Northland news in brief: Godwits return from Alaska; lucky Lotto winner

Looking for an endless summer, the bar-tailed godwit flies from Alaska to New Zealand to breed and raise its young. Photo / 123RF

The kūaka (bar-tailed godwit) are back. They have flown 12,000 kilometres from Alaska without stopping to spend the summer in Te Tai Tokerau. The birds can be seen at estuaries, harbours and beaches throughout Northland from September through to March. They are classed as native New Zealand birds, and their threat status is ‘At Risk Declining’. Kūaka feature prominently in Māori mythology and are thought to pass through the ancestral home Hawaiki to accompany the spirits of the departed. Help them stay safe by using designated entry points on to beaches, avoiding any marked shorebird nesting areas and ensuring dogs are on leashes.

Lotto luck

It will be a night to remember for four lucky Lotto players from Whangārei who won $250,000 with Lotto First Division in Wednesday night’s draw. The winning ticket was sold at Sunnyside Foodmarket in Whangārei. They shared the million-dollar prize pool with players from Auckland and Porirua. Powerball was not struck and has rolled over to Saturday night, where the jackpot will be $12 million. A lucky Strike player from Canterbury won $400,000 with Strike Four.

Saves in waves

A passenger had to be winched from a cruise ship 120km offshore northeast of the Bay of Islands after becoming unwell on Thursday. The Northland Rescue Helicopter airlifted the passenger, who was said to be suffering from a medical condition, to Whangārei Hospital.

Catch cycle

Catch limits in Northland for kutai/green-lipped mussels, kina and tiikati/gemfish will increase from October 1 as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s regular sustainability review. The changes are part of a six-month cycle of catch limit reviews to ensure long-term sustainability, Fisheries said. Green-lipped mussel catch limits in Te Oneroa a Tōhe/Ninety Mile Beach will increase for the six months to April 2024, then will revert to the current total allowable catch. More information including the decision document that informed the changes is available on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website.

Transport trepidation

A 64-year-old man who has been failing to report for his pre-sentence report because he doesn’t like catching taxis and doesn’t know how to use a bus has been warned he will be going to prison. Philip Lang, of Tikipunga, appeared before Judge Deidre Orchard for one charge of burglary, but his sentencing was unable to proceed as his report had not been complete. He will reappear for sentencing on December 4.