Surf club gets new home

A procession to the new clubhouse at the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club for the official opening. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club held an official opening of its facilities by outgoing Auckland mayor Phil Goff, and a blessing for their Pou Whenua carved by Mihaka Marikena, gifted by Te Kawerau a Maki and friends at the weekend.

"We are just so pleased to now be able to invite all the stakeholders who have been responsible for this great achievement to personally attend the opening of the club, and for us to be able to thank them properly for all their work and effort in bringing the project to fruition", said club president David Munro prior to the event.

Pita Turei speaks at the official opening of the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club clubhouse. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The new clubhouse has taken nearly 20 years to realise with just the resource consent taking six years in total. The club was always happy that consultation, planning and meetings were with full approval from the wider community, Tangata Whenua, council and local funders at every step along the way.

Mihaka Marikena and the Pou Whenua he carved for the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Funding for the project came from council, the Lotteries Commission, the Waitakere and Portage Licensing Trusts, Foundation North, the Grassroots Trust and NZCT as well as may private donations including from British filmmaker Jed FILEBy who needed rescuing from the surf on a visit in the 1970s and a North Shore family who donated the proceeds from the sale of a bike rack on auction site Trade Me ($101.00).

Kaumatua Warahi Paki speaks with Auckland mayor Phil Goff at the official opening on Saturday. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The club has been patrolling Karekare on Auckland's west coast since 1935, boasting passionate members who are in it for life – from the local family with three generations of active lifeguards to local celebrities like former Waitakere mayor Sir Bob Harvey.

New members are always welcome says Munro who also hosted an open day for members of the club on Sunday.

Surf Lifesaving New Zealand saved over 500 lives in the 2020/21 season and Karekare regularly pops up in those statistics.

Munro has some advice for all would-be swimmers - "Always swim between the flags".