Far North News in brief: Brain injury support group, Savour Northland is back

Savour Northland is back this October.

Savour Northland is back this October – and the first events are now live! From long, lazy lunches and unique wine tastings to chorizo-making workshops and exquisite feasts, Northland’s signature food and beverage festival is set to return with flavour, flair and unmistakable regional pride. Now in its second year, Savour Northland 2025 will run from 1–31 October. Keep an eye on www.savournorthland.com for the latest updates.

Support group

The Brain Injury Association will be hosting a support group meeting for people living with the effects of brain injury and their family, friends and carers. The group will meet on August 21 from 10am to noon at Far North Reapon Puckey Avenue. For inquiries, contact the Brain Injury Association Northland on (09) 459 5013 or Vikki on 0272419191.

Racing heart

Health Minister Simeon Brown is celebrating faster heart specialist access in Northland. The numbers of patients waiting for their first specialist assessment with a cardiologist have dropped 36% since November 2023 and the number of patients waiting longer than four months dropped 68%, he said. Measures to reduce the waitlist include running regular cardiac clinics at rural hospitals, prioritising those who have waited the longest and expanding local services, including the catheterisation lab at Whangārei Hospital.

Stop rats

Backyard trapping is an effective way to control rats, but to make sure your traps are successful, they need to be the most attractive spot in your backyard. Here’s how:

• Tidy your backyard: remove any long grass or rubbish that rats could hide or nest in.
• Secure food: store pet food and other food sources in rat-proof containers.
• Prevent your scraps becoming their snacks: if your compost bin doesn’t have a built-in base, place it on steel mesh. Cover all air holes inside the bin with mesh to stop rats from burrowing in.
• Watch your woodpile: rats can squeeze into tiny gaps, so check for signs of nesting and keep the area tidy.

Traps, traps boxes and bait are available for purchase from Northland Regional Council. Contact your nearest council office on 0800 002 004. For more information on controlling rats and other pests, visit the council’s Pest Control Hub at www.nrc.govt.nz/pestcontrolhub.

Te Rarawa rugby reps

Local women’s rugby club Te Rarawa is celebrating after 11 of its players were named in the Northland Kauri squad for the 2025 Farah Palmer Cup (FPC). The Far North club says it is the highest number of its players ever selected. The players are: Krystal Murray, Timara Leaf, Lyla Blue Paparoa, Poto Murray, Nora Maaka, Ari Ihaka, Kredence Brown, Kalani Walters-Hewson, Te Ruawai Herbert-Brown, Zarndra Patrick-Motu and Mariameno Kaipo. The team thumped Taranaki 48-17 in the opening round of the FPC.