The biggest event in the national kī o rahi calendar is being held in the Bay of Islands this week. Thirty-two teams representing schools and iwi from as far away as Ngāi Tahu in the South Island are contesting the 2021 New Zealand Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals at Waitangi until Friday. Guests were welcomed with a pōwhiri at Te Tii Marae on Wednesday; Thursday's round-robin games will be played at Waitangi sports grounds, opposite the Treaty Grounds entrance. The final, at 12.30pm on Friday, will be played at Te Tii Marae followed by prizegiving at 1.15pm. Northland is represented by teams from Ōkaihau, Kaikohe and Taumarere. Kī o rahi is a traditional, fast-moving, full-contact game played with a kī (flax ball) on a circular pitch.
Gun incident arrest
A 37-year-old Mid North man has been arrested following a dispute involving a firearm at Waikare, east of Kawakawa. The incident, in which the man had allegedly turned up at a dispute carrying a gun, occurred two days earlier but police were notified on Tuesday morning. He was arrested at Waikare Valley Rd without incident around 11am on Tuesday and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He was released on bail to appear at a later date in the Kaikohe District Court. The man did not discharge the gun or point it at anyone.
Youth Theatre presents Peter Pan
Northland Youth Theatre (NYT) will be performing "The Boy Who Never Grew Up" (better known as Peter Pan) this coming weekend at the Whangārei Quarry Gardens. The show starts at 3.30pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, up on the hill on the flat ground directly above the tunnel. The cast originally rehearsed for this performance last year but Covid forced its cancellation, much to the dismay of all concerned. This time rehearsals started in March, culminating in the final dress rehearsal today.
