ON THE BUTTON
About three years ago I was questioned by Upper Hutt City Council survey staff about what is ideally needed for the two large parks/reserves in the Wallaceville Estate in Wallaceville.
So from the top of my head, I said a large, interesting children's playground and some open and covered bench seating for Grant's Bush Reserve and all weather pedestrian/dog walkers tracks/pathways plus strategic bench seating for The Reserve.
Lo and behold this is exactly what the Council has done now that work has almost been completed in The Reserve.
I take full credit or no credit.
The most remarkable thing is that the playground is an absolute beacon for other recreational activities in the surrounding grassy (and weedy) areas summer and winter.
And I now have seen kids playing football in The Reserve.
My "job" has been to keep hassling the Council regarding Grant's Bush Reserve grass/weeds mowed more often so that the fields can be utilised for all the extraordinary activities that go on. I think I have won on this count.
Prior to the children's playground, GBR was pretty much dead apart from a few people exercising their dogs. Now even this activity has grown enormously.
Children and adults do come from further afield just than those living in the estate.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
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!
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.
-
40.5% I avoid spending money on coffee
-
48.3% I still indulge at my local cafe
-
11.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Loading…
