This year seems to be rushing by very quickly – it’s been a busy time for all of us. After weeks of planning, and with the much-needed storage cupboards installed, the next stage of our foyer upgrade is about to get underway. Over the next few weeks there may be some interruption and inconvenience when entering and existing the main hall; please bear with us while this work is carried out. Our awesome trades people always do their best to keep noise and mess to a minimum as well as provide a safe environment for themselves and those of you needing to access this area. We look forward to hearing your feedback when it’s all finished– it’s going to look really good!

The Foyer with our new storage cupboards – prior to having new paneling installed
You may have also noticed the old metal hand rail at our front entrance has been replaced by a new wooden rail which not only looks so much better but is much safer as well.

Please extend a warm OSH welcome to the latest addition to our “family” –a harmonic resonance activity the Small Hall on May 24 starting at 2.30 PM. This session offers meditative music for total peace and should discharge all negative emotions as well as thoughts that are wearing us down. Contact Sonya via her website: harmonicresonance.co.nz

The Omokoroa Indoor Bowls Club will be holding coaching sessions on a Tuesday afternoon, for our local juniors, some of whom will be competing in the AIMS Games in September. Indoor Bowls is a growing sport in our area. If you (or one of your children) are interested in “having a go” at Indoor Bowls, please contact Aileen on: 027 399 5363.

Pilates classes will be starting at Mondays and Wednesdays at 8.30 AM from May 11. These classes have always been a popular way for our locals to get stretched, toned as well as exercising every muscle in our bodies. Contact Claudia on: 021 192 7706.

The Omokoroa Market will be holding a “Craft De-stash” as a part of their regular monthly market on June 27. If you’d like to find out more details, contact Raewyn on: 027 276 6498.

OSH Driveway

Finally – we can now enter and exit easily. The past couple of months were a challenge with the weather hampering progress. Hopefully tar sealing can be done soon to smooth out the lumps and bumps along with the rest of the works along Omokoroa Road.

OSH Website

Work on this has been progressing well considering every document we have ever produced over the past few years has needed to be amended due to the changes we have had with our new logo as well as storage, installation of lock boxes, new locations for items, etc. We would really be very appreciative if you would please get any additions or amendments to your existing Activity page(s) to us ASAP – we are looking to go “live” with our new Website by the end of May. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us on: settlers.hall@gmail.com

OSH Centenary

If you are able to help, with any of our Centenary activities, the Committee would really love to hear from you. Please contact Cory on 0210 2490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com
With so much we have to look forward to, we would appreciate more hands to help us with some of our exciting projects. You can help by becoming an OSH “Friend” – please email settlers.hall@gmail.com for further information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com

OSH Committee Projects Recently Completed

OSH Website

Quadramedia (a local company) is now managing our website, which has badly needed an update, overhaul and general cleanup for some time. With this in mind, please go to the Activities section. Our Activity Pages are alphabetically listed.

If you have any additions, amendments, new details you would like to add to your existing page(s), or would like to post a page on the OSH Website, please email: settlers.hall@gmail.com with your details/photos/contact information no later than our deadline of April 30, 2026.

OSH Driveway

Progress has been made and weather permitting, this work should be completed on/before April 17. The driveway curbing and concreting was completed as planned on April 01. Thank you for your patience and understanding during the times when our driveway has been blocked off – it has been a test for all of us, but we overcame all the challenges and have a much-improved driveway.

Outdoor Signage

All the outdoor signs placed along the grass verge have been removed by the contractors as this area had to be dug away to allow room for relaying all new cabling and service pipes plus to have enough room for our widened driveway, along with a new shared cycle and footpath.
At this stage the OSH Committee cannot make any decisions about any new signage. It is very important that we wait until all the road works are completed and we know where signs can be safely located.

OSH Centenary

Thank you for your help in sourcing photos that help to tell the story of Settlers Hall, by depicting events, functions, activities, meetings and people at the halls over the decades. We are working in collaboration with the Omokoroa History Group who are also contributing some lovely old historic photos, to create the design for the montage. Once funding has been obtained, work on the actual design and layout will commence.

Our Centenary activities also include landscaping, fencing and new artworks. Work will commence on all these projects once funds become available.

If you want to help, with any of our Centenary activities, the Committee would really love to hear from you. Please contact Cory on 0210 2490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com.

With so much going on, we would appreciate more hands to help us with some of our exciting projects. You can help by becoming an OSH “Friend” – please email settlers.hall@gmail.com for further information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com

The upgrading of the interior entrance foyer of the hall is nearing completion – the installation of new wood panelling and painting has been contracted out to local companies and we look forward to hearing your comments on our “new look”. As well as this undertaking, a new wooden rail has been placed in our front entrance along with our ongoing projects for landscaping, fencing and new exterior artworks. If you would like to help with any of our Centenary activities, the OSH Committee would love to hear from you. Please contact Cory on 0210 2490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com

With everything we have going on, we would appreciate more hands to help us with our exciting projects, especially as we start to focus on planning more Centenary events. You can help by becoming an OSH “Friend” – please email settlers.hall@gmail.com for further information.
Another major initiative nearing completion is our revamped website. This has evolved into a major project due to all the changes that we have had over the past year taking place which has required new information being added. This has meant that virtually every document we have generated over the past few years has had to be scrutinized and amended accordingly. We hope our website will be up and running by the end of this month.

We are delighted to advise that our driveway has now been completed. It really has given us such an easy entry/exit along with now being able to walk along via the new pavement all the way to our driveway. Hopefully the rest of the works along Omokoroa Road will be completed according to schedule as we are all looking forward to having “our road” back minus the lumps and bumps as well as delays we have had that have been challenges for us all. This has been a large project which has tested our patience but we can now see the progress that has been made and the shape of what is to come.

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com

Another busy month with schools back in full swing. Please extend a warm welcome to Bex from Positively Together. Bex starts her Dog Training Classes on March 06 from 9.45 AM until 11.15 AM. She is a certified trainer and has been training animals professionally for over 20 years.

Committee Projects Recently Completed

A new “Welcome” sign has been installed (see photos below) on the exterior wall of the main foyer entrance. The panels of wood were sanded back and upcycled from the old small hall kitchen door which was kept when the small hall kitchen was demolished in 2023. Our sincere thanks to the work done by Cory Payne, her husband Brian, along with expert assistance from new committee members Jill Pretty and Bryan Cheshire.

We were also able to recycle and re-purpose some of the wooden floor and wall boards salvaged from the railway hut that housed the Small Hall kitchen and storeroom. The Honours Board which had been installed as a permanent display in our main interior foyer has been made from these native boards.

OSH Centenary

As you will be aware, preparations are underway to celebrate our Centenary in 2029. To bring our hundred-year story together, the Settlers Hall Committee are working in collaboration with the Omokoroa History Group, to create a large historical photo montage of old photos. This montage will become a permanent reminder and story of the importance of a beloved and important community facility over the decades and will be permanently displayed as a feature wall in the main hall foyer.

The OSH Committee are keen to find any photos which help to tell the story of the Halls, through photos depicting events, functions, activities, meetings and people at the Halls over the decades. Photos can be black and white or coloured.

If you can help, with any old photos, the Committee would really love to see them. Please contact Cory on 02102 490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you !

Roadworks

These have certainly tested our patience as the work along Omokoroa Road seems to have been going on without any real end in sight. The good news is that the widening of our driveway has started which will make turning in/out as well as entering/exiting the Halls so much easier.
This work seems to be progressing well and we can see how much wider the driveway is going to be, when it is finished. A new high speed fibre cable is being laid, along with a new water line, along the verge and under the realigned entrance way. The verge will probably stay much the same as it is now and a footpath will be concreted in much the same place as where the loose metal is now.

Once the road frontage and driveway has been completed, the committee will explore design options for new road frontage signs, including installing a large new Omokoroa Settlers Hall sign and upgrading the hirer signs.

We do not know at this stage when the work will be finished, but Higgins have assured us they will keep in touch, if anyone has any questions please let me know.

Please take care entering/exiting the Halls and make sure you keep to the 30 km (on Omokoroa Road) as well as 10 km (within the OSH car park area) speed limits.

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com

This Welcome Sign will now be a permanent fixture in the Halls’ entranceway

The Honours Board which is proudly displayed in our main foyer entrance

Now that the majority of the exterior projects, including the huge job of preparing and painting the halls, have been completed, the OSH Committee has turned its focus on to upgrading the interior entrance foyer of the hall. Three new floor to ceiling storage cupboards have recently been installed in our main entrance area along with a lovely Rimu shelving unit donated to us by the Menz Shed. More renovations are planned over the next few months, including painting and decorating the foyer walls and internal doors.

Another major project underway is our new look website. Quadmedia (a local company) are now fully in charge of the OSH Website, which has been in need of an update, overhaul and general clean-up for some time. This will provide a much more user-friendly experience and up to date information for all.

Progress has been made on widening the main front entrance driveway to Settlers Hall, the Playcentre and Toy Library. When completed, there will be plenty of room to safely and easily turn in and out of Omokoroa Road. New curbing and a concrete entranceway have been laid, and a new concrete footpath along the front of the hall is under construction. We look forward to this project finally being completed, hopefully towards the end of April. Our sincere thanks to all of the OSH Hirers and Hall Users who have endured mud, rain and a bit of a walk to get into the Halls for their various Group Activities. A big thanks also to Higgins the roading contractors, who have kept our alternative access open via the green-waste driveway, providing extra metal when necessary to ensure everyone can access the halls when needed, rain or shine. The driveway construction works have been a test for us all, but we are overcoming all the challenges and will soon enjoy exiting and entering our carpark via a much-improved driveway.

OSH Centenary

Thank you for your help in sourcing photos that help to tell the story of the Halls depicting events, functions, activities, meetings and people at the Halls over the decades. The new photo montage for our entrance foyer is now in the planning stage and once funding has been obtained, creating the layout and design will commence. The committee are working in collaboration with the Omokoroa History Group on this exciting centenary project.

Our Centenary projects also include landscaping, fencing and new exterior artworks. If you would like to help with any of our Centenary activities, the OSH Committee would love to hear from you. Please contact Cory on 0210 2490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com

With everything we have going on, we would appreciate more hands to help us with our exciting projects, especially as we start to focus on planning more Centenary events. You can help by becoming an OSH “Friend” – please email settlers.hall@gmail.com for further information.

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com

Another busy month with schools back in full swing. Committee members have also been busy adding finishing touches to the halls following the major modifications which have taken place over the past couple of years.

A new “Welcome “ sign has been installed (see photos below) on the exterior wall of the main entranceway. The panels of wood were sanded back and upcycled from the old small hall kitchen door which was kept when the small hall kitchen was demolished in 2023.

Wooden floor and wall boards were also salvaged from the railway hut that housed the small hall kitchen and storeroom. The Honours /sponsorship board which has recently been installed on a wall in the main foyer area is a permanent display acknowledging our sponsors and project funders, both past and present, and has been created using these lovely old native boards.

Preparations are also underway on several art/photographic projects which are being created to celebrate the Settlers Hall Centenary in 2029. To bring our hundred-year story together, the Settlers Hall Committee are keen to find any photos which help to tell the story of the Halls, through photos depicting events, functions, activities, meetings and people at the Halls over the decades. Photos can be black and white or coloured.

If you can help, with any photos, the Committee would really love to see them. Please contact Cory on 02102 490 430 or email settlers.hall@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
The widening of the driveway into Settlers Hall and the Playcentre has started . When finished, this much needed alteration to the road frontage will make turning in/out as well as entering/exiting the carparking area so much easier and safer. This work seems to be progressing well and we can already see how much wider the driveway is going to be. The verge will probably stay much the same as it is now and the footpath will be concreted in much the same place as it is now.

We do not know at this stage when the work will be finished, but the roading contractors have assured us they will keep in touch as work progresses.

For Hire or Booking information, email: settlers.hall@gmail.com