Northland news in brief: Stolen gate, disability expo, meet the candidates

The public is being urged to keep an eye out for this automated steel gate, stolen earlier this week while it was being installed at the Opua end of the Pou Herenga Tai/The Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

The public is being urged to keep an eye out for an automated steel gate, above, stolen earlier this week while it was being installed at the Opua end of the Pou Herenga Tai/The Twin Coast Cycle Trail. Anyone who spots the missing gate, or sees it being offered for sale, should call Kerikeri police on (09) 407 9211.

Getting Out There Expo

A unique expo designed to give as much information as possible to help people with disabilities and senior citizens is being held in Whangārei today. Getting Out There – Enabling Recreation and Leisure Expo is on at Forum North today with the official opening at 10am. The expo is uniquely Northland and specifically supplies information, equipment and recreation and services available for people with disabilities and senior citizens. There will be a fashion show on at 1pm and a guest speaker at 2pm on Understanding Dementia and Behaviours. Some Accessible parking is available at Forum North carpark. The event is sponsored by Tlc4u2, Whangārei District Council.

Meet the candidates

Kaikohe residents have a chance to meet their local election candidates at 116 Broadway (opposite the Bakehouse) from 12.30pm-1.30pm today. Council and community board candidates standing in Kaikohe have been invited to attend.

No seatbelt on

A man injured when his ute crashed near Kerikeri yesterday was not wearing a seatbelt, emergency services say. The single-vehicle accident occurred about 8.15am at the Kapiro Rd end of Redcliffs Rd. The ute is thought to have rolled before coming to rest on its wheels but facing the wrong direction and blocking the road. The crash may have been caused by a medical event with the unrestrained driver suffering facial injuries when he was thrown around inside the cab. He was not trapped but firefighters had to lift him out of the ute and into an ambulance.

Tree crashes on to road

Kaitaia volunteer firefighters were called out at 3am yesterday to clear a large pine tree which had fallen across State Highway 1 near Waiharara, about 20km north of Kaitaia. The hazard was reportedly discovered by a motorist who crashed into it. Fortunately no one was injured.

Home saved from fire

An alert neighbour and volunteer firefighters saved a house on Wiroa Rd, near Kerikeri, from burning down on Wednesday night. The neighbour called 111 about 11.05pm after noticing the house, which was unoccupied at the time, was full of thick black smoke. Three appliances from the Kerikeri Fire Brigade responded with a crew in breathing apparatus entering the house and extinguishing the blaze, which was in an electrical water cooler. Fire chief Les Wasson said the house, which was heavily smoke damaged, was on the point of combustion. It was one of four callouts for the brigade in just over 12 hours.