Latest news with #Kingi
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- NZ Herald
Missing man Jarrod Kingi: Body found on Whangamatā Beach
A man's body has been found on Whangamatā Beach. Police said the body was found by a member of the public this morning. While the formal identification has not been completed, police said in a statement they believed the body was that of missing man Jarrod Kingi. Police have been searching areas around Whangamatā Harbour this week for Kingi, 44, who had not been seen since 11.15pm on Anzac Day when he left an address on Tobie Place in Whangamatā.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Forbes
What To Eat And Drink In And Around Auckland, New Zealand
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 27: A View from the Auckland Harbour looking back onto the Ports and ... More through to the City skyline, Saturday 24th July 2004. (Photo by) The Greater Auckland region encompasses an eclectic array of sights, sounds, and flavors. It contains the country's largest population center, with just about 1.8 million people. There's all the cultural vibrancy you'd expect from such a crowd. And yet it's easy to get lost in this landscape, to escape into verdant hills, or set sail for remote, idyllic islands, about which you could explore all day without encountering another living soul. This expansive range of experience enables the area to be the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure playground. Especially when it comes to eating and drinking well. Suspended amongst the skyline in your downtown hotel, you could talk a short walk over to the pier and ferry over to the vineyards and olive groves of Waiheke Island. Or you could take a short drive north to explore the farmers markets and craft breweries of Matakana. Maybe just stay put and enjoy Michelin-caliber cuisine in the lobby of your own lodging. Auckland is your oyster and we're not just saying that on account of all the world-class seafood. With so many options at your disposal, the only downside is decision paralysis. We've got the antidote in the form of a couple of carefully curated itineraries to guide you through your perfect day (or days) in Greater Auckland. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 17: Amano Restaurant operations manager Jonathan Lefevre works as a ... More single server for a table of guests as the restaurant opens for the first time in level two on May 17, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Amano – a popular, seasonally-focused Italian eatery. You'll want to sample several of the house made pastas, including the beef shin agnolotti. Kingi – a boisterous locale in the lobby of the boutiquey Britomart hotel, opposite Waitemata Harbor. The focus is on sustainably caught seafood, paired with an extensive selection of New Zealand wines. Panacea – a modern mixology lounge in the CBD describing itself as a 'cocktail kitchen.' Although you'll want to explore some of the unique offerings, don't sleep on the Old Fashioned; it's the best in the city. Caretaker – A speakeasy style subterranean lounge that specializes in bespoke creations. Fishsmith – 'It's the best takeaway in town for freshly-fried fish and chips,' according to Auckland native, Gabbie Tutheridge. 'Pack it up and head down to neighboring Herne Bay for a sunset dinner to remember.' Odettes Eatery – A verdant and inviting spot located at the City Works Depot. The playful-yet-sophisticated menu synthesizes flavors from the Mediterranean and Northern Africa into something wholly unique. Duck Island Ice Cream – Purveyors of hand-crafted, small batch confections with four separate locations across the Greater Auckland region. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 11: Local Matakana resident John Hay sells fresh produce from his ... More stall at the Matakana Famers Market in Matakana October 11, 2008 near Auckland, New Zealand. Farmers markets in New Zealand are rapidly growing in popularity as people seek more healthy, fresh and nutritious alternatives to supermarket food. (Photo by) Matakana is a quaint bedroom community just 45 minutes drive north of Auckland. Yet it feels like a world away. In recent years, the area has become a lightning rod for DIY sorts—artisan cheesemakers, kombucha brewers, ceramicists, knife sharpeners. You'll spot all of them selling their respective wears and tears weekly at the Saturday Farmer's Market. Or you can stroll your way through the heart of downtown and pick up fresh flowers and handcrafted gin and mixers to build your own picnic on Omaha Beach. Below is an itinerary custom-built for those with an indefatigable indie spirit. If you're dedicated to supporting the craftspeople in your own hometown, you clearly carry with you the same objective as you set out across the globe. We feel your passion and feed it fully with an hour-by-hour rundown of a magical day in Matakana. And we've shaped with the help of trusted Kiwi insight. 10 a.m. - Load up on protein at the Matakana Smokehouse 11 a.m. - Peruse the popular Saturday Farmers Market 1:30 p.m. - Picnic at the Sculptureum 3 p.m. - Beeline to the beach 5 p.m. - Cocktail hour at the Vintry 7 p.m. - Dinner at the Saw Mill AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 11: An old sign for the Matakana Famers Market is displayed in ... More Matakana October 11, 2008 near Auckland, New Zealand. Farmers markets in New Zealand are rapidly growing in popularity as people seek more healthy, fresh and nutritious alternatives to supermarket food. (Photo by)
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Forbes
The Best Food And Drink In And Around Auckland, New Zealand
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 27: A View from the Auckland Harbour looking back onto the Ports and ... More through to the City skyline, Saturday 24th July 2004. (Photo by) The Greater Auckland region encompasses an eclectic array of sights, sounds, and flavors. It contains the country's largest population center, with just about 1.8 million people. There's all the cultural vibrancy you'd expect from such a crowd. And yet it's easy to get lost in this landscape, to escape into verdant hills, or set sail for remote, idyllic islands, about which you could explore all day without encountering another living soul. This expansive range of experience enables the area to be the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure playground. Especially when it comes to eating and drinking well. Suspended amongst the skyline in your downtown hotel, you could talk a short walk over to the pier and ferry over to the vineyards and olive groves of Waiheke Island. Or you could take a short drive north to explore the farmers markets and craft breweries of Matakana. Maybe just stay put and enjoy Michelin-caliber cuisine in the lobby of your own lodging. Auckland is your oyster and we're not just saying that on account of all the world-class seafood. With so many options at your disposal, the only downside is decision paralysis. We've got the antidote in the form of a couple of carefully curated itineraries to guide you through your perfect day (or days) in Greater Auckland. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 17: Amano Restaurant operations manager Jonathan Lefevre works as a ... More single server for a table of guests as the restaurant opens for the first time in level two on May 17, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Amano – a popular, seasonally-focused Italian eatery. You'll want to sample several of the house made pastas, including the beef shin agnolotti. Kingi – a boisterous locale in the lobby of the boutiquey Britomart hotel, opposite Waitemata Harbor. The focus is on sustainably caught seafood, paired with an extensive selection of New Zealand wines. Panacea – a modern mixology lounge in the CBD describing itself as a 'cocktail kitchen.' Although you'll want to explore some of the unique offerings, don't sleep on the Old Fashioned; it's the best in the city. Caretaker – A speakeasy style subterranean lounge that specializes in bespoke creations. Fishsmith – 'It's the best takeaway in town for freshly-fried fish and chips,' according to Auckland native, Gabbie Tutheridge. 'Pack it up and head down to neighboring Herne Bay for a sunset dinner to remember.' Odettes Eatery – A verdant and inviting spot located at the City Works Depot. The playful-yet-sophisticated menu synthesizes flavors from the Mediterranean and Northern Africa into something wholly unique. Duck Island Ice Cream – Purveyors of hand-crafted, small batch confections with four separate locations across the Greater Auckland region. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 11: Local Matakana resident John Hay sells fresh produce from his ... More stall at the Matakana Famers Market in Matakana October 11, 2008 near Auckland, New Zealand. Farmers markets in New Zealand are rapidly growing in popularity as people seek more healthy, fresh and nutritious alternatives to supermarket food. (Photo by) Matakana is a quaint bedroom community just 45 minutes drive north of Auckland. Yet it feels like a world away. In recent years, the area has become a lightning rod for DIY sorts—artisan cheesemakers, kombucha brewers, ceramicists, knife sharpeners. You'll spot all of them selling their respective wears and tears weekly at the Saturday Farmer's Market. Or you can stroll your way through the heart of downtown and pick up fresh flowers and handcrafted gin and mixers to build your own picnic on Omaha Beach. Below is an itinerary custom-built for those with an indefatigable indie spirit. If you're dedicated to supporting the craftspeople in your own hometown, you clearly carry with you the same objective as you set out across the globe. We feel your passion and feed it fully with an hour-by-hour rundown of a magical day in Matakana. And we've shaped with the help of trusted Kiwi insight. 10 a.m. - Load up on protein at the Matakana Smokehouse 11 a.m. - Peruse the popular Saturday Farmers Market 1:30 p.m. - Picnic at the Sculptureum 3 p.m. - Beeline to the beach 5 p.m. - Cocktail hour at the Vintry 7 p.m. - Dinner at the Saw Mill AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 11: An old sign for the Matakana Famers Market is displayed in ... More Matakana October 11, 2008 near Auckland, New Zealand. Farmers markets in New Zealand are rapidly growing in popularity as people seek more healthy, fresh and nutritious alternatives to supermarket food. (Photo by)
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Humidity forces delay to indoor men's and mixed netball tournament
Games at an indoor netball tournament at Christchurch's Netsal building at Ngā Puna Wai sports hub were delayed due to humidity causing slippery surfaces. Photo: SANKA VIDANAGAMA Netball games at the Christchurch Netball Centre have been disrupted by humid conditions, which left players slipping and sliding on courts. More than 1000 people took part in the New Zealand Men's and Mixed Netball Association tournament over Easter weekend at the Netsal building at Ngā Puna Wai sports hub. Association secretary John Kingi said teams noticed the court surface was slippery during their warm-up on Good Friday. "Players were trying to stop their movements, change direction on court, and were sliding on the surface," he said. "There were games where some of our teams were having to move courts three or four times within one game, which is certainly not ideal. "Obviously the health and safety of our players and our officials is our first priority, so we had to pretty quickly try to identify what the issue was and work to mitigate that with Ngā Puna Wai and the netball centre staff." Kingi said moisture was noticeable on the building's concrete walls. All games were delayed by an hour while the courts were dried off. Kingi said the problem persisted the following day, so tournament spectators were not allowed court-side but could watch games from the mezzanine. "That noticeably reduced the humidity factor," he said. The disruption meant some games could not be livestreamed because not all of the centre's courts had livestream capability. Netball centre staff cancelled other bookings so the association could have "contingency courts" if the issue continued over the weekend, but the moisture only affected the first day-and-a-half of the tournament, Kingi said. "In spite of the challenges, no games were cancelled. All games went ahead, albeit they might have been delayed slightly. Ultimately, we had a successful tournament." The $13 million Netsal building opened in November 2023. Netball centre general manager Angela Prior said the moisture was the result of humid conditions. "Over the weekend Christchurch experienced higher levels of humidity than it usually does. "What that resulted in was a little bit of extra moisture in the building which did adhere to some of the surfaces including the courts," she said. "Our facility team acted really quickly to ensure player and umpire safety by moving some of the games and making sure the courts were safe." Prior said disruption was kept to a minimum, with play finishing an hour later than planned on the first day. Games were postponed and the netball centre was temporarily closed last May when water appeared on the courts during bad weather. At the time, the netball centre said extreme fluctuations in temperatures had produced moisture, but the building's construction company Apollo was working on a solution. Prior said last year's issue differed to the Easter weekend disruption. "That was due to a change in temperature across the different season, that wasn't due to humidity affecting the courts," she said. "This is the first time that we've had humidity levels like this that have impacted the floors. There was condensation on the walls, which is wetness on the walls, but our entire building isn't damp. "In winter we're unlikely to get those same levels of humidity. It's a shoulder season weather pattern, so we don't expect it to be an issue in winter, just like it wasn't an issue in winter last year." Asked about the building's weathertightness, Prior referred RNZ to construction company Apollo, which in turn referred RNZ back to the netball centre. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
22-04-2025
- NZ Herald
Children being adopted overseas, trafficked to work in New Zealand
Immigration New Zealand said it was not its role to carry out police checks on adoptive parents when it is issuing dependent or adoption visas to minors. A trafficking expert said the documented cases of children being trafficked through adoption spanned more than a quarter of a century, amid several warnings to authorities of a loophole that allowed it to happen. A specific example given by Oranga Tamariki to ministers in 2018 was a convicted sex offender, independent trafficking in persons legal specialist Rebecca Kingi said. 'There's been granting of adoptions to children who have come into New Zealand through this pathway and they've had to provide housekeeping labour, or they've been provided to provide labour for business services. Or they've been adoptions granted to parents who have got significant care and protection history with Oranga Tamariki,' Kingi said. 'What we've seen in practice is cases of children being adopted where there have been adoptive parents who have got previous convictions.' The Law Commission reported in 2000 that the former Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) had found two cases involving several victims, Kingi said. 'So we're talking 25 years ago, there were eight children living in a Wellington home with a couple who had been recently charged with slavery and cruelty to children and CYFS understood that some of the children in this circumstance had been adopted by this country adoption pathway.' Where it happens and how Thousands of inter-country adoptions occur every year in New Zealand, mainly from the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia and mostly without incident, abuse or trafficking. However, reviews and reports down the years have catalogued the harm in several cases involving countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention. The adoption happens overseas, sometimes without official checks, but under current New Zealand legislation, it is accepted and not subject to approval by child welfare staff here, or by immigration screening. 'There was a man who was sentenced in 1999 to 14 years' imprisonment and his wife for eight years for multiple rape charges against their daughter, who was adopted at age 13 through this adoption pathway,' Kingi said. 'It could have been avoided if we had the appropriate mechanisms to safeguard and protect children that are being brought to our country and where this unspeakable harm is happening.' More recently, an Oranga Tamariki report alerted ministers in 2019 to the issue and was again raised by Oranga Tamariki with ministers in 2021. Kingi said Immigration New Zealand bore responsibility for not playing its part in ensuring that a child adopted overseas is not being brought into New Zealand by adoptive parents with previous convictions or pending criminal charges. In a case RNZ revealed on Monday, a 13-year-old girl, given the pseudonym Grace by Oranga Tamariki, was held in slavery-like conditions as a servant after being trafficked into the country. Immigration New Zealand and Oranga Tamariki both refused to say this week whether Grace was adopted. Oranga Tamariki cited privacy grounds, also refusing to divulge the names of the defendants or details of the court case. Saving Sione Oranga Tamariki international child protection manager Sharyn Titchener previously spoke about Grace in a webinar, which outlined that trafficking and slavery charges were not brought. But she also spoke about another youngster with the pseudonym Sione. His adoptive father, Joseph Auga Matamata, withdrew Sione from school and put him to work, covering his tracks by saying the boy had returned to his home country. 'So no one went looking for him for a year. And he was behind the big six-foot fences, padlocked gates and he was in domestic servitude and he was being made to work in the field,' Titchener said. '[Sione] lived a life of fear. And he was absolutely the servant. He'd never been registered with a GP, he had visited multiple healthcare facilities, so there wasn't one doctor seeing him, he was always accompanied to the medical appointments by Mr Matamata. So, there was always one narrative and it was Mr Matamata's. And he often didn't receive medical treatment for injuries and infections. There was [sic] many, many scars on Sione.' Court documents show Matamata already had convictions for violence when he adopted the 12-year-old and two older boys. He was jailed in 2020 for 11 years for trafficking and slavery offences in Hawke's Bay involving 13 Samoans, three of whom he adopted. His past history reveals several assaults, including wilful ill-treatment of children and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in 1999, and two for assaults with weapons in 2012 – well before 2016, when he started adopting and enslaving the three boys. The older boys had escaped, jumping the tall perimeter fence in the middle of the night and making their way to a relative's house. Police checks for overseas adoptions Immigration New Zealand said its role is to determine whether the adopted child can lawfully arrive on the visa, which does not include asking for or requiring police checks on the adoptive parents. If Immigration New Zealand had concerns, though, it could refer those on to other agencies such as Oranga Tamariki, said Kylie Seumanu, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) head of irregular migration and trafficking in persons. 'When INZ receives applications relating to children whose adoption is completed overseas, INZ will make a decision about the visa to facilitate entry into New Zealand. In these cases, young people are already recognised as the lawful children of the New Zealand citizen or resident parents and INZ is making a decision about the child as the primary applicant, and not the parent.' If concerns are later raised about trafficking or exploitation of a migrant child, they are also referred to Oranga Tamariki, she said. The crime type, however, was often difficult to detect and measure. 'Victimisation happens in a lot of different scenarios, whether that be employment-related or domestic, so if you think about the typologies that I'm particularly interested in, it's domestic servitude, it's forced marriage, it's labour exploitation, it's sexual exploitation. And so having eyes and ears in multiple parts of government to kind of draw information out and make sure that the children are protected in those circumstances is really important,' Seumanu said. 'We're working really, really hard to make sure that we have the best view of that system. But there's no single reporting mechanism for that currently, and I think that is a good space to work on. For me, I can do my best to make sure that we provide the right advice at the right time, based on the priorities that are set by ministers.' Advertise with NZME. Agencies were working together, to stop the levels of trafficking seen overseas. 'So, yes, it's complicated. It's a complex crime type and we do rely on a multitude of people to play their role. We've got everything working in our favour, being New Zealand – with no shared land borders and the challenges that our partners overseas experience – and so I want to see us using [that] opportunity to protect vulnerable people. That is why I get up every day and come to work, and I know that's why all of my colleagues across partner agencies do as well,' Seumanu said. For campaigners now, the rallying call is around urgent legislation already before Parliament – a Member's Bill and proposed amendments to expand its scope. Kingi was also one of the experts who drafted a bill to overhaul trafficking law more comprehensively last year. A change to standing order rules means if it has the support of 61 non-executive members of Parliament, it can get its first reading without being pulled from the ballot. The passage of time – with harrowing stories and missed warnings to stop trafficking and slavery – has not dulled Kingi's determination. 'We've known about it for a long time,' she said. 'This is not new. I'm adding my voice to a chorus of what I hope will be the last song. We need to ensure that there is safeguarding, that there is a proper welfare and inquiry about the appropriateness of an adoption for the child, so it is in the child's best interests. 'Are those adoptive parents appropriate and this is basic things like do they have a criminal history? Are they actually going to care for this child as opposed to use them for labour or other services? There is a real clear call here for urgent action and accountability, not another tick box and a plan of action. Not another commitment to a broad review of legislation that never happens, but urgent action. 'So not another child is trafficked to our country and subjected to this cruel and inhumane treatment on the back of policies that we have created.'
