In this week’s edition

Art festival, street rod nationals, boot sale, new supermarket and more

The sun’s out so it’s time to get the guns out for the long weekend. And there are plenty of guns in town — of the artistic variety — for the Graffiato: Taupō Street Art Festival. Check out the map on page 4 for all the locations of the artists.

Down the road in Tū rangi we have a treat for lovers of big beautiful cars with the National Street Rod Association Nationals, while just across the road is a boot sale. We have placed that story on the front page in a desperate attempt to get more petrolheads reading the paper, along with a fairly spectacular truck crash that happened yesterday morning.

None of this matters to all the puppies and dogs that have been turning up at animal shelters in Taupō lately. If mortgage rates and the grocery bill aren’t sending you to the cleaners and you have room in your heart and home for a pooch, then head on down and stare into some big, sad eyes.

The supermarket scene is getting a bit of a spruce-up in Taupō , with the opening of a new Countdown at Wharewaka today and plans afoot to rebuild the old one in the CBD next year. That story is on Page 5.

On page 8 we look at some of the popular walking tracks that have had to close lately because of damage from wet and wild winter and spring weather.

Next up, on page 10, we highlight the proposed Taupō District Council District Plan changes, which involve pretty significant amendments.

We will be doing more on this subject but I suspect there will be keen interest in the new height allowances — up to six storeys — in the Taupō CBD.

Other changes include increasing the percentage of residential sections that can be built on. If approved, the percentage will increase from 30 per cent to 35 per cent before a resource consent is required.

Further back in the paper we have pages of locally written recipes, movie reviews and other local news to chew over.

Hopefully, you get some inspiration and information from this week’s edition.

Stay safe and enjoy the long weekend.

daniel.hutchinson@nzme.co.nz