News
Pick of the Crop
Speaking of pick of the crop, the spring harvest is off to a great start at Zealong Tea – And congrats to Carley Bryan, Jayden Bryan and Jay Gardiner from Orini Combined School. The three competed in the Thames valley champs 2018 at Patetonga. Jayden Bryan walked away with 2nd place
[continue reading…]
News
Fundraiser at Awapuni this weekend
Whitikahu’s Awapuni Stud is holding a great fundraiser this weekend. “We have deer, goats, kunekune pigs, sheep, ducks and peacocks – you name it. People can look around the garden and enjoy the country ambience. “In addition we’ll have tea and coffee for the adults and a barbeque,” says Jenny Clausen, who, with husband Bryan,
[continue reading…]
Home Range in letterboxes now!
Yahoo! The Summer edition of Home Range magazine is hitting rural letterboxes north-east of Hamilton this week. The 24-page, full colour publication is packed full of local stories from Gordonton, Puketaha, Orini and Horsham Downs. It has profiles, features, country cooking, history and a lovely Page 3 tractor. Home Range is produced by Annette Taylor,
[continue reading…]
Gordonton School enjoys day at the Marae
Gordonton School visited Hukanui Marae last Wednesday (31 October). Gordonton principal Keith O’Donnell said students and staff were welcomed onto the Marae with a full Powhiri. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen ties between the Marae and the school and to bring the two communities closer together. There is some overlap in that
[continue reading…]
Rain watch
Rain watchers Mike Taylor and David Riddell present their figures for October. The dry spring weather has continued, with 70mm of rain in Puketaha and only 56.5mm in Gordonton, compared with an October average for Hamilton of 105mm. In September it was dryer in Puketaha than Gordonton but this has been reversed in the past
[continue reading…]
The Pick of the Crop
Number 8 Network has been busy lately – a new issue of Home Range magazine will be sent out next week in all good rural letterboxes! But here are some pics that warmed our heart. First up, a big Happy Birthday to the Mandarin Tree. Claudia Aalderink says it’s been a glorious four years of
[continue reading…]
Home Range
Working hard in 1909
Albert Chapman subdividing the land along Piako Rd, 1909. This photo, from Gordonton’s John Bridman, is the second in a sequence taken by roaming photographer SC Smith. In the background are the original Bridgman farmouse and stables. Hamilton City Libraries librarian Perry Rice said the heritage section has many other SC Smith photos in
[continue reading…]
New beat for Gordonton principal
The new principal at Gordonton School was a cop, rides an Indian Scout motorbike and played Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. Keith O’Donnell takes time out of school to talk to Annette Taylor. This story featured in our first issue of community magazine Home Range. Here it is for those who like things online!
[continue reading…]
Out & About
Struggling to find the words: inside Fukushima’s nuclear plant
Gordonton’s Iris Riddell toured inside the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant recently. She shares the experience here. “Your total radiation dose on this tour will be 0.01 millisieverts – about the equivalent of a dental x-ray.” That’s what we’d been told, barely 40 minutes earlier. I tried to keep that firmly in
[continue reading…]
Huimai explores Pukemokemoke
Children and helpers from Huimai Playcentre had a great time exploring the bush and critters at Pukemokemoke Reserve recently. The budding biologists completed a treasure hunt, spotting intricate spider webs, cicada shells, birds and trees along the way. And of course there was time to take time out and have a breather in the
[continue reading…]
Country Cooking
Muttonbird on the menu
David Riddell whips up a special lunch I’ve often seen sooty shearwaters at sea, and occasionally on their breeding grounds, but until now I’d never eaten one. When on the table they’re better known as muttonbirds; I spotted some in the window of a Ngaruawahia butcher’s shop the other day and thought I’d give one
[continue reading…]
Duck with bacon and red wine – divine
Duck hunting started with a bang on the weekend, as the shrieks and wails from nearby pukekos attested to. We don’t have a gun, and we’re not very good at sitting near a pond in a maimai, waiting for the sun to get up but we do relish duck dinners. Luckily, I have a
[continue reading…]
History
Working hard in 1909
Albert Chapman subdividing the land along Piako Rd, 1909. This photo, from Gordonton’s John Bridman, is the second in a sequence taken by roaming photographer SC Smith. In the background are the original Bridgman farmouse and stables. Hamilton City Libraries librarian Perry Rice said the heritage section has many other SC Smith photos in
[continue reading…]
Centenary for cenotaph
It is 100 years ago that Gordonton’s cenotaph was unveilled on a rainy day, 16 October 1918. It was one of the first built in New Zealand to commemorate those from the local district who died in action and served in World War One. A reporter from the Waikato Times said the day would
[continue reading…]
