Northland news in brief: Kerikeri rocker Merv Pinny’s fundraiser for Cyclone Gabrielle

Kerikeri rocker Merv Pinny, with bandmates Paul Lafotanoa and Kyle Brown, is donating all proceeds from his upcoming concert to Cyclone Gabrielle relief.

Kerikeri rock musician Merv Pinny has pledged to donate all proceeds from his upcoming concert to Cyclone Gabrielle relief.

Pinny’s show Dark to Light, at the Turner Centre on Saturday, March 18, will follow the former dairy farmer’s musical journey, which has so far won him 30 million streams globally, with hits on US radio and the South African charts.

His songs tackle issues such as the refugee crisis, war and mass shootings, but also lighter topics like finding love online.

The concert will include a visual show, dancers and special guests.

Proceeds will go to the Red Cross New Zealand Disaster Fund for use in cyclone-affected areas such as Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti.

Tickets are available via turnercentre.co.nz.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kamo local Steven George will have his and his excavator’s mettle tested in Feilding later this week when he shows off his skills in a 13-tonne digger to represent Northland at the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition. On March 17 and 18, George will compete against 13 others from around New Zealand in skills such as traversing a trench and digging around pipelines, while other more unique tasks may include slam-dunking a basketball into a two-storey concrete pipe using an excavator’s bucket, and a slalom course. George qualified for the event after his success in the Northland regional competition in December 2022. He is an owner-operator with his own company Steven George Contracting Ltd providing services to Northland businesses. George said life growing up on his father’s farm had set him up to be a successful excavator operator.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

King Country farmer Jack Jordan beat Northland’s Jason Wynyard and nine other competitors to win the NZ Stihl Timbersports Men’s National Championship last weekend. Jordan – who won the same title two years ago - won five out of the six wood-chopping and wood-sawing disciplines for a convincing victory, and will now go on to represent New Zealand at the Stihl Timbersports World Championships in Germany later this year. Wynyard – a nine-time World Stihl Timbersports Champion - was also honoured with a Lifetime Legacy to Rural Sports award at the same ceremony as part of the NZ Rural Games event in Palmerston North this weekend that also hosted the NZ Stihl Timbersports National Champs for Women and Rookies (Under-21s).