Saddle Hill Community, Dunedin

Have you got your tickets yet?

Have you got your tickets yet?

For just $15, you could win a fully furnished home in Clarks Beach, Auckland worth over $1 million. Buy your tickets today!

508 days ago

Dining table makeover

The Team from Resene ColorShop Dunedin

Is your dining table tasteless and dull?

Apply high gloss Resene Black for an instant injection of tabletop glam.

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515 days ago

The most beautiful spot in every region of NZ

Lorna Thornber Reporter from Stuff Travel

Hi there,
We're on the lookout for the most beautiful spots in New Zealand, and would love to hear your favourites.
While it will be impossible to include all of them in one article, we'd appreciate your help in narrowing it down. What do you think are most beautiful places in … View more
Hi there,
We're on the lookout for the most beautiful spots in New Zealand, and would love to hear your favourites.
While it will be impossible to include all of them in one article, we'd appreciate your help in narrowing it down. What do you think are most beautiful places in NZ's regions? Do you have a favourite spot in the Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury, Southland or elsewhere?
Feel free to comment below, send me a message or email me at lorna.thornber@stuff.co.nz. Please include 'NFP' in your comment if you do not want it or your name included in an article. Thanks in advance for taking the time to share.

512 days ago

Poll: Is the letterbox obsolete?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

With online being the main mode of communication these days, it's no wonder that there has been a worldwide mail decline and here in Aotearoa, NZ Post has needed to lay off 750 full-time staff. Do you think it's time to say goodbye to the trusty letterbox?

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Is the letterbox obsolete?
  • 5.3% Yes, it can go!
    5.3% Complete
  • 34.1% Not just yet, I still use it
    34.1% Complete
  • 60.6% Never, there'll always be a need for it
    60.6% Complete
3118 votes
510 days ago

This week at the Red Cross Shop

The Team from Red Cross Shop Dunedin

We have lots of vintage toys, winter warmies and around 100 clothing items on our $1 rack. It’s choc-a-block. Also bring your standard sized supermarket bag to fill a bag of $1 kids clothing for $4.

511 days ago

Could you spot the signs of a heart attack?

Heart Foundation NZ

Heart attack is a leading cause of death in New Zealand.
Learn to recognise the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack, so you know what to do if you see or experience them. Don’t try to walk it off, wash it off or push through it. Make the right call, it may save your life.

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K
520 days ago

Update 2 -Help our daughter get life saving surgery in Germany

Kelly from Green Island - Abbotsford

Hi everyone,
Another update on my prior posts.
Some lovely people from Harcourts are helping to fundraise for Olivia's trip to Germany which is coming around fast! They are collecting donations of products or services from kind individuals or company's for an online Facebook auction … View more
Hi everyone,
Another update on my prior posts.
Some lovely people from Harcourts are helping to fundraise for Olivia's trip to Germany which is coming around fast! They are collecting donations of products or services from kind individuals or company's for an online Facebook auction and quiz night. See flyer attached.
Thanks very much for your support.
Kelly


An update,
Thanks for all the love and support. Olivia will be heading to Germany for tests/treatment at the end of September.
She was interviewed by the odt who ran her story yesterday, see link

www.odt.co.nz...

We would love to see change so that others can access the care and treatment they need.

Thanks again💕


Hi, My family of 4 (husband, 2 teenage girls and myself) have lived in Abbotsford for 20 years. Our eldest daughter, Olivia (16yrs) has had a 7 year battle with multiple chronic illnesses that have compounded and deteriorated to the point that she is now no longer able to eat or drink without extreme pain and vomiting. She is now reliant on a nasal tube for nutrition and hydration.

After 7 years of numerous tests, she finally has a diagnosis which is amazing! She has been diagnosed with at least 4 Abdominal Vascular Compression Syndromes (AVCS) that are most likely caused by a connective tissue disorder. She is hyper mobile and is awaiting a Hyper Mobile Elhers Danlos diagnosis.

The good news is that treatment for multiple AVCS is available but NOT in NZ as we do not have a surgeon with sufficient experience, as the condition is rare, especially combined with potential hyper mobility which makes surgery more complex. Olivia's doctor has referred her to the world leading surgeon in Germany for this life saving surgery.

At this stage we have been unable to get financial assistance from Te Whatu Ora, so we are faced with the mammoth task of raising $140,000 to cover the cost of surgery, travel, accommodation and associated costs. We ask that if you are able to, please consider donating to Olivia's give-a-little page (see link) or to share this post and link to the page with as many people as possible. All donations will be gratefully received, no donations are too small.

Without the surgery Olivia's quality of life will continue to deteriorate and she will eventually die.

Thank you so much for your support.

Kelly Adie

givealittle.co.nz...

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515 days ago

Colour your summer

The Team from Resene ColorShop Dunedin

Get creative with colour with these art projects using Resene paints.

Find out how to get creative with these easy ideas.

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519 days ago

Poll: Should we pay people for giving blood?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Blood Service says it needs 40,000​ new donors in the next 12 months to ensure it can meet demand of those needing plasma and blood. Suggestions have been made to pay people for donating, however there are concerns about the dangers of that. Do you think we should pay people for these … View moreThe Blood Service says it needs 40,000​ new donors in the next 12 months to ensure it can meet demand of those needing plasma and blood. Suggestions have been made to pay people for donating, however there are concerns about the dangers of that. Do you think we should pay people for these donations?

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Should we pay people for giving blood?
  • 31.8% Yes, it makes sense
    31.8% Complete
  • 50.7% No, that's too risky
    50.7% Complete
  • 17.6% I'd need more information
    17.6% Complete
2141 votes
520 days ago

Spark a little hope this Christmas

Christmas Box

Meeting an ever increasing need in our communities, Christmas Box provides more than just food, it brings a reminder that people care. By alleviating some of the pressure families feel, especially in the time of inflation and cost-of-living, a Christmas Box sparks hope that goes beyond Christmas.
View more
Meeting an ever increasing need in our communities, Christmas Box provides more than just food, it brings a reminder that people care. By alleviating some of the pressure families feel, especially in the time of inflation and cost-of-living, a Christmas Box sparks hope that goes beyond Christmas.

Don’t wait for December, it’s time to start thinking about how you can help today!

For just $40 a box, you can give the gift of hope and 100% of your donation will go to families who are doing it tough this year. Your generosity makes a difference.
Find out more

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520 days ago

Learn These Power Terms and SAVE MONEY!

The Team from NZ Compare

Have you ever tried to look for a new power plan to end up stuck, super confused by all the specific lingo that’s used? Things like kWh, standard vs. low users, or free hours of power? Don’t get us started on controlled and anytime meters!

If you’re unsure of some of these terms, it … View more
Have you ever tried to look for a new power plan to end up stuck, super confused by all the specific lingo that’s used? Things like kWh, standard vs. low users, or free hours of power? Don’t get us started on controlled and anytime meters!

If you’re unsure of some of these terms, it really won’t help you feel confident in comparing different plans. We don’t want to see our Neighbours get tripped up and stuck with a big bill this chilly season!

So to help you, we’ve put together a list of all the power terminology that you need to know!
Learn the terms

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522 days ago

Shiny and new

The Team from Resene ColorShop Dunedin

Combine paint and a vinyl adhesive to great effect.

Find out how with these easy step by step instructions.

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523 days ago

Queenstown on fast-tracked building boom to create rooms for visitors and workers

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

Read reporter Debbie Jamieson's full story

Two large-scale Queenstown accommodation developments have been accepted for fast-tracking as developers eye tourism opportunities.

One is a six-storey hotel with up to 185 rooms, on the Man St car park in central Queenstown.

The other is a … View more
Read reporter Debbie Jamieson's full story

Two large-scale Queenstown accommodation developments have been accepted for fast-tracking as developers eye tourism opportunities.

One is a six-storey hotel with up to 185 rooms, on the Man St car park in central Queenstown.

The other is a proposal to provide 400 to 600 residential units for temporary worker accommodation in Frankton.

Plans for both are yet to be lodged with the Environment Protection Authority and considered by an expert consenting panel.

The proposals show an ongoing enthusiasm by Queenstown developers to use the fast-track consenting process established during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The legislation blocked the public from the resource consent process in order to fast track projects that created jobs and stimulated the economy.

here (subscription required).

523 days ago

The last meal for Anna Hill: 'This has ruined my life'

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Dunedin News

By reporter Hamish McNeilly:

Anna Hill remembers her last meal.

It was a salmon benedict at a Dunedin café, back in October 2021.

She hasn’t eaten a proper meal since, but can barely drink water.

‘’I can’t even move without regurgitating. Animals get put down for less.’’

View more
By reporter Hamish McNeilly:

Anna Hill remembers her last meal.

It was a salmon benedict at a Dunedin café, back in October 2021.

She hasn’t eaten a proper meal since, but can barely drink water.

‘’I can’t even move without regurgitating. Animals get put down for less.’’

When Hill was pregnant with her youngest, she started experienced chest pains whenever she ate or drank anything,

‘’It’s just horrendously painful when I was eating.’’

But it got worse, much worse.

Fifteen minutes after giving birth to her youngest, she deteriorated and could no longer swallow and was ‘nil by mouth’.

With food and drink struggling to go down, she would often vomit, requiring an ever-present bucket to be by her side.

‘’I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t work,’’ the former hospital nurse said.

‘’I want to go back to my old job, but I can’t even swallow my own saliva.’’

The 38-year-old mother-of-four has no energy to take her youngest child to the park, for a walk, or even hold her for any extended period.

Hill has to constantly pounding her chest to alleviate the pain.

’’I have no quality of life, this has ruined my life.’’

After the birth of her daughter 19-months ago, she found the pain persisted coupled with an inability to sleep.

After the birth of her daughter the pain persisted, but was compounded by her inability to sleep.

Constantly dehydrated and unable to breastfeed her baby daughter, she again sought a diagnosis from her doctor, who she had visited dozens of times over the issue.

Visits to specialists confirmed she had a rare disease, with the majority of muscles in her oesophagus, which connects the throat to the stomach, effectively dead.

While Hill no longer felt hungry, she often felt thirsty, but the pain of trying to drink made that a difficult task as ‘’my throat just shuts’’.

While her specialists were talking about the possibility of surgery, they had parked that plan in favour of a temporary feeding tube, which she would receive next week.

But Hill wanted an operation to restore her oesophagus, and started to look overseas for options.

’’I can’t afford to wait.’’

She found a surgeon in Delhi, India who could treat her by making a new oesophagus out of her stomach, followed by three weeks’ recuperation.

That would hopefully lead to Hill being able to eat and drink like normal, and she is unequivocal about what she would like.

‘’If I could have anything I would have a cup of coffee.’’

But unable to get a loan because she was unemployed, a friend of Hill’s created a Givealittle page, which had raised just under $4000 of the $25,000 goal.

’’I’ve lost everything. Literally I’ve lost everything. All my savings has been spent on medications and doctor’s visits.

‘’I’ve lost my career . . . I’ve lost everything.’’

Her three older children, who lost their father in a motor vehicle crash on Christmas Day in 2021, were worried they were about to lose their mother.

‘’It has been a real s... time.’’

‘’Imagine not getting up in the morning and not having a sip of coffee or tea, or anything, that is like me every day.’’

‘’I’ve spent two Christmases unable to eat or drink, and I am just over it.’’

Homebound, she had lost 38kgs and was now just over 50kg, with little energy left for basic tasks.

Unable to eat or drink she had lost some 38 kilograms, and was now down to just over 50kg.

‘’I just sit here and dribble into a towel, or a bucket,’’ Hill says as she pounds her chest.

526 days ago

Poll: Is 30kph the new 50kph?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The government's Road to Zero project seeks to set speed limits at 30kph in suburban streets across New Zealand. Do you think this is a good idea?

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Is 30kph the new 50kph?
  • 20.8% Yes
    20.8% Complete
  • 76.6% No
    76.6% Complete
  • 2.6% I don't know
    2.6% Complete
5192 votes
523 days ago

NZ ski town face-off: And the winner is...

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

Stuff has been on the hunt for New Zealand’s best ski town and, after a week of pitting some of the country’s best-loved spots against each other, the results are in: Wānaka is our favourite by far.

Of the seven shortlisted towns announced on Monday, Queenstown’s quieter little sister … View more
Stuff has been on the hunt for New Zealand’s best ski town and, after a week of pitting some of the country’s best-loved spots against each other, the results are in: Wānaka is our favourite by far.

Of the seven shortlisted towns announced on Monday, Queenstown’s quieter little sister secured 31% of reader votes, putting it well ahead of second placeholders Methven, at the base of Mt Hutt, and carrot capital Ohakune, each of which landed 18% of votes.

The photogenic old gold rush town of Arrowtown came third with 13% of votes, while fourth place was shared by Mackenzie alpine village Lake Ohau and Canterbury hot pool haven Hanmer Springs, which each claimed 9% of votes.

Just 2% of readers voted for Tūrangi in the Ruapehu region.

Queenstown, Albert Town, Saint Arnaud, Raetihi, National Park Village, Springfield and Tekapo were all eliminated in the semi-finals.

About an hour’s drive from Queenstown Airport via the super-scenic Crown Range Road or 90 minutes via the easier-going Kawarau Gorge, Wānaka is within easy driving distance of four ski fields.

With its mountain-hugged, glacier-carved lake, the Central Otago town has all the visual appeal of nearby Queenstown with smaller crowds. It’s far from a sleepy hollow, however, with adventure activities galore, and plenty of top spots to eat and drink.

NZ ski town face-off winners
Wānaka
Methven and Ohakune
Arrowtown
Lake Ohau and Hanmer Springs
Tūrangi

Is Wānaka New Zealand’s best ski town? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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