I am in India with the NZ Junior Womens Squash Team competing in the 2009 World Championships. The individual event is done and dusted and unbelievably the event was won by a 13 year old girl from Egypt. Of course she didn't look 13 and there were... Read More

It has commonly been stated that the English Puritans were opposed to exhibitions such as cock fighting and bear baiting, not because they were concerned about animal welfare, but because they were frightened the working classes may be enjoying themselves... Read More

One of the sports in the Western Bay of Plenty that has literally come from nowhere and ended up a real nursery of the sport in the country is water polo. Until the BOP Polytechnic pool was built in 2002 there simply wasn't water polo in Tauranga.... Read More

It's been a common question over the last couple of years among homeowners across the Bay of Plenty - why is my house not selling? When the downturn hit the property market, many vendors were left high and dry. Previously houses had sold in a matter... Read More

I am regularly asked if it's better to rent a property to live in and turn your home into an investment property, or just live in your home. This question is easier asked than answered for many reasons, however, one of the biggest reasons people... Read More

In May, Justice Minister Simon Power explained to the United Nations that the new National-led Government intends to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The problem for New Zealand is that this is being done without... Read More

At a transportation taskforce meeting we had a progress update on some critical and not so critical projects, which are trying to cope with our traffic woes. Attempting to speed up traffic fixes is sometimes like managing a drunken elephant - one... Read More

We decided to upset all the Roman sandal, kaftan wearers by not being PC. As it was the boss' birthday, the two leggers got a crew of lads together, piled into the No. 1 The Strand van and headed for the hills. Well, in this case the Rotoehu Forest... Read More

Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly branded Tauranga a 'booster community' when he was guest speaker at the official launch of Western Bay @ Work on July 20. He was highlighting the successful track record of the Bay community to improve... Read More

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. A couple of beneficiaries discovered that this week, when they ventured into the inferno that is Paula Bennett's Spit Roast & Grill House. The trouble with putting out half a story in the political... Read More

The internet is a great tool for sharing knowledge across the globe. It has made it easier for us to know more about what's happening in Los Angeles and London than where we live. It has caused the term 'flat earth' to be used again; referring to the... Read More

A totally unique Kiwi animal is again alive and well in the country - 'the fair weather fan”. With the All Blacks and Warriors tasting defeat at the weekend, the airwaves of talk- back radio will be flooded with the bleating of the 'fair weather... Read More