NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people have died after a helicopter crash in Mt Aspiring National Park on Sunday morning.

Police said reports of the crash came in about 9.50am.

Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination centre handed responsibility for the response to police who are now at the scene.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s walking football team is expecting to punch above its weight on the world stage this month.

The 2026 International Walking Football Federation World Championships kicks off in Brisbane at the end of May and it will be New Zealand’s first time competing at the championships.

The team’s coach and manager, Neil Haines – who formerly represented New Zealand – told RNZ the walking game is six-aside, played on smaller fields, and has rolling substitutes.

Crucially, the players are aged 50 and over.

Haines said the New Zealand team of 12 began training about three weeks ago on Sundays, but will be upping that to twice a week ahead of their first match against England on May 28.

“We’re looking forward to it! And then, we playing Australia. The best part of it, we will give them a run for their money.”

Haines said it was a fantastic line-up, with teams from across Europe also competing – some of whom had been playing for at least 10 years.

He said it would be a challenge, but the team was up for it.

“We’ve just started out here in New Zealand and we feel that… like most New Zealand sport we’re going to punch above our weight.

“I hope that we can cause some surprises and the players are keen to do very well, so we are hoping we will get further than just making the numbers up.”

Haines said he came across the sport a couple of years ago and has been promoting it through the local trust he chairs ever since.

From an initial gala day at the North Shore United Club, between 20-30 people now turn up for games twice a week on summer evenings, he said.

Haines said the game enabled men and women to continue to play a sport they loved and – although mainly about participation – players retained a competitive streak.

“Just because people are over 50, they have not lost their competitiveness and that makes it really interesting, because walking football allows the body to work without too much stress.”

Haines said it would be great if the world cup inspired more people to join.

“I’d love it if this… got people into activities where they can enjoy the company of each other, the banter, and also doing something they thought they possibly could never do again – that’s playing football on a pitch, but they’re just walking.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Grammar School has welcomed the government’s proposed replacement for NCEA, saying the planned qualification reforms are a move toward greater academic rigour and consistency across the country.

The government on Saturday released further details about the new secondary school qualification framework, which is expected to begin replacing NCEA from 2028.

Auckland Grammar became the first state school to partially abandon NCEA in 2011, introducing Cambridge International Examinations after concerns the national qualification lacked academic rigour.

The school currently offers both Cambridge and NCEA pathways for senior students. Around 60 percent of students choose the Cambridge pathway, while 40 percent remain in the NCEA stream.

Headmaster Tim O’Connor said the school was positive about the government’s changes because the new qualification would place a stronger emphasis on independent assessment and external examinations.

”It’ll become a qualification that’s predicated on independent assessment,” O’Connor said.

”Examinations will be part of the qualification process across all subjects.”

O’Connor said the school believed NCEA ”was not as rigourous as it should be” and criticised what he described as inconsistent standards across the country.

”It’s certainly poorly designed from the outset,” he said.

The proposed replacement system would provide greater consistency for students nationwide, he said.

”Students from Invercargill and Tokoroa will know that they’ve learnt and been assessed against the same as students in Auckland and Wellington,” he said.

.O’Connor said the school would support the new national qualification if it proved rigourous enough in practice.

”We’d be fully supportive of the National Qualification Framework if it became rigourous enough in future years,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand