Far North news in brief: Stolen taonga; speeds up; and snorkel day

James Fisher Harris, centre, with the Pacific Cup at the Motukohu Rugby Clubrooms, the boots he donated to the club, that have been stolen, are on the wall next to a poster of Fisher Harris.

Stolen taonga

Jerseys and boots stolen from the Motukohu Rugby Clubrooms have yet to be returned, despite widespread publicity.

James Fisher-Harris is gutted that someone has stolen his 2021 NRL premiership-winning boots from the Hokianga rugby club. The Warriors’ recruit and Kiwis’ captain is deeply connected to the Motukohu Rugby Club in Kohukohu, where he grew up. He donated the taonga as part of an auction to help the club raise money to host an annual Labour Weekend tournament.

The boots were displayed in a cabinet alongside other memorabilia. Unfortunately, both boots and four of five precious rugby jerseys were stolen this month.

Anybody with information can call 029 02016240 to arrange a pick-up, no questions asked.

Speed reduction

The Government has ordered that controversial speed limit reductions on four stretches of the Far North highway be increased.

Minister of Transport Chris Bishop said the speeds would be raised from July 1, after the previous government imposed blanket speed reductions across many stretches of the state highway network across the country, citing safety.

The 60km/h limit on State Highway 1 in Kaitāia north of Wireless Road will be raised to 100km/h; the 50km/h limit near North Park Drive, Kaitāia, will be raised to 70km/h; SH1 at Moerewa will be raised from 50km/h to 70km/h and SH11 at Te Haumi will be raised from 50km/h to 80km/h.

New directors

Jillian Iti and Steve Soufflot have been appointed to the board of the Kerikeri Retirement Village as independent directors. Both Iti and Soufflot bring significant healthcare expertise to the position, and Iti’s background strengthens the board’s position in relation to te ao Māori. Iti has more than 30 years of experience as a registered nurse and has spent the past decade in senior roles in the corporate and not-for-profit spaces. Soufflot is the chief executive of Kensington Hospital in Whangārei, and worked for Medlab Hamilton between 2001 and 2008, as human resources manager and general manager.

Village Arts

To celebrate 20 years, Kohukohu’s Village Arts will have some interesting exhibitions and events coming up. The first offering is the Directors’ Show, featuring new work from the gallery’s four directors; Marg Morrow, John Wigglesworth, Lindsay Antrobus Evans and Lynne Stewart, who are all well established in their individual art practices. The Directors’ Show opens at 11am on February 15 and runs to March 23. Raumati, the summer show, continues to February 9, with the exhibition recently refreshed.

Free snorkel day

Experiencing Marine Reserves is running a free community guided snorkel day at Taupō Bay on February 8 from 10am-3pm. Advanced safety procedures will be in place on the day, which will be suitable for age 5 and up. People can explore the waters of Taupō Bay, learn about native freshwater and marine life, and gain awareness about the current challenges oceans and rivers face. People can take their own gear or get free hire of masks, snorkels, fins and wetsuits. The event is funded by the Ministry for the Environment. Additional support on the day is provided by Kaitiaki Whangaroa and Ecopulse Solutions. For more details: https://facebook.com/events/s/taupo-bay-snorkel-day/1145599203666708/ or https://www.mountainstosea.org.nz/emr.