New Zealand moves to a new Covid-19 Protection Framework, also known as the traffic light system, on December 3. The new approach to tacking the pandemic will introduce more freedoms for vaccinated New Zealanders. The Bay of Plenty region will be...

  Just when you thought the village arts community at the bottom of 17th Avenue couldn’t get any more creative, they decide to once again expand artistic boundaries.   The little cottage at the end of the main street at Tauranga Historic...

  Presented with the unique opportunity to help sponsor a documentary about the Rena disaster, Holland Beckett Law have been quick to come aboard.   “This is a story that needs to be told to demonstrate the passion across our community...

  Rising above Pāpāmoa are ancient stories of the past, hidden away and waiting to be told.   For local iwi, these stories are already known and treasured, as it’s the history of their ancestors that go back hundreds of years. Very...

  A forest of community Christmas trees will light up Tauranga Historic Village this December.   Twenty-four huge distinctive trees decorated by local community groups will be on display at the village from December 3 until early January....

  The Bay of Plenty coastline will host its first Flavours of Plenty Festival in April next year, showcasing the cuisine and creativity associated with the region’s plentiful produce. The four-day festival is expected to attract 10,000 people,...

  With a spring in her step, popular and prolific abstract painter Doreen McNeill has launched her latest solo exhibition titled Expressions, at The Incubator Creative Hub.   She has also launched her much-awaited second book. “I...

  A 12-year-old boy who is severely allergic to a raft of everyday items has been left frustrated after being told he can no longer get the testing he needs.   Aidan Swinburne was due to have extensive allergy testing that requires a day...

  A Tauranga man suffering from an aggressive form of cancer is calling on the government to scrap GST payments for those self-funding their own treatments.   Murray Denyer’s life took a sinister turn in 2017 when a 9cm tumour was...

  Christmas Vax in the Park will provide the ultimate early present, with those receiving their first and second vaccinations entered into a draw to win a car.   “A car is the present every young person wants,” says Blue Light...

  People with a disability, and those that care for them or work in the sector, are being given the chance to shape the future of disability services.   The Bay of Plenty and Lakes District Health Boards want to know what they need to change...

  In a corner of Oropi School, large garden beds filled with silverbeet, beans and seedlings are tended by students.   In the converted container kitchen, other children are cooking up scones with fresh lemon curd. These activities are...

  Lifeguards in the Bay of Plenty say they aren’t fazed by having to be vaccinated before patrolling our beaches this summer.   Surf Life Saving New Zealand announced the mandated Covid-19 double-vaccine requirements late last week,...

Three months ago, 50-year-old Rozanne de Wild was a highly functioning business woman, running the office admin, marketing and accounts part-time for her friend’s business, while also organising a major annual event.   But after receiving...

  Tauranga Crossing’s Local Legends campaign recently announced its latest grant recipient, who walked away with $5000 to put towards their community initiative.   Community Support and Crafting BOP works alongside local charities...

  As a Youth MP, Ben Cosford will not only get to spend time in parliament representing Tauranga, he will take part in community events - something he’s really excited about.   “It will be awesome to get out in the community...

  A new Tauranga event is set to give participants the chance to experience the city at night while raising funds to support local people living with cancer.   Cancer Society event coordinator Shay Rout says she’s excited to bring...

  It will be a Christmas filled with kindness and joy for many of Tauranga’s homeless this year, when ‘Santa Carrus’ - in the form of Te Tuinga Whānau staff - personally deliver boxes of goodies.   Currently living in...

  Tauranga MP Simon Bridges says he is committed to ensuring the city gets a beefed up specialist gang unit, more police resources and greater mental health capacity following the release of the Police 2020/21 Annual Report.   “Our...

  Tauranga City AFC Women enjoyed an unbeaten WaiBOP W-League title-winning campaign last season, scoring 73 goals in 17 games.   Now they’ve been rewarded for their hard work on-and-off the pitch with promotion to an expanded NRFL...

  New Zealand – an island nation rich in beautiful beaches, crystal clear lakes, rivers, streams and estuaries.   But it’s also a country where 74 preventable drowning fatalities occurred in 2020. The Water Skills for Life...

  Tauranga MP Simon Bridges is unequivocal in his belief that housing should not be an option for the Tauranga Racecourse Reserve.   The National Party politician says there is “no way” he supports the idea, and wants the option...

The launch of Film Bay of Plenty’s showreel is exciting producers and directors intent on finding new film-friendly locations. The two-minute sizzle reel, which launches this month, features stunning mountains, forests, beaches, rivers and parks,...

    The Blackcaps have announced their international schedule for 2021/22, and will kick off the season on New Year’s Day in Mount Maunganui.   New Zealand men’s cricket team will be at the Bay Oval on two occasions this...

  Equestrian clubs would have to close and see hundreds of members displaced if Tauranga Racecourse Reserve land is turned into housing, according to their representative body.   Tauranga Equestrian Sports Association represents nine clubs...

  Frustration continues to mount for the region’s cycling community, with the final stage of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway still in limbo.   The final section is between the Wairoa River Bridge and Carmichael Road on State Highway...

More than 150 years after a block of land was confiscated from Ngāi Tamarāwaho and turned into a Crown-owned reserve, Tauranga City Council are driving a project to look at the land’s future use. Ngāi Tamarāwaho representative Buddy Mikaere...

  Local filmmakers planning a documentary about the response to the Rena disaster are asking the Bay of Plenty community to get behind a crowdfunding campaign to help make the film.   Titled The Rena, the reef, the residents, the documentary...

  Now is the time to get your cats desexed following the launch of SPCA’s Snip ‘n’ Chip campaign ahead of kitten season.   The initiative enables cat owners to get their cats desexed and microchipped for just $10 at nine...