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VOK COCKTAIL RANGE 2L CASK Te Kai Whakarongo Issue 1199 | 3 March 2026 | Proudly locally owned and operated
theinformer.co.nz
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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA
THAMES PAINT OUT
Valid 5/3/26-7/3/26
STORY OF SHAME
THE MERCURY BAY BOATING CLUB I Debbie drawing her version of The Goldmine Experience.
Debbie Morgan, Editor of the Coromandel Town Chronicle is also an artist and took part in the Plein Air – Paint Challenge – Thames Paint Out on Saturday, Debbie was one of 39 artists to register for Plein Air.
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Each artist became an “Artist at Work” choosing a site which for them would capture the spirit of Thames. The stamped canvasses or stretched paper were supplied by the organisers with each artist bringing their easel, brushes and paints
MERCURY BAY ART ESCAPE
OPEN art STUDIOS
etc. and from 9.00am to 3.00pm they created a pictorial presentation of their inspiration. Continued on page 8
rt S 2026 TRAIL GUIDE
VISIT OVER 50 ARTISTS FROM PAUANUI TO WHANGAPOUA
OPEN STUDIOS: Saturday, Sunday and Monday 7–9 March and 14–16 March 2026, 10am – 4pm
20TH ANNIVERSARY
www.mercurybayartescape.com
felt a sense of shame when Phil Hart came into the office of The informer to place a classified advertisement as the Commodore of The Mercury Bay Boating Club to place the boating club building up for tender. Phil and the boating club committee had run out of options and funds and spirit. Their building has been sitting on stilts for over three years. The whole saga is a story of shared shame. Shame on the TCDC council of years ago who generously granted a low cost lease of the land but ensured that the boating club would be totally responsible for coastal protection. What commu-
nity group who is investing their energy and finances into training young sailors could afford coastal protection? Shame on those who organised and paid for an engineering consultants’ report quoting over $600,000 for a rock wall where the boating club was located. As if they could afford that. This was given to the Boating Club for what reason? Since then, there have been other quotes of a much lesser value. Shame on the Waikato Regional Council policy that had their representative who visited the bleak situation of Cyclone Hale gouging away the coastContinued on page 3
Opens this weekend and next