Aro Valley, Wellington

Got a question about your lawn or backyard?

Got a question about your lawn or backyard?

Ask a Crewcut Lawn & Garden expert (and an ex-Black Caps coach!) now. Head here.

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1245 days ago

Friends of Karori Cemetery: Cemetery Tours

Julia from Northland

Do your plans for the weekend include joining us on a tour? On Sunday (4th July) we are running our Heroines and Housewives tour at 10:30am and the First Catholics tour at 1:30pm.


$10 per person (children under 12 free).

If you'd like to join us - message … View more
Do your plans for the weekend include joining us on a tour? On Sunday (4th July) we are running our Heroines and Housewives tour at 10:30am and the First Catholics tour at 1:30pm.


$10 per person (children under 12 free).

If you'd like to join us - message friendsofkaroricemeterytours@gmail.com and we'll get you booked in


friendsofkaroricemetery.co.nz...

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1247 days ago

Weather watch

Reporter Community News

Drivers are being reminded to take care with strong winds, hail and the possibility of snow . It was hailing heavily when I left Maungaraki to head in to Wellington this morning. What is it like at your place?
Please feel free to post any photos you have of the weather.
Stay warm and remember if … View more
Drivers are being reminded to take care with strong winds, hail and the possibility of snow . It was hailing heavily when I left Maungaraki to head in to Wellington this morning. What is it like at your place?
Please feel free to post any photos you have of the weather.
Stay warm and remember if you do not want your comments used, please put NFP.

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1247 days ago

Are you in group three and waiting to be vaccinated?

Reporter Community News

We are looking for people in group three who are waiting to be vaccinated. If you had problems getting information or making an appointment we would like to hear from you for a Stuff story.
Please contact Brittany Keogh email brittany.keogh@fairfaxmedia.co.nz

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1246 days ago

Pies sold in wrong packaging leads to allergen scare

Neighbourly.co.nz

A recall has been issued for Pavillion brand Beef and Gravy Pies due to the presence of an undeclared allergen.

The recall comes after a packaging blunder led to Beef and Cheese Pies being contained in Beef and Gravy Pies wrapping.

Here's what you need to know:
- Consumers with a milk … View more
A recall has been issued for Pavillion brand Beef and Gravy Pies due to the presence of an undeclared allergen.

The recall comes after a packaging blunder led to Beef and Cheese Pies being contained in Beef and Gravy Pies wrapping.

Here's what you need to know:
- Consumers with a milk allergy or intolerance should not consume this product.
- Products affected include those with a best before date marking of August 16 2022.
- The pie's batch marking is 16022 for outer packaging and 16023 for individual pies.
- The product was sold in supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

Individuals with a milk allergy should return the product to their retailer and email sales@pavillionfoods.co.nz or call 021 365 006 for a full refund. Any other concerns can be directed to Gluten Free Holdings Ltd on 021 365 006.

For more information, please visit the New Zealand Food Safety website.

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1247 days ago

Oliver Henwood helps out hospital

Reporter Community News

Nine-year-old Oliver Henwood has been in and out of Wellington Hospital for the past six years, so
he knows first-hand how boring it is to be stuck in a hospital bed.
Born with a bend in his shin bone caused by a growth anomaly, Oliver had major surgery at Wellington Hospital to correct the … View more
Nine-year-old Oliver Henwood has been in and out of Wellington Hospital for the past six years, so
he knows first-hand how boring it is to be stuck in a hospital bed.
Born with a bend in his shin bone caused by a growth anomaly, Oliver had major surgery at Wellington Hospital to correct the problem when he was four and has been back many times for ongoing treatment.
When he was tasked at his school to come up with a passion project that would benefit others in the community, he decided to help children staying in Wellington and Hutt Hospitals.
Oliver found watching DVDs a welcome distraction when he was in hospital yet found many were old or scratched so were unusable. He then took it upon himself to ask his local community in Cambridge for help by distributing flyers encouraging people to donate their DVDs. Once he collected more than 150 DVDs, he tested them all to make sure they weren't scratched before donating them.

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1247 days ago

Storm clouds over Wellington

Reporter Community News

Simon Woolf took this stunning picture of Wellington at 5pm on Monday.

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1247 days ago

Feeling the cold? Meet the Rolls Royce of electric heaters.

Sustainability Trust

Greetings cold one. Did that wild winter bite nip of a bit more than you were ready for? Imagine if you had a fully programmable, ultra-smart heater that produced 70% radiant & 30% convection heat?

You know, the type of heater that gives you immediate warmth and consistent heat spread?

Meet… View more
Greetings cold one. Did that wild winter bite nip of a bit more than you were ready for? Imagine if you had a fully programmable, ultra-smart heater that produced 70% radiant & 30% convection heat?

You know, the type of heater that gives you immediate warmth and consistent heat spread?

Meet the Atlantic Soius - one of the most energy-efficient heaters on the market. Complete with a seven-year warranty. 1 kW, 1.5 kW & 2 kW available. We currently have about 20 of each in stock. Don't miss out.

Negotiable

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1251 days ago

Friday Feathered Friend

Reporter Community News

Photographer Andrew Gorrie took this beautiful picture of a ruru.

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1267 days ago
1247 days ago

12 Important Questions to ask when Choosing your Property Manager (Part 5 of 6)

Andrew from Personal Property Management

9) Will my Property Manager show my property to prospective tenants six days a week?
PPM answer: Absolute, We believe in going the extra mile. We’ll even show properties on Sundays if that means finding the right tenant for your property.

10) How many years has the Property Manager looking … View more
9) Will my Property Manager show my property to prospective tenants six days a week?
PPM answer: Absolute, We believe in going the extra mile. We’ll even show properties on Sundays if that means finding the right tenant for your property.

10) How many years has the Property Manager looking after your property been working in Property Management?
PPM answer: Our company has been running for 10 years and I have been with the company for 2 years.

1247 days ago

Free Vacuum

Christopher from Brooklyn

This works perfectly but the bit on the head that attaches to the pole has snapped so will need a new head. May be one at the tip shop?

Free

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1247 days ago

Marsden students doing good

Inge Doig from Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

Maya (Year 12) has been volunteering her time with the Be Collective Wellington Office. Be Collective is a platform that makes volunteering easy, connecting people, businesses and groups to causes they care about. Maya is pictured with Community Development Manager, Lauren Parsons.

Marsden's … View more
Maya (Year 12) has been volunteering her time with the Be Collective Wellington Office. Be Collective is a platform that makes volunteering easy, connecting people, businesses and groups to causes they care about. Maya is pictured with Community Development Manager, Lauren Parsons.

Marsden's Year 8 students have also completed over 300 hours of service in the community as part of their William Pike Service Day. They got busy in the kitchen and dropped off baking to various charities, helped out at Wellington Primary schools from Ngaio to Mirimar and picked up beach rubbish. Well done girls!

1248 days ago

5 cheap (or free) ways to keep the house warm this winter

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Wellington (The Wash House)

Don’t shiver in silence! Use these 5 simple (and cheap) techniques to warm up your home and stay toasty this winter.
Quick Summary
• Open curtains in the day, close them at night
• Make and use draft excluders
• Install window insulation films or use bubblewrap
• Keep furniture away… View more
Don’t shiver in silence! Use these 5 simple (and cheap) techniques to warm up your home and stay toasty this winter.
Quick Summary
• Open curtains in the day, close them at night
• Make and use draft excluders
• Install window insulation films or use bubblewrap
• Keep furniture away from heat sources and use rugs/blankets to insulate the floor
• Use as few rooms as possible and close off the rooms you aren’t using

1) STRATEGIC CURTAIN USE

After double-glazing, curtains are the next line of defence against the chill of winter. Thermal lined ones are best, and floor-to-ceiling ones provide a good ‘seal’ of warmth.


However, it’s also important to know when to open and close these curtains to get maximum effectiveness out of them. Generally, when the sun is up, keep the curtains open to let the sunlight and warmth in. As soon as the sun goes down, close them to trap that heat in overnight.

The advanced version is:
• In the morning, have north-facing and east-facing curtains open. Keep south-facing curtains closed throughout the day.
• In the afternoon, close the east-facing curtains and open the west-facing curtains. Keep the north-facing curtains open throughout the day.
• Once the sun sets, close all the curtains (including the north-facing ones).
• Repeat in the morning.
Curtains aren’t just for windows either! Pinning a rug or blanket over an external door can help give it an insulation boost too. Pro-tip: cover up pet flaps in the same way.

2) MAKE (AND USE) DRAFT EXCLUDERS
Draft excluders are long pieces of thick material, usually in the shape of a sausage, that are placed at the bottom of doors to keep the cold out and the warm in. You might be surprised at how much of a difference blocking even a small gap can make!



Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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1248 days ago

A Woolly Tale

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Wellington (The Wash House)

Humans have enjoyed wool for over 10,000 years and it continues to be a coveted textile in both high end fashion and interior design due to its many qualities. Here we deep-dive into the wonderful world of wool, sharing the tale of this ancient fibre’s origin, production and inherent attributes. … View moreHumans have enjoyed wool for over 10,000 years and it continues to be a coveted textile in both high end fashion and interior design due to its many qualities. Here we deep-dive into the wonderful world of wool, sharing the tale of this ancient fibre’s origin, production and inherent attributes.

ORIGIN

Britain is said to have lead wool manufacturing through spinning and weaving pre 1900 BC, a skill highly prized beyond their shores. Sheep were first exported beyond Europe to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia toward the very end of the 1700s. We have had a long time to accustom ourselves to the incredible natural qualities of wool and it is quite literally woven in to our trading, cultural and farming histories.


How does wool come to be? Fleece is shorn from sheep annually with a new fleece produced every year (unless you are Shrek the Sheep, who avoided shearing for 6 years – once finally caught in 2004 he produced enough wool for 20 large men’s suits, or 27 kg… blimey!). Once shorn, fleeces are thrown clean side down onto a wool table, skirted (a process to remove undesirable parts of the fleece), folded and rolled to determine class by a qualified wool classer. Bales of wool are then sent to be scoured, a bathing/cleaning process to remove dirt and impurities such as sweat and vegetable matter. Quality is determined by diameter, crimp, yield, colour and staple strength. Finer wools are used for apparel manufacture and heavier for soft furnishing textiles and carpets/rugs.
There are a wide variety of ways to process wool in to differing yarns, including worsted – a very fine yarn spun from carded wool producing a lustrous and smooth product especially suited to apparel. You may also be familiar with felted wools which are produced with heat, pressure and moisture compressing the fibres, entangling them together into a matted textile with a dense, ‘foamy’ or almost spongy appearance and feel. The woollen system of preparing carded wool for spinning ensures short fibres are retained, sometimes requiring combing. Wool can be spun to yarn on its own, or in conjunction with other fibres which can add desirable qualities and attributes to the finished fabric.


Despite a reputation as a land of sheep, New Zealand is actually the 4th largest producer of wool, with the top spot being taken out by Australia, responsible for 25% of global wool-clip. International wool production is about 2 million tonnes, 60% of which is apparel. Approximately 3% of the international textile trade is comprised of wool. We would like that number to be a little higher!

RENEWABILITY
A natural fibre similar to human hair, wool is made of keratin and therefore readily biodegradable. As long as there is grass to graze on, sheep will continue to produce fleece, making it an ideal renewable fibre. Safeguarding the environment is part of the important work undertaken by woolgrowers to guarantee future production and industry longevity. Due to the high quality and durability of wool, woollen products have wonderful longevity and it is also excellent for re-use and recycling. In some instances, wool products can be returned from the interior and fashion sectors to be carded and re-spun in to yarn for re-weaving – an excellent way to reduce waste and extend the life of the material. Because of its hardy nature, when properly looked after, wool has a longer lifespan than many other fibres - if you have ever visited an antique/vintage/mid-century furniture trader, you will often find original wool and wool blend upholsteries still going strong even after a few lifetimes, albeit in need of a good clean!

Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

1248 days ago

Is it too windy in your garden? Plant these!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Dear neighbours, take a look at what flowers and plants Wellington's Maryflower Nursery have in their wind-tolerant garden.

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