A giant billboard in Auckland is telling thousands of city drivers a day to get their bums to Taranaki.
The billboard is promoting Taranaki as part of AA Travel's 101 must-do weekends advertising campaign and reads: Get your bum to Taranaki.
Hanging above Newmarket's Khyber Pass Rd, the billboard is on one of Auckland's busiest routes and has raised the eyebrows of some city dwellers.
Newmarket Business Association general manager Cameron Brewer, a former Taranaki man, is amused by the billboard and is bemused some people are offended by it.
"Some precious people have rung me and told me they think the language is a bit crass for upmarket Newmarket. One person even wanted me to complain to the Auckland City Council and try to get rid of it," laughs Mr Brewer, pictured in Auckland.
"I love the billboard. In fact people have suggested I was the one who organised it given I'm so pro-Taranaki. It makes me homesick every night I drive under it."
Mr Brewer, who grew up near Hawera, says about 60,000 cars drive down Khyber Pass Rd every day. He says the billboard is great free advertising for Taranaki.
AA Tourism general manager Peter Blackwell said the whole 101 must-do campaign has the theme of "get off your bum New Zealand".
"The premise is we spend enough time on our bums on the couch, so people need to get out there in the world and get off their bums," said Mr Blackwell, who also used to live in Taranaki. He said the AA hadn't received any complaints about the billboards but there had been some about the television advertising.
Saturday, May 10
Monday, May 5
Patea couple proud to grow organic Maori potatoes
They probably came from Peru and are now being grown organically in Patea.
Markus Gripp and Rochelle Bertrand are the only certified organic commercial growers of Maori potatoes in the country.
The couple, originally from Taranaki, returned from Australia about 10 years ago and got into growing the spuds through a friend who worked at Massey University.
"We had to find something to do. I left Patea to get away from the freezing works or having to milk cows.
"They were the only options for work," Mr Gripp said.
He spent a few years at Crop and Food Research studying the potatoes, which he says are the best you can get.
"They taste like potatoes should. Other potatoes have been modifed."
But these ones are just as they were hundreds of years ago.
They are also very healthy, according to Ms Bertrand.
"They are full of antioxidants and have a slow sugar releasing content, which means they are good for diabetics."
There are a few stories behind the name, but no one is really sure how they came to be called Maori potatoes.
"Some people say they came over with Maori in the canoes, but I don't really know if that's true."
Mr Gripp says there is also a hypothesis they originated in Peru.
"They were a delicacy because there was only taro and kumara which would only grow in certain areas. These potatoes could grow anywhere from Bluff to Whangarei."
The couple started wholesaling the spuds, which are sold in New Zealand supermarkets.
"It was a bit hard in the beginning. The wholesalers wanted them, but we had to educate them a bit about the potatoes," said Mr Gripp.
The couple have taken them to food shows all over the country, and they proved popular as wedges at the Wild Food Festival in Hokitika. "They make the best wedges," said Ms Bertrand.
Six months ago, the couple opened The Vege Shed in Patea and started selling the potatoes from there a month ago.
The are slightly more expensive than the conventional potato but that hasn't put people off.
"It's because they are organic and also the yield is low, compared with other potatoes,but I'm confident they will sell well," Mr Gripp said.
GRETA CLEARY greta.cleary@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Monday, 05 May 2008
Markus Gripp and Rochelle Bertrand are the only certified organic commercial growers of Maori potatoes in the country.
The couple, originally from Taranaki, returned from Australia about 10 years ago and got into growing the spuds through a friend who worked at Massey University.
"We had to find something to do. I left Patea to get away from the freezing works or having to milk cows.
"They were the only options for work," Mr Gripp said.
He spent a few years at Crop and Food Research studying the potatoes, which he says are the best you can get.
"They taste like potatoes should. Other potatoes have been modifed."
But these ones are just as they were hundreds of years ago.
They are also very healthy, according to Ms Bertrand.
"They are full of antioxidants and have a slow sugar releasing content, which means they are good for diabetics."
There are a few stories behind the name, but no one is really sure how they came to be called Maori potatoes.
"Some people say they came over with Maori in the canoes, but I don't really know if that's true."
Mr Gripp says there is also a hypothesis they originated in Peru.
"They were a delicacy because there was only taro and kumara which would only grow in certain areas. These potatoes could grow anywhere from Bluff to Whangarei."
The couple started wholesaling the spuds, which are sold in New Zealand supermarkets.
"It was a bit hard in the beginning. The wholesalers wanted them, but we had to educate them a bit about the potatoes," said Mr Gripp.
The couple have taken them to food shows all over the country, and they proved popular as wedges at the Wild Food Festival in Hokitika. "They make the best wedges," said Ms Bertrand.
Six months ago, the couple opened The Vege Shed in Patea and started selling the potatoes from there a month ago.
The are slightly more expensive than the conventional potato but that hasn't put people off.
"It's because they are organic and also the yield is low, compared with other potatoes,but I'm confident they will sell well," Mr Gripp said.
GRETA CLEARY greta.cleary@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Monday, 05 May 2008
Rousing farewell for local legend
By LEIGHTON KEITH leighton.keith@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Monday, 05 May 2008
BRADLEY AMBROSE / TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
Noel Yarrow's casket is carried to a waiting Cadillac by pallbearers, on the left (from the front) Michael Yarrow, Russell Guckert, Paul Yarrow, on the right William Tennent, Philip Yarrow and Peter Tennent.
The skies were blue and the rain had cleared, but the tributes for one of Taranaki's favourite sons continued to pour.
Noel Henry Yarrow, baker, businessman, husband, father, grandfather and philanthropist, was farewelled by more than 1500 people in Manaia on Saturday.
Those attending included family, friends, employees, sports people, school principals, students, some of the Royal New Zealand Navy's top brass and Dame Malvina Major.
Many of the mourners had been beneficiaries of the 83-year-old's renowned generosity.
Everybody spoke of Mr Yarrow's love of Manaia and Taranaki.
The crowd began gathering well before the 1pm service. About 300 mourners packed the Manaia Town Hall while others sat in an adjoining marquee. Bouquets of flowers lined the hall's entrance and foyer.
Barry Pepperell from New Plymouth was passing through Manaia and decided to pay his respects to a man he described as an icon of the region.
"He has done so much for so many."
George Duffus, who began working at the bakery in 1959, said that from the first time he met Mr Yarrow he knew he was destined for greatness.
"This business was going to progress and move forward."
Mr Duffus said Mr Yarrow often told him "if you stand still in business, you will only move backwards".
He valued their association. "In the beginning he was my boss, at the end he was my firm friend."
Peter McLeod said he had been privileged to know Mr Yarrow.
"In the short time I did get to know Noel he was a man of immense values and generosity."
Alf Bevins, who had known Mr Yarrow for more than 70 years, said he was a honourable man. "He was great to his district and his family."
RNZN Rear Admiral David Ledson said Mr and Mrs Yarrow had been generous to the navy over the years and their donations had helped improve the quality of life for sailors aboard ships. "It was done in a very low-profile way. They had no expectations of recognition."
The recognition came though. Rear Admiral Ledson awarded the Chief of Navy commendation to the couple some years ago at a ceremony in New Plymouth.
Mr Yarrow's casket was covered in red and white roses and his 10 grandchildren had placed a white baker's hat on it.
Dame Malvina, who Mr Yarrow had been proud to call a friend, sang Ave Maria before his casket made its final journey to the Manaia cemetery.
That final ride, in a silver and grey Cadillac, took Mr Yarrow past his home, through the factory and stopped for one final look at a snow-covered Mt Taranaki.
BRADLEY AMBROSE / TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
Noel Yarrow's casket is carried to a waiting Cadillac by pallbearers, on the left (from the front) Michael Yarrow, Russell Guckert, Paul Yarrow, on the right William Tennent, Philip Yarrow and Peter Tennent.
The skies were blue and the rain had cleared, but the tributes for one of Taranaki's favourite sons continued to pour.
Noel Henry Yarrow, baker, businessman, husband, father, grandfather and philanthropist, was farewelled by more than 1500 people in Manaia on Saturday.
Those attending included family, friends, employees, sports people, school principals, students, some of the Royal New Zealand Navy's top brass and Dame Malvina Major.
Many of the mourners had been beneficiaries of the 83-year-old's renowned generosity.
Everybody spoke of Mr Yarrow's love of Manaia and Taranaki.
The crowd began gathering well before the 1pm service. About 300 mourners packed the Manaia Town Hall while others sat in an adjoining marquee. Bouquets of flowers lined the hall's entrance and foyer.
Barry Pepperell from New Plymouth was passing through Manaia and decided to pay his respects to a man he described as an icon of the region.
"He has done so much for so many."
George Duffus, who began working at the bakery in 1959, said that from the first time he met Mr Yarrow he knew he was destined for greatness.
"This business was going to progress and move forward."
Mr Duffus said Mr Yarrow often told him "if you stand still in business, you will only move backwards".
He valued their association. "In the beginning he was my boss, at the end he was my firm friend."
Peter McLeod said he had been privileged to know Mr Yarrow.
"In the short time I did get to know Noel he was a man of immense values and generosity."
Alf Bevins, who had known Mr Yarrow for more than 70 years, said he was a honourable man. "He was great to his district and his family."
RNZN Rear Admiral David Ledson said Mr and Mrs Yarrow had been generous to the navy over the years and their donations had helped improve the quality of life for sailors aboard ships. "It was done in a very low-profile way. They had no expectations of recognition."
The recognition came though. Rear Admiral Ledson awarded the Chief of Navy commendation to the couple some years ago at a ceremony in New Plymouth.
Mr Yarrow's casket was covered in red and white roses and his 10 grandchildren had placed a white baker's hat on it.
Dame Malvina, who Mr Yarrow had been proud to call a friend, sang Ave Maria before his casket made its final journey to the Manaia cemetery.
That final ride, in a silver and grey Cadillac, took Mr Yarrow past his home, through the factory and stopped for one final look at a snow-covered Mt Taranaki.
Friday, April 25
A memorable war
By LYN HUMPHREYS lyn.humphreys@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Friday, 25 April 2008
Taranaki Returned Servicemen, from left, Graeme Lowe, Peter Beckham, Jack Elliott and Ra Penn cannot see today's Kiwis laying down their lives in defence of the United Kingdom.
The squalor of war shot to hell their ideas about war and adventure. Like so many others, four World War II Taranaki veterans joined the queues for what they hoped was the experience of a lifetime. They weren't disappointed, but it wasn't what they expected. Along with the blood, guts, starvation and thrills came the realisation that a life under German or Japanese rule wasn't worth living.
Four veterans who gathered around the table at the New Plymouth RSA this week were adamant that, given the same circumstances, they would once more join up to fight for king and country.
But they are at odds as to whether New Zealanders today would do the same. They certainly agree that contemporary Kiwis will never feel the same loyalty to Britain that they did nearly 70 years ago.
Don Mander, who's 85, admits that at 20, when he joined the fleet air arm, he was ignorant of the politics that led to the war.
"We didn't even know that Hitler existed," Don admits. "We went for the adventure and to fly."
But it was all too real for 83-year-old Englishman Peter Beckham, who was living with the daily threat of Hitler and his menacing war machine across the channel. The moment Peter turned 18 in 1943, he became part of the massive sign-up of all available Brits, to the consternation of his father.
"My father's battalion was massacred on the Somme in World War I by the bad advice of generals. I'm bloody lucky to be here at all!"
And there was the horror when, as a youngster, he saw World War I veterans marching to London to plead for work and money.
"What a pathetic situation. They send them to war, they risk their lives and then they can't even feed them properly."
Ra Penn, who gives his age as "eighty-bloody-five", says he had a major falling out with his father when he also signed up as a flyboy as soon as his age allowed.
His father, who fought in World War I under General Douglas Haig, had no faith in the incompetent military leadership who had failed to protect their men.
"The old man got shot running up the beach at Gallipoli. He thought war was futile and stupid."
Jack Elliott, a soldier in New Zealand's 25th infantry battalion, experienced first hand as a prisoner of war behind German lines what the options would have been if the Allies lost the war.
"I don't regret it," the 88-year-old says. "It was well worthwhile when you consider what our life would have been either under the Germans or the Japanese."
In joining up, Jack had continued the family tradition. "I had six uncles who fought in World War I. Two didn't make it and four were invalided home wounded."
Jack was captured in North Africa after a series of desert firefights. "We had two wins and a loss that day." He would spend the remaining three-and-a-half years behind the wires.
The experience opened his naive young eyes to the realities of war. "People think that all the people who died were gassed, but they weren't. Many were starved, died of illness, or worked to death. We saw the suppression of the ordinary German people for ourselves. They were too afraid to say or do anything."
The men's hero remains a Stratford man, Lieutenant Colonel William Malone, in command of the Wellington Infantry regiment at Gallipoli during World War I, who died alongside his men on Chunuk Bair in 1915, probably from friendly fire.
Unlike other military leaders, he had tried to conserve the lives of his men and had been the only commander who achieved his objective, they say.
They are frustrated that, despite many entreaties to officialdom, the country has never given Malone the accolade they feel he deserves. "He should have been given the VC posthumously," Peter says.
Ra says the young today would never go to war as they had done.
"A lot wouldn't put a uniform on. It is just the way they are. They don't want to fight for king and country."
Don disagrees. "I think they would go again."
The group has taken heart in the recent outpouring of the younger generations on Anzac Days as they rediscover their grandparents' past.
This year's poppy-sale collection might have been down in numbers with plenty questioning whether the poppies were stolen in the North Shore theft but those who did give were more charitable than in the past.
Ra says he handed out fewer poppies and his collection box was lighter, but that was only because it was filled with notes. Most generous were the young mothers, he says.
They were also delighted to see young kids putting all their pocket money in.
The group is convinced that the dropping of atomic bombs on Japanese cities, which ended the war in the Pacific, was a necessary evil to save the lives of many millions more.
Don says the realisation of what nuclear wars could mean to the world has been an effective preventive from that time on. "There's not been a really big war since then."
The veterans say they are disgusted by the depletion of today's Kiwi armed forces, especially the Labour Government's decision to ditch the Air Force fighter jets.
"We learnt the hard way in World War II that nothing is gained without air cover. And now what do they do? Buy helicopters," says RNZN Malaysian vet Graeme Lowe. "We spend less GDP on defence of any of the Western nations less than one per cent.
"We haven't got a strike force now," Ra says. "The Skyhawks were equal to any fighter in the world. We had the best in the Southern Hemisphere. At least give them equipment. Now they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag."
Taranaki Returned Servicemen, from left, Graeme Lowe, Peter Beckham, Jack Elliott and Ra Penn cannot see today's Kiwis laying down their lives in defence of the United Kingdom.
The squalor of war shot to hell their ideas about war and adventure. Like so many others, four World War II Taranaki veterans joined the queues for what they hoped was the experience of a lifetime. They weren't disappointed, but it wasn't what they expected. Along with the blood, guts, starvation and thrills came the realisation that a life under German or Japanese rule wasn't worth living.
Four veterans who gathered around the table at the New Plymouth RSA this week were adamant that, given the same circumstances, they would once more join up to fight for king and country.
But they are at odds as to whether New Zealanders today would do the same. They certainly agree that contemporary Kiwis will never feel the same loyalty to Britain that they did nearly 70 years ago.
Don Mander, who's 85, admits that at 20, when he joined the fleet air arm, he was ignorant of the politics that led to the war.
"We didn't even know that Hitler existed," Don admits. "We went for the adventure and to fly."
But it was all too real for 83-year-old Englishman Peter Beckham, who was living with the daily threat of Hitler and his menacing war machine across the channel. The moment Peter turned 18 in 1943, he became part of the massive sign-up of all available Brits, to the consternation of his father.
"My father's battalion was massacred on the Somme in World War I by the bad advice of generals. I'm bloody lucky to be here at all!"
And there was the horror when, as a youngster, he saw World War I veterans marching to London to plead for work and money.
"What a pathetic situation. They send them to war, they risk their lives and then they can't even feed them properly."
Ra Penn, who gives his age as "eighty-bloody-five", says he had a major falling out with his father when he also signed up as a flyboy as soon as his age allowed.
His father, who fought in World War I under General Douglas Haig, had no faith in the incompetent military leadership who had failed to protect their men.
"The old man got shot running up the beach at Gallipoli. He thought war was futile and stupid."
Jack Elliott, a soldier in New Zealand's 25th infantry battalion, experienced first hand as a prisoner of war behind German lines what the options would have been if the Allies lost the war.
"I don't regret it," the 88-year-old says. "It was well worthwhile when you consider what our life would have been either under the Germans or the Japanese."
In joining up, Jack had continued the family tradition. "I had six uncles who fought in World War I. Two didn't make it and four were invalided home wounded."
Jack was captured in North Africa after a series of desert firefights. "We had two wins and a loss that day." He would spend the remaining three-and-a-half years behind the wires.
The experience opened his naive young eyes to the realities of war. "People think that all the people who died were gassed, but they weren't. Many were starved, died of illness, or worked to death. We saw the suppression of the ordinary German people for ourselves. They were too afraid to say or do anything."
The men's hero remains a Stratford man, Lieutenant Colonel William Malone, in command of the Wellington Infantry regiment at Gallipoli during World War I, who died alongside his men on Chunuk Bair in 1915, probably from friendly fire.
Unlike other military leaders, he had tried to conserve the lives of his men and had been the only commander who achieved his objective, they say.
They are frustrated that, despite many entreaties to officialdom, the country has never given Malone the accolade they feel he deserves. "He should have been given the VC posthumously," Peter says.
Ra says the young today would never go to war as they had done.
"A lot wouldn't put a uniform on. It is just the way they are. They don't want to fight for king and country."
Don disagrees. "I think they would go again."
The group has taken heart in the recent outpouring of the younger generations on Anzac Days as they rediscover their grandparents' past.
This year's poppy-sale collection might have been down in numbers with plenty questioning whether the poppies were stolen in the North Shore theft but those who did give were more charitable than in the past.
Ra says he handed out fewer poppies and his collection box was lighter, but that was only because it was filled with notes. Most generous were the young mothers, he says.
They were also delighted to see young kids putting all their pocket money in.
The group is convinced that the dropping of atomic bombs on Japanese cities, which ended the war in the Pacific, was a necessary evil to save the lives of many millions more.
Don says the realisation of what nuclear wars could mean to the world has been an effective preventive from that time on. "There's not been a really big war since then."
The veterans say they are disgusted by the depletion of today's Kiwi armed forces, especially the Labour Government's decision to ditch the Air Force fighter jets.
"We learnt the hard way in World War II that nothing is gained without air cover. And now what do they do? Buy helicopters," says RNZN Malaysian vet Graeme Lowe. "We spend less GDP on defence of any of the Western nations less than one per cent.
"We haven't got a strike force now," Ra says. "The Skyhawks were equal to any fighter in the world. We had the best in the Southern Hemisphere. At least give them equipment. Now they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag."
Mystery as soldier's headstone discovered
By MATT RILKOFF matt.rilkoff@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Friday, 25 April 2008
Emma Crofskey and 5th Battalion Cadre NCO Stephen Muschamp examine the headstone of World War II soldier C.D. King.
Who is C.D. King and why was this old soldier's headstone recovered miles from any cemetery in New Plymouth yesterday?
The headstone of the World War II veteran who died in 1981, aged 67, may have remained hidden for years, had the new owners of the house on Sycamore Gr, where it was found, not decided to whip their property into shape.
Only days after moving in to the house, Joe Govier and Emma Crofskey were clearing their section of debris when they found the headstone among trees and ferns down a steep bank.
"It was just lying there, down the bank, on top of a lot of other rubbish.
"It wasn't like I unearthed it or something. I didn't think it was a grave site. I just thought someone had dumped a headstone," Mr Govier said.
Once they had found it, the couple were stumped as to what to do with it.
After two days, Miss Crofskey decided to call police, who directed her to Stephen Muschamp, Cadre NCO of the 5th Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki Battalion Group.
Mr Muschamp was on the scene in a jiffy and identified it as an RSA headstone, also noting that the usual brass cross inlay had been removed.
He said it was hard to determine how long the headstone had been in the bush, but he would be particularly interested to know just how it had come to be there.
"And I thought, well, on the eve of Anzac Day, what a way to start the day, to recover this headstone of an old soldier," he said.
Graeme Lowe, senior vice-president of the New Plymouth RSA, had a different reaction to the headstone.
"It's from the Te Henui cemetery. You can tell that because of the design, and it's been removed because you can see where it sat in concrete.
"But you know what this reminds me of - it reminds me of what those damn hoods did to the Jewish cemetery in Wellington, and then that other time in Auckland."
He said if the family of C.D. King did not live in Taranaki, they might not know his headstone had been removed.
"He's served with the 2nd NZEF as a driver, and some of them went straight to England when there was the invasion threat, but when that went away after the Battle of Britain, they went into North Africa."
Mr Lowe said he would not like to guess how many old soldiers' graves were at the Te Henui cemetery, but the sexton would be able to give them more details about this particular headstone on Monday.
The headstone reads: 2nd NZEF, 35896 DVR, C.D. King, NZ Army Service Corps, 14-10-1981. Aged 67 years.
Emma Crofskey and 5th Battalion Cadre NCO Stephen Muschamp examine the headstone of World War II soldier C.D. King.
Who is C.D. King and why was this old soldier's headstone recovered miles from any cemetery in New Plymouth yesterday?
The headstone of the World War II veteran who died in 1981, aged 67, may have remained hidden for years, had the new owners of the house on Sycamore Gr, where it was found, not decided to whip their property into shape.
Only days after moving in to the house, Joe Govier and Emma Crofskey were clearing their section of debris when they found the headstone among trees and ferns down a steep bank.
"It was just lying there, down the bank, on top of a lot of other rubbish.
"It wasn't like I unearthed it or something. I didn't think it was a grave site. I just thought someone had dumped a headstone," Mr Govier said.
Once they had found it, the couple were stumped as to what to do with it.
After two days, Miss Crofskey decided to call police, who directed her to Stephen Muschamp, Cadre NCO of the 5th Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki Battalion Group.
Mr Muschamp was on the scene in a jiffy and identified it as an RSA headstone, also noting that the usual brass cross inlay had been removed.
He said it was hard to determine how long the headstone had been in the bush, but he would be particularly interested to know just how it had come to be there.
"And I thought, well, on the eve of Anzac Day, what a way to start the day, to recover this headstone of an old soldier," he said.
Graeme Lowe, senior vice-president of the New Plymouth RSA, had a different reaction to the headstone.
"It's from the Te Henui cemetery. You can tell that because of the design, and it's been removed because you can see where it sat in concrete.
"But you know what this reminds me of - it reminds me of what those damn hoods did to the Jewish cemetery in Wellington, and then that other time in Auckland."
He said if the family of C.D. King did not live in Taranaki, they might not know his headstone had been removed.
"He's served with the 2nd NZEF as a driver, and some of them went straight to England when there was the invasion threat, but when that went away after the Battle of Britain, they went into North Africa."
Mr Lowe said he would not like to guess how many old soldiers' graves were at the Te Henui cemetery, but the sexton would be able to give them more details about this particular headstone on Monday.
The headstone reads: 2nd NZEF, 35896 DVR, C.D. King, NZ Army Service Corps, 14-10-1981. Aged 67 years.
Creating list a huge effort
By PETER BINGHAM peter.bingham@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Friday, 25 April 2008
Jack Elliott has never forgotten the mates he lost at war. And their memory has inspired him to labour at a task for the past 10 years that no one else has been prepared to do.
The 88-year-old painstakingly compiled the list that appears on the front page and page two of today's edition of all the Taranaki men and women who lost their lives in World War I (1251), World War II (793), Korea (1) and Vietnam (2). It has been a protracted effort of patience and endeavour to verify and log the names of the 2047 who died in service.
"I started compiling a list for the Inglewood RSA and that sort of got me going. There were a lot I knew from Inglewood who went away [in WWII] and quite a few schoolmates from New Plymouth Boys' High School who didn't come back. That inspired me."
He has taken names from cemeteries, churches, memorials, school and hall honours boards, researched books and sought information from the National Archives and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
"I reckon my list is about 95 per cent, maybe 99 per cent, accurate. It is vital something is done because more and more honours boards and memorials are being lost as schools close and country halls come down. It would be good if all these names are put up in one block in a place like Puke Ariki. There is only a bit of fine-tuning left to do." Not every Taranaki person who served and died would be on his list.
"For example, a lot of Taranaki men served in the RAF and were regarded as members of the British forces and are on their rolls of honour." He has also compiled a list of all who died in the Taranaki Wars and the Boer War.
Jack added a year to his age and listed his job as shop assistant when he signed up. "I was only 20 and was a chemist's apprentice in Inglewood. A chemist was a reserved occupation [exempt from service], so I had to change that."
He joined the 25th Infantry Battalion and served in Greece and Libya before being captured and sent to Italy.
"We should have been released when armistice was declared in Italy, but the commandant was a fascist and held us until the Germans arrived."
They were shipped to Poland to work in a heavy machinery factory where a number of them, including Jack, trained as fitters and turners and as gas and electrical welders.
"We knew what they were up to and when they lined us up to make parts for their tanks and 88mm guns, we cited the Geneva Convention at them. They were not happy, called us swine Englanders, then loaded us on to the rattler [train] and sent us off to our next job."
Jack Elliott has never forgotten the mates he lost at war. And their memory has inspired him to labour at a task for the past 10 years that no one else has been prepared to do.
The 88-year-old painstakingly compiled the list that appears on the front page and page two of today's edition of all the Taranaki men and women who lost their lives in World War I (1251), World War II (793), Korea (1) and Vietnam (2). It has been a protracted effort of patience and endeavour to verify and log the names of the 2047 who died in service.
"I started compiling a list for the Inglewood RSA and that sort of got me going. There were a lot I knew from Inglewood who went away [in WWII] and quite a few schoolmates from New Plymouth Boys' High School who didn't come back. That inspired me."
He has taken names from cemeteries, churches, memorials, school and hall honours boards, researched books and sought information from the National Archives and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
"I reckon my list is about 95 per cent, maybe 99 per cent, accurate. It is vital something is done because more and more honours boards and memorials are being lost as schools close and country halls come down. It would be good if all these names are put up in one block in a place like Puke Ariki. There is only a bit of fine-tuning left to do." Not every Taranaki person who served and died would be on his list.
"For example, a lot of Taranaki men served in the RAF and were regarded as members of the British forces and are on their rolls of honour." He has also compiled a list of all who died in the Taranaki Wars and the Boer War.
Jack added a year to his age and listed his job as shop assistant when he signed up. "I was only 20 and was a chemist's apprentice in Inglewood. A chemist was a reserved occupation [exempt from service], so I had to change that."
He joined the 25th Infantry Battalion and served in Greece and Libya before being captured and sent to Italy.
"We should have been released when armistice was declared in Italy, but the commandant was a fascist and held us until the Germans arrived."
They were shipped to Poland to work in a heavy machinery factory where a number of them, including Jack, trained as fitters and turners and as gas and electrical welders.
"We knew what they were up to and when they lined us up to make parts for their tanks and 88mm guns, we cited the Geneva Convention at them. They were not happy, called us swine Englanders, then loaded us on to the rattler [train] and sent us off to our next job."
With flying colours
By HELEN HARVEY helen.harvey@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Friday, 25 April 2008
Allan George and his wife of more than 60 years, Frances, have nine children.
The picture couldn't possibly tell the story. It's a black-and-white photo at Allan George's Manaia home. It shows two young men, both in uniform, standing in front of a plane. By the look of the aircraft and the uniform, it is reasonable to assume it is World War II.
And even though Mr George is 90 now, it is easy to pick him out. But the picture only hints of the danger, the friendships and the reckless disregard. It doesn't tell of events so painful they bring tears more than 60 years later.
And it doesn't tell of two medals the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) awarded for bravery.
Mr George, a pilot, received the DFC after "an episode" when his Wellington bomber got "awfully shot up" dropping bombs over the Ruhr.
"My poor old rear gunner got his bum shot away. Screaming his head off, we had to pull him out of the rear turret, blood from hell to breakfast."
First a fuel pipe was severed then a fighter plane came in and shot the motor out.
"It was a miracle we never blew up, because the plane flooded with fuel."
Petrol was gushing everywhere, so an Englishman, Viv Broad, the wireless operator, bandaged up the pipe and contained the petrol. The Wellington was struggling on one motor and losing height.
"The crew said `can we bail out?' I said `hell no'."
It wasn't a good idea to bail out over the target. The searchlights would shine on the parachutes and the German gunners would shoot the parachutes down.
Mr George told his crew to hang on until they reached the coast. Once there, they still had a bit of height, so limped across the sea and crash-landed at an airfield just inside England.
By the time the rear gunner got out of hospital, he had been replaced, so the gunner joined another crew. He was shot down over Hamburg.
Altogether, Mr George flew 73 operations, 21 as a Pathfinder.
The Pathfinders were the elite.
They were the top pilots and navigators from the RAF's Bomber Command. Each one had to have completed at least one tour of operations a tour equalled 30 bombing missions. And they had to volunteer.
By 1943, Bomber Command was huge, so there were plenty to fly the missions. However, the difficulty, because of the European weather, was to find the target, he says.
"At this time, scientists had developed decent radio aids, which allowed us to become more precise. And it was realised that those of us who had done a tour of operations ... were very experienced men."
The Pathfinders flew Mosquitoes and flew ahead of the bombers. Each Mosquito carried a pilot, a navigator, flares to indicate the targets to the following bombers, and one 4000lb bomb. They had to prove, with a photo, that they had hit the target.
There was some delinquency, Mr George says blokes who were LMF (lack of moral fibre) and didn't go over the target, dropping flares and bombs anywhere.
"It was equivalent to a soldier going over the top. You knew you had to go through that barrier of flak.
There would be hundreds of bombers flying behind the Pathfinders, so they had to hit the target on time, otherwise it increased the risk of collisions.
"It was equivalent to rush hour in Auckland."
There was an 80% fatality rate for the bombing missions. For the Pathfinders, it was 90%.
That was the butcher's bill that had to be paid every night, he says.
For the extra danger, Pathfinders got extra rank.
Mr George was in 139 Squadron, which was unique, because there were 16 nationalities among the aircrew.
"They were a remarkable gang of burglars."
The squadron's purpose was to bomb Berlin. It was the most difficult target of the war, being the most defended target in Germany. Hitler boasted that no bomb would fall on Berlin, Mr George says. In March and April 1945, the RAF hit the city night after night after night.
"The idea was we had to do nothing but bomb Berlin for 50 nights in a row."
They stopped at 36 because the butcher's bill was too high and the RAF needed to build up reserves.
Aircrew worked two nights on, one night off.
Hitler surrounded Berlin with searchlights and moved in the fighter jets.
"The jets were at 40,000ft. We were at 30,000ft. They came down on us and picked us off."
Hitler was so upset at the Pathfinders' success at highlighting the targets that he ordered that any Pathfinder shot down was to be killed.
The last time Bomber Command attacked Berlin was April 20, 1945.
"There were thousands of Russian guns all the way from the Baltic Coast, down as far as you could see to the south, and that barrage kept going until the second of May and Berlin surrendered.
"April 20 was the only night there were no fighters or no flak at us. Everything on the ground was aimed at the Russians."
The butcher's bill for Bomber Command aircrew in World War II was 55,000. There were also 20,000 wounded and 12,000 taken prisoner.
"We never thought of more than today." It was said that airmen were only concerned with wine, women and song, he says.
"We didn't give a monkey's stuff for anything."
They did some stupid things, got up to all sorts of mischief, were a wild bunch.
"Every night we used to say `well, I hope it's quick'."
There wasn't much lingering.
"We'd stop a hit from flak and, with our load, would blow up. It was instant. You'd just vaporise."
One thing they used to say was they didn't want to know when their last raid would be.
But on May 2, they were called to a meeting.
"They said, `well, boys, there's one target left Kiel. You've got to go. Get home tonight and you are through the war.' That was ..."
Mr George stops, his voice breaking. He gets his hanky out and wipes his eyes.
"... the most terrible parade of the lot. You can understand I never go there. It's too upsetting."
He stops for a bit.
"I can't talk about it. We always used to say we didn't want to know which was the last raid. You get home tonight, you're through the war. You could've heard a pin drop. I don't go there."
He has recorded his last flight in his logbook, as he recorded all his flights. In neat, precise handwriting.
"May 2, 1945. Last of European war. Very good raid.
"The fighters were up and they had a bit of a mix up with us."
Berlin surrendered the same day.
After the trip to Kiel, every aeroplane in the Royal Air Force was grounded.
"They opened the bar and we got drunk."
The bar stayed open all night and the next morning, there was a huge parade. The airmen were still drunk.
"When the old parson said, We'll bow our head and give thanks to the Almighty, most of us fell over."
The logbook is one of Mr George's most prized possessions. Inside it is a piece of cloth covered in writing in English and in Russian and a Union Jack. It is called a blood chit.
Mr George carried it in his raids over Berlin.
"It guarantees a reward for not taking a life ... so if we were damaged, we could land behind Russian lines instead of the long flight home. The Russians, of course, would shoot anything. They were the most ill-disciplined bastards in the world."
It was a long way from the farm in Manaia where Mr George had grown up.
He volunteered when the call went out for air crew in 1940 and went to the RNZAF aircrew training school in Levin, then to New Plymouth at Bell Block. It's not where the airport is now, he says, it was across the road.
At the time it was the biggest corrugated iron building in the world. It burnt down later.
Mr George learned to fly for two months, then went to Ohakea and learned to fly twin-engine aircraft before going to England for more training.
First he went to Lossiemouth in the Moray Firth for a conversion course on Wellington bombers, then to 115 Squadron in Norfolk and straight into operations over Germany. By this time, it was 1941.
He got his first medal, the DFM, for flying a Wellington bomber especially fitted with a Rolls Royce motor.
"They brought out this big bomb, 4000 pounder, and they made a special plane to carry it and I was the pilot who flew it."
He dropped it on Hamburg.
Both his medals were presented to him by King George VI at receptions at Buckingham Palace.
On one of the visits to the palace, he remembers getting an urgent call of nature.
"We had all had a pretty heavy night on the booze. In a long line waiting to be introduced to the King, I said to one of the stately ushers, Mate, where's the toilet?"
The footman looked at him with disdain.
"We were just uncouth pig-islanders."
In the end, Mr George said to him, "Mate, I want to piss."
He followed the footman up and down the corridors until they got to the toilet.
"Well, you wouldn't believe it. It was on a dais. It had armrests. Having used it, being polite and a well-trained boy, where's the chain? There was no flush. There was a bloody great lever. You got hold of it and pulled it.
"I went back and told the other pilots in the line, Hey, go to the toilet it's a bloody beaut. They all went."
As well as flying bombers, Mr George had a stint as a flying instructor and at one point he was posted back to New Zealand for a couple of months "to sort out a discipline school at Delta [just out of Woodbourne] which had mutinied, but they never used the word mutinied. They had gone on strike. I came back from England and sorted it out. I went straight back to England and went on Pathfinders."
He wasn't brave, he says, he was doing what he had to do. And he wasn't scared there wasn't time. He was too busy thinking about what he was doing, flying the plane, looking for searchlights, looking for the target, dodging the flak, dodging the fighter jets.
"I've had lumps of shrapnel just miss me, been shot at, had a fighter take me on over Berlin and miss ...
"A piece of flak was buried in behind my head I must have been leaning forward, or it would have cut my head off.
"I always say to this day I never worry about not getting Lotto. I've had all the luck in the world."
Allan George and his wife of more than 60 years, Frances, have nine children.
The picture couldn't possibly tell the story. It's a black-and-white photo at Allan George's Manaia home. It shows two young men, both in uniform, standing in front of a plane. By the look of the aircraft and the uniform, it is reasonable to assume it is World War II.
And even though Mr George is 90 now, it is easy to pick him out. But the picture only hints of the danger, the friendships and the reckless disregard. It doesn't tell of events so painful they bring tears more than 60 years later.
And it doesn't tell of two medals the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) awarded for bravery.
Mr George, a pilot, received the DFC after "an episode" when his Wellington bomber got "awfully shot up" dropping bombs over the Ruhr.
"My poor old rear gunner got his bum shot away. Screaming his head off, we had to pull him out of the rear turret, blood from hell to breakfast."
First a fuel pipe was severed then a fighter plane came in and shot the motor out.
"It was a miracle we never blew up, because the plane flooded with fuel."
Petrol was gushing everywhere, so an Englishman, Viv Broad, the wireless operator, bandaged up the pipe and contained the petrol. The Wellington was struggling on one motor and losing height.
"The crew said `can we bail out?' I said `hell no'."
It wasn't a good idea to bail out over the target. The searchlights would shine on the parachutes and the German gunners would shoot the parachutes down.
Mr George told his crew to hang on until they reached the coast. Once there, they still had a bit of height, so limped across the sea and crash-landed at an airfield just inside England.
By the time the rear gunner got out of hospital, he had been replaced, so the gunner joined another crew. He was shot down over Hamburg.
Altogether, Mr George flew 73 operations, 21 as a Pathfinder.
The Pathfinders were the elite.
They were the top pilots and navigators from the RAF's Bomber Command. Each one had to have completed at least one tour of operations a tour equalled 30 bombing missions. And they had to volunteer.
By 1943, Bomber Command was huge, so there were plenty to fly the missions. However, the difficulty, because of the European weather, was to find the target, he says.
"At this time, scientists had developed decent radio aids, which allowed us to become more precise. And it was realised that those of us who had done a tour of operations ... were very experienced men."
The Pathfinders flew Mosquitoes and flew ahead of the bombers. Each Mosquito carried a pilot, a navigator, flares to indicate the targets to the following bombers, and one 4000lb bomb. They had to prove, with a photo, that they had hit the target.
There was some delinquency, Mr George says blokes who were LMF (lack of moral fibre) and didn't go over the target, dropping flares and bombs anywhere.
"It was equivalent to a soldier going over the top. You knew you had to go through that barrier of flak.
There would be hundreds of bombers flying behind the Pathfinders, so they had to hit the target on time, otherwise it increased the risk of collisions.
"It was equivalent to rush hour in Auckland."
There was an 80% fatality rate for the bombing missions. For the Pathfinders, it was 90%.
That was the butcher's bill that had to be paid every night, he says.
For the extra danger, Pathfinders got extra rank.
Mr George was in 139 Squadron, which was unique, because there were 16 nationalities among the aircrew.
"They were a remarkable gang of burglars."
The squadron's purpose was to bomb Berlin. It was the most difficult target of the war, being the most defended target in Germany. Hitler boasted that no bomb would fall on Berlin, Mr George says. In March and April 1945, the RAF hit the city night after night after night.
"The idea was we had to do nothing but bomb Berlin for 50 nights in a row."
They stopped at 36 because the butcher's bill was too high and the RAF needed to build up reserves.
Aircrew worked two nights on, one night off.
Hitler surrounded Berlin with searchlights and moved in the fighter jets.
"The jets were at 40,000ft. We were at 30,000ft. They came down on us and picked us off."
Hitler was so upset at the Pathfinders' success at highlighting the targets that he ordered that any Pathfinder shot down was to be killed.
The last time Bomber Command attacked Berlin was April 20, 1945.
"There were thousands of Russian guns all the way from the Baltic Coast, down as far as you could see to the south, and that barrage kept going until the second of May and Berlin surrendered.
"April 20 was the only night there were no fighters or no flak at us. Everything on the ground was aimed at the Russians."
The butcher's bill for Bomber Command aircrew in World War II was 55,000. There were also 20,000 wounded and 12,000 taken prisoner.
"We never thought of more than today." It was said that airmen were only concerned with wine, women and song, he says.
"We didn't give a monkey's stuff for anything."
They did some stupid things, got up to all sorts of mischief, were a wild bunch.
"Every night we used to say `well, I hope it's quick'."
There wasn't much lingering.
"We'd stop a hit from flak and, with our load, would blow up. It was instant. You'd just vaporise."
One thing they used to say was they didn't want to know when their last raid would be.
But on May 2, they were called to a meeting.
"They said, `well, boys, there's one target left Kiel. You've got to go. Get home tonight and you are through the war.' That was ..."
Mr George stops, his voice breaking. He gets his hanky out and wipes his eyes.
"... the most terrible parade of the lot. You can understand I never go there. It's too upsetting."
He stops for a bit.
"I can't talk about it. We always used to say we didn't want to know which was the last raid. You get home tonight, you're through the war. You could've heard a pin drop. I don't go there."
He has recorded his last flight in his logbook, as he recorded all his flights. In neat, precise handwriting.
"May 2, 1945. Last of European war. Very good raid.
"The fighters were up and they had a bit of a mix up with us."
Berlin surrendered the same day.
After the trip to Kiel, every aeroplane in the Royal Air Force was grounded.
"They opened the bar and we got drunk."
The bar stayed open all night and the next morning, there was a huge parade. The airmen were still drunk.
"When the old parson said, We'll bow our head and give thanks to the Almighty, most of us fell over."
The logbook is one of Mr George's most prized possessions. Inside it is a piece of cloth covered in writing in English and in Russian and a Union Jack. It is called a blood chit.
Mr George carried it in his raids over Berlin.
"It guarantees a reward for not taking a life ... so if we were damaged, we could land behind Russian lines instead of the long flight home. The Russians, of course, would shoot anything. They were the most ill-disciplined bastards in the world."
It was a long way from the farm in Manaia where Mr George had grown up.
He volunteered when the call went out for air crew in 1940 and went to the RNZAF aircrew training school in Levin, then to New Plymouth at Bell Block. It's not where the airport is now, he says, it was across the road.
At the time it was the biggest corrugated iron building in the world. It burnt down later.
Mr George learned to fly for two months, then went to Ohakea and learned to fly twin-engine aircraft before going to England for more training.
First he went to Lossiemouth in the Moray Firth for a conversion course on Wellington bombers, then to 115 Squadron in Norfolk and straight into operations over Germany. By this time, it was 1941.
He got his first medal, the DFM, for flying a Wellington bomber especially fitted with a Rolls Royce motor.
"They brought out this big bomb, 4000 pounder, and they made a special plane to carry it and I was the pilot who flew it."
He dropped it on Hamburg.
Both his medals were presented to him by King George VI at receptions at Buckingham Palace.
On one of the visits to the palace, he remembers getting an urgent call of nature.
"We had all had a pretty heavy night on the booze. In a long line waiting to be introduced to the King, I said to one of the stately ushers, Mate, where's the toilet?"
The footman looked at him with disdain.
"We were just uncouth pig-islanders."
In the end, Mr George said to him, "Mate, I want to piss."
He followed the footman up and down the corridors until they got to the toilet.
"Well, you wouldn't believe it. It was on a dais. It had armrests. Having used it, being polite and a well-trained boy, where's the chain? There was no flush. There was a bloody great lever. You got hold of it and pulled it.
"I went back and told the other pilots in the line, Hey, go to the toilet it's a bloody beaut. They all went."
As well as flying bombers, Mr George had a stint as a flying instructor and at one point he was posted back to New Zealand for a couple of months "to sort out a discipline school at Delta [just out of Woodbourne] which had mutinied, but they never used the word mutinied. They had gone on strike. I came back from England and sorted it out. I went straight back to England and went on Pathfinders."
He wasn't brave, he says, he was doing what he had to do. And he wasn't scared there wasn't time. He was too busy thinking about what he was doing, flying the plane, looking for searchlights, looking for the target, dodging the flak, dodging the fighter jets.
"I've had lumps of shrapnel just miss me, been shot at, had a fighter take me on over Berlin and miss ...
"A piece of flak was buried in behind my head I must have been leaning forward, or it would have cut my head off.
"I always say to this day I never worry about not getting Lotto. I've had all the luck in the world."
Tuesday, April 1
Rain
Heavy rain means water restrictions around Taranaki have been eased and fire bans relaxed.
South Taranaki District Council spokesman Neil McCann says the weekend rain was enough to replenish the district's streams and rivers.
"Thankfully much of the weekend's rain fell where it was needed most, with more than 50mm around Hawera and Patea," Mr McCann said.
"The rain has allowed us to ease the restrictions and if we get some more over the next week or so we may be able to remove it completely."
South Taranaki District Council spokesman Neil McCann says the weekend rain was enough to replenish the district's streams and rivers.
"Thankfully much of the weekend's rain fell where it was needed most, with more than 50mm around Hawera and Patea," Mr McCann said.
"The rain has allowed us to ease the restrictions and if we get some more over the next week or so we may be able to remove it completely."
Thursday, March 27
Expat couple's pies hit high spots
Y LEIGHTON KEITH leighton.keith@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Thursday, 27 March 2008
A former Taranaki couple making "Kiwi-style" pies are cleaning up the Aussie competition.
For three years Tom and Anne Butler have owned the Beechwood Bakehouse in Maleny, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The couple, who previously owned Butlers Reception Lounge in New Plymouth, recently won a gold certificate for their cream silverside pie and a silver in the chunky meat pie category at the Fine Food fair Show in Brisbane.
It is not their first success - they took home the bronze medal for their chunky steak pie in last year's Great Australian Pie Competition in Sydney.
The idea for the silverside pie came to them while having dinner one night.
Mrs Butler said they had not expected success in their first foray into pie-making competitions.
"We were pretty lucky to be up there, because a lot of them are big pie manufactures and we are only small-fry," she said.
The recipe for success was simple. "Good Kiwi ingenuity. We are making Kiwi-style pies."
They sell 22 different varieties of pie at the bakery, including minted lamb pies, which were sold as the Kiwi pie because of the ribbing Australians gave New Zealanders about sheep.
Their pies had met with the judges' approval - but what does the Ocker on the street think?
"They think that they are wonderful too, pies are the biggest seller in our bakery," Mrs Butler said.
The wide selection of pies has also impressed the locals.
"They are like kids in a lolly shop, they don't know what to pick."
The couple, who left New Zealand in June 1991, still have family in the region, including Tom's parents, Ken and Shirley Butler in Stratford, and son Matthew and his wife Anna in Hawera.
A former Taranaki couple making "Kiwi-style" pies are cleaning up the Aussie competition.
For three years Tom and Anne Butler have owned the Beechwood Bakehouse in Maleny, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The couple, who previously owned Butlers Reception Lounge in New Plymouth, recently won a gold certificate for their cream silverside pie and a silver in the chunky meat pie category at the Fine Food fair Show in Brisbane.
It is not their first success - they took home the bronze medal for their chunky steak pie in last year's Great Australian Pie Competition in Sydney.
The idea for the silverside pie came to them while having dinner one night.
Mrs Butler said they had not expected success in their first foray into pie-making competitions.
"We were pretty lucky to be up there, because a lot of them are big pie manufactures and we are only small-fry," she said.
The recipe for success was simple. "Good Kiwi ingenuity. We are making Kiwi-style pies."
They sell 22 different varieties of pie at the bakery, including minted lamb pies, which were sold as the Kiwi pie because of the ribbing Australians gave New Zealanders about sheep.
Their pies had met with the judges' approval - but what does the Ocker on the street think?
"They think that they are wonderful too, pies are the biggest seller in our bakery," Mrs Butler said.
The wide selection of pies has also impressed the locals.
"They are like kids in a lolly shop, they don't know what to pick."
The couple, who left New Zealand in June 1991, still have family in the region, including Tom's parents, Ken and Shirley Butler in Stratford, and son Matthew and his wife Anna in Hawera.
Tuesday, March 18
Taranaki latest region to declare drought
1:57PM Tuesday March 18, 2008
Taranaki is the latest region to declare a drought after a prolonged dry spell in the area.
Taranaki Regional Council declared a drought today as farmers struggled to deal with the conditions.
There has been no sufficient rain since November and no rain was predicted until May.
South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop said the drought declaration would open up new avenues of government assistance for farmers.
"The council is formally asking the Government, and in particular Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton, to provide all reasonable assistance to farmers suffering undue stress as a result of this extreme situation."
He said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was offering financial and welfare assistance to affected farmers through the region's Rural Support Trust.
Trustee Neville Hagenson said two coordinators were available to visit farmers in trouble.
Mr Hagenson said coordinators could provide advice and refer farmers to government departments like WINZ and the IRD.
"Our coordinators can go and sit down around the table and talk. Just say, hey, what are your problems and perhaps make suggestions," he said.
Farmers needing help can call 0800 787 254.
Financial assistance included the unemployment benefit, emergency benefit, special needs grants and recoverable assistance payments.
The drought had been declared in the area of coastal Taranaki extending south from Okato, 35km from New Plymouth, through all of South Taranaki District to the region's southern boundary, and including southern and eastern parts of the Stratford District.
Taranaki is the latest region to declare a drought after a prolonged dry spell in the area.
Taranaki Regional Council declared a drought today as farmers struggled to deal with the conditions.
There has been no sufficient rain since November and no rain was predicted until May.
South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop said the drought declaration would open up new avenues of government assistance for farmers.
"The council is formally asking the Government, and in particular Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton, to provide all reasonable assistance to farmers suffering undue stress as a result of this extreme situation."
He said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was offering financial and welfare assistance to affected farmers through the region's Rural Support Trust.
Trustee Neville Hagenson said two coordinators were available to visit farmers in trouble.
Mr Hagenson said coordinators could provide advice and refer farmers to government departments like WINZ and the IRD.
"Our coordinators can go and sit down around the table and talk. Just say, hey, what are your problems and perhaps make suggestions," he said.
Farmers needing help can call 0800 787 254.
Financial assistance included the unemployment benefit, emergency benefit, special needs grants and recoverable assistance payments.
The drought had been declared in the area of coastal Taranaki extending south from Okato, 35km from New Plymouth, through all of South Taranaki District to the region's southern boundary, and including southern and eastern parts of the Stratford District.
Sunday, February 3
High Street 1957 - Telephone Book
High Street Hawera 1957
84 White Hart Hotel
86 Maypole Stores
88 Laurenson & Assoc Arch
90 Ormond H R Hrdrsrs
96 Barraclough M Butcher
98 Gamages Mlnrs
100 Norris & Frampton Hrdrsrs
102 Morgan A D Chemst
Sincere Fruit Shop Princes St Intersection
103 Bennett & Suttons Ltd Irn mgrs
112 Grubi Stvn Restrnt
112 Black Erick Wl Shop
135 Hing T Frtr
102 A MacLeans Specialty Shoes
84 White Hart Hotel
86 Maypole Stores
88 Laurenson & Assoc Arch
90 Ormond H R Hrdrsrs
96 Barraclough M Butcher
98 Gamages Mlnrs
100 Norris & Frampton Hrdrsrs
102 Morgan A D Chemst
Sincere Fruit Shop Princes St Intersection
103 Bennett & Suttons Ltd Irn mgrs
112 Grubi Stvn Restrnt
112 Black Erick Wl Shop
135 Hing T Frtr
102 A MacLeans Specialty Shoes
Union Street Hawera 1957 Telephone Book
39 Hodder & Tolley
41 McMahon Mrs Melvina
43 Grant Jno
45 McCarthy Jno G Brmn
47 Nielsen Jos m Town Clk
49 Eade Wm F Mgr
51 Hammon Mrs
51A Lovell Mrs A
53 Gardners Funeral Prlrs
55 Wilson J & H A Wd Mchts
57 Stanford Thos R Rly
57 Burgess & Fraser
63 Duffy Edwd J Rly
65 Transport Dept
67 Rick Wm C Mech
69 Johnston Mrs Msse
71 Bailey Mltn Stkbyt
73 Guilford Edwd B
76 Somerset House P Htl
41 McMahon Mrs Melvina
43 Grant Jno
45 McCarthy Jno G Brmn
47 Nielsen Jos m Town Clk
49 Eade Wm F Mgr
51 Hammon Mrs
51A Lovell Mrs A
53 Gardners Funeral Prlrs
55 Wilson J & H A Wd Mchts
57 Stanford Thos R Rly
57 Burgess & Fraser
63 Duffy Edwd J Rly
65 Transport Dept
67 Rick Wm C Mech
69 Johnston Mrs Msse
71 Bailey Mltn Stkbyt
73 Guilford Edwd B
76 Somerset House P Htl
Union Street Hawera 1957 Telephone Book
Union Street Hawera 1957
6 Hall Cycles
6A Louella Gowns
8 Wilton Richd A Grocer
12 Nolans Blds
12 Hawera Textiles
12 Para Rubber
16 Peacocks
18 Ravgee & Co Frut
20 Roberts Noe Cyc Dlr
22 Newman H R Btch
Mrs Archer
Arnold Carl B Clthr
Smith Lillian E Bty Sln
Haymans Dry Cleners
26 Dixon & Co
26 Ranford, George
38 Mac Ewan & Co
48 Masonic Hall
Moller
72 Bell Allan S Gar
Garey Peat K E
74 Ravje Govind S Frtr
Lowe Wm E
80 Guiford Dgls R Trav
82 Leishman Jas Mec
84 Farms Co Op
86 Chong Ken Frut
88 King Gordon Eng
6 Hall Cycles
6A Louella Gowns
8 Wilton Richd A Grocer
12 Nolans Blds
12 Hawera Textiles
12 Para Rubber
16 Peacocks
18 Ravgee & Co Frut
20 Roberts Noe Cyc Dlr
22 Newman H R Btch
Mrs Archer
Arnold Carl B Clthr
Smith Lillian E Bty Sln
Haymans Dry Cleners
26 Dixon & Co
26 Ranford, George
38 Mac Ewan & Co
48 Masonic Hall
Moller
72 Bell Allan S Gar
Garey Peat K E
74 Ravje Govind S Frtr
Lowe Wm E
80 Guiford Dgls R Trav
82 Leishman Jas Mec
84 Farms Co Op
86 Chong Ken Frut
88 King Gordon Eng
Thursday, January 17
Maize maze all ready to amaze again
By GRETA CLEARY - Taranaki | Thursday, 17 January 2008
Taranaki's latest maize maze is all set to amaze visitors - and to help them get lost.
The Inglewood Lions Club held a working bee yesterday to put the finishing touches to this year's maze, which will open for its seventh year on Saturday.
The summer fundraising project, which sits at No 74 on Venture Taranaki's 101 must-do list, will be open until April.
The cost of the 450,000 maize plants is covered by sponsors, and volunteers are responsible for maintaining the 2km of track within the maze. But it's worth it, say Lions Club members.
"Kids love it and family groups really enjoy it," said Kevin Knowles yesterday.
"We don't have too many problems with people getting lost. Sometimes we have to go and look for the odd child when parents get a bit anxious."
The club would like to see more social groups and businesses going through.When the fun is all over, the three-metre maize plants will be harvested into silage for a local farmer.
Taranaki's latest maize maze is all set to amaze visitors - and to help them get lost.
The Inglewood Lions Club held a working bee yesterday to put the finishing touches to this year's maze, which will open for its seventh year on Saturday.
The summer fundraising project, which sits at No 74 on Venture Taranaki's 101 must-do list, will be open until April.
The cost of the 450,000 maize plants is covered by sponsors, and volunteers are responsible for maintaining the 2km of track within the maze. But it's worth it, say Lions Club members.
"Kids love it and family groups really enjoy it," said Kevin Knowles yesterday.
"We don't have too many problems with people getting lost. Sometimes we have to go and look for the odd child when parents get a bit anxious."
The club would like to see more social groups and businesses going through.When the fun is all over, the three-metre maize plants will be harvested into silage for a local farmer.
Saturday, January 12
'Pumped' kayakers sight Taranaki
Saturday, 12 January 2008
TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
POSITIVE PADDLERS: James Castrission and Justin Jones are weary but their spirits are high as they near the end of their trip.
Two Australian kayakers attempting to cross the Tasman Sea, Justin Jones, 24, and James Castrission, 25, are paddling hard for New Plymouth after sighting Mt Taranaki about an hour before sunset last night.
At 9am today the pair were just 76km from the port city, and carving a straight line on their website's satellite tracking chart, paddling at 3kmh.
"James and Justin reported at around 8pm that they had just caught sight of Mt Taranaki," said Patrick Brothers of their logistics company Race Recon.
"They are absolutely pumped".
The two kayakers said it was a starry night, with calm seas "and the lights of New Plymouth are starting to twinkle".
The sighting followed a vexing two days in which winds and currents turned them round in a loop to the north, when they were actually trying to paddle southwest to reach New Plymouth.
Yesterday they stayed in the tiny cabin of their 9m kayak until the wind became more favourable, and put themselves back on full food rations, after halving their daily meals 30 days from mid-December.
They began paddling again about 3pm.
"The guys are so frustrated at today's progress they have decided to paddle into the night," Mr Brothers said after the sighting of Mt Taranaki-Egmont. "They are steaming for NZ".
The pair have already covered more than 3000km, weaving across the Tasman on a trip which was planned to take 42 days to cover about 2200km on an approximate straight-line route.
At dawn, the pair were less than 90km from New Plymouth, still paddling hard and chasing a Sunday finish – which would be exactly two months after they departed Forster, New South Wales.
- NZPA
TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
POSITIVE PADDLERS: James Castrission and Justin Jones are weary but their spirits are high as they near the end of their trip.
Two Australian kayakers attempting to cross the Tasman Sea, Justin Jones, 24, and James Castrission, 25, are paddling hard for New Plymouth after sighting Mt Taranaki about an hour before sunset last night.
At 9am today the pair were just 76km from the port city, and carving a straight line on their website's satellite tracking chart, paddling at 3kmh.
"James and Justin reported at around 8pm that they had just caught sight of Mt Taranaki," said Patrick Brothers of their logistics company Race Recon.
"They are absolutely pumped".
The two kayakers said it was a starry night, with calm seas "and the lights of New Plymouth are starting to twinkle".
The sighting followed a vexing two days in which winds and currents turned them round in a loop to the north, when they were actually trying to paddle southwest to reach New Plymouth.
Yesterday they stayed in the tiny cabin of their 9m kayak until the wind became more favourable, and put themselves back on full food rations, after halving their daily meals 30 days from mid-December.
They began paddling again about 3pm.
"The guys are so frustrated at today's progress they have decided to paddle into the night," Mr Brothers said after the sighting of Mt Taranaki-Egmont. "They are steaming for NZ".
The pair have already covered more than 3000km, weaving across the Tasman on a trip which was planned to take 42 days to cover about 2200km on an approximate straight-line route.
At dawn, the pair were less than 90km from New Plymouth, still paddling hard and chasing a Sunday finish – which would be exactly two months after they departed Forster, New South Wales.
- NZPA
Tuesday, January 8
Truck full of squash rolls in Taranaki
7:36AM Tuesday January 08, 2008
A Taranaki road is partly closed after a truck full of squash rolled over early this morning.
Inspector Ken Climo said the crash happened on State Highway 3 on Mokau Rd near Mount Messenger Tunnel.
The driver was not injured and no other vehicle was involved.
The road was limited to one lane.
Police were at the scene and the recovery would take a number of hours, Mr Climo said.
- NZPA
A Taranaki road is partly closed after a truck full of squash rolled over early this morning.
Inspector Ken Climo said the crash happened on State Highway 3 on Mokau Rd near Mount Messenger Tunnel.
The driver was not injured and no other vehicle was involved.
The road was limited to one lane.
Police were at the scene and the recovery would take a number of hours, Mr Climo said.
- NZPA
Wednesday, January 2
Hooligans absent from revels
GLENN McLEAN glenn.mclean@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Tuesday, 01 January 2008
Police are praising the behaviour of New Year's Eve revellers in Taranaki after a night free of the usual hooliganism.
Senior Sergeant Robbie O'Keefe said police made just eight arrests in New Plymouth for minor assaults and breaches of the liquor ban.
"The last couple of years have been generally quiet," he said, pointing out the city's liquor ban as the major reason for the improvement.
"It's made it a far more enjoyable place to be for everyone on New Year's Eve."
Urenui Beach, the scene of trouble last year when four young men were hospitalised after being assaulted, was also quiet, with just three arrests.
"Overall there were very few problems with a good crowd out there," Mr O'Keefe said.
Urenui Beach Camp manager Teresa Hayston said there were plenty of revellers enjoying themselves, with the only problem a few minor fights between teenagers.
"Everyone was really well behaved," she said. "There was a smaller crowd out here this year and no one hung around late being a pain or anything."
The 1500 at Butler's Reef, Oakura, to see iconic Kiwi band Supergroove were also well behaved.
Police reported few problems in Stratford and South Taranaki, with only a handful of arrests for minor offences.
A small number of drunk drivers were caught by police.
Police are praising the behaviour of New Year's Eve revellers in Taranaki after a night free of the usual hooliganism.
Senior Sergeant Robbie O'Keefe said police made just eight arrests in New Plymouth for minor assaults and breaches of the liquor ban.
"The last couple of years have been generally quiet," he said, pointing out the city's liquor ban as the major reason for the improvement.
"It's made it a far more enjoyable place to be for everyone on New Year's Eve."
Urenui Beach, the scene of trouble last year when four young men were hospitalised after being assaulted, was also quiet, with just three arrests.
"Overall there were very few problems with a good crowd out there," Mr O'Keefe said.
Urenui Beach Camp manager Teresa Hayston said there were plenty of revellers enjoying themselves, with the only problem a few minor fights between teenagers.
"Everyone was really well behaved," she said. "There was a smaller crowd out here this year and no one hung around late being a pain or anything."
The 1500 at Butler's Reef, Oakura, to see iconic Kiwi band Supergroove were also well behaved.
Police reported few problems in Stratford and South Taranaki, with only a handful of arrests for minor offences.
A small number of drunk drivers were caught by police.
Tuesday, January 1
Boy or two out of luck
RYAN EVANS ryan.evans@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Tuesday, 01 January 2008
The year 2023 could be grim one for Taranaki lads.
At least 14 could struggle to find dates, with the Taranaki Daily News birth notices recording 435 boys born last year, compared with 421 girls.
Liam and Sophie were easily the most popular names, with 13 each.
Joshua and Ryan tied for second, with eight each, while Charlotte, Ella and Olivia were recorded eight times each for girls.
Overall, there were 272 different girl's names recorded, including Journey-Grace, Liberty, Orlagh and Mazzlin.
Boys' names were slightly less diverse, 251 names in all, but also featured some crackers such as Ten, Kadison, Rhomyn and Tanius.
Jack was the most popular boys' name in Taranaki in 2006, while Ella and Hannah topped the girls' list
The year 2023 could be grim one for Taranaki lads.
At least 14 could struggle to find dates, with the Taranaki Daily News birth notices recording 435 boys born last year, compared with 421 girls.
Liam and Sophie were easily the most popular names, with 13 each.
Joshua and Ryan tied for second, with eight each, while Charlotte, Ella and Olivia were recorded eight times each for girls.
Overall, there were 272 different girl's names recorded, including Journey-Grace, Liberty, Orlagh and Mazzlin.
Boys' names were slightly less diverse, 251 names in all, but also featured some crackers such as Ten, Kadison, Rhomyn and Tanius.
Jack was the most popular boys' name in Taranaki in 2006, while Ella and Hannah topped the girls' list
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