Queen's Birthday Weekend

The Pine Harbour Ferry is running extra services – we have not been formally informed and it is not on their website but there should be:
•A ferry on Friday evening at 7pm
•Normal Sat/Sun service
•A return ferry on Monday

Please check with Pine Harbour directly but may help you make those travel plans for this weekend…


AND


SALE OF WORK @ QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY
ALBIE & ANN MCCABE:
• TURNED WOOD
• FABRIC ART
• PAINTINGS
• CUSHIONS
• THROWS
• WOOD WORK
• QUILTS

6/ 8 OCEANVIEW CRESENT, 10AM ------- 1PM, SAT/SUN/MONDAY…

Kakariki

Many people will be aware of the following project which has been approved by the Department of Conservation and will take place on Rakino Island early next year. These birds will be a unique and valued addition to Rakino Island, complementing our growing population of Bellbird.

Kakariki were released on Motuihe on Saturday 17 May 2008 and TV1 is screening a segment on either the news or Closeup of the capture process and release, the same process will be followed for Rakino. This will be screened on Monday 19 May.

Cheers John



"Rare parakeets to populate gulf islands

An ambitious plan to translocate 100 kakariki (red-crowned parakeets) from Little Barrier Island to two other Hauraki Gulf islands as well as a mainland site means more people will be able to see the rare birds.

Conservation researcher Luis Ortiz-Catedral, based at Massey University in Auckland, is from Mexico, a land of more raucous, garishly coloured parrots than New Zealand’s subtle-hued species. But it is our small green, long-tailed kakariki that have captured his interest in recent years.

As well as studying a small population of translocated orange-fronted kakariki, which are extremely rare and critically endangered, on remote Maud Island in the Marlborough Sounds, he is planning a large-scale translocation further north of their relative, the red-crowned kakariki. The two-pronged project is part of his doctoral thesis as a researcher at the Institute of Natural Resources, comparing how wild and captive birds cope with translocation.

The red-crowned kakariki thrive in abundance on Little Barrier Island, a protected conservation reserve. Mr Ortiz-Catedral is organising a project to capture then release the 100 birds at Rakino and Motuihe Islands as well as Tawharanui conservation reserve north of Auckland.

This will expand the geographical range of the species and enable scientists and conservationists to better understand how newly located translocated kakariki cope with the change.

A team of volunteers will help him record data of the birds’ health before they are taken by helicopter to neighbouring locations for release. They will then track, observe and record the birds’ feeding, social and breeding behaviour using electronic transmitters once they are in their new habitats.

Since 2004, he has studied the nesting biology and nesting growth of the red-crowned kakariki on Tiritiri Matangi Island, a world famous bird sanctuary also in the Hauraki Gulf.

The outlook for the next series of translocations is promising, he says. The birds, once populous throughout New Zealand but now found only on predator-free offshore islands, are good breeders. A female can produce up to nine chicks in a season. But it was their habit of foraging and nesting on the ground that evolved during New Zealand’s isolated, predator-free epoch that made them fatally vulnerable to predators such as rats, cats and stoats that were later introduced.

The project, he says, is not purely scientific. "There’s also the spiritual appeal that we are returning the parakeets to places they once belonged. It has a powerful symbolic side to it.”

Kakariki may even take flight and do their own relocating once closer to other islands and the mainland, he adds. “Who knows, one day we might see kakariki in Albert Park.”"

Source: Massey University

FW: Fighting Fires on Rakino - doing what you can to be ready....

 

Subject: Fighting Fires on Rakino - doing what you can to be ready....

 

HI – Please see message from Ken who is doing a fantastic job of trying to keep us and our properties safe from fire…

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Rakino Fire.

      Hi all, time to make some progress on keeping the island prepared to combat a fire. After a long dry summer where I was somewhat cautious about playing with water tanks, I would like to push forward with placement of camlock fittings, updating fire training and confirming details from the fire contacts list.

 

1) 6 RRPA supplied Camlock fittings. There are a number of sites where I have agreed to install a camlock fitting. I will be progressing this over the next months. We still have a few left, and the Rate Payers Association are keen to ensure that we have adequate numbers of fitting out on the island. I am particularly looking for places in both Marine Park Ave and  Ocean View Cres.

To be a good candidate for installation the following criteria are considered.

      a) The tank has a 50mm outlet that is accessible - don't worry if this has already got a supply off it, we have T connections

      b) The tank is minimum of 5,000l - doesn't matter if it is full, the tanks I have installed so far have only lost a couple of buckets of water.

      c) Tanks must be back from a fire risk slope. - We do not want to be trying to connect and disconnect a fitting above a fire. (this is particularly relevant for Marine Park Ave)

      d) Fitting should be accessible in the event of a fire.

I would also like to ensure that the location of these outlets are visible so I'm looking to create a sign that can be positioned where visible from the street. Any budding graphic designers out there who would like to propose a design for the 'Rakino Fire Hydrant' please send me some ideas!

 

2) Fire Training. It's time to run another set of courses to train those who want to become involved in fighting fires. This also provide an opportunity to refresh your training if you have already completed some training. The NZ Fire Service encourages (strongly) all those who would like to participate in actively fighting rural fires to have completed an assessed course called "Personal Safety at Vegetative Fires". This will be run by Lance Dixon - the Primary Rural Fire Officer for the gulf islands, and we have historically run this on week nights after 7:30pm at the Marine Rescue Centre at Mechanics Bay.

Lance is really helpful at making sure that everyone who attends passes the assessment, so don't have any concerns regarding your ability to 'pass'. Those who are interested in attending, please respond with a suggested day of the week that would suit you to attend. My preference is for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Below is the list of people I have as completing this course.

 

3) Fire contacts list. Time to update the fire contacts list. The following is a list of people who have previously displayed an interest in being involved in fire fighting on Rakino.

 Contacts

 Completed  "Personal Safety at Vegetative Fires"

 Lance Dixon Fire officer                                09 429 0258 09 429 0145

 Becky Wickenden                                            027 541 8325          09 623 7475

 Brendon Massey                                              021-630 331           09 575 9016

 Caroline Williams                                             027 286 5895          09 376 5426

 Charlie O’Dwyer                                              021 999 124

 David Parker                                                     027 2173555           09 445 9010

 John Beasley                                                     027 475 8323          09 445 4316

 John MacKenzie                                               027 259 1234          07 827 8850

 Ken Wickenden                                               021 400 434           09 379 8344

 Kevin Brennan                                                 021 159 2806          09 412 6959

 Kevin Hester                                                     0274406999            09 834 1235

 Kevin Wragge                                                   021 2304660           09 630 7407

 Linley Murray                                                   021 0516262           09 630 7407

 Lyndon Lewis                                                     0274831415            09 836 7308

 Mitch Cuevas                                                    021 513 794           09 376 5426

 Phil Whyte                                                         021 954 782           09 525 2029

 

 Incomplete  "Personal Safety at Vegetative Fires"

 Alan Boylan                                                       09 372 6044

 Angelo Parente                                               021 579 753

 Caroline Beasley                                              09 445 4316

 David Coombe                                                 021 272 9022          09 369 1950

 Robyn Armstrong                                           021 939947            09 5287565

 Vea Faumuina                                                  021 445 720           09 274 7114

 

My apologies if I have missed you - please remind me!

Please let me know if you want to be included/removed from the list or your contact details have changed.

From this I will review the fire call tree and alerting systems.

 

 

regards… Ken

Ken Wickenden

ddi:      +64 9 351 1477

mob:    +64 21 400 434

fax:      +64 9 351 1855

e-mail. ken.wickenden@db.com

 

Regards

RAKINO RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

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