Rural West Whangarei, Maungakaramea

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1373 days ago

What do you think: Orca researchers based in Tutukaka make world-first discoveries

Denise Piper Reporter from Whangārei Leader

A study done by Tutukaka-based Orca Research Trust documents a number of world firsts about orca, including the longest amount of time a barnacle has hitchiked a ride on a whale. It is hoped the research will help paint a clearer picture of the lives of open ocean orca, which rarely enter New … View moreA study done by Tutukaka-based Orca Research Trust documents a number of world firsts about orca, including the longest amount of time a barnacle has hitchiked a ride on a whale. It is hoped the research will help paint a clearer picture of the lives of open ocean orca, which rarely enter New Zealand waters. What do you think of the study and the local researchers?

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1373 days ago

Temporary daytime detour for part of the Hatea Loop

The Team from Whangarei District Council

Temporary Diversion: Hatea Loop Walkway 🚶
8am - 4pm Monday to Friday, 15 February - 12 March
A temporary diversion (green line) has been set up to keep people away from the week-day piling work at the New Town Basin Park.

The usual path (blue line) will be open after hours and during the … View more
Temporary Diversion: Hatea Loop Walkway 🚶
8am - 4pm Monday to Friday, 15 February - 12 March
A temporary diversion (green line) has been set up to keep people away from the week-day piling work at the New Town Basin Park.

The usual path (blue line) will be open after hours and during the weekends.

Apologies for the inconvenience, take care, follow the detour signs and enjoy those extra steps.

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1373 days ago

A LEAKY Loo...

Alison Neighbourly Lead from Kamo

I just want to give a "Shout Out" to MD Robinson Plumbing. Mike and his team are amazing! We had a leaky loo which was getting steadily worse. If you have tried to get a plumber lately - you will know you need to WAIT! Mike sent two wonderful young men here yesterday with two NEW loos… View moreI just want to give a "Shout Out" to MD Robinson Plumbing. Mike and his team are amazing! We had a leaky loo which was getting steadily worse. If you have tried to get a plumber lately - you will know you need to WAIT! Mike sent two wonderful young men here yesterday with two NEW loos - Job done! Plus they even cleaned up after themselves. It really is GREAT when you receive wonderful service!! Before (left) and after images attached. Mike can be contacted on 021 941093

1373 days ago

Did you see any tidal surges this morning?

Denise Piper Reporter from Whangārei Leader

Following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake near New Caledonia early Thursday morning, Northlanders have been warned to watch out for tidal surges and strong rip currents in the sea - although coastal inundation is not expected. Did you see anything unusual this morning? Send photos or videos to … View moreFollowing a 7.7 magnitude earthquake near New Caledonia early Thursday morning, Northlanders have been warned to watch out for tidal surges and strong rip currents in the sea - although coastal inundation is not expected. Did you see anything unusual this morning? Send photos or videos to denise.piper@stuff.co.nz

1373 days ago

Have you got New Zealand's best shed?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

We have been bowled over by the amazing entries to the Resene Shed of the Year 2021 competition. There's still time though, to submit yours. Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever storage spaces, cute chicken coops and potty potting sheds. The winner … View moreWe have been bowled over by the amazing entries to the Resene Shed of the Year 2021 competition. There's still time though, to submit yours. Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever storage spaces, cute chicken coops and potty potting sheds. The winner receives $3000 worth of gardening gear and the runner-up receives $1075 worth of prizes.

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1374 days ago

swimming pool - water loss

Peter from Kamo

We are under the impression that our swimming pool is losing water at an ever increasing rate.
The pool is indoors, and has a hard shell cover on at all times except when being used.
The water level is going down at a rate of 35mm in 20-25 days, or ~1.4mm daily. That is 1.8 cubic meters of water… View more
We are under the impression that our swimming pool is losing water at an ever increasing rate.
The pool is indoors, and has a hard shell cover on at all times except when being used.
The water level is going down at a rate of 35mm in 20-25 days, or ~1.4mm daily. That is 1.8 cubic meters of water in 3 weeks! (or 1800 litres if you want). I am just not sure if this is an acceptable rate. We seem to think that initially, when we first filled it and started using it 18 months ago, it lost water at a much slower rate.


Any informed opinions? Thanks in advance, -P.

1375 days ago

Join Lucia on the Youth Advisory Group

The Team from Whangarei District Council

“It was so cold! We camped with just a thin foam mat, the tent floor, then snow, on Ruapehu. But I like being outdoors, I think the environment is such an important part of our future, especially for young people. The school strike for climate change was pretty cool, I guess it does make a big … View more“It was so cold! We camped with just a thin foam mat, the tent floor, then snow, on Ruapehu. But I like being outdoors, I think the environment is such an important part of our future, especially for young people. The school strike for climate change was pretty cool, I guess it does make a big difference when all the kids in NZ kind of stop and go, “hey.” Joining the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) is my way to take action and do something about climate change.. YAG has opened my mind up to society and systems, which is really cool because as a kid you don’t get taught a lot about that and it just makes your perspective that little bit wider about how things actually work.”

Want to join Lucia and make a difference, or know someone who could? Applications to join the Youth Advisory Group close on Sunday 14 Feb.
www.wdc.govt.nz...

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1374 days ago

Whangarei Wednesday Market

Janet from Rural West Whangarei

I said rain, hail or sunshine, but seems the green grass paddock we assemble on can not be used on wet days !

1374 days ago

Resilience for Older Adults free workshop

The Team from Whangarei District Council

A mindfulness and wellbeing session designed to learn strategies and practical solutions to help manage challenges in life.

Two time options on Thursday 18 February:
🕘 9:30am - 11:30am
🕐 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Please register for this free event by contacting Claire Wilson on (09) 430 4200

This … View more
A mindfulness and wellbeing session designed to learn strategies and practical solutions to help manage challenges in life.

Two time options on Thursday 18 February:
🕘 9:30am - 11:30am
🕐 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Please register for this free event by contacting Claire Wilson on (09) 430 4200

This free event is run by our Positive Ageing Advisory Group in tandem with Anglican Care, funded by Whangarei District Council.

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1376 days ago

Kayaks Found

Alison Neighbourly Lead from Kamo

Hey all, there was an incident this morning, with 2 people getting tipped out of their kayak this morning in the Whangarei Harbour. The tug boat rescued them, but was unable to retrieve their kayak. The vessel in the pic with the tractor picked up their kayak, returned to Reotahi Beach, then headed… View moreHey all, there was an incident this morning, with 2 people getting tipped out of their kayak this morning in the Whangarei Harbour. The tug boat rescued them, but was unable to retrieve their kayak. The vessel in the pic with the tractor picked up their kayak, returned to Reotahi Beach, then headed up Beach Road. If this is your vessel or if anyone knows the owner of this vessel to please contact Brian at Northport on 094325018 and he will put you in contact with the owners. Thanks in advance. Picture is from Northport camera’s.

Plus - ONE more MESSAGE - BE CAREFUL out there around boats and swimmers etc. They are just trying to have some safe FUN - Just like you are!

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1380 days ago

Join our Positive Ageing Advisory Group

The Team from Whangarei District Council

"You have to listen, listen and you learn a lot. Just like kids need to read to succeed, we need to listen. I'm interested in health and fitness now: it's so important as we get older to look after our physical and our mental well-being. Life is what you make it! If you’re 65+ you … View more"You have to listen, listen and you learn a lot. Just like kids need to read to succeed, we need to listen. I'm interested in health and fitness now: it's so important as we get older to look after our physical and our mental well-being. Life is what you make it! If you’re 65+ you need to get your A into G and join the PAAG (Positive Ageing Advisory Group). All of you who write to the paper or make comments on your devices should think about it. I didn't see myself as ageing when I joined the group, but I get it now. You've got to be positive, you've got to have an optimistic outlook on life don't you? That’s not easy for me right now, I could be an advocate for the public health system. But you have to keep going for it. It's a bugger getting old - write that down - it's how you handle it that matters.”

Jenny is on the Positive Ageing Advisory Group which helps Council set policy that works for everybody. If you want to join her or if you know someone that could, applications close on February 14.
www.wdc.govt.nz...

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1377 days ago

Hunger for Colour - swap and save!

Resene

Swap a can of food for a FREE Resene testpot!

Bring a can of food into your local Resene owned ColorShop and you can swap it for a Resene testpot (60-80ml).

Resene will then donate all the food brought in to The Salvation Army local foodbanks and other community foodbanks.

By adding a … View more
Swap a can of food for a FREE Resene testpot!

Bring a can of food into your local Resene owned ColorShop and you can swap it for a Resene testpot (60-80ml).

Resene will then donate all the food brought in to The Salvation Army local foodbanks and other community foodbanks.

By adding a little more colour to your life you can also help those in need. When you donate a can of food you'll save on your testpot purchase (save up to $5.80 on an 80ml testpot) while also helping provide disadvantaged Kiwis with food parcels when they need them most.
Find out more

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1379 days ago

There are so many reasons to be grateful to call Aotearoa New Zealand our home. 😌🙏

The Team from Neighbourhood Support New Zealand

Let's keep working together to make our communities better for everyone while honouring Te Ao Māori.

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1379 days ago

Books by local author

Ross from Kerikeri District

CANNIBALS, CROCODILES AND CASSOWARIES

A New Zealand Forest Ranger in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea

It is 1967 in Papua New Guinea.

Despite never having left New Zealand before, Ross takes to living and working in the jungle like he was born there, right down to learning Pidgin and eating bush… View more
CANNIBALS, CROCODILES AND CASSOWARIES

A New Zealand Forest Ranger in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea

It is 1967 in Papua New Guinea.

Despite never having left New Zealand before, Ross takes to living and working in the jungle like he was born there, right down to learning Pidgin and eating bush meat from some particularly suspicious sources.

From hair-raising experiments with stump-blasting to being caught in the arrow-fire of a tribal battle, Ross’s life is never dull. He has a tug-of-war with a reef shark over his dinner catch, witnesses (and photographs) a young men’s initiation ritual that few non-natives have ever seen, visits cannibals and head-hunters in their isolated villages, gets caught in storms at sea in an open boat, climbs to ancient rock-paintings and burial caves, experiences the mysterious power of native superstition, races against time to get death adder victims to hospital, witnesses more post-mortems than he cares to remember, gets arrested in PNG’s Eastern Highlands for photographing a chain gang at work (and talks his way free with photos intact), goes crocodile hunting with a barking dog for bait, seeks out the isolated tribe that suffers from the “laughing death” (kuru), encounters fascinating customs among isolated tribes, and collects the artefacts that formed the backbone of the National Museum of New Zealand’s PNG collection at that time.

When he encounters jungle bridges that have lost their decks, he drives his Holden across the stringers! When asked by the NZ National Museum’s Curator of Pacific Ethnology to procure or photograph a rare fertility figure that no-one in PNG is even prepared to talk about, Ross makes a secretive deal with a witchdoctor that results in him smuggling one out of a remote village wrapped in his spare shirt.

Price includes NZ postage

Price: $25

1379 days ago

More books by local author

Ross from Kerikeri District

AN ACCIDENTAL BUSHMAN

The Making of a Forest Ranger

More great yarns from the author of Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries

Growing up in small town Taranaki, Ross wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He just knew that he enjoyed hunting, hiking, trapping, fishing, and exploring … View more
AN ACCIDENTAL BUSHMAN

The Making of a Forest Ranger

More great yarns from the author of Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries

Growing up in small town Taranaki, Ross wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He just knew that he enjoyed hunting, hiking, trapping, fishing, and exploring the wilds of New Zealand. The outdoors was Ross’ element.

During his first year out of secondary school, a chance newspaper advertisement launched Ross upon a career that would take him through many adventures over four decades, through 42 countries, and innumerable close shaves.

In An Accidental Bushman (the prequel to Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries, published in 2019), Ross tells about how it all came to be—and about some of the incorrigible larrikins, precarious predicaments, and hair-raising exploits that shaped his training and early career as a Forest Ranger in New Zealand.

Ross has a way of telling a story that draws you into the moment and sweeps you along with the action. There are plenty of laughs (some at Ross’s expense) and enough scrapes and shenanigans to make you wonder how Ross ever survived to write the book!

An Accidental Bushman sometimes reads like a hilarious instruction book of what not to do, with many of Ross’s ill-fated adventures stemming from what simply seems like a good idea at the time—like his disastrous introduction to boating with no experience, no safety gear, and ultimately no working engine! Ross makes a habit of crashing vehicles, manufactures cyanide possum bait (and lives to tell the tale), gets seriously lost in the bush, spends a night in a haunted hut, gets marooned on an island amidst swirling floodwaters, contracts hypothermia, and survives some memorable culinary disasters. It’s clear that without his uncanny knack of always falling on his feet, Ross wouldn’t be with us to tell these stories today.

Ross also shares yarns of the colourful bunch of larrikins with whom he trained, worked, and socialised, regaling us with tales of interrupted trysts, foul revenge, forest fires, thieving wildlife, crippling hangovers, poaching, parties, and motorised mayhem.

The book includes some 60 photographs from Ross’s vast collection which richly illustrate his writing.

Settle in for another book of rip-roaring adventures that’s as hard to put down as the last one!

Price includes NZ postage.

Price: $25

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