Hamilton Zoo, Floyd Masson and three waters: the big stories of April 2023

As the year draws to a close, Waikato Herald is taking stock of 2023. What moved readers most? As part of a 12-day series, Waikato Herald reporter Danielle Zollickhofer looks at the top stories each month. Welcome to day four: April.

Nationally, April 2023 was the month that the Government announced it would move forward with the controversial Three Waters Reform after adopting most of the recommendations made by the official working group.

Wild weather was also a hot topic again after a tornado tore through Tasman, lifting roofs, downing huge trees and snapping road signs like twigs, leaving 50 homes damaged.

In the Waikato, a Huntly resident was driving to Tīrau for clear water as the town’s brown water problem flared up again and the opening of the ACC office building in Hamilton were making news.

Other big stories in the region were:

Kiwi boxer wins world title in Australia

After 12 rounds of boxing, with a swollen black eye and a bloodied referee, Te Awamutu-born boxer Floyd Masson, 31, won the IBO World Cruiserweight title.

The Kiwi defeated Italian Fabio Turchi in Brisbane in a match that was rated “the most brutal fight on Australian soil in 25 years”.

The judges scored the fight 115-112, 115-112 and 117-110, with Masson winning the fight by unanimous decision.

Te Awamutu-born boxer Floyd Masson. Photo / Combat Analytics

Hamilton visitor destinations united

Hamilton Zoo, Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, Hamilton Observatory and Everyday Eatery have become one connected destination: Te Kāroro Nature Precinct.

Hamilton Zoo is home to more than 600 native and exotic animals and hosts New Zealand’s largest walk-through aviary for native birds and plants.

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park is New Zealand’s largest inland restoration project and provides an ecological paradise for native wildlife. It has a rich cultural history for tangata whenua.

At Hamilton Observatory, visitors can learn about astronomy and stargaze through telescopes with assistance from members of the Hamilton Astronomical Society.

The new Te Karoro Nature Precinct includes Hamilton Zoo, Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, Hamilton Observatory and Everyday Eatery. Photo / Hamilton City Council

New Zealand’s Highwaymen on the road again

New Zealand’s Highwaymen Dennis Marsh, Gray Bartlett, Eddie Low and Brendan Dugan were on the road (again) to the Waikato as part of a special nationwide tour.

The legends of Kiwi country music announced they would play shows in Hamilton, Putāruru and Taupō.

Although the NZ Highwaymen are known individually in their own right and have toured the country many times in various groups, this was the first and likely the last time that all four of these legendary New Zealand artists hit the road together.

New Zealand's country music legends Eddie Low, Dennis Marsh, Gray Bartlett and Brendan Dugan.

Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined NZME in 2021 and is writing for the Waikato Herald.

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