Community

Forget everything you have ever learned about weather and seasons – as far as Taupō is concerned, it’s Labour Weekend and summer is here. 

Taupō’s new Starlight Cinema and has hit the stars with a double showing at two national design awards. 

^{Last week we climbed up to the old Ketetahi Hut site, usually the end section of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and returned.}  

Major Jones is out and Te Tauranga o Waikari is in, with the new suspension footbridge over the Tongariro River now complete. 

Fine dining has reached new heights in the Central Plateau with Whakapapa repurposing part of its restaurant into a high-end experience. 

When your business is made of steel it takes a certain type of mettle to make it all work. 

Mandy is a master stylist with 50 years in the hairdressing industry and is preparing to shave her head this Friday to raise money for a childhood friend battling breast cancer. 

One thing everyone agrees on is that Andrew Leiataua wouldn’t have wanted a big fuss made about him – that was his job.

What began as unwanted, scrub-covered farmland on the outskirts of Taupō is now one of its most cherished green spaces.  

Kinloch is to get the first new supermarket proposed by the ambitious Paddock to Pantry brand. 

Lake Taupo Rotary has confirmed the Guy Fawkes Big Bang Fireworks has been cancelled for the second year in a row. 

Taupō’s Leah Kilmister has completed an incredible 11-week trip to Europe, culminating in the World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.  

St. Pierre's opened its second store in Taupō last week, with two of New Zealand’s early pioneers of sushi retail making an appearance. 

It’s school holidays and Olliver Pask is fishing when we track him down to discuss his record-breaking year on the end of a fishing rod. 

More than 250 hectares of weed control has been carried out and 91 deer removed from Tongariro National Park since fires destroyed thousands of hectares of alpine ecosystems late last year. 

The organisers of Sunday’s Golden Retriever Gathering admit they were surprised by the level of attention they received. 

Next week’s Trinity Concert is a celebration of the work local students have put into their Trinity College of London music instrumental exams. 

A parade of former soldiers, currently serving soldiers and their families marched through the streets of Taupō on Sunday. 

Taupō Scout Justin Schur has received one of New Zealand Scouting's highest honours, capping a decade of outdoor adventures, community service and leadership. 

With longer days and spring in the air, it’s not only flowers that are sprouting all over the place, but shops as well. 

Construction is underway on a 15-megawatt solar farm near Tūrangi, in what is a joint venture between solar developer Lightyears Solar and eight Māori-owned entities. 

The Anamata Community Colour Run proved popular on Saturday – one of the many events that were part of the Digital Detox Day.

A pair of Taupō bowlers with a combined century of experience are heading to England in January to compete in the World Indoor Bowls Championships. 

A Tūrangi arts collective is giving artists dotted around the southern end of Lake Taupō a valuable outlet for their work. 

Bowls Taupō’s summer season is underway. Although the weather was not exactly summery for the opening on September 20, that didn’t stop a large group of members from turning out. 

A small community library has popped up outside the Anglers Table café in Tūrangi, giving locals and visitors free access to books. 

Reupene Wall, a Māori carver with deep roots in the Pūrāpoto region, has completed his first commissioned artwork — an intricately carved tōtara piece created for the new Te Rāhui solar farm east of Taupō. 

A Taupō company has used a helicopter to trim trees near live high-voltage powerlines in what it says is a first for New Zealand and milestone for lines companies. 

What a Goldilocks sort of Monday, not too hot and not too cold. A welcome change from the awful weather and cancellation of last week’s walk.