It’s that chilly time of year where everyone’s dollar gets spread even thinner.   But this year, Batman is coming to the rescue thanks to Curate Church and Stoney Creek, who have teamed up to provide thousands of packs of...

  A collision of colour and shapes spill from the entrance of Tauranga Art Gallery and expand all the way across the floor and up the stairs.   The bold installation draws you inside, giving you a sense of being in a kaleidoscope. Even...

  Raglan artist Jean Carbon’s exhibition at The Art Lounge NZ is a soft flow of mandarin colour, with swathes of hanging silk floating gently in the air.   The exhibition, titled Reflection on Dawn, is being curated by Sonya Gilbert...

  Residents at Matua Radius Life Care were treated to some very special visitors recently.   Dumbledore and his girlfriend Tonks were welcomed by almost 60 residents when they arrived at the retirement village last week, and soon became...

  Permanent site holders at the Bledisloe Holiday Park in Little Waihi have been told to pack up their caravans and annexes and move on.   The news came as a shock to the 60-plus people that hold permanent sites, with some having holidayed...

    A sweet ride on a 2021 Harley Road Glide is what Adam Fenech is offering the winner of an online auction aimed at helping a Bay of Plenty cancer sufferer. Adam has thrown his support behind the Rodger family as their daughter, 18-year-old...

  Three young chefs have been battling it out during the school holidays to get their dish on the Norris and Bell menu this Saturday.   The Norris and Bell Junior Chef Competition called on kids from all over the Bay of Plenty, aged eight...

  Pizza and song is bringing Te Puke youngsters together in a way that only food and music can.   Te Puke’s Youth Choir has over 25 members, and they’ll be singing at a free monthly pizza night at Te Puke’s Daily Café...

  They are the women who have truly made a difference – be it in their community, in New Zealand or on the world stage.   Each year the Women of Influence Awards showcase the women who are driving change, making a difference, leading...

  Transpower have applied for leave to appeal a High Court decision regarding power lines which traverse over the Maungatapu Marae.   In May, the High Court overruled a previous Environment Court decision to grant consents to Transpower...

  The humble Kiwi toastie has had a makeover.   Instead of your typical ham and cheese, which is delicious in its own right, it is now sporting gourmet ingredients. The change up is in the name of finding New Zealand’s top toastie,...

  Colin Hewens and Des Gardiner have spent their fair share of years in the bush.   From building tramping huts during the Second World War, to trapping pests in their later years, the two Bay of Plenty locals have volunteered years of...

Farmers, growers, tradies and their dogs are set to converge on Katikati this weekend as part of a national “howl of protest”. Groups in more than 50 towns and cities across New Zealand, from Invercargill to Kaitaia, will take part in the...

New Zealand’s 211 Olympic athletes for the Tokyo games have been announced, with the Bay of Plenty well represented. Our region has the second-highest amount of Olympians attending after Auckland, plenty of whom are carrying medal ambitions. The...

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union has announced a memorandum of understanding with Tonga Rugby Union to exchange ideas, coaches and players. The partnership will allow Tongan rugby players to travel to the region and participate in a structured and organised...

  More learner drivers in the Western Bay of Plenty will get a helping hand thanks to the donation of a new car to the Blue Light driver programme.   The car, a Suzuki Swift donated by the Rapid Relief Team, will enable Blue Light to offer...

Man caves have multiple purposes. A place to be alone, to hide out or hang out with male friends while debating politics over a beer, and a place to indulge in hobbies like playing drums. During the Covid lockdown, Jeff Nilson’s man cave became...

A self-trained Bay of Plenty weightlifter won gold at the recent 2021 North Island championships. Former Tauranga Boys’ College student Xavier Albert, 23, took home first place with a personal best lift of 165kg at the event, and will head to...

  When Frances Devon found a lump in her breast, it was the last thing she was expecting.   There is no history of breast cancer in her family. “It was a hell of a shock,” she says. Frances has had a single mastectomy but...

A Tauranga woman plans to honour the memory of her husband and support Waipuna Hospice with a 24-hour walk around Mauao. Phil McLean spent the final 24 days of his life cared for by Waipuna Hospice before losing his battle with cancer in February....

A programme that provides books to children, families and whānau living in the Bay of Plenty has sparked an increase in the number of books in homes. When the Storytime Foundation programme launched, ten per cent of families said they rarely, if ever,...

Books, books, books! The Harbour City Lions are on the hunt for books for their annual book fair, so clear out your cupboards, blow the cobwebs off your bookshelf and donate any books or puzzles that you no longer want to a good cause. Organiser Christine...

  A Welcome Bay couple with mobility issues are unable to get their new council issued rubbish bins up and down their steep driveway, but they’re still waiting for the assisted service they’ve been promised.   Mike and Elly...

  An explosion of colour has appeared in Greerton Village this week as yarn bombing returns to brighten up the winter days ahead.   Under the theme ‘Colour my World’, creativity abounds as knitters and crocheter’s break...

  Imagine changing careers and deciding to be a musician at 39 years old in New Zealand’s lockdown.   Then dropping your very first single and getting an email from New Zealand legend and Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill saying “Love...

  Argos Gymsport Tauranga has 23 athletes heading to the New Zealand Gymnastics Championships, and despite some of them being in direct competition with each other, teamwork is at the heart of what they do.   Centre manager Steph Kerr says:...

  Marcia Guest made it her aim to become more involved in her community following the death of the Kahui twins in June 2006.   Three-month old twins Chris and Cru Kahui died as a result of traumatic brain injuries, and like so many New...

  Student accommodation in Tauranga city centre is set to grow next year with the opening of a new $20 million purpose-built facility.   The four-storey complex on Selwyn Street, which will be made up of 90 fully-furnished studio rooms,...

  The Port of Tauranga is disputing claims from workers and the Maritime Union of New Zealand that safety is not a priority at the port.   The allegations come from straddle crane drivers and MUNZ national secretary Craig Harrison. Craig...