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Hard to imagine the end of yet another year is upon us and what a year it has been. Media seem to depict a gloomy picture, with house prices set to drop, rates to rise and business confidence at a nine year low, as companies worry about lack of direction…

Money for nothing? Of course, it's not that simple, but it's Claire McArthur's job to hunt down the best possible loan offer for her clients – and generally, there's no charge. Claire is a mortgage advisor with Personalised Mortgages Ltd, a premier mortg…

In recent years, primarily at Meremere Dragway, New Zealand drag racing fans have been treated to some of the most extraordinary Top Fuel drag racing thanks to Marsh Motorsport and Mount Shop. Top Fuel is the highest ranked form of drag racing with nitro…

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 al…

A shortfall of 900 teachers today: 2,000 plus students without permanent teachers. By 2020 a shortage of 2,500 teachers. Costs driving teachers out of Auckland. Leaky homes! Housing shortages. House prices! The cost of energy: electricity and petroleum. …

Motown Veteran Michael B. Sutton Launches The Sound of L.A. Entertainment Company with New Distribution Deal with Orchard/Sony. R&B, Pop, Jazz, Gospel and Dance Genres Gloriously Represented with Dynamic New Artists Title: Motown Magic with Veteran Micha…

(November, 16th, 2018 - Los Angeles) Dance music fans in Europe and abroad are intimately familiar with singer-songwriter Aneessa from her international club hits “Jamais,” "Superwoman,” “Dance with Me,” “Sur Mes Terres,” “I Can’t Let You Go” and “It’s o…

For the eighteenth consecutive year the vegetable growers of Franklin will once again show their extreme generosity by donating produce to the annual Christmas appeal for the Salvation army.Which this year will occur on Wednesday the 19th of December

New Zealand was first settled in the 13th century, by Maori, right? Think again. The first people living in New Zealand weren’t masons or horticulturalists, right? Think again. For every library, government department, trust and iwi that tells you…

During 2018 there could have hardly been a soul who wasn’t aware that this year is the centenary of the end of World War I. Sadly, and inevitably, it turned out not to be the war to end all wars, but its horrific nature and consequences changed the way c…

From its early origins as farming land and as an undeveloped bush covered district where logs were once milled, the history of Opaheke and Ponga districts has undergone many changes throughout the years. Opaheke is part of the wider Papakura area and al…

### Saturday’s haka a poor symbol of multi-racial society In edition 211 there is an article on medical marijuana, in the ‘looking abroad’ section it talks about Sweden’s choice to have a zero-tolerance policy against drugs which as stated had a back…

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…

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 un…

Six months ago, I wrote a column about the five local referenda which defeated the attempt of five district councils to foist separate Maori wards on their districts. And about the open letter which Local Government New Zealand had written to the Govern…

Many of us dream of living in a tiny house. Small, compact buildings that offer an appealing way to live more sustainably, providing smart, energy-efficient housing at low cost – one solution to meeting the challenge of New Zealand’s housing shortage and…

Gold Bullion, Uranium, Loot… What really happened? Will we ever know? The ‘Monsun Gruppe’ Before continuing my attempt to reconstruct what I believe to be the fate of the crew of U-196 after they reached New Zealand, it might be useful to give readers…

by Shelley Hedges In the first article of Simplifying the 1080 Evidence I looked at technical aspects of the scientific research, the effects on aquatic fauna particularly freshwater trout and eels, and at the 1080 concerns raised in the 2007 ERMA repor…

She’s a bouncing black and white ball of fun, with the soul of an artist but aspirations to be the next Maradona. “Our five month old border collie puppy, Davinci, loves to play soccer any chance she can get her paws on a ball - inside or outside,” say …

elocal, is 100% locally owned, unlike other publications in the area. The whole team, including owner Mykeljon live locally and buy locally, we like to support local businesses, because you support us. Every month, the team at elocal work tirelessly to…