Northland news in brief: Catalina visit postponed and bridges upgraded

A planned visit from a World War II Catalina flying boat, similar to this, has been postponed due to forecast bad weather.

A Far North visit by a World War II flying boat has been postponed due to forecasts of poor weather this weekend. The 1944 Catalina was to arrive in Kaitaia on Friday evening and spend all day today on display at Kaitaia airport with a refuelling stop in Kerikeri on Sunday, but the visit will now take place on April 5-7 instead. About 3200 Catalinas were built during the war, primarily for submarine hunting and rescuing downed airmen, but only a few are still flying.

Works to upgrade bridges
Two Tangowahine Valley bridges near the State Highway 14 end of Tangowahine Valley Rd, are being upgraded from mid-April and again in late April to May which will close part of Tangowahine Valley Rd for up to two weeks. The estimated road closure dates are from Monday, April 15 (6am) to Thursday, April 18 (midnight), and then from Monday, April 29 (6am) to Thursday, May 7 (6pm). These dates are dependent on favourable weather. The bridges will be replaced at the same time to make the project more cost effective and minimise inconvenience to road users. Overall the project will be upgrading the existing two bridges to 50 MAX loading capacity. The works will involve drilling of existing beams and abutments and running new reinforcing bars to provide adequate strength to the existing structure. Detours will be in place.

Dive! Tutukaka turns 20
Northland tourism venture Dive! Tutukaka is celebrating its 20th birthday soon. It's celebrating the China anniversary at its new headquarters in Tutukaka - 3-5 Rona Place, on May 4. Dive! Tutukaka is New Zealand's largest dive charter company, with five ocean-going vessels take more than 12,000 people to the Poor Knights Islands every year. Dive! Tutukaka was founded in 1999 by two diving friends with a love for the sea; Aussie Malcolm and Jeroen Jongejans. Jongejans later bought out his mate with his partner Kate Malcolm, who is Aussie Malcolm's daughter.

Dancing on the bridge
Calling out around the north are you ready for a brand new beat? Autumn's here and the time is right for dancing on the bridge — Whangarei's Canopy Bridge that is. Dancing on the Bridge, a free family-friendly dance party has been organised for the bridge on April 27 - weather permitting. From 3pm to 6pm that night there will be music from the 1950s-90s and short performances from local dance groups. It's an alcohol-free and smoke-free event and for more information email kiwiri4144@gmail.com.

Doctors to strike
Northland Resident Doctors who are members of the New Zealand Resident Doctors' Association (NZRDA) have voted to strike for a fifth time this year. The fifth strike will take place for four days, from April 15-18. The union is in a contract dispute with the country's district health boards. The four-day strike will not take place in Canterbury DHB following the atrocity in Christchurch. There are about 86 junior doctors working in Whangārei, Bay of Islands, Kaitaia and Dargaville hospitals.

Fire ignites in debris
Forestry slash on a skid in a Northland forestry block ignited thanks to what fire officials believe was spontaneous combustion. Volunteer firefighters from Mangonui, Karikari and Kaikohe were called to the fire on Kenana Rd, near Mangonui, about 3am yesterday. Deputy principal rural fire officer Wayne Martin said the crews started dousing the fire that covered an area of about half a hectare. Forestry fire crews joined the volunteers and by about 2pm the fire was contained. Containment lines were set up and the rural crews were to remain onsite and monitor the situation. Martin said the fire was deepseated in the slash and had spontaneously combusted.