There are several areas around Waikawa Beach where gamebird hunting takes place. It’s easy, for example, to hear the shots from Lake Huritini. If you have animals that respond poorly to the sounds of shooting it would pay to keep them confined for a few hours from dawn on [Saturday] 01 May 2021.
With game bird hunting season starting on 1 May, Police is reminding people to be vigilant about safety.
“We encourage everyone heading out shooting this season to refresh themselves on the seven rules of firearm safety,” says Acting Superintendent Mike McIlraith, Officer in Charge: Arms Safety and Control. …
The Seven Firearms Safety Rules
Rule 1: Treat every firearm as loaded
Rule 2: Always point firearms in a safe direction
Rule 3: Load a firearm only when ready to fire
Rule 4: Identify your target beyond all doubt
Rule 5: Check your firing zone
Rule 6: Store firearms and ammunition safely
Rule 7: Avoid both alcohol and drugs when handling firearms
And for those who enjoy shooting, remember it is illegal to carry or use a loaded firearm in a vehicle. See Rabbits and firearms safety on the road for more detail.
Kia ora koutou kātoa, It’s been a quiet time recently at Waikawa Beach: you can go down to the sea and not see a soul.
Or maybe, like John Hewitson, you catch sight of a suspicious looking black lump on the sand and find a penguin entangled in discarded fishing net, unable to swim or feed. That lucky little bird ended up at Wellington Zoo for care: The penguin says: down with death trap nets!
Or perhaps you spot a young seal, resting up on the sand. It seems early in the season for that, but we’ve heard of at least one this month, north of the river.
The Little Free Library has been put in place at the corner of Drake Street and Waikawa Beach Road, stocked with books and more and is already being well-used. The artist has drafted up some designs for the sides and a couple of other finishing touches are on their way. Once it’s all done we expect an official launch: speeches, drinks and nibbles, and everyone in the community is invited. We’ll let you know when. Check the guidelines for Awa Pukapuka at Awa Pukapuka open for reading.
HDC matters
There are a few matters related to the Horowhenua District Council:
Problems with Waikawa Beach Road — sometimes we hear grumbles about Waikawa Beach Road, such as the corner near 554 Waikawa Beach Road by the Heritage Trail sign where several cars have left the road over the last year or so.
The thing is, Horowhenua District Council are unlikely to fix things like that if they don’t know there’s a problem. If you have an issue with the road or anything else you think the Council should ‘fix’ then tell them about it directly. The more voices that chime in with facts and accurate information the more likely there will be action. Council contacts: Email: enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz, Phone: 06 366 0999.
In the Horowhenua District Council’s draft Annual Plan we spotted a proposal for a new Waikawa Beach walkway that no-one had heard anything about before. It would go from the footbridge to the sea. Check details at HDC Long-Term Plan and a new Waikawa Beach walkway.
In May 2020 Tim Clapham from Wellington High School took a sample from the river at Waikawa Beach. The results of Sample number: 501185 show the presence of environmental DNA from cattle, pigs, birds such as shags, pūkeko, silvereye and geese, fish such as flounder and mullet, eels and īnanga, as well as snails, worms and other lifeforms. Read more at What’s in the river water at Waikawa Beach?
The Horowhenua District Council funded spinifex plantings over recent years have done a great job of reclaiming sand and extending dunes. See some photos at Spinifex superpowers.
WBRA subscription $25 per year, is due every October. If you haven’t paid yet, please do now. Make sure to provide us with your email address! Everyone: please see Subs form to make sure we have your up-to-date contact details. Visit Become a member for how to pay.
Special note: the address for posting cheques to has changed. It’s now 93 Mandel Mews, Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt 5010, but pretty soon Westpac will stop accepting cheques anyway.
Waikawa Beach is perfect for the outdoorsy life, so this is a handy phrase to know: Tama tu, tama ora; tama noho, tama mate kai. : One who stands lives; one who sits, perishes. — Better get moving!
These two photos were supplied by Ann Clark, Parks and Property Lead (South) | Kaiārahi ki te Tonga, Papa Rēhia, Rawa at Horowhenua District Council. They are aerial shots from March 2021.
For several consecutive years now Horowhenua District Council has contributed plants and labour, together with Waikawa Beach community members, to plant spinifex and pīngao in an area by the north track of Reay Mackay Grove. Take a look at this photo of empty sand from back in January 2014.
Boardwalk through dunes with no plants.
Now Stephen Betts has created a series of comparison photos to show both the growth of the spinifex and of the dunes around the new plantings.
One WBRA member, Stephen Betts, recently reported a burnt out bed on the banks of the Waiorongomai Stream:
Went for a walk down to Waiorongomai Stream this morning picking up the usual detritus on the way.
This is what I found on the beach near the stream. It looks like someone has burnt out a bed since yesterday and had a bit of a party with some household waste.
It’s so frustrating: not only an illegal fire on the beach, but dumping rubbish along with it.
Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream. Photo by Stephen Betts.Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream. Photo by Stephen Betts.
That wire looks exactly like the kind of thing that could catch a human foot, a horse hoof or a dog paw, especially with a thin layer of sand blown over it.
Here’s hoping Kāpiti District Council will remove the rubbish.
