Local Opinion

Many picturesque photos taken in the Auckland area have Rangitoto in the background. Situated within the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF), this cone stands out in several ways. Rangitoto island, or its full name, Ngā Rangi-i-totongia…

Tēnā te whaitua nui, Ka pū te taha wānanga, Ha āpiti nuku, he āpiti rangi, Ha whakaotinga aroha ki a koe, Kīngi Tūheitia, Kīngi o Te Kotahitanga. I write this as we are in the…

Meghan Hawkes looks back on headlines from 1914, including the marking of 50 years since an infamous battle. The 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ōrākau attracted many veterans including 16 from Whanganui. They reached…

How the last week panned out for Te Awamutu police. Monday – Police attended a shoplifting incident, investigated an attempted burglary and attended a family harm incident at a medical centre. Thanks to those who…

When my wife and I got married, we moved to Tauranga for a few years. Living in Welcome Bay, I would often drop my wife off to work and then head into the city to…

I was privileged to offer a Tikanga Māori blessing for the opening of the new hospice shop on the corner of Te Rahu and Cambridge Roads. I explained to those gathered that the karakia I…

Currently, we have the opportunity to provide feedback to the council by completing submissions on the Representation Review, which closes at 5pm on September 5 and the Local Alcohol Policy and bylaws, closing at 5pm…

Since Whakaari is reminding us that we live with active volcanoes, it’s a good time for a reminder about what volcanic ash is, and what it isn’t. I haven’t yet seen any cringey headlines claiming…

When Walter James, a Te Rore farmer, arrived on horseback at William Chester’s he was saddling his horse. It was seven on a March morning in 1880 and the two men intended to go together…

Occasionally I decide to use these opinion pieces to give the local district council a nudge or a serve regarding their tired – and sometimes tiring – efforts to balance democracy with physical reality. Aka,…