Northland news in brief: Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals; and Youth Theatre at play

Players from all over Aotearoa were welcomed to Te Tii Marae on Wednesday ahead of the two-day 2021 New Zealand Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals. Photo / Supplied

The biggest event in the national kī o rahi calendar is being held in the Bay of Islands this week. Thirty-two teams representing schools and iwi from as far away as Ngāi Tahu in the South Island are contesting the 2021 New Zealand Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals at Waitangi until Friday. Guests were welcomed with a pōwhiri at Te Tii Marae on Wednesday; Thursday's round-robin games will be played at Waitangi sports grounds, opposite the Treaty Grounds entrance. The final, at 12.30pm on Friday, will be played at Te Tii Marae followed by prizegiving at 1.15pm. Northland is represented by teams from Ōkaihau, Kaikohe and Taumarere. Kī o rahi is a traditional, fast-moving, full-contact game played with a kī (flax ball) on a circular pitch.

Gun incident arrest

A 37-year-old Mid North man has been arrested following a dispute involving a firearm at Waikare, east of Kawakawa. The incident, in which the man had allegedly turned up at a dispute carrying a gun, occurred two days earlier but police were notified on Tuesday morning. He was arrested at Waikare Valley Rd without incident around 11am on Tuesday and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He was released on bail to appear at a later date in the Kaikohe District Court. The man did not discharge the gun or point it at anyone.

Youth Theatre presents Peter Pan

Northland Youth Theatre (NYT) will be performing "The Boy Who Never Grew Up" (better known as Peter Pan) this coming weekend at the Whangārei Quarry Gardens. The show starts at 3.30pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, up on the hill on the flat ground directly above the tunnel. The cast originally rehearsed for this performance last year but Covid forced its cancellation, much to the dismay of all concerned. This time rehearsals started in March, culminating in the final dress rehearsal today.

Road victim named

The pedestrian who died in a crash on a rural highway in Northland has been named by police as Maria Annette Ruka, aged 22, of Matakohe. Ruka was walking north on SH12, at Kaihu, when the tragedy occurred about 9.30pm on Saturday. The 16-year-old driver was also heading north at the time. Senior Constable Warren Bunn of the police Serious Crash Unit said she was wearing dark clothing and the area had no street lights. There was also a car in the oncoming lane, heading towards them. Bunn said the stretch of highway was narrow, with the left-hand shoulder being only about 30cm wide. Police inquiries, which included talking to people in the area at the time, were ongoing.

Puketona accused denied bail

A man accused of shooting at a police officer on Puketona Rd last October has again been refused bail during an appearance in the Kaikohe District Court. Cliff Wharerau, who is charged with kidnapping, using a firearm against police, aggravated robbery using a firearm, participating in an organised criminal group, unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of arson, appeared in court by audio-visual link on Tuesday. He was further remanded in custody and will apply again for bail on May 4. Two other men facing the same charges also remain in custody.