Toxic Algae
Ongoing monitoring of toxic algae in the Waipoua River at Colombo Road has confirmed that toxic algae cover is currently low, meaning the warning that has been place since before Christmas has been removed.
There is still a lot of algae in the river at this site, but the composition has changed. Most of the algae is a species of diatom – slimy but harmless. The close-up below shows a rock that is mostly covered by the diatom species – it’s yellowy/green and bumpy in appearance. You can also see a couple of patches of Phormidium or toxic algae. In the other picture you can clearly see small patches of toxic algae (the dark brown/black patches) amongst large patches of diatom growth.
It’s safe to use the river, but please remain cautious if you are taking your dog down there and make sure they don’t eat anything suspicious (even a small amount of toxic algae can be lethal if they eat it).
On the western side of the region, there is a water quality warning in place for Porirua Harbour at the Rowing Club. The latest sample recorded high bacterial counts which means the site is currently unsafe for swimming. This may have been due to recent rain in the area – rainfall flushes contaminants from land into waterways and we advise you not to swim for at least two days after rainfall, even if a site generally has good water quality.
Don't forget to keep up-to-date with the latest water quality warnings by visiting our interactive water quality map at bit.ly...
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.9% Second half of November
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43.7% 1st December
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16.7% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
The Neighbourhood’s Brainiest: Can YOU Solve Today’s Riddle?
You see a boat filled with people.
It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat.
Why?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
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