Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

When you think of a Honda City, you might think of a car designed for parallel parking, not river crossings – built for errands, not off-road exploits.

Over the weekend, enthusiasts, from as far as Australia, joined a convey of the little cars from Christchurch to a working farm station in Canterbury’s Avoca Valley, for the annual Great Honda City Road Trip.

The event’s creator, Jared Campbell, told Morning Report that about seven years ago he decided to give it a go with a few friends.

“I had a Honda City at the time and I used to do this particular off road track back when I was younger with my father, I remember it being not too harsh on the cars so I decided to give it a go and it was a lot of fun.”

The first year about eight people in about five cars took part in the event and that had increased to about 30 people in 20 cars this year – including a couple of people from Australia, he said.

Campbell said as organised he was usually at the front of the group of cars.

“After we pass the traffic, about three or four cars, they start to realise there’s something weird going on and they start getting their phones out and filming us as we drive past – it’s definitely a sight.”

Campbell said he had always like the Honda City and “as a small silly car it was quite easy just to do silly things in them”.

It was a well designed car that some features that had some features that made it capable of going off-road, he said.

Evidence that the Honda City was a good car could be seen in the fact that there were still so many of them around and that so many were sold when they were new, he said.

Campbell said the route started in Christchurch.

“We start off in Christchurch in Belfast and from there we take some back roads out to Sheffield to the famous pie shop, from there we take the inland scenic route out towards Mt Hutt and then we get access by private station in the Avoca Valley.”

The terrain on the road trip would vary from gravel roads to up and over hills, he said.

The main track did not go through any major rivers, although there were some minor river crossings, he said.

“The main track in and out is quite easy but a lot of us like to go a little bit further and a little bit harder and we try and get across the Avoca River.”

It was a big challenge to get through that river to the other side, he said.

“We do take recovery vehicles with us but we try our best not to use them.”

But he said that people who tried “to do things that they really shouldn’t do in a Honda City” would get stuck and in that case the recovery vehicles would be put to use.

“We can be quite hard on vehicles too so we have some issues like cracked open gear boxes … but we’ve been slowly modifying our cars to be able to handle this type of stuff with bash plates and snorkels.”

He said they often ended up pooling car parts bought along for the trip since because everyone was driving the same type of vehicle they often bought spare parts along which could then be used on their or someone else’s car if needed.

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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

• Economy grows 1.1% in September quarter, 1.3% on year ago
• Expectations were for a rise between 0.8-1.0%
• Previous quarter revised lower to 1 pct contraction from 0.9%
• Business services, manufacturing, construction lead growth
• Telecommunications/media, education sectors contract
• Data likely to back Reserve Bank holding cash rate at 2.25 pct for start of 2026.

The economy has rebounded from its mid-year slump as stronger manufacturing, construction, and business services pushed growth, backing the case for interest rates to be held steady.

Stats NZ data showed gross domestic product (GDP) – the broad measure of economic growth – rose 1.1 percent in the three months ended September, to be 1.4 percent higher than a year ago.

Expectations were for quarterly growth of about 0.9 percent, although the contraction in the previous quarter was revised lower to 1.0 percent from 0.9 percent.

“The 1.1 percent rise in economic activity… was broad-based, with increases in 14 out of 16 industries,” Stats NZ spokesperson Jason Attewell said, adding the economy had grown in three of the four past quarters.

Turning the economic corner

The strongest sectors were manufacturing and business services such as professional and technical, which both grew 2.2 percent, and construction rising 1.7 percent.

Exports were up 3.3 percent, on the back of strong dairy and meat performances, but households activity rose 0.1 percent.

There were smaller positive contributions from real estate services, retail, and energy and water industries.

The sectors to contract were telecommunications and internet services, and education and training.

Individual shares of the economy – per capita GDP – rose 0.9 percent,.

The country’s purchasing power (disposable income) improved 0.7 percent for the quarter.

Slow recovery

The latest GDP reading has already been overtaken by more recent data with the monthly surveys of the manufacturing and services showing they have been going backwards, despite positive sentiment surveys.

Retail sales have been improving, the GDP data showed increased demand for televisions, computers, and mobile phones.

“The retail trade survey shows increased spending on durables in the September quarter, with motor vehicle parts retailing up 7.2 percent, and electrical and electronic goods up 9.8 percent,” Attewell said.

However, consumer sentiment has remained pessimistic, with households concerned about the weak labour market and the continued high cost of living, while lower interest rates have been slow to filter through.

Forecasts are for a gradual pick up in growth next year to around 1.5 percent, rising towards 3 percent in 2027.

Rates on hold

The Reserve Bank last month cut the official cash rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 2.25 and signalled it was likely the end of the rate cutting cycle, although it left the door ajar for further easing if the economic numbers turn sour.

That message has been reinforced by the new Governor, Anna Breman, over the past week who has said [www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/581940/reserve-bank-governor-sends-message-markets-gone-too-far financial markets are getting ahead of themselves] by starting to price in RBNZ rate rises next year.

Economists expect the economy to post stronger growth, which might underpin inflation pressures, although they believe there is sufficient slack in the economy to counter inflation.

New Zealand’s quarterly growth rate matched China’s 1.1 percent, but outpaced most of our main trading partners, with Australia and the EU at 0.4 percent, Canada at 0.6 percent, and UK at 0.1 percent.

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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

Rainbows, fire engines and Christmas trees are popular themes for the Sky Tower as patients at Starship Children’s Hospital take control of the colour scheme.

The children leapt at the chance to light up the landmark as part of an effort to support those spending Christmas in hospital, Starship Foundation chief executive Jo Simon told Morning Report.

“It’s so exciting when you’re a little person and you’ve got control of such a large landmark.”

She said it was a simple process for the children to make their selection and see the lights change from their beds using an iPad.

“These children, particularly in the oncology and orthopaedic wards, are quite sick children, so it has to be as easy as possible.

“SkyCity has this great control iPad – the children just go on to the iPad and there’s a number of themes they can choose from to light up the tower right in front of them.”

It was the second year SkyCity had handed the control over to Starship patients, who have a front seat view of the tower from their hospital beds.

There had been a real focus on rainbows this year, along with fire engine related colours – “lights and sparkling” – and one child chose a Christmas palette, turning the 328 metre tower into the biggest Christmas tree in Auckland.

It was important to give the children a feeling of control at a time when they often feel they have none, Simon said.

“Some of these children are really sick. They’ve been through all sorts of things during the day, so having the opportunity in the evening to have a bit of fun is wonderful.”

Other festive events included ward decorating competitions, and a special delivery of more than 2500 toys gifted by donors.

“We have volunteer elves who put the toys into packs targeted at the different age groups, then Santa delivers the parcels to all the children at the hospital, bringing some magic to those that can’t see Santa in other places.”

The Foundation’s Christmas fundraising effort, the Empty Chair campaign, was symbolic of the children who can’t be home for Christmas, Simon said.

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