Last year Fast and Fresh Bakery in Taupo won the NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Award with their venison, mushroom, bacon and cheese pie.
Opua walkway washed out
Part of a popular coastal Bay of Islands walking track has been closed after two short sections washed away in recent storms.
The 8km Paihia to Opua Coastal Walkway, which is also part of the Te Araroa trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff, is impassable between the Paihia Top 10 Campground, at the end of Smith Camp Road, and Opua. The track from the campground to Paihia is still open.
Far North District Council is warning a quick fix is unlikely. Remedial work could involve excavating parts of the cliff face and building new sections of boardwalk to bridge the most seriously eroded sections of the track.
Signs have been placed at track entrances warning walkers of the closure.
Top quality kiwifruit off to China, Japan
The very first shipment of Zespri kiwifruit are being loaded up at NorthPort, with 40 containers of premium Zespri SunGold kiwifruit going on board the Bomar Rossi yesterday. The 45 tonnes of top-quality Northland-grown fruit are due to arrive in China and Japan, which jointly share the title of Zespri's top sales market, in early June.
It was the first of six fortnightly shipments from NorthPort, taking fruit from Northland directly to Zespri's international markets rather than trucking it to the Port of Tauranga.
These efficiencies support the returns to growers.
Sculpture theft pleas
Police have issued a renewed call for information about the theft of a sculpture from a Northland factory. Officers have been investigating the theft reported on January 8, when an offender broke into the Arts Factory on SH1 Te Hana and took a Whale Tail sculpture along with Kauri gum and various tools.
Police have been unable to locate the sculpture that was on sale for $8500. Anyone with information about this should contact Wellsford Police on 09-423 8228 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Stabbed man stable
A man stabbed at least four times on Wednesday night and driven to the Kerikeri police station remains in Whangarei Hospital in a stable condition. Police said the man was flown by rescue helicopter to Whangarei Hospital but he was not keen to tell officers what had happened and did not want to lay a complaint.
Fisherman still missing
Fisherman Bryce Frecklington, 47, has still not been seen after being reported missing in Northland last month.
Frecklington, from West Auckland, was last believed to be staying at a campground in Maitai Bay near Karikari Peninsula on Thursday, April 19.
An inflatable fishing boat used by Frecklington was discovered on the water by another boatie, almost 12 nautical miles out to sea off Karikari.
The missing man's family confirmed the boat was the one he had been using.
Extensive searches on land and at sea were carried out as soon as police were notified.
Dobbie track reopened
Mt Parihaka's Dobbie Track reopened to the public yesterday morning after six weeks of upgrades that included new steps, drainage and track levelling. A helicopter was used this week to ferry metal from the summit to contractors. The Dobbie track was the second of Mt Parihaka's tracks to be repaired, after the Drummond Track. A third, the Ross Track, is due to have about six weeks of repairs starting in two to three weeks.
