Two a penny

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UK travel tax could hit rugby cup crowds

– Thursday, 27 November 2008

A British move to increase the tax paid by airline passengers on flights to New Zealand could dampen an anticipated boost in tourist numbers during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The cup will be the biggest international sporting event to be held in New Zealand, with 60,000 to 70,000 international visitors expected to attend the matches.
However, the British Government is about to increase taxes on long-haul flights to help reduce the amount of carbon emissions from highly polluting jet aircraft.
England, Wales and Scotland are automatic qualifiers for the tournament, and organisers had expected the three teams to be accompanied by many fans.
With half of the World Cup visitors expected to come from Britain and Ireland, any possible disincentive to travel was a concern, Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar said.
The duty on a flight to New Zealand will be $155 from next November, with a second increase to $240 in November 2010.
The tourism sector is worried the tax increase will hurt visitor numbers from Britain New Zealand's largest source of holidaymakers after Australia and is concerned other countries will follow Britain's move.
"It doesn't do anything to prime the market or send positive signals to the market," he said.
"We don't want to see our price competitiveness as a destination damaged," he said. . As a country, we have done a lot to try to be a responsible tourism destination.
"It seems to me they are always incentivising short-haul travel by penalising the long-haul markets."
Prime Minister John Key raised New Zealand's objections to the tax changes during his meeting in London with British PM Gordon Brown yesterday.
"We were given an award in Britain for responsible tourism.
"We just indicated we were concerned about it, we didn't think it was fair and we'd like to progress the issue further if we can," he said.
Key said he told Brown there were efficiency differences between airlines and aircraft, and some airlines, including Air New Zealand, were trialling biofuels.

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Public photos may hold key in pack sex attack inquiry

By CLIO FRANCIS – Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Police investigating a possible pack rape are asking the public to send them any photos taken in Christchurch's Corsair Bay area last Sunday.
Police have begun an investigation into an alleged sexual violation, and want any photographs taken in the popular swimming area between 11am and 3pm on November 16.
"We're particularly interested in any activities around the raft," he said.
Up to half a dozen men, between the ages of 20 and 40, are sought, Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti said."
He said Sunday was a "lovely day" and he imagined lots of photos would have been taken.
"The victim has met these people at the area and the assault has happened somewhere else.tarawhiti@police.
Anyone with photos is asked to email them to ross.nz , karen. .govt.simmons@police.nz or phone 03 344 0661.

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White tail menace swells

By KAROLINE TUCKEY – Manawatu Standard Wednesday, 12 November 2008

JONATHAN CAMERON/Manawatu Standard
BUSTED: The female white-tailed spider that put Daniel Bailey, inset, in hospital.

A spate of white-tail spider attacks saw at least three people treated in Palmerston North Hospital at the weekend.
Palmerston North man Daniel Bailey was probably ambushed as he lay sleeping in bed, and it's understood two others were bitten in separate incidents. By Sunday night it had developed into a nasty spreading infection that required hospital treatment.
Mr Bailey, 31, woke with a swollen and painful elbow late on Saturday morning.
"It was a little swollen and ached, it was quite an intense pain if anything brushed it.
Mr Bailey said when he woke up he was aware of it straight away."
He first thought it might have been tennis elbow.
"By Sunday morning my elbow was sticking out and was swollen to the size of half a golf-ball. Time passed and the swelling grew redder and hotter."
He found a large white-tailed spider – about 1. By late that evening it was spreading almost a centimetre up my arm every hour. He became concerned – he's been bitten by white-tailed spiders twice before – and called the free national HealthLine advice service.5cm long – in clothes he had been wearing the day before.
After describing his symptoms and the spider, Mr Bailey was advised to see a doctor fast.
After describing his symptoms and the spider, Mr Bailey was advised to see a doctor fast.
"The doctors were great, once the antibiotics kicked in, the spreading stopped," he said.
Over the next 18 hours Mr Bailey was given intravenous antibiotics, observed, and his elbow encased in a plaster cast for protection.
"I'm a software engineer, and I can't reach the keyboard to type with my elbow bent around in the cast.
Mr Bailey said he would be off work until the cast was removed in a few days. About 10cm down his arm from the new wound is a small neat pair of fang-shaped scars from his last encounter, 10 years ago."
This isn't the first time a white-tail has taken a bite from Mr Bailey. I was doing some landscaping and I didn't know what it was, so I ignored it for about four days.
"That actually got quite bad. All the skin around my arm was stretched out, and it felt like it might split.
"My arm was swollen out to here, It was very painful.
While he was in hospital, he saw two other people treated for suspected white- tailed spider bites.
While he was in hospital, he saw two other people treated for suspected white- tailed spider bites.
"A man was bitten on his fingertip when he was gardening, and because the wound became gangrenous so fast they had to remove the end of his finger."
Another woman had breathing problems because she had been bitten on her chest.
"She was facing upwards in bed, and there was a white-tailed spider [on the ceiling] above her."
SLEEPY SPIDERS COME TO LIFE
Beware of white-tailed spiders. They love warm weather as much as we do.
Retired Palmerston North entomologist, Jim Esson, warns that now is the time spiders wake from winter fasting.
"During the winter they fast and hole up, so as it gets warmer they start trying to build up body mass to get ready for laying eggs.''
The spiders don't build webs. They feed mainly on other spiders and move around a lot hunting. They're particularly partial to grey house spiders, which live around house window frames.
The white-tailed spider is native to Australia, but Mr Esson says it has been in New Zealand for around 80 to 90 years.
The larger female spider has the worst bite, but problems for humans come not from bites or toxins, but from bacteria in the spiders' mouths.
"The type of bacteria will depend on where they've been, and what they've been eating. The big problem is when you getinfected wounds caused by fasciating bacteria.''
There are no proven cases of death from white-tailed spider bites, but secondary infections from the bacteria can lead to severe complications, such as gangrene.Each victim reacts differently to spider-mouth bacteria.
There is virtually no way to stop them invading human homes or sheds, as they stalk other spiders to eat. Mr Esson says his best advice when dealing with white-tails is to be brutal."Step on them.''
Bite victims need medical aid if symptoms such as redness, pain, swelling, drowsiness, high temperature or flu-like symptoms develop.
The biggest white-tailed spider myth is that they carry toxins from eating daddy-long-legs.
"That is a complete, utter and total myth. 99.95 percent of spiders have a toxin, but the daddy-long-legs are one of the few species that don't. ."

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Thousands watch baretop ride

Saturday, 08 November 2008

/The
ON DISPLAY: Steve Crow and his topless troupe pose in the grounds of Parliament.

Boobs at Parliament

(nudity)

The city's leaders called it "sleazy and cynical" but about 8000 Wellingtonians turned out to see the Boobs on Bikes parade.
At its first appearance in the city yesterday, the motorcade of more than 20 topless porn stars atop Harley-Davidsons roared from Post Office Square down a crowded Lambton Quay before the stars walked on to Parliament's grounds. .
The largely male audience ranged from businessmen to gangs of wolf-whistling construction workers, mixed with curious mothers and smirking teenagers – all clicking away on their cameras in lines sometimes four-deep. Dylan, 4, sat in her arms pointing and saying, "Naked ladies, Mum.45pm."
"I'm not offended at all," Mrs McRae said. Kids don't have any preconceived ideas, it's adults who tell them it's wrong. "Women's bodies are beautiful and I don't see why children can't join in the fun."
IT specialist Chris Slade, 24, said: "It's great entertainment. It's not hurting anybody. I think it's all in good taste. No one's forced to be here."
As promotion of the Erotica Lifestyles Expo this weekend, it seems to have worked."
As promotion of the Erotica Lifestyles Expo this weekend, it seems to have worked.
The parade was barred from Parliament's grounds because it was seen as a commercial venture, but organiser Steve Crow said it was about "freedom of expression" and vowed to reach the steps. We never get to explore this side of life in New Zealand, we're too modest," Mr Slade said. American porn star Evan Stone walked up to "admire" the Parliament building before being escorted back by three security guards.
Though the bikes were banned and a barrier kept the porn stars and their entourage a good 10 metres from the steps, they were allowed to walk up to the statue of Richard Seddon, surrounded by more than 100 shouting fans. Obviously anyone involved with the adult film industry isn't allowed to visit Parliament," he said.
"I'm a tourist. Family First spokesperson Bob McCoskrie said it was "an absolute disgrace" the parade had been allowed on Parliament's grounds.
Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast was unavailable for comment yesterday but a council spokesperson said she found the parade "sleazy and really cynical", with little public support."

. "Maybe the parliamentary security and police were blinded by the porn stars

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Fears of too much boost on NZ’s fastest slide

By KIRSTY JOHNSTON – Tuesday, 04 November 2008

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TOO FAST? The new hydroslide under construction at the Aquatic centre at Kawaroa Park in New Plymouth.

Fears that one of New Plymouth's new hydroslides could be too fast for safety have delayed their opening.
But the turbo slide, hailed as the biggest and fastest slide in New Zealand, could now be too speedy for its own good.
The $1 million slides were due to open at the New Plymouth Aquatic Centre at Labour Weekend.
"We're testing the slide at the moment to see it doesn't get too exciting for some people," he said yesterday.
Project manager Jeff Bondy, of the New Plymouth District Council, said the slides have been delayed by a problem with the design.
"Then there's those young fellas with too much testosterone who think they're on a luge and try to go as fast as they can, so we have to tune it to get some consistent outcomes," he said. It is fast – and heavier people take more stopping than lighter people.
The turbo slide will be tested for speed and safety this week and, if it is found to be too fast, it will need further alterations.
Contractor Aeromarine Industries Ltd of Timaru had no comment on the issue.
The family slide has already been put on the backburner because of the pressure to have at least one of the slides open for summer.
A second slide, the more sedate family slide, could have a change to the structure.
The design flaws were not going to cost any more money, but were possibly costing the New Plymouth Aquatic Centre early revenue they hoped to get from the slides.
"We need to get at least one of them open – and we're concentrating on the turbo slide," Mr Bondy said.
The corrosion did not affect the straight shoots, however, and they were safe to use.
In the interim, the centre planned to use the straight parts of the old outdoor hydroslide, which was closed because of corrosion in its structure.

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Couple ‘divorce’ son over $20,000 ripoff

By ELLEN IRVINE – Sunday, 02 November 2008

An elderlycouple have "divorced" their son after he stole their life savings, leaving just 34 cents in their bank account.
Heather and Noel Laurent, both 70, took pity on their son and let him stay rent-free at their Te Puke retirement village.
But while Heather cooked and did her son's washing, and Noel tried to recover from a stroke, he was fleecing their accounts and shattering their retirement dreams.
Brett who turned up at his parents doorstep last August penniless and heartbroken after his girlfriend kicked him out stole $10,000 from their bank accounts, stole electrical goods from their home and failed to repay a loan of $10,000, ending the couple's life-long dream of taking an overseas holiday.
Brett Andrew Laurent, 38, was jailed for 18 months on Friday after pleading guilty in the Tauranga District Court to 28 charges relating to stealing money and household goods from his parents. .
"He can rot in hell, the sooner the better," Heather told . They don't even want him told when they die. He's had lots and lots of chances," Heather said.
"He will never come into our lives again. We must get on with our lives and forget we had a son.
"You just forget he ever existed. We don't want him to ring us, or write letters or come anywhere near us.
"We just don't want to see him."
Heather addressed the court when Brett was sentenced to ensure he got what was coming to him."
Heather addressed the court when Brett was sentenced to ensure he got what was coming to him.
"We had wiped our hands of him and cut him out of the will when we redid it four years ago," Heather said.
But this isn't the first time Brett has stolen from the couple and their family. Little did they know that since they'd last seen him Brett had been to jail and amassed a lengthly criminal record.
But when he turned up in August they thought they'd open their doors and hearts to him one more time. He seemed to be good, settled and happy," Heather said.
"We thought he had changed. Thank goodness we didn't.
"We were even thinking of putting him back in the will. In reality he had no job and was frittering away their savings in Auckland."
Brett told his parents he was working for a furniture removal company and that his work truck had broken down.
"I was just angry.
"I was just angry. It was anger more than anything," she said.
"I was in real shock. I thought Noel was going to have another stroke.
"We have never been overseas. I need my teeth done, we need a new vehicle. We have saved and saved and saved."
The couple who have a 35-year-old daughter said Brett was the dream child until he hit his late teens.
"Most people think it's their upbringing but it wasn't," Heather said.
"We did everything for (our children). Those kids were never alone, I took them after school to all their activities soccer, Scouts, go-karting.
Brett's dad Noel said it was sad that he no longer had a son.
"All that for nothing. There's no hope for him any more.
"We will never be able to forgive."