Blog Archives - Rakino Island

Waiheke Local Board visit to Rakino, and Hall update.

Preamble by Lisa West

The following account by Kevin Wragge is a report on the perplexing behaviour of a small group of people who purport to represent the Rakino community, most especially with regard to Local Board, and council officials. It refers to a meeting we were all excluded from, despite it being a very rare opportunity to engage with our democratically elected representatives from the Waiheke Local Board. It is also important to note that permanent residents were excluded, bar one.

I was alerted to this meeting ahead of time by the Chair of the Local Board who wanted to ensure I had been invited as I had expressed strong interest in attending previously. Both of us believed it was a meet-up available for community members to attend, so after becoming concerned the community weren’t aware of the impending visit, I let you all know of the meet-up.

I was then publicly uninvited by an RRA spokesperson and accused of spreading ‘misinformation’. To his credit, Mr. Kevin Wragge attended and was not intimidated into leaving, despite attempts by RRA committee members to do exactly that. Mr, Wragge has made the report following for the rest of us to enjoy.

If there is one thing that makes me righteously angry about this wasted opportunity for us to meet our democratically elected representatives it is the knowledge that the meeting was held in our red-stickered Hall, the Hall we are told has cameras installed, to capture any ingress by miscreants.

In the last few years anyone trying to organise an event for the community has had to impose on the generosity of others in order to find suitable venues; the Freckers for a presentation on kororā, Dylan, and Garth and Kate for the Lez Ball, Holly for the septic tank workshop, Harriet for hosting market days, and Bert and Natalie for hosting gatherings at their house, most especially meet-ups with staff from the Waiheke Resources Trust.

The notion that the RRA committee thought a red-stickered hall was the best place to hold a meet-up with Local Board and council staff is extraordinary when they impose exclusion on the rest of us, to the extent of boarding up the stairs to the safely locked art rooms before giving us the opportunity to get personal possessions out. Who, if anyone, gave authority for that action?

I’d like to finish on a positive note, and in agreement with Kevin. We are all on the same page; we desperately need a neutral community space to gather in on occasion. The community hasn’t been given a complete picture of the complexities to date, and that needs to be remedied urgently. As part of my submission on the Waiheke Local Board plan I’ve asked if the Rakino community can be updated regularly on Hall progress, by the Chair. Anything will be an improvement on what we currently get.

Kevin Wragge’s account of the meeting is below.

My meeting with the Board on Rakino with regard to the Hall with an end message to the Rakino Rate Payers Association and its committee.

I thought there may be some interest in my interaction with the Rakino Rate Payers Association (RRA) and the Waiheke Board when it visited Rakino on Friday the 17 ^th July 2026 at 10am.

Kylee Matthews the Board Chair had indicated in writing to a couple of Rakino parties who had expressed interest in attending a meeting with Local Board that a delegation would attend Rakino at the Boards initiative to assist in the decision-making process with regard to the future of the hall.

Kylee had previously stated that she believed the meeting would be open to the community, so the assumption was made that my attendance would be accepted, if not welcome.

I emailed the RRA and asked for the visit to be publicised in order to ensure rate payers could attend and learn at first hand why little or no progress had been made to have the hall rebuilt after many decades of talk and stagnation.

The Friends of Rakino Face Book page reveals the interactions that subsequently took place.

The RRA via its spokesperson Jude MacLachlan (JM) maintained the meeting was closed despite written correspondence to the contrary and insisted that no one from the community should attend.

As the Board’s visit had been signalled in advance I resolved to attend and travelled to Rakino on the Wednesday prior to ensure I could attend the 10am meeting. As has been said, Friday was not the best of days for participation and timing seemed to overlook that the Belaire ferry arrives at 11.20am on a Friday.

I went to the wharf in good time and greeted the Chair (CC) and Mr. Inglis (RI.)

Both were ashen and initially refused to acknowledge my presence.

In good time RI stated that it was essential that the meeting was positive and that was the objective of the day.

I agreed full-heartedly and suggested we also needed to establish the RRA’s entitlement to represent me and the community and asked him the number of paid-up Association members.

RI grimaced and with significant emotion and volume said he did not know.

I asked why he would not know and suggested that it could be concluded from the minutes of the last AGM wherein it was stated that $600 had been collected by way of subscriptions that the number would be in the vicinity of eight, including committee members.

RI howled that he did not know and then screeched, did you hear me, I don’t know.

CC smirked and commented that I had no idea, implying my assumption was wrong.

I responded that was the very point and RI should be ashamed of supporting this committee given his professional and business background.

CC then mentioned I had sent him over two hundred emails and one day he would take me to task.

I stated that I welcomed the day as it was my democratic entitlement to ask questions, demand answers, voice concerns and hold this entity to account.

CC also brought up a private matter in the public domain which I will not record for these purposes.

JM arrived and questioned my attendance and again stated to her entourage that this was a closed meeting. Natasha arrived by way of boat. I greeted her. I also acknowledged Stephen Wong when I caught his eye.

The water taxi arrived and I stepped forward to greet our visitors who unlike our committee are democratically elected.

I spoke to Chairperson Kylee Matthews to begin with.

I had previously emailed Kylee and mentioned the conflict with regard to the meeting, the Association, compliance with its Constitution and communication with the community.

Kylee acknowledged the confusion and stated that she would address the issue a little later.

I met Board member Mr. Eric Hillman and Mr. Mike Lee and mingled with support staff whose names I can’t recall, which is my failing entirely.

We entered the hall and took up seats as JM continued to question my attendance with those who would listen.

I immediately drew the meetings attention to the fact that the hall had been red stickered yet the meeting was taking place in a structure that was not available to the community.

That was acknowledged by Kylee, as was signage.

Introductions took place and JM queried who should chair the meeting given that it had been arranged by Council.

JM also stated that a tour of the Island had been arranged with vehicles at the ready.

JM passed the control of the meeting to CC who began speaking but was then assisted by someone suggesting that it might be appropriate for introductions.

JM took notes and explained that she had returned to the Association to help the Chair as a consequence of his health issue. She also mentioned that she had earlier resigned as a consequence of my emails imploring the Association to do as it should. These are described as bullying.

Kylee explained the confusion with regard to attendance which revolved around catering. JM asked with whom the correspondence was with and was dismissive of Kylee’s answer.

Nothing of significance occurred other than JM’s ongoing hostility toward me.

RI seemed to think it important that he refer to his house fire and architect Pip Cheshire who had been commissioned to undertake drawings for the new Hall build.

Mr. Lee mentioned the tremendous ecological change to the Island which was acknowledged by all and to which I commented that no one on the committee had participated in those plantings or indeed had shown little or no interest in the cause.

JM strongly objected and stated that she and a Mr. Lockhart had planted 400 trees and that I was once again wrong. I chose not to respond as I was of course referring to the planting of the Wallis Reserve, the West Bay track, securing funding for two ten-acre block owners and instigating the establishment of the nursery.

When I attempted to correct exaggerated, wrong, or erroneous comments, JM stated that it was not my right to speak. She sat alongside Mr. Hillman and when I did speak directed derogatory remarks to him in an undertone.

As this was an informal meeting Robert’s Rules of Order and procedural niceties seemed not to apply. I had noticed this bias at prior RRA meetings where speaking rights seemed to be selectively applied.

JM in particular seemed to be entitled to contribute at any stage and lamented how the community simply did not appreciate how much effort had been expended by the committee to resolve the hall impasse and mentioned that there was always the next hurdle to encounter such as the historic trust review and indigenous claims.

CC mentioned the Fire Shed and AT’s attitude to approval of the use of AT land where significant costs were sought.

He spoke with pride of the hundred per cent approval of those attending the presentation by architect Pip Cheshire and doubted that would ever happen at Waiheke.

When questioned, he stated that the fire shed had cost 50k although I do not believe that expenditure has been disclosed in annual accounts. The secretary should do so now.

He also mentioned fire equipment had been sold to him for one dollar within here.

I do not believe Association accounts depict the hall or the fire equipment as assets and that should be remedied immediately.

CC commented on a number of occasions that he understood my frustrations with the lack of progress and I took that as being sincere.

At this point Shane Hogg took the floor and some semblance of purpose began.

I am now in no doubt that Shane is on top of this project and all its complexities which have never been disclosed by the RRA who have explained delays as being attributable to Council finding yet another hurdle to prevent progress.

I will ask Shane to provide a summary of his presentation to ensure all are aware of the issues he is contending with but would summarize the situation as being multi-faceted which include not only the obvious funding constraints but issues with regard to ongoing reform and restructuring within Council.

These factors come to mind and are not exhaustive as I did not take notes. Indeed, this summary may not necessarily be accurate but simply draws attention to the complexities.

The building straddles complex public boundaries abutting the wharf with AT and Council negotiating distinct and conflicting legal and operational mandates over this foot print.

The hall consists of multiple parts (the hall, Kitchen/library and toilets) and is built on reclaimed land over two public land parcels.

Because the proposed facilities interface with transport infrastructure, AT to this time has exerted significant control over the land and its development and until now would not consent to the hall encroaching its land. Furthermore AT have refused to provide a terminus.

The rigid separation between AT and Council which has caused the developmental deadlock is being dismantled by way of the Local Government Amendment Act which seeks to dissolve AT’s independent authority.

The transition period is under way and once worked through will mean that land ownership and decision-making responsibilities will transfer to Auckland Council and the Waiheke Local Board.

I asked Shane if that meant everything is on hold until that happens and I think he agreed.

Shane spoke of inter-departmental participation which includes the Coastal Marine division as the hall sits on reclaimed land and is subject to severe tidal inundation and storm damage, Earthworks and sediment control, Structural Engineering and geo-technical input, Parks and Reserves, Heritage and Mana Whenua, Fire and Emergency, Hazardous materials, Vehicle manoeuvring, Health and Safety along with Civil defence, First Aid etc etc etc.

To remedy the crumbling bank would cost in excess of two million dollars which explains the set back that has been demanded.

This is as much as my little brain could take in and as such any negativity with my summary will fall on closed ears.

I then mentioned alternative sites which Shane was fully acquainted with and had considered in some depth.

The two alternative sites are road reserves with the right to occupy involved as construction is a non-complying activity. I believe that may change with the implementation of the Local Government Amendment Act.

JM seemed not to be aware of these complexities but did seek confirmation that the existing build would include a kitchen.

Mr. Lee was astonished with the inter-departmental mischievousness and questioned the veracity of many of the claims and requirements being sought and undertook to investigate further with material to be provided by Shane.

When I suggested that AT should provide a terminus and Council a hall on the other possible locations available RI claimed that was unacceptable as the community would lose its identity and soul or words to that effect.

I sincerely thanked Shane for his contribution and added that I had no recognition of all the issues that had been presented.

At one point a long-standing member of the community arrived and was offered seating.

I mentioned he was not a member of the Association to which JM responded he was welcome and was being invited to participate unlike myself.

I found that unnecessary and frankly nasty.

I spoke further with Shane and Mr. Lee outside and indeed apologized to Shane for my terse correspondence with him. I explained the disconnect between what the Association was saying and Waiheke Board minutes and was attempting to understand the process. He stated he understood my dilemma.

Mr. Lee and Board member Hillman invited me to come to the alternative sites and I decided to do exactly that.

I reluctantly agreed to participate in a few photo shots at the wharf and at the top of the Island.

Two groups formed around the fire house. One included Shane Hogg, Mr. Lee, Board Member Mr. Norm Robins and myself.

We discussed the site layout and its suitability as an emergency gathering point as opposed to the wharf which had limited access. I also suggested that although probably unnecessary the road could be re-routed to accommodate any structure.

The other group was entertained by the Rakino committee with CC starting the generator and sounding the siren.

Mr. Robins asked me what happens now to which I replied we don’t know and then adopted the Lance Corporal Jack Jones impersonation of “Don’t Panic” “Don’t Panic”.

The gathering wound up and my former detractor RI said with a smile, “You did well”.

I choked.

Mr. Lee stated that we need to get you on this committee to which I responded, not with this lot.

Shane had earlier provided me with a final draft of the build which is attached.

I suggest everyone carefully look beyond the pretty presentation at what is being offered for some millions of dollars. Notice a block wall which will not only obstruct views but will also make access to the ferry even more problematic.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the Hall rebuild but a consensus must be reached.
I hold the view that the current site has too many restrictions and limitations to erect a structure that meets the Island needs and that value for money will not be achieved.

I believe AT or what ever that ends up as should construct a transport terminus and a hall is built elsewhere for a fraction of the money and which would be more fit for purpose.

At the end of the day, I don’t care what happens as long as something happens.

Now to the point of all of this.

The RRA and the committee overlooks one very important fact.

Everyone is actually on the same page.

Everyone wants the hall saga resolved.

It’s not a them and us situation.

It’s not a psychological division between an “in group” being the Association and its limited members and “the others” as happened to me yet again at this gathering.

The animosity is shameful and must end.

I believe this committee should resign on mass and let someone else have a go.

Pip Cheshire’s design for the proposed Hall.

Proposed Hall Download

Hauraki Gulf Islands Network Hui 2026

**The Auckland Waterfront looking positively Venetian in the early morning.**

The first day of the HGIN hui got off to a leisurely start, Auckland luxuriating in the warmth of late May sun, and a splendid day for a ferry ride to Waiheke Island to meet up with other gulf island representatives for our third Hui at Waiheke Resources Trust. It was a smaller group this meet-up but great to catch up again with Audrey from Kawau, Kristin from WRT, and finally meet Zoe in real life.

Our first activity was in the company of the wonderful Huhana Davis. Her workshop ‘Sacred Spaces in Public Places’ took us on a mini tour of Waiheke, from the beachfront at Matiatia to the silver sand of Onetangi and special places in between. I found it extremely thought-provoking, and it reinforced how strongly I feel about preservation of ‘culture’ on our islands, and the necessity to figuratively maintain a pou in the sand with regard to how our communities respect each other, and our environment. Visiting the three carved pou behind the Waiheke Library also inspired the thought that we could literally create a pou.

**Huhana sharing her knowledge of her tīpuna with us at Matiatia.**

**Onetangi Beach. To my shame, this was my first visit ever to a spectacular beach.**

The second visit of the day was out to the Island Waste Collective to catch up with Keith Enoka. Keith’s team are responsible for reducing the waste which is transported off Waiheke. They reduce, repurpose, and recycle in an enviable fashion. Keith is ever-inventive, and the premises have grown impressively since my first visit in 2024. There are lessons to be learned with regard to waste reduction on Rakino, and the intention is to enact those lessons this year, with a community composting trial set to get underway. We also ran into Denisa, for a timely chat about moth plant eradication.

**Crushed cubes of aluminium cans and cardboard at the Island Waste Collective.**

This was followed up by a debrief back at the Waiheke Resources Trust before we headed out for dinner. I had to get back to Auckland in order to organise myself for the next day, a trip to Rakino! The ferry was running a tad late, but I entertained myself listening to the kororā coming ashore at Matiatia. I could see their eyes gleaming in the dark as they swam ashore before heading up the beach into the rocks, braying like mad donkeys.

Day two began very early, lugging my pack in the dark up to the bus stop to head into town for an early ferry trip, in order to be at Matiatia on time for the water taxi ride to Rakino Island. This is the first time the Hui has taken a trip off Waiheke to visit another island, and Rakino was chosen for the inaugural visit. We had a full boat of 15, so the pressure was on… Most of the team had never visited our island, and the group was made up of people from a number of nationalities, all involved in environmental restoration, and waste reduction, as well as Kylee Matthews, chair of Waiheke Local Board, and Nicola Strawbridge, waste reduction advisor from Auckland Council.

**On the sea shuttle, about to head to Rakino!**

**Upon arrival, I hold forth as everyone looks on, bemused.**

We were met at the wharf by Bert and Simon, armed with 6 scrounged caulking guns, ready for the first activity of the day, eDNA water sampling at Home Bay. Marta presided over this. It involved taking samples from two stream sites and forcing a litre of water through filters in order to collect DNA information on all the critters that reside in the stream. The caulking guns are a necessity as it gets progressively harder to force the water through the 5 micron filters as the ‘information’ builds up and collects. Water clarity is imperative as too much murkiness clogs the delicate filters. This is pretty exciting, and we can’t wait to find out what lives in this stream. The process is not inexpensive, and the data will be valuable. Many thanks to Laura for giving Bert last minute permission to conduct the testing at Home Bay.

While everyone else was getting their hands dirty, I was chatting with Nicola, Kristin, and Kylee about island issues; predominantly getting food out of household waste and cardboard out of the recycling with a view to supporting Lyndsey’s composting initiative, but also dealing with the interminable moth plant problem which gets worse every year. Some good ideas were tossed around, and some commitments were made.

We headed up to Bert’s for a slap up picnic lunch, organised by the fabulous Kathy from Kai Conscious at the Waiheke Sustainability Center. Kai Conscious divert tonnes of food from going to landfill every year and redistribute it, or convert it into delicious shared Friday lunches. Bert’s impressive planting endeavour was much admired.

Following lunch, we marched up the hill in order to meet up with John down at the nursery. I took an inadvertent shortcut on my backside while more circumspect visitors chose a dignified entrance. John took us through the nursery, talking us through his process for ramped up tree production in order to meet the needs of larger block owners who want to do a regeneration planting on their land.

**John demonstrating a fine root ball.**

In recent times John has refined his growing process in order to get maximum use out off the spacial limitations of the nursery. The nursery has all its water needs met thanks to a local board grant for water tanks, and volunteers Bert and Kevin assist with the watering, which is a time-consuming job. The trees are all looking healthy, and some will be heading out for community planting this King’s Birthday Weekend.

The advantage of buying trees grown on the island is that the seeds are eco-sourced as much as possible from the geographical area of the gulf islands, but most importantly they are guaranteed pest-free. The risk of plague skinks and argentine ants is always top of mind when bringing vegetation to Rakino, and all plants must be well soaked in advance of transportation.

Judi turned up with impeccable timing to offer a lift to any folk who really couldn’t face another uphill trek, and we all headed back down to the wharf to farewell our visitors. The sea looked a bit choppy, so I hope the trip back to Waiheke wasn’t too lumpy.
I hope everyone enjoyed the day visit, and it’s clear there is tangible value in forging stronger connections between our islands. It was also excellent to have representatives from council visit Rakino.
Many thanks to Zoe and WRT for organising the Hui and to Waiheke Local Board for supporting it. I’m already looking forward to next years meet-up.

Snorks!

Images of some recent snorkeling in the rocky reefs of Rakino. Many, many thanks to the Waiheke Local Board for funding the underwater camera so we can continue to document the flora and fauna of underwater Rakino.

Rakino Waste Audit

Monday of King’s Birthday weekend 2025.

Following on from the inspiration of the Hauraki Gulf Islands Network Hui, Lyndsey and I got permission to conduct a waste audit at the end of the recent long weekend. The purpose of the audit was to establish how Rakino-ites are utilising our rubbish collection system, whether we are recycling correctly, and what we are consigning to household waste, in order to ascertain the viability of a community composting system, with an associated community garden.

**An unimpressive collection of recyclables and food scraps in the household waste bins.**

We were unprepared for just how bad the rubbish disposal practises of Rakino-ites are.
If we put the un-recyclables into the recycling bins in Auckland as we do on Rakino, our rubbish wouldn’t be collected. It’s only because Tom and Pat fossick through our filth in order to correctly assign it after they’ve collected it that we avoid sanction.

**Recyclable aluminium cans incorrectly placed in the household waste bin**.

Many people don’t even put their rubbish into bags to contain it. We found a lot of polystyrene which had just been shoved into the household waste bins. If you can’t take your polystyrene back to Auckland, please break it down and put it into rubbish bags with ties. This is because when the bins are emptied, the propensity for polystyrene beads and pieces to blow away is high. The same applies to moth plant pods; we hugely appreciate your efforts to remove moth plant, especially as it’s a scourge on Rakino with must be removed by landowners, according to council edict, but please put it in bags, and only the pods; not the vines or leaves.

**Garbage just tossed into the bins sans bags; tissues, assorted crap, and un-bagged polystyrene.**

The worst aspect was the volume of food waste. Food waste was mixed in with recyclables, and all tossed together into household waste bins. Come on, people; we have no rats on Rakino so you could simply bury it, though much of the food we found was still edible, which was quite confronting.

**We need to set up a system for food rescue, followed by community composting.**

Lyndsey and I are proposing setting up a system to improve the way we deal with waste on Rakino. At this point we can’t do much worse than we are currently; it’s disrespectful to Tom and Pat, and it’s disrespectful to our environment. Living ‘off-grid’ is much more than just collecting rainwater and making solar power. It’s also about treading lightly on the land, reducing, re-using, and recycling.

We intend to see all food waste, brown cardboard, and green waste diverted to community composting, apart from the modest amount that is currently diverted to Pat’s chooks, of course.

Initially we want to supply a few households with small plastic bins with handles, essentially the green compost collection bins we have in Auckland. Tom has generously offered to set aside some waste collection bins for food waste, which will be delivered to our compost site. We will also be removing cardboard (brown carbon waste) from the rubbish collection in order to compost this along with food waste, and we will be encouraging green waste to be donated to the compost scheme, rather than left lying around, or tossed down banks or onto neighbours’ properties. There is funding available, and we intend to go for it. This is Lyndsey’s baby, and it’s going to be a great success. Just watch this space.

Penguin Presentation Anzac Weekend

We have been trying to get Karen Saunders from Waiheke Native Bird Rescue to visit Rakino for a few years now, but despite the proximity to Waiheke, getting to Rakino can be difficult. Everything needs to align; the weather, Karen’s workload of avian patients, audience numbers on Rakino, a suitable venue, and availability of transport. Many thanks to Waiheke Local Board for providing the funding to cover transport costs!

After a few false starts and postponements we finally achieved a visit this Anzac Weekend. The Frecker’s generously allowed the Boatshed as a venue, Karen duly arrived via Sea Shuttle on a reasonably blustery Saturday, and the Rakino community came down to listen to and watch Karen’s engrossing audio visual presentation.

Rakino has a number of kororā burrows and installed nesting boxes, but we don’t really know what the population is. On an early morning low tide you can generally see their tracks in the sandy areas around the island. Woody Bay and Maori Garden Bay are regular spots to see evidence of their presence. They are also occasionally spotted on road, and as they are smelly little critters, their scent will give their occupancy away.

**Kororā tracks in the sand at Māori Garden Bay.**

**Smelly evidence of a penguin rocky roost/ burrowing area..**

We learned from Karen that the biggest threats to kororā are loss of and damage to habitat, threats to their food supply, and uncontrolled dogs. Karen and her team deal with the consequences of our neglect at Waiheke Native Bird Rescue, where they have the time & cash consuming task of nursing and rehabilitating injured and malnourished kororā back to health.
https://nativebirdrescue.nz/

The one thing we can do to protect kororā immediately is to keep our dogs indoors at night when little blue penguins are on island, and to be aware of where their burrows are. To that end, we have signage ready to be installed in the penguin zones that are easily accessible by dogs, (thank you Waiheke Local Board!) and a long term plan to have a penguin survey done on Rakino. Karen told us that on Waiheke, the areas with penguin burrows where dogs are excluded have more than 8 times as many penguins as areas where there are burrows, but dogs are not excluded. That’s an astonishing statistic.

We also learned about the times of year when they are particularly vulnerable to threats. This is over the summer months, which coincides with high population times on island. They are very vulnerable at nesting time, but also when they are moulting, and cannot go out to sea.

The presentation was followed up with a tuition on trail cam usage. Waiheke Local Board have also provided funding for a trail cam, which is to be set up on an occupied nesting box. We’re anticipating capturing some images of kororā which will be captivating for the Rakino community.

My anticipation is that the Rakino community now have tools and knowledge to protect our resident penguin population from the threats that imperil them, and the understanding that if we lose our little blue neighbours we’ve lost them forever. We are also hoping we can get Karen back again for another visit, and I expect a number of Rakino-ites will be visiting the Bird Rescue Center in the future.

**Engrossed audience, photo courtesy of Laura Mahon.**

Boil-up!

The rock clamber between Woody and West Bays at low tide is one of my favourite Rakino activities; there are plenty of toe and hand holds to mitigate the risk of a skin-tearing plunge into the sea, but enough a frisson of danger to make it feel like an achievement in light adventurism.

We revisit familiar landmarks, the Exhibitionist Amorous Stick People, the kingfisher nests, the black-backed gull strafing danger zone, the Siren Pool fringed with Neptune’s Necklace, whilst giving the penguin roosts a wide berth, just in case.

On our most recent rock reconnoiter, we’d just carefully negotiated the last and most vertical part of the rock climb, sharp rock oysters beckoning below in the churning turning tide, when I spotted a series of boil-ups happening out in West Bay between our rock outcrop and the Three Sisters. A fisherman in a small boat to the west of us looked astounded as columns of spiraling silver sprats pursued by sizeable kahawai seethed all around the bay.

The white-fronted terns were first on the scene to aerially assail the sprats. About thirty terns rapidly appeared closely followed by a couple of petrels. Unfortunately I don’t know what species of petrel they were but there are a number of different species to be found in the Hauraki Gulf, including this small treasure, the white-faced storm petrel which is a resident on our neighbours The Noises, to Rakino’s east.
https://www.thenoises.nz/2021/11/16/return-of-the-tiny-winged-taonga/
Two pied shags, a heron and a foolishly inept juvenile black-backed gull joined the fray, its parent barking commands to its hapless offspring from the comfort of the shore.

Teams of muscular kahawai were rapidly herding sprats inches from our jutting rock perch, and I briefly fantasised about having a fishing rod to hand, but I quickly dispelled that scenario. I half-jokingly suggested this would be a perfect feeding frenzy for an orca or three to join, and dawdled as Simon strode off towards the final rock scramble before the sandy sweep of West Bay. Moments later I heard him shouting that orca were out in the bay. Thankfully I was carrying my second-best glasses, though regretfully not my binoculars. The Orca were trawling along the inward side of the Three Sisters, no doubt invigorated by the boil-up-inspired carnage.

This is the first time we have seen orca off Rakino, and despite the relative distance from where I was standing, I was not disappointed. One breached, which was just downright fantastic. I hadn’t fathomed how large orca were. They are surprisingly larger than a dolphin, news to a novice cetacean spotter. I think I’ll spend more time down by the seaside instead of swamp toiling. That should hopefully improve my odds of seeing orca-stimulating boil-ups in future. 🙂

Get thee to the AGM!

(or, We Need to Talk About Island Democracy)

The Anarchist Amanuensis will not be attending the AGM of the RRA this lovely sunny Sunday morning. Apologies in advance to anyone who might miss my hot take on the meeting, but I lost heart somewhat after the Easter 2021 meeting in which the majority of members who were ineligible to vote by dint of not having paid their subs voted to be allowed to vote. It was never made clear exactly who was eligible to vote; I know I was, as I had paid my subs unbidden, but these are simply minor details that mean nothing, unless you are concerned about adherence to the constitution of the incorporated society.

I also lost heart when I realised the ‘minutes’ of the Labour Weekend meeting of 2020 were not written up till March 27 of 2021, a matter of days before the Easter 2021 meeting. I guess this is because the only person taking minutes in 2020 was me. I guess that also means someone had to bodge together minutes from the agenda of the 2020 AGM, and my Anarchist Amanuensis ‘minutes’. This may seem inconsequential, but only if you are unconcerned about adherence to the constitution of the incorporated society.

This meeting a motion is to be passed by Chairman Clews with regard to changing the constitution. We are not advised what the motion is. The constitution says this:

ALTERATION OF RULES The Society may make, alter, amend or add to any of the rules at any Annual, Special or Ordinary Meeting of the Society after ten working days’ notice of intention so to do shall have been given to members.

This is awkward, because we were only advised of the agenda on January 28th.
It doesn’t really matter though, unless you are concerned about adherence to the constitution of the incorporated society.

You’ll get to vote for for new committee members at this meeting. The constitution says this:

Nominations in writing for the election of officers, signed by the nominee and his/her proposer, shall be in the hands of the Secretary in sufficient time to allow voting papers with the names of all nominees theron, (sic) to be in the hands of the voting members at least fourteen (14) clear days before the holding of the Annual General Meeting.

This is mildly inconvenient, given the voting forms were only sent out as an attachment on January 27. Don’t fret; it’s only significant if you are concerned about adherence to the constitution of the incorporated society.

At any rate, I wish you all a lovely meeting, and I hope you’ve paid your subs. It’s my fervent wish that some fresh enthusiasm is injected into the committee to take on the not inconsiderable challenges currently facing Rakino; our community amenities, our fire resilience, and our lack of representation on the Waiheke Local Board. Some fresh faces across the board are desperately needed.

Over and out,
Anarchist Amanuensis.

Preventing Future Pest Incursions

The current Darwin’s ant invasion has got me thinking about risks and risk mitigation.

With regard to keeping our environment on Rakino free of undesirable fauna, the risks of pests getting to the island are high, and the consequences are severe. The costs of the rainbow skink incursion were in the tens of thousands, and we can only cross our fingers and hope that the Darwin’s ant incursion can be dealt with swiftly.

I don’t know how the ants got to Rakino, but there is one vector we can eliminate. I know from experience when I have brought plants from Auckland to Rakino that Belaire is assiduous in checking they have been dealt with according to protocol in order to stop spread of Rainbow Skinks and Argentine Ants. I’m so paranoid about being ‘that guy’, that I soak my plants in buckets for two days solid before taking them to our island. Often the bio-security staff are down at the pier with the sniffer dogs too, which is excellent. All commercial transport operators moving goods or people to or among Hauraki Gulf islands will need to have a Pest Free Warrant also, which is a further protection.

The weak link is people with private boats who may not be aware of the protocols around moving plants from the Mainland to pest-free islands.

I’m proposing that we utilise the already excellent existing Rakino Nursery further; talking with John MacKenzie about the native plants we’d like to be planting, seeing if the range can be expanded even further. John does his best to eco-source seed for propagation, and the nursery has expanded recently, which means more trees grown on island, so no risk of incursions.

Of course, people also want to plant exotics, annual flowers, vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees, so these are also possible vectors of pest transmission if they are being transported to Rakino.

What do the gardeners think about having a couple of plant/seed buy, sell or swaps a year? Cuttings are easily taken from many of the pretty exotics that birds love on the island. I’m particularly thinking of the callistemons (bottlebrush) which are a magnet for bellbird and tui. They also pose a risk because of myrtle rust, and along with pohutukawa should not be transported to Rakino. We have to protect our big old pohutukawa as best we can. I’ve also got my eye on a number of beaut hibiscus that I’m keen to get cuttings from.. Seed collection is very easy with regard to annual flowers, and commercial seed packets are completely safe, of course. It could be a great theme for a market day.

Next year Rakino is 20 years pest free, so it’s unfortunate timing for the ant incursion. We are incredibly privileged to inhabit an island that is free of predators. It’s actually very rare internationally, and we shouldn’t take that status for granted. I suggest we come up with a framework to stop further incursions, and take responsibility to stop the potential risks ourselves.

I’d love some feedback, and further thoughts about this. 🙂

The Visitations of Randolph Kākā

A selection of excellent kākā noises to listen to while you read this story!

The first time we saw the kākā was in late Autumn of 2020. It was just on dusk post lock-down and we were wending our way down our driveway after visiting our local night market.

He was a high dark mark on the sky above us, distinguishable only by his joyous prehistoric skraarking.
We jumped up and down screaming with sympathetic delight, because that is the effect kākā have when you realise they are in your suburban Auckland neighbourhood.

Kākā have been spreading out across the Auckland isthmus for a few years now, charming, charismatic winter visitors to bush-clad suburbs. The Auckland kākā belong to a flock originating from Hauturu Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf, who after breeding migrate further afield to forage before returning to their island haunts in early spring to breed. .

It was a few weeks until he finally arrived in our backyard, a flurry of tui in his wake. He sat in the kanuka alongside our deck, fluting and cackling, and I rang my Dad, and held the phone out towards the tree so he could hear. I was gabbling with excitement.

One morning when I was lounging in bed I saw him land on the deck outside the window to investigate some apple left out for the waxeyes. I watched him delicately grasp a piece of fruit with his zygodactyl foot. He discarded it as beneath his dignity; apparently kākā have the exalted tastebuds of Roman emperors and only a platter of persimmons and peeled grapes will suffice for these patrician parrots. There are no luxury fruits available in the bush gully behind our house though; I think the kākā are attracted by the tall old-growth kanuka and tanekaha that provide an outlook, as well as sap to suck, and grubs to winkle. kākā are adept at bark stripping kanuka in order to fossick out food.

The first time we had a truly close-up encounter with the kākā we had christened Randolph was when he suddenly landed in the tree outside my workshop and insouciantly climbed down using his leatherman beak and feet as grappling hooks before positioning himself on a slim branch perch to investigate the tui feeder. An agitation of swirling tui whirred and clicked in dismay as Randolph grabbed their drink container and gently tilted it, releasing a steady stream of liquid, much to their consternation.

We immediately observed that Randolph was a handsome bird, khaki/brown, a silver fox slick-down of whitish-grey feathers atop his head, a blush of copper on his cheeks, a flourish of brass behind his dark eyes, and a huge hooked slate-coloured beak. His impressive scaly talons grasped the branch and the container, and we had a brief flash of his red pantaloons.
We don’t actually know if Randolph is a male or a female, because we haven’t seen him side by side with another kākā of a different sex. There is some sexual dimorphism in kākā , the females are slightly smaller, and the males heads and upper beaks are considerably larger.

Kākā are ‘deep endemics’ from the family Strigopoidea, an ancient group that split off from all other parrots millions of years ago. Kākā belong to the genus Nestor, along with the kea, and two extinct kākā , the Chatham kākā , and the Norfolk kākā . They have a close relative in the kākāpo. I keep reading that kākā and kea species are claimed to be ‘primitive’ on the basis of their early departure from other parrot species, but really it means they are the most basal clade of parrots, taxonomically speaking. In simple terms this means because of the break up of Gondwanaland, they are a direct descendant of a proto-parrot, without the variety of divergence you see occurring in other parrot species. They are more distinct from all the other parrots than all the other parrots are from each other.
However, because kākā and their fellow NZ parrots have adapted and specialised to the unique environment of the isolated islands they inhabit over a long time period, they are unlikely to have a close resemblance to their proto-parrot ancestor. That’s enough of the dry science for now though.

I took to keeping a diary of his visits. September was a busy month for backyard kākā sightings. He came almost every day, the earliest visit at 3.09 am, on Sept. 21, when he fluted intermittently through the early hours of the morning.

As I sleep lightly, I was able to keep track of when I heard his alarm clock fluting. A diary entry from Tuesday Sept. 15 reads 5.58am- a joyous cackling skraak, & light fluting to the South

6.08am- considerable fluting

5.30pm-ish- skraaks
Other diary entries describe ‘exuberant clowning in the canopy’, and yet another says ‘Yesterday he flew past the ranch slider at low altitude – let loose a loud startling skraak which caused screams of fright – 1pm.’
Saturday Sept. 19 says 5.46am- a flurry of cackling skraaks to the south followed by querulous fluting. #skraakflutetseep.

There is a little ballpoint pen sketch of a kākā head adorning the page.

I developed a vocabulary of kākā sounds; skraaking, fluting (light, diminishing, or querulous), tseep-tseeping, cackle-hissing, gurgle-growling, gurgle-cackling, snarl-skraaking, and the curious WEE-do, which is almost an electronic noise. I recorded his chatter obsessively, and made videos of his visits. Randolph was unperturbed by the distraction he caused, and not alarmed by our interest in him. One exciting day Randolph had a friend fly in for a chatter. I have a recording of this event in which we are heard to exclaim excitedly “There’s two of them, TWO of them!”

A diary entry on Wednesday Sept. 23 states 8.30am- a kākā flew South past the bedroom window followed immediately by two large kākā who flew from the South & then wheeled down into the gully. No skraaking- a couple of light flutes.
We worry about humans imprinting on wild animals, but I think the urban kākā imprint on humans.

Often Randolph’s visits were heralded by a pertubation of tui. I would glance out my workshop window and see an agitation formenting in the tall trees outside, tui blasting in from all directions and positioning themselves like spectators in a Roman ampitheatre. More often than not he would blithely ignore them, as he perched quietly high in a tree, calmly ring-barking small branches, his presence betrayed by seeds and bits of bark dropping to the ground from his ministrations. If he hopped down to investigate the tui feeder he was rewarded by messerschmitt attacks as tui took turns to swoop at him, executing last moment swerves.

When that became tiresome he would suddenly turn tail and freewheel down the gully flashing his brilliant red underthings, and skraaaking with mirth.

Kākā are omnivorous birds, with a diet consisting of fruit, berries, flowers, nuts, seeds, nectar, and small invertebrates and their larvae. They have long slender upper beaks for tearing bark, as well as brush-tipped tongues for sap-licking and nectar extraction. Their zygodactyl feet, meaning two toes forward and two toes backward, also give them the advantage of the equivalent of two opposable thumbs on each foot which are the perfect tools for grasping and climbing.

The combination of being a powerful flier and having a varied diet is that kākā can forage afar as various foods come into season. We note that Randolph disappears as soon as the kowhai start blooming in early Spring, and I start to see posts appearing on social media of kākā enjoying the yellow blossoms all over Auckland.

On one occasion a tui thwocked into my workshop window, a very uncommon occurrence, as they are accomplished fliers, whirring and gliding over and around the house frequently. He had knocked himself out cold, so I called Simon down to tend to him. As Simon bent over the tui, Randolph plonked suddenly down onto the branch above Simon’s head, curiously craning to see what was going on. I dislike anthropomorphising, but I had observed what appeared to be a reasonably good-natured chase going on earlier, tui beak to kākā butt and vice versa tearing at speed past the house, and wondered if the tui was an inadvertent victim of the game. The tui was fine after a few minutes quiet time in a cardboard box, and I doubt parrots feel much remorse.

It’s all fun and games till someone smashes into a window pane.

From Sunday Sept. 27 there are no kākā sightings recorded in my diary, just an sad little entry that says ‘The long silence 🙁 Have the kākā returned to Little Barrier?’
They returned for a brief visit in early October, but breeding season was in full swing on their Hauraki Gulf island strongholds, so we had no expectation of seeing them till winter of 2021.

Kākā have very specific requirements with regard to a suitable breeding nest. They prefer cavities in large old forest trees, at least 5 metres above the ground which they line with woodchips. The female lays a clutch of about four eggs which she incubates solely, and the male kākā brings her food.

Kākā evolved and adapted in an environment without mammalian predators, and under those conditions, being a cavity nesting Nestor was a good solution. Unfortunately the introduction of predator species has been disastrous.

The worst indicators for kākā success are the presence of stoats and possums.

From the time the eggs are laid till the time the chicks can fly is three to four months, which is a very long time for the female kākā to be vulnerable to predation. The high ratio of male birds to female birds is stark evidence that predator control is essential for kākā to flourish. Likewise, fledglings often fledge before they can fly or climb, so spend some time on the forest floor before being able to find safety in the treetops. This makes predator control of cats, stoats, and rats vital to ensure their survival.

Predator control has been proven to work in favour of kākā . The Pureora Forest Park in central North Island is a case in point; a fourfold increase in kākā in 20 years, from 640 in 2000 to 2600 in 2020. Even more exciting is that the ratio of female to male is approaching 1:1, as opposed to 1:2.1 previously!

Kākā are still regarded as under threat though.

If kākā are visiting in your neighbourhood, or a suburb nearby, the most efficacious things you can do to encourage them and make their environment safe is to trap assiduously for rats, mustelids, and possums, and plant the native trees they love for food and habitat. Most areas in New Zealand have volunteer groups that trap, weed, and plant. Every effort helps, no matter how small it may seem.

Randolph and friends reappeared this year, earlier than last year, but they also departed earlier. I haven’t heard or seen a kākā since September 20 when Randolph dropped in for a raucous chat. I’m hoping they appear for one final visit, but if not, I’m confident of their return in winter of 2022.

Most exciting is the news that kākā have been hanging around in kowhai trees up on Woody Bay Rd. over the last few days!

RRA Election time?

Is it time to review the function and performance of the RRA (Rakino Rate Payers Association)?

The objectives of the Association are set out in its Constitution.

At the Annual General Meeting candidates either volunteer or are persuaded to join the committee sometime later. There is no election process as is defined. Elected officers are those who volunteer for that role. Not much happens. There’s little or no communication with the membership. The Association doesn’t enjoy community support and more importantly respect. All fairly typical characteristics of any volunteer organization. Well-meaning. Volunteers doing their best, but is their best good enough?

In recent times things have been organized independent of the Association. We have enjoyed concerts at the Hall, the Nursery and at the Pizzeria. Yoga classes, art, weaving courses are all well received and supported. The community can make things happen if it has the will. Who needs the Association?

It does seem that decentralization will continue which questions the relevance of the Association and especially as it has seldom taken a lead or achieved much. The hall is but one example. Our emergency response capability is being withdrawn. The Association fiddles whilst Rakino potentially burns.

The Association is nevertheless essential as the body that represents us when dealing with say the Council. Council will only deal with the one voice. The problem with that one voice is that the committee is not democratically elected, doesn’t have a mandate on any position it takes, is seldom well informed and invariably reflects the opinion of the committee or some on it.

We have allowed this situation to occur. We don’t follow the prescribed process for the election of a committee and a Chair. We don’t give them a brief, a blue print for what we want for the Island, where we are going and how we want to get there. If we don’t manage change, it will happen regardless.

I believe the function of the Association should be three-fold;

To achieve representation on the Waiheke Community Board.
To represent the community with key stake holders and deploy expertise within the community for specific negotiations.
To develop a road map which reflects the communities needs and aspirations, coordinate a blue print and invite people to take on specific function, unhindered. Performance is measured by success.

The Hall is a prime example as to why there must be change.

After years of talk, Stephen Thomas came up with a scheme to move and redevelop the existing building which he costed and presented to the community both on and off the Island. His concept was well received and he was congratulated on his initiative. We were to be canvassed for our thoughts. A no brainer really. Unfortunately, covid aside, nothing has happened. More of the same and for the same reasons.

We were told at the last AGM that Council preferred a new build on which premise a vote was taken to do away with the old and bring in the new. A concept by the Association was presented with a few boxes and improved vehicular access. It has since transpired that Council did not express that preference yet a new design is being developed after Stephen Thomas presented his vision and the ink had almost dried. Stephen had broad approval for his concept and has the skill set, drive and contacts to make things happen. Local trades, professionals and merchants offered their support. Meetings brimmed with enthusiasm and suggestions as to how it could happen and how individuals could contribute.

Stephen should be given the job to resolve the hall fiasco once and for all. He has the qualifications to present a concept and costings to the Waiheke Board, get approval from the Board, facilitate funding and consents, negotiate with Auckland Transport as regards transportation issues and bring the community together to build with fund raising if necessary. No one else on the committee has those skills and frankly they have had decades to demonstrate their capabilities. A significant job for a lone individual but Stephen is a team player and can call upon expertise within the community to finally resolve something which has been on the drawing board for decades.

No more delays awaiting the formation of a committee, no more waffle and grandstanding. Responsibility delegated to someone who know what they’re doing. Job done.

What else does the community need? Here’s but a few thoughts to make my point.

Entertainment.

Lisa and Holly have shown to have the drive and passion to organize fantastic events with fantastic artists. They should be given carte blanche responsibility with an allocation of funds from the Association. The community should underwrite the associated costs and be willing to pay to participate rather than stand on the fringes and observe.

Sense of community

Why not our own flag, an Island logo, a letterhead, some merchandise that sets us apart. Let’s appoint someone with those skills, which may also include a programmer so that we can vote electronically on whatever design we prefer. The same program could be utilized at the AGM and at other significant decision times.

Other thoughts are; fruit trees along the berms, utilization of the land at the top of the Island for sporting events, a website which brings together all the other sites under the one umbrella, resolution of the mooring travesty, a welcoming committee for new owners, an information centre for visitors.

The possibilities are endless. Someone with a special interest or skill takes responsibility for a specific function after being provided with a broad outline of what the community wants.
Once again, answerable to us, not the committee which in time becomes largely redundant much as it is now but is no longer permitted to stymie innovative thinking or enthusiasm.

Thoughtful comment would be appreciated. The next AGM is over Labour weekend. Change is necessary now. I believe we need fresh blood on the Association. There are many talented impassioned people out there to make a real difference. I believe that needs to begin at the top.