Te Hiku Local

07/10/2026

New mahi opportunities across Te Hiku 👀

Here are the latest jobs added to the Te Hiku Local Job Board this week:

• Duty Manager – Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club Ltd

• Night Auditor – Taipa Beach Resort

• Head Chef – Taipa Beach Resort

• Vacuum Truck Operator – Ventia

• Registered Midwife – Maternity, Kaitaia Hospital – Health NZ

• Ranger Heritage and Visitors – Department of Conservation

• Duty Manager – Four Square Houhora

• IT Systems Engineer – Ultra IT

• Trust Administrator – NZ Gardens Trust

• Oyster Farm Worker – Awanui

• Community Ministries Mission Coordinator – The Salvation Army NZ

• Blueberry Seasonal Pickers – Pukenui

👉 Share this post with whānau and friends who may be looking for mahi.

View the latest jobs at www.tehikulocal.co.nz/local-job-board

06/10/2026

Five on the Fly | Meet Nara from Grey Heron 👋

This month we caught up with Nara, founder and Head Instructor at Grey Heron Pilates & Fitness Studio in Kaingaroa.

Far North raised and now raising her own children in Kaingaroa, Nara’s journey into Pilates began after experiencing herniated discs and having to change the way she moved.

Pilates became an important part of her rehabilitation, but getting to sessions meant travelling more than an hour from home.

That experience planted an idea: why shouldn’t this kind of movement be more accessible here in the Far North?

In our latest Five on the Fly interview, Nara shares the journey behind Grey Heron, the challenges of growing a local business, and her hopes for Te Hiku.

Five on the Fly is our quick Q&A with local business owners, sharing the people and stories behind businesses here in Te Hiku.

👉 Read Nara’s full interview: www.tehikulocal.co.nz/five-on-the-fly-nara-from-grey-heron

02/10/2026

Proudly Local | Proudly Te Hiku

What is your name, and where are you from?
Derek Ashley from Muriwhenua, Ngati Maniapoto, Tainui, and Nottingham, England.

What do you love most about living in Te Hiku?
The beaches and the people. Everyone supports each other, and it’s very community-driven. I love diving and fishing when I get the chance, and chilling or camping with whānau.

Where is your favourite place to visit or grab a bite to eat?
My favourited place for all the above is Mum and Dad's, getting together with whānau and sharing kai is always 👌. Also up north in Pukenui with my wife's whānau.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy making music, fishing, diving, and throwing darts. Music gives me a chance to be creative, while fishing and diving are about gathering kai and sharing it with others. I enjoy darts because of the challenge it brings.

What is one local gem or special place in Te Hiku that more people should know about, and why is it special to you?
Locals know not to share their spot x around lol, but if it were any place or business, the bro BBQ is a local gem who cooks the best slow-smoked meats in the FFN🔥. Go give him a follow.

Interview conducted by Kamryn Puckey. Photo supplied. Thank you to Kamryn and Derek for your contributions.

30/09/2026

Looking for mahi? 👀

Here are this week’s latest job listings on the Te Hiku Local Job Board:

• Internal Sales – Motion New Zealand Ltd

• Accounting Technician – PKF Far North Ltd

• Branch Supervisor – Traffic Control – T8 Group Limited

• Leader of Learning – Physical Education & Health (Y7–13) – Taipa Area School

• Leader of Learning – Science (Y7–13) – Taipa Area School

• Office Administrator – Taipa Area School

• English Teacher (Y9–13) – Taipa Area School

• Customer Services Administrator – Regent Training Centre

• Motorcycle Mechanic – Archibald Motors

• Laboratory Technician – Far North Lab Ltd

• Restaurant Manager – Carrington Estate

• Golf Superintendent – Carrington Estate

• Holiday Homes Management & Cleaning Services – Bachcare

• Casual Cook – Cater Plus

• Fencer / General Hand – Pārengarenga Incorporation

• Campaigns Manager – Animals Aotearoa

👉 Head to www.tehikulocal.co.nz/local-job-board to view the latest vacancies.

Follow Te Hiku Local to see our weekly job board updates directly in your feed.

29/09/2026

Congratulations to the hardworking peeps in Ahipara 👏👏👏

Collaboration, innovative thinking and a willingness to challenge conventional approaches to wastewater treatment at Ahipara has earned the 2026 Ronald Hicks Memorial Award from Water New Zealand.

29/09/2026

Looking to learn something new, upskill or take the next step?

We’ve pulled together a few opportunities currently open or coming up from trusted training providers, covering automotive engineering, hospitality and beauty therapy through to business, sport coaching, teaching and Whānau Ora.

With options available right here in Te Hiku or online from home, there are more ways to fit learning around work, whānau and everyday life.

👉 Swipe through to see what’s available.

Link to the Training Board in the comments below.

Know of something we should add? Drop the course details below or fill out the online form to list a course, workshop or wānanga.

28/09/2026

Freediving Workshop
Make the most of this opportunity - koha (pay what you can)

See the original post for details

🌊 KOHA FREEDIVING IS BACK: pay what you can 🌊

Kia ora koutou! Freedive Aotearoa is running Koha Freedive Sessions again this summer, supported by Water Safety NZ 💙

Who's it for?
Made for our tāne, 35 to 55 years old, and their dive buddies. Bring your kids, your partner, your wife, your mates. Everyone's welcome, because the number one rule of freediving is we never dive alone.

Never freedived? Come.
Been hunting for years and want to be safer? Come.
Want to feed the whānau with confidence? Definitely come.

What happens on the day (a full day at the beach):
🫁 Breathwork to slow the body down
🛟 Rescue skills, so you know how to look after your buddy
🤿 Ocean freediving with experienced instructors
🦞 Safe kaimoana gathering with hunting and gathering specialists
🍽️ A shared kai to finish

Dates:
📍 Sat 31 October: Tutukaka
📍 November: Kaitaia
📍 December: Bay of Islands
Then one a month through to May.

Cost: koha, pay what you can, from $10. It's heavily subsidised thanks to Water Safety NZ.

Want more? After your session, apply for a Spearfishing & Kai Day on the boat from Matauri Bay ($150). Dates are coming soon.

How to book:
1️⃣ Pay your koha: 👉 freedive.co.nz/pages/koha
2️⃣ Fill in the registration form (details, emergency contact, health check)
3️⃣ We'll email to confirm your spot

Spots are limited, so get in early. Under 18s register with a parent or guardian.

🎉 PLUS: we're giving away a 3-day freedive adventure to the Poor Knights, Cavalli Islands and Bay of Islands. Follow , share the post and tag your dive buddy to enter.

Tag someone who needs to come with you 👇


Ngā mihi,
Sacha, Freedive Aotearoa

25/09/2026

Proudly Local | Proudly Te Hiku

What is your name, and where are you from?
Kia ora, my name is Nina Pivac, and I was raised in the small but mighty town of Awanui.

What do you love most about living in Te Hiku?
I love the slower pace and the lifestyle up here. There’s something pretty special about living somewhere where you’re never too far from the coast, the whenua, your whānau, or someone you know. It’s a great place to call home and raise a whānau.

Where is your favourite place to visit or grab a bite to eat?
If I had to choose my favourite place, it would be Rangaunu Harbour. It’s home for me and holds a special place in my heart. I also love Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe and probably find myself there at least a couple of times a week, whether it’s during the school run or just winding down after a busy week.

My favourite places to eat and drink are Peekaboo Backyard Eatery, they make the best matcha! And Riverside Café in Awanui, which has a beautiful outdoor setting by the river. Both are really whānau-friendly too, which I appreciate as a mama.

What do you like to do in your spare time, and why do you enjoy it?
Anything outdoors, really. I love waka ama, fishing, diving, camping, and getting out on the water, but I’m just as happy going for a walk or spending time outside with my kids and whānau. Life and work can get pretty busy, so getting outdoors is how I reset.

Waka ama has also become a big part of my life recently. I love the physical challenge, but also the connection and community that comes with it.

What is one local gem or special place in Te Hiku that more people should know about, and why is it special to you?
Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe is definitely a crowd favourite. With such a vast stretch of beach, you don’t have to go far to find a good snapper hole, a p**i patch, or just a quiet, sheltered spot to cook a BBQ with the whānau. I have so many fond memories of spending time out there growing up, and now I get to make those same kinds of memories there with my own kids.

Interview conducted by Kamryn Puckey. Photo supplied. Thank you to Kamryn and Nina for your contributions.

23/09/2026

Looking for mahi? 👀

Here are some of the latest job listings added to the Te Hiku Local Job Board:

• Registered Nurse – Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora

• Experienced Forestry Workers – Mold Logging

• NZ Registered Nurse – Claud Switzer Memorial Trust

• Qualified Health Care Assistants – Claud Switzer Memorial Trust

• Baker/Chef/Cook – Manaaki on 25 Cafe

• Frontline Station Support Officer – New Zealand Police

• Sole Charge Administrator – Geoscience Society of New Zealand

• Trainee Pharmacy Technician – Far North Pharmacy

• Support Worker – MSD

• Wharekura Kaiako – Te Ao Haka – TKKM o Pukemiro

• Student Kaitiaki (Attendance & Safety Support Person) – Taipa Area School

• Community Support Worker – HealthVision

• Laundry Assistant – MSD

• Scaffolder – Onsite Access

• Scale A Teacher – Senior School – Mangōnui School

Know someone looking for mahi? Share this post and help spread the word.

👉 Head to www.tehikulocal.co.nz/local-job-board to check out the latest vacancies or add a local job opportunity.

17/09/2026

Forklift training right here in Kaitāia!

Today, a group of local workers and business owners got stuck into forklift training at Onsite Hire in Kaitāia, organised through Te Hiku Business Boosters.

The morning started with theory before moving into practical training for the second half of the day, with Alpha Training Services trainer Brian Hagger, a local from Kaimaumau, guiding everyone through the course. Brian was supportive and approachable throughout the day, making it a comfortable environment for those gaining their forklift ticket for the first time, as well as those refreshing their skills.

And having this training available locally makes a real difference.

Georgina from Far North Frozens Ice & Bait has been waiting three years for the opportunity to complete the training locally. With her children having moved away from the area and stepped out of the whānau business, gaining her forklift ticket was an important part of upskilling and helping maintain continuity within her business.

Speaking with some of the other participants today, a similar story came through. Without training available in Kaitāia, they would normally need to travel to Whangārei to gain or refresh their forklift ticket.

All places were filled, with locals attending from PlaceMakers Kaitāia, KPH Builders Construction, Far North Solar Systems, DMA Consulting, Kaitāia Hire and Onsite Access, and Far North Frozens Ice & Bait.

The training was organised in response to local demand, helping make practical training opportunities more accessible for Te Hiku whānau and local businesses.

📣 Feel like you missed out?

The next forklift training session is Thursday 15 October in Kaitāia, with only 8 places available.

Whether you need to gain your forklift ticket for the first time, or it's time to refresh your existing qualification, the training caters for both.

👉 Head to the link in the comments to register your interest for the 15 October session.

Brought to you by Te Hiku Business Boosters and Alpha Training Services, in partnership with Kaitāia Business Association, Ministry of Social Development and Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust, and hosted at Kaitāia Hire and Onsite Access.