News in brief: Raised pedestrian crossing for Moerewa, Oromahoe School's Matariki Light Festival postponed

Contractors are building a raised pedestrian crossing on State Highway 1 in central Moerewa. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Pedestrian crossing
Work is under way to build a raised pedestrian crossing on State Highway 1 in central Moerewa. The project, by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, is part of a suite of measures to improve pedestrian safety in the town and comes after ongoing complaints about vehicles speeding through the town centre. Works started on June 14 and are due to continue until June 30. Delays are likely during that time with northbound traffic diverted via Leaity St, Williams St and Pembroke St. Southbound traffic remains on SH1 but is subject to temporary traffic lights and speed restrictions.

Light festival delayed

Oromahoe School's Matariki Light Festival has been postponed until next Saturday, June 26. The mid-winter event, held at the school grounds off SH10 south between Puketona and Pakaraka junctions, was to have started at 4pm today

but a poor weather forecast has prompted the school to delay the popular fundraiser by a week.

Crash rescue
Passing motorists had to smash a rear window and crawl into a wrecked car to rescue an elderly woman trapped after a crash on SH1 near Towai. Kawakawa fire chief Wayne Martin said the accident occurred about 10am on Wednesday when the woman's car left the road, hit a drain and rolled. She was unable to get out when her car ended up stuck on its side in the drain. She was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance but her injuries were not thought to be serious. Fire crews washed down the highway which was sprayed in mud by the vehicle's impact. The Kawakawa brigade attended another crash at 5.55am on Thursday when a car left the road at Lemon's Hill, on SH11, and struck a bank. No one was injured.

Hokianga museum plan

A new museum and study centre is due to be officially opened in North Hokianga at the end of this year. The Raiātea Resource Centre at Motuti Marae, between Kohukohu and Mitimiti, will house more than 10,000 items including carvings from Polynesia and Micronesia, objects relating to the history of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, and Māori artefacts such as carvings, tukutuku panels, cloaks and taonga puoro (traditional musical instruments). The items were collected by, or gifted to, the late Pā Henare Tait over a period of 30 years. The opening, at 4am on December 4, will be followed at 10am by the unveiling of a headstone at the nearby Hata Maria Church for Pā Tait, who died in April 2017 aged 79.

Midwinter swim
Those keen to brave the cold can take the plunge at Urquharts Bay on Sunday for a midwinter swim. Gather at the Smugglers Bay carpark end of the beach at 12.45pm for the 1pm plunge. Refreshments will be provided but bring a small plate for afternoon tea.

Midwinter market
The annual midwinter market will be held today at the Otaika Valley Community Hall from 10am-2pm. There will be arts and crafts, coffee, garden art, jewellery, make-up, hangi, fry bread, plants, local food and products and Sheila's pickles.