Northland news in brief: New Kaikohe supermarket opens with community focus and fresh new look

The new FreshChoice Kaikohe team.

Supermarket choice

The new FreshChoice Kaikohe store has opened its doors with a refreshed design and community focus. The new owner-operators, Patrick and Paula-Lee Dudley, were excited to welcome the community into the supermarket last week. The opening ceremony included a pōwhiri, a ribbon-cutting, cake and a sausage sizzle. It was a special moment for Patrick Dudley, after starting out at Woolworths 32 years ago in Bay of Plenty as a store butcher and most recently managing the Woolworths Kerikeri store.

The Beast up for grabs

Sir Michael Hill’s iconic superyacht The Beast remains on the market. The vessel was listed for sale by Florida-based superyacht brokerage Ikonic Yachts in October. Boaties keen to own the 39.2m aluminium catamaran will need to fork out US$14.5 million ($25m).

Harbour working group

Kaipara District Council is establishing a new working group to advocate for the health and function of Mangawhai Harbour and its tributaries. Kaipara Mayor Mayor Jonathan Larsen says the future of Mangawhai depends on maintaining a healthy, functional harbour. Local independent RMA commissioner Mark Farnsworth is chair and councillor Craig Jepson is the council representative. Other invited stakeholders are the Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society, Northland Regional Council, Mangawhai Matters, the Department of Conservation and Te Uri o Hau.

Golden Shears

Kaiwaka’s Toa Henderson is among the 600 shearers and woolhandlers competing at the 20th Golden Shears World Championships and 63rd Golden Shears in Masterton from March 4-7. Henderson lines up for New Zealand in the machine‑shearing team alongside Rowland Smith.

Housing fund

Applications have opened for the Government’s new Flexible Fund, aiming to deliver up to 770 social homes and affordable rentals in high‑need regions, including the Far North. The fund replaces multiple housing schemes with a single system targeting areas with the greatest demand. Community housing providers, iwi organisations and other eligible groups can apply until April 24.

Dog safety portal

The SPCA has launched a free online education portal to teach children safe ways to interact around dogs. This programme can be found at teachers.spcaeducation.org.nz.

Beef numbers to rise

New Zealand’s beef supply is likely to lift modestly in 2026, supported by strong pricing signals and improved confidence across finishing systems, according to Rabobank’s Q1 Global Beef Quarterly report. Rabobank says the 2025 New Zealand season marked a production low, with the country’s smallest annual beef output since 2017, because of fewer dairy‑origin calves reared in 2023 and reduced dairy cow culling.