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Visit image gallery to purchase the image A state of emergency has been declared in Selwyn and several roads have been closed across Christchurch as heavy rain lashes Canterbury Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton said on Thursday morning emergency services and Civil Defence volunteers are working to help people evacuate at Selwyn Huts due to rising river levels and the likelihood the access road will be cut off A heavy rain warning remains in place for parts of Canterbury until 6pm on Thursday Darfield High and Ellesmere College have closed for the day due to flooding and road safety concerns Community sandbag stations were set up at community centres in Sheffield and Glentunnel last night Data from Environment Canterbury shows the Selwyn River at Coes Ford is flowing at 73.222 m3/s compared to the normal rate of about 1 m3/s Doyleston has been particularly hard hit with many properties under several centimetres of flood water we are asking that residents in Selwyn Huts self-evacuate from the area due to concerns of flooding from the Selwyn River," a district council spokesperson said "Several schools across the district have closed Please check-in with your child’s school to see if they are open or not "Coes Ford and other fords across the district have also been closed "Sandbags have been distributed in West Melton while Community Sandbag Stations are in place in Sheffield and Glentunnel though you will need to bring your own spade "We are encouraging Selwyn residents to conserve water until the supply can be restored "We also ask that you try and minimise water usage in Prebbleton and Lincoln as our wastewater network is becoming overwhelmed part of Fitzgerald Ave near the bridge has been closed New Brighton Rd between Rawson St and Pages Rd is closed and Avonside Drive between Wainoni Rd and Kerrs Rd is also closed Hoon Hay has also been hit hard with a section of Gainsborough St under water A contractor has been notified to fix the issue meaning that in some areas people may be experiencing 'slow' or 'no' service showers and sinks may empty slowly or in the worst cases not at all If this was to happen the council will arrange any clean up to property or the environment following being notified of overflows." part of State Highway 75 has been closed due to the high tide SH75 was closed from Birdlings Flat to Little River at 11pm on Wednesday It is unlikely to open before lunchtime today Residents with flooding or roading concerns are urged to contact the city council on 03 941 8999 Large parts of the country are being hammered as torrential rain and gale force winds set in for the next few days They include snowfall warnings around Christchurch After a very wet night in Canterbury and other parts of the country, further rain is expected todayThings remain wet across the eastern South Island, with southern parts of Canterbury seeing some easing later this evening pic.twitter.com/ZRYQ2scQjL Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane says it has been a wet night in eastern parts of the South Island The Canterbury region has already had 100 millimetres to 150mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours with more to come "We'll be keeping a very close eye to see how things develop." April has been an "extremely interesting" weather month seeming to pack three months of events into just the four-week period "This year has been okay for the Canterbury region this rainfall is falling on extremely sodden ground and I think at any time of year this amount of rainfall would possibly cause issues." Snow fall warnings continue throughout the day for the Canterbury High country and alpine roads Porters Pass and Arthur's Pass (both State Highway 73) and the Lewis Pass (SH7) A warning for the Lindis Pass (SH8) in Otago was expected to be lifted about 8am today ❄️South Island travellers🚗Snow is on the cards for inland areas, with Road Snowfall Warnings in place for some high-level routes from late Wednesday into ThursdayBe sure to take extra care if you’re heading out pic.twitter.com/QgMNENHUTs Here are the latest road closures in Christchurch:  The following roads are closed on Banks Peninsula:  Stony Bay Rd is closed from the first cattle stop For updates on Selwyn road closures visit https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/662754c63d3745509137adbb2b426106 are expected to be lashed with gale-force southerlies over the next day moving up from the West Coast overnight and hitting Wellington with some of the strongest winds seen in a decade The wind which is also being experienced at the top of the South Island will have "a flow-on effect for the wave conditions" Wave heights have hit 6 metres by 7am today and with high tide in about two hours they will get higher Cook Strait ferry crossings have been cancelled until early Friday because of the high swells in the Strait The Interislander and Bluebridge say extra sailings will be put on over the weekend to clear the backlog of services One person has died after crashing into a fence in Hoon Hay One person has died following a single-vehicle crash in Hoon Hay an outer suburb of Christchurch this evening A police spokesperson said they were called around 4.45pm to the incident on Copenhagen Pl after a vehicle collided with a fence the sole occupant died at the scene,” police said Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are underway Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said this move is intended to protect young people Sutherland and Webster registered as a charity last year clearing the way to apply for funding as the need for their services had grown steadily The pair’s first application for major funding was successful – they received an $82,160 grant from the Lottery Grants Board “We’re hoping to be in (the new premises) in the first week of April but there’s a bit of work to do,” Sutherland said She said the pair are grateful to the board as the amount will be enough for a year’s lease on the new premises operating costs including a large freezer to help hold more frozen food and the purchase of a new van to pick up food from suppliers The foodbank receives donations from a range of suppliers The operation is a family affair with whanau helping with the food parcels Sutherland’s brother Cory is a qualified builder who is donating his time to do the fit-out The need for food parcels is growing in the community and Sutherland and Webster are now seeing families with both adults working who are struggling to make ends meet “We generally see our repeat customers on the day their power bill is due but these days we have a whole new clientele every week we’re seeing people we’ve never seen before,” said Sutherland The Hoon Hay Foodbank is calling the shift to McCarthy St “maunga kai nekeneke” Said Sutherland: “The move will be so beneficial to us The foodbank is planning a launch when it opens the doors to the new premises next month this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read The name Waikikamukau ("Why kick a moo cow") has become a running joke in New Zealand for any tiny Karolin Potter doesn't laugh as much now when she takes the slow sweep south along Lyttelton Street before crossing the Heathcote River and leaving her home suburb of Spreydon for neighbouring Hoon Hay "It was quite a while before we stopped [laughing] the Waihoro/Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board chairwoman and longtime champion of south-central Christchurch she's far from the only one to let slip a giggle at humble Hoon Hay's expense She remembers a comedian years ago whose favourite hometown joke was a riff on the suburb's name and its - actually non-existent - connection to one of the city's most famous families the philanthropist founder of Hay's department store former longtime Christchurch mayor Sir Hamish Hay and cardiologist and anti-smoking campaigner Sir David Hay People just split their sides with laughter the suburb's peculiar name likely came into existence "There has been much speculation about this unusual name some people even suspecting that it was of Chinese origin," the 2010 revised edition of the book says The more likely story is that Hoon Hay is a nod to the Derbyshire farm of the same name belonging to Captain Wickham Harvey and his wife who emigrated to Christchurch in 1852 and took up two 20 hectare plots of land Our modern brains think of a hoon as something close to young drivers with fat exhaust pipes and lowered suspensions marking their territory on Saturday night circuits around the garden city's four avenues But according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names And 'hay' doesn't refer to captains of industry or powerful city leaders if provenance prioritised choice over fact the old Hoon Hay joke would "Hoon Hay's not a hill and it never had a hedge I love the joke version - and I think it has more relevance because everyone knows who the Hays were." There's plenty more place names across the more than 700 islands that make up our little slice of South Pacific paradise and many with meaningful - or downright unusual - stories behind them to enjoy Fifty-thousand-five-hundred-and-nineteen to be exact according to the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa Not bad for an archipelago at the bottom of the world with a land mass that covers barely more than 268,000 sq km the imagined dividing line between Auckland and the rest of the country that is the Bombay Hills - named for the ship many early European settlers came to the future SuperCity on the intriguingly-named Wellington film hub of Miramar or the impossible to ignore Auckland landmark a Marlborough Sounds' bay named for an alleged monkey sighting and a remote and spectacular spot at the other end of the island capturing the dismal weather experience of some of New Zealand's earliest European explorers Others are Anglicised versions of the original Māori names bastardised versions of continental European-given names and the Anglicised Scottish Gaelic word for narrow valley and the Māori word for small The name Waikikamukau ("Why kick a moo cow") has become a running joke in New Zealand for any tiny the Boondocks or Timbuktu (although the latter is a real city in Mali It was also the name given to an Australian race horse in the 1990s The origins aren't definite but one story goes that an American servicemen stationed in New Zealand during WWI found Waipukurau difficult to pronounce and jokingly called it Waikikamukau There's names which are onomatopoeic - they come from a sound associated with them - and many more which are simply highly descriptive of people and places as with any history involving our imperfect selves In his preface to Place Names of New Zealand wrote that how we call the places where we live "matters deeply" "We care about place names because they crystallise our relationships to the land the study of place names can therefore teach us much about ourselves." One thing we need to understand is the land five million of us call home already had names when European settlers arrived and began imposing their own Replacing existing names was a widely used colonising tool intended to extinguish local knowledge which was portrayed as primitive and in need of salvation Te Wānanga o Waipapa University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr Dan Hikuroa says The practice of only having one name for a place was also brought in with colonisation Even where Māori place names were retained Among them is one of Auckland's most well-known landmarks - Rangitoto Island "One of Rangitoto Island's full names is Te Rangi-i-totongia-ai-te-ihu-o-Tamatekapua [which according to Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand means] the day that Tamatekapua had a bloody nose "It was named after a fight between Tamatekapua It's one of our most-recognised physical landmarks but the revered fixture of Auckland's Hauraki Gulf is far from alone in taking its name from a bloody moment of history Rock and Creek - are filed under M in Reed's tome the most sensational origin belonging to Murderers Point near the then-gold mining town of Lyell on the South Island's West Coast The name came from an 1883 murder where the decomposing headless body of Denis Quinlan was found in a sack that had become caught on a bush down an embankment of the Buller River 'Horrible Discovery at Lyell,' was the headline on a story in the New Zealand Times "The opinion of the doctor is that a fall from the embankment would not injure a child must less sever the bones of the head from the body." A man convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to life in jail over the killing a few months later killed a Nelson Gaol prison guard and took his own life A woman charged as an accessory to the killing was acquitted at the direction of a Supreme Court judge albeit not before he told her she "excited the passions of the men and led up to the crime" and her conscience "must tell her how much she had to answer for" It also reported that the woman was dispatched from court with instructions to "consider the disgraceful life she'd led" and be a better mother More subtle in its tale of woe is a rural Waikato spot better known now as the location for the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event There are several variations on the story of how Mystery Creek "I tend to go along with the robbery story and the mystery surrounding who the thieves were and that one of them may have murdered the other." The story goes that in 1867 farmer Christian Hansen was robbed in the middle of the night and during an altercation with the two intruders But it was not a happy ending for the luckless farmer "His left hand was amputated just above the wrist which meant they had to strap this guy down while they chopped it off with a saw," Field says "Some months later there was a settler looking for a lost cow and came across the [decomposing] body of a man Investigators established he'd been strangled and concluded he was one of [Hansen's] robbers Wellingtonians have long bemoaned their less than stellar summer weather - the start of last month was particularly dire - but James Coutts Crawford was absolutely focusing on the positive in 1872 when he acquired what was then known as Watt's Peninsula and is now most recognised as home base for the capital's multi-million dollar film empire "The name Watt's Peninsula is neither euphonious nor appropriate" "Mr James Watt had no other connection with the land in question than the fact he landed a cargo of cattle on it," he continued not acknowledging that his name was again usurping the Māori name Whataitai is appropriate and suitable to the locality." Admiration of a different kind was the inspiration behind an old Central Otago miner's dogged - and ultimately successful - attempts to honour a martyred British nurse Edith Cavell helped hundreds of Allied soldiers escape the Germans in occupied Belgium during World War I But her memory lives on 18,000km away on the Heritage New Zealand category 1 bridge which crosses the Shotover River at Arthurs Point between Queenstown and Arrowtown Miner Jack Clark's request to the then-Queenstown County Council was initially rejected - they favoured honouring a mayor who lived in a sod hut overlooking the bridge - which is now neighboured by popular tourist operator Shotover Jet - painted his chosen name on the new structure anyway the name had stuck and an informal war memorial had been created." is similarly said to have been behind the naming by Kahumatamomoe of a spot where Waikato's Waihou River divides into two streams Kahumatamomoe was on his way home after an excursion to the north when he rested at the spot - and fell in love "His heart swelled with affection for the land he had come to love and he was moved to name the place Muriaroha-o-Kahu … yearning of Kahu." Not all names come from a place of affection Marlborough's Vinegar Point marks the place in Taylor Pass where two early European settlers travelling home by horse and trap one cold night mistakenly popped the cork on a bottle of vinegar instead of the expected warming draught of brandy Canterbury's Mt Blowhard and Fiordland's Mt Soaker The latter finds itself among a swag of appropriately-named places in one of our most challenging environments including one named by Captain James Cook after a party from the Resolution became caught in a gale while exploring an inlet behind Resolution Island and had to sleep in their wet coats Captain Cook set down on his chart the name 'Wet Jacket Arm'," according to Place Names of New Zealand Tim Raemaekers and Monty Williams are Department of Conservation rangers who work in and around the remote inlet which can take between 30 minutes and two days to reach whether arriving by air or water There they trap pests which threaten wildlife monitor chick survival rates for kiwi (Southern Fiordland Tokoeka) and assessed whether pest control measures either side of Wet Jacket Arm to protect local kiwi populations should be extended with an estimated 5m of rain falling each year "At 45 degrees south and in line with the roaring forties They try to work around the worst of the weather as it's "not good practice to handle kiwi in the wet" the forecast La Nina weather pattern has kept things rather warm and dry - for Fiordland." there's an area between two former pā sites called Te Reuroa (the High Court) and Te Rerenga Oraiti (Emily Pl) known as Wai Ariki - the Chiefly Waters Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy chairman Ngarimu Blair says "The Waiariki freshwater spring still bubbles forth here In early Auckland Ngāti Whātuacontrolled the spring and selling water to early European settlers until the land was lost." would later tell the Native Land Court sailors had after being turned away when they wanted water without paying gone back to their man-of-war ship and returned with swords and guns Names from the Continent made their way to our shores less frequently - Waiheke Island's Ostend recognises a coastal city in faraway Belgium while Dannevirke - which translates to the frank "Danes work" - was christened so by about 20 Danish and Norwegian families who settled in the area in 1872 Their choice fared better than Banks Peninsula's Snefellness thought to have been named by the captain of a Danish whaler in the area in 1840 but since then bastardised to "Snufflenose" "The captain may have been responsible for the name (Snefellness) not dreaming of what British whalers would do to it." a species of manuka sometimes used to make an infusion of tea and turned it into Kilmog - now known to travellers as the dicey-in-winter northern entrance to Dunedin Another Māori name butchered by early Europeans was Omarupapaku which was crudely turned into "Old Mother Parker" Many iwi have sought restoration of Māori place names as part of Treaty of Waitangi settlements Anyone who disagreed with the restoration of Māori place names should consider how some places came to have their European names and what that meant for those whose names had been taken away who is also culture commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO "A Māori world view is that you are of the land and so if that land's getting stripped of its name what does that do to your identity as an individual and as a collective?" Our place names have acknowledged birthplaces It's the latter - the onomatopoeic names - that Field really enjoys That feels more meaningful than the name of a member of the British ruling classes who never set foot here or a general honoured because he'd fought in a faraway land Constable Rick Groen and Senior Constable John Stevenson are part of a new five-officer team patrolling Hoon Hay and Rowley to crack down on crime The increased police presence is in response to a community meeting in November when major concerns were raised about ongoing youth crime Miss Mowbray has lived in the area for about 17 years and knows people who have been victims of crime She has also witnessed disorderly behaviour Said Miss Mowbray: “It’s just gone from bad to worse you see some of these young people and you think why are you not at home “I’m just so happy to see that the police are getting more involved and then hopefully we can put a stop to all of this rubbish that’s happening because it’s not fair on us who have been here for years and years." She said police have a tough job patrolling Hoon Hay but “are doing the best they can Sergeant Knowles said his team is aiming to reduce the type of crime and behaviour people are most concerned about in Hoon Hay we will initially concentrate on dishonesty and crimes involving the person Sergeant Knowles did not say how many hours a week will be devoted to policing Hoon Hay from now on Instead he said: “Our intention is to work to the demand rather than set a specific number of hours "All the usual police sections are available and will attend to incidents and emergencies depending on the nature of the incident." He and the four other officers have been out talking to Hoon Hay residents about how the community can play a part in preventing the crimes they are concerned about "We have concentrated on the McCarthy St area and are looking for positive results here which I’m sure will impact on the greater community "We want to ensure people are safe and feel safe and will provide crime prevention advice "We are engaging with community patrols and Neighbourhood Support who will be conducting visits to some of those persons within their group “These are community problems and they require a whole of community solution We want the community to be our eyes and ears and to report matters as they are taking place," he said The fatal crash happened on Hoon Hay Rd near Rose Stin Christchurch at 1pm on Saturday A person has died after a cyclist and vehicle collided in Christchurch yesterday afternoon The crash occurred at an intersection along Hoon Hay Rd in Christchurch around 1pm The person was taken to Christchurch Hospital with moderate injuries but their condition worsened and they later died Police are making inquiries to establish the circumstances of the crash Having struggled to make ends meet as a solo dad Corrin Webster decided to start his own foodbank Corrin Webster and his family are looking forward to the day when their home no longer resembles the inside of a supermarket Take no more than three steps in any direction and you will be lost in a sea of shelving with boxes piled high to the ceiling – all full of fresh their home is known as the Hoon Hay Food Bank a place where struggling families can collect parcels in order to put food on the table “We have no room in our house and we’re struggling for space Some days we can’t even move and get to our oven some days our whole hallway and rooms are full,” he said “We can’t even feed our fish some days because we’ve got to sneak through somewhere “So I’d like to build a shed or have some sort of Portacom or container – anything that will help so me and my girls can have our house back.” The foodbank is run exclusively by Webster and his family with the help of daughters Mercedez and Portia Lee A typical day includes picking up food donations pre-packaging parcels and offering at least 30 to 40 families their pick of canned food The word spread after Webster initially provided parcels for two to three families each week Inspired by a friend who ran his own foodbank he decided to take it further by giving back to even more families The cost of picking up bulk food five to six times a week to make bundles came from his back pocket even down to the things he’d never considered it was not possible without the aid of other foodbanks financial or physical donations made by the community and leftover food from the Government’s healthy school lunches programme and we’ll continue to make it happen,” said Webster The foodbank is now run under the aegis of the centre Centre manager Evelyn Kenneally said: “I think he’s doing a wonderful job Part of our job is to encourage people who have initiatives and supporting them moving forward people are still struggling to make ends meet and need the support of a foodbank so people are choosing whether they pay for heating or food “We’re a low-decile area and people struggle so I think they need as much support as we can give them.” It did not matter what situation a person was in – Webster did not turn anyone away It’s even people that do have a bit of money but they’ve got mortgages as well and they’re having to come here.” All Givealittle proceeds will go towards a new storage unit with any leftover money going back into running the foodbank Donate to the cause here Those are the two urgent needs the Hoon Hay Community Association wants undertaken as part of the refurbishment of its community centre The community association has been administering the centre since it took over the building in 2016 after the former children's library was closed two years before due to low patronage there hasn't been any upgrades to the facilities in the building This means the centre has been operating with one toilet City council head of community support and partnerships John Filsell said a concept design will be shared with the association by the end of this month Other requests included in the draft scope are a roof placement The cost of the refurbishment will be confirmed in near future The plan came after the discussion between the association city council staff and the Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board about upgrading the facilities at the Hoon Hay Community Centre over the past two years Association chairperson Jenny Goodman said a feasibility study was also submitted in December last year to prove the needs for a centre in the community "We hire out the centre and have regular bookings but the study was to make that the centre was worthwhile and feasible," she said The association has held many community events Said Goodman: "I think the centre brings people together "We've received many good feedback from the community saying that 'Oh it's good to see functions here' businesses inundated and dozens of roads closed around Christchurch today as heavy rain continues to lash the region Already more than 70mm of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours Some residents said it was the worst flooding to hit in a decade Phoenix was set to celebrate her 12th birthday today but plans changed when flooding in her Shirley suburb made it impossible to get the car out the driveway "We were supposed to be going out to the mall and stuff but it turns out I'm going swimming instead," she giggled The floodwaters in her garden were halfway up her gumboots Flooding also forced students from Christchurch Girls' High School to learn from home Principal Christine O'Neill said it was the first time anyone can remember floodwaters closing the school where we have a whole set of classrooms and facilities We've got a burst council water main down the other end of the school which has created pretty significant flooding down there And then we've got overflowing storm water down this end," she explained the staffroom and careers centre were unable to be used today with a call still yet to be made about tomorrow Mark was busy clearing out his neighbours' drain for the second time in a week cabbage tree leaves and all sorts in there You would hope that they'd be regularly cleaned out considering the council now wants to put up our rates by most probably even more.. if it stops these guys getting water through their doors," he said The local Peter Timbs butcher just round the corner has also been repeatedly flooded He said today's water mark was the highest this year "This is actually the third time this month so there's been some extreme weather around the place It's getting a bit frustrating though when it's been three times in a month It sort of starts to wear you down a wee bit," he said The problem first began after the Canterbury Earthquakes and it was high time the council walked the talk "The infrastructure needs to be remedied so it doesn't happen again or it doesn't continue to happen because obviously it can't we'll get a bit of water but not three times in a month But Christchurch City Council Head of Three Waters said a basic storm water pipe upgrade won't help "When the water level rises in St Albans Creek the drainage no longer works and it backs up And the low point on Edgeware Road is in the same place as the butcher's shop So any upgrades to the curb and channel or the pipe network won't address the issue," she said There are options to permanently solve the issue but it would cost around $20m and Edgeware doesn't meet the council's priority criteria We'd have to either put in a major pump station or look at what the floor levels are in that part of town." The rain is forecast to continue through until midnight in Ōtautahi with people urged to check in with friends neighbours and whānau and stay away from flood waters The Waitaki District Council warned people to stay home as flooding closed more than 20 roads It was closely monitoring the Kakanui River and said other rivers and waterways remained manageable - but they were rising The council said it was expecting more closures and flooding tonight Local schools were told the roads would not be opened in time for the school run tomorrow morning Clutha Civil Defence Emergency Management was monitoring flooding and waterways in the region with snow forecast for the Crown Range Road Dunedin Council warned residents living close to the Leith River that heavy rain could lead to flooding overnight Students living in a small number of low-lying flats closest to the Leith River were advised to prepare for a possible evacuation Campus Watch door-knocked about 20 affected homes located between Montgomery Avenue and Leith Street to warn residents of possible flooding The council said students living in the affected homes should consider leaving immediately if they had somewhere else to stay Those who chose to remain were urged to keep a bag packed and be ready to move at short notice Emergency services would evacuate remaining residents An evacuation centre will also be open tonight at the Dunedin North Intermediate and alternative accommodation options are available Emergency Management Otago asked people to remain vigilant over water levels in their area overnight as heavy rain continued to fall across the region MetService has issued Orange Heavy Rain warnings for North Otago and Dunedin until tomorrow morning More vulnerable areas include Mosgiel near Silver Stream Spillway Sandbags are available from the Victoria Road car park near the Dunedin Ice Stadium and at the Memorial Park carpark in Mosgiel Group Controller Matt Alley said people should check their council and Waka Kotahi's Facebook and websites He said people should dial 111 if there was an emergency State Highway 1 near Seddon in Marlborough reopened to traffic this afternoon after being closed earlier today due to flooding A single lane had been cleared for use under stop-go conditions Waka Kotahi said State Highway 63 was also closed between State Highway 6 and Anglesea Street intersections due to flooding contractors removed a large log jam from the Waiau River Bridge on State Highway 1 James said the work was needed to relieve pressure on the bridge Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty at Parliament this afternoon said he had spoken to all the mayors affected by the heavy rain hitting much of the country today "They all seem fairly relaxed to be honest with you It's either in control or being monitored - one isolated community down south but they've got all the gear they need couple of closed roads in Timaru area but the mayor was quite happy," McAnulty said One area of flooding towards the hills in Timaru but that was being relieved by opening flood gates they know that if they need help they'll get it from NEMA (the National Emergency Management Agency) but at this stage there's been no intervention at all." He said support would be available if there was damage on farms or roads "We're definitely going to consider that but at this stage we're not too sure of the wider impact yet but they do know that if there is severe damage either on farms or on roads there is support available There's also support available if there is animal welfare issues at hand but at the moment like I say they're not too worried." New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News The Transport Agency says motorists have been experiencing hour-long delays on the Northern Motorway this afternoon due to roadworks and an unexpected combination of good weather A spokesperson for the agency says the motorway is currently at reduced capacity because of lane closures while roadworks are carried out Motorists are being asked to avoid the motorway both today and tomorrow Electronic signs have been advertised the road works for several days but the amount of traffic this weekend has been more than anticipated During the afternoon motorists were also asked to avoid a busy Christchurch intersection in Hoon Hay which was blocked after a crash between a motorbike and a car The collision happened between Hoon Hay Rd and Lincoln Rd firefighters and St John Ambulance responded to the crash and multiple lanes of the intersection were blocked but the road was reopened shortly after 4pm There's little information following a sudden death at a property in Hoon Hay in Christchurch A house on Hoon Hay Rd has been cordoned off after since police were notified at about 4am today A Christchurch transgender woman is trying to promote a greater understanding of people who are different Patricia Hailes has been running a free book service from her Hoon Hay property at 31 Mathers St for the past five years and now wants to create her own publication to highlight transgender issues Around 3000 books of all shapes and sizes are on offer at her community library Because children's books are so expensive for mum and dad She estimates more than 100 people a week are now using the service She told her wife about her feelings a couple of years after they were married when her wife asked him why he was so depressed But if I had told her that if she were going to marry a fairy Hailes has been living as a transgender woman full-time for the past 18 months She is working to produce a publication called New Zealand Transgender News featuring positive stories about transgender people - Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Zakariye Mohamed Hussein appearing for sentence at Christchurch District Court in September 25 An absconding psychiatric patient who murdered a woman metres from her Christchurch home earlier this year had also kidnapped and stabbed a pie delivery driver a decade ago Zakariye Mohamed Hussein, 37, this morning pleaded guilty to murdering Christchurch mother of four Laisa Tunidau on June 25 this year had caught a bus home from work and was walking just metres from her family home when Hussein who had caught a bus from Hillmorton Hospital Hussein has also admitted stabbing a Hillmorton nurse with a pen in an attack last December gratuitous and random" violence that led to prison sentences and ongoing stays at a psychiatric ward can be revealed for the first time It includes Hussein's 2012 frenzied knife-wielding spree during which he claims he was "possessed by the devil" kidnapping then 36-year-old pie delivery driver Marteine Robin at knifepoint and then almost fatally stabbing a city council worker in a rampage across Christchurch who was jailed for six and a half years for the 2012 attack which only ended when a police officer shot him twice at close range with a Glock pistol "It pretty much sounds like exactly the same scenario as when he jumped into my truck 10 years ago and decided he was going hunting for somebody to hurt," Robin told the Herald after Hussein pleaded guilty this morning He should've been in jail for 17 years – not in Hillmorton – in fricking jail Robin always feared Hussein – who poured a hot cup of black coffee over the head of a Hillmorton Hospital nurse in 2018 - could strike again She never believed he was remorseful or capable of rehabilitation "He didn't give a s*** who he hurt when he took me and what he did to the council worker," Robin said a refugee from Somalia living in Christchurch came to the attention of authorities was in dramatic he was disturbed in the grounds of Redwood School by caretaker Noel Batstone who barricaded themselves inside a classroom and phoned police He then hijacked Robin's pie delivery van and ordered her to drive off She told him to "get the **** out" of her delivery truck but he forced her at knifepoint to drive him across Christchurch I thought I was going to die," she told the Herald that day Robin eventually managed to escape when Hussein was distracted at a traffic jam almost one hour later But the drama only escalated when Hussein left the truck near the busy intersection of Hoon Hay and Halswell Rds and then almost fatally stabbed a 55-year-old city council worker saw the attacker rampaging between vehicles and approached him with a crowbar and herding him away from other members of the public Eyewitnesses described Lynn as a "hero" who prevented Hussein from attacking other bystanders Hussein was only stopped when pepper sprayed Tasered and then shot twice by a police officer in his shoulder and wrist When he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail Judge David Saunders told him his attacks terrified a number of innocent people who have suffered ongoing "physical and emotional harm" Robin hopes that Hussein will never be allowed back out into the community And she questions why he wasn't sent back to prison for a long period after two earlier attacks on nurses "No family deserves to go through the trauma of having their loved one hurt in that way – ever," Robin said It's not good enough and something has to be done." Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Christchurch this morning 40mm of rain had fallen in Christchurch between midnight and 11am An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Canterbury north of Waipara parts of Wairarapa and the Kaikoura coast and ranges A strong wind warning is in place for Banks Peninsula is also under a heavy snow watch with the forecaster warning snow could lower to 300 metres A rockfall closed SH6 near Murchison between the intersection with SH65 and Hinehaka Rd A slip has forced the closure of Dyers Pass Rd in Christchurch Motorists can travel as far as Summit Rd but cannot get beyond there Contractors are on their way to try and clear the slip The Lewis and Porters passes were closed because of snow this morning but have since reopened SH80 Ben Ohau to Aoraki/Mt Cook reopened at about 9am after it was closed by a slip the Timaru District Council declared a state of emergency for the Pleasant Pt Temuka Ward because of the risk of flooding Damage to a stop bank along the south side of the Opihi River between Butlers Rd and Kerrytown Rd means the flooding risk could be a threat to life and property The council says residents have been doorknocked and evacuated with the help of police the rain and flooding is starting to recede in Otago and Canterbury although the village of Lake Ōhau could be cut off for days Waka Kotahi NZTA has had a mammoth clean-up job to open roads again across the South Island today All road access to Lake Ōhau has been severed at a time when the village is filled with visitors for the school holidays Floodwaters washed out the sole bridge providing access to Lake Ōhau and the Waitaki District Council says it hopes to have access restored by the weekend Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher said Lake Ōhau was a very popular place at this time of year with about 150 visitors staying at the Ōhau Lodge "The emergency management team are looking at how they can get some supplies into Lake Ōhau village mainly for those who are staying there longer than they were planning to and don't have enough food." Ōhau Lodge owner Mike Neilson led 19 four-wheel drives across a paddock for people who needed to leave "We took a convoy of guests who had finished their stay here and did a convoy and went across the farm paddocks [I was there] to keep them in order and make sure they didn't wander off and not quite follow the right route and get lost and stuck." Ōhau resident Hugh Spiers said locals tend to be self-sufficient but he was still desperate for the bridge to reopen On Monday he was expecting a long-awaited delivery of Gib board needed to make repairs after a massive fire in the village in 2020 "We're just on the rebuild programme at the moment after the devastating fires of 2020 Hopefully that's the next thing that's not going to happen." Omarama Top 10 Holiday park co-owner Irwin Beiboer said they were just starting to assess the extent of the damage "[We] have the fire brigade here pumping the rest of the water away from us The roads are all completely destroyed here at the park The Hoon Hay Community Association received feedback from more than 20 people living in the area in response to a Facebook post about an increase in “anti-social car behaviour” The post asked residents to clarify which streets had an issue with drivers skids and burnouts were noted as three main issues across the area The association also received photos of burnouts on Victors Rd and Newland St A member said: “There are noticeable marks from skids there and it is a site where we’ve been told there has been property damage caused by car crashes multiple times.” A number of residents said drivers were seen speeding along Rowley Ave and Mathers Rd during the day Some noted incidents of cars crashing into their neighbours’ fences due to skids or speed-related issues police said there were no burnouts reported on the 18 streets mentioned by residents The vehicle doing burnouts left as the person was making the call Other mentioned issues include dirt bike riders driving on Mathers Rd and in Hoon Hay Park without helmets broken cars being left on residential streets Said the association: “We plan to digest this feedback and then work out the best way to deal with it "We anticipate this will start with a presentation to the Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board but will likely lead to engagement with police or other agencies “We really love our neighbourhood and we want everyone to feel safe and happy here We hope a positive solution can be found.” Police investigations are ongoing following the discovery of a body in a shed fire in Hoon Hay yesterday morning Police investigations are ongoing following the discovery of a body in a shed fire in Hoon Hay in Christchurch yesterday morning Due to the nature of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the death police and specialist officers are still working to figure out what happened A post-mortem examination was carried out on the body earlier today and police will remain at the scene in Tankerville Rd overnight "We are continuing to liaise with the family of the deceased who have been assisting us with our inquiries," said Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney Canterbury residents are mopping up after rain caused what some say was the worst flooding they've seen A band of rain falling between Monday night and Tuesday night plunged Canterbury into the wettest July on record with a third of the annual rain falling in a month On the back of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River in Hoon Hay Hamish Kingsbury said yesterday was the worst flood he'd ever seen on his street "I actually grew up four houses down so I knew what I was in for when I bought this place but this is definitely the worst I've seen it," he said Hamish Kingsbury counts himself lucky to escape flooding with a house raised several metres but others on his street were left to mop up drenched carpets and muddy yards "Our neighbours back onto the river and they have had it pretty high previously I popped over this afternoon to have a look and it was probably 30cm off getting into their house." Monika Cassidy had similar scenes at her house on Francis Avenue the risk of her house flooding is heightened - and she wants the council to recognise that which sends big waves to the houses that are lower to the ground." Frustrated by the council's lack of urgency her neighbours took matters into their own hands by parking a truck across the road to block access Edgeware resident Greg Hughey was surprised to make it home after driving his truck down the middle New Brighton Road with metre-high pools of water on both sides "I was concerned I was going to get stuck without a doubt people were also crawling through the water The Ōtakaro Avon burst its banks in sections shortly afterwards worsening flooding across the central city the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River also burst its banks leaving residents trapped for the third time in three weeks Rather than staying indoors and wait for floodwaters to creep up Amy Whiting decided to embrace the rain and walk her border collie along the street - but it eventually became too deep "There was places that were completely uncrossable so definitely ankle-deep for where you could walk but it would be over the gumboots on the normal paths." Amy Whiting said she would be back out again today despite even more rain being forecast for the city Evacuations due to landslipsPeople were forced to evacuate in Canterbury overnight because of slips and water damage Four households were evacuated in Lyttelton and Redcliffs because of slips Canterbury Civil Defence emergency management controller Sean Poff said a couple of people chose to leave their properties The Selwyn River was still being monitored this is just one example of what Hoon Hay Food Bank founders and operators Corrin Webster and Nicole Sutherland say has been an amazing response after the death of their baby boy A Givealittle page has 190 donations and organisations and individuals have reached out to support the family but to see everybody give back to us is pretty amazing,” Sutherland said Laurentian was delivered with an emergency caesarean section at 30 weeks on November 29 turned out for the funeral this month in response to a public call to give Laurentian a special send-off Sutherland estimated about 30 classic car owners took part in the funeral convoy We had a whole bunch of strangers from car clubs all over the South Island turn up for us.” With the couple’s daughters named Mercedez and Portia Laurentian’s name followed a theme for the car enthusiasts The first old car the couple brought together was a 1967 Pontiac Laurentian which they had since sold but still retained its good memories Laurentian was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome and associated health problems he seemed to be doing well but his health started to deteriorate at 60 days We never gave up hope that he would make it and neither did the [neonatal intensive care unit] team right until the very end.” The couple are struggling with the loss of their baby who meant “everything” to them “I can’t tell you how much we loved him,” Sutherland said and we want to recognise the efforts of the NICU staff The couple continued to run the foodbank over the busy Christmas holiday period a difficult task which they worked around visiting Laurentian in hospital “We’re hoping this year to use the foodbank to maybe raise some awareness for Down’s syndrome or for The Neonatal Trust.” Webster said his son continues to have a big fan base Their concerns​​​ about traffic safety in Hoon Hay have led them to compiling a comprehensive inventory of sites around their neighbourhood they feel need work done on them to improve traffic flows and enhance pedestrian safety The couple have voiced their concerns a number of times to the Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board citing the rapid expansion of housing subdivisions and commercial properties in the south-west of the city an area already established as having more homes under construction than in any other part of the city Killick said he has become concerned in recent years about the increase in traffic flows to these many new housing subdivisions along Sparks Rd Cashmere Rd and neighbouring streets has increased substantially and so have the crashes “Crossing many of these roads has become increasingly dangerous We have seen a number of accidents and we strongly urge community representatives and authorities to take action to minimise the risk for all road users,” he said in his report to the community board Crossing point on Sparks Rd opposite Centennial Park There is a pedestrian island here and it’s frequently used by pedestrians Warning signs on the approach to this crossing were removed some years ago and not replaced Warning signs near the pedestrian island would be helpful should traffic be allowed to travel at 50km/h-plus here Engineers assured us there would be a turning lane but there isn’t which is too narrow and risks turning cars being shunted by fast-moving traffic heading west It is safer to hold up the traffic and wait for a gap in the traffic to turn right Lack of pedestrian crossing on corner of Hoon Hay Rd and Rose St near Good Life Dairy has been placed there to pay tribute to  Richards and started playing for the club 73 years ago He has had many highlights as both a player and coach During his playing days he was mostly a halfback and first five-eighth He played premier grade rugby for eight years and was part of a team that won the senior knockout competition in the 1970s Tackling Duff was one of his best memories tall forward and he came running towards me with the ball and I just tackled him around the ankles and he hit the ground hard really enjoyed that moment,” said Richards retiring after playing in the golden oldies grade when he was 61 He also coached for many years and said a highlight of this was leading an under 18 team to win in the third division competition Richards is down at the Suburbs’ clubrooms every season and the friendships he has gained is what has kept him coming back year after year He said it is humbling to have the penguin named after him to recognise his loyalty to the club Snow the penguin has been on display at Hoon Hay Park for almost nine weeks as part of the Wild in Art initiative He and many more penguins around the city will be auctioned off on Saturday at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand with 75 per cent of the funds raised going to Cholmondeley Children’s Centre Richards said he will consider buying Snow if he wins Lotto but hopes he goes to a good home Club president Jayson McRoberts said in a Facebook post Snow has been designed to “showcase how important sport is in our community and the connectivity it brings.” The city’s median property value has jumped 20% in the last 12 months to hit $541,000 but agents say demand for property in the city is putting upwards pressure on prices Harcourts agent Alison Aitken says Christchurch’s housing market has been playing catch-up with the rest of country A lot of this is being driven by buyers coming into Christchurch – Wellington buyers Aitken recently sold a three-bedroom home with a single garage on a cross lease section in Hoon Hay for $530,000 – more than $100,000 above its 2019 RV “You can definitely buy something in the fives to sixes you can still buy a house on a bit of land A house for that price might need a little work and Christchurch gets more affordable the further out you go which is about 9km southwest of the centre sold for $538,000 under the hammer - again almost $100,000 above RV – after the auction was brought forward There are also quite a few sales in the $4m-plus range: “It’s not an uncommon number now Suburbs like Fendalton are popular for the schools but there are other popular areas “It’s that clash of first home buyers who are approved up to that $550,000 range and you’ve got investors and also the baby boomers looking to re-engage in that sort of stock.” one bathroom weatherboard home with a small fenced backyard on Donegal Street sold for $510,000 – almost $200,000 above RV the more you’re paying but there’s still affordability with value in Christchurch,” says Haley a four-bedroom character villa with sizable garden on Winton Street which sold for $670,000 – again almost $200,000 above RV And while price may not be the challenge it is in Auckland “I think we’re in line with the rest of the country and inventory levels are at the lowest they’ve ever been since records began,” Haley says - Oneroof.co.nz A truck has been driven through a house in Christchurch this morning Police southern communications shift Inspector John Doherty said the truck "buried itself into the side of the house" on Hoon Hay Rd at 9.30am The truck had brought down some power lines but no serious injuries were reported Police in Christchurch discovered a body in a vehicle early on Wednesday morning Police in Christchurch discovered a body in a vehicle early on Wednesday morning.A police spokesperson said officers were called to Northcroft St The death is not being treated as suspicious and the person may have suffered a medical event It is believed the deceased person was a woman More than a week after the massive fire in the Port Hills of Christchurch residents who narrowly escaped losing their homes are still counting themselves lucky Nine homes were completely destroyed and two were partially damaged in the fire that scorched 2075 hectares of land Anne Kennett and her partner Gordon Milne live on Hoon Hay Valley Road and were The fire came within metres of their house and left the back of their property dotted with blackened trees and charred earth Burnt pine needles were left floating in their swimming pool Ms Kennett said she started packing her belongings into her car when she first heard news of the fire When they were eventually let back into their home she was relieved fire hadn't ripped through it if I had come out the doors and there were flames here I think I'd be a complete mess but given that they evacuated us early enough "The whole time [we were evacuated] we had no idea whether our house was going to be OK "Our water pipes melted so we haven't had water for the past few days Luckily there was no smoke inside and no smoke damage one family wasn't so fortunate as their home burnt down "I don't feel like I could feel enough for them It's traumatic and completely devastating for them." Residents are being asked to conserve water because reservoirs in Christchurch's Port Hills are struggling with increased pressure from firefighters Civil Defence says 100°C hotspots from the Port Hills fire still pose a risk while "fire tourists" cause issues in cordoned areas People affected by the Port Hills fire - including firefighters who helped control it - are being offered free doctors' visits New hotspots have been found at the Christchurch Adventure Park with warm weather and a wind change expected this afternoon Kieran Doody was last seen in the Hoon Hay area yesterday A man who went missing from the Hillmorton mental health facility has been found Canterbury police asked on Facebook today for information on the whereabouts of Kieran Doody who was last seen in the Hoon Hay area around 1pm yesterday “Kieran should not be approached,” the post said Later on Thursday police said he had been located The Hillmorton interim group director of operations for Canterbury said the patient was on “escorted ground leave around Hillmorton” yesterday when he left the site “Police were alerted as soon as we became aware the patient had absconded “As is always the case when something unexpected happens with a patient in our care we will be reviewing the circumstances of this event.” Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said this move is intended to protect young people.