Have you ever wondered what the Tauranga Land Search and Rescue volunteer team does?

Then why not check out an Information Open day at the Te Puna Quarry Park pavilion.

Search and Rescue volunteers scour shorelines and dense bush to help look for a missing person. File photo.

'Each year we carry out around 18 life-saving search operations around the Western Bay of Plenty,” says Tauranga Land Search and Rescues Grant Nordick.

'We also do other community search related events. Besides undertaking the initial shoreline search around the base of Mt Maunganui the day young Jack Dixon went missing last October, we spent about 500 additional hours looking for young Jack's body over the first few weeks following his disappearance.”

Grant is looking for more volunteers to help continue the fantastic work.

Tauranga LandSAR is your local volunteer group supporting the Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre with land-based search and rescue expertise.

Volunteers operate in suburban, wilderness and rural areas including regional and forest parks, off-shore islands and our along coastline.

Grant says as long as you are over 18, and have an interest in giving back to the community, then LandSAR could be for you.

'Outdoor experience is preferable, so they are comfortable in wilderness as often our searches take place at night too,” says Grant. 'But age isn't a category – we have members who have reached mandatory retirement at 70, where they can no longer go out in the field. '

Today, Tauranga LandSAR is having an Information Open Day at Te Puna Quarry Park Pavilion (rain or shine) to attract new members for the volunteer organisation, from 9am to 3pm.

'It's a chance for people who have an interest and want to give back to community to find out what we're about, learn about the equipment and see what they are getting themselves into,” says Grant.

See what else is happening in and around Tauranga below:

Saturday 19 September

Alcoholics Anonymous

Women's meeting at St Andrews, Dee St 10-11am, children welcome. 0800 229 6757

Bayfair Night Market

Arts, crafts, jewellery, fresh produce, food stalls & more. Bayfair Shopping Centre, cnr Maunganui Rd & Girven Rd, Mt Maunganui 6-11pm. Free entry. 022 588 2282 or email: [email protected]

Books Wanted

For Tauranga Harbour City Lions November Book Sale. CDs, DVDs & Jigsaws also wanted. Drop off points: Living Quarters, Bethlehem Town Centre; Payless Plastics, 414 Cameron Rd; Liquor King 140 Otumoetai Rd, Brookfield. 576 7105

BOP Taekwondo Open Tournament

Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre 9am. Come & watch some of the best martial arts competitors in action.

Car Boot Sale

Greerton Village School, Greerton Road 7.30-11.30am. Cost $5 per site. Shirley/Keith 577 1116 or 0274 146 040

Floral Art Group Tauranga

Meet at Baptist Hall cnr 13th Ave/Cameron Rd 9.30-11.30am. Visitors & new members welcome. Ruth 543 2157

Great NZ Outdoor & Leisure Show.

Sept 19-20 See www.bayvenues.co.nz for more details.

Ha Derech/The Way Messianic Kehilat

Now at Hillier Centre, Bayfair Shabbat/Saturday 10am. A one new man community & welcome all seekers of the truth. 544 7424 or 021 0226 3515

Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help Class.

Learn an easy way to improve & maintain your well-being. Sept 19-20 at 09:30-16:30 Constables gallery, Te Puke. Maggie 571 5506 www.sacredjourneys.co.nz

Katikati Theatre Present ‘Dr Joe'

Katikati Primary School Hall. Oct 3-10 7.30pm. Tickets from Katikopy & Print

Let's Dance Ballroom & Latin Dance Club

Second Sat of month at Bethlehem Hall 7-10.30pm. Live dance tempo music. Bruce 576 5598

Monster Garage Sale

Tauranga Fish & Drive Club, 60 Cross Rd, Sulphur Pt 10am – 2pm. To book a stall email: [email protected]

Sailing (IOM) International

One Meter Radio Controlled Yachts - The fastest growing sailing class of today. Come for a sail & get hooked. Every Sat & Weds at Landing Drive, The Lakes 1-4pm. Pat 0274 731 765

Tauranga BMX Club

Open day on Cambridge Rd 10.30am. Wear long pans, long sleeve shirt & bike helmet. Some bikes available to have a go on. FB Tauranga BMX Club.

Tauranga City United

Vs Ngarawahia at Links Ave. 12.30pm kick off.

Tauranga Farmers Market

Fresh & artisian produced food. Tauranga Primary School cnr 5th Ave & Cameron Rd every Sat 7.45am - 12pm. Trixie 552 5278 or www.taurangafarmersmarket.co.nz

Tauranga Indoor Radio Control Cars

Race day at Greerton Hall, Cameron Rd from 1.30pm. Track set up from 10am. Practice starting approx. 12.30pm.

Tauranga Woodcrafters Guild

Every third Sat at club rooms, 3 Cherokee Place, Mt Maunganui 1pm. Visitors & interested people welcome. Doug 573 8399 [email protected]

Te Puke Baptist Church

Annual fair & fun run Oct 17 from 9am. Runners check in 8.30. Fun & food for all ages & great bargains. 573 9042 www.tpbc.org.nz

Te Puke Scottish Soc Dance

Colourful night 7.30pm onwards. Old time & sequence dancing with good company & great supper. Te Puke Memorial Hall, Jellicoe St. Entrance $7. Valerie 573 7093

The Freedom Diaries

Sept 26 Mark & Miriam Holloway, authors of NZ's Number 1 best selling Christian book explain how they discovered by accident & at the worst time of their lives, how to have a back & forward conversation with God. Bethlehem Primary School Hall, Carmichael Rd. 7 - 9pm Free event, koha only.

The Navy Band

Holy Trinity Church 7.30pm.

Village Radio

Community radio broadcasting from Tauranga Historic Village 1368 kHz AM. Music of 1920's - 80's weekends 9am - 5pm, weekdays 10am - 5pm. Specialty programmes. www.villageradio.co.nz or 571 3710