Hawke’s Bay in brief: Napier-born Rear Admiral David Proctor retires as NZ Navy chief after 37 years

Napier-born Rear Admiral David Proctor, chief of the New Zealand Navy, is retiring from his role after nearly four decades. Photo / Petty Officer Chris Weissenborn

Napier-born Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor, has retired from the Royal New Zealand Navy after 37 years of service. He will leave the role on May 16 for an employment opportunity in Australia.

As a boy, he grew up in Maraenui, with his schooling years spent at Richmond School, Wycliffe Intermediate and William Colenso High School.

In 1986, he was head boy at Colenso and joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in January 1987 as a midshipman.

Defence Minister Judith Collins thanked Proctor for his service.

“I would like to thank Rear Admiral David Proctor for his leadership of the Navy since his appointment to the role of Chief of Navy in 2018.”

“I acknowledge his long and loyal service to New Zealand, and I wish him and his family well for the future.”

Proctor will take up the position as the deputy executive director at the Australian Civil Military Centre in New South Wales. His term as chief of the NZ Navy was due to end in June this year.

GoBay Bus detours to start next week

Detours will be in place for two key Hawke’s Bay public transport routes from February 28 until March 7, with some stops not being serviced during this period.

The detours will impact routes 11N and 11H due to the current State Highway 51 Awatoto roadworks that are ongoing from 8am-4pm.

For the 11N route southbound, the bus will go onto Marine Parade via the Warren St / Marine Parade roundabout, and all the Te Awa Ave bus stops will not be serviced – the N2, N197, and N3 stops.

There will be a temporary bus stop in place on Marine Parade near the entry to the Pump Track / Caravan park.

The 11N temporary bus stop will be in place just north of the Marine Parade Pump TrackRoute.

For the northbound 11H route, the bus will turn left onto Waitahi Rd from SH51, travel north along Awatoto Rd, and then turn onto Te Awa Ave.

All stops for this route will be serviced as per usual.

One person arrested and vehicle seized in early morning assault in Flaxmere

One person has been arrested for breaching bail and a vehicle was seized after an assault in Flaxmere, Hastings on Thursday morning.

Police were called to an incident on Bangor St near Oban St around 2am.

Hato Hone St John treated and transported one person to Hawke’s Bay Hospital with moderate injuries following the incident.

A police spokesperson said enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

Napier Intermediate’s Miss Robert’s 1963 class reunited for another final assembly

The Napier Intermediate class of 1963, were able to join in on assembly at the school on Wednesday.

While intermediate is only a short two years it appears the students formed long-time friendships as the class of 1962 to 1963 reunited at Napier Intermediate School on Wednesday.

The group was welcomed by current pupils on the “beautiful occasion” with the Year 8 students singing as they entered.

Former student Claire Campbell Clausen said headmaster Tim van Zyl welcomed them in both Te Reo and English and “the aroha brought tears to our eyes”.

She said the talented students performed for them with four boys in a rock band and a girl who sang a modern solo.

Clausen was amazed by the changes to the school grounds 62 years later, with modern light facilities, group classrooms, and free lunches for those who need them.

She said the special day made the ex-students feel special and in “no way old”.

Horsewoman Vicki Wilson’s big double win

Vicki Wilson wins the Defender Gold Tour Grand Prix at the Takapoto Classic aboard her imported stallion Daminos TWS. Photo / The Art of Michelle Clarke

Hawke’s Bay show jumper Vicki Wilson made history by taking the quinella with her horses Daminos TWS and Millionaire VWNZ in the Defender Gold Tour Grand Prix at the 2024 Takapoto Classic at Maungatautari near Cambridge.

It brought the curtain down on six days of jumping.

Sixteen started the two-round Gold Tour final, with eight clear in the opener to progress through to the second.

Clears were thinner on the ground for the second round, with Wilson and her grey stallion Daminos TWS going mid-field and laying a challenge for those who followed with a 47.73-second round.

Her second mount Millionaire VWNZ followed suit, to also go clear but in the slightly slower time of 52.31.

Logan Massie of Dannevirke and his chestnut stallion Bravado Ego Z rounded out the top three with his faultless 54.34-second effort.

Oliver Edgecombe of Waipukurau had four faults.

Wilson and her team picked up $53,000 for their efforts in their first season at Grand Prix level.

“You couldn’t get a better day at the office,” said Wilson. “It was a super field out there.”

Wilson bought the German-bred Daminos at auction in the UK, saying he is always very keen to win, fast and loves a challenge.

“I thought we had done enough to win. I knew the others would have to take some crazy risks. I went as tight as I thought I could go.”

She had no inclination for her homebred Millionaire to beat Daminos.

Wilson plans to start both in the Olympic Cup at the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show and is hopeful her form will continue.

Earlier in the show, Samantha Carrington of Takapau won the APL Window Solutions Silver Tour Final aboard Double J Hurricane, and then announced the retirement of her 9-year-old homebred.

Napier ticket wins second division Lotto prize

On Saturday the Lotto balls fell kindly for the holder of a ticket bought in Napier with a second division winner earning $20,708.

A lucky Lotto player who bought their ticket at Napier City Pak’NSave is $20,708 better off.

The second division prize in Saturday night’s draw was sold at the supermarket.

Twelve Lotto players will be toasting a special second division win.

Three lucky players also won Powerball second division, taking their total winnings to $25,925. The winning Powerball second division tickets were sold on MyLotto to players from Auckland, Waikato and Christchurch.

Hawke’s Bay Airport begins celebrations for 60th anniversary year

The Hawke’s Bay Airport has begun celebrating its official 60th anniversary year and its much longer history dating back to the 1930s.

Wendie Harvey, Chair of Hawke’s Bay Airport, says celebrations will happen throughout the year and involve the community.

“We are thrilled to be marking 60 years of connecting people and places, and more than 90 years of history overall. Our airport, which is owned by Napier and Hastings councils and the Crown, and therefore by the people of Hawke’s Bay, is a fantastic asset for our region.

“Every year our airport facilitates around 20,000 aircraft movements from commercial airlines and the general aviation community, and last year passenger numbers rebounded to 640,000 after several years of pandemic impact.”

The airport’s new terminal and Watchman Rd entry reflect its unique location and were especially designed to highlight the adjacent flora and fauna which are such a significant feature of our surrounds, Harvey said.

“It is a wonderful platform to build regional connections and growth as we look forward to the next 60 years of airport developments - greater air connectivity, and developing our planned business park and solar farm.”

The airport’s birthday anniversary celebrations kicked off on Friday with the cutting of a special 60th anniversary cake and commemorative photo in the terminal.

Hawke's Bay Airport began its 60th anniversary celebrations with cake. From left: Te Kaha Hawaikirangi Chair of Mana Ahuriri, Alex Marren COO Air New Zealand, Jon Nichols HBAL Director, Parris Greening General Manager Mana Ahuriri, Jonathan Caddick Vice President Napier Aero Club.

A new historical timeline on the mezzanine floor was unveiled that tells some of the unique stories of the airport from 1931.

A super-sized ‘60′ sign is being installed at the terminal entrance as an ‘Insta’ worthy installation for travellers, customers, and visitors.

There will be other special activities and celebrations throughout the year including a new kids’ play area, with festivities culminating with the much loved ‘run the runway’ event.

The airport is on land that rose from the seabed during the 1931 earthquake.

East Coast air connections began in 1935 between Napier and Gisborne originally from the Embankment airfield, transferring to the current airport site (known as Beacons Aerodrome) shortly after.

Commercial airlines had been using Beacons Aerodrome since the 1930s.

In 1961, a Committee of Enquiry recommended the airport be developed to carry jet-prop aircraft. A new 1310m sealed runway was constructed and the first Fokker Friendship aircraft landed on the new runway in December 1963, and the airport was officially opened on 15 February 1964.

Bush fire next to roundabout in Hastings

Firefighters extinguished a small bush fire next to Pak’NSave Hastings on Saturday morning.

One crew attended the small blaze about 3.30am, next to the supermarket and near the roundabout on Heretaunga St, which was under 1m by 1m in size, and put out the fire.

Police were notified.

Rocket Lab’s successful early morning launch

Rocket Lab is gearing up for the company's second launch this year. They are aim for a launch time of 03.52am on Monday from Mahia.

Rocket Lab’s latest mission is called On Closer Inspection and the company has had a successful early morning lift-off from Mahia on Monday.

The mission is Rocket Lab’s second launch this year and the 44th electron launch overall.

The rocket is carrying a single satellite called ADRAS-J which the company says will gather data on the condition and spin rate of a large piece of space debris for a possible future removal mission.

Sunken boat recovered

A boat that sank by the Ahuriri inner harbour on Tuesday was recovered by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council harbour staff without any major issues.

Police received reports of the sinking at around 7.25pm on Tuesday night.

No one was on board at the time of the sinking.

“The vessel had a breach to the watertight integrity and had to be recovered,” deputy harbourmaster Adrian Wright said.

The dive team refloated the vessel and, once it had a bit more buoyancy, towed it from its sinking place at Meeanee Quay One pier to the Napier Sailing Club where it was lifted out and transported for disposal.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the vessels at Meeanee One are in disrepair, and this is the type of thing that happens every now and again,” Wright said.