Mangawhai Focus, 9 February 2026 – Reader’s Letters

Extended readership

Hi Mangawhai Focus team,

I am writing to you from Duesseldorf, Germany – around 19000 kilometres away.

I wanted to start by saying how much I loved the free newspaper project. That’s how I discovered Mangawhai Focus. I actually cut out the title from one of the newspaper (after I read it) and framed it – and it’s now hanging in my living room back home in Germany. I’ve attached a photo, because I thought you might enjoy seeing where it ended up.

It also made me realise how powerful projects like this are – your local newspaper now has a reach of at least 19,000 kilometres.

Last November, I spent two weeks in Mangawhai Heads during our very first trip to New Zealand, and honestly, I couldn’t have imagined a better place to be. I had originally planned to visit Auckland and then travel to the South Island, but through a chain of coincidences – mainly because I loved an accommodation I found on the hill – I somehow ended up in Mangawhai Heads instead.

I completely fell in love with the place. I had never seen a beach like Mangawhai Heads Beach before, with the ocean right next to a small mountain. Combined with the calm atmosphere, the local cinema, BK Sushi, and the people, it felt special and very real.

I just wanted to share this with you and say thank you for creating something that reaches much further than you might realise.

Amine Oulad Brahim, Duesseldorf