sunset on splore

After almost 30 years, 2026 marks the final year of Splore, a boutique music and arts festival set on the shores of Tāpapakanga Regional Park in Franklin’s northeast.

josh
Author: josh

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Happy Trails

Happy Trails

The Franklin region is well-endowed with tracks and trails for walkers and bikers and there are options for people of all fitness levels, abilities and interests. Andrew Sinclair of Franklin Active Trails shares some of his tips. While our National Parks draw the...

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The Coast With The Most

The Coast With The Most

Along the northeast coast of Franklin lies the Pohutukawa Coast – a series of bays, cliffs, and rolling hills sprawling from Beachlands to Maraetai, which are covered in – as you could have guessed – monstrous pohutukawa trees. The Beachlands and Maraetai townships...

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Prodigious Son

Prodigious Son

Photo supplied by Logan Soole At 19 I was skipping college to play Mario-Kart. At that age Logan Soole had done several years of community volunteering and been elected to the Franklin Local Board. Even now, in my 50s, meeting the now 25-year-old on Zoom from the UK,...

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My Franklin – Bill Cashmore

My Franklin – Bill Cashmore

Former Auckland Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore was born and bred in Franklin District, with his family having been there since the late 1800s as sheep and beef farmers in the Hunua Ranges.

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Nourishing Communities

Nourishing Communities

Gautam NarayanOwner of Nourish Holistic Nutrition Among the dairy fields of Waiuku, Gautam Narayan has created a holistic health oasis. And it’s open to all. Just meeting Gautam is nourishing. From that first moment, it’s clear this is a man in service to those around...

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Artist in the Orchard

Artist in the Orchard

In the heart of Franklin, artist Katie Blundell is cultivating a flourishing artistic practice. Her painted relief works—carved and coloured by hand with meticulous care—explore the collective human experience, the natural environment, and her deep-rooted connections...

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