The Far North's advocate for the elderly, Glenis Hill, has been publicly recognised for her services to the community.

A clean-up is continuing in parts of the Far North after tropical Cyclone Lusi swamped businesses, sank boats and carried off chunks of shore and sea wall.

Kalani Hansen may not have recorded the greatest results at any of the three events making up this year's Billabong Grom Series, but his freesurfing certainly caught the eye of several photographers.

64-year-old part time teacher qualified for the world championships in Brazil through another successful campaign at the national sprint championships on Lake Karapiro earlier this year.

Growing up at Awanui and getting a "hiding" from his brothers taught 17-year-old Rayner Johnson to take out his aggression on his school mates. But now this former bully is on a mission.

Best of care

The 10 pou that were ceremoniously unveiled at Ahipara on Sunday were much more than stakes in the ground, Eru Harawira said after blessing the first of the markers.

SPCA puppy Tigger (Hen-pecked but happy, Northland Age March 6) didn't spend long on the shelf.

Kerikeri youngster Billie Brown dreamed of owning a flash pair of running shoes, and worked hard to raise the money to achieve that. But now that she has the shoes, she wants to give them away.

No solution

The failure is ours

Kaitaia (Mission Place) kindergarten teacher Gaylene West is about to lose the excuse that she will be washing her hair to avoid an unwelcome invitation.

Getting on Facebook is easy in Kaikohe. All you have to do is drive off from a service station without paying, although many other forms of crime will do it.

A large crowd gathered on the beach at Ahipara on Saturday to witness the returning of two green sea turtles to their natural environment, after months of expert rehabilitation.

Restrictions raised in hard-hit areas

The pool of women in New Zealand agriculture with leadership, governance and business skills is getting deeper thanks to a national initiative that recently completed its third year.

Not rocket science

The family of a Kawakawa teenager selected to represent New Zealand in touch in Australia later this year have been humbled by the show of support from the Bay of Islands community.

It's her father, Pastor Graeme Baucke, who gets the credit for sowing the seed when she was a child, and the desire to help others far less advantaged than any New Zealander remains as strong now as ever.

The rift within Ngapuhi over the government accepting Tuhoronuku's mandate to negotiate the tribe's Treaty grievance settlement widened last week with Ngati Hine withdrawing from the Crown-endorsed process.

Award-winning actor Pete Smith has a great deal of sympathy for Pineaha Murray, the 73-year-old Te Hapua man who said he and his wife were being driven from their home

What is the media trying to tell us on Waitangi Day?

When Tane sought to make peace with his brother Tangaroa he plucked off his eyebrows and threw them to his brother who didn't accept the offer but threw them back. They landed on the shore and to this day still protect the sand dunes from the sea.

I can probably only blame bad planning for the fact our garden is bereft of flowers to pick at this time of year. There are a few flowering grevilleas, some hibiscus and one perfect canna lily, but nothing that'd look any good stuffed in a vase.

One of the country's most recognised infantry units will be commemorated in the Far North in March as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations.

If looking at the cob-web covered golf bag lying forlornly in a corner of the garage induces a touch of the guilts, there's an enticing opportunity to shake off the inertia.

If you want to have a look at the new Audi A3 you’ll have to go to Auckland. The company doesn’t have a franchised dealership any further north which is a pity because they might sell a few over the Brynderwyns.

A Far North ex-pat who returned home last year has secured the role of Far North development officer for Rugby League Northland (RLN).

The Muriwhenua Women's basketball team ended up with the bridesmaid tag for the second year in a row after losing the final of the Te Tai Tokerau Classic tournament to the defending champions.

Same job, new tools