Road Closure: SH 3 Burgess Park, between the intersections of Kent Road and Mangorei Road
Road Works
Due to road rebuilding works, this section of road will be closed to southbound traffic between 12am (Midnight) and 12pm (Midday) and closed to northbound traffic from 12pm to 12am 24/7 from Monday 16th September for approximately 8 weeks. Plan your journey accordingly allowing extra time for travel along the alternative routes.
Detour routeAlternative routes available via SH3a and SH45.
Start16 Sep 2024 12:00am
End8 Nov 2024 11:59pm
Expected resolutionUntil further notice
Last updated7 Oct 2024 6:03am
Please be aware when travelling between New Plymouth and Inglewood
Camron Horo (Rahotu/Paritutu), Nathan Goodin (Rahotu/Paritutu) and Briar Atkinson (Paritutu) have all been selected to take part in this years Oceania Challenge.
Good luck to Briar Atkinson who has been selected in the New Zealand Under 26 team to represent New Zealand at the Oceania Challenge to be played in Auckland. The team selected includes, Seamus Curtain, Jordan Keene, Hamish Kelleher, Finbar McGuigan and Aiden Takarua (Men). Briar Atkinson, Ashleigh Jeffcoat, Rebecca Jelfs, Olivia Mancer and Natasha Russell (Women).
Congratulations also goes out to Camron Horo, Nathan Goodin and Allan Batley (Coach) for their selection in the Aotearoa Maori Bowls Team for the Oceania Challenge to be played in Auckland, November 20-24. Good luck to you all.
Their full team is Wahine: Aggie Motu – Tamaki Lisa Prideaux – Tamaki Gaylene Kanawa – Tainui Lisa White – Whanganui a Tara Davinia Mills – Te Tairawhiti Reserve: Mina Paul – Waiariki Manager: Doreen Jensen – Tamaki Coach: Robyn Reihana – Tamaki Taane: Raika Gregory – Tainui Tom Taiaroa – Te Waipounamu Kalin Huwyler – Whanganui James Burne – Rangitane/Kahungunu Camron Horo – Taranaki Reserve: Nathan Goodin – Taranaki Manager: Henry Te Moni – Tainui Coach: Allan Batley – Taranaki
For the first time ever, the Greenkeeper of the Year has in 2024 been awarded to a greenkeeping team, rather than a single greenkeeping individual.
The team of Mike Walsh, Don Christensen, Ian Andrews and Aidan Zittersteijn has not only produced outstanding greens at the Paritutu Bowling Club, but has also been influential in outstanding greens being produced across Taranaki … this last year, and in previous years.
Of course the touted quality of a green triggers much debate in the bowling community, and there are as many different opinions about greens as there are bowlers in the community.
But what can’t be debated is the fact that this last year, the Paritutu Bowling Club was the headquarters for four of New Zealand’s largest annual tournaments : the Taranaki Men’s Open Fours and the Taranaki Women’s Open Fours in January, and the National Open Fours and the National Open Mixed Pairs in February.
The greens must have something going for them!
And whilst sumptuous cheese rolls and lamingtons are welcome exigencies to earn the privilege to headquarter such prestigious tournaments, it is the greens that need to be spectacular … the many, many eyes of the players, the umpires, the spectators and the television cameras are critically scrutinising every blade of maniototo.
The greens were spectacular at Paritutu for all four tournaments. And in fact they were spectacular all season. So mature is the leaf that when the club hosted the Para nationals in November there was no long-term damage to the surface.
“The greenkeeping team at Paritutu has challenged current thinking,” says Grant Hassall, President of Bowls Taranaki. “They produced a quick green when the season opened last October, and the green was still playing quick more than six months later in April. Traditional thinking would have you believe you can’t keep a green in that form for that long.”
Grant points to the ‘team’ approach to greenkeeping at Paritutu as maybe the key.
“With teamwork,” continues Grant. “They can share their knowledge and their experience … acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses … and delegate and allocate accordingly. It’s been a great prototype, or a reminder to show other clubs in New Zealand an alternative way to manage greens.”
“But the really great thing about this greens team is that they see the bigger picture … it’s not just about doing the best for Paritutu … but the best for clubs around the Taranaki Centre. And they’ve made themselves available to consult at other Taranaki clubs like Waimea, Waitara, Inglewood, West End and New Plymouth.”
“The team is thinking about the game of bowls New Zealand-wide, not just their own patch at Paritutu.”
Grant credits the team with being influential in creating the best greens in the country in Taranaki. And frankly, you’d have to be a brave bowler (or a one-eyed bowler from elsewhere) to dispute the pre-eminence of the greens in the province.
Most bowlers are very envious.
“Sure, we’ve got the climate and the volcanic soil which are both conducive to maintaining great greens. But the gamechanger happened twenty-odd years ago when the majority of Taranaki clubs started changing from cotula greens to maniototo greens.” There had been less than a handful prior to this.
“Before then, there were many Centres In New Zealand with much better greens than Taranaki.”
“Now with the right climate, the right soil, the right weed, and the right greenkeeping team like Mike, Don, Ian and Aidan, natural greens will continue to have a great future in Taranaki.”
And that’s fantastic.
Sometimes you can’t help feeling that we’re ‘succumbing’ to artificial greens. So it’s great to see the Paritutu team fighting back!
Well done Mike, Don, Ian and Aidan. And congratulations on being Bowls New Zealand’s Greenkeeping Team of the Year in 2024.
Bowls Taranaki would like to invite all Under 8 players to an Open Day to be held at Stratford-Avon on Saturday 28th September starting at 9.30am. This day is for all Under 8 players. Anyone who is interested in improving their game, or playing Representative Bowls should attend. For all junior players coaching from the Coaches Association and advice from our Umpires Association will also be available.
Those players who wish to be available for Representative Bowls but for any reason can not make it on the day should still fill out the registration form. Play will be for the full day starting at 9.30am, mufti or club colours. Please bring your lunch. We look forward to seeing you there!
Registrations have now closed, if you still would like to attend, please either let the Centre Office or your Selector know.
Centre Office: Ian Lewis – 027 757 8800 Men’s Selector: John Garrud – 027 751 3427 Women’s Selector: Don Christensen – 021 127 6163
Results of the Taranaki v Waikato fixture being held at Frankton Junction on August 31 and September 1.
Womens, round 1: singles (A Debique) lost 20-21; pairs (A Rowlands, I Taunt) lost 10-12 (to L Mundell and D White); triples (A Crehan, L Halls, G Fache) won 16-10 (over L Bennett, M Wilson, J Stockford); fours (E Ward-Campbell, G Wolfe, T Atkinson-Watt, J Moeahu) lost 5-24 (to J Logan, G Dwane, V Coll, T Jakes). Round 2: singles (A Debique) lost 5-21; pairs (A Rowlands, I Taunt) lost 13-16 (to M Wilson, G Kawana); triples (A Crehan, L Halls, G Fache) lost 18-13 (to R Brown, G Dwane, D White); fours (E Ward-Campbell, G Wolfe, T Atkinson-Watt, J Moeahu) won 15-8. Round 3: singles (A Crehan) lost 14-21; pairs (A Rowlands, I Taunt) won 16-15; triples (E Ward-Campbell, L Halls, G Fache) lost 7-13; fours (A Debique, G Wolfe, T Atkinson-Watt, J Moeahu) lost 6-19. Round 4: singles (A Rowlands) won 17-16; pairs (J Moeahu, T Atkinson-Watt lost 8-27; triples (E Ward-Campbell, L Halls, I Taunt) lost 7-30; fours (A Debique, G Wolfe, A Crehan, G Fache) won 13-10. Round 5: singles (A Rowlands) lost 16-21; pairs (J Moeahu, T Atkinson-Watt) lost 11-17, triples (E Ward-Campbell, L Halls, I Taunt) won 18-13; fours (A Debique, G Wolfe, A Crehan, G Fache) lost 9-13.
Final standings: Women – Taranaki six wins v Waikato 14 wins.
Mens, round 1: singles (D Goodin) lost 16-21; pairs (S Sabine, M Symes) lost 14-18; triples (S Fleming, K Smith, C De Faria) won 18-11; fours (S Fevre, M Hawken, S Temperton, S Walker) won 19-9. Round 2: singles (D Goodin) lost 2-21; pairs (K Smith, C De Faria) lost 14-15; triples (S Fevre, M Hawken, S Walker) lost 11-18; fours (S Fleming, S Sabine, S Temperton, M Symes) lost 10-17. Round 3: singles (C De Faria) won 21-18; pairs (S Temperton, D Goodin) drew 14-14; triples (M Hawken, K Smith, M Symes) lost 9-21; fours (S Fevre, S Fleming, S Sabine, S Walker) lost 8-20. Round 4: singles (S Walker) lost 12-21; pairs (D Goodin, C De Faria) drew 14-14; triples (S Fevre, S Sabine, S Temperton) won 22-10; fours (S Fleming, M Hawken, K Smith, J Garrud) lost 7-17. Round 5: singles (M Hawken) lost 10-21; pairs S Fleming, J Garrud) lost 15-16; triples (S Fevre, S Temperton, C De Faria) won 18-13; fours (S Sabine, K Smith, S Walker, D Goodin) lost 9-13.
Final standings: Men – Taranaki five wins and two draws v Waikato 13 wins and two draws.
This weekend sees Taranaki take on Waikato for the Ron Buchan Plate. This new fixture celebrates the life of a man who gave his all to the sport of Lawn Bowls.
When Ron Buchan was pulled out of the billiards room by his father as a teenager and pushed towards the bowling green, neither of them would have comprehended that this was the commencement of one of the most remarkable careers bowls has ever known in New Zealand.
Ron completed 77 years as a bowler, earning distinctions galore both on and off the green. Among the highlights were:
An MBE for services to the game
Life Member of the NZBA
Inaugural inductee to the BNZ Hall of Fame
A New Zealand representative and playing No 2in the NZ four that won gold at the first World Championships in Sydney in 1966
The NZ fours winner in 1957
The NZ singles winner in 1964 and 1965
Ron was largely based in Te Aroha, originally playing for the club based at the Domain and then Tui Park. In those days, Te Aroha was part of the Waikato-Thames Valley Centre. Ron was a magnificent stalwart of the centre, which included being the Dominion Councillor on the NZBA. He had a superb mind and was an expert on all things bowls, especially laws. He was hugely successful within the centre as a player and in later years moved to Hamilton.
But the trophy for this clash between Waikato and Taranaki is fitting to be named in Ron’s honour as he also had a brilliant association with Taranaki as well.
He first competed in the Taranaki Open in 1933, finishing runner-up, and the following year became the first visitor to win the title. While other bowls commitments meant that Ron missed a few Opens over the years he competed in more than 50 editions. The last resulted in qualification in 1999 when he was aged in his 90s. A school master Ron, lived and worked in Hawera and Opunake in the 1930s-1940s and was the Taranaki champion-of-champions singles titleholder during this time.
No person has had the breadth and depth of association with both centres as Ron Buchan MBE has. This trophy, therefore, is an appropriate tribute to a brilliant bowls man.
There was no gold but plenty of meritorious performances from Taranaki bowlers at the recent New Zealand champion-of-champions finals.
Competing against the majority of the other 26 centres in eight of the nine events, Taranaki players returned with medals in four disciplines.
The best efforts were two runner-up placings in the men’s triples and fours, both of which were finalised in Auckland.
In the fours, the Tower side of the Anderson brothers, Brendan, Mark and skip Grant, plus Kevin Hills, were nosed out in a nail-biting final 13-12 by regular Taranaki Open fours competitor Frankie Lim (Pukekohe). The scores had been even playing the last end.
Paritutu’s Kevan Sellers and the father-and-son duo of Piripi and Kaylin Huwyler also compiled an impressive run in the triples. They lost the final to a Takaro (Palmerston North) side headed by Tim Hook 17-10, after trailing by three shots with three ends to play.
The ageless Maurice Symes (Fitzroy, pictured right) also gave an excellent account of himself in the men’s singles, 43 years after first competing in the event, claiming a bronze medal. His effort was replicated by the Paritutu women’s triple of Jackie Moeahu, Tina Atkinson-Watt and Briar Atkinson.
The same trio, plus Alesha Quay, also qualified in the women’s fours.
Atkinson forewent the women’s singles, instead competing in a six-team under-26 pairs event in Singapore. She finished runner-up in one of the two competitions with Christchurch’s Olivia Mancer.
Meanwhile the first Taranaki representative teams for the new season have been named. Taranaki meet Waikato at Frankton Junction on August 31 and September 1.
Both the men’s and women’s squads, comprising 10 players each, are required to include a minimum of three players with eight years or fewer experience.
Women’s selector Don Christensen has named seven such players in his side which excludes an unavailable Atkinson.
Men’s selector John Garrud has included Fitzroy’s Mark Hawken and Evan Jones and Manaia’s Stephen Fevre, winner of last season’s first year singles.
Teams: women, Jackie Moeahu, Irene Taunt, Alethea Rowlands, Rita Davey, Leeane Halls, Amanda Crehan, Gale Fache, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Angela Debique and Esther Ward-Campbell; men, Craig De Faria, Steve Walker, Darren Goodin, Steve Temperton, Kurt Smith, Maurice Symes, Steve Sabine, Stephen Fevre, Mark Hawken and Evan Jones.
Congratulations to the following players selected to represent Taranaki v Waikato in Hamilton on the 31st August and 1st of September.
This pre-season fixture sees Taranaki take a team of 10 Players to play Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours indoors at the new Frankton Junction complex. Both sides will see a mix of Senior and Junior players, as Waikato and Taranaki must pick a minimum of 3 Under 8s players in each side. Good luck to the following players:
Taranaki Women: Jackie Moeahu, Irene Taunt, AJ Rowlands, Gloria Wolfe, Leeane Halls, Amanda Crehan, Gale Fache, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Angela Debique and Esther Ward-Campbell
Selector: Don Christensen Managers: Cindy Nicoll and John Sexton
Taranaki Men: Craig De Faria, Steve Walker, Darren Goodin, Steve Temperton, Kurt Smith, Maurice Symes, Steve Sabine, Stephen Fevre, Mark Hawken and Shae Fleming
