
Great high-country stations like Molesworth deserve better than to be smothered by wilding pines
Opinion by Peter Young
Peter Young has filmed for TVNZ's Hyundai Country Calendar for more than 25 years and has also made his own documentaries, including The Last Ocean and Fight for the Wild. He began his working life as a musterer Molesworth Station and shares his concerns about the possibility of the iconic station being smothered in pines.
THE FACTS
I remember those frosty Tarndale mornings when the ice was so thick it felt like the world had turned to glass. We'd saddle up in the dark, leather creaking as we mounted our horses, their hooves crunching through frozen tussock on the ride out. The sun, yet to

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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Great high-country stations like Molesworth deserve better than to be smothered by wilding pines
Peter Young warns iconic Molesworth Station is at risk from wilding pines. Photo / Peter Young Collection Opinion by Peter Young Peter Young has filmed for TVNZ's Hyundai Country Calendar for more than 25 years and has also made his own documentaries, including The Last Ocean and Fight for the Wild. He began his working life as a musterer Molesworth Station and shares his concerns about the possibility of the iconic station being smothered in pines. THE FACTS I remember those frosty Tarndale mornings when the ice was so thick it felt like the world had turned to glass. We'd saddle up in the dark, leather creaking as we mounted our horses, their hooves crunching through frozen tussock on the ride out. The sun, yet to

1News
02-07-2025
- 1News
Over 200 homes flooded as bomb cyclone smacks Australia's east coast
Strong winds and heavy rainfall have downed trees, damaged properties and flooded roads as a complex weather system lashed Australia's east coast. About 200 properties in Burrill Lake on the NSW south coast were flooded overnight, the State Emergency Services said. Emergency crews responded to a surge in rescue incidents around Shoalhaven as flash flooding swept through the area with the majority of incidents overnight involved fallen trees, powerlines and damaged roofs. More than 200mm of rain also smashed several towns including Morton and Ulladulla. Communities stretching from Queensland's Lockyer Valley to Bega on NSW's south coast are still being warned to take care as severe weather driven by a "vigorous" coastal low lingers offshore. ADVERTISEMENT The storm, called a bomb cyclone, was expected to track south on Wednesday before turning back out into the Tasman Sea on Thursday. Its outer edges were now influencing weather patterns in New Zealand, especially the upper North Island. Remnants of bomb cyclone to impact on New Zealand - Watch on TVNZ+ Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding continues in the southeast and extending southwards towards Bega and inland to Braidwood. Isolated totals up to 120mm are expected but conditions are expected to ease later in the day. There are 29 warnings current, with residents in Sanctuary Point being told to move to higher ground. Trees were down across New South Wales on Tuesday. (Source: NSW SES) ADVERTISEMENT NSW SES crews had responded to more than 2320 incidents by early Wednesday morning, as the low shifted southwards from Newcastle toward Sydney, the Illawarra and South Coast. More than 17,000 homes and businesses from western Sydney down to the Illawarra are without power, Endeavour Energy said, and several flights are cancelled from Sydney Airport for the second consecutive day. Residents were being warned to evacuate amid coastal erosion on the Central Coast. Dunleith Tourist Park manager Ryan Lloyd told AAP the beaches were heavily affected as wind gusts and swells intensified. "It's pretty wild — pretty full on — a bit scary for the home-owners too," he said. There were patches of blue in the sky but they were otherwise surrounded by dark clouds. "It's quite ominous, quite eerie." But the rain was less of a concern than the strong winds. ADVERTISEMENT "We've already had plenty of tree branches down... they're dropping limbs everywhere," Lloyd said. "It's just battening down now, just wait for it to blow over — pardon the pun — then a massive clean-up for the next couple of days." The Bureau of Meteorology predicted another low-pressure system to enter the storm's path later on Wednesday. The Fujiwhara effect The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Australia's weather bomb, the surprising costs of getting one more dog, and BTS are back. (Source: 1News) "We see another low-pressure system, really dumb-belling around that first one, that will really intensify and reinforce some of those winds and rain across the south coast," senior meteorologist Jonathan How said. The system extends about 5km into the sky, with two low pressure systems interacting with one another in a phenomenon known to meteorologists as the Fujiwhara effect. ADVERTISEMENT University of Melbourne associate professor and weather phenomena expert Andrew Dowdy said: "It is very rare to see two east coast lows spiralling around each other like this."

1News
26-06-2025
- 1News
Rain 'almost off the scale', 250km/h wind gusts ahead of school holidays
An active front across parts of the central North Island and South Island will bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, gales and possible flooding, MetService says. Earlier in the week, the forecaster issued orange heavy rain watches and warnings for parts of the South Island and the lower North Island into Friday. 1News meteorologist Daniel Corbett said for some places the heavy rain will be "almost off the scale" as some "nasty" weather moves in. Watch Daniel Corbett's weather warning on TVNZ+ MetService meterologist Heather Keats told RNZ Canterbury High Country experienced "massive" 250km/h wind gusts overnight. ADVERTISEMENT Wind gusts of more than 120km/h were recorded in Wellington. Keats said other places experienced 90km/h gusts while some areas also had 10mm to 20mm of rain hourly. New Zealand Transport Agency urged motorists to take care on State Highway 73 through Arthur's Pass and State Highway 7 near Springs Junction due to weather. Earlier, a slip closed State Highway 6 through Haast Pass. NZTA confirmed the road has since reopened. MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley said the Nelson and Tasman region recorded significant rain as high as 25mm/h and should expect "a lot more to fall by Friday evening". Northern parts of the South Island were likely to have than a month's worth of rain before the end of tomorrow. ADVERTISEMENT Thunderstorms were expected in Northland before dawn on Friday and, as the front moved, the risk would spread to other regions of the North Island and top of the South Island. Overnight into Saturday, the winds would shift southerly, meaning heavy rain in Dunedin and Otago with the possibility of heavy snow above 600m inland, potentially impacting alpine roads. "Sunday looks like the better day to travel if you're going away for the school holidays because the severe weather is expected to ease," Pawley said. Full list of watches and warnings Heavy rain and north to northwest gales have been forecast for central and southern parts of the country. (Source: Supplied) Heavy Rain Warning - Orange Taranaki - 18 hours from 9pm tonight. ADVERTISEMENT Tasman District northwest of Motueka - 33 hours from 3am today. Buller District - 13 hours from 9am today. Nelson District about and southeast of SH 6 and north of Nelson Lakes, also Marlborough about and north of Seddon (excluding the Sounds) - 33 hours from 9am today. Strong Wind Warning - Orange Marlborough Sounds and Wellington - nine hours from 9am today. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Iran strikes report, stranded travellers land safely, rough weather coming, Bezos' wedding under fire, Kiwi basketballer joins LA Lakers. (Source: 1News) Heavy Rain Watch ADVERTISEMENT Bay of Plenty and Rotorua - 12 hours from noon today. Taranaki - 21 hours from 6pm today. Marlborough Sounds - 33 hours from 9am today. Nelson and Tasman Districts from Motueka to SH 6, including Nelson Lakes - 29 hours from 10am today. The ranges of Grey District - 12 hours from 4am today. Dunedin and North Otago - seven hours from 9am today. Strong Wind Watch ADVERTISEMENT Marlborough about and south of Seddon - 15 hours until 3pm today. Heavy Snow Watch Central Otago and Canterbury High Country south of the Rangitata River - 11 hours from 11pm on Friday.