December 2020

The North Island in the centuries prior to pastoral farming and introduced pests were cloaked in a fringe of red from coast to coast as the New Zealand Pohutukawa tree was in full bloom during the months of November to January, from the latitude of 38º south (New Plymouth/Gisbourne) upwards towards Cape Reinga in the north. The species formal botanical name is Metrosideros excelsa, the Metrosideros is from the ancient Greek word ‘metra’ meaning…

Choosing a gift this Christmas for a loved one is even more important after such a turbulent year and choosing the perfect gift that really means something is easy if you do it with a gift from Wrights Jewellers. The inviting brightly lit showroom on King St in Pukekohe is the perfect place to find gifting inspiration from exquisite Diamonds to awe-inspiring jewellery designs, fun fashion styles and more, there’s something special for someone…

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…

When locals Karen and Stuart approached Smith and Sons with what they thought was a radical idea to completely transform their Orere Pt home, they were overwhelmed with the approach and ease that the team at Smith and Sons embraced their ideas and presented them with a plan that was going to work. The multi award winning team at Smith and Sons Pukekohe headed by Lane and Melissa van den Brink operate a proven three step process that ensures…

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…

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 24 new shops opened this year alone, and with numerous eatery options, your local town centre has pulled out all the stops to make this festive season the best ever! If you look around town, you will see the wonderful flags and…

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…

Christmas Parades or Santa Parades as they’re more commonly referred to are parades held worldwide to celebrate the official opening of Christmas season with the arrival of Santa Claus. Typically, these parades include themed floats, dancing, marching groups and bands with accompanying Christmas songs. As moving floats there is usually a starting point as the parade moves through its designated route, typically near its city centre or town.…

Published by Penguin Books (NZ). Paperback, 304 pages. When journalist Martin van Beynen started writing Black Hands, a book about the fatal Bain family shootings in 1994, he wondered if he could finally nail who did it. The veteran reporter, who covered David Bain’s second trial in 2009 and started his journalism career in Dunedin in 1989, said starting on the book was delayed by the Christchurch earthquakes and a bout with cancer. “I…

Published by Viking. Hardback, 768 pages. “Looking back, I sometimes ponder the age-old question of how much difference the particular characteristics of individual leaders make in the sweep of history—whether those of us who rise to power are mere conduits for the deep, relentless currents of the times or whether we’re at least partly the authors of what’s to come… “The truth is, I’ve never been a big believer in destiny. I worry that it…

In the middle of November, the Real Institute reported that the median house price across New Zealand had risen by 19.8 percent over the year to the end of October. Across the country as a whole, the median price had risen to an astonishing $725,000, while in the Auckland region the median price had reached $1 million. In Auckland city the median reached $1.2 million, on the North Shore $1.15 million, and in Manukau $1 million. These are…

Sitting high on a hill in the Awhitu Peninsula overlooking its dramatic backdrop of farmland, Lake Pokorua and the Tasman sea sits an iconic building dubbed by some as New Zealand’s most photogenic church. Kohekohe Church was designed in 1886 by Scottish emigrant, Captain Sir John Makgill, the founder of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Waiuku in the 19th century, and a successful mathematician and engineer with many years of experience…

We would like to say a massive thank you to all of our Clients for trusting us over the past year – what a ride it has been and we are grateful to have been part of your journeys. Whilst we certainly haven't stopped yet, we're looking forward to time with family over the holidays, and will be back raring to go for 2021, ready to meet more great people! New Listings 152e Aka Aka Road, Puni 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 car garaging (view…

I have been giving a great deal of thought and consideration to our present “Super City” Auckland Council, based on my own experience as a City Councillor of the former Auckland City Council and as a Member of the old Auckland Regional Authority. Just where is Auckland at present, what financial constraints and guidelines have been responsibly implemented, particularly as November 1st this year was the 10th anniversary of the establishment of…

I love Christmas. As a child it was always a happy and fun time. Having grown up on a Northland farm, Christmas was usually a few days break from the hot hard work of either haymaking, or shearing. While there was not the emphasis on the Christian message of God taking the form of a baby, there was a celebration of being a happy family. Life had its stresses. This was usually around high expectations of our schooling, and the time that had to…

The end of the year is snowballing and with it comes a culmination of many a dream build for locals who have chosen Navigation Homes to build this year. Founded in the Franklin region in 2007 by Aaron and Michelle Hall and today with 11 branches nationwide local Franchise owners, Ryan Keegan and Nathan Hall share a love of the area, with a great understanding of what goes into the build process. So if a new build is on the agenda for you in…

Dear Constituents of the Papakura Electorate, I would like to thank everyone who supported me and the National Party in the Papakura Electorate during the last Election. I am thrilled to be re-elected in Papakura and it will be a privilege to be your Member of Parliament for another three years. Nationally, the election result is disappointing but the National team will be back in force in 2023. In the meantime we will be holding the…

South Auckland Woodturners Guild will have more than 2000 hand-crafted items of woodturning exhibited at 245 Great South Road, Papakura, from 30 November to 24 December 2020. This shop is opposite the Countdown car park and just three doors south of Averill Street. Normal shopping hours apply. The range of goods from 20 club members is expected to be high everything from bowls, vases, boxes, spinning tops, platters, chopping boards, clocks,…

MP Andrew Bayly says his promotion to his new role as National’s Shadow Treasurer won’t impact on his constituent work. The Port Waikato MP says he won’t be forgetting his constituents despite his rapid rise up the party ranks to Number 3. The third-term MP has been also been appointed as Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Statistics in Judith Collins’ Shadow Cabinet. Collins has shared the responsibility of the finance portfolio between…

Sales volumes in September were nothing but exceptional and this continued into October. The estimated total for September sales of 9,666 was the single strongest month for more than four years, and it ranks sixth in the list of most active months dating back to May 2007. Given that year to date volumes are essentially at parity with the same stage in 2019, there is probably still some ‘catch up’ growth taking place after the lull of April/May.…

A lot of people who were made redundant, perhaps because of COVID, are starting or preparing to start up their own business and have decided life needs to be lived how they want it, rather than at someone else’s command. If that sounds like you, now is the time to contact an accountant to make sure you get your “ducks in a row”. Don’t wait until after 31 March and then find that your business set up could have been better. We are just moving…

A few days ago, I was standing in line at the supermarket check-out with my small(ish) trolley, proudly laden with “clean” wholesome foods when not entirely unexpectedly, a fellow shopper appeared behind me. Now I’m not a particularly approachable supermarket shopper, but this lady had seen the various company fitness logos on my T-shirt and forced me to break my insular habit and started the very thing I had successfully spend years avoiding…

Amnesty International has been called in to rule against a case involving the New Zealand government using manufactured corrupt documents to acquire freehold title land from an innocent white New Zealand farmer. This is the final part in a series on Allan Titford, claiming the farmer has been an innocent political prisoner since he opposed the Crown acquiring his freehold titled land to help settle Te Roroa’s ‘alleged’ Treaty of Waitangi claim.