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The REINZ House Price Index fell 1% in December breaking a record 20 consecutive months of house price gains. The REINZ House Price Index fell 1% in December breaking a record 20 consecutive months of house price gains. Annual house price growth reached 23.3% at the end of 2021 from a recent record high of just over 30% in August. House price growth is forecast to fall fast in 2022. Sales too dropped in December; no doubt hit by rapidly…

D-Day for vaccinating 5-11 year olds is upon us. If as a parent (or a politician) you do a google search “Is Covid vaccination of 5-11 year olds safe?” you turn up a host of articles not only assuring you that it is safe and effective, but also urging you that it is necessary. First among these are the official NZ government information web pages. If you have doubts and persist by broadening your search criteria, the same kind of reassuring…

Today I reviewed my 2021 diary and correspondence and had an aha moment. Up until September most of my exchanges and the press articles I read involved discussion and interpretation of the relative merits of published scientific papers. After that the official dialogue reported in the media subtly changed and started to assert that ‘science’ was on the side of vaccination without actually citing research papers—the merit of vaccination had…

A lot has been made this year of teamwork, and New Zealanders as a general rule are very big followers of teams. When it comes to choosing someone to present and sell your home in this current market, it makes sense then to choose a real team who understand each other and compliment each other’s strengths to make sure you get results that exceed your expectations. · Ryan and Raphaelle from Ray White Pukekohe are that team. They recognise that…

There are lots of ways of measuring how New Zealand is doing, and none of them is perfect. We stack up very well on measures like life expectancy, unemployment, infant mortality, and car ownership. Not so well on the quality of our education system – an area where we have been going backwards in recent years, at least in comparison to other developed countries and many of the East Asian countries. · And we stack up particularly poorly in…

The earliest recorded New Year’s celebration according to many sources is thought to be in Mesopotamia, a historical region of Western Asia around 2000 B.C. The celebrations actually occurred during the vernal equinox in mid-March — as this was considered the start of the new year by the calendar at the time. It was an elaborate eleven-day festival that would probably put our current parties to shame. According to sources, the Ancient…

In the lead-up to the 2020 general election, the Prime Minister announced Labour will bring the target of 100% renewable electricity generation forward five years to 2030. Renewable electricity You’ve probably heard the terms renewable electricity and green electricity used a lot lately. While there are subtle differences, both terms refer to the fuel source used to produce electricity. Broadly speaking ‘renewable’ relates to the…

Nestled in the countryside of Waiuku near Kariotahi beach is a hidden treasure if you are looking for a perfect wedding or party venue that will provide you with a celebration that exceeds your expectations, without the huge costs. Dellrian Gardens, is a botanical oasis set amongst 17 acres of outstanding gardens and farmlands that can see you meandering down pathways, along the creek and amongst ponds or bathing in the colour and scent of an…

From beautiful wedding areas, private functions, birthdays, business meetings, gatherings with friends, coffee groups, celebrations of life and any special occasion, there is always a reason to celebrate at Red Shed. The wide range of stylish, delicious food is cooked fresh on site and can be enjoyed both takeaway or dine-in in our relaxed rural setting. · Open from 8.30am through to 4pm, 7 days a week, the lovely friendly staff cater to your…

As this is written, we are “enjoying” the continuing uncertainty of Covid but now with the all-new government imposed traffic light system. Anyway, it’s been sad but totally understandable to see various events coming up either postponed or canceled. I would dread being an event promoter right now playing the guessing game of what level we could be at as to whether or not an event can go ahead. It was great to hear that once again the Classic…