The annual Love Tennis day is happening all over the North Island, apart from Auckland and Waikato, on Sunday and six Northland clubs re taking part. There will be BBQs, music, giveaways and the chance to win a West Coast adventure. In Northland Mairtown, Kamo, Waipū, Springfield, Onerahi and Kaitaia tennis clubs are taking part from 10am to 4pm. Love Tennis inspires people in local communities across the country to pick up a racquet for free and learn about the great social environment clubs provide. In 2020 more than 19,000 people visited tennis clubs for Love Tennis and more than 3000 new members were signed up, providing over half a million dollars in revenue for clubs. Love Tennis was a finalist in the Event Excellence category at the 2020 NZ Sport & Recreation Awards.
Exams to begin
Around 4100 Northland students are preparing for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams, which begin on Monday. In Northland, 1700 students are entered to sit some of their exams online. Online exams are being offered in 68 sessions across NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3. Eighty-six Northland students are also entered for New Zealand Scholarship, a system of competitive awards where top-performing students receive between $500 and $30,000 towards the cost of tertiary education or training. For the first time, one New Zealand Scholarship exam - Media Studies - is being offered online this year. NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams run from Monday to December 14.
Fan fire quickly out
A quick-thinking Maungatūroto homeowner stopped a fire in an extractor fan from spreading further than the kitchen on Wednesday. He quickly ripped the fan out of the ceiling and used a garden hose with a sprinkler to douse the burning gap in the roof when the fire started around 5.30pm. The Maungatūroto Volunteer Fire Brigade dispatched two trucks crewed by nine firefighters to the scene around 1km from the fire station. Fire chief Paddy Thornton said the fire was extinguished when they arrived. He said it was lucky the man was home otherwise it could have been major. It was unknown what caused the fire to start.
Teens accused of assault
Two youngsters were reportedly assaulted by three female teenagers at a popular Whangārei swimming hole on Wednesday. The assault took place around 4.50pm at the Raumanga Scenic Reserve Waterfall, where the trio allegedly bullied several children. The incident will be followed up by Youth Aid.
Officer bitten
A police officer was bitten on the hand during a callout in Takahiwai, near One Tree Point, on Wednesday. The officer was responding to a domestic incident when they were bitten around 11pm. They underwent follow-up treatment for the injury.