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Photos of the "family man" who spent hours trawling darkened Auckland cinemas, where he inappropriat…
New data obtained from the Department of Internal Affairs reveals that people born in India top the list of new citizens living in Auckland. Of the 18,543 people who have been granted citizenship in Auckland, Indians made up 2885, ahead of Samoa (2033), Fiji (1910) and the United Kingdom (1669). … View moreNew data obtained from the Department of Internal Affairs reveals that people born in India top the list of new citizens living in Auckland. Of the 18,543 people who have been granted citizenship in Auckland, Indians made up 2885, ahead of Samoa (2033), Fiji (1910) and the United Kingdom (1669). There are a total of 36,084 new citizens in the 12 months from Nov 1, 2017 to Oct 31, 2018, but the department says a breakdown of the national figure will not be available until at least mid-January. Massey University immigration expert Professor Paul Spoonley said China and India are the two top source countries for most immigration visa categories in recent years.
"Over the last three years, Indian immigrants have replaced Chinese as the major source country especially in transitioning from a study visa to permanent settlement or in terms of certain occupations or industries," Spoonley said. "In terms of both Auckland and New Zealand generally, Indians are projected to exceed Chinese in terms of the size of the community." However, unlike Indians, few Chinese move on from residency to citizenship - making up just 820 over the period. Spoonley said this was due to two major reasons. "New Zealand does not require permanent settlers to become citizens and there are a wide range of services and benefits that are attached to being a permanent resident, unlike many countries that require migrants to become citizens before accessing these rights. "The second is that I suspect it is an insurance policy - wait and see before making a final commitment." Spoonley said there were many reasons also why migrants wanted the New Zealand passport. "There is some evidence that gaining NZ citizenship is seen as way of gaining access to other countries, notably Australia, but this often significantly overestimated, especially by Australians. "But the main reason is to show loyalty to your new country of residence plus there are significant benefits of travelling on a New Zealand passport – it is a safe and widely respected identity document." A DIA spokeswoman said historically, about six in 10 new citizens are from Auckland - but the figure this year was closer to 50 per cent.
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Not keen on getting caught up with the rowdy crowds this New Year's Eve? Looking for somewhere to have fun with the family? Whether your children are staying up until midnight, or tucked up in bed well before then, here are some family-friendly events to ring in 2019.
Auckland
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NYE … View moreNot keen on getting caught up with the rowdy crowds this New Year's Eve? Looking for somewhere to have fun with the family? Whether your children are staying up until midnight, or tucked up in bed well before then, here are some family-friendly events to ring in 2019.
Auckland
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NYE on the Coast - Silverdale Adventure Park, north Auckland
Fireworks, night rides, food stalls, a bar and entertainment, NYE on the Coast was created to fill the void for families who would like to celebrate in a festival environment that caters for adults and their children.
Cost - $50 for a Family Pass consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. Each additional adult or child is an additional $10. Visit Silverdale Adventure Park for more.
Harbour Bridge lights and Sky Tower fireworks - Central Auckland
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For the first time, Vector Lights on Auckland Harbour Bridge will join the celebrations with a sparkling display from 9pm, before building up to a countdown to midnight where it will pulse in time with the Auckland Sky Tower.
At the stroke of midnight, Vector Lights will explode into a five-minute spectacular designed to complement SKYCITY’s fireworks display from the Sky Tower, then continue until 1am.
Here are some of the best places to view Auckland Harbour Bridge:
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Sentinal Beach, Herne Bay
Mt Victoria, Devonport
Little Shoal Bay, Northcote
Harbour View Beach Reserve, Te Atatū Peninsula
Auckland Waterfront, CBD
Queens Parade, Devonport
Bastion Point, Orakei
Admission: Free
Hamilton
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Bowl and Party
The family-friendly Bowl and Social event on Victoria Street in Hamilton starts at 5pm with a special kids New Year countdown at 7pm.There will be a DJ and free popcorn. Standard bowling prices apply, booking is recommended.
Rotorua
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GLO Festival, Lakefront Village Green
Gather with friends and family on the lakefront and Rotorua Village Green and enjoy entertainment, a family movie, great food and a fireworks display. Festivities start at 4:30pm and finish at 9:45pm.
Admission: Free
Taupō
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The Great Lake Taupō Big Bang
Family activities begin with Minions the movie, a lolly scramble and light sabre giveaways, followed by two fireworks displays. The first is at 10:15pm, and the Big Bang display will be at midnight.
Admission: Free
Wellington
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Music, food trucks and a blast of fireworks will take place between 8pm and midnight at Whairepo Lagoon by Frank Kitts Park. For the wee ones who can’t make it to midnight there’ll be a kid’s countdown at 9pm with some fireworks.
Admission: Free
Ignite Marlborough - Picton
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Ignite Marlborough on the Picton foreshore is a family-friendly event with bouncy castles, food trucks and entertainers. The event starts at 7pm, and a fireworks display will ring in the New Year.
Admission: Free
Christchurch
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New Year's Eve at North Hagley Park
The night will kick off with family entertainment from 6pm with Mullet Man, free activities, fairies and a special kids countdown at 8pm.Then the party continues with DJs and live bands including headline act The Jordan Luck Band who will rock you into the New Year with a midnight fireworks display.
Admission: Free
Queenstown
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At the Queenstown lakefront at Earnslaw Park, families can welcome in the New Year with a line-up of live music across two stages and a fireworks display at midnight.
Admission: Free
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Christmas is a time of giving - but it seems many Kiwis don't like what they're given. Half of New Zealanders say they receive at least one unwanted gift on Christmas Day and thousands of them have already ended up on Trade Me. Spokesperson Millie Silvester says the majority of Kiwis … View moreChristmas is a time of giving - but it seems many Kiwis don't like what they're given. Half of New Zealanders say they receive at least one unwanted gift on Christmas Day and thousands of them have already ended up on Trade Me. Spokesperson Millie Silvester says the majority of Kiwis unwrap between one and three unwanted presents on the holiday, according to findings from a survey of over 1000 people across the country. "Sometimes Santa gets it wrong or you get a double-up - our philosophy has always been that it's better to get that gift to someone who wants it and get yourself some cash to get something you really want. "It makes no sense to have it gather dust in the drawer or under the bed, or even worse thrown out unused and unloved." She said it's become "a bit of a Kiwi tradition to check out unwanted Christmas gifts on Trade Me and we start seeing presents that didn't make the cut appear onsite before Christmas lunch has even had time to digest". There were 40,000 searches for unwanted gifts on Christmas Day, according to Trade Me, as Kiwis started their hunt for bargains. But Ms Silvester says most New Zealanders wouldn't feel offended if the item they had given was sold to someone else - a finding she said was "a surprise". "We thought there'd be a stigma around selling unwanted gifts but 60 percent of Kiwis are all for it." That compares to just 37 percent of people in 2017 saying they would be okay with it. Ms Silvester says it shows how Kiwis are becoming more accepting of unwanted gifts being sold and that Kiwis are "pretty okay with it". New Zealanders have already listed 3000 unwanted gifts on Trade Me including a basket of Barkers chutneys, 52 boxes of Sampler biscuits and a mystery box of women's clothes, Ms Silvester said. In 2017, there were over 16,000 unwanted presents listed and 133,000 searches racked up on Boxing Day as opportunistic sellers and bargain hunters jumped onsite. Ms Silvester said Trade Me has also found that around 83 percent of New Zealanders will pretend to like the present they're given to avoid an awkward situation. "It's reassuring to us to hear most New Zealanders will at least attempt to remain polite and respectful in the face of a present they can't abide." She said the gifts most likely to conjure up fake appreciation were cleaning products, clothes that don't fit and weird craft items, according to the survey. "Amazingly several of survey respondents told us they got spray and wipe for Christmas, while one respondent said a 25kg bag of salt was the worst they'd received. "If you're thinking about selling an unwanted Christmas gift on Trade Me, our hot tips are to give the item a good back story, and avoid items that are personalised or easily identifiable. "You don't want the giver to stumble across it when bargain-hunting onsite!"
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Fire services fought a blaze in West Auckland on Wednesday morning, which had engulfed a popular fru…
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Christmas dinner remains under threat in parts of north Auckland where homes are still without power…
A Christchurch cardiologist is issuing a Christmas Eve warning to Kiwis: Keep an eye on your loved ones following a worrying spikes in festive season heart attacks. New research out of Sweden shows a 37 per cent increase in the chances of having a heart attack on Christmas Eve - the Swedish … View moreA Christchurch cardiologist is issuing a Christmas Eve warning to Kiwis: Keep an eye on your loved ones following a worrying spikes in festive season heart attacks. New research out of Sweden shows a 37 per cent increase in the chances of having a heart attack on Christmas Eve - the Swedish equivalent to Christmas Day in New Zealand.
The research from Lund University looked at nearly 300,000 heart attacks over a 16-year period, with a 15 per cent increased heart attack risk overall during the Christmas period. Speaking to the media, Dr Paul Bridgman warned of the reasons behind the heightened risk. "People should be careful," he began. "They should think, 'Gee, all that pre-Christmas stress can have an effect on me. "It can affect my physical health." Dr Bridgman is involved in an ongoing University of Otago Christchurch study into broken heart syndrome, and says that this new research is closely linked to the latest findings. "There's no doubt that stress can do a lot of things to the heart," he said. "It can cause a broken heart, and it can cause a heart attack." The risk is even greater for those over 75 with pre-existing heart problems. Dr Bridgman's advice to those for surviving the silly season is simple: "People like me don't want to be called in on Christmas Day. People should take it easy and look after each other."
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