Not a night to remember - and didn't get to see ACDC anyway...

It was meant to be an experience to savour and a night to remember for 37 year old furniture removalist "Big John" from Lower Hutt. Nearly $180.00 spent to get a ticket to the ACDC concert last Friday night. He travelled to Wellington City with some of his mates and their girlfriends, had a few of the traditional pre-concert drinks and climbed the steps towards the concourse of Wellington Westpac Stadium.

That appears to be as far as the group got, John saw one of his mates knocked to the ground unconscious, another assaulted, and then become involved in a fracas with about five other men. A powerfully built former rugby and league player he held his own before police became involved and arrested him. He was handcuffed and tossed into the rear of a police paddy wagon, and the police just laughed at him, he claimed. He fell in the entrance well of the van, but because of his great strength was able to extricate himself and wait for the police to let him out. It seemed like a couple of hours he spent in the stifling heat of the van without any water, becoming dehydrated.

He was taken to the Wellington Central police station, arrested and put in a cell without pillows or blankets. After banging on the door of his cell for some time, he was spoken to by a policewoman who later contacted his mother. The policewoman rang John's mother and told her to come and collect him. She said he had been a very angry man, understandable given the circumstances. John is also normally a mild mannered man who didn't get involved in trouble or fighting; during his time as a footballer he seldom involved himself in onfield trouble, preferring to let the referee deal with offenders. He was deeply offended by the attack on his friends and the subsequent substandard treatment on him by the police. He has bruising on his wrists and other parts of his body. He was also arrested without his tee shirt.

John told his mother he had been arrested and would have to appear in court in a few weeks time. He also told her that he was not told his rights or allowed a phone call.

The following day, after being unable to receive any cooperation from the Wellington City police, John and his mother went to see the Lower Hutt police to complain about the treatment he had received the previous evening. They not only accepted his complaint, but have actually considered it as extremely serious, considering the treatment John had received. The complaint has been lodged and will continue.

Do you agree with MSN Travel that NZ is in Top 10 places to travel to...

Do you agree with MSN Travel that NZ is in Top 10 places to travel to...

New Zealand listed as one of top 10 in Best in Travel guide:

New Zealand has been awarded another international travel gong after being named one of the top countries to visit in 2010 by Lonely Planet's Best in Travel guide.

Each year staff and author's from the travel bible put together an overview of some of their best travel experiences from around the world.

When describing New Zealand, authors adhered to the motto "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

"The land of Maori and hobbits certainly didn't need repairing," according to the guide.

The book recommends travellers to try paragliding over Queenstown, hiking in Tongariro National Park, kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park and taking a flight over Fiordland for those seeking "life-changing experiences".

The South Island's Otago Peninsula is named one of the 10 best cycling routes, while Dunedin is highlighted as one of the top 10 places to take Rover for a walk. Sustainable tourism practices in New Zealand are praised.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton told media he was astonished by the industry nod.

Top 10 countries to visit in 2010

New Zealand
El Salvador
Germany
Greece
Malaysia
Morocco
Nepal
Portugal
Suriname
United States

Do you agree with Lonely Planet's pick of the top 10 countries to visit in 2010? Have your say below.

Acknowledgements: MSN Travel

Two new laws to crack down on illegal street racing in NZ

Two new laws giving police, courts and local authorities greater powers to crack down on illegal street racing have come into force:

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act and the Sentencing (Vehicle Confiscation) Amendment Act will mean offenders found to be acting illegally will lose their licenses and their vehicles much sooner.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the Enforcement Powers Act sends the message that the type of dangerous, disruptive and antisocial behaviour associated with illegal street racing will not be tolerated.

"While previous law allowed for vehicles to be confiscated, the actual rate of confiscations was less than two percent. These new laws will close loopholes in existing laws that allow illegal street racers to avoid penalty.

“Targeting the things these offenders value the most – their licence and their car – is expected to be a much more effective deterrent than fines, which have often gone unpaid in the past.”

Police Minister Judith Collins said Police would be actively focusing on illegal street racing when the new laws come into effect.

“Police will be paying particular attention to offences involving public disorder, dangerous behaviour on our roads and excessive noise,” Collins said.

“The message to illegal street racers is that their behaviour will no longer be tolerated and that the Police and Courts now have the authority to take their vehicles off the road permanently."

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Act will include provisions to:

• Allow local authorities to create bylaws that prevent vehicles repeatedly “cruising” city streets
• Allow the compulsory impoundment of vehicles involved in illegal street racing
• Introduce demerit points for noise offences, licence breaches and registration plate offences. This will ensure repeat offenders will lose their licenses, rather than just accrue fines.

The Sentencing (Vehicle Confiscation) Amendment Act:

• Allows vehicles to be seized and destroyed as a new penalty for illegal street racing
• Allows vehicles repeatedly used by people with overdue traffic fines to be seized and sold to pay those fines
• Enables Police and Courts to target illegal street racers who commit offences in another person's vehicle.

Has the law been too lenient on street racing in the past? Have your say below.

Well, in my opinion its been a long time coming!

Acknowledgements: MSN NEWS

Two NZ public hospitals propose preferential treatment...

Two NZ public hospitals propose preferential treatment - creating two classes of patients which would undermine public health...



The proposal has alarmed hospital doctors and nurses who fear that it would create 'two classes' of patients in the public system. Two district health boards propose to offer public hospital patients the option of paying for treatment that is not funded by the public health system.

The proposal has alarmed hospital doctors and nurses who fear that it would create "two classes" of patients in the public system.

But Health Minister Tony Ryall said the idea merited investigation and could be applied nationally. It is obvious that Ryall supports the proposal.

The Otago and Southland DHBs have invited public comment by next Tuesday on their plans to offer additional treatments at a cost to patients.

The boards' consultation paper, available on the Otago board's website, says the number of patients who might pay for additional treatments is expected to be small. And it asserts that other patients will not be affected.

"Patients who receive additional unfunded treatments will not be able to queue-jump a waiting list by paying for a higher priority," it says.

The proposal has echoes of the previous National Government's short-lived scheme for hospital part-charges in the early 1990s under Health Minister Simon Upton.

Mr Ryall was anxious to distance the proposal from Mr Upton's scheme. "The National Government has always said we are not introducing part-charges in our public hospitals," he said.

The two boards believe their scheme will benefit the likes of cancer patients who have not responded to state-funded treatments and might purchase newer, unfunded medicines.

Before Herceptin was state-funded for women with HER 2-positive early-stage breast cancer, some sufferers paid more than $100,000 at private clinics for a standard 12-month course.

Mr Ryall said the idea, which would need his final approval, merited investigation as long as it would help patients - without leading to queue-jumping or imposing extra costs on public hospitals. If successful, it could be applied nationally.

Unions representing nurses and senior doctors are unhappy about the idea. "The principle of having a dual system of publicly and privately funded care being provided in the public sector is fraught and runs the risk of public patients being disadvantaged," said the Nurses Organisation.

"It will also create dilemmas for professionals who are asked to offer different treatment options, depending on ability to pay."

Organising services manager Cee Payne said workloads were already high. No spare capacity existed for delivering additional services. If spare capacity did exist, it should be used to improve services.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' president, Dr Jeff Brown, said National's experiment with hospital part-charges had left "an ugly taste" and he was "extremely wary" of the proposal.

"We have major problems with capacity in public hospitals at the moment. If there's something that's available and not funded publicly ... how could it be established in the public system without capacity issues, staffing issues and cost issues."

Labour's health spokeswoman, Ruth Dyson, dismissed the assertion the proposal would not lead to preferential treatment. "There are only so many doctors and nurses to go around and they should be available to help all people who walk through the public hospital doors on an equal basis rather than being tied up with paying patients first.

Paying patients should be transfered to private hospitals; they should not be treated in public hospitals. The scheme could lead to preferential treatment in our public hospitals where private patients would expect and possibly demand preferential treatment ahead of non-paying or public patients.Public hospitals are for public non-paying patients through taxation. It appears to be a backdoor method to create a system of preferential treatment in public hospitals. It should be strongly opposed.

Acknowledgements: MSN News

The despicable state of urgent psychiatric care in NZ Hospitals...

Some psychiatric patients are not getting immediate or emergency care at mental health units in public hospitals:

Peter McGeorge, Mental Health Commission, says too many cases of people contacting services and not getting help. The Government should be condemned for this despicable state of affairs because it is not new and goes back to at least the time of the previous National Party Government in the 1990's.

The Mental Health Commission says too many psychiatric patients are not getting immediate care when it is urgently needed.

A 40-year-old patient of the Henry Bennett Centre in Hamilton absconded on Tuesday. She is now charged with murdering Diane White at her home in the Hamilton suburb of Frankton. Before the attack, a neighbour had apparently phoned police and the psychiatric unit to warn them that she thought the woman was dangerous.

Commission chairman, Peter McGeorge, says the exact details of the case are unclear but he understands the staff did everything they could in the circumstances. However, he says it is unacceptable if someone concerned about the mental health of a patient cannot get hold of authorities for help.

"Too often we hear examples of people who have phoned into mental health services and have not been able to get the help they need because they don't meet the criteria or there is too much else going on. It doesn't happen in all cases, but it certainly happens in too many."

Dr McGeorge believes a call centre with specially trained triage mental health workers should be available at all times.

The Commission's website displays the details of who to contact in a situation where urgent psychiatric help is needed.

One of the main problems, in my opinion, is getting people already assessed, into hospital when emergencies arise. A Taita, Lower Hutt, youth who, incidently is my grandson, had been maniacally psychotic for months, did not meet the alleged critetia for admission into the TWA psychiatric unit at Hutt Hospital: "That he was a danger to others or himself". Actually there are two arms to this Act, the other being "whether he could look after himself". The fact he was 18 years old should have ensured his admission to hospital on the latter grouds. This seemed to be unknown to mental health professionals at the time, or was conveniently forgotten. He was eventually admitted to hospital on dubious grounds involving the police. He needed many weeks of treatment in hospital and on home leave. The plan drawn up on his discharge is that he can be returned to hospital if his longterm grandparent caregivers deem it necessary. Previously the grandparents had been arrogantly ignored by health professionals who relied on 'their' judgement alone. It wasn't until the proverbial brown stuff hit the fan, that they acted!

Patients out in the community should receive the same care and attention as those who are in hospital. The inane politically correct practice of describing psychiatric patients as 'clients' should be abolished immediately. There is absolutely no other reason other than a deliberate shortage of money given by central government to explain the tragic situation that exists in the mental health sector. Shortages of funds given to special needs students in our public schools is of a similar and embarrassing situation for central government. Countries are judged by how well its most vulnerable citizens are treated; and New Zealand does not rank very highly on that score as a developed nation.

I commend Dr Peter McGeorge for his findings and comments about patients not getting urgent treatment when needed in New Zealand. As New Zealanders we have no option but to hang our heads in shame.


Acknowledgements.© 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB; Kellie Petterson

The Hobbit to be filmed in NZ...

The Hobbit to be filmed in New Zealand...

Seems Hollywood can’t get enough of our Kiwi beauty. This film will be one of two prequels to the Lord of the Rings triology. In otherwords what went before!

Location scouts for the movie 'The Hobbit' have been sighted around Queenstown as it could be the main filming location for the production.

Crews could be arriving as early as March this year, according to media reports.

A film crew freelancer told media that location scouting was "happening around the Wakatipu area, but is also happening in Canterbury, Wanaka and the Nelson area".

"The Hobbit will almost definitely be coming to the South Island," he said.

"I'm pretty sure they want to come back to the area that worked really well for them in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and local crews are excited about the chance to work on it."

No crew members have been offered contracts at this stage.

It's been reported actor Tobey Maguire will star in feature film as the lead role of Bilbo Baggins after quitting the Spiderman franchise.

New Zealand is no stranger to Hollywood film crews — James Cameron/’s Avatar, Jane Campion’s The Piano, Peter Jackson’s King Kong and The Lovely Bones, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe are just some of the movies that have been shot here.

Acknowledgements: MSN News

The Hobbit movie site

What is the similarity...

What is the similarity...

Aussie Bob and Kiwi Pete were enjoying a few beers after a barbie, and got talking about delicacies from their respective countries. After a while Kiwi Pete asked Aussie Bob the following question. "What is the similarity between an Aussie and a Kiwifruit?"

"Dunno mate." replied Aussie Bob.

"Well, they are both brown and hairy on the outside, and very green on the inside." stated Kiwi Pete.

"Yeah, brown and hairy on the outside, that's us, mate!" skited Aussie Bob.

"And green as a kiwifruit on the...." demanded Pete.

"Dunno, don't get that part, Kiwi?" questioned Bob.

"Don't worry about it mate. Just give us another beer, Bob

History of the Mackenzie Country, South Canterbury, New Zealand...

History of the Mackenzie Country, South Canterbury, New Zealand:

The first people to enter the Mackenzie Basin were Māori. They quarried stone for tools, fished for eel, hunted birds, including moa, and established summer camps along the rivers and lakes. Māori names were given to the inland lakes – Tekapo, Te Kaupururu (Alexandrina), Otetoto (MacGregor), Pukaki, Ohau. The name Tekapo derives from the Māori words Taka (sleeping mat) and Po (night).

Māori told white settlers of the grassy plains of the interior, but the Mackenzie Basin really only became known in 1855 when James Mckenzie, a Scottish shepherd was arrested for sheep stealing. Seeking a less conspicuous route for his flock, he ventured inland and discovered the high country that now bears his name.

John Sidebottom, the man responsible for McKenzie’s arrest, lodged the first lease application in the basin but failed to take up the 30,000 hectares within the six-month requirement. The lease was cancelled and the land was divided up among other runholders. Within ten years the whole of the Mackenzie Basin, totalling 704,000 hectares, was taken up.


Monument of sheepdog, Lake Tekapo:

In 1857 John and Barbara Hay established Tekapo Station, the first sheep farm in the Mackenzie, on the shores of Lake Tekapo. When the lake is low, remains of the homestead can be seen on the walk to Pines Beach. An accommodation house was established in 1861, along with a ferry across the Tekapo River. Popular as ‘bullocky’ resting place, it became well known throughout the district. In 1881 the foundations of the first bridge were laid. When the Mount Cook-Hermitage Company formed it ran a coach between Fairlie and the Hermitage, stopping for lunch at Lake Tekapo.

Hydro power:

When the hydro power project began in the 1930s, Tekapo township stated to grow. In 1935 the foundation stone was laid for the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the building was completed later that year.

The construction of the Tekapo Power Station was delayed owing to the Second World War, but it was eventually commissioned in 1951. When the lake level rose, the bridge was demolished an a new hotel built on its present location. The main road now crosses the Tekapo River over the dam-control gates.

Mt John Observatory:

On Mt John, a hill rising 300 metres above Lake Tekapo, is the University of Canterbury Observatory. Following site surveys in early 1960s, Mt John was selected as the best site in New Zealand because it has high number of clear nights, is remote from bright lights, the air is transparent and steady, and it is close to roading and electricity.

The Observatory is operated by the Physics Department of the University, astronomers from the Observatory and research laboratories in Australia, North America, Asia and Europe, who use the facilities for astronomy and astrophysics scientific investigations. Until the end of 1983, the Observatory shared the hilltop with a satellite-tracking station.

Mackenzie Country history

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