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President: 021 621 411. Secretary: 027 321 9713 Treasurer: 021 958 975
ASB Account: 12 3084 0029743 00
Mahjong Group 16 October 2024.
Our window on the Hauraki Gulf
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"Motto -
"Steering a safe course through our retirement years".
This is an invitation to retired – or about to be retired, active men and women of good character, living on the Hibiscus Coast, to become members of this popular local Senior's Club. Here you will be meeting up with others at future monthly gatherings - to enjoy conviviality and listen to excellent guest speakers.
Successful applicants will be invited to participate in low-cost outings to interesting places and events. For those who have an enthusiasm for keeping fit, our Rebus Ramblers of Gulf Harbour, meet weekly on a Monday morning for a 1-2 hour stroll to places near and far, followed by a refreshing coffee at a nearby Cafe.
Other "Interest Groups" already established include dining out, Mah Jong, Classic Cars, 500 Cards, visits to the Auckland CBD and an annual BBQ. We have two quality luncheons during the year, one mid-year and the other pre-Christmas for members and partners.
Meetings are held at the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club, 1299 Laurie Southwick Parade, Gulf Harbour at 9.30am until noon on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (excluding January) After a short business session, one of our own members is a Club speaker (10-15 mins) followed by morning tea and then an external Guest Speaker. Meetings conclude by midday. The annual Subscription is $25 plus a “one off” $25 joining fee.
Our Club is the 50th Rebus Club in New Zealand and the 7th to be established in the Rodney District. Rebus is an organization which has its origins in the world-wide Probus movement which was a Rotary sponsored community service program.
However, unlike Rotary, we have no service obligations such as fund-raising or amenity establishment. Many of us have “been there, done that".
Now is the time of life to simply indulge ourselves with new friendships and leisure activities.
To learn more about Rebus Clubs in other parts of NZ, visit the NZ website by
clicking on this link Rebus.nz or call 09 424 7115 - Mob 0274 739 787.
© Rebus Club of Gulf Harbour 2024 Web design - G McIntosh
Our Committee 2024 -2025. From L-R, Jean McIntosh, (Vice President) Verneice Kilsby,
Verna Harford, (IPP) Ken Daniels, (President), David Kilsby, (Treasurer),
Lynette Philips (Secretary), Nancy Hewertson, and Gill Wild, (insert).
Three new members were inducted into our Club at the November meeting. From L-R:
Gwyneth Manning, Sheila Bocher and Margaret Phillips. Welcome to the Club ladies.
Sarah Williams, the Coordinator from Hibiscus Coast Zero-waste was our November guest speaker. This charity is funded by Auckland Council which also runs the "Repair Cafe" manned by volunteers. The Council intends to be waste free by 2040. Rubbish going to landfill creates electricity from methane. Plastic bags take up to 1000 years to break down. Insinkerators are a No No. Of the 7 types of plastic, only 1,2 and 5 are recyclable. Look for the number on each item.
Sarah's presentation created much interest among members with many questions answered.
Our November Club speaker was recently joined member, Sarah Bretherton. Yes, two 'Sarahs "on the same day! She told us of her childhood and early upbringing on a farm near Southport in the northwest of England. We were amused by her stories of being an adventurous toddler, venturing near the railway lines and the canal. An early start at school, aged four, laid the foundation for Sarah's education, going to Grammar school and then on to University where Sarah qualified as a physiotherapist. She came to New Zealand in the 1990s.
At our October meeting, President Ken inducts two new members, Alan and Lorraine Thornley who reside at Hobbs Bay. Welcome to the Club and we wish you many years of enjoyable membership.
Retired lawyer Wendy Hampton was our October guest speaker. Her subject was "Essential records for efficient administration of your estate". She has published a booklet with that title and led as through its various sections. Key points for us all to note is the need to leave behind tidy and discoverable documents to facilitate timely probate procedures. In spite of the advent of computers, sometimes, hard copies of vital document - or information on where they may be found, are critical. Even when executors have all the material they need, the High Court may take anywhere between 3 and 6 months to complete the process. Disputes between beneficiaries can add months if not years to finality. Wendy warns of the added complexity and cost where assets are held off-shore. She suggests that professional advice should be taken in those instances.
Clockwise: We celebrate our Club's 5th Birthday with a special morning tea in which our Guest Speaker, Wendy participates, Graeme and Jean McIntosh, newly elected Life Members, cut the cake and Colin Cathro's skills and generosity as a cabinetmaker are recalled. The Lectern and Honours Boards were crafted and supplied by Colin at the time of the Club's establishment.
Life memberships were awarded to founding members, Graeme and Jean McIntosh at the October meeting which coincided with the Club's 5th anniversary. In thanking the Club for the honour, mention was made of the considerable assistance they had received from the Rebus Club of Hibiscus Coast in particular the late Peter Odendaal, George Tregidga, John Lee (and Judi Lee) who joined them in the formation of a steering committee and subsequently the formation of a Rebus Club for Gulf Harbour with Peter Odendaal to become the founding President. Financial benefactors who also supported the Club at the time of formation were Piet Theron and Neil Douglas.
Our inaugural President Peter Odendaal passed away on the 14th September. Photographic tributes were presented with further respects paid by George Tregidga, Pieter Hopkins and Frank Townley. Peter played a hugely important role in the formation and running of the Club in its initial years. His cheerful presence and sense of humour were unique.
A great turnout for our September 2024 Club Day where we welcomed a record 11 guests
We support Emirates - Team New Zealand's defense of the America's Cup (in memory of Sir Peter Blake)
Our Club speaker was Valerais Geldenhuys on her subject Namibia - where she lives for part of the year as a farmer and fishing trawler owner. She describes Namibia as the "clean friendly jewel of Africa". In 1485 the Portugese were the first colonists. In1793, the Dutch authority took control of Walvis Bay and in 1856, the country became a German colony under Bismarck. Namibia is 2000kms long and 1000kms wide with 13 ethnic groups. It has a population of 2.4m and has 3.4m visitors annually. Although experiencing light rainfall in many parts of the country, it has the world's largest underwater lake.
Paul Graham from NZ Land Search and Rescue (NZSAR) was the main speaker for our September meeting. Apart from the Chief Executive and his team, who are the only paid personnel funded by Government, all other operatives are volunteers. In the 12 months to June 2024, 600 volunteers gave 167,962 hours, (4,050 in Auckland), both training and searching. There are a total of 3300 trained volunteers and 64 local groups. They operate in suburban, urban, wilderness areas including parks, shorelines, caves and islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Volunteers use their own vehicles and when an emergency arises, the first line of enquiry is to the Police who will then contact NZSAR. Paul gave us detailed descriptions of 3 typical searches - all of which resulted in the safe rescue of missing persons. Sadly, that is not always the case.
We combine with Hibiscus Mens and Red Beach Ladies for a membership promotion at the Plaza
Whangaparaoa on the 20th August 2024 - Senior Citizen's Gold Card day!
Raewyn and Dave Dewe, residents of Gulf Harbour, became our newest members with their induction at our August 2024 meeting. A very warm welcome to you both!
The August Club speaker was Past President and Life member, Peter Odendaal on the subject of the History of South Africa. He outlined the wars between the Boers and the British and the three African Tribes and expanded on the difference between black and whites. In more recent times, countries like the USA, Cuba and Russia have all been involved in wars in South Africa. F.W. de Klerk completely changed the form of government and arranged the release of Nelson Mandela as a result of which, the blacks now have control of what has become a third world country. It has always been a Pandora's Box.
Dr Don Brash was our keynote external speaker for August. He outlined 5 key challenges which he saw as facing the country today.
1) Our long history of growing output per person more slowly than other developed countries.
2) Our severely unaffordable housing with house prices relative to income being amongst the highest in the world.
3) The long-term fiscal outlook as a consequence of the gradual aging of the population - with the cost of National Superannuation (unless the age of eligibility is increased), the cost of healthcare - and what that means for government debt.
4) The increasing tendency over the past 40 years to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi to imply some kind of constitutional partnership between those with a Maori ancestor and those without. Note: current seabed and foreshore issues and media bias.
5) The increasingly serious geopolitical contest between our traditional security partner (USA) and our largest export market (China).
Questions from the floor further encouraged Dr Brash to elaborate on some the issues above. He is pictured receiving a gift of appreciation from President Ken who noted that he had driven up from Tauranga that morning to speak to us.
We were privileged to have Dr Brash as our guest and appreciated the non-partisan approach to his address.
Combined dinner 30 July - Gulf Harbour and Hibiscus Men's Clubs with a record attendance of 41 members and partners.
Founding member, John Lee stepped up to our July meeting and provided us with an entertaining Powerpoint presentation illustrating his life experiences. Following an extensive professional career as a veterinarian, John joined the NZ government as a Councillor for market access and was involved in overseeing exports of meat and seafoods and import /export of animals. Father to 4 children, now retired and married to Judi, another founding member of our Club.
Garry Phillips. NZ Society of Genealogists, was our Guest speaker for July. He says that Genealogy is slowly becoming known as Family History. Garry started by searching for a person in a family photo, "Lady Bruff" who turned out to be a pickpocket and was transported to Van Dieman's Land. He said "we find dead people and we re-connect families". It is quite easy to find records from the 16th and 17th centuries. But, he warns, it is very addictive.
The most valuable clues are from family items, such as bibles, diaries and certificates etc. For beginners, the best websites to search are records of the Mormon Church (Latter Day Saints)
www.familysearch.org, and its free. As for DNA, testing is recommended. Garry suggests you give a test kit to your oldest relative, rather than your grandchildren and collect all the family records possible.
At the conclusion of our July Club Day, 32 members visited "Hello Manly" restaurant for an enjoyable mid-year luncheon. It was the first opportunity to display our new tear drop flag.
Our Guest Speaker for the June Club Day was Tina Jones, Co-Founder of "Youth in Transition". With so little support for suicidal youths, Tina joined the Police in the role of Suicide Prevention and Support. With so many children being born into a "dying world', to "P"addict mothers and with foetal alcoholism, they are unable to deal with peer relationships. There are 50 attempted suicides each week. Local resident, the late Nigel Rigg has been a great benefactor and mentor. Manly GP Bruce Henderson, is a great supporter of the program. Briscoes' Rod Duke has bought a $2.5m retreat Centre, for teaching life skills, gardening and domestic jobs in a tranquil environment. There 242 kids currently in the program.
Club Speaker was Gill Raynor who arrived in NZ as a 12 year old on the Rangototo. When NAC were offering air hostess training, she became a Hostess on Friendship aircraft, Vickers Viscount and later served internationally with Air NZ on 747s. For our enjoyment, Gill related some hilarious experiences.
Michael Sanders, the President of Centrestage Orewa, providing an entertaining and informative May address. Centrestage is owned by a Trust, and the theatre seats 205. This year, it is putting on 6 productions and has 4 full-time staff. It costs $14,000 per month just to keep the doors open.
He pointed to the costs of the rites to produce shows - mentioning that Les Miserables was $18,000. Always a gamble that ticket sales will exceed operational overheads.
A description of the audition process ahead of any production was particularly interesting and subsequent rehearsals can take 3-4 months. One show had 20 costume changes per actor and opening nights are nerve-racking. Michael did a millinery course in London in 2019 to assist his costume design ability. Theatre has been his passion for 50 years,
Our May Club speaker was Alister Fookes. He gained his earliest farming experience as a 9 year old raising 7 day old chicks and spent most of his career in the animal feed business including working for NRM Feeds for 18 years. At age 60 he bought a cattle farm at Bombay and subsequently retired to the Hibiscus Coast.
At our April meeting, President Ken had the pleasure of inducting three new members. From left to right they are: Dorte Witoszka, Rita Wilkes and Sarah Bretherton. Welcome , Ladies.
Our guest speaker at the April meeting was Tasman Dowling, a beekeeper/apiarist. He started business in 2008 with 5 hives. He is currently selling 2 tons of live bees to Canada and specializes in raising Queens. Main honey production is from Manuka, Pennyroyal and clover types with some hives on the Whangaparaoa Golf Course. Orchardists rent beehives which are moved at night. There are 80,000 bees per hive which scout the area visiting every flower with mathematical precision working out the distances between pollen sites. Most productive time is November - January when an average of 69 tons of honey is harvested. Varoa bee mite arrived in 2001 from China and costs about $40,000 to treat and control. Tasman noted that Queens live about 8 years and can lay 2000 eggs per day. Worker bees are also female. Drones are males and used only for breeding.
Judi Lee was the Club speaker and talked about growing up in the King Country, graduating as a Veterinarian in 1976 and then having an existing varied veterinary career over the next 44 years. Highlights included air transport of horses from the UK, and working with deer farmers to establish domestic deer herds. Judi also represented NZ at international meetings associated with the primary industry trade - (animal products).
Our March Guest Speaker was Greg Moyle and his topic, was The NZ War Memorial Museum at Le Quesnoy in France. He outlined the successful reclamation of the village by NZ soldiers, many of whom gave their lives whilst fighting the soon to be defeated Germans. The Museum is a tribute to those Kiwis who fell. Decades later, the locals still revere the sacrifice our country made and many street names reflect their love of our country.
New President - Ken Daniels after receiving the Chain of Office from Verna Harford at the Club's Annual General Meeting, held on 13 March 2024
At our first meeting for 2024, we had the pleasure of inducting Barbara Wyber who has returned to NZ after many years in Australia. She resides in the Gulf Harbour village and enjoys being a kiwi again.
Our Club speaker was Colin Hewertson who gave an entertaining account of the first 25 years of his life. Born in Lancaster, UK, he came to NZ working for Fletcher Building and subsequently met wife Nancy - now a member of our committee.
Our Guest Speaker for the February meeting was Pauline Bascik who had the distinction of being the first female long-haul truck driver in NZ. She and her husband started business in Christchurch in 1971 and now have several depots across the length and breadth of this country. Pauline became a JP when in her 30s and also leant to fly after receiving an aeroplane for her birthday. Her son is now running the business following the earlier death of her husband. She related many interesting and challenging experiences associated with a woman breaking into what was essentially a male dominated business.
In spite of ominous weather forecasts earlier in the week, Wednesday 17 January 2024 proved to be just perfect for our annual BBQ. This was the 5th since the Club was established in 2019. Some 40 members rolled up complete with chairs, tables and all the necessary utensils to enjoy a fine menu with food prepared by Chefs, Keith Handley, Garth Duttton, Peter Brignall and Graeme McIntosh. Neil Wild was the BBQ convenor and together with wife Gill, orchestrated the event to every one's entire satisfaction.
Our Club's last activity for 2023 was the Christmas luncheon held at The Archer Restaurant in Stanmore Bay. Fine food, great company and the end of a vey active year for the Club.
Seventeen members visited the Auckland Zoo on the 23 November 2023 to complete their tour of this outstanding facility. A trip earlier in the year was rained out halfway through. This time, perfect conditions.
At our September meeting, President Verna awards Past President Peter Odendaal a Life Membership acknowledging his pivotal role in the establishment of the Club in 2019. On the right, Peter cuts the Birthday Cake at a morning tea celebrating the Club's 4th Anniversary.
An historic occasion - President Peter Odendaal inducts 21 Foundation members on the 9th October 2019
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