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This weekend, gather with whānau and friends to enjoy a range of exciting events across Tāmaki Makaurau. Here’s what’s on offer:
Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki – Matariki Festival Day
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Bring the whole whānau for a day full of culture and creativity at … View moreThis weekend, gather with whānau and friends to enjoy a range of exciting events across Tāmaki Makaurau. Here’s what’s on offer:
Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki – Matariki Festival Day
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Bring the whole whānau for a day full of culture and creativity at Auckland Botanic Gardens this Friday from 10am. Enjoy kapa haka, waiata, carving demonstrations, raranga activations, poi making and much more. A wide range of exciting and fun activities and experiences for everyone.
Matariki ki te Maunga
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Welcome Matariki rising in the sky with karakia on Pukekohe Hill from 6am this Friday. After the ceremony, head to Ngaa Hau e Whā Marae for a warm breakfast and entertainment. A beautiful way to start the day in reflection and connection.
Wheke Fortress
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Step into the Wheke Fortress this Pipiri and gather under the stars for an evening of music, mātauranga, kai, and celebration with community and whānau.
Matariki Evening Lights
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Soak up the festive atmosphere with music, fire pits, delicious kai, and good company at Silo Park’s Matariki Evening Lights this Saturday. A perfect winter’s evening by the waterfront.
For more Matariki Festival events, visit Matariki Festival Website.
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Get ready for an unforgettable experience at THE AUCKLAND ART SHOW!
This exciting event opens at:
The Viaduct Events Centre
Friday 27th June.
Weekend pass is Saturday 28th, 10 am – 8 pm and Sunday 29th 10am – 5 pm.
16 years and under go free Saturday and Sunday.
Explore a stunning … View moreGet ready for an unforgettable experience at THE AUCKLAND ART SHOW!
This exciting event opens at:
The Viaduct Events Centre
Friday 27th June.
Weekend pass is Saturday 28th, 10 am – 8 pm and Sunday 29th 10am – 5 pm.
16 years and under go free Saturday and Sunday.
Explore a stunning array of artwork from a stellar line up of artists! Enjoy live art demonstrations and meet the artists! All art is for sale. You can take home a unique work of art just for you!
Why it pays to compare plans
Did you know over 90% of New Zealanders who compare power plans find savings—often around $400 a year? Comparing power plans is quick and easy with a free online tool—it takes just five minutes and won’t disrupt your supply. A simple switch could lead to real … View moreWhy it pays to compare plans
Did you know over 90% of New Zealanders who compare power plans find savings—often around $400 a year? Comparing power plans is quick and easy with a free online tool—it takes just five minutes and won’t disrupt your supply. A simple switch could lead to real savings. Click here to compare
To save more, match your power plan to your lifestyle. If you're home during the day, a 'time of use' plan could cut costs by using power during off-peak hours. Tailoring your plan to your routine helps keep more money in your pocket.
Head to the Electricity Authority’s website, where they offer free tools to help you compare and switch plans with ease. With so many New Zealanders already saving up to $400 a year, there’s no reason to wait. Smart power choices start here, and the benefits can last all year long.
Take charge of your electricity costs and see how much you could save today. You might just wonder why you didn’t switch sooner.
Dear neighbours, after reading about our search for New Zealand's most impressive and artistic wood piles in the May 2025 issue, Auckland's Anne Stephens Whitcombe sent us this photo that she had snapped while on holiday in Norway. Have you put together a wood pile that's just as … View moreDear neighbours, after reading about our search for New Zealand's most impressive and artistic wood piles in the May 2025 issue, Auckland's Anne Stephens Whitcombe sent us this photo that she had snapped while on holiday in Norway. Have you put together a wood pile that's just as impressive, or even more so? Send us a photo! Email: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. You could be in to win a Fiskars X36 splitting axe L blade and a Fiskars X14 universal axe. We're looking for wood piles of impressive size or of particular space efficiency or even an artistic vision!
You probably know how to clean a toilet. It’s a chore most of us have done countless times. But knowing how to do something and knowing how to do something the right way are two different things.
“When you clean a toilet, not only do you clean the inside of the toilet where all the, you know, … View moreYou probably know how to clean a toilet. It’s a chore most of us have done countless times. But knowing how to do something and knowing how to do something the right way are two different things.
“When you clean a toilet, not only do you clean the inside of the toilet where all the, you know, action happens,” says Bill Strang, the president of corporate strategy, e-commerce and customer experience at Toto USA, “you also want to make sure that you wipe down the sides and the rim of the bowl, and even the top of the tank lid.”
Here, Strang breaks down everything you need to know to get the job done.
How often to clean a toilet
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Cleaning a toilet regularly is essential, but the definition of “cleaning regularly” will vary, based on what Strang calls “your use pattern”.
The primary toilet or toilets in your home – the ones that are used every day or several times a week – should be cleaned once a week. Less frequently used toilets, such as those in guest bathrooms, should be cleaned once a month. Staying on top of infrequently used commodes prevents mineral deposits and waterborne bacteria from building up, and it helps keep dust buildup at bay. And, of course, you should always clean toilets after someone in the household has been sick.
Choosing the right cleaner
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There are a lot of toilet cleaning agents on the market, including gels, foams and drop-in tablets that promise to do all the work for you. We asked Lou Manfredini, a home expert at Ace Hardware, to break down the options and explain which ones are best for your needs, as well as what to avoid.
Liquid cleaners are the most common type of toilet cleaner and the most versatile – most can also be used on other bathroom surfaces and fixtures. Liquid cleaning agents come in a variety of formulas, including heavy-duty bleach-based cleaners and those formulated with gentler, plant-based ingredients.
Gel cleaners are ideal if you have hard water because their viscosity allows them to cling to the sides and under the rim of the bowl, providing more contact time to break down tough stains from mineral deposits.
Foam cleaners expand and cling to the exterior and bowl and, like gel formulas, they provide more contact time, making them well-suited for eliminating stubborn buildup, stains and bacteria. Many foaming bathroom cleaners also can be used on sinks, showers and bathtubs.
Drop-in cleaners, generally available in tablet or gel form, are placed in the tank or bowl, then released with each flush. “For those that may not need the bowl to be perfect, the drop-ins offer reliable cleaning – just keep a toilet brush handy to use once in a while,” Manfredini says. It’s worth noting that they clean only the bowl, so you will still need to clean the exterior parts of the toilet, including the seat and flusher.
Powder cleaners are applied directly to the bowl, then scrubbed with a toilet brush. They offer less coverage and clinging power than liquid, foam or gel cleaners but are typically more shelf-stable because they don’t contain water.
Heavy-duty cleaners, such as chlorine bleach or calcium, lime and rust remover, are useful after someone in the household has been sick with a highly contagious illness (think norovirus) or to eliminate stubborn mineral deposit stains. But these are not intended for everyday use. “Ultimately, the flushed water ends up in a water treatment plant and then circles back,” Manfredini says. “The fewer harsh chemicals we all use, the better.”
You also will need the following tools:
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– Household gloves to protect your hands from bacteria, germs and chemical cleaning agents.
– Microfibre cloths for cleaning the exterior of the toilet, including the top of the tank, flusher, seat, base and the area around the toilet.
– A bowl brush.
- Paper towels (optional) for wicking away residue after cleaning.
How to clean a toilet
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Strang provided step-by-step instructions for cleaning a toilet from top to bottom. And don’t forget the area around the base of the toilet, he says, where a lot of nasty buildup lurks.
Step 1: Dry dust the exterior
Use a dry microfibre cloth to wipe the entire exterior of the toilet, starting with the top of the tank and working down, finishing with the base and the floor around the toilet, to pick up dust, hair and other debris before introducing liquid cleaners. Pay special attention to the top of the tank and behind the seat, Strang says, two areas where dust and hair often lurk.
Step 2: Apply cleaner to the bowl
Doing this early in the process gives the product agent time to penetrate and break down the buildup inside the bowl while you clean the exterior.
Step 3: Clean the tank and flusher
Apply toilet cleaner to a microfibre cloth, or use a premoistened cleaning wipe (“Don’t flush wipes,” Strang says), and wipe the top and sides of the tank, including the flusher. Pay particular attention to buildup in joints or crevices.
Step 4: Clean the seat and ring
Close the toilet lid and use the same microfiber cloth to wipe the top side, then open it and clean the other side. Next, clean the top and underside of the seat, including the ring where the seat rests. Finally, Strang says, wipe the area around the bolts that secure the seat to the toilet.
Step 5: Clean the base or skirt, floor and walls
Continue to work downward, wiping the toilet base or skirt. Then wipe the walls and floor around the toilet to remove drips and splatters, which will make the area look cleaner and eliminate odour-causing bacteria. This step may seem unnecessary, but don’t skip it. “When you’re cleaning the toilet, that is not just the toilet you’re cleaning,” Strang says, “but also the area around the toilet.”
Step 6: Clean the bowl
Use a toilet brush to scrub the bowl. If the toilet is a box-rim style, pay particular attention to scrubbing the lip of the bowl, where a lot of bacteria and buildup tends to form. (Box-rim toilets flush water into the bowl from holes underneath the rim, whereas a rimless design flushes water around the entire bowl.)
Step 7: Dry the exterior (optional)
Use a clean, dry microfiber cloth or paper towels to dry the exterior of the toilet to remove any dust, lint or hair and to eliminate streaks and droplets left by liquid cleaning agents. It’s okay to skip this step, but doing it can give your clean toilet some added sparkle.
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For the 11th time, you’ve voted us your Most Trusted Brand and that means the world to us. Because trust this strong doesn’t happen by chance. Ten years? That’s a perfect score. But eleven? That’s off the charts. Whether it’s your first visit or you call a village home, that feeling of … View moreFor the 11th time, you’ve voted us your Most Trusted Brand and that means the world to us. Because trust this strong doesn’t happen by chance. Ten years? That’s a perfect score. But eleven? That’s off the charts. Whether it’s your first visit or you call a village home, that feeling of trust is what sets us apart.
Come along to a one-hour presentation on Tuesday 24th June, at 2.00pm at St Lukes Community Church, 130 Remuera Rd.and learn about AI. We’re very pleased to have Matt Ensor as our guest speaker this month. Matt leads a group in the AI Forum of New Zealand that looks at how new AI tools are … View moreCome along to a one-hour presentation on Tuesday 24th June, at 2.00pm at St Lukes Community Church, 130 Remuera Rd.and learn about AI. We’re very pleased to have Matt Ensor as our guest speaker this month. Matt leads a group in the AI Forum of New Zealand that looks at how new AI tools are being used.
Matt is great at explaining complicated topics in a simple and interesting way. He will talk to us about artificial intelligence (AI) — what it is, how it’s being used today and the positive and negative aspects of this new technology.
It will be a friendly and informative talk that helps us all better understand the fast-changing world of AI.
Email: mac.auckland@seniornet.nz or Phone Janet 0212148386.
A large fire has broken out near the New World supermarket in Auckland’s Freemans Bay.
Here's what you need to know:
- Customers have been evacuated from the store.
- Smoke can be seen pouring from the Victoria Park location.
- Some nearby residents and shops are forced to wear masks… View moreA large fire has broken out near the New World supermarket in Auckland’s Freemans Bay.
Here's what you need to know:
- Customers have been evacuated from the store.
- Smoke can be seen pouring from the Victoria Park location.
- Some nearby residents and shops are forced to wear masks while the smoke spreads.
- There are reports of internet outages in the area.
Keep up with live updates on the Stuff website.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is suggesting the Government will soon announce Holidays Act reform that cuts sick leave entitlements for part-time workers.
It follows last year’s proposed changes to the plagued legislation that sought to help businesses the Government says are struggling with … View morePrime Minister Christopher Luxon is suggesting the Government will soon announce Holidays Act reform that cuts sick leave entitlements for part-time workers.
It follows last year’s proposed changes to the plagued legislation that sought to help businesses the Government says are struggling with the Labour decision to double sick leave for all eligible workers.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB ahead of his trip to China and Europe, Luxon was asked about sick leave entitlements and said an announcement was incoming.
“We might need to do things about pro-rating sick leave as well because people who were on part-time contracts are getting fulltime 10-day equivalency, so Brooke van Velden’s working through some of those issues.”
Luxon said the changes would be announced alongside other related reform by van Velden in her capacity as Workplace Relations Minister.
In a statement, van Velden said she hoped to make an announcement in the coming months about pro-rated sick leave.
She confirmed it would not involve a reduction from 10 days to five days, which Luxon suggested van Velden was looking into on RNZ this morning.
Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Teanau Tuiono said changing sick leave entitlements was “nothing short of an attack on the morale and productivity of our workforce”.
“The Government is making a habit of revealing such changes at the start of Winter when seasonal illnesses, flu and Covid are placing many families under strain,” he said.
He reiterated his party’s policy of five weeks of annual leave for all.
Pro-rating sick leave would mean part-time workers would be allocated this type of leave based on how many hours or days they worked.
This approach was proposed in an exposure draft of a bill amending the Holidays Act announced by van Velden in June last year.
“Workplaces that rely on part-time workers are particularly vulnerable to unexpected staffing shortages. To explore this issue further, the exposure draft set for consultation will include a proposed approach to pro-rating sick leave, to better reflect how much an employee works,” she said in a June 2024 press release.
The draft also proposed changing how annual leave was provided, moving from an entitlement system to an accrual system.
In December, following consultation, van Velden admitted the draft bill would not solve the issues with the Holidays Act and had told officials to re-think the changes.
“Not only have I heard from submitters that further simplification is possible, but there were some who believed that what we put out for consultation was more complex and had higher compliance costs than the legislation we have now.”
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From June to October 2025, we'll be constructing a shared use path (SUP) next to SH16 The Strand to improve pedestrian safety and provide a route separate from the road for cyclists along this heavy freight corridor.
Majority of the work will be carried out during weekdays (7am to 5pm) and … View moreFrom June to October 2025, we'll be constructing a shared use path (SUP) next to SH16 The Strand to improve pedestrian safety and provide a route separate from the road for cyclists along this heavy freight corridor.
Majority of the work will be carried out during weekdays (7am to 5pm) and traffic will still be able to travel along SH16.
Stats NZ said food prices have been rising at their fastest rate in more than a year.
Drinking chocolate is now 27% more expensive, coffee is up 17% and 1kg of mince was $2 more expensive this March than it was the same time last year.
Dairy products have also increased astronomically in … View moreStats NZ said food prices have been rising at their fastest rate in more than a year.
Drinking chocolate is now 27% more expensive, coffee is up 17% and 1kg of mince was $2 more expensive this March than it was the same time last year.
Dairy products have also increased astronomically in price. Milk prices are up by 15.1% in the last year, cheese by 24% and butter has risen up by a shocking 63.6%.
Are you feeling the pinch lately? Share what you've noticed in the comments below and whether it makes you change your shopping habits.
Free must take all.
2. Ceramic tiles and grout free. Must take all
… View moreFree must take all.
2. Ceramic tiles and grout free. Must take all
3. Florist paper ribbon must take all.
Lynfield pick-up.
Please ph Yve 0211339358
Pamela Rasmussen, 40, died in Auckland Hospital’s Emergency Department last month.
She had tried three times to get admitted to various hospitals.
Her bereft family is seeking answers, questioning the care she received.
Police attended the sudden death and the case has been referred to the … View morePamela Rasmussen, 40, died in Auckland Hospital’s Emergency Department last month.
She had tried three times to get admitted to various hospitals.
Her bereft family is seeking answers, questioning the care she received.
Police attended the sudden death and the case has been referred to the coroner.
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The whānau of a mum of six who died suddenly in Auckland Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) last month wants to know how doctors got it so wrong.
Pamela Rasmussen, 40, (Ngāti Maniapoto) died in Auckland Hospital on May 13, 2025, four days after she had been diagnosed with tonsillitis at Waitakere Hospital, and following several visits to hospital EDs.
Health New Zealand (HNZ) said it could not comment on her death, as it was being investigated by the coroner, and would not say whether it would also conduct its own investigation.
Sore throat on May 9, dead on May 13
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Pamela’s symptoms began with a sore throat on May 9 and a visit to Waitakere ED complaining of breathlessness. She was admitted overnight, but by May 13 she was dead - from organ failure, according to whānau.
“They discharged her from Waitakere Hospital on May 10, saying it was tonsillitis, because [her tonsils] were inflamed,” Pamela’s younger sister Tamari Mose told the Herald.
On May 11, Mother’s Day, Pamela - who was still in pain - spent the morning with her children then returned to Waitākere Hospital.
She was then transferred to Auckland City Hospital for a throat endoscopy and doctors discharged her with medication on Monday afternoon, May 12.
On May 13, Pamela called an ambulance to rush her back to Auckland Hospital. She was not seen for two hours and sat in the emergency waiting room, her husband told the Herald.
When her husband Losi Rasmussen finally arrived at Auckland hospital, he said Pamela had still not been seen by health staff. The couple had been together more than 21 years and had six children.
“They called me at work and I rushed to the hospital. Pamela was still in the waiting room and I could see she was struggling to breathe,” Rasmussen told the Herald.
“Then a nurse came and took her blood pressure which was dropping. Pamela was rushed to a room and I went with her.”
Rasmussen said nurses and doctors were rushing around, and he saw Pamela “spewing” up blood into her oxygen mask.
“She waved to me to take off her mask because she couldn’t breathe,” Rasmussen said.
“I held her hand and squeezed it.”
I was taken out of the room and all I could hear was Pam’s screams. She was in pain. It was the last thing I ever heard from her.
Husband Losi Rasmussen
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Rasmussen said he was taken to an adjoining room while medical teams worked on Pamela.
“I was taken out of the room, and all I could hear was my wife’s screams. She was in pain. It was the last thing I ever heard from her.
“When I went back into the room, I could see the life had drained out of my wife,” Rasmussen said.
“She was a different colour.
“A nurse tried to comfort me and said my wife was dying.
“I didn’t want anyone around me, so I asked the nurses to leave and I didn’t know whether to be sad or angry. I just sat there.
Rasmussen is angry neither he nor the couple’s children had a chance to say goodbye to Pamela. “No one had a chance to say goodbye.”
The couple’s eldest daughter, Heather Rasmussen, said the whānau wants to know what happened.
“We want to know the truth about how Mum died. We don’t want other families to go through what we are.”
“We felt like she was just written off.
“Us older kids and dad are trying to be mum for my younger siblings.
“But they wake up in the night crying, wanting to know when mum is coming home.”
Pamela’s sister Tamari Mose said hospital staff told the whānau Pamela didn’t die from tonsillitis.
“It’s like they did minimal tests to get her out and didn’t look into it any further. Why wasn’t she chest X-rayed when she was brought back in on May 13? We have to wait for the coroner’s report for cause of death.”
Mose said the family also insisted police be called, as they attend all sudden and or unexpected deaths.
“The police turned up but only because we queried about a sudden death. They were not going to offer – we had to ask for that,“ Mose said.
“The staff said, ‘Oh yeah, we will ring the police’, who came later that night and did an initial investigation.
“We found out police were not happy with the initial report and its findings, and that’s when we were told it was organ failure, not tonsillitis, that killed her.
“That’s why she had to have an autopsy.” The autopsy will help the coroner with their findings.
Mose said the whānau is trying to do as much as they can for Pamela’s children. Not making it to the hospital in time to say goodbye has left the whānau devastated.
“The three older ones [kids] they understand that she’s gone, but the three younger ones, they’re still like, ‘When is mom coming home? When is she coming back up from the ground?’”.
“It’s so heartbreaking.”
Police confirmed they attended a sudden death at Auckland City Hospital on May 13.
“Staff attended the emergency department at around 8pm after a 40-year-old West Auckland woman had died.
“The death was not considered suspicious and has been referred to the Coroner.”
Said a Health NZ spokesperson: “We extend our deepest sympathies to this family for their loss.
“As this matter is before the Coroner, is it not appropriate for us to comment further at this time.”
The Rasmussen family who lost their mum Pamela (back) suddenly. Her children Joshua (6), Pamela (7), Losiana (8), Serafina (15), Esther (20), and Heather (21) with dad Losi.
The Rasmussen family who lost their mum Pamela (back) suddenly. Her children Joshua (6), Pamela (7), Losiana (8), Serafina (15), Esther (20), and Heather (21) with dad Losi.
The family has created a Givealittle page to help provide support for Pamela’s children as they adjust to life without their mum.
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COME AND JOIN US AT THE BEST LITTLE LONG RUNNING COMMUNITY MARKET AROUND! BUY FROM LOCAL PEOPLE, BUY NEW ZEALAND MADE, FIND A BARGAIN! ALWAYS A VARIETY OF REGULAR AND POP UP STALL HOLDERS! FREE PARKING AVAILABLE OPPOSITE AT MEDICAL CENTRE OR BEHIND COMMUNITY CENTRE ITSELF, CASH IS PREFERRED AS … View moreCOME AND JOIN US AT THE BEST LITTLE LONG RUNNING COMMUNITY MARKET AROUND! BUY FROM LOCAL PEOPLE, BUY NEW ZEALAND MADE, FIND A BARGAIN! ALWAYS A VARIETY OF REGULAR AND POP UP STALL HOLDERS! FREE PARKING AVAILABLE OPPOSITE AT MEDICAL CENTRE OR BEHIND COMMUNITY CENTRE ITSELF, CASH IS PREFERRED AS PAYMENT AS MANY STALL HOLDERS DO NOT HAVE FACILITIES FOR OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS. LOOK FOWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE !
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