EB Games has launched a staff consultation on a proposal to shut down its New Zealand operations, which would affect the Silverdale Mall store.The proposal includes all 38 stores and the New Zealand distribution centre.No final decision has been made.EB Games says the New Zealand business is no longer commercially viable after multi-million-dollar losses in the 2024 fiscal year.It has pointed to weak trading conditions, higher costs, and turnaround efforts that did not succeed, including store changes, cost cutting, and attempts to sell the business.If the proposal goes ahead, all New Zealand roles would be disestablished.The company has also indicated some staff may have options to relocate into roles in Australia.Employees are being asked to provide feedback, with responses due by January 12.EB Games is an Australian-based video game and pop culture merchandise retailer owned by GameStop since 2005.The consultation applies to New Zealand only, and there is no equivalent plan to close Australian stores at this stage.EB Games has about 336 stores in Australia.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Auckland is included in a funding boost for community organisations aimed at faster access to mental health support, says Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.He says the funding is designed to remove barriers, help people access the right support earlier, and make support available when and where it’s needed.One of the funded groups, Hearts and Minds, will expand early intervention and navigation services in Waitematā.It will help more than 600 people access timely support through Support Coordinators who connect people with resources and support.Asian Family Services will also provide culturally appropriate mental health support in Auckland and Wellington, plus national telehealth services.It is expected to reach more than 1,500 people.Other funded work includes a new digital service in Canterbury through The Loft, and an expansion of MATES in Construction to reach an additional 3,000 construction workers across 19 regions.For Hibiscus Coast readers, the key detail is that some of the funded work is planned for Waitematā and Auckland, and Asian Family Services will also offer national telehealth support.The funding boost comes from the Mental Health Innovation Fund.In the second funding round, the matched funding threshold was lowered from $250,000 to $100,000 to allow a wider range of community-led initiatives.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

The Stuff-owned website Neighbourly - at the centre of a major cyber breach - has headed to court to try to stop the stolen information spreading.The High Court at Auckland has confirmed it has received and accepted an application for an injunction.The site was taken down for a time on New Year's Day after the breach was found.Information including names, email addresses, posts and messages has purportedly surfaced for sale on the dark web.Cyber security experts say it is particularly concerning that GPS data from Neighbourly has also been taken. One said it could put lives at risk.A court date has not yet been set.It comes at the same time that the ManageMyHealth website was struck by a hacker attack that includes patient information.The hackers, calling themselves "Kazu", posted on Sunday morning that unless the company paid a ransom within 48 hours, they would leak more than 400,000 files in their possession.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

If you’ve driven past a string of open home signs this week, you’re not imagining the lift in activity.Early January on the Hibiscus Coast is looking busier in terms of people moving, rather than prices running away.To put some numbers around the supply locals are scrolling through right now, Trade Me was showing 843 residential properties for sale across the Hibiscus Coast and nearby Rodney suburbs at the time of writing.The top asking price we could see in that set was $7.5m for a lifestyle property in Dairy Flat.At the other end, one of the cheapest listings we could find was $399,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in Gulf Harbour.Local agent Charlie from Charlie Cochrane Real Estate says the market has “picked up, in terms of sales volumes not higher prices”, which he links to “the lowering of the OCR and the consequential lower mortgage interest rates”.He also says vendors’ price expectations have been “somewhat tempered” because of “the high volume of properties for sale”.Charlie Cochrane.If you’re in that first home buyer bracket, Charlie says homes in the “$800,000 to $1 million” range are “attracting good numbers of potential purchasers”.That fits with what many locals notice first, plenty of foot traffic, lots of comparison, and buyers taking their time before they commit.So if you’re planning a move in 2026, this looks like a market where prep matters.Buyers can take a breath and watch what actually sells, not just what’s listed.Sellers will likely do best by pricing to the competition and getting the basics right before the first open home, because people have more choice and they are using it.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

The past year was a tough grind for many households and businesses but forecasters say there is economic improvement on the horizon.Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac, said he was expecting the economy to be much stronger in 2026, with growth in GDP of about 3 percent over the year compared to a flat 2025."That's supported by lower interest rates in the coming year. Whereas in 2025 we saw relatively strong performance by the primary sector and tourism to some extent but not so much the services sector and the bits of the economy that really drive the major urban areas, we think we probably have much more balanced growth in 2026."Households might not see much wage growth initially, he said, because that was one of the last things to move, but inflation should be weaker. "The cost of living crisis should ease off a bit."Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, agreed things should improve."It can't be worse, right? You've had good export prices, you've got interest rates which are headed lower than we had been thinking… there's a bit of caution coming on some of those exports… but I think between the effects of the strong prices over the last 18 months and the low interest rates and the government doing more in the infrastructure space - if not anywhere else, you put all those together and there are enough signs that growth should be better."He said the international environment would be something to keep an eye on. "Trump and the tariffs had derailed things somewhat through the early part of this year and that sort of has hung over the economy for the rest of 2025. But who really knows in that space, I guess."He said there were some small signs that the labour market was already improving and that should continue to build. "There does seem to be a bit more of an air of optimism and maybe a bit more genuine growth starting to come through as opposed to the high business confidence we had a year ago which didn't really translate into anything much this year."Economists from BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, said they expected 2 percent growth in 2026."The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's rate cuts will continue to ease monetary policy conditions - even if most of the easing cycle is likely behind us - supporting household spending and business investment. We anticipate a 25 basis points cut to 2 percent by the end of 2026. Government infrastructure projects - including Auckland's City Rail Link, major highway upgrades such as the Waikato Expressway, and water resilience programmes - will add momentum. Externally, strong demand for dairy and meat, alongside a tourism rebound, should underpin growth."However, downside risks persist. An escalation in global trade tensions or new tariffs could weaken export performance, while a slower-than-expected recovery in Mainland China - New Zealand's largest trading partner - would dampen agricultural demand."Domestically, persistent labor shortages and wage pressures could restrain productivity, and delays to infrastructure projects would reduce fiscal support. Additionally, if inflation proves sticky, the Reserve Bank may pause or reverse rate cuts, curbing the anticipated lift to consumption and investment."Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said he was much more optimistic about 2026. "Mainly because we're starting to see a bottom in a lot of things a the moment. Some of the distress is fading."But he said the recovery would not be felt evenly."I think there has been a real expansion of poverty in New Zealand, there's a chunk of New Zealanders that are continuing to do it really tough."They're stuck in that position where they work in industries that are not going to recover strongly. They work in industries that have relative low-wage, they work and live in places where the cost of living has gone up a lot with rents… so these things are not going to turn around quickly."A rising economy Is not enough to lift them up.. But for the median and for the people in the top end I think things will look a lot better."Sources of growth will change, he said, as some of the momentum shifted out of the primary sector."But by the second half of the year, all the weight of the rate cuts, the cumulative benefits of all the rate cuts would have come through. And we should start to see banks lending again because, you know, they're fair weather friends."And then once they start lending money, that's when you really juice up the cycle because it's really about investments."When people start to make investments and businesses make investments, that's really when the economy recovers. Also, I'm getting more optimistic on the government's capex plans."For the last couple of years, they've been reducing spending, reducing spending, reducing spending. That's really the only place austerity has worked so far in not investing in infrastructure. But if you look at all the announcements that have taken place in the second half of this year, it's all about central government and local government doing more next year. And so all the pipeline stuff, it looks like we are going to see quite a lot of activity starting in the beginning of next year. So with the government coming back and hopefully the private sector coming back through the middle of next year, you've kind of got more of a platform for growth."Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

MetService says the Hibiscus Coast is set for a mostly sunny, dry week, with temperatures lifting into the weekend.It says high pressure stretched across the country is shielding New Zealand from significant weather. It expects plenty of sunshine and dry weather for many places, with the odd afternoon shower.For Whangaparāoa, forecast highs range from 24°C on Tuesday, January 6 to 28°C on Sunday, January 11. Overnight lows sit between 17°C and 18°C.MetService meteorologist Alanna Burrows says drier weather will be “a bit of relief” in parts of the northeast after recent wet days.Burrows says it will be hotter in some eastern regions later in the week.She points to Blenheim on Friday, with a forecast maximum of 32°C, which she says is 7.5°C above average.MetService says it issues Heat Alerts for unusually hot weather.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Police have closed East Coast Road near Stillwater, Auckland, after a single-vehicle crash just after 3pm.The closure is between Wilks Road and Bawden Road.Police say one person has serious injuries and is being treated by ambulance services.Motorists are being told the road will be closed for over an hour, with detours in place.For Hibiscus Coast drivers who use East Coast Road, expect delays in that Stillwater stretch this afternoon.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Health Minister Simeon Brown has asked the Ministry of Health to review the response to a cybersecurity breach involving patient information held in the ManageMyHealth portal, because people need confidence their health data is protected.ManageMyHealth is a privately operated patient portal used by some general practices around New Zealand. It holds medical information and lets patients communicate with health professionals.“I know this breach will be very concerning to the many New Zealanders who use ManageMyHealth, and we need assurances around the protection and security of people’s health data,” Brown said.The review is set to look at what caused the incident, whether the data protections and response were adequate, and what improvements are needed to prevent similar incidents.Brown said he has written to the Director-General of Health asking that the review begins no later than 30 January.He said an Incident Management Team has been meeting daily to coordinate advice and support across government agencies, and he wants that immediate work to stay the focus.The Ministry is expected to develop Terms of Reference, with input from the Government Chief Digital Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre.Health New Zealand has advised there has been no impact on its systems. It is working with primary care providers through General Practice New Zealand to clarify the potential impact on patients and general practices. General practices remain open and providing services.For Hibiscus Coast locals who use ManageMyHealth, the key point is that a formal review is now being set up, alongside the ongoing incident response.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Auckland’s Anniversary Day Regatta will add a harbour-wide Sail Past at 12 pm on Monday, January 26. Organisers say it is designed to celebrate Auckland’s maritime culture and create a standout spectacle on the harbour.The moving procession will depart from Westhaven, follow the city shoreline, then sweep across the harbour to finish off North Head. It is open to all vessels, whether or not they are competing in the regatta.Organisers are inviting classic yachts and launches, workboats, powerboats, keelboats, multihulls, dinghies, club support boats, and more. Entry is free, with participants asked to register on the regatta website.“We want to create a spectacle where the whole harbour comes alive,” said Bill Lomas, Regatta Chair.The timing and route are set up for spectators along the CBD waterfront, Devonport, and North Head. Organisers say the finish position also suits competitors heading into afternoon races.Registered Sail Past participants are invited to the Official Regatta After Party at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Live music will be provided by the Royal New Zealand Navy Band.Registration for the Sail Past is free and now open at https://regatta.org.nz/regatta-participants/sail-past/Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

A break away is meant to be relaxing. It is harder to relax if you are worrying about the house. The reality is that holiday time can also be opportunity time for thieves, especially when a place looks empty.CrimeStats NZ shows property crime is a big part of local offending. In Orewa Central, theft is about 63% of recorded crime. In Whangaparāoa Central, theft is roughly 77% of recorded offences. In Silverdale Central, the annual total crime rate is 420.69 crimes per thousand residents, ranked 30 within Auckland.You cannot control everything. But you can make your place a harder target.1) Do the basics properlyDo this before you load the car. Then do a final walk-through at the door. Lock every door, including side and back entrances. Close and latch all windows. Secure sheds, garages, and any outbuildings. Put valuables out of sight. Brace sliding doors with a simple bar or a piece of timber.2) Make it look lived inClear the letterbox. Use timers for a couple of indoor lights. Leave curtains slightly open. If you will be away for a while, arrange for the lawns to be mowed.3) Loop in someone you trustTell a neighbour or family your dates. Ask them to collect mail. Ask them to put bins out. If it suits, ask them to park a car in your driveway now and then. Small signs of life help. If they see anything unusual, they should not investigate. They should call 111 straight away.4) Check your insurance before you goDo not assume you are covered for everything. Take a quick look at your policy now, not after a problem.5) Consider a simple security setupModern systems can be straightforward to use. Even basic cameras or sensors can deter an opportunistic visitor. Some insurers may offer discounts for approved setups.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Manage My Health has identified general practices whose patients have had their private health information breached in a cybersecurity hack - but it is not yet clear when all those patients will be told.More than 120,000 patient files on the privately operated portal were compromised in the ransom-ware attack, which was reported to the authorities in the early hours of New Year's Eve.Health NZ national director of planning, funding and outcomes Jason Power said the company has advised that individual patients will be notified."We expect MMH to share the timeframe for notifications by Tuesday."Meanwhile, Health NZ was working with primary care providers through General Practice New Zealand (GPNZ) to clarify the potential impact on patients and general practices.It had also established an incident management team and was co-ordinating with other government agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre and the Police Cyber Crime Unit."Unfortunately, malicious cyber activity is a constant threat, and New Zealand is not exempt from this."We expect MMH, and all other providers of health information systems, to meet the highest standards around system security, with patient safety and privacy a top priority," Power said."We are working with MMH to ensure clear communication to patients and general practices impacted by this breach. We expect assurance that appropriate protections are in place to avoid any repeat and that learning from this incident will be rapidly shared across the health system."There had been no impact on Health NZ systems nor any other patient portals, Power said.The agency was "supporting" MMH in legal action it was taking to protect the information taken in the breach.GPNZ chair Bryan Betty said Primary Health Organisations would continue to work with their general practices in the coming days."They will be assuring that queries and concerns are able to be addressed and will work alongside MMH and Health NZ to engage and support any patients whose information has been compromised."General practices remained open and providing services, and people could continue to seek care as normal.MMH said it would provide regular updates on its website and directly through its patient app and would be establishing an 0800 number for concerned and impacted people.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

If you’re heading back to work today, or just starting to think about it, you’re not alone.For Monday, January 5, here’s a simple reset-week checklist for Coasties, built around one idea: take the load off your brain first, then build momentum again.Start by protecting your energy and choosing two or three meaningful wins for the week, rather than trying to catch up on everything.Keep day one lighter if you can, clear emails, scan your calendar, and reconnect with key people before you dive into heavy work.Write a short list for this week only and cap it at five to eight items, then park everything else in a “later in January” list so it stops circling in your head.If a big project is staring you down, break it into the smallest next action you can finish in 15 to 30 minutes, early ticks help you get moving.If you lead a team, a quick reset chat helps too, set the Q1 focus, check bandwidth, and name the post-holiday dip so people feel supported, not judged.Most of us feel it, the shift from holiday mode to backlog is a real load, so build in a walk or light exercise and protect sleep.Try one low-stakes catch-up as well.Pop in for a coffee or a quick lunch and get a feel for the week.If you’re still on leave, this can be your gentle pre-start plan.Lock in your next break now, then take 30 to 60 minutes to sketch what “a great 2026 at work” looks like, and pick one admin task you can simplify with a template, checklist, or repeating calendar block.However your January is starting, go gently, start small, and let the rhythm come back.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

2025 was not a great year for many house price forecasters, who had to revise their forecasts down many times as the year went on.At the start of the year, Westpac thought prices might lift 7 percent.At one point ASB thought they could lift 10 percent.But while activity picked up over the past 12 months, prices were mostly flat and even went through months of decline in the middle of the year.So what might lie ahead in the coming 12 months?Commentators say there is likely to be a bit of an increase in prices in the year ahead, but this time no one expects increases anywhere near double-digit percentages.BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said house prices might rise 4 percent over 2026, about the same as the Reserve Bank's forecast."We've had three years in which house prices basically went sideways - we think the trend will bend upwards."But he said that increase would be below the average increase of earlier years and there was a chance that the lift could be smaller than 4 percent.Turnover was back to healthy levels, he said."When we when we stack up the demand factors for next year, they're all pretty positive - you've got the economy defrosting, which tends to coincide with a bit more housing market activity, you've got population growth which will probably pick up a bit… And mortgage rates may not go a lot lower, but they're going to stay relatively low and at levels that will support a bit more housing investment."So I think when you line up those demand factors, we will see activity continuing to recover. It's just on the house price front, the big uncertainty, the big question is what happens to supply and that's been the real story of the last couple of years."Even though you've got lower mortgage rates and more demand, you've had more transactions coming through, that's been more than offset by listings and growth in supply. We may be in the same position next year where we've just continued to see supply match up pretty well with demand and there hasn't been much of a change in house prices."Kelvin Davidson, chief economist at property data firm Cotality, said 4 percent or 5 percent seemed a likely increase."Some of the things that have been restraining house prices - affordability, lots of listings, slowish pass through of lower mortgage rates, a weak economy, weak labour market - some of those things seem to be turning around now. Affordability is back to normal, interest rates are passing through a lot more, the economy is starting to turn around and listings have come down a bit. The conditions are definitely in place for growth in property values next year."But he said things like debt-to-income ratios would limit growth and there was still a strong supply of houses being built.Wellington and Auckland were lagging other markets and could have more room to grow, he said. "I'm not saying they necessarily will but at some point in those markets you think they could snap back a little faster. But generally I think we'll probably still have a wee bit of a two-speed economy... parts of Canterbury, Southland, Taranaki - rural areas might rise a bit more strongly as they have been doing this year."But Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics and one of the few who initially expected the housing market to be weak in 2025, said he was not confident there would be much growth at all."We still have house prices going sideways or potentially drifting slightly down through the next year. That's essentially based around our affordability argument that while interest rates are lower it doesn't necessarily mean that people want to take on more debt or pay more for housing. House price-to-income ratios are still worse than any time prior to 2020."But he said if there was a strong economic recovery it could put pressure on house prices and he was not as confident in his forecast as he had been in previous years.Rental marketJones said what happened with the rental market would depend on population growth.Rents have slowed significantly around the country."Population growth is quite weak, it's about half the long-run average and so there's been that excess of supply particularly when we've seen departures from New Zealand at relatively high levels. I think the picture will change as we go through next year. We'll see the rental markets stabilise."Kiernan agreed the rental market was likely to be flat too. "We've got weak net migration, weak population growth, we've been seeing the impacts of that to some degree on the softness in the rental market through this year as well."Davidson said even though rents had been edging lower they were still high in relation to incomes. "That's a natural handbrake. There's still a decent amount of property out there. The rebalancing to a degree of the overall housing stock is keeping a lid on prices but it'll also keep a lid on rents…. but rents don't tend to fall for too long."So it could be that there's a wee bit of growth next year. But generally, I think rental markets still stay pretty subdued, sort of vaguely in favour of tenants and a bit tougher for landlords."Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Happy Sunday, Coasties! Grab a coffee and settle in.This is your essential 5-minute download of the week's most read Hibiscus Coast news and updates. Don't miss a thing!Rainy-Day Rescues For Hibiscus Coast KidsRead more →Three AI Models Flag Hibiscus Coast PressuresRead more →Why Auckland’s Bridge Stays Grey For 12 YearsRead more →One Habit That Survives Hibiscus Coast TuesdaysRead more →Stranger Things Finale Sparks Hibiscus Coast ChatterRead more →Never miss a beat again. Get instant alerts and local updates delivered straight to your pocket.Download the Hibiscus Coast App now for news, events, and essential community info, anytime, anywhere.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

If your summer happy place has sand and a view, this is your chance to back it.The NZ Herald’s annual New Zealand’s Best Beach competition is taking votes again for 2026, and nominations are open now at nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach.You can nominate one contender for each category, and nominations stay open until the end of Sunday, January 11.After that, the 10 most popular nominees in each category will be collated and announced on Sunday, January 18, then voting opens for the ultimate winners, who will be crowned on February 1.Last year, Waipu Cove effectively emerged as the new overall best beach, winning both Best Family Beach and Best Camping Beach and placing second in Best Surf Beach.The 2025 Best City Beach went to Mount Maunganui (Main Beach), with Ōrewa in second place, after Ōrewa won the Best City Beach category in 2023.For Coasties, it’s a simple moment to pop in, scroll the categories, and put forward your favourite Hibiscus Coast beaches across as many categories as you can.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

MetService has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Auckland and Northland this afternoon until about 7pm, as a low crosses the northern North Island.Thunderstorms are expected, and there is a chance some will become severe in Auckland and the east and south of Northland south of Kerikeri, with localised downpours of 25 to 40mm per hour before easing early evening.For the Hibiscus Coast, watch how quickly the rain builds. That intensity can cause surface or flash flooding in low-lying areas, and may trigger slips.Driving could turn hazardous in heavy rain, with surface flooding and poor visibility. Conditions can change fast this afternoon.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

If you use Neighbourly, your inbox might feel a bit uneasy today. Neighbourly says it was alerted to a potential data breach on Thursday, January 1.It has since confirmed there was unauthorised access to some registered user data, although it says the issue was quickly contained and the site and services have now been restored. The data accessed included registered members’ names, email addresses, GPS coordinates, public forum posts, and private messages.It also included some publicly advertised event and business addresses. Neighbourly says passwords were not included. It says it plans to seek a court injunction to prevent any use of the material and has apologised to members, adding it has addressed the issue that allowed the theft and believes the site is secure. For Hibiscus Coast households that use Neighbourly, the practical next step is to stay alert for unusual calls, emails, or texts, especially at this time of year. Neighbourly’s guidance is to avoid clicking links in emails, type the web address directly into your browser instead, enable two-factor authentication where available.Watch for phishing emails that push urgency or ask for personal information. If you need help, Neighbourly says the best contact is its customer support team at [email protected], noting replies may be slower if query volumes are high.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Northland's population is likely to quadruple as thousands of visitors pour into the region for the summer holiday peak of Te Tai Tokerau's $1.2 billion tourism industry.Northland Mayoral Forum chair Moko Tepania said Northlanders welcomed hundreds of thousands of manuhiri (visitors) and whānau (family) to the region, which was the birthplace of New Zealand.But he said visitors and their hosts had to do their bit to be kaitiaki (guardians) of Northland."We love welcoming manuhiri into Northland and urge them to look after our home that we love," Tepania said.More than 800,000 visitors typically flood into the region over the summer peak - from around Christmas to Waitangi weekend - in the industry's busiest months.Northland is home to about 200,000 residents.Tepania said the quadrupling challenged local infrastructure.Far North District Council (FNDC) brought in water restrictions for its Opononi-Omapere water supply on Christmas Eve, partly in anticipation of the influx.There were 804,200 visitors into Northland last summer and 818,500 in 2023/2024.Northland Inc acting head of destination Amy Lang said the organisation did not have forecast figures for this summer, but bookings looked strong and tourism operators were feeling positive."During the summer we generally see visitors heading to Northland's amazing beaches, exploring the ocean and waterways with boat cruises in the Bay of Islands and places like (Kaipara's) Kai Iwi Lakes proving popular.Four out of five visitors to Northland over summer are Kiwis."However, international visitation remains strong, and often this audience continues to travel Northland throughout summer and into the autumn months," Lang said."The international market is generally strongest from February onwards."Lang said visitors spent about $1.2b in the Northland economy each year.Houhora Heads (Wagener) Holiday Park manager Chonelle Combrinck said the campground was fully booked from 27 December to around 3 January, with heavy demand continuing after that.Around 1000 people would be staying at the large campground, which is partly owned by FNDC, over the height of the summer peak, with extra French and German backpackers on working holiday visas employed in response.Combrink said camping was popular because it was still an affordable holiday."It's a great healthy family holiday," Combrinck said."It's lovely to see families enjoying themselves. For some children it will be their first time fishing this summer."Combrink said 45 percent of guests returned year after year, coming from Auckland and Northland including Kaitāia and Kerikeri.Meanwhile, Far North Taupo Bay Holiday Park manager Cora Urlich said guests at her family's campground near Mangonu had booked to stay a week longer than usual this year, into the second week of January.The campground was fully booked from 27 December with around 500 visitors.Urlich said guests typically also came from Auckland and Northland.Whangārei mayor Ken Couper encouraged first time visitors to spend money locally and to become repeat returnees.He said it was ever-easier for Aucklanders to travel to the region as State Highway 1 four-laning from the country's largest city into Northland continued its northward march.Couper said there was plenty to do locally too, if the weather became inclement.Paihia wharf. Photo: RNZ / Peter de GraafTourist Austrian Iris Berger spent the last few days of her three-week New Zealand visit in Whangārei, the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga.She visited Whangārei just before Christmas, in part because of New Zealand's Hundertwasser Art Centre in the seaside Town Basin.Berger said Northlanders should be proud of having such a building.It's the only one of its type in New Zealand and the last official building creation by the Austrian architect in the world.Berger previously had no idea her fellow countryman's zany buildings were found outside Austria.She said the Whangārei building was tiny, between a quarter and half the size of Hundertwasser buildings in Austria.Berger also visited the city to walk from the Town Basin to Whangārei Falls.Waikato visitors Faith and her children were among those visiting Northland to stay with family over summer.She said they loved its laid-back feel, the ocean, hiking trails, nature and outdoors and the general sense of being out of the city.The family were boogie boarding at Ocean Beach near Whangārei just before Christmas and were excited to watch a pod of around 100 dolphins putting on a 10-minute performance."They were leaping out of the water two at a time doing acrobatics. Ten fins would then be going through the water together in synchronised swimming," she said.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Bike Auckland says bike theft in Auckland is likely far higher than the official picture, and it wants more riders to take basic steps that make stolen bikes harder to move on.Bike owners report about 500 to 1,000 bikes stolen each year. Bike Auckland says the real number is likely 2,500 to 5,000, because many people do not report theft. It also says some cases end up recorded under broader Police categories like “theft” or “burglary”. One issue, Bike Auckland says, is what happens after a recovery. Police do recover stolen bikes, but often cannot return them because the owner cannot be identified. Bike Auckland says less than 5% of stolen bikes are returned.Bike Auckland supports riders logging identifying details of their bikes, including through the free 529 Garage registration system. It says a registration record can help Police match recovered bikes to an owner, and it can also help buyers check second-hand bikes if a registration code is provided.The first defence is still a decent lock. Auckland Transport sometimes runs Bike Lock Amnesty swaps, where cable locks are exchanged for quality D-locks for free. Details are here.On the Hibiscus Coast, Bike Burbs in Orewa and Whangaparaoa give locals an easy place to turn concern into action. Bike Auckland says community groups can help by registering bikes at events, and Bike Burbs can be one of the groups doing that, alongside bike shops registering bikes at the point of sale. You can find the local groups here.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.