Wow Waikawa! Photo Fest Wrap-up

Note: as of today, 18 January 2022, some photos have disappeared or been taken down. Others may stay in place for a while.

Photo number	Description	Location
003	Pretty in pastel.	To see te motu take Sarah north, turn towards the bridge then look right. On the green power box between Sarah and Manga Pirau Streets.
009	Slicing through the circles.	Where water and yellow are close, here are ngā kurī hiding. On the back of the big sign by the footbridge.
014	Pure gold.	In the East, not too far from where Sarah met the sand dune, you may find golden taonga. On the power box on Sarah Street just by Sand Dune Grove.
017	Yakkety yak.	You can't miss Mavis's buoys. On one of the black buoys that form the fence of one house on Mavis Ave.
021	In the pink.	Find a hidden playground where you can swing free. Go across the footbridge and turn right. Go through the trees until you find the rope swing.
022	Oh kiwi Christmas Tree.	There's Christmas red just under the light at the end of the road. On the light pole outside the house at the very end of Reay Mackay Grove (presumably #1).
026	All natural!	If you're travelling in te waka you may need provisions. Beware the mud. Go down the boat ramp at the footbridge and look on the wall.
027	Moo!	It all starts near here, as you may notice, even if it's dark. On the blackboard at the village entrance.
029	Dotty!	Ahhh, what better place to view ngā whetū from than on the water? Fiery! This photo looked fabulous on the firefighting water tank on Sarah Street but the anti-graffiti paint caused it to fall off. It ended up on a wooden fence across the road. Hard to see at this size, but it's the night sky!
033	Out of the shadows.	From the shelter of the tree look east to see a shadowy figure cross the water into the light. Cross the footbridge then look behind the sign right at the end.
034	It's a blue and yellow kind of day.	There's a quacking good view across paddocks to the river from here — if you can see over the fence, that is! On the fence right at the end of Drake Street.
047	Splish splosh.	Go north before you cross over then look down to your left. This started on the rocks a little way along the track behind the Drake Street houses but a heap of rain made the river flood and wash it away.
050	Clip clop.	It's all so new around here! Half way between the tracks to te moana look west. There are two tracks to the beach off Reay Mackay Grove. Between them is a green power box.
051	Don't cross the divide.	Don't go too fast over the bump… stop and admire the view. On the speed bump sign when travelling towards the village, at the end of Strathnaver Drive, near #24.
054	Where **did** Santa go?	Which Grove? On a fence in Norna Grove. Someone stole this on Day One!
057	That's a bit fishy!	This skeleton is colourfully lit, in the dark of the evening. Santa may spot it. On the black power box opposite Wendy and Peter's Christmas Lights on James Street.
058	Any oysters round here?	It's green, but it's not kai for ngā hōiho! On a green power box in front of a paddock with horses in it on Strathnaver Drive.
060	Which way up?	Sit here for kai and to reflect while you look up river. This one also fell victim to anti-graffiti paint on the rubbish bin beside the picnic table by the footbridge. It ended up on the table.
061	It's not easy being green.	Look under the tree, between the fences, on the berm. Get Duncan (aged 11) to help. On Duncan Street on a power box.
073	No trespassing.	This hidden bench is a lovely place to read by te awa. Thank Graham Kennedy Hassell. On the Graham Kenndey Hassell memorial seat by the river, tucked away a bit on the edge of Hank Edwards Reserve.
078	Not a hedgehog.	There's blue on the green near the fluffy white sheep. On a green power box on Strathnaver Drive near #30-ish.
081	Walk this way.	Where two roads meet and ducks paddle beware the big waves. Look behind! On the back of the tsunami sign on the corner of Reay Mackay Grove and Strathnaver Drive where the lakes are.
082	Nothing like a cuppa and some fresh air.	You'll most easily see this if you cross te awa, go south a bit, then look low and east. This disappeared, but was on the back of the riverside bench on the wee platform in Hank Edwards Reserve.
083	Who's that at my door?	Arthur, you say? There's a little alley between Drake and Arthur Streets, at the far end. This was on a fence half way along the alley.
085	Just chilling.	Cathryn might have got a letter. On the letterbox of 4 Cathryn Street.
086	Whatcha doing?	You wouldn't want anyone peeking in around here. Behind the toilet block is a shower area, with an electrical box on the wall. This was on the box. (Note: once the new toilet block goes up that box will go.)
087	Take a seat.	What goes around comes around. On the end of the Recycling Station.
089	At the going down of the sun…	Find the pippi and look across the road by the paddock, by the tree, by the powerpole. On Waikawa Beach Road not far from the blackboard there's a bunch of flaxes around a water tank. This fell off the tank on Day One and was stuck loosely to the nearby Welcome to Waikawa Beach sign.
091	My, what long legs you have!	Here's one way to te moana. Feet allowed but no wheels! On the back of the white sign at the start of the south track off Reay Mackay Grove.
096	My beach hideaway.	Some bushwhacking may be required. Not so much if you start at the rocks instead of the Street. Super hard to find and it got washed away with high seas and river. Either trek along the public access off Manga Pirau Street nearly opposite #50 then turn left and look along the river bank, or go to the groyne and walk upstream a bit.
100	Holding the line.	Fires? No way! On the back of the No Fires sign at the vehicle entrance.
117	Jump for joy when you find this.	You can be relieved and jump for joy here! On the toilet block wall. Surely you spotted this!

A real community event

Something I loved about this project was that it wasn't a competition — there was no winner — and the photos were very 'real'. They were photos anyone could have taken, not the result of a professional who'd spent hours planning and even more hours using expensive equipment to execute some perfect shot and then process it with specialist software. This was very much a community event.

Big thanks

We'd like to once again thank everyone who sent in a photo — sorry we couldn't just use all of them.

We'd also like to thank HappyMoose - Best quality photo printing & personalised photo gifts in NZ for their generous 20% special event discount. That allowed us to print two more photos than we planned and also to increase the sizes of some photos.

This project couldn't have gone ahead without the very generous $750 Creative NZ grant administered by Horowhenua District Council. 

Glenn Colquhoun very kindly helped us select photos — 32 out of the approximately 120 submitted. 

Sheryl Maree kindly helped design certificates when I'd completely run out of steam!

Charlie Strivens greeted my idea with enthusiasm, kept me on track, very sensibly sorted out timelines, had great ideas, applied her expertise to the selection process, created a wonderful presentation that helped us win a grant, spents lots of time in organising, helping choose locations, helping put up the photos and was generally an all-round wonderful person and invaluable co-organiser. The best!

And then, of course, if no-one had bothered to notice or look at the photos, it all would have fallen rather flat. Thanks to everyone who took part, who happened to notice some photos, who went round and hunted them all out, who took visitors and friends to see photos, who told me they'd discovered parts of Waikawa Beach they hadn't known about, and to everyone who participated in one way or another.

The Interloper

A special little chuckle to the person who stuck a circular composited photo on the back of a different notice at the vehicle entrance! An unofficial entry. 😆

Wow Waikawa!

Miraz Jordan, 17 January 2022