Cambridge News | March 5, 2026

Run for the fun of it

By Chris Gardner

Cambridge Lifeskills will again benefit from St Peter’s Catholic School’s Waipā Fun Run and organisers are expecting record entries.

Last year a record 691 runners took part in the event starting at Victoria Square.

“Current registrations are pointing in that direction,” School office manager and sports co-ordinator Donna Warwick said.

The Anzac Street school will donate $1 from every entry to the not-for-profit agency which offers free counselling for children and young people between the ages of five and 15 in the 13 public schools in the town.

Proceeds would also be used to continue to develop the school’s outdoor environment, Warwick said.

“Funds in the past have been used to install a multipurpose turf which is used by our school community

and outside clubs,” Warwick said.

“We have also recently installed two new large shade sails over our senior and junior playgrounds which provides much needed shade during the summer months.”

Changes in society have meant many children are

now exposed to an increasing range of issues, including bullying, abuse, and family issues among others, a post on the event’s website said.

“Children often do not have the skills to deal with these issues. Lifeskills aims to offer counselling, support, and encouragement so that

children/young people are more able to work through these issues.”

The 14th Waipā Fun Run will be held on Sunday at Victoria Square with a 2km school challenge and teams challenge as well as 5km and 10km walking and running events.

Competitors come from all over the Waikato and beyond.

Online entry closes at midday tomorrow (Friday) but late registrations can still be made at the registration desk, Victoria Square on Saturday afternoon where competitors can pick up

electronic race numbers. Major prizes are randomly selected and will be announced at the prize giving late on Sunday morning.

More than 50 minor spot prizes will also be randomly handed out to finishers on the finishing line.

It’s in the bag…Judy gets help

By Chris Gardner

Judy Browne wanted help to keep Cambridge beautiful and she has got it.

Browne, 75, who recently established Keep Cambridge Beautiful, collected a bag of rubbish between the footpath and the hedge near the Velodrome in just 20 minutes.

But she raised an issue - she would have to pay $5 to dispose of the bag. She sought help when appearing before the Cambridge Community Board last month asking for Waipā District Council support.

Enviro NZ regional manager David Wilson has responded by offering to dispose of any rubbish Browne collects.

Wilson volunteered a solution after reading Browne’s plea for help in The News.

“This is a fantastic initiative by Judy, and we would like to assist her so there is no cost to her for disposal,” Wilson said.

Enviro NZ, formerly Envirowaste, operates a transfer station in Cambridge.

Browne appreciated Wilson’s offer.

“My recycling bin is so full of cans that there is no more room for our recyclables,” she said. “I also have a large bag of trash that can’t be recycled just sitting by the garage waiting for me to do something with it.”

Browne has also urged the council to follow Dunedin City Council’s lead by replacing its public rubbish bins with recycling stations.

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Christmas spirit applauded

By Viv Posselt

Organisations and groups that supported last year’s Cambridge Social Services Christmas Cheer initiative were presented with certificates last week during a morning tea.

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Christmas Cheer committee member and administrator at Cambridge Community House, Amy Watkins, said the generosity of the organisations involved had enabled the umbrella group to provide Christmas food hampers, supermarket vouchers and presents to 95 families in Cambridge who are engaged with services including Cambridge Community House, the Salvation Army, Mana Hapori, Te Manawa o Cambridge, and Plunket.

She said many of the recipient families had expressed their gratitude then and since, sometimes with hand-drawn cards, letters and colourful drawings.

“They are more than just paper,” she said, “they are reminders that your support reached right into the hearts of our tamariki.”

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Facilitating connection with police is a key part of the community liaison role; be that connection with neighbourhoods, government and local agencies, retailers or other community organisations.

Last Thursday afternoon I was invited to speak to residents at Cambridge Oaks retirement village. We talked about crime prevention, scams, 111 and 105, what to report and when. In the evening, I followed that with meeting locals from the Mystery Creek area, at the invitation of the Fieldays Society at their neighbourhood meeting. The take-away topic there was the importance of reporting crime and activity from an intelligence and information standpoint. Something you may think is insignificant, could provide us with the final piece of an investigation puzzle or could indicate a pattern of behaviour by a specific individual, vehicle or location.

Each week police can receive any number of information reports (“code 2I”) on a variety of matters. These often relate to criminal activity such as observations of drug dealing, movement of stolen goods or individuals who habitually drive while intoxicated or disqualified.

The Crimestoppers phone line (0500 555 111) is one avenue through which people can report anonymously where they fear identification by the individuals or addresses on which they are reporting. Others come

directly through the Police 105 system. However the information is received, it is important that we receive it. While you may not see action immediately, every piece of the puzzle is noted, helps build an overall picture and is appreciated. If it’s not reported, then we simply may not know about it and cannot address the activity.

So, what is suspicious? Signs of drug dealing may be different vehicles arriving for short term visits to an address, an individual going out to meet up with cars briefly and an exchange taking place or a strong chemical or cannabis odour emanating from an address. Burglars or dishonesty offenders may case out properties, driving slowly down a street or up driveways. The occupants often provide excuses about looking for a mate or a dog or having the wrong address if confronted. Individuals may walk around closed neighbourhoods asking residents to use the toilet or for a glass of water, looking for an opportunity to steal. You as neighbours are often the best ones to identify people and vehicles that look out of place for the street or road. If you see a vehicle or people acting in any of these ways, pay close attention to their appearance in addition to the registration of the car and report it as soon as possible. If it’s happening at the time, dial 111, if later, call 105.

Watkins said the generosity of donors did more than provide food and gifts. It provides reassurance to families that they are seen, valued and cared for by the community.

“We are deeply grateful for your continued commitment to making Cambridge a place where kindness leads the way.”

Land sale

Waipa District Council will sell 5880m² of unused land at Puahue Cemetery, east of Kihikihi, and keep 1202m² to meet future burial needs. The proposed sale, expected to return $500,000 would take up to a year to complete. Ngāti Hikairo oppose any sale of cemetery land due to its tapu status.

VW gathering

The 2026 Volkswagen Nationals will be held in Cambridge at Easter weekend - the first weekend of April. The event is being hosted by the Waikato and Auckland VW owners clubs.

New chief

Cambridge-based Shoof International, a global supplier of agricultural and veterinary products, has appointed Michaela Dumper as its new chief executive. She replaces Peter Reidie who has been acting managing director following the departure of Adam Bateman last year. Dumper has held senior leadership roles at Goodman Fielder, BrewGroup Ltd, and Made NZ (previously Epicurean Dairy NZ Ltd).

Man in court

A 47-year-old man was charged following what police called a family harm incident in Parawera, south Waipā, on Monday. Armed Police, including the Armed Offenders Squad and police negotiators were at the scene, which was cordoned off for several hours.

Plan boost

An interim Environment Court decision released last week has been welcomed as “good news” for 2800 farmers in the Waikato Regional Council catchment by its chief executive Chris McLay. The decision, related to amendments to the Resource Management Act, supports the use of permitted activities for some activities covered by the council’s Plan Change

1 proposal which aims to improve Waikato and Waipā river water quality.

A watertight deal signed

By Chris Gardner

Waipā District Council has confirmed it will hand over water services to Waikato Waters.

The council adopted its transfer agreement at last week’s meeting.

In Waikato Waters –previously Waikato Waters Done Well – Waipā joins Matamata-Piako, Hauraki, Ōtorohanga, Waitomo, South Waikato and Taupō district councils. It brings together the water and wastewater services of six councils and provides shared services to Taupo from July this year.

Significantly in light of recent flooding, a stormwater arrangement has still to be sorted. Waikato Water has indicated it could also include stormwater from July 2027.

Establishment board chair Elena Trout and directors Jon Lamonte and Jaydene Kana are overseeing the largest grouping of councils forming a waters entity in the country.

Hamilton City and Waikato district have teamed up to form a water entity under the Iawai - Flowing Waters moniker. Chartered accountant Kana also chairs the Flowing Waters establishment board.

The organisations are publicly owned and council controlled.

Waikato Waters will manage about 140,000 connections and Flowing Waters 97,000. The formation of water entities is designed to make cumulative savings of hundreds of millions of dollars over 20 years.

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit said, in a statement, joining Waikato Waters reflected the council’s responsibility to plan ahead as pressures on water infrastructure continued to grow.

“Across the country, councils are dealing with ageing pipes, rising costs, tighter regulations and more

frequent extreme weather. Recent events have shown how quickly water services and communities can be affected,” he said.

The transfer agreement came as staff entered recovery mode following the Valentine’s Day storm and floods in Waipā and northern King Country.

Waipā’s acting general manager of business support Georgina Knapp said additional attention, intervention or decision making was required to stay on track because of the recent weather.

“Due to the level of damage across the district additional work will be required to understand the status of assets transferring, impact on the capital delivery programme in regard to phasing and any financial implications,”

Knapp said.

She flagged an amber alert as the council moved into recovery mode from

response mode. Amber indicates the programme is experiencing issues or emerging risks that could significantly affect timeframes if not actively managed.

“Emerging risks and programme pressures require active management. These are largely driven by compressed timeframes and complex interdependencies across workstreams,” she said. “Given council’s reliance on Waikato Waters Ltd to meet shared milestones, continued close collaboration and disciplined course correction by both parties is essential.”

Knapp’s comments came in the wake of significant storm damage at Pirongia’s Te Tahi Water Treatment Plant. It was taken out of operation, reducing water capacity across the district.

Pirongia’s water supply was strengthened last week with a new backup connection completed at the

Frontier Road reservoir.

Group manager service delivery Eeva-Liisa Wright said in a statement that thanks to Waipā’s early planning and investment in water network, teams did not have to start from scratch.

“The infrastructure upgrades done in previous years meant we were ready to act. This new connection will act as a safety net. It gives us flexibility while we continue testing the system and working through recovery.”

Emergency restriction in Pirongia will remain in place until testing shows it is safe to bring the new connection into full operation.

“Any easing of restrictions will happen step by step once we’re confident the system can handle it,” Wright said.

In response to Pirongia councillor Clare St Pierre’s concerns that staff involved in disaster recovery might

not have had time to apply for roles at Waikato Water, water transition team lead Kevan Scott said an extension had been granted.

Scott said South Waikato and Waitomo district councils, who are joining the organisation in the same tranche as Waipa, were on track to join in July.

The water services deal sets out the legal and governance framework for how services, infrastructure, assets and the workforce will move to the new council-controlled water organisation alongside other councils in the Waikato region.

Pettit said by working with those other councils, Waipā could share expertise, strengthen capability and manage costs more sustainably.

“This approach keeps ownership in community hands while giving us the scale needed to meet future challenges,” he said.

Forum missed Māori angle

By Mary Anne Gill

Waikato University has been criticised by Waipā District Council chief executive Steph O’Sullivan for failing to acknowledge the Māori Queen’s recent Economic Forum at its own event last month.

Writing in an exclusive column for Good Local Media’s March edition of Waikato Business News, O’Sullivan said the omission overlooked both indigenous economic leadership and the scale of Māori investment interests represented at Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō’s Ōhanga ki te Ao summit.

Te Arikinui announced the multi-million-dollar Kotahitanga Fund at the

conclusion of the summit in November last year, describing it as a platform to help grow the $126 billion Māori economy.

More than 200 iwi representatives, business leaders, sovereign wealth fund heads and other delegates attended the summit at Waikato University’s Te Pā, where discussions focused on advancing indigenous economic initiatives and long-term investment strategies.

O’Sullivan said the university’s two-day Management School New Zealand Economics Forum, held at the same venue last month, made no reference to the Kotahitanga Fund or the indigenous economic leadership and investment scale represented at the earlier gathering.

“That absence matters,” she said in the column which also covered the local government response to the Valentine’s Weekend floods in Waipā and Ōtorohanga.

“If our economic conversations do not fully acknowledge iwi partnership and Māori economic leadership and innovation, they risk being incomplete. Because every time crisis hits, the

reality is the same: local government shows up, and iwi open their doors,” said O’Sullivan.

Waitomo mayor John Robertson has also written an exclusive column in which he advocates a merger between Ōtorohanga and Waitomo district councils and the formation of a King Country council.

“We have been a community of interest for well over a century, Te Rohe Potae. Dominated by one proud iwi, Maniapoto, our economy is driven by pastoral farming, forestry, mining and tourism,” he wrote.

“We are a vast area stretching from Kāwhia to Mōkau inland to Taumarunui, and east towards Taupō. We are an area the size of Hamilton city, Waipā and Waikato districts combined.

“Ōtorohanga and Waitomo districts represent most of this area. An amalgamation

of the two councils would be easily achieved by legislation,” he said.

Good Local sister publication Bay of Plenty Business News leads with comments from Tauranga Girls’ High principal Tara Kanji – a Waikato University graduate – about the dangers involved in the government’s NCEA education reforms.

Kanji – speaking from the coal face - was a guest panellist at the university’s economic forum and said that current Year 9 students will sit entirely new qualifications at Years 11, 12 and 13, yet schools still lack the information needed to plan coherently.

“I cannot currently backward map my Year 9 students to best prepare them,” she says. “We’re building the plane while flying it.”

Kanji says Education Ministry documents themselves acknowledged the proposed reforms would initially lower achievement rates for students already overrepresented in underachievement, particularly Māori and Pasifika learners.

“I can’t accept a system that knowingly perpetuates disadvantage,” she says.

“Education has to be accessible and meaningful for all.”

The News was at the university forum and reports on other forum issues including Labour’s Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds on taking the long view, the workforce crunch caused by an ageing population and volatile migration and the dangers of rising superannuation and healthcare costs.

We also toured St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in

Hamilton and spoke to senior church leaders about their plans to strengthen the church, are in Mount Maunganui to follow up on the tragic landslides on Mauao and at the Employers and Manufacturers summer briefing sessions. The popular Out and About section returns with businesses hosting a series of ‘looking forward’ functions.

• Read Waikato Business News and Bay of Plenty Business News online goodlocal.nz

Pirongia plan

By Chris Gardner

Shereen Parker is breathing a sigh of relief following news a temporary bridge is expected to be built on State Highway 39 by the middle of the month.

Parker’s Franklin Street business in Pirongia, The Hive, experienced its worst day on Sunday, two weeks after the Mangati Bridge south of the township became a storm victim.

When traffic was diverted away from State highway 39, Pirongia businesses saw takings plummet.

Transport minister Chris Bishop confirmed a timeline last week the day after TaranakiKing Country MP Barbara Kuriger inspected the damage across the Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts and promised to advocate for the region.

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NZTA plans to install a 40-metre Acrow (Bailey-style) steel-framed temporary bridge with a 50-tonne weight limit slightly upstream of the existing two-lane bridge.

“Crews have already cleared tonnes of debris from the site, allowing specialist teams to begin work on both the temporary bridge and the permanent replacement,” Bishop said in a statement.

“Council partners and landowners have

recognised the urgency of this work and supported it every step of the way.”

“Work is also underway on accelerated design and procurement so construction of the new permanent two-lane bridge can begin later this year,” Bishop said.

“Restoring access safely and as quickly as possible is the priority, and I want to thank everyone involved for the extraordinary effort to reconnect this community.”

Parker heard the news from Pirongia ward councillor Clare St Pierre who had had heard it from The News.

“It’s brilliant news,” Parker said. “I am very happy. I would be happier if it was next week.”

Parker was heartened that the permanent bridge could be rebuilt while the temporary bridge was in operation.

Mountain Folk Café Retreat owner Michelle Richardson described the news as “really positive” and praised Waipā District Council for its advocacy and communication.

“We have definitely noticed it’s a lot quieter,” said Four Square duty manager Scott Miller.

“We are selling a lot less.”

Waipā chief executive Steph O’Sullivan said the council hoped to establish a support hub in Pirongia to allow residents to access support from government agencies.

Flies in the ointment

The discovery of four Oriental fruit flies in Papatoetoe has sparked the third major biosecurity operation in Auckland in recent months. It follows the discovery of hornets and a Queensland fruit fly. “We have located this pest thanks to our extensive network of traps. Because of this, we know where the problem is and we can respond quickly and effectively,” Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.

Pool calls

Associate Coroner James Buckle has recommended portable pools between the height of 400mm and 1.2mm be discontinued from sale. His recommendation accompanied a finding that a 10-month-old boy had drowned in an inflatable swimming pool at his home in Pukekohe. Buckle’s recommendations echoed one made by Coroner Michael Robb last March and also called for notices attached to packaging to state relevant barriers for the pools are not included with the items.

Film screening

The Regent Theatre Te Awamutu will host a screening of No Tears on the Field and a Q&A session with director Lisa Burd and Southern Rugby Club (Hāwera) player Kate Thomson, in mid-March.

Heading back to the future

By Chris Gardner

Cambridge High School principal Greg Thornton is going home.

Thornton, who joined the school from an overseas posting in 2019, will join Rangitoto College next term as principal. He began his teaching career there.

“I am excited about this opportunity,” Thornton said.

Thornton’s work was acknowledged in letter to parents and caregivers from presiding board member Jim Goodrich.

“Since starting at Cambridge High School in 2019 he has made a significant difference, leading the school successfully through periods of growth, changes in curricula, and the pandemic,” Goodrich said.

“The sense of belonging and connection that students have to their school is a testament to the work of Greg and his leadership team over many years.”

Thornton has been fully involved in the life of the school, competing in student-led events, contributing to the sport programme as a coach and referee and supporting the arts programmes.

“It was very interesting times,”

Thornton said of his start at Cambridge as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of the world.

“We were making sure we were doing the right thing for our community. I was trying to provide the safest outcome for our students and our community,” he said.

That included cancelling three

overseas trips.

The school roll was 1550 when Thornton arrived after nearly five years teaching in Hong Kong.

“The construction on S Block was imminent. “

Thornton had a hand in the design of the two storey U shaped building with a first-floor balcony – that was his idea. It enables musicians to perform to a ground floor courtyard from a covered area.

The block was completed in 2023, ready for use in 2024.

“In the in between years, we had nine prefabs on site… and six additional prefabs put on site to cater for roll growth. We are now at 1814 students with all rooms fully timetabled. We are looking forward to the next phase of construction of two storey blocks on the tennis courts area.”

Thornton has his own theory as to the growth of the school based on the popularity of the town.

“You could cash in your house in Auckland and live like a king in Cambridge,” Thornton said.

Thornton is also proud of the way the school has worked with mana whenua.

The school offers Te Ao Māori including Te Ao Haka in its curriculum and kapa haka as an after-school programme.

Asked about his favourite memory in his time as principal, Thornton said: “There has been a lot that have come through, so it’s hard to pinpoint one. There have been quite a few moments where I feel like I

AMAZING

IS IN SEASON

have been part of something special here.”

Thorton is ending his time in Cambridge with an Education Review Office visit last week.

“There’s always things to improve on, but we certainly have a really special environment,” he said. Paul McAvoy will serve as acting principal until the end of the year.

The many faces of Kevin Shaw

By Viv Posselt

SUNDAY 08 MARCH

‘Kevie’s last party’ at a packed Cambridge Raceway on Saturday was exactly the send-off Kevin ‘Kevie’ Shaw wanted… a farewell without the weight of sadness, a party rather than a funeral.

The man they described as ‘tanned like a lizard’, one who was hard-working, reliable and never said a bad word about anyone, would almost certainly have enjoyed it. Not that he would have said much… it seems brevity was something else that characterised him.

Roughly double the number expected showed up – easily around 200 –with several happy to share memories of a man whose impact reached well beyond the family he created with wife Cathie, the town he lived in and the sports and work environments in which he excelled.

Kevin’s contribution across various sectors was legendary.

He was a loyal former player, coach and supporter at Hautapu Rugby Club for over 50 years. He played for the Senior B rugby side in the 1970s then became team manager for the side in the 1980s.

Club president David Simes said on Saturday that it was Cathie who had put Kevin forward for a managerial position at the club. “And what a fantastic manager he turned out to be.”

Cathie, who Kevin met in the late 1970s and married in February 1985, shared her husband’s commitment to the club and was herself

made a life member in recognition of her service. The couple were longtime and passionate supporters of the Waikato NPC side and the Chiefs for many years.

Kevin was also something of a horse-whisperer who enjoyed success in breaking in, training and driving harness racers, many for the country’s leading trainers. Those working with him for years said Kevin always put other people first and took time to help in whatever capacity, whenever it was needed.

He had been involved with horses since leaving school at 15. After driving his first winner as a junior horseman in 1971, he went on to produce 68 wins during his career, and together with Cathie, he either bred or co-bred more than 40 horses, including Hoppy’s Jet who had 12 wins between 1994 and 1998.

Cathie is the vice-chair of the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Association.

Kevin’s early years were spent in Tauwhare. He later went to intermediate school

in Kihikihi and Te Awamutu and then to Te Awamutu College before leaving school to pursue his love of horses. He went on to become a senior artificial breeding technician for the Livestock Improvement Company (LIC) for 45 years. LIC regional manager Glen Wilke said Kevin built a reputation as a consummate professional whose patience and skills earned him huge respect amongst farmers, and who had a great impact on the wider dairy industry.

“I reckon more semen passed through his hands than those of anyone else,” he claimed.

Those at his farewell heard that Kevin was ‘the world’s most optimistic diabetic’, a man whose happy place was Queensland’s Caloundra and whose life was lived to the songs of Shania Twain and Mariah Carey. His sense of humour, love of seafood and ice cream and the gift of time he gave to the causes he held dear were all celebrated exactly as he would have wanted – with an upbeat party and a touch of Shania Twain.

Three sought after assault

Police were this week trying to establish the identities of three males who took part in a “cowardly attack” in Mātangi on Saturday.

The trio had been approached after residents objected to a dark coloured Ford Falcon being driven to do “burnouts” on Marychurch Road.

The hunt is being helped by the fact dash cam pictures – albeit blurry – were taken at the time. Police say the trio got out of the car and assaulted the victims who suffered serious injuries. Hato Hone St John said two patients were assessed at the scene before being taken to Waikato Hospital in a moderate condition.

The incident prompted multiple offers of assistance to the couple on social media – one post noting “this is what our community is about. Not violence”.

By gum… St Peters is 90

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Celebrations marking St Peter’s School’s 90th year have started.

Oxford scholar Arthur Francis Brooks Broadhurst scoured the globe for 10 years to find the perfect site for his boys’ preparatory school, which he opened on February 22, 1936.

“Broadhurst was possibly a bit eccentric, which added a bit of fun, life and character to the environment,” said Jason Speedy, current head of school.

“I heard a tale that he had some of the senior boys driving his car into Cambridge every day, and he was sitting in the back giving them driving lessons. He would land

his Tiger Moth on the cricket fields.”

Now, nine decades on, a range of events are planned to celebrate the school’s history.

They got underway on Monday last week with the return of one of the campus’s oldest traditions – the daily raising and lowering of the St Peter’s flag.

Two days later a whole-school celebration was integrated into athletics day. The birthday bash began with two year 7 students cutting an anniversary cake.

Other highlights included the reenactment of a historical slow bicycle race –where cyclists battled it out to see who could travel the least distance in 90 seconds – and a performance of the school song ‘When The

Saints Go Marching In’ by a student band.

Students also gathered for a commemorative aerial photo, clustering together inside a giant ‘90’ - lines painted by the school’s field-marking robot.

Adding to the festival atmosphere, an enormous gumboot was inflated near a cluster of navy-blue marquees to advertise a limited edition of boots branded with the school’s owl logo.

More than 10,000 students have walked through the school gates since St Peter’s opened in 1936.

Speedy said the school’s boarding houses were full and its roll was “basically at capacity”, with 1230 students.

“If Broadhurst could see St Peter’s today I think he would be blown away positively,” he said.

“To have a world-class environment in Cambridge is amazing, and he couldn’t have picked a better place.”

An event on this year’s birthday celebration calendar will be the opening of the St Peter’s Room in October. Work is underway to renovate a large area above Speedy’s office in the school’s main block.

Speedy said the room would display a collection of photos and treasures accumulated over 90 years of education and would provide a gathering space for past alumni visiting the campus.

ON SHAKY GROUND

Entering the time of AI

By Janine Krippner

Last year I shared signs to look out for when it comes to spotting if something has been generated by AI (Artificial Intelligence). That is now out of date.

Matt Shumer, who works in the AI space, recently wrote an essay “Something big is happening.” Some experts disagree with some of his thoughts, but he had important messages that we should all hear.

The essay has two sides: a serious warning, and excitement about the possibilities that AI brings.

As with any powerful tool, it depends on how we, as humanity, use it. It depends on our ethics, the questions we are exploring, and how we value and protect others.

Part of the warning is about AI replacing jobs. Will we form protections to prevent job loss? There are a lot of big questions. I remember when the iPhone first came out. I didn’t see why I would ever need a minicomputer in my pocket. A waste of money, right?

That is now laughable - it has become something that is difficult to live without. AI is this next big leap. It is here whether we like it or not, and it is rapidly evolving with what it can accomplish. There are all the possibilities in improving aspects of life that will impact us, like medical treatments and cures. In science, AI can be used to work through enormous amounts of data and find new solutions. There are remarkable and very exciting possibilities.

There is the darker side. For years I have

voiced my concerns about misinformation, and it is getting harder to spot. Using AI, people can now create realistic videos and create virtual people that are worryingly realistic. You can even create music. Starting with a few ideas, AI can return a song. Singers and all. It is increasingly important for us to have healthy scepticism and discernment, especially on social media. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will use this to try to trick us into giving them money and personal information. Fake websites exist where you can purchase something that doesn’t exist.

After regular internet security training, I never click on advertising links, and I always verify a new website by looking up reviews. If someone sends a message with a link I wasn’t expecting, I double-check that it is legitimate. There are quick and easy things we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Even if AI is something that scares or irritates you, I recommend learning about it. The speed at which it is improving is so rapid that if you used it a few months ago and decided it wasn’t very good, that is now out of date. F

ree versions are not the same as the more powerful paid for versions. There is much hope and optimism to be had, as long as we pair it with asking questions, educating ourselves, double checking what we see online, and taking a few seconds to think about how accurate something may be.

Family estrangement

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

While re-connecting with a man whose family I knew, I asked after his brother and learned they had not communicated for years. The reasons were clearly personal - it was a closed subject.

Sadly, fractured family relationships aren’t uncommon. Last year an American poll revealed 38 percent of adults disclosed their estrangement from at least one family member. A wide range of ‘interpersonal breakdowns’ surfaced with siblings breaking all contact with siblings, adult children turning their backs on parents and grandparents, or vice versa. About one in four adult kids reported having no contact with a parent.

I’ve known Kiwi families whose experiences of pain and bitterness went very deep. Between one husband and wife, a massive chasm had developed. Though living under the same roof, they’d not spoken a word to each other in months, choosing to relay messages back and forth via their daughter in her early teens. The toll on her was unbearable.

Too often, hurting families struggling relationally part ways, never looking back to pause and attempt reconciliation. Of course, at times a party open to ‘rebuilding’ isn’t even given that chance. And it’s not easy - no glib answer exists to the complexities of hurt and disappointment that leads to ‘loss of love’ and the void of hopelessness that propels growing numbers of people to give up on their ‘un-loved’ ones. Sometimes it seems too hard. ‘Oh, I’m just done with this person,’ feels easier.

With media messaging, television and movies normalising family breakdown, tolerance and acceptance of ‘failure’ increases. At risk of appearing simplistic or trite,

can I offer six powerful considerations that have proved instrumental in bringing healing to families facing relational shipwreck?

1 - Love. It’s more than an emotion - our choice to be the right person, means seeking the highest good of others above self-interest.

2 – Boundaries matter. They help us set healthy limits around what we’re responsible for, while defining what we’re not obligated to.

3 - Self-reflection. Discovering and acknowledging ‘broken’ places within us sets us on a pathway to freedom from distorted thinking, reactive emotions, unhealthy patterns, and blind spots.

4 - Own our part. Realising and accepting “we’ve all missed the mark”- we’ve been impatient, unkind, distracted, or simply not the parent or child we hoped to be. Humility lays the groundwork for rebuilding trust.

5 – Listen to understand. Often we listen to respond, more than to really hear what another is saying. By truly listening to a family member who has cut us out from their lives or limited our involvement, we’ll be likely to grow in compassion and fresh perspective.

6 – Forgiveness. Neglecting it, we imprison ourselves.

The last word - from God’s treasure-store of wise counsel…the Bible.

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Love is patient and kind…It never demands its own way. It is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged”.

Opening Hours 8.30am -12pm Thursday & Saturday

We sell 2nd hand Furniture, Kitchenware, bric a brac, clothing, hardware, electrical appliances, gardening/outdoor equipment linen/ bedding and much more at very reasonable prices.

Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust

The

Lions

Club of Cambridge

Charitable Trust gives out Grants monthly to many organisations.

Lions Shed

Lions Shed

Opening hours 8.30am -12pm Thursday & Saturday kitchenware, Bric a brac Clothing, Hardware, Whiteware, Electrical appliances, Furniture, Gardening/outdoor equipment and much more at very reasonable prices. and visit us at 26 Vogel Street Cambridge or check our Facebook page for weekly specials.

Opening hours 8.30am -12pm Thursday & Saturday

Come and visit us at 26 Vogel Street Cambridge or check out our Facebook page for weekly specials & events.

We sell kitchenware, Bric a brac Clothing, Hardware, Whiteware, Electrical appliances, Furniture, Gardening/outdoor equipment and much more at very reasonable prices.

This month the Lions Club of Cambridge has decided that they would donate money to areas a ected by our recent bad weather. Those areas include Otorohanga, Pirongia, Te Araroa, Hicks Bay & Northland.

Come and visit us at 26 Vogel Street Cambridge or check our Facebook page for weekly specials.

We accept donations of goods in clean working condition, pick up of items can be arranged by calling 027-693-7953

We accept donations of goods in clean working condition, pick up of items can be arranged by calling 027-693-7953

Pick up times Tues, Thurs & Sat between 8.00am -12pm

Lions Club - Grants

Every 2nd Sunday of the month. Cambridge Memorial Park (Rugby Grounds) Open from 8.30am - 1pm

Lions Trash & Treasure Market

Lions Trash & Treasure Market

Every 2nd Sunday of the month. Cambridge Memorial Park (Rugby Grounds) Open from 8.30am-1pm

Every 2nd Sunday of the month.

These monetary donations will be sent to Lions Clubs in these areas to be given out specifically to flood victims and the many local volunteers who have been on the ground helping restore these communities.

Come along to enjoy the many market stalls selling a variety of goods. Food caravans and entertainment. For stall bookings contact: cambridge@lionsclubs.org.nz

Cambridge Memorial Park (Rugby Grounds) Open from 8.30am-1pm

Stalls priced at $20 All stall profits go back to the community through grants.

Come along to enjoy the many market stalls selling a variety of goods. Food caravans and entertainment. For stall bookings contact Cambridge@lionsclubs.org.nz Stalls priced from $20.00

Come along to enjoy the many market stalls selling a variety of goods. Food caravans and entertainment.

For stall bookings contact Cambridge@lionsclubs.org.nz Stalls priced from $20.00

Applications for grants are open all year round on a monthly basis so if your club, organization or sporting individual has a project that we may be able to help with let us know.

Pick up times Tues, Thurs & Sat between 8.00am -12pm

LIONS CLUB OF CAMBRIDGE are sponsoring two places for Cambridge area youth aged 11-12 years at Hillary Outdoors Education

5 Day Holiday Action Challenge

Lions Club Christmas Cakes

To apply, please email: cambridgegrants@lionsclubs.org.nz for an application form.

EXPLORER Programme, Tongariro 12 - 15 April 2026

Get excited for Christmas by enjoying our deliciously fruity Lions Clubs’ Christmas Cakes.

For more information about the course go to http://www.hillaryoutdoors.co.nz/holiday-programmes/ You will need make your own way to and from the pick-up point at Turangi.

Support your local Lions Club by purchasing our famous traditonal Christmas Fruit Cake. And they come with a guaranteed shelf life of at least two years! Full of fruit, 1 kilo & delicious. Order on-line at www.lionschristmascakes.org.nz Cakes

Applications close 12 March 2026

TO APPLY: Email: cambridgeyouth@lionsclubs.org.nz

Lions Club - Grants

We accept donations of goods in CLEAN WORKING condition. Pick up of items can be arranged by calling Diane on 027-693-7953 between 9am & 5pm. Pick up times: Thurs/Sat 8am -11.30am.

Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust gives out Grants monthly to organizations. They include most charities, local schools, local sporting individuals who are participating in sporting activities plus many deserving people. We also give Grants to individuals who need special equipment to help lead their lives in comfort. year the Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust gave over

The Lions Club of Cambridge Charitable Trust gives out Grants monthly to many organizations. They include most charities, local schools, local sporting clubs, and individuals who are participating in sporting activities plus many more deserving people. We also give Grants to individuals who need

lives in comfort.

of Cambridge Charitable Trust gave over

Subject: Explorer Programme, Tongariro Briefly describe on no more than an A4 double sided paper - Who you are, where you reside, your phone number and email address What you hope to achieve by going on the Hillary Outdoors Programme. Provide two referees.

After the storm: the road to recovery

Waipā District is transitioning to a recovery phase after the State of Emergency response to a one-in-250-year weather event that caused severe flooding and slips in mid-February

Timeline of events:

Saturday, February 14: Mayor Mike Pettit declares a State of Emergency following damage to roads, reserves and infrastructure in the western side of the district

Friday, February 20: Declaration extended for another seven days

Wednesday, February 25: State of Emergency declaration lifted, transition to recovery begins

Council teams will continue assessing roads, water networks, and other critical infrastructure, while working closely with partner agencies to ensure support reaches those who need it most

Reconnecting Waipā

The mid-February storm caused significant damage to infrastructure across the western side of the district and Wharepapa South At its peak, 12 local roads were closed, along with more than six reserves and tracks In total, 133 people across Waipā and Ōtorohanga were displaced

The response from emergency services, iwi, contractors, volunteers, council staff and the community has been outstanding

At the time of print:

All Waipā residents have returned home, and only a small number of Ōtorohanga residents remain displaced

All local roads are open to residents - some restrictions remain in place Corcoran Road is open to residents only at particular times of the day

State Highway 39 remains closed between Te Tahi and Ngutunui Roads while repairs are underway on the damaged Mangati Bridge A temporary bridge is expected to be installed by mid-March

Some tracks and reserves remain closed while we continue to assess damage and address safety risks Pirongia Forest, Sainsbury Road Reserve, Kakepuku Mountain Track and Pirongia Mountain tracks are still closed, but Pirongia Esplanade Track and Mātakitaki Pā have now reopened

and you’ve been affected by the recent flooding and storm damage, we may be able to help

To find out more visit: waipadc govt nz/relieffund

Pick up a form from: Waipā District Council office (101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu), or Te Awamutu Library (Selwyn Lane)

Want to make a donation? Help our community get back on its feet

Waipā District Council – Mayoral Relief Fund Bank account: 12 3122 0084701 20

If you would like a receipt, please include your phone number as the payment reference

FRIENDLY FORUM

With Hon Louise Upston, MP for Taupō

Friday 13 March, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Cambridge Town Hall

Please RSVP to 07 827 5572 or upston.cambridge@parliament.govt.nz

Shop at Cambridge Tiles and support a locally owned business, and your local tradespeople.

Visit our new website which showcases our outstanding range of tiles as well as offering trend and design inspiration, valuable tips and advice on FAQs.

It’s NZ Hearing Awareness Month! Check your hearing at a Triton Hearing Kiosk or online at greatbighearingcheck.co.nz and we’ll donate $1 for every check to help kiwi kids hear better.*

Clearing up Tokanui

Demolition and remediation work has begun at the former Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital south of Kihikihi.

The hospital at Te Māwhai – on land originally acquired under the Public Works Act - opened in 1912 and closed in 1998.

The work is expected to take several years to complete and the land will be restored, making it safe to live or work on again.

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (Linz) is leading the project, which involves removing 74 buildings, a swimming pool, eight substations and 14 kilometres of underground services and roading. The work also includes upgrading a closed landfill and works to address contaminated land.

Once the project is complete, the land will be offered in stages to Ngāti Maniapoto through their post-settlement governance entity, Te Nehenehenui Trust, as part of their Treaty settlement.

The new owners will determine any future use of the land.

leader project delivery Matt Bradley said.

“As part of the demolition, we expect to recycle a significant volume of materials such as untreated and native timber, and concrete.

“We’re also anticipating positive outcomes for the local community, with a drive to include local contractors and on-the-job training opportunities for young people to gain qualifications.

“After several years of investigations, including soil testing, hazardous building material surveys, and detailed planning, we’re pleased to begin physical work on site,” LINZ

“Many of those living in Te Māwhai and not just owners, they also worked there -probably three generations.”

Julie Anne Panapa-Lockey worked in the long stay area, her father was head of nursing in the psychopaedic area and her mother was a nurse in the acute.

“I grew up there since I was 3,” PanapaLockey said. “I grew up with the owners of the land and I know that hospital like the back of my hand.

Panapa-Lockey believes it’s time for demolition, after slowly seeing the hospital deteriorate.

“I would like to see a clean handover of the land to the successors. I think the owners need to make choices for themselves for the first time since 1910.”

Cambridge Connections Update

There’s still time to give feedback!

Cambridge Connections is a project that will shape transport for the next 30 years. Share your solutions – big and small, for now and the future

GIVE FEEDBACK:

Scan the QR Code:

Go to: waipadc.govt.nz/cc-feedback

Email: cambridgeconnections@waipadc.govt.nz

Pick up a form from Council offices or libraries

Feedback closes 8am on Monday, March 9

Remember you can make as many submissions as you like, so if you have further thoughts, feel free to jump back into the chat!

Robo-carts and more: The future of transport

Thirty years ago, the internet had only just arrived in New Zealand, and it dramatically changed the way we shop and move. Back then, we couldn’t have imagined ordering groceries from home, or maps built into cars – but these are now part of everyday life.

How will tech change the way we get around over the next 30 years?

We‘re already seeing the rise of small vehicles that are too fast to go on footpaths, but not fast enough to go on roads – things like mobility and e-scooters. What we currently call ‘cycleways’ are designed to futureproof our network, as these forms of transport become more popular.

According to the NZ Transport Agency, in the next decade we can expect to see fully automated mobility scooters and wheelchairs, as well as self-driving shuttles.

This will improve the lives of older people and those who don’t drive cars, as well as ease congestion on the roads.

We can also expect small robotic ‘shopping carts’. These are already being used overseas now to deliver things like medication. In Auckland, there is now an industrial road that uses a self-driving delivery vehicle.

We don’t know exactly what the future will look like, but with careful planning we can ensure Cambridge remains vibrant and liveable – even if the way we live changes.

LEARN MORE

Go online to find out more about the future of transport – out today!

GOT IDEAS

What do you want transport to look like in the future?

Make sure you share your feedback!

Home – to all this madness

By Peter Carr

I spent the majority of Sunday returning from a lovely holiday and arrived home to find the world has gone mad.

Messrs Netanyahu and Trump have, in a very careful order, pressed the ‘send’ button to annoy Iran. Clinton et al have been testifying behind an allegedly closeddoor hearing in the US. Waipa DC has just wrapped up a week of a ‘first’ - being a major water-related emergency. And the final ignominy of them all the - Crusaders came from well behind and walloped the Chiefs.

Against these headline-grabbing odds what can a poor opinion write do? And against all this I had to watch the reaction of more than 200 Americans on Tuesday embrace (or otherwise) the State of the Nation ‘speech’ by their elected leader.

So, when the back is to the wall – stick to the knitting.

The balmy air on the rooftop bar at my Papeete hotel on Friday nights brought home to me the disparity between the have and have nots.

At eye-watering prices the cognoscenti of Papeete’s capital were downing enormous cocktails while, down in the street a number of people were openly begging. But the CBD street-side bars were doing a good trade for the hoi polloi.

Two visiting cruise ships were in their berths and the ever-present presence of the French Navy just across the road reminded me from where the strings are really pulled and that their ships can move at extremely short notice.

For this is – and I feel will forever remain – a direct outpost of Paris. Gallic flair in the dress of the European-originated ladies bear witness to a degree of affluence that was

not present in our earlier calls in Fiji, Tonga and the Cooks.

The general standard of mainly French cars far outshines the rusty and aging relics that clutter the unpaved roads on the other islands. Almost daily large jet plane services connect this oceanic jewel with Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Auckland and even Tokyo.

In an earlier opinion I mentioned that the people here have a direct sway in the two political houses in the French capital – France is paying enormous money on education, policing and armed forces to keep everything as it should be (in their eyes). Tourism is a huge factor in the annual GPD, but the general price of most goods is extremely high.

But there is a magic in the air. The sweet smell of frangipani flowers assails the nostrils with pleasing effect. The local beer (Hinano) is extremely popular and also rather good.

Numerous large ferries depart to other islands from the well-run terminal for 18 hours a day.

Further out in the Tuamotus, Marquesas and the Gambiers the presence of Papeete (and thus Paris) is less directly felt however appropriate social subsidy from a central source is well appreciated.

General behaviour of the people is evidenced by an aura of good manners; we did not witness drunken groups and road driving courtesy and controls were most welcome. Perhaps we have something to learn!

Ward Water - scrutiny required

By Crystal Beavis, councillor, Tamahere Woodlands Ward

The establishment of jointly owned councilcontrolled waters organisations (CCOs) marks the culmination of 10 years of Government-led investigations, changes to regulatory water quality standards, and water services structural reform since the 2016 Havelock North water crisis.

Contamination of the Havelock North water supply led to 5500 people falling ill, 45 hospitalised, and suspicion it contributed to three deaths.

Reports following this crisis put the cost of establishing future-proof, fit-for-purpose three waters services at between $120 and $185 billion nationally over 30 years and led to a reform programme to lift standards and improve the capability and sustainability of water service providers – mostly local councils.

Iawai Flowing Waters, a waters CCO jointly owned by Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils to be established on July 1, is a prominent example of this reform. It is expected to reduce the spiralling cost of infrastructure needed to meet population growth and the new waters standards established since 2021 by the Government’s three waters regulator Taumata Arowai.

Where the rubber hits the road for consumers is how the CCOs are governed and continue to provide services at arms-length from the democratically elected councils that own them. To this end both Waikato district and Hamilton city are engaged in a series of decisions.

Both have just approved a draft Significance and Engagement Policy for Iawai, determining when consultation with customers must be triggered over decisions involving costs and levels of service. The next decision – expected this month - is the shape of the Iawai Transfer Agreement under which the council’s waters

assets are valued and transferred to the CCO on July 1.

Also on the timetable for review and decisions are a series of policies that Iawai will either need to establish, or that may be transferred or delegated to Iawai by the two councils. These include policies covering land acquisition, easements, development contributions and rates and charges, and how responsibilities for waters infrastructure and charges governed by these policies will be transferred. Three bylaws controlling water supply, stormwater, and tradewaste and wastewater will be reviewed by August before responsibility for administering these bylaws is transferred to Iawai.

The devil is always in the detail and, under pressure of time, this will require close scrutiny by elected councillors and staff.

But just as we’re finalising waters reform, voices of concern have been raised regarding an equally large Government reform programme over how we manage development and the use of resources.

Unless a clear hierarchy is established between goals focused on enabling development, and goals aimed at protecting the environment, the question is whether draft legislation replacing the Resource Management Act may weaken protections over drinking water sources, such as aquifers, rivers and lakes, potentially making standards for healthy drinking water more difficult to maintain.

The balance between the need for development and the need for healthy drinking water also still requires close scrutiny at both national and local level.

Iron sands and high ridges

New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association Bush Leader and senior writer Chris Gardner shares his experience of walking the second day of the Nuku Walk in the King Country on St Valentine’s Day.

Two trampers climbed to the ridge of the Nuku sand dune like ants climbing an ant hill.

The pair were two of nine walking the private three-day Nuku Walk in the King Country. They had opted to take the short cut across farm land on the second day, putting them about an hour ahead of the rest of us.

We had all begun the climb from Back Bay that morning to the 243-metre-high Te Ranga, and our advance party broke off when the opportunity arose. The rest of us took the long way around and enjoyed walking through rugged stock filled hill country to expansive views of the Tasman Sea as it smashed against Nukuhakari Station’s cliffs. From the cliffs we headed back down to sea level to the beach at Ngararahae Bay.

The Nuku dune towered above us, it’s ever shifting ridge reaching approximately 80 to 100 metres from the sea.

Of all the terrain I have encountered on my travels, this was the most unusual.

Hailing from the Isle of Wight, in the UK, I have walked many coastal paths at sea and cliff level. I have generally avoided tramping along the beach or up and across sand dunes, even if there was a well-trodden path. But the beach and mountainous sand dune could not be avoided.

Hamish Nelson and Bridget St George, who have operated the private walk on their family-owned sheep and beef station for nearly a season, have led a team of staff and volunteers in painstakingly replanting the bay’s dunes over a decade.

It’s one of the most pristine environments I have seen, despite the occasional marker post telling you which way to go, and the footprints of trampers who have walked the path before you. The dune is all the better for the fact that it is only accessible to

small groups. It took us about an hour to traverse the southern side of the dune and walk along the top of the ridge to towering cliffs.

From the dune’s ridge we continued over farm land and along the cliff until we reached the old staircase, a zig zag path down the cliff to Front Bay.

Last century former owners of the station sent animals down the narrow staircase to the beach where they had been shipped to the saleyards or meat works.

Pizza dough and toppings were waiting for us at Front Bay, courtesy of the station’s Japanese chef, along with our bags.

Front Bay gave us amazing sunset lit views of Mount Taranaki to the south and Mangangū Pā to the north. It was St Valentine’s Day, and we had loved every minute of the second 13km leg of the Nuku Walk.

PortraitofHeleenGraaf,DenHaag, Aged5,Originalpencildrawing, Signed,Dated1916.

Jules Duffart, French, 1924- French Town View, Oil on Board, Signed

“Deserted”, Sick French Soldier on his starving horse in a desert landscape after Bonaparte’s desertion of his army in Egypt in 1799. Small oil on board, 19th C, Conservation framing. horse

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NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is undertaking significant asphalt works on the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway from March to late 2026.

Delays are expected, particularly at peak travel times. Motorists are advised to plan ahead, allow extra time for journeys, and take care when travelling through work sites.

Tamahere off-ramps remain open throughout the works

Stage 5 – September

Cambridge Northern Interchange southbound off-ramp closed

Stage 3 – June-July

Hautapu southbound on/off-ramps closed

Stage 6 – October

Cambridge Northern Interchange northbound on-ramp closed

This map is indicative only and not to scale.

At each stage, there will be one lane of traffic in each direction

Stage 1 – March-April

Stage 2 – April-May No on/off-ramps closed

Stage 4 – August Hautapu northbound on/off-ramps closed

Screen gem Allan is 80

By Jesse Wood

Allan Webb was honoured at The Regent Theatre Te Awamutu – his longtime second home – last weekend.

The former owner-operator celebrated his 80th birthday with about 80 guests from the community - thanks to the Allan Webb Theatre Trust and Regent operations manager Linden Gomes.

“It was very good. I’m glad Allan accepted and the community showed up to celebrate with us,” Gomes said.

Gomes recounted an incident where Webb had made a point of refunding the cost of a coffee sold at the cinema to Gomes’ wife several days earlier because the coffee machine had been faulty.

“That day we realised something very special: you saw us. You respected us. You could have ignored it - she hadn’t complained, she might never have noticed - but instead, you chose integrity. That small gesture became a story we’ve shared ever since.”

Webb said he was grateful for the “many kind words” delivered

“If you love your job, you will never work a day in your life. I have been privileged to have loved my chosen profession. How lucky can a person be?

Online figures

Our e-Editions page has become the most visited on the Cambridge News website after the home page, digital statistics for last month show.

The most popular news item were details of the Waikato Expressway work which will create delays for motorists for the rest of the year.

The recycling of the Velodrome came in at second followed by two Tamahere stories - PhD student Hannah Rogers’ roots to research work on plants and the coroner commending Lynn Dring for advocating for change after the death of her husband in 2023.

Rounding out the top five was Here we grow again, news that development is taking place in Leamington. Interestingly the sixth best story was a 2018 piece on the appointment of Greg Thornton as principal at Cambridge High School. Thornton announced his resignation last week.

• See story Page 7.

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• Kaipaki Milk • Safari biltong and Full Circle Farm eggs.

Find us at 1 Campbell Street, Leamington, Cambridge

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For the month of March, BodyCode is available at Health 2000 Cambridge for only $34 which is over 30% off (normally $49.95).

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The story of Geoffrey Challis

Wartime tales from Le Quesnoy, Cambridge’s sister city, include this one – which recounts a conversation with the late Miriam Farrell.

A pipe and sister town connection keeps memory of “gentle kind man” alive.

A photo captures howitzer operator Geoffrey Challies in Le Quesnoy orchard – and his family still have the pipe he puffed on while out in the battlefields of World War One.

Geoffrey – from the New Zealand Division, NZ Field Artillery – is captured in the photo taken by New Zealand’s official war photographer Henry Armytage Sanders in the orchard just outside of the French town of Le Quesnoy.

He is eyeballing the camera, pipe in mouth, as he stands by the heavy-duty howitzer canon he helped to operate in the lead up to the liberation of the town on November 4, 1918.

“My brother Christopher has got all dad’s records. He’s got his pipe, the one that’s in the photograph,” said Geoffrey’s daughter Miriam Farrell.

“That’s him there,” she says holding a copy of the photo. “He signed up on his 20th birthday in October 1916. They couldn’t go before that. He left New

Zealand early the following year. His older brother was already over there. That could have been a reason he was so keen to go.”

Miriam died in late 2024 following the interview. Her granddaughter, Gretel Donnelly, says she would be chuffed her father’s story is being told.

Miriam loved a delightfully deadpan letter Geoffrey wrote to his mother, Florence, in October 1917: “I received my birthday cake today all in good order. I cut it a few minutes ago, so as to be able to tell you what it was like. Well, it arrived in first class order. I expect to go to France in two days’ time so I must hurry up and finish the cake before I go”.

“They weren’t allowed to write anything about the war so a lot of what he wrote was about things like him being excited to get his birthday cake, gingernuts and socks,” Miriam said in the interview.

It wasn’t until she and her husband Brian retired to live in Cambridge that they heard about the French town of Le Quesnoy – and Miriam

Repair Revolution Waipā

discovered her father’s connection to its liberation of 1918.

“We moved to Cambridge in 1996 and then in 2000, Cambridge became the sister town to Le Quesnoy. I rang my brother up, he’s older and I asked him, ‘What did Dad do during the First World War?’

“He reeled off this and that and of course, his involvement with Le Quesnoy came up, but I had never heard about it because he never mentioned it in his letters from the war.”

Miriam, who was 11 years old when her father died in 1953, says Geoffrey’s strong connection to Le Quesnoy inspired her to delve deeper into her father’s war time adventures. She and Brian have visited Le Quesnoy three times and became members of the Cambridge / Le Quesnoy Friendship Association.

“Kiwis are very much welcomed to Le Quesnoy, it’s incredible,” she says of the town whose connection to New Zealand endures with its annual Anzac Day commemorations and the NZ Liberation Museum – Te

Arawhata.

In a letter from September 1918, a month before Geoffrey was photographed in the Le Quesnoy orchard, he described his transition from being a driver to operating a howitzer.

“I have given up my job as driver and have taken on gunnery. I think the gunner’s job is the best during the winter. It is not a very nice job looking after horses and harnesses during the winter when there is so much mud.”

Miriam’s husband, Brian, a military enthusiast, knows a thing or two about howitzers. He recounts how Geoffrey was “the layer” on the howitzer, responsible for setting the sights and choosing the shell.

“They are monstrous things. Geoffrey is the one sitting on a special little seat on the howitzer known as the layer’s seat. The layer needs to have good mathematical nous to calculate the angle and how far you want the shell to go each time it is fired.

“They put the propellant in little bags and depending

Continued next page

Create your own repair kit.

Saturday, March 21 | 9am – 12pm

Taylor Made Community Space 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge

Repair and refresh your furniture with Heritage Trading.

Saturday, March 28 | 9am – 12.30pm

Taylor Made Community Space 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge

These events are funded through the Government's Waste Disposal Levy.

Learn machine care, sewing basics, and create a zipper pouch.

Taylor Made Community Space 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge Saturday, March 21 | 2pm – 5.30pm

Restore broken ceramics with lacquer and gold.

Taylor Made Community Space 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge Tuesday, March 24 | 6pm – 8.30pm

EVERYDAY FIXES

Urban Miners, Leamington Saturday, March 28 | 2pm – 4pm

on what your target is, they have to calculate how many bags of this powder is needed to put behind the projectile.”

Brian says while the New Zealand Rifle Brigade played the key role in the liberation of Le Quesnoy, the NZ Field Artillery also played an essential part.

“They [the New Zealanders] were the only brigade available that were up to full muster. All the others, the English, the Canadians, and anyone else around there were all way down on numbers. So, Le Quesnoy was a totally New Zealand thing, and they incorporated Geoffrey and his mates from the artillery into the brigade to assist. It was a beautiful affair because everyone supported everyone else.”

After the war Geoffrey settled on the family farm in Mahakipawa in Pelorus Sound, around 45km northwest of Blenheim.

Author Katherine Mansfield frequented the area because her cousin ran the guest house.

Many New Zealand soldiers were offered land in the Marlborough Sounds as part of the soldier settlement scheme - but Geoffrey’s parents had purchased their farm earlier.

“When Geoffrey and his brother, Ted, came home from the war, their parents

bought the farm across the road,” Miriam said.

“It was a lovely farming valley between the Queen Charlotte and Pelorus sounds. The farms – little 100-acre blocks – were mainly settled by World War One soldiers, so there was a big group of them. They used to have a gun club and all sorts of things in those days.”

Miriam remembered her father being a successful farmer in what was one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand.

“Because they had the two farms they farmed them together. We had mixed dairy and sheep. We had pigs, of course. There was a lovely big cheese factory, and the Marlborough Sounds right there on the doorstep.”

Geoffrey also built his mum a beautiful house on the farm, said Miriam. “He was a qualified builder and did business acumen and architecture courses in Cologne before leaving Europe after the war.”

The impact of war Rain on the tin roof of the family home and muddy areas of the farm were constant reminders of Geoffrey’s time on the Western Front and caused anxiety attacks.

“Mum said it used to really upset him,” recalled Miriam. “They didn’t know anything about Post

Traumatic Stress Disorder at all back then. And it was very rare that anyone would come back not damaged in some way. It was very hard.”

Despite his anxiety, Miriam remembered her dad as a quiet, intelligent and practical man.

“He was still farming when he died. But because I was only 11 years when he passed away, so I was

still fairly young, I learnt a lot about him from his war time letters. You can tell he was very caring and wanted to make sure that his family was okay. He would send them good, optimistic thoughts.”

In one of his last letters from the front, he pokes fun at his father having to deal with a mule called Kit.

“I am glad that Dad is

getting on alright with Kit. You were saying that she is a bit lively at times. I think that is rather a good fault. I think Ted and I will be able to manage her alright when we get back, after some of the mules that we have had to handle at times.”

In another letter during his first year in service, he tells his mother about meeting up with his brother, Ted.

“He is looking very fit and well. We are not camping very far apart at present, so we are able to see each other pretty often and generally manage to make a visit after each mail arrives so as to compare notes. I must close now with love to all from Geoff.”

“We’re just very proud of him for who he was,” said Miriam.

THE DENTURE MAN

Keeping Cambridge Smiles Sparkling

Searching for 10 more men

By Viv Posselt

Ongoing research into the men behind the names on Te Awamutu’s World War One cenotaph has prompted a call for help from the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Te Awamutu Branch.

Aided by the public, members of the group have already researched 37 of the 58 fallen WW1 soldiers listed on the cenotaph at Anzac Green. Research is continuing into the remaining 21, as well as on four listed on the Roll of Honour at the Te Awamutu RSA.

Throughout the project, the genealogists have

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divided the names into groups of 10 to focus the research more effectively.

One of the group’s members, Linda Howarth, said stories on the 10 listed for 2026 had been completed and will be presented at a public meeting at the Te Awamutu library on April 29, a date selected for its proximity to Anzac Day.

The group now wants to gather information on the 10 names listed for 2027. Howarth said while they do have some detail on several of the soldiers, they are keen for living relatives of the men to come forward with whatever information they may have.

“People might have

material at home that will help us tell the stories of these men… certificates, documents or letters, photographs, medals, books,” she said. “It could be anything at all that might help us build a story around who they were, where they lived and what they did before going to war.”

The names being researched for 2027 are Leonard Davis (mother was from Te Awamutu), Percy De Ville (born in Te Awamutu, worked in Te Rahu and named on the St John’s Church plaque), Hugh Hansen and John Hastie (both with fathers from Te Awamutu), George Houghton (parents Te Awamutu and he worked in Te Awamutu), James Houston (father Te Awamutu), Robert Hunter (RSA information from Cambridge), William Johns (born Te Awamutu and on St John’s Church plaque), Keith Johnston (born Paterangi),

and Theodore Marshall (lived Te Awamutu).

Howarth is asking anyone with information on these 10 men to come along to the April 29 meeting with whatever they have that can be shared with the genealogists.

“The data could be from anywhere across the wider district. These men’s names are on the cenotaph because they were listed as having an association with Te Awamutu when they enlisted,” she said, “but they may have lived and worked elsewhere in the district, and their living relatives could also be living further afield.”

The group is also looking to swell its number of researchers and can help those new to the task by providing lists of websites to search.

“They don’t have to be members of the group – just people with an interest in the project and time to help with the research,” Howarth said.

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Across 1. Unimportant information (6) 5. Breezily (6)

8. Tin (3)

9. Defeat though better thinking (6)

10. Refinement (6)

11. Henhouse (4)

13. Close thing (4,4)

14. Supplant (5) 15. Encourage a faster pace (3,2)

Last week

19. Highly unpleasant (8) 21. Side (4) 22. Hold together (6) 23. Overseas (6) 25. Long flat runner used on snow (3) 26. Agreement (6) 27. Rue (6) Down 2. Rowdy (7) 3. Solemn promise (3)

4. Playing a part (6) 5. Yearly (6) 6. Lying down (9) 7. Large water lily (5) 12. Keep trying (9) 16. Oblivious (7) 17. Unassuming (6) 18. Mend (6) 20. Origins (5) 24. Illegally fix an outcome (3)

Across: 1. Chirp, 4. Rustic, 7. Ace, 8. Broken, 9. Pantry, 10. Massacre, 12. Hope, 13. Engulf, 15. Settee, 16. Gasp, 17. Downcast, 19. Astute, 20. Grubby, 22. Tie, 23. Greedy, 24. Sieve. Down: 1. Curtain-raiser, 2. Ilk, 3. Panic, 4. Repress, 5. Synthetic, 6. Irrepressible, 11. Sculpture, 14. Fidgety, 18. Wages, 21. Use.

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CAMBRIDGE OPEN HOMES

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17A Alpers Ridge, Leamington

- Morning light spills through double-glazed windows.

- Enjoy the favourable open plan floorplan, with separate lounge opening to the patio for relaxed afternoons.

Open Homes Saturday 1.00 - 1.30pm & Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

Big On Space, Big On Opportunity

- Extensively refurbished and beautifully presented, four generous bedrooms, two bathrooms and three toilets.

- NEW roof & spouting PLUS new gas hot water recently installed.

- Downstairs- rumpus room, bedroom, toilet, storage and laundry.

Open Homes Saturday & Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

East Living At Its Best

Superior and Elegant Townhouse

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109C Taylor Street, Cambridge

- Beautifully designed townhouse, complete with a private courtyard.

- Floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the interior in natural light.

- Upstairs, includes an office nook & 3 generous double bedrooms. Open Homes Saturday 11.00 - 11.30am & Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

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on Chaucer

58 Chaucer Street, Leamington 4 1 2

- 2 spacious and comfortable lounges - Gas fire in one lounge and heat pump in the other.

- Open plan dining area with retro mini bar to delight entertainers.

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND OTHER CLAIMANTS

All persons having claims against the estate listed below are required to send details of their claims to Greg Kelly Trust Law Limited, PO Box 25243, Wellington 6140 or by email to KEVIN ZHU at kevin.zhu@trustlaw.co.nz on or before April 6 2026. They are warned that after that date the executor may administer or distribute the estate having regard only to claims received. Claims due and owing at the date of death should be so certified. This notice is published under s 79 of the Trusts Act 2019.

Estate of MICHAEL JOSEPH WALLACE late of Kentucky, USA, formerly of Cambridge, who died on 7 June 2025.

MEETING NOTICE

Pursuant to Section 46 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 notice is hereby given that a meeting of Nga Pae Whenua the Joint Management Body for the Taumatawiiwii, Ng-ati Koroki Kahukura ki Hinuera, Waikaukau and Te Reti Reserves will be held on Thursday, 19 March 2026 at 2.00pm in the Kaipaki Meeting Room, Waipā District Council, 23 Wilson Street, Cambridge.

A copy of the agenda will be available two days before the meeting at the Cambridge Public Library.

PLAN CHANGE 33 TO THE WAIPĀ DISTRICT PLAN

The Waipā District Council gives public notice that Plan Change 33 – Rezoning Area 7 of the Hautapu Structure Plan area from Deferred Industrial Zone to Industrial Zone shall become operative on 12 March 2026.

Any person wishing to obtain further information about this plan change may write to Waipā District Council, Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu 3840, or send an email to districtplan@waipadc.govt. nz.

Steph O’Sullivan Chief Executive For and on behalf of the Waipā District Council

with heart - thoughful, personal, planned

Gardener/Maintenance position available now

It’s time to add to our maintenance/gardening team at Te Awa Lifecare. Our staff are chosen for their skill and caring approach, and we aim to create strong connections and trust with them. We will choose the right person for their attitude and fit within our team. Our team is proud of the environment they work in and the part they play in making it look at its best for our residents and guests.

As part of the Te Awa team, you will have:

• An enjoyment of gardening, general knowledge and experience in various maintenance roles and helping people keep their homes in tip top condition.

• A passion for great customer service and respect for our resident’s personal space and village grounds.

• Have excellent communication skills, common sense and a solution focussed approach.

This role also has an element of minor building, and clinical equipment repairs, planned, preventive maintenance and audit compliances.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a gardener/maintenance to make the most of working in beautiful surroundings with a team who really care.

Come and be part

EDWARDS, Taupulu Liai (Liai) – Passed away peacefully on Saturday 28 February 2026, aged 78 years. Much loved and treasured wife of Allen for 53 years. Loved mother and mother-in-law of Henry and Helen, Shane and Vicky. Adored Tina and grandmother of Brooke, Jackson, Casey, Paige and Harper. Sincere thanks to the staff at Cambridge Oakdale for their compassionate care of Liai over the years. A celebration of Liai’s life will be held at Raleigh Street Christian Centre Chapel, 24 Raleigh Street, Cambridge on Saturday 7 March at 11:00am. All communications to Liai’s family C/- Gibson Funerals, PO Box 501, Cambridge 3450.

STIRLING, William Craig (Bill) – Passed away on Monday, 23rd February 2026. Aged 93 years. Much loved husband to June and the late Prudence. Cherished father and father-in-law to Jenny & Dean, Keith & Cheryl, Neil & Julie, Sharee and Gene, and the late Alan. Adored grandfather and great grandfather. At peace until Jesus comes. Messages to the "Stirling" family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434

UEANIKARAKA, Tenanorake – Our beloved drew his last breath in Auckland Hospital on Thursday, 26th February 2026 at 1.26pm, aged 37 years. His loving spouse, Ereti Birati, by his side. A cherished partner, brother & uncle. He was a devoted catholic, a musician, hardworking, family-oriented and incredibly selfless. Because of his service, generosity, kindness, and ability to make everyone laugh, he was adored by many and will always be remembered. Tekeraoi mwanangam te buu, te nati, te rao. Iriam ana kakawakin tinara Nei Maria inanon kawaim. Matu ma te rau. A Requiem Mass for Tenanorake has been held. Messages to the UEANIKARAKA Family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Tenanorake online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz