Man who made and spent fake $50 notes nabbed by an off-duty cop
With a range of different printers, stacks of paper, a roll of clear film, glue and bottles of dye, Nicholas Parker spent time perfecting his fake $50 notes. And for more than five weeks, he got away with spending them all around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato. He'd go into different shops, buy something small with the goal of getting legitimate cash in change. He'd screw up his fake note to try to hide the fact they were counterfeit and would engage in a conversation with the person behind the counter to distract them. He said he did it because he had no money. Details of Parker's master plan can now be revealed after the 39-year-old aluminium joiner pleaded guilty to a range of charges when he appeared in the Rotorua District Court this week. Among more than 20 charges that he admitted were making fake $50 notes, possessing equipment and materials used to make the fake notes, possessing the fake money and using the fake money. A police summary of facts has been released to the Rotorua Daily Post which said Parker created an unknown number of forged $50 notes. "[Parker] has spent a considerable amount of time perfecting the forged $50 notes, as a result the notes closely resemble genuine $50 notes," the summary said. "The only obvious discrepancies between the forged notes produced by [Parker] and genuine notes, were the type of paper used and the absence of the watermark in the clear windows." The summary of facts said Parker told police he started making fake $50 notes because he didn't have any money and needed to get accommodation and buy food and clothes. Officer in charge of the case, Detective Sergeant Leonie Smith of the Rotorua CIB, told the Rotorua Daily Post after Parker's court appearance on Thursday that Parker was nabbed after an off-duty police officer spotted him at Bayfair shopping mall at Mount Maunganui on April 9. It came to the officer's attention because he was mingling with a man he was aware had previously been linked with presenting a counterfeit $50 note. Smith said the off-duty officer showed good instincts to take a photograph of Parker and the associate and circulated it with police. The police summary of facts said Parker went into Pricewise at Bayfair on the same day and bought toothpaste, deodorant and a sewing kit. He paid for the items with a fake $50 note and got $37 in change. The summary said staff went to the bank immediately after to change the bank note and realised it was fake. A short while later, a staff member recognised Parker still in the mall and confronted him about the fake note - resulting in the goods being returned and Parker returning the $37.
Smith told the Rotorua Daily Post as a result of Parker's actions on that day and the off-duty officer's actions, a search warrant was done of Parker's Basley Rd home on April 12. Inside, police found printers, failed forged bank notes and ink cartridges for printers. However, Smith said Parker wasn't at the home and he was instead found at a Sterling Pl house in Tokoroa on April 28. The police summary of facts said a printer, practice and failed forged bank notes, stacks of paper, a roll of clear film, glue and bottles of dye were found at the Tokoroa house. Smith told the Rotorua Daily Post police viewed security footage in shops where Parker had presented fakes notes. She said the notes appeared crunched up to avoid detection and on each occasion, he would talk to the person behind the counter to try to distract them while they put the fake note in the till. Smith said that although on the face of it they appeared a good likeness, on closer inspection it was obvious they were fake. She said they were printed on standard A4 paper which can rip and the clear plastic part that had been glued wasn't sophisticated. "It didn't take shops long to realise they were fake but it was just a matter of finding him." She said it was the first time in several years someone had tried to make counterfeit notes in this area that she was aware of. Pricewise manager Darcy Hemara told the Rotorua Daily Post she was pleased to hear the man who had been making the fake notes had been found and she was proud of her staff for playing a small part in helping to catch him. She said just after Parker handed her colleague the fake note, they needed more change in the tills so she took cash to a bank in the mall to get change. She said the machine "spat" the fake note back out and ripped it. "I knew straight away it was fake and when I held it I noticed it didn't feel like an actual note." Judge Simon Menzies remanded Parker in custody to reappear for sentencing on August 5. The maximum penalty for the offences he faces is 10 years' imprisonment.
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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The best board games to play (and gift) this summer
Over the holiday period, the right game can make all the difference. So which board games should you try out – and which ones should you gift?
1. Sushi Go Party
This colourful, fast-paced game has great art, and a "menu" that can be changed depending on the number of players (up to eight) and their familiarity with the game.
Players win the game by creating the best combination of cards, depending on what's available, by rotating the cards from player to player like a sushi train. It's easy to learn and relatively cheap.
2. Wavelength
In this party game, teams have to try and guess the location of a hidden target on a spectrum, using a clue from one "psychic" team member. The ends of the spectrum reflect two binaries, such as hot–cold or optional–mandatory, and the target falls somewhere in between.
The closer the team gets to where the psychic thinks the target should go, the more points they score. Wavelength is one of those games where no matter if your team gets it right or wrong, you can expect people to give their two cents.
3. Mysterium and Mysterium Park
In these team games, players play mediums seeking the counsel of another player – a ghost – who gives them clues to important information about murders in the house, including the ghost’s own murder.
The ghost offers the other players tarot cards with abstract artwork with which they must attempt to discern the murder weapon, location and culprit.
4. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
This game sees players take the role of potion makers at the local fair, who must push their luck by drawing ingredients out of a bag to make the best potions without them blowing up in their face. It’s simple to teach and hilarious when someone else blows up their cauldron (although arguably less when it’s you).
5. Modern Art
This is one of the most celebrated games from board game designer luminary Reiner Knizia. Players are art dealers auctioning off beautiful paintings done by five professional artists. Players might even forget to play as they get caught up in simply admiring the pieces they are auctioning off.
Modern Art remains a fiendishly clever game that is easy to learn but hard to master.
6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
This strategic racing game is based on 1960s Formula 1 racing. The base game boasts four tracks on two gorgeous boards, and lovely little cars that pass each other and risk spinning out around corners.
7. Nemesis
By far the most expensive (and complicated) game on this list, Nemesis can best be described as Alien: the board game.
Players have to move through a spaceship, discovering rooms and items as they go, taking care not to alert the horrific extraterrestrials that have managed to get onto the ship – represented by amazingly designed pieces. It’s a truly tense and fun experience for a full afternoon.
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Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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