Traffic returns to Auckland roads
New Zealand's main centres are buzzing for the first time in almost five weeks. About 400,000 people are returning to work today, as the country transitions to alert level 3. Cars returned to Auckland's Southern Motorway, which has been mostly empty during five weeks of level 4 restrictions to eliminate the deadly coronavirus. Timesaver Traffic's Rebecca Apolosi says it's clearly visible on Auckland roads. "Overlooking Spaghetti Junction, I can see plenty of cars coming and going in all directions. "The Southern Motorway is the most active, heading south. Even then, no hold-ups to report. "There's the usual trucks, buses and courier vehicles that have been operating as normal under alert level 4.
"However, there's plenty of tradie vans and utes whizzing past as well this morning." The main commuter roads into Wellington are a bit busier than last week, but the central city is still pretty quiet. "Traffic is a little heavier than it has been under level 4, but the streets are still relatively quiet in the capital." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says people should continue to work from home if they can, but businesses can reopen if they have safe-practice measures in place. Industries like construction, forestry and manufacturing can get back to work, but staff have to make sure they keep 1m between each other, record who they interact with, have good hygiene practices and make sure surfaces are disinfected. Construction workers are injecting a little bit of life back into central Auckland. One construction worker, who asked not to be named, said he's very glad the level 4 lockdown is finally over. "I'm quite excited about it to be honest. It's been a long five weeks, so it would be good to get back into it and into finishing our project. "We sort of made a plan last week on what we're going to do to get back to work. We've implemented that and we should hit the ground running today."
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Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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78.9% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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21.1% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
The gift of giving …?
The author of “The Gift of the Magi” is O. Henry, a pseudonym for William Sydney Porter.
“The Gift of the Magi” is a poignant short story about a young couple, Jim and Della, who are deeply in love but financially struggling. With Christmas approaching and limited money, each decides to sacrifice their most prized possession to buy a meaningful gift for the other. Della sells her beautiful long hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim’s watch, while Jim sells his grandfather’s watch to buy a set of combs for Della’s hair. In the end, their love and sacrifice underscore the true spirit of giving during the holiday season.
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I would say the story underscores the stupidity of Xmas gifts … after all, it is not YOUR birthday, so how about donating something to good causes and otherwise enjoying being together?
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