Manukau East Shopping Shuttle
MECOSS first began the Manukau East Shopping Shuttle in 2007, after identifying a need to help people who depended on family and friends or had to pay to get their shopping done.
“Many of these people were confined to their homes with few and limited choices for socialising,” says initiator Vasu Moses. “That was when I felt that if I could move and shake a few people something could be done to organise a weekly shopping trip for our seniors.
The Salvation Army jumped on board to offer free use of their van, Age Concern organised the passengers, and Botany Town Centre offered free hot drinks and a good shopping venue for people with limited mobility, and the service was born. From there the shuttle went from from strength to strength.
In 2021, MECOSS has its own van, a shopping-shuttle-coordinator and a hard working team of 25 volunteer drivers and companion shoppers.
The Manukau East Shopping Shuttle continues to be a wonderful community service helping those that otherwise might struggle to make it to a shopping centre on a regular basis while having a bit of fun in the process.
Anyone who wants to be part of the Manukau East Shopping Shuttle can contact Maureen on 0800 632 677.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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