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As we look into the New Year, there are a lot of crucial issues facing the country – how do we deal with the ongoing unaffordability of housing (notwithstanding the recent fall in house prices); how do we increase our rate of productivity growth so that we can afford the good things of life that wealthier countries take for granted; how do we improve the serious problems in our…

RECIPE : Frozen Cherry Chocolate Pudding Cake Ingredients 1kg store-bought Christmas pudding, crumbled 6L vanilla ice cream, softened 2 cups cherries in cane sugar syrup (from delis and specialty food shops) 2/3 cup (165ml) cherry syrup Chocolate shards and pitted fresh cherries, to decorate Chocolate Icing 1/2 titanium-strength gelatine leaf 11/3…

Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruling Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC. She is celebrated in many historical records for her beauty and her love affairs with the Roman warlords Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, but was a powerful queen before her interaction with either and a much stronger monarch than any of the later Ptolemaic Dynasty. Fluent in a number of…

The Business Association hopes you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and an enjoyable and safe break. Welcome to 2023 New Businesses to Papakura: We welcome • Fork Café in East Street • Midtown Bar in the Selwyn Centre on the Great South Road • The Art of Framing in Elliot Street • Automate X in Railway Street • Vets at 77 on the Great South Road Where to Eat Guide: …

The New Zealand property market has experienced a bigger downturn in property values and sales volumes than expected in 2022.The introduction of tighter lending regulations, loan-to-value ratio rules, higher mortgage rates, and more listings all tilted the balance of power away from sellers. For the 2022 calendar year, total sales volumes are estimated to be around 67,000, the…

If you have ever delved into the history about the Christmas season, you will know it is both complex and varied. From its origins steeped in pagan and Christian beliefs alike many centuries ago, it has evolved into a holiday that is celebrated by over 159 countries officially and 23 unofficially making it the most celebrated and universally recognized holiday worldwide. The…

Christmas means many different things to different people but at the heart of every Kiwi Christmas is quality time spent with family and friends. Tracy Shackleton, the Town Centre Manager and her fantastic team have pulled out all stops to ensure this year everyone will enjoy a Magical Christmas experience when they visit Papakura and its vast array of retailers. Carols in the…

Are you looking for something just a little bit special for this Christmas? Either for your own home or for that special friend? Whether you need delightfully different Christmas bling for your festive table or a unique gift that has the wow factor you need to check out the range hand picked by Toni Charteris at The Bespoke Living Room. Located at 128 Stan Wright Rd, Karaka, a…

Returning after our Covid Break – the South Auckland Woodturners Guild Christmas shop will be there again from 28 November to 24 December with more than 2000 hand-made items you will love. As in 2020 we will be at 245 Great South Road. That is opposite the Countdown car park, south of the Library and a little south of the Averill Street intersection. This is the only public…

Red Shed Palazzo isn’t just about our beautiful Cafe, there’s so much more that we have to offer. From beautiful wedding areas, private functions, Christmas lunches, birthdays, business meetings, gatherings with friends, coffee groups, celebrations of life and any special occasion, there is always a reason to celebrate at Red Shed. The wide range of stylish, delicious food is…

We are living in an uncertain world. After the ups and downs of Covid, many hoped we would return to a sense of normalcy, but life is very different now, not just on the home front but across the world, and we are having to deal with a high degree of uncertainty. Sadly, at this time last year, I wrote that uncertainty was the biggest factor we were facing, with the traffic light…

Passion and zest for life is all about goals and influences and living life to the max. With that we all have our heroes who we look up to or are influenced by. For me growing up in the world of hot rodding a whole world away from where it all began in the USA I had my share of influences locally in New Zealand but also internationally. One of those guys I looked up to was the…

The last time inflation was over 7% was more than 30 years ago, and I was responsible for doing what Adrian Orr, the current Governor of the Reserve Bank, is trying to do now: get inflation back to the target mandated by the Minister of Finance, in my case within a 0 to 2% range, and Mr Orr’s case within a range of 1 to 3%. A few weeks ago, there was at least some cheering when…

There is something about strawberries that says Christmas in New Zealand. The bright red, sweet summertime berry is in full season mid-December and there are plenty to go around. In some places you can even pick your own. They are beautiful just as they are, with whipped cream or dipped in Chocolate or try some of the below recipes to mix things up a bit this Christmas. They are…

The Advent Calendar Advent calendars are undoubtedly a festive staple in New Zealand as in many countries around the world, with children and adults alike leaping out of bed to discover what is behind the little numbered door that day. Modern advent calendars can hide anything from chocolate to wine behind their doors as we count down to Christmas. But where did advent…

If it’s not beginning to look a lot like Christmas yet, it will soon enough. This year, we’re looking forward to a host of events to help lift those – Christmas Spirit. CAROLS IN THE PARK – Friday Dec 2, from 6pm, Central Park: Pack a picnic for a fun filled, family-focused, free evening, featuring carols as well as other Christmas songs. PAPAKURA ROTARY SANTA PARADE –…

Despite a diverse city of property types, locations and prices, the relative weakness across Auckland was evident everywhere in October, with values falling across the board, from -1.3% in both the North Shore (average value $1.52 million) and Franklin ($980,000) to -2.2% in Papakura ($1 million). On the longer term annual measure, the smaller outer areas of Rodney, Papakura and…

It’s been an interesting month, local body elections resulting in many fresh faces at councils across the country and a new Auckland Mayor starting to make some noise (writing to Watercare and council chief executive Jim Stabback telling them to stop all work on the Government's Three Water reforms and asking for entire CCO boards to step down.) Renegade Labour MP Gaurav Sharma…

Novature was born out of a desire to create “new age”, bespoke quality homes that can be easily built and transported to sites across New Zealand! Greg, Brent & Hayden, joint directors of Novature collectively possess in excess of 100 years building experience. Their vast building and business knowledge has seen them develop government infrastructure projects, large scale…

The Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards is the building industry’s most prestigious competition and the competition is fierce. This year saw builders from throughout the country do battle for gold, silver and bronze awards across both new and renovated builds in a number of categories. This year the team at Navigation Homes Counties came away with GOLD in the…