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Nov-Dec 2025 Book Catalogue
📚 Just in time for some summer holiday reading, there are some great books including Callie Hart’s BRIMSTONE (Fae & Alchemy Series), Ana Huang’s THE DEFENDER (Gods of the Game Series), Keri Lake’s ELDRITCH (Eating Woods Trilogy), Stephanie Laurens’s THE … View moreNov-Dec 2025 Book Catalogue
📚 Just in time for some summer holiday reading, there are some great books including Callie Hart’s BRIMSTONE (Fae & Alchemy Series), Ana Huang’s THE DEFENDER (Gods of the Game Series), Keri Lake’s ELDRITCH (Eating Woods Trilogy), Stephanie Laurens’s THE CURSE OF ILL-GOTTEN GAINS (The Casebook of Barnaby Adair Series), Lauren Palphreyman’s THE WOLF KING (Wolf King Series), Meghan Quinn’s MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU FILTHY ANIMAL (How My Neighbour Stole Christmas Series), Leigh Rivers’ LITTLE STRANGER (Web of Silence Duology) and Nora Roberts’ THE SEVEN RINGS (Lost Bride Trilogy) and more. Happy holidays and enjoy your reading!
Check out the catalogue at
chapter.co.nz...
NB. Please see p.2 for the:
• Details of our CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DAY on Sat 13 Dec, our December trading hours, and our Christmas/New Year three-week closure
• Pre-order link for signed copies of Nalini Singh’s SUCH A PERFECT FAMILY
• Pre-order link for signed copies of Nalini Singh’s ARCHANGEL'S ETERNITY
• Details of the Auckland Romance Readers Book Club Monthly Meetings and Auckland Romance Readers Book Club Facebook Group.
For Enquiries or Orders:
✉️ info@chapter.co.nz ☎️ 09-6232319 📱 021-635027
NB. Chapter’s trading hours are Tue–Sun 10–4. We are CLOSED on Mondays, except 15 Dec and 22 Dec. We are CLOSED from 25 Dec and we reopen on 13 Jan.
#ChapterBookandTeaShop #Tea #TeaShop #Books #Bookshop #RomanceBookshop #RomanceFictionSpecialist #BiMonthlyBookCatalogue
I am looking for a scaffolding to do painting inside my house at ThreeKings
Can anybody help me to find a suitable scaffolding company with reasonable charges
Regards
Enjoy festive performances from local schools, sing along to your favourite carols, and treat yourself with food from a great range of food trucks.
Bring a picnic blanket, gather your friends and whānau, and settle in for a joyful start to the festive season.
Three Kings Reserve, Mount Eden … View moreEnjoy festive performances from local schools, sing along to your favourite carols, and treat yourself with food from a great range of food trucks.
Bring a picnic blanket, gather your friends and whānau, and settle in for a joyful start to the festive season.
Three Kings Reserve, Mount Eden Road, Three Kings, Auckland
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When---Sunday 7 December 2025
5.30pm-7.30pm
Cost---Free
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With Christmas fast approaching and trees beginning to twinkle in homes across New Zealand, we’re on the hunt for NZ’s Most Loved Christmas Tree!
Whether it’s bursting with colour, elegantly minimal, or filled with sentimental touches from years past, we want to see how Kiwis are spreading… View moreWith Christmas fast approaching and trees beginning to twinkle in homes across New Zealand, we’re on the hunt for NZ’s Most Loved Christmas Tree!
Whether it’s bursting with colour, elegantly minimal, or filled with sentimental touches from years past, we want to see how Kiwis are spreading Christmas magic this season.
And now for the showstopper... 🌟
One tree will rise above them all, capturing the most public votes and the title of NZ’s Most Loved Christmas Tree 2025, along with the iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange, this year’s ultimate Christmas prize. 🎁🎄
To spread the cheer even further, four lucky trees will be chosen as Santa’s Lucky Trees, each receiving a $200 Space General Gift Voucher, the perfect way to add extra sparkle this season. 🎅🎁
Need a tree first? Explore our beautiful range here and start your Christmas magic!
📅 Public voting opens: 10 November 2025
⏳ Entries close: 17 December 2025
🎄 Winners unwrapped before Christmas — so strike a pose and share your festive masterpiece!
Police are working to locate Robin Dion Leslie Martin, who has a warrant for his arrest and is wanted by Police.
Robin, 52, is wanted in relation to a number of dishonestly offences and is known to frequent the wider Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
It’s believed he is actively … View morePolice are working to locate Robin Dion Leslie Martin, who has a warrant for his arrest and is wanted by Police.
Robin, 52, is wanted in relation to a number of dishonestly offences and is known to frequent the wider Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
It’s believed he is actively avoiding Police.
If you have seen Robin or have any information that may assist in locating him, please update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 251002/1842.
Alternatively information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
The increase will cover the $235 million annual cost of operating the new underground rail service, and is the largest rate rise since Auckland Council was formed in 2010.
For the average household, already strained by the cost‑of‑living crisis, annual rates will climb from $4023 to $4341, a… View moreThe increase will cover the $235 million annual cost of operating the new underground rail service, and is the largest rate rise since Auckland Council was formed in 2010.
For the average household, already strained by the cost‑of‑living crisis, annual rates will climb from $4023 to $4341, a weekly cost of $83.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s rates announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed at his post‑Cabinet press conference this afternoon, alongside Local Government Minister Simon Watts, that the Government will introduce a rates cap of 2% to 4% from January 2027. The cap excludes water charges and non-rate revenue such as fees and other charges.
“Ratepayers are fed up,” said Luxon, saying some communities had faced regular double-digit increases and the Government expected councils to demonstrate fiscal prudence.
Auckland’s proposed 7.9% rate increase is contained in Brown’s mayoral proposal for next year’s budget and is in line with the rate increases in the council’s long-term plan. After next year, rates are set to rise by 3.5% each year.
Brown said his proposal was focused on progressing and finishing what the council started last term – transport reform, governance improvement and value for money.
“This proposal sets direction for the year ahead – consolidating what we have achieved and focusing our resources on what matters most. It keeps faith with Aucklanders, maintains our contract with the community, and ensures we are ready for the next long-term plan [in 2027],” he said.
Brown acknowledged the 7.9% average household rates rise was higher than he would have liked, but said it reflected the costs of the City Rail Link, a project he has criticised for blowouts and delays, but now sees as vital to reinvigorating Auckland and driving economic growth.
The $235m bill to run the CRL includes maintenance costs, interest on debt to fund construction, depreciation, facilities such as new stations, track access charges from KiwiRail, and running more services.
As well as the proposed rate rise in the budget, there is a $50m budget gap that officers are developing options to address, and an extra $15m for the 21 local boards under a fairer funding review.
There is a savings target of $106m and asset sales of $34m, with Brown expressing disappointment at progress made in this area.
Brown said he expected the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport Governance) Amendment Bill to return control of Auckland Transport to the council would become law in March next year.
This would be followed by a six-month implementation period when Auckland Transport will become responsible for public transport, and the council will be responsible for transport planning matters and the road controlling authority.
“The decisions we make in the coming months will impact the daily lives of Aucklanders, who expect things to be better. If we get this right, we will deliver progressive and long-lasting improvements to transport in Auckland.
“Ultimately, I want to eliminate the dumb stuff that infuriates me and ratepayers,” said the mayor.
Brown reacted to the Government’s rates cap plan by questioning how Auckland would pay for things like the CLR.
“Putting a cap on rates isn’t going to solve anything. It will just defer it for a couple of years then ratepayers will be paying even more,” he told the Herald.
“Councils are faced with making decisions that involve significant investment and should not be restricted by government telling us what we can and can’t do.”
Last week, Transport Minister Chris Bishop, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and the Auckland Mayor said the CRL would open to passengers in the second half of next year.
Two sources have told the Herald the opening date is set for September.
Auckland Transport director of public transport, Stacey van der Putten, said there was no set opening date but she was confident the new rail line would open in the second half of the year.
“We should be able to provide a tighter opening-date range in the coming months, but the opening date will ultimately be announced when a satisfactory level of testing, commissioning, and readiness has been demonstrated,” she said.
A Herald investigation in October found the council’s annual rates revenue has nearly doubled from $1.57b to $3b since it was formed in 2010.
Over that period, the typical household’s yearly rates rose by 85.4%, from $2025 to $3800 in the 2024-25 financial year. The average annual rate increase was 4.52%.
While the hefty rise in rates may surprise many, it coincided with 34% inflation, a 22% population increase, and major boosts in the council’s other revenue streams and infrastructure investment.
Council financial strategy manager Michael Burns said rate increases had averaged 2.16% a year above inflation, helping fund key priorities such as public transport, water quality, storm recovery and resilience, environmental initiatives and the response to Covid-19.
To keep rates as low as possible, he said, the council had reduced its reliance on rates revenue, from 49% of total income at the start of the Super City to about 35% today.
Councillors will consider the mayoral proposal on December 15 and it is to go out for public consultation in late February.
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You might be surprised. Scammers are getting slicker, sneakier, and a whole lot more convincing, and they’re targeting everyone from students to grandparents.
Before you brush it off with “I’d never fall for that,” give your scam radar a quick tune-up! Test yourself with Netsafe’s fun … View moreYou might be surprised. Scammers are getting slicker, sneakier, and a whole lot more convincing, and they’re targeting everyone from students to grandparents.
Before you brush it off with “I’d never fall for that,” give your scam radar a quick tune-up! Test yourself with Netsafe’s fun new Scam Spotting Quiz or try our online module for even more skill-building.
Scams can catch anyone — even the careful ones.
Keep your wits (and your wallet) about you!
Red Cross Onehunga is bringing you some sweet traditions for Christmas. We have our table full of special china and crockery.
50% off all our preloved shoes.
Clearance rails full of ladies wear.
We still have Christmas tree’s & decorations on special.
… View moreRed Cross Onehunga is bringing you some sweet traditions for Christmas. We have our table full of special china and crockery.
50% off all our preloved shoes.
Clearance rails full of ladies wear.
We still have Christmas tree’s & decorations on special.
Pop in and see us at
200 Onehunga Mall,
Auckland
📞 09-622-1565
Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm
Sun 10am to 5pm
Get ready to jingle all the bargains! Crackerjack’s Christmas range is bursting with sweet treats, chocolates, fun pressies, toys for the little ones (and furry friends!), plus festive décor, accessories, stocking stuffers and Secret Santa winners!
Whether you’re looking for gifting inspo … View moreGet ready to jingle all the bargains! Crackerjack’s Christmas range is bursting with sweet treats, chocolates, fun pressies, toys for the little ones (and furry friends!), plus festive décor, accessories, stocking stuffers and Secret Santa winners!
Whether you’re looking for gifting inspo or filling the trolley with bargains this festive season, you’ll find it all in store and online at Crackerjack.
Join us for a special cooking class and learn how to make Ghormeh Sabzi - one of the most iconic and beloved Iranian dishes. This ancient Persian stew has been enjoyed for over a thousand years and is often celebrated as the national dish of Iran.
Details:
• Saturday 13 December
• … View moreJoin us for a special cooking class and learn how to make Ghormeh Sabzi - one of the most iconic and beloved Iranian dishes. This ancient Persian stew has been enjoyed for over a thousand years and is often celebrated as the national dish of Iran.
Details:
• Saturday 13 December
• 11.30am-1.30pm
• Cost: $70 per person
• Epsom Community Centre
• Led by Persian Cafe
During this workshop, you’ll:
• Watch a live demonstration of the cooking process
• Learn about the rich history and cultural significance of the dish
• Enjoy sharing the finished meal together
To book your spot or ask any questions, simply email: mozhgan2146@gmail.com
IKEA’s first New Zealand store is expected to attract between 11,500 and 16,000 visitors daily during the initial four months, with peak days seeing even higher numbers. The store’s location near Sylvia Park is already a high-traffic area, and significant congestion is anticipated, especially … View moreIKEA’s first New Zealand store is expected to attract between 11,500 and 16,000 visitors daily during the initial four months, with peak days seeing even higher numbers. The store’s location near Sylvia Park is already a high-traffic area, and significant congestion is anticipated, especially during the opening weekend and peak periods.
Location
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The store will be opening adjacent to Sylvia Park Mall and the Southern Motorway between Carbine Road, Clemow Drive and Te Ahoterangi Rise, on Thursday 4 December 2025.
Transport impacts
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The opening will place exceptional demand on the Mount Wellington and Sylvia Park area, with congestion likely to extend across arterial roads, state highways, and motorway offramps.
Travel times are likely to be much longer than usual across the network including for those going to IKEA, travelling through Mt Wellington and on State Highway 1.
We strongly encourage road users to plan ahead, consider alternative routes and allow extra time for their journeys.
This increase in demand is expected to remain high for the first few months of opening.
What to expect
=============
Traffic modelling shows that in a worst-case scenario, there could be 40 minute+ queues to exit the motorway at Mt Wellington Highway and wait times of up to 1 hour to get into car parks at IKEA. Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington are likely to also get congested, with forecast delays ranging from 2 min+ to 39 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway (in peak traffic).
Congestion of this level has impacts across the whole state highway network, as well as on arterial roads in the immediate area and beyond.
A significant queue for a motorway exit is the equivalent of a serious crash blocking a lane. In peak traffic, crashes often cause additional 20–40-minute delays to journeys.
Congestion will be at its worst during evening peak traffic on weekdays and on Saturdays from 1-4pm (particularly heading Northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington).
AT and NZTA Operational Support
============================
Auckland Transport (AT) and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) via the Auckland Transport Operation Centre (ATOC) are supporting and advising IKEA and Kiwi Property in their planning to support a travel experience that is as smooth as possible for all road users, including freight operators and local businesses.
IKEA’s Traffic Management Plan
==========================
During the opening period IKEA will be responsible for delivering a local traffic management plan that includes:
• Additional temporary overflow parking at 62 - 66 Carbine Road.
• Car park attendants to direct people to free spots or alert people if parks are full.
• No parking on a section of Panama Road to ensure parked cars don’t impact the flow of buses and cars.
• Mobile Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) on the motorway and main arterials well before Mt Wellington will warn of high congestion to allow drivers to choose alternative routes if needed.
Opening period
=============
When the store opens, ATOC will monitor and respond to keep traffic moving as best we can and provide real-time updates for road users.
If congestion levels get too high, traffic management teams on the ground may implement additional temporary interventions such as:
• Stop-Go traffic management.
• Temporary detours.
• Temporarily close roads or prevent left or right hand turns into streets that have become gridlocked.
• Deploying temporary traffic signals to create gaps in roundabouts.
• Deploying real time messages on VMS signs to advise motorists of delay times and when these temporary interventions are activated (e.g. detours or road closures).
• Activating motorway VMS signs to advise in real time of congestion pinch points on state highways.
Primary areas of concern where these measures could be implemented to relieve congestion include the streets immediately surrounding IKEA - Carbine Rd, Te Ahoterangi Rise and Clemow Drive. In parallel, ATOC will actively optimise the transport network, including making traffic signal adjustments, updating motorway and VMS signs across the region with real time network information and communicating real time updates in AT and NZTA channels to help customers make informed travel choices
Travel advice
This transport advisory is to ensure you are aware of the potential traffic disruption the event may cause, enabling you to advise your partners, colleagues, customers and networks as needed.
We strongly encourage you to inform your stakeholders/customers, plan ahead and allow extra time for travel to, through and near the Mt Wellington area when the store opens, particularly during peak traffic hours. Traffic will be highest in the evening peak (approximately 4-7pm) on weekdays and weekend peak (10am-2pm on Saturdays).
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Quiet Hour at Stardome - low-sensory planetarium sessions.
Wednesday 10 December 10am and Friday 12 December 10am.
Stardome's Quiet Hour offers a low-sensory environment tailored to accommodate individuals with autism or sensory and neurodiversity needs.
During these sessions, we … View moreQuiet Hour at Stardome - low-sensory planetarium sessions.
Wednesday 10 December 10am and Friday 12 December 10am.
Stardome's Quiet Hour offers a low-sensory environment tailored to accommodate individuals with autism or sensory and neurodiversity needs.
During these sessions, we modify both our planetarium and broader gallery spaces to provide a gentler sensory experience, including:
- A guided planetarium session exploring the night sky, led by a presenter
- Reduced volume levels
- Soft ambient lighting, with planetarium doors remaining open throughout the show
- A breakout space
Spaces are also strictly limited to 30 visitors per session. Carers go free.
Book now at www.stardome.org.nz...
It was an action that landed the woman in the Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal, facing charges of serious misconduct for using excessive force on the child.
According to the agreed summary of facts tabled at a tribunal hearing earlier this year, the woman, who has name suppression, was in her … View moreIt was an action that landed the woman in the Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal, facing charges of serious misconduct for using excessive force on the child.
According to the agreed summary of facts tabled at a tribunal hearing earlier this year, the woman, who has name suppression, was in her first fulltime teaching role.
The tribunal’s decision, publicly released yesterday, stated that at lunchtime, several students had started throwing spoons at other children, and the teacher intervened, asking one boy to come with her.
He refused and held a yoghurt pot towards her, preparing to throw it. The teacher warned him not to, and said, “just you try”.
The boy threw it, and the yoghurt landed on the teacher.
She then raised her hand towards the student’s cheek, but did not make contact, before pulling him up by his hand and dragging him towards the principal’s office.
The student swore at her as she continued dragging him to the office.
Outside the reception, the student was agitated and tried to pull away, but was held firmly by the wrist, with the teacher “roughly” moving him around, according to the summary.
When the student tried to wriggle free, the teacher elbowed him in the side of the head. The student responded by striking the teacher in the face. She then let go of the boy’s wrist and slapped his face.
The student then ran into the office and dove under a desk, crying loudly, yelling and swearing at the teacher.
“Both were visibly distressed and covered in yoghurt,” the summary stated.
After the incident, the teacher told a senior colleague that she’d struck the student but had felt panicked, unsafe and scared for the other children.
She was a first-year teacher, had little training and support and was under personal and professional stress.
Closed-circuit television captured the yoghurt-throwing incident and the teacher raising her hand, but the events inside the principal’s office were not captured.
The school investigated in the weeks following the incident, and the teacher was issued a final written warning.
‘I’m truly sorry for any pain I caused’
In submissions to the tribunal, the teacher said she deeply regretted her actions and apologised to the student, as well as other children who witnessed the incident.
“I realise that my actions were hurtful, not right, and I’m truly sorry for any pain I caused,” she said.
“I am committed to reflecting on this and making sure I approach every child with the kindness, respect and understanding they deserve.”
The woman said she wasn’t aware the student had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that she lacked classroom experience, and felt that she had minimal mentor support or orientation in her first year.
The teacher’s legal representative from NZEI, Janette Brown, told the tribunal that her client accepted she’d failed to de-escalate the situation or seek help, and that she had misused force on a learner.
Since the incident, the teacher has gained more experience in the profession and is now working with children with challenging behaviours.
A complaints assessment committee of the Teachers Council laid charges of serious misconduct against the teacher, and said in submissions to the tribunal that any use of force by an educator must be proportional.
“In a similar vein, the CAC submits that striking and restraining a student is likely to bring the profession into disrepute, and that teachers are expected to self-regulate their frustration and anger when dealing with challenging behaviour by a student,” their submissions read.
The tribunal said that the legislation was clear that physical restraint could only be used to stop a student from causing imminent harm to themselves or others.
“The tribunal agrees that the respondent’s interactions with [the student] amount to serious misconduct,” the tribunal said.
“The tribunal considers that the respondent’s conduct was serious and demonstrated a poor and harmful response to difficult behaviour.”
The tribunal found the woman had used excessive force in restraining the child.
It censured her and ordered a note to be added to her registration and that she must disclose the tribunal’s decision to any future employer for one year.
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