HC Post closure: Editor bids paper farewell after 9 months on the job

Larry became the star of Whangamatā's main street.

Where do I even begin?

Firstly, I want to say what a pleasure and honour it has been to have served the people of Hauraki-Coromandel, even if it was just for a short time.

It was all hands-on deck when I landed at the Whangamatā office earlier this year, with support from our Waikato team.

Fresh off the plane from Rarotonga, Waikato team leader Dan Hutchinson showed me the ropes, then I set sail.

Now, 40 editions later, I am, sadly, lowering them, following NZME’s announcement to close the Hauraki-Coromandel Post alongside 13 other community newspapers.

On reflection, the Hauraki and Coromandel districts are a series of villages, served well by their people.

It was those people who helped shape the publication, highlighting the community’s needs, concerns and endeavours.

When I’m looking back on the stories I covered during my time here, a variety of subjects - just as diverse as our community - come to mind.

Dogs made a splash at Whangamatā‘s town pool in early April, leading to a series of stories about the massive effort to refurbish the facility throughout the year.

Andrea Paynter and Barley at the Dogs in Togs event, as the Whangamatā Community Pool prepared for renovations.

The project stands as a shining example of what a community can achieve when it rallies together.

Pools seem to be quite a topic here, as it was announced that alternative options for Thames Centennial Pool, located on a sacred burial ground, could cost up to $77million.

This matter is still a bone of contention in the Coromandel with local authorities and the public divided on who will pay and where it will go.

Thames Centennial Pool.

At the same time, Coromandel’s Little Bay residents hit a roadblock with pleas for speed limit reductions.

The Little Bay community has been pleading for the measures since 2017, and demanding the Thames-Coromandel District Council take action.

Another big story was the opening of Tairua skatepark after 30 years of controversy.

Hundreds of people turned up for the official ceremony at Cory Park Domain, welcoming the opening of the $1.2 million project with a roar of applause.

A crowd gathers to hear formalities before the Tairua Skatepark is officially opened.

Tourism was also always in the foreground with alarm bells ringing in October over visitor behaviour.

Department of Conservation (DoC) staff highlighted some of the issues with graffiti, vandalism, unsavoury behaviour, litter and defecation at tourist hot spots including Cathedral Cove.

Talking about the cove, the walking track reopened just last month after sections of the 3.8km track were blocked by slips caused by extreme weather events, including Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle last year.

Construction of critical stair access at Cathedral Cove. Photo / DoC

Last, but not least, one of the moments that will stick with me, has to be one of the lighter moments of 2024, when Paradise shelduck Larry the duck became the talk of the town.

Larry, who was lurking around Whangamatā‘s main street for months, had locals in a flap, but a Hikuai family soon quacked the case.

Affectionately named Larry by Whangamatā locals, it turned out Larry was, in fact, a female and her name was actually Daisy.

The Thompson family from Hikuai reached out to the Hauraki Coromandel Post and revealed that they had hand-raised Daisy in December 2021 after both parents were missing.

HC Post editor Al Williams. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

I believe there will always be a place for community news, in whatever format that is.

I was lucky enough to get my start in community news, well supported and mentored, by seasoned journalists who I remain in contact with today.

It was a great foundation in forming what I’d say has so far been a challenging and rewarding career.

Journalism encompasses words, knowledge, investigation, communication, professionalism, confidence, persistence, discipline and ethics.

Those are things I would like to see our communities retain.