Waikawa Newsletter September 2023
Kia ora e hoa mā,
Community Spinifex planting: Saturday 07 October 2023!
Events coming up: Community get-together: 25 November 2023. Wild Cats Waikawa Fundraiser: 26 November 2023. Details to come.
Somehow September whooshed by. Our Starry Night stargazing session was rained out at the last minute unfortunately — 3 cloudy nights between wonderfully clear skies. We'll try again in December. I did prepare some notes. Download them from the poorly named post: Starry Time tonight is going ahead.
Meanwhile spring gales have affected the course of the river and built up the new dunes south of the river even more. Those driftwood logs by the entrance may well be in the river by tomorrow.
The area south of the river is also currently featuring pairs of Tōrea | Oystercatchers hanging around looking as though they're starting their nesting process. Breeding season is from September to March so please keep dogs and vehicles out of any dunes (even if those dunes are less than a metre high and unfenced) and accumulations of driftwood in the area roughly marked on the map above.
Oystercatcher and chick, December 2021.
16 September was Keep NZ Beautiful day and a Waikawa Beach rubbish clean up was organised. One couple cleaned up along Waikawa Beach Road, collecting several full bags. The cleanup along the beach netted little — a result I attribute to the number of folks who pick up rubbish every day when they go for a walk.
Becky Webb rubbish pickup results. Photo used with permission.
Sadly, up at Hokio Beach, just the week before, a Pygmy Blue Whale was found washed up. It was buried by DoC.
In property news it seems there was a burglary along Strathnaver Drive in August, and there is one house in the village for sale.
Horowhenua District Council had put forward a proposal to change speeds around Waikawa Beach. In the end they voted for no changes, but they'll be considering what speeds might be best for all the beach settlements.
Doesn't matter if you travel to Ōtaki or Levin at the moment, you'll be driving through cones and temporary speed restrictions for at least part of your trip. The intersection at the corner of SH1 and Waikawa Beach Road is in for some changes too as detailed in the post linked below.
A tiny bit of news: the part of Sarah Street near #14 that was sinking has been patched.
As for vehicle access onto the beach: Boffa Miskell did a 1 hour presentation to Councillors on their findings earlier in September. On 11 October at a general Council meeting there will be decisions, based on that presentation, on what next steps will be.
At the workshop at least one Councillor commented on the long-term damage done (not just physically) by the unauthorised track that was cut in 2018 across private land. That act certainly reduced the goodwill on the part of the landowner and could jeopardise future access.
The Constraints Summary chart above shows the most green (or the least orange and red) for the current access way. That is also the cheapest option, especially if the Council decide to not engage in river cutting.
Could anyone actually forget it's election time in October? Voting opens next week. I wrote a post listing who the candidates are and where to get info about them and their parties. Manakau District Hall will be open 9 am to 7 pm on the day (Saturday 14 October 2023). To vote ahead of time check the map at Voting places | Vote NZ. Ōtaki and Levin have numerous locations.
If the previous topics make you too glum then maybe cast an eye to the night sky. In the October Evening Sky you might like to look for Jupiter and Saturn and enjoy a great view of the Milky Way. In the mornings look for Venus.
The Large and Small Clouds of Magellan, LMC and SMC, look like two misty patches of light in the southeast sky above Canopus. They are easily seen by eye on a dark moonless night. They are galaxies like our Milky Way but much smaller.
Links
- Wind brings sand and welcome dune growth
- Big tide and big swell on 29 September 2023
- Happy bird day
- Waikawa Beach: clean; the road: not so much
- Pygmy Blue Whale washed ashore at Hokio Beach, 12 September 2023
- For sale: 34 Manga Pirau Street
- Strathnaver Drive burglary 27 August 2023
- No speed change for Waikawa Beach
- Upcoming changes to the intersection of Waikawa Beach Road and SH1
- SH1 work starts soon between Manakau and Ōhau
- Presentation on Waikawa Beach Vehicle Access, 06 September 2023
- Electoral information for Waikawa Beach
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Thanks everyone for the support. I've had a lot of great feedback on my newsletters. I really appreciate that.
NZ Scaup on Waimarie.
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.