Banks Peninsula, Akaroa

Introduce your pet!

Introduce your pet!

Your neighbours might be getting feline visitors. Introduce your pet so we can say hello out and about!

869 days ago

Will everyone catch Covid in the current wave?

The Team Reporter from Stuff

For many it may well seem like Covid is closing in and infection is now seemingly unavoidable. Is this actually the case?

Keith Lynch investigates in his latest Stuff Explained column. You can read that here.

For more on the 'why' behind the news', sign up to receive … View more
For many it may well seem like Covid is closing in and infection is now seemingly unavoidable. Is this actually the case?

Keith Lynch investigates in his latest Stuff Explained column. You can read that here.

For more on the 'why' behind the news', sign up to receive 'Explained' straight to your inbox, here.

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870 days ago

Got a business that's made your day?

Prospa

It’s time to give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero awards – and they could be up for some fantastic prizes. 

As NZ’s business lending specialists, we at Prospa love seeing small businesses reach … View more
It’s time to give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero awards – and they could be up for some fantastic prizes. 

As NZ’s business lending specialists, we at Prospa love seeing small businesses reach their goals with a faster, easier approach to business loans. And we’re proud to be back sponsoring the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
Find out more

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870 days ago

Stuff Explained launches (free) newsletter

Stuff

Stuff Explained seeks to explain the 'why' behind the news, delivered straight to your inbox.

Curated by Stuff's Explainer Editor Keith Lynch, the fortnightly newsletter explains everything from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to the inner workings of the economy, to the forces … View more
Stuff Explained seeks to explain the 'why' behind the news, delivered straight to your inbox.

Curated by Stuff's Explainer Editor Keith Lynch, the fortnightly newsletter explains everything from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to the inner workings of the economy, to the forces that are shaping how New Zealanders live. It will feature original explainer reporting keeping you up to date with the biggest issues, along with the very best in Stuff Explained reporting you may have missed.

Sign up here (it's free!).
Sign up

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871 days ago

Win a 9 day Southern Dream tour for two.

Stuff

Enjoy a 9 day dream touring experience for two across the South Island and immerse yourself in incredible landscapes, heritage and culture.

Itinerary includes popular destinations such as Queenstown, Dunedin and Doubtful Sound. Terms and Competitions apply.
Find out more

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872 days ago

Easter Sunday Nature Hunt

Lincoln Envirotown Coordinator from Lincoln Envirotown

Join Us this Easter for a Nature Hunt in your own backyard.
The hunt takes place on Easter Sunday for anything that swims, flies, grows, crawls.

You will be using the iNaturalist NZ website so you need to get your mobile phone, install the iNaturalist NZ app and focus on nature (you also can … View more
Join Us this Easter for a Nature Hunt in your own backyard.
The hunt takes place on Easter Sunday for anything that swims, flies, grows, crawls.

You will be using the iNaturalist NZ website so you need to get your mobile phone, install the iNaturalist NZ app and focus on nature (you also can take part on laptop with internet access) .

Discover the nature that lives around and in your home, local reserve or further afield.

Get your mobile phone, install the iNaturalist app and focus on nature.

BioBlitz is a scientific race against time to count as many different species as you can in a 24-hour period. Throughout Easter Sunday you can become a Citizen Scientist, it's up to you whether you spend an hour or all day as a Nature Detective.

Challenge yourself to find creatures that only come out early in the morning or in the dark?

For all ages 1 to 100!

Instructions
You will be using the iNaturalist NZ website so you need to get your mobile phone, install the iNaturalist NZ app, and focus on nature (you also can take part on laptop with internet access) .

or
Digital camera (if you don't have a mobile phone) and computer with internet access to iNaturalist website.

Optional - pen and paper, homemade tracking tunnel, hand lens, binoculars.


How
Go to the iNaturalist website for full instructions on how to use the app.

Then join the iNaturalist Project 'Easter Sunday Nature Hunt 2022' .



Some of the things you might find include:
Mammals - Cats, hedgehogs, rats, possums (see how to make a tracking tunnel before Easter Sunday), Weeds, Worms, Bugs, Lizards, Moths, Listening and looking for birds - you can record and upload sounds on iNaturalist.




Lincoln Envirotown Sponsors
A big thank you to our wonderful sponsors!

We extend our sincere appreciation to all our sponsors Rata Foundation, Selwyn District Council, COGS, Lottery Community and Lincoln University.

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873 days ago

We're almost halfway there...

Wasp Wipeout

Hi neighbours,

We're right in the thick of this year's Wasp Wipeout and thanks to your generous donations, we've raised over $10,000 for the Tasman Environmental Trust.

There's still plenty of work still to be done. We want this year to be the best yet for our donation … View more
Hi neighbours,

We're right in the thick of this year's Wasp Wipeout and thanks to your generous donations, we've raised over $10,000 for the Tasman Environmental Trust.

There's still plenty of work still to be done. We want this year to be the best yet for our donation drive - so stand with our forests, stand with our native wildlife, stand with our volunteers and show your support.

Donate now and let's rid Aotearoa New Zealand of this destructive pest.
DONATE NOW

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882 days ago

Christchurch's leafy status under threat, urgent action needed to protect city's tree canopy

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From reporter Tina Law:
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New figures, released on Thursday by the Christchurch City Council, show 13.5 per cent of the city is covered by tree canopy, some 2 percentage points lower than in 2015-16, when it was 15.6 per cent.

However, the figures are based on data collected in … View more
From reporter Tina Law:
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New figures, released on Thursday by the Christchurch City Council, show 13.5 per cent of the city is covered by tree canopy, some 2 percentage points lower than in 2015-16, when it was 15.6 per cent.

However, the figures are based on data collected in 2018-19 and city councillor Yani Johanson suspects the actual tree loss now would be much greater, possibly double, given the number of trees that have been cut down to make way for housing intensification.

Auckland had a canopy coverage of 18.4 per cent between 2016 and 2018 and in Wellington the tree canopy covered about 30.6 per cent in 2019.

The lack of trees is most stark in some of Christchurch’s lowest socio-economic areas like Hornby and Linwood, sitting at 6.5 per cent and 8.9 per cent respectively. Banks Peninsula has not been included in the study.

Some of the city’s more affluent suburbs have the highest tree cover with Cashmere sitting at 21 per cent and Fendalton at 19 per cent. The Coastal ward, which stretches from Southshore to Brooklands, has 27 per cent coverage, but that includes Bottle Lake Forest. Continue reading here.

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878 days ago

Hundreds of kerbside bins in Christchurch getting missed for collection

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From reporter Steven Walton:
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Kerbside bins are being missed for collection in hundreds of Christchurch streets.

Throughout November, December, and January, 756 streets did not get their bins emptied on the designated day, according to the Christchurch City Council.

The worst of those … View more
From reporter Steven Walton:
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Kerbside bins are being missed for collection in hundreds of Christchurch streets.

Throughout November, December, and January, 756 streets did not get their bins emptied on the designated day, according to the Christchurch City Council.

The worst of those months was January, when 370 streets had their bins missed – an average of about 17 streets being missed each working day.

The council’s kerbside collection contractor, Waste Management, has a contractual target to miss less than an average of 1.5 streets per working day throughout a month. If a bin is missed, it is expected to be collected by the end of the next working day.

The council's resource recovery manager Ross Trotter said in a statement that the reason for the missed bins was “resourcing due to driver shortages”. He did not elaborate further.

Amalgamated Workers’ Union assistant secretary Lindsay Chappell said the pay for drivers was OK, but the issue was excessive hours.

Chappell said Waste Management was introducing new drivers to the industry, but they were not lasting because of the long hours. Continue reading here.

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878 days ago

Milk prices

Gordon from Halswell

The great milk rip off ?
Supermarkets are supposed to be the cheapest!!!! Yes?
Dairies used to be the most expensive.

Current prices from my local suppliers:
Dairy 2 x 2ltr $1.5 ltr
Home brand 2ltr $1.90 ltr,
Meadowfresh 3lt $2.45 ltr
View more
The great milk rip off ?
Supermarkets are supposed to be the cheapest!!!! Yes?
Dairies used to be the most expensive.

Current prices from my local suppliers:
Dairy 2 x 2ltr $1.5 ltr
Home brand 2ltr $1.90 ltr,
Meadowfresh 3lt $2.45 ltr
Meadowfresh 1ltr $2.95 ltr

"While there are significant price differences between premium brands and budget brands, the actual milk itself was largely the same", Prichard a farm owner said.
"There are micro differences. You will have to work very hard to identify them.
There was even very little difference in the taste of organic milk versus non-organic milk, he said.
"The term organic is very hard to nail down and almost impossible to tell when it comes to taste."
"So yes, in New Zealand all fresh milk effectively comes from the same place," the spokeswoman said.
Its aim with Countdown milk was to provide a "good everyday option" that was affordable, she said.
"The packaging is basic and costs are kept to a minimum, but it's absolutely as fresh and good quality as any other fresh milk on the market."

876 days ago

BE IN TO WIN with our End of Summer Sale

Mags4Gifts

Hi neighbours,

The summer holidays will be over soon, but you can still escape with a magazine.

Our Mags4Gifts End of Summer Sale is on now and you could be in to win 1 of 20 Hydration Heroes Gift Sets from Antipodes!

Simply purchase a subscription to the NZ House & Garden, … View more
Hi neighbours,

The summer holidays will be over soon, but you can still escape with a magazine.

Our Mags4Gifts End of Summer Sale is on now and you could be in to win 1 of 20 Hydration Heroes Gift Sets from Antipodes!

Simply purchase a subscription to the NZ House & Garden, New Zealand Gardener, or the TV Guide and you're in the draw.
ENTER NOW

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878 days ago

Addictive Eaters Anonymous

The Team from Addictive Eaters Anonymous - Christchurch

AEA has members who have recovered from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Many have been underweight, overweight or obese; others were people of average weight yet suffered with an obsession with food. Members may have used exercise and other substances to try and control their weight. Before … View moreAEA has members who have recovered from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Many have been underweight, overweight or obese; others were people of average weight yet suffered with an obsession with food. Members may have used exercise and other substances to try and control their weight. Before coming to AEA, members found that they were powerless over food, and unable to stop the food obsession, whatever its manifestations.

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878 days ago

Hey Neighbours! Has your KiwiSaver balance changed lately?

The Team from NZ Compare

Your KiwiSaver balance goes up and down depending on the stock market and economic conditions, like the pandemic!

You may have noticed your balance fluctuating a bit, for a lot of us it's been dropping. Not what we like to see!

Don't panic, learn why yours might have dropped thanks… View more
Your KiwiSaver balance goes up and down depending on the stock market and economic conditions, like the pandemic!

You may have noticed your balance fluctuating a bit, for a lot of us it's been dropping. Not what we like to see!

Don't panic, learn why yours might have dropped thanks to Money Compare and get some control back.

Money Compare is a quick and easy tool to help you Compare KiwiSaver plans, Insurance and Loans and Credit Cards. Like our other comparison brands it will help you find the best financial solution or provider in NZ to suit your needs and budget.

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J
888 days ago

Lost Pet.

Jane from Halswell

Missing from 44 Edward Stafford Ave Halswell. Sunny, 7yr old Burmese, microchipped, pls check, garages, sheds, house, only had him a week, got out by mistake. 0272596261.

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880 days ago

Learn new skills, unlock your future.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Want to grow your knowledge and skills to boost your career options?

We can help develop your skill set with one of our courses in Team Leadership, Administration & Technology, Money Management, Smart Steps to Buisness or Business Project Management.

Enrolments are now open with classes … View more
Want to grow your knowledge and skills to boost your career options?

We can help develop your skill set with one of our courses in Team Leadership, Administration & Technology, Money Management, Smart Steps to Buisness or Business Project Management.

Enrolments are now open with classes starting in March. Don’t miss out! Enrol today.
Find out more

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883 days ago

Pensioners turn to plant-based diets as food prices soar

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From reporter Jody O'Callaghan:
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Older Kiwis are going without meat and their usual staple foods and instead turning to plant-based alternatives as food prices soar in their highest annual increase in a decade.

Food prices have spiked to a 6 per cent increase … View more
From reporter Jody O'Callaghan:
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Older Kiwis are going without meat and their usual staple foods and instead turning to plant-based alternatives as food prices soar in their highest annual increase in a decade.

Food prices have spiked to a 6 per cent increase year-on-year, according to Stats NZ, with the largest monthly increase in five years of 2.7 per cent in January.

Canterbury’s foodbank supplier is unable to meet the full demand of agencies feeding those on the breadline, and community workers are concerned about the older population who are less likely to seek help.

Staple foods like dairy and meat have become out of reach for many, and older shoppers are being taught to branch out to new alternatives like legumes.

Karen Ogg teaches older Linwood residents how to shop, budget and cook. Her tips for them include:
- Shop seasonally
- Look for the cheaper brands on the bottom shelf
- Eat a more plant-based diet, using cheaper and healthier protein options like legumes, with plenty of meat-free meals
- Buy cheaper meat in bulk and separate into portions for the freezer
- Buy canned fruit when fresh prices are too high
- Add lentils and beans to a meal to stretch it into more portions
- Soups full of vegetables left in the fridge are a good healthy and filling option.

Do you have any tips for reducing your grocery bill? Read the full story by Jody here and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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