Rhonda Hira making a return to competitive softball
One of New Zealand's greatest ever players is returning to the softball diamond at 55.
Rhonda Hira will lace up her cleats and play in this weekend's Fastball 45 tournament in Christchurch, as a pick-up player for the Kaiapoi Queens.
Hira, who is studying to become a personal trainer, said she was "actually quite motivated'' to help the younger Kaiapoi players and, after training with her teammates, is confident she won't let them, or herself, down.
Hira played for Hutt Valley and at five world championships. She is not the only veteran on a softball roster.
Current White Sox assistant-coach Melisa Tupuivao (nee Upu), another Sydney Olympian, will mark her 46th birthday as player-coach of the Hutt Valley Kotuku Raiders at the central qualifying tournament on December 4-6.
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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41.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
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45.5% I still indulge at my local cafe
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12.7% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
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!
🧩😏 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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