Good news for tourism in the North with Rugby World Cup

Less than 60 days remain before the first Rugby World Cup team arrives in the Far North!

Mayor Wayne Brown says the Far North is privileged to have won the right to host the teams. “Foreign teams visiting our part of the country are fairly rare.”

The district’s second largest industry could get a boost during September and October if the 14,500 overseas visitors expected to visit Northland during the tournament venture to the Far North.

“It’s good news for tourism. It’s coming at a time of the year when it’s a bit empty.” He asks people to think about what they can do to be good hosts.

“We want them to leave with a good impression so they come back and tell their mates to come and enjoy a summer here.”

Bay of Islands Motel Association chairwoman Suzi Jones says few motels in the bay are fully booked during the world cup. But she is confident that business will pick up nearer to the tournament. “These days, bookings are a lot more last minute with the internet. We’re positive that it is going to happen.”

Motels are getting behind the Paint it Red campaign and are looking forward to the world cup 2011 roadshow which visits Paihia on July 28.

Kiwi rockers The Feelers will up the town’s tempo when they headline at the “it!” Bay of Islands Festival the day before the cup final on October 23.

(Source: Article courtesy of stuff.co.nz)

Al gives us the big tick

Source Keri Molloy Bay Chronicle Nov 2010

We’re the first of the provinces targeted by celebrated Wellington chef Al Brown for a new television series for foodies.

ning Al and Steve Logan own Wellington’s award-winning restaurant Logan Brown. They were Wellingtonians of the Year in 2009 and hosts of the Hunger for the Wild TV series.

Al focused on local produce at the Bay of Islands Farmers Market in Kerikeri on Sunday and on Monday he cooked up a feast, with Kerikeri chef Colin Ashton in the kitchen at Food at Wharepuke.

“Farmers markets are a window on their provinces. Yours is wicked. What I will be doing in this series – this is the first episode – is getting together with local foodies to create two or three dishes, giving my take on the area.”

Enjoying the results of his morning in the kitchen were deputy mayor Ann Court and Genevieve Hildreth, who produces an historic line of Maori potatoes.

Al says his preconceptions about the Far North initially included kumara, citrus, avocado and the ocean but he has found much more.

“It’s a journey of discovery,” he says.

Ms Court says she’ll willingly fill in for the mayor any time on this kind of job.

“I was extremely spoilt getting to be Al Brown’s guinea pig.”

The series is to screen mid-2011.

Kerikeri artist’s work wins Ranamok prize

Wednesday 18 August 2010 Press Release North Tec

Kerikeri artist’s “truly magnificent” work wins Ranamok prize

Kerikeri artist Sue Hawker has won the prestigious Ranamok Glass Prize 2010, Australasia’s biggest prize for glass art – making her the third New Zealand winner of the prize in the last four years.

The AUS$15,000 prize was awarded in front of an audience of several hundred people in Canberra last week.

Sue’s vibrant pâte de verre piece called “Too Much Is Never Enough” was described by judge and international glass art expert Tina Oldknow as “a truly magnificent work” with Ms Oldknow going on to say that the artist had used pâte de verre in a way that had never been done before.

The winning piece was described by Ms Oldknow as “very Andy Warhol” and was created as a recession blues-busting work. “There is too much doom and gloom,” said Sue, “it’s important to keep positive and the piece is deliberately bold, large and colourful.”

Pâte de verre is an exacting technique requiring meticulous work. It is often used to create fragile pieces. Sue’s piece, however, represents quite a departure from the usual pâte de verre creations. “It’s solid and substantial and pushes the boundaries of the technique – but this is exactly what our tutor challenged us to do when I was a student.”

Winning the prestigious prize has led to a flurry of offers for the former NorthTec applied arts student. Sue has been offered two exhibitions in Sydney including a joint exhibition that will coincide with the 2011 Ausglass Conference.

“The owner of the Glass Artists Gallery in Glebe, Sydney (and co-founder of the Ranamok Glass Prize), Maureen Cahill, has said that she would like to take my work to the “Connect” exhibition in London next year.”

Sue continues to have a connection with NorthTec as a visiting artist and mentor at its Kerikeri campus where she is part of a thriving group of artists who are gaining national and international recognition for their work.

Winning the Ranamok Glass Prize is a huge boost, especially given the judges’ comment that the piece would stand up anywhere in the world. It shows that we can foot it with anyone. For me personally, it allows me to continue with the work I love.”

Sue’s success looks set to continue with the news yesterday that she and NorthTec graduate and Kerikeri artist Lee Brogan have been selected as finalists for the annual Wallace Art Awards, Lee with a pâte de verre piece and Sue with a ceramic installation.

A spiritual awakening (Source TVNZ Travel August)

New Zealand is a spiritual place. When you’re in Auckland, NZ’s most populated city with about one million people, it’s not always evident.
But hop on a bus under the iconic Sky Tower and head north for about four hours and you can smell the spirituality.
Up north, everyone says, “Kiaora” (a Maori greeting), many are sporting green stone pendants around their neck and all explanations are tied to Maori folklore.
This is because the top of the North Island is where it all began for New Zealand.

About 1000 years ago, according to the Maori people, navigator, Kupe, and his wife, paddled a waka (canoe) from the island of Hawaiiki, believed to be near French Polynesia, and landed at Hokianga Harbour on the west coast.
Then jutting out at the very top of the North Island is Cape Reinga - or Te Rerenga Wairua - translation: “the leaping-off place of spirits”.
The spot, where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea collide, is believed by Maori to be the departure place of spirits when you die.

And on the east coast in the Bay of Islands, is Waitangi, where, in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by the Maori people and the first white immigrants.

It’s easy to get swept up in the cultural significance of the north. It’s accessible, the locals are passionate and the scenery is stunning.

As a writer I’m a curious question master and I scrawl reams of notes.
But in Northland, every time I engage with a local I’m so overwhelmed I can’t stop to get my notebook out and take down any shorthand.
Plus, the stories were so packed with emotion it feels almost disrespectful to indicate with my pen that I can capture it in a few scribbled symbols.

I was living my five-day stay up north rather than observing it.
I was learning bird calls, feeling the crisp air at the 2.8 million-year-old Wairere boulders and was near tears when admiring the world’s tallest kauri tree - Tane Mahuta - the Lord of the Forest.

And I’m not alone in my spiritual awakening.
Local tour guide Bill tells me folks are always returning up north to soak up the spirituality - he did himself - returning to the region after spending some time working in Auckland.

Bill is a captivating man. He has long hair, wears a single feather earring, has clear eyes and is softly spoken.

He says the significance of the north is unexplainable, you have to immerse yourself in it to really understand.

Northland makes you want to take your shoes off, swim in the ocean, soak up the sun’s rays, smell the leaves - it makes you appreciate what’s around you.

I can see why Kupe liked it here so much.

The writer, Nicky Park, was a guest of Destination Northland.