MARCH AGAINST METH Ōtaki has had enough of the drug problem plaguing the town and is marching against meth. At 10am on Saturday, December 1, marchers will gather on the corner of the highway and Mill Road – at Sunrans Spas – and progress along Mill Road to Main Street in the township.  There will be speeches and informat... Keep Reading

An Ōtaki man who’s making Christmas special for thousands of disadvantaged children, has won an ASB Good as Gold award. Pera Barrett grew up in Ōtaki and still calls it home. Now living in Wellington and working as an IT manager, he organises Christmas presents every year for kids whose parents and care-givers are close to the poverty line.... Keep Reading

Sergeant Phil Grimstone, Ōtaki’s new officer in charge, is no stranger to the town. He grew up in Levin and spent three of his 15 years with the police force at the Ōtaki station. There were also six years based at Paraparaumu, and he was promoted to sergeant in Levin in 2012. For the past three years he’s headed the Horowhenua Family Harm... Keep Reading

Ōtaki Bowling Club is inviting business houses, sports clubs, community organisations, schools and individuals to join it for twilight bowls during summer. On the Thursdays of November 22 and 29, December 6, January 24 and 31, and February 7, the club is hosting teams of three (join a team on the day if an individual) to enjoy a relaxed, friendly.. Keep Reading

A warning about collecting and eating shellfish from Ōtaki region beaches has been lifted. The Ministry for Primary Industries issued the alert for west coast beaches from Waikato to Te Horo in mid-August. It removed the warning on September 20. Shellfish and seawater samples are taken every week from popular shellfish gathering are... Keep Reading

Our sense of community and interdependent connectivity was once almost unshakable. Nowadays, perhaps in the face of overwhelming globalisation, rampant inequality and relentless information (and misinformation), we seem less certain. In fact, we are seeing a worldwide trend towards protectionism, isolationism and populist nationalism. Some of... Keep Reading

The trophies look good in the clubhouse cabinet, but Kahura Cameron is a man more focused on the journey than the result. The big No 8 for Ōtaki rugby league club Whiti te Rā relishes every season, and he’s seen a few. With his 40th birthday just around the corner, it’s been a long journey, and hanging up his boots has been on his mind... Keep Reading

A Health and Wellbeing Plan for Ōtaki was presented to the Ōtaki Community Board on Tuesday September 4. The plan, presented by MidCentral District Health Board project manager Kelly Isles, set out a strategy over the next five years. It was guided by four strategic intentions: to partner with people to support health and wellbeing; to connect and Keep Reading

The horses are back in town and the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club is champing at the bit to get the party started. Races are on again at Labour Weekend Sunday, October 21, with a full card and all the excitement that’s been a hallmark of Ōtaki racing for more than 130 years. Race day will be a family day that includes entertainment for adults and... Keep Reading

The Māoriland short film initiative NATIVE Slam III has been selected for the ImagineNATIVE film festival in Toronto. More than 4000 films were submitted to the festival this year and Māoriland has five films in the programme. NATIVE Slam is a 72-hour international indigenous collaboration challenge held in the week prior to the Māoriland... Keep Reading

Back in the day when the Civic Theatre sold movies and Edhouses sold everything else, we used phone party lines to arrange a meeting at the Ritz Milk Bar or to organise a spot of whitebaiting at the Ōtaki river. A hamstring hadn’t yet been invented as a rugby injury, alcohol and cigarettes were harmless and a bet on the horses required a... Keep Reading