Challenging driving
With severe weather arriving ahead of the busy Easter holiday period, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising road users in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, to be prepared and take extra care on the roads. Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast, with MetService issuing a severe weather warning from tonight until end of day on Friday 18 April for Coromandel and Western Bay of Plenty. The orange warning is likely to be extended further into the Waikato and across the Kaimai Range.
Plan ahead before you travel with the Easter and Anzac travel advisory in the NZTA Journey Planner.
Easter and Anzac holiday weekends 2025 | NZTA Journey Planner
Licence granted
Cambridge Raceway operations manager Michelle Thomson, right, gives evidence to the Waipā District Licensing Committee with from left Senior Sergeant David Hall, Waipā licensing inspector Glynn Jones, administrator Nola Stannard and Compliance manager Karl Tutty, commissioners Michael Cameron, Tegan McIntyre, Marcus Gower, Raceway chief executive Dave Branch (partially obscured), solicitor Anna Suckling. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Cambridge Raceway’s on licence has been renewed for three years by the Waipā Licensing committee after a two-day hearing in February. There are several conditions including compliance with a Noise Management Plan, liquor may only be sold in non-glass cups in the grandstand and outside grassed area, drinking water must be freely available and each separate lounge offer at least four types of light meals.
Poppies galore
Poppies at Matangi School
Mātangi School students added more than 260 knitted poppies to the school’s front fence to mark Anzac Day. Members of the community taught the children how to knit last year and their contributions join other knitted poppies – made by Mātangi Garden Club and the community committee since 2017 as part of WW100 – which hang in an oak tree in the Jack Foster Reserve.
Weal in top job
Christine Weal. Photo: Take the Moment
Dressage rider and trainer Christine Weal has been appointed Equestrian Sport NZ’s new High Performance dressage manager. Weal, who lives and works at stables in Te Rahu Rd between Te Awamutu and Cambridge, breeds and produces young horses for both dressage and eventing. She replaces Penny Pearce of Pahiatua who died in February.
Festival a success
Autumn Festival Main Street Carnival and Art Market in Victoria Square. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
The Cambridge Autumn Festival Trust says the success of the latest festival – with four concerts and two workshops sold out and more than 5000 people attending the Te Awa Lifecare Main Street Carnival and Autumn Art Market – means they have already started work on next year’s event. Highlights included performances by new trio “La Voce o Rotorua”, pianist Michael Houstoun, and the three country artists –
Rowdy’s Rose, James Ray, and The DCP. Organisers were also able to include musicians and performers from local high schools, dance schools and arts academies.
Five Stags unlisted
Pirongia’s Five Stags is no longer up for sale, after owner Nora Fu failed to find a buyer for the $1 million valued pub and restaurant. Fu, sole shareholder of Night Pearl Ltd, owner of the pub, last year and now wants to lease it out instead.
Executive shuffle
Katie Mayes
Katie Mayes, who is currently NZ Transport Agency System Planning and Investment national manager will join Waipā District Council as Cambridge Connections executive director next month. Meanwhile the council has farewelled deputy chief executive Ken Morris and Human Resources group manager Stephanie Shores. Service Delivery group manager Dawn Inglis has also resigned from the executive. James Graham is filling in as acting chief financial officer.
Dawn Inglis
All that jazz
Hunter Davis
Cambridge High School jazz bands won gold and silver medals at the Tauranga Jazz Festival last week with Hunter Davies taking out the Best Guitar player prize. The bands have been competing there for three years so it was an impressive haul. School drama groups who performed at the Shakespeare regional competition had two wins and now qualify for the national competition final in Wellington.
Added to squad
Oliver Scott, front second right with the Hamilton Boys High School team that beat St John’s College.
Cambridge water polo player Oliver Scott has been added to Water Polo NZ’s under 16 men’s squad. Scott was part of the Hamilton Boys’ High School team which won the Waikato Water Polo high school competition recently pipping St Johns’ College 9-8 in the final.
