The man who died after he unknowingly drank beer contaminated with methamphetamine said he was given a 24 pack of "Honey Beer House Beer" by a colleague.

Sisters of Aiden Sagala, who died after drinking the beer, told Newshub on Monday night that Sagala, along with other workmates, were given the beer for free.

According to the family, Sagala – who didn't drink alcohol often – asked whether beer usually tasted "salty".

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The "Honey Bear House Beer" comes in blue-and-red, 473ml cans featuring a picture of a bear.

A shipment that contains the drug may have been passed around by people trying to import it using the beer as a cover, Detective Inspector Chris Barry said.

"It is not believed this beer is available to be purchased in New Zealand and no other brand is involved in this shipment."

'I think I'm dying': Gentle giant's fear after drinking contaminated beer 

Aiden's sister Angela Sagala said the beer he brought home came from someone at work.

"It was a colleague. His words were, 'Oh, it's a friend from work'," she said.

Angela's partner also drank a can, but his was beer and did not appear to be contaminated.

The "gentle giant" asked his sister's partner if the beer he was drinking was "meant to taste salty". 

"My partner had a sip of it and spat it out," she said.

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Aiden then abruptly fell ill, telling his family "I think I'm dying" before collapsing.

Angela was out getting fish and chips at the time.

Her partner called her, telling her to "get home now".

She could hear her brother yelling "Mum" in the background of the phone call, and "went through three red lights" as she raced to get home, she said.

Upon arrival, she saw her brother was having a seizure. Angela described him as looking "possessed".

"He was on the ground and was trying to fidget with his nose and then he turned to me and was like, 'Sis, I'm dying,'" she said.

Angela is a doctor. She managed her brother's pulse and performed CPR when his lips became blue.

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Five days later, Aiden died, and a positive result for meth was found in his urine.

This did not make sense to his family, until Angela and her partner recalled the beer he'd been drinking that night.

"He was a man of God, the most loving, gentle giant," Angela Sagala told Newshub.

"He lights up the room, he really does light up the room.

"He was a very talented boy, he was loved. He was the prince of our family."

On Monday, police uncovered more than a quarter of a tonne of methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of beer, which they expect to increase.

So far 328 kilograms of methamphetamine has been recovered in crystallised form from the industrial address.

This comes as Auckland police continue to look into methamphetamine in liquid form that was found at the same time.

Police advise anyone who may still have one of these cans to not drink it and to contact police immediately.

This article originally appeared on Stuff and has been reproduced with permission.

Venturing into the icy tundra of Antarctica, Matthew Jordan braced himself against the -29 degree cold, for he, with camera in hand, was on a mission.

The Perth man was about to capture one of nature's most dazzling spectacles, while "wintering" on Scott Base, New Zealand's Antarctic research station.

The scenes on Friday and Saturday are ones that will live with Jordan forever as pinks and greens, just visible to the naked eye, danced over the frozen landscape.

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"This was the first aurora event that we have had at Scott Base this winter season," Jordan told 9news.com.au.

"We are only now experiencing skies that are dark enough for them to be visible, and while we are still not getting complete night-time, the southern lights were very visible.

"As this was the first good Aurora Australis show we've experienced, a lot of the team were out and about enjoying the lights."

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Jordan said he's no stranger to the magic of the aurora.

He's previously witnessed the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in Canada and Sweden.

He's also watched the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, above Christchurch in New Zealand, where he moved to in 2017.

"Seeing the Southern Lights from Antarctica was extra special," Jordan said.

"The aurora can be seen directly overhead looking straight up, whereas the other times I have seen the aurora, it was more visible over the horizon.

"The colours that you see in the images were faint when viewing with the naked eye, but showed up on the camera due to the long exposure times that were used."

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Aurora displays form when charged solar particles collide with atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere.

The sun is currently in an active solar phase, which is expected to peak in 2025.

This has made for some stunning displays across the southern hemisphere.

READ MORE: What it is like to shoot the magical Aurora Australis

While the lights were magical to witness, Jordan admitted Saturday's shooting conditions did prove a little more extreme. 

"On Friday night we experienced ambient temperatures of -29 degrees which feels quite manageable when wearing the extreme cold weather clothing that Antarctica New Zealand issue us with," he said.

"(But) the second night saw the 'feels like' temperature drop to -42 degrees.

"Friday night was nice and calm with very little wind. Saturday had wind speeds of around 10-15 knots which contributes to the cooler temperatures.

"I spent less time outside on Saturday night, but still felt warm in all of my outdoor gear."

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https://www.instagram.com/p/CqJmZF8POOy/

Jordan, who is employed as Project Manager on the Scott Base Redevelopment Project, is no stranger to the frozen continent, having completed eight trips.

He's part of the team rebuilding the Base, replacing ageing infrastructure "with a safe, fit-for-purpose, and sustainable research facility".

The facility Jordan is helping build will support New Zealand's presence in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica for the next 50 years.

However, this is his first time experiencing an Antarctic winter in its entirety, which starts in March and lasts until October.

"Over the winter I am supervising a small team conducting some internal renovation works on the base," Jordan said.

"We are still in a very early stage of the season so I'm yet to experience the more challenging aspects.

"But speaking to colleagues who have wintered before, the storms that we are likely to experience can be quite extreme.

"In certain conditions where the temperature is too low, or the visibility too poor, we will restrict our movements purely to inside the buildings, with outside work or recreation restricted for our safety."

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A missing Florida toddler who was found dead in the mouth of an alligator last week was put in the lake by his father, who is also accused of killing the child's mother, police say.

Thomas Mosley, 21, is facing two counts of first-degree murder, according to St Petersburg police affidavits.

"Due to the extremely serious allegations surrounding these tragic losses, our investigation is currently focused on gathering information about the facts and circumstances of the case, as well as our client's mental state," a spokesperson for Sixth Judicial Circuit Public Defender Sara Mollo said in a statement.

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Mosley allegedly "did throw or place" his two-year-old son, Taylen, into a lake, inflicting "mortal wounds" that caused the child's death, according to one of the affidavits.

Taylen had been reported missing after his mother, 20-year-old Pashun Jeffery, was found dead in her apartment Thursday afternoon with multiple stab wounds, police previously said.

The night before Jeffery was found, Mosley allegedly went to his mother's house with "severe lacerations to both of his hands and arms consistent with injuries caused by slippage during a knife attack" and was admitted to a hospital, according to an affidavit.

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On Thursday, Jeffery's family went to check on her and allegedly saw blood on the sidewalk from her apartment, the affidavit said.

They found Jeffery inside dead with "apparent cuts and stabs in excess of 100 wounds," according to an affidavit.

"A bloody fingerprint on a cleaning bottle which had been intentionally placed under a bed in the crime scene was identified to (Mosley)," the affidavit said.

"A bloody shoe print with a 'Gucci' emblem was located on the bathroom floor where the victim was found," the affidavit continues.

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The two-year-old was not at the crime scene and authorities launched a search for the boy.

The following day, an alligator was spotted in Dell Homes Park just kilometres away from where Jeffery was found dead, with an object in its mouth, police said.

Officers fired a single round at the reptile and it dropped the object.

Officers were able to retrieve what they discovered to be Taylen's body, which was intact, according to police.

The alligator was euthanised, an affidavit added.

Mosley was booked in the Pinellas County Jail on Friday, according to the website of the sheriff's office.

He is scheduled for a bond hearing on April 11.

CNN reached out to the Office of the State Attorney, who did not offer a comment.

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The Easter Show was first held in Sydney in 1823 by Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales.

A Melbourne man is demanding action after gambling away more than $200,000.

Fred, from Caulfield in the city's south east, is calling for better education about the dangers of gambling.

The 26-year-old footy fanatic was fresh out of high school in 2015 when he inherited a small fortune and developed a gambling addiction.

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"It was a kinda really ugly, unhealthy evolution of my love and obsession of sport," he said.

"I reckon I lost about $230,000."

Now rehabilitated he's calling for change, including better education in schools.

"We have sex ed, we have drug ed, where's the gambling ed? I think now's the time."

Tim Costello from the Alliance for Gambling Reform said gambling is Australia's blind spot.

"We are losing the most in gambling of any nation in the world, 40 per cent higher than the nation that comes second," Costello, said.

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"It's not only taking over lives, it's ending people's lives, people are ending their own lives."

Now Canberra is paying more attention with the nation's top sporting codes in the spotlight over the proliferation of sports betting advertising.

AFL boss Gill McLachlan and his NRL counterpart Andrew Abdo will appear side by side tomorrow at the federal government's inquiry into online gambling.

The counter argument is further restrictions on gambling advertisements could put the free coverage of sport at risk.

Fred is stronger now and is fulfilling his life by motivating others and coaching kids.

"That's real winning, that connection I get with people, and the smiles," he said.

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There are many different ways to get help and information about gambling. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858; use online counselling; find information about help services in your state or territory; get information and support for family and friends; get information about how to talk with someone about their gambling; or contact Gamblers Anonymous.

All services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sir William says the wisdom passed down to him has formed the basis for his new book.

Aiden Sagala, 21, tragically died after he ‘innocently sat down for a beer after work’.

If continual interest rate rises and growing property prices weren't enough pressure on potential homebuyers, new data shows Australians aren't earning enough to buy a home without mortgage stress.

Canstar research found wages are falling up to $145,000 short of what would be needed to comfortably pay a mortgage along with the household bills in the country's capital cities.

Those living in Sydney need to earn the most, with a pay cheque of $239,480 before tax required to make repayments easily.

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Sydney's average property price has returned to above $1 million, new data from CoreLogic showed today.

So in the harbourside city, if the median property value is $1.2 million then mortgage repayments add up to $5,900 a month.

But to comfortably afford this a homebuyer needs to earn $239,000.

But the kicker is the average income is $94,000 in Sydney so there is a $145,000 difference between what makes the dream of homeownership affordable.

It's a similar story in other capital cities.

In Perth or Darwin, potential homebuyers need to earn $115,000 to avoid mortgage stress.

In other capital cities, Canberra follows Sydney in requiring the highest income of $183,000 to avoid mortgage stress however the average income is $104,000 leaving many $78,000 short.

In Melbourne, potential homebuyers earn $93,000 which is $81,000 short of the target salary to afford a home.

In Brisbane, aspiring homebuyers need to earn $58,000 more than the average and in Adelaide, it's $48,000.

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Canstar's editor-at-large Effie Zahos said the rapid rise in the cash rate and rising property prices will put stress on potential homebuyers.

"It's aspiring homebuyers who could be caught in mortgage stress straight out of the gate with higher property prices being matched with higher interest rates," she said.

"Rising property prices are cementing the fact that a single-income earner can't buy a home on their own wage without incurring significant mortgage stress."

It comes as all eyes are on the Reserve Bank of Australia and what decision is made with the cash rate this month as economists forecast a pause.

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But Zahos said even if the cash rate is paused, mortgage stress isn't going away anytime soon.

"Potential homebuyers will need to consider all their options. Having two incomes can help ease mortgage stress," she said.

"Buying a unit instead of a house can reduce the amount of income required to service a debt and shared equity schemes are also an option for buyers wanting to enter the property market.

"The bank of mum and dad is also a possibility but as interest rates rise this bank is fast closing as the number of parents able to assist has declined."

Another 0.25 per cent interest rate rise this month would add another $82 on monthly repayments for a $500,000 but in the past year the accumulative toll of interest rate rises is $3,236.

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The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal Malka Leifer has been found guilty of 18 sexual abuse offences against two former students.

Jurors on Monday handed down mixed verdicts against the 56-year-old mother-of-eight after a trial in the Victorian County Court.

She was accused of sexually abusing Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper at the Adass Israel School in Melbourne's eastern suburbs between 2003 and 2007.

Jurors convicted her of 18 offences relating to offending against Erlich and Sapper.

She was acquitted of nine charges, including the five that related to Meyer and several charges involving Erlich.

Leifer, who sat with her head tilted watching the jury, did not react as the verdicts were read.

Erlich and Sapper were in court for the verdicts.

Leifer was appointed menaheles, or principal, of the girls' school after arriving in Melbourne in 2001 but was stood down when allegations were raised in 2008.

She fled to Israel days later and when charged in 2014 began a years-long battle against extradition.

The sisters told jurors they were abused by Leifer on school camps, during private lessons at the school and at Leifer's home.

Prosecutor Justin Lewis argued Leifer had a tendency to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers.

Lewis said the tendency was to engage in sexual activities with them and to take advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance in sexual matters and her position of authority in order to do so.

Her barrister, Ian Hill KC, argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offending and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defence and to jurors.

He attacked the credibility of the sisters, including accusing one of telling "blatant lies" in her evidence.

"Truth and reliability were lost in false accounts," he said.

"Perhaps even at times hardened into false imaginations and false memories of false realities."

Outside court, her victims said the result was "bittersweet" because Leifer was not found guilty on all charges, but they are looking forward to moving on with their lives.

"When you know your truth and the truth is the truth, truth will prevail and it did and today it did. Malka Leifer was found guilty," Sapper said.

"Knowing that she could abuse other people, we couldn't rest with that knowledge of what she did to us, how could we allow her to get away with it and continue abusing other young girls we couldn't rest with that knowledge," Erlich said.

"Malka Leifer is guilty. We have waited 11 years to say those words," Meyer added.

Leifer will be sentenced at a later date. 

– Reported with AAP

Aussies have been warned to secure their pet enclosures as snakes begin to hunt for food to survive the cooler months.

Snake Catchers Brisbane and Gold Coast posted a photo of an engorged coastal carpet python outside a home after snacking on two brush-tail possums.

The image sparked a warning from the company to pet owners to secure pet enclosures like chicken coops as snakes are ravenous before winter hits.

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"The cooler weather is on the way and this time of year pythons are taking large food items to keep the body fat on to help them through the cooler months," the group said.

"This is the time of year to make sure your pet enclosure is rodent-proof to help minimise snake versus pet encounters."

Some social media comments welcomed the cooler months for hibernation however Snake Catchers Brisbane and Gold Coast quickly debunked this.

"Brumation not hibernation, snakes are still active in the cooler months, specifically on warm winter days," the group said.

Residents are urged to make sure their enclosures for chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice are secured to avoid snakes snacking on their pets.

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