The YHA said the extended Auckland lockdown and no prospects of an international visitors this summer left the association in an unsustainable financial position.The 11 hostels owned by the association will close from 15 December 89 years of operation.The association is also linked with 23 other individually-owned properties around the country which will continue to operate as normal, Cartwright said.In late 2020, YHA completed a restructure to carry the organisation through to a hoped for recovery this summer.Advertisement: Gilligan BuildingIt doubled the number of domestic guests over the past year but it had not been enough to offset the loss of international tourism.YHA general manager Simon Cartwright said the national board and senior management had worked closely with YHA's primary lender to ensure all prepaid bookings were fully refunded and staff entitlements were retained through the closure period."YHA staff have been incredible during extraordinary times," he said."It is an ending none of us wanted but we want to make sure we exit in a way which ensures our people are not left out of pocket."Advertisement: East Road PetsThe YHA-managed hostels to close next month are: YHA Auckland International, YHA Rotorua, YHA Wellington, YHA Christchurch, YHA Lake Tekapo, YHA Aoraki Mt Cook, YHA Wanaka, YHA Queenstown Central, YHA Queenstown Lakefront, YHA Franz Josef and YHA Te Anau."This is a sad time for our staff, our members and our industry," Mr Cartwright said."YHA has been a cornerstone of youth travel in New Zealand for 89 years. It has evolved with the fast moving changes of the industry and lead industry thinking both domestically and among the international network."YHA was looking forward to a bright future in 2019 having just opened a new hostel in Tekapo. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has just gone on too long for us to be able to ride it out."Today is a sad day for tourism in New Zealand."Republished by Arrangement

Emergency Management Southland has issued a heavy rain warning for Fiordland from 1am Friday till 1am Saturday.They advise that between 150 - 200mm could fall, with peaks between 15 - 20 mm/h. This may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly with surface flooding and slips also possible.Driving conditions may become hazardous.Updates can be found by clicking here.

The National Party is holding a press conference after a backlash against Judith Collins' sudden demotion of Simon Bridges has seen her step down as leader.Collins was voted out as National's leader after the party was locked in a caucus for more than three hours.Deputy Dr Shane Reti will be the interim leader of the National Party.Collins confirmed the news on her Twitter feed.Collins demoted Bridges to the back benches over a five-year-old complaint about lewd comments at a party function.Bridges hit back this morning saying it was "truly desperate stuff" from Judith Collins who would go to any length to hold on to her leadership.MP Simon O'Connor, who is Bridges' brother-in-law, said there must be an immediate change of leadership, saying: "The way that this has been handled is just outright appalling".National MP Barbara Kuriger said she had lots of questions, and the state of the party was pretty disappointing.Follow all the latest news on RNZ's live blogRepublished by Arrangement

Dunedin Hospital has deployed decades-old technology in its fight against the COVID-19 virus.Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light has been used extensively as a disinfectant for more than 40 years.However following research proving its effectiveness in inactivating the COVID-19 virus, the latest in UV-C lighting technology has been installed at Dunedin Hospital in what is believed to be a New Zealand first.Patients from the southern region with COVID-19 who need to come to hospital will be cared for at Dunedin Hospital, and infectious disease physician Dr Brendan Arnold has overseen the installation of a first set of 20 ‘upper air disinfection units’ in the hospital.These have been installed in the emergency department and respiratory ward to help prepare the hospital to receive COVID-positive patients.More units will be installed as required across other Southern DHB facilities.“UV-C lights offer an efficient, cost-effective solution for improving the air disinfection, particularly when you’re working with ageing infrastructure,” Dr Arnold says.“They are very easy to retrofit compared with the work required to improve mechanical ventilation systems.”Advertisement: Chris Peterson Mike Pero Real EstateDunedin Hospital has five negative pressure rooms in the respiratory ward, and needed to upgrade other rooms in the ward to be ready for when the virus spreads south.The UV-C lamps are one of a range of technologies Southern DHB is implementing to improve air disinfection in clinical areas that will be required to manage COVID-19.Wall-mounted units now direct UV-C light across the ceiling space in an Emergency Department observation unit as well as in five four-bedded rooms in the respiratory ward at Dunedin Hospital in preparation for the hospital to receive COVID-positive patients.The UV-C light neutralises the virus in the air at the top of the room while the normal hospital ventilation system circulates the air, exposing the virus to the UV-C. Staff can continue to work safely underneath.Advertisement: Wild RidesDr Arnold says more than 1,500 hospitals in South Africa use the technology for the control of tuberculosis, and it has also recently been shown to be highly effective against coronavirus.Computer-aided design modelling was used to assist with lamp placement in each room.New Zealand Country Leader for Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), Chris Morris, says laboratory research has shown that Philips UV-C disinfection upper air wall mount luminaires inactivated 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease, in the air of a room within 10 minutes. At 20 minutes, the virus was below detectable levels. “This indicates that, in most indoors situations, upper air UV-C can remove pathogens including SARS-Cov-2 from the air with greater efficacy than natural or mechanical ventilation,” says Morris. “The technology is effective for disinfecting air, water and surfaces and has been proven over many years.”UV-C lights are also being installed in schools, universities, supermarkets, gyms and hospitals overseas, he said.

A cycle and walkway linking Bluff to Invercargill has now been completed.The 25km trail will become part of the Te Araroa Trail, a 3000km off-road walkway that stretches the length of the country between Cape Reinga and Bluff.Environment Southland lead transport planner Russell Hawkes said it gave walkers, runners and cyclists the ability to see a picturesque part of the region from a completely new perspective.“This is the culmination of a project that has been many years in the making. We are thrilled to see the hard work and contributions of a range of supporters come to fruition. Now that the trail is open and available for use we are keen to let Southlanders know it’s there and available for them.” Advertisement: ComplEat WellnessInvercargill City Council roading manager Russell Pearson said the Council was pleased to have been part of the project.“We’re happy to see the trail completed and ready to be enjoyed by our community. “It’s always great when we can highlight the connections Invercargill City Council has with other agencies and can see what good work comes from when we put our heads together. “We hope everyone takes the opportunity to have a cycle on at least part of the trail, as it is great to get a new perspective from the saddle of a bike, rather than through the window of a car.” Advertisement: Awarua SynergyThe trail is a joint project between Environment Southland and Invercargill City Council, with significant funding contributions from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and Te Araroa Trails Trust. Financial support has also been provided by the ILT Foundation and Community Trust South.An official opening ceremony will take place early 2022 once interpretation panels have been installed at six locations on the trail. They will tell the Ngāi Tahu story of a journey. There will also be wayfinding signage, seating and at least one shelter.More information on the trail and a map can be found here www.es.govt.nz/trail

On 3 December, the country will leave behind the alert level system which has been in place since early 2020 and move into the traffic light system.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move today, saying the most important thing to communicate about the traffic light system was "for the most part, if you're vaccinated, you can go about doing all the kinds of things you'd usually expect ... what varies is just how large those gatherings are at different levels".So what is the traffic light system - formally the Covid-19 Protection Framework - and how does it work? Here are the basics:The system will involve three settings - green, orange and red.Vaccine levels will play a key determining factor for which regions go into red and which go into orange on 3 December, Ardern said."We will look at ... vaccine rates, we will look at case rates, and that will be the major determining factor but we'll also be pragmatic. So you know, a good indication is if you've hit 90 percent first dose is a good indication of where you're heading.""If you want to be guaranteed that no matter the setting that we are in, that you can go to bars, restaurants and close-proximity businesses like a hairdresser, then you will need to be vaccinated," Ardern told media in October.Back then, Ardern also said the vaccination certificates would allow businesses to be able to open and operate at any level.RedThe red setting will allow hospitality to open with vaccine certificates, but gathering limits, physical distancing, masks and other public health measures would be used.Record keeping and scanning will be required, with face coverings mandatory on flights, public transport, in taxis, retail, and in venues.Public facilities can open with up to 100 people and 1m distancing. Retail needs to have 1m distancing too.People are advised to work at home, but ECEs, schools and kura can open with public health measures.Some outdoor community events will be allowed with limited capacity.OrangeAt orange, gathering limits can lift. Places that choose not to use vaccination certificates will either be closed or have public health measures in place.There will be no limits for the following if vaccination certificates are used: Hospitality, gatherings (weddings, worship, marae), events, close contact business, gyms.Without the use of certificates, hospitality and gatherings will have limits appliedWithout the use of certificates, events, gyms and close contact businesses will not be able to operate.Photo: RNZ / Vinay RanchhodGreenGreen is when there are some Covid-19 cases in the community but at low levels.Fully vaccinated people can enjoy all events and hospitality and gatherings by showing a vaccine certificate.Premises choosing not to use certificates will face restrictions similar to the current alert level framework.Photo: RNZRepublished by Arrangement

A 30-year-old man died following a rafting incident on the Caples River, near Lake Wakatipu, at about 1pm on Monday 22 November.He was Stephen Andrew Bowler, of Queenstown.Mr Bowler was in a group of people rafting on the river in inflatable pack rafts.Police are making enquiries in relation to his death on behalf of the coroner.The coroner will release their finding in due course.As a mark of respect, Ngāi Tahu has put a rahui in place for Caples River, including the stretch of river mouth where it meets Lake Wakatipu.This will remain in place until 30 November. 

On a warm spring day in rural Southland, Ohai is as quiet as ever. You could fire a cannon down the street and not hit anyone.The town of 300 is home to just a handful of streets, and even fewer shops, making the mine office and local fire station particularly prominent in an otherwise empty streetscape.It is a town on the way to nowhere, and after New Vale announced in September that it was closing the local coal mine, sentiment built that perhaps Ohai’s days were as numbered as the controversial resource it was built on.But one street back from the main road, a different kind of energy is being generated under the roof of an old schoolhouse.Kapai Energy is an umbrella term for the Carr's hauora business, the main facet of which is their gym. Photo: Matthew Rosenberg/LDRThe former site of Ohai Primary School, which closed in 2003, is now home to not only a family of four, but also a thriving gym which goes by the name Kapai Energy."I've heard business is to make profit. I’m about making a living," Asha Carr says.enthusiastically, surrounded by weights and machines."My accountant was like, 'I don’t know how you’re doing it, but you’re doing it'."Advertisement: Ezi ComputingIn 2014, the Carrs made the shift from Palmerston North to Ohai (a town they had never been to) after stumbling across the school for sale online. A $235,000 payment later, and they were settling into their new home and life in the backblocks of rural Southland.It was Google that got them there, Asha says, but a lifestyle they love that will keep them in the town for the long haul.Under the banner of their brand Kapai Energy, the pair run not only the fitness studio, but also "mums and bubs fitness", first aid training, community music jams and senior citizen te reo Māori catch-ups over tea (Ka Pai Cuppa).The gym is the main arm of the business, and services both the people of Ohai and neighbouring Nightcaps.Advertisement: Frews EngineeringAt any one time there are about 20 active members making use of the facilities in a month-by-month membership arrangement which allows them to come three times a week.Hour-long sessions are booked in advance and work out at $6 a pop.However, it is business not-as-usual for the duo who met in the military at Waiouru over 10 years ago.Scott Carr (39) says the business brings positivity to the local community. Photo: Matthew Rosenberg/LDRWhile husband Scott attends to the children in a neighbouring classroom — their home — Asha lays out the business plan and talks openly about the fact she sometimes turns people away — for their own good.If people are trying to sign up in the warmer months, she normally tries to deter them."If you start now, you’re going to commit to the gym. But the thing is, by the time it comes to winter, and it’s not that great to be outside and the pool’s closed, you’re gonna be bored," she says."You’ve got to get yourself connected to the environment."Advertisement: SouthTileConnection is important to her, and increasingly so. She speaks with conviction about her building her relationships with both her community and her whakapapa.Determined to combine the two, she recently piloted a programme for Māori in Ohai called Mai Ora, which provided an introduction to the maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar) and cultural frameworks.Participants were given free access to the gym for three months, and Asha says the opportunity to explore cultural identity was "amazing"."This is what we’re missing in the communities, is pro-social activities that people can engage in.Advertisement: Southern Isuzu"Now that I’ve evolved into learning more about te reo Māori, [I] realise that health and wellbeing is hauora, which is tracking yourself off the maramataka," she says."I grew up without a belief system, and now I’ve delved into a belief system that was always a part of me."Asha says learning about the maramataka has been revolutionary.She has come to realise that the highs and lows of life are natural, and to be embraced, not stigmatised.Advertisement: VelocityGiving the example of assessing one’s environment before committing to the day’s activities, she says being stuck with admin on a high-energy day will only lead to frustration.Conversely, being around people who "wind you up a bit" on a low-energy day will have similar negative outcomes.An overemphasis in society of being ‘‘moderate’’ at all times will do more harm than good, she believes."I’m going the other way and going, if you’re static, you’ve got mental health issues," she says, laughing.Kapai Energy is a play on Scott and Asha’s surnames (Carr and Asha’s maiden name Paenga) and the pair plan to continue expanding their operation, which could include turning one of the other seven classrooms into a secondary gym space.But living in a quiet town still comes with its challenges.The Carrs had never been to Ohai before they found the property online. Matthew Rosenberg/LDRAsha jokes she only runs the programmes so that she can make friends in the small town of 300, and says sometimes they are the only ones who turn up to their own events.Meanwhile, Scott is often on the road for days at a time working multiple jobs to keep the income flowing.In between running first aid courses around the region and working as an event medic, he does not think he has put in a normal work week in about two years.The challenges only spur them on.Advertisement: Winton MotorcyclesScott says people in the town just carry on with life, even when the headlines become negative as they have in recent months following the announcement of both mine closure and potential expansion."We’re trying to put out a bit of positivity and help out the locals, and be a part of the solution rather than the problem," he says.Asha also has some advice for people who are looking to go out on a limb and try something completely out of the ordinary, as the couple have: make the decision then tell other people what you are doing."It was the opportunity of what we wanted to do with our whanau. So it was irrelevant ... what other people thought and their opinions."I was getting ‘why are you moving out there?' ... now they’re coming out to see us here and they’re like ‘this is cool'."Matthew RosenbergLocal Democracy Reporting EditorRepublished by Arrangement

-Why should you filter your stored water?Rainwater itself is very pure but in the collection process it becomes contaminated with airborne particles, bacteria or anything on your roof, gutters and within the water tank itself.Leaf matter, rust, dirt and animal droppings all come into contact with your water along the way bringing with it harmful bacteria, sediment, bad tastes and odours.Hybrid-G200Dual Filtration and UV All-in-One Unit with Weather CoverThe Puretec Hybrid G200 is exclusive to Think Water Stores. The system ensures that any stored water is free from contamination.It features sediment filtration, taste & odour reduction & Radfire™ Ultraviolet Technology, a natural purification process that is completely eco-friendly & kills 99.9% of bacteria in your water including E.coli, Giardia & Cryptosporidium. Ensuring your water is pure, tastes and smells great & free from bacteria, the way water should be!Hybrid-G13Triple Filtration and UV All-in-One Unit with Weather CoverThe Puretec G13 systems incorporates a three-stage filtration process to reduce sediment, chemicals including chlorine, bad taste, odour, ideal for mains to rains switchover systems.Enjoy peace of mind with safe, purified, bacteria-free water at every outlet in the house. These systems also reduce silt, algae sludge, dirt & rust giving good general purpose filtration and are exclusively available from Think Water stores.This system reduces sediment, chemicals including chlorine, bad taste, odour and is highly effective in eliminating bacteria and parasites in your water.Suited to medium to large applications, these systems are designed for both mains and rainwater supply.EM2-140High Flow Whole House Dual Water Filter SystemThe Puretec EM2-140 system is the appropriate choice for providing safe, clean and healthy water throughout the house or building. Providing maximum filtration with minimal flow restriction, these systems provide peace of mind throughout the house, office, protecting appliances from sediment and sludge build-up and extending the service life of ceramic disc tapware.PureMix Z7High Flow Inline Undersink Harsh Water SystemThe PureMix Z7 system is designed specifically for applications with higher sediment and harsher water quality such as rural supplies, areas with older pipe infrastructure and rainwater. With 3 levels of filtration, the PureMix Z7 filters out sediment, rust and dirt down to 1 micron. Bad taste, odour, chlorine and other chemicals leaving healthy, great tasting, clean, safe and pure water.*Micron rating is nominal. Protect from freezing. ^ Warranty is 1 year parts and labor plus parts only after the first year. Prices include GST, available at Think Water Southland and are subject to change.Copyright © Puretec Pty Ltd 2021. Offers valid until 6th December 2021.03 214 3963120 Don Street, Invercargill 9810www.thinkwater.co.nz/southlandPublished by arrangement

A traffic light Christmas is on the way, but freedoms will depend on the level of vaccination - some DHBs are on track but the West Coast lags behind.The prime minister signalled yesterday areas under 90 percent fully vaccinated can expect the strictest controls under the Covid Protection Framework.So will all the South Island DHBs hit the target by Christmas?Based on current rates it is possible.Advertisement: TrenzCanterbury and Southern have blown past 90 percent first doses and Nelson-Marlborough and South Canterbury are almost there.But West Coast - at 86 percent first doses and only 74 percent fully vaccinated - is the south's laggard.West Coast DHB deputy chair Tony Kokshoorn said he was confident they would get there."Yes, I certainly do feel we can get there by Christmas - up to 90 percent. We're certainly working hard at that and it's in our interests to get there. It's in the whole South Island's interest to be up there so we can get some freedom back."Advertisement: Nick Robertson PGG Wrightson Real Estate Te AnauThe DHB was pulling out all the stops, including mobile clinics at remote outposts, he said."I stopped off on the Grey River just the other day and talked to a lot of the whitebaiters to see if they'd be interested in me going down with a nurse and jabbing them on the spot while they're whitebaiting. So that's working ok, we're really pushing it hard and I do feel we will get there by Christmas."The West Coast had its share of antivaxxers, like any part of the country, Kokshoorn said. But he believed it was complacency and geography causing the area to lag the rest of the south.Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he was pleased - as were local businesses - to know Aucklanders would be able to travel south from 15 December.Advertisement: Petsmart.nz"I think it's sufficiently prior to Christmas to allow people to make plans for holidays. It's great from our point of view having a date, it enables employers to find people, it enables them to get their businesses up and running again, so it's pretty much a win-win."More than 90 percent of Queenstown Lakes was now fully vaccinated.Boult's only concern was the district might not be given the green light due to other poorer performing areas in the Southern DHB.Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson said the traffic light system might be the push some needed to get vaccinated.Advertisement: Glengarry PharmacyShe wanted the greatest possible freedom for as much of the country come Christmas."That lead up to Christmas and that holiday period is a really important time for a lot of our businesses that have been really hurting - our retailers and our hospitality sector. So if we can as many of those restrictions we've currently got in place reduced so that they can operate at a higher capacity it's going to be really, really important."Based on current rates, West Coast could hit 90 percent first doses by the end of the month.They were administering enough second doses to reach the fully vaccinated target three weeks later, as long as everyone followed through in time.Based on current rates South Canterbury could hit 90 percent first doses by the end of this week, with Nelson-Marlborough close behind.But with a traffic light Christmas now certain, and the visitors from Covid-19 hot spots that would bring, the race was on to ensure the south was protected.Republished by Arrangement

Gore driver Andrew Graves won the Eastern Southland Car Club’s MLT / Croydon Lodge and Ernslaw One Limited Rankleburn Rally in the Rankleburn Forest in West Otago on Saturday. The win earnt Graves the Darryl Robinson Memorial Trophy and was his fourth in the event after previously taking victory in 2012, 2014 and 2018.  Graves, driving a Mitsubishi EVO 3, won all four stages, extending his lead throughout to finish the event 1 minute 06.1 seconds ahead of James Worker of Lumsden in an EVO 6 while David Clearwater of Christchurch brought his EVO 4 home in third place.James Worker of Lumsden and co-driver Bradley Smith in their Mitsubishi EVO 6 on their way to second place in the 2021 MLT/Croydon Hotel & Ernslaw One Rally on Saturday. Photo: Tracy Michelle/Stephen Russell.        “It was a great day and a great event by the club as per normal. It was nice to clean sweep every stage,” said Graves at the conclusion of the day. “The car ran faultlessly and I had a new co-driver, Glenn Frew, in the hot seat. My usual co-driver, son Hayden, had a speedway commitment although that event was cancelled so he came and assisted at the event. I have to thank my sponsors too,” said Graves as he mused about retiring the ageing EVO 3 which is still winning events. Worker kept Graves honest during the day finishing second in the first three stages before easing back in the last stage to make sure of the runner-up spot. It was just his third event in the car which had won the rally for the last two years and he was “pretty happy” to be just half a second a kilometre off Graves times.Advertisement: Joseph Mooney MPClearwater recorded top five finishes in every stage to secure third place with Charlie Evans of Hamilton in a Mazda RX7 fourth, a result that netted him Class C honours. Evans left Hamilton on Wednesday night after alert level restrictions dropped, arriving in the south on Friday night. “I came down as I have family and friends in the area, plus I was hanging out for some rallying. My niece Dayna Kiekebosch has just got her competition licence so it was an opportunity to give her some miles in the co-driver seat. The event was fantastic, it was like the good old days of rallying, it wasn’t officious and things were made easy. The people were great and their helpfulness was wonderful.”Paul Cross of Gore was fifth and the winner of Class D in his Subaru Impreza H6 despite losing 4-wheel-drive for the final two stages. Brendon Mitchell of Winton finished sixth overall and runner-up in Class C in his Datsun 1600 with Craig Cormack of Gore seventh and first in Class B in his Toyota Levin. Damian Vincent of Gore, David Ralph of Timaru, the runner-up in Class B, and Dave Jenkins of Riverton rounded out the top ten.Chris Herdman of Rangiora won Class A in twelfth place overall.Advertisement: Riverside RentalsSteven Thompson of Mosgiel made a scorching start in his Class C Ford Escort MKII, finishing third in the opening stage, only to retire prior to the second stage with a bent driveshaft. Ninth seed Simon Taylor of Cromwell was another early casualty with a blown head gasket while others to retire were sixth seed Rodney Lang of Rangiora (gear selector) and Paul Preston of Te Anau (exhaust).The Glen Shirlaw Memorial Trophy was awarded to the first Otago Sports Car Club co-driver home in the absence of drivers from the club this year, going to Graves’ co-driver Glenn Frew.The Mark Parsons Award novice driver award went to ex-pat Italian Mauro Balzarini, a former works motorcycle racer in Europe, in just his second rally and the co-driver award went to Worker’s co-driver Bradley Smith in just his second event.  Clerk Of The Course, Roger Laird said, “the drivers loved the new stages and the event itself. Thank you to our sponsors including Ernslaw One for the use of their venue for the event.”

Police can now confirm the names of the men who died following the sinking of a boat in Bluff Harbour on Friday 19 November. They were Richard Hiraman Jeet, 66, and Claude Norman Mitchell, 67. Police extend their sympathies to the men’s loved ones.  An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing.

Congratulations to Gill McRae of Otatara, who is the winner of our recent competition to win a unique Fiordland Escapes escape room experience.And thank you to everyone who entered our competition and of course Fiordland Escapes.Fiordland Escapes advise they do have gift vouchers available which make great Christmas presents that the whole family can enjoy.Simply click here to find out more.

The Pavluber fundraiser is back and it’s bigger than ever. It's seven years since James McRobie and Liv Cochrane came up with the idea of home delivered desserts to raise money for Invercargill’s families in need. They coined the name Pavluber as a play on the words ‘Pavlova’ and ‘Uber’.The fundraiser is a collaboration of two Invercargill charity organisations, Greenlight Innovations, and Koha Kai. Simply put, Greenlight Innovations organise events, and Koha Kai make food.It only happens once a year and is always aimed at giving back to the community.Pavluber organiser and Greenlight Innovations director Leon Hartnett said they just loved the work that they did with Koha Kai.Advertisement: Southland Home VentilationKoha Kai employs people with disabilities and gives them opportunities to learn skills such as gardening, cooking, making deserts and working with other people.“We get people who have never worked before, disabled people who live independently, and we offer them training and employment,” Koha Kai Enterprise Coordinator, Samantha Lee said.Desserts are $10 each with the options being: Pavlova no topping (gluten free), Pavlova with berry topping, Raspberry & White Choc Cheesecake, Banoffee Pie, Baileys Chocolate Mousse and Traditional Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.The delivery area covers Invercargill city boundaries as far south as Clifton as well as Bluff.Advertisement: On Track LearningOrders can be made via Greenlight Innovations page on Facebook. The deadline for orders is Wednesday November 24th.On Thursday, November 25th between 7pm and 8pm, staff from Greenlight Innovations, volunteers from local Rotary groups and trainees from Koha Kai will be delivering desserts to people’s doors throughout Invercargill and Bluff to raise money for those in need.  Extra desserts can be purchased direct from Koha Kai at Elmwood Gardens on Thursday evening.250 desserts were sold last year, and organisers are hoping to sell 300 desserts this year.Advertisement: McKnight & BrownKoha Kai will receive 100% of the profits from Pavluber. The funds raised will be used to put on a Christmas dinner for isolated people and families in need of support.Koha Kai works with many organisations such as Awarua, Nga Kete, Spirit Army, Idea Services, Rotary, SDC, Healthy Families Invercargill, environment centres and church groups, who help them identify those people.“Last year we put on a Christmas feast for 120 participants. This year, due to Covid we are limited to 100,” Mrs Lee said.For more information visit the Greenlight Innovation Facebook page or go directly to the order form

A South Island mayor wants the trans-Tasman bubble re-inflated, saying Aucklanders pose a similar Covid-19 risk to Australian travellers.From 15 December, fully vaccinated people will be able to travel across the Auckland border freely while those unvaccinated will need a negative Covid-19 test.New Zealanders can skip across the ditch quarantine free, but they are faced with fighting for a highly sought after spot in managed isolation on the way back home.Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult said businesses were delighted - and ready - to roll out the welcome wagon for Aucklanders this summer.Advertisement: East Road PetsThey typically accounted for 60 percent of the town's domestic market.But he said they had some extra room he would like Australians to fill."So we really are surviving on crumbs at the present point in time. That said, we're delighted to have crumbs out of the rest of the South Island and North Island who are allowed to travel."But having the Australians here and having our friends from Auckland here would make a massive difference to the businesses in this town who are really struggling."Advertisement: Sandra Macnamara PGG Wrightson Real Estate Te AnauHe wanted to know why fully vaccinated Australians were not allowed back in as well."I don't see a lot of difference between somebody coming out of Sydney and somebody coming out of Auckland."Covid is rife in both cities. It's going to be a long time until they get rid of it."If a Sydneysider is vaccinated and has a very recent Covid negative test, then I can't see too much reason why they can't come here."Jim Boult said having Australians and Aucklanders in Queenstown would make a massive difference to the town's struggling businesses. Photo: RNZ / Belinda McCammonThe opening of the trans-Tasman bubble back in April was described as a light at the end of a very grim tunnel but it was grounded in late July.Months on, and starved of Aucklanders and international visitors, Boult said it was time to welcome them back."Perhaps coming out of Australia, maybe a compulsory saliva test at the airport would be a really good thing because you get the results back from those very quickly and they're pretty accurate."Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button said Jim Boult had a fair point if it could be done safely.Advertisement: Southern Mobility"If we can do it safely by getting Auckland into the rest of the nation and we've got the traffic light system to control areas and to keep people healthy and keep areas healthy, and Australia can abide by the same rules."If we can maintain that and be consistent and deliver it safely, what would be holding us back?"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered no further certainty about when the trans-Tasman bubble might be on the cards."We've said that from the very beginning of our reconnecting work that there will be emphasis on supporting the ability of New Zealanders and residents to move."The idea or the issue of when people who are coming into New Zealand as tourists, that is not our first tranche. We are really focusing on citizens and residents."So far, the government said it was not looking at international border changes this side of Christmas.Republished by Arrangement

Two people have died and two others were taken to Southland Hospital in a critical condition following a rescue operation in Bluff Harbour this afternoon.Emergency services were alerted to a vessel in difficulty in Bluff Harbour at 12.20pm todayThe rescue operation involving Police, Coastguard and Ambulance staff was immediately launched in the waters between Bluff Port and Tiwai Wharf.The two survivors are now in a stable condition.Advertisement: Southland Locator BeaconsPolice would like to hear from anyone who saw a small boat in Bluff Harbour today or who have CCTV footage of the harbour as this may be relevant to their enquiries. Anyone with information is asked to call 105 and quote event number P048675341.It is believed four people were on the boat when it got into difficulties.Maritime New Zealand have been advised and Police are making enquiries into the deaths on behalf of the Coroner.Te Rūnanga o Awarua have subsequently placed a Rahui on the Bluff inner Harbour.A traditional rahui requires people to refrain from taking kaimoana and pay respect within the notified area.The area is a direct line from Kanawera- Stirling Point to the Papakaha-Tiwai Point and all the way up the harbour including Awarua Bay and will be for a period of one week ending 1 pm, Friday 26 November.

Work has begun on a new Otatara pump track thanks to a legacy left by Otatara man Derek Gostelow and his family.Gostelow, a former Otatara resident, left $90,000 in his will for the Invercargill City Council to use for community projects within the Otatara area and community.After consultation it was decided that an asphalt pump (bike) track, park benches, and informal play area would be introduced to the site on the corner of Dunns Rd and Oreti Rd. A pump track is a looped series of hills and banked turns for bike riders designed to maximise momentum, so riders can travel with minimal pedalling.Advertisement: Kennedy School of MusicMayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, Council Parks Planning Manager Lesley McCoy, Gostelow family representative Glenys Larby-Hawkes and community petition organiser Penny Ivey joined Southroads crew members at the turning of the first sod at the site on Monday.Sir Tim said this was a day to be celebrated.“It’s marvelous to see a community taking real ownership of its recreation spaces,” he said.Otatara resident Penny Ivey, who had been instrumental in the decision to build the pump track, was looking forward to the track’s completion.Advertisement: Number Works & Words“The council listened to the community and the wait will have been worth it.”Larby-Hawkes was thrilled at the thought of her family helping to celebrate something for the younger members of the community.“I’m so proud of the crowd out here that have pushed to have this and I think it will be wonderful for the kids.”The council has added an extra $48,000 towards the project for landscaping work as well as a contingency fund.The track is estimated to be ready to ride by Christmas with the landscaping to be done after summer.

Drummond Primary SchoolWhaowhia te kete mātauranga Fill your basket of knowledgeTaking Learning Outside the ClassroomAt the beginning of the year, we started our Enviroschools journey.As part of this, as a school we have getting out and about enjoying our natural environment we have at our school.We have had lots of fun experiences engaging with nature and the outdoors, while also using this time to get inspired about what we can do in order to be better kaitiaki (guardians) of our environment and what projects we can start around the school.Mr Sullivan from Enviroschools Southland came to teach us about native birds and pests. Nature scavenger huntsSketching our favourite school treePlaying nature gamesNature MandalasLoose Parts PlayThe Enviroschools group have been workinghard with Mrs D to develop our Vision Map CARNIVAL Miss Ross and the Ruma Maunga students organised a fabulous Carnival Day.Despite the pouring rain, all children had a wonderful time buying treats, and having a go at the range of activities on offer.Advertisement: Fiordland EscapesAdvertise on the Southland App

A top art exhibition of contemporary art is returning to Gore next Saturday (27 Nov), however no adults are allowed.The annual Muka Youth Print Exhibition featuring original stone lithographs by top NZ and international artists is exclusively for young people aged 5 - 18 years.The works reflect the normal concerns of the artists, with no patronising or ‘talking down’ to children.East Gore Art Centre's programme officer Marcella Geddes said the exhibition was always very popular with over 100 children attending last year.Advertisement: Jumper coShe said a lot of the same children came back year after year.All pieces are for sale at one special youth rate and artist’s signatures are covered up to encourage children to choose work based on their individual taste and appreciation of the work rather than the artist’s reputation.The exhibition will be held at the East Gore Art Centre on Saturday 27th November between 12 - 6pm. Entry is free.