Monthly Archives: April 2022

Dave Letele is a former professional New Zealand boxer turned health coach and community leader. His story is one of overcoming the odds, having been at the top, forging a successful rugby league career, owning a couple of supermarkets and more, and then losing everything, including not being able to see his kids. He became depressed and overweight, and upon a return visit to his hometown Auckland, was faced with a harsh reality of do or die.

His boxing character Brown Buttabean was a smack-talking loudmouth that fans loved to hate. His circus act of a boxing journey started at 178 kilos (over 390 lbs) and burst onto the New Zealand boxing scene in 2014 where he fast developed a cult-like following as he called out local tough guys all over the country.

After a string of wins, and losing half his body weight thanks to his dedication to the gym, he has turned his life around and is now helping hundreds of thousands of Kiwis become fitter, healthier, and putting food on the table for many in need through his charitable organisation Buttabean Motivation.

We caught up with the recently crowned New Zealand local hero of the Year 2022 to hear more about his boxing journey and other amazing achievements.

Q: How did you get into boxing?

DL: I got into boxing really by accident I guess. I was over in Germany for a Joseph Parker fight against Marcelo Nascimento - my friend and Duco Events owner David Higgins brought me over as he was so worried about my life, as he didnt like leaving me alone at that time as I was very depressed.

Over in Germany, the head of German boxing had never seen such a large, tattooed Islander before. He wanted to see what I weighed - and I did too as every time I jumped on a scale back home it said ERROR, so I wanted to know what I weighed. They dragged me up like an elephant by the trunk, threw me on the scale and I was 178 kilos. Everyones reaction was like wow this guy is so fat, but I was just so happy as I had realised how much weight I had lost since my return home to New Zealand from Australia.

So while I was on stage, I was so happy I started showing off saying yeah, Im the man, Im the man, Ill take on anyone! Everyone else was laughing but Higgins had an idea. He said Heres what were going to do, were going to call you the Brown Buttabean after Eric Esch the American boxer.. Eric Butterbean Esch was a large white guy, and I was a large brown guy, so they called me the Brown Buttabean. And thats how I got into boxing - really just as a way to get my health back.

Q: Did you have a say in your new alias Brown Buttabean?

No. I actually wanted to change it early on after a few fights, I didn't like the name but Higgins said no as it had built brand equity so we couldnt change it. Who wouldve ever thought it would lead to what I am doing now, the group called Buttabean Motivation that is literally helping hundreds of thousands of people.

Q: How has boxing changed and influenced your life?

Boxing really just gave me a focus. My life was a mess, I was in very bad shape physically but even worse mentally. I was very depressed and boxing gave me an outlet and something to focus on in order for me to get my life back together. Boxing really did save my life. It gave me a positive outlet, something to focus on other than how much my life sucked at the time.

Boxing itself was amazing but what came with it in the character I played wasnt so amazing - but I used it to my advantage. It was the only way I could earn money, it was my job and I played this character to the best of my ability inside and outside the ring. My why was to get my children back and thats all I was thinking about. I didnt care if everyone hated me, I thought so be it.

Its more so now when I look back I cringe at some of the videos and wish I could delete these, but it really is part of the journey, and Im not embarrassed as from that was born this amazing group (BBM).

Q: Are you still boxing and what else do you do to keep fit?

Yes, I still do boxing training a couple of times per week. Boxing is like an anchor to our training, and is something we always do. Its still really tough, not only physically but mentally. My coach John The Rebel Conway always says Bean, go into that uncomfortable place and get used to it - just be comfortable being uncomfortable. I feel like boxing is one of the only sports that can really get you there.

Its also great for our bigger crew because its low impact on our knees and our joints but its still really tough. Boxing still plays an integral part in our training routine at BBM.

Q: How do you integrate boxing into the BBM program and what changes have you seen in others because of this?

Boxing is a big part of our training programmes, especially for our From the Couch programme which is a programme helping people with long term health conditions, who are 200-300+ kilos. The cool thing about boxing is that you can setup a seat next to a boxing bag and train, so we have people sitting down doing boxing and as they progress then suddenly theyre up doing boxing - not only on the bags, but on the pads. Its a great way to start your fitness journey, and you can gradually build it up.

Q: Tell us more about all of the initiatives that youre working on.

There is a whole host of things that we do at BBM. We have a youth programme which focuses on youths that are not at school or work, who are at a crossroads - like many people who start boxing when they are at a crossroads in their life - so we help surround them with positivity.

We then have an employment programme, again to help people who havent worked for a long time and who have lost all motivation. We try to get them into healthy habits, to get them up and going into work, to help them focus on a positive mindset.

We also have our From the Couch programme for our 200 - 300 kilo plus community members, getting them to just start some form of fitness by just moving. And our Food Share, which has literally fed hundreds of thousands of people, especially through Covid lockdown.

So there is so much that we do and then we have our regular boot camps which is where we started, just running a fitness group which has now morphed into a total wrap around group with all of these different social services and is something that is helping so many people.

Its like all the people who were around me in the beginning, helping me out - now I am paying it forward and helping others.

Q: How do you find the energy to do everything you do?

I dont do it alone. I have a great wife, a great family and an amazing team and our why is always our people. My why when I started was getting my children back and being a great example for them. Providing for my family and my wife is still my why now, but it has extended to helping as many people as I can. Living with that purpose is really what drives me everyday.

Q: Tell us something we may not know about you?

Most people know everything about me as Im pretty open with my life. However I have just taken up dancing [laughs].

Q: Tell us about your Dancing with the Stars journey.

Its a great mainstream platform to highlight the issues that are going on which is what I am doing it for, to raise awareness for our work and to raise funds for the work we do. There are also so many other great charities that are being supported through this (Dancing with the Stars) and thats what its all about.

Q: Is there a similarity between the footwork in dancing to the footwork in the ring?

[laughs] That is a common mistake that everyone is making , especially with me because they say youre a good boxer so you should have good footwork but then I tell them that I wasnt a good boxer [laughs]. But one thing I do have is a great work ethic, as I did with boxing - even though I was a circus act I took it very seriously and trained really hard, which is the same as I am doing now with dancing, just applying myself.

Q: As a boxer and fight fan, what has been the most exciting fight that youve watched?

I only really watch Joe Parker or Tyson Fury. I really enjoyed the Tyson Fury fight with Wilder and the Joseph Parker fight against Chisora.

I should also say the Joshua v Parker fight which I went to over in Cardiff, it was unbelievable. I still play the song Seven Nation Army at boxing training and sing Ooh Anthony Joshu-aaah [laughs].

Q: What has being a professional athlete taught you that you can take into everyday life?

Just never giving up and having the work ethic. For me, I always meet people who are strong, fitter, faster, but I never want to be outworked. Thats what I say to all of our group members - some of our members have lost over 100 kilos plus, just like myself - and you can never replicate what it takes to do that, so there will never be anyone that can outwork us. That is the attitude that we take into life which has come from all types of different training, both rugby league and boxing, and I live that way with NO EXCUSES.

Q: We have two exciting fights coming up in May, Taylor vs Serrano and Canelo vs Bivol. Who are you rooting for and why?

I definitely like Taylor, I think shes amazing and shes been great for the sport. It will be great to see her on the main stage at Madison Square Garden.

Read more:

New Zealand star Dave Letele praises 'amazing' Katie Taylor: 'I think she's great for the sport' - dazn.com

Talanoa

20 Apr, 2022 11:15 PM4 minutes to read

The Ma'ohi Nui exhibition at Auckland War Memorial Museum. Video / Brett Phibbs

When Covid-19 hit the shores of Aotearoa, it meant the Tahitian diaspora of New Zealand were unable to return home during border closures.

The M'ohi Nui exhibition, called Te Tanga, was put together in hopes to help mitigate the physical separation from the homeland and lessen the emotional impact of being separated from home.

But it's also said to make Kiwis aware that Tahitians are very much part of the fabric of Aotearoa.

"When I moved to New Zealand, I saw a lot about Samoan and Tongan culture, and even the little islands like Tuvalu and Kiribati," M'ohi Nui acting director Vaihiria Poetai Kei told the Herald.

"But I don't see Tahitian culture reflected in NZ. The exhibition really started up that fire."

"We wanted to share and express that we are here, we are part of the Pacific, we are a part of Aotearoa."

Te Tanga is the name of the exhibition for two reasons. In te reo Mori it means "the landing place", but it also expresses the idea of a harbour where one can feel protected and safe. It reflects the relationship between Mori and M'ohi who have strong ancestral ties.

M'ohi Nui is made up of Tahiti and its five neighbouring archipelagos - Tuha'a Pae (Austral Islands), Mangareva (Gambier Islands), Henua Enana (Marquesas), Ni'a Mata'i and Raro Mata'i (Society Islands) and Tuamotu.

The artefacts invite the M'ohi Nui community and other Kiwis to connect with the ai'a (homeland) and give New Zealanders an insight to M'ohi culture.

"Opening this exhibition has been a highlight of living in New Zealand since I moved here in 2014," Vaihiria said.

"Seeing all the different artefacts made me think, 'oh I remember that', or 'my grandmother did that'."

The exhibition captures a Tahitian lifestyle that is slowly becoming diluted as a result of colonisation and capitalism. During a pandemic where people are oceans away from their homelands, it signifies the importance of keeping your culture alive.

"It made me cry; it made me want to go home."

Te Tanga is also a safe space for other diasporic communities who share the same experiences of nostalgia or missing their native lands.

"This is a unique historical and cultural platform that showcases who we are, where we are from, and where we are going. We are the descendants of unequalled sailors who, with stellar navigational skills and resilience, have crossed the vast uncharted ocean of Te Moana Nui a Hiva [the Pacific Ocean] in search of new lands. We are from Havaiki Nui, our mythical motherland and we will go back there after our passage on Earth."

The tifaifai (patchwork quilts) represents knowledge sharing. The display of hoe (paddles) is recognition of the ancestors as the greatest celestial and ocean navigators on Earth, this also connects the rest of the Pacific.

The two pou (pillars) standing at the entrance to the gallery represent the tia (guardians). They are the ti'i/tiki (statues) who are entrusted with spiritual mana (power) and whose role is to watch over humans and their creations.

Te Tanga also explores the 30-year nuclear testings throughout M'ohi Nui which ceased in 1996 due to protests.

Nearly 200 nuclear tests were conducted on Fangataufa and Moruroa atolls by the French government. It caused contamination of the environment and exposed the population to dangerous radiation levels.

French military scientists found high radiation levels in fish, water, air and soil samples. In 1998, the French government admitted that the population of the islands within M'ohi Nui (Tureia, Reao, Pukarua, Mangareva and Tahiti) were affected by radioactive fallout from the nuclear tests.

Tahiti's airline Air Tahiti Nui is offering flights for New Zealanders to Tahiti starting May 5.

Read the original:

M'ohi Nui exhibition explores the Tahitian diaspora in New Zealand - New Zealand Herald

When New Zealand's haka was performed on the Hollywood red carpet at the 2018 premiere of Aquaman, a YouTube video of the performance amassed almost nine million views. Of course, the haka is also displayed by the mighty All Blacks before each game and is by now widely synonymous with the world's most successful rugby team as well as New Zealand's traditional Mori culture.

It was Aquaman star Jason Momoa who performed New Zealand's indigenous war dance alongside renowned Kiwi actor Temuera Morrison, who plays his father in the film, as a nod to subtle Mori influences underpinning the movie's plot, from the way Momoa's character wields his trident, echoing the warrior taiaha in Mori culture, to colloquial phrases such as "ana tokai" meaning "take that!".

SUPPLIED

Themed kaitiakitanga, the New Zealand pavilion was designed to be an immersive experience that conveyed our 'Care for People and Place' and was inspired by the Whanganui River.

Expo 2020 Dubai presented New Zealand with an opportunity to elevate and expand this indigenous narrative onto a global stage, allowing people to connect at a deeper level to the culture and values of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Themed kaitiakitanga, the New Zealand pavilion was designed to be an immersive experience that conveyed our 'Care for People and Place'. Inspired by the Whanganui River, which became the world's first river to be recognised as a legal person in 2017, called Te Awa Tupua, kaitiakitanga represents the Mori philosophy of our deep connection to the natural environment. This kaitiakitanga was evident across the broad range of programmes, youth involvement, speakers and cultural events including Kahurangi Mori Dance Theatre, Ngti Rnana London Mori Club, and Dubai-based kapa haka group Ngti Koraha.

Unrivalled in its scale, duration and visitor numbers, and designed to celebrate the achievements of nations, each Expo represents the world's largest gathering of commerce, culture and industry. Opening one year later than planned due to Covid-19, Expo 2020 hosted 192 participating countries and 24 million visitors from October 2021-March 2022. The New Zealand pavilion's 143 staff included a mix of locally-hired employees, six staff seconded from New Zealand plus 15 young Kiwi ambassadors, chefs and matre d's.

Inspirational Kiwi speakers and key business leaders invited to speak at Expo 2020 Dubai included Young New Zealander of the Year 2017 and lawyer Rez Gardi, who captivated the audience at ChangemakeHER to mark this year's International Women's Day on March 8, while top chef Sid Sahrawat, MasterChef NZ winners Kasey and Krena Bird, and Dubai-based New Zealand chef Jesse Blake delighted food lovers over three weeks of Taste New Zealand in January.

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Whanganui iwi leader Gerrard Albert blesses a toka (boulder) from Mt Tongariro, the source of the Whanganui River, in the Aotearoa New Zealand pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Chair ofWhanganui iwi, Gerrard Albert was a keynote speaker on two world environmental panels: "Our Aotearoa pavilion showed that indigenous knowledge is good for the nation and for the world. Our story showed our capacity to connect with people, share ideas and innovate as part of a global community."

Describing New Zealand's 150 year-long iwi-led battle to award Whanganui River legal status as "a ground-breaking paradigm shift", Albert highlights a misconception about the World Expo as being simply about trade: "By far the greater focus of Expo 2020 Dubai was on connection."

Working with Whanganui iwi, NZTE and Haumi Design to create the Expo pavilion, Jasmax design manager and architect Sarah Delamore set out to create an eight-minute visitor experience that conveyed the essence of kaitiakitanga, without language, and showcased New Zealand innovation.

SUPPLIED

Jasmax design manager and architect Sarah Delamore set out to create an eight-minute visitor experience that conveyed the essence of kaitiakitanga, and also helped to design the NZ pavilions dynamic faade.

Leading a global team from Auckland across five countries, Jasmax collaborated with Kaynemaile to design the pavilion's dynamic faade, made from a double layer of black rippling polycarbonate mesh.

"It was designed to pulse with a life force emanating from a mauri stone from the Whanganui River within," Delamore says. "Visitors were invited to consider that humanity's wellbeing is innately connected with nature. The design raises global awareness of a powerful approach to sustainability.

"The overall design combined interactive digital technologies, sound, water, light, kinetic movement, and vibration to create a visceral sense of connection to nature. The immersive river room is where visitors are first introduced to the physical representation of Te Awa Tupua. In this darkened space, sheets of waterfall nine metres from the ceiling to the floor, creating a space for contemplation."

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Chefs Michael Lopesi, Rakesh Pillai, Sid Sahrawat, Laura-Jane Muller and Esther Olatunbosun were some of the Chefs representing New Zealand at Dubai Expo 2020.

Lead creative Karl Johnstone refined the New Zealand pavilion experience. "Kaitiakitanga was demonstrated emotively in the river room and kai, through [restaurant] Tiaki, is a demonstration of the hua or fruits of the natural world. The underpinning idea is that 'if nature thrives, we thrive'.

"Everything we did was referenced back to 'Care for People and Place'. While the lens was unapologetically Mori, the messages and ethos were universal. Through the iwi, we were able to tell a unique history. The enduring outcomes rest in the less tangible aspects of partnership and potential."

Recognised in three categories at the EXHIBITOR Magazine World Expo Awards, the Aotearoa New Zealand pavilion's Tiaki also took home a 'highly commended' award for favourite Expo restaurant at this year's What's On Awards Dubai the region's coveted hospitality honours.

SUPPLIED

One of several Kapa Haka groups the performed at Dubai Expo 2020.

Expo 2020 Dubai was the first to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region; it was also the first to be hosted by an Arab nation. The first World Expo The Great Exhibition was held in London in 1851. Held five-yearly, the next will take place in Osaka, Japan from April-October 2025.

To find out more about New Zealand's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, visit New Zealand at Expo 2020 Dubai - Care for People and Place.

Continue reading here:

Kaitiakitanga on the world stage - Stuff

Josh Storey is the kind of guy who, in a "random moment", decided to walk from Nowra to Wollongong on the New South Wales south coast.

It was an 81-kilometrewalk, but it planted the seed of achieving something much bigger.

He then walked from Newcastle to Wollongong a distance of 266 kilometres.

Now he's looking beyond the horizon. At the end of this year he will take on the Te Araroa trail from the top to the bottom of New Zealand.

"For me, it's a good sense of understanding my brain better," he said.

"I love throwing myself into situations where I have to push myself and understand how my brain works.

"It's a better way to see the world as well because you get a better understanding of where you are and how far you're going.

"It's a beautiful way of seeing things."

For Mr Storey, long walks and long skates were a major part of his childhood.

His mother did not drive and his father has Parkinson's disease, so he would have to find ways to get himself to school and his two jobs. Usually, that wasby foot or by skateboard.

"I'm an independent person and from a young age I had to be independent," he said.

"I've always been the type to do everything myself and I didn't have the easiest childhood I started working two jobs at 14, went to school and slept about four to six hours a day.

"I had to get myself from A to B and that could mean skating home at three or four in the morning, but I look back now and appreciate the time I had to myself and it helped me a lot for my future."

Mr Storey says the New Zealand walk, which he intends to do with almost no help, will be about 3,000km long and take him about four months.

Despite the enormous stamina required to traverse New Zealand, MrStorey is keeping his preparation simple.

He is working with a personal trainer to prepare his body for carrying considerable weight, but his training will not include any enormous walks.

"It's a lot of conditioning and getting my mind mentally ready," he said.

"I'm fortunate that now I'm very mentally strong, but it's about getting the body used to what it's about to encounter.

"I'm absolutely not walking in the lead-up to it.

"I'm an average bloke, but it's all mind over matter and I'll get there no matter what.

"Even if it takes me a bit longer, I'll be pushing every day."

Mr Storey will be raising money and awareness for Illawarra-based charity Talk To Me Bro.

The mental health organisation runs an early intervention program to reduce the rates of male suicide, as well as weekly social meet-ups.

"When I was looking for a new charity, I definitely wanted to keep it on the mental health side of things," he said.

"I go pretty much every Friday for their morning session where we go for a swim, have an ice bath or go for a walk and have a coffee.

"If you have something to talk about you can, if you don't, it's perfectly alright because it's just a bunch of blokes hanging out and having a good time."

ABC Illawarra will deliver a wrap of the week's news, stories and photos every Thursday. Sign up here.

See more here:

Why an 'average bloke' from Wollongong is preparing to traverse New Zealand on foot - ABC News

22 April 2022 | There are 9,390 new community cases of Covid-19 and a further 13 deaths to report today. Video / NZ Herald

An Auckland teenager has tested positive for Covid twice in six weeks - raising questions about official health advice that people probably have good immunity for three months after infection.

The 14-year-old boy first tested positive through PCR in February, as Omicron was beginning to ramp up.

At the time he had just a mild sniffle and a cough, but his sister had Covid and his test soon came back positive as well, his dad told the Herald.

The family isolated for 10 days and the boy returned to school. Then at the start of April "he came home from school really, really quite crook, with a really mean sore throat, fever... the classic symptoms".

A Rapid Antigen Test returned an immediate positive result. This time the illness was substantially worse, his dad said.

"He had a couple days in bed, he couldn't taste anything for about a day. Definitely more severe symptoms this time around."

READ MORE Covid-19 in New Zealand: Will I be reinfected with Omicron? Omicron outbreak: How often will I need a Covid jab? NZ could see the next Covid wave by spring - but it might not be as big Third shot: Booster rates drop as demand dries up

The boy's GP suggested it all might have been part of the same infection - that the virus had stayed in his system and was causing belated symptoms. Or he could have caught different variants.

The dad admits he didn't think it was possible to get reinfected so quickly.

"I don't know why we tested him [the second time] because that's what we were led to believe. And the school's policy was once you've had it once then you don't need to worry for the next three months, even if you're a household contact."

21 Apr, 2022 06:27 PMQuick Read

He's not sure where his double-vaccinated son caught the virus - neither parent has had it and nobody has come to their house while positive.

The teen has fully recovered and there have been no lasting effects that they're aware of so they're not concerned about long Covid at this stage.

Current Ministry guidelines give a three-month exemption for household contacts after catching Covid, because "the risk of reinfection within the first three months after someone has Omicron is very low".

The dad was curious whether the Government was reconsidering its advice that people are unlikely to catch Covid again within three months of infection.

"Clearly you can get it twice. I'm sure he's not the only one."

The 14-year-old's infections were both logged on his My Covid Record.

But according to a Ministry of Health spokeswoman, the ministry is not collating reinfection data.

Reinfections had occurred during Omicron outbreaks overseas but they were usually due to catching Omicron after getting a previous variant like Delta or Alpha, she said.

"Omicron reinfections are uncommon, although it has been shown to occur."

Most reinfection cases were easy to spot because there was a long period between recovery from the first infection and the second.

"However, some people have symptoms for weeks or even months and it is difficult to know if they are due to the old infection or a new infection."

Reinfection within three months was also uncommon, especially in New Zealand where there was a low rate of infection pre-Omicron, she said.

However, "reinfection in New Zealand is likely to become more common as time goes on, which reinforces the importance of vaccination, including boosters, as our best defence against Covid-19".

The Ministry of Health advises people do not need to repeat a RAT again for 28 days after they test positive.

"The result may continue to be positive, but this doesn't necessarily mean that you're still infectious."

But if someone had new symptoms a month or more after testing positive they should do another RAT, the advice says.

Many countries are now being hit with second waves and for a clear reason, Herald science reporter Jamie Morton wrote in March.

When Omicron began washing over the globe, it was travelling in the form of its original type, BA.1.

Since then, we've seen the rise to global dominance of the faster-spreading BA.2 type, which has caused case rates to soar again in countries that were hit by Omicron earlier.

The subtype shares the same 32 mutations with BA.1 - but many others that set it apart.

"We might talk about BA.1 and BA.2 as both Omicron, but actually, they're quite genetically distinct and we may even think of them as different variants," Universityof Otago virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan said.

"That's meant that places that only experienced BA.1 are seeing cases increase again."

The good news was that being infected with BA.1 still appeared to provide good cross-protection against BA.2 - and that reinfection with one after the other was uncommon.

In a Danish study that examined more than 1.8 million cases over three months, there were fewer than 50 instances in which people contracted BA.2 after having had BA.1.

A similar trend was observed among more than 500,000 sequenced cases in the UK, of which just 43 possible cases of BA.2 reinfection were discovered.

In another positive, boosters worked similarly against both sub-types and on an individual basis, BA.2 infections didn't necessarily make people sicker.

Because New Zealand has effectively been experiencing two Omicron waves at once BA.1 and BA.2 - Geoghegan thought it unlikely we'd see that same BA.2-powered second surge other countries are experiencing.

If we did happen to suffer another Omicron wave later this year, it might simply be because our immunity against either type has waned.

"Essentially, once you've been infected, it's thought that you're protected against reinfection, certainly with the same variant, for a good three months," said University of Auckland immunologist Associate Professor Nikki Moreland.

Here is the original post:

Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Teen tests positive twice in two months - New Zealand Herald

Auckland's Ian McDonald-Tauaika (blue) battles Te Kotahitangi Te Tawhero from Te Toki a Maui on the opening day of competition. Photo / Dan Boobyer

The 2021 New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championships are under way in Whanganui, and the entire local contingent are already into this weekend's finals.

There was a little luck along the way, with super heavyweight Sale Oldehaver's semifinal bout cancelled after his opponent suffered a broken finger in a preliminary fight.

"That guy is the New Zealand champ but he's out, and that means anything could happen this weekend," head coach and tournament organiser Eddie Tofa said.

"There has been some luck with the draw as well, but it is what it is. Having five in the finals is great for us.

"We are hoping the local community comes down to support them."

Championship bouts take place on Friday and Saturday.

Joining Oldehaver are Isabella Parkes, 13, Tekahui Spittal-Rahina, 15, Chille Palmer, 16, and Pheenyx Apiata-Cook, 14.

Tofa said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had impacted overall numbers, but there would still be 70 bouts over the entire competition.

"Things have been going well. There was a real buzz yesterday [Wednesday] when things finally got under way.

"The level of competition is right up there. It's New Zealand title on the line so nobody wants to stand back.

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"There are two people standing in the middle of the ring having a go at each other."

If Whanganui is to take home titles, it will be a quick turnaround before they have to defend them.

The River City will also host the 2022 championships in October.

Tofa said he expected the next edition to have a lot more entrants.

"Everything is already booked and ready to go. People are very happy to be here this time around and they want to come back.

"This competition is good practice for us, and a trial run for the next one. We're excited."

The New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championships run until April 23 at Jubilee Stadium.

Read more from the original source:

Whanganui boxers reach finals of New Zealand Amateur Championships - New Zealand Herald

NZMEs Great Minds project will examine the state of our nations mental health and explore the growing impact mental health and anxiety has on Kiwis while searching for ways to improve it. Video / NZ Herald

The number of New Zealanders struggling with poor mental wellbeing has risen sharply during the Covid-19 outbreak, according to research obtained exclusively by the Herald, prompting calls from leading health figures for an urgent national recovery plan.

Polling for the Mental Health Foundation found that 36 per cent of people surveyed were experiencing poor emotional wellbeing, up from 27 per cent a year ago, an increase that the foundation says is significant and concerning.

The research adds to a body of evidence indicating that two years of unprecedented stress and disruption brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous psychological toll on Kiwis - and that the burden is growing.

Today the Herald and NZME launch a major editorial project, Great Minds, to examine the state of our mental health - and solutions for improving wellbeing as the country recovers from the pandemic.

Health professionals warn the constant threat of illness, social isolation, economic worries, grief from family separation and other pressures imposed by Covid-19 have both compounded the distress of those who were already vulnerable to mental health problems, and caused people to experience symptoms of conditions such as anxiety and depression for the first time.

Prominent health figures including the leaders of the Mental Health Foundation, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists warn that New Zealand was already struggling to cope with a profusion of mental health challenges before Covid.

A wave of new problems is overwhelming public mental health services that have been depleted by years of underinvestment, experts say.

"What we have is a crisis on top of a crisis, because mental health was already in a crisis," says Shaun Robinson, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation.

"This is adding significant additional pressure. And it needs an additional response."

The full extent of the psychological impact of the pandemic has yet to emerge, experts say, and could last long after the virus itself has receded from public concern - particularly if the soaring cost of living pushes more people into hardship in the months ahead.

They urged the Government to put mental health at the centre of its post-pandemic plans, including a commitment to provide substantial new funding in next month's Budget.

Speaking to the Herald, Health Minister Andrew Little acknowledged the impact that Covid has had on people's wellbeing.

"We are aware of that and know we need to have support and services in place to be able to respond effectively to it."

Little said the Government remained committed to the transformation of mental health it promised in the 2019 Wellbeing Budget.

"We are still not there yet. We still have plenty to do."

The Ministry of Health would now focus on boosting specialist services for people with serious mental health problems, where there was "major unmet need", after putting much of its investments so far into early intervention for people with milder conditions.

"We need to do more," Little acknowledged, but would not provide details of his plans.

The health leaders' concerns are borne out by an extensive review by the Herald of government and district health board documents and data, along with interviews with numerous people in the sector, which portrays a stark picture of the growing psychological impact.

Among the findings:

Health officials told Little that Covid's impact on the public may be delayed but wide-reaching and could last for years. The consequences for young people are a particular concern. "The impacts of Covid-19 on youth mental wellbeing is likely to be extensive and enduring," officials said in a briefing to the minister in September.

DHBs say their specialist mental health services have experienced a surge in referrals during the pandemic. More people coming to them for help are in acute psychological distress and have complex conditions that are difficult to treat. It has pushed the DHBs' already-stretched workforces to the brink. "We are beyond crisis point," said one psychiatrist on the front lines.

Schools, GPs and hospital emergency departments are also being overwhelmed by the surge in distress. The Royal College of GPs says about a third of doctors' visits are now related to mental health, while the number of calls to police for mental health problems, attempted suicides and suicides has risen - to an average of more than 200 recorded nationally every day in the past three months.

In February, the Herald revealed that children and young people were hospitalised more than 5600 times after self-harming last year, a rate that has increased by 10 per cent since the start of the pandemic and nearly a third in five years.

Since then, the Herald has spoken to numerous people with experience of mental health problems and their carers who said the Covid outbreak has affected their state of mind.

One businessman in Tauranga who lost his teenage son to suicide in 2020 says he believes the pandemic contributed to the sense of hopelessness his son felt before he took his life.

"It wasn't Covid that caused what happened with my son," he says.

"But it might've been the straw that broke the camel's back."

The Mental Health Foundation began monitoring the public's mental wellbeing in December 2020, using a questionnaire devised by the World Health Organisation. The polling was conducted by IPSOS and has been repeated several times since then.

In the latest round, the average wellbeing score of those surveyed slipped to 14, down from 15.9 in December 2020.

The foundation says the percentage of people in a poor emotional state has increased steadily, rising from 25 per cent in December 2020 to 36 per cent now. The rates are particularly concerning among women, with 42 per cent showing poor emotional wellbeing in the latest survey.

"What it's showing is a dramatically deteriorating situation and it's very obvious that it's related to the impacts of Covid-19," Robinson says.

Not everyone with a poor emotional state would develop a life-altering mental condition that requires professional intervention, Robinson said, but more people were at risk of doing so, at a time when the system's capacity to help them was severely limited.

It comes after the World Health Organisation published a report saying the pandemic has resulted in a marked increase globally in mental health problems, including a 25 per cent increase in depression and anxiety.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this was the "tip of the iceberg" and "a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health".

Health experts say the scale of the mental health burden in the coming months depends partly on unpredictable economic and social factors but that the long-term consequences could be mitigated by bold policy actions now.

Three years ago, Labour made mental health a focus of its "Wellbeing Budget", promising more investment and several new initiatives, including a counselling service aimed at people with mild and moderate problems. However, critics say these measures were insufficient to meet the need even before Covid.

With a Budget next month and a major reform of the health sector taking effect in July, health experts are calling on the Government to come up with a clear, far-reaching mental health recovery plan that includes a substantial funding increase for specialist services and tangible action on the social "determinants" of emotional wellbeing, such as housing.

"If we want to get in front of the wave, we have to grit our teeth and chuck some serious resource into the mix, in a planned and organised way," says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.

"This is a watershed moment for health services in New Zealand," says Paul Skirrow, executive adviser at the College of Clinical Psychologists. "We absolutely cannot continue with the same models of care and training that we have been relying on up until now."

"There has to be a very clear and transparent plan, and ideally something that all political parties sign up to," says Robinson, of the Mental Health Foundation.

The Ministry of Health, in addition to the work already being done as part of Labour's Wellbeing Budget commitments, says it invested $15 million in a psychosocial response package in 2020 and another $5.6 million last year when the Delta outbreak began.

According to a ministry spokesperson, the support provided included a campaign and website, All Sorts, aimed at helping people cope with difficult emotions, in conjunction with the Mental Health Foundation. It has also boosted funding for digital and telehealth services.

The Herald will continue reporting on the nation's mental health and the way that services help people who experience difficulties. And we need your help.

We want to hear from as many people as possible who have experienced mental health problems, those who care for them, and people who work in the mental health system. The more people we can speak to, the more thorough and accurate our reporting will be. We will not publish your name or identify you as a source unless you want us to.

Please share your experience by contacting Investigations Editor Alex Spence: alex.spence@nzme.co.nz

If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

For counselling and support

Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP)

Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Need to talk? Call or text 1737

Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202

For children and young people

Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234

What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)

The Lowdown: Text 5626 or webchat

For help with specific issues

Alcohol and Drug Helpline: Call 0800 787 797

Anxiety Helpline: Call 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY)

OutLine: Call 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE) (6pm-9pm)

Safe to talk (sexual harm): Call 0800 044 334 or text 4334

All services are free and available 24/7 unless otherwise specified.

For more information and support, talk to your local doctor, hauora, community mental health team, or counselling service. The Mental Health Foundation has more helplines and service contacts on its website.

Go here to see the original:

Great Minds: NZ's mental health 'crisis' - more Kiwis struggling with wellbeing since Covid, research reveals - New Zealand Herald

Air New Zealand board chair Dame Therese Walsh and Tourism Minister Stuart Nash joined CEO Greg Foran who announced the airline will return to the Big Apple later this year. Video / NZ Herald

Air New Zealand chairwoman Dame Therese Walsh says the airline is feeling "balanced excitement" about the rebuilding this year as it is prepared for more Covid curveballs and competition that may act unpredictably.

The airline is midway through a $1.2 billion capital raise, part of a $2.2b debt and equity restructure to pay back loans to the Government and "refuel" its re-entry into international markets.

Walsh has said the capital raise was ''progressing as we would have expected'' and said some confusion over the two for one rights offer was partly because of ''inherent complexity".

The timing of the offer came just before more flights resumed across the Tasman as Australians skip self-isolation, the move to the domestic orange traffic light setting and the removal of mandate requirements on domestic flights.

From last week passengers no longer had to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to fly domestically and, from May 1 the airline will remove its no jab, no fly vaccination policy for international customers.

It has added an extra 96 transtasman flights over the next three months to keep up with strong demand: 11 flights from Australia one day just before Easter were full. During March, the Omicron outbreak's peak in New Zealand, domestic demand was running at 64 per cent compared to the same month in 2019.

The carrier's long-haul international network is expanding with a return to US destinations it flew to pre-pandemic later in the year and its Auckland-New York service launches in September.

''We never say never with Omicron and Covid - we've been down this road so it's sort of balanced excitement, there's a cautious optimism.''

The Government owns 51 per cent of the airline and, asked whether it provides advance information on changes to Covid restrictions she said: ''Sometimes we'll have a small amount of time, but it will be very small. It might be on one specific issue related to the airline.''

However, the airline had to steer its own course irrespective of Government decisions given it can take months to reboot international routes.

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''We have to make our own decisions about what we think is going to happen and we're doing that at the moment. We've had 700 pilots and crew come back already. We're going to progressively probably bring back more as we open up.

"So some of that is quite difficult in terms of some of these [Government] announcements,'' said Walsh, who became chairwoman of the airline in 2019.

The airline faces an around $800m loss this year after posting heavy losses since the pandemic hit, leading to a third of its staff losing their jobs.

The Government will participate in the capital raise to retain its majority stake by buying up to $602m in shares and has provided a further $400m back-up standby facility if required.

This comes on top of extensive investment to keep the airline flying during the past two years.

The airline set out in detail the support it had received in its rights offer document:

Negotiated $2b liquidity comprised of a Crown loan and redeemable shares

Obtained confirmation of Crown's participation in current rights offer

Was awarded Government-supported cargo contracts worth $620m in revenue since May 2020

Got wage subsidy support of about $170m

Received about $85m in support under the aviation relief package

Got tax-related relief of $65m and used IRD-approved PAYE deferrals

Finance Minister and shareholding minister Grant Robertson a year ago explicitly spelled out his expectations of the airline. As a national carrier, it was expected to maintain a comprehensive domestic network, to remain committed to environmental sustainability, and to continue acting as a responsible corporate citizen while being commercially sustainable.

With the level of Government/taxpayer support during the pandemic, does this change the approach of the airline?

''The key principle is that with this recapitalisation, from a balance sheet perspective, we are a balanced commercial entity with the right mix of debt and equity - 51 per cent is a good place for the Government to be and then for the rest of the market to own the rest of the company,'' said Walsh.

''We are clear that we continue to be a completely commercial organisation. And the thing for us is that growing domestic is in our best interest. What's in the best interest of Kiwis and central government is growing domestic - so everyone's aligned in that regard.''

She said there will always be ''points of difference'' between communities, stakeholders, the media and Government about domestic fares and routes. The airline's domestic operation contributed about a third of revenue before the pandemic and had at times been running at near capacity during the past two years.

Walsh said the long Auckland lockdown last year had provided useful insight into how new routes could work. Flights bypassing Auckland into Northland from Wellington had proved popular and an indication of routes was on the drawing board as the airline looks to increase domestic coverage and frequency.

The domestic network can be highly profitable - when corporate travel recovers from Covid speed humps - and there were signs this was under way. More visitors from Australia would also bolster the internal network.

Airlines in other parts of the world are bouncing back quickly. Eurocontrol figures show 81 per cent of pre-pandemic flying has been restored and some airports around the world area suffering familiar problems - congestion. A slew of new airlines have been launched during the past 18 months and Walsh says Air New Zealand is preparing for a changed competitive landscape.

Pre-pandemic, 29 international airlines operated at Auckland Airport, connecting to 45 destinations. As at the end of March this year, 14 airlines fly internationally to 25 destinations but more are returning. Walsh said Air New Zealand was counting on strong competition.

''We're not sure where the competition is going to come from as it shakes out because some won't return, some will double down. There'll be new players that try different things,'' she said.

"We're not taking any of it for granted and I mean, we were going to have to price competitively but we've got plans around our products and services and we need to execute well.''

She said it was hard to know where competition would come from and how airlines would approach the New Zealand market.

''There will be some irrational behaviour in the market. We don't know what everyone's strategies are and not every player in the aviation industry has ever been totally rational.''

More here:

Air New Zealand chairwoman Dame Therese Walsh - headwinds and tailwinds for the airline - New Zealand Herald

SINGAPORE - At the entrance of the Gardens by the Bay's Cloud Forest, amidthe lush greenery of plants native to New Zealand, a symbolic doorway greets visitors.

The new Maori kuwaha carving, named Tane Te Waiora, represents the strong friendship between Singapore and New Zealand, and was unveiled by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah on Tuesday (April 19).

Comprising three pieces made of totara wood from the Pureora Forest in the central North Island, the sculpture is crafted from a tree that is estimated to be over 2,500 years old, which fell naturally in the forest during a severe storm.

The carving depicts Tane, the personification of the sun, and Hina, the personification of the moon, reinforcing the importance of light in Maori culture.

"It is a metaphor for our reconnection with Singapore, demonstrating our intention to strengthen the 'doorway' between New Zealand and Singapore, and the rest of the world," Ms Ardern said of the carving.

"The presence on the kuwaha of Hina, represented by the moon, and Tane, represented by the crops, are also significant as they symbolise a relationship of trust and reciprocity - defining features of New Zealand's relationship with Singapore."

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh said: "Maori art and culture has deep significance in New Zealand's cultural history... We are grateful for this precious gift to be placed permanently at the entrance of Cloud Forest as a lasting symbol of the close friendship between our two countries."

Ms Ardern, who arrived on Mondayfor a three-day visit, also had a new orchid hybrid named in her honour at the Istana earlier on Tuesday.

The Dendrobium Jacinda Ardern, a hybrid of Dendrobium Lim Wen Gin and Dendrobium Takashimaya, produces flowers with white petals and sepals with a flush of orchid purple towards the tips.

New Zealand is opening its borders to international travellers from May 2.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene de Monchy is excited about the prospect of reopened borders. "It's a perfect opportunity to tour around and engage with the culture and the nature. There's lots of variety in activity," he said.

Some newly-introduced activities include the Te Puia, Geysers by Night, where visitors will be guided on a 3km course that ends at the picturesque Pohutu Geyser. There is Wildwire Wanaka, where thrill-seekers can abseil down Twin Falls, while those who prefer tamer activities embark on the Wild Walk Adventure Trail.

Though travelling may be "complicated" due to mandatory testing and paperwork, Mr de Monchy feels that people "have a deep-rooted desire to travel".

He added that now is the perfect time to vacation for Singaporeans who want to escape the heat, as it is autumn in New Zealand. "I certainly hope that Singaporeans will look at our blue skies and green fields and feel refreshed," he said.

Read the rest here:

Maori carving unveiled at Gardens by the Bay to symbolise New Zealand-Singapore friendship - The Straits Times

A new invasive species of wasp has been found in St Marys Bay, central Auckland.

An information flier given to St Marys Bay residents this week by Biosecurity New Zealand said the non-native pest wasp hadnt been seen in Aotearoa, until now.

Biosecurity New Zealand is interested in any further sightings of this insect as we would like to be sure there are no others in the area.

Biosecurity NZ said it was investigating to ensure the single lesser banded hornet found was the only one in the area.

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The find comes after Queensland fruit flies put parts of the North Shore into a fruit and vegetable lockdown for almost a year from early 2019.

Biosecurity NZ said the lesser banded hornet, a type of wasp, was not thought to be established in New Zealand, but is widely found in South East Asia.

Biosecurity NZs manager of surveillance and incursion Dr Wendy McDonald said the hornet found was a worker hornet, and was not able to establish a population on its own.

123rf

A lesser banded hornet, previously not found in New Zealand, has been detected in St Marys Bay, Auckland.

McDonald said no other lesser banded hornets had been found yet. She said Biosecurity NZ was still looking into how the hornet made its way into the country.

The hornets pose a risk to native wildlife by competing with native birds for nectar and fruit.

The lesser banded hornet is also known to feed on insects, including honey bees.

Much larger than other wasp species, the lesser banded hornet grows up to 3cm long, and has a brownish-red or black head, and dark brown legs. The front half of its abdomen is orange or yellow, with the rest black or dark brown.

The wings are a smoky brown colour and not transparent, like other common wasps.

Biosecurity NZ said there were five species of social wasps established in New Zealand.

The colour and markings on these species are quite different to the lesser banded hornet.

The lesser banded hornet, part of the Vespa species, is one of five hornets of biosecurity interest in Australia, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries said.

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries said hornets use their stings to kill prey and defend their nests.

Barbara Smith/Stuff

Lesser banded hornets are about double size of paper wasps, pictured, which make a distinctive hexagon-patterned nest. (File photo)

Hornet stings are more painful to humans than a wasp sting because hornet venom contains a large amount of acetylcholine.

Individual hornets can sting repeatedly and, unlike honey bees or wasps, do not die after stinging because their stingers are not barbed and are not pulled out of their bodies.

Biosecurity NZ said this type of hornets nest can be as large as a football and is often found high up in trees, shrubs, and under the eaves of buildings.

If you see a nest, dont disturb it. Instead, take a photograph and report it to Biosecurity NZ using the online report form or call 0800 80 99 66.

These hornets can sting, so were not asking people to capture the insect or get too close, McDonald said.

Link:

Invasive wasp, the lesser banded hornet, found in Auckland for first time - Stuff