1984 days ago

Conservation dog has a nose for kororā

Mena is a super dog hero.

Certified by the Department of Conservation to work as a conservation dog, she has done her bit to keep kororā (little blue penguins) safe on Cobham Drive.

Wellington City Council engineer Veronica Byrne sees careful penguin management as a top priority for the Cobham Drive project, which is transforming this previously neglected area into a much more appealing place for people to walk, run, bike, scoot and spend time.

Every morning before work begins, workers checks for kororā which could have taken refuge over night.

They check under and around vehicles, and in the areas where rock is going to be moved from and to – using a torch when necessary, and a special camera to help them see into the crevices between rocks.

Mena has also played a key role. A New Zealand-born Hungarian Vizsla, she is specially trained to find places where penguins may be present, or have been regularly frequenting.

The detection experts from Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) have carried out three searches so far, checking vegetation and rocks along the foreshore and mapping spots where special care needs to be taken.

Penguins tend to avoid the construction zone, but if one is spotted, which has happened on a few occasions, work in the immediate vicinity stops, and the team seek advice expert advice on the best course of action.

More messages from your neighbours

Tap Fusion opens Wellington Fringe Festival

TAP Fusion

New Zealand’s home-grown Tap Dance show, Tap Fusion, will be opening the Wellington Fringe Festival at the Hannah Theatre this weekend. The show is a unique collaboration of New Zealand’s top Tap dancers performing alongside artists of Street Dance, Swing Dance and live musicians. This will be the first time a Tap show has been seen at the Fringe Festival.

Tap Fusion is the work of former New Zealand Dance Champion brothers Brandon and Cameron Carter-Chan. They say the show is designed to expose the diversity of New Zealand artists through Tap Dance by inspiring, uplifting, and promoting the idea of creative collaboration, encouraging people to work with artists outside their social circle, and to increase opportunity and strengthen the arts community as a whole.

Tap Fusion is on at The Hannah Theatre, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington on 13th & 14th February. Buy tickets here

Local Highlight

24 days ago

Poll: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Wellington’s Te Awe Library on Brandon St will be closing its doors for good at 5 pm on March 1. It’s been the city’s largest temporary library, and now it’s making way for the exciting return of Te Matapihi Central Library!

We want to know: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?

Want all the details? The Post has everything you need to know.