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There’s never been a better time to be old in New Zealand. Baby boomers, the generation born after WWII, are enjoying longer and better twilight years than ever before. And they are enjoying those years thanks to better health, better living conditions and greater wealth than their predecessors. Courtesy of government-provided, universally available superannuation, today’s…

Situated on the picturesque Otago Peninsula perched atop a rising ridge stands the imposing and lasting monument to one man’s insistent desire to announce to the world that he had arrived, that he was someone and that he had ‘done good’. William Larnach had grown up on the rural estate of Rosemount, in the Patrick Plains of the Hunter Valley near Singleton in New South Wales,…

It took six years to install the new skate park at Ray Small Park, much of that time used to stabilise the land, once part of the old Papakura dump. But Papakura Local Board chair Brent Catchpole says since it opened last year the doubters have been proved wrong, with the facility well-used and incident free. It took six years to install the new skate park at Ray Small Park,…

Making those big financial decisions can be easier than you thought with Counties Home Loans and Insurance. Making those big financial decisions can be easier than you thought. Okay, hands up who loves supermarket shopping! Hmmm....thought not. So much choice, so many products, what's on special and what's not, what's the best deal, can I afford it and do I really need it…

Planning on renovating your home, bach or office? Smith and Sons is the place to go for advice. We ask their renovation experts how to get the best result, first time. We chat with Smith and Sons Pukekohe franchise-holders Lane and Melissa and their experienced and friendly team of local contractors, to find out how to renovate your home or office in preparation for generations…

elocal caught up with Minister of Parliament (MP), and Local Papakura MP Judith Collins to discuss the changes in policies from the perspective of the opposition party and how it is shaping New Zealand. For Judith Collins, it wasn’t a surprise to see NZ First working alongside Labour, in fact she says that while a percentage of National supporters discussed the idea of voting for…

We love to have fun in the sun, but it’s often human nature to visit the same tried and true holiday destinations every year. At elocal, we decided to come up with some great island hopping adventures that will give the family and friends a break, at the fraction of the cost of an island getaway overseas. GREAT BARRIER ISLAND Whether you choose to take a flight from Auckland, a…

It might be a small country but New Zealand has had its fair share of murder mysteries, some of which have remained unsolved for decades. In this edition of elocal, we look back at three of those head-scratching cases that have confused the nation and remain unexplained - in some cases over four decades later. Each of the disappearances include teenage women and while there is a…

Friday, April 13th didn't seem a particularly inauspicious date to Irene and Marinus van Wijk, but it turned out to carry all the traditional bad luck for their Jack Russell terrier, Roxy. “We were up north, leaving neighbours to keep an eye on our property and feed the animals,” says Irene. “But on the Saturday morning the neighbours rang us, very concerned that they hadn't…

Every now and then, there’s a surge of concern, sometimes even anger, at the banks. They make too much money. Their profits go overseas. They no longer provide services in country towns. Their culture needs watching carefully by the regulators, lest they exploit their customers. They should be subject to more controls. I’m a bit hesitant to discuss these issues because I can…

If last year’s Rebel Round Up event was anything to go by, this year’s one will be equally successful. The hot rod and custom car themed event tips its hat to the whole culture around it celebrating days gone by with live bands, retro fashion and of course the old style hot rods and customs themselves. New Zealand’s ultimate hot rod, vintage, rockabilly festival will be held on…

Philip Simpson is an acclaimed botanist, who lives with his wine scientist wife Wendy Parr on a rugged limestone hillside overlooking Golden Bay. The couple’s home is at the end of a gravel road, close to where Philip was born at the north end of Abel Tasman National Park – the subject of his latest book Down the Bay. Philip’s parents had a nursery and farm, and he grew up…

As a first-world country, we are expected to have healthy children, living in happy homes and being offered great health services and as a whole, our children do tend to be offered a great range of services, in comparison to other western countries, however based on statistics, it is evident there are some things that we could improve upon. According to UNICEF data, from a 2016…

A few months ago elocal brought you the little-known story of Port Waikato's 1891 earthquake. Now a local woman has done a bit of moving and shaking of her own with her history of the sleepy seaside town. Actually it's the author herself, Glennis Paton, who's been shaken up the most. The success of her newly published book, The Way We Were - Port Waikato, has taken her completely…

It might be a new year but you can still expect to get the same quality service from the team at Conveyancing Shop Lawyers for all your legal needs. The award-winning Conveyancing Shop specialises in property transactions and focuses on helping everyone from first home buyers to seasoned property developers. Situated in the heart of Pukekohe, the old ASB bank building on the…

Du Plessis Heard Column Anti-Money Laundering If it were possible to troll sales data and then mathematically predict the sale price of your home / intended future home or that of any other home in town the profession of Registered Valuer would cease to exist. Masses of sales data will allow a trend line to be established but right now where the trend line for Pukekohe is that…

Neighbourhood support group rallies together to create a safer community with help from the Papakura Local Board and Neighbourhood Support. Papakura Local Board chair Brent Catchpole says its residents are a great example of people coming together to solve their own problems, courtesy of the Orion Street Neighbourhood Support Group. Known as one of the town’s troubled areas,…

WELCOME TO 2019 The Business Association hopes you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and an enjoyable and safe break. Papakura is looking great with new planters in the Main Street, Bikes, Baskets and Flowers along the main street and our murals located around the town. Our murals have been done by young and talented local artists from Papakura and associated with our…

From the paint or wallpaper on the walls, through to the curtains, blinds and flooring, Guthrie Bowron Pukekohe is your one-stop shop for renovation, with top-of-the line, modern products that will make your living space attractive and inviting. Thanks to the popularity of the locally owned business, which has been run by Pukekohe local, Robin Beveridge for 13 years, Guthrie…

Breaking up is hard to do, but not when it leads to a new use for old bricks. “I got into this game by accident, wanting a few bricks for a path” is how Winston Jacob describes his introduction to the demolition business. Forty-seven years on Jacob Demolition and Building Supplies is Auckland’s biggest repository for pre-loved building materials, with premises in New Lynn and…