Motutapu Island lies to the south West of Rakino and is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park
Waikalabubu Bay is more or less straight across from Home Bay.
The slopes of the foreshore have been fenced for stock management and nature has been left to do what it does best…unhindered.
Back on Rakino, there’s been an influx of noxious weeds in recent times and in particular moth plant.
Much effort by Auckland City and a small dedicated local team have been working hard to eradicate and control moth plant in particular.
The cost to the Auckland City Rate payer must be significant to pursue this ecologically important task.
There has been discussion as to why this once seldom observed weed has impacted Rakino so dramatically in recent times
It’s everywhere.
We may have the answer.
Beyond a sign at Waikalabubu Bay urging everyone to
“Help Keep our Hauraki Gulf Island Pest free”
Is the most significant area of flowering moth plant one might imagine could exist.
The infestation is predictably spreading either side of Waikalabubu Bay at alarming rates.
When recognized, the green of the moth plant is discernible from Rakino.
Obviously, the parachute like seeds are impacting Rakino and could well explain the expediential increase in the number of the plants in recent times.
Perhaps pressure from Rakino residents against the various custodians of Motutapu to take their responsibilities with some seriousness, rather than just erecting a sign, may result in some positive action to rectify…..before the seeds implode…..soon.
The weekend got off to a cracking start with the exhibition opening Upstairs at the Rakino Community Art Gallery on the Friday night. Liquid refreshments were generously provided by Harriet and the Malings, and a good time was had by all attendees. It was encouraging to see the level of support for Rakino and Rakino associated artists. Holly and I were so surprised by all the people that snuck out of the woodwork and showed us the wonderful art they make ON THE DAY OF THE EXHIBITION, so we decided to make it a regular event throughout the year, with shows of Rakino artists work on big island weekends. Please let us know if you want to be included at Easter! It takes a fair bit of toil to hang works to their best advantage, so the earlier, the better. We’ll be harrassing you for work regardless…
Holly and her lovely rondels.Group shot with Terry and Scarlett’s paintings in the background.Julie and Mia.Harriet resplendent in pearls.Clinton and David framing Carolyn’s painting beautifully.
Ling’s much sought after phone box painting red-stickered.
Glamorous Mclafferty’s, and Holly’s paintings.
A bold piece on a happy customer.
Elisabeth, suitably astonished by a fabulous piece of art.
Saturday morning started off in drizzle, but thankfully brightened up. I didn’t have time to get down to the Rakino Nursery open morning and sausage sizzle, as I was running around like Billie the Dog with two tails, but John assured me it went very well, with lots of trees pre-purchased for the winter planting season. The nursery was looking pretty sharp as the previous weekend there had been volunteer tidy-up, many thanks to all who attended.
Images courtesy of Stacey Thomas.
John’s precious kowhai in the sun.
Carolyn on bread and butter duty.
To my regret I also missed Rewa Grimsdale’s flax weaving workshop, owing to the continuing two tails issue, but reports of it glowed, the photos are wonderful, and I understand that there will be an ongoing weaving group on island, as the participants are keen to expand on the skills they learned. Maybe I can join in with this??
Photos courtesy of Rewa Grimsdale.
Weavers at Josh and Holly’s.Lyndsey and Rewain action.
Similarly, Mia Straka’s talisman project was also very successful. I saw a number of women wearing their talismans on the beach on Sunday…
Photo courtesy of Mia Straka.
Saturday night, and the event I’d been quietly working on for several months was about to eventuate. The fabulous Mr. Anthonie Tonnon and his wife Karlya were finally on island and Anthonie was about to perform his Rail Land show. I was a bundle of frayed nerves, but my anxiety was unfounded. He was wonderful, and so was the audience (mainly 🙂 ). I fulfilled my dream of having him perform on Rakino, and I understand they similarly had a great time. There are so many great photos of his performance in our hall; I’m just going to post a selection below, and credit you for the images if they are yours. Here is a sweet video from Clare first up.. https://www.facebook.com/seaclare/videos/2765086670372814
Billie the roadie. Photo courtesy of Rob Cawte.Before the gig in the outdoor lounge, courtesy of me.Courtesy ofJulianne Taylor
Courtesy of Elisabeth Easther.
Courtesy of Rob Cawte.Courtesy of Stephen Thomas...and the party went on, courtesy of Rob Cawte.
Up at the crack of noon, DJ’s Hudge and Bobby Brazuka were down at Sandy Bay, where we swam, picnicked, and listened to some summer sounds on the beach, a perfect wind-down. Many thanks to Alf for his stellar pizza delivery service, and Hayden from Sea Cleaners, who cheered me up with tales of how much plastic waste the Sea Cleaners team has removed from the Hauraki Gulf. It’s really impressive.
Jackie and Jimi hooking into the snarlers.Photo credit Rob Cawte.Beach beats! Photo courtesy of Rob Cawte.
Thank you to everyone that participated in the weekend. It was a great success, and hopefully we can do something similar next year. Your support was invaluable, and much appreciated.
It started off as a whim to get Anthonie Tonnon to perform on Rakino, and grew from there into a weekend of events and activities…
Proceedings kick off on Friday Jan 8 at 5pm with an art exhibition opening Upstairs at the Rakino Art Gallery. There will be a range of works to peruse and purchase, paintings, prints, woodwork, and jewellery, made by Rakino locals and Rakino friends. Join us for a celebratory glass of wine and nibbles. As always with island gatherings, feel welcome to BYO!
10am till 12pm Saturday morning starts with a Rakino Nursery open morning with John MacKenzie on hand to advise and take orders for the coming winter’s tree planting. The baby trees are looking lush with lots of new growth. They’ll look even better planted in your backyard, and our burgeoning island wildlife will appreciate the gesture! Please walk down to the nursery via the track from the AT land on South Pacific Rd. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/rakino-plant-nursery-open-morning/
1pm till 4pmRewa Grimsdale will be holding a flax weaving workshop at 21 Woody Bay Rd. (Josh, Holly, & Billie’s house). Participants will have the opportunity to learn to prepare flax for weaving, and make a flax flower and loose woven kete. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/flax-weaving-workshop-with-rewa-grimsdale/ I’m keen on this one; harekeke is a material there’s no shortage of on Rakino!
From 3pm till 5pm contemporary jeweller Mia Straka will be holding a talisman making jewellery workshop at 21 Woody Bay Rd. You can get a feel for her work here: http://www.miastraka.com/ Mia’s work is sculptural and thoughtful, and this workshop will probably suit ten year olds and up.. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/mia-straka-jewellery-class/
8pm – Anthonie Tonnon begins his performance at the Rakino Community Hall. I really can’t emphasise how lucky we are to have him perform on Rakino. I can only urge you to purchase tickets here: https://www.rakino.org.nz/anthonie-tonnon/ because this will be a really unique experience. You can learn more about Anthonie here: https://www.anthonietonnon.com/
Anthonie Tonnon
Sunday the 10th starts at a leisurely 12 pm with a flurry of activities. DJ Hudge, Bobby Brazuka, and Friends will kick things off down at Sandy Bay with Beach Beats. Koha and pizza deals available courtesy of Alf’s Woody Bay Pizzeria. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/sunday-wind-down-with-extra-cheese/
Drag the teens out of bed for these inspirational and informative chats down at Sandy Bay. Bribe them with beats and pizza!
Day
Date
Depart Stanley Bay
Depart Downtown
Depart Rakino
Arrive Downtown
Arrive Stanley Bay
Fri
Jan 8/21
10.40am
11am
11.55am
12.40pm
1pm
Jan 8/21
6.50pm
7.45pm
8.30pm
8.50pm
Sat
Jan 9/21
10.40am
11am
11.55am
12.40pm
1pm
Jan 9/21
3.15pm
3.35pm
4.30pm
5.15pm
5.35pm
Sun
Jan 10/21
10.40am
11am
11.55am
12.40pm
1pm
Jan 10/21
3.15pm
3.35pm
4.30pm
5.15pm
5.35pm
Belaire’s timetable for the weekend of the 8th/9th/10th
Sadly the event ‘Walks, Talks, and Snorks’ has had to be postponed due to America’s Cup racing. As soon as the Hauraki Gulf is no longer a four-lane highway, the event will be re-instated.It will follow the same format, however, so read on…
Saturday, January 16 and we have more treats in store! Walks, Talks, and Snorks is an eco fiesta on Rakino. We are very lucky to have a visit from scientists and enviromentalists Tim Haggitt, Tim Lovegrove, and Kerry Lukies, thanks to the efforts of Elisabeth Easther. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our birdlife, our marine environment, and our little blue penguins. Those with good swimming skills and their own gear have the opportunity to participate in a guided snorkelling experience with Tim Haggitt in Sandy Bay. For more details and links, visit https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/walks-talks-and-snorks/
As some of you may be aware, a marine ecological survey was conducted around Rakino Island in 2020, with the cost of the survey covered by a grant from the charitable trust Foundation North. The survey was undertaken in order to obtain scientifically robust baseline data from which environmental change can be evaluated; to identify areas that support high biodiversity and ecological functioning; to identify gaps is the knowledge base; to identify key threats to animal and plant life including things like invasive species and sedimentation; and to provide information that can help us look at ways we might establish environmental initiatives for the Island, such as restoration and protection.
The next stage of this survey is to share the information that has been gathered with the good people of Rakino at an event on January 16 (back up weather day January 23). Called Walks, Talks and Snorks, we have invited a few scientists and ecologists to visit the island to share their knowledge, and to help us better apreciate the wonders around us and as the title suggests, they will be taking interested parties on walks, while giving talks and even leading a guided snorkel of Sandy Bay. You will need your own equipment for this and be a confident snorkeller/swimmer and kids under 14 would need to be accompanied by an adult.
We are delighted to be welcoming:
Dr Tim Haggitt:
Tim Haggitt has 12 years of experience in marine consulting and research and provides specialist technical advice on marine community diversity and functioning; state of the environment reports; the design and application of monitoring programmes in order to detect and measure impacts and effects; audits of marine monitoring programmes and habitat restoration. Tim Haggitt is based in Leigh where he co-supervises students in marine ecology. Tim Haggitt’s core area of research expertise lies in subtidal rocky reef and soft sediment community ecology.Tim will talk about the survey, answer questions, clear up misapprehensions and then take interested parties on a guided snorkel at Sandy Bay. You will need to bring your own snorkel gear but this is a wonderful opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our sea life.
Kerry Lukies: Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust
Kerry has always been passionate about marine conservation and the many animals that call the ocean home but her fascination for seabirds first began when working as a penguin keeper at Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. Kerry recently finished her Master’s degree on the stress physiology and foraging ecology of Little Blue Penguins in the Hauraki Gulf and has since been working for the Northern NZ Seabird Trust. She works on a range of projects involving seabird conservation, research and restoration, mainly on the pest-free islands of the Hauraki Gulf but also on islands further north and Auckland’s mainland. Projects she has been working on recently include attaching GPS trackers to Little Blue Penguins to determine where they forage at sea and studying which light types used on vessels are most attractive to nocturnal seabirds in an attempt to minimise the rate of light-induced collisions.” Kerry will share her knowledge and passion for our seabirds.
Dr Tim Lovegrove, aka The Bird Whisperer. Regional Fauna advisor, Auckland Council Biodiversity team.
A regional fauna advisor in the council’s Biodiversity team, Tim Lovegrove is fondly dubbed ‘The Bird Whisperer’ and he can distinguish and identify many different bird languages by ear, and mimic their chatter through whistles and coos with the occasional help of lures made from forest grasses (which are especially useful for talking to little birds). Tim has guided the kōkako recovery project in the Hunua Ranges, helped set up Tāwharanui and Shakespear open sanctuaries and has been involved in bird conservation management and monitoring for over 30 years; his knowledge of the native bird world is vast. Tim is passionate about the work he does for the council and for the environment.
John MacKenzie – Rakino Island Nursery
Our very own botanical bright spark John MacKenzie will also give a scintillating talk down at the Rakino Nursery where he’ll explain the work that’s happening there and also how you can help keep Rakino clean and green, both through what you choose to plant and, just as importantly, what you stay on top of in the form of unwelcome weeds.
Rākino is one of the few settled islands in New Zealand that is pest free and this creates an enormous opportunity to create a haven for biodiversity. The island is still mainly covered in kikuyu grass although there has been a more recent increase in indigenous planting and the establishment of a nursery on the island. Given the small number of owners of most of the grassed land on the island (including the 25 large lots), the council should consider working individually with them, to identify opportunities and incentives to encourage more extensive replanting. The current subdivision rules for the Rākino amenity area do this to some extent, through making provision for additional lots if replanting is undertaken, and this seems appropriate. However, given the high potential for further subdivision on the island already, replanting incentives should not simply be linked to subdivision. The island could also be a place to experiment with new styles and forms of building, encouraging those that fit within the landscape rather than dominate it (and potentially include this in the residential zone rules).Restoration should also be considered in the marine area surrounding the island, and as suggested in the case of Waiheke Island, this could be assisted through an integrated planning approach which considered both the island and the surrounding marine area in a specific section of the Auckland AUP.
Some interesting quotes are included…
In the future, I hope things will stay the same as they are, with a lot more planting of trees supporting more varied and better bird life. I really do hope there is no commercialisation of the island.
Over Queen’s Birthday Weekend we visited Rakino for the first time since lockdown ended with the daunting mission ahead of planting forty more trees at 9 Woody Bay Rd.
Our aim is to try and smother the tenacious kikuyu grass with shade-casting trees in order to ensure we never have to spend any time mowing grass on Rakino. Unbelievably, neighbour Barry who keeps his considerable lawn immaculate has yet to volunteer his mowing services, and when I mentioned it to all-round handyman Josh, he quickly said “Absolutely not”, so I figure my plan is best.
Winter is the time to get your trees in the ground on Rakino, as it can dry out considerably over summer, so we got our order in early to John MacKenzie, and he delivered all the trees I’d ordered, with a few extra assorted five finger and coprosma. All were duly planted, and I hope they’re thriving with the recent soakings…
The initiative for the development of the Rakino native plant nursery came from the current day trustees, the Thomas family, environmental stalwart John MacKenzie and his wife Carolyn, and Kevin Wragge.
The nursery was started back in 2015, with funding for it’s establishment secured in part from Auckland Cities Environmental Initiatives Fund and also a significant contribution made by the Thomas’, financially, transport, and construction-wise. It’s located on land generously provided by Stephen and Stacey Thomas at a peppercorn rental of $1 per year.
Today it’s a not-for-profit charitable trust; all the sales generated are returned for the upkeep of the nursery; the ongoing costs of pots and potting mix are not inconsiderable. It’s managed and operated by John, with able assistance from Carolyn. They toil ceaselessly to ensure we have trees available for planting, at very inexpensive prices, I might add.
The objective of the nursery is to support the regeneration of Rakino’s denuded environment by offering for sale plants which have been eco-sourced by John. Most of the seeds are sourced on island where possible, but if not they are sourced from Motutapu and Motuihe. As a last resort seed is sourced from the wider Auckland ecological area. This ensures bio-diversity values with genetic adaptation which affords better survival and growth prospects. It also mitigates transportation and bio-security issues. One of the big concerns about trees brought in from the mainland is the possibility that they might harbour nasties like plague skinks, or noxious weeds like asparagus fern.
Karo seedlings waiting to be potted up.
We were very fortunate to have ordered 15 of John’s large eco-sourced kowhai trees, a variant which is unique to Rakino Island. There may still be a small number available from the nursery, but I believe they were a popular purchase this year. I can’t wait till they begin to flower; I might be able to tempt some of John and Carolyn’s flock of tui Hulk-wards if I’m lucky.
The nursery also relies heavily on community volunteers, and community participation. Water to sustain the nursery is kindly provided by the Wihongi family, and permanent residents such as Kevin Hester volunteer for watering duty. I’ve only been available once to volunteer for re-potting duty, but it was a fun activity, and a good opportunity to meet some other islanders. Kevin Wragge wore his best gardening jersey and was a real sport about the compliments he received from all of us.
2019 saw the first year of significant sales from the nursery to enthusiastic islanders; it is envisaged the nursery could potentially assist in the regeneration of other Gulf Islands, such as our neighbours The Noises.
The Rakino Nursery is a significant and valued part of our island culture. The regeneration of the bush habitat is a huge and on-going project. As the trees start to grow and flower we’re noticing more birds visiting and hopefully breeding on island. There are increasing reports of kaka, kakariki, and kereru. I recall being excited at spotting a couple of bellbirds at Albie’s place about thirteen years ago; they’re now regulars all over the island.
The Nursery also hosts events as fundraisers to generate income to plough back into nursery development. ‘Nursery Rhymes’ was an inspired idea held earlier this year on a stage set down by the nursery with a beaut bush backdrop, featuring Jennie Cruse, Stacey Thomas, Tom Donaldson, a star turn by Amanda Frecker, and the ‘kino kids showcasing their choreographed dancing skills.
If you’re considering some tree planting, and I hope you are, I recommend contacting the Rakino Nursery to organise a time to talk to John about plants that are suitable for your site. Visits are by appointment only.
