Kapenga, Rotorua

1463 days ago

Get the inside scoop on Stuff's great travel finds

The Team Reporter from Stuff

Hey neighbours,

Here at Stuff Travel, our team of journalists have been furiously ferreting out Aotearoa’s best hidden gems. We've come across so many activities and places we never knew existed.

Typically, as soon as we report a great place on Stuff, the floodgates open. But … View more
Hey neighbours,

Here at Stuff Travel, our team of journalists have been furiously ferreting out Aotearoa’s best hidden gems. We've come across so many activities and places we never knew existed.

Typically, as soon as we report a great place on Stuff, the floodgates open. But subscribe to our newsletter here for a free ticket to ride with our travel team each week as we explore the best of New Zealand.

We’ll tell you about our great finds, before we tell anyone else. And we’ll throw in some great deals, giveaways and advice each week too.

Bon voyage!

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1474 days ago

Rotorua UkeBox This Sunday 3pm Te Rūnanga

Julie from Springfield - Tihiotonga

Come on down to Te Rūnanga for a sing and strum-along/open mic session led by The Thermaleles.

1464 days ago

Save this summer with Scenic

Scenic Hotel Group

Take the scenic route this summer and enjoy exploring New Zealand at its best. With a myriad of accommodation all around our beautiful country, there is always a place you can #StayKiwi with us.

Stay one night, save 10%, stay two, save 19%, stay three or longer and you'll unlock up to 23% … View more
Take the scenic route this summer and enjoy exploring New Zealand at its best. With a myriad of accommodation all around our beautiful country, there is always a place you can #StayKiwi with us.

Stay one night, save 10%, stay two, save 19%, stay three or longer and you'll unlock up to 23% off when you book direct.
Check availability

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1464 days ago

Neighbourly has its own Santa for our NZ suburbs...

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

He’s small, he’s blue and he has a sack of 28 amazing presents that need to be given away in the lead up to Christmas.

Simply find the secret Santa code hidden within a post on your Neighbourly newsfeed and use this to enter the daily draw on our Santa in the Suburbs competition page.

View more
He’s small, he’s blue and he has a sack of 28 amazing presents that need to be given away in the lead up to Christmas.

Simply find the secret Santa code hidden within a post on your Neighbourly newsfeed and use this to enter the daily draw on our Santa in the Suburbs competition page.

Don't miss out on today's daily prize!
Find Out More

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1465 days ago

Kids should be heard

White Ribbon

Kids ask us for attention because they are learning how to navigate the world and build relationships - they need to be able to speak and be listened to so they can learn and grow. Challenge the #outdated rules - it’s time to shake off the old and reveal the new. Find out more

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1466 days ago

Rotorua Nui is your guide to Rotorua Events!

Mary Anne from Rotorua Central

Find and attend events that fuel your passions! Rotorua Nui showcases all types of events from sports to culture and everything in between. Keep up to date and list your own Rotorua event at www.rotoruanui.nz...

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1466 days ago

Plastic Bottle Planters

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

Here is a fun and easy way to reuse a plastic bottle! These are the basic instructions for creating a plastic bottle planter. Creative fun for the kids and recycling those plastic bottles? We call that a win-win.
They look adorable with succulents (cactus or herbs would also work) and chances are … View more
Here is a fun and easy way to reuse a plastic bottle! These are the basic instructions for creating a plastic bottle planter. Creative fun for the kids and recycling those plastic bottles? We call that a win-win.
They look adorable with succulents (cactus or herbs would also work) and chances are the planters will last for a while.

You’ll need:
• Plastic bottles
• Sharpie
• Acrylic paint & brushes
• Pencil (for sketching details)
• Scissors


1. Use the sharpie to mark out the shape of your animal on the bottle.
2. With scissors roughly cut out your shapes. After the top of the bottle is removed go back around and clean up the edges. Wipe clean (make sure bottle is clean and dry).3. Paint the bottle with chosen shade of acrylic paint, this will take several coats. Tip: use a hair dryer to speed drying between coats. Spray paint made for plastic can be used if you already have a can at home.
4. Once dry, use the pencil to sketch the eyes, mouth, and other details, and paint over with your desired colours.
5. Fill with soil and your favourite succulents. These also make cute containers to keep anything in (pencils, food, toys, beads) as well as colourful décor for your kids’ room.


We hope you enjoyed our tutorial and if you make a one we would love to see a picture!

www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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1467 days ago

The Nuke Ukulele Trio - show and workshop 21 Nov

Julie from Springfield - Tihiotonga

After a sell out performance in 2017 and a recent tour with The Harmonic Resonators, the Nukes are back for 1 night only at QE Health Recreation Hall supported by local ukulele band The Thermaleles. It'll be a great night of catchy original tunes and humour. Tickets from … View moreAfter a sell out performance in 2017 and a recent tour with The Harmonic Resonators, the Nukes are back for 1 night only at QE Health Recreation Hall supported by local ukulele band The Thermaleles. It'll be a great night of catchy original tunes and humour. Tickets from www.rotoruaukulele.co.nz... or Julie 027-2424-132

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1468 days ago

Work off Christmas dinner in 23,573 easy steps

Smiths City

As we head into the eating season, you might want to think about tracking your fitness. Check out our range of wearable tech, from FitBit, Huawei and Samsung, in-store or online today. smithscity.co.nz – keeping Xmas honest. Visit us online

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1468 days ago

Private Rental

Chanelle from Pukehangi - Mangakakahi

Kia Ora all,
My 9 year rental has sold and new owners are moving in, sad for me I love this house and have loved living in Sunnybrook and Westbrook over 20+ years, more closer for my kids to their grand parents. Westbrook School has schooled 4 of my children 1 to go and fortunate for me not so … View more
Kia Ora all,
My 9 year rental has sold and new owners are moving in, sad for me I love this house and have loved living in Sunnybrook and Westbrook over 20+ years, more closer for my kids to their grand parents. Westbrook School has schooled 4 of my children 1 to go and fortunate for me not so others I have never been burgled, touch wood, so if anybody has a property coming up to Rent or Look after, would love it at a reasonable price and for another 9 years would be fab, but at this time i realize its a rich get richer world and im looking for the robin hoods lol of Land Lords, yes I have and I am actively looking every where I can, so its worth a shot on here. Thanks all

1469 days ago

Wool is 100% Biodegradable

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

HOW DOES WOOL BIODEGRADE?
All materials of animal and vegetable origin have some degree of biodegradability, meaning that they are capable of being decomposed by the action of living organisms, such as fungi and bacteria. Wool is composed of the natural protein keratin, which is similar to the … View more
HOW DOES WOOL BIODEGRADE?
All materials of animal and vegetable origin have some degree of biodegradability, meaning that they are capable of being decomposed by the action of living organisms, such as fungi and bacteria. Wool is composed of the natural protein keratin, which is similar to the protein that makes up human hair. When keratin is broken down naturally by microorganisms, the products do not pose any environmental hazard.

WOOL READILY BIODEGRADES IN MOIST, WARM CONDITIONS
On disposal, if wool is kept warm and moist or buried in soil, fungal and bacterial growths develop which produce enzymes that digest wool. On the other hand, thanks to the unique chemical structure of keratin and wool’s tough, water-repellent outer membrane, clean and dry wool fibres do not readily degrade. This allows wool products to be resilient and long-lasting in normal conditions.

WOOL BIODEGRADES QUICKLY
Wool biodegrades readily in as little as three to four months but the rate varies with soil, climate and wool characteristics. This releases essential elements such as nitrogen, sulphur and magnesium back to the soil, able to be taken up by growing plants. Some studies found more rapid degradation after only four weeks’ burial in soils. Research has shown that processing treatments such as dyeing and anti-shrink treatment can affect the rate of biodegradation in soil, causing an increase in the initial resistance of wool fabric to degradation. However, this is a short-term effect, typically not persisting beyond eight weeks.

WOOL RETURNS ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS TO THE SOIL
On burial in soil, wool becomes a slow-release fertiliser providing nutrients for uptake and growth by other organisms. Some have even used wool fertiliser to foster herb and vegetable growth. This is known as natural closed loop recycling; restoring the initial inputs of soil and grass. Other beneficial effects of adding wool to soils include enhanced water holding capacity, improved water infiltration, soil aeration and reduced erosion. Ground-up wool carpet, when used as a fertiliser, increased the dry matter yield of grass growth by 24% to 82%.

WOOL DOES NOT ADD TO LANDFILL VOLUMES OR MICROFIBRE POLLUTION
Natural fibres biodegrade naturally in a relatively short period in soils and aquatic systems and therefore do not accumulate in landfill and oceans. Results from a University of Canterbury study demonstrate that wool degrades in a marine environment. In contrast, synthetic textiles persist for many decades and can disintegrate to small fragments. Commonly known as microplastics, or microfibres when less than 5mm in diameter, these fragments accumulate in aquatic environments and land disposal sites where they have negative effects on ecosystems when consumed by organisms. A single polyester fleece garment can produce more than 1900 fibres per wash. Ingestion has a negative impact on organisms, sometimes causing death through starvation as plastic replaces food in the stomach. Once in the food chain, microplastics potentially also affect human health via seafood consumption.



At Curtain Clean we are all about minimising waste and reducing the amount of uncompostable materials going into landfill. Keep in mind that a lot of fabrics can be washed and don't need to be thrown away! Call us on 07 579 0501 if you have something you'd like cleaned, we can treat almost all fabrics.

1469 days ago

NumberWorks'nWords maths and English tuition.

NumberWorks'nWords Rotorua

NumberWorks'nWords can help by identifying gaps, explaining your child’s learning style, and providing you with recommendations.

Get in touch to learn how tutoring with NumberWorks'nWords can help your child

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1470 days ago

Fraud Awareness Week

The Team from Neighbourhood Support New Zealand

This Fraud Awareness Week we are encouraging Kiwis to take a moment to stop and think ‘is this for real?’ when contacted unexpectedly and asked for personal info.

New Zealand Police's Financial Intelligence Unit estimates New Zealanders lose $20-30 million annually to scams.

HOW TO AVOID… View more
This Fraud Awareness Week we are encouraging Kiwis to take a moment to stop and think ‘is this for real?’ when contacted unexpectedly and asked for personal info.

New Zealand Police's Financial Intelligence Unit estimates New Zealanders lose $20-30 million annually to scams.

HOW TO AVOID A SCAM:

+ A genuine bank or organisation will never contact you to ask for your PIN, password or to move money to another account.

+ Never click on a link in an unexpected email or text – you could be giving access to your personal and financial details.

+ Always question uninvited approaches in case it is a scam. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.

+ Don’t assume an email or phone call is authentic – just because someone knows your basic details (name and address, or mother’s maiden name) it doesn’t mean they are genuine.

+ Don’t be rushed into making a decision or financial transaction on the spot – a genuine bank or trusted organisation would never do this.

+ Listen to your instincts – if something feels wrong then it generally is.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam you can contact Police and report the matter via 105.

For more info on how you can prevent yourself, family and friends from being scammed, visit:

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1476 days ago

First home buyer burned by sunset clause finally secures dream house in Lower Hutt

Kylie Klein Nixon Reporter from Homed

Remember Bailey Ross, the first time buyer who missed out on the property she'd been saving since she was 16 to own because of a sunset clause? Well, great news! She's secured a home in Lower Hutt.
I caught up with Bailey for an episode of First Rung, our podcast for first time buyers. … View more
Remember Bailey Ross, the first time buyer who missed out on the property she'd been saving since she was 16 to own because of a sunset clause? Well, great news! She's secured a home in Lower Hutt.
I caught up with Bailey for an episode of First Rung, our podcast for first time buyers. She ended up giving me a bit of a masterclass in tenacity and not giving up on your home owning dreams.
Find out how Bailey found her first home, and what it means to her after such a big let down.

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1471 days ago

Watch Stuff Circuit’s new documentary, Emma

The Team Reporter from Stuff

At two weeks old, Emma was left at an orphanage in Russia. After three years, Emma was adopted by a New Zealand family and brought here for a new life - but that didn’t work out how it was supposed to. Emma was diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome and reactive attachment disorder. Parenting her… View moreAt two weeks old, Emma was left at an orphanage in Russia. After three years, Emma was adopted by a New Zealand family and brought here for a new life - but that didn’t work out how it was supposed to. Emma was diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome and reactive attachment disorder. Parenting her became a nightmare, and it ended in tragedy.

Emma has faced more challenges and rejections than most people could cope with. And now, she wants to take on the biggest challenge of her life - finding answers to those most fundamental questions: who am I? Where did I come from?
Watch now

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