April 2004
This is the first newsletter of the year. It is a little late but worth reading all the same!
18th April 2003, 2.30pm, North Head Tunnels, Devonport
Arrangements have been made for a guided tour of the North
Head Tunnels and the recently restored disappearing gun.
Dave Veart from the Department
of Conservation will take us through. There is also
a short video on the gun and the history of the area.
There will be time for a cuppa in one of the restored barracks
on North Head. (Please bring a plate, tea/coffee provided)
Further details are available from John Walsh or Susan Yoffe.
Come and join in – it will be a great family outing.
Visitors Welcome
2004 Working Bees
April 24th
May 15th
June 19th
July 17th
August 21st
September 8th
October 16th
November 20th.
The first few working bees have come and gone with a number of people turning up to help – we can always use more, see Allan’s column. The weather has not been at all kind to us since New Year with a couple of days lost due to bad weather and restricted ferry access. Working bees are held on the third Saturday of every month. Occasionally an extra one is called for a specific job.
Maintenance Corner with Allan
Welcome to 2004. Things are now flying ahead and there
is a lot of work to get through. We need to complete Bach
38 and start on 114.
All the work so far has been done by the loyal few but now
we are picking up the pace we are looking for other members
to help. Granted there will be work there that you can’t
do, but what I do is try and organise each job and arrange
to have the material required there on time and it sometimes
works. There are always small jobs for smaller fingers.
Soon there will be gentle sanding to do on the inside.
If you feel you would like to help and become more actively
involved it would help if we could contact you direct so
if the weather changes etc we can call let you know. Also
if we have an idea of the skills you have we can arrange
to have tools etc ready.
So please send your name, address, number; home, mobile
or work number, email address and skills to Allan Godsall,
13 Kiekie Road, Mangere Bridge, Auckland or email allangodsall@actrix.co.nz
The Trust supplies morning tea and lunch we just need to
know if you are vegetarian. There are also rebated ferry
tickets $15.30 instead of $20.20 to those coming to working
bees. Tickets are available through Elizabeth.
Over the last two working bees we had Peter along helping
to do the flaring of the bay windows which has been a great
help and we thank him for his expertise in this challenge.
He made it look easy but we know differently.
The wiring has also been checked and this has resulted in
a re-wiring of the Bach. The plumbing is now working, the
chimney has passed its fire inspection. So all in all, if
one wanted to stay the night, one could. So we need some
bedding – mattress preferably vinyl covered, duvet
or similar and pillows - for the times we need to have a
custodian in the Bach when it is vulnerable due to work
making it unlockable.
A couple of weeks ago the cognoscenti of Auckland City’s
heritage fraternity visited Bach 38 to look at progress.
George Farrant from Auckland City, Bruce Petry from Salmond
Reed, Sarah MacCready from DoC
and Richard Gordon from our sponsor AMP
went with Susan, Allan and Elizabeth to discuss and make
plans for the restoration and conservation of the inside
of the Bach.
The marked improvement on the weather-tightness was commented
on as well as the wonderful job that is being done to the
outside. It is now the insides turn. The wallpapers in particular
will come in for some special treatment as will the ceilings
and woodwork and vinyls. More on this in the next newsletter
but in the interim period we have to be very careful where
we walk so there might be a few ropes across to stop access
to delicate areas that are being worked on. We also need
some large carpet squares that we will use upside down to
protect the vinyl when we start work.
On a sadder note, the Trust wishes to pass on publicly its condolences to the family of Toni Taylor who passed away recently. It was Toni’s wish that the family Bach number 38 be made available to the Trust as our headquarters and her family has endorsed that request. DoC has signalled that they also want for this to happen, so Toni’s legacy will remain on Rangitoto. Thank You Toni.
Selleys Ltd
Selleys Ltd have been extremely kind to us and have
provided, much to Allan’s delight, a complete range
of their extremely fine products. No hole will be left unfilled
and no one will be without a paintbrush or roller! We thank
them through this newsletter and ask our members to consider
buying Selleys products when they are next doing renovations
of their own house or Bach.
Permit
More discussions have been held with DoC
about what we can and can’t achieve under our permit
application and what needs to left for a full concession.
We are extremely happy to report that significant progress
has been made particularly in our need for access, storage
and overnight accommodation in the Islington Bay area. With
the restoration of 114 coming online these were major stumbling
blocks. It is now up to the Trust to put all the words together
and get the final document in. Your committee would like
to thank Sarah MacCready for all her time and effort as
go-between.
Huia Lodge
AMP
and the Trust are planning to have another display at Huia
Lodge in Cornwall Park in June this year. AMP
have some wonderful photos
taken over the New Year period (if you look on our website
you will find a few of them) and we will display these along
with a photo montage of the restoration of Bach 38. We will
also have lockable space to show small artefacts from our
archive and any one wishing to loan for display items of
interest it would be greatly appreciated. Also newly discovered
photos that we have in our archive will be properly mounted
and if you have any others of interest that you can loan
for the month of June please call Elizabeth or Susan.
Last time the display received a large number of appreciative
visitors and we hope that this time will be the same again.
It will also be a great opportunity to showcase AMP
as our sponsor.
Argentine Ant
Contrary to the notices that were placed at baches and
in letters received, the Argentine Ant has not been found
on Rangitoto Island. The insect in question is similar but
is actually a native ant.
Recent Publicity
Over the last couple of months the Trust has received
quite a bit of publicity. Some has been of a positive nature,
some hasn’t.
The recent article in the Sunday Star Times is a case in
point. Originally meant to be a piece on bureaucracy in
Auckland, the angle taken at time of print made out that
the Trust was at odds with the Department
of Conservation. This couldn’t have been further
from the truth and the Trustees regret that the article
provided that avenue of conjecture.
In contrast a wonderful article in the latest NZ Architecture
magazine is a delight to read. Please try to find a copy
in your local library and take time to read it. An article
in Forest and Bird magazine also has a point to make but
unfortunately has a few facts in error but this also is
a good read. NZ Geographic was unable to print their hard
work before the magazine folded.
And only a few weeks back the NZ Herald had a story on the
removal of baches and huts from public land. This resulted
in a quite a bit of talkback commentary and a reply in a
later Herald. This story resulted from the Draft General
Policy Conservation Act and Related Legislation discussion
document put out by the department in August 2003. Submissions
closed on that document before Xmas. Your Trustees did read
through the paper and felt there was nothing untoward and
that the aims and objectives of the Trust were able to be
met within the suggested policy.
As with the discussion document on Visitor Facilities in
the Hauraki Gulf mentioned in the last
newsletter, all these policies, timelines and submission
forms are available on the Department of Conservation website
www.doc.govt.nz
It pays to visit this website and look at what is being
proposed. Your Trustees put in a submission on visitor facilities
that affected Rangitoto Island and we look forward to expanding
our views at any public meeting.
Rangitoto Wharf Upgrade
Rangitoto Wharf
is no longer able to provide a suitable platform for the
type of ferry, number of visitors and activities that are
being looked at in the future. The ferry providers are having
difficulty with access at low tide, larger ferries with
more people are proposed requiring a better system of boarding
particularly for prams and wheelchairs and consideration
needs to be given to how materials and supplies are handled
at the wharf.
All this will have an impact on Rangitoto Island, the biggest
being how large and imposing the modified wharf will need
to be to accommodate everyone’s wishes. The Trust is
very interested and will respond constructively to the proposals
being made with particular regard to the historic nature
of the original wharf and the area the wharf abuts. There
may be other solutions such as upgrading Yankee Wharf and
reinstating Home Bay Wharf on Motutapu
Island. The timeframe for discussion is quite short,
we will keep you informed.
AGM – The AGM for 2003/2004 will be in July at the Marine Rescue Centre. There will be one more members meeting with a speaker before that date and (hopefully) two more newsletters.
Fishing Competition Results
Children: I don’t know their names but they each
received $5 for their catch.
Adults: Biggest fish - Allan Godsall, Largest snapper –
Allan Godsall, Most fish - Allan Godsall and Booby prize
(toilet seat) – no it wasn’t Allan Godsall it
was Alan Collins for catching a horse mussel. I am assured
the competition and results weren’t rigged; it’s
all that spare time Allan has now he is retired! Again the
Motutapu
lads provided an animal for the spit and a great time was
had after the judging. According to the rules of the competition
all the fish were auctioned and that raised $28, with some
of the visitors waiting for the ferry back home bidding
as well!
WEBSITE
Remember to look at our wonderful website
on a regular basis. Andy
is always updating it – check out the additions to
the photo gallery. Next
will be a sponsor’s page where we can properly thank
those companies and individuals that help make things happen
for the Trust.
ALSO ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO WORKING BEES TIMES OR DATES
WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE as is the latest newsletter.
There are links to other
website that are useful and places to submit
your own stories and comments. Please take the time to have
a look.
Should you rather view the latest newsletter on the website
and not receive it by post please let Shirley know.
Heritage pages
The editor ran out of time for this edition so here
is a taster of what is proposed for the next issue:
The next the topic will be “The Art of Communication
- Rangitoto Style”
Anyone who is able to provide some anecdotal stories about
the phone box and post office era please email them to Elizabeth
kams@clear.net.nz
YOUR COMMITTEE – Don’t hesitate to ring any of them if you have any questions, need brochures etc.
Elizabeth Andrew – 634 1398 Newsletters,
Shirley Collins - 279 9819 Treasurer, Membership and Wharf
rep,
Susan Yoffe – 445 1894 Archives,
Hilary Noall – 418 4920 Islington Bay rep,
Lois Eagles – 480 5989 Beacon End rep,
Allan Godsall – 634 0161 Maintenance,
John Walsh – 811 8875 Chairman,
Jim Mason – 446 6228 Patron.
