Images of the 1928 American-built schooner Nina, currently missing at sea with the Dyche family and other crew on board. Photos by Stephen Western when Nina won the Tall Ships race off Russell in 2012, and by Michael Cunningham when Nina spent Christmas at Whangarei's Town Basin. Nina left Opua on May 29 but has not been seen since June 4.
More than 40 volunteers turned out for a community planting day along the banks of Kerikeri's Wairoa Stream on June 23, the start of a grand plan by Living Waters Bay of Islands to restore all 12km of waterway from Mt Pokaka to Kororipo Pa near the Stone Store. The volunteers took just two hours to plant 1800 trees and shrubs along 500m of stream either side of the Cobham Rd bridge. The 55 species planted include kowhai, kauri, kawakawa, five-finger, cabbage trees, kohekohe, rewarewa and titoki, with flaxes and ferns along the flood-prone stream edges. Rod Brown, of Vision Kerikeri, said next year the volunteers would clear weeds and re-plant another 350m where the stream skirted the Mill Lane industrial area. Sympathetic landowners had already planted more than 1km of stream banks further upstream. The hope was to eventually restore the entire stream and create a 12km-long wildlife corridor. Ngati Rehia kaumatua Te Huranga Hohaia said 200 years ago the stream was a pathway between the fertile kumara-growing areas inland at Waimate and Kororipo Pa, which served as a ''bus stop'' for warriors preparing for battle. The seedlings were grown by the Shadehouse volunteers and Kerikeri Plant Production. The planting day also featured live music, kai and coffee.
More than 170 children from 11 schools around the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa competed in cross-country races on June 25. The 2.4km course around Kapiro Station, on the way to Takou Bay, included an uphill slog, a gully and heaps of mud to challenge the kids.
Falesiu Fotu is the toast of Okaihau after she won a fun day for the town's primary school and a chance for the kids to meet All Black Cory Jane. Mrs Fotu, a member of the town's thriving Tongan community, won a Sanitarium competition through New World in Kaikohe entitling the school of her choice to a day of activities, games and healthy kai. She chose Okaihau Primary, which five of her now grown-up children attended. The school's 125 kids spent Wednesday competing in tugs-of-war, horizontal bungee, a rugby-themed bouncy castle challenge and Sing Star. As well as a bit of mutual teasing, Cory Jane joined in the tug-of-war - he blamed his teams' losses on recent knee surgery - and had his photo taken with every child. "As soon as I turned up the kids were energetic and willing to have a bit of fun," he said. The All Black winger was keen to come back to the Far North after an enjoyable visit to Kerikeri High School last year. The fun day doubled as a fundraiser to help the school buy a class set of 30 HP computer tablets. Sanitarium donated three tablets on Wednesday, as well as signed All Black clothing for a fundraising raffle. The competition won by Mrs Fotu was open to anyone who bought Weetbix or Up&Go.
School kids, rugby players, firefighters, even butchers flexed their muscles on Sunday in the annual Puff and Pull Carnival, a contest to see who can pull the vintage locomotive Gabriel the length of Kawakawa’s main street in the shortest time. This year the schools’ trophy went to Kawakawa Primary – beating defending champs Bay of Islands College by a fraction of a second – while the community trophy was retained by the Taniwha, Northland’s rugby team.
Springbank School’s Students Against Drink-Driving (Sadd) staged a mock car crash at the school’s Kerikeri grounds last Friday to highlight the dangers of combining alcohol and driving. Police, a make-up artist with litres of fake blood, and volunteers from Kerikeri Fire Brigade and St John Ambulance took part in the demonstration. The scenario was a head-on crash resulting in one death and multiple injuries; firefighters had to cut the roof from one car to allow the patients to be removed.
Two waka hourua (double-hulled ocean-going canoes) have returned home to Northland after an epic, ten-month journey to Rapanui (Easter Island) and back. The journey was a long-held dream of master waka-builder Hekenukumai Busby, whose vessels have now sailed all three sides of the Polynesian Triangle linking Aotearoa, Hawaii and Rapanui.
Claimants, Crown representatives and Waitangi Tribunal members explored the eastern Bay of Islands by boat on Monday to see first-hand the places being discussed in this week's Northland Inquiry hearings. The site visit by more than 150 people on board the Fullers' vessel Dolphin Seeker was followed by formal welcomes at the three main marae of the Rawhiti Peninsula - Te Rawhiti, Waikare and Karetu.
Northland was once again invaded by guitars, cowboy hats and line-dancing squads for the 24th Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival held in Paihia, Russell and Haruru Falls over the weekend. Headline acts this year included Kiwi country crooners Eddie Low and Dennis Marsh, and Texan country diva Gloria River, but 89-year-old dancing gran Fran Craig of Helensville almost stole the show during Marsh's Saturday night gig at the Paihia Pacific. Festival organiser Shirley May put the turnout at 1700, slightly higher than last year.
The patrons of a Bay of Islands pub have decided to take Movember a step further by starting their own fundraising month for prostate cancer - Mohawkvember. The publican of Opua's Roadrunner Tavern, Mike Baas, and five of his regulars kicked off the initiative by getting their heads shaved except for a strip down the middle. One patron, who did not have enough hair to muster a mohawk, sacrificed part of his beard instead. Mr Baas said the fundraiser was inspired by the death three months ago of his father, the Dutch-born Opua identity and publican Basil Baas, due to prostate-related cancer. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
It's unlikely any other wreck in New Zealand has been photographed as often as the old truck that used to perch on a decaying jetty over the Hokianga Harbour at Kohukohu. It's also a pretty safe bet to say it's the only truck wreck to inspire an art exhibition. Slice of Life: Stories about Kohukohu's Truck opened at Village Arts Gallery in Kohukohu on Saturday with a collection of paintings, photographs, automotive relics, recorded interviews of Hokianga residents reminiscing about the truck, and even a few rusting remains. The 1938 International D-35 started life as a troop transporter in World War II. After the war garage owner Gordon Richmond converted it into a coal truck; when its wooden cab frame rotted, Vic Gurney - owner of Gurney's garage on the Kohukohu waterfront, in what used to be Fell's Boatyard and later Fell's Garage - replaced the cab with that of a Bedford truck whose chassis was wrecked in a crash. However, he never finished the project and the truck was left behind when the garage closed down. Over the years parts of the garage which were not dismantled were stolen or simply fell into the tide, and the truck was left exposed to the elements. Some residents considered it an eyesore but others loved it, regarding it as an ever-evolving public artwork. It became a tourist icon and was perhaps the most photographed sight in the Hokianga. It was removed by the site's lease holder in 2007 in circumstances which are disputed to this day. The show is curated by Marg Morrow, who had invited anyone with memories of the truck to contribute. It runs until May 30.
Northland orca expert and Whale-Rescue.org member Ingrid Visser has helped rescue a fur seal with a plastic strap stuck around its neck. The rescue unfolded at Punta Norte on Argentina's Peninsula Valdés, where Dr Visser had been studying orca which deliberately beach themselves to prey on seals. The strap had already cut deep into the seal's neck and would eventually have proved fatal.
Thousands of people paused to remember the country's war dead in Anzac Day ceremonies across New Zealand yesterday. Huge numbers of people attended commemoration services throughout Northland, including more than 5000 at the dawn ceremony in Whangarei's Laurie Hall Park. The ceremony started with a march from the RSA clubrooms in Rust Ave to the park and its Field of Remembrance with more than 500 crosses to remember the district's war dead. A feature of the dawn service was the number of young people there to honour those who died fighting for their country. Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went along to remember them, too.
When the sun's out there are few things more entertaining for the kids (and the adults with them) than a Northland school gala day. And on Saturday Maunu Primary School took its turn to hold a spectacular event. As well as the hundreds of kids, parents, school staff, entertainers and stall holders, Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham went along to get some gala day action shots.
Doubtless Bay bade farewell to summer on Saturday with the Mangonui Waterfront Festival, a celebration of all things Far North from wine and food to music, art and shows of strength. Local bands entertained while the crowds tucked into Thai, South African, Mexican and Kiwi treats; on the boardwalk, testosterone-charged festival-goers flexed their muscles in the tug of war, and on the water the Kerikeri Cowboys cleaned up in the paddleboard relay race. One of the festival's surprises was seeing Mayor Wayne Brown display hitherto unknown musical talent in the Hangi Stones, Mangonui's ukulele ensemble. Last year's inaugural festival drew 2000 people and proved such a success Doubtless Bay Promotions resolved to make it an annual event.