Manly Hallooween Tears
Stuff rates Manly as the top place for Family Friendly Halloween Fun...
My son and I are new to this area, 1 year now. We love the area and people are lovely. In fact havn't met any rude people so far... until now.
We have had 4 fun and safe past Halloweens, enjoying dressing up, silly scary fun, friends and family time in our previous area. (west auckland)
We were both surprised by the number of people that attend Manly but maybe that's normal. That's ok, we are patient and respectful. I know I have taught my son well. We lined up and waited at each house. Very thankful for the treat and making our way along the VERY busy even chaotic street.
6 houses in, my son was scolded and pushed aside by another Mother telling him hes pushed in from the side. He ran to me crying. It took me a moment to get out of him what happened... I admit I left him to deal with that line alone as hes 11 and I'm trying to get him a little more independent and confident. He had waited from out on the road to the front of the house and was almost there.
I felt angry, but mostly upset and sad for him. I know he may have jostled like all kids do in a line but no way had he pushed in from the side. I settled him into the start of the line as the supervising parent not letting him go free range grabbing at what he wants.
I had to stand up for him and had a polite and quiet word pointing out he did not deserve to be spoken to like that and all the children should be able to have a turn (not just her precious little angels who never do anything wrong!)-not said
Anyway after getting the same aggressive response I obviously left it. No point but I had to show my son you can stand up for yourself with assertiveness.
Have I just ran into the wrong person or is this what neighbors do to each other and their children and that getting mine is more important than sharing out to all.
I'm just so disappointed. I needed to rant a bit.
Animal Abuser
🚨 URGENT WARNING TO ALL LOST & FOUND / PET REHOMING PAGES 🚨 and people rehoming pets or reporting lost animals.
It has come to our attention that a long-term, repeat animal abuser is still actively obtaining animals through Facebook groups.
The type of animal does not matter — birds, livestock, dogs, small pets — anything he can access.
He monitors rehoming pages. He approaches people offering “help.” He presents as reasonable. He will say the right things.
Do not give this person any animals under any circumstances.
If you are an admin of a lost & found page, a community group, or a pet rehoming group:
• Please stay vigilant
• Check profiles carefully
• Share this warning across your networks
Animals have already paid the price for people not knowing.
If you are unsure about someone requesting an animal, ask rescue groups to help.
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.
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