Northland’s tsunami evacuation maps have been updated with more accurate modelling and information to better reflect how tsunamis behave as they travel across the ocean and reach the coastline. The maps are simpler to understand and feature a single colour system. The blue zone means getting out of the area and heading to higher ground or further inland. Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group chair Kelly Stratford encouraged residents to view the maps to see if they live, work or play in an evacuation zone. She said anyone living in coastal communities or enjoying the marine and beach areas should remain prepared for the risk of a tsunami. To view the map, head to the Northland Regional Council website.
Easy drop-off
Bowel screening has been made easier for Northlanders with a new option to drop off completed kits at any of the seven Awanui Lab Collection Centres across the region. Eligible participants aged 60 to 74 can return their completed kits to the Awanui Lab receptions at Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Paihia, Te Kamo, Kensington Health, Onerahi and Rust Ave, or by freepost. Bowel screening aims to save lives by helping find bowel cancer at an early stage when it can often be successfully treated. Go to timetobowelscreen.nz or phone 0800-924-432 for more information.
Book launch
A Northland author is launching his latest crime fiction novel in the Far North, just metres way from where his fictional mayhem takes place. Michael Botur will launch the novel Glass Barbie at Phat House Brewery, in Haruru, on March 22. The novel is set in the underbelly of Northland, giving a darkly humorous tale of bounty-hunting, bungled rescues and broken friendships. A crackhead criminal and a strait-laced cop reunite to save a kidnapped former classmate, taking readers from Whangārei to Kaitāia and the Bay – all leading up to an “ink-splattered brawl” at a tattoo festival beside Haruru Falls.
