Supermarket shelves are bare of eggs while others are limiting the number of cartons customers can buy during a drop in supply.At a Pak'NSave in Christchurch, customers were only allowed two cartons each, while shelves were empty at both New World and Countdown in Levin.A ban on battery caged hens, announced back in 2012, comes into effect on Saturday and over the past few years the deadline has caused turmoil in the industry.Egg Producers Federation executive director Michael Brooks said more than 75 percent of chicken farmers have had to change their farming methods or their career because of the ban.Shelves are empty at Countdown in Levin. Photo: Janice Swanwick/RNZ"The supermarket's announcement to refuse colony cage eggs, the end of the cage system, plus Covid, plus the grain cost rising because of the Ukraine war have all come together," he said."It's led to a drop of about 600,000 or 700,000 hens in the commercial flock. That's a lot of eggs that aren't available."In 2012, 84 percent of all the country's eggs were from battery farms.Brooks predicted egg prices would also rise as it has cost farmers millions to change their practices.When the government announced the battery cage ban, it told farmers they would have to transition to colony, barn or free range farming.A Pak'NSave in Christchurch has eggs - but it is limiting the amount customers can buy at one time. Photo: Niva Chittock/RNZBut in 2019, both Foodstuffs and Countdown said they would no longer accept colony eggs from 2025 either, which Brooks described as a "bombshell"."That put real confusion into the industry. A number of people - in fact a third of the industry - had already gone to colony eggs. But to go free range, they'd have to buy a whole new farm ... and the barn system was one we hardly knew in New Zealand, so a lot of farmers were really thrown."Supermarkets in New Zealand sell over 50 percent of all eggs and when they added the extra ban, some farmers who had already switched to colony cages decided to leave the industry, he said.Brooks said colony cages, which can house between 20 and 60 birds and have a scratching mat, roosts and a nesting area, were humane but this was disputed by animal rights activists.Some supermarkets are limiting the number of egg cartons customers can buy. Photo: Niva Chittock/RNZFoodstuffs, which owns Pak'NSave and New World, said demand for eggs was also adding pressure."The demand for eggs is high at this special time of year, we eat more eggs for breakfast and brunch, we do more home baking - and we're whipping up more pavlovas," spokesperson Emma Wooster said.But she also acknowledged the ban was the driving factor."It's a significant change for the egg supply industry and to help support the transition, and to make sure customers get a fair shake when they shop, some Foodstuffs stores have put temporary limits on eggs."As we phase-out caged eggs from our stores, we'll be working with the egg industry to increase our offer in colony, barn and free-range eggs and we're committed to working closely with government and New Zealand egg suppliers to meet our target to become fully cage-free by 2027."A Countdown spokesperson said it was also experiencing the reduced supply."We have direct partnerships with our egg farmers and we appreciate our customer's understanding while we work closely with them to get more eggs on the shelf as soon as possible," they said.But Brooks said it would take a minimum of five months to alleviate the shortage."From the day a chick is laid, it's four-and-a-half to five months before they start laying so [farmers] can order chicks now but people are not going to start seeing [eggs stocked back up] for months. Those hens are not going to start laying until May."

Emotionally supportive alligators, adventurous felines and a sheep who listens to commands. Here's a round-up of some of the cutest animal stories we told in 2022.Rio, or is that Phoenix?Rio - a black and white cat from Whanganui - got a new nickname after she was rescued from a Phoenix palm she had been stuck in for more than two weeks in September.Marita, Jessica and Elizabeth reunited with Rio the tuxedo cat who was stuck in a palm tree for the past two plus weeks. Photo: SuppliedMarita, Jessica and Elizabeth reunited with Rio.The moggy, nicknamed Phoenix during her ordeal, had become somewhat of a neighbourhood celebrity - as many tried to help get her down.An arborist, two cherry-picker companies, a drone operator, as well as members of the community had all tried to help get her down.A cage with fresh meat and clean water up high on a cherry picker finally enticed Rio to come out of the tree - and she was soon reunited with her owner.Brad Larsen said Rio had gone missing about three weeks earlier - and he and his family were oblivious to Rio's newfound fame.They were "over the moon" when Rio was reunited with them.WallyGator the support alligatorWhen you think of an emotional support animal, alligator doesn't come to mind.Joseph Henney with WallyGator. Photo: Supplied / FacebookBut in Pennsylvania, you will find the one and only registered support alligator - WallyGator.WallyGator became an official emotional support animal after helping his 69-year-old owner get through depression.Joseph Henney has handled and trained alligators for more than 30 years.After losing seven people close to him in just two weeks, Henney fell into a deep depression - with his doctor offering him anti-depressants.He didn't take them, choosing to hang with Wally instead.The alligator helped him recover quickly and Henney's doctor suggested he register the reptile as an emotional support animal."He does a lot of cuddling, he gives hugs, he gives kisses," Henney said."He actually sleeps with me a lot."For other people - Wally helps put on a smile on their face and "makes their day".Lucky the obedient sheepSit, bow, turn back, jump, stay, pose. Dog tricks, you may ask? Oh no.Lucky has learnt 29 different commands. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnonThese are the tricks of Lucky the sheep. But that's not all Lucky can do.The 6-year-old sheep owned by Caroline Thompson of Christchurch has learnt 29 different commands.After seeing Lucky sit down beside her one day, Thompson decided to see if he would do it on command.With a handful of leaves, she began training her sheep. He "cottoned on" pretty quickly."I think it suits people to think that they're dumb … I mean, you wouldn't eat them otherwise," Thompson said."There's whole paddocks full of these amazing, intelligent animals that it suits people not to think they're bright."Moss found three years later and 130km awayA handy dandy microchip helped reunite a family with their beloved feline … three years after he went missing.The Fellowes family adopted Moss and Roy from the SPCA in Hamilton before moving with them to Palmerston North.Soon after the move, Moss went missing and despite their best efforts to find him, the Fellowes family had no luck.That was until Moss showed up three years later and 130 kilometres away at the SPCA in Hastings.After the family got him home once again to Palmerston North, Moss made himself comfortable on a bed as if he had never left.If only Moss could talk…Echo the avalanche dogEcho is in training for an event his trainer hopes will never happen.Echo, with his handler Lisa Jaggi. Photo: RNZ/Sally RoundThe two-year-old border collie is in his first full season as an avalanche rescue dog with Land Search and Rescue.His handler, Lisa Jaggi, said dogs were far superior at finding people buried in snow than humans were.They have a sense of smell "220 million scent receptors versus our five million. They smell the world in 3D".Where a dog can search a hectare in 30 minutes and work out if someone was under the snow, it would take 20 humans four hours."We're really training for a situation we hope will never happen," Jaggi said."He's this amazing teammate that makes me smile every day."Connie the turtle leaves rehabAfter two stints in rehab, Connie the green turtle was returned to sea in May.Connie was returned to sea in the Far North. Photo: SuppliedConnie was first looked after by the team at Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium after she was found stranded in the Far North four years ago.She weighed just 18 kilograms - less than half of what she should.She was returned to the sea in 2019 - but was back at the aquarium a year later, very sick.Connie had chronic pneumonia and problems with digestion - possibly from ingesting plastics.It was a bittersweet moment for Kelly Tarlton's staff when they returned Connie to the sea from Rangiputa Beach in the Far North - hopefully for the last time.But if she was to need help again - Connie now has a flipper tag that will make her identifiable if she makes her way back to shore.Baby boom at Auckland ZooIt was a special year for Auckland Zoo - welcoming several baby animals to its family.Bahmi was born on March 20. Photo: Supplied / Auckland ZooFirst came Bahmi, a baby orangutan. Bahmi was born on 20 March to his parents Melur and Charlie.The zoo's primate team said watching Bahmi's birth was incredible.Team member Amy Robbins said Melur knew exactly what to do after the baby was born, cleaning and nursing him."It's been 16 years since the birth of Melur and Charlie's first offspring, male Madju so it's incredibly special to welcome their second."Jabali was born on August 19 at Auckland Zoo. Photo: Auckland Zoo/SuppliedNext came a baby giraffe, born 19 August.The male giraffe named Jabali was standing and suckling from his mother within the hour after his birth.Zoo staff believe he has inherited the tall genes of his grandfather - being the tallest giraffe at birth the zoo keepers could recall.Just 10 days after Jabali's birth, a kororā/little penguin chick hatched at the zoo.The penguin chick hatched on August 29. Photo: Auckland Zoo/SuppliedThe chick weighed just 34 grams when it hatched and had tripled its weight in 10 days.Just over a month after the chick hatched, rhinoceros calf Amali was born at the zoo - weighing about 60kg.Amali was born weighing 60kg. Photo: Auckland Zoo/SuppliedAfter a 16-month long pregnancy, zoo staff said it was "super exciting" to see Amali's mum Jamila give birth.Cuddles with a cowAn Australian man found the healing power of bovine touch so strong he decided to make a business out of it.Lawrence Fox with a couple of his cows. Photo: [email protected] / Cow Cuddling Co FacebookNow, Lawrence Fox offers cow cuddles as a form of therapy.Two years ago, Fox was working remotely from a friend's farm.Not having much human interaction, he spent a lot of time with the cows in the paddock and found it helpful."I had been working as a business strategist for most of my career and that was really taking a toll on my mental health," Fox said."And I eventually got to the point where instead of taking breaks from that work to go spend time with the cows, I realised I needed to make spending time with the cows the work, and that's when I sort of went down the path of looking into cow cuddling."Fox purchased six female cows - and two offspring has since joined them."Their body language shows that they do enjoy it very much, they're basically like half-tonne puppy dogs, you can see that when you scratch them, they react, and they'll roll over and want scratches on their belly."They'll move their tail if you scratch at the base of their tail. So, you can tell that they enjoy it. They love it."Those who visit his cows for cuddles include young children with autism and retired farmers.Leopard seal takes a napLower Hutt residents got a large and furry surprise in September when a leopard seal decided to take a snooze on Petone Beach.The leopard seal on Petone Beach. Photo: Supplied / Giverny ForbesLocals found the visitor "amazing" and while most kept their distance, some got a bit too close to the seal."It's a dream come true," one woman said."I've lived in Wellington all my life and never seen one on the beach here. Never."Construction crew finds kittensA construction crew got more than they bargained for when they turned up for work one day - finding a litter of adorable kittens.Seven kittens were found on the Transmission Gully worksite. Photo: HUHANZ / FacebookThe crew working on Transmission Gully found seven kittens near a digger on site.Helping You Help Animals said the kittens were hiding under some rubble and were found when a digger moved it.The workers wrangled all the kittens into a box and took them down to the animal rescue group.The kittens had very full bellies when they were found - although not too happy to be bothered.However, they were just 4-5 weeks old at the time and HUHA founder Carolyn Press-Mackenzie said they would be "easy enough to turn around".The construction workers who found the babies were "legends" and she appreciated them being brought to her rescue group.

Historic Puhoi is one of north Auckland’s most charming settlements. Just 50km north of the central city, Puhoi – which means ‘slow water’ in te reo Māori – is located on the banks of the Puhoi River, a charming awa that carves a path through the town, creating a haven for humans and wildlife, including tuna (eels) and all manner of native birds.A Bohemian rhapsodyThe small village became home to hardy pioneers from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) in the 1860s who were lured here with the promise of free land. It was a hard slog back in the day, but by working together and leaning on their faith, the new settlers put down strong roots. Today, the town is a laidback peaceful testament to those days of toil.Winding waterwaysHands down, one of the most delightful adventures around these parts is a meandering trip along the river. Hire a vessel from Puhoi River Kayaks and paddle along the 8km of serpentine stream that is rich in history and romantic scenery. You will probably spot fish jumping and birds hunting, as well as the occasional fishing enthusiast perched on the bank hoping to catch their dinner. Eventually, you’ll flow out at Wenderholm Regional Park where you’ll feel full of love for the natural world.Once on land at Wenderholm, how about a swim at the beach or a dip in the estuary when the tide is in? And don’t forget your frisbee as this is an ace space for a throw. Or if you’d rather, you could just doze in the shade of a tree.Walk it offAt a pre-arranged time, Puhoi River Kayaks will transport you and the boats back to town, where you may want to stretch your legs after your river adventure. How about scaling the heights of the Puhoi Lookout Track. This is a moderate hike that takes about 40 minutes and rises to an elevation of 100m, where you’ll be wowed by wonderful vistas – but do keep in mind, it can be a bit boggy after rain, so don’t wear your best kicks. If you’re after a more vigorous hike, Puhoi is a waypoint on Te Araroa – New Zealand’s longest walking trail – with the 5km Puhoi Track leading you through native bush and offering breathtaking panoramic views of the rural surroundings.History lessonsPuhoi Heritage Museum is another must-do, and it’s run by a dedicated team of volunteers who share the proud pioneer history of the region. Or check out the super-cute little library built in 1913 – even if you’re not a registered borrower, there are usually interesting books for sale, so you might just bag yourself a bargain. To round the day off, visit the Puhoi Lawn Cemetery to pay your respects to the departed, with the headstones here telling moving stories of loss and lives well-lived.Make it a weekend adventureIf you fancy making it more than a day trip, how about staying for a night or two? There are several excellent accommodation options, including Piwakawaka Eco Structure Site within Wenderholm Regional Park, overlooking Puhoi Estuary. This eco-camping facility – which can be booked through the Auckland Council website – features a comfortable queen-sized bed and two single bunks, although you’ll need to bring your own chilly bin, cooking equipment, crockery, towels, and bedding.A little further afield, Mahurangi Regional Park also offers simple council-run accommodation options, with campgrounds at several spots including Sullivan's Bay and Mita Bay, which are great for swimming, beach fun and embracing nature.

Climb aboard the free summer busThe popular free Mangawhai bus service is back for summer!  Starting on 27 December, the bus loops from the Domain in the village to the surf beach between 10am and 5.30pm. Daily services run until 15 January, then on weekends until 6 February with an extra weekend added on for Easter (7-10 April). The bus stops at 12 locations along the way, including the Mangawhai Artist Gallery, Mangawhai Central, the Museum, MAZ and the Wood Street shops. Leave the car at home and make the most of the free Mangawhai summer bus, brought to you by Kaipara District Council

Severe Thunderstorm WarningArea: Kaipara, Far North, Whangarei and RodneyForecast: 04:15 pm near WHANGAREI, DARGAVILLE, HIKURANGI, RUAWAI, MAUNGATAPERE, TANGITERORIA, WAIOTIRA, OFFSHORE KAIPARA WEST COAST, TE KOPURU, OKAHU, TANGOWAHINE, MAUNGAKARAMEA, KAMO, TOKATOKA and MITITAI. These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain.Impact: Torrential rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 7hrs from 2pm - 9pm Mon, 26 DecArea: Northland, Auckland, Forecast: Scattered thunderstorms are expected to affect parts of the central and northern North Island this afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms will bring localised heavy rain and hail. About Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, western Taupo, Rotorua and near the Kaimai Range, some of the thunderstorms could be severe between 2pm and 9pm, with localised downpours of 25-45 mm/h. There is also a low risk of a small and very localised tornado within this area. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.

Significant progress has been made on Te Honohono ki Tai - Matakana link road in the last couple of months. The bridge is nearing completion with the installation of the barriers and bridge cycleway almost complete and bridge footpath in progress. The road pavement, footpaths, cycleway and landscaping are complete except the tie into the bridge. All drainage, rest areas, raingardens and wetlands complete and road streetlights are installed.Most works cease over Christmas between 12pm 22 December until 9 January 202, however some critical path works will continue on non-statutory holiday days. In the New Year pavement works will continue along with bridge works, sign installs and line marking - alongside NX2/Waka Kotahi construction works at the intersection with SH1. Te Honohono ti Kai Road will open in tandem with the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.

It can be a hard life for little blue penguins/kororā. This year we think has been particularly difficult for them. During July there was a huge amount of rain and some nesting sites were underwater or had water and debris flowing through them. The displaced penguins needed to find alternative nesting sites and some may have started nesting later.Since 1999 we have recorded rainfall at Leigh. This year our records show that 2022 is the wettest year since our records began with over 1850mm so far and we are only half way through December. To make life more difficult for penguins this year, storms coinciding with penguin fledging made it hard for young birds to find food. They’ve had to survive five metre waves, plus sediment runoff discolouring the water, making it hard for penguins to see their prey underwater.If you have seen dead penguins washed up and they are very blue, this indicates they are probably juvenile birds. No signs of injury have been recorded on most dead penguins found, a sign that they probably starved. If you see a dead penguin between Ti Point and Goat Island we are keen to record the whereabouts and this can be done by emailing us.We hope the large number of dead birds means more have fledged. Continued monitoring will give more of an idea of surviving numbers in our area.While there is not a lot we can directly do to help penguins out at sea, we can help when they come ashore by reducing their predators by trapping. If dog owners keep dogs on a leash when out walking and cat owners keep cats inside at night this will also help.*Author: Jenny Enderby for Leigh Rag. Reposted with permission. [email protected]

After a good night out you may not be surprised when you wake up feeling rough the next morning. But what may surprise you is if your friends aren't feeling the same way. Some may feel worse, some better and some (if they're lucky) may not feel any of the negative consequences at all.This is the variability of a hangover. In research, hangovers are measured on an 11-point scale (zero being no effects and ten being extremely hungover). In my own research, participants have reported hangovers on this scale anywhere between one (very mild) to eight (severe) - while other research has estimated around 5 percent of people may be hangover resistant.So why the difference? There's more to it than simply how much we drink. Researchers are now starting to explore the many biological and psychological mechanisms that could influence our experience during hangovers.Biological mechanismsSome research suggests that people with a variation of the gene ALDH2 report experiencing more severe hangovers.When we consume alcohol, it's broken down by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase into acetaldehyde - a protein important for the emergence of hangover symptoms. However, the ALDH2 gene variant limits the breakdown of acetaldehyde, leading to a greater buildup of the protein - thus greater hangover symptoms.Age and sex can also influence the way in which a hangover is experienced. A recent online survey of 761 Dutch alcohol consumers has found that hangover severity declines with age, even when accommodating for the amount of alcohol consumed. Interestingly, the authors also reported differences in hangover severity between men and women. These sex differences were greater in younger drinkers, with young (18 to 25-year-old) men tending to report more severe hangovers compared to young female drinkers. However, it's not currently known why these differences exist.Psychological factorsCertain psychological traits may be linked to how a hangover is experienced - including anxiety, depression, stress levels and even personality.Previously, research suggested that neuroticism, a broad personality trait which tends to cause people to see the world in a negative way, can predict the severity of a hangover. However, recently this idea has been disputed with another study finding no link between hangover and personality.This is somewhat surprising, given that extroversion (a personality trait usually characterised by being sociable and outgoing) is positively associated with binge drinking behaviours in college students - though it doesn't appear to be linked to worse hangovers. This is despite evidence that more frequent heavy drinking is linked to more severe hangover experiences.Anxiety, depression and stress are all also linked with more severe hangovers. Each of these moods are associated with a "negative bias" - a tendency to interpret the world more negatively. Our findings show hangovers also tend to make people interpret the world more negatively. As a result, hangovers may exacerbate this negative bias, leading some people to feel worse than others.Coping mechanismsIt's possible that the way we cope with adverse situations could underlie the variation in hangover experiences.Pain catastrophising refers to the extent to which a person emphasises the negative experience of pain. Research shows that people with high scores of pain catastrophising report more severe hangovers - suggesting that they're focusing on their negative symptoms and possibly amplifying them. Other studies have also shown that people who tend to cope with their problems by ignoring or denying them tend to experience worse hangovers.Emotion regulation is another key psychological mechanism that helps us to deal with difficult situations by effectively managing and responding to emotional experiences. Interestingly, although people who are hungover report feeling it's more difficult to regulate their emotions, this may not actually be the case - with research showing participants are just as able to control their emotional response compared to those who weren't hungover. This could mean that people choose easier (but less effective) regulatory strategies during a hangover - such as avoiding feelings of guilt or shame. But this is yet to be determined.What can we do?Although researchers may have identified a few natural compounds which may alleviate overall hangover symptoms, further research is still needed to determine whether these should be recommended for treatment. In the meantime, the best strategy for alleviating your hangover is going to be up to you to determine.But one study suggests a strategy commonly used by students to cope with the misery of a hangover - by "suffering" together and bonding on their experiences - may be helpful in helping relieve at least some of the negative emotional effects of a hangover. Taking care of your own personal wellbeing more generally and finding better strategies to reduce stress levels and adopt better coping mechanisms may also help you deal with the negative consequences of a hangover.Though of course, if you really want to avoid a hangover, you could always choose non-alcoholic alternatives.

Here is our expected weather for Christmas week. Merry Christmas!🤶🏼Warkworth regionSaturday 24th December - Partly cloudy. Isolated showers, clearing early evening. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.Sunday 25th Christmas Day - Fine, apart from isolated afternoon showers. Southwesterlies developing in the afternoon.Monday 26th Boxing Day - Partly cloudy. Isolated showers from midday, widespread and some heavy in the afternoon. Isolated thunderstorms possible in the west. Southeasterlies.Tuesday 27th December - Cloud increasing, with occasional rain developing. Fresh easterlies, possibly strong north of Whangaparaoa.Wednesday 28th December - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing. Fresh southeasterlies, easing.Thursday 29th December - Fine. Easterlies.Friday 30th December - A few showers. Easterlies.Mangawhai regionSaturday 24th December - Partly cloudy with a few afternoon showers. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.Sunday 25th Christmas Day - Partly cloudy. Southwesterly breezes.Monday 26th Boxing Day - Partly cloudy, with a few afternoon or evening showers possible, chance heavy with thunder. Southeasterlies.Tuesday 27th December - Fine, then rain developing. Easterlies strengthening.Wednesday 28th December - Fine with southeasterlies.Thursday 29th December - A few showers. Easterlies.Friday 30th December - Showers. Easterlies.

Our last day of giveaways and we have a $25 voucher for Tumbleweed for you!🌱🌵🌿To enter follow/like The Matakana App on Facebook and Instagram, and then head to the WIN STUFF! button on the App and enter your details.Please include the date so we know which prize you are wanting. We will draw the prizes as we go.Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

Air New Zealand is changing flight times for close to 2000 international flights next year, which could affect travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers.While the number of passengers who now have to fly on a different day is relatively low, they face having to re-book accommodation, rental cars and activities at their destination.In response to questions after a passenger had flights changed next April, Air New Zealand said it was trying to build more flexibility into its network."As we did in August this year, we've made some changes to our long-haul schedule between the end of March and October to build flex and certainty into our network," said Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty.She said adjustments had been made to 1900 flights across an eight-month period.That would "'give our customers surety that in the event of a disrupt, we have aircraft and crew available to get them where they need to be".About 90 percent of changes are retimed within 60 minutes, or changes to the aircraft type.But the remaining 10 percent of flights mean passengers cannot travel on the day they have booked. They have been offered flights one day either side of the one they have booked.One Auckland man said he was frustrated at the sudden flight cancellation without any explanation.The man and his wife have been planning - and saving hard for - a trip to America with their three adult children and their families since before Covid-19 hit. There are nine adults and five children in total so it has taken a lot of planning and logistics for the once in a lifetime six-week family trip."How can Air New Zealand just cancel a flight four months out without any explanation whatsoever? That costs us as a group."Going a day or two later was not an option as all accommodation, many of the activities and a cruise have already been booked and paid for by the group and could not be changed around.They are now having to leave a day earlier which has increased the costs once food, accommodation and the new flights - an additional $4200 to get similar seats - are factored in."It's cost us $6500 added to our trip - money we now have to try and somehow claw back from parts of the trip. What frustrates me is they didn't even offer any explanation to the travel agent,'' he said.Air New Zealand said domestic flights were not affected.Air New Zealand is bringing on another 700 staff by the end of February. (file picture) Photo: Supplied/ Air NZThe airline is still struggling to match capacity with still strong demand. That has made finding flights more difficult and sent fares sky-high.Geraghty said by late May, the airline would have all seven of its Boeing 777-300 aircraft flying again.That would "be an important moment for us as it will help to further ease the capacity constraints we are seeing", she said.The airline has retired all of its eight smaller 777-200s, which were sent into deep storage early in the pandemic.The airline was also bringing on another 700 staff by the end of February. It has rehired about 2000 staff during the past 12 months but is still facing some Covid-19 sickness disruption.House of Travel commercial director Brent Thomas said hotel bookings, cruise holidays and rental car reservations would have to be re-jigged for those now travelling on different days. Those who had booked through agents could contact them to get this done.Air New Zealand had done the right thing, Thomas said."This is a lot of work for us but good on them for giving us plenty of warning."The return of more aircraft was welcome news because there was no sign of any drop off in demand for travel, despite the prospects of a recession next year, he said.Bookings in the week before Christmas traditionally tapered off, but there had been no slowdown this year.In August, the airline cut its summer schedule by 1.5 percent to build more flexibility into the schedule following disruptions due to illness and staff shortages.It said then it wanted to avoid short-notice disruption.To help build more padding into its network over summer it has contracted Spanish wet lease operator Wamos to fly between Auckland and Perth. Wamos provides the plane and crew to operate the service, freeing up Air New Zealand resources to be used on other routes.The airline is gearing up for its busiest day in nearly three years tomorrow, with more than 55,000 passengers on its network. It is urging patience from those who may face delays or be in queues for longer than usual.

Here is your events guide for Christmas week!Merry Xmas everyone! Be safe out there!Friday 23rd DecemberLive Music - Friday nights @ Matakana Village PubMatakana Christmas Night MarketFiji Friday's @ Smiths Saturday 24th DecemberMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketMixed Messages - Saturday's @ SmithsSunday 25th December2022 Mahurangi Community Christmas Brunch at the beachTuesday 27th DecemberWaterworld Waterpark - MangawhaiAcoustic Days With Marianne LeighHidden Valley FestivalWednesday 28th DecemberWaterworld Waterpark - MangawhaiGeorge Summer Tour @ Matakana Village PubWings Wednesdays! @ Tahi BarLive music @ Warkworth HotelThursday 29th DecemberWaterworld Waterpark - MangawhaiNorthern BassSchnitzel Night - All Day @ Matakana Village Pub

Christmas Giveaways! 🎅🏼🎅🏼Today we are giving away two 6 packs of Love Parade beer by 8 Wired Brewing!! 🍻🍺🍻🍺🍻 To enter follow/like The Matakana App on Facebook and Instagram, and then head to the WIN STUFF! button on the App and enter your details.Please include the date so we know which prize you are wanting. We will draw the prizes as we go.Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

Plan ahead for your holiday journeysUse the holiday journey planner to check traffic predictions before you leave.Every holiday period and long weekend we see large numbers of people heading out of the main centres to popular holiday destinations and this can cause queues and delays.To help alleviate these problems we recommend planning your travel well in advance and travelling outside the busiest periods. To make this easier for you, we’ve created an interactive traffic prediction map for holiday periods. The map shows when we expect traffic to be heavy based on travel patterns from previous years.The times shown are predictions based on previous years’ travel patterns at the busiest times, and are subject to change based on weather and other factors. For real-time information on the day use the Journey Planner.

Some locals in Warkworth have noticed raw sewerage leaking out of overflow pipes and manholes and running into roadside gutters and all over the road recently over the last few weeks. Sewerage flowing down the roadA business owner commented on a local Facebook community page that this has been happening for years, with the Council doing nothing about it. Sewerage poses a severe health risk. As you can see from photos there is macerated toilet paper on grass near a footpath. Currently the sewerage is leaking near Bridgehouse Lodge and flowing into the river, which will then make its way out to sea.The $123 million water treatment plant currently being built in Snells Beach,  is not due to be finished until the end of 2024 (original date 2021). The existing Warkworth and Snells Beach wastewater treatment plants will be decommissioned when the new Snells Beach plant opens.Council was aware Warkworth wastewater network had limited capacity for population according to Water and Wastewater Servicing Plan 2019 (Warkworth Structure Plan). Treated wastewater is released into the Mahurangi river near the pant. Snells beach wastewater treatment plant will discharge into the Hauraki Gulf, south of Martins Bay.

Christmas Giveaways! 🎅🏼🎅🏼Today we are giving away a family pass for 2 adults and 2 kids for Ti Point Reptile Park To enter follow/like The Matakana App on Facebook and Instagram, and then head to the WIN STUFF! button on the App and enter your details.Please include the date so we know which prize you are wanting. We will draw the prizes as we go.Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

A new national ticketing system for buses, ferries and trains will open the way for more road tolls and could introduce congestion charges for motorists - for the first time.A business case for the $1.4 billion system - being built by a US transport and military contractor - raises this possibility several times.Waka Kotahi has signed up Cubic to roll out the new system across 13 regions by the end of 2026.It could provide a platform for "park-and-ride, road tolling and congestion charging", the business case - released under the Official Information Act (OIA) - said.It focused mainly on the benefits of boosting patronage, unjamming roads and relieving motorists of costs such as for repairs and parking. However, it also repeatedly noted the expansion options."There are a range of other transport-related services that could be serviced ... examples include tolling, congestion charging, park-and-ride and so forth."It "would enable transport accounts not just for ticketing but for all transport payments such as ... congestion charges for drivers who enter congested areas at peak times".The new system, like those in Queensland, London, Chicago and Sydney, is "open loop" - meaning you will not need to top up separate branded Snapper, Hop or Metrocards. Instead, you pay by hovering a smartphone or debit or credit card over a reader. Each customer would need only one account.The simplified approach would allow the linking of link fare levels to "future congestion charging regimes", the report said.US firm contracted for national transport ticketing system involved in weapons manufacturingCurrently only three roads are tolled, but Waka Kotahi is already spending millions on back-office systems to enable more.Both tolling more roads - each of which would require ministerial sign-off - and new congestion charging would be politically charged.The 228-page business case was done in August, and does not put a timeframe around any of these options.It said it was "guaranteed" the system would deliver the lowest possible fare to customers, and caps on fares, because it charges a person's account at the end of a day when all possible concessions can be factored in.Unjamming roadsThe business case, and several other reports released under the OIA, show Waka Kotahi had high hopes for the ticketing system helping unjam the roads, especially in Auckland.It foresees $500 million of decongestion benefits from 2026/27.Auckland traffic is frequently at a standstill. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell"The key benefit is increased patronage, which lead to decongestion benefits from fewer private vehicles, and public transport user benefits from not using a vehicle, such as reduced petrol and maintenance costs, reduced parking charges."Canterbury aims to run a pilot first-up in mid-2024.Cubic offered to experiment in Wellington earlier, but its proposal was not costed or detailed enough, Waka Kotahi said; instead, a stopgap expansion of Snapper cards on to the train system has gone ahead at a cost of $25m.Benefits of a national system outweighed the costs by 1.7-to-one compared to separate regional upgrades, the business case claimed.At $1.4b in capital and operating costs over 14 years, the total for the new ticketing system compared to $1.1b for the region-by-region upgrade, and $700-800m for the third option, "do nothing".Nothing for freeThe business case briefly touched on making public transport free, at a cost of $385m a year."In those countries and cities that have introduced free public transport, there has been little reduction in private vehicle use," it said.Services typically did not improve due to lack of money, it said, dismissing the idea.Climate change is touched on in the business case, but not in depth.The national ticketing solution is a long time coming. Stopgap solutions have been used since 2013 to keep the country's 16 different systems going."Outdated and inefficient" systems - such as in Canterbury, and for trains in Wellington - turned customers off, the report said. They virtually all need updating within five years.Wrangles with Auckland Transport (AT) have held up a national system for years. The business case stressed Waka Kotahi was keeping Auckland on board and "AT is increasingly supportive".Auckland stands to gain the most if the new system boosts patronage as forecast. A mere 0.5 percent boost in customers nationally would be worth $236m in benefits.Auckland stands to benefit the most, the report said. Photo: RNZOverall, it was forecast the ticket system would increase passenger trip numbers by 2 percent in 2026/27, and by up to 5 percent by year 10.That would play a part in the forecast overall rises in patronage for Auckland, from 48 million trips a year now to 198 million by 2035; in greater Wellington from 18 million to 58 million; and in Canterbury from 7 million to 17 million.A group of nine smaller regions - that have been instrumental in getting this far with national ticketing - would grow from 7 million trips now to 19 million.Data gatheringOne drawback is the national ticketing system will concentrate customer information in one place that could be hacked or compromised by security gaps."One central, account-based system poses wider and more significant digital risks than the current regional closed-loop solutions," the report said.Auckland's Hop, Wellington's Snapper. Christchurch's Metrocard and the regions' Bee Card are closed-loop, proprietary systems.A plus was all the "rich data" the new system would provide to planners and policymakers.It would also boost tracing and tracking attempts during disruptions such as Covid, the report said."Richer data ... can enable faster contact tracing, which could mean more localised lockdowns, reducing the economic impact and enabling faster recovery."Data "capture" could also enable future services like ride-sharing and the development of "smart" cities, it said - where cities focus on using information and communication technologies to increase efficiency and provide services.In the US, privacy campaigners have expressed alarm "the development of smart cities creates growing incentives for companies like Cubic to aggregate our data and then sell it".Waka Kotahi told RNZ only "very limited" personal information would be gathered by the system, "eg name, contact details".The system would "meet the requirements and expectations in respect of data sovereignty and Māori data sovereignty".It had adopted privacy-by-design approach and would do a privacy impact assessment at the delivery phase.

Kaipara Refuse is adding an additional rubbish collection day during Summer.Commencing this week from 19th December. This means that we will be collecting the blue and yellow bags TWICE WEEKLY: on both MONDAYS (as normal) and THURSDAYS.Normal rules apply: collections still happen on public holidays bags need to be kerbside 8am on day of collection. The last day of summer collection will be Thursday 2nd February 2023.

Police have defended a rise in the number of speed camera infringements being issued, saying new mobile cameras are able to identify speeding vehicles more accurately.RNZ revealed tens of thousands more tickets had been handed out for drivers doing between one and 11km/h over the speed limit.In January 2021, speed cameras snapped just under 20,000 drivers going just over the limit. In January 2022, that figure was more than 90,000.Police told RNZ the increase was due to camera activation settings being set in closer proximity to the speed limit. They later added they had recently completed replacing all the old mobile cameras with new models.They say the newer model performs better in conditions such as rain, fog or at night-time, meaning speed cameras can operate more often."Due to the modern functionality, these new cameras are now also able to identify offending vehicles more accurately, which has enabled police to issue infringements in situations where this wasn't possible with the previously used technology," police said.The January-on-January figures for fines against motorists from mobile and fixed cameras show $600,000 worth of fines were issued in 2021, and $2.7m in fines in January 2022.Police have been under pressure to increase use of speed cameras after years of undershooting the targets that NZTA funds them to hit. NZTA is taking over the cameras next year.In the past couple of years, police language has changed around speeding, and police have again reiterated, "the speed limit is the speed limit and you can expect to be stopped for going at any speed over the limit".Breath testing numbers are also expected to increase as Covid-19 related restrictions eased and in the rolling 12 months to 31 October 2022, 2.2 million tests were completed.Police said these new measures were about working towards Road to Zero."We are working closely with our road safety partners, Waka Kotahi, Ministry of Transport and others to achieve the goal of reducing death and serious injury on the road by 40 percent by 2030."If the number of deaths on the roads continues to increase, our enforcement will continue to increase as well."