Waikawa Newsletter January 2024
Kia ora e ngā hoa mā,
we've definitely had some scorching days so far this summer. A neighbour who ventured into the sea for a swim told me it was like a warm bath. Another community member mentioned swimming amongst bluebottles in mid-January and getting stung.
Apparently, if you do suffer a bluebottle or stingray sting:
remove all visible tentacles by hand, then get the sting victim into comfortably hot water.
On a happier note, on 18 January 2024 Charlie Strivens related on Facebook an Orca sighting from the previous night (quoted with permission):
About 7 pm went to go for a swim using the South Reay McKay track. Came out on the beach and there was a pod of orca frolicking about in the water right in front of us!
There was a solo swimmer closer to the river who may not have been aware how close they were to the orca as they made their way north lol! We lost sight of them just past the river.
They were too far away from where we were at the picnic table to get a good photo or video I’m afraid. What a wonderful experience.
One commenter on the post mentioned having recently seen a very large pod of Common Dolphins about 500 meters off from the river mouth area
.
"E kauhoe ana rātou i ngā ngaru." They are swimming in the waves.
If you go to the beach early in the day you might be lucky enough to see all the footprints from the birds and animals that have been running around overnight. A PDF guide linked from the list of posts below gives a chance at identifying what they are.
Numerous black-backed gull footprints.
Meanwhile, Spinifex seedheads are growing large and gradually releasing from the stalks to be blown around in the wind. Some of them will successfully start new plants, growing our beach.
Waikawa Beach Road intersection with island.
The roadworks at the Waikawa Beach Road intersection with State Highway 1 seem to be more or less finished, bar the road markings. Various median rope barriers along SH1 have been completed, and the 'island' forcing northbound traffic to swing wide to turn left into Waikawa Beach Road is now in place. It looks as though the footpath to the dairy is yet to be completed.
Now the crews are working on the stretch of SH1 between North Manakau Road and Tatum Park. Expect delays.
Properties for sale: 24 Strathnaver Drive, 30 Strathnaver Drive, 11 James Street, 47 Reay Mackay Grove, 8 Norna Grove, 17 Drake Street, 577 Waikawa Beach Road.
Royal Spoonbill in the lake.
There's a small change to the recycling rules: from 01 February 2024 we'll be allowed to include clean meat trays (without the wrap) and clean pizza boxes. The home page of Waikawa News at https://waikawanews.nz includes the date of the next recycling at the top of the page.
But changes may be coming to the whole kerbside recycling service in Horowhenua: the HDC just can't afford it. At the Workshop on Wednesday 24 January 2024 there was some discussion (no decisions) about removing the kerbside recycling service and having ratepayers instead bring recycling to centrally located stations.
That workshop was interesting to watch, as have been previous workshops. The HDC is facing a financial crunch and there is a prospect of rates increasing by some 17% next year. Councillors and staff are striving to keep the amount of increase as low as possible but it's an enormous challenge.
Which brings us to the polarising question of vehicle access to Waikawa Beach (provide your feedback to HDC by 4pm on Tuesday, 20 February 2024). Refer to Waikawa Beach Vehicle Access | Let's Kōrero Horowhenua.
With vehicle access options costed at $1.4 million, $140,000 and No Cost it's important to note the final question on the feedback form:
If you chose Option 1 or Option 2, would you still support the option if it meant a targeted rate increase for Waikawa Beach ratepayers? (Select 1 option)
Opinion
Choosing to retain vehicle access will commit us to paying for it, in perpetuity. We know that storms cut off the Manga Pirau Street track quite regularly — every 'fix' costs. Yet I'm not aware of the vehicle access points at Ōtaki Beach or at Hokio Beach ever having been cut off. Folks from Waikawa Beach who need to get their vehicle on the beach could do so from those nearby locations.
That Manga Pirau Street track is also eroding severely. The 2019 Tonkin Taylor report says on Page 6:
Approximately 20m dune erosion (setback) in front of 55-63 Manga-Pirau Street in the past 5- 6 years …
The track across private land at the end of Manga Pirau Street is currently less than 28 metres long. It has eroded significantly more since the 2019 report.
If erosion continues at the rate mentioned above, and it will given that climate change increases the intensity and duration of storms and vehicle use erodes the sand, the sea could be lapping at the tarseal on Manga Pirau Street before 2040.
The whole discussion about vehicle access also obscures a much more important question: what could we (and HDC) do to 'improve' our beach? If HDC were to spend our ratepayer money (that's yours and mine) on making changes at Waikawa Beach what would enhance the area?
I have some ideas: first-rate pedestrian access down to the beach, so people with mobility issues or who want to push a baby buggy or carry fishing gear in a handcart, can easily do that. Access for horse riders, whose needs are much more akin to those of pedestrians than to vehicle requirements.
Or perhaps there's something in the village that would make lives better — how about more playground equipment? Why should our ratepayer money be spent on making it possible for a few people to get their vehicles onto the beach from here when those vehicle owners could drive to a much more appropriate nearby location such as Ōtaki or Hokio that doesn't have ongoing erosion issues?
With the closure of the vehicle access while public consultation takes place there has been a proliferation of bad behaviour by some locals. Some took to the south track off Reay Mackay Grove, carving a way through where vehicles are forbidden. Many of them were reported by witnesses to Police and HDC. Others carved a new track on the private land at Manga Pirau Street, until finally concrete bollards were placed.
It's as though addicts have been cut off from their drug of choice — they are undaunted by law or consideration for others so long as they can get their next 'fix'.
HDC has a rare opportunity to create at no cost a very special kind of beach: one where people can take their kids, their dogs, their horses, and enjoy a quiet environment without constantly stressing about where the next vehicle will come from to endanger those in their care. Vehicles can freely and easily go on beaches at Ōtaki, Hokio, Waitārere, Foxton. Why don't we create a unique 'sanctuary' for pedestrians at Waikawa?
[End of opinion]
Dabchick on Lake Puna o te Ora.
Links (in date order)
- Tonkin Taylor Report, March 2019
- Full moon brings out the Hoons and Boofheads
- Destruction on the south beach track off Reay Mackay Grove
- Concrete bollards placed at Manga Pirau Street beach entrance
- Identify those prints on the beach
- How to treat Bluebottle or stingray stings
- Pedestrian Access Only tracks to the beach
- For sale: 577 Waikawa Beach Road
- For sale: 8 Norna Grove
- The old ropewalks at Waikawa Beach
- No significant increase in traffic from 2022 to 2023
- Vehicles and pedestrians don't mix, especially on the beach
- Recycling change from 01 February 2024
Oystercatcher and chick, 04 January 2024.
This monthly newsletter is based on posts I've written during the month, with added sprinkles. If you'd like to automatically receive posts by email as they are published subscribe at https://waikawanews.nz/subscribe/
If you know of Waikawa Beach things that would interest others or if you have comments on this newsletter or the website please let me know at kiaora@waikawanews.nz.
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Thanks everyone for the support. I've had a lot of great feedback on my newsletters. I really appreciate that.
Me te aroha,
Miraz Jordan
kiaora@waikawanews.nz
WaikawaNews: https://waikawanews.nz
aims to provide accurate and factual information on matters of interest to the local community. And to share photos of and information about local wildlife and landscapes.