Kāpiti Monster Bookfair

The Big Book Box is back for its 20th birthday in the Coastlands Mall.
Made by Lion's craftsman Peter Mansfield, the box made its first appearance in 2001, as part of the Combined Lions Clubs of Kāpiti Monster Bookfair.
Project manager Peter Cresswell said the box has always been a very popular depository, so much so that it now needing a roster of 18 Lions to empty it twice daily for seven days a week.
"In our estimation more than a million book have been dropped into its slots over the last two decades. This in turn has enabled us to raise nearly three-quarters of a million dollars, the majority of which goes to needy worthwhile Kāpiti organisations."
The Lions Monster Bookfair will be held in the Waikanae Memorial Hall on the weekend of October 16 and 17. The Lions Clubs of Paraparaumu and Waikanae are asking the community to be as generous as they have been in the past and to go through their bookshelves and basements for surplus book, others will enjoy.
Drop-off points are at Raumati Beach (Coastal Mowers Ltd), Paraparauma Beach (180 Degrees Café) and Waikanae (Bohanna Motors and Picture Perfect Framing).
Anyone wanting larger quantities of books collected should contact Peter Cresswell on 904 2699 or Jim Hall on 04 298 5131.

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1 day ago

Driven On The Akatarawa Rd Lately?

Marie from Waikanae

If so, its good to know you are still alive and reading this.

We have a function to go to over Christmas up that way and having heard a few hairy stories about the road, I went up there on Thursday to check it out. The road's ok, narrow and winding, but not much worse than a Wellington hill suburb. What was pretty scary was the behavior of other drivers. Three vehicles heading the other way at speed would have crashed into me if I hadn't been pulled off the road. I had pulled in to check the address when a truck came flying past, taking up all of the narrow road at speed. There is no way the driver would have been able to stop had they come around the corner immediately in front of me. The other two drivers came hurtling past as I had turned in to turn around and come back down the hill. They were also driving at speed and taking up most of the road. Coming back down I passed another car coming up and estimate that the safe speed to pass another car was about 30-35 kms.p.h. So, now we're thinking, do we go to the function or not.? Feels a bit like we're taking our life in our hands going up there. Drivers appear to be overconfident, and they are courting serious injury.