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Inaugural Easter hunt an egg-ceptional success
Wellsford’s War Memorial Park was swarming with happy children and families on Easter Saturday, as hundreds took part in the town’s first Easter Egg Hunt.
Kids of all ages hunted high and low for coloured chips around the park, which were all swapped for a whopping 4500 chocolate eggs, and the Easter Bunny paid a visit with a basket full of crème eggs to give away as well.
In addition to all that chocolate, there was live music from Jon E. Clist, bouncy castles, Mr Whippy ice cream, toys to play on, police, fire and cement trucks, and bubble and badge-making from the Wellsford Library team.
There were also spot prizes and giveaways all morning, including McDonald’s vouchers, socks, sunglasses, toothbrushes and even a PlayStation 4 being handed out to lucky winners.
The hunt was organised by Northern Helping Hands. Founder Libby Clews said she was really pleased with the way the event had gone, from the perfect weather to the friendly volunteers.
“It made me happy to see so many locals from Wellsford and neighbouring communities,” she said.
“There were many hugs, smiles and a lot of laughs.
“Even after the event finished, kids were getting ice creams and playing in the park still. I really hope this increases the patronage of such a great facility.”
She said the event would not have been possible without the “amazing” generosity of sponsors, who paid for the eggs, subsidised food and coffee, bought supplies, loaned gear and more.
Repairs reduce waste
A Repair Café held in Wellsford on Easter Sunday gave visitors a chance to have their items fixed, as well as learn how to do the repairs themselves.
Bike tyres were patched, bike brakes tightened and knives sharpened during the afternoon event aimed at encouraging people to mend rather than discard items.
The event was organised by Mahurangi Wastebusters and Trust Board member Trish Allen was on hand to talk about how to get compost and worm farms humming.
Cakes and hot cross buns were also enjoyed by those present. Future Repair Cafes are planned for later in the year.
Antiques back in Matakana
Matakana Primary School was transformed into a slice of heaven for lovers of fine china and glass over Easter, when the annual Antique Fair returned for another two-day sale.
The hall was packed with dealers selling all kinds of vintage and retro items, but it was china, pottery and crystal that stole the show, with outstanding collections dominating the display space.
Organiser Diane Atkins says that while Covid caused something of a drop in numbers attending, it was a successful weekend and good to see more people out and about again. Entry was by cash donation and all proceeds – around $1300 – will go to Matakana Primary School.
Vintage vehicles hop to it
Hundreds of classic cars and thousands of people descended on Mangawhai Domain on Sunday, April 17 for the second annual Easter Hop car and bike show.
The sunny weather was perfect for showing off polished paintwork on well over 500 gleaming vehicles of every style and vintage, from pimped out pick-ups to meaty modern muscle cars.
As well as the cars and bikes on display, there were stalls selling food, drink and other merchandise, plus bouncy castles, the Easter Bunny, retro pin-up girls and even Cheeky Charlie, the Four Square character.
The event was organised by the Mangawhai Muscle and Classic Car Club, which was founded by local car enthusiast and Corvette expert Bryan May in 2019. He said the show had been a good one, although it had been tricky finding enough food trucks, and the club had learnt a lot for next year’s event.
Proceeds from entry fees will be donated to the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service and the Mangawhai Domain Society.
