Jetstar off
Jetstar chief executive Steph Tully, Hamilton Airport CEO Mark Morgan and mayors Paula Southgate and Susan O’Regan at Sydney Airport check in.
The first international passenger flight in 13 years was due to arrive at Hamilton sometime before 11am today from Sydney. Jetstar flight JQ165, with Waipa mayor Susan O’Regan, her Hamilton counterpart Paula Southgate, Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan and Jetstar chief executive Steph Tully left Australia at 8.13am (NZ time). Jetstar will operate seven trans-Tasman services per week out of Hamilton: three return flights to and from the Gold Coast, and four return flights between Hamilton and Sydney. The Jetstar flights will add capacity for more than 100,000 international passengers each year and pour an extra $45 million annually into the Waikato economy. More than 60 new airport-based jobs have already been created and the tourism spend is expected to open the door for around 300 new jobs.
See: Sydney – we’re ready for you
See: Aussie flights: It was always when, not if
Passengers queue for the return flight to Sydney at Hamilton
On location
A couple hoping to buy a property in Cambridge and return to the town they lived in before moving overseas, will feature in the New Zealand version of Location, Location, Location, filmed on Monday. Presenters Jayne Kiely and Paul Glover showed the couple three properties.
Outfall finished
Drone footage of the stormwater outfall in April 2025
Waipā’s stormwater outfall is finished and the stretch of Te Awa River Ride, between the Velodrome and Gaslight Theatre is now open. Stormwater swales and ponds form a network that collects, treats, and returns water to the Waikato River.
New generation takes note
By Jesse Wood
The Mental Notes album cover has been revived by students for the event.
A former Ōhaupō rugby player, Lachlan Holt, is the Hamilton East School teacher in charge of a 50th anniversary celebration Split Enz’s of Mental Notes album.
Split Enz, containing one of Te Awamutu’s favourite sons, Tim Finn – and later brother Neil – released their groundbreaking debut album in 1975. To celebrate the milestone, students from Hamilton East School will perform songs from the album alongside Mike Chunn, a founding member of Split Enz.
The school is planning to record the live performance and press a limited run of vinyl records. “I am looking forward so much to driving down to Hamilton to get stuck into some Split Enz songs from way back,” Chunn said.
They’re great songs – Stranger Than Fiction, Time for a Change – and then the gang from down there are going to do Sweet Dreams as well. He said was impressed with Holt’s work and everything he had heard about the build up to the event
Wonky flowers
Wonky flowers
Every year thousands of flower stems never make it to the shop floor from Waipā growers but a new initiative that gives wonky flower stems – deemed not good enough for retail – geta second chance. Wonky Flowers have partnered with Cambridge flower grower and importer Burwood to give them a second chance.
Under scrutiny
Local MP Louise Upston speaking to the crowd. Photo: Viv Posselt
Taupō MP Louise Upston would have loved nothing more than being on the inaugural Jetstar flight from Sydney to Hamilton next week both in her role as Tourism Minister and local MP. But it is Scrutiny Week in Parliament and on Monday she is needed by the Social Services and Community select committee to respond to their questions on issues in her other portfolios – the Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues and Social Development and Employment.
Give blood
The NZ Blood Service was in the Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub at Fieldays three years ago and had some good news for those who lived for more than six months in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland between 1980-1996 who have been unable to donate blood. They have been ineligible because of the UK epidemic of human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), also known as ‘’mad cow disease’’. Australia and the USA have done away with the eligibility criteria and now New Zealand is set to do the same from next year. Cyril Mateum, left, and Steve Dalgety were sharing the good news.
The number of youth aged 16-25 years giving blood has dropped by 25 per cent since 2020 which has the New Zealand Blood Service concerned. This is National Blood Donor Week and every year around 30,000 people living in New Zealand have their lives saved or improved by blood, plasma and platelet donors.
40 hour challenge
Celebrity ambassadors, from left Caleb Clarke, Paige Tapara, Stan Walker, Brianna Fruean, and Wallace Sititi.
Students from St Peter’s School, Cambridge will participate in the World Vision 40 hour challenge from tomorrow to Sunday. The students plan to undertake 40 hours camping to help raise funds for children left hungry by the changing climate in Solomon Islands in what is the nation’s largest youth fundraising campaign.
The four World Vision Youth Ambassadors during their visit to the Solomon Islands where they witnessed the effects of climate change firsthand. The Youth Ambassadors visit schools across Aotearoa to encourage rangatahi to get behind the campaign. From left Joel Titus, Asher Harkness, James Watson, and Holly Arnold.
Hoping to go global
Cambridge High School students won two awards at the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington competition recently. Evelyn Winter won Most Outstanding Performer and Aspen Gooch won Most Outstanding Performer in a Tragedy.
Riders on form
Four young riders – including Mei Chin of Cambridge High School – landed a podium spot at the recent Asia & Pacific Cup in Fuzhou, China. In addition to finishing third overall, a New Zealand Pony Club team took part in an exchange programme.
Booking in
Cambridge High School invited the public in to see its refurbished library on Tuesday. Library manager Glenys Bichan said work to install new shelving, tables and signs and to create a more user-friendly space for students and staff marked the first significant upgrade to the facility in 20 years.
Ally wins in Glasgow
Ally Wollaston on the podium in Glasgow. Photo: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Waipā cyclist Ally Wollaston sprinted her way to overall victory on the final day to win the Tour of Britain.
The Suez FDJ professional went into the last stage of the UCI World Tour race around the streets of Glasgow trailing emerging British star Cat Ferguson from Movistar by three seconds.
The former St Peter’s School student revelled in the circuit racing, picking up the time bonuses in winning all three of the intermediate sprints in Glasgow and then securing the overall honours with a sprint for third on the stage. It gave her the last four bonus points to secure the overall victory on general classification.
The final stage was held on an 8.4km city-centre circuit in Glasgow. “I’m a little bit overwhelmed,” said Wollaston. “I knew it was a lot to pull off today, winning three sprints and having to still get seconds in the final. I knew the race really had to go my way today.
“This means the world to me, it’s my first World Tour victory in GC.” Wollaston has won two world titles on the track as well as silver and bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games.
