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It's not too late to grab these sensational plants for your green-fingered, houseplant-loving Valentine. Here's a quick guide to the hottest indoor plants for that special person in your life.
Happy Valentines Day from the team at NZ Compare!
Take the time today to enjoy the love that surrounds you. Pass it onto your friends, family, pets, maybe even a neighbour! Brighten someone's day.
Don't forget to show yourself some love too!
We all love a cheeky grin and a wave from our local grocer, or a toot from the delivery driver, or a coffee order that’s ready before we arrive. And especially over the last year, it’s been the small businesses in our communities that have almost made things seem ‘normal’.
… View moreWe all love a cheeky grin and a wave from our local grocer, or a toot from the delivery driver, or a coffee order that’s ready before we arrive. And especially over the last year, it’s been the small businesses in our communities that have almost made things seem ‘normal’.
Give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
Hi ,has anyone got any candles they don’t want or need , doesn’t matter what condition they are in my husband makes fire starters and it keeps him busy if so please ring Chris or Graeme on 033127700 ,cheers
Bring 2 cans of food into your local Resene ColorShop and swap them for 1 Resene testpot (60-80ml).
Resene will then donate all the food brought in to The Salvation Army local foodbanks.
By adding a little more colour to your life you can also help those in need. When you bring in 2 cans of … View moreBring 2 cans of food into your local Resene ColorShop and swap them for 1 Resene testpot (60-80ml).
Resene will then donate all the food brought in to The Salvation Army local foodbanks.
By adding a little more colour to your life you can also help those in need. When you bring in 2 cans of food you'll save on your testpot purchase (save up to $5.90 on an 80ml testpot) while also helping provide disadvantaged Kiwis with food parcels when they need them most.
So start gathering up those cans and bring them into your local Resene owned ColorShop.
We have just felled a Cork Elm tree over 100 years old. The trunk can be milled for timber. The trash can be cut for chip, and some firewood.
Any interest in this? We are happy to get a portable saw mill in if needed.
Less is best – plastic that is. So what better way to help the environment than to create your own fun, reusable calico shopping bag? Paint your own with Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own.
Swan plants for sale. From .350 to .500 mm in height, only $5 each.
Pickup is in Rangiora. phone 03 745 91 48
We’ve all spent a lot of time at home last year, so many of us are in the same boat when it comes to our high power bills! GULP!
More Kiwis are now working from home, if that's you then it's time to check if you’re on the right power plan. SWITCH, SAVE and SMILE this Summer!
… View moreWe’ve all spent a lot of time at home last year, so many of us are in the same boat when it comes to our high power bills! GULP!
More Kiwis are now working from home, if that's you then it's time to check if you’re on the right power plan. SWITCH, SAVE and SMILE this Summer!
Compare with our help and find the right power plan for your household! It’s easy as!
Visit Power Compare to get yourself a better deal. Our service is free, we’re Kiwis helping Kiwis compare what’s out there across Power, Broadband and Money.
Shame to compost it .Anyone want some ? Make Mint Sauce or Mint Jelly ?
PM me if interested. Cheers
From reporter Amber Allott:
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The hard yards are almost over for clean-up crews after a North Canterbury factory fire caused thousands of litres of oil to gush into local waterways.
But it’s bad news for oil-soaked wildlife, with only four of 20 rescued ducks surviving, and … View moreFrom reporter Amber Allott:
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The hard yards are almost over for clean-up crews after a North Canterbury factory fire caused thousands of litres of oil to gush into local waterways.
But it’s bad news for oil-soaked wildlife, with only four of 20 rescued ducks surviving, and locals wanting to go for a summer paddle are still urged to be cautious.
Australasia’s largest drill bit manufacturer, Sutton Tool NZ, suffered catastrophic damage to its Kaiapoi manufacturing facility after fire engulfed the building in the early hours of January 30, leading to the evacuation of about 40 homes because of the risk of toxic fumes.
Thousands of litres of quenching fluid – an oil used for rapidly cooling steel – also caused an environmental headache in the fire's aftermath, after it entered the nearby Cam River, which feeds first into the Kaiapoi River, then the Waimakariri.
After more than a week working at the site, regional council Environment Canterbury (ECan) is now wrapping up its clean-up operation.
On-scene commander Emma Parr said workers had removed nearly 3000 litres of oil from the waterways, using a mix of absorbent booms and sucker trucks.
A small amount of oil remains in the affected rivers, she said, and would be noticeable in the Cam River, and the Kaiapoi River upstream from the Williams St bridge, for the next few weeks.
“The oil clings to the vegetation and muddy banks and oil can remobilise with tidal changes, showing as a sheen on the surface of the water.
“Although the past few days of monitoring assessments have been positive, we continue to ask people to stay away from oiled areas, for the safety of you and your pets.”
Two riverside spots would need further remediation work after the spill, Parr said, and the team would take a stone-by-stone approach.
“Work to scrape and replace oiled stones and debris is needed at the Kaiapoi River rowing club boat ramp and the public boat ramp by the swing bridge. This work will be completed this week.”
But it was bad news for oil-soaked ducks which had been rescued and sent to recuperate, Parr said.
“Sadly, only four New Zealand scaup have survived out of the 20 that were captured and taken to the South Island Wildlife Hospital. The remaining four are doing well.”
The surviving ducks will need intensive care in the coming weeks to wash and waterproof their feathers.
A condition called wet feather can occur when a duck’s feathers become waterlogged, due to contamination with oil, detergents, lice or sooty black mould, causing them to lose their ability to repel water.
Parr said there had been no other sightings of oiled birds in the past few days, but anyone who spots one, or sees oil in local waterways, was asked to call ECan’s incident response team on 0800 765 588.
Locals can also use the Snap Send Solve App to provide specific details of the location.
From reporter Cate Broughton:
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Older and vulnerable people are being encouraged to “hunker down” in their homes during the peak of the Omicron virus, by some health experts – but others say this isn’t necessary.
New Zealand epidemiologist Professor Tony … View moreFrom reporter Cate Broughton:
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Older and vulnerable people are being encouraged to “hunker down” in their homes during the peak of the Omicron virus, by some health experts – but others say this isn’t necessary.
New Zealand epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely is based at Melbourne University and says he encouraged his nearly 80-year-old parents – who live in Rotorua – to stay at home when Omicron cases climb and the virus becomes endemic.
However, Cancer Society medical director Kate Gregory said there was not enough evidence to support giving this advice to cancer patients.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed there was community transmission of the Omicron variant in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Health on Monday reported confirmed Omicron cases in the Nelson-Tasman region, Auckland and Palmerston North.
Blakely said he talked to his parents about continuing their usual activities while using a N95 mask, but “hunkering down” when cases climbed.
“You probably do that for another 10 days until case numbers start to go up in Rotorua, and then you really hunker down. So that’s what we’ve talked about.”
Blakely said “the maths of an epidemic” meant up to half of the population was likely to get infected with Omicron.
“The trick is to make sure the people who get infected are the young ones. So you accept that. You accept there will be hospitalisations associated with that.
But to minimise the hospitalisations, the mortality and morbidity – a bit like trench warfare – you send over the young ones, and you hunker down the oldies and those with co-morbidities.”
Blakely said his parents, who are double vaccinated and have had their booster, had already decided to stay at home when cases climbed.
But he said it was hard to say how long this period should last.
New Zealand’s traffic light setting of red – the highest level of restrictions under the traffic light system –would help to slow the spread of Omicron, and protect essential services from being overwhelmed, but this would also mean the peak of the virus would last longer, Blakely said.
“Here’s the deep irony, the better New Zealanders are at flattening the curve, the longer the hunker down will be.”
Blakely acknowledged prolonged periods of isolation for the elderly and vulnerable could have significant mental health impacts.
In Australia, Omicron has taken a huge toll on the aged-care sector with hundreds of outbreaks in aged care homes. But some families have said the lockdowns were overly cautious and too hard on the elderly residents, most of whom were fully vaccinated.
Wellington GP and Royal New Zealand College of General Practice (RNZCGPs) medical director Bryan Betty said the Australian experience of Omicron showed it could peak for as long as four to six weeks.
Betty said most people – including fit older people – would experience a mild to moderate illness, if infected.
“However, the caveat on this is ... we know the biggest risk factor for a poorer outcome from Covid is age, the elderly population in particular are vulnerable to a poorer outcome with Covid.”
Betty said it would be good for older people to consider staying home, with some support from friends and family, “as the case numbers rise” in the community.
Cancer Society medical director Kate Gregory said there was not enough evidence to date to support advising patients to stay home, but this could change “if we see much higher numbers”.
“If, in a week’s time we are seeing thousands and thousands of cases we may be advising people differently. I think the reassuring thing we’ve seen is that Omicron doesn’t seem to cause such severe disease and we know the vaccine provides very good protection.”
Gregory said for cancer patients the best defence is to be vaccinated and for the people in their households to be vaccinated.”
She said in her experience a “vast majority” of cancer patients had received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, many with a third primary dose.
“It’s a frightening time, and especially for those who are more vulnerable.
"I think as long as people have the vaccine, wear the mask, do the hand-washing and get tested promptly, I think that’s probably fine. At the moment, that’s the advice we’re giving our patients.”
Our February Seniors newsletter is out now. In this issue we announce our Age friendly fund successful recipients, shine a light on the those nominated for the New Years Honours for Services to Seniors and much more. Check it out here: mailchi.mp...
Kia ora Aotearoa. Stuff has just finished their annual Summer Snaps competition and we’re thrilled to announce that you'll be the judge of the People and Communities photograph category.
The entries in this category have been shortlisted and we now have five brilliantly captured … View moreKia ora Aotearoa. Stuff has just finished their annual Summer Snaps competition and we’re thrilled to announce that you'll be the judge of the People and Communities photograph category.
The entries in this category have been shortlisted and we now have five brilliantly captured photographs to battle it out. There's a camera up for grabs for our talented photographers, and it's up to you to choose who takes the crown...and the Canon EOS!
Cast your vote in the poll below before 12pm, 11 February.
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