The return of a confidential drug-checking service for Rhythm and Vines festival-goers was successful in keeping them safe, after discovering fake drugs at the event, the New Zealand Drug Foundation says. “We had a very busy and successful few...
In the week from 12.01am on December 27 to midnight on January 2 the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter flew a dozen completed missions, from a sea search and a car crash to medical, trauma and transfer events. It started early for the...
Gisborne police have confirmed they have a sexual assault investigation going into an alleged incident at the Rhythm and Vines event at the weekend. The allegation from a female festival- goer was received on Saturday. “We have been supporting the...
Police investigating a serious assault in Māhia on New Year’s Day morning have asked for any witnesses to come forward. A 34-year-old man was knocked unconscious, suffering a concussion and facial injuries, after he tried to break up an...
WARNING: This story details the murders of victims in unsolved cases and may be upsetting. Each year in New Zealand about 72 people are murdered. In 2019 that number ballooned to 131 because of the terror attacks in Christchurch where 51 people lost...
by Adam Gifford, Waatea News Norm Dewes, a champion of urban Māori, died on the last day of 2023. The Ngāti Kahungunu rangatira had lived in Ōtautahi Christchurch since 1961, when he moved from Wairoa as a 15-year-old to join a Māori Affairs...
Legal wrangles and the achievements of former residents proved to be the most popular news on the Gisborne Herald website this year. Notably, the Herald’s website was down for several days during Cyclone Gabrielle. The September 7 story about New...
It would take a cyclone at least to send stalwart camper Tony Coutts home from his favourite summertime locale. For the past 50 years — ever since his parents first took him there as a five year-old — Tony has spent every summer holiday freedom...
Gisborne’s surf lifesaving clubs, particularly Waikanae, High School Old Boys rugby and the business fraternity have been shocked at the sudden death of Alistair Thorpe. He died on Sunday, December 31, at the age of 69. Mr Thorpe was managing...
A Gisborne taxi company has confirmed out-of-town operators were caught price gouging at the Rhythm and Vines festival and is urging people to “keep it local”. Gisborne Taxis general manager Tikei Bell said people were “rolling the dice” if...
Stuart Brenchley has seen some gruesome injuries that required the response of a rescue helicopter and, as a result, has spent decades fundraising for services around the country. But until this summer, he had never been on board himself. “I’ve...
Georgia Ria had the home birth she had always wanted on Wednesday when baby Gideon Ria entered the world at 10.26pm — the first baby to be born in Gisborne in 2024. “I had always wanted a home birth but was always nervous that something could go...
Boaties say former mayor Meng Foon’s illegal seawall at Tatapouri is to blame for an unusual pile-up of sand that’s marooning their vessels and vehicles at the end of the slipway. Local boatie and former captain of the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports...
“Nothing untoward, which was great” is how St John ambulance Tairāwhiti operations manager Shane Clapperton summed up the final night of the Rhythm and Vines Festival. He praised his team for the work they did over the four days. The ambulance...
A Lotto player from the East Coast had a nice windfall to end 2023 with a $200,000 win in Saturday night’s draw. The winning ticket had not been claimed as of yesterday. The ticket shared the First Division prize on Saturday night. It was bought...
Some Waiapu River valley residents are being driven from their homes this summer as an unprecedented amount of silt, generated by storms over the past two years, still suffocates the local landscape. Dust from those silt deposits is constantly being...
They came, they partied, they left. The population of Gisborne swelled by many thousands between December 29 and January 1 for the 21st Rhythm and Vines festival. They jammed the roads and the cafes and enjoyed the best of our weather
Gisborne’s beaches drew the crowds on Saturday and Sunday as temperatures climbed close to 30 degrees. Lifeguards at the three local clubs counted their blessings there was no appreciable swell. Hordes of R&V festival-goers, other visitors and...
Tairāwhiti Police have praised the thousands who attended the Rhythm and Vines music festival, but were frustrated at the number drink-driving on New Year’s Day morning as they left the district. They were also unhappy about the number of people...
The occupants of two cars that collided on Bushmere Road on Friday afternoon were lucky to escape serious injury, with four of them taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries. It happened at around 5pm at the Bloomfield Road corner. “All...
Moving from a cramped building to new premises in Gladstone Road has been described as the highlight of the year for the Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society in their 2023 Annual Report. The society has received comments from the community “and...
A somewhat forgettable 2023 ended on a high note for this district with thousands of people celebrating the new year at two hugely popular events — the final night of Rhythm & Vines on New Year’s Eve and Findlay’s Fire in the Sky fireworks...
Where are our councillors in all this?? We are almost a month into the Government’s 100-day plan and I am writing as a concerned Māma and member of our community to express my deep disappointment at the lack of voice exhibited by all of our...
It’s always dangerous territory to enter when a politician seems to start truly believing in their own spin, as it can have the unintended consequence of portraying the politician as being just a tiny bit thick. Take for example Finance Minister...
I would love to congratulate Alison Crawford on her New Year Honours award — well overdue, may I say. If anyone deserves this award, Alison does. She has worked tirelessly for the Country Women’s Institute. The institute was one of the biggest...
Doesn’t the knighting of Trevor Mallard show what a joke the New Year Honours really are? He’s a thug, a bully and a ticket scalper, and New Zealand is rewarding him for being so. He even falsely accused a parliamentary staffer of being a rapist...
Re: Costs that deliver value, December 21 letter by Niall Robertson, national coordinator for The Rail Advocacy Collective. Niall, all you are doing with your campaign — like Gillian Ward and the Gisborne Rail Action Group — is costing the tax...
A happy ending to a rescue drama on Friday night that involved two girls trapped by the rising tide on Tuamotu Island off Sponge Bay, after they were successfully plucked from the island by surf lifeguards. The emergency services were alerted at...
Festival-goers, holiday-makers, Christmas and the summer season can all mean a lot more foot traffic at our supermarkets. “Our team starts to plan for the holidays around October time,” says Four Square Wainui Road owner and manager Sam Wanklyn...
Police have been rapt with the performance of drivers, both local and visitors, when it comes to drink-driving so far this New Year/Christmas period. Tairāwhiti area police commander, acting Inspector Daniel Kirk, said the drink-drive rate had not...
It has been 50 years since the first novel written by a Māori author was released to the world, which started a lifelong journey of writing for Gisborne-born Witi Ihimaera. “Tangi”, the first novel written by a Māori author to ever be...
Predicted top temperatures of 29 degrees today and 28 tomorrow with forecast fine weather have surf lifeguards bracing themselves for beach invasions by the thousands of young visitors to the district. The Gisborne and Tolaga Bay surf lifesaving...
Tolaga Bay firefighter and Civil Defence volunteer, marae kaumatua, radio station founder and funeral and wedding celebrant Eruera (Eru) Kaiwai receives the Queen’s Service Medal in the New Year Honours list. He receives the award for services to...
Being named in the New Year Honours for his services to Māori music is more about the kaupapa of Māori music rather than himself, says Tama Waipara (Ngāti Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou). He has been appointed a member of the New Zealand...