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Superheroes enjoy cycling fun day
OPOTIKI kids showed yesterday that sometimes being a superhero means championing a healthy mode of transport. The town’s first Superheroes on Bikes Day was held at Memorial Park, organised by Sport Bay...
View ArticleSchooling for children with disabilities paints a grim picture
PARENTS have told an IHC survey their disabled children are being bullied at school, many are not getting enough support, and some have been illegally blocked from enrolling altogether. The...
View ArticleCoast road reopens to oversized traffic
STATE Highway 35 has reopened to oversized traffic after more than a year of complications. Three sites between Opotiki and Te Kaha were initially impacted by poor weather causing road underslips. The...
View ArticleMental health call outs up 70%
MORE people suffering mental health crises are calling on St John for assistance, according to new data from the ambulance service. Eastern Bay ambulance officers have experienced a significant...
View ArticleTorere macadamias, small but elite
THE largest macadamia grower in the world and his family visited Torere Macadamias on Tuesday while on an unofficial holiday. Torere, home to the Ngatai people, is also home to the largest macadamia...
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Coronavirus crisis halts business
OPOTIKI transport operator Charlie Seymour has 50 trucks parked up during a logging industry downturn caused by many in the Chinese construction industry laying down tools following the Coronavirus...
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Brothers enjoy sibling rivalry in triathlon
OPOTIKI brothers Alex and Daniell Wilton like competing against each – because it brings the best out of them The pair placed first and second in the junior boys’ super sprint triathlon held in Ohope....
View ArticleCarrington does the double with Halberg Award and national titles
LISA Carrington might need to buy a new trophy cabinet before long. The Eastern Bay Canoe Club paddler was once again recognised for her paddling ability by being named the Sportswoman of the Year for...
View ArticleFungus sex a game-changer for native species
IT’S neither erotic nor consensual but the fungus that infects certain native trees has mutated and now reproduces sexually as well as by cloning. Scion researcher Stuart Fraser said this discovery...
View ArticleSt John calls for volunteers
Health shuttle drivers, assistants needed THE first group of volunteers for the Opotiki District Health Shuttle received a run-down on the role last week. This first meeting gave volunteers a chance...
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PHA team named as award finalists
TEAM synergy and diversity are cited as some of the factors behind the success of a Whakatane-based counselling organisation. The Eastern Bay of Plenty Primary Health Alliance mental health programme...
View ArticleExtended coverage for Te Kaha
TE KAHA will soon receive extended network connections for three major providers. Formed by Spark, Vodafone and 2Degrees, the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) is erecting a wireless connection tower in...
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Brigade amps up rural capabilities
THE Opotiki Volunteer Fire Brigade has taken delivery of two new fire appliances that will increase its ability to fight rural fires. The two main appliances are built for working in a town...
View ArticleNurse launches petition
OPOTIKI nurse Donna Snelling is collecting signatures for a petition calling on health authorities to keep the after-hours health service free. Ms Snelling is one of several Opotiki nurses whose...
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Spotlight home – Family living with rural setting, yet so close to town
THERE have been many happy memories created in this Hillcrest home over the past 12 years but it’s now time for the owners to downsize. The three-level home with multiple living areas is simply too big...
View ArticleConsultation to fill district plan ‘holes’
FOLLOWING legal advice that its district plan “has holes in it”, Whakatane District Council will be seeking public feedback on more than 20 proposed changes. The Whakatane District Plan was made...
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Council pushback on ‘costly’ policy
CONCERNS have been raised by councillors that “yet again” ratepayers will be expected to pick up the tab for new policies district councils will have to put in place at the behest of central...
View ArticleNew Maori medicine courses
HIGH community interest in learning more about traditional Maori medicine has prompted Te Wananga o Aotearoa ki Kawerau to offer a new course teaching about these healing skills. The 38-week Te...
View ArticleKyla rises to the occasion
A YOUNG Eastern Bay student is learning career-making skills as a pastry chef – thanks to a workplace programme at her school, Edgecumbe College. Kyla McQuire was in year 12 at Edgecumbe College last...
View ArticleKindy kids are late bloomers
CENTRAL Kids Putauaki Kindergarten in Kawerau has become the second Kindergarten in the Eastern Bay to win an award for its sunflowers this summer. In December the children at Central Kids Kindergarten...
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