Far North news in brief: Half marathon road closures; Christmas appeal and baking

Roads will be closed on Saturday for the annual Kerikeri Half Marathon.

Marathon delays

Motorists are being warned of road closures in Kerikeri this weekend, which will also impact the airport, as hundreds of runners hit the road for the annual half marathon. The 21.1km course starts at Ōkaihau this Saturday and finishes at the Kerikeri Domain. The temporary road closures begin at 5.30am and end about 11.15am. Road closures will mainly affect Waiare Rd, Wehirua Rd, and Wiroa Rd. During the event, airport access will be one way from the SH10 intersection, heading westbound along Wiroa Rd towards the airport entrance. Roads that intersect with the marathon route may also be disrupted.

Christmas appeal

PKF Northland has launched its Christmas Giving Appeal, calling on the community to donate wrapped toys and non-perishable food items to support local families seeking safety and support through Women’s Refuge. Donations can be delivered to Northland PKF offices in Kaitāia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Paihia before December 10. Drop-off locations are: 2 Redan Rd, Kaitāia, 350 Kerikeri Rd, Kerikeri, 71 Broadway, Kaikohe, and 1 Williams Rd, Paihia.

New CEO

Kerikeri Retirement Village has appointed Monique Hawker as its chief executive officer, from January 19. Hawker is currently manager at Te Puna Waiora, the Arvida-owned retirement community in Kerikeri. “I’m thrilled at the chance to innovate and make a difference at Kerikeri Retirement Village,” Hawker said.

Baking chapter

Good Bitches Baking has launched a new chapter in Kerikeri, led by Lisa Jarrett, with 11 volunteers about to start delivering treats to a deserving organisation. The national charity now has 32 chapters and 3,500 volunteers who baked 37,333 boxes of treats in the past year—bringing moments of kindness to about 559,000 people across Aotearoa. Founded in 2014, GBB aims to connect communities through baking. Each box of baking has a financial value in terms of time, ingredients, fuel and other consumables, equating to a contribution by volunteers of more than $3,565,000 to Aotearoa’s social economy.