My New Favourite (MNF) was started in 2008 to rev-up the entertainment options in Franklin. The company has hosted events for:
MNF is headed by Caley Wilson, who went to school in Patumahoe and Pukekohe, then worked in international thoroughbred marketing roles in Auckland and London, before getting more involved with music and events. He has helped with shows for the likes of Dave Dobbyn and Jason Kerrison (Opshop), as well as with major sports events in the UK like Nike's RunLondon, Sports Relief and the London Youth Games.
Caley plays guitar and writes songs with the Pukekohe band Flow. Sometimes on stage he pitches in with words like ‘hey!', but he feels it a stretch to call that contribution ‘backing vocals'.
The Franklin district has an estimated population of 61,000 in 2009. That's up from 48,000 in the 1996 census. The largest town in the region is Pukekohe (roughly 19,000), with Waiuku (5,500) and Tuakau (3,000) next in size. Depending on the mood of the southern motorway, Pukekohe can be as little as a 35min trip from central Auckland.