Mike Tukahi, interum Chief Executive (left) and Johnathan Kukutai (right). Manukau Urban Māori Authority brought the community together to celebrate Matariki, marking the Māori New Year with a day of performances, kai and manaaki for whānau across Māngere. Interim Chief Executive Mike Tukaki says the celebration was as much about gratitude as it was about the new year. "It was an opportunity for us to give back and say thank you to our community who have had a really rough t

Awatea Hall (left) and General Manager Zane Wedding (right) from the Māngere Mountain Education Centre. Two years on from losing $300,000 a year in local board funding, the Māngere Mountain Education Centre is putting the call out for more support so it can keep being a vital educational resource to young and old alike. The Centre lost the funding in 2023, a cut General Manager Zane Wedding describes as a huge loss. Despite this, the Centre has kept its doors open and its vi

Some of the members of the Māngere Bridge Business Improvement District. (L-R): Marcella Howarth, Mataiasi To'ofohe, Kate Adams, Shane Howarth, Corinne Cameron, and Lieng Kong. The organisation that's behind Māngere Bridge’s beloved Christmas parade, along with its vital CCTV network and nightly Security Patrols could be under threat. According to Māngere Bridge Business Improvement District (BID) manager Kate Adams, her council-funded association faces an uncertain future af

Rise Up Academy performing at TwoSevenFive Day 2026. Māngere's cherished community celebration, TwoSevenFive Day, returned bigger than ever this year - with more stallholders, a bigger venue size, more community organisations, and an impressive fireworks display to cap off the evening. Event co-ordinator Lily Sio says the day ran smoothly, and she loved being able to connect to so many providers, community groups and locals who turned out to support the day. "It was great to

Paki (centre) with the Haddon House team at the 2025 TwoSevenFive Day. As Haddon House prepares for their fifth year at TwoSevenFive Day, Paki looks back on what the event has meant for the business, and what keeps drawing them back each year. The first time Haddon House set up a stall at 275 Day, they had no real benchmark for what to expect. It was their first ever market. Within the first hour, they had sold out completely. That was four years ago. In 2026, they return for

Mana whenua representative blessing the artwork adorning the outside of the Māngere Arts Centre. Bold, bright, and unmistakably Māngere. A new artwork has transformed the windows of the Māngere Arts Centre into a celebration of community, culture, and belonging. The MAC Māmānu project, two years in the making, is the work of Māngere-based artist Elisabeth Kumaran, who was approached by the Māngere Arts Centre after her digital illustration work was displayed as part of the MA

Local police, Neighbourhood Support staff, and Cause Collective staff. A new initiative is helping Māngere residents build stronger connections and be better prepared when emergencies strike. One Love: Ready Neighbourhoods officially launched on 25 March at the Māngere Arts Centre, bringing together community members, local organisations, and two dedicated neighbourhood activators committed to fostering resilience from the ground up. Leading the initiative in the Māngere, Ōtā

Waka ama paddlers coming in from the long Portage Crossing journey. One of Tāmaki Makaurau's most cherished annual events has entered a new chapter this year, building on over three decades of history, to establish a new partnership, while keeping cultural pride and its significant past at its heart. The Portage Crossing, founded by James Papali'i and the Portage Crossing Waka Ama Trust, now carries a Māori name gifted by Tainui: Te Taahuhutanga o te waka Tainui. The name re

Fitz Manase (in hi-vis vest), with General Manager Lily Manase (centre right) as her Mother cuts the ribbon, officially opening the 275 Markets. One of Māngere's most beloved local gathering spots has a new chapter, and the people behind it are no strangers to showing up for our community. The 275 Markets officially launched this week under the management of the Twosevenfive. Foundation, following a formal Expression of Interest process run by Auckland Council. Speaking at th

The Housing Foundation Household Team, with Jocasta Asi (standing, top right). For many families, owning a home can feel increasingly out of reach. But new developments in Māngere are aiming to change that, with the Housing Foundation supporting more whānau into homes they can one day call their own. Tracey Cameron, who works alongside Jocasta Asi at Housing Foundation, plays a key role in helping families through the process. “When you contact us or register on our website,

Māngere College staff and senior leadership (left) with Triple Teez crew (right) and sponsor Martyn Reesby (white shorts) and Karl Woolcott from Ride Holidays (centre right). A donation of 30 brand-new mountain bikes from Ride Holidays is set to make a lasting impact at Māngere College, opening the door for more students to experience the freedom and confidence that comes with cycling. The bikes are helping bring to life a three-year initiative led by Sport New Zealand, deliv

Architectural rendering of the proposed Portage Crossing Trust Clubhouse. Over many decades, paddlers from the Portage Crossing Waka Ama Club have battled all manner of conditions as they have navigated their vessels along the windswept shores around Māngere Bridge. But with nothing more than a patch of grass to gather on after training, the dream of a clubhouse has always been in the back of members’ minds. As secretary Poutoa Papali’i explains, “The idea came about before

The crew and attendees of the opening event from the Māngere Moutain Rangatahi Hub. For Māngere local Kayne Ngatokowha Peters, creating a safe, vibrant space for young people wasn’t part of a long-term plan - it just grew naturally from his doorstep. After living around Aotearoa and overseas for the last 20 years, Kayne returned to the area in the last two years and found his house was increasingly becoming a gathering point for his nieces, nephews, and neighbourhood kids. “

Attendance Kaimahi pictured. Back row (L-R): names...Priscilla Waller Subritzky, Lafaele Pereira, Serena Rorani-Ah To, Anthony Kavana. Front row (L-R): Anika Channa (Manager), LIllie Refiti, May Ngatuakana. Absent: Wiremu Melbourne-Reedy, Ashley Tonga Following COVID-19, school attendance became a nationwide challenge across Aotearoa. While the long lockdowns may feel like a distant memory for some, many families in Māngere are still struggling to get their children to schoo

Pene (left) and Amitai Pati (right) The remarkable story of how two Samoan brothers from Māngere took their singing talents from modest church halls in South Auckland to grand opera houses around the world will soon be hitting movie screens. The film Tenor: My Name is Pati , which premieres on March 5, traces the journey of Pene and Amitai Pati from their humble beginnings to forming Sol3 Mio alongside baritone Moses Mackay, to going on to perform at some of the world’s most

Following news that the Māngere Town Centre Countdown is closing after over 50 years in the community, tributes have also poured in for one of the store's longest serving staff, Chas Hoskin As Māngere said goodbye to its longstanding Countdown supermarket in the town centre on 7 November, the community also took a moment to honour one of the store's most familiar faces, Chas Hoskin. Chas had worked at the store for 48 years and became a symbol of service, kindness and a true

Author of My First Ikura Qiane Matata-Sipu (left) with Stacey Morrison (right) who translated the book into te reo Māori, at the book launch event in Onehunga Qiane Matata-Sipu’s new children’s book My First Ikura and its te reo Māori translation Taku Ikura Tuatahi are redefining how families in Aotearoa talk about periods - and it's already resonating nationwide. The release has appeared on the bestseller chart for two weeks in a row, a milestone that speaks to the deman

Arihia Stirling (left) at Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga 2025 held at Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae After almost 30 years at the helm of Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae, respected tumuaki (principal) Arihia Stirling has announced her retirement - marking the end of an era for one of Aotearoa’s most influential educators. Stirling, who has dedicated more than 40 years to teaching, first revealed her retirement decision during a professional development session she was leading on the

Some of the locals involved in the campaign to close the liquor store on Wickman Way Just over ten years since the Wickman Way liquor store opened in Māngere East, it has been ordered to close by the High Court by November 14. Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae principal Arihia Stirling heralded the decision, given her concerns about the potential for alcohol-related harm on the area’s young people. “I'm just so grateful for every community and person that was involved in this 10 y

Onehunga Māngere United Softball Reserves team in their new uniform Once the beating heart of Auckland softball, Norana Softball Park in Favona, formerly known as the Lion Red Ballpark, is being revitalised thanks to the dedication of the volunteers at Onehunga-Māngere United Softball Club (OM Softball). Once home to national tournaments and bustling weekend crowds, the park had fallen into disrepair after Auckland Softball sold it to Council in 2008. Now, OM Softball is l