weka point update newsletter issue 4. november 09..… · weka update 3 issue 4: november 2009...
TRANSCRIPT
We would like to thank the fol-lowing people / companies for there help with the develop-ments at “Weka Point”
Engineering Solutions:
Papatoa Forestry Training
Mobile Milling:
Newsletter: Vicky & Chris Herries
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to the 4th Edition of the Weka Update.
OPEN DAY In September an open day was held at Weka Point. About 60 people turn up and for many it was their first visit to the site and along with finding out about the history of the site some fun activities were had as well with some challenges re-sulting in scouts being rewarded with an official Weka Point badge to take home.
WORKING BEES Working Bees have continued on the 3rd weekend of each month with the cleanup, cut-ting and splitting of the fire-wood and we now have a good supply of wood that is drying and will be available for sale this winter. A big thanks to everyone that has come along and helped. A special mention for Tony Smith who has brought in his portable sawmill and turned some of the Weka giant pines into timber that can be used on the site. There is no working bee in December but we will be back into it the 3rd weekend of the month next year.
PLANNING While things are happening on site also a enormous effort is being put in by the Weka com-mittee off site, with plans and consents, to build down on the site, along with budgets, Health and Safety, and engi-neers reports on structures on the site, all of the time looking at the long-term future of the site for the youth of HB.
WEKA POINT UPDATE
Issue 4: November 2009
Ian Inkson busy splitting wood at Weka’s working bee
Pine cone pickup with each scout getting a Weka badge
Tony Smith & scout Greg working on Tony’s sawmill
Great family day at Weka Point open day
Peter Edwards
Lance Balle
Garry Newton
Allen Lee
Blair Robinson
Tony Smith
Memories of Weka Peninsula
The following information has been gathered about the access into Weka Point and the history behind the John Burns Memorial Bridge. (Information source Betty Sullivan & Ian Paterson)
WEKA UPDATE 2 Issue 4: November 2009
Since the first scout camp in 1911 it has been the goal to arrive at the safe camping area on the other side of the Mangone River with dry feet. Reading “Little Johns” history of Weka Point, he talks about the 1911 camp and how the first ac-tivity was to build a bridge across the Mangone River. This was soon washed away by heavy rain and over the following years many bridges of all different designs were built but all of them even-tually fell victim to the raging waters of the Man-gone River in flood. “The Weka Point swing bridge was built in the early 1980’s by volunteers after the terrible loss by drowning of John Burns on the 3rd September 1979” (twin son of Gay & Kevin Burns). John Burns was a very active enthusiastic scout aged 14.5 years who belonged to the St Josephs scout troop in Mahora Hastings. He loved camping at Weka and was with a group of fellow scouts camping for the weekend without leaders, to bring up their nights under canvas. On Sunday when they were due to return, heavy overnight rain caused a flash flood from up stream of the Mangone river. In a similar area to where the swing bridge now sits was a flying fox, with a car-riage that moved back and forward to carry the gear safely to the other side of the river. Vandals
had interfered with the flying fox, and the car-riage was sitting out in the middle of the river. John decided the best option was to try to re-trieve the carriage so that they could all get back across the river safely, so he headed out along the cable going hand over hand. When he was over the river he lost his grip and fell into the swollen river below. John was not a good swimmer and the force of the river was to great and the currents quickly swept him away out of sight of his mates. A huge search for John was started with many volunteers coming from scout groups all over Hawkes Bay. It took 7 days of searching before his body was located and recov-ered. It was a very traumatic time for all in-volved. John Burns was buried in his scout uni-form. After John Burns drowned at Weka Point, the Burns family, the Taradale Lions Club, (Kevin Burns, John’s father was a member of this club) members of the Waiapu scouting area, all got together with the idea of building a bridge to stop a tragedy of this type happening again. Af-ter much discussion and debate the New Zealand Army was engaged (volunteered) to design a swing style foot bridge that would be suitable for access to this camp site. The design that they came up with was approved by all con-cerned. Ventures, Rover Scouts and Scout Lead-ers were requested to provide the labour to build the bridge, while the Taradale Lion’s took
WEKA UPDATE 3 Issue 4: November 2009
minder of the tragic loss of John Burns and also of all those that put in the huge effort of the bridge construction to make sure everyone now enjoys a safe all-weather approach to the camp-site. Right now the bridge is nearly 30 years old and since construction has had little repairs done to it. Garry Newton (structural engineer) of “Structural Concepts Limited” has completed an in-depth report on the current state of the bridge and made some recommendations on how we can bring the bridge up to the current safety require-ments of today. Right now the bridge is officially closed, and part of the total development plan of Weka Point includes the bridge and we are looking for help with the rebuild, which includes the re-placement of the decking wood, the replacement of the side netting and raising the hand rail height to 1.1 meters and new stairs for the tower at the campsite end. We have not been able to find any pictures of the bridge during construc-tion. If anyone has any pictures or more history of the bridge during construction please contact one of the committee members.
on the huge task of raising the money and organ-ised donations of materials for the build. So with the Army providing the plans, the Scout-ing movement providing the labour, and the Tara-dale Lions the funds and donations the whole pro-ject needed a management plan. The project was split into three separate construction phases, with Kevin Burns taking onboard the co-ordination of the project, while Phillip Hansen (Weka Point warden at the time) supervised and did much of the bridge construction. Phase One: The first part of the construction was to build the large concrete foundations which had to be built at each end. The holes were dug by hand and at the campsite end this was relatively easy to dig, but at the other end a few centime-tres into the dig the soil turned into rock, made for an incredibly hard dig. Once the foundations were dug out they had to be filled with concrete, which was all mixed on site by hand mixer, then tipped into the founda-tion hole. Days were spent where hour after hour was just spent tipping mix after mix of concrete into what seemed like an bottomless hole. This part of the construction took months to finish. Phase Two: Once the foundations were finished the tower was then built on the campsite end. The next big job was to span the huge cables across between the anchor points. The Weka Point Ferguson tractor was first tried, but quickly ran out of pull, as the cables were much too heavy, so an endless chain was brought in to fin-ish the job and tension up the cables. Phase Three: Once the cables were all in place the finishing touches could be done which in-cluded the laying of the wooden bridge decking, and putting up the netting sides, with the final part being the completion of the steps at the campsite end. This project was a huge undertak-ing with the volunteers not only having full time jobs but also most of them heavily involved with scout troops around HB. The Bridge was then opened as the “John Burns Memorial Swing Bridge” and as you walk down the track and approach the bridge you will see the plaque at the eastern side which is a re-
WEKA UPDATE 4 Issue 4: November 2009
FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY
With the last few Weka working bees and the much appreciated help of Lance Balle and his many helpers at the “Papatoa Forestry Training Programme”, some of the Weka Giants have now been turned into firewood. If you have not been up and had a look call in for a family picnic and have a look at the enormous size of some of these giant pines. We now have a good supply of firewood that will be available for sale this coming winter. As there is a lot involved in getting the firewood out and closer to town for distribution it is vital that we know well in advance for orders. It will be first in first served for supply so if you have people interested in getting firewood place your order with one of the Weka committee members ASAP.
WEKA WORKING BEES
THERE IS NO WORKING BEE PLANNED FOR DECEMBER BUT WE WILL BE BACK INTO IT ON THE 3rd WEEKEND OF EACH MONTH STARTING JANUARY 2010. THE WEKA COMMITTEE REQUIRES VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH THE CLEAN UP AT WEKA
THERE IS JOBS THAT PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITY OR RESOURCES ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH; CLEARING AND BURNING OF BRANCHES CHAINSAWING OF BRANCHES OR TRUNKS SPLITTING FIREWOOD RINGS WEEDING & CARE OF NEW PLANTED TREES GENERAL TIEDING OF CAMPSITE PICKING UP PINE CONES
THIS IS ON OPPORTUNITY FOR SCOUT GROUPS AND THE WIDER SCOUTING FAMILIES OR FRIENDS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
For more information call one of the committee members.
Information or Photos of Weka Point
ANYONE WHO HAS MEMORIES OF WEKA THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE CAN YOU WRITE OR EMAIL THEM TO VICKY AT:-
908 MIRO STREET, MAHORA, HASTINGS 4120 OR
IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS CAN YOU PLEASE PHONE VICKY ON 06 8788306 AFTER 7PM AS THE PHO-TOS I WILL ARRANGE TO MET YOU AND SCAN THEM STRAIGHT AWAY.
I WOULD LOVE TO USE THE MEMORIES AND PHOTOS IN FUTURE NEWSLETTERS
FIREWOOD
FOR SALE
DIGGER WANTED
Before any developments can begin on the Weka peninsu-lar we need to improve the access into the site. The
track that exist needs clearing of blackberry, gorse, broom etc, plus some site clearing.
If anyone knows anyone with a digger who would be interested in helping us, please contact one of the committee
members.
Weka Committee
Chairman: Nathan Foster (Zone Scout Leader)
Ph: 871-0733 [email protected]
Secretary: Dave Charteris (St Augustine Scout Group)
Ph: 836-6099 [email protected]
Treasurer: Phil Crombie (Zone Treasurer)
Debbie Leahy
Greendale-Tamatea Scout Group)
Ph: 842-0046 [email protected]
Tony Harrison
Greendale-Tamatea Scout Group)
Ph: 843-3600 [email protected]
Andrew Wilton
(Rata Olsen Scout Group)
Ph: 877-3985 [email protected]
Ron Allen
(Zone Associate Member)
Ph: 878-3610
Chris Herries
(1st Windsor Scout Group)
Ph: 878-8306
Tim Nichols
(Havelock North Scout Group)
Ph: 877-1993 [email protected]
Chris Friedeman
(Havelock North Scout Group)
Ph: 877-9248 [email protected]
Ian Paterson (Associate Member)
Ph: 878-4883 To book the Weka Point Campsite please contact: Nathan Foster [email protected] Phone 871-0733
Newsletter:
Vicky & Chris Herries