Author: Press Room

MetService has issued a severe weather watch for the Wairoa District, with stormy weather expected to hit the region on Monday.Heavy rain and thunderstorms were most likely in the afternoon and evening, the forecaster said.The watch could be upgraded to a warning later.It was in place for the area east of Lake Waikaremoana and Gisborne south of the city from 4pm Monday until 6pm Tuesday.About 17,000 campers are currently in Gisborne for the Rhythm and Vines festival, which ends on New Year’s Day.The area has just been hit by a month’s worth of rain and high winds on Boxing Day.rnz.co.nz

With the new century entering its 25th year, Summer Times looks back at some of the events of 2000 and sees how we’ve fared since. John Lewis talks the price of petrol. “When’s it going to end,” was a common complaint heard around Dunedin petrol stations in the first week of March 2000. On March 7 that year, the cost of 91-octane petrol passed the $1 mark for the first time and reached $1.03 per litre. At the same time, 96-octane was selling for $1.08 per litre. There was so much concern about the skyrocketing price, it made front-page headlines in the Otago Daily Times. Just over…

Whangārei man Chris Geerkens has reflected on his life as a fierce conservation advocate — 15 years since he was the country’s first official Good Sort. Geerkens fostered a keen interest in cleaning up at age 7, and even penned a number of letters to paper editors about pollution issues in his community.At the time, it saw him lead a march protesting against raw sewage being dumped in the Whangārei harbour. Geerkens went back to the council many times about the issue after that, resulting in the Council investing in a better system. “Now seeing what the results are 10…

One of the most gripping conspiracies of 2024 has almost superseded crazy-land and gone into modern folklore. Laine Priestley explains the series of events that conspiracists believe has turned Beyonce from a singing superstar to a god-like supernova scaring the celebrity world into submission. Part global piss-take, part perceived truth by some, the latest Beyonce conspiracy has gripped the internet and turned into a meme in the process. While rumours of illuminati dealings, child sacrifice and a secret world government have swirled around Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z for years, the latest theory to slither on to the internet was akin to…

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the production and sale of what became a New Zealand farming necessity. It is exactly a century since the E. Hayes and Sons smooth grip chain grab wire strainer appeared on the New Zealand market. It rapidly became an essential agricultural tool found in virtually every farm around the country and is still sold today. Hayes Engineering — the farmstead and workshop where millwright Ernest Hayes and his descendants pioneered many of his ingenious inventions — is cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and is open to the public. “Based at…

Lifeguards at a popular Christchurch beach are not expecting a shark that saw the water cleared on Saturday afternoon to have lingered.New Brighton Surf Life Saving Club chairperson Lachlan Hill said a staff member and a surfer reported seeing a fin just before midday yesterday.”The life guards took out an IRB (inflatable rescue boat) to go and have a closer look and they spotted the shark again.”They didn’t get close enough to determine what type of shark it was or how big the shark was, but just to be cautious they shut down the beach and put some shark signs…

Police have opened an investigation into the death of a woman following an incident in Feilding on Boxing Day.In a statement, Palmerston North Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson said the woman was transported by ambulance to Palmerston North Hospital on December 27 after becoming unwell from an injury she suffered the previous evening. “While in hospital, her condition deteriorated to the point where she became critically ill,” he said. Thompson said the woman was then transferred to Wellington Hospital, where she died today. Police said they were now speaking with occupants of the address to understand what occurred overnight. “Police…

A man in his 50s has drowned after getting into trouble in the water at Sandy Bay Beach, Wairarapa this afternoon. In a statement, a police spokesperson said emergency services were called to the beach near Mataikona in Masterton District, where a man was swimming with another person about 1.20pm today.”Sadly, he died at the scene and was unable to be revived,” the spokesperson said.Police said the man’s death would be referred to the coroner. Sandy Bay Beach is about an hours’ drive northeast of Masteron, and just over 9km north of the popular tourist location and lighthouse at Castlepoint.

From above, Lake Rototoa’s waters look blue and inviting – but it’s what’s below the surface of the Auckland lake that’s causing concern.Native freshwater mussels, or kākahi, are essential to maintaining lakes’ health. The kākahi help filter water, oxygenate sediment, and create habitats for other native species.But a recent survey carried out by Aotearoa Lakes divers have revealed the population is in a sharp decline.”A large portion of the mussels are dead,” Auckland Council’s freshwater biosecurity advisor Belinda Studholme told 1News. “Like 80% of the mussels have died.”Of the 2238 mussels counted, an alarming 1894 were found dead. There was…

Police say they are disappointed by “bad decision making” behind the wheel during this holiday period, in which nine people have been killed so far. Officers have also attended many other serious injury crashes on the roads during this time.Director of Road Policing Superintendent Steve Greally said the high holiday road toll figure was “incredibly frustrating”. “Over the Christmas period last year, 21 lives were tragically lost in road crashes, and sadly as of December 29 this year we have lost nine people on our roads this holiday period,” he said. Greally said there was “no excuse for any driver…