A Kerikeri firefighter who has been honoured for a quarter-century of volunteering says he does it for the sheer satisfaction of helping his community.

Most would not have left the ground before, and none would ever have clambered aboard a 1940s DC3, but that all changed last month for more than 60 special pupils at Kaitaia Primary School, thanks to the Warbirds Association and Child Flight.

Paul Eardley wasn't pulling his punches when he explained how Christians Against Poverty's debt centre in Kaitaia would work.

Three men, two of whom had obtained a customary permit, have been convicted in the Kaitaia District Court on charges of possessing excess and under-sized paua, Judge John McDonald consenting to the Ministry for Primary Industries' call for two vehicles to

Dragged off course by tricky currents, she nearly put her hand up at one point and asked to be pulled from the water.

As predicted, the top seeds in the Bay of Islands Classic finished as predicted with Kane Radford the first man across, completing the 3.3km I'm Going Long swim in 37:13s, and Penny Hayes in 41:42 as the first woman home.

A successful year for the Northland College Military Academy officially ended last week with the 'walk out' at the college.

One of New Zealand's foremost exponents and teachers of weaving was recognised at Creative New Zealand's 2015 Te Waka Toi awards in Rotorua on Saturday night.

Help arrived too late for a juvenile kiwi, believed to be male, that was delivered to a Kaitaia veterinary clinic last week.

A young local angler who weighed in a record-breaking fish earlier this year was officially recognised at both domestic and national levels at the Doubtless Bay Line and Rod Fishing Club's end of year prizegiving recently.

A Kaitaia businessman estimates Sunday's day-long power outage will cost his store $10,000 in lost turnover.

It's that time of year again when Santa starts making his rounds of Far North towns to announce the imminent arrival of Christmas.

A crucial rural fire brigade which closed down at Matauri Bay two years ago helped save a house from a rogue grass fire just days after it was reinstated.

A clean-up on 90 Mile Beach on Sunday brought hundreds of people together and succeeded well beyond organisers' expectations.

The future of scheduled flights to and from Kaitaia is looking brighter thanks to a bigger aircraft and lower fares boosting the once beleaguered service.

The conditions may have been gloomy in Okaihau on Saturday morning but the overcast sky and firm but cool tailwind made for perfect conditions for the 26th running of the ASB Kerikeri Half Marathon.

A group of mostly Northland women have strong-armed their way into the 2015 Maori Sports Awards after winning the tug-o-war at the World Indigenous Games in Brazil.

A Tokerau Beach man who believes bike riders and four-wheel drivers need somewhere they can go on the Karikari Peninsula without doing environmental damage or upsetting people says the situation is getting out of hand.

A Far North charity has smashed the world record for the most heads shaved in an hour in a fundraiser for disadvantaged Northland kids.

A Kaitaia man's mates have helped him fulfil his goal of completing the Kerikeri Half Marathon, eight months after his death at the age of 30.

A Northland family lost almost everything they owned in a major fire while they were at a tangi for a man who died in a crash just two days earlier.

A talented Kaitaia rugby and league player has become the latest export from the Far North to play in Australia after being signed by the Canterbury Bulldogs Under-20 development squad earlier this month.

The 2015 Christmas Pairs tournament held at Takahue Hall last Sunday proved as popular as ever in attracting 36 teams representing Whangarei, Bay of Islands, Northern Wairoa and Far North indoor bowling clubs.

In his letter to this paper (November 17) Geoff Parker points out some very scary facts of goings-on behind closed doors about New Zealand's future.

Lake Ngatu, inland from Waipapakauri Ramp, is widely regarded as one of the Far North's environmental jewels, but two local conservationists have warned that it is in big trouble.