Far North news in brief: Water safety review; Te Kāhika battle commemorated

A requirement for all people on boats under 6m to wear lifejackets is among the proposals in the NRC's Navigation Safety Bylaw review that is out for consultation.

Water safety review

The public is encouraged to have its say on a review of the Northland Regional Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw for Northland, which sets the rules for keeping people safe on the water. The proposed changes to the bylaw include a new requirement to carry two forms of communication on a vessel and requiring lifejackets to be worn in a vessel under 6m when tendering to and from shore. For further details visit www.nrc.govt.nz/bylawreview. Feedback is open until May 30.

Art exhibition

Hokianga’s Village Arts Gallery is hosting its latest exhibition by Northland painter Herb Foley. The exhibition opens on May 10 at 11am at the Kohukohu community art gallery and features Foley’s vivid forest scenes which celebrate Northland’s native flora and fauna. The exhibition runs until June 8. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Visit www.villagearts.co.nz for more information.

Battle commemorated

The 180th commemoration of the Battle of Te Kāhika will be held on the shores of Lake Omāpere and Te Kāhika Pā on Saturday.

On May 8, 1845, the British attacked launched an assault on Te Kāhika Pā, hoping to capture the Māori rangatira, Te Ruki Kawiti and Hone Heke and bring the so-called rebels to heel. Heke and Kawiti strategically defended the small fortified pā (Te Kāhika Pā) at Lake Ōmāpere. The British were unable to take the pā and ultimately withdrew. Both sides suffered casualties - the British had 13 soldiers killed, while Māori fatalities were higher, with Kawiti losing a son, Taura.

The commemoration will begin with karakia at 5am on the battle site on SH1, about 1.5km north of Te Pua Rd. This part is for able-bodied people only. No vehicles are to be taken to the battle site and people are advised to park at Ōkaihau College, where shuttles will take people to and from the site from 4am.

Script to screen

Far North creatives wanting to learn how to write a film script can attend workshops on the subject in Whangārei later this year. Script to Screen is bringing screenwriting and filmmaking workshops north for parents/students/community of creatives to learn more.

The screenwriting/filmmaking workshops will be held at the beginning of the term 3 holidays. The exact content and format of the workshops will be announced when registration opens at the beginning of Term 3. The Northland Youth Filmmaking Workshop, for high school-aged students aged 14 to 18, is from September 22 to 25 and the Adult Scriptwriting Workshop, for those aged 16+, is on September 21. To be notified about these workshops, go to https://script-to-screen.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e2646749d530e8ded0da3a456&id=366386bc64.