All articles in ‘Community’

For the third successive year the annual North Island Donkey & Mule Society Show was held at the Counties Dog Training club grounds at Kidd Elliot Park in Te Hi Hi. This year the show also incorporated the National Miniature Donkey Show. Fortunately the …

Pukekohe Christian School, located at 82 Yates Road, Pukekohe, is a small and welcoming private school. The school offers a supportive environment for Year 1 through to Year 13 students and provides the Cambridge curriculum from a Christian worldview. Th…

Adam Mainey has always enjoyed keeping fit. From his younger years playing sport, to his previous jobs as a Bricklayer and running his own Masonry business, he was always challenged, or so he thought, until the day he changed careers and tried Crossfit f…

It’s that time of year again when, for all things, Jolly, Joyful and generally Christmassy, Papakura is your one stop Christmas stop! Having always had always had a strong community spirit, a varied retail base with 36 new shops opened this year alone, a…

Cosplay. To some people it’s a foreign word and they have no clue what it is. To others, they might have heard of it, but know little else, and Cosplayers themselves? Well, to them it can be a pretty big deal. Cosplay is short for costume play, an anglic…

If you are looking for something to do as the weather gets warmer that gets you and the family out and about then you can’t go past the new Five Summits Walk and Bike Trail and accompanying map that has recently been developed in Pukekohe. A gift to the …

The Christmas season is a time to celebrate being with family and friends. It can however sometimes isolate members of our community, especially our senior members, who are without a strong network around them or who’s usual network of friends return to …

It’s hard to imagine that behind the wide smile, bright eyes and amazing mop of dark brown curls sitting across from me, is a young man who in recent years has struggled with his own mental health. For Caleb Ihaia though it is a reality. Despite chatting…

For anyone who has dabbled in the vintage or pinup community and culture there is one event that is set into their calendars each year and that is the Very Vintage Day Out. This year, the home of the Jack Daniel’s Miss Pinup New Zealand pageant. The a…

From serving their communities to preventing crime while developing leadership skills, being part of the Police force can be one of the most rewarding careers a person can have, and now, thanks to a growing course initiative between Police, schools and t…

Years of erosion have taken their toll on Sunset Beach, Port Waikato and the problem is now more serious than ever. Over half the car park has been lost, the community hall has been condemned, and is due for demoltion, homeowners have been forced to leav…

The feedback we had on last month’s Franklin Photo News story was amazing. What an incredible feat to scan all the pages of a magazine that 40 years ago was the social media of the day. The stories that have flown in about the people and events that are …

For the ninth year running ex pat Yorkshire people have gathered at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan club during July for a series of traditional Yorkshire Day events. The event, which attracted 120 people this year, was attended by Bill Cashmore the Deputy May…

In early October, this year at the Trusts Arena in Auckland, the National Gymnastics Championships will once again bring talented children from all over New Zealand to participate and compete over 5 days. It really is the BIG event in the gymnastics cale…

In today’s world, memories and events are recorded and shared with others in an instant, immortalised in a digital form of forever on any number of social media platforms During the late 1960’s to early 1970’s the people of Franklin had a different type …

Initiated by Drury Rotary in 1987, this award has been presented every year, with the exception of a couple to an outstanding local candidate. As the name implies it was started with the aim of promoting young people in vocational training and the recipi…

Would you be happy to pay $6 or $7 for a head of lettuce or broccoli in your weekly shop? It may sound extreme, but unless you grow your own, it could be the only choice in future as a result of Auckland’s rising population and housing demands. Pukekohe …

Papakura High School Principal, John Rohs never imagined his school would one day be the proud owners of a unique Pacifica structure that now proudly sits in the forefront of the school’s grounds. Known as a Fale, John says the semi open air structure is…

A new wave of transformation has hit a Papakura suburb thanks to a new scheme that is providing more cost effecting housing alternatives to those looking to get their foot in the housing market. As the first of its kind in the area, the project is a co-o…

“We’re so excited to be holding our second Street Fest, where we will once again be showcasing all the things that make Papakura great” says Tracy Shackleton, Papakura Town Centre Manager. “It will be a whanau friendly event where we celebrate our town, …