Scott Hammond/Stuff
Gas powered “bird bangers” are being dragged out the shed to scare birds away from grapes before harvest.
Vineyards using gas-powered “bangers” to scare birds off ripening grapes are asked to check them as malfunctions can produce “a fireball” in dry grass. With parts of Marlborough reaching “dry” and “very dry” on Niwa’s drought index this month, coinciding with the start of the grape harvest, a spark from a bird banger could set a grass fire off to a roaring start.
Scott Hammond/Stuff
Starlings hunt for grapes to eat above vineyards near Renwick in Marlborough.
The mountainbike park and the upper walking tracks had been closed to protect recreational users, the spokesman said. Signs had been installed at several entry points to reinforce the message. People were strongly advised not enter the closed areas, and use only the Lower Farm Track, Mapp Track, the town boundary or Taylor River Reserve tracks in the early morning.
METSERVICE
People in eastern Aotearoa should be hunting shade on Tuesday, with many places expected to get well into the 30s. MetService had recorded Blenheim’s high as 36.2C at 3pm on Wednesday, the national high. Elsewhere, Christchurch had peaked at 34.7C about 2pm, according to MetService. Masterton also hit 34.5C, and Gisborne 34.6C. Much of the country peaked in the mid-20s.
Ask the experts: Regional tourism s rising stars
12 minutes to read
There s no better time to plan a Kiwi holiday than when you re returning to work from your most recent one. But where to go? We ve asked some rising stars of the New Zealand tourism industry for their regional recommendations.
TAUPŌJo Saville, Huka Honey Hive
What is your favourite thing to see, do, or visit in the Taupō region?
Huka Falls is still one of my favourite things to visit. The raw power of the thundering falls coupled with the serene calmness of gentle mist floating in the air is truly magical. I love watching it from the different vantage points, like from the amazing walks along the edges of the Waikato or by jetboat or cruise where you can soak it in from below.
Brya Ingram
It was all-hands-to-the-pump - for firefighters, residents and reporters - when the Wither Hills in Blenheim caught fire on Boxing Day, 2000.
As a “line of orange” swept down the hill, Boxing Day plans in Blenheim shifted from family get-togethers to fighting fires. Twenty years on, Jennifer Eder looks back on a day etched on the minds of many. Boxing Day in the year 2000 was hot and windy, even by Blenheim s standards. Julia and Steve Healy had been out playing cricket with a dozen friends, who had all come back to theirs for a dip in the pool and a barbecue.