The owner of a lodge near Tongariro National Park, says areas of the land have been reduced to ash by a raging wildfire spreading more than 2500 hectares.
The fire began on Saturday and was just 20 percent contained. It had led to the evacuation of trampers, lodges, the Hillary Outdoor Centre and Whakapapa Village.
The owner of Tongariro Crossing Lodge, Louis van Wyk, said he had walked past the area where the fire first started shortly beforehand and was shocked by how different it now looked.
“By yesterday I could see the areas we’d walked through were now just ash and burnt.”
It was devastating, van Wyk said, as it was a very sensitive and biodiverse area.
He’d spent his Sunday helping fill the planes that were dousing the flames with water and said on Monday his main job now was managing inquiries from guests trying to decided if they wanted to cancel their bookings or still come.
Firefighters continue to battle the Tongariro National Park wildfire.Fire and Emergency
“We’re hoping with the rain now things are going to settle down and once the fire is out they can see what the condition is like on the tracks.
“I’m looking forward to hearing what the results are and whether anything will be open later on in the week for people to come and view.”
Sam and Kaz Clarkson, who owned the Skotel Alpine Resort spent last night in Waimarino after Whakapapa village was evacuated.
They were hopeful they could return on Monday given the wet weather.
Sam Clarkson said he felt “relaxed” about the threat as beech trees by the village provided a “natural defence line”.
Meanwhile, Hillary Outdoors safety manager Graeme Swift can’t work today due to closure of State Highway 47.
He said schools had cancelled their visits for Monday while they waited for more news.
Gillian and John Visser, owners of the Adventure Lodge and Motel, said they had no cancellations on Monday.
They worried though about the effects on business if the Tongariro Crossing was closed.
“They’re unsure about coming here because they think they’re going to find a wall of fire and every road closed,” Gillian Visser said.
“I’ve just been telling them that there are roads open because they’ll find something lovely here.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Te Pāti Māori co leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi announce the MPs’ expulsion.RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Te Pāti Māori’s decision to expel two of its MPs leaves it with further decisions to be made.
The decision taken by the party’s National Council overnight means Mariameno Kapa-Kingi will remain as MP for Te Tai Tokerau, and Tākuta Ferris remains for Te Tai Tonga – both as independents with no party affiliation.
Appeals
Under the party’s constitution, the MPs can appeal the decision to end their membership.
The Constitution sets out that the National Council can cancel any membership if it no longer believes the person meets its requirements of:
Working to support Te Pāti Māori kaupapa and tikanga
Acting within the party’s constitution
Abiding by decisions made under the constitution
Completing official membership forms and paying the appropriate membership fee
Not being a member of a competing political party or organisation determined to be incompatible with the party
The decision is officially made final at the party’s next national hui – its AGM set down for 7 December – which is also where the MPs can seek to have the decision appealed.
File photo. Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, who will remain as MP for Te Tai Tokerau, confirmed she would appeal the expulsion.VNP / Phil Smith
Kapa-Kingi on social media confirmed her intention to appeal. Ferris called the decisions “illegal” and said he rejected them “in the strongest possible terms”.
Also worth noting: co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer confirmed leaking of details to the media was being investigated.
Members found to have broken a ban on sharing information with the media relating to a party dispute process can also be found to have brought the party into disrepute.
A member found guilty off misusing party funds could also be immediately expelled.
‘Waka-jumping’
The party could also seek to invoke the so-called “waka-jumping” or “party hopping” legislation to have Kapa-Kingi and Ferris removed from Parliament entirely.
The leaders on Monday said using the provision had not yet been considered.
Doing so would require the party leaders to write to Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee to say they believed the MPs were distorting the proportionality of Parliament.
They would need to provide reasoning to justify their claim about the distortion, as well as getting at least two-thirds of the party’s MPs to agree and giving the rogue MPs 21 days to respond – as well as following any relevant party rules.
Because the party’s constitution sets out the process for members’ removal, the requirement to get two-thirds of the party’s MPs to agree to sending the letter does not include Kapa-Kingi or Ferris.
File photo. Tākuta Ferris, MP for Te Tai Tonga, called the decisions “illegal”.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
This means – presuming the MPs are ejected at the AGM – the party would be able to use the waka-jumping provisions with support from just three of its four remaining MPs.
Alternatively, Kapa-Kingi or Ferris could choose to invoke the legislation themselves, by writing to the Speaker to notify him of their resignation from the party.
Whaitiri retained her seat as an independent despite announcing her intentions to support Te Pāti Māori. She subsequently lost her Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat to Labour’s Cushla Tangaere-Manual in the 2023 election.
Ejecting Kapa-Kingi and Ferris would trigger a by-election for the MPs’ electorates.
A by-election would not be held if the MPs are removed less than six months ahead of a general election (or of Parliament’s three-year term ending), but this also requires three quarters of all Parliament’s MPs to agree not to hold the by-election.
If the by-elections went ahead, any party could contest the MPs’ seats.
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Property Investor Chat Group NZ administrators said they had no warning from Meta.NIKOLAS KOKOVLIS / AFP
The country’s biggest property investor chat group has become another casualty of Facebook’s sweeping suspensions.
Property Investor Chat Group NZ had 73,000 members when it was suspended last week.
Its administrators said they had no warning.
“We are quite strict in regulating content to stay on topic,” one of them, Nick Gentle, said.
“Avoid fights. Post approval to remove anything fishy, and members report anyone sharing dodgy links and those profiles get blocked, so I’ve no idea what rule we broke.”
‘Sometimes Facebook will say ‘we have removed content that went against our community guidelines’ but you can never click in to see what it was to adjust your settings.”
He said they were having trouble reaching someone at Facebook to find out what to do next.
If they could not save the page, they would have to start again, he said.
Group founder Graeme Fowler said it seemed the decision was made by AI.
Alex Sims, a University of Auckland professor in the department of commercial law, said people using tech platforms were generally at their mercy.
“Lots of people and groups get removed from Facebook with no warning. One reason can be Meta’s use of AI, with no human in the loop reviewing the decision. [It] was a real issue earlier in the year, and the issue may still be occurring. There is an appeal process which should be initiated ASAP.
Alex Sims.Supplied
“Given the issues with Meta unilaterally removing groups, it might be a good idea to move to another platform that is not so trigger-happy and also has better privacy protection… The issue is that those other platforms are often not as user-friendly as Facebook and not so familiar for the group’s members, so may be a steep learning curve for the admins and group members. “
Tens of thousands of people around the world signed a petition advocating for affected users, who said they had been silenced by Meta’s “broken AI enforcement systems”.
The average home value in Manawatū District is now $618,000.RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Property values in Manawatū District have dropped sharply since the last ratings valuation three years ago.
According to Quotable Value, which carries out valuations on behalf of councils, residential property values have shrunk by 7.6 percent since August 2022.
The average home value is now $618,000, while the corresponding average land value decreased by 12.3 percent to $279,000.
QV lead valuer Jason Hockly said while values had reduced, most markets in the Manawatū District had actually been “stable” since mid-2023, with the biggest slide in prices happening in the 12 months prior to that point.
“The Feilding residential market had variable value changes, with the lower-valued residential properties showing slight increases from 2022 compared to higher-valued properties showing moderate decreases since 2022,” he said.
“Some larger residential land parcels, primarily within the northern area of Feilding have shown some large decreases in the land values.”
Commercial and industrial property have seen slight increases (1.6 percent and 6.4 percent respectively), and dairy farms have largely held their value – but other rural properties have taken a hit.
Pastoral properties decreased 10.5 percent, horticultural properties were down by 8 percent, and forestry properties 19.3 percent.
“Lifestyle” properties were also down 10 to 15 percent since 2022, while land values were down 10-25 percent.
New rating values were posted to property owners from 5 November, 2025.
Those who disagree with their valuations can appeal them before 12 December.
The worlds of art, scent and Māori storytelling have come together in Journey of Scent – a new six-part series exploring memory and identity through perfume.
The kaupapa, launched on Monday, follows scent artist Nathan Taare (Ngāti Porou) and perfume enthusiast Whitney Steel (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Te Ātiawa) as they create bespoke fragrances inspired by the lives of well-known Aotearoa creatives.
Each episode sees Taare craft a perfume for a different guest – including Te Rongo Kirkwood, Troy Kingi and Ana Scotney; acclaimed poet Tayi Tibble; award winning chef Kia Kanuta; and te reo Māori expert Dr Anaha Hiini – drawing on their memories, emotions and connection to place.
Supplied
The idea for the series came unexpectedly.
Series creator and co-producer Jessica Sanderson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Ātiawa) first approached Taare to create a perfume for her brother’s wedding. However, she did not realise it would spark a whole new kaupapa.
“I asked Nate to create a scent for my brother’s wedding – his wife’s from the States,” she said.
“He asked her where she was from, she shared a few memories, and he put some scents under her nose. She just started crying. She said, ‘That’s my home. How did you do that?'”
That moment, Sanderson said, showed how scent connects deeply to whakapapa and emotion.
“I lost my father when I was young, and scent takes me straight there. To my loved ones of the past.
“I know how important scent is to everyone. Everyone who’s lost someone, everyone who’s felt nostalgia – it’s a universal experience. I thought, oh, this is a show.”
Supplied
Taare, the founder of niche perfume house OF BODY, first gained attention in 2023 for his scent design inspired by Auckland’s Karangahape ‘K’ Road.
Originally working in film and television as a production designer and art director, scent was never part of the plan.
“It started out as a side hustle,” he told RNZ. “Now it’s become what it is.”
Taare said that perfumery is just another way to express creativity.
“I come from a background of sound and music and visual art. So using colour and ways to communicate an idea through visuals or sound – it’s the same with scent.
“These materials just replace those mediums.”
Each episode challenges Taare to translate ideas, memories and emotions into a sensory language.
“It’s about taking those ideas … and translating them into a palette I can compose from.
“There’s a lot of obvious connections between an idea, a colour, a mood, or an emotion, and that connection to a scent material.”
Some ingredients come with deep meaning, he said.
Episode 4 features award winning Chef Kia Kanuta and the creation of his scent ‘HOROPITO’.Supplied
“Te Rongo Kirkwood’s scent was very connected to the spiritual and cosmic realm … it was esoteric, almost fantasy-like, which I love. And Anaha Hiini’s scent connected to Ngāwhāriki and the sulphur of Rotorua.”
Taare tries to weave local ingredients into every scent he makes.
“Perfumery is very Western in its construct, and they tend to take things from Indigenous cultures and remove them from context,” he said.
“So I try to bring something that’s very local to our whenua into every one of those scents. We have some of the best botanicals and rongoā in the world right here.”
He finds joy in “finding beauty in the unexpected”.
“These aroma materials offer me something that feels endless and infinite in terms of possibilities. It’s just this constant loop of learning.”
He hopes more Māori will find their own place in the art of scent-making.
“We already have it through rongoā,” he said.
“Forget the Western construct, forget the top-shelf perfume stores … just focus on what we have here. That’s what makes it special and unique on a global scale.”
Sanderson is the co-founder of production company FOURPLAIT.Todd Karehana
Sanderson, alongside her partner Olly Coddington, founded their production company FOURPLAIT in 2024.
The ingoa, named after the four-plait used to weave a poi, is a reflection of how, like a strong plait, great story-telling weaves together people, perspectives and purpose.
She said te ao Māori naturally informs how she works and the stories she wants to tell.
“What I hope this offering shares is a different version of us.
“You don’t often see Māori perfumers. Whitney and Nate are really good at what they do – and they bring such a unique way of storytelling.”
That unique storytelling runs deep within Sanderson’s whakapapa too.
Her grandfather, Martyn Sanderson, was also a filmmaker, and her nan from Ngāti Kahungunu “had a camcorder in the ’90s and would let us use it”, which she said “was unheard of”.
“She’d let us do skits, edit on the tape. So it came from both sides.”
She hopes Journey of Scent shows that Māori storytelling continues to evolve.
“As Māori, we’re a full spectrum … we’re not all the same. I hope this series just shows another side of who we are.”
In each episode, Taare is tasked by Steel with crafting a bespoke scent for a unique client, including Aotearoa artist Troy Kingi.Supplied
Sanderson also hopes that those watching are able to reflect on their own memories.
“One of the coolest reactions we had at the launch,” she said, “was someone saying, ‘I’m really thinking about what my own scent is, the smells of my own memories.’
“If people have that response, then we’ve made them feel something. That’s all you hope for when you put something out into the world.”
Journey of Scent is produced by Fourplait Productions with support from NZ On Air.
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A group of women who have had ongoing issues with Estradot patches says they feel like they’ve been heard after Medsafe told them it is initiating independent testing.
A number of women have reported problems with the oestrogen patches not adhering or working properly, which has caused some of their perimenopause symptoms to return
Manufacturer Sandoz told RNZ it had received about 50 complaints from New Zealand, while Medsafe said it had received 149 complaints.
On Friday, Medsafe officials met with met some of the women to better understand what issues were being experienced.
Bronda Smith, who is the administrator for an online menopause support group, told Morning Report the meeting was encouraging.
“We really felt heard, which was great.”
She said one of the biggest wins of the meeting was Medsafe initiating the process independent testing.
Smith said Manufacturer Sandoz has done some testing of stock in the US.
“So, they didn’t test the actual batches that were delivered to New Zealand.”
She said the group was also concerned the issue was wider than first thought after finding a Menopause Support Group in the UK had also raised concerns about Estradot last year.
“It’s starting to feel like we’re being a little bit being told porkies by Sandoz,” she said.
In a statement, Sandoz said it had conducted a thorough investigation following the recent complaints and have completed retesting of retained samples of batches distributed in New Zealand.
“We are in discussion with Medsafe and have provided a detailed rationale explaining why local testing in New Zealand is not feasible. This is due to the unavailability of validated laboratories to conduct the tests, the complexity of the product, the nature of the adhesive technology, and the validated processes in place at the manufacturing site.”
It said it fully supported Medsafe conducting its own independent testing and would continue to work closely with them to ensure all regulatory expectations are consistently met.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said Medsafe took all complaints seriously and started investigating as soon as the first complaints were received.
“This included getting information from the company, their test results for the batches concerned, and assurance of quality from the manufacturing site,” they said.
“Medsafe has initiated independent testing (with PHF here in New Zealand) of batches that have arrived in New Zealand, on top of what the company has done. This may take some time but helps us to work out why we might be receiving complaints when other countries (such as Australia) are not. We are also checking in with our counterparts internationally, where the patches are also supplied.”
The spokesperson said Medsafe would continue to publish updated information on its website.
“We acknowledge that earlier communication about Medsafe’s role may have been helpful for those affected and we will continue to keep the support group and other interested stakeholders updated as the investigation continues.”
The spokesperson said the product did appear to still be working for the majority of women.
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Lions at Whangārei’s Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary, which was placed in liquidation earlier this year and closed to the public on 2 November.RNZ / Nick Monro
An animal rescue group is still racing against the clock to save five lions due to be put down at a Whangārei animal park.
She was also working with a group of “high net worth individuals” who were looking at buying the park together.
“They’re amazing, they’re very much professional, organised animal lovers, and obviously investors as well. It’s just going to come down to if we can get this done fast enough. So the time pressure is very real and still very much there,” she said.
The park’s owners, Bolton Equities, originally intended to euthanise the five remaining lions last week.
Press-McKenzie said the deadline for the big cats had been extended, and she was in contact with the owners day by day.
Lions at the Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary.RNZ / Nick Monro
Two ageing lions, Imvula and Sabili, were put down last Wednesday due to what the owners described as age and deteriorating health.
Other potential buyers were waiting in the wings in case the current plan could not go ahead, but Press-McKenzie said it was vital to find someone who was “the right fit” and could follow through on promises to safeguard the lions.
“It’s still open to anyone else who wants to drop their hat in the ring, because it’s going to come down to not just the fastest deal, but also what’s best for the lions. We need to consider everything but the lions’ future is our primary concern.”
The wildlife park, which was founded by Craig “Lion Man” Busch and has had a turbulent history, was placed in liquidation earlier this year and closed to the public on 2 November.
At its peak it was home to more than 30 lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs.
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A group of women who have had ongoing issues with Estradot patches says they feel like they’ve been heard after Medsafe told them it was initiating independent testing.
A number of women have reported problems with the oestrogen patches not adhering or working properly, which has caused some of their perimenopause symptoms to return
Manufacturer Sandoz told RNZ it had received about 50 complaints from New Zealand, while Medsafe said it had received 149 complaints.
On Friday, Medsafe officials met with met some of the women to better understand what issues were being experienced.
Bronda Smith, who is the administrator for an online menopause support group, told Morning Report the meeting was encouraging.
“We really felt heard, which was great.”
She said one of the biggest wins of the meeting was Medsafe initiating independent testing.
Smith said Manufacturer Sandoz has done some testing of stock in the US.
“So, they didn’t test the actual batches that were delivered to New Zealand.”
She said the group was also concerned the issue was wider than first thought after finding a Menopause Support Group in the UK had also raised concerns about Estradot last year.
“It’s starting to feel like we’re being a little bit being told porkies by Sandoz,” she said.
In a statement, Sandoz said it had conducted a thorough investigation following the recent complaints and have completed retesting of retained samples of batches distributed in New Zealand.
“We are in discussion with Medsafe and have provided a detailed rationale explaining why local testing in New Zealand is not feasible. This is due to the unavailability of validated laboratories to conduct the tests, the complexity of the product, the nature of the adhesive technology, and the validated processes in place at the manufacturing site.”
It said it fully supported Medsafe conducting its own independent testing and would continue to work closely with them to ensure all regulatory expectations are consistently met.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said Medsafe took all complaints seriously and started investigating as soon as the first complaints were received.
“This included getting information from the company, their test results for the batches concerned, and assurance of quality from the manufacturing site,” they said.
“Medsafe has initiated independent testing (with PHF here in New Zealand) of batches that have arrived in New Zealand, on top of what the company has done. This may take some time but helps us to work out why we might be receiving complaints when other countries (such as Australia) are not. We are also checking in with our counterparts internationally, where the patches are also supplied.”
The spokesperson said Medsafe would continue to publish updated information on its website.
“We acknowledge that earlier communication about Medsafe’s role may have been helpful for those affected and we will continue to keep the support group and other interested stakeholders updated as the investigation continues.”
The spokesperson said the product did appear to still be working for the majority of women.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
