| 06.05. - 01.07. |
Mahara Arts Review (Waikanae) Exhibition: original work in any medium, completed since April 2011 by an artist living and working in the Kapiti / Horowhenua region. One entry per artist may be submitted, closing dates for entries are between Saturday 21 April - Sunday 29 April 2012 (Hours: Tues - Sat, 10am-4pm & Sun 1-4pm). Please ring the Gallery or visit www.maharagallery.org.nz for more information. |
| 16.05. - 17.06. |
Wonders With Wool (Raumati Beach) An exhibition at Kapiti Gallery, 192 Matai Rd, Raumati, by the Kapiti Arts & Craft Society Spinners, Weavers & Felters. Look for the dressed trees at Matai Rd reserve. Gallery hours Wed – Sun 10am-4pm |
| 17.05. |
Operatunity presents The Best of British with Marian Burns (Paraparaumu) The Best of British with John Cameron, accompanist Rosemary Barnes with violinist Marian Burns, Angela Franklyn-Lewis, Alex milligan & Tizane McEvoy. Fun packed musical journey of the British Isles. The programme is filled with old favourites and new gems; English folk songs, Gilbert and Sullivan, Irish ditties, lyrical Welsh melodies and stirring Scottish ballads. Special guest Marian Burns will delight audiences with her frenetic fiddling. Marian is the winner of numerous awards including NZ Country Music "Top Female Artist" 2009 and winner of "Top Musician" NZ Variety Artists Awards 2009. Concert is on Thursday 17 May at 11am, Southwards Theatre, Otaihanga Road, Paraparaumu. Tickets $27, including lunch with the artists, with discounts available for group and regular bookings. |
| 19.05. |
Ryan Edwards - Whirlwind (Paraparaumu) A year in the Whirlwind: A year on from the release of his album ‘Whirlwind,’ Ryan Edwards and his slick 7 piece band will be performing live at Southwards Theatre in Paraparaumu on May 19 2012. In Whirlwind, Ryan Edwards, a singer/songwriter from Waikanae, has created a beautiful soundtrack of haunting melodies and uplifting harmonies. In conjunction with the album Ryan and Martin Sloman have created The Whirlwind Trust, a project which is raising the profile of men’s mental health in New Zealand by encouraging ordinary men to tell their extraordinary stories about their struggles with mental health. Proceeds from this event will go to the Whirlwind Trust. The show will feature special guest Mike Chunn, from Split Enz. Mike Chunn has been very supportive of The Whirlwind project. As well as talking about his struggles with mental health will also play bass on one of the songs. Ryan has also now entered a collaboration with former Black Grace dancer Tamihana Paurini who has been inspired by Ryan's music and is choreographing a dance which he will perform both at the Southwards concert, and as part of a music video for the re-release of the single "Mother's Arms." Kapiti brass band players “Brasso” who feature on one of the songs on the Whirlwind album will open the night . Tickets are available from Ticket Direct, Coastlands service desk Ph 9029885, Drift Café, Waikanae and No.6 Cafe, Raumati Beach |
| 19.05. |
Levin Spin - In (Levin) Levin Spinners and Weavers Guild Spin-In is on from 10am to 3pm at St Mary's Church Hall Cnr of Manchester and Cambridge Streets, Levin. Door Charge $5 covers morning and afternoon tea and a prize draw. Bring your own lunch. * Traders with fibre goodies * White Elephant stall * Fresh veges and plants * Raffles Any questions phone Sue on 06 3670911. |
| 19.05. |
Waikanae Estuary Group Open Day Planting (Waikanae Beach) From 9.00am till Noon on the Paraparaumu side of river. Manly Street/Hadfield Place - look for the WECG Flag. Special morning tea provided - hear what we are all about. Bring own stout footwear/gumboots/gardening gloves/sunhat etc. Cancellations are announced on Beach Radio 106.3 FM. Contact Anne Isaac, Phone: 04 298 3416 |
| 20.05. |
Emma Sayers & Richard Mapp - Piano Duet (Waikanae) Well-known to Waikanae audiences, pianists Emma Sayers and Richard Mapp been colleagues for some years at the New Zealand School of Music and have frequently performed as duet partners, including touring for Chamber Music New Zealand in 2010. Their varied programme spans nearly 400 years of music from Thomas Tomkins to Kenneth Young. Highlights include sonatas by Mozart and Poulenc, Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, Lebensstürme by Schubert and three pieces from Samuel Barber’s evocative Souvenirs.
Waikanae Music Society. Waikanae Memorial Hall, Waikanae. Sunday 20 May at 2.30pm |
| 25.05. - 27.05. |
Circus Aotearoa - NZ's Very Own Circus (Levin) Enthralling animal free entertainment for all. * It's Kiwi as....! * A great time guaranteed! A thorough Modern Circus in a beautiful heated big top. * Showcasing NZ's Hottest Circus Talent * at Weraroa Reserve, Oxford Street, Levin. At 7pm Friday, 11am and 7pm Saturday, 2pm Sunday. Affordable fun for the whole family. 90 Action packed awe-inspiring minutes. Book online now at www.circusaotearoa.co.nz or purchase before the show, box office open 1 hour before the show (cash only). Tickets start from $13 for children and $18 for adults. 3 years olds and under - free. |
| 26.05. |
NZ Soil Association Levin Branch National AGM (Levin) Levin branch of the NZ Soil & Health Assn will host the National AGM at 2.30pm at the Levin Events Centre, Victoria Street, Levin on Saturday 26 May. Forum topic for discussion will be the Food Bill and subjects related to this bill. Jeanette Fitzsimmons, patron of the Association, will chair the event and the speakers are Steffan Browning and Dr Jessica Harding. 2.30pm Enrolment and registration, 3pm Afternoon tea, 3.15pm Forum, 5pm Soil & Health AGM, 6pm Meal, 7pm Speaker - Dr Jessica Harding. Registrations before 18 May $30 - a late fee of $10 applies from 19 May. For more information contact Liz Baucke 06 3680009, email krstrust@clear.net.nz
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| 26.05. |
Trees for fun and profit - free one day roadshow (Otaki) Saturday 26 May - Rotary Lounge, Aotaki Street, Otaki. Morning presentations start at 9.30am. Afternoon field visits 1.30pm to 4.00 pm. Bring your own lunch - tea, coffe and hot water will be provided. Trees can provide many benefits - timber, shade and shelter, soil stability, habitat for wildlife and a pleasant living environment. Do you want to know more about which trees are best suited to your property and land-use? Or would you like to find out about the opportunity for growing a small commercial forestry block in the Wellington region? To have a fascinating and useful day - there is no fee charged - find out the answers to these questions and more. Come to the free tree growing roadshow in Otaki on Saturday 26 May. |
Contact Details
- NZ$ 200 and above
- Radio
The experience of seeing a Kiwi in the wild has been described as exciting and calming at the same time. Enhance your Kapiti Island experience with one of the most extraordinary activities available in New Zealand - night Kiwi spotting. Stay on the Island's eco lodge, Kapiti Nature Lodge, and be hosted by local whanau (family). Having a guide allows you to open your eyes to something new. Really experience the magnificence of this Island and all that it holds, past and present. Other activities include Dawn Chorus weekends.
It's Coast Time
Visitors may see a feathered back end shuffle off into the bush, or a whole lot more. "One ran across my foot once," says Kiwi spotting guide Minnie Clark (Ngäti Raukawa, Te Ati Awa, Ngäti Toa Rangatira). "It was so special."
Minnie is one of the hands-on kaitiaki (guardian) of the Island, and sharing one of its unique experiences - night Kiwi spotting - is something she loves to do. "I love showing Kiwi in their natural environment," she says.
Kapiti Island Nature Tours is the commercial enterprise on the Island run by local whanau. Their activities started in 1999. Visitors can stay overnight at Kapiti Nature Lodge on the north end of the island, and venture out at night to spot a Kiwi or two. The Island has the largest population of little spotted Kiwi (1200) in New Zealand, which means the chance of spotting one is very high.
Minnie's first experience as a guide was learning from the other guides as she held the torch at the back of a group. "The whole experience is really exciting. We're all absolutely still. Then we listen first for their tapping on the ground. Kiwi are not just any old bird. They're shy. They don't stand there and pose and say 'look at me'."
"They forage around and blow the dirt out of their nostrils. And you can hear them calling; it's ear piercing. And when people see one there can be lots of hugging and kissing. It's quite something to share with others. Some visitors write to me for ages after."
On the Department of Conversation website there is a worksheet resource for school children called Exploring the past on Kapiti Island. It asks students to write a sensory poem about what changes might have taken place on the Island to reach the present. It's only through actual experience through the senses, by engaging with somewhere like Kapiti Island, that humans can really understand the impact of human footprints on the future.
Kapiti Nature Lodge is an eco lodge - basic, comfortable, natural. Minnie says some people arrive expecting a limousine and a casino. "But all leave being more aware of the environment. Back home they might think twice before they process their waste and refuse, think recycling, water conservations, or turn a light switch on and off."
It's something we must experience at least once in our lives. It's the birds, the trees, the bush, the escape from the mainland - it's Te Waewae Kapiti o Tara rāua ko Rangitane - Kapiti Island.
"Even if you can't see the Island because it's covered in cloud," says Minnie. "You notice it's covered in cloud. [It's always present somehow.]"
Catherine Nalty-from Ireland
Ranking: 10/10
I stayed overnight on Kapiti the last weekend in March and had a wonderful time. I recommend the walk with ranger when you arrive on the island in the morning - I don't know much at all about New Zealand birds or plant life but what I learned made the experience on Kapiti much richer. The great benefit to staying overnight is that you have the North End to yourself in the morning - I was lucky to have perfect weather and it was a real privilege to explore with nobody else in sight. Minnie and Amu of Kapiti Island Alive were excellent hosts, with plenty of good home cooking and a very warm welcome. And of course we had a nocturnal walk where we spotted a kiwi and very cute little penguin!