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352 days ago

If you're one of the many New Zealanders back at work today, it's time to get the calendars out, circle some public holidays, and stretch those annual leave days as far as possible

Brian from Mount Roskill

Are you back at the office for 2024? Me too!
Are you already thinking about the next break from work? Also, me too!
If you love a long weekend, 2024 presents a couple of opportunities for a four-day break, as well as some longer stretches away from work that use minimal leave.

Here's how the public holidays fall this year so you can start planning that time away.
Taking advantage of regional days

A few of the regional anniversary days lend themselves to especially long breaks with fewer days of annual leave.
People living at the top of the country and those in Nelson can once again enjoy an extended holiday given their regional holidays' close proximity to Waitangi Day (February 6).

Both Auckland Anniversary Day and Nelson Anniversary Day fall on Monday, January 29 in 2024, with Waitangi Day falling a little over a week later.
This means people in those areas can potentially get 11 days away from work (including the weekends) using just five days of leave.
Meanwhile, the people of Otago can also enjoy a longer break using fewer days of leave, with Easter falling close to the region's anniversary day in 2024.

Otago Anniversary Day is observed on Monday, March 25, with Easter beginning on Friday, March 29. This means people in the region can get 10 days off work (including the weekends) using just three days of annual leave, from March 26-28.

Waitangi Day
With Waitangi Day landing on a Tuesday in 2024, workers can take Monday, February 5 off and gift themselves an easy four-day weekend.

An Easter bonus for the south
Easter will be observed from Friday, March 29 to Monday, April 1 in 2024.

With Southland Anniversary Day falling on Tuesday, April 2, those in the far south will get an extra long Easter break this time around.

Anzac Day
Anzac Day (April 25) falls on a Thursday in 2024, offering up another opportunity for a cheeky four-day weekend if people take the Friday off work.

An extra long Labour Weekend in Hawke's Bay
Labour Day is Monday, October 28 this year.

With Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day on Friday, October 25, people in that region again get an extra long Labour Weekend.

Other dates for the calendar:
King's Birthday falls on Monday, June 3 in 2024.

Matariki falls on Friday, June 28 in 2024.

You may not be able to stretch these two public holidays out further but you can at least try and get the jump on some long weekend accommodation before it all books out.
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More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Te Pūrākau o Te Rangatira Ngākau Hūmarie - Day 34

Kiran Reddy from Mount Eden

The Tale of the Humble Leader

In a small Māori village near the coast of Aotearoa, the whānau were preparing for Te Rā o te Kirihimete (Christmas Day). It was a time of celebration, sharing, and remembering the values of aroha (love), manaakitanga (hospitality), and kotahitanga (unity). However, this year, the village faced a challenge. Their rangatira, Wiremu, had grown distant and prideful, burdened by his position.

Wiremu often made decisions alone, thinking that his wisdom and authority were enough to guide the iwi. While the villagers respected him, they felt unheard, and the spirit of unity began to fade.

As the Kirihimete celebrations approached, the kaumātua, Hinewai, decided to intervene. She invited Wiremu to the marae one evening, where she shared a story about Tāwhaki, the demigod who ascended to the heavens not through power, but through humility and service.

“Wiremu,” Hinewai said, “even the greatest leaders are at their strongest when they serve their people. Leadership is not about standing above others but walking beside them.”

Wiremu reflected on her words but was unsure how to change.

The Lesson of the Whetū (Stars)

On Christmas Eve, as the village prepared for their festivities, a fierce storm rolled in from the sea. The winds howled, and the rain poured, threatening to ruin the celebration. The central whare kai (dining hall) began to leak, and the decorations the tamariki had made were soaked. The people gathered anxiously, unsure of how to proceed.

Wiremu stood at the edge of the marae, looking at the chaos. In that moment, Hinewai’s words echoed in his mind: “Even the greatest leaders serve their people.”

Without hesitation, Wiremu took off his korowai (cloak of leadership) and joined the villagers. He grabbed buckets to catch the rain, helped rebuild the decorations, and reassured the tamariki that their work would be restored. His humility inspired others, and soon the entire iwi was working together, laughing and singing as they prepared the whare for the celebration.

A Kirihimete Under the Stars

When the storm cleared, the sky was filled with bright whetū (stars). The villagers gathered around a glowing fire outside the whare, sharing kai and stories of gratitude. Wiremu stood among them, no longer as a distant rangatira, but as a friend and servant of his people.

Under the starlit sky, Hinewai stood and addressed the iwi.

“This Kirihimete, we are reminded that true leadership is like the brightest whetū. It does not shine to outdo others but guides them through darkness. Wiremu has shown us the power of humility, and through his service, we have rediscovered our unity.”

Wiremu bowed his head humbly. “Tonight, you have all taught me that a leader is nothing without their people. Let us carry this spirit of kotahitanga and aroha into the new year.”

The villagers cheered, and the spirit of Te Rā o te Kirihimete shone brightly in their hearts.

Moral of the Story:

Leadership is not about authority or pride but about humility and service. Like the whetū that guide travelers, a true leader walks alongside their people, bringing light and unity through service and aroha. At Christmas, we are reminded of the importance of giving, humility, and leading with love.

15 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

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 ❤️

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7 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

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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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 62% Summer
    62% Complete
  • 36.5% Winter
    36.5% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1503 votes