The Press

Stadium not an Airbnb boost – yet

Aside from New Year’s Day, Electric Avenue has the most Airbnbs booked in Christchurch for 2026, closely followed by Ed Sheeran next week. One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha’s opening events? About half the number of bookings. Winter timing and high...

More new homes than post-quake

More new homes are going up in Christchurch now than during the peak of the post-earthquake rebuild. In the year to November, more than 6400 homes were consented across Christchurch city and the Selwyn and Waimakariri districts, according to the...

The stench is back

The stench from Christchurch’s wastewater treatment plant has spiked again this summer, angering residents, and driving them inside behind closed windows and doors. Residents are at breaking point, and the city council must do more to support their...

Health NZ apologises for letter ‘sent in error’

A patient who feared an indefinite wait for surgery for his chronic pain condition because Christchurch Hospital only had “capacity to treat patients with a nondeferrable condition such as cancer” was sent the letter in error, Health NZ has...

Makeshift red zone camp a haven for many

Dozens of people, including workers, pensioners and a family, are sleeping in tents, cars and buses on land in Christchurch’s red zone. The group were directed to the area by the Christchurch City Council, but while it is a safe haven for the...

What’s next after Maduro?

The Venezuelan dictator was in a supposed safe house when the Delta Force commandos burst in just after 2am and snatched him and his wife, before his security team had time to secure the property’s final defence of two heavy steel doors. Even if they...

Critic's choice

Was 2025 a great year to go to the movies? Yeah, I think it was. Attendances were up, and there was a terrific return to form for dramas especially. I also reckon the NZ International Film Festival delivered some genuine gems. So, in no particular...

Road toll down sharply

The South Island road toll has dropped sharply this year, with 59 people killed on its roads, down from 82 deaths last year and well below higher tolls in the past four years. Across New Zealand, 272 people died on the roads, down from 292 at the same...

Festive start to 2026

Thousands of Kiwis across the South Island have ushered in the new year soaking up international artists at major festivals. In Christchurch, Rolling Meadows expected some 8500 attendees yesterday and Rhythm and Alps (R&A) 10,000. It was Rolling’s...

Ratepayers on the hook

Christchurch ratepayers have been quietly paying the cost of unstable ticket sales on the iconic central-city trams. Although the gap between costs and revenue significantly improved in 2024 – $282,970 compared with $105,302 the year prior – it was...

Where the ocean meets the vines

When winemaker Alejandro (Alex) Perez needs inspiration for his next vintage, he follows a trail in Whakanewha Regional Park, where the bush meets a crescent-shaped beach on Waiheke Island’s serene south coast, to a pā site with multimillion-dollar...

Music boom and bust

Call it the festival recession. Across New Zealand, iconic music festivals are unplugging their microphones – many for good. Splore, decades old. One Love, a household name. And, most recently, underground grassroots festival Twisted Frequency told The...

English couple fly in for Chch parkrun milestone

At 8am sharp on Christmas morning, thousands of people across New Zealand laced up their running shoes for the global exercise phenomenon, parkrun – but Riverlution parkrun’s first-ever Christmas Day event in Christchurch was particularly...

Sunburnt nation still tempts fate

Kaylee Mccormack checked her phone on a 29C day at Sumner Beach in Christchurch. Not for messages or Tiktok, but for the number that would determine her afternoon plans. UV index: 9. Perfect tanning weather. “I’m definitely not a re-applier,”...

A century on the edge

A new generation of climbers is aiming for the top with the Canterbury Mountaineering Club, which is celebrating 100 years of exploring the South Island’s peaks, with plenty of triumphs and losses along the way.

Quintessentially Kiwi

A love letter to the no-frills 1970s bach

Blessings and curse: The drugs that keep terminal cancer patients alive

Bronwyn Harris is defying the odds. When she was diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer two years ago, she was given a year to live – 18 months at most. She is still here and likely has years of life ahead of her. And luck has nothing to do with it,...

Small towns, big increases

It may be a buyer’s market across much of the country, but house prices in some of the South Island’s rural hubs are still trending upwards – and selling well. First-home buyers have been taking advantage of lower mortgage rates to maintain a record...

Hi-tech turf at Te Kaha

For months, the new Christchurch stadium has stood as an impressive concrete and steel shell looking largely naked on the inside. Now, with nearly a hectare of specially world-class grown turf laid across its floor, the venue is finally dressed up for...

Moneyball

Canterbury seamer Sean Davey finally quelled Auckland’s resistance at Hagley Oval to move the red-and-blacks to within one point of the Plunket Shield lead. Davey took 4-41 including the final wicket of Adi Ashok to dismiss Auckland for 324 and...

Student job applications hit record high

A record number of job applications were made by tertiary students in New Zealand last month, with some young people moving cities to find work. The “demoralising” search for employment is something Zita Fairbrass knows about first-hand. She spent 18...

Some residents stay put

City retirement village becomes ghost town

Be my guest

There’s a certain level of planning involved in hosting an event – even a modest one. But while time might be spent refining the menu, finding enough chairs or checking if the festoon lighting still works, there’s one room in the house that is too...

RMA reforms

Plans for a major overhaul of resource management laws have been welcomed as a sure way to lower housing and building costs, while environmental groups are fearful of their effects on native species and landscapes. Yesterday RMA Reform and Housing...

Wake Up Dead Man

Benoit Blanc is back on the case

Several open to selling of council asset

Many Christchurch city councillors say they are open to selling ratepayer-owned Enable – worth hundreds of millions of dollars – as one potential investor called it an “attractive asset”. The controversial idea will face stiff opposition, however, as...

How a top lawyer got away with sexual harassment

When Ripeka Tamepo arrived to run a small Māori immersion school in Kaikōura five years ago, she was shocked at the state of it. Hāpuku Kura’s buildings, more than a century old, were barely insulated and freezing. There was no play equipment and no...

Film pick and mix

The impending festive season and the end of 2025 offer up plenty of exciting options for movie fans. As well as a bunch of blockbusters, December’s lineup features some potential awards-season contenders. For those who prefer an in-cinema experience,...

Sanctuary by the sea

Call for super city instead

GOVERNANCE Christchurch City Council advisers are proposing a Greater Christchurch super city as an alternative to the Government’s “weak” plan to shake up regional governance. At a city council briefing yesterday, staff said the Government proposal...

Councils face tough decisions

Capping rates increases to 4% will lead to some tough calls for councils, as one Christchurch city councillor proposes selling fibre broadband company Enable to free up cash. The Government announced yesterday its widely anticipated plan to force...

New wave of youth crime

A new wave of youth crime has reared up in Christchurch, with children as young as 10 targeting businesses in reckless ramraids and carrying out brazen armed robberies on shops in broad daylight. Yesterday, two boys barely into their teens were...

Hagley College to lose $1m for part-time students

A Christchurch woman says she owes her education – and future career – to support she found in one city high school offering part-time study, and fears a funding cut will shut out students like her. Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College is losing a...

Back to where they once belonged

Energy vampire

The lights are off, the house is quiet and nothing seems to be running. But electricity is silently flowing through the plugs in your home. This hidden drain is known as phantom energy. Also called vampire energy, the wasted electricity comes from...

Joe Bennett

‘Où sont les neiges d’antan?” asked François Villon in 1455, “Where are the snows of yesteryear?” The line remains famous five centuries later because it captures a sense that we all know. It is the sense of a lost past, where the snow fell deep and...

Finding joy in every jar

On recent afternoons, Rosamund Mcdonald has invited friends and family into her home to rank the 23 yeast-based spreads she has sourced from around the world. They can test Vegemite, Our Mate, Promite and Bovril. There is an Our Mate XO – standing for...

Mud snorkelling sees tourists surfacing in tiny Welsh town

It started like a lot of good ideas do – over a beer in the back bar of the pub. The topic of conversation was tourists – specifically the lack of them. It was 1980 and the tiny Welsh former spa town of Llanwrtyd Wells was losing visitors fast....

Construction bounces back

After two tough years, Canterbury’s construction sector is finally picking up pace, with fresh signs the region is laying the groundwork for a rebound. “Canterbury’s actually doing pretty good,” said construction analyst Mike Blackburn. “Across...

Cup Day in colour

Sara Hargraves set herself a challenge to do 60 new things before turning 60, with entering the fashion show first on her list. All the flowers on her outfit came from her own garden.

Age, perfected

L’oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream L’oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Revitalising Day Cream SPF 15 combines two active ingredients rich in polyphenols and vitamins specifically formulated for mature, dull skin. The luxuriously...

Run(a)way success

Models wearing garments from dozens of established and emerging designers took to the stage for Christchurch’s inaugural Spring Fashion Festival, which came to an end yesterday – having given the city its first taste of New Zealand Fashion Week.

'Furkey' off the Christmas menu

Still reeling from a decision to close her bistro a week ago, Christchurch hospitality entrepreneur Flip Grater has had to put her company, Grater Goods, into voluntary liquidation. “There’s been a lot of back and forth and a lot of last-minute...

Code-red ED new normal?

Christchurch’s emergency department (ED) is spending almost a third of its days in “code red” and doctors fear it could become the new normal without urgent fixes to the health system. Figures released under the Official Information Act (OIA) show the...

Small-scale flair

The Pinnacle, a 60m² tiny home by Compac Homes in Ohinewai, north Waikato, has taken the Tiny House of the Year award, as well as the best commercial build, at this year’s awards announced at the Tiny House Expo. With its oiled ply wall linings,...

It’s firefighters v fireworks

Firefighters have issued a warning to Canterbury as Guy Fawkes arrives, after multiple blazes destroyed homes, killed animals and cut power to communities in the past few weeks. “We’ve seen the devastation a fire can have on the community,” said Wayne...

Stopping two nations

All you need to know about the big race

Girl badly cut in new crisis at city school

A student spent 10 hours in hospital after gashing a leg on metal carpet trimming at a Christchurch school plagued by a litany of problems, including sewerage leaks, water cascading through buildings and mould contamination. The 9-year-old, Navahn,...

Village on the move

Rising seas will force North Canterbury community inland

Halloween superfan maps out a city plan

The tax department is chasing nearly $2 million after the liquidation of three companies behind “under-performing” restaurants, all directed by a Christchurch hospitality figure. Jimmys Smoke House Ltd, Sake Brothers Ltd and Sushi & Zenbu Ltd were...

Jobseekers not feeling the upturn

Canterbury’s economy is growing, job ads are increasing and more people are in work than a year ago, but unemployment is still stuck at 5% and jobseekers aren’t feeling the recovery. The contradiction lies in how the labour market works: Job ads,...

What’s to gain from CGT?

Labour’s capital gains tax (CGT) plan was broader than most people picked, a bit more simple than many expected and, paired with free GP visits, designed to assuage fears that it is just a big tax-and-spend party. It may or may not achieve this. Now...

More CBD housing coming

Developer Williams Corporation has been chosen by the Crown to build on the last remaining block of Christchurch’s east frame housing area. After seeking bids, Crown Infrastructure Delivery (CID), which is overseeing the east frame project, reported...

Victory tastes sweet

Title-winning Canterbury coach Marty Bourke called it “the impossible dream” the challenge he hatched over an ale in a quiet Christchurch dressing shed four seasons ago. Forwards coach Craig Dunlea revealed after Canterbury’s comeback 36-28 NPC final...

'Ahead of her time'

Think about the legendary utterances of New Zealanders on the world stage. We knocked the bastard off in 1953. I can smell the uranium on your breath in 1985. And from the same year, you’re pulling my leg, aren’t you? Bloody hell. The last ones were...

Threat from rising rivers after winds wreak havoc

South Islanders are being urged to take extreme care as emergency crews tackle fires, flooded rivers, felled trees and power poles, debris from flying roofs, and power outages from yesterday’s ferocious winds. Canterbury remains in a state of...

High winds fan flames

In a split second Kaikōura’s sky turned from blue, to filled with smoke. Ivy Manawatū, 10, and Harlow Clarke, 12, were playing at Hāpuku School about 10km north of the coastal township on State Highway 1 when they felt one big gust of wind on Tuesday...

Failed developer jailed as sex crim

As Andrew Bendemski, he is a property developer with a trail of failed projects and debts exceeding $100 million. As Shane Beecham, he is heading to jail after failing to overturn his convictions for sexually abusing a child. The Press can now reveal...

Canterbury the place to build a home

The cost of building a home in New Zealand has surged 61% over the past decade – nearly double the 33% rise in general consumer prices – creating a deepening affordability crisis for would-be homeowners. But Canterbury has fared better than most of the...

Port Hills trail run triumph

Completing 53km in 4 hours and 43 minutes, a delighted Jack Harris is pictured just after winning the event at yesterday’s Crater Rim Ultra. A record 1100 entrants signed up for Christchurch’s biggest off-road running race, which offered several...

Ikea countdown begins

Christchurch Ikea fans book flights for Auchland opening

Jim Bolger 1935-2025

■ Tributes, page 4 ■ Political analysis, page 4 ■ Shipley on ousting him, page 4 ■ Cartoonist’s view, page 15 ■ Obituary, pages 16-17

Move over Christ Church Cathedral

If you’ve got high lately, you’ll have noticed that Ōtautahi Christchurch’s city skyline has dramatically changed. From a plane, up in the Port Hills, from suburban high rises, you’ll see the change. Like a huge extraterrestrial bug, the newly...

Labour pulls ahead as PM loses ground

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Speaker Gerry Brownlee would both be ousted from Parliament if an election were held today, as National’s support slides and Christopher Luxon’s personal ratings hit new lows. In the latest The Post/freshwater...

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe

‘Compromise’ city ALDEN WILLIAMS/THE PRESS council for Chch

Not one Christchurch city councillor lost their seat this election as the power of the incumbent shone through. Phil Mauger won a second term as Christchurch mayor with a convincing 20,000vote majority over Sara Templeton, and all 14 councillors who...

The great pet divide: From feeding scraps to splashing out

Devoted pet owners often regard their four-legged friends as part of the family – but while some are able to treat them to regular grooming, new collars and outfits, the economic squeeze means others are resorting to feeding them food scraps to get...

Roofer makes ‘tough’ call

The boss of a Canterbury roofing business has placed his company in liquidation with an estimated $850,000 shortfall to creditors, saying it comes during the industry’s toughest period in a decade. It is a statement echoed by the Roofing Association...

Hope for songbird recovery

There are fresh signs of recovery for one of New Zealand’s most striking native songbirds, although conservationists say its survival still hangs in the balance. Recent Department of Conservation (DOC) monitoring shows mixed fortunes for the...

Superstar goes to school

A far cry from the 80,000-strong crowd at the NRL Grand Final in Sydney on Sunday, one of the world’s biggest artists brought his soulful sound to an intimate venue yesterday: a Christchurch high school gymnasium. Teddy Swims took over Marian College...

Casino’s $5 million mistakes

A High Court judge has signed off a hefty penalty for Christchurch Casinos Ltd following a Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) investigation. Failing to properly scrutinise 24 customers behind $56 million of transactions was one error that led to a...

Call to ban harmful online ads

Academics are urging the Government to ban advertising of harmful products on social media, after revealing findings show that young Kiwis are being exposed to harm. Research by a group of academics in New Zealand found pervasive online marketing of...

Prosecuted developer cries foul

A high-profile Christchurch property developer says he has been unfairly singled out after being prosecuted for unconsented building work he did on a $3 million home. Richard Diver bought a steep section on Scarborough Hill in 2018 with ambitious...

Cat killer speaks out

Colin John Cracknell, 88, says he has been made out as a ‘murderer’ after his possum trap in suburban Rangiora killed his neighbours’ muchtreasured cat. He has now been sentenced in court over the matter, but says there’s more to the story.

Canty nitrate pollution of water worst

More than one in 20 private drinking water sources could be breaching nitrate limits, but Canterbury’s farming industry and water advocates are split over the solution. A nationwide study led by Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly GNS Science) tested...