Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times Year in Review: March 2022

Bay of Plenty Times
27 Dec, 2022 09:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Bay of Plenty sailor Bruce Goodwin pictured on the sand at Waihī Beach shortly after surviving a fatal yachting tragedy in 2019. Photo / Alan Gibson

Bay of Plenty sailor Bruce Goodwin pictured on the sand at Waihī Beach shortly after surviving a fatal yachting tragedy in 2019. Photo / Alan Gibson

Bay of Plenty Times is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in March:

March 4:

The first ball of the biggest international sporting event to be played in Tauranga was bowled on March 4.

The Bay Oval hosted eight of the best cricketing nations across seven matches over two weeks of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Stands could not be full because of Covid-19, but an audience of more than 180 million viewers was expected to tune in.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tauranga won the bid to be one of the host cities three years ago. The original tournament date in March last year was postponed because of Covid-19.

New Zealand took on the West Indies in the sold-out opening match in the 12th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa also played in the tournament.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Full story here.

Sophie Devine in action. Photo / Photosport
Sophie Devine in action. Photo / Photosport

March 5:

Michael Foster was counting down the days until he could fly to Poland to reunite with his fiance and her children after being apart for two years.

Foster, 34, from Mount Maunganui, said his fiancee, Anna Kaplina, her two children, her parents and her brother, who was part of the civilian militia, all lived in the city of Poltava in central Ukraine.

He said he had unsuccessfully tried to arrange a flight for Kaplina and her children stuck in war-torn Ukraine since the invasion to escape to Hungary’s capital Budapest so he could join.

Full story here.

Tauranga-born Michael Foster and his fiancé Anna Poltiva. Photo / Supplied
Tauranga-born Michael Foster and his fiancé Anna Poltiva. Photo / Supplied

March 9:

A Bay of Plenty mother and father were desperately trying to fulfil their 3-year-old son’s bucket list of dreams before he died of cancer.

Riding in a helicopter, going for a spin in a sports car and visiting kindy were just some of the wishes on Tutemaungaroa Hillman’s - aka Tu’s - bucket list.

Abbey and Ben Hillman, of Whakatāne, say their lives fell apart in late 2020 when they received the “horrendous” news that Tu had an aggressive rare form of brain cancer.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The couple and their six children, Jerome, 14, Kassius, 11, Braedyn, 10, Nina-Jë , 3, Tu, 3, and 6-month-old Tuhoe-Potiki live in emergency housing. Jerome also has serious health issues.

Abbey Hillman said her son had undergone four surgeries, including two shunt operations and a stem cells replacement, four rounds of chemotherapy, and six weeks of radiation therapy.

Full story here.

Cancer battler Tu Hillman, 3, sitting in a V8 supercar with his Nana Vaughan and mother Abbey looking on. INSET: Tu in hospital. Photos / Paul Taylor / Supplied
Cancer battler Tu Hillman, 3, sitting in a V8 supercar with his Nana Vaughan and mother Abbey looking on. INSET: Tu in hospital. Photos / Paul Taylor / Supplied

March 9:

Armed with a set of nunchucks, Charanjit Dhillon jumped his liquor store counter and chased a thief out the door until the thief’s pants fell down.

The fit Bottle-O Fenton St store owner - who is a former Bollywood movie choreographer, kickboxer and regular runner of up to 20km - was yelling at the thief “run, how far can you run?”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He only got about 100m down the road, with Dhillon hot on his tail, before the thief fell to the ground. Dhillon told the thief “come on, get up” but when he did, the thief’s pants had fallen down.

The drama unfolded on March 5 about 8.25pm and was captured on CCTV. The footage has been posted on social media and has attracted thousands of comments and shares.

Full story here.

From left: The thief inside the Bottle-O store. Store owner Charanjit Dhillon jumps the counter to chase the thief. The store owner returns after taking the stolen alcohol from the thief. Images / Supplied
From left: The thief inside the Bottle-O store. Store owner Charanjit Dhillon jumps the counter to chase the thief. The store owner returns after taking the stolen alcohol from the thief. Images / Supplied

March 11:

The decision to retain a commission in charge of Tauranga City Council for another two years was applauded by some and labelled “devastating” and “plain wrong” by others.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta confirmed she intended to extend the existing commission’s term to July 2024, delaying local body elections until then.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She spoke to a room of about 30 invited political, business, iwi, and ratepayer representatives gathered at the city council’s Cameron Rd offices, and more via online yesterday. Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless, who had been vocal in his criticism of the original appointment of commissioners, was left sitting outside, uninvited.

Mahuta told them her decision had not been easy but she intended on keeping the existing commission consisting of chairwoman Anne Tolley, Stephen Selwood, Bill Wasley and Shadrach Rolleston.

Full story here.

March 15:

Friends of a missing Pāpāmoa doctor described him as generous, caring and active, saying his disappearance was a shock.

Police said David Holland, 31, had not been heard from since March 11, when he told friends he was going for a swim near the end of Pacific View Rd.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Holland later failed to come to work, which police said was unlike him.

Police, assisted by other agencies, have been combing the coastline for any sign of him, as well as searching by sea and air.

Full story here.

Tauranga Hospital anaesthetist David Holland was reported missing on March 11. Photo / NZME
Tauranga Hospital anaesthetist David Holland was reported missing on March 11. Photo / NZME

March 19:

In this Q&A session, outgoing Tauranga MP and senior National Party member Simon Bridges shared his thoughts on regrets, hopes, unfinished business, and whether he’d consider the city’s future mayoralty after 14 years in Parliament.

Full story here.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has told city leaders what he really thinks in his final address as the local MP. Photo / NZME
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has told city leaders what he really thinks in his final address as the local MP. Photo / NZME

March 23:

Bruce Goodwin still has flashbacks of the fatal yacht sinking he survived off Northland’s coast just over two years ago.

The tiniest things - a word or movement - can trigger memories of the tragedy that took the life of his friend and left him traumatised.

But the Waihī Beach resident has found little things like mowing the lawn and seeing his family have helped him work through what happened.

That was his advice for the five survivors of the sinking of charter fishing boat Enchanter, which took five lives, as they began the process of recovery.

“Connect with family and enjoy the little things.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Full story here.

Bay of Plenty sailor Bruce Goodwin pictured on the sand at Waihī Beach shortly after surviving a fatal yachting tragedy in 2019. Photo / Alan Gibson
Bay of Plenty sailor Bruce Goodwin pictured on the sand at Waihī Beach shortly after surviving a fatal yachting tragedy in 2019. Photo / Alan Gibson
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

11 Jul 02:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

11 Jul 12:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM

Power was cut to 21,529 customers at 12.30pm in Tauranga.

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

11 Jul 02:00 AM
'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

11 Jul 12:00 AM
Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP