The second bridge on the Hooker Valley Track has been impacted by riverbank erosion from wind and rain events over the past few years and is also susceptible to heavy snowfalls DOC staff and engineers have been closely monitoring riverbank erosion at the bridge and following the recent heavy rain over Easter “We’ve been managing the second bridge for the past couple of years adding micro piling and other measures but continued erosion of the riverbank with the prospect of more heavy rain and snow loading this winter we have made the decision to close the bridge permanently,” says DOC Director of Asset Management Shan Baththana.DOC Aoraki/Mount Cook Operations Manager Sally Jones says while it’s disappointing to have to close the bridge public safety is DOC’s number one priority “Walking up the Hooker Valley to see Aoraki and staying at the popular Hooker Hut is a highlight for many visitors and the temporary closure of part of the track will disrupt plans But public safety is always number one.” “We’re now focused on securing the site around the second bridge The walk up to the first swing bridge on the Hooker Valley track is still open and we hope to open more of the track once a barrier gate is in place and the site around the second bridge is secured and safe there are also several other beautiful and accessible walks that remain open and offer those stunning views of Aoraki that people love Kea Point is a great place for visitors to get those once in a lifetime photos Aoraki/Mount Village is still very much open for business.”Sally Jones says what’s exciting is the new 189-metre-long suspension bridge being built on the Hooker Valley track She says the new bridge is a significant investment in the long-term resilience of the Hooker Valley Track it will be the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the country — and a remarkable way to safely experience the power and beauty of this landscape The new bridge has been specifically designed to withstand more extreme weather events “One of New Zealand’s best day hikes Hooker Valley Track is used by around half a million visitors annually and is the most popular visitor attraction in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park We are committed to investing in these well-loved nature experiences We need to continue to provide safe access and make sure our infrastructure is future proofed against the effects of climate change Nature is our most important economic asset and sustains industries like tourism.” Sally Jones says work has already started on the bridge project with track building around the site Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park has over one million visitors annually and is second only to Fiordland in terms of most popular New Zealand national parks for international visitors Sally Jones says the number of visitors is increasing and she does have a message for those visiting Aoraki/Mount Cook “A concerning trend we’re seeing is visitors going off track through fragile vegetation and rocky terrain This not only causes lasting damage to the environment — it also puts people at real risk The landscape here is breathtaking but unforgiving We ask everyone to think carefully about where they’re walking and climbing and to stick to marked tracks for their own safety and to help protect this special place for others DOC staff work hard to keep people safe and over the next year while we are building the new bridge we need everyone to respect the environment and the advice we give.” Email: media@doc.govt.nz Hooker Valley Track is open to the first swing bridge but the section past it is closed Enjoy the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana on one of our best day hikes You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image A real Jingle Bells morning up here this morning Work to eradicate pests in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park has led to burgeoning numbers of kea stoats and other pests over thousands of hectares has been done by Te Manahuna Aoraki Project - part of Zero Invasive Predators The average flock size in the Malte Brun area in 2024 was twice that seen two years before Initial elimination operations have now been carried out across 30,000 hectares in the alpine zone and 4,000 hectares in the tussock dryland/farmland The Project now hopes to scale up its efforts over a much wider areas Kathryn talks to the Te Manahuna Aoraki Project technical lead for kea See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes Please sign in to your account to add a vehicle to favourite but this is notable for its specifically Kiwi trim themes And for one special feature: a mountain landscape is presented on the seatbacks in "negative perforation" quilting the graphic is created by sections of the leather not being perforated which is actually a pretty cool effect when you realise what's been done Bentley Auckland says the idea for the car came from an "Extraordinary Journeys" trip for VIP guests back in 2023 It offered owners a chance to experience a collection of Bentley models on some of the "world’s most exceptional routes" after arriving by helicopter at a remote high-country station in Central Otago for lunch the group started discussing the idea of creating something inspired by the view.. The final design took several months of work with Mulliner to sign off The dashboard wears the exact coordinates (43,5950S 170.1418E) of Aoraki Mount Cook's 3724-metre peak Anthracite over Cyprus Duo-tone exterior paint references the rock above the tree line on the Southern Alps Tussock is represented in Khamun contrast hand-painted pinstriping with the Carbon Fibre Styling specification The interior includes Open Pore Galaxy Stone on the centre console which has also been placed on the grab handles and a six-o’clock steering wheel spoke; this has been curated to replicate the olive-emerald plumage of the mountain parrot The vehicle is equipped with All Terrain specification which includes a bespoke colour-matched Bentley Roof Box for additional storage and 22-inch Azure Wheels in Beluga Gloss with Cyprus pockets The Mullner Bentayga Aoraki is scheduled to arrive at Bentley Auckland in June 2025 DRIVEN Car Guide is the first stop for any Kiwi looking to buy their next car and ask an expert - drivencarguide.co.nz has all you need to know to buy your next car insert photo of missing climber Kurt Blair The search for three men missing on Aoraki Mt Cook has not been able to resume today as climbing colleagues in the United States said the trio have suffered a fatal fall Police revealed the three missing men are Kurt Blair The three men were visiting New Zealand before being reported overdue to return from their planned ascent of Aoraki Mt Cook yesterday morning The men flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday planning to summit Aoraki Mt Cook via Zurbriggen Ridge Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said they did not make their flight out planned for 8.30am yesterday and were subsequently reported overdue Silverton Avalanche School in the US said it had been notified the climbers had succumbed to a fatal fall “We received notification from NZ authorities that the climbers appear to have taken a fatal fall from high upon the peak,” it said “Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR [search and rescue] piece together the tragedy although remote technical and heavily glaciated terrain coupled with deteriorating weather has prevented a recovery of the climbers.” The school paid tribute to Kurt Blair online remembering him as the “nicest guy” who came from a “proud lineage of mountain adventurers” “It is with a heavy heart that we share that our friend and colleague Kurt Blair went missing and is presumed deceased while climbing Mt Cook in New Zealand,” it said “Anyone who shared time with Kurt in the mountains knows that his calm demeanour and positive presence ran counter to the rough edges and sharp tongues so often exemplified by the hardscrabble ranks of mountain guides,” the post said “He was the nicest guy you’d ever share a rope or trail or skin track with competence and polite nature made him a client and student favourite.” The post described the loss of “such a wise and steady partner” as “devastating” Carlos Romero was a qualified international mountain guide with specialist skills in skiing according to the American Mountain Guides Association A search was initiated yesterday involving the Department of Conservation (DoC) Search and Rescue team local helicopter company The Helicopter Line and police several climbing-related items were located which are believed to belong to the three men,” Walker said “Police have been working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men.” Further information regarding the third man will not be provided until police can be sure that all necessary family notifications have been carried out Police say weather conditions are likely to prevent any further search activity until Thursday this week A leading New Zealand mountain guide this morning said the missing trio were likely to be facing treacherous conditions including potentially deadly rime ice (supercooled water droplets) said although there was hope the climbers had taken refuge somewhere to wait out the rain you’ve got ice cliffs that can fall down and they’re incredibly hard to predict compared to avalanches,” Dickson said He also revealed rime ice is a major concern at this time of year Rime ice forms when water droplets freeze on surfaces and can fall off as temperatures increase “It’s an ice formation in which cold water droplets grow on to each other and build out .. injure you or give you a massive fright at the very least,” Dickson said He said ice cliffs and rime ice formations could fall at any moment and could be far more deadly than avalanches “You’ve got an increased risk of not just avalanches so it’s a lot more to consider from a search and rescue point of view.” Dickson remains hopeful the climbers have taken shelter somewhere on the mountain they could be holed up and waiting for the weather to clear,” he said were due to complete their climb at 8.30am on Monday but did not meet their prearranged transport A missing persons’ report was filed at 12.45pm “Police search and rescue and Department of Conservation search and rescue are working together to locate the three men,” a police spokesperson said Walker said a helicopter and specialist search and rescue personnel searched on the mountain throughout the afternoon and into the evening until “weather conditions deteriorated” Walker said they would be working with DoC this morning to assess the weather and determine whether search efforts were able to continue heavy rain and snow above 3200m are forecast for the national park today It also described the risk of an avalanche in high alpine areas as “moderate” MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the rainy conditions would continue throughout today but they will ease a bit as the day goes on.” Katie Oliver is a Christchurch-based multimedia journalist and breaking news reporter The minister says she's changed her processes after admitting processes were 'untidy' Climbing gear believed to belong to the three men missing on Aoraki Mount Cook has been found The climbers, attempting to reach the mountain summit, were reported missing after they didn't meet their prearranged transport on Monday morning They have been named as 56-year-old Kurt Blair 50-year-old Carlos Romero from the United States The search for the men is on hold until at least Thursday because of the weather MetService has forecast rain and snow to 3200 metres in the national park on Tuesday A helicopter and search and rescue teams were unable to find the group on Monday afternoon before bad weather halted the search which are believed to belong to the three men "Police have been working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men "Further information regarding the third man will not be provided until we can be sure that all necessary family notifications have been carried out." says it "received notification from NZ authorities that the climbers appear to have taken a fatal fall from high upon the peak" "Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR piece together the tragedy although remote technical and heavily glaciated terrain coupled with deteriorating weather has prevented a recovery of the climbers," it said "Kurt was a beloved fixture of the San Juan mountains who comes from a proud lineage of mountain adventurers "Anyone who shared time with Kurt in the mountains knows that his calm demeanor and positive presence ran counter to the rough edges and sharp tongues so often exemplified by the hard scrabble ranks of mountain guides He was the nicest guy you'd ever share a rope or trail or skin track with competence and polite nature made him a client and student favorite." Veteran mountaineer Chris Prudden said storms coming off the Tasman Sea could create dangers "That weather moves up and can hang on the main divide area and provide a lot of hazard its not unusual for people to be caught out," he said Police said the search would resume when conditions allowed New Zealand Mountain Safety Council said good conditions were reported on Aoraki Mt Cook before the three climbers went missing summit attempts on Aoraki/Mt Cook begin during the middle of the night to make the most of the overnight freeze for easier and safer climbing," MSC chief executive Mike Daisley said The NZ Avalanche Advisory also reported a low avalanche danger rating on Sunday stating "time your day to make the most of good travel conditions early in the morning Daisley acknowledged the challanges Aoraki Mount Cook poses and said it is reserved for advanced mountaineers "Climbing on the Main Divide and New Zealand's 3000m peaks is a serious undertaking icy surface conditions and dynamic weather," he said Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The trio were due to complete their climb at 8.30am Monday but did not meet their prearranged transport Two climbers are in good spirits after being plucked from "some of the steepest and most rugged terrain in the country" on Aoraki during a short weather window An Alpine rescue crew is in touch with the climbers stranded since Tuesday and is continuing to assess their conditions New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » Police say they do not believe three climbers missing on Aoraki Mt Cook have survived a fall Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker today said police had used a helicopter and drones to search the area where other items were found on Monday and had recovered other climbing-related items and energy gels Insp Walker said all items had been retrieved police said in a briefing to media in Timaru this afternoon Insp Walker said drone evidence showed footprints and police did not believe the men survived a fall they took Earlier it was reported there were grave concerns for the men - two Americans The trio flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday last week planning to summit the mountain via Zurbriggen Ridge Gear belonging to the men was found during an initial search on Monday Insp Walker said in a statement this morning it was five days since the climbers were reported overdue and the search had been hampered through the week by "treacherous" conditions A helicopter was being used today to take up two drone pilots to create a staging area for them to operate a drone as part of the search "The window of opportunity to survey the area of interest is small Our teams will assess any new information we are able to gather from the mountain." All involved in the search effort were thinking of the men's families "The families of the men are understandably distraught and desperate for answers" we’re thinking of the men’s families in the United States and Canada This is a deeply distressing time for the relatives - my heart goes out to them continue to monitor any new information or sightings." For most of the week the weather had limited the ability to repeat Monday's search "Our search teams have been hampered by ongoing treacherous conditions It’s been too windy for helicopters and simply too dangerous and risky to put teams into the search areas." Aoraki Mt Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand technical climb with countless crevasses and hazards "Even if it was safe put searchers on the ground it would take a day to reach Plateau Hut and another day to summit the peak and return to the hut "The weather has presented searchers with a frustrating situation I would like to acknowledge all of the teams and specialists who are putting their heart and soul into this rescue operation." Police have conducted another search on Aoraki Mount Cook for the three climbers missing since 2 December Police had earlier called off the search for Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero and an unnamed Canadian national on 6 December alongside Search and Rescue staff and Department of Conservation conducted a further search at a location of interest on the mountain Staff travelled up the mountain via helicopter and while the search for the men was unsuccessful Police say they have been in contact with the families of the three men to update them on Tuesday's search efforts They say they are continuing to follow the process to formally suspend the search however they remain poised to reactivate the search if fresh information or credible sightings are reported Police on Friday called off the search for Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero and an unnamed Canadian national Michael Ackerman says Kurt Blair is "not the guy we expected this to happen to" as police hold grave fears for the three missing climbers Drones are joining the search for three climbers who have been missing since Monday Police say wind conditions have determined it is not safe to fly in the area today to resume the search for three missing climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook The second bridge on the Hooker Valley Track has been affected by riverbank erosion from wind and rain events over the past few years and is also susceptible to heavy snowfall Doc staff and engineers have been closely monitoring riverbank erosion at the bridge and following the recent heavy rain at Easter "We’ve been managing the second bridge for the past couple of years we have made the decision to close the bridge permanently," Doc asset management director Shan Baththana said Doc Aoraki/Mount Cook operations manager Sally Jones said while it was disappointing to have to close the bridge The walk up the Hooker Valley is closed temporarily until access to the lower part of the track is secured and a new suspension bridge is built "Walking up the Hooker Valley to see Aoraki and staying at the popular Hooker Hut is a highlight for many visitors and the temporary closure of the track will disrupt plans "We’re now focused on securing the site so we can reopen the lower section of the track as soon as possible." A new 189m-long suspension bridge was being built on the Hooker Valley Track it will be the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the country — and a remarkable way to safely experience the power and beauty of this landscape Hooker Valley Track is used by about half a million visitors annually and is the most popular visitor attraction in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Work had already started on the bridge project with track building around the site The aim is to have it open in autumn next year The number of visitors was increasing to the national park but a worrying trend was emerging "We’re seeing visitors going off track through fragile vegetation and rocky terrain," Ms Jones said "This not only causes lasting damage to the environment — it also puts people at real risk "The landscape here is breathtaking but unforgiving "We ask everyone to think carefully about where they’re walking and climbing and to stick to marked tracks for their own safety and to help protect this special place for others." — APL A search for three missing climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook is ready to resume A long-awaited and welcome break in the harsh weather conditions means a helicopter was on Friday morning deployed There are grave concerns for the three men: two Americans The search has been hampered by poor weather and search teams were waiting for an opening on Friday police say they will be updating media on the search about 10am The climbers were reporting missing on Monday will be disappointing for them and their loved ones," area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said and we want to reassure them that we're ready to go Gear belonging to the men was found during an initial search but efforts were then called off due to poor weather over the last couple of days The men flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm last Saturday Search teams on Monday found an ice axe and a jacket to belong to the party Police hold grave concerns for three missing climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook didn't meet their prearranged transport on Monday morning and were reported missing A helicopter and search and rescue teams were unable to find the group that afternoon before bad weather halted the search The climbers have been named as 56-year-old Kurt Blair Police were not releasing the name of the Canadian man at this time due to his family's wishes Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker told Morning Report searchers spoke to a party coming down the ridge who said the climbers were going up the route and intending to get to the summit Walker could not confirm a report that the men had suffered a fatal fall but said police had "grave concerns" for the missing party Search teams on Monday had found an ice axe and a jacket belonging to the party who were believed to be ascending via the Zurbriggen Ridge Walker said searchers spoke to a party coming down the ridge who said the climbers were going up the route and intending to get to the summit "I want to acknowledge the work so far of those involved in the search including the Department of Conservation Search and Rescue Team Terrain on the mountain was difficult to navigate and Walker praised the efforts of searchers so far The search team would continue to assess the weather conditions and were hopeful of resuming their search Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said the climbing conditions were good at the time the party was expecting to attempt the summit The poor weather had come in after they were due out of the area Daisley said common hazards on Aoraki Mount Cook were avalanches and there were often icy surface conditions this time of year The weather had deteriorated significantly since the weekend but no avalanches had been reported in the area However there had been many examples of experienced climbers such as these surviving by finding snow caves or other shelter Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A friend of two of three people missing on Aoraki Mount Cook says it would help bring closure if local climbers are able to find them On Friday, the police called off the search for Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero and an unnamed Canadian national who have been missing since 2 December Police said they believe the men took a fall while climbing around the mountain said knowing what happened would help put the families' and friends' minds at ease "These guys basically vanished into thin air.. and it's hard to wrap your head around that." Ormond said there was a slim to none chance the trio would be found after five days "If they had shown up - popped out of a snow cave or something .. "There's always a little thought back there if the final three weeks of the climbing season turned up any clues Police do not believe three climbers missing on Aoraki Mt Cook have survived a fall The search for the missing men reconvened on Friday morning after bad weather prevented any efforts in recent days "We do not believe the men have survived," Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said in a statement this afternoon Walker said that police believe the men took a fall while climbing around the mountain "This is certainly not the news we wanted to share today," she said we're thinking of the men's families in the United States and Canada it's not the phone call they wanted to receive "I'm devastated for them - the entire search team wanted a positive result." There have been grave concerns for the two Americans Police had used a helicopter and drones to search the area where other items were found on Monday and recovered other climbing-related items and energy gels they believed belonged to the men we can see evidence of where the climbers had begun to traverse the slopes beneath Zurbriggen Ridge," Walker said planning to summit the mountain but failed to meet their flight out The search has been suspended but Walker said "we remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information or credible reports of sightings - especially from the climbing community" She said that any recovery operation will be evaluated to determine its feasibility "I know that finding the men will be what the family wants and deserves." ieve three climbers missing on Aoraki Mt Cook have survived a fall The Otago Daily Times has reported Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker today saying police had used a helicopter and drones to search the area where other items were found on Monday Police on Friday morning are set to give an update on the state of the search for three men missing on Aoraki Mt Cook but a search has been hampered by poor weather Search teams are waiting for a a break in the weather to resume the search for three men missing on Aoraki Mt Cook Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said Department of Conservation and Search and Rescue staff were on standby but it was looking likely to be Friday morning before the search could resume She said it was a technical alpine environment which required the right skills and experience to traverse She said this delay would be hard for the families of the men - Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero and an unnamed Canadian national will be disappointing for them and their loved ones Police said they had grave concerns for the men who were reported overdue from a climb on Monday Friends of Blair said they were devastated A long-time friend and colleague of one of three climbers missing on Aoraki Mount Cook says his local Colorado mountain guide community is devastated Police hold grave concerns for the men - Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero and an unnamed Canadian national - who were reported overdue from a climb on Monday The search for the climbers remains suspended until at least Thursday due to bad weather Colorado's Silverton Avalanche School said it had received notification from New Zealand authorities that the climbers appeared to have succumbed to a fatal fall The school's executive director Michael Ackerman told RNZ he had known Blair for almost 20 years Ackerman said Blair was an accomplished and experienced climber who taught recreational avalanche courses and led climbs and skiing trips for San Juan Mountain Guides "As much as he was a rugged individualist in this world of mountain professionals the most patient person doing this work," he said Kurt was part of a pretty close-knit group of mountain guides .. you can imagine this hits pretty close to home this is not the guy we expected this to happen to "From a personal standpoint just knowing Kurt Ackerman said Blair had an amazing quality of being able to connect with people and guide them and people came back to work with him year after year "Kurt had this amazing ability in the face of almost insurmountable odds freezing temperatures to just be really steady and just be a rock I think that brought a really calming presence to the groups," he said Ackerman said Blair was very excited about travelling to New Zealand He said New Zealand authorities contacted him after Blair was reported missing to see if he could connect with his colleague through United States' mountain guides' satellite and communication resources Ackerman said becoming a professional mountain guide was a "mid-life pivot" for Blair "He was always a climber in his personal life his dad was quite an accomplished climber in his own right and he hit a point where he wanted to chase this dream of being a professional mountain guide In 2022 he realised that dream and he achieved IFMGA status he became an international mountain guide recognised through the highest certification available internationally," he said "Before that he had been guiding mountain and rock climbing teaching snow safety and avalanche education in Southwest Colorado that is where Kurt and I became really close." During an initial search for the men, several climbing-related items were found that police believe belonged to the three men They were working with the US and Canadian embassies to support their families Two injured climbers stranded nearly 2500 metres up Aoraki/Mount Cook have been airlifted to safety Helicopter crews were able to reach the men just before 8.30am on Saturday after they spent four nights hunkered down in Empress hut Aoraki Search and Rescue supervisor George Loomes said the men were in good spirits and had been well prepared for a long stay in the mountains "They've done extremely well in trying conditions They were well prepared with food and supplies for a stay of a couple of weeks," Loomes said Loomes praised the "strong flying" of the pilots and crews for the Helicopter Line who managed to reach the men through a short window of good weather in extremely challenging terrain Poor weather conditions had meant rescuers were unable to reach the men any earlier "We waited because we understood they were in a safe location and were in no immediate danger some of the steepest and most rugged terrain in the country They were directly beneath the west face of Aoraki beneath multiple faces of a 1000-metre sheer cirque," Loomes said "The location is right on the main divide at about 2500m - under Aoraki and Mt Hicks - both of which have faces rising about 1000 metres over the hut It's right at the top of the Hooker glacier and very challenging terrain." Loomes said there was only a small window of good weather to reach the climbers "We probably had a three-hour window from first light until we got in there and got them so a pretty small window and one that wasn't really in the forecast that we'd been expecting "That's closing up as we speak and even on the other side of the mountain Loomes said the men were killing time by reading about a month's worth of books and magazines stashed at the hut "They were very pleased to be getting out but also quite conscious that they didn't want us to take risks in getting to them They were in pretty high spirits and really getting into the reading material up at Empress," Loomes said He said the rescuers were grateful for the understanding of the climber's family as they waited for safe conditions to extract the men "Because the climbers were in a place of safety prepared for an extended stay and in a stable condition we were able to bring the risk profile right down "In similar situations in the past the risk has increased over time to the point where you can get the rescuers into just as much trouble as the people being rescued So [we're] very conscious of that and very pleased with the result," Loomes said He said he was grateful for the contributions of the Timaru Police The Helicopter Line and the entire Department of Conservation (DOC) for their support of the Aoraki based rescue teams "Any individual rescue really relies on all the different parts [of the rescue sector] I don't think that a team in isolation can achieve a result like this." Loomes said Aoraki Police Search and Rescue Sergeant Samantha Stewart said the men had called police on Tuesday afternoon saying they had suffered frostbite but were taking shelter in the hut "Both climbers are receiving medical treatment for their injuries and despite what they've been through they're in good spirits and are very appreciative of the efforts that rescuers have made to get them but thankfully they were experienced in climbing and very well prepared." Stewart said She said the pair had been assessed for injuries back at the search in rescue base "within minutes" of being picked up by the helicopter and would be taken to Christchurch Hospital for treatment Rescue teams were in regular contact with the pair and their families We made one rescue attempt and considered other windows of opportunity "We had a narrow window of opportunity this morning but we didn't think it would be as good as it was "We were stoked to see them getting out of that helicopter Bianca Bratton from the Mountain Safety Council was well abreast of the challenging terrain "It goes without saying that these areas up in our high alpine are some of the country's most remote and wild environments so they are particularly volatile," she told Checkpoint on Friday Bratton said the men were in the best place at the hut while they awaited rescue The DOC huts "definitely don't have your creature comforts" Frostbite was a big risk in the cold temperatures An outdoors safety advocate said there was "real jubilation" within New Zealand's "tight-knit" climbing community after the rescue New Zealand Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said it was always worrying when people were stranded for so long "But it's still really good news and fantastic efforts from all those involved the Department of Conservation's Alpine Cliff Rescue Team and Police "There's been a lot of coordination and planning otherwise they could have been there for much longer." Mike Daisley said the huts at that altitude were much more basic than the lower level tramping huts "They're much more simple and built for structural safety and very noisy But he said the climbers were "prepped with a lot of food and extra clothing - that really helped" skiiers and trampers to always check conditions with late winter storms becoming more common due to climate change He stressed there was no avalanche risk to the stranded climbers but the late dump of snow had raised the risk "Always check the avalanche advisory before you go." Police said poor weather conditions continued on Friday the pair have been at a remote alpine hut since Tuesday MetService was predicting heavy rain and possible thunderstorms on Thursday morning with weather expected to clear later in the day Search and rescue teams are on standby for a break in the weather Drones are joining the search for three climbers who have been missing at Aoraki Mt Cook since Monday Bad weather has prevented the search for most of the week but it was able to resume on Friday morning during a limited clear weather window and a Canadian national were intending to summit Aoraki but failed to meet their flight out Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said a helicopter was sent at first light during a break from the harsh weather but was unable to spot the climbers "The purpose [for the helicopter flight] was to conduct an initial search and also to bring up two drone pilots to create a staging area for them to operate a drone as part of the search "We have completed that initial helicopter search and we are now looking to place the drone operators into the alpine environment "Our search teams have been hampered by ongoing treacherous alpine conditions It has been too windy for helicopters and simply too dangerous to put teams in the environment It's a technical climb and with countless crevasses and hazards." Even if was safe to put searchers on the ground she said it would take them about a day to reach the area of interest MetService said scattered showers were expected to develop on Friday with some heavy and possible thundery before clearing in the evening wind and wind chill as mountain weather hazards for the national park "The window of opportunity to survey this area is small and we'll continue to assess any new information that we've gathered from the mountain," Walker said Police were thinking of the men's families "The families of the men are desperate to understand and understandably distraught and desperate for answers," Walker said "It's a deeply distressing time for the relatives and my heart and my team's heart goes out to them." This type of work could also take a personal toll on staff especially if they weren't getting the outcome they hoped for Gear believed to belong to the men was found during the initial search A search and rescue mission is underway after three climbers attempting Aoraki Mt Cook were reported overdue A missing persons report was made to police later at 12.45pm Police Search and Rescue and Department of Conservation Search and Rescue are working together to locate the three men A helicopter and specialist search and rescue personnel was searching on the mountain on Monday afternoon The search has to pause due to weather conditions in the area and will resume when weather conditions allowed In September, two injured climbers were rescued from the Empress hut on Aoraki after spending four nights hunkered down in bad weather A bus carrying 26 passengers slid off the road on its way to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village in heavy snow on Saturday afternoon Police said they were called to State Highway 8 - Mount Cook Road - at 12.40pm There were no injuries but the bus could not be towed and alternative transport was arranged for the passengers A police spokesperson said the bus was driven on to a closed road in the snowy conditions Waka Kotahi said the road had been closed nearly an hour earlier but the bus may have got in before gates could be shut Conditions were so difficult that a snow plow was also stranded for a brief period Police and WorkSafe were looking into the incident and how the bus came to be travelling on a closed road in the dangerous conditions a worker at the Aoraki/Mount Cook visitor centre said staff were kept busy uncovering cars and clearing the nearly 60cm of snow that accumulated overnight Two injured climbers are likely to spend another night at a hut on Aoraki/Mount Cook as rescuers are still unable to reach them Police were alerted after the climbers made it to a remote alpine hut and called the Department of Conservation on Tuesday afternoon police said the hut was on the mountain itself and more than 2000 metres altitude Search and Rescue personnel have not been able to extract the pair from the mountain at this stage." The police spokesperson said the weather was continuously being monitored for a suitable weather window "The Aoraki Mt Cook Alpine Rescue Team remain in communication with the two people who have sufficient food and water for an extended stay." MetService said weather at Mount Cook on Wednesday was partly cloudy with showers MetService was predicting heavy rain at times with thunderstorms possible from the morning There was also likely to be northerly winds Two injured climbers look set to spend another day on Aoraki/Mount Cook as poor weather continues to hampers rescue attempts The pair made it to a remote alpine hut and called the Department of Conservation on Tuesday afternoon However, bad weather conditions have prevented search and rescuers from attempting to reach them Police said the poor conditions continued on Friday with an attempt at a rescue too risky But the Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Rescue Team remained in communication with the climbers and continued to assess the conditions Wednesday morning is the coldest of the week so far Search and rescue teams are waiting for a break in the weather to reach two injured climbers at a hut on Aoraki/Mount Cook A police spokesperson said rescue teams had not been able to reach the pair because of the weather "The weather is continuously being reviewed for a suitable weather window and search and rescue personnel are on standby," they said "Agencies involved remain in communication with the two people who have sufficient food and water for an extended stay "The two climbers are being provided medical advice from specialist medical experts." The Department of Conservation website said the route to the 12-bunk Empress Hut was highly technical and only suitable for very experienced mountaineers MetService's forecast for Mount Cook showed high cloud increasing through the day with showers developing this afternoon and northwesterlies Bad weather complicated efforts to bring the solo climber out of the Mt Cook National Park Two drone operators have been brought in as the search for three missing climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook resumes but the clear weather window is already closing from the United States and a Canadian national was launched on Monday morning after the trio were reported overdue They planned to summit the 3724m peak via Zurbriggen Ridge having flown into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday The alarm was raised when they failed to meet their 8.30am flight out on Monday The operation had been on hold since Monday evening due to the weather but "several climbing-related items" believed to belong to the men were found before the search was called off Weather has hampered search efforts for several days but conditions at the mountain were calm and clear this morning. Kurt Blair, 56, is among the three missing climbers. (Source: Supplied) Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said at a media briefing in Timaru that a helicopter was deployed during a "welcome break" in the weather to search for the men. "The purpose of the helicopter deployment has been to take up two drone pilots. The intention is to now create a staging area for them to operate a drone as part of the search. Walker said the window of opportunity to survey the area of interest was small. "Our teams will assess any new information we are able to gather from the mountain." The search for three men at Aoraki Mount Cook restarted this morning - but police said the forecast isn't promising. (Source: 1News) The weather has presented searchers with a "frustrating situation", she added. "Even if it was safe to put searchers on the ground, it would take a day to reach Plateau Hut and another day to summit the peak and return to the hut." Walker said police were thinking of the men's families in the United States and Canada during this "deeply distressing time". Missing Mt Cook climber a professional who taught others in USOne of the climbers missing on Aoraki Mount Cook was an "accomplished" professional climber who taught others in the industry about snow and mountain safety New Zealand Search 'unlikely' to resume today for men missing on Mt CookPolice said the search team would continue to assess the weather conditions saying it "remains unlikely searching will be able to continue before tomorrow" Weather continues to hamper search for men missing on Aoraki Mt Cook Searching has been unable to resume today but items found yesterday are believed to belong to the three missing men She said they were "understandably distraught and desperate for answers". "I would like to acknowledge all of the teams and specialists who are putting their heart and soul into this rescue operation." Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire Emergency services were called to Warrington Street in Mairehau at around 8.05am Stowaway weka catches ride across Southern Alps The native bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite Christchurch's Court Theatre makes grand return to the CBD It's been 14 years since the theatre lost its home in the Arts Centre to the earthquake Chch students discover resilience helps young people deal with the challenges of life State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" Little River locals question if some flooding could have been avoided The Banks Peninsula town was cut off after State Highway 75 was inundated by half a metre of water Environment Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death 44 mins ago Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' 54 mins ago Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 11:39am Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 11:32am New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 14 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon One of the climbers missing on Aoraki Mount Cook is an "accomplished" professional climber who taught others in the industry about snow and mountain safety The search for Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the US, and a Canadian national was launched on Monday after they were reported overdue The operation has been on hold since late Monday due to the weather and the search is now considered unlikely to resume until at least tomorrow executive director of the Silverton Avalanche School in Colorado said the missing climber is a highly experienced mountaineer He said Blair is an IFMGA-certified mountain guide and "mountain professional" who is an expert in recognising dangers related to snow and avalanches He also said Blair is an "accomplished" personal climber with an impressive resume "He had a career before mountain guiding and then he decided a number of years ago to chase this dream to become a full-time professional mountain guide." Blair taught those undergoing recreational training as well as those looking for professional certification as a guide Ackerman said Blair provided students with fundamental knowledge of weather and the mountain snowpack so they could make informed and less dangerous decisions while climbing He said that while the team going up Aoraki Mount Cook was "high calibre" "One of the things we teach here is that mother nature bats last in all of these endeavours and ecosystems that we take on as backcountry travellers "And she's fond of hitting a walk-off in the ninth inning when you think you have the victory all sewn up." Asked if he held hope the trio would be found safe Ackerman said: "You always want to hold out hope that climbers adventurous people that adventure to heights have found a way to burrow into a snow cave and share a biscuit for three days "I feel very removed from the terrain and the situation on the ground in New Zealand What I do know is what has been shared with me." He said authorities had found gear and equipment that led them to believe the group had suffered a fall "What they had deduced is that if the team had fallen and their presumption was that these guys were gone." Ackerman said his group of mountaineers in Colorado had "fairly robust and rehearsed" protocols for check-ins and used satellite communication devices "So the authorities reached out to the school and to myself to see if we could provide them with contact information to try to ping his device "These units have the ability to do live tracking and so if that feature is turned on on the device they could zero in on where the party might be." He said he and his colleagues were happy to "lend what we could" but their efforts ended up being "dead ends" Ackerman said Blair told him he was "very much looking forward to a trip to New Zealand" after returning from a local avalanche conference He said everybody who knew Blair was "shattered" by what happened "Kurt was an amazingly authentic individual and he had a humility in both word an actions "He had a politeness that I can only aspire to." Police say it remains "unlikely" the search for three men missing on Aoraki Mount Cook will resume today The search for Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the United States, and a Canadian national was launched on Monday morning after they were reported overdue But the operation has been on hold since later on Monday due to the weather and the search was now considered unlikely to resume until at least tomorrow Aoraki Area Commander Vicki Walker said police were not in a position to release the name of the Canadian man due to family wishes search and rescue teams would be operating in a "highly technical alpine environment" and the right equipment to go into those environments," she said "It's not for the faint-hearted." She said police believed the trio were helicoptered to a plateau hut where they then made an attempt to summit the peak via Zurbriggen Ridge A jacket and ice axe believed to have belonged to the men were found before the search was paused She said specially trained Department of Conservation staff and helicopters would be used in the search on the specific area around where the items were located "People who go there are planning successful trip but they've got to be skilled in training and ability." Police say weather conditions continue to hamper the search for three men from the United States and Canada missing on Aoraki Mt Cook Police say a number of climbing-related items located before the search was called off yesterday are believed to belong to the three men The search for Kurt Blair (56) and Carlos Romero (50) from the United States and a Canadian national was launched yesterday after they were reported overdue They planned to summit Aoraki Mt Cook via Zurbriggen Ridge having flown into Plateu Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday The alarm was raised when they failed to meet their 8.30am flight out yesterday prompting a search involving the Department of Conservation (DoC) Search and Rescue Team "Police have been working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men," Inspector Vicki Walker said "Further information regarding the third man will not be provided until we can be sure that all necessary family notifications have been carried out." A US Embassy spokesperson said the consulate in Auckland was helping police communicate with and support the families involved "Out of respect for the families' privacy we are unable to provide any further detail." police revealed that during yesterday's search "several climbing-related items" believed to belong to the three men were found The search was paused shortly before 8pm on Monday "Weather conditions are likely to prevent any further search activity until Thursday this week however Police will continue to monitor and assess the conditions," Walker said the Silverton Avalanche School in Colorado said New Zealand authorities told it the three climbers appeared to have suffered a fatal fall "We received notification from NZ authorities that the climbers appear to have taken a fatal fall from high upon the peak," it read "Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR piece together the tragedy although remote technical and heavily glaciated terrain coupled with deteriorating weather has prevented a recovery of the climbers." describing him as a "fixture" of the San Juan mountain range in Colorado who came from a "proud lineage" of mountaineers The post said he was a professional mountain guide who was certified in 2022 after a life of private climbing "Anyone who shared time with Kurt in the mountains knows that his calm demeanor and positive presence ran counter to the rough edges and sharp tongues so often exemplified by the hard scrabble ranks of mountain guides "He was the nicest guy you’d ever share a rope or trail or skin track with competence and polite nature made him a client and student favorite." Mountain Safety Council (MSC) chief executive Mike Daisley said the weekend's conditions were reported as being good for climbing He said firm conditions existed during the night and early morning but would have been "more challenging" once the day heated up and the snow softened summit attempts on Aoraki/Mt Cook begin during the middle of the night to make the most of the overnight freeze for easier and safer climbing," he said also reported a low avalanche danger rating on Sunday and told climbers: “Time your day to make the most of good travel conditions early in the morning before the heat of the day kicks in” Daisley said summiting the mountain was a technical climb that is reserved for advanced mountaineers "Climbing on the Main Divide and New Zealand’s 3000m peaks is a serious undertaking icy surface conditions and dynamic weather," he said A weka who travelled from the West Coast to Christchurch over the Alps has been returned home after his roadie adventure The endemic bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite in Buller Gorge while packing up from their Easter getaway The gear was split between campers Kim Ranger and her partner Ian's two vehicles hidden in dog blankets in Ian's ute despite multiple stops He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka," Kim said I opened the back door of the Ranger to get something there it was in the rear passenger footwell what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?”  Kim said they contacted the after-hours vet SPCA and DOC but were told to care for the bird until morning Apart from setting off the car alarm at 7am and covering the inside of the ute with poo Kim said the weka didn't seem distressed after her last name and given its temporary home Ranger was collected by DOC and checked over at the South Island Wildlife Hospital where — apart from being slightly dehydrated — was in good health and was released back to the area from where it hitched a ride DOC Biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said the episode was a reminder for people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping “There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn’t want to see them accidentally introduced here.”  we also had someone accidentally bring two wētā over from the West Coast in their wetsuits,” said Alexander If you find a native animal has snuck a ride somewhere it shouldn't be; contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake A new location was found in Addington following the quake people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said It’s such a moment for the city," another added The state of the art facility on Gloucester St houses two theatres – one large auditorium that seats 377 stopped by with his family to give it a once-over "We thought we'd pop down and see the new opening and I’m quite interested in architecture and was quite excited to see the building," his father said Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger described the project as a turning point for the city “Its return to the CBD is more than symbolic – it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together," he said the theatre is expected to grow significantly It currently produces 20 shows annually with a combined audience of 120,000 Court Theatre executive director Gretchen La Roche said the new building "represents a transformative moment for the city’s arts scene” Artistic director Alison Walls called it symbolic and stirring “It feels beautifully fitting we open our new home with this deeply personal national story." Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life 1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students and showered in love and hugs by their families Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug "It's been a really long two weeks without him," she said getting them to achieve things that they've never done before so I think it’s great," she said Kayla said she has learnt "to never give up and to keep trying" Felt like I just wanted to go home but I just pushed through The teens trekked through native bush and arduous terrain near Otira One student said the tasks brought out the best in each of them "You'll feel scared and lonely and down and you just need to push through because you can do this," they said The students were nominated by their teachers to take part Hornby High School principal Ian Murray said those who were chosen had the "best opportunity to grow resilience and character to help them through the challenges that some of them may have been facing at the time" Their final task was to deliver a speech about what they’ve learnt I pushed myself beyond my limits and realised I had more to me than I thought," Kayla told the audience The Graeme Dingle Foundation's general manager for the Canterbury region said they've seen students flourish after going through the programme “We've seen them from students that have got their shoulders down and their heads down chin up and just beaming that they've overcome some amazing obstacles," she said The Graeme Dingle Foundation supports 27,000 young people to undertake a similar journey of discovery each year The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system Cleanup is underway in the Banks Peninsula town of Little River as angry locals are left to wonder if some of the flooding could have been avoided Little River was cut off until this afternoon after State Highway 75 was inundated with water aggrieved residents are questioning if its impact could have been lessened if the council had lowered the level of Lake Forsyth before the storm hit and it could have been avoided,” Little River Service Station worker Andy Davis said “Farmers did approach the council about opening the lake and that was back early or late last week and nothing had been done.” Davis is cleaning up after floodwater smashed the windows and upended freezers in the store it might have been the quakes and that could have broken the glass or it might have been the force of the water actually inside.” Rob McFarland was mopping the floor of the hotel after it flooded for the first time in 150 years “Obviously it’s quite a tragic event – a sea of water in here was the last thing we would have expected,” he said His daughter Sarah McFarland said because the lake was left high water coming down the mountain “had nowhere to go and came through the building” the head of Three Waters said the flooding would not have been mitigated by opening the lake “Flooding in Little River and surrounding areas is caused by issues higher up in the catchment and would not have been prevented by opening Lake Forsyth earlier,” Gavin Hutchison said Diggers opened the lake to the sea yesterday afternoon “We have to time this to coincide with the southerly swells dropping to ensure the channel stays open and has the intended impact and so we can ensure the safety of our staff and contractors when we carry out the work." “Having the lake open before the rain does help but it might help disperse some of the water,” she said she found her shop in 20-centimetre-deep water destroying a lot of her stock and leaving her with a huge cleanup “I’m not sure whether to close the doors and walk away.” A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Two injured climbers trapped in a hut on Aoraki Mount Cook will have to wait at least another night for help to arrive with bad weather hampering any rescue attempt The pair made it to a remote hut on the mountain on Tuesday and raised the alarm with the Department of Conservation (DOC) but an Alpine rescue crew is in touch with the climbers and is continuing to assess their conditions The pair are said to have enough food and water for an extended stay Bianca Bratton from the Mountain Safety Council is not involved in the rescue but well abreast of the challenging terrain "It goes without saying that these areas up in our high alpine are some of the country's most remote and wild environments so they are particularly volatile," she told Checkpoint "The search and rescue team is going up against some really crazy weather systems that continue to sort of hamper their efforts in the region." The climbers are in the best place by staying at the hut Rescuers are hoping the weather clears so the two can be flown out "At the moment it's not possible to get a team in on foot so they'll be waiting for a clearance to get the helicopter to fly in and take the pair out." The DOC huts "definitely don't have your creature comforts," Bratton said But they do have radios and climbers in these kind of environments typically carry satellite phones or other reliable communication devices so the climbers have been in touch with rescuers the huts do provide a refuge for climbers like these people from the snow and the wind and they do provide a small amount of insulation from the cold." The climbers were well prepared for their adventure "They really should have food to get them through to the next break in the weather "These routes to and from the huts are really only appropriate for experienced mountaineers so I hope that they are equipped and it sounds as though they've got everything they need to wait it out until rescue is a possibility." Spring conditions can be highly volatile and the recent weather has been very unpredictable across the Southern Alps "I know that new snow is predicted over these new couple of days." Frostbite is a big risk in the cold temperatures "The good thing is they're in touch with their search and rescue team They do have medical advice to help them treat it in the interim It's not clear at the moment exactly how serious their frostbite is." A local state of emergency has been declared in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula to go with an earlier one in Canterbury's Selwyn District as the region continues to be hit by heavy rain Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell advised of the declaration shortly after 4pm "We can see that they are dealing with a lot of water but you know the response here is outstanding..." Mitchell said Flooding in parts of Canterbury has led to evacuations in some places and several motorists have had to be rescued from floodwaters Fire officials this evening said crews had been helping people evacuate across the province and pumping water out of homes Selwyn District Council says around 40 homes in Doyleston Springston and Tai Tapu have been affected by flooding Several houses in Akaroa's Lighthouse Rd have been evacuated because of the threat of a landslip The Selwyn District Council this evening urged residents on Old Tai Tapu Rd (south of number 157) to voluntarily evacuate due to a high flooding risk the council said Emergency Response Teams were on the ground to assist those needing help and evacuation centres have been opened at Lakeside Soldiers Memorial Hall The council warned of widespread flooding in the Tewhariki Subdivision in Lincoln and urged residents to stay indoors if possible It comes as large parts of the country continue to hammered by heavy rain and high winds this evening Many weather warnings and watches remain in place for Canterbury the top of the South Island and lower North Island MetService this evening said its orange heavy rain warning had expired from Amberley north of Christchurch south to Timaru - including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula Meteorologist Lewis Ferris said while it was still wet in the area He said the rain warnings were expected to expire from the south North Canterbury remains under a heavy rain warning until 9pm Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger earlier said the state of emergency was due to the impact of the wet weather such as flooding so declaring will mean we are prepared for anything that may happen overnight,” the Mayor said “The decision to include Christchurch was made as precautionary measure "High tide is expected at 7.41pm so declaring means we would have access to powers under the state of emergency if they’re required.” Firefighters today rescued two separate groups of people who had driven around road closure signs in Canterbury and become stuck in floodwaters Fenz said two adults and two dogs were rescued from a car that had driven into floodwaters on the Christchurch Akaroa Road They were taken to the Little River fire station to warm up and dry out Firefighters also had to deal with a vehicle stuck in floodwaters on Avonside Drive in Christchurch a woman and two children were rescued after being trapped in their car amid rising floodwaters in North Canterbury This evening they said they had dealt with more than 50 calls for help amid the bad weather Parts of the Banks Peninsula settlement of Little River are under water Little River - about 30km south of Christchurch - is cut off with the main road awash and rain continuing to fall who owns an accommodation business in the area says part of State Highway 75 through the settlement is under more than half a metre of water "The rivers are high and the Western Valley Road is not impassable but getting that way "Then coming on to the main drag of Little River you can actually see that it's at least two foot deep down the bottom of the high street - at least," Fowler says "The houses down the bottom of the street will definitely have been flooded I can see something floating along the road - it looks like an oil barrel." It is the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 But the water is almost as high as it has ever been still blowing a gale and the water is still landing and coming down from the hills," he says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi this evening said SH75 would remain closed overnight and at least until Lake Forsyth/Te Roto o Wairewa could be safely opened to the sea Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said the dramatic rescue today showed the perils of swiftly rising flood waters Firefighters received an emergency call from the woman trapped with two young children in her car on a bridge over the Cust River at 11.30am today She told them she could not go forward or back because her car was surrounded by water as high as fence posts Fenz spokesperson Ian Littlejohn said crews rescued the trio before notifying police and advising the council to shut the road A state of emergency was earlier declared in the Selwyn District and several roads have been closed across Christchurch as heavy rain lashes Canterbury The heavy rain warning remains in place until 6pm today a wind warning has been escalated to the highest level - red - until 3am on Friday and includes Wellington City MetService said severe gale southwesterlies with damaging gusts of 140kmh would peak this afternoon especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops There was a possibility of "threat to life" from falling trees and other items and there could be significant disruption to transport and power supply People should stay inside or seek shelter away from trees The winds were expected to begin to ease into this evening it has forced the cancellation of all flights in and out of the capital for the rest of the day Jetstar and Sounds Air have cancelled all flights for the remainder of the day Cook Strait ferry crossings have been cancelled until late on Friday afternoon (Interislander) or Saturday (Bluebridge) but would still affects some state highways throughout Canterbury today Selwyn District Mayor Sam Broughton declared a state of emergency at 5.39am today following 24 hours of heavy rain in the region and the expert advice from the Environment Canterbury flood controller Broughton said the rivers continued to rise and there was significant surface flooding where the Selwyn River flows into Lake Ellesmere were asked to self-evacuate due to concerns of flooding from the river “This is a precautionary measure due to potential risk to the residents and their properties There is an expectation that the community will be cut off and the river may breach the road and access.” Resident Scott Rushton told an RNZ reporter at the scene the situation was "the worst I've ever seen "The two houses down the back are totally flooded out so it just gets coming down heading towards the lake." The district council distributed 250 sandbags to homes  in West Melton while community sandbag stations were set up at centres in Sheffield and Glentunnel on Wednesday night "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 Coes Ford and other fords across the district have closed A number of roads were also closed across due to surface flooding NZ Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi is closely monitoring the Selwyn River State Highway 1 bridge Environment Canterbury flood advisory suggests the main impact of the heavy rainfall remains north of the Rakaia Ashburton District Council road crews were out checking on the state of the network and asking people to take care with widespread surface flooding across the district The full extent of damage to the roading network across Canterbury won’t be known until the rain stops and surface water recedes MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane this morning said it had been been a wet night in eastern parts of the South Island April had been an "extremely interesting" weather month seeming to pack three months of events into just the four-week period Snowfall warnings continue throughout the day for some alpine roads in Canterbury It was a winter wonderland at the Hermitage Hotel in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park while there was a dusting of snow Coronet Peak ski area near Queenstown MetService this evening lifted all its road snow warnings for the South Island's alpine passes the Danseys Pass Road is restricted to 4WD access only (from the gates past the Danseys Pass Hotel) due to snow A wind warning in Wellington was escalated to red for much of the day with MetService warning of "destructive" winds that can cause widespread damage There is a possibility of "threat to life" from falling trees and other items and could be significant disruption to transport The forecaster downgraded the warning back to orange shortly before 8.30pm Interislander Cook Strait ferry crossings have been cancelled until late on Friday afternoon while Bluebridge services won't operate until Saturday Interislander has cancelled sailings through until 4pm on Friday from Wellington to Picton and 8.50pm from Picton to Wellington "All impacted passengers are being contacted directly and we are putting on additional return sailings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to accommodate impacted customers," the company said this morning "We are monitoring the forecasts closely and will advise if further cancellations are required." Bluebridge has cancelled all its sailings until Saturday morning "All customers affected by these cancellations have been advised by email and text We are monitoring the situation closely and if further sailings are impacted we will notify you via text and email at the earliest opportunity "Additional sailings have been added to our schedule on Saturday to accommodate our affected customers: 1.30pm from Wellington and 7.15pm from Picton." 50 are two of trio who went missing from Aoraki Mt Cook Police have today conducted another search on Aoraki Mount Cook for the three climbers missing since December 2 Two of the missing men are 56-year-old Kurt Blair and 50-year-old Carlos Romero Police said the man’s family did not want his name released The three climbers were visiting New Zealand when they were reported overdue to return from their planned ascent of Aoraki Mt Cook on December 2. On December 6 police said they believed the trio were dead. The search was paused at about the same time. But today police confirmed they had been looking for the men again. “Due to a change in climatic condition, police, alongside Search and Rescue staff and Department of Conservation, conducted a further search at a location of interest on the mountain,” said Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker. “Staff travelled up the mountain via helicopter, and while the search for the men was unsuccessful, a ski pole was located.” Police have been in contact with the families of the three men, to update them on today’s search efforts. “We are continuing to follow the process to formally suspend our search, however we remain poised to reactivate the search if fresh information or credible sightings are reported, especially from the climbing community,” said Walker. Earlier this month Walker said police “remain poised to resume” the search it if there is fresh information or credible reports or sightings. The feasibility of any recovery operation will be carefully considered and managed, Walker added. The coroner will be advised. The minister says she's changed her processes after admitting processes were 'untidy'. Aoraki / Mt Cook (file image). (Source: istock.com) The search for three climbers missing on Aoraki Mount Cook for more than three weeks resumed today — returning with a ski pole. Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the US and a Canadian national were reported overdue on December 2. "Due to a change in climatic condition, police — alongside Search and Rescue staff and Department of Conservation — conducted a further search at a location of interest on the mountain," Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said today. "Staff travelled up the mountain via helicopter and, while the search for the men was unsuccessful, a ski pole was located." Weather window already closing in search for climbers on Mt CookThe search for three men resumed this morning - but police said the forecast isn't promising Walker said police were in contact with the families of the three men to provide updates on the search efforts. "We are continuing to follow the process to formally suspend our search, however we remain poised to reactivate the search if fresh information or credible sightings are reported, especially from the climbing community." Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning Sheep killed more euthanised after stock truck rolls in Southland Police were called to the single-vehicle crash on Tokanui Gorge Rd Highway near Fortrose at around 7.45am on Monday Sheep have been killed and others have had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled in Southland this morning The road was completely blocked and expected to be closed for sometime while the scene was cleared however the road is completely blocked," a police spokesperson said Southland District Council confirmed some animals were killed in the crash while others had to be euthanised due to injuries Fire and Emergency responded with crews from Waimahaka It's the second incident of sheep being killed after a stock truck rolled in Southland in a little over a week A small number of lambs had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled near Balclutha on April 27 were reported missing after they didn't meet their prearranged transport on Monday morning Fire crews are packing up after bringing a nearly 200 square metre bushfire in the hills above Wellington's Mount Cook under control Fire and Emergency's Steve Mackle said the fire moved quickly in high winds on the prow of the hill above Bell Road Mackle said three fire trucks attended the blaze which was bought under control just before 3pm There were no reports of injuries or property damage and a fire truck will remain at the scene to dampen down hotspots and monitor for flare ups No homes were threatened by the blaze at any time Mackle said they cannot be sure what sparked the blaze but winds were strong enough for the fire to leap across a path that runs across the top of the section of scrub on the hill RNZ reporters were able to walk the path that divided the fire ground as fire crews retrieved hoses and equipment from the area Bottles and litter were strewn beneath the scorched remains of the brush where the peak of the hill looks out across Wellington city The road was reopened just ahead of 3.30pm a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox By RNZ A bus carrying 26 passengers slid off the road on its way to Aoraki Mount Cook Village in heavy snow on Saturday afternoon Police said officers were called to State Highway 8 - Mount Cook Road - just after 3pm The incident has been referred to WorkSafe and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The search for Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the US, and a Canadian national was launched on Monday after they were reported overdue. The operation has been on hold since late Monday due to the weather, and the search is now considered unlikely to resume until at least tomorrow. Michael Ackerman, executive director of the Silverton Avalanche School in Colorado, where Blair worked, said the missing climber is a highly experienced mountaineer. Police have grave concerns about finding the three men alive, Lisa Davies reports. (Source: 1News) He said Blair is an IFMGA-certified mountain guide and "mountain professional" who is an expert in recognising dangers related to snow and avalanches. He also said Blair is an "accomplished" personal climber with an impressive resume. "He had a career before mountain guiding, and then he decided a number of years ago to chase this dream to become a full-time professional mountain guide." Blair taught those undergoing recreational training, as well as those looking for professional certification as a guide. Ackerman said Blair provided students with fundamental knowledge of weather, terrain, and the mountain snowpack so they could make informed and less dangerous decisions while climbing. He said that while the team going up Aoraki Mount Cook was "high calibre", nature doesn't care about experience. "One of the things we teach here is that mother nature bats last in all of these endeavours and ecosystems that we take on as backcountry travellers. Three men — two from the US and one from Canada — were reported missing on Monday. (Source: 1News) Asked if he held hope the trio would be found safe, Ackerman said: "You always want to hold out hope that climbers, adventurous people that adventure to heights, have found a way to burrow into a snow cave and share a biscuit for three days. "I feel very removed from the terrain and the situation on the ground in New Zealand. What I do know is what has been shared with me." He said authorities had found gear and equipment that led them to believe the group had suffered a fall. "What they had deduced is that if the team had fallen, it would be an unsurvivable event, and their presumption was that these guys were gone." Ackerman said his group of mountaineers in Colorado had "fairly robust and rehearsed" protocols for check-ins and used satellite communication devices. "So the authorities reached out to the school and to myself to see if we could provide them with contact information to try to ping his device. "These units have the ability to do live tracking, and so if that feature is turned on on the device, they could zero in on where the party might be." He said he and his colleagues were happy to "lend what we could", but their efforts ended up being "dead ends". "The devices weren't tracking. We put some messages out to the team, and those went unanswered." Ackerman said Blair told him he was "very much looking forward to a trip to New Zealand" after returning from a local avalanche conference. "When it came to Kurt, if he said he was going somewhere, it was for a grand adventure." He said everybody who knew Blair was "shattered" by what happened. "Kurt was an amazingly authentic individual. He had a quiet confidence, and he had a humility in both word an actions. Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song. In the video posted to TikTok on April 10, Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City. "Since I was 17, I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream, well baby, what was that? What was that?” she sings over a synth beat. It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. Police say a number of climbing-related items located before the search was called off yesterday are believed to belong to the three men. The search for Kurt Blair (56) and Carlos Romero (50) from the United States, and a Canadian national was launched yesterday after they were reported overdue. They planned to summit Aoraki Mt Cook via Zurbriggen Ridge, having flown into Plateu Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday. The alarm was raised when they failed to meet their 8.30am flight out yesterday, prompting a search involving the Department of Conservation (DoC) Search and Rescue Team, The Helicopter Line and police. "Police have been working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men," Inspector Vicki Walker said. A US Embassy spokesperson said the consulate in Auckland was helping police communicate with and support the families involved.  "Out of respect for the families' privacy, we are unable to provide any further detail." This afternoon, police revealed that during yesterday's search, "several climbing-related items" believed to belong to the three men were found. The search was paused shortly before 8pm on Monday, due to weather conditions on the mountain. "Weather conditions are likely to prevent any further search activity until Thursday this week, however Police will continue to monitor and assess the conditions," Walker said. In a post to Facebook, the Silverton Avalanche School in Colorado, which Kurt Blair worked with as a guide, said New Zealand authorities told it the three climbers appeared to have suffered a fatal fall. "We received notification from NZ authorities that the climbers appear to have taken a fatal fall from high upon the peak," it read. "Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR piece together the tragedy although remote, technical and heavily glaciated terrain coupled with deteriorating weather has prevented a recovery of the climbers." The post paid tribute to Blair, describing him as a "fixture" of the San Juan mountain range in Colorado who came from a "proud lineage" of mountaineers. The post said he was a professional mountain guide who was certified in 2022 after a life of private climbing. He had two sons. "Anyone who shared time with Kurt in the mountains knows that his calm demeanor and positive presence ran counter to the rough edges and sharp tongues so often exemplified by the hard scrabble ranks of mountain guides. "He was the nicest guy you’d ever share a rope or trail or skin track with, and his humility, competence and polite nature made him a client and student favorite." Mountain Safety Council (MSC) chief executive Mike Daisley said the weekend's conditions were reported as being good for climbing. He said firm conditions existed during the night and early morning but would have been "more challenging" once the day heated up and the snow softened. "Generally speaking, summit attempts on Aoraki/Mt Cook begin during the middle of the night to make the most of the overnight freeze for easier and safer climbing," he said. The NZ Avalanche Advisory, operated by MSC, also reported a low avalanche danger rating on Sunday and told climbers: “Time your day to make the most of good travel conditions early in the morning before the heat of the day kicks in”. Daisley said summiting the mountain was a technical climb that is reserved for advanced mountaineers. "Climbing on the Main Divide and New Zealand’s 3000m peaks is a serious undertaking, with common hazards including avalanches, glacier crossings, rock falls, icy surface conditions and dynamic weather," he said. Police say weather conditions continue to hamper the search for three men from the United States and Canada missing on Aoraki Mt Cook. 45 mins ago 55 mins ago The search for Kurt Blair (56) and Carlos Romero (50) from the United States, and a Canadian national was launched on Monday after they were reported overdue. Due to poor weather conditions on the mountain, the search was paused late Monday and only resumed today when two drone operators were helicoptered up. Today, Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said a top and energy gel believed to belong to the trio was found. On Monday, a jacket and ice axe were found. “While we cannot confirm that the property belonged to the men, we believe that it does,” she said. Walker said the items found, the length of time it has been since the group was reported overdue, and the lack of communication from them led police to believe they did not survive. “This is certainly not the news that we wanted to share today.” Police believe the group fell while trying to cross a face on the ridge. She said police were now formally advising the Coroner of its belief that the men did not survive the fall. The trio planned to summit the 3724m peak via Zurbriggen Ridge, having flown into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday. The alarm was raised when they failed to meet their 8.30am flight out on Monday. Walker said footage from the drone team showed evidence of where the climbers had begun to traverse the slopes beneath Zurbriggen Ridge. “This evidence includes footprints and the items that we have mentioned we have retrieved.” Police spoke to the men’s families today, and “as you’d expect, it is not the phone call they wanted to receive,” Walker said. “Myself and the team are devastated for them, we all wanted a positive result.” She told the media that police were officially moving toward ending its active search for the men. “However, we remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information, or credible reports or sightings, especially from the climbing community.” The feasibility of recovering the men’s bodies would be “carefully considered” and managed. “I know that finding the man will be what the family wants," Walker said. She said any recovery operation would be “dependent on the information that we receive”. Asked if there were any plans to go back up the mountain to find the men, Walker said: “Not at this stage.” Carlos Romero (left), Kurt Blair (right), and an unnamed Canadian national are the three missing climbers presumed dead on Aoraki Mt Cook. (Source: 1News) Almost five days after three climbers from the US and Canada went missing on Aoraki Mt Cook, police revealed today they “do not believe the men have survived”. Police believe the trio suffered a fatal fall, Donna-Marie Lever reports. (Source: 1News) The search for three men at Aoraki Mount Cook restarted this morning - but police said the forecast isn't promising. (Source: 1News) 15 mins ago Almost five days after three climbers from the US and Canada went missing on Aoraki Mt Cook police revealed today they “do not believe the men have survived” and a Canadian national was launched on Monday after they were reported overdue Due to poor weather conditions on the mountain the search was paused late Monday and only resumed today when two drone operators were helicoptered up Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said a top and energy gel believed to belong to the trio was found “While we cannot confirm that the property belonged to the men the length of time it has been since the group was reported overdue and the lack of communication from them led police to believe they did not survive Police believe the group fell while trying to cross a face on the ridge She said police were now formally advising the Coroner of its belief that the men did not survive the fall The trio planned to summit the 3724m peak via Zurbriggen Ridge Walker said footage from the drone team showed evidence of where the climbers had begun to traverse the slopes beneath Zurbriggen Ridge it is not the phone call they wanted to receive,” Walker said “Myself and the team are devastated for them She told the media that police were officially moving toward ending its active search for the men we remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information The feasibility of recovering the men’s bodies would be “carefully considered” and managed “I know that finding the man will be what the family wants," Walker said She said any recovery operation would be “dependent on the information that we receive” Asked if there were any plans to go back up the mountain to find the men The police searching for the three climbers missing on 3,724m Aoraki/Mt Cook since last week has given up hope of finding them alive A drone search yesterday showed pieces of gear and footprints on the mountain but no trace of the climbers Their families have been informed of the tragic news The drones confirmed the suspicions that Kurt Blair, 56, of Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California, plus a third unnamed Canadian, likely took a fall while attempting the Linda Glacier/Zubriggen Ridge route on Aoraki/Mt. Cook The team flew to the Plateau hut on Saturday and expected to reach the summit the following day A search-and-rescue operation began after they failed to meet their prearranged transportation on Monday Aoraki/Mount Cook lies on the west coast of New Zealand’s Southern Island The police have told New Zealand media that they aren’t continuing to search at this stage we remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information or credible reports of sightings especially from the climbing community,” they told 1 News Asked about launching an operation to recover the bodies the police said that option would be “carefully considered.” were professional mountain guides with IFMGA/AMGA accreditation and wide experience in mountains around the world Mount Cook is an impressive peak on the west coast of New Zealand’s Southern Island and the climb is exposed to several objective dangers Angela Benavides graduated university in journalism and specializes in high-altitude mountaineering and expedition news She has been writing about climbing and mountaineering adventure and outdoor sports for 20+ years Angela Benavides spent time at/worked at a number of local and international media She is also experienced in outdoor-sport consultancy for sponsoring corporations Sign up to receive ExplorersWeb content direct to your inbox once a week are two of trio who went missing from Aoraki Mt Cook Police have grave concerns for the three foreign climbers missing on Aoraki Mt Cook and say they will not be able to continue searching for them until tomorrow Friends of the trio of missing climbers are still holding out hope Two of the missing men are 56-year-old Kurt Blair and 50-year-old Carlos Romero The three climbers were visiting New Zealand before being reported overdue to return from their planned ascent of Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday They flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said they did not make their flight out at 8.30am on Monday and were subsequently reported overdue The police told the Herald this morning the search remains on pause as “the weather is still not co-operating” California-based climbing company SWS Mountain Guides paid tribute to Romero online yesterday we share that Carlos Romero is among three climbers reported missing on New Zealand’s Mount Cook (Aoraki),” it said It also said they continue to “hope for clarity” and hold him close in their thoughts Both Romero and Blair are highly experienced and accredited mountain guides Friends of Blair and Romero started paying tribute yesterday after Riverton Avalanche School posted about his “presumed” death “It is with a heavy heart that we share that our friend and colleague Kurt Blair went missing and is presumed deceased while climbing Mt Cook in New Zealand,” it said “Kurt and Kique were amazing and such good-natured people who always greeted you with a smile and a good story,” said one post “Kurt was indeed a beautiful human being .. were due to complete their climb on Monday but did not meet their prearranged transport A missing persons report was filed at 12.45pm “Police search and rescue and Department of Conservation search and rescue are working together to locate the three men,” police said in a statement Walker said they would be working with the Department of Conservation to assess the weather and determine whether search efforts were able to continue Katie Oliver is a Christchurch-based Multimedia Journalist and breaking news reporter New Zealand’s only full-time alpine rescue team operates in some of the highest and most challenging environments possible Herald visual journalist George Heard joined the highly-trained crack group on a hair-raising training mission on Aoraki/Mt Cook The euphoria of summiting New Zealand’s highest peak had worn off when the pair of climbers finally called for help It was pitch black and they were exhausted after more than 30 hours of climbing over steep terrain covered in bullet-proof ice they also knew a storm was fast closing in The pair were left with no choice but to activate their personal locator beacon It was 2.05am when the Aoraki/Mt Cook Department of Conservation Search and Rescue duty phone rang in the village base three rescuers from the highly-trained SAR team joined the Otago rescue helicopter and identified a forward staging site At an altitude of 3500m – just 200m short of Aoraki/Mt Cook’s ragged summit – the rescue came with some serious challenges The downwash from the helicopter and the resultant spin of the rescuer being winched down by rope meant they had to land below the climbers and scramble their way up to reach them Two separate extractions were made using a tricky “hot-seat” procedure But both climbers were whipped off the giant mountain before the storm reached them uninjured other than suffering “cold injuries” 2022 rescue stands out as a prime example of what the Aoraki/Mt Cook Department of Conservation Search and Rescue team can achieve for search supervisor George Loomes New Zealand’s only full-time alpine rescue team provides rescue capability for the high terrain between Arthur’s Pass and Haast Pass Although NZ Police and the NZSAR Council contribute funding for the capability the bulk comes from the Department of Conservation (DoC) supplemented by three fixed-term staff over the October to February peak visitor season In recent years, the team has averaged 40 to 50 operations a year, peaking around the optimum mountaineering season in November Around a quarter of those callouts are “high alpine” “And then a smaller percentage again will be really hair-raising stuff And it’s the ever-changeable weather that is probably the team’s biggest challenge They do river rescues and respond to avalanches and reports of falls down seemingly-bottomless crevasses “The harder rescues that I’ve done have been in marginal weather conditions with particularly ill patients where you’re both trying to save a life and mitigate what is quite a high-risk And also jobs that at nighttime are always quite difficult,” says Loomes “And then it’s really about creating systems that mitigate the risk in the best possible way but also being adaptable and flexible for changing situations and dynamic environments.” They rely on The Helicopter Line company for much of their transport operating Squirrel choppers and long lines as well as GCH Aviation and Helicopters Otago who operate the larger BK-117 / EC145 machines with night-vision goggles and a rescue hoist Their base is chock-full of technical mountaineering and rescue gear: ropes Members are generally New Zealand Mountain Guides Association-qualified guides and maintain currency through regular climbing and skiing training in the local region The Herald joined the team for a training day last week Three search and rescue volunteers from other parts of the country joined the Aoraki/Mt Cook crew to practise long-line rescues in the national park During a break in the notoriously fickle weather the members were helicoptered to a remote spot to work on cliff-face rescues Most of the SAR team are already fully-trained alpine guides as well as being keen climbers and skiers Loomes says they are currently looking to hire a supervisor and ranger in what he describes as one of the best jobs in the country “If you’ve got a high level of mountaineering and skiing experience and you’re passionate about helping others then this can be a really good step towards a career in guiding or it can be a really good step towards other opportunities in the rescue sector in New Zealand.” More than 100,000 people visited the Hooker Valley Track the national park’s most popular attraction We predict this season will match or exceed those numbers says DOC Aoraki/Mount Cook Operations Manager Sally Jones “With high visitor numbers – it becomes even more vital people show respect for the park and other visitors “DOC encourages visitors to arrive early if they can and asks people to park considerately and share tracks with others Mueller and Hooker huts and the White Horse Hill Campground are already heavily booked for the summer “Staff have been busy preparing our facilities like tracks Visitors must also play a part to care for this place and make sure everyone has a great experience “We’re adding 12 temporary toilets at the White Horse Hill car park alongside the six permanent toilets located there We’re also hiring extra summer staff to help upkeep facilities and make sure people are behaving appropriately." Sally Jones says in the past we’ve seen cars parked a long way down the road on both sides when the car park is full “We know the car park doesn’t keep up with demand on busy days and we’re working on ways to better manage this “There will be a paid parking trial here next summer to help manage visitor pressure We're planning the details at the moment and will share info like prices when we can “It’s fantastic that people want to enjoy this special place and we look forward to welcoming visitors this season.” Never bring dogs or other pets to New Zealand’s national parks including at the White Horse Hill car park and campground Pets are not permitted and pose a significant risk to native wildlife Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain Three climbers have been missing from Aoraki Mt Cook since Monday The search for three men missing on Aoraki/Mt Cook remains on hold for the third day amid strong winds making it impossible to fly over the mountain range The three climbers are believed to have suffered a fatal fall Police today revealed the weather had delayed the search winds on Aoraki/Mt Cook reached a peak of 54km/h this morning MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said strong winds are expected today and into Friday “We’re still expecting very strong winds and still that possibility of turbulence which makes any flight operations quite hazardous,” she said Makgabutlane said winds could ease slightly about midday tomorrow “Further assessment of the wind conditions in Mt Cook have determined it is not safe to fly in the area today,” police said in a statement The trio was reported overdue from their planned ascent of Aoraki/Mt Cook yesterday morning planning to summit Aoraki/Mt Cook via Zurbriggen Ridge Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said they did not make their flight out planned for 8.30am on Monday and were reported overdue “Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR [search and rescue] piece together the tragedy Romero was a qualified international mountain guide with specialist skills in skiing A search was initiated on Monday involving the Department of Conservation (DoC) Search and Rescue team Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Christina Lustenberger called her and Gee Pierrel’s descent of Aoraki (Mount Cook) the most engaging of her entire storied career professional ski mountaineers Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger and Guillaume “Gee” Pierrel sunk their ice tools into the shoulder of New Zealand’s highest peak Clicking into their skis atop their new line at 8 A.M. they spied the full moon and prepared to drop into their third big-mountain ski descent in just four days “We went on a bit of a rampage,” said Pierrel was the most dangerous and demanding that either had skied “Every single turn we made on that face had a serious consequence because of the exposure,” Lusti told Outside Lusti and Pierrel met on a North Face team trip in Chamonix this year and quickly developed a strong ski partnership Pierrel is an IFMGA guide known for skiing steep and technical descents in his home of Chamonix but he’s also descended lines in the Himalayas and the Andes he skied a first descent from the summit of Gasherbrum II in Pakistan in alpine style with no supplemental oxygen Lusti, meanwhile, has scored several noteworthy accomplishments in 2024, including the first descent of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower with Jim Morrison and Chantel Astorga on May 9 But the duo’s New Zealand rampage marked new territory for them both A post shared by Christina Lustenberger (@christinalusti) Lusti first spotted Hunter’s Moon when she entered the Southern Alps on September 28. When Pierrel arrived on October 1, she decided to partner up with him to tackle a few lines. “Sam and Will have shed some light on the steep skiing in this range,” said Pierrel. “They’re bringing a new vision to New Zealand and we got on that train.” The icy surface required the utmost precision and attention, but Lusti and Pierrel were able to link turns down the entire face, save for one short section of glacier ice near the top that was too firm for their edges. They made a short rappel to navigate that section. The ramp they skied looked improbable from the glacier floor, and even climbing up the pair of skiers could barely make out that it was skiable. Pierrel had spotted the exit ramp during an aborted attempt on the Jones route the week prior, which allowed the duo to escape the line cleanly on skis without needing to rappel. They backed off on the earlier attempt because the strong winds ripped the snow off the face, leaving bare ice. Pierrel told Outside that he felt lucky to be accompanying Lusti on the peak. “I’ve been skiing with the best athletes in Chamonix, and Christina was so impressive,” Pierrel said. He described her making turns on tiny ribbons of ice while he was using his ice axe to help him slide down. Enjoy coverage of racing, history, food, culture, travel, and tech with access to unlimited digital content from Outside Network's iconic brands. paired with pinot noir and charred venison now offers dinner and a show like no other It begins with a six-course tasting menu—composed primarily of locally sourced proteins and foraged greens Highlights might include Manuka honey-glazed alpine salmon and pasture-raised beef and plated beside raspberry puree and pink flower petals As night descends you migrate to a neighboring wine cellar which adjoins the region’s sole observatory fully-automated telescope and innkeeper and amateur astronomer Luke Paardekooper utilizes his advanced gadgetry to share Saturn’s rings and impossibly distant nebula in brilliant detail He’ll even attach a DSLR camera to his rig to accommodate take-home astrophotography it might include a rare glimpse of the elusive southern lights But a pour of whisky or wine—to sip as you contemplate the cosmos—is guaranteed Buy your copy of the World's Greatest Places issue here More FromWorld’s Greatest Places 2024Maui Cultural LandsBy Michele Bigley Contact us at letters@time.com this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Five of the 62 souls who have vanished from Aoraki Mt Cook over the years Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park boasts New Zealand’s highest and most treacherous mountain along with the mysteries of 62 individuals who vanished without a trace Aoraki Mt Cook towers above its neighbours, at 3724m. The snow and rock-covered behemoth can be seen from the West Coast as far north as Greymouth. Known for its technically challenging faces, the mountain has earned its title of New Zealand’s deadliest peak. The death toll in the Southern Alps National Park now stands at 241 Three of those went missing just weeks ago American climbers Kurt Blair and an unnamed Canadian national never made their flight out of Mt Cook they’re believed to have perished after a fall families and countless unanswered questions For search and rescue teams scouring Aoraki Mt Cook’s rugged terrain the ultimate reward is to find the person alive To find a body can be a relief but to come back empty-handed is as Department of Conservation (DoC) officer Ray Bellringer puts it Having worked on Aoraki Mt Cook rescues for four decades Bellringer knows this frustration all too well He has an intimate understanding of the area’s mountains “Anything from 1984 onwards I was involved in,” he said Being involved in countless rescues over the years Bellringer has kept detailed files of each and every person who vanished from Aoraki Mt Cook Of the 62 people who went missing since 1907 The rescue expert has shared those files with the Herald he worked for the United Nations in Myanmar He and his wife were in New Zealand for their annual holiday in November 2015 when he went missing Stephen and a friend left the Aoraki Mt Cook village bound for the Empress Hut situated at the head of the Hooker Glacier “His climbing partner got ahead of him by some way … so they split up,” said Bellringer When Stephen didn’t show up to Empress Hut that evening his climbing partner called emergency services Bellringer said initial searches were hampered by bad weather with crews only able to make it part way up the valley “I can remember that search very clearly,” he said The terrain and weather made a foot search unsafe Bellringer said searching crevasses is notoriously difficult and I guess if we’d have had a set of footsteps going into a near crevasse Search teams were able to investigate the glacier by helicopter on the 29th they would have been wiped away by the time search and rescue got there A final aerial search was conducted the next day There was still no sign of Stephen and his personal locator beacon was never activated It’s believed he perished on the Empress Shelf A tree is planted in Aoraki National Park in memory of Dowall Malaysian hiker Kok Liang Wong is thought to have wandered off from Aoraki Mt Cook Village The 32-year-old was also on holiday when he went missing. He visited Fox Glacier and Lake Tekapo before arriving in the village YHA hostel on September 29 he asked staff in the village about possible walking tracks for that afternoon in particular the Red Tarns track and Hooker Valley He didn’t show up for his 10am bus the next day His bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in and 18 Department of Conservation (DoC) staff began looking for him To this day it’s not known where he went, whether he ventured up Red Tarns, Hooker Valley or elsewhere Police concluded it was probable that Wong got lost in the Red Tarns track area which is about a two-hour return walk from the village Despite extensive land and air searches by multiple teams over several days A coroner ruled he had died by “misadventure” four years later Bryant was reasonably well-equipped and considered a moderately experienced solo climber He originally intended to go to Empress Hut and climb some of the routes on Mt Hicks Bryant set out to solo climb the east face of Mt Sefton it is one of the most prominent peaks when viewed from the village It’s also the fourth-highest peak in New Zealand The route he was supposed to take was unsuitable due to high snow load and avalanche risk emergency services grew concerned for his safety The searches that followed were hampered by worsening conditions Severe wind prevented the aerial team from reaching above 2100m he would have been at an altitude of 3158m Multiple ground crews and helicopters were deployed to search the area with no luck DoC Mount Cook manager Bob Dickson said there had been multiple avalanches during that time Despite an extensive ground and air search operation the only sign of Bryant was footprints leading down from Kea Point onto the Mueller Glacier It is presumed he perished on the east face of Mt Sefton A plaque was later installed in honour of Bryant It reads: “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die” Stuart Finlayson was an American tourist on vacation in New Zealand when he went missing The 23-year-old was last seen on the morning of March 12 heading up a rocky ridge from Ball Pass to Peak 2222m According to Timaru Herald coverage at the time Finlayson was passionate about mountaineering having once survived 10 days stranded with a group in 4.5m of snow in Alaska What sets Finlayson’s case apart from others is on the day he disappeared it was believed he had left the area without signing out The fact no trace was found of him or his belongings reinforced the assumption he had already left DoC staff checked with Air New Zealand to see if he was booked to leave the Privacy Act was cited and no information provided when his fiancée alerted emergency services concerned he had not returned home It was later revealed he had a pre-paid flight to Melbourne on March 14 which he never boarded they would have known something had gone wrong at Aoraki Mt Cook and continued their search Finlayson’s parents vowed to continue the search until they found their son “We realise a lot of people will think it is hopeless but Stuart had all the equipment with him he needed accidents happen but we keep thinking there is a chance he could survive.” Seven teams worked tirelessly through the 50 square kilometre area climbing into crevasses and scrub areas while others searched from the skies It’s believed Finlayson perished somewhere in Ball Pass The fate of Japanese tourist Masami Somaki remains a mystery after she disappeared on a day walk on February 12 She was on holiday with her mother at the time Ray Bellringer was heavily involved in her case “She was just heading to Mueller for a day trip with her mother She left her mother at Sealy Tarns and never The 34-year-old’s mother waited for Somaki for two hours Bellringer reckons the search for Somaki was one of the most emotionally draining jobs he’d had Somaki’s case is one of many cases described as like looking for a needle in a haystack A heat-seeking device was suspended from a helicopter while intensive searching took place on the ground with a 50-man crew police dogs and two specially trained bloodhounds the Somaki family requested one final search Five teams of five people concentrated their search on the Mt Mueller area “The family had come all the way from Japan in the hope of finding some evidence of her disappearance But they now accept that she is lost without a trace,” said DoC Field centre manager at the time Police concluded Somaki walked off and fell down a hole or into a crevasse Bellringer’s view is that she had a fall and they weren’t able to locate her The Somaki family donated a defibrillator to the park to thank them for all their efforts with its snow-capped peaks and crystal-clear lakes below “Because it’s not overly tall compared globally some international climbers tend to underestimate it .. what they don’t take into account is the complexity of the climb,” Bellringer said “The scale is pretty horrendous because we’re so low here “You’ve got all kinds of different techniques you need to be able to use.” Bellringer said the team often jokes that climbers should “train on Everest” before coming to Aoraki Mt Cook Brent Swanson was also involved in rescues over the years He said it’s important to note it’s not just inexperienced people who died - some were experts “If you go through the people that have lost their lives there there’s a real mixture of very experienced people down to inexperienced and people who probably did underestimate it,” he said Swanson said while the terrain has its risks most people successfully climb the area and leave “happy with great memories” Bellringer agreed saying: “The world would be a sad place if we didn’t have challenges It’s intelligent people who weigh up the risk It would be a sad time and place if we didn’t allow it.”