Volunteers for Bay Bush Action line up for a briefing before venturing into the Ōpua Forest to lay stoat traps.
Getting into action in the bush
Last month, the charity Bay Bush Action enticed 16 volunteers to lay down stoat traps in the Ōpua Forest.
They came from Whangārei, Kerikeri and numerous places in between and included target="_self" rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/far-north-district/">Far North District Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford and her husband and some “very fit, very strong” wāhine.
They had to carry 200 large Department of Conservation (DoC) double run-through stoat traps – and that was no mean task, given the terrain included steep inclines, down hills and through creeks, all of which were slippery and hard to navigate.
In practical terms, it meant sliding 300m down to a stream then going back up again and repeating the whole exercise for 3.2km.
All up 30 traps were set, which is half the line in the heart of the forest. Traps are set every 800m and it means nearly half the forest now has stoat control.
Brad Windust, a senior trustee with Bay Bush Action, said it was necessary because stoats were “killing machines”.
“So many birds have disappeared because of them and 94% of the kiwi chicks don’t survive to adulthood when there are stoats present.”
There is, however, quantifiable success. Last year Bay Bush Action released 24 kiwi back into the forest: they are thriving and there has been a noticeable increase in the kiwi population overall. Weka are also coming back and there is anecdotal evidence of an increase in other birdlife.
“People tell us they notice there are so many more birds around now,” says Windust.
He acknowledged those who donated the traps – Save the Kiwi NZ, Northland Regional Council, High Value Area and Kiwi Coast.
Long-time custodian of Paihia says farewell
The custodians of Paihia who keep the town neat and tidy are employed by Focus Paihia, which has overall responsibility.
Henare Rapana has been doing the work since 2018. He says the “heavy days” are when cruise ships are in, but it’s also when he gets some support.
Mostly, though, he has called on backpackers as casual workers or the unemployed in town, although he says there was never a full commitment from those people.
The job has not been without its fair share of drama.
In 2023, he and another man were assaulted, dragged from their vehicle and the perpetrators demanded their belongings and told Rapana to drive them to a motel.
Instead he drove him and his accomplice to another motel they knew had CCTV. The attacker realised he was being captured on film and took off.
Police found the car dumped at the end of an isolated road and launched a large-scale search. The attacker was eventually arrested and charged.
Rapana has over the years considered retirement, but a suitable replacement was never available and he felt obliged to remain. Last year, however, Lee Paora was discovered, he was reliable and it provided the opportunity for Rapana to retire.
“He is a suitable candidate for this position and he has reached my high level of work ethic,” said Rapana.
Focus Paihia chairman Pete Robinson said Rapana’s hard work and commitment to keeping the town clean had been greatly appreciated.
“Throughout summer, the custodians work three to four hours a day, three to four days a week, focusing on essential tasks such as emptying public rubbish bins, cleaning the public barbecues and maintaining our five public toilets.
“It’s a demanding, often thankless job, but one that makes a huge difference in keeping Paihia beautiful for both residents and visitors.”
Paora will be joined by Simon Topi, who started in the job two weeks ago.
Battle of Kororāreka remembered
At sunrise on Tuesday, March 11, about 40 people gathered around the flagstaff on Maiki Hill in Russell. They were there to commemorate the Battle of Kororāreka of 180 years ago.
There was a small contingent from the New Zealand Defence Force – the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army – and representatives from police.
Among those present were direct descendants of Tāmiti Waka Nene, Hōne Heke Pōkai and Te Ruki Kawiti, who were all intricately involved in the battle that day. Direct descendants of the original Williams missionary family of Paihia were also present.
Burton Shipley, husband of Dame Jenny Shipley (Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999) hoisted a United Tribes flag to the top of the staff as the gathering sang a hymn.
As the sun rose higher, those assembled ventured down the hill to the graveyard at Christ Church in Russell. The naval personnel paid a special tribute to the six young men from the HMS Hazard killed in the battle and whose names are on a plaque at the grave site.
During the battle, the British are estimated to have lost 19 or 20 and Māori an estimated 13.
Organiser of the commemoration was Deb Rawiri, of Haratu Marae in Russell, who said it was the biggest gathering seen at Maiki Hill for about 10 years.
One of the most definitive versions of the battle is found on the New Zealand History website, which provides information and resources from within the History Group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. It says (in part):
“Ngāpuhi had enjoyed economic benefits from their early contact with Europeans, and leaders such as Tāmati Wāka Nene and Hōne Heke Pōkai were keen to preserve this relationship. Both had converted to Christianity and supported the Treaty of Waitangi.
“Governor Hobson’s decision to move the capital from the Bay of Islands to Auckland in 1841 was a serious blow.
“When the flagstaff was re-erected after the third attack on January 19, 1845, it was clad in iron and protected by a blockhouse. Nene also provided guards.
“The sloop HMS Hazard arrived from New South Wales and 140 soldiers, sailors and marines were available to defend the town. Two hundred residents and crewmen of visiting ships were also armed.
“Heke and several hundred fighters moved on Kororāreka. One group, led by Te Ruki Kawiti, created a diversion at the southern end of the town enabling Heke to seize the blockhouse defending the flagstaff and the offending pole was cut down for a fourth time.
“Women and children were evacuated from the town and soon afterwards the powder magazine at Joel Polack’s stockade exploded and surrounding buildings caught fire.
“When the commander of the Hazard ordered the bombardment of Kororāreka, Māori began looting the town. The Anglican and Catholic churches were spared from destruction on Heke’s orders.
“The battle shook the settler population and £50,000 worth of property was lost, or $7 million in today’s terms. Nene and his supporters took no part in the fighting at Kororāreka.
“Nene continued to talk to Heke in a bid to stop the conflict escalating, but fighting between the two main Ngāpuhi factions intensified when Heke insulted Nene by accusing him of ‘fighting for blankets’. It was a prelude to the start of what became known as the Northern Wars.”
