Archives – Page 20 – Great Barrier Island News

Extinct Duck’s DNA Reveals Epic Flight to New Zealand

Photo / Boston Public Library / Unsplash By Nic Rawlence, University of Otago and Alexander Verry, University of Otago Ask a bird lover if they have heard of the extinct giant moa or its ancient predator, Haast’s eagle, and the…

Boaties caught red-handed: Police seized 21 Packhorse Crayfish, some undersized, from an 8.8m vessel off Great Barrier Island. Photo / NZ Police

Environment

Boaties Busted for Undersized Crays After Fleeing Police

A group of boaties felt the pinch over the weekend after Police caught up with them off the coast of Aotea. Sergeant Peter Comer, of the Auckland Maritime Unit, says that at around 11am an informant called Great Barrier Police…

Abandoned and Overgrown: A home in Akapoua, under DoC's stewardship, stands neglected while awaiting a stalled treaty settlement. Photo / Will Trafford

Community News

Disarray and Denial: The Uncertain Future of DoC on Aotea

Residents and DoC insiders are questioning the Department of Conservation's commitment to Aotea. They point to empty, decaying houses and shuttered tracks as signs of neglect. Additionally, there are doubts about whether the department has sufficient funding and a clear…

Seagliders Promise Swift, Affordable Travel for Barrier

Seaglider Poised for Takeoff? Photo / REGENT Great Barrier Island might soon be closer to Auckland than ever if Ocean Flyer’s bold plans come to fruition. With services potentially mirroring the ease and frequency of a bus schedule, the kiwi…

Aotea's Coast Braces for Incoming Storm. Photo / AoteaGBI.news FILE

Community News

Aotea Braces for Severe Weather

Residents should prepare for a period of heavy rain and potential thunderstorms starting this afternoon. The MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Watch for Great Barrier Island, in addition to Auckland, from 9 PM on Monday, 20 May, until 6…

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere — Even at the UN’s ‘Plastic Free’ Conference

Pro-plastic ads near the Ottawa, Ontario, convention center where the United Nations plastics treaty negotiations took place. Photo / James Park for ProPublica by Lisa Song, ProPublica When I registered to attend last month’s United Nations conference in Canada, organizers…

Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Photo / CC

Politics

AUKUS Indecision: Confusion or Caution?

By Robert G. Patman, University of Otago New Zealand governments have been actively exploring the option of joining pillar two of AUKUS for over a year now. But according to foreign minister Winston Peters, the government is “a long way…

Six60 greeted by excited fans at Claris Airport on Aotea. The adventure begins! Photo / Instagram

Community News

Six60 Takes Aotea By Storm and Loves Every Minute!

Six60 has well and truly landed on Great Barrier Island, and by the looks of it, they’re having an epic time! The popular Kiwi band arrived yesterday, documenting their journey on Instagram for their nearly 300,000 followers. Their adventure began…

Chatham Islands. Photo / Flickr / Ville Miettinen

Chatham Islands

Chatham Residents Face Fuel Famine

Chatham Islands. Photo / Flickr / Ville Miettinen A fuel crisis has gripped the Chatham Islands, after their only petrol station ran dry. The shortage threatens to grind daily life to a halt for the island’s roughly 650 residents, with…

Great Barrier's Medlands white sand beach with New Zealand native toi toi fauna and mountain view. Photo / Mark Russell

Environment

Can Legal Personhood for Nature Halt Biodiversity Loss?

Great Barrier Island’s Medlands Beach: Pristine white sands, native toi toi fauna, and stunning mountain views. Photo / Mark Russell By Viktoria Kahui, University of Otago Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we…