A large part of my winter and pre winter activities seem to revolve around gathering, sawing and splitting firewood. Here on Kawau we are fortunate to have virtually unlimited supplies of Kanuka which is one of the best fire fuels you can get.
If I am really organised, I start the process in late Summer/early Autumn by selecting the trees that have fallen over or died during the previous year.
These get dragged/carried to the house and stock piled ready for cutting to length and splitting.
Over a period of a week or so, dependant on my enthuisiasm and energy levels,I cut all the trunks to the right length and then split them ready to go into the fire.
The final process is stacking all the cut and split pieces in the firewood bin by the back door.
If I have done the job properly, there will be enough fire wood to last the winter. If not, I will have to top it up part way through.
It's hard physical work, but you feel very virtuous when it's all done.
The real reward come of course on a cold winter evening when you enjoy a toast warm house without using any electricity.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Winter on Kawau
Winter on the island is a very special time with fewer people around, more bird life evident and, some truly stunning, still sunny days.
At night, the smell of wood fire smoke drifts around the coves and, for some reason, the skys seem even clearer than normal.
At other times like today, the rain pours down, filling the water tanks and raising the water table to keep the bush flourishing. A great day to catch up on office work, read some good books and enjoy the warmth of the fire.
At night, the smell of wood fire smoke drifts around the coves and, for some reason, the skys seem even clearer than normal.
At other times like today, the rain pours down, filling the water tanks and raising the water table to keep the bush flourishing. A great day to catch up on office work, read some good books and enjoy the warmth of the fire.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Easter on Kawau
Easter on Kawau Island, like many other places, marks the end of Summer and the onset of Winter. It tends to be the last long break of the year and most Kawau property owners come up for the holiday break.
One of the tradtitional island Easter events is the Mahurangi Cruising Club Easter Regatta which is based in North Cove.
While not as big as the Anniversary weekend regatta, there are a good number of classic yachts and launches that come to the island each year for the event, swelling our population for that period.
Traditionally starting on the Friday evening with a barbeque ashore, the main events take place on the Saturday. The morning sees dinghy and radio controlled yacht racing with a casual barbeque lunch, then, in the afternoon the main regatta for the larger boats takes place.
This usually comprises a race starting in North Cove and following a course out around a number of the islands in Kawau Bay, returning to finish off North Cove.
The start is a "Mark Foy" (Start times are staggered according to the size and race history of the entrants) and if the handicapper has done a good job, most entrants finish around the same time. The winner is the first boat over the finish line.
Following the race, there is another barbeque and prize giving ashore with lots of tall tales being told about the day.
Most of the visiting boats enjoy the island surrounds for the rest of the easter break, returning home on the Monday.
One of the great things about this regatta is that entry is open to all and everyone always seems to have a great time.
So, if you have nothing better to do at Easter, come over and participate in the event, either in your own boat, or as crew on another boat.
One of the tradtitional island Easter events is the Mahurangi Cruising Club Easter Regatta which is based in North Cove.
While not as big as the Anniversary weekend regatta, there are a good number of classic yachts and launches that come to the island each year for the event, swelling our population for that period.
Traditionally starting on the Friday evening with a barbeque ashore, the main events take place on the Saturday. The morning sees dinghy and radio controlled yacht racing with a casual barbeque lunch, then, in the afternoon the main regatta for the larger boats takes place.
This usually comprises a race starting in North Cove and following a course out around a number of the islands in Kawau Bay, returning to finish off North Cove.
The start is a "Mark Foy" (Start times are staggered according to the size and race history of the entrants) and if the handicapper has done a good job, most entrants finish around the same time. The winner is the first boat over the finish line.
Following the race, there is another barbeque and prize giving ashore with lots of tall tales being told about the day.
Most of the visiting boats enjoy the island surrounds for the rest of the easter break, returning home on the Monday.
One of the great things about this regatta is that entry is open to all and everyone always seems to have a great time.
So, if you have nothing better to do at Easter, come over and participate in the event, either in your own boat, or as crew on another boat.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Kawau Island Advisory Committee
One of the unique things about Kawau Island is the Kawau Island Advisory Committee (KIAC)
KIAC was first set up in the 1980's as a body that could liase between the Rodney District Council and the residents and property owners of Kawau Island. At the time there were only two such organisations in the country (the other was in the South Island). The latter no longer exists so KIAC is the one and only in New Zealand. KIAC is made up of 2-3 elected island representatives plus one Council representative. The island representatives are elected every three years
Over the last few years, KIAC has been involved in a number of very important issues including: fighting massive rate increases proposed by Rodney District Council, helping to set up and implement the Kawau Island Vision, Examining the method and practise of mooring allocations on the island and a number of other issues. It works very closely with the Kawau Island Residents and ratepayers Association (KIRRA) and communicates with virtually all Kawau property owners on a regular basis.
Of more recent concern has been the contiunuence of KIAC under the new super city structure.
After strong lobbying of the select committee overseeing the new city, we were fortunate to have the value of KIAC recognised by the comittee and an undertaking from them that it will continue.
The present members of KIAC are: Michael Marris (Chairman), Lyn Hume, myself and Councillor Dave Parker representing Rodney District Council.
KIAC was first set up in the 1980's as a body that could liase between the Rodney District Council and the residents and property owners of Kawau Island. At the time there were only two such organisations in the country (the other was in the South Island). The latter no longer exists so KIAC is the one and only in New Zealand. KIAC is made up of 2-3 elected island representatives plus one Council representative. The island representatives are elected every three years
Over the last few years, KIAC has been involved in a number of very important issues including: fighting massive rate increases proposed by Rodney District Council, helping to set up and implement the Kawau Island Vision, Examining the method and practise of mooring allocations on the island and a number of other issues. It works very closely with the Kawau Island Residents and ratepayers Association (KIRRA) and communicates with virtually all Kawau property owners on a regular basis.
Of more recent concern has been the contiunuence of KIAC under the new super city structure.
After strong lobbying of the select committee overseeing the new city, we were fortunate to have the value of KIAC recognised by the comittee and an undertaking from them that it will continue.
The present members of KIAC are: Michael Marris (Chairman), Lyn Hume, myself and Councillor Dave Parker representing Rodney District Council.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Kawau Island and Yachting
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I was thinking recently about the things that bought me to Kawau Island to live and came to the conclusion that one of the most important was yachts and yachting.
Having been a keen recreational sailor for many years, like many other boat owners, I had visited and enjoyed Kawau as both a destination and a place to stop over and visit.
No matter what direction the wind is from, you can always find a sheltered bay or cove to anchor in thus enjoy a peaceful night or two. If you needed water, fuel, a shower or to wash your clothes, the Kawau Island Yacht Club provided all these as well as a drink or meal if you wanted them. It was always fun and interesting to go ashore at Mansion House and explore house and grounds and in the old days Pah Farm provided an entertainmaint all of its own.
Now that I live here, I can enjoy all of the foregoing (apart from Pah Farm) whenever I want. Nearly as important, I can keep my yacht(s) here on a mooring for far less than it would cost me to have it on a marina berth on the mainland.
Most of my sailing these days involves classic yacht regattas and events with my 1939 Arch Logan design Gypsy.
When I want to go cruising, I generally take Mahutonga, a 1966 38 ft cutter which is easy to singlehand and will go just about anywhere with very little fuss.
So, for me Kawau is the perfect place to live because I can indulge in my hobby and passion at very little cost
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Emergency Services on Kawau
Those of you who don't live here or have property here, may not realise that we have a very active and well trained team of volunteers who: fight fires, respond to medical emergency's and carry out civil defence tasks.
The volunteer fire force was first set up in 1997 with the guidance and help of the Department of Conservation and it grew and evolved from that point to its present size of 17 fully trained and equipped fire fighters and first response medical team.
The organisation has equipment depots (both fire and medical) at six points around the island plus a fully equipped rapid response vessel set up for fast response to any type of emergency on the island. We have been very fortunate to have been assisted by the Kawau Emergency Response Trust who have raised considerable amounts of money for the purchase of equipment.
Most call outs are medical emergency's and most of these involve visitors to the island. Helicopters are called in when required and I think it fair to say that if you have an accident on Kawau, you are likely to end up in hospital far quicker than you would if the accident occurred on the mainland.
Anybody needing help needs only to call 111 and we will be notified of the situation and what action is required within a very short space of time.
The volunteer fire force was first set up in 1997 with the guidance and help of the Department of Conservation and it grew and evolved from that point to its present size of 17 fully trained and equipped fire fighters and first response medical team.
The organisation has equipment depots (both fire and medical) at six points around the island plus a fully equipped rapid response vessel set up for fast response to any type of emergency on the island. We have been very fortunate to have been assisted by the Kawau Emergency Response Trust who have raised considerable amounts of money for the purchase of equipment.
Most call outs are medical emergency's and most of these involve visitors to the island. Helicopters are called in when required and I think it fair to say that if you have an accident on Kawau, you are likely to end up in hospital far quicker than you would if the accident occurred on the mainland.
Anybody needing help needs only to call 111 and we will be notified of the situation and what action is required within a very short space of time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What sort of houses should be Built on Kawau Island?
There has been some debate recently on the style and size of houses that are built on the island. One example of this was illustrated in a recent (Feb. 14) piece in the Herald on Sunday on a proposed house for Kawhiti Point at the North Eastern end of the island. The Kawhiti Point property was subdivided and developed a couple of years ago and comprises seven large lots accessed over a private wharf at Vivian Bay. All the properties have extensive sea views and were originally on the market for around $3,000,000 each. Prices now are probably considerably less than that.
The Herald on Sunday article focused on a large and very contemporary house called Mahina which the promoters werte offering as a house and land package. You can see it at: www.mahinanz.co.nz
The writer of the article quoted a number of local residents including Helen Jeffery of the local residents association and Michael Marris of the Kawau Island Advisory Committee.They also quoted yours truly based on a very short telephone conversation.
In my view, the article was attempting to show controvosy were perhaps none existed.Most of us believe that people should be able to do what they want on their own property as long as it complies with the district plan and does not adversely affect neighbours. It will be interesting to see if debate on this proposed building continues.
Also on the subject of island houses, a new house is planned for the Hideaway Cove site owned by Edoardo Canal.It is designed and will be built by a company called Box Living and is one of a number of modular designs offered by that company. Have a look at: www.boxliving.co.nz Their designs appear to be far more sympathetic to the island environment than the Mahina proposal and offer the flexibility of sizes from 60 square metres upwards. Being modular in construction, there should be significant savings from prefabrication off site.
One of the great things about Kawau is that every property (and building) is different and, by and large, reflect the desires and reqirements of the owners.
If you are looking at buying a section over here and want some idea of building options, I can suggest a number of people and companies you could talk to.
Have a great week.
John
The Herald on Sunday article focused on a large and very contemporary house called Mahina which the promoters werte offering as a house and land package. You can see it at: www.mahinanz.co.nz
The writer of the article quoted a number of local residents including Helen Jeffery of the local residents association and Michael Marris of the Kawau Island Advisory Committee.They also quoted yours truly based on a very short telephone conversation.
In my view, the article was attempting to show controvosy were perhaps none existed.Most of us believe that people should be able to do what they want on their own property as long as it complies with the district plan and does not adversely affect neighbours. It will be interesting to see if debate on this proposed building continues.
Also on the subject of island houses, a new house is planned for the Hideaway Cove site owned by Edoardo Canal.It is designed and will be built by a company called Box Living and is one of a number of modular designs offered by that company. Have a look at: www.boxliving.co.nz Their designs appear to be far more sympathetic to the island environment than the Mahina proposal and offer the flexibility of sizes from 60 square metres upwards. Being modular in construction, there should be significant savings from prefabrication off site.
One of the great things about Kawau is that every property (and building) is different and, by and large, reflect the desires and reqirements of the owners.
If you are looking at buying a section over here and want some idea of building options, I can suggest a number of people and companies you could talk to.
Have a great week.
John
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Kawau Island Real Estate
So what do we know about Kawau real estate? How much of it is there? Who owns it? How often does it sell? Who buys it and what is it worth? At the risk of boring you with too much information and not enough entertainment, I will try to answer all these questions briefly in the following paragraphs.
Most properties on Kawau Island are purchased primarily because the buyers like the island, rather than because they are looking for a good investment.
However, property on the island has shown itself to be one of the best monetary investments that most of us have ever made - a very nice bonus on top of the immense pleasure and enjoyment that we receive from our little pieces of island paradise.
In total, there are 430 separate properties (titles) on the island, ranging in size from 150 square metres up to 714 hectares (714,000 square metres).
While there are a number of traditional quarter acre (1012 Sq.M.) sections, most properties are nearer 1 acre (c. 4000sq. m.) with an average size of 5642 square metres.
Because of our maritime situation, all the original titles had water access, but with the advent of roads at School House Bay and South Cove, there are now 115 properties with road access rather than water access.
'Riparian rights' is a sometimes misunderstood term and, because of our situation, perhaps deserves some explanation. Older titles virtually all had riparian rights, meaning that ownership extends to the mean high water mark. Subsequent legislation has amended this to 'mean high water springs' which in effect slightly raises the high water line.
When a property with riparian rights is subdivided, the local district council takes a 20-metre-wide strip along the waterfront which becomes an esplanade reserve, owned by the council (commonly known as the Queens Chain). In some cases the width of this can be reduced by negotiation - say, where there is an existing building within the 20 metre zone.
There is a common public perception, from outsiders, that Kawau is a publicly-owned island. While we as owners know better, Rodney District Council advises that the actual ownership figures are as follows;
Total Properties: 430
D.O.C. owns: 7
RDC owns: 61
HGMP owns: 2
Private ownership: 360
Many private owners own more than one property and the actual number of private owners recorded is only 276. In contrast, a few properties are shared by multiple owners. Many Kawau properties are held by family trusts and while I don't have actual numbers, I would estimate that around one third of properties are in trust ownership.
National statistics show that, on average, New Zealand properties change hands every 7 years, which equates to 14% each year. On Kawau, 163 properties have sold over the last 10 years (some more than once) equating to an annual rate of 3.8% It is obvious from this that properties on the island tend to stay in the same ownership for considerable periods.
Also of interest: during the last 10 years, 61% of road access properties have sold, while only 42% of water access properties changed hands during that same period.
The type of person buying property has changed quite significantly over the last 6 years. At about the time I purchased my own property, there were over 100 permanent residents living on the island and newcomers (including myself) were buying with the intention of living there permanently. Since that time, not only have a number of permanent residents left, but most, if not all, new owners have purchased for holiday use rather than permanent living. The number of permanent residents living on the island is now down to about 65. Probably the most significant group of people buying now are ex-pat Kiwis, living and working overseas. This group, not only appreciate all the island has to offer, but are also able to afford to purchase now, ready to enjoy in a few years time when they return home.
There are some interesting figures provided by the Rodney District Council on Quotable Values (the old Government Valuations) on Kawau.
The total assessed value of all properties as at September 2001 was NZ$101,550,500. an average $236,164.The highest valuation was $3,650,000, the lowest was $347 (for a small council-owned reserve). In terms of market prices, the highest over the last 5 years was $1,800,000. On average, market values are increasing by around 15% per year, with the greatest percentage increases being shown by the lower priced sections and somewhat lower figures for the higher priced houses. It is not uncommon for sections to sell for twice their price of 5 years ago. To get an idea of prices have a look at my web site: http://www.kawau.co.nz/
So in summary, not only is Kawau Island a great place to live and holiday, but it is also a great place to invest.
Most properties on Kawau Island are purchased primarily because the buyers like the island, rather than because they are looking for a good investment.
However, property on the island has shown itself to be one of the best monetary investments that most of us have ever made - a very nice bonus on top of the immense pleasure and enjoyment that we receive from our little pieces of island paradise.
In total, there are 430 separate properties (titles) on the island, ranging in size from 150 square metres up to 714 hectares (714,000 square metres).
While there are a number of traditional quarter acre (1012 Sq.M.) sections, most properties are nearer 1 acre (c. 4000sq. m.) with an average size of 5642 square metres.
Because of our maritime situation, all the original titles had water access, but with the advent of roads at School House Bay and South Cove, there are now 115 properties with road access rather than water access.
'Riparian rights' is a sometimes misunderstood term and, because of our situation, perhaps deserves some explanation. Older titles virtually all had riparian rights, meaning that ownership extends to the mean high water mark. Subsequent legislation has amended this to 'mean high water springs' which in effect slightly raises the high water line.
When a property with riparian rights is subdivided, the local district council takes a 20-metre-wide strip along the waterfront which becomes an esplanade reserve, owned by the council (commonly known as the Queens Chain). In some cases the width of this can be reduced by negotiation - say, where there is an existing building within the 20 metre zone.
There is a common public perception, from outsiders, that Kawau is a publicly-owned island. While we as owners know better, Rodney District Council advises that the actual ownership figures are as follows;
Total Properties: 430
D.O.C. owns: 7
RDC owns: 61
HGMP owns: 2
Private ownership: 360
Many private owners own more than one property and the actual number of private owners recorded is only 276. In contrast, a few properties are shared by multiple owners. Many Kawau properties are held by family trusts and while I don't have actual numbers, I would estimate that around one third of properties are in trust ownership.
National statistics show that, on average, New Zealand properties change hands every 7 years, which equates to 14% each year. On Kawau, 163 properties have sold over the last 10 years (some more than once) equating to an annual rate of 3.8% It is obvious from this that properties on the island tend to stay in the same ownership for considerable periods.
Also of interest: during the last 10 years, 61% of road access properties have sold, while only 42% of water access properties changed hands during that same period.
The type of person buying property has changed quite significantly over the last 6 years. At about the time I purchased my own property, there were over 100 permanent residents living on the island and newcomers (including myself) were buying with the intention of living there permanently. Since that time, not only have a number of permanent residents left, but most, if not all, new owners have purchased for holiday use rather than permanent living. The number of permanent residents living on the island is now down to about 65. Probably the most significant group of people buying now are ex-pat Kiwis, living and working overseas. This group, not only appreciate all the island has to offer, but are also able to afford to purchase now, ready to enjoy in a few years time when they return home.
There are some interesting figures provided by the Rodney District Council on Quotable Values (the old Government Valuations) on Kawau.
The total assessed value of all properties as at September 2001 was NZ$101,550,500. an average $236,164.The highest valuation was $3,650,000, the lowest was $347 (for a small council-owned reserve). In terms of market prices, the highest over the last 5 years was $1,800,000. On average, market values are increasing by around 15% per year, with the greatest percentage increases being shown by the lower priced sections and somewhat lower figures for the higher priced houses. It is not uncommon for sections to sell for twice their price of 5 years ago. To get an idea of prices have a look at my web site: http://www.kawau.co.nz/
So in summary, not only is Kawau Island a great place to live and holiday, but it is also a great place to invest.
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