Podcasts about Kaitaia

Right off the back of a drought, Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Whangarei all had their wettest April in recorded history.

Choir Games A documentary series about how music can change lives, as it follows two choirs from New York and Kaitaia as they take part in the World Choir Games in Aotearoa last year (Neon, from Sunday). The Four Seasons The decades-long friendship between three married couples is tested when one divorces, complicating their tradition of quarterly weekend getaways (Netflix). Carême The world's first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême rises to the height of culinary stardom in Napoleon's Europe; his talent attracts the attention of politicians who use him as a spy for France (Apple TV+). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Resident Builder with Pete Wolfkamp Full Show Podcast for 13th April 2025, Pete explains owner builder responsibilities, discusses what experts look for when granting certificates or passing final inspections, and lists resealing options for leaky roofs or windows. Alan Simpkin from Arcline Architecture in Kaitaia speaks about the JNL J Frame and its reliability for more challenging projects. Get The Resident Builder with Pete Wolfkamp Full Show Podcast every Sunday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Resident Builder with Pete Wolfkamp Full Show Podcast for 2nd Feb 2025, Pete discusses what triggers a building consent, choosing between repainting or reroofing, and keeping up on leaky tiles. Mark Haldane from Sweetwater Construction in Kaitaia speaks about their use of triboard and J-frame, and Jay Sharples from Resene answers your paint questions. Pete advises about cladding issues and various property maintenance questions. Get The Resident Builder with Pete Wolfkamp Full Show Podcast every Sunday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we close in on the summer break, many of us are rushing to tidy up loose ends - and for the Government this week, it resulted in a swag of media releases. On Friday afternoon they put out 18! Friday afternoons are a popular time to release average or bad news. The idea being that the media are beginning to clock off for the week and there is less ‘live' news over the weekend, so hopefully less advantageous information will slip through the cracks. Or by the time it catches someone's eye on Monday, more important things will have captured the media's attention. Clearly the pressure of Christmas has not yet hit me - I read all the releases. I was intrigued to see whether the Government was burying news, sharing important information, or just making a show of being busy - you know, ticking a box or KPI off the promise list. And it was a mix. There were celebratory ones. There were vague ones, and there were a number of boring ones. It seems politicians are wrapping up their to-do lists for the year. There were three releases announcing appointments, a collection of releases updating on work in fisheries sustainability, the Therapeutic Products Act, the safe, secure, responsible use of space, and the Holidays Act. In summary, messages reassuring us that they've ‘got this'. There was a hint of celebration. We killed a record number of goats in the annual wild goat hunting competition - 12,935 goats were killed in the name of conservation. Issues relating to the Kaitaia airport have been resolved and its future secured. New Zealand and Thailand have agreed to upgrade the relationship to a strategic partnership by 2026. The Three Strikes Bill passed its third reading, and ground was broken on a new child health centre at Whangarei Hospital. In summary, messages reassuring us that progress is being made. As you'd expect from a Government obsessed with targets, there were a few press releases about targets for mental health and child poverty. Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston's release stated the Government had set a target to lift 15,000 children out of persistent child poverty by 2035 – the first time a NZ Government had set this specific target. I have no issue with the target, but there was little further information on how this would be achieved, raising only what has been mentioned before. The best press release of Friday afternoon came from NZ Herald's Claire Trevett's choice for Politician of the Year - Transport Minister Simeon Brown. His media release was about changes for the tolling of roads, and in particular for the Roads of National Significance. What make his release such good reading was it actually had some detail - the toll rates, the roads affected, and information on how it impacts different vehicles. I shouldn't sound surprised, but after trying to imagine how the Government was going to reduce child poverty the presence of detail was startling. After a riotous afternoon of reading, it occurred to me that the flurry of media releases provides a pretty neat summary for the Government's year in politics. Lots of sound and fury, some ministers having more to show that others, some big wins, some small wins. But in politics, any win counts - particularly when there is no silver bullet. With one more week of Parliament, I expect another week filled with media releases as the Government looks to prove they are delivering and succeeding. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week Jesse calls an information center, out of the blue and at random.

The founder of Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate and the Whatever with Wiggy Charitable Trust salutes his new patron Barbara Kuriger, who along with Slade McFarland was supporting farmers and locals at the King Country Rams rugby home game at Te Kuiti last weekend. The Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate campaign will be hitting Kaitaia, Whangārei, Dargaville and Kerikeri on the 21st to 24th October.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar developer Rānui Generation started ground works the Twin Rivers Solar Farm, near Kaitaia. The 31MWp project could power 6,000 households or 25,000 electric vehicles for a year - and it's the first of four solar farms planned around the country. To talk about the project and what role solar will play in our energy future, Vincent was joined by the CEO Jason Foden.Media releaseRanuiGeneration Electrification report

Mistakes happen. We get that, we've all made them. Some are more serious than others. Some are fixable, some are not. But as old Mr. Martin said in the LV Martin and TV ads, it's the putting right that counts.   There was no doubt, almost from the time the Transpower pylon tower hit the ground, that somebody within that crew had made a fundamental error. We had callers in, the morning of the tower collapse, who pretty much delivered the same findings that the official investigators produced days later. The tower fell because the crew that was performing routine base plant maintenance work didn't follow standard practice and they removed all of the nuts from three of the tower four legs, and it fell over. That human error caused the incident that cut power to tens of thousands of people and cost an estimated $60 million to householders and businesses.   Northland's been hit pretty hard over the past few years with the Covid lockdowns, major closures and weather events, and then the pylon collapse. Some of the events have been acts of God, and you just have to accept that life is not always easy. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. You take a deep breath, and you carry on. But when a major company is responsible for a seismic interruption to business, when there was insufficient supervision of inexperienced workers who hadn't received any formal training for the work they were doing, who weren't certified for the tasks they completed unsupervised, that the inexperienced team member who removed the nuts from the foundation legs was not adequately supervised while performing the task... come on, this is not one of those things! This is not an oh well, we can't control the weather or well, it's a tricky little virus that needs to be controlled situation, this is a SNAFU. This is a FUBAR. And companies should take responsibility when they make fundamental errors or their contractors do.   Ultimately, Transpower is responsible for delivering the part of the region. They shouldn't be trying to weasel their way out of their obligations. Transpower acting CEO John Clarke said compensation for businesses won't be happening: “Given the challenges and practicalities for utilities, of all the things that can happen to interrupt supply, there's not any way that we can compensate them.” It is simply not good enough. This is under oh well you know, one of those things. It's not one of those things, it's a major stuff up.   North Chamber Chief Executive Darryn Fisher says Transpower needs to front up.   “In a place like Kaitaia, where 600 people are reliant on one big business staying alive, the direct result of what has happened here with Transpower puts those things in jeopardy. And I'm calling for the board and that management team to put their big boy pants on, get on an airplane, get up here, and front up to these local communities and explain why their negligence is putting their livelihoods at risk.”   “Transpower have got values on their website talking about how they're good social citizens, and how they're good community people, well what they're about to do through their negligence and avoiding all of this conversation is absolutely crush a workforce and small community towns like Kaitaia.”  And Northland MP Grant McCallum says transfer needs to open up their chequebook for Northland.   “People like myself, the leaders of Northland, sit down with Transpower and say, actually you owe the people of Northland. There's a lot of anger out there. You've heard it from the business community this morning. They're really frustrated. They feel that they have their owed something. And actually the wider community, which has been my pitch, is for the wider community to get a decent cheque from Transpower which we can use to benefit all of Northland, because everybody was affected, the power went out to the whole province.”  It's just not good enough. I mean, come back to what John Clarke said, the Acting Chief Executive: “Given the challenges and practicalities for utilities, of all the things that can happen to interrupt supply”. Well sure, weather events. I totally understand that Transpower can't control those. There are things that can happen that are beyond your control, this is not one of them. This is contracting out to a crew who weren't up to the task quite clearly. If it had happened to any one of these businesses that had been affected, if they'd made an error of that magnitude, that could be traced back to incompetence and inadequate supervision, you can bet your bippy that they would have to pay, that they would have to recompense their customers. This is a fundamental human error, it is not one of those things, and it is high time in this country that when we made mistakes, we owned to them, and we did our best to mitigate them.   I'm sick and tired of people washing their hands of responsibility. Of going, you know what, you know it happens, we stuffed up and you know, so what? $60 million to householders and businesses who are already doing it tough. Like the man said, put your big boy pants on, own this, it's on you. Not on the businesses, not on the householders who were affected, they're already dealing with enough that they can't control, this is something that should have been controlled, it wasn't. Pay up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An innovative grassroots support programme has been launched in Kaitaia to offer support to local seniors in need. 

Kia Ora EveyoneIn this episode I chatted with Trey Subritzky from Kaitaia, an accomplished runner with a fascinating background in rugby league, music, and clothing.We had an awesome chat about all of the above and the potential of starting a running group in Kaitaia.Follow Trey on StravaCheck out TSUGRun Adjacent is proudly supported by Trek Trail and Fish, the runners candy store. If shopping online be sure to use my discount code for 10% off your order. The discount code is: RA10Be sure to like, follow or subscribe and if your platform allows leave a rating and review.Follow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSupport us on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kohirā is a solar farm near Kaitaia that is experimenting with agrivoltaics - combining agriculture with harvesting the energy of the sun. They run sheep under the solar panels and are looking at other forms of ag to integrate into the farm.

There were broken coffee machines, a scramble for generators and businesses left out of pocket in the Far North town of Kaitaia after Northland was plunged into darkness yesterday, Lucy Xia reports.

Some big projects are underway across the Far North, which Peter says are largely being driven by small communities. These include the revamping of Kaitaia town square and swimming pool. And there's also a lot of activity on the infrastructure front, including roading repairs. RNZ Northland reporter Peter de Graaf based in Kerikeri

A new solar farm is up and running in Kaitaia, and it's pinched the crown as New Zealand's largest solar installation to date.  Lodestone Energy managing director Gary Holden speaks to Jesse.

It's the Far North's time to shine, with a popular talent show making a come back. After a 6 year hiatus, Far North's Got Talent will literally provide a stage for budding entertainers to strut their stuff . The event, which is supported by the NZ Music Commission, will have several audition rounds with coaching and help from mentors, with finalist selected to compete in the grand final in Kaitaia in June. One of the organisers, Boycie Tawhara is hoping it will be a confidence boost for young locals in particular. If you reckon you've got talent and want to get involved all the details are on the events Facebook page "Far North's Got Talent." Boycie Tawhara speaks to Lisa Owen.

Parts of the country have again been sizzling in super hot weather, with some areas tipping over 30 degrees. Metservice has issued heat alerts for 18 towns and cities, all the way from Kaitaia to Blenheim, after days of sustained high temperatures. But some good news for those struggling with the sweltering heat, things should cool down from tomorrow. Finn Blackwell has more.

The Far North faces another summer without its vital lifeline, State Highway One through the Mangamuka Gorge to Kaitaia. The gorge has been closed on and off for three years due to extreme weather causing cracks and slips. That means for the past sixteen months visitors and residents have been forced to take the long way around; detouring onto state highway ten via Kerikeri and Kaeo to Awanui and then on to state highway one to Kaitaia. Due to ongoing land movement and yet more slips, Waka Kotahi recently revised the reopening date to late 2024. Andrea Panther from the Kaitaia Business Association speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6341583688112

So, the debate. Firstly, I fear I may be wasting your time if you didn't see it. If you didn't, you didn't miss much. If you did see it you will have been, I assume, bored witless. If you were a Chris Hipkins fan going in I don't think he did anything to put you off. Chris Luxon did well because it was his to lose. In fact, given the build up about him being new and so on, he did very well. He looked in command of what he was saying but then, hype aside, you don't get to be the leader of a large political party by not being able to front and explain yourself. So in that sense I wasn't surprised. They agreed on a lot of stuff, which plays into the idea that National are Labour-light and may give room to the minor players who want a bit more upheaval. There were a series of hopelessly condescending quick-fire questions about their favourite beach and the last book they read and whether they had ever had a speeding ticket. Those questions are for breakfast TV, not a prime time debate. The questions from the viewers were a waste of time and smacked of tired lazy production. There is not a question out there a moderator can't ask, we don't need to see Ken of Kaitaia. Both men were respectful, and that might be to Hipkins' disadvantage. He never looks like he is desperate and he should, because he is. He is losing this campaign, and badly, and he needed to show us he cared. He never looks over-exercised about anything. Nothing is brilliant, nothing is a shambles. It's just good ol' Chippy, talking about vaping or gangs or tax or his favourite beach. If you have followed this campaign you would have learned nothing. If you had followed none of it you might have picked up a few generalities but, to be fair, if you hadn't followed the campaign you are not the sort of person to watch a debate because you clearly aren't that interested. Ultimately, that's why the debate failed its audience. People who watch debates know what's going on. We needed life, we needed spark, we needed passion. Yet, we got a couple of blokes holding their own and a moderator sadly working too hard on telling us it was fun. My theory is this campaign is over and has been for sometime, that the result is a forgone conclusion, and the debate sort of reflected that. We went through the motions, no one fell on their face and we all know what's going to happen in a couple of weeks. Was there a winner? Yes. It was those who didn't watch because you had a more productive time. And Chris Luxon, who showed he is more than up to the task.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weeks guests on 'The Week That Was' are broadcaster and all around lovely lady Carly Flynn, and the equally lovely and very funny comedian Nick Rado. What did we discuss today I hear you ask? Well.. Political attack advertising. Sir Ashley Bloomfield's legacy. Robots in K Mart. Kaitaia's nightlife. Aaaaand the huge sporting weekend ahead for the AB's and The Wahs. Chapters: 3:08 - Slam Dunc 7:12 - The Week That Was 39:36 - Letters To The Editor 44:20 - Wanker Of The WeekSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago, 26 massive landslides destroyed State Highway 1 in the Far North's Mangamuka Gorge. Overnight the settlement of Mangamuka, about 30 kilometres south of Kaitaia, was transformed from a busy travellers' stop to a sleepy backwater on a dead-end road. Peter de Graaf found out how locals are faring as they wait for the highway to reopen.

Top stories for 9 August. We analyse the government's plan to use a private US investment firm to fast-track its one-hundred percent renewable electricity goal. National says it will ban cellphones in all schools if it becomes the Government - we'll speak to Chris Luxon and get reaction. New research show rents are on the way up as demand for properties outstrips supply. Also we check in on Mangamuka Gorge in Northland to see how the repair of the State Highway One road to Kaitaia is progressing.

There's no such thing as an easy road repair job in Northland, but they don't get much bigger or more complicated than State Highway 1 south of Kaitaia, known as the Mangamuka Gorge. In August 2022 torrential rain unleashed a series of massive slips that destroyed a 13-kilometre-long stretch of the road. And as Peter de Graaf reports, one year on, the road is being rebuilt, almost from scratch.

You can count on Jack – After 36 years of being blissfully unaware of the art of gardening, the questions suddenly start… Buying a house with wilderness helps. But the coolest thing is that those questions are inspiring enough to make me look up all sorts of things, related to those topics. In MediaLand it's called “research”. Privacy, Height-restrictions of trellises and fences, useful hedge species and easy maintenance are important facets of the design – I just added “Natives” and researched the Genus Pittosporum. Pittosporum means “sticky seeds” Wow! 200 species – many in New Zealand; lots of different varieties within the best garden species. And often the flowers of this genus produce nice scents during the hours of darkness – obviously pollinated by nocturnal insects. Everybody grows P. tenuifolium (kohuhu) – it could well be the most popular plant for hedges; small-ish leaves in various colours and hardy from coast to Highlands. Pittosporum eugenioides (tawapou) or Lemonwood is another frequent planter: can grow pretty tall (10 meters or so) with dense foliage of large leaves – see if that Council of yours can stop that growth! But then there are some really spectacular species that are quite stunning, native and elegant. P. obcordatum is a rather rare tree in the wilds of New Zealand, with reddish-bronze twigs and a rather “woolly” look. It is now cultivated (seeds and cuttings) for the NZ garden market. Honestly it is a great wild hedge and grows in just-about any condition. I've seen it near Kaitaia, on Banks Peninsula and near Invercargil; This hedge rocks and the less you clip it, the wilder it looks! Pittosporum turneri looks a bit like obcordatum, but seems to be a bit “leaner” and “thinner” and it has a distinct grey or silver colour; can stand growing in shady areas, which can be useful. Pittosporum umbellatum is another native from our country. Mostly in the North Island. It has dense foliage with outstanding pinky-white, sometimes cream-coloured inflorescences. (that is a fancy botanical word for “flowers”). The flowers hang in so-called “umbels” – hence the species name umbellatum. Easy to grow from seed. The trees are pretty hardy in windy conditions. Finally I can recommend a species called Pittosporum crassicaule; a small and tight species of just half a meter or so that grows very slowly; It has that alpine-plant look with firm twiglets and a feeling of densely interlacing branches, known from divaricating plants. P. crassicaule has very interesting black flowers that smell beautifully at night. I reckon it's not a plant for “privacy” as Jack requested, but it would make a brilliant low hedge around an alpine garden Have a look at specialist growers of our pretty Pittosporum species – you'll be surprised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a dozen students have fallen ill after being fed raw chicken at Kaitaia College yesterday. School lunch provider Bells Produce has been stood down while authorities investigate. The Education Ministry says the school's principal acted immediately by contacting the local hospital and collecting food samples for testing. Principal Louise Anaru says three children had to be taken for medical attention yesterday after suffering stomach cramps. "We phoned all of the parents of any children who were absent today, another 14 students had food poisoning symptoms."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 11,000 people reported feeling the earthquake that hit just after 2am on Friday. The magnitude 4.8 quake was centred 5-kilometres south of Te Aroha, at a depth of 6-kilometres. People from Kaitaia, through to the sodden regions of Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, and even down in Christchurch, reported feeling it. A series of weaker aftershocks began to strike 40 minutes later, although there are no immediate reports of damage as of yet. It's not the first quake to hit Te Aroha this year - a 5.1 quake rattled the town on January 4. Te Kuiti resident Zane Burdett and Kees Meinderts from Motumaoho, just south of Morrinsville, spoke to Corin Dann.

Northland is under a Orange Heavy Rain Warning and Severe Thunderstorm watch this morning, with the region under an accute risk of flooding, slips and road closures. MetService says a thunderstorm drenched Kaitaia at about 5am on Monday and that the region should brace for more of the same over coming hours. Far North District Council mayor Moko Tepania spoke to Corin Dann.

It's been a stormy night in the north of the country with thunderstorms peppered parts of Auckland, the Coromandel and Northland. Coromandel soaked up the most rainfall - about 80 millimetres - while the MetService said Warkworth and Waitakere were among the harder hit areas closer to Auckland. Right now there is an area of rain between Auckland and Kaitaia, with thunderstorms expected to impact that region through the morning. Fire and Emergency are reporting it fielded about 60 111 calls from Auckland and Northland overnight. Forty-five roads across Auckland remain closed today as a result of slips and flood damage with Auckland Transport saying they have been working around the clock to get them reopened. Last night the South Eastern highway was closed, as is a section of Great north Road. Buses are operating, but there are delays for many as they have needed to take alternative routes. Trains are not be running today with rail replacement buses operating on all lines,. There are a number of slips along the rail network with the eastern, western and southern likely to provide a reduced timetable on Wednesday. Near Auckland, State Highway 2 is closed from Pokeno to Mangatarata, and between Mangatawhiri and Maramarua. State Highway 1 is blocked between Brynderwyn and Waipu. Up North, State Highway 1 is closed near Mangamuka Gorge and near Ruakaka. In Waitomo, a slip has blocked State Highway 37 between Hangatiki and Waitomo Caves - there's no detour because of flooding. In Coromandel, State Highway 25 is closed between Waiomu and Tapu, and Coromandel and Whitianga, while State Highway 25A is blocked from Kopu to Hikuai  Ken Cooper is running the FENZ Region coordination centre in Auckland.  He spoke to Kim Hill.

There are questions as to whether a Far North highway is ever going to be fixed. State Highway One from Whangarei to Kaitaia through Mangamuka Gorge has been closed since August. There is still no timeline from Waka Kotahi when it will be fixed, but it's hoping to apply for funding. Kaitaia Business Association Chair Andrea Panther says it could take a while to find out what's going to happen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A grandmother and security guard in Kaitaia says some children frequently wander the streets unsupervised, sometimes as late as 3 or 4am. In the past year Carol Shutt has escorted more than 30 children home - one as young as six. Often, she says their parents don't even care. She wants to see a 24/7 drop-in centre for children to go to instead of walking the streets, where they could have a hot cup of milo or food, and access to a counsellor. Shutt spoke to Kim Hill.

Concerns about children wandering Kaitaia's streets. A local in the far North town was shocked to find two small children looking for food in a rubbish bag last week. Northern Districts Security firm's Kaitaia Branch Manager, Carol Shutt, says she's escorted more than 30 children home in the past year. She says they do night patrols at all hours, and see children just hanging around. "It's pretty scary, they're out there by themselves. And we often stop and have a chat to the child and see if there's anything we can do for them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Cas Carter from Cas Carter Communications spoke about the following: ASB is threatening to pull its name from the ASB Classic if any Russian or Belarussian players get selected - considering no Russian or Belarussian players have been selected, is this virtue signalling? He Waka Eke Noa- Federated farmers very quick to lash out, Governments come back and said this is basically your proposal- is this a good enough compromise? Northern Districts security guard Carol Shutt says she has escorted 30 children back home in Kaitaia over the last year. Now she makes a point of looking out for them, some have been told to not return home until their parents finish having sex and some parents aren't grateful the kid has been returned. Just 12 nurses have arrived under the residency visa and NZNO says 21,000 are needed. People keep stealing tsunami sirens! But the council are having to tell us that you can't play music out of them for siren wars. All of these topics were discussed today on The Huddle! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's back! The Prince of the Provinces. The self-titled Matua Shane Jones. And it's no holds barred as we discuss wrong tree, wrong place, Dr Rod Carr, the Māori caucus, and the desecration of a carving in Kaitaia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

D'Angelo Martin (aka Tututuru Māori) is a New Zealand content creator and journalist for “The Hui” on Whakaata Māori. In this podcast D'Angelo shares his journey from growing up in Kaitaia, to moving down to Tamaki Makaurau to start a new chapter. In this episode we talked about: Growing up in the far north and the differences to city life Mahi with Māori television and “The Hui” Becoming a young parent and how priorities changed Breaking generational cycles Mau Rakau and Kapa Haka Creating content and finding the humour in the seriousness of life Even some yarns around the best Kaimoana up north This kōrero is full of gold and a few laughs along the way. Chuck those headphones in!

Settlements in the Far North are feeling the pinch with the continued closure of State Highway 1. The road south of Kaitaia has been severely damaged and could be closed for months. More wild weather last night downed powerlines close to the washed out section and added to road workers woes as they try to reinstate the Mangamuka Gorge. The closure has drawn the ire of locals and ignited calls for more long-term government investment in Northland's roading infrastructure. Katie Todd is in Kaitaia and joins Lisa Owen with the details.

Northland residents are being warned the severely damaged Mangamuka Gorge could take ages to repair after it was taken out in last week's storms. The section of SH1 only just reopened last year after major slips cut off the road, with piles needed to stabilize the hill. Now Kaitaia locals and visitors are again having to take the long way round via SH10 and that means more time and money in freight, petrol costs and lost tourists. To get the latest on the road repair we're joined by Mark Owen from Waka Kotahi.

Kaitaia residents could be taking the long, long way around for months after torrential rain badly damaged the main route into town, SH1 through the Mangamuka Gorge. Waka Kotahi says the road is still highly unstable and there's been multiple slips with safe access an issue. That means a long detour via Kerikeri on SH10. Andrea Panther from the Kaitaia Business Association talks to Lisa Owen.  

It's a frequently asked question up in the far north of the country and now one young entrepreneur has come up with a way to memorialise it on a t shirt Kaitaia-based ACA Clothing is now printing a T-shirt sporting with the question "Is the gorge open?" 

Residents of Kāeo are on alert. Civil Defence is setting up an emergency centre and not ruling out evacuations if conditions worsen. The town's main street is flooded after the river rose by half a meter in an hour, hampering emergency services, access to businesses and health services. Rayssa Almeida has more. For the latest details, Lisa Owen hears from Far North District Deputy Mayor Ann Court. 

The weather front affecting large parts of the country has caused flooding, washouts and slips. There have been evacuations in Northland, while in Nelson there were more evacuations late yesterday. In the Far North where the weather has closed multiple roads, many people are without power and some people have been evacuated from homes in Kaitaia. Kaeo is the worst hit area from the flooding, but the council is keeping a close eye on Awanui, Moerewa, Rangiahua and Kohukohu. Top Energy has outages at seven locations throughout the Far North. RNZ's reporter Finn Blackwell is in Kaeo and spoke to Susie Ferguson.

An extraordinary man who was a hero to many - that's just one of the ways Ricky Houghton is being described as many mourn his death. He was the chief executive of He Korowai Trust based in Kaitaia and spent decades lifting people out of poverty, homelessness, addiction and imprisonment. He died on Monday surrounded by whānau, at the age of 62, after battling illness. Sam Olley reports.

Police officers in the Far North say they're ready to walk off the job.According to the New Zealand Herald, there are only seven officers covering the mid and far north regions.Police Association President Chris Cahill told Tim Dower the police feel the communities are missing out.He says when there are only one or two staff working the whole of Kaitaia on a night shift, being backed up by Kerikeri, it puts immense pressure on those communities.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest solar energy venture in New Zealand,  is another step closer.Lodestar Energy wants to build five huge solar farms in the North Island.They've now finished raising $300 million to make that happen.Big names are backing the venture including Rod Drury, Sir Stephen Tindall and Sam Morgan.Lodestone Energy Managing Director Gary Holden told Mike Hosking this is the right answer to make an impact with solar energy.“You need to spread it out, you need to have diversity of locations coming into the grid at dozens of different locations so that the grid gets sort of optimised.”The farms are near Kaitaia, Dargaville, Whitianga, Edgecumbe and Whakatane.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The soaring cost of living is playing out in the Far North with people sleeping in cars, begging for food, and seeking support in 'astronomical' numbers. When it comes to poverty and crime, Kaitaia has felt it for years, but locals say it's getting worse. They desperately want some sort of reprieve from the price of petrol, food and rent in tomorrow's Budget. Our reporter Katie Todd and camera operator Marika Khabazi are in Kaitaia.

The search for the last person missing after a fishing charter boat capsized off North Cape on Sunday night will resume this morning. Four people died and and five were rescued when the "Enchanter" went down. Weather has improved in the search area with 15 knott northerlies and swells of 1.5 meters and moderate seas, but rain is forecast for later this morning. The Enchanter was skippered by Lance Goodhew who survived the boating tragedy and has been discharged from hospital in Kaitaia. One of the boat's former skippers, Phil van Dusschoten spoke to RNZ reporter Jean Edwards.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful has released its annual list of the most beautiful towns and cities, with Whakatane the overall winner.Kaitaia and Taupo won the small and large towns respectively, and Hastings and Wellington took out the small and large cities.Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

Keep New Zealand Beautiful has released its annual list of the most beautiful towns and cities, with Whakatane the overall winner.Kaitaia and Taupo won the small and large towns respectively, and Hastings and Wellington took out the small and large cities.Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fire and Emergency says all going well, residents evacuated from a large blaze near Kaimaumau in the Far North will be able to return home today. The 2000-hectare blaze tore through DoC wetland north of Kaitaia, with about 30 people sheltering at a nearby school for two nights. Fire and Emergency's Northland manager, Wipari Henwood told Morning Report the weather has played ball and they've made good progress building up fire defences around the community of Kaimaumau.

The Te Araroa – or long pathway – dispenses with formalities, taking the Blissful Hiker onto an exposed start of drenching squalls, inconvenient tides and a never-ending roar of the waves. In this episode:The Blissful Hiker starts walking the Ninety Mile Beach, a long strip of sand that will take three days to complete, a baptism by fire for causing injury, boredom and many hikers to quit the Te Araroa. She learns that thru-hiking is a lesson in patience. Her tent, the alicoop, crashes down in the ferocious wind, but the TA goddess stops the rain, and she reorients it under a blanket of stars.On the final day, the wind changes, coming directly in her face, but she rises to the challenge, met in Ahipara by a new friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. MUSIC: Pastorale Calchaqui by Hector Gallac as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoavailable on iTunesThe Te Araroa – or long pathway – dispenses with formalities, taking any hiker who dares onto an exposed start of drenching squalls, inconvenient tides and a never-ending roar of sound that begins as a curious lullaby, but in time, crescendos to a scream. Fortunately, I've been warned about the beach, mostly told not to underestimate how difficult it is even though a simple point A to point B, on flat ground. Even young and healthy hikers manage to injure themselves with painful tendonitis, shin splints or shred their tender city-feet in a mass of blisters. Total exposure to the elements of wind, rain, and sun, no water and loud monotony make this one of the most difficult starts of any thru-hike in the world. It's a baptism by fire – or more accurately, water.Beautiful, lovingly built stairs with rubber grips take us steeply down through the bush. Little did I know this would be one of only a handful of well-built and maintained portions of the 3,000 kilometer trail. It looks like it was my turn for my tent – the alicoop ­– to crash down on me. It's no one's fault, really, certainly not the gear, just that I set behind a wind screen that only protected me for the half of the night before the wind changed directions. To survive today's, I make a plan to divide it into thirds. I'll use each 10k section to consider some ‘deep thoughts.'1. What causes a person to make the decision to walk for five months?2. Why does said person need a plan to get through a particularly long, hard day?3. What must it feel like to be free, like one of these wild horses?In no time, the wind picks up to dry me off. But this time, it's straight in my face. At Ahipara, Peter treats me like his own daughter, looking at me with concern when he remarks that I have sand on my cheeks and in the corners of my eyes. Joining me for a glass of wine he wonders if it would be considered cheating to skip the long, dangerous road walk to Kaitaia and allow him to drive me to the next section. I tell him not if I don't tell anyone!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/blissfulhiker)

Today on the show you'll hear us live from Tauranga as we take Kiwi band Villainy to a punter's house for an impromptu gig. Plus the latest from Betoota News, and Poo Towns of New Zealand hits Kaitaia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.