One of New Zealand's most popular boat shows is returning to Tauranga after a non-appearance in the city last year due to the recession. The Tauranga Boat and Leisure Show will be held at Baypark, September 10-12. Organisers worked closely with Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard to ensure the event was revived. Three large pavilions will feature at the event this year - the Hunting and Fishing Adventure Pavilion, Bay Fisher Pavilion and Education Pavilion. There is also a new great outdoors More...

Surveying of the Whakatane harbour entrance is being carried out and skippers crossing the bar are advised to use caution. The survey vessel is a white, 5.5 metre rigid hulled inflatable that will be continually moving across the entrance on Wednesday and Thursday, stopping in places. Whakatane River near the entrance being surveyed. The vessel will display the day mark - black ball over black diamond over black ball - indicating it is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. The survey is More...

Tauranga Boys' College student Thomas Saunders' gold medal at the Youth World Championships in Turkey last weekend sets him alongside some of the country's top sailors. Thomas won in the largest fleet in the event, the 50 boat Boy's Laser Radial class. Winning a gold medal in Turkey sets Tauranga sailor Thomas Saunders alongside some of New Zealand's best and most famous sailors. Photo courtsey Yachting NZ. Other New Zealanders to have won gold in this event over its 40 year history More...

New Zealand Sport Fishing is cautiously optimistic Ministry of Fisheries kahawai management proposals will leave more fish in the water and keep all interested parties happy. NZ Sport Fishing president Richard Baker says his organisation is disappointed that the Ministry's proposal only reduces the commercial allocation by 3 per cent (30 tonnes) a year in the area from North to East Cape, while recreational allowances are reduced 46 per cent (780 tonnes) and customary allowances by 60 pr cent More...

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, approved by the regional governance group, is investing $104,000 into aquaculture in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Opotiki Mayor John Forbes says these funds will be used to help establish a regional aquaculture organisation and to develop a region-wide profile of the emerging aquaculture industry and future infrastructure needs. File picture. "Aquaculture will have an huge impact on the economic wellbeing of the Eastern Bay of Plenty - in fact, the More...

SunLive Photographer Michael Kinvig captured these images at the burial of Moko on Matakana Island on Saturday..About 50 people attended the ceremony which started with Moko arriving at the Matakana Ferry and travelling in convoy to the island surf beach. The ceremony concluded at 1pm. Moko's coffin leaves the van after crossing the harbour on the Matakana Ferry. A four wheel drive takes him and minders the last few kilometres. Through the dunes to the secret burial More...

The official ceremony, mourning, burial and celebration of Moko the bottle-nosed dolphin in the Bay of Plenty is complete. Following Ngati Awa ceremony in Whakatane on Friday, which included a street parade and service at Mataatua Reserve, Moko was brought by boat to Tauranga in a specially made blue coffin. The coffin was lain in the sand of Matakana Island at about 1pm. In Tauranga on Saturday morning the dolphin was transported to Matakana Island for a burial ceremony to be conducted More...

Tauranga sailors Thomas Saunders and Sam Bullock have won gold and silver respectively at the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Turkey. Thomas has raced to a win in the largest fleet at the event, 50 boats, in the Boy's Laser Radial class, while Sam Bullock has won silver in the Open 29er skiff class. Thomas Saunders is a gold medalist in Turkey. Photo courtsey Yachting NZ. Thomas, aged 17, started the regatta well, but then a poor race in very light winds on the More...

Iwi and media are gathered with Department of Conservation staff in a contingent that is heading to Matakana Island for the burial of Moko the bottle-nosed dolphin. Moko was found dead last week on a Matakana Island beach and he is now being returned there for a burial conducted by Ngai te Rangi. Moko, in the specially made blue coffin, waits to cross to Matakana Island in a van. The contingent of people heading there include about 20 Ngati Awa representatives, six DOC staff, six media More...

Two Tauranga sailors are in podium positions at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships being held in Turkey. Thomas Saunders is leading the Boy's Laser Radial, while Sam Bullock is in second place in the Open 29er fleet. Sam Bullock is second in the Open 29er race at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships. Photo courtsey Yachting NZ. At the start of day four of competition Thomas was sixth, but with a 13th, a 2nd and a 5th on the water it put him into the lead. More...