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Health Trustees on a recent site inspection of the new Community Health Centre wing. Photo / GBICHT

Community News

New Health Centre Wing Nears Completion

Construction is nearing the finish line for the much-needed expansion of Great Barrier Island’s Community Health Centre. The new wing, which began construction earlier this year, has now had its roof installed and is in the final stages of internal…

The magic of Aotea's night sky, a Travelers' Choice award-winning experience. Photo / Mark Russell

Environment

Aotea Shines with Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award

Great Barrier can celebrate another win for local tourism with Good Heavens, the island’s renowned dark sky experience, receiving the prestigious 2024 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award. The award, based on a year’s worth of reviews and ratings from travelers worldwide,…

Economic Waves: The Triple Tax Surge Set to Hit Great Barrier Island's Shores. Photo / Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Community News

Kaitoke School Launches 2025 Calendar Fundraiser

Kaitoke School is gearing up to showcase the breathtaking beauty of Aotea through the lens of local photographers with the release of its 2025 landscape calendar, just in time for the festive season. The school has announced the ambitious project…

SeaLink ferry to Great Barrier Island: A costly voyage for islanders due to lack of subsidies and exemption from public transport regulations. Photo / Supplied

Community News

Local Board’s Decade-Long Silence on Transport Subsidies

The Great Barrier Island local board chair is defending claims that the board has advocated for public transport and freight subsidies to and from the island, despite a lack of formal evidence supporting such requests. An investigation by AoteaGBI.news found…

Miner's Head: Remnants of Great Barrier Island's first copper mine, a glimpse into the island's industrial past. Photo / LawrieM / CC

Environment

Ministry Declines to Confirm or Deny Fast-Track Mining Applications on Great Barrier Island

Miner’s Head: Remnants of Great Barrier Island’s first copper mine, a glimpse into the island’s industrial past. Photo / LawrieM / CC The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has refused to confirm or deny whether fast-track mining applications have been…

Starlink Mini claims to bridge the digital divide, one remote location at a time.

SpaceX Expands Reach with portable, USB-powered ‘Starlink Mini’

The world of satellite internet is expanding, and Great Barrier Island might soon feel even less remote. SpaceX has unveiled the Starlink Mini, a compact, portable satellite, USB-powered internet dish promising to revolutionise access to the internet for off-grid locations.…

Medlands Beach glimmers in the moonlight, a testament to Aotea/Great Barrier Island's commitment to preserving the dark, star-filled skies. Photo / Mark Russell

Environment

Aotea Shines on Stuff and Lonely Planet This Matariki

Great Barrier Island Takes Center Stage as Stargazer’s Paradise

Home Buying Becomes a Steeper Climb on Hauraki Gulf Islands

Home buyers eyeing property on the picturesque Hauraki Gulf Islands are set to face tough new financial barriers. As of 1 July, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is setting new debt-to-income (DTI) ratios that will significantly impact what people…

More than 100 tonnes of caulerpa washed up in this Great Barrier Island Bay after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Sid Ware / Ministry for Primary Industries

Environment

Authorities Extend Caulerpa Control Measures

More than 100 tonnes of caulerpa washed up in this Great Barrier Island Bay after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Sid Ware / Ministry for Primary Industries / FILE The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has extended the exotic Caulerpa Controlled…

Snapper showing signs of Milky White Flesh Syndrome, a condition linked to climate change and food scarcity in the Hauraki Gulf. Photo / Fishing NZ

Climate Change to Blame for Malnourished Snapper – NIWA

Fisheries New Zealand has pinpointed a combination of climate-related factors as the likely cause of Milky White Flesh Syndrome in snapper, according to a new report. Skinny snapper with mushy, white flesh instead of the usual firm and translucent texture…