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Papakura Street Fest returned on Saturday, May 6 with around 5000 visitors making the most of more than 40 stalls. This year was the fourth Steet Fest, and Papakura Town Centre manager Tracy Shackleton says it built on the success of previous events, extending into Broadway. The whanau-friendly festival ran from 10am to 2pm and showcased the area’s great food, featured…

A friend mentioned to me that other day that if everyone lived by the basics of the Ten Commandments, then we would live in paradise and it got me thinking… Would it really? The 10 Commandments are one of the cornerstones in Christianity having been given to Moses by God to share with all the Israelites after they left captivity in Egypt. Carved in stone, they were confined to…

You are invited to our fourth StreetFEST Event on Saturday May 6th from 10am -2pm on Great South Road. This year it is being extended around into Broadway. “We’re so excited to be holding our 4th StreetFEST, where we will once again be showcasing all the things that make Papakura great.” says Tracy Shackleton, Papakura Town Centre Manager. “It will be a whanau friendly event…

By Loz Blain The winners have been announced in the third annual World Nature Photography Awards. A haunting glance from a mud-crusted crocodile lying in wait takes the top honors, but there's a visual feast to enjoy from the other winners and runners-up. Based in London, this completely independent contest aims to encourage people all over the world to take in different…

Local MP Andrew Bayly and his youngest son George recently spent time living with the Dukha people of Mongolia. In this, the second of two articles, George recalls their experience of living and travelling with the Dukha family around their grazing lands. We finally arrived in the Khövsgöl region where our Dukha family were located after five days of travelling overland in 4WD…

The wreck of one of the most famous exploration ships in history has been located. Using a robotic submersible, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust has found Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, which was crushed in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915. In the wake of Roald Amundsen's 1911 expedition that became the first to successfully reach the South Pole, Sir Ernest Shackleton…

Unfortunately, welfare spending is addictive. And addictive in two ways. First, once government has committed to a particular level of benefit, it is exceedingly difficult to reduce that level. And second, the benefit itself changes behaviour: many people who might otherwise have tried harder to find employment choose to go on, or stay on, a benefit, something strongly…

It was early March when the sixth annual model a day was held in Oratia in West Auckland. Hosted by Chris Hornblow and Shane Adlington this great day is a casual afternoon to celebrate all things Model A. Just on 50 Model A cars were in attendance including one Model T powered by Model A. The furtherest travelled was Kev Topham from Masterton with his Model A coupe which he…

Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. Her reporting not only…

This year has had a shaky start with the floods in Auckland then Cyclone Gabrielle. The impact of which has not been truly felt although it is safe to say listings and sales are down in affected areas. The latest monetary policy committee meeting - one projection of note that did change was the Reserve Bank house price forecast – the peak to tough fall is now expected to be -23%…

I recently had the opportunity to question Chris Luxton and included a question about trust and what he intended to do about increasing the dismal survey results from a December 22 poll that showed only 39.6% of the poll respondents trusted the government. His response will be published next month, but in the meantime, just how important is trust in our Government and its…

It ’s more than skin deep. It’s all about you at Cutting Edge Plastic Surgery. Operating from a new building in Roulston Street for just over a year now, Adam Greenbaum and his dedicated team continue to grow this thriving surgical aservice with its focus firmly on personalised care. “I treat you the way I would wish my family or myself to be treated by a surgeon.” says Adam.…

A tree protection group is calling on Tūpuna Maunga Authority to shelve permanently its plans to rid Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s maunga (volcanic cones) of around 2500 exotic trees, saying it would be irresponsible to proceed in the light of severe slip damage recently suffered on several maunga. Ōwairaka Mt Albert, Maungakiekie One Tree Hill and Ōhinerau Mt Hobson all suffered…

Counties Medical are happy to announce the opening of our newly built medical Centre at Waiata Shores, Takanini. 2 Te Napi drive, Waiata Shores, Takanini. This clinic replaces the previous Takanini clinic on Great South Road. The clinic gives local families the option of two Centres to attend, one in Papakura and Takanini again. We will be known as Counties Medical Takanini…

PART ONE Over the last couple of decades, the world has watched the Middle East as country after country has tried to establish a democratic regime and country after country has failed. The United States and its allies toppled Saddam Hussein and announced that they wanted to see a democratic regime take root in Iraq. The western powers helped to topple Colonel Gaddafi in Libya,…

Back on the first weekend of February, a grand opportunity arose for me to display my Model A pickup at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona California, USA. This show is the ‘Grand Daddy’ of them all and attracts over 600 vehicles displayed indoors and over 1100 vehicles show up each day to be displayed outside. It has been a bucket list thing to attend all these great USA…

Ada Lovelace (1815–52) is now regarded as one of the most important figures in the early history of the computer despite being relatively uncelebrated during her life. Born in the early 19th century, she had a fascination with science and mathematics that defied the expectations of her class and gender at the time. She was introduced at the age of 17 to inventor Charles Babbage,…

WELCOME: New businesses setting up shop in Papakura recently include: Vets at 77 and Uniform Hub (both on Great South Rd), Papakura Op’ Shop (inside the Papakura Anglican Church) and BFT(Body Fit Training) on Railway Street. MOVIES IN THE PARK: On Saturday, February 25 (from 6.30pm) DC League of Super – Pets will be showing on the big screen in Central Park. So, grab a picnic…

Auckland saw its median price decrease annually by 21.7% to $940,000 in January 2023. This is the first time since January 2021 that Auckland has had a median price under $1,000,000. The flooding events which occurred at the end of January impacted auctions and open homes. At this point it’s hard to gauge whether people will want to enter the market or whether they will become…

I’m writing this in the aftermath of the terrible weather event that saw numerous festivals and concerts cancelled, (Elton John again!), homes flooded, landslips, roads made impassible, slips, crops devasted, our city’s airport terminals swimming in water and tragically four lives lost across Auckland. I’ve seen readings of over 200 mms of rain that all fell in one day and it…