Maungaraki, Lower Hutt

Got a question for your neighbours?

Got a question for your neighbours?

Post here and let them help!

2192 days ago

Do you have an award-winning room?

House and Garden Interior

Entries for Interior of the Year 2019 awards are open now. We're on the hunt for New Zealand's most beautiful rooms.

The supreme winner will win an $8,000 luxury escape at Matakauri Lodge and all category winners will receive $1,000 and will be featured in NZ House & Garden.

View more
Entries for Interior of the Year 2019 awards are open now. We're on the hunt for New Zealand's most beautiful rooms.

The supreme winner will win an $8,000 luxury escape at Matakauri Lodge and all category winners will receive $1,000 and will be featured in NZ House & Garden.

Categories include:
- Kitchen
- Living Room
- Bathroom
- Bedroom
- Indoor/Outdoor flow
- Out of the Ordinary

These prestigious awards can be entered by homeowners, interior designers or architects.
Find out more!

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2193 days ago

Calling all enthusiastic Hutt residents!

Kate from Volunteer Hutt

We urgently need assistance for a variety of tasks this Saturday for a Drug Awareness event in Stokes Valley. Anyone is welcome; if you are keen to know more or help out we would love to hear from you!

You can phone us on 04 566 6786 or call the organiser Kylee directly on 0288 500 2297 - REF 6357

2193 days ago

Poll: Should babies be allowed in cafes and restaurants?

Georgia Reporter from Stuff

While Jill Murphy was sitting at a cafe down with her partner and two-year-old daughter, a woman at the next table sighed loudly and said in a dismayed tone: "People want to go out and enjoy their food, you know. They don't want to have to put up with children."

She wrote in her … View more
While Jill Murphy was sitting at a cafe down with her partner and two-year-old daughter, a woman at the next table sighed loudly and said in a dismayed tone: "People want to go out and enjoy their food, you know. They don't want to have to put up with children."

She wrote in her opinion piece that she felt guilty for ruining everyone's lunch. To read more about her experience, click here.

So we want to know your views on young children in cafes and restaurants. Take part in our poll below! If you've got a view on this topic, share it with us in Stuff Nation.

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Should babies be allowed in cafes and restaurants?
  • 63.6% Yes
    63.6% Complete
  • 15% No
    15% Complete
  • 21.4% I think cafes should be more child friendly
    21.4% Complete
3628 votes
C
2194 days ago

Feedback Inappropriate Post

Caryl from Waiwhetu

I’m Caryl, the person who posted “In-appropriate post” on Friday, 2 November. My post generated a lot of discussion with replies from 90 Neighbourly members regarding the “inappropriateness v. appropriateness” of members receiving an email addressed to them personally from the Mental … View moreI’m Caryl, the person who posted “In-appropriate post” on Friday, 2 November. My post generated a lot of discussion with replies from 90 Neighbourly members regarding the “inappropriateness v. appropriateness” of members receiving an email addressed to them personally from the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) via Zoe Hawke. I would now like to reply to all those who responded to my post (90 replies) on the communication I have had with Zoe Hawke’s Manager at the Mental Health Foundation regarding the email sent by Zoe to Neighbourly subscribers’ personal emails and addressed to them personally. Firstly, however, I would like to acknowledge Neighbourly Leader Cameron Taylor’s post on Monday, 5 November, which explained Neighbourly Admin’s point of view on this matter. The essence of his post was as follows:

“It was a generic message sent to a large number of members, and I can assure you that the Mental Health Foundation does not have access to your personal details”, and that, “receiving these messages is a condition of being a Neighbourly member …….”.

While I appreciated Cameron’s post on Monday it would have been helpful if Neighbourly Admin could have immediately issued a statement like this shortly after I had posted my message. This would have immediately answered the concerns that many people had about the email being sent to them via their personal emails and would have likely prevented the long discussion that continued over the weekend and on Monday.

On Monday, I contacted Zoe Hawke’s manager by telephone at the Mental Health Foundation and discussed the issues arising from members receiving her email via their personal emails. He said he would investigate the matter and get back to me which he did promptly. I would like to share with all Neighbourly members the comments I received from Zoe’s manager explaining MHF’s position on the matter. Direct quotes from his email to me are as follows:

“Neighbourly asked us to do a direct message to their subscription database who opt to receive emails from them. The message was to remind people about looking after each other and ourselves as we approach Christmas. We agreed and think it’s awesome that they want to actively support the wellbeing of their communities.”

“The email message came from Zoe as she is a parent and understands how stressful Christmas can be! We wanted the message to be engaging but it absolutely wasn’t our intention for the message to appear as a direct one-to-one email! Neighbourly sent the email out through their system which drops recipients’ first names into the email, so I can assure you we have not had access to any Neighbourly user data (including email addresses).” He went on to say:

“I haven’t personally spoken to Neighbourly about how the system worked but there are definitely lessons for us to learn from this. Aside from the issues you raised with me, we received thousands of email responses (I think due to the apparent individualized email template) which we have found very challenging to manage. We are pleased that the majority of responses have been really positive and grateful for the reminder, but it is not our intention to be an unwanted presence in anyone’s inbox and we will consider how to do this differently should we undertake something similar again.”

“Thank you again for your feedback”.

I very much appreciated receiving Zoe’s manager’s email and wanted to share it with other Neighbourly members so you too will have a better understanding of how and why the email was sent to your personal email addresses.

I’d like to thank everyone for contributing to this robust discussion. I definitely do not regret my original posting and feel we are all much more enlightened on a number of matters as a result.

Best wishes to you all for a Happy Christmas!!

2193 days ago

Feed a family for $30

LIFE Community

Over 135, 000 kiwi kids are living in households without basic food in the house. And 4 in 10 families that live in poverty are the working poor. This means many New Zealanders struggle to put food on the table at Christmas.

Since 2001, we have delivered almost 100,000 Christmas Boxes to … View more
Over 135, 000 kiwi kids are living in households without basic food in the house. And 4 in 10 families that live in poverty are the working poor. This means many New Zealanders struggle to put food on the table at Christmas.

Since 2001, we have delivered almost 100,000 Christmas Boxes to families in need throughout New Zealand. By giving $30, you can help us to bring over 15,000 boxes of food to kiwi families this Christmas. 100% of your donation goes directly to feed a family.
Donate here

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2193 days ago

The Warehouse and Variety provide Twice the Joy

The Warehouse New Zealand

This year, The Warehouse and Variety – the Children's Charity, have teamed up to bring the joy of Christmas to families who would otherwise go without. Every child deserves to be happy on Christmas day, but for many New Zealand families, stretching the budget to buy gifts and share a special… View moreThis year, The Warehouse and Variety – the Children's Charity, have teamed up to bring the joy of Christmas to families who would otherwise go without. Every child deserves to be happy on Christmas day, but for many New Zealand families, stretching the budget to buy gifts and share a special family meal is out of reach.

Instore you can purchase a $10 voucher, which will gift a toy from sponsors Hasbro or Mattel to the value of $25, or you can purchase a gift and leave in the donation boxes provided.

Head in-store to share the Christmas joy.
Shop now

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2194 days ago

There will be temporary bus closures on Courtenay Place this week.

Community Engagement Advisor from

Stop 5516 (Stop C) needs to be closed Thursday 8 November 9am-4pm and Stop 5000 (Stop A) will need to be closed Friday 9 November 9am-4pm for excavation works.

We apologise for any inconveniences.

To learn more and view the closure maps visit our website.

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2203 days ago

Are you hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry and Meghan?

Sarah Reporter from Stuff

Hey neighbours,

The royal tour is underway, and the Duke and Duchess will be covering quite a bit of ground across the country in the next few days.

Are you planning to line up and see Harry and Meghan? Perhaps you already spotted them during their first couple of outings in Wellington, or … View more
Hey neighbours,

The royal tour is underway, and the Duke and Duchess will be covering quite a bit of ground across the country in the next few days.

Are you planning to line up and see Harry and Meghan? Perhaps you already spotted them during their first couple of outings in Wellington, or even managed to have a chat?

To find out when and where you need to be to have the best chance of seeing Harry and Meghan, click here for our detailed tour breakdown.

For the latest on the royals' visit, click here.

Share your thoughts on the royal tour and your plans for meeting our special visitors in the replies below. (Please add "NFP/not for print" if you do not want your images/ comments used on Stuff)

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2194 days ago

Poll: Walking home from Wellington

Matt Tso Reporter from The Hutt News

Could you walk home from Wellington in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake?
www.stuff.co.nz...

Let us know in the comments below if you think it's practical.

*If you don't want your comments used in an article, just add NFP at the end of your post.

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Walking home from Wellington
  • 76.5% Yes
    76.5% Complete
  • 23.5% No
    23.5% Complete
17 votes
2194 days ago

A bite-sized approach to study!

Victoria University of Wellington

Pursue your passion, gain new skills or supplement your experience at Victoria University of Wellington without enrolling in a degree.

Enrolling in a single course offers you the opportunity to take advantage of our world-class teaching and cutting-edge research while flexibly and affordably … View more
Pursue your passion, gain new skills or supplement your experience at Victoria University of Wellington without enrolling in a degree.

Enrolling in a single course offers you the opportunity to take advantage of our world-class teaching and cutting-edge research while flexibly and affordably exploring your areas of interest.

Select courses from any of our faculties and accrue points that can be counted towards a degree at a later date. It’s an investment in your future that’s sure to pay dividends.
Find out more

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2202 days ago

Voices in the Wind - New Choir

Elizabeth from Tirohanga

Auditions for "Voices in the Wind" This exciting new choir will rehearse in Porirua so it is central to the Greater Wellington region (drawing singers from Kapiti, Wellington and the Hutt as well as Porirua). We aim to sing a variety of music. Our musical director is Eric Sidoti. For more… View moreAuditions for "Voices in the Wind" This exciting new choir will rehearse in Porirua so it is central to the Greater Wellington region (drawing singers from Kapiti, Wellington and the Hutt as well as Porirua). We aim to sing a variety of music. Our musical director is Eric Sidoti. For more information e-mail Linda lindavanmilligan@gmail.com

Auditions on 2 dates Weds 14 Nov 7:30-10pm and Sat 17th Nov 1-5pm
For the Audition: Come warmed up; Be prepared to sing scales; Have a prepared song to sing without accompaniment; Relax and enjoy

Annual Programme
: 3 main concerts, each of which would be presented at least twice
: One major classical work
; One cultural programme (i.e. NZ music, Hungarian music, Spanish music)
; One lighter variety programme (i.e. Broadway, vocal jazz, folk music, etc.)
Smaller and flexible engagements such as Town events, Choir festivals, Carol sings and Church services

www.signupgenius.com...

2206 days ago

Are you living in a sexless marriage?

Ann from Relationship Wellbeing Specialist

No-sex marriages used to be a way to control family size but now no sex often indicates issues in a relationship.
Once sex leaves the marriage, divorce soon follows for many. This is because coping with a sexless marriage is extremely painful.

The main reason for this is an overwhelming feeling … View more
No-sex marriages used to be a way to control family size but now no sex often indicates issues in a relationship.
Once sex leaves the marriage, divorce soon follows for many. This is because coping with a sexless marriage is extremely painful.

The main reason for this is an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction and a disconnect caused by a lack of intimacy.

Rather than saying, “That will never happen to us”, be proactive and take the steps to avoid finding yourself in a sexless marriage.

Doing so is really quite easy and will avoid unnecessary problems down the line.

All areas of a marriage require attention and it is up to you and your spouse to provide that attention.

youtu.be...

2195 days ago

Neighbours of NZ Road Trip

The Team from Neighbours Aotearoa

Hello again! Sam and Cissy here, your Neighbours Day Aotearoa coordinators. It's been an amazing couple of weeks, as we gear up for our Neighbours of New Zealand Road Trip. Thank you so much to everyone who dropped us a line, sent a message, or commented on facebook - we so appreciate it! We … View moreHello again! Sam and Cissy here, your Neighbours Day Aotearoa coordinators. It's been an amazing couple of weeks, as we gear up for our Neighbours of New Zealand Road Trip. Thank you so much to everyone who dropped us a line, sent a message, or commented on facebook - we so appreciate it! We were absolutely inundated with offers - and we're SO SORRY if we've missed anyone, or haven't gotten back to you - please get in touch again - email me - sam@neighboursday.org.nz.

Road Trip Itinerary - neighboursday.org.nz...

We're hitting the road in the lead up to our 10th celebration of Neighbours Day Aotearoa. As we drive across the country we’ll be running workshops and reaching out to meet people who are working to create great neighbourhoods across New Zealand. These interactive workshops are for anyone planning a Neighbours Day Event, or supporting other people.

Come along, share ideas, and get the support you need to put on a great Neighbours Day Aotearoa event!
Check out our Road Trip page for a list of our confirmed destinations and scheduled workshops, be sure to check back soon as we confirm further workshops. Also! Don't forget to follow us on Facebook to follow our facebook live updates as we hit the road!

Start your engines! www.youtube.com...

2195 days ago

Got an opinion on fireworks? Share it with us

Georgia Reporter from Stuff

Hi neighbours,

Is it time to ban the private sale of fireworks in favour of public displays only? Or is Guy Fawkes just a bit of flammable fun?

Would you like to see tighter restrictions on fireworks or are you a sparkler fiend who sees no problem with celebrating safely at home?

We want to know… View more
Hi neighbours,

Is it time to ban the private sale of fireworks in favour of public displays only? Or is Guy Fawkes just a bit of flammable fun?

Would you like to see tighter restrictions on fireworks or are you a sparkler fiend who sees no problem with celebrating safely at home?

We want to know your opinion on the debate. To share your views in Stuff Nation, click here.

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2195 days ago

Wellington Speedway fireworks spectacular

Wellington Speedway

Come along to a spectacular night of your favourite classes with action packed wall to wall action. To celebrate our 50th Anniversary season the night will be finished off with a spectacular fireworks sky-show!

When: Saturday 10th November
Where: 1039a State Highway 2, Upper Hutt

Please note… View more
Come along to a spectacular night of your favourite classes with action packed wall to wall action. To celebrate our 50th Anniversary season the night will be finished off with a spectacular fireworks sky-show!

When: Saturday 10th November
Where: 1039a State Highway 2, Upper Hutt

Please note arriving early is a must to get a good seat and a park close to the venue.

Ticket prices:
Student/Senior discounts and family concessions are available again this year.
Adult: $20.00
Child: 10-16 y/o: $10.00
Child Under 10: FREE
Students & Seniors (With ID or Gold Card): $15.00
Family (2 adults & up to 4 children): $50.00
Get your tickets here!

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