Road closures in Whangārei
Police are closing Kokupu Block Road in Whangārei due to severe surface flooding and fallen trees caused by Cyclone Hale.
Motorists are advised to stay clear of the area until further notice and to avoid travel around Northland unless urgent, as heavy rain continues to batter down.
With high tide coming in by 11.15am. Hikurangi/Coastal General Ward councillor Scott McKenzie said the main concern is that the river might rise to a level where it spills over the road around Ngunguru.
Water levels need to reach roughly 4.5m in order to flood the road - they’re currently sitting above 3m, he said.
Other roads affected are:
Kaka Street, Morningside - flooded
Matapouri Road - fallen tree, passable with caution
Nook Road, Parua Bay - tree blocking both lanes
Parua Bay Road (west of Kerr Road) - heavy surface flooding, please avoid
Pataua North Road - road blocked due to slip
Places that have recently flooded are likely to flood again: Punaruku Road (Russell Rd), Whananaki North and South roads. Please travel with caution.
Residents are urged to stay off the roads, away from the coast and stay indoors. Further updates can be found on the Whangarei District Council website.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.5% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.