Kumeu Courier

28/09/2026

Auckland Folk Festival 2027 lineup

Auckland Folk Festival announces a huge, globe-spanning lineup for its 2027 festival, running from Friday, 29 January to Monday, 1 February at the Kumeu Showgrounds.

Aotearoa’s largest Folk festival is back for 2027 with an incredible lineup of musicians from Aotearoa and around the world. An annual destination for families and friends for over 50 years, the three-day spectacular, held over Auckland Anniversary Weekend, is a chance to step out of the hustle and bustle of daily life and step into a world of music, dance, food, workshop and camping fun for the whole family. Take your pick from five stages, under cover with marquees (including a dedicated kids' stage).
Festival Programme & Artist Coordinator, Emily Roughton, says, “2027 is going to be a magnificent celebration of our creative community! There is a place for everyone, and space for young and old to enjoy a wonderful blend of tradition and discovery.”

Headlining the festival this year is Ny Oh. Fresh off touring with Harry Styles and taking home Best Folk Album at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards. Also joining the top of the bill is Yurt Party, the beloved Christchurch-based street party band known for turning festival crowds into one big dance floor.
From across the Tasman, the festival welcomes three exciting Australian acts. Apolline, The Inadequates and The Borough! Representing Ireland is four-piece Tulua, and Ghanaian musician Yaw Asumadu, brings his WOMAD-honed sound to the festival stages.
Returning for the 2027 Festival, via Nashville, is Cy Winstanley, and US singer-songwriter Jeff Davis. Award-winning folk songwriter Nicola Mitchell (Waikato/Tainui Ngāti Maniapoto) will present a set with her acoustic trio, alongside Auckland-based soul-food singer-songwriter dān dān 丹丹. Plus Hinekoia Tomlinson (Ngāti Hine, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa), returns to run her much loved waiata workshops.

The much loved, dedicated Kids Stage is in good hands once again this year, with returning favourite Cy Winstanley’s alter ego Simon Stanley and the talented Niccolo Piccolo.
With much more to be announced.
More info & Earlybird tickets are now on sale, until Dec 31st. from: www.aucklandfolkfestival.co.nz and Moshtix. Day passes and full weekend passes are available.

23/09/2026

What is your energy telling you? Enlightened Paths

What do you really understand about ‘energy’ and how it impacts your life?

We have all walked into a room and immediately sensed the vibe, either positive or negative. Or spent time with someone who left you feeling uplifted and calm, or just flat and drained. We often describe these feelings as energy or the type of vibe, but what does it really mean when we talk about ‘energy’?

Our energy can change throughout the day. A stressful meeting, a difficult conversation or a long day of juggling work, family and responsibilities can leave us feeling depleted. In contrast, time in nature, laughter, exercise, connection with others or doing something we love can leave us feeling refreshed and recharged.

We encounter energy constantly, even though much of it cannot be seen, just as we can feel the effects of gravity without being able to see gravity itself. We notice energy through how we feel in our bodies, our emotions and our responses to the people and environments around us.

In many traditional healing practices, energy is an important part of our overall health and wellbeing. Reiki is one of these practices. The intention during a Reiki session is to support the natural flow of energy, encouraging a state of relaxation and balance. In our busy lives, we rarely give ourselves permission to truly stop. Reiki provides a quiet space to slow down, switch off and reconnect internally. By supporting deep relaxation and a sense of balance, it can be a gentle way of restoring our energetic system.

If you’ve been feeling depleted, overwhelmed, stressed or disconnected, or finding it difficult to switch off and sleep, Reiki can help regulate your system. It may also be helpful when you’re experiencing anxiety or low mood, providing an opportunity to slow down, release tension and reconnect with yourself.

Prioritising time to stop and restore your energy, which is impacted by these day-to-day experiences, can make a huge difference to your overall health and wellbeing. This might be your nudge to find out for yourself.

22/09/2026

When did you check your risk? Janey Carr

My husband had become more tired. Poor sleep, long workdays, a bit more weight around the middle. He put it down to getting older and stress.

I’d been on to him to get checked out for ages.

When he finally did, his blood results gave him a shock: prediabetes, high lipids, raised blood pressure, gout and high BMI.

He sat with it for two days. Then he asked me what he should do.

Over the next three months, he did more for himself than my nagging had achieved in years.

There was no crash diet or banning Friday night drinks. We looked at what he was actually eating, how he was moving, his sleep and the habits that had crept in around work.

For him, that meant more vegetables, sensible portions of carbohydrate, regular meals instead of long gaps and then raiding the cupboard at night, and a few changes around alcohol and movement.

Three months later he was 6.5kg lighter, his HbA1c was back out of the prediabetes range, his blood pressure was normal, and his lipid markers had improved.

But the biggest change for him?

His energy was back. He felt like himself again.

I work primarily with men 45+ in insurance whose blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar or weight are starting to head the wrong way.

If that sounds familiar, I’m offering a free 7-day food tracking review.

Track a normal week. Don’t diet. Don’t “be good”. At the end, I’ll show you the 2–3 things I’d focus on first.

One week. Worth knowing, don’t you think?

21/09/2026

Understanding night vision after dark For Eyes Optometrists

Is your eyesight stopping you from venturing out at night? Many people notice that seeing clearly at night is not as easy as it used to be. Headlight glare, halos around lights, difficulty reading road signs, or general difficulty seeing in dim conditions can all be signs that your vision needs attention.

Poor night vision can have several causes. An outdated glasses or contact lens prescription is one possibility. Even a small amount of uncorrected prescription can become more noticeable at night because the pupil becomes larger in dim lighting, increasing blur.

Night vision problems can also be associated with eye conditions such as dry eye, cataracts, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is why changes in night vision shouldn’t simply be dismissed as a normal part of ageing.

Modern optical solutions can also help. Anti-reflective spectacle lenses reduce distracting reflections and glare, while high-quality progressive lens designs can provide clearer, more comfortable vision across different distances. Some newer contact lens designs also incorporate blue-light filtering technology. Blue light scatters more readily within the eye, and reducing some of this scattered light may improve visual comfort for certain patients.

If you have noticed a change in your night vision, particularly if driving after dark has become more difficult, a comprehensive eye examination is a good place to start.

At For Eyes, we check both your prescription and the health of your eyes, looking for conditions that could be affecting your vision. We can also recommend the most appropriate spectacle or contact lens options for your individual needs.

Don’t let poor night vision hold you back. Contact For Eyes to book a comprehensive eye examination with Molly, Matthew or Sushmita and find out how we can help you see more clearly and comfortably, day and night. Phone Anna on 09 412 8172 or visit our website www.foreyes.co.nz

21/09/2026

Kumeū Arts

Stories about Home
A new theatre production is inviting Aucklanders to explore what "home" really means, through the voices of the people who live there.

Leave The Light On, from theatre company Wh***ey & Boots, brings together a cross-section of community voices - First Nations peoples, multiple generations of locals, and new migrants - interviewed about how, when and why they found home.

The production uses headphone verbatim performance, a technique in which performers wear headphones and repeat recorded interviews live, word for word, without embellishment, revealing honest, relatable and deeply human moments.

Featuring performer-producer Georgia King and performer-director-musician Mark Storen, each story is underscored by an original musical response from local musician David Ward , performed live. Alongside the performance, an audio installation layered with projected drawing animations by Daniel Grant plays in the gallery space.

Audiences are also invited to contribute their own anonymous "Dear Home" letter, displayed alongside the work - meaning the piece grows and changes with every person who shares in it.

"Through the sharing of honest moments in intimate spaces we can try to understand each other better - boldly, honestly and playfully," King said.

The show brings Wh***ey & Boots' storytelling-with-music practice to a city shaped by overlapping journeys - Māori as tangata whenua, third- and fourth-generation locals, and migrants from across the globe - each carrying a different relationship to home.

Organisers describe the work as a "living portrait of home."

Leave The Light On takes place as a one-off performance on October 3rd at Kumeu Arts Centre, with the accompanying audio and visual installation on exhibition from October 3rd to 24th.

Tickets are available via the Kumeu Arts Centre website.

A community Art Centre, gallery and shop. Offering classes and workshops for Children and Adults, Live music venue and place for creatives.

20/09/2026

Mister Sharp Auckland

Blunt blades no longer!! Sharpening Service @ catalina Market every Saturday morning.

Sharp knives. Sharp scissors. Sharp garden tools. A sharper way to get the job done.
Is your kitchen knife struggling to slice a tomato? Are your secateurs crushing rather than cutting? Perhaps your favourite pair of scissors has lost its edge?

Mister Sharp Auckland brings professional sharpening to Catalina Bay Farmers Market every Saturday, giving locals a convenient way to bring their tired, blunt blades back to life while enjoying the market.

Lance from Mister Sharp operates a mobile sharpening service throughout Auckland during the week, helping households, gardeners, chefs, businesses and tradespeople keep their cutting tools performing at their best. He will be at the Catalina Market from 8.30am, located by the Ferry Terminal near Fabric Eatery.

So, before you head out for your Saturday morning coffee and market shopping, have a look through the kitchen drawer, sewing box and garden shed. Gather up those knives, scissors and garden tools that have been waiting for some attention and bring them along.

Mister Sharp can sharpen kitchen and chef's knives, including serrated knives, household and dressmaking scissors, as well as garden tools such as secateurs, loppers, hedge clippers, spades and axes. Damaged or chipped knife edges can also be repaired and reshaped.

The sharpening process uses a Tormek-style rotating whetstone with water cooling, helping to keep the steel cool while removing minimal material and producing a precise, long-lasting edge.

For many customers, it is not simply about having a sharper knife — it is about getting more life and usefulness from tools they already own.

Mister Sharp's Auckland service is family operated, and Lance has been honing his sharpening craft for years. Customers can bring their items to the Catalina Market and have them sharpened while they enjoy everything the market has to offer.

Don't throw it out - sharpen it

Every Saturday | From 8.30am | Catalina Bay Farmers Market, Hobsonville Point

For sharpening enquiries, contact Lance: 027 444 3348
Email: [email protected]

Mister Sharp Auckland — bringing the edge back to your knives and tools.

17/09/2026

Urban Flair

My daughter & myself arrived in Aotearoa 15 years ago & fell in love with Kumeu and its beautiful community at first sight.

We have been living there for 12 years now.

Do you know the saying "never work with family"? We completely disagree!

Together, we have always wanted to create something unique that is reflecting our vibes, so we opened Urban Flair Cafe.

Lucia brings fresh energy, enthusiasm, kindness & modern vision to the cafe when I bring decades of hospitality experience & creativity with my French-Spanish-Italian roots.

Together, while having fun & enjoying our unique set up, we handle every detail of your visit. When you step through our doors, you aren't just a customer, you are a guest in our family bach. We are offering toasted sandwiches made with sourdough, a large range of gluten free-vegan sweetness & traditional French pastries.

Our sourdoughs are made with natural ingredients, traditional long fermentation, no added dough improver, additives or added gluten.

Cream of the crop, we are serving Atomic Coffee, one of the best coffee beans in NZ.

We are open 7days a week. Monday to Friday 6.30am- 1.30pm Saturday & Sunday 8am- 2pm

Lucia & Guillaume
020 4082 5841
248 Main Road, Kumeu

https://www.instagram.com/urbanflairnz/
https://www.urbanflair.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/UrbanFlairNz

17/09/2026

Raine & Horne Kumeu - Hobsonville
Your SuperGold Card Could Be Worth Thousands of Dollars—Not Just Coffee Discounts

Most people think of their SuperGold Card as a handy way to save a few dollars on shopping, travel or a coffee. But if you're planning to sell your home, it could be worth thousands of dollars more—because your SuperGold Card could help you save significantly on real estate commission. That’s why Raine & Horne Real Estate Kumeu-Hobsonville is proud to offer eligible SuperGold Card holders 15% OFF our selling commission. And when you're preparing for retirement or the next chapter of your life, every dollar matters. Think about what an extra few thousand dollars in your bank account could mean. It could help boost your retirement savings, contribute towards your next home, fund travel, support your family or simply provide greater financial breathing room as you enjoy the lifestyle you've worked hard to achieve.

For many mature homeowners, the family home represents decades of hard work, sacrifice and memories. Perhaps the children have grown up and the house is now more space than you need. Maybe you're considering downsizing to something easier to maintain, moving closer to family or friends, relocating to be nearer to essential services, or embracing a retirement village lifestyle. For your free NZ Downsizing Blueprint, scan the code and start reading:

Whatever your reason, selling your home can be a significant financial decision—and one where seemingly small savings can make a meaningful difference. With over 20 years of experience helping mature homeowners navigate important property decisions, Graham McIntyre understands that selling a home isn't simply a property transaction; it is often a family journey. There can be emotional attachments, practical decisions and plenty of questions about what comes next. Graham's role is to make the process clear, straightforward and focused on achieving the best possible outcome for you. When you sell a valuable asset such as your home, the final amount that reaches your bank account matters.

The 15% SuperGold commission discount means eligible cardholders can reduce one of the significant costs associated with selling their property. The exact saving will depend on the sale price and commission applicable to your property, but for some homeowners, the difference could amount to thousands of dollars. That's money that could stay with you rather than being spent on selling costs. As you approach retirement, having more money available can provide something even more valuable: choice. Choice about where you live, choice about how you spend your time, choice about helping family, and greater confidence about the financial years ahead. You don't have to be ready to put your home on the market today. If selling is something you're considering in the next 6–12 months, now is an ideal time to understand what your property could be worth, what your selling costs might look like and how much you could potentially save with the SuperGold offer. Graham McIntyre would be delighted to provide a no-obligation appraisal, discuss your plans and explain exactly how the SuperGold offer works. There’s no pressure and no obligation—just an opportunity to explore your options and discover how much more of your home's value you could potentially keep. Your SuperGold Card could be worth more than you think. And when it comes to retirement, every extra dollar in your bank account can make a difference.

To find out more, contact Graham McIntyre on 027 632 0421, Raine & Horne Real Estate Kumeu-Hobsonville. Country Living Realty Ltd, Licensed REAA 2008.

16/09/2026

Laser Plumbing & Roofing Whenuapai

Is your septic tank due for a service? Regular septic tank maintenance helps prevent blockages, unpleasant odours, system failures and costly repairs down the track. The team at Laser Plumbing Whenuapai are here to help keep your system running efficiently all year round.

We offer:
Septic tank servicing, maintenance & inspections
Septic tank repairs
New septic tank installs

We are proudly Auckland Council approved inspectors, giving you confidence your system will be checked thoroughly and professionally.

Book your septic tank service today. Our qualified technicians handle everything – testing, certification, repairs and maintenance across low, medium and high hazard backflow preventers.

We can also look after our wider community by offering complete solutions for all your plumbing, drainage, and roofing needs. No job is too big or too small - our team is happy to do any job from basic tap washers right into full re-piping, re-roofing, drainage, or gas systems.

We have an experienced team of plumbers, roofers and drainlayers who can help with any of these issues. We offer no obligation quotes, so give us a call today.

Call Laser Plumbing & Roofing Whenuapai today on 09 417 0110 and we’ll get it sorted for you.

15/09/2026

Muriwai Half Marathon

With less than two months to go until race day on Sunday 11th October, preparations for the Muriwai Half Marathon are well underway. Alongside the Half Marathon there are 7 km and 3 km run/walk options, so there is something for everyone - seasoned runners, weekend joggers and families alike.

This event is so much more than just a run on amazing dune and forest trails and a family friendly festival. Every entry directly supports the Muriwai Environmental Trust's conservation work and brings us a step closer to our headline goal: returning kiwi to Muriwai. With your support, we have a very real chance of establishing the closest mainland kiwi population to Auckland - a precious taonga for the whole community to experience and protect. There's an extra reward, too: every finisher takes home a medal and a native plant - nurtured by the volunteers at our community nursery, to grow at home or give back to help restore Muriwai land damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.

So round up your friends, colleagues and family, and start training. Entries are running out - hundreds of people missed out last year, so don't leave it too late. Search "Muriwai Half Marathon" for entry details.