Northland news in brief: Bus rolls in Kamo; scrub fire breaks out at Cape Reinga

The crashed bus, and its windscreen, on Kamo Rd. Photo / Tania Whyte

One person was moderately injured and taken to hospital after a bus rolled on its side in Whangārei. Posts on social media showed the bus on its side across both lanes of Kamo Rd, near Puriri St on Tuesday afternoon. It is unknown how the bus came to be on its side. There appeared to be no other crashed vehicles nearby, and the windscreen of the bus was lying on the side of the road. A police spokesperson said police inquiries into the crash were ongoing.

Firefighters battle Cape Reinga blaze

Far North fire crews were battling a blaze in remote vegetation near the tip of the North Island. Houhora Volunteer Rural Fire Force was the first brigade called to the fire near Twilight Beach in Cape Reinga about 3.15pm on Tuesday. Flames had reportedly spread through mānuka and scrub covering an area of roughly 400m by 100m by late evening. The Advocate understood a helicopter was brought in to help ground crews extinguish the expanding blaze as they worked in relative humidity with wind gusts of up to 25km/h sweeping in from the west.

Mahoe Cheese a multiple winner

A Far North cheesery has again won a swag of medals in the New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards. Mahoe Cheese, at Oromahoe, south of Kerikeri, won gold medals for its Gouda, Mature Edam and Mature Gouda, plus silver for its Very Old Edam. All Mahoe’s medals were awarded in the Dutch-style cheese category. Judging was by a 30-strong panel of cheese experts from across Australasia. The overall champions will be announced in May.

Lucky escape from burning cabin

A Moerewa woman was lucky to escape uninjured after the cabin she was sleeping in was badly damaged by fire. The blaze, at Taumatamakuku Settlement, started around 4am on Monday and is thought to have been caused by a candle left unattended in a gazebo-type shelter. The gazebo was destroyed, with the flames spreading to the adjacent unpowered cabin. Kawakawa fire chief Wayne Martin said she was lucky to get out unhurt because she had no early warning of the fire. Anywhere people slept, even if it was just temporary, needed working smoke alarms, he said.

Trial on historical sex-offending allegations

A trial has begun for a Northland man in relation to alleged historical sexual offending on a child in the 1990s. The trial of the 46-year-old man – who currently has name suppression – began on Monday before a jury of 12 in the Whangārei District Court, with three charges of sexual violation by sexual connection and one charge of doing an indecent act on a child under 12. The offending is alleged to have occurred at an address in Otāngarei on more than one occasion. The trial is being heard before Judge Deidre Orchard and is expected to last for six days.