Northland news in brief: More Christmas light displays brighten Whangārei

Every Christmas Northlanders light up their homes for the festive season. Photo / NZME

More displays of Christmas lights in Northland have been revealed, following the Northern Advocate’s list published on December 14. The extra displays are at Golden Church, 147 Kamo Rd, Kensington; 332 Kamo Rd, Te Kamo; 14 McMillan Ave, Te Kamo; 5 Matipo Pl, Woodhill and 31 Mangakahia Rd, Maungatapere. Vote for your favourite set of lights on thehits.co.nz and the winning homeowner scores a $200 Prezzy card.

Barge back

The popular mobile summer rubbish barge will be back on the water in the Bay of Islands from December 27 until January 27. The staffed barge is a joint venture between Northland Regional Council, Far North District Council and the Department of Conservation, supported by contractors Northland Waste, with the aim of keeping the Bay of Islands rubbish-free. Go to nrc.govt.nz/rubbishbarge for details about locations, times and costs.

Holiday traffic advice

State Highway 1 through Whangārei is expected to be busy from today due to holiday traffic. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is encouraging everyone to travel smart and safe, wherever they are heading to. Its online journey planner outlines the expected busiest times, and the agency encourages people to travel outside these peaks.

Serious crash

A serious two-car crash at Awarua, south of Kaikohe, resulted in two people being taken to hospital in serious condition. The crash on State Highway 15, also known as Mangakahia Rd, occurred just after 3pm on Tuesday and blocked the road until 5.30pm. The police’s Serious Crash Unit is investigating.

Flight flurry

Air New Zealand says it is experiencing strong demand for flights to Whangārei and Kerikeri. General manager of airports Kate Boyer said the airline is preparing to welcome 43,000 customers flying to and from Northland in December and January. Nationwide, the airline’s busiest day will be December 27, with nearly 50,000 booked to travel.

Giving back

Local Kerikeri charities and projects received $2600 from this year’s Kerikeri Street Party. For this year’s event, sponsored by Barfoot & Thompson Kerikeri and One NZ and organised by Jacman Entertainment, 3500 people turned out to party after the Kerikeri Half Marathon on November 16. Bald Angels Charitable Trust received $1000, Kerikeri District Business Association received a $1000 donation towards its Hanging Baskets project and Coast to Coast Cat Rescue, which rescues and rehomes unwanted stray cats and kittens, received $600 towards ongoing costs.

Offices closed

All Northland Regional Council offices in Whangārei and service centres around the region will close from 2pm on December 24 until January 8. Environmental or maritime incidents can be reported to the all-hours NRC Incident Hotline (0800) 504 639 over that time.