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Tree house of dreams

Pohutukawa Lodge, Kuaotunu, Coromandel

When Cyclone Bola hit Coromandel in 1988, it blew over a pohutukawa on a hillside at Kuaotunu. 20 years later, John Buchan and his wife Wendy built a two-storey house whose upper decks are nestled amongst the foliage

When Cyclone Bola hit Coromandel in 1988, it blew over a pohutukawa on a hillside at Kuaotunu. The tree continued to grow along the ground, and 20 years later, John Buchan and his wife Wendy built a two-storey house whose upper decks are nestled amongst the tree’s foliage. It’s a big tree – its trunk is 1.6 metres in diameter – and when you’re on the top deck, it’s like being in a tree house, John says, surrounded by tui and bellbirds. The house was a long time in the planning for the couple.  Everything starts with a dream, according to John and the sequence of how theirs unfolded was almost unbelievable. He recalls surfing at the beach when he was a teenager, and looking back up the hillside and saying to the friend he was with, “One day I’d like to own a piece of...

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Russell

Russell, photo Charlene Quandt

A picturesque seaside village rich in history

Russell, formerly known as Kororareka, was New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement. In the 1830s, this was a lawless trading centre where whalers, seafarers and merchants mixed with adventurers, deserters and escaped convicts from Australia. Kororareka was nicknamed “the Hellhole of the Pacific”, hard to imagine now, as with time, Russell has become a picturesque holiday destination. Historic places in Russell include Christ Church (1835-6), the oldest existing church in NZ, which is still used today. Before the church was built, missionaries from Paihia used to row across the bay to take services in private homes. They purchased land in 1834 from Kororareka chiefs Rewa, Wharerahi and Moka, and agreed that Maori and Europeans should have equal rights of burial. In 1841 the capital was moved from Kororareka to Auckland, a change that led to a downturn in power and economic advantages for Ngapuhi chiefs. Maori grievances led to the Battle...

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Enter to win one Silver family pass (2 adults and 2 children) to Warbirds over Wanaka, valued at $500, on Sunday 8th April.

Healthy Food Guide Competition

WIN one of four great prizes of a $100 Rebel Sports voucher and 100 Quaker snack bars!

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MORE EVENTS
National Jazz Festival
Various venues around TaurangaThu, April 05, 2012 to Mon, April 09, 2012
Secret Cinema 2012 Summer Series
Secret locations from Invercargill to WhangareiTue, February 21, 2012 to Fri, March 09, 2012
90 Mile Beach Run Te Houtaewa Challenge
Ninety Mile Beach, 90 Mile Beach, Aupouri PeninsulaSat, March 17, 2012
Pasifika Festival 2012
Western Springs Lakeside Park, 859 Great North Rd, AucklandFri, March 09, 2012 7.00p.m. to Sat, March 10, 2012
Kerikeri Ocean and Orchard Festival 2012
Kerikeri Domain, Cobham Rd, KerikeriSat, February 25, 2012 1:00pm
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Tree house of dreams

When Cyclone Bola hit Coromandel in 1988, it blew over a pohutukawa on a hillside at Kuaotunu. 20 years later, John Buchan and his wife Wendy built a two-storey house whose upper decks are nestled amongst the foliage

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