CLOSED SH1 Warkworth to Puhoi, between Woodcocks Road and Grand Drive - FloodingSH1 Orewa to Warkworth, northbound, between Grant Drive interchange and Warkworth - Flooding and slipsMatakana Valley Road is completely blocked by a slipWhangaripo Valley is still flooded.SH1 at Brynderwyns is still blocked.Wayby Valley Road is closed.OPENSH1 Upper Harbour Hwy On-ramp - FloodingSH1 Wellsford to Warkworth, in the Dome Valley - SlipSH16 Kaukapakapa to Wellsford, between Tauhoa and Kaukapakapa - FloodingSH16 Kaukapakapa to Wellsford, between West Coast Road and Barr Road - FloodingSH16 Waimauku to Kumeu, between Access road and Station - FloodingLeigh Hill heading over to Pakiri is open (Matakana Valley road is NOT see above)Waipu road is open as a detour to Brynderwyns, then take the SH16 if headed to south.Wanting to get to Auckland?You need to use Kaiwaka- Mangawhai diversion around Brynderwyns via Waipu, then State Highway 16.

IF YOU CANT STAY HOME....DO!CLOSURESDome Valley is CLOSEDSH16 is CLOSEDWhangaripo Valley is CLOSEDBrynderwyns are CLOSEDMangawhai - access to Mangawhai via Waipu is blocked due to accident involving a truckKaipara Flats road - flooding impassableWayby Valley Road - flooding, impassable.SH1 closed between Waiwera//Orewa/Puhoi and Warkworth - for at least a few hours until possibly 10-11pm.Slips and delays elsewhere see below.Wenderholm onramp is washed out, 4x4 car ideally.Johnstones Tunnel - North and South side before tunnel is flooded and washed out . Go very slow.SH1 Windy Ridge/ Schedeways Hill - multiple slips blocking road, be very careful, drive slow! Stop and go in place, expect delays.Whangateau - flooding, still passable at the moment but be careful.Matakana Valley Road - Slips along the road, take extra care.Leigh Road just out from matakana the hill before the Oyster shop is half blocked with a massive slip SH1 Southbound between Te Hana and Topuni - tree down covering one lane and flooding at the bridge, expect delays. Just passable.SH Puhoi to Wellsford - Traffic is expected to be busy northbound through this area from 3pm to 6pm on Fri 27 Jan, and again from 10am to 1pm on Sat 28 Jan. Road users are advised to allow extra time for their journeys or consider travelling outside these periods. Please drive to the conditions.Wellsford Valley Road - flooding 4x4 only.Port Albert Road - flooding and is impassable.Gibbons Road, Kaiwaka - flooding

Warkworth regionFriday 27th January - Rain with heavy falls. Chance of a thunderstorm. Northeasterlies, gale in exposed places, gusting 80 km/h.Heavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 16hrs from 6am - 10pm Fri, 27 JanArea: AucklandForecast: Expect 70 to 100mm of rain, especially in the east and north, with thunderstorms possible. Peak rates of 15 to 25mm/h expected during Friday morning and afternoon. However, rates of 25 to 40mm/h are possible in localised downpours.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Saturday 28th January - Periods of rain, possibly heavy and thundery. Fresh northeasterlies.Sunday 29th January - Showers, some heavy, becoming isolated with longer fine breaks in the afternoon. Fresh northeasterlies.Mangawhai regionFriday 27th January - Rain with heavy falls. Chance of a thunderstorm. Northeasterlies.Heavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 20hrs from 8pm Thu, 26 Jan - 4pm Fri, 27 JanArea: NorthlandForecast: Expect 100 to 130mm of rain, especially in the east and north, with thunderstorms possible. Peak rates of 15 to 25mm/h expected during Friday morning and afternoon. However, rates of 25 to 40mm/h are possible in localised downpours. Note, once the broadscale heavy rain eases, heavy showers are expected on Friday night.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Issued: 8:24pm Thu 26 JanNext update: 10:00am Fri 27 JanSevere Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 15hrs from midnight Thu, 26 Jan - 3pm Fri, 27 JanArea: NorthlandForecast: Bands of heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms are expected to move across Northland during Friday morning and early afternoon. Some of these thunderstorms may be SEVERE, producing localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/h. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain. Expect thunderstorm activity to ease late Friday afternoon.Saturday 28th January - Occasional rain. Northeasterlies.Sunday 29th January - Rain. Northeasterlies.

Matakana Food & Beer Festival organisers have decided to postpone the event which was on this weekend until Easter weekend (8th April), due to weather. Below is the statement from organisers.

Northland has been issued a heavy rain warning by Metservice.From 10pm Thursday to 10pm Friday 27 JanExpect 100 to 130mm of rain, especially in the east and north, with thunderstorms possible. Peak rates of 10 to 20mm/h expected during Friday morning and afternoon. Note, once the heavy rain eases, showers are expected through the weekend.More updates tomorrow.

Foodstuffs Own Brands Ltd is recalling a specific batch of its Pams brand Carrot Batons due to the possible presence of E.coli.Point of sale notice for retailersIf you are a retailer of the product in this recall notice, you need to download a copy of the below Point of sale notice and display it in your store for one month.Point of sale notice – Pams brand Carrot Batons [PDF, 47 KB]Consumer adviceCustomers are asked to check the date mark on the back of the packaging.Affected product should not be consumed. There have been no reports of associated illness, however if you have consumed any of this product and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice.Customers should return the product to their retailer for a full refund.Who to contactIf you have questions, contact Foodstuffs Own Brands Ltd:Phone: 0800 24 51 14Address: 35 Landing Drive, Mangere, Auckland.

Media company MediaWorks intends laying off up to 90 staff members in an effort to cut costs.MediaWorks is a New Zealand-based company specialising in radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. It operates More FM, the Edge, the Breeze, Mai FM and the Rock among other prominent radio stations.In an email sent to staff this morning, chief executive Cam Wallace said two-thirds of the company's costs were labour related.He said the impact of inflationary pressures and a likely recession this year have meant costs must be reduced.The jobs to be axed include roles that are vacant at present.In a statement to RNZ, a spokesperson said MediaWorks staff had been given "an update on a period of business change we are about to embark on"."We have unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to review our operating model and reduce our workforce by up to 90 roles [this includes a significant number of vacant roles]."The company would start consulting with staff soon and wanted to ensure it supported people while it worked through the process.MediaWorks is jointly owned by US company Oaktree Capital Management and advertising company QMS which operates outdoor advertising sites in both New Zealand and Australia.

It is starting to get very hot out there!! It is not wise to take your dogs for walks during the day at the moment, or leave them in the car.The concrete, grass and sand is very very hot!! The inside of your car can become even hotter!! Good times to walk them would be early morning (5-7am) or late at night after 8:30pm. Check out the temperature guides on these info posters.HEAT STROKEBURNT PAWSIf your dog does happen to get burnt paw pads or heat stroke it is important to take them to a vet for treatment.

Our weather for the week:Warkworth regionMonday 23rd January - Mainly fine. High cloud developing this afternoon. Southwesterlies, dying out this evening.Tuesday 24th January - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing in the morning and clearing by evening. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Wednesday 25th January - Fine. Northeasterlies easing in the evening.Thursday 26th January - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing. Easterlies, becoming fresh.Friday 27th January - A few showers, turning to rain. Fresh easterlies.Mangawhai regionMonday 23rd January - A fine start, but cloud increasing this afternoon. Light winds, afternoon southerlies.Tuesday 24th January - Partly cloudy. A few showers and easterlies developing late morning.Wednesday 25th January - Partly cloudy. Easterlies.Thursday 26th January - Partly cloudy, with a few showers developing. Easterlies.Friday 27th January - Rain with northeasterlies.

Power Play - The Labour Party has entered a new era with the election of Chris Hipkins as prime minister and Carmel Sepuloni as his deputy.There's something surreal about how quickly it's all happened; a Sunday afternoon media conference with Hipkins and Sepuloni at the podium, and to think one of Jacinda Ardern's last public acts as prime minister was to auction off a signed Hansard copy of her "arrogant prick" comment with ACT leader David Seymour.Her bombshell - only last Thursday - immediately sparked intense discussions among MPs about the future. Once the matter of leader was settled, attention turned to how the party would best represent Māori, women, Auckland and Pasifika - all wrapped up in the new structure with senior Māori MP Kelvin Davis staying on deputy leader of the party wing.Grant Robertson will keep the role of finance minister but has stepped aside as deputy prime minister to make way for Sepuloni, who is of Samoan, Tongan and New Zealand European descent. Like Ardern, Hipkins and Robertson she, too, is from the class of 2008.The MP for Kelston, Sepuloni has been a steady pair of hands in the social development portfolio and makes history as the first Pasifika deputy prime minister.Her Cabinet colleague, Aupito William Sio, could barely contain his emotion as he made his way into the caucus room, wearing his ula fala - a necklace worn by Samoan high chiefs for times of celebration."It's historic, the dreams and aspirations of many of our parents and grandparents."Sepuloni talked about breaking the news to her sons, welling up as she spoke about their messages of pride; but she said she'd held off telling her father, who had been in Samoa this past week, as she "didn't want to run the risk of him telling the whole village over there before he returned".Hipkins took the opportunity to address his own personal situation, as the father of two young children, one at school and one at kindy, talking about the break-up of his marriage last year."It's bloody hard, families come under an enormous amount of pressure."A year ago, my wife and I made the decision that we would live separately, that we would do everything we can to raise our children together, we remain incredibly close, she's still my best friend," he said."But we have made that decision in the best interests of our family. My view is that the only people whose business that it is, is my own."Hipkins said he would not putting his children into the public arena and asked their privacy be respected.As to the governing side of things, he said the government would focus on the "bread and butter" issues, the cost of living pressures facing low and middle income New Zealanders and small businesses. No different in the messaging coming from Ardern at the end of last year, but a deliberate emphasis on getting back to basics.What that looks like, however, has yet to be articulated.Looking at the leadership contest, it was swift and bloodless, carried out with little apparent political damage - either internally or to the Labour Party brand.The speed and professionalism with which MPs executed this transition is in stark contrast to what Labour inflicted upon itself in the post-Clark years, and then the National Party in opposition after that.There was a clear motivation to get this sorted by the Sunday 1pm deadline. Firstly, it meant the caucus had 100 percent say; if it had gone on to the next stage, MPs' influence would have been diluted, getting 40 percent alongside the membership at 40 percent, and affiliated unions at 20 percent.The other risk is the longer the contest goes, the less patience the public has for politicians talking about themselves and the greater risk of open conflict or criticism between contenders. Anyone involved in the Labour contests done that way in the past will also remember how long they took, and there's simply not the time for weeks of campaigning in this climate.Andrew Little stepped aside as leader in 2017 for Ardern, and after some bruising leadership battles of his own, said this contest had been "encouraging"."We've had, in our history, some pretty rocky experiences ... this indicates a new level of maturity, a real unanimity of purpose," he said.Sepuloni also remembers those times well, describing former leadership battles as a "rough ride"."It's a relief that we are in the place that we are and we have been for quite some time, and it is a unified caucus."She said there was "no need to explain how it's been in the past ... it's played out very publicly and we certainly have all learned lessons from that".Hipkins and Sepuloni will be sworn-in on Wednesday, but he will hit the ground running today with the regular round of morning media interviews.He will go to Rātana tomorrow, accompanying Ardern on her last outing as prime minister. On Wednesday he will chair his first Cabinet, then front the media briefing. The rest of the week will be taken up with meetings with business leaders in Auckland and starting work on the policy reset and Cabinet reshuffle.

Another person has died following a water-related incident in the north of Auckland.Police say the incident occurred at Anchor Bay on the Tāwharanui Peninsula, and was reported to emergency services shortly before 2pm.Medical assistance was provided, but the person died.The death will be referred to the coroner.It is the sixth water-related death in the Auckland Region since Friday.Two people died after getting into trouble in the water at Piha last night and another person died in a water-related incident at an address in Takapuna yesterday morning.On Friday, one person died after getting into difficulty near Takapuna's Narrow Neck Beach and another died following a water-related incident near Big Manly Beach on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

Traffic is very heavy coming into Warkworth, especially Southbound. Expect long delays.Also traffic at Hill Street intersection is heavy, on Matakana and Sandspit roads.There has been an accident in Tawharanui and emergency services are on the scene avoid the area if you can and drive with care.Reports coming through of someone getting in trouble in the water at Tawharanui and needing CPR.Traffic buildup appears to be in many places around Warkworth, likely a combination of people heading home and the accident. Please take care and expect delays especially heading South.

By Sam Sachdeva for Newsroom*Analysis - Barring drama to match any of the past few years, we now know the identity of New Zealand's next prime minister.With Chris Hipkins the sole nominee to replace Jacinda Ardern as Labour Party leader, and the two-thirds majority he requires to avoid a more formal contest seeming like a formality, it is the Remutaka MP who is set to emerge as the nation's new leader on Sunday afternoon.But who will be standing alongside Hipkins to nod supportively as his deputy prime minister?In some respects, that could be seen as a tougher decision than settling on the top job.A deputy leader needs to complement the skill set and character traits of their boss, as well as their more rudimentary demographics and geography. They should be confident and skilled enough to step in seamlessly when the leader is away - but not so talented and ambitious as to inspire speculation about whether the batting order is the wrong way around.Labour has already had to navigate these issues under Ardern.When she took over from Andrew Little ahead of the 2017 election, her preference surely would have been to have Robertson as her deputy, given their close friendship and similar views; when Robertson made a failed run for the Labour leadership in 2014, it was with Ardern as his preferred 2IC.But with the pair too alike (both former political staffers, and sitting towards the left of the Labour spectrum) it was instead ex-school principal Kelvin Davis who became the party's first Māori deputy leader.After New Zealand First fell out of Parliament at the 2020 election, meaning Winston Peters vacated the position of deputy prime minister, Ardern had to deal with another conundrum.Would it be Davis who replaced Peters, given his existing leadership role, or would she take the opportunity to elevate Robertson?Again, her choice would have naturally been the latter given some of Davis' struggles when filling in as prime minister, but given the importance of Māori representation within the party forcing him out would have been a dangerous move.In the end, Davis sacrificed himself for the greater good, staying on as the party's deputy leader but stepping aside to let Robertson take on the deputy prime ministership.In theory, there is no vacancy for either position - but in reality, it seems likely that both will lose those roles, given Hipkins will want to put his own stamp on the party and the government.The sensitivities that emerged around Davis' decision, as well as the importance that Labour has assigned to improving Crown-Māori relations, are why many expect Hipkins' deputy to hail from the Māori caucus.In a vacuum, Nanaia Mahuta would be the perfect candidate. As Labour's longest-serving MP, a minister in two separate governments and a member of Māori royalty, the Foreign Affairs Minister has the requisite mana both inside the party and Māoridom.But the toxicity that has surrounded the Three Waters policy, as well as the way Mahuta has become a lightning rod for scaremongering about the government's co-governance agenda, make such an appointment a tough sell (even if she could be persuaded to run).Defence Minister and Tāmaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare, one alternative, does have the requisite standing and has performed ably in his ministerial portfolios, in addition to hailing from Auckland.But given suggestions that Henare has been eyeing the exit door ahead of the election, as well the fact his appointment would mean two men atop the party, makes that unlikely.That was why Kiri Allan, a rainbow Māori MP and perfect demonstration of Labour's argument that it best represents the diversity of Aotearoa, had seemed a natural choice for many. However, she reportedly ruled herself out Saturday morning, clearing the way for Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni.Sepuloni has been one of the government's more reliable performers in what can be a difficult portfolio given supporters' expectations, and her name has come up frequently as a contender.She is Tongan rather than Māori, but Labour's growing Pasifika caucus may well have some sway of its own, while she hails from Auckland to offset Hipkins' Wellington roots.Sepuloni also appears to enjoy a warm relationship with the putative prime minister, and is respected across the party.But how would the Māori caucus feel about having no representation in any of the three top ministerial roles? (While there are no guarantees, it seems highly likely Robertson will stay on as finance minister which would presumably command the third ranking in Cabinet).It is still Hipkins who will have the greatest impact on Labour's re-election chances - but who he picks to run alongside him, and how it is received by the party, could well be a significant factor too.

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, 27 January 2023. Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday.Check daily updated closure informationUnless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Upper Harbour Highway on-ramp, 22 JanuaryOteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 22 JanuaryGreville Road southbound on-ramp, 22 JanuarySouthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Upper Harbour Highway on-ramp, 23-26 January (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Oteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 23-26 January (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Greville Road southbound on-ramp, 23-26 January (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Upper Harbour Highway off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 22-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Upper Harbour Highway northbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Tristram Avenue off-ramp and Upper Harbour Highway on-ramp, 25-26 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Tristram Avenue northbound on-ramp, 25-26 JanuaryStafford Road northbound off-ramp, 22-26 January (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 22-26 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Hobson Street southbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuaryHobson Street westbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuaryNelson Street northbound off-ramp, 25-26 January (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 25-26 January (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH1 southbound link, 22-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 25-26 January (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Wellesley Street East on-ramp, 22-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 southbound link, 22-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Symonds Street southbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuaryGrafton Road southbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuarySOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Fanshawe Street off-ramp and Greenlane on-ramp, 22-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Khyber Pass Road southbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuarySt Marks Road southbound on-ramp, 22-24 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Symonds Street on-ramp, 25-26 January (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Gillies Avenue northbound on-ramp, 25-26 JanuaryGreenlane northbound on-ramp, 25-26 JanuarySouth-Eastern Highway (SEART) northbound on-ramp, 23-24 JanuaryMt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 25 JanuaryHighbrook Drive southbound off-ramp, 24 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 22-26 JanuaryRamarama northbound on-ramp, 22-26 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 28 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ramarama northbound on-ramp, 28 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Northbound lanes between Lincoln Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Roundabout, 22 January (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)SH16 northbound to SH18 eastbound link northbound on-ramp, 22 January (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Lincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 22 January (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Lincoln Road northbound off-ramp, 24-27 JanuaryLincoln Road southbound off-ramp, 23 JanuaryLincoln Road northbound off-ramp, 23 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Great North Road on-ramp, 22-26 January (approx. 10:00pm to 05:00am)Rosebank Road northbound off-ramp, 22-27 JanuaryGreat North Road northbound on-ramp, 22-26 January (approx. 10:00pm to 05:00am)UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Albany Highway westbound on-ramp, 26 JanuaryWestbound lanes between Albany Highway off-ramp and Tauhinu Road on-ramp, 25 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Albany Highway westbound on-ramp, 25 JanuaryEastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Greenhithe Road on-ramp, 25 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Squadron Drive off-ramp and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 23-24 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Squadron Drive westbound off-ramp, 25-26 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Brigham Creek Road westbound off-ramp, 22-24 & 26 JanuaryBrigham Creek Road westbound on-ramp, 23-24 January

Our role is to ensure that people can move around the city easily and safely. Auckland Transport and its contractor AECOM / Geotechnics are set to start work on Pavement and Utilities Investigations in Warkworth at the SH1 / Hill Street / Sandspit Road intersection and Matakana / Sandspit Road intersection. Where Hill Street, Brown Road (SH-1), Great North Road (SH-1), Elizabeth Street, Sandspit Road and Matakana Road, Warkworth, Auckland When (start date) 24th January, 2023 Hours of work Day shift (Mon-Fri) between 9AM and 4PM, Night shift (Sun-Thu) between 8PM and 5AM For (duration) 1.5 Months (please note that there will be no works between 5AM 27th January 2023 and 8PM 7th February 2023) The work we’re doing We’re doing this work to maintain and improve your neighbourhood and to keep our communities safe. The drawings overleaf show where we’ll be working. We’ll do our best to start the work on time. Factors such as wet weather could mean a delayed start. If the delay is significant, we’ll notify you. We know our work can be a bit loud, and that noise – particularly at night – can be disrupting. We try our best to avoid working at night but sometimes it is necessary in order to avoid wider disruption on the network or to get the job done faster. If we have to work at night, we’ll do our best to keep noise levels down. We’ll handle traffic flow in and out of the area, and any detoursWe will use a mix of temporary traffic signs (like stop/go signs) and traffic lights, and a lower speed limit. We do this to keep traffic moving and keep people who use the roads and footpaths safe. Traffic controllers will help to manage vehicle access. Please follow all signs, light signals and traffic directions. You’ll need to reduce your speed when you’re driving through the area. Please follow all signs, light signals and traffic directions. Street parking may be limited during these hours. You may need to either park on your property or on a side road and walk to your property. Any vehicles parked in the work area will be towed to a safe position a short distance from the work site and may be returned to its original position by our approved towing company. Every effort will be made to locate the owner before towing. However, to avoid any inconvenience we would appreciate if you could park your vehicle away from the work area on scheduled work shifts.Contact Us If you have any queries or concerns about the works taking place please contact: Geotechnics – Shirleen Gummer Site Investigation Coordinator [email protected] 027 201 2136 Or Geotechnics – Lance Bauern Pavements Investigation Lead Technician [email protected] 021 118 1636 Alternatively you can contact AT’s call centre on 09 355 3553 or email [email protected]. To learn more about this project please go to https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/hill-street-intersectionimprovements/ Thank you for your understanding and co-operation whilst we carry out these essential works. Ngā mihi, Infrastructure Project Delivery Integrated Networks

Friday 20th JanuaryMartakana Art ExhibitionMatakana Village Pub - Meat raffle Live music at Matakana Village PubVineyards in the VillageFiji Fridays @ SmithsSaturday 21st JanuaryMatakana Village Farmers MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMangawhai Community MarketPlay for Ukraine - tennis openMartakana Art ExhibitionMake Your Own Bottle Opener - Smoke Garlic, Salt, and Cheese WorkshopOyster & Wine Pop-up Vol 2Music in Parks Snells Beach Soul Vibes Band at The Puhoi PubMixed Messages - Saturdays at SmithsThe Gaffers Band playing in Snells BeachSunday 22nd JanuaryPlay for Ukraine - tennis openMartakana Art ExhibitionSunday Sessions @ Leigh Sawmill CafeSunday Service @ Smiths

Warkworth regionFriday 20th - Fine with a few clouds. Chance of a light shower in the west. Southwesterlies.Saturday 21st - Fine breaks. Chance of an early shower or two. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Sunday 22nd - Fine. Southwesterlies.Mangawhai regionFriday 20th - Fine. Southwesterlies.Saturday 21st - Partly cloudy, with the chance of a shower around midday. Southerlies.Sunday 22nd - Fine with southwesterlies.

People in the country's two biggest commuter cities are facing heavy public transport disruption as they return to work this week.Driver shortages and railway works have left people in Pōneke and Tāmaki Makaurau stranded at the station, facing long waits, and forking out for other transport.In the capital, many weekday buses are running on a Saturday timetable until the end of the month - slashing services by 20 percent.That is in addition to 180 services that have been temporarily parked since October.At rush hour on Lambton Quay, commuters' woes included double the transport time, packed buses, and long waits at the stop.Greater Wellington Regional Council's transport chair Thomas Nash said the council knew what a headache the disruptions caused, but it was left with no choice."We're forced into this situation because of a chronic shortage of drivers for buses around the country, and in Wellington."We're doing what we can to make sure that the drivers who we do have get a decent rest, and this is really the only option we saw in front of us."As of last month, the Metlink network was short 125 drivers.But there may be a light at the end of the bus tunnel - even if it's dim and flickering."We are hopeful that sometime by the middle of this year, we'll be able to remove some of those suspended services and get back to a normal level of service, and indeed, start to begin to expand our frequency and reach."That hinged on recruitment efforts, which Nash said had been intense.The government's new immigration rules giving bus drivers a pathway to residency had helped.One of Metlink's operators, NZ Bus said so far 100 overseas candidates had accepted job offers.The first cohort should be at the wheel in the next two months.Another operator, Tranzit, said it was campaigning to bring students and retirees into the fold.The bus driver shortage was also causing headaches in the City of Sails, but the trains were the talk of the town.Yesterday was the first day of a two-month closure of six rail stations on the Southern and Onehunga lines while Auckland Transport works on the City Rail Link.Commuters at Britomart said while trains were replaced by buses, they took far longer - meaning they could not get to work on time unless they took a taxi.Next in line for disruption are commuters on the eastern line, with work set to begin there in March, closing five stations.

Police have recovered a body at the scene of a fire in Kaiwaka this afternoon.Emergency services were notified of the fire at a residential address in Kaiwaka, near State Highway 1, around 12.48pm.At this stage, the death is being treated as unexplained.A post mortem examination is expected to take place in the coming days to determine the cause of death.Police will be working alongside Fire and Emergency NZ investigators to determine the cause of the fire.