NZ Engine – Page 559

January 12, 2026

My GP is leaving me after nearly 50 years

My second son’s birth 42 years ago was uneventful. I recall it was surprisingly quick. We barely had time to drive to the birthing unit before I was on my back, panting. At my head offering encouragement was my husband. At the business end was a young GP with blonde hair, glasses and a quiet manner.

I shall call him Dr C.

This month, I will have been Dr C’s patient for almost 43 years. I have been on his books longer than all bar one of his patients. He has seen me through childbirth, menopause, creaking bones and sagging skin. I thought he would see me out. But last month he emailed his patients to say he was retiring.

Illustration of GP and the same patient throughout different ages. — RNZ

. Like the general population, our GPs are aging and stepping back from general practice. The average age of retirement is 59.

Dr C is in his 76th year.

While affirming his decision, I still feel a sense of loss.

The relationship between a patient and doctor is unique. It involves vulnerability, trust and consent to poke and prod in the most private places. It also involves sharing intimacies, fears and secrets that may have not yet been disclosed to family or friends.

Dr C has heard all my fears plus opinions on conditions diagnosed at midnight when I couldn’t sleep.

Postnatally, I fretted about breastfeeding, lack of sleep and children’s illnesses. Later, it was overwork, OOS, and stress-related headaches. As I have aged, my fears have turned to high cholesterol, joint pain and the gene pool I inherited from my father who died at 59.

My concerns are fuelled by a propensity to fear the worst.

Anatomy books can help patients understand how the body works.

Ann Huston

I was convinced a scab on my back was melanoma, only to have it slough off in the shower. I also deduced ongoing stomach cramps were giardia despite not having accessed a contaminated stream.

“Am I what you term ‘the worried well?’,” I asked Dr C at my last visit.

He doesn’t like the term, which he refers to as “medical sarcasm.”

“Is the person with symptoms of non-serious conditions any less deserving than someone with symptoms of bowel cancer. Any visit is an opportunity to reassure, educate and advise people what is within a normal range.”

But he concedes it’s hard when people won’t accept there is nothing wrong despite a raft of tests and checks.

That’s when he will often bring out a book with illustrations of bones and internal organs to illustrate how the body works. “Using props sometimes helps to show how systems function and takes their attention away from that which they are fixated on.”

Some might call him an old-style GP.

He makes no apology for that. He became a general practitioner because he was interested in the whole being, rather than just parts that need healing. For some doctors, he says, medicine is the focus. “For me, it’s always about the person first.”

His appointments always run over time. That means he sees fewer patients (around 20 a day before he retired). But for the patient it is gold. My appointments have often included views on world events or on stories I am working on.

“I try not to keep people waiting too long, but 15 minutes is not enough time,” he says in his defence.

He has continued to make house calls. The last was the day before he left his practice when he visited a terminally ill patient

I ask him how he imparts bad news to patients. “Initially, you have to be able to put up walls while still retaining humanity. You have to be constrained to a certain extent. But, in the aftermath, you can be more human.”

This was how he told my husband he had prostate cancer more than 20 years ago. He also counselled my younger son about having regular checks after his older brother contracted the disease.

Knowing our family’s history has been crucial in keeping us well.

The research around continuity of care is incontestable. A University of Cambridge study last year (the largest of its kind)found seeing the same GP improved patients’ health, reduced doctors’ workloads and freed up millions of appointments. It meant people waited longer between visits, compared with patients who saw different doctors and patients took up less time in each consultation, particularly older patients, those with multiple chronic illnesses and those with mental health conditions.

And yet the trend now is towards practices where patients see any doctor available.

Dr Bryan Betty, chair of GPNZ, says given the evidence that seeing the same doctor leads to better health outcomes – especially for the chronically ill – he hopes GP practices will work towards systems where continuity of care is core. But he concedes there are challenges. “It’s not just cost. It’s also workforce. We don’t have enough GPs in New Zealand. A substantial number are due to retire in the next five to 10 years. We are under-resourced, which has led to the system developing as it has.”

GPNZ chair Bryan Betty.

Supplied

Dr C says making the decision to retire was not easy. “But it was time to spend more time with my wife and family.” (He has three sons and four grandchildren all living overseas). Leaving patients was much harder. “They taught me so much. Women patients particularly taught me how to listen. I learned from them that I don’t always have to fix things. Listening is the best medicine of all.”

He is looking forward to less paperwork and not waking in the middle of the night to consider if he has missed something or should have done something differently. “Your mind doesn’t really switch off.” If he sees a person limping, he will still wonder about the cause.

I tell him the thing I have valued most about our consultations is that they have never felt transactional. I have always felt like we are two people invested in the same good outcome. He looks a little teary-eyed. He’s had many of these conversations since the email went out to patients, some from multiple generations.

Then I ask him if he remembers being at my son’s birth. But the event has been lost in the annals of time and thousands of encounters with patients, including births. “Sorry,” he says. “It must have been a straightforward birth. I only remember those that had complications.”

It was, I say . But I’m pleased you were there.

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

January 12, 2026

Weekend heat: Ice-creams, swimming pools and cancelled tours

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of sailors made the most of blazing sunshine and 10-15 knot winds in the Bay of Islands at the 50th annual Tall Ships race. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

With temperatures reaching the high 30s in Napier and Hastings on Sunday, many spent the day finding ways to beat the heat.

Renske Speekenbrink works at the Napier i-site Visitor Centre, where people were popping in to cool off.

“Walking in the streets with no air-con, it’s quite hot, so we’ve been quite welcoming.

“I did see a few people who were super sweaty who said they’d just arrived. We just said to take a minute to catch your breath, we’ve got air-con inside, we can tell you a bit about the area, and give you a map.

“We’ve been recommending going to the museum, which has air-con, or to cool off in the ocean.”

But the intense heat meant popular summer hotspots and activities were not an option for visitors.

“There were people who actually had to cancel their push bike tour, and they’re doing it tomorrow because it’s supposed to be a bit cooler tomorrow,” Speekenbrink said.

Te Mata Peak, a normally busy lookout in Havelock North, had been closed off since because of high fire risk.

Speekenbrink said Hawkes Bay Fire and Emergency would be re-assessing the conditions on Mondaymorning, to determine if Te Mata Peak could re-open to the public.

At Rush Munro’s Ice Cream Parlour in Hastings, owner Vaughan Currie had more customers than usual on Sunday.

He said they typically sell about 320 cones on a hot day, and they had done about 20 percent more than that.

“We’ve had a really strong day, probably one of the strongest Sundays we’ve had for January so far. It’s obviously weather-driven.”

He said some unique flavours had been the parlour’s most popular this summer.

“At the moment we’re selling a lot of feijoa, so I’m struggling to keep up with that, and a close second would be passionfruit.”

Meanwhile, in Kaikōura, which reached 30 degrees on Sunday, there were also gusts of up to 90km/h.

But Sylvia Wong, who works at the Alpine-Pacific Kiwi Holiday Park, said the weather did not put off campers.

“There are still a lot of people camping. All of the people here are jumping into our pools half-naked because it’s just too warm to stay in the tent site, so they either go to the beach or chill out in the pool.

“They told us they couldn’t bear the heat. Sometimes, they walk into reception and ask if we sell ice cream or if we have extra ice. They want to cool down with a cold beer and stuff like that.”

She said a total fire ban in place in Kaikōura was reassuring after a burn pile sparked large fires destroying four homes in the town late last year.

Despite record-breaking temperatures in many places, the sun was not out for everyone.

Several wet weather warnings were in place this past weekend, including in the ranges of the Grey and Buller districts in the South Island.

Flooding on Sunday also caused the closure of the key road link between Canterbury and the West Coast on State Highway 73.

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

January 12, 2026

Auckland’s stalled housing developments a year on: What’s changed

Source: Radio New Zealand

This half-finished apartment block in Auckland’s Epsom has been derelict for the past six years. MELANIE EARLEY / RNZ

Unfinished housing developments are dotted across the Auckland region, with many seemingly in a state of limbo.

The derelict properties often led to concerns from local communities about vandalism and squatters.

A year ago, RNZ looked at several stalled developments in Auckland and explored the reasons behind why they had been left in various unfinished states.

As 2026 begins, have any of the developments been finished or demolished? Or do they continue to sit in a dilapidated state?

‘Blight on the Epsom landscape’ remains

Originally called The Epsom Central Apartments Project, this building on Manukau Rd has sat unfinished for years. MELANIE EARLEY / RNZ

The Epsom Central Apartments Project halted six years ago after Auckland Council found it had not complied with building consent.

The original partnership, Epsom Central Apartments LP, was put into receivership in 2022, and purchased by Xiao Liu the director of a company named Reeheng Ltd in 2023.

A year ago, locals complained the building was a “blight on the Epsom landscape” and had at one point been filled with rats and squatters.

In 2025, no noticeable progress had been made to the building, the owner of former neighbouring business Just Laptops, Forrest Tan, said.

Since then, Tan had demolished his building, partly to prepare for a rebuild he said, and partly because a previous scaffolding collapse at the derelict site next door had damaged his old building.

“This would be an ideal time to demolish [the building]. My site is now a clear, open space. Once my new building goes up demolition would be extremely difficult since it’s a boundary-to-boundary structure on a busy stretch of road.”

The building is on Epsom’s busy Manukau Rd. MELANIE EARLEY / RNZ

When RNZ visited the site, there was no obvious work ongoing, but the old precarious looking scaffolding did appear to have been tidied up or replaced and pedestrians no longer had to walk underneath it.

Has NZ’s highest residential tower restarted?

The Seascape apartment project was on hold for about a year. RNZ / Ziming Li

New Zealand’s would-be tallest apartment building, Seascape tower in Auckland’s CBD had construction halted for about a year.

In September 2024, it was reported the work had stalled due to a dispute between the developer and the builder.

But a year later, work resumed on the tower with contractors beginning to appear at the site.

Bayleys was also running a marketing campaign for unsold units with the words “a new chapter begins”.

Pukekohe’s ‘lock and leave’ houses

The Valley Road construction project in Pukekohe. MELANIE EARLEY / RNZ

Several duplexes on Pukekohe’s Valley Rd had remained just the wooden frames of houses for at least a year, locals said, but it appeared as though some construction had been underway in 2025.

A year on, the duplexes were still covered in scaffolding and behind a fence, with no workers on site when RNZ visited, but it was obvious construction had been taking place.

The lots were listed for sale by Barfoot and Thompson in mid-2025, with the listing stating construction was due to be completed in “late 2025”.

‘Eyesore’ no more

In the coastal suburb of Mairangi Bay on the North Shore, a new build construction site which long worried locals as work appeared to have stalled was moving forward at some pace.

Nick Rogers who lived near the site on Beach Rd said work on the site seemed to stall in 2024 with just the exterior shell created.

But by the end of 2025, Rogers said work was underway again.

“It restarted about two or three months ago and is at quite some pace! Locals are relieved,” he said.

According to property records, the site was last sold in 2015 – it was not yet clear when the construction was due to finish.

Kingsland’s ‘The George’

The George on New North Road in Kingsland. MELANIE EARLEY / RNZ

Marketing for The George on New North Rd in Kingsland began emerging in early 2022, and was listed at the time by Harcourts, as nine luxury townhouses starting at a price of $1,785,000.

A website for the development had long since been defunct, but when RNZ visited the site in December, it was an active construction site.

Despite being little more than some planks of wood and a fence scrawled with graffiti a year ago, the building had now taken shape.

The developer of the site, CSS Luxury Homes Ltd said the site was due to be finished in mid to late 2026.

Vinod Kumar Chawla, the director of the company, said the project had stalled due to issues with finances.

“Many ups and downs but good times will come again,” he said.

“It’s a good location, top class finishing… one of the best in the city.”

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

January 11, 2026

SH73 reopens after flooding between Canterbury, West Coast

Source: Radio New Zealand

On the West Coast, winds and heavy rain also brought down trees onto State Highway 6 and caused surface flooding. MetService

Flooding has closed the key road link between Canterbury and the West Coast, as a fierce thunderstorm swept over the region this afternoon.

State Highway 73 between Otira and Arthur’s Pass was closed at about 4.30pm, but was reopened by 9pm, with the section affected by the mudslide open to one lane with a temporary 30km/h speed restriction in place.

NZTA said road users should expect delays and are asked to travel with extra care.

Orange heavy rain warnings were in place until 9pm for the Westland ranges and Haast, and the headwaters of lakes and rivers south of Arthur’s Pass, and until 1am for ranges of the Grey and Buller districts.

Earlier in the day, Canterbury was under a strong wind warning, which brought down trees, partially blocking the road.

NZTA said road users should avoid the area or delay their journey, if possible.

MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said strong winds meant a band of intense thunderstorms spread across the South Island were blown clear across the Southern Alps to Christchurch.

Rain stations in and around Mt Cook Village, Arthur’s Pass and Carrington had all recorded heavy rain – between 150 to 220 millimetres in around 15 hours, Kerr said.

At the same time, Christchurch and Kaikōura were among the hottest places in New Zealand on Sunday, reaching temperatures of 32.9 and 34 degrees Celsius respectively – close to the national high of 36.3 degrees in the Hawke’s Bay.

A severe wind warning was in place for Marlborough until 9pm, which could see severe gale northwesterlies gusting 120 km/h in exposed places, while a severe wind warning for the Tararua District, Wairarapa and Wellington will end at 4am Monday.

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

January 11, 2026

Football: Wellington Phoenix fight back to grab draw in A-League clash

Source: Radio New Zealand

Isaac Hughes scores a goal for Wellington against Adelaide. Masanori Udagawa/Photosport

Wellington Phoenix have shown some heart and courage in their A-League men’s match against Adelaide in Wellington, fighting back from two goals down at halftime to draw 2-2.

The home team weren’t looking good in the first half, as Adelaide scored the opening goal in the 14th minute to Ryan White.

Luke Duzel scored a second just before the break to give the visitors a decisive lead, but the Phoenix came out a different team in the second half, as they surged back into the match, playing with enthusiasm and attacking flair.

Isaac Hughes rewarded the small crowd, neatly finishing off at the near post from a Ramy Najjarine corner.

Lively midfielder Corban Piper headed home the second in the 65th minute, following a pinpoint cross from Tim Payne, who returned from a long injury layoff that lasted almost three months.

The Phoenix had good chances to win the game. Paulo Retre hit the post, Luke Brooke-Smith had a goal ruled out in stoppage time, when a teammate ventured offside, and Alex Rufer blasted over the top from close range right at the end.

The result keeps the Phoenix in 10th place in the 12-team league. They have 15 points from their 12 games, nine points behind leaders Auckland FC.

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

January 11, 2026

Fire breaks out at Auckland’s NZ Badminton Centre

Source: Radio New Zealand

The fire was contained and the building was not badly damaged. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

About 60 people have been evacuated, after a fire broke out at a large badminton centre in Auckland.

The owner of the NZ Badminton Centre on East Tamaki Road, Dev Senthiya, said about 20 firefighters put out the blaze, which came from the roof of the building.

Those inside when the fire alarm went off all made it out safely, Senthiya said.

The fire was contained and the building was not badly damaged, he said.

Senthiya believed the blaze was caused by an electrical fan in the roof overheating.

Fire and Emergency was unavailable for comment.

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

January 11, 2026

Top seed Elina Svitolina wins 2026 ASB Classic women’s crown

Source: Radio New Zealand

Elina Svitolina serves during the ASB Classic final. Alan Lee/Photosport

Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina has won the 2026 ASB Classic women’s tournament in Auckland.

The 31-year-old proved too good for China’s Xinyu Wang, winning in straight sets 6-3 7-6 in an hour and 43 minutes.

Despite the scoreline, the contest was far from easy for Svitolina, who entered the match as the top seed and heavy favourite, after winning 18 of the 22 previous WTA Tour finals she had played in.

Svitlolina also beat Wang in their only previous meeting on tour at Wimbledon in 2024.

An even battle for much of the first set saw both players holding serve, until Svitolina managed to break Wang to move 4-2 up.

She then held her nerve to win the first set 6-3 in 32 minutes. Breakpoints proved elusive, with each player earning just one opportunity each.

The second set was just as tight, with both rivals holding serve all the way to a tiebreaker.

Wang, who was playing in just her second career singles final, started the tiebreak superbly to claim a 3-0 lead, before Svitolina came roaring back to win the next four points.

Wang, 24, showed plenty of composure though, to save a matchpoint and lock the scores up at 6-6.

Svitolina quickly created another and this time, she served it out to win the tiebreaker 8-6.

All eyes now turn to the men’s tournament, which starts on Monday, with veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils – Svitolina’s husband – the defending champion.

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

January 11, 2026

NZ Breakers bounce back with gritty win over ANBL champions Illawarra Hawks

Source: Radio New Zealand

Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the Breakers to victory against the Hawks. Blake Armstrong / PHOTOSPORT

Forty-eight hours after their worst display of the Australian NBL season, the NZ Breakers have regrouped for a gritty 101-96 win over defending champions Illawarra Hawks in Sydney.

American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright led all scorers with 23 points, while Tall Blacks forward Sam Mennenga had 21, as the Auckland-based team secured their ninth win of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive, closing to within 2.5 games of the sixth-placed Tasmania Jackjumpers.

On Friday, the Breakers were embarrassed 103-62 at home by Sydney Kings, with coach Petteri Koponen under pressure to re-engage his players.

They led through the first and second quarters, enjoying a 49-43 advantage at halftime, before building a 15-point lead midway through the third period.

The Hawks piled on 11 straight points to close the deficit, but the Breakers still led by five heading into the final stanza and held off their rivals down the stretch.

Mennenga left the door ajar with a pair of free-throw misses, but Cartwright converted from long range and added two free-throws.

Down by three with six seconds remaining, Illawarra guard Tyler Harvey committed a costly backcourt turnover that gave the visitors a chance to pad their advantage.

Jackson-Cartwright supplemented his scoring feats with eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals, while American forward Izaiah Brockington had 20 points, American centre Rob Baker slotted four three-pointers among his 17 points and Mexican teenager Karim Lopez grabbed five steals, along with his 16 points and six assists.

Another American, Quentin Peterson, led the Hawks with 22 points, but his team committed 19 turnovers and sent the Breakers to the line for twice as many free-throw attempts (28).

The Breakers visit the Cairns Taipans next Saturday.

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

January 11, 2026

SH73 closed by flooding between Canterbury, West Coast

Source: Radio New Zealand

On the West Coast, winds and heavy rain also brought down trees onto State Highway 6 and caused surface flooding. MetService

Flooding has closed the key road link between Canterbury and the West Coast, as a fierce thunderstorm swept over the region this afternoon.

State Highway 73 between Otira and Arthur’s Pass was closed at about 4.30pm.

Contractors also worked to clear a large mudslide blocking both lanes further east on SH73.

Earlier in the day, Canterbury was under a strong wind warning, which brought down trees, partially blocking the road.

NZTA said road users should avoid the area or delay their journey, if possible.

More rain was expected for the West Coast, with an orange heavy rain warning in place until 9pm Sunday for the ranges.

A heavy rain warning was also in place for the Westland District about and north of Haast.

On the West Coast, winds and heavy rain also brought down trees onto State Highway 6 and caused surface flooding.

Grey and the Buller Ranges are under an orange heavy rain warning until 1am Monday.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

January 11, 2026

Iranian Kiwis concerned for family overseas amid deadly protests

Source: Radio New Zealand

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026.

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran. AFP/SUPPLIED

Iranian New Zealanders hold grave concerns for their family members, amid a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran.

Reports from Teheran suggest security forces have killed or injured hundreds over the past three days, as unrest spreads nationwide.

Forough Amin from Iranian Women in NZ said the regime had shut down landlines, mobile networks and internet access.

She said families abroad were cut off, relying instead on scattered footage shared via Starlink satellite connections.

Amin said New Zealand should follow Australia’s lead and expel the Iranian ambassador.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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