Are we the forgotten province of NZ?
Northland provided the first capital of New Zealand and ever since it was moved south, Northland seems to have lost out on an ever-increasing scale. Yes, I am not sure that Wellington even knows that we exist. Auckland does because we see them use our hospitality and climate as somewhere to relax and have fun. Overseas tourists were plentiful before Covid.
Then we had the housing price increase in Auckland, and we saw many Aucklanders sell up and move to Northland banking the difference (good on them), only to find what? Yes, that is right, extraordinarily little, what they had in Auckland was luxury compared with Northland. You could argue that the main centres have a greater population and need, so what! We are all part of New Zealand and play our part in keeping the whole country functioning.
On a recent trip to Auckland, I used my Gold Card and went on the train to Sylvia Park, the train was clean, and it was a pleasant trip — all the stations had been upgraded lots of money spent and with a train every 30 minutes, time was not a problem. Living in Northland, you may ask what is a train?
Just north of Auckland and much further south on most roads Waka Kotahi is responsible for, money grows on trees so it would seem, but when it comes to Wellsford north the state of the highways are something I would not put my name to as to ownership for the maintenance and construction . You only have to look at the disaster just south of Whangārei.
Health is another loser for the north — we have the experts but not the facilities. Over a 100-year-old building, yes some updates, but Whangārei Hospital is out of date, what with little area for parking, built on a hill, it is time a new site and a fit-for- purpose new building is what Northlanders deserve. With the storms we had recently in Northland and in other parts of NZ, it would have been reassuring to see that Northland had the visits from senior politicians as other parts of New Zealand, but maybe they did not want to drive on our roads, bit rough.
I could go on but only allowed so many words. Others will have more to add to the list I am sure.
All we can ask is that we are not forgotten when it come to the infrastructure and needs that most of the rest of the county has available to them. We in Northland are part of New Zealand as well.
Well, it was on the last map that I looked at.
N. Mcleod Northland Ed’s note: The Government has committed $759m to rebuilding the hospital in Whangārei.
Here’s to carrots and sticks
Dr Reti’s article on carrot and the stick (boot camp) for young offenders of ram raids is spot on. It is not easy being a parent and we have only our parents and teachers to emulate at a young age.
Kids are always “trying it out” from the minute they can walk.
My father had been a sergeant in World War II and had me sorted before I was five years old.
Kids are curious.
I was punishing my two oldest kids for burning rings on the vinyl dashboard of my new car. No Pop Shop Derby for you until you own up. A few days went by and the atmosphere was below zero. Suddenly the penny dropped, my 4
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year old was happy as usual and couldn’t care less about the upcoming yacht race. Careful questioning revealed he had got bored sitting in the car waiting for me, so decided to find out what the cigarette lighter did. It burnt circles into the dashboard, didn’t it.
This son tested me all the way, even to the stage where I took him to the police station, and then finally changed his school so that he had to walk to my work place after school, do any homework there, and came home with me and my husband.
He has a lovely wife and family now and is settled in to parenthood. Thank goodness I didn’t cave into his behaviour, or the picture could have been different.
A WCromwell
Whangārei