The Hauraki Coromandel Post is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in February:
Moe Stevens in the newly-created bunker gear room. Photos / Rebecca Mauger
The Waihī Volunteer Fire Brigade went under a total refurbishment - its first in 56 years.
Fire chief Moe Stevens says the old fire station needed to be brought up to earthquake safety standards following the Christchurch earthquake. The main problem was the two internal walls within the station that were double-bricked with nothing in between the bricks, Moe said.
‘’We haven’t had anything done here since 1966 [when the Kenny St station was opened] apart from a few things... if we needed anything done, we did it ourselves, and we paid for all that.’’
The local brigade was formed in 1869. Before Kenny St, the station was in Haszard St, but ironically, it burnt down in 1963. The Kenny St station was then built in 1964 and was ready by 1966.
The birdwoman of Waihī, Traci Vivian.
Meet Waihī’s “birdwoman”
Traci Vivian was that kid who would steal the lab rats at school to save them from being dissected.
“I was the lab monitor, so when I found out what was going to happen to them, I thought, ‘Nope’,” she says.
She’s known as Waihī’s “birdwoman”, rescuing and nurturing birds of all descriptions in her own home. She’s a lover of all animals, and can’t say no to helping any animal in need.
When the Hauraki Coromandel Post visited Traci, four gorgeous Yorkshire terriers demanded kisses and cuddles, while three birds fluttered in sizeable cages in the main room. An eastern rosella preened herself, a myna spoke about how pretty he was and Traci’s pet possum Emmett - which she’s had since he was a baby - sleepily poked his head out of his sleeping bag to greet his mum.
Create the Vibe mural by Auckland artist Erika Pearce.
Mary Street in Thames was named Best Street at the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards in Wellington
Strat Peters, chairman of the Thames Community Board said: “We’re really excited about the award. It’s a recognition of the community ownership of the ‘create the vibe’ space. We’d like to thank the Thames community for being so involved”.
