Reading gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are.
On Monday, 12 April 2021 the first books were loaded into the new Awa Pukapuka near the footbridge. Anja and Theo Geelen have done a superb job with this new Little Free Library. They’ve also been given plenty of support and help by the community who have helped lay concrete, put the library in place and contributed books.
Anja and Theo Geelen by the new Little Free Library.
Congratulations to all!
The library is now open, although there are a few finishing touches yet to come, including artwork.
That means that an official launch hasn’t yet been scheduled, but there will be one.
There are a few guidelines:
Please note that books need to be in reasonable order. We also reserve the right to discard books if they don’t attract an interest, are not ‘moving’, or deemed unsuitable. This is a LITTLE library and we don’t have much storage capacity.
Games, puzzles (complete), DVDs, and magazines less than a year old, are also welcome.
Please use your own sound judgement when you drop off books to make sure we don’t become a ‘dumping ground’…
We are looking forward to growing Awa Pukapuka as a community project for all to enjoy. Many thanks.
Locals Kezna and Braden Cameron, who have a 26 hectare property by the beach, have been written about this month in NZ House & Garden. You may have spotted some of their Arabian horses on the beach sometimes.
Like others in the area they’re doing their bit to keep pests at bay and enhance the wetland environment.
the garden … has been planted in waves of native grasses that wind their way down to the lake. Braden and Kezna are working with the local council to ensure pests such as stoats are eradicated from the lake area.
Not surprisingly, the couple say this is their forever home. “Working in the property industry we see a lot of places we love, but this house works perfectly for us and our family and we love the location, so we have no plans to move.”
Herd by Horses is located in idyllic countryside in Waikawa Beach, with space and tranquility for groups or individuals to attend workshops alongside horses.
Anna Royal and Kelly Henry facilitate activities that involves horses to promote physical, mental and emotional growth in people that are experiencing issues such as ADHD, Autism, Social Anxiety, low self esteem and much more.
We’ve received the following email from community member Anja Geeling:
Ever since we moved to Waikawa Beach, several years ago, it’s been on my mind to set up a community library, known worldwide as a little free library.
When New Zealand went into lockdown, March 2020, we saw it as the perfect time to make a start. We had only just obtained an old opti, which we thought would be a perfect fit for a beach community like Waikawa Beach. The Opti moved in with us during lockdown and we enthusiastically started working on it. With the very limited time we were given to prepare for the lockdown we were unable to obtain all materials to complete the project during lockdown.
Once we came out of lockdown, life, work and family commitments took over again. Hence the project took much longer than anticipated. But hooray, we are now nearing completion and we would love to donate our little free library to the Waikawa Beach community.
In consultation with some members of the WBRA Committee and the Horowhenua District Council, who both are very supportive of the library, we are looking for a suitable spot near the bridge carpark.
We’ve named the library Awa Pukapuka (River of Books)
