After a 330-day period of no operations, direct flights from Australia to Queenstown resumed today. The Qantas flight from Sydney marks the welcome return of Australian visitors to the popular South Island tourist destination. Other carriers plan to resume their trans-Tasman operations to Queenstown in the near future, with JetStar due back next week and […]

A New Zealand survey expedition has recently returned from studying the remnants of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga, which erupted in January this year. The expedition, led by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) and funded by the Nippon Foundation, discovered that the volcano was still largely intact. This came as […]

Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago District Councils join nine other participants in the ‘Welcoming Communities programme” The programme provides a framework for councils to become more welcoming to migrants. The programme is run by Immigration New Zealand. The current members of the programme are: Tauranga City Council Western Bay of Plenty District Council Palmerston North […]

From Monday 14 March, employers across the country will have access to more workers and the tourism sector will benefit from more visitors with the Working Holiday Schemes (WHS) reopening. Visa applications for all the schemes will reopen in stages, with all uncapped schemes, which account for around three quarters of all working holidaymakers, opening […]

New Zealand’s red meat sector is continuing to achieve strong export results says the Meat Industry Association. Exports reached $940 million during January, a 27% increase by value on January 2021. The value of exports increased to nearly all the major markets. China was up 25% to $398 million, the United States up 32% to […]

After more than two years, New Zealand will reopen its borders to Australians starting April 12 and international tourists from visa-waiver countries from May 1. The move is part of efforts to accelerate economic recovery, according to a statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Arrivals from Australia will be able to enter without having to […]

A start-up company offering a method to clear fog at airports has received government backing. Christchurch-based company Pyper Vision is developing a spray that can quickly absorb moisture from the air, clearing fog. The team is being assisted by the Government’s Airspace Integration Trials Programme, which aims to safely support the adoption of new aviation […]

In a bid to attract tech talent worldwide, New Zealand is easing its border restrictions for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workers. The government has announced 600 border exceptions for tech workers. Interested workers or businesses can apply for an industry nomination via NZTech or IT Professionals NZ. NZTech, the government-funded marketing arm designed to […]

Economy up 3 percent in the final quarter of 2021 – Stats NZ The economy rebounded at the end of last year as consumer spending picked up after Covid lockdowns were eased. Stats NZ data showed gross domestic product (GDP) rose a seasonally adjusted 3.0 percent in the three months ended December, slightly below expectations, […]

Napier’s beach was illuminated last week by the glowing “aurora of the sea”: blooms of plankton that glow blue-green after nightfall. The elusive, beautiful phenomenon that sometimes sweeps into the coasts was witnessed by local “biohunter” enthusiasts who scour the shorelines for bioluminescence. The light is activated by movement: cresting waves begin to glow, splashes […]