Grafton, Auckland

Ryman's award winning lifestyle

Ryman's award winning lifestyle

Ryman Healthcare has been recognised by Canstar Blue for having the Most Satisfied Customers.

1632 days ago

Making the most of your Easter staycation

The Team from Auckland Council

There are plenty of things you and your family can do this Easter weekend, with the majority done from the comfort of your home.

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1632 days ago

April Challenge Month

NumberWorks'nWords Remuera

Here are our 2nd week of challenges. Might help fill in a bit of time and a great thing to do as a family.

1632 days ago

Auckland Council food distribution programme

Dee Sims from Waitematā Local Board

This week, an estimated 3200 boxes of food and essential household goods will be dispatched to Auckland families in need. Phone 0800 22 22 96 if you need assistance.

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1632 days ago

Mayor Goff calls on Aucklanders to stay home this Easter

Dee Sims from Waitematā Local Board

Mayor Phil Goff is calling on Aucklanders to stay home, stay local and save lives this Easter.

“Staying at home is not just the right thing to do. It’s also the law, and it will be enforced,” Mayor Goff says.

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1632 days ago

Easter rubbish and recycling collections

Dee Sims from Waitematā Local Board

Kerbside rubbish and recycling collections continue as usual, with council using Ministry of Health advice to ensure public health is not at risk. From Good Friday until 17 April, collections are a day later. All collections return to normal on Monday 20 April.

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1632 days ago

Auckland architecture wows

Colleen Hawkes Reporter from Homed

Here are some highlights from the shortlist for the Auckland Architecture Awards 2020. We have a particular soft spot for the tiny Point Wells Cricket Club by Pac Studio! And this new build in Remuera, Auckland.

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1632 days ago

Time Filler - Logic Problems In the Court of Law

Andrea from Eden Terrace

You live on an island where there are only two kinds of people: the ones who always tell the truth (truth tellers) and those who always lie (liars). You are accused of crime and brought before the court, where you are allowed to speak only one sentence in your defense. What do you say in each of … View moreYou live on an island where there are only two kinds of people: the ones who always tell the truth (truth tellers) and those who always lie (liars). You are accused of crime and brought before the court, where you are allowed to speak only one sentence in your defense. What do you say in each of the following situations?
If you were a liar (the court does not know that) and you were innocent. And it is an established fact that a liar committed the crime.
Same situation as above, but you are the one who committed the crime.
If you were a truth teller (the court does not know that) and you were innocent. And it is an established fact that a truth teller committed the crime.
If you were innocent and it is an established fact that the crime was not committed by a "normal" person. Normal people are that new immigrant group who sometimes lie and sometimes speak the truth. What sentence, no matter whether you were a truth teller, liar, or normal, can prove your innocence?

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1632 days ago

Have you ever seen street laying in Holland?

Andrea from Eden Terrace

Built well, built to last.
How does this stack up against other countries?

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1635 days ago

Meet Fonzie, the Cockatoo who spent 20 hours upside-down

Todd Niall Reporter from Auckland Stuff

Hi Neighbours, He's famous on Instagram, but Fonzie the Cockatoo has a new claim to fame, after getting such a fright he landed on a powerline, giving his owner a 20-hour ordeal while he hung upside down. Read the happy ending :

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1633 days ago

Easter COVID-19 Update - Melissa Lee MP

Melissa Lee MP

Although my Parliamentary offices are closed during the lockdown my teams in Auckland and Wellington are happy to help if you need assistance during the weeks ahead, please get in touch with me at:

Melissa.lee@parliament.govt.nz or by phone on either 04 817 6636 (WGTN) or at 09 815 0278.

Best… View more
Although my Parliamentary offices are closed during the lockdown my teams in Auckland and Wellington are happy to help if you need assistance during the weeks ahead, please get in touch with me at:

Melissa.lee@parliament.govt.nz or by phone on either 04 817 6636 (WGTN) or at 09 815 0278.

Best wishes for a lovely Easter with your bubble!

Melissa Lee MP
National List MP based in Mt Albert
Find out more

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1634 days ago

Join us for lunch and some new ideas

Jo Haywood Reporter from Homed

Hey neighbours, it was great to see so many of you at our live lunch with NZ Home and Garden and NZ Gardener editors Naomi Larkin and Jo McCarroll. Thanks for stopping by :)

If you missed it, you can still drop in for a recap and see if Jo and Naomi answered your questions, here.

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1633 days ago

25 years evolves into Remote Covid learning

New Zealand School of Food & Wine

We were lucky!

Over the weekend of 14/15 March, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary at NZSFW and 10 days later, New Zealand ground to a halt in the Covid19 Lockdown.

And while our day to day life has dramatically changed, looking at all these photos gives me a lot of pleasure and especially to be… View more
We were lucky!

Over the weekend of 14/15 March, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary at NZSFW and 10 days later, New Zealand ground to a halt in the Covid19 Lockdown.

And while our day to day life has dramatically changed, looking at all these photos gives me a lot of pleasure and especially to be able to share in the achievements of our current students and graduates. The highlight has to be the magnificent dinner; an inspired menu created by our gifted chef, Finn Gybel and prepared under his watchful eye by the cookery students.

Fortuitously, the lamb arrived fresh from Pigeon Bay via Harris Meats in North Canterbury and after a number of dramas leaving us worried that it would in time. Finn's dish, where he wrapped the lamb in crepinette, to hold it together while cooking, was certainly a new technique that we had not used in the past.

It was a thrill to have veteran broadcaster, Carol Hirschfeld as MC for the dinner and lend her distinctive and thoughtful commentary to our story. Carol asked me who she could "interview" during the dinner. Victoria Biddick, our first enrolled student from 1995, Oliver Hay and Joelle Thomson all shared their unique perspective on their association with the school.

There is certainly some irony in the fact that as we were celebrating these 25 years, another significant challenge was about to explode. Drawing on my earthquake experience, where we relocated our students to my second business at the Duvauchelle Store and Café, I knew that we had to find a way to keep going.

As the Covid19 crisis escalated, I discussed with our tutors how we could teach the programmes online and with the cookery students cooking in their own kitchens at home. Again, I was fortunate that my son Oliver, computer systems engineer, and recently returned from his super yacht chef sojourn, decided that he wanted to work full-time at NZSFW. Oli then set about finding the best platform for the tutors to stream their classes live and to administer the programmes. We have used Google Classroom and the Hangouts conferencing software to do this and it's working well.

By Friday 20 March, we had amended our cookery timetables to focus on baking, pasta and dishes that were easier to prepare at home. The students then went home with a 5kg bag of flour, 2 kg sugar, 1kg butter, 12 eggs and other ingredients. We trialled the video streaming from NZSFW while we could and then following the lockdown, the tutors now continue from their homes. The logistics are much easier for Franck with his hospitality students!

For the cookery students, the model is they watch the demonstrations at home and later upload photographs of their cooking. It's not ideal, as the tutor cannot taste their food and sometimes the livestream is pixellated or cuts out but it's better that doing nothing. Plus, everyone gets to chat and socialise from the safety of their bubble. And with supermarkets open, we can continue to buy supplies. View Foundation cooking shots here. And Advanced Cooking here.

Stay safe and have fun,
Celia Hay

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1633 days ago

Let's chat about your garden today

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Hello neighbours, our editor Jo McCarroll is hosting another Live Lunch today (with colleague Naomi who edits NZ House & Garden), so jump online between 12.30 and 1pm to join them. You can ask questions in advance, so start firing through your gardening questions and pictures of your garden or … View moreHello neighbours, our editor Jo McCarroll is hosting another Live Lunch today (with colleague Naomi who edits NZ House & Garden), so jump online between 12.30 and 1pm to join them. You can ask questions in advance, so start firing through your gardening questions and pictures of your garden or the projects you've been tackling over lockdown anytime you like!

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