Icecream truck tips over
A rolled icecream truck blocked traffic near Whangārei's popular Okara shopping complex yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the roundabout near Te Matau ā Pohe lift bridge around 1pm, where a Tip Top icecream truck was stranded on its side blocking the left-hand lane headed over the bridge. The driver was helped out of the cab unharmed by an onlooker and another motorist. Drivers on Port Rd were re-directed back to town until around 3pm when the truck was able to be towed away.
Scrub fire doused
Shoppers at Kaitaia Pak'nSave spotted a thick cloud of smoke rising from behind the supermarket as a helicopter fighting the Ahipara blaze helped extinguish a nearby scrub fire. Kaitaia fire crews, along with the chopper, were called to the 600sq m wildfire on Gill Rd - a 10-minute drive northwest from the supermarket - shortly before 3pm yesterday. Residents from Rangiputa in Karikari Peninsula reported seeing the smoke cloud from more than 40km away. The fire was contained just under an hour after emergency services were first called out.
Beach warning
Lifeguards in the northern region have been busy assisting people using paddleboards and inflatables they may not be familiar with. They warn that offshore can be dangerous for those using any flotation device, which should not be used further out than standing depth. Jet skis being operated too close to shore, and in some cases close to flagged areas, are another concern on the east coast.
Take it easy
St John is urging people to celebrate responsibly tonight, especially between 10pm and 2am, when calls to the 111 ambulance communications centre traditionally triple. One-third of those incidents would be alcohol-related. Deputy chief executive Dan Ohs said extra ambulances would be ready in hot spots, including in Northland, "but if your condition is not urgent there may be a delay in responding".
