The team at Bay of Islands Marina, winners of the 2024 Marina of the Year.
Bay of Islands Marina wins award
The Bay of Islands Marina Boatyard has been named New Zealand’s Marina of the Year at the recent 2024 New Zealand Marina Association Operators Awards.
The New Zealand MOA is the national trade association for the marina industry and its suppliers and represents New Zealand’s marinas and boatyards as a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation.
Judges were impressed with the significant advancements at the Bay of Islands Marina Boatyard. They commended the boatyard’s strong environmental practices, positive transformation, effective management structures, facilities, team culture, and training programmes.
The judges also noted the boatyard’s clear plans for future growth and its crucial role in Northland’s economy and maritime community.
Rhys Dempster, boatyard manager, said “this award is a testament to the unwavering hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm of our entire team”.
Bay of Islands Marina and Boatyard is located in Opua which is considered the gateway to New Zealand’s premier marine playground. It is a 400-berth facility.
The awards were established in 2018 to recognise and celebrate excellence in the marina industry.
The judges all have a connection to, and experience with, the boating industry.
Brian Jolliffe is a retired public company CEO with a lifelong passion for boats, Rebecca Hayter is a multiple award-winning writer passionate about sailing, Garry Lock is a boat owner, marine berth holder, and regular user of haul-out facilities, Matthew Woodley is an experienced sailor, marketer, and business leader and Margaret Wind is the publisher and editor of Skipper Magazine.
There were other Northland winners on the night. Of the 16 initial nationwide finalists Heron Construction Company, based in Whangarei, won a “Best Initiative” award for building a floating marina destined for Waiheke Island. Port Nikau was a finalist for its work marketing to superyachts and Whangarei Marina was highly commended for its work getting the Whangarei Maritime Festival under way.
Waikare school child wins Lego yacht
Te Kura o Waikare visited Northland Toyota last week and delivered a stirring haka to welcome the America’s Cup to the region. Initially it wasn’t intended they be there.
Volunteer project manager for Te Kura o Waikare, Dr Vicky Lawson, noted that no Māori school and only two rural schools were included on the tour list so she phoned Northland Toyota to ask if some of her kids could come for a visit. They said yes.
“The universe was working for us this time,” she said.
Of the schools 93 Māori students, 50 went to the Whangārei dealership to see what is known currently as the Kiwi Cup, first-hand. Without much prior notice and with little preamble, the children performed a karakia, a powhiri and a haka.
Some of those students are involved in the Bay of Islands Sailing programme conducted out of Russell Boating Club, so it was especially significant for them to see the Auld Mug.
They were also in for a surprise. Northland Toyota had purchased an Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 Yacht in Lego form and all those present went into the draw to win it. Year 7 student Jay Jay Pomare’s name was drawn out and he declared he was “thrilled and excited” with the win.
Rather than have him and a teacher travel 65km from Waikare to Whangārei to receive the prize Lego yacht, two representatives of Northland Toyota came north to Te Kura o Waikare.
Karen Wyatt, marketing and social media co-ordinator and Megan Moulton-Cox the finance and insurance administrator at the dealership presented the yacht to Jay Jay.
“It was by way of saying a thank you for the school coming to the dealership,” said Karen.
Lawson said the school’s “heartfelt thanks go to Northland Toyota for giving our kura and tamariki the privilege of welcoming the Cup to Northland”.
Giant chair for walkers and trampers
An oversized chair has found its way to the walkway off Florance Ave in Russell. It’s for walkers and trampers who are treading the track and for those who just want to sit and contemplate the views of the bay towards Paihia and Waitangi.
It was made possible by a generous donation from Robin and Maggie Cooter who have been active members of the Rotary Club Bay of Islands since 2005. They live in Rugby, England, but made the Bay of Islands their base during their annual three-month stays in summer. They are referred (lovingly) by the club as “Sunshine Members”.
During their stays they contributed to the club considerably. One of the projects they were involved with was helping on the Russell to Okiato Walkway – hence the reason for their donation. In return they received fellowship, service to the community and long-term friends.
Michael McEntegart, from the MenzShed in Russell, procured the materials and built the huge chair. It first had to be dismantled to get out of the shed and was then re-assembled on site at the start of the track.
The site where it is located was identified as suitable by well-known Russell resident, and former principal of Russell School, William Fuller, He obtained approval for it to be placed on the Donny Estate which is maintained by the Kiwi Foundation and the Bay of Islands Walkways Trust.
Fuller has had a great deal to do with other walking tracks around the Russell Peninsula, helping to create them and to maintain them.
Donna Smith from the Rotary Club Bay of Islands said she hopes the giant chair will be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the Bay of Islands “for years to come”.
Why an historic map of New Zealand looks like Ireland
A map dating back to 1841 highlights a brief period in New Zealand history when the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island went by very different names.
The map is part of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga collection based in Northland and identifies the three islands, from north to south, as New Ulster, New Munster and New Leinster.
“The map is part of the Kemp House collection and was published by the SPCK, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which was a charitable organisation already over 140 years old when the map was printed,” says Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga collections advisor Belinda Maingay.
“The map records the names and locations of Christian missions in New Zealand and was part of a compendium of maps chronicling the locations of similar missions all around the world. Interestingly, the SPCK still operates today.”
It’s the oddity of a bunch of Irish names superimposed on to a map of New Zealand that, today, annoys. The man behind the idea of naming bits of New Zealand after three provinces in Ireland was none other than Governor William Hobson.
“After the signing of Te Tiriti in 1840, New Zealand was separated from the colony of New South Wales the following year and established as a colony in its own right. The Royal Charter of 1840 stated that the Northern, Middle and Stewart’s Island ‘shall henceforward be designated and known respectively as New Ulster, New Munster and New Leinster’,” says Belinda.
It never really made sense and after just six years the names were ditched in favour of the North Island, the Middle Island and Stewart Island. In 1907 Middle Island was officially renamed South Island at the command of the then Minister for Lands who declared that the “South Island will be adhered to in all cases”.
And that was that.
Without a proper plan the weed would take over the landscape and dominate pasture.