Northland news in brief: What's on this Labour Weekend?

A suite of road safety works from the Port Marsden/SH1 roundabout to Wellsford are due to start next week. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Safety improvements to start
As part of the Road to Zero road safety strategy, construction for stage one of the central section of the Whangārei to Wellsford safety improvements is set to start on Wednesday.
Stage one of the central section involves a 17km stretch between the Port Marsden Highway (SH15) to north of Brynderwyn Hill.
The safety improvements for the central section will include a wider median from Port Marsden Highway roundabout to Lagoon Bridge; a flexible median barrier from Port Marsden Highway roundabout to Sandford Rd; flexible safety posts from Sandford Rd to Lagoon Bridge and a wider median from north of Finlayson Brook Rd to Waipū Gorge Rd.
Construction for this stage is expected to be complete by the end of summer 2023.
Record fair returns
The Whangārei Record Fair is back for another round of finding hidden vinyl treasures today. The free event allows record fans to canvas the vast selection from 10am to 4pm at 116 Bank St while Beagle DJs put on a music spread with live sets. For more information contact Steve at 022 314 6506 or email indigorecords@hotmail.com.
Expo for rangatahi
The Bay of Islands Budgeting and Community Services is hosting a Rangatahi Expo for youth to display, promote and sell their business. There will be entertainment by Fat 32, food and hangi to purchase. The event will run from 5pm to 7.30pm on October 28 at Simson Park Hall in Moerewa.
Recruits arrive
Two police recruits will start work in Northland on October 31. Fifty-eight new police officers graduated from Wing 359 on Thursday. Thirty-one per cent of the group were female, 67.2 per cent male and 1.7 per cent gender diverse. New Zealand Europeans made up 69 per cent, Māori 15.5 per cent, Pacific 8.6 per cent and Asian 5.2 per cent.
Boutique event
This Sunday, music lovers can delight in an exciting concert and sumptuous afternoon tea at a boutique venue, as The FluteFarm Studio in Kerikeri hosts The Orion Piano Trio on their only Far North tour stop. The accomplished group of musicians - Marko Pop Ristov at the violin, Marco Ariani at the cello and Flavio Villani at the piano - will play works by Schubert, Brahms and NZ composer Clare Cowan. To secure seats, email Clare at theflutefarm@gmail.com or call 021 0532 899.
Garden safari
Enjoy the New World Kerikeri Rotary Garden Safari on October 29 and 30. Admire 16 incredible gardens over the course of the weekend by purchasing a $30 ticket from either New World Kerikeri, Unichem Kerikeri, Redwoods Garden Centre, Plant Zone, Mitre 10 Waipapa, Paperplus and Ray White in Paihia.
ArtSplash is back
ArtSplash 2022 is back this long weekend at Coopers Beach. The free annual exhibition, featuring local art, pottery and jewellery, opens on Friday at 5pm - with nibbles provided and wine tasting courtesy of Dancing Petrel. Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-4pm. St John Hall, Coopers Beach.
Purple for polio
To mark World Polio Day on October 24, Whangārei's Canopy Bridge will be lit purple to remember more than 800 New Zealanders who died from the Poliomyelitis virus during the pandemics of the 1950s.
Until the arrival of effective vaccines in the late 1950s, Polio was a devastating virus as it particularly affected children, says Polio NZ Board member, Sue Griffin.
"During the global polio pandemics New Zealand alone recorded around 10,000 cases and more than 800 deaths," Griffin said.