Tickled pink: Kerikeri businesses took turns last Friday to send their staff out to raise money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Foundation. Pictured here in pink are, from left, Donna Young, Matt Bell, Paul Young and Jenny Graham of accountancy firm Whitelaw Weber taking care of the 2-4pm shift. PHOTO / PETER DE GRAAF
Tickled pink: Kerikeri businesses took turns last Friday to send their staff out to raise money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Foundation. Pictured here in pink are, from left, Donna Young, Matt Bell, Paul Young and Jenny Graham of accountancy firm Whitelaw Weber taking care of the 2-4pm shift. PHOTO / PETER DE GRAAF
A weekly round-up of news snippets, events and oddities from the Bay of Islands and around the Mid North.
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust is hoping to build a $2 million railway station complex at Opua within the next two years.
Plans for the new station, at a site known as Colenso's Triangle, were unveiled at a fundraising night in Paihia.
The complex will be the terminus for steam-train trips from Kawakawa that currently run as far as Taumarere, about halfway to the final goal.
It will be built in the style of an early 1900s railway station and able to host large functions as well as businesses such as cycle hire, a cafe and a gift shop. Wetlands beside the station will be preserved and made accessible by a boardwalk and lookout points. Pip Bolton, of the Design Room in Paihia, is developing the plans free of charge.
FUTURE VIEW: An artist's impression of the railway station planned for the Opua end of the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway. IMAGE/SUPPLIED
The trust's fundraising manager, Frank Leadley, said concept plans were now complete and the next stage was working out the cost. He expected it would be about $2 million.
"It's a really exciting development, economically, culturally and historically. It's also a bit daunting, but nothing we can't manage."
The plans included a turntable, water tower, parking area and jetty, which could one day be used by the steam ferry Minerva.
The trust had raised more than $2 million in the past and hoped to leverage off the Government's tourism facilities fund, Mr Leadley said.
The plans were unveiled during a sell-out trivia night in Paihia, with Mr Leadley and Mayor John Carter as the MCs, which raised more than $17,000 for the new station.
Open studio trail
Artists around Kerikeri are busily tidying their studios and creating new works in preparation for the town's first open art-studio trail.
More than 50 artists will throw their studio doors open at 30 locations during Labour Weekend, giving the public a rare peek into their workplaces and creative processes.
They will be joined on the Kerikeri Open Art Studio Trail (Koast) by five guest artists, including the internationally recognised weaver Agnes Hauptli of Peria. Ms Hauptli has won several top Creative Fibre NZ awards, gained a scholarship to study jacquard weaving in the UK in 2009, and exhibited in the US this year.
Agnes Hauptli.
The other guests are M Francis McCarthy (oil painter), Sheila Blackburn (ceramicist), Heike Schaefer (embroidery) and Gery Hore (etcher/painter graduating from NorthTec next month).
Koast organiser Ann Winship said the trail offered more than just local art for sale. "Including guests is a way to have our trail-goers see and talk with notable artists from all over New Zealand, right here in Kerikeri."
A trail map and booklet is available for $5 from Kerikeri businesses Ray White, Harcourt's, Real, Possum Trendz, Paper Plus and Country Corner, or from www.koast.org.nz.
Charity auction
Hospice Mid-Northland is holding a charity art and collectibles auction at the Turner Centre this Friday.
Drinks and complimentary canapes will be served from 6.30pm; a silent auction will run all evening with a live art auction starting at 7.30pm.
Would-be buyers have a chance to check out the goods in a preview shop at 99 Kerikeri Rd (next to Vodafone) open 10am-3pm until Friday.
Tickets to the event are $25 from Kerikeri Hospice Shop, Harcourts Kerikeri or the preview shop. Phone Hospice on (09) 407 7799 for more information. A glass of champagne is included.
Calling volunteers
Do you know a volunteer who deserves a bit of recognition? Nominations have opened for the 2013-14 Far North Citizen Awards, which aim to recognise ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Up to 10 awards are presented each year to Far Northerners who have made a considerable contribution, without pay, to the well-being of the district and its citizens.
Nomination forms are available from council service centres or the website www.fndc.govt.nz. Nominations close on November 7.
Heritage dream
With its rich history and sites of the first Maori-Pakeha contact, the Bay of Islands is an archaeologists' dream. Two people living that dream are Heritage New Zealand (formerly the Historic Places Trust) area manager Bill Edwards and archaeologist Brooke Jamieson.
They will be the guest speakers at the next meeting of the University of the Third Age (U3A) at 10.30am on October 20, at the St John Hall on Kerikeri Rd. Their talk is Archaeology and Heritage in Northland.
U3A is for retired people who enjoy sharing interests and learning together.
The recent Russell to Paihia Snorkel Scuba Race raised a record $3900 for Bay of Islands Coastguard, Russell Radio and Paihia Fire Brigade.
The unusual, long-running race - it has been going for 32 years - was contested this year by 14 teams, six of which travelled from Auckland. It was won for the second year in a row by Auckland's Wettie Young Guns in 44 minutes 20 seconds.
A fish auction on Paihia's Village Green raised $792; the evening's entertainment at Paihia fire station another $1325.
Joint exhibition
Artists Keri Molloy (Kerikeri) and Aaron Hoskins (Onerahi, Ngati Hau) are holding a joint exhibition at Kaan Zamaan gallery on Kerikeri's Hobson Ave until the end of October. Molloy, a former newspaper editor, is showing paintings while Hoskins is showing carvings in wood and stone.
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