Articles by Lucy Mullinger

Before we had modern luxuries such as television, warm baths and queen-sized beds, we were living in caves, hunted by dangerous animals and fighting the elements. We didn’t have mirrors, so we didn’t really care about what we looked like, we were much too busy trying to survive to worry about bullying and the only time we were in a state of stress was when we were running away…

When Joshua D’Acierno first came across Papakura Cadet Force, he was 12 years old lacking in confidence. “In all honesty, I wasn’t the best kid, I had problems with discipline and needed more confidence.” Six years down the track, he is now referred to as Warrant Officer classtwo, Joshua D’Acierno and he feels very fortunate that his friends introduced him to a future that would…

If you’re looking for a fitness solution that is available at any time of the day or night, where everyone knows your name and you’re always welcome, check out Flex Fitness – the fitness facility on the block, that is incredibly popular with locals and neighbouring fitness fans Auckland-wide. Flex Fitness Pukekohe and Manukau are New Zealand-owned and part of the Flex Fitness…

In a country as small as New Zealand, with a slowly burgeoning population (4,772,980 at last count), it might be a surprise to hear that mysterious disappearances and strange happenings still remain uncovered. Surely someone must have stumbled upon something by now? But often, sometimes centuries later, these mysteries still remain unsolved. eLocal unravels some of the most…

We are spoilt for choice, in New Zealand, when it comes to finding beautiful islands just a hop, skip and a jump (or swim) from our back door. In this edition, we travel down to the bottom of the North Island, beginning with the stunningly beautiful Kapiti Island, and on to the South Island, which has its own unique set of rugged and majestic island getaways. Kapiti Island …

Planning on renovating your home, bach or office? Smith and Sons is the place to go for advice. We ask their renovation experts how to get the best result, first time. We chat with Smith and Sons Pukekohe franchise-holders Lane and Melissa and their experienced and friendly team of local contractors, to find out how to renovate your home or office in preparation for generations…

We love to have fun in the sun, but it’s often human nature to visit the same tried and true holiday destinations every year. At elocal, we decided to come up with some great island hopping adventures that will give the family and friends a break, at the fraction of the cost of an island getaway overseas. GREAT BARRIER ISLAND Whether you choose to take a flight from Auckland, a…

It might be a small country but New Zealand has had its fair share of murder mysteries, some of which have remained unsolved for decades. In this edition of elocal, we look back at three of those head-scratching cases that have confused the nation and remain unexplained - in some cases over four decades later. Each of the disappearances include teenage women and while there is a…

As a first-world country, we are expected to have healthy children, living in happy homes and being offered great health services and as a whole, our children do tend to be offered a great range of services, in comparison to other western countries, however based on statistics, it is evident there are some things that we could improve upon. According to UNICEF data, from a 2016…

For all things, Jolly, Joyful and generally Christmassy, Papakura is your one stop Christmas stop this year. Having always had always had a strong community spirit, varied retail base with numerous eatery options, your local town centre has pulled out all the stops to make this festive season the best ever! During the Christmas season, the Papakura Business Association will be…

We love to have fun in the sun, but it’s often human nature to visit the same tried and true holiday destinations every year. At elocal, we decided to come up with some great island hopping adventures that will give the family and friends a break, at the fraction of the cost of an island getaway overseas. Lucy Mullinger checks out some of the best islands to travel to around the…

New Zealand might seem like a far-flung place isolated from the rest of the world, but we still have our fair share of weird and wonderful mysteries that remain unsolved. In fact, according to a report from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), obtained under the official information act, by Newshub in August this year, there had been 30 reports of UFOs seen in the New Zealand…

It’s probably not surprising, considering we live in one of the most isolated countries in the world, that us Kiwis love to fly the coop and travel around the world to far flung destinations and there’s nothing we love more than visiting warm climates for the summer, where we can lay on the beach, get a tan and check out the stunning views. While places like Rarotonga, Hawaii and…

The annual Waiuku Blast to the Past family entertainment event is being held in November and it is set to be better than the rest, with a spectacular, professional fireworks display, family entertainment and a variety of craft and food markets for the family to enjoy. Lucy Mullinger looks back at what has been achieved in the region and what makes Waiuku special enough to have a…

A look at some of the weird and sometimes very sad unsolved crimes and mysteries of New Zealand. A relatively new country by most standards, New Zealand is most likely not at the top of the list when it comes to unsolved crimes and mysteries, but there have been some spine-tingling events that have taken place on our quiet isles throughout the years, some of which have been…