Northland news in brief: Coastguard Mangawhai completes first rescue

The Coastguard Mangawhai volunteer crew ran Kokako Rescue’s first official rescue this week.

Coastguard Mangawhai has officially completed its first rescue, responding to a vessel in distress near Wahine Bay, off the southeast of Hen (Taranga) Island. The callout on Wednesday, December 17, was the first official rescue for the new coastguard service, which started in November. The 7.6m boat was taking on water in a 1m swell and choppy seas. Five Coastguard Mangawhai volunteers launched Kokako Rescue, securing the safety of the three people and three dogs onboard, taking them to shore, while the boat was towed by Coastguard Whangārei’s Circa Rescue. Crew member Duncan McKenzie says the service is available for everyone in the area, with the Mangawhai area popular for boaties, surfers and holidaymakers.

Heart attacks awareness

Kia Manawanui Trust-The Heart of Aotearoa NZ is warning people not to ignore heart attack symptoms these holidays. December and January are peak months for heart-related deaths, both in New Zealand and around the world. Trust medical director and interventional cardiologist Dr Sarah Fairley says every year, people ignore symptoms because they don’t want to interrupt celebrations or think they can wait until after Christmas, but prevention and early action are important. Symptoms to seek urgent medical attention for are: chest pain; a feeling of pressure, aching or heaviness in the chest, arms or jaw; and any feeling of difficulty breathing.

Safe to swim?

Northlanders keen to take a dip can find out if popular beaches and freshwater swimming spots are safe to swim at, thanks to the Safeswim online platform and app at safeswim.org.nz. Safeswim gives real-time updates and offers a three-day forecast covering water quality, wind, weather, tides and lifeguard availability. The programme uses water quality data collected by Northland Regional Council.

Northlander deputy commissioner

The new statutory Deputy Commissioner, appointed to replace disgraced Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, is born-and-bred Northlander Mike Pannett. The former Assistant Commissioner began his policing career with 30 years in Northland and Auckland, including becoming Northland district crime services manager. Pannett established and led the Northland District Intelligence Unit, plus led policing operations at Waitangi for more than 20 years. Other career highlights include leading national intelligence operations in 2009, working in Washington DC, helping with security for both the Rio and Beijing Olympics, and being the first police officer to be a sworn Assistant Commissioner simultaneously in Australia and New Zealand.

Old4New

An initiative to help boaties upgrade their lifejackets has been transformed from one-day pop-up events to an in-store campaign at Hunting & Fishing stores. From January 1-February 28, 2026, people who bring in an old or damaged lifejacket will get $20 to $30 off selected new Hutchwilco lifejackets. The initiative is run by Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, Hutchwilco and Hunting & Fishing NZ.

Northland campgrounds popular

Northland holds three of the top 10 most popular Department of Conservation (DoC) campgrounds in the country, according to last summer’s bookings. Uretiti Beach campground is the second most popular, with 32,000 bed nights, while Otamure Bay in Whananaki was fourth, with 20,000 bed nights. Puriri Campsite in Whangaruru rounded out the top 10 with 10,000 bed nights, DoC says. Top spot went to Tōtaranui campground in Abel Tasman with 57,000 bed nights.

Suspicious spots spotted

The FMG Spot Check Roadie has helped identify more than 60 suspicious lesions in Northland, including 20 which were suspected melanomas. The programme, sponsored by FMG and run by Melanoma New Zealand, offers free skin cancer spot checks and melanoma education. Of the 191 Northlanders checked between August 2024 and July 2025, a third had suspicious lesions, the highest rate in the country. The FMG Spot Check Roadie will be back in Northland in February for the Northland Field Days.