Category Archives: New Zealand

New Zealand will remove many of its COVID-19 pandemic mandates over the next two weeks as an omicron outbreak begins to wane

By NICK PERRY Associated Press

March 24, 2022, 1:07 AM

2 min read

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand will remove many of its COVID-19 pandemic mandates over the next two weeks as an outbreak of the omicron variant begins to wane.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday that people will no longer need to be vaccinated to visit places like retail stores, restaurants and bars from April 4. Gone, too, will be a requirement to scan QR barcodes at those venues.

A vaccine mandate will be scrapped for some workers including teachers, police officers and waiters though it will continue for health care and aged-care workers, border workers and corrections officers.

Also gone from Friday is a limit on outdoor crowds of 100. That will allow some concerts and big sporting events like marathons to resume. An indoor limit of 100 people will be raised to 200 people, and could later be removed altogether.

Remaining in place is a requirement that people wear masks in many enclosed spaces, including in stores, on public transport and, for children aged 8 and over, in school classrooms.

Ardern said the government's actions over the past two years to limit the spread of the coronavirus had saved thousands of lives and helped the economy.

But while weve been successful, its also been bloody hard," Ardern said.

Everyone has had to give up something to make this work, and some more than others, she said.

The changes mean that many restrictions will be removed before tourists start arriving back in New Zealand.

Earlier this month, the government announced that Australian tourists would be welcomed back from April 12 and tourists from many other countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Britain, from May 1.

International tourism used to account for about 20% of New Zealands foreign income and more than 5% of GDP but evaporated after the South Pacific nation imposed some of the world's strictest border controls after the pandemic began.

New Zealand continues to see some of its highest rates of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations since the pandemic began, with an average 17,000 new infections being reported each day.

But Ardern said modeling shows that the biggest city of Auckland is already significantly past the peak of its omicron outbreak and the rest of the country will soon follow.

Health experts warned that some countries which had dropped restrictions as omicron faded were now experiencing another surge of cases.

See original here:

New Zealand to remove pandemic mandates as omicron wanes - ABC News

This year significant reforms to New Zealands health care system will be introduced. But to achieve its goals of an equitable system, the government needs to make deeper changes than it has proposed.

For two decades, New Zealand has had 20 district health boards (DHBs) planning and funding local services and owning public hospitals, and 30 primary health organisations to coordinate GP and related primary care services. These will no longer exist.

DHB functions will be absorbed within a new national body, Health NZ. GP and primary care services will be delivered through new locality networks. A new Mori Health Authority will work on behalf of Mori, planning and funding services, in partnership with Health NZ. A series of regional offices will facilitate the work of Health NZ and the Mori Health Authority.

The reforms are significant and underpinned by important goals: to bring equity and national consistency into the health system, between people and regions, with a strong focus on improving services and outcomes for Mori and other groups. Improving patient experience through better integrating care and processes is also a key aim.

But neither of these goals will be achieved unless issues related to the underlying institutional arrangements are tackled.

Let us not forget that the foundations for how healthcare is delivered today in New Zealand were created in a historic compromise between the government and medical profession over 80 years ago when the government sought to create a national health service. The compromise split primary care from hospital services and allowed development of parallel public and private hospital sectors.

Two key changes to the proposed reforms need to be made.

First, in common with the UK and others, New Zealand healthcare is tax funded. This is a simple method where government funding is allocated to the public sector to provide services, some then procured from private providers.

Tax funded systems usually feature public hospital waiting lists and service restrictions, along with considerable government responsibility for planning and providing services. With longstanding under-investment in healthcare services, the UK and New Zealand governments are both being criticised at present for failing to adequately plan for an event such as COVID-19.

Read more: No one is mourning the end of district health boards, but rebuilding trust in the system won't be easy

New Zealands historic compromise allowed for public hospital doctors to also build a private practice. New Zealanders with private insurance or deep pockets routinely pay to see them, rather than wait for public treatment (some only work publicly; some only private; many work in both sectors). Many conditions will never be treated publicly.

This means considerable suffering and disadvantage, disproportionately falling on Mori, Pacifika and the less well off, which the government hopes to address with its reforms. This will not be possible without massive funding and infrastructure investment and a shift in workforce towards the public sector.

That said, reducing private practice in favour of public is politically untenable; it would require regulation, financial and other incentives. Private specialists do extremely well, leveraging off their public sector roles and training, with back up from the public system and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

Instead, a new funding method is needed.

It is time for a national debate around shifting from tax funding to social insurance. This is found in Germany as well as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere. Like ACC, social insurance is agnostic about who provides care and simply funds patients based on need.

Read more: ACCs policy of not covering birth injuries is one more sign the system is overdue for reform

If introduced in New Zealand, the private sector could continue to function as it does, alongside public hospitals, but all patients would receive the same access to care regardless of ability to pay.

A fundamental element of social insurance is delivering on equity. Social insurance is funded by payroll and employer contributions with a corresponding drop in taxes. There is no perfect health funding model. Tax funding will not solve our equity challenges, given our institutional structures. Unless the government is prepared to nationalise service provision, social insurance offers an important alternative.

The second necessary change is in the allocation of funding to primary and hospital care. From mid-year, the split between these two sectors will be exacerbated as the two will be funded quite separately, undermining efforts at whole system integration.

Locality networks will presumably be funded where they can show a range of primary care providers are working collaboratively to manage a population. Hospitals will continue to be funded by Health NZ, in partnership with the Mori Health Authority, rather than the DHBs.

Read more: New authority could transform Mori health, but only if it's a leader, not a partner

A bold government would combine and place the two funding lines between primary care and hospitals, requiring a collaborative approach to service delivery. This would take away boundaries between primary and hospital care and instead place the focus on how the different providers work to build a system.

The Labour-led government is taking important steps to address challenges in New Zealands health system. Goals of equity, service integration and responding to Te Tiriti o Waitangi are laudable.

But it will be a struggle to deliver on these goals without the two key changes outlined above. These would be significant and challenging. Without them, we can predict another round of reforms in future to address the same problems the current efforts will fail on.

Original post:

New Zealand's health restructure is doomed to fall short unless its funding model is tackled first - The Conversation

Crowz is an upcoming Battle Royale from an indie team that is supposed to bring an enjoyable military warfare experience on a massive island. Lets have a look at all the Crowz launch information, including its release time.

With Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, Apex Legends, and PUBG at top of the most-played free-to-play Battle Royale games on almost every platform, its pretty hard for an indie team of developers to challenge these giants with a brand new Battle Royale experience, but Crowz seems to be a solid shooter that could make a name for itself in the near future!

Launching in the Early Access phase in less than two days, Crowz is an upcoming Battle Royale experience that combines the military warfare of Call of Duty with some well-known gameplay features of PUBG. Although its a first-person shooter at its core, the game allows players to use the third-person view as well when looking around.

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Call of Duty: Mobile | Official Season 3: Radical Raid Trailer

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Crowz will be available on March 28 in North America while European and Asian players will receive access to the game on March 29. Below, you can check out the release date and time for each major region in the world:

Crowz will only be available on PC through Steam. Currently, there are no plans for launching the game on consoles. Below, you can read through the minimum and recommended system requirements of the game.

Minimum:

Recommended:

Crowz features two major modes. The first one is Squad Operations where you team up with up to 3 friends and compete against other crews to accomplish certain missions. On the other hand, the Blood Zone mode will see players divided into two large groups fighting over the resources on the map and seeking extraction points.

Follow this link:

Crowz Release Date and Time in the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand - DualShockers

After revelations that New Zealand police kill at 11 times the rate of officers in England and Wales, RNZ has obtained a secret IPCA report that sheds light on the way the Armed Offenders Squad operates and the questionable state of police firearms training.

Photo: Getty Images / Designer: Vinay Ranchhod

This is the third story in an investigative series on police shootings. You can read the previous two stories here: Licence to Kill; Police who killed were given evidence in advance.

The official report into why Iriheke Pere, a 33-year-old Mori man with mental health issues, was shot in the back by police was never publicly released.

Pere was lying on the ground in handcuffs when he was accidentally shot by a member of the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) in Hastings on 16 August, 2013.

He was admitted to hospital in a serious condition but he lived, partly due to one of many mistakes made by the police that day.

The AOS had mistakenly loaded their rifles with training ammunition, which turns to dust on impact. Pere's single bullet wound to the back was serious but it could have been fatal.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigated the shooting but, contrary to its usual practice of publishing decisions on its website, didn't release the findings.

Initially, the IPCA said legal action had delayed the investigation. The AOS officer who shot Pere had been charged with careless use of a firearm. The case went to trial in early 2016 and the officer was acquitted, but still the report was withheld.

In early 2022 RNZ asked why, nearly 10 years after Pere was shot, the report was never released. The IPCA responded: "This case was reported by way of letter to (the) Commissioner of Police and was not a public report".

RNZ has now obtained the secret IPCA report into the Pere shooting. Its contents shed rare and valuable light on how the AOS operates and the questionable state of firearms training in the New Zealand police.

***

The AOS is better known by its acronym than its full name and many more people will know what its members look like than what they actually do.

Kitted up in black overalls, black balaclavas and goggles and brandishing semi-automatic rifles, the AOS look like an elite squad of highly trained sharpshooters.

The AOS plays a vital role in New Zealand, which prides itself on being one of fewer than 20 countries where police don't routinely carry guns.

The AOS was formed in 1964 after a series of police shootings the previous year.

In January 1963, Victor Wasmuth shot dead a kennel owner and two police officers, Wallace Chalmers and Neville Power, who attempted to arrest him in Waitakere. The following month, Bruce McPhee killed police officers James Richardson and Bryan Schultz, after they responded to a domestic violence incident at his home in Lower Hutt.

Police at the scene after Bruce McPhee killed two officers in 1963 Photo: Stuff Limited

There are now 17 AOS units across the country, made up of about 300 officers.

But the AOS remains a part-time force made up entirely of police officer volunteers. So how professional is this squad and how robust is the training?

This is where the IPCA report on the Pere shooting is valuable.

Contrary to the jury verdict, the IPCA found that the officer who shot Pere had carelessly used his firearm.

Pere was mentally unwell and his mother had called for help from mental health experts, who rang the police. The AOS went to his mother's house and arrested Pere for unlawfully possessing a pistol.

While attempting to change his handcuffs - from plastic to metal ones - an officer "bent down slightly and his rifle fired".

According to the IPCA report, the AOS officer was not holding the rifle when it fired, rather it was attached to a sling around his neck.

The report says the safety lever was accidentally turned to the fire position when it "brushed against the stiff fabric of his vest". Then, when the officer leaned forward to change Pere's handcuffs, a buckle on his vest "connected with the trigger causing the rifle to fire".

The IPCA found that, because the officer did not know where his gun was pointing, he broke one of the four basic rules of firearms training, the so-called 'laser rule': where you point the firearm it will fire.

While the jury in the Napier District Court trial found the AOS officer not guilty on the charge of careless use of a firearm, it was guided by the criminal threshold of "beyond reasonable doubt". The IPCA found that on "the 'balance of probabilities" the officer had "carelessly used his firearm".

Before an AOS officer can be deployed they must complete the National AOS qualification course. But the officer who shot Pere had not done this. Because of a shortage of AOS in Hawke's Bay the shooter, and two other AOS officers, had been given permission to deploy without obtaining the qualification.

This was despite the fact that at his initial assessment, called the National AOS Selection Course, the shooter had only received a "conditional pass".

"His superiors recommended he receive one on one tutoring due to some concerns about his performance," the IPCA report says. But it never happened and prior to the shooting "no formal mentoring or development plan had been created" to address the performance issues.

But it wasn't just him. "As a result of this investigation," the IPCA said, "police identified that there was no formal induction or mentoring programme available for AOS officers".

Andrew Coster Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

In 2015, more than 50 years after the squad was established, the police finally accepted a recommendation from the IPCA saying they needed a national programme for induction and mentoring of AOS officers.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told RNZ he didn't know whether a national induction and mentoring programme had yet been implemented.

But Coster, whose 25 year career includes a stint as AOS commander in Auckland, says AOS training is excellent.

"Our AOS staff are highly trained and highly competent, and I've never felt safer in my career than when I was working alongside those people, even though we were going to some of the most dangerous situations."

***

RNZ's investigative series Licence to Kill has found that New Zealand police have shot dead 39 people since 1990. Pere could easily have been number 40.

Nicholas Taylor, a specialist firearms lawyer who represented Pere, says there are two main reasons for New Zealand's high rate of fatal police shootings (11 times higher than England and Wales per capita).

"Firstly, the lack of training and lack of mentoring and lack of internal support and secondly the policy of shoot to kill."

Nicholas Taylor says police officers need more firearm training Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

We'll come back to the shoot to kill policy but it's the lack of firearms training which deeply concerns Taylor because he'd seen it before in another accidental shooting - this one with deadly consequences.

In 2009, the AOS, while firing at fleeing offender Stephen McDonald on Auckland's North Western motorway, missed its target and hit and killed 17-year-old courier driver Halatau Naitoko.

Taylor represented another innocent bystander who was hit that day. Richard Neville survived the bullet fragments that entered his torso, arm and hand.

"It was a spray and pray situation where a flurry of bullets was fired and the tragedy resulted from that," Taylor says.

The officers, codenamed A81 and A84 to protect their identities, were the two least experienced members of the AOS to deploy that day but were paired together and they were found wanting.

"The inaccurate marksmanship occurred because the officers were operating in a highly stressful and challenging shooting environment for which their level of training and experience had not equipped them," the IPCA said.

The standard of shooting "raised concerns about the depth and degree of AOS weapons training" the authority found.

Coroner Matenga, who presided over the inquest into Naitoko's death, also weighed in on the woeful marksmanship.

Halatau Naitoko Photo: Supplied

"Officers A81 and A84 essentially missed their intended target with four shots from a reasonably close range of between seven and nine metres. When this is combined with the failure of A84 to appreciate what was within the line of fire indicates to me a need for further training and an acknowledgement by AOS that experience matters."

Not only were they inexperienced and poor shots, they were returned to duty 11 days after the shooting - before any of this could be properly examined, before psychological testing and before it was decided whether criminal charges would be laid.

One of the officers was returned to duty more than a week before he sat another "qualification shoot".

The IPCA was not impressed: "The failure of the officers to hit their target and the tragic outcome of that failure, should have resulted in a more rigorous assessment of whether they should return to AOS duties and, as a minimum, weapons re-training rather than re-qualification."

***

New Zealand Police College training is just 16 weeks long - one of the shortest police training courses in the world.

According to a report by the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform, New Zealand's 16 weeks aligns it with the US near the bottom of its league table.

On average an American police officer gets about 650 hours of training before qualifying - similar to the 16 weeks in New Zealand. But police in Portugal receive 10,400 hours, in Finland 5400, in Germany 4050 and Australia 3500.

Police Association president Chris Cahill says out of the 16 weeks at New Zealand Police College just one week is spent on firearms training. After they qualify, police receive seven and a half days a year in weapons training but until recently it was just four days.

"I don't believe the training is sufficient," Cahill says. "It's something our members have raised for many years. The quality of the training they believe is good. The quantity of the training, they believe, really needs to increase."

But Tayor says another issue is what they are learning.

Police policy is to aim for the centre body mass which Taylor describes as shoot to kill. "Shoot to kill is literally aiming at the centre body mass which is the heart and lungs."

He says highly trained officers could shoot to incapacitate rather than kill.

"An AR-15 rifle that the police are using, is quite capable of hitting, after a significant piece of training, a 50 cent piece at 100 metres."

But Coster says when police are under pressure "your ability to execute a very precise movement is compromised" which is why police aim for the centre body mass, as the largest target.

"Even the best equipped people in terms of shooting skills, would struggle with a pistol to shoot an object other than at very close range," he said. "So this idea of shoot to wound is really something from the movies, it is not appropriate for the vast majority of situations our people find themselves in."

Taylor says the ammunition police use is also a factor in the number of deaths.

Police use hollow point bullets which are banned for military use under the Geneva convention.

"They're banned because of the dreadful wounds they create. But the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to the police," Taylor says.

"If the bullet hits basically any part of the torso, it will fragment and will expand to sometimes ten times the size of the original bullet and blow a large piece out of the back of the person."

One of the reasons police use hollow point bullets goes back to one of New Zealand's worst mass shootings. In November 1990, 33-year-old David Gray killed 13 people in Aramoana, northeast of Dunedin, including local sergeant Stewart Guthrie, who was one of the first responders.

Aramoana, where David Gray killed 13 people in November 1990 Photo: Stuff Limited

Nowadays the police have the Special Tactics Group (STG) to respond to sieges and provide specialist intelligence, negotiation and command support.

Back in 1990 that squad was called the Anti-Terrorist Squad or ATS. It was mainly made up of military personnel and they used full metal jacket bullets, as most armies do.

The IPCA report into the shooting said the use of full metal jacket bullets was one reason Gray wasn't stopped earlier.

"The effect of the use of full metal jacket ammunition is demonstrated by the fact that, notwithstanding Gray received a bullet to the head and another to the chest which touched his heart he was not immediately incapacitated."

The ATS had used full metal jacket ammunition since it was set up in 1973 but following the report they switched to hollow point bullets.

Coster says full metal jacket bullets can also pass through a person or object and hit something else whereas hollow point bullets won't do that.

"The reason we use that kind of ammunition is because of the risk to others from a round passing through someone who's been shot," he says.

"When you're fearing for your life, you will be focused on the threat in front of you, you're not going to have the attention capacity to say, 'there's someone over there there's someone over there, there's a house behind them'."

Taylor accepts hollow point bullets are widely used in other countries for law enforcement, but says this massively raises the stakes on pulling the trigger because a bullet wound is highly likely to be fatal.

"The decision has to be, 'I'm going to kill this person,' when they pull the trigger, because that's realistically the end result."

But firing the gun all comes down to the "final frame" of the incident, Taylor says. Wind the video back. Would a different strategy have reduced the tension before it reached a point of no return?

Taylor says the attitude of the officer with the gun is a major factor in the number of fatal police shootings in New Zealand.

"It's tied in with a problematic culture and recruitment in the police," he says. "There is a fundamental problem with that internal culture in the police, there is an expectation of excitement and challenge."

***

At 2am on Thursday, 27 September, 2007 a police officer knocked on the door of Maria and Ray Bellingham's Napier home.

"She said that she had some bad news," Maria recalls. "Our son had been shot by the police in Christchurch."

Maria said a prayer and then came the tears. "Ray and I did an awful lot of crying," she says. "I can actually feel it welling up inside me now and so can Ray, he's standing beside me," she says on the phone from Napier. "You just lose the plot."

Stephen Bellingham, centre, with his parents Maria and Ray Bellingham Photo: Supplied

Maria believes that Stephen would be with her now if a different officer had responded to the incident with her son that night.

Bellingham had no criminal history and was popular with friends and work colleagues, according to the IPCA report into his death

But a few days prior to the shooting he appeared highly agitated, was not sleeping or eating and was taking party pills, which were legal at the time.

One night he began smashing up a van outside his central Christchurch flat and then walked a few streets over, smashed a car window with a hammer, unlocked the door and sat in the driver's seat.

Two police officers responded to emergency calls reporting the incident. They did not arm themselves with guns.

But when Officer A, a senior sergeant, heard that Bellingham had a weapon, he decided to deploy himself. He didn't tell the communication desk, SouthComms, he was arming up and he didn't sign out his gun - both were breaches of police protocol.

In fact it's questionable whether Officer A should have attended the incident at all. He was the senior field supervisor that night, responsible for supervising the greater Christchurch area. Any serious incident that night would require him to take control and manage the resources.

Officer A drove to within 5 metres of Bellingham, reaching him about 30 seconds before his two, unarmed, colleagues arrived. According to the officer's account, Bellingham ran at him with a hammer and, fearing for his life, he shot him in self-defence.

Stephen Bellingham was shot dead in September 2007 Photo: Stuff Limited

Original post:

Shooting to wound 'something from the movies' - Coster - RNZ

Supplied

Sir Bryan and his wife Lesley at Haruru Falls, Bay of Islands.

A quick chat with former All Black, Sir Bryan Williams.

I spent part of my teenage years in a small Northland town called Moerewa and its also where I met my wife Lesley, so Id take visitors to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. We have a place there and theres so much to do. Weve been going there for more than 50 years. Its close to Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Waitangi Golf Course, Russell and Kerikeri. So many great beaches, fishing, boating, walks, restaurants and cafs.

Coxs Bay Reserve is right on our doorstep in Westmere, Auckland and is virtually our backyard. Theres always some activity taking place cricket, touch, rugby, soccer. Weve watched our kids and 15 grandkids grow up on that park and we still go walking daily and ride our bikes. The best thing is the Council mows the lawns! Not so secret though.

READ MORE:* The place More FMs Flynny would take every visitor to in New Zealand* The 'amazing' pies this top chef recommends * The one place this travel guru desperately wants to visit

Has to be Narrow Neck Beach Caf. My wife and I sit on the beach eating one of their nice homemade pies with a hot flat white. Highly recommended.

BROOK SABIN

New Zealand has countless places of beauty, but can it get any better than stargazing in the Southern Alps while lying in a hot spring? (First published February 2019)

Id have to say Lake Tekapo. Ive never been there so it is on the bucket list. The South Island mountains and lakes are breathtaking to behold. The scenery is stunning and compares favourably with anywhere else Ive been on my extensive travels during my rugby days.

Staying safe: New Zealand is currently under Covid-19 restrictions. Face coverings are mandatory on all flights and public transport. Proof of vaccination and vaccine exemption may be required in some venues under the traffic light system. Follow the instructions at covid19.govt.nz.

See the article here:

Where this All Blacks legend would take visitors to in New Zealand - Stuff

A tough day on the waters of San Francisco has left New Zealand with work to do if they are to improve their standing in the final SailGP event of the season.

Despite the challenges the team has faced this season, there was still a faint chance of competing in the grand final, and moving up the standings was a big goal for the team.

That got a whole lot harder after some mediocre results in the tough conditions, finishing third, fifth and eighth in the opening day's races.

"We're starting to sail the boat better and really battling with the teams at the front, but were not quite good enough at the end there," New Zealand wing trimmer Blair Tuke said.

"We've still got a lot of things to improve on. We're getting there, but that was probably not even up to our standards at the end there."

It was particularly frustrating for the Kiwis in the final race of the day a race where the Japanese team were clocked at speeds of over 90kph, but there were still pockets where the wind died away and made things difficult.

The Kiwis found themselves in one of these pockets in the day's final race, falling off their foils and struggling to get the boat going again.

"We didn't do it to the level we probably should have, so we need to really work on that tomorrow," Tuke admitted afterwards.

"It was pretty tricky, actually," New Zealand sailor Liv Mackay added. "We had some really good moments with stuff we've been practicing all week and executing that, but it was quite a difficult racecourse so we didn't really take the gains where we could have. Yeah, it was a bit tough."

The day started in fine fashion for the Kiwis, with a third-place finish in the opening race of the event.

The New Zealand crew weren't among the first off the starting line in race one, but that didn't mean much when the time came for the first manoeuvre of the race.

On the opening upwind leg, the Kiwis flew up the field aided by the Spanish crew dropping off their foils to move into third early on.

In a battle against Spain and Great Britain for fourth place overall, the Kiwis pushed throughout the course. While there were a couple of instances where they weren't quite as clean as they would have liked coming out of turns and lost some speed at times, they were able to recover quickly.

Great Britain, who were also slow off the starting line, took over after the first leg taking the opposite side of the course to most of the teams and flew to a big lead which proved to be too much to make up as they claimed first.

New Zealand and Australia had a tight battle for second, though Australia got the better of it while New Zealand finished third.

What was most interesting was the aggression of the Australian team, with driver Tom Slingsby showing no signs of taking his foot off the gas despite his team already being a starter in tomorrow's US$1 million grand final race and their boat having been damaged in practice a couple of days prior.

Slingsby again provided some excitement in the second race as he looked to undercut the Spanish team around the final mark; getting extremely close to a collision before picking up a penalty for not giving the Spanish team enough room.

The Kiwis were unable to get ahead of the field in the second and third races, finishing in the back end of the fleet, leaving them sitting sixth on the event ladder, five points behind Great Britain and three behind Spain.

While Australia made some aggressive moves, fellow finalists USA took absolutely no risk in order to protect their boat to ensure they would line up for the three-boat shootout final, and likely disappointed the home fans with some mid-table finishes.

The other finalist Japan sailed well. Without taking too many risks, the Japanese team took out the final race of the day, improving as the event went on; finishing sixth in race one and second in race two.

Watch the SailGP grand final live tomorrow. Coverage from 10am on Sky Sport and free-to-air onnzherald.co.nz/sailgp

- by Christopher Reive, NZ Herald

Continue reading here:

'Not up to our standards': New Zealand fail to fire in final SailGP event - Newstalk ZB

MetService National weather: March 25th - 27th.

Waterlogged East Coasters will have to wait a little longer to start their mammoth clean-up after wild weather thrashed the region this week.

But up north, Aucklanders will wake today to more of the fine weather they have enjoyed over the past few days and a forecast high of 21C.

A low to the east of the North Island was expected to move northwest and land a "moist southeasterly flow" on to Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, MetService said yesterday, with heavy rain watches issued for two areas.

Wairoa District and areas south of Gisborne city remain under a heavy rain watch through to 10am today, MetService said.

"Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria, especially about the Whareratas."

The worst of the rain was expected early this morning.

The East Coast was hardest hit by the storm that lashed parts of the North Island this week; isolating hundreds of residents by a succession of road closures, power outages continuing yesterday morning, and at least one house being completely washed away by a swollen river.

Wairoa was cut off from Hawke's Bay for three days after floodwaters closed State Highway 2 because of slips and flooding.

Areas south of Gisborne also suffered flood damage this week.

Much of the rest of the country, however, can enjoy a settled Sunday, with isolated showers across the North Island and fine weather for most of the South Island, although there may be patchy drizzle later in the day in eastern areas.

25 Mar, 2022 07:22 PMQuick Read

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It will be partly cloudy, with the odd shower in the east in the afternoon.

Hamiltonians can expect a mostly sunny day, with 22C.

Showers in Wellington should clear by midday but there will be strong southerlies and a chilly high of 16C.

Our two largest southern cities, Christchurch and Dunedin, are forecast to be cloudy - including drizzle at times in Christchurch - and with highs in the upper teens.

The return to the work week will see more rain in the North Island's east, possibly heavy in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, and with strong southerlies.

The rest of the country can expect cloudy conditions tomorrow, with showers south of Taranaki through to Taihape, in northern Buller and in Fiordland.

Here is the original post:

New Zealand weather: More rain for East Coast, Gisborne after flooding - New Zealand Herald

In the past two years, since the pandemic began, travel journalist Brook Sabin has been lucky enough to travel to every region in New Zealand. When asked to pick his favourite, there was only one answer: Tairwhiti. Why? Because Gisborne has something for everyone, and these are his picks of what to do there.

Falling asleep to the sound of waves is one of the best feelings in the world, but it normally comes with a significant price tag. However, at Tatapouri Bay less than 20 minutes from central Gisborne you'll find a collection of luxury glamping tents for $175 a night.

You're only a few metres from the ocean, or if you prefer something warmer, you also get access to a beachfront spa.

BROOK SABIN/Stuff

Tatapouri Bay offers an affordable way to sleep by the sea.

READ MORE:* Matawhero: Inside the North Island's new luxury wine escape* A side of Tairwhiti Gisborne you've never seen* Undiscovered Aotearoa: Tairwhiti Gisborne is New Zealands most underrated foodie region

BROOK SABIN/Stuff

Youll pass through a series of old tunnels on the rail bike adventure.

The region is home to one of the country's most unique biking adventures. You'll weave through pristine bush, make your way through long tunnels, over bridges and eventually reach a dramatic coast. And best of all you'll do it all attached to actual rail tracks.

Gisborne Rail Bike Adventure runs the trip using uniquely designed frames: two push-bikes are fused together with a steel chassis holding them on the line. All that's left for you to do is pedal. But take it from me; its worth paying a small amount extra for an electric bike so you have more time to relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery.

The best of the three rides is the Beach Loop, which traverses 32 kilometres and takes half a day.

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Gisborne is home to one of the countrys most unique cinemas.

Tucked away in Gisborne's CBD, you'll find one of the region's best hidden gems: The Dome Cinema.

Your eyes are in for a feast before the movie even starts; you'll enter a historic building to find a technicolour bar with an elaborate outdoor area full of fairy lights.

You then go through a secret door to find a series of giant beanbags under a dramatic dome. At intermission (just like the old days), pizzas and ice cream are delivered to your chair before the lights are dimmed, and the movie resumes.

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The Gisborne City Vintage Railway is fun for all ages.

The Gisborne City Vintage Railway offers much more than a train ride. The steam train, built in Dunedin more than 120 years ago, actually crosses Gisborne Airport's main runway the only place in the southern hemisphere this happens.

The train will patiently wait at the side of the runway for any planes to clear, before getting clearance to cross. The train then chugs on to Muriwai for a 30-minute scenic stop, before making the return journey. The kids will love this adventure.

BROOK SABIN

The Rere Rockslide isnt for the faint-hearted.

There is an easy winner here the region is home to one of the largest natural water slides in the southern hemisphere, and it's serious fun.

The Rere Rockslide is just over 40 minutes drive outside Gisborne, and there you'll find a smooth 60-metre slide with a thin layer of water gently running down it.

Grab a bodyboard or tyre tube, hold on tight, and have the time of your life. If you prefer to stay dry, the nearby Rere Falls is spectacular for sightseeing.

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Zen Cabins are new and already proving popular.

Tatapouri Bay, home to the glamping tents mentioned earlier, also has a series of new luxury beachfront pods, known as Zen Cabins. Designed for romance, they have an uber-comfy bed facing a huge window overlooking the sea. Given Gisborne is among the first in the world to see the new dawn, you can witness an extraordinary sunrise without leaving the duvet.

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The Caramilk doughnut from the Gisborne Farmers Market.

Eat your way around the region by tasting some of Tairwhitis best food at the Gisborne Farmers' Market, held every Saturday morning.

Aside from the usual produce, the markets are also home to dumplings, pastries, tortillas and doughnuts, which are arguably the best in the country. One of their more popular is the Caramilk custard, with a fluffy Rarotongan-style dough packed with Caramilk ganache. If you prefer savoury, try the breakfast doughnut packed with creamy mushrooms, cheese, hashbrown, bacon and a gooey fried egg.

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Manutuke Eco Retreat is one of the regions best glamping escapes.

Just 15 minutes from Gisborne, you'll feel like you're in another world at Manutuke Eco Retreat. This glamping retreat, with a private jetty on a huge lake, offers you a place to unwind under the stars. There are two stand up paddleboards and kayaks to explore the lake and surrounding wetlands.

If you are feeling energetic, there are ten kilometres of trails to explore but I'd recommend just unwinding with a good book beside the lake and enjoying the peace.

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Matawhero offers luxury cabins amongst the vines.

One of Gisborne's newest retreats is a luxury wine escape among the vines. Matawhero was the region's first boutique winery and it now has a series of chic cabins right next to the cellar door. That means you can head across for a drink, before walking home and enjoying another on your deck before a long sleep-in the next morning.

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The road to East Cape Lighthouse is spectacular.

Want a foreign experience without leaving our shores? Take SH35 around East Cape, and see wild pigs crossing the road, children going to school on horseback, and tiny villages happily living in a bygone era.

You'll also find empty beaches, wild beauty, and lots of good old-fashioned hospitality.

Getting there: Gisborne is a 6.5-hour drive from Auckland, or four hours from Rotorua. Air New Zealand has flights from Auckland and Wellington.

Staying there:

Glamping at Tatapouri Bay from $175, see: tatapouri.co.nz

Zen Cabins from $275 per night, see: tatapouri.co.nz.

Matawhero wine cabins from $350 per night, including breakfast provisions, see: matawhero.co.nz.

Manutuke Eco Retreat from $295. See: canopycamping.co.nz

Playing there:

For the latest Dome Cinema timetable, see: domecinema.co.nz

Railbike Beach Loop from $120. See: railbikes.nz

Gisborne City Vintage Railway is $15 per child, $30 per adult or $80 for a family. See:

gcvr.org.nz

Stuff Travel deals: For the latest Gisborne deals check out travel.stuff.co.nz/gisbornedeals

Staying safe: Gisborne is currently experiencing flooding and travel is not advised. However once it is safe to do so, the region will need your support to bounce back. New Zealand remains under Covid-19 restrictions. Follow the instructions at covid19.govt.nz.

Carbon footprint: Flying generates carbon emissions. To offset your carbon emissions, head to airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability-customer-carbon-offset

This author's trip was supported by Trust Tairwhiti.

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I have travelled to every region in New Zealand, here's why Tairwhiti Gisborne is my favourite - Stuff

It's been two years today since New Zealanders first experienced Covid-19 Alert Level 4.

The country was thrown into lockdown after two community cases couldn't be linked to the border.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move on March 23, 2020, moving the nation into Alert Level 3 immediately, but giving Kiwis a few days before Level 4 kicked in.

"To be clear, we're asking all New Zealanders who are outside essential services to stay home," she said.

At that point, there were just over 100 Covid cases.

It was six and a half weeks later that Ardern moved the country back to the more relaxed setting of Level 2.

A period of Covid-free life followed, leaving some to believe there would be no need for further lockdowns.

But in August 2020, Auckland was put back in Level 3 for two and a half weeks.

Auckland again got the brunt of it in February 2021, with two lockdowns in the same month.

Then, when Delta leaked into the community in August last year, Level 4 returned for the whole country.

University of Otago epidemiologist professor Michael Baker says New Zealand's elimination approach was the right one and gave us "unparalleled levels of freedom".

"The fact we got through those first two years with very little health impact in New Zealand, very few deaths, is because we initially eliminated the virus and then we suppressed it very effectively."

He described the announcement of the first lockdown as a "profound event".

"There are some events in New Zealand history where you will always remember where you were when you heard what was going to happen.

"I think for me, that was very much, for me, my memory of the day when the Prime Minister announced we were going to go into a lockdown," he said.

"Then there was that, I think, quite unreal feeling of preparing for something that none of us knew what to expect."

1News asked Kiwis for their reflections, looking back at the first Level 4 lockdown and what followed.

Several said they were grateful for the lockdowns.

"I stand by the decision of the Government," one said. "It was very necessary to go into lockdown for the safety of our people, and it worked."

"It's been really surreal... And while it's been hard, I can see we've had some real privileges living in New Zealand," another added.

Others said there were too many lockdowns.

"It's good to know it's behind us now," one Aucklander said.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield on Thursday thanked New Zealanders for playing their part over the two years since the first lockdown.

He also acknowledged the sacrifices many have made.

Follow this link:

Two years on from New Zealand's first ever Alert Level 4 - 1News

New Zealand's next Great Ride could be a 66km pedal alongside the Waikato River.

The Te Awa River Ride charitable trust will put forward its application to Ng Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trails, to join the countrys 22 Great Rides once its final section, between Hamilton Gardens and the Tamahere Interchange, is complete in June.

Two-wheeled tourism is an absolute winner according to those experiencing a boom in Otago, and backers of the Waikato bid say it could also boost businesses and communities.

We believe weve got what it takes, Te Awa River Ride chairman Simon Perry told Stuff.

READ MORE:* Trust eyes Great Walk title as Waikato cycleway nears completion* Adventure park, housing development's future depends on Te Awa Lakes zoning decision* The Hamilton section of Te Awa cycle way underway

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

Te Awa River Ride chairman Simon Perry said the walking and cycling track is right up there with the cycle trails in New Zealand.

Its right up there with the best half a dozen cycle trails in New Zealand, so were very confident well get the status of one of New Zealands Great Rides and appeal to tourists both international and domestic.

The ride stretches along the Waikato River, from Ngruawhia in the north to Karpiro in the south, and there are more than 300,000 walkers and cyclists on the trail each year.

Perry said its accessible to all ages and abilities and links regional assets and attractions, including cafs and restaurants, the Hamilton Gardens, Hakarimata walkway, Velodrome and Karpiros lake, hydropower station and domain.

Construction on the 66km river ride started in 2009, with the latest sixth section between Hooker Rd and the Velodrome in Cambridge opening in early March its had nearly 8000 users in two weeks.

Dylan Rushbrook, general manager of Tourism Central Otago, has seen the benefits of a trail ride firsthand.

supplied

Dylan Rushbrook, general manager of Tourism Central Otago, has seen the benefits of a trail ride firsthand.

The 55-kilometre Lake Dunstan Trail, which opened in May 2021, attracted as many people in a month as was expected in an entire year.

The original business case predicted around 7000 people would use the trail in the first year. However, more than 62,500 people have used the track since it opened in May just 10 months ago.

Its been phenomenal how this trail has complemented the region and how it has helped the wider community thrive. Its not just tourism thats benefiting, but our retail sector, and the communities, too, Rushbrook said.

Lee Slater

The Lake Dunstan Trail is a super-scenic, fairly challenging full-day ride.

He said the launch of the Otago Central Rail Trail 21 years ago was the catalyst for the tourism economy.

Its been a gentle slow burn for tourism, its organically grown and as a result, weve seen more businesses pop up along the way to support this demand.

During Covid-19 and the locked borders, Kiwis fell back in love with biking again.

Rushbrook wished the trustees of Te Awa River Ride the best, saying both the community and tourism industry will benefit.

Cycle tourism is an absolute winner.

The Lake Dunstan Trail isnt considered one of New Zealands Great Rides, but an application has been submitted, Rushbrook said.

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

The sixth section between Hooker Rd and the Velodrome in Cambridge opened in early March with nearly 8000 users since.

To be considered as one of New Zealands Great Rides it has to be a premium cycling experience, the best of the best, New Zealand Cycle Trails general manager Janet Purdey said.

It needs to be a multi-day experience, off-road with amazing scenery, have a high economic impact and an all-round great experience with accommodation and food, she said.

It has to be unique in its positioning and a bucket list experience.

Each year, nearly 2 million people use the 22 Great Rides which not only showcase the countrys landscapes but are also promote environmentally sustainable ways to reach major sites and activities.

Vanessa Williams of Hamilton Central Business Association said it would be such a win if Te Awa had that recognition, for both domestic and international tourism.

It showcases phenomenal assets in Waikato and people and the business community can get behind it.

Supplied/Stuff

Vanessa Williams, general manager of the Hamilton Central Business Association, said the benefits to businesses would be phenomenal.

Williams, who spends a lot of time on the Karangahake Gorge track biking with her family, or walking the tunnels, says towns and businesses benefit from something like this.

People build in a shopping trip, or stay overnight or head out to the local caf. It doesnt need to be done in isolation.

Something like the Te Awa River Ride isnt something you do once, she said, it could even be an annual thing.

Anything that showcases our region, Im all for it.

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

The river ride stretches along the Waikato River, from Ngruawhia in the north to Karpiro in the south, and has more than 300,000 users on the trail each year.

The man behind a Waikato Great Ride said there are fundamentals that people look for.

Glyn Wooller, general manager of the Waikato River Trail, said food and beverages are key, for both walkers and cyclists, as they quickly become part of the experience.

On the Waikato River Trail, people park at the little Waip reserve, bike to Arapunis Rhubarb Caf, or people have a multi-day experience and the need for accommodation comes in.

This means people spend money, and the whole point of the cycle trail project was to create opportunities for communities that might not otherwise see that.

Luke Kirkeby/Stuff

Waikato River Trail general manager Glyn Wooller has seen the benefits of the Great Ride title first hand.

The 103km Waikato River Trail is in the heart of the South Waikato and extends from tiamuri Village to the southern end of Lake Karpiro.

Both Wooller and Perry voiced their aspiration to connect the Waikato River Trail and Te Awa River Ride.

The quality of the Te Awa ride is outstanding and if we can connect these guys together you could ride from Ngruawhia to tiamuri, Wooller said.

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

Its accessible to users of all ages and abilities and links regional assets and attractions.

Punters have been rolling into cafs since the Ngruawhia section opened, Waikato district mayor Allan Sanson said.

It's really opened up opportunities for businesses from right across the route, he said.

Good on them. It's a fantastic walk and it deserves national recognition.

Sanson, who started using the track when the country went in lockdown in 2020, says its worth its weight in gold.

Tom Lee/Stuff

Waikato district mayor Allan Sanson, Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate and Waipa mayor Jim Mylchreest support the trusts move to be considered a Great Ride.

Waip district mayor Jim Mylchreest couldnt see why Te Awa wouldn't qualify as a New Zealand Great Ride.

It spans a fair distance, with historic points along the way, follows the river and can be used as a commute into Hamilton.

Mylchreest said, since the first section opened further south in Leamington in 2009, theres been overwhelming support from businesses and the community.

Being recognised as a Great Ride would add marking and advertising nationally and internationally. But whether its a Great Ride or not its still a great recreation facility for the whole region.

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

Nearly 2 million people use the 22 Great Rides each year.

The more we can establish business opportunities and take advantage of additional visitors in the region, whether thats in accommodation or rental bike hire, the better.

Its needed more than ever.

Meanwhile, Hamilton City mayor Paula Southgate said you dont need to be an Olympic cyclist or the fittest person to get through and enjoy it, its suitable and accessible for everyone.

I think we deserve the recognition. We have quality in Waikato and I can imagine - once complete the many people who will jump on their bikes or walk it, itll be fantastic.

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

The Te Awa River Ride charitable trust will put in its application to be considered one of New Zealand Great Rides when the final section of the trail is complete.

Te Awa River Ride chairman Simon Perry added the trust is certainly not shy of trying out for a Great Walk too, saying its set up for both.

See more here:

Is this New Zealand's next Great Ride? - Stuff