Lauren Barclay's deck might well have been the sunniest spot in the Winterless North on Tuesday morning. It's a spot they share with Hugo, the cat from the Mangonui police station right next door, who calls over on a regular basis to soak up some rays.

Northland College principal Jim Luders, who last week described his classrooms as possibly the worst in the country, can now see a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.

"Our goal will be to assist both communities to reach sufficient consensus on the changes required and the best form of local government."

Local primary schools took an even share of the spoils as various titles went up for grabs at the Kiwi Netball Field Days tournament last month.

"Your readers need the facts on the table about Northland College and what's being done to sort it out".

Nothing, he added last week, was going to be achieved by "jumping up and down and carrying on," Mr Lunders said.

"People say it must be good to be back to normal but we're not there yet," her mother Jo said last week, but the future was certainly brighter than it was at the beginning of the year.

Constable Leslie Cooper reported to the Kaitaia police station yesterday morning to officially begin his career in the force, but he wasn't needing a great deal of orientation.

Normally, when John Johnson thinks he hears a nocturnal possum, he goes after it with a gun. He didn't do that on Saturday night, and was mightily relieved that he hadn't.

Terrible weather may have kept plenty away from the Explore Paihia Half Marathon and 12km run/ walk on Sunday, although organisers reported the event was still a well-attended success in spite of the conditions.

The annual community lunch at Victoria Valley Hall is one of the big events of the community's calendar, and this year's was especially gratifying for Paddy Tracey, kitchen hand and champion of tradition.

Every night we had a chorus of the morepork and the high-pitched kiwi calls. Although very well camouflaged and hard to see, kiwi used to track across the front lawn.

A teenager from Matawaia, west of Moerewa, was last week named runner-up to the Young Mori Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year at the Ahuwhenua Awards in Wanganui.

According to the Animal Products Act 1999, it is illegal to give away seafood that has been caught or harvested recreationally. The Ministry for Primary Industries has told the Northland Age, however, that that is not the case.

"Principal Jim Luders said he wouldn't keep his dog in that room, so why should he ask students to learn there? There were holes in the walls and ceiling, the buildings are full of wood rot and roofs need replacing."

This was decent entertainment, as good an advertisement for local women's football as anyone amongst the decent sized crowd who braved the wet and soggy conditions could wish to see.

Renee says the dictionary defines 'local' as food grown close (100km) to where it is bought and consumed. But what is so great about buying food locally? Is everything all good or are there some bad parts?

An American-born inventor believes the Far North is home to a number of locations that would be ideal for his award-winning energy-harnessing device.

The cat and four black kittens that were dumped on Julianne and Aaron Bainbridge's farm at Waiharara were in luck when Mrs Bainbridge found them, but that luck might soon run out.

Yesterday Nora Tawhi Rameka was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday honours in recognition of that devotion to others.

Aupouri came out with a strong start in this college grade netball clash in Kaitaia last Thursday evening, scoring off the first three centre passes, giving themselves an early lead.

The above heading is the message for local motorheads from organisers of the Percy Poharama Memorial Queen's Birthday Weekend Meet at Taipa Speedway this coming weekend.

A fundraising challenge that involves running up more than 1000 steps while breathing from an oxygen tank and weighed down with 25kg of gear is not for the faint hearted.

There was sun, there was wind. There was also rain and large swells, but such are voyages aboard the R Tucker Thompson, albeit this time with one big difference.

The current Kaikohe Youth Action Plan reports that: "Northland youth drank more frequently and more heavily than youth in the rest of New Zealand.

Marlene Dawson recognises Phillip Roland Francis, standing second left, in the photograph above, which was sent as a postcard (dated November 1915) to her grandfather Gussie Yates, but would be delighted to hear from anyone who can name any of the others.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis is hoping he will have plenty of company when he sets off from the bottom of his electorate, West Auckland, tomorrow, bound for the top, Cape Reinga.

Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board member and organic farmer Marty Robinson was arrested on Saturday morning on suspicion of growing a dodgy crop. And he wasn't alone.

A comprehensive win for the competition pacesetters in the only match to take place from round 7 of the Northland Men's Premier Division and played in wet surface conditions at Waipapa on Saturday afternoon.

Mangonui fishing stalwart Bill Dimento weighed in a very respectable 8.40kg snapper, but it was a dad and daughter duo who took out the men's and ladies' sections respectively in the annual Far North ITM Fishing Contest.