Latest news with #midwinter
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Whangārei welcomes buzz ahead of rare sporting spectacle as it hosts Māori All Blacks and Scotland
Whangārei - often quiet in mid-winter - is expected to be packed ahead of the city's biggest sporting event in years. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Excitement is building and accommodation is packed in Whangārei today ahead of the city's biggest sporting fixture in three years. The gates at Semenoff Stadium open at 12.30pm with kick-off in the Māori All Blacks versus Scotland clash due at 3.35pm. The double-header gets underway at 1.05pm when the Black Ferns take on the Black Ferns XV. It's the first time in 25 years the Māori All Blacks and Scotland have met in Whangārei. It's also the city's biggest game since New Zealand met Scotland in pool play of the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup, which was held in October 2022 due to the Covid pandemic. Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said more than 9000 tickets had been sold as of Friday, with the final number expected to top 10,000. He said the grandstand had sold out but there was still room on the embankments. "The clash of these two nations, it hasn't happened in Whangārei for 25 years. It's going to be an epic day," he said. The influx of visitors would also mean a "huge" economic boost for the city, in mid-winter when it was most needed. "Let's put this way, I don't think there's a spare bedroom available in any of the hotels." Cocurullo said excitement about the match was heightened by the Whangārei District's strong Māori and Scottish heritage. Large numbers of Scots settled at Whangārei Heads and in Waipū in the mid-19th century, travelling from their homeland via the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Cocurullo was also excited about the Black Ferns versus Black Ferns XV opener, which he said would help decide who ended up playing for New Zealand in upcoming international matches. Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leah McKerrow said the city was already buzzing on Friday, and she had spotted many supporters on the streets clad in traditional Scottish kilts. "The more we can encourage sports, entertainment and arts events into our region, the better for our economy ... anything like this is an opportunity for small businesses to pick up the extra volume of people that are around," she said. Whangārei hotels and motels RNZ spoke to on Friday were booked out and were still fielding phone calls from out-of-towners hoping to stay for the weekend. The Settlers Hotel, on Hatea Drive near the city centre, had been fully booked by the Scottish team. Pubs and cafes were also girding themselves for a big weekend. Rob Lang, of the Judge House of Ale on Walton Street, said his establishment had embraced the game by bringing in a Scottish-themed menu and decorating the bar with Scottish paraphernalia. He had brought in extra staff to deal with the expected game-night crowd. Special menu items included mince and tatties (stewed mince with mashed potato) and "stovies" (a dish made with potatoes, onions, roast meat and beef dripping) as well as some New Zealand favourites such as ika mata (raw fish salad) and snapper burgers with frybread. Lang was hopeful of hosting the Scots at some point, after the team's selectors dropped in on Thursday night to check out the premises. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
King Charles pays tribute to 'resilience' of antarctic research scientists
The king has recorded a personal message for Antarctic researchers as the southern hemisphere marks the shortest day of the year. While the UK enjoys its longest day of sunlight on Saturday, British scientists at the South Pole experience 24 hours of darkness. In a morale-raising message recorded for the BBC World Service's midwinter broadcast, Charles praised the researchers' 'critically important' work as well as their 'resilience and commitment' to their jobs. 'With the sun shying away from your horizon today, I particularly wanted to send my warmest good wishes to all of those serving at British Antarctic research stations this midwinter's say and, above all, to express the greatest admiration for the critically important work you do.' He then went onto talk a little about the researchers' work. The king continued: 'The scientific research that the British Antarctic Survey undertakes, alongside teams from across the world, is today more vital than ever, telling us stories of the past, the present and possible futures. 'Each observation, measurement and calculation you undertake adds to the world's understanding of the Earth's fragile systems and the role humanity plays, as we struggle to live in harmony with nature. 'I very much appreciate the resilience and commitment to duty you all demonstrate so effectively, and which embody the pioneering spirit that has characterised British polar exploration for generations. 'On the 70th anniversary of this midwinter broadcast, I send countless special thoughts for your celebrations today.' It comes a month after the King, a longtime environmental advocate, urged people to help save the planet during a charity fundraiser. He told the crowd: 'Collaboration is far better than conflict.' The monarch said the charity's work comes at a time when efforts are under way to 'develop an even greater ability to manage the human and animal conflict'. Charles said: 'If we're going to rescue this poor planet (from) continuing degradation, and restore some degree of harmony to the proceedings, we must also understand that whatever we take and exploit from nature. 'We need to give something back in return to enable nature to sustain us.' The BBC World Service's midwinter broadcast is part of a day of celebrations for personnel at British Antarctic Survey stations. These personnel are based at at Rothera, Bird Island, and South Georgia, and they join colleagues at other international bases across the continent to mark the day. Alongside the King's message, the programme consists of music requests and messages from home to those at BAS research stations. They traditionally feast, exchange presents, and watch the classic 1982 horror film The Thing, set in the Antarctic. This year midwinter coincides with sweltering weather back on British soil. This means the UK is preparing for thunderstorms which are set to mix with continued high temperatures on Saturday. These temperatures could reach all the way up to 34C in some areas. A yellow thunderstorm weather warning covering all of northern England, from Nottingham up to above Newcastle, will come into force from 3pm and last until 4am on Sunday. The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. Parts of eastern England could also see temperatures peak high enough to eclipse the 32.2C seen on Thursday and become the hottest day of the year so far.
The Independent
21-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
King Charles pays tribute to ‘resilience' of Antarctic scientists facing 24 hours of darkness
King Charles sent a personal message to British Antarctic researchers to mark the southern hemisphere's shortest day, praising their "critically important" scientific work. The message, part of the BBC World Service's midwinter broadcast, highlighted the researchers' resilience and commitment to understanding Earth's fragile systems. Charles, a known environmental advocate, stressed the importance of collaboration and giving back to nature to sustain the planet. The midwinter broadcast is a tradition for personnel at British Antarctic Survey stations, involving celebrations, music, and messages from home. This Antarctic midwinter coincides with high temperatures and thunderstorm warnings across parts of the UK, potentially leading to the hottest day of the year.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Charles pays tribute to ‘resilience' of Antarctic research scientists
The King has recorded a personal message for Antarctic researchers as the southern hemisphere marks the shortest day of the year. While the UK enjoys its longest day of sunlight on Saturday, British scientists at the South Pole experience 24 hours of darkness. In a morale-raising message recorded for the BBC's midwinter broadcast, Charles praised the researchers' 'critically important' work as well as their 'resilience and commitment' to their jobs. 'Each observation, measurement and calculation you undertake adds to the world's understanding of the Earth's fragile systems,' he said. 'With the sun shying away from your horizon today, I particularly wanted to send my warmest good wishes.' Charles said the research stations highlight the 'role humanity plays, as we struggle to live in harmony with nature'. It comes a month after the King, a longtime environmental advocate, urged people to help save the planet during a charity fundraiser, telling the crowd: 'Collaboration is far better than conflict.' He said the charity's work comes at a time when efforts are under way to 'develop an even greater ability to manage the human and animal conflict'. Charles said: 'If we're going to rescue this poor planet (from) continuing degradation, and restore some degree of harmony to the proceedings, we must also understand that whatever we take and exploit from nature, we need to give something back in return to enable nature to sustain us.' The BBC's midwinter broadcast coincides with sweltering weather back on British soil, as the UK prepares for thunderstorms which are set to mix with continued high temperatures on Saturday – with up to 34C possible in some areas. A yellow thunderstorm weather warning covering all of northern England, from Nottingham up to above Newcastle, will come into force from 3pm and last until 4am on Sunday. The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. Parts of eastern England could also see temperatures peak high enough to eclipse the 32.2C seen on Thursday and become the hottest day of the year so far.
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Have you ever overhyped a hobby on social media to impress your crush? You might suffer from Downbaditis
It was mid-winter when I found myself shivering on a slippery rock, staring out to sea. The waves in front of me were growling and my gut responded in kind. Instead of listening to it, I wrestled into a wetsuit and pulled the goggles I'd had since year 5 over my head. I signalled my friend to start recording. Then, I walked in. By walked, I mean slipped. Violently. The ocean licked me off the rocks and sucked me under with glee. After a few seconds of panicked tumbling, I surfaced with a mouthful of salt water. My friend laughed. I laughed, then coughed, then laughed again. I was overjoyed because she had just recorded a moment I was sure would capture my crush's attention. It was a mission I was willing to complete at any cost. Even if that cost was my dignity. Or even, my life. I didn't know it at the time, but I was suffering from an illness known as Downbaditis. Put simply, it is a state of spiritual psychosis triggered by a crush and/or intense courting period. Victims of Downbaditis display an insatiable need for validation from their chosen suitor. Ironically, a suitor's ineligibility may worsen symptoms. These include, but are not limited to: overhyping hobbies, appearing effortlessly hot on Instagram Stories and pretending you have ever gone for an 'ocean swim'. Being 'down bad' is not a new experience. Usher wrote about it in 2001 with U Got It Bad. The entire plot of The Great Gatsby revolves around Jay throwing lavish parties for Daisy's affection. Charli xcx extrapolated on this well-worn tradition in her sleeper hit Party 4 U. She even secured a cake, champagne and a party bag with purple pills, no less. Perhaps she'd watched The Matrix with her betrothed but she never got around to asking red or blue? It's hard to know but one thing's for sure: she was suffering from a critical case of Downbaditis. The modern strain of Downbaditis can be traced back to the invention of Snapchat Stories. It was the first time regular people could post their most banal daily goings-on without the judgment of a full Facebook post. You had permission to post every little thing, because it disappeared after 24 hours and could only be replied to via direct message. It felt so chill, so flippant, so unscripted, so real. You could pretend to love Drake without your friends pointing out you only knew Hotline Bling because it played on loop at the Foot Locker you worked at in 2016. Last week, I invited my Instagram community to share stories of times they had fallen prey to Downbaditis. The responses came in thick and fast. Some were vintage – like the woman who went to high school Christian group meetings despite being '1,000% an atheist'. Another played the clarinet for the entirety of her secondary education because there was a hot guy in the band. A third school-age memory was from someone who memorised every single AFL player's name in primary school so they could talk to the boy they liked. The illness is lifelong, you see. They grew all the more deranged as time wore on. Like the woman who wore off-the-shoulder tops for an entire year because her crush said he 'liked shoulders'. One respondent started learning Afrikaans after a first date. Another lied and said that they saw whales because their crush liked them. 'It wasn't whale season,' she said ominously. 'And he knew'. I also asked my audience to share times they had clocked that they were on the receiving end of someone's Downbaditis. One woman told me that her friend was seeing a guy who seemed sweet. 'On one of their first dates, he offered to order them some dinner. She said she'd like some chicken nuggets. They locked in and all was well until his flatmates came home. They couldn't believe their eyes because he'd been vegan for six years.' What I learnt while receiving responses was that Downbaditis strikes everyone. Every gender, every age. It is non-denominational and that is what makes it so dangerous. It is often only diagnosable after the fact. For me, I barely clock my Downbaditis until it's too late and I've bought a surfboard. Subscribers to attachment theory could argue that Downbaditis is a sign of anxious attachment. It could be. It could also be a feature of the human condition. At its core, Downbaditis is just yearning. A creative strain, for sure. To yearn is a treat – it means you are alive and open. Married people blow up their whole lives to feel it again. So I say yearn while you can. Take up Spanish to impress someone, like one guy I spoke to. 'I learnt it on Duolingo to impress a Chilean girl,' he told me. 'And now, whenever I see a loaf of bread, a voice of regret in my head sighs 'el pan'.' It hurts, but it's a lot more exciting than plain old bread. Lucinda Price is a writer, presenter and comedian
