Taranaki Daily News

Taranaki surfer wins titles

Taranaki surfer Izaro Williamson Sasia left the National Surfing Championships almost lost for words after pulling off an historic double victory. At just 14, the Sacred Heart Girls’ College student won both the under-18 and open women’s longboard...

Going north - head south

Holidaymakers, music lovers and anyone else planning to travel north from New Plymouth face a lengthy detour when a significant part of State Highway 3 closes for five days starting on Friday. New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will close...

Ups and downs of sunniest spot?

When Taranaki was first named the sunniest region in New Zealand, the reaction from many residents was disbelief or mirth. Or both. It’s not for nothing that visitors to our lush green province are traditionally told: “If you can see the mountain,...

Sun shines on in Taranaki

For the third time in the last five years Taranaki has had more sunshine hours than anywhere else in New Zealand. Leading from the start of the year, 2743 hours of sunshine were recorded in Taranaki in the 12 months to 31 December. This was 71 hours...

Veterans’ service highlighted

Volunteers for an organisation committed to ensuring New Zealanders who served in the military are remembered have added poppies to 160 headstones of veterans at New Plymouth’s Awanui Cemetery. Between Christmas and the New Year holiday, each grave...

Hidden rips surface at Fitzroy

Fitzroy Beach is one of New Plymouth’s favourite beaches but shifting sand has made swimming there more dangerous this summer. Todd Velvin, of the Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club, said the beach he patrols has had a massive buildup of sand this...

Decades of care, kindness

When Robert Campbell started work at Barrett St Hospital, Sir Robert Muldoon was prime minister and Mcdonald’s was still six months away from opening its first restaurant in New Zealand. And when it did, in June 1976, a Big Mac cost 75 cents – the...

The enchanting lure of baby ruru

Jenny Oakley cancelled a holiday to the Chatham Islands in December so she could stay home to watch a ruru chick fly for the first time. The self-taught ruru paparazza was reluctant to leave her possie in a stand of bush where the bird family she’s...

Lower rates rise is in reach

Despite the financial figures not being tested or put before council, New Plymouth mayor Max Brough believes realistic savings are being found behind the scenes to reduce this year’s rates increase for the district. The introduction of a rates cap for...

Person of the Year 2025 Sarah and Roland Devine

Roland Devine likes to quote Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. In The Fellowship of the Ring, the wizard tells Frodo: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.“ And Roland and his wife, Sarah, have decided to “follow the...

‘Bike Dude’ gets children on their own two wheels

Gary Sarten can’t explain why he’s compelled to collect bikes but there’s something in him that drives him to amass as many as he can. From the number of bikes lined up along the outside wall of his shed in Lepperton, an average person might think he...

Ovation for Operatic Society

It would be hard to quantify how many people in Taranaki have interacted with the New Plymouth Operatic Society since 1952. Each year there are the 350 or so volunteers who, in the roles of cast and crew, put on the society’s main annual production,...

Gabby’s legacy of kindness grows stronger every year

In the past 10 years, Roland and Sarah Devine have given away $1 million through acts of kindness. And along the way they’ve kept their daughter Gabby’s legacy alive. Gabby died 10 years ago aged 13. She had Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and...

A mistake as sweet as honey

James Annabell fell into making honey by mistake. Since then, the mistake has turned into a multimillion-dollar business that exports to more than 30 countries. The company, Egmont Honey, employs about 100 people, all of whom bar one are based in...

Person found dead after house fire

One person has died in a fire at a Kāinga Ora property in the New Plymouth suburb of Westown. Fire and Emergency New Zealand received reports about the house fire on Trelawney Cres about 2.30am on Wednesday, shift manager Chris Dalton said. Three fire...

Garden festival figures grow TARANAKI

A stunning sunny fortnight gave Taranaki’s three spring garden festivals a huge boost this year, visitor data gathered by organisers shows. The Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival had the annual event’s highest number of visitors in seven years,...

Council boss resigns NPDC

The New Plymouth District Council is on the lookout for a new chief executive after Gareth Green’s resignation was announced yesterday. Green, who is just three years into his five-year contract, said the decision was family driven. His wife, Kylie...

Healthcare is in the whānau

When Charlise Graham decided to drop out of high school in year 13, she was too scared to tell her dad. So she enlisted the help of the team from Why Ora, who came to her home and chatted to her father, Joe Graham. They also got her a cadetship at...

Family calls for Coroner’s inquest

Former police detective TeUraura Nganeko should be grieving the loss of his bright, intelligent and muchloved son Daniel. Instead, almost five months after the brutal and senseless coward punch that ended Daniel’s life, his father continues to trawl...

‘Tim Tams’ to stay for now

New Plymouth’s controversial cycle separators are to stay while a trial period is undertaken on an alternative separator expected to cause less damage to vehicles that cross them. The decision was made at yesterday’s New Plymouth District Council...

Christmas trimmings for all

After a successful trial run last year, The Bach on Breakwater is again offering a free community Christmas lunch. Manager Victor Higgins said he and owner Rahul Radhakrishnan hoped to make it an annual tradition at the New Plymouth cafe.

The farm shop stop

When Waverley’s Mcaree family set up the Rabbit Hut farm shop on State Highway 3, they planned to just sell their homegrown fruit and vegetables. But they soon realised they needed more. So they built a playground, a cafe and perfected the art of...

Solve scalp issues

An itchy-feeling, flaky scalp can be a real confidence killer. It’s the kind of persistent annoyance that makes you think twice about wearing your favourite black top, or might even hold you back from hitting the gym. More than 50 per cent of the...

Trust steps up as need for kaumātua housing grows

Creating a community which celebrates kaumātua will also help make a dent in an increasingly urgent issue - meeting the housing needs of older New Zealanders. One of the latest projects in Taranaki, led by Ngā Pekanga Catholic Māori Charitable Trust,...

A heartfelt story of gratitude

When I interviewed cardiologist Ian Ternouth in 2015 about the need for a new angiography machine, I never imagined the doctor and the high-tech equipment would save my life. At that time, I was writing stories for the Taranaki Health Foundation as...

Towns vie for Christmas crown

Stratford’s claim of being the most Christmassy town in Taranaki could be under threat, as Hāwera makes a play for the crown. While the town is famous for its glockenspiel clock tower had a special Christmas committee and popular lights trail,...

Lake Rotomanu to be drained in fight against gold clams

Lake Rotomanu will be drained this week and remain empty over summer to allow scientists to get a full picture of the extent of the freshwater gold clam infestation. The invasive clam Corbicula fluminea was found in the New Plymouth lake on November...

Security allowances planned

The country’s Remuneration Authority has recommended district councillors be allowed to claim a reimbursement allowance to cover the installation and monitoring of home security systems. The recommendation will go before an extraordinary meeting of...

Final school bell rings for 4

When a young Martin Dravitzki walked into his first classroom at Francis Douglas Memorial College he said it felt like being thrown to the lions. Fresh out of Palmerston North Teachers’ College, he stepped into a suddenly vacant geography role just...

Downtown car park a fizzer

A multimillion-dollar repair to New Plymouth’s largest council-owned car park has failed to find favour with shoppers who continue to drive past the complex. It has been more than a year since the 270-space Downtown car park was reopened following a...

Mayor vows to cap rates early

True to his pre-election word, New Plymouth mayor Max Brough has vowed to implement a rates cap for the district a full year before the Government plans to impose the policy in 2027. While two of the region’s mayors – South Taranaki’s Phil Nixon and...

Xmas dinner budgets tighten

Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, many Taranaki families are still planning to spend big on their Christmas feasts, though plenty are adapting their menus to suit tighter budgets. At New Plymouth’s award-winning The Kiwi Butcher, owner...

Rural practice under pressure

An acute care clinic run by a Stratford medical practice has been scaled back after struggling to manage overwhelming demand. On Monday, Coastal Medical Ltd, which owns the Avon Medical Centre, ceased offering its same-day, walk-in service to...

Man guilty of manslaughter

A jury has found a Waitara man not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter following his week-long trial in the High Court at New Plymouth. The jury deliberated for a full day before returning their verdict against Rakai Jacob Thompson. The...

Memorial for murdered man

A memorial service was held yesterday for New Plymouth man Martin James Mooney, who was killed near the Wind Wand last month. Around 50 people, including a dozen or so police, attended the vigil for the 68-yearold, who died following a fight at the...

Transfer will double coffers

A longstanding agricultural education trust worth $14.5 million is poised to more than double the Taranaki Foundation’s investment resources. Funds of the Bashford-nicholls Trust have been transferred from the 20-year-old Bishop’s Action Foundation...

Sweet dreams are made of this

Sean Bevan doesn’t have to look too far for a critic of his home-made ice cream. The man behind the South Seas Ice Cream Company jokingly described his Italian wife Paola as the “gelato police”. And of all the flavours he conjures up in his tiny...

Gentle giants welcomed

Māhoenui giant wētā look imposing but they don’t bite and they like eating peanut butter. The only known natural population of the mostly vegetarian and largely defenceless giant wētā is on former farmland at Māhoenui, where they were discovered in...

When a dream comes true

As a high school student, Angelina Paese dreamed of performing at Polyfest in Auckland but assumed living in New Plymouth counted against it ever happening. But now she is part of the first group from Taranaki to perform at the Pacific festival. “It’s...

Farewell to a cricket colossus

Taranaki cricket great Alistar (Ali) Jordan represented his country, his province and his club and spent a lifetime tirelessly working for the betterment of the sport. To his friends he was a man known for his loyalty, fierce competitive streak, and...

Cost blowout ‘not our fault’

Property owners resisting land acquisition at the northern end of the Mt Messenger Bypass project have rejected claims their legal challenges have caused a $350 million cost blowout. Latest NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) figures showed the...

Invasive gold clam pest found in Lake Rotomanu

The invasive gold clam pest has been discovered at New Plymouth’s Lake Rotomanu by an eagle-eyed youngster fishing for trout. The lake was now closed to motorised watercraft, following the discovery of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea, also...

Deputy mayor Chong’s Q&A draws fierce complaints

Comments by rookie New Plymouth deputy mayor Murray Chong during a public online question-and-answer session have provoked numerous complaints from his fellow councillors. Chong was in the official mayoral office on Monday for the 40-minute session,...

Let's teach 10,000 kids safe swimming this summer

Let’s teach 10,000 kids safe swimming this summer

Helping domestic violence victims

For Charles Thurston, a DIY project to support a charity helping domestic violence victims is right up his alley. “I’m a big fan of The Repair Shop. That’s my staple viewing on a Friday night.” Thurston, who has been a member of the New Plymouth...

Quest for an unknown dinosaur

Growing up in Zimbabwe, Karl Raubenheimer had monkeys in his backyard. And pangolins. And snakes. He loves snakes. Some of them are really nice. And they keep the rats away. But his new favourite animals are dinosaurs. His big dream is finding...

Hobby grows into a business

A former petroleum engineer and geologist have built a life centred around bees and herbs, after their “retirement” garden grew into a new venture. Martina and Donald Murray, who met through their work, bought two hectares of farmland near New...

Whio team kicked into touch

Taranaki Whio rugby captain Pareake O’brien was gutted when she learnt her team would not feature in next year’s Farah Palmer Cup. But she said the move into a Northern Regions development competition could help rebuild the women’s game in Taranaki...

More from overseas apply

A new nursing centre has been opened at Taranaki’s polytech just as international student numbers look to increase following a recruitment drive to Asia. At the beginning of October the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (Witt) sent two staff...

Happy haven made for two

There’s no space for tears amongst the vibrant colours and whimsy of Teardrop Haven, Ken and Pauline Tippett’s Waitara garden. When they got together, both had been through some hard times, Pauline said. The garden they’ve created together was a new...

Trust looks back on 25 years with eyes fixed on the future

Waitara’s Wise charitable trust is celebrating 25 years of operation this year – and while it is cause to celebrate, there is plenty more work still ahead. Wise (Waitara Initiatives Supporting Employment) started out as an employment service, helping...

A retirement of sorts for New Plymouth gardeners

When Graeme and Jan Worthington moved from their Toko dairy farm to the outskirts of New Plymouth, they thought they were going to retire. But the couple, who have been married for 50 years, say they have worked full-time to prepare their...

Decision on facility postponed

A decision on what the New Plymouth District Council does with its flagship commercial waste sorting depot will not be made until after the New Year, despite significant ongoing financial losses at the facility. A council spokesperson confirmed a...

New flush of colour

When Waitara mural artist Michael Montgomerie sees a wall he’s flooded with ideas on what he could do with it. He is bringing a new flush of colour to the town with his distinctive style of native flora and fauna. And there is more to come.

Mt Messenger breakthrough

Tunnellers have broken through thousands of tonnes of rock to complete the initial excavation of the Mt Messenger bypass tunnel north of New Plymouth. Around 100 people gathered at the northern end of the tunnel as the 110-tonne electric-powered road...

Swimming for a good cause

Through rain, a tsunami warning and flooding, 10-year-old Max Russell has been for a swim every day for more than 120 days in a row. Starting right in the middle of winter on June 22 was a challenge in itself, but for the Russell family, the last...

Preparation is everything

If a natural disaster struck Taranaki, businessman Matt Harrison says his family could comfortably live off their supplies for several months. And because his rural property is selfsufficient, he reckons they would barely notice anything had...

NZTA announces five-day summer closure of SH3

Anyone planning a road trip north out of Taranaki in January faces the prospect of adding hours to their journey after New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced a five-day closure of State Highway 3. The closure, which was planned to...

Marchers hope Govt listening

Banners were raised, flags flew and chants echoed through New Plymouth’s CBD as hundreds of striking teachers, principals, nurses and healthcare workers marched in protest. Yesterday, industrial action was taken across the country in a mega strike...

Health NZ planning ‘amateur’

New Plymouth’s urgent care boss has slammed Health New Zealand, saying its planning for Taranaki Base Hospital to cope with staff off during the strike was “amateur”. Nurses, senior doctors and other health professionals, along with primary and...

A shining new way to get ahead

It’s the newest place to play in New Plymouth and it’s also the newest and shiniest place to get a coffee. Proof & Stock’s Nau Mai Coffee caravan at Destination Kawaroa is more than a place to get a flat white or a chai latte. It’s also helping the...

Taranaki’s economic eruption risk revealed

When Taranaki Maunga erupts, it could cause billions of dollars in economic damage across the region and trigger a national energy crisis, new research has found. The five-year research programme called He Mounga Puia combined volcanic science, risk...

Strike to be biggest in decades

The mother of all strikes will take place this Thursday, involving primary school principals and teachers, nurses, senior doctors and a number of other health professionals. More than 36,000 nurses who work for Health New Zealand will walk off the job...

‘Tim Tam’ promise may take some time

The removal of New Plymouth’s controversial cycle lane separators became a pillar of mayor-elect Max Brough’s election campaign but who will pay for it and when or if it can be done remains very much unclear. Brough, who stormed to victory with a...

▮ Cartoonist’s view: Sharon Murdoch,

Local lawyer earns KC robes

Paul Keegan was inspired to pursue a life in criminal law by a 1970s British TV show about a lawyer renowned for defending the underdog. Now, decades later, the Taranaki lawyer has been made a King’s Counsel (KC), an honour bestowed to the country’s...

Highway closures to continue

Taranaki remains cut off to the north with a large number of slips and flooded rivers blocking three state highways in and near the region. For Awakino dairy farmers Maree and Paul Jones, it was the worst flooding they had seen in 20 years on their...

goodby e Say to dark spots with Mela B3

It’s no secret that hyperpigmentation is an all-too-common skin concern that is incredibly frustrating to tackle, and there are a plethora of reasons why dark spots can appear, often seemingly out of nowhere. Regardless of how you get it, treating and...

A mayoralty at Max speed

Everything is up for review. That was the clear message from incoming New Plymouth mayor Max Brough, who grabbed the city’s top job by the scruff of the neck with a landslide victory in the local body election. With final results still to come in,...

Outgoing mayor dives right into top water job

Departing New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom has been named the new chief executive of the council’s soon-to-bee-stablished Water Services Council Controlled Organisation. The shock announcement was made public by New Plymouth District Council boss Gareth...

Council boss, candidate clash

New Plymouth District Council boss Gareth Green has defended the scheduling of an extraordinary meeting the day before local body elections close amid criticism from mayoral candidate Max Brough and his supporters. Today’s meeting includes three...

Hāwera dynamo – Nana Hazel

It was Thursday so Hazel Robinson was baking. By 11am, she had made two fruit loaves, two date and ginger loaves, and two more with dates and raisins. She usually makes biscuits on Tuesdays or Wednesdays – shortbread, chocolate chip and chocolate...

Sentence angers family

As Teuraura Nganeko stood on the steps outside the New Plymouth courthouse cries of anger came from supporters beneath him yesterday. “That is bullshit,” one said upon being told convicted killer Daytona Thompson, 22, had just been handed a jail...

Son who killed father jailed

A Taranaki man who killed his father and “best friend” while in the grips of a meth-induced psychosis has been jailed for six years. Basil Thomas Anderson Jr appeared in the High Court at New Plymouth for sentencing yesterday. The 36-year-old...

Time to empower, not pity

Creating a community-driven pathway for those living with a disability in Taranaki is being fuelled by a philosophy of empowerment. The Taranaki Good Living Project/he Waka Haumaru is under way thanks to the efforts of a committed group of parents who...