Paraglider crashes
A paraglider has been rescued by boat and taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg after a flight at Russell went badly wrong. Details were still sketchy at edition time yesterday but it is believed the man, an experienced paraglider, took off from cliffs at the southern end
of Russell's Long Beach and flew the length of the beach before crashing on rocks near Tapeka Pt. Constable Mike Gorrie, of Russell police, said the injured man had been lifted on to an inflatable boat, then transferred to a Rawhiti-based water taxi and finally to an ambulance waiting at Waitangi jetty. He was taken to Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa with injuries including a suspected broken leg.
Fire cause unknown
Fire investigators have yet to determine whether a spectacular blaze near Taipa was an accident or deliberately lit. The fire, on a hilltop close to the Doubtless Bay town, started about 6.50pm on Tuesday. Two helicopters using monsoon buckets, along with ground crews from Mangonui, Karikari and Taupo Bay, put the fire out by 10pm. Principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor said their quick response meant the blaze was limited to about 1ha. The kikuyu involved, along with gorse and tobacco weed, created large clouds of smoke. It had started next to a walking track but it was not yet clear if it had been started accidentally, for example by a discarded cigarette, or on purpose. Investigations were continuing.
Meningitis case
A 5-year-old Northland boy who recently moved to the Bay of Plenty has contracted meningococcal disease. He was flown to Starship Hospital in Auckland from the Bay of Plenty on New Year's Eve and it's believed his extended family members from Northland are with him in hospital. Northland District Health Board medical officer for health Dr Virginia McLachlan could not say what type of meningococcal disease the child contracted and when. She said the case was being handled by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.
Roadworks close routes
Two road closures are planned for the Tarewa Rd and Porowini Ave intersection as work resumes for the year. From 6.30pm on January 11 to 5am January 13 Porowini Ave from Poto St to Tarewa Rd will be closed and Tarewa Rd from Porowini Ave to the Tarewa Mega Centre will be closed. Then from 5am January 13 until 6am January 14 the entire intersection of Tarewa Rd and Porowini Ave will be closed. There will be a sign-posted detour route around the closed intersection and signs will warn drivers several days in advance of the work. The final step in the roadworks is the sealing, which will require two additional nights from 6pm to 6am under Stop/Go.
Rubbish collections
Extra coastal rubbish and recycling collections in the Whangārei district start today. Northern coastal areas had their usual collection on Monday and have a second collection today for beach settlement areas. For those on the Bream Bay coast, the usual collection is Tuesday and the second collection in beach settlement areas is on Saturday. The extra weekly collection runs through until February 9.