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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 is one of Auckland’s biggest growing hubs and ‘food bowl’ so called because it’s one of the only areas that grow produce all…

In the automotive world and in particularly in New Zealand, we have our fair share of artists. To be more precise, these artists can work sheetmetal into beautiful art forms as they restore, recreate or design their own automotive fantasy. Allow me to introduce Mike Roberts. A truly humble man, Mike just likes to do the best work he can but also with the most creative and…

Mastercraft Kitchens in Pukekohe offer a complete design service from their Manukau Road based Showroom and combined with their extensive cabinet making experience and ability to produce one off functional, stylish designs for kitchens, bathrooms, offices, laundries, living and entertainment spaces they can turn dreams into reality that suit individual requirements and budget. Wit…

Nestled on the sunlit slopes of the Bombay Hills, just out of central Pukekohe the well renowned fine dining Bracu restaurant forms part of the world class Simunovich Olive Estate built from the ground up in 1999. The family owned estate, founded by Ivan Simunovich was initially set up with sustainability in mind and now boasts 30,000 olive trees producing award winning olive oils.

If you are pregnant or a new parent or grandparent then you need to check out Parents Health Haven, a built for purpose, Physiotherapy, Pilates and wellbeing clinic that has recently opened up at 7b Parerata Road, Pukekohe. The brain child of qualified local Physiotherapist Melissa de Jongh and her husband Simon, Melissa set up the clinic specifically with busy families in mind…

Find us at 74 King St, Pukekohe. From animal prints, to vibrant colours and strong statement dressing this season has it all! As the temperature drops layering pieces and pops of colour are your best friends. Bring your wardrobe up to date with our extensive range of ‘ontrend’ accessories! Visit our gorgeous Pukekohe store soon to see all the beautiful new seasons’ styles –…

“We are one,” Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern repeatedly told New Zealanders after the horrific Christchurch massacre. But are we really? We all share a love for this wonderful country with its democratic rights and freedoms. However, with the separatist ideology now prevalent in most political parties, the bureaucracy and public services, we are certainly not being governed as one…

The New Zealand based contemporary jazz sensation GroovExpress returns to the music scene with the release of their single Just Before The Light. The track is a smooth jazz ballad from the number one Billboard album titled Amsterdaam, which I had the honor of reviewing back in October of 2018. Just Before The Light is a sophisticated but elegant composition that is sure to charm…

Of course, it's not quite that simple, but it's Claire McArthur from Personalised Mortgages 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 mortgage brokering company that assists you to obtain the finance to get yourself into your dream home. Claire can also…

Our ears' main function is to transmit and transduce sound to the brain through the parts of the ear and as we age like much about our bodies, changes occur, and this can result in hearing loss. Because this can happen over a period of time, it can have a significant effect on your quality of life if left untreated or treated poorly with an ill-fitting hearing aid. The team at…

Like many of you I suspect, I was distressed reading the account of the attempt by Oranga Tamariki, the fashionable name for the Ministry for Children, to remove a new-born baby from its 19-year-old mother in Hawke’s Bay a few weeks ago. Then I read that three Maori babies are taken into state custody every week around the country, and that in the particular Hawke’s Bay case, the…

With an unmatched selection of independent New Zealand wine and spirits, the Craft’d Wine + Spirits Festival is your chance to sample from hard-to-find bottles, rare vintages and award-winning flavours all together under one roof, for one day, as part of the Elemental AKL festival. Owner and organiser, Sue Duncan says her vision to “celebrate independents” is inspired by the…

In the early decades of the 18th century New Zealand was enjoying the profitable beginnings of international trade with its nearest neighbour, New South Wales. The establishment of a British penal colony in Sydney was Great Britain’s solution a group of inter-related problems. A rapidly increasing population, displaced by the social behemoth ‘Industrial Revolution’, the rise of…

Everybody loves a story. Telling stories is an age-old art form, and a good story well-told stays long in the memories of its listeners or readers. This June, Franklin Writers' Group is offering the chance to compose your own short story and finally let the ideas buzzing in your head the opportunity to get out. The Franklin Writers' Group's biennial short story competition is on…

The high winds over the last couple of weeks have been a stark reminder that winter is just around the corner. After one of the best summers and autumn periods we can remember, it is safe to say we are due some bad weather in the near future. With such a wet end to last year and a long hot period straight afterwards, the tree and hedge growth has been immense with a lot of our…

NEW BUSINESSES INTO PAPAKURA We welcome into Papakura Town Centre Global Mac in East Street, Crush Fit Gym located inside Counties Care, Triton Hearing on the Great South Road and Wholesale Meats Direct in East Street and KML Maintenance in East Street. All our businesses in the town centre are listed in www.papakura.co.nz under the Directory Tab PAPAKURA STREET FEST – ON…

When elocal editor Mykeljon Winckel needed legal advice in relation to selling his mother’s house, the team at Conveyancing Plus were there to help, even visiting his beloved mother to find out exactly what she needed and how they could help. “It’s the personal touch that makes us a cut above the rest,” says director and owner Bobbie-jo Butler. Fresh from winning the ‘Best in…

The second Sunday of May is when New Zealand traditionally celebrates Mother’s Day. Its modern-day origins come from an American celebration created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 that became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Interestingly, Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialisation and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. …

The New Zealand Parliament has led New Zealand in grieving following the terrible Christchurch terrorist attacks and we have joined together to change the law to ban the ownership of semi-automatic military style weapons and other enabling equipment and we have enacted an amnesty and a compensation scheme for weapons that are surrendered. But now we must get back to the business…

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 venue that can be used for Pasifika events, meetings, celebrations and concerts, but will also be open to anyone in the…