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NZ Herald
08-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Bali fatal ferry capsize: New Zealand couple recounts terrifying ordeal
The couple had been holidaying in Bali for three days. They were nearly at Sanur Harbour entrance on Tuesday afternoon this week when they saw a 'massive wave' coming from the left side of the boat where they were sitting inside the cabin. 'We knew we were going to be flipped.' According to international media reports, the boat was carrying about 80 people when it capsized while traveling from Nusa Penida to Sanur, Bali. The incident was about 3pm local time when the boat was struck by large waves, reportedly measuring between 2 to 4 metres high, as it was preparing to dock. Three people were killed, including two Chinese nationals and an Indonesian crew member. Locals and rescue workers attempt to recover an overturned speedboat after it sank near Sanur port in Bali on August 5, 2025. Photo / AFP Speaking to SunLive after the sinking, Dale and Jason said they remember thinking that this 'can't be happening to us'. 'It was terrifying but we both knew to try and remain calm even though we were scared for our lives.' After the wave hit, they were both thrown into the upturned cabin that was already filling with water. They were plunged into darkness with the water level at chest height. 'Jason and I called for each other and reconnected as quickly as we could,' said Dale. She said it was a massive relief to find each other in the chaotic mess of people and debris. Dale and Jason Clark say while physically they have a lot of cuts and bruises, the mental and emotional side of things was going to be a long journey. Photo / Supplied The smell of petrol filled the cabin instantly; the couple grabbed life jackets each and made their way towards the front of the vessel. Jason then remembered that the windows on the right side of the ferry were open before the wave hit. He found an open window and while clinging to a life jacket managed to dive under the water and through the window out to the open air. 'He told me to follow him out the window, but debris was blocking my exit, so I used my foot to find where the window was and was pulled by one leg out of the window by Jason,' said Dale. Once outside the cabin of the boat, the couple swam to a nearby liferaft and held on to it along with others. 'We saw locals who drove out in their boats to rescue people, but we knew to keep hold of the liferaft until we too were pulled on to a rescue boat. 'The swell was huge and made getting into a rescue boat difficult. Both of us were yanked in ... with others and taken ashore.' They then reunited with others from their snorkelling party. 'We hugged each other and cried for a while. Then the thoughts of our three children [back in New Zealand] came to mind, and we knew we had to contact them somehow and let them know we were ok.' They were taken to a cafe across the road from the harbour where they were able to contact their daughter. Dale said surprisingly, her phone - which was in her crossbody bag - still worked. Physically, Dale and Jason have lots of cuts and bruises but said the mental and emotional side of things was going to be a long journey, 'but we have comfort in knowing we have each other to talk to'. On the first and second night after the incident they barely got any sleep as the memories of the day were so vivid and the emotions were overwhelming. 'We cried a lot and held each other that little bit tighter, thankful and grateful for each other and our lives. Others weren't so lucky sadly.' The couple's advice to others would be to always check the weather forecast for the day of your tour if on the water. This photo provided by Indonesia's National Search And Rescue (Basarnas) shows people and officers setting up rope to pull the capsized fast boat to the sea shore at Sanur beach in Bali. 'Because, although the swell wasn't too bad going out, it was very rough when we arrived at Nusa Penida and even when we were snorkelling the sea was rough ... 'Trust your instincts when traveling and put your own safety first. Finally, always get travel insurance too.' Since the incident, Dale and Jason said they had not had any helpful communication from anyone. They are yet to hear from relevant authorities in regard to what happened. 'Jason lost his backpack in all the mayhem, and we're not really getting any straightforward answers,' said Dale. 'We've contacted the New Zealand embassy here in Indonesia to let them know we were onboard that boat and we were safe. 'We considered coming home immediately but then decided to continue our holiday and now that we are in Ubud, we are much more relaxed but still can't wait to hug our three children and family when we get home.'
1News
21-06-2025
- General
- 1News
Why a 'cute' pet is now included in a pest management plan
Bay of Plenty turtle owners are now required to securely house their pets as the regional council changes its pest plan to prevent escapees. While unlikely to form a sewer-dwelling gang of martial arts fighters, escaped or released pets can harm ecosystems and native species. The Regional Pest Management Plan sets the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's priorities and goals for managing animal and pest plants, and includes rules to comply with the Biosecurity Act. A recent council review has resulted in new species being added as pests, and changes to how others are categorised. As of this week, all wallaby species known to be in the country and all introduced turtles will be included. ADVERTISEMENT Biosecurity team leader Shane Grayling said the pest management landscape was 'ever changing'. 'The pests included in the [plan] and the ways to manage them have recently been reconsidered to reflect emerging pest issues.' It was the first time turtles were included in the plan, covering all introduced freshwater types. Consultation on the topic showed split views on the need to manage turtles. Some submitters asked for introduced turtles to be included in the eradication programme rather than sustained control, some wanted a ban on the sale and breeding of them, while others did not believe turtles caused adverse environmental effects that needed to be managed. Grayling said climate change and the Rotorua area's warm geothermal soils increased the likelihood turtles were able to successfully breed in the wild. This included red-eared slider turtles, which have been found abandoned and breeding in Bay of Plenty waterways. ADVERTISEMENT From 50c coin to the size of a dinner plate Growing turtle numbers are putting a strain on the country's biodiversity. (Source: 1News) Katikati reptile breeders Donna and Graeme Hannah, who have worked to raise awareness of the issue, told SunLive last year they were often called by people who found abandoned turtles. 'They start off cute around the size of a 50c piece,' Graeme Hannah said. But they could live 50 years and grow to the size of a dinner plate, needing more maintenance and a bigger tank or pond and leading owners to abandon them. Sightings reported to the regional council included a female found nesting in Tauranga's Gordon Carmichael Reserve with 16 eggs. The turtles feed on small fish, plants, kōura (freshwater crayfish) and small birds such as ducklings, degrade water quality by disrupting the ecosystem, and displace wetland birds by taking over nesting sites. Under the new regional rules, turtle sales could continue but pet owners were required to house them securely to prevent escape. ADVERTISEMENT 'There have been instances previously where there has been no barrier around a pond to prevent the turtle from relocating elsewhere,' Grayling said. He said anecdotally, there have been increased reports of turtle sightings across the region over the past couple of years. The majority were red-eared sliders. Turtles were 'inherently difficult to catch' and therefore controlling them was challenging. The council would respond to reported sightings in the wild and consider options for control on a case-by-case basis. 'The focus for council particularly in the short term will be on education and advocacy for responsible turtle ownership.' Controlling wallaby spread All wallaby species found in New Zealand are now included in the plan. (Source: Andrew Warner) ADVERTISEMENT The pre-amended plan only listed the dama wallaby as a pest, but Grayling said the need to include all known species found in New Zealand was identified after the parma wallaby was discovered around the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes in 2023. Dama and parma were now listed under the progressive containment and eradication programme. Other species not known to be in the Bay of Plenty were under the exclusion programme. 'The amendment is a technical one and there is no change in how wallaby control is managed or funded,' Grayling said. Efforts to control wallaby spread were funded with $1 million this year under the International Visitor Levy, including for work in the Te Arawa area. Exotic caulerpa, a pest seaweed, was also included in the plan to minimise the risk of it entering the region. It has been described as the country's most serious marine biosecurity invasion in a lifetime. Corbicula – invasive exotic freshwater clams – were also listed as exclusionary pests. Other changes in the plan included treating certain species of conifers as pests, regardless of whether they were deliberately planted or not. The amendments prohibit new plantings of these species, to ensure that the region's biodiversity is protected from the potential impact of pines growing in the wild. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
20-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Why ‘Cute' Pets Are Now Included In Pest Management Plan
Bay of Plenty turtle owners must now securely house their pets, as the regional council changes its pest plan to prevent escapees. While unlikely to form a sewer-dwelling gang of martial arts fighters, escaped or released pets can harm ecosystems and native species. The Regional Pest Management Plan sets the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's priorities and goals for managing animal and pest plants, and includes rules to comply with the Biosecurity Act. A recent council review has seen new species added as pests and changes to how others are categorised. As of this week, all wallaby species known to be in the country and all introduced turtles will be included. Biosecurity team leader Shane Grayling said the pest management landscape was "ever changing". "The pests included in the [plan] and the ways to manage them have recently been reconsidered to reflect emerging pest issues." Turtles were included in the plan for the first time, covering all introduced freshwater types. Consultation on the topic showed split views on the need to manage turtles. Some submitters asked for introduced turtles to be included in the eradication programme, rather than sustained control. Some wanted a ban on the sale and breeding of them, while others did not believe turtles caused adverse environmental effects that needed managing. Grayling said climate change and the Rotorua area's warm geothermal soils increased the likelihood turtles could successfully breed in the wild. This included red-eared slider turtles, which have been found abandoned and breeding in Bay of Plenty waterways. Katikati reptile breeders Donna and Graeme Hannah, who have worked to raise awareness of the issue, told SunLive last year they were often called by people who found abandoned turtles. "They start off cute around the size of a 50c piece," Graeme Hannah said, but they could live 50 years and grow to the size of a dinner plate, needing more maintenance, and a bigger tank or pond, leading owners to abandon them. Sightings reported to the regional council included a female found nesting in Tauranga's Gordon Carmichael Reserve with 16 eggs. The turtles feed on small fish, plants, kōura (freshwater crayfish) and small birds such as ducklings, degrade water quality by disrupting the ecosystem, and displace wetland birds by taking over nesting sites. Under the new regional rules, turtle sales could continue, but pet owners needed to house them securely to prevent escape. "There have been instances previously where there has been no barrier around a pond to prevent the turtle from relocating elsewhere," Grayling said. He said, anecdotally, there had been increased reports of turtle sightings throughout the Bay of Plenty during the past couple of years. Most were red-eared sliders. Turtles were "inherently difficult to catch" and therefore controlling them was challenging. The council would respond to reported sightings in the wild and consider options for control on a case-by-case basis. "The focus for council, particularly in the short term, will be on education and advocacy for responsible turtle ownership." The pre-amended plan only listed the dama wallaby as a pest, but Grayling said the need to include all known species found in New Zealand was identified, after the parma wallaby was discovered around the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes in 2023. Dama and parma were now listed under the progressive containment and eradication programme. Other species not known to be in the Bay of Plenty were under the exclusion programme. "The amendment is a technical one, and there is no change in how wallaby control is managed or funded," Grayling said. Efforts to control wallaby spread were funded with $1 million this year under the International Visitor Levy, including work in the Te Arawa area. Exotic caulerpa - a pest seaweed - was also included in the plan to minimise the risk of it entering the region. It has been described as the country's most serious marine biosecurity invasion in a lifetime. Other changes in the plan included treating certain species of conifers as pests, regardless of whether they were deliberately planted. The amendments prohibited new plantings of these species to ensure that the region's biodiversity was protected from the potential impact of pines growing in the wild.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Whakaari/White Island: Ash cloud cancels flights into Tauranga
The advisory states there is ongoing low-level eruption, but ash was observed 'further west than modelled'. On Sunday afternoon, the Tauranga region experienced a light easterly from about 1pm. This is expected to change to a light southerly on Monday and then a light westerly by Tuesday evening, according to the MetService forecast. During April, 2025, images from the webcams at Whakatāne and Te Kaha recorded an increase in volcanic ash in the steam and gas plume at Whakaari/White Island. During the same period, MetService were able to detect minor amounts of volcanic ash in the plume using satellite imagery. From the coast, this can be seen as a hazy plume trailing downwind from the volcano. These observations indicated that there had been a gradual increase in eruptive activity and in response, the Volcanic Alert Level was raised to Level 3 on April 17. The Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange. SunLive has asked volcanologists at GNS Science for an update on Whakaari/White Island.
