As we are starting up events at Whangateau Hall again, here are the current guidelines we are operating to. The full guide can be found here: https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/life-at-orange/events-and-public-facilities-at-orange/

Key points

• Controlled-access events can go ahead.
• Public facilities can open.
• There are no limits to how many people can attend an event or public facility.
• You must wear a face mask indoors at public facilities, except swimming pools.
• You do not need to wear a face mask at an event, either indoors or outdoors.

We will be asking that everyone attending events at Whangateau Sign in either with the tracer app, or on the sheet we will have there, just in case the worst happens and we do have Covid spread as a result of our events.

If you have any flu or cold like symptoms we ask that you stay home. You are not required to wear a mask, but keep in mind that wearing a mask and washing our hands are the best ways to help protect others. Let’s all do our part to keep our community healthy.

Midwinter festivities at the hall on Friday, the 24th of June. The day begins with a community car boot sale and market from 9am to 2pm. All vendors welcome for a donation to the hall. Starting at noon there will be a sponsored sausage sizzle for everyone.

The hall committee held a competition for the design of a Whangateau Flag to grace our flag pole in front of the hall. The results are in and the flag will have its official unveiling tomorrow at 1:30pm.

All are welcome!

T-Bone – Good ‘n Greasy Tour

July 2, 2022

T-Bone have brought their influences of zydeco, old-time, blues, bluegrass and folk to this debut album, which although has strong Americana flavours, also has a distinct Kiwi folk feel. The close vocal harmonies and fiery instrumentals on guitars, mandolin, banjo and fiddles will have your toes
tapping and you’ll find yourself harmonising as you listen.

Tickets: https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/16928/T-bone—Good-n-Greasy-Release-Tour.utr

The members of T-Bone are about as eclectic as the group’s influences; a mandolin playing ex-chef from the Far North, a fiddle playing wine importer from New Jersey, a Dublin-born spearfishing songwriter, a guitar slinging laboratory assistant from Taranaki and a gardening double bassist from Karori.

The band will be touring the North Island promoting their debut album Good ‘n Greasy which was recorded in September 2021 after seven years of meeting most Monday nights and eating, drinking, jamming and writing together.

Their debut album will be released on June 17th, two weeks prior to the band heading out on their North Island headline release tour. The seven date tour is set to be the perfect showcase of the magic and energy that comes when these five exceptional musicians are on stage together, performing!

Doors: 7:00PM
Show: 7:30PM
Pre-sales: $25
Door sales: $30

LINKS
facebook.com/tboneband
linktr.ee/tbonetheband

TAGS
acoustic/solo, country/folk, world

Tickets: https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/16928/T-bone—Good-n-Greasy-Release-Tour.utr?fbclid=IwAR3kyVyEeVyeRxHO6hm6162ViKVOMj8MdmHFybVi6N_Vy115OxJX_Dr_WYI

Our committee has been working with the council on a replacement and upgrade of the public toilets located in the hall car park. The plan is for the new block to be positioned on the same side of the car park as the existing block but moved to the rear. This will provide a better view of the hall from the road and improve pedestrian safety. We feel the proposed design fits in well with the aesthetics of the hall and reserve. If you have any comments please could these be provided before 31st January.

Auckland Council has sent through the following guidance on reopening of community facilities. Your Whangateau Hall committee is a volunteer organisation, and we do our best to provide access to our lovely hall to the community, and keep the community safe. We appreciate your support and patience as we all move through this crisis.

Advice from council:

Will visitors to your centre need a vaccination certificate?

Council has also begun a piece of work on whether visitors to our facilities will require vaccination certificates. We are looking at multiple options as the COVID-19 Protection Framework does not require public facilities to check vaccination certificates for up to 100 people distancing one metre. We will provide the outcome of this work with you when it is available (no date yet). Individuals can get a vaccine pass from the Ministry of Health website.

The new COVID-19 Protection (traffic light) Framework.

This week we’ve had enquiries around council’s expectations when interpreting the new framework to enable a safe re-opening and ability to provide services for your customers. As mentioned, we are actively working on interpreting the Government guidance and will share decisions and guidance with you.

We support our partners to interpret their unique spaces and to make decisions in response to the framework on what programmes and activities can go ahead in your facility.

Advice from our Connected Communities Department is to ‘keep it simple’ because you are likely in the challenging position of trying to uphold new rules for entry and participation. Should you have doubt around how to engage your community, the kind of programmes you can provide and the size of audience you may expect, don’t complicate activity. Think about what is manageable for your team when developing and implementing your plans and adapt as you go

The New Zealand COVID-19 Protection Framework (Red/Orange/Yellow) link:

https://covid19.govt.nz/assets/COVID-19-Protection-Framework/COVID-19-Protection-Framework-22-October-2021.pdf

Summary of Red:

Action needed to protect health system – system facing unsustainable number of hospitalisations. Action needed to protect at-risk populations.

• QR code scanning or registering on record sheet is mandatory
• Masks are mandatory in public venues and recommended whenever leaving home
• Public events and gatherings indoors/outdoors of up to 100 people based on 1 metre distancing with a vaccine certificate
• If no vaccination certificate is used, gatherings indoors/outdoors cannot take place

Refresher on current Alert Level 3.2: As we are currently at Alert Level 3 Step 2 and Auckland Council’s network of public facilities including community centres, art galleries, libraries, and halls can reopen, the information we provided last week is still relevant.

The Government has announced “steps” that modify our current Level 3 restrictions, but we do not yet have guidance from the Council on how that affects our current rules. For the time being, Whangateau Hall is open to

1. Groups of 10 or fewer only, for periods of 2 hours or less.
2. Face coverings and contact tracing are mandatory.
3. Maintain physical distancing of 2m for non-bubble members.
4. Open as many windows and doors as possible when inside the hall to allow airflow, and use the back lawn rather than the interior for groups when possible.

At Level 2, our capacity will increase to 40 people, but all other rules will stay in place.

Next verse, same as the first …

Auckland will be at Alert Level 4 for at least another two weeks. What that means in practical terms:

• Whangateau Hall is off limits to all users.
• Folk Club with PLot on 30 August and Concert with Good Habits on 10 September are both cancelled.
• If you had an event booked during the lockdown period, contact Jenine to get any bond or deposit refunded.
• The hall may be used for pandemic related purposes (testing and vaccination) upon special arrangement.

Check back here for further information!

July club night is Monday the 26th.  Our guests will be the incredible Looking for Alaska, rescheduled from our March Club night.  The music they make is simply phenomenal: soaring acoustic ballads driven by Aaron Gott’s instrumental brilliance and Amy Maynard’s powerful, soaring vocals.  They are a band not to be missed!

Monday, July 26, $10, 6:45pm doors open, 7pm floor singers, guests after the half time supper break.

We are sad to have to report that the We Mavericks show on Sunday, 27 September has been cancelled due to the collapse of the Australia – New Zealand travel bubble.

In its place we will have the second instalment of the Whangateau Folk Radio Hour, special guests to be announced.

Click here for the Whangateau Folk Radio Hour!

the stream is AUDIO ONLY!  if you want to see the actual people, you’ve got to come to the hall!

We’re trying something new at the Whangateau Folk Club this month.  Introducing the Whangateau Radio Hour

It’s winter time and we all need something to warm our hearts. What better than an old-fashioned radio show? Broadcast live from Whangateau Hall, four of New Zealand’s finest folk musicians will make beautiful music and entertain you. Come by for a bowl of soup, a glass of wine, and a show!

You’ll hear:
Jenine and Nat Torkington, from the Pipi Pickers. Jenine’s moving voice, Nat’s unique banjo, and Jenine’s anchoring bass will warm your extremities.
Chris ‘Albi’ Dent, from Albi and the Wolves. Chris’s character-filled voice and distinctive guitar playing have wowed audiences around the world.
Shimna Higgins, from David and Shimna. Shimna’s divine voice and sweet Irish fiddle playing are the fiery brew the doctor prescribes for midwinter blues.

We’ll livestream the show to an international audience from the acoustically- and aesthetically-beautiful 132-year old Whangateau Hall. Tell your friends to watch the stream on the night: visit https://whangateau.co.nz to find links to the stream.

Monday, June 28, $10, 6:45pm doors open, 7pm floor singers, 8pm break, 8:30pm radio show.