A Beaut Labour Weekend on Rakino

Better weather than forecast made for three days of excellent snorkeling followed by two days of rock scrambling around the coastline. Here are a few images from snorkeling at MGB… Our kina collection timing was almost but not quite perfect as we were a couple of days out with regard to the full moon, but the kowhai is flowering, and the tide was low. They tasted pretty good!

I also found another colony of jewel anemones, and visited my usual jewel anemone spot for a catch up.

I noticed several patches of black mussels with have taken hold around the coastline of Rakino, which is excellent news and may be of interest to the ‘Revive our Gulf’ team.

Finally, the kororā reappeared on penguin cam, along with a banded rail.

The snorks were interspersed with catching up with friends, and another successful market day. Thank you to all who turned up, Bert the sausage sizzler, and everyone who purveyed their market day wares. It’s a great social occasion, a good opportunity to catch up with other islanders, and a chance to buy a democracy sausage post-RRA election, if that’s your bag. Money raised goes to charity, and/or funding for environmental project

Last of all, this is also an exhortation to make a submission on the Rakino Hall proposal. https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rakino-hall

It’s not important that you all sing from the same song sheet with regard to the replacement hall; it’s just important that you sing. The council needs to hear a range of views and opinions, not just those sanctioned by people who want you to sing their tune. That’s why it’s finally been put it out to consultation with all of us and not just a self-selected few.

It’s regretful we didn’t get the opportunity to meet with our democratically elected representatives from Waiheke Local Board when they visited Rakino earlier in the year as it would have been a good opportunity to get facts direct instead of filtered through a secondary party.

Remember, we don’t holiday in a dictatorship and your ideas matter, so I urge everyone to have their say on the proposed hall design and location. Despite what you may have been told, it’s not a fait accompli.

You have till November 6^th, and submitting your views can take as long or as little as you choose. 🙂