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RNZ News
6 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Freezing start around the country causes crashes, halts trains in Wellington
Icy roads in Dunedin's hill suburbs on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton Icy conditions have caused multiple crashes and suspended some trains in the capital on Friday morning. Parts of the country are waking up to freezing temperatures this morning as a cold snap strikes. At the start of the day it was minus three degrees in Christchurch and Masterton, minus two in Tīmaru, Hamilton and Rotorua, and minus one in Taupō, Napier, Blenheim and Queenstown. There were "significant disruptions" on the capital's train services, Metlink said. Icy conditions meant the trains could not draw power from the lines, a spokesperson said. Kāpiti line services were suspended, and there were disruptions and delays on the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa lines. "Metlink is providing bus replacements where possible and service alerts have been sent alerting passengers of the situation and the lack of capacity on buses," it said. "Once the day warms, it's likely normal services will resume." The police are urging Bay of Plenty drivers to extra care on the roads in the region. A person has been critically injured following a serious crash in Atiamuri, partially closing State Highway 30. "There have been a number of crashes across the region already this morning with ice creating dangerous driving conditions," police said. "Please - slow down, watch your following distance, and use your headlights." ☀️Clear skies and freeeeezzzing temperatures continue across the country, but cloud looms to the west. This Infrared Satellite ️ image shows most of the country is still in the clear this morning, however, thin wispy high cloud is sitting over parts of Northland, as well… Driving conditions are expected to be hazardous in many parts of the South Island over the next few days. Police say black ice has already formed in some areas and road surfaces are especially dangerous in shaded areas and on bridges. While it was -1deg Celsius in Invercargill on Friday morning, Rakiura Stewart Island - less than 30km across Foveaux Strait - clocked double digits. MetService meterologist Devlin Lynden said the stark difference in temperatures between the two centres is a phenomenon called low level inversion - when it's unexpectedly warmer at higher elevations. He said that was because cool air was heavier and sank at night, pooling in low lying areas like Invercargill. That doesn't happen on Rakiura because it's more exposed. A band of cloud is also acting as insulation on the island - and it's windier, mixing air from different altitudes. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Loss of flights will impact Christchurch Hospital patients
By Tess Brunton of RNZ The loss of two popular regional flights is a blow to tourism and people needing treatment at Christchurch Hospital. Sounds Air will stop its flights from Blenheim to Christchurch and Christchurch to Wānaka from the end of September due to what has been described as 'out of control' costs. Airline cuts back Chch routes Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford said the airline was flying more passengers than ever but could not keep up with the costs that have remained high since the pandemic, engineer shortages and the weak New Zealand dollar. Sounds Air said it was going back to basics, canning the two routes, selling five smaller aircraft, and expanding its Cessna Caravan fleet for Cook Strait services. Ten staff will lose their jobs. That was after cancelling its services from Wellington to Taupō and Wellington to Westport last December and selling an aircraft. The Minister for the South Island and Associate Minister for Transport, James Meager, told Checkpoint he had spoken with Andrew Crawford recently to reassure him the issue was a high priority. But Crawford said they had reached out to the government numerous times to no avail, and passing the buck on to customers to cover costs was not an option. The airline's fares had gone up by more than 20 percent since Covid - they could go up another 20 percent and it would still not be enough to cover its costs, he said. Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the council had raised the issue with government, and was told market forces would take care of it. It was gutting for the region as the Blenheim-Christchurch route was a critical part of the region's economic recovery, she said. "I am frustrated that Sounds Air was unsuccessful in securing support from central government as regional connectivity is also important for economic growth, particularly tourism," she said. "There is often talk of the regions being our country's powerhouses - to be that we need infrastructure, services, and connectivity." Christchurch Hospital provided a lot of primary care for cancer patients, and Taylor had already been contacted by some of the patients who regularly used the service. "They're just sort of saying 'it's just such a devastating loss for them'. They're back to four or five hours on the road. They need family to transport them and take them rather than just dropping them at the airport," she said. Wānaka local and Queenstown Lakes Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith was disappointed the service was being cut. So instead of being able to take a short flight that was less than an hour, it meant an hours-long drive. "The alternative of either driving, which is about five-and-a-half hours each way or going to Queenstown, where you've got to drive over an hour each way plus you've got to be there a lot earlier for your flights than you do for Sounds Air," he said. His daughter used the service a few weeks ago, and he said it was well used by travellers for business, holidays and appointments. It also presented a problem for healthcare, especially for people coming from Wānaka or Blenheim who need to travel to Christchurch Hospital for treatment. "Healthcare, I think, is a big one because people will fly up to Christchurch and back for a specialist appointment ... we know that access to healthcare out of Wānaka is particularly challenging so that's an issue that concerns me," Smith said. Smith remembered when Air New Zealand used to fly the same route before the service was cut more than a decade ago. "There's been a bit of a history of the offering and loss of this type of service. We've just got to find something that's sustainable that matches the needs. It was disappointing that a service that is really well-patronised isn't successful and there's obviously other reasons for that," he said. Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson was sad to see the flights go. "A number of the regional airlines have been facing big challenges so ultimately it wasn't a complete surprise. We were hoping that they could work through those challenges and that they could find a way to continue to operate. But unfortunately they haven't been able to do that," he said. Both services carried about 10,000 passengers a year. Watson would like to see a collective approach to ensure the wings of important regional services were not clipped. "There's a reality there that says every region can't be connected or it's going to cost so much that people just won't fly on it because it's too expensive," he said. "In some countries, there is support through the likes of government for ensuring connectivity remains." South Island Minister James Meager said the government had already taken action in a variety of ways - including providing investment in regional airport infrastructure, commencing the release of regional on-time flight performance data - and would soon release an aviation action plan. He understood the conditions were tough in the aviation industry and airlines were under pressure - and that the government was actively considering several options to address regional connectivity concerns and improve competition in the sector. Destination Marlborough general manager Tracey Green said Christchurch was a key visitor market for Marlborough. "Recent challenges with Air New Zealand and ferry services have compromised our connectivity and losing Christchurch as a direct link is a significant blow," she said. "The full impact of this loss in connectivity may not be immediately clear, but it's a real shame this is happening just ahead of the summer season, when we rely on those connections the most," Green said. With a renewed focus on the Cook Strait services, Andrew Crawford said he was confident about the future of the business. "We are not alone in this, Air New Zealand and other regional carriers in New Zealand, and world-wide, have been hit by the same cost increases, and the irony is that our passenger demand has never been stronger," he said. "However, aviation is a very price sensitive market and demand would dry up if we tried to pass all of the cost increases to our customers."
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
A slice of Italy in Dunedin's St Clair
By Tess Brunton of RNZ A Dunedin seaside suburb is becoming a haven for Italian expats and foodies alike. It all started with a desire to bring authentic woodfired pizzas to the shores of St Clair more than a decade ago. When Katrina Toovey took over The Esplanade back in 2012, she wanted to embrace the history but thought it was time for a new identity. Less a Kiwi pizza restaurant and more an authentic slice of Italy. But she had no idea the business would help to create a thriving, Italian community. "Almost has been a happy accident and kind of an organic growth so when I did take over, I decided that I wanted to do woodfired pizza and I thought who better to do that than an Italian," she said. Since then, she has helped to bring about 40 or so Italians to Dunedin, saying there was also a stream of people who floated through on working holiday visas as well as a strong foundation of people in the community. This year, she opened two more businesses - Piccolo Bar and Sorella Gelato - both a short stroll away from The Esplanade and St Clair beach. "Sometimes I do look at it and I think 'how did this happen?' There's a whole community of people here including now children who've bubbled up through this business and through finding something that they like in the city and work they enjoy and a supportive environment," Toovey said. Restaurant manager Luca Capece moved over when his best friend, who's a pizza chef, got a job at The Esplanade in 2013. It changed his life. He met his partner there and they now have two kids. "I'm feeling at home here and ... we have a small community, Italian, but what I really enjoy and I was shocked how the Kiwi community treat us. They see us like a family," he said. Capece said it had been a joy being able to speak Italian with other staff and get a taste of home - with a recent staff dinner featuring a traditional polenta dish from his hometown. "When you eat polenta, it brings up all the memories from when your mum was cooking it and you were enjoying it. I come from a big family, we are 10 of us so I remember this big table and then we have some cheese, we have some polenta. It's beautiful," he said. When Esplanade maître d' Vanessa Sanna moved to Dunedin with her Kiwi husband, she knew no one. She started scouting for good Italian food and came across the restaurant. "That was amazing the day that I step in for the first time, where I heard Italians talking to each other so I said 'oh my gosh, this is my place' ... I really missed the little Italian community and being so far away from home," she said. She applied for a job there and has been working there for nearly 10 years. She loved how they shared food after closing, saying it helped to make Italy feel a little closer. There were now about 30 people in their Italian community and they met up to eat and catch up, Sanna said. "This Italian community is growing, many people come see us because they really enjoy this little Italian corner," she said. "It feels like we are in a little Italian coast and you can have your Italian drinks, your Italian food and your Italian gelato, like that's just the cherry on the cake." Gelato maker Marco Adinolfi moved to Dunedin to bring his creations to Sorella Gelato. He wanted to leave Italy for a different lifestyle and was surprised to find an Italian community here. He hoped his wife and two daughters would join him in a few months time, and said there were plans for a feast to welcome them to the southern city. "Every Italian conversation with friends and family, it's about food. All the time my mum or my dad call me 'what did you eat?' It's the first thing so Italian connection with food is very important," he said. He has been trying to combine his knowledge and love for Italian gelato with some New Zealand flavours including a popular scoop inspired by pumpkin pie. "Every flavour I make it's very seasonal. I don't like to use flavouring, chemical flavouring so everything is made by me," he said. He loves clams and discovered he could find wild clams on local beaches. "I go almost every week with my shovel to dig clams," he said. He usually cooked spaghetti with clams for his lunch or dinner most weeks. Katrina Toovey was grateful for the Italians who had uprooted their lives to move to Dunedin and shared their cuisine and culture with the city. "The flavours, the smells, it's all like home and it's all familiar so ... it's like an anchor in a new community and they gravitate towards it," she said. "It makes perfect sense to me, it's kind of what I might do myself when I travel - want the new experiences and then just want the familiar."
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather warnings across many parts of the country
Residents and businesses at the top if the South Island are holding their breaths as the already sodden regions face an orange heavy rain warning. Tasman, Nelson and parts of Marlborough - which are all still under states of emergency - have had alerts over possible further flooding and slips as rain continues throughout the areas are still cleaning up from last weekend's deluge that caused widespread flood damage. Other parts of the country are also under orange warnings over heavy rain including Taranaki maunga, northern Taihape and Tongariro National Park and Bay of Plenty west of Opotiki. RNZ's Tess Brunton has been out and about since daylight and joins Kathryn from Wakefield near the Wai-iti River. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- RNZ News
Interislander ferry Aratere to retire in August
Tourism operators aren't sure whether they'll welcome smooth sailing or face choppy waters once the Interislander service loses one of its ferries. The Aratere retires in August, reducing the Cook Strait fleet to two until the expected arrival of new ones in 2029. KiwiRail operates the service and is confident the remaining ferries can handle the demand. Tess Brunton reports. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
