Christmas means many different things to different people but at the heart of every Kiwi Christmas is quality time spent with family and friends. This year things could look a little different, but the Papakura Business Association is determined that it will still be a Christmas to remember for all who visit the wonderful town. Tracy Shackleton, the Town centre Manager and her…

Dr Garth Cooper has devoted his career to helping fellow Māori but he now finds himself in the gun over his opinions about science and indigenous knowledge. Graham Adams reports from the front lines of the culture wars. New Zealanders like their heroes talented and modest and preferably devoted to public service as well. Sir Edmund Hillary is the exemplar of that breed and very…

A Government that ignores reasoned opposition from local government by imposing 50/50 iwi-council co-governance through its Three Waters Plan is yet another step closer to a dictatorship, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today. A Government that ignores reasoned opposition from local government by imposing 50/50 iwi-council co-governance through its Three Waters Plan is…

I’m anxious waiting to board the ship. I feel my heart beating, trying to explode through my chest. Have I made the right decision? Should I turn back? As I’m waiting, Mum is taking sooooo many photos of me for all her Facebook friends, you know how that goes. Another girl was having photos taken by her dad, so I introduce myself to her. Her name was Georgia from Christchurch,…

Scott Bright has always been involved with farming. He grew up on a farm, worked on a farm and has always been involved in the farming industry and its people, one way or another. These days he only has small holding but is actively involved in raising the profile of groups that have sprung up recently to counteract what is being seen as fervent erosion of both common sense when…

Further reductions to the speed limits on rural roads around Franklin will only serve to frustrate the vast majority of road users. But will Auckland Transport listen? In 2019, Auckland Transport (AT) introduced a new speed limit bylaw and called for public submissions on the proposed changes. When I posted this news on my Facebook page, more than 53,000 people viewed the post.…

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in medieval times? Lucy Mullinger found out what it was like during a recent trip to Fes with her partner Brett. From donkeys and mules carrying copious amounts of bags, leather or food items, through to the sound of looms clanking out home-made rugs and scarves - the world of Fes is a million years away from Auckland, which is…

It may have been a while but walk into Magazine Designer Clothing and you will be greeted with an array of colours, beautiful predominantly New Zealand made clothing, exquisite accessories, and most importantly fabulous friendly staff. The Pukekohe girls Sarah, Lorraine, and Rochelle and Bronwyn and her Hamilton team thrive on helping their customers find the perfect style, no…

Enduring and powerful art stems from innovate ideas and the confidence to step outside of the square. American artist, Andy Warhol is one of the most well known pop artists of all time, however there was a period in his life when inspiration was hard to come by, even for him. By the beginning of the 1960s, like many talented artists, Warhol's creativity had lead him down the…

Not many motoring enthusiasts will argue about the game-changing influence of the Porsche 904 when it was unveiled in January 1964 – over 50 years ago. It had several innovations that caused other great names in car making to actually copy; not an admission any of the other proud European makers brands can ever admit to lightly The Porsche 904’s fibreglass body, was one of the…

Preview of a delayed Hot Rods & Horsepower Show & Swapmeet Hosted by Pukekohe Hot Rod Club and Napa Auto Parts Dragway Like most things which haven’t been cancelled totally by Covid restrictions imposed by our government, the Hot Rods & Horsepower Show hosted by Pukekohe Hot Rod Club & Napa Auto Parts Dragway has been delayed. The new date will be the weekend of the 11th-12th…

How to expand your lending options when subdividing your section. Banks and mortgages are a maze to navigate through. There are now alternative options that specialise in these construction projects allowing you to maximise financial gain. Gone are the days when you bought a quarter acre piece of land with one house on it, mortgage it for 35 years with the same bank and voila!-…

The weather is most definitely hotting up and kiwis up and down the country are planning their summer breaks in anticipation of a summer of relative freedom after the last few months of lockdowns. Carlos Ter Huurne, owner of Ignition Firewood, a Drury-based firewood supplier is also looking forward to a break, but says it’s never too early to stock up on next winter’s wood over…

Are you looking for something just a little bit special for this Christmas? Either for your own home or for that of a special friend? Whether you need delightfully different Christmas bling for your festive table or a unique gift that has the wow factor you need to check out the range hand picked by Toni Charteris at The Bespoke Living Room. Located at 128 Stan Wright Rd,…

Mike Stroud from Stroud Homes in Pukekohe knows the answer to what makes a successful new build. He has been building homes for over 16 years, ensuring every customer was given the very best level of service and in that time has seen plenty of shoddy operators come and go. Even in the current Covid climate where some builders are experiencing extended delays, Mike is confident in…

This time last year Bakers Shoes in Waiuku had like many in New Zealand and around the globe dealt with the first 6 months dealing with a global pandemic. National and regional lockdowns were forcing businesses to close their doors to physical customer interactions and amp up their online presence in order to survive. “COVID-19 has slammed us with a whole new way of living to…

The first international war crimes tribunal in history revealed the true extent of German atrocities and held some of the most prominent Nazis accountable for their crimes. On October 18, 1945, the opening session of the first international war crimes trial in history took place in Berlin, Germany. Unable to find a suitable venue in the destroyed Nazi capital, the court soon…

Over the past three years ratepayer-funded Tūpuna Maunga Authority has been on a mission to rid Auckland’s volcanic cones (maunga) of exotic trees – some 2500 in all. In defending its actions, the Authority claims it will replace them with thousands more natives, giving the impression it will “cloak” the maunga in trees. Yet it has become clear there is no intention to return…

I dig into the history of an infamous pharmaceutical. It was said to be safe & effective. History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes...

Dr Sam will take you back to December 2019 and highlight some of the key concepts that have been used to FUEL this crisis.

Has the CDC admitted there is a problem with the PCR? What is everyone dying from? What is the Delta variant? What about Covid antibodies?

I suspect that most New Zealanders don’t give a lot of thought to the size of the government debt. But every now and then the media reports that the Government is spending vastly more than it takes in in revenue, with the result that the amount the Government has to borrow goes up by billions more. Surely this is mortgaging our future, and the future of our children and…

Quite a few years ago the phone rang in my office, but I refused to answer it. I had “hit the wall.” In the space of one year, I lost my mentor, my assistant left, my father died, we began home schooling, and we lost a child before it was born. Eventually, I didn’t want to answer the phone - I could not face another problem or loss! Whether it was emotional burnout or…

The Port Waikato electorate spans the alert level boundary between Auckland and Waikato. This has been the battleground of the lockdown and as the elected MP I have seen at first-hand the incredible stress and anxiety the changing alert levels have placed on people. Since the country was plunged into Alert Level 4 on 18 August, MPs across Auckland and the Waikato, and their…

By the time this column sees the light of day, the Labour Government – now freed of the constraint of New Zealand First – will have been in office almost exactly a year. And to look at the opinion polls, they are doing a fine job – or at least the Prime Minister is. But the reality is very different. The Government has made absolutely no progress in key areas like replacing…

Communities and councils around the country are starting to make their voices heard around the effects the Government’s proposed Three Waters Reforms will have, with several mayors calling for the programme to be ‘paused’ on the grounds that there has been insufficient public consultation. The Government’s Three Waters Reform Programme was launched in July 2020 and aims to change…

The impact of this Lockdown has been an increase in the rate of property value growth and as before this is in the main due to a reduced number of properties available for sale and our appetite for homes which has been putting extra upward pressure on their values. Demand has continued and confidence has remained firm in the market - although there are some expectations that…

The prolific American writer Agnes Mae Pharo (1904-1986) was perhaps most famous for her quote about Christmas. A quote that for me, this year seems to have more meaning than every before. She wrote. “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal,…

We all have our fingers crossed that life will return to a new normal whatever that looks like but there is nothing normal about the housing market as it just keeps on rolling! Lockdown or no lockdown the statistics speak for themselves. The momentum for Franklin for the month of August showed to be true with the Median price for Franklin rising to $950,000 up by 33.8% on a year…

As a child, I recall a few occasions whereby I was labelled ‘defiant’ or ‘challenging authority.’ These occasions were never related to breaking the rules of the land merely questioning those who perhaps felt they were above being questioned. But I was encouraged by my parents to questions things I didn’t agree with and to form my own opinions. As an adult that has provided for…

CHRISTMAS DATES FOR PAPAKURA: Diary these dates Rotary Santa Parade Sunday 5 December at 3 pm leaving from Central Park Chilling in the Park Straight after the Parade in Central Park from 4 – 6 pm Carols in the Park Friday 10 December at 6 pm at Central Park Santa Grotto for free Santa Photos Wednesday 16 December to Wednesday 23 December BUY A $20.00 GIFT…

In the middle of October, something astonishing happened: the Government and the National Party held a joint news conference to announce that they had agreed on the way to make housing more affordable. According to many opinion polls, the ludicrous level to which house prices have risen in New Zealand is the issue which is of greatest concern to the New Zealand public. And…

David Lange is one of the most tragic figures of our modern political history. Highly articulate and entertaining, he was ushered into power in a landslide in 1984 during an economic and financial crisis. Feted as the youngest Prime Minister of the 20th century, he dazzled the nation with his wit and intellect. By the time he resigned in 1989, however, he was seen as a weak and…

I am back in Auckland and have been out in a few different electorates catching up with small business owners and locals. In typical Kiwi fashion, the people I meet put on a brave face. However, often after a few minutes of talking about their current reality inevitably tears flow. In my twenty years in politics the only time I have experienced a similar feeling of absolute…

The practitioners at NZDSOS have been accused of spreading information that is contrary to the Medical Council (MCNZ) guidelines on Covid-19 vaccination. It would appear that the MCNZ has forgotten about its own guidelines on Informed Consent that advise doctors to "be open and honest" with patients. It seems this guiding principle has not only been forgotten by the MCNZ but…

trojan (n.) — Malware that misleads users from its true intent. Dr Bryan Betty, the Medical Director of the Royal NZ College of General Practice, has let down the nation massively these past 18 months by actively eroding the moral and scientific integrity of the once noble vocation of medicine. Under the watch of this 'Big Pharma' loyalist, and a few others, we have seen the…