The decline of the Dunedin couch fire
"I first started as a reporter in Dunedin with the Otago Daily Times in 2008, and would cover dozens of couch fires, often involving a phrase similar to 'one or two idiots'," writes Hamish McNeilly.
"Coverage included the 2009 Undie 500 riots, where bottles were thrown at firefighters, drunks surfed fire appliances, and there were many failed attempts to jump over burning couches.
But in recent years those stories have gone, ahem, dry."
Find out what's behind the decline of the Dunedin couch fire in this week's The Mish on Substack
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.1% Yes
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32.7% Maybe?
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26.1% No
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?
(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)
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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Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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73% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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15.9% Hmm, maybe?
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11.1% Yes!
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