Husband and wife team of Chet and Melissa O’Connell. Chet has been coming to the Bay of Islands Country Festival since its inception 35 years ago.
Husband and wife team of Chet and Melissa O’Connell. Chet has been coming to the Bay of Islands Country Festival since its inception 35 years ago.
Baha’i Far North celebrates 50 years
Last month the Baha’i Local Spiritual Assembly in the Far North celebrated its 50th anniversary. The festivities included music, live interviews, some theatre and a variety of images depicting the years since 1974.
Four of the original members of the Local Assembly were present, two in person, Brian Smart and David Warren, and two who attended the celebrations via Zoom, Manoo Alai and Janice Smart.
It was a significant occasion in that it indicated the beginning of a new phase in the realisation of the administrative structures of the faith.
The original members of the Far North Bahai’i faith gathered together in 1974.
Music for the occasion was provided by a traditional Persian stringed instrument, the santour, which is played delicately with hammers. The santour was accompanied by a soprano recorder played by Masoud Rowshan and Britta Waddel and supported by the local choir, the Musical Melody Makers.
The first Baha’i in Aotearoa started in Auckland in 1913 and since that time the community has grown throughout New Zealand. Around the world there are 100,000 Baha’i locations. Their beliefs address themes such as the oneness of God and humanity, freedom from prejudice, the nobility of the human being, harmony between religion and science and the fundamental equality of the sexes.
David Warren from Christchurch (left) with local identity Gina Garcia whose husband, the late Russ Garcia, was an original member of the Far North Bahai’i Assembly.
In the Far North the Baha’i community stretches from Moerewa in the south to Ahipara in the north and is made up of tangata whenua from a variety of diverse backgrounds. The Baha’i centre in Kerikeri is where they hold the monthly feast days, the holy day commemorations and the weekly children’s classes as well as other educational initiatives.
The Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival is back again and this year celebrates 35 years.
There are 38 acts from around New Zealand performing at multiple venues around Paihia and Russell. There is just one international act, Kylie Moss from Australia, and if there’s a distinguishing feature for 2024 it’s that the festival has a strong female component.
One of the headline acts is Jody Vaughan and Ali Cook who bill themselves as Sisters in Country and assisted by “Sister” Wendy Thornton. The Sisters have just released their debut CD album called Down Under Girls which includes the chart-topping That’s What We Do, written by Vaughan and Ray Still.
NZ singer Jenny Mitchell, one of the headline acts at the Bay of Islands Country and Rock Festival.
Jenny Mitchell’s 2022 album called Tug of War has been described by Rolling Stone as “her best work yet”. Think the best of the Chicks, and Norah Jones, even Emmylou Harris. It’s been said she is as comfortable with a country twang as she is with a softly-spoken ballad. She is originally from the home of country music, Gore, but now calls Wellington her own home.
Chet O’Connell is back, this time performing with his wife Melissa whom he met at the Norfolk Island Festival in 2001. He grew up in Whangārei playing country and rock & roll with his dad, Johnny O’Connell, and they performed at the very first Bay festival in 1989. At various festivals he has frequently backed blues legend Midge Marsden and for this year’s festival he said it’s “great to come back to my country upbringings”.
Several of the performers have travelled from the deep south to be here – The Mitchell Twins, The Connor Family, Holly Muirhead and the 2024 Senior Gold Guitar overall winner, Zac Griffiths. Tickets are available online at www.boimusicfestivals.com or at the Scenic Hotel in Paihia 12pm Friday 10th of May.
New office for Northland MP
The MP for Northland, Grant McCallum, has opened a new office in Kerikeri in what used to be the office of Bay of Islands Computers in Kerikeri Rd.
The office was officially opened by John Carter, QSO, the former member of Parliament for Northland, who cut the ribbon. He represented the area from 1987 until July 2011 when he became New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the Cook Islands. He also served as mayor of the Far North District for nine years until he retired in 2022.
The welcome speech was delivered by Ward Kamo, the National Party regional chair.
MP for Northland Grant McCallum (left) looks on as the former MP for Northland, John Carter QSO, officially cut the ribbon to open the new electorate office in Kerikeri.
For Grant McCallum, who lives in Maungatoroto, the decision to open an office in Kerikeri was pragmatic.
“It’s the largest town in the region and every other MP has had an office there so I am following suit.
“I didn’t want to open offices anywhere else because I thought it was a waste of money so instead we will have pop-up offices around the electorate.”
He will rent space in various towns around Northland on a rotational basis and if anyone has an issue they want to discuss they can make an appointment and come along to the venue. These will be advertised as and when they occur.
Geographically Northland is one of the largest electorates in the country and as MP McCallum gets invited to a lot of functions and events but, he says, realistically he can’t attend every one of them. It’s the reason for the pop-up offices.
He goes to several of the markets on weekends and he was at the opening of the Kaikohe Sports Complex last week.
The Northland Regional Council’s new workboat was officially named Waikare II and blessed by Te Kapotai at a ceremony at Ōpua last week.
The 17.5-metre catamaran replaced the 16-metre, 20-year-old Waikare, both of which were built by Circa Marine of Whangarei.
The boat has been wrapped in a special, environmentally-friendly silicon antifoul which self-cleans each time the vessel reaches sea speed. It will save on haul outs and the loss of performance due to fouling.
Northland Regional Council deputy chair Tui Shortland and Regional Harbourmaster Jim Lyle with the newly blessed and named Waikare II at Opua.
Regional Harbourmaster Jim Lyle says the vessel will typically carry a crew of two or three. The predecessor will be sold now the cruise ship season has finished.
Waikare II has its own crane. It has a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots. It is powered by two diesel engines compliant with the latest international emission standards.
“Council was keen on the electric power option but given the size of the vessel and its required range, this wasn’t an option,” he said. “And it has improved buoyancy in its upper hulls to prevent it slamming in heavy seas.”
Youngsters from te Kura o Waikare led the waiata at last week’s blessing of the new Northland Regional Council workboat Waikare II.
The vessel is expected to work from Mangawhai to North Cape, back down to the Kaipara and as far out as 12 nautical miles. yle said the ship has a smaller wheelhouse with improved access around the sides and its increased waterline length, achieved by moving the wheelhouse forward, will provide an increased working deck.
Council chair Geoff Crawford says the new boat was built over about 12 months and is crucial for maritime operations around Northland.
“It will be used to maintain aids to navigation around the east and west coasts, as a pilot vessel in the Bay of Islands, where 90 cruise ships are expected to visit this coming season, and as an oil spill response vessel.”
