From 250kg to 95kg: Amputee Nick Davis’ epic weight-loss journey
Nick Davis is not going to let his wheelchair or the loss of a leg stop him from mentoring others at BBM. “I love helping others ... and I love seeing people come out of themselves and face their weight demons,” Davis told the Herald. “I was a big baby, a big kid, a big teenager and a big adult – you know, a large person,” Davis said. That’s not in a bad way but we had a big whānau where nutrition wasn’t top of our agenda. Nick Davis wants to get a prosthetic leg so he can walk on his own.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 18:33 UTC
Twizel team honoured
Twizel Medical Centre lead nurse Paula Trembath, practice manager Debbie Anstis, district nurse Zoe White and High Country Health director and HCMT trustee Nick Ward with the award. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDThe Twizel Medical Centre’s Primary Response in Medical Emergency (Prime) team has received this year’s National Award for Emergency Response and Healthcare, following their response to a high-impact, multi-casualty bus collision near Lake Pukaki in 2024. The Twizel Medical Centre’s Prime team was among the respondents and treated 46 of the passengers. Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said the award was a fitting tribute to the ‘‘hard work, dedication and incredible professionalism of the staff and volunteers of Twizel Medical Centre’’. Mackenzie District Mayor Scott Aronsen said the team’s response to the incident showed exceptional professionalism, leadership, and care under very challenging conditions.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 16:13 UTC
Sustainability focus of classes
Scott Wilson taught a class about the myocillium network and how to grow edible mushrooms at home during the spring edition of Community Classroom last year. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDThe Waitaki Community Gardens group is holding the spring edition of its Community Classroom event this month. It is held twice a year — once in autumn and once in spring — and 25 classes will be held during April. Waitaki Community Gardens chairwoman Amy Adams said the focus will be for participants to ‘‘learn some new skills that can be really useful in your life’’. The first classes are on Saturday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 16:13 UTC
Church fair connects community
PHOTO: NIC DUFFEnjoying some food at the Weston Church Fair last weekend are (from left) Connie, 3, Morgan, Izzy Lee, 1, Stacey Jordan and Abbey Smith,1. The annual event raised money for the church and was also intended as a ‘‘a community day where people could connect ... relax together in and around the Weston Church buildings,’’ co-organiser Sharon Walsh-Grieve said. She and Sharyn Walker organised this year’s event which drew a good crowd and had raised a preliminary total of $7000. There was a food and drink on offer alongside a white elephant stall, books sale, bouncy castles and children's games as well as crafts and plants for sale.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 16:12 UTC
Final stages of hall refit under way
Ron Newton in the midst of reinstalling the pipe organ in the Hall of Memories at Waitaki Boys’ High School. PHOTOS: JULES CHINThe final stages of the Hall of Memories renovation and restoration project are under way as Waitaki Boys’ High School prepares for the centennial celebrations next year on Anzac weekend. With the majority of the rebuild project complete, the school has been able to utilise the newly restored hall for weekly assemblies while the organ restoration is still under way. He said the school was keen to reconnect with as many old boys, former teachers and parents as possible. Inside the Waitaki Boys' High School Hall of Memories where restoration of the pipe organ is in its final stages.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 16:12 UTC
Country Life: Four farmers, one forgotten grain and the pasta-maker bringing it to the plate
"All the equipment we use is what the best pasta-makers around the world and Italy use," Petrie told Country Life. Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. "We put all this prestige around wine grapes [...] but why do we look at, say a paddock of wheat any differently?" Photo: RNZ/Sally RoundThey had grown five hectares each this year producing 60 to 80 tonnes of flour in total. Back at Monty and Sons, Petrie said his experience working on big broadacre cropping farms in Australia was also a factor in his support of locally-grown wheat.
Source:Stuff
April 04, 2026 12:49 UTC
As told by The Clean
Then I discussed it with [The Clean co-founder] David Kilgour, and he said, ‘‘let’s do it’’. I mean, despite people’s idea that they were black jersey-wearing depressors, The Clean were a joyful, fun band. The book: Richard Langston’s new book, 'The Clean: In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul' is out on Wednesday. What attracted The Clean to the US and what do you think attracted the US to The Clean? At one stage I thought, ‘‘ah, I’ve left it too long to write a book on The Clean.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 09:11 UTC
Road reopens as firefighters douse blaze
Photo: NZTAFirefighters have contained a building blaze which closed the main road through north Dunedin for two hours. Crews were alerted to the fire on Great King St North about 6pm on Saturday. Four fire trucks had been working to put it out and there were no reports of injuries. NZTA Waka Kotahi said the road was closed for about two hours between Union St West to St David St. It had now reopened but was down to one lane.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 07:10 UTC
Lotto: Powerball rolls over after no one takes $8m
Those tickets were sold at Jervois Food Market in Herne Bay and Black Cat Store in Nelson. That ticket was sold at Edmonton Stationery & Lotto in Auckland. Last week, an Auckland mum sent a jazz hands emoji to her children after winning $12.75m in last Saturday’s Lotto Powerball draw. For the Powerball jackpot to be claimed, a ticket holder must get all six Lotto numbers correct as well as the added Powerball number. Lotto Powerball wins in 2026January 14 – $10.2m, MyLotto, Manawatū-WhanganuiJanuary 21 – $5.3m, MyLotto, OtagoFebruary 14 – $5.08m, Coastlands Lotto, ParaparaumuFebruary 14 – $5.08m, New World Greymouth, GreymouthFebruary 14 – $5.08m, MyLotto, MastertonFebruary 18 – $4.5m, Glen Innes Dairy and Lotto Outlet, AucklandMarch 28 – $12.75m, MyLotto, AucklandMarch 28 – $12.75m, MyLotto, AucklandSign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 07:05 UTC
Internet personality Rongo Keene’s fuel giveaway sparks ‘chaos’, traffic jam at Hamilton petrol station
The response was so large that it caused a traffic jam outside the station, with people describing the scenes as “chaos”. Police were called after internet personality Rongo Keene's free fuel giveaway got out of hand. “Police were made aware of a large amount of vehicles queuing at a petrol station on Peachgrove Rd around 9.20am. “Z Energy was aware of the social media post from an individual offering to assist with fuel costs at Z Te Papanui (Five Cross Roads),” a Z Energy spokesperson said. “Ideally, we want everyone to just clear out.”Speaking to his livestream viewers after the event, Keene said he had “over 100 vouchers” to give away.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 06:41 UTC
'Confusing' Easter trading rules need overhaul - EMA
Small grocery shops are one of the few stores that can be exempt to shop shutdowns over Easter (file image). Photo: MARK PAPALII / RNZA business association says Easter Sunday trading rules are confusing and need an overhaul. Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) head of advocacy Alan McDonald told RNZ now was a good time to look at the Shop Trading Hours Act as well. "Obviously they've eased up some of the alcohol laws to clarify them because they were very complex - the Easter ones are just as complex. A 2016 change to the Shop Trading Hours Act also meant city and district councils could create their own Easter Sunday shopping policies for their respective territories, adding to the confusion, he said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 06:15 UTC
Vanessa Trump posts supportive message after boyfriend Woods’s arrest
Vanessa Trump shows support for Tiger Woods after his DUI arrest. Photo / Getty ImagesVanessa Trump, former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump, offered a supportive message to boyfriend Tiger Woods today after the golf superstar’s driving-under-the-influence arrest. Vanessa Trump shared a photo of herself and Woods relaxing in a hammock to her Instagram feed with the caption “love you” and a couple of heart emojis. Woods and Trump, who divorced Donald Trump jnr in 2018 after a 13-year marriage, had revealed their romance in simultaneous social media posts in March last year. Woods, 50, was arrested on March 27 on suspicion of DUI after clipping a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck and rolling his vehicle on a residential road near his Florida home.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 06:00 UTC
Can Tupou Vaa’i lift the Chiefs against the Waratahs in Hamilton?
Can Tupou Vaa’i lift the Chiefs against the Waratahs in Hamilton? Can Tupou Vaa’i lift the Chiefs against the Waratahs in Hamilton? All Blacks and Waikato lock Tupou Vaa’i will be making his return to the starting lineup after missing out last week. The Chiefs have won their last three consecutive Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific meetings with the Waratahs in New Zealand. The Chiefs play the Waratahs at 6.05 tonight.
Source:Stuff
April 04, 2026 04:44 UTC
Potential successor to Pugh
Katie MilneFormer Federated Farmers national president and Rotomanu dairy farmer Katie Milne is being tipped to replace retiring MP Maureen Pugh as the National Party candidate for the West Coast-Tasman electorate. Miss Milne, the deputy chairwoman of the West Coast Conservation Board,gained a high national profile as the first female national president for Federated Farmers, serving from 2017 to 2020. She first became involved in the organisation at grassroots level on the West Coast in 1991 and served as a board member and the West Coast provincial president before her national role. Mrs Pugh gave a bouquet to Jamie Cleine, who was confirmed last Sunday as the New Zealand First candidate for West Coast-Tasman. NZ First is now championing a policy of returning 50% of mining royalties to the regions and Mrs Pugh said that was something she had also pushed.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 04:37 UTC