WHAREKAKA NEWS

The Wharekaka Board would like to share with the community how it is tackling the threat of coronavirus – Covid 19. Our elderly and frail residents are at risk from the virus and therefore need most protection but for aged care, managing disease outbreaks is all too common so we have good processes in place.

Given the recent Government restrictions on movement, Wharekaka has now closed access. This means that no visitors are allowed excepting essential visitors eg our Doctor. But please remember, you can always phone the person you would have visited to keep in touch.  … Continue Reading

 school photo names

Mate Higginson has kindly provided the names of all the children in the school photo published last month. This will bring back memories for  some of our readers.  

Boys Back row: Gary Hayman, Bill Boyd, Ken Barson , Frank Colton, John Caverhill.

Front row:  Bill Biggar, Bill George, Lloyd Johns, Robert Guilford, Tom Shaw, Mate Higginson.

Girls Back row:  Ngaire Suistead, Freda Theobold, Carol Warman Pam Twoomy, Francis Drake, Aileen Osborn. 

Middle row:  Josephine Bennett, June Gillespie, Isopbel Strong, Daphne Edcombe, Joyce Henderson, Kathleen Bright, Elain Head.

Front row:  Susan Fenwick, Marie Caswell, Ann Boyd, Kohi Enoka, Lorna Ross

Know your town 

Early settlers

Captain William Mein Smith – Of Huangarua Run 

Cpt. W M Smith was ex Royal Artillery and was the Chief Surveyor General of the NZ Land Company. He arrived in Wellington on the ship Tory in January 1840 . His wife Louisa and three children followed in the Adelaide arriving over five months later. The Adelaide had been delayed by a stop over at Cape Town for a duel. 

In 1845 in partnership with Samuel Revans he leased the Paeroa Block north of the Haungarua River and called their run Haurangarua with William Smith managing the run. 

He was a steady, sure worker who got things done, building the homestead himself  then establishing his family of now five children; Frances 11 George 10, Wallace 8, Helen 4 and the baby Louisa.  … Continue Reading

Why soap is best 

An Australian professor has explained why soap and water really do work in the battle against spreading coronavirus . 

Professor Palli Thordarson an expert on supermolecular chemistry at the University of New South Wales said disinfectants , wipes, gels and cream containing alcohol (not soap) have a similar effect as soap but not as good.

“Apart from the alcohol the ‘antibacterial agents’ in these products do not affect the virus structure much at all” he said “ Consequently many antibacterial products are basically just a not as good version of soap”. 

“At it’s most basic soap works so well on coronavirus and on other viruses because it dissolves  the lipid (fatty) protective coat around the virus. Another thing soap molecules do is to compete with other bonds that help the virus stick together.. Soap is effectively ‘dissolving the glue that holds the virus together”.