A great dane named "Ruperta" dressed in a fetching wig and petticoat made Russell Birdman Festival history as the first canine competitor in Friday evening’s drag race. Contestants were required to sprint the length of Cass St with high heels and a handbag, while negotiating tyre and haybale obstacles, downing a shot of a mystery drink, skipping a rope, and completing a ball challenge; earlier ladies dressed as blokes contested the Fred Dagg dash along the same route. Everyone went home with a prize but first across the line and best bloke overall in the dash went to Jules "Bazza" Mills of Auckland, while the petite 6-foot-2-inch Paul "Shazza" McBride, also of Auckland, won the prize for best performance in the drag race. Ruperta seized the crowd favourite title. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Dismal weather coinciding with Saturday afternoon’s Birdman jump, the highlight of the two-day Russell Birdman Festival, failed to dampen the creativity or enthusiasm of a dozen teams bravely taking the plunge from the end of the town wharf. This year’s supreme winner was Russell skipper Tim Grant, whose entry was a warning of the harm caused to sea life by plastic waste. Other attractions included a spaghetti-eating contest, pancake flipping, stilt walkers, a Corflute boat-building challenge and a wok cook-off. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Mike Yardley checks out a German treasure.

A record crowd turned out for Oromahoe School’s Light Festival on Saturday evening, an annual celebration of Matariki, the winter solstice and all things warming. This year’s attractions included music mediaeval and modern, a lantern walk full of surprises, kapa haka and light poi, with lots of kai and blazing braziers to keep festival-goers warm on a crisp mid-winter’s night. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Kamo took on Old Boys Marist in a top of the table clash at Kamo Recreation Ground as both sides searched for a statement victory. Kamo held a 15-14 lead with half an hour to go but a trio of tries gave them the 39-14 bonus point win, keeping their unbeaten season alive. Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham went along to capture the action.

Hundreds of children turned out for Kaeo’s inaugural Nga Purapura Festival on Saturday, a day-long celebration of creativity with free kids’ activities including story telling, drama workshops, mud monster making, African drumming, hula hoops, cartoon drawing, dress ups, bag making, flax weaving and much more. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The Mid North town of Okaihau, population 700, celebrated its 150th anniversary over Easter weekend with three days of festivities including a grand parade, a theatre production, a country dance, a bike ride to the Utakura valley, and plenty more. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

An estimated 2500 people turned out for the inaugural Bay of Islands Music Festival on the waterfront grounds of the Copthorne Hotel in Waitangi on Saturday. The one-day festival featured top Northland musicians such as Teeks and Troy Kingi along with roots-reggae veterans Katchafire and country-rocker Tami Neilson, but the man people really came to see was Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, possibly playing his last show in Aotearoa. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Whanau from all over Australasia gathered at isolated Pawarenga, by the Whangape Harbour in North Hokianga, on Sunday to see out 2017 with a day of sporting challenges, kai and catching up. Peter de Graaf captured some of the action.

The America’s Cup trophy kicked off a national tour in Northland over the weekend, starting with a parade, formal welcome and viewing at New Zealand’s northernmost sailing club, Taipa Sailing Club in Doubtless Bay, on Friday evening. On Saturday afternoon the trophy was hosted by Kerikeri Cruising Club — where sailors Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney were introduced to the sport — and displayed at Kerikeri Domain before it headed to Whangarei Cruising Club for the evening. Hundreds of locals turned out to each event to see the world’s oldest sporting trophy and meet members of Team NZ. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The "no vacancy" signs were out all over town as music fans from around the country descended on the Bay of Islands for the 32nd Jazz and Blues Festival, with more than 40 acts performing over three days at six venues. This year's star attractions were a one-legged blues guitar legend from the US, Austin Walkin' Cane, and a Japanese band called Chihiro Yamazaki and Route 14, with the rest of the lineup ranging from classic Dixieland jazz to a hard-rocking blues band that wouldn't have sounded out of place at a heavy metal convention. This year's festival was the 25th organised by Shirley May of Pakaraka. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Images from the July 7 opening of the $14 million rebuild of Kaikohe's Northland College. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

After two date changes due to forecasts of poor weather Oromahoe School’s annual mid-winter Light Festival took place on Friday night with the school grounds transformed into a fairytale scene of lanterns and flickering lights. Attractions included live music, a shadow puppet show, kapa haka, a lantern parade, a pair of wizards and lots of kai. Oromahoe School is off State Highway 10 between Kerikeri and Pakaraka. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

More than 200 boys and girls aged 8-12 braved mud, deep puddles and the odd cowpat in the annual Kerikeri and Districts Inter-school Cross Country Race, held at Landcorp’s Kapiro Station near Takou Bay on June 26. The 2.4km course included plenty of uphill and downhill, ditches to be jumped and, most importantly, lots of mud. Participants reported the course was extra slippery this year. The children that took part were the top qualifiers form school cross country races at Bay of Islands International Academy, Hukerenui, Kerikeri Primary, Kerikeri High, Oromahoe, Riverview and Springbank schools. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

One of New Zealand’s most striking birds — the kakariki, or red-crowned parakeet — is back in the Bay of Islands after an absence of more than 30 years. Forty colourful birds caught on Little Barrier were released on Moturua Island on Tuesday as part of Project Island Song. If they breed well in their new home they should soon start turning up in backyards all around the bay. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

More than 150 paddlers from Waitakere to Kaitaia took part in the inaugural Bay of Islands Waka Ama Festival on Ti Beach over the weekend. Saturday’s events included a relay of four legs of 5km each (won by Ngati Rehia’s Seven Kidneys team, so called because one of the four paddlers gave up a kidney for a sick family member), midget races for the youngest paddlers, and mid-distance races in the W6 (six-seater) class. On Sunday the toughest paddlers competed in a 25km race around Motuarohia Island called Te Taiawhio o Ipipiri, a race founded 25 years ago by waka ama legend Kris Kjelsden and revived after a 17-year absence. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

A massive volunteer effort has restored public access to a waterfall which was hidden for more than 40 years despite being just a short walk from central Kerikeri. Last Saturday the track was officially opened along with a footbridge over the Wairoa Stream, paid for by a descendant of a Kerikeri couple who once owned the nearby Pagoda Lodge. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Cyclists of all ages – plus a few on electric bikes, scooters and a unicycle – turned out to celebrate the March 18 opening of the final, and arguably most scenic, section of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail which now stretches 84km from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Horeke in South Hokianga. Riders could choose between pedalling the full 28km or a 9km loop taking in a 1.2km boardwalk along the Hokianga Harbour. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Heavy rain forced the cancellation of the first day of the biennial Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine Festival on Friday but day two went ahead as planned at Otiria Marae near Moerewa. Attractions included kapa haka, music, wearable arts, debate and kai, much of it around the theme of He Kumara, He Tangata (‘Everyone is sweet like the kumara’). Photos by Peter de Graaf.

From the politicians' welcome to the mass haka on Tii Beach, a spectacular waka fleet and kids keeping cool - Northern Advocate chief photographer John Stone captured it all at Waitangi Day 2017.

Political intrigue, Navy pomp, a waka fleet and a mass haka, blazing sunshine, music, a march against P, kai and family fun - Waitangi 2017 had it all. Check out a selection of photos by Peter de Graaf here.

Close to 1000 people turned out for the 90th Kaikohe Agricultual, Pastoral and Horticultural Show at the showgrounds on Ngawha Springs Rd on Saturday. As well as the usual attractions - including indoor competitions, trade stalls, horse jumping, shearing, livestock and small animal displays - this year's show saw a return of sheepdog trials and wood chopping while Top Energy put on free tours of the nearby geothermal power plant. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Paihia’s Summer Festival wrapped up on Sunday with a sandcastle competition marking the end of eight days of free kids’ activities ranging from a beach treasure hunt to pavement drawing and a pirate day. Children and teens aged 2 to 16 took part in this year’s activities from Melbourne, Tauranga, Auckland, Whangarei and the Bay of Islands. Some families timed their holidays to coincide with the festival. Twenty-five teams entered this year’s sandcastle competition. The winning entry, Maui and a fish hook, was made by Rico Churches of Kawakawa and Brayden Deeming from Whangarei. Other standout sand sculptures included a great white shark, a fantail, a dolphin boat and a spa complex. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The biggest cruise ship ever to visit Northland — the 348 metre, 170,000 tonne Ovation of the Seas — arrived in the Bay of Islands with almost 5000 passengers and 1600 crew on board about 7am on Thursday. Launched just nine months ago the monster ship resembles a floating city, amusement park and giant food court rolled into into one. On-board firsts include robotic bartenders and an observation bubble which rises to 100m above the water. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The Bay of Islands was transformed into a sea of sails on Saturday for the 42nd Tall Ships and Classic Invitational Race, which drew just under 100 vessels ranging from vintage mullet boats to a monster superyacht. Hosted by the Russell Boating Club every January, this year’s competitors enjoyed the best conditions in many years with a southerly switching to a sea breeze just as the fleet reached the furthest mark. The tall ships division was won by Arcadian, a Whangarei-based junk-rigged schooner, while Valeria, a 104-year old mullet boat, won the classic division. Photos by Stephen Western and Peter de Graaf.

For the third year in a row the residents and holiday-makers of Taupo Bay in the Far North celebrated their love of the humble tractor (not to mention their eccentricity) with a Tractor Spectacular. The December 30 event featured more than 40 tractors, a parade, a barbecue, lots of waterbombs and squirtguns, and prizes for most pimped, best decorated, most loved, best pre-1970 and best post-1970 tractors. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

An estimated 2000 people descended on the tiny settlement of Pawarenga, North Hokianga, on Saturday to see out 2016 with a day of fundraising, sporting challenges and whanaungatanga. Highlights of the United Marae Sports Day included beach horse sprints, a gruelling cross-country horse race, Iron Man and Woman, tug ‘o war, woodchopping and catching up with old friends. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The Mid North town of Ohaeawai, population 700, has marked the festive season with a decorating competition featuring the humble rural letterbox. The contest is organised by the Ohaeawai Taiamai Residents Association as an affordable way of bringing some Christmas spirit to the town. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

You know you're in Northland when Santa arrives by waka ama with a United Tribes flag flying proudly from the back of his canoe. Photos of Hana Koko (that's Santa Claus in te reo Maori) and his elves paddling to Waitangi on December 15 by Peter de Graaf.