Once upon a time in Kaikohe

The Bank of New Zealand will close its branch in Broadway in June, despite assurances that it wouldn't close any more regional branches until 2022. Photo / Peter de Graaf

In the Hokianga. Cradle of New Zealand. First port of call and settlement for Māori. One of the first for Pākehā.

Kaikohe. Ngāpuhi capital of New Zealand. Service town for the Mid North. Home to the district council. Even used to have two dairy factories and a railway station.

Just a little sad at times thanks to our ever-caring drug peddling-gangsters, but nevertheless, as a whole, a vibrant small town New Zealand community.

We even used to have a BNZ, a Westpac, a Post Office Savings Bank an ASB and a National Bank that used to be open all hours. Now ANZ has swallowed up the POSB and National Bank and opens occasionally. BNZ opens part-time until June, when it departs for good. Westpac opens less than part-time. No doubt Kiwibank and ASB intend to do likewise.

Seems the little brylcream-haired with the smellies layered under the armpits ponces with their false smiles have forgotten not every one lives in a city. We cannot even change over to one bank. They are all gapping it.

I was going to say come on you ungrateful little sods, these little service towns are where your foundations came from. Then I remembered, the owners are from somewhere else on Planet Earth. Perhaps it is time we got rid of them all and started again, and kept our money on our Covid- free shores.

Kaikohe Hard