Northland news in brief: Cruise ship turns around; and house fire contained to kitchen

The Ovation of the Seas, above, was due to dock in the Bay of Islands yesterday, but turned around after the Government banned cruise ship visits to the country.

A cruise ship due in the Bay of Islands yesterday had to turn around and head back to Sydney after the Government imposed a ban on cruise ships visiting the country. The Ovation of the Seas was due to be in the Bay yesterday, but the Government announced on Saturday that cruise ships will not be allowed to come to New Zealand until June 30, due to Covid-19 coronavirus.

House fire contained

Calls to a house on fire in Kaikohe yesterday thankfully proved to be only a small fire in a kitchen. Fire and Emergency NZ was called out to a fire with the whole house in flames in Heke St, about 7.45am yesterday. However, FENZ said, the fire was contained to the kitchen and was quickly put out.

Sand Safaris trial to begin

The driver of a Sand Safaris tour bus that 68-year-old South Korean man Jin Chang Oh crashed into as he sandboarded down a dune at Te Paki on February 4 last year goes on trial in the Kaitaia District Court tomorrow. Clarke Robson has denied a charge of carelessly operating a vehicle causing death. The trial is expected to take half the day. Oh died instantly when he struck the bus at the bottom of the dune, police saying at the time that he had then been run over. Sand Safaris, based in Kaitaia, has also been charged, by WorkSafe New Zealand, with failing to ensure that the health and safety of other persons was not put at risk. The company last week entered a not guilty plea and was remanded to a date in May for a case review.

Go Green Awards

The second annual Far North Go Green Awards will be presented at Russell's Duke of Marlborough Hotel on Friday April 3. Nominations have closed, and the judges are now assessing the candidates. Former the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board chairman Terry Greening who will judge the Outstanding Citizen candidates, and Richard Robbins, who collected the supreme award on behalf of Project Island Song last year, will choose the Outstanding Company or Organisation. The Go Green Good Idea Award is being judged by Bastienne Kruger, principal of Hukerenui School, which won the Outstanding School Award last year.

NRC gets temporary home

The doors have opened at a temporary Dargaville-based office the Northland Regional Council plans to operate from until a new purpose-built facility it plans to share with its Kaipara District Council counterpart is constructed. The interim office – at 100 Victoria St opposite Blah Blah Blah café – was formally blessed in a low-key event in the lead-up to the recent Northland Field Days, with the roughly dozen attendees including Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith. The approximately 80 square metre office has a fulltime customer services officer and is initially housing five of the NRC's Kaipara-based Land and Biosecurity staff.