TREASURE TROVE
Buffie Mawhinney has a knack for turning trash into treasure. The talented West Auckland mum (45) has spent a lifetime giving discarded material a second purpose.
Her skill and flare, which she puts to good use as the sustainability co-ordinator at the Ranui Community Centre, has also seen her scoop multiple awards at the New Zealand Flower and Garden Show.
And this year was no different. Her entry, called Funk Up My Junk, won silver at the prestigious competition.
“I was pleased with silver, but a bit disappointed I didn’t get another gold,” she tells.
“But I suppose if you get too many golds you get a bit blasé.”
Based on the classic Kiwi kids’ tale The Adventures of Hutu and Kawa, Buffie used recycled fabric to make an environmental statement about the amount of textiles that end up in landfill. She crafted flourishing bird life from used materials and turned upcycled copper wire into insects including wetas, spiders, centipedes and dragonflies.
She even recycled wood from an old exhibit to construct giant frames, replicating those at scenic spots in Auckland regional parks where visitors pose and take photos.
While she couldn’t quite match her golden run, Buffie is thrilled her mother Chris (63) did. With a focus on water conservation and reusing plastic, her environmentally conscious mum won the admiration of judges for the simplicity of her solutions coupled with stunning planting.
“This year she decided to go in alone and she got a gold and the supreme sustainability award as well, so I’m very, very proud of her!”
While Buffie is allowing herself to breathe a sigh of relief now, after seeing 12 months and countless hours of work come to fruition, there’s no doubt she’s already planning for next year’s entry.