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Visit image gallery to purchase the image The Clutha District Council confirmed yesterday it had received a complaint over the vehicles describing the incident as very disappointing they were surprised they had been driving where they should not Ford New Zealand is distancing itself from the party — a bunch of Australian Ford salesman driving Ford Rangers - who had been in Queenstown before heading to Papatowai Beach The incident occurred in the middle of last month Beaches in the Clutha area have been under the spotlight over the past couple of years after the Clutha District Council pulled back on a full ban of vehicles on beaches Papatowai resident Mary Sutherland said she saw nine Ford Ranger utes on the beach with people having a picnic on March 19 introduced himself and said they were a group of car dealers "They then got into their trucks and one at a time raced down the beach "They would do donuts and then go back up the beach," she said I couldn’t say exactly how fast but it was fast." "They were not going into the water or the high tide mark But I left as I was not totally comfortable with what they were doing There was another group who also left and another couple from further down [the beach] walked along and left "There were no sea lions there that day — they only impacted birds who flew away But we have had a very busy season with sea lions there nearly every day." When asked if it had the potential to be a disaster "It is not the behaviour you want to see on a beach," Mrs Sutherland said A Ford New Zealand spokesman said the trip was an annual sales incentive trip for Ford Australia dealer sales managers run independently by Ford Australia and their Australian events management company "We will be having discussions with the Ford Australia team regarding their event in New Zealand and will require assurances in the future regarding their drive programmes locations and practices," he said in a statement They’ve done these trips quite a few times without any issues Just the opposite in fact — they’ve been very popular and they love coming over to New Zealand for the same reasons we live here So they are equally surprised to know they may have been driving where they shouldn’t." The spokesman said the group did drive down to a beach where there were seals and other cars on the beach but they did not drive on that beach A Clutha District Council spokeswoman said a complaint was made to the council The drivers appear to have breached rules under the Vehicles on Beaches Bylaw 2023 including (when operating a vehicle) showing consideration for other users and vulnerable wildlife safe and responsible manner and not causing damage to any part of a beach "This is a very disappointing situation and council is in the process of reviewing all evidence before approaching the parties involved." A resident along the Otago coast is calling for beach bylaw changes after she saw a group of car salesmen contest races and do "doughnuts" where endangered wildlife reside Mary Sutherland lives in the Catlins settlement of Papatowai and said she was greeted by representatives of car company Ford last month It comes after a string of instances in which the behaviour of motorists at beaches within the scenic Catlins coastline have sparked the ire of the community several Ford Rangers drove onto the beach prompting Sutherland to wander down to inspect what was going on Although the community had been met with hostility by beach-dwelling motorists previously the group comprising of Ford representatives from New Zealand and Australia were good-natured "They had a picnic table out and they were having a morning tea," she said When Sutherland asked what the group were doing a senior staff member told her they were having their "annual treat for having great sales" one truck after another would race along the extended beach and do their doughnuts and then come back," she said "It seemed like they were recording their times." She then raised concerns about the trucks driving at speed near sea lions and birds on the beach The Catlins is home to one of the world's rarest sea lion species the Whakahao (Hooker's Sea Lion) and other endangered wildlife such as the Hoiho (Yellow Eyed Penguin) "They told me they'd been briefed and knew not to run over sea lions." both Sutherland and other beach-goers decided not to walk along the beach while the group was there She said although the beach was dug up for days afterwards until it was swept up by a storm the beach had been left in a better condition than previous episodes The Clutha District's Vehicles on Beaches bylaw only prohibits vehicles from sand dunes except to access the beach; and above the high-water mark It also requires people driving on beaches to "do so in a way that does not threaten the safety of people Sutherland said it would be simpler to implement a "blanket ban" on vehicles on beaches "This particular one because of the wildlife that comes there is a perfectly good car park and a track to walk out onto the beach," she said if there's a rescue needed or [fire-fighters] needing to go onto the beach will not happen until after October's local government elections Last month mayor Bryan Cadogan hit out at the ongoing mistreatment of wildlife after a group of motorists were seen in January at Tautuku beach provoking a sea lion for two consecutive days Both Ford New Zealand and the Clutha District Council have been approached for comment Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A decision to continue allowing vehicles on beaches in the Catlins will be revisited after an endangered sea lion was harassed by motorists A sea lion with massive wounds from a shark bite should serve as a reminder to Dunedin beachgoers A trip to the Tautuku ecology restoration project to learn about ongoing efforts to help the forest and its inhabitants The pup was found dead in September and its mum two weeks later The reward comes after a baby sea lion was shot in an estuary in the Catlins then left to die a slow New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Bryan Cadogan said yesterday he had been surprised to learn a group of about 15 Australian Ford salesmen had visited Papatowai during mid-March to drive Ford Rangers on the beach Mr Cadogan said the incident — which may have breached the council’s vehicles on beaches bylaw — illustrated once again the need to strengthen vehicle restrictions on the district’s beaches The council has indicated it will review the bylaw after local government elections in October which allows for safe and respectful driving in line with road rules — but has been criticised for being "watered down" — was put in place in 2023 A Papatowai resident reported the Ford Australia incident to the council in March complaining the salesmen were driving "as fast as they [could]" in timed races Mr Cadogan said it was lucky only people were disturbed by the drivers Three breeding-age female sea lions — of about 15 — have been killed by human intervention in the Catlins during the past two years "You often don’t know you’re on top of a sea lion until you trip over it it was lucky they didn’t kill yet another animal." He said the incident only reinforced the need for the bylaw review "I think it reinforces the fragility of the position we’re in at the moment "To all those who say vehicles and other human impacts are not happening take a look at the reality of the situation "A small section of our society needs to change its behaviour if we’re to preserve what we have." richard.davison@odt.co.nz A humble food truck at the bottom of the country has taken out the top spot in the Burger Nation competition Peake's Kitchen is run by a husband-wife duo in the tiny coastal town of Papatowai in the Catlins Their winning burger features hand-ground Hereford steak patties The team were ecstatic when they heard the news "It's just been a really great vibe all around today The burger is a classic American-New Zealand hybrid to reflect Kiwi Tom and Nicole's heritage "We start with a buttermilk bun that we get specially made for us We have a hand-ground patty that we use two types of beef we use a couple of different techniques to get it right the consistency." The burger has American and New Zealand cheese We use an American cheese and New Zealand cheese to sort of bring Nicole and my heritage together." The burger is finished with Pinot Noir pickled beetroot they make themselves McClure's pickles and "a few of our own secret sauces" The two met in working hospo in Dunedin and came to Papatowai "And end up falling in love with the place and just starting our own business and our dream." The burger has resonated because it's a classic done well the passion and dedication that goes into every single component to make this burger what it is "I base [the pie] on the season and the vibe and the mood of people," explains pie professional It beat more than 800 other entries and used a "classic combination" of flavours Nicole Peake captured the vivid colours of the aurora australis last night Aurora Australis lit up the night sky across Otago last night delighting residents with the "truly fantastic intensity of it" Otago University's aurora alert website listed the event as a nine out of nine on their high geomagnetic activity scale stating a "high chance for aurora to be visible with the naked eye" and "clearly visible with a camera" Catlins resident Nicole Peake shared her "incredible" images with 1News taken with her iPhone between 9.30pm and 11pm in Papatowai The Catlins and at Florence Hill Lookout last night A vivid aurora australis pictured last night "A massive solar flare eruption caused a 9/9 on the aurora scale which meant the beams of light could be seen swaying in the sky with the naked eye and then with the assistance of my iPhone and 'night mode' for the long exposure it really captured the amazing light beams Although auroras are common in the Catlins Dark Sky Peake said this one in particular was "truly fantastic due to the intensity of it" "We are very lucky not to have any light distortion in the Catlins which meant we got to enjoy the full spectrum of light uninterrupted The only other light source was the crescent moon Nicole Peake said this Aurora was "truly fantastic due to the intensity of it" According to NASA, the colour of the aurora depends on which gases are being agitated by electrons and how much energy was being exchanged. "Oxygen emits either a greenish-yellow light (the most familiar colour of the aurora) or a red light; nitrogen generally gives off a blue light. "The oxygen and nitrogen molecules also emit ultraviolet light, which can only be detected by special cameras on satellites." Some photos of the aurora taken last night at Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat. (Source: Kaye Paardekooper) Royal Museums Greenwich said the main gases in Earth’s atmosphere were nitrogen and oxygen, and these elements gave off different colours during an aurora display. Astronomer says aurora views likely passed peak for North IslandKiwis in the South Island could still catch a lingering glimpse of the dazzling light display into this week New Zealand Explainer: Why aurorae lights differ in colours around locationsMany star-gazers shared their dazzling snaps on social media which varied in colour depending on where they were World Gallery: 'Absolute joy' as Southern Lights dazzle South Island skySouth Island residents were graced with an incredible display overnight "The green we see in the aurora is characteristic of oxygen, while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen." Some photos of the aurora taken last night at Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat. (Source: Debbie Paardekooper) Southland farming company slapped with fine over effluent discharge Gladvale Farms Ltd committed the offending on two occasions in October 2019 at an Oreti Plains farm Environment How to watch the Eta Aquariids meteor shower in NZ this week The annual meteor shower takes place in early May each year 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" New recycling scheme turns car bumpers into fence posts The idea is to repurpose broken car parts destined for landfill Minister 'cautiously optimistic' broken Whaakari tech can be fixed soon Scientists have previously been denied entry by the island’s owners 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 Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. 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 fansSun, May 4 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 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Strong Geomagnetic activity! Warning Level:9/9. Very high chance for visible aurora.https://t.co/fJF35D80zl Aurorae were seen from around the motu and the world yesterday as Earth continues to ride out the largest solar storm in decades The National Space Weather Prediction Centre issued the first severe geomagnetic storm watch in 20 years following a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections that began on Wednesday Many star-gazers have shared their dazzling snaps on social media which varied in colour depending on location Most aurora photos from around Aotearoa showcased a vivid magenta a stark contrast from the green hues seen in the Northern Hemisphere the light display is known as the aurora borealis and in the south it's called the aurora australis According to NASA the colour of the aurora depends on which gases are being agitated by electrons and how much energy iwas being exchanged "Oxygen emits either a greenish-yellow light (the most familiar colour of the aurora) or a red light; nitrogen generally gives off a blue light "The oxygen and nitrogen molecules also emit ultraviolet light which can only be detected by special cameras on satellites." Royal Museums Greenwich said the main gases in Earth’s atmosphere were nitrogen and oxygen and these elements gave off different colours during an aurora display "The green we see in the aurora is characteristic of oxygen “We sometimes see a wonderful scarlet red colour and this is caused by very high altitude oxygen interacting with solar particles This only occurs when the aurora is particularly energetic," Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss said Experts said last night was the best time to catch a glimpse of aurorae and it was unclear whether they would be visible again tonight Astronomer Rob Davison told 1News the best chance of seeing the display was getting as far south and as far away from light pollution as possible South Island residents have been left "dancing with absolute joy" after seeing a dazzling display of the Southern Lights overnight more commonly known as the Southern Lights with multiple people sending their photos to 1News who saw the Aurora Australis in Ōtepoti/Dunedin late last night said witnessing the sight was a "bucket list" moment The pair were led to Smails Beach after a Facebook group said the lights may be visible with our naked eye – you could see some kind of movement.. all of a sudden the pinks and greens started to appear," Stutter-Fill said you couldn't see the whole thing with your naked eye but once you held up the camera Stutter-Fill said it was "magic" "The lights were dancing across the sky." Stardome astronomer Rob Davison explained to 1News what needs to happen for us to witness the Aurora Australis the lights are seen because of the way the sun interacts with the atmosphere "The lights occur when particles from the sun charge electrons get caught by the Earth's magnetic field directed to the [Northern and Southern] poles and all of those interact with the gases in the atmosphere.. and the gases release the energy as light," he said He said New Zealand has had some impressive displays of Aurora Australis this year "The sun goes through this cycle of minimum and maximum activity but it does have an impact on the strength and how frequent good aurora displays occur "As we are heading for the maximum [levels of sun activity] we are more likely to get shows like we have had recently Unfortunately for North Island-dwelling residents Davison said people in the North Island are less likely to witness the light display the more likely you are to see the display," he said He said even those who live in the South Island would need to look towards the southern horizon to get a good view "We don't get it as much as Norway or Iceland but we have had some very strong displays that have reached all the way up into the North island people in the North Island might be able to see them as well." people don't get a lead-up time to know how likely a good display is He said that there are resources online to give an indication if the aurora will be visible "You need a bit of patience — you need to be outside and then hope that you're not waiting all night." A large-scale Southland farming company has been fined $82,500 for discharging effluent in a manner which could have entered waterways The company was sentenced on Monday after being found guilty in February following an August 2024 judge-alone trial Legal action against the company began when Environment Southland alleged the Resource Management Act had been breached through effluent discharge on or into land which could have resulted in the contaminant entering water It was alleged the defendant irrigated at night without monitoring due to employees being off duty The judgement said although it was not necessary to prove the contaminant had entered or impacted the waterway there was sufficient evidence to show it had Steps taken to mitigate against the discharge were not sufficient including using a digger to move effluent further into a paddock Judge Steven told the court that 90 percent of the fine would go to the council Gladvale Farms Ltd operates five dairy farms in Southland with 3700 cows across 3300 acres Stuff has previously reported fines against the company of $27,000 in 2018/19 One of the best meteor showers in the Southern Hemisphere Here's how you can catch a glimpse of it and what you need to know The Eta Aquariids is a meteor shower caused by the Earth passing through a trail of debris orbiting the Sun that's left behind by Halley's Comet and rock fall into our atmosphere and high speeds commonly known as shooting stars," says Stardome Observatory and Planetarium's Josh Aoraki Aoraki says it's one of the best and most reliable meteor showers for us in the Southern Hemisphere "so it's a great time to see a celestial light show" While you should be able to catch a glimpse of the celestial light show throughout the week Thursday will likely be the best day - but prepare for an early morning peak viewing time is after the Moon has set "All you need is a clear sky and an unobstructed view of the north-eastern sky looking toward the constellation Aquarius," Aoraki says MetService is forecasting chilly nights and mornings this week so you'll want to wrap up warm if you're heading outside While it'll be visible to anyone in New Zealand anyone living in a city should head out to somewhere with clear dark skies for the best viewing experience Under dark skies you could see between 10 and 50 meteors per hour but patience will be key Unfortunately this is probably not one of those experiences you'll be able to capture on your phone unless you're able to take a decent long exposure photo "You will need a professional camera or DSLR camera to capture this Smartphones are not good in low light and most do not have great long-exposure settings "Any camera that has a long exposure setting of around 30 seconds should be able to capture a few meteors streaking across the sky if you set up a timelapse." rnz.co.nz 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 A new recycling scheme turning bits of old bangers destined for landfill into fence posts is underway Eurotech Auto Repair Centre director Marino Milich said there's been a history of being able to recycle products "but plastics we've been found wanting" "This is great for the automotive trade and for generations to come," said Milich Among the biggest plastic components are car bumpers The plastics they're made of are designed to absorb force but therefore don't break down easily Milich sends around 10 of them to landfill every week but a new collection service from the country's motor industry body aims to end that Larry Fallowfield from the Motor Trade Association said they've started the service in the greater south and east Auckland areas and will be rolling it out to the greater Auckland over the next few months "With the intention that by the start of 2026 there will be no more bumpers going to landfill," Fallowfield said The process begins in south and east Auckland where broken car parts are placed in specifically-designed cages They are then brought to a plastic manufacturer in Waiuku to be made into fences Alloy Logistics Solutions' Grant Rollo said they received 24 bumpers in the first rollout "Wwe can fit about 50 to 60 bumpers per cage," he said Future Post founder Jerome Wenzlick said the plastic is fed into a "big shredding machine" which chips them into 10ml pieces "Then we melt it together and turn it into a post." The Motor Trade Association is currently in talks with other companies around the country that can also repurpose plastic parts repairers are shouldering the costs of the delivery service but Fallowfield hopes insurers will help foot the bill "Most insurance companies will pay an environmental fee What we're trying to do is get insurance companies to pay a repurposing fee." Fallowfield said there's widespread interest from repairers with around 40 companies expected to sign up by the end of the month the Emergency Management Minister's "cautiously optimistic" scientists will get back on Whakaari / White Island soon to fix broken technology They have previously been denied entry by the island's owners to repair the gear after the 2019 eruption killed 22 people The monitoring equipment was drastically damaged and eventually stopped working Te Herenga Waka Victoria University researcher Dr Finn Illsley-Kemp told 1News: "We're relying on seismometers that are on the mainland and they're just too far away to record the signals." when the island has erupted in bad weather or darkness "Eruptions have occurred and we didn't notice until we saw damage on solar panels," Illsley-Kemp said it's very strange to not be able to know anything about it." Normally our most active volcano has instruments showing shaking for experts watching 24/7 to help keep people in nearby boats planes and the mainland safe from hazards like ashfall University of Auckland geology professor Phil Shane said with the current blackspots "It doesn't really seem rational or logical to restrict access by scientists to volcanoes when it's part of our role." One of the complications was court action involving the Buttle family who were initially convicted of health and safety breaches which was then quashed Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has been upping the urgency to now reinstate the technology "It's something that is complicated and I didn't anticipate that it would be," he told 1News "I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to get equipment on there." The Buttles told 1News they met with government representatives in March from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Department of Internal Affairs the family wants to negotiate a formal licence instead of the verbal licence that existed previously They are waiting for further communication from the government on the proposed formal licence." They also said: "The Buttle family has always supported the activities of GNS [Science] in their monitoring and research on Whakaari." GNS Science would do the hands-on work to install the new gear 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 search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." 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 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 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." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping 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 The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz 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 Fuel supplier McKeown’s has announced the shut-down of its self-service tank and pumps unrelated businesses Peake’s Kitchen and Papatowai Country Store "It’s taken everyone by surprise," Catlins ward councillor Dane Catherwood said "So we’ve really got to see if we can find a solution .. but a bit more of a heads-up would have been helpful." McKewon’s managing director Ken McKeown said it was an "unfortunate" business decision "It’s a low-profile site [and] it’s not doing enough volume to justify the expense of fixing the problem," he said it’s about $10,000 to test [and] they’ll condemn it because of the age .. It’s reached the end of life [and] we’ve got to make a hard decision and pull the pin on it He said there would also be expense in shutting down the site Papatowai Country Store owner Nicole Peake said people were disappointed in the decision and its short notice but were hopeful other suppliers would quickly recognise an opportunity and whether people want to admit it or not "It’s important to have the infrastructure and facilities in place now to accommodate that growth Travellers want the Catlins on their itinerary and they want to know they can get fuel and not have range anxiety." The nearest alternative fuel stations are in Owaka (25km) or Tokanui (50km) long-running Papatowai Challenge fitness event which regularly attracts more than 100 runners and walkers from as far as Dunedin and Southland "We’ve reached out to other fuel operators and received a couple responses and an on-site visit from a company that expressed interest," Mrs Peake said She said they were trying all avenues to make sure visitors and locals filled their tanks before they headed to the area Origin of name: Papa is Maori for land and the towai is a native tree - making it Land of the Towai; interestingly towai bark is popular for treating skin diseases Population: There are about 30 permanent residents green whistling frog found outside the Whistling Frog Cafe He's a couple of metres tall and perfect for selfies Big birds: Moa bones have been found around here and it's said font of all local knowledge (and gossip) he volunteers at all the local events and at the museum Famous faces: Famous people to have had their pictures taken up against Whistlewood include Bret Mackenzie Neil Oliver from the TV series Coast and Robert and Duncan Sarkies who shot parts of their movie Two Little Boys around here Best website: catlinsdiscoveries.com Source of pride: Papatowai is proud to be clean Locals strive to keep nature pristine and wildlife protected fishing is limited and there is no pollution - the air is so fresh you could eat it Town fiestas: The Papatowai Challenge is a fun run/walk held each February The Catlins Coast Rally is an off-road event each August art exhibitions (including Waikawa - Edge of The World) as well as markets Inspirational: The Catlins attracts all manner of creative people: photographers Here for a short time: The Lost Gypsy Gallery is run by the magnificent Blair Somerville and turns them into interactive gizmos and gadgets and visitors can now enjoy The Gadget Garden for a modest entrance fee Or perhaps you want to get into big wave surfing - cheaper than a defibrillator kids love Shanks Interactive Nature Bush Walk where they can learn all about nature is also groovy for interactive fun featuring live insects Best park: Right near Papatowai beach there's room for kids to play dogs to run and it's where you'll find the public bathrooms Best walks: The Catlins is a walking wonderland The Cathedral Cave walk is gorgeous but only accessible at low tide Lake Wilkie is an easy stroll round an old glacier lake and is also where the whistling tree frogs come from it's so pretty when the rata blooms in December McLean's Falls are the tallest in the Catlins this walk is 45 minutes return and perfect for bathers in summer Best view: From the Florence Hill lookout you'll be rewarded with sweeping views along 4km of beach it's so fetching it features in Japanese car commercials The Southern Lights are a highlight from December to April and in January when the Milky Way is directly vertical with the horizon Best swims: Papatowai and Tautuku are both known for big wave surfing and when it's not really rough the sea is great for boogie boarding and swimming Pools in the river and waterfalls are great for dips too Owaka Museum tells the forestry side of Catlins history while the Waikawa Museum tells the maritime story Top shops: There are lots of groovy second hand shops paua shell delights and locally made honey Best mountain biking: Cycling is amazing here with lots of new tracks being developed including a historic rail trail round Matai Falls Hire bikes (and boogie boards) available from Whistling Frog Catch a wave: Catlins Surf School in Curio Bay is perfect for learning how to surf and if you catch a wave at Porpoise Bay you'll probably have to share the surf with dolphins scenic helicopter flights and horse trekking are all super-cool Best kept secret: Locals nurture a free vegetable garden at Papatowai Feeling batty: Forest and Bird run native bat tours over summer with short and long-tailed bats cruising around looking like really big moths Safety first: Be careful with the ocean and tides take on Cathedral Caves at the wrong time and you might be swept out to sea Don't approach sea lions for selfies or you deserve to be bitten And buy petrol every chance you get as there are long stretches of road with no gas - so no driving on the warning light While traveling southbound from Dunedin toward Invercargill take a detour through the Catlins to the sleepy village of Papatowai where artist Blair Sommerville has spent nearly two decades tinkering with random curiosities to create his interactive exhibit The abundance of gadgets and gizmos make it seem like this is the unconventional laboratory of some sort of mad mechanic with a penchant for converting everyday items into bizarre creations which is packed with delightful doohickeys like kinetic sculptures and other tinkered-with toys and technologies you’ll find a garden packed with gadgets powered by water or wind made from found objects like coins Crank a handle to make an iron whale look like it’s swimming through the air or hop on a bike to turn on a television Be sure to enter The Winding Thoughts Theatre of Sorts to check out a repurposed old-fashioned hair dryer where the sounds of a kakapo will fill your ears There’s even a funky little coffee caravan on the site so you can grab a quick cuppa something hot and caffeinated to power you through the rest of your road trip It's closed on Wednesdays and closed entirely throughout the winter This haunting sculpture was created as a statement on the mechanized warfare of the First World War A slightly creepy gallery of plaster cast models in the same museum as Michelangelo's David The largest open-air contemporary art center in Latin America is a unique experience in the Atlantic Forest A Tucson museum and performance space full of found-object movable sculptures This working class sculpture pounds his hammer all the livelong day One of a series of no-purpose kinetic artworks by Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely This free sculpture garden is home to over 90 artworks and installations from artists around the world This 42-foot tribute to the workforce still reminds us to pause and recharge Rain stayed away and even a little sunshine made an appearance for the Papatowai Carnival and Big Dig on New Year’s Eve local crib owners and visitors to the remote Catlins holiday destination turned out in force to enjoy traditional fair games like the sack race ‘‘I couldn’t run the big dig without the help of locals in setting up on the beach and in the prize tent which is a great tradition and community effort extending back for years now ‘‘The sun might not quite be shining at the moment but you can see by the smiles that everyone is really enjoying themselves." looking back towards the land bought by the Papatowai Forest Heritage Trust (PHOTO: Fergus Sutherland) Water’s edge rātā (PHOTO: Fergus Sutherland) The land purchased by the Papatowai Forest Heritage Trust is to the right of his stick A Catlins conservation group has finally purchased a section of the Papatowai estuary behind an iconic stand of rātā - a deal it's been working on for several years The Papatowai Forest Heritage Trust bought the 15 adjacent sections from the Findlater family creating what will be called the Findlater Reserve The purchase is part of a wider effort to protect the Southern rātā which hang over the beach at Papatowai joining other sections previously protected by the trust Kathryn speaks to the spokesperson of the Papatowai Forest Heritage Trust Fergus Sutherland who is over the moon about the sale See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes Peake’s Kitchen food-truck at the Papatowai Country Store was declared Burger Nation’s "Supreme Winner" this week after a nationwide hunt for the tastiest burger "The Peakes’ beef-burger set out to be the classic American cheeseburger transformed with a Kiwi touch," chef Tom Peake said "The Kiwi touch is to replicate a familiar flavour using high-quality locally-sourced ingredients in a nutrient-dense the Peake Burger presents home-ground patties and tasty double cheddar in a tower that resolves to big-bite size under fingertip pressure "The patties are made right here using two cuts of Southland Hereford a traditional burger cut and a special steak cut," Mr Peake said which we figured out with the help of the chef I finished my apprenticeship with." branded indelibly Kiwi with a slice of beetroot home-pickled in Otago pinot noir the Christchurch-born chef adds an array of condiments relish and three kinds of mustard to deliver a flavour burst that better-known brands might only achieve with an army of food scientists "We are very pleased to be recognised as supreme winner," co-chef and Country Store owner Nicole Peake said "The Peake Burger is all very quick and simple now but every part of it was carefully thought through for the best look "A huge thanks to our team of five and all our customers local and travelling who took the time to vote for us The [Burger Nation] organisers made it really easy to vote and everybody telling us how much they enjoyed their burger made it really easy for us to tell them they could vote for us if they wanted." More than 100,000 burgers were eaten in New Zealand during the month-long competition Peake’s Kitchen Papatowai food-truck sold 640 burgers to tally 591 votes far more than any received for burgers in big cities including Auckland nick.brook@odt.co.nz The Otago Daily Times and Alison have collaborated to bring you her first cookbook – Seasons This book is the ultimate year-round cookbook Seasons is filled with versatile recipes designed to inspire creativity in the kitchen offering plenty of ideas for delicious accompaniments and standout dishes that highlight the best of what each season has to offer $49.99 each. Purchase here. $44.99 for ODT subscribers. Get your discount code here.  The skies of the South were painted in the colours of the Aurora Australis in a dazzling display last night The spectacular phenomenon was photographed across Otago and Southland Nicole Peake captured the aurora between 9:30pm and 11pm at Papatowai and the Florence Hill Lookout "Although auroras are common in the Catlins Dark Sky this one was truly fantastic due to the intensity of it," she said "We are very lucky not to have any city light distortion in the Catlins which meant we got to enjoy the full spectrum of light and colours uninterrupted More than 380 runners and walkers took part in the 28th Papatowai Challenge in the Catlins on Saturday Nick Brook snapped some of the competitors The Papatowai Forest Heritage Trust has been acquiring and placing under covenant sections of unspoilt and regenerating bush since 1996 and bought a 1.56ha block bordering the Tahakopa Estuary in the remote coastal hamlet Trustee and project leader Mary Sutherland said the event was a celebration of the reserve’s "preservation in perpetuity" "Both the Findlater family and the trust wanted this land to be protected and enhanced and we’ve now submitted an application to covenant the land and provides a buffer for the forested edge to the estuary and opportunities for native species Mrs Sutherland said she believed many people would be surprised the land was not already protected as it hasn’t really been touched for 60-odd years so we’re absolutely thrilled to be working with the Findlater family to make this a special place accessible to all." The reserve could be accessed through the rear of the Papatowai Campground and had a "basic" 300m trail running through it at present which would be developed as funding allowed Mrs Sutherland said the trust hoped others would share its vision Christmas arrived early for the region's big wave surfers on Wednesday as swells of 6m to 8m hit Papatowai in the Catlins Dunedin surfer Leroy Rust said although the big wave conditions were not unusual for this time of year it had been "a while" waiting for them to come round this season Surfing waves of this size was not to be taken lightly and special gear and occasional teamwork was required "You need what we call a big wave paddle gun or tow surfboard to catch them we had two teams of three towing us in because the wind was pretty strong." Mr Rust said he had been surfing big waves for nearly a decade including in other locations such as Hawaii and Mexico surfing on home waters was "something special" "Because the waves here are much more fickle when they appear in all their glory they're spectacular We were pretty delighted to be out there yesterday [Wednesday]." Catlins Surf School owner and fellow big wave surfer Nick Smart said the extreme conditions seen on Wednesday were generally short-lived and restricted to locations off the south coast "You look today and we're back to [a] 2m or 3m swell There were about 10 of us out there yesterday from 7.30am The longer-range Catlins forecast remained steady at 2m to 3m and another big swell was predicted for Monday "We've had a great summer for surfing down here and winter forecasts are also looking good in terms of some big swells Seven-day forecasts for St Clair in Dunedin ranged from 1m to 1.8m over the weekend The Children's Big Dig was a hit with children at Papatowai Beach on the last day of 2014 About 80 children scoured the sand for film canisters containing tickets for prizes The event in roughly its 20th year was one of a host of activities for families organised by the Papatowai and Districts Community Association for the New Year's Carnival at the beach The bonfire and fireworks are scheduled for 10.15pm tonight Papatowai is getting a new 24-hour fuel pump installed for those caught out in the area The Papatowai Motels and Store service centre has always had fuel on site but this will be the first time it has a pump with 24-hour card access Installation of the pump began last week and it is expected to be ready next week Owner Bryan Bevin said a few tourists had already called in yesterday with only a quarter of a tank of fuel he had to turn them away as the pump was not ready The nearest alternative sources of fuel in the area are Owaka so it's got to be good for them,'' Mr Bevin said A few of the residents in the area were glad it was being installed He decided to install a 24-hour pump as the previous pumps were getting old the 20,000-litre tank on site was usually refilled once a week McKeown Petroleum Otago-Southland business manager Ross Cleland said the new tank would be filled when needed rather than on a routine basis Fuel prices would be based on those set for Christchurch so it would not be any different from anywhere else in the South Island The pump will provide 91 octane petrol and diesel Customers could still pay in cash during normal shop hours but would only be able to pay using a card once the store closed about 6pm samuel.white@odt.co.nz a small Catlins environmental group believes it has almost eradicated an invasive plant pest from Papatowai The Papatowai Barberry Busters began their attempt to eliminate Darwin’s barberry from the village in 2009 little suspecting they would still be at work 12 years later Now they have reached that local milestone they would like regional authorities to launch a wider eradication campaign Group spokesman Ian Morison said they had only an incomplete idea of the scale of the issue in the group’s early stage and he really pushed us to keep going at the outset and "Although we knew [barberry] was present in large clumps in some locations the extent of its spread has been a continual surprise which has meant it’s probably taken us a bit longer than we initially expected to reach this milestone." The South American native Berberis darwinii — introduced to New Zealand about a century ago as an ornamental due to its attractive orange flowers — was first brought to the Papatowai area by an "enthusiastic gardener" about 60 years ago Well-adapted to grow at the edge of native bush stands the 5m barberry could grow rapidly upwards and sideways to monopolise light and smother adjoining plants Tasty berries ensured its spread via birds and other wildlife Mr Morison said elimination of the plant required only a chainsaw and stump poisoning We’ve recorded more than 500 hours of clearance between the three core members and there will be a good few more from other community volunteers and ourselves before we started the log "Add to that about $5000 spent on equipment and pesticides and you could say it’s been a labour of love." Although the Otago Regional Council had funded $1500 of equipment last year through the EcoFund Mr Morison said he would now like the ORC to take a leadership role in expanding eradication efforts in the province Other regional authorities — including Environment Southland — classified barberry as a pest plant allowing efforts to be co-ordinated and funding to be sought but there is a far larger problem beyond our borders "To us barberry is like botanical Covid-19 where there is a role for international governance we suggest ORC should play a far stronger role in leading the fight against barberry "We’d like them to follow the example of Environment South Although the group was "satisfied" to have cleared Papatowai of the pest it did not feel it could celebrate just yet "I go through oscillating periods of optimism and despair," Mr Morison said "It feels pretty good to have cleared it from the village said she and fellow residents had counted eight known holiday cribs that were visited following the Level 4 lockdown announced on August 17 unless they were essential workers.The travel restrictions remained similar for Level 3 The source said despite those restrictions some of the crib owners appeared to have visitors during that period including one occasion when three separate groups gathered at one crib residents of other Catlins towns were identified visiting Papatowai Beach for recreation during lockdown Relations between permanent and visiting residents were generally excellent but the recent behaviour had been ‘‘disappointing’’ ‘‘Locals have been incredibly conservative during lockdown as we have several elderly and vulnerable residents and an infant under the age of 1 non-compliant behaviour like we’ve seen could lead to Covid being introduced as there’s so much more chance of avoiding that outcome if people just play by the rules.’’ She was raising the issue now in case there was another lockdown ‘‘The reality is the [Covid-19] Delta variant is likely to hit New Zealand again We’d just like people to be a bit more thoughtful if that happens.’’ Clutha district Catlins ward councillor Dane Catherwood said he had observed an increase in traffic passing through the town towards Papatowai during the lockdown period ‘‘We’ve probably had a few people turned up on the weekend who shouldn’t have ‘‘I think with the absence of cases in the South Island people were champing at the bit and getting a bit frustrated when perhaps people just need to be a bit more patient.’’ said police had received no reports of lockdown breaches in the Catlins Neither did a series of police checkpoints for vehicles travelling across the district identify any non-compliance there were minor infractions elsewhere in the district ‘‘We had a few issues with whitebaiting initially as there was some misinterpretation of the specific rules around that A policy of ‘‘education and enforcement’’ was exercised ‘‘People are welcome to report any issues of non-compliance they identify We did have a few pushing their luck elsewhere in the district during that period RICHARD.DAVISON@cluthaleader.co.nz A food truck in a tiny town in the Catlins has taken out the title of best burger in Aotearoa And since the win was announced last week Peake's Kitchen has had a steady stream of visitors from all parts of the country New Zealanders ate more than 100,000 burgers during the month-long Burger Nation competition and voted for their favourites in four categories The Supreme Winner for the meat category went to the Peake's Kitchen Beef Burger Kitchen owners Nicole and Tom speak to Kathryn had a bad case of the stitch in the last leg of the race and  was in obvious pain as  he crossed the finish line of the men’s run he moved gingerly off the track and recovered It was  Jackson-Grammer’s second victory in the event after he entered  for the first time last year he still managed to improve on his previous time he completed the track in 56min 13sec and this year  did it in 55min 58sec "I was pretty pleased," Jackson-Grammer saidHe said it  was  a very enjoyable track and was one of his favourites He had plans to enter in the Dunedin  Three Peaks race Papatowai Challenge organiser Wayne Allen said this year’s 350 entrants  was a large improvement on last year’s 301 "There’s not many events in the South Island which bring in over 300 so I’m very happy," Allen said For the fifth delivery of Memorable Mailboxes, readers have sent photos from across Otago. Email photos of southern mailboxes (including more from Southland please) to: shawn.mcavinue@alliedpress.co.nz There's been big turnouts to events throughout the South to welcome in the New Year thousands whooped and hollered as a spectacular fireworks display began 2019 on Queenstown Bay About 3km of waterfront from Queenstown Gardens around past Steamer Wharf was packed with revellers of all ages seeing in the New Year Many had danced the night away in front of two stages; a main stage on Earnslaw Park featuring bands and a more lively dance stage outside Eichardt's Private Hotel's $10,000-a-night penthouse and hotel Whoever paid the sum had one of the best views in the world for the start of 2019: a sea of people watching the fireworks shooting up from a barge in the bay where many boats had been pulled on to the sand The resort's bars were packed - about 100,000 people visit Queenstown in the holidays and usually close to 15,000 make their way downtown for the big New Year countdown said: "The whole night has been electric." There did not appear to have been any major trouble in town before midnight although there was an notable police presence The party will go on long into the early hours though the atmosphere was relaxed rather than raucous as people enjoyed the sun and warm temperatures Celebrations in the resort kicked off with band Mojo on the Earnlsaw Park stage and an aerial acrobatics show over the bay at 5pm and 6pm performed by Arrowtown circus school teacher Abigail Rose and three others They were suspended from a crane about 25 metres in the air above the water outside the famous Eichardt's Private Hotel The performance was based on fairytale Hoheria Blossom One of the biggest New Year's Eve crowds in Wanaka in recent years converged on the lakefront up to 5000 people had enjoyed bands and a warm it looked likely celebrations might continue well into the new year A few tweaks were made to lakefront festivities this year in an attempt to restore some law and order in the town centre A DJ stage hosted a range of well-known local DJs from 9pm to 1am as part of a three-year trial to encourage and engage youth away from the main bars and Ardmore St things got a little bit country at Lake Hawea thanks to the Top Paddock music festival being hosted at the Lake Hawea Hotel including Australian band Hurricane Fall and New Zealand's Jody Direen entertained about 2000 people on two stages from 4pm one of the largest shows in the South Island was again held in the Cardrona Valley with a huge crowd on New Year's Eve the festival has become a household name - not just in Otago but around the country This year's edition saw the likes of rappers Vince Staples and Action Bronson as well as Kiwi reggae band The Black Seeds The festival began on Saturday and would run until the early hours of Tuesday morning drinks and dinner looked set to be the most popular choice as crowds gathered at bars and restaurants in Clyde There was live music and a DJ at eateries and bars in Clyde and a piper would see the New Year in at the Ancient Briton About 150 people attended the Papatowai Beach Carnival and Big Dig in the afternoon Kids of all ages took part in a range of traditional fair games including three-legged races The activities concluded with the long-running Big Dig organised by local crib-owners Wayne Allen and Peter Hill Mr Allen said the number of people attending the event looked "on par" with previous years "In past years we've had people carry on digging for prizes for more than and hour-and-a-half so I'm giving some of the little ones a helping hand with my 'magic stick'," he said Carnival spokeswoman Emma Bardsley said people would return to their cribs once the digging had finished before returning for an evening beachside bonfire and fireworks from 10pm tonight Music lovers in Southland were in for a treat at the inaugural Bass Camp Festival being held at Camp Taringatura between Invercargill and Dipton which began yesterday and runs until January 2 DJs as well as fire performers and daily workshops on everything from yoga to martial arts up to 2000 people were expected to flock to Lions Park for the annual Party and Fireworks in the Park Event co-ordinator Shayne Mercer said it was the biggest event the Rotary Club held all year Content brought to you by PGG Wrightson Real Estate PGG Wrightson Real Estate is extremely privileged to bring to the market 1777 Papatowai Highway located 20 minutes south of Owaka on the Southern Scenic Route This well-presented 457-hectare sheep and beef property has been faithfully farmed by three generations of the Ross family for nearly 100 years putting their heart and soul into the many improvements the farm boasts today A comfortable three-bedroom family home sits on a sunny elevated site with stunning views over the local district Farm improvements include a large six-bay implement shed satellite sheep yards and a four-stand raised board woolshed with covered yards Stock water is gravity fed to troughs throughout the property via three 30,000L tanks which water is pumped to via ponds and creeks A high standard of fencing ensures animals are kept secure and being subdivided into over 70 paddocks makes stock and pasture control a breeze Shelter is provided in the way of 5.2 ha of woodlots plus other tree lanes and natural protection in the gullies Excellent lamb and cattle production plus high lambing percentages from easy care ewes make this a very productive and viable unit A comprehensive record of all stock production figures soil tests and re-grassing programmes are available upon request As the property is located in the heart of the picturesque Catlins Forest Park and surfing to be found right on the doorstep of the property There are also potential tourism opportunities This is an outstanding property in a very reliable farming area Find out more about this property here Three CHB farms have sold in quick succession to overseas buyers for forestry conversion A humble food truck at the bottom of the country has taken out the top spot in the Burger Nation competition The former Royal New Zealand Air Force technician was brought up in nearby Papatowai Mr Geissler said he was looking forward to living on-site in what is widely regarded as a southern beauty spot on the Southern Scenic Route as I was brought up in Papatowai a couple of kilometres away "Tautuku is where you would come for bush and beach walks just to enjoy the spectacular natural beauty of the place Mr Geissler said he had enjoyed a diverse career with the air force He also picked up a master’s degree in English literature along the way he did not have plans to write the next great New Zealand novel during his tenure "I am working on an essay on [Victorian Irish author] Frances Browne with a colleague at Otago University "It’s just a privilege to live and work in the heart of this amazing forest The Otago Youth Adventure Trust runs both Tautuku and the Berwick camp near Waihola Chairman Stephen Woodhead said the trust was delighted to welcome a new warden to Tautuku "It’s not essential to have a warden on site "We transported a new house here to Tautuku two years ago as part of continuing upgrades to the camp so it’s great that Joe will be able to use that as part of his role." maintenance and general oversight of the centre but Joe’s skill sets from his work with the air force and elsewhere are a great fit for the wide range of work he’s likely to be called on to do at the centre." The trust expected to continue to refurbish and upgrade the centre facilities during the coming year "We have an upgrade to the ablution blocks planned and will be addressing the continuing challenges from maintenance and compliance that such a large and remote site present "We had 7900 bed-nights through both camps from January to May last year "Fortunately the community believes in what we are doing here in terms of the strong social outcomes for youth and community that arise through getting into the outdoors The declining yellow-crowned kakariki has been identified in the Tautuku Forest A small but highly dedicated group of volunteers has been working to transform the fortunes of native species in a ''profoundly beautiful'' coastal Catlins forest since mid-2016 The Otago Daily Times' Richard Davison talks to project leader Francesca Cunninghame about the experimental project and her ambition to leave a legacy of growing biodiversity for future generations of visitors The Catlins delivers its fair share of ''wow'' moments as you make your way down the Southern Scenic Route but perhaps none stick in the visitor's mind as powerfully as Florence Hill lookout For the car-bound tourist already feeling spoiled by Papatowai's pristine seaward vistas all of a sudden the panoramic cup is overflowing as a truly world-class view over Tautuku Bay and its neighbouring podocarp rainforest rolls out before them before driving on to the next deep-south treat the apparently dense and inaccessible forest seen from the lookout will willingly yield more intimate secrets and a nearby detour into Forest & Bird's Lenz Reserve offers up a range of bush walks from a few minutes to two or three hours It's here that an experimental biodiversity project - the Tautuku Restoration Project - has been quietly ticking along since June 2016 led by Dunedin Forest & Bird project manager Francesca Cunninghame the project has since spread outwards into a further 800ha of the wider Tautuku catchment which comprises Doc-managed estate encompassing the Tautuku and Fleming rivers and evidence of its effectiveness in achieving its aims - the project aspires to control pests and expand biodiversity throughout the entire basin The project's experimental nature - and its complexity - derived from the unknown quantity of conducting pest control in a mixed podocarp forest Much had been learnt about effective pest control in beech forest over the years but the majority of the forest here is historically-logged kahikatea and matai with extensive undergrowth ''We don't know much about predators' boom-bust cycles in this sort of environment so that's something we're learning as we go along and hope to share with similar projects elsewhere in New Zealand.'' the project mechanics are relatively simple Using a standardised Doc 200 trap design - many built by Otago Corrections Facility inmates - riparian and strategic trap lines are gradually being extended to control the impact of stoats From a starting base of just 53 traps in 2016 Longer-term ambitions extend to reintroduction of now-absent nationally-threatened species formerly prevalent in the area Cunninghame is emphatic that will not happen until further steps are taken to conserve Tautuku's existing biodiversity ''I'm a great believer in biodiversity for biodiversity's sake so one thing we've worked hard to establish since the project began is exactly what we have here in the first place There's absolutely no point in starting to reintroduce exciting new species if we're not doing whatever we can to conserve and propagate what's here already It doesn't matter if some of those are less glamorous than others; they all count.'' It's possible she has in mind a nationally rare but locally abundant galaxiid fish Electric fishing last year established the presence of significant populations of the ill-favoured Gollum and it turns out it's not alone in its cryptic lurking typically shy Tautuku gecko has also popped up on Cunninghame's radar we want to better understand its distribution and take appropriate steps for its conservation.'' With such an abundance of recently discovered - and as yet undiscovered - riches in the catchment Cunninghame hopes to attract further funding and additional volunteers Due to the relatively low profile of the project to date she said volunteers had been limited to a highly dedicated core of about 10 Forest & Bird members Doc community funding would maintain her role to the beginning of next year Although the project is not Cunninghame's sole activity - she also works with mangrove finches in the Galapagos and with seabirds in Dunedin - she believes it is deserving of wider community support ''Our volunteers put in incredible hours clearing trap lines ''They do it because this is a profoundly beautiful place the largest fragment of native forest on the south coast who joins her on each of her forest adventures the ambition to preserve and enhance the world's ''special places'' is what fires her personally ''What world do we want to leave for our children I'd like to think there will still be beautiful places full of wildlife to explore for Niko and his friends ''It's sad to think of forests echoing in empty silence.'' • What: Tautuku Restoration Project.• Where: Tautuku Forest funded until early 2020.• Who: About 10 volunteers led by Forest & Bird project manager Francesca Cunninghame.• Why: Conserve and propagate native species including kakariki reintroduced whio.• How: Walking tracks in the forest's Lenz Reserve are signposted from the Southern Scenic Route Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs Local man Wayne Allen's interest was piqued when he discovered the Catlins had several ''forgotten'' waterfalls among its total of 140 alongside tourist drawcards such as Purakaunui and McLean Falls When he learnt one of them was a long-lost 20m cataract just 20 minutes south of his Papatowai crib ''I set out with Peter [Hill] to see what we could see so that first adventure took us two and a-half hours before we found it.'' Further research revealed the so-called Koropuku Falls trail was once under the Department of Conservation's purview and the route passed through conservation land ''I checked in with Doc and found it was also recorded as a historic paper road Peter and I decided to do what we could to allow others to share what was once forgotten That early ambition turned into a 15-year ''spare-time'' project which included building a winding path of more than 2000 punga logs The 40-minute return trail had been accessible for ''two or three'' years but Mr Allen said recent promotion on camping apps had allowed a growing ''league of nations'' to enjoy it ''We've seen heaps more people this season than in the past One couple had even left a ''love note'' to the trail now pinned to the entry sign on the Chaslands Highway ''Someone online thanked the 'two old men' who built the trail,'' 71-year-old Mr Allen said Overcast conditions in the Catlins could not stop the smiles during the Papatowai Beach Carnival and Big Dig on New Year's Eve About 150 people took part in the long-running annual event which combines traditional fair games in the afternoon with a bonfire and fireworks after sunset Kids of all ages took part in a range of games including three-legged races The afternoon's activities concluded with the long-running Big Dig Mr Allen said the number of people attending the event looked ''on par'' with previous years ''In past years we've had people carry on digging for prizes for more than and hour-and-a-half so I'm giving some of the little ones a helping hand with my 'magic stick','' he said before returning for a beachside bonfire and fireworks from 10pm we've got a great family atmosphere here today with everyone mucking in and having some fun The event had been running in some form for at least 30 years ''The secret is not doing anything too fancy It's a bit like going back in time to the traditional Kiwi holidays of the past When Anthony Eyles reached the beach in the 19th Papatowai Challenge on Saturday he followed the tracks his wife and son had made earlier in the sand Julia Eyles and Henry (4) started at noon and finished the 15.5km track as registered walkers for the fourth time at the weekend Henry is set to collect his five year medal and in doing so will be the youngest entrant to notch up five completed challenges He said his favourite part was ''the start'' ''He was so looking forward to it,'' his mother said ''Henry did a lot of walking today; he walked half of it,'' she said Next year the plan was to leave the pram behind Collecting their 10 year medals this year were a husband and wife running team The first time the couple competed in 1998 Mrs Sanderson finished first among the women The Sandersons competed for eight straight years but stopped competing at Papatowai until two years ago we didn't know what to expect,'' Mrs Sanderson said The event's founder and organiser Wayne Allen said while the cool wet weather had been a positive for the runners each year the event must be held according to three guidelines The race is held each year in February or March when the runners hit Tahakopa Beach 1.69km into the run they were faced with a 25 to 30 knot headwind It was not a year for record breaking times Mr Allen said despite a very competitive field the event was more a celebration of the running The run at the town ''where the forest meets the sea'' has become ''I think that's what makes it so friendly at Papatowai They've been out there for two hours and they've still got smiles on their faces.'' This year he handed out five gold medals for taking the challenge 10 times and he handed out 20 five year medals and then we sat down around a table one night and I got talked into making it an open event,'' he said In the first Papatowai Challenge in 1997 there were 30 runners ''People are actually treating it like a reunion now,'' he said So many events you go to around here and you're running around streets and professional people are running these events and the money goes into their pockets ''All the money totally goes out to the community.'' Thirty volunteers put the Papatowai Challenge together the main reason people come to do the Papatowai challenge - I'm sure - it's not the comradeship it's the 1000 pikelets and jam that I make Half of the pikelets have got cream on them.'' The event has had as many as 501 entrants but 299 entrants on the weekend was good enough The 1000 pikelets that he served were all consumed beach and country roads course in 57min 22sec Results: men's senior division: Jason Palmer 3; women's senior division: Samantha Benson Pope 1:14:05 is this year’s winner of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal for lifetime achievement and outstanding contribution to New Zealand’s literature for young people Noonan (62) on Tuesday said she was delighted to receive the award which marked a career spanning more than 35 years and 100 titles her journey into writing had begun without a clear ambition to "become a writer" "You could call it naive or you could call it thick — I just never really thought about books having been written by people And then to write something [for the School Journal] and have it published having taught for four years after graduating from the University of Otago "Then it gradually dawned on me there was this opportunity that you could write things and people would pay for them Publishers quickly identified her talent for engaging a young audience and further titles were commissioned although Noonan’s identity remained a matter of speculation "When I went to work for the School Journal as editor years later they told me they assumed my first stories were written by an elderly eccentric Noonan said she felt honoured to receive an award of such note and pleased to have a further connection with Mahy Noonan said she had enjoyed workshops with Mahy and had been privileged to share the stage with her at various events down the years Among Noonan’s many contributions to the literary landscape in 2012 she received the North West Christchurch Award for services to the community for her 2010 picture book Quaky Cat illustrated by fellow Mahy Medal-winner Gavin Bishop The book raised more than $150,000 for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal and then it dawns on you the best way to help is to use the skills you already have; so Gavin joined me as illustrator and we wrote a book that was received very very well." The pair went on to write a successful sequel The mother-of-one said she was often asked whether she wrote children’s books because she liked children "I think children are really interesting people but I’m seriously interested in their welfare Being able to help through projects like Quaky Cat has been very satisfying." The Tautuku Restoration Project has been running near Papatowai in the Catlins for the past five years and on Monday reached 2000 predators trapped in its extensive network of trap lines run by Forest & Bird and partially funded by Doc aims to to control pests and expand biodiversity throughout the entire Tautuku Basin Dunedin Forest & Bird project manager Francesca Cunninghame said about 47km of trap lines had been laid both during and preceding the project Although she and project volunteers were pleased to reach the milestone from our perspective we want to know what effect it’s having protecting what we want to protect pigs and deer remain an appallingly destructive issue for the forest and are not trapped by our current efforts aimed at smaller predators So our contractor Gavin White has been doing amazing work testing traps for those animals and we also have hunters from Invercargill who help out "By continuing to study the impact of our efforts on the native species we’ve identified as significant we can inform our future predator control." the Tautuku gecko remained one such species although populations remained difficult to assess accurately Other species found in the catchment included kakariki Three sightings of the Australasian bittern were an exciting "We’ve been very excited to see this wetland bird but it’s still not clear whether it’s visiting or established locally We’ll be using new bat and bittern monitors to see what we can discover." The bats in question are New Zealand long-tailed bats known to be present elsewhere in the Catlins "We’ve found a couple of remnant populations in the wider catchment one of which sits outside current predator control measures So the monitors and further trap lines will help with assessment and conservation." South Otago Forest & Bird volunteer Roy Johnstone said he felt the group was "winning the battle" against predators "Our lines are based on the philosophy of catching what’s in the main catchment then establishing buffer zones to prevent reinvasion My gut feeling is the predator numbers remaining are not huge "It’s the biggest area of native bush remaining on the east of the South Island which is owned by the Department of Conservation (Doc) closed last November when the lease ran out and yesterday Doc confirmed it would not be open at all during the 2009-10 summer season Doc coastal Otago area manager Robin Thomas said the camp's waste disposal and associated facilities could not cope with the extra demands from the increasing number of visitors Doc invited proposals from interested parties to upgrade and operate the camping ground It had been negotiating for several months with one party but talks had recently broken down as the proposer wasn't able to commit to the necessary development work the concession requires," Mr Thomas said he said Doc was able to immediately enter into talks with another interested party and expected it would soon lodge an application to lease the camping ground "I'm optimistic that we'll see positive moves towards the camp re-opening in 2010 with the necessary standard of facilities and under commercial management." Doc recognised the importance of the camping ground and wanted to see it back in business it wanted to explore all opportunities for its commercial operation the public will get to see it and make submissions - glenn.conway@odt.co.nz said illegal hunting was an issue across the Southern policing district Catlins farmer Brian Lemm felt his life hanging in the balance Standing in the middle of a paddock in a remote part of the Catlins That encounter left Mr Lemm and his wife shaken at least four hoggets and three cattle beasts have been shot and left on land leased by Mr Lemm at Florence Hill near Papatowai It appeared two of the cattle beasts had fallen off a cliff and on to the beach after being shot Mr Lemm heard a calf bellowing but did not see anything untoward A few days later he came across the carcass of a cow The bullet would be removed and handed over to police as evidence A strop (a tie-down strap) was found nearby and Mr Lemm believed a quad bike had been used to move the stolen meat The shootings had left Mr Lemm several thousand dollars out of pocket Some of the farmland gave access to prime fishing spots - King's Rock and Rainbow Island - and allowed access to hunters who were granted permission "It's dangerous because I also give hunters permission to hunt there .. He said it was common to see spotlighting from the roadside Two nearby farmers had also had deer shot and left on their properties Another farmer told him he had issues with people "continually" spotlighting in a paddock with deer in it despite four residential houses being nearby Not only did it put genuine hunters' chances of legally hunting on farmland in jeopardy Police would increase patrols in the area - during the day He advised landowners to contact their local police station or as soon as possible after discovering suspicious behaviour or slaughtered animals Taking down vehicle details - registration number but only do so if it did not put safety at risk Offenders could face a range of charges including illegal hunting The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Papatowai woman Mary Sutherland has put together her father Jack Bickley's experiences and her travels with husband Fergus and the book can be turned around and flipped upside down to read the second Please Send Home features the war diaries and letters of Jack Bickley from 1941 to 1945 while Far From Home and Family tells of the Sutherlands' journey through Greece Mrs Sutherland said her father's diaries and letters recorded boredom and a sense of wondering what was going on ''Reading these diaries I had a real need to see these places using Mr Bickley's diaries and photographs to follow in his footsteps ''We searched for the places which were significant to the thousands of New Zealand soldiers who served overseas in the war of 1939 to 1945 we wanted to walk the long strides of Fergus' uncle whose footsteps came to an end near an olive grove in Greece early on in the war and to find Dad's footsteps in the deserts of Egypt and the later trudge that covered the length of Italy,'' Mrs Sutherland writes in explanation of the journey The diaries and letters give a detailed account of Mr Bickley's experiences on the front lines ''Could hear the shrapnel whistle over from that salvo He doesn't give you much time to get up for some air A still quiet for a minute and then away we go again Trucks leaping and roaring over the desert Something has burst on the burning truck over there and a great black plume of smoke is pouring up,'' he writes on June 27 ''It's important to remember these stories,'' Mrs Sutherland said The diaries and photographs gave the Sutherlands an opportunity to stand in the same places Mr Bickley had been during his service ''Fergus took a photo of the cathedral in Sienna [Italy] and when we got back and looked at Dad's photos we realised Fergus must have been standing in almost the exact spot.'' Mr Sutherland also used Mr Bickley's photographs to paint wartime scenes which are displayed at the Owaka Museum alongside the book Only 350 copies of the book have been printed -helena.dereus@odt.co.nz the new date just was not workable as it was too close to another event he was running in The new date was also only a fortnight before the Queenstown Marathon which might not work for runners planning to race in both After taking the step of signing up for his first marathon he was going to roll his entry over to the 2022 event Another Dunedin runner having to adjust her plans was Lucia Vincent (38) who had also entered to run the full marathon as the Ironman event she was due to run in at the start of the year was postponed about two weeks out But she believed the organisers had made the right call “I think most people will be really understanding “It’s much better than not having it at all Race committee chairwoman Maria Sleeman was pleased to have a new date finalised The event going ahead in November was reliant on being in Alert Level 1 as it had to fit in with other running events around the country and upcoming events in Dunedin “It would be such a shame for everybody that’s entered and that’s training to miss out.” If the event proceeds and the alternative date does not work for people they will be eligible to receive a 75% refund or they can transfer their entry to the 2022 event with soaring visitor numbers testing its infrastructure particularly its ability to safely dispose of sewage Doc is advertising for proposals to develop and manage the camping ground once the lease expires on November 1 Otago conservancy acting-community relations manager Ken Stewart said Doc wanted the site's character retained to ensure any development was within the concept of "a basic Kiwi camping experience" Potential operators would be asked to prepare proposals to overhaul the camping ground's waste systems and carry out other development The next stage of the process would involve applying for a lease for the camping ground Mr Stewart said Doc acknowledged the facilities were not designed for the level of use the camp had received at peak periods in recent years "This has resulted in waste systems and resource consent issues proposals that are submitted need to address waste treatment and compliance." The camp will remain closed until the new lease is issued "When it reopens depends on an acceptable proposal whether the Minister of Conservation agrees to grant a lease on terms acceptable to the successful proposer and how long it would take the lessee to bring the camp's facilities up to the necessary standards." The site of almost 2.5ha already has a three-bedroom house Proposals for upgrading and managing the camp close on October 8 it is business as unusual around the busy hub that is the Winding Thoughts Theatre of Sorts The Catlins' legendary ''organic mechanic'' Blair Somerville of Papatowai owner of The Lost Gypsy Gallery of Curios and creator of the seriously weird Winding Thoughts Theatre of Sorts has been joined by two new business operators who are fast gaining their own top billings among tourists and locals alike Off-the-grid manager of The Little Rocket caravan cafe who has run her business from Somerville's property since October 2013 and Catlins Kayaks kayak and stand-up paddle board hire operator whose first season began in November last year and who also works from a base on the property are drumming up custom of their own and the result is busy busy whose friendly disposition towards the hordes who visit belies the fact that he still pines for the days when the road was unsealed and tourists few and far between cope with looking out the window of his house-bus workshop at not one but two neighbours ''It makes for a social time,'' he mumbles his attention clearly wandering towards his quarter hectare of topiaried broom hedging from which emerge strange jointed tin limbs that twist and writhe when mysterious handles are wound The foliage is in desperate need of a shave and shape The motorised hedge trimmer he bought a while back is playing up and it'll take six hours to do the job by hand Built into Ngamthura's lease agreement (no-one appears to have a copy of it and it's doubtful if it even exists) is a free flat-white-a-day for the laird which Ngamthura cranks up on her gas-powered espresso machine Originally from Chiang Mai in the far north of Thailand Ngamthura says that turning out a good coffee makes her happy and that the smiles she receives from customers are her tips she was brought up in a region known for its arabica coffee yet it wasn't until her return home during the New Zealand winter of 2014 that she immersed herself in the local cafe scene hundreds of new cafes have sprung up in the city over the last couple of years,'' she says Ngamthura spent much of her time back home perusing this new scene sampling coffees and discussing techniques with owner-baristas On her winter ''to do'' list is a course in ''latte art'' Comfortably turning out a flat white as good as any of Dunedin's best Ngamthura is adamant she doesn't pine for the city ''Papatowai is a great community,'' she says ''And I feel a little more comfortable here than I do in Thailand at the moment I've got supportive friends and neighbours and it's good to be around people who care about their environment.'' A large black dog curled up at her feet yawns ''The customers give him a lot of attention!''As we wind up our conversation the distinctive green Bottom Bus pulls up and a river of backpackers spill on to the gravel parking space in front of the gallery This is the cue for Dave Holland (or ''Rough Dave'' as he's known to locals) to extricate himself from the impromptu jam session happening round the cafe tables (live music is a regular event at The Lost Gypsy) and to draw the punters' attention to Somerville's wacky theatre who has disappeared to do something tricky to the recalcitrant hedge trimmer Holland (who was a tour guide in a previous life) is a great promoter which may explain why the Winding Thoughts Theatre of Sorts has twice pipped Te Papa at the post to claim top place on the social consumers' web platform While Rough Dave is directing his backpackers towards the pathways that lead through the broom toward the theatre and Ngamthura is whizzing up a smoothie for a caffeine-free client (something Somerville keeps a close eye on due to the draw the blender makes on his solar-powered batteries) ''doesn't stop long enough to let people go for a kayak or paddle board upriver.'' ''That's a real shame because if you don't get on to the water you're really not seeing just how amazing the Catlins is.'' who has worked as an outdoor adventure guide throughout the country says that no words adequately describe the treasure the Catlins holds and the bird life (including penguins) has to be seen and heard to be believed,'' she enthuses you can get so much closer to wildlife without disturbing it.'' Hunt's arrival in Papatowai was no accident although it wasn't until the former Aucklander saw the place that she knew she wouldn't be leaving any time soon ''My mum passed away about four years ago,'' she explains which I now take with me wherever I'm living is this little automata flower on a stand which Blair made She bought it when she was on holiday down here Mum always said that I should go to the Catlins and find the person who made it because she knew I'd like both the area and the artist Looking for a source of local employment led Hunt an entrepreneur with a business mind and the energy to make things happen ''I bought the New Zealand-made kayaks and boards in the central North Island and had them trucked as far as Christchurch But then I had to design a kayak trailer that could be used to get them down to the Catlins I'd never designed anything like that in my life!'' and Rough Dave cruised up to Christchurch to tow the whole shebang home on the back of Somerville's struggling car (For a crew that's loose when it comes to formality the dwellers of the Lost Gypsy hub have a way of making things happen.) which operates out of Somerville's property was up and running by the start of December Hunt is also comfortable being on the move with the kayaks and happy to hitch the trailer to the car and drive them to any venue a group or school might want to hire them To add extra flavour to the mix already working from The Lost Gypsy precinct who also crews on Real Journeys' Doubtful Sound scow The Navigator brings in overseas workers to staff Catlins Kayaks when she's out of town two affable Scots have slotted so seamlessly into village life that within a week of their arrival they were performing guitar and song items at the community's Christmas party and recently saved the day at the screening of a native bat film destined to be shown without sound by producing back-up speakers from their car and just how does someone with the potential to be a social recluse cope with the all-summer buzz of business comings and goings ''I'm not that reclusive,'' muses Somerville He looks down at the hedge trimmer which is still not co-operating then out to a couple of hitchhikers waiting for a ride at the side of the road ''I wonder if they want a free bed in exchange for trimming broom for a couple of days?''He begins ambling nonchalantly towards them ''It's far too hot for young people like that to be out there in the sun.'' Matai Rail Trail opening reception at the Tahakopa Memorial Hall The Hyundai Big Wave Mission is being spearheaded by Campbell Farrell (36) who was the first New Zealander to surf Jaws - an 18m-24m break in Hawaii there may be some of the biggest surf in the world right at our back door." Farrell said he returned home every year to spend time in Central Otago but this year he would head straight for the Fiordland coast if conditions looked favourable so we are on call 365 days a year for three years," he said Farrell had surfed in Hawaii for 12 years and also surfed big wave surf breaks in Mexico The first part of the big wave mission was to conduct a broad search of the Fiordland coastline to find "20ft surf with light offshore or no wind" the Hyundai Big Wave Mission would use helicopters to locate possible locations "I think getting favourable local weather will be our biggest hang-up." Once the area was explored by helicopter and possible locations found some of New Zealanders leading surfers were keen to join the mission "There are big waves off the coastline of New Zealand and we have the New Zealand surfers able to tackle these waves I believe Kiwis ought to get out there and pioneer their own surf breaks." With the potential for waves to reach 24m the team would use jet skis not only to tow a surfer but also as rescue sleds Despite the surfers wearing lifejackets and wetsuits surfing big waves carried "all sorts of dangers" "I can tell the obvious dangers will be cold water with freezing stormy conditions equipment failure and the risk of drowning cuts and broken bones that are always associated with surfing with or without big waves We will have an experienced medic with us if we return to surf." the area could become a drawcard for international surfers these days a surfer can be practically anywhere in the world watching the ocean waiting for a spot to get the right conditions "We are constantly monitoring the weather and the swells to see when the wave is on its way." Former Dunedin man and Surfing NZ chief executive Greg Townsend said Fiordland "has the potential to be the best spot in the world" it had "the potential to put New Zealand on the big wave surfing map" It seems strange that surf breaks that can hold waves as big as 60 feet high can still go unnoticed yet these six big-wave breaks are hardly known except by the hardy group of locals who surf them regularly Santa Maria, Santander Tucked behind the Isla Santa María in the Spanish port city of Santander, Santa Maria has been a treasured big-wave spot since the 1970s in Spain but more or less unknown elsewhere in the world This is due to a combination of its relative fickleness—it needs a sort of rare combination of big northwest swell and easterly winds—and the protective nature of its locals A thriving surf scene and tight takeoff spot added to sharp rocks and huge waves has meant visitors have found it very difficult to infiltrate Santa Maria’s massive gems Photographers have also been actively discouraged Yet when the huge Atlantic swells roar into the Cantabrian coast Santa Maria reveals itself as a truly world-class big-wave location But we’ve kept it secret for a reason: We all want to go back.” Sunset Reef, Cape Town Sunset breaking in the middle of the Bay Cape Town’s big-wave credentials have mainly been focused on the deep-water wave known as Dungeons sharky wave hosted a Red Bull Big Wave specialty event for many years and was on the original list for the Big Wave World Tour (BWWT) This break handles waves of 60-foot faces or more and has a select crew of locals charging it every time it breaks 5. Ghost Trees, Pebble Beach The wave breaks just 100 meters behind the 18th-hole flag regardless of the fact that it holds waves as big as 60 feet high still remains in relative big-wave obscurity 6. Papatowai, New Zealand Kyle Davidson tackles Papatowai located on New Zealand’s South Island is regarded as the Kiwi version of Mavericks It is a cold-water reef that offers wave faces of up to 60 feet that mainly focus on an intense shallow section of the reef called “The Bowl.” Doug Young is Papatowai’s equivalent of Mavericks’ Jeff Clarke having pioneered the break 15 years ago and still riding the biggest waves on every swell He has twice won the Biggest Paddle-In title at the Oakley ASL Australasian Big Wave awards Papatowai still remains one of the least well-known big-wave spots on the planet 7 best excuses not to surf big waves Is Roca Puta the best big wave in the world? Mark Mathews swallowed by wave in slo-mo