Friends of Karori Cemetery - S.S. Penguin Tour
On the 12 February 1909, the SS Penguin sank in Cook Strait in a raging southerly storm with the loss of 72 lives, one of the worst maritime disasters in NZ history. Many of those who died were woman and children, as their lifeboats capsized in the wild sea.
Although the Captain was heavily criticised, it is still not clear what the ship hit nor where, as the wreck of the Penguin has never been located.
The tragedy stunned Wellington and a day of mourning was called for 16 February. The city came to a standstill as many of those who died were brought up to Karori Cemetery for burial in a long procession of cabs and lorries.
To commemorate this tragedy the Friends will be undertaking a guided tour of most of the Penguin graves on Sunday 12 February. This is our first attempt by the Friends to widen the knowledge of this tragedy.
The tour will commence at 2.00 at the Shelter which is located in the center of Karori Cemetery and will run for up to two hours starting with a short presentation. The tour covers some uneven ground and sustained uphill stints and so may not be suitable for everyone.
This is a free tour and bookings are required. Bookings can be made by following this link:
events.humanitix.com...
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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