Left to right : Rob and Cheryll
The Hokianga Harbour is generally regarded as New Zealand’s 4th largest harbour by area.
It’s 110 square kilometres (depending on whether it’s high or low tide), roughly half the size of Tauranga Harbour (3rd largest at 200 km²) and quarter of the size of the Manuka Harbour (2nd largest at nearly 400 km²). They’re of course all drops in the ocean compared to our largest harbour, the Kaipara, which greedily covers nearly 1,000 square kilometres of this planet.
Like the other harbours, the Hokianga still boosts its share of bowling clubs along the harbour shores : Opononi Bowling Club near the heads of the harbour, Kohukohu Bowling Club near the northern ferry terminus, and Hokianga Bowling Club at the southern ferry terminus at Rawene. All three clubs have had their ups and downs, but in 2022 all three are looking forward to an exciting bowling future.
Hokianga Bowling Club at Rawene is no exception. Prior to 2014, it was effectively dead … with a rumpty green and a condemned pavilion built on land described by the local council as ‘unrateable’.
But then a group of guys got together in the Rawene Pub (where all serious community discussions in Rawene take place), and they committed to doing the work required to keep the bowling club facility.
The ringleader was Rawene-born Rob Pink : ASB ‘Good As Gold’ winner, TVNZ ‘Good Sorts’ winner, Founding Trustee of Hokianga Treks for Kids Charitable Trust, organiser of Rawene Brumby Race Day, local school bus driver, and all round good guy.
“After a few beers, I ended up being elected the new Club President,” says Rob. “I didn’t have to fight any contenders off ... even though I had never played bowls before!”
“Fortunately, my wife Cheryll also volunteered to be Treasurer … she’s brilliant with money matters. But the club didn’t have a bean in the bank. Sure, people were more than willing to volunteer their labour, but we still needed money for this and that.”
“Cheryll discovered that the Council had been charging rates to the club for land that had been donated to the council and deemed ‘unrateable land’. So we asked them for a refund. It took them a little while to come around to our way of thinking, but we ended up with $30k in the bank.”
“That was enough to get us started demolishing and rebuilding the clubhouse … with the help of a lot of Rawene volunteers. Particularly Ken Mills and Paul Jongenelen who had plumbing, electrical and building skills. A number of PD workers also helped us … fixing the green, laying drainage, and so on. They were great!”
By the end of 2015, the new clubhouse was complete … including a kitchen (‘Ken’s Kitchen’) which doubled as a bar where all drinks are just $5 a bottle. It was just in time for the club’s centenary. Despite the fact that the Hokianga Bowling Club wasn’t officially incorporated until 1925, bowls had been played on site since 1915 ten years earlier.
“No one was arguing the dates… we were all happy to have a hooley in 2015!”
Today the club has 25 full-playing members, and another 25 or so casuals.
“That includes our Life Member and ‘matriarch’ Vivian Kahi,” adds Cheryll. “There’ll be a lot of bowlers around the country who have come up against Vivian, and she’s still playing here at Hokianga at the age of 82!”
“Vivian skipped the team to win the Women’s Fours in the Aotearoa National Bowls Tournament in Christchurch in 2002. And she skipped a family team of Kiri Ririkore, Shiralie Howell and Tania Tana to win ‘the Sunshine’ at Kawerau in 2010. Vivian and Tania even won the Far North Centre Championship Pairs back in 1993/1994.”
“Even though wins outside the Hokianga have been a little scarce in recent years, we’re still welcoming both locals and others from the Far North. They all enjoy the tournaments we put on here. Like ‘the Christmas Cheer’ in mid-December and ‘the Unbelievabowls’ in February.”
“We have a pretty short season,” says Rob, “It’s so wet here that we cant get on the green until November. But that doesn’t stop the club house being open for hospitality throughout the whole year.”
“At the moment over the winter, we’re extending the equipment shed. And our Greenkeeper, Blair Stanton, is also getting some maniototo from down south to give the green some TLC. We’re going to be looking sharp for a great summer of bowls!”
Well done guys.
