Local Opinion

Pokies and surveys

Waipā District Council is currently reviewing its Gambling Policy. The Waipā district has 232 gaming machines (also known as pokies), located at 15 venues. We understand that a portion of money spent on pokies is…

Imagine what might be

One morning last week we were awoken at dawn, by something strange… an abandoned car sat just outside our house, with its motor running. A smashed window and mangled ignition barrel on the steering column,…

Cheques and balances

Two important pieces of economic data came out last week: the gross domestic product (GDP) figure for the March quarter 2023 and the balance of payments data for the same period. GDP fell 0.1 per…

The (grass) root of the matter

There have been many sporting highlights for me in a 40-year career as a journalist. Being waterside at the Sydney Olympics when Rob Waddell won his rowing gold medal, Auckland taking the Ranfurly Shield on…

Believing what you read and see?

After a weekend of clear azure skies and wonderful sunsets it is clearly going to be Fieldays week. I have written on this subject previously and will not dwell this time save to say that…

Exchanging old for new

You’re probably reasonably aware of the dynamic of hereditary factors transferring down a family line. The way we genetically inherit traits from our parents and grandparents is understood basically because of observable evidence. Coming into…

Field work preparation

It’s Saturday night and I am working. Sitting here with my laptop and music playing through headphones while my housemates rightfully relax with a movie, I am preparing for my trip to the Canary Islands…

Drunk driver and family harm

I’d like to start off with more good news stories this week. While off duty recently, one of our team observed a blue ute driving in a dangerous manner. She first saw the ute cross…

Tsunamis in New Zealand

In December 2018 he stood on the beach in the Sunda Straight, photographing Anak Krakatau, between Java and Sumatra, in the distance. Everything on the horizon had oddly gone dark and the orange glow of…

Better safe than scammed

Scammers are out in force at present. Cambridge Police have received further reports of significant financial loss at the hands of some determined scammers. In one case a person was convinced to invest in a…

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