Simon's blog

Speed and alcohol were factors in last night's fatal crash on Waiheke Island say police.

Willie Paul, 47, a grandfather from Waiheke Island, died when his four-wheel drive vehicle rolled several times and crashed into a tree while being driven at speed along a gravel track.

He had been drinking and was not believed to have been wearing a seat belt, resulting in him being flung out of the vehicle, police said.

His 16-year-old passenger escaped with minor injuries.

Sergeant Stephen Ambler from the Waiheke Island police said both Mr Paul and the teen had earlier been drinking at a function and had latterly gone to the gravel road.

The vehicle "lost control" in loose gravel.

"The driver over-corrected and the vehicle flipped several times before coming to a rest. The deceased was thrown from the vehicle as it was rolling," Mr Ambler told

Source: NZPA.

In another Waiheke traffic incident a motorcylist has been injured after colliding with horses

A motorcyclist was ferried by police launch to Auckland Hospital this morning after colliding with loose horses on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Police said the man's injuries were not life threatening but he was taken to the mainland by the launch Deodar which had just delivered members of the police serious crash unit to the island to investigate a fatal crash late last night.

The motorcyclist was believed to have hit at least one horse which escaped on to a road from a paddock.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz

Waihekeans awoke this morning to see something they never thought they'd see on their beautiful, corporate globalisation-free Island paradise. As the dawn woke up the unsuspecting Island residents and the sun rose above the ridge of Blackpool Heights, three red signs with golden arches began to glisten in the Oneroa sunlight.

Residents will have been aware of the new development work currently underway in Oneroa but would never in a million years have imagined the full horror of what was to come. The Mcdonalds Golden Arches are moving into town.

As we speak there will, I'm sure, be a collective groan from parents across the Island and a 'yippee' from all the children themselves drooling at the thought of a local weekly 'Happy' Meal. 

There will also no-doubt be a protest action plan already in place from our more vocal Island protesters and we'll soon see direct action on a scale like we've 'never seen before', demonstrations that the Surfdale Cellphone Tower Protest Group can only dream of. This will be war!!

Questions need to be asked, especially of our Community Board. Did they really give permission for this?

We at Waiheke Radio can already feel our arteries glogging up!

Posted: 1/4/10

Waiheke Radio are delighted to announce that Kiwi songwriting legend Don McGlashan (formerly of The Mutton Birds and Blam Blam Blam) and the Seven Sisters have been confirmed for the Waiheke Radio Fundraiser and 1st Birthday Bash at Morra Hall on Saturday 28th November.

The Nikki Ngatai Band will support Don on the night and we're confirming another great local band to kick the whole thing off.

Tickets for this gig will go quickly so we thought we'd give all you Waiheke Radio fans a heads up first. Tickets are being created this week and if you'd like to be one of the first to reserve your tickets then send an email to simonmansfield@ihug.co.nz and we'll make sure it happens.

We're not entirely sure why Simon & El are doing the Saturday Breakfast Show as they are both rubbish at getting up early in the morning, especially at the weekends. That said they do love Waiheke Radio and so here they are, your Saturday Breakfast DJs.

Join Simon & El every Satuday as they attempt to entertain the listening public while eating their cornflakes and otherwise preparing for the rigours of another weekend on Waiheke. They do this with the seemingly effortless interplay of witty banter and good tunes that are worth turning on the radio at 8 o'clock in the morning for.   The shows include stock radio stand-by's shamelessly pilferred from proper radio stations such as 'This Day In Rock History' as well as items unique to the show such as a round-up of the weekly news on the Island with added 'informed comment', scurrilous and mostly pointless gossip culled from the internet, El's ever popular Film Review and, of course, the

These fabulous Waiheke Radio T-Shirts are now available to buy at the 'Island' shop, Ocean View Road, Oneroa. You know the place. The shop where you get all the cool, locally produced stuff. T-shirts are currently available Mens and Womens styles in Green and Grey, more colours will be added to the range later. They retail at $35

The 'Island' store is also stocking the Waiheke Radio bumper stickers so if you want to support your local radio station the best way to do it is to slap one of these to the back of your car - and buy a T-shirt ofcourse.