Armchair travel to many countries
Virtual reality technology has allowed residents to see the world from their armchairs.
A group of residents in Bupa Hugh Green Care Home were amazed by an immersive experience recently, donning headsets for a virtual reality tour of Egypt, India, Italy and Croatia.
The virtual travel tour is in HD, 4K and is part of a technology trial for the care home. The care home activity team talking the residents through the accompanying narrative.
The technology is from SilVR, specialising in education using virtual reality through 360º photos, sound and videos. The headset can provide a vast library selection of locations and interests to choose from.
Residents were guided through Cairo’s Great Sphinx of Giza, the Hawa Mahal Jaiur in India, and the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
General Manager, Ian Dunthorne says the technology initiative has become popular worldwide with care homes due to lockdowns restricting travel.
“Our residents, with and without cognitive impairment, have found this to be an amazing journey. Reminiscing of their own past travel trips can trigger conversation during and after the VR as a shared experience or on their own.”
After the session, specialty cups of tea were shared from countries the residents had visited. This capped off their virtual reality travel trip from the comfort of their care home lounge.
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.
-
40.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
-
49% I still indulge at my local cafe
-
10.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
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!
Loading…
