Norsewear Upbeat Despite No Deal with New Zealand Rugby for Supporters’ Beanies
Norsewear, a Tararua‑based wool clothing brand, wrote an open letter to New Zealand Rugby urging the use of natural wool for All Blacks supporters’ beanies. NZR responded that existing licensing agreements prevented a new partnership, and discussions shifted to woolen socks, which proved logistically unviable. Despite the setback, Norsewear remains upbeat, citing growing consumer demand for New Zealand wool. NZR reiterated its openness to local material innovation while maintaining current supplier relationships.
Waitlist Drops, but 717 Still Waiting for Gynaecology Care in Hawke’s Bay
Health New Zealand reports 717 patients still awaiting gynecology care in Hawke’s Bay, down from over 900 last year, as weekly new consultations rise to 39. Waiting periods over a year have fallen to 113, yet many women with chronic conditions...
Air New Zealand Is the Worst of Both Worlds – Nick Stewart
Air New Zealand, half‑owned by the New Zealand government, is grappling with soaring jet‑fuel costs that have doubled its daily fuel bill to about $8.5 million. Analysts project a FY 2026 loss of roughly NZ$226 million (≈US$135 million) and a share price sliding to NZ$0.48, near...
One Shot at a Time: Guy Harrison’s Journey to National Golf Title
Guy Harrison, a New Zealander with cerebral palsy, captured the NZ All Abilities golf championship, ending three years of Australian dominance. His win marks the first national title for a Kiwi since the event’s inception and underscores golf’s inclusive nature....
Matangi’s Marbled-Beef Marvel: Mark Story Throws a Tomahawk over Fire
Matangi Butchery in Hawke’s Bay showcases a premium Black Angus ribeye tomahawk, dry‑aged up to 21 days and priced at NZ$116.84 (≈US$70). The farm credits genetics, pasture‑based farming and careful ageing for the beef’s high marbling, likening its terroir to...
Frozen Veg in New Zealand: The Data Behind McCain and Wattie’s Cuts
McCain and Wattie's announced factory closures and job cuts in New Zealand's frozen‑vegetable sector. They cite soaring energy and labour costs and a sharp drop in frozen‑veg demand, with households spending only about $8 USD per year on frozen peas. Despite overall...
Napier: Twofold Bay Trawler Sinking and Reef Project Full Steam Ahead
A decommissioned 60‑year‑old trawler, the Twofold Bay, is slated to be sunk within three months to create Hawke’s Bay’s first artificial reef. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council granted resource consent, permitting up to 50 concrete reef cones to protect the...
Hastings Lantern Festival 2026: 150 Chinese Students’ Paintings to Feature at Osmanthus Gardens
The Hastings Lantern Festival 2026 will feature an exhibition of 150 paintings sent by Chinese students, expanding a cultural exchange that began after Cyclone Gabrielle. The collection includes works from multiple Chinese cities and six large scrolls created by disabled...
Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade Welcomes New Chief Fire Officer Rob Grayson
Rob Grayson has been appointed chief fire officer of the Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade, succeeding John Oliver after a 32‑year tenure. Grayson, a 17‑year firefighter and former deputy chief, now oversees day‑to‑day operations for the 17‑member volunteer unit. He highlighted...
Insurer Flags ‘Sea Surge’ Risk for some Napier Parklands Estate Properties
Tower Insurance has refused to underwrite several homes in Napier’s Parklands residential estate, citing a high risk of sea‑surge flooding despite the development’s use of recent coastal inundation modelling and elevated ground levels. The insurer relies on address‑specific hazard modelling...
Napier’s The Sushi Club Waits Six Weeks for Money Owed After Uber Eats Account Hacked
The Sushi Club in Napier had its Uber Eats account hacked, prompting Uber to freeze nearly $3,000 in pending payouts while investigating. Owner Penny Leigh repeatedly sought updates but received none for six weeks, forcing the restaurant to suspend Uber...
First Dannevirke Solar Farm Under Construction, with Plans for Another in 2027
Construction has begun on Dannevirke's first solar farm, a 23‑megawatt (MW) facility expected to supply electricity for roughly 5,000 homes. The project, developed by Bright Fern Energy and built with materials from GameChange Solar, is 58% owned by an Australian...
New $15.5m Te Rēinga Bridge Opens After Cyclone Damage
The $15.5 million NZD (≈$9.3 million USD) Te Rēinga Bridge officially opened, restoring the vital link between Wairoa’s Ruakituri Road and Tiniroto Road. Featuring a 90.5 m weathering‑steel arch and a 13.5 m single‑lane span, the structure is engineered to last 100 years and resist floods...
Hawke’s Bay Energy Summit to Tackle Rising Power Costs and Supply Risks
The Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce is convening an Energy Summit after a survey of its Leaders Circle identified soaring energy costs as the region’s top business concern. Recent events—including Pan Pac’s two‑week pulp‑mill shutdown when wholesale electricity spiked to...
Three Years of Cyclone Repair Works Conclude on SH2 and SH5 in Hawke’s Bay
After three years of intensive repairs, State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa and State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō are fully restored following Cyclone Gabrielle’s February 2023 damage. The effort covered roughly 65 repair sites, with the Devil’s Elbow stretch on SH2...
Central Hawke’s Bay College Students Explore Stress Management with Ice Bath
Central Hawke’s Bay College Year 11 health students spent a week learning stress‑management techniques, including ice‑bath breathing exercises. Teacher Caitlin Cahill introduced practical sessions to build resilience, linking them to broader concepts of mental health and hauora. The program featured diverse...
Hastings District Council Staff to Move Into New Mass-Timber Tumu-Owned Office Building
Hastings District Council will relocate 80 staff from three separate sites into a new four‑storey mass‑timber office building on Lyndon Road, owned by Tumu Property. The council sold the former Heretaunga House site to Tumu for about US$1.5 million and will...
Napier Crash: Truck and Trailer Roll Closes SH51 Lane Near Awatoto Rd
A truck hauling a shipping container rolled off State Highway 51 near Awatoto, Napier, at 11:20 am on March 30, blocking the northbound lane and landing between the road and railway tracks. One person was air‑lifted to Hawke’s Bay Hospital in serious condition....
Dresses for Rent: Hawke’s Bay Mother Builds a Business From Her Wardrobe to Stay Home with Her Baby
Nina Woodham, a Havelock North mother, launched Dress NZ, a home‑based dress‑rental service, using her own wardrobe as seed inventory. Within a year she expanded from 10 to about 60 dresses, each rented for roughly $36 USD with delivery included. The business...
Hawke’s Bay Chef on Losing His Sight: ‘They Say the Blind Can’t Lead the Blind. I Disagree’
Earl Zapf, a former Hawke’s Bay chef and culinary tutor, was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration in 2021 and has since lost most central vision. He authored the memoir "Blindfulness," a collection of field‑note style reflections on adapting to blindness,...
As Diesel Prices Surpass 91 Petrol, Truckies Say Goods and Groceries Will Start Going up Too
Diesel prices in New Zealand have surged 80% since February, reaching $3.24‑$3.45 NZD per litre (about $1.94‑$2.07 USD), overtaking 91 petrol for the first time. Petrol has risen only 35% in the same period. Trucking firms are absorbing extra costs—up to $150 NZD (~$90 USD) daily...
Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay Music History Mapped
Hawke’s Bay‑born country singer Glen Moffett has authored the Central and Southern Music Map for AudioCulture, a digital “Noisy Library” of New Zealand music. Drawing on the Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank and interviews with locals, the map chronicles everything from 19th‑century...
Takahē Breeding Pairs Released at Cape Kidnappers Golf Course Sanctuary
Three experienced takahē breeding pairs were released this week at Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, expanding the sanctuary’s managed population within New Zealand’s 2,530‑hectare Cape Sanctuary wildlife‑restoration project. The sanctuary, now home to 18 free‑roaming birds and authorized for up to 100,...
Hastings McCain Vegetable Factory to Shut in 2027, Jobs at Risk
McCain Foods announced that its vegetable processing plant in Hastings, New Zealand, will cease operations by 31 January 2027 after a strategic review of its ANZ supply model. The facility, which handled more than 50,000 tonnes of peas, beans, sweetcorn and carrots each year,...
Maraenui: New Medical Service Hopes as Trust Renovates Napier Clinic
Ahuriri District Health is renovating a long‑vacant clinic on Geddis and Longfellow avenues in Maraenui, Napier, to launch new health services aimed at the local Māori community and broader residents. The project stems from the 2008 Waitangi Tribunal settlement that...
Hawke’s Bay Tramper Highlights Locator Beacons’ Importance After Being Saved by Rescue Chopper
Experienced tramp John Sharpe was rescued after activating his personal locator beacon (PLB) when he began hallucinating deep in Hawke’s Bay bush. The Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter located him via the PLB’s GPS signal and winched him out within 20...
Hawke’s Bay’s Cheapest and Most Expensive House Sales for 2025: From a $5.15m Apartment to $57k Cottage
Hawke’s Bay recorded a striking price spread in 2025, with a 1910 cottage in Frasertown selling for just $56,650 and a luxury waterfront apartment in Ahuriri fetching $5.15 million. The low‑end sale reflects the modest demand and condition‑driven pricing common in...
Five Questions with Ruebana Paraha: 73-Year-Old Artist on How She Got Her First Solo Exhibition
Seventy‑three‑year‑old Ruebena Paraha, a Māori artist of Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu descent, is debuting her first solo show, Wayfinding, at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery. After three decades living across Germany, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Oceania and India,...
Hastings’ Holly Butchery Launches New Zealand’s First ‘Liquid Bacon’ – Mark Story
Hastings’ Holly butchery has introduced Holly Gold, New Zealand’s first “liquid bacon,” a triple‑smoked, salt‑cured pork fat sold in a jar. The product was developed by fifth‑generation manager Ellie Vogtherr‑Pulford and is already being used by the Mission Restaurant and celebrity...
Hawke’s Bay Cheesemakers Craggy Range Sheep Dairy and Origin Earth Score Big Wins at National Awards
Craggy Range Sheep Dairy and Origin Earth, two boutique Hawke’s Bay cheesemakers, dominated the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards. Craggy Range earned the European‑style cheese trophy, champion boutique cheese title for its six‑month‑aged pecorino, and a new cheese trophy for its...
Watch: Fireball that Streaked Across Hawke’s Bay Sky Likely to Be Burning Space Junk
A bright fireball streaked across the sky over Hawke’s Bay early Thursday morning, prompting witnesses to think it was a plane or meteor. Observers from Wairoa to Napier reported a slow‑moving white object leaving a lingering contrail lasting up to...
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council Pledges $200,000 to Rebuild the Tukituki-Tarewa Swing Bridge
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council has pledged $200,000 toward rebuilding the Tukituki‑Tarewa Swing Bridge, part of a $1.2 million project to restore the flood‑damaged structure. An insurance payout of $565,000 covers a portion of the cost, while the remaining funds will...
The 10 Stranded Boats in Napier and Council’s Pontoon Solution
Napier’s Nelson Quay Wharf has been closed after engineers deemed the Iron Pot area structurally unsafe, leaving ten boats stranded with no direct access. The council has met with owners and proposed installing temporary floating pontoons to create new berths, a...
Inside Sir Peter Beck and Rocket Lab’s Sub-$17 Million Mission to Find Life Above Venus
Rocket Lab’s Venus Life Finder (VLF) mission aims to drop a sub‑kilogram probe into the clouds of Venus for a brief 210‑second sampling window, targeting possible biosignatures. The entire venture is slated to cost under $17 million, dramatically cheaper than historic...
Napier’s Squabbling Councillors Get the Region’s Biggest Pay Bump
Napier City Council councillors received the region's largest pay increase, with an average rise of 20.84% or $14,447, pushing their annual remuneration to $83,757. The increase dwarfs the 3.1% household inflation rate and outpaces other councils, whose raises range from...
Welcome to Wairoa – This New Training Hub Aims to Attract Frontline Health Staff
New Zealand’s government has launched the second of four rural health training hubs in Wairoa, aiming to attract and retain frontline health staff. The hub will coordinate clinical placements, training pathways, and provide pastoral support such as housing and employment...
Free E-Bike Lock-and-Charge Hubs Roll Out on Hawke’s Bay Trails
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, alongside Napier and Hastings councils, has launched free Locky Dock lock‑and‑charge stations on key trail locations. Backed by MBIE’s Ministry of Tourism funding and delivered with Big Street Bikers, the hubs let riders secure and charge...
Ultra Swimmer Jono Ridler Comes Ashore in Napier as End to Epic Swim Draws Closer
Ultra‑swimmer Jono Ridler, 35, is attempting a record‑breaking 1,388 km unassisted coast‑to‑coast swim down New Zealand’s east shoreline. He arrived at Napier’s Perfume Point after covering roughly 996.5 km, just shy of the 1,000 km milestone. The swim, conducted in togs with a two‑boat...
Hawke’s Bay Firm Takes on New Zealand Prison Manufacturing, with a Plan to Cut Out Aussies
Patton Engineering has launched Patton Custodial in Whakatū, taking over prison‑related manufacturing from Sharp Edge Engineering and targeting contracts traditionally held by Australian firms. The new unit is one of only two New Zealand companies licensed to produce custodial products and...
Wairoa Welcomes The Baskete Supermarket - an Independent - to Compete with Foodstuffs
Wairoa will host its second supermarket when the independent Baskete Supermarket opens mid‑2026 on the former New World site. The venture aims to challenge the Foodstuffs duopoly by offering lower grocery prices and a broader product range. Developer Aman Bakshi...
Fonterra Sale Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity for Balance – Nick Stewart
Fonterra’s Mainland Group sale has been cleared, unlocking a $3.2 billion capital return for New Zealand dairy farmers. The average payout will be $392,000 per farm, with larger operations slated to receive $2‑3 million. Settlement is slated for the end of March 2026,...