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Outgoing fire chief Barney Bennett addresses the team for one last time at a dinner last month, while wife Fiona watches on. We pay tribute to our local fire chief Barney Bennett who hangs up his white helmet after a number of years at the helm of the Whananaki Volunteer Fire Brigade. Calm, professional, quietly spoken. Barney has been an awesome leader of the brigade. Here, Dallas & Donna say thanks to this complete local legend. The new chief is Lance Downer (Barney's dep

One day a year a group of Good Samaritans meets and walks the road into Whananaki from Halverson Road picking up trash. This year's "cutting cleanup" happened on Saturday. Protected from harm by the flashing lights of the local fire brigade, volunteers snaked their way to the village filling bags and a trailer towed by local legend Russ Gant. According to CLD chief Jodi Edwards, this year the roadside was better than in previous years, however the team could only get "not e

Three patrols over five days — and a 100 percent non-compliance rate among the people inspected by MPI. At first glance, the number is a gut punch. They found more than 40 undersized crayfish, including soft-shell crayfish and females carrying eggs. Some had allegedly been speared. Others were hidden in catch bags. Dive gear was seized and prosecutions are likely. And remember: taking red rock lobster is currently completely banned along the east coast of Northland, includin

Northland begins: the view from the top of the Brynderwyn Hills. (Photo/Shutterstock) Unfortunately last month I had to leave Whananaki and go to Hamilton. It is something I loathe to do. It’s the only time I’ve left all winter and since returning from that trip I haven’t even made it as far as Whangārei, such is my hatred for having to leave paradise for even a day. Donna says I am immediately in a grump when I hit the main road. She is right. I turn into the Grumpmeis

Today we’re celebrating Whananaki FM’s first birthday. Theres' a shindig at the shop and we'd love to see you - 12-2:30pm Sunday. It was nuts, this idea you know. Having our own radio station. Completely bonkers. I am still astonished that I was able to get away with it, I must’ve caught Donna at a very weak moment to be given the necessary approvals to scope out Whananaki FM. And, Donna was just the first step. Once my wife was on board, there were still many possible o

When we started this series on meth a few months ago, we never expected it to hit such a nerve in our community. We've been contacted by many users and recovering addicts who have told us directly how the interviews have helped them, if nothing more than by letting them know they are not alone. And they don’t have to do it alone. Today, we hear from Greg and Pare, two recovering meth addicts themselves. Both are local. Both are incredibly brave and it’s such a privilege t

Ray and Jayne Kensington owned the shop when I was a kid. I remember the shop on the other side of the road well, but when it comes to the biggest childhood memories - it was the new shop that was the cornerstone of my adolescent years. Ray and Jayne built the new shop after the old shop burnt down on the 16th February 1986. They would be the storekeepers and, later the owners of the holiday park, for the next 17 years before moving with their family across the ditch. It w

It was about this time a couple of years ago Naomi Arnold, author of the bestseller Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa, trekked through Whananaki on the last leg of a mammoth walk from Bluff to Cape Reinga. Arnold remembers Whananaki well. A night in a friend's bach included an invitation to a birthday party. And - it was there, at Wendy & Terry O'Shea's - she met some of the locals. That night Arnold explained to us all she was writing a book about her up-c

As part of our on-going look at meth harm in coastal communities like Whananaki, this week we're talking to Ivy Te Nana from Te Ara Oranga about what families can do to help loved ones addicted to meth. Te Ara Oranga is Northland’s award-winning methamphetamine harm-reduction programme, bringing health services, Police and community organisations together to help people struggling with meth use and the wider impacts on their whānau. The programme pulls family in to help supp

This win is for fifty-years of Northland fans, writes Dallas Gurney. When I was a kid my dad used to take us to Northland games, or North Auckland as they were then, all the time. We would sit in the old terraces, usually not far from the toilets. The cushion from an outdoor chair for comfort from hard concrete on a soft bum. I’d stare over at the broadcasting boxes in the main stand and wonder what it was like being in there. To our left, the scoreboard. A man in a whi

We received a lot of correspondence this week about the series we have started on methamphetamine in Whananaki, including a very special and brave email from someone who was pulled into the drug by family and friends and had to leave Whananaki to get away from it. Thank you to the people who have been in touch for their courage, we'll share more stories in the coming weeks. Next week we talk to Te Ara Oranga, the award-winning meth programme that's done wonders getting peopl

Nicole Gurney (centre) with Donna Gurney (sister-in-law( and Chris Gurney (mum). Dallas talks about his sister Nicole Gurney who is in a wheelchair and has battled every day of her life to stay alive. Nicole turned 40 on Saturday! Happy birthday Nicole!

Meth use in Northland has tripled in the last couple of years. It’s a stat which was both completely overwhelming and was a total surprise to me when I started to do a bit of research on the drug and its impact on the people of our coastal community. You see, I thought we had "won" the “P" epidemic. Fifteen years ago the country seemed to be really focused on meth. The media was full of stories of its destructive fury, tales of samurai sword-swinging maniacs and celebri

Jodi's idea... ai of course! There has been much conversation in the community and at the Beach Association about widening the bridge and potentially banning cyclists, or warning them to dismount before walking our 395m juggernaut. Jodi & Dallas spoke about the options again today and about how community consultation will be key. Meanwhile, Jodi's got an idea for an enhancement to the bridge that the kids would love! Wnat do you think?

A public meeting is to be held next Sunday 9th August 12pm-2pm at Oakura Hall where WDC will update locals on the Helena Bay slip and the expected opening of Russell Road, now not likely until closer to Christmas. This morning on The Week in Whananaki, Jodi and Dallas discussed the upcoming meeting and what our coastal cousins deserve to hear from council representatives next Sunday.

This week on Whananaki's very own current affairs programme we talk: Council's ongoing response to the Helena Bay slip Rockell Road speed-limited to 100... shouldn't it be 40? Should we have pilot vehicles for big trucks on narrow roads? Northland council unification - will it actually give us any efficiencies? And plenty more! The Week That Was in Whananaki airs each week 10am-11am on Whananaki FM, 88.2FM locally and iHeartRadio globally.

Helena Bay slip site in July 2026. Photo / WDC Under-promise and over-deliver. Whether it's a work deadline or your wife's birthday present, I've found it's an approach that always leads to the best results in the long-term. My dad used to say "the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". I guess it's the same sort of thing. He was a grocer too. So when the council announced a further delay this week to the opening of one-lan

Whananaki's famous pines... is the time coming? It was a really fun show with Jodi this morning! Do we need to consider life in Whananaki without our famous pines? A game of "did this actually happen in Whananaki?!" Boating mishaps and rough at the bar Public meeting this Thursday, 5pm at the Beach Hall Our People of the Week And much, much more! Listen below!

Mark Nobilo living the dream in Whananaki since 2000. The Nobilo name is synonymous with winemaking in New Zealand. This week on Meet Your Neighbour we're very lucky to have Mark Nobilo on the show, whose parents came to New Zealand from Croatia and started one of the most iconic names in New Zealand business. Mark has had a fascinating career in the family business, then since 2000 he's helped other growers and winemakers helping to turn a fledging wine industry into a boom

We started the show late this week due to a fire callout, apologies folks! This week we canvassed plenty of local issues but wanted to really focus in on meth and its impact on rural and coastal communities. Listen below and tune in on Sunday at 10am next week for another edition!