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You might be surprised. Scammers are getting slicker, sneakier, and a whole lot more convincing, and they’re targeting everyone from students to grandparents.
Before you brush it off with “I’d never fall for that,” give your scam radar a quick tune-up! Test yourself with Netsafe’s fun … View moreYou might be surprised. Scammers are getting slicker, sneakier, and a whole lot more convincing, and they’re targeting everyone from students to grandparents.
Before you brush it off with “I’d never fall for that,” give your scam radar a quick tune-up! Test yourself with Netsafe’s fun new Scam Spotting Quiz or try our online module for even more skill-building.
Scams can catch anyone — even the careful ones.
Keep your wits (and your wallet) about you!
Paint it Orange - Arthritis - 1st - 29th November 2025
Paint it orange with Resene for Arthritis NZ!
Buy any orange Resene testpot 60 ml at your local Resene owned ColorShop in November and Resene will donate $1 to Arthritis NZ!
The more orange testpots you buy, the more will be donated.
💸💸💸 Before you get caught, test your scam knowledge with Netsafe’s fun new Scam Spotting Quiz or try our online module for even more skill-building.
Did you know there’s a global shortage of sweet pea seeds?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, dedicated gardeners are working to revive authentic sweet pea varieties and keep their beauty blooming for generations to come 🌸🪻🌻
Read more about their efforts here.
We hope this brings a smile!
Scams can happen to anyone, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when online shopping increases. Scammers use trust, hope and fear to get money or personal information:
TRUST: Pretending to be a courier, retailer, or bank.
HOPE: Offering fake “too good to miss” deals or miracle … View moreScams can happen to anyone, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when online shopping increases. Scammers use trust, hope and fear to get money or personal information:
TRUST: Pretending to be a courier, retailer, or bank.
HOPE: Offering fake “too good to miss” deals or miracle products.
FEAR: ‘Limited time deals’ messaging, fake ‘missed delivery’ updates
✋ Remember the SCAMS red flags:
Surprise contact
Control or pressure
Access to your device
Money request
Stop and seek support
If you think you’ve been scammed, stop contact, call your bank, and change your passwords.
Great South is set to receive $393,000 to boost its campaign encouraging Australian travellers to come over and explore the stunning Southern Way.
We want to know: How do you feel about highlighting our mountains and lakes to attract more visitors to the region?
Southland Police are teaming up with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and farmers to target illegal hunting and trespassing in the Mid Dome Conservation Area.
‘The Mid Dome Poaching Project’ brings puts poachers in the spotlight and focuses on educating hunters, in order to protect … View moreSouthland Police are teaming up with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and farmers to target illegal hunting and trespassing in the Mid Dome Conservation Area.
‘The Mid Dome Poaching Project’ brings puts poachers in the spotlight and focuses on educating hunters, in order to protect private property, and ensure the safety of hunters and farmers.
The Mid Dome area has seen a rise in illegal hunting activity since 2022, with hunters breaching DOC permit conditions and trespassing onto privately owned farmland.
Senior Sergeant Peter Graham says farmers bordering the Mid Dome Conservation Area have reported repeated incidents of poaching and safety concerns. “This project is about working together to educate hunters, enforce the law, and protect Southland’s rural communities,” says Senior Sergeant Peter Graham.
Department of Conservation Ranger, Jono Airey says hunting permits are issued for public conservation land only. “Hunters must respect boundaries and seek permission before crossing private property, were committed to working with police and landowners to ensure responsible hunting practices,” says Jono Airey.
To help Police identify and hold poachers accountable, we ask anybody to report suspicious behaviour to us, including suspicious vehicles or people in your local area.
If it is happening now, call 111.
If you are reporting information after the fact, call 105 or go online.
Queenstown Police are appealing for information from the public following a burglary in Remarkables Park.
At around 2.15am today, Police were alerted to a burglary at a commercial premises at the intersection of Tex Smith Lane and Hawthorne Drive. A stolen vehicle has been used to unlawfully … View moreQueenstown Police are appealing for information from the public following a burglary in Remarkables Park.
At around 2.15am today, Police were alerted to a burglary at a commercial premises at the intersection of Tex Smith Lane and Hawthorne Drive. A stolen vehicle has been used to unlawfully enter the premises, where two offenders have taken around $900 of alcohol.
The offenders have fled the area, travelling to Kelvin Height Peninsula, where the vehicle was located abandoned and submerged in Lake Whakatipu at around 2.30am.
Police are working with Coastguard Queenstown and Queenstown Lakes District Council to retrieve the vehicle.
Enquiries into the incident are ongoing, and Police are appealing for information from the public to assist in our investigation.
Police would like to hear from anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage between 2am and 2.40am on Monday 10 November around the Remarkables Park and Kelvin Heights areas.
Police also ask anyone who may have any information about the incident to please contact us.
Members of the public may see an increase in reassurance patrols in and around commercial business areas while our enquiries are ongoing.
If you have any information, CCTV, or dashcam footage that may assist in our enquiries, please contact us online through 105.police.govt.nz, clicking "Update Report" or by calling 105.
Please use the reference number P064408540.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
A big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink … View moreA big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink outdoor chair)
Chris Carlyon - Waikanae (French Bulldog painting)
Joel Bradley - Auckland (Kea painting)
Jayne Walton - Rangiora (rainbow gate
Charmaine Macpherson - Cheviot (colourful bathtab)
Adele Whittaker - Auckland (school mural)
Karan Robson - Foxton Beach (blue backdoor)
Dave Bang - Levin (native bird mural)
Take a look at their wonderful colourful entries below. A huge thank you to everyone who shared a Bright Spot in their community this year; we have loved seeing the places in your neighbourhood that bring you joy.
Love raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, … View moreLove raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, 2025.
Southern District Police are urging motorists against non-essential travel, with debris blocking a number of roads.
⛔ State Highway 1 is being closed between Clinton and Milton
⛔ State Highway 8 is being closed between Lawrence
⛔ State Highway 1 – could also close due to weather.
… View moreSouthern District Police are urging motorists against non-essential travel, with debris blocking a number of roads.
⛔ State Highway 1 is being closed between Clinton and Milton
⛔ State Highway 8 is being closed between Lawrence
⛔ State Highway 1 – could also close due to weather.
Detective Sergeant Hamish Fraser says a number of power lines and trees have come down in strong winds. “We urge people to stay home, and not to travel unless you absolutely have to.
Anyone who has to drive should take extreme care.”
Dangerous winds, and intense rain with thunderstorms are forecast in some regions of the country, with Red Warnings coming into effect from tomorrow morning. Please avoid non-essential travel tomorrow if you're located in a red-affected region, and be ready for power and communication outages.… View moreDangerous winds, and intense rain with thunderstorms are forecast in some regions of the country, with Red Warnings coming into effect from tomorrow morning. Please avoid non-essential travel tomorrow if you're located in a red-affected region, and be ready for power and communication outages.
Stay up to date with the latest weather information from MetService New Zealand. Pay attention to Watches and Warnings.
For advice on how to prepare for dangerous winds, please visit getready.govt.nz
A trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed … View moreA trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed away in 1930, just weeks before she was due to present her thesis. Her research was later published as The Old-Time Māori — the first ethnographic study written by a Māori author.
We hope this brings a smile!
For two decades, Aotearoa’s favourite feathery showdown has crowned our top bird ... and the competition has never been fiercer.
Behind the fun is a serious mission. Many of New Zealand’s native species are in serious trouble. Bird of the Year raises awareness of their habitats, the threats … View moreFor two decades, Aotearoa’s favourite feathery showdown has crowned our top bird ... and the competition has never been fiercer.
Behind the fun is a serious mission. Many of New Zealand’s native species are in serious trouble. Bird of the Year raises awareness of their habitats, the threats they face, and how we can protect our feathered taonga. Important work that we love seeing!
Who was last year’s champ? 🏆 The Yellow-eyed penguin, one of the world’s rarest penguins. But this year, Neighbourly is keeping a close eye on another ocean wanderer: the Tītī (Cook’s petrel).
Who is getting your vote this year? 🐦💛
🗳 Voting closes: Sunday 28 September
🏅 Winner announced: Monday 29 September
We hope this brings a smile!
After 50 years without a sighting, the rare and quirky sailback houndshark has finally been spotted again in Papua New Guinea!
Because it’s been seen so rarely, scientists still know very little about it. But its striking features are already sparking debate about whether it should be given … View moreAfter 50 years without a sighting, the rare and quirky sailback houndshark has finally been spotted again in Papua New Guinea!
Because it’s been seen so rarely, scientists still know very little about it. But its striking features are already sparking debate about whether it should be given special protection, and some have even argued it could become an icon species for Papua New Guinea.
At a time when we so often hear about species disappearing, the return of this little shark is a reminder that nature can surprise us ... and that there’s always reason to hope.
You can read more about the sailback shark here
We hope this brings a smile!
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