Hot Potato Band will be performing under the Kanikani Katoa banner at the Turner Centre on November 11.
Kanikani Katoa and Hot Potato
One of Australia’s favourite festival acts, Hot Potato Band, is returning to the Turner Centre.
Last time they were booked to play there was in February but the gig had to be postponed because of Cyclone Gabriel and it was broadcast live instead. Now they are back in person.
Hot Potato are an all-male eleven-piece brass and percussion ensemble, like a modern-day dance machine. Their latest musical creation is called Spudwhiskers.
It was originally released to CD on their first album Paint the Town but they have now brought it into the streaming age and as of September it graces all major music streaming platforms.
Their appearance at the Turner Centre is labelled Kanikani Katoa, the name for which came from community engagement sessions previously held there. Rawi Pere (Ngāti Rēhia) recalls a Kanikani Katoa dance event that was held in the old Kerikeri Memorial Hall which brought together different groups of people for an evening of music and dance.
“I was eight years old and my job was to put talcum powder on the floors so the dancers could gracefully slide around the dance floor,” she said.
The intention of Kanikani Katoa is to bring people together through dance, music and connection. Tickets are a pay-what-you-can model with the aim to be accessible for all. Part of the cost of Kanikani Katoa has been made possible through a grant from the Whangaroa-Bay of Islands Community Board.
The event is being held in the Turner Centre’s Plaza because of its large dance floor. Centre Manager, Gerry Paul, programmed the band at Coastella Music Festival (Kāpiti Coast) in 2018 and at CubaDupa in Wellington in 2019. They headlined Womad in Taranaki in 2021.
The band is completing a November whirlwind tour of the North Island starting in Wellington on 7th November, Palmerston North on the 8th, Napier on the 9th, Auckland on the 10th, then Kerikeri on the 11th and Whangārei (at OneOneSix) on 12th November.
Kanikani Katoa with Hot Potato Band at the Turner Centre - Saturday 11 November, 5pm Tickets from the Turner Centre or turnercentre.co.nz.
Blu Heelers Fishing Competition gets under way
One of the biggest fishing tournaments in Paihia in the Bay of Islands, perhaps even rivalling the Yellowtail Fishing Tournament held across the bay in Russell, is what is known as the Blu Heelers Charity Fishing Tournament.
It is organised out of the Paihia Swordfish Club and has been running for the past 26 years. It initially started out as a police fishing competition and evolved into a charity-based tournament open to everyone, with proceeds going to a nominated charity each year.
This year the charity is Mike King’s I Am Hope, which is about connecting kids with mental health counsellors and practitioners in their region or online so they can get timely support without the added stress of having to pay for the bill.
In past years, the tournament has raised over $600,000, which has been donated to causes such as St John Ambulance, Victim Support, Nest, the Coastguard and Hospice Mid-Northland.
A large part of the funds raised come from the fish and crayfish auction, which is held after the fishing part of the tournament has concluded. It’s an opportunity for the public to be involved and up for auction are snapper, kingfish, kahawai and crayfish.
The tournament is large enough to have a waiting list of teams wanting to take part. It is limited to 60 teams, with competitors coming from as far afield as Australia and from as far south as Invercargill.
It promotes conservation and sustainability to ensure future tournaments can enjoy the benefits of spring snapper and other fish in the Bay of Islands.
The fishing section of the tournament gets under way on Monday, November 6 and runs until Wednesday November 8. The fish auction is on the Wednesday after the fishing tournament concludes and runs for an hour or so from 3.30pm.
Springbank School event goes off with a bang
Springbank School, the independent co-educational school in Kerikeri, is holding a Friends of Springbank Fireworks Extravaganza on Saturday November 4.
The event first started 12 years ago and has been a regular on the calendar since then with one exception, during Covid lockdown. It is as much a fundraiser for the school as a community event.
It is run by the Friends of Springbank committee, made up of a group of parent volunteers. The main show, the fireworks display, is co-ordinated and run by Mike and Ben Warren.
The marketing officer for the school, Adele Warren, says the fireworks, which will last for around 12 minutes, are all timed to music.
“There will be lots of gigantic star shell explosions, inter-mingled with multi-shot rapid-fire effects, plus this year there are a few new special effects incorporated into the event.”
Aside from the fireworks, there is live entertainment from local band Dogfather (Max Hittle, Suzie Oakley, Philip Silich and Mike Gundry), a bouncy castle, and a pop-prize raffle with $5,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. The first 1000 families through the gate will receive a raffle ticket to enter the draw.
The funds raised will go directly back to the students through various events, competitions and excursions. The committee aims to keep ticket prices as low as possible and the main goal is to put on a show for the wider community to enjoy.
For those coming from Russell, Northland Ferries will run a late ferry for the night and there is a special parking zone for the Russellites so they can exit the parking paddock first.
Ticket price for the event is $12.00 per person with under-5-year-olds free. For further information: https://www.springbank.school.nz/
Bay of Islands Cruiser Festival Back for 2023
The popular Bay of Islands Cruiser Festival in Ōpua, Pēwhairangi, is on again from November 8-12.
The festival serves as a drawcard for vessels and their crew who have completed an ocean sail across the Pacific to the shores of New Zealand. It offers marine “adventures”, informative seminars and entertainment.
Ōpua Business Association chairman, Mike Levings, besides being a seasoned cruiser festival-goer, is a marine industry professional. He said the community has been welcoming international cruisers for nearly 20 years.
“The festival has slowly evolved into a five-day event, with this year’s focus to provide even more seminars, fun events and a trip to Waitangi Treaty Grounds, plus the feature event, the Marine Trade Show.
“This is a chance for Ōpua to showcase its pool of talent in the New Zealand marine industry and its world-class facilities.
“Through this festival, we can show the incoming international visitors and locals exactly what we have on offer for all their boating needs and the highlight is undoubtedly the Marine Trade Show.”
Bay of Islands Marina general manager, Chris Galbraith, said international cruisers spend on average around $55,000 if in New Zealand for six months and that figure increases if their stay is extended to two years. It means owners can keep their vessel in the area without having to import it.
“We want them to feel a sense of welcome and support from the local community and we also want them to have an appreciation of the quality services we can offer.”
The event is projected to draw a large number of visitors for the Martine Trade Show alone. It features the latest in marine equipment and services. Visitors for the additional events are expected to increase the crowd numbers.
Tickets are $25 per adult with no charge for children. Each ticket grants access to all seminars. For more information, contact: Bay of Islands Marina office on 402 7124 or email enquiries@boimarina.co.nz.
To see the full programme of events, visit: https://www.bayofislandsmarina.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/Placeholder_Cruisers-Festival.pdf.
Bocky Boo Gelato opened in Whangārei in 2019 and quickly became a local favourite.