The Kaikohe Christmas parade is not happening this year because of Covid-19. In its place is a trail of shop window decorations.
The Kaikohe Christmas parade is not happening this year because of Covid-19. In its place is a trail of shop window decorations.
BAY NEWS BITES
The annual Kaikohe Christmas in the Village Parade has had to be cancelled because of Covid 19. The Kaikohe Business Association, which organises the parade, has put together an alternative to celebrate Christmas this year.
The association is creating a Christmas trail in the shop and business windows onBroadway, including empty shop windows. The decorated windows will be in line for the Best Business Creation award and the Best Community Creation award.
The community award will be judged by the people and the business award will be judged by a team of three from the Kaikohe business community.
The association will create a PDF map of the trail and people can download the map and view the creations in their own time. The creations are expected to be finished by December 3 and will stay in place until after Christmas.
The large Norfolk Pine opposite McDonald's and close to the skate park in Kaikohe will be decorated and lit for Christmas.
Changes to Bay singers' programme
Bay of Islands Singers have had to cancel Michael Bell's organ recital. Chairwoman Sylvia Burch said it was "disappointing but sadly realistic".
The singers have rescheduled for next year, date to be confirmed. The group has also decided to postpone The Messiah which was to have been performed on December 5. It is now rescheduled for March 13, 2022.
In its place, Bay of Islands Singers will perform "And All That Jazz" which was originally planned for August but will now be at the Turner Centre on Saturday, December 4 at 3.30pm.
A prayer and hymn book dating back to 1845 was acquired recently by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. It will be added to the collection at Māngungu Mission.
The hymn and prayer book dating back to 1845 has just been acquired by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and will go to the Māngungu Mission.
The rare artefact dates back to the heyday of the Wesleyan Mission and was purchased for $300 plus an auction house fee. Entitled Ko te Pukapuka on nga Inoinga o te Hahi Ingarani, me nga Himene Weteriana, the Wesleyan prayer and hymn book is written entirely in te reo Māori.
The prayer book came from the estate of a private collector, Christopher Parr, who died recently. His collection included a sizeable number of early New Zealand books and documents. Eagle-eyed HNZPT staff spotted the item for sale in a recent auction catalogue, they bid for the book and won it.
"With its close links to Māngungu Mission, the book was a strong contender for purchase," Heritage New Zealand collections adviser Belinda Maingay said.
Even more special is the fact it was printed at the Wesleyan Mission Press at Māngungu, which today is a Tohu Whenua.
"The fact the Wesleyan Mission was able to churn out books like this example can largely be credited to the Rev William Woon," she said.
Woon was born in Cornwall and apprenticed into the printing trade. He also showed promise as a preacher, and in 1830 was accepted for the Methodist ministry and appointed to the Friendly Islands (Tonga) mission.
He eventually arrived in the Bay of Islands on the Lloyds in 1831. He went to Māngungu where he set up a recently arrived printing press and was in a good position to give a bit of practical training to Māngungu missioner John Hobbs.
He was witness to the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Waitangi on February 6, 1840. Six days later the third and largest signing of Te Tiriti took place at the Māngungu Mission at Horeke.
District roads get an upgrade
Access to the Ruapekapeka Pā entrance will be significantly improved by a 4.5km extension of road seal from State Highway One to Monument Rd.
The $3.4 million contract to improve access to Ruapekapeka Pā went to United Civil. Signing the agreement are (back row) David Clamp and Blair Houlihan (FNDC), James Walsh (United Civil) and (front row) Shaun Clarke (FNDC) and Andrew Campbell (United Civil).
The $3.4 million contract to redevelop the road went to United Civil Construction and is the second stage of redevelopment.
Work starts in mid-November and includes a retaining wall with artworks as well as a special permeable pavement to protect puriri tree roots.
Sealing the road beyond Monument Rd, which is stage one of the project, has already commenced. Far North District Council said safety improvements to the intersection of State Highway One and Ruapekapeka Rd would be delivered in partnership with Waka Kotahi and completion of the entire project is planned for April 2022.
Work to seal Bayly Rd to the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park starts this month.
Meanwhile, work to seal Bayly Rd to the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park starts this month. Far North District Council said the road was top of their priority list topped for dust nuisance and was fast-tracked for delivery through the maintenance and renewals contract.
Earthworks and widening are due to be completed by Christmas and sealing will begin after peak holiday traffic late in January. The work should be completed before March 2022.
Further, and despite the wet weather in recent months, Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) says it is on track to complete work on two significant road-sealing projects this year.
Clearing over-slips on the final 1.5km section of Peria Rd has been completed and sealing work is due for completion early this month.
One of the district's most dust-prone roads, Ngapipito Rd, has been transformed by ongoing road sealing work, despite delays caused by a culvert upgrade and the addition of a fish passage. The work should be completed by Christmas.
SPCA desexing campaign for Northland
The SPCA is launching a "Snip 'n' Chip" campaign in Northland, bringing desexing and microchipping services to pet owners in Kaitaia and Kerikeri.
The SPCA's desexing and microchip campaign for cats in Kerikeri and surrounding areas and Kaitaia is $10 from participating vets.
From Monday last week, the Snip 'n' Chip campaign allows cat owners in Kaitaia and Kerikeri, and surrounding areas who need to desex and microchip their cat, to do so for just $10.
SPCA national desexing manager Rebecca Dobson said there was a positive response to the last discounted desexing campaign in Northland earlier this year and she expects the same this time around.
"It helps pet owners who are struggling to meet the cost of desexing surgery, it helps pets have a happier and healthier life and ensures the cycle of unwanted litters is broken.
"And should your pet ever become lost or stolen, microchipping gives the best chance of being united with the owners," she said.
Every month hundreds of animals are brought into SPCA Centres nationwide and that number can balloon to thousands over the warmer months with the kitten season in full swing.
The campaign will run for a limited time until the Snip 'n' Chip vouchers sell out. The vouchers can be purchased by visiting the participating veterinary clinics including Top Vets Ltd, Kerikeri Highway Vets, Phoenix Animal Wellness Veterinary Centre and Far North Vets in Kaitaia.
"We are so grateful to the participating vets for being involved in the campaign," said Dobson. "They play a huge part to improve animal welfare in the wider region."
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