Category Archives: New Zealand

A 77-year-old woman who was stuck in Australia because of border restrictions says she feels hurt at her pension being stopped and receiving a demand to repay more than $11,000.

(File image) Photo: 123RF

Rae and her Australian partner had flown there last July because he needed surgery, but their flight home to Christchurch was cancelled in December.

Two further flights were cancelled in January, meaning she missed her granddaughter's wedding in February, her great-grandchild's first birthday and a cousin dying.

Rae, who requested her full name not be published, said it was the final straw to find the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had stopped her pension and was demanding repayment.

Under current rules, pensioners have their payments stopped after they have been overseas for 26 weeks and after 30 weeks they have to pay the six months of superannuation back.

She wrote three letters and made several phone calls to MSD from Australia and has been trying again since arriving back in New Zealand a week ago.

"They send stuff or papers to my address in Christchurch, although they know my address. I've had two addresses in Australia, and I've got one here in front of me that they asked the same things. I had never even heard of the Integrity Intervention Center.

"I tried to be a responsible New Zealander. I've been the best ambassador to New Zealand in many circumstances and I've travelled very, very widely. And now I'm just appalled, I don't feel welcome in my own country."

She informed MSD of the trip and later explained the delays to her return.

"We were going to get on a plane to come home on the 10th of December and it was just overnight cancelled.

"With the credit from that, we bought tickets for the 17th of January and then for the 20th of January. Of course I missed Christmases, missed birthdays, my cousin died about a week before I would have got home.

"I just feel it was the last straw then to receive a demand - 'your pension is stopped and you owe us $11,000-plus'."

Having struggled to get in touch with MSD and provide what they needed, she believed they needed to have more empathy for older people and those who were already traumatised by not being able to get home.

She is also worried about the scale of the problem and how others are faring.

"I'm not a wealthy person, but I can manage. I've heard of people all over Australia, it's just a joke - they have no income at all. It was just stopped."

Ministry of Social Development spokesperson George Van Ooyen said MSD is not permitted by legislation to pay super to those who are out of New Zealand for more than six months, and if they are away for more than 30 weeks, they automatically have to repay the six months superannuation.

He said there may be exceptions if people apply for pension portability, and there are some narrow grounds provided for in legislation on which repayment can be waived. This is available to people whose absence from New Zealand was solely linked to the closure of the travel bubble with Australia.

"We're currently working with Rae to see if she's eligible for this. The assessment relies on there being evidence that when she went overseas, being stranded was something she could not have reasonably foreseen before she left, and was something beyond her control.

"We are waiting on further information from Rae before we can proceed with this review."

Van Ooyen said MSD had approved the "vast majority" of applications by superannuitants stranded in Australia for payments to continue beyond 26 weeks.

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Pensioner told to repay $11300 after restrictions delayed return to New Zealand - RNZ

HAMILTON: South Africa notched a two-wicket win over New Zealand on Thursday to virtually guarantee themselves a spot in the Womens Cricket World Cup semi-finals and leave the hosts in danger of elimination.

South Africa emerged victorious from a tight, low-scoring contest and are the only team to match tournament favourite Australias record of four wins from four matches.

It was a third loss in five games for New Zealand, who are in a precarious position after blowing their chance to set a big total and put the match beyond South Africa.

New Zealand now face a must-win clash against holders England in Auckland on Sunday.

South Africa bowled the home side out for 228 in 47.5 overs in Hamilton, then chased down the total with three balls to spare.

South Africas quick bowlers nullified New Zealands potent batting line-up before Laura Wolvaardt scored 67, her third successive half century at the tournament, backed by South African skipper Sune Luus 51.

Captain Sophie Devine was again the standout for New Zealand, notching an imperious 93 that should have been the impetus for the home team to set an imposing target.

But Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green were the only other batters to offer any resistance to South Africas attack with 42 and 30 respectively.

Devine fell just short of her seventh ODI century when Ayabonga Khaka dismissed her with a perfectly placed yorker.

Despite her departure New Zealand were in a strong position with wickets in hand at 198-5 heading into the final 10 overs.

They were unable to capitalise and Devines wicket was among six to fall for just 30 runs as South Africas bowlers ran rampant.

Khaka finished with figures of 3-31, Shabnim Ismail snared 3-27 and Marizanne Kapp took two wickets in successive balls on her way to 2-44.

Chasing 229, South Africa were 105-2 at the halfway mark with Wolvaardt anchoring the innings and Luus providing support.

They also suffered a late collapse but Kapp steered them home with an unbeaten 34.

South Africa next play Australia in Wellington on Tuesday in a clash between the top two sides in the table.

Summarised scores:

South Africa beat New Zealand by two wickets.

New Zealand: 228 all out in 47.5 overs (S. Devine 93, A. Kerr 42, M. Green 30; S. Ismail 3-27, A. Khaka 3-31); South Africa: 229-8 in 49.3 overs (L. Wolvaardt 67, S. Luus 51, M. Kapp 36; A. Kerr 3-50).

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2022

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New Zealand on the ropes as SA eye World Cup semis - DAWN.com

Endangered birds, young kiwi and the country's only gorillas can be seen inside these animal sanctuaries.

Joseph Johnson/Stuff

Orana Wildlife Park is home to two Sumatran tigers.

Not so much gorillas in the mist as gorillas in Christchurch. This wildlife park, set in 80ha just 15 minutes drive of Christchurch Airport, is the place to go to eyeball white rhino, tigers, cheetah, giraffes, lions and New Zealands only gorillas. Orana means place of refuge and thats exactly what many of these endangered species have at this magical park.

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Tara Swan/Supplied

Baby kiwi chick MB107 was born with a unique patch of white feathers on its head.

Drive to Masterton and keep going north until you reach Pkaha National Wildlife Centre, 942ha of densely-clad forest and the largest remaining piece of native bush in the Wairarapa. This unfenced sanctuary is home to wild kkako and kk, as well as a nocturnal house for young kiwi. Inside Pkahas aviaries, endangered birds are bred for release throughout Aotearoa.

Jericho Rock-Archer/Stuff

A kk at Zealandia.

If youre in Wellington, theres probably no better place to have a Jurassic Park moment than at Zealandia. This 225ha of lush greenery, a 10-minute drive from the CBD, is home to more than 40 species of birds, secured by an 8.6km predator-proof fence. No wonder Time Magazine called it one of the 100 greatest places in the world.

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.

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Three of New Zealand's best wildlife parks - Stuff

Dileepa Fonseka is a Stuff writer on business and politics.

OPINION: Norman Kirk once said people need somewhere to live, someone to love, food and clothing.

But if they cant afford their rent or groceries, their clothes from ASOS are sitting in a warehouse waiting to be shipped, and their loved ones havent been able to get through the border in a year, then they are unlikely to be happy about it.

Those four needs were part of a no-frills vision of political desires during a much simpler time, but there are increasing signs we should add another need to that list: the need to play a meaningful part in the wider world.

Enough column inches have been written about the recent One News/Kantar poll to fill a mega container ship waiting off the coast of Long Beach, but another part of the poll has received significantly less attention: a major sea change in how New Zealanders feel about letting people through the border.

READ MORE:* Monitor economy Q&A: Mitchell Pham, tech industry entrepreneur* When great powers fail, NZ and other states must organise to protect their interests* A brief history of economic self sufficiency in New Zealand* Coronavirus reignites debate on 'the good and the bad' of globalisation

One News reported 75 per cent of New Zealanders want the borders open to tourists and visitors (provided they are vaccinated) - a big philosophical shift.

Before the pandemic, and even before Labour came to power, a real move against globalisation was taking place, and New Zealand was no exception.

The United States voted for Trump, the United Kingdom voted for Brexit, and in New Zealand we voted for the promise of restricting tourism, protecting workers from global capitalism and lowering house prices by locking foreign buyers out.

John Raoux/AP

A wave of anti-globalisation sentiment was sweeping the globe in the years before the pandemic.

As former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters put it on the day he signed on to support Labours first term: "Far too many New Zealanders have come to view today's capitalism, not as their friend, but as their foe."

The currents of anti-globalisation were running so strong back in those days that then-Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf made a point of defending globalisation at a public lecture at the University of Canterbury in 2017, shortly before the new Government came to power.

"If an economy shuts in on itself, it also shuts down opportunities to raise living standards,

"And the smaller the economy, the fewer the opportunities to improve those living standards."

He said New Zealand had a choice: "The big question is, how should New Zealand respond put up barriers or build bridges?

The pandemic was the perfect opportunity to put up barriers, a regime of controls soon to be summarised by epithets like Fortress New Zealand or the nice, kind hermit kingdom.

NZ PARLIAMENT

Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr discusses the level of concern about inflation in February.

With the borders closed, and international travel severely restricted, the country did not have much choice but to look within its own borders for opportunities to grow the economy and provide the things we needed.

So, wages went up, people got promotions, but then they began to experience the other side of that equation.

Yes your wages might have gone up, but now you had to do the work of two people, because if you didnt do it then no one else would.

Two years on, a survey of 900 workers by Frog Recruitment finds 68 per cent of workers are feeling burnt out.

Sydney Sims/Unsplash

Salaries have gone up, but people are also feeling the stress of burnout from working harder.

To make matters worse, the price of everything has gone up, eclipsing these hard-won salary gains.

The sectors where prices have gone up the most have been protected from globalisation too.

A recent Commerce Commission study shows the grocery sector has effectively managed to lock out global competitors from entering the marketplace through land covenants.

And in the building materials sector, New Zealand-specific standards limit the importation of foreign materials that are regarded as high-quality in other markets like the United States.

While global supply chain issues have taken centre-stage recently, not all the blame falls on globalisation: a record number of ships passed through the Suez Canal last year, and global manufacturing output was up 11 per cent (a record high).

One of the largest bottlenecks has been nation states and their lack of landside infrastructure to handle these increased loads. This is not a function of globalisation, it is a function of Governments who are too miserly to build a railway or a road.

Suez Canal Authority

A record number of ships passed through the Suez Canal, despite the Ever Given incident.

One poll question in isolation doesnt make a trend, but you can see it in the way other debates are taking shape.

You can trace the shift in sentiment back to John Keys opinion piece on the need for the country to open up, you can even see it in support for Christopher Luxon, a former chief executive of Air New Zealand who is unlikely to be in favour of shutting borders.

As for the TikTok generation, after seeing the world on their phones for two years, many now just really, really want to get out of here.

Unfortunately right now we have little say around how globalisation evolves we have little influence over Chinas zero-Covid strategy that is locking down ports, or Russias war in Ukraine.

The public is getting a greater appreciation for globalisation right at the point when they have the least choice about it.

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Inflation backlash shows Fortress New Zealand is not a sustainable strategy - Stuff

In its short existence, Wordle has cemented its place as a global phenomenon, and players are still avidly documenting their daily scores in family group chats and beyond.

The word game, which was developed by US-based software engineer Josh Wardle in October 2021 and later bought by The New York Times for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, sees players try to guess a five-letter word in just six attempts.

It was only a matter of time before somebody sat down to work out which country is the world champion Wordler.

Wordtips

The countries which are best in the world at solving Wordle.

The assumption that English-speaking nations would lead the scoreboard couldnt be further from the truth. Just three countries in Wordle-solving top 10 are native English speakers, and embarrassingly, New Zealand is nowhere close to cracking it.

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In an analysis of Twitter users scores, WordTips pulled nearly 200,000 tweets with the #Wordle hashtag, extracting game scores from over 140,000.

And the winner is? Sweden, which perhaps did not need this accolade, in addition to its rankings as the seventh highest-performing nation on the Human Development Index, as well as the worlds seventh-happiest country. Swedish Wordle players completed the puzzles in an average of 3.72 guesses.

This is a strong lead above Switzerland, which placed second with an average of 3.78 attempts, and Poland, who placed third with 3.79.

WORDLE/Stuff

Of the 49 countries studied, New Zealand placed 23rd in the Wordle rankings.

In addition to the bitter pill that is our own failure to make the top 10 list, Kiwis must also accept that in Wordle, Australia has us beat. Our closest neighbours tied with Belgium for joint fourth, with 3.80.

Finland came in sixth with 3.81 and Denmark, Brazil and South Africa tied for seventh with 3.83 to round out the top 10.

Of the 49 countries studied, New Zealand placed 23rd which we were also roasted for in the commentary by WordTips.

Interestingly, New Zealand, which is home to the five-time Scrabble champion Nigel Richards, places 23rd overall, they said.

So if you A) live in New Zealand and B) are good at Wordle, please start tweeting your scores. We need a boost.

And it gets worse: WordTips also measured which global cities had the best scores. The best Wordlers in the world live in Australias capital city of Canberra, and guess the word in an average of 3.58 tries.

In fact, three other Australian cities feature in the top 10, including Perth (3.70), Melbourne (3.70) and Adelaide (3.71), which placed sixth, seventh and eighth.

I wouldnt say New Zealanders are particularly bad at word puzzles, defends Simon Shuker, from the modest two-storey home in a Karori cul-de-sac where he devises 13x13 word puzzles called Code Crackers.

Shuker has written about 8000 Code-Crackers for New Zealand newspapers, including The Dominion Post, and more than a dozen other daily papers around the globe. Hes sold more than 150,000 Code-Cracker books over the last 18 years. Which is to say, he knows what he's on about.

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff

Puzzles are good for us, Shuker says. Solving a puzzle brings us satisfaction, pumps dopamine into our bodies as our brains expect a reward for getting all those letters in the right places.

"Wordle might be seen as an academic or posh pastime in some countries, he said, especially where players already speak at least two languages.

A Wordle player who speaks English as a second language is likely to be more highly educated than your average English speaker. That explains the top three.

Whereas it was a Kiwi who helped popularise Wordle. Here, its an egalitarian game for the masses.

With the enthusiasm that New Zealanders have for word puzzles, I suspect that a greater cross-section of the population are doing Wordle here.

The other thing you've got to take into account is: People are more likely to post particularly bad or good scores, rather than middling ones. So a dash of tall poppy syndrome, or self-deprecating humour, might be affecting our rankings, too.

If youre Polish and get a bad score, you might also not want to post it because itll make you look like your English isnt good.

He wasnt sure why Australia did so well, because youd think wed be similar.

Good on them.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Wordle game displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on February 21, 2022.

1. Sweden, 3.72

2. Switzerland, 3.78

3. Poland, 3.79

4. Belgium, 3.80

4. Australia, 3.80

6. Finland, 3.81

7. Denmark, 3.83

7. Brazil, 3.83

7. South Africa, 3.83

10. Israel, 3.84

11. Ireland,3.87

11. UAE, 3.87

13. Singapore, 3.88

14. Uruguay, 3.89

14. UK, 3.89

14. China, 3.89

17. Canada, 3.91

18. United States, 3.92

19. Indonesia, 3.93

20. Philippines, 3.94

21. India, 3.95

21. Pakistan, 3.95

23. Spain, 3.96

23. New Zealand, 3.96

23. Thailand, 3.96

23. Taiwan, 3.96

27. Argentina, 3.98

28. Peru, 4.00

28. Italy, 4.00

28. Czech Republic, 4.00

28. Austria, 4.00

32. Colombia, 4.01

32. Netherlands, 4.01

32. Germany, 4.01

35. Norway, 4.03

36. Malaysia, 4.04

37. Mexico, 4.05

38. Greece, 4.06

38. Sri Lanka, 4.06

38. Japan, 4.06

41. Turkey, 4.07

41. Portugal, 4.07

41. France, 4.07

44. Russia, 4.10

45. Chile, 4.15

46. Ecuador, 4.21

47. Bangladesh, 4.24

48. Kenya, 4.38

49. Egypt, 4.42

1. Canberra, Australia - 3.58

2. Jerusalem, Israel - 3.63

3. Malmo, Sweden - 3.66

4. Durban, South Africa - 3.66

5. Paris, France - 3.69

6. Perth, Australia - 3.70

7. Melbourne, Australia - 3.70

8. Adelaide, Australia - 3.71

9. Manila, Philippines - 3.72

10. Geneva, Switzerland - 3.72

Originally posted here:

This country is the best in the world at Wordle - but it's not New Zealand - Stuff

Ed Sims fears that, with fuel prices rising, far-flung New Zealand will struggle to lure back many of the international carriers which flew here pre-Covid. Photo / Getty Images

Ed Sims has learned a thing or two about working in the shadow of a bigger, cashed-up neighbour. And even as the skies finally brighten for inbound tourists to New Zealand and the businesses which rely on them, the former airline boss worries that reconnection for this country will be damagingly late and, critically, outpaced by Australia.

"Australia is like the United States, in that when recovery happens it can happen very quickly. New Zealand competes very directly with Australia for long-haul tourist dollars, we're opening up later and I think there's a very real risk in that."

Sims, a Welshman who can turn on a lilt to prove it, is talking, primarily, about recovery for the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, and its international backbone, aviation, where he's spent the bulk of his career, including a decade-long stint at Air New Zealand, the top job at state-owned Airways NZ, and most recently at the helm of Canada's second-largest carrier, WestJet, through the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sims returned to Auckland last November, having spent the previous two years grounding and then returning to service hundreds of aircraft and thousands of pilots and crew. Through 2020 and much of 2021, Sims says, he spent countless hours locked in negotiations with Canadian finance ministers, first Bill Morneau, and then his successor, Chrystia Freeland, and their deputies.

Sims' efforts were twofold. His first aim was to negotiate government support for his airline that didn't entail bargaining away shareholder equity (the parties never reached agreement and, unlike rival Air Canada, WestJet declined the Canadian Government's many-stringed offers of financial aid). His second mission was to impress on the Canadian Government the disadvantage that Canadian airlines like his own were suffering in light of starkly different US policy.

Canada perennially suffers from a "brain drain" of talent that flows south across the border to better-paid jobs in the United States. The pandemic exacerbated this problem, according to Sims. A US$50 billion package of grants and government-backed loans helped propel US airlines to early recovery, and so too did a relatively light touch stateside when it came to Covid-related regulation.

"New Zealand and Australia have an unhappy parallel for me it was relatively easy for pilots or for engineers to say I'll go and work for a US operation [when they were recovering sooner] rather than a Canadian operation, and I'd like to think that the New Zealand Government is looking at that Canadian-US parallel."

Until very recently, New Zealanders' departures were hampered because of the Government's suspension (through use of the MIQ system) of their right of return. But now that those restrictions are lifted, fears are building that departures will accelerate. Earlier this month ANZ economists warned that New Zealand's staggered reopening creates "a significant risk" of a large net outflow of Kiwis this year, especially to Australia.

Australia opened its doors to all vaccinated tourists, without isolation requirements, in mid-February.

In contrast, New Zealand will allow vaccinated Australians entry without isolation from April 12, and further open to the citizens of countries which don't require a visa at the beginning of May. The Government has said it's reviewing its timeline for allowing entry to the balance of travellers; the most recent guidance is that they will be allowed to return in October.

"I fear that we still have the conditions for considerable migration of skilled workers to Australia because Australia is going to benefit from that faster opening up. I think the Government would be wise to work very closely with the sector here, and consider some significant investments to target hiring, service (think of improved service through technology platforms and updates), and training.

"Training budgets will have been absolutely decimated by the pandemic we can't just sit here crossing our fingers for a bumper summer in 2022/23 there's a huge amount to be done to prepare," Sims warns.

He also favours more long-term government infrastructure investments in the sector, and he says there are few more compelling projects for its help than Auckland Airport's mothballed plans for a second runway.

The return of travel, Sims notes, is already markedly asymmetrical. While Northern Hemisphere flying in North America and Europe is recovering "very considerably" he says, air travel in the Asia-Pacific region, where restrictions are easing much more slowly, is notably lagging.

"Very early on in Covid, economists talked about what the recovery would look like. Would it be U-shaped, or W-shaped. I think everyone's greatest fear was that it would be K-shaped. I think that's what's happening, I think the upper tick of the K is the Northern Hemisphere [regions like the US and Europe] and the Asia-Pacific is the lower tick of the K. You've got a rate of recovery in the Asia-Pacific that's a fraction of recovery elsewhere," he says.

Indeed, International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures show that Asia-Pacific airlines had the smallest lift of any region in its most recent international air traffic data (January, 2022). International traffic was up 124.4 per cent over the same month in 2021 (off a very low base), whereas the lift was 225 per cent for European carriers.

Sims expects that New Zealand will struggle to attract many of the international carriers which previously serviced routes here; New Zealand is a distant destination at the best of times, and the high price of fuel is likely to exacerbate the high cost, especially as airlines move from efforts to attract back large volumes of travellers to efforts to return to profit.

While recent news that Air Canada will revive its Auckland to Vancouver route starting in November is welcome, Sims points out that New Zealand is now served by roughly 13 international carriers, whereas before the pandemic that count was close to 30.

Sims also called the Government's determination to move to more "high-value" tourists a "double whammy".

"A high-value-only customer policy is an admirable intent in good times, but these are wicked times and the hospitality, service, and transportation industries have to value cash more than margin in times like these. Because accounts payable are still going out the door and the accounts receivable aren't coming in. So cash generation and cash flow is critical," he says.

Despite running an airline, Sims has struggled, like so many others, through the lack of travel in the pandemic.

While he, his wife, and their youngest son, still at school, were based in western Canada, the couple's two older children a son at the University of Auckland and a daughter in her twenties working in the NZ Police remained in New Zealand.

Last June, Sims made public his plans to leave WestJet and reunite the family; he then spent "25 hours sitting on a PC" to secure an MIQ slot to come home (it was before the closure of the transtasman travel bubble which sent demand for MIQ soaring).

From his Auckland perch, he now has an eye out for investments. Working for WestJet, Sims managed the airline through a friendly C$3.5 billion (NZ$4.1b) buyout by Canada's Onex Corporation in 2019. He remains an adviser to Onex, a private equity firm with acquisitions in mind.

His remit is to search out good businesses across Asia-Pacific, including New Zealand. He says Onex has the capability to raise both equity and debt "for the right opportunities of scale". Crisis, the old adage has it, always goes hand in hand with opportunity.

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Former airline boss warns New Zealand's opening will be hampered by first-mover Australia - New Zealand Herald

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the fifth year running, while Aotearoa has dropped one place to tenth.

The survey by the United Nations' sustainable development solutions network assesses life expectancy, Gross Domestic Product per capita, social support, low corruption and high social trust.

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Stuff

Enjoying Tahunanui Beach in Nelson on a sunny day.

It placed Finland at the top, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

READ MORE:* Finland named world's happiest country - and Wellington world's third happiest city* The happiest country on Earth: The winner is ...* The six things that make for a happy nation* Happy Planet Index: NZ is the 38th happiest country in the world

New Zealand at 10th was the highest placed southern hemisphere country, two places ahead of Australia.

Afghanistan rated lowest, followed by Lebanon, Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Happiness Report, which uses global survey data to report on how people evaluate their own lives in more than 150 countries around the world.

One of the report's authors, John Helliwell, said that with the world still in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was evidence of a marked increase in helping strangers, volunteering, and donations in 2021.

"This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves," he said in a statement.

123RF

The report noted there has been a marked increase in many countries of people helping strangers and volunteering, during the pandemic.

The authors noted that Finland's score was significantly ahead of other countries that made the top 10. They also noted Canada's drop to 15th - 10 years ago it ranked fifth.

The US was 16th (up from 19th last year) while the UK was 17th.

At the other end of the scale, the report noted the impact of war or conflict on the wellbeing of citizens.

"Notably we find that people in Afghanistan evaluate the quality of their own lives as merely 2.4 out of 10.

"This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being," co-author Jan-Emmanuel De Neve said.

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Aotearoa New Zealand makes top 10 of world's happiest countries again - Stuff

If New Zealand was a person, they would be in the reckoning for winning most beauty contests: Physical charm, a liberal as prime minister who made international headlines by bringing her infant to the UN General Assembly, and a populace that is, by and large, pleasant and friendly. Whats not to admire? In a world beset by disease, war and prejudice, it appears to be a place in a fairytale in fact, one of the greatest series of fantasy films, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was produced there. Even the mafia has a social conscience in paradise last year, gang leaders worked with the government to urge communities traditionally wary of the public health system to get vaccinated. Now, the goody-two-shoes of the global classroom has gone a step farther.

Earlier this month, during a national holiday, the electronic doors and automated book issuing software in one of the countrys finest libraries Turanga in Christchurch were left open and unattended. Did teenagers deface the books? Did petty criminals steal some of the pretty expensive artworks housed in there? Of course not. The bibliophiles went in, returned books and got new ones, barely noticing that they had a run of the place. Apart from one letter complaining about the lack of service at the CD-lending counter, people werent even that upset.

Now, the caveats. First, in an age of PR-driven narratives, if things appear too good to be true, they probably are. When the other shoe drops cry the pessimists among us it will hit us on the head all that much harder because New Zealand has been the good news country for so long. And then, there is much in the accusation that good, beautiful and pleasant often equals boring. But given divisive domestic politics, a brewing global conflict and the devastation of the pandemic, all of this may just be jealousy. Let us be bored for a bit, please.

This editorial first appeared in the print edition on March 17, 2022 under the title Goody-goody Kiwi.

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In New Zealand, nobody misbehaves in an unlocked, unsupervised library. The country appears too good to be true - The Indian Express

The Hooker Track is an easy day-hike that takes you across three swing bridges, all with stunning views. Photo / Supplied

Grandeur surrounds the Hooker Track and - on a good day - it's an easy few hours' walk, writes Steve Dickinson

The sound of what seems like a bomb going off makes you instantly look up.

Then, as if in slow motion, the masses of snow and ice roar down the mountain followed by clouds of mist and then . . . nothing. Just silence. If you have never seen or heard an avalanche, it is awe-inspiring yet, even at a distance, still an unnerving experience.

Aoraki, Mt Cook, is steeped in New Zealand history. It is our highest mountain and the one that has claimed the most lives. It oozes grandeur, like some alpine sentinel looking down on the mountains and valleys below. But as long as you stay on the Hooker Track, you are not in any avalanche danger. DoC states the track has been designed for avalanche safety. Venture off it, and you do so at your own risk. (Don't venture off it).

The approach to Aoraki is spectacular. As the road winds and turns you get visual snapshots of the mountain the highest peak in the range at a distance, getting bigger and more ominous as you get closer. After passing Mt Cook Village, from the track's car park, the Hooker Valley spreads out before you.

There are a range of other tramps and huts in the area, but the Hooker Track is the most used. It's a great one-day hike for people of all abilities. Recently we walked the track and one of our party had an injured knee but was determined to do it and, thanks to the quality and ease of the 11km track, she made it there and back. The track is easy to follow and groomed, and along the way we came across families with young kids, even someone pushing a stroller (although that's probably not a great idea).

From the car park, you cross the Hooker River, and the track goes between old moraine ridges and humps. (A moraine is a fancy name for the material left behind by a glacier).

Close to the start but off the main track there are stone steps up to the Alpine Memorial, a stone structure covered in metal plaques honouring climbers who have died in the Southern Alps. There are a lot. It is sobering that, surrounded by all that grandeur, so many have lost their lives among these peaks. One quote stood out to me: "I am not gone I am in these mountains, I am in the stars, I am all around you, always near, never far".

Just beyond the monument, there is an ominous view of Mount Sefton, 3151m covered in snow, glaciers, and sheer dark cliffs whether summer or winter.

Further along the Hooker Track, there are three large swing bridges across the river or valley floor. If conditions are poor, the second of these bridges can be closed but if the weather is bad, you shouldn't be walking this track anyway.

12 Mar, 2022 11:00 PMQuick Read

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14 Mar, 2022 11:00 PMQuick Read

Across the first swing bridge, you get views over Mueller Lake edged by Mount Sefton, which notoriously drops avalanches that crash into the glacier lake below.

Proceeding up the track, which curves to the right above a small creek, you pass through a rock notch, which feels like a doorway to a surprise. You then turn downhill to Hooker Lake, which expands out before you, icy green-brown, with icebergs as big as houses floating in the shallows. The flotilla of distorted icebergs fills the creamy, brown glacial, water and if you look up the lake, you will see the ice cliffs where the lake meets Hooker Glacier

There are tables to sit and take it all in or you can edge down to the shoreline and swim with icebergs if you're brave enough. It's not a popular option the water is murky and, as you would expect, freezing.

The full track is an easy few hours' walk but be aware that conditions can change very quickly. You are in an alpine environment and there are risks. A friend and his teenage family once set out on a warm sunny day with light warm winds to walk the track. But on their return, in only 90 minutes, the weather changed a massive drop in temperature and they were buffeted by freezing gale-force winds so strong they could barely stand. The wind can funnel down the valley causing the temperature to drop rapidly. The ease of access and a large parking area can give a false sense of safety so make sure you check the weather or check with DoC before you set out.

Location: Aoraki/Mt Cook, South Island NZ Distance: 10 kms Time needed: 3 hours return Difficulty: Easy Mountain Bike: No Wheelchair access: No Route: Double back Elevation: 877m Wet feet: No Toilets: No Dogs: No Mobile coverage: Cellphone connection is possible for most of the track

For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz.

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Adventure travel: Is the Hooker Track New Zealand's easiest day-walk? - New Zealand Herald

After leaving the EU, the UK government set out an ambitious plan to agree trade deals with a large number of countries.

The deal with New Zealand, which was signed last month, is the second of the new agreements. As it happens, the deal was concluded on the same day that the IPCC released its most recent report, with further stark warnings about the negative impacts of climate change.

We know that we need all the tools in the box to prevent the worst of global warming, and trade rules have significant impacts in key areas like energy and agriculture, so how does this deal measure up to the climate test?

New Zealand isnt an obvious first choice as a trade partner: it ranks 55th in the list of countries the UK does trade with, with a relatively small economy and low tariffs, and, frankly, its very far away. In fact, the economic benefit to the UK from the New Zealand deal will be negligible.

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One scenario modelled in the impact assessment predicted the deal could in fact cause the UKs economy to contract by 0.01%. The assessment released with the final text, in which the government decided to use a different modelling specification to calculate the impact, predicts an increase of 0.03% to GDP over the next 10-15 years, and thats based on what some commentators have called an exaggerated economic forecast. By comparison, the latest estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility predict Brexit will reduce UK GDP by 4%.

So why did the UK pick New Zealand as a priority? This question would be far easier to answer if the UK had published a trade strategy, which it hasn't.

However, it is clear that the deal is driven in no small part by New Zealands membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement between 11 countries around the Pacific Rim. The UK applied to join the agreement last year, as part of its Indo-Pacific tilt, unveiled in the Foreign Office integrated review, Global Britain in a Competitive Age. The deal with New Zealand is therefore more important as a stepping stone towards these broader aims than it is as a source of trade benefits.

So what visible difference will the deal make to those living in the UK? One outcome of trade deals is a reduction in tariffs which can lead to reduced prices for consumer goods. This is probably the most tangible effect the trade deal will have. A substantial proportion of UK imports from New Zealand come from the food and drink sector, so UK consumers could stand to benefit from cheaper Kiwi goods.

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The UK's trade deal with New Zealand is a baby step. We need a giant leap - Open Democracy