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1342 days ago

First ship of the season arrives at Lyttelton's new cruise berth

Jake Kenny Reporter from Community News

Kiwi-only cruises will soon get the green light to set sail, as the first passenger vessel to get a Government exemption docks in New Zealand.

Christchurch-based Heritage Expeditions flagship Spirit of Enderby arrived at the Port of Lyttelton on Monday.

The arrival marked a trifecta of firsts: the first cruise ship of the summer to arrive in New Zealand, the first captained by New Zealand’s first and only female marine pilot, Joanne Laing, and the first vessel to dock at Lyttelton’s new $67 million cruise ship berth.

Lyttelton Port Company general manager Phil de Joux said he was not expecting the berth would be used by a cruise ship so soon.

“Obviously Covid’s had a huge impact on the cruise market, so we’re just stoked really."

The Spirit of Enderby sailed directly from Vladivostok in eastern Russia, and the crew had been in isolation for 43 days now.

“They had two weeks and two Covid tests moored offshore, then 29 days of sailing.”

The crew had another test at 9am on Monday, and remained confined to the ship for now.

The 50-passenger boat will sail to Invercargill to pick up its first passengers on November 24.

It will then head out on an expedition to Fiordland and Stewart Island.

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More messages from your neighbours
10 days ago

Latest scams to look out for 👀

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Neighbourly hopes to keep you safe by keeping you informed of the latest scams circulating. This week, we are sharing two common text message scams:

NZTA / Waka Kotahi scam:
- The scam is a text message saying it's from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and it encourages the recipient to pay an overdue road toll by visiting a fake website, threatening to take the matter to court within 15 days if they don’t pay up.
- The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
- While it is not the first time toll payments have been utilised by scammers, the threat of court action could see more people fall victim.
- The sender will either be a unknown phone number or unknown email address.
Want to report one of these scams? Do so, on Netsafe

NZ Post scam:
- This scam arrives by test message and says it's from NZ Post.
- The premise is that delivery of your parcel was unsuccessful so in order to rearrange delivery. you must click on a link to give your correct address.
- The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
- NZ Post advises people not to click the link, but to report the message to the Department of Internal Affairs by forwarding it to 7726.
Think you may have fallen prey to a scam? Get in touch with Netsafe or contact your bank if it involved your bank details.

Remember, if you didn't expect the message and you are now asked to share personal details or money, then stop contact and seek advice elsewhere.

Feel free to share any below that you've encountered recently. This may help others across the country be aware.

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1 day ago

Happy Rāmere neighbours! Here's a riddle to start your weekend off right.

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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12 hours ago

Cosy up with a fresh cup of coffee and a magazine

mags4gifts

Winter is well and truly here, and we’re helping you keep your cup full and your mind entertained. Simply purchase or gift a subscription via mags4gifts.co.nz before 31 July and you’ll automatically be placed in the draw to win 1 of 3 Delonghi Espresso Coffee Makers worth $229* each!

With over 50 titles to choose from, there’s something for everyone. *T&Cs apply
Find out more

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