Frontline heroes: Paramedics aren't standoffish, they're just distancing
Now that we are in lockdown spare a thought for all the essential workers like Mark Shakespeare, from Wellington Free Ambulance.
He still has to go to work and face difficult situations helping the sick and the injured. At the same time, he has to keep himself safe.
“We’re giving more room between ourselves and patients. We’ll turn up with PPE such as masks and gloves.We’ll also ask several questions and depending on the answers, we’ll wear extra PPE to keep them and us safe.”
While the number of emergencies requiring attention remains about the same, the nature of the call-outs changes during lockdown, he said. Paramedics are responding to a lot more calls from people experiencing anxiety and mental distress.
Have you got anyone in your family who is an essential worker?
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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56.5% I avoid spending money on coffee
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34.8% I still indulge at my local cafe
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8.7% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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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!
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