Sharpen your pencils and focus your senses - the Katikati Haiku Contest is calling for entries.
The contest runs in two sections - 17 and under, and 18 and over - and offers cash prizes totalling $175 in the senior section and $85 in the junior section. There is also a book prize for the best haiku by a local writer.
Sponsorship by Kings Seeds means all entry fees go towards the Katikati Haiku Pathway project, which is adding two new haiku to the collection.
Judging the senior section is Sandra Simpson of Tauranga, a member of the Haiku Pathway committee and an award-winning haiku poet. Her top tip for writing haiku is to be a good observer.
"Take note of, for instance, a change in weather, an evocative sound, taste or scent, a special moment in a day. Don't expect to write a perfect haiku first off but use your notes to work up a poem."