Russell sailing charter operator and keen photographer Stephen Western captured these images of a pod of dolphins frolicking with his guests in Lagoon Bay, off Motuarohia/Roberton Island. Photos by Stephen Western.

Hundreds of people from across the North Island — including war parties from Northland, Tauranga Moana and Tuhoe, MPs and representatives of the Kingitanga movement — gathered at Ruapekapeka Pa, south of Kawakawa, on Sunday to remember the final battle of the Northern War exactly 170 years earlier. Commemorations started at 2am with traditional combat rituals, followed by a dawn service at the pa, a challenge to visitors and dignitaries at 11am, speeches, mass haka and the firing of replica 19th century mortars. The pa, built by the Ngati Hine chief Te Ruki Kawiti, is regarded as the pinnacle of Maori military architecture and has been recognised internationally. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Hundreds of people from across the North Island — including war parties from Northland, Tauranga Moana and Tuhoe, MPs and representatives of the Kingitanga movement — gathered at Ruapekapeka Pa, south of Kawakawa, on Sunday to remember the final battle of the Northern War exactly 170 years earlier. Commemorations started at 2am with traditional combat rituals, followed by a dawn service at the pa, a challenge to visitors and dignitaries at 11am, speeches, mass haka and the firing of replica 19th century mortars. The pa, built by Ngati Hine chief Te Ruki Kawiti, is regarded as the pinnacle of Maori military architecture and has been recognised internationally. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

More than 90 sailing boats of every shape and size - from a 111-foot superyacht to 120-year-old wooden mullet boats - took part in Saturday's Tall Ships and Classic Invitational, an annual spectacle of sail hosted by the Russell Boating Club. The big winner this year was a traditional yawl built from scratch on Motuarohia/Roberton Island by Jim and Terri Cottier, who took home prizes for first place in the classics division, first wooden boat and first gaff-rigged boat. Photos by Peter de Graaf; photo of Shanty, the winning boat, by Stephen Western.

More than 2500 people went to the rodeo in Whangarei over the weekend to see some of the country’s top cowboys in action. The Mid Northern Rodeo has been going since 1965 and Mid Northern Rodeo Association secretary Dianna Bradshaw said all the rodeo’s traditional events including saddle bronc, barrel racing and the bull ride were well contested. Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham went along to capture the action.

The night before their Kerikeri show British reggae band UB40 and their crew were formally welcomed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds by the cultural group Te Pito Whenua. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Last year the Northern Advocate’s photographers took literally thousands of images around the region, covering everything from breaking news, sport, and school fetes to public rallies, kapa haka competitions and art and entertainment events. As part of our Looking back on 2015 series, Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham today picks some of his favourite images from the past year.

A sell-out crowd of 5000 packed the natural amphitheatre at Kainui Rd Winery north of Kerikeri on Wednesday night for the first show of UB40’s New Zealand tour. The UK reggae legends were backed by former Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison and Kiwi reggae veterans Herbs, with more than 15 food, wine and craft beer stalls keeping the fan’s appetites satisfied. The event’s success and good-natured, all-ages crowd all but guarantee concerts at the boutique winery will become an annual event with promoters already lining up a big-name band for 2017, enough time to iron out problems with traffic and drink queues. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Almost 3000 people turned out for Ruakaka Races’ first meet of 2016 on Tuesday.

The Paihia Summer Festival kicked off yesterday with Monster Mural Painting and the Dance Moves Workshop and the town packed with visitors. The festival hosts a range of family-friendly activities which run until Sunday, January 10. Photographer John Stone went along to the Dance Moves Workshop, run by Alannah Curtis from DDF Dance Studioz, to capture all the moves.

Foul weather didn’t deter punters from turning up en masse to Whangarei’s Toll Stadium on Saturday to see top Kiwi band Six60. Thousands turned up for the show with the weather not dampening the spirits of fans or the band, who put in a great performance. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte went along to enjoy the event and capture these images.

At least 2000 people descended on Pawarenga to see out 2015 with a day of sporting challenges, horse races on the beach and catching up with whanau. The annual United Marae Sports Day is a fundraiser for the west coast settlement’s three marae and is one of the highlights of North Hokianga’s sporting and social calendar. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

There’ll be no joy for those waiting for a spot at one of the biggest campgrounds in Northland this festive season as Camp Waipu Cove is fully booked until the end of January, at least. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte strolled through the campsite and took these photos.

Brilliant Boxing Day weather saw Northlanders and tourists flock to beaches across the region. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte went along to Ocean Beach, at Whangarei Heads, on Saturday to capture all the action.

The crew behind the transformation of Russell’s Duke of Marlborough from tired hotel to award-winning establishment have expanded their empire across the water to Paihia. Anton and Bridget Haagh, Riki Kinnaird and Jayne Shirley opened their latest venture — Charlotte’s Kitchen, a new restaurant/bar at the end of Paihia wharf — with an evening of food, music and korero on December 16. While there was the odd politician and TV personality in the crowd, it was mainly a night for friends and supporters as well as the restaurant’s staff, builders and designers. The name refers to Charlotte Badger, a figure from the Bay of Islands' raucous early history turned in to an artwork by Kerikeri's Lester Hall. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The residents of Ohaeawai, a small town about 10km east of Kaikohe, have transformed their letterboxes into Christmas-themed works of art. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Kerikeri's steam sawmill closed down on December 18, marking the end of an era in New Zealand industrial history. Cobbled together out of bits and pieces rescued from hospitals, factories, mills and even an old steam tugboat, it was believed to be the last steam-powered commercial sawmill in the country. Peter de Graaf took a tour as the last log was sawn.

Kids a young as seven showed off their board skills at the second of a three-series Northland Mini Groms Surf Competition on Saturday. Thirty contestants took part in the primary school-age surf contest at Waipu Cove, organised by Learn 2 Surf Waipu Cove which holds lessons for “grommets” — young surfers — twice a week. The contestants taking part in four categories came from as far south as Whangaparaoa and from Tutukaka, event organiser Emma Harrington, from Learn 2 Surf Waipu Cove, said. The first competition in the Mini Groms was at Sandy Bay early this month and the third will be at Omaha next month. Keen older surfer and Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham went along to Waipu Cove to catch the action, including Nia Owen, 7, of Waipu on her board.

Whangarei’s annual Christmas Festival was a cracker of an event. The free event attracted thousands of people who spread out across the grass field at Toll Stadium on Saturday to enjoy the festive season entertainment in perfect weather. There were local performances from Kawiti Waetford, Otium, Taylah Barker, Natalie Wilson, Luke and Amberly’s duo Cavalcade, and the Whangarei Primary School choir. Santa also made an appearance. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte captured the family event.

The Northern Dance Academy’s third full-length ballet, The Nutcracker, has been wowing crowds at Kerikeri’s Turner Centre this week with sell-outs at the last three shows on Friday and Saturday. It featured all 65 of the academy’s students — the youngest just four years old — as well as spectacular sets, special effects and 176 costumes. The star is Whangarei teen Charlotte Gleeson as the Snow Queen, now a student at the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington. Charlotte had to pull out of the show due to a stress fracture but returned when she made a better than expected recovery and her replacement had to go to Australia at short notice. The fantasy ballet, first performed in Russia in 1892, revolves around a young girl’s dreams on Christmas Eve. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Students of Whangaroa College have created a large-scale mural capturing the stories and scenic beauty of their area. Peter de Graaf took a look at their work just before the mural, which stands 2.4m high and is almost 15m long, was mounted on a wall on Kaeo’s main street.

It hadn’t been on for four years, but more than 2000 people turned up for Raumanga’s Christmas in the Valley event on Saturday evening. Briarley Birch, one of the organisers from Te Ora Hou, said staff at multi-agency base The Pulse were amazed at the turnout, but it showed there were some loyal followers who remembered the event from previous years. “It was a real community event for Raumanga and Whangarei. With it being so well organised, in the past, it was easy to pick up the mantle to make this work,” Mrs Birch said. She said the event would be back. The crowd was thrilled at the calibre of performers the free event had attracted, which included Troy Kingi, Take 2, jazz musician Robbie Mulligan, Empire Dance Studio performers and even a band comprising Northland DHB staff members. Christmas in the Valley started small in 2004 and in its heyday attracted about 3000 visitors. Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went along to capture the action too.

Makeup ran and a papier-mache Death Star threatened to dissolve but otherwise Friday afternoon’s rain did little to dampen Paihia’s Christmas parade, famous for having some of Northland’s most extravagant floats. This year’s theme was ‘a town full of superheroes’. The town was indeed over-run by Supermen, Spidermen and Mutant Ninja Turtles, but there were also more Supermums, firefighters, Maori demi-gods, eco-warriors, Princess Elsas and Jedi knights than Santa could shake a stick at. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

The rain stopped and the sun came out just in time for Kerikeri’s Christmas parade on Saturday, with 35 entries including the entire cast of Dr Who, a truckload of dinosaurs, lots of Grinches, dancing girls, pet sheep and a Nativity scene complete with the baby Jesus. Kaikohe’s Pioneer Village was represented with vintage bicycles, a fire engine and a steam-powered traction engine from 1901. The event is organised by the Kerikeri Lions Clubs, who put on free bouncy castles and a kids’ show at the Domain afterwards as an early Christmas present for the town’s youngest residents. This year’s winners were: 1 Mainly Music; 2 Our Place Early Learning Centre; and 3 Kerikeri Primary School.

Far North charity the Bald Angels smashed a world record on November 20 when 10 hairdressers shaved 462 heads in one hour at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri, leaving a large proportion of the town’s residents bald. The proceeds will go to disadvantaged children in Northland. The previous world record, 371, was set in the USA in 2012. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

More than 4000 revellers packed Kerikeri’s main street on Saturday night for the culmination of a massive weekend which started on Friday with the Bald Angels’ world-record-breaking big shave in which 462 people went bald to raise money for disadvantaged Northlanders. On Saturday about 2500 people contested the Kerikeri Half Marathon and that evening thousands more ate, drank and danced in the annual Kerikeri Street party with a record 28 food stalls and 13 wineries taking part. This year’s bands were Jules’ Trio (Kerikeri), Legacy (Whangarei) and Pacifica Beats winners Strangely Arousing (Rotorua). The street party was started in 2007 by a group of B&B owners to persuade out-of-town runners in the half marathon to spend an extra night in town. Since then the free event has grown into Kerikeri’s biggest night of the year. Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Far North charity the Bald Angels smashed a world record on Friday night when 10 hairdressers shaved 462 heads in one hour at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri, leaving a large proportion of the town’s residents bald. The proceeds will go to disadvantaged children in Northland. The previous world record, 371, was set in the United States in 2012. The amount raised is not yet known — it could be weeks before all donations are tallied — but is expected to outstrip the charity’s last big fundraiser in 2012, when 62 shavees raised $45,000.

Hundreds of people took the opportunity to find out how to keep themselves and their families safe this summer at the Caring for Northland Summer Safety Day at Kensington Park on Sunday. Organised by Caring for Northland, the event gave people the chance to brush up on their safety skills and get ready for the hot summer months ahead. There were emergency vehicles to explore, including fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and the Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopters. There were also combat courses and live safety demonstrations taking place, with plenty for the kids, including bouncy castles as well as a classic car display. The event also supported Variety – The Children’s Charity, and aimed to show kids how they can stay safe while enjoying the sun. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte went along for the fun.

The Northern Knights rocked into town recently to host the Canterbury Kings in a Georgie Pie Super Smash T20 match at Cobham Oval. Helping the Knights to victory with an impressive knock of 42 off 18 balls in the first innings, Black Cap Corey Anderson bettered his previous Northern Districts T20 milestone of 35 not out to aid the Knights towards their final score of 172/8 off 20 overs. Unable to chase down the Knights’ score in the second stanza, the Kings fell short of a win by 13 runs to traipse home on 160/6 after 20 overs. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte captured the match and the crowd’s reaction to the first-ever GPSS T20 match held in Whangarei.

The annual Kids Can Cook competition, part of the Bay of Islands P&I Show at Waimate North, was won this year by 11-year-old Max Donaldson from Takou Bay. For the final round Max made Chinese-style mince dumplings using dough he made himself. The keen cook also took out the top prize in 2013. Second place went to his little brother Ben Burges. The seven-year-old made pancakes filled with his own rhubarb compote. Eight-year-old Yukhta Patel of Paihia came third with a chicken and rice dish, while Kawakawa’s Paige Naylor, 11, was fourth with a gluten-free meatball surprise. All four had made it through the heats earlier in the day.