The official re-opening of Oruaiti Chapel is being held tomorrow following a restoration project. A $163,000 grant was approved by Whangārei District Council in December last year to go towards much-needed work on the 1886 Clarke Homestead and the 1860 Oruaiti Chapel, both Grade 2 Heritage NZ listed buildings. The tiny, eight-sided Orauiti Chapel was built from one single kauri tree at the Oruaiti settlement, 22km south Mangonui. Work began in 1859 and by 1861 New Zealand's smallest church was in use by local Wesleyans and Anglicans. It was moved to a Methodist property in Kamo in 1946 and on to its present site at the museum grounds at Kiwi North in 1976. The chapel is still sometimes used for small services such as weddings and other celebrations.
The reopening will be held 2.30pm at the chapel.
Tupaia exhibition moves north
Auckland Museum is packing its bags and heading north to Paihia for a long weekend as part of its Ata Hira: Museum on the Move programme. From Friday, November 29, to Sunday, December 1, the museum will set up a travelling exhibition about the Tahitian navigator Tupaia and the Endeavour in Paihia Memorial Hall on Williams Rd. The ''pop-up museum'' will offer multiple perspectives of Tupaia's life in Tahiti, on board Cook's ship and his arrival in Aotearoa. Museum on the Move is visiting various Endeavour landing sites as part of the Tuia 250 commemorations. Free entry; exhibition hours 10am to 4pm.
Children' clothing re-use initiative
For Our Real Clean Environment (F.O.R.C.E.) has teamed up with Whangārei Plunket to stop children's clothing going into landfill and redirect it to families in need. Through the Kids Kits Program Plunket volunteers and nurses redistribute second-hand children's clothing from new born to five years to families in the community. F.O.R.C.E. have donated several boxes of clothing and 120 sunhats and hope to redirect more in the future. People wishing to donate, can drop off children's clothes at the Plunket offices at 22 Commerce St or take it to a Love Whangārei Monthly Clean Up event for re-distribution.
