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After three long years of operating from temporary facilities, the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service (MHVLS) is heading back to its clubhouse, marking a milestone for the club and the community.
A recent fundraising initiative held at Ocean Restaurant at Te Arai Links helped accelerate that progress.
The Long Lunch featured a special Q&A session with world surfing legend Kelly Slater, hosted by Dave Wood. It raised $91,000 through ticket sales and donations, giving the club a significant boost as it prepares to move back into its headquarters. The clubhouse has been unusable since the January 2023 storms caused a major landslide behind the building.
According to the club, key structural work is completed. The major retaining wall at the rear of the clubhouse and building repairs are finished, thanks in part to government funding and support from Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ).
Funds raised from the Long Lunch will help cover the logistics of relocating operations back into the clubhouse and support ongoing operational costs that have been heavily impacted during the past three years.
Once the clubhouse is fully operational again, the club’s next major focus will be repairing the seawall and boat ramp, a project estimated to cost around $650,000. Resource consent for the work has already been secured from Northland Regional Council.
In the meantime, club volunteers will remain active in the community through upcoming fundraising efforts, including Beach Hop Parking and the Mangawhai Food and Wine Festival.
Ahead of the clubhouse re-opening, a dawn blessing was held on Saturday, March 14, with the official reopening scheduled for May 2.
MHVLS spokesperson Tony Baker says the reopening represents far more than simply returning to a building.
“After three years of operating out of shipping containers and portacoms, this reopening is about restoring our club’s spirit,” Baker said. “The clubhouse is more than just a building; it is the hub for our lifesaving operations and the home of our junior surf programme.
“For our lifeguards, it means finally having a professional, fit-for-purpose environment to coordinate rescues and keep the public safe.
“For our junior surf kids and their families, it means having a sense of belonging and a base to grow the next generation of lifeguards.”
Baker said most importantly, it meant the Mangawhai community had its frontline safety service back at full strength, ready to face the challenges of a busy coastline from a permanent, secure home.
The club thanked Long Lunch sponsors Integrated Training (Dave Wood), Ocean Restaurant Te Arai Links, Emma Lewisham and Backdoor Surf.
