It says something about those charged with finding a solution to Tauranga's tsunami problems that a high school student may have beaten them to the punch.

The annual "pink walk" has become part of Tauranga's calendar over the past decade, turning The Strand bright pink each October as thousands of women walk to raise money for Tauranga Breast Cancer Support Service.

When life as a single mum who also works full-time gets a bit much, and it sure does at times, I like to dream a little.

As far as U-turns go, it was pretty impressive. Bowing to public pressure, Mayor Stuart Crosby used this week's mayoral candidates' forum to announce a reversal of the council's unpopular decision to hike parking charges to $3 an hour.

It's not surprising Buddy Mikaere sparked an outpouring of opinion when he vented his frustration over an aggressive pram-pusher on the Mount base track.

A new study shows retirees who rely on the pension as their sole source of income are scraping by at the bottom of the economic ladder.

"Happy Daddy's Day," beamed the best present a father could ever hope for, "what are We going to do today, Dad?"

Move over Mongrel Mob, there is a new gang in town - destructive, barbaric, unwilling to listen to those who know better, devoid of aesthetics, hell bent on devaluing what has taken years to build.

I woke up this week into a world where twerking is a real word. Twerking. I bet that plays havoc with the spell check.

The election signs fiasco has been a confusing mess for the past couple of weeks.

Network meetings and real recommendations from people who know what you can do are the best way to connect in business, there's no denying that.

Developer Bain McDonald's recommendation that a Mount Maunganui carpark be transformed into an open space for the public ticks a number of boxes.

Tougher penalties are needed to curb the rising number of protection orders being breached across the country.

The day one's child is born is a precious memory however they come into the world, but the place of birth is paramount for mums to be, particularly first-time mums.

And now White Island is getting restless. It's all a bit disconcerting, isn't it? It's as though the whole country is having a wee stretch.

Local body elections are upon us, but it seems Tauranga council doesn't want us to know who is standing.

Not many people would be willing to show the level of forgiveness displayed by Tauranga shop owner Faruck Khan.