Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome The crew of HMNZS Taupo have assisted in a stormy night rescue of two yachties forced to abandon ship near Rangitoto Island in Auckland this morning on a training exercise and crew evaluation in the Hauraki Gulf picked up a mayday call relayed from Auckland Maritime Radio regarding a yacht running aground on the western side of the island was called to the bridge shortly before 5am and quickly made the decision to respond "Conditions from the west were pretty rough But we were within our limits to put our seaboat in the water." the two crewmembers abandoned their vessel into their dinghy They were taken aboard the pilot vessel and the dinghy taken under tow." With the pilot vessel required for commercial shipping duties the crewmembers and towed dinghy were transferred to Taupo's seaboat "There was no moonlight to assist as it was raining and there was full cloud cover A lot of this was done using the heat signature sensor on our cameras and the seaboat's spotlight." The crew were dry but understandably shaken up after what had happened "Then the North Shore Rescue Coast Guard vessel came on station and they were happy to take the crew and their dinghy to shore." He says it was a 'no-brainer' to respond to the call "We were within our safety limits and everyone was well trained the Tineli Huka Hundy will return to the start line this year Organisers opened entries for the 2025 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge unveiling a new 100km event to excite road cyclists Cyclists across New Zealand and beyond can mark their calendars for Saturday as entries officially open for the 47th Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge The iconic event returns with a fresh twist for its thousands of loyal participants Organisers have introduced a brand new road cycling category – the Great Lake 100 – a scenic 100km route around Lake Taupō that aims to offer a middle-distance option packed with energy and excitement Event Director Hayden Dickason said the addition came in response to strong rider demand “Riders have been asking for it and we are super pleased to be able to deliver the inaugural Great Lake 100,” said Dickason “It’s perfectly positioned between the Independent Traffic Control Length of the Lake and the Shimano Round The Lake We are confident it will become a crowd favourite and hold a distinguished place among our event categories.” added that with fewer formal road cycling events on the calendar the Great Lake 100 provides an important new option “So far we’ve had very positive feedback,” he said The event also welcomes back the Tineli Huka Hundy a 100km mountain biking challenge that debuted in 2024 The off-road adventure has already earned a reputation for its demanding course and spectacular scenery Mountain bikers have more choices with three distinct off-road categories Road cyclists can choose from several classic rides including the Shimano Round The Lake (160km) the Independent Traffic Control Length Of The Lake (55km) the Gravel Grind covers approximately 83km and has become a fan favourite experienced in hosting large-scale sporting events once again looks forward to welcoming the thousands of riders and supporters who will descend on the region for a weekend of cycling How do you feel about Tauranga’s rapid population growth Back to top Chris Symon has etched his name further into New Zealand Motorsport history by claiming his fifth consecutive NZ Formula First Championship The final round at Taupo provided a fitting end to a thrilling season Mixed conditions and close racing kept spectators on the edge of their seats winning all four races despite the challenging weather tops off another great season,” Symon said “To be racing at the front consistently and competitively for so many years Dad has been the driving force behind this year’s championship and I can’t thank him enough for supporting me to break his record The season saw five different race winners highlighting the competitive nature of the series “That’s why Formula First is so much fun: competitively close Liam Foster finished second in the championship acknowledging the season’s competitiveness but we didn’t quite have the horsepower to challenge for number 1,” Foster stated He also praised his team’s consistency and reliability expressing strong motivation for next season “I think one big positive was our consistency with both reliability and getting the most that we could from the car which is a huge testament to all the work that Dad and John put into the car “Next year will be my last season racing in Formula First for the foreseeable future and I have never been more motivated to win the championship and look forward to achieving this next season.” moving from fifth to third in the standings after a strong performance demonstrating consistent pace with four podium finishes across the Taupo races “After a strong weekend at Taupo Motorsport Park with all the hard work from the team we managed to collect valuable points for the championship,” said Scott “It was a weekend of pure NZ Formula First racing We managed to gather enough points to claim third place in the championship “Dad (Blair Scott) and I were very stoked to get this championship position after not having a great start to the season and Dad for all the work they have put in behind the scenes to make these opportunities possible for me.” Edward Meyer was another stand-out performer taking his first national podium over the weekend He put pressure on the front drivers all weekend and has made great progress throughout the season Yoshi Comeskey was crowned Sabre Motorsport’s 20th Rookie of the Year Champion joining an impressive lineup of drivers who have previously won the title “I had a mega weekend up in Taupo for the championship’s final round We continued our season-long finishing streak and finished all four races with no contact We wrapped up the rookie title by the penultimate race which really took the pressure off and resulted in a great battle with Ben Williams in the final race “Huge thanks to Dennis and Jono from Sabre Motorsport for the reliable and quick car all season long I’m really happy to take the rookie title; it means a lot to have my name on the same trophy as all the past rookie champions and some of the drivers I look up to.” The Formula Vee Association of NZ has its annual One-Hour Enduro on Saturday This will be followed by the AGM and Prize Giving in the Manawatū a chance for the class to celebrate a fantastic motorsport season and website in this browser for the next time I comment © 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news © 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news Police are seeking photos of a Russian stuntman who went missing in 2002 in the hope of being able to identify human remains located near Lake Taupō earlier this year They were especially interested in photographs showing his golden teeth in his upper jaw Artour Melikov was 36 when he was reported missing on 10 September 2002 Turangi police located his vehicle at the Jellicoe Reserve near Lake Taupō and the car key passport and other documentation were inside but there was no sign of Melikov and police established he had not been seen since he left Auckland two days prior several bones were found near a walking track at Motutere and police were called Senior Constable Barry Shepherd said police believed the remains were those of Melikov but they had not been able to confirm that "We've been unable to contact his next of kin so hope there is a colleague or friend who may be able to help us," he said in a statement "Artour was a stuntman for the likes of Xena: Warrior Princess during his time in New Zealand and we hope there is someone who worked with him who may have high-quality photos of his face Melikov had gold teeth in his upper jaw which would have been distinctive Police would like anyone with information that could assist the investigation to get in touch via 105 and cite reference number 250110/2158 Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News An obstacle course athlete said she was “lucky” to escape with a fractured wrist after plummeting 50m down a cliff face at Taupō’s Spa Thermal Park “I think I’ll get a Lotto ticket this week.” Redward’s fall was captured on video and the footage has been posted to her Instagram account and messaging to see if I’m okay,” Redward said “It feels like I’ve broken a couple of ribs and I’ve got plenty of bruising and swelling but it could have been way worse.” Redward has since seen the doctor and discovered her wrist was fractured it looks bad but I’m lucky I’ve come out relatively unscathed It was probably a bit of a jackass moment.” Redward was on a “recovery bike ride” on April 13 after taking part in the Ultimate Athlete obstacle course race in Mt Maunganui the day before when they decided to give the rope swing a go Redward said her hand slipped off the rope Emergency services were alerted by a 111 call at 6.49pm that a person had fallen down a bank at the Spa Thermal Park A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said three crews from Taupo attended the rescue A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said one patient in a moderate condition was transported Police search and rescue coordinator Senior Constable Barry Shepherd was also on the scene “All the first responders were great,” Redward said “They made sure I was warm and comfortable.” Redward said while she has been in some “sketchy situations” in the past related to her sport she has never had a broken bone or major injury “I was so thankful for the Hato Hone St John paramedics and not to mention the green whistle,” she said Fire and Emergency station officer Sean McAvinue said fire crews used lines to get down the cliff to Redward They then assisted St John crews in stabilising her in a rescue basket McAvinue said all three emergency services worked together to get her to the top of the bank before carrying her 700m to the road for further medical attention “We’ve got a great working relationship with the other emergency services,” he said so we understand each other’s systems and capabilities and we always have a common objective in supporting our patients.” After being transported by ambulance to Taupō Hospital The mum of 10-year-old twins was glad she was wearing her bike helmet “I have a bruise on my head so 100% it would have been way worse if I wasn’t wearing one.” Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times 'The team have nailed it – it’s a strategy that everyone can understand.' A free fishing licence will set you up for the new season which kicks off 1 July 2025 Winning photographs will be used to illustrate the various licence categories which means there could be up to seven winners - improving your chances The range of licence categories makes it easy for anglers to find an option that suits. Licences are easy to buy online all you need is a smartphone or access to a computer Judges will be looking for photographs that reflect the various categories In addition to the traditional trout trophy shots we’d like to see more creative images that capture the spirit of fishing in the Taupō region - families enjoying trout fishing anglers within the landscape or images that celebrate the brilliant colours of Taupō trout Feel free to submit multiple photographs – up to 5 per entry To enter the competition simply email your photographs to fishlicence@doc.govt.nz along with your name Ideally images will be between 2MB and 5MB – small enough to email yet large enough for us to use Remember all photos must have been taken in the Taupō Fishing District Closing date for entries is midnight Sunday 18 May 2025 Winners will be selected by a judging panel and notified within five working days of the closing date All photos must be free of copyright restrictions Terms and conditions THE legitimacy of the progress shown by Grove Racing and Dick Johnson Racing in New Zealand will be under the microscope this weekend Last month’s Taupō Super440 proved a breakthrough event for both teams as Matt Payne won two races and the overall round while DJR enjoyed a double podium and two pole positions Neither Grove nor DJR had registered a pole or podium across the opening two events at Sydney Motorsport Park and Albert Park Will Davison denied the form of the Jet Couriers Mustangs was track-specific – Taupō remains the only venue where DJR has secured silverware in the past 18 months – but the true test of that will now come at Symmons Plains Grove and DJR both were merely also-rans last year in Tasmania Unlike the parity-marred 2023 Symmons round Ford was competitive in the 2024 edition via Tickford Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United – but not others Interestingly at Grove, it was perhaps the event where Payne was most outdone by then-teammate Richie Stanaway Payne is mindful of the need to show more consistent form before being able to consider himself an out-and-out title contender “It has definitely helped our championship progress but I probably wouldn’t get too far ahead of myself,” the #19 Penrite Mustang driver said of Taupō it’s really important to make sure we really store this in the bank and learn from what we did this weekend so we can build on some of the weekends ahead “I know there’s a couple of tough tracks coming up for us so we just need to really knuckle down and make sure that we’re on the front foot for both of those tracks to make sure it wasn’t like the past years where we have been a little bit inconsistent “So I think that’s going to be our focus.” died in a farm vehicle accident near Taupō last week A woman who died after a farm vehicle accident near Taupō at the weekend has been described as an “absolute gem” by a long-time friend She was Melanie Gaw, 52, from the Reporoa, Taupō area Emergency services were called to an address on State Highway 5 in Wairakei about 3.30pm on Saturday Police confirmed first responders found Gaw dead WorkSafe was notified and the death has been referred to the coroner Gaw’s long-time friend Ange Vomangisi Ruff told the Herald she was “extremely broken to lose such a beautiful pou (pillar)” “She seemed to have an endless supply of nurturing and I think her superpower was her ability to slow the sun to make enough time in the day.” She said there were no words to properly describe Gaw “There [weren’t] many schools around that Melanie hadn’t had a hand in creating or repairing “She was an avid scout leader and a massive supporter of her communities and play centre.” said they were “devastated” to hear of her death She had been a Kea leader for children aged 5 to 9 at the Taupō group and was coming up to 15 years service with Scouts Aotearoa Comber told the Herald her passion and care for youth “was second to none” When asked what the group might miss most about Gaw “She was famous for her steamed puddings at camps and camps are just not going to be the same without Banty’s steamed pudding.” what they would miss the most was her “huge heart and huge smile” the Taupō scout group will attend her funeral in full uniform to pay their respect to a former leader They will also honour her life in their own way, by holding a “special campfire” between Rotorua and Taupō we gather around and tell stories and have little skits and songs .. it’s an important time of gathering and unity within scouting “We are going to hold a special campfire to celebrate Banty’s life with us.” Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne New Zealand fans flock to Taupō for thrilling Supercars weekendSupercars14 AprNew Zealand’s passionate motorsport community once again turned out in force for the second-ever running of the event3 mins by Supercars.comTaupōNew Zealand fans flock to Taupō for thrilling Supercars weekend Supercars confirms strong crowd of 51,454 fans for 2025 event Matt Payne was a popular homegrown winner of Jason Richards Trophy Supercars has confirmed a strong crowd of 51,454 fans attended this weekend’s ITM Taupō Super440 as New Zealand’s passionate motorsport community once again turned out in force for the second-ever running of the event the Taupō International Motorsport Park provided the ultimate backdrop for the first-ever Super440 format — which delivered some of the best door-to-door racing ever seen on New Zealand soil the roar of the crowd echoed through the circuit as Kiwi drivers delivered standout performances including Matt Payne’s pole position and race victories along with Ryan Wood’s first ever career podium finish In a moment that will go down in Supercars history rising New Zealand star Payne etched his name into the record books by claiming the coveted Jason Richards Memorial Trophy Payne became just the seventh driver in history — and the third New Zealander — to lift the trophy Since Supercars’ first visit to New Zealand in 2001 more than 2.3 million fans have attended championship events across the country New Zealand’s Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston was on the grid prior to the final race of the 2025 ITM Taupō Super 440 the second of a three-year deal for Supercars to race at Taupō International Motorsport Park “It’s great to welcome the Supercars championship back to Taupō and see so many passionate fans “It’s clear that this is an incredibly popular event for Kiwi and Australian race fans and those from farther afield “The New Zealand Government is keen to support major events happening outside of our main centres They provide an incredible experience and a significant tourism and economic boost to our regions.” Supercars CEO Shane Howard said: “This weekend has been another incredible showcase of New Zealand’s love for motorsport The passion and knowledge of the fans here is second to none and it was on full display from the moment the gates opened on Friday “The new Super440 format delivered some of the closest racing we’ve ever seen in New Zealand especially the reaction when Matt Payne claimed the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy made for an electric and emotional atmosphere and volunteers — thank you for your support in making the ITM Taupō Super 440 another world-class event “We are proud to continue our partnership with New Zealand’s motorsport community and we look forward to returning in 2026 for another unforgettable chapter.” Ford drivers Matt Payne and Chaz Mostert have grabbed a win apiece in the two sprint races at the Taupō round of the Supercars Championship New Zealander Payne led from pole in the first of two 37-lap races capitalising on a clever strategy from his Grove Racing team to stop one lap later than his rivals during an early safety car penalty Payne remained on top to finish ahead of Cam Waters who is second in the championship standings behind Will Brown New Zealander Ryan Wood and Anton De Pasquale Australians Mostert and Kostecki duelled hard for victory in race two regularly swapping position amid a feisty battle until Mostert pulled clear late in his Mobil1 Optus Racing car It was a flat day for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team who dominated the first three rounds of the championship Both Brown and Broc Feeney struggled in Friday's practice and neither Chevrolet challenged for the podium in the sprint races Brown placed fifth and seventh to see his overall lead over Waters reduced to just 12 points and will hope to improve further in Sunday afternoon's 61-lap race Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand could have a second Australian Supercars race as soon as 2026 Will Brown overhauled Broc Feeney in a tense battle to win the second race of the Australian Supercars championship round in Taupō We have regular online commentary of local and international sport Sport RSS A person has died after a farm vehicle accident near Taupō yesterday Emergency services were called to the address on State Highway 5 in Wairakei shortly after 3.30pm yesterday Police said that on arrival first responders “sadly located one person deceased” WorkSafe has been notified and the death will be referred to the Coroner 'This is not something we’ve seen before.' Speed limits along State Highway 5 are about to go up to a 100km/h speed limit Drivers who wanted all of State Highway 5 from Napier to Taupō to return to 100km/h have got their way But one local from a small community on the road says he’s worried drivers will treat the speed limit as a “target” rather than a “limit”, with disastrous results Public consultation around increasing the speed limits nationwide has concluded with an average of 60% of submitters saying they want the speed limit on the Napier-Taupō Rd returned to 100km/h from the current 80km/h with a further 49 sections open to community consultation to confirm whether there was public support to retain current lower speed limits The three sections of SH5 open for consultation were at Tarawera The rule specifically required NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to measure levels of public support through consultation in order to demonstrate “public acceptance” SH5 Tarawera saw 60% strongly opposed to retaining the current 80km/h speed limit out of 1060 responses Turangakumu to Te Hāroto saw 61% strongly opposed to the current speed limit out of 1049 responses and Te Pōhue had 58% strongly opposed to the current speed limit in the area out of 1075 responses SH51 from Napier to Clive will also revert to 100km/h The speed limit in these areas will go to 100km/h on July 1 Napier MP Katie Nimon said she was happy to see public consultation has resulted in the speed limit on SH5 being reinstated to 100km/h “National campaigned on reversing blanket speed limit reductions and we are delivering on that promise,” she said “Our speed limit reduction reversals stand to boost economic growth and productivity – allowing people and products to get to where they need to “Instead of solely relying on reduced speed limits to improve road safety our Government is committed to enhancing road conditions promoting safer driving and vehicles and focusing on drug and alcohol awareness.” Te Pōhue resident Norm Brown isn’t opposed to the blanket return to 100km/h but he is concerned about small communities having a 100km/h “target” on their backs the white circle with the black slash through it which meant you can travel up to 100km/h if you want to but you drive to the conditions or you’re hammered Now they’ve set a target which is a little bit crazy,” Brown said Brown would prefer to see the speed reduced through the communities on SH5 down to 70km/h – but above all he wants to see more Kiwis using common sense when travelling If people are going to have trouble with that then you’re not going to change those people,” he said Brown would like to see the police’s “Stay Alive on 5″ campaign continue as he said it brought the death toll on the road down to zero and helped minimise accidents Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region The Saturday closure comes amid a proposal to shut Napier Library for at least two years SH32 WAIHAHA - ROAD CLOSED - 1:15PMDue to a crash, SH32 is temporarily closed to allow vehicle recovery. Expect delays or allow extra time for detour. ^ND pic.twitter.com/dKVL86TdMk State Highway 32 on the western side of Lake Taupō State Highway 32 was reported shortly before midday It has blocked the road at Waihaha on the western side of Lake Taupō A diversion is expected at Whangamata Rd but motorists are asked to expect delays A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said one ambulance one rapid response unit and one operations manager went to the crash was transported by ambulance to Rotorua Hospital.” He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life A beauty therapist’s joy and excitement at discovering she was pregnant were soon replaced by stress and humiliation when her job security came under threat due to her news Zelinda Doria’s former employers forced her to go on maternity leave while she was only a few weeks pregnant Doria has been awarded almost $100,000 in recognition of the way they treated her “I couldn’t enjoy being pregnant or being a mum All I could focus on was how I could afford things,” Doria told NZME so I didn’t have any transport for most of my pregnancy “I wasn’t able to focus on anything except finding an income.” In 2017, at the peak of the employment issue, Doria had lodged a claim with the Human Rights Commissioner But after the failure of mediation between Doria and her then-employers Doria then turned to the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT) Flowers and Blakeney-Williams no longer own Diamond Laser Medispa The new owners told NZME they were not aware of the case before the tribunal Doria said she felt vindicated by the ruling “The main thing is I didn’t realise how much it had crushed my self-esteem Doria had been working at Diamond Laser Medispa for 11 months when Flowers scheduled a meeting with Doria to discuss her “parental leave and employment situation” matters weren’t discussed as the meeting soured and Doria and her support person were asked to leave the premises Doria received an email stating she was to start her primary carer leave the following day is Government-funded leave for up to six months and can begin up to six weeks before the baby’s due date It can only begin earlier if the employer and employee agree or if the employee is unable to perform their workplace duties The email said the business required Doria to start her leave early because of “the overwhelming information regarding the risk of harm to you and/or baby together with the non-work related activities that you have said are having a detrimental effect on your health and putting your baby at risk” It stated Doria had taken time off in the previous three weeks which she said was due to morning sickness It also stated the workplace involved many chemicals and that Doria could not perform the hours required “even at this early stage of your pregnancy” A request to cancel the nominated early carer leave and for a work-related risk assessment to be conducted by an independent professional to find a temporary solution was rejected Doria had also provided a letter from her midwife stating she was “fit and healthy and completely capable of performing her duties” which the midwife described as a common symptom of pregnancy The beauty therapist did not apply immediately for paid primary carer leave as she intended to use it for the period closest to her due date As she was still a Diamond Laser Medispa employee she struggled to obtain help from Work and Income and was limited in what other employment she could pick up Doria was told she would not be paid it unless her employment was terminated or she resigned she was told she did not meet the criteria due to not having worked enough hours at that point Doria then made a complaint to the Human Rights Commissioner alleging she had been discriminated against by Flowers and she resigned and was paid out her holiday pay Flowers and Blakeney-Williams applied to strike out the claim on the basis that the tribunal had no jurisdiction to deal with it a decision that was later upheld by the High Court and the Court of Appeal Its decision stated that counsel for Flowers and Blakeney-Williams had claimed Doria was told to go on early parental leave because she was unable to do her job as she was suffering morning sickness They claimed it was not due to the pregnancy itself; rather “The submission that the symptoms of pregnancy can and were separated out from a pregnancy to justify detrimental treatment overlooks the entire rationale for the protection from discrimination of pregnant women …” the decision stated “Ms Doria lost her source of income immediately despite intending to have worked for the remaining seven months of her pregnancy.” The tribunal said a decision to ban Doria from the spa’s premises for health reasons was not supported by any medical evidence It also said the decision to place her on early leave with “no notice no medical information and no risk report” and to then contact her and remind her of her obligations as an employee and the possibility of being disciplined “We accept that Ms Doria experienced the humiliation of being unable to financially provide for herself during her pregnancy and to prepare for her baby’s arrival; the injury to feelings she experienced including the stress and distress when she found herself without a job and an inability to experience the joy of pregnancy as she was consumed by trying to obtain sufficient income and challenging her employer’s actions,” the tribunal said “We also accept the discrimination she faced as a result of her pregnancy impacted upon her dignity during this vulnerable period of her life She was treated with ongoing hostility and contempt by the defendants …” The decision stated that Flowers and Blakeney-Williams had tried to justify their actions at the hearing entitle her employer to unlawfully discriminate against her Blakeney-Williams and their company were ordered to pay Doria $75,000 in damages for humiliation A declaration was also made stating they had discriminated against Doria “on the basis of the prohibited ground of sex told NZME the whole situation was “bizarre” and that Flowers had been a close friend until she became pregnant “I feel like I will never know the real reason why me “There were countless times they could have apologised or made things right Doria told NZME she wanted to thank her former employers for “lighting a fire inside me that can never be dimmed this situation forced me to prove to myself that I can overcome anything” “I hope Olivia and Richard can come to terms with the reality that you cannot treat people the way that you do.” Flowers and Blakeney-Williams declined to comment on the ruling their lawyer said they were considering their options in terms of an appeal Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022 The Supercars are descending on Taupō again Taupō has caught Supercars fever ahead of this weekend’s championship round: the town centre has been decorated community events are organised and the famous #LoveTaupo sign has received a super spruce-up It looks like everything is good to go as drivers have touched down in New Zealand this week – about 240 tonnes of equipment worth $40 million has already arrived To set the mood for the third round of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship, the ITM Taupō Super440, drivers will descend on the CBD as part of the Track to Town event tomorrow The convoy will leave Taupō International Motorsport Park at 3.45pm drive into town for a free autograph session for fans and head back to the race track at 5pm Some roads around Te Ātea-Tapuaeharuru on Roberts St will be closed for this so everyone can safely view the cars and enjoy the event Opening practice starts at 12.10pm on Friday followed by two 120km sprint races on Saturday and a full 200km race on Sunday The driver who scores the most points across this weekend will be awarded the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy named after the late New Zealand Supercars racer who died of cancer in 2011 Richie Stanaway and Ryan Wood will be the sole Kiwis on the grid eyeing the trophy which went to Australian driver Anton De Pasquale last year Heimgartner won the inaugural Taupō race in 2024 the Brad Jones Racing driver becoming just the fourth New Zealander to win a Supercars race on home soil he ended up finishing second on the podium that weekend Now he hopes “natural progression” will see him atop the points tally this year Winning the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy would be special to him as Richards used to drive the No 8 Supercar for Brad Jones Racing – the same number Heimgartner races with today Payne and 19-year old teammate Kai Allen make up the youngest pairing in Supercars since 2007 Payne scored his maiden Supercars pole position 12 months ago in Taupō – but narrowly missed out on the podium who was the overall race winner at Taupō in 2024 leads the points heading into this weekend New Zealand-based racers in the Central Muscle Cars Toyota 86 and Super V8s classes are also set to take to the track The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Tickets are available online via Supercars.com and Ticketek NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said visitors should be prepared for heavy traffic on the roads as the event is expected to draw a crowd of over 67,000 over the three days NZTA Waikato journey manager Andrew Brosnan said all non-essential maintenance activity would be paused on SH1 and SH5 in the central North Island over this period however there may be some active work sites with temporary speed limits in place parking for the event at the Motorsport Park is only available using the SH1 Interchange with Centennial Drive There is no access from SH1 on to Broadlands Rd Traffic management will be in place to manage traffic flows A park-and-ride service for ticket holders is available at Kaimanawa Reserve on Rifle Range Rd Parking is limited so Taharepa Reserve will be used as an overflow car park Buses will run continuously and are free for ticket holders There will be face-painting and free family-friendly movie screenings of Cars (Friday) and Turbo (Saturday) at Te Ātea-Tapuaeharuru at 5.30pm along with Australian teammates Macauley Jones and Bryce Fullwood spent Wednesday morning speaking to local students about their careers and what it takes to be a Supercars driver Researchers are digging into the earth in Taupō to assess the likelihood of a "dramatic" loop of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions hitting the region is looking at how "twin threats" - earthquakes and eruptions - could set each other off in the Taupō Fault Belt sending matter more than 25 kilometres into the stratosphere and releasing more than 1000 cubic kilometres of volcanic ash that can be carried across the planet by wind It is still considered active and while the probability for a future eruption is low it could still happen - causing significant unrest Lead researcher Dr James Muirhead of the University of Auckland, said the supervolcano sat in the heart of faultlines where land was stretching and pulling apart, sparking earthquakes "These earthquakes can shake up molten rock deep underground making it more mobile and explosive," he said it can also unlock and trigger fault lines It could be a dramatic feedback loop of seismic and volcanic activity." There was already some evidence suggesting earthquakes had preceded some eruptions at Taupō His team had been digging a five-metre deep trench at a site on Poihipi Road which was long enough to cross multiple fault lines in the area "Our study is the first to really investigate this in great detail by carefully examining these layers to see if an earthquake Understanding the potential recurrence and magnitude of earthquakes near the Taupō volcano would help inform things like city planning and seismic strengthening of buildings fault or earthquake processes and volcanism it can help us better understand and respond to unrest that could happen at Taupō volcano which is the largest volcano that we have in the country." Muirhead said an eruption 1800 years ago left much of the area's geological history buried under thick volcanic deposits so researchers had not attempted to uncover the soil layers until now "This massive eruption blanketed the land with metres of ash and pumice making it nearly impossible to track earlier earthquakes in the soil." Natural Hazards Commission chief research and resilience officer Dr Jo Horrocks said the findings would help safeguard communities and critical infrastructure from earthquake damage "If [scientists] can recognise some earthquake activity as precursors of a volcanic eruption or vice versa then they can provide that on the spot advice we might like to take a closer look at the volcano." The research was being carried out in collaboration with GNS Science and Victoria University Muirhead expected the findings to be ready mid-2026 The latest unrest started in May last year and just over 1800 earthquakes under Taupō volcano have been recorded in the past year A volcano seismologist says the raising of the alert level for the Lake Taupō volcano from zero to one is more a sign of improved monitoring rather than unusual activity 30 landslides and a beach that vanished into the depths are among notes from scientists analysing the 5.7-magnitude quake that hit Lake Taupō late last month A person has died following a two-vehicle crash in Mangakino, northwest of Taupō, this afternoon. The crash on Waipapa Rd, between Scott Rd and Moncarch Rd, was reported to police just after 4pm. One person died at the scene, while two others were seriously injured, police said. Two people were taken to Waikato Hospital, a St John spokesperson told 1News. The road is closed and motorists are advised to avoid the area. It brings the Easter holiday road toll to four. Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning New Zealand Homegrown music festival's new location revealed Sheep killed more euthanised after stock truck rolls in Southland Police were called to the single-vehicle crash on Tokanui Gorge Rd Highway near Fortrose at around 7.45am on Monday Four injured State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd is currently blocked Warning of poisonous shellfish in Western Firth of Thames New Zealand Food Safety said routine tests on shellfish from Waimangu Point have shown levels of the toxins over the safe limit Environment Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Victoria Uni law students to sit handwritten exams due to AI fears 18 mins ago Five Big Things That Happened Today: Tuesday, May 6 26 mins ago Judge orders arrest of man over plot targeting Lady Gaga concert 3:25pm EU launches drive to lure scientists after Trump freezes funding 3:14pm Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 2:57pm Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 7 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala 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 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 Hamilton has been announced as the new home for the Homegrown music festival In January the festival, which features New Zealand music, confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years From next year it will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval Festival director Andrew Tuck said the move is "about creating something that celebrates our roots and gives back to the region that inspires us" Organisers said that Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city "Its central location — just a short journey from the Bay of Plenty and the King Country — makes it accessible for a wide range of attendees eager to enjoy Aotearoa's finest musical acts." Tuck said accessibility for as many people as possible is key for the festival and "being close to such a large population makes this dream even more achievable" Hamilton City Council deputy chief executive Sean Murray said the festival returning to the Waikato is "a win for the whole upper North Island" Next year's event will be held on March 14 Sheep have been killed and others have had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled in Southland this morning The road was completely blocked and expected to be closed for sometime while the scene was cleared however the road is completely blocked," a police spokesperson said Southland District Council confirmed some animals were killed in the crash while others had to be euthanised due to injuries Fire and Emergency responded with crews from Waimahaka It's the second incident of sheep being killed after a stock truck rolled in Southland in a little over a week A small number of lambs had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled near Balclutha on April 27 Four people have been injured following a two-vehicle crash south of Dannevirke this evening Police said they were called to State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd around 7.10pm One person sustained serious injuries following the crash Motorists have been asked to take alternate routes People are being warned not to collect or consume shellfish gathered in the Western Firth of Thames region due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins The warning extends from the mouth of the Waitakaruru River up to Pakatoa Island and across to the mid-point of the Firth "Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels as well as pūpū (cat's eyes) and Cook's turban," New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said "It's also important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin." crab and crayfish if the gut was removed before cooking "New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation," Arbuckle said New Zealand Food Safety said there had been no reported associated illness Commercially harvested shellfish are still safe to eat Symptoms of poisoning appear between 10 minutes and three hours after ingestion and may include: rnz.co.nz A law student at Victoria University of Wellington said students had been "left in the lurch" after an announcement on Monday that said next month's exams for two law subjects would have to be handwritten also said a timetable had still not been provided he said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) in many students' laptops makes ensuring that students' work is their own very difficult" He had hoped the university would have a technical solution although he hoped one would be available at the end of the year "This means that we will not be able to allow students to use laptops for exams next month," McLay wrote "I want to make this announcement as soon as possible so students have time to prepare for handwritten examinations." McLay added that there would be an exception for students with a disability that required them to use a keyboard The situation affected the LAWS 312 Equity and LAWS 334 Ethics exams The student said the announcement was stressful during an already stressful time a representative of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society said the Council of Legal Education had to be certain that everyone who passed the exams in Equity and Ethics deserved a pass (and did not cheat) "Previously in person invigilation has been sufficient to manage these concerns due to the increasing ability and sophistication of AI the faculty were concerned about the reliability of the exams leading to their decision to make the Equity and Ethics exams handwritten." The representative said the law students' society had expressed that students' preference was for typed exams — "reflecting how our professional lives will look" once it became clear that the faculty felt they needed to proceed with handwritten exams we emphasised that students should be informed as early as possible accessibility options should be made clear and exam content and timing should reflect the fact that many students have not done handwritten exams since high school and are not used to writing for extended periods of time." The representative added it was separate from the delay to the exam timetable Victoria University Provost Professor Bryony James said students' handwriting their exams meant the university could be confident that the results truly reflected the students' own knowledge and effort — free of any suggestion of the influence of AI James said she would ensure that no student was disadvantaged and was committed to working with students — including those with disabilities — who might need further support to participate in exams and final assessments as a result "As part of this undertaking the Faculty of Law will review this Trimester's exam results to ensure this cohort's performance is in line with previous years and confirm that students are not significantly impacted by this decision." President of Victoria University's Students' Association Liban Ali told Morning Report he was aware that this could happen as early as last year "It has been on the card as of last year I feel like there was something that was going to happen." Ali said the announcement had come at the wrong time and that the Students' Association were very concerned for students He said the Students' Association had engaged the Law Society and the faculty to determine the best way to support students He added that he would make sure that any changes were communicated early in the future rnz.co.nz The Government halts all current pay equity claims Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' and a Kiwi motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in England Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden said the proposed changes would "significantly reduce costs to the Crown" and would discontinue current claims There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and rest home workers The PSA union said the changes were a "dark day for New Zealand women" while the nurse's union described it as a "blatant and shameful attack" Read More Erica Stanford has spoken after 1News revealed she sent pre-Budget announcements to her personal email last year and had used her Gmail for ministerial business over the course of her time as a minister who holds the education and immigration portfolios said today she was "not a perfect human" she put the practice down to printing issues But Stanford said she had "taken lots of steps" to avoid the issue from arising further Read More A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa Read More 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 The duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane but it has caused problems for 36 years and he's approached Gill Higgins for help Read More was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" Read More Homegrown will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years Organisers said Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city Read More A Brazilian judge today ordered the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to place explosives at a concert by singer Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Rio Grande do Sul state court did not name the suspect in her ruling but said he is a man investigated by Rio de Janeiro police as the alleged mastermind of the plot said yesterday they had released a man under investigation for the alleged plot after he paid his bail Brazilian media reported that is the same man jailed today by Judge Pagel Rio police did not reveal names of either of its two suspects or show images of the explosives that the alleged plotters intended to use said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil’s LGBTQ community The Rio event on Sunday was the biggest show of the pop star’s career attracting an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach with 5200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were revelling The European Union launched a drive to attract scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new policy plans after the Trump administration froze US government funding linked to diversity no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this programme," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Choose Europe for Science event in Paris "No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas," Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a "super grant" programme aimed at offering "a longer-term perspective to the very best" in the field She said that €500 million (NZ$948 million) would be put forward in 2025-2027 "to make Europe a magnet for researchers" It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than €16 billion (NZ$30 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU intended "to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law" with a new legal act As "the threats rise across the world Europe will not compromise on its principles" The White House responded by describing DEI as "an inherently discriminatory policy" "If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery they should not be surprised when US innovation continues to outpace Europe," said spokesperson Anna Kelly "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research hundreds of university researchers in the United States had National Science Foundation funding cancelled to comply with US President Donald Trump’s order to end support for research on diversity More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region Some terminated grants that sought to broaden the diversity of people studying science researchers and doctors have taken to the streets in protest While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was "a gigantic miscalculation" to undermine free and open research "We can all agree that science has no passport "We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected." Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the field of science and take advantage of US policy shifts dovetails with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked a tariff war last month vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers faced notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said science and research must not "be based on the diktats of the few" Macron said Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm 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 "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends 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 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 There is concern at the dire level of vacancies among full-time permanent senior doctor positions at Taupō Hospital where gaps remain in the roster for the coming two months Fixed-term and locum senior doctors there are relied on to fill such gaps a situation the senior doctors' union says is unsustainable Figures obtained by RNZ show just 3.3 out of nine full-time equivalent senior doctor positions in the town are filled show just 28 percent of all shifts are filled by permanent senior doctors And 22 shifts over that period remain unfilled where only one senior doctor is rostered on to cover the entire hospital - its emergency department and wards Ralston D'Souza has worked for almost two years in Taupō as a rural hospital medicine specialist He said the permanent doctors had little choice but to take on the arduous hours of weekend and night-time work "We kind of know what the consequences are if those shifts aren't being filled - essentially and we know that our community wouldn't have that after-hours care at the core of it we care about our community but we want to as well make sure we're looking after ourselves to have a long career." No GP practices in Taupō offer after-hours care If the hospital were to close due to a lack of staff the only options for people needing medical care were telehealth or a one-hour drive to Rotorua Hospital "Because the night shifts aren't popular for locum doctors to pick up the burden of those night shifts falls on the permanent doctors to pick up," D'Souza said "The only way to reduce the amount of night shifts that you do is to drop your over-all That's what senior doctors have done - the 3.3 full-time equivalents are made up of six people D'Souza said senior doctors could see 15 to 20 people on a night shift compared with an average of eight to 12 around the country "Most emergency departments that have this level of presentations will probably be having at least two-three doctors per shift That more higher volume of patients makes it not a very attractive job for senior medical officers." "You could be dealing with an emergency resuscitation where you have to give all your full attention to that patients and there might be 12 other patients waiting in the department Although many senior doctors had left in recent years and could see some light at the end of the tunnel with the hope of supervising Australian junior doctors in rural medicine The hospital recently received accreditation for that but would need appropriate numbers of permanent senior doctors to do it Education and training were not a focus in hospitals with short-term and locum staff Patient Voice Aotearoa's Malcolm Mulholland recently held a public meeting in the town he was approached by a hospital worker concerned about staffing who told him about contingencies if shifts were not filled due to the shortage when it comes to doctors they've had to draw up plans multiple times to shut the hospital down "If that was to happen those patients who were in the hospital at the time would have to be transferred to Rotorua Hospital." but Mulholland said they would be a concern given the pressure Rotorua was under too Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the constant rostering squeeze was exhausting for the senior doctors the union represented "We think we've got it sorted and then another gaps opens up That's the problem when you're so under-staffed - one person leaving can tip you right over "It's just a continually vulnerable service." From next year junior doctors would join the night shift roster and Dalton said the union was working with Health NZ on easing the situation for overworked staff "It's a bit like running instead of walking You may be really tired when you're trying to make clinical decisions It's bad for relationships if all of the staff are stretched and stressed." Health NZ group director of operations for the Lakes district Alan Wilson said it had increased staffing at Taupō Hospital in the past five years there were two full-time junior doctors there Outpatient numbers had increased 70 percent in recent years "We have been growing Taupō Hospital's capacity to provide care to more local patients with the introduction of a new CT scanner which is also available for patients from the South Waikato and Taumarunui; echocardiography services; and the development of a dedicated unit for chemotherapy and medical day-stay services." Wilson said Taupō Hospital was continuing to provide important health services to its communities and there was no intention to close or downsize it Simeon Brown has accused the senior doctors' union of using patients as "bargaining chips" Up to 5500 senior doctors will strike for 24 hours over pay and working conditions run down buildings and lack of bed space is now the worst she's ever seen it An SOS from doctors to the Health Minister did not draw the response they hoped for New Zealand's Matt Payne has capped an incredible weekend after winning the final race and taking overall honours at the Taupo 440 Supercars Championship on home soil The 22-year-old Aucklander claimed the Jason Richards Trophy after speeding to victory in an assured performance at the Taupo Motorsport Park The Penrite Racing driver took the lead from Cameron Hill on lap eight of the 61-lap race after starting sixth on the grid Payne emerged behind Hill in second position after a frantic first lap after pole-sitter Brodie Kostecki was pushed wide by Ryan Wood joining Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin as Kiwi winners of the Jason Richards Trophy Following in the footsteps of McLaughlin and van Gisbergen an ecstatic Payne said the win was a dream come true "I think it's the best moment I've had in my career so far," Payne said He credited a strong start behind the wheel and some opening lap chaos from his rivals for setting up the superb victory His team has been fine tuning the car and the performance of the tyres in the build-up to the race "All of a sudden I was in second and I thought this is a real opportunity for us," he said Payne moves into third in overall series standings After the race he thanked his family and mentor Garry Pederson for their ongoing support The next Supercars round will be held in Tasmania Matt Payne won Sunday's race in Taupō to claim the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy The fight for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy went down to the last race of the Supercars weekend – with New Zealander Mathew Payne reigning supreme in Taupō After a short hiatus across the Ditch in the hands of last year’s winner Anton De Pasquale the Jason Richards Trophy is now back in the hands of a Kiwi “That’s the one I probably want the most,” Payne said straight after the final race but I knew I had to park that thought and run my own race “To be standing here and getting our hands on the trophy is super special for myself being a New Zealander and what Jason achieved and his legacy and who he was as a person really awesome to be standing here and I’m very grateful for the guys [team] who helped make it happen and it couldn’t have been a better weekend really Payne emulated his win in Saturday’s opening race with a consummate display of race craft by keeping the chasing pack at bay once he grabbed the lead from Cameron Hill consistently challenging at the front both in qualifying and racing and now has four Supercars race wins to his name Payne is now only the fifth Kiwi to win on home soil It’s incredible and I’m a bit lost for words “I knew I had to get a good start as I knew we had good pace I know Brody [Kostecki] and Woody [Ryan Wood] really wanted it “The number 19 Penrite Racing Mustang was a rocket today and the guys did an awesome job and I can’t be more happy worked really hard on the car for a couple of hours and got a bit lucky at the start We did everything right during the race and got the win,” said Payne Three Kiwi drivers made the pre-race Top 10 Shootout qualifying third to sit on the second row alongside Hill and behind pole-sitter Kostecki and De Pasquale Two more New Zealanders made the top 10 with Payne in sixth and Andre Heimgartner in eighth The opening lap of the 61-lap race was as chaotic as expected with the leading drivers aggressively vying for track position while Wood pushed Kostecki wide on to the grass mid-lap dropping him to seventh and allowing Hill and Payne to grab the lead the red mist dissipated and things settled into some sort of rhythm with Hill leading from Payne he was hit with a five-second penalty due to a clash with Kostecki Payne eventually snatched the lead from Hill on lap eight and stretched his legs to pull out a 1.2s lead shortly afterwards over Randle Red Bull Racing duo Will Brown and Broc Feeney continued their weekend-long struggles Race pace was much improved and after the first round of pit stops Brown had climbed to fourth and Feeney to 15th the race had settled into a rhythm with Payne still in control eking his lead out to 2s with Kostecki making inroads Yesterday’s race-two winner Chaz Mostert was starting to make his presence felt too having stealthily moved up to fifth with Heimgartner lurking just behind A slick second pit stop saw Payne keep his lead after the rest of the field had completed theirs The running order behind the Kiwi was now Hill Mostert had hauled himself up to into third behind Hill with Payne still out front Fellow Kiwis Heimgartner and Wood had also improved As the Supercars head to the next round in Tasmania on May 9-11 Brown leads the championship on 651 points followed by Cameron Waters (617 points) and Payne (605pts) The rest of the Kiwis are Heimgartner (10th died after an 11-bike crash at Oulton Park views and opinions on NZ and International Motorsport Supercars racing gets underway today in Taupō following a strong Friday for Kiwis in practice at the ITM Taupō Super440 Supercars will hold two 120-kilometre races on Saturday afternoon the first race will see cars race only on the Dunlop Soft tyre while the second race will feature the Dunlop Super Soft tyre only Many are expecting the alternating compounds to shake up the results as teams will not use the Super Soft tyre until Boost Mobile Qualifying Saturday morning The different compounds have different performance features that suit car set ups differently meaning drivers who are fast on the Soft tyre may not necessarily be fast on the Super Soft There is promise for Kiwi race fans heading into today Aucklander Andre Heimgartner and Wellington native Ryan Wood topped the respective Friday practice sessions at Taupō International Motorsport Park NZST with back-to-back Boost Mobile Qualifying which will set the grid for both Saturday races The first race of the weekend – Race 8 of the 2025 season – begins at 12:50 p.m. with the second 37-lap race of the day to begin at 4:05 p.m Tickets and corporate hospitality for this weekend’s ITM Taupō Super440 can be purchased via Supercars.com and Ticketek NZ Supercars’ return to New Zealand will be broadcast live on Sky Sport ITM TAUPO SUPER440 TRACK SCHEDULESaturday April 12 You must be logged in to post a comment All 24 Supercars will once again take to the streets of Taupō for the pre-event Track to Town journey an experience that in 2024 delivered spectacular scenes as thousands of enthusiastic fans lined the streets to welcome the drivers the full lineup of the Repco Supercars Championship will make their way from Taupō International Motorsport Park to the city’s riverside precinct offering fans a unique opportunity to meet their favourite drivers ahead of this highly anticipated New Zealand event The Track to Town will see competitors drive their Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs along a 12km route to the Roberts Street live site just one day before the ITM Taupō Super440 kicks off with its first practice session The convoy will depart at 3:45 pm and arrive on the lakefront at 4:00 pm near the #LoveTaupō sign in the town centre all 24 Supercars will be on display for a free autograph session from 4-5 pm before drivers return to the Circuit in preparation for Friday’s opening practice session Supercars General Manager of Motorsport Tim Edwards expressed his gratitude for the Taupō District Council’s ongoing support in bringing this unique event to life “The Track to Town journey is a fantastic initiative that brings Supercars directly to the heart of Taupō allowing fans to experience the thrill of the sport up close,” Edwards said “We’re excited to be part of such a vibrant community and can’t wait to showcase these incredible machines.” Spectators are encouraged to gather at the live site or along the route to witness Supercars cruising through the stunning Taupō landscape.After Thursday night’s autograph session where the 2024 event kicked off with a memorable victory for proud Kiwi racer Andre Heimgartner The ITM Taupō Super440 will feature Supercars alongside various support categories Racing will occur on the 3.32km International Circuit configuration throughout the three-day event Drivers will once again compete for the prestigious Jason Richards Memorial Trophy honoring the late Kiwi Supercars Hall of Fame inductee he made 113 round appearances and contested 284 races The ITM Taupō Super440 will run from April 11 to 13 at Taupō International Motorsport Park Tickets are available through Supercars.com Fifteen North Island tourism groups have formed an alliance to attract key markets The hautapu ceremony will be hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Mt Ruapehu The woman said the employment issues robbed her of the joy of being pregnant wanted to thank the emergency services staff who rescued her The 60% of submitters who wanted all of the Napier-Taupō Rd back to 100km/h will get it Leslie Harris has no intention of hanging up his leathers A long-time friend said they are 'extremely broken' roofs ripped from buildings and ferries and flights cancelled Night shifts often have just one senior doctor for the entire hospital Forecasters warn of 120km/h gusts that may close the Auckland Harbour Bridge Northerlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening Taupō District Council estimates the December event earned $50m for New Zealand The New Zealander was the best driver across the three Supercars races in Taupō The ministry has confirmed the leak came from water reservoirs stored on the court's roof SkyCity says worsening market conditions will affect its June year 2025 result Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs Rare plot of land is home to ancient kauri trees But passionate Reefton advocates won’t sell former bank to just anyone Wood his first third in the afternoon’s opening sprint race The foundation supports 80 homes and helps 1500 people reintegrate annually Ruapehu's mayor says the community is being ignored over the Raetihi centre Matthew Payne won race 8 of the V8 Supercar series in Taupō Matthew Payne and Ryan Wood provided the Kiwi highlights on the first day of Supercars racing in Taupō on Saturday Ryan scored his third first and Wood his first third in the afternoon’s opening sprint race The crowd was appreciative of the double podium for the New Zealanders but didn’t see the feat replicated in race two Payne steadily climbed through the field from seventh on the grid but had a five-second penalty hanging over him all race long after jumping the start The added time resulted in him finishing fourth behind Chaz Mostert Wood started from 12th but struggled to move through the pack before finishing a creditable ninth “It’s really special to get a win in New Zealand,” said Payne “[I’m] just really annoyed I got that five-second penalty at the start of [the second] race You’ve got to take advantage of the days when you have a fast car But the positive thing is we have a really fast car so hopefully we can go and win [on Sunday].” Race two winner Mostert was pleased with his win He and the team had struggled to get his car to work around the Taupō track described by some as a jigsaw puzzle on a patchwork quilt “It was a super tough tussle out there but we had good car pace,” said Mostert “I ran out of tyres a little bit in the first stint but managed things better after the pit stop Payne won the first of the 37-lap sprint races in a lights-to-wire masterclass with Cam Waters sandwiched between the two after Adelaide in 2023 and Townsville in 2024 and he was delighted to claim it on home soil who grew up on the same street as Liam Lawson “We had a pretty good qualifying and I knew we had really good pace for the race Seeing the crowd on the in-lap was pretty special It’s super special to share the podium with Ryan [Wood] and really cool for the two of us.” Wood was equally pleased with the first podium of his burgeoning Supercars career and he wasn’t daunted by the more experienced drivers around him who recorded the fastest practice time on Friday finished less than a second behind Payne after starting fourth on the grid and passed Anton De Pasquale with two laps to go “I felt like I drove a really great race,” said Wood “I was aggressive when I needed to be and the car was so fast It was amazing to get a podium and it’s a bit of a monkey off my back I thought if we can get two Kiwis on the podium “I’m so stoked and it’s a pretty special moment Matty [Payne] and I are good mates and to see him out front was special “I was trying really hard and it felt a bit like our karting days racing together but there was a Monster car [Waters] between us I just hope the two of us can do more of this podium stuff as the year goes on.” which will be more familiar to the drivers and teams Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app Construction has begun on the Taupō commercial vehicle safety centre which is expected to be complete in 2026 and variable message signage will be installed around the intersection of SH1 SH5 and Napier Road and on nearby Crown Road This technology will screen passing traffic 24/7 and direct any non-compliant heavy vehicles into the CVSC Police officers on site will check on vehicle weight The Taupo CVSC will be located on the southeast corner of the SH1/5 roundabout near Taupō View larger image [PDF, 346 KB] Screening vehicles in this area will allow us to identify and target non-compliant operators reduce road maintenance by reducing overloading on the network and keep freight moving on this high-volume route This site will also include a stock effluent tank disposal facility help stock carriers minimise spills on the highway Overflows from full tanks can lead to health There is a network of disposal sites around the country both in-transit and at destinations like meatworks and saleyards A stock truck effluent disposal site allows stock trucks to empty tanks in a safe and environmentally sound way The effluent is contained on site and transported away for disposal The network is managed and controlled by regional councils A former Taupō District Councillor has been fined nearly $500 for being caught driving three times over the legal alcohol limit Anna Park was caught drink driving after failing a compulsory breath test in Taupō in November last year and soon after resigned from her roles as a councillor Waikato Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group chair and as a Crown Appointee to the Taupō-nui-a-Tia Management Board Park appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday for her sentencing Judge Claire Ryan said considering Park's early guilty plea a fine without supervision was appropriate You have lost your position on the council because of this You have not held back from letting the public know a lot of which is unnecessary and devastating for you and your whānau so you have certainly been punished in a way that goes beyond reasonable." Judge Ryan said she began with a high fine of $850 to reflect the concerning level of alcohol in Park's blood and made deductions for Park's early guilty plea with another $143 in court costs to be added The Judge also imposed a four years of strict no-alcohol driving conditions staring with a 28-day stand down starting from her guilty plea on the 28 February followed by an alcohol interlocking system for one year - where Park will be unable to drive a car without testing for zero breath alcohol on a breathalyser and then a zero alcohol licence for three years Judge Ryan said Park was at low-risk of re-offending and had made "significant changes" towards a zero-tolerance approach to drink driving through counselling She also noted Parks "unwavering commitment for public service" when you drink alcohol the night before and think you're okay the following morning Park was breathalysed on the Control Gate Bridge in November the morning after a night of drinking telling police she was on her way to pick up a hedge trimmer Her breath initially tested for over 400 micrograms and subsequent testing gave her a reading of over 800 milligrams - more than three times the legal limit She had been convicted of drink driving three previous times and after the third offence was disqualified from driving for a year told the judge Park had already been through the "court of public opinion" and said it was sometimes the harshest court Park's fall from grace had been well-documented and she and her family had suffered social media harassment and false rumours about the drink driving incident "She's endured profound shame and humiliation in a way that others coming to this court and experiencing shame and humiliation have not done because she is a public figure," Judge Ryan said "Miss Pickering has suffered a professional set-back purpose and public trust she's spent years building She's had to endure the comments made to her children her children are innocent - there's no need for them to be caught up in this In a statement sent by her lawyer in February Park said she takes full responsibility for her lapse in judgement "I am deeply sorry for the disappointment and hurt my actions have caused to my family  "I am committed to learning from this mistake and earning back the trust I have lost." Park said she did not seek name suppression because she believes in being fully accountable and taking responsibility for her actions she said she sought to protect her family from undue public attention by having the case heard out of town Park was first elected to Taupō District Council in 2010 and is also the daughter of the former National Party President Judy Kirk Anna Park failed a compulsory breath test on the Control Gate Bridge in Taupō in November A Taupō District Councillor who admitted driving drunk a fourth time has resigned her seat Anna Park appeared in the Auckland District Court last Friday and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol a third or subsequent time The charge is punishable by two years' imprisonment a $6000 fine and disqualification from driving for one year Under the Local Government Act 2002 a councillor convicted of a crime punishable by two years' imprisonment or more must vacate office "It is no longer tenable under the Local Government Act for me to continue as a councillor," Park said in a statement to RNZ "I have therefore tendered my resignation effective immediately." Park was convicted of drink driving three times previously with the last offence in 2006 Park has also lost her roles as chairperson of the Waikato Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group which she has held since December 2022 and as a Crown Appointee to the Taupō-nui-a-Tia Management Board which she has been a member of since June 2017 Park was first elected to Taupō District Council in 2010 and said it was important to her to uphold its integrity and "avoid any further distraction from its important work" "I accept this legal consequence following my regrettable lack of judgement last November." the 50-year-old mother was stopped at a police alcohol checkpoint at 8am on 9 November in her Audi car on Wairakei Dr in Taupō She failed an initial breath test and an Evidential Breath Test showed a reading of 804 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath In explanation she told police: "I was just on my way to pick up a hedge trimmer In a statement last week through her lawyer Park said she took full responsibility for "this serious lapse in judgement" and that she deeply regretted her actions "My decision could have endangered others and Park said she did not seek name suppression because she believed in being fully accountable she was charged under the name of Anna Mary Pickering and had the case moved to Auckland from Taupō to try to protect her family from undue public attention "This does not diminish my accountability in any way - this mistake was mine alone and I did not want those closest to me to suffer because of it She asked that her family's privacy now be respected "While public scrutiny comes with public service it would be extremely unfair for my loved ones to have to endure the consequences of my actions." When RNZ contacted Taupō mayor David Trewavas about the case on Wednesday he said it was a private matter and he would not be commenting When it was pointed out it was a public matter if a councillor was convicted of a crime punishable by two years in jail he eventually replied saying the council was now in a process and would follow the law accordingly On Friday a spokesperson said as soon as the council was made aware of the situation the mayor and chief executive Julie Gardyne sought legal advice and identified the legislative process while trying to confirm the relevant information "This process has now been pre-empted by the resignation of Councillor Park." The spokesperson said the council was awaiting formal confirmation that Park had been convicted over the offence which Park herself did not confirm to RNZ when asked Meanwhile her resignation did not trigger a by-election because it was within 12 months of local government elections our chief executive will inform council and a paper will go to the next council meeting outlining the options which are the appointment of an interim councillor or to the have the position remain vacant until local elections in October," the spokesperson said The mayor acknowledged Park's resignation and thanked her for her work of more than four terms at council "Anna is a long-serving councillor and we acknowledge the significant contribution she has made to our community," he said Park said it had been an honour to serve the "beautiful energetic and resilient district" of Taupō and she was "incredibly proud" of the many legacy projects she had been part of "I want to express my deepest gratitude to residents and ratepayers colleagues and the wider community for their trust and support over the years "It has been a privilege to serve in a role I have dearly loved." A Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) spokesperson said a conviction of an elected member that carried the higher penalty was extremely serious and the law was rigourously enforced "The former councillor loses their right to be part of the governing body and their remuneration on the day of the conviction." There was nothing in the Local Government Act that stated whether or not a councillor who had to vacate their seat because of such a conviction could stand again at the next election or whether there was a stand down period Park did not answer questions about whether she would stand again In the case of Kāpiti councillor David Scott, who was convicted of indecent assault while in office, his attempt to regain a position on the council was legal but attracted sharp criticism from his former colleagues Anticipation ramps up as Supercars arrive in TaupōSupercars03 AprThe full fleet of 24 Supercars is arriving at Taupō International Motorsport Park2 mins by James PaveyTaupōNew Zealand2025 Supercars CalendarFull fleet of Supercars arrives at Taupō International Motorsport Park All 24 race cars and equipment set sail for New Zealand after Grand Prix The full fleet of 24 Supercars is arriving at Taupō International Motorsport Park ahead of next weekend's ITM Taupō Super 440 Like the Supercars competing at the Taupō circuit the logistics supporting this year’s New Zealand required careful planning and faultless execution the field was sea freighted to New Zealand with the voyage taking place across the Tasman Sea The shift required extensive planning and logistics with two-car teams packing all essential equipment into a single 40-foot container The main container includes both race cars transaxles and wheels are housed in the shared space Pack-up didn’t commence until late Sunday night, and all cars and equipment were cleaned to meet strict New Zealand biosecurity regulations. All told, the 21 containers carried 240 tonnes of equipment worth $40 million. The containers arrived in New Zealand overnight, and were bumped in at the circuit on Thursday. Supercars Logistics Manager Jason Routley hailed the efforts of logistics partner Sealab, which has linked up with the championship for the next two years. "We're always proud to race in New Zealand, and it's been a big undertaking to get the cars to Taupo," Routley told Supercars.com. "We must say well done to the teams for turning around their cars and equipment quickly after the Grand Prix to prepare for the journey. "It's always exciting when the cars arrive in New Zealand, and we're proud to have worked with Sealab to make this happen. "Many thanks to Adam Frank and Simonne Taylor, who have worked tirelessly with Supercars teams from an administrative and operational perspective to make this all happen, and are onsite now bumping the cars and equipment in." The ITM Taupō Super 440 will get underway with practice on Friday April 11. Tickets for the event are on sale now. The work required on the East Taupō Arterial road includes rebuilding 2.5km of the road repairing signs and adding in new line marking.   NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty says this change in scheduling has a range of benefits for road users and the wider Taupō community.   “There are a number of large events planned in November and December in Taupō, including the Cycle Challenge and Ironman 70.3 World Championship(external link) Changing the sequence of our work on SH1 means we avoid causing considerable disruption to competitors and spectators during the lead up and at the events.    “We had originally planned on a second SH1 closure between Ātiamuri to Wairakei to happen before this Christmas but the work on that section will now take place in spring 2025 As a result we can fit in the work on the East Taupō Arterial section of SH1 before Christmas.   we would only need to come back for the final surfacing early next year minimising the overall impact of motorists.  “We’ve worked closely with Taupō District Council (TDC) to understand the best timing for closing the various sections and believe together we have come up with a solution that is best for the wider Taupō community TDC are able to incorporate road works they need to do into our closure and they have helped to shape our traffic management to minimise disruption as much as possible We’d like to extend our thanks to TDC for working so collaboratively with us.   “We’d also like to thank the Taupō community and businesses for their understanding and patience We know that we haven’t been able to provide much notice but this short-term disruption will be worth it in the long run.”  Taupō will be very busy during December and there will be pressure on the highways and local roads in the area due to the various events as well as the road works Motorists are encouraged to use the official detour via Broadlands Road and Ohaaki Road to SH5 The recommended detour adds an extra 45.5 km and approx Those travelling to north or south destinations either side of Taupō may prefer to utilise other state highway routes such as SH3 SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri is currently closed with the road rebuilding work progressing well.  Subject to this work being completed as planned by the end of November the crews will then start work on the Putāruru to Tokoroa section in the last week of November SH1 will be closed for approximately 4 weeks until Friday 20 December with all north and south bound vehicles being detoured 24/7.  “Crews are working hard to finish work on the Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri they will be moving north to the next section We’re unable to work on both sections as it’s too disruptive to have both sections closed to the public at once.”  Specific work sites and final dates are expected to be confirmed in the coming week Keep an eye on nzta.govt.nz/t2w for the latest updates.   This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.   Construction work on SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport © parkrun Global Limited (Company number: 09411750) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner That’s according to last year’s winner Patrick Clement whose photo featured three generations of family enjoying Taupō Fishery He says his family all ended up with a licence featuring the photo to keep as mementos and I’m pleased to report they caught fish not just at the Trout Centre but also in the ‘big river’!” Patrick also received a free full season licence for the 2024-2025 season “My mates were out on the river bragging that they were fishing with someone famous,” he says seven Taupō fishing licences are up for grabs to kick off the new trout fishing season beginning 1 July 2025 While the overall winning photo makes it onto printed season licences other winning photos are used for categories on the website and paper licences DOC Senior Community Ranger James Barnett says the judges are looking for photos celebrating the uniqueness of the world-famous Taupō Fishery but equally important are those moments with family or even landscape shots with a fishing theme “We’re looking for photos for seven licence categories “For many of us getting out into nature with a fishing rod is our happy place and a photo of your fishing experience could be just the thing we’re looking for to celebrate the joy of fishing in Taupō.” Up to five photographs can be submitted per person. To enter, email photographs to fishlicence@doc.govt.nz along with your name All photos must have been taken in the Taupō Fishing District including a list of the licence categories and full terms and conditions for the competition Email: media@doc.govt.nz Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of the Taupō trout fishery enter our photo competition and be in to win a free Taupō fishing licence A Canadian woman has been sentenced for her role in a central North Island crash which saw members of a hockey team injured emergency services were called to the scene of a two vehicle crash on the Napier-Taupō Road A van was carrying a group of Canadian hockey players who had been playing at under-16 and under-18 competitions in Hawke's Bay and were on their way to Tauranga In a statement released by police on Thursday it said Renee Kelly Vanry from West Vancouver was attempting to overtake a slower vehicle near a left-hand bend The van was still on the opposite side of the road when a Jeep rounded the corner and collided with it The force of the impact caused the van to become airborne landing backwards in a ditch across the road but four passengers in the van suffered a range of serious injuries and another seven were assessed and discharged that day while two remained in hospital in New Zealand The police said all face many months of recovery appeared in Tauranga District Court on Thursday and was sentenced on four charges of careless driving causing injury - relating to the serious injuries four of her passengers sustained - and another charge of careless driving - relating to the overtaking manoeuvre that caused the crash She was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay $1000 for emotional harm to each of the four victims and $1500 for emotional harm to the other driver A 57-year-old driver has been charged with careless driving causing injury Two vehicles crashed on the Napier-Taupō Road near Rangitaiki School Road From consulting you with your first break-up and Mother Your Mother this Mother's Day where you'll both indulge in the geothermal mud and sulphur waters experiencing the healing properties local Māori have been using for centuries and Andrew could be surprising her on Friday with a bunch of flowers Keep an eye out as they'll be relaunching their popular Twilight Spa experience from Matariki weekend You could be missing out on exclusive news video and podcasts from our Teams in Black Please select your country from the dropdown below: Super Rugby Under 20s sees the best young male players in New Zealand providing a great development experience for players and Moana Pasifika Under 20 sides take part alongside the New Zealand Barbarians Under 21 team with over 200 players in Taupō for a week for the tournament All matches will be live on Sky Sport - Day 1 on Sky Sport 5 Day 2 on Sky Sport 1 and Day 3 on Sky Sport Select New Zealand Barbarians Under 21: Moana Takataka Each Super Rugby Under 20 team is ranked based on their performance in 2024 the tournament will see teams play quarterfinals on match day one semi-finals and 5/6 on match day two and play-offs / finals on match day three Super Rugby Under 20s team rankings are as follows: The week also includes development sessions for players and coaches Match Day 1 | Saturday 15 March 11.05am Hurricanes vs Fiji (Quarter Final)1.05pm Chiefs vs NZ Barbarians (Quarter Final)3.05pm Crusaders vs Moana Pasifika (Quarter Final)5.05pm Blues vs Highlanders (Quarter Final)  Match Day 2 | Tuesday 18 March 1.05pm 2nd Highest Rank Quarterfinal Loser v 3rd Highest Rank Quarterfinal Loser3.05pm Highest Rank Quarterfinal Loser v Lowest Rank Quarterfinal Loser5.05pm 2nd Highest Rank Quarterfinal Winner v 3rd Highest Rank Quarterfinal Loser (Semi-Final 1)7.05pm Highest Rank Quarterfinal Winner 2 v Lowest Rank Quarterfinal Winner (Semi-Final 2) Match Day 3 | Saturday 22 March 11.05am 7th/8th Playoff1.05pm 5th/6th Playoff3.05pm 3rd/4th Playoff5.05pm Super Rugby Under 20 Final  Q Theatre, Rangatira, Auckland Papa Hou Theatre at the YMCA, 12 Hereford Street, Christchurch Te Papa: Soundings, Wellington Chamber Music New Zealand in partnership with The New Zealand Dance Company and the New Zealand String Quartet “100 Winds aims to foster a deeper conversation about our collective past and present encouraging audiences to reflect on how we navigate the winds of change while honouring our shared heritage I hope to inspire a renewed awareness and connection among all New Zealanders embracing both our differences and commonalities.” Bookings here – https://www.chambermusic.co.nz/100-winds Review by Dr Ian Lochhead 05th Apr 2025 something one immediately recognises on returning home after living in another country for an extended period Our artists have explored this phenomenon for many years; the wind rustles through the pages of Katherine Mansfield’s stories it bends the tussocks in Bill Sutton’s Nor’wester in the Cemetery and activates Marilyn Webb’s cloudscapes; it breathes through the music of Douglas Lilburn Twenty years or so ago Fleur de Thier explored the physical and psychological impact of Canterbury’s winds in a dance work that pitted her performers against huge fans that brought the wind into the performance space.  Moss Patterson’s 100 Winds now adds to this ongoing exploration of this pervasive phenomenon refresh our spirits as cool breezes herald coming rain after oppressive heat or strike terror as they cause havoc across the landscape.  Patterson’s focus is on the wind as metaphor for the uncertainty of changing times and he draws on his connection to Maori traditions that reach back to the distant past and the wind’s source in the depths of Lake Taupo   His decision to set his choreography to works by American minimalist composers at variance with his stated desire to explore notions of identity and belonging but subtly oscillating and evolving sound world… has provided the perfect musical metaphor for the changing winds of Lake Taupō.’ 100 Winds opens with a performance of Glass’s String Quartet No 2 the New Zealand String Quartet positioned at the back of a darkened stage the very opposite of what Chamber Music New Zealand audiences have come to expect in concerts of acoustic music the sound often harsh and almost too big for the size of the Papa Hou’s black box theatre This becomes less noticeable as the performance evolves perhaps because the players have adjusted to the acoustic or possibly because our ears have become accustomed to a fuller The dancers enter to the music of Glass’s String Quartet No 3 but almost immediately a new note is sounded its effect combining the aural with the kinetic as it is swung through the air The pūrerehua returns as a repeated motif throughout the course of the work handled by each of the four dancers in turn Patterson explores a wide range of the wind’s effects on the human body There is even a passage when the wind seems to breathe life into a prone figure for the wind is a bringer of life as well as a threat to life itself But are we watching the effect of the wind on individual humans or observing human personifications of the wind just as the motifs of Glass’s music repeat with the same hypnotic insistence of a relentless wind The one musical sequence not by Glass is Steve Reich’s Clapping Music a now celebrated percussive piece that encapsulates the very essence of Minimalism face the four members of the New Zealand String Quartet cello until all eight performers are breathing as one apparently in a simple pattern but becoming increasingly complex as cross rhythms are woven into the existing pattern As the dancers leave the clapping group a new dance pattern emerges with the wide apart stance bent elbows and closed fists that we immediately recognise as references to the haka a recurring theme in  Patterson’s choreography   It is one of the most effective sequences in the entire performance and as string players rather than percussionists the NZ String Quartet acquits itself with aplomb in a work well outside its normal metier 100 Winds was received with great enthusiasm by a large audience made up of both Chamber Music New Zealand’s regular subscribers and followers of modern dance This was adventurous programming from Chamber Music New Zealand building on the success of the previous collaboration between Ballet Collective Aotearoa and the NZ String Quartet with Transfigured Night in 2021 Such collaborations expose audiences to art forms they might not usually embrace whether from the perspective of dance or of chamber music but judging by the audience’s response to 100 Winds more such collaborations will be enthusiastically supported Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer You must be logged in to post a comment Review by Felicity Molloy 31st Mar 2025 100 Winds Taupō Hau Rau carries the weight of myth and society through the imaginary into creative choreography by Artistic Director Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) Premiering a new quartet of dancers from the New Zealand Dance Company in collaboration with Chamber Music New Zealand and the New Zealand String Quartet Q Theatre is filled with an audience eager for an evening of live music It begins with the New Zealand String Quartet their chairs bathed in thin beams of light Barefoot and elegant sets the tone of the performance for this marvellous evening Violinists Peter Clark and guest artist Monique Lapins along with extraordinary viola player Gillian Ansell and cellist Matthias Balzat subtly drawing us into the intimate world of chamber music The movements of the musicians themselves become a dance The second musical work is equally breathtaking Light designed by Ella Madsen Brough changes gently throughout the evening The musicians perform Philip Glass’s String Quartet No serve as a symbol for the shifting currents within the community The performance draws from the historical significance of this ancient volcano’s explosive eruption and social turbulence that distressingly shifts the stability of life It highlights the instability experienced once again for Māori and also Pākehā in Aotearoa New Zealand creating a moment of connection to the evening’s purpose This is followed by a second Karakia in Te reo Māori Isope ‘Akau’ola begins by drawing on those ancient voices through the Pùrerehua a traditional Māori wind-powered instrument sets the stage for the myriad forms the dancers will take and even the simplicity of their occasioned hand gestures The dancers’ costumes are silvery grey like clouds of ash recently fallen Every detail and each seamless collaboration highlights just how thoughtfully this evening has been crafted In a stunning synchronisation with Steve Reich’s Clapping Music evokes not only the wind in its capricious gesture but the volatility of everything connected to the forces of nature deeply rooted in the landscape and winds of Lake Taupō becomes a visceral expression of that caldera environment The stunning movements one after another extends the concept of Hau The music serves as a backdrop to the dancers’ corollary of movement that becomes a crescendo of extended brilliance 100 Winds explores how individuals and societies remain supported amidst currents of change and artistic whānau embody the value of expression during times of unlikely useful transformation It is not the change itself that holds significance but the way this work upholds value with resilience in the face of daunting imposition It is a journey of connection and endurance through music and movement You must be logged in to post a comment Taupō has made CNN's prestigious '25 Best places to visit' list for 2025 A city in Aotearoa has made CNN’s global list of the “25 best places to visit in 2025″; a placement Tourism New Zealand estimates to be equivalent to $518,000 of advertising Each year CNN Travel releases a highly anticipated list of 25 destinations discerning travellers should visit 2021 or 2020 but this year one city caught the eye of CNN Travel staff Alongside Chemnitz in Germany and Japan’s Kansai, the country of Bolivia, and Gdansk in Poland, is the idyllic lakeside town of Taupō While the South Island has a reputation for being naturally beautiful travellers can find stunning scenery in Taupō staff mention the lake’s Ngātoroirangi Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings and Huka Falls while foodies are encouraged to visit “the world’s most unusual McDonald’s”; a decommissioned World War II-era Douglas DC-3 aeroplane is noted as a stunning place to stay when it reopens in March 2025 Destination Great Lake Taupō general manager Patrick Dault says he was “mighty chuffed” to hear Taupō made the exclusive list especially due to the attention it would get “It’s a golden start to the year for Taupō,” he said adding that the media exposure was something they could “never afford to pay for” Tourism New Zealand estimated the equivalent ad value for the Taupō placement in CNN (which has 123 million unique monthly visitors) as $518,000 This was the equivalent of a Super Bowl ad for the Taupō region Getting featured in a North American media outlet was especially beneficial given it’s Taupō's largest international market representing almost 35% of international visitors Dault said the feature was a “fabulous” way to start 2025 after the district hit 100% of pre-pandemic international spending in 2024 The title comes hot on the heels of another “win for the region” the Vinfast Ironman 70.3 World Championship last December which was the most-attended world championship on record “It also comes hard on the heels of another massive win for the region The Vinfast Ironman 70.3 World Championship in December was an outstanding event – the best and most-attended world champs ever according to the organisers.” Dault shared some of the best activities to enjoy when visiting the city Kiwis can book seats on the newly announced flights from today A flight between Wellington and Taupō has been restored after a new airline picked up the scrapped route Nelson-based company Originair will run its 18-seat passenger plane three days a week on Monday Sounds Air previously offered flights between Wellington and Taupō Originair managing director Robert Inglis said he was excited about the new connections "We've had extensive discussions with the mayor and council chief executive," he said "They very much want the service to continue." Inglis said Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas put on an extensive welcome for their first flight The airline can't pass on massive fare increases or have shareholders subside services indefinitely Sounds Air says all regional airlines are "increasingly desperate" and need backing from the government - and Shane Jones has floated the idea of a dedicated fund The airline was operating the service at a loss which was not uncommon for regional services The Buller District Council has reached an agreement with Nelson-based Originair Queenstown Lakes District's mayor is disappointed that Air NZ is making cuts to regional routes A man has been summoned to court after a crash in Taupō today left multiple people seriously injured Two vehicles crashed on the Napier-Taupō Road State Highway 5 near Rangitaiki School Road "Our crews have assessed and treated 12 patients with their conditions ranging from minor to serious," Hato Hone St John said Nine patients were airlifted to Waikato hospital; four in a serious condition Police said Sunday afternoon that their initial inquiries suggest that the van driver allegedly attempted to overtake a vehicle The 57-year-old driver has been summonsed to appear in the Tauranga District Court next week on a charge of careless driving causing injury Originally 13 people were reported injured but Hato Hone St John has said only 12 were injured and four helicopters were sent to the scene The vehicles involved were a van and an SUV two patients in serious condition have been airlifted to Waikato hospital and one patient in a serious condition has been airlifted to Hawke's Bay hospital." Police say there will be people who know more about what led to a shooting and three sections of SH2 being closed down in the Wellington Region Faulty landing gear has forced a Hawaiian Airlines flight to turn back to Auckland Airport Police say the Strathmore Park theft is believed to be related to a separate incident in the central city A driver has died after a crash between two cars which shut down part of Wellington's motorway overnight Taupō Hospital has become the first hospital in the North Island to receive accreditation to deliver Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) training Simeon Brown said a strong rural workforce was a key part of the Government plan to grow and strengthen New Zealand’s health workforce.“In rural settings where access to specialist health services can be limited generalist doctors – who can work flexibly across multiple disciplines and service areas – play a vital role,” said Mr Brown.“This accreditation is a significant step towards building a stronger rural health workforce in Taupō It will help increase the number of doctors trained with the broad skills needed to support the surrounding rural communities.“Rural generalists can sustainably manage a broad range of patient needs and work within clinical networks to ensure patients get access to specialist teams when required.”The ACRRM programme will enable registrars to train to work in Taupō Hospital while also developing advanced skills in fields such as obstetrics Matt Doocey says being an accredited ACRRM training location means Taupō can attract both New Zealand and Australian registrars and graduates and provides an opportunity for some New Zealand doctors working overseas to return home during their training.“One of the five priorities of the National Rural Health Strategy is to create a valued and flexible rural health workforce and training young doctors as rural generalists directly supports this goal,” Mr Doocey says.“Taupō Hospital’s new accreditation complements the existing pathway for New Zealand doctors through the New Zealand Rural Hospital Medicine Training Programme “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality healthcare and the Government is committed to improving health outcomes particularly for the one in five Kiwis living in rural areas.“To improve access and rural health outcomes we must invest in growing and supporting the rural health workforce Taupō Hospital’s accreditation is an important step towards that,” he said Information and Events for the New Zealand Public Service Contact us: newsdesk@insidegovernment.co.nz Today marks the 3rd Taupō Parkrun of 2025 and the 377th overall For the 2nd run report in a row I’m pleased to announce another attendance record joggers and walkers (plus a few dogs) taking on our course in perfect run conditions Each of the last 5 events have all beaten our previous record of 242 from last summer which is great to see Across the North Island today there were several Parkruns that were attendees by 300+ people I wonder how many people have “run more” as their New Year’s resolution for 2025 According to a statistic (the first one I found on Google) 88% of people who set a New Years Resolution fail by the end of January so baring this in mind I do expect a steady decline in the number of people attending Parkrun in the next few weeks In saying this I would be absolutely delighted to see this volume of people continuing to attend across the country 114 were first timers at Taupō Parkrun and  39 of them were running their first ever Parkrun we hope you enjoyed your time with us this morning We look forward to seeing you all again throughout 2025 Only 2 people called out this morning before the run however we had several more milestones today A special mention for Richard Drake for running his 250th Richard’s Parkruns have been split almost equally between Taupō and Cromwell Park in Auckland Will the Green 250 T shirt be making an appearance on your next run Richard The ‘Summer’ holidays as always are great for bringing people in from all corners of the world and this week was no different The perfect conditions of no hot sun and no wind this morning helped 47 people achieve new Personal Bests Rebecca STONE & Xanthia ELLIS for recording a PB on two consecutive Parkruns With a few big events on in the Taupō area next weekend we expect another big turn out next week so be sure to head on down nice and early Have a great week between now and then and we’ll see you at 2 Mile Bay next week This event was made possible because of our sponsors and volunteers As always a big thanks to those who got out of bed to volunteer their time this morning; Michael LINTOTT • Andrew MILNE • Wendy MILNE • Kathryn BOND • Laura HILTON • Clare PASCOE • Owen SATCHWILL • Louie PRIMEAU • Jill HOWARD • Susan HARPUR • Chris KIRK-BURNNAND • Helen KIRK-BURNNAND • Jessica SHAND • Emmett BOND • Scotty HUPPERT Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Taupō parkrun Results Page of whom 69 were first timers and 44 recorded new Personal Bests Representatives of 14 different clubs took part as it looked like there would be a reasonable chance of rain (probably soon) Today was still the third busiest parkrun ever for Taupo Lots of photos taken today of the runners and volunteers and travelers some below - more on the parkrun Facebook page later And before I get in to the specifics of Todays event I wanted to thank everyone for diligently returning the barcodes today none missing - and we had some returned from last weeks missing lot          You can see the crowds above thanks to Sharon taking photos and in the middle photo you can see Louie demonstrating how to not have your photograph taken with an X for the arms.. which means this photo will not be posted in social media or reports Unfortunately Beth and Jeremy and Andrew did want their photo taken.. Everyone's favorite part of a report - the Health and Safety section (I usually skip it) but today we did have an incident there was a medical incident today at the finish the parkrunner feeling unwell returned to the finish and spoke with the volunteers there the response was prompt and an ambulance was called for the team looking after them until they arrived (very quickly) a huge thank you to the volunteers who quickly sprung into action to assist The Event and Run directors are in touch with the family This is simply a reminder than Parkrun is a community event and its most important we look out for each other on the course It is great to see runners stopping and checking with anyone that pulls off to the side Also a good general reminder to always run with your Barcode on you FYI - All the volunteers/marshals have the Run Directors number and we have a Defibrillator and First Aid kit at the start/finish line If they are needed please call ahead and let us know - pretty early on we have some very quick runners at the finish who can run anything back (if required) Health and Safety aside - lets get onto the fun part of the report Today we had visitors from Hobsonville point & Cornwall park as well as overseas visitors from the UK-London Those in Bold above are first time EVER parkrunners - a big Hurrah to you for doing it I also had it pointed out to me that Brendon HARTLEY was in attendance today and he was annoyingly quick for an ex racecar driver There were also three Turtles and 1 Kiwi today Today we had Two milestones that I am aware of Young Georgia BROWN joined the Junior 10 club Helen-Maree FORDE gained her 25th parkrun and a new PB too First across the line today was Oliver JONES in a super quick 17:41 With an Unknown 2nd place and Mathew JEARY in 18:13 maybe the tailwind on the way back did help a few on that last km We are always looking for more volunteers every week, and we actually need more this time of year than normal. Everyone is travelling and visiting family, which means more numbers for parkrun Taupo - and also less of our regular volunteers. So please put your hand up every once and a while to help out. Did we mention it comes with Coffee at our great local sponsor https://www.2miletaupo.com     The event was made possible by 17 volunteers: Colin LITTLE • Michael LINTOTT • Andrew MILNE • Helen BOSTON • Sharon DRINNAN • Murray DRINNAN • Louie PRIMEAU • Jill HOWARD • Sue MONCRIEFF-DRISCOLL • Susan HARPUR • Ken MCLAREN • Yolanda VAN VUGT • Jessica SHAND • Chris FIDOE • Fenella GREENWOOD • Lary HABERSHON • Cushla HABERSHON Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Taupō parkrun Results Page Taupō parkrun started on 21st January 2017 Since then 7,003 participants have completed 29,026 parkruns covering a total distance of 145,130 km A total of 401 individuals have volunteered 3,374 times too many people are accessing this website at the same time The 2025 ITM Taupō Super440 is set to deliver an exhilarating motorsport spectacle from April 11-13 at Taupō International Motorsport Park Among the highlights is the inclusion of the Super V8 class as a support category promising fans a weekend brimming with high-octane action.​ The Super V8 class unites various V8 racing categories This amalgamation not only enhances the racing experience but also showcases the rich tapestry of V8 machinery The decision to feature the Super V8s comes after the TCR Australia Series withdrew from its slot with Supercars opting to replace it with this local powerhouse category The Super V8 class boasts an impressive roster of drivers each bringing unique skills and backgrounds to the track: ​In the lead-up to the 2025 ITM Taupō Super440 Supercars drivers Nick Percat and Cameron Hill participated in Super V8 testing sessions at Taupō International Motorsport Park Both drivers showcased impressive adaptability recording lap times in the low 1:31 range while piloting a TA2 Ford Mustang.​ known for his consistent performances in the Supercars Championship demonstrated his versatility by quickly adapting to the TA2 machinery and the nuances of the Taupō circuit who has been making notable strides in his Supercars career leveraged his experience to extract competitive lap times during the testing sessions.​ These testing sessions provided both drivers with valuable seat time ahead of the upcoming event allowing them to familiarize themselves with the track’s characteristics and the performance dynamics of the TA2 vehicles Their participation not only underscores the significance of the Super V8 class but also highlights the collaborative efforts between Supercars and support categories to elevate the overall competitiveness and appeal of the event The Super V8 class will have a robust presence throughout the Super440 weekend These sessions promise to deliver high-octane action with drivers pushing their V8 machines to the limits on the fast and flowing Taupō circuit The extended weather forecast shows fine weather for Friday with some rain forecast to hit Taupō after midday Sunday The forecast could easily change leading up to the event so keep an eye on it and prepare for rain on Sunday afternoon for the final races The 2025 ITM Taupō Super440 marks Supercars’ return to New Zealand It features the new Super440 format: two 120-km races on Saturday followed by a 200-km feature race on Sunday Including the Super V8 class as a support category enriches the event’s appeal offering fans a diverse and thrilling motorsport experience Attendees can look forward to witnessing a blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talents battling it out in powerful V8 machines ensuring an unforgettable weekend of racing action Header Image: Jessica Barnes / Blissful Photography "ODF is much more than a technical specification: it is a symbol of freedom of choice support for interoperability and protection of users from the commercial strategies of Big Tech," said Eliane Domingos The Union says the loss of the rail-enabled Aratere a crucial link between the North and South Islands significantly weakens the resilience of New Zealand's national supply chain The construction of temporary port infrastructure for the Aratere is not part of the Ferry Holdings work programme We will continue working closely with both ports to finalise the specifications of the infrastructure required The Authority found an item on “antisemitic violence” surrounding the match and another on heightened security in Paris the following week on top of last year’s mean spirited Budget which overwhelmingly favoured the wealthiest New Zealanders including the $2.9b tax break for landlords,” says Glenn Barclay spokesperson for the Better Taxes Campaign With the establishment of the Transport Well Charitable Trust the transport and logistics sector now has a powerful mechanism to drive meaningful the Trust aims to address critical issues such as safety and well-being while fostering professionalism through improved compliance More than 50 earthquakes were recorded by GNS Science overnight in the Taupō area The world's most recent "super-eruption" was gigantic enough to form Lake Taupo and spread ash as far as Antarctica Taupō residents were feeling nervous today after a “swarm” of more than 50 earthquakes were recorded in the area overnight GNS Science duty volcanologist Ery Hughes said the earthquakes were not continuous with most occurring before 11pm and another burst around 3am today “Swarms of earthquakes are common in geothermal areas like this,” Hughes said “Most geothermal areas near Taupō are areas of concentrated activity.” the earthquakes recorded in the last 24 hours peaked at 3.4 in magnitude The most recent earthquake was recorded within 5km of Turangi at about 8am and had a magnitude of 2.1 Earthquakes reported in Taupō overnight Hughes said although the GeoNet website and app reported the earthquakes as “unnoticeable” or “weak” shaking this did not account for how shallow the earthquakes are or how close people live to them “Our team based in Taupō have definitely been feeling them,” Hughes said “The rate of earthquakes is higher than we normally observe in the area “We’ll provide updates if activity changes or increases.” Taupō residents reported feeling the earthquakes increase in intensity over time “That was a big one,” one person said in a post Another resident said there was “a good size one” at 3am while another person reported the quakes “seem to be getting bigger” “My heart is in my throat,” the person said Another resident said the number of earthquakes left her feeling “a bit nervous” Posted on 31-01-2025 18:55 | By Let's get real We're at greater risk from natural phenomena than climate change in NZ So why are so many sheeple buying into the moneymaking nonsense that is being promoted so egregiously throughout the various media sites volcanic activity and Tsunami threats should be explored in our classrooms rather than the guesswork surrounding the changeable weather Maybe it's actually tectonics that are responsible for changing ocean currents The Bridgestone GR86 Championship title – as it has been for seemingly every year that the Toyota 86 car has been in existence – once more goes down to the wire this weekend at the Supercars round at Taupo International Motorsport Park This season – with a new sponsor in Bridgestone and a new model in the GR86 – has been one of the best ever The five rounds so far have seen big fields It’s a tough championship to win a race in The margins are narrow and there is precisely no room for error The championship has long been a mainstay of the supporting cast for Supercars in Australia are graduates of their respective domestic championships in front of the top racing teams from Australia Six drivers have a mathematical chance of championship success this weekend but it’s three outstanding young talents who have the best opportunity to lift the inaugural Bridgestone GR86 Championship title could open the door to three other talented drivers just behind in the points Hugo Allan sits at the top of the points table with a 23-point advantage It’s certainly not enough for the young racer to approach the Supercars weekend in anything other than full attack mode because that’s how competitive this weekend will be By his own admission it’s his qualifying performances which have let Hugo down this season but he has overcome that with some stunning race drives moving forward through the pack in impressive style on more than one occasion In a field often covered by tenths of a second but he’ll have to bring his A Game once again this weekend Hayden Bakkerus sits second in the standings having led the championship for a good portion of the season like Allan Hayden has speed around Taupo having taken his debut win there in the season opener in November Josh Bethune has pace at Taupo too but on his first visit lost two great results due to a jumped start and then incurring the wrath of the governing body by not wearing the right fireproof clothing Important for him is the form he has shown in the second half of the championship aboard his Right Karts by M2 Competition entry with some blistering drives that have left the opposition in his dust He’s got work to do this weekend but expect him to be at or near the front throughout Each of the three protagonists have had highs and lows this season and each can still drop their worst result but if that was a retirement there will be no material gain to their points tally especially with 75 points up for grabs for each of the three massive races this weekend Good outside bets – especially for race wins and podiums – this weekend at Taupo include Justin Allen particularly who has three wins and numerous podiums in what has been one of his strongest seasons Had it not been for a nightmare round at Highlands but he still has an outside chance and will no doubt be charging at Taupo Top rookie Chris White has also had a phenomenal season and looks very accomplished and mature in the intense battles at the front and in mid-field this season and could be another to shine Australian Cooper Barnes has also been a class act this season and has done very well around tracks he has had to learn The big weekend begins with two practice sessions on Friday followed by qualifying later on Friday afternoon Saturday brings the first race at midday before the final two races on Sunday morning You must be logged in to post a comment Supercars teams and drivers will today board flights to head across the ditch for the 2025 ITM Taupō Super440 the third round of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship season This week’s event marks Supercars’ second visit to Taupō International Motorsport Park where Kiwi Matt Payne will race on home soil as one of five New Zealanders on the Supercars grid The two-time race winner is joined by countrymen Andre Heimgartner and Jaxon Evans from Brad Jones Racing and sophomore hot shot Ryan Wood flying the NZ flag Payne and 19-year old Grove Racing teammate Kai Allen make up the youngest teammate pairing in Supercars since 2007 with both speedy youngsters eager to make an impression this weekend Hailing from Pukekohe and a childhood friend of Kiwi Formula One driver Liam Lawson Payne scored his maiden Supercars pole 12 months ago in Taupō but narrowly missed out on the podium on Sunday South Australian prodigy Allen is embarking on his first full Supercars season with plenty of hype The 2023 Super2 Series champion has impressed with his speed in the first two rounds of the season Allen visited New Zealand for the first time last month cutting laps in a Toyota 86 at Taupō to familiarise himself with the 3.2-kilometre circuit ahead of this weekend’s event This year’s event will feature three Supercars races: two 120-kilometre races on Saturday and one 200-kilometre contest on Sunday Fans in Taupō can get up close and personal with the full fleet of Supercars this Thursday as Track to Town returns to the event Supercars held its first ever full-field Track to Town in Taupō where all 24 entered cars drove from the circuit into Taupō CBD where drivers took part in a full-field signing session on the shores of Lake Taupō This year’s Track to Town will leave the circuit at 3:45 p.m with the full-field signing scheduled to run from 4:00 p.m when cars will be driven back to the circuit The driver who scores the most points across this weekend will be awarded the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy named for the late Kiwi Supercars racer who drove for Brad Jones Racing before succumbing to cancer in 2011 On-track action at the ITM Taupō Super440 begins Friday tickets and corporate hospitality for the April 11-13 event can be purchased via Supercars.com and Ticketek NZ Supercars’ return to New Zealand will be broadcast live on Foxtel in Australia and Sky Sport in New Zealand You must be logged in to post a comment views and opinions on NZ and International Motorsport.