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It’s that time again when the ‘love them or hate them’ fruit is in abundance, whether you like to eat them straight off the tree, in desserts or cakes, or just want others to take them away, the Feijoa is a big part of every kiwi’s Autumn. The feijoa was collected in southern Brazil by a German explorer Freidrich Sellow in 1815 and introduced to Europe by French botanist and…

Nz’s First Poppy Day One Hundred Years Ago, on April 24th 1922, New Zealand held its first Poppy Day. It followed an international effort led by French woman, Madame Guérin who was a well-known touring lecturer and fundraiser, who split her time between living in the USA and France during the First World War. She was a director of the “American and French Children’s League”,…

In part the inclination might be explained by the tendency to place greater prominence on the present than the past but it typically the past that conditions the present in business or personal relationships and particularly in global politics. As to how Putin regards the Ukraine is somewhat by the way because the attitude with regard to Iraq over eight years from 2003 was…

An alternative title might have been: “The Ukraine adjusted 90 years from the 1930s” but the good thing about political forecasts is that they are a bit like the weather; one is either right or wrong and the most in error one can be is wrong. However one may be wrong in regard to a conclusion but not in terms of motive or effects. The curtailing of NATO expansion is one (obvious)…

Did you know that in Papakura we have … • Sushi places • Cafes • Bakeries • Barber Shops • Gyms and the Rec Centre • Health places including Physio, Doctors, Foot Clinic, Massage Salons, Lab tests, Family Planning, Medicine clinics, Chiropractic, Hand clinic and more. • Dental Clinics • Accountancy Firms • Banks and Instant Finance and NZ Home Loans • Finance Companies…

Rising interest rates and tighter bank lending have combined to take the heat out of the market in the first two months of the year and the long-anticipated return to a more stable pricing environment is starting to occur. Due to low stock levels the rural and lifestyle markets in Auckland experienced a quieter trading month in comparison to 2021. The February sales numbers and…

I like the above car analogy. The author is unknown, but it reportedly first appeared in print in 1998 uttered by a US youth football coach whose team had had a bad season. It is pretty self-explanatory when driving and can be applied to most of life’s situations. Simply put, it means that where you’re headed is much more important than what you left behind. The past is the…

Lady Deborah Chambers is a New Zealand Queen's Counsel specialising in relationship property and trusts law. The emergency legislation in response to Covid-19 giving our Government the right to control our freedom of movement is no longer demonstrably justified in removing the fundamental rights to which New Zealanders are entitled. The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990…

Ministry of Health figures show that boosted individuals are now more vulnerable to Covid infection and hospitalisation than the unvaccinated A video summary released 2nd April 2022 by Grant Dixon shows through a series of graphs how the effects of boosters have worn off rapidly in New Zealand, especially since the BA2 variant started circulating. …

Hampered by tightening credit conditions, the housing market continued to cool in February according to the latest data from REINZ. The house price index (HPI) recorded a modest 0.5% gain in the month. However, the data overall paint a picture of a market in decline. Seasonally adjusted, house prices recorded their third consecutive monthly decline. Annual house price growth…

When a serious crime has been committed, the police generally lose no time in their efforts to locate the culprit and bring them to account. In this article we consider our long term prospects and what we need to do to improve them. ###What happened this morning? When you back a sure fire horse with your whole pay packet and it loses, what do you say to your partner and family…

I find myself perplexed that commercial pharmaceutical enterprises, despite huge areas of uncertainty around safety and outcomes, felt that they could launch their experimental mRNA vaccines on the world’s population. I am also confused how public health officials, the medical profession, and politicians became cheerleaders, even when a significant number of highly qualified…

I wrote this newsletter recently to update you on the work the Free Speech Union is doing in our battle for free speech. But following the disturbing scene we saw yesterday at Parliament, I wanted to share some thoughts first. Protest will always highlight contentious issues, that's its role, so I am aware that supporters of the Free Speech Union will have a wide variety of…

Like all amazing aestheticians, the staff at HARLEH Laser Clinic are extremely passionate & truly love their work and work environment. They are especially enthusiastic about the industry and how it is continually evolving which is why they are very excited this January to have launched Cutera Enlighten Tattoo Removal & Skin Rejuvenation Treatment. Some of the treatment…

If you are struggling to fall asleep, the bed you are trying to sleep on might be part of the problem. When it comes to investing in a new bed, it is important that you purchase something that fits will fit your body type, personal taste and unique needs. When your body is allowed to rest in its natural position, muscles are relaxed and sleep is more refreshing. A good mattress…

If the Winter Olympics, this year to be hosted by Beijing (04-20 Feb), were solely about sport then the only logistical issue would be in regard to Covid-19. However, from the one-day event until 684 BC, when the games were extended to three days, the games were always about more than the games otherwise it would have been deemed unnecessary to extended the games to five days…

Genre-blending through subtle jazz intricacies and funky, infectious rhythms – New Zealand’s premiere instrumental act GroovExpress paint an image of optimism and style throughout this superb new collection. Contemplation Nova is the name, ten tracks devoted to the moment with crisp production that allows the natural strength of each performance to shine through on the…

The Prime Minister’s Statement, delivered to the House at the start of the Parliamentary year, was riddled with platitudes, self-congratulation and hyperbole. What wasn’t mentioned or acknowledged was the issue of how divided a society we have become. This is something that has seeped out and spread widely throughout our country. It is insidious, undesirable and unwelcome. The…

In 1923 Elizabeth Welsman Dawson, a Takapuna resident, wrote and sent a humorous poem to the newspaper about the difficulties of travelling on the Takapuna Steam Tram. The noisy, black smoke belching little tram was the main means of public transport on the North Shore between 1910 and 1927. Now almost one hundred years later Elizabeth Dawson’s grandson, writer Terry Carson has…

It was great to say goodbye to 2021 and mark 2022’s beginnings with a couple of great events in Whangamata and Waihi respectively. Hosted by Noddy Watts of Beach Hop fame and his supportive partner Andrea Ross. car and bike enthusiasts were treated to the World’s First Car and Bike Show on New Years Day at the Whangamata Club. Over 100 vehicles travelled from all over to attend…