Northland news in brief: House awards, measles cases rise

This Kaiwaka house is in the running for a national building award.

A new house in Marsden Cove and one in Kaiwaka are among the top 100 national finalists in the Registered Master Builders 2019 House of the Year competition.

Two up for house awards

The Kaiwaka house was built by Box Build and is a finalist in the Carters New Home $1 million-$1.5 million category. The Marsden Cove house was built by Stonewood Homes and is in the line-up in the Gib category. Expert judges have been up and down the country determining the best home builds and renovations of the year and have chosen the 100 finalists from more than 330. The winners will be announced at the National House of the Year Awards Gala on November 23 in Auckland. Finalists can win one of the 15 category awards, as well as separate awards for lifestyle categories – outdoor living, kitchen, bathroom and sustainability.

Measles cases edge up

The number of confirmed measles cases in Northland has now climbed to 52, and seven are under investigation.

As at Wednesday last week, 1443 cases of measles had been notified across New Zealand, of which 1203 were in the Auckland region. Northland District Health Board and general practices are prioritising vaccination for children aged between 12 and 15 months and 4 years old. General practices throughout Northland have received more measles vaccinations but are struggling to cope up with the demand. The Northland DHB has opened MMR drop-in clinics in Whangarei and at Kaitaia Hospital for under-30s.

Diwali returns

The Indian festival of Diwali will once again be celebrated in Whangarei. Organised by the Northland Indian Association, the festival will be held at the Forum North on Saturday, October 12. There will be cultural performances, including dance performance by Beyond Bollywood, a photo booth, a henna stall, fun fair, spot prizes galore and Indian food. The alcohol-free event starts from 11am and entry is $15. The price includes a buffet lunch.

Children under 5 are free. Tickets can be bought from Shiraz Indian Restaurant. For more information, please contact the association on contact@northlandindianassociation.com

Fire a mystery

Kaikohe firefighters took about an hour to contain a vegetation fire on farmland.

The fire started about 3pm on Saturday in Taheke, southwest of Kaikohe. Two fire engines from Kaikohe brought the 50m by 10m fire under control. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Northland dips out in Lotto

Fourteen Lotto players each won $26,787 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday's live Lotto draw but no winning tickets were sold in Northland.

One player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $52,016. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at Ballantrae Four Square in Kawerau. The winning Lotto numbers were 5, 13, 15, 36, 37, 39 with Bonus number 14 and Powerball 2.
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