Whangateau Folk Club cancelled this month due to the tree down across Leigh Road at Upper Whangateau and no power in the area. The story is it’ll be cleared before club time, but no idea when the power will be restored. Best everyone stay home nice and safe, and we’ll try again next month!

Club night is tomorrow, Monday the 27th of March! 7pm, $15 at the door.

We have a very special second half guest act this month!  Described as an ‘intricate, complex, but warm-hug kinda experience’, Where Water Meets are folk duo Emily Sheppard (violin/viola/vocals) and Yyan Ng (guitar/vocals). Touring New Zealand for the first time, they are bringing music from their critically acclaimed first album River Islands, with songs and tunes inspired by the Tasmanian wilderness. They combine alternatively tuned guitars, violins and violas with ethereal vocals to create shimmering, visual worlds both Tasmanian and interstellar.  How exciting is this?

The evening starts at 7pm, Monday, 27 February, with half time bikkies and a hot drink included.  $10, door sales only, no pre-booking necessary. You can email Andy directly, or come early to sign up for a floor spot.

Radio New Zealand coverage

I have noticed that a lot of people tend to only come to shows that have been advertised on Radio New Zealand.  I would like to point out that getting onto RNZ is very difficult if you don’t know the right people or have the right connections.  A lot of great bands come through without having done an RNZ appearance.  This month’s guest is no exception!  So have your tea a little early, come down, and enjoy some truly unique and transporting music.

New Zealand String Quartet

After a sold-out concert in Wellington on St Patrick’s Day, we’re delighted to bring Irish Airs & Graces to Auckland next Friday 31^st March for a performance at Unitarian Church, 1a Ponsonby Road.

Irish Airs & Graces is a concert blurring the boundaries between traditional Irish music and contemporary classical music and featuring Irish composer Dave Flynn, the New Zealand String Quartet, and guest traditional Irish musicians: Tracey Collins (accordion) and Marian Burns (fiddle).

The New Zealand String Quartet (NZSQ) is renowned for its versatility and has enjoyed collaborating with musicians and artists from all over the globe, in a range of classical, jazz and world music and dance genres.  The NZSQ first performed one of Dave Flynn’s works (‘Slip’ from String Quartet no.2 ‘The Cranning’) during our 2022 national tour, and we are delighted to collaborate with Dave on this special concert.

The programme features traditional Irish music arranged for string quartet, accordion, fiddle, and guitar. The ‘airs’ represent the famed melodies of Ireland, while the ‘graces’ represent the distinctive ornamentation techniques unique to Irish music.

Subject: CRG Emergency Hubs for safe shelter in the Rodney East Area

Mahurangi West Hall

Warkworth Town Hall

Mahurangi East Community Centre

Matakana Hall

Omaha Golf Club community Centre

Leigh Hall

Whangateau Hall will also be available for emergency shelter and coordination if necessary. WRRA and the Hall Committee are standing by and ready to open the hall when needed.

Frank and Kara have moved their February 15th show up to the Irish Wolf in Whangarei.  If you had pre-purchased tickets for Whangateau they should have been automatically refunded to you.

In addition, Greta O’Leary, our scheduled second half guest for February Club Night has had to cancel.  Club night will still be held on Monday, February 27th and will be hosted by Andy Hamilton.

There will also be an Info-stall for the Forest Bridge
Trust with taxidermy mounts of NZ predators, handmade cards and lots of support for all the people involved in active predator control and trapping. You will find plants and produce, books and gifts, a sausage sizzle and a welcoming friendly community atmosphere.

Matt Jones of the Dirt Road Orchestra in Puhoi hosts tonight at Whangateau Folk Club!  His special guest is Jemilah Ross-Hayes.  Jemilah’s rich vocals like warm milk, are the perfect accompaniment to your folk club half time bikkie and cuppa.  Read more about her below.  If you’d like a first half floor spot, come early and sign up at the door.  I’ll be rolling in from Queenstown a little late, hoping to see you all there!  $15 at the door, 7pm start!  

About Jemilah Ross-Hayes:  Jemilah will entrance you with honest lyricism that seeks to unravel the tough truths, deep doubts and soft soul within her experiences. Knitted into a soft blanket of open chords, Jemilah’s lyrics aspire to wrap you in the feeling of coming home.
Between the green comforts of her upbringing on Waiheke Island, to the bustling cities of Europe, she has dipped her musical spoons in many jars of honey. Discovering loneliness, freedom, confidence and wonder, she will transport you to Galway’s cobblestoned Irish streets and walk with you through the curving canals in Venice.

Jemilah will be accompanied by musical collaborator Koen Aldershof.

Suzette McFarlane who lives in the Whangateau village has organised a meeting for the local residents to discuss the trees (SEE BELOW) and I am sending this information out to members as requested.

Whangateau Community Meeting at the Whangateau Hall, Wednesday 14th September 6.30pm

Topics of Discussion:
· Saving Existing Pohutukawa Trees
· New Tree Plantings in the Whangateau Domain

You may or may not be aware that there are a few actions underway in the Community at present around trees in the Whangateau Domain:
1. Saving the existing Pohutukawa trees along the waterfront
2. Planting of new Pohutukawa trees in the Domain

This meeting is an opportunity for the Whangateau Community to hear from the Hall Committee and community leads around the plans for new and existing plantings and provide a forum for discussion/feedback.

The planned plantings outlined in a flyer distributed a couple of weeks ago to the residents of Whangateau have been put on hold pending the Community feedback from this meeting.

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person but would like your views heard, please email the WRRA Secretary Audrey Sharp am.sharp56@gmail.com prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Attached below are the current council plans for our toilet block replacement. All members of the community are welcomed to review and submit comments. The Hall and Reserve Committee are very happy with the current plan and eagerly looking forward to its implementation!

Note on the plans below:
The photo montage of the new Permaloo prefabricated concrete building on page 7 (plan sheet G06) shows the colour of the roof as the same as the existing colour of the hall roof. However, the hall roof is up for replacement later this year after a structural design review that is currently in progress, is completed. The colour of the new roof is to change to ‘Gull Grey’ as requested by Council’s Heritage Specialist so obviously the new toilet roof will also need to match the colour of the hall