Northland news in brief: Mobile Bay Barge back; 17,000 to fly north

Mobile Bay Rubbish Barge returns

The popular mobile summer garbage barge service will be back on the water in the Bay of Islands this summer from December 28.

The staffed barge – a familiar site in the Bay during the summer holiday season – is a joint venture between the Northland Regional and Far North District Councils, the Department of Conservation and contractors Waste Management.

It offers a service for both local and visiting boaties, who are encouraged to use it to help keep the Bay of Islands garbage-free.

The barge service will begin summer operations on December 28 and will run again on December 31. After then, the weather-dependent service will generally operate (beginning January 3) on Mondays and Fridays until January 27. On operational days it will visit Urupukapuka Island campsites from 9am to 10am before mooring close to the south-eastern end of Moturua Island from 10.30am to 1pm (hours will reduce as demand drops off).

To find out more, visit www.nrc.govt.nz/rubbishbarge.

Theater Company up for awards

Whangārei Theater Company has received numerous nominations for this year’s Northern Area Performance Theater Awards. The awards recognize excellence and talent in the performing arts in theater societies from Pukekohe to Kerikeri. They will be held at Centrestage Theater Company in Orewa, Auckland on March 25. The nominations relate to the company’s latest production of Spamalota musical adapted from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail which ran from November 18 to December 3. They are: Outstanding Musical – Spamalot; Outstanding Sound Design – Morgan Matheson; Outstanding Set Design – Darryn Hansen; Outstanding Vocal Work by a Musical Company; Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical – Estevez Gillespie as King Arthur. Cam Dow, Nate Holland-Kearins and Quinn Smith were all nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical.

17,000 to fly into Northland

Northland will be rolling out the welcome mat this summer as thousands flock to the region for their holiday.

Air New Zealand said more than 17,000 customers will visit the region over the summer holiday period through Bay of Islands (Kerikeri) and Whangārei Airports, which will be a welcome boost for Northland tourism and accommodation providers.

Air New Zealand is preparing to fly more than 1.5 million customers around the country between today and January 31 – 400,000 more than the same period last year.

Northland’s breathtaking, Pohutukawa-fringed white sand surf beaches, prehistoric Kauri forests, coastal cycleways and spectacular walks will appeal to visitors looking to experience the region.

Another Northland Enviroschool

Kerikeri Kindergarten has become the latest Northland Enviroschool to reach the program’s coveted Green-Gold status.

The Northland Regional Council introduced the popular program to Northland in 2004 and there are now more than 140 schools, kindergartens and early childhood centers in the program region-wide.

Regional councilor Marty Robinson says becoming Green-Gold is a significant milestone in an Enviroschool community’s sustainability journey.

Councilor Robinson, who presented the kindergarten with its Green-Gold flag on Friday, says Enviroschools’ recognition comes in three bands, from the most-often achieved Bronze, through to Silver and the rarest, Green-Gold (just 11 other Enviroschools in Northland have already achieved Green-Gold status).

More information on the wider Enviroschools program in Northland is available from: www.nrc.govt.nz/enviroschools.