MEGA Issue #11 is now out! Making Eastbourne Great Again in 2026
MEGA JANUARY: EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE (MOSTLY AT ONCE)
MEGA kicks off 2026 the only way we know how: eyes open, eyebrows raised, and mildly amused by the state of things.
This issue tackles the shared pathway that somehow manages to be finished, unfinished, overdesigned, and confusing all at once. We ask the questions no one seems keen to answer — about safety, fences, colours, surfaces, bus stops, trees, timelines, costs, and why traffic management feels like interpretive dance.
It’s an election year, where calm suddenly feels radical. Luxon steadies, Hipkins recalibrates, Winston loiters with intent, ACT keeps rising, others quietly fade — while Trump supplies the global background noise New Zealand never ordered.
We shine a light on academic priorities, including the transformation of the C-word into a funded intellectual exercise — proof that public frustration can always be repackaged as research.
We take a sideways glance at charities, churches, and commercial empires, asking whether faith is a belief system or just another hobby with excellent tax settings.
Closer to home, we celebrate Eastbourne businesses doing things right — clever butchers, ice-cream-fuelled retail innovation, and new barbers bringing life back to empty shops.
We also call out media narratives that don’t quite match reality, especially when grey photos are published during weeks of sunshine, packed beaches, and traffic jams that say otherwise.
Plus: AI — in or out?
Our monthly cartoon.
Chef Gordon Ramswine’s summer recipe.
Add pigs, paperwork, lightning strikes, and overcomplicated signs — and a reminder that sometimes boring, local, and practical beats loud and chaotic.
Same village. Same humour.
New year.
Still asking the awkward questions.
Visit: www.mega.kiwi.nz...
#MEGAJanuary #AskTheAwkwardQuestions #DaysBayReality #LocalBeforeLoud
We're taking the bus!
The number of Wellingtonians taking the bus and train rose by 3% last week compared to the same time last year, according to Metlink.
Not surprising given petrol prices at the moment. But if you're considering giving up your car commute for a leisurely bus ride in the mornings, it would be worth it.
It's about to get even easier: In April, e-pay will be launched, meaning you can tap on with your credit cards as well as smart devices.
It's better on the environment too: With most Metlink trains running on electricity, 25% of the bus fleet being EV’s and the Ika Rere electric ferry, Metlink is able to move more people using less fuel than any other transport option.
With fuel costs so high, it's a good idea to jump on board if you can. If you've become a public transport convert recently, how have you found it?
Poll: Tightening the belt at the pump ... How are you pivoting? 🚌🚲🏠
Between the headlines about the Strait of Hormuz and the creeping costs at our local stations, the "fuel crisis" has moved from the news to our wallets.
A recent opinion piece in The Post suggested that Wellington Councils should be shifting our public facilities to renewable energy ASAP to keep our rates from being vulnerable to these global fuel hikes. It’s a big conversation for the city, but what about your daily commute?
We want to know: With fuel prices staying high for the foreseeable future, are you changing how you get around the capital?
-
19.6% Yes – I’m a bus/train user
-
5.8% Dusting off the bike
-
6.3% Working from home
-
61.4% Nope, same as always
-
6.9% Other (Tell us your strategy in the comments!)
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
-
76.6% Inside!
-
23.4% On top!
Loading…
