Robert at 19 Jan 2010 00:39

A new Kiwi consumer advisory and advocacy site can be found at Community Co http://comco.20toes.net/ Visit and read the Piha Cafe rewiew in the New Zealand restaurant reviews section.

Village Voice at 06 Apr 2009 18:43

Meooooow: Sharpened our claws today have we sweetie? Who is the April Fool then?

John at 06 Apr 2009 18:23

Good Bye and Good Riddance! No need at all for your completely one-sided claptrap that you have spewed forth for way too long now with all your spiteful gossip and nonsense. Ta ta!

Sherry at 01 Apr 2009 14:04

WHO WHAT WHERE WHY? NOOOOO!!!!! We cant be having this. (stamping of feet) For those of us who work away from Piha i.e not able to stand around the store chewing the fat and catching up on the goings on, Village Voice & Whats Happening is compulsory reading. Surely this is just a yellow card. Cant they just put you on the naughty seat for a week?

david at 01 Apr 2009 12:05

many thanks for all the efforts; it kept us ex-Pihas well informed without having to read reports, minutes and the Western Leader. Writs are for Americans, not NZers. Good luck

Richard at 01 Apr 2009 09:59

I do not always agree with all your contributors, but I welcome free speech. It is a sad day when people can not express views in a public forum. Thanks Bobby for your hard work on this site.

cam at 01 Apr 2009 08:32

Is there any way that it doesn?t have to shut down. I think it?s too important to lose such a valuable community forum. Who has forced this?

Razza at 01 Dec 2008 17:09

Yeah Bobby, ur rite. I lookd 4 it 2 but cudnt find it. We rekn ur pretty on th ball on this site re ur comments,so take no notice of poor"john".Keep slammin'thm all.

Bobbie at 01 Dec 2008 13:20

I was looking at the 'Monthly Meetings' page where the meetings are advertised rather than 'Up and Coming Events'. I thought it would be there or on 'Home' page or maybe even an email. If there are any other 'non-factual' things you find please don't hesitate to email me :-)

John at 01 Dec 2008 11:39

http://www.piha.org.nz/?s1=newsletters&s2=upcoming%20events Hi. Please note that the Piha R and R website HAS indeed notified the change of the public meeting from Friday 5th of Dec to Thursday 4th of Dec as per their website. Once again, your website publishes non-factual information. Regards John Thursday December 4th - 7:30pm - Piha Ratepayers and Residents Association monthly meeting- Piha Library

Bobbie at 28 Nov 2008 10:29

Just as well Marco. You'd have a queue of people wanting their leaks fixed ! xoxo

Marco at 28 Nov 2008 10:08

Lucky i didn't take my shirt off. xxxx

dell at 25 Nov 2008 14:32

hi, can u help me find the add of my god mother. she said b4 a long time ago, that her address is p.o. box 81, piha west. is there an address like that? how can i locate her? pls. e-mail me @ jen_empire06@yahoo.com

Bobbie at 08 Nov 2008 11:13

No you can go and mow your berm : just make sure your neighbours don't all do it at the same time and certainly don't get the council involved !!!

Katherine at 08 Nov 2008 07:32

Hi Bobbie. We are mowing our front berm today but are wondering if we need to inform the R&R of our intention beforehand? To add to the confusion, we are not sure if we have to inform the R&R through Coast Care, or just inform the R&R Nazis direct. Katherine.

Piha Resident at 07 Nov 2008 08:55

RE Piha mid beach walkways. Please dont waste residents rates on these posts for the walkways at Piha midbeach. Over 30 signatures have been collected in one day objecting to these walkways. Many of these signatures are from the people on Marine Pde that collect the rubbish and pickup the broken glass left after the weekend. Where is the consultation with the people that in the end use and clean this area. Im very annoyed a minority group is enforcing their agenda on the people who this project affect the most. If you want us to care for the dunes then this is not the way to get our support. Marine Parade Resident

Mary at 05 Nov 2008 22:31

Vandalism: noun : wilful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property.

Gail Clarke at 05 Nov 2008 21:33

Vandalism is the act of desecrating a space - our actions restored the space to its original state - it certainly cannot be described as vandalism. Gail Clarke

Martin at 28 Oct 2008 21:14

Hi Bobbie, I saw that thing you're referring to on Google maps a few weeks ago, but it isn't really visible from the road. I must try and have another look though. Not sure about the whole aquatic playground idea - water being a tad scarce and all - specially in the summer.

Bobbie Carroll at 15 Oct 2008 13:01

Well I'll have to pass that onto Dennis Black - PihaSLSC - it was he that mentioned it during his 'SLSC History' the other night at the function. Not I - not guilty. :-) Cheers Brian

Brian Webber at 15 Oct 2008 12:54

Bobbie. Just for the record.The "old" Surf Club was bought by my aunt June Newman as a bach!!Can,t recall it as a coffee lounge! Brian

Robin Chetty at 07 Oct 2008 16:42

I vote this 'clown Murdoch' out of Piha. Surf, Swim, Explore, Bush Walk, Relax, Sleep, Eat.. that's what we're about, and clearly what he is not about.

Bobbie Carroll at 21 Sep 2008 00:20

AucklandPLUS is about ARC taking over the whole of Auckland's Tourism as I understand. Instead of separate Auckland, Waitakere, Rodney etc. I don't like the idea to be honest. ARC will be playing a much larger roll in Tourism soon. Shame really - I think they should stick to the knitting.

HiDiHi at 20 Sep 2008 20:23

"The vision is for Aucklanders being able to access what is theirs." I find this statement somewhat !@%$#!!??? bizarre. To my knowledge there are 5 tramping clubs that regularly take groups through the Waitakeres. It's really easy to join, or if you wish pay a one off fee to go out for the day. I personally take groups out and I have tramped with, and in some cases led tramps with 3 of 5 clubs of those tramping clubs. If you know the Waitakeres reasonably well, you will know that it is possible to have extensive tramping experiences without the need for a continuous manicured track funded by rate payers. I can't imagine why there needs to an especially long, long track through the Waitakeres. Quite frankly I feel that ARC are justifying their existence by pushing the tourism trade at the rate payers expense. ARC could use the existing tramping clubs to enhance the tourists experience of the Waitakeres, not only would this be a safer option, but it continues to keep the number of people walking through the Waitakeres at safe and reasonable numbers.

Nina at 19 Sep 2008 12:07

I think the idea of a long walking track is fantastic, I'd be there in a flash!!

HiDiHi at 08 Sep 2008 21:29

Bush pigs: I'm an avid tramper and long time Piha resident, so, I have seen a few pigs in the Waitakere's over the years, however, I recently saw three pigs ambling along the Piha road aroud 5.30 pm. I also came across two in Huia a few months ago, they were both snoozing just beyond the track my partner and I were walking on with our dog. I'm often astounded at how curious they are. A few years ago, I stopped on the Piha road late at night because I thought I had seen a large dog. The most enormous boar came right up to my car. The boar looked me straight in the eyes over the bonnet of the car even with the headlights blazing and the engine still running. He eventually became bored and sauntered off into the night. Anyway, if our local hunters are over it, or not up to it then I might just take off with my camera and see I can produce a pigs in the mist movie :-) Is it just me, or is there a general increase in sightings?

Julia at 05 Sep 2008 13:23

Jamie the Chilean....we miss you and look forward to your return. It was a joy getting to know you and your smiley face and nature are missed in Piha by many.

Mark the Bounder at 02 Sep 2008 16:07

Many of these so called walkways were written on the early plans as esplanade reserves i.e. shelter belts for privacy and growing of trees and adjacent owners don't really want them opened up as the crims will come a merrily triping along.But you should see the well constructed footpaths in some parts of Gt Barrier Isld-and they complain about lack of funding from the ACC ! Those bund channel things along the edges of the seal make it hard to walk along the road esp near the lookout. When will we ever get the hump removed on the main frog rock road so we can overtake in safety. I used to overtake over the double yellow lines until a motorcycle came the other way-impossible to see them so I DON'T ENCOURAGE others to keep doing it.

Sherry at 24 Aug 2008 07:31

Bus v Car. This is getting a little frightening. Twice over the last couple of months I have come within a whisker of being wiped out by that bus. I called them on the first occasion and got an apology, It happened again shortly afterwards. Driving to work has become a game of Russian Roulette and it's not funny! If I see them on my side of the road one more time I'm telling! If they don't take more care there will be a nasty accident and it could involve you and your kids so lets put them on notice.

Jaime the chilean at 14 Aug 2008 02:30

hey hey, greetings from chile to the people from Piha, just wanna said thanks for such a great time there, the jobs and stuff cheers

Bobbie Carroll at 13 Aug 2008 12:56

Katie, similar: we had international guests arrive via Wellington where they were told "You're NOT going to Piha are you. Don't swim for heavens sake - its so dangerous and so many drown"!!! We laugh and give the usual 'swim between flags, don't fight a rip .... etc" :)

katie at 12 Aug 2008 16:14

its not hard to see when we watch an episode of piha rescue that its a little more dramatised than the actual events...ie different shots of different days..but it is TV afterall, and its all about ratings and getting us hooked to the screen. what I dont like is when it paints a picture that it is a constant life threatening beach and youd be mad to enter the ocean.alot people ive spoken to in NZ and overseas have said why the hell would anyone live at such a horribe and dangerous beach? thats the picture I dont like about the show.

Victoria at 03 Aug 2008 19:50

Yeah for the walkways, as another local Mum with a Bub and halfway up the hill, a stroll can be a precarious outing, we are not just a Summer holiday location, people do live here all year round and a safe walking environment dose not seem a lot to ask. Piha has a huge growing family basis, the traffic whizzing down the road at the height of the season is truly frightening. Maintain the walkways ad dare I say, lets have more!

Shirley Bond at 03 Aug 2008 12:51

Thanks for your email re opening up the tracks in Piha. Why were they let go and pretty much hidden? Walking tracks are very much Piha and Waitakere. The signs giving the name distance to etc are excellent on other tracks. This to me is very much what community is all about, with beautiful walks in natures own and fittness of benefit to our wellbeing.

Bobbie at 17 Jul 2008 12:27

"Would you be prepared to manage that? :-)" BUT I do already - You're reading it! I would never write any kind of 'news or update' for a Committee. Village Voice is ours and we arent' answerable to anyone but ourselves. Thanks By the way I have deleted your last comment - absolutely inappropriate thanks. B

HifromPiha at 14 Jul 2008 19:13

As you well know Bobbie we are also year round and offer everything a tourist would want. You could obviously say B&B which we are not.

Hi fromPiha at 14 Jul 2008 19:04

Bobbie, yes, and Kathy, HEAR HEAR! Some of the Post Office money and certainly the money wasted on anti-cafe fiasco would have been far better spent on communicating with residents via a decent web site with feedback provisions such as yours Bobbie. Let's have a proper provision for polling local opinions rather than the subterfuge which has been going on. Would you be prepared to manage that? :-)

Hi fromPiha at 14 Jul 2008 19:02

Bobbie, yes, and Kathy, HEAR HEAR! Some of the Post Office money would be far better spent on communicating with residents via a decent web site with feedback provisions such as yours Bobbie. Would you be prepared to manage that? :-)

Kathy at 21 Jun 2008 22:46

Bobbie, The R&R should set up a blog site like this, then they may listen to what the majority of people on Piha have to say. It would appear that it doesn't matter how much you pay in rates, you still have to be a member of their ridiculous cartel to be able to have a say. Even then it appears you can be excluded and the meeting is held in committee. The whole situation is ludicrous it's time for another alternative or for more public meetings to be held. I'm not criticising the members of the committee of R&R, I know some of them and they, against odds, are trying to do their best, but I do doubt the system. Time for some changes I think.

Bobbie Carroll at 20 Jun 2008 18:32

I don't include rentals in that statement. Maybe I should say 'B&B or similar closest to the beach'? We are year round tourist & visitor accommodation offering everything a tourist would expect. OK?

HifromPiha at 19 Jun 2008 20:21

Erm Bobbie... your web site appears to be misleading in saying yours is the closest accommodation to the beach. As you know, http://www.pihabeachhouse.co.nz is, and has been since 1999. Was the entire omission to mention our accommodation inadvertent?

MARK HOLMS at 06 May 2008 14:58

In case many like myself have not visited the free version of Google Earth recently the aerials of Piha have now broken through the cloud barrier. Try for comparison Nasa's World Wind-slightly slower but has good 3D perspectives. Probably a lot of people know that.. Cheers Mark The Bounder

Bobbie at 08 Apr 2008 00:30

This OPEN BLOG is for anything at all you'd like to discuss ..... go for it.