Articles by Sally Sumner

“Change is never painful, it is resistance to change.” — Buddha By the time you read this, it will already be the month of May, nearly halfway through the year of 2021 and if you are anything like me, the days just seem to be galloping past. The temperature has dropped, the nights have drawn in and everyone seems to be going about their business pretty much as per usual. · May is a special month, named after Maia, the Greek God of fertility…

Few New Zealanders are unmoved on April 25th, ANZAC day, by the haunting sound of the lone bugle playing the Last Post and what it represents. Steeped in history and tradition it is ingrained into every Kiwi’s heart and everyone of us can share a story of what it means to us and our families. · The custom dates from the 17th century or perhaps even earlier. It is believed to have originated with British Troops stationed in the Netherlands who…

Have you ever wanted to sand that table, build a sandpit for the kids, or cut the hedge in half the usual time but find yourself lacking the right tools or the money to buy them? Well, the clever folks at Waiuku Zero Waste have come up with the solution with the establishment of the Waiuku Tool Library. The idea is much the same as a book library but instead of a book, you can check out a jackhammer, a hedge trimmer, a few planes, a handsaw or…

Another community case has surfaced in our country and the panic has started. Many are rushing out to get tested, queues at testing stations are inevitable. Healthline is inundated with calls and rogue checkpoints in Northland have the potential to rise again. · Media outlets are full of COVID stories, relating to everything from the number of negative tests, the likelihood of a lockdown and dissatisfaction from returning Kiwis about (usually)…

With the global pandemic still raging around the world, the idea of working from home is becoming an ever-increasing reality for many Kiwis. They see the benefit in combining their home ownership dream with the benefits of a practical working from home scenario. But who has the best design and craftmanship to produce such a solution? Locals Lance and Jana Hutton, owners of Hutton Builders have the answer and are proud to showcase their recently…

What a year, it’s certainly been a ride! I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing the back of 2020. What started with a hiss and a roar and usual promise of positivity and things ‘better than’, has actually become for many more than usual, a year fraught with illness, financial pressure and uncertainly. In April, for the first time since elocal started, we were unable to physically distribute a magazine. · Whatever side of the belief…

Traditions at Christmas time have a long and varied history. Many are steeped in custom and religious significance and while some vary between families, their beliefs and even between countries, others are universally celebrated in a manner recognised by all. Many a house around the world is decorated for the season with a Christmas tree laden with lights, ornaments and atop with an angel or star. In the 16th century German Christians are…

Local foodie Suzanne Braks knows a thing or two about great food and great coffee. She has been providing locals and visitors to the area just that in both the Autobahn café in Bombay and Papakura for many years. This year has seen the restaurants evolve significantly as Suzanne and her team had to adapt to the interruptions of nationwide and regional lockdowns. As the Holiday season approaches, Suzanne anticipates that Kiwis will hit the road…

I’ve always raised a questioning eyebrow grumble to votes each election that are allocated to fringe parties. Wondering what motivates an individual to commit its party vote to a party that doesn’t have a chance of getting past the 5% party threshold needed to achieve representation under our Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system. · One could argue that there is always a chance that a party could achieve that threshold, but statistically and…

Auckland has just come out of another lockdown that has seen businesses closed, a return to bubbles and borders patrolled in a way that created a situation for some, more challenging than the level 4 lockdown. · And, yet the numbers of community transmission remain higher than they were when we returned to the new normal early in the year. · For the government, this is a huge risk to take, and it is obviously now a political move. Don’t get me…