With another scorcher of a long weekend coming up, it is safe to assume that the traffic in our area this weekend will be nightmarish.Last weekend (Auckland Anniversary Weekend) saw queues going into Warkworth from all directions for most of the weekend, and traffic was still at a standstill in Warkworth at 8:00 p.m. on Monday evening. On top of the usual hordes of holiday makers this long weekend, there is also the Summer Classic music festival at Ascension Vineyard, which will bring plenty more people to Matakana. The festival will be on Saturday February 6th, starting at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m. so we suggest avoiding travelling between Matakana and Warkworth around these times.Northbound traffic on State Highway 1 on Friday is predicted be busiest between Puhoi and Wellsford from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. This stretch will probably also be busy on Saturday between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. Plan your weekend around these times if possible, as you don't want precious holiday time eaten up sitting in a hot car.NZTA have an interactive holiday journeys map. They are encouraging motorists to use this in the hope it will ease congestion and minimise traffic over the long weekend.Whether you're a local or you’re heading to the area to celebrate the sunshine for the long weekend, be aware that trips may take a little longer than usual, so be patient on the roads and drive safely.

Omaha residents have reported multiple instances of people getting injured thanks to uneven footpaths around the area.There have been two injuries in the past week alone, one of which resulted in a boy being taken to hospital. While riding his bike, the young man hit a piece of concrete that had been lifted by tree roots and ended up with compound fracture to left arm.“Council needs to sort this out. Our high rates should be keeping this maintained. My son will continue to have issues from this, and he has a long rehabilitation in front of him.” said the boy's father in a Facebook post warning others of the danger.Another woman shared a photo of a serious graze she suffered to her leg after tripping on the uneven surface of another Omaha path.Local board Member Beth Houlbrooke was quick to respond to the post in the Omaha Beach Community Facebook page where she encouraged people who had experienced problems with dodgy footpaths to contact the council via their ‘report a problem’ page.Footpaths alongside a roadway are the responsibility of Auckland Transport, but beach access and walkways are the responsibility of Auckland Council. The incident involving the boy happened on the walkways near the northern end of Omaha Beach, so it is the responsibility of Auckland council to ensure that these paths are properly maintained and are not hazardous.

Waitangi Day marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February, 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi. This year, because the official date of Waitangi Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday, February 8th, will be observed as a public holiday. There's plenty happeninmg on the Matakana Coast to keep the whole family entertained this Waitangi weekend. FridayLooking For Alaska, The Leigh Sawmill CafeHamilton indie-folk band Looking For Alaska released their new album 'Light and Shadow' this November, and to celebrate are playing a bunch of ‘sick as’ shows around New Zealand over summer. Looking For Alaska are stoked to be visiting Leigh for their first ever show. Joined by their band, this night at the legendary Leigh Sawmill Cafe is going to be fantastic.Rhys Darby Movie Club: Monty Python and the Holy Grail Sing along, Matakana CinemasHead along to the Matakana Cinemas for some Friday night funnies with this hilarious, cult classic. All tickets purchased are eligible for a complimentary Zeffer Cider from the Vintry. There will also be a 'lucky ticket' prize-pack to be drawn on the night. Movie begins at 8:00 p.m.SaturdayMoveable Feast, 8 Wired BarrelworksMatakana’s iconic Street Food Festival is back for an unstoppable fifth summer season. We’re bringing the best food trucks to the village again for you to sample the creativity of these talented, mobile foodies. Fun for the whole family!Summer Classic, Ascension Vineyard - SOLD OUTMatakana will be in seventh heaven this weekend with Summer Classic back in 2021 for its 7th year running, bigger and better than ever, hosted at the fan-favourite picturesque surroundings of the Ascension Wine Estate.With giant headliner Kanine, along with the legendary singer/songwriter/producer Example, recent Aotearoa Music Award winners Lee Mvtthews, Savage - back for one of his first NZ festivals since his stint in the US/Australia - and rising stars T1R, TwentyTwo, Syrup, Bloom, Kidku, and many more top Kiwi artists, this isn’t one to be missed!The Slow Water Band, The Tahi Bar and KitchenThere's something wonderful that happens whenever the Slow Water Band plays at The Tahi. The atmosphere is magical. Such beautiful, timeless music, played and sung so gorgeously. Everyone in the audience is on an emotional high. It's a lovely thing to be a part of. You should come down and join the fun. There's no cover charge.Cellar Door Sessions, Matakana EstateWhat could possibly be a better way to spend a long weekend than a wine tasting and live music? What a way to spend the Waitangi weekend holiday! The Matakana Estate is hosting a cellar door session, with live music from a four-piece jazz band, a summer lunch menu and cheese boards, and wine tasting and beers. Free entry for all. To book a table, contact Matakana Estate on 0800 568 686 or email [email protected]'m Still Standing - Elton John Experience, The Leigh Sawmill CafeRelaunching at the historic Leigh Sawmill after a successful set of shows at Anthology Lounge in late 2019, I'm Still Standing - An Elton John Experience is back!.Josh Clark pairs up again with NZ music icon Laughton Kora to bring the good vibes. Missed the Elton John concert? Why not come and see the next best thing NZ has to offer!Sunday:Sunday In The Park Work Day, Tawharanui Regional ParkThis is your opportunity to make a real difference to the biodiversity of Tāwharanui, and you may see parts of the park you have never been to before. All members, family and friends are always welcome. Once the work is completed, we will treat you to a barbecue lunch back at the woolshed. Vegetarian options are available. Please come with sturdy footwear that is clean to protect kauri at Tāwharanui. We know it's hot, but jandals are for the beach. Also ensure you bring water, sunscreen and a sunhat.

The Rodney Local Board will spend $7.3 million on footpaths over the next two years.Board Chair Phelan Pirrie says a board priority is expanding the footpath network between towns and villages to improve safety and make it easier for people to get around.“Our focus is on footpaths on busy school and pedestrian routes, and on linking existing areas to new developments.”Footpaths funding will come from the board’s transport capital fund. New footpaths approved from the Rodney Transport Targeted Rate Fund include:Goodall Road, From Mahurangi East Road to Number 20, $458,000Leigh Road, from number 578 to Ashton Road, $363,000Puhoi Road, from church to Puhoi Close, $757,000Hudson Road, From Z to Albert Road, $398,000Omaha Drive, from roundabout to community centre, $645,000Auckland Transport is assessing more paths for approval in the next few months. People keen to know more about the board’s activities, funding and investment decisions, can find information in the Rodney Local Board Plan 2020 available on the council website.

Every year, 76,000m3 are taken in water five to ten metres deep in the Mangawhai-Pakiri bay area: the site of the largest single nearshore sand mining activity in the developed world. The company, Kaipara Limited, responsible for much of the mining since 2006, are seeking to renew their consents to continue mining.If the application is approved, it will allow Kaipara Limited to extract up to a total of 2,000,000m³ of sand from an area of 44km² within the coastal marine area over a 20-year period. The application will be heard by hearing commissioners Les Simmons (Chairperson), Karyn Kurzeja, Melean Absolum and Juliane Chetham at a hearing from Monday 1st to Thursday 4th March, 2021, and Monday 8th to Friday 12th March, 2021 at the Warkworth Town Hall. Two days of this hearing will be held in the Pakiri Hall, dates to be advised.  The group ‘Friends of Pakiri Beach’, along with hundreds of locals, are strongly opposed to this operation and have made submissions against the licence renewal. There are two documents over 800 pages long explaining why the sand mining at Pakiri Beach should stop.Mining at Pakiri has been happening for over 80 years, and people who have regularly visited the beach over this time have seen a noticeable difference in the landscape. Pakiri Beach is a precious ecosystem, home to the Fairy Tern, New Zealand's rarest bird: there are only 40 left. Sand mining has the potential to drastically change their habitat, putting these rare birds at risk. In 2006, the High Court ruled in favour of sand mining, despite the objections of Pakiri residents and the Auckland Regional Council. The Environment Court decided that natural sand replenishment would compensate for sand taken, and so has continued to allow mining for the past 14 years. However, coastal scientists didn't necessarily agree, saying that only erosion of the sand dunes sand would replace the sand taken. Those who live in the area and those who frequently visit Pakiri Beach understand how lucky we are to have such beautiful natural ecosystems on our doorstep. Sand mining could put these ecosystems in jeopardy. 

Over Auckland Anniversary Weekend, more than 100 classic boats are expected to take part in the annual Mahurangi Regatta, celebrating the 44th anniversary of the regatta revival.The dates of the first Mahurangi Regatta are not recorded, though it harks back to the days of Gordon Browne’s spar station in the Mahurangi Harbour, possibly 1858.The long-running tradition had to be put to rest during World War II, to be revived in 1977 by Mahurangi Action. Mahurangi Cruising Club has been the regatta race organiser since 1990 and in 2016 Teak Construction came to the rescue of the Mahurangi Regatta shoreside events.Beginning on Friday the 29th, the classic yacht regatta kicks off with the Passage Race from Auckland to Mahurangi. Although the Saturday regatta is the main attraction, the Friday night race to Mahurangi is quite the spectacle. When the weather is reasonably light and clear, the fleet arrives after nightfall in a continuous, flowing river of red and green navigation lights stretching from the heads all the way back to Whangaparāoa Passage. Saturday sees the main event, as one of the finest classic yacht fleets in the world come together for a two-lap race of Mahurangi Harbour. The Classic Parade of Launches from Scotts Landing to Sullivans Bay gets events underway and the yacht racing begins at 1.00 p.m. with the Jane Gifford as flagship. The course provides an unparalleled spectacle over the following three or four hours as a glorious parade of sail passes, particularly for those who take a picnic lunch up to Tungutu Point.On shore, are the classic family fun events at Sullivans Bay, including sack, three-legged, and spud and spoon races, swimming races, boogie board races, as well as sand sculpting, egg throwing, lolly scramble and tugs of war.Regatta prize giving kicks off at 4.00 p.m. at Scotts landing and the after-match function sees the 18-piece West City Jazz Orchestra get everyone dancing. There is also free use of the gas barbeques, so pack a picnic and be prepared to dance the night away to a backdrop of sparkling boat lights on the water. There will be free morning-to-midnight Scotts Landing regatta shuttles running from paddock parking on Ridge Road. The last run of the free regatta shuttle will be from Scotts Landing all the way back to Mahurangi West.Sunday morning sees the final event of the regatta, a race back from Mahurangi to Auckland. The three-day affair has something for the whole family and is not an event to miss. The Mahurangi Regatta are looking for volunteers to help out and run events, so if you are available to ‘put your oar in’, even if it's just for a couple of hours, fill out the volunteer form here, phone 027 249 3804 or email [email protected].

The festival described as ‘Auckland's freshest boutique music festival’, Sounds like Summer, has been postponed.Around 1,500 people were expected to attend the Sounds Like Summer Festival to be held in Omaha this weekend, but unfortunately the event has been put off in the wake of two more people testing positive for Covid-19 following their stint in managed isolation. The line-up included Kiwi reggae legends Black Seeds, The Beths, who were recently named New Zealand's Best Alternative Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards, along with Summer Thieves, Mini Simmons, Little Sunday, Hvia, Skye, Tito and plenty of other great Kiwi artists. "After consulting with the Ministry of Health as well as other interested groups, we felt it would be irresponsible to operate a festival and gathering of this size on the boundary of the Northland region," said spokesperson Jade Atkinson in a press release posted on the festival's social media pages.  The decision not to go ahead was largely influenced by having many of the festivalgoers coming locally, likely from areas which may have been visited by those people who have recently tested positive after their stay in managed isolation.Organisers have yet to announce alternative dates for the festival.

The Matakana App is proud to present our new Web App, which can be found here.The Web App shares all of the same features as the app, with sections for news, jobs, event guides, and more. It just allows you to view The Matakana App from a desktop computer, as well as your phone, Ipad or tablet, without downloading the actual app. It also allows all the content to be accessible via google searches.The app also has a new colour theme, Blue ocean.It will now be even easier to access and share all our community based content, and get all the latest news as soon as it comes out. Check out our Web App, and let us know what you think

On Sunday the 24th of January, a new Covid case in the community was announced. This case located in Northland is close to home, with the woman infected visiting stores in Mangawhai, Ruakaka, Helensville and Whangarei. In light of this, it is important to remember that just because New Zealand's management of Covid 19 has meant life is pretty close to normal for us, we cannot get complacent. Covid-19 is still very much an issue. This coming weekend is Auckland Anniversary weekend, and with plenty of events over the three-day holiday, there are likely to be a lot of visitors heading to the Matakana Coast to enjoy the time off. Use the NZ COVID Tracer app if you can. The app keeps New Zealand one step ahead of the virus: the more we scan the safer we’ll be.Turn on bluetooth tracing in your app, it keeps track of who you’ve been near, while maintaining everyone’s privacy. Combined with QR codes, they are important for contact tracing. If you are unable to access the app, sign in manually with a pen and paper at any businesses that you visit. The new highly transmissible Covid-19 strains have sent other countries into second and third lockdowns. Contact tracing allows the Ministry of Health to quickly identify anyone who may have come into contact with the virus and break the chain of transmission before it gets out of control. All Kiwis need to remember the importance of scanning.

Keep Fit Matakana has opened its doors, just in time to get in shape for the half of summer. Justin Fokema, the man behind the gym, has created a comfortable yet motivating space to achieve all your health and fitness goals. Keep Fit Matakana is located right in the village, in the space behind Jin Jin restaurant. Memberships start from just $8.00 for a weekender pass, perfect for those with holiday homes in the area, or those who work Monday to Friday. You can also buy concession cards and prepay in a lump sum to receive discounted rates. There is a great range of classes on offer, including Pilates, Yoga, HIIT, Mums N Bubs and more. They also have brand new strength machines and cardio equipment, a range of weights and free weights; no matter how you like to work out, Keep Fit Matakana has you covered. Ready to join? Give them a call on 027 3897079 or stop by and check out the gym at 44 Matakana Valley Road, Matakana.

Under the shade of the pohutukawas on each sunny Tuesday morning, you’ll find The Matakana App’s resident writer, Ruby, reading stories and singing songs at The Farmers Daughter in Omaha.At 10:00 a.m. every Tuesday, Ruby will be there to entertain the little ones, whisking them away to wonderland and other fantastical realms of the imagination. It's the perfect opportunity for mums, dads, and grandparents to sit down and enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee while the kids are happily occupied.The Farmers Daughter always has a mouthwatering selection of salads, sandwiches and cakes in their cabinet, so park up for a picnic on the grass and make the most of story time. Ruby has two years’ experience working in an early childhood centre, and she is currently working part time at Matakana Village preschool (when she's not writing for Matakana App, of course). 

Bookings for Creative Matakana have opened, but they are filling up fast.This week-long programme of artistic workshops is held in the second week of May each year, and includes courses held by experts in all mediums of art, including painting, sculpture, creative writing and textile work. Creative Matakana 2021 workshops are nearly half full already, so if you're dithering, dither no more.There are still spaces available for creative writing, stone sculpture, one of the cellphoneography days (learning to use your phone to its full potential), nature journaling with botanical painting, still life photography and choir singing.Several architecture days still have spaces, including a very cool one involving cooking lunch in a gorgeous Matakana home with global superchef Cory Campbell, a rare look behind the scenes at architect Noel Lane's work (Matakana Village and cinemas, Brick Bay and the Didsbury's Big House), and an architectural photography workshop with NZ's best home photographer, Simon Devitt.It's best to get in quick for the Friday Finale event too, with some of New Zealand's best women artists and curators in conversation at Brick Bay. Whether you are a seasoned artist or just looking to try something new, Creative Matakana will be a blast. To see what courses are still available, visit here

Matakana’s iconic street food festival, Moveable Feast, is back for an unstoppable fifth summer season. They're bringing the best food trucks to the village again so you can sample the creativity of these talented, mobile foodies.Hosted at Barrelworks, the home of 8 Wired Brewing in Matakana, there will be a wide range of delicious ice cold beers on tap, along with varied food offerings from all the food trucks. The next Moveable Feast will be held this Saturday, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., so if you're feeling peckish, head along to see what tasty treats are on offer. Toasted As food truck will be there for their first visit to Matakana in over a year. They have some sensational beer-infused toastie specials for you this weekend - think beef cheeks braised in 8 WIRED BREWING iStout, and pulled pork shoulder braised in Blackberry Way, both with fresh sriracha mayo slaw and pickles, plus their three cheese blend on artisan sourdough. Yum! Singing brother and sister duo Jasper and Jane will be playing live, with their seamless harmonies and upbeat sets of well-known covers; the perfect soundtrack for this laid-back summer afternoon.There are two more moveable feasts scheduled for this summer season: one on the 6th of February, and the second on the 20th of February. 

Each year on New Year's Day, the New Year Honours List is published, acknowledging New Zealanders who have provided valuable voluntary service to the community or faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or appointed office. This year, there are four of our local Kiwis who received these prestigious awards. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said a theme of this year's New Year Honours was that the work of those recognised for improving lives continued. Ardern said the awards showcased amazing achievements despite the challenges of the year.Dr Timothy Michael Malloy of Warkworth was made an officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health.Gillian Mary Adshead and Kevin John Adshead of Warkworth were awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to conservation. Professor Emeritus Louise Frances Basford Nicholson of Snells Beach was made a companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit for services to neuroscience and education.The New Zealand New Year Honours List is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. The awards are presented in the name of Queen Elizabeth II. Honours have been awarded since at least 1890.

By now, we've all seen some snippets of the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway that is currently under construction, but the NX2 group behind the project is giving the community the opportunity to get up close and personal and see how it is progressing. Have you ever wanted to get a closer look at the huge viaducts they’re building alongside State Highway 1 in Ōkahu and Pūhoi? Or maybe you’ve got some burning questions about the project that you’d like answered. NX2 have set a date for their Public Open Day, where visitors will experience a bus tour at the southern end of the project and have the chance to meet the talented team behind it.The Open Day is scheduled for Saturday 20 February, 2021. A total of 750 tickets will be released on a first-come first-served basis and tickets are limited to four per person. Plans are still being finalised and details about where people can get tickets online will be announced next week, so keep an eye on the https://nx2group.com/events page for more details. Tickets are available to all ages, and children 14 years and under must be accompanied by an adult.  The motorway is expected to open in May, 2022. The motorway was scheduled to open at the end of 2021, but the COVID -19 Alert Level 4 lockdown in April, 2020 meant nearly five weeks of the earthmoving season was lost. The Pūhoi to Warkworth project is a PPP (Private Public Partnership) between the government and a private consortium, the Northern Express Group (NX2). While the NX2 private-sector consortium will be responsible for financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the motorway for up to 25 years, the motorway will remain a public asset.

WednesdayMatalab Coding, Warkworth Library, 10:30 a.mJoin a small group for this week's STEAM-Y Wednesday as kids can learn to code with the Matatalab Robots. The perfect school holiday activity to keep those clever little minds busy.Bookings are essentialThursday - Sunday mARTakana, Matakana Primary School, 6:00 p.mFor the 15th year dozens of talented artists have been invited to showcase their work in a four-day exhibition and fundraising sale that will delight and inspire you.Exhibitors include local favourites as well as artists from further afield whose work has never been shown at this exhibition. Artists are chosen with a view to having a variety of media and styles, and a wide range of prices. With more than 300 artworks, there's something to suit all tastes and budgets. Tickets are $20 and you can buy yours now here The Great Kiwi Summer Comedy Roadshow, The Matakana Village Pub, 7:30 p.mThe Great Kiwi Summer Comedy Roadshow is touring around NZ beach towns this January and February! Featuring some of the biggest stars of New Zealand Comedy including Brendhan Lovegrove (Pulp Comedy, 7 Days), Melanie Bracewell (7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention), and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer as well as a host of other top New Zealand Comedy Talents. Join them at the Matakana Village Pub for one of the best live comedy shows you'll see all year! Tickets are only $25, get in quick before they sell out!FridayLevi Lights On Project, The Matakana Village Pub, 5:00 p.mBeatroots presents Levi Lights on Project tonight @ 5pm. Levi Lights on Project has that rare magic of being great interpreters of classics blended into their own sound. An enthralling performance with a surprising selection of songs from across genres and ages.It's Your place for Live music in 2021!SaturdayMoveable Feast, 8 Wired Barrelworks, 5:00 p.mMatakana’s iconic Street Food Festival is back for an unstoppable fifth summer season. They're bringing the best food trucks to the village again for you to sample the creativity of these talented, mobile foodies. Fun for the whole familyDaily J and No Cigar, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 6:00 p.mGet along to Leigh Sawmill on Saturday the 23rd of Jan for some Smokin' Hot Summer Tunes from Daily J & No Cigar! With Daily J's recent Debut Album -venus Ate Mars & No Cigar's latest EP - Radical Road, there's plenty of bangers you won't want to miss. They'll also have a DJ to keep you bopping along afterwards Tickets

The East Coast Motorcycles collection of businesses is growing. ECM Tattoo will be joining the already existing ECM Barbershop, and ECM Signs at 66 Matakana Road, just out of Warkworth.Owner Leigh Sheehan started up ECM Signs around 10 years ago. Then came the ECM Barbershop that he and his wife Kate opened almost four years ago, now somewhat of a local institution. On January 11, 2021, they opened the doors of their newest venture, ECM Tattoo.The Tattoo shop team consists of Leigh, Kate, and tattoo artist Ethan.Kate, also known as the happy hurricane, is the hype girl of the team keeping everyone light, bright and positive, always. She is who you will be interacting with on ECM Tattoo social media. Kate also works for Matakana Coffee Roasters, as well as being super-mum to three awesome kids.Leigh is the big boss, and the creator of the ECM brand. Owning a tattoo shop has always been a dream, so now he’s made it happen. Hard working and extremely family orientated, Leigh’s known for his respect and loyalty and lives by the phrases `hard work pays off’ and ‘never give up’.Ethan Gray is the resident tattooist. He is a skilled artist, confident and experienced in all styles of tattoo with realism being his passion and what he’s known for. He is funny, friendly, professional and loves what he does; evident in his enthusiasm during interactions and his general work ethic. Ethan is new to the area, and a proud dad of two gorgeous girls. “We are thrilled to have Ethan join the ECM team, so come have a chat, meet the main man, talk designs and get some ink”.To celebrate the opening of their new studio, ECM Tattoo are giving away a $50.00 tattoo voucher on their Facebook page, which you can find here. You can view some of their work @ECMTattoo on Instagram, which is also the main way the team connect with customers. If you have been dreaming about getting some new ink, have a chat to the team at ECM Tattoo and turn that dream into your reality. 

Visitors and residents of the Whangateau Harbour are being reminded that a total ban on harvesting cockles and pipi is still in place over the Whangateau Estuary.The reminder comes after multiple reports of people harvesting from the estuary have been reported on local Facebook pages. The Ministry of Primary Industries has confirmed that there is still a total ban in place for cockle and pipi harvesting. The shellfish beds have been closed since 2009 when there was a large die off of cockles due to two naturally occurring pathogens. Monitoring undertaken by the Whangateau Harbour Group and the University of Waikato indicated that over half of cockles at monitoring sites perished during this event, including 80% of large (over 30mm) cockles.If you see anybody obviously harvesting shellfish there, MPI have asked that you report them via their 800 4 POACHER phone line (0800 47 62 24) and they will endeavour to get one of their patrols to attend.Filter feeding shellfish clean the water as they feed. When shellfish beds are healthy, this action leaves the water in estuaries like Whangateau Harbour crystal clear. Harvesting bans allow shellfish populations to recover. In Whangateau Harbour, the effects of cockle harvesting have been compounded by the mass die-off, and the cockle population is still recovering 11 years on.It is clearly sign-posted that gathering of any shellfish is prohibited so stocks can be replenished.Penalties for breaking these rules can range from instant fines of $250 to $500, to court appearances and the possibility of losing fishing equipment, boats and vehicles on the spot.

Matakana Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings is one of Auckland’s top foodie destinations; always crammed with shoppers and visitors seeking fine food grown and made in the region.Two stalls at the market, Orata Oysters and Manaaki Whitebait Fritters have recently been awarded the title of ‘Iconic Auckland Eats’ after internationally respected food and wine writer and author/editor of nine cookbooks Lauraine Jacobs chose them as her top picks. \“My idea of a late breakfast down by the river that runs alongside the market is a combination of hot and cold. Grab a tray of freshly shucked oysters, farmed in the nearby Mahurangi Harbour, served with locally grown fresh lemons to squeeze, and combine that cold snack with a warm whitebait fritter, cooked to order. “Manaaki whitebait is New Zealand’s only farmed, truly sustainable whitebait and their generous fritter is tucked between two slices of buttered white bread sprinkled with plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper”, Lauraine said on why they were her top picks.Iconic Auckland Eats celebrates 100 dishes that can only be enjoyed in Auckland. From food trucks to fine dining and farmers’ markets, Iconic Eats can be found to suit any budget.Of the 100 unique Auckland dishes on the list, 50 were nominated by well-known Auckland food lovers, while the public nominated the second fifty.