Northland news in brief: School turns 150; and Lucien Johnson Quartet to play in North

Ngunguru School, above, has one of the best playgrounds imaginable right in front of it and next month the school will celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Whangārei's Ngunguru School is celebrating its 150th anniversary next month and wants to hear tales of the school's past.

The school and its community are celebrating their sesquicentennial over the weekend of November 13-15.

Many years ago, land on the foreshore of the Ngunguru estuary - now Te Maika Rd - was gifted by Paratene Te Manu to be used for a school. In 1870 the school was established, constituted as a public school in 1890, and then rebuilt in 1938 with classrooms still in use today.

Next month people will come together from far and wide to reminisce and celebrate the occasion and the organisers have put out a public plea.

''If you would like to catch up with friends you haven't seen in a while, come along. We would love to hear your stories of Ngunguru School.

"Whether you were/are a student or a teacher or a parent or a neighbour. Lets hear all the gossip you were too scared to share at the time. Photos welcome too.''

Anybody wanting to be involved can contact the Friends of Ngunguru School via the school office, or school's facebook page.

Lucien Johnson Quarter
Aroha Music Society is a host for the Chamber Music New Zealand regional series and is delighted to welcome Lucien Johnson Quartet to the Turner Centre, Kerikeri, on November 1.
They will play in the John Dalton auditorium, starting at 5pm. There will be no interval but the bar will be open after the performance for you to meet and greet the musicians.
More information and tickets at www.turnercentre.co.nz.

Multicultural workshop
Multicultural Whangārei is hosting an Intercultural Awareness & Communication workshop next month.
The workshop, on November 7, at 37 Bank St – Civic Arcade, upstairs offices, has limited space and registration is required at info@multiculturalwhangarei.co.nz.
Items covered include how to communicate more effectively across cultural boundaries; understand the relationships between culture, cultural values, communication, relationships, and effective workplace interactions and to recognise differing cultural characteristics in yourself and others.

Lam's the man
Northland's sausage rolls didn't quite cut the mustard - or the ketchup - in the Bakels Legendary Sausage Roll competition.
Thirteen Northland bakers entered the inaugural sausage roll awards, but none placed in the top 10.
Baking superstar Patrick Lam of Goldstar Patrick's Pies in Bethlehem, Tauranga won the competition.

No community transmission

No new
community cases of Covid-19 were reported in New Zealand yesterday, but there were five new cases from managed isolation.
They include three international mariners in the Sudima Hotel Christchurch Airport, which brings the total number of mariners who have tested positive to 32. These three are now in quarantine, along with the other mariners who had earlier tested positive.
The other two positive cases include a family member of a positive case who is a recent returnee and both were already in quarantine in Auckland's quarantine facility.
The other case arrived from Ethiopia via Dubai and tested positive as a result of routine testing around day three. The country's total number of confirmed cases is now 1584.