Eastbourne, Lower Hutt

1407 days ago

Wellington has the fastest growing property values in NZ

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Wellington’s property values recorded the fastest growth out of the main centres in 2020, with prices rising as the capital’s housing stock plumbs the lowest level in decades.
Over the coming year, the average property price for Wellington would cross the $1 million mark, said Nicki … View more
Wellington’s property values recorded the fastest growth out of the main centres in 2020, with prices rising as the capital’s housing stock plumbs the lowest level in decades.
Over the coming year, the average property price for Wellington would cross the $1 million mark, said Nicki Cruickshank, a real estate agent with Tommy’s Wellington. “You can't really get a three-bedroom house in Wellington under $1m now, anyway.”
Porirua City experienced a 20.8 per cent annual growth in residential property values, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt cities both experienced 17.2 per cent growth, and Kāpiti Coast 18.3 per cent.

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1408 days ago

Is Whittaker's your dream job?

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

It’s every kid’s dream to work at a chocolate factory. Megan Sinclair, the new product development manager at Whittaker’s in Wellington, is living that dream – albeit without the chocolate rivers – designing flavours and roasting batches of beans in her little lab on the factory floor.
View more
It’s every kid’s dream to work at a chocolate factory. Megan Sinclair, the new product development manager at Whittaker’s in Wellington, is living that dream – albeit without the chocolate rivers – designing flavours and roasting batches of beans in her little lab on the factory floor.
Megan Sinclair, the new product development manager at Whittaker’s in Wellington, is living that dream – albeit without the chocolate rivers – designing flavours and roasting batches of beans in her little lab on the factory floor.
It’s called the micro-lab, and within its walls there are cupboards of flavours and scents, everything from cake batter to beetroot, a mini bean roaster, and a mixing machine called a melange.
In this, she can make 12 kilogram batches to test flavours, or 45kg batches in the one in the room next door; small quantities compared to the tonnes pumped out by the main factory on a daily basis.

1410 days ago

SPCA Pet of the Day: Meet Smokey

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Smokey is a rehomed cat who is loving his new life with his happy new owner.
“He is really relaxed now, loves purring and is extremely happy, although is still on guard with unfamiliar noises. Smokey started off being quite afraid of most things, but now is a well-behaved cat who is newly … View more
Smokey is a rehomed cat who is loving his new life with his happy new owner.
“He is really relaxed now, loves purring and is extremely happy, although is still on guard with unfamiliar noises. Smokey started off being quite afraid of most things, but now is a well-behaved cat who is newly learning to use his scratching post, rather than a carpet! Smokey loves routine and "helps" people by sitting in their laps when they are trying to work or type. He has become an integral part of a piano teaching studio and loves both music and all the students.”

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1408 days ago

Is it safe to swim?

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Summer is a great time to enjoy our coast and waterways, but it pays to check first to see if the water is safe to swim in.

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1408 days ago

The rare but impressive yellow pōhutukawa

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Thank-you to everybody who came forward with tips on yellow pōhutukawa. There are certainly more in the region than many people realise.

1408 days ago

Countdown for bin choice

Hutt City Council

Remember to check your latest rates bill, choose your bins and complete your selection before 31 January so you’re ready for the rubbish and recycling upgrade in July.

If you’ve lost your rates letter or the included bin form, you can visit us on Laings Rd or at your local library/community … View more
Remember to check your latest rates bill, choose your bins and complete your selection before 31 January so you’re ready for the rubbish and recycling upgrade in July.

If you’ve lost your rates letter or the included bin form, you can visit us on Laings Rd or at your local library/community hub, or call 04 570 6666.

We’re on the move to a sustainable future, with 524,00 plastic rubbish bags set to be saved from landfill each year under the upgrade.
Find out more

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1411 days ago

Pets of the Day: Jack and Lily

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

A bonus this week, Jack the cat and Lily the Maltese Sydney Silkie cross.

Jack belongs to Catrina Nicholson.
"Jack is seven years old and we have had him for under two months now. I put out a post asking if anyone was trying to find a home for a cat they could no longer take care of. So we… View more
A bonus this week, Jack the cat and Lily the Maltese Sydney Silkie cross.

Jack belongs to Catrina Nicholson.
"Jack is seven years old and we have had him for under two months now. I put out a post asking if anyone was trying to find a home for a cat they could no longer take care of. So we had two on the day we went to see them. And we went for this boy Jack, settled in so fast."

Lily belongs to John and Virginia Francis, from Paraparaumu.
"Our Lily is a Maltese Sydney Silkie cross. At 17 months she is fully grown at 3kg. Loves meeting children and other small dogs."

If you want your pet featured, email us on yourpet@dompost.co.nz with a recent photo.

1413 days ago

The cat that came back

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

For 18 months, Nikki Guthardt’s thought her cat was probably dead. She’d even mourned over what she thought was his body.
But then, the cat came back.
Romeo the cat was last seen running out Guthardt’s​ front door not long after her family shifted to Upper Hutt in June last year.
Month … View more
For 18 months, Nikki Guthardt’s thought her cat was probably dead. She’d even mourned over what she thought was his body.
But then, the cat came back.
Romeo the cat was last seen running out Guthardt’s​ front door not long after her family shifted to Upper Hutt in June last year.
Month after month she posted about Romeo, asking people to keep en eye out for him on community pages and lost pet registers.

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1414 days ago

No room in the Auckland inn for triplets

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

They are known around the traps at Wellington Hospital as the three wise men, but Christmas Day triplets Elia​, Rumi​, and Sameer​ Alqudah were only born in the capital because there was no room at the Auckland inn.
The three boys – Elia and Rumi are identical twins while Sameer, or Sam, is… View more
They are known around the traps at Wellington Hospital as the three wise men, but Christmas Day triplets Elia​, Rumi​, and Sameer​ Alqudah were only born in the capital because there was no room at the Auckland inn.
The three boys – Elia and Rumi are identical twins while Sameer, or Sam, is their non-identical triplet – were delivered by Caesarean section in Wellington Hospital in that order at 11.49am, 11.50am, and 11.53am on Friday.
Their mother, Dina Wahid,​ can't praise the staff at Wellington Hospital enough.

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1412 days ago

Friday Feathered Friend

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Happy New Year to everyone on Neighbourly. This week we feature Rosa Marie, who took her camera out on Christmas Day. You have got to love the picture of the pied stilt chick!

"Before the festivities began, it was a quick drive over the Pauahatanui Inlet to try and capture some Kingfishers on… View more
Happy New Year to everyone on Neighbourly. This week we feature Rosa Marie, who took her camera out on Christmas Day. You have got to love the picture of the pied stilt chick!

"Before the festivities began, it was a quick drive over the Pauahatanui Inlet to try and capture some Kingfishers on camera, but it turned out to be Pied Stilt kind of day as we couldn't see any Kingfishers. Most of these photos are taken from one of the hides! There were Pied Stilt chicks too so their parental concern was quite evident from lots of noisy flapping of wings at other birds when they got too close. They were quite grumpy with each other too!"

1413 days ago

Top ten things to do in the Hutt

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

How many of these have you done and what is your favourite?

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1413 days ago

Did you feel the shake this morning?

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

There was a short but quite intense earthquake this morning, centred near Upper Hutt. Did you feel it?

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1415 days ago

Lower Hutt's urban deer

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Deer are chomping their way through gardens in suburbs like Wainuiomata and Stokes Valley.
Have you seen one in your garden?

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1414 days ago

Way Back Wednesday

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Here is one for book lovers. Can anybody remember where this is?

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1414 days ago

Ruru falls from tree, rescuers move in

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

A baby morepork was rescued after falling from a tree in Eastbourne on Christmas Eve.
Lower Hutt Kereru Rescue Coordinator Hayden James said a jogger came upon the baby morepork, or ruru, on a ridgeline track behind Eastbourne, on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour, on Christmas Eve. The ruru, … View more
A baby morepork was rescued after falling from a tree in Eastbourne on Christmas Eve.
Lower Hutt Kereru Rescue Coordinator Hayden James said a jogger came upon the baby morepork, or ruru, on a ridgeline track behind Eastbourne, on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour, on Christmas Eve. The ruru, later named Hoodini, had been kicked out of its nest and fallen about 20m on to the ground.
The rescue centre was called in and cared for it.

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