Northland news in brief: Bay rally back on, and man and dog rescued from yacht

Ben Hunt powering to victory in Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally 2019. The rally is back again this year after Covid disruption put paid to the event for the last two years.

The Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally is returning for 2022. As Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn checked in to the final time control to win the Far North Rally in September 2019, competitors, service crews and officials immediately began planning the 2020 version of one of the most popular rallies on the New Zealand Motorsport Calendar. The Covid pandemic and ensuing lockdowns put paid to any hopes of running events in the following two years as cars sat in sheds and rally folk waited for the chance to hit the loud pedal once again. But Saturday, July 2, will mark 1016 days since the 2019 event and signal the return of rallying to possibly the best gravel roads in New Zealand.

Towed to safety

A man and his dog were towed to safety by a tour boat after their yacht got into trouble in strong winds on the Waitangi River yesterday morning. Adam Prendergast, who owns tour company Island Getaway, said it was a "fluke" that he ended up being out on the water and noticed the yacht in trouble. "Our vessel just happened to be heading through that area when they started waving out for help, so it was a case of being in the right place at the right time," he said. "My understanding is the boat had started dragging its anchor in the strong winds, and he wasn't able to get the outboard started." "With the winds as strong as they are, and the amount of current that was moving, it didn't take long until the boat ended up under the Waitangi Bridge, and took out the mast." Prendergast said they spent about 30 minutes getting the yacht out from under the bridge, before towing it to the closest pile mooring. The man was also accompanied by a dog in a dingy, who was pulled along behind the yacht.

New Covid cases

There were 416 new Covid-19 cases reported in Northland yesterday. Nationally there were 12,020 new community cases; 957 hospitalisations; 26 people in ICU and 9 deaths reported yesterday. None of the deaths were in Northland. So far 91 per cent of the eligible Northland population, 87 per cent of Māori and 99 per cent of Pacific people have received at least one dose. And 88 per cent of the Northland eligible population, 83 per cent of Māori and 97 per cent of Pacific people are fully vaccinated. All Northland Covid -19 vaccination and testing sites, and where to pick up RATs can be found at www.northlanddhb.org.nz/home/covid-19/

Huge bookings jump

According to holiday home management firm Bachcare, accommodation bookings in Northland are up 250 per cent year on year. Forward bookings from overseas markets have increased following changes to managed isolation requirements, with an increase from Australia up 330 per cent, from the UK up 42 per cent, and the US up 44 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

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