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Blood moon as dark skies reveal the total lunar eclipse.

Blood Moon Set to Rise Over Aotea on Monday Morning

Stargazers on Aotea will be treated to a total lunar eclipse early on Monday 8 September, with the “blood moon” set to create a spectacular dawn display. The eclipse begins in the early hours, with the first stages starting at…

A Barrier Air Cessna Grand Caravan — the airline says government loans will help, but rising costs and a weak Kiwi dollar remain major challenges.

Barrier Air welcomes Government support but warns costs still biting

Barrier Air chief executive Grant Bacon says the Government’s $30m package for regional airlines is welcome news for a sector under pressure. The loan scheme, announced this week by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Transport Minister James Meager,…

Southern Lights could put on a show over Great Barrier skies this week — locals are urged to look south with cameras ready. Photo / Tristan Pokornyi

Community News

Aurora Alert: Southern Lights Could Dance Over Barrier Skies

Great Barrier Island stargazers might be in for a rare treat this week, with the Aurora Australis expected to make an appearance — though experts caution it’s difficult to predict exactly when and where. Dr James Brundell, from the University…

Community News

Government steps in with $30m loan scheme for regional airlines

The Government has unveiled a $30 million loan fund to prop up struggling regional airlines — and signalled it expects Air New Zealand to integrate smaller carriers into its systems so regional passengers can travel seamlessly onto mainline and even…

Hunter Edwards all smiles as his hand is raised after a unanimous decision win at Unbroken 4. Photo / CSN Watch

Community News

Hunter Edwards Claims Victory in Auckland Bout

Hunter Edwards all smiles as his hand is raised after a unanimous decision win at Unbroken 4. Photo / CSN Watch

Boaties caught red-handed: Police seized 21 Packhorse Crayfish, some undersized, from an 8.8m vessel off Great Barrier Island. Photo / NZ Police

Community News

Barrier Considers Rules to Shut Out Crayfishers

Great Barrier is weighing new local protections that would stop boats from Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf shifting to Aotea to target crayfish, after the Government closed mainland waters in April. A ban running from Cape Rodney to Kawakawa Bay…

Hunter Edwards hasn’t forgotten where he comes from. The young kickboxer grew up on Great Barrier and is now carving out a name for himself in the K-1 scene with Balmoral Lee Gar in Auckland.

Community News

Barrier boy Hunter Edwards set for the big stage at Unbroken 4

Hunter Edwards hasn’t forgotten where he comes from. The young kickboxer grew up on Great Barrier and is now carving out a name for himself in the K-1 scene with Balmoral Lee Gar in Auckland. On Saturday, August 23, he’ll…

An adult black petrel cruises over the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. Photo / Dan Burgin / WMIL

Thirty Years on Hirakimata: What We’ve Learned About the Black Petrel

A new report released this month marks 30 years of black petrel monitoring on Great Barrier Island, the only place in the world — along with Little Barrier — where the seabird breeds, revealing a population holding steady but still…

Community News

Island Gin up for People’s Choice at Business Awards

Island Gin, the boutique distillery run entirely off-grid on Aotea (Great Barrier Island), has been named a finalist in the People’s Choice category of the Auckland Business Awards. Voting is now open to the public. Founded by Andi Ross, Island…

The Great Barrier Island Ambulance Station in Tryphena. Photo / Supplied

Community News

Urgent Funding Appeal to Keep Aotea’s Ambulance Running

Aotea’s ambulance service is facing a funding cliff, with support set to run out in September 2025. Without new backing, St John’s paramedics may no longer be able to cover the island’s emergency response. “Our local St John’s ambulance provides…