Two a penny

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Southland celebrated a “once in a lifetime” Ranfurly Shield win in style in Invercargill on Tuesday with thousands turning out for the traditional tickertape parade.

The Stags players were rapturously received as fans crowded both sides of the main street.

A weekend of partying flowed into the formalities as the heroes were feted in the deep south.

Southland won the famous Log o’ Wood for the first time in 50 years last Thursday night when they upset holders Canterbury 9-3 in Christchurch. There are a lot of people here, it’s great for the community,” Southland co-coach Dave Henderson told Radio Sport from the back of one of the floats involved in the parade.

“She’s pretty exciting. Once you do these sorts of things .

“There are 50 years of players that have gone through before us - 30 or 40 challenges have come up with nothing…. this might only happen once in a lifetime . you have to celebrate them in a bit of style which we are doing today..Then to see them turn up at the airport the next day and now to see thousands here cheering us on, it’s quite emotional for some of the guys.

“It was such a thrill to see the faces of the fans at the game with the support we got up there in Christchurch.

The challenge for Southland now is to stay on track in the Air New Zealand Cup where last week’s win had taken them into the semfinals.”

Henderson admitted it had been a long weekend full of partying.

Henderson said the team had trained well on Monday and would face a big hitout on Wednesday. . We have focused on celebrating the Ranfurly Shield but we have also focused on the next Saturday in Wellington because we want to go the next step,” said Henderson.

“I don’t think some of the boys remember arriving back at the airport.

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Labour MP Rick Barker said he never intended to deceive when he told pollsters they could give false names and say they worked for a company which no longer existed.

The poll Mr Barker ran used volunteers aligned with Labour to ask questions about what issues were important to voters.

He was unaware then that Data Research was no longer operating.

It emerged that pollsters were using fake names and saying they were calling from Data Research

Labour leader Phil Goff said earlier today people should not have used false names.

Mr Barker told reporters this afternoon Data Research had been used by Labour pollsters in the past and he thought that would have been okay had the company not been deregistered.

“Given the controversy around it”, the polling was unlikely to continue in the same form and in the future the party was likely to continue with its traditional practice of using professional polling companies, he said.”

While it was a mistake to say people could use false names, he could not see a problem with using a company name, because if pollsters said they were from Labour people may not answer honestly.

However, he said: “You don’t actually have to have a registered company to undertake polling.

“I haven’t done anything intentionally wrong.

National people did not say they were party supporters when they did their own polling, Mr Barker said.

“The intention was never to deceive.”

Asked if the party would continue to use Data Research’s name, Mr Barker initially said the party needed to sort out registration but under further questioning said the name would be shelved. . .”

None of the volunteers who did the polling was paid and worked in their free time. the intention was to get data on how people felt about issues in various areas which is a very legitimate thing to do in politics. . Phone calls were paid with taxpayer funds out of the party leader’s budget.

“Labour are usually lecturing other people about being up front, so I think in this case they need to explain what they are doing,” he said.

Acting Prime Minister Bill English earlier today said party polling needed to be done openly.

Speaking from Asia at the weekend, Prime Minister John Key said it was wrong to use false names and taxpayer money for political polling.

Mr English said the National Party had transparency around who paid for polls and who conducted them.

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Family and friends have so far failed to find the bodies of Timaru men Antony Haywood, 46, and Murray Green, 54, after their boat capsized on a fishing trip on Lake Tekapo last Wednesday.

Searchers recovered the body of the third crew member Mr Haywood’s father Alexander Haywood, 72, of Pleasant Point, close to Timaru, the day after the tragedy.

However, they had not yet found sign of their bodies, a Tekapo police spokesman said this afternoon.

Police called off the official search for the other two on Friday but relatives and friends continued looking for the men throughout the weekend.

Police believe that the fishing boat which had been recovered possibly hit a submerged object such as a tree at high speed about midday Wednesday flinging the men into the icy water. .

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Mr Haywood’s funeral will be held in Timaru tomorrow

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Jamaica has joined England as a genuine threat to netball’s traditional powerbases at next year’s Commonwealth Games by stunning the Silver Ferns 53-50 in Kingston today.

The winners capped a glorious week to celebrate the sport’s 50th anniversary in Jamaica, notching just their second win over the Silver Ferns in 44 attempts.

And it comes just four days after completing an equally rare one-goal victory over world champion Australia.

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken, who also watched her side require extra time to deny England on this trip, admitted a bridging of the gap was a concern 12 months out from New Zealand’s title defence.

The world No 4 Sunshine Girls shared both series , an ominous development that suggests the gold medal match in India next October will not automatically be a trans-Tasman affair.

“It’s not just about Australia any more,” she told .

“The reality is we need to prepare for three different styles going into Commonwealth Games - England, Jamaica and Australia. .”

Jamaica’s compelling second quarter propelled the game beyond the Silver Ferns’ reach as they outscored to world No 2 13-5 - confining shooters Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia to just six attempts. You get someone like Romelda (Aiken) one day then a moving circle with (Australians) Sharelle (McMahon) and Susan Pratley.

“We lost a bit of our courage and our willingness to work off the ball.

“We lost our drive on attack, they tightened up (defensively), we made a few errors and suddenly we’re examining at only six attempts in that quarter - we can’t win games on that,” Aitken said.”

Aitken said different umpiring interpretations - the local official gave the Jamaican circle defenders more leeway - knocked New Zealand off kilter though it was not an excuse. Jamaica really upped the pressure and we got distracted, we didn’t stick to our structure.

The Silver Ferns started impressively, skipping out to a six-goal lead midway through the opening stanza at the National Indoor Stadium.

The Silver Ferns started impressively, skipping out to a six-goal lead midway through the opening stanza at the National Indoor Stadium.

Van Dyk shot a perfect 16 from 16 to the main break but the Jamaican duo had the luxury of making nine more attempts - an imbalance that engineered a 27-21 advantage for the hosts.

Jamaica then wrestled the initiative by ruling the 15-minute period to halftime - clogging the supply lines to van Dyk as the Silver Ferns’ passing accuracy deteriorated.

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Four glaring van Dyk misses in the third quarter and concerns over the Jamaican umpire when she controlled New Zealand’s shooting end prompted Aitken to pull her ace shooter (19/23) for the more mobile Paula Griffin in a bid to erase a four-goal deficit on the home stretch

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Trampers who were missing in Rimutaka Forest Park have made it out safely.

Police had been considering a search for the group after they failed to return from an overnight tramp to the Ongaonga River yesterday.

A police patrol met them about 3. No one was injured, according to a police statement.30 pm. “They made the right decision to wait for the river level to go down before crossing it. .”

Earlier, a police spokeswoman said one of the trampers had been in contact with their family.

They had managed to cross the river and were making their way out. The family member had said the party was safe and well.

The group, all aged in their 20s, started on the three-hour tramp on Saturday. A police patrol had been dispatched to meet them and the group were expected home before nightfall.

The group had planned to stay at the Shamrock hut.

Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Braybrook said the conditions were bad last night with heavy rain, which would have prevented the group leaving the valley.

- with

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A Queenstown commercial pilot had to chase his light plane, with passengers on board, after it began speeding towards the runway without a pilot at the controls.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the incident involving a Cessna 207, owned by Milford Sounds Scenic Flights, getting “out of control” at Queenstown Airport last month.

“During that time the aircraft took off by itself,” Mr Mathews said.

Commission deputy chief investigator Ken Mathews said the pilot got out of the aircraft when the engine wouldn’t start and used his hands to get the propeller moving.

It did not go on to the main runway or disrupt flights.

The pilot managed to get into the aircraft while it was moving and control it before any harm was done, Mr Mathews said.”

The Milford Sounds Scenic Flights aircraft was scheduled to fly to Milford Sound when it began moving without its pilot.

“But there were other aircraft about, so it wasn’t a good thing.

There was a person in the cockpit, but it was unclear what their role or qualifications were, he said. .

Milford Sounds Scenic Flights director Mark Quickfall said the pilot was stood down after the incident and safety procedures improved to ensure aircraft did not set off without their pilots.

The aircraft could carry up to six passengers but it was unclear how many passengers were in the Cessna at the time of the incident, Mr Mathews said. “Our report to the (Civil Aviation Authority) included actions to prevent this happening again.

“It was a serious incident and error of judgment by the pilot,” he said. He declined to comment further on the incident until the investigations had been completed.” The company reported the incident immediately to the Civil Aviation Authority, Mr Quickfall said.

The commission had not provided a completion date for its investigation.

Queenstown Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said he was aware of the incident but would not comment.

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Relief looks in sight for motorists whose cars remain stuck on the snow-covered Napier - Taupo Road, with police saying it should re-open by 3pm this afternoon.

Around 100 cars remained stuck on the snow-covered Napier - Taupo Road and several hundred people have spent a second night in makeshift accommodation after a heavy snowfall cut off State Highway 5.

Police said they expected the Naiper - taupo Road to re-open at 3pm.

A further 30 centimetres of snow was expected to fall in parts of the central North Island last night and today.

State Highway 1 was closed last night between Turangi and Taihape because of the bad weather, however authorities have re-opened a section of the road south of Waiouru this morning.

MetService had issued warnings of heavy snow down to 600 metres in Tongariro National Park and on the Napier - Taupo Road as early as Saturday morning.

But the road closures came too late for more than 600 motorists who took to the roads only to become stuck in the snow.

Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper, who drove a bus to ferry motorists back to Taupo, said roads should have been closed a lot earlier, preventing the mass strandings of vehicles.

“People were very scared and frightened, many, including the elderly, had a horrific night.

“Rescuing 600 people on a horrendous night in blizzard conditions should not have had to have happened,” he said.

“It was a freak occurrence which was significantly worse than we anticipated for this time of year,” he said.”

New Zealand Transport Agency national state highways manager David Bates said road crews had been aware of the forecast but were caught out by the large amount of snow which fell in a short time.

“We are very sorry many motorists became trapped.

“We had the equipment and crews to keep the road open as long as we could but a massive temperature drop around 2pm swamped our trucks and equipment. It would have been a scary experience for all. . The forecast is for more snow, which could delay the road being opened.

The road may not be fully cleared till late today.

Emergency services sprang into action when a civil defence emergency was issued late on Sunday after 668 motorists became stranded.

About 130 cars remained on the Napier - Taupo Road overnight.

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A further 56 people were rescued on the Desert Road by the army and taken to Waiouru

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The recession ended in the June quarter, with the economy growing by the barest of margins, up just 0.1 per cent, according to official figures.

Most economists and the Reserve Bank expected a slight fall in the June quarter, but that growth would return in the September quarter.

Economist said yesterday that a better than expected result for the economy could see the kiwi dollar continue to rise against the US dollar. The recession began at the start of 2008.06c, its highest level since August 4, 2008 after the release of the GDP data.

The New Zealand dollar rose as high as US73.

Economic activity, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was up less than 0.

This growth in economic activity follows five quarters of contraction in the New Zealand economy.1 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said.5 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, mainly driven by forestry and logging (up 8.

Activity in the primary industries was up 1.

The increase in forestry and logging production was related to an increase in exports of logs to the People’s Republic of China.0 per cent).

Activity in the goods-producing industries contracted 0.

Activity in the goods-producing industries contracted 0.3 per cent) and construction (down 1.

The manufacturing (down 1. A 5.9 per cent) industries both declined.

Activity in the services industries was flat this quarter.9 per cent increase in electricity, gas and water partly offset these declines.5 per cent) and communications (up 1. Service industries that increased were real estate and business services (up 1.

Offsetting these increases were declines in wholesale trade (down 2.7 per cent).3 per cent), and government administration and defence (down 0.3 per cent), and government administration and defence (down 0.4 per cent).

The expenditure measure of GDP, released concurrently with the production measure, was up 0.4 percent in the June 2009 quarter.

Household consumption expenditure, which measures the volume of spending by New Zealand households, was up 0.4 per cent.

This increase in household spending was driven by non-durables (mainly motor fuel) and services. Household spending on durable items fell.

Export volumes were up 4.7 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, with exports of dairy and wood products the main contributors.

Import volumes decreased 3.8 percent in the same period, with the largest declines in intermediate goods, and machinery and plant equipment.

The combination of higher exports, lower imports, and a decline in manufacturing led to a large, $1. .

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A Waikato woman has found her Irish husband’s body in a Laos river three days after he went missing in a tragic end to their Asian honeymoon.

Michael O’Sullivan, 39, a publican, got into difficulty after a river “tubing” ride with his wife Ilana James 29, and 18 other holidaymakers.They had planned to renew their vows in the presence of Mrs O’Sullivan’s mother in New Zealand.Mr O’Sullivan and Ms James, from Raglan, had been enjoying a belated honeymoon backpacking around Asia after marrying last November, the Evening Herald in Dublin reported.But the river had swollen dangerously because of the rainy season, and locals had to use ropes and sticks to rescue them.Last Thursday, the pair went on the “tubing adventure” on the Nam Xong river in Vang Vieng, in the north of Laos, described by backpackers’ guide Lonely Planet as “one of the rites of passage of the Indochina backpacking circuit”. He was not wearing a lifejacket. .For three days she hired boats and scoured the river banks looking for her husband and she was among a search party that found his body yesterday.Ms James insisted on being part of the search team that combed the river.The couple met in England.Ms James suffered a further blow when she was mugged on the way back to her hotel during the search.They had already visited India, Malaysia and Thailand after heading off backpacking in June. They were married last year and moved to Ireland.

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Emergency authorities are urging people living in the Wellington area to not be complacent despite new findings that show a decrease in the chances of a big earthquake devastating the region.

New research found the Wellington fault, which runs through the centre of the capital, is about 50 percent less likely to rupture in the next 100 years than previously thought.

The findings were the result of a $3. .5 million multi-agency study of Wellington’s earthquake risk - the most comprehensive to date.

“While most people know it runs through the city and along the Hutt Road, it’s not actually the Wellington fault that’s caused the big quakes in the region over the past 150 years.

However, Wellington City Council’s emergency preparedness manager, Fred Mecoy, said people should remember the Wellington fault was only one of many faultlines in the region.

“It’s actually the Wairarapa fault - over the other side of the Orongorongo Range - that’s caused the damage.”

The magnitude 5.

“It’s a reminder that a big earthquake will cause damage over a very wide area, possibly in most parts of the country.

These could still be devastating to a city like Wellington as many of them were capable of producing a damaging earthquake.2 jolt that woke Wellingtonians on August 28 was centred underwater in Cook Strait, which showed the area was prone to often earthquakes from the 50 active faults in the Wellington region, Mr Mecoy said.

“Awareness and preparation are vital for coping with unexpected emergencies.

“Don’t forget that, like many cities, Wellington also faces other hazards such as storms and flooding, tsunami, landslips and man-made hazards.”

The easiest way to be prepared is to have a household emergency plan in place and emergency survival items, he said.”

The easiest way to be prepared is to have a household emergency plan in place and emergency survival items, he said.

“You should also have a supply of essential items like medicines, and other necessities of life,” he said. Stock up on cans of food and water, at least three litres per person per day for a minimum of three days.