Reports of power outages in Snells Beach, Algies, Bay, Sandspit, Warkworth, LeighMatakanaPakiriWhangaripo ValleyTe Araiand out Kaipara CoastIf you would like to check for power outage https://help.vector.co.nz/addressIf you would like to report a power outage at your address, use the same link as above, search for your address, then there is an option to report outage.

Work continues on the Te Honohono to Kai - Matakana Link road pavement, 70% of footpaths have been laid, kerb is 90% complete, cycleways are being constructed and the foundation pad for two rest areas and two bus stops have been poured.Wetlands and rain gardens are all planted and all utilities underneath the bridge are installed except the watermain.73 streetlights have been installed and 16 are live on Matakana Road.Drone footage of the project

MetService has issued strong wind and heavy rain watches and a warning, as a low-pressure system sweeps over the country from Thursday evening, delivering a burst of severe wind and rain for some this weekend.A heavy rain warning has been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula with rain expected from the early hours of Friday morning.MetService warns rain of 100 to 140mm, which may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly as well as surface flooding and slips.A heavy rain watch has been issued for Northland, Auckland north of Takapuna, including Great Barrier Island and Hawke's Bay north of Hastings from Thursday evening continuing into Friday.Heavy rain is expected to hit Bay of Plenty including Rotorua and Gisborne on Friday.Niwa said over the next 48 hours moisture from the tropics would make its way to the upper half of the North Island."Wind gusts of 70-100 km/h coming from an unusual direction, increasing risk for tree damage & power cuts."It said Friday would likely have the worst weather.Strong easterly wind watches are in places for Northland from Bay of Islands southwards, Auckland north of Harbour Bridge including Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula.MetService said conditions were expected to be particularly stormy over eastern coasts with a forecast for waves of 3-5m.It said this, in addition to the heavy rain forecast, would make coasts vulnerable to damage.

New Zealand has joined just a handful of other countries in giving money to developing countries for the loss and damage wrought by climate change.Climate Change Minister James Shaw and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced $20 million will be ring-fenced from a climate fund filed from revenue gathered from the emissions trading scheme.It took all-night negotiations to get the topic onto the official agenda for the first time at this year's UN climate summit in Egypt.Pacific countries and other developing nations have been pressing for compensation for the emissions caused by richer nations over hundreds of years and its consequence on developing states' economies.Wealthy nations, including the US and EU, have repeatedly blocked, worried they could be on the hook for billions of dollars in ongoing compensation.Some estimates put the the figures at half a trillion US dollars' worth of damage in just the past decade alone.Mahuta said the dedicated funding for loss and damage puts Aotearoa New Zealand at the leading edge of wealthy countries."It strongly signals our support for Pacific priorities."She said climate change threatened the basis for Pacific peoples' lives, but also their culture, language and mental and physical wellbeing.Climate Minister James Shaw Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneShaw said comparatively wealthy countries like Aotearoa had a duty to support the countries most at risk from climate change.Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Scotland are the only other countries to kick in on loss and damage, with the contributions seen as being of more symbolic than financial significance.The money for New Zealand's funding comes from revenue gathered from the emissions trading scheme.Developing countries are expected to push at COP27 for a centralised fund to distribute loss and damage funds."While New Zealand is not opposed to this, we also support a wide range of funding arrangements to make best use of our contribution."We will work with our partners, in particular Pacific governments, to support areas they identify as priorities," Mahuta said.

The biggest-ever renewal season is underway, and you can now see all the roadworks planned for state highways in your region. This interactive map shows new asphalt, chipseal, and road rebuilds all over the country: https://nzta.maps.arcgis.com/.../490776b08a094be5b737db69...For more info about what’s happening in your region alongside our renewal work, check out our regional info pages:https://www.nzta.govt.nz/regional-updates/

Warkworth regionMonday 7th November - Partly cloudy. One or two showers north of Orewa, and the chance of a morning shower further south. Easterlies, fresh this afternoon.Tuesday 8th - Cloud increasing. Periods of rain north of the City from morning and elsewhere from afternoon. Southeasterlies, strong in exposed places in the north.Wednesday 9th - Partly cloudy. Southeasterlies easing.Thursday 10th - Partly cloudy. Easterlies, strong in exposed places.Friday 11th - Rain. Gale easterlies, easing later.Mangawhai regionMonday 7th November - Cloudy periods. Showers after midday. Easterlies.Tuesday 8th - Rain, with some heavy falls possible. Strong southeasterlies.Wednesday 9th - Rain, clearing later in the day and becoming fine. Strong southeasterlies easing.Thursday 10th - Rain. Strong southeasterlies, possibly gale.Friday 11th - Rain with heavy falls. Gale easterlies, easing later.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday 11 November 2022. Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday.Check daily updated closure information(external link)Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Waiwera off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 6-7 NovemberOrewa southbound on-ramp, 6-7 NovemberMillwater southbound on-ramp, 6-7 NovemberNorthbound lanes between Upper Harbour Highway off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 6-10 November (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Upper Harbour Highway northbound on-ramp, 6-10 NovemberUpper Harbour Highway southbound off-ramp, 6-10 NovemberUpper Harbour Highway southbound on-ramp, 6-10 NovemberOnewa Road northbound off-ramp, 7-9 NovemberStafford Road northbound off-ramp, 7-9 NovemberCurran Street northbound on-ramp, 7-9 NovemberCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 7-9 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 7-9 NovemberSH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 7-9 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Newton Road eastbound off-ramp, 7-9 NovemberNelson Street (SH16) eastbound off-ramp, 7-9 NovemberSH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 7-9 November]Westbound lanes between Wellesley Street East off-ramp and Hobson Street on-ramp, 7-9 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellesley Street East westbound on-ramp, 7-9 NovemberSH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 7-9 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Tecoma Street southbound on-ramp, 9 NovemberMt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 6 November (approx. 7:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Redoubt Road on-ramp, 8-9 NovemberSH1 northbound to SH20 northbound link, 8-9 NovemberHill Road northbound on-ramp, 8-9 NovemberTakanini northbound on-ramp, 8-9 NovemberPapakura northbound on-ramp, 8-9 NovemberNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 6-7 NovemberDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 6-7 NovemberRamarama northbound on-ramp, 6-7 & 10 NovemberDrury/SH22 southbound on-ramp, 10 NovemberDrury/SH22 northbound off-ramp, 8-9 NovemberNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 10 NovemberBombay northbound on-ramp, 10 NovemberHampton Downs northbound off-ramp, 6-10 November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs northbound on-ramp, 6-10 November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Te Atatu Road southbound off-ramp, 6-8 NovemberTe Atatu Road northbound on-ramp, 6-10 NovemberTe Atatu Road northbound off-ramp, 9-10 NovemberPatiki Road southbound off-ramp, 9-10 NovemberRosebank Road southbound on-ramp, 7 & 9 NovemberGreat North Road eastbound off-ramp, 6-7 NovemberSH16 eastbound to SH20 southbound link, 6-7 NovemberGreat North Road eastbound on-ramp, 8 NovemberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Caribbean Drive and Albany Highway on-ramp, 6-10 NovemberAlbany Highway eastbound on-ramp, 8-10 NovemberSOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Neilson Street off-ramp and Hillsborough Road on-ramp, 6 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Neilson Street northbound on-ramp, 6 NovemberNeilson Street northbound off-ramp, 10 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rimu Road northbound on-ramp, 10 NovemberSouthbound lanes between Walmsley Road off-ramp and Massey Road on-ramp, 6 & 10 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Walmsley Road southbound on-ramp, 6 & 10 NovemberSH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 8-9 November

Wanna be a planet superhero AND get a free FAMILY ticket to Tomarata Guy Fawkes Night extravaganza while doing it?! Volunteer for one hour on the night to help people put items in the correct bins. This means our compost and recycling doesn't get contaminated with items that shouldn't go in there, and helps divert heaps from landfill!WHEN/WHERE? Saturday, 12th November - shifts between 5pm - 9pm, Tomarata Cricket Club SIGN UP FOR A SLOT HERE: https://forms.gle/QtHgH5tFyknkgmQi6

Biosecurity New Zealand is ramping up a public awareness campaign to encourage people to report possible sightings of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) – a major threat to Aotearoa New Zealand’s horticulture industry.BMSB infests several horticultural crops, causing damage to flowers, stems, leaves and fruit of host plants. Significant crops likely to be affected in New Zealand include apples, corn, wine grapes, kiwifruit, and a range of stone fruit varieties.Funded jointly by Biosecurity New Zealand and industry members of the BMSB Council, the summer campaign will run from November to March, targeting local gardeners and online shoppers who receive goods from overseas.Biosecurity New Zealand is well prepared for the high-risk season, says Stuart Anderson, Biosecurity New Zealand’s deputy director-general."There is ongoing monitoring of the threat posed by countries that have known BMSB populations. Officers target passengers, craft and goods that could be contaminated with BMSB."Our BMSB measures have been very effective to date. There continues to be no evidence of any established BMSB population in New Zealand."We ask international travellers to be understanding of the need to protect New Zealand and our economy as they get their bags checked or are required to answer questions from our frontline staff."He says the recent detection of 2 live BMSB at Auckland Airport demonstrates the importance of strong biosecurity controls.A Biosecurity New Zealand quarantine officer detected a single live BMSB at an airport search bench on 8 October while processing passengers arriving from the United States.The second bug was recently found on an aircraft from South Korea prior to passengers leaving the plane. Officers have detected a further 286 dead BMSB on arriving vessels and cargo.Mr Anderson says the number of live interceptions has dropped considerably over the last few years."This is largely due to the introduction of strict import rules that make it harder for live BMSB to enter New Zealand on risky cargo such as vehicles, machinery and parts."Improved reporting and monitoring have also allowed officers to better target risk goods. For example, there was a greater focus on air cargo during the 2021/22 season following increased BMSB detections in this pathway."We have also seen high levels of engagement from the shipping industry in the past and want this positive relationship to continue. Accurate reporting of detections by crew helps Biosecurity New Zealand target its surveillance and other actions."Anyone who thinks they've found BMSB is asked to catch it, snap it (take a photo), and report it. The find can be reported online or via Biosecurity New Zealand’s hotline – 0800 80 99 66.Online reporting tool Find out more about BMSB

It is the liquorice-like taste of teething for toddlers, but for one mother, Bonjela almost cost her daughter's life.Concerns over the medication's safety has promoted MedSafe to restrict sales of Bonjela for infants.However, Jessica*, says the restrictions do not go far enough.In 2019 a seemingly innocent dose of Bonjela to soothe her baby's teething gums almost killed her daughter."She got rushed to Starship Hospital, and put into an induced coma because her blood had turned acidic from the the active ingredient in Bojela, I was unaware at the time of the dangers posed," Jessica said.She used Bonjela for her daughter on the advice of her GP."She was teething really badly, we told the doctors we had given her Pamol, Neurofen and Bonjela. Their response was 'It's ok, it's just Bonjela, keep giving it to her'."It was advice she would regret taking."This is an over-the-counter medication, you can walk in and buy 10 packs if you like. Nobody stops you. Nobody asks any questions. We were so, so fortunate that she didn't die."Jessica said she felt both anger and disappointment in the wake of her child's accidental overdose."A lot of parents just do what they think is best for their babies and when you hear them crying you want to help them. It is appalling that you can tell your doctors this is what I'm giving her and it still has such an adverse affect."The infant version of the popular household medicine would be restricted to pharmacies from May next year, though MedSafe group manager Chris James said the adult version would still be available with the word "teething" removed."There will remain Bonjela available in general sales for adults and older children because Bonjela is also commonly used for mouth ulcers," James said.The active ingredient in Bonjela is choline salicylate, which can be very harmful to babies if too much is given. It can cause salicylate poisoning."So we have made this discussion following some expert advice to help encourage parents buying Bonjela for oral treatment such as teething to get advice from their pharmacy."James said MedSafe strongly recommended people always follow the dosage instructions."Bonjela is very effective and safe to use in recommended dosages, there are no concerns when the product is used according to instructions."However, Jessica was not convinced there was sufficient warning."Not too many mums with a screaming baby at two o'clock in the morning are going to Google the ingredients of their Bonjela to make sure it's ok, but if there is a pamphlet wrapped around the tube there is much better chance of people being aware."More education was crucial to avoid another mother living her nightmare, she said."I just want there to be much more information as to what is in Bonjela and the risks around it and to use it very, very sparingly."Jessica's daughter is now four - healthy, happy and thriving."Ninety-nine times out of a hundred your baby could be perfectly fine but it's that what if, and as a parent you have to look at those what if's and you want to know what your baby's taking."MedSafe says to rub a pea sized amount of gel to the affected area no more than every three hours and not to use it more than six times in 24 hours."You can overdose your baby by applying too much gel or using it too often."Whānau Āwhina Plunket principal clinical advisor Karen Magrath said they supported MedSafe's reclassification."Teething can be a really upsetting time not only for pēpi but the whole whānau. There are a number of things we recommend to ease the pain, other than teething gel."Those included gently rubbing gums with a clean finger or the back of a cold spoon, wrapping ice cubes in a clean face cloth and placing it on your baby's cheek, giving your baby something to chew on such as a clean teething ring or chilled fruit wrapped in a muslin cloth, she said."There is little evidence that teething gels are effective and most of the gel is likely to be quickly removed by the tongue and saliva."Magrath said if parents did choose to use teething gel they should only purchase from a pharmacy."It is very easy to unintentionally give babies too much teething gel."Signs of salicylate poisoning/Bonjela overdose are: Vomiting, unusual sleepiness, fever and rapid breathing.As a result of the reclassification the makers of Bonjela, Reckitt Benckiser NZ, has introduced a new Bonjela product to soothe teething which does not contain choline salicylate.The new formulation of Bonjela for infants has been listed as a medical device with Medsafe and it is available to consumers now for infants aged over six months through supermarkets and pharmacies.In a statement the company says it takes the health of consumers very seriously and when used as directed, Bonjela containing choline salicylate is safe to use."Bonjela has worked closely with Medsafe to ensure consumer safety is the number one priority. We agree that products containing choline salicylate should be made available in pharmacy where there is a pharmacist available to help emphasise to parents the importance of using these products as directed."

Friday 4th NovemberIveta & Simone live at RSA WarkworthClothing Swap for FoMBS Mangawhai Beach SchoolBand BlowoutSaturday 5th NovemberMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketClay Workshop with Emma ZhangHigh Tea in the Country The Hooks at Leigh SawmillSunday 6th NovemberMatakana Country Park MarketFish and Bread Soundsystem

Warkworth regionFriday 4th November - Partly cloudy with isolated showers this morning, then fine. Northwesterlies turning southwesterly around midday.Saturday 5th - Fine, apart from some morning and evening cloud. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Sunday 6th - Cloudy periods with a few showers late morning until evening. Northeasterlies developing in the morning.Mangawhai regionFriday 4th November - Mainly fine, but a possible shower this afternoon. Light winds.Saturday 5th - Fine with light southwesterlies.Sunday 6th - Partly cloudy. Possibly evening shower. Light winds.

NEW TO THE MATAKANA APPWe have updated our Pets / Foster / Adopt / Animal Shelter section on the App.We now have 5 amazing local animal centres.So if you are looking to support, adopt, foster, volunteer, donate or just want spread the word here is their infoJulie's Animal RefugeMangawhai’s Helping PawsRodney Animal RescueSaving Hope FoundationWandering Angels WaipuIf you would like your business, charity, event, news etc to be on our App please Contact us.

Police are aware of an email scam circulating that references Police and other justice sector partners.The email claims authorities have done a search of the email recipient’s computer and located explicit illegal material.The recipient is directed to reply within 48 hours or a warrant will be issued for their arrest.This email is a scam and anyone who receives it should not reply under any circumstances.Although some versions of the email do not specifically reference money, other similar scams involve the recipient being issued a ‘fine’ when they respond.While the nature and specific details of scams often varies, it’s important to note that Police and other government agencies will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your password, credit card or bank details.Police have received several reports of this scam and enquires are underway.Anyone who received this email is asked to forward it directly to the Police Cybercrime Team: [email protected](link sends e-mail)Police recommend taking a cautious approach to unsolicited emails. Trust your gut instinct - if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.Information on other scams currently operating can be found on the Consumer Protection NZ website: www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch(link is external)Consumer Protection NZ, along with Netsafe, also provides helpful advice about keeping safe online

Auckland Council is pleading locals to stop releasing goldfish into local lakes and streams as the fish and plants play havoc with the water quality.Goldfish have turned up in ponds and streams around the city, and they're not swimming there by themselves.Peter Wilcox has been helping Auckland Council pull invasive koi carp out of local streams and ponds, and he has been catching another type of fish along the way - goldfish.But the fish he was catching were not like the ones in pet stores."Western Springs, the last catch the smallest was 30 centimetres, the top was 40 centimetres, and they ranged in weight from just under a kilo to 1.8kg."Wilcox said the fish aren't swimming there by themselves, it's more likely they've come from aquariums tipped into local waterways."A goldfish that might be worth $10 in a shop becomes a thousands and thousands of dollars expense for the councils trying to manage it so they can manage the amenity for the good of the rest of the population. It's irresponsible, it's effectively environmental vandalism."Goldfish can be bought for as low as $4.50 in pet stores, but their tank requirements and maintenance can surprise owners.Hollywood Fish Farm Mt Roskill store owner Vicky Ferguson has seen it before."Because they're purchased at quite a small size people think they can put a lot of them into a tank, and then they start to grow a lot bigger and outgrow the tank and cause a lot of mess. That's when you get into issues with high waste levels in the water which can cause disease."Councils remove goldfish because when they get into lakes and streams they rip up plants, outcompete native fish for food and stir up sediment to make the water cloudy.Auckland Council freshwater ecologist Belinda Studholme said it was not the fish that was a problem, the plants that came in tanks were an issue too.At the Paremata Ponds in Henderson Cabomba also known as fanwort, and parrots feather have both taken off inside the stormwater system."They totally destroy water quality, they change the dissolved oxygen and pH and the ponds. They exclude all other native vegetation and make the pond unsuitable for native fish."Studholme said outside of stormwater ponds weeds like cabomba and parrots feather made for pretty gross swimming, and caused trouble for native fish."We do have a lot of native species like charophytes and native macrophytes that are quite sort of delicate, and provide the sort of habitat that that our native species need, kōura, freshwater crayfish and freshwater mussels. They just wouldn't be able to survive when these sorts of weeds take over."Removing the weeds is proving tricky, but over in Western Springs, Wilcox is having success with removing the goldfish.He said there was only one option once they were out of the water though."To relocate them is a major issue from biosecurity because we don't know what diseases this population have, what else will travel with them. So basically, the only thing we can do is to euthanise them."Ferguson said owners out of their depth could surrender them, or find a new home for them with somebody with a larger tank or pond in their home.

Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon says the government's Three Waters proposal is too divisive to succeed.Gordon, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger say their new plan - unlike Three Waters - will build consensus across the country.Their proposal, unveiled yesterday, would maintain key aspects of Three Waters, including the new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, while maintaining local ownership and allowing for what the mayors describe as meaningful roles for mana whenua.Gordon said they hoped other mayors, local councils, Local Government NZ, the government and opposition parties would look at it.It's been developed over the last year by consulting councils, community groups and sector experts."The critical aspect is that councils maintain their effective management and control and that is the crux of the issue for all our communities," Gordon told Morning Report."Noone's arguing that we don't want to have a water regulator in place and that we want great water quality."But the way this has been gone about - the entity model - has just created huge division ... there's a better way of doing this."He said he was encouraged by the government's indication that it wanted to talk.Gordon did not accept that much of the country's water infrastructure was mostly in a bad way under local ownership.While investment was needed in some places, all councils had 30 to 50-year infrastructure plans for investment."A lot of these problems are overstated to try and sell a plan which to be honest we don't think will work."He denied the new plan was an attempt to get rid of co-governance. He valued the relationship with mana whenua in his region even though the head of the Ngāi Tūāhuriri hapū in Canterbury, Dr Te Maire Tau, has expressed disappointment in the three councils' opposition to the government's plan.Conversations with mana whenua should happen at local and regional levels, he said."I highly value my relationship with mana whenua - it's important to me and it's important to councils across the country."But it shouldn't be forced in the way it is proposed [by the government]."Working together at a regional level had already started before the government came up with Three Waters.Cost details for the new proposal were still being worked on, Gordon said, but it proposed a new water infrastructure fund managed by the Crown that councils would access.There would also be a support fund which would address funding deficiencies for smaller councils, similar to the way Waka Kotahi operates.There could be no assurance from the new proposal or for the government's plan that ratepayers would not face increases due to the need to pay for water infrastructure, Gordon said.Water had become a divisive issue and the focus needed to go back on rebuilding local relationships."This division is not helping anyone and I don't want to see it."Backing from Wairoa mayorThe new proposal is already gathering support with a group of 31 councils opposing Three Waters in favour.Wairoa mayor Craig Little said he supported the mayors' proposal because the key was ownership and local decision making.It is estimated $28 billion needs to be spent on water infrastructure in the next 10 years, however, Little said much of that was already part of many councils' long-term plans.He was concerned that under Three Waters, funding would not be allocated for small schemes in areas such as Wairoa."Wairoa will be the losers, so will every other little council."Lack of funding was the biggest issue facing councils and the government would be wasting money forming four major entities."I still don't believe bigger is better."Tory Whanau. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneWellington's mayor Tory Whanau still backed the government's plan but was interested in hearing more about the alternative.She said the new proposal was similar to how Wellington Water was operating. The council had put aside $2.6 billion in its long-term plan for water infrastructure but needed some extra funding for pipes and other work so that was why it was supporting the government's plan.Whanau said poor communication from the government had allowed a lot of "negative rhetoric' to spread about Three Waters.She said under Tiriti o Waitangi, there was an obligation to have mana whenua involvement in water infrastructure."It's a positive thing. There's been a misrepresentation out there that Māori want to grab assets ... that's absolutely not the case. I do think government needs to step up here and explain why that will be beneficial for New Zealanders."Little said if the relationship with mana whenua needed to be enshrined in legislation, councils had it wrong - unlike his council which has 50/50 Māori and general wards, a Matangi roads board and a Māori standing committee."It's not about 50/50, it's about genuine relationships and partnerships."

GUMBOOT FRIDAY is this Friday 4th November.In case you didn't know about this amazing charity. Gumboot Friday is an organisation that works tirelessly (started by Mike King), to raise funds to provideFREE and timely counselling for young people.Now more than ever they need your help!Governments (regardless of who is in power) and the system is broken.Please watch this video of Mike in a recent radio interviewhttps://www.facebook.com/622037989/videos/443773361237831/Please donate what you can here, even if it is just $3https://www.gumbootfriday.org.nz/

Mangawhai St John Opportunity Shop GRAND REOPENING!!After a year delay due to various factors such as Covid and lockdowns the St John Op shop is finally opening!!This weekend they are having a ceremonial opening with local Kaumatua blessings.This coming Monday 7th they are opening the doors for trade! Open 9am.Grand opening will be sometime soon on a Saturday. Date is yet to be advised, but a sausage sizzle and balloons will be featuring!A massive sense of relief for all those involved in the process to make it happen. As well as anticipation and excitement for locals who love a good bargain hunt!Photo credit: Stephanie Anne AdamsHistoryThis store has come a long way since its humble beginnings when it originally started out at the Hub (where the Council now is). It then moved to a small residential house in the village, which 18 months ago closed its doors and new premises were obtained.The old St John Op Shop that needed replacingThe shop was started by a group of passionate members of the Mangawhai community who had a goal to raise funds to build an ambulance station which was lacking at the time. The journey has continued to today - a brand new and bigger building still in the heart of the village.Offerings in the new store will include clothes, household items, bric a brac, toys, linen, books, puzzles, DVDs and more. Furniture will come later, and the store will evolve as they settle.Opening HoursMonday to Saturday 9am – 4pmSunday 10am -2 pmThe team intends on trading right through the festive season, a great idea for the influx of holiday makers coming soon and to make up for lost time in delays!Funds/ProfitMangawhai branch St John comes under the Bream Bay area committee. They decide how funding is dispersed to community initiatives; therefore, all funds stay local.Please head along soon to support this wonderful store from Monday 7th November.

Air New Zealand plans to restart direct flights to Bali in March, with a seasonal service running until the end of October next year.The national carrier said the Indonesian island remains one of the most popular overseas holiday destinations for New Zealanders who want to head somewhere warm during winter.A 787-9 Dreamliner will fly the route three between Auckland and Denpasar three times a week, from 29 March until 27 October, a window planned to include the school holidays in April, July and October.Air NZ chief sales officer Leanne Geraghty said Bali was one of the most searched destinations on their website, and they expect demand to be high."We first flew to Bali in 2012. Our last flight was in 2019 when we flew around 17,000 customers. It's awesome to be back offering non-stop services and give Kiwis direct access a tropical paradise,"The airline said their plans to restart the seasonal service would depend on regulatory approval.