By RNZ After two years of disruptions, the world’s largest secondary schools Pacific cultural festival is back this year – in April.Auckland Polyfest marks its 45th anniversary this year after being cancelled last year due to…
Tag Archives: oceania
Crash blocks Auckland motorway lanes after motorbike hits pedestrian
Two lanes on Auckland’s Northern Motorway are off-limits after a motorbike collided with a person.Police said a motorbike struck a pedestrian at 4.10pm between the McClymonts Rd on-ramp and Greville Road off-ramp in Albany.Two…
Hawke's Bay police impound 35 cars in two weeks
Police in Hawke’s Bay have impounded 35 vehicles in a fortnight spent cracking down on “burnouts” and street-racing.A statement says 12 of the vehicles were impounded “for this behaviour in the fortnight January 15-28”, but further…
Boat rage incident: People are ignorant or arrogant or both, says Tairua ferry operator
A violent boating rage incident at Tairua is just a “pimple on the bum” of a systemic problem with boaties flouting the rules, says the captain of the local ferry service.The Tairua-Pauanui ferry operator, Rob Glasgow, said the…
Napier speedway incident that hospitalised young person to be investigated
An incident at an event at Meeanee Speedway in Napier that saw a young person taken to hospital in an ambulance will be “fully investigated”.A St John spokeswoman said a person was on Saturday night taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital…
Two-year rāhui for Waiheke Island waters to protect kaimoana
By Te Aorewa Rolleston of RNZ Mana whenua on Waiheke island are placing a two-year rāhui on the island in a bid to stop four species of kaimoana from collapsing.The iwi, Ngāti Pāoa, has been worried for years…
Dive squad to join search after man goes missing following swim in Canterbury's Waimakariri River
A man has gone missing after swimming in Canterbury’s Waimakariri River.Police were called when the man’s friends could not find him after he went swimming near the Waimakariri Bridge.Despite police searching the river with help…
Trans-Tasman travel ban lifted
New Zealanders will once again be allowed to fly into Australia without undergoing quarantine, after three cases linked to a mutant COVID-19 strain caused Australian authorities to put the safe travel zone on hold.
Green zone flights between Australia and New Zealand will resume from 2pm today, Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd has announced.
Professor Kidd said the move was made because New Zealand hadn't recorded any new COVID-19 infections after the initial three cases of the B1351 variant, commonly known as the South African variant, were detected.
"The three cases all originated from transmission within hotel quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland," Professor Kidd said.
"All close contacts of these three New Zealand cases have returned negative test results and there have been no further cases found to date in the casual contacts, in the previous residents of the hotel or in the staff of the hotel."
However, New Zealanders won't be completely free of coronavirus restrictions.
They will have to undergo pre and post-flight COVID-19 screening for the next 10 days.
As well as monitoring for coronavirus symptoms, the screening will ensure no one who flies to Australia is a close contact of a confirmed case or has visited any of the contact tracing areas of interest without receiving a negative COVID-19 test.
In addition, travellers must have spent at least 14 days in New Zealand before making the trip to Australia, not including time spent in their quarantine hotels.
Australia's suspension of one-way safe zone flights with New Zealand lifted
Australia has resumed its one-way quarantine-free travel arrangements with New Zealand.Australia’s acting chief medical officer Professor Michael Kidd announced in a press conference today that a suspension of green-zone flights…
Teen girls allegedly drugged, gang raped in Brisbane park
Four men have been charged after they allegedly drugged and repeatedly gang raped two 15-year-old girls in a Brisbane park.
It's believed up to 10 men could have been involved in the sexual assaults, which allegedly occurred in a Calamvale park on December 28.
Two of the men, a 19-year-old man from Woodridge and a 20-year-old man from Hillcrest, appeared in court yesterday over the alleged attack.
They have been charged with 40 offences each, including rape, stupefying in order to commit an indictable offence, taking a child for immoral purposes and assault with intent to commit rape.
The court heard that the teenagers met some of the men at a train station to drink and smoke cannabis before being taken to the park.
Both men were denied bail, with the 20-year-old remanded in custody until February 22 and the 19-year-old until February 1.
Two more men, aged 22 and 21, from Acacia Ridge and Runcorn have also been charged with 40 offences each and are due to appear in Richlands Magistrates Court on February 1.