Blogs

Protecting a generational asset at a pivotal moment

A message from Mayor Mahé with Mahé Drysdale The future of the Bay of Plenty's investment fund is an issue that should matter to every ratepayer across our region. The investment fund was established more... Read More

‘Knocker-upper’ of Cameron Rd

Roger Rabbits with Jim Bunny A stream of water snaked from beneath a pile of grubby clothes and bedding in the shop doorway. And there was a plume of steam as it pooled in the middle of the footpath? You could smell... Read More

Take a holiday in Havana

Music Plus with Winston Watusi watusi@thesun.co.nz I keep thinking about how things have changed. Does that mean I'm getting old? Take the National Jazz Festival, an event Tauranga is justifiably proud of. Broader musical... Read More

Autumn brings the best horses in the country to the Gate Pā track

Sports correspondent & historian with Sideline Sid Autumn thoroughbred racing is synonymous with Tauranga's Gate Pā track, where big race days stretch back more than a century. Last Saturday, the Group 2 Japan Trophy... Read More

Buy, lick, stick, post…

Roger Rabbits with Jim Bunny I felt like a loyal old friend had just been given a terminal diagnosis. 'How long?” 'September.” 'Really? Not long!” 'No. Not long. Just long enough to get the... Read More

A deluge of blues and more

Music Plus with Winston Watusi watusi@thesun.co.nz 'Humankind cannot bear very much reality,” said T.S. Eliot. At least so said the bird in Eliot's poem Burnt Norton. We do seem to be getting a lot of it these... Read More

The five Ps of autumn gardening

Grow With the Flow with Melissa Cox -Content suplied by Papamoa Pick Your Own Flowers Autumn is officially here. As the days cool down and the sun sets earlier, it's time to start the five Ps of autumn gardening: Pull,... Read More

Future stars: Western Bay duo eye next leap in cricket careers

Sports correspondent & historian with Sideline Sid One of the rewards of writing about sport in general (and cricket in particular) is being able to chart the progress of Western Bay of Plenty talent on to the big stage. One... Read More

The rise of results-driven beauty in Tauranga

Moments of Tranquility with Dani Sheridan Living in Tauranga means sunshine, salt air and an active outdoor lifestyle - but it also means significant skin damage. Increased awareness around UV exposure, pigmentation and... Read More

Live bootlegs and children’s songs

Music Plus with Winston Watusi watusi@thesun.co.nz This week let's have a look at two very different local releases. The first occurred last weekend, a show at the Jam Factory where John Michaelz launched his new album,... Read More

Dancing with a ‘plain-clothes fairy’

Roger Rabbits with Jim Bunny It has special historic significance. Category one stuff. Important. But godforsaken. A barren, exposed, windswept, rocky plateau. Difficult, isolated. Crazily dramatic views of the... Read More

Bay of Plenty win the Hawke Cup for the sixth time

Sports correspondent & historian with Sideline Sid For two glorious weeks in February 2026, the Bay of Plenty senior representative cricket team held all four trophies they are eligible to compete for. Bay of Plenty... Read More