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COROMANDEL LIFE
SUMMER 2014
Tairua Wine and Food Festival a real hit!
Patrons of all ages soaked up the sunshine at the Tairua School Wine and
Food Festival on 4 January, an event which had a real family feel and lots
to keep visitors busy all day long.
Particular successes on the day were the new Hole in One Golf
Challenge, and the Family Friendly Zone where kids and their parents
enjoyed games, face-painting, stories and treats.
One lucky golfer scored the 75m hole-in-one to take home an overnight
accommodation and round of golf for four, courtesy of Lakes Resort,
Pauanui. Tairua’s Rob Murray was ecstatic to win the top raffle prize – a
spear gun valued at $300, donated by Dive Zone Whitianga.
The musical line-up included Gentle Annie, James Malcolm, Kat
Vaughters and Ed Jackson whose 2-hour set had the crowd on their feet
dancing the festival to a close. Opening act saw the Tairua School Glee
Club take to the stage, (photo below).
Gillian O’Neill, Festival Co-ordinator said “around 70 people volunteered
on site all day for free” and well over 150 either donated prizes or offered
other support. “As a licenced event, the festival is now a massively
complex and costly event to stage and we couldn’t do it without the
hundreds of hours volunteered by parents.” The monies raised will fund
teacher support aide and new technology.
Parent volunteers Lynette Clark and Helena Scott were happy helpers in the Family
Zone games area as Betty Oudney and granddaughter Emily enquire about face
painting, shown in the distance.
Lil nippers ...
our DAY AT THE MUSEUM
With pre-schools located in Whitianga and
Tairua, Lil Nippers plans many educational
and fun outings throughout the year. All
decked out in school colors, preschoolers
visited the Mercury Bay Museum where they
learnt about the history of industries on the
Coromandel, animals, fishlife, and more.
Tairua School ...
Developing Global Citizens
The Waikato Regional Council’s
‘The Ripple Effect’
fits in perfectly
with Tairua School’s ‘global citizens’ theme. The council’s website is a
virtual meeting space for members of the community who want to work
together to protect our environment.
And Tairua School students do just that! One example of a Coromandel
‘ripple’ is the Tairua Outdoor Classroom Restoration to reclaim and
beautify an area on the harbour fringe in front of the school, near the
outdoor classroom. The students’ project includes mangrove removal/
mulching, weed removal, and replanting with coastal natives. They work
in liaison with the WRC, and it is part of the restoration work under the
Tairua Harbour and Catchment Plan.
“Many small positive environmental actions create ripples that
collectively add up to a big impact”, says Thames-Coromandel
Councillor Clyde Graf. “When you take action – at home or your school
or in your community – you create a ripple that contributes to something
bigger, in this case, a healthy environment.”
‘The Ripple Effect’ website was launched last year to coincide with World
Environment Day. It features an upbeat animation video, interactive
mapping tools, environmental information and videos. There are over
140 projects listed on the website, including those of Tairua and other
schools. Check out
Pupils Stella Cory-Wright (left) and Ella Cleary-Morgan are
shown at Tairua School’s outdoor classroom which is used for
discussing environmental issues. School volunteers are helping
with the council’s work under a ‘harbour and catchment’ plan.
Waikato Regional Council’s
The Ripple Effect...
Students create ‘Ripples’ on the Coromandel
The Old Mill Café
verandah dining with estuary views / boutique shop / licensed cafe & deli
breakfast / lunch / small bites & cocktails / dinner / live music
1 Esplanade at the base of Paku, Tairua /
Ph 07 864 9390
“Ultimately the Ripple project is about celebrating all those people
throughout our region who are helping to protect amazing places,
spaces and species.”
Thames-Coromandel Councillor Clyde Graf
