1+ week, 4+ day ago (375+ words) Travellers to Auckland may find it difficult to secure last-minute accommodation as hotel room rates soar ahead of Metallica's concert at Eden Park tonight. Few hotel rooms are available as thousands of metal fans swell the city. Yesterday, Auckland Council's cultural agency said T'maki Makaurau is expected to be heaving, with 40,000 visitor nights booked and the city's hotels at 100% capacity before the massive show. The World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education (WIPCE) is another major event running in T'maki Makaurau and drawing huge numbers. The conference is expected to attract nearly 3800 international delegates and add a further 16,000 visitor nights over the course of the five-day event, according to Auckland Council's cultural arm, T'taki Auckland Unlimited. Popular travel agency website booking.com only has seven hotels available for a single person staying for one night from today in Auckland at the…...

3+ day, 16+ hour ago (1261+ words) View from the top: Kim Knight on the Auckland Explorer bus. I boarded at the stop outside a premium strip club. "We don't work here," clarified two visitors from Australia. Monday, 9am, and eight of us were queuing for the Auckland Explorer " the hop-on and hop-off tour bus experience that, according to the brochure, stops at the city's best attractions. Sample pre-recorded commentary: "The Spanish mission-style building with a red tile roof is part of the Auckland Grammar School, one of New Zealand's most prestigious public secondary schools for boys. Sir Edmund Hillary went there. So did Russell Crowe, although he dropped out to pursue music and acting." We could only speculate on the influence of these formative years. Did the testosterone-fuelled Latin lessons of Crowe's youth lead, inevitably, to his seminal role in Gladiator? (See also: Auckland commute times and…...

1+ week, 18+ hour ago (640+ words) Northlanders are being urged to lock in good water habits now, before water treatment plants are pushed to their limits. The Far North District Council's Water Shortage Management Committee (WSMC) said water restrictions over the next few months will depend less on drought risk and more on how residents and visitors use water. The committee members makes recommendations for water restrictions based on the latest water flow and consumption data, and the water-take consent levels set by Northland Regional Council. The committee said simple habits like catching rainwater, limiting outdoor use and keeping showers short can help ease pressure on treatment plants and "lessen the need to apply restrictions that protect our water sources. Far North District Council head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said the west coast is generally more vulnerable to dry spells, and high visitor numbers in peak…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (487+ words) Possible Whakaari/White Island eruption" was the headline of an Earth Sciences New Zealand update on Thursday last week. The alleged eruption at New Zealand's most active cone volcano happened in broad daylight, but clearly, scientists did not have access to enough information to definitively say if an eruption had occurred. The following day, it was confirmed there had been two weak eruptions on Thursday, with a Monday observation flight noting that ash was produced. Part of the reason for the slow flow of information may be that small eruptions are less easy to immediately distinguish from Whakaari's usual huffing and puffing. In poor weather or darkness, it is even more difficult. There are no longer any operational sensors, cameras or monitoring equipment on the island " a situation scientists have described as frustrating" and strange". Scientists have not been allowed…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (697+ words) In contrast to the rise in most other sectors, non-performing loans in the agriculture sector have declined, the Reserve Bank said in its latest financial stability report. Non-performing loans in the New Zealand agriculture sector are running at near 16-year lows, the Reserve Bank says. Non-performing loans (NPLs) include those where the borrower is at least 90 days late or is unlikely to repay the debt in full. In contrast to the rise in most other sectors, NPLs in the agri sector have declined, the central bank said in its latest Financial Stability Report. The bank's report compares with previous financial stability reports dating back a decade or so, which called out indebtedness in the agri sector " particularly dairy " as being a risk to financial stability. "Elevated milk and beef prices, improving sheepmeat prices and stabilising (albeit high) farm costs have…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago (602+ words) Kellam Conover, known as Kelly, died in a fall on Aoraki/Mt Cook on Monday. The heartbroken mother of a climber who died while trying to conquer Aoraki Mt Cook this week has described him as "extraordinary in many ways. Pamela Conover is grappling with the immense grief of losing her son, Kellam Conover, all while being on the other side of the world at her home in North Carolina. Kellam, from the United States, and his W'naka-based mountain guide, Thomas Vialletet, were part of a group of four climbers trying to ascend Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday night. The pair, connected by a rope, fell close to the summit. Pamela Conover said Kellam, who she affectionately called Kelly, was an introvert, but he found it easy to navigate the world by "making good friends and being kind and thoughtful…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (358+ words) Get ready for a hot summer in the city with these music, art, sport and culture events. From November 8 until March 15. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, Wellesley St East. Aucklandartgallery.com Australian-born, Europe-based duo Two Another bring their smooth blend of electronic, alt-R&B and soul to The Tuning Fork on Saturday, December 6. Known for their lush vocals and groove-heavy production, Eliot and Angus have earned millions of streams and global fans with hits like Just A Phase and Back To Us. Expect an intimate, high-energy live show. December 6. The Tuning Fork, 42/80 Mahuhu Cres, Parnell. Tuningfork.co.nz January 5-17, Manuka Doctor Arena, Stanley St, Parnell. Asbclassic.co.nz January 14 at Spark Arena, 42/80 Mahuhu Cres, Parnell. Ticketmaster.co.nz March 6-22, 2026. ASB Waterfront Theatre, 138 Halsey St, Auckland Central. Atc.co.nz From local stars to fresh reading lists. Aotearoa Music Awards…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (491+ words) A satellite image showing Tropical Cyclone Tam on its way towards New Zealand in April 2025. Australians are bracing for a volatile cyclone season driven by record-breaking ocean temperatures " but could that same threat be heading across the ditch to New Zealand? According to the Tropical Cyclone Outlook released last month, Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) said parts of New Zealand are at a normal and higher-than-normal risk of cyclones for the 2025-26 season. ESNZ is predicting five to nine cyclones could hit the Southwest Pacific region during the season, with nine traditionally being the long-term average. "Once over this threshold, the rate at which tropical cyclones can intensify generally increases with higher ocean temperatures," Domensino said. In some northern Australian regions, ocean temperatures have peaked at 31C, which is in the top 10% of historical records for this time of year. ESNZ's principal…...

2+ week, 19+ hour ago (629+ words) A 19th-century presentation bowl, which is among only three of its kind made by Ng'ti Pikiao master carver Patoromu Tamatea, could fetch up to $300,000 at auction. The kumete whakairo (carved lidded presentation bowl) will be auctioned at Artvisory's Indigenous Arts of the Southern Hemisphere Auction at Gow Langsford in Auckland on November 24. The 30cm-high, 42cm-wide wooden bowl, currently part of the Patrick O'Connor collection, was carved by Tamatea as a gift from Te Arawa chiefs to Robert Graham in 1878 after the MP was asked to help settle a land dispute in Maket" between chiefs Te Pokiha Taranui of Ng'ti Pikiao and Petera Te Pukuatua of Ng'ti Whakaue, according to auction documents. Graham, a former Superintendent of Auckland and fluent te reo M'ori speaker, travelled for three days on horseback to persuade the chiefs to postpone fighting while he negotiated with…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (613+ words) Get out and explore: Auckland's full of festivals, exhibitions and good causes this weekend. We have reached that time of year when Auckland's event calendar is beginning to bust at the seams, and this year seems busier than ever. We've whittled down countless lovely local events to create this list of our top picks for arts, culture, community and food events happening in T'maki Makaurau and surrounds this weekend. Go forth and enjoy this city. When: Today until November 23, 10am-5pm (closed Mondays) Where: Operetu Fort Takapuna, 170 Vauxhall Rd, Devonport, Auckland Where: Dove-Myer Robinson Park, Parnell When: On now until December 7, Tuesday-Sunday Where: Morrinsville Gallery, 167 Thames St, Morrinsville Price: Free admission (koha appreciated) When: November 1 " December 31 When: On now until November 23 Where: ASB Waterfront Theatre, 138 Halsey St, Auckland Central Price: $22-$62 + booking fees, from atc.co.nz When: Today until March 15 Where: Auckland…...