Snow seekers' dreams of perfect powder day dashed by Covid-19 lockdown
The dreams of snow-seekers throughout the South Island have been snatched away by a lockdown that coincides with the season’s best powder day.
A storm early this week dumped up to half a metre of snow on southern ski areas and Wednesday was keenly anticipated to be the best day of the season with thick powder and brilliant sunshine.
Cardrona and Treble Cone manager Bridget Legnavskysaid everyone’s plans came to a halt overnight when it was announced New Zealand was entering an alert level 4 lockdown.
“We haven’t had great snow this season and all of a sudden it’s absolutely dumped enormous amounts of snow,” she said.
While ski area staff were disappointed, they were not caught off guard and were ready to close down if necessary.
Read more, including how the region's other major fields have responded to the snap lockdown, here.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!