Sonya is an assistant news director for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post
Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader, and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
![‘It messed me up a little’: Adoptee’s heartbreaking hunt for birth family](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
‘It messed me up a little’: Adoptee’s heartbreaking hunt for birth family
'It’s almost like I was reborn again, like I discovered who I was all over again.'
![‘I would go home and not sleep’: How police cope with crash trauma](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
‘I would go home and not sleep’: How police cope with crash trauma
Once they were expected to 'harden', or have a beer - now there are better ways.
![‘I try not to look at their face’: How firefighters cope with the trauma of car crashes](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
‘I try not to look at their face’: How firefighters cope with the trauma of car crashes
'Even if we forget the faces, we remember when we drive by'
!['Time the city progressed': Ten projects set to transform Tauranga's waterfront](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Time the city progressed': Ten projects set to transform Tauranga's waterfront
How they will help rejuvenate the city centre.
![12-year high: The region catching 50+ drink drivers a week](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
12-year high: The region catching 50+ drink drivers a week
Police are shocked by how severely intoxicated some drivers are.
![Growth, age, diversity: 5 Census takeaways for Tauranga and Western Bay](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Growth, age, diversity: 5 Census takeaways for Tauranga and Western Bay
How our demographic makeup is changing.
![Boatie plucked from dinghy after abandoning burning boat](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Boatie plucked from dinghy after abandoning burning boat
A man was found in a rubber dinghy after abandoning a burning boat.
![Fines and debt collectors: Car parkers stung at shopping centres](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Fines and debt collectors: Car parkers stung at shopping centres
'I fought for two weeks to get it sorted and kept getting the run-around.'
!['Unmanageable': Principal blasts Govt 'overstepping' with phone ban](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Unmanageable': Principal blasts Govt 'overstepping' with phone ban
He describes the blanket ban as 'another step into central government control'.
![Rest home owner and staff told to apologise to family of man who died after a fall](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Rest home owner and staff told to apologise to family of man who died after a fall
The man had a fall inside the rest home and died two weeks later.
![Why Tauranga could see a 'significant drop' in cruise visits next season](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why Tauranga could see a 'significant drop' in cruise visits next season
Increased operating costs in New Zealand among reasons for predicted drop in bookings.
![Memorial Park fountain gets $100k upgrade](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Memorial Park fountain gets $100k upgrade
The fountain is undergoing work to make it safer.
![First look: Inside the luxury new Tauranga apartments luring Aucklanders](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
First look: Inside the luxury new Tauranga apartments luring Aucklanders
The scale of the mixed-use development is likened to Singapore or Melbourne offerings.
![Boarding house ordered to pay $37k for removing hot water taps, lack of heating](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Boarding house ordered to pay $37k for removing hot water taps, lack of heating
Edgecumbe House did not comply with healthy homes rules and a range of other regulations.
![Marriage is on a downward trend and here’s why](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Marriage is on a downward trend and here’s why
Opinion: Who wants to be resentful and unhappy?
![Sonya Bateson: Now's the perfect time to start building good habits](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Now's the perfect time to start building good habits
OPINION: New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone.
![It's okay to say 'no' this Christmas](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
It's okay to say 'no' this Christmas
OPINION: Putting on a happy face for family and friends can feel like a mammoth task.
![How the Mount's wild New Year's Eves were tamed — and what was learned](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
How the Mount's wild New Year's Eves were tamed — and what was learned
OPINION: Teens and young adults used to come from all over to get drunk.
![Why being poor costs more - foodbanks need our support](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why being poor costs more - foodbanks need our support
OPINION: The cost-of-living crisis has turned a hard situation into an impossible one.
![Opinion: I might complain a lot but I wouldn’t live anywhere else](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: I might complain a lot but I wouldn’t live anywhere else
Opinion: I may rag on this place from time to time, but I truly love it here.
!['Once it’s gone, it’s gone': The risks of cities sprawling into farmland](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Once it’s gone, it’s gone': The risks of cities sprawling into farmland
OPINION: Yes, we need houses, but productive land is a precious and finite resource.
![Why saying ‘I saw it on TikTok’ just doesn’t cut it](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why saying ‘I saw it on TikTok’ just doesn’t cut it
OPINION: It's the internet-age equivalent of 'Aunty Margaret’s sister-in-law ... said'.
![Sonya Bateson: Labour’s downfall was not rocking the boat](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Labour’s downfall was not rocking the boat
OPINION: It felt more like the Labour government took a “hold on and wait” approach.
![Sonya Bateson: Life is about to get harder for low-wage workers](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Life is about to get harder for low-wage workers
OPINION: Paid parking zones are going to cover an extended area.
![Opinion: Why paying for parking won't kill this popular Bay spot](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Why paying for parking won't kill this popular Bay spot
OPINION: I don’t think the Mount is going to face a shortage of visitors.
![Sonya Bateson: Fresh trauma deserves the most recognition in our justice system](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Fresh trauma deserves the most recognition in our justice system
Opinion: The sentence discounts for cultural reports should be far smaller.
![Opinion: Deliberately misnaming, misgendering people is cruel and inhumane](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Deliberately misnaming, misgendering people is cruel and inhumane
OPINION: Identity change has always been a thing - even in the good old days.
![Opinion: Why evicting unruly state tenants is not the answer](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Why evicting unruly state tenants is not the answer
OPINION: Kicking unruly tenants out is going to have its own implications for society.
![Opinion: Supermarket body cameras must not be misused](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Supermarket body cameras must not be misused
Opinion: I believe there’s a line to be drawn here.
![Sonya Bateson: Bilingual signs issue an opportunity to recalibrate on racism](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Bilingual signs issue an opportunity to recalibrate on racism
Opinion: Each of us will have our own thresholds for perceiving what is offensive.
![Opinion: Poverty is a circumstance - not a character flaw](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Poverty is a circumstance - not a character flaw
Opinion: "It’s a cycle. A trap. And one that is incredibly difficult to escape."
![Opinion: Why I'm only slightly surprised by this Budget](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Why I'm only slightly surprised by this Budget
OPINION: The announcement I'm most interested in - for selfish reasons.
![Opinion: Why the toll road price hikes really grind my gears](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Why the toll road price hikes really grind my gears
OPINION: If I’m paying to drive on a road, I want the option of being able to safely pass.
![Sonya Bateson: My view on whether we should build the controversial stadium](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: My view on whether we should build the controversial stadium
Opinion: I like the idea - but I also cherish our parks and green spaces.
![Joy, fear and long hours: Why the people in this job are some of the hardest workers](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Joy, fear and long hours: Why the people in this job are some of the hardest workers
Opinion: Midwifery is a hard job - I couldn't do it.
![Sonya Bateson: Anything on our phones can be used against us](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Anything on our phones can be used against us
OPINION: It’s not fair to shame people that fall victim to scam artists and predators.
![Sonya Bateson: How dare I suggest introducing a fee for a public space, right?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: How dare I suggest introducing a fee for a public space, right?
OPINION: I can feel the anger of some letter writers and social media commenters already.
![Opinion: 'I felt like dirt. Low. Worthless.' Why horrid customers are the memorable ones](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: 'I felt like dirt. Low. Worthless.' Why horrid customers are the memorable ones
OPINION: Make low-wage jobs more attractive by being nicer.
![Sonya Bateson: My tips to save money during the cost of living crisis](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: My tips to save money during the cost of living crisis
OPINION: Hands up if you’re feeling the pinch of the cost of living.
![Sonya Bateson: Park punt on racecourse worth taking](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Park punt on racecourse worth taking
OPINION: Green spaces are good for our city's health.
![Sonya Bateson: Drag performance for children just cute, wholesome fun](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Drag performance for children just cute, wholesome fun
OPINION: Dressing up can be magical.
![Opinion: Our already anxious country is about to come under a lot more pressure](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Our already anxious country is about to come under a lot more pressure
OPINION: We will do what we can to get through this hard time together.
![Sonya Bateson: Why is tipping rearing its ugly head in our society?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Why is tipping rearing its ugly head in our society?
OPINION: 'Now I fear that tipping is creeping more and more into everyday life.'
![Sonya Bateson: Your son wants to play with dolls? Let him](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Your son wants to play with dolls? Let him
OPINION: My boy can play with whatever (age-appropriate) toys he wants.
![Opinion: Reasons why 16-year-olds should be allowed to vote](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Reasons why 16-year-olds should be allowed to vote
OPINION: There is nothing dangerous about the act of voting, at least not in New Zealand.
![Sonya Bateson: We don't want our children becoming rapists through ignorance](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: We don't want our children becoming rapists through ignorance
OPINION: Parents should be teaching young adults about healthy sexual relationships.
![Opinion: Survivors should not be made to feel attackers' lives are worth more](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Survivors should not be made to feel attackers' lives are worth more
Opinion: It is easy to get away with rape and sexual assault in our beautiful country.
![Sonya Bateson: Easier for young minds to absorb new languages](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Easier for young minds to absorb new languages
OPINION: Te reo is everywhere. And in a few more years it'll be more common still.
![Sonya Bateson: There's a reason abortion is referred to as healthcare](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: There's a reason abortion is referred to as healthcare
OPINION: It may sound like an oxymoron but, in my opinion, abortion saves lives.
![Sonya Bateson: Rainbow Youth centre fire: Hate brings out the love in others](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Rainbow Youth centre fire: Hate brings out the love in others
OPINION: Fire is a dark cloud over the LGBTQ+ community's continuing fight for acceptance.
![Sonya Bateson: Same-sex marriage is real, it exists - and it's a right](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Same-sex marriage is real, it exists - and it's a right
OPINION: Marriage isn't a solely Christian concept nor is it just between a man and woman.
![Sonya Bateson: I was utterly terrified. How do we combat this anti-social behaviour?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: I was utterly terrified. How do we combat this anti-social behaviour?
OPINION: Reports of harassment and intimidation in public spaces appear to be on the rise.
![Sonya Bateson: Thanks for the $27 a week, but I was actually hoping for real change](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sonya Bateson: Thanks for the $27 a week, but I was actually hoping for real change
Opinion: The politics of stability are comfortable, but won't get us out of this mess.
![Opinion: Supermarket profits a slap in the face to hardworking Kiwis](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Supermarket profits a slap in the face to hardworking Kiwis
OPINION: A slap in the face is a good way to describe how these profits make me feel.
![Opinion: Should we have a national day to commemorate the New Zealand Wars?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Should we have a national day to commemorate the New Zealand Wars?
OPINION: Our history isn't black and white. It's that and everything in between.
![Opinion: Algorithms are expert at grabbing your attention](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Algorithms are expert at grabbing your attention
OPINION: Every second you're on that screen, Facebook is making money. Algorithms, baby.
![Comment: When cooking a barbecue makes you the neighbour from hell](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Comment: When cooking a barbecue makes you the neighbour from hell
How do you know if someone's a vegan? Don't worry, they'll tell you.
![Opinion: Our country is supposed to be safe](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Our country is supposed to be safe
No longer can we look down our noses at gun crime in America.
![Trapped bird freed but euthanased](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Trapped bird freed but euthanased
A bird was left hanging from a tree after getting its foot caught.
![Doctor fined for prescribing himself opiates](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Doctor fined for prescribing himself opiates
A doctor has been fined for prescribing himself opiates morphine, pethidine and fentanyl.
![Tauranga company fined $30,000 for black market shellfish](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Tauranga company fined $30,000 for black market shellfish
A Tauranga company has been fined $30,000 for receiving black market shellfish.
![Rent rises add $6000 to annual rent bills](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Rent rises add $6000 to annual rent bills
Average weekly rents in the Western Bay of Plenty have increased 37.5 per cent in 2 years.
![Pedestrian badly hurt in rural crash](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Pedestrian badly hurt in rural crash
A man has been seriously injured after being hit by a car on a rural road near Katikati.
!['Hidden paradise' attracts buyers](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Hidden paradise' attracts buyers
The Bay of Plenty's "hidden paradise" Pukehina is attracting a lot of attention from buyers keen to own a beachfront home.
![Bay of Plenty's $802m tourist spending spree](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Bay of Plenty's $802m tourist spending spree
Tourism spending in the Bay of Plenty has increased a huge 44 per cent in just five years, hitting $802 million last year.
![More than 300 drug addicts on benefits](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
More than 300 drug addicts on benefits
More than 300 Bay of Plenty residents are receiving Government benefits because they are unable to work due to substance addiction.
![Emergency department 'heaving'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Emergency department 'heaving'
MEAT THE MAYOR: Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless served up sausages at the waterfront on New Year's Eve. Photo/George Novak 311216gn04bop By
![Mum loses 10yo son to asthma attack](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mum loses 10yo son to asthma attack
A massive asthma attack cut 10-year-old Ethan Kowalewski's life short.
![Grieving boy gets a Christmas surprise](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Grieving boy gets a Christmas surprise
GIFTS: Weslley Knight, 5, shows off his new toys to The Hits Bay of Plenty host Will Johnston. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN 201216jb01bop.JPG Mason
![Stranger helps scooter rider flee 'tsunami'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Stranger helps scooter rider flee 'tsunami'
84yo woman evacuates from retirement village - and is rescued by a motorist on a state highway. But where was everyone else?
![Upset residents launch fight for tsunami sirens](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Upset residents launch fight for tsunami sirens
CONCERNED: Brooke Ion is concerned about the lack of tsunami warning sirens in Papamoa and Mount Maunganui. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 141116sp01brookeion By
![Car break-in upsets Girl Guides](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Car break-in upsets Girl Guides
The efforts of three girls to help homeless families has been "trampled on" after items they had fundraised for were stolen from a car.
![Victim 'haunted' decades later](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Victim 'haunted' decades later
A teenager was repeatedly molested by his teacher: "I have never forgotten those incidents".
![Kiwi dads' Facebook support group takes off](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Kiwi dads' Facebook support group takes off
A Facebook group called Kiwi Daddys is being lauded as the "good gang" - creating a non-judgmental space for dads to come together and discuss issues facing Kiwi men.
![Homeless woman kicked out of caravan after complaint](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Homeless woman kicked out of caravan after complaint
A woman living in a caravan on a friend's lawn has been forced to move out because she breached city rules by staying there for more
![Housing shortage forcing children to move schools](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Housing shortage forcing children to move schools
Principals blame housing market for numbers of students changing schools in Bay of Plenty.
![Overcrowding and housing shortage impacting children](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Overcrowding and housing shortage impacting children
Children are suffering from Third World diseases and are "dead in the eyes" from the affects of the housing shortage and unhealthy