1581 days ago

MOTAT Christmas Lights 10th anniversary spectacle cancelled

Ripu Bhatia Reporter from Auckland Stuff

A popular Christmas light show has been cancelled due to public safety concerns and the uncertainty of Covid-19 restrictions.

Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) announced on Wednesday that the 10th anniversary celebration of Christmas Lights will not go ahead this year.

MOTAT spokeswoman Sally Manuireva said the decision to cancel the event was a difficult one, as it is the museum’s largest event of the year.

The Auckland event was attended by over 60,000 visitors over 12 nights last year.

“While I know this may be disappointing news for many families who were looking forward to this event, keeping our visitors safe is our top priority,” Manuireva said.

“We’ve decided to make this call now to give our suppliers transparency and allow our team to focus on our summer programming.”

This marks the first occasion where MOTAT’s Christmas Lights has been canned.

MOTAT will still light up its heritage Pumphouse building and erect a 20ft Christmas tree which will be visible from Great North Road.

The Museum will release ‘12 Days of Christmas’, which consists of free online crafts and activities which can be accessed on the online education platform MOTAT.FUN.

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More messages from your neighbours
20 days ago

Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

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.

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1 day ago

Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!

William Hansby Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

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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6 days ago

Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑

Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.

We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?

Want to read more? The Press has you covered!

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🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
  • 52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
    52.7% Complete
  • 14.8% Critical thinking
    14.8% Complete
  • 29.8% Resilience and adaptability
    29.8% Complete
  • 2.7% Other - I will share below!
    2.7% Complete
583 votes