Māori names and stories returned to the whenua
Names dating back to stories treasured by Māori are being returned to the whenua in parks across communities in the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area.
The local board has adopted 18 names from mana whenua as part of the council’s cultural identity programme, Te Kete Rukuruku.
Names for another 32 parks are being determined.
The first of the names has now been revealed with the unveiling of signs bearing the new dual name Waenganui / Allenby Park in Papatoetoe.
“Our local board is incredibly honoured to receive and reinstate these taonga, the names and histories of mana whenua," said Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia.
“The distinct cultures in our local board area are our strength. Our community has told us that ensuring Māori arts, culture and history being more visible in public places is really important to them and this is a really simple but powerful way we can do that and something we will look after and treasure.”
Ngāti Tamaoho, who named the park, said the ceremony marked an important milestone.
"For Ngāti Tamaoho that is exciting because focussing on the whenua is something we have really pushed for over the years,” said Ngāti Tamaoho Charitable Trust chair Tori Ngataki.
The board chose Waenganui / Allenby Park to have a full suite of bilingual signs including a new entrance sign with the name Waenganui / Allenby Park, an interpretive sign with the narrative in te reo Māori and English, and a QR code allowing people to scan their phone to hear the correct pronunciation.
Information helping people to navigate will be displayed in English and Maori on public facilities around the park.
Regulatory signs such as bylaw and alcohol ban information will feature in English and te reo Maori.
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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39.3% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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58.7% No, I enjoy it
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2% Other - I'll share below
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Auckland has a thriving cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures across the country, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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42.9% I avoid spending money on coffee
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40.9% I still indulge at my local cafe
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16.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Be careful out there...
If you can, stay home today, and if you are travelling, please drive to the conditions. While we've had consistent rainfall overnight, the forecast is still likely to bring: dangerous river conditions, flooding, slips and landslides, hazardous driving conditions, and road closures in some areas. Northland Regional Council have shared some important updates this morning.
🚩 The Red and Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, as well as the Strong Wind Warning issued by MetService New Zealand, remain in place until the early hours of tomorrow morning. The key period of concern is still today through to Friday morning.
🚩 Many rivers in the Far North are running at high levels, with some still rising. (High tide on the east coast is early this afternoon.) The Kaeo River has reached a level where flooding on SH10 is possible. So if you’re travelling through Kaeo or Waimate North this morning, please take extra care.
🚩 There are already a number of State Highway closures and there are likely to be more, as well as local road closures. Crews will work to clear these as quickly as possible, but there may be delays. If you come across any local roading issues or storm related damage on public property, please report it through to your local council:
Whangarei District Council: www.wdc.govt.nz...
Kaipara District Council www.kaipara.govt.nz...
Kaipara District Council www.fndc.govt.nz...
🚩 There are a number of isolated power outages around the region. Northpower and Top Energy NZ crews will be out today working to resolve these issues as soon as they can, but this may take some time.
Check the latest outages here:
Northpower: northpower.nz...
Top Energy NZ: outages.topenergy.co.nz...
🚩 Northland Civil Defence works across the councils to provide local welfare support. If centres or marae are open to provide support, they will be published on the district council websites.
If you need welfare support, please ring your local district council.
Whangarei District Council
Phone: 0800 932 463
Far North District Council
Phone: 0800 920 029
Kaipara District Council
Phone: 0800 727 059
Finally, some key reminders for today:
- Do not enter floodwaters: it only takes a small amount of moving water to knock you off your feet or sweep a vehicle away.
- Avoid unnecessary travel over this period. Conditions may deteriorate quickly, and roads may close with little warning.
- Be prepared to self evacuate if you see rising water, feel unsafe, or notice conditions worsening.
- Be aware of landslide risks, and keep well away from areas that have recently been affected by slips or landslides. If you notice cracks in the ground, tilting trees or power poles, unusual noises, or rapid changes in stream levels, leave immediately.
If at any time you feel you, your whānau, or your property are at immediate risk, please call emergency services on 111
Civil Defence will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates here as more information becomes available.
This remains an evolving situation, so please continue to keep up to date with the latest information from MetService, NZTA and your local and regional councils.
If there's anything else you think we should all know, feel free to share it in the comments below.
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