Cruise ship season starts
The first of 49 cruise ships to call into the Bay of Islands in the 2016/17 season arrives tomorrow evening. Celebrity Solstice will be in the Bay of Islands from 7am to 5pm. The ship is 317m long and can carry 2850 passengers and 1250 crew. Sun Princess is the second ship to call into the Bay of Islands and she arrives on October 14.
Local Lotto winners
Two tickets sold in Northland were among 15 nationally that each won almost $19,000 in Lotto Second Division in Saturday's draw. The tickets, sold at Kaikohe Paper Plus and Dargaville Postshop & Lotto store, each won $18,943.
Steiner to re-appear
A Northlander facing a string of charges, including rape and abduction of a girl for sex, will re-appear in court next month. Raymond Steiner is facing three charges of rape, two of unlawful sexual connection with a female, kidnapping, abduction, indecently assaulting a female, and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He will re-appear in the Whangarei District Court on November 2.
Teen on drink-drive charge
A 16-year-old boy will face a charge of driving with excess alcohol in the Youth Court after he was stopped by police in Kaitaia at 3.25am on Friday shortly after leaving a birthday party. The boy allegedly recorded 689 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit for motorists aged under 20 is zero. A 29-year-old woman who allegedly recorded 691 micrograms a couple of hours earlier in Kaitaia elected to give blood for analysis, but was arrested for breaching her bail.
In support of kiwi
October is Save Kiwi Month and on Friday the Department of Conservation is bringing Sparky the kiwi from Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre to meet members of the public at the Hihiaua Reserve, in Whangarei. DoC will have other interactive activities for children at the event, which will be near the Waka and Wave at the Town Basin from 10am to 1pm. DoC's Kiwi Recovery Plan 2017-2027 aims to reach have 100,000 kiwi in the bush by 2030 by turning the 2 per cent annual loss rate of our national bird into a 2 per cent annual increase.