains one of their options. “While no decisions have been made about the site, it seems increasingly unlikely that a development will proceed, but if it does it will be a long way down the track.” How Chelsea Gill created a family-friendly business. was created by artist Colin Hope and award-winning Kiwi architect Dave Launder Photo / Supplied- Artist Colin Hope’s Casa Esperanza in Raumati Beach is for sale “as is - The property is meant to be a “hybrid between sculpture and folly” Artist Colin Hope doesn’t mind if the person who buys his “out-there” dream home takes a wrecking ball to it – provided it is for a valid artistic reason Hope built Casa Esperanza, at 344 Rosetta Road, in Raumati Beach, Kāpiti Coast collaborating with award-winning Kiwi architect Dave Launder He told OneRoof he was inspired by famed Spanish architects Antoni Gaudi and Josep M Jujol and wanted to create a “live-in” piece of art He’d like the next owner to approach the house with the same spirit that led to its creation “Even if the new owner wants to pull it down – that’s OK – so long as it’s for a valid artistic reason,” he said The house is a “hybrid between sculpture and folly” Hope built the unusual-looking house in the mid-1990s inspired by the works of Antoni Gaudi and Josep M The standout property comprises a wooden-framed main home and a separate two-level studio/gallery with a bathroom and a kitchenette Tommy’s agent Jill Lampitt describes the house in the OneRoof listing as a “hybrid between sculpture and folly but intended as a fully functional residence with free-flowing internal spaces and interesting shapes and light distribution drawing inspiration from Spanish architecture” - Christian couple's life-size Ark for sale - ‘we need a Noah 2.0’ - Waingaro Hot Springs for sale as owners retire after more than 30 years - Student flats sell for more than $6m as uni tries to clear $33m deficit People would queue at the front door of the property to get in “The art exhibitions in the casa were full on Hope was inspired by sculpture to build the home but questioned the classification that said sculpture could not be a residence “The question I asked was could I create and build something that was a hybrid of both sculpture but also a fully functional residence,” he said The home was designed with no internal conventional square or rectangular walls “Just spaces and interesting shapes,” Hope said Hope has used the house for many of his art exhibitions The design included open voids to display and hang paintings and sculptures The stairwells featured mosaic tiling in keeping with the Gaudi theme and encompass the names of Hope’s children and pet dog Tui His artist friends helped create and embellish the spaces The windows are also unconventional: they sit at different heights and are all different shapes and sizes – square Many of the aspects of the home were inspired by the architectural works of Gaudi and Jujol pushing the boundaries between conventional residences and sculptural spaces for example volcanic rocks and coat hooks” The design proved a challenge for builder Scott Barker applied over moulded ply and timber framing with “Butenoyl” roofing in black to blend in “You could even draw or write on the inside walls and wipe the drawing marks off,” Hope said three-bathroom 170sqm home on 389sqm of land is zoned commercial and residential and the listing notes that there are opportunities to renovate and repair the site or redevelop it The Rosetta Road property is close to Raumati Beach and sits behind the much-loved Raumati fish and chip shop which was shortlisted for national awards in 2008 and 2012 it is currently in a non-habitable condition - 344 Rosetta Road, in Raumati Beach, Kapiti Coast, is for sale, tender closing April 1 More bioluminescence may be seen in Kāpiti after a spectacular light show on Paraparaumu beach on Tuesday night Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that takes place within some organisms causing them to emit a light known as luminescence It typically makes the water's surface appear to have a blue glow Local photographer Bruce Wang was among those who captured the phenomenon last night He said he had been out at the beach to photograph Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) - a once-in-a-lifetime comet that has been spotted over New Zealand skies this week Wang said he then noticed that parts of the beach were glowing Lyall Bay based photographer Bradley Saunders-Garner headed out to Paraparaumu with his wife and a friend after seeing reports of the bioluminescence online He said they initially were not able to see anything "We decided to look closer and as we walked through a puddle We moved closer to the breaking waves and they would glow in different areas with each breaking wave." The bioluminescence looked like someone had dropped "hundreds of blue dimmed LED lights in the waves" "On a par with seeing the Aurora Australis from Wellington's south coast." who has been photographing bioluminescence for years said it was rare to see bioluminescence this far south "Typically the most common sightings happen in the northern parts of the North Island typically where the waters are a little bit warmer." if the conditions were favourable the bioluminescence blooms stuck around but often they were less spectacular over subsequent nights generally you have one night where the show is amazing and then the following days tends to really sort of tail off and and disappear," he said For those hoping to see bioluminescence water Davison said seeing pink algae blooms during the daytime was a good sign He said a lot of people also sounded the alert of a bioluminescence sighting through social media But unlike the equally elusive Aurora Australis bioluminescence was much easier to see with the naked eye Davison has also developed a tool which can help identify when a bioluminescence show might next appear Agal ecologist from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Karl Safi said the organisms people would likely see along the coastline were likely to be a part of the plankton He said the main bioluminescence species in New Zealand was the Noctiluca scintillans Warmer and more stable weather conditions in Wellington over the past few days had likely brought the organisms to the surface "If the stable conditions continue we might expect we'd see more of the same occurring." But he cautioned people against jumping into the water saying that although the bioluminescence species were most likely safe Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday It last passed nearby 180,000 years ago and the next few nights could be your last chance to ever see it as it drifts over New Zealand skies The state's southeastern ocean is experiencing a rare bioluminescent red algal bloom that bursts into vibrant blue at night A species of native fungi has been photographed glowing with bioluminescence - a fact that has previously eluded mycologists Unusually warm waters and stable seas are creating prime conditions for stunning displays of bioluminescence along Auckland's coast Two photographers on their first foray after Covid-19 lockdown recorded a brilliant view of the Milky Way and a bioluminescence - "a fantastic surprise" Hibiscus Coast residents have photographed a stunning display of bioluminescence in Tindalls Bay New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app will undergo significant improvements from Sunday A road rebuild will be carried out on two kilometres of the left northbound lane making this section of the highway smoother and safer Road crews will be working at nights when traffic volumes are lower and to minimise disruption as much as possible A single northbound lane will remain open at night and southbound lanes will be open as usual both northbound lanes will be open but under a temporary speed limit The scope of the work involved means some traffic delays are likely.  Drivers are asked to obey the speed limits and traffic management in place NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thank drivers for their patience and understanding while this essential state highway maintenance is completed NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport Kāpiti Coast District Council has opened consultation on a new Freedom Camping Bylaw offering the community a chance to have its say on the future of freedom camping in the region The Council says freedom camping is growing in popularity among international and domestic visitors and research shows freedom campers spend between $100 and $400 a day during their stays Hamish McGillivray says clearer rules and information will ensure freedom camping is a positive experience for the local community and visitors The proposed bylaw for the Kāpiti Coast would increase the number of dedicated parking spots and provide Council staff with more tools to manage freedom camping in the district including the ability to issue infringement notices (fines) This is not available under the existing Freedom Camping Policy which a bylaw would replace “We know there are problems with freedom camping in some areas overstaying and behavioural issues,” Mr McGillivray says “The proposed bylaw for the Kāpiti Coast would help us deal with those more effectively and align with the recently updated Freedom Camping Act The Act permits freedom camping in any local authority area unless it is restricted or prohibited by a bylaw Following a districtwide assessment 11 sites with a combined 36 parks have been identified as dedicated locations for freedom camping on the Kāpiti Coast Restrictions on length of stay and vehicle requirements will also be set out Freedom camping is proposed to be prohibited in town centres and areas where the environment needs to be protected from damage (including our parks and reserves) there are health and safety concerns or access issues Learn more and have your say on the proposed Freedom Camping Bylaw Information and Events for the New Zealand Public Service Contact us: newsdesk@insidegovernment.co.nz Firefighters are working to extinguish a house fire in Paraparaumu Beach A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they arrived on the scene on Nathan Ave just after 7.30pm and the fire was still burning Nine crews were working to put it out initially FENZ incident commander Chris Moore said the fire was "well-involved" when they arrived the house was fully engulfed in fire - two-storey house top to bottom… All people were out and accounted for." A Wellington Free Ambulance spokesperson said they treated four patients in a minor condition at the scene - nobody was taken to hospital "We're just absolutely grateful that everyone is out - our first priority," Moore said "Make sure you've got working smoke alarms smoke alarms would have gone off with this fire and got the people out safe We can't emphasise enough how important that is." The Kāpiti Coast District Council’s annual art trail is approaching again - and this year 36 new artists are getting involved Council manager of creativity and culture Sonja Williams said the Kāpiti Coast Art Trail began as a small community-run event in 2001 with artists in just 26 venues and today it is one of the district’s major events and visitor attractions She said this year you can visit over 140 artists in 110 locations “We like to give a big mihi too to the Mahara Gallery [now Toi Mahara] and the Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society shop who have been on the trail since it began.” Williams said there are many different ways to support the trail - from walking it to cycling it “We know of groups of friends who walk parts of the art trail every year They select a location with plenty of artists’ listings (and possibly a cafe or two) and off they go with the art trail running over the first two weekends in November you can cover a lot of ground - and studios “Our cycle trails run the length of the district from Paekākāriki to Ōtaki You can choose to trawl around local neighbourhood art studios by bike or strike out to visit some of our more remote studios there are some new additions to the art trail Ceramic artist Mirek Smisek used to be an artist in the trail when it first started “Mirek was one of the original art trail artists in 2002 ‘The Kilns at Te Horo’ will feature artist-in-residence Thomas Baker of Nelson and local Kilns project potters.” As another new addition to this year’s trail the council is offering visitors the chance to win $500 worth of art of their choice from art trail artists “All they need to do is fill out our visitor survey after they’ve completed their trail They can fill it out on paper (a copy of the survey is in the guide) and drop it off to one of the council libraries or service centres or leave it with an artist The survey will be available on the council’s website from Saturday Info: Sign up for the council’s art trail newsletter at www.kapiticoastarttrail.co.nz/about-us/sign-up-to-our-e-newsletter/. The 500sqm seven-bedroom house boasts all the mod cons expected in trophy homes with a few extras that are out of the ordinary: a 200sqm wraparound deck and a “self-cleaning swimming pool The house sits on 1.5 hectares at 87 Rutherford Drive She told OneRoof the house was a standout property in the market “We anticipate this property will redefine the local market It is world-class and single-level on a grand scale,” she said She declined to put a price on the property saying the current RV was irrelevant and did not reflect the value of the finished building She told OneRoof it would go for an “upper-tier” price The luxury home was the lockdown idea of owners Lanita and Paul Mulholland who operate Wellington building firm Mulholland Construction - House-hunting for diplomats: I had one property turned down because of sniper fears - Tiny town’s pub saved - ‘if we closed it, where would we drink?’ - Mansion that’s too dangerous to step inside finally sells “We thought we might not be able to travel to Australia or the Pacific Islands so we decided to buy a piece of land and create our own resort,” Lanita told OneRoof “We thought friends and family from around the country could come In the 18 months they’ve lived in the house (construction took about three years and the family moved in before the house was finished) they have hosted parties of up to 120 people Two sets of friends have held their weddings on the front lawn which edges the beach and there was enough room for giant blow-up castles for their children’s birthday parties and the couple have rarely been without guests in the house The Rutherford Drive house was conceived as a resort for friends and family The entertaining area includes a covered deck and a full bar “We had [singer] Shaun Preston play on his baby grand piano on the deck and then a rock band set up on a different deck,” Paul said The couple tapped their own architecture company Paul said their company has built some of the most expensive homes on the coast in Raumati Beach’s exclusive Goodwood Estates which still holds the area’s top price of $4.45 million The property was the owners' lockdown project The couple are proud of their creation but said they were selling up to start another project You can’t just go down the road and replace it,” Paul said Randall said the house would appeal to those who highly value their health and well-being it can be sold fully furnished,” she added - 87 Rutherford Drive, Waikanae, Wellington, is for sale, deadline closing October 8 Holidaymakers heading home and a handful of crashes have slowed traffic in Waikato Wellington and at the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound State Highway 3 is closed near Mokoia Road following a fatal crash The two-vehicle crash was reported at 5.15pm One person died and five others were injured The Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound has reopened after a crash earlier on Sunday A two-vehicle crash on State Highway 94 in Fiordland was reported to emergency services about 3:45pm on Sunday The Homer Tunnel is the only road in and out of Milford Sound St John Ambulance said that nine patients were taken to hospital four in a moderate condition and five with minor injuries "Ttwo additional patients were assessed and treated at the scene in a minor condition and transported from the scene by police." RNZ was told just after 4pm on Sunday that a crash north of Wellington had caused traffic to back up along State Highway 1 with a recommendation to divert through Paraparaumu and Waikanae on the old highway police said Waikato traffic was being impacted by two crashes a two-car crash on State Highway 1 and Maungatautari Road at Karapiro at the intersection of State Highway 29 and Totman Road It was not thought that anyone had been injured badly in either Authorities have urged drivers to take it easy on the roads this summer to make sure they reach their destinations safely NZTA said people should be patient, and use their online Journey Planner tool This summer, the provisional holiday road toll counted 13 people who died between 24 December and 3 January. While the provisional road toll for all of 2024 was 291 deaths High winds have put Interislander sailings on hold Two police officers and two other people have been injured after a vehicle crashed into the site of an earlier crash after the official period ended on Friday morning One person is dead and another seriously injured following a crash in Karaka Roadworks are set to ramp up over the summer period as workers make the most of warm and dry weather The treehouse is nestled among kanuka trees A Paraparaumu-based company has won four awards in the 2024 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards One of the awards scooped by Gil-Plans Architecture owner Ben Gilpin was an architectural spaces and structures regional award for a treehouse perched above the main dwelling of his family home in Raumati South “I’d always wanted to build something among the trees “The project was designed around leftover material from the house construction and limited what we had to buy natural materials of silver cedar and corten steel match the main dwelling and integrate and nestle the built form into its setting cedar ceilings and strip lighting finish the interiors while creating a sanctuary Gilpin estimates it took over a year to build “Its location meant all the materials had to be carried to the site and done physically by hand “There was no way of getting machinery up there.” Last year Gilpin won the national award for the same category for a Kāpiti Island structure project “To get awards two years in a row is pretty exciting.” ADNZ judges said the treehouse was tiny yet “A limited material palette and finishing keep it simple wing walls and a wide narrow deck connect it beautifully with its site extending the house and its view to the distance.” Gilpin’s other award-winning projects were a steel-and-timber home in Paraparaumu that won a highly commended award for a new home between 150sq m and 300sq m as well as a commended award for home interiors Plus a “spliced” home in Raumati Beach that won a highly commended award for a new home over 300sq m “It’s nice getting recognition for houses ranging from brand-new contempory homes How Chelsea Gill created a family-friendly business Kāpiti Coast residents are demanding their local council throw out a report on how to protect hundreds of homes from sea level rise They and Kāpiti Coast District Council have been at loggerheads for more than a decade over attempts to map which areas are most at risk over the next century held more than 20 community sessions around the region to try to settle the issue The council first tried to put erosion warnings on Land Information Memorandums in 2012 who said the science relied on extreme estimates of sea level rise and coastal erosion which was unlikely to come to pass The courts sided with the council initially an independent panel found the science lacking announcing a project to map the region and its future hazards due to climate change protesters outside the council offices were met with honks of support from passing cars before heading into the meeting where the report was officially received by the council The report itself followed more than a year's work by the panel (known as the coastal advisory panel or CAP) and laid out a range of options for the district's future from engineering solutions to full-on retreat which would see people forced to leave their homes Front of mind for some who opposed was insurance Tanya Lees from the group Kāpiti CALM (Calm Alarming Law Madness) said people were worried insurance companies would use the report as an excuse to refuse to cover their homes that means that people can't service their mortgages anymore the banks need a property which is insured." Many were still questioning the science behind the mapping "This seems to be cherry-picked information received just under 4000 pieces of feedback Following a meeting in Raumati, residents raised concerns about alleged aggressive and bullying tactics by Bolger and the council sent a letter to residents saying it had spoken with him and reminded him of the need to be impartial who has a background in the economics of climate change said planning for the worst case scenario was unnecessary "You don't have to get the economics precisely right to know there's something very wrong with recommending managed retreat this century." Harrison had written his own report and was engaging with council officers on his findings as well as analysis of the council's most recent technical report Salima Padamsey from Coastal Ratepayers United said the panel's report should be taken as an advisory - nothing more "Council never vested the advisory committee with any statutory authority under the Resource Management Act "The committee's mandate did not encompass providing expert perspectives on policy matters." Councillors and council staff went to great pains following public submissions to clarify that receiving the report did not mean the council was endorsing it or taking its conclusions as fact Officers said they planned to share it with the Insurance Council but said they would seek clarity on whether it would be used to inform insurance prices The council would also make clear on its own end that the findings were not to be taken as endorsed it signalled the end of the project - but Raumati Community Board chairperson Bede Laracy said this was actually another beginning "We wrestled with this issue big-time in this community," he said And I think that the biggest learning for this council coming out of this process is how we need to do democracy better." District planning manager Jason Holland told the meeting it was understandable tensions were high the more intense everybody becomes," he said which for most people is their largest asset is at risk or the diminishment of its value .. I understand the stakes are incredibly high." it will inform district planning decisions from here on out The former prime minister has clashed with residents of a coastal community - but he reckons he's just telling them the truth Councils around the country will be looking to the Greater Wellington Regional Council as it begins planning a managed rereat from the Kāpiti Coast The council is proposing putting in a 40m erosion… Audio Māori suffered generational loss of great swathes of their land to confiscation Now they face advancing waters from climate change A new children’s book written and illustrated by Raumati Beach artist and writer Nicki Young has been published It is called Curious Chick Finds a Friend and is the second book of Curious Chick’s adventures Curious Chick is a young pukeko and the stories take place in the New Zealand landscape The new book features a variety of native birds and forest trees Young said the idea of Curious Chick was born towards the end of the Covid restrictions “I wanted to create a character that could foster a fresh appreciation of the beauty of nature and the small miracles that are all around us such as cobwebs Young loves the New Zealand bush and has done a lot of tramping in her life and the contrasts of dark and light that you find in the bush “Combine that with the bird song and the unique smells of the forest and you get a place that is nourishing and healing.” “Curious Chick’s mother tells him “friends often have something in common” and so Curious Chick thinks that he will find a friend by discovering what he has in common with each creature he meets on his forest adventure “He eventually realises that he has overlooked the best friend he could ever have who was with him right from the beginning.” which were one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book process are created by using her unique collage technique “I print my own paper with mono-print techniques and then cut the shapes to collage with.” The least favourite part of the process was a lot of time spent on the computer “This is where I would have come unstuck many times if it wasn’t for my lovely husband Nick “I also really enjoyed writing a song to go with each of the Curious Chick stories “The music and lyrics are at the back of each book with a simple piano accompaniment.” Asked how she balanced writing and illustrating Young said her characters were developed first “Curious Chick first appeared on a series of my greeting cards and the two little adventurers featured in Ready came together when I was just playing with some collage pieces I suddenly felt inspired to create some children’s books that were New Zealand in flavour with imaginative elements and engaging illustrations.” be opening her Rata Rd studio to the public for the Kāpiti Coast Art Trail and will have her books available for purchase They are also for sale at her stall at the Paraparaumu Beach Saturday Market, in the Bookshelf in Waikanae, Big Mac’s Creative Centre, the Riverstone Café in Ōtaki and on her website www.whitefeatherstudio.ar Te Ara Korowai members Rumki Majumdar (back left) Raumati Beach’s mental wellness centre is set to lose its funding next month but there is hope for a council lifeline Te Ara Korowai, which is based in Weka Rd, was the subject of seven submissions to Kāpiti Coast District Council’s recent long-term plan consultation asking for funding but that funding was brought in as a response to Covid and will soon end the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and was introduced to recognise the importance of creative spaces and the need for them post-Covid “It was targeted three-year funding so that we could attract more members Nothing had ever been offered like that in the creative sector,” Te Ara Korowai manager Sarah Yuile said Yuile said while the funding did not cover everything and she needed to apply for grants to fill the gaps She said the funding had been successful and had allowed the centre to offer more classes and extend its hours into evenings and weekends to suit people who worked fulltime “Not everyone who struggles with mental health is unemployed.” the centre would be faced with potentially having to reduce the number of classes it offers and cut its services and complements them with wellbeing classes including yoga Yuile said the centre was very recovery-focused and the main goal was to transition members into the community – and it had quite a high success rate “We see ourselves as the pathway and not the destination.” She said Te Ara Korowai was looking for sustainable funding from the council as part of its long-term plan so the centre would not be constantly “chasing our tail looking for funding” “We are hoping they recognise the need and see the value of a community mental health service We see ourselves as a vital community resource Yuile said lots of people would struggle as they would not be able to find another service that suited them “There are a lot of disability services out there but there’s no one that focuses on mental health We are the lifeline for a lot of our members “I often think with these types of services it’s not until you do lose them that you realise the impact of the service.” Kāpiti Coast District Council voted to fund Te Ara Korowai $30,000 for the first year - and this was largely due to Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford who pushed for it “I moved the amendment to make this happen with the original recommendation being to not fund,” Handford said She said this funding was not to the extent that Te Ara Korowai requested “but at least it’s something” “It is important to recognise that mental health is an integral part of our community’s overall health we demonstrate our commitment to the holistic wellbeing of those in Kāpiti This funding is not just about maintaining an organisation; it is about investing in the people of our community ensuring they have the support they need to lead healthy The vote on funding being allocated to Te Ara Korowai was 5-4 in favour and there could still be changes to the long-term plan before it is adopted on June 27 Te Ara Korowai will host an exhibition on June 6 to showcase everything it has achieved with the Government’s funding over the past three years It will also run a fundraiser on June 22 and 23 which will consist of a series of classes and workshops such as yoga Plans are underway for a new Four Square supermarket to be built in Raumati Beach Kāpiti Coast District Council had received a resource consent application from Jaitra and Pal Investments Limited to construct a Four Square The address currently comprises a block of various tenanted businesses including Gorgeous Things who is part of four Jaitra and Pal Investments shareholders said he owns the current Four Square on the corner of Margaret Rd and Raumati Rd He forwarded Kāpiti News inquiries to the Foodstuffs media team Foodstuffs spokeswoman Emma Wooster said in a statement “Raumati is a vibrant and important community and we’re grateful to have been a part of this town for a number of years “We’ve recently applied for resource consent for a new Four Square supermarket to be built a few doors down from the existing Four Square “Building a new store can be a lengthy and unpredictable process and we will keep readers updated over the coming months.” Raumati Community Board chairman Bede Laracy with Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford in Raumati Village A community vision to improve Raumati includes revitalising the former Raumati Pool Building as a multi-use activity centre It was one of the ideas raised by the Raumati Community Board in its submission to the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s long-term plan which received more than 300 submissions Board chairman Bede Laracy said the board would like more development in Raumati including revitalising the old Raumati Pool Building restoring Wharemauku Stream and building a stage in Marine Gardens The ideas are also part of the community-led project Our Vision for Raumati which Laracy has been working on with Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford for more than a year The Raumati Pool Building has been the topic of much discussion in the community since its closure about 10 years ago Handford said there had been several ideas regarding what to do with the building but the standout was to turn it into an activity centre with multiple activities such as 10-pin bowling “It also feels like out of all the ideas this is the one that will put the building to use the quickest marine discovery centre and waka ama facility Laracy said that was “probably the number one idea but we’re not ruling out other ideas and it’s not our place to do that” but nothing would be done with the building until after earthquake strengthening had taken place The board wanted the Wharemauku Stream to be restored so it was healthy and thriving “Really what I was trying to do was highlight that stream and the value of it in the community,” Laracy said He said he would like to see the stream clear of all noxious weeds and carp Planting trees alongside the stream was another way the stream could be restored and Laracy said some could even be fruit trees Safety was another issue at the Wharemauku Stream and Laracy along with the Kāpiti Coast Youth Council who also submitted about the stream would like lights placed alongside the pathway next to the stream “We would have a conversation with the community about how we want to use the stream and what it should look and feel like.” Laracy said he and Handford wanted to develop a long-term plan for Raumati Village with engagement with the community about what upgrades were needed One idea that Laracy liked was to replace some of the car parks outside the cafes on Margaret Rd with more outdoor seating which could be removed during the colder months and turned back into parking Some community members would like Margaret Rd made a one-way street “We can work with the villagers and the community to make things happen.” Laracy and Handford have already made some changes to the village as part of their Our Vision for Raumati project One of those changes was closing Margaret Rd once a year to run a street festival “We can do that successfully so why not other things as well?” Laracy said In the board’s submission to the long-term plan it asked for a stage to be built in Marine Gardens “It would really make a difference for a lot of people,” Laracy said Handford said it did not have to be expensive - “something like that it could even be just a raised platform with some pillars and a roof on top” She said it could be used for a wide variety of things An idea Handford had was to put a locked shed next to the stage with instruments and other equipment in it so people could access it when they wanted to host an event there was lots of work happening in Raumati South There was a survey for Raumati South residents to find out what they wanted and work was now being done on the seawall and the Raumati South Memorial Hall Transport and entertainment were things that discussions with Raumati South residents showed were priorities Laracy said the vision project had inspired other parts of the district to create their own visions which he thought had been heavily influenced by the work he and Handford had been doing A person has died after getting into trouble in the water off Raumati Beach on the Kāpiti Coast on Thursday Emergency services responded to the incident about 6.10pm The death has been referred to the Coroner The death of a young Wellington father while walking his toddler on a Kāpiti Coast beach earlier this year was caused by sand asphyxiation Emergency services were called to the scene confirming Bradshaw's death at 12.50pm that same day He had been last seen by his ex-partner at around 11.50am that same morning On a Givealittle page to raise money for his two-year-old daughter she said the child had witnessed his death and they were in "complete shock" "Andre passed away doing what he loved the most and that was walking on the beach with Skyla... Skyla was everything to Andre and Skyla will always look up to her Dada." Coroner Mark Wilton said the post mortem examination found sand in Bradshaw's lungs and windpipe Forensic pathologist Dr Judy Melinek said the findings indicated he had suffered a medical event which caused him to fall face down onto the sand "Dr Melinek advises Mr Bradshaw's cardiovascular disease and prior seizure-like disorder were significant contributory conditions that reasonably explain his sudden collapse and subsequent asphyxiation." He was also suffering viral illnesses at the time Bradshaw had been to the Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre and was prescribed the pain killer tramadol for severe upper back and neck pain On the Kapiti Coast a small coastal town was given a name that conjures up images of beaches Back in 1911 the name came about thanks to a clever marketing plan and it worked Raumati is a town and is a translation of the Engish word 'Summer' But Raumati was not the original name of the town in fact there were two previous names that originated from a local stream and a coastal town in England Justine Murray visits a few of the locals who are passionate about the town The chair of the Raumati Community Board Bede Laracy point out that while the towns are minutes apart Raumati South and Raumati Beach unique in their own way See terms of use. for easy access to all your favourite programmes VisitMeetBusinessScreenVenuesOpen searchKāpiti CoastKapiti Coast NZKāpiti CoastWelcome to Kāpiti all just a quick skip from the hustle and hurry of the city or just enjoying the sand between your toes this 40km slice of heaven is waiting for your footprints Discover the charms of the Kāpiti CoastThe Kāpiti Coast stretches across 40 kilometres of curved coastline dramatic cliffs and rolling hills from Paekākāriki to Ōtaki The charming towns and sunny beaches have long enticed those wanting to decompress from city life art flourishes and coastal vibes convergeJust up the Coast from the city Paekākāriki is famous for its beaches and stunning views from the Escarpment Track Raumati: Discover boutique treasures and coastal village charmWith its idyllic setting friendly community and range of experiences to enjoy Raumati Village is a wonderful place to experience the beauty of the Kāpiti Coast Paraparaumu: The heart of the CoastGet to know the Coast through its biggest township Waikanae: A delightful beachside communityThe allure of a coastal getaway draws visitors to Waikanae for a weekend of relaxation Ōtaki: A small town with a long history and strong Māori identityŌtaki is a popular tourist destination with attractions such as the Rangiātea Church The town is also home to a number of Māori cultural attractions including the Te Wānanga o Raukawa university and the Māoriland Film Festival Top things to see and do in KāpitiThe Kāpiti Coast is a hive of activity whatever your style you’ll find something to entertain you 24 hours in the Kāpiti CoastIf you only have a day to spend in the Kāpiti Coast then you’ll need to get cracking The sunny coast has a great selection of things to see Grab a drink up the Coast From craft beer to cocktails a drink on the Kāpiti Coast is best enjoyed with a side of sea views Soul-warming food on the Kāpiti CoastThe Kāpiti Coast is full of cosy restaurants You can find delicious food and soul-warming meals up and down the Coast Produce from local farms means everything is always as fresh as can be Kapiti IslandA dominant feature of the Kāpiti Coast this nature reserve is home to many endangered species Boutique coastal getaways in the Kāpiti CoastThe Kāpiti Coast is a beautiful stretch of coastline in New Zealand If you’re looking for a unique and luxurious place to stay on your next trip Top trails on the Kāpiti CoastWant to escape the city and experience some of the best trails the Wellington region has to offer Escarpment TrackTake in spectacular views of Kapiti Island from high above the Kāpiti Coastline Coast 35Coast 35 connects Paekākāriki and Ōtaki through an off-road shared trail that runs parallel with the Kāpiti Expressway Ōtaki River TrailFollow the banks of the Ōtaki River on this popular walking and biking trail Waikanae EstuaryExplore the trail through one of New Zealand’s most nationally-significant native habitats where you can encounter more than 60 species of birds along with freshwater and marine fish species Coastal TrackQueen Elizabeth ParkThis seaside trail winds through sand dunes offering coastal views bird watching and countless places to rest Sign up to our newsletters to stay in the loop with everything good going on in Wellington Raumati Bike Bus students with marshals Anthony Britton (left) Lynn Sleath (centre back) and Vicky Mitchell The first cycle-to-school Raumati Bike Bus has successfully delivered youngsters to their primary schools A group pedalled along the path behind Kāpiti Coast Airport before making its way along Alexander Rd Weka Park and splitting to deliver students to Raumati Beach and Raumati South Schools The Raumati Bike Bus scheme was arranged by Kāpiti Cycle Action with funding from the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s climate action grant fund and the support of the Raumati Community Board “We’ve worked really closely with Raumati Beach School and Raumati South School to make sure the programme we are delivering meets all their needs,” Kāpiti Cycle Action spokesperson Lynn Sleath said “This includes having it professionally planned by Richard Young from SmartSense and having all our volunteers police-vetted so we are delivering the highest safety standards for the students “Having the support and guidance of the council’s transport team also means we are planning for the Bike Bus to be run as safely as possible on our roads and paths “The smiling faces of the first Bike Bus students is evidence enough there is an appetite for students to get to school under their own efforts in a safe and climate-friendly way.” the Raumati Bike Bus depends on volunteers who can commit to being marshals once or twice a week we have over 20 students queuing up to join two extra Bike Bus routes serving Rimu Rd and Kiwi Rd The Bike Bus runs every Friday and any primary school student can join in - training and a free high-vis and bell are provided to every student who joins. Any volunteers (aged 14-plus) can contact the organisers at bikebusraumati@gmail.com With the 2024 round of climate action grants open for applications Kāpiti Cycle Action is hopeful to secure the additional funds to start a similar scheme in Waikanae and support one in Paekākāri Carol Lingard and dog Whiskey at the Aotea Rd beach access in Raumati Beach has described the state of an “extremely popular” beach access from Aotea Rd as “appalling” Carol Lingard said access used to comprise a set of nine steps which went down to a level concrete platform But a storm in June 2022 destroyed the top nine steps and concrete platform “I expected Kāpiti Coast District Council to come and rebuild the steps in due course but didn’t contact them as I knew they had a lot of work to repair in the district after the storm and I am a big fan of council and the amazing work they do to keep the beach and the adjoining areas in good shape “After waiting a year I contacted the council and they told me that they did not realise the steps had gone due to staff changes no one had twigged about them “They said they were planning to do a whole step repair when the new sea wall is built in the future but they would put in a temporary set of steps in the meantime “This was last winter and a few planks of wood and some wooden pegs appeared — the neighbours all laughed and wondered how many high tides and storms they would survive and low and behold they disappeared again in no time apparently the council took them out as they thought they were dangerous steep area and everyone that I meet are taking extreme care walking up and down the area and are saying why can’t they do a nice job like the other access areas to the beach further up and down Raumati.” has written to council about material backfilled along the Raumati seawall the $90,000 worth of rotten rock placed behind the Raumati seawall is being reclaimed by the sea after the first high tide just five days after completion of placement “Perhaps my rejected suggestion of a row of decent sized rocks from below the seawall being placed behind the seawall might have provided a stay of execution.” Infrastructure and asset management group manager Sean Mallon said overtopping of the seawall and coastal erosion are a fact of life for this part of the coast “With more than 120 coastal accessways and almost four kilometres of seawalls to maintain we do our best to keep on top of the maintenance requests but sometimes the sea has other ideas “Construction on a replacement Raumati seawall is scheduled to begin in 2026/27 we’re trying to balance the need for interim solutions - like temporary steps or backfilling the seawall - with cost and longevity “We don’t want to do anything too permanent or expensive like pouring concrete with major construction on the horizon.” The beach accessway at Aotea was very difficult to manage “In 2023 we attempted to repair it three times only to have the repair work washed out (undermined) each time including just reinstating the wooden steps but with the expectation that it would just be washed away again.” Anything more than temporary repairs will potentially be included in the Raumati seawall renewal “The other complication is access for machinery must be maintained along the top of the wall to allow for maintenance of the sea wall itself so we can’t put a staircase in which runs from the road to the sea.” Mallon said the weathered rock placed on top of the Raumati seawall was there to prevent or slow down the washing out of the material behind the wall “The choice of material we use for this is a trade-off between cost “The weathered rock is also naturally present further back from the seawall and has been widely used along the wall in previous repairs “In our latest work we covered over 1500m of the 3km wall and in most places the rock has done its job and we hope it will continue to do so until the wall is replaced “While there are some places where some of the rock has been moved already it has still prevented the pre-existing material from being removed and so protected the wall.” He said it had been suggested taking some of the large rocks from the beach side of the wall and placing them on top of the wall might be a better solution “Those large rocks play an important part in protecting the wall on the beach side “Removing some of these would undermine the wall from that side “We know the wall is regularly overtopped and raising it where practical is being looked at as part of the design for the new wall.” Lucinda Caldwell with a batch of her scones The first thing Lucinda Caldwell did when setting up her successful deli and catering kitchen was create a good-tasting cheese scone She remembered going to a cafe with a girlfriend and having “a very bad cheese scone” So Caldwell started making lots of cheese scones with her sister Sharne acting as the official taste-tester she had refined the recipe and was creating super-tasty cheese scones Caldwell’s business Seriously Pickled opened in Seaview Rd and her cheese scones quickly became a customer favourite Earlier this year WellingtonNZ conducted a poll to find the best cheese scone in the Wellington region A large amount of cheese scones from around the region were nominated before being narrowed down to the top 20 and then the top 10 “We came second to Pravda [in Customhouse Quay Central Wellington] which was quite exciting “The interesting thing is that when I had my corporate life I used to go to Pravda and eat their cheese scones after only three-and-a-half years in business Seriously Pickled has seen an upsurge in people seeking a cheese scone including those keen to “see which one is better” “I’ve never made so many cheese scones in my life “A few weeks ago we were probably only making about 60 cheese scones She described the cheese scone as “crunchy The second-place award was good timing from a foot traffic point of view as the business was undergoing a renovation at the time It now has a new 80sqm space which has doubled in size from the previous shop footprint Customers can see her working in the kitchen and preparing food offering a more behind-the-scenes view of the business Caldwell said she comes from “a family of foodies” Her grandparents owned corner stores in Petone which Caldwell worked at on Saturdays when she was a youngster Caldwell’s career was in recruitment and organising events When living overseas with her husband she enjoyed going to cooking classes with ex-pat friends featuring recipes from books and magazines so she started selling food from a car boot at Raumati Beach School “It got so big I had to register it with the council.” which is a play on words — her love of pickling She is thankful for an inheritance from her late mother that has helped her business “The bigger deli space gives me the ability to showcase more artisan producers and deliver quality and wholesome products to the community “I feel right at home in a larger kitchen space that also allows me to chat with customers who pop in the store.” “I feel like everything has come full circle.” Das Bunker Kāpiti owner Andy Wickens with an original Charlton automatic rifle a super heavy-duty door slowly opens to reveal a boutique military museum Das Bunker Kāpiti has been specifically created under a house in Raumati Beach by enthusiast Andy Wickens Stepping inside the appointment-only museum as people gaze at military firearms of all types “My oldest item is a Brown Bess musket from the Battle of Waterloo and then ranging right up to the present day.” Andy’s interest in military history and militaria started when he was a youngster A key influence was his grandfather Private John Nimrod Wickens ,who was a sniper with the Wellington Infantry Battalion in World War I Private Wickens was only 15 when he went to war in 1915 but he survived albeit with a bullet wound to his right leg Das Bunker is dedicated to Andy’s grandfather as he passed away a year before Andy was born further deepened by his father’s interest in aviation history became stronger in his 20s as he started collecting various types of militaria “I started off mostly interested in helmets because as a young man you can’t do everything at once I’ve got over 300 helmets and most of the world is represented Then firearms and uniforms and everything that goes with it was that it had to have capacity to accommodate his growing collection It took three years to excavate and construct his semi-underground boutique military museum The secure bunker is accessed via a very heavy Chubb bank vault door from London There’s always a surprised reaction when people open the door and step inside Often there’s an expletive — in a good way Military sound effects add to the atmosphere as people wander around agog One of Andy’s favourite items is an original Charlton automatic rifle “In World War II some guys turned worn-out bolt-action rifles into machine guns to give to the Home Guard against a possible Japanese invasion a shipment of Bren guns from Canada arrived It’s one of the rarest guns in the world and it’s uniquely Kiwi It’s significant to military history and it’s super significant to New Zealand There is so much to see that it can take a few visits to truly immerse oneself in the collection who has all the proper accreditation to house the collection and deal in militaria Andy can be contacted via maymornmilitary@gmail.com or 0274 450 940 - This article is featured in the latest Celebrating Kāpiti magazine Police at the scene of an incident at a Waikanae Beach address in the Kāpiti Coast A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder following an "altercation" that sparked a homicide investigation at Waikanae Beach yesterday afternoon A homicide investigation was launched after police responded to an address on Napier Grove where a man was seriously injured following an altercation around 4.20pm. Man dies in Kapiti Coast homicide investigation launchedA man has died after receiving serious injuries in an altercation Crime and Justice "Despite receiving urgent medical attention, he died at the scene a short time later," a police spokesperson said. The 31-year-old man will appear in the Porirua District Court today and a post-mortem will be carried out tomorrow. Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa at around 3pm on Monday Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Emergency services were called to the property on Mahia Rd just before 10am to a report of a man "seriously injured" Vandals in 4WDs mow down The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death SPCA inspectors found evidence suggesting Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 19 mins ago Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 31 mins ago Police plea after 'oversight' left Bondi killer without help 58 mins ago Sullivan's four-try onslaught highlights Chiefs' vulnerabilities 2:03pm Watch question time live as Parliament resumes after recess 1:53pm Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student 3 mins ago 1Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Vandals in 4WDs mow down, destroy 38 pōhutukawa trees in Napier Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon A homicide investigation is underway following an incident at a Waikanae Beach residential address in the Kapiti Coast region Police responded to reports of a man having sustained serious injuries following an altercation at 4.20pm The man received medical attention at the scene "Cordons have been put in place and a scene examination will be conducted over the following days," said police is speaking with police and assisting with inquiries "Police do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the public." Inquiries into the circumstances of what occurred are ongoing." A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm Vandals in four-wheel drives have mown down 38 pōhutukawa trees on Napier’s Marine Parade She said the council was concerned at the behaviour and said an early estimate to replace the damage came to $20,000 "These trees were planted for our community by the Rotary Club as a gift over the past five years," Wise said "There are lots of community groups who work alongside us to make sure Napier has places and spaces that are beautiful and welcoming and Rotary is a key partner in projects like this one "It is heartbreaking to see community resources time and energy treated in this way," she said "The damage was done by people in 4WD vehicles after removing the vehicle barriers and driving over the trees Our parks' team is looking closely at the cost to replace them and at how to ensure the trees are kept safe." recently erected along Marine Parade to keep vehicles off the beach but there was no evidence to suggest the vandalism was related to that to be installed from the National Aquarium of NZ to the Pump Track were to prevent vehicles from tearing up the grass and destroying trees fishermen profiled in a Hawke’s Bay Today article last week said it was a case of blocking their access to prevent "idiots" "It’s not going to stop the idiots doing the damage," one noted Napier City Council has reported the incident to police Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz A coroner is likely to recommend improvements after an overworked police force failed to connect a mass killer to the mental health system before his unprovoked attack had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he killed six people and injured 10 at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024 An inquest has been told Queensland Police had a number of chances to plug him back into mental health treatment and medication ahead of the tragedy Cauchi was homeless and living apart from his family in Toowoomba when he was shot dead by police during his stabbing rampage He had stopped taking his medication in 2019 and stopped seeing a psychiatrist in 2020 Queensland police officers made several calls for change including greater numbers of mental health officers within the force They also suggested that laws regarding when mentally ill people could be forced to take an involuntary psychiatric examination be amended to be less confusing manager of the Queensland police's vulnerable persons unit said the changes were needed to prevent the criminalisation of those with mental illness "Mental health shouldn't just be a police response," he told the NSW Coroners Court "It's a no-brainer to me that there should be appropriate responses that are health-led." Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer said that changing legislation around police powers was "shaping up to be a significant recommendation" at the inquest This week's evidence has focused on one particular incident in January 2023 when Cauchi called police to his family's Toowoomba home He accused his father Andrew of stealing his collection of knives telling attending officers that they had to be returned or he would become bankrupt or homeless A follow-up visit to the Cauchi family home was requested and the fill-in police mental health incident co-ordinator for the Darling Downs region saw the email — but he forgot to action it due to an "oversight" the co-ordinator he was filling in for backed the officer "His oversight on that email is devastating," she said "It's not indicative of him as an officer or how he performed my role." She also backed a call for further assistance saying police officers were under greater pressure due to increasing numbers of call-outs relating to mental health despite not being trained in this area "If it's not bleeding and it's not on fire the police are the people who have to attend," she said police were called to Cauchi's unit in Brisbane after residents heard a man screaming and the sound of someone being hit He told attending officers that he had been slamming his fridge Cauchi was also pulled over three times in 2020 and 2021 by highway patrol police for erratic driving The Chiefs are putting their faith in first-five Damian McKenzie recovering from a hand injury in time to play the Crusaders in what is a pivotal game in Christchurch on Saturday But just as important to the Super Rugby Pacific leaders will be improving a defence which leaked 26 unanswered points in the second half of their 35-17 defeat to the Hurricanes It was an uncharacteristic defensive lapse by a usually highly consistent side who retained their place at the top of the table thanks to their superior points differential compared with the Crusaders the Chiefs face Moana Pasifika in Hamilton and the Highlanders in Dunedin in the run in to the playoffs – games very much in the winnable category although the former have surprised a few this season The Crusaders’ run-in features the Waratahs in Sydney the Highlanders in Christchurch and a potentially difficult trip to Canberra to play the third-placed Brumbies Every team has looked vulnerable at times this season The Crusaders’ two losses came against the Chiefs in Hamilton and a shock defeat to Moana Pasifika — both heavy although they did escape a Hurricanes’ comeback in Wellington in round nine They also needed two James O’Connor penalties in the final 10 minutes to beat the Blues a week later But the Chiefs’ downfall at the weekend was as unexpected as it was spectacular after they led 17-9 at the break Replacement wing Bailyn Sullivan made history when scoring all four of the Hurricanes’ tries after the break as the home side too easily unlocked the Chiefs’ defence via a long pass a break through Cortez Ratima and Shaun Stevenson close to the line an excellent wide cross-kick by Ruben Love and a shorter grubber kick by Riley Higgins Getting McKenzie back on the field after he missed the last two weekends for the Chiefs will be important for their game management but a Crusaders attack that ran in six tries against the Highlanders last time out will threaten them in different ways the Crusaders may be without All Black Will Jordan Jordan has played in all 10 Crusaders matches this season and head coach Rob Penney has been guarded about Jordan's rest plan of his All Blacks No.10 McKenzie: “Everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but we won't count our chickens before they hatch.” the defending champion Blues must win in Suva against the Drua to force their way back into the playoffs mix after being overtaken for the sixth and final spot by Moana Pasifika Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin – their first win over the southerners in another Ardie Savea-inspired performance Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted The band Tu Tilley will be performing in Paekākāriki Two musical events will take place in Kāpiti as part of New Zealand’s May Music Month The lineup features a diverse range of talent will enchant the audience with chart-topping hits spanning from the 70s to today a dynamic brass ensemble led by David Langley will deliver classic covers with a unique brass twist 1.15pm: Crimson Club will take the stage with their signature blend of covers infused with humour and wit promising an entertaining musical experience will showcase a mix of original compositions and crowd favourites the event will relocate to the Paekākāriki Memorial Hall 12pm: Loaded Brass returns with a focus on jazz treating audiences to another captivating performance comprising three accomplished Wellington musicians 3pm: Local favourite Fernando and his talented ensemble will close the event with a compilation of outstanding performances the festivities will move to the Paraparaumu Boat Club “Both events are made possible thanks to the generous support of Pelorus Trust and The Lion Foundation,” organiser Chris Craddock said “Don’t miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant music scene of the Kāpiti Coast during May Music Month.” Conrad Banks and Zara Lange with plans to transform the former Raumati Swimming Pool complex Exciting plans have emerged for transforming the former Raumati Swimming Pool complex into a wide-ranging indoor recreational centre The Kāpiti Coast District Council-owned complex has been mothballed for a long time since the Coastlands Aquatic Centre opened a number of years ago When Zara Lange and Conrad Banks bought the adjoining upstairs Waterfront Bar and Kitchen last year and gained a long-term lease of the building from council they marvelled at the former 2000sq m pool complex downstairs While they are focused on transforming the Waterfront they’ve also come up with plans to turn the pool site into something that would be a real people magnet “It’s a bit of a crazy idea – but why not?” Banks said “We want to be able to give people something to do and come back to.” He said the site was “an amazing blank canvas” and they had the “drive and energy” to facilitate the centre if the community was keen They had spoken to the Raumati Community Board as well as the council’s assets manager about the potential of doing something with the former pool site “It’s about getting something happening in an amazing space.” Banks said a structural engineer and quantity surveyor were investigating “what the state of the building is and what it’s going to cost to get it to a workable shell” He felt it was the council’s responsibility to make the site work-ready but “anything from there – we’re on” He had a rough idea of the work-ready cost which was “in the lower echelon of seven figures” The key was making sure the community was on board with transforming the site “If the community doesn’t like the idea then we’re not going to do it “We’re talking to a lot of people and seeing if we’re all aligning up.” Community feedback is being monitored via the Our Vision For Raumati portal which is driven by councillor Sophie Handford and community board member Bede Laracy “They have put a vision together and an access point where people can go and have a say Lange noted there had been some interest in the pool site by other parties but nothing had eventuated “It’s a little bit frustrating for us to work in this space [the upstairs Waterfront] when downstairs is an empty space The main thing was about giving people something to do we were like ‘there’s nothing to do on a rainy day’ A bowling alley [in Paraparaumu] has closed down a paintball business [also in Paraparaumu] is closing down Their concept was “exciting” and would put Raumati Beach “on the map as a place for people to come to” Banks and Lange also own the successful Dockside as well as Binn44 restaurant/bar in Wellington Part of the land bought by Kāinga Ora in Raumati Beach Kāinga Ora has answered various community questions about its future housing development plans in Raumati Beach The Crown agency bought 4.6 hectares of land at 59-69 Raumati Rd Raumati Community Board held a public meeting recently at which Kāinga Ora representatives addressed the audience. Kāinga Ora has released an updated document answering many of the public’s questions, including the biggest concerns regarding overpopulation and flooding. With the number of social housing units being built throughout the Kāpiti Coast, the public’s first concern was whether there was a need for more in Raumati Rd. Kāinga Ora believed there was a “compelling case” for further development in the district. The document stated that, as of February, there were 175 applicants on the Ministry of Social Development’s waiting list and about 45 people, including children, living in emergency accommodation in the district. Over the next three to five years, Kāinga Ora said it would be delivering 150 homes, mainly for existing Kāpiti residents in need of public housing. The document said the focus for the Raumati Beach development was likely to be on smaller homes of one or two bedrooms, as the majority of applicants on the waiting list were single-person households. Another public concern was accessibility, especially for disabled and older people. Community members wanted to know how many levels each apartment would have and whether they would have stairs or lifts. While Kāinga Ora was unable to say what the houses would look like at this stage, it acknowledged the growing elderly and disabled population and said it would ensure there were units available to serve those groups. In response to concerns about traffic on Kiwi Rd and Raumati Rd, Kāinga Ora said it would work closely with Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC) and Waka Kotahi to “ensure an aligned approach for traffic management and development of the roading network for the site”. Kāinga Ora also said it was “committed to supporting active modes of transportation ... to support better social, climate and wellbeing outcomes”. The document also answered many of the public’s questions regarding the environment, such as the effects of the development on natural sand dunes. Kāinga Ora said that, despite detailed planning not having begun, it would take time to understand the landscape and the earthworks and it would work closely with KCDC and land development professionals. “We are mitigating risks and complying with all relevant building and environmental regulations.” A large ponding area on Raumati Rd, which the document said held water for months, was another concern for the community. Kāinga Ora said its project team would be undertaking engineering at the site over the next 12-13 months, which will give it more information about any development issues, including stormwater. “Council resource and building consent processes will ensure that neighbours will not experience flooding.” Kāinga Ora said it recognised the community had concerns about water management during and after any development at the site, and water would be a key focus. The agency is currently in its investigative phase at the site, which is likely to last until June next year. Once it had identified feasible development options, it would return to consult the community on its next steps. Helen Turnbull in her Paraparaumu Beach restaurant 50-50. Photo / David Haxton After working in various restaurants around the world, Helen Turnbull created her own: 50-50, based in Maclean St, Paraparaumu, which has established itself as a popular place on the Wellington dining scene. David Haxton caught up with the hard-working head chef and business owner. It was my love of working as part of a team and the pure enjoyment I get from sourcing great ingredients, making them shine and then sharing that experience with others. To become qualified, I did an apprenticeship while working at the Wellington restaurant Icon. At the time that was considered a bit old-fashioned, but I credit this with giving me the practical skills, confidence and resilience I needed to build my career. Who have been the main influences in your culinary journey? Both sides of my family were keen gardeners, and I learned very early on about the strong connection between the land and what goes on your plate. Travel has been a huge inspiration. In every country, food and culture are uniquely entwined and influence how people live their lives. Of the many places I’m lucky to have visited, the culinary traditions of Japan, India and Turkey really stand out. More recently, my guests and team at 50-50 drive me to keep innovating and improving on our offering. I’ve worked in Japan, the UK, France and Italy. Some highlights include the Michelin-starred restaurants of Gordon Ramsay and Michel Troisgros, and a modern Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. Closer to home, Rātā in Queenstown and Hummingbird in Wellington were important parts of my journey as a chef. What have been some of the highlights of your career? When I was younger, I won a couple of emerging chef awards, one in the UK and one in Wellington. More recently, 50-50 winning Best Regional Restaurant at the Wellington Hospitality Awards and receiving a hat in the Cuisine Awards were huge highlights. Outside of the kitchen, going squid fishing with the Michel Troisgros team in Japan was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. What do you enjoy about owning your restaurant? Growing the people on my team. It’s exciting getting to know the dreams, strengths and passions of the individuals and helping them gain develop in the areas they want to grow in. What are the main challenges of running your own business? Being disciplined enough to be consistent in supporting the constant growth of my team towards our goals and not getting distracted by little things. Your most memorable cooking mishap would have to be... When I was working at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant and I had to clarify a lobster consomme, and it all went terribly wrong and I was worried for obvious reasons. However, it worked out, as in the end I learned a lot! What are some of the things you enjoy about living on the Kāpiti Coast? Kāpiti’s mix of community, climate, proximity to sea and the city make it New Zealand’s best-kept secret. I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people who have supported, and continue to support, our success over the last seven years. Away from the kitchen, what do you like to do? Relax with my family, tend to my garden - which produces a lot of fun ingredients for the restaurant - and dream up new travel adventures. Your key tips to the home cook would be... Cook what you like to eat and play around with making it taste even better. So if you like a roast chicken, read recipes on how others do it and constantly tweak your recipe, learning as you go about what you like. Maybe a higher temperature of oven, maybe lower, a marinade, spatchcocking the chicken, trying it on the barbecue? Take more notes on how every dish I have eaten made me feel and why. I started this later in my career, and it has been an incredibly invaluable part of my creative process when designing dishes for the menu. - This Q&A appears in the latest Celebrating Kāpiti magazine. VisitMeetBusinessScreenVenuesOpen searchKāpiti CoastEat & DrinkVisitEat & DrinkSoul-warming food on the Kāpiti CoastThe Kāpiti Coast is full of cosy restaurants Kāpiti CoastThe Waterfront Bar & Kitchen has some of the best island views on the Kāpiti Coast guests can enjoy a meal with the sound of the ocean just below Large seaward-facing windows give brilliant sea views as does the outside dining area The extensive menu is a great mix of old favourites plus some more adventurous options Duck Nasi Goreng is definitely worth a try Visit on a Friday night to sample a great programme of live music Drop by after a morning beach stroll for brunch or grab a hearty evening meal Your backdrop will always be a stunning ocean view Kāpiti CoastBased in the idyllic Kāpiti Coast 50-50 is an unpretentious fine-dining restaurant the restaurant is the creation of co-owner and chef Helen Turnbull who has won awards and worked at Michelin star restaurants around the world While the number of dishes may sound like a lot when they start to appear it quickly becomes clear that each dish is modestly proportioned and filled with intriguing flavour combinations It’s also the nickname of chef and restaurateur Michele Passarello as well as the name of the street his family have lived on for generations Michele is the brains behind Kāpiti restaurant The meals are just like Michele’s Nonna used to make It’s home-style Italian cooking paired with modern flavours and techniques The all day café and tavern is dedicated to fresh and local ingredients Long Beach is the perfect spot to refuel after a day in or on the water Head down for dinner and make the most of the relaxed atmosphere with classic flavours along with few the team have dreamed up you’ll be warmed by the heated seats and outdoor fire on cooler evenings Rain protection means guests can enjoy the sheltered Long Beach garden year-round Kāpiti CoastThe team behind Salt and Wood BBQ insist “There’s no combo on earth like legit American BBQ and a cold pint.” The café and restaurant have the first part covered with its imported smoker oven creating delicious The brewery is connected to the restaurant by a glass door and makes for an excellent duo Salt and Wood is a café and restaurant offering all-day food and drinks from coffee and eggs in the morning Paired with your choice of sides and sauce The food pairs well with beer from North End Kāpiti Coast Located in Raumati South Village the Raumati Social Club takes its name seriously A hub where locals gather to catch up over good food and local brews the café and restaurant transforms into a live music venue on the weekends showcasing music from the Kāpiti Coast and beyond and dietary requirements are easily catered for The focus here is local all the way: from the local art lining the walls to the local produce at the heart of the menu Hey Coastie is a casual all-day café and restaurant on Waikanae Beach Local produce is used to make delicious brunch There are plenty of options for gluten-free and vegan diners or bread and dips will keep you going if you aren’t after a full meal Take a seat inside in the relaxed and light-filled dining room the outdoor space is perfect for drinks in the sun the drinks menu offers plenty of tasty tipples for a fun afternoon with friends Wellington’s boutique cinemasThe capital is a film lover’s dream destination Sit back in a plush chair and view a movie in style Your knead to know list of Wellington bakeriesRise and shine for your daily dose of carbs at these Wellington bakeries From pillowy doughnuts and flaky croissants Where to eat near St James Theatre Looking for a pre or post-show meal or drink The St James Theatre is at the heart of Wellington and is surrounded by places to stop off before any event Alfresco in the cityThere’s a reason why they say you can’t beat Wellington on a good day the capital has a great selection of outside dining options the Hutt Valley is a great day-trip destination or just want to relax and soak up some seaside views Capital cool: Iced coffee in WellingtonWhatever way you serve it We all scream for ice cream in WellingtonWhen it’s hot out (and even when it’s not) cool down with your frozen treat of choice and eggs over easy — these seaside cafés offer views of the water and delicious brunch menus Breaking bread: Hutt Valley bakeriesThe Hutt Valley has a generous helping of artisan bakeries here’s where you can find delicious goods wherever you go What to do in WairarapaThe Wairarapa region has plenty of reasons to visit Make it a day trip — there are some great champions of food and experiences on offer around the region north of Wellington after reports of a missing swimmer Police received reports of a person who possibly went into the water at Raumati Beach and did not return about 12.40pm and Coastguard along with police and Surf Life saving initially responded An RNZ reporter at the scene said they could see two boats and a jet ski Police are conducting enquiries and ask to be contacted by anyone swimming or anyone who saw someone swimming off Raumati late Thursday morning to early afternoon Kāpiti coastguard skipper Mark Davidson hoped the rescue mission was a false alarm after an extensive search around the Paraparaumu area The rough conditions in the area - with waves reaching between 1.5m and 2m - had made the search and rescue operation challenging murky conditions made it pretty difficult for them as well "We're pretty sure we would've seen somebody between us and the helicopter if there had been someone in the water because you wouldn't wish that on anybody." Police have named the woman who died earlier this month. A woman who died after getting into trouble in the water at a beach in Kāpiti has been named. Ellen Ellis, 79, died as a result of the water incident at Raumati Beach on February 16. “Police’s thoughts remain with her family at this difficult time. Her death has been referred to the Coroner,” police said in a statement. Haydn Christy was jailed in 2016 for 12 years with an 8-year minimum non-parole period. An artist's impression of the renovated Waterfront. A major renovation and expansion to Raumati Beach’s Waterfront bar and kitchen means locals will soon be able to enjoy rooftop drinks overlooking the ocean. Conrad Banks, who has owned the Waterfront with Zara Lange since May of last year, said stage one of their three-stage plan was under way. Stage one involved replacing the bar and giving the Waterfront a general clean up, and stage two will be the improvement of the bathrooms, expanding the kitchen, and extending the deck. “All of those things just mean we can fit more people in here,” Lange said. Banks said these two stages are expected to be completed in November, and they will need to take a break over the busy season and begin stage three in March. Stage three will be the addition of a retractable roof on the deck, so that people can enjoy the views all year round despite the weather. Banks said there is also a bonus fourth stage which is the addition of a rooftop bar. “The bar will be on the east side, so it doesn’t block the view.” He said it will be able to seat up to 36 people and is expected to be completed in about 18 months. Lange said despite it being such a huge project, they will stay completely operational throughout the construction. The building is owned by Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC), but Lange and Banks have a lease on it until the late 2030s. Banks said they are investing quite a substantial amount of money into the renovations and are funding it all themselves. “We’re investing a lot into someone else’s property.” The pair, who moved to the coast about three years ago, own two other hospitality businesses in Wellington, Bin44 and Dockside, which they renovated as well. Banks said it’s an awesome location where you enjoy the “West Coast ruggedness”, but the two agreed the building could use an upgrade. Banks adds they want to “smarten the old girl up”. The two spend a lot of time in the Waterfront talking to their patrons, and Lange said the upgrade is what the community wants. “I spend a lot of time talking to people and getting to know them.” Banks said he wants to showcase what the coast has to offer, so they’re throwing everything they have at it. They hired Ric Slessor from Slessor Architects located in Te Aro, Wellington, to design the upgrades, and Banks said he really understood the brief and what was wanted. “He’s done a lot of stuff around the region.” They also have a group of workers from local contractors doing the refurbishments and project management. Banks said the Waterfront was such a central community point so they had to do something. Kevin Boyce, right, with Paraparaumu Primary School principal Steven Caldwell and students Rilee Brown holding Magical Moments with Mr Bear, and Isla Leith. Photo / Rosalie Willis The adventures of Mr Bear are continuing with Mr Bear's adventures in lockdown now permanently written into history by former primary school principal Kevin Boyce. Magical moments with Mr Bear has been written by Kevin who passed by Mr Bear on his daily lockdown walks with his dog Flossie. Appearing in the front section of a Hillcrest Rd, Raumati Beach property, Mr Bear was created by Helen Nash with help from her husband Hamish and three children Caleb, 20, Caitlin, 18, and Rebecca, 12. The teddy bear appeared in a number of outfits, doing a variety of activities including building work, ironing, tennis, teaching, flying a kite, fishing, riding a bike and many more. "There's history here in kids' language," Kevin said of the book. "It's a memento that in a year's time you can read to your kid, and say 'look what we did in lockdown'. "It's a record of a local adventure that made a good story." Being a primary school teacher and principal for years, Kevin knows what makes a good story for children. He also knows how to entertain 100 children during a school assembly. Writing a song to go with the book, Kevin debuted the song at Paraparaumu Primary School last week, entertaining 100 children with Mr Bear's adventures. "It's about making the adventures of Mr Bear into a bit of delights for kids. Copies include a book and CD with an accompanying song and are being given to local schools, Starship Hospital and the children's ward at Wellington Hospital. They are also available for $10 (to cover costs) from Kevin at boyce.kevinr@gmail.com. Speed and precision were the name of the game when three teams lined up for a free grocery grab at Kāpiti New World, in Paraparaumu, this morning. The lucky shoppers were at the supermarket after first, second and third-place tickets were drawn earlier in the week as part of a Paraparaumu Beach School annual fundraiser. The three winning raffle tickets, out of a total of 2130 tickets at $5 each, were drawn by principal Jess Ward and supervised by Constable Andy Morrell. The action got underway at 7.30am with third-place ticket winner Verna Gregan, from Raumati Beach, who got her daughter Rebekah Wansborough to grab while great-niece Bella Duseigneur pushed a trolley. The pair set a cracking pace and managed to get an impressive $752.58 worth of groceries in 60 seconds. “We came in the night before and did a walk-through so we were prepared and knew where everything was.” Next were second ticket winners Janine and Tim Scott, from Te Horo, who had 90 seconds. Tim, who was wearing a motorsport cap, went into overdrive as he loaded up a trolley with Janine pushing and providing directions. They grabbed $761.12 of groceries. “It makes your brain scramble because you think you’ve got it all sorted but it all goes out the window,” Janine said. And lastly came first-place winners Netty Adrian and Peter Kendall, from Paraparaumu, who had 120 seconds. Peter led the charge while Netty pushed a trolley. They managed to get $524.87 of groceries. “We were nervous but very happy,” Netty said. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards buying a shade canopy for the school. Photo / SuppliedWhen he is not scouting jaw-dropping estates or sharing fashion tips in Queenstown Lakes on the reality TV show Rich Listers Sold on Kapiti agent Karl Matakatea is most likely to be seen enticing Wellingtonians to move up to the beach towns of the Kapiti Coast who co-owns boutique agency Sold on Kapiti with Chris Judd said that the past two years have seen a big up-tick in Wellingtonians leaving the city “We’re seeing a lot of mum and dads who are moving from the big old villa in Khandallah hills to something more modern on the flat out here,” he told OneRoof “Some already have the bach on Waikanae beach and are tossing up whether to demolish and build the big permanent home or sell and buy something already built up the road “The architectural ones really entice out the Wellingtonians,” he said Earlier this year a striking four-bedroom 192sqm house on Tennis Court Road designed by Ben Gilpin of Gilplans Architecture attracted over 120 viewers at three weekends of open homes garnering multiple offers before selling for $1.8 million The top price paid in Kapiti this year was $4.15m for a six-bedroom luxury lodge on Main North Road “It was a beautiful modern renovation; it had been in the local garden trail Matakatea said the downsizers were particularly drawn to properties on the Waikanae hill neighbourhood of Kohekohe Park where near-new houses can be found for around $1.5m The agency currently has a brand-new four-bedroom Waikanae house, again by designer Gilplans Architecture, on just under 600sqm on 92 Kotare Street that is asking for offers over $1.599m Matakatea said buying an already finished house beats the uncertainty these days around building costs and timelines A renovated four-bedroom house on Tennis Court Road sold for $1.8m after 120 people attended the open home Earlier this year his agency sold a modern four-bedroom 261sqm house on a bush clad 8000sqm site on the hills above Paraparaumu for $2.1m but he said there were buyers shopping with budgets of up to $4m OneRoof records show the top prices paid in the district last year were $4.45m for a six-bedroom 569sqm house on a 2612sqm block on Matatua Road in the exclusive Goodwood Estate of Raumati Beach which fetched $3.55m - both sold in September A nearly 5ha lifestyle block on Aston Road a luxurious six-bedroom lodge used for weddings and functions on a 1.89ha estate on Main North Road was marketed by NZ Sotheby’s International Realty A near-new four bedroom house on 3 Barbaras Way An architect-designed four-bedroom house on 92 Kotare Street “A lot of people are getting a really beautiful architectural home for $2.5m Or a big lifestyle block ten minutes from the train station for $1.5m to $2m They’re not beachfront but much better lifestyle,” Matakatea said Young families upgrading from smaller city cottages or apartments are finding well-built brick and tile homes for around $1.2m to $1.6m while first-home buyers can start on the ladder for $700,000 “All the Wellingtonians want to be on the Old Beach part of Waikanae Waikanae traditionally used to be retirees but it’s gone from God’s waiting room to the kids’ play room,” he said A modern four-bedroom house on the hills above Paraparaumu sold earlier this year for $2.1m He said a property on 3 Barbaras Way, Waikanae Beach a three-year-old four-bedroom house of 239sqm on nearly 1000sqm for sale with a deadline closing November 16 will likely fetch between $1.5m and $1.6m The agent said that many of the buyers looking at the coast were also checking out the lifestyle towns of the southern Wairarapa but plumping for Kapiti because of its flat access and more frequent commuter trains Here the trains are more regular and less than an hour to the city We’ve got a great café scene developing here there’s quite the art scene and more and more employers setting up people think they still want to shoot into town for a show but then they find they get out here and they barely want to go to the city.” Year eight boys group from Raumati Beach School with principal Mike Farrelly on the right A cold southerly with bitter winds and a light smattering of rain didn't stop Raumati Beach School's Year 8 boys' group from getting stuck into the mud and dirt last week as they carved out a new BMX track next to the school's back field contractors Mexted donated some of their time and piled the dirt into a basic shape along the edge of the field "This has been a long process for the school getting the back field done," said the school's principal "One of the things the board talked about and that the kids identified was a cycle track."We also have plans for another proper pump track later on." The idea to get the students involved in helping create the track came when the school saw there were not a lot of elective groups the boys were interested in "We identified there were a lot of groups for the girls who were doing a lot of different things but not so many for the Year 8 boys "There was an opportunity to work with a group of boys who volunteered to do a project and I took that on board." the boys are in their second week working on it with two more to go to see the track completed before the end of term "We're at the stage where tyres have all been dug in the planting has been done today and over the next couple of weeks will be consolidation and firming up the track." The track will then be left until the field is ready and both will be opened to the students With all the students working on it heading to college next year the aim is for them to leave behind something they are proud of "The aim is for these boys to put some work into the BMX track as something they can leave behind and be proud of A cruise over sun-soaked Kāpiti by helicopter makes for a great view Melissa Nightingale takes a tour of the best spots in the seaside town of Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast I’m standing on the shore of Raumati Beach stuffed into a wetsuit watching our skipper bend down and write something in the sand Tewera Henare of Waka Kāpiti Eco Tours has just finished telling us that we would start our waka experience with a greeting. He writes the words in te reo Māori on the shore for us to introduce ourselves We help Henare push the waka out on to the water and leap in Next thing we’re speeding across the surface of the water however: bring a pair of sunglasses or something to cover your eyes as you’re low enough to be hit full in the face with the spray of the water Henare lent me his pair so I could enjoy the ride with my eyes open You can sit down in the body of the waka or up on the netting on the sides – or tramps Sitting up on the tramps suspended above the water feels a little bit like flying and is altogether not too shabby a spot to view Kāpiti from Henare slows the waka down for us and we float gently on the ocean’s surface while he tells us about the history of the area One story that sticks with me is that of Kahe Te Rau-o-te-rangi who swam the channel from Kāpiti Island with her baby strapped to her back to warn allies on the mainland of a coming attack from an approaching tribe “My favourite part of taking out tourists is sharing my culture sharing our stories.” Henare says to me afterwards as we sit on the shore watching the sea try multiple times to drag his waka back into the surf revitalising waka is very important to our culture.” His website states he can take people aged 2 to 99 years old on the waka but he tells me he’s even taken an 8-month-old baby out with nine years of commercial fishing experience takes schoolchildren out on the waka as well when he’s not taking tourists He sees the impact it has on youth who might not learn well in a classroom environment to be taught how to sail Henare takes them out to Kāpiti Island where they can collect marine data it’s time for a trip to Sunday Cantina for lunch The cafe has a gorgeous outdoor dining area surrounded by lush greenery with comfortable nooks to sit in with a coffee comfortable and friendly environment for both customers and staff,” said owner Fi Greig “I wanted it to be different to anything else on the coast.” I order a Hawaiian pizza and my nostalgia forces me to get a spider – a fizzy drink with a scoop of icecream But for those with more sophisticated tastes Greig opened the cafe one week before the first Covid-19 lockdown but we have come out of it relatively unharmed.” She says The opening of Transmission Gully helped in a “huge” way with more people using the long-awaited road I head over to the airport where it’s time to pile into a Kāpiti Heliworx helicopter for a scenic flight It’s my first time in a chopper and I’m reminded oddly of a motion master ride at a theme park as it lifts slowly into the air takes us over to Kāpiti Island while we listen to an informative recording briefly touching on the island’s history and its characteristics The side that faces the land is bushy and green but when we cruise around to the other side I’m struck by sheer cliff faces and rocks jutting forth out of the water we’re cruising over Transmission Gully and admiring the hilly landscape from above before making our way back to the airport over a sun-soaked Kāpiti Coast The hum of the helicopter and the movement as the rotor slowly comes to a stop is enough to make me want to fall asleep What better way to finish a hot sightseeing day than a gin-tasting We gather at The Bond Store’s tiny factory where owner Bec Kay takes us out back to show us where the magic happens She and co-owner Chris Barber decided one day to quit their day jobs and start a business and found themselves making award-winning drinks from limoncello to kawakawa gin – infused with leaves hand-picked from Kay and Barber’s own rural property One of their creations is a rosehip-flavoured gin called Down the Garden Path made in collaboration with Friends of the Wellington Botanic Gardens But the really refreshing part of our tasting is their range of canned cocktails which they serve to us in petite sherry glasses sourced from secondhand stores It’s a perfect – and tasty – note on which to finish a great day Air Chathams flies direct from Auckland to Kāpiti in 1 hour and 20 minutes fly to Wellington with Jetstar or Air NZ and drive to Paraparaumu in 45 minutes For more to see and do, visit kapiticoastnz.com The Marlborough Boutique Hotel offers luxury stays and a hatted restaurant Riley Dickey with Kalib Harris from Paraparaumu Specsavers and Stephne Vaughn from The Fred Hollows Foundation With all the kids at Raumati Beach School wondering why they were sitting in rows for a school assembly last Thursday morning it was with great excitement that one of their own was announced as a finalist for The Fred Hollows Humanity Awards With the awards created by The Fred Hollows Foundation to acknowledge passionate children striving to make the world around them a better place Raumati Beach School pupil Riley Dickey has been named as one of 10 finalists from around the country "Two years ago we decided to look out for young people in New Zealand who were striving to make the world a better place just like Fred did," said the foundation's Stephne Vaughn "We wanted to award young people who were kind and had helped other people in some way so we decided to start some humanity awards." The foundation is sending a representative to present each finalist with their award with Stephne coming down from Auckland to present Riley his award "Presenting these awards is such a big deal for us "It's really important that we present our message to the children and celebrate all these different acts." Riley was nominated by his teacher Paul Gilbert who said in his nomination "He is a leader who looks after everyone in class Speaking to the school in the special assembly Paul said but he's just doing the same thing that we expect of you every day Riley has obviously made an impression on the whole country and has taken it to the next level - he just took his actions one little step further." The actions Paul is talking about is when Riley decided to put his Beauden Barrett signed adidas boots up for auction after hearing about the number of animals killed by the fires in Australia at the start of this year Riley sold the boots for $2500 on Trade Me auctioning them off and raising almost $4000 for Help Save The Koalas Fund which was run by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) he is a role model for other people," Paul said "I hope that by students receiving this award it will show other people in our community that following your passions and doing little things can lead you to do great things." Smiling from ear to ear as he was called up in assembly "I didn't expect it [his actions] to go this far." Being recognised in front of his classmates something that is reserved for very special occasions "In a year that has seen our country face some unusual and difficult times something that has helped has been the humanity of everyday New Zealanders," Stephne said "This humanity was evident in the large number of students that were nominated for the Humanity Awards from all throughout New Zealand." Kevin Kraus (left) and Bill Tito with the restored Holy Bible Book repair craftsman Bill Tito has handled numerous bibles over the years but the latest one has left him breathless It’s because it was the heaviest bible he has handled in a career that started in the early 1960s but has been in the family for a long time It was given to Emma Dunn (nee Kraus) who owned a bakery shop in Forest Gate were leaving London in 1909 to come to New Zealand it was presented to them as their family bible It then came into the possession of their son at the time of the silver jubilee of her religious profession in 1977 the Sisters of Mercy were rebuilding so he passed the bible on to her sister Helen died in 1990 so the bible went back to Susanna until early this year when it was given to her nephew Kevin wasn’t sure what to do with the bible “But then my wife Kim said ‘we should display it’ “Bill gave us two options — either do the cover and a few pages or do the cover and every page — we went for the latter.” Bill said the bible was in relatively good condition but needed some future-proofing work done to it “It’s like getting a jigsaw puzzle and working out how you’re going to put it together added extra pages for the Kraus family tree polished the leather covering to soften it He also had to be careful when carrying it “It would fall apart if you dropped it and you could also damage yourself with it.” said the project took about two and a half months to complete I didn’t want to stop because I could see it all coming together “I’ve tried to make it look like I haven’t done anything.” as a bookbinding apprentice at the parliamentary library in Wellington “I thought ‘this is going to be fun’ having days off.” and his uncle and brother were linotype operators “My parents must have arranged something over the phone and then we came down to Wellington “I was taken through Parliament to have a look and Dad said ‘What do you think?’ and I said ‘Yeah it’s okay let’s go home now’ and he said ‘You’re not coming home’ “They had arranged for me to stay at a public services boys hostel called Antrim House Kevin was delighted with Bill’s craftsmanship “I’m very happy with how it has turned out “Bill also felt it should be displayed so Kim and I decided that’s what we would do and got an antique table made and will display it in our home Anyone can run stalls at the Paraparaumu Beach Market Lots of people know about the Paraparaumu Beach Saturday Market - but not everyone knows the extensive history behind it which runs from 7.30am to 12.30pm every Saturday with stallholders coming from all over Kāpiti It was established in November of 1999 by Kevin Jones and his co-manager who has since resigned from the role Warwick Halcrow joined Kevin in 2006 after they met at the market when Warwick was running a stall selling hand-printed silk ties the market was where The Pier apartments now stands but it is now in its fourth year in Maclean St While the two of them come from significantly different backgrounds Kevin was born and raised in Kāpiti and now has a career in social work working with young people from all over the district - all while also being a single father Warwick is from Christchurch and has a background in journalism but has owned the Barista Boys coffee cart in Waikanae with his wife for the past 17 years The market is like a second job for them – Kevin arrives at about 5.30am every Saturday Warwick said they do a lot more than other markets and make an effort to help people set up their stalls Traffic management is a big part of what they do They have to have everything packed up by 1pm so that traffic can resume as normal Kevin’s dedication to the market has always been strong It’s like a community centre without walls he said he used to go around the district putting signs up early in the morning and would then go take them all down in the afternoon and have only ever had two occasions where the market wasn’t run not including the mandatory Covid lockdown They have about 50 stalls that all sell different stock pictured with one of her homemade loaves of bread She said she thinks she might be the longest-standing stall there and she sold her first 11 loaves of bread there Her stall has grown quickly in popularity since then and Warwick said she runs one of the busiest stalls and I love that they have played such a big part in the growth of the business in regard to the direction it has taken.” Warwick said they are quite particular with the stalls they allow and prefer to have long-standing stalls that they know have good quality over newer ones All of their food-related stalls are registered with the Food Act 2014 which ensures food is safe and suitable to eat He said they have a limit on how many stalls of a particular type they can have and like to have their dedicated stallholders taking those places There’s a huge community focus at the market and Kevin said “If you can’t be pleasant don’t be here” Kevin and Warwick get to know as many of the stallholders as possible and even a lot of the customers and they say the community aspect is incredible “It’s like a community centre without walls.” – This story appears in the latest Celebrating Kāpiti magazine autumn/winter edition Roger Booth holds a book about entertainer Ray Woolf A new book about the life and times of well-known New Zealand entertainer Ray Woolf has been produced has put together Hey Woolfie Welcome to the World The book looks at the crooner's early life in England to his move to New Zealand and time on television and was in a band called Group 5 when he came to New Zealand with family in 1962 Within about six months in New Zealand he linked up with English pop singer Helen Shapiro and toured the country with her It was the infancy of television in New Zealand but Woolf quickly became well-known throughout the country with his music as well as appearances on shows such as C'mon and Happen Inn He was well remembered as a host of Play School and a particular highlight was fronting the light entertainment chat show called The Ray Woolf Show "He was actually the last one to really have a live entertainment show where he would interview people "I relived a whole lot of stuff I had forgotten about "It's not until you start digging and thinking about things that stuff sort of comes back "It was an amazing experience and good to reflect on." He had read the book a few times and spoken to a few people to get feedback "It talks about a lot of things and kind of deals with quite a historic time in New Zealand "I came to New Zealand in 1962 — there were no mobile phones "The whole thing was just getting into gear in terms of rock and pop music." Roger said people like Woolf had a lot to offer for performers of the future "At times in the book he also talks about how he has retained his voice "He knew he was never going to have a kind of Frank Sinatra/Howard Morrison type voice but it was going to be a useful voice "And his voice is probably at its best now." To order a copy of Hey Woolfie Welcome to the World go to www.raywoolf.com is known as the East Block of Raumati Beach Shopping Village fully leased to seven national and local tenants is for sale on the fast-growing Kapiti Coast north of Wellington It is being marketed by Dean Anderson of Colliers International's Kapiti office and is for sale by tender closing at 1pm on March 14 Anderson says the 1088sq m two-level building provides a passive investment with diversified income "This property has a great set of features which should appeal to investors The diverse spread of tenants provides a split-risk income stream while the corner location means the property has a really high profile in this busy locality." the property sits in a price range that is accessible to a wide range of investors "We're expecting a lot of interest from individual investors as it's rare to find a Mixed-Use commercial property with such a good mix of tenants in a prime location and in this sort of price range." The East Block is the newest of the two blocks that make up Raumati Beach Shopping Village It was constructed in the mid 1990s and refurbished upgraded and strengthened to 69 per cent of new building standard three years ago The building's five ground floor retail units are leased to Raumati Four Square Raumati Veterinary Clinic and D4 Restaurant and Bar Healthcare NZ (the country's largest provider of community-based health rehabilitation and disability support services) leases most of the upstairs office space alongside Certa Engineers which occupies one office All the tenants are well-established at the property "Most of the tenants have been here a long time and enjoy their location in this busy village centre which is well used by locals as a convenient meeting and shopping spot." The seven tenancies generate total net passing income of $224,364 a year with rent reviews providing the potential for future income growth The building occupies an 814sq m freehold site in the heart of the Raumati Beach commercial centre which services the local population as well as day-trippers from Wellington who often visit the shops cafes and boutiques The Kapiti Coast is a high-growth location with several major commercial and infrastructure projects underway which are expected to benefit property owners and occupiers up and down the coast "Development is well underway on the Kapiti Landing Business Park just to the north of Raumati Beach Several large-format retail stores are already open and the development is expected to create thousands of jobs," says Anderson Roading projects including the new Wellington to Levin Northern Corridor Road of National Significance and the Kapiti Expressway (Mackays Crossing to Peka Peka) are improving transport connections in the region which will be given a further boost on completion of the Transmission Gully highway The Kapiti Coast economy grew by 3.8 per cent over the year to September 2017 compared with 2.1 per cent growth for the Wellington region and 2.5 per cent nationally His book Jones on Property is still the go-to guide for investors.