111Emergency 105Police, not urgent

Opanake Road Watch

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Stay close together, not far apart.

All clear

About 40 homes and farms along 13 km of the Kaihu valley, from Waihue Road to the Parore West Road turn-off. We keep each other posted about crime, floods, road damage and power cuts, and we check on the people who live alone.

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Alerts

Ngā whakatūpato

    Our road

    Tō tātou huarahi

    Four sections, each with a captain who rings their neighbours when an alert goes out. Find your section by the number on your gate.

      The Kaihu River runs beside the road. Its banks sit only 1 to 3 metres above the low flats, which flood in a big rain.

      Know your RAPID number

      The number on your gate is your distance along the road in tens of metres: 857 means 8.57 km. Ambulance and fire crews zero their trip meter at the start of the road and drive to it. Say it first when you ring 111.

      No plate, or it's faded? Kaipara District Council issues them: RAPID numbers.

      Get ready, get through

      Kia rite

      A big rain can close the road and cut the power for days. Tick off what you have. Your ticks stay on this phone or computer only.

      At home, for 3 days or more

      Grab bag, one for each person

      On Opanake Road

      Home and grab-bag lists follow Civil Defence advice at getready.govt.nz.

      When it happens

      Flood

      1. Watch the river and keep off flooded fords and low road. Turn around: water hides washouts.
      2. Move stock and vehicles off the flats early.
      3. Post where the road is cut, with your gate number.

      Rain and river data: Northland Regional Council

      Storm and slips

      1. Charge phones and power banks when a warning is issued.
      2. Report slips and fallen trees to the council, any time: 0800 727 059.
      3. Captains ring their section and check the people on the help list.

      Warnings: MetService, Dargaville

      Power cut

      1. Treat every fallen line as live. Stay 10 metres away.
      2. Report it to Northpower: 0800 10 40 40.
      3. Check on anyone who relies on power for medical equipment.

      Outage map: outages.northpower.nz

      Something suspicious

      1. Happening now, or anyone in danger: ring 111.
      2. Already happened: ring 105, or report at 105.police.govt.nz.
      3. Then post the vehicle, plate, direction and time. Never follow or confront anyone.

      Join the watch

      Hono mai

      Every household on Opanake Road is welcome, and it's free. You choose how we reach you: WhatsApp, a text, or a phone call from your captain.

      • Online
      • On the phone
      • On paperFill in the form from your letterbox and leave it flag-up. Your captain will collect it.
      • WhatsApp

      We ask for your name, gate number, phone, how you'd like alerts, and whether you'd like a check-in or can help others. Read how we look after your details.

      Who to call

      Ko wai hei waea atu
      • Emergency: Police, Fire, AmbulanceSay your RAPID number and "Opanake Road, Mamaranui"111
      • Police, not urgentIf 105 won't connect: 0800 105 105105
      • Our coordinators
      • Help and services
      • CrimestoppersAnonymous0800 555 111
      • HealthlineFree health advice, day and night0800 611 116
      • After-hours doctor: Ka OraFree. Weeknights 5pm to 8am, and all weekend0800 252 672
      • Power faults: Northpower0800 10 40 40
      • Road problems: Kaipara District CouncilAnswered 24/7 for urgent problems0800 727 059
      • State highways: NZTASH12 and SH140800 44 44 49
      • Northland Civil Defence0800 002 004
      • Neighbourhood Support, Dargaville09 439 0464
      • Age Concern Northland, Dargaville027 598 5376

      Report a road fault online: Kaipara District Council. Get council alerts for your address with the free Antenno app.

      The valley

      Te riu o Kaihū

      Before the road carried our cars, a bush railway carried kauri down this valley to Dargaville. Kaihu township itself was first called Opanake.

      • 1889The Kaihu Valley Railway reached Opanake in February. It carried mostly kauri timber, on two mixed trains a day at its busiest.
      • 1919Mamaranui School opened. Floods often closed it for weeks, and pupils went to Maropiu by train instead.
      • 1959The line closed in July. By then a train carried about 15 passengers.
      • TodayThe Kauri Coast Cycleway follows our road, calling it a classic Northland country road.
      What the names mean
      MāmāranuiStream for many gardens
      WaihueRiver gourd waters
      KaihuTo eat secretly, from Kai-hu-a-Ihenga

      Sources: Donnellys Crossing Section, Kaihu Valley history journals by Roger Mold, NZHistory place names, Kauri Coast Cycleway. Mana whenua here are Te Roroa and Ngāti Whātua.

      How we do things

      Ā mātou tikanga
      1. Danger or a crime happening now: ring 111 first, then tell the group.
      2. Something already happened or looked suspicious: ring 105, then share the event number Police give you.
      3. Describe vehicles, plates and what you saw. Don't name or accuse anyone, and don't post photos of faces. Give photos to Police.
      4. Never follow, block or confront anyone.
      5. Alerts are for safety, road, river, power and stock only. Chat goes in the chat group.
      6. Be kind. The coordinators may remove posts that break these rules.

      Your details

      Only the coordinator and deputy see the sign-up list. We use it to send alerts and to check on you in an emergency, and we never share it or post it in a group. Ask us any time to see, change or remove your details. Reply STOP to any text to stop texts.