Love, marriage, and COVID–19 … Regardless of whether you have planned every part of your special day, you’re still clutching on to some planning ideas in your Pinterest folder, or you’re in love and thinking of getting hitched… COVID-19 has had an impact on weddings ...  But don't lose sight of your perfect day yet! Local company,Event Junkies, has found that while alert level and travel restrictions may have an impact, they are confident you can still pull off your dream wedding with research, forward planning, and by asking for help from a professional.  While we may be able to move around the country freely under alert level one, those wanting to tie the knot with overseas visitors present still have a while to wait until border restrictions lift. The timeline on these restrictions is not yet clear, but there is hope.Please refer to the official covid19.govt.nz website for more details.  If you do have a lot of friends or family overseas, there is always the option of having your guests attend your special day via an online events platform that lets your guests interact with each other while witnessing your big day. Event Junkieshas has a platform called Hopin that does just that. Get them all to dress up and send gift packs in advance to create a feeling of attendance. It may be unconventional, but it can be just as fun. Covid-19 has meant that a lot of people are under financial pressure. If costs and stress are piling up for your the big day, Event Junkies believe it is much more cost effective to find venues with pre-packaged weddings. This will not only save you money, but also the time and stress it would take to run around and plan your special day under the current climate. There are a few quirky options that will make your day stand out. Check out the wedding packages Event Junkies has on their website - www.eventjunkies.co.nz  - or get in touch with Freddie or Annie on 021 046 0626 to discuss your options.   

The Leigh Penguin Project is working to create a safe habitat for penguins and other seabirds along the coast from Ti Point Wharf to Goat Island, with a focus on the little blue penguins who come ashore every year.  The little blue penguins come to shore each year during their moulting period, when they take two to three weeks to replace their feathers. During the moult, they cannot swim and are very vulnerable to dogs, cats and stoats.  They also come ashore to nest around June and July. The little blue penguin species has been deemed at risk by the Department of Conservation; their population has been declining in areas not protected from predators. Where predator control is in place, populations have been stable or increasing.Over 50 penguin nesting boxes offering these little guys some more substantial shelter from predators, mostly made by members of Forest and Bird NZ, have been placed around the Ti Point, Leigh and Goat Island coast. Auckland Council organised a sniffer dog to explore the Ti Point coast. The dog identified 16 places where penguins had been nesting and that is where the boxes have been placed. To further protect little blue penguins and other birdlife, theLeigh Penguin Project has begun a predator control programme targeting rats, stoats, weasels and possums around the coast. If you live locally and would be keen to help with predator controls, please contact Jenny on [email protected].  

On Sunday July 5, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a new initiative, the Cleaner Rivers initiative, with $100 million of funds allocated for cleaning up the Kaipara Harbour and $4 million for restoration of the Mahurangi River. This funding will go towards removing 100,000m3 of sediment from the river between Warkworth Town Basin and the northern end of Mahurangi Harbour, off Dawson's Creek. The project is likely to create around 50 local jobs. In Budget 2020, the Labour Party announced the Jobs For Nature fund: a huge, $1.3 billion package designed to create a total of 11,000 environmental jobs across the country. From restoring wetlands, to regenerating native bush and controlling pests and weeds, the projects being invested in will get people into jobs post-COVID-19, while protecting and restoring our natural environment. The $162 million waterway clean-up package will help New Zealandlakes and rivers, restoring them to health within a generation, while also creating green jobs. A $5 million land restoration project in Mahurangi East has also been announced, an extension of the project to reduce sedimentation in the Mahurangi River catchment.  The announcements were made at the Labour Party Congress in Wellington.  

After a rocky first half of 2020, many locals will be pleased to know that later on this year, the Kowhai Festival will be on as usual. The highlight of it all, The Huge Day Out will be celebrated on Sunday, 18 October, 2020.  It's been an unusual year for everyone, and more than ever, people need a day to get out and celebrate. Foodstands, stalls, live music, bars and kids’ entertainment: the Huge Day Out will have it all. The Kowhai Festival is not just about the Huge Day Out. Lots of other events are held in conjunction, including The Great Debate. This year, Warkworth Toastmasters will return to their role of presenting the Great Debate on Saturday October 24. It's always a fun night out, with great people, great debates and great food. Another favorite event of the Kowhai Festival is the Open Air Movie Night, which will be held on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. The movie will be announced closer to the time, but it will be something to enjoy with the whole family. You can take the kids trick or treating, and then sit back and enjoy their spoils with them whilst watching the film. This year will mark the 51st year of the festival, which has become near and dear to locals’ hearts over that time.

Snells Beach resident Oliver Trottier has reunited a man from Orewa with his wedding ring, which he lost while surfing.  The ring fell off at Orewa Beach on Thursday. The intrepid surfer then spent some time trying to find it, but to no avail.After scolding him for not taking his ring off while out surfing, his wife took to the Hibiscus Coast Facebook group to see if anyone had found a ring, but with no luck.  Instead, she found a post by Snells Beach resident Oliver Trottier, who has a passion for metal detecting, and had previously found someone else's ring with his metal detector, so she asked if he could help find it. Happy to help, Trottier spent several hours scouring the beach on Saturday night, but interference from a lightning storm posed a challenge, so he decided to call it a night and try again on Monday. After about four hours of hard work, Trottier found the ring in a deep hole in the sand. Asked why he was so willing to spend hours helping outsomeone he'd never met before, Trottier said it was "super rewarding". He's since been asked to help two others find their rings in the upcoming school holidays. Other cool things he's picked up with his metal detector include a World War I artillery helmet badge, musket rounds and a coin from 1834. His advice for others who lose things on the beach was to take note of their surroundings, such as any trees they're standing in line with. "It can turn a six-hour thing into a five-minute thing”. 

The Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project is now due to open mid May 2022, rather than the original completion date of October 2021, due to delays caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.The New Zealand Transport Agency and Fletcher Building have reached an agreement on how to manage the Covid-19-related delays. The agreement includes a second payment to Fletcher to cover the cost of delays: $85 million.The lockdown came just before three million cubic metres of earth were due to be moved. By the time lockdown was over and work could start again, the ground was too wet for the earth works to happen, which has had a knock-on effect for the planned winter construction programme, Seven months have been added to the completion date and $85 million to the price tag.”We know people have been looking forward to using this spectacular new motorway and while any delay is disappointing, we are pleased with the quality of the project and the progress that had been made prior to COVID-19, and we are pleased we have a good plan for getting it open to the public as soon as possible despite circumstances beyond anyone’s control”, says Waka Kotahi Transport Services, General Manager, Brett Gliddon.The pandemic is the second delay to the project. The first hurdle encountered was slow land purchasing agreements and appeals to the environmental court. These resulted in a payment of $83 million to Fletcher to cover delays. The initial estimate for NZTA's total agreed contribution to the project was $709.5 million, but this has now risen to $877.5 million. NZTA’s suggested tolling of the road to counter the costs was met with a great deal of public backlash.The expected completion date is still heavily dependent on good weather and no additional unexpected challenges, including further disruptions from Covid-19.

Plans to build a concrete path from Kowhai Park to the Warkworth showgrounds are blowing through the available budget of $630,000 to $925,830.The original estimated cost of the project was $335,000.The cost skyrocketed after the council’s community services team reported that an elevated 75-metre boardwalk structure and a 10-metre wooden bridge would be needed to span floodplain areas along the path. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the construction sector was unknown and had been factored into the cost estimate as a contingency.Due to the increase in cost, the project will be spaced out over a course of several years, starting with the section from Heritage Lane, off Melwood Drive, through to the southern side of the old Atlas site, where a temporary Park and Ride is due to be built by Auckland Transport. Stage Two would run from the northern edge of the Park and Ride to the showgrounds, and Stage Three would connect the two along the western edge of the Atlas site.Although the Park and Ride and footpath construction are separate projects, community services are working together with AT where possible.The original design for the path was for a 70-metre suspension bridge, but consent could not be obtained, so the 450-metre concrete pathway was chosen instead.However, as with many projects and budgets at present, members were warned that there was a degree of uncertainty over their going ahead, due Covid-19 and council’s subsequent revenue shortfall.Board members voted seven to two in favour of approving the path design through the former Atlas site and staging construction over future years “in an order that aligns with available funding”. Wellsford member Colin Smith and Warkworth member Tim Holdgate voted against the recommendation.

During lockdown many of us discovered, amongst the various challenges, a new and refreshing pace of life.Those of us who did not have to leave our homes to work may have found a sense of peace within our homes. That small increase in time we all crave may have been found. If this was you, and the thought of moving back into a full-paced life again brings dread and worry, you’re not alone.Although we can’t avoid an increase in pace of life altogether, it may be possible to keep some of the silver linings we gained during lockdown that decreased our daily stress levels.Here are some ideas to consider:Look at planning a ‘stepped’ return to your usual routine where possible – try not to jump back in all at onceConsider negotiating a ‘work from home’ day – employers may be more open to this nowExplore how to simplify your morning routine – what DON’T you need to do?Take more walks during your day – keep up the exercise!Identify whānau activities that helped you connect, and plan them into your daySuggest virtual meetings and appointments where possible to cut down on travelBook in a ‘lock-in’ weekend and just stay at homeWork out how to drop any activities that bring more stress than benefit – we have a greatProblem Solving Guide in the ‘Staying on Track’ course that could helpHowever you choose to move back into Level 1, or ‘the new normal’, ensure you do it on your own terms.Be sure to recognise and prioritise you and your whānau’s needs going forward.And if you feel like you’d benefit from some extra wellbeing support at this time, why not give our free ‘Staying on Track’ course a go: Free Wellbeing Support

Yesterday, 30th June, marked the official start of construction of the new four-lane Matakana link road.A karakia and sod turning ceremony attended by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Minister of Transport Phil Twyford and Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust chairman Mook Hohneck was held at the Warkworth Showgrounds to mark the occasion.They were joined by around 100 community leaders, landowners, iwi representatives and members of the Wharehine construction team, who will build the road, as well as representatives from One Warkworth who have lobbied hard for the best outcomes for the community on this project.Transport minister Phil Twyford said that as we build the great carriageways and arteries that connect our communities together, it is important to reflect on how important they are to our people, our economy and the safety of those who use the highways.The $62 million project that will link Matakana Road and State Highway 1 includes an off-road walking and cycling path.The government says the Matakana Link Road project will create up to 120 jobs.It will be completed in two stages, with the first expected to be done by the end of next year.

Today many local roads will have a new speed limit in place. Below is a list of all the local roads affected. To see what the amended speed limits will be, visit the AT website.Leigh & Pakiri  Cape Rodney Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hGoat Island Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hKourataki Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hLaika Avenue - Was 80km/h now 40km/hLeigh Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hM Green Wood Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hMatheson Bush Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hMount Pleasant Drive - Was 100km/h now 40km/hPakiri Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hPakiri River Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hRodney Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hTairere Road - Was 80km/h now 60km/hTatham Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hTenetahi Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hTi Point Road - Was 80km/h now 40km/hMahurangi EastGrange Street - Was 100km/h now 80km/hHamilton Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hJackson Crescent - Was 100km/h now 80km/hLawrie Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hMahurangi East Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hMartins Bay Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hMiller Way - Was 100km/h now 60km/hRidge Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hScandrett Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hSophia Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hSuie Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hMahurangi WestBullock Track Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hHungry Creek Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hMahurangi West Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hNgarewa Drive - Was 100km/h now 40km/hPukapuka Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hMatakanaAnderson Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/h Quiet Rise- Was 100km/h now 60km/hTongue Farm Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hWright Road - Was 80km/h now 60km/hOmahaBroadlands Drive - Was 80km/h now 60km/hJones Road - Was 80km/h now 60km/hPoint Wells Road - Was 70km/h now 60km/hWarkworthDuck Creek Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hHamilton Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hSandspit Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hSharp Road - Was 100km/h now 80km/hThompson Road - Was 100km/h now 60km/hWestminster Glen - Was 100km/h now 80km/hWhangateauAshton Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hBirdsall Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hCoxhead Creek Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/hUpper Whangateau Road - Was 100km/h now 40km/h

The general election for the new Kaipara ki Mahurangi electorate will be held September 19, but next week, residents will have their first chance to ask candidates any questions they may have.The ‘Meet the Candidates’ meeting will be held at the Warkworth Town Hall on July 9, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is being hosted by One Warkworth and will be chaired by One Warkworth manager Murray Chapman.The confirmed candidates attending are:Beth Houlbrooke (ACT) who has served three terms on Auckland Council's Rodney Local Board, including one term as Chair and one as Deputy. Beth is running for ACT as a long-time party member and activist who lives and breathes the party's values of personal freedom. Marja Lubeck (Labour) has been a passionate advocate for social justice. Marja believes in fairness and equal opportunities, giving kids the best possible start in life so they can have access to good jobs, decent working conditions and fair wages. To better serve her members, she studied part-time while working and graduated in 2014 with a law degree.Chris Penk (National) First elected to Parliament in 2017, as successor to Sir John Key in that seat, Chris is enjoying being part of National’s strong caucus that’s holding the government to account. His key focus is providing great representation for Kaipara Ki Mahurangi, which includes advocating for constituents and lobbying ministers on various local issues.Callan Neylon (Social Credit) is the Social Credit Party's Youth Wing Leader. He has a particular interest in ecology and is strongly opposed to the Waste Management Ltd proposal to build a potentially toxic landfill in the Dome Valley. Mr Neylon says Social Credit’s funding policies would enable much greater investment in health care and particularly mental health support; an issue he sees as affecting large numbers of young people around his age.The NZ First candidate is yet to be announced. So far, there are no candidates for the Green Party, One Party or the Opportunities Party.

The Matakana community group will be resuming their monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of every month from next week, Tuesday 30th June, at 7:30 p.m. in the Matakana Village Hall. ​The Matakana Community Group evolved from the original Matakana Structure Plan group about 10 years ago. They are an incorporated society and have had huge success with a wide range of community activities, including town planning matters that affect the future of Matakana, traffic management issues, community events and community projects, such as ongoing planting in the area.Their first project, the Matakana to Omaha Cycle and Walking track, was officially opened in 2013. Since then, the MCG has worked alongside Auckland Council, Local Rodney Board, and Auckland Transport in initiating and following through to completion a number of key projects, including the Matakana walking bridge, the ​wharf playground, the ​school and weekend car park, ​new tennis courts, the ​Tamahunga walking and cycling bridge, ​Matakana strategic plan update, ​and an upgrade to Matakana Valley Road.If you live in the Matakana area and wish to be a part of the committee, or you want to have your say on something that is affecting the local community, be sure to head along to the meeting.

School holidays are fast approaching. The 3rd of July to the 20th brings the daunting task of trying to keep the kids entertained for two weeks. Here are some options to get everyone out of the house and having some fun.Rui Ceramics in Warkworth are hosting a few workshops for kids to get their hands dirty and experience the art of creating with clay. Children will have a chance to make ceramic mugs or bowls, which they will also have the chance to decorate, before they are bisque fired, glazed and fired again before being ready to be collected. For more information, or to secure a spot for your child, see the Rui Ceramics page on Facebook, email [email protected], or call 021 1815888.The Warkworth Museum can be a great outing for the whole family, especially with their current exhibit from North Shore Miniatures. The exhibition of all that is small includes their interpretation of the famous Hogwarts Castle from the Harry Potter series of books, as well as castles, cottages and dolls. As well as this, the Museum is stocked full of local history, and ever-changing exhibitions on life from the past to the present. One of their most impressive exhibitions is the textiles collection, with a large range of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and household items dating from late 1700 to the present day. You can also take a stroll around the beautiful Parry Kauri Park and see some of our gorgeous native flora.If your kids don't mind a little mud, join park rangers, members of Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Inc (TOSSI) and other volunteers on July 5th to help plant the trees TOSSI have grown from seed collected from within Tawharanui Regional Park. Wear good enclosed boots or shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing. Bring along your own spade too, if you like, though there will be some available for you to borrow. Hungry helpers will be treated to a sausage sizzle for all their hard work. Mahurangi East Library have plenty of events to keep everyone busy including:Fairy story time, followed by a little library fairy tea partyA visit from Evelyn Davis, who will cast her storytelling spell with her one-of-a-kind storytelling mats, figures and handmade props to foster imagination and curiosity, wonderment and awe in everyday lifeA box fort Nerf play time to release some of that chaotic energy. For more details on these events and more, see the Mahurangi East Library Facebook page.For those rainy days where everyone is cooped up inside, Matakana Cinemas has got you covered. Showing favourites like the Harry Potter series and all of the enchanting Studio Ghibli classics, there's something for kids of all ages (and young-at-heart adults). For a full list of what to catch on the big screen, and showing times head to https://www.matakanacinemas.co.nz/

Mahurangi Rugby Club thought they might not reach this point this year but the North Harbour Club rugby competition 2020 is about to begin. The Mahu teams have come off a good pre-season win against Drury, and are in good shape to play. The Under 21s have players to burn, with over 30 turning up to every training. The premieres have struggled for numbers at times, but thankfully the last two weeks have seen good player turnouts. This season the U21s and Premieres’ games will follow each other, so you'll get a double dose of Mahu Rugby every Saturday.Rugby has been a much-loved part of the Kiwi culture, and the Mahurangi has been no exception. In 1989, The Mahurangi Rugby Club was formed with the amalgamation of Kaipara Flats, Omaha and Warkworth Rugby Clubs. These three clubs competed in the Rodney Sub-Union of the North Auckland Provincial Union. The major trophy was the Govan Wilson Cup, which all three clubs won on a regular basis. Mahurangi College has produced three All Blacks: Murray Jones, Zinzan Brooke and Robin Brooke. Murray Jones also played his club rugby for Omaha when in the All Blacks.If you are wanting to head along to support our rugby boys, they will be playing these dates at the Mahurangi Rugby Club:27th June vs East Coast Bays4th July vs Silverdale18th July vs North ShoreSo, head along to cheer them on, and you could even celebrate, or commiserate, with a beverage at the club afterwards.

Rabbits have long proven a problem for the Omaha Beach community, feasting on vulnerable native plants, and causing erosion by burrowing and digging. Starting at 10:00 p.m. tonight, Tuesday June 23, controlled culling will take place to reduce the damage caused by these furry little pests.On Tuesday and Wednesday (June 23rd and 24th) this week and Tuesday (June 30th) next week, a team of four staff will be out from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. taking on the ground-based shooting operation. Staff will be undertaking the control on foot and wearing hi-viz vests. They will be using a combination of thermal imaging equipment and a red filtered spotlight to spot the rabbits. The firearms being used are suppressed .22 rifles. Rabbit carcasses will be retrieved each night. Only rabbits that can be safely shot will be targeted.For those who are in the area who are concerned about pets, the quality of night vision gear and staff training is extremely high, so it is very unlikely a 'non target animal' would be hurt. Residents support the control of this pest: “Fantastic. They are a noxious pest destroying our ecosystem.”

Local business Boost Chiropractic has been working hard over the month of June with their Support Local Challenge. Every day this month, they have chosen a local business to give a shout out for, and have been offering perks to customers choosing to get on board with the movement and support that day’s chosen shop.The Boost Chiropractic team has set up tabs at local businesses to encourage people to get out there and shop local. That means if you go to the store Boost Chiropractic is supporting, you can get that shop’s goods or services on the Boost team. Win, win. For a list of the businesses that are getting on board, see the Boost Chiropractic Facebook Page.After seeing the effects that the lockdown was having on local businesses financially, Boost Chiropractic was inspired to get out there and do something about it.“Covid lockdown was a time where we had the opportunity to reflect on our business and our impact on the community we love. While we were confident that things would be okay for us, we looked at our local community and saw that there could potentially be some challenges in the future for our community as a whole. So, from that perspective, we started to think about what we could do to impact our local economy and engaging the locals to support local businesses was a way that we could help in a real way.“We then looked at what people in other regions had done and kind of adapted and used ideas which we thought may be fun: our 30 day Support Local Challenge was born. We are inspired to serve our community on a greater scale and have fun while we do it. A strong, connected community is important to us.“We knew that if we committed ourselves to supporting local that perhaps that would inspire people to spend locally and get behind local businesses, and the response so far has been amazing! Businesses are super receptive to us promoting them, and the locals are using the tabs wonderfully. Some people have mentioned that they don't want to use the tab as they feel there are people out there who are more in need that could use it. However, our response to that would be that the initiative is for people to support local businesses, not receive handouts for the locals. So please, go and use the tabs and get behind these amazing small businesses.”Although the Support Local challenge is only running for 30 days, the support won't end there. Boost Community Connections page is a Facebook group that has been set up to foster strong awareness for local businesses, the people behind those businesses and what they are doing to support the local community. Boost Chiropractic will continue the challenge with a couple of awesome ongoing monthly and weekly events which they will let people know about through Boost Community Connections on Facebook. As well as all the businesses being showcased in the Support Local challenge, don't forget to support the one behind it all, Boost Chiropractic, which is located in Snells Beach and Warkworth. “Our business is Boost Chiropractic, and our mission as a practice is to authentically serve and empower families through vitalistic wellness.”

The 150-year-strong annual Warkworth A&P Show could be in jeopardy, unless new volunteers come forward to help out. Chairman Allan Barber and several other committee members, including show secretary Penny Webster and treasurer Vanessa Barber, are planning to retire after next year’s show.Allan has been chair for seven years. There are currently 10 members on the A&P show committee, and without resources or interest, the show may become a thing of the past.All A&P committee roles are voluntary, though there is a $10,000 honorarium for the show secretary. The time commitment varies from regular meetings in the run-up to the March show date to “not much at all” between the July AGM and the end of the year. Organisational skills are more important than an agricultural or rural background.Anyone who wishes to know more about any of the roles, and what’s involved, can call Allan Barber on 027 447 7000 or email Penny Webster at [email protected].

The historic Puhoi Pub is under new ownership, and they’re hoping to reopen in time for Puhoi Heritage Day celebrations, June 29.The names of the new owners are yet to be announced.The Puhoi Pub has remained closed since lockdown, as social distancing rules would have been hard to enforce in the environment of such a small, local pub.The pub has a rich history, providing a place for locals to drink and socialise for 140 years. Puhoi Heritage Day is a day to acknowledge and celebrate the origins of Puhoi, and the history that lives on to this day. The township will be celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the first group of settlers from Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. 83 pioneers spent 107 days at sea without touching land on the War Spirit before arriving on June 29, 1863.Local Maori chief Te Hemara Tauhia gave them food and showed them how to live off the land. Clearing the bush for pasture provided income. Firewood, kauri roof shingles and logs were sold in Auckland.Eighty-three settlers had left Europe in 1863, and more followed until by the 1870s about 200 Bohemians lived at Puhoi.There are still many descendants of these first settlers living in Puhoi today. 

Mahurangi East library has opened its doors once again, and they are in the process of organising some exciting community events and projects. They are putting together a range of different environmental projects to help improve the local area, including project Blue Fish, placing 'drains are for rain' markers on storm water drains, and planting, which will be taking place this Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome to participate. Bring gloves and a drink bottl and meet at the Cornell Circle Bridge. They are also taking suggestions for a beautify Goodall Reserve project, including the skate park facility, and are keen to hear from all users of the reserve. If you would like to be included in an early 'brainstorming' hui, please contact the library. Old favourites will also be resuming, like Wriggle and Rhyme on July 2, and on July 3, 2020 Kids’ Club will be kicking off with a movie and snacks to celebrate the end of the school term.On Saturday July 4 from 4:30 p.m. onwards, Mahurangi East library is inviting the community to help them celebrate the end of lockdown and the start of the Māori New Year, Matariki.  Special lighting will be installed at the Community Centre where it is being held, and staff are working hard behind the scenes to offer the community an authentic hangi and performance. They are looking for volunteers to help out in various roles such as kitchen, after event clean up, and hangi helpers, so if you are available let them know.  They are also looking for some local talent to take to the stage, so if you're up for it, contact the library.