A Field of Remembrance is being set up at Waitangi Treaty Grounds until May 1.
A Field of Remembrance at Waitangi Treaty Grounds will be open to view until May1.
The field commemorates those men of the 28 (Māori) Battalion who paid the ultimate wartime price and remembers what they bequeathed to the nation.
During World War II 16,000 Māori enlisted in the armed forces. Around 3600 of these served in the famed 28 (Māori) Battalion. The battalion had five companies, headquarters (HQ) with six specialist units and four rifle companies.
A Company (Ngā Keri Kāpia) were known as The Gum Diggers. B Company (Ngā Ruku Kapa) were The Penny Divers, C Company (Ngā Kaupoi) were The Cowboys and D Company (Ngāti Walkabout) were the Foreign Legion.
Each company represented a specific geographic area and its members were generally affiliated to the hapū and iwi of that area. HQ drew its members from all regions. Pākehā and Pasifika also served in the battalion.
Despite their distinguished fighting record receiving a total of 99 honours and awards during the war – the highest number among New Zealand’s infantry battalions - the 28 (Māori) Battalion suffered enormous losses.
This Field of Remembrance commemorates the nearly 600 men of the battalion killed in action and who now lie on foreign soil in Greece, Italy, Austria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Germany and Poland.
The cross for ‘A New Zealand Soldier – Known unto God’ represents the thousands of New Zealanders who have no known grave.
At the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, February 6, 1940, a 500-strong contingent of the 28 (Māori) Battalion representing all tribes marched up the Nias Track to the opening of Te Whare Rūnanga.
The Anzac Service on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for 2023 will reflect on those who remained in Aotearoa/New Zealand to assist on the home front and who played an essential role in supporting those who went to war.
Rick Wells is a former world triathlon champion, a Commonwealth Games triathlon champion and a Commonwealth Games swimmer. That much is well-known.
Less known is that during the pandemic lockdowns he lost his business, he lost his drive, his passion and became depressed.
“I found it hard during Covid, I was struggling and I’m a hard-minded guy and I thought if I can feel like that, others must be going through it and even worse.”
In 2021 he organised the Great Barrier Challenge, a relay team of five “old fellas” swimming 100km from Great Barrier Island to Takapuna. They raised $350,000 for St John.
Based on that success he took on another challenge, this time with another group of “old fellas” variously biking, running, paddling and swimming the length of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Wellington.
The event is called the Due Drop Hope Challenge and the charity benefiting is Mike King’s I am Hope and Gumboot Friday.
“Men talk about prostate cancer and women talk about breast cancer but no one talks about their mental health, it’s like a taboo subject,” he says.
“The hope is that we can raise awareness discussing mental wellbeing, particularly among young people who need to be given the chance to discuss their thoughts and feelings and get support if they need it.”
Joining the team is Ian Jones, the former rugby player from Kamo. He became involved because he wanted to bring to the forefront the hopelessness and profound suffering that afflicts New Zealand’s young.
They started on Houhora on April 10, arrived at Mangonui on day two and variously ran, biked, paddled and swam from Kerikeri to Paihia. From there they swam to Russell for day three. Mike King was celebrating his 61st birthday with the swim yet a year ago he could barely swim the length of a 25-metre pool.
The entourage then zigzagged around the North Island towards Wellington. The event concludes on April 26 with a hikoi to Parliament led by King. They will meet with a government representative to convey the group’s concerns regarding the critical need for decisive action on improving youth mental health.
A passenger-only service will be operating on the Hokianga Harbour from May 1 for about five weeks, weather-dependent, while the Far North District Council’s ferry undergoes maintenance.
Ferry services for vehicles between Rāwene and Kohukohu will be suspended while the Kohu Ra Tuarua undergoes an out-of-water survey and maintenance. The replacement ferry service for passengers only will run to the normal ferry timetable.
There is a change to the landing site. The replacement ferry will operate between Rāwene and the wharf in Kohukohu town, not the ferry landing at Narrow Wharf which is located about four kilometres south of Kohukohu township. Signs advising users will be erected at key intersections.
The ferry Kohu Ra Tuarua is around 25 years old and because of that more significant maintenance is required. This includes refurbishment and repairs of the two main hydraulic ramps as well as major painting works on the hull, bulwarks, deck and all of the tanks on board.
The vessel was last out of the water in 2017. The Hokianga Ferry is operated on behalf of the Far North District Council by Northland Ferries. Until June 30 all passengers can travel for half price and from July 1 Community Service cardholders can travel for half price permanently. The discount does not include vehicles.
The car ferry takes 15 minutes between Rāwene and Kohukohu. The alternative road trip takes 90 minutes and Calvin Thomas, general manager at Northland Transport Alliance, says he is very aware of how important the car ferry service is to the Hokianga.
Hospital staff and other regular vehicle ferry users are being advised to plan alternative commuting arrangements in advance.
Applications are now open for the 2023 Wharepuke Dalton Trust artist residency. Deadline for applications is 5pm on May 19 and the selected artist will be notified by the end of May.
The residency is valued at $5500 and is open for proposals from New Zealand and international artists. The brief is to create a permanent work of art on-site for the Wharepuke Sculpture Trail in Kerikeri.
The proposed work must be suitable for outdoor permanent display and can be three-dimensional, two-dimensional, a sculpture, or even a video or sound creation. Artists from any discipline can apply.
The artist chosen receives a four-week residency between July 3 and September 30 although the exact date can be negotiated with the artist. The value of the residency is calculated at $3500 as an artist’s fee and accommodation is valued at $2000.
Wharepuke has two hectares of subtropical Garden of National Significance, a non-toxic printmaking studio, a purpose-built art gallery, studio space and a one-kilometre sculpture trail. The accommodation is a self-contained, one-bedroom cottage.
The first Wharepuke Dalton Trust funded artist residency was awarded to Regan Gentry in 2017 who produced a new work called The Fall of Water. The 2018 residency was awarded to Todd Sheridan from Gisborne and in 2019 the resident artist was Donald Burglass. No one was awarded the residency in 2021.
To apply go to artist-residencies.co.nz.
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