Mānawatia a Matariki ... Happy Māori New Year!
We get to enjoy our first Matariki public holiday this Friday. It's not just another long weekend, but a time of renewal and celebration that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster. It's an opportunity to remember those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki, to celebrate the present by gathering together and giving thanks for what we have, and to look to the future and the promise of a new year.
If you're keen to view the rising of the Matariki star cluster, it can be found low on the horizon in the north east of the sky from around 5.30am. To find Matariki, look to the left of Tautoru (Orion's Belt or the bottom three stars of 'the pot') and find the bright orange star, Taumata-kuku (Alderbaran). Follow an imaginary line from Tautoru, across to Taumata-kuku and keep going left until you see a cluster of stars ... Matariki.
The Saint Johns Butchery store will be open all weekend, with our friendly team of butchers ready to assist you in your selection of meaty treats. Our opening hours this long weekend:
Friday ... 7.30am - 5.00pm
Saturday ... 8.00am - 6.00pm
Sunday ... 8.30am - 5.00pm
Mānawatia a Matariki ... Happy Māori New Year!
Graphic: Te Ara Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Merry Christmas
Howdy Neighbours
Merry Christmas to one and all.
Hope you all have a enjoyable Xmas day and all the best for 2025.
Thanks to all our past and present clients. Looking forward to working with you again.
Take care out there from the team at Nick The Builder 🔨
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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