Northland news in brief

A fleet of 150 boats will race up the Northland east coast today in the Coastal Classic yacht race after leaving Auckland, above.

Coastal Classic kicks off

More than 150 yachts will set off from Auckland this morning to race up the coast to Russell in the Coastal Classic yacht race.

The fleet gets off between 9.30am and 10am from North Head and showcases the full range vessels - from the smallest, a 7.8m keeler called Floydy Boy up to the massive 21m trimaran Beau Geste, which arrived in the country recently specifically to challenge the race record.

The race is 119 nautical miles long and the frontrunners can finish in about five hours to beat the current record, According to wind predictions though the first boats probably won't arrive in Russell until tonight.

Tickets strike it lucky

Four tickets sold in Whangarei were among 93 nationally that each won $8099 on Strike in Wednesday's Lotto draw. The Strike must-be-won jackpot of $700,000 was not won by a single ticket and rolled down to Division 2. It was shared by 93 tickets, including ones sold at Corner Cardz N Magz, Countdown Tikipunga, Kamo Lotto and Pak'n Save Whangarei.

Accolade for Harawira

Mana Party Leader and former Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira has been given the inaugural Dame Tariana Turia Award for his work highlighting the impact of smoking on Maori and Pacific Island people in New Zealand.

The award was announced at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Hobart yesterday. Dame Tariana was a fearless advocate for tobacco control, a previous co-leader of the Maori Party and a champion for reducing inequalities in Maori smoking rates.

The award recognised the need for reducing harm within indigenous communities and was open to entries from NZ, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

English teacher wins award

Whangarei Girls' High School head of English Margaret Northey has been awarded a teaching award: the New Zealand Spelling Bee 2017 Teachers' Award. Four awards, each worth $2500, are distributed annually to teachers whose innovative and effective programmes or initiatives instil a love of language in their students.

Applicants were asked to explain their spelling or language programme or initiative, what it involves and how it fosters a love of words in their students. Ms Northey will use the scholarship to help achieve her dream of learning te reo and becoming bilingual.