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Our 2023 Local Business Hero Awards nomination phase closes on Sunday. Neighbours - you only have a few more days to nominate a favourite local business to give them a chance to win an incredible $10,000 package.
Show your support for your local today by nominating them to be this year's … View moreOur 2023 Local Business Hero Awards nomination phase closes on Sunday. Neighbours - you only have a few more days to nominate a favourite local business to give them a chance to win an incredible $10,000 package.
Show your support for your local today by nominating them to be this year's Prospa Local Business Hero!
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Valued at over $1.4 million and built to perfection by Jennian homes, this brand-new home features three-bedrooms, two-bathrooms and boasts an open-plan … View moreIncrease your chances to win this brand-new, fully-furnished home located just north of Auckland in the stunning beachside town of Mangawhai.
Valued at over $1.4 million and built to perfection by Jennian homes, this brand-new home features three-bedrooms, two-bathrooms and boasts an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area.
Make this property your permanent residence, a holiday home, a rental or even sell it. Tickets only $15 – get in quick and purchase more tickets today.
We can see you're paying a lot for your broadband each month (we'll have some helpful advice on that soon)! Now let's shine the spot light on Power! The other BIG bill Kiwis are juggling.
We know usage can fluctuate quite a bit meaning so would your bill but to keep it simple, … View moreWe can see you're paying a lot for your broadband each month (we'll have some helpful advice on that soon)! Now let's shine the spot light on Power! The other BIG bill Kiwis are juggling.
We know usage can fluctuate quite a bit meaning so would your bill but to keep it simple, how much does your power bill usually come to?
Know the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of … View moreKnow the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of incredible entries already but don't forget to nominate your local this week. The recognition will make their day (and they're in with a chance to win a $10,000 package!).
Share a few words about your favourite local now.
Internet is something we need these days for work, study, keeping in touch with loved ones or just to watch a movie! It's another bill to manage right?!
With the cost of living rising, we want to know how much your broadband bill is setting you back each month?
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ … View moreEvery month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ Gardener.
When you think weddings, you think pampering, gloss and fuss.
You probably don’t imagine a seven-hour slog uphill, sweat and nachos.
But that is exactly what one couple chose for their big day when they hiked to the remote Lake Wilson, off the Routeburn Track.
The Valley of the Trolls, … View moreWhen you think weddings, you think pampering, gloss and fuss.
You probably don’t imagine a seven-hour slog uphill, sweat and nachos.
But that is exactly what one couple chose for their big day when they hiked to the remote Lake Wilson, off the Routeburn Track.
The Valley of the Trolls, complete with swampland and thick tussocks, doesn’t necessarily sound all that romantic either, but for bride Luana Schramme the tramp through the valley to her stunning wedding spot was “magical”.
Schramme, 27, and her husband Bernardo Araujo, 29, weren’t alone for their wilderness wedding – they had seven friends, a photographer and a celebrant join them on the 34km trip for the unusual ceremony.
Read the full story from reporter Olivia Caldwell here. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Will you give Queenstown's new e-scooters a go?
Beam is bringing up to 300 e-scooters into central Queenstown on a 24-month trial following agreement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Beam spokesman Frederick Conquer said the first few bookings had started coming in on … View moreWill you give Queenstown's new e-scooters a go?
Beam is bringing up to 300 e-scooters into central Queenstown on a 24-month trial following agreement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Beam spokesman Frederick Conquer said the first few bookings had started coming in on Wednesday following a small launch in the town.
Read the full story from reporter Debbie Jamieson here.
From reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When Peter Murphy stood at the starting line of Queenstown’s Motatapu mountain bike race on Saturday, he had just buried his son three weeks earlier.
The cause of the 58-year-old’s own unexpected death, 10 minutes into the 47km race, is unknown, with an … View moreFrom reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When Peter Murphy stood at the starting line of Queenstown’s Motatapu mountain bike race on Saturday, he had just buried his son three weeks earlier.
The cause of the 58-year-old’s own unexpected death, 10 minutes into the 47km race, is unknown, with an autopsy on Monday coming back inconclusive.
On February 10, Murphy’s 23-year-old son, Daniel, died from a rare cancer – a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour.
Doctors had said his leg would need to be amputated, ending his professional dancing career. The cancer spread too quickly for radiation therapy to keep on top of it.
Jo Fuller said Murphy was heartbroken about losing his son.
The couple had been looking forward to a lot in 2023 – moving into their dream home in Wānaka in five weeks, and enjoying life as newlyweds.
They had been together eight years and married in Wānaka on December 22.
The sun shone for the ceremony, but just as Murphy was about to deliver his “off the cuff speech” a loud crack of thunder filled the air, lightning hit the sky and a downpour of torrential rain followed.
“It was an amazing day. We had the absolute time of our lives.”
Murphy and his brother-in-law, Jim Fuller, planned to do the Motatapu race in 2020 before it was cancelled because of Covid-19. Murphy had completed the race five times before.
The mates started the race together on Saturday.
“I thought he will catch me up because he’s fitter, so I went off, and then I slowed down and ... I kept looking back for him,” Jim Fuller said.
When he reached the finish line, he was told Murphy had died.
His death was a shock to those who knew him. He took medication for a heart arrhythmia, but was fit.
Jo Fuller said she snuck a hug, kiss and reluctant photo of her new husband in his lycra when she dropped him off at the start line on Saturday.
Murphy, too, snuck in one last romantic act – one he’d been doing since their first car ride together.
“He was a gentleman. I used to go and open the door to the car, and he would open it ... it took me probably six months to stop opening it myself. He did it right up until Saturday.”
The race began 9am. At 10am, Fuller was called and told there had been an “incident”.
A doctor was one of the first to find Murphy on the gravel road and attempted over 45 minutes of CPR until an ambulance arrived.
“I just thought Pete was going to be in one of the ambulances, so I ran and there was no-one in it,” Fuller said.
“I came around the corner and there was Pete lying on the road with a white cloth over him ... I just stood there and collapsed.”
Murphy and Fuller first met 30 years ago at an antenatal group – both attending with their partners of the time.
In 2014, after both relationships had ended, they ran into each other at a friend’s party.
“He said ‘look we've got 20 years of stuff to catch up on’.”
They caught up as friends, Fuller said, though Murphy had other plans.
Murphy invited himself to meet her in Singapore on her way home from running the Paris Marathon, so she couldn’t really turn him down, she said.
“That’s how he weaselled himself into my life when I made it very clear I was not interested.”
Murphy, who had a big smile, was kind, easygoing, welcoming, and a bit cheeky, Fuller said.
It would have been Murphy’s 59th birthday on Sunday. The couple were going to go to their favourite restaurant Francesca’s for pizza.
Murphy has two other children, Georgia and William. His ex-wife Robyn Murphy is based in Christchurch.
On Monday, police said they wanted to hear from anyone who saw Murphy before the race, or saw what happened.
“We know that there would have been competitors and supporters in the bike race who had travelled to Wānaka from all parts of the country,” Senior Sergeant Chris Brooks said.
“So we are asking anyone – whether you are currently in the Wānaka area or have since returned home – who may have information to please let us know, so we can help get some answers for this man’s family.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 105 or fill out a report online at 105.police.govt.nz/ using 'Update Report' and the file number 230304/1913.
Join Emile Donovan and Imogen Wells for your daily dose of exclusives, analysis and fresh perspectives on news.
The podcast drops each weekday from 6am on newsable.co.nz or listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your pods.
It's time to make their day in return! There's been hundreds of incredible nominations in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero Awards already - but have we got yours?
Give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the … View moreIt's time to make their day in return! There's been hundreds of incredible nominations in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero Awards already - but have we got yours?
Give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero Awards including a incredible package worth $10,000. Just share a few words about why they make your community a better place to live.
Your favourite local will thank you!
If you need more forms or accessibility formats,visit www. census.govt.nz, or call 0800 236 787 for help.
From reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When is a jack russell terrier not a jack russell terrier?
As far as the 24-year-old Jack Russell Race at the Wānaka A&P Show, anything goes, but there is controversy around the size of one magnificent beast, Harry.
“We don’t have any rules,” says … View moreFrom reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When is a jack russell terrier not a jack russell terrier?
As far as the 24-year-old Jack Russell Race at the Wānaka A&P Show, anything goes, but there is controversy around the size of one magnificent beast, Harry.
“We don’t have any rules,” says show event manager Jane Stalker.
That’s not far off the truth. Richard Burdon, event judge and son of Jerry and Lesley Burdon, who created the race, says the only regulation is if the dog passes the “does it look like a jack russell?” test.
“It is still one of the highlights of the show. It has very limited rules, and we still have a lot of fun, and it’s all done in the best spirit.
“We have a few imposters every year, but we don't place them.”
The race, held this year on March 11, sees the terriers chase a dead rabbit towed by a horse around an oval field. The first dog to reach the rabbit, wins.
Harry, a 13-year-old jack russell fox terrier from Cromwell, has been winning the race since he started as a 1-year-old. He has six titles to his name, in seven starts.
“The one year that he didn't get it, the little dogs cut across and were chasing the horse and not the rabbit,” says owner Samara Buchanan.
Harry, whose mother was a fox terrier and father was a jack russell, has front legs likened to a greyhound.
”He’s more taken to the foxy side I think,” says Buchanan.
He is a big jack russell, but is still within the rules, she says.
”It’s a terrier race.
“There are fluffy ones, there’s everything in there.”
Friend of the race, Dominic Morrogh Bernard, has lived in Scotland for the past 30 years and says the races, born out of the United Kingdom, are popular back home.
It is not uncommon for mixed terriers to race in Scotland, and Wānaka’s loose rules were true to tradition, he says.
”I would start with terriers, but you can have mixed breeds and all sorts back in the UK.”
While there were whisperings about the size of Harry, Buchanan says she has never had a complaint that her dog is bigger than the other dogs.
Harry has a nemesis, Stella.
“The wee black and white one isn’t much smaller than him to be fair,” Buchanan says.
Stella is a jack russell crossed with a chihuahua, making her a speedy wee thing.
Stella’s owner Daniel Bogue is also aware of Harry.
“We’ve gone up against him quite a few times. In fact, the two or three years he hasn’t entered, we won.
“It is a real big dog for a jack russell. I have no qualms with it, it is a race and may the best dog win.”
Stalker says show organisers aren’t looking at changing the rules to make the race for only purebred jack russell terriers.
They ask owners to use their judgement of what qualifies as a jack russell.
“There are times we thought should we put rules around it, but it has taken a life of its own.”
No official complaints had been made, she says.
Stalker says the race is probably not well-named.
“It is probably a bit of tongue in cheek.
“You will get told to leave if you bring something that doesn't look like a jack russell terrier.”
Stalker says she knows of Harry.
“He is a bit big.”
While the race is fun by nature, there is dog roll and dog nuts on the line for the proud dog owners.
To prepare for the race Harry eats dog nuts, rabbits at times and walks regularly.
Buchanan says his last race was 2021, but he has come out of retirement before.
”Lots of people are trying to get me to bring him up, but I think it is time to hand the reins over to someone else.”
For Stella’s sake, let’s hope so.
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
Tourism and hospitality workers suffer high levels of harassment and bullying and one-third want better pay and conditions, a new survey has found.
The Auckland University of Technology survey of 900 workers has informed a Government plan to strengthen the … View moreFrom reporter Debbie Jamieson:
Tourism and hospitality workers suffer high levels of harassment and bullying and one-third want better pay and conditions, a new survey has found.
The Auckland University of Technology survey of 900 workers has informed a Government plan to strengthen the tourism workforce.
New Tourism Minister Peeni Henare announced the plan to tourism industry representatives in Queenstown on Wednesday.
It included a scheme allowing businesses to demonstrate they are good employers, and aiming to lift cultural competency in the sector and develop educational opportunities.
The 2022 survey was commissioned by the group developing the plan and was the largest and most detailed survey done in New Zealand of tourism and hospitality employees and their working conditions.
AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism senior lecturer David Williamson said it found key concerns among frontline and senior staff included low pay, unsatisfactory working conditions, insufficient career progression, and a high level of turnover.
One-third of respondents identified better pay and conditions as a key change required to create a better workplace.
Just over 23% had experienced bullying or harassment from other staff members or customers, while 34% had witnessed it.
It was reported in only 49% of cases and action was taken only in one quarter of those cases.
“This is a very concerning area. If we’re going to be attracting young people into the industry, trying to encourage careers and say this is a great place to work, we’re going to have to address this.”
More than half of the respondents (54%) did not know what the health and safety risks in their workplace were.
High turnover was also identified as an issue, with 45% of respondents indicating they were not planning a career in the sector or unsure about it, and 27% planning to leave their job in the next year.
“It is problematic. There is a significant minority of experiences where the conditions are not what they should be,” Williamson said.
Other issues included 9% did not have signed employment agreements, 7.5% were not paid the adult minimum wage, 68% of frontline workers received less than $24 an hour, only 71% got the correct holiday pay, and only 58% got the rest breaks they were entitled to.
Henare said it was essential for the Government to help the sector build a more resilient future.
“New Zealand continues to be one of the world’s top tourism destinations, and with the borders open, international visitors are returning.”
Part of that was to ensure the workforce was skilled and supported, through education, good career pathways, pay and working conditions, he said.
It included the establishment of a Tourism and Hospitality Accord – a voluntary employer accreditation scheme identifying businesses in tourism and hospitality that treat staff well.
By joining the accord they would be able to show they were good employers, which would help them attract quality staff.
There would also be closer collaboration between industry and education providers to ensure the right skills were being taught to fill the jobs the sector needed, Henare said.
“And we will test whether employee-sharing can reduce the unstable and seasonal elements of tourism.”
The plan aimed to turn around the negative perception – and reality for some – that working in tourism did not pay well and the work could be unstable.
“This action plan will help to improve conditions so that tourism is a job of choice that is fulfilling and desirable for people here and those coming from abroad,” Henare said.
Among 14 outlined initiatives are plans to develop new tourism qualifications, conduct a tourism conservation employee-sharing pilot building on the benefits of the Jobs for Nature programme, and explore options for clearer long-term immigration settings.
If you need more forms or accessibility formats, visit www.census.govt.nz, or call 0800 236 787 for help.
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