A special Oakridge icon

Residents at Oakridge Villas in Kerikeri are enjoying a beautiful, new sculpture and a water feature in their village grounds thanks to a former resident.

Henk Kuiper, Chair of the Resident Committee, said the new sculpture is special for two reasons.

“The sculpture was purchased with a small bequest to the village from a former resident who wanted to acknowledge the village’s community and the social wraparound that meant so much to her when she lived with us.

“It’s also the work of a local artist, Jaqui George who moved to Kerikeri in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes. The loss of her home prompted her and her husband to move north and start her craft as a professional sculptor.”

Caryl Green, Mavis Graham, and Ken Marchant of the Residents’ Committee oversaw the selection, design and placement of the sculpture and the water feature that was installed with the help of resident Charlie Devine.

“The water feature brings a beautiful ‘peace and quiet’ movement to the garden,” says Henk.