Daily Archives: March 18, 2022

The New Zealand government has announced plans of reopening borders for international tourists, starting April. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that they are all ready to welcome the world back. The country has decided to scrap all the border restrictions earlier than decided time.

Ardern said, I'm proud that New Zealand is a country able at this moment in time to provide a safe place for our tourists to return to."

Also, those from countries having visa-free arrangements with New Zealand, including prime Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan along with markets in the Northern Hemisphere will also be permitted to enter the nation from May 1.

Ardern said that tourism is struggling due to the pandemic and with this change, she expects to boost the countrys tourism industry. She said, "We are ready to safely move into a new chapter of our management of the pandemic, this change brings with it huge economic opportunities."

Apparently, tourism was the countrys major export earner before the pandemic. New Zealand used to generate around NZ$16 billion ($10.9 billion) annually, with 40% of vacationers coming from Australia.

See the original post here:

New Zealand to reopen borders for tourists from April, New ...

Passengers arrive at Auckland's International Airport, in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday. Michael Craig/AP hide caption

Passengers arrive at Auckland's International Airport, in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday.

New Zealand will let some international tourists enter earlier than previously anticipated in an effort to accelerate the nation's economic recovery, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Wednesday.

"We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of our border re-opening work: our tourists," Ardern told reporters at a press conference.

Starting April 12, vaccinated travelers from Australia can enter without having to quarantine at all. While vaccinated tourists from countries that don't need a visa, including the United States, will now able to enter beginning May 1.

The country's COVID response, which includes a high vaccination rate and a low death rate, has made New Zealand a "safe place to visit," Ardern said.

New Zealand has recorded just over 100 deaths and confirmed nearly 400,000 COVID-19 cases. Most of those cases have appeared since the start of this year amid a wave of the highly transmissible omicron variant.

"Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop COVID-19, over two years ago, and its reopening will spur our economic recovery throughout the remainder of the year," she said.

The move comes months head of schedule. Australians, which make up most of New Zealand's tourists, and citizens from other countries that do not need a visa to enter, including the United States, weren't supposed to be able to enter until mid-2022. Citizens from countries that require a visa, such as China, will still have to wait until October, but Ardern said that could change.

Tourism, previously a multibillion dollar industry that made up more than 16% of New Zealand's annual gross domestic product, has taken a significant hit since the pandemic began two years ago when the country swiftly shut its borders and implemented some of the toughest immigration controls in the world. And while this strategy won New Zealand early praise as a model for keeping the coronavirus at bay, it came at a high cost economic cost particularly to New Zealand's crucial tourism sector.

In 2020 the number of international arrivals fell by over 75%, according to government data. The next year, international arrivals fell to a 50-year-low down nearly 95% since the last pre-pandemic data in 2019.

Pressure to reopen the borders has mounted against Ardern for months, as residents criticized the ongoing strict lockdowns, stranded Kiwis outside of the country begged to come home and businesses across the South Pacific island nation pleaded for relief.

Overall, though, New Zealand's economy has recovered much faster from the initial COVID-19 shock due to quick "effective virus containment, measures to protect jobs and incomes and highly expansionary macroeconomic policies," according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The New Zealand's GDP grew by a shocking 4.7% in 2021, and is expected to grow nearly 4% this year.

Much better than many of its other Pacific neighbors, particularly the smaller, tourism and commodity-dependent island countries. The Sydney-based Lowy Institute predicts that if bigger countries do not step in and aid the Pacific in its recovery from the pandemic, an entire decade "lost" of economic development.

See more here:

New Zealand will open its borders to some tourists much earlier than expected - NPR

WELLINGTON, New Zealand Les Elder played her first game of rugby when she was 8. The boys team in the rural New Zealand town where she lived, Taumarunui, was short a player, and Elder had just come off the netball court. As she played, something clicked. I just loved the physicality and challenge of the game, she said.

For years, she stole moments on the field until, at age 14, she decided she would join her schools team. But the school had never had a girl play. Before games, while her teammates crowded the changing rooms, she got dressed, in hand-me-down gear, behind nearby trees or in her parents car. After a few years, her coach pulled her aside to tell her she wouldnt be invited back for the next season.

The school, she was told, did not know how it would run overnight training camps if Elder was going to be there. Rather than seek a solution, it was easier to leave her out. The disappointment put her off rugby for years.

The teachers and coaches didnt know how to handle that because it was new to them, said Elder, who was drawn back to the sport as an adult and is now the captain of New Zealands Black Ferns, the womens rugby union world champions. No girl should have to go through that.

For decades, rugby has occupied an almost religious position in New Zealand. That is particularly true for men, who are raised to play, watch and obsess over the game. According to Alice Soper, a prominent rugby analyst and player, rugby holds a core place in male identity in New Zealand.

But a gender revolution is brewing. For years, the number of New Zealand men playing rugby has been declining, with women fast replacing them. Now, one in five rugby players in the country are women. In 2022, for the first time, there will be a professional domestic tournament for womens fifteens rugby. In October, the country will host the womens World Cup.

Yet even as womens rugby enjoys unprecedented prominence, old rugby stereotypes have proved hard to eliminate. On International Womens Day, the All Blacks New Zealands famed mens rugby team grabbed headlines when they tweeted that they were: Forever grateful to the women in our lives that allow us to play the game we love. Partners, mothers, daughters, doctors, physios, referees, administrators and fans. A notable omission: any mention of the defending world champion Black Ferns.

To many, it was a reminder of the persistence of stereotypes and structural challenges that have hampered the womens game. Its not just old-fashioned racism and sexism, Soper said. Men have built rugby into their core identity. What does it mean if women are occupying that space? The team later apologized, but the damage was done.

Barriers to women who want to play rugby start with the basics.

Youre going to be wearing mens clothes, because theres very few providers who actually make female kit, Soper said. In clubs across the country, she added, the changing rooms are still full of urinals, the honor boards are still full of blokes names.

All of those say, This is not your space. Not to mention that some of the guys at the bar are happy to tell you that, too.

Those challenges persist at the sports highest levels. In 2018, Sports New Zealand the government entity that oversees the countrys sports system required the governing boards of every representative sports body to be at least 40 percent women. The only major body not to achieve that target is New Zealand Rugby, which has only two women on its nine-member board.

Advocates for equality say this has allowed New Zealand Rugby to take a dismissive attitude toward the womens game. Rugby is still run by older white chaps, when this game is played by women, by Maori, by Pasifika, Soper said. Were not represented in the seats of power. Women, as result, get less investment, fewer resources and far less news media coverage.

Worryingly for a country that takes pride in its reputation as a rugby leader, that neglect has undermined New Zealands dominance in international competitions.

For decades, the Black Ferns maintained a winning percentage in international test matches of almost 90 percent. The team has won five of the last six World Cups. But the absence until recently of a high-quality professional womens league in New Zealand prevented Black Ferns players from training and testing themselves as regularly as their overseas rivals, who are fast emerging as credible challengers.

We saw that last year, said Farah Palmer, a former Black Ferns captain who now serves as the vice chair of New Zealand Rugby, with the Black Ferns struggling against Northern Hemisphere teams who have way more opportunities to play their close neighbors.

Underinvestment has also prompted fears that New Zealand is losing talented players who cannot take significant unpaid leave while trying to break into top-tier competition. People are generally unpaid until they crack into the Black Ferns, Soper said. As an athlete, how do you take that risk, put your life on hold and bet on yourself before your country will back you?

Things have begun to change. New Zealand Rugby is devoting significantly more money to womens rugby than it did previously. And this year, it introduced Aupiki: a professional tournament for four regional teams that has significantly increased the number of women paid to play rugby and games they can play.

But because of challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic and a fear that there werent enough players of sufficient quality to sustain a full tournament, Aupiki will have only three rounds and a final matching the two best teams. The equivalent mens competition has more than 90 matches.

And while more women are being paid to play, many of their coaches and support staff are not. Its awesome that our top-tier athletes are being paid professionally at the moment, Elder said, but unless they have a meaningful structure and people who are resourced to support them, theres still more work to do.

Until issues of pay and opportunity are addressed, however, the burden falls on women to champion the game.

You talk to most womens rugby players and they understand that their job is not just to play the game, but to promote the game, coach the game, be a full-time hype person for the game, Soper said. It would be really easy if all you had to do was enjoy rugby to play rugby.

See the rest here:

New Zealand Rugby Faces a Gender Revolution - The New York Times

Marine mammals die at Farewell Spit on the South Island, the site of at least 10 strandings in 15 years.

More than two dozen whales died in a mass stranding at a New Zealand beach, wildlife rangers have said.

The Department of Conservation said 29 long-finned pilot whales were already dead when the pod of 34 marine mammals was found at remote Farewell Spit on the South Island late on Thursday.

The department said it was attempting to refloat the remaining five whales with the mornings high tide.

The process can take some time and we may not know if it is successful or not for several hours, it said on its Facebook page.

Spokesman Dave Winterburn said rangers were providing care for the animals but noted the whales have now been out of the water for some time.

While this event is unfortunate, whale strandings are a natural phenomenon, he told the AFP news agency.

Project Jonah, a local whale rescue group, said that its medics were at Farewell Spit with the Department of Conservation.

This is a stressful time for the whales after their time spent stranded yesterday and this morning, so close monitoring of their condition and responses in the water is key, the group wrote on Twitter.

Farewell Spit, is a 26 kilometre (16 mile) sliver of sand that extends into the Tasman Sea and creates intertidal sand flats that can extend across many kilometres.

It has seen more than 10 pilot whale strandings in the past 15 years.

The largest was in February 2017, when nearly 700 of the mammals beached, and 250 died.

Scientists are unclear on why the beach is so deadly. One theory is that the spit creates a shallow seabed in the bay that interferes with the whales sonar navigation systems.

Pilot whales, which can grow to as many as six metres (20 feet) long, are the most common species of whale found in New Zealand waters.

Excerpt from:

Dozens of whales die in New Zealand stranding - Al Jazeera English

Today marks two years to the day that the call went out for New Zealanders who were travelling or living overseas to return home.

In those strange, dangerous days the pandemic was threatening to unleash so many unknowns: how short was the transmission window? How effective were masks and ventilation? And what did hospitalisation and death look like in a first world country?

There were early precedents the tragedy unfolding in Italy for one but for at least a month New Zealand was thinking along the same lines as the rest of the world. Flatten the curve, using progressive measures including physical distancing to simply slow the spread. Aside from a handful of (at the time) unknown epidemiologists like Prof Michael Baker there were few experts or commentators calling on the government to stop the spread.

That was until 23 March when prime minister Jacinda Ardern made the most important decision of her career, and perhaps the most important decision any post-war prime minister has made: that night New Zealand would move to Alert Level 3 and two nights later to Alert Level 4, effectively locking down the country.

Ardern appeared before the country and with persuasion and a good deal of humility made the case to go hard and go early, introducing a term that would unite the country for the next year and a half the team of 5 million.

The next day parliament met to pass $52bn in emergency spending, grant the Inland Revenue Department the power to remit interest on tax owing, and to freeze rents and prevent no-cause evictions for at least six months.

Seven months later and New Zealand voters rewarded Ardern and her government with a historic MMP majority. Labour took true blue seats like Ilam in Christchurch. Riding a leftwing tide the Greens Chloe Swarbrick took Auckland Central while the Mori partys Rawiri Waititi took Waiariki. And yet, on current polling, Ardern and her government are dropping up to 10 points from this time last year, and even more if you take the election result as a benchmark.

In the One News Kantar public poll National is registering at 39% support with Labour trailing at 37%. The last time National was polling ahead of Labour was before the pandemic. Granted, this is one poll Labour is still ahead of National (just) in the latest Taxpayers Union-Curia poll and comfortably ahead in the Huis poll of Mori voters but the trend is clear.

The Labour government is gradually losing support. Why? The decline seems to puzzle the governments diehards. National leader Chris Luxons first and seemingly only policy idea is to hit the tax cuts button, promising a change to the tax brackets and scrapping the top tax rate for the extremely wealthy.

It makes little sense do people earning over $180,000 really need a massive tax cut? but the point is less in the detail than in what those details represent. A return to Nationals core business, as a CEO might say, and a break from the Judith Collins era and its weird obsession with the obscure from Samoa to Tasmania to fat shaming to nuking ones own colleagues.

Luxon is, without wanting to extend the metaphor, promising a smooth landing for National voters.

That leaves Labour in an uncomfortable position. Over the last four months the government has repeatedly departed from its core business, abandoning the Alert Level system and replacing it with the confusing Traffic Light system in December, wavering on mandates after the Canadian-inspired clown convoy made its way to Wellington, and hastily cutting fuel excise tax in a gift to Luxon and his argument that its possible to cut your way out of a cost of living crisis (where cut means cut taxes).

This isnt to say the government isnt also undertaking necessary and excellent reform subsidising public transport across the country is a move that the rest of the world is watching with keen interest but triangulating, searching for a third way between irreconcilable positions is very much the politics of another era.

If one can date the governments decline 17 August 2021 is it.

On that breezy winter Tuesday the prime minister announced the country would move to Alert Level 4 at midnight. Back then, public compliance was high, and the team of 5 million did its duty. That initial lockdown would drag into December as the Delta variant proved a tougher opponent than the initial coronavirus variant, yet compliance remained high with movement data indicating similar patterns to previous Level 4 and Level 3 lockdowns in Auckland.

When the usual cast of conspiracists and losers turned out to protest the lockdown in August they could muster no more than 100 supporters. Yet six months later some members of that same pathetic cast managed to turn out thousands of people for the clown convoy to Wellington. How?

What distinguished the countrys first extended lockdown in March 2020 from its second in August 2021 was that the first lockdown came with the social and financial support needed to sustain it.

Alongside freezing tax interest, freezing rents and banning evictions came hundreds of millions of dollars in direct support to social service providers and a six-month mortgage holiday scheme for homeowners. A similar commitment to preventing hardship was absent in the August 2021 lockdown, and as Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3 dragged on in Auckland stories were breaking that detailed exactly what that hardship looked like.

In South Auckland, it was often high school students taking jobs as essential workers. This is what did in the governments strong support from New Zealanders, allowing communities to fracture as hardship went unanswered and unsupported.

You would find very few New Zealanders who strongly disagree with the governments overall pandemic response. But for that response to work it needs the social and financial support to sustain it. Otherwise, people vote with their feet.

Read more from the original source:

Jacinda Ardern united New Zealanders when Covid hit. Then a long second lockdown split the team of 5 million - The Guardian

10:47 AM9 hours ago90'

The referee has added three minutes of time;

Rogerson enters the field and Champness leaves.

Semmy's cross to the area is too powerful and goes over the end line;

New Zealand took the lead on the scoreboard in a play where they took a quick free kick and ended with Waine's finish.

Howieson and De Jong leave the field, in their place come Old and Waine, both making their debut with the New Zealand national team.

The Papua New Guinea goalkeeper arrived before the New Zealand center forward to snatch a clear chance;

Lewis' corner kick is headed by Champness, but the ball is cleared off the line by an opposing defender.

The players returned to the field for the second half of the game.

The first 45 minutes end with a scoreless score at the end of the game

The referee has added one minute of extra time in this first half.

Ati Kepo leaves the field because he has discomfort and can not continue, in his place enters Kolo Kepu

Dangerous free kick in favor of New Zealand by Champness, but the ball goes wide of the goal defended by Warisan.

Cam Howieson finds Andre de Jong on the edge of the area, who shoots, but the ball goes just over the goal.

A three-on-three counter-attack ended with Raymond Guenemba's shot, but the Lae City striker slipped and the ball sailed over the goal;

New Zealand players claim foul by Semmy on Kosta Barbarouses

Kosta Barbarouses came in from the right and put a good ball into the area that Andre de Jong narrowly missed.

The first card of the match goes to Lewis who arrived late and cut off Papua New Guinea's counter-attack.

The ball is rolling in Doha

The 22 players are in the tunnel, before the start of the match the national anthems will be played.

Wellinghton Phoenix goalkeeper makes debut in New Zealand jersey

At the end of this match, the other match of this group will be played between the teams of New Caledonia and Fiji.

Yesterday was played the firstIt will be the second match of the qualifying phase and the first in Group B.match of the qualifiers for Qatar 2022 of Australia Oceania where Solomon Islands won 0-2.

In 1 hour Papua New Guinea vs New Zealand begins, both the preview and the match can be followed here on VAVEL;

There will be two groups of four teams that will play a group stage in one venue and the top two of each group will qualify for the semifinals, all this will be held in a single venue, in this case in Qatar to see which team will be in the 2022 World Cup.

New Zealand has not played an official match since 2017, although it has been playing friendly matches. The last one was on January 28, 2022 where they lost 1-3 against Jordan. In 2021 the three friendly matches they played they won, against Bahrain, Gambia and Curacao. In 2017 they were on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup, but in the play-off against Peru for a place in the tournament they lost by 0-2 and that caused them to be left out.

A team that has not played matches for three years. In 2019 they played the Pacif Ganes tournament between teams from Australia and Oceania and lost in the fight for third place against Fiji. In 2017 they contested the qualification for the World Cup, but finished in last place with three points in a group where they faced Tahiti and Solomon Islands.

Five times Papua New Guinea and New Zealand have met with a balance of three wins for New Zealand, one draw and one victory for Papua New Guinea. The last time they met was in the final of the OFC Nations Cup where the match ended in a goalless draw and in the penalty shootout Papua New Guinea won the title. In 2012 they also met in the qualification for the World Cup where New Zealand won 1-2.

Papua New Guinea and New Zealand meet in the first match of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

My name is Manuel Carmona Hidalgo and I will be your antifriacute; n for this match. We will offer you the pre-match analysis and news here live from VAVEL.

More here:

Summary and highlights of Papua New Guinea 1-1 New Zealand in Qatar 2022 Qualifiers - VAVEL.com

The Great Walks of New Zealand are ten formally recognized and managed, multi-day adventures through different aspects of the country's mesmerizing landscape. There are three options on the North Island (one of which is actually a paddle) and seven on the South Island. These safe, fun and reasonably accessible walks feature well-maintained campsites and huts to help support the journey (advanced bookings required).

This 28.6-mile, point-to-point trek takes a recommended 3 to 4 days to complete. During that time, the trail predominantly follows the shoreline of the titular lake, all while exploring the largest native forest on the North Island and the traditional home of the Ngai Tuhoe people (Maori). Misty valleys, lush rainforests, spiritual waterfalls, and pleasing bird calls elevate this walk further.

Though grouped in the Great Walks, this journey actually requires a canoe or kayak to complete. There is a full 90-mile, 5-day paddle option or a truncated alternative of 54-miles/3-days. The Whanganui River offers a peaceful atmosphere, punctuated by the excitement of some manageable rapids and the sight of shoreline waterfalls and caves. Alongside the river, there is also a 22-mile mountain biking adventure (or short walking break option for paddlers), appropriately and mysteriously named the "Bridge to Nowhere."

One of the many "Lord of the Rings" movie sites on this list, Tongariro circles the most specific and iconic feature of all, Mount Doom (i.e., Mount Ngauruhoe). This active volcano not only capped off Frodo's arduous journey but it also makes for a great side-trip summit for keen hikers who want to peer into a smoking crater. Tongariro National Park looks desolate and otherworldly and at the same time, exceedingly pretty due to the contrast of the emerald lakes peppered throughout the area. The whole circuit is a 3 to 4 day, 26.8-mile adventure.

This sandy, tropical, inspiring trek is a 37.3-mile, point-to-point undertaking of about 3 to 5 days. During that time, the gorgeous Northwest coastline of the South Island will dazzle all who enjoy walking along golden beaches and through lush forests alongside glittering bays. Just note, the rewarding landscape is not without its demands. Hikers must pre-plan based on the tides and the return shuttle and be well-equipped for the voracious sand-flies that can swarm the campsites at day's end.

The newest addition to the Great Walks list is a 34.2-mile, 2 to 3 day, point-to-point hike along the central West Coast of the South Island. Alpine-hungry trekkers will be greatly rewarded as they traverse the Paparoa Range, taking in giant and sheer limestone cliffs and ample sub-tropical rainforest along the way. This route is also open to mountain bikers - an advanced undertaking (Grade Four) of typically 1 to 2 days. Severe storms are known to rock this region, so warm, waterproof clothing is a must.

The Heaphy Track is another marvelous adventure through the West Coast region. At just shy of 49-miles and a 4 to 6 day duration, this route ranks as the longest hike on the list. Southbound hikers will begin inland and take the point-to-point, ancient Maori trail through various diverse ecosystems on their way to the Tasman Sea. The Heaphy Track is also periodically open to mountain bikers who are comfortable on advanced terrain.

The Routeburn is the first of two mountainous treks in the Southwest/Queensland region. This 20-mile, 3-day, point-to-point adventure shows off the quintessence of New Zealand's Mountains - linking Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park. New Zealand's mountain treks are unique in that their lack of native mammals mean no need for safety concerns regarding bears or other predators. Also, due to low population densities of both humans and other animals, the alpine water sources are generally clean to drink.

The Kepler Track is an excellent complement to the Routeburn. It is another mountainous trek through Fiordland National Park, within shouting distance of the base town of Queensland. This 37.3-mile circuit is typically completed in 3 to 4 days. It showcases long, wind-swept, grassy ridges, snowy peaks on the horizon, glacier-carved valleys, and a range of other snapshots of the South Island's scenery, which was the goal when the Kepler was established in 1988. The mountain huts in this region give hikers a cozy place to cook their meals, enjoy the panoramic views, and rest their heads (thus eliminating the need to carry a tent).

This 4-day, 33.2-mile, point-to-point, 150-year-old trail is the most popular of all of New Zealand's Great Walks. The breathtaking journey traverses Fiordland National Park, typically beginning at the head of Lake Te Anau and ending at the majestic Milford Sound. Throughout the bucket-list adventure, hikers pass over suspension bridges, mountain passes, and alongside Sutherland Falls (the tallest waterfall in New Zealand) - all the while contending with capricious rains that are considered part of the charm. The trek can be capped off with a boat cruise into Milford Sound - a great way to gain another perspective of the Norwegian-esque scenery.

Located on Stewart Island, just off the Southern Coast of the South Island, the Rakiura Track is a peaceful, 3-day trek. This 20-mile meader comprises many boardwalks, open-air and sheltered coastlines, suspension bridges, and forested ridges. Stewart Island has a population of only 400 people, which explains the untouched feel of the Rakiura Track. Though low on humans, the island acts as a sanctuary for an impressive population of birds. Their mix of tunes adds to the levity of the experience.

Exploring a country on foot (or bike or boat) is a perfect way to absorb the experience thoroughly. This is especially true for a place as isolated and whimsical as New Zealand. The 10 Great Walks merge the beauty of minimally impacted natural settings with the practical enhancements of well-maintained trails and overnight infrastructure. Each one offers a different glimpse into the densely packed and amazingly varied landscapes throughout the North and South Islands.

See the article here:

10 Great Walks Of New Zealand - Worldatlas.com

Its good to be alive, artist Sallie Culy says as she finishes a ham and cheese sandwich at one of the many cafes she visits most days in Wellington. It really is good to be alive.

Sallies words, like much of how she interacts with the world, are life-affirming. As a person, and as an artist, she celebrates connection, imagination, joy and the daily interactions that make life shimmer. Her approach is a welcome reprieve at a time when the world grapples with tragedy, and the city Sallie loves Wellington is still catching its breath after a weeks-long protest that ended with parliaments grounds burning.

Sallie, who was born with Williams Syndrome a rare genetic condition that causes developmental and learning disabilities has become a familiar face to Wellingtonians. As the title of her first ever public art exhibition suggests Hello to Everybody Sallie is one of the friendliest people in the city.

I love the people saying hi and hello, she says of the wide community she has created for herself.

Sallie leads a relatively independent life, and when she isnt volunteering at the Wellington City Mission and the Holy Cross School in Miramar, singing in the Wellington Community Choir or chatting to her wide array of friends in the capitals shops and cafes, she is making art.

Just around the corner from the cafe, on Courtenay Place, one of the citys main strips, are a series of light boxes nearly a storey high. Displayed within them are Sallies works felt-pen and crayon drawings featuring brightly coloured flowers, cats with attitude, skaters in orange tracksuits, pop-stars such as Rhianna, platters of food, and depictions of friends and family.

The drawings are bold, playful, and an utterly joyful homage to the city she has called home for her 41 years.

Its just love and its hopes and dreams for other people because they are trying not to struggle, Sallie says of her work.

The revolving light box exhibitions have been a part of Wellingtons public art programme since 2008 and Sallie is the first artist with an intellectual disability to have her work exhibited there.

But were sure Sallie wont be the last, said Eve Armstrong, the councils senior arts adviser.

Sallie has enjoyed drawing since she was a child, but has had no formal artistic training. Five years ago, she started visiting her brother award-winning photographer Harry Culy for weekly drawing sessions, and built up a large portfolio of work. Harry and Sallie then contacted Wellington city council with an exhibition proposal.

This exhibition in a larger way may be a public forum for the often overlooked unique talents that can be found in people with disabilities, the proposal read.

On receiving the proposal, Armstrong said: It was engaging and joyful, and we felt Sallies drawings and perspective on life in Pneke [Wellington city] would spark interest and conversation among audiences.

The response to the exhibition has been beyond what she could have imagined. So many people have felt a personal connection to the show through knowing Sallie and having seen her around the city over the years.

One of the most moving experiences I have heard is of a group of students visiting the light boxes exhibition, as they recognised Sallie from the media but also had a student at their school with Williams Syndrome.

It is incredibly difficult for people with disabilities to get into art spaces, says Harry, who as a photographer, understands the art world.

There has been a lot of exclusion in past in those spaces giving more diverse voices to that space is really important.

Sallie, who is really honoured and really proud with the exhibition hopes that displaying work of an artist with a disability will foster connection and understanding between people: because if people understand me, I can understand them you know, we can just sit down and learn to bond.

Read more from the original source:

Its good to be alive: groundbreaking New Zealand artist brings light and joy to city streets - The Guardian

"Doug," who was believed to be the world's largest potato sits on a kitchen bench of the home of Colin and Donna Craig-Brown near Hamilton, New Zealand, on Aug. 29, 2021. The Craig-Browns have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness wrote to say that scientific testing had shown it wasn't, in fact, a potato after all, but a tuber of a type of gourd. (Colin Craig-Brown via AP)

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand When is a potato not a potato?

When it's a tuber of a gourd, according to Guinness World Records.

A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world's largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness wrote to say that scientific testing had found it wasn't, in fact, a potato after all.

Colin Craig-Brown, who first hit the tuber with a hoe last August when gardening with his wife Donna, said it sure looked and tasted like a potato. Mind you, he added, he's never tasted a gourd tuber.

"What can you say?" said Craig-Brown. "We can't say we don't believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff."

After months of submitting photos and paperwork, the couple got the bad news from Guinness in an email last week.

"Dear Colin," the email begins, going on to say "sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application."

The couple had named their find Doug, which they took to spelling Dug, after the way it was unearthed. The tuber became something of a local celebrity, after the couple began posting photos of it on Facebook with a hat on and even built a cart to tow it around.

An official weigh-in at a local farming store put Dug at 7.8 kilograms (17 pounds), equal to a couple of sacks of regular potatoes, or one small dog. The existing Guinness record will stand, a 2011 monster from Britain that weighed in at just under 5 kg.

Craig-Brown remains a big believer in Dug, who still sits in their freezer.

"I say 'gidday' to him every time I pull out some sausages. He's a cool character," Craig-Brown said. "Whenever the grandchildren come round, they say, 'Can we see Dug?'"

"Dug is the destroyer from Down Under," Craig-Brown added. "He is the world's biggest not-a-potato."

Craig-Brown said he's not done yet with chasing the potato record. Dug was self-sown but Craig-Brown said that with all his subsequent research into giant potatoes, he's ready to try and deliberately grow a record-breaking monster next season.

And this time, it will definitely be a potato.

TagsOdds & EndsWorld

Read the rest here:

'World's biggest not-a-potato': Doug the gigantic ugly New Zealand potato unmasked as imposter - KSL.com

Pedestrians walk past a sailing boat as it passes in front of the central business district (CBD) of Wellington in New Zealand, July 2, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray

Register

WELLINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand's gross domestic product (GDP) returned to growth in the final quarter of 2021 as the economy emerged from COVID-19 lockdowns, and economists said the data supported expectations the central bank would raise interest rates further.

Production-based output grew by 3.0% in the quarter, Stats NZ said on Thursday. That was a touch below economists' median expectations of a 3.2% rise and a sharp turnaround from a revised 3.6% fall in the September quarter, when lockdowns had curbed activity.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) last month forecast growth for the December quarter at 2.3%.

Register

"The Q4 GDP data reflect a robust, albeit very stimulated economy," ANZ economists said in a report.

While there were a number of uncertainites on the outlook, the main concern was rising inflation in New Zealand that would require the RBNZ to further tighten policy, they added.

Annual GDP rose 3.1%, a little below a Reuters poll forecast of a 3.3% rise.

The RBNZ has already raised interest rates three times since October.

"Given that the rebound in activity in Q4 was above the RBNZ's expectations, today's data will keep the Bank on its hiking path," Ben Udy, economist at Capital Economics, said in a note.

OMICRON OUTBREAK

Economic growth improved as New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, moved out of a lengthy lockdown that had hit retail, manufacturing, construction and recreational activities in the prior quarter. Other parts of the country had also experienced shorter lockdowns in the third quarter.

Consumer and government spending were strong in the fourth quarter as was business investment, while trade was a drag as the country sucked in more imports, the data showed. There was also a big drag from inventories as companies ran down stocks to meet demand.

New Zealand's economy is being hit again this year as the country experiences its first significant nationwide outbreak of coronavirus infections as the Omicron variant spreads.

Although there are few restrictions in place, growing case numbers and hospitalisations have tempered people's desires to go out while sickness and isolation requirements are hurting some manufacturing sectors.

Register

Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Karishma Singh and Richard Pullin

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Go here to see the original:

New Zealand returns to growth in Q4 as COVID restrictions ease - Reuters.com