Far Northerners frequently head for the tropics as winter sets in, and Kaitaia man Joe Carter has a plea for those who might be thinking of Fiji.

The students at Kaitaia's Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Pukemiro will head for Te Oneroa-a-Tohe (90 Mile Beach) tomorrow, but not for a day off.

Two Starship paediatric specialists are warning parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough after cases doubled cases over the same period last year.

It's no longer a question of whether or not a safety rail will be added to Mangonui's Neva Clarke McKenna boardwalk but when, and what it will look like.

A Tribesman gang member wanted in connection with the disappearance of Far North man Kimble Taipo Moore has been arrested.

Far North surfers in Ahipara were reportedly relieved to find Surf2Surf had discontinued the controversial live stream of conditions at their local break last week.

Ahipara School principal Jackie Osborne has paid tribute to her former colleague and predecessor, Shaun Stevenson following his sudden death in Auckland.

A Kaitaia teenager who has breached bail 16 times was granted bail again, with a final final warning, in the Kaitaia District Court last week, albeit with a plea from Judge Greg Davis for the police to arrest him should he breach again.

Twenty-five students were recognised for academic and sporting excellence at Okaihau College's first Celebration of Excellence assembly for the year last week.

The Kaitaia-based Nga Papahu Swim Club gave the major plaudits for having four of its swimmers qualify for a major swimming meet to inspirational coach Jim Larkin.

Thirty years ago rugby league coaching legend Graham Lowe vowed to come back to Northland one day to help a region where he saw so much talent yet so much disadvantage and despair.

The expansion of Top Energy's geothermal power generation at Ngawha has been given the go-ahead following the withdrawal of challenges to the Environment Court.

A 68-year-old woman whose tiny one-bedroom unit was burgled on Monday night, while she slept, was imagining what might have happened while she waited for the police to arrive on Tuesday afternoon.

Fine but windy conditions dominated when the Far North RSA Bowling Club completed an open mixed triples event at the end of March.

Te Runanga o Te Rarawa chairman Haami Piripi and Northland regional councillor Dover Samuels were elected chairman and deputy chairman of the newly-formed Te Oneroa-a-Tohe Board...

We had hoped to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Tom (Young) at the time of his funeral service - this letter is offered in lieu of that eulogy.

SOME judges seem to have lost sight of the fact that it is their job to determine guilt or innocence, and then to apply the relevant law.

Cooks from five Far North marae have their sights set on winning the title Marae Kai Masters 2016, but they have seven others to get past in the Maori Television series that began screening on March 16.

Switzer Residential Care general manager Jackie Simkins has made it very clear that an 'unsuccessful' appeal to the home for help when a tetraplegic found himself marooned in the Mangamuka Gorge on March 24 was a problem not of the home's making.

A turf war has broken out at a much-loved Kiwi surf break over a camera broadcasting surf conditions.

Worrying surge in number of young people ignoring tobacco health warnings.

Alycia Burton and the remarkable rapport she can achieve with her horse were on display at a free, informal clinic at the Kaitaia A&P Showgrounds earlier this month.

The Far North is welcoming the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education's nationwide push to ban sugary drinks.

"Look out hoons," said the message in the 'In Brief' column on the front page of last Thursday's Age, so they did.

It had the potential to cause catastrophic damage, but the fire that broke out in a store room at Town and Country Food in Kaitaia's main street on Monday afternoon was quickly brought under control by two Kaitaia Fire Brigade crews.

The family of a patched member of the tribesmen gang who was last seen with a fellow gang member, who is wanted by police for kidnapping and aggravated robbery, have concerns for his welfare.