The next time the Far North is hit by a major fire, disaster or whale stranding, emergency workers won't have to huddle in the cabs of their utes

Tom Cruise did not call in at Hihi last week. Nor did anyone else from Hollywood, despite anything Colin Salt might have said.

Former Far North District councillor and Te Hiku Community Board chairman Dennis Bowman was not surprised to learn last week that Kaitaia woman Sharleen Edmonds was unhappy with the state of Kaitaia's walkways

Oruaiti fundraiserSome good golf and some not-so-good was the order of the day at the Oruaiti School's annual ambrose golf fundraising tournament

Having virtually travelled around the world by kite over the past six months, Ahipara man Les Bore should be able to dine out on stories of his adventures for some time.

the third and last of three whale rescue training sessions organised by Far North Whale Rescue, following good turnouts at Tapotupotu on Friday and Maitai Bay on Saturday.

Spot the difference

Three university students who have been granted scholarships to conduct research in the Kaitaia area over summer will present their findings at Kaitaia Hospital (Te Waka Hauora)

Kaitaia woman Sharleen Edmonds doesn't know whose job it is to maintain the between-streets walkways in Kaitaia, and she isn't waiting to find out.

Thursday last week was the 200th birthday of Captain William Butler, the man who built the home on what is now Butler Point, across the harbour from Mangonui.

He's about to begin pursuing a degree in architecture at Auckland University, but 18-year-old Stefan Burrows has already well and truly added his name to the list of talented Far North artists.

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Assurances from Mayor John Carter that a place will be found for the North Hokianga i-Site at Opononi have not placated the locals.

A young Kaikohe couple have conceded defeat to the burglars who have broken into their cafe "countless times" since they opened it three years ago, and show no sign of giving up.

The first football trophy contested on planet Earth in 2014 has been won by a team with the curious moniker of Kick His Ass Seabass.

Selectors took an extended squad of 14 to the Bay of Plenty to help finalise 12 players for the 2014 Bailey's National Sevens in Rotorua this coming weekend.

Marion Duncan's memories of the 'Miracle of Heathrow' (Northland Age January 7) were of particular interest to retired British Airways pilot Derek Ellis.

Auckland man Bruce Groves travels north several times every year to tend to the graves of his relatives in Kaitaia's public cemetery.

Fire crews from Houhora and Kaitaia, and the Northland Electricity rescue helicopter, were dispatched to Tapotupotu to what was reported as a drowning but tragedy had been averted thanks to two plucky teenagers.

The sun, sand and surf of summer, it’s what the Far North is known for. And fishing, camping and tramping.

We asked our political leaders to have a cheery chat at holiday time and most were happy to.

The name Kaitaia means abundance of food. Doubtless Bay was named by Captain James Cook who, in sighting it, is reputed to have said ‘doubtless a bay’

The original name still used by local Maori is Te Kohanga o Te Tai Tokerau (the nest of the northern people) or Te Puna o Te Ao Marama (the wellspring of moonlight). The full name of the Harbour is Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe – the place of Kupe’s great return

In the middle of winter 2013 a group describing themselves as Auckland Spirit Chasers spent two nights in the Stone Store in Kerikeri and the adjacent Kemp House, two of the oldest buildings in the country.

The call has gone out to Far North rodeo organisers to hold the open bull ride spectacle at 2pm in future after the Kaitaia rodeo took until 7pm to be wrapped up last Thursday.

Kerikeri accounted for Mangonui with relative ease to successfully defend the One Day Challenge Trophy in Taipa.

On April 8, 1968, New Zealand was occupied with the Wahine disaster, but on the other side of the world Taipa woman Marion Duncan was facing an equally horrific disaster.

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