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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 Government urging it to change the law so that citizens would no longer have the right to have a say on this issue. I decided to give the whole “Maori issue” a rest for the balance of the year. But a…

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 skies, including a "discshaped silver UFO with erratic vertical and…

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 in government policies, higher costs, softer demand and weaker profits. · Nurses, teachers, support staff all have flexed their muscles with strikes to take advantage of a Labour Government…

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. Monopoly and duopoly markets operating with little effective control over pricing models. A billion dollars, annually, for the regions without any identified spending plan. 100,000 new homes…

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 Started by the Rotary Club of Drury in 2001 this has become a regular event in the week leading up to Xmas . Three big trucks each with a crew of three set out just after 8.00 am from the car…

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 their version of New Zealand history, there are just as many alternative historians asking challenging questions, not to mention the hundreds of Maori elders whose ancient lore has never been taken…

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 also provided two sites for American servicemen during World War 2. Its name literally translates to “the place where the large slip occurred” that refers to a major land slip that occurred on…

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 country and this month, she looks at the islands around the City…

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 conflict was regarded for ever. Living at the bottom of the world, the horror of war is something most New Zealanders are fortunate enough never to have experienced. In the past we've fought…

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 nitromethane fuel being used to generate the most incredible drag racing experience for fans and racers alike. Due to the volatile nature of this form of drag racing, the Top Fuel class is also the…