Hanmer Forest Park, Hanmer Springs

Seen anything suspicious lately?

Seen anything suspicious lately?

Share it with your neighbours here.

95 days ago

Choice News Tuesday: Spring is in full swing, and the birds are getting busy 🐣

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

Spring’s here, and with it comes warmer weather and lots of activity from our birds. It’s a great time to get outside—many birds are easier to spot as they build nests, raise their chicks, or return from their Arctic adventures 👀

Keen to do some backyard birdwatching? The Department of … View more
Spring’s here, and with it comes warmer weather and lots of activity from our birds. It’s a great time to get outside—many birds are easier to spot as they build nests, raise their chicks, or return from their Arctic adventures 👀

Keen to do some backyard birdwatching? The Department of Conservation have put together a nifty guide on how to plan and plant a garden that attracts native birds.

We hope this brings a smile!

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87 days ago

Ryman Village Open Days

Charles Upham Retirement Village

Friday 12 & Saturday 13 September, 10am - 2pm.

Experience the award-winning lifestyle at a Ryman village.

Join us at our open days and explore our lifestyle and care options, tour our show homes and see the premium amenities on offer.

We look forward to seeing you.

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91 days ago

Lulu's Village Life

Charles Upham Retirement Village

Many of our villages are lucky to have four-legged friends like Lulu the poodle!

Lulu is a loved companion with a big personality and an even bigger routine. She’s up at 6am sharp and she never misses an outing - whether it’s a trip to the caravan, a ride in the Bunnings trolley, or even a … View more
Many of our villages are lucky to have four-legged friends like Lulu the poodle!

Lulu is a loved companion with a big personality and an even bigger routine. She’s up at 6am sharp and she never misses an outing - whether it’s a trip to the caravan, a ride in the Bunnings trolley, or even a spin on the jetski with her own life jacket!

Click read more to learn about Lulu's village life.

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94 days ago

Share your strawberry recipe and win a copy of our mag!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

We will give away free copies of the November 2025 issue to readers whose strawberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy strawberry (dessert, salad, main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by September 15, 2025.

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102 days ago

Choice News Tuesday: We found a purrr-fect band-aid to stress

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

Needing some ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) to calm your nerves? Visit an artificial purr-engine!

Use the sliders on the site to change whether the purr is a sleepy purr or an excited purr.

We hope this link brings a smile!

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100 days ago

Bojan’s lip-smacking linguine recipe

Charles Upham Retirement Village

The beauty of this delicious pasta recipe is its simplicity, says Ryman Village Chef Bojan Sabo.

With accessible ingredients, straightforward preparation and super quick cooking time, it’s been a favourite of Bojan’s since his previous role as a chef in an Italian restaurant.

It was even … View more
The beauty of this delicious pasta recipe is its simplicity, says Ryman Village Chef Bojan Sabo.

With accessible ingredients, straightforward preparation and super quick cooking time, it’s been a favourite of Bojan’s since his previous role as a chef in an Italian restaurant.

It was even selected as a standout dish in the 2022 Iconic Auckland Eats.

Click read more for the recipe.

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116 days ago

Choice News Tuesday: 90% of new renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

We’ve hit a tipping point, where choosing clean energy is the smart choice, and not just because we want to reduce our carbon emissions 🌍⚡💸

Thanks to major tech improvements and mass production over the past decade, the cost of wind, solar, and other renewables has dropped fast. As a … View more
We’ve hit a tipping point, where choosing clean energy is the smart choice, and not just because we want to reduce our carbon emissions 🌍⚡💸

Thanks to major tech improvements and mass production over the past decade, the cost of wind, solar, and other renewables has dropped fast. As a result, most new power capacity built around the world came from renewables, and every continent added more clean energy than fossil fuels.

Money — the ultimate decision-maker in politics and business — is finally lining up with climate action. A big win for the planet (and maybe our wallets?)

We hope this news brings a smile!

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109 days ago

Choice News Tuesday: Our celebrity albatross is due for its first flight soon!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

The only mainland Royal Albatross breeding colony in the world can be found at Dunedin's Taiaroa Head. The Albatross are largest (and arguably the prettiest) seabird and is a taonga species to Māori.

Keen to see a fluffy royal albatross live? Head to the Royal Cam - a 24-hour live stream … View more
The only mainland Royal Albatross breeding colony in the world can be found at Dunedin's Taiaroa Head. The Albatross are largest (and arguably the prettiest) seabird and is a taonga species to Māori.

Keen to see a fluffy royal albatross live? Head to the Royal Cam - a 24-hour live stream of an albatross nest.

Why the live feed? Well, the royal albatross are slow-breeding birds, and lay only one egg every two years.
Currently the chick in the feed is in its post-guard period, and is left alone. The parents are only returning with food every few days. This little chick will be hitting a milestone really soon - it will finally take their first flight in September! Keep an eye on our little celebrity here.

We hope this link brings a smile!

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108 days ago

A guide to retirement living

Charles Upham Retirement Village

At Ryman you'll find a perfect blend of independence and community. To learn more, read our guides to introduce you to life at Ryman, showcase our independent and assisted living options, and give clarity around the costs.

Click below to access your free guides to retirement living.

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111 days ago

Stolen

Carol from Hurunui District

Some Scumbag has Stolen my sons truck from outside his house in Northwood Christchurch sometime Friday 15th Aug and early Saturday morning. If anyone sees it or has any information please call the police
Nissan Navara Reg DAF 459

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115 days ago

Last chance to enter!

Resene

Don't forget to enter a Bright Spot in your home, workplace or community for a chance to win one of ten amazing prizes! Whether it's a colourful fence, a mural in your office or a place in the community that makes you smile - we'd love to see it.

Share a Bright Spot today for a … View more
Don't forget to enter a Bright Spot in your home, workplace or community for a chance to win one of ten amazing prizes! Whether it's a colourful fence, a mural in your office or a place in the community that makes you smile - we'd love to see it.

Share a Bright Spot today for a chance to win one of ten prize packs worth $500.

And make sure you check out the entries so far too.
Enter now

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119 days ago

Canterbury Police release redesign proposal

The Team from Canterbury Police

Canterbury Police has been consulting internally with staff on a proposal to redesign its structure, says Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.

"Our goal is to deliver a better service to our communities by boosting core policing services and strengthening our ability to … View more
Canterbury Police has been consulting internally with staff on a proposal to redesign its structure, says Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.

"Our goal is to deliver a better service to our communities by boosting core policing services and strengthening our ability to meet demand, now and in the future.

We are focused on the safety of our communities and our Police team. As the proposal concerns changes that directly impact our staff, we have an obligation to consult with them first. We also acknowledge the importance of listening to our communities.


In a departure from our normal process in relation to operational decision-making, we are now sharing an external version of the proposal and inviting feedback from the public.

We haven’t reviewed our structure since 2017 and we want to get it right. We're not content to keep doing things the way we always have when we believe we can do better.

I stress that this is a proposal and no decisions have been made. I will be paying close attention to the feedback as it comes in."

If you would like to provide feedback on the proposed changes, please email canterbury.review@police.govt.nz

Feedback will be accepted up until 5pm, Monday 18 August.

The redesign proposal is available here.

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123 days ago

Choice News Tuesday: Conservation win in the Kaituna

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

Thanks to a generous gift, 730 Hectares in Kaituna Valley are now protected for everyone to enjoy

Four incredible donors have come together to gift 730 hectares of land in the Kaituna Valley to the nation — a multimillion-dollar contribution that will benefit generations to come.

This land,… View more
Thanks to a generous gift, 730 Hectares in Kaituna Valley are now protected for everyone to enjoy

Four incredible donors have come together to gift 730 hectares of land in the Kaituna Valley to the nation — a multimillion-dollar contribution that will benefit generations to come.

This land, which has now been protected and opened to the public, forms part of a much larger conservation area — nearly 2,400 hectares stretching from sea level at Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour, up to the Summit Walkway, and back down into the Kaituna Valley.

Once used for farming, the land has now been cleared of livestock, and pest control efforts are underway to help native plants and wildlife thrive. The goal? A richer, more diverse ecosystem that everyone can experience and be proud of.

This is a powerful example of how the actions of a few can have a huge impact. Thanks to their vision and generosity, a precious piece of our natural heritage is now protected.

Read more about the Massive win for conservation and recreation in the Kaituna.

We hope this news brings a smile!

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120 days ago

Applications for our Love to Dance grants are now open!

Charles Upham Retirement Village

Whether it's pre-schoolers or seniors, Scottish dancing or salsa, kapa haka or Kathak, breakdance or ballet - if you're encouraging people of all ages and abilities to keep moving through dance, we have three $5000 Love to Dance grants up for grabs.

Click read more to nominate your … View more
Whether it's pre-schoolers or seniors, Scottish dancing or salsa, kapa haka or Kathak, breakdance or ballet - if you're encouraging people of all ages and abilities to keep moving through dance, we have three $5000 Love to Dance grants up for grabs.

Click read more to nominate your community dance group.

Applications close 31 August 2025.

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126 days ago

Love broccoli? Share your recipe

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We're on the lookout for broccoli recipes! We will give away free copies of the October 2025 issue to readers whose broccoli recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite broccoli recipe to us, at: … View moreKia ora neighbours. We're on the lookout for broccoli recipes! We will give away free copies of the October 2025 issue to readers whose broccoli recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite broccoli recipe to us, at: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by August 15, 2025.

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