The long range forecast for Waitangi weekend makes for better reading than the torrential rain and flooding experienced in the Bay of Plenty over anniversary weekend. The MetService is predicting temperatures of about 24-25 degrees Celsius and mainly sunny skies for Saturday and Sunday. See below for video of what to expect at the Tauranga City Airshow. If this forecast holds true, it will provide great conditions for viewing the show. Planes are scheduled to fly down sun, which means More...

People with tickets for Sunday’s cancelled “Mills Reef Stars Under The Stars” concert can get refunds from the outlet they bought their tickets from, says promoter Craig Wilson. Or ticket holders can swap their 2010 tickets for the 2011 show when those tickets go on sale later this year. Scenes from the 2009 Mills Reef Stars under the Stars concert. “Anyone wishing to have their ticket money refunded has until the end of February to return their ticket to its point More...

The best collection of classic warbirds ever seen in the North Island will be flying at the Tauranga City Airshow. The Waitangi weekend show’s flying display director and world renowned warbird pilot, Keith Skilling says the roster includes a Mark IX Spitfire, a P51D Mustang, a Corsair, two Kittyhawks and an A37 Dragonfly. Keith Skilling flying the Mark IX Spitfire that will grace the skies above Tauranga on February 6 and 7. Picture by Gavin Conroy. “You just don’t More...

A scene involving slow motion commentary on a car washing competition led Home ImprovMent to be named Tauranga's top theatre sports team at the inaugural Quarry Festival of Theatre Sports on Sunday. The winning team (front) Jess Stringer, Gabrielle Beran, Phoebe Thwaites (back) Chris Parnell with MC Steve Wrigley. The foursome, consisting of team members Chris Parnell, Jess Stringer, Gabrielle Beran and Phoebe Thwaites, faced off against team Baggysox (Michael O'Hara, Jeremy Tomkins, More...

Mount Maunganui’s latest singing sensation, Australian Idol 2009 winner Stan Walker is back home and signing autographs at Bayfair Shopping Centre. He will be at Marbecks in the mall on Sunday from 12.30pm till 2.30pm to sign copies of his debut album, ‘Introducing…Stan Walker’. 2009 Australian Idol winner Stan Walker. Since his Australian Idol win, Stan has had many New Zealand appearances, including his performance at the recent Maori Sports Awards and at the More...

Marchwood Blues Picnic organisers are optimistic they will be able to hold it again next year after Saturday’s event went well with an estimate of about 600 people attending despite the rain. Organiser Carol Murphy says she has not counted up the money yet nor collated the bills, but is hopeful of a positive financial return. About 600 people attended the 2010 Marchwood Blues Festival. “I don’t know if we made any money yet, but am hoping to break even – or at More...

Large crowds flocked to Coronation Park on Saturday as the  captivating sound of bagpipes rang out over downtown Mt Maunganui. Over 400 people took up vantage points around the park for the fourth annual Gaelic festival of music and dance.   Tauranga Police Sergeant, Pipe Major Mark Holmes leads the  Auckland Police Pipe Band at Coronation Park. See video below of the Auckland Police Band. Six pipe bands from the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland  played, marched More...

Twenty-eight photos from the ‘People of the Bay’ photo collection that featured in the 2009 Tauranga Arts Festival are being donated to the Tauranga Hospital and will soon adorn the walls for patients and visitors to enjoy. “We always imagined featured collections from the festival would go into the community somewhere so they could be displayed and enjoyed,” says Tauranga Arts Festival administration manager Jo Bond. Tauranga Arts Festival administration manager Jo More...

Painter Owen Dippie is hoping publicity from works he is producing for the Te Puke kiwifruit festival will help his trip to New York in May. He’s recently completed a portrait of Whakatane singer Laughton Kora for the festival. The band Kora will be playing at the festival on March 6. Owen Dippie is trying to paint his way to New York and was commissioned by Kiwi Fest organisers to create this work promoting their event. Owen grew up in Kawerau and has followed the band for More...

The Bay of Plenty is a place rich in New Zealand history – dating back long before European settlers arrived in the region in the nineteenth century. Historically one of the best methods of recording the past is through art and in Tauranga there is an artist who is trying to ensure some of the region’s history is forever remembered. Click here to read Pete Morris’ latest blog to find out More...