King Country News | April 9, 2026

King Country

Running at forty…

By Dan Tasker

What started as a homegrown event for local shearers now stands at the heart of Te Kūiti’s identity more than 40 years on.

Today the 40th edition of the New Zealand Shearing Championships gets under way at the Les Munro Centre, the hub of the event that turned Te Kūiti into

the ‘Shearing Capital of the World’.

On Saturday, the town will come to a standstill as the Great New Zealand Muster gets underway with a record 120 stalls on show as the event builds towards the famous ‘Running of the Sheep’ at 2pm.

Following heats and finals through Thursday and the Friday corporate

event, the serious action gets underway on Saturday evening with finals for the Open Shearing and Woolhandling, New Zealand Shears Circuit, North Island Shearer of the Year and the North v South events headlining the night. Shearers in the Open and New Zealand Shears Circuit finals have the added incentive of making the

Grassroots rugby challenged

The loss of senior men’s rugby in Turangi is indicative of a struggle at grassroots level for the game.

Last season’s senior King Country club rugby champs have pulled out of the 2026 competition.

Tongariro United Rugby Club took to social media in an effort to have a competitive squad – but ultimately fell at the second hurdle.

The club fielded a team in the opening game of the 2026 senior competition, and lost to Taupo Marist 47-17 – the club it beat 17-10 to win the title last year.

But it announced it could not continue in the competition ahead of a scheduled clash with Taumarunui Districts last Thursday.

In Hamilton, former Haswell Catley trophy winners Melville have also pulled out of the senior Waikato competition citing a player shortage. Matamata missed the 2024 Waikato competition for the same reason.

In an earlier statement on the Tongariro club’s social media page, it was explained that the club had remained active by

amalgamating with the Taupō United, creating the Tongariro Taupō United senior team.

“The combined team went on to experience four to five strong seasons, including a first place finish last year, supported by dedicated management and quality coaching. However, some players from previous years did not make the most recent squad and have since moved on, which has further reduced the pool of available players going into the 2026 season.”

While the club continued to maintain junior and women’s teams, it faced serous issues with playing numbers and issued a public invitation to the community to “step forward and help ensure that the club’s legacy is not lost”.

The senior King Country competition will be completed with seven teams – two from Taumarunui, two from Taupo, Waitomo, Waitete and Piopio. Three years ago, with Bush United, Kio Kio United and Tongariro United there were 10.

• See Dan Tasker’s club rugby report on Page 11.

national team to travel to the world championships in the United Kingdom and France in July, along with long-time

Coming and going

Hamilton Model Railroad Exhibition

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April 10am to 4pm

Students get a taste of kiwi

By Dan Tasker

Te Awamutu Events Centre

3 Selwyn Lane Te Awamutu

Adults: $10

Children Under 16: $5

Family 2 adults up to 6 children: $25

Eftpos available

Door Sales Only

A group of eight Japanese students experienced a week to remember during their recent visit to the Waitomo district as part of the long-standing Tatsuno Sister City exchange.

Friendship between Waitomo and Tatsuno was born when two World War II fighter pilots –Professor Kinase (Tatsuno) and Sir Les Munro (Waitomo) – met at a reunion and realised both town had things in common - like the Tatsuno fireflies and the Waitomo glow worms.

group, made up of six boys, two girls and two chaperones, arrived on March 20 and were welcomed with a pōwhiri at the Te Kūiti Fire Station, attended by host families, committee members and community representatives.

Waitomo Sister City chairperson Janette Osborne said it was a joy to host their Tatsuno friends and thanked the locals who contributed to their Kiwi experience.

“The good people of Tatsuno go all-out to provide outstanding hospitality for our Waitomo children when they visit, so it was wonderful to be able to reciprocate,” Mrs Osborne said.

Area Committee volunteers needed

We are looking for dedicated volunteers to join Hato Hone St John Area committee to help drive local initiatives and create a lasting impression. This is a unique opportunity to contribute your skills and ideas to strengthen the committee, supporting community health, wellbeing, and volunteer engagement.

For more information: Email recruitment@stjohn.org.nz or call 0800 STJOHN (0800) 785 646)

CONTACTS

News/Editorial

Roy Pilott editor@goodlocal.nz

027 450 0115

Mary Anne Gill maryanne@goodlocal.nz

021 705 213

Viv Posselt viv@goodlocal.nz

027 233 7686

Advertising Director

Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz

027 287 0005

Owner/Publisher

David Mackenzie david@goodlocal.nz

Office/Missed Deliveries

07 827 0005 admin@goodlocal.nz

The sister city relationship was formalised at a ceremony at Te Tokanganui-a-Noho Marae in Te Kuiti on March 30, 1995 – beginning the long-standing friendship.

The most recent Tatsuno

The visit offered a full immersion into Kiwi life, with students spending time black water rafting in Waitomo, and visiting local sheep, beef and

On the beat with Constable

dairy farms where they learnt how to shear sheep and milk cows.

A sharing of culture was had on a trip to Mokau, where the Tatsuno teenagers taught local students the art of calligraphy before vising the Maniaroa Marae.

Students were given a civic welcome at Waitomo District Council, enjoying a traditional Kiwi morning tea before visiting the Japanese gardens, museum and Brook Park.

Despite poor weather ending a trip to Marokopa Falls, a glowworm cave experience

Another busy week

The team has had another busy week across the King Country, with a number of significant incidents attended and some positive outcomes achieved.

Police followed up on an arson incident that occurred over the previous weekend at a workshop on industrial premises in Te Kuiti. Staff have since made contact with the young child offender involved, along with their family.

Police were called to a vehicle crash on a rural road toward Benneydale after a logging truck rolled, blocking the roadway. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.

Following a brief vehicle pursuit through Te Kuiti, and an even shorter foot chase, Police apprehended a 40 year old male who had a warrant for his arrest and had been actively evading police since the

beginning of the year. The male has been remanded in custody and charged with 11 offences, including kidnapping, aggravated robbery, failing to stop, possession of methamphetamine, and escaping police custody.

Police responded to a family harm incident in Ōtorohanga, where it was reported that a wanted male had left the address prior to police arrival.

Later in the shift, staff sighted the male back at the address, he attempted to flee and hide in a drain but was quickly located and arrested for his active warrant. He was transported to be held in custody in Hamilton.

In a separate incident in Ōtorohanga, police attended a report of a vehicle crashing into a fence after the driver was performing skids on the road. The driver fled before

offered by Spellbound’s Peter and Libby Chandler, who visited Tatsuno in 2019, ensured the group didn’t miss out and reflected the strong friendships built through the Sister City relationship, Mrs Osborne said. The visit concluded with an emotional farewell at the Te Kūiti shearing statue, highlighting the close bonds formed between students and host families.

Planning is underway for Waitomo’s 2027 visit to Tatsuno. A public information evening for students interested in being part of the next trip is set for August.

police arrived; however, staff later located the vehicle and driver. The vehicle was impounded, and the driver has been charged.

Police also arrested and charged a 36 year old male in relation to a family harm assault and threats. He has been remanded on bail and is due to appear in court later this month.

Finally, Police attended a vehicle crash on State Highway 4, where a 34 year old female lost control of her vehicle which collided with a tree. During a search of the vehicle, staff located methamphetamine and drug utensils.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We encourage members of the public to keep reporting crime and suspicious behaviour.

Advertise with Good Local Media

Petrol use

Police say residents and commercial entities should be extra vigilant with any stored fuel in the wake of recent price rises. Any feasible measures to secure fuel tanks or areas surrounding them should be considered now, as trends are emerging of increased petrol and diesel thefts – especially in rural locations, Ōtorohanga Sergeant Heyden Nunn said. “Please be cautious with how much fuel is required to be stored and report any suspicious activity and or theft incidents to police immediately.”

Careers expo

Te Kūiti is set to host the TechStep Careers Expo in the school holidays where youth can explore careers in digital information technology. The TechStep event will be held on May 14 and 15 at the Les Munro Centre, and aims to inspire youth through a range of exhibitors and presentations where attendees will hear real stories from people working in the industry.

Speed limits

New Variable Speed Limits are being introduced to slow traffic. The installing of the VSLs – which indicate the reduced speed limit is in force on electronic signs – is now underway. They will operate at school drop-off and pick-up times at the 34 schools across the Waikato region – including Kio Kio and Ōtorohanga South.

Feedback sought

Waitomo District Council is seeking feedback on updates to its solid waste bylaw. The bylaw aims to ensure acceptable standards of health, safety and compliance are maintained for the wellbeing and enjoyment of people within the district. It was redrafted in 2009 to fit with legislative requirements, and a review was conducted in 2014 where some minor amendments were made on accumulated refuse nuisance and out of district waste disposal at council facilities.

Getting to know the korero

By Dan Tasker

Storyboards capturing moments of cultural significance to local hapu Ngāti Rōrā are open to the community following a blessing late last month.

After weather hampered attempts to officially open and bless the Mangaokewa Cultural Walkway Storyboards for eight months, Ngāti Rōrā joined with the community to welcome each of the nine storyboard sites lining the walkway between Mōtakiora and Mangaokewa Reserve in Te Kūiti.

The storyboards tell of the cultural heritage of Ngāti Rōrā through stories captured in Te Reo Māori and English in text, audio, photos and video.

Descendant of Rōrā and Waitomo District councillor Isaiah Wallace hoped the storyboards would connect people to the history and places that have shaped the area.

“All of our stories carry a big impact, because it’s shaped the Te Kūiti we know today,” he said.

“For us as mokopuna of our tupuna and the sites of significance that’s been identified through Waitomo District Council will help our whanau understand and protect our wāhi tapu.

“All of us that live in Te Kūiti can find some connection and some history to these sites that we travel past every day, but don’t know the korero.

“These story boards will be a good connector for our community and people that come and visit,” he said.

The storyboard project has been a three-year partnership between Waitomo District Council and Ngāti Rōrā and included an upgrade of the walking track through Te Kūiti.

The track forms part of the Te Araroa Trail, incorporating Mōtakiora and Brook Park, and follows the stream from Te Kumi Road through to the existing river track.

The first storyboard sits atop Mōtakiora at the site of Rōrā’s Pā in the 1600s, where he killed Tuatini for having an affair with his wife Kuramōnehu – and was himself killed the next day by Ngāti Hia in retaliation.

Subsequently, the pā was abandoned and remains a wāhi tapu (sacred site) for Rōrā’s descendants.

Further details of Rōrā’s life,

as well as the significance of Mōtakiora as a fortified pā site, are told on the second storyboard at the foot of Mōtakiora,

The third story is of Ngāti Rōrā’s treasured home Te Tokanganui a Noho – how it was made and gifted by Māori prophet Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki in the 1870s for sheltering he and his followers for more than a decade, the different sites it has been located and its different names over 154 years.

Site four is at the He Wāhi Herenga Waka or the waka landing

site, which was an industrial and travel hub along the Mangaokewa Stream through the 18th and 19th centuries.

Near the original and second dwellings of Te Tokanganui a Noho is the site of fifth and sixth storyboards, which go into more detail about the ancient marae’s history.

The storyboard overlooking the area known as Taupiri o Te Rangi tells of the site where Rōrā was born and raised by his father Maniapoto and mother Paparauwhare to become an esteemed warrior.

Tumutumu marks the eighth storyboard site and describes the hill as an important Maniapoto pā belonging to Paruparu, the son of Tūtaemārō and grandson of Rōrā, its significance through history and its fertile soil known for growing wheat.

The final stop is the Mangaokewa Reserve, the final resting place of tribal ancestors and where the storyboards tell of the Mangaokewa Stream’s importance to ancient trade, travel and as a plentiful food supply of eel and fish.

Running at forty…

Famer John Fagan to discuss how the shears started in Te Kūiti.

As the New Zealand Shearing Championship organising committee pushes go on number 40, legendary Te Kuiti shearer Sir David Fagan reflected on the journey.

The first shears, first known as the King Country Shears, came to Te Kūiti on April 10, 1985 – five years after the idea was tabled by Fagan and his brother John flying home from the Diamond Shears in Australia.

Two years later, the event became the New Zealand Shearing Championships and the rest as they say is history as the community put its weight behind the event.

“In those early days, we ran an event the shearing fraternity got behind. It took a few years and now the wider community get behind it,” Fagan said.

“Along with the muster, it’s really evolved into what is the biggest single event in this district. The biggest thing is the whole community gets behind it and supports it now.”

Moments defining the shears included the ‘Shearing Capital of the World’ title bestowed on Te Kūiti in 1994 and the shearing statue erected the same year, Fagan said.

“It’s something everyone’s got a bit of pride in and the people that were involved with that, it’s a legacy left there for the town and for the whole district,” Fagan said.

Although the New Zealand Shearing Championship centres around competition shearing, Fagan said the legacy of the event is how the community has supported it – particularly the volunteers, the sheep suppliers and sponsors.

“That’s why it’s carried on, all the people that have helped on the committee for all these years – the event belongs to them. We’re just a bunch of volunteers chucking something together,” Fagan said.

“We’ve got quite a young committee currently, and I’m quite proud of them, the way they’re all stepping up. We need that to continue on for another 40 years.

“Tiroa E and Te Hape B Trust farms have been supplying us sheep for at least 25 years and Neil and Stacie Fagan are supplying sheep for the sheep run. The hardest thing is if they said, ‘We’re not doing it again’, there’ll be no shears or muster, so we’re very grateful to these farmers that supply the sheep,” he said.

• See Sir David Fagan and mascot Romney – Page 5

Agri honours for Ōtewā trio

By Jesse Wood

The Ōtewā Gumboot gang Jack Woodward, Isaac Wilson and Laura Connoly won the AgriKids competition at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Waikato Bay of Plenty regional final at Te Teko Racecourse late last month.

The Ōtewā School trio will travel south to the national grand final in New Plymouth in July..

Ōtewā School principal Carolyn Pilton said as a school they are immensely proud of the three students.

“They don’t just show up on the day and compete, they put in lots of training to be ready for whatever is thrown at them on the day. They also have amazing family support to help get them to this point,” Pilton said.

“They just epitomise what it means to be a country kid; they are practical problem solvers with an amazingly positive and humble attitude. We are looking forward to supporting them in the final.”

Waipā also featured prominently. Te Awamutu based competitors –Kendra Grayling, Morgan Shannon Cody Muller and Toby Whytock - featured on the junior podium, while Whitehall farmer Stephen Brunskill placed second in Young Farmer of the Year.

Hamilton Young Farmers member Stephen Brunskill turns 31 this month and this was his final competition.

“It’s bittersweet. It’s a cool thing to be involved with but it’s good to see the next cohort coming through. I’ve had my crack at it,” Brunskill said.

“I might get involved with the organising if there’s an opportunity to help.

“After competing for a few years, you get to know what might go well. It’s about the crowd watching – there’s got to be a mix of practical and theory.”

Te Aroha self-employed sheep and beef farmer Cam Clayton took top honours and will go to the national final.

“This was my 4th young farmer’s competition,” Brunskill said. “It was cool to be on the podium. Cam did well to win it.

“It was pretty close on points which I’m happy and gutted about at the same time.”

“Hugh Jackson and Emma Poole from the Waikato have both won the NZ Young Farmer of the Year, so Waikato has put up some pretty good competition and Cam will continue that.

Brunskill is the fifth generation on the 186ha Brunskill Rd farm. Dry stock – running sheep, beefand dairy graziers.

“I’ve always been out here. I can’t imagine really being anywhere else,” Brunskill said.

“Farming is what I always wanted to do. I remember being five years old and not wanting to go to school. I wanted to be at

home with Dad on the farm.

“My wife Hayley and I have been given a cool opportunity to continue the family farm.”

Brunskill joined young farmers while at the University of Waikato. The competitions have helped him on farm, while the events have been great for socialising and networking.

“When you’re on the farm you think, how would I do this in the competition? What’s the most efficient way?,” Brunskill said.

“After university, I was working for BNZ for seven years. Hayley and I were running the home block

as well. That was a good mix of office and country life.

“I resigned from BNZ in May last year and I’ve been on the farm fulltime since then, because we got the opportunity to lease the block next door.”

He encourages others to follow the young farmers path, no matter their involvement in rural New Zealand.

“We’ve been on lots of farm tours through berry and mushroom farms. It’s just a good opportunity to get out, learn something new, meet people outside of your usual circle. Who

knows, you might find your new passion,” Brunskill said.

“We’ve got guys and girls that are rural professionals or reps; You don’t have to be farming specifically. Just getting involved and having that extra social network is valuable and awesome to have.

“I’ve met a lot of my friend group from that club and looking at all the professionals we have in rural New Zealand today, most of them have a connection to young farmers.

“You never know when you’ll come across people again.”

Tapping into funds

Waikato Waters, owned by Waipa, Ōtorohanga, Waitomo, Hauraki, Matamata Piako and South Waikato district councils has become the first of a potential 18 water council-controlled organisations to be granted access to the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency.

Joining the funding agency gives Waikato Waters access to long-term borrowing. Its water services delivery plan anticipates the organisation will borrow more than $300 million by 2034.

The money will support an investment programme valued at around $800 million to renew, upgrade and expand water and wastewater infrastructure across the region.

Briefs…

Talent scouted

On-Stage Te Kūiti is on the hunt for cast and crew for their latest production ‘Murder in Little Grimley’ later in the year. The David Tristramwritten murder mystery is set to grace Te Kūiti’s Little Theatre in mid-June. A session will be held at the Little Theatre in King St West next Monday evening.

Scholarship chance

Restore Native is offering students a scholarship to support their journey through environmental education The Farming Futures Environmental Scholarship supports students from farming backgrounds and studying environmental-related tertiary, with the aim of bridging practical farming experience with environmental science, restoration and land stewardship.

Waikato Waters will begin operating under the Government’s Local Water Done Well policy on July 1.

Interim chief executive Neil Brennan said Waikato Waters was building something that would stand the test of time and support growth across the region.

“Access to LGFA funding is a significant step for us,” says Brennan. “It means we can invest in critical infrastructure in a financially responsible way, helping to keep costs down over the long term while still delivering the upgrades our communities need.”

Waikato Waters has also signed transfer agreements with Waipā, Waitomo and South Waikato district councils – the first councils to transfer their water and wastewater services to the new entity.

Transfer agreements will also be signed with Hauraki, Ōtorohanga and Matamata Piako councils.

From 1 July Waikato Waters will begin delivering water and wastewater services across the first three council areas. Councils will continue to collect water and wastewater charges on behalf of Waikato Waters for at least the next 12 months.

Customers will continue to pay their council and contact council customer service teams with any billing or service queries, while Waikato Waters crews deliver services in the field.

Waikato Waters’ head office will initially be based in Hamilton. It will have around 50,000 customers and assets valued at approximately $1.4 billion, making it one of the largest water companies in the country.

Shear we go again!

Waitomo District Library & Hippy

European Escape

Turn your travel Wish List into a journey to remember

Discover the rich history of the UK and the diverse beauty of Europefrom charming cobblestone streets and grand architecture to sweeping countryside and local flavours.

Whether you’re dreaming of historic castles, indulgent cuisine, scenic coastal villages, or an unforgettable multi-country adventure, I’ll use my first-hand expertise to craft a journey perfectly tailored to you. Your European escape begins here - get in touch today!

Carla Mangles Director

Autumn pruning

There’s something therapeutic about taking on a long-overdue garden task, especially on a beautiful fine autumn day., I finally tackled the ficus that’s been dominating my old gazebo — a heavy prune that was well past due.

Planted nine years ago to soften and cover a weathered gazebo roof that had seen better days, the ficus has certainly done its job — and then some.

Over the years, it’s twisted and stretched itself around every corner of the frame, its lush green canopy offering shade in summer and a touch of wild beauty all year round. But lately, it had become more beast than beauty — unruly, overgrown I used 3 different trimmers the heavy duty petrol ones for the growth on the roof and smaller battery powered ones for the walls to give it the major cutback it needed. This wasn’t a light seasonal tidy — it was long overdue cutback.

Autumn is a good time for this kind of work. The growing season is slowing, giving the ficus time to settle before winter, and it’s far easier to see the structure of the plant once some of the foliage has dropped.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about restoring order — a kind of calm that comes after the chaos.

Now, with the trimmings cleared and the structure breathing again, the whole space feels refreshed. The ficus, though smaller and more bare for now, will bounce back come spring —

hopefully neater, stronger, and ready to reclaim its space with a bit more grace.

Other things in my garden well overdue that also got some love were the pleached Michelia hedges, buxus hedge & 20 buxus balls. So if you are like me and have things that need a trim now is the time as their growth slows for the winter months.

Happy Gardening!

20-20

By Richard Steele

AGE OF REASON

vision on gas

I’m old enough to remember the fuel shock of the 1970s, when for numerous reasons, the price of petrol and diesel went through the roof.

And here’s an observation I made then, that is just as relevant today.

Say the price rocks up by 20 per cent, to pluck a figure out of the air.

That is actually no excuse to put up your charges by 20 per cent, because fuel is usually only one part of the business costs, and while like in trucking it’s a big part, it’s still probably only a third of the cost of running a truck, and the other parts of the business may not have increased much, or at all.

And I’m not picking on trucking, it’s just an example, of what can happen, when we consumers are vulnerable.

So, a business sees an opportunity to make a buck, and does so, using the attack by Donald Trump as an excuse, and I agree, some of the cost increases are justified. But not necessarily, and not altogether.

I’m not well aware enough of the political situation in the Middle East region to accurately comment on the situation there. But I don’t think the Americans are either, in fact they could have easily bitten off more than they can chew, by attacking Iran.

The claims about Iran being close to making nuclear weapons seems as about as accurate as the previous claims about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The failure of that campaign, should have them hanging their heads in shame, but no .

The current administration has learned nothing from history, and have in fact regressed to today’s stage.

We have the so called president of the free world using course profanities to try to force the Iranians, to give up on a war they didn’t start.

Language that’s been banned in our household for decades. Actually, I swear like a trooper, but prefer to do so when my wife is out of earshot.

So, then I think of our own ability, to be self-sufficient in fuel, and I wonder about the decades of handwringing that has led us to be so dependent on the rest of the world for supplies essential to keep the country running.

Surely, even if we were able to produce a third of what our country needs we would at least be able to keep our essential services, and our export industries ticking over, to lessen the chances of us going broke in times of world crisis.

And surely, enough level heads leading our world, can sort their act out, without reverting to war as the only option available to them.

Surely we didn’t become the leading animal in the world to resort to attack and violence every time something happens that doesn’t suit us.

Donald Trump and the drongos around him have to go.

ON SHAKY GROUND

Ancient tsunamis

By Janine Krippner

A lot of work goes into understanding ancient tsunamis and their impacts.

The Storegga Slide is a giant submarine landslide that occurred thousands of years ago below the sea, offshore from southern Norway.

This is one of the largest landslides we know of - 2400 to 3200 cubic kilometres flowed out to around 800km from where it began.

The resulting tsunami impacted areas that now include Norway, Greenland, Scotland, and England. It took a lot of investigation work to understand this.

Out in the field, once a tsunami deposit has been recognised and described similar deposits can be identified elsewhere. Lab work can then provide an age for when it formed. Identifying similar deposits of the same age builds a picture of what areas were hit.

For impacts, the tsunami run-up height is important; this is the height that the water reaches above sea level. If a tsunami hit today, we could walk up to the highest points on land and measure it as it varies along the coastline.

For ancient tsunamis this takes much more work.

One method is investigating tsunami deposits within old lake beds. Under normal conditions sediment settles down through water, forming a mud layer. This can be interrupted by large storms or a tsunami washing new material into the lake. Tsunamis can transport sand and gravel from the sea plus ripped-up clasts of land that the water crossed. Marine fossils can confirm the ocean source.

For the Storegga tsunami, researchers found deposits within lakes at increasing

heights above sea level, then at lakes above a certain height they weren’t there. This gives a range of runup heights between those lakes. Their age connects deposits across regions.

The Storegga Slide occurred during the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, when ice sheets covered large parts of Europe. This adds complexity.

Having so much water locked up as ice changes a few things. Sea level was not the same as it is now, so scientists must figure that out too. Part of understanding past sea level is finding evidence through the geologic record, building a global picture through time.

Another complexity is where the land was at this location, at that time. Thick ice is heavy and can push the land itself down. When those thick ice sheets melted, the land rebounded upwards to where it is now. The sea level was lower, and so was the land. The level of the tide at that time also matters. Many pieces of the puzzle must come together.

All this work led to run-up heights reaching 13 metres in Norway near the landslide, at least 20 metres in the Shetland Islands, around six in northeast Scotland, and around five in northeast England. A seemingly simple result required so much work.

Studies like this that help us understand what happened in the past show us what could happen in the future, and therefore, what actions we must take to protect ourselves. Figuring out geologic events across the ages contributes to building safer and more resilient communities.

Bones to pick

By Dan Tasker

Mōkau has put on another masterclass for bone carvers at the latest Firstgas Mōkau Bone carving Symposium over Easter weekend.

Around 60 novice to expert carvers from across the country filled the Mōkau Hall to learn, create and connect at the free

Web stats

Our police column by Constable Chris Aspin from March 19 topped our King Country News website statistics last month while his column a week later came in fourth.

The top page was e-Editions where we post full pdf versions of the newspaper for those who cannot wait for the printed version.

News in Brief was the next best read post followed by a September 2025 story on Travis Langford - the hunter who went missing six months earlier - the second police column and news about Ngāti Maniapoto musician Codi Wehi releasing a new singles rounded out the top five.

symposium that has been an annual event since 2017.

Headlining the weekend were masterclasses in seven specialist areas: setting paua eyes into carvings, design process, 3D carvings, hand tool maintenance, carving as a spiritual language, lashing and electrical tools of the trade.

Symposium organiser Mike Brown said the masterclasses gave carvers at all levels the chance to improve and grow their skills and knowledge of the art.

“We’re seeing carvers who’ve been coming for a few years picking up these tips, really developing in the quality of their carvings. This was one of the goals of this symposium was to bring people from beginner carvers and teach them the skills to make high quality work,” Brown said.

One of the great moments of the event was at the carver’s dinner on Sunday night, where eight novice carvers presented their carvings to the group.

“That’s where we celebrate the weekend, the unity of the people, the love of bone carving, just a really

joyful time,” Mr Brown said.

“Each of (the beginner carvers) all made one or two beautiful carvings they were most proud of, and they presented those carvings to the symposium at the end to great applause.”

While a range of bone types are used in bone carving circles, most carvers brought cow bone and deer antlers to carve at the symposium due to how accessible they are.

While Māori cultural has strong ties to bone carving, r Brown said part of the richness for carvers at the symposium was the variety of cultures and backgrounds.

“There’s sometimes an assumption that bone carving is a traditional Māori design, and it is for some people, but other people have a different background and they’ll be carving something that might relate to their own culture,” he said.

“It could be northern European or Asian and some people are doing abstract contemporary designs.

That’s all encouraged here, it’s the diversity in the room that makes it’s so interesting.”

BAGS OF FUN FOR EVERYONE FREE Children’s Attractions

Entertainment and Food Stalls

Arts and Crafts Stalls and Raffles

And... DONE DEAL With MC James McOnie

WITH THE PAPARATA ELITE ROMNEY RUNNING OF THE SHEEP AT 2PM

Lots of life in print

There is still plenty of life left in print media, Good Local Media editor Roy Pilott told a Linkedin Hamilton event at Ebbett’s showroom at The Base.

Pilott was invited with Phillip Quay and Himanshu Parmar to discuss the changing face of media with an audience of about 40 businesspeople.

He said news, film and music had been challenged by technological advances.

“In 1988 video rentals were drawing more revenue than the box office and the future of the film industry was in doubt,” he said. “The emergence of the world wide web saw music being shared free and the same doubts were raised about the future of that industry.

“But digital media has ensured the future of both – we rent and buy the latest films online, and through subscriptions to the likes of Spotify we pay more for music than we ever did.”

He said the news media’s response to the challenges of the digital words was more problematic and still not resolved.

“When the UK media put their stories up online,

the publishers had the comfort of knowing the likes of the Sun and Mirror would still be snapped up by the morning commuters.

“But the New Zealand market was different – we had an extremely high subscription rate to newspapers, and the move by major media companies to make news available when and where readers wanted it impacted heavily on print sales.”

He said while he did not necessarily agree with providing news free without an immediate paywall and there had been subsequent closures of many mastheads, the fact both national media newspaper publishing companies were still leading the way in providing news in New Zealand justified those decisions.

He said Good Local Media – which publishes the Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News, King Country News, Bay of Plenty and Waikato business newspapers employed a different model to national publishers.

Almost all its journalists – including a trio with a

combined total of about 150 years in the industry - were employed on part time contracts. Good Local Media has an office in Victoria St Cambridge, but it is used predominantly by advertising and layout staff – journalists work from home. It’s newspapers – all free - are eagerly snapped up and contained news which had not yet appeared online.

He said the modelwhich relied on advertising as its sole source of funding – was working. But it faced challenges. More and more organisations were testing the water to get publicity by investing in social media and communications advisors – then expecting free publicity from their “local” paper – claiming they didn’t have an advertising budget. It was vital communities which still had their own community papers and wanted to keep them supported them, he said.

Pilott spent 20 years at the Waikato Times, including as acting editor before completing his daily news career with a fiveyear stint as editor of the Taranaki Daily News.

KING COUNTRY RURAL EXPO

The next move

By Peter Nicholl

The Reserve Bank will take its next Official Cash Rate decision the day before this column is published but after I wrote it.

This will be the second cash rate decision of the Reserve Bank since governor Anna Bremen took up office in November. The new governor could scarcely be facing a more challenging set of circumstances.

Some of her challenges come from the New Zealand Reserve Bank’s own past decisions. Throughout 2025, the bank reduced its cash rate substantially even though inflation was near, and at times slightly over, the top of its inflation target of 1-3 per cent. I found this surprising because one of the first things the current Government did in 2023 was to change the Reserve Bank’s mandate from a dual focus on growth and inflation to a sole mandate on inflation.

The Reserve Bank has ignored this mandate change.

Both their analysis and their cash rate decisions since 2023 only make sense if they were still operating with a dual mandate. They also moved their cash rate down much more than most of our trading partners. The result can be seen in our exchange rate.

The New Zealand dollar has depreciated significantly, especially against the Australian dollar. A depreciating exchange rate is good for exporters.

But it is bad for inflation and inflation is what the Reserve Bank is supposed to be focused on.

The Reserve Bank therefore put the new governor in a position where there was only one direction the cash rate could go – up. The only question was when the Reserve Bank would need to start raising the cash rate.

Earlier in the year, most commentators thought that wouldn’t need to be until the

last quarter of 2026 and possibly not until early 2027.

Then along came the Middle East shambles. Energy prices rose substantially and are still at elevated levels. Central Bankers usually ‘look through’ the first-round effects of temporary shocks to prices. But this shock could be different and will make the interest rate decisions of the Reserve Bank and other Central Banks difficult.

First, is this energy price shock a temporary one? That depends on how long the war in the Middle East continues. Who knows? But it has already gone on longer than most people expected when it started.

Second, it is not just the prices of petrol and diesel that are rising. Rises in these prices quickly feed into the prices of just about everything else.

Faced with these huge uncertainties, there are two opposite types of risk the Reserve Bank faces. One is act now, but the Middle East crisis gets resolved quickly, energy prices return to previous levels and the rise in interest rates proves to be unnecessary.

The second is wait in the hope that energy prices will come back down and don’t get embedded into generalised inflation but the opposite happens. For New Zealand, I think the second risk is much the bigger one. If I was on the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee I would have voted to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points to make it clear that the Reserve Bank was determined to prevent higher inflation getting entrenched. I doubt that’s what the Reserve Bank will have done. Their words will change, they will say the current situation is a very risky. But they won’t take action.

OPINION

When foresight pays off

By Mary Anne Gill

There are moments when a council decision, debated and doubted at the time, suddenly looks very smart indeed. Waikato Regional Council’s move to electric buses is one of them.

As households and businesses brace themselves against volatile fuel prices, the sight of quiet, zero-emission buses gliding through Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi feels less like an environmental gesture and more like practical common sense.

Credit where it is due.

Back in mid-2023, when the regional council confirmed the Cambridge (Route 20) and Te Awamutu (Route 24) services would transition from diesel to electric, the headlines focused on emissions and sustainability. But the decision was always about resilience as much as climate ambition. Two of the region’s busiest routes were identified early as suitable for electrification, supported by new depots, charging infrastructure and a more frequent timetable.

That planning began to pay off in April 2024, when Waikato’s first electric bus fleet officially took over Waipā services.

Six new electric buses replaced diesel vehicles, doubling weekday services and increasing weekend frequency, while covering some of the longest public transport distances in the country. Each bus typically travels between 350 and 500 kilometres a day, well beyond the national average, proof that electric buses are no longer just short-hop city toys.

What matters now, as fuel prices bite, is that these buses are not tethered to the rollercoaster of global oil markets.

They are charged overnight, off-peak, at dedicated depots in Leamington and Kihikihi, and batteries take two to four hours to fully

recharge. While diesel operators watch pump prices climb, Waikato’s electric fleet gets on with the job.

That did not happen by accident.

Waipā District Council deserves recognition for quietly doing the unglamorous but essential work of making land available for depots and charging infrastructure. Without those long-term leases and local co-operation, the electric transition simply would not have been possible. The council’s support enabled new charging facilities on Waipā land, ensuring buses could be reliably charged and ready each day.

Too often, district councils are remembered for the things they say no to. In this case, Waipā said yes, and the region is better for it. The buses themselves represent a step change in passenger experience.

Electric buses are quieter, smoother and more comfortable than their diesel predecessors, with benefits for passengers and for people living and working along the routes. Reduced noise, no exhaust fumes and a more civilised ride make public transport more attractive, reflected in rising patronage since service frequencies increased.

None of this is to pretend the decision was easy. Waikato Regional Council has been upfront about the challenges: charging infrastructure, route length, battery capacity and timetable co-ordination all required careful planning. Electric buses cannot simply be dropped into a diesel system and expected to work.

The councils got it right. Now let’s support their decision.

Keeping the stamps alive

By Jesse Wood

Longtime Waipā resident and philately enthusiast

Kevin Burgess believes stamp collections will have a place in society for many years to come.

There are still several societies enthusiasts can join including the Waikato Philatelic Society, the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand Philatelic Federation.

“There’s a future because what do you do as a hobby? It can’t be always connected with your phone or computer. People want something tactile that they can actually collect,” Burgess said.

“There’s been crazes over the years, Pokémon and telephone cards have been very popular.

“Stamp collecting or philately might come again for a dedicated bunch of enthusiasts.

“You could start a young person off by spending $20get a stamp album and fill it with low value stamps.”

Kihikihi Bookshop and NZ Post Centre Young Yeo said they sell stamps on a much smaller scale these days.

“When we started 16 years ago, some businesses were buying bulk quantities, but now businesses are buying everything online,” Yeo said.

“Now there’s foot traffic only. But still, people are using a stamp, especially the elderly.

“There used to be people collecting special stamps but it’s been a long time since people have asked me.”

Burgess’ love of stamps was initiated and fuelled by his beloved grandmother, Mary Burgess.

“My grandmother used to give all the grandchildren Christmas gifts. When I was 10 or 11, I got a stamp album and that piqued my interest,” Burgess said.

“I’d go to the Hamilton Central Post Office and buy little packets of stamps or individual stamps that I could afford. It was fascinating going to the counter to get a brand-new stamp that no one had seen.

“I got hooked on it but when I got into my teen years there were other priorities. But I always had a passion for it.

“Right through until I went into business in my mid-20s, I thought maybe I’d get back into it.”

Burgess has combined his love of sport, history and WWI with philately to create his collection.

His love of the stamps has led him to write a social history of the post offices in the Cambridge area.

“Post offices were the centre point of most communities. Postmasters were considered the top strata along with the mayor and councillors,” Burgess said.

“The first post office in Cambridge was in 1864; the militia camped there at one of the redoubts. As Cambridge grew, they had to get the post closer because people would hardly get to town. They had little post offices, probably 17 or 18 around Cambridge – Pukerimu, Bruntwood, Karāpiro. Which is quite fascinating.

“It’s not just stamp collecting, it’s how small towns like Cambridge and Te Awamutu evolved. That’s what I’m fascinated in.”

Even in the business world as a pharmacist, Burgess got his staff to cut out stamps and postal markings off envelopes for him.

“One of the stamps I was fascinated with was the smiling boys from 1931, during the Depression, because my grandmother had talked about it,” Burgess said.

“There was a blue boy

and a red boy. During the Depression, few letters were written or stamps used as they couldn’t afford to buy stamps - there was only a small supply.

“She got me interested in stamps to help others. In New Zealand, there were about six health camps for children who were disadvantaged for health reasons including malnutrition and lack of physical development.

“They’d have a stamp for sale from the Post Office for, say, three pennies. Two pennies would be for postage and one penny would be for the health camps.

“They raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep those going.

“In my first business in the early ‘80s, I said I’m going to support buying health stamps, to boost my collection, but help people in need.

“I would buy whole sheets and put them away safely.”

For many years, Burgess broadened his collection before narrowing it down to certain types.

“I decided to just do really well with new issues. From the early 1980s, right up to 2015, I got first day covers, some plate blocks, about six types of stamps and some miniature sheets. That brought my collection up,” Burgess said.

“Then a friend of mine, who had written a book about the Gisborne postal area, said, ‘Kevin that’s great. That’s generalising but what’s your passion?’

“I said, I’m studying military history - piqued by the interest, my wife’s, [Jane’s] grandfather, who sent 50-60 letters to his wife from 1915 to 1919.

“I was fascinated by the stamps and troop ship stamps. That got me thinking, if I do want to specialise, it needs to be something that has meaning

to me - military history, postal history, New Zealand Olympic stamps and rugby.”

He’s enjoyed spending the past 15 years searching the globe for the missing pieces of his collection.

His collection is made up of more than 30 albums of first day covers, 40 albums of stamps and boxes of others yet to find homes.

“I’ve had so much fun looking to add to my collection, that maybe one

Queen

Z

SuperValue

Piopio

day I’ll complete - maybe I’ll never complete it,” Burgess said.

“For me, there aren’t too many thrills that beat finding a unique cover or a unique stamp or something to complete your collection. Postal markings, as well, are quite valuable.

“I’m sure there are enough enthusiasts to carry on, because stamps still are being made.

“The postal [service]collecting stamps, history, the social history has been pretty big in my life. That’s why I’m a dedicated, and a bit narrow minded, stamp collector. It’s our history.”

“At my stage of life. A lot of people say to me, ‘I’ve got a stamp collection somewhere that I started when I was 12. Do you want it? My children don’t want it.’ I’ve taken them on board or given advice if they want to sell it.

EXPERTS AUTOMOTIVE DIRECTORY

Southend Tyres

One of the most important – and often overlooked - parts of your car is its tyres. It’s not just about making sure they are road legal, according to Richie Finn, manager of Southend Tyres in Te Kuiti.

“What you use your vehicle for matters – are you using your car around town, or do you need something that will cope with the backroads we have in the King Country,” he says.

It’s not just the types. These days there a legal requirement for those vehicles needing warrants of fitness to make sure you have matching tyres for road safety reasons.

“So if you have to change one for whatever reason, especially for front and back, then you do need to match the new tyre to the existing ones – or you may need to buy two tyres to pass that WOF.”

The business caters to all sizes of tyres, from bikes and trailers and other small tyre needs, right through to large trucks and farm implements. The great service Southend Tyres provides

sees them able to go out and change large farm vehicles on site, and they are also members of the National Tyre Assistance programme for those truckies that are members.

Richie encourages people to come and have a free tyre check – that way, if there is a problem, it often can be easy to pick up before new tyres need purchasing.

“It could be that you need a wheel alignment to ensure the tyre isn’t over-wearing in one area. Or if could be that your tyre pressure needs adjusting,” he says. Both of the above as well as extending tyre life, also help with fuel economy.

“Come and have a chat to our experienced team – we can help you out.”

Southend Tyres is at 44 Waitite Rd, in Te Kuiti and is open from Monday to Friday.

Search goes on for Waitomo

By Dan Tasker

Waitomo haven’t won a game in nearly three years, but you wouldn’t know it from their numbers.

By the time Saturday rolls around, it will be 1050 days since victory last graced the men from the caves – a 29-22 triumph against Kio Kio United at the Waitomo Domain on May 27, 2023.

Aside from an 8-8 draw against Taumarunui Eels a few weeks later, that’s as good as it’s been for Waitomo ever since – 27 games without a win and a 23-game losing streak.

To rub salt into the wound, Waitomo finished 2025 conceding an average of 71 points a game while scoring a miserly 41 points across the 12-game King Country premier club season.

Losing 2025 co-captains Rangi Mulligan-Green to Ōtorohanga and Kees Muller to Waitete hasn’t helped, although the green-andblacks have picked up Lachie van der Pasch, albeit with a broken arm, and Phil Lord to boost the back line.

And yet, despite the toil of the last few years, green shoots are appearing – there is hope.

Long-time club man and new Waitomo coach Gareth Owen has been getting 20 to 30 regulars to

training following on from former coach Steve Edwards, something he puts down to the culture.

“We just have quite a heap of fun at training and a pretty crazy and laid back environment. We need to play rugby, but we’ve got to have fun at the same time,” Owen said.

“The culture was there from last year with the numbers, so I wanted to carry that on. Because I’m super competitive myself, I wanted to add a bit of that competitiveness to try and get us a couple of wins for the season, and making sure there’s an opportunity for young fellas to go to a club and play footy,” he said.

Nobody said it was going to be easy and after 57-7 and 98-12 losses to Piopio and Waitete respectively, Waitomo will be up against it again when they face Taupo Sports, who are also winless in 2026, on Saturday.

“It’ll be a physical encounter for the boys, especially on our home paddock. The forward pack will front up, and it’ll be a bruising one. We’ll definitely be hungry for it,” Owen said.

Last Thursday’s Easter round under lights was nothing but treats for Waitete, pummelling Waitomo

to open their account after going down to Districts in round one.

Centre Baven Brown Jnr was the star of the 16-try show for Waitete, his classy hat-trick and doubles to Carlos Karaitiana, Riddick Rangitonga, Ivan Reid and Vailele Tupuola came from the acres of space Waitomo offered them out wide.

Waitomo stuck to their guns with two of their own tries to Lord, a steady hand at second five-eighth, and centre Dean Rata-Hemopo to give the visitors something for their efforts.

Piopio couldn’t make it two from two, going down 23-10 to the unbeaten Taumarunui Eels at Cherry Grove, Taupo Marist was too good and beat local rivals Taupo Sports 30-5, while Taumarunui Districts had a bye following Tongariro United’s withdrawal from the competition citing a lack of player numbers.

Round three will see Piopio get the first crack at Taupo Marist for the Hetet Shield after the Catholics took the shield off defending champions Tongariro in week one.

The game that stops Taumarunui - Districts v Eels - shapes as a ripper with both teams still unbeaten, while Taupo Sports makes the journey to the caves to take on Waitomo. All games kickoff on Saturday at 2.30pm.

Memories of Lion tamer

By Jesse Wood

Former Ngāhinapōuri and Tamahere resident Ross McMillan remembers his late older brother Don fondly.

Not just the man who scored an 80 metre try against the touring 1977 British Lions, but a keen guitarist with a strong work ethic.

From Paeroa to London, Saudi Arabia and Africa, Donald George McMillan saw the world before his death on January 3, 2024, in Uganda, Africa aged 71.

Ross, father of St Peter’s alumna and New Zealand winter Olympian Chloe, ventured to Uganda to obtain Don’s ashes and death certificate.

“The whole thing was a bit messy, but we succeeded. Basil Morrison from Paeroa came with me. He’s the honorary consulate to Uganda for New Zealand - an absolute bizarre coincidence,” now Central Otago-based Ross said.

“I hadn’t known Basil when I lived in Paeroa, but he knew the old man and Don really well.”

Basil – Hauraki District Council’s inaugural mayor and a former president of Local Government New Zealand - helped Ross “cut through the red tape” in Uganda.

“I was really lucky I had him with me. He succeeded in getting Don’s death certificate within a couple of days and the ashes were already there for me to take home,” Ross said.

“Basil was good friends with a guy who picked us up from the airport and took us around. He had all the right contacts. Wherever we went, everyone did as he asked.”

Born in 1952, Don was the eldest of Norm and Vera McMillan’s three children.

Norm was at one stage Paeroa Borough Council deputy-mayor (1974-1988), a Thames Valley rugby player from 1947-1950 and coached the Thames Valley rugby side from 1960-1964 and 1968-1970.

Norm’s father Gordon was a referee with

Ōtorohanga underway

By Jesse Wood

Ōtorohanga premier development made a solid start to the Waikato club rugby season, downing Melville B 59-5 at Island Reserve.

The premier team got an instant 50-0 win after Melville pulled the pin on their A team for 2026.

Development left winger Isoa Dobui helped himself to a hattrick while lock Turuva Lumeleme scored a double in front of home fans.

Other scorers were forwards Dion Pye, Lasaro Tora, Rangi Green and Paulo Sione.

Captain Liam Fox added five conversions off the tee and Zach Coles knocked over two more. This weekend, both sides will face Hamiton Old Boys at Ōtorohanga.

In the women’s premiership match, Ōtorohanga were pipped four tries to three by MelvilleHautapu combined, “Mel-Tap”. The final score as 22-15.

Kura Edwards scored 10 of the home team’s points, while centre Keighley Brough picked up the third score.

Suburbs women will pay a visit to Island Reserve this weekend.

one first-class game under his belt as well as Thames Valley union’s vice president and president in the 1930s.

Starting at Paeroa Central School, Don went on to board at Wesley College before studying accounting at the University of Otago.

Don’s goal was to represent Otago and he gave it a fair crack with the Southern Rugby Football Club alongside All Blacks Gary Seear and Laurie Mains.

But the blue and gold jersey opportunity never came.

“Don was passionate about rugby. He ended up moving back to Paeroa and worked with the old man at his accountancy company,” Ross said.

“He played for the local Paeroa West Club and consequently got into Thames Valley.”

Alongside fellow Thames Valley representative Brian Duggan, Don was in the 1977 Thames Valley-Counties combined side that lost 35-10 to the Lions.

Ross witnessed his brother scoring the longe range try with only Mike Gibson giving chase.

“It was pretty amazing. I went to the game in Pukekohe and because it was the Lions, it was just huge. It was more than likely a sellout,” Ross said. “There was no miracle that day but Don was the hero of Thames Valley.

“In the ’80s, there used to be a programme that you could ask for things that had been on TV to be shown again.

“My mother wrote a letter to them and asked if they could show Don’s try again. They organised a video of it for her and we’ve still got it.”

Don represented the Valley 28 times between 1976-1978, scoring 11 tries.

In 1978, he also played for the Colin Meads Invitational XV and in 1979 represented Gisborne-based Poverty Bay.

He scored for every representative team he played for in New Zealand.

Don then went to London to work in accountancy. He played for the London New

Zealand Rugby Club and was captain for a long time.

“A lot of Kiwis used to go to work in Saudi Arabia, you could earn a lot of money. Don did that for a couple of years,” Ross said.

“In doing that, he met his future wife. She was an airline hostess for British Airways. They were married and had a kid together. Then Don decided that he wanted to go back to Saudi to make more money and get ahead in life.

“Sadly, women were considered second-rate citizens in Saudi Arabia. Back then they had to stay in a commune. Women and children were not allowed out.

“Of course, it drove Carol and their son David nuts spending 24 hours a day in the commune. She had a guts full and went back to England. The marriage dissolved.”

Ross said he can’t remember the exact details, but suddenly Don was in Africa.

“That was the new place to go for expats - Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans and a lot of Europeans,” he said.

“He flitted between Uganda and Tanzania. He’d worked for TNT and DHL, among other

multi-national companies.

“I think he may have had a stint in Kenya; he was hard to keep track of at times. It was the lifestyle.

“Don’s life was a pretty hard case. He did do a lot. He was here, he was there, he was everywhere.

“He certainly lived a good life. He didn’t just sit around drinking beer all day.”

Beyond soy sauce with Jan Bilton

Sambal oeleck, Vietnamese mint, hoisin sauce, sesame oil — just a few of the tantalising Asian flavours that are available from your supermarket, greengrocer or Asian food store. All add interest to everyday meals without busting the budget. Vietnamese Mint — also called hot mint or laksa leaf— is not actually a member of the mint family. It grows easily in the garden and, if planted in a sunny, sheltered position, will keep producing its fragrant, long, pointy, red-stained leaves during winter. Add — in moderation — to fresh rice-paper spring rolls, soups (such as laksa), stir-fries, rice dishes, and vegetable and fruit salads.

Hoisin sauce is a reddish-brown, sweet, sticky sauce made from fermented soybeans, plums, garlic and spices. Chinese in origin, it is now often fused into Western recipes. Great with meats and fish, in stir-fries and rice and in dressings.

Makrut leaves (once commonly called kaffir lime leaves) look like two leaves joined and have a distinctive fragrance that enhances stocks, sauces and even desserts. They can be used whole or after discarding the central rib, very finely julienned.

Sambal oelek is a mixture of diced chillies, salt and vinegar. It is excellent in stir-fries or served as an accompaniment.

Chicken Laksa

120g rice stick noodles

1 tablespoon canola oil

60g packet (3-4 tablespoons) Singapore laksa spice paste

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

400g can light coconut milk

300g skinned and boned chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 makrut (kaffir) lime leaf, julienned

1/2 cup each: loosely packed Vietnamese mint leaves, coriander leaves

Topping: 1 carrot, julienned and blanched

1 cup bean sprouts or snow pea sprouts

4 lime wedges

Vietnamese mint and coriander leaves to garnish Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the pack.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and stir in the spice paste. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and makrut lime leaf. Poach for 3-4 minutes. Add the Vietnamese mint and coriander.

Place the drained noodles in four deep serving bowls. Add the chicken mixture then the topping. Serves 4.

Hoisin Lamb Cutlets

5 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons each: canola oil, lemon or orange juice 1-2 teaspoons sambal oeleck or similar

3 large cloves garlic, crushed 8 large lamb cutlets or chops

Whisk the hoisin sauce, oil, juice, sambal oelek and garlic in a bowl. Brush lightly over the cutlets. Stand for 30 minutes. Preheat a grill or barbecue. Cook the lamb for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, brushing with the remaining marinade after 6 minutes. Serves 4.

27 Keepsake (7)

29 Core (7)

30 Imaginary (6)

31 Hackneyed (5)

32 Shellfish (6)

34 Sketch (4)

77 After birth (9)

79 Immediate (7)

81 Beverage (3)

84 Musical drama (5)

85 Tools (10)

86 Fragrant flower (5)

87 Vegetable (5)

88 Very eager, enthusiastic (2,4,2,7)

89 Armada (5) DOWN

2 Boat weight (6)

3 Small tree (5)

5 Concluded (4)

6 Takes off (7)

7 A spice (6)

8 Bring to a premature end (5)

9 Tidying (anag) (7)

10 Ship’s body (4)

11 Abduct (6)

12 Ragamuffins (5)

13 Uppermost (7)

14 Door aperture (7)

18 He wrote The ThirtyNine Steps (4,6)

23 Tough fabric (5)

24 In a murderous frenzy (7)

26 Pest in an audience (7)

36 Business big wheel (5)

38 Night-flying insects (5)

40 Jumping insect (4)

45 Chocolate substitute (5)

46 Sanction (7)

47 Notion (4)

48 Fit to eat (6)

49 Derision (5)

50 Give the sack (7)

52 Swashbuckling

1930s film actor (5,5)

53 Jotter (7)

54 Eye cover (6)

55 Hold dear (7)

56 Annoying (5)

57 Accompanying (4)

62 Concur (5)

67 Broad hat (7)

68 Train stop (7)

70 Idealistic (7)

72 Most handy (7)

73 Evaluate (6)

74 Rich cake (6)

75 Dangerous (6)

76 Old language (5)

78 Records electronically (5)

80 Court case (5)

82 Renown (4)

83 Celebrity (4)

5 Over, 6 Deducts, 7 Nutmeg, 8 Abort, 9 Dignity, 10 Hull,

3

Sesame Oyster Beef

Although sesame oil is usually added to dishes at the end for flavour, here it makes a great rub for barbecue meat. Rump steak could also be grilled this way, but with a little less cooking.

Oyster sauce is a thick brown sauce made by simmering oysters in soy sauce and brine.

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 x 3cm-thick sirloin steaks

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Rub the sesame oil into the beef. Season with the black pepper. Cook on the barbecue or under a very hot grill for about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Cover and stand for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to a chopping board and cut into 3cm slices crosswise. Arrange the meat on a platter and drizzle with the oyster sauce. Serves 4.

DOWN: 2

Across 1. Pilfer (5)

4. Opportunity (6)

7. Wood residue (3)

8. Season (6)

9. Assignment (6) 10. Dawn (8)

12. Perpetually (4) 13. Modify (6)

15. Attractive (6)

16. Ring (4)

17. Strong desire (8)

Last week

19. Separate into parts (6)

20. Eraser (6) 22. Speck (3) 23. Talkative (6) 24. Useful (5)

Down 1. Exaggerated cleaning (4,3,6)

2. Dine (3)

3. Sizeable (5)

4. Medical examination (7) 5. Pact (9) 6. Sweets and chocolates (13) 11. Design, plan (9) 14. Calamity (7) 18. Moor (5) 21. Prohibit (3)

Across: 1. August, 4. Aspire, 9. Layer, 10. Evasive, 11. Recital, 13. Iris, 14. Intolerable, 17. Gust, 18. Annoyed, 21. Episode, 22. Taste, 24. Danger, 25. Cherub.

Down: 1. Allure, 2. Guy, 3. Strut, 5. Stamina, 6. Initially, 7. Even, 8. Wellbehaved, 12. Confusion, 15. Outcome, 16. Adverb, 19. Notch, 20. Feud, 23. Sir.

GRAND VIZIER

HAREM

LAMP

LEGENDS

LOVE

MAGIC CARPET

OASIS

OPEN SESAME

PALACE

PRINCESS

SAD

SAND

SINBAD

SING

SORCERY

SPELL

STEAL

STORIES

TALE

THIEVES

THREE WISHES

TREASURE

VOYAGES

WEDDING

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

INVOICING AND PAYMENTS

E ective from April 1, 2026, a $5.00 plus GST administration fee will be added to all Good Local

subject to a $95 + GST late payment fee per month. Advertiser is responsible for all debt collection fees. RATE CARD Rates are based on advertising space only and are over a 12-month period starting from the date the first ad publishes. Rate bracket e.g. 6 insertions, 12 insertions etc. chosen allows ad sizes to vary within the rate bracket. If the number of insertions chosen is not met then a bulk charge will be applied at the end/cancellation of your schedule based on correct rate reflective of the number of ads published e.g. if you have chosen the 12 insertion rate and only publish 6 insertions, the bulk charge will be the di erence in price between the 6 insertion rate and 12 insertion rate multiplied by the number of ads published. You pay the rate reflective of the number of ads you published.

Copy deadline for ad-make up is noon Friday prior to publication day. Booking and Copy deadlines for Waikato Business News and Bay of Plenty Business News is on request. Advertiser is responsible to advise us of any copy changes before proofing deadline –anything not signed o by this time, ad prints as per the last proof sent. Advertising supplied in completed form (finished artwork or camera ready), deadline is Tuesday 11am prior to publication day. Public holiday weeks, all deadlines move forward one working day. Cancellation deadline is one week prior to publication. If cancellations are received after the cancellation deadline, then full charge applies. All other publications and products see separate booking and deadline sheet. Advertising setting incurs a production fee of $50 + GST for up to two proofs, further changes will incur additional production fees. Advertising copy set by Good Local Media Ltd is the property of Good Local Media Ltd and for use in Good Local Media Ltd publications only. If used elsewhere charges will apply, pricing available on request. If supplied ready to print, copy is owned by the advertiser. Publication day is Thursday for urban deliveries and Friday morning for rural deliveries. Acceptance of advertising and free productions services is at the discretion of the publisher. Acceptance of advertising for publication and free productions services is at the discretion of the publisher.

high resolution PDFs as the ad file format exported using the compatibility setting: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3). Please do not use/include overprint. Ideally, 10pt is the standard point size; however, in some cases with bold fonts 9pt can be used, depending on background. Black text should be 100% black[k]. All artwork submitted needs a border. Specifications for photos and logos – CMYK, high resolution jpeg (minimum 200dpi) pdf attachments. If finished artwork ready to print (Camera Ready) provided does not meet our technical requirements, your advert will be technically fixed, a technical report will be provided, and a $50 + GST production fee will be incurred. No proof will be sent as no design changes will be made.

File formats: We will not accept PDFs created from Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and Canva. However, we can copy your design and proof for your approval. Any artwork received in these formats must adhere to the copy setting deadline as they are not finished artwork or technically compatible to newspaper printing specifications.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Good Local Media Limited (including its employees, o cers, or agents) shall not be liable for a failure or breach arising from anything beyond their reasonable control e.g. an act of God, fire, earthquake, strike, explosion, or electrical supply failure, unavoidable accident or machine breakdown; and

Ōtorohanga 21 Haerehuka Street

HANDYMAN

Property maintenance and construction

David

Steve Knight - 027 598

Tai Dundas - 027 598 2115

- 027 598 2005 Tai Dundas - 027 598 2115

Ōtorohanga - 07 873 6385

Lawns, trees, stump grinding, sections, moss & mould treatments, Chemwash, waterblasting, gutter vac, water tank and trough cleaning fences, retaining, odd jobs and more. References available GST registered.

6385

Te Kūiti - 07 878 5169

Taupo - 07 378 8545

Te Kūiti - 07 878 5169 Taupo - 07 378 8545

Ōtorohanga - 07 873 6385 Te Kūiti - 07 878 5169 Taupo - 07 378 8545

SERVICING THE

SERVICING THE KING COUNTRY 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK PROMPT & EFFICIENT

SERVICING THE KING COUNTRY 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK PROMPT

Mike & Allana 027 350 0836 – info@handy-man.co.nz

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

/ Residential /

/

Septic Tank Cleaning

• Emptying septic tanks

• CCTV pipeline inspection

• Jetting drainage pipelines

• Spreading animal effluent

Waitomo Liquid Waste Disposal 021 111 3911

PAINTING

Painting

Exterior

Exterior

Exterior house washing

Small jobs welcome

Small jobs welcome Contact Steve 022 676 1839

Te Kūiti based Contact Steve 022 676 1839

Contact Steve 022 676 1839

No

No

Dave Rowe PAINTING

LTD

• Interior & Exterior

• Painting • Wallpapering

• Spray Painting • Roofs

• Farm Buildings

All interior jobs booked in June/July/August receive a 10% discount t&c apply

Chivone Prak • 021 211 1176 decorator@daverowepainting.co.nz

LAWNMOWING

• Residential • Commercial

Best Price Best Service Contact Jason P: 021 2666 021 E: jason@perfectlawn.co.nz

SCRAP GOLD

WANTED

We buy your old worn out or broken gold jewellery. Bring in any earrings, chains, bangles, rings, watches or coins Turn it into $$ CASH Conditions apply. Must have valid NZ passport or

The CAB can probably help with free and confidential advice and guidance

Problems? NEED A JP?

Pukenui School is excited to welcome for another year of learning, growth,

A JP is in attendance at the Te Kuiti CAB rooms 222 Rora St, each Tuesday between 1 and 2pm - Just call in.

For assistance, call in to 22 Rora Street, Te Kuiti, or phone us on 07 878 7636 or email us on tekuiti@cab.org.nz

As a vibrant full primary, we provide a warm, child is known, valued, and supported to achieve In 2026 our focus continues on strong relationships, cultural responsiveness, and empowering learning 8. With dedicated staff, supportive whānau, manaakitanga and respect, Pukenui is a place

We offer rich opportunities including Kapa local curriculum learning, wellbeing initiatives, values guide everything we do, helping our and capable lifelong learners.

Kia

SITUATIONS VACANT

Oho! Kia Mataara!

Pukenui School is seeking a reliable and practical Caretaker for 20 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facility Maintenance

• Grounds Care

• Health & Safety

• Site Security

• Asset Management To Apply:

Please contact Principal Dorothy Carr for an application pack. principal@pukenui.school.nz 85 King

Office Administrator | Pukenui School

Permanent, Term-Time Only (8:30 am – 3:30 pm) Are you a multitasking “wizard” with a heart for community? Pukenui School is looking for a vibrant Office Administrator to be the welcoming face of our school. Essentials:

• Front Desk: Welcoming whānau and supporting our 130–150 pupils.

• Systems: Managing HERO (Student Management), ENROL, and EdPay.

• Finance: Handling accounts and payroll with precision.

• Daily Life: Offering a smile (and the occasional plaster) to our tamariki.

Start Date: 4th May, 2026.

• Application Packs - Email: principal@pukenui.school.nz

• Closing Date: Monday, 27th April

Services – Sunday 10am

Session clerk Ph Dawn 07 873 8735 Room bookings Ph Claire 027 276 6624

St Bride's Anglican Church Haerehuka St Ōtorohanga Sunday morning service 10am Ph 07 873 7006

EEKL SCHEDULE ON OUR EBSI E

DAIRY grazing available for R1 and R2 heifers. Call Aaron on 027 388 3881

EXCELLENT GRAZING

AVAILABLE for 50-60 diary heifers. Pirongia area, Ph 027 6465234.

HEIFER/COW. Grazing

Available. Te Kuiti area.

Please phone or txt Alan 021 088 02383

FOR SALE

DOGS for sale. Huntaway dog, big and strong, 2 yrs old, untrained. Top working parents. Needs a chance. $500.00. Ph 027 478 1783. Otorohanga.

All Saints Piopio 22 Moa St Sunday 10am

St Peter’s By The Sea, 25 Aria Tce, Mōkau 1st and 3rd Sunday 2pm

FLEMING, Lorraine Dawn (nee Locke) – With great sadness we announce the passing of our Aunty Lorraine on 28th March. Your sense of humour was one of a kind and you will be missed dearly. I hope you know how much you meant to us all. Your nieces Helen, Lorraine and Bronwyn (the Newman girls).

FLEMING, Lorraine Dawn (nee Locke) – John, along with his wife Linda, sadly share the news of the passing of his younger sister Lorraine, who passed away peacefully on 28th March at Beattie Home Otorohanga, with her niece Tanya at her side.

GOATS WANTED

GOATS WANTED

Will buy or muster feral goats

Will buy or muster feral goats

Piopio contact: 07 877 8097

Prompt pick up and payment

Prompt pick up and payment

Harvest Church Ōtorohanga

Mōkau contact: 06 752 9123

Ph Gavin 027 877 7512 or 07 877 7512

Ph Gavin 027 877 7512

Te Kuiti Saleyard

Yard Washdown Person

Te Kuiti Saleyard seeking a fit person to hose down yards after sales. 15-20hrs/wk. Must be reliable, experience dairy farming/ yard wash downs is an advantage. Please call Kelvin 021 969851

A/c G Speedy and J Gallagher Family Trust 446 Tikitiki Road, RD 1, Te Kuiti Saturday April 18 2026, Start 11am th

MACHINERY: Honda 520 2025 (650kms) SxS, Rata rototiller, Harrows, Giltrap bale feeder, Tractor forks, Alloy Tandem axle trailer, Alloy dog box/tool box for flatdeck ute, Compressor, Soft hands, Docking yards, Fuel storage combo fuel tank. FARM: Trutest M600 scales & weigh bar, Gallagher NAIT scanner, galv weigh platform, Numerous E/fence reels & standards, Round paddock bale feeders, Grader blade, Husqvana ride on lawnmower FENCING: Post hole borer, 9 coils of wire, wire strainers, Trail blazer staple compressor, staple gun MEMORABILIA: Old cream cans, Wagon wheels, Wool press bar leaners, Old tools, coppers, Stencil OUTSIDE ENTRIES: Husqvana 340 chainsaw, 13 in fencing saw, Corohawk large size kennel and run, Mole plough, 2.5 tonne hydraulic tip trailer, 2 x solo knap sack sprayers, snig chain. Plus numerous other items to many to list. (Venue will be signposted from Eight Mile Junction South of Te Kuiti)

Terms: Current NZFLL

Sunday Service @ 10.30am 5 Tuhoro Street, Ōtorohanga Ph 07 873 8890 Mob 027 493 0117 Email harvest.pc@xtra.co.nz

ALL WELCOME. Pastors Peter & Carole Coventry (An Assemblies of God Church)

ŌTOROHANGA BAPTIST CHURCH

8 Ranfurly St, Ōtorohanga

Sundays 10:30am Service and Children’s programme

Everyone is welcome Contact: 07 873 8685

WILLIAMS, Myffanwy Mai “Myffy” – Peacefully at Avonlea rest home Christchurch on Tuesday 1st April 2026 - aged 94 years. Loving eldest daughter of the late William & Dorothy Jarman. Loved mother of Rosemary Sircombe (deceased), Leslie Sircombe, Christine Jamieson, Perry Shilton & all her children’s extended families. Resting peacefully. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

We welcome you to our 10.30am Sunday service. www.journeychurch.org.nz 10 Sheridan St, Te Kūiti An Assemblies of God church 10:30am Sunday 10 Sheridan St, Te Kuiti Pastor Terry & Rowena Bradley 07 878 8694 021 703 008 An Assemblies of God Church

10:30am Sunday 10 Sheridan St, Te Kuiti

Pastor Terry & Rowena Bradley 07 878 8694 021 703 008

A Farewell with Heart

King Country Christians meet every Sunday in the Piopio Senior Citizens Hall, Weka Street, Piopio, at 10.30am

An Assemblies of God Church

Phone Judy 0211359346

Phone Judy 021135946 Everyone is welcome!

Every life deserves a meaningful farewell. Our compassionate, professional, and dedicated team is here to help, offering care and understanding when it matters most. Call us anytime – we’re here for you.

Come

Count