A push to make Te Horo a happier place is about to get under way with a campaign to reduce threats to native wildlife. Predator Free Te Horo will target introduced pests by distributing traps at a free sausage sizzle outside the Te Horo Hall from 11am-2pm on Saturday, June 21. “The goal is to bring more birdsong to the village and the... Keep Reading
Thirty-three years ago, the council bought a block of land at 52 School Road, Te Horo. It was bought with the intention of creating a car park for the Te Horo Comunity Hall next door. Now the hall has been saved from the wrecking ball with phase one of a big renovation, the hall committee wants the block of land to be used for its intended... Keep Reading
Brazen burglars have stolen a trailer and valuable tools from the home of Waikanae Community Board chair Michael Moore. Michael noticed the distinctive trailer was gone early on the morning of May 1. “The first thing I saw was the remains of a special bolt I had installed on the trailer towbar connection,” he says. “It was lying on the... Keep Reading
The theft of key gear and vandalism at the Chrystalls Bend toilets has closed the facility while Kāpiti Coast District Council ponders a near-$50,000 repair bill. During the night about March 15, padlocks were cut at gates leading to the area about a kilometre east of the Ōtaki River bridge. Burglars then smashed the door handle of the pump... Keep Reading
Ōtaki fire chief Ian King was driven into the local station with wife Heather in one of the brigade’s old engines on April 5 for a gathering to mark his 50 years as a firefighter. His passion goes a long way back. As a student at Ōtaki College he would rush from class and jump in his Morris Minor when the fire siren sounded. He wasn’t... Keep Reading
A recent Friday night burn-out closed Old State Highway 1 just north of Waikanae for more than half an hour, before some drivers headed into Ōtaki. The “idiots with cars”, as Ōtaki MP Tim Costley called them, burnt rubber into the roadway around the corner of Greenhill Road and the old highway, about halfway between Waikanae and Peka... Keep Reading
An Ōtaki man described as a pillar of Ngāti Tūmatauenga (NZ Army), and a dedicated soldier who served on seven assignments overseas, was farewelled at Linton Army Camp on February 13. Lieutenant Colonel Oiroa Kaihau was 59 when he died suddenly on a bike ride at Kimbolton on February 28. His eulogy, written by Chief of Army Major General... Keep Reading
Ōtaki lost one of its most remarkable citizens when Gabrielle Rikihana died peacefully aged 98 at her Waikanae home on March 2. Gabrielle (Simply Aunty Gabe to many) was a beloved matriarch of Ngāti Korokī ki Ōtaki and stalwart of Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga. She was one of the first wāhine Māori to attend university and spent most of... Keep Reading
The historic Te Horo Hall was reopened officially on Saturday, February 8, after a hectic year of community fundraising and earthquake strengthening work. Work on the hall began in August last year, with the last coat of paint applied on January 27. The hall was built at the start of the First World War, in 2014. During the restoration,... Keep Reading
A shift in demographics throughout the Kāpiti district is offering new opportunities for local businesses, says Chris Wilkinson of First Retail Group. Chris was speaking at the Southward Car Museum on February 12 for the first Electra Business Breakfast of 2025. The event was titled “What is Kāpiti’s sweet spot?”. Sharing his... Keep Reading
The Ōtaki Kite Festival is gearing up to deliver a free family extravaganza like no other with its return to Ōtaki Beach on the weekend of March 8-9. The annual event has been creating a spectacle in the skies since 2013 and is renowned for delivering two days of community fun that includes the largest selections of kites in one place in... Keep Reading
Hundreds of locals and people from throughout the Kāpiti district and beyond came to Ōtaki for Waitangi Day. This year’s theme was Ngā Taonga Tukuiho (ancestral treasures), acknowledging Ngāti Raukawa and hapū, their history and their historical involvement with te Tiriti o Waitangi. The event was at Taumanuka (the old Children’s... Keep Reading
At 90, Marian Gallagher’s probably entitled to retirement from voluntary organisations. For nearly 43 years Marian had been an active committee member of the Ōtaki Women’s Community Club, and most recently patron. She was a founding member of the Ōtaki Lioness Club. The women’s club took over the activities of the Lioness Club when... Keep Reading
The developers of Moy Estate have confirmed that they have lodged an application for judicial review of a council decision that affected access to the estate. The application by Wakefield Group Holdings was lodged with the High Court on December 12. It relates to a close 6-5 decision by Kāpiti councillors on November 28 to not change the... Keep Reading
‘Need a drink of water.” With those words, Charlie Simpson’s family knew that he had taken a big step forward on his way to recovering from a horrific crash on Ōtaki Beach. They were the first words he uttered when he came out of a coma six days after the incident. The family had been told about how the first words were a good... Keep Reading
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