The nine couples who have this year entered the Wealthpoint Northland Battle of the Ballroom.
Take nine couples who have never met each other before and pair them together in a dance contest.
That’s the basis of Battle of the Ballroom, which will take place at the Turner Centre on Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20, 2025.
It’s Hospice Mid-Northland’s premier, black-tie fundraiser and has been billed as a “show-stopper”. The money raised will help finance a clinical nurse specialist in palliative care, bringing end-of-life care into the local hospital that keeps patients closer to family and ensures dignity and compassionate support.
Patients facing complex symptoms at the end of life often miss out on timely support or are transferred away from their families.
While hospitals in Whangārei and elsewhere have Government-funded palliative care teams, the hospice has no such specialists funded by the state.
The nine couples who have entered the Wealthpoint North Battle of the Ballroom are all mid-Northland residents and had no previous ballroom experience, but after months of training they expect to give a dazzling performance.
There will be a People’s Choice Award, voted by the public and announced on Friday evening, and a Judge’s Choice Award will be handed out the following evening.
The judges include comedian Ben Hurley, who has performed at the New Zealand Comedy Festival and is part of the Real New Zealand Comedy Tours and 7 Days Live tours. He lives a life goal of commentating on cricket with the Alternative Commentary Collective.
Joining him will be windsurfer Barbara Kendall, who made history as the first New Zealand woman to compete in five Olympics, winning a gold in Barcelona, a silver in Atlanta and a bronze in Sydney. She has amassed 11 World Championship medals and 25 national championship titles in windsurfing.
New Zealand television fishing personality Matt Watson will also be on the judging panel. He is passionate about our oceans, the preservation of New Zealand fish stocks and demonstrating sustainable practices.
He hosts and produces the ITM Fishing Show and has made 250 episodes to date that have screened globally through Animal Planet and Discovery television channels.
Completing the line-up is Alison Leonard, who started ballroom and Latin American dancing at the age of 5 and danced competitively for years, representing New Zealand at the South Pacific dance championships in Australia. She retired from competitive dancing in 1997.
She was a presenter on TVNZ’s Good Morning for more than eight years and a judge for the first five seasons of Dancing with the Stars. She joined RNZ as a casual newsreader in late 2024.
The People’s Choice Showdown takes place this Friday and the Grand Finale is on Saturday. Dress code is black tie.
To buy tickets, visit: www.iticket.co.nz/events/2025/sep/battle-of-the-ballroom
About 60 rare native trees were planted last month along a stream on the Te Tii community (Ngāti Rēhia) Farm.
Doing the mahi were contributors from the Bay of Islands International Academy, Kiwi Coast and Tapuaetahi Incorporation.
Coastal maire, tawapou and ewekuri (milktree), grown in the nursery of Bret McKay of Hihi, were planted by 40 students together with teacher Michael Baty, parent helpers, Tapuaetahi members and Kiwi Coast crew.
Tapuaetahi executive manager Mariao Hohaia welcomed the school to the farm before Kiwi Coast co-ordinator Andrew Mentor gave an overview of the Pest Free Purerua project, which aims to eliminate possums, mustelids, feral cats and rats from the 7500ha peninsula.
Mentor said coastal maire, tawapou and ewekuri were no longer common trees on the peninsula.
“While once they were all prolific species, they are now rare, having been decimated by possums, rats and goats around Purerua.
“These trees we are planting will be part of re-establishing bird food and the health of the forest in years to come.
“Being safe from predators and having abundant food supply will also help bird populations to flourish,” he said.
Tapuaetahi Incorporation, Kiwi Coast and Bay of Islands International Academy plan to continue working together to plant more trees, adopt pest control and develop an environmental care plan into the future.
Hohaia said he would like to have every student plant a tree when they start school at Bay of Islands International Academy.
“It will remind them of a small positive act having a significant effect for years into the future.
“We imagine the student coming back to that tree in 30 or 40 years, sitting in its shade and enjoying the birds and the environment,” he said.
The well-established KOAST art trail, which spans from Kawakawa and Russell in the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga and the northern reaches of Kaitāia, is returning for its ninth year.
This year’s participating venues include cultural landmarks such as Te Ahu Museum, Te Ahurea and Manea – Footsteps of Kupe, alongside contemporary galleries such as Village Arts No 1 Parnell, South Sea Art, Te Pu o Te Wheke, Taonga O Te Ao, Ngāpuhi Creatives, and Little Black Gallery.
Private studios, heritage buildings, and collective art hubs complete a diverse mix of spaces, each offering something different.
Artists and artisans work from their chosen area. The broad range of subject matter being produced includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, glass and fibre art, mosaics, carving and photography.
Open working studios include those of Paul Samson, Helen Jean, Ceara Lile, Judi Soutar and Alan Muller.
Artist Teresa HR Lane has transformed an old shearing shed into a working studio made almost entirely from recycled materials.
Many venues offer refreshments and the full list of artists, maps and details can be found online.
Anna Hamilton, a trustee for the trail organisers, the Bay of Islands Creative Charitable Trust, said KOAST is more than an art event.
“It’s a catalyst for the cultural economy of the Far North,” she said.
Trail guides are available at shops, galleries and i-Sites across Northland, through Eventfinda or through the website.
KOAST Art Trail Labour Weekend, October 24-27. Opening hours: Friday-Sunday, 10am-4pm; Monday, 10am-1pm. For more information, visit: www.koast.org.nz