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Russell & Opua: Over the water

Just a short car or passenger ferry ride from Paihia is the elegant town of Russell.

 

Topics:  destination northland

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A selection of pics from this weekends sports action.

northland weekend sports

A selection of pics from this weekends sports action.

Two waka hourua (double-hulled ocean-going canoes) have returned home to Northland after an epic, ten-month journey to Rapanui (Easter Island) and back. The journey was a long-held dream of master waka-builder Hekenukumai Busby, whose vessels have now sailed all three sides of the Polynesian Triangle linking Aotearoa, Hawaii and Rapanui.

Waka return from epic voyage

Two waka hourua (double-hulled ocean-going canoes) have...

Rugby League 9-A-Side, Kensington Park

Rugby League 9-A-Side, Kensington Park

Rugby League 9-A-Side, Kensington Park

Claimants, Crown representatives and Waitangi Tribunal members explored the eastern Bay of Islands by boat on Monday to see first-hand the places being discussed in this week's Northland Inquiry hearings. The site visit by more than 150 people on board the Fullers' vessel Dolphin Seeker was followed by formal welcomes at the three main marae of the Rawhiti Peninsula - Te Rawhiti, Waikare and Karetu.

Tribunal's modern-day waka journey

Claimants, Crown representatives and Waitangi Tribunal...

A selection of sport images from around Whangarei over the weekend.

Sport Picks

A selection of sport images from around Whangarei over the...

Northland was once again invaded by guitars, cowboy hats and line-dancing squads for the 24th Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival held in Paihia, Russell and Haruru Falls over the weekend. Headline acts this year included Kiwi country crooners Eddie Low and Dennis Marsh, and Texan country diva Gloria River, but 89-year-old dancing gran Fran Craig of Helensville almost stole the show during Marsh's Saturday night gig at the Paihia Pacific. Festival organiser Shirley May put the turnout at 1700, slightly higher than last year.

Country rockers return to Bay of Islands

Northland was once again invaded by guitars, cowboy hats...

Northern Advocate reporter Kristin Edge is on a month-long trip in South Korea.

Postcards from the Edge in Korea

Northern Advocate reporter Kristin Edge is on a month-long...

It's unlikely any other wreck in New Zealand has been photographed as often as the old truck that used to perch on a decaying jetty over the Hokianga Harbour at Kohukohu. It's also a pretty safe bet to say it's the only truck wreck to inspire an art exhibition. Slice of Life: Stories about Kohukohu's Truck opened at Village Arts Gallery in Kohukohu on Saturday with a collection of paintings, photographs, automotive relics, recorded interviews of Hokianga residents reminiscing about the truck, and even a few rusting remains. The 1938 International D-35 started life as a troop transporter in World War II. After the war garage owner Gordon Richmond converted it into a coal truck; when its wooden cab frame rotted, Vic Gurney - owner of Gurney's garage on the Kohukohu waterfront, in what used to be Fell's Boatyard and later Fell's Garage - replaced the cab with that of a Bedford truck whose chassis was wrecked in a crash. However, he never finished the project and the truck was left behind when the garage closed down. Over the years parts of the garage which were not dismantled were stolen or simply fell into the tide, and the truck was left exposed to the elements. Some residents considered it an eyesore but others loved it, regarding it as an ever-evolving public artwork. It became a tourist icon and was perhaps the most photographed sight in the Hokianga. It was removed by the site's lease holder in 2007 in circumstances which are disputed to this day. The show is curated by Marg Morrow, who had invited anyone with memories of the truck to contribute. It runs until May 30.

Ode to an old truck

It's unlikely any other wreck in New Zealand has been...

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