Northland news in brief: Kawakawa pool reopened; Winning Lotto ticket sold

Kawakawa Community Pool will open its doors after three months.

Pool reopens

Kawakawa Community Pool has reopened after a three-month closure for urgent maintenance triggered when a piece of roof bracing fell off and hit an employee. As well as new bracing, work on the 25m indoor pool and building included rustproofing of the roof structure, upgrading fire alarm systems, improving the lighting, and repainting the lane markings. The opening hours are 6am-7.30pm weekdays and 8am-2pm on weekends. The pool, which is located in the Bay of Islands Recreation Centre at Bay of Islands College, is is owned by Sport Northland with day-to-day operations contracted to Kaitāia-based Community Business and Environment Centre in partnership with Australian pool management company Belgravia Leisure. The Far North District Council pays an operating subsidy and provides some maintenance funding.

Lotto win of $22k

A ticket sold in Northland won its holder more than $22,000 with Lotto Second Divison on Wednesday night. The ticket, sold at Shopping Fresh, in Kaikohe, was among 10 nationally that each won $22,598. The winning Lotto numbers were 4, 20, 22, 31, 35 and 38 with the bonus number 29 and Powerball number 6. Powerball was not struck on Wednesday and will be worth $10 million on Saturday.

Car catches fire

One lane of State Highway 1 in the Far North was blocked for a short time on Thursday morning while firefighters put out a car blaze. Police were called to assist Fenz following a car fire on SH1, Ohaeawai, at 9.44am on Thursday. No injuries were reported and one lane was blocked while the fire was extinguished.

Leslie’s ‘surreal’ experience

Northland’s Paralympic superstar Cameron Leslie missed out on winning a Laureus World Sports Awards - the world’s most prestigious sports awards in Paris. Leslie, (Ngāpuhi) was one of six finalists for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, and mixed with a who’s who of international sporting royalty at the ceremony in Paris this week. The winner of the award was Catherine Debrunner, a Swiss athlete and teacher. Leslie said just going to the awards - where other finalists included Lionel Messi, Rafael Nadal, Kate Ledecky and Tiger Woods - was ‘’surreal.’’ Leslie is New Zealand Paralympian #164 and competes in both wheelchair rugby and para swimming. He is a multiple gold Paralympic medallist and holds the current world record in the men’s individual medley 150m SM4.

AGM to be held

Friends of Matakohe-Limestone Islands, in Whangārei Harbour, will hold their annual general meeting at the end of this month. The AGM, from 6pm on May 31, in the May Bain Room at the Central Library, will look at the chairperson’s and treasurer’s reports, as well as the election of officers and general business. The meeting will be followed by Amy Bazeley, principal wcologist, at AB Ecology Ltd, addressing the meeting about a project she is undertaking on the Friends’ behalf to develop an Island Management Plan for Matakohe-Limestone Island to cover the next 10 years.