Singing pirate Festus McBoyle and friends will perform at the upcoming Hullabaloo children's arts festival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
School holidays are fast approaching and you know what that means — there's going to be a hullabaloo.
No, not the kind of hullabaloo in which lots of bored kids run amok, but a new children's arts festival called Hullabaloo with shows in often overlooked towns around the Far North.
This Hullabaloo features an unwashed, semi-toothed pirate named Festus McBoyle, children's musician Chris Sanders, big screen movies and Anika Moa performing her Songs for Bubbas in a high energy show featuring te reo, a lot of ''hangry'' animals, a daring ninja rat and a few lullabies to settle the littlies down again.
Kerikeri's own puppet workshop The Magic Playhouse will perform What's Wrong With Glenda Gumball?, a tale of tolerance helping children understand and appreciate diversity.
The big-screen outdoor movies, The Greatest Showman and The Lion King, will screen at Kainui Winery north of Waipapa.
The festival will run from October 5-25 and be based at the Waitaha Events Centre in Waitangi (next to the Copthorne Hotel) with events in Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Totara North and Kaitaia. Tickets to the Kaikohe events include entry to the Pioneer Village. Go to hcaf.co.nz for the full programme.
Organiser Jackie Sanders, who is also behind the Bay of Islands Music Festival, has introduced a ''pay it forward'' option where people can donate a ticket to a family that can't otherwise afford to go.
Hey kids! Do you want to go to Hullabaloo, but your pocket money won't quite stretch far enough to buy a ticket?
We may be able to help because we have three double tickets to give away. All you have to do is hassle your parents to drop us an email at baynews@northernadvocate.co.nz by 5pm on Friday.
Make sure your parents or caregivers include their full name, phone number and address so we can contact them, and the name of the show you want to go to.
You can choose from:
■ What's Wrong With Glenda Gumball?, Waitaha Events Centre, Waitangi, October 6, 10.30am.
■ Captain Festus McBoyle's Travellin' Variety Show, Pioneer Village, Kaikohe, October 6, 10.30am or 1pm.
■ Chris Sanders' Angel Star Show, Totara North Hall, October 8, 10.30am.
We'll draw a winner at random for each show and notify them by phone.
Local lobby group Vision Kerikeri is holding its AGM at 3pm this Saturday, September 26, at the Plough and Feather restaurant next to the Stone Store.
The guest speaker will be Lau'rell Pratt, whose experience in leading community projects includes Te Hononga civic hub which is nearing completion in Kawakawa.
A Kaikohe hospitality business has been named in the top 10 per cent in the world by global travel website Tripadvisor based on customer ratings.
The awards were made to Left Bank, a boutique hotel in the former BNZ building on Broadway, and its cafe/restaurant Mint.
Co-owner Di Maxwell said the recognition was due in a big part to award-winning head chef Nitesh Singh.
''So a big thank you to him, as well as our other lovely staff. It's also due to the local suppliers we have that provide beautiful produce to serve.''
The two-storey heritage building had been slated for demolition or slow decay when the BNZ moved out due to tightened earthquake regulations.
Kaikohe-born Maxwell and husband Jack Poutsma bought the building to save it from falling into ruin and create opportunities in the town. They spent a small fortune on earthquake strengthening and renovation and have won a loyal following for both the hotel and a restaurant since opening in early 2019.
Our Kerikeri wants local residents to have a say about its upcoming projects.
A display in the Procter Library this week shows which projects are in the pipeline and the goals the projects aim to work towards, as well as the cost and effort involved.
You can vote to fast-track projects that are important to you or propose projects you think would benefit the town. The display will only be up until 4pm on Friday.
Community group Focus Paihia has launched a quest to find the town's most outstanding volunteer.
Nominations are now being accepted for Paihia Community Volunteer of the Year, a new initiative which seeks to recognise and celebrate those who go the extra mile without expecting reward.
Email nominations, along with reasons, to info@focuspaihia.org.nz. The winner will be announced at Focus Paihia's AGM and added to a volunteer honours board at the group's op shop in Paihia Lanes.
Nominations close on October 5.
The Department of Conservation and Sustainable Coastlines are hosting a free morning yoga session followed by a beach clean-up this Saturday, September 26.
Anyone who wants to take part is invited to meet at the Ti Bay playground, Paihia, at 7.15am.
Email lmcdonald@doc.govt.nz for more information. The event is part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
An introductory course for people who want to become stage lighting and sound technicians is being held in Kerikeri next week.
Participants will learn from industry professional Hadlee Wright about how to best light actors and sets as well as tricks and tips for audio mixing of live stage shows.
The workshop will run from 9am-4pm on September 30 at the Turner Centre. It is limited to eight places with a $35 fee for the day. Email harley@creativecavalry.com to book a place.
A former Kerikeri man is coming home for a one-off piano concert in a venue named after an old friend.
Richard Mapp has performed many times in Kerikeri but this Sunday's concert will be his first in the John Dalton Auditorium at the Turner Centre.
"I have so many fond memories of John from the days of the Bay of Islands Arts Festival and how helpful he was... so I am especially looking forward to this concert.''
Mapp will play pieces by Haydn, Schumann and Liszt as well as Beethoven's Sonata in A flat Op 110, which he said was a fitting way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth.
The concert was close to selling out last week but more tickets were expected to be released after Northland's Covid alert dropped to level 1 on Monday.
The concert starts at 4pm on September 27. Go to turnercentre.co.nz for more information.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has cancelled its Eroica concert at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri this Saturday due to ''uncertainty around Covid-19 alert levels across New Zealand''. Ticket holders will be refunded.
Paihia's Repair Cafe will be open from 1-4pm this Saturday, September 26, at the Kaipatiki Eco Hub at 195 Puketona Rd. Experts will be on hand to repair broken items.
A 72-year-old Russell woman is walking her way to better health while raising money for cancer research.
From small beginnings cancer survivor Dianne Wynyard has building up her daily walks and can now cover more than 20km.
This Saturday she aims to walk 35km and, along with her daughter, has so far raised more than $15,000.
The money will go to the Hawaiian Women's Cancer Challenge, which funds research by the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth.
The institute is using genetic analysis to fight cancers which affect one in seven women.
Wynyard, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, said walking could change and save lives.
''It's such a wonderful cause and I couldn't think of any more worthwhile reason to get my feet walking. As a by-product of this I have already improved my health considerably,'' she said.
''I have clots on my lungs from radiation and did have a lot of trouble breathing but because of my walking I now have little trouble or bother at all. Anybody who wants to improve their health and help a good cause along the way — get off the couch, get your shoes on and get out there on the path.''
Wynyard said the support from Russell people had been overwhelming.
The researchers believe identifying genomic profiles of tumours in individual patients will lead to better treatment.
Go to www.walkforwomenscancer.org.au for more information.
The latest news bites from around the region.