Whangarei Army Cadets

15/06/2026

Over the weekend of 5-7 June, Whangarei Cadets had the privilege of running the first Regional NA Drone Operators course.

Seven Officers and NCO's assembled at Northtec on Friday night as Students, set to learn not only the practicality of Drone flight, but more importantly the rules and regulations that ALL drone operators should be flying under while in NZ airspace - that we share with powered craft.

Such as -

- CAA CAR's 71, 101 and 102
- Safe charging and maintenance of Li Po batteries
- Key components of Drones
- Differences in Frequencies for both Control and Camera feeds
- Care, maintenance and flight characteristics of the NZCF drone - the E-Max Tiny Hawk III Plus

This training resulted in all 7 students becoming NZCF qualified in Visual Line of Sight flight (VLOS) for the NZCF Drone, and 3 Students qualifying in First Person VIew (FPV) ie with goggles on looking at the screen.

Even better is that Whangarei now has 7 more Qualified Coaches who can assist the next Drone Operators courses to be run in Term 3 and Term 4 - enabling up to 24 cadets at a time from throughout Northland to become NZCF Drone Qualified.

The weekend was intense, with the majority walking away with a much better appreciation of how to safely fly drones and the realisation that a lot of hobbyists really do not understand the regulations.......

Till next time!

24/04/2026

Sorry - but the service has been cancelled. All other services are potentially effected as well so check on each to see status.

The Whangārei Returned and Services’ Association regrets to inform the community that due to safety concerns and adverse weather conditions, the 6:00 am Dawn Service at Laurie Hall Park, Whangārei, has been cancelled.

The 10:00 am service at Maunu Cemetery is expected to proceed, but will remain subject to weather conditions on the day.

This decision follows advice received from the Whangarei District Council, Met Service, and Civil Defense regarding the uncertainty of the weather. The final decision has been made by the Whangarei RSA.

Thank you for your understanding.

The Whangārei RSA

22/04/2026

See you all bright and early this Saturday!

ANZAC Day services large and small will run this Saturday 25 April 2026 to commemorate Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

🔴 Pipiwai: Kaikou Marae dawn service begins at 5:00am.
🔴🌧️ CANCELLED: Central Whangārei: The Laurie Hall Park Dawn Service will begin at 6:00am (📸 2024 event pictured below, but cancelled for 2026 due to steady rain)
🔴 Tutukaka Coast: A dawn service will also start at the The Ngunguru Sports Complex at 6:00am.
🔴 Hukerenui Cenotaph: meet at 8:30am.
🔴 Maungatapere Community Centre: Meet at 9:00am for the annual service.
🔴 Maunu Cemetery: 10:00am
🔴 Hikurangi War Memorial Hall, 24 King Street: 10:00am
🔴 Pehiaweri Marae, 99 Ngunguru Road: 10:00am
🔴 Takahīwai marae, 229 Takahīwai Road: 10:00am
🔴 Te Kamo War Memorial Hall, Boswell Street: 10:00am
🔴 Waipu Citizens & Services Club, 18 Nova Scotia Drive: 10:40am
🔴 Maungakaramea Hall: 10:45am
🔴 Onerahi Community Hall, 130 Onerahi Road: 11:00am

Thanks to Whangārei RSA for providing this event-listing.

Lest we forget 🌹

17/04/2026

Well done to all cadets staff and parents who helped with Poppy Day collections today.

I think it has to be summed up with one great photo from an Officer who prefixed the photo with the caption "help, I've lost two of my cadets"

Obviously the DPM doing it's job...... but not enough to stop an amazing collection from all three Corps Army, Navy and Air Cadets today in Whangarei.

04/04/2026

Out and about today or tomorrow?

Fancy supporting your local NZCF Units?

Hungry before your DIY project?

Well, have we the answer for you!

Whangarei Army and Air Cadets are fundraising and have Sausage sizzles running today and tomorrow from 9am - 3pm.

Sunday @ Mitre 10 Porowini Ave
Monday @ Bunnings Raumanga

Plans your trips and come see us and grab a sausage and cold drink before your project gears up, or as it winds down!

16/03/2026

Over the weekend of 7-8 March - 20 cadets from 20 SQN, WhanDCU and KCU descended onto a private rural property North of Whangarei for the Senior Bushcraft activity.

Main objective of the camp was to offer a "next level" training experience over and above the "basics" of sleeping in tents and cooking on gas stoves.

We looked at -
- emergency shelter construction using natural and manmade materials (sleeping in them too!)
- navigation
- RATEL
- ground to air signals
- fire lighting
- signal fires
- cooking on open fires (3 meals!)

It was a fantastic weekend with great weather and lots of new skills learnt and applied.

Bring on the next stage where maybe it rains and the shelters are truly tested for weathertightness...... ;)

12/03/2026

WHAT – A - WEEKEND!

When you’re a New Recruit, only around three weeks into unit life and you head straight into EX Bootcamp 2026, you’re in for a full on experience.

Over the weekend of 7-8th March, our new recruits were immersed in learning drill, unit structure, ironing principles, ranks and so much more. It was a big information load—but by the end of the weekend, something special had happened - New Recruits became CADETS.

It wasn’t all lessons, drill, and information overload though. During squad time, cadets had the chance to get to know their fellow team members, play games, build connections and unwind together.
After long days, there was nothing better than relaxing with a movie, well fed and fuelled by the awesome USC committee, who kept everyone going with great meals throughout the weekend.

A huge shout out to the CPLs who stepped up as squad leaders. They managed their teams well, grew into their leadership roles, and should be very proud of the way they supported their cadets.
The officers and support staff also played a key role, guiding and directing the camp to ensure it was a successful and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

An outstanding weekend of learning, teamwork, and growth—well done to all.

25/01/2026

Well - welcome to 2026!!!

We know there are a number of families out there that missed last years recruiting information night, so here is the announcement for those that are wanting to come along and join up for this years exciting training plan.

Our Main recruiting evening is coming up on the 12th February at our HQ, 14 Murdoch Crese, Raumanga (Northtec Campus). We also have a backup evening on the 19th, but this is not guaranteed to go ahead if we reach capacity for the year.

Please plan on arriving for 1830 hrs, and park in the main Te Pukenga Carpark. This will give you the ability to watch the parade, before moving inside for the presentation estimated to finish by 2000 hrs.

We already have large numbers of pre-enrolled cadets, so do come along and see if it is for you and don't miss out!

Parent/s are required to attend so applications can be completed and made official of the evening.

We look forward to showing you what we do and starting your journey with the NZCF!

09/01/2026

Happy New Year to all our followers, we hope you all had a safe and prosperous holiday season and are raring to go in 2026!

To say we had an absolutely FANTASTIC year in our new venue - would be an understatement. We partook in lots of activities and parades and had a lot of fun along the way - along with lots of learning!

Here's a quick overview of some of our activities and achievements from 2025 - see if you can recognise the activities or people......

We are also looking forward to accepting our new batch of recruits for 2026 and seeing who will DARE TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

08/12/2025

38 cadets and 7 officers and staff made their way to Pine Beach Campground, Kai Iwi Lakes on 6–7 December for our annual LAZEX camp—a chance for cadets to relax and enjoy their last activity of the year in style!

From swimming and beach games to puzzle hunts, volleyball, and cricket, cadets honed their teamwork and leadership skills while having plenty of fun. Helping carry the pontoon (which was well monopolised—in a friendly way!) added to the laughs.

Meals ranged from gourmet creations worthy of MasterChef to a few that might need some cooking classes—but that’s all part of the experience! With awesome weather, the weekend was truly memorable.

The drive home was very quiet—which to us means it was a fun, busy camp! Thanks also to the officers who helped “herd the cats” (aka cadets).

Until next year—bigger and better, so don’t miss out!