Community News

Glenfern Sanctuary is moving ahead with a major upgrade to its volunteer accommodation, with five new cabins and a fully equipped communal hub set to support conservation work across the northern end of Aotea. Sanctuary manager Steve Clemow said the…

Residents off the southwest coast of the Barrier were given a major surprise on Friday when two powerful explosions occurred just a minute apart off Whangara Island. The blasts sent plumes of white smoke hundreds of feet into the air,…

Man of the Match performance from the former island local.

National says it will campaign on tightening commercial fishing rules in the Hauraki Gulf, including reviewing controversial carve-outs that allow some activity inside newly created High Protection Areas (HPAs). National’s conservation spokesperson, Tama Potaka, confirmed the party would try to…

The Great Barrier Local Board is hosting a series of community barbecues across the island this month and next, aiming to gather resident feedback for the upcoming Local Board Plan. The events are being run as informal “catch-ups,” allowing residents…

A massive naval presence east of Great Barrier Island today isn’t a combat exercise, but a rigorous set of “final exams” for the fleet’s heaviest hitters, according to an NZDF source. Sailors reported seeing HMNZS Aotearoa (A11), HMNZS Canterbury (L421),…