Covid-19 is still with us.
To protect others if you have cold or other flu-like symptoms, please stay at home.
When using Totara Park, Oceania Healthcare still need you to sign-in and to wear a mask whenever possible.
To maximise ventilation, they suggest that doors and windows are opened if weather permits.

About our Groups

Group		Convenors	Description
Ancient & Modern History		Geoffrey Bowes	Ancient History Group meet in members’ homes the first Friday of each month at 9.30am,, excluding January. Our meetings start with morning tea/coffee and fellowship before we explore the chosen programme for the year. Group members can chose to research aspects of the programme to present their findings to the group. On occasions we have a Bits & Pieces Meeting where members can contribute to the meeting with historic items of interest.
Art Appreciation		Berris Spicer Sally Wilson, Margaret Wright.	The Art Appreciation Group has approximately 60 members but the size of the group attendances varies from month to month. During the warmer months we often go by bus to art exhibitions. At our other meetings we enjoy presentations from invited artists or from some of our members.
Book Talk		Jeanette Grimmer	Meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month, at 10 am, in members' homes. Each person brings a book they are currently reading or have just read, and talk about it. This sometimes leads to discussion related to what was shared.
Current Affairs		Geoffrey Bowes	There are 20 of us which is our limit and we are currently meeting in the Boardroom at The Oaks. Everyone is asked to speak about a current event that interests them and after they have talked the rest of the Group are invited to comment/add to the topic which can lead to lively debates. One Member recently commented "its better than going to the pictures".
Developments in Medicine		Linda Moore	All new members welcome; no medical background required, just interest and willingness to be part of the group. We have excellent discussions, and lots of people can usually add to what’s been said. We learn a lot. It’s fun and lively.
Jazz Listening		Val Couling	One of the original Warkworth U3A groups, we have over 20 members with an average attendance of about 15. This lively group meets monthly at each other’s homes and the presentations are always interesting and informative as many of our members have a wide and diverse knowledge of jazz. Topics range from the history and styles of jazz and jazz musicians using CDs, DVDs and YouTube, as well as sharing our favourite recordings and occasional live jazz sessions. No prior knowledge is required to join this group, just a wish to hear great music and learn something new.
Local History		Jenni McGlashan	The district of Warkworth is teeming with history, and while the local history group of U3A has been in operation for 11 years there is always another topic ‘on the horizon’ waiting to be explored! Currently the group numbers 12, many being comparatively new members. Sometimes we meet in a member’s home for a presentation, other times we travel to the destination to be discussed - field trip style. With the pandemic negating group meetings, a quiz and visual meeting have been arranged. Our home based meetings are often presented by a member, or sometimes by a local person with a strong knowledge of a particular aspect of our local history.
Music Appreciation		Mike Austin Jenny Collins	This groups meets at 2pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month at a member’s home. A group member presents a topic that they have researched, and prepared using DVDs, CDs and/or You Tube clips. Some recent presentations have been Music of Scotland, Famous Conductors, Music for Meditation, Music Therapy and The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. We conclude the presentation with afternoon tea. New members are very welcome.
Ornithology/Bird Watching		Ken Cutforth	Our group meets every second Wednesday of the month, between 10.00 a.m and 2.00 p.m, tides permitting. Most meetings will involve field trips to various venues mainly on our coastline. Some meetings will take place in member’s homes.
Exploring Poetry		Susan Howard	The Exploring Poetry group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 1.30pm to discuss both national and international poets and their work. The sessions are varied and may include a video, or YouTube interview or a presentation by a local poet, most often though each member takes a turn to present the poet of their choice with an introduction, and a selection of poems for the group to read and discuss. We finish with afternoon tea.  The group numbers about 10-11 and welcomes new members.
Science & Climate		Prof. Ralph & Anne Cooney	The group’s activities will include Climate Change, Environmental Science and Management, Ecology, New Technologies, Astronomy etc. The meeting topics may include briefings and workshops led by visiting experts and will Involve open group discussion. There will also be opportunities for members to bring their own questions and issues regarding science along to meetings.
Te Ao Maori			The Te ao Maori Interest Group will explore the Maori World view and will be led by experienced kaiako (tutor), Claire Winiana

Members, do you want to join a new group?

If you are not a member of a group and would like to join, contact the group leader for further details.

Recent Group Events

2022.

June 22nd, Te Ao Maori Group

The Te Ao Maori group assembled for their first meeting lead by our Kaiako, Claire Winiana.

The group started with a Whakawhanaungatanga - getting to know each other, where each member talked about their Whakapapa (family history). The discussion then moved to Matariki and its meaning to us and its place in the Maori World.

June 13th June, General Meeting

We were honoured to have Barbara Dreaver, Television Journalist at TVNZ, as our speaker at our June ‘mid-Winter’ meeting. Barbara will be familiar to many as the Pacific Correspondent for TVNZ’s News and Current Affairs. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years, co-owning a newspaper in the Cook Islands, working in print, radio and television. She is currently on the TVNZ/Radio NZ establishment board and designs and delivers training to Pacific broadcasters across the region.

Barbara’s talk was a stimulating and engrossing look at our extended neighborhood, the South Pacific Islands. She talked about the challenges they face as nations in a warming planet and the geo-political wrestling match which can often befall smaller emerging nations when major powers become involved.

Barbara presented several short video clips showing the struggles the people face coping with the challenges of extreme weather events, lack of stable water supplies and fertile soil, topped off by steadily rising sea levels.

The Mahurangi High School Kiribati Group also gave us an entertaining interlude featuring modern Kiribati dance. What a beautiful happy group they were.

June 8th, Ornithology

A small Ornithology group was treated to a very informative afternoon on our first outing. We visited the Omaha Shorebird Sanctuary where we saw dotterels, godwits, white-faced heron, terns and oyster catchers, with expert commentary from Marie-Louise Ward.

June 2nd,  Art Appreciation

May 5th,  Art Appreciation

The group's meeting was "Artists Among Us" where four members talked about their work or collection, with a brief description of selected items, how they were created and what they represent. Our artists presented work covering ceramics, fabric collage, plant dyes and mordants, painting, Old-English style samplers and glass.

Members discussing members' work

Presenters/Artists were; Judith Morgan, Julie Tuck, Judy Ward, Helen Howard, Berris Spicer and Sylvia Diprose.

General Meeting April 11

2021

November Book Talk Group Zoom Meeting

On November 8, for the third time our group met on zoom, but on this occasion had no extra minutes allotted unfortunately.  Shirley shared a thank you card from Angela Kissling with those of us present.   Then  we each spent  a few minutes speaking about a book we had been reading.
As usual, there was a wide variety, with non-fiction predominating.  Alongside the one novel – “Stark” by Ben Elton, we had a travel book – “The Amur River” by Colin Thubron, a book about ancient civilisations in South America – “The Missing Lands”  by Freddy Silva, an autobiography – “Promised Land”  by Barack Obama,  and two biographical books -  “Outback Heroines” about women in Australia by Sue Williams,  and  “All the Young Men”  about the life of Ruth Coker Burns, by Kevin Carr O’Leary.  Meeting and sharing together is always so enjoyable.  The time was far too short.
By:  Jeanette Grimmer (Group Convenor)

October Book Talk Group Zoom Meeting

We did hope to possibly meet in a home at Level  2, and delayed our meeting one week for this reason.  However,  as Auckland currently remains at Level 3, we met for the second time on Zoom.  This month we were given extra time, and so had a full hour together on Tuesday, 12 October, from 10 to 11 a.m.
We were four until a fifth member discovered how easy it is to join via the sent link, and arrived to join us after everyone else had shared about their books.  She said it was easy to join the group, but one member had struggled for 15 or 20 minutes:  at first visible, but without sound,  then with sound but invisible, until finally she could be both seen and heard.
As usual, the books we shared about were diverse.  One member has a large set of classics and had been reading these.  There were books  both fiction and non-fiction, the latter including a biography and an autobiography.  The countries where the various books  were set ranged from New Zealand to South Africa to eighteenth century Scotland, and to twentieth century China.
We had a splendid hour together, and look forward to our next session, hoping we may by then be able to meet in a home.  But if not, then it will be once more on Zoom.
By:  Jeanette Grimmer  (Group  Convener)

June General Meeting at RSA

Alison Talmage,pictured with a group of members, gave an interesting interactive presentation on "Music Therapy" with great audience participation.

Anne Cooney talked about their recent flight to the Southern Ocean to view the Aurora Borealis. The presentation was supported by a wonderful collection of images taken on the flight.

Exploring Poetry Group - June meeting:

Science and Climate Group - April meeting: