Media Centre

Judge, victim's father question lack of adventure regulation
The dangers of New Zealand's unregulated adventure tourism industry were highlighted today during the sentencing of a bridge swing operator convicted of a student's manslaughter.Massey University student Catherine Peters, 18,...

Croc's sudden death a mystery
Izzy the saltwater crocodile at the National Aquarium has died unexpectedly, well short of the 80 years the species can live to."Izzy came to us as a baby crocodile around 20 years ago so is a key member of our aquarium family,"...

Outrage over Australian pokie creche plan
SYDNEY - Amid public outrage, the Victorian Government yesterday ordered an urgent review of a decision to allow Melbourne developers to build a pub with a children's playroom overlooking poker machines.Approval for the soundproof...

Community service for bridge swing operator guilty of manslaughter
Bridge swing operator Alistair McWhannell was today sentenced to 400 hours community service for the manslaughter of a Massey University student who fell to her death last year.Catherine Peters, an 18-year-old first-year veterinary...

Samoa jackpot win yet to be claimed
Samoa's first jackpot lottery winner is yet to come forward.For the first time since the Samoa National Lotto was launched last October, the major prize of $S620,000 (NZ$308,486) was won in Saturday's draw.The prize has yet...

Tax changes hit THL profit
NZX-listed Tourism Holdings expects its annual net profit to decline by $940,000 as a result of Government tax changes to depreciation. THL will increase its deferred tax liability adjustment for the year ended June 30 as a result...

UK bookies flee the country
To look at their results from the World Cup you'd think all was rosy in the bookmakers' garden. That would be a mistaken impression. Yesterday, William Hill announced the migration of its telephone betting business to Gibraltar. The...

Auckland: Escape route
Winter. Spa. Getaway. Three words which individually have pleasant enough connotations, but which together surely make up one of the happiest phrases in the English language. Perhaps second only to "free spending money" or "wine with...

Victoria: Midas touch
Ever wondered what it's like to be treated like a lady? Well, wonder no more as the experience is there for anyone to relish.Hop on a plane to Melbourne, then jump in a car for 90 minutes to Sovereign Hill, a 12ha outdoor museum...

Legal hell in Fiji paradise
The poolside villas, the beachfront location, the warm tropical air - it should be paradise.But for 240 investors in the Hilton on Fiji's Denarau Island, the past 18 months have been more like purgatory. Some forced to mortgagee...

Diana Clement : Why do we put up with these rip-offs?
Rip-offs in New Zealand are big news, following an opinion piece in this newspaper by UK sports writer Peter Bills . It's an issue that anyone who keep

Travel companies deal raises competition concerns
The proposed acquisition of travel company Stella Travel Services may raise competition concerns, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says.Under the deal announced in May, Jetset Travelworld would acquire...

Fallen tree crushes duo's holiday hopes
Two tourists who came to experience New Zealand's clean, green landscape had an unwanted brush with nature when their parked car was nearly flattened by a tree.Broke backpackers James Nikitine and Sylvie Chappuis, from England...

Cape Reinga: Beach bus boogie
'You may be a little apprehensive when you reach the top of the sand dune, but believe me; it's not as bad as it looks.'Boogie boarding instructors are noted for their unquenchable thirst for adventure and sheer bravado...

Dunedin: Staying on track in Central Otago
We ate the pub hogget when we were warned to have the steak; ordered the sticky date pudding and got ticked off by the waitress for risking a heart attack; and lunched leisurely on a shady cafe lawn long after the others had left...

Auckland: Escape route
Winter. Spa. Getaway. Three words which individually have pleasant enough connotations, but which together surely make up one of the happiest phrases in the English language. Perhaps second only to "free spending money" or "wine with...

Christchurch: A sweet southern spot to savour
Here's how to truly appreciate chocolate. First, twirl a piece in your fingers until it begins to soften. Then raise it to your face, cup your hand around your nose and sniff. You might get a sense of a smoky aroma or hints of citrus,...

First class travel set to get busier in 2010
Business travel in 2010 will match or surpass last year's levels and more executives will be opting for first-class seats, a survey shows. A Travel Leaders poll of 227 travel experts showed nearly 40 per cent thought booking levels...