There are still tickets left for tomorrow nights final show of “Once We Built A Tower” by Dean Parker, on at Bat’s Theatre. A play about the birth of the welfare state, modelled on the worker’s health scheme at the Waitaki dam
raise your glass to the stay at home voter
his empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
a parade of gray suited grafters
lung cancer or polio
‘salt of the earth’
jagger/richards
Where is the storm I was promised? I stored up the water, charged the batteries, made sure I had my emergency kit ready – all prepared and so far nothing but a bit of breeze and some drizzle.
However, the NZ Herald reports there’s been big gusts and power outages in parts of Auckland, while other areas are calm – so far, all’s calm on the western front. Hope it stays that way.
Hope the people without power get it back soon, and the cyclone ends with a whimper.
We’ve been without power most of the day up here in the north – Tutukaka, Hukerunui, Whananaki,
Whakapara. Very boring – stormy, windy, wet and NO power. Fortunately my preparations included gathering in all the green tomatoes left on the vines, and the figs – so with a gas hob this has been jam and relish making day – and with nothing to take my eye off the hob (TV, The Standard, etc) I”ve managed to make a few jars of each WITHOUT burning anything ! First time ever. Power finally back on, just in time before TV News …..
Yes,saw the news earlier and saw how Northland was hit, guess there will be a clean up tomorrow…………..( Good on JK for being able to use the day in an advantageous way in a culinary sense).
Just hoping that Canterbury won’t be hit in the same way, as they are still recovering from last week’s floods. They need the “fizzer” aspect most of all.
NZ got off lightly compared to Vanuatu. R.I P to their losses.
Moment of weirdness has just struck in the northern burbs of Wellington. Whilst sitting in the garden a car pulled up and the passenger took a photo of the front of our house. From the angle they were at they would have got the letterbox, garage door and entrance including the steps to the front door and part of the verandah. Then they drove off……………
Lol! Only ever been one other owner of the house, (which is just 3 years old) who I have met, who was a completely different ethnicity to the person taking the photo………Curious.
Maybe they saw me earlier, down the road, removing the latest “HEY PETER!” placard I had up on a fence at the local park, they followed me and are sending photo’s to Peter Dunne of where I live…………just kidding……..
I gather the passenger didn’t get out of the car to take the photos. Is there anything unusual or different about the front of your house Rosie? Could you be seen in the garden?
I had a similar experience (plus others) in the 1990s but in my case, the passenger was writing down the reg no. of my car. I was on a DPB benefit looking after my elderly mother. Pretty certain I was a victim of a malicious dobbing in during the “Dob a beneficiary a day” scandal and I know the identity of the person who would have been responsible. After a polite but very strong letter to the local WINZ boss the surveillance stopped. The boss never responded to my letter of complaint, but the sudden disappearance of the car days after the letter was sent left me in no doubt it was WINZ.
Anne, your experience sounds highly suspicious and it really does sound like you were a victim of WINZ. How awful. Some things don’t change perhaps – beneficiaries continue to be treated with suspicion.
And no, there is nothing out of the ordinary about the house, and the photographer didn’t see me looking at them through the slats of the fence near to where I was sitting.
Furtive goings on in suburbia. Hopefully and most likely it was just a randomly odd thing. Either way, I’m glad my phone number isn’t in the book. It got left out by accident this year.
Do you have an “odd” out-of-the-way letterbox ? At one time, the community newspaper I worked for took pics and ran a story about all the quirky letterboxes around the place.
Doubt it was random Rosie but don’t be too concerned. There’s some seriously stupid people out there and you just never know. That Red Letterbox…. very suspicious. đ
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Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Get more from David Farrier in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the app ...
Thank you , , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Get more from David Farrier in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the app ...
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Get more from David Farrier in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the app ...
On 29 May, ASPI released its annual defence budget briefing, The Cost of Defence. Introducing the report, ASPI executive director Justin Bassi reflected on its aim of ‘strengthening Australiaâs long-term security, prosperity and sovereignty’ and its ...
Hi, Tear gas in the air, a lot of coughing. A lot of guns. And anger.But so far, peace.I’ll be going live throughout the day here on Webworm.Thanks to anyone who backs my work. Really. Not here without you.Subscribe nowDavid. ...
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The Government is backing a $17 million partnership with farmers to boost productivity, profitability, and sustainability by identifying the most resilient, high-performing pastures for New Zealand conditions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. Minister McClay confirmed the Government will invest $8.269 million in the Resilient Pastures project through ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the clearance of a significant radiology backlog at Taranaki Base Hospital, calling it a practical outcome that puts patients first. âIn March, more than 6,000 x-ray reports were sitting unprocessed at Taranaki Base Hospital. That was causing unacceptable delays for patients needing diagnosis and ...
City-shaping changes are coming to New Zealandâs largest city, ensuring that Auckland can fully harness the economic growth benefits of the new City Rail Link, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has been ...
The Government is stepping up support for rural New Zealand with a $4 million Rural Wellbeing Fund to expand investment in community-based initiatives, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. âThe establishment of this fund is a result of advocacy by Federated Farmers Chair, Wayne Langford, who ...
Applications have opened for a $30 million fund for projects that will enhance the resilience of New Zealandâs coastal shipping connections and help boost economic growth, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced. The Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund was established through the Government Policy Statement on land transport. Funding will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has taken part in two major international events in Nice, France this week, focused on Pacific resilience, prosperity and security. The sixth Pacific-France Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, took place in Nice overnight. âThe Summit brought together Pacific countries for discussions with France on ...
New Zealand has joined Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in placing travel bans on two extremist Israeli politicians, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. The bans will prevent Israelâs Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from travelling to New Zealand. âOur action today is not against ...
6th Pacific-France Summit Intervention by New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon Winston Peters Nice, France, Tuesday 10 June 2025 Thank you, President Macron, for convening this meeting today, the sixth Pacific-France Summit. We were privileged to have also been at the second Pacific-France Summit, during the Presidency of ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa. Thank you for the warm welcome. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to MEETINGS 2025. First, I would like to acknowledge Mayor Wayne Brown attending MEETINGS 2025 today and a special acknowledgment to NgÄti Whatua Orakei for their pĆwhiri and welcome. I would also like ...
The Government is increasing funding for attracting overseas visitors and investing in tourism infrastructure as part of its new Tourism Growth Roadmap, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. âWeâre investing $35 million to deliver the first stage of the Roadmap, which sets out the Governmentâs plan to double the ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is welcoming changes to toughen up the proposed anti-stalking law, including being triggered after two specified acts within 24 months. âThis change better recognises patterns in stalking behaviour and time that can pass between incidents. For example, stalking that occurs around anniversaries would not be covered ...
I am delighted to be here in Singapore once again, to speak to you in my capacity as New Zealandâs Minister for Resources and Associate Minister for Energy. If you havenât heard of me before today, Iâm proud to declare myself the champion of New Zealandâs petroleum and minerals sector. ...
Thank you all for the invitation to speak with you this morning. I have been looking forward to this opportunity. May is a busy month for the Government, and it is always a relief to have the Budget delivered. Today, I would like to speak about what I see as ...
The government is boosting support for rural resilience and wellbeing announced by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson. âWeâre backing Rural Support Trusts by committing $3 million over the next four years, to help improve rural communitiesâ access to primary mental health services and specialist ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is celebrating the fifth anniversary of Keep It Real Online, a website that helps New Zealand families navigate the digital world safely. âI know many parents are worried about the type of content their children might come across online and are looking for practical ...
Today Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay introduced long awaited legislation that will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions â delivering on a key election promise to protect the future of New Zealand food production. âFor too long, productive sheep and beef farms have been replaced by pine trees ...
Good evening,Itâs a real privilege to be here with you tonight, among people who play such a vital role in the wellbeing of our animals, our communities, and our economy. Veterinarians are essential to New Zealand. Upholding our global reputation for world-leading animal welfare standards, something we are known for ...
The Government is strengthening the market governance of New Zealandâs Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. âA credible ETS is our most powerful and cost-effective tool to drive down net emissions across the economy. But to do its job, the ETS must have good market governance ...
Farmers and growers will have faster access to new agriculture and horticulture products because innovation drives success, says Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard. âThe changes announced today show the power of a sector review,â Mr Seymour says. âAgriculture and horticulture products ...
Thank you to Foreign Minister Herath for the warm welcome to Sri Lanka. The New Zealand delegation is delighted to be here to further strengthen the warm relationship between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Relations between our countries are long-standing. Our trade dates from the 1860s and sporting connections to ...
Nelson Hospital will get a major redevelopment as part of the Governmentâs $1 billion boost to hospital infrastructure and will be the first hospital in the country to receive a new temporary inpatient unit while construction is underway, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. âThis is a significant investment in the ...
New artificial intelligence (AI) training will increase the uptake of AI and boost productivity in the public service, Digitising Government and Public Service Minister Judith Collins says. âAcross the public sector, AI offers a real opportunity to improve decision-making and deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders,â says Ms Collins. âI ...
The Government is amending the Public Finance Act to prevent future governments concealing the extent of fiscal risks in government accounts, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The change is included in legislation introduced to Parliament on Saturday evening to enhance the transparency and accountability of the public finance system. âThe ...
From today, beneficiaries failing to meet the obligations they agreed to can expect two new measures to encourage people off welfare and into work. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says the Money Management and Community Work Experience sanctions can apply to a first obligation failure while getting a ...
Changes to KiwiSaver in Budget 2025 mean young people today will retire with more savings and more financial security, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. âUsing the Sorted websiteâs comparative calculator, you can see that with the Governmentâs KiwiSaver changes an 18-year-old today earning $48,000 a year, and investing in a ...
A new 110km/h speed limit on State Highway 1 (SH1) for the Northern Gateway Toll Road, from north of Orewa to south of the Johnstoneâs Hill Tunnels, will come into effect from 26 May, Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âEconomic growth and productivity are a priority for the Government, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University simonkr/Getty Images On Thursday afternoon local time, an Air India passenger plane bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. There were reportedly 242 people onboard, including two ...
Analysis and Notes by Selwyn Manning: Prep for Radio New Zealand – Israel Strikes Against Iran – June 13, 2025. Listen to the audio from 3:00 minutes in. Selwyn Manning, editor of EveningReport.nz. Over the last 24 hours, the atomic control agency IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) formed a ...
Analysis and Notes by Selwyn Manning: Prep for Radio New Zealand – Israel Strikes Against Iran – June 13, 2025. Selwyn Manning, editor of EveningReport.nz. Over the last 24 hours, the atomic control agency IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) formed a view at its UN Geneva meeting, that there was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Alarmed by an intelligence assessment that Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within months if not weeks, Israel has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Smith, Associate Professor and Discipline Lead (Paramedicine), La Trobe University Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British citizen returning from a trip to India, has been confirmed as the only survivor of Thursdayâs deadly Air India crash. âI donât know how I am alive,â ...
A Coroner has referred the police handling of the case of three-year-old Lachlan Jones back to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, alongside a scathing commentary of the original investigation into the Gore boyâs death. This comes after the IPCA already reviewed â of its own volition â the two previous ...
The coronial jurisdiction The three purposes of a coronial inquiry are set out in s 57 of the Coroners Act 2006. The first purpose is to establish factual matters about the death including the cause of death and the circumstances of death. The second purpose is to make recommendations or ...
At a public forum presentation to ECan on 26 March 2025, AJP raised urgent questions about both environmental and animal welfare impacts of duck shooting. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Heap, Program Director for the Bachelor of Aviation, University of Southern Queensland It has only been a few hours since Air India flight AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing more than 260 people, yet public speculation about the causes of the disaster ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guido Carim Junior, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, Griffith University The back of Air India flight 171 after it crashed into a residential building in Ahmedabad.Sam Panthaky / AFP via Getty Images An Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad ...
A coroner wants police from outside Southland to reinvestigate the death of Gore toddler Lachie Jones after being unable to establish how he ended up in an oxidation pond â or determine his cause of death. Assistant Police Commissioner Mike Johnson said police would now undertake this third investigation into ...
EDITORIAL:By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog The madness has begun. We should have suspected something when the cloud strike shut down occurred. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to continue war so that he is never held to account. This madness is the last straw. NZ must ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Corben, Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence, University of Sydney Ahead of a prospective meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit Canada, two key developments have bumped defence issues to the top of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keersten Fitzgerald, Lecturer in General Practice, University of Sydney Jarrod Simpson/Getty We often use the word vagina to describe everything âdown thereâ, but thatâs not actually anatomically correct. The vagina is the stretchy, muscular tube that connects the external genitalia, ...
Bathurst Resources Limited doesnât expect to file a fast-track application for its West Coast coal project until November, instead of the original estimate of mid-June. CEO Richard Tacon said the decision was made to ensure the company put its âbest foot forwardâ and ticked all boxes on the first go. ...
A new poem by Airini Beautrais. How to build a roadside stall First, go to Home Depot and buy some wood and get your husband, whose name is Landon, to cut it to length for you. This will be a great place to sell the eggs from your backyard ducks ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1A Different kind Of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $60) The former prime ministerâs ...
The proposal to cut historians threatens the existence of Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, which is a vital online resource for New Zealanders and a window to the rest of the world to learn about our rich history. ...
The bill's numerous flaws and its potential for far-reaching negative consequences, as highlighted by extensive expert analysis, necessitate its withdrawal. ...
Households with solar panels on their roofs will be able to send more power back to the grid - and get faster building consents - under changes announced by the government. ...
This week a tragic death was reported. Media handling of the story has only increased the harm. News broke on Thursday that V, a transgender (trans) teenager, had died alone in emergency accommodation in 2023, in the late stages of an eating disorder. It is always a tragedy when a ...
RNZ Pacific The Department of Justice and Legal Services in Bougainville is aiming to craft a government policy to deal with violence related to sorcery accusations. The Post-Courier reports that a forum, which wrapped up on Wednesday, aimed to dissect the roots of sorcery/witchcraft beliefs and the severe violence stemming ...
Michael Galvin kills it in the new season of The Brokenwood Mysteries.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here.If youâre a fan of murder, small towns and Chris Warner, then the return of The Brokenwood Mysteries is all your dreams come true. ...
In episode five, our hero goblins gather with their kinfolk and try to piece together why their home was razed to the ground. Fury of the Smallblends radio drama, improv comedy and tabletop roleplaying into a unique audio experience. In our story, four stalwart heroes delve into a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Conrad Pilditch, Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images For the past fortnight, the city of Nice in France has been the global epicentre of ocean science and politics. Last weekâs One Ocean Science Congress ...
At Supra, chef Thom Millot proves that brilliance doesnât need endless equipment â just fire, guts and pure creativity. Table Service is a column about food and hospitality in Wellington, by Nick Iles.Ever since the rise of molecular gastronomy and the orchestral slow-mo reverence of Netflixâs Chefâs Table, weâve ...
A Judicial Conduct Panel will look into the behaviour of Acting District Court judge Ema Aitken, after she allegedly accused Winston Peters of lying. ...
Farmers and tradies buying utes under the government's Investment Boost initiative may inadvertently end up owing thousands of dollars in fringe benefit taxes. ...
Calls for resignation of Reserve Bank chair who championed transparency â but objects to uncomfortable questions about being personally accountable The post Donât you know who Neil Quigley is? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a public servant describes how gastric bypass surgery, a traumatic brain injury and taking voluntary redundancy have affected their finances. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duygu Yengin, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Adelaide For the first time in its 124-year history, Treasury will be led by a woman. Jenny Wilkinsonâs appointment is historic in its own right. Even more remarkable is the fact she joins Michele ...
There are still tickets left for tomorrow nights final show of “Once We Built A Tower” by Dean Parker, on at Bat’s Theatre. A play about the birth of the welfare state, modelled on the worker’s health scheme at the Waitaki dam
http://bats.co.nz/shows/once-we-built-a-tower/
Onya, Bacchanals!
This weekend – Western Quilters annual show at Kelston Community Centre.
raise your glass to the stay at home voter
his empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
a parade of gray suited grafters
lung cancer or polio
‘salt of the earth’
jagger/richards
Where is the storm I was promised? I stored up the water, charged the batteries, made sure I had my emergency kit ready – all prepared and so far nothing but a bit of breeze and some drizzle.
However, the NZ Herald reports there’s been big gusts and power outages in parts of Auckland, while other areas are calm – so far, all’s calm on the western front. Hope it stays that way.
Hope the people without power get it back soon, and the cyclone ends with a whimper.
We’ve been without power most of the day up here in the north – Tutukaka, Hukerunui, Whananaki,
Whakapara. Very boring – stormy, windy, wet and NO power. Fortunately my preparations included gathering in all the green tomatoes left on the vines, and the figs – so with a gas hob this has been jam and relish making day – and with nothing to take my eye off the hob (TV, The Standard, etc) I”ve managed to make a few jars of each WITHOUT burning anything ! First time ever. Power finally back on, just in time before TV News …..
Looks like you were well prepared, JK.
Hope others up your way are coping OK.
Sounds like a fizzer! At least you were prepared đ
Well, I think it is the north shore and east coast of NZ that have been hit. West Auckland is just a bit dismal, but unremarkable.
I imagine when I do get caught in an emergency, I’ll be less prepared. Sods law.
Yes,saw the news earlier and saw how Northland was hit, guess there will be a clean up tomorrow…………..( Good on JK for being able to use the day in an advantageous way in a culinary sense).
Just hoping that Canterbury won’t be hit in the same way, as they are still recovering from last week’s floods. They need the “fizzer” aspect most of all.
NZ got off lightly compared to Vanuatu. R.I P to their losses.
Moment of weirdness has just struck in the northern burbs of Wellington. Whilst sitting in the garden a car pulled up and the passenger took a photo of the front of our house. From the angle they were at they would have got the letterbox, garage door and entrance including the steps to the front door and part of the verandah. Then they drove off……………
What was that all about?
Sometimes I want to take a photo of the houses I have lived in.
Or maybe it’s the SIS…?
Lol! Only ever been one other owner of the house, (which is just 3 years old) who I have met, who was a completely different ethnicity to the person taking the photo………Curious.
Maybe they saw me earlier, down the road, removing the latest “HEY PETER!” placard I had up on a fence at the local park, they followed me and are sending photo’s to Peter Dunne of where I live…………just kidding……..
I gather the passenger didn’t get out of the car to take the photos. Is there anything unusual or different about the front of your house Rosie? Could you be seen in the garden?
I had a similar experience (plus others) in the 1990s but in my case, the passenger was writing down the reg no. of my car. I was on a DPB benefit looking after my elderly mother. Pretty certain I was a victim of a malicious dobbing in during the “Dob a beneficiary a day” scandal and I know the identity of the person who would have been responsible. After a polite but very strong letter to the local WINZ boss the surveillance stopped. The boss never responded to my letter of complaint, but the sudden disappearance of the car days after the letter was sent left me in no doubt it was WINZ.
Anne, your experience sounds highly suspicious and it really does sound like you were a victim of WINZ. How awful. Some things don’t change perhaps – beneficiaries continue to be treated with suspicion.
And no, there is nothing out of the ordinary about the house, and the photographer didn’t see me looking at them through the slats of the fence near to where I was sitting.
Furtive goings on in suburbia. Hopefully and most likely it was just a randomly odd thing. Either way, I’m glad my phone number isn’t in the book. It got left out by accident this year.
Do you have an “odd” out-of-the-way letterbox ? At one time, the community newspaper I worked for took pics and ran a story about all the quirky letterboxes around the place.
Completely bog standard letterbox JK. It’s painted red though. Maybe they think a commie lives inside………..
Doubt it was random Rosie but don’t be too concerned. There’s some seriously stupid people out there and you just never know. That Red Letterbox…. very suspicious. đ