One of Mary Kelleher's artworks featuring in the Merchants of Kerikeri exhibition. Photo / supplied
A group of female artists has teamed up to tell the story of the humble blanket.
The new exhibition called, What is the Value of a Trade? Blankets as a commodity and costume in 19th Century New Zealand, will show at the Merchants of Kerikeri from January 10 until February 29.
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Educator Frances Goulton, textile storyteller Mary Kelleher and photographer Tracey Stevens are all involved, along with the works of June Nathan and Awhirangi Lawrence.
Kelleher says the exhibition is an art installation using blankets "as a unifying medium".
"Our aim is to look at the ways in which the woollen blanket - a simple textile usually used as a bed-covering - played a role in New Zealand's colonial history," she said.
"This large piece of cloth was one of the objects presented by European adventurers to Māori when they first stepped onto Aotearoa soil. Blankets were also used much later as a unit of value for payment of labour or purchase of goods and land and were also adapted as korowai and piupiu."
Goulton, Nathan and Lawrence took part in blanket patching during the Waitangi Tribunal hearings held in Whangaroa from 2014 to 2018.
The blankets, which are patched and embroidered with stories, will be hung from the ceiling at the Merchants exhibition space for people to view.
Kelleher says the exhibition "encourages the viewer to review our New Zealand story through the blanket, draped and worn, hung and layered with stitching and appliqué".
Merchants is open Monday to Friday 8.30am-5.30pm, Saturday 8.30am-3.30pm and Sunday 10am-2.30pm.
A mobile summer rubbish barge will be back on the water in the Bay of Islands this summer.
The manned barge is a joint venture between the Northland Regional and Far North District councils, the Department of Conservation and contractors Waste Management.
Local and visiting boaties are encouraged to use it and keep the beautiful Bay of Islands rubbish-free.
The barge service is dependent on weather and may vary but will generally operate on Fridays and Mondays until February 3.
On operational days it will visit Urupukapuka Island campsites from 9am to 10am before mooring close to the south-eastern end of Moturoa Island from 10.30am to 1pm.
A flat $7 fee per rubbish bag applies, while extra-large bags will incur an additional charge. Recyclables are accepted with the cost dependent on quantity and cleanliness.
To find out more visit nrc.govt.nz/rubbishbarge
Two popular Rotary events are being held on Paihia beach in coming days.
The beach dig is back at Paihia beach on January 4, opposite Busby Manor Resort from 9.30am where there will also be games for the kids.
A week later on January 11, the Rotary Sandcastle competition will be held at Paihia beach at the Kings Rd end from 10.30am.
Have fun creating your own masterpiece or admire the work of others.
A new space dedicated to the fine art of traditional book binding has been launched at Pompallier Mission, the historic place in Russell cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
The adapted space will serve as a workshop for a team of volunteers with a very particular set of skills – making hand-bound books using the same techniques as those used in the 1840s when Bishop Pompallier's team of Marist brothers printed on site Roman Catholic religious literature in te reo.
Besides printing texts, the brothers also worked the leather for the books and painstakingly hand-bound the volumes, producing 30,000 copies between 1842 and 1847.
"Bishop Pompallier's Marists produced Catholic catechism, and our team of volunteers are also producing hand-bound books using the same techniques," Pompallier Manager's Property lead Scott Elliffe says.
"Our books are notebooks rather than religious texts, though they make great gifts and showcase the amount of work that went into each book made on site."
The Tall Ships Regatta will be held on January 11.
This is the Southern Hemisphere's premiere tall ships race where vessels come from all over to take part.
A spectacle of sail and a light-hearted race of classic vessels is organised by the Russell Boating Club. The iconic Bay of Islands event is now open to sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes.
Racing is followed every year by a prizegiving and traditional hangi at the Russell Boating Club along with live bands and dancing.
For more information, visit russellboatingclub.org.nz/tall-ships and RussellNZ.co.nz
Hawaiian reggae band, Kolohe Kai will play an exclusive Northland show at The Turner Centre on January 10, supported by up-and-coming Kiwi reggae star Lion Rezz.
Kolohe Kai are known as "the sweethearts of island reggae" and have played the last couple of One Love Festivals in Tauranga where their summery, feel-good vibes made them one of the most popular acts.
Doors open at 7pm with music kicking off at 7.45pm
Tickets cost $55. Visit turnercentre.co.nz or phone 09 407 0260 for details.
Bay of Islands boat owners are urged to be vigilant about keeping their boat hulls clean to avoid marine pests this summer.
Divers will check around 2000 boat hulls from now until May next year for a range of unwanted marine pests threatening Northland's precious marine environment.
Northland Regional Council's biosecurity marine manager Kathryn Lister says Northland-based dive contractors recently began the 2019-20 inspection programme in the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa and are now working in Whangārei.
"We've been carrying out these hull inspections for several years now and are especially keen to ensure vessels are free of marine pests before their owners start travelling to new areas with the onset of warmer summer weather," she says.
More than 2000 vessels were checked last season, covering everything from recreational boats to superyachts and fishing vessels to barges.
With pests like Mediterranean fanworm now established in Whangārei Harbour and recently discovered in Ōpua, the owners of vessels travelling from these areas to other spots are being urged to be extra vigilant.
Divers are also on the lookout for 'little bottles' sea squirt (Clavelina oblonga), a newly-detected pest so far limited to Great Barrier Island.
Sea squirts can form dense colonies, compete with kaimoana and taonga species for food, and overgrow mussel and oyster farms.
Lister said no-one can afford to drop their guard.
"Vessel hulls are the most common way for marine pests to hitch a ride from one place to the next."
Visit nrc.govt.nz/marinebiosecurity for more information.
Popular street theatre returns to Russell in the New Year with performances by the Hell Hole of the Pacific street theatre troupe.
There will be two performances daily on January 18 and 19 at 11.20am and 1.20pm.
A special evening performance, open to the public, will be held at The Duke Tavern on February 15.
The street theatre troupe is looking for a few extras - "men agile enough to leap over a bar during a fight scene and women 18 or over who are willing to become Kororāreka strumpets".
Phone Cris on 0275 403 837 for more information.
• If you have an upcoming event or a snippet of news you'd like to share, email jenny.ling@nzme.co.nz along with your contact details.
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