We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and hopefully, a well deserved break! We thought we would do a quick round up of some local events that are taking place,which we will update throughout the day. Check out our Events page for more info!The Great Summer Art Exhibition - 30 December 2021 - 2 January 2022. Mahurangi East Community Hall, 21 Hamatana Road, Snells Beach, 10am to 4pm daily - entry $10Sculptureum NYE - Join the team at Rothko Restaurant or Freddie’s Lawn Bar to see in the New Year with live entertainment throughout the evening and fireworks to celebrate the start of 2022! Highlife NYE - Expect music from world class DJs and entertainers, mesmerising dancers, gourmet food purveyors, premium beverages as well as feel-good vibes with amazing, like-minded people. Not to mention our incredible, heart-stopping fireworks display to welcome the New Year in style.New Years Eve at The Salty Dog Inn - Tropical dress theme, spot prizes throughout the night, The Gaffers live band from 8pm and door prizes from 7pm!

After putting it forward to local community groups, the council has dropped it's proposal to revamp the Sandspit wharf area.The plan was to remove exisiting buildings, such as the cafe and toilet block to create one large multi purpose building for visitors and locals to make use of.Sandspit Residents and Ratepayers Association organised a survey to give feedback to the council about the proposed changes and of the 113 that responded, 110 were against the plans.Residents complained of poor use of space to create only a few additional carparks, loss of iconic views from the current café and the carpark attendant’s house not being big enough to accommodate the functions envisaged.Residents were especially opposed to the prospect of Sandspit Reserve being turned into a temporary carpark.Last week, Council community facilities manager Geoff Pitman wrote to the SRRA saying that the bulk of Council’s proposals did “not gain enough support to warrant progression.”Nevertheless, he said there was support for the introduction of a shuttle service from Sandspit to Warkworth and the reintroduction of paid parking at Sandspit.These ideas could be implemented before next summer and would be a great help to the shortage of parking for residents and visitors.

The Government has announced a suite of changes to bolster New Zealand's defences against the Omicron variant of Covid-19 - including pushing out changes to border rules until the end of February.The changes just announced by Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins include:• The interval between the second dose and the booster shot reduced from 6 months to 4 months• Over 82 per cent of vaccinated New Zealanders eligible for a booster by end of Feb 2022• Eligible border and health workers required to get booster dose• Pre-departure test requirement to enter NZ reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours before travel• Phased border re-opening pushed out to the end of February• Temporary change to MIQ – length of stay increased to 10 days for all travellers, with no self-isolation component• Everyone on an international flight with a positive case to be treated as a close contact• All countries removed from Very High-Risk country list• Roll out of paediatric doses of Pfizer for 5-11s. Rollout to start from 17 January prior to school returning in 2022• Cabinet confirms use of traffic light system to manage outbreak and in the event of Omicron outbreaks areas will move into the red traffic light setting

The Matakana Country Park Market got off to a great start this past Sunday, with locals and out of town visitors all making their way to be amongst the trees and find themselves some last minute gifts and more.There was a large variety of stalls at the first edition of the market and everyone we spoke to was impressed. Kids were well entertained with the bouncy castles and pony rides making it a destination for all, which we loved to see!We met a few of the friendly stall holders and they had some incredible products to share...K8 Speedy Art - Kate Reidy had her gorgeous art prints available, whilst she painted throughout the day. It was awesome to see her in action!Rob's Vintage - Rob had lots of racks and tables filled with high quality pre-loved and brand new goods. From Nike dunks to single stitch tee’s, there were plenty of gems to choose from.The Beadles - Anthea and Shaye make beaded goods, including beaded sunglasses chains! Pretty and useful items hand made with love are always a must have! Hemi Pottery - Han makes the happiest little pottery pieces, which brought a lot of joy to shoppers faces! We loved the whimsical colours and prints and she had such a great variety to choose from.The Matakana Country Park market will be held again on Sunday 9th January. We’re hoping to continue watching this event evolve further and we are excited to see which stalls will be amongst the trees on the 9th. See you then!

Saturday 18th December from 8am - 1pmMatakana Village Farmers Market is back! Bring the family and get amongst the stalls for some great artisan food and more. A beautiful day spent in the village.Saturday 18th December from 12pm - 3pmMatakana Estate have live music duo Unchained playing a range of blues, folk, rock and pop covers and originals midday. Book a table at their cellar door and enjoy some lunch, platters and bevvies in the great weather. Sunday 19th December from 8:30am - 1pmThe first installment of the Matakana Country Park Market, including food, pony rides for the kids, carriage rides, vintage goods, clothing, homewares, plants and more. Open to all! Read more here: Sunday market coming in hot Sunday 19th December One Mahurangi will once again have Warkworth Town Centre’s streets filled with music this Sunday! The bouncy castles are back, shops will be open, and Santa will be making a return. Support local and get your last minute Christmas shopping done. Don’t forget to check out their awesome competition here and you might just nab yourself a $200 gift voucher!Monday 20th December from 6pmSanta is coming to Snells Beach and Algies Bay! Mr & Mrs Claus will be in their sleigh, proceeded by the Town Crier and followed by Mahurangi East Fire Service. All are welcome to line the streets from 6pm. These include the following: BAYSIDE CAFE - SCHOONER AVE - AURORA AVE - TAMATEA DR - MAHU EAST Rd - ARIKI DR - MAHU EAST Rd - SNELLS BEACH Rd - SUNRISE BLVD - DALTON Rd - AMANDA LANE - MAHU EAST Rd - MARINERS GROVE - GORDAN CRAIG PL - MAHU EAST Rd to Fire Station.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed 90% of eligible Kiwis have now been fully vaccinated.Just over a week out from Christmas Day, celebrations have started early as the Ministry of Health announced the huge milestone in the country's continued fight against Covid-19."We've now reached 90 per cent fully vaccinated across the country," Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said this morning."By 11.59pm last night, 3,789,662 of the 4,209,057 eligible New Zealanders aged 12 and over were fully vaccinated, with 3,969,267 (or 94%) partially vaccinated."It comes 122 days after the country was plunged into a strict level 4 lockdown after news that a Devonport man had tested positive for the Delta strain of the virus - the first time it had been detected in the community.Yesterday, Counties Manukau DHB hit 90 per cent, meaning all three of Auckland's DHBs have hit the milestone.Shortly after the current outbreak started, the NZ Herald launched The 90% Project, calling on Kiwis to get vaccinated by Christmas.

Unite Against Covid-19 has shared the following information regarding where vaccine passes are required to be shown. Note: as Aotearoa has not yet hit ‘green’ within the traffic light system, this is not shown in the graphic. They have said that accommodation providers such as hotels and holiday parks also have the right to choose whether vaccine passes are required or not. Council facilities such as libraries and pools do require the passes.Everyone can access basic needs services, e.g: supermarkets, pharmacies and healthcare without a vaccine pass. Having a vaccine pass ‘gives you guaranteed access to certain events and venues under the traffic light system.’ As of 1pm today, there are 61 cases of COVID-19 in hospital and 74 new community cases.For more information on your area’s vaccination rates click here

Since you all loved Part One of our gift guide (Matakana Village: our top picks for gifts!), we thought we would help you out by doing a follow up.There is so much to choose from within our community so why not showcase more of what these small businesses have to offer. As always, #shoplocal 🤝Tea & Tonic - For the person who loves fragrance, why not get them a 3 pack of Abel’s favourite picks? Leave it up to them to decide which they like the most and maybe you can spoil them with a full size for next year...ArtForm - who wouldn’t love a stunning piece of hand blown glass art? If you’re looking for a WOW gift, this is the perfect choice. Just look at that purple and carving detail!DeLovely - perfect for summer beach trips, why not get your loved one a Trelise Cooper tote bag? With colours and patterns to suit all, they’ll love this gift for years to come!Matakana Village Books - for anyone who loves food and wants to learn more about local producers, get them a copy of It Takes a Village by Lauraine Jacobs. With recipes and more, foodies will be in literary heaven!Daily Organics - for the health conscious, grab them a bottle of the new ‘cayenne classic cleanse’ to help aid digestion. This product is a Prebiotic, is gluten free, dairy free, GMO free and suitable for vegetarians and not to mention, TASTY!Stay safe everyone and enjoy your Christmas shopping! We hope we have made it a little easier.

Today NZ Transport shared the following information regarding the uplifting of the border check points."With the Government announcing changes to the Auckland boundary settings from December 15, Waka Kotahi will be helping police to remove checkpoints and will be working to ensure everyone can get where they’re going safely.On the night of December 14 southbound traffic can expect closures in place from 10pm to 1am as the boundary is removed while northbound traffic can expect stop/go traffic management in place until midnight, with the boundary removed by 1am. “In the days following we know that people across the country will be looking forward to re-connecting with friends and whānau ahead of the holiday period and we are expecting the roads to be very busy,” says Jacqui Hori-Hoult.With this in mind, Waka Kotahi has decided to pause all planned maintenance and capital works involving full road closures on SH1 in Northland, Auckland and Waikato for a period of five days from Wednesday December 15 to 8pm Sunday December 19.“In the five days before Christmas last year more than 200,000 vehicles left Auckland. We’re anticipating some of this rush to take place earlier this year, which is why Waka Kotahi wants to mitigate disruptions where possible, but road users are advised that delays will still be inevitable.”Traffic and weather updates here: Reports

The Matakana Country Park Market is set to kick off this Sunday 19th December, running from 8:30am til 1pm. The weather may be dreary today but the forecast is looking good for the weekend so don't be shy, get together with friends and whānau and enjoy the atmosphere. The market is open to all.With roughly 50 stalls attending the market this Sunday, there will be a huge variety of offerings which means there is something for everybody! Perfect for getting those last minute Christmas gifts in! For the adults- live music and delicious food will be sure to keep you in high spirits all morning. There will also be locally grown produce, arts & crafts stalls, vintage goods, clothes, home decor, plants and so much more! Bring the kids along, they are sure to be entertained by the pony rides and fairy tale carriage rides.Check out a small selection of some of the incredible stall holders who will be there...Rob’s Vintage - @robs_vintageThe Plant Pot Matakana - @theplantpotmatakanaThe Spirit Cove - @thespiritcoveGrown Up Donuts - @grownupdonutsThe Humble Pantry - @thehumblepantryThe Good Blend - @thegoodblend.nzMade with Love - @made_with_love_bymaddyWe can’t wait to peruse the stalls and take photos so please come and say hello, we would love to meet you!Follow Matakana Country Park Market on Facebook or Instagram today: @matakanacountryparkmarket

Council’s plans to make changes to Sandspit wharf have been discussed with several Sandspit and Kawau community groups. The plans have caused frustration amongst locals and Kawau Island residents, as they believe the proposed changes do not maximise the usage of the area and instead put pressure on the facilities at Sandspit.The proposal includes the following:The removal of the information centre/ferry ticket officeThe demolition of the cafeRelocation of the toilets More car parks for the area, including the creation of an overflow parking area on the reserve which would only be available for use in summer.The idea is that there would be a single multi functional building, rather than three separate buildings which would help reduce maintenance costs and thus create space for more carparks.Image Credit: Delwyn Dickey via Stuff.co.nzLocals argue that this proposal would mean only a few extra car parks would be created, there would be a loss of the iconic views from the café and the current car park attendant’s house would not be big enough to accommodate the functions the council has planned.The use of Sandspit reserve to create a temporary car park is very upsetting to residents.Kawau Island advisory committee feels there would be a lack of dedicated car parking spaces for Kawau islanders, a lack of a dedicated exit for Sandspit’s main car park and a restricted ability for cars and buses to turn around in the wharf area.Many of us agree that the area could do with some upgrades and are keen to have our say. What do you think of the proposal?

Here are some of the key changes to how we will operate within the traffic light system at orange. For more info, please click here.Hospitality venues, such as cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, can open at Orange with no restrictions if they follow My Vaccine Pass requirements.If a hospitality venue chooses to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements, only people with a My Vaccine Pass are allowed to be there. Children under the age of 12 years and 3 months do not need to provide a My Vaccine Pass to enter places with a vaccination requirement.Events Controlled-access events involve ticketing, registration or another way to control access. They can be held either at a commercial or private venue.They can go ahead at Orange with My Vaccine Pass.Examples are:cinemastheatresstadiumsconcert venuesconference venuescasinosprivate galleries.Funerals, tangihanga, burials and viewing of tūpāpaku (the person who has died) can go ahead at Orange.It is up to the staff and the whānau or family to agree if the funeral or tangihanga is only open to people with My Vaccine Pass or to a mix of people with or without My Vaccine Pass. If everyone has My Vaccine Pass, there is no limit to the number of people who can attend, both indoors and outdoors.Travelling - Between 15 December 2021 and 17 January 2022, you can travel into and out of Auckland for any reason but you must follow some restrictions to leave Auckland.When leaving Auckland, no matter how long you have been inside the boundary:you must be fully vaccinated and have your My Vaccine Pass with you, oryou must carry evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before crossing the boundary.Children under 12 years and 3 months do not need to get tested or have a My Vaccine Pass to travel out of Auckland.You do not need to follow these restrictions if you are transiting through Auckland without stopping.

In today’s COVID-19 update, PM Jacinda Ardern has announced the following:Cabinet has decided to move Auckland to orange within the traffic light framework on Thursday 30th December. All areas excluding Northland will also move to orange within the traffic light framework.More information coming.

DOC is appealing to the public for any information regarding the recent death of a juvenile Great white shark, found on Omaha beach on the 25th November.The shark, named Mangatawhiri by Ngāti Manuhiri had a ‘belly full of snapper’ and was otherwise healthy, according to the necropsy results. The test revealed that it was most likely killed by a net.Great whites are protected under the Wildlife Act. Failing to report the accidental killing of one is an offence with a maximum penalty of $10,000. Any information that can be offered up to DOC is greatly appreciated. Call 0800 362 468 or email [email protected] are considered a kaitiaki (guardian) and are a mauri (life force) species, playing an important role in the ecosystem. 

There is still plenty of time to find a Christmas gift for that person who said “I don’t want anything.” With such a varied and awesome selection at our local retailers, there is no need to make a long trip elsewhere or risk overseas shipping times for online purchases. Here’s some of our top picks from this weekend spent at the Matakana Village, with more to come...Two Boutique - with lush new arrivals from Status Anxiety and NZ made intimate wear from Dear Dylan, you have options for days! Twig and Bloom - a sure pick is these small handmade vases with the option to include gorgeous flowers! Simple and so beautiful.Unity - these stunning pieces of jewellery will be a favourite for years to come. With a great range available, there is something for even the most difficult to buy for!Heavenly Soles - the gift that keeps on giving. A pair of Birks (Birkenstock’s) that will be worn every summer. Bright colour options for those who love to stand out!Design Pod - it may be hard to select a size and style for someone, so why not get them a voucher? That way they can pick themselves an amazing outfit from the racks! Pigment - maybe they’re the crafty type? If so, Pigment has you covered with a massive range of exciting art supplies. We hope you enjoy your Christmas shopping!

The NZ government has said that it would ban all sales of cigarettes for it’s future generations, as part of the country’s push to go smoke free by 2025.Announced yesterday, the prohibition means anyone who is 14 years old and under will never be able to legally buy tobacco in the country.Currently, smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in Aotearoa. It causes 1 in 4 cancers and results in 4,000 to 5,000 smoking related premature deaths every year.Associate minister of health Ayesha Verrall has said that support measures will also be introduced to assist smokers trying to cut the habit.The government also has plans to reduce legal nicotine levels in smoked tobacco to very low amounts and to slash the number of stores selling these products. This and other measures such as increasing the cost of cigarettes and regularly increasing the age limit to purchase is all part of the plan to be smoke free by 2025.Not included in this legislation is a ban on vaping, which studies have shown in about 2 or 3 times more prevalent than smoking in New Zealand. Smoking has already been widely replaced by vaping among teenage New Zealanders, and is also attracting many young people who would never have taken up smoking – according to surveying of 19,000 high school students this year, nearly 20% were vaping daily or several times a day, the majority with high nicotine doses.That’s compared to 3% of those aged 15-17 who smoked daily in 2018, or 13% who smoked a decade earlier.It’s a big plan for Aotearoa. What are your thoughts?

On Tuesday the 14th Dec, Santa will be out and about the suburban streets of Warkworth. Then on Wednesday the 15th he'll be out at Snells, Matakana, and Pt Wells. Listen out for him between 9 am and 1 pm on both days. Preceded by the Town Cryer in an open sports car, ringing his bell to let the children know he is coming, Santa will be driving slowly around the neighbourhood sharing in the Christmas cheer. To keep to safety standards please make sure children remain on the footpath and Santa will be sure to greet everyone along the way! Support local retail this Christmas! Warkworth retail is back open and eager to help you with your Christmas shopping.Come into town to enjoy the Christmas festivities and cheer on the Sunday mornings of the 12th and 19th of December. Bring the kids in to meet Santa, jump on the bouncy castles and sing along to the many buskers dotted throughout the town.Give back to the local community by spending your Christmas dollars on local businesses and enjoy a very merry festive season with whānau and friends!We are Stronger Together!

Four Square Matakana have new owners who have recently moved to the area from Kerikeri.David and Helen Whyman are already making plans for some exciting changes to the local grocer, coming next year.With an extension on the cards, more pay points to come and an improvement on available stock happening as we speak, we are going to be looking at a local grocer that's filled with more of the products we want and love within a sleeker shopping environment.After asking customers on Facebook for their thoughts, the duo have decided to extend opening hours of the gourmet grocer.Now open Monday through to Sunday 7AM - 7:30PM, this gives shoppers more time throughout the day to shop!We think this is awesome news! #shoplocal

Biosecurity rules are currently in place, which makes it illegal to fish or take any marine life from 3 harbours on Aotea Great Barrier Island. These harbours include Blind Bay, Tryphena Harbour and Whangaparapara Harbour.This is to prevent the spread of the serious marine pest, Caulerpa brachypus. If you do anchor in these harbours, you will need a permit from Biosecurity New Zealand to move on.As well as a Controlled Area Notice, Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea has imposed a rāhui on the areas. These controls are in place until Thursday 30th June 2022.This seaweed can spread rapidly and could affect native species. It is considered an invasive pest in Florida, United States and Martinique in the Caribbean.We do not know the scale of the affected area, nor how it got here. It may have been brought over by an international vessel, possibly from Australia where it is a native species.For more information, please click here