A Weekend of Gardens, Community and Giving Back
There’s something rather special blooming in Cambridge this November.
The Rotary Cambridge Garden Festival returns on 14 and 15 November, bringing together 17 remarkable private gardens for a weekend of inspiration, discovery and a little indulgence along the way.
Organised by Rotary Cambridge, the festival is about much more than beautiful gardens. It’s an opportunity to gather your friends, spend a day – or an entire weekend – exploring Cambridge, and know that simply by taking part, you’re helping support the local community.
This year’s gardens offer an incredible variety of landscapes, styles and stories, with something different waiting beyond every garden gate. Visitors can explore at their own pace or leave the driving behind and travel by shuttle, making it wonderfully easy to sit back and enjoy the day.
And for those wanting to add a little extra sparkle to their Saturday, Bubbles at The Clements Hotel offers the chance to unwind over prosecco and canapés while hearing an extraordinary garden story.
Most importantly, funds raised through this year’s festival will help support four local organisations: Achievement House, Cambridge Community House, Cambridge Lifeskills and InterlockNZ Trust.
It’s a weekend that brings together beautiful gardens, good friends and a great cause – a wonderful example of community supporting community.
Find out more at www.cgf.nz
On 1 October 2027, Maurice Bevin will begin walking the 3,000 km Te Araroa Trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff, aiming to complete the journey in under 90 days to raise awareness for rare diseases and the families who live with them every day. More than 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease. Many families spend years searching for a diagnosis, while some children die before the condition affecting them is identified. This mission seeks to give those families a voice.
About Maurice
Kiwi born and raised; Māori heritage (Ngati Rahiri, Te Atiawa); former Navy medic; 28 years as a saturation diver; current Diving Client Representative; supported his former partner through two rare diseases for eight years; completed John O'Groats to Land's End (1,465 km) in 33 walking days; completed the 135 km Mt Taranaki road circuit in under 24 hours; undertaking four months of altitude training in Mexico before Te Araroa.
Why Rotary New Zealand
This is not a sponsorship proposal. It is an invitation for Rotary New Zealand to become a partner in a national and international awareness mission. Rotary's nationwide network makes it uniquely positioned to help create a Rotary Relay of Support from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
The Rotary Relay of Support
Participating clubs may provide accommodation, local assistance, route knowledge, community connections, and help move support gear between locations. Each club becomes part of a nationwide relay carrying both Maurice and the rare disease message through Aotearoa.
International Dimension
The walk takes place in New Zealand, but the message is global. Discussions have begun with Rotary San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The objective is to build a New Zealand-led initiative capable of attracting international awareness and media attention for rare diseases through Rotary's worldwide network
What Maurice Is Asking
Introduce the mission to Rotary clubs; help establish the Rotary Relay of Support; assist with accommodation and route logistics; coordinate movement of support gear; promote rare disease awareness through Rotary networks; and help build national and international visibility for the mission.
Conclusion
This is more than a walk. It is an opportunity to give a voice to families living with rare diseases and create a message of hope that extends beyond New Zealand. One person may walk the trail, but no individual can carry this mission alone. Together, Rotary New Zealand and Maurice can carry the message from Cape Reinga to Bluff, and from New Zealand to the world.
Unfortunately, numerous Rotary club and district Facebook pages and Instagram accounts have been closed by Meta without prior notice. This issue has escalated recently, and Rotary International is working closely with Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) to find a solution.
While a root cause or guaranteed method for restoration has not yet been identified, Meta has now reinstated several Rotary-related pages at Rotary International’s request. With your help, Rotary International can identify additional pages that need reinstatement.
Rotary clubs and districts can complete a form via the following link (on.rotary.org/fbissue) so their Facebook and Instagram pages can be added to Meta’s “allow list” as part of Rotary International’s efforts to resolve the issue.
Please indicate in the form if a page has already been removed by Meta. Page administrators will then receive an email with specific instructions and an official letter from Rotary International to support their restoration efforts.
While a root cause or guaranteed method for restoration has not yet been identified, Meta has now reinstated several Rotary-related pages at Rotary International’s request. With your help, Rotary International can identify additional pages that need reinstatement.
Rotary clubs and districts can complete a form via the following link (on.rotary.org/fbissue) so their Facebook and Instagram pages can be added to Meta’s “allow list” as part of Rotary International’s efforts to resolve the issue.
Please indicate in the form if a page has already been removed by Meta. Page administrators will then receive an email with specific instructions and an official letter from Rotary International to support their restoration efforts.
Vacancies in our Rotary District.
Do you want to be involved further in Rotary, more than you are at present in your own club?
There are positions for you in:
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE (RYE)
Become a member of this exciting committee helping our International and local students with their 12 month exchange.
ROTARY OCEANIA MEDICAL AID FOR CHILDREN (ROMAC).
Our ROMAC chair lives in Tauranga and would like someone in Hamilton to help with liaising as most of ROMAC operations are done at Hamilton hospital.
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