Waterloo, Lower Hutt

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1245 days ago

Feathered Friend Friday

Reporter Community News

This week we feature a stunning close-up but what type of bird is it?
The photo was supplied by Andrew Gorrie.

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1237 days ago

Half of Lower Hutt told to put their bins out on the wrong day

Reporter Community News

How is your rubbish? Lower Hutt's new waste and recycling scheme hasn't gone to plan with about 18,000 households being delivered the wrong collection schedule. Some residents’ recycling has gone uncollected. Nearly half of Lower Hutt’s 40,000 households were told to put their bins … View moreHow is your rubbish? Lower Hutt's new waste and recycling scheme hasn't gone to plan with about 18,000 households being delivered the wrong collection schedule. Some residents’ recycling has gone uncollected. Nearly half of Lower Hutt’s 40,000 households were told to put their bins out on the wrong day, marring the start of the city’s new rubbish and recycling programme.

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1236 days ago

Fresh Local Goodness

Guy from Forage Merchants of Wellington

Open today until 4pm.
Fresh sourdough loaves.
Fresh sourdough crumpets.
Fresh Cinnamon Scrolls.
Fresh Baked Choc Chip Cookies.
And more local foodie goodness...

1237 days ago

Feathered Friday Friend

Reporter Community News

This weeks contribution is from Louise Thomas.

"When I was young I didn’t like the boatsheds. To my eye they looked derelict and unkempt – a hotchpotch of too bright clashing colours, and all of them peeling to reveal bleached wood underneath. They reminded me of my Nana’s crocheted … View more
This weeks contribution is from Louise Thomas.

"When I was young I didn’t like the boatsheds. To my eye they looked derelict and unkempt – a hotchpotch of too bright clashing colours, and all of them peeling to reveal bleached wood underneath. They reminded me of my Nana’s crocheted rugs with frayed threads and darned patches. I liked things shining, new, and squared away. Anything else smacked of some sort of failure, either of duty or poverty.
Now that I’m older, and not untouched by time myself, I realise that decay is inevitable, and, more importantly, there is texture and beauty in it. The sea, like life, can be a rough place. The winds carry salt and sand, storm surges leave marks and baggage piled around the high tide mark, sometimes spilling over onto the little docks. But in this flotsam, rotting seaweed, silt, and tangled tree branches are a million little bugs, fish, and crabs – a roiling primordial soup seasoned with iodine and salt and feasted on by the birds. Nothing is lost - just transformed. Sacred kingfisher/kōtare (Todiramphus sanctus) catching the light at the Hutt Estuary boatsheds, Hikoikoi Reserve, Lower Hutt."

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1237 days ago

RSV update – Hutt Valley and Wellington regions

Gemma Elizabeth from Hutt Valley District Health Board

The latest information about RSV – including patient numbers and visitor restrictions – is now available on our website: bit.ly...
Any further updates will be added to this page, with the next update scheduled for Monday 12 July.
In the meantime remember to maintain good hand hygiene, stay … View more
The latest information about RSV – including patient numbers and visitor restrictions – is now available on our website: bit.ly...
Any further updates will be added to this page, with the next update scheduled for Monday 12 July.
In the meantime remember to maintain good hand hygiene, stay home if you have any symptoms of a respiratory tract illness, keep children home from early childhood education or school if they have coughs and colds, wear masks on public transport, and contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or your GP for advice.

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1245 days ago

Bonus Friday Feathered Friend

Reporter Community News

Hutt based photographer Louise Thomas took this lovely picture of a tūī.

"An older photo of a tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) bathing in one of the art installations at the Wellington Botanic Gardens (a great place to go birding). It is my entry for this week's Art of Birding … View more
Hutt based photographer Louise Thomas took this lovely picture of a tūī.

"An older photo of a tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) bathing in one of the art installations at the Wellington Botanic Gardens (a great place to go birding). It is my entry for this week's Art of Birding Challenge "Sense", which had to highlight one of the five senses - I've gone for "taste". What kid hasn't stuck their tongue out in the rain or snow?"

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1237 days ago

Normandale Playcentre Garage Sale

Liesl from Normandale

We have lots of clothing (various sizes), plants, toys and household items for sale on the day. Not to mention tasty home baked goods and a sausage sizzle to help take the chill off.
So come visit us at 165 Normandale Road from 10am onwards.
Please BYO reusable shopping bags to take your treasures … View more
We have lots of clothing (various sizes), plants, toys and household items for sale on the day. Not to mention tasty home baked goods and a sausage sizzle to help take the chill off.
So come visit us at 165 Normandale Road from 10am onwards.
Please BYO reusable shopping bags to take your treasures home with you.

See you tomorrow!

Negotiable

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1237 days ago

Paint a cute cane basket

The Team from Resene ColorShop Naenae

Bring some ordinary storage baskets to life using a few Resene testpots of Resene Nero, Resene Glamour Puss and Resene White and some leafy house plants!

Find out how to create your own.

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1238 days ago

The Hutt Valley and Wellington regions are experiencing a community-wide outbreak of respiratory viruses, including RSV.

Gemma Elizabeth from Hutt Valley District Health Board

The Hutt Valley and Wellington regions are experiencing a community-wide outbreak of respiratory viruses, including RSV. This can cause serious respiratory infections in very young children, elderly and immune-compromised people.

As a result, we are implementing some visitor restrictions and … View more
The Hutt Valley and Wellington regions are experiencing a community-wide outbreak of respiratory viruses, including RSV. This can cause serious respiratory infections in very young children, elderly and immune-compromised people.

As a result, we are implementing some visitor restrictions and advise the following:

- Please do not visit our hospital wards if you have had fever, cough, sore throat, or runny nose in the past 24 hours.

- Children under 12 should not visit a hospital unless there is a clear medical need.

Children under 12 are not permitted to visit SCBU, the Children's ward and the Maternity and Delivery ward.

For more information, please visit our website: www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz...

Thanks for helping us keep our patients and community safe.

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1238 days ago

WINE & WATERCOLOUR EVENINGS

Alfred Memelink Artspace Gallery

Mount Ruapehu on one of the glorious days after a southerly has passed through. This is one of the subjects for the July beginner water colour events at Artspace Gallery.
Get a group of workmates or friends together and end your working day on a creative high, learning the joys of … View more
Mount Ruapehu on one of the glorious days after a southerly has passed through. This is one of the subjects for the July beginner water colour events at Artspace Gallery.
Get a group of workmates or friends together and end your working day on a creative high, learning the joys of watercolour painting with a glass of wine (or two) for inspiration. During the fun filled evening, you'll be guided through painting your own watercolour led by a master teacher in an awesome classroom overlooking the sea. We'll cover the different techniques of watercolours such as painting 'wet in wet', colour mixing and brush control. No previous art experience is required and there's no need to worry about drawing as painting outlines will already be prepared for you so that we can focus on the joys of watercolour painting. These workshops are suitable for both beginners and more experienced watercolour artists who would like to fine tune their skills and style.

Each class is two hours and the cost of $50 which includes all materials. Just turn up empty and leave two hours later with your completed watercolour painting to be proud of and a smile of creative satisfaction on your dial.

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1238 days ago

Sweet As Hot Chocolate Challenge

Reporter Community News

The Crooked Elm is offering 'Stuck on You Chocky' featuring sticky toffee pudding as part of Sweet As Hutt's Hot Chocolate Challenge.
Candy floss, Russian fudge, Filipino-style coconut macaroons, peppermint and bubble gum are just some of the delicious flavours on offer for a limited… View more
The Crooked Elm is offering 'Stuck on You Chocky' featuring sticky toffee pudding as part of Sweet As Hutt's Hot Chocolate Challenge.
Candy floss, Russian fudge, Filipino-style coconut macaroons, peppermint and bubble gum are just some of the delicious flavours on offer for a limited in the Sweet As Hutt's Hot Chocolate Challenge this month.
The challenge, into its seventh year, will see 15 hospitality operators including cafes, restaurants, a couple of pubs and a bakery in Lower Hutt's City Centre, create their own signature hot chocolate drinks for people to enjoy throughout the school holidays.
Customers will be the given the chance to vote for their favourite hot chocolate on the new Sweet As Hutt's Hot Chocolate website with the winning hot chocolate declared at the end of the challenge, which takes place until July 25.
The challenge, founded by the Hutt City Council to inspire local city centre cafes to be creative as well as draw people out to the city centre during winter.

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1240 days ago

Lighting up the sky

Reporter Community News

Stokes Valley photographer Rosa Marie took this picture this morning (Tuesday). Did you see the stunning sunrise?

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1239 days ago

Getting the Basics Right

Hutt City Council

This letter to the people of Lower Hutt is how Council plans to get the basics right.

Our ten year plan supports our city in response to pressure from growth and decades of underinvestment by investing in our core infrastructure and services.

I’m looking forward to working with you to … View more
This letter to the people of Lower Hutt is how Council plans to get the basics right.

Our ten year plan supports our city in response to pressure from growth and decades of underinvestment by investing in our core infrastructure and services.

I’m looking forward to working with you to deliver our ten year plan and build a city that we can be proud to call home.
Find out more

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1239 days ago

Eco-Bricks

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean (The Curtain Store)

What is an Eco-brick?
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with shredded, single-use, non-recyclable plastics, compressed to a required density to create a reusable building block. They are a sustainable way to reusenon-biodegradable plastic waste as they are regarded as a long-lasting and … View more
What is an Eco-brick?
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with shredded, single-use, non-recyclable plastics, compressed to a required density to create a reusable building block. They are a sustainable way to reusenon-biodegradable plastic waste as they are regarded as a long-lasting and durable material.

Eco-bricks = a low energy solution to keeping plastic out of the ecosystem!

What is the purpose of an eco-brick?
Making an eco-brick can be a tedious and time-consuming project (but great to do whilst watching TV!) and the purpose of it is to make you responsible for your own plastic waste and encourage you to reduce your own consumption.

The aim is to help you cut down on what you’re buying and ultimately produce less waste whilst creating something beneficial for yourself or the community!

What goes into the eco-brick?
The most important thing about an eco-brick is that the contents are CLEAN and DRY before they get stuffed. The reason for this is to prevent any bacteria or mould forming inside, which will undo all your hard work as they will not be validated!

You can put inside an eco-brick:
Potato chip, biscuit, cake packets etc.
Stretchy plastic e.g., carrier bags, bread bags, clingfilm etc.
Pasta/rice packets
Packaging – bubble wrap/plastic envelopes
Styrofoam/polystyrene
Hard plastic – meat trays, flowerpots etc (however, hard plastics will need to be cut up into much smaller pieces than soft plastic to allow you to reach the weight requirements)

What can I make with an eco-brick?
The most common personal projects are footstools! They can be as small or as large as you want, you can be creative with the bottle bottom colours to make a cool pattern or cover them in some fabric to make a decorative piece around the house!

There are other smaller projects you can make, like doorstops for example! I am personally taking inspiration from this one found on Pinterest:

Ok, so how do I make one?
It is very simple! The picture below shows you how in 5 simple steps. The key is to just keep stuffing until you can’t any more! With time and patience, your brick will come to life.

1239 days ago

Way Back Wednesday

Reporter Community News

What is going on in this picture?

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