Sarah Argyle
Three’s company
Te Waha Nui meets the rising stars of Auckland’s arts and culture scene. In the last of a four-part series, SARAH ARGYLE talks to multi-award winning opera trio O Sol3 Mio. Those who love opera – and even those who do not – are swooning at the breathtaking song, quick wit and humbling success story [...]
New campaign to clear the coast
Four young men are cleaning up coastlines and restoring some truth to New Zealand’s clean green image – one ad campaign at a time. Registered New Zealand charity Sustainable Coastlines has been working to protect the country’s shores since 2008. The team of four and a handful of volunteers have removed 839,420lt and 118,557kg of [...]
Bullying documentary raises hope
The documentary Bully, directed by Sundance and Emmy award winning Lee Hirsch, forces the viewer to recall personal experiences from times when they have been a bully, a victim or a silent witness. A very real representation of a serious problem affecting people of all ages all around the world, the film follows five young [...]
More women competing in triathlons
Two Auckland women preparing for what could be the biggest race of their lives say more women are competing in triathlons. Physiotherapy student India Kraal is training with Fonterra manager Anna Ross for the 2012 Triathlon World Championships being held in Auckland in October. Kraal, 22, competed in her first Olympic-distance race, finishing second in [...]
Today’s the day the teddy bears get well again
After injecting her teddy with a plastic syringe and putting his paw in a popsicle stick splint, Dr Eloise listens to her teddy’s heart with a stethoscope and says, “He’s feeling much better.” More than 100 young children joined 120 medical students for the annual Teddy Bear Hospital where, just like three-year-old Eloise, they were [...]
High-risk Wellington next in line for school quake checks
Auckland schools will follow Wellington schools as the Government sets priorities for building checks to the country’s high-risk earthquake areas. The building inspections, known as a “basic screening tool”, gather data from inspections by property inspectors. Information such as the building’s material, height, age, use and any previous history of strengthening are all assessed. A [...]
Triathlon grand final will put Auckland on world stage
Auckland is preparing for the arrival of 6500 triathletes in October when the city will host its first World Triathlon Grand Final. The event kicks off on October 14 with the Weet Bix Kids Tryathlon followed by the World Age Group Sprint and Distance Championships and age-group elite races. Triathletes will run one of numerous [...]
VIDEO: Children’s choir in NZ to tell of African suffering
An African children’s choir is in New Zealand to perform free concerts to raise awareness for the millions of African children orphaned by HIV, war and poverty. Since 1994 the Watoto Children’s Choir has travelled across the world, preaching their Christian faith and acting as an ambassador for African suffering. Watoto is a holistic care [...]
NZ’s rheumatic fever levels ‘shameful’, says professor
A leading heart specialist says the prevalence of rheumatic fever is a “shameful” marker of how New Zealand values its children. In a bid to combat rheumatic fever, at-risk school children in North Island “hot-spots” will have their throats swabbed as part of a $24 million Government programme expected to last five years. Professor Norman [...]
Melting the ice away – ‘heart warming’ effort raises $85,000
Thirty-three teams from around Auckland plunged into icy-cold water yesterday at Britomart in an attempt to raise money for the 12 Kiwi babies born each week with a heart condition. The Heart Stopper Challenge is the annual, iconic fundraising event for @Heart, a New Zealand charity dedicated to providing lifelong support for children born with a congenital [...]
Childhood trauma dramatically increases risk of schizophrenia, study finds
Researchers from universities in Auckland, Liverpool and Maastricht have found that children who experience childhood trauma are three times more likely to develop schizophrenia in later life. Schizophrenia affects approximately one in every 100 people and is most common for people between 15 and 30 years of age. Professor John Read, from the University of [...]
Christchurch cookery school reopens at Auckland’s Viaduct
Refusing to be defeated by the earthquakes that devastated Christchurch, the New Zealand School of Food and Wine has restarted its operation in Auckland. Founded by Celia Hay, NZSFW opened its first campus in Christchurch in 1995. The school recently reopened its doors at the Viaduct in downtown Auckland, fully-equipped with modern demonstration and practical [...]
New cameras track Auckland pedestrians round the clock
The installation of 24-hour cameras that record human movement means pedestrians in parts of central Auckland will now be tracked around the clock. In a joint venture with Auckland Council, Auckland central business association Heart of the City has installed cameras at three intersections on Queen Street and one on High Street. Heart of the [...]
Larger classes will hurt learning, not help it, say teachers
Teachers and school principals fear proposed Government budget cuts to education could harm children’s learning. The Treasury has released a report that says student achievement can be raised by improving the quality of teaching. The report also says: “Increasing student-teacher ratios can free up funding that could be used to support initiatives to enhance the [...]
Nothing wrong with romance – Kiwi buskers get their big break in Berlin
A New Zealand couple who took their chances busking on the streets of Berlin with only a ukelele and harmonica have been discovered and offered a record deal. Elliott McKee and girlfriend Chloe Lewer, who make up the indie-folk duo Charity Children Berlin, are recording their first album with indie label Monkey Records in Germany. [...]
175 triathlons later and Garth is still winning
Seventy-five-year-old Garth Barfoot celebrated his 175th triathlon with a win at the Panasonic People’s Tri Series at Maraetai Bay recently. The Auckland real estate agent – who won the 70-79 age category – has been competing in the sport for 17 years. “Other competitors give this white-haired old man a look when I pass them [...]
The Pacific Media Centre
- NZ: AUT new home for Rialto 48Hours filmmaking contest
- SAMOA: Journalists threatened – but press freedom isn't, says PM
- NZ: New models of funding needed, say investigative journalists
- AUDIO: Green MP blasts NZ policy failure over Pacific climate change
- AUDIO: PNG free trade critic Gary Juffa explains bad impact on Pacific
Pacific.Scoop
- ‘Chains free’ mental health campaign in Indonesia may end pasung
- Independence waves rock French hold on colonised Pacific
- West Papua ‘observer’ status issue faces critical Melanesian summit
- PNG opposition leader backs free media in battle against government
- NZ trade mission aims to boost infrastructure projects in PNG
