Once Upon An Island Trust

28/05/2026

Dress for the 40th anniversary of the Labyrinth on the 26th June at our very own fantastic Waiheke Community Cinema. We have a 5.00pm session for those who like to go to bed early (or have big Friday night plans) and an 8.00pm session for late night goblins. Ticket price includes 80's cinema treats https://events.humanitix.com/40th-anniversary-screening-of-the-labyrinth

22/04/2026

22/04/2026

Ngā mihi maioha to all those who supported last Sunday’s wonderful Kai for Community Waiheke Food Festival.❤️
We appreciated all of the entries showcasing Waiheke’s abundance and local growing talent – and the the generosity of our judges in each category.

The judges this year were:
Fruit: Steven and Bianca from Once Upon a Farm
Vegetable: John Stansfield from Island Waste Collective
Flowers:Sue Odlin & Robyn Clerk from Waiheke Garden Club
Preserves: Kathy Voyles from WRT
Pumpkins: Eddie Welsh
Thanks to Owhanake Estate for our judges thank you gifts.

ADULT CATEGORY WINNERS
🍎FRUIT : John Stansfield for his Monty Surprise Apple
Prize: Oil gift pack from Allpress
🌽 VEGETABLE :Dafna Kaplan with her enormous spring onions
Prize: Food Voucher from Lily and Lotus Cafe
🍯 PRESERVES:Jan Welsh - Sri Lankan Chutney
Prize:Food Voucher from Lily and Lotus Cafe
🌺 FLOWERS:Mona Chica
Prize: Placemakers voucher from Waiheke Garden Club

CHILD CATEGORY WINNERS:
🥦VEGETABLE : Baxter Welsh - Curly Squash
🌸FLOWER : Ella Welsh & Ruby,Huia, Mala and Tui
🍯 PRESERVES: Charlotte Kerr - Pesto
Prize pack: Voucher from ‘Dragon Fired’, voucher from Island Waste Collective and garden goodies from Sunshine Valley Farm

🍅 LARGEST PUMPKIN
Brooklyn Boughey (9 years)10.9kg plus
Thank you to all the local businesses who supported the days with donations
Allpress, Island Coffee, Owhanake estate, Waiheke Chocolate, Timmy’s Teas, Alembics NZ, Dragon Fired Pizza, Lily and Lotus, Sunshine Nursery and Waiheke Garden Club

Thanks to all our wonderful stallholders who showcased some of the abundance of locally grown seedlings, produce, compost and knowledge that’s on Waiheke Island, as well as neat seaweed products

Ngā mihi nui to the kai karanga, kai korero and hāngī team supreme -Huhana Davies, Maurice Heta, Paora Te Oti Takarangi, Eugene Behan-Kitto,Tessa O’Shea, Michael Grant, Brenton Stockman, Tommy and crew.

Thanks to Kate Evans who traveled all the way from Raglan/Whāingaroa to share her korero about the fruit of the month, feijoa - to Hana Kumagi and the home school children for their workshop and Amanda Sorrenson for facepainting the happy faces of our tamariki.

Where would we be without our volunteers: Puawai Ormsby, Louise Waghorn, Ami Cusack, Vibeke Brethouwer, Zoe Hartley, Yossi & Hadas Ore, Penny Holmes, Helga Meyer, Julie, Peter Forster, Rob Morton, Em King and Sally Howe

The crumbs are still in the corners of our mouths thanks to our bakers: Karla Burgin and Kathy Voyles

🎸Rapturous applause for those who created the sounds track for the day, our musicians Baz Caitcheon, Neal Ghoshal and Peter Forster and to Waiheke Radio for the use of their sound system

🤸🏼‍♂️To our Zero Waste team and ringawera Zoe, Arthur, Finnian and Aurelia - thank you for doing so many dishes

🍐It takes a village, to grow a garden, to feed a village.
Finally ngā mihi nui to Eugene and Tessa for sharing their journey and the mātauranga of kūmara cultivation, both on the day and over the last three years.

As so aptly put by Valia who attended Kai for Community 2026
“Local food, grown and shared locally, is about so much more than eating. Food sovereignty starts right here.”

This event was funded by the Waiheke Local Board and COGS and run by the Once Upon An Island Charitable Trust.

16/04/2026

It's all about the Feijoa this time of year - come and enjoy Kate Evans talk about her book 'Feijoa - a story of obsession and belonging' - Sunday 19th 11am Piritahi Marae - free.

14/04/2026

This Thursday 2 - 4pm (16th April) we'll be making giant painted vegetables. It's a free for everyone. Our creations will be part of the Kai for Community 'Procession of Rongo-mā-tane' this coming Sunday at Piritahi Marae. We'll be at 4 Kororā Rd at the Once Upon An island Trust's Office next to the Artworks carpark or if wet in the Waiheke Adult Learning, Artworks.

15/02/2026

We had a very successful 'storytelling cinema' fundraiser on Friday night at the Waiheke Community Cinema. On behalf of the Once Upon An Island Charitable Trust we'd like to that Waiheke Community Cinema, the WRT -Theresa Grantham, Kathy Voyles Roisin Delany, Pia McNab, Dawn Jeffery, Brent Toy and Karin Mueller for donating spaces, goods and services which made the evening possible. We raised $1000.00 which will go towards the running costs of the Trust.

10/02/2026

We're preparing some delicious seasonal delights straight from the garden for Friday nights fundraising screening of Hamnet. Door open at the Waiheke Community Cinema at 7.30pm for drinks and nibbles, followed by a story surprise and then the screening of the movie. Book your ticket here and support the ongoing story magic https://events.humanitix.com/storytelling-cinema-hamnet-once-upon-an-island-fundriaser

06/02/2026

The Once Upon An Island has been 'stirring the imaginative pot' and creating story magic on Waiheke for 23 years. As an entity it began with the Waiheke Storytelling Festival (2004 -2012) and has continued to make storytelling spaces -like The Story Centre, experiences -such as 'Under the Story Tree' the storytelling and environmental education at Whakānewha and community events such as'Te Ara Kirihimete' for adults and children alike. While we have fundraised for many organisations and causes over the years (Save the Sumatran Tigers, aid relief for Tonga and Fiji, Living Without Violence, Bikes for Humanity to name a few) we've never had a fundraiser for the Trust itself. This Friday 13th Feb we are holding a 'Storyelling Cinema 'event to raise funds to help cover the escalating costs of boring but necessary things like insurance etc. so we can continue with great community projects like the Kai for Community Festival, Spring into Kōanga and some rather exciting mid winter story surprises. We hope that you will consider coming along to support us - tickets are $30 and include some seasonal 'erbal delights, live storytelling and the inaugrual screening of the film 'Hamnet'. If you can't make it - perhaps you'd like to make a donation.
Wishing you much love and laughter and happy ever afters Book here https://events.humanitix.com/storytelling-cinema-hamnet-once-upon-an-island-fundriaser

27/01/2026

Join us for an evening of storytelling cinema - Waiheke's inaugral screeing of the much acclaimed film 'Hamnet'. A fundraiser for the Once Upon An Island Trust. Dress Shakespearean and enjoy seasonal 'erbal' delights. Book here https://events.humanitix.com/storytelling-cinema-hamnet-once-upon-an-island-fundriaser

10/12/2024

These two magical storytellers will be gracing Santa's Story Stage at The Heart of Christmas next Saturday the 14th of December!

Would it even be Christmas without Tanya Batt and Pete Forster from Once Upon An Island Trust?! We're so lucky and excited to invite you all to be at the theatre at 2pm for an enchanting story stage - all completely FREE!