The 2014 Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards cocktail night was held at the Bank Street Social Club on Wednesday — it’s a networking prelude to the big event next Friday at Whangarei’s Forum North.
'Patient: Portraits from a doctor’s surgery' is the culmination of a two-year project by Bay of Islands GP Chris Reid to photograph virtually every patient that walked into his surgery. The book and accompanying exhibition were launched on Friday evening in front of one of biggest crowds ever seen at Kerikeri’s Turner Centre. The show runs until October 27. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Images from the book 'Patient: Portraits from a doctor's surgery' and accompanying exhibition by Northland GP Chris Reid at Kerikeri's Turner Centre. The exhibition runs until October 27.
In front of a packed Toll Stadium, the Taniwha became the first Northland team to make the ITM Cup semifinals in many years. Playing with the energy of the youthful team they are, the Taniwha ran away with the match, beating North Harbour 58-27 on Friday night. Freelance photographer Jason Milich, who can be found by searching “JasonMilich” on Facebook, supplied the Advocate with these shots.
Forty cadets and eight officers, along with the Whangarei Brass Band and a police escort, marched up Cameron St at around 11.30am on Saturday, to celebrate 150 years of cadets in New Zealand.
More than 100 people of all ages took part in a dance/music/kapa haka/audiovisual production called Echo over two nights at the Turner Centre. The show, part of the Papatuanuku Soul-utions expo, was the culmination of ten years’ work by choreographer/director Liz Russell and was met with rave reviews. It explored environmental themes including the plight of the Maui’s dolphin, the deep-sea oil drilling planned off Northland’s coast, fossil fuels dependence and the impact of consumerism on the natural environment. Photos by Chris Pegman.
Northern Advocate reporter/photographer Peter de Graaf went along to the filming of Marae Kai Masters at Waikare Marae.
The Bay of Islands International Academy – formerly Te Tii School, north of Kerikeri – held a spring festival on Saturday to celebrate its survival and re-invention. A few years ago the Year 1-8 school had half a dozen pupils and faced imminent closure; today its roll is nudging 100. Several hundred turned out to enjoy lots of kai and cake, a “Good Principals” fishing competition, auctions, stalls, games and a lineup of local bands. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Arty folk love visiting Whangarei’s Quarry Arts Centre. As well as the wonderful creations on show, the centre also holds open days where budding artists can learn how to create their own works. On Saturday the centre held another open day and Northern Advocate photographer Tania Newman went along to see the artwork being produced.
While many Northlanders were keeping a close eye on the television or websites as Saturday’s election night results came through, the politicians themselves were also waiting eagerly. Candidates held their own election night events across Northland and the emotions ebbed and flowed as the winners, and losers, became apparent as the night progressed. Northern Advocate photographers were at some of the events as the action unfolded.
Whangarei Town Basin seen through the lens of Northern Advocate photographers Michael Cunningham.
While the weather couldn’t decide what it was doing, FC Whangarei created history in Tikipunga and the Whangarei Racing Club hosted another successful race day in Ruakaka. FC Whangarei’s premier team won the Cup 4-2, while their second division team won the Bowl 4-0 and their first division side won 2-1. Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham visited both Ruakaka and Tikipunga to capture these shots
There was a full house at the opening of Northland Alzheimer's Society’s new premises in Corks Rd where about 70 people celebrated the move into a larger, smarter, future-proofed building. The society shifted home a month ago but officially opened its new premises on Friday. Based on a house plan and built by Whangarei company Homeworld Design and Build, it houses offices and has increased room for dementia day programmes and carer support groups, while the large grounds will provide a relaxing atmosphere for clients and their families. Alzheimer’s Northland provides services to about 450 non-residential clients. Predictions are that the number of people suffering form the most common form of dementia would double over the next 15 years. Photos by John Stone.
NorthTec Bachelor of Applied Arts students have opened a photo exhibition of their work at The Shutter Room in the Old Library. Students from years one, two and three of the applied arts course are exhibiting work at the Old Library, with the show opening on Friday. Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went along to the opening and was impressed with what he saw. He also captured these images from the event.
September is Bee Aware Month and it’s causing a buzz among the hundreds of members of the Whangarei Bee Club. The month is about promoting and protecting the humble honey bee, says club spokesman and past president Kevin Wallace. The national awareness week comes with the theme, Be Good to Bees. “It’s totally critical that everyone understands how important bees are and we look after them in hives because they no longer live in the wild,” Mr Wallace said. On Saturday a club open day at Whareora Hall attracted plenty of people interested in bees. Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went along too.
On Friday 144 golfers took to the Hikurangi Golf Club for its 10th annual Daffodil Day fundraiser. The club has raised $124,075 in the first nine years of the event and hoped to get another $15,000 or so from Friday’s edition. The fundraiser was one of a dozen held across Northland for Daffodil Day, which is the Cancer Society’s major funding source. The donations go towards vital scientific research into the causes and treatment of all types of cancer, as well as providing a wide range of support services, information, health promotion and education programmes to reduce cancer risk, awareness campaigns and programmes for people affected by cancer. Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went to capture the action.
Yesterday’s weather didn’t help the Northern Swords premier rugby league team as they went down 46-6 to the Counties Manukau Stingrays at Toll Stadium. However, the curtain raisers had plenty for Northlanders to smile about in the wet weather. Advocate photographer Tania Newman rugged up to capture these moments.
It was wet and windy at Ruakaka on Saturday but the racing action was hot. Photographer Tania Newman was in the crowd enjoying the winter racing meet.
Kaikohe’s fifth Winter Festival of Walking Arts. Photographed by Debbie Beadle.
Everything from teabags to tyre tubes, plastic bags and video tape was transformed into fashion garments and walking works of art on Saturday night. The fifth Winter Fest of Walking Art, organised every two years by the Kaikohe Arts Council, featured entries in Mask, Streetwear, Bizarre Bra, Beauty and the Beast, and Art to Wear categories. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Te Mirumiru, Ngati Hine’s childcare centre in Kawakawa, is in the running for an international green building award. These photos by Simon Devitt give a closer look at New Zealand's only commercial earth-bank building, opened in 2012. It is among seven Asia-Pacific finalists in the Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance category of the World Green Building Council awards, and the only Kiwi building in the running.
Houhora police officer Tracee Knowler and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge (aka the Chickshaw Blues) have reached the finish line after racing 3700km across India in a tuktuk. Here are the final photos from their adventure.
The third Far North Certified Builders’ Association boxing challenge on Saturday raised a whopping $10,000-plus for charity. Twenty Northlanders – 14 men and six women, most of whom had never boxed before – trained for months before facing off in the ring at Kerikeri’s Turner Centre. More than 550 people cheered on the fighters at the sell-out event with local band JPG providing entertainment between bouts. This year’s proceeds will go to Coastguard units from Waipu to Cape Reinga and the Kerikeri-based Coastguard Air Patrol. Photos by Carissa Marsh.
Hitching a ride (tuktuk and all) on a truck, pretty countryside and a 125km police escort: Houhora police officer Tracee Knowler and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge (aka the Chickshaw Blues) are racing the length of India in a tuktuk to raise money for Whangarei's Miriam Centre and counseling for sexual abuse survivors.
Rubbish, rice planting, elephants and Buddha's place of enlightenment: Houhora police officer Tracee Knowler and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge (aka the Chickshaw Blues) are racing the length of India in a tuktuk to raise money for Whangarei's Miriam Centre and counseling for sexual abuse survivors.
Houhora police officer Tracee Knowler and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge (aka the Chickshaw Blues) are racing the length of India in a tuktuk - that's 3500km in two weeks in a three-wheeled vehicle described as a glorified lawnmower. Their aim, as well as getting to the finish line, is to raise money to provide counseling for Northland sexual abuse survivors. Photos by Kristin Edge.
The supporters’ applause and cheers from Toll Stadium could be heard echoing throughout Whangarei on Saturday. The Rugby League Northland Multikai Premiership Grand Final saw Otangarei Knights reign supreme over Hikurangi, while Otaika Eagles took on Marist Brothers in an U18 finals and Muriwhenua faced Otaua Valleys in the U16 final. Northern Advocate photographer Tania Newman captured the action.
Top young musicians from all over Northland took part in the Be Free Youth Music Festival at Kerikeri’s Turner Centre on Saturday. Participants got to play on the main stage, were critiqued by established musicans, learned about careers in the music industry, and danced to guest bands Swamp Thing and Auckland’s Strangely Arousing. One of the youngest bands, Alien Weaponry, made up of pupils from Bream Bay College and Otamatea High, was also the loudest. Their frontman is just 12 years old but they’re already touring the North Island with heavy metal band Devilskin. Be Free is a music and lifeskills mentoring programme for Northland youth. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Images from Saturday morning's rescue when party-goers were swept away by a flooded Waitangi River at Lily Pond Lane. One man was rescued on a jetski, another by tractor, and a third by helicopter from a shed roof. Tragically, the body of a 28-year-old Wellington woman was found when the river level dropped the following day.
Russell’s Birdman Festival went ahead on Saturday as the sun came out after one of the worst storms to hit Northland in a decade. Three days of events were compressed into two and the famous Birdman jump was cancelled, but organisers still deemed the festival a success. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
As always Russell served up some lovely... er... ladies to compete in its Birdman Festival drag race. This year's winner was Kim Kardashian (aka Paul McBride of Auckland). Photos by Peter de Graaf.
One of the new events at this year's Russell Birdman Festival was a kids' dress-up competition. With more than 30 children dressed as everything from a Belgian superhero to pirates, princesses and a cavewoman, the judges had a tough job picking the winners. Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Russell's Birdman Festival went ahead over the weekend in the wake of one of the worst storms to hit Northland in a decade. Friday's events were postponed to Saturday afternoon, compressing the three-day festival into two, and the Birdman jump was replaced with a parade and on-stage performance, but those it made it to Russell through the floodwaters greatly enjoyed themselves. This year's supreme winners were Pania Sigley and Maryanne Hooson in a banana boat entry. Photos by Peter de Graaf.