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For a family-friendly day out or a night to remember, you can’t go further than the Red Shed Palazzo, which is more than just an award winning café. Relax amongst the tranquil garden-setting during the day or check out the hugely popular dinner theatre events which take place regularly and include Faulty Towers, a hilarious night of entertainment, or enjoy the Hotel Ballé Ballé;…

Whatever reservations one might have regarding the wisdom of holding an election on the day of a full moon, Britain has just done just that, and the result has been a stunning but completely predictable victory for Boris Johnson and the Conservatives. I say completely predictable because many mainstream media polls failed to predict it; and much accompanying commentary in the…

Considered to be another important modern and feminist writer of the twentieth century who often wrote in the style known as ‘stream of consciousness’ as a narrative device, was the distinguished British writer and novelist, Virginia Woolf. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London, 1882 into an upper class family, the seventh child in a blended family of eight. The family resided…

The Classic Motorcycle Festival is set to be bigger than ever this February. Last year, 3,500 racers and spectators descended on the famous racetrack in Pukekohe in the first week of February. Over 300 racing machines from the 1940’s through to the 1990’s came to compete from all over New Zealand and the world. The Festival, which is in its 42nd year, is famed as being the…

A few years ago, when I wrote my autobiography, I included a chapter called “The challenge of making economic policy in a democracy”. In that chapter, I tried to debunk a lot of commonly held myths about economic policy. There are lots of them: “Government should control what private landlords charge for rental accommodation to protect low income people”. “Import controls and…

Each summer Clevedon’s population grows with the influx of international professional polo players and their grooms who call the village home for the polo season. Clevedon is renowned as the capital of New Zealand polo with numerous polo fields in the vicinity and home to some of the world’s best polo ponies. February for Clevedon is the busiest month as the Auckland Polo Club…

New Zealand is in danger of losing many of its precious heritage buildings as councils and owners struggle to cope with earthquake (seismic) issues and New Building Standards (NBS). Earthquake strengthening is now a huge concern for planners, builders and owners – and, because it’s a public safety issue, rightly so. Unfortunately, the extent of its impact is only now being…

This magnificent historical novel delves into the relationship between Napoleon and his first wife Josephine, from her point of view. What emerges is quite different from the prevailing tempestuous love story we currently know. Rather than being merely the beautiful consort of the Emperor, Stephanie Parkyn has drawn us a picture of a woman with her own passions, including the…

Four books from the same publisher which are briefly outlined in the fore pages appear to take approaches commensurate with those found in Free Speech Under Attack though there is little overlap in authorship. In chapter one Jeremy Fisher describes the appalling punishments inflicted on people for speech that offended the authorities in Britain and New Zealand up to 1840, in the…

Our township was carved out of dense bush in the 1860’s when immigrants moved onto the land and created a community from scratch with just hand tools, their own labour and a desire to make a better life for themselves and their families. At first there were scattered houses - not tidy weatherboard cottages, but slab huts and ponga whares – it took a while before proper wooden…

It would seem that ‘progress’, as defined by Auckland Transport (AT), is actually ‘regression’. I always considered progress as advancement by moving forward. According to Auckland Transport, moving backwards into the past is really the way forward. A return to pre 1985 speed limits is how the ‘visionaries’ of our local regional transport network view our driving future. Never…

Speaking from the hot rodding background I know and love so well, I enjoy the history and the collectibles associated with it all. On that note and added to the fact I have written for various national and international publications – I really enjoy reading and collecting hot rod magazines. My collection is not museum excessive in size or age but I simply collect what I like.…

LIAM WHITER 2019 Captain Liam Whiter commits to Franklin United for 2020. Pukekohe local Liam Whiter, with 32 appearances in the red, black and white uniform, 20 in 2019, has signed on for another season. The former Pukekohe High School student has two years of Franklin United First Team experience under his belt and is excited for the upcoming season, already training through…

To those who know her, being recognised at this year’s 2019 Counties Manukau Sporting Excellence Awards as the volunteer of the year will come as no surprise, but for Suzanne Ihaia it represents the culmination of an entire team of people who work tirelessly behind the scenes at Pukekohe Affiliated Football Club. “Receiving the award was a really nice recognition for the work…

Welcome to 2020! We hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year and an enjoyable and safe break. WELCOME TO OUR NEW BUSINESSES IN PAPAKURA! All Done Up in Broadway Unique Fusion in O’Shannesssey Street Cozy Life Kitchens in Broadway Century 21 in Broadway Zarine Hair and Beauty in O’Shannessey Street INSTAGRAM - #LIVEPAPAKURA: We are now on Instagram … so check us out…

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, It’s all about understanding There are very good reasons to see the New Year’s fitness and wellness resolution through. I’m fairly confident that when Julius Caesar introduced the modern calendar in 45 BC it caused a stir among the Romans to find new ways to outdo each other with promises on how they would make their transition into the…

Walking inside the newly renovated showroom of Wrights Jewellers on King Street in Pukekohe and you are immediately transported into a Christmas wonderland. Brimming with radiant sparkling gemstones, polished silver and gold chains adorned with seasonal and special charms. Stunning rings creating majestic kaleidoscopes of colour and watches that offer a timely reminder that…

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 36 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! I…

Even though the pace of time is exactly the same every year, it certainly feels at times like it is speeding by far quicker than in previous years. I do wonder if this is because of the sheer amount we try to pack in to our daily lives and the way we rank our priorities or something to do with our perceptions as we age. As this year hurtles to a close, it seems to have been one…

Cosplay. To some people it’s a foreign word and they have no clue what it is. To others, they might have heard of it, but know little else, and Cosplayers themselves? Well, to them it can be a pretty big deal. Cosplay is short for costume play, an anglicised version of the Japanese word, “Kospure” and it is exactly that. Adults dressing up as, but not limited to, characters from…