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Mowers that roar, bats that soar, and all the school holiday events! 🏎️🦇🎨
Published 21 days ago • 8 min read
Hello, my dear Frankies!
Okay, so Franklin has really outdone itself this week.
I mean, where else can you go from cheering on actual lawnmowers racing around a track at 90 km/hr (?!) to sneaking around in the dark trying to spot bats flapping through the night sky? Only here, my friends. Only here.
It’s basically “Fast & Furious: Suburban Edition” by day and “Batman but Franklin-style” by night. And honestly, why not? Life’s too short to pretend lawnmower racing isn’t the most chaotic, wholesome fun you’ll ever see. And as for the bats - they’re basically the coolest neighbours we’ve got (sorry, Karen from across the street).
So buckle up (do suped-up lawnmowers have belts?!) because this week’s newsletter is equal parts speed, squeaks, and as always - a whole lot of Franklin charm ♥
R. and the Frankie team xx
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🌱 Frankie’s Guide to Lawnmower Racing!
Franklin, get ready! The lawnmowers are back and they’re louder, faster, and cuter (am I allowed to say that?!) than ever! The Counties Lawnmower Racing Club fires up its new season Sunday 28 September at the Franklin Showgrounds. Gates open at 9 am, racing kicks off at 10 am, and trust us - this isn’t your average backyard mow. We talked to Counties Lawnmowing Club to put together the ultimate guide to help you enjoy Franklin's most unique motorsport!
🏁 The Big Picture
Counties lawnmower racing first sputtered into life in 2020, during the first COVID lockdown. What started as five members tinkering in sheds has now grown into a buzzing club of over 20 racers (plus a couple of mates who come along just to help out).
Franklin - and the whole Auckland region, really - is the perfect backdrop. With such a wide mix of people, the stands are just as entertaining as the track.
👨👩👧👦 The People
So, who should you cheer for this season? Trick question - all of them. As the club told us, “All of our members are legends and great competitors! And the racing is always very close.”
The vibe? A mix of “serious motorsport” and “family day out.” Sure, things get a little heated when clubs from around the country visit, but it’s still just a day out with friends, family...and petrol fumes.
And there's always so many memorable moments! Picture this: a racer runs out of petrol mid-race and ends up pushing their mower across the finish line. That actually happened to Rose from the Counties club! Now that’s commitment.
🔧 The Mowers
Here’s where it gets pretty wild: these machines can hit speeds of 60-90 km/hr. The only rule? "It still needs to look like a lawnmower!”
Most racers build their own machines in their sheds, proving you don’t need a racecar factory to be part of the action. In fact, this is probably one of the coolest parts of this motorsport! It's pretty inexpensive to take part in this sport, which makes it super accessible to way more people. It's also awesome to see the love and passion put into these machines by the drivers!
🌭 The Experience
Spectators can expect plenty of entertainment (food trucks included 🍔) and a close-up look at the mowers. The organisers and members encourage you to wander the pits, chat with the racers, and peek under the hoods.
Oh, and it’s completely free to watch. Later in the season, the club hopes to run a special “Have a Go Day”, so if you’ve got a need for speed (and a spare mower in the shed), keep your eyes peeled.
🚀 Getting Involved
Want in? Start by joining Counties Lawnmowing Club on Facebook. There are junior categories (the youngest racer is just 10!) and even whole families who compete together, so if you want to make it a family affair, even better!
At its heart, mower racing is about friendships, fun, and a little bit of adrenaline. As one member put it “It’s a family environment - and a fast-growing motorsport here in NZ.”
📍 Race Day Details
When: Sunday 28 September
Where: Franklin Showgrounds
Time: Gates 9 am, Racing 10 am
Cost: Free to watch
Extras: Food trucks on site, and a guaranteed good yarn for Monday morning!
So whether you’re in it for the speed, the snacks, or just the novelty of watching someone push their mower across the finish line - Franklin’s lawnmower racing season is not to be missed.
✨ Pukekohe Diwali Celebration - Pencil it in your diaries now! Saturday, 18th October, from 4 pm to 9 pm, is going to be an absolute joy of celebration with the Pukekohe Indian Association! Food stalls, live performances, kids crafts, Live DJ, fashion shows and lots of games and giveaways! Follow along for more!
☕ Have you read Coffee News this week? - Pick up a copy in your favourite café or scan the QR code to read on your device
👉 Want a featured note on the notice board? - Simply book your feature here, or just send us a quick email and we'll help you out!
Little brainteasers
ramenwwol
Unscramble the letters above to find the Franklin-related phrase! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!
🌙✨ Secret Night Flyers of Franklin
Shhh… have you ever looked up at the gorgeous night sky and wondered who else might be awake? Turns out, we’ve got some very special neighbours - the pekapeka (long-tailed bats)! They’re tiny, mysterious, and critically threatened. Yet, against all odds, still swooping above our backyards, farms, and riverbanks like little superheroes of the dark ♥
But, these aren’t the spooky bats of Halloween stories - they’re our very own taonga species, found nowhere else in the world. But now is the time that they need a little help from their human friends! Hayley and Natasha from Finding Franklin Bats gave us the low-down on these cute little guys!
🦇 Why Franklin Needs Its Night Flyers
Every evening, our pekapeka head out for the ultimate insect feast. They’re natural pest controllers, crop protectors, and forest guardians, which help give us healthier crops and stronger native forests. Plus, they’re uniquely ours - a taonga species found only in Aotearoa. (And did I mention, they're so cute?!)
⚠️ The Challenges They Face
Franklin has a really unique landscape, and unfortunately for the pekapeka, life isn’t easy when your home is a patchwork of bush pockets split by roads, houses, and streetlights. “One of the biggest things we notice,” Natasha and Hayley say, “is how fragmented the landscape is here. That makes it harder for pekapeka to move safely from place to place.”
Our pekapeka need old hollow trees for roosting (they've commonly been found in pines, macrocarpa and gum trees!) and they need safe “bat highways” like treelines and waterways to travel. Add predators (yep, even rats and mice), roaming cats, and bright lights - and it’s clear our little night flyers need some big friends.
🌙 The Bat Detectives of Franklin
Enter Finding Franklin’s Bats. It all began when Auckland Council’s Ben Paris (aka NZBatman) reached out during COVID, to get someone to help with bat surveying in the Franklin area. With help from Whakaupoko Landcare Trust and Predator Free Franklin, and plenty of training and community meetings, the first surveys began in 2022 alongside local landowners.
And Finding Franklin Bats is continuing the work long-term! With acoustic monitors, laptops, and plenty of late nights, they’re mapping out where our pekapeka live, how they move, and what we can do to help. What started as a couple of surveys in 2022 has become a community quest - part science, part treasure hunt, and 100% magic.
And the real magic moment? “Just seeing people’s faces light up when they spot their first bats,” Natasha smiles. “It never gets old.”
💡 How to Be a Bat Buddy
As Hayley and Natasha told us, looking after our pekapeka starts at home:
Keep cats indoors at night.
Do some backyard predator control (yes, even rats and mice).
Switch to low-lumen bat-friendly outdoor lights.
Plant lots of insect-friendly flowers and join native planting projects.
🦇 Want to dive in deeper?
Join a Pekapeka Acoustic Monitoring Wānanga workshop this weekend in Waiuku (Sat & Sun, 10.30 AM - 12.30 PM). You’ll learn how to detect bats in your own backyard - just bring a laptop and an open sense of wonder. Sign up now and they'll send you everything you need to know!
🪁 Play with Kites Waiuku Library, 10.30–11.30am School holiday fun! Come and make a kite with Deb. More info!
🍸 Cocktail Happy Hour Little Ed, 6–7pm All your favourites, just a little bit cheaper!
❓ Quiz Trivia Nights Blue Ox Babe, 7pm Get your thinking caps on for a fun night of trivia every Thursday. Book here!
Friday
🎨 Sticker Making Waiuku Library, 3.30–4.30pm School holiday activity: design and create your very own stickers. More info!
🎨 Mood Painting Drop-In Franklin Arts Centre, 10.30am–1pm Play with colours, reflect on your mood, and journal on the back of your artwork. Take your painting home! Check it out!
🎤 Family Quiz Night Rise & Shine Café, from 5pm A fun-filled evening of trivia, laughter, and great food. Book your spot!
🎶 Ease into the Weekend Little Ed Pukekohe, from 7pm Chilled Friday vibes with tunes from @npeezy_.
🎶 LOOP Live The Longkeeper, 9pm till late Epic live music with LOOP, plus food, drinks, and a buzzing crowd. Book your table early!
🦇 Pekapeka Acoustic Monitoring Wānanga Waiuku, 10.30am–12.30pm Learn to detect pekapeka/bats in your backyard. Sessions Sat & Sun.
🛠️ Waiuku Repair Café 5 Hosking Place, 10am–1pm Bring broken items for free repairs (koha appreciated). Clothes, toys, small furniture, electronics & more.
🎲 D&D One Shot Otakumart, Pukekohe, 2.30pm No experience needed — jump into a one-shot campaign. $15 entry. Follow along
🥤 Mocktail Hour Appetite, 3–5pm Every day of the school holidays — classics like the Traffic Light!
🚲 Bike Social & Coffee Your Local Coffee Roasters, 10am Meet bike buddies, plan rides, and enjoy coffee with community. @bike_pukekohe
🥖 Sourdough Workshop Your Local Bakery, 11am–3pm Learn sourdough from scratch with Ria. Includes starter, flours, banneton & more. Register now!
🎶 Bunch of Fives The Kentish, 9pm Rock & pop covers from The Clash to Billie Eilish. Free entry.
🎶 DJ Night Little Ed Pukekohe, from 9pm @dj_sai_funkin on the decks with house heat and mashup bangers.
Sunday
🌿 Franklin Market Pukekohe Park Raceway, 8am UpMarket vibes with fresh produce, crafts, antiques, food trucks & live music. Event link
🛍️ Waiuku Sunday Market 9 Kitchener Rd, Waiuku, 8am–1pm Family-friendly market with artisan stalls, music, food, and community vibes.
🔫 Operation Delta Force: Drug Wars West Coast Airsoft Rangers, Otaua, 8.30am–3pm Milsim airsoft event — hire equipment available. Event link
🧘 Messages & Meditation Hilltop Haven, Waiuku, 1–3pm Medium Mary Judd brings spirit messages plus meditation. $70, limited spaces.
🍕 Italian Long Table Lunch Pizzata, Pukekohe, 12–3pm Pizza feast, limoncello cake & community vibes. $45, supporting Franklin Hospice. Book here
monday
❓ Monday Quiz Night Appetite, 7pm A classic night of quiz fun!
🎲 Board Game Evening Otakumart, from 6pm Bring your favourites or try new ones from the collection. Free entry.
Tuesday
🎨 Painting Club Franklin Arts Centre, 6–8pm Bring your project and enjoy 2 hours of focused painting time. Check it out!
🏃 TRIBE Run Club Waiuku, 6pm 3km community run/walk. Fun vibes, zero pressure, everyone welcome! Follow here!
🍕 Kids Pizza Class Pizzata, Pukekohe, 2–3.30pm Hands-on pizza making plus treats. More info here!
🏉 School Holiday Touch Waiuku Library, 10am–12pm Play touch rugby in Kevan Lawrence Park with the Community Space team. More info!
🪨 Play with Clay Pukekohe Library, 10.30–11.30am Create with clay and take your masterpiece home. More info!
🎨 Spring Rock Painting Franklin Arts Centre, 10.30am–1pm Drop-in holiday activity — paint your favourite flowers on rocks. Check it out!
Wednesday
😂 Comedy Quiz Night The Village Bar, Patumahoe, 7pm Hosted by Crack-Up Quiz Nights, free entry. Call 09 236 3571 to book.
🧵 Play with Fibre Franklin Arts Centre, 10.30am–1pm Drop-in to try spinning wool with Julie & Jess. Check it out!
🎨 Sticker Making Pukekohe Library, 3.30pm Make your own cool sticker designs. More info!
🖌️ Personalised Bottles & Cups Waiuku Library, 10am–12pm Decorate your own bottle or cup to keep. More info!
🎡 School Holidays in the Square Pukekohe Town Square, all day Free fun with bouncy castles, face painting, magic, police & St John activations, circus tricks & more.
🎨 Face Painting Fun Pukekohe Plaza, 11am–2pm Kids transformed with colourful face & body art by T.L.C Painting.
Word Scramble answer: Lawnmower!
And that's all this week Frankies!
p.s. If someone awesome sent you this email and you want to subscribe yourself, sign up here 👉 dearfrankie.co.nz
"Think Waiuku + surrounds are boring? You haven't signed up for Dear Frankie yet!"
Find out what's going on in town this week - the fun way! 💥
*NEW FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER!* Covering Franklin's community gatherings, gigs and events, job postings, digital farmers market, weekend getaways, local stories and more...all delivered straight to your inbox for free! New editions every Thursday at 9:16 am. Subscribe free! 👇
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