This Kiwi bridge gets hit 13 times a year.
#kiwi#NewZealand
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/571430/the-country-s-most-hit-overbridge-is-it-time-to-close-the-road
This Kiwi bridge gets hit 13 times a year.
#kiwi#NewZealand
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/571430/the-country-s-most-hit-overbridge-is-it-time-to-close-the-road
The 'hoiho' (yellow-eyed penguin) is one of the world's rarest penguins. It's an iconic penguin in Aotearoa/New Zealand. And it's in severe danger. Department of Conservation (DOC) data showed the northern population had collapsed by 80 percent since 2008, with some colonies already becoming functionally extinct.
Conservation groups are calling on the government to put an emergency fishing ban in place. The government would be informed by a "scientific multi-threat risk assessment". OK. But the government awarded the tender for the assessment in September 2022 already with diddly squat action. While many things have fast tracked through legislation this year with urgency and attempts to keep things clandestine.
Why am I saying this? Well, my #scouts name is 'Hoiho', so naturally I mentally stumbled upon this piece on the radio this morning.
#conservation#scouting #aotearoa #nz#NewZealand #penguins #extinction
The 'hoiho' (yellow-eyed penguin) is one of the world's rarest penguins. It's an iconic penguin in Aotearoa/New Zealand. And it's in severe danger. Department of Conservation (DOC) data showed the northern population had collapsed by 80 percent since 2008, with some colonies already becoming functionally extinct.
Conservation groups are calling on the government to put an emergency fishing ban in place. The government would be informed by a "scientific multi-threat risk assessment". OK. But the government awarded the tender for the assessment in September 2022 already with diddly squat action. While many things have fast tracked through legislation this year with urgency and attempts to keep things clandestine.
Why am I saying this? Well, my #scouts name is 'Hoiho', so naturally I mentally stumbled upon this piece on the radio this morning.
#conservation#scouting #aotearoa #nz#NewZealand #penguins #extinction
OK, gonna put this one out to the fediverse: has anyone any experience with sending kids to high school in #NZ with a #Linux laptop rather than the suggested #Chromebook. It will probably be #KDE Neon as the distro of choice.
Did it cause any issues? Did anyone even notice the difference?
(For reference, I've been a Linux desktop and server user for ~20 years, so tech support is not an issue. In fact Linux is the easiest option).
On the weekend I met a white South African man from Durban who has been living in NZ for the last 10 years, I enjoyed talking about my experiences working in Cape Town in 1996 just post the '95 NZ RWC loss to SA and the general atmosphere with new SA president Nelson Mandela.
During our conversation I mentioned my surprise about the number of young white people I'd met who were quite fluent in local indigenous African languages.
I had become friendly with a Xhosa man who worked as a local barman. One day a white SA man came into the bar and we began chatting, mainly about All Blacks & Springboks as that was a guaranteed conversation starter in SA. Surprisingly this white guy turns to the barman and asks him a question in the Xhosa language and they begin conversing in Xhosa. I was dumbfounded, I asked the white guy how he knew Xhosa to which he replied Xhosa was my nanny's language.
The SA man I met last weekend told me the same about himself being fluent in Zulu, that was the language of his nanny.
While I understand the ugly racist politics behind why both these men had had African nannies growing up and their respective nannies being unable to speak English as were only permitted, under apartheid, to speak in their native tongue or Afrikaans the irony of NZ's ugly govt's fear of young NZers being exposed to te reo (Māori language) wasn't lost on me nor on my SA friend from Durban who said he couldn't understand why this #NZPol govt is so backward when it came to promoting te reo and bilingualism in #NewZealand.
I find this Te Māngai Pāho report on NZers attitude to te reo has restored my confidence that this white supremacist NZ govt doesn't represent the majority of NZers.
Whakawhetai ki a koe.
On the weekend I met a white South African man from Durban who has been living in NZ for the last 10 years, I enjoyed talking about my experiences working in Cape Town in 1996 just post the '95 NZ RWC loss to SA and the general atmosphere with new SA president Nelson Mandela.
During our conversation I mentioned my surprise about the number of young white people I'd met who were quite fluent in local indigenous African languages.
I had become friendly with a Xhosa man who worked as a local barman. One day a white SA man came into the bar and we began chatting, mainly about All Blacks & Springboks as that was a guaranteed conversation starter in SA. Surprisingly this white guy turns to the barman and asks him a question in the Xhosa language and they begin conversing in Xhosa. I was dumbfounded, I asked the white guy how he knew Xhosa to which he replied Xhosa was my nanny's language.
The SA man I met last weekend told me the same about himself being fluent in Zulu, that was the language of his nanny.
While I understand the ugly racist politics behind why both these men had had African nannies growing up and their respective nannies being unable to speak English as were only permitted, under apartheid, to speak in their native tongue or Afrikaans the irony of NZ's ugly govt's fear of young NZers being exposed to te reo (Māori language) wasn't lost on me nor on my SA friend from Durban who said he couldn't understand why this #NZPol govt is so backward when it came to promoting te reo and bilingualism in #NewZealand.
I find this Te Māngai Pāho report on NZers attitude to te reo has restored my confidence that this white supremacist NZ govt doesn't represent the majority of NZers.
Whakawhetai ki a koe.
Eve Higgins scored the pivotal try as Ireland launched its Women's Rugby World Cup campaign with a 42-14 victory over Japan in Northampton on Sunday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/08/25/more-sports/japan-ireland-womens-rugby-world-cup/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #moresports #women039srugbyworldcup #japan #ireland #southafrica #newzealand
An inspired Argentina played with greater discipline to upset New Zealand 29-23 in a bruising Rugby Championship match on Saturday and record its first home win over the All Blacks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/08/24/more-sports/argentina-tops-new-zealand-rugby/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #moresports #argentina #newzealand #pumas #allblacks
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is banking on back row beef and a reinforced bench to deliver another Rugby Championship win over Argentina and send his squad home with momentum for a showdown against South Africa. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/08/22/more-sports/all-blacks-argentina-preview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #moresports #allblacks #newzealand #argentina #scottrobertson #simonparker #rugbychampionship
Tournament host England heads into the Women's Rugby World Cup as the strong favorite, but is under huge pressure to end more than a decade of disappointment in the sport's showpiece event. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/08/22/more-sports/england-us-womens-rugby-world-cup/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #moresports #women039srugbyworldcup #ilonamaher #england #newzealand #portiawoodmanwickliffe #johnmitchell
New Zealand’s population is growing at its slowest rate in almost three years as a sluggish economic recovery deters foreign immigrants and prompts more citizens to leave. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/19/asia-pacific/society/new-zealand-population-growth/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #society #newzealand #population
A military court found a New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted espionage for a foreign power on Monday — the first spying conviction in the country's history. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/18/asia-pacific/crime-legal/new-zealand-soldier-espionage/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #crimelegal #newzealand #espionage
New Zealand's Samisoni Taukei'aho scored two late tries to seal a 41-24 Rugby Championship win over Argentina and return the All Blacks to the top of the world rankings on Saturday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/08/17/more-sports/all-blacks-return-top-spot/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #moresports #allblacks #argentina #newzealand #rugbychampionship #pumas
Run away! Run away!
Cartoon by Bill Amend.
The Buller River shot from the swing bridge. Really enjoyed wandering around the old gold mining sites. Quite an old photo with a fresh edit.
The Buller River shot from the swing bridge. Really enjoyed wandering around the old gold mining sites. Quite an old photo with a fresh edit.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, is "in denial" about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/12/world/politics/australia-albanese-netanyahu-gaza/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #australia #anthonyalbanese #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #benjaminnetanyahu #newzealand
As of 2025, there are about 147 countries that officially recognise the state of #Palestine.
Australia, UK, Canada, France have stated they intend to recognise the state of Palestine at the #UN General Assembly in Sept 25.
Meanwhile in #NewZealand it's yeah nah it's complicated as a lot of our government doesn't respect human rights and support the starvation and murder of innocent men, women and children.
How far down the gutter has this #Luxon led #NZPol govt dragged the mana and morality of this country, a once proud champion for human rights around the globe.
NEVER FORGET just how corrupt this current NZ Govt is.
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