Port Nic Gardeners

Let's get out there and have some fun. 

We all enjoy our annual rolling up of sleeves, donning of gumboots and having  lovely time making our auction recipients gardens look fabulous.This year we will be doing some weeding on a completely flat garden in Golf Road, Heretaunga - an easy 20 minute drive from the city. Nothing too strenuous at all (this time!). We will follow this with a light lunch and a cuppa. Some of you golfers may well be keen on going for a round afterwards.  

Invitation: Rotary Clubs of Wellington Fundraiser 

Birdwood Reserve Environmental Project Group (BREPG) invites members, friends and whanau to :Tracking Birdwood Quiz night – The Karori Taphouse Sunday 15 March 2026

This is to raise funds for their ground breaking project. Lets get a team together to support their project. 

Cost is $25 per person.  Teams are made up of 6 people per table.

The Karori Taphouse is at 162 Karori Road, Karori, Wellington.

Please reply to accept or decline this invite.

RSVPs are required by Sunday 7 March 2026 

Contact Dawn Sanders for more information: action-sanders@xtra.co.nz or  phone 027 2836016

This week our speaker is

Grainne Moss

CEO Ministry of Regulation and ocean Swimmer

Born in Northern Ireland and now living in New Zealand, Gráinne Moss captured the attention of the world in 1987, becoming the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel, at just 17 years of age. Moss’s story is one of resilience, endurance, and achievement, both as a swimmer and in public life.

Moss’s achievements in 1987 heralded the start of a truly remarkable open-water journey. From victories in Ireland’s open-water championships and the ‘Irish Triple Crown’, Moss has broken records and pushed the boundaries on what Irish swimmers can achieve. Her accolades are not confined to Irish waters, either. In 2001, Moss became the first Irish swimmer to swim the notorious Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, as well as conquering many other well known channels. Since calling New Zealand home, Moss has built a career as one of the country’s most senior public servants. The same qualities that carry her through bitterly cold seas have shaped her leadership on land: endurance, clarity of purpose and a willingness to take on challenges.

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 29 March with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. Please note - if you dont register and turn up - there may not be any breakfast available.

Duties for the meeting:

Desk - 6.45am                    Lou Bray-Burns                           

Greeter - 6.45am                 Fiona Smith

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am     Ross Buxton

Kaikohau                              Jo Douglas

Opening Thought                  Bill Day

Introduction                           Victoria Triegaadt

Thanking                               Rick Hughes

Guardian Angel

Photographer         

Parting Thought                    Rod Badcock

Club Reporter                       Geoff Smith

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 29 March, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

This week our speaker is

Grainne Moss

CEO Ministry of Regulation and Ocean Swimmer

Born in Northern Ireland and now living in New Zealand, Gráinne Moss captured the attention of the world in 1987, becoming the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel, at just 17 years of age. Moss’s story is one of resilience, endurance, and achievement, both as a swimmer and in public life.

Moss’s achievements in 1987 heralded the start of a truly remarkable open-water journey. From victories in Ireland’s open-water championships and the ‘Irish Triple Crown’, Moss has broken records and pushed the boundaries on what Irish swimmers can achieve. Her accolades are not confined to Irish waters, either. In 2001, Moss became the first Irish swimmer to swim the notorious Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, as well as conquering many other well known channels. Since calling New Zealand home, Moss has built a career as one of the country’s most senior public servants. The same qualities that carry her through bitterly cold seas have shaped her leadership on land: endurance, clarity of purpose and a willingness to take on challenges.

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 29 March with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. Please note - if you dont register and turn up - there may not be any breakfast available.

Duties for the meeting:

Desk - 6.45am                    Lou Bray-Burns                           

Greeter - 6.45am                 Fiona Smith

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am     Ross Buxton

Kaikohau                              Jo Douglas

Opening Thought                  Bill Day

Introduction                           Victoria Triegaadt

Thanking                               Rick Hughes

Guardian Angel

Photographer         

Parting Thought                    Rod Badcock

Club Reporter                       Geoff Smith

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 29 March, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

This week our speaker is

Andrew Cameron

Humanitarian Nurse

Andrew is a Registered Nurse, and Midwife, clinically specialised in Emergency Nursing, Intensive Care, Rural Camp; Isolated Practice, Immunisation Practice and Public Health. He has a Master’s degree in Tropical Public Health, and many years of experience as a rural and remote nurse and as a Director of Nursing. posts include Australia, Kenya, Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Djibouti, South Sudan (twice), Afghanistan (four tours), Ukraine, Rwanda, and most recently (2025) in Gaza. In 2011, recognised for exemplary standards, he was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal by the Governor General, for exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict. In The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2013, he received the medal of the Order of Australia from the Governor of Queensland, for services to nursing.

Andrew topic is, " Providing humanitarian aide as a nurse in the world's most challenging environments. (Gaza, Afghanistan, Ukraine)."

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 5 April with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. Please note - if you dont register and turn up - there may not be any breakfast available.

Duties for the meeting (please see sheet attached for an outline of each duty):

Desk - 6.45am                     Steve Lawton                           

Greeter - 6.45am                 Lindsay Chitty

Kaikohau                              Heather Lucas

Opening Thought                 Marc Rand

Introduction                          Howard Tong

Thanking                             Tamaris Livers

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am     Darryl Ross

Parting Thought                   Richard Brodie        

Club Reporter                      Brad Weekly

Photographer                       Andre Lategan

Guardian Angel                    David Barnes

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 5 April, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

This week our speaker is

Sarah Parkinson

Coordinator for Road Safety Education Ltd

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 12 April with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. Please note - if you dont register and turn up - there may not be any breakfast available.

Duties for the meeting (please see sheet attached for an outline of each duty):

Desk - 6.45am                     Everard Aspell                          

Greeter - 6.45am                 Yon Yi Sohn

Kaikohau                             David Shackleton

Opening Thought                 Paula McKnight

Introduction                          Spencer Petherick

Thanking                               Rob Whitney

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am      David Quinn

Parting Thought                    Hadleigh Petherick        

Club Reporter                       Julian Bateson

Photographer                        Brenda Lazelle

Guardian Angel                     Dawn Sanders

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 12 April, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

This week our speaker is

Katy Sweetman and John Bessey

Founder/Director StoryCore Ltd and Authors

Duties for the meeting (please see sheet attached for an outline of each duty):

Desk - 6.45am                   Steve Lawton                         

Greeter - 6.45am                Aparana Dubey

Kaikohau                            Linda Wellington

Opening Thought                Charles Little

Introduction                         Jane Patterson

Thanking                             Tony Herring

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am     Peter Whittington

Parting Thought                    Marc Rand       

Club Reporter                       Tony Robinson

Photographer                        Rick Hughes

Guardian Angel - 6.45am      Richard Westlake

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 19 April, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

Paul French

Financial Advisor

Milford Asset Management

Paul is based in Wellington, New Zealand, providing wealth management solutions to individuals, families and their associated entities.

His topic is, “How do fund managers navigate through the ups and downs of financial markets?”

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 26 April with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. 

Please note - if you register after the cut off 6pm 26 April or just turn up - there will not be any breakfast available. You are able to have tea ad coffee.

Duties for the meeting (please see sheet attached for an outline of each duty):

Desk - 6.45am                    Marc Rands                         

Greeter - 6.45am                Andre Lategan

Kaikohau                            Fiona Smith

Opening Thought               Ross Buxton

Introduction                        Jo Douglas

Thanking                             Bill Day

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am    Lou Bray-Burns

Parting Thought                  Simon Warburton     

Club Reporter                      Darryl Ross

Photographer                       Geoff Smith

Guardian Angel - 6.45am     Rod Badcock

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 26 April, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

Just a reminder in case you would like to join us and havent registered as yet

Come and join us at Teddys Tacos : Taproom and Taqueria 

on Friday 1 May for a long leisurely lunch 12pm

50 Cuba Street

Wellington

They describe themselves as - Tacos, Beers and Cheers - New Zealands first authentic New Mexican style taproom and taqueria.

Come along and check it out. This will be almost the last get together we will have with the Whittington's before they head overseas. Bring frinds and family - but please register everyone so that I can let them know how many are coming. I would love to get numbers to them by 9am Friday 1 May.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Lou

Mark Douglas

Maritime Domain Analyst

Starboard Intelligence

Our speaker this week is our very own Jo Douglas's son! Heather suggests that he may be doing some cool stuff re shipping in the Straits of Hormuz :)

His topic is, “Starboard Intelligence: Essential data for maritime defence and safety.”

Please register yourself and any guests for next week's meeting no later than 6pm Sunday 3 May with details of any dietary requirements, so that we can advise attendance information to the Wellington Club. 

Please note - if you register after the cut off 6pm 3 May or just turn up - there will not be any breakfast available. You are able to have tea ad coffee.

Duties for the meeting (please see sheet attached for an outline of each duty):

Desk - 6.45am                    Marc Rands                         

Greeter - 6.45am                Steve Lawton

Kaikohau                             Brad Weekly

Opening Thought                Heather Lucas

Introduction                         Rob Whitney

Thanking                             Hadleigh Petherick

Set up/Pack up - 6.45am    Spencer Petherick

Parting Thought                   Lindsay Chitty     

Club Reporter                      Rick Hughes

Photographer                       Yon Yi Sohn

Guardian Angel - 6.45am     Paula McKnight

If you are unable to perform your duty please get someone else to stand in for you and advise President Nicole Barker (nicolebarker883@gmail.com) who the replacement is.

Notes for the coming weeks meeting:

• RSVP no later than Sunday 3 May, 6pm (Best do it now). 
• Please make sure you register to assist the Wellington Club staff. No registration could mean no food and no seat.
• If you have any dietary requirements, please note them in the comments section of the registration
• Include your email address and mobile phone number in the response
• If you wish to bring guests/spouse/partner, please add them when you register
• Remember to click "Save" at the bottom of the page
• If you do not receive a confirmation immediately after you have registered, you have not completed the process.

Let’s plant more trees! 

Sunday 12 July - 1pm to 3.30pm

Please join us for our annual tree planting on Sunday 12 July at 1.00pm with The Friends of Tawa's Bush Reserves for our eighth year.  We’ve already planted over 5200 trees in total!  This year we will be in Caribbean Drive Reserve (Tawa) a bit further up than last year so there will be a bit of walking from where we park our cars to get to site.

Tree planting regenerates our native Bush to provide habitat and food for the increasing numbers of native birds, provides walking areas for us all to enjoy, and helps slow down climate change.  This is open to everyone including family and friends so please invite lots of people to help.  Interact and Rotaract members are very welcome to join us so please let them know about this opportunity. 

You don’t have to be super fit to join.  There are many jobs you can do such as:  digging holes; planting trees, setting out trees for planting, picking up the tree packets for reusing, and / or contributing to the afternoon tea. 

If you would like to take part, please accept this invitation by Monday 22 June and provide your contact phone number and email address.  Also advise details for family and friends attending.  Lisa King is coordinating the Club’s participation and can be reached on 021 265 6220 or email lisaandmalkingnz@gmail.com

Lisa will be in touch with further details toward the end of June.  Postponement date will be the following Sunday.    

See you there

Lisa