Rebecca Hamilton hits Russell beach after swimming from Paihia, and raising over $7000 in the process.
A few years ago, when Rebecca Hamilton was confined to a hospital bed for three months with a complicated pregnancy, she began to dream of an open water swim. Trouble is, she lived in Washington DC, USA, with not an ocean in sight so it stayed no more than "a crazy idea".
Fast forward a few years and she has moved to Okiato with her husband and four children and is surrounded by the sea and the idea has become reality. She decided to swim from Paihia to Russell and for good measure to raise funds for Russell Kororāreka School via a Givealittle page.
Last year the school made the public commitment not to ask whanau for donations. Rebecca was hoping to raise $2000 or, if she was lucky, $5000.
"My idea was to draw in friends overseas to donate so as not to be asking more of the Russell community, seeing how much the local community gives of their time already."
The concept sounded good on paper but first she had to overcome her fear of sharks and stingrays. She got encouragement from two open water swimmers, Ann Browkett and Karen Markin, an open water swim coach from Paihia.
She then hauled in her brother Mark Nixon and his wife, Fran, who ran the support boat "so they could haul me out of the water if necessary".
On March 8 she set off from Paihia wharf for the 3.3km swim to Russell beach. By the time she reached the opposite shore 56 minutes and 11 seconds later 55 donors had raised $7309.
When Russell school heard of her fundraising efforts, they went to the beach to welcome her in with a rousing haka.
"It was spine-tingling" she said. "And I feel elated."
Hamilton had estimated a donation of $50 would enable three Year 1 pupils to have an ocean safety lesson, $75 would enable the 10 Year 2 pupils to visit Maiki Hill and a donation of $400 would enable all Year 3 and 4 pupils to visit Waitangi Treat Grounds.
Because she exceeded the target, the school will use the money for water safety activities, connect pupils with the region's history and support the school library, in particular acquiring more New Zealand books and Young Adult fiction.
A two-day horse trek in the Utakura Valley near Ōkaihau has raised $13,000 for Far North Search and Rescue.
More than 85 riders, from as far away as Ōtorohanga, Ruapehu and Kaitaia, took part in the February 27-28 event made possible by six landowners who opened up their properties.
The volunteer group's coffers were further boosted by Northland businesses donating raffle prizes.
Far North Search and Rescue president Donna MacCarthy said the event was a huge success and would allow the group to buy personal protective equipment, a drone and a rugged outdoor defibrillator.
''We're a charitable organisation with 32 volunteers who conduct searches for the lost, missing or injured. We're always in need of fundraising support and volunteers to ensure the safety of our volunteers, the lost person and our community.''
Food left over after the trek was donated to six families in the Waitangi Kainga.
Email president@fnsar.org if you're interested in volunteering or supporting the group.
Okiato is not Russell. It's where the car ferry from Opua drops you off and is 7km from Russell. It's the site of New Zealand's first capital and most of Okiato is on high ground.
If those who live there wanted to move to higher ground they'd have to go through the lower ground of Russell to get there. Or drive to where the cellphone tower is on a hill out of town and where parking is limited. Then you'd have to walk up the hill because there's no road.
Both car ferries were out of action for cars. They'd moved to deeper waters. Folk who were lined up to take the ferry from Okiato to Opua had no option but to turn around and go elsewhere, hopefully to higher ground. Some opted to stay where they were.
The driver of one truck and trailer unit, filled with cattle, had to back up the hill he'd just come down. He did it admirably, backing into a side street and then he was on his way to the back road out of Russell, presumably to Whangārei. At least half that journey is at sea level.
Another truck unit filled with dirt had to back up the hill too.
With the somewhat muted sound of a tsunami warning siren within earshot, neighbours in the small street stood around watching the sea. Two were from Perth and so very new to the area.
They had just bought a house down a driveway and this was their introduction to the neighbourhood, to Northland, to New Zealand, after being in quarantine in a hotel in Auckland. The quarantine hotel, they said, was "fabulous" and here they were, waiting for a tsunami.
Another couple who had been waiting for the ferry were from Wellington. They opted to stay in their car. So did a delivery truck driver. Others came, saw the cars lined up, and left, hopefully to higher ground.
After three hours the siren stopped, the sea which had remained relatively calm, not a major surge in sight. Neighbours went back home, visitors in cars caught the ferry, and all was well with the world after all.
Local Department of Conservation ranger Helen Ough Dealy will be presenting her findings at the closure of a collage exhibition at the Russell Museum.
The museum's exhibition included collages created by participants from across New Zealand.
Ough Dealy is a PhD student at Auckland University of Technology and as part of her studies she interviewed the collage creators to find out how they might move from today and into the future.
"The interviews threw up some interesting concepts, thoughts and ideas and were used in a survey of people visiting and living in the Bay of Islands," she said.
"The survey collected people's responses to hope, to conservation attitudes and their involvement in any action today and in the future."
She said hope plays a role in people's intention to be involved in community conservation, but not as we expected.
"There are other factors at play such as the attitudes that people hold towards each other and toward the natural world."
She will present her "Exploring Hopefulness" findings at 5pm on March 20, 2021.
Fish Forever in conjunction with Experiencing Fish Reserves will host an open snorkel day on March 13 at Maunganui Bay, near Deep Water Cove, halfway between Cape Brett and Rawhiti.
It's an educational day and no experience is necessary. Participants can bring their own gear or there's free hire of a mask, snorkel, fins and a wetsuit.
Fish Forever chairwoman Ria Bright said guides are provided.
"We are taking people out to the rāhui to learn about the marine life and to experience snorkelling in a fish reserve and those participating may be able to spot many different reef fish and triplefins."
It is recommended for everyone eight years and up, all children under 15 years must be accompanied by an adult. Safety procedures will be in place on the day. There are about nine snorkel guides, most of them volunteers.
Registration is essential because spots are limited.
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