CYCLISTS: KEEP OFF
The life-changing damage done to an elderly woman in the Nelson area a day or so ago by a cyclist peddling into her whilst she walked on a normal pedestrian footpath, strikes home the fact that cyclists must keep off the pavements and ride their bikes on the sides of the roads or in cycle lanes or on cycle tracks.
Cycling is illegal on footpaths in NZ apart from the likes of postal services and young children's bikes and trikes. But the laws or local council regulations regarding this are not enforced.
Pavements are for people walking and jogging, for people with dogs, for people in wheelchairs and for people who might be unstable or disabled.
Kids scooters, skate boards and roller skates are bad enough and don't get me "talking" about escooters which should be off everything.
There are as many nasty and thoughtless cyclists as there are drivers of vehicles on a proportional basis. At the very least cyclists should have warning bells or horns attached to their handle bars and operated loud enough for people of all sorts to hear.
I am a cyclist (with a racing bike and a rough surfaces bike), a motorist, a jogger, a hiker and a dog walker.
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!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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