Young pūriri planted in Laurie Hall Park to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
We have planted a young pūriri tree in Laurie Hall Park to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
Members of Ngā Hapū o Whangārei supported the planting in honour of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed in the time of Queen Victoria. The long association of the Tai Tokerau tribes with the Monarch began in 1831 when Ngāpuhi chiefs corresponded with King William IV, which resulted in the signing in 1835 of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nū Tīreni (Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand) which enabled Māori to treat with Great Britain five years later in 1840.
Pictured holding the spade with Mayor Vince Cocurullo is 86 year-old hapū member Anne Davies (nee Malcolm) whose ancestor Hōri Tahua and ancestress Te Rangitopeora were among the signatories to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. During the planting, Anne reflected on the time Queen Elizabeth II visited Whangārei following her Coronation in 1953, recounting how the Queen stayed at the Grand Hotel and received the Whangārei people from the balcony.
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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40.3% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.8% No, I enjoy it
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Alan and Hazel Kerr share Senior New Zealander of the Year Award 2026
Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr describe themselves as ‘just ordinary old Kiwis’, despite being named as the 2026 Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealanders of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.
The amazing couple prompted a standing ovation at a star-studded Auckland event which recognised their tireless efforts, with Alan travelling to and from Gaza and the West Bank 40 times to help children over 20 years, and Hazel travelling 20 times.
Click read more to find out more.
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