Prospa National Winner - Waikanae Beach Four Square!
Quoc Tran proud to be serving his customers and the local community!
Quoc Tran loves being a Kiwi and greets every customer into his shop with a broad grin. A friendly smile, a positive can-do attitude and is passionate about running his store. That’s Tran’s simple but effective recipe for success running a local business.
Tran operates Four Square Waikanae Beach and is hailed as the “ultimate friendly shopkeeper” by his customers. Now Tran has been recognised for his dedication to the community by being named the country’s National Winner in the Prospa Local Business Hero Awards. Tran is a proud winner of a prize package worth $10,000!
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Nomination Quotes - "Quoc Tan of Waikanae Beach Kapiti coast.
An exceptional guy who has worked very hard (& his wife too) since arriving in NZ from Vietnam. They operate a hugely friendly & now smartly updated Four Square superette. A very necessary & important store at Waikanae Beach."
"Quoc and his family are an integral part of our community"
"Quoc Tan - he represents all that embodies the very core of the reason NZ is proud to call itself an all-embracing, multi-cultural melting pot"
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Will these roadworks affect you?
Don’t expect a quick trip between Cambridge and Tamahere for much of this year, because major roadworks are starting.
Asphalt works on that section of Waikato Expressway will run from March through to late 2026, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says. Motorists are warned to plan for significant delays.
“Unfortunately the pavement, particularly in the slow lanes, has deteriorated faster than expected,” NZTA’s Roger Brady said.
Will these roadworks affect you? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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