Local Opinion

Ferrets, fighting and wet feet

A ferocious ferret found its way into the Pirongia hotel, having escaped its owner.  It promptly attacked Mrs Finch, landlady, who ran into a room and perched upon a chair for safety. The ferret then…

Fire cost could top $1 million

Police had a busy week last week – here’s how it went day by day. Monday – police attended a ram raid in Cambridge and six family harm incidents with one of them resulting in…

The story of John Rochfort

John Rochfort ate his evening meal with great relish at the Star Hotel, Kihikihi. It was early March 1893 and the 60-year-old Government surveyor had come into the township a few days previously for fresh…

Volcanoes don’t smoke

“Volcano spewing smoke” is my least favourite volcano headline phrase. Why? While the term ‘spewing’ is not my favourite, volcanoes just do not emit smoke (excluding when hot volcanic rocks and lava flows set things…

Poppy and Easter

We are a family of animal lovers. Over the years our children have had pet rats, pet mice (not my favourite), rabbits, a dog, cats and chickens. I have written before about our Maine Coon…

Mounteds on the march

During the Great Strike of 1913 mounted troops from the Waikato were sent to Auckland, including C squadron from Te Awamutu. The troops comprised men who were enrolled from rural areas as special constables. They…

Volcanoes in the movies

I love a good action movie, and if they have an eruption or some other geological disaster as a plot line I am in. With field work at Mount Doom (Ngāuruhoe) last week and making…

Crisis? Here’s the evidence

A little over a fortnight ago I experienced shooting pains in both arms and hands which caused some sleepless nights and then became so unbearable one early Thursday morning my wife took me to the…

When rocks fly

The day this comes out I will be in the field with PhD student Amilea Sork, looking at huge rocks that were violently thrown out of the Ngāuruhoe crater during the 1950s and 1970s eruptions….

The pēpeha

Ko Taupiri te Maunga (Taupiri is the mountain) Ko Waikato te Awa (Waikato the river) Ko Potatau te tangata (Potatau the Man) Waikato taniwha rau (Waikato with its myriad taniwha) He piko, he taniwha! (At…

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