Date Time
Princess Cruises’ Guests Support Wildlife in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands
About 50 children from New Zealand’s Bay of Islands have been busy building ‘houses’ for threatened kiwis and penguins as part of the community’s effort to encourage the return of native wildlife in the area.
The children were part of an enthusiastic group of volunteers who helped build rock and cement shelters for the Kororā (Māori for little blue penguin) along the shoreline at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The houses provide a safe haven for the birds to raise their young.
Organised by local conservation group, Bay Bush Action, volunteers also decorated and installed kiwi houses in the heart of the Opua State Forest to encourage prime nesting conditions for the iconic national bird.
Navy chopper drops in to visit Whangārei school pupils
12 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
2 minutes to read
Louie Fannin placed in an annual competition held by the RNZN which resulted in a visit from the Seasprite chopper. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Louie Fannin placed in an annual competition held by the RNZN which resulted in a visit from the Seasprite chopper. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Reporter for the Northern Advocate jodi.bryant@nzme.co.nz
Whangārei pupils from several schools flocked toward a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) aircraft this week when it landed in their midst.
Whangārei Primary pupils were invited to sit aboard the RNZN aircraft after one of their own won third place in an art competition.
The information also shows the council had the chance to buy the property in 2018 – when the market valuation was $1.6m – but decided not to. The council said it did not buy the property back then because it did not have the money after a grant application to Lottery Environment and Heritage was unsuccessful. No grant money was used to purchase the property in December. The money came from savings in the council’s strategic land purchase budget, the council said.
John Kirk-Anderson/Stuff
Christchurch city councillor Sam MacDonald voted against buying the Red House in December. Cr Sam MacDonald, who was the only councillor to vote against the purchase in December, said it was outrageous the council had spent close to $1m more than the deal it could have had two years ago.
A family campervan holiday to Northland
12 Sep, 2020 09:30 PM
9 minutes to read
A campervan holiday with family. Photo / 123rf
Setting out
There is a moment two hours into every family road trip when this all suddenly feels like a very bad idea.
The young ones are restless. Driving is boring (it s hard to argue with them on long stretches of motorway leading out of the city centres). Your destination is too far, your lofty ambitions of showing them the country too high.
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But most of the fun of campervans is in using your vehicle as a home, and not in using your home as a vehicle. By which I mean: campervans aren t that great to drive, but they are a lot of fun to live in. For that reason, plan short spurts of driving from the get-go. An hour here, a quick leg stretch there. Another hour on the road, then the long-promised icecream at the next dairy you pass.