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 mandated a bicultural health centre for Ahuriri Māori. Simultaneously, Crown‑owned social‑housing agency Kāinga Ora is constructing new homes on adjacent sites to meet rising demand from an aging population and recent residential redevelopment. The combined effort seeks to revive a neglected neighbourhood and improve access to essential care.
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,...