There is something quietly liberating about a health expert saying: stop obsessing. Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, oncologist and former White House health advisor, argues that the modern “wellness industrial complex” has distorted the point of healthy living. Diet tracking, longevity hacks, … Continue reading
Regulation, Risk and Outdoor Responsibility Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is also one of the most debated. In New Zealand it is approved for agricultural, forestry and amenity use. … Continue reading
Six planets will line up in our twilight sky this weekend. No tickets.No bookings.No equipment required beyond your own eyes - though binoculars help. Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter should be visible to the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune will … Continue reading
The Outdoors Still Matters Nearly two-thirds of young New Zealanders wish social media had never been invented. Half report anxiety or depression.More than half believe the world is on a downward slide.A quarter of young men say they have no … Continue reading
Two days. That is how long it took for Wellington’s south coast to shift from “open - use your judgement” to “unsuitable for swimming.” The mayor swam. Cameras rolled. The message was clear: monitoring showed risk was low and people … Continue reading
You Cannot Halve a River Without Consequence For the first time in 40 years, no salmon will be weighed at the Rakaia Fishing Competition. Four hundred entrants.No fish. That is not symbolism.That is signal. The Rakaia was once world-renowned for … Continue reading
This is an election year. That matters. It matters not because CORANZ aligns with any party - we do not - but because legislation passed in the next parliamentary term will shape rivers, access, hunting, fishing, pest control, freshwater allocation … Continue reading
by Tony Orman Democracy is dying, in case you haven’t noticed. It’s exemplified by governments’ – note plural – increasing use of by-passing the select committee process. Select Committees comprising Members of Parliament sit and listen – or are meant … Continue reading
The aging brain can regenerate. That is the central finding of new research into so-called “SuperAgers” - people in their 80s and 90s who retain exceptional memory and mental sharpness. Scientists found that these individuals produce significantly more new, adaptable … Continue reading
Whangamarino Wetland is internationally recognised, nationally significant and regionally important. It is also in decline. A new assessment describes mounting pressure, ecological stress and the need for active intervention. Avian botulism events have killed thousands of birds. A large peat … Continue reading
Southland’s latest groundwater report is not dramatic in tone. It does not declare catastrophe. It does not introduce new data. What it does is consolidate a long trend into one clear picture. Seventy-one percent of monitored groundwater sites show increasing … Continue reading
When Wellington’s south coast was first contaminated by untreated sewage, the messaging was clear: Avoid the beach.No swimming.Do not collect seafood. Now, as reopening is discussed, the language is changing. The risk is described as “pretty low.”People may be invited … Continue reading
Along Wellington’s south coast, warning signs appear after heavy rain: “Avoid the beach.”“No swimming.”“Do not collect seafood.”“Untreated wastewater.” It is that final phrase that deserves closer attention. “Wastewater” is a technical term. It refers to everything that leaves homes and … Continue reading
Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Lake Rotomanu’s gold clam problem is not just a local issue. It is a reminder of how quickly freshwater biosecurity failures become expensive - and how limited the options are once an invasive species establishes. … Continue reading
Waste does not disappear. It is treated.It is diluted.It is discharged. Recent changes to wastewater standards - including greater flexibility around discharge limits and compliance timelines - have been framed as pragmatic responses to cost pressures on councils and ratepayers. … Continue reading
Book Review “Gone Bush” subtitled “A Life in the Backcountry and Beyond” by Paul Kilgour published by Harper Collins. Paperback. Price varies from about $29.99 to $39.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman This is a reprint in paper-back form of the 2021 first … Continue reading
Braided rivers are not static channels. They shift.They split.They flush.They rebuild their own mouths. Their health depends on variability - particularly seasonal high flows that reshape gravel bars and reopen estuaries. When allocation increases and flows reduce, that natural dynamism … Continue reading
Footwear trends come and go. Minimalist.Max-cushion.Barefoot.Carbon-plated. Marketing language changes quickly. Terrain does not. Outdoor recreation in New Zealand spans riverbeds, alpine scree, muddy bush tracks, coastal sand and rocky headlands. No single shoe excels in all of them. Skill and … Continue reading
Recent reporting shows many New Zealand households are feeling the squeeze. Utility bills are rising. Shopping trips are fewer. Discretionary spending is tightening. When budgets compress, holidays are often the first thing reconsidered. But “holiday” does not have to mean … Continue reading
When people think of outdoor recreation in New Zealand, they tend to picture fishing rods, tramping boots or kayaks. But there is another activity quietly experiencing a revival - gold prospecting. Not industrial mining.Not large-scale extraction. Simply a pan, a … Continue reading
