Five years' work went into the proposal to establish two marine reserves in the Bay of Islands and now Fish Forever, Bay of Islands Maritime Park Inc., wants the community to decide if it has got it right.

The Environment Court reserved their decision of an appeal against the Ministry of Education's notice of requirement to designate land on Koutu Point Road as the site of a new school.

Something wonderful

Or fishless forever?

Kaitaia farmer Victor Rakich admits it. His farming instincts are on the wane. And it's all thanks to his 18-year-old granddaughter Chanelle Cooper.

Nominations for the inaugural Pride of New Zealand Awards, to celebrate New Zealanders who make the most positive, uplifting and inspiring contributions to their community, are now open.

Sack them

Seven Kaitaia College students represented a Kaitaia gym when they competed at Teen Gauntlet Crossfit Competition in Auckland on April 12 with the following achieved.

So there he was, The Offsider, feeling winter start to creep across the Far North in near nonchalant fashion.

Everyone will be welcome at Kaikohe's Lindvart Park next week for the naming ceremony and the formal flicking of the switch to turn on the newly-installed lights.

Ahipara man Kevin Griffiths has added to his national reputation as a very talented mouth painter with success at a major New Zealand art competition.

What unemployment?

Pete Watson won the heaviest snapper prize of $500 with this 10.3kg fish at the Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club's Easter Sportsfishing Contest, held Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

Among those celebrating five decades of links play at Ahipara over Easter weekend earlier this month were several members of the exclusive Originals club.

The inaugural Conversations that Count awareness day was celebrated in Northland earlier this month.

Early in the year of 1914, residents of a little, quiet valley in the Far North were getting on with their daily lives.

Jones will be missed

A Christchurch superhero who earned fame by helping quake-affected citizens, is heading to the Far North after striking up a super-powered friendship with a little boy from Kaikohe.

Kerikeri Bay Builders 2 Airforce 1 (ht 1-1): The Northland premier division champions began their 2014 Chatham Cup campaign with a win over Airforce at Waipapa in clear, nippy mid-autumn conditions on Easter Monday.

Tokerau Beach man Ivan Conlon knows a good deal about his father Arthur and uncle Elmer, but many gaps remain to be filled. And some of the questions concerning Elmer are whoppers.

Your columnist Joe Carr suggests the Ministry for Primary Industries is penny-pinching on biosecurity. This is not the case.

A floating dock that broke free from a privately-owned island during Cyclone Lusi is posing a serious threat to marine life along Northland's east coast.

The voice of Te Tai Tokerau has been silent as the Mana Party makes a "whole lot of noise" about who it will form an alliance with, according to Labour electorate committee chairman Haydn Edmonds.

Fiona Beale is one of the lucky ones. A self-confessed "massive pot head" in her younger days, she wasted no time in embracing synthetic cannabis.

Far North born and bred Labour MP Shane Jones will leave politics at the end of next month, saying he had come to the conclusion over Easter that it was time to go.

Two girls born and bred in the Far North are making waves in the Auckland boxing scene.

Bay of Islands Netball Centre (BOINC) teams vied for positioning on the final grading round in Kaikohe on Saturday, knowing this was their last chance to move up and/or keep themselves from being relegated.

Fruit fly pathways

A 37-year-old Kaikohe woman who chained up a dog and let it starve to death has been convicted in the Kaikohe District Court.

Top of Kaeo man Tom Gordon's shopping list is a personal locator beacon.