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You are invited to our fourth StreetFEST Event on Saturday May 6th from 10am -2pm on Great South Road. This year it is being extended around into Broadway. · “We’re so excited to be holding our 4th StreetFEST, where we will once again be showcasing all the things that make Papakura great.” says Tracy Shackleton, Papakura Town Centre Manager. “It will be a whanau friendly event where we celebrate our town, our people and our cultural richness…

This year has had a shaky start with the floods in Auckland then Cyclone Gabrielle. The impact of which has not been truly felt although it is safe to say listings and sales are down in affected areas. The latest monetary policy committee meeting - one projection of note that did change was the Reserve Bank house price forecast – the peak to tough fall is now expected to be -23% ending in the early to middle 2024 though in truth most of the…

By Loz Blain The winners have been announced in the third annual World Nature Photography Awards. A haunting glance from a mud-crusted crocodile lying in wait takes the top honors, but there's a visual feast to enjoy from the other winners and runners-up. · Based in London, this completely independent contest aims to encourage people all over the world to take in different perspectives, and change their own behavior and decisions for the good…

It's happening over the ditch, that bastion of totalitarianism that saw some of the most heinous actions against their citizens during the Covid-19 imposition now sees a bonifide Australian medical peer-reviewed journal laying it all out. · That the mRNA vaccines were neither safe or effective · Here are some highlights; · 1. COVID-19 vaccines cause more side effects than any other vaccine 2. Not only does spike protein produce unwanted side…

We all know that trees help clean the air in cities, but which trees do so best? According to new research conducted in Sweden, a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees will give you the most bang for your buck. · For the study, a University of Gothenburg team led by Prof. Håkan Pleijel analyzed the leaves and needles of 11 types of trees growing in the same area of the Gothenburg Botanical Garden. The deciduous (leafy) trees consisted…

I recently had the opportunity to question Chris Luxton and included a question about trust and what he intended to do about increasing the dismal survey results from a December 22 poll that showed only 39.6% of the poll respondents trusted the government. His response will be published next month, but in the meantime, just how important is trust in our Government and its Ministers? We will never I suspect get to a 100% trust rate, but…

Back on the first weekend of February, a grand opportunity arose for me to display my Model A pickup at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona California, USA. This show is the ‘Grand Daddy’ of them all and attracts over 600 vehicles displayed indoors and over 1100 vehicles show up each day to be displayed outside. It has been a bucket list thing to attend all these great USA hot rod events with my own New Zealand built hot rod and the…

Counties Medical are happy to announce the opening of our newly built medical Centre at Waiata Shores, Takanini. 2 Te Napi drive, Waiata Shores, Takanini. This clinic replaces the previous Takanini clinic on Great South Road. The clinic gives local families the option of two Centres to attend, one in Papakura and Takanini again. · We will be known as Counties Medical Takanini (Te Tumu Hauora). Te Tumu Hauora is a maaori philosophy of health…

Ada Lovelace (1815–52) is now regarded as one of the most important figures in the early history of the computer despite being relatively uncelebrated during her life. Born in the early 19th century, she had a fascination with science and mathematics that defied the expectations of her class and gender at the time. She was introduced at the age of 17 to inventor Charles Babbage, and her work ensured she would become one of the most important…

PART ONE Over the last couple of decades, the world has watched the Middle East as country after country has tried to establish a democratic regime and country after country has failed. The United States and its allies toppled Saddam Hussein and announced that they wanted to see a democratic regime take root in Iraq. The western powers helped to topple Colonel Gaddafi in Libya, and welcomed moves towards democracy in Tunisia, Egypt and the…