George and Lesley Sanderson – Part of the Daily Round

Back in the early 1980s, George and Lesley lived in Scotland, farming in the Border country and with no intention of moving to the far side of the globe. But then George, who had been adopted and whose adoptive parents had recently both died, began to search for his birth parents and his roots. To his surprise that search led to New Zealand and to first his aunt and then his mother. This led to George and Lesley making what transpired to be a momentous decision and coming out from Scotland for a visit to Clive in Hawkes Bay.
George and Lesley both liked what they saw and George commented that “we had three days without rain, which was a bit different from home”! Lesley remembers seeing oranges growing on a tree, something she had never experienced before and when her mother visited some years later she was amazed at being able to pick peaches straight from the tree. … Continue Reading

Hyperthyroidism in your cat – an interesting read!

What Is Hyperthyroidism ?
Hyperthyroidism is the most common hormone abnormality in cats. It is very rare in dogs. It is a disease of older cats. The average age at which it is first diagnosed is 8-13. Nine out of ten cats that develop hyperthyroidism are over ten years old.
In humans, the thyroid is a united two-lobe gland. Whereas in cats it is a ‘pair’ of glands. They are located on the underside of your cat’s neck along its wind pipe. Your cat’s thyroid glands regulate the speed at which your cat’s body metabolism works. It does this by producing a hormone called thyroxine or T- 4 that regulates the speed of all body processes. When your cat produces too much of it and its metabolic rate sores, it has become hyperthyroid. … Continue Reading

Ren Yanan, Kahutara School’s third Chinese teacher

Ren Yanan has arrived to take up her year long tenure as Kahutara School’s third Chinese teacher. Yanan will spends three days a week at the school and a day each at Pirinoa and Featherston Schools.
Each year groups of Chinese University graduates are given an opportunity to gain work experience in another country. The Chinese Government pay the student’s wages and in New Zealand’s case Victoria University’s Confucius Institute arranges their placements. The Confucius institute is dedicated to promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between China and New Zealand and Kahutara School has been happy to be accepted as a host for the third consecutive year. … Continue Reading

Know your town

The first churches

The first church in Waihenga , First Church, was opened on 1st June 1871. Then on 5th May 1875 a second church was opened at Burnside. In June a year later the Presbyterian congregation gathered for a tea meeting. A brave move it was damp and cold, the Burnside families McMaster, Sinclair and Hume, assisted by Waihenga families did the cooking boiling water on an open fire in the adjacent paddock. Around seventy attended, filling the little church to overflowing, positive comments such as ‘it was a banquet’ are recorded. … Continue Reading