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2137 days ago

Nominate your neighbourhood's Santa - comment below!

Reporter Sunday Star Times

We are on the hunt for New Zealand's most original, even legendary, Santas - can you help?? This will be someone that embodies the big guy with the white beard year round and who people in your neighbourhood often refer to as Santa.

Obviously, this person will also be the one that is called upon each year to don the red suit to go out and about posing for photos, handing out presents and just be an all-around nice charitable person.

If you know of someone, please leave us a comment with your details and how we can get in touch with your local Santa. COMMENT BELOW!

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More messages from your neighbours
23 days ago
20 hours ago

Six tips for improving security around your home

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.

2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.

3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.

4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.

5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.

6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property

Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.

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4 days ago

Walking your dog or your dog walking you in Tikipunga

Kristi Neighbourly Lead from Tikipunga

Here are two great places to take your pooch out and about in Tikipunga - Beasley Park and the Hatea River walk.

Beasley Park, Tikipunga
Beasley Park is a suburban park close to Beazley Crescent. It is a calm place to play off-leash with a good variety of shade, sun, slopes and flat spaces. It is a quiet neighbourhood park with an interesting central waterway to explore.

Hātea River Walk
The Hatea River walkway is a dog-friendly place for on-leash exploring, with a forested walkway passing through several parks and suburbs starting from Otuihau/Whangārei Falls in Tikipunga and leading all the way to the central city at Riverside (about 6 kilometres)
There are well-established pathways (your dog must stay on leash and stick to the paths). Expect lots of passing foot-traffic - including kids.
Take a picnic, a ball, or other park activities. You will need to take rubbish home with you.