Tai Tokerau Timebank

We need to wake up to what is happening around us. Global instability, rising fuel and food prices, fragile supply chains and the increasing cost of living are reminders of just how vulnerable our communities can be. Here in the Far North, our distance from major centres makes us particularly exposed. We cannot afford to assume that the systems we depend on will always be there when we need them. The Packhouse Market Project is about much more than a market. It is an opportun

By Stephanie, Whangaroa-Kerikeri-BOI Local Timebank Coordinator Tai Tokerau Timebank held a stand at the Forest Healing Festival in Waipapa, Kerikeri over Labour Weekend. We were in the Sustainability Zone, along with fellow Timebanker Eco-Solutions. The Forest Healing Festival is described as more than a wellness event — it is a “journey of reconnection with nature, community, and your true self”. People from all over NZ and the world convened in the Puketi Forest for a

Climate Action Tai Tokerau 2026 Conference. This annual conference, organised by the Climate Change Tai Tokerau Northland Trust, was held in Whangārei and sought to answer the question, “How do we build a future where everyone has what they need to thrive?” The 2026 conference explored the intersection of climate action and community wellbeing, specifically through the lens of kai, energy independence and resilience. I decided to go along to the first day as two of the

How a simple request helped weave a community together. Recently, I was at a gathering of friends to catch up with Pauline, who was visiting her daughter after moving down to Christchurch a few years ago. As I looked around the group, I found myself thinking about the connections between us and how Timebank had played such a huge part in bringing us together. Where It All Began Pauline and I first met through Timebank. There she was, mucking in with the weeding at a working b

Whangārei October Green Drinks Wash Not Waste – imagine going to a public event where there are NO single use disposable cups and plates. Where they are multiple use. Yes please! This is something worth imagining. Fortunately this is the reality with the Ecosolutions Wash Trailer. Specially designed for washing stainless steel cups and plates, the trailer plugs into a water supply then heats the water for rinsing and sterilising them. The evening kicked off with the Wha

A stronger, more connected community is something we build together. The purpose of Tai Tokerau Timebank is simple: to keep our community ties strong by helping one another, in whatever ways we can. Sometimes that means practical help — a hand in the garden, a repair, a lift somewhere or sharing a skill. Other times, it means being a friend, listening when someone needs to talk, or sitting down for a cuppa when life feels a bit hard. These things might seem small, but they're

This is an annual festival created by WDC for seniors in the rohe. Partnering with Chloe from EcoSolutions, Timebank jointly hosted their event which was an opportunity for visitors to join Timebank members for afternoon tea and learn about Timebanking. The doors of He Awhi Rito were open from 2pm – 4pm on Tues 6th Oct. We had prepared the He Awhi Rito workshop space with chairs and a table for kai by Whakaora Kai and home baking by a kind Timebank member. People start

Whangārei Timebank member & EcoSolutions Community Co-ordinator, Chloe King, has “always loved making, baking and creating, and learning to make soap has been an exciting new adventure.” So, when a friend decided to sell her soap making business, SANOlifestyle, Chloe bought it. The kaupapa filled perfectly with her own desire to live a low waste lifestyle, reducing her impact on our planet. When Whangārei September Green Drinks became available Chloe kindly offered to run a

Whangārei: Visible Knitwear Repair Workshop Timebank member, Anne Fraser, from Intercept Fabric Rescue Whangārei, ran her 3rd successful and popular visible knitwear repair workshop at H.A.R.E. (He Awhi Rito EnviroHub). Anne always prepares her workshops very thoughtfully, bringing free merino clothing for participants to practice on and take home, as well as a big selection of repair materials including colourful fleece and embroidery threads. She kindly pre-prepared demon

On a miserable rainy night, some intrepid souls headed to Kaeo to participate in an Eco-Solutions workshop making safe cleaners. Anouk and Katharina, both timebankers, brought a collection of non-toxic ingredients, essential oils and a list of DIY Cleaning Products recipes. We decided to collaborate and each made one cleaner to share with the others. I chose the All-Purpose Spray since I don’t use commercial cleaning sprays at home and wanted something I could use safely. T

Ojo de Dios making Hosted by the 3 way collaboration of Tai Tokerau Timebank, Creative Northland and EcoSolutions, Timebank member, Nyree Sherlock, patiently guided everyone through the creative process of weaving a colourful ojo de Dios and personal zines. The evening hummed with a meditative atmosphere as adults and children focused their concentration on being creative. The Ojo de Dios (Eye of God) is a traditional spiritual weaving craft created by the Huichol and Tep

TTT Organisational Member, Mahinga Kai Ngunguru Community Gardens, welcomed years 5 and 6 from Ngunguru School for an hour of fun compost creation. Tossing ingredients in a tarp ready for hot composting; digging into the worm farm, absorbing fascinating facts about worm life; lively chatter, laughter, full on garden fun and real hands-on learning in their local community garden. TTT Members, EcoSolutions’ Javiera, orchestrated this beautiful connection between the school and

Whangārei July Green Drinks WOW! What a star-studded evening at Northland’s Planetarium. All seats were filled, eyes were directed skywards and ears listened enthralled to TTT member Kate Hornblow who presented us with an astronomical and astrological feast. Keeping our night vision intact we headed up to the 2 telescopes housed in a building with a removable roof. The sky miraculously cleared and Trent guided our telescope extravaganza with a magnified Matariki as well as

What a wonderful gathering for the first kai share / seed crop swap held at He Awhi Rito Envirohub in Whangārei People wandered in carrying plants to add the great selection of seeds, produce and plants on display. Lots of great discussions were shared about gardening. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for sharing garden plants, knowledge and tips. Next one Sat Sept 5th @ 9.30am

HARE is Whangārei’s only Envirohub, but not many people know it exists! We are exploring ways to change this and so Lucretia (Hub Manager & TTT member) initiated our 1st Open Day on Sat 18th July. Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, which includes Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) and Whitebait Connection, EcoSolutions and Tai Tokerau Timebank all had displays show casing their activities. Lucretia also set up a table to introduce the Hub’s 1st Kai Share Crop Swap. This w

Talking to the fixers at Tai Tokerau Timebank organisational member Kerikeri Repair Cafe about how they might fix my Bissell upholstery cleaner which had stopped squirting water inspired me to tackle this mop which had also stopped squirting water ... over a year ago. I'd had guys look at it, half-heartedly admittedly, but to no avail. Well, I was going to take it to the Repair Cafe and thought, surely I can do this myself. Turns out I could. I decided to be systematic abo

I’ve always wanted to know how to keep my tools sharp so when Transition Towns had a workshop for just this, I jumped at the opportunity! Held at Mara Tui community gardens in Kerikeri, we drank fresh Kawakawa tea and learned how to care for our tools. Alex, who also volunteers his German engineering skills at the monthly Kerikeri Repair Café, got us in the zone by explaining how different cutting tools work and to “be one with your tools”. This understanding and way of think

Being a big fan of waste reduction, I’d been meaning to go to the Kerikeri Repair Café for a long time. Becoming the new Whangaroa-Kerikeri-BOI Timebank Coordinator gave me the push to actually get there and meet Uta, a timebanker who runs it. Bissell upholstery cleaner now squirts water again I grabbed some blunt and somewhat rusty gardening tools and my upholstery cleaner that no-longer squirted water despite my best efforts to fix it and headed over. So nice to meet pe

Whangārei: June Green Drinks This was kindly hosted by Timebank member, Casey, at her home in Onerahi. We gathered in her beautiful cob creation – The Hobbit Cobbin! This unique cob cottage features recycled windows and rafters, and is decorated with earthen sculptures on the walls. The roof is a living garden where you can wander along a path between drought hardy plants. The Hobbit Cobbin is wonderful example of what is possible using imagination, our hands, recycled, loca

Handmaking felt slippers – cosy, comfy, soft & warm - made with elbow grease to snuggly our own feet! This Timebank workshop in Whangārei reverberated with laughter, chatter and creativity, lubricated by foaming soapy water as we rubbed, rubbed, rubbed, moulding brightly coloured fleece into personal handmade slippers - green Shrek feet, speckled grey and white park, fairy pink, dandelion-dyed and au natural. Conversations flowed in abundance and variety, as fleece graduall