A while ago I was very fortunate to be selected to travel to Japan, representing New Zealand, at the Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar, in Kōhoku, a town in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Whilst there is much to write about … it was the collective responsibility felt by the citizens, working together for the betterment of all, which had the most profound effect on me.

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As the water temperature cools down over winter, you may notice New Zealand fur seals, or kekeno, returning to the rocky shores around the Coromandel Peninsula...

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Proud to be Local is our inspirational feature, highlighting homegrown Coromandel Peninsula folks doing wonderful things out in the world. In this edition,  Lisl Wollheim Jones. Brought to you by Ron Morgan.

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At Pattaya, which in the 70s was just a sleepy seaside town which American GIs had also frequented during the war, an ex-soldier also called John befriended us and asked for some money as he didn’t have anywhere to stay and was sleeping under a water tower. He had fallen victim to the lure of swallowing opium-soaked coconut fibre which was a cheap drug of choice for some travellers.

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Kauri are among the largest and longest living trees in the world with two ancient giants, Tanenui and Tairua, recorded on the Coromandel Peninsula in 1986. (Ref: Te Ara, teara.govt.nz.) The Kauaeranga Valley was once filled with magnificent kauri trees, but with the arrival of the European settlers thousands of massive trees were felled, and by 1928 most of the kauri had been logged.

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The CoroCine Film Festival is back for 2025, shining a spotlight on Coromandel’s growing community of filmmakers. From 22-24 August, the festival will light up MTC-Mercury Twin Cinemas, Whitianga with a curated three-day programme showcasing films made by, about, and for the Coromandel.

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This is the 30th issue of Coromind! A milestone. Enjoy the full audio version.

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While Matariki is widely known as the marker of the Māori New Year, in regions like Te Taihauāuru, parts of Northland, and the South Island, we look first to Puanga – a star just as important in our skies and stories.

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What’s clear now is that Coromind is more than a magazine. We’re a platform. One that produces and promotes events, partners with incredible creatives and businesses, and offers an online outlet where the world can see what makes our corner of Aotearoa NZ so unique – and feel inspired to visit, support, and celebrate it.

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Impressionist, quirky, cartoon-like painter and sculptor Cindy Alger was born and raised in Coromandel. Cindy paints around 20 paintings per year, but has aimed at ensuring her paintings are priced to be accessible to collectors who may not have big budgets as she believes that art is for everybody.

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